• Shin woke the next morning and reached for her alarm clock, she slammed her hand on the snooze button but it wouldn’t stop beeping, Shin sat up on the side of her bed and glared at the alarm clock and growled angrily; immediately the alarm clock exploded in a bubble of dark energy that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

    Donna stared into the mirror that was not reflecting her image but showing Shin as she got ready for school in the horrible mood that she was in as if it was video taping her, Donna looked down at her ratty dog that was curled up on her lap and she started to laugh to herself

    “She’s almost ready, give me a few more days ’n’ the darkness’ll completely engulf ‘er ‘n’ she’ll be unstoppable” Donna spoke as she ran her hand down the back of her Spirit Guide who looked as if he had a very severe case of mange and had been run over a few times with a large truck.

    “You won’t get away with this Donna…” squeeled the mouse confined in the corner of the room inside of a plastic hamster cage that had a slight magical aura about it that prevented the Mouse’s escape

    “yea yea, shut up…you keep sayin’ tha’ but I is still gettin’ away wit it!” Donna exclaimed as she rattled the cage threateningly, the mouse glared at her because he had been accustomed to her shaking his cage like that in the few months that she had confined him to this prison.

    “Hey Suichi, I was wondering if you would like to walk to school with me this morning” Miki smiled as he stood in the frame of the front door, Suichi gaped at him as he held open the door, astonished to find Miki knocking on his door this morning

    “Uhm…sure” Suichi smiled back as he rushed into the living room and grabbed his books, backpack and rushed out the door to join Miki on the sidewalk as they headed for school.

    Miki’s hair was styled down today as if it was being flattened by a constant gust of wind that was rushing towards the earth, and his eyes had changed color to an icy blue that seemed to match Yuki’s.

    “MIKI, SUICHI!” called a familiar feminine voice from behind them as they walked up the front lawn towards the school

    “Hi Yuki” the boys replied together both of them looking at each other out of the corner of their eyes

    “No time for the pleasantries…Haku died last night” Yuki said sadly as she looked at her tennis shoes, Suichi and Miki looked at her waiting for her to continue but she looked like she had been distracted by something shiny on the floor between them, seconds later her head sprung back to life and she spoke again

    “Haku committed suicide last night…” Yuki said as her eyes started to water, Haku was one of her fashion club friends; even though Yuki was never very good with fashion, Leiko always said it looked like she threw food at solid colored clothing and called it fashion.

    As they walked into class the students were all huddled with their respective groups talking about Haku’s suicide

    “I hear he hung himself because he got a death threat” squealed a mousy girl with large pink glasses and a sweater tied around her shoulders as if she were better then everyone else, As Suichi and Miki walked by Leiko and Kinoko greeted them with a small nod and Leiko handed Suichi a small note:

    “We know what’s going on…we have to get everyone together after school…”

    Suichi quickly hid the note in his backpack and looked Leiko in the eyes nodding lightly, he turned his head out to the park and he could see a small white figure sitting under the tree in the distance; Kiera nodded, she already knew.

    After school Miki approached Suichi and smiled

    “Hey Suichi, I’m heading to the mall in town…do you want to join me?” Miki smiled and tilted his head hopefully and Suichi could see the arch of his ear had a small ring in it and the sun hit his skin and he started to glow with a faint tan

    “sorry…I can’t…” Suichi frowned and hung his head, Miki shook his head and smiled

    “oh…ok another time then…see you around” Miki smirked as he lightly waved his hand as he walked away; immediately after Miki turned the corner Leiko, Kinoko, Kouji, Yuki, Meicho and Sota came around the corner

    “Alright…what’s all this about Leiko?” Yuki demanded as she stomped her foot, Meicho giggled

    “isn’t she hot when she’s angry?” Meicho hung his head and hardened his expression when Yuki shot him an annoyed look

    “I think that Donna woman has something to do with all this…” Leiko said as she jabbed her finger into her palm

    “Do you mean the woman that has been hanging out with Shinshia?” Kouji said as he tilted his head trying to remember what the woman looked like but all that came to mind was a cowboy riding a bull with over-sized horns

    “Well what are we going to do about it?” Kinoko asked as she crossed her arms and looked at Leiko, Leiko smiled devilishly

    “We’re going to break into her house…” Leiko smirked and struck a triumphant pose, everyone looked at her as if she were crazy.

    Later that afternoon the seven of them hid across the street from Donna’s house behind a large maple tree that was ripping up the cement sidewalk with it’s overgrown roots

    “Alright…everyone know the plan?” Leiko nodded looking around at everyone holding up two walkie-talkies, Kouji shook his head and Leiko rolled her eyes

    “For the fifth time…it isn’t hard…when she leaves we’re going to go in through the window and look around, while Kinoko, Sota, and Yuki hide out here because your all cowards and look out for Donna…” Leiko frowned at Kouji as he continued to give her a blank stare

    “never mind…” Leiko said annoyed as Donna walked out of her house with her rat of a dog following on a rhinestone leash, Shin walked out of her home at the same time and the two of them walked around the corner arm in arm as if they were best buddies.

    “NOW” Leiko whispered as Suichi, Kouji, Meicho and her ran up to Donna’s house looking for a way in; Leiko reached for the window and thrust it upwards and it miraculously flung open, the four of them tumbled inside and started searching around.

    Leiko and Biru immediately headed upstairs while Kouji with Chip on his shoulder walked around the living room looking for anything suspicious, Suichi and Kiera headed for one of the back rooms while Meicho and Aila raided the kitchen

    “Wow, this mouse is so cute…” Kouji exclaimed as the Mouse coward in a corner away from Kouji as if he was going to harm him

    “OMGAHD…caniplaywithhimhe’ssocutehehastobemybestfriendiwanttoplaywithhimcanitouchhmcanyoulethimoutsothaticanrunousideandfrollicwithhimamongstthenuts?!” Chip exclaimed which caused the Mouse to sit upright

    “CHIP?!” screamed the mouse, loud enough that caused all of them to come running back to the living room looking for Kouji

    “What happened?!” Leiko and Suichi exclaimed as they looked at a shocked ad frozen Kouji and Chip staring at the Mouse in the cage

    “You all have to get me out of here…there’s no time to explain…Shin needs me…NOW GO!” the Mouse demanded as the walkie started to crackle

    “EVERYONE GET OUT OF THERE…SHE’S COMMING BACK!” Kinoko’s hurried voice boomed through the living room.

    “Leiko reached for the cage door and pried it open with ease, releasing the spell on the Mouse’s cage, the mouse jumped into Leiko’s hand as the front door jiggled signaling that Donna was unlocking the door with her keys.

    Leiko and the other’s could do nothing but watch as Donna threw the door open and saw the four of them standing around the cage with the Mouse in Leiko’s hand

    “Give him to me…NOW…or I will kill you…” Donna threatened as she bent down and picked up her ugly dog and held him out as if she were handing him to someone

    “No…he belongs to Shin…” Leiko exclaimed glaring at Donna with fire in her eyes, Donna mearly laughed

    “But Shin…belongs to us now…you’re too late…” Donna snapped her fingers and the wall next to her exploded; when the dust cleared Shin was standing in a fighting pose with tight fitted Ninja garb around her body and she had a blank look on her face with vibrant violet eyes that were glowing in the dim light of the setting sun

    “Kill them…” Donna laughed as Shin created a large sword of dark energy and lunged for the four of them.