-Act 6-
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The Black Plains howled, accompanied by a occasional cawing of a crow.

A man that was on the ground sat up and looked around and rubbed his head. “Am I…,” he began and rubbed his head again, “In my father’s realm?” He cast his sharp golden gaze to the crevice that lay in the distance. He nodded and his jet black bushy hair fell around him as he nodded. “Yes,” he said to himself, “yes I am.”

He got up and shook off some of the dirt. His face was sharp and angled, like a feline. His eyes held a fiery temper to them, hidden beneath layers and layers of guilt and worry. He had on a black hooded cloak, and under that, a mesh outfit. His feet were in the standard shinobi shoes, dark blue with open toes. He had on black gloves and his mouth was set in a tight line. In the distance, however, a piano, rain stick, flute, and violin started to play a soft melody.

The players were the ones who had recently come to the Black Plains, trying to shake off the fear that they will never pass on because their loved ones are gone and over on the other side. The man walked towards the players with a simple curiosity, nothing more and nothing less. He sat on the ground again and listened to them play their soft melody. He closed his eyes and wandered in his mind when he was alive…

-Flashback-

“Daddy!” A young child cried. She threw her hands out wide and ran towards the man with tears spilling over and down her young face. In her right hand was a love note with a large red X drawn onto the front. “Daddy!” The young girl cried again and she hugged her father’s side.

“What’s wrong baby?” He coaxed in a soft voice.

“I gave my love note to him today and he took it! So I thought that he was going to write me one and he came back with another girl, laughing. So he threw it on the mud and stepped on it! And he drew a big red X on it!” She wailed. She sobbed into his side and her father took her gently in his arms.

“Shhh, shhh, it’s ok now.. He can’t hurt you anymore..” He coaxed softly and sweetly. He kissed the top of her head as she let all the tears out on his side. He gently moved her to his chest and he took her up bridal style. She turned her face to his chest and cried her heart out. “Poor Yuki..” He said in a whisper. Was it because of her ears? Her tail? He thought. He sighed softly. He shook his head and he walked to the house. He opened the door silently and walked in with Yuki in his arms. He put her gently in her art room’s giant couch. He put a blanket over her and he retrieved her favorite stuffed animal, her grey wolf, given to her by her mother. She gripped it and cuddled it.

He smiled.

“Gah!” He was rocketed out of the memory with such force that it hurt. He shook his head and got up. The band members were gone by the time he was awake.


Just like his family.
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Desdemona made a face when she saw Layne. “You’ve got to be shitting me here. HIM!?” She yowled. Yuki sighed and sat down with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and rubbed her paw on her face, mimicking the human gesture of rubbing the bridge of her nose.

“Oh boy…” She moaned and looked up to Desdemona. “Hey, I’ll be right back. I won’t be an idiot, I promise.” Desdemona nodded and padded over to Layne as Yuki went to hide in the darkness to change back into a human.

Yuki changed in an instant. She had on black arm-warmers that had belt buckles on them. She had on a black hat with silver studs, all hiding small senbons. She had on black pants and black gothic boots. On her torso, she had a black corset with a black t-shirt sown onto it. As she stood up, she had on a black cloak that was open at the front. Her hair was down to her mid-back and her eyes were a pure golden. Her wolf tail wagged a bit and she got up. She walked to the clearing again and she heard a whistle.

Desdemona blinked in surprise-- Since when was a fourteen year old girl able to find clothes like THAT? Layne blushed and mumbled something about the outfit being “nice” when he really meant, “HOT DAMN.”

Yuki laughed at the both of them and smiled. “I made these myself. Do you like them?” she asked, and then turned to give them a rear view of the outfit. She smiled again towards them. Her smile dropped suddenly and her ears pricked forward. She looked at Layne with serious eyes, telling him to take flight.

Layne nodded ever so slightly and motioned for Desdemona to get on his back. She hesitated, but she got onto his back. He reached out with his mind and spoke to her quickly. Be safe.

I will. Just go.

Hey, lets not forget the damn cat here.

Just go!

Layne took flight and went quickly, leaving Yuki to face the onslaught danger alone.

When really, the danger was herself.

-End-