Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Tale of the Animal Spirits ❯ The Beggining ( Chapter 1 )

Tale of the Animal Spirits

`Chapter One - The beginning`

Wolven sounds filled the wind's song. The odd child upon the rooftop joining in as he howled to the full moon. His soft pale locks of white being ruffled in the newfound breeze. "Please, Rufus! Get in this house and stop that noise!" The woman's voice called out from the open window, as her son sat on the roof close to the edge.

"I am not 'Rufus' any longer human." He spat, turning his cold cerulean gaze to the woman at the window. "I am LoneHowl." His gaze shot to the sky as he let out another deepened howl. His eyes closing slightly to his new wolf song.

"Well it's 'LoneHowl's' bedtime." His mother made her way out across the dark painted roof-tiles. Soon her footing gaze way however, she began to slip downwards.

The wolf-like child grabbed her wrist, the white-wolf fur gloves ticking her tan flesh. His other 'paw' grabbed around the over hanging tree to support both of them. The thin leather straps around his pale gloves chimed with indigo beads and feathers as the wind picked up once more. "Now human, you shouldn't do what you cannot." He said sternly, hoisting the middle-aged woman to the roof once again.

"Thank you, but you must come inside now!" She grabbed him by the scruff of his black T-shirt and dragged him inside the window.

He yelped and growled, "Let go!"

"Now you sleep!" The woman spat, she threw him into his bed. Her deep auburn eyes looking to his pale ones sternly. They reeked with anger and little patience. "Now more howling. I have no idea what has gotten into you!" She tucked him tightly into his bed, basically so he couldn't squirm out.

"I must stay outside. Hunting time you know…" He said, looking to her with hopeful eyes. "I'll leave you some." His last card to let her let him go out for the night again.

"No. Absolutely not." She stated, not willing to budge. However, her gaze softened a bit as he looked to her with hurt eyes. "I'll cook you a steak in the morning though, how's that sound?" She ruffled his pale locks and left his room, his door closing softly behind her. LoneHowl sighed to himself and glanced to his bedside table. On it a plain looking lamp, but that wasn't where his eyes were looking, from the lamp was a silver chain; attached to it was a glowing white wolf gem. It was crafted to poise in the howling position. He smiled to the sparkling pendant, and howled up to the ceiling. It wasn't long until an angry shout inside, "Rufus! LoneHowl! Whoever stop that howling right now!" He growled deeply, turning over to look out his still opened window. Night was just beyond his reach. With another heavy sigh he closed his troubled eyes. The pale beams of moonlight filtered through the swaying cream curtains and shone upon two scrappy looking wolf-ears up top his head.

~

"Ru…LoneHowl! Breakfast!" The same woman's voice rang through the kitchen, halls, then finally carried to the bedroom of the wolf-child.

LoneHowl quickly sat up, perched upon his bed as she shook away all sleepiness. His clawed-gloved hand grasped the chain the pendant hung from and fastened it firmly around his neck. As he did so, the shabby looking tail wagged as he hopped to his plush carpeted floor on all fours and bounded down the stairs. "Coming!" He called as he stumbled to his two-feet again know his mother wouldn't approve of his first choice of travel. His nose twitched to the scents of the kitchen but nose caught the whiff of the meat he was promised. Nonetheless he sat at the table, in his usual chair and waited patiently for his meal. "Where's breakfast?" He asked, tilting his head as he watched his mother prepare something or other.

"Right here." She handed him a plate of round yellow things: Waffles, he concluded.

He looked to her disappointingly. "I thought you said I would get steak this morning?"

Her looked became stern, as her voice became cold. "Oh, come now! You need to get out of this wolf-craziness…I mean, attaching fake ears and a tail?! Rufus, I have no idea what has gotten into you!" She stated unhappily.

His ears folded back, flattening against his skull. "Fine…" He scowled, heading out the front door.

"Rufus…" She said softly as the door shut with a deafening 'crack'.

The boy kept pace upon the dirtied street, his usual path to school. "It's not just some wolf-craze…If she would only understand…" Sure he would say they were fake, but the reality of it all…It was much different… His free hand brushed against the pendant he wore, the other was stuffed into the pocket of his baggy indigo jeans. "But, like she'd believe me." He muttered softly. However, his thoughts were interrupted by another's voice.

"Hey, Howl!" The feminine voice called to the white-haired boy.

He stopped his quick pace to turn to the familiar girl's face. "Hey, Wind."

She nodded, smiling to him. She soon caught up, adjusting the books she carried. She too seemed to have things resembling a wolf, same ears, though hinted blue and a soft blue tail wavering behind. The pendant she wore however was a deep blue wolf, in the stalking position.

"Heading to school as well?" He asked, breaking the silence that came into the air around the two.

"'Course." WindWolf smiled to him once again, shyly as the two soon took a pace heading to the giant building, witch was school. Their pace was short-lived as the building came into view and the two stepped onto the grounds.

"You've been a bit quiet lately…" He said, glancing over to her.

"Yeah…Well, it's a silent day I suppose." She said, shrugging slightly, a cheerful tone added as well as a heart-melting smile.

~

"Now, everyone take your seats…Our studies will begin as soon as I take role." An old, angry looking woman at the front of the room spat. A pale thin green book set propped open in her left hand. "Now let's see…Rufus, Pheona, Misty…" Her deep green eyes shot a glare every so often as each name was called. "Where's Chiku, James, and Tharis?" She asked, a growl hinting her words.

"Oh, great, they left again." WindWolf whispered to the boy next to her.

"…They're going to get us in trouble…Again." He growled.

"Let's see…Would you two happen to know where your friends are?" She stopped in front of LoneHowl's and WindWolf's desks.

"No!" The chanted together, sitting upright in their seats, adding to suspicion.

"Really now, are you two certain?" The teacher pressured on, obviously not believing them.

"Come on, Mrs. Siam! You wasted enough class time yesterday." An angered student from the back of the class chimed. Mrs. Siam glared daggers at the poor chocolate haired boy. He quickly added, "P-Please?"

"Pipe down, Mister Michael, or consequences will be your reward." She hissed, soon she focussed her attention back at the two at hand. "I know you two know something, and I want to know where my students are!"

"You can't falsely accuse someone!" Another student blurted out.

"That's it! All of you out of here now!" Once all the children left the small room, the classroom went an eerie quiet. "Now, you must know something. After all, both of you are always with those three. Yet somehow, seeing how good of friends you are, you don't know where they could possibly be? They never mentioned anything as of why they would be gone this whole week?"

"N-No, miss, but you could try their parents?" The ocean haired girl implied.

"They're parents are never home!" She shouted causing the girl to sink back to her seat with a small 'squeak'.

Just as the raven-haired teacher was about to ask again, the bell for the realm break chimed. "I will deal with you two afterwards then." She growled, seeing as she was getting no where fast.

The two quickly ran out the door, but noticing a young girl whom blocked their passage of exit. "Where's sissy, ShadowKat?" The child asked, looking up with odd-colored eyes. Left one a passion pink the right a pale blue. Kind of like her dress and hair; They seemed to have been splashed in a tie-dye only consisting of those colors.

"She left again, just like Sleek." She responded. Crossing her arms slightly, as the cold came on again.

"…And FlameHawk." LoneHowl added.

"Who?" She asked, confused gaze turning to the male.

"You'll meet him soon enough…I think we're going to meet up with them now. I think we should get going and get away from this school. Ditch, as usual." The boy said, in his whisper-like voice as he rushed the two girls out of the school building.

"You know, you think too much." WindWolf giggled softly, looking to him smiling.

MistKitten smiled as well, "Okie den we see my sissy!"

"Well, let's go then…" LoneHowl stated, the small group left the playground, though wasn't noticed by any. They slipped into the forest and sprinted to get out of range of the school.

"You know…" She casted a glance behind at the fading building. "I think there is something seriously wrong with our teacher."

"You just noticed?" He replied sarcastically.

"No, I am just now saying something. But, then you noticed it as well?" WindWolf said solemnly.

He nodded but looked to her with concerned eyes, bright playful ones looking up to both of the older children. "Yes, but I think we should really be looking to the task at hand, Wind…" He mumbled.

"…Fine." She grumbled half-heartily, staggering behind the two.

"Where do you think Kitty is?" The small girl asked, looking up at the two elder children.

"Well, where do they always go?" He asked, still looking only ahead.

"Oh! I know! To that one cave place!" MistKitten shouted gleefully. She ran ahead, knowing where to go now.

"Hey! Wait up!" WindWolf shouted bounding after the young child. LoneHowl wasn't far behind, the group heading deeper into the woods.

A breeze kicked up again, an eerie bone-chilling wind. This awful presence made MistKitten stop dead in her tracks; her eyes grew wide as she looked around. The rustling in the nearby bushed made her turn to the girl behind herself. Clinging to the female-wolf-child's legs. "Bushes…Dey move!" She gasped, her cat-like ears roving around for more sounds.

WindWolf sank to her knees, holding the child and growling sternly at the ruffling bushes. LoneHowl took place from the two girl's and the bushes. He growled menacingly, much like a mate protecting his own and kin. "Show yourself!" He barked. Suddenly, a brightly orange-flamed eyes stared back at the group.

"Must there be such a tone with a friend, LoneHowl?" A voice called out among the wind. The voice was ghostly, as if it was nothing at all.

"A friend?" He caught whiff of the scent that traveled upon the air. "…Sleek, is that you?" He asked the one-eyed bush as his expression softened slightly.

A boy soon emerged from the emerald clad bush. "Sleek, must you scare Mist like this?" The girl said crossly. "You always do…"

"Ah, there's no harm in it, she never seems upset at me…Right, Misty?" He said, glancing down to the once cowering young maiden. Now she was perked up again and running to hug the flame-haired boy. "You see?"

"Hewwos Sleek!" She giggled, looking up with brightly-lit eyes.

"Hello." He said again, smiling softly as he hoisted the girl up on his shoulders.

"Hehe! Yay!" She kept a giggle as she perched herself up. However, the breeze just seemed to get worse, ruffling the Fox-Child's autumn and onyx locks.

"The wind is still up…" WindWolf inquired.

"I thought it was just some wind you guys picked up." Sleek said thoughtfully.

"Well, where's Shadow and Flame?" LoneHowl said, breaking their thoughts.

"Can't you at least think about this wind? It's never been this bad around here…And I feel a strange presence…" WindWolf was cut short by another snort from the other boy.

"Yeah…I guess." LoneHowl said simply, glancing around the area briefly. However, the wind soon softened and died down shortly after. He shook his head. "I can't believe I actually started to believe the wind to be bad…You two worry too much. See, the big bad wind is all gone now…"

"I guess it was just an odd passing…" Sleek finally admitted, draining out his doubt form the weird wind. "Here, I'll show you the way to the hide-out." He gestured a brown-gloved hand and they followed all but…

'I guess they're right…No point in dwelling on stupid wind anyhow…But there was something no right about it…I just can't place it.' She thought to herself before she was brought back to careless reality.

"Windy keep up!" MistKitten shouted back to her, watching as WindWolf sprinted to catch up with the two boys.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She shouted back. She glanced once more behind before she fully kept her attention to her comrades.

"Here it is…The secret place." Sleek stated, looking across the small river to the group of small shrubs and trees.

"This is it…A bunch of trees?" LoneHowl snorted.

"Haven't you guys been here before? I could have sworn you have…" He grumbled, tilting his head but shrugging it off. "Well, anyway, it's not just a bunch of trees, here I'll show you the way in."

"Oh, can I Pwease?" She asked pleadingly.

"Of course." He smiled, letting the girl fall form his shoulders. Immediately she crossed the tiny stream and started to crawl through the bush. Sleek followed and soon LoneHowl and WindWolf did the same.

"Here is the real hide-out!" She chirped, showing them the inside of the deep-looking cave. It did look like an ordinary cave, except the furnishings they owned. A couch, chairs and some other personal belongings. WindWolf looked around the spacious cave, taking everything into her curious gaze. "Where's ShadowKat?" The small girl asked, tugging on Sleek's ratty obsidian shirt.

"That way." He pointed to the deeper section of the cave. "FlameHawk went into the forest a while ago as well." He informed LoneHowl.

He simply nodded, watching as the kitten-child scampered off into the depths of the cave calling for her big sister. "I was wondering, why haven't you been in class lately?" He asked, looking to his friend.

"Well, we've been preparing for the journey ahead…" Sleek said casually, staring blankly forward.

"Journey?" He repeated, though was joined with the voice of WindWolf wondering the same.

"Yeah, hasn't your spirits talked to you yet?" Looking to their blank expression he took it as a 'No'. He sighed, flipping a lock of his hair back. "I see…Well, that means your not ready…Do you two even know you have spirits?" Sleek asked. Their expression didn't change. "Damn! You mean you haven't been called upon yet? Now we can't go! All our preparing is for nothing!" He growled. WindWolf and LoneHowl didn't say anything; they just watched and listened.

The male wolven sighed, falling down to lie upon the soft material of the couch. "Sleek what do you mean spirits, and what journey?"

"I can't explain it, each spirit explains it differently and the task that must be done. But, the spirit will appear only when it thinks you ready." He said simply, making the duo even more confused than before it seemed. "What I can say is, where the spirit is…See that gem you guys possess? The Spirit is locked inside of those. Hopefully your two spirit guardians will appear soon though…" He said, walking over to the far wall. Slouching down as well, his foxtail coming to wrap around his own legs.

"I see…" She said, twitching her own tail.

"Hmm…" LoneHowl said thoughtfully. He held his gem in front of him trying to recall everything that was just said to him. 'So there's a spirit…Inside this thing? …Is Sleek sure about this?'

"There you two are." He smiled inwardly as the two feline-like girls came from the shadows. Holding eachother hands as sisters would.

"It took a while to find her." MistKitten replied, smiling to the fox-boy.

ShadowKat didn't say anything, simply glared at him with her gold-slitted cat-like orbs. "Kat, we cant start the journey yet, their spirits haven't visited them yet." He said, waiting for her insults and anger to spue on him like lava.

Her eyes bore holes into his flesh, "And when did I ask you about it?" He spat coldly. She brushed a few raven strands form her gaze, and headed for the exit. "Mist and I will be heading out for the night." She said, swishing her blackened tail angrily and scurrying out the exit.

"Bye, Byes…Sleek, Windy, Howl…" She said softly, waving to each as she left the cave as her angered sister's voice broke the calming air.

"Hurry Mist!" She growled.

"Coming! Bye guys!" She smiled once more and disappeared out of the mouth of the cave.

"ShadowKat doesn't like you much, does she?" LoneHowl said, stating the obvious.

"Who cares…" Sleek said, staring blankly at the entrance. "You two best head home, and hope your spirits come alive soon…Also, it's getting late and your parents may worry." He mumbled, his pointed auds flickering.

"Your right, I guess we should go." WindWolf said softly, looking to LoneHowl.

"Yeah…" He said, but averted his gaze to his floor-fallen friend. "You can walk home with us if you like…"

"No, that's alright, you two go ahead. I still have to do a few things here. Don't worry about me." He said a mouthful, smiling a fake smile up to them. He slowly rose, heading for a ladder on the opposite wall.

"…If your sure?" WindWolf said once more, walking over to LoneHowl whom was already near the exit.

"Yes, I'm sure, go on ahead you two…" He said once more, climbing up the oaken assistance.

"Well, then…Let's go." He said gruffly, crawling through the cave door. She looked back once more. "Bye, Sleek." And then followed her companion.

"Bye…" He said softly to their retreating forms. He headed up the ladder to the smaller cave. He looked out the single hole to see the two walking through the forest. Once night had finally drifted into the sky he fell into the realm of uneasy sleep…

A/N:

Long chapter, ne? And they just keep getting longer! So please R&R and I'll post more!