Banished

Miku screamed.  Pain beyond all imagining enveloped her.  She crumpled to her knees, weeping dry tears.  She clawed at her face, her black hair and rolled on the cold marble floor.  A sensation akin to millions of knives pricking her, covered her thin body.  The pain was too much, and her vision went black.  The last thing she saw was Akuma, turning away.

Ë                         Ë                                Ë

Light filtered through Miku’s tightly shut eyelids.  She tried to open them, but was unable.  Putting her hands up, she scratched at her eyes, surprised at how her hands felt.  They were… furry and felt like a dog’s paws.  Realization settled on her and she opened her jaws and howled.  Prying her eyes open, she shuddered to see what had become of her.  Her fox-like body was covered with course black hair and she could see down her long, foxy snout.  She was one of the yokai now, a human fox.

Miku looked around her.  She was lying on hard ground, surrounded by tall matsu pines and ruby colored momjii trees.  Her fox eyes caught movement from her right.  She turned and lowered herself, crouching, to the ground.  A furry black snout emerged from behind the thick bushes, followed by a fox's body.  Miku stared, forgetting that she should be on her guard.  Another yokai!  Not being familiar with yokai etiquette, Miku was at a loss as to what to do.  The yokai crept towards her, its black eyes looking straight at Miku.  She backed slowly into the trees.  Suddenly, the yokai stopped and to her surprise, addressed her.

“Miku?”

Miku froze.  How did it know her name?  She knew yokai could talk, but this was new.  “Who are you?” she asked cautiously.  She didn’t know what to expect from another yokai. 

The yokai blinked.  “Don’t you know me?”

Miku rolled her eyes, and then was surprised she could.  “No.  I only knew one yokai and… she’s dead.”

“I’m sorry.  I should have known you wouldn’t recognize me, being a yokai now.  I’m Jiro, one of the apprentices from Kentaro’s shop.”  It, or rather he, looked at Miku, but she didn’t remember.

Miku stared blankly at him. “Jiro?  I don’t remember- no...  You’re the one that was so clumsy!  Right?”

Jiro laughed a mix between a human laugh and a bark.  “If that's how you remember me, yes.”

Miku tilted her head curiously.  “How did you know who I was?  I don't exactly look like I used to.” 

Jiro lay down, his paws stretched out before him.  “I read it in your eyes.”

“You what?”  Miku jumped up.  “How did you do that?”

“It’s an acquired talent.  I’ve been a yokai longer than you.”  She stared at his eyes.  As far as she could tell, ‘Jiro’ was not written in his eyes. 

For the first time, she wondered how she got out of the castle and in a forest. “Where are we?” she asked, but she had an idea.  “This isn’t Aokigahara forest, is it?”

Jiro sighed.  “Aokigahara forest, or the Yokai Garden.  This is where Akuma sends all his yokai, curse his power.”  Miku felt rage boil within her. 

“Akuma,” she spat,  “the cursed emperor.  No one has the sense to oppose him.”  She swiped angrily at the dirt.  “And anyone who does is killed or sent here."