Chapter 3: Losing a Friend

Riochi stood speechless at the moment that flashed right before his eyes. K.C was right. She was still sharp and quick. In mind and blade.

"Um, I can explain," K.C muttered as she turned away, "But we're gonna need to head somewhere private."

"Alright go ahead," Riochi answered as he snapped back to reality, "I just want answers."

"Well, if answers is what you want, then fine," K.C said as they walked away from the restaurant, "But, prepare for the complicated truths I will confess. 'Cause you'd want to get a mind wipe afterwards."

"What's a mind wipe?"

...

Hotaru rushed through the doors of their home in pure joy as Miu followed her with the stank tube in her feathers. In a normal situation, Miu would join her best friend in her victory dance, but not today. It was more serious than she predicted.

Hotaru's eyes glowed green as she let out a spine-nerving laugh which made Miu step back in utter terror. Miu knew that laugh. The laugh from the man who destroyed her home. The utter laugh that gave her the reason to flee to Feudal in the first place.

"Hatoru," Miu whimpered as she reached out a wing to her friend.

"What is it, Miu," Hotaru asked with her eyebrow arched, "aren't you happy? We know how the power to rule Feudal. No, scratch that. Japan! No...THE WORLD! We can rule the world together! All will bow in our presence and shower us with more riches than imagined! We'll be the emperors of the world for eternity!"

All Hotaru promised didn't matter to her anymore. No riches nor fame can grant her real desire.

"You.. aren't the friend I know," Miu grunted as she watched Hotaru's eyes turn into black with white pupils in anger. "Your promises won't posses me Sorcerer. SO LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!"

Red flames began to ignite on Miu's body as her eyes turned blood red. She charged at her possessed friend with will. Hotaru made a smirk with jigsaw puzzled teeth and charged back. They clashed their swords together, grinding them with a screeching noise echoing the room.

"Look here, Sorcerer," Miu snarled as she met dark eyes. "Two years ago, my father , The mighty Tengu, helped the ninja seal you into that hell hole prison. And if you think you can get a second chance here, you are dead wrong. In the name of my father and Hotaru, I will use more force than you can imagine to cast you back into the shit hole, where you will rot for the rest of eternity!"

Hotaru let out a chuckle, as if amused by her threat.

"Oh, what a little lost Tengu you are," Hotaru snickered as Miu's eyes widened on her statement. "Daddy isn't here to help you now, is he?"

Hotaru swung her sword while Miu was still in a state of shock and jabbed the sword deep into Miu's chest. Miu shook as blood began to roll down her chin like a waterfall. Desperation filled her eyes as she took in what use to be her friend.

"Hotaru... If you can "hack" hear m-me, I just want you to know," Miu spoke as she began to make a soft smile, "no matter what happens "cough" to me or you... "hack" You will always be my friend... "hack" my comrade.. "cough" and more than family. I love you..."

Hotaru's eye's turned back to normal and poured tears. Miu felt a shower of happiness fill her until Hatoru shook her head and her possessed eyes met hers once again. She twisted the sword inside her and Miu let out a screech as the bloody mess on her chest expanded. With shaking hands, Hotaru pulled back the sword and watched the flames on the Tengu die and the great bird fell limbless on the ground. One of her eyes turned back to normal and met the Tengu's as tears poured out of the one eye.

Miu's smile grew larger. It was progress, and soon she'll be back to normal.

"It's too bad I won't get see my friend again," Miu thought as she closed her eyes.

...

The pink-stripped ninja removed her mask in the shadows and revealed her identity in the torch light. It was An. The red raccoon began to walk back to the sushi restaurant.

"I missed the sound of peace at night," An thought, "You almost never get to near back at home."

The raccoon stopped her tracks and took a step back as she stared the sight next to her feet. A red feathered bird's corpse layed on the ground next to bags of trash. An ran to its side and examined her wounds. A wide hole covered her stomach and continued to let blood loose. An grabbed a cloth napkin out of her pockets and tried to stop the bleeding by covering the wound. She bent down and listened to the bird's heart beat. Fortunately, she was alive, barely alive.

"I HAVE to tend her wounds with K.C," the red raccoon thought as she urgently put her mask back on and carried the bleeding bird home.

...

"So, you're telling me, you're also here to check some accusation that this "stank" is around here," Riochi asked.

He scratched his head on his seat as K.C brought over some tea.

"Yeah, it sounds absurd, but I'm telling you the truth," K.C muttered as she sat down beside him.

"I don't see any reason why you'd ever lie about this, but I do believe you," Riochi said as he took a sip of tea. "It's just hard to digest..."

Suddenly, a large bang echoed the house. K.C and Riochi stared at each other before running towards the source, spilling tea in the process. As they reached the front door, Riochi stumbles back in shock. An held the dieing body of Miu as she rushed inside. Riochi shut the door as K.C followed An in a scattering motion.

"What happened," Riochi almost yelled as K.C cleared off the kitchen table to set Miu on.

"I was taking a stroll and I found her near a garbage pile," An quickly explained as she set Miu down.

"I'll get the healing tools," K.C stated as she ran up stairs.

An grasped the dieing Tengu's wing as Riochi walked towards them. Miu coughed more blood and slowly open her dieing eyes.

"Ho-tar-," Miu gasped as she tried to say a single word.

"No, rest," An said as she tried to stop Miu from getting up, "We need to heal you!"

"No-," Miu coughed, "Hotaru's "hack" in trouble.."

"What," K.C asked as she can down with a large case.

"The...the Sorcerer," Miu chocked out as all of their eyes widened, "He-he has her in his grasp..."

Miu began to sob as K.C opened the case. An shushed her and tried to calm her down.

"Don't worry, I promise we'll get you back into shape," An reassured.

Miu just made an angered glare.

"No- I don't want to get better," Miu muttered as K.C began the healing process and caused Miu to close her eyes,

"I just want my friend back..."