Cats and Cats Dogs and Dogs

Chapter One

"Nyoko! Let's go!"

"Just a sec! Lemme finish this up!"

Nyoko typed up a few more notes and shut off her computer. Grabbing her bag, she shoved her cat-ears over her shoulder-length auburn hair, pinned on her fake tail, and rushed out the door.

"You're always working on that paper!" Mami mock-scolded her friend as they ran down the street. "I'm surprised you could find time to go to this movie with me, Cat-Girl!"

"I know... But it's getting really great! I stayed up late last night doing more research, and I found out there was another demon in the story! His name was Nara--!"

"Look, babe, I know you're really thrilled by this legend, but that's just it. It's a legend. You shouldn't get so caught up in stories! You need to get your head out of your books, and start thinking about reality.. Like the fact that Yoru-kun asked you out last week! I can't believe you turned him down!"

"Mami-chan! I told you, I'm not in the market for a boyfriend right now, okay?"

"I know, I know. Less talking, more running!"

They ran to the theatre, only to find it closed on Sundays. In dissapointment, they went to the ice cream parlor right across the street for discount "Sundaes on Sunday." Afterwards, they decided to go for a walk. Drinking green tea and chatting, they strolled around the old part of town, filled with crumbling and abandoned buildings. A few people lived there, but not a lot. Mostly gangsters or people with nowhere else left to go. Mami didn't like this area, but Nyoko seemed to really enjoy it for some reason, and Mami was too happy to see her friend outside and away from the computer to object.

"I love green tea!" Nyoko exlaimed happily, sipping away at her can.

"Yep, it's good." Mami agreed.

"So, Mami, about my paper..." She started, reaching into her bag with one hand. She pulled out a page printed from her computer. "See this picture? That's the demon it's all about. I got it online." She handed it to her friend.

Mami took the paper, and saw a painting of a boy, about 17-ish, with flowing silver hair and beautiful amber eyes. "Are... are those dog-ears?" Nyoko nodded emphatically. "I see. So you wear your ears to copy him?"

"No! I've been wearing mine since before I started studying this!"

"Ha Ha! I'm kidding! But seriously, what's with this all-red outfit? Doesn't he have a fashion sense?" (A/N: Somewhere, somewhen, InuYasha sneezes.)

"That's fire-rat's fur! It's stronger than any armor!"

"But does it all have to red?"

"It's practical. Besides, he didn't have time to worry about fashion! He was fighting for his life every day!"

Mami got a strange expression on her face. "Alright, why are you making excuses for someone who never even existed?"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Maybe I am," Nyoko conceded. "I dunno... I'm just tired, is all... Sorry for fighting with you."

"It's okay." The other girl patted her friend's back, comforting her. Then she saw something she knew would cheer 'cat-girl' up. "Hey, aren't those temple stairs?"

Nyoko perked up instantly. "Where?" Mami pointed. "Yes! Yes, they are! Mami-chan, can we please go up? Please!"

"I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this..." But she smiled and let herself be led up the two-hundred or so stairs.

"Careful, Mami! Some of these stairs are cracked so it might be dangerous!"

Mami nodded, and continued up.

At the top of the stairs, the girls stopped to catch their breath. They didn't take long, however, and soon stood to look at the buildings. "Pretty impressive," Mami commented, while Nyoko gaped.

"Can I help you?" A voice said.

The girls jumped about a half foot in the air, and turned to look at the speaker. There stood a young girl of about 11 or 12, dressed in the traditional garb of a shinto priestess. "Are you two here to pay a visit to the shrine?" The girl looked skeptical, observing their baggy clothes and odd make-up.

"Um... W-we just came up here t-to see... what was up here! Hehheh!" Nyoko stuttered, but managed to get the message across.

"I see. Well then, would you like a tour?" She asked, hopefully.

"Yes, please! That would be wonderful! Mami-chan! Wouldn't that be great?"

"Yeah... Whoopee..." Mami answered sarcastically.

"Great! My name's Keiko. Um... What are your names?"

"I'm Nyoko Tsutaebanashi, and this is Mami Yuki!"

"Yuki-san, Tsutaebanashi-san, this way." Keiko led the girls around the shrine, telling them various trivial facts about each well-maintained site.

"This is the storage building. It's where we keep the old srolls, some holy water, and... other things that we're not using right now," she said, appearing not to know much about this building. "Um, once, a cursed Noh mask caused the whole thing to catch on fire!"

A few minutes silence as they walked, then, "This is the sacred tree. It's always protected the keepers of the shrine. It's a time tree. That means it connects the different time periods. It's the exact same in every time. Legend has it that a powerful demon was sealed to this tree 6 hundred years about for stealing a sacred jewel." The girl finished her speech and continued on.

Nyoko poked Mami. "I think that's the demon I showed you before," she whispered.

"Great," Mami whispered back, trying to pay attention to Keiko.

"Inside this wellhouse," their tourguide was saying, opening the doors, "is the Bone-eater's Well. It's said that villagers used to put the bones of demons into the well. After a few days, the bones would mysteriously dissapear!" She laughed a bit and smiled, showing that she didn't believe anything she was saying. Then she continued walking.

"She didn't close the doors," Mami commented.

"I'll do it," Nyoko said, "I'll catch up in a sec." She moved to close the doors, but as soon as her hands touched the wood, she sensed an immense power coming from inside. She looked to see the other two girls going ahead.

Not really knowing or caring why, she stepped inside the well house and closed the doors behind her. Then she walked down the stairs to stand next to the well. "Just a regular dry well," Nyoko said aloud. She ran her hand along the edge of the well and felt that huge power again.

After just a moment of thought, she made the decision to go down. At about that time, Kaiko and Mami noticed that Nyoko was missing. Mami turned back. "She stopped at the well house for just a second to close the doors for you, "She said.

They arrived at the house and opened the doors, just as Nyoko jumped in.

"Nyoko!" Mami ran toward the stairs and looked into the well...

But it was empty.

End of Chapter