Secrets of the forest....

Somewhere in a forest outside of Kyoto, 1:00PM

A young man was busy walking through the a forest, the only sounds being the birds chirping, the wind rustling and the leaves under his feet being crunched. He was rather tall at 6ft 9 inches, with an imposing body to be sure. But he was not like most men his age, no there was something that kept him different.

The man's real name was Light Killer, but to most he was known as John Doe. He claimed to have amnesia to the general public, but the truth is that if you had his past then you'd wish you had amnesia. There is a society hidden under that of our own, one where all myths are true more or less. Vampires exist, and so do witches. This society however is far outnumbered by that of ours, and if we are to turn our full attention to them they'd be wiped out.

Light Killer was a product created from the dark end of this society, a group of witches to be specific who rebelled under the rule that was above them. These witches allied themselves in secret with mad scientists, to produce a weapon. A weapon that could have brought untold chaos under their leash, and that was Light Killer. He was to be the assassin, the group's ace in the hole. It is known that in general only woman are able to cast magic, although there are several exceptions.

Light was taken from his crib shortly after he was one year old, and taken to a secret facility in Scotland. Whereupon tests were conducted on him, unspeakable horrors to breed their powerful weapon. And the project was more or less a success, with Light being able to produce magic via shedding his blood. His self inflicted wounds healed shortly after, indeed it seemed like this group had the ultimate weapon in their hands. But Light could not be controlled, and one night he broke free and killed several guards. After escaping he lived as highwayman, until he encountered the future leader of his team.

A series of events would occur after that, with Light joining a school for the paranormal. After graduation his team became a black ops group for the secret society, in public they acted as supernatural investigators. And they had arrived in Japan a while ago, the country had always been a focal point for several things. Just last week the group had been sent to exterminate a group of rouge vampires, the battle was fierce but justice prevailed.

After it Ryan Carlson, the leader of team starmage had declared that everyone should take some time off. To relax and enjoy themselves. He and his lover Jenny Forth were staying in a "Love hotel" Chon was training at some lake, most likely with his adopted daughters. And Amy was probably off getting her nails done alongside Lunar.

Light had decided to go somewhere peaceful, and that was this forest.

Spoiler:

The former test subject had always liked forests, he used them to hide from those hunting him and plan ambushes in return. This one in particular suited him well, this wasn't a hiker in sight.

".....Perfect...." he muttered out as he prepared himself for training. Light had recently washed his blonde hair, after being pretty much ordered by his boss on account he hadn't done it in over a month. (He bathed at least.) Despite it being near winter he was shirtless, the better to access his powers. On his legs were a pair of worn blue jeans and black sneakers.

Spoiler:

Light took a deep breath and then dashed forwards, doing something rather odd in regards to his height. He was running on all fours, he often used this to track people. Light spent some time doing this, just moving straight on. That is until he landed.....

*SNAP!* Light had stepped on a twig, and in that instant he felt something was....off around him. His eyes went wide, his stance hunched like an animal on guard. Then he looked down, his wrists stained and covered in blood. Like when he activated his powers, he gasped and felt the pain shoot up into him.

Light winced, and then looked up. He saw the bodies of Chon and Lunar, killed as if they were in ferocious battle. "The hell......" he muttered out, just then he saw a figure nearby. A shadowy one, Light charged forth. Snarling and letting out a bestial roar as he ran to punch it, only it vanished. Light then rushed up to a nearby tree and ran up it, clinging to the top of it to view below.

The supernatural slayer believed the man in shadow had killed his comrades, the people who Light trusted and learned alongside with. He wasn't going to let the killers get away, just then Light believed he saw one below. He sprung off the tree and pounced atop the figure, clawing into it. Only to find it gone again, Light growled and narrowed his eyes. Looking for anything that could lead him. he nibbled on his right wrist in thought.

Then it looked like the figure was there once again, only this time it was above him. Bringing a katana shaped blade down upon Light, his eyes went wide in surprise. The shadowy figure looked somewhat like his leader, Ryan Carlson. The figure brought the blade down upon Light, it was the last thing he saw before blacking out. All that was there now was a man lying on the forest floor, with a bare chest adorned with scars and muscle. With only the sounds of birds above him......

Elsewhere in the forests, nestled deep amidst the oldest of the trees, a grove existed in a space between the towering trunks. The place had once been the site of a thriving village, although time and abandonment had left it a mere shadow, rotted wood and sun-bleached stone barely resembling the homes they had once been part of. The ruins were formed in a large circle, surrounding that which lay at its centre - an ancient and withered tree, devoid of leaves and bare of fruit on the gnarled branches that formed a tangled canopy above it. The grove held the scent of quiet decay and dry bark, the air thick with silence - not even the background murmur of insects reached here.

Of all the glade's features though, one stood out as different. It was modern and new where all else was ancient, the smooth green canvas a stark contrast to the decayed wood and crumbling stone. Standing about as tall as the largest of the ruins, nestled beneath the bough of the withered central tree, a tent had been erected, a large four-person affair, hung with a variety of paper slips upon which spells of warding were scrawled in old Ainu script and more modern Japanese alike. A light glimmered from within the tent, the bright white of a wind-up lantern, hanging from the ceiling hook inside the expansive interior of the tent.

This was the residence of Megumi, the last of the sacred grove's guardians. The being in question as sat at her little desk, reading intently under the light of the lantern hanging above, her silver-grey furred ears giving an occasional twitch as she scanned her eyes across each page. The last few pages were read with rapt silence, and as she finished it she snapped it closed with a relieved sigh, setting the heavy book back onto the table atop a pile of several others. The cover marked it as a historical account of the Meiji Restoration period of Japanese history, and the impact it had left on the modern world.

"Well, a little closer to catching up on what I slept though," she said to herself, stretching out a little to awaken stiffened muscles that had been unused too long. Megumi had developed a habit for talking to herself, having lived alone for so long...well, not quite alone, but she didn't treasure the company she was reluctantly forced to endure. She stood up out of her seat, padding out of the tent to take in a little fresh air, and wondered which book to start on next.

Megumi was typical of many Kitsune, the most obvious traits being her pointed ears set high on her head and the single tail that swayed behind her as she walked. She was slender, though she possessed more of an hour-glass figure than some fox-spirits tended to develop, with flaring hips and a rounded chest, though much of that was concealed beneath baggy black sweatpants and a white t-shirt a size or two too big for her frame. Her silver-grey hair spilled down her back to the length of her buttocks, and long bangs touched her shoulders. Her blazing green eyes looked out to the world from a sweet-featured face, lost in thought, her bare feet treading on the grass as she strolled into the grove.

Oi, did ya feel that?

Megumi sighed as she felt the voice tickle the back of her mind. Of course, she couldn't have a quiet moment without the Oni spirit bound inside of her getting bored and restless. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, trying to push its presence back down into the deeper reaches of her thoughts. "Not now Maw, I'm tired," she groaned. Sleeping the centuries away had left her quite lethargic, and prone to taking long naps. She felt after memorizing several decades worth of world history, she had earned just that. The spirit's voice refused to ebb however, pushing into her thoughts with a thick, growling quality to it.

Quit tryin' ta shove me around for one sec an' listen! Feel that? Someone tripped one o' the wards.

Megumi blinked. Curious now, she closed her eyes and reached out with her magical awareness, feeling the various wards and traps that guarded the grove like a network of glowing blue strings, all tying back to the central tree. Where all other threads were still however, one trembled like the strand of a spider's web, the shivering stream of blue light disappearing off into the towering mass of trees somewhere south of the glade.

Told ya, The Maw's voice chuckled in her mind, Someone's out there. Someone ta fight!

"No Maw, someone to keep away from the glade," Megumi replied with a sharp tone, giving the spirit a mental shove to force it back into its place, "We only fight if we have to."

The Oni bound to her body grumbled as it was pushed back, but gave only a token resistance. In the early years of their bonding, The Maw had been capable of seizing control of her body for a period of time, but the brutish monster wasn't capable of learning as Megumi had. She'd reinforced the binding wards that kept their spirits tied, learnt to control her thoughts and channel The Maw in ways she desired, and now the most it could muster on a good day was the equivalent of shouting loudly in her head. The kitsune walked over to the ancient tree, placing her palm upon its dry bark, and focused her thoughts on the shivering blue strand. She felt the world around her warp and twist as she magically brought herself to the site of the sprung trap, a feat she could only manage thanks to her knowledge and connection to the grove. The source of the disturbance was made pretty apparent; a figure was laid out on the ground, a reasonably tall, heavily muscled blonde man bearing some rather noticeable scars. Blood stained his wrists and hands, fingers twisted into claw-like shapes as behind his closed lids, the signs of rapid eye movement could be seen.

He dead? Looks dead

"He's not dead Maw, the traps here aren't lethal," Megumi sighed, although she couldn't help but notice the wounds on the wrists. The wards hadn't done that, all they could do was cloud the mind or misdirect people, not cause physical arm. Were they self inflicted? Either way, it was clear he needed tending to, and the ward would need to be deactivated. With a moment's thought, she summoned a glowing light to her fingertips, kneeling beside the figure to brush them against the wrists, sealing the flesh once more. It wasn't the most sophisticated healing spell, but it would stop further bleeding at least. Next, the illusionary ward - a simple gesture reset the ward, releasing its grip on the figure's mind.

Light's dreams weren't usually pleasant, often they included screams and battles. Although there was one time when he and Chon tried smoking weed, given Light's....unusual body it affected him quite a bit. During which he fell from a spaceship, battled an army of clowns and used a gun that fired music.

But now he wasn't thinking anything, his mind had blanked out in response to what occurred. It seemed like he had a living nightmare, a what if where Ryan Carlson didn't stay his blade and finished the former test subject off. Which was what Light had said him to do after he lost, but Mr Carlson being a man of honour stayed his blade and demanded to know why Light was there. And the rest was history.

But back to the present, Light Killer had no knowledge of how long he had been out. But soon enough his vision showed the tree canopy above him, the chirping of birds around him. What Light focused on however was the woman in front of him, she was beautiful for sure. His attention drawn to her ears, they reminded him of Jenny the fiancée of his Captain. She was half cat, although this woman's ears were longer in comparison to the small tufts of fur on Jenny's head. This girl was dressed in a rather casual manner as well, the shirt looked a bit too big on her though.

The former test subject looked down, noting her bare feet and he reckoned that with ears like that she must have a tail too. Light checked his hands, the blood was gone. He chalked it up to his healing factor when it was actually the work of the woman who found him, speaking of which perhaps she knew what had happened to him. She didn't seem hostile, if she was then Light probably wouldn't have woken up.

Light saw up and rubbed his head, looking at the woman and saying "What....happened? I was running through the forest and the next thing I know I was hallucinating, and then everything went black..." thanks to Light's knowledge of the supernatural he wasn't fazed by her ears like a normal person was.

Megumi watched as the man's eyes drifted open slowly, careful not to show any open hostility, but still on guard - she was still unsure of who he was, nor why he was in the forest. The muscular physique spoke of a fighter, and Megumi was sure she could sense the air of magic about him, but it was...off somehow. Magic tended to infuse the aura of those gifted with the ability to use it, surrounding them like a halo, this for this stranger it lurked under the skin, glowing in his veins. Megumi sat back on her haunches as the man began to stir, her tail shifting to help maintain her balance.

"It's OK, just relax," she said reassuringly, "You got caught up in an illusionary ward, so you'll probably have a bit of a headache, but it'll pass quickly."

So, we fightin' this one or not? The Maw growled. Megumi didn't vocalize a response, but gave the mental equivalent of a sharp elbow to the ribs, and the spirit fell silent once more. Megumi didn't sense any hostility from this man, just genuine confusion as to what had happened. She straightened her legs, dusting off her pant and shaking her tail clear of the debris of the forest floor, and offered a smile, "I'm Megumi, and I pretty much live here in the forest, making sure the wards and traps don't fade or go awry. Seems like you stumbled onto one by accident while you were...um, what were you doing exactly? There's not a whole lot out here."

Light nodded in response to the words of the woman, he sat up Indian style and looked at the woman. Her tail catching his attention, it looked nice to be sure. Light could feel his head thumping lightly. Like he had been hit hard over the head, which was common in his line of work to be sure.

He then thought of what she had told him, wards were used to guard a place. And judging from her comments she was some sort of guardian, perhaps guarding a literal heart in the forest. Light didn't know, but it could have been worse. If Chon was here he'd would have probably picked up on something like that, with his chi enhanced vision. But Light didn't.

As for the woman she seemed friendly enough, Light supposed he could talk with her. Considering she had been friendly enough to at least wake him up, not to mention those green orbs on her face and sliver hair.

The former test subject took a breath and said "...My name is....Light Killer. But I request that you just call me John Doe. I came here for the sake of testing my powers. Are you a cat girl by any chance? I know someone with ears similar to yours." Light had figured out that this place was Megumi's territory most likely. So hence forth he figured it was best to be honest upfront, at least with the basic stuff.

Megumi arched an eyebrow at the man's less-than-typical introduction. Light Killer? John Doe? It was hard to believe either were names anyone could habitually go by, one being a term used in casualty wards for patients whose identities were unknown, and as for Light Killer...well, Megumi couldn't see that one turning up on an novelty name mug anytime soon. She chose not to pry though - anyone who would use the name John Doe didn't seem the type to answer questions much. When the man asked if she was cat girl, her pointed ears twitched noticeably in irritation.

"Actually, I'm a kistune - a fox spirit," she explained, trying not to sound too prickly as she spoke, "I'm sure you'll notice a few key differences the next time you see her."

Ya sure we ain't fightin' 'im? Sounds like ya want ta fight 'im, The Maw chimed in with a gurgling laugh. Megumi ignored the voice as she continued, "As for you testing your powers, it might be safer to try someone closer to the forest edge. The wards react strongest to those who have power - a regular person would just get turned around and walk back the way they came without realising, but someone like yourself will get hit harder by them. If you'd like, I can walk you to the safer areas," she made the offer partly to make sure the man didn't wind up stumbling into another ward, and partly to make sure he had left the area close to the sacred grove. While she was sure he had his reasons, this John Doe had too many mysteries and questions hanging around him for Megumi to feel comfortable with him close to the area under her charge.

Light nodded in response to Megumi's words, and based off her reaction Light thought he might have offended her. He bit his lower lip lightly and then said "Ah in that case I apologize." Light scanned his memory for anything that related to it. He recalled his boss telling him the name Kitsune, but anything else was lost. Light wasn't really paying attention at the time, it'd only been two years and he was still getting the hang of writing and reading.

When Megumi offered to show Light somewhere else he could try his powers his eyebrows raised, it made sense what she was saying. Light had triggered one ward, another might make himself comatose. And he wouldn't be an asset to his team then. The former test subject was interested to be sure, plus he might get to know this person better. His boss was telling him to get out the house and do stuff after all.

"Thank you, I'd be grateful. Please lead on uh....Megumi-san." Light said as he stood up. If there was one thing that his boss had drilled into his head since coming to Japan it was the honorifics, and san Light believed was used for Mr or Ms. He hoped he had picked the right one at least.

Once they began moving Light would ask "So...have you been in this forest long then?" considering the girl's attire which looked like it was normal Light was curious.

Megumi started to walk along the path, being mindful of where the various wards were hidden as she wove her way around them, guiding Light to the safer regions of the forest as she considered his question. "Well, it's been a little tricky finding that out, especially since the calendars have changed a whole lot over the years," she said, stepping over a gnarled tree root, "I've figured it out to be around three thousand years or so, although a lot of that was spent sleeping. It's complicated, trust me - long story short, if the grove isn't under threat then I fall into a deep sleep, but with stuff like massive deforestation, urban expansion and pollution on the rise the grove seems to think it's in danger pretty much twenty-four seven."

Megumi hopped over a rock, her bare feet sinking into the dry leaves of Fall as she gave a sigh. "I mean don't get me wrong, I like the fact that I get more time to, you know, do stuff, and I'm not forbidden to leave the forest or anything like that. I've been to the city a few times, got some new clothes, some books, that kind of thing, just trying to figure this new era out. On the other hand, my job has gotten crazy busy, what with all the traps getting worn down with constantly having to misdirect people just taking a stroll in the woods, logging concerns, you name it."

Light nodded his head as he listened to Megumi's words, making sure to keep close to her lest he trigger another trap. He'd already had his worst thoughts flash before his eyes, and the former test subject didn't want to have to go through it again.

But when the kitsune had told him of how long she had been in the forest, and how a good chunk of it was spent sleeping. Light let out a slight gasp, he then blinked twice and waited for her to pause. The former test subject then spoke with "I have a friend who spent a good number of years sleeping although it was because she was frozen, she did so when I was....given my powers years ago. But it was only 18 years, it pales in comparison. Although....you look quite beautiful for a one thousand year plus woman." Light had been around his team for a while. And he had learned to give the odd joke, still needed work though. Better leave the wisecracks for the Captain.

Hearing of Megumi's situation Light was still curious, then again he was about a lot of things. He learned much when at Starmage Academy, but his curiosity could be child-like at times. "I must confess, I do not know much about Kitsune's. I have met vampires and werewolves, even people from Atlantis. Are you the....last of your kind?" Light asked, he hoped he hadn't touched a nerve there but when his curiosity was around he had to inquire into it.

The two unlikely companions continued to pick their way between the trees, chatting idly. Megumi hadn't really had a lot of time to talk to anyone else, and certainly not anyone who had much of a sense for the stranger aspects of her existence, and she realised that she was saying an awful lot about herself. Even so, this Light seemed almost wide-eyed as she mentioned her age and her connection to the forest. She let the terrible joke slide without comment - it was clear he was making an effort to be social at least. His next question did bring out a chuckle though.

"Last of my kind? Wow, that's pretty melodramatic, isn't it?" she said with an amused smile, "No, I'm not the last of my kind. There's tons of Kitsune around, although they only tend to show up on the earthly realms to cause mischief or hang out for a while. Most of the time they're busy serving Inari, the Kami of....well, of a lot of things actually. The spirits here tend to wear a lot of different hats," she said with a shrug, counting off the list on her fingers, "Inari is the Kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, and the ideals of agriculture, industry and general prosperity. So yeah, quite the portfolio. Inari is the one who set my clan the task of guarding the grove, but...they've moved on now. I might not be the last of my kind, but I'm certainly the last one stuck on this job."