Kobe Area of Japan, town of Takarazuka

Miss's Akiko Hashimoto wasn't used to having visitors this late at night. She had spent two hours cooking dinner and was finishing the last bits of preparations. She was "required" by her salary man husband to finish before his arrival at the house. If she was unable to finish dinner he would call her a few dirty names and after guzzling down two cans of beer slap her around. Then in his belligerent drunken stupor he would swear at his two kids. Miss's Hashimoto wasn't at all happy about marrying this pig of a man but the money he brought home was good and her two daughters did make her very happy, they were growing up to be fine Japanese women. She had two daughters, her oldest lived in the famed Takarazuka performance troupe. Her youngest daughter Yukiko longed to live the life of a dancer.

It had been several days since she had heard from her husband. She was used to not seeing him for days at a time and usually he would call after a day or so to warn her that he was coming home that night and that there better be dinner on the table when he got there. She had been slicing a fresh piece of tuna when she heard the doorbell rang. Which was peculiar because Takayo Hashimoto had a key.

"I'll get it momma!" Yukiko called out as she raced down the stairs. Yukiko was faster than her other classmates and since this was Fitness Week after all she took full advantage of it during the competitions. Fitness Week is the one time out of the year where the government enforces all schools to teach on proper fitness and the importance of being healthy. Her lithe lean legs made quick work of her tiny and narrow Japanese house. She twirled and pirouetted over tables and past the family altar. Over the past few days, she found that her body was now agile and carried a grace that she had never noticed before. Her movements were liquid, but sharp. And in three seconds, with one final turn she opened the door and bowed.

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Giles had planned to come to Japan for some time. He had never been to the country but from what he saw at least it was clean and they drove on the proper side of the road. Originally Giles had no comprehension of the intricacies within the Japanese language let alone the capacity to speak it. Years of Watcher training taught him knowledge of martial arts moves and katas (specifically targeting choreographed training maneuvers), but that wouldn't have helped in the slightest unless he wanted to instigate a fight by repeating the words for fist and girl over and over again, until they got the message.

Years ago when Anya had begun helping him with the workings of the Magic Box, she had brought her own set of spells in and tried to sell them. Anya had a full assortment of magick's ranging from the benile shrinking penis spell, to the more provocative "Here's what you do so that your lover goes to jail and is bunked with a very large man named Buba for life" spell. Giles had never questioned any of their efficacy instead he was more interested in her language translation spells, being a vengeance demon meant that she must have been capable with all languages. Justice speaks all languages, she had created a spell so that for a brief period of time the castor would be able to speak any language at will.

Giles uncorked a bottle of yellow colored liquid. Whisps of green smoke slithered out from the top and seemed to trickle down the sides. The potion was a heavy brew of milk thistle, knotgrass, adder's pupil, and the saliva of a native. The slight smell of sake reminded him of the five minutes prior where he had the hardest time looking like he was propping up a drunk salary man, when in actuality he was trying to garner some spit that had dribbled down the man's face.

"I hope this spell works on humans as well as vengeance demons." Giles thought to himself before he began the incantation.

"Calliope great muse, wizened of all thine nine sister's. Grant me the gift of language. Of laughter and song. Hear me oh muse and answer as best thine sees fit. Bring forth the trove of knowledge locked within these drops of spit."

It was a silly incantation, Giles thought to himself. But the warm glow emanating from the potion probably meant that it had worked. Giles reached for the doorbell and pushed it while pressing the edge of the bottle to his lips and downing the potion. Before he could take the bottle away from his mouth, a young Japanese girl had popped open the door and was bowing before him. She had worn her black hair in pigtails and her almond shaped eyes were respectfully pointed downwards.

Giles opened his mouth to thank her, but his voice had changed. It was higher and squeaked. But remarkably his Japanese was above par.

She welcomed him in with a smile, keeping her almost hysterical laughter bottled up inside.

"I appreciate you letting me into your homes at such a late hour." He explained to her. His voice sounded like air was slowly seeping out of a tire.

She had a lot of questions like, why was there a gaijin (foreigner) sitting in their living room and why did he sound so weird? Instead she decided that it would be better for her to get her mother to talk with him

"It's perfectly alright sir. Would you please have a seat? My mother is in the kitchen I'll fetch her."

"Oh please do." Giles fumbled uncomfortably on the sofa of the living room. The spell worked, but his voice was higher than he even his pubescent voice. "It was the alcohol and the rice from the sake." Giles said out loud.

"I'm sorry sir." Miss's Hashimoto apologized as she entered the room. "But right now we're out of sake. If you'd like I can send my daughter to the corner vending machines to buy some."

"Oh no please. Don't trouble yourself Miss's Hashimoto, my name is Rupert Giles, I'm here because of your daughter."

Akiko was astounded. This, what she assumed to be a British man knew her name and was asking about her daughter. "Would you prefer speaking in English?" she asked recalling her six years of English language classes.

"That's a relief." Giles thought to himself. He said to her in English, "Miss's Hashimoto there are creatures in the world that are evil and demonic." Giles voice returned to normal once he spoke some words of English. "Your daughter is different, she has been chosen to fight those powers. She is a Slayer. She has reflexes far beyond any normal human being along with the strength and endurance of an army of men. The reason why I've come is your daughter isn't safe here. Those creatures I've talked about are hunting her and I've come to take her someplace safe. I'm creating a school to train girls like your daughter to defend themselves."

This was all a lot for Misses Hashimoto to understand and she wasn't sure she did. When she was little her grandmother used to tell her stories about the oni, giant horned demons, or the snow woman who used to kill lost travelers. But never something like this. "I'm sorry Mr. Giles but I'm not sure if I'm able to let her go like this without consulting her father first. He should be..."

The doorknob jiggled and Takayo Hashimoto stood in the doorway, his suite gray with dirt and filth. He looked worn out and irritable. His gaunt pale face scanned the three people as he stood in the doorway. Something about her father made Yukiko feel uneasy, well more uneasy than she normally does. He seemed different now, there was an odd vibrancy within his step but also his eyes seemed a bit darker. Like someone had poured oil into them.

Mr. Takayo looked at Giles. This Gaijin was in his house, probably eating his dinner. This is how she repays him for bringing home money and supporting their family. He swore at her out loud in Japanese.

"I'm sorry husband." Miss's Hashimoto said regrettably. "But this man would like to talk to us about our daughter. Please Mr. Giles, join us for some food. We have plenty."

"Yah come on white boy." Mr. Hashimoto slurred to Giles in a guttural form of Japanese before shoving his wife into a cabinet and storming off to the dinner table.

Misses Hashimoto picked herself off the floor and whimpered slightly on the inside but kept her demure pride. "Come, let us not let my husband ruin a very nice meal."

Giles knew from the instant he could smell the grave dust that lingered on the man that he was a vampire.

Yukiko had been squeezing the back of a wooden chair in anger, knowing fully that if she had said anything he would come after her. Once he left, the back of the chair splintered into pieces onto the floor. Amazed at her own strength, she stared down at her own hands. There had been small shards of wood stuck in them but in a few seconds the bleeding stopped and fresh pink replaced her torn up palms.

"Yukiko. Your father isn't human anymore. He has joined the rank of the undead. He has become a vampire." Akiko nodded, she knew that it was true. She had watched enough anime to understand that a vampire was a creature and no longer a human. Also there was something inside her that screamed he was right.

"Come Mr. Giles. Dinner is ready."

Yukiko's shift in reaction from shock and horror to a quotidian invitation to dinner shocked the watcher.

"I don't think you understand! Yukiko. He will kill you both."

"I understand that if I am what you say I am then I'll be able to kill him right?"

"Well yes."

"Then we shall see if you are right"

Yukiko was sizing up her father all through the beginning of dinner. He had barely touched anything and was busily shouting orders and guzzling mugs of beer.

"More beer!" Mr. Takayo shouted at his wife.

"I'm sorry husband but we're out. You've drank the last cans we have."

"Then send the girl out to get more!"

"But it's too late and the vending machine's are closed by now."

Mr. Takayo hissed. The large glass mug of beer had narrowly missed hitting Misses Hashimoto in the head.

"I said get me more beer." He growled at her with his hands gripping firmly the roots of her hair and wrenching her neck up in a painful angle.

Giles who had been standing by now reached into his coat pocket and was about to plunge a stake into the back of the Japanese Salary man but Yukiko's hand stopped him.

"No, Mr. Giles. She's my mother. I'll do it." Yukiko gave a right cross to the side of her former father's face with enough force to make him lose his grip and falter backwards into a wall.

"You useless bitch of a daughter!"

"You were vile as a father and the only difference now is that you smell like a dead dog! I think it's an improvement!"

The vampire tried body slamming her but her Slayer reflexes took over and she gracefully spun over him and round housed him in the kidneys. The vampire howled in pain. But vampire's heal quickly too and was ready with another attempt at charging her. Yukiko gripped the side of his head and used his own momentum to send him careening into the dining room table.

"This is the last time you're ever going to talk to me or my mother like that again." Yukiko cartwheeled to where she had thrown him and plunged the stake into his chest. He was gone in a blast of dirt and ash.

Giles had been tending to Misses Hashimoto's wounds. They weren't very severe but his heart went out to her. He went into the kitchen and brought out some tea for her.

"Mr. Giles. Please take good care of my daughter. I know she'll be safe with you."

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After a teary goodbye in the morning, Akiko hugged her daughter gave her an Omomori (good luck charm). Misses Hashimoto had woken up extremely early to go and purchase this charm from the shrines, it had been blessed with the snow and water of Mount Fuji and carried sakura petals and leaves orange from Autumn, all of this to symbolize the change her daughter has endured.

"I love you momma." With that Yukiko hugged her mother again and stepped into the taxi.

I wonder how Faith and Robin are doing.

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Hey guys, wow people still read my stories? Haha I'm surprised well for the like one or two of you here's another chapter. I hope you don't mind that I put it in Japan. I had spent the summer there so I guess this is my way of remembering my stay, course it didn't include vampires or slayers but hey it's a good place to go. So yah drop me a review if you like it. And well hey drop me a review if you don't, I'm up for constructive criticism. Oh and if you want to find out what Drusilla's doing read my story about "The Loyal and the Lamb" she's in Greece. Oddily enough I really like giving the Slayers personalities and histories. What I'm trying to do is make them more than just nameless faces that can kick major demon ass. I kinda want to provide some backstory with at least a few of these young girls. I hope I'm not boring any of you or disappointing, maybe I'll make another story of just backstory and histories of these current Slayers, anyways, I need to go and study. Bye all!