Chapter One
The End Before the Beginning
~
It was January 1 2000.
The day the World ended.
Everything seemed normal to the ordinary people who lived in this world. If you ever said something catastrophic would happen, you'd be laughed at to your face. And then the person you warned would smugly walk on by and you'd be labeled the town crazy, like a drunken weirdo on a street corner.
Yes, today was like any other ordinary day.
Except it wasn't ordinary at all.
Something crept in the shadows as people walked by. Erie eyes watched hikers from ancient forests. Still waters swirled as something deep below caught unsuspecting prey. Unsightly monsters climbed skyscrapers so high they could touch clouds. Fangs glinted inside unmarked cave systems. But no one knew they were there.
The truth is, there are predators out there. And humans weren't at the very top of the food chain. There's a reason most are scared of the dark. Too frightened to leave their own homes when the moon was dark and new. What lurk in the night and unseen brought primal fear to most mortal hearts.
But it was daylight and everything was peaceful. Or… everything seemed peaceful.
Bright rays of sunlight hit the television screen, fading the colors with a warm filter. A little girl was playing with her toys on the carpet of a living room as her mom folded laundry inside of her apartment. A musical number made for children played from the stereo beside her.
On the 10th floor of the building adjacent, men with various colored suits sat in front of computers typing furiously with furrowed brows. Hardworking trash men picked up black bags from street curbs and tossed them into large trucks below. People of different clothes, shapes and sizes walked up and down the sidewalks. Slow traffic at the street corner beside the apartment complex flowed like a steady river.
The atmosphere was peaceful and tranquil. Birds chirped sweet notes in the trees and on the power lines below. The faint laughter of children playing in the park the next block over filled the peaceful air. A soft murmur of people talking down below added to the ambience.
"Mama." The little girl called. She was no more than 5 years old. Her chubby little fingers grabbed at the woman's sleeve as her bright wide eyes innocently stared up at her. "Mama. Can we go to the park?"
Her mother smiled down at her as she folded a men's size white T-shirt. "No. Not right now honey."
She placed the folded shirt down on the table and looked over at her daughters scowl. In a quick motion, she poked her nose and went to tickle her belly. The little girl giggled and wrestled her arm. After a while the woman pulled away to pick up the next article of clothing. She had to get these clothes done.
"We will go down in a minute. Let me finish folding these and we can go to the park." She smiled warmly as she folded a child's sized blue shirt. Written on the front it said in green sparkly letters – Hanako. A pretty pink flower sat above it. The girl whooped a hurray and hugged her mother tightly.
"I will play with my horsies!" The child proclaimed as she bounded over to one of the rooms. The sound of a toy box being knocked over and the rattling of plastic toys was all the woman heard before she turned back to her laundry. The mother hummed a song as she folded a pink skirt. A helicopter could be heard faintly in the distance.
The TV was turned down low but what could be heard was a News program about climate change. The weather was acting odd. Sea temperatures were rising. There was a rise in UFO phenomenon and people were seeing creatures. Nothing new, especially in this day in age. She's heard these things since before the 90s. It seems to be all the news talks about anymore. People have gone crazy.
A low shudder shook the apartment just then. Porcelain china rattled in the cabinet in the kitchen. Glasses and dishes beside the sink clinked and clanked. The bookshelf swayed but was secured to the wall with metal hooks. The woman grabbed for her running daughter and ducked underneath the table she was working at. The girls eyes were wide with fear and shock.
"Mama." She whimpered, tears in her baby blue eyes.
"What in the world!?" The shudder continued for a moment and then suddenly stopped as soon as it came.
"We aren't due for an earthquake today." She poked her head out from under the table to assess the damage. Minimal at best. Her daughter sat innocently on her knees under the table, little lips quivering just a smidge. Her most prized possession was safe.
The woman ducked her head back under and she told her, "Well, why don't we just hurry that little trip along? It won't do us any good to stay here!" She tickled her daughter again, this time a loud cheerful laugh greeted her ears.
"Come on! Let's get going before we grow old!" She exclaimed loudly and she picked her young girl up with her as she made her way toward the door. The little girl continued to giggle and laugh merrily as her mother carried her in one arm. Her other hand swept keys into a purse as she went.
As the door closed the screen flashed to red on the television screen. A loud alarm blared as the words scrolled across saying – Evacuate Immediately! Magnitude Level 8 Earthquake In Area! THREAT LEVEL RISING! Evacuate Immediately! Warning!
A young man stood in shock as he stared at the four large screens in front of him. "No this can't be." He whispered.
His wide brown eyes darted from one corner to the next. With a jolt, he snapped his head to the other screen.
Each screen was paneled with various different views. Different cities, parks, oceans, landscapes. None of them showed him the usual peaceful atmosphere that he was used to.
In each panel was pure chaos. Forests lit ablaze. A sky scraper falling like a house of cards. Oceans burbling and boiling over onto shores way too wide. Whole mountains crumbling down onto unsuspecting towns.
Forest fires. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Volcanic explosions. Mudslides. Floods. All at once.
"How is this possible?" He murmured through an object that looked like a pacifier. With a snap he pressed in a few buttons and one the the screens changed to a mountain side.
It appeared peaceful and quiet. He pounded in a few more buttons and the scene changed again. This time it was a beach. And in the center was his answer. Eyes glinted and he zoomed in on the anomaly before him.
With shock he took in what the monitor showed. This couldn't be possible!
The grainy footage showed a large creature with purple skin and a black mane like a horse. And it wasn't supposed to be there!
It was emitting a dangerous dark blue aura. The monstrous body stood still for a fraction of a moment before taking a hoofed step forward and raising its muscled arms slowly. Horned head raised high, the bull-like creature yelled inaudibly – the monitor had no audio.
The viewer gasped as small waves undulated and reformed to swell into larger waves. The larger waves pulled in and out until they were huge. The process repeated again until the ocean itself moved on command. Waves the size of whole cities pushed and pulled towards him with his enormous power.
"It's creating a tsunami." He whispered to himself.
With a small click the view changed to a more rural one. Rice fields were worked on by peaceful humans. Click. A tranquil forest with woodland critters eating in a private meadow. Click.
Hot springs boiled over as another enormous figure raised his arms. This time the clarity was a lot better, so the creature showed up with a lot more detail.
The piglike monstrosity was red skinned and muscular, about the same size as the previous one. On its hips clad the only cloth on its body – a dirty yellow loincloth. Around its midsection it wore a rope tied into a knot.
A necklace made of animal teeth strewn across his barreled chest. Etched into the wooden disk in the center of the teeth was unrecognizable characters he didn't know the meaning of. He would need to translate that later.
This footage did have audio and it made the young man's skin pale as he listened. "For Demon-kind! Let all the puny humans suffer and burn alive! Let them feel all the pain they have inflicted on us throughout the centuries and burn them in their own homes!"
Lava plumes flowed up and out of the ground. Geysers spewed hot green liquid into the air. The creature turned to look at something out of view. With a mighty thrust he pulled a large chunk of magma up and over the mountain. Click.
"What in the Hells is happening right now!?" The young man gritted through his teeth. "The demons are taking over the Mortal Plane!"
The Lord of Spirit World turned quickly from his viewing monitors and with a swish of his royal purple robe, he advanced out the door. He had to warn his subjects and most importantly – his father.
That is… unless he hadn't already known. It's a surprise the man himself was so ill informed. He prided himself with knowledge about all things. Especially when it came the the Mortal Realm and all of it's happenings.
He was supposed to watch over it right?
The reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks as he made his way through glittery gold hallways. The fact is – he didn't know. For once in his long lifespan, the young Spirit World Prince had no idea what was going on.
Clamping teeth down on the pacifier in his mouth, he slammed open large ornate golden doors. The light sparkled off them as they swung open. He had to have answers. And soon! He didn't even care who he pissed off in the process.
Not even the King of Spirit Realm itself.
The scene was devastating. The aftermath of earth quakes and tsunamis. Broken houses, trees and trash clumped up in big piles on the sides of rushing floodwater. The once populated area full of houses lay flat and chaotic with pieces of torn debris in every direction. The flood water formed a river and in the waters floated a yellow canister gently through the debris and vegetation. On the canister was a small body.
It was a little girl just trying to hold on for dear life. Small fingers clung tightly to the yellow plastic container she was on. Her blue shirt was soaked. Her pink skirt ripped and torn. The girl was weak. Her little chest expanded from the exertion.
"Mommy." She called weakly only to be met with silence. The only sound being the rushing of water around her. She looked around then and whimpered. She was in the middle of the river now, no noticeable land in sight.
"Mama!" She called louder, voice crackling pitifully.
You're Mother is not here, Little One. And you are alone.
The girl frantically looked around to find the owner of the voice. But she saw no one. Only rushing water, debris sailing past her, and trees like toothpicks blurred together as she and her raft skimmed past. She whimpered again.
The raft hit something hard and with a yelp the girl was thrown off balance into the water. Quickly, tiny hands scrambled against the smooth plastic of the empty chemical container. It's greasy sides making it hard to get a finger hold on.
Finally she found an edge and a handle to hold her upwards. She coughed as her little head broke the surface. Sopping wet pigtails slapped her in the face as she struggled to breathe.
Little human. I take pity on you.
The girl was confused, but ignored the voice as she righted herself back on top of the container. The blue nylon cord wrapped tightly around her hand. She didn't understand what that word meant. Pity. She was just a little kid. What is pity?
Does that mean she was small and weak? Like the boy who let go the moment the flood waters rushed in to take her and her Mama and friends away? Maybe she was pitiful. Sitting on this container being the only survivor.
Her fingers slipped and slid down, almost falling into the rushing water again. The nylon cord slipped through her fingers and cut a slice into her palm. Her hand bled freely into the dark murky water.
Her little cry muffled as she righted her balance again. Out of her peripherals she saw a white blur move past her. She ignored it, focusing on her other hand as it dug in tightly into whatever piece of plastic she had.
The sharp edges dug into her soft palms but she didn't care. Her wounded hand stung but she couldn't care. She didn't know what the voice was talking about but she knew if she let go, the water would carry her away. Like Mama…
You are strong for your size, Little Girl. The voice said.
The voice had almost a growl to it. It sounded like the animal characters on TV that she would watch. The dog-like ones.. "Puppy?" She mumbled sadly. She missed her house, her TV, her warm comfy blanket. She saw yellow eyes flash in her head for a second and the vision disappeared.
I am no dog. It growled out and she whimpered. The next time it spoke it was a bit softer and kinder.
Little One you are strong. Do you see that big log in front of you?
She saw the log. It was huge! Almost as big as a one of the steel beams at the construction site by her building complex. She always wanted to climb on those. But her Mama told her not to. "Mhm."
Grab on to it. The voice whispered.
"I can't." She whimpered out. It was too far away from her. And she didn't wanna jump from the safety of her makeshift raft. The raft her Mama made for her.
You can and you must. The voice growled out matter of factly. You will die if you don't. The girl whimpered again. This time tears welled up in her eyes.
I would grab you myself… if I had a body… I can only guide you. The voice told her softly. It might've been the affection in the voice that reminded her of her mother. It could've been her will to live. But she believed this stranger. So she would do what was asked of her.
"Ok I'll do it!" She yelled out. "I'll just do it! Just gimme a second!"
With a determination in her eyes she watched as the log came closer and closer. Legs tense in a pouncing position, she launched herself forward. With a smack her little head hit wood. But her arms hugged the downed tree with a strength she never felt before.
It didn't matter that it hurt. This wasn't like the other times when she was able to run to her Mama with a booboo. Her Mama… her Mama wasn't here anymore. So she had to be mighty on her own. She had to be strong like the voice told her she was.
You are doing well, Child. The voice whispered. Now, do you see me?
The girl turned her head to the side. The tree ran down the width of the river - the gushing water pushing hard on her back. There was nothing there. Only silent trees that bowed against the current and the wind. Her hand ached.
"Umm… I don't see you." She looked in the other direction. All she seen was water. Ugly brown stinky water. And bits of trash here and there. There was nothing that way.
Look up at me. She answered the voice and looked up. What she saw only confused her more. There was a large white wolf balancing on top of the tree log looking down at her with soft amber eyes.
The wolf radiated an otherworldly aura, enveloped in a soft, golden halo. Her pure white fur shimmered with an ethereal glow, accentuated by vibrant yellow lines that framed her face with symmetrical precision. These lines traversed her back, blending seamlessly into her tail. In contrast, her paws, ears, and tail tips appeared dipped in darkest ink.
The most amazing thing of all was that the wolf was see-through. Like a ghost. She wondered to herself if she could pass her hand through it and tickle its belly.
"Oh! Hey there Doggy. I thought you'd be a human like me." She whimpered again, a sad look in her eyes.
I'm not a dog. The wolf pinned her ears back. Her spectral tail swished to the side.
"Ok well whatever you are. Thank you for helping me." The girl chattered through shaking lips. The cold of the water around her was making her shake. Before too long it will sap her energy away but she didn't know that. All she knew was that she was cold and it made her miss her blanket even more.
Don't thank me just yet. The wolf lowered her head and touched a broken limb with her nose. You must survive first. Quick! Grab on and pull yourself up.
A wave of water hit the little humans body just then and she gasped and choked. She clung to the bark tightly and looked back up that the limb, then to the black rimmed yellow eyes staring down at her expectantly. She stared into those eyes for a second and then furrowed her eye brows.
"I will live!" She yelled and grabbed the broken limb. With a determination and strength she never knew she had in her little body, she launched herself upward and grabbed at the top of the log. Her little nails scratched bark and she whined as she struggled. Her foot caught the tip of the limb and with one last push she made it! She was at the top of the log.
She panted heavily as she moved to sit down. The tree was slightly swaying from the force of the river and her little bit of weight. The girl caught her breath and relaxed, happy that she was alive. She smiled a wide smile that showed off the missing tooth she lost just a few days ago.
The little girl was so small just then compared to the giant wolf and the big downed tree. But she felt pretty big.
Silently, she wondered about her neighbors. Her Papa and where he was. Was everyone okay? Ms. Kimi the check out girl that her mom said Hi to everyday? The little kids at the park just before the next earthquake? Her mom dressed her in her favorite shirt that day. The one with the bright pink flower. Would she ever see her toys and house again? Her Mama?
The girl was lost in thought when white paws distracted her. The wolf took several steps back and assessed her for a second with calm eyes. With a blink she turned and walked back down the length of the downed tree trunk. She paused for a second, turning her head slightly. Come.
And with that – the little human girl followed.
AN: Hi guys! Blu here. I was wondering what you thought of this story? Please feel free to review - its free :)
To tell ya'll a little bit about myself: I'm not new here but for all you need to know, I'm new. Let me explain, I used to post really cringe fics when I was a teenager. They have all since been deleted. It's been about a decade or so since I wrote anything so I would absolutely love feedback! Even if its "negative". I am not the best writer, by no means. But I have a story idea and I want to present something somewhat... new? It's hard to say that when this fandom has been around since the 90s. But, I just wanted to add my little story into the mix and see what ya think of it!
I do hope you enjoy! ~ Thank you for making it this far!
