A cold draft of wind blew into the deserted streets of Manhattan. The windows of the shops all shone brightly underneath the street lights, illuminating the deserted streets.
Or so it seems.
The draft of wind seemed to gather in one place, and then slowly materializing into a figure. The figure walked past silently through the streets, barely glancing at the windows.
"Where is it? Where is it? I need it. I need it."
The figure stopped for a moment and seemed to take a deep breath. The figure then raised its palms, seemingly to concentrate. The next moment, it disappeared.
Like the cold draft.
*************
In an apartment in Manhattan midtown, things doesn't seem to be smooth sailing.
Glenn was lying on his couch, dressed only in a pair of grey shorts. His forehead covered with a pack of ice. Lloyd was sitting next to him, taking his temperature.
"You have a cold." He said, staring at the thermometer.
"But it's not even September yet." Glenn moaned, adjusting the ice pack. "How can I get a cold at a time like this?"
"Well, maybe we should not have encounter demons near the port."
Glenn gave a wince. Last night, a client had called for their assistance. Apparently Legions had been spotted near the port trying to hijack hard worker fishermen's ships to avoid them from setting sail. Thus, they had taken an all night watch to keep guard on the Legions. Unfortunately, one had pulled him into the icy cold water. Although he had given him a bullet in between the forehead, he was soaked shivering like mad.
A delicious smell drifted in from the tiny kitchen and V.V. emerged, holding a tray piled with a bowl of shchi (cabbage soup), two pancakes, coated with warm sweet syrup and a mug of green tea.
"What's that?" Glenn mumbled.
"Shchi, it's cabbage soup in Russian." She set the tray beside him. "It's good for your health."
"Gee, thanks." Glenn pulled himself up and took a small sip of soup. "Very...cabbagey."
Then there came a knocking on the door.
"I'll get it." Lloyd said, getting up and heading to the door. As soon as he touched the door knob, the whole door banged opened and he yelled as whatever was behind the door forced its way in in a blur of gold and blue.
"What the heck is that?!" Glenn yelped in alarm.
The thing whooshed around in a blur, knocking over the chairs and scattering the stationery onto the floor with a clatter. The cabinets burst open and bottles of holy water, stakes, iron bars, amulets and protective charms all bounced onto the floor, though the bottles smashed into pieces, spreading water all over the floor.
Lloyd jumped over the desk and rugby tackled the thing when it whooshed past him. The thing is a fox. But unlike any other normal foxes, it's has sleek gold fur trimmed with silver. Spreading from its back, instead of one, there are nine tails, gold tipped with firey blue.
"Is that a fox?" V.V. said in hushed tones.
Suddenly, there came a girlish voice, silvery and light.
"Fox? I dislike that term. I am a kitsune."
Lloyd was so surprised that he let go off the fox, or rather, kitsune. The kitsune turned to them, the tails spreading out like a fan and said, "Quite a place you have here."
Lloyd crossed his arms. "You thrashed our place, kitsune."
"Don't call me kitsune. I have a name." The kitsune said. "It's Inari. Yoroshiku."
Glenn sat up on the couch. "Did you come all the way from Japan?"
"You know Nihon-go, yes?" The kitsune said, suddenly turning her eyes on him.
"I'm studying it."
"Then do you know about our legend, the Hoshi no Tama?"
Glenn gave a frown. "The Star Balls?"
"That's right." The kitsune said, her tails swishing behind her. "Someone foolish had disturbed my shrine. I would not have bothered but then that person stole my star ball. Yurusenai! Zettai ni yurusenai!" She launched into Japanese.
Lloyd looked really peeved. "Somebody, translate what she's saying!"
"Yurusenai means unforgivable..." Glenn said, rubbing his nose which had turned red. "And she does have the right to be mad. Kitsunes dislike their star balls being stolen from them."
"Very wise of you, you did pay attention in your class, I see." The kitsune then seemed to twitch her head a little. "I hope you have sake and rice."
"I don't drink." Lloyd said coldly.
"Well, I hope you have green tea, then." The kitsune seemed to twist and shimmer in front of their eyes.
The kitsune seemed to shrink and sprout out like a blooming flower, blossoming into a figure. A woman with unusual beauty. She's tall, taller than Lloyd, slender and graceful, just like a woman with elegance. Her moon-shaped face is young, proud and haughty, someone who idolizes herself a lot. Her hair is like the kitsune's, a bright golden blonde with fiery blue tips. Emerging out from beneath her hair are two delicate fox ears, as gold as her hair. She also has nine tails matching her hair, sprouting from behind. To complete her appearance, she wore a violet kimono which is decorated with floral patterns, with a huge white obi knotted loosely around her waist.
"Surprised?" Her girlish voice is exactly the same. Silvery and light. She was giggling at Lloyd's face, which seemed to have dropped. "Now that I reverted to my human form, what about the green tea and rice I asked about?"
************
"Oishii." Inari maybe a fully-grown woman, but she seems to have a little childish personality. "I never knew that the rice in America is just as oishii as the ones in Japan."
"You mentioned about your star ball being stolen..." Lloyd said, looking annoyed. Well, of course he is. The office is still thrashed, as though a whirlwind had blasted the place. And Inari is sitting in the middle of it as though it's not her fault, enjoying a cup of green tea and some rice coated with soy sauce, hastily prepared by V.V.
"Of course." Inari took a sip of tea. "As I have mentioned earlier to your sick colleague over there-" ("Hey!" Glenn yelled, but then a cold cause him to flop back on to the couch.) " -The hoshi no tama is an important item to a kitsune, we often use it to hold our magic." Her gaze then darkened. "Many foolish humans attempt to steal our hoshi no tama for their own selfish deeds. That is why we guard it closely. I do not know who stole it, that is why I have come for your help."
"Look, kitsune-" Lloyd said.
"Don't call me kitsune. It's Inari." Inari cut in.
"-we run a service of slaying the supernatural, not treasure-hunting, alright?" He finished as though there's no interruption.
Inari's gaze darkened. "You want a price for your service, right? Name it."
"Uh, no, we don't." Glenn piped up from the couch where V.V. was taking care of him. "It's just that it's not job-related."
Inari's fox ears drooped a little, signifying a tinge of disappointment. "You mean...it's a no?"
V.V felt a little sorry for the kitsune woman. So, she said in a gentle voice. "Well, it is a no, because we don't do these kinds of things, you see."
Inari's fox ears drooped even more. "Is that it? Does this mean I have to sit back and watch the dorobo use my hoshi no tama for his own selfishness?"
Now Lloyd felt bad. Inari doesn't seem to be a bad person. So, he said, as kindly as he could, "Is it really that important?"
"Hijo." She nodded.
"It means important." Glenn translated.
Lloyd leaned against the wall and said, "This service doesn't come in free, you know."
Inari's ears stood right up. "Is that...a yes?"
"On a condition." Lloyd warned.
"Name it."
It wasn't Lloyd who spoke, but Glenn. "Kitsunes are often known for their powerful magic and enchantments. You can heal, can you not?"
"Someone does pay attention in our tales." Her laughter are like delicate wind chimes. "Yes. You want me to heal you from your cold?"
"No. I want you to heal a friend."
V.V perked up. "You do?"
Glenn met Inari's gaze steadily, despite the fact that his eyes are watery. "She's still in danger of becoming a vampire. Can you get rid of the vampirism?"
"Kantan desu." She said. "If you can find my hoshi no tama, then I will fufill your demand."
Lloyd gave a sigh and said, "Alright, where do we start?"
************
Muhammad al-Fazar glanced back and forth wildly. After making sure no one is following him, he dug into his hands and brought out what look like a bunch of Post-It notes, all scribbled with Japanese characters. This he slapped them all over himself, though he added more on the pouch he's holding, which contained what look like a round transparent crystal ball that shone softly in the luminous light. A Japanese character with the name kitsune was on top of the ball.
"Soon. Ill be a rich man."
There was a sharp cracking sound and he gave a yelp of pain. His left wrist was shot. Blood oozed out where the bullet had struck.
"Who is it?!" He yelled in Arabic.
A figure stepped into view. A blade shaped like a gun was pointed at his head.
"Who are you?!"
"Hand it over." Reo said coldly.
"You think I will?" Fazar laughed. "Get real, my dear child. It took me lots of trouble to steal it from the shrine."
Reo aimed the gunblade at his head and said, "I won't repeat a second time. Hand it over."
Fazar leap away just as a bullet whizzed past him, narrowly missing him. He took out a mini Uzi with a silencer attached, firing three shots from different angles. Reo swung his gunblade to guard himself, the bullets bounced off the blade and onto the floor. As he straighten himself up, he gave a silent curse.
Fazar is gone.
***********
Dr Chang was just about to head out when the doorbell rang.
"Coming." He slid back the bolt and gave a yelp of fright.
An Arabic man armed with a mini Uzi stood outside the porch. His face is twisted with pain. One of his wrist is bleeding rather badly. But what's even odd is that he covered with what looks like bits of Post-It notes with Japanese characters written all over it.
"Wh-What do you want?" Dr Chang stuttered.
"You are the famous Dr Chang, are you not?"
"Y-Yes?"
"I want you to heal my wrist right now." The Arabic man growled. "A bullet is lodged in it."
"W-What?"
"You heard me. Do it!" The Arabic yelled, wildly swinging the mini Uzi.
"Alright! Alright!" Dr Chang yelped in fright. "Just let me get some antiseptic."
"Don't try anything funny, Doctor. Or I'll put a bullet in between your eyes." Fazar trailed behind him.
Dr Chang headed to his personal office where he store his medicines. Thank God Blaze and the others are not around. They had went out to shop for groceries. Only Tifa is alone upstairs, resting. But she might not be able to wake up from her comatose. She had lost too much blood. It might take a miracle for her to wake up again. Even when Glenn had drained most of Revarie's blood from her, she might still die from blood lost. The least he could do right now is to give her regular blood transfusion and nutrients via IV.
Dr Chang took out some antiseptic and nodded, holding a bright scalpel that shone in the light
************
Inari's ears jerked upright. "My hoshi no tama!"
Lloyd, who had been surfing the net on star balls, went, "What?"
"My hoshi no tama!" Inari's voice rose into an octave. "I can sense it. But it's faint."
"Lead the way." Lloyd said, grabbing his coat as Inari dashed out, her kimono flowing behind her.
Glenn and V.V. were about to get up too, but Lloyd said, "V, take care of Glenn. I'll follow kitsune."
"What???" Glenn exclaimed, outraged.
"I want to go too." V.V. wailed.
"You are in no condition to move around." Lloyd said to him. "V, take care of him. If anything comes up, call me."
Before any of them could protest, the door had swung shut.
"Well, that's just great!" Glenn gave a violent sneeze and flopped back onto the couch.
"It's just not fair." V.V. shook her head angrily. "Not fair at all."
"I agree with you, V." He said, glaring at the shchi as though it offends him. "What about him? His injuries are ten times worse than mine."
V.V shrugged and went, "That's the way he is." She reached over for a Number One Noodle Son takeout phamplet and went, "Might as well make the best of it. What do you want to order?"
"Let's order Japanese."
"You serious?"
"Yeah. In case Inari comes shouting for sake and rice." Glenn tossed a Japanese take out menu over to her.
"Good plan." V.V. nodded and dialled the number.
*************
"Hayaku! Hayaku!"
"Kitsune, I don't understand Japanese!!!" Lloyd yelled, pressing the accelerator.
"It's Inari. And I'm telling you to go faster!" Inari said with a tinge of impatience.
"Can't you see how fast I'm going?!"
"It's...too...slow..." Inari screeched into his ears.
"ALRIGHT!!!" He yelled, letting the needle run past 100.
"Left!" Inari shrieked.
Lloyd did a sharp turn to the left, nearly colliding with the other lane, but he managed it.
"If I had known how slow this object is, I would've just turned into my fox form to run fast." She suddenly looked alert. "We're here!"
"That would be a lot of help." Lloyd said, killing the engine. Inari had jumped out of the Land Rover before the vehicle had even come to a stop, her nine tails trailing behind her.
"Wait a minute!"
Lloyd had taken in the street surroundings. This is Dr Chang's street. Why on earth would Inari's star ball would be here?
His heart seems to plummet when he saw Inari hopping up and down impatiently in front of Dr Chang's house.
"Come ON."
"Are you sure this is the place?" Lloyd asked, looking uncertain.
"I'm certain sure."
Colette growled at her, causing Inari to let out a hiss that sounds inhumane, causing Colette to whimper and retreat into her kennel.
"Dr Chang is a nice man, kitsune." Lloyd protested as she walked towards the house. "There is no way he would steal your star ball."
"I'll believe it when I see it with my own eyes." Inari opened the door magically and stepped in with Lloyd followed behind. The place is rather homey, like Blaze said. Although the place doesn't give much away, a sofa in the living room with a television set. A plain white kitchen, spotlessly clean, and a stairway leading upstairs.
Inari led him to a room at the far end of the hall. The door is ajar, and they could hear voices coming from inside.
"...How far to the auction house?"
"Not far. About 45 minutes by train."
"You are going to keep your word, Doc...."
"A-Alright..."
Inari stepped into view, causing Dr Chang and an Arabic man to yell in fright, though the Arabic man recovered fast.
"You!!!!" The Arabic man yelled.
"My hoshi no tama." Inari shrieked, her cyan tips seemed to smolder around her, like blue flames. "Sore o kaesu!!!!"
Lloyd had emerged from behind. "Doc?"
Inari gave a shriek of rage and lunged at the Arabic man and Dr Chang - who ducked for cover - her nails suddenly becoming claws. The Arabic man held out some Post-It Notes and brandish it at her, slapping it on her outstretched hands. She gave a hiss of pain as the notes burned her hands, leaving a nasty burnt mark.
"Do you think I am unprepared, Kitsune Goddess?" The Arabic man taunted, holding out a pouch covered with the same notes. It's round and shaped like a crystal ball, causing Inari to glare at him with hatred.
Lloyd was about to take out his blade but the Arabic man took out a mini Uzi and pointed it Inari's head.
"You must be...her accomplice? Let me pass through safely and I'll spare the kitsune. Try to attack me and I'll put a blessed bullet into her head."
Inari in pain, stared at the gun pointing at her head. She couldn't stop grinding her teeth at the man who had stolen her star ball, which is only inches away from her, but covered with powerful protection that repels her.
Lloyd dropped his hands to his sides and stepped away from the doorway.
Without hesitation, the man ran for it, but not before shooting around his shoulder. One caught Inari in the back, next to her left shoulder. Her legs folded underneath her and she fainted onto the floor, the blood seeping into her kimono.
"You snake!" Lloyd yelled, chasing after him.
Dr Chang hurried over to the kitsune, whose face turned skeleton pale. Without hesitating, he ripped open her kimono and tore the sleeve of the thin kimono she wore underneath. The bullet seemed to have chip her bone. The skin was bright red and puffed up around the hole.
"Hang in there." Dr Chang said to the weakened Inari.
*************
Lloyd went after the Arabic man through the silent streets. Now he realized. This man is Muhammad al-Fazar, a professional Arabic thief who steals rare goods to be sold in the black market. He can't believe he didn't recognize him sooner, and he cursed himself for it.
Fazar fired a few more shots at him, which he ducked.
What happened next was completely unexpected.
The sound of a motorcycle roaring took him completely by surprise. A black and silver Suzuki GS500 sped past him and the rider, holding out a gunblade, shot towards Fazar who gave a curse and said, "You again?"
That was when Lloyd felt a jolt of surprise. It's Reo Minamio, one of Dario's lackeys.
"You're Reo, aren't you?"
Reo glanced at his way but didn't say anything. Instead, he just aimed his gunblade at Fazar, who threw a smoke bomb at them. When the smoke had finally cleared, he's gone.
"Blast it." Reo muttered, stashing his gunblade into a compartment.
"You are after him too?" Lloyd asked.
"None of your buisness." Reo kicked the engine to life. "Fazar is my prey. You stay out of it."
"Wait a moment. My client is after the star ball that Fazar had stolen."
That caused Reo to hit the brakes and go, "What did you just say?"
"My client is after the star ball that Fazar had stolen." He repeated patiently.
Reo brought out his gunblade again and said, "Tell me."
Lloyd gave a frown and said, "You're after Fazar too. Why do we have to fight?"
"Because we're on different sides." Reo said simply.
Lloyd eyed him steadily. "Since we're heading towards the same goal, how about a truce?"
"You and me, a truce?"
Lloyd nodded.
Reo stepped off his Suzuki and killed the engine. Now that he could see him clearly for the first time, he is shorter than Glenn by a few inches, but he is lean and has the grace of a dancer, maybe assassin is the more appropriate word. He has Asian eyes, silt and chocolate brown around the iris with feminine lashes. Although his hair is dark, you can catch some strands of chestnut and hazel in the light. He is the kind of guy that reads bad boy even from a distance. The kind of guy that attracts girls unintentionally because of his good looks. With a silver chain around his neck and and an earring on his left ear, he could pass off for a model.
"Why should I?" He asked, lowering his gunblade slightly.
"Because Fazar is our main target, that's why."
The gunblade went even lower. "You have a point."
"So do we have a deal?"
Reo eyed him steadily. Lloyd waited patiently, holding on his gaze. In the end, Reo said, "Very well. So, where do we find him?"
Lloyd had a flashing vision of what he overheard. "...Auction house...45 minutes by train..."
"What's the nearest auction house by train in 45 minutes?"
Reo gave a frown. "That would be King's House. It's usually big for its auction. Sometimes, it has dealings from the black market as well."
"Then, I guess that's our next stop. But first..."
************
Inari is wearing a thin piece of kimono instead of the floral patterned one. Her shoulder is bandaged where the bullet had struck. Dr Chang had cut out the bullet and had dispose of it. When Lloyd entered bringing Reo with him, she was sitting up on the couch, her fox ears perked up at the sight of them, full of eager hope.
"Did you get it, my hoshi no tama?"
Lloyd shook his head and immediately, her gaze turned back to glumness again, like a wilted flower.
"Yuresenai... Yuresenai..." Inari scowled darkly. Each word dripped with venom, or like glass piercing the wind. It's really creepy.
"We'll get it back." Lloyd said. "We know he's heading to King's House to put it in an auction-"
The books that are stocked in the shelves shook violently as though a earthquake is hitting. Inari seems to be changing by the minute. Her hands and feet becomes paws. Her hair grew longer and turned into fur. The bullet wound that was visible slowly sealed itself up, recovering. Her nine tails glow brightly behind her, spreading like some majestic fan that will put peacocks to shame.
"A kyuubi?" Reo was in awe.
"I will not wait any longer." Inari the fox said. "If I can't get my hoshi no tama back, then so be it. I'll turn this state into a Shisha no Shima."
Reo's eyes widened in shock. "You can't be serious!" He said in Japanese.
Without hesitating, Inari charged towards them in a blur of blue gold, knocking them both off their feet. Lloyd crashed onto the wall, dazed.
"Yuresenai. Zettai ni YURESENAI!" Inari screeched, leaping over them. Her tails glowed brightly as she channeled her powers.
"Calm down!" Reo said in his native tongue, but Inari is fueled with rage. She pounced onto him and tried to chomp his head off, but he shove his gunblade in front of him in time to block her.
"Oh my God, what is he doing here?!"
There was a sharp cracking sound and Inari whirled away from him and said, "How dare you."
Glenn was at the doorway, holding his SIG Sauer P226 aiming at Inari, who is glaring at him. V.V. is by his side, her hair shifted into a mallet.
"Why are you both here?" Lloyd gasped. "How-"
"Dr Chang called." Glenn said, holding out his cellphone. Although his nose is still red from the cold, his eyes are determined.
"What's this? Reinforcements?" Inari's tails flared out. "You think you can hold me? I'm a kyuubi!"
"Heck, so what?" Glenn said, holding out some Post-It notes, which in reality, is an amulet to repel kitsunes. "Kyuubi or kitsune goddess, the one thing you all could not stand is this."
"If that's the case, then I'll start with you, danshi. Since you're so sure of yourself."
Glenn raised his gun as Inari with lightning speed knocked the gun out of his hand, sending it spinning across the room. V.V. jumped in, swinging her mallet, which knocked her. Glenn then slammed a few amulets on to her head, which seems to emit an energy that zap her. Slowly, she shifted from her fox form to human form. Golden fur became golden hair once more, four paws became hands and feet and she's finally back to her original self. Weakened and furious, trying hard to fight against the amulets.
Glenn slapped a few more for good measure and said, "Why is he here?" He is eyeing Reo with distaste.
"Glenn, thanks." Lloyd said. "And anyway, Reo and I are having a truce."
"WHAT???" Despite the fact that Glenn had a cold, his jaw dropped about a mile.
"What did you just say?" V.V. squawked.
"We are after the same person who stole Inari's star ball." Lloyd answered. "It's Muhammad al-Fazar."
"Why is he after Fazar for?" Glenn threw a look of dislike to Reo, who shot it back at him.
"Fazar is well known for stealing rare objects and treasures to be auctioned to the Black Market. King's House is also one of the best place to auction for valuable pieces."
"Then, that should be our next stop." V.V. finished for them.
"Is he coming with us as well?" Glenn jerked his head at Reo's direction.
"Yep."
"WHAT????"
"He could be useful." Lloyd shrugged.
Everyone is staring at each other in silence til V.V. broke the ice by saying, "Alright. Who's up for an auction?"
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