Chapter Two - The Outsider

Zokujin is a universe where technology and fantasy collide into one. It can seem perfect when it really is dangerous.

There are three planets included in the Zokujin universe. These planets are Second Earth, Mars, and Kaish�.

On one of Hikaru�s first days in Zokujin, she came across the city of Shiken, which lies on Second Earth. Shiken was once a great city, but as most great cities do, this city lost its power gradually. Beautiful homes were now run-down. There is a beach that isn�t as polluted as others in Zokujin, and the skies are fairly clear. Vacations make it so that it does not make it become a criminal city.

Hikaru was wandering around Shiken�s forest, mainly right behind the beach. She peered through the tall plants and saw an aged building up ahead. As she walked closer to it, she realized that it was an ancient temple of some sort. She stepped inside.

Walking around, she noticed several statues of the same creature. It had a dark body that was not clearly defined, but it also had arms and hands as if it were human. A simple white mask with little decoration was his face.

�Oh great,� Hikaru mumbled. �More clowns, just like Kotake.� These were the first words she�d spoken out loud in a few days.

Suddenly, she heard something rustle behind her. She swirled around to find nothing there. �What�was that�?�

�Don�t be afraid!� A body moved out from behind a large statue. It was a girl about seventeen years old, with long golden curls. She was dressed in a powder blue blouse and brown Capri's. She held out her hands, reassuring Hikaru that she was a friend.

Hikaru squinted her eyes and decided it was allright. She nodded.

The girl smiled and dropped her hands to her side. �You�re another one of the Spliced I imagine. But I don�t recall seeing you around Zokujin before,� she walked towards Hikaru. �I�m Cassandra Thorley. What�s your name?�

�She seems nice enough," thought Hikaru. �I�m Hikaru Tosam.�

Cassandra nodded, and her blonde curls bounced. Her mouth opened into a cheerful grin. �Well, it�s nice to meet you, Hikaru.�

Hikaru gave her a half-smile. She was lost in thought. �Oh, what was it that she said? The Spliced? What in the world is that?�� She looked back at Cassandra. �What do you mean by �The Spliced?��

Cassandra responded by closing her eyes. A lavender aura momentarily surrounded her body. As the aura subsided, Hikaru realized that Cassandra�s youthful figure had transformed into an aged violet dragon. She stared in wonder, and the dragon smiled. �The Spliced are beings in Zokujin who have animal DNA combined with their own, like me.�

Hikaru thought for a moment. �Animal DNA combined with their own�I guess that�s sort of my condition. Not quite, but it�ll do until I leave Zokujin.� Hikaru then nodded at the dragon. �Yes, you can say I�m one of��The Spliced.��

Cassandra reversed her transformation, and stood in front of Hikaru as a human again. �So, Hikaru, where are you from? Surely you can�t be from Zokujin if you didn�t know what kind of being you were.�

Hikaru looked down to the cold stone floor. �Should I tell her?�No, I�ve only known her for five whole minutes. She seems so nice, but I still can�t fully trust her yet.�

Cassandra noticed Hikaru�s worry. �That�s okay, you don�t need to tell me where you lived,� she smiled.

�What are you doing in this temple anyways?� asked Hikaru.

�Well, I was just wandering around Shiken, when I saw a new face walk in this old temple here. Not many people like to spend their days in aged temples like these you know. So I thought I�d say hi,� Cassandra smiled at Hikaru again.

�I used to smile like her�� Hikaru thought. �All the time��

Hikaru looked to Cassandra to smile back, but she noticed something was wrong. Cassandra started backing away from Hikaru, but she was staring at something behind her, not directly at her. Hikaru followed her gaze. A shadowed figure was walking into the room they were in. The wolf noticed the creature�s familiarity, especially its mask. Looking back and forth from statue to the figure, Hikaru realized that it was the same character as the statues.

The creature stopped walking, and so did Cassandra. It then looked over to Hikaru, and its eyes widened. He sauntered over to her.

Hikaru was frightened but she held her ground. It held out its hands and Hikaru hesitated. �What�do you want?� her voice shook.

The masked creature shook his hands as if he was encouraging Hikaru to take what was in them. �But there�s nothing there�� she thought.

As if reading Hikaru�s mind, in its hands, a sword appeared. The sword glistened in the little light contained in the temple, and Hikaru�s eyes were drawn to the wings on the hilt that resembled her own.

Hikaru looked at Cassandra to find out that she was making the same connection. She looked at Hikaru and shrugged. The wolf looked back at the sword, then glanced up to look at his masked face. It wanted her to take it, and she carefully plucked it out of its hands. She stared at it as she held it firmly in her paws. �A sword�� she thought. �Never in all my life have I ever thought I�d carry one.� She looked at the creature�s face once again and nodded. �Thank you.�

It�s mouth moved ever so slightly, uttering a coo of regard. It then vanished.

� � �

Futsukayoi Tavern is the pub on Second Earth that�s known for its awful stench, but also for the best drinks around. As Hikaru stepped in, a whole new world surrounded her. Women dressed in exposed clothing danced with drunken men, while arguments spark among random groups. No one bothered to break up the bar fights at the Futsu.

As Hikaru walked deeper and deeper into the tavern, she breathed in the trademark stench. Her sense of smell was extremely better than any human�s now, but since she was a wolf, she didn�t mind the horrid smell. Neither did many of the guests it seemed. Hikaru figured they�d gotten used to it over time.

She finally sat down on a stool in front of the counter. The bartender was a few chair-lengths away, cleaning a glass that was already broken with an aged rag. She eyed his odd habit in motion. He felt her eyes on him and immediately jumped up. He walked quickly over to her. �What can I get you tonight, miss?�

Hikaru broke her gaze off from his eyes and looked at the couple a few chairs to her right. They each had a beer with several empty bottles scattered next to them. The man was hunched over, his backed turned to Hikaru, so she couldn�t see the woman; although she did hear her giggle.

The wolf looked back at the bartender. �Water is fine, thanks.�

�Comin� right up,� the bartender walked away.

Hikaru�s left ear twitched as she heard a woman who was two seats away from her chuckle. She turned her head to the left and pouted. �What is she laughing at me for?�

�Just water, eh, wolfy? Not the drinker I take it,� She glared at Hikaru with dark green eyes underneath her black hood. She was fully cloaked, but Hikaru could see armor and weapons strapped to her body as the cloak blew in the soft draft of the tavern. Expensive knee high boots covered her calves. Under her hood bleach blonde scraggly hair stuck outward in all directions, which was in need of a brush and cleaning.

�No, I�m not a drinker,� said Hikaru after examining the lady. The bartender was back and placed her glass of water in front of her. �Thanks.�

The woman took a sip of her beer and looked at Hikaru with her forest green eyes. �I see,� she said. �Pity. Gets �ya through rough times,� she nodded towards the wolf. �I can tell you�ve had a bad few days.� She drank again and sighed. Her eyes were drawn to Hikaru�s sword at her side. �What are �ya, a bounty hunter or somethin�?�

Hikaru hesitated. �Er�yes. Yes, I am.�

The woman paused for a moment, stared at Hikaru in disbelief, and then released an enormous amount of laughter. No one else in the tavern seemed to notice her loudness. ��Ya gotta be kiddin� me, kid! You? A bounty hunter? Nah, �yer way too soft to be capturin� criminals for the cops, let alone even tryin� to kill �em!�

�I take it you�re a bounty hunter?� Hikaru took a sip of her water.

�You bet, wolfy. One of the best around, too,� she took another drink and sighed. �Gettin� pretty tired lately though.�

Hikaru nodded and looked away.

The woman stared at her. �What you thinkin� about now, wolfy?� she snickered. �I can tell �yer lookin� for somethin.��

Hikaru stared back at the woman in confusion. �How did she know?��

�I just do, kid.�

The wolf�s eyes widened. �This lady isn�t just a bounty hunter, but she�s a psychic too!�

The woman stuck her hand in her cloak pocket and grabbed a cigarette and a lighter. As she lit up the cigarette, she continued by mumbling. �I�ll tell �ya what. Give up. Just quit! See, I�ve been searchin� for forty-five years now and I couldn�t find my reason for livin� at all,� she plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and blew out smoke. �Yeah, I gave up a long time ago. Now I�m not tellin� �ya any details, wolfy, but lemme tell you just one thing. Somethin� some�un shoulda told me years ago.�

Hikaru watched the woman with open ears.

The woman blew another puff of smoke and closed her eyes. �Don�t just push memories aside, kid. They happened for a reason, y�know.�

Hikaru blinked at her as she suddenly got up from her stool, left a dollar for the bartender, and walked out the tavern door.

� � �

Years came and went slowly but surely. Hikaru decided one day to go to Moyai. Moyai is the most beautiful city in all of Second Earth, as it is filled with beauty instead of trash. With crime in low, and security in high, this city makes it top notch for any guest.

Hikaru had flown here and landed on a building of some sort. From the roof, it looked so stunning that she just had to jump down to the ground and see what it was. As she did, she gazed up at the building, squinting in the sunlight. The structure resembled a half circle and had mirrors for siding, so the sun reflected off of it in intense amounts. The dome sparkled immensely in the afternoon sun.

�I wonder who lives in there�� Hikaru pondered.

Suddenly, a young woman walked out of the door and Hikaru immediately ran to hide behind the nearby bushes. The girl had long black hair tied back in a braid. She wore a black leather sleeveless shirt which revealed her stomach, black leather pants and boots, and a trench coat over it all. She also wore fingerless gloves that covered a bit past her wrists. The woman casually lifted a handheld electronic device and started to talk to someone through it. After the woman hung up, she went back inside.

�I heard about her�� Hikaru thought. �That�s Kaiken Zenson, the number one most wanted criminal in Zokujin,� Hikaru shivered, but was desperate to find someone she could talk to.

Hikaru quietly walked up the stairs and into the building. Kaiken had company, for Hikaru could hear her talking to a woman and a man in the room at the far end of the house. She stealthily crept to the room, and listened through the closed door.

�What about that one girl you know, Kaiken�what�s her name again?� she heard a man say.

�Cassandra?� a woman asked. �That girl won�t help us,� she said disgustedly.

�But maybe she can,� Kaiken wondered. �We need all the help we can get. And she�s a Spliced, like your boyfriend. Cassandra can turn into a dragon you know.�

Hikaru was interested. She hadn�t seen Cassandra in a few months, when she caught Hikaru singing to herself alone in the woods. They had run into each other a few times in the past few years. But now a battle was beginning, and Hikaru was quite curious.

�Fine,� the woman groaned. �Let�s call her up.�

Hikaru could hear Kaiken pressing buttons on her electronic device. She didn�t realize until Kaiken stopped dialing suddenly that her breathing had gotten louder. �Wait a second,� said Kaiken. She opened the door. She looked down at Hikaru, eyes wide. �And�who are you?�

Hikaru innocently looked to the ground and pawed the carpet. �My name is Hikaru�I, um�I know Cassandra.�

�Who in the world is�� A short, thin blonde woman stared at the wolf in hatred. She shrieked. �What the hell is a wolf doing in your house, Kaiken!�

�Silvara, calm down.� Kaiken reassured the girl. She looked back at Hikaru. �I�d really appreciate it if you didn�t sneak into my house like that, Hikaru. But�� she looked at Silvara and the man. �Maybe she can help.�

�What!� Silvara exclaimed. �Are you joking! She is not going to help us! Look at that old sword she�s carrying. What good use is that going to bring? We�re fine, Kaiken. We don�t need anymore help. Especially from yet another Spliced,� she crossed her arms.

The clean-cut man was tan with wavy black hair. He was slightly taller than Silvara, and he put a hand on her shoulder. �Like Kaiken said, Silvara, we need all the help we can get.�

�Let�s go outside and talk. It�s too crowded in this hallway.� said Kaiken, smiling at Hikaru.

�Criminals can surprise you sometimes I guess,� Hikaru thought.

Outside, Kaiken called Cassandra on her phone. Her picture showed on the screen and she grinned when she saw Kaiken�s face. �Hey, Kaiken! Did you find Loki yet?�

Kaiken shook her head. �No, not yet. I was wondering if you�d like to help out.�

Cassandra nodded. �No problem.�

�Great. Ah yes, there is a wolf here who says she knows you. She wants to help us too, and she has quite exquisite wings for a Spliced��

�Hikaru�s there?� she laughed. �Yes, I know her. Be careful, she bites,� she winked.

Kaiken sighed. She wasn�t in the mood for jokes. This was a powerful god that they had to fight. �So I�m guessing she�s not the fighting type then?�

Cassandra rolled her eyes. �Oh, Kaiken, just let her go. I�ll take care of her once we get started. She�ll be fine.�

�All right, thanks.� She hung up and stuck the tiny antenna on her lip. She looked out into the distance and thought about what was to come. Silvara walked over next to her and did the same.

Hikaru lay in the grass to the far left of the lawn of the dome building, staring at a flower blowing in the wind in front of her. �Cloud and I�we used to pick flowers when we were little�� She closed her eyes and visions came flooding back to her. Images of her and Cloud as infants entered her conscious, and she could see them clearly, as if watching a movie. They laughed and played, and laughed and played some more. There was no hysterical Kotake, no one to bother them. Everything was normal, and life was great.

The man sat down on a rock next to Hikaru, and her eyes popped open. She was about to growl at him for ruining her memory, but stopped herself.

�Hello, Hikaru. I�m Demonu,� he gave the wolf a slight smile. �I apologize for Silvara�s behavior�� he looked down at the grass, embarrassed. �She�s just like that sometimes,� he looked at her again and scratched his forehead. �Girlfriends. What can you do?� he laughed.

Hikaru nodded, but didn�t laugh with him. �That�s okay,� she said quietly as she stared out into the sunset.

�So, Hikaru, why are you here in Moyai?�

�Well, I don�t really have a reason. I�ve just been wandering around everywhere in Zokujin for a few years now, mostly on Second Earth.�

Demonu cocked his head. �All by yourself?�

Hikaru flinched at his words. She felt a pain in her stomach. �I�ve made some friends and acquaintances�but yeah, basically all by myself,� she sighed. �I�m just waiting for someone to come to Zokujin. Call me crazy but I don�t want to leave until I find him.�

Demonu nodded. �I see. Well, if you�re going to help us defeat Loki, I�d really appreciate your help. However, Kaiken plans ahead. We won�t be fighting for a while.� He glanced at Hikaru. �So, good luck then, Hikaru. I hope you find what you�re looking for.� He got up and brushed himself off, even though it was not needed. Hikaru thought he probably did it out of habit. �See you�later?�

Hikaru looked up at Demonu and tried not to squint because of the sun. He really did want her to come help them. She thought and he waited. It would give her something to look forward to for once. She�d practice with her sword until then. �Why not?� she shrugged.

Demonu nodded. He walked over to Kaiken and Silvara who were far away from where Hikaru lay. Hikaru watched as Demonu told them about her agreeing. Silvara looked back at Hikaru and grimaced. Kaiken looked back at Hikaru, smiled, and waved, and then, so did Demonu.

The three then turned their backs away from the wolf, and walked on.