Sakura, Ai and Hinata arrived at the crowded cafeteria, where lots of kids were eagerly awaiting dinner after a long day of setting up their dorms.
"Let's see what they have," Ai said, scanning the menu posted on the bulletin. "Curry, lentil soup, miso eggplant, grilled cheese, and tomato soup." The shy Samoyed read out loud.
"I'm craving some curry!" Haturo exclaimed, wagging her tail enthusiastically.
"I'm not very hungry at the moment," Sakura confessed.
"Come on, Sakura, eating something will make you feel better," Hinata encouraged her.
"I'm just not in the mood for food right now, Hinata, maybe later," Sakura replied quietly.
"Well, at least grab an apple or a salad," Hinata insisted.
"I think I'll go for the lentil soup," Sakura remarked.
"I'm going to grab a salad. Tryouts for the swim team are tomorrow!" Fumiko announced, making her way towards the salad bar on the other side of the dining hall where some herbivores were already gathered. Nearby, some carnivore athletes lingered around the salad bar, engaged in lively conversation about how they had spent their break.
Sakura waited in line with her new friends. The cafeteria ladies looked like they'd much rather be somewhere else.
As for the dead Anthros, they remained silent, having exhausted topics of discussion long ago. The ghostly figures included both students and adults, a testament to Cherryton Academy's long and storied history; some of the spirit's here met horrific fates. Sakura was taught not to pity the ones who died gruesome deaths. She was going to feel sorry for the Llama until he tossed rocks at her. If the Llama were alive, Sakura would have kicked him square in the balls.
Sakura walked over to the food cases with her roommates and waited for her turn.
"Hey, kid! What can I get you to eat?" The cafeteria worker, a hippo woman, asked, her spoon clattering against Sakura's tray.
"What's the cheapest item on the menu?" Sakura inquired.
"Kid, you're enrolled in one of the most esteemed schools in Japan, and all the students here eat for free." the cafeteria lady replied, rolling her eyes at Sakura.
"So I can eat anything here that I want?!" she began to wag her tail.
"If it's on the menu or at the salad bar you can have it." The lady says with a small warm smile.
"You're holding up the line!" A girl behind her pushed Sakura and took her place in the line. It was a swan girl and her two friends, an elephant and a howler monkey. The swan girl has a thick French accent. The hippo didn't get a chance to give Sakura what she originally wanted to eat.
The trio of girls stood together, all three of them noticeably not wearing the required school uniform. In the middle stood the Swan girl, clutching a pink Prada purse. She was dressed in a carmine pleated mini skirt, coordinating ballet flats, a scarlet blazer, and a pink tank top peeking out underneath.
Following behind the Swan, the Elephant girl strutted in a lavender pleated mini skirt paired with a royal purple tank top. Her black heels only accentuated her already large stature. Her face was heavily made up with dark crimson lipstick, amethyst eyeshadow, and mascara, which were supposed to enhance her features but instead made her look reminiscent of a drunk clown.
Next to the elephant, a howler monkey girl was holding her diamond-encrusted cell phone and wearing a pair of canary yellow stiletto heels, a lemon shade plaid skirt the same style as the swan girl, white gogo boots, a matching color tube top, and a pair of big hoop earrings.
"Wait your turn ladies! And for lords sake go back to your dorms and put your uniforms on now!" The hippo cafeteria lady pointed towards the exit.
"Our parents paid for us to be here, so I don't think we will." Grace, the swan girl and the leader of The Royals, remarked with a cocky smile.
Sakura really wanted to deck Grace in the mouth. Just the sound of her catty and shrill voice would probably make the most patient monk scream at the top of his lungs.
"Girls, I'm serious. Go change into your uniform now, or I'm writing you up, and you'll serve early morning detention. This is a school, not a nightclub," the matron, a 60 year old baboon woman warned.
"I suggest you reconsider. Otherwise, I'll have to call my father to deal with you, if you get fired, not even a McDonald's in the ghetto would hire you!" the elephant girl Sylvia threatened as she took out her phone. The elephant speaks with a stereotypical valley girl accent.
The howler monkey girl Mercedes casually raised her middle finger at the cafeteria lady.
The matron realized there was little she could do to change their behavior. With those girls some hills were not worth dying on. Especially since Sylvia and Grace's parents could fire anyone who dares upset them with the snap of their fingers, Mercedes dad being the police chief who is more than happy to abuse his power to appease his daughter isn't helping.
"You know what, fine!" The matron said in defeat, putting her hands up in the air.
"That's what I thought!" Grace said with an arrogant smirk.
"What would you ladies like to eat?" The cafeteria lady asked them, trying not to grumble.
Grace locks eyes with Sakura and shoots her a sharp glare. Grace can smell scholarship students from miles away.
"Well, well, look who's lost! The daycare center for mutants is across town." Grace taunts, pointing her thumb in the opposite direction.
Sakura stands her ground and fires back, "So is the strip club, aren't you late for work?" Sakura decided to walk away. She didn't even get her food, Grace and her posse had other plans.
"Ooooh ooooh! You got burned" Fumiko shouts, slapping her knee.
Grace chose to ignore Fumiko's response to Sakura's insult.
"Oh, standing up to me now, Aww how cute. Listen to me you little bioch my parents are very powerful and rich. I can literally buy and sell you!" Grace huffs and retorts before pushing Sakura onto the floor.
The room went dead silent. It was so quiet that you could hear a mouse drop a pin.
As every anthro knows, there is one rule: female canines can refer to each other as "bitches," and male canines can call each other "sons of bitches." However, when any other species uses the term, it becomes a problem. Grace pushing Sakura isn't helping.
"Oh she did not just call her a bitch!" Haturo shouts, Haturo was about to swing her fist at Grace but before she could do that Ai and Hinata began to restrain her.
"What? You call each other bitches all the time." Grace says feigning ignorance. With Sylvia and Mercedes giggling behind Grace.
The adults are still standing around as if nothing is going on. No one expects the adults to do anything when Grace and her fellow royals cause there classmates issues.
Sylvia used her trunk to grab a bowl of soup from behind the counter and poured it on Sakura's head as she tried to stand up. The soup dripped from her head to her dress. Her white uniform was now covered in lentil soup. The soup burned her head because it was still hot. Sakura yelped from the sensation of the soup on her head dripping down to her shoulders.
Grace, Sylvia and Mercedes start to howl and squeal in laughter. Even as Sakura started to tear up and ran away from the girls.
This caused Grace's and her crew to cackle even louder. Her roommates just stood there. What could they do anyway? After all Mai left because of Grace and poor Ai is her current punching bag.
She ran out of the cafeteria and bolted straight towards the girls' bathrooms. She attempted to wash the brown soup off her dress but even after she got the lentils off a big brown stain still remained.
"Adults are stupid! All they do is stand around and do Jack shit! I hope I never become an adult!" Sakura rants as she goes inside the bathroom stall slamming it as she locks it. She was about to sit on the floor and feel sorry for herself and plan payback on a later date. But Ammaterasu had other plans.
The pouch containing the beads began to glow through Sakura's bag. As she entered one of the smaller stalls in the ladies' room, she noticed the beads emitting a soft, eerie light. Slowly and cautiously, she retrieved them from her bag, watching in amazement as the lily on the pink bead started to shine even brighter.
"What the hell?!" Sakura exclaimed, startled by the sudden radiance.
From the luminous glow of the bead, a small orange fluffy tabby feral cat materialized in front of Sakura. The cat was around Sakura's size.
"Good day or evening, madam. My name is Momo." the cat greeted, elegantly bowing his head. Despite being in Japan, the cat spoke with a refined Cambridge accent. And Sakura can somehow understand what the cat was saying.
"Oh my heavens, you have food all over you!" The cat points out the obvious.
"You? Can talk? You're only a feral!" Sakura didn't know how to react to the cat. Most feral cats she interacted with hissed and meowed and didn't use English or Japanese. And many were much bigger than she was.
"I'm not just any feral child; I am a Spirit companion here to assist you on your journey to uncover your true potential!" Momo grandly stated.
"So, what's your take on this?" Momo probed to break the awkward silence.
"I'm calling the police." She reached for her phone in her bag, pondering the fact that a feral cat was mysteriously communicating with her.
"No, no, no, please, don't involve the authorities!" The cat desperately tried to hush Sakura.
"Are you a pedophile?"
"No, and even if I were, rest assured, you'd be safe!" Momo retorted while licking his paw.
Sakura was taken aback by the feral feline that spoke to her.
"Did I hit my head when that girl pushed me?" Sakura wondered, reaching to her head and feeling the remnants of the soup that Sylvia had poured on her.
"Your grandfather entrusted you with two sacred beads. These aren't just any beads; they possess great power!" He elaborated, attempting to divert her attention.
"What type of power? How can you talk to me?!" Sakura demanded answers.
"Well there are 100 beads in total. The ones you were given allows you to access one of Ammaterasu's 13 brush techniques. Kuri Okami is a holder of one of the beads as well, have you heard of him before?" Momo asked, hoping Sakura was able to comprehend the information he was giving her.
"I think my roommate Theresa mentioned him. He's a vigilante?" Sakura recalled.
"A vigilante; that's quite a harsh word. He's more like someone who's doing a better job than the police when he's not authorized, he's a beginner as well. He just got his holy bead two weeks ago, and in the past two weeks alone, the crime rate in the areas he patrols has gone down a bit. He works alone most of the time, so don't bother him too much." Momo lectures.
"You didn't answer my first question, how can you talk?"
"I was sent from the celestial plain, all the ferals there can talk. Now before you can access the powers of the beads, there are some rules you need to agree to follow. In order to use the beads." Momo further elaborates.
"There are rules to them? That's dumb!"
Momo sighed at Sakura's comment and cleared his throat. An old parchment manifested in front of Momo.
"1. You cannot take a life unless it's in self defense.
2. You cannot interfere with or create love.
3. No one else other than fellow bead holders can know about your identity. It's precious. Both dead and living Anthros cannot know.
4. You cannot use the beads powers to make money. Taking rewards is acceptable.
5. The beads will be used to defend what is right and lawful.
6. Absolutely no bringing living things back from the dead. You can save someone who's dying with the beads. If they're already cold and have shit their pants then you can't resurrect them.
7.Summoning ghosts with a threat rank lower than 6 is acceptable. Anything above that is pushing your luck.
8. Your job is to maintain the balance between anthro and kami. And keep nature in balance as well."
The parchment paper read in glimmering red ink. There was a wax seal sun with a wolf on it as a form of it being certified from the sun goddess herself.
"Alright, alright I'll follow the rules." Sakura nods in agreement. She'll look for loopholes later.
"So you're saying that you're from the celestial plain?" Sakura asked the cat with wide eyes.
"I was originally from Cambridge, but I mostly lived on the celestial plain after leaving." Momo confirmed. He wasn't surprised that how he could communicate with her was Sakura's first question.
"You left England to go to the celestial plain?"
"Yes but not willingly." Momo said darkly.
"All I'm going to tell you is that unsupervised factory children are cruel." Momo shudders at his demise. Sakura decided not to ask what that might have been.
"So I have to have a secret identity?" Sakura hopes to switch the subject to something else so as not to upset her new friend or possible threat any further.
"What kind of question is that?! Of course you need one. If regular criminals find out your civilian self, they could harm your loved ones!" Momo scoffed.
"So like Sailor Moon?"
"Yes child, like that magical girl cartoon." Momo deadpans.
"HEY! Sailor moon isn't a cartoon good sir! Sailor Moon is an anime. Cartoons are American!" Sakura protests outloud.
"SHUSH! DO YOU WANT ANYONE TO HEAR YOU?! They're going to think you're a lunatic talking to yourself!" The cat hissed. If he were an anthro he'd face palm at Sakura's dumb questions.
"Others already think that already." Sakura replied nonchalantly to Momo's comment.
"Well, I can see why! You talk to ghosts in public."
"I don't want to be rude to them."
"How old are you?" Momo was becoming increasingly irritated with Sakura's behavior.
"14."
"How have you managed to survive this long?"
Sakura shrugged her shoulders at Momo's question.
Momo gave an exasperated sigh as he conjured up more items in front of her using one his paws- two books and a box. Curiously, Sakura opened the box to find jars inside. She selected one and saw the label at the bottom: Soul Jars.
"A soul jar?" Sakura questioned.
Momo nodded, explaining, "Not all spirits that linger after death are friendly. Some, especially those who died tragically, can be quite vengeful. Like that llama. And that dog-lizard." Momo said the words Dog Lizard with pure disgust in his voice.
"That llama threw rocks at me because of this?" Sakura said in disbelief.
"Yes. That llama, Tem, was young when he died tragically. He's ranked a five on the threat scale now, after his attack on you," Momo revealed. "And as for the dog-lizard, trust me, before you ask, you don't want to know about her issues." Momo warns Sakura. Sakura never asked about a "dog lizard." It didn't even cross her mind until Momo brought it up.
Momo pointed to the book in front of Sakura. "Every time you encounter a new spirit or entity, a new page will be added to this journal. You can sketch the being and keep track of them that way."
Sakura nodded, "That could be useful."
"Ammaterasu mentioned your creativity," Momo praised.
"The goddess Ammaterasu?" Sakura's eyes widened at the mention of the deity.
"The goddess knows who everyone is and their talents. After all, she created you. Your grandfather gave the beads to you if I'm not mistaken."
Sakura shook her head.
"No, I was created behind a dumpster because my mama needed beer money and my sperm donor needed a good time." She replied to Momo as if she was telling Momo what she had for lunch.
"That is not what I meant, Sakura!" Momo sounded a little bit concerned about her unphased tone.
"The note said that it's given to the first son of the generation. My aunt's going to have a baby soon, and if the baby's a boy, would I have to give my bead to him?" Sakura pondered, feeling concerned.
"It used to be like that before. However, when your grandfather was a bead holder, he and the others changed the rule to make it the firstborn child, regardless of gender." Momo answers, he was relieved that Sakura wasn't completely clueless.
"So do I get powers with the bead?" She picked up the beads on the floor and ogled at them.
"Ah Yes, about your powers. Come with me now, let's go somewhere where you won't be seen. I recommended the garden, last I checked the gardening clubs not there right now . The yellow bead your grandfather gave you is important. It gives you a connection to celestial ink."
"Celestial ink, you say? Like what Amaterasu used many years ago?"
"Exactly like the goddess Amaterasu. The bead works like a capsule toy."
"A capsule toy?"
"Yes, like a toy capsule. You need to twist the bead open. Point the sun upwards."
Sakura lifted the yellow bead and carefully followed the cat's instructions. Pressing the center of the sun on the bead as Momo had shown her, she felt a sense of anticipation.
As the bead opened, a small diamond-shaped inkwell appeared, nestled next to a bamboo brush. The inkwell boasted a beautiful rose gold pink hue, while the bamboo brush appeared rather ordinary.
"Notice the top of the bamboo brush? Press it, just like you would with a normal pen," Momo directed Sakura's attention to the brush's tip.
Without hesitation, Sakura pressed the top of the brush. In an instant, the brush separated and reassembled, transforming into a stunning rose quartz inkwell pen.
"Oooh, it disguises my brush as something else so no one suspects a thing!"
"Exactly, your catching on now, open the second bead and you'll get something extremely important. Just press the flower petals that are carved on the bead. Use three fingers now….."
Before Momo could finish his sentence, Sakura eagerly used her three fingers to attempt to open the bead, anticipating the second surprise hidden within. To her surprise, inside the bead lay a neatly folded sheet of paper. With a hint of excitement, Sakura hurriedly unfolded the paper, revealing three small inky dots meticulously arranged.
"What do these inky dots represent?" Sakura inquired, her curiosity piqued by the mysterious markings.
"Those dots, Sakura, symbolize your brush techniques," Momo elucidated, emphasizing the significance of the symbols.
Perplexed by the simplicity of the paper, Sakura questioned, "Why is there only one sheet with dots on it?"
"Ammaterasu didn't master her techniques in a single day, patience is key." Momo explained his patience wearing thin.
"You must keep the brush, inkwell, and parchment concealed separately," Momo advised, ensuring each component remains hidden to prevent misuse if discovered individually.
"Like hiding a gun?" Sakura opened up the stall she was hiding in to follow Momo out of the bathroom stall.
"Yes, exactly like hiding a firearm. I recommend you try this brush technique you're going to learn outside. The sun is about to set and the garden is still open. I'd be weary about that deer though."
"Is he alive or dead?" She cocked her head.
"Oh he's very much alive, he thinks that because he's a potential Beaststar he has some type of authority over his classmate's. But he's not a Beaststar, he's just a dumb kid like you are." Momo started to laugh as he left the bathroom stall.
Sakura begins to follow the cat out of the bathroom and into the empty hallway. Everyone else was having their meals.
"So where is this garden at?"
"Just follow me Sakura, I'm taking you there. In the garden you'll learn this technique."
Sakura wanted to see where this went.