Senshi did not appear at all pleased when I greeted him in my dream.

“Hey...Aaron.” He raised a hand to greet me and placed it back in his pocket after a moment. “They just appeared...when you came.” Senshi said as he saw my expression.

Lying on the ground were two weapons – both of them swords.

“Well, then. We should start.” I bent down to the ground, choosing the weapon that was closest to me. “On guard, Senshi.” He said nothing, but nonetheless reached for the weapon.

“You better get this right, or you’ll be Funny-hair in my eyes.” I grunted in reply and walked to stand opposite Senshi.

“I’ll do my best.”

He advanced, yelling, the weapon held close to his side. My immediate reaction was to jump. As he moved the blade forward, my feet landed on it, bending it down. As I moved my own sword forward, somehow he managed to flip the sword up, making my body go flying. I landed with a thud, recovering only in time to move away from Senshi’s incoming sword.

“When you lose, I’m going to kill you!” Senshi threatened me with his sword.

“Oh, how supportive of you!” I spat out the words sarcastically. “You could at least say ‘if’! You’re making my loss sound definite!”

“Well, the way you’re going, it is!” Senshi snarled.

“Such a friend...” I muttered to myself, moving forward to attack him again. I ran forward, flipping the sword up, throwing Senshi in the air. I jumped up and struck at him again, sending him heavily to the ground.

“Ouch...” Senshi was complaining when I reached him.

“Sorry.” I whispered as I moved the blade to his stomach. He breathed in as I drew it back to strike.

The sword cut him in the side of the stomach, but he felt no pain. He opened his eyes as a silver light poured out from the cut.

“Weird!” He sounded excited as he examined his wound.

“Yeah...” I moved closer suddenly, as something large came from his stomach.

“That couldn’t have come from inside me...could it?” It was a blade, almost identical to Senshi’s weapon-body.

“No...it didn’t.” I came closer and sat in front of him, investigating the sword that was issuing from his body. “It...it came from your soul.”

Senshi gasped and lay down. “I think you should pull it out. It’s the power…so...then we’ll be able to use it.” Senshi looked confused as he spoke, but I placed my hand on the hilt and began to pull at it. It came out smoothly, but as soon as I had done this a flush of voices came into my head. Through these voices, a strong one called out, one I recognised.

“Say the name!” Senshi’s voice called.

I turned my head to stare at him, but he looked confused as I asked him, “What?” and so I realised that the power that was part of his soul was in fact speaking to me.

“What is it? I can’t hear it!” There was another flash of silver from Senshi’s body, and he yelled, “Call it out, Aaron, the name of the power!” I stepped back from Senshi, and opened my mouth.

“Silver Moon Strike!” There was a flash of silver light once more, and I was flung from sleep as a rapid screaming voice appeared in my head.

Ok...that was...strange. Senshi said, recovering from yelling.

I laughed out the words, Why did you yell so loudly, after I had realised that he had been the one you had been screaming in my mind.

What do you mean?! You were some silver night light yelling out a weird phrase!

I smiled. Aww, I’m glad you feel that way about me. He grunted at my words. But seriously, Senshi, I felt nothing. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it! I finished in time so that he could not retort, for at that moment, Hiruko entered the room.

“Hmm...I sense a greater power about you. What did you gain?” Hiruko cocked his head in question.

“A move called ‘Silver Moon Strike’.” I moved my hand down Senshi, to his distaste, as I heard him scream, Get off!?

Hiruko raised his head and added with surprise, “A moon attack? Like my own! Only those who are truly powerful are able to gain such a power from their sword. That means you only have one power attack. All of your power is funnelled into one attack, but most people gain two ‘strikes’, yet you gained a ‘moon strike’. The strikes enable the power to be separated into a less powerful attack and more powerful attack. You see, for me, the colour of my moon strike is black for my fur. Yours is silver, as the prophecy has said. You’ve done well, Aaron.”

I smiled. “We both did.” I then paused and turned to stare at Hiruko. “Was there a hint of praise in that statement?”

Hiruko laughed. “In your dreams, kid.”

So what now, Aaron? What are we meant to do?

Hiruko walked to the front door. “Get ready.” He whispered, and turned to sit, staring blankly into the afternoon sun presented by the front door.

I think Senshi... I paused to stare at the deadly serious Hiruko. I think it’s time.

But we’re not ready for the Soul Tower, Aaron! We need a few more days of training!

I sighed, I know, as I stared at the blade. I know. Only...Hiruko doesn’t.

Senshi laughed. And he never will! I smirked and rose up to walk to Hiruko.

“Hiruko? We’re not ready for the Soul Tower.” As I came closer he smiled.

“After this,” his claws unleashed suddenly, “You will be.”

****

Hiruko trained us for a few hours, unleashing his ‘Black Moon’ attack and Senshi and I blocking it with our ‘Silver Moon’ strike.

As the sun began to set on the Borders, Hiruko dragged Senshi and I in to the house and ordered me to get ready.

“We’ll be leaving tonight. It’ll be a long walk, so have a rest, and,” he paused for a minute, his nostrils flaring, “...have a good, long shower. I’ll take you to the prophecy room before we figure out what we’ll be doing against the intruders to the Complex. And...before we leave,” he looked around the room, his eyes searching and unsure, “I need to tell you who I am.”

I showered and dressed rather quickly, all the time Senshi yelled in my head to speed things up; his eager mind was too far ahead of him.

I think he is going to tell us! That Keira girl must have really changed his mind! Finally...we’ll be able to trust him. Senshi repeated himself again until I was ready. Cautiously, Senshi strapped against my body, I walked into the living room to find Hiruko waiting, staring once again into the sunlight that dared to drift into his hard gaze.

I stopped walking, and lent wearily against the door frame.

“This can wait, Aaron, if you’re that tired.” Hiruko’s head lifted as I shook my head vigorously, almost in time with Senshi’s complaints of how he should be the one with the body, as it would be easier to control me.

“I...I didn’t think I would be able to hide it from you anyway...the only reason I hide it is because of those three guys you saw outside your window days ago. If...if they knew that they were dealing with me” he began to sob, occasionally chocking on his words, “they...they’d be...far too dangerous for me to handle.” He swallowed hard and stood up, rethinking where he stood. Senshi was silent, my own eyes wide with confusion. “I wasn’t born like this...” Hiruko trailed off once again, breathing heavily with the weight of his past.

What...what does he mean, Aaron? Wasn’t born a cat?

Hiruko tilted his head and stared at me. “I was born human.” Senshi and I gasped, my eyes staring deeper into Hiruko’s fur. “I was born...without bones.” My expression changed into something with surprised at this revelation and Senshi’s reaction and gasps in my mind matched my own.

“What? What do you mean...? How...?”

“The Hyouga have a small tendency to have off-spring with little or no bones. It is not explained in our history, but is simply accepted. I wouldn’t have survived long unless the necromancer and medicine-man of the clan were on my parent’s side. By the time I was six, I had not developed bones and had not learnt to walk, the necromancer had left the clan and the medicine-man died of natural causes. It was now that the Head of the Hyouga sent a man to my house and had me taken into the woods, against my parent’s will. He said he would not have such weakness effect their reputation, for my powers hadn’t manifested yet, either.” Hiruko paused and breathed out, staring out into the fading sunlight, my eyes set on his mouth, waiting for him to speak. “And so I was alone, with only the magic of the necromancer and the medicine I had learnt, as well as a full supply of objects I could use to my advantage. I was able to bind objects to create a body in which I could grow bones. Also using my magic, I was able to separate my body and my soul and I stepped into this new body. However, my powers did not manifest as I had hoped. That is, the Hyouga power did not manifest in my body, but a healing ability I have used on you for the last few days replaced it.”

He sniffed and paused, but my eyes urged him on. “My people have another power besides being able to control water. We are able to travel between the world of the living and the world of shadows, and so, unwelcome in the world of the living, I came into the world of the dead.”

I could hear Senshi breathing heavily in my mind, and I found that I too was breathing the same way.

“Of course, everyone from Hyouga despised me.” He spat the words out, anger and anguish that had been building up for years spilling out uncontrollably. He was almost gasping for air now, shaking his head and sniffing every so often. A thin line of water came to his eyes, but he scrunched them together, as though to not let any tear fall to the ground.

He’s not made of stone, Aaron. He’s suffering inside.

“They all hated me for being born, for daring to breathe, for bringing such weakness, sympathy and emotion into their world. They came after me, after years they realised I had escaped, finding the body had not been eaten yet, even after such a long time. Animals tend to leave a body that has had the soul forcibly removed, and nature preserves it, for whatever reason. Nature gave my game away.” He paused then, breathing shakily, gasping and struggling in his seat. He trembled as he moved, remembering his past.

“And then I met Keira. I had only been in the Complex for a few days, but she fed me and gave me a home – the Soul Tower, where she worked. We were happy for years, working for food and lodging. Then those fools,” he slashed out against the furniture, Senshi and I too nervous to interfere, “came for me. They...they killed souls. The pain on their faces as they were hauled to Hell...they should die! Those cowards should die!? Innocent souls!” He was yelling now, letting all tears, all pain fall from him. His tears hit the floor and he sat sobbing quietly for a few minutes before raising his head to me.

“We fought back.” He stopped suddenly, calming himself. “The Soul Tower had everyone in the Borders in their houses on curfew. However, anyone that was in the Tower at that time had to fight. Then it was announced that the General of the 2nd Division of fighters, as well as our Lieutenant, had been injured upon trying to return to the Soul Tower after finishing their patrol and could die, and would not participate in the battle. Keira and I were unsure how to react. Every other Division had a General, except for our own. We stepped up to the job, when no others would, for it meant the first line. Many were killed, homes destroyed. We drove them away, eventually. We defeated them, and drove them away.” He repeated himself, as though he still did not believe it. “And then I was elected as General, appointing Keira as the Vice in my Division. We soon found out about a prophecy of a silver haired hero and a dark haired heroine, and that has perplexed us ever since. That was, until we heard of you.” He stared at me at a few minutes.

Dark haired heroine? Senshi crowed.

“But it seems, Aaron,” Hiruko brushed away any traces of emotion from his fur, his stone-set face returning, “that we didn’t finish the job. However, there is one more thing I must address. I don’t think that it really matters anymore...” He paused and turned his gaze to the window. After sitting for a few seconds, his eyes straining he straightened. There was a loud strain and a black flash of light, and Senshi and I gasped as we watched Hiruko fall to the fall. Instead, there was a dark haired man in his place, breathing deeply. He was dressed in a tower robe and quickly bowed his head. I watched as the long, flowing, night-coloured hair fell forward, like a raven taking flight. “I may be human but I’m afraid that this,” he picked up the cat skin we all knew as Hiruko, fur as dark as the man’s hair, “Has become the real Hiruko.” In another instant he stepped once again inside the body. “I’m sorry that that was so quick; far too quick for your liking, I’m sure. But if those Hyouga men found me...they would battle me and kill me- I’d be dead for sure.” He paused, and shrugged. “I may not be dead currently, but that was,” he said referring to the man who had been standing before us only moments before, “That is no longer. This is Hiruko. That is a memory.” He paused and inclined his head towards us. “A memory. Something only Keira and you two know of.” He said, gesturing to the sword at my side. “I expect...your support.” He dipped his head and proceeded to walk to the door.

I rose up from the seat to stop him. “So that’s it? You’re just going to walk out like that? As though this never happened?”

Hiruko stopped in his tracks and bent his head. He turned in a single movement to face me, his face as serious as ever. “It never did.”

I was left astounded as he padded away and I walked backwards into the chair, sitting and letting the past few minutes run through my head again.

I believe we have Hiruko back. Was the only thing Senshi dared to utter.