Okami Guardians Chp1: part 1

Chapter 1: The Abandoned Child

The beach was the best place to be on a day like this. The cool breeze weaving through your hair, grains of sand beneath your feet. Much better than being stuck in some stuffy classroom. My gang and I had decided to skip school for that very reason. Our teachers would be a bit angry but it wasn't the first time we'd skived. We now knew how to evade the police with our secret hide out next to the cliff. The only people who could see us would be fisherman, and it was rare for them to drive past this point.
"Daichi-kun?" Emi said next to me. She was wearing an incredibly puffy Lolita dress, and had abandoned her usual knee-length socks at home. I kept finding myself staring at her legs, just like I was at this moment.
"Hmmm?" I said.
"You know a dog could of peed on that piece of grass you're chewing".
I stopped chewing, but only for half a second, then forced myself to continue. I shrugged. "Hmpf! who cares". But inside I was screaming at myself to spit it out. Stay cool, stay cool.
She giggled. "You really are the definition of cool".
Score! I gave her what I made sure was a charming smile. With great stratification I saw her cheeks flush pink.
"There's nothing cool about eating dog piss" Haruo said. He didn't look in the best of moods. His red hair was plastered to his face and sweat patches covered almost every inch of his clothing. Well that's what he gets for wearing black on a day like this! I myself had thought ahead and had worn red and white. It was the only outfit I owned that wasn't black.
I couldn't think of a good come back for him, so I gave another shrug.
"Yo guys" a voice came from the water. I looked up to see Jiro waving at us. "The waters great! So refreshing!" He dunked himself fully in as if it would prove this point and then resurfaced wearing a wide grin spread across his face.
"I don't want to ruin my outfit. This cost me a bomb you know" I said. and heard the others mumble the same excuse.
"Just take them off and be in your boxers like me" Jiro replied, standing up to show off his half naked body. The amount of hair wasn't a pretty sight.
"And what am I going to do?" Emi said crossing her arms.
"Strip too" replied Haruo. He then received a hard punch on the arm from Emi,
I laughed and continued to chew on the end of the possible-dog-piss-grass. I gazed out to the horizon where the water was beginning to glow gold. I groaned. "The sun is setting and its still so hot! This is why I hate summer!"
"Two weeks till vacation though" Emi said, turning to glare at Jiro as he made a loud whooping noise. "Then we'll be free for a whole two months!"
"That will be awesome" Haruo said.
I nodded. "You said it"
"That's if you kids won't be grounded for the whole of it" a voice said from behind me.
The grass fell from my mouth as a hand clasped down hard on my shoulder. I jerked my head around and came face to face with the head of police. Another three officers were standing behind him. One for each of us.


"This is the eighth time you've skipped school in two months! Do realize how serious this issue is!? You're only at school for another two years and you need to pass you're exams which you have been failing! Do you want to end up with no job when you graduate!? Daichi, are you even listening to me?!" the head of police was red in face as I looked at him out of the corner my eye. I'd been staring at a photograph on his desk. It showed him with his arms wrapped around a women. Three kids smiled up at him, one of them was hugging his leg.
"How come I always get the head of police interacting me and the others get normal police!?" I asked, looking to the floor to avoid any eye contact.
"Because you're the head of this stupid gothic gang" he replied, jabbing a finger in my direction.
"I'm not the head, we're all equals. And we're not goths we're visual kei's" I held up my arm with its white sleeve and red cross attached to the cuff to prove this fact.
He sighed. "Don't try to change the subject"
"I wasn't. Do I get you because I don't have parents to lecture me about this stuff and the others do"? even though I only said  to gain sympathy from him, I couldn't help but sigh.
He sighed too. "Partly yes. You need authority in your life Daichi. Your carers at the orphanage are too kind to give you any". He paused waiting for a response from me, but I continued to stare at the floor so he continued. "They've tried to give you the best life possible and you're just throwing it back in their faces!"
"The best life would be if my parents hadn't decided to abounded me"
The head of police stared at me. "I'm truly sorry they did, but that's no excuse for skiving school"
"it's the perfect excuse" I said and folded my arms behind my head.
He gave another sigh. "Please you have to stop missing school. As I said its only for another two years and then its over. You may not have a family now, but in the future you will and you will want to support them in everyway including financially. If not your children can be taken away from you and put in an orphanage just like you are now. Is that what you want to happen!?"
I would of liked to have said "I don't want kids or a family, so that isn't a problem" but as I tried to open my mouth the words didn't come out. Of course I wanted a family. I couldn't bring myself to lie about that so I stayed silent.
A knock came from the door and a women entered slowly in. Her hair was tied back into a bun, hiding the few strands of grey in her hair. I shuffled nervously in my seat.
"Kobanwa Niwa-san. I'm very sorry I couldn't get here sooner" she said. I had to make sure all the other children came home from school first" she bowed her head apologetically.
The head police shook his head. "Its no problem at all Matsuda-san"
She looked at me, her eyes wide with worry. I felt my hands tighten into fists. "Is Daichi able to come home now?" she asked.
"Yeah" he sighed. "The headmaster will want to speak to him when he goes back to school on Monday. The other children are being suspended but they're going to give Daichi a second chance. You should be very grateful for that" he said turning to me.
"What!?" I said, my mouth hanging open. "That's not fair! Why are they doing that!? That's so not fair!"
"Because as you said, you have a perfect excuse. But the next time you won't be let off" He gave me a stern look.
I groaned at the thought of having to go to school without my friends. A day off would have been great.
"Come on. Time to go. I've got better things to do than lecture troublesome teenagers" he said gesturing for me to stand up.
I sent a glare his way as I walked towards the door.
"Also" the head of police went on. "They told me to tell you to dye your hair back to black. Even though you're uniform is blue that doesn't mean blue hair is allowed".
"Well too bad I'm keeping it this colour"
"Then I suggest you buy a wig"

Dreadful was the word best to describe the walk back to the orphanage. I and my carer, Mai Matsuda didn't speak a word to each other. All I could hear was the chirping of the crickets that seemed to magnify louder in the silence. She kept her head down the whole way. Her eyes going red with held back tears. I would of preferred that she got angry so that I could get angry too. But she was the most kind person I'd ever known. She never got angry, only disappointed. I felt so guilty for making her upset. I wanted to say sorry, but didn't have the courage to say it.
Mai mumbled so quietly "I'm home" when we walked into the hallway that I barely heard her.
Curious heads popped around the corner as I took off my shoes.
"Daichi's back!" high voices called out and more small children appeared.
"Did you get to wear handcuffs?" one asked but I ignored them and made my way upstairs to my room.
I shut the door then slid down against it onto the floor. I then cursed and put my head into my hands.
What was I going to do!? I knew missing school was bad, but I hated it. For one thing it was boring. Second the homework they gave out took up your entire free time afterwards. Thirdly, the people were assholes. I was known by most as someone not to mess with, but that didn't stop them annoying me. Being the biggest rebel in the school meant if anyone could beat me, they'd then take over the title. I was constantly challenged and they knew how to make me angry; by referring to the fact that I was an orphan. Dressing differently also made me an outsider to everyone else. They were either scared of me, thought I was weird or just plain hated me. I was lucky to even have three friends.
I brought out my phone from my pocket and saw I had mail from each one of them.

Haruo: So shit we got busted! My parents are raging, I've been grounded for like the whole year. Was Matsuda-san mad at you?
Jiro: Sorry I got you guys caught. I'll try be quieter next time  >.<
Emi: I've been grounded for the next few months. But I'll get out somehow for Tokyo tomorrow xxxxx

I'd forgotten we were going to Tokyo tomorrow. Even grounded, I knew everyone would sneak out anyway. There's no way any of us were missing out going to Harajuku. It was the only place where we fitted in and where people didn't look at us like were about to murder them.
My stomach rumbled as I began to search for a new outfit. I hadn't eaten since breakfast but there was no way I was going  downstairs. I'd be bombarded with questions from the other kids and I didn't want any of the carers to start lecturing me.
After spending an hour finding the perfect outfit I settled into my bed. As I lay there, I heard the voices of the other children echoing down the whole. Laughter, crying and the drumming of feet against the floorboards. Noises other people would have trouble falling asleep too, but I'd live with it for sixteen years. Moments after closing my eyes to the darkness, I found myself drifting off to sleep.

The trouble with summer in Japan, is when the hot days begin so does the rain storms. My outfit that I'd so carefully picked out was being ruined. I ran down the streets, splashing puddles against the lucky people who were sheltered by umbrellas. I kept thinking of Tokyo as my feet pounded against the ground. Soon I'd be there, where no rain was falling. I could see the top of the train station as I rounded the corner. A smile crept along my face at the sight of it.
Then a white light filled the street.
At first I thought it was lightening. I felt my body tremor. But no sound of thunder came. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw the light was becoming smaller and smaller, swirling into a ball.
I watched it as it floated to the ground. The light disappeared replaced again by the dim light from the clouds. But something white was still in the place where the light had faded away..
My legs seemed to move on their own accord towards it. I squinted through the rain at the white creature on the floor. It stayed motionless as I knelt down next to it.
A dog! No a wolf!  It looked like a newborn, its eyes were closed, ears pressed closely against it's face. Though it looked too big to be that young. More like the size of bear cub.
My heart was beating so fast for some reason. My hand shook as I lay it against the white fur on its body. I prayed to no one impractically that it was breathing. And there it was. Its heart beating against my hand. As I pulled my hand away I saw blue lines covering its fur. I looked at my hand thinking the dye from my hair might have gone onto the wolf, but no, my hand was clean.
Weird. I stared at the lines. Looking at them closely, they seemed to create a pattern. Swirls around its body, and then a heart like shape on its forehead.
Some sick person probably did this to it. And then abounded it here on the streets. But then I remembered that light and how only afterwards this wolf had appeared. I shook my head. I must have imagined that.
Taking off my leather jacket, I wrapped it around the cub's body and lifted it up against me. It made a small whining noise before burrowing its head against my shirt. I wasn't sure why, but I felt a sudden rush of happiness at this.
What should I do now? Take it to the animal rescue centre? No, I thought. I wanted to keep it. I knew it was probably not the best thing for it but the thought of leaving it with them seemed impossible. The most likely reason for me feeling like this was because I had it been abounded on the street, just like it had. But even as I told myself this, I felt that there was some other reason why I couldn't part the little wolf.
Carefully I continued my way to the train station. Maybe the gang would know what to do. When I arrived I found them huddled together beneath a tree outside. As I made my way towards them Jiro shouted "Hurry up Daichi! The train comes in two minutes" but I didn't walk any faster.
"What's wrong?" Emi asked, seeing the startled expression on my face. I couldn't seem to speak so instead I lifted my jacket away from the wolf, and held its shivering white body out towards them.

We decided to cancel our trip to Tokyo. We had no choice but to go to go back to my orphanage, as the others had sneaked out their houses so going to one of there's was not even an option. Emi hid the wolf in her bag until we were inside my room.
"It can't be a wolf" said Jiro, peering down at it as I rubbed a towel gently against its muzzle.
"Yeah its far too big for a wolf" Emi said.
"I know" I said, taking the towel away from its face.. "But it defiantly is. Go check in my wolf book over on my shelf. It looks exactly like the newborn cub in it"
Haruo being nearest the shelf took it out and flicked through the pages. He then placed it open on my bed and we all stared down at the photograph of a baby wolf.
"It does look exactly the same. Well the colours different. What's with the blue markings on its body anyway?" Jiro said.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking that maybe its some genetic experiment. Like some crazy scientist made a giant wolf and then…I don't know put blue marks on it".
"Maybe.." Emi said, but like me she obviously thought this was an unlikely story.
"I think its some sort of demon" Haruo said. "Or some creature from another world"
Emi rolled her eyes. "That sort of thing only happens in mangas and films"..
"Then what do you suggest it is"?
"Maybe its just a giant wolf" she replied.
"And how an earth is it in Japan then?"
"I don't know. Someone illegally imported it" she crossed her arms.
"Yeah that could be it" I said. I placed the towel on the floor and began stroking the cub. It was incredibly soft. I wasn't the kind of guy who normally said something was cute, but this wolf was. Almost so cute it seemed more like a toy rather than a living, breathing creature.
Emi sat down next to me, also beginning to stroke the wolf. "What are you going to do with it?" she asked,
"Keep it" I said simply.
"What! You can't keep it" Haruo said. "How you going to feed it? You won't be able to hide it from everyone for long".
"I don't care! I'm keeping it no matter what! Even if I have to run away from here!"
Jiro raised his eyebrow, Emi blinked and Haruo wore an unattractive expression on his face.
"What?" I said sounding startled.
"You'd run away with it!? Just to keep it?" Jiro said.
"Yeah" I said firmly. I didn't feel embarrassed, more angry that they thought my idea was crazy.
Haruo folded his arms together. "Its just an animal. There's no need to ruin your life over it"
"I don't have a life to ruin. This wolf is my life now". I felt a little cheesy saying those words, but it was true. All I wanted to do was look after this cub. Spend all my time with it. I…loved it.
Emi was shaking her head. "Daichi-kun this is totally unlike you. You've never liked animals before"
"I've always liked wolves I said" nodding my head towards the wolf book and then pointing at a wolf calendar I had on the wall.
"Yeah…" she said, but seemed to find nothing else to say. The room went silent.
"Fine" Haruo went on. "If you want to fuck up your life, do so. I don't care. You're not the one that's been suspended, you didn't have to sneak out your house. And now I've done that for nothing but to watch you cuddle some baka mutt". Before I could say anything he opened my bedroom door and slammed it with such force a photo frame fell and smashed against the floor.
"He has such temper issues" Jiro sighed. "But…what he said is true Daichi. We all sneaked out and now we'll all be in huge, huge trouble when we get home. Apart from you. And how come you didn't get suspended anyway"
I glared at him. "What do you think!? If your so worried about getting into trouble from your precious parents then leave"
He looked angry at first but sighed and held up his hands in defeat. "Okay. I'll see you two later then"
"Emi you go with him"
"No" Emi stood up. "I want to help you. You can't care for it all by yourself"
"I can and I will!". On the outside I was glaring at her. On the inside I was happy she had offered to help but also confused about how I was reacting. I didn't know why I felt it was so important that just I cared for it one my own.
She looked hurt. And without a word she turned away from me and walked towards the door.
"Ja ne" Jiro gave a small wave to me. "Maybe…."
And with that they were gone. I was alone yet not alone. I had this wolf now.
I smiled down at it. "I don't need them. I don't need anyone anymore, now that I've got you". I took the wolf off my lap and placed it on top of my covers. Then lay next to it. Up close I could hear it breathing. My heart thundered against my chest as I drew its snowy body against mine. Was this how a parent felt when they hugged their child? It was a wolf of course, but it felt like it was mine. I'd always felt empty, I'd put that down to having no family. But now I felt whole. Complete at last.
The wolf stirred. At first it made a small gulping noise. Then the whining started. A loud whining.
"Sshh shhh its alright" I drew it closer to me. But it didn't stop. "You have to be quiet or someone will hear you"
As if it had understood me, the cub started to whined quietly, just audible enough for me to hear.  
"I bet your hungry right?" I said, looking at its closed eyes.
But what can I feed it? Meat perhaps? No it was too young. Milk? Maybe but wouldn't it need puppy milk or something? I could go to the pet store, but that was ages away. Then I remembered that I lived in an orphanage. And orphanage that looked after children of every age, including babies. Therefore there was a cupboard filled to the brim with baby food and a fridge filled with baby milk. Baby milk should surely be fine for it!
"Wait here" I told the wolf as I wrapped a blanket around it's body and moved it next to my pillow. "I'll be right back"
I turned and made my way towards the door. I found myself glancing back it every few seconds. Before I went into the hallway I watched it cuddle up against the pillow. I smiled again. My cheeks felt sore. I don't think I'd ever smiled this much.
I felt like some sort of ninja warrior as I crept downstairs into the kitchen. At every corner I was having to duck into closets or flatten myself against walls as screaming kids ran past being chased my a carer who pleaded with them to calm down. Oh the joys of living in place with more than thirty kids all under the age of eighteen. Half of those being younger than five.
Thankfully the kitchen was deserted. A rare occasion that it felt too good to be true as my feet echoed across the floorboards. I crossed my way to the fridge, my head swivelling side to side. Still no one.
The fridge held a wide variety of milk. Baby milk with added vitamin C, baby milk; lactose free, baby milk with iron, organic baby milk and one called "my baby's first milk". That would do. Hopefully the wolf would like it.
I took it out the fridge, closed the door, and turned round to see Mai standing in the doorway.
Oh…Kobanwa Daichi-kun…erm why do you baby milk?"
"oh…this" I held it up. "Ehhh its for Maki. She needs it for one of the babies."
"Oh" Mai nodded. "I'm glad you're helping out" she smiled kindly.
I felt terrible lying, especially to Mai. I use to help out a lot with fetching milk and stuff when I was younger, but I'd begun to refuse that recently. I reminded myself that lying just now was for a good cause..
I walked past her. "Ehh…sayounara"
"Sayounara Daichi-kun. Dinner is in an hour. We're having rice omelette tonight, should be really yummy".
"I'm not hungry. I've got homework to do".
Once I was out of her sight I ran. Upstairs I clutched the bottle tightly in my hands and breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. If it was any of the other carers I know they'd of been more suspicious. I sighed again and looked at the bottle with a smile. Hopefully the wolf would like this.
A baby cried somewhere as I went to my door, reached for the handle, then froze. I pressed my ear to my door then jumped back. The crying was coming from my room. My first thought was that a carer must of gone in my room while carrying a baby. That meant they'd have found out about the wolf!
I slammed the door open. "Please don't-". But no one was there. The cries of baby continued to ring around my room.
I looked around and saw something moving near my pillow. Something with tiny hands, that were reaching out into the air. I ran over. Pulled the cover off where I had placed the wolf.
Where the wolf had been, there was now a baby. A baby with two white fluffy wolf ears upon its head, a white fluffy tail billowing out from its back, blue marks circling its body and the shape of spiralled heart on its forehead.
"You're the wolf!" I said out loud. "But how!? You're a baby now". I felt myself sit down against the bed. The baby was still crying, its arms flapping about. I wrapped the blanket back around it and pulled it on my lap.
"Guess this is fine for you then" I said placing the tip of the bottle in its mouth. Its face was wet from crying. "Come now drink" I said. Again it seemed to of understood me as I heard the small suckling of it beginning to drink. .
My cheeks were warm as I gazed at its tiny body. It felt much different from when I'd fed some of the babies at the orphanage. That had been a chore. This was me keeping this baby alive. Or maybe I should say keeping this wolf alive. How was this possible. I found myself laughing.
"You're amazing" I told the baby. It looked up at me with the lightest blue eyes I'd ever seen. Thinking about it, these were the first blue eyes I'd seen before. In real life anyways. But even on T.V they hadn't been this blue.
After the milk was gone it automatically closed its eyes.. I settled it down back upon the bed. The blanket falling off around its body.
"Oh" I said. "I guess you're a girl".
She was quiet now. My bedroom was again filled with the distant noise of children playing. Though I found if I listened hard enough, I could hear the baby's quiet breathing.
I'm not sure how long I stayed on my bed, just lying next to her. Watching. Guarding. But soon my room had been engulfed by darkness and her body was now a shadowed outline.
I had a lot of homework to do for tomorrow, but I didn't care about that. When I eventually sat up I instead made my way to the playroom, found a doll wearing a pink dress, took it off the doll and brought it back to my room.
I found it hard to put it on the baby, I was scared she'd wake up, but she didn't even stir as I fastened the velcro together. The dress was twice as long as her. But she looked adorable in it. Just like a little doll.
I didn't bother changing out of my day clothes as I slipped into bed. My pants were a little tight and uncomfortable to lie down in, but that didn't matter. I wrapped my arms around the baby and pulled her against my arm so that she was in something like a protective cocoon.
"I guess I should give you name" I said to her. The name came to me immediately. I knew it was the perfect one.
"Yuki" I whispered. "Written as snow". I bent down to kiss her forehead. As I felt he furr from her ears tickle my cheek. I rested my chin against her head. The soft fur aganst my face was comforting. I didn't remember falling asleep.