Indochina (Monday afternoon)

Iori was walking along with his parents towards the rice plantation. It had rained the night before so the terrain was muddy. The sky was overcast and looked gray, probably preceding another downpour. They had to walk to the end of the field to start picking the crop.

- Stay together. – said the father. – I don't want any of you to get lost.

- Iori, stay close. They told me yesterday that thieves were loose around here.

- Don't worry. If somebody dares to come close I'll teach them a lesson.

The father used his sickle to cut down the stems and the mother and Iori placed them on the wooden wagon they were pulling along.

Rain began to fall with more intensity. Thunder was rolling on the sky. Dogs barked at the distance. Then lightning began striking the fields furiously.

- Pick everything up. We have to get indoors. – said Iori's father as he put away his sickle.

- It'll take time to pull this wagon to the house.

- Then, leave it there, we'll come and get it afterwards.

The mother and Iori followed the father in the field. Iori thought that if thieves were loose they could loot the crop so he decided to go back and check. His mom by now was way ahead.

Iori felt relieved as he saw that the wagon was still there, but fear took hold of him when he couldn't see his folks in front of him.

He walked toward the field again in direction to his home (or he thought it was the right direction). He was panting as he ran along the long stems that covered the fields. Suddenly, he stumbled upon someone. It was tall and he had a hooded overcoat so he couldn't figure out the face.

- Hello there. – said the stranger. – This is no place for a kid. – said the man showing his ugly toothless face and pulling a gun from his coat. Iori ran in the opposite direction crying in terror to no avail; it was raining even harder.

He ran as fast as he could to the woods. The man was pacing behind him with a malicious look on his face.

- Come out kid! – he yelled waving the gun in the air.

Iori could feel that the stranger behind was going after him into the woods. Then, from nowhere a violent gust of wind passed very close to his face. The stranger felt it on his hand holding the gun. Suddenly he realized that the gun was sliced in half; with the cannon on the ground. Next to it there was a strange golden looking metal panel.

Without his gun, the stranger had no choice but to run away cursing all the way.

Iori, watched from behind a tree wondering what happened with the stranger when lighting struck that tree and a branch came falling down. Iori tried to dodge it but he could only afford to avoid to get hit on the head. Instead, the huge branch had fallen on his thighs. He was trapped.

As he struggled to get out, he could see blended with the rest of the landscape a pair of eyes staring at him. Iori was scared to death because he saw these eyes approaching him and he was now able to tell from the shadows that a strange animal was the owner of them.

"It's like a giant turtle" thought Iori trying to free himself.

The creature stopped a few feet away and just sat there staring at Iori. Hours passed and rain passed.

The creature had curled on the ground and was snoring loudly. Iori could not get out and realizing he was lost and trapped he could only shut his eyes waiting for morning to come.

Iori opened his eyes slowly. It was past dawn and he was lying there in the middle of the woods. He was shocked when he realized that the branch that was pressing him was no longer there. With this, he also realized that the rock he was lying his head on was actually the back of the creature he had seen.

He crawled backwards terrified. However after a few seconds he was at ease when he saw that the creature was quietly breathing in and out.

With the first rays of sunshine that pierced through the thick woods he could see that his body was massive, covered with a huge shell made of several plates of metal perfectly arranged one next to the other. His head was small in proportion with the rest of the body and was pointed in shape. At the sides of his head ears that looked like antlers could be distinguished. It was remarkable that part of his body extended to the top of his head covering it like a helmet with red triangular symbols. The creature opened its eyes which were green and slit like.

It yawned opening his jaws widely and then turned his head staring at Iori who still kept his distance despite the fact that the creature look timid and tamed.

- Hi…. – murmured Iori very softly.

The creature snorted softly and approached Iori. It began to bump his legs with his head.

- Sorry, I don't understand. What do you want?

The visitor kept nodding his head. He seemed to know a way out of the woods.

- Ok. I will follow you. – Said Iori striding next to his new friend.

Japan (Monday Evening)

Night life in Shibuya; the shining lights, the shopping malls, people walking around with bags and purses contemplating the displays of the different stores.

This was the perception of Yuki who was walking next to her classmates coming out of one of the shopping malls.

This area was usually peaceful although occasionally biker gangs would come every now and then to harass tourists.

Yuki and her friends were having a really great time until they heard motorbike engine noises in the distance. Before they could step back indoors a group of three bikers were already surrounding them. Yuki heard from his brother that this people usually fooled around people to scare them but they eventually went away.

When Yuki turned around the two friends who were with her were already running away and two of the three bikers were driving around them.

The third biker stood still in front of Yuki. The rider took of his helmet.

- You are a brave little girl. – said the biker mocking Yuki and putting his helmet back on.

He revved his bike and steered it around screeching the tires against the pavement. As he did a stunt on the rear wheel something locked the front wheel and when it touched the pavement the bike stopped violently sending the rider flying. He got up really mad and walked to Yuki really mad.

- This is all your fault!!! – he said as he pulled a knife from his pocket. His breath was alcoholic

Yuki stared at the attacker with her mouth wide open. As he lifted his arm above his shoulders with the knife pointing to the air something held him strongly. The attacker struggled and turned around burying the knife in whoever it was. His jaw dropped as he saw the knife stuck on the furry chest of a strange looking animal. It stood tall and had yellow fur all over. It had deep penetrating eyes that looked menacing. On arms and legs it had bracelets with ying yang symbols carved on them and had a very wide and brushy tail.

The animal hissed upset grabbing the handle of the knife and pulling it out without even making a sound. After the knife fell to the ground the animal grabbed the biker by the shirt and tossed him to the other side of the street like a rag doll.

When the biker got up he ran away desperately.

Yuki picked her bags up and looked around. Her friends were gone…..

- Thank you…. – said Yuki excitedly, but when she turned around the yellow animal had disappeared.