Ayakashi Monogatari

Chapter Two: Spirited Away

Chapter Two: Spirited Away

I blindly swatted out at the blackness, searching for some sort of guidance in this dark prison. "D-Draco?" I stammered. "Where are you?" I got no response from the dragon. Only silence answered me. I swallowed hard and gingerly crept forward. I had my arms out, clawing at the darkness, and I shuffled around. If anyone else were looking at me, I'd look like I was doing a really bad impression of a zombie.

Despite the fact that I could see practically nothing in here, I got the distinct feeling that this place was much larger on the inside than it looked on the outside. I caught the wavering flicker of candlelight in the distance. There were several candles scattered about the area to dimly light the way forward. It didn't help much, but it was far better than stumbling around like an idiot, tripping over my own feet.

All of a sudden, I felt something brush my shoulder. A sharp giggle soon followed. A pulse of ice shot down my spine, and I whirled around. A teenage girl with shining golden eyes and black hair tied back in a high ponytail stared me in the face. A pair of curved white horns stuck up from her head, and black crow-like wings were folded against her back. I gasped out and nearly slapped her. She ran her fingers through my long purple hair. "Oooh, an adorable human girl! I thought I smelled something sweet and scrumptious!"

Realizing that this odd-looking girl was yet another hungry Youkai, I pried away from her, only to be confronted by a short, doll-like girl clad in Gothic Lolita. Delicate turquoise curls cascaded over her shoulders. "Salutations, my lady. I am Celestia Crandoll." She spoke in a rigid, almost robotic tone. "G-go away!" I hissed. I trudged ahead, and ran into yet another pair of bizarre strangers.

A pale, gray-haired man clad in a tattered white labcoat, and a slim, beautiful woman dressed in a spiderweb-patterned kimono beckoned me. The woman's ink-black hair flowed down behind her like a river. "Ah, so you're the one," she gleamed. "I surely wasn't expecting this." The mad scientist-like man reached out and grabbed me by the collar. "Yes, you're a fascinating specimen indeed...I can't wait to dissect you!"

I hurriedly wrenched away from Dr. Nutbag and began rushing ahead. I did not want to be near these freaks any longer. Since I couldn't exactly see what was in front of me, I ended up ramming into a soft, squishy wall. Weakly, I looked up. A literal giant of a man stood before me, with spiky rust-colored hair, long sideburns, and a pair of large fangs emerging from the sides of his bottom jaw. His sharp, catlike green eyes regarded me coldly. "I'm afraid the only way out is in, my dear."

I clenched my teeth. My body broke into a fit of shivers. I let out a screech and took off running. Or rather, that was what I would've done, if the fanged beast wasn't currently holding me up in the air by the back of my collar. That damn dragon lied to me. These monsters were obviously here to kill me. But what could I do? Fight them with that ridiculous-looking gun of mine? I barely escaped Asura by the skin of my teeth, fending off a horde of Youkai would be impossible.

As I debated whether or not to go commando against the creatures of the night, a booming voice decided for me. "Enough!" A blaze of light illuminated the pitch-black shrine, and I fell down on my rear end as the fanged Youkai released me. He and the rest of the mysterious strangers took a bow. "Lord Seimei." My father entered the room, accompanied by Draco Ryugamine. "Dad?!" I gasped. "What the hell is going on here!? And why do you have rabbit ears on your head?!"

Indeed, a pair of floppy white ears much like mine stuck up from Seimei's curly purple hair. "Minami, I have a lot to tell you. This won't be a short talk, and it won't be an easy one. But you have to listen to me, understand?" I gulped down a lump in my throat. "F-fine then. Just tell me what this is about. Are you even really my father?" Seimei sighed. "Yes, I am. But as you've already noticed, I am not exactly human. I am a Moon Rabbit."