This is the Cirno News Network with a breaking news story. Odd news coming out from the Rust Belt, as there has been a decline in the wild monster population. Various experts that have been contacted by our network have shared with us that this event is very curious. Perhaps there has been a culling recently that has been more effective than previous. However, they believe that there is something more sinister at work. However, fishermen and hunters alike are nearly crying with joy, as they need not protect their hard-earned kills need not be shared with stray monsters.

Thank you, and enjoy the show. This has been THE STRONGEST! Now back to your irregularly scheduled fic.

Touhoumon: Gray Version
Chapter 4: Preparing for Departure

Morning's light came much too soon for my tastes, burning into my eyes with what felt the entire weight of my sins. Whether they were perceived or otherwise… It did not truly matter me. me.

Still, I treasured those first few wakeful moments, before the rush of memories came back to haunt me. Kicking out of my waking bliss, they reminded me everything that had happened before. Waking past midnight. The first monster, falling beneath steel and shot. A second, stealing mother away, and her fighting the whole way. Tokiko, standing up to three, and many more. Father, being shot, and falling to the wayside. Telling me to run, sacrificing himself for me.

And sister… Joy… she walked back into the fire, so that I could get away.

The bile welled up in my throat. They were all gone. gone. Gone. Nothing that I could do to bring them back. I pushed myself out a warm embrace and towards the edge of my bed, before I emptied my stomach into whatever was beyond.

As I finally heaved one last time, I took in where I was. No I remembered. The top of a tree, in the middle of the forest. Suicide to sleep in the forest at night… But it was suicide no matter what I did. At least doing this helped me make it through the night. Although, I get the feeling that it has more to do with my red winged companion who was watching o'er me all night long.

After wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my shirt, I turned back towards her. She was just watching me the whole time, her eyes wide and soft. I softly asked, "It all happened, didn't it?" I had to ask, just in case this was all some weird dream. I didn't think it was, but some part of me still hoped it was the case.

She slowly shook her head. "It did." And that was all. What more needed to be said, at this point? Nothing at all. Nothing at all. Sagging forward, I collapsed into her. I would have cried some more, but I believe I had sobbed myself out the night before, as nothing came. Softly, she just held me, bringing my head to lay on the down of hers.

A few minutes passed before I could regain my wits about me. Eventually, however, the shakes did subside, and I was able to lean back away from her. Facing away, I muttered under my breath, "Sorry. I just needed…" Well, I needed that. Whatever that was.

She just nodded, patting me on the shoulder with her hand. I noticed that her headwing had spread open as far as possible… To make her look bigger? Safer? "Don't worry about it… Sometimes, we just need to cry. And it's better when there's someone here."

Well, I couldn't disagree with her there. Not trusting myself to speak, I looked away past the trees to where I knew the house was located. "Maybe we should…" Head back. If such a thought was even thinkable. But it had to be done. I had to go and face that fear.

She nodded to me. "Not yet. We have time. They may be waiting for us in the early light. But they should leave by midday. Especially if they're just ransacking the house looking for stuff…" At my look, she shook her head. "Thieves are never patient. They're distracted by the first speck of dust brighter than the one they've been looking at the entire time."

Considering her experience, I don't suppose she was simply saying that they get bored easily, and move on. But I didn't mind the big words too much. Made it sound like some ancient words of wisdom, rather than simple advice.

Either way, we sat, and let the hours drag on. I began to sweat once again as the sun began to burn the earth, heating it under its rays, but we didn't move from her spot. I could deal with the heat, anyways, so it wasn't a big problem to me. It was what might be laying out in the heat that might instead…

Still, had she watched over me the entire night? That must mean she had hardly gotten any sleep the night before. It's a wonder she wasn't nodding off to sleep now that the sun was up and I was awake enough to protect myself. Was she really taking her promise that seriously? Or did she treat it as a last request? Still… I appreciated it, greatly. Still, we couldn't wait too long. She would need her sleep sooner or later.

Eventually, Tokiko nodded to herself. Before I could ask, she responded, "It's time. Come on; let's go." Giving me enough time to agree, she grasped me under the arms and gave a beat of her wings.

It is a sensation that is hard to describe to those who have not experienced. Flight. A concept not completely alien, as there were still prop planes that managed to fly around. Many were ancient machines of cloth and wood, bound together by wire and held up by prayer and spit. Many more, however, were the stripped down shells of more modern aircraft. Mechanisms were replaced with wire, and electronics with very little.

But being held aloft by the wings of this girl is nothing like flying in a plane could ever be.

We didn't travel far, only to the base of the tree. She was exerting noticeably, her breath huffing in time with each beat, as her nails bit into my skin. Still, even if what she did was more of a controlled fall than anything, it was still something breathtaking.

It was too bad I was in no shape to enjoy the short trip.

I had to take a moment to regain my bearings once we had touched down. My hand shot up and caught my shotgun as it began to slip down my shoulder. I stared at it idly, seeing the splatters of blood that had caked onto the very end. I'm sure that I myself had blood splattered all over myself, but I cared not to check. I knew it would be there; I could hope otherwise, but it would be futile.

Taking one last deep breath, I let my hand rest comfortably on the stock of the gun. "Ok… I think I'm ready." It was a lie, and one that she could see straight through. But she did not call me on it. For what good would that do?

The journey back to the house was quick, as a good portion of our harvest had apparently been destroyed over night. By the ragged tears that many of the plants had suffered, it was obvious it was caused by the monsters we had encountered. They never touch the plants… There was no point. Were they that truly annoyed at what had happened? Or had their masters been angered enough at not finding what they desired that they ordered their creatures to attack randomly? I found my other hand drifting to the pack of balls by my side.

When we came into sight of the house, I winced visibly. I had known there would be plenty of damage. The crashing of windows and the splintering of wood still echoed on my mind. But seeing it, after not paying any attention to what had happened, was staggering. Many, if not all of the windows had been busted. Everywhere on the house were claw marks from the monsters, where they seemed to have been searching for their objective.

The back door was, to put it imply, in pieces. Split straight down the middle, half of it swung in the light wind while the other laid on the ground ten feet in front of it. And that was just the damage visible from the outside. If I bothered to climb, I do not doubt that the roof would have been torn all to pieces. I hated to imagine what the inside now looked like. But as I sighed to myself, I felt a gentle squeeze to my hand.

I entered the remains of my home.

The results were just as I feared. Destruction and debris everyone. The house was ransacked, with every single nook and cranny upturned. But I paid little heed, as I knew there was nothing to expect otherwise. I instead headed to the front door, the last place I had seen my father. Maybe I could finally set one demon to rest. Was he dead, or had he managed to live?

But when I pushed open the front door, teetering on the only connected hinge, I found nothing in front of me but a bloodstain on the ground. I felt my teeth clench as my eyes searched frantically for wherever he might have gone. Or where he might have been taken. But no matter where I looked, I found no indication of where he now rested.

That could only mean one thing. The monsters had… had… "They took him. Those damned sparrow bitches. They took him, and they…"

"Human… Try and calm down, maybe he's still-"

"No, he's not." I swung around towards her, half shouting and half sobbing. "What could he be? He would have been better off if he was shot dead. But no, the sparrows took him away. The damn monsters took him away, just like they do everyone else that isn't careful." My hands began to tremble, and I stepped forward. "Just like you planned to do to me!"

Tokiko immediately took a step back, her eyes widening. She held up her hands as if she was attempting to surrender. "Human, I don't want to do that anymore, it's not like-"

"Not anymore? So that's all that it means to one of your kind?" Well, shouting at the one person I had with me probably wasn't the best of idea. But I was pretty irrational at this point. "Well that's just plain fucking lovely! Sure, the only humans that are worth befriending are the ones that can fight you off! But if you had been just a bit faster, you'd have had me dead to rights! What would you have done? Would you have eaten me?"

The look on her face told my enraged self all I would have wanted to know. "Exactly! Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Instead, everyone would be dead, and you would be picking me out of your teeth after thanking me for a meal!"

Other foot seeming to slide back on its own accord, the girl attempted to shout back. "Human, please, calm down. I promised, remember?" I had begun to open my mouth, but I faltered. Promise… a promise. What sister had said last night. What she had told Tokiko to do. "You remember, don't you? I promised her that I'd take care of you."

As my mouth closed, and I pulled my feet back from where I had taken an aggressive stance, she pushed forward. "I don't think I can ask you to trust me, Gray. But can you trust your sister to make the right decision?" And damn, did she take the chance to hit the nail square on the head. Sister may be odd, and not tell anyone her plans, but are they ever wrong?

"You're right. Dammit, you are." I shook my head furiously, before looking away. Why had I yelled at her, again? Because my rational mind was unable to cope, and so my fears acted out. My ears flushed as I realized exactly what I had accused her of. She was a thinking being, not like those… monsters. Even if she… she had done that…. Dammit, there I go again. Best not to think about it at all. Out of the corner of my mouth I muttered, "Sorry."

With a crooked smile on her face, she reached forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. I almost lowered my head to lay on it, but I stopped myself as I realized what I was doing. "Don't worry too much. After all, you're only human." A cheeky joke. But I suppose it is true, even if she may not have precisely meant it by the way she sounds.

"Yeah…" I took yet another deep breath. Time to explore the rest of the house. But what had she said a moment ago? "…Since when do you call me by my name? I thought I was just human"

The winged girl gave a shrug. "Since now, I suppose. I guess I got tired of calling you a human. Besides, you've been calling me little crested ibis in my native tongue." Was that an invitation to have me give her a name? No, not now. It was neither the time nor place. As much as the brief levity does help me, it is time to move on.

"If you say so. But it's the only one I know for you, so I'll call you that for now." A flash of something crossed her face, before she stepped aside to let me back in.

A search of the house revealed not much that was different. Everything was ransacked and overturned. A good bit was destroyed. And worst of all, the bodies of all of the sparrows still were laying in the rooms. Their bodies stiff and their throats in bloody ruin, they painted an extremely macabre picture of what was but a day ago a warm and welcoming house. I ignored the sight of the one who had attempted to talk me into giving myself to her, instead peering inside mother and father's room.

What was inside was the most horrible scene of all. A the walls were seemingly painted with an eerily familiar red substance, and brownish purple feathers were clinging to everything. My hand automatically sought hers as I looked to where the torn remains of a multitude of sparrows lay. "You… did this?"

Silently, she held up her free hand, in plain view of my face. A hand that slowly morphed into a claw, fingers lengthening and hardening while skin stretched and crackled. I immediately shivered, and tried not to take a step backwards. Instead I concentrated on the soft skin of the hand I held, and not the hard and curling claws of her other.

Oddly enough, there was another body, out of place compared to the others. Facing away, it stared at the far side of the room, away from us. Morbidly curious, I walked over, pulling Tokiko along with me. With a swift prod from my boot, I pulled the corpse so that it would face us.

Dead, glassy eyes stared at me as I grimaced. After seeing this room in its entirety, the smaller things within have hardly the same fright factor. However, my hand began to inch forward as I finally realized what had killed this sparrow.

A single, silvery knife in the middle of its forehead.

Robotically, I reached all the way forward, grasping the handle and yanking out. With a wet spurt, a small fount of blood issued forth, quickly deadening as there was no more pressure to keep it flowing. Silently, I stared at the knife, before wiping it on the skirt of the monster before me?"

"It's hers, isn't it?" I nodded shortly, before answering the affirmative. She looked down, her headwing drooping noticeably. "Sorry. I had been hoping… So they're all gone." The words that I had been dreading to hear. They were all gone. Everyone was gone.

Oddly enough, I didn't feel the rage coming back. I didn't want to scream and shout at the world again. Demand that it take back the lemons it gave me. Instead, I felt only grim realization. This had happened, and there was nothing to do about it. Indeed, there was only one thing I could do. I needed to avenge the fallen.

Knife still in hand, I spun in place, and wordless walked out the door. With ibis in hand, I marched down and out of the house, and across to the garage where was kept the diesel. Letting go of Tokiko, I shoved the doors open and glanced around. From the shape of everything, with tools littering the ground, the sparrows had made their way in here, too. But the most important of possessions inside the garage was still in one piece.

With a wary eye, I marched around the truck, taking into account every scratch and dent. A few were brand new, but none had managed to do any permanent damage. It was still able and capable of driving, which is what I needed.

By this time, Tokiko had finally grown curious enough to ask as to what I was doing. "Gray? What's wrong? You're shaking." So apparently my anger wasn't quite as well contained as I had previously thought. Still, I ode her an answer to the plan that was just formulating in my head.

"We're leaving. We're heading after them." I did not need to clarify who they were, and she felt no need to ask me. Raising a hand to make a point, I noticed it was the one that still held the knife within it. With more effort than I thought necessary, I forced myself to set it down on the hood of the truck. Her eyes met mine, and I instantly knew I didn't need to explain why. I merely needed to explain what the plans were.

"Today, we need to consolidate. Find everything valuable, and load it up in the truck. Tools, farming equipment, pre-explosion relics… whatever. Also, we need to find some more clothes to wear. I'll find a set or two… But I don't suppose you need a change of clothes." She shook her head, a small smirk covering her face. Damn youkai. "Alright, whatever. Still, we need to find you a coat or a frock or something similar. We'll be heading through a human town soon enough, and we'll scare everyone away if they see your wings." My eyes flickered to her most expressive one atop her head. "Also… we'll need a hat. That's what I need you to do. Take anything that is obviously valuable and toss it in the back of the truck. Don't break it if it is something that can be broken, though."

I had a sudden mental image of her tossing some of the china into the back of the truck. That is, of course, assuming that the sparrows hadn't already managed to do that on their own.

While not quite pleased at the prospect of a hat, she did seem to reluctantly agree to the use of one. However, as she leaned against the truck, she also ventured forth a question of her own. "If you're so eager, why don't we go right now? While the tracks are fresh, so to speak."

Well, easy enough answer for that. "They were using vehicles. Motor vehicles. Vehicles that have working lights. Something like that is… unheard of. Not since I was three, at least. So those weren't just some run of the mill bandits. No, instead… they must be part of something bigger."

I waved my hand at the truck while adding, "Besides, it's very unlikely that they came all the way from the destination via the trucks. The roads between cities do exist… but they are poorly maintained. There's too little oil left around to even be worth the expense of going between the cities. Much easier and cheaper to higher a spot on a flatbed railcar and have it take the vehicles to their destination."

Shrugging, I let us both digest that before moving on. "So, unless these people are exceedingly rich or exceedingly dumb, they'll be taking the rails. We'll ask around in town… but It's more likely than not that they'll be heading towards the nearest rail hub. And from there, we can track them easily enough."

I gave the butt of my shotgun a soft pat. "Besides, when you're hunting game, they are most skittish when they know they're being tracked." My mouth widened into a rictus. "I'll give them enough rope, and I'll hang them with it. If I'm feeling generous."

Nodding along with my statement, Tokiko yawned and stood back up. "Alright, let's get this over and done. I'm going to need sleep sometime soon, and I won't be able to take it until we're locked up." Yeah, agreed. Neither of us should split too far apart, nor sleep, unless we're sure that everything has been locked down as tight as possible.

Now, time to start a long day's work.

The next few hours were spent sifting through the house, finding everything that might be of some value to the stores in town. Mostly various gadgets or tools, along with a record player that had set on our table for as long as I had known. While I was extremely reluctant to give it up, it would do us no good sitting there, and it would fetch a pretty penny.

Of course, a great deal of the time we spent was used with the cleaning of the house more than anything. Piles of broken objects were shoved into each and every corner, out of sight and out of mind. If I ever returned, I'd sort it all out and have it cleaned up. But until then… it would stay.

It should hardly need to be said, though, that the first activity we partook in was the ejection of the corpses of the sparrows. Dreadful work, but each and every one was tossed out the nearest front window. They had already begun to attract flies, so I didn't want them in the house. And I was not particularly fond of the stench either.

We made pretty decent progress though. As for our equipment we were to keep on our bodies, I knew to pack light. I took a change of clothes, plus an extra pair of socks. Never know when you might need another pair. I knew that the stench of the clothes might be something horrible, but if we could someday afford the luxury of a bath, we could afford the slightly lesser one of clean clothes.

Into my pack went the rest of the essentials. A good portion of food, enough to sustain us both for a week, at least. A few ancient maps from before the explosion, just in case we go far enough afield that we go far past what little that I know.

Tokiko… her sack simply turned into a mobile library. She emptied each and every shelf she could find of books, before deciphering which ones were the most important. Far be it from me how she can read English and the squiggly lines in her own book, but I'm past the point of caring. She can do it, so it's no bother to me. Still, her pack is laden down quickly, and I barely am able to talk her in to taking a change, even if she needs it not. It still might come in useful.

But the most important part, for all three of us, is the money. We scrounged up every single last coin, whether it be pre-explosion, post-explosion, or a damned token for some thing called an arcade. I split it as evenly as I could, placing a large amount in each of our sacks and a fair amount in our pockets. It's somewhat impressive, how much she can fit in that dress of hers.

That is where we split in our preparation. After tidying the remains of my home the best we could, I went up and dug up every twelve-gauge shot I could find. Whether it was buckshot, birdshot, or even the occasional slug, I pocketed it. I had no bandoleer, but I could scourge up another small pack. Slung sideways across my bodies, all I would need was a powder horn and a musket, and I'd be a soldier. But no matter.

The one bright spot in the evening's activities was the hat I had picked out for the little birdie. We had both rejected any form fitting hats like a ball cap, as it would have been impossible to hide her headwing under it. It literally cringed at the thought of being stuffed in such a small area. We pulled a few more out, but most that would work were ludicrous. Father's ancient cowboy hat instantly comes to mind. Eventually, however, we found an old and worn kepi. Big enough on the inside to stuff her wing inside, yet small enough to not draw too much attention.

Needless to say, a coat was much easier to find after that.

Once we had combed the house clean, the sun had started to noticeably sink in the sky again. Wanting to be inside during the hottest part of the day, we decided to begin boarding up the house in preparation for a long absence of its surviving owner. There were plenty of old slabs in the garage just waiting to be used for such a project.

For the next hour or two, we nailed the panels into every hole. Most were from windows shattered during the fight the previous night. A few were from where the wood itself had been broken by an errant claw of the sparrows. Still, all had to be filled. And while I could have drilled out a proper channel for a crew with a hand drill… I simply wanted to pound something with a hammer.

I had to ignore the voice in my head whispering about taking a hammer and nail to the ones who did this. It was very appareling, the more I dwelt on it. So I tried to not do as such.

The work was long, but at least it was mind-numbingly simple. The sheer monotony almost drug me back to where I was before, but one look at my feathered work mate and I was reminded of everything that had happened. And all in one day.

Our shadows were long by the time we finished. Everything but the front door had been boarded . It wasn't intruder proof, much less monster proof, but it should keep out the elements. At least, more than a shattered pane of glass would. We didn't have any caulk or tar, so we wouldn't be able to seal the edges. So, eventually, the rain would beat it down. By that point though, I would have either finished the job, or I would be dead. One of the two.

We took the time once we had finished to eat one last supper at the house. Sitting outside the back door, surrounded by a ruined garden that had been stomped upon and shredded, I ate what little my stomach would allow me. A few fruits that had survived the wanton destruction about us and a bit of dried meat, and I was full. As always, Tokiko was chomping on a bit of dried pork. Apparently, even if it wasn't as good as something else, she had taken a strange affinity to the food. Perhaps she was growing to like it.

Still, I sat there, staring at the fields for a moment. I couldn't help but sigh. "It's sad, isn't it Tokiko? Father and I worked so long just to get them in the shape they're in. And now, after just one night, a great many of them are ruined. And by the time I'll get back, it will be overrun. If I ever make it back."

She didn't reply, but her headwing fluttered from one side to another. Eventually, she nodded. "It's the same with anything else. It's hard to work up for something worthwhile. But if someone or something stronger than you comes along, they can take it away."

It's same as with her books, isn't it? I suppose there's only one thing we can do, if that's the case. "I suppose we'll have to be stronger then. Stronger than the ones who did this." It's a really good thing she is along for the ride. Not that she'd have much choice either way, I suppose. Still, she wants to help me, so that makes the whole thing much easier.

However, eventually the darkness was starting to become noticeable. As the blue sky slowly began to be tinged with orange, I was reminded of one last thing I needed to do. "Come on, we need to go release the valve on the water tower. Don't want it overflowing, or collapsing on us."

With nary a word, she sprung to her feet and began to walk beside me through the cornfields. Again, most of the trip was spent in silence. Neither of us had too much to say, with both of us tired and ready to move on from all of this. Still, we reached the water tower quickly. Amazingly, this seemed to be perfectly untouched, but it may be because of the large distance from the house to it.

I quickly climbed to the top, waving off Tokiko's offers to fly up to check. I needed to make sure that it wasn't too full already, or if there was anything unusual in it. Seeing nothing, I quickly returned to the ground, pointedly ignoring the flying girl that was following me the entire time. Although I did allow myself to wear the smallest of grins.

The water was still good, and hadn't appeared to have sat too long and become stale. Turning to the nearby spigot, I twisted it open and allowed water to flow out and onto the ground. Taking a good handful, I began to wash off my face. Wiping the grime off the best I could, I allowed myself to relax slightly.

Interestingly enough, though, an odd twittering noise began to emit from my companion. Turning to her, I wiped off some excess water with my sleeve and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Headwing flapping from side to side, before covering her face, she replied, "…Yes. I was wondering if I could… use some of the water?"

I tilted my head to the side, a tight grin forming. "I thought you didn't need a change of clothes, and even to bathe. Having a change of heart?"

She shook her head, refusing to meet my eyes. "I like water… It's because I'm an ibis. Just a little is all I need though. Not a lot."

Cute. But then again, considering how she raced to the waterside yesterday… "No worries. I'm dumping the water in the tank anyways." With a jerk of my thumb, I pointed at a lever behind her. "That's the shower right there. Go ahead and turn it on. I'll just stand guard while you finish."

With a small squee, the winged girl rushed over and immediately began messing with the dial. I immediately turned about and walked away a good bit, shaking my head at the soft giggles I heard. Still a bird at heart, isn't she. All serious for the entire day, but give her a little water, and she's right back to where she was yesterday, as if nothing had ever happened. I wish sometimes things were that simple. But then again, are they ever?

The minutes ticked by, but it wasn't too long before I heard the flow of water stop. A few more moments passed, before I heard the rustle of Tokiko emerging from the woods. She certainly seemed happier now that she had taken it. However… her clothes were dry? Did she just take a shower or something? I suppose I shouldn't even bother asking. She might have some freaky power to dry faster or whatnot.

Still, she had a healthy blush when she spotted me. If water could revitalize everyone that quickly… Well, I shouldn't give anyone any bright ideas. There's probably some mad scientist who thinks he should mix humans with the monsters. I'd rather not give him ammunition.

Still, the song she's humming is nice. She sounds happy as a clam. Or perhaps an ibis eating one. That's a kind of shellfish, isn't it? Not that I'd know what it tastes like. Nothing like that out here. Still, the expression is still around, so I suppose it means something. Or I just tore it all to pieces. No matter.

Still, I decided to make sure she was done. Didn't want to get rid of all the water, and she had to go back and do… something. Who knows. "Tokiko, are you finished?"

"Yup!" Well, that was cheerful. If she was a songbird, I'd swear she was chirping. But after last night and that hellishly beautiful melody that tore into my ears and eyes, I'd rather not hear birdsong for a good long while.

"Alright then. I'm going to empty this thing out. Stand back, just in case." Well, no real reason to say that. I'm not going to tip the bloody thing over; I'm just going to release one of the pressure valves. Nothing should burst or explode. It's just water.

Fortunately, I do not jinx myself in the process of removing the valve. It takes a little bit of budging, with the mechanism slightly rusted over, but it gives quickly enough. A constant stream of water starts pouring down, before trickling down the hill.

That does the trick. It'll be empty before long, and any flow from the stream will empty right onto the ground and eventually make its way all the way down the hill. And back to the same stream, a few hundred feet below.

Waving a hand in front of my birdie of a friend to draw her attention, I beckoned her onwards. "Come on, we've got to be getting back to the garage. Can lockdown and head to sleep. Be ready to start the day tomorrow."

She chirped back at me, causing me to wince slightly. A bright, "Ok!" completed the image. This time, she flittered on ahead, her wings occasionally beating hard enough to throw her into the air. I can only shake my head as we make our way back towards the house and garage.

Once inside, a quick check around building ensures that every entrance is sealed, and that no light can escape. By now, the sun has nearly set and we're navigating by the light of a lantern. Rather, I'm navigating and Tokiko is bouncing from one foot to another. She should perhaps calm down just slightly. But I haven't the heart to ask her.

Setting myself down inside the cab, I pull out my pack and satchel so that I can double check that everything has been packed, and that I've not forgotten anything. The only thing that I have not added is a blanket, which I'm to be using tonight. Peering out the back, I see Tokiko swaying slightly from side to side as she goes through her own. It is fortunate to see that she has filled up everything in that toolbox I had pointed out to her. Since I'm to be carrying ammo, she'll be carrying tools. Not just because she's stronger, which she is, but it ensures that we won't ever find a situation where all we have is a hammer. Or if the only thing we don't have is a hammer.

Satisfied with everything, I lean outside of the cab and face her. "Hey, Tokiko?" She blinks once, before looking straight at me. "Just saying goodnight. We need to head on to sleep. We've a lot of traveling to be doing tomorrow."

She blinked a few times more, before she seems to finally realize what I'm saying. "Oh, yeah, we need to be moving on. Her headwing comes down to momentarily block her eyes, before it unfurls and reveals them once more. "I- Goodnight then, Gray. Wake me up tomorrow, once we're ready to head out."

"That I will. Goodnight." With that, I swung closed the door of the cab, and let myself lean back and close my eyes. After a good minute or so, I found my hand tracing along the stock of the gun, seemingly preparing itself just in case it needs to be used again. Mentally stopping myself, I let my fingers drift over the handle of the knife before I pull the hand back up and place it in my lap.

Satisfied that I won't be doing anything else, I closed my eyes again. Sleep cannot be said to have come easier than the night before, but it certainly was less hard.

The bright sunlight peeking through the cracks in the garage awaken me. Groaning softly, I raise a hand to wipe the sleep off of my eyes. My left hand immediately responds, and I succeed in cleaning out my left eye. However, my mind takes a few seconds to recognize that my right hand didn't respond. My head immediately jerks up in expectation that something was wrong.

Before I can react any further, I am confronted by a head of white downy hair, with a small red wing growing out the back. Blinking stupidly for a moment, I eventually realize that the girl must have snuck in during the night, and decided that I was a comfier bed than her own. And in doing so, she had my torso and my right arm in a death grip, not to mention that she also happened to have created a small puddle of droll on my chest.

Granted, she did tell me to wake her up when I was ready. And I was ready to go the moment I was awake enough to realize it. However, looking at her now, I hadn't the heart to do it. Placing my hand on the soft down of her head, I simply closed my eyes once more.

I wasn't ready. I had one last peaceful moment to enjoy before the day's work begins. But then… the real work begins.

A/N Greetings, everyone. Here's the first chapter of the Touhoumon not being placed originally in the Repository. It's certainly not a very action-packed or dramatic one compared to the chapter before, but it is simply a necessary one. It's slow, but everything would pick up from here.

As it is, now we know for sure that Gray is going to leave it all behind. Really, did you think he'd simply lay down and let those people and monsters take his family from him? No, he's going to make them pay. Not the most original of motives, but it works well enough, I think. After all, sometimes simply is better than complicated. Or rather, hopefully I can weave simply and complicated together well enough that they compliment, and not clash.

But he'll be leaving, and by the end of the next chapter, he should be hot on their trail. And don't you worry; I have the story plot planned out pretty well. Especially up to right before we get our third Touhou. Oh, and to answer a question, no, this will not be a Harem fic or anything. But there will be more than one. After all, we've got to fill up our team of 6 Touhous sooner or later. And trust me; it's going to be later. (So much later, I haven't quite decided who #6 is going to be)

Anyways, enough rambling. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. And if you have any criticisms, feel free to share. Until next time, please read and review as always!