Mayako walked down the stoned path to her school a sad look on her face "I wonder when Keishi-nii will finally come back" she brewded as of today it had made it 3 months since her brother left all she ever saw of him were pictures of the places he visited and letters. Mayako sighed these were all in good but, she really wanted her brother to be there in the flesh instead of in a picture or behind a written message Mayako let a third sigh espace her mouth as she looked up at the blue sky. The blue sky reminded her of the lake, the one from her dream she had earlier, it was so vivid, it was like she was reliving that exact moment but, one thing she couldn't understand was why the dream went to darkness after she was thrown in the lake.

She remebers that day like it was yesterday, the two fox boys had thrown her into the lake, she started sinking to the bottom, and she saw the lake spirit start to appear, and it's glowing eyes settling on her. She remebers not wanting to die, not wanting to be stopped, then blackness, and the next time she opened her eyes she was on the lake bed. Her older sister and brother were beside her worried looks on their face she thought that they must have jumped in to save her but she noticed that neither of them were soaking wet like she was. Then she began to wonder how in the world did she get onto the bank as she thought on this her ears perked up as they heard the unmistakeable sound of running footsteps.

Mayako focused her ears, "Two, Male, Fox Spirits" she groaned she knew who was comind towards her she stopped, and looked back "The Yumiya brothers" she grimmaced sure enough two fox boys were running towards her with grins on their faces. They were also staring right at her she sighed for the fourth time "Just my luck" she moped the two Yumiya brothers stopped in front of her, the two of them like her, had gotten older althought they looked different she knew them as the two brother that always picked on her when they were kids. The taller one was Muroku and the shorter one was Sanda, they looked the same as Mayako with the oragne and white tipped ears ontop their heads but, unlike her they had something she didn't and they swirled behind the two brothers.

Tails, Muroku had three, while Sanda had two but Mayako didn't have the time to be gauking at tails, the Yumiya brothers were in front of her, and with the grins they had on their faces she needed to be focused. Muroku looked Mayako over "Well, Zero-Tails, looks like you sprouted since the last time we saw you" he jeered Mayako made a disgusted face the nickname again, 'Zero-Tails' her label, a name she didn't like whatsoever, and everyone including the Yumiya brothers knew it got on her nerves. She scowled angrily at Muroku "Woah! What's with the hostile look, I gave you a compliment" he smirked Sanda chuckled Mayako gave an annoyed grumble Sanda cut in "She sure had changed bro but, one thing still hasn't changed" Sanda sneered.

Muroku looked at his younger brother "And what would that be Sanda?" Muroku ask with a curled mouth "She still is a Zero-tail" Sanda said pointing behind Mayako who groaned angrily. Muroku chuckled "Your right bro" he laughed out loud "She's 16 years old and yet she still has no tails" he jeered Mayako shuddered with anger,they were teasing her again, even after so many years have passed, they still teased her for her tailessness which caused her blood to boil. The two Yumiya brother laughed amongst themselves as Mayako stood there shuddering with rage she wanted to hurt them, wanted to make them apologize, she was about to but then she caught sight of each of their tails that swirled behind them, she knew the first hit would be nothing but surprise,and that would be all she would get, she was no match for a Three-tail and a Twin-tail at the same time so, she decided against it and just stood there as the laughter of the Yumiya brothers echoed in her ears.

"I'll make them pay someday" Mayako mumbled to herself a smirked crossed Muroku's face "Say Zero-tails" he said with a sneer Mayako flinched she didn't like the devious smile on his face. She could tell he wasn't thinking about anything pleasnt, and she new for a fact it had to do with her against her better judgement Mayako replied "What?". Muroku chuckled "How about a little dip in the lake for old time sakes?" he grinned Mayako shuddered to think after so long they would try to do something like this again. Mayako chuckled "Ah, no thanks, besides I'm in my uniform" Mayako gave a nervous smile "What are you so scared of?" Sanda cut in Mayako froze.

"Don't tell me after all these years you still can't swim?" Muroku said with an obvious smirk of delight Mayako stayed quiet which confirmed Muroku's question with that he bursted with laughter as did Sanda. "This is pricless!" he shouted "No tails, and still can't swim!" Muroku choked "You haven't changed at all Zero-tails" Mayako's faces contorted with rage she felt her insides burning, wanting her to tear into the two fox boys in front of her for making fun of her. She fought against it, as she knew for a undisbutable fact, she would be no match for the Yumiya brothers she just, had to take it Muroku noticed her seething anger and nudged his brother "Look Sanda, seems Zero-tails here is a bit hot under the collar" he jeered Sanda chuckled "Your right bro, we should help her cool off" Sanda grinned.

Mayako jumped to attention "Cool off" she said to herself that could only mean one thing, "They want to throw me in the lake again" she summed up "Say Zero-tails" Muroku etched towards Mayako "How about that dip in the lake we promised?" he sneered Sanda came forward too. "Yeah, a little dip might just cool you off" he joked Mayako took a step back, there was only one option, the one option she was always forced to do, run, run as if her life depended on it Muroku and Sanda looked at each other and laughed that's when Mayako made her move she turn on her heel and shot off. "Hey!" Muroku shouted "Get back here Zero-tails!" Sanda shouted and Mayako heard the sound of them giving chase "Why does this always have to be my only option every time?" she asked herself all her life she had to run, she couldn't fight, she could only run, and run, and run, that's all her life consisted of running away.

Mayako was sick of it, how many times did she have to go through this, why her? She had these thoughts and more as she ran with the Yumiya brothers close behind her shouting her title at her 'Zero-tails'. The burning sensation inside of her was growing with each meantion of it, how she hated that name, she wanted to put a stop to it but what could a tailess fox spirit like her do, she cursed her weakness, her inaptitude, the people who taunted her, the ones who said she'd amount to nothing, everything she cursed it. The burning sensation inside of her was getting stronger this time it felt like she had a fire inside of her, a fire that wanted to burst forth and burn everything in her way, as her anger grew so did the fire within her until all at once she felt the flames burst forth.

Everything went black, in the blackness she could hear a scream, she then heard the sounds of fighting her body felt like it was on fire, somehow, she enjoyed it, it gave her a rush. Suddenly, the blackness faded and she came back to the color of the world, she looked around and was awestruck to see Sanda, on the ground out cold, she then heard the sound of someone gasping for air, Mayako looked around, she then realized the sound was coming from in front of her. Her eyes widened in shock, Murko was suspended in the air gasping for breath, a black furry object was wrapped around his neck and it was what was chockin the life out of him. "What is that?" she wondered Mayako took notice that the black furry object was long, and that it was coming from somewhere, she fallowed the long snake like object, her eyes widened in shock once more.

What she was looked at, was a long, pure jet black tail coming out from her she didn't believe it a first, Mayako started at the black tail, she then slowly outstretched her hand and was amazed when she felt the fur of the tail on her hand. "A tail.." she mumbled "My tail..." she mumbled again, she heard Muroku gasp for breath and that got her attention, she looked at Muroku with a smirk on her face, Muroku a three-tail, was suspended above her, being chocked by her tail, she felt happy seeing him casp for air, he outstrecthed his hand in a pleading manner. This gave Mayako even more satisfaction, finally she was getting back at them, she felt good, but at that moment she realized what she was doing, she was killing Muroku, that's wasn't what she wanted, Mayako came to her senses and released Muroku, he landed with a thud to the ground and coughed hard.

He gasped as he sucked in air, after he was breathing properly he sat up and looked at Mayako, he had fear in his eyes as he looked upon her "Y...You" Muroku shuddered "What are you.." he whimpered. Mayako stumbled back a bit at these words Muroku then looked around and caught sight of Sanda laying unconcious on the ground "Sanda!" he shouted rushing over to his younger brother. "Sanda you alright!" he shouted shaking his brother "Sanda!" he shouted once more Mayako didn't like what she was looking at, she turned and ran away, she had to get to school. As she ran, the black tail behind her swirled, she glanced back at it, even though what had happened was still fresh in her mind she gave a smirk "My tail" she said.

Mayako made her way down the path to school, her school was specialized for spirits it allowed spirits to learn about the outside world before they tried to coexsist with humanity. It was a school made for spirits by spirits it was protected by a barrier that no human technology could find it, and it made it impossible to find it by accident. The school had no worries about be found out so everything was peacful that is, until Mayako walked into the school with the long pitch black tail flowing behind her. She heard the audible gasps from the students she passed by "Look...she's got a black tail" she heard a female student whisper to her friend Mayako couldn't help but giggle to herself as she moved down the hallway "They can't get over that fact I finally have a tail" she chuckled but then a thought hit her "Why is my tail black?" she wondered she had been so overjoyed about finally having a tail that she failed to notice and question why it was black.

Mayako shrugged her shoulders, she'd figure it out later she was still revaling in her having a tail after so long she giggled lightly to herself once more as she neared her classroom. When she entered the room all eyes fell on her, no sound was made Mayako looked around the room seeing nothing but wide shocked and surprised eyes. Mayako gave a small smirk, she just waltz into the room and found her desk and sat at it she still had all eyes on her and to her it was the greatest fealing in the world "This is the best!" she squelled under her breath she peaked back at the black tail behind her and smiled at it. She was so caught up in her own world that she barely noticed when Yone walked into her classroom, Mayako was giggling to herself like an idiot as Yone approached her desk.

"Mayako!" she screamed Mayako didn't react she was to absorbed into her world Yone grumbled in anger furrowing her brow she screamed louder "Mayako!" this made Mayako jumped and brought her back to the real world. "Nee-san" Mayako gasped as she finally took notice of her older sister "Would you care to explain what's going on with you?" she asked Mayako raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?" Yone grumbled annoyed "I mean your apperance right now!" she shouted "My apperance?" Mayako said with a puzzled look "What's different about it?" she asked. Yone sighed "You really have no idea what you look like right now?" she asked Mayako shook her head Yone palmed her face and sighed long and hard she dug into her skirt pocket and pulled out a compact mirrior "Take a look" she said handing it to her sister.

Mayako took the mirrior and opened it, she put it to where her face could be seen and at first she was shocked, so much so she almost dropped the compact mirrior but she looked hard and was surprised and amazed. She was looking at her face and she couldn't help but notice her skin had gotten pailer, it was almost a ghostly white, the next thing she noticed was her eyes normally they were a bright blue, but now, they were a burning amber color that reminded her of the setting sun. She then took notice of one final thing her once bright orange hair, was now pitch black almost like the night Mayako couldn't believe it somehow she had chnaged completley "But how?" she said out loud. Yone snatched her mirrior back from Mayako "That's what I want you to tell me!" she shouted.

Mayako looked at her older sister "I don't know Nee-san" she said "Oh come on don't lie!" Yone shouted "There has to be a reason how and why you look like that now" she gurmbled and crossed her arms "I don't know nee-san, I really don't" Mayako said "Don't lie to me!" Yone shouted. This got Mayako a bit mad, she was telling the truth but her sister was insisting she was lying "I'm telling you the truth Nee-san" Mayako said a hint of anger in her tone Yone didn't seem like she was going to believe Mayako's words. "Your better tell my how you did this now, or I'm telling dad when we get back home" Yone said in a commanding tone Mayako growled and shot up from her desk her rage peaked, "I'm telling the truth godamnit!" she shouted and unconciously she moved her tail and it smacked Yone across the face. Mayako went silent as did the whole classroom Yone had a dejected look on her face, her hand held her face where Mayako's tail had hit her.

Yone turned her head and looked at Mayako, "What did you do-" Yone started but she stopped when she saw the pitch black tail swirling behind Mayako she eyed the tail as it moved, Mayako chuckled nervously "Uhm...Surprise" she chuckled again. Yone eyes the black tail and couldn't hardly believe it "Ma..Mayako is that?" Yone said a bit in disbelief, "Yeah, it's what you think it is" Mayako gave a smirk "A tail...My tail". [Chapter 2 END]