Chapter 0: Origin
You can probably see why Yami aren't treated like others. Our abilities and appearance give off a shady vibe. My name is Akira Tenshi, an ironic name being a Yami, as my full name means "Bright Angel". I am one of the 2 people from Osaka who survived the Geo-Cataclyst. The other survivor's name is Mamiko Kishi, her name fits her perfectly. It means "Daughter of the sea on shore" as she is a Mizu. Mamiko and I have been friends since we were kids... since the explosion.
Before the explosion me and Mamiko were spending our last hours as we would any other day, at swim practice at the Osaka Public School's Pool. She was best on the team. I never got the hang of swimming.
Mamiko and I never really talked to each other. When the explosion was about go off Mamiko was the only one left in the pool, everyone had already fled to find cover or a place to hide. I saw her in there and I went to help.
When I tried telling her to get out she told me she wanted to spend her last moments in water. Where she felt most at peace.
There was only 1 minute left till detonation. As I turned to run she smiled and started to swim to the centre of the pool. I watched her wondering how she wasn't just giving up and carrying on like there "was" a tomorrow.
I panicked, there was only about half a minute left, I ran to the nearest door and closed it behind me. When I was inside in curled up into a ball in the darkness and cried. I never even got a chance to say good bye to my parents who were overseas working, and would have never made it back in time.
I was only 9, this kind of pain should have never have had to be felt by a child my age. The feelings of loss, regret, fear, and panic all at once. The explosion started, instantly I felt a white hot burn all over my body, I went to scream but no noise came out. After about 10 seconds of pure agony I passed out.
When I woke up I felt Sharp, Throbbing pains on my forehead, in my mouth, and on my back. I cried, I howled for help. It must have been 10 minutes later that someone was moving the debris piece by piece. She held her hand out to help me up. It was Mamiko. She took me outside, where we saw the wasteland we had once called home. Skeletons were scattered everywhere, houses were reduced to rubble, and no signs of life remained but a few scorched trees. We went to our old school. It had sustained serious damage like most buildings, but still had 2 rooms intact. The infirmary and the cafeteria's walk in fridge which had the door blasted off. The rest of the rooms were either caved in on themselves, or unreachable due to stairways being collapsed. We stayed there for a few days living off the food supplies and bandaging ourselves up.
We scavenged through the debris. Among the ruin I found a mirror shard in the debris of the bathrooms. I wiped the dust from the mirror and I saw the horror I am now burdened with calling my face.
I had small growths coming from my forehead. Large, sharp canine teeth. My ears were pointed. My eyes had turned to cat slits. Spines protruded from my back. And a small, scaly bump sticking out the back of my shirt, which would later become my tail.
I dropped the mirror, and ran back to the infirmary crying and hid under the sheets. Mamiko asked me why I was hiding. I said she wouldn't want to find out... but I was wrong.
She slowly pulled up the covers off and joined me under them. Mamiko said she had known about my deformities from the time she rescued me. I asked why she never mentioned it. She looked at me with a half embarrassed, half despairing look as she pulled her bandages slowly off her head, which showed her ears and her right eye. Her ears had elongated and drooped, they were like elf ears crossed moth shape, but with a less solid shape, and her eye had turned a pale blue colour. Like 2 big orbs of Aquamarine.
"My other eye is starting to turn blue too. Now you don't have to hide anymore"
After that we become close friends. The next week we collected the remaining food, water, and supplies, then set off to find anyone else who might be alive. I never really got over my transformation. But I felt normal around Mamiko.
Chapter 1: The Fire the Silo
We set out into the wasteland searching for something, anything, as there was nothing left in our home city. The climate seemed to have changed dramatically. The sun was boiling, and the wind was harsh. We walked for hours, with an occasional stop to rest.
We spent most of the trip in silence, as talking would only tire us more. Though even if we did talk I doubt I'd make any good conversation. Any topic I brought up would only remind me about what I had lost, and that feeling was still eating away at me inside.
After a while, we came across a ruin of an old silo. It was still mostly intact, apart from a few large holes in the side. We decided to stay there for the night. It was nearly dark.
One thing I noticed almost right away is that the nights were a lot warmer than usual, not to warm, but a mild comforting temperature. Mamiko on the other hand was shivering, I couldn't figure out why. The climate was much better now.
"Why are you shivering?"
"It's f-f-freezing, c-cant you feel it?"
"No, I'm not cold at all"
"Well, it-it's still much better than the sun was earlier-r" replied Mamiko as she chattered.
I looked at Mamiko's face; it was turning shiny and blue, and crystalline. She looked like an ice sculpture.
I took off my backpack and took out my blanket I found at the school infirmary. I gave it to Mamiko. After all she needed it more than me.
"Here, it'll help warm you up"
"B-b-but you need it?"
"I've already told you, I'm not cold, take it"
Mamiko held out one of her crystalline hands and took the blanket. I helped lay it over her. It looked as though she would shatter if she moved another inch. She turned her head and smiled gratefully, before rolling over to sleep. I took out my pillow and tried to sleep, but I just couldn't.
I laid awake motionless, I started to think about home. How I used to sleep in a nice, warm soft bed, get 3 warm meals a day, and how I used to play with Alph on the carpet before dinner time...
Thinking about old luxuries seemed to make things a hundred times worse, so I decided to keep myself busy. I sat up and rummaged through my backpack, I found a first aid kit which was still intact. I searched the contents and I found bandages, cold medicine, anti-septic cream, distilled water, and as luck would have it matches.
I stood up and went outside to gather some kindling for a fire. As soon as I stepped outside I noticed something odd. I could see everything around me in perfectly as if it were still daylight.
It took me a while to put my finger on it but eventually I figured it out. I thought it was abnormal, but didn't linger on it too long. Mamiko was chattering behind me. I knew I had to warm her up soon. In the distance I saw a dry dead shrub, perfect for fire.
It took me a couple of trips to bring back some small logs. After all, I was only half the size I am now.
When I finally got enough wood I stacked up the kindling into a tepee like structure, struck a match, and set it alight.
After a few minutes I added on a log to the fire. I sat there for a while watching the wood splinter and burn. I looked over at Mamiko. Her skin slowly turned to a more normal hue now that the fire was lit. I also noticed that my skin turned a slightly darker tint when I brought them out of the shadows, near to the fire.
I retracted my hands and my skin turned to its normal pale colour. I didn't dwell on it long though, I noticed Mamiko stir. I prodded her until she woke up.
"What is it Akira?"
"I found some medicine, you should drink some. You don't look to well"
I pulled the medicine out of the First Aid kit, and pour some into the lid.
"This should be enough"
Mamiko took the lid from me and drank it. There seemed to be an instant relief after she drank it. She handed me back the lid, which I replaced on the bottle and returned to my backpack. Mamiko turned to me and smiled.
"Thank you Akira"
"No p-p-problem" I said trying to stifle a yawn.
I don't know how long I was up but I was beat. I turned to my pillow, lay down, and watched the fire crackle as I fell asleep.
Chapter 2: The Remainders Tree
I woke up and noticed it was normal daylight, I could tell because the sun was hot as it was yesterday. I looked at the sun. It was right in the middle of the sky.
"Morning Akira" said Mamiko cheerfully.
"Morning Mamiko ...what time is it?"
"I don't know... about mid day I think"
"What? Why did you let me sleep this long, we could have been walking by now"
"You'd do the same for me" she replied with a smile.
We packed up our stuff, and once again began walking. This time it was more eventful, Mamiko made a game where we had to answer simple questions, to get to know each other better. Mamiko started.
"What's your favourite colour?"
"Blue, what's yours?"
"Beige, your turn to ask a question"
"Okay, what's your favourite animal?"
"Dolphins, what's yours?"
"Mine is a Dog"
"Why?"
"Because they want to be your friend no matter what and they're always there for you... or at least mine was, your turn"
"What was your dog's name?"
"His name was Alph. I think he died like everyone else though... my turn. What's your favourite hobby?"
"Mine was swimming, what was yours?"
"Drawing"
"Were you any good?"
"Kinda, I don't know, I never really showed anyone... hey, what's that?"
I saw something the distance, it was tall and green, but I couldn't make it out fully, due to the mirages, and waves of heat.
"Let's go check it out!" said Mamiko as she pulled my arm and ran towards the thing in the distance.
After a while of running we eventually got to the thing and as it turned out we were not the only ones to find it. The tall green thing was actually a weeping willow tree, a crowd of about 300 or more people had gathered around it.
One thing we noticed right away is that these people weren't normal either. Some had orange skin and red hair. Others looked like they had grass for hair and stone for skin. We noticed a pack of people who looked similar to Mamiko, and about only 30 people who looked like me.
There were also people who were slightly hovering with white blonde hair, they looked as if they had come from the heavens, and they made me feel conscious of myself in the crowd.
"Who are these people, and why do some look like us?"
"I don't know, but it looks like those people want to say something"
I pointed over to a parting in the crowd, where one of each kind of these new, peculiar people rallied the crowd around them. The orange one spoke first, he spoke quickly, with a fiery passion in his voice.
"Everyone, by now you should have realised something's up by now, we were supposed to die about 2 weeks ago, but were still here"
The stony one stepped forward next to him and spoke.
"We have changed, we have survived, and we look different"
At the there was a man who looked kind of like Akira. The stony man prodded him forward, the shadowy figure spoke reluctantly.
"Some of you might have noticed your skin, eyes, posture, and... appearance, are different"
The shadowy figure stepped back into the shadows behind him. Next a confident silvery hair woman hovered forward.
"We didn't just survive. We were gifted with new skill and magic-"
The Silvery Haired woman was pulled back and interrupted by an aqua blonde hair woman who looked like Mamiko. She had a wiser and more patient vibe than the others.
"It is not exactly magic we have been gifted with, even as though it may seem, there is a scientific reason I'm sure. We have evolved at an unforseen pace. I have a theory as to what this magic may really be"
Everyone, including the others behind her we're listening intently. It appear not even they fully understood... then again who did.
"I believe that we all were born with a rare anomaly in our bodies, a gene that helped us survive, and gain these rare abilities. When the Geo-Cataclyst detonated was infused with an element we were in contact with at the time of the explosion. There are 5 of these elements in total-"
All 5 of these people stood forward, even the shady guy at the back, in a line. They way the coordinated between themselves made me think they must have known each pre-detonation.
"The Pyro's Agility"
The orange man lit a fire in his hand which didn't seem to harm him in anyway.
"The Earth's Strength"
The Rocky Man stepped forward and made a pillar of soil which sprouted a flower, which bloomed before their eyes.
"The Light's Levitation"
The Silvery haired woman hovered forward and made a ball of electricity in her hands, with a smug look on her face.
"The Dark Power's of Deception and Illusion"
The shady guy made an unstable buzzing orb of dark crackling electricity. One second later he lazily flung the orb to the floor which covered the crowd in darkness. A few seconds later the darkness disappeared, revealing the shady guy smirking with his canine teeth protruding from the side of his mouth.
"And last of all, my power, The Waters Intellect" She said as she held out her hand. Everyone watched as a perfect orb of watch hover above her head, which then burst into mist all over the crowd. The silvery haired woman cast a dirty look at the Water Woman.
"We are the Remainders of the Earth's population, this tree will serve as a collective grave for those who perished to the Geo-Cataclyst, and as a beginning of us, the remaining few who survived, the ones who were fortunate enough to have the Proto-Gene, the gene that gave us our abilities".
The Water Maiden stepped down as the fiery man stepped forward.
"In this new world, y'all need leaders, we take on that job to help us all survive"
The stone giant then spoke up.
"We will each lead one tribe"
No one questioned them. After all they seemed to have a better grasp on their abilities than any of the rest of us.
Once again the Water Maiden spoke up.
"I Mako Agua ill lead the Water Tribe: The Mizu".
The rest soon followed in suite.
"I Kaen Gekido will lead the Fire Tribe: The Kasai".
"I Boruda Kusa will lead the Earth Tribe: The Chikyu".
"I Naruku Tengoku will lead the Light Tribe: The Hikari".
"Well... I suppose I should do it as well... and I Taidana Kage or you can just call me "Tai" for short. Where was I... oh...yeah, I will the Dark Tribe: The Yami, I guess..."
Mako jestered to the willow tree behind her, and began to speak again.
"In turn we will embed our power into this tree as a sign of unity between tribes, you may not have figured out how to use your powers just yet, but I am sure you will all get the hang of it in time".
At these words Naruku had a disappointed look on her face, as we are all sure she thought she was the only lucky one to have her appearance and powers.
The ritual had started; Boruda placed his hand to the ground. Grass started to grow under our feet as the tree grew at a rapid pace until it was at least as big as a skyscraper.
Next Mako and Kaen stood at opposite ends of the tree. Kaen made a blaze of fire that caught a light at the top of the tree. At the same time on the opposite end clouds began to gather into a large sphere of water which Mako lowered opposite to Kaen's fire.
"Now to seal our powers to the tree, Naruku, Tai, if you would" instructed Mako.
"Fine..." Naruku and Tai groaned in unison.
They both walked to the trunk of the tree and touched it. A semi-circle of white and black appeared at the trunk. After this Naruku shot a beam of light up to the sky parting they cloud, allowing light to get to the tree. As the beam of light was fired, Tai sent a wave of shadow to provide shade for the tree.
"The Imbuing is complete; Warmth, Water, Vegetation, and Balance are provided by this tree. May the Willow weep for the dead, and nourish the survivors".
The Remainder Tree had been born.
Each Leader carved their tribes symbol into the tree: The Kasai, Mizu, Chikyu, Hikari, and The Yami. This was a dawn of a dawn of a whole new Earth, The Proto-Earth.
After the forming of the tree, Mamiko and I went east to Tokyo with other Proto Humans, to seek refuge... shelter in this wasteland we are all forced to call home.
Chapter 3: Punge Plums and Swanberries
Mamiko and I headed to Tokyo with a crowd of people from the making of the Remainders Tree, travelled in one huge pack. We travelled dawn till dusk, which is when we would set up camp for the night. Our food was running low, as we had already eaten most of it on previous days.
We all searched around to find something edible, and we found it. A Chikyu was wandering aimlessly looking for food, when she found a big, violet, fruit on a nearby bush. She rushed back to our group right away to inform us of her discovery. We were led the bushes and sure enough, it was blooming with fruits we had never even seen before.
We each plucked one and took a bite. They tasted sweet and were relatively soft to eat, so I didn't get why everyone was coughing and scraping their tongues. So I turned to Mamiko and asked:
"Whys everyone spitting out the fruit, is it poisonous?"
"I think so. Why aren't you spitting yours out, they taste like cough medicine".
"I must have taken a ripe one, I feel fine"
"Let me see"
I handed the fruit over to Mamiko to try; she spat the fruit out again.
"Nope it still tastes bitter"
"But they taste sweet to me?"
I took a look around, and I saw all the other Yami like me, were eating the fruit with no problem at all. We all gathered as a group and decided these fruit were inedible to all but Yami. For some reason we Yami seemed to be able to eat the bitter, hard fruit with no troubles at all.
The rest of the tribes dubbed these fruits as "Punge Plums" as they drew a resemblance to The Purple fruit we used to have... and because they tasted awful to most people.
***
We continued our trek to Tokyo still with no sign of food. All non-Yami were starving, this might be one reason why there was tension between us and other factions. A few Kasai had resorted to eating Punge Plums to survive. They got three bites through before vomiting behind a tree.
As it turned out, this tree was growing a small, Cream Yellow coloured fruits. A crowd gathered around the tree, and people began to pick the fruits this time people were hesitant to eat the fruit, afraid they would taste like the Punge Plums. A few brave kids ate the fruits and as it turned out, they were delicious. They had a succulent flesh and a pit in the middle we spat out.
I tasted one and spat it out; they didn't taste bad or anything. They just had no flavour.
I told Mamiko of my experience with the new fruit, she found the news intriguing.
"It's weird how our taste buds have changed, you can eat the Punge Plums, while we can't"
"And the rest of you can eat those fruit, and I can't taste a thing from them"
The group once again gathered together, to discuss the new source of food. We established they were edible, to most, and were renewable as they had pits we could plant to grow another tree, as they grow at a fast pace when Chikyu use their powers on them. We dubbed the new fruit "Swanberries" because they resemble Gooseberries, though they have a more honey like taste to them.
Unlike the Punge Plums, the Swanberries were loved by all. Everyone was all set for the days ahead. The Yami had their preferred taste of Punge Plums, while others enjoyed the new, more pleasant fruit was snacked on while walking or during short rests.
***
It had been two days since we discovered Swanberries. We were all exhausted and want to settle somewhere, anywhere, just to stop walking.
We were all getting restless, when one day, we saw a building, or rather what remained of a building. We all pick up the pace and eventually we arrived at a sign, it read: "Welcome to Tokyo", in faded letters.
Never did I think I'd be so happy to see a baron wasteland of debris, and damaged buildings.
We headed into the city, it seemed that there were some people who hadn't figured out who happened to them, and had been hiding here this whole time. A few people set out to tell the stragglers of the new world's people, tribes, and state.
Mamiko and I started to head to the centre of the city to unpack and make ourselves at home. We settled down and unpacked our stuff when we found an old run down INN. We didn't know how we would claim ownership until the people were called to the town square, which is basically just an old dried up water fountain.
We were told to carve our names and tribe symbol into the front door to claim ownership.
We claimed the INN as our own. I take the first room upstairs, and she takes the second room upstairs. The other room is basically just kind of a living room or kitchen.
The rest of the rooms were destroyed in the blast, but we've patched the walls up over the years. It doesn't have gaping holes anymore, though Mamiko was able to find an extra pane of glass, which she, made a sort of make shift sun roof from scratch.
My room only has one small, circular window, which I keep covered and closed; after all... we Yami are best in the dark.
We still live here today, after all these years.
From Bitter Plums to Barron Waste-lands, our world has changed. For better or worse, that's for us to decide...
Chapter 4: Scrap & Barter
It is now the year 2036, 7 years has passed since the Detonation. Mankind has adjusted to its new surroundings and adapted. We've even found a way to revive old luxuries.
Some people have taken to the steady art of sowing, which means we have real clothes, and more blankets, not that that really helps me.
Others have discovered new methods of cooking and using foods. We have discovered many new kinds of vegetation, such as "Kumquads", "Fallen-Star Fruit", the "Hellanna" a spicier version of a Banana, "Red Ramp" a wild onion, and many more. It seems one of the only known plant to resist change from the explosion were Turnips.
We also discovered a few edible meats, such as "Thorn Hog Ham", "Tusked Bull Beef", "Sheppard Sheep's Mutton", and "Scalene Chicken". We found a few more animals, but they were too hard to domesticate, so we gave up on them. We have found a variety of sustainable foods to last us for a good while if we manage them well.
I on the other hand, have found an old luxury I've never enjoyed till now: Gaming, and collecting Music collecting. I have managed to fix an old Hand-held game console, and a Cassette player. Every now and then when I'm scavenging in the scrap yard, I'll find a couple of game cartridges or music cassettes. It's the only real good part of what I do for work.
As I've already stated, Yami are the least respected tribe, and are generally avoided. We are highest unemployed species on the planet.
To earn money we search the debris of scrap yards for resources, or valuable we can sell or trade for at the Bustle. This is really the only job Yami have, if we're not criminals. Though there is one job we Yami can get if we prove we are worthy: The Dark Ops.
The Dark Ops are a special part of Law enforcement where Yami specialise. Our illusionary, and mind controlling abilities make us naturally perfect for the job. Dark Ops are used for Hostage situations or Infiltration Operations.
I personally wish I could join, I mean, anything is better than what I have now. Scrounging for scraps, being looked down on by everyone I pass in the street. Life is hard for the Yami, but I'm used to it by now.
***
Today's just another day. I have to wake up, get dressed, and remember why I'm still even bothering with this stupid job. That is if you can even call it one.
I head down to the kitchen to eat breakfast; there is a sort of turnip & Horn-Hog curry with rice, packed in a plastic container. It has one of Mamiko's usual notes on top, which she leaves me every morning before she goes to work.
Morning Akira
I made you some sort of curry with whatever I could find in the house for lunch.
By the way, thanks for the new note book, the other was starting to fill up.
Mamiko
I smile to myself, I barely see Mamiko these days. She's always working at the Proto-Human research lab, as a trainee. She gets home around mid afternoon, whereas I'll usually arrive around late night.
I write a reply on the back of the note she gave me.
Evening Mamiko
Thanks for lunch; I'll let you know if I've found anything else useful when I see you next.
See you later, maybe
Akira
I walk over to the front door, pick up a Punge Plum to-go, fling my foraging sack and go to work.
***
At this time in the afternoon, the streets of the Bustle are full of Scrappers, that's what the people call us anyway. Some adopted the name thinking it sounded cool or something, but it just makes me feel inferior.
I see all the people coming home from their real jobs, chatting to passersby's, laughing about their eventful days. I'd give anything for that. They don't have to feel like their always being judged, resented... and just generally disliked.
I walk through the crowd with my head down and hood on. I feel better when my face is hidden, that way no one knows who, or what I am. No one stares at me; no one stomps on my tail, which is hidden by my cloak. The best part is I can just faze into the crowd unnoticed.
I continue walking till I get to my only source of currency, and my daily purgatory: The Scrapper Yard. The Scrapper Yards are basically areas of the city which are ruined past the point of possible habitation. They are basically a maze of rubble and mountains of wreckage.
I head to a small pile of metal. Everyone else usually goes for the bigger scrap mounds, thinking bigger always means better.
I work my way into the debris and find a few interesting items, but not much. Anything worth even a slight bit of money, I pack into my bag. I move onto the next pile.
I dig around in the mound, and find a few items for my own personal use. I find a cassette tape that is labelled "Hits of the 2020's". I smile to myself.
"Huh, I didn't think anyone still used these in the 2000's"
I dig a bit deeper into the clutter and find a small game cartridge, it has an image on it of a character wielding an unrealistically gigantic sword.
"I used to play this all the time as a kid..."
It still hurts to think about my old life before this all happened...
It is nearing sun down; I choose one last pile before my lunch break.
I search through yet another pyramid of trash to scrape together enough to get myself through for tomorrow. I find a few pieces of slightly discoloured jewellery, a chipped ornament, and some glass bottles in the debris.
After I am done with the pile, I eat the curry Mamiko packed me. It has the sharp, strong taste of the Thorn Hog, but is mellowed by the turnips. It doesn't taste good as the old pork, but pretty good for today's standards. I pack up my container and find one last pile before I retire for the day.
I pick a pile right at the back of the scrap yard. I find a few utensils, and decorative plates, but nothing much of value. I continue searching, and find a black faded plastic bag. I rip it open, and I find a bunch of books. They are labelled titles such as: "Ecology of Plants", "Evolution and Ecosystems", "Geography of the Planet", etcetera.
"Mamiko would love these" I think to myself.
I pile them into the sack and head back to the entrance.
As I come closer to the streets I don my hood again, and get ready to reap what I've sown and collect today's Tokens.
***
It is pitch black, or at least it would be if the lanterns weren't lit. The street is full of Yami, selling whatever they have to offer to make ends meet.
I head to my usual Barterer Raphael. We have good history in business. I haul my bag on-to the counter. Raphael turns around to greet me.
"Well if it isn't Akira, my most valued customer"
"How do I know you aren't just saying that?"
"Do you see anyone else over here lining up to barter?" He laughs.
"So how's business been?"
"Booming, people are lining up from all over to buy from here, but not sell. People get paid more at those other stalls, so you're one of the only 10 people keeping me in business"
"Heh heh, well I prefer here, not so crowded. Plus you're easier to handle than those other guys, always lowering their price the longer you barter"
"You got that right, so shall we get down to business?"
"Yeah alright"
Raphael start to sort through the stuff I've laid on the counter, I kept the books and electronics to myself.
Raphael has strong build, like most Chikyu, but more extroverted than most. He is one of the only people I know who can see past the fact I'm a Yami, and have decent conversation with. I've been dealing with him for over 3 years now. We started formally, just doing our sides of the deal and getting on with it. But slowly we began to appreciate each other's company, we've sort of become like friends over the years.
"You've got some good stuff here, how's about I give you 90 Tokens for the lot?"
"Sounds good" I say as I hand over the items.
"Hey, why don't you pick out something for yourself? On the house"
"Really? Thanks, but why?"
"I don't really need a reason, but if you want one, your merchandise is half the reason I do so well in business" He says laughing. "Go on, anything on the wall you can have it"
I look at the back wall. I see items like old masks, books, jewellery. I look over at an old box of withered trading cards, I'm about to pick them when something catches my eye. An old Great Sword with a thick, with an unusual blade and a long handle. Like the ones from the video games.
"I'll take the sword" I say.
"I don't know what you'd use it for but if you really want it, it's yours" he says as he hands me the blade.
"You never know, if might need protection here" I say with a weak laugh, as I fling the sheath of the sword over my back. I struggle to stay standing, but I adjust with difficulty.
"Pleasure doing business with you" He says as he waves at me.
"Same to you" I say waving back, with strain, as I head for the short cut down the alley.
***
It's quiet down the alley. I have no one around me or talking. I'm usually safe around here, because Yami don't usually attack their kind. Some mug others who pass into their territory.
My back is aching from the weight on my back but I'm only a short way from home now.
I'm about to turn around a corner when I hear a scream, from around the nearby alley. I attempt to run, but is difficult. I reach the alley and see a pair of Yami cornering someone. One of them is a male, the other a female.
I shout at them to gain their attention. I succeed.
The pair part and face me, revealing a girl on the floor.
It's Mamiko...
Chapter 5: Hustle in the Bustle
I see Mamiko on the ground, her belongings are scattered over the ground, and she has turned a blue crystalline colour, the colour all Mizu turn when they are frozen with fear. Mamiko is on her knees, weak. I face the muggers. I'm not in much of a better state than Mamiko, but I have to do something.
"Hey! Whatever you're doing to her, stop it!"
The Yami glares at me. She steps towards Mamiko and picks her up by the hem of her shirt.
"What are you gonna do about it" she says with Mamiko flailing in her arm. The Yami mugger draws out a dagger and holds the blade to her throat.
"Let her go!"
"Or what? You'll hit me? I'd like to see you try" The Kasai mugger sniggers, drawing his weapon... it's a gun.
Most guns were destroyed in the explosion, but only a rare few survived the blast. They are mostly given to the Enforcers for the more serious tasks, but sometimes they fall into the hands of thugs like these two. We commonly use blades in place of firearms, though I've never used one before.
I panicked. I have to think of something quick if I'm going to save both myself and Mamiko.
I feel a splitting pain in my back. My spines are forcing their way through my skin. A common symptom of fear of the Yami. I bite my tongue to keep myself from screaming.
I feel a static like feeling run through my spines, I look down at my hands, and the power I've been suppressing can't be contained much longer.
I see my fingers light up with the occasional crackle of dark matter. I need to get to her before anything happens. If only I could be in two places at once.
I realise, that's the answer, I focus the tingling in my spines and focus it to the ground, the alley becomes dark, the Kasai is stumbling blindly, but the Yami hasn't noticed I'm gone.
I run to Mamiko and pull her away from the blade, and away from the muggers. I run to end of the alley and stop where I stood before, next to my doppelganger illusion.
"Boy, you've done it now" says the Kasai mugger.
"Yeah, now were gonna kill you, and your little friend" adds the Yami mugger.
Anger surges through me. I won't let them lay another finger on her. I reach back for my sword, I struggle to hold it upright but I manage with the adrenaline pumping through my veins. I muster up all the strength I have and walk towards them, with my blade over my shoulder. I feel more confident, braver than I've ever felt. I feel my back buzzing with dark matter, I don't hold back any longer. I raise the sword with all my strength, dark matter starts to creep up the blade, crackling, and exploding with sparks.
The muggers suddenly look afraid, of me. I shift towards them, they begin to run. The blade is now enveloped in a purple mass of plasma. They are about to go around the corner. I'm not letting them get away.
I use the last of my strength to thrust the blade downwards, sending a wave of dark energy down the alley. The last thing I see before I pass out is the muggers collapse at the end of the alley, and Mamiko kneeling over me as I drift into the darkness.
***
I wake up in my bedroom, everything hurts. I feel like I've just ran a marathon, or I assume that's what it feels like.
I see my Scrapper's Bag by the door, with the contents of yesterdays haul. I look over at my bedside cabinet, and see a note, it reads:
I'm making breakfast down stairs, come down when you're ready
Mamiko-
I walk downstairs to see Mamiko at the table writing in a book. She looks up from it and fetches my plate of food. I join her at the table. I walk over to her, and every step shoots jolts of pain up my back, which I now realise is bandaged.
"What happened yesterday, and why does every part of my body hurt?"
"You saved me from the muggers in the Bustle"
The memories come flooding back to me from yesterday.
"Oh yeah. What happened to them anyway?"
"They were taken away by the enforcers"
"What did they say when they my body on the floor next to my sword?" I ask.
"I told them the whole story of how you fought them off, they gave me this to give to you" Mamiko said pulling out an envelope.
She passes me the letter, I rip it open, and it reads:
To Mr Akira Tenshi
On behalf of the Tokyo Enforcement Squad, we would like to invite you to try outs for the Dark Ops Traineeship. We will await your response, until then.
T-E-S Corp
I stare at the paper for a few seconds, just to let it sink in. Me, working with the Dark Ops, it must be some sort of joke.
"What is it?" Mamiko asks before taking the letter from my hand and reading it herself. When she is done, she looks riveted.
"Akira, this is great, they're offering you a spot on the Dark Ops. You have to say yes".
I look at the paper, then at Mamiko, and then I come to decision.
"No, I can't, I'm not qualified" I say in a low voice.
"What are you talking about? You fought off two muggers yesterday; the Enforcement Squad thinks you have potential"
"I don't fit the requirements, I need to be in peek physical shape, have a good understanding of other tribes, and actually be able to control my powers, and I fill none of those requirements"
Mamiko sighs with a disappointed look on her face.
"Well would you at least think about it? I mean, this is a chance of a life time. Do you really want to be working in that scrap yard for the rest of your life?"
I look at Mamiko, I can't say no...
"Alright I'll consider it"
We eat in silence for a few minutes, while Mamiko writes in the book she was working on earlier. I peer over at the book and see a diagram of a Yami and some calculations. I am curious as to what it is.
"What's that?"
"This? Oh, it's a sort of personal project of mine, it's the reason I was even in the Alley last night"
"Why risk your life just for a book?"
"I'm trying to get a better understanding of Proto-Humans and how we all work. The only tribe I have left to complete is the Yami. I was trying to study them when I was jumped by those muggers"
"Why didn't you just test me?" I ask.
"Well, I know how you don't like using your powers; how you're scared of what they might do to you, plus... we hardly see each other anymore"
It's true; the last time I remember just hanging out with Mamiko was before she got her traineeship. It's been so long.
"We should take some time off tomorrow, just to hang out you know" She says once again upbeat.
I look into her eyes. That the thing about her, I just can't say no, even if I wanted to.
"Yeah that would be fun" I agree
"So its settled, tomorrow we just relax and have fun like old times"
A whole day with Mamiko, just doing what we want, I'd pay all the Tokens in world just to do that, now were doing it tomorrow.
This is the first thing I've looked forward to in a very long time...
Chapter 6: Run and Games
I pack my satchel with my necessary belongings. I pack my tokens, note book, painkillers for my injuries, and a pocket knife... just in case.
I walk downstairs to meet Mamiko, she is wearing a beige jacket over a pink sweatshirt, and with denim pants... the look suits her.
I'm wearing my best clothes or at least best by my standards, which are a faded navy shirt, and slightly ripped pants. I'm about to put my cloak on, but Mamiko grabs my arm before I get a chance.
"Why do you always have to wear that? Can't you just be yourself?"
"Have you seen how people treat Yami? I'm better to go unnoticed..."
"Well I don't care what they think. I like you for who I know you are, not by what body features we don't share"
A strange feeling goes through my mind.
I look into Mamiko's big Aquamarine eyes. They are devoid of iris and pupil, but I can still recognise that stubborn look in her eyes by the way she looks at me.
"Not everyone is like you... they all think I'm a freak"
"Well... why don't you just pretend everyone is me?"
How could I possibly do that, there's only one of her. There's only one like her. Only one who has bothered to know the real me inside and out.
"I guess I could try..."
Mamiko's Stubbornness subsides, and a smile replaces it.
"Alright, while you change into something more comfortable, ill pack lunch" she says with a smile.
"Yeah, alright"
When I get to my wardrobe I pick out my old weather beaten hoodie from the mess. It still fits... just. The sleeves are an inch too short, and it is a bit tighter than I'd like, but it'll have to do.
We leave after we secure the locks on the house.
We walk along the crowded streets to Bustle. The streets are crowded and loud. It is still early, but the Bustle, like a concrete maze of debris filled with lab rats, is at its lowest calmest time of the day. Despite Tokyo being a concrete maze and in ruins, the influence of Chikyu has caused nature to reclaim the city. Many vines grow on the side of buildings, and lamp posts. It's still relatively crowded, even though it's still early in the morning. There are hundreds of people pushing themselves through the streets, but no Yami, as we tend to recharge our batteries during the day... better for everyone that way.
***
Mamiko pulls my arm as she leads me towards the carnival area. I try to avoid as many people's eyes as possible.
The carnival is packed with game tents, and pens of animals for gambling on. Mamiko leads us to a tarp labelled "Bottle Shooter", the name is basic and self explanatory. You knock down Bottles. The game manager is a Hikari. He welcomes us with a sickeningly joyful smile... one I have received many times in school, when teachers where around. His kind has caused me more pain than any other.
"Would either of you like to play, 3 rounds for 1 token" The Game Manager asks.
"I'll pay for then both of us" I say handing over the money.
Mamiko goes first. She throws a ball; it misses and hits the backboard. Second time she misses again. Third time she hits the bottles, but they don't move.
"Aw, maybe next time. Want to try again?" taunts the game manager.
"Maybe, I'll watch my friend first" Mamiko replies
I see right through his act, he's stuck the bottles to the table, so no one ever wins... only a Yami could see a Hikari's deception. It is our natural area of expertise after all.
"Good luck" says the game manager.
I feel as if his bright, faux innocent eyes are staring into my soul.
I pretend I'm aiming, but I make an illusion of myself in my place. I hate using these damned powers, but I hate the two-faced Hikari more. I bite back the pain and take my position.
I make the doppelganger miss the first 2 times. The Hikari has a cocky look on his face like he's already won. I'll wipe it off his face soon enough.
I make my copy throw the ball directly at the bottles. As the ball collides I push the bottles over and return to my position.
"Wow, I guess I win, what's my prize?" I ask trying to seem surprised.
The Hikari does not look happy, if anything he looks put out. Like a blown light bulb.
"I, well, yes I guess you win, what prize will you pick?" he answers reluctantly.
I let Mamiko pick, she chooses a coupon to lunch at "Reno's", a cafe nearby.
It dawns on me that recently I've been using my powers more recklessly than usual lately. I suppose after all these years the pent up energy can't be contained much longer. My Yami instinct is finally manifesting... well I've been delaying it long as possible, but now that I've started, I can't stop. Eventually those scars will become permanent slits, and the power will be released faster.
***
After we play a couple more carnival games, which were thankfully not rigged, we headed over to the Meagre Mule Racing Stadium to bet before lunch. I won 40 Tokens, and Mamiko won 50.
I ordered 2 milkshakes and a ramen from Reno's and got the 40% discount on the meal. I drank caramel milk, while Mamiko chose her usual Hellanna shake. I'll never get how she can enjoy that flavour.
On the way home we did a bit of shopping in the Bustle, it is starting to get dark. This is when it is most busy.
We walk home in bustle streets, we can barely move through the thick mass of people.
"Why don't we take a short cut?" asks Mamiko.
"Remember what happened last time you did that?"
"We'll be here all night if we don't" she says pushing through the crowd toward an alley way. I follow in pursuit. I chase her down the alley ways, just like when we played tag as kids. She is enjoying herself, laughing, and surprisingly so am I.
She joking about how slow I am, she laughs and disappears behind a corner.
I run after Mamiko around the corner but she stops.
"Hey what's wr-?"
I see Mamiko is staring a figure at the end of a dead end ally, it's a kid, and he doesn't look over 9 or 10 years old. He looks ... normal.
Mamiko starts to walk toward him, but he starts to run toward a sewer. Mamiko starts to run after him but I stop her.
"You go back to the house, I'll catch him... after all this is my domain, and I know my way down there"
"No, please don't, I can help. You don't have to do this alone"
"Yes, I do. It's dangerous down there, the Yami gangs will catch you down there, and I can't let that happen..."
She reluctantly nods and watches me as I disappear into the abyss of the sewers in pursuit of the child.
Chapter 7: Little Wolf
The sewers are cold, humid, and slimy. They stink like all hell even though the sewerage hasn't been down there for almost a decade. I guess the stench has become a part of the concrete after all its use.
I see the boy disappear down a corner in the sewer, I run fast as I can in pursuit. The guy is fast for his age. I hear the jeers of a Yami gangs echoing off the walls. I have to catch up.
The boy runs around a narrow passage, I know this one is a dead end.
I follow him down the path, the kid notices his mistake. He turns and looks at me in fear. I try to talk to him
"Hey kid! Why do you look normal? How did you escape the blast?"
The kid's eyes dilate with fear, he low sweeps me. My back hits the ground with a thud. A sharp pain runs up my back. The kid runs back down the alley, but I hear footsteps and crude jeers from the other side of the passage, it's a Yami gang. I have to protect the kid.
"Wait! Stop, if you go around there you'll be killed!"
The kid stops at the corner and looks back at me as if he thinks I'm threatening him. He looks around the corner and sees shadows. He is scared.
"Here, quick!"
The kid looks sceptical, I can get why. He sees he has no other choice but to trust me. He runs back down to me, but trips while doing so.
"Hey what was that?"
One of the Yami has heard him. I run up to him and conjure up disillusionment on us both, rendering us invisible to the gang. I whisper for him to keep still. He obeys, and bites his tongue to hide his groans of pain. I see a stream of blood run down his leg.
I too feel pain up my spine, as I have to use my powers at full force to keep a Yami from seeing either of us. Yami can see through weak illusions, but can still be fooled by strong ones. This hurts, as I never usually use my powers often. The strain is unbearable. I have to think of something fast.
I use the last remainder of my energy to create a rat illusion and make it scarper down the path to the entrance where the Yami now are. One of the tall, dim witted thugs looks down at the rodent.
"Never mind it was nothing. Just a rat" sneers the Yami thug,
He lifts up his foot and squashes the illusion of the rat. I have to make the rat's insides run over the concrete to keep up the act.
The Yami gang laugh stupidly at the rat carcass and walks away.
"To think I belong to the same tribe as these idiots" I think myself bitterly.
I wait until I can only hear the sounds of mice squeaking, and water dripping, and the Yami are out of earshot before I drop all my Illusions. I'm exhausted.
I turn to the kid and put my hand out to help him up.
"Hey kid you ok-"
The kid runs off down the alley and around the corner.
I try to run after him but fall over due to loss of stamina. I try to call out to him but I can barely speak.
"H-hey kid wait, come back, come back. I'm not like them! Please..." I call out, with my voice faint and raspy from exhaustion.
I give up, I can't move anymore. I sit myself up against the wall, and curl into ball.
"Why couldn't I just be a Hikari? I hate this stupid body and these damn powers... I'm just a freak. Why couldn't I just be a Hikari?"
I feel the tears I've been holding back run down my cheek on to my lap. I sat there a few moments venting my pent up emotions.
I feel a tap on my shoulder
"What's a Hikari?"
I look up and wipe away my tears. I see the boy. He is still standing a distance away, but seems curious about what he caught me saying.
"Huh, oh well... just imagine it as the opposite of me"
"What would that be?"
"... Like an angel"
"Then what does that make you?"
"... A Yami"
"What's a Yami?"
The kid is now sitting beside me. He no longer seems to see me as a threat... he has taken pity on me...
"Want to play a game?" I ask the kid.
"Okay, what kind?"
"We take it in turn to ask questions, to get to know more about other's side of the story"
"Okay, you start"
I ask the simplest one first
"Why do you look normal?"
"I don't know, why do you look like you do?"
I guess I'll have to answer his question to answer my own.
"I was hit by a large explosion, and got this new body, my turn. Where are your parents?"
"Asleep"
"What do you mean asleep?"
"I'll answer after my turn, now what was that thing you did to make us invisible?"
"Yami like me can make illusions to fool people, they can get so realistic you can feel them, want to see?"
"Sure"
"What's your favourite animal?"
"A Fox, why?"
I make a Fox illusion despite the strain it puts on my body. I make the Fox prance around the boy's legs, and it nips playfully at the boy's fingers. I let it go on for a little while longer. The kid is laughing and following the fox around. Eventually I have to stop.
"Alright, say goodbye to the fox"
"Bye Ina..." The boy said as he gave the fox one last pat.
The fox illusion disappears.
"Alright, my turn, what did you mean your parents are sleeping?"
"They are with the others in the chamber"
"What do you mean the Chamber?"
"It's where I woke up"
"Woke up?"
"You want me to take you there?"
"... Yeah, that would be good"
The boy tried to stand up but fell back down. I saw the blood still on his leg dried and black.
"Here I'll fix you up"
I pulled by first aid kit out of my bag and wiped the blood off his leg with an anti-septic wipe. Once the blood was gone, I applied a bandage over the wound.
I let the kid rest for a while.
"What's your name?" the kid asked
"Akira Tenshi, what's yours"
"Hekima Okami"
"Okami... like a wolf"
"Is that what my name means?"
"Yeah, can you stand up?"
Okami stands up and stretches his leg.
"It still hurts, but it's much better, want to go now"
"Alright, lead the way, Little Wolf"
We set off into the dark, dank maze of the Broken Tokyo sewers.
Chapter 8: Lunch with the Wolf
We walked along the damp pathway. The walls were covered in graffiti from times long past, with messages from people long forgotten. I could see perfectly, but I realised Okami may not be able to see as well.
"Hey Hekima, take this"
I hand him a flash light, the LEDs are dim, but it should still help. He takes it with a word of thanks. We continue along our path.
Thankfully our only passersby were rats and a few other small creatures, no other Yami lurking in the shadows.
I look beside me at Hekima. I notice he is pale and scrawny for someone of his age. It looks as if he hasn't, eaten anything in years. We stop for a rest and a bite to eat. Unfortunately I only bought emergency rations from the First Aid Kit.
I open a can of cold condensed chicken soup, and hand it to Okami. He eats it faster than anyone I've seen, save Mamiko when she is presented with a Hellanna. No one could possibly enjoy this, not even someone of my standards. He must be desperate.
"Hey Hekima, how long have you been down here for?" I ask.
"About a week I think" he replies as he shovels a spoonful of the lumpy soup in his mouth.
"You ate anything in that time?"
"No, I would have earlier, but there were all those monsters everywhere, even up there" he says as he points at the ceiling. We can still hear the muffled noises of the Bustle in full swing above us.
Come to think about it, most Yami would be Scrapping by now, so the sewers should be clear.
"What kind of monsters?" I ask.
"Well... there were those Yami things down here, and above there were these rock things, blue elf people, orange skinned ones, and those floating people"
I am somehow glad he thinks of us all as monsters, not just me.
"They aren't monsters, they are Proto-Humans"
"What are Proto-Humans" Hekima asks with a look of curiosity on his face. It reminds me of a confused wolf pup.
"They have powers like me, but different"
"How are they different?"
"Here, I'll show you" I say as I pull my journal out of my bag.
I keep all my best memories in my journal. Photographs of me and Mamiko, Gadgets I've fixed, my first music rig I created, and photos from before the Explosion.
I also keep a bit of info I wrote about all the tribes and races. Its basic knowledge, but that's the bare minimum anyone needs to know.
I explain the tribes to him, he seem thoroughly interested in this new world. I explain the Chikyu, Kasai, Hikari, and Yami to him. I turn a page to the Mizu page to explain the last tribe to him. The Mizu page has a picture of me and Mamiko as kids in it.
"Who's that?"
"That's is my friend Mamiko"
"What can she do?"
"Mamiko and the rest of the Mizu are very smart and can control water"
"Wow, I wish I could do that!"
"Yeah, she's pretty cool" I reply.
"But I'd rather your power, you can do magic"
"Trust me, you don't want my power. To do that magic it takes a-lot of pain to do what I did back there"
"Why?"
"I don't like using my powers"
"Why don't you they are awesome"
"Let's just say people don't like people like me very much. They think I'm sort of like a monster"
We sit in silence for a short while.
Hekima looks at me like a loyal pup to its master.
"I don't think you're a monster" he says as he scrapes the last of the soup out of the can.
I feel a distant, but familiar memory in my head.
We pack up our stuff and continue our walk.
Sigh, I'll never understand how kids can become attached to people so fast.
("I don't think you're a Monster")
Those words echo inside my head as we continue our walk.
... Those words from Mamiko kept me going in my early years. It's nice to hear them again.
Chapter 9: Flashback to Childhood (Akira)
It was a normal day at school. The sun was scorching, the songbirds were non-existing. School was hell for me. Plus the class didn't have any air conditioning, because of the Geo-Catalyst
I woke up like any other day. The bruises from the previous day still stung, and I had just woken from the same nightmare I always had.
It's the one where I'm behind a set of bars, everyone outside the cage laughs at me. Others ignore me and walk way.
My bed was covered in cold sweat as usual. I stripped the bed clean and put them in the washing basket. After that I got along with my chores around the house. I was still tired, as I had to go to school during the day.
Mamiko soon woke after me. We both took the path to school which was clearest. Our school was a small run down cottage on the outskirts of the city; it took a while to get there.
The School itself was surrounded by greenery (It was one of the only places in the city with a high level of trees at the time).
The subjects we studied were English, Maths, General Science, History, and Proto Training... my least favourite subject.
In Proto Training, all it really achieved was teaching people to show off their powers, while everyone made fun of me for mine. I was the only Yami in the class.
Once lunch break started, we would all go out into the school yard to practice using our powers, or play with other kids. This was the time the Teacher went to the city to buy their lunch. It was the time the Hikari showed their true colours.
I used to spend every Proto Training class trying to figure out new places to hide from Lumas Bancho, my childhood bully and his gang.
This time I had chosen my hiding place behind the school cottage. I thought I was safe, but as usual they found me.
"Look what we got here" Lumas snarled, "The little Monster's found a new shadow to lurk in"
Lumas's cronies sniggered at his comment.
Lumas and I never got along. This was because we both knew we both had feelings for Mamiko, and Lumas wanted to be top dog. This is where "my" hate for Hikari started.
"She'll never like you, you know. I mean do you honestly think she'd pick a freak like you to be with her"
"Better a freak than a stupid Bully like you" I replied.
"Watch who you're calling stupid you freak. Last time I checked I'm the one who has the little Halo and Wings. And you're the one who looks like an over sized lizard".
"You just got lucky" I replied
"No, I was meant for this, and you, were always going to become this, because that's who you are, and you will never change".
Tears stung my eyes. I hated my Powers.
"Alright time to put the little Monster back in his place"
I didn't run away, but I never fought back, in spite of my own abilities. I would be beaten, repetitively everyday like their personal punching bag, being held in place by Lumas's goons. Bruises from yesterday were bruised worse than before.
Once they were done they left me alone, wind knocked out of me and tenderised like a slab of tusk beef. My spines still stuck out from my beating.
The only sign of fear I ever showed Lumas were my spines, these too made scars on my back open afresh.
I lay there for the rest of lunch, until the bell rang. The rest of the kids went back to class, leaving me battered and bruised, lying behind the school bleeding, on the floor unable to move.
Shortly after the bell went, Mamiko came around the corner and caught me crying. She knelt down to me.
"What's wrong?"
"Why does everyone hate me? They all think I'm a monster" I sniffled
"I don't think you're a monster"
"...Really?"
"Yeah, your powers are cool you can make anything you want out of thin air"
"You want to see something" I asked drying my eyes.
"Sure" Mamiko replied.
I focused my energy and made a little dolphin which swam in the air around Mamiko's head. She laughed and followed the dolphin around in circles until it disappeared.
"Dolphins are my favourite"
"I know, you told me when we first met"
"Oh yeah, and your favourite was a dog, why was that?"
"I wasn't exactly popular before the blast either. My Dog "Alph" was my only friend"
"Was he killed by the explosion?"
"He has to have been, how would he have survived?"
We went silent. She helped me up to my feet. We went back to class together.
From that day forward, in Proto-Training I focussed on mainly my illusions. I did it so much they were more realistic than most adult's. I did it all for Mamiko, and to show to others that I wasn't just a monster... or at least tried to.
Chapter 10: The Cryon-Vault
The noise from above indicates that the bustle is in full swing. The bartering has begun, and the scrappers are off finding their treasures. This means we should be able to pick up the pace without the risk of being caught.
"We're almost there. Look out for a picture of a large cicada on the wall" Hekima instructs me.
"Which side?" I ask as I indicate left or right with my hands.
"It's left. The entrance is down this passage"
We continue down the sewer until we reach a dead end. I look up at the wall, and see a simple 2D cicada on the wall, though it looks to neat to be graffiti.
"The door is down there" Hekima says pointing to the floor.
I look closer at the floor and notice a man hole. It takes a few seconds for me to realise this is unusual. Why would there be a man hole in a sewer?
I reach down and remove the lid, and we climb down the surprisingly roomy path down on the ladder into the abyss.
Unlike the maze above, down here it doesn't stink, it smells rather neutral, like a nurse's office or a new car. The deeper we go, the dimmer the noise above becomes. When we reach the bottom, I see we have entered a confined space in front of a sleek white door.
All of a sudden a pale light fills the room. A screen pops up next to the door showing the same cicada symbol from the wall in the sewer. An automated voice begins to speak.
"Welcome to the Cryon-Vault. I am C1C4D4, your new guide to your hibernation and survival bunker", the voice begins. "If you are here, you have been chosen to be accommodated by one of CHROME CO's state of the art survival bunkers. These bunkers are made for the worst case scenarios. Here you will be put to sleep for a set amount of years, which depends on how long it takes for the Earth to repair itself naturally"
"... So this is one of those rumoured survival bunkers I heard about, though I never actually thought they existed"
"Please present your SHELL for admittance" the voice requests.
"What does it mean by shell?" I ask.
Okami rolls up his sleeve, which reveals a neon cicada symbol. The machine scans it and emits a jingle.
"You may pass, Have a good hibernation, and a happy future to wake up to"
Hekima rolls his sleeve back down.
"The SHELL is the thing they put in me so I could get in"
"So it's like a key"
"Yeah, I suppose..."
The door opens with a hiss, revealing an opaque white hall of doors. We walk down this hall at a slow pace. The only noises in here are our footsteps, and a quiet smooth jazz tune on repeat. The doors we walk past have numbers on them.
001-0610, 0745-1879, 1924-2854. All these doors have a number range engraved on their windows, but I'm not sure what for. I open a door and see rows upon rows of silver cylindrical chambers.
"Hey Hekima, what's in those things?"
"The people who are asleep" Hekima replies.
Asleep... he must mean the people who are still frozen, and haven't woken up.
"Let's go further, I'll show you my room"
I shut the door behind me and follow him down the hallway. It isn't until about 2 minutes later that we arrive at a door marked: "Recreation Area".
Inside is a Large TV screen next to a vast library of hard copy DVDs and Books. There were many other things here such as a Variety of board games, fitness equipment, large comfy sofas, and a large variety of music players... though they had a very limited library of 15 CDs or so.
The room was by far the best place on Earth to be, we had all of the old world's luxuries here. But I had to restrain myself from trying out everything in the room.
"This is your room? Wish it was mine, there is so much cool stuff in here to do"
"Yeah, but it's boring and I have no one else to talk to, but that computer lady" Hekima says with a frown on his face. All of a sudden something clicks in his brain. "I could stay with you up there, and then I wouldn't have to be alone. Well can I?"
...
"No"
"What!? Why not?"
"It's too dangerous up there for you"
"But not everyone's a monster up there though"
"Yeah, but there's still some monsters up there". I reply. "You'd be experimented on, or even put in danger if you were seen on the surface"
"But I don't want to be alone, what if those thugs come back? What if I starve?"
"If the Gang even finds out about this place, they can't get in. It's like you said, you have to have that SHELL thing to get in here"
"But what about food, how will I get food or water?"
"... How about this, I'll come down here once a day to bring you food & water, and keep you company"
"Really?"
"Yeah, once every day for an hour or two"
"How will I know if it's you?"
True, how would he know...?
"How about this, I could do a special sort of knock so know it's me" I suggest. I kneel next to a nearby table and do a knock.
Tap, Tap, Tap
Tap
Tap, Tap
Tap, Tap, Tap
I write the amount of knocks and pauses on some paper in my note book and rip it out for him.
"Alright, I better go, Mamiko is probably worried sick by now"
I pull out the last of my emergency rations from my bag and give them to him.
"Sorry, I'll bring something better tomorrow" I say with a sheepish grin. "Alright gotta go, see you tomorrow"
I'm about to turn to head out the door when I feel something wrap around me, it's Hekima.
"Thank you Akira..."He says holding back his tears.
"What for?" I ask
"Everything"
***
I continue down the hallway till I reach the door, it opens revealing he way out. I turn around and look back. The last thing I see before the door closes is Hekima waving to me. I wave back.
As I head back to the Inn, thoughts are racing trough my head. Mamiko's belief in me. The T-E-S Dark Ops Letter. Raphael's friendship. Okami's dependence on me.
If all this is happening, then maybe I am worthy of this job, worthy of protecting the people I care about... worthy of having a chance to protect my city.
I enter the house, there is no sign of Mamiko, and she must be asleep. I dump my stuff on the counter and took at the T-E-S letter on the counter.
To Mr Akira Tenshi
On behalf of the Tokyo Enforcement Squad, we would like to invite you to try outs for the Dark Ops Traineeship. We will await your response, until then.
T-E-S Corp
...
TO: T-E-S corp.
I accept your offer.
When do I start my training?
Akira Tenshi
...
Chapter 11: Everyday Life
I wake up to a loud bang. I sit up half asleep trying to figure out what made the racket. But before I can even open my eyes, something knocks me back on to my bed.
"Akira! Where were you last night?! You were gone for hours!"
I open my eye lids sleepily to see who is questioning me, and I see a blurry image of Mamiko on top of me. My eyes adjust to the light quickly, I see she is still in her sleepwear, and her hair is knotted and tangled. I haven't seen her like this in ages. Probably due to the fact I hardly every see her in the morning.
"Sorry I worried you..."
"Where were you all that time, I was worried a Yami gang might have gotten you"
I see tears welling in Mamiko's eyes, she's been worried sick, and it's a wonder how she even got to sleep.
"I'm fine, I just got lost in the sewers, that's all"
"Well, I'm glad you're okay" she says with a weak smile. "Oh yeah, what happened to the kid you were chasing?"
I'm conflicted of whether to tell her. Hekima is to the best of my knowledge the only normal human awake, and if Mamiko starts to go down there to visit him, which I know she would, it would put both her and the boy in danger. She would possibly run into a Yami gang, or if she is followed, she would lead them straight to the Cyro-Vault exposing Okami and the other humans to the world.
"... I lost him, he ran down a fork in the road and I lost him. That's how I got lost. I must have taken a wrong turn"
"Shame, I wanted to question him, see why he wasn't affected by the Explosion"
I need to change the subject.
"... Hey, I thought about what you said about the T-E-S letter, I'm taking the traineeship, better than working as a scrapper for the rest of my life"
I see all of the worry and fear disappears from Mamiko's face. She lights up and is back to her normal self. She slides off of me, and sits on the edge of my bed.
"That's great, I'll be able to see you during the day and you'll get paid more. Which means we can have days off together"
Now that she mentions it, having a secure wage would mean I could take weekends off. I can finally spend more time with her. Yesterday could become our normal...
"Yeah, spending more time together would be nice" I reply with a sheepish grin.
"So, when does it start?"
"I don't know, I only sent the letter last night"
"I guess that means you're still technically unemployed"
"I can put up with doing some more scrapping, what's another few scavenges to a couple of years"
"Why not just stay home, ill pay for dinner and stuff. I get paid more than I need, I can just lend you some money"
"No, I can't do that, that's your money you earned it. I won't be feeding off your well earned wage"
"Fine, but you still can't stop me from preparing a special dinner for you to celebrate the Traineeship, start the scrapping early so you can come home, so we can have dinner together for once"
"Sound great, well I better get up and ready. I'll meet you down stairs for breakfast"
Mamiko pushes herself off the bed and heads for the door.
"Okay see you down their"
I get out of bed and head for the bathroom. My spines don't ache as much as they did yesterday, but I can still feel a dull pain up my back. I take a couple of painkillers to drown out the rest of the pain.
I wait outside the door until Mamiko finishes her shower. She comes out in her dressing gown and her still dripping hair in her towel.
"There you go the bathrooms free"
All I can manage to say is a simple thanks averting my eyes as my face reddens at the site of her exposed skin. I'll have to buy her a new bathrobe when I get the money, her current one is 3 sizes too small.
I shower and cleanse myself. I'm in and out in 10 minutes dressed in the lighter grey clothes. I walk back to my room to fetch my foraging sack and cloak. As I exit my room, I smell something good cooking down stairs. I head down to breakfast which Mamiko has prepared.
"Hey, it's nothing special, but it like they say, it the simple things in life" She says revealing her dish.
I can look Mamiko in the eyes now that she is fully clothed. The meal she has prepared is a dish of scrambled scalene chicken eggs, and Thorn-Hog bacon rashers.
I sit down with her at the table and we begin eating out meal. The Eggs are cooked over easy and fluffy, and the bacon has certain sharp bite to it, but this adds to the flavour.
"It's great, all I ever have for breakfast is a Punge plum, this the best breakfast I've had in months" I say smiling, with my mouth half full of food.
I see a relieved look on Mamiko's face.
"Glad you like it" she replies with a shy smile.
We finish our meal over a conversation of what we should do on our next days off. This goes on till 8:15, when Mamiko has to go to work. The clock chimes its alarm.
"Ah well, I guess I better get to work"
"Yeah, me too"
We both don our cloaks. Unlike my large black coat, Mamiko wears a simple white lab coat, supplied by her laboratory. I wonder if I'll have to wear a uniform at the Traineeship...
We both head to the door to leave.
"Well, I'll see back here at 4"
"Same to you" I say with a smile.
We both say our goodbyes and go our separate ways.
I head to the Bustle to get some groceries. I buy some fruits and boxed noodle dishes, and bottled water on sale. I head down the nearest alley way to a man hole. I hold the bag containing the food in my mouth and start my climb to the crypts. I walk at a steady pace down the dark, grimy passageways till I reach the Cicada Symbol on the wall.
I remove the man hole cover and once again start climbing down, replacing the lid behind me as I climb down.
I reach the bottom, and a blinding white light fills the room. I walk up to the door and perform my special knock I made for Hekima. I wait a few minutes, and knock a couple more times before the door opens.
"You really came!" said Hekima, mouth watering at the sight of food.
"A promise is a promise right?" I reply as follow after him down the white opaque hallway.
Chapter 12: Good News & Bad News
We both sat on one of the lounges in Hekima's room and ate the food I had brought. He picked at the Tusked Beef stir-fry I bought from the market. He has reproachful look on his face after the first mouthful.
"Why does the beef taste funny?" Hekima asks.
"Well, cows aren't how you remember 7 years ago. They have tusks instead of horns, and eat different stuff. No one really knows why they taste different for sure though"
We take another mouthful of the noodles and chew the tough flesh of the cow.
"Do you think you could get used to it?" I ask.
"Maybe, I prefer normal cow, but I guess we don't have any choice" He replies.
"This is our normal now" I say still chewing on my food. "You'll get used to the exotic flavour eventually, we didn't even know if half the stuff we ate to begin with was edible or not. The only things we've seen that's stayed the same are turnips"
We eat the rest of our dish in silence as we watch an episode of a TV show from before the Detonation. Once we finish the dish, I leave him a bag of bottled water and new fruits save the Punge plums which I took for myself. Hekima saw me back to the door.
"Well, I'll see you same time tomorrow, with more food"
"Okay, see you then"
The door shuts with a slow hiss, and the room goes dark again. I begin my trek back up to the surface to begin Scrapping.
***
The Bustle is less dense than it usually is when I visit, probably because I always visit at night. The path is clear and getting from point A to point B is much easier than usual.
I arrive at the Scrapper Yard in short time. The place is deserted; there are no other Yami in sight. I guess the early bird gets the worm.
I dig through a small pile far into the city of scrap. I find a slightly tainted art piece, and a damaged computer, but I can fix it easily back at home.
I dig into a larger pile this time, just to try my luck. I dig through the trash for a while and find few things of value. A bottle half full of perfume (this goes for a high price at bartering stalls), a tainted watch, and a MP3 player, a great score for me, as all the music I have can only be played on bulky CD players. I put everything I intend to sell in the foraging sack, and pocket the MP3 for myself to fix up.
I dig through countless other piles for hours. I find several more items of value in these heaps. Such as rolls of fabric, a clock, a toy bear with minimum stains, a silver bracelet, a faded leather wallet, and a key chain. There were also a few more items I bagged for myself: A few video game cartridges, headphones, chargers, CDs, and a sealed sketching kit, including coloured & lead pencils, and an A3 sketch book for Mamiko.
The Bell from the entrance ring, this means some other Yami have started their scrapping. I look up and I see the sun is starting to get a bit low. I head back to the exit, and off to the Bustle to sell my finds and make my money.
***
The Bustle is slightly more crowded than before, but still relatively easy to move through. I make a bee-line for Raphael's stall. He spots me and greats me with a hearty laugh.
"I wasn't expecting you for hours, why you so early?"
"I'm I an inconvenience, I could come back later" I reply with a smirk on my face as I start to turn away.
"No, no, it's always good to see your face round here" He says with his usual Cheshire grin.
"Same to you Raph"
He chuckles.
"Now, are you here on business or leisure?" Raphael enquires with mock formality.
"Both actually, I've got some news" I reply
"Good or Bad?"
"... Both I guess now that I think about it" I reply thoughtfully.
"Well, spill it! What's the news?"
"I'll tell you later, we'll settle the business first"
"Fair enough, now let's see what you've found today, Early Bird"
He sorts through the stuff for a few minutes, and has a look of approval on his face when he finishes.
"You got some quality stuff here, how would you feel about 306 Tokens for the lot?"
"Sounds great" I reply.
Rafe reaches under the counter and pulls out 3 bags of tokens, and scrounges up 6 more out of his change box.
"So, what's this news you spoke of earlier?" Raphael says as he hands me my earnings, and takes a seat. I do the same.
"I've been asked to join a traineeship for the Dark Ops for the T-E-S"
"Oh Damn Man, that's great, congrats" He exclaimed.
"Thanks, I can't really believe it, I'll be a part of the small groups of Yami who actually contribute to society"
"That's great man. Now, what's the bad news?"
"My business here will be ending when I start the traineeship..."
I see some of the joy sucked from Rafe's eyes. He is silent for a few moments. He lifts his head and smiles again.
"Well that's a damn shame, but nonetheless I'm still happy for you man. You're still welcome to come back and chat anytime when you have time"
I'm relieved he took it well, and recovered so fast.
"Thanks Raph will do" I reply with a smile.
I pack my things and tokens into my sack and pull the string shut. I turn to leave.
"Well, I'll be seeing you around Akira"
"You will be, that's a promise"
"I'll hold you to that" Raphael replies with his Cheshire grin.
"Seeya"
"Catch you later Tenshi"
I head back home to meet Mamiko for dinner.
***
I arrive back home in a matter of minutes. It seems I have arrived before Mamiko. I hang my coat on the rack and take my stuff to my room. I head to my work table in the corner of my dark room.
The work bench is covered with tools, Chikyu crystals, and spare parts. I pull out the MP3 I found and examine it. The battery needs replacing, and the back could be patched up.
I start to tinker. Overtime I have developed a talent for repairing technology. I loosen the screws and pull the back off. I get my 3D pen out, and start patching up the cracks and chips. Before I replace the back, I take the battery out and replace it with a new one. I weld the wires together and connect the new battery.
I press the power button on the MP3. I wait a couple of seconds, and sure enough, the menu ops up and the machine whirrs to life. There are many different songs from my era. Whoever owned this had good taste in music.
I hear the door open down stairs, Mamiko is home. I remove my welding goggles and head down stairs.
"I'm home!" Mamiko calls out.
"Hey, how was work?"
"Pretty average, you?"
"I found a few good things... speaking of which". I pull out the Sketching Kit from behind my back. "I found this for you; it's still sealed, never used". I say handing it to her, as I pull it from behind my back.
I'm always giving her note/sketch books, but never in person.
"This is perfect for my studies, the paper is higher quality than most you'll find anywhere these days, and the pencils are proper graphite cored, not just charcoal" She rambles excitedly.
I'm relived she likes it.
"Well I thought you'd have more use for it than me, I can't draw as well as you"
Mamiko push the sketch pad to me.
"Non-Sense, I'm sure you can draw perfectly well. Why don't you show me, seeing is believing right"
"I guess it couldn't hurt" I reply as I take the pad from her. "What should I draw?" I ask.
Mamiko looks around the room for a subject to draw.
"How about me?"
Oh boy, here we go...
"Alright, I can try"
I take a pencil and start a rough outline of her face. I make long thin, and short sharp strokes on the paper, fading the shadows, and adding small details. I sat there sketching for a few minutes. I did the last few finishing touches, and handed Mamiko the black and white portrait.
"Whoa, I thought you said you were lousy. This is great! Where did you learn to draw like this?"
"I-it's nothing special. I just spent a-lot of time alone as a kid and drew a-lot"
"It looks just like me, you're too modest. You have to take credit for that"
"I suppose it's not that bad"
"I guess that's a start" Mamiko sighs. "Well I better get started on dinner" she says as she turns for the kitchen.
"W-wait, if I'm going to eat a meal from your wage, can't you at least let me help"
"Well if you insist, a little help would be nice"
***
We both chop up the vegetables, and tenderise the beef. Mamiko knows her way around the kitchen better than me, and she works faster than me. I feel like I'm only being a hindrance, but I get a sneaking suspicion Mamiko appreciates the help all the same.
We stew all the ingredients for a while, and let the beef cook. When it is ready to serve up, we pour the sauce on the rice, and Mamiko adds her signature finishing touch of Hellanna Paste on the side for extra spice.
We eat, and laugh for a while. It feels like old times before we had to take up the responsibilities of jobs.
After this, we help each other out with the dishes. I can't help but notice she keeps shooting quick glances at me from across the table. I hold her gaze the next time she looks at me. We both look away quickly.
I have a suspicion, but I won't let myself get my hopes up just yet...