The God's Plight

His words hung in the air like the last few notes of a song, leaving the audience wondering what in the world they had just listened to.

Yuki raised her hand. “Okay, let me get this straight…..you think little Emi here….is a god?”

“A demi-god.” Rika corrected her.

“Fine...a demi-god?”

Takuya glared at her. “I don’t think. I know she is! Only one of her parents is human. The other, her mother to be precise, is a god.”

“But how do you know?” Rika asked curiously. Yuki glanced dubiously at her, her expression clearly saying “Don’t tell me she actually believes this guy!”

He sighed, frowning down at his fists resting on the table. “I know because…I’m also a demi-god. Both Emi and I share the same mother.”

At this statement, both twin’s mouths fell open in shock. Rika stood up with Emi in her arms. “Wait then that would mean you're Emi’s….”

“Onii-chan!” Emi squealed, arms reaching out for Takuya.

“Hold it!” Yuki held out her arm, blocking Emi’s advances and continuing to glare at Takuya. “Do you think we’re idiots? There’s no such thing as gods, especially gods that can consummate with normal people! It’s not like we live in some Greek tragedy!”

“Technically we do.” Takuya answered, crossing his arms. “We’ve been living in one for thousands of years now.”

“Wait…what?” Yuki stared at him, looking for any signs or hint of a sarcastic joke going on, but found none.

“There are many types of gods out there, but the greek gods are kind of like the head honchos.” Takuya explained. “They call all the shots, at least the ones that are left”

“What do you mean the ones that are left?” Rika asked.

Takuya faced her with a sombre expression. “Let’s just say, one god decided he didn’t like sharing the spotlight and decided he wanted to stand out on his own. He did everything he could to get rid of the others. He’s still trying to eliminate the ones that are left.”

“But what does Emi have to do with any of this?” Rika exclaimed angrily, startling the toddler still in her arms.

“Rika?” She questioned but Rika was too mad to respond.

“You said she’s just a demigod! She’s just a toddler! It’s not like she has powers or anything that could be threatening.” Yuki gazed at her sister, mouth slightly agape. Rika was always so laid back and casual about things. She had never seen her sister become this angry before. Even her eyes seemed to be glowing red. “WHAT KIND OF MONSTER OF A GOD WOULD TRY TO KILL HER?!”

“Rika! Calm down!” Yuki responded, standing from her seat. “You’re taking what he’s saying way too seriously! You actually believe both of them are children of GREEK GODS!” She waved a hand in his direction. “He’s obviously delusional!”

“Not the smartest idea to call a guy with a gun delusional.”

“Oh shove it up your….”

“YUKI! That’s enough!” Rika yelled, setting Emi down on the ground. The young toddler clutched the teen’s leg tightly as she stared from one twin to the other with growing concern. “Why are you being so short sighted about this?! You saw that snake! What other explanation can there be?”

“I don’t know! But I think it’s very unwise to just believe the first lunatic that shows up saying he’s half god!” Yuki yelled back, brandishing her hand at Takuya.

“What other explanation is there?!”

“Maybe there’s a gas leak and the snake was just some big hallucination!”

“Oh my god!” Rika exclaimed, practically pulling at her hair. “You’re so frustrating sometimes! Always thinking you’re so smart and that I’m always wrong!”

“That’s because you never think before you do anything!” Yuki spat, bristling like a cat at the comment. “You’ve always been that way and you’ve always got in trouble for it!”

“Well if you’re so smart, explain to me how I was able to turn into a giant, fire-breathing wolf!”

Yuki blinked, taken aback. “A giant, fire-breathing….what?”

Rika’s face reddened in embarrassment as she realized her blunder. She pushed her two index fingers together shamefully. “Uhhh….I guess I haven’t been exactly honest with you about how we got out of that scrape with the snake.”

“RIKA TELL ME WHAT…OW!”

Both twins fell back into their chairs, clutching their heads painfully. Takuya stood between them, fist still clenched from punching both their skulls. “I think that’s enough sharing between the two of you for now. Not until you both cool your heads a bit.”

He moved back to his seat, just as Emi crawled back up onto Rika’s lap. “Better?”

“A bit.” Rika smiled. “Sorry I was so loud.”

Yuki glanced at them with slight envy, her blood still boiling. So Rika was hiding something from her. And from the sound of it, something big. Yuki felt her hands clench into tight fists in her lap. “Why would she not tell me?”

“Look, maybe it would make more sense if I start in the beginning.” Takuya suggested, sensing the tension was still thick between the bickering twins. Both girls nodded, but refused to make eye contact with one another.

“Ooookay. So like I said, the gods exist and all that other annoying crap, but the important thing is not that they exist, it’s how they exist. Gods aren’t like humans. They live through the prayers and beliefs of the humans that worship them. It’s their life force. So once a god or goddess is forgotten, they cease to exist any longer. Make sense?”

“Absolutely not.” Yuki wanted to shout, but held her tongue.

“From what I was told, Zeus, the god of the sky and thunder, decided he wanted to be the one sole god amongst the humans. So he started getting his followers to kill any people caught praying to other gods.”

“That’s horrible.” Rika murmured sadly, hugging Emi close to her.

Takuya nodded. “Due to the massacres that followed, most of the gods realized that the only way they could survive was by having smaller portions of humans worship them in secret. To do this, most of them went down to Earth and had relations with humans, making sure their offspring knew to pray to them and pass on their name to the future generations.”

“Let me guess,” Yuki remarked sarcastically, “This is where you come in?”

Takuya nodded. “Both Emi and I are the offspring of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. So naturally Zeus would want to have us eliminated. I imagine somehow one of his agents found out about Emi’s mother and reported it.”

“What about you?” Rika asked. “If they know about Emi, surely they know about you too?”

“If they know, I’m unaware of it.” Takuya answered, taking out his gun to examine. “The only reason I even got involved tonight was because my father asked me to check up on her. I imagine Aphrodite was aware of a possible assassin coming her way and wanted someone to protect Emi. Tonight was the first time I had even heard about a half sister existing near us.”

“How long have you known about all this?” Rika continued curiously. Takuya placed the gun down with an unsettled expression.

“My father decided I needed to know who my real mother was during my freshman year of high school.” Takuya answered, sounding bitter. “He said I was old enough to understand the reason why I was born and that it was time to give thanks. In other words, it was time for me to start praying to Aphrodite.”

“If all this is true….” Yuki spoke up grudgingly. “And Zeus really does kill any humans that pray to a different god, then doesn’t your father telling you put you at risk?”

For the first time Takuya shot her a smile. A grim one, but still a smile. “My father felt I was already in danger with having her blood in me. I might as well up hold to our side of the bargain. Of course I wasn’t pleased. What kid would be? Finding out you had a different mother than the woman who raised you and then telling me I had to pray to this woman even though she’s done nothing for me except put my family in danger? No, I was not happy.”

“Wait, if they find out who you are, they’ll kill your family also?” Rika asked, horrified.

“That’s how it works.” Takuya answered, clearly already used to the setup. “When a human makes a contract with a god, the human is obliged to pray to them along with their family. In my case, my father agreed to sire a child with Aphrodite if she would be able to help my mother bear a child of their own. Apparently they had been trying for years without any luck. If Aphrodite was able to help, then both him and my mother promised to be unconditional followers of Aphrodite.”

“Okay, let’s back things up a bit.” Yuki pleaded, rubbing her aching head as she tried to comprehend all this bizarre information. “These gods are trying to get followers to stay alive, right? I’m sorry, but I don’t know of anyone that is still praying to any Greek gods in this day and age!”

Takuya turned to her in surprise. “You don’t realize it yet?”

“Realize what?” Yuki wasn’t used to such a tone being used on her, like she was a child who didn’t understand a simple solution.

“People all around the world pray to Zeus every day.” Takuya explained. “Though we know him now as just God, not Zeus.”

“Wait….are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Yuki asked, bewildered.

“That the God that Christians all around the world pray to…” Rika continued.

“Yes…” Takuya finished. “That God is none other than Zeus.”

A stunned silence followed this statement. No one really knowing what to say. Even Emi was quiet as she started to doze off again in Rika’s lap. Yuki glanced sideways at her and saw Rika looking down at the toddler with a forlorn expression, as if she just realized how desperate the little child’s situation was.

“What do you do if God himself is trying to kill you?” Yuki wondered, hating that she was starting to believe all this. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she suddenly heard her sister speak.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to Emi.” Rika said, clutching the ruby necklace at her chest determinedly. “I don’t care who is after her! I just need to use this!”

“Hold up Rika!” Yuki interrupted. “Let’s not jump the gun just yet. I know you care about Emi but this is starting to get a little over our heads. “I can’t have Rika going off and getting herself killed by a god over a kid we hardly even know!” Yuki reached over and took hold of the pendant. “What is this thing anyway?”

“It's supposed to be a protection device.” Takuya answered, fiddling in his jacket pocket. “I don’t know much about them- only that I also have one.” He pulled out a silver chain with a beautiful, diamond shaped sapphire attached to it. The same Greek symbols were engraved in the outline of the pendant. “My father gave this to me when I was very young, asking me to always keep it on me. Later I learned it was a gift from my real mother.” He set the gem on the table so Rika and Yuki could have a closer look.

“It’s so pretty.” Yuki had never been one to obsess over jewelry but even she could tell there was something special about the gem. Her hand reached out to touch it and she was shocked to feel how cold it was. “It feels like ice.”

“Since I’ve never been targeted before, I’ve never had to use it. Not that it matters much anyway.” Takuya added with annoyance. “Once I found out I was probably going to be a future target for some crazy god, I instantly went into law enforcement so I could be around weapons 24/7. Like I would trust my life with some stone given to me by a mother I never even met.” He glanced at the stone distastefully, as Yuki held it up to the light. “Tonight was the first time I’ve seen one activate.”

“What do you mean by 'activate?” Yuki asked, setting the gem back down. She watched as Takuya glanced at Rika, who in turn, looked down uneasily. Yuki glowered.

“Rika, explain! Does this have anything to do about that giant, fire-breathing wolf nonsense?”

Rika stroked her fingers through her long ponytail. “It’s not nonsense. It’s the truth.” She faced her twin and Yuki felt like she was staring at a different person. One that was not the fun, laid back sister she had sat with at the daycare. “When trying to protect Emi from that snake monster, something strange happened. This…” She held out the ruby necklace. “Started glowing and flames erupted from it, consuming me and then changing me into a giant, white wolf.”

“That can...breathe fire?”

Rika nodded. “I could breathe fire. I burned the snake pretty badly, but Takuya came and fired the bullet that ultimately killed it.”

Yuki clutched her head, knowing deep down that Rika could never come up with a lie that bizarre. Actually, Rika couldn’t really lie in general. “So then...this is all true?” She turned to Takuya, who nodded a confirmation.

She sat back in her chair, hand still closed over the blue gemstone. For the first time since this all started, she couldn’t think of anything to say. All this talk about gods and manhunts and weird transformations just made it feel like she had just been sent into another world. A world where she was useless.

She wanted out. She wanted to take Rika and leave all this craziness behind. Leave the child with her demigod half brother and let them deal with this. Rika and her were just normal girls, trying to live normal lives. Why did fate decide to get them involved?

It wasn’t fate, a small voice inside her spoke. Rika chose to protect Emi. She put herself out there and now that she has powers, she feels it’s her responsibility to watch over the child. “That’s right.” Yuki had to agree. “Rika is always like that, bearing responsibility over things she has no control over. It’s annoying.”

But you don’t have anything keeping you here, the voice continued. You have your own goals to worry about.

“I do.” Yuki agreed. She didn’t have time for any of this. Not when it didn’t involve her. There was only one thing staining her resolve.

“Rika.”

“Yes?’

Yuki blinked, realizing she had spoken aloud. Her sister was staring at her worriedly. “Yuki are you okay? You got really quiet. I know this is a bit much. Do you need water?”

Yuki roughly nudged her away. “I’m fine! It’s just a lot to take in.” She took a deep breath, trying to keep her thoughts in order. “Okay...now that we know what’s going on. What happens next?” She asked, turning to Takuya. “I imagine you have some sort of plan in mind?”

Takuya nodded. “I do. Emi will come with me for now. I already checked her place out before I came to the daycare and it’s been ransacked. No sign of anyone. So she can’t return there. Because of the danger involved with her, she won’t be able to go to a usual facility for orphaned children due to the risks of someone getting hurt. My Dad and I will most likely take her to a secret group dedicated to worshipping Aphrodite. We can keep her there while we try to contact the goddess.”

“Looks like we aren’t needed after all.” Yuki felt a surge of relief. None of what he mentioned involved them. She stole a glance at Rika and saw she looked less than pleased about the plan.

“Are you sure Emi will be safe staying with a bunch of strangers?” Rika asked, clutching the sleeping child to her chest protectively. “Think about how frightened she’ll be! How do you know they have the means to protect her if something attacks?” As she spoke, the ruby necklace gave a soft glow as if it was in agreement.

“Rika, I’m sure she’ll be…” Yuki attempted to calm her, but instead her twin turned to her with eyes blazing.

“How do you know?!” Rika snapped. “We have no way of knowing if she’s fine or not!”

“It’s not our job to worry about her!” Yuki shouted, frustration bubbling over.

“IT’S MY JOB TO PROTECT HER!” Rika growled, her eyes suddenly appearing feral as her necklace gave a bright red glow. Yuki stepped back, wondering if her sister would actually transform in front of her. But just as this thought entered her head, Takuya suddenly appeared between the two sisters, facing Rika.

Without a word, he rested a hand on top of Rika’s head. She blinked in surprise, her rage momentarily forgotten as his calm words drifted over her. “I promise Emi won’t be alone. I’ll stay with her until our mother returns.”

Slowly Rika seemed to return to normal as the worry she had built up subsided at his simple promise. Yuki watched the display with a mixture of bewilderment and anger. But before anyone could speak further, there came a loud knock on the door.

All heads turned towards the door. Takuya moved away from Rika, calling over his shoulder. “You two stay put and hide Emi.”

As Rika crouched down to the floor, cradling the sleeping toddler, Yuki stood and watched as Takuya opened the door. A handsome, young man with styled blonde hair stood on the other side, smiling brightly while holding a tray of steaming cups of tea.

“Delivery!” He announced flamboyantly. Even from her position, Yuki could tell Takuya was wearing his signature scowl.

“Who are you?” Takuya asked, ignoring the tray before him. Yuki squinted, trying to make out the stranger’s features. His blonde hair was swept to the side, revealing handsome, blue eyes. He wore a simple white button up and slacks. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“New administrative assistant Haruto Kaneko at your service!” Haruto replied with a peppy salute.

“Right…” Takuya answered slowly. “Well as you can see I’m busy at the moment…”

“Oh wait! At least take the refreshments!” Haruto begged, eagerly pushing the tray towards Takuya. “ They’re courtesy of Chief Yamamoto!”

“Your dad is the chief of police?” Rika piped up in surprise.

“What did you think?!” Yuki snapped. “The station is named after them!”

Takuya growled in annoyance and attempted to block them from the newcomer. Unfortunately, he was too late.

“Oh my!!!!” Haruto exclaimed, his blue eyes lighting up as his gaze fell on the two girls behind Takuya. “Looks like you have quite an interrogation going on back there. Two girls, twins for that matter and….what’s this…?” Emi had just woken up and had pulled herself over Rika’s shoulder, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Is that a baby I see?”

Before he could speak further, a pistol was suddenly pointed at his face.

“What are you doing?!” Rika shouted as Yuki gasped in shock.

“I told you. I shoot anything I find suspicious.” Takuya answered, eyes narrowing at Haruto. “And this guy is definitely suspicious.”

Despite the situation he was in, Haruto seemed quite unfazed. “Ahh, it's an attitude like that that gives cops a bad name." He winked at Takuya, smiling. "Maybe it's time for you to see the light!"

Within a split second a pair of pure white wings erupted from Haruta’s back. Before he could react, a gust of wind blew out of the wings and blasted into Takuya, knocking him off his feet and across the room. His body slammed into the two-way mirror with a sickening crack, glass splintering the air.

“Yamamoto!” Rika shrieked.

“Get down you idiot!” Yuki exclaimed, pulling Rika to the ground as glass fell. Emi howled at the commotion, tears running down her face again as the tired toddler tried to make sense of what was going on. As Rika tried to console her, Yuki felt something heavy hit the top of her head. “Glass?” Her hand went up to check for blood, but felt a chain tangled in her hair. She pulled it out and discovered it was Takuya’s sapphire pendant. “It must have gotten knocked off the table by the wind.” She slipped it over her neck, she looked up to see a winged Haruto standing before them.

“My! Oh my! Quite the commotion going on in here, isn’t there?” Haruto commented brightly, his wings folded casually over his back. He waltzed over to the three girls, flipping his blonde hair back. “Let’s just get this over with! Places to go, things to see!”

Rika gave a feral growl, handing the still sniffling Emi to Yuki and standing protectively in front of them. “Back off!”

He paused, hands raised defensively. “Now, now, there’s really no need for unnecessary violence. Why the hostility?!”

Rika glared. “Says the person who just blew my friend through a glass wall!”

“Well to be fair, he did point a gun at me first.”

“He does have a point.” Yuki couldn’t help agreeing. “Still it seems like Takuya’s instincts were right on the mark about this one.” She stiffened a curse, as Emi struggled to get out of her arms. “Why does this kid not like me holding her?”

“Only because he knows you’re one of Zeus’ minions!” Rika argued. “ And we know you want Emi! There’s no way we’re letting your filthy angel hands get a hold of her!”

“Angel?” The smile slipped from Haruto’s face. “Angel! Why….WHY DOES EVERYONE ALWAYS THINK I’M AN ANGEL?” He slammed both fists on the table top, clearly distraught.

Rika’s defensive stance faltered. She glanced at Yuki, who also found the minion’s behavior rather odd. Yuki cleared her throat. “Ahem….could it be possible that your….wings….have something to do with the misinterpretation?”

Haruto lifted his head, sending her a dark glare that viciously contrasted with his earlier upbeat attitude. “My wings are far more majestic than any fabricated harpy monstrosity your holy book has spewed out. I am the true prince of the skies! One that no other can even compare to. Oh, if you could actually see my true form, you would know I am not some abstract angel. No, I am pure perfection!” He lifted his face and hands to the sky dramatically at the end of his speech.

“But alas, that day will not come for I will….HEY WHERE DID THEY GO!” Haruto’s eyes widened as he realized the three figures had slowly crept away towards the door. “How dare you walk away while I’m talking!” He shot his hand out, forcing a gust of wind to spew out towards them

“Eeep!’ Yuki shrieked, falling backwards into Rika as the wind forcibly slammed the door shut.

Both twins turned fearfully at the now annoyed Haruto that stood in front of them, wings outstretched in attack mode. Haruto crossed his arms irritatedly. “Really! I expected better manners than this. But enough chit chat, it’s obvious you two will be no fun to play with attitudes like that. Just give me the girl and I can be on my way.”

“She’s not going anywhere!” Rika growled, once again moving in front of Yuki and Emi. The ruby necklace around her neck started to glow dark red. A sly smirk crept along Haruto’s face.

“Aww..so you’re one of those.”

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Haruto faltered, his body stumbling over as three bullets fired into his back. Rika and Yuki gasped, as a bleeding Takuya appeared over the broken two way mirror, gun aimed at the winged man. “RUN!” He ordered.

“You heard him!” Yuki grabbed Rika, pulling her out the door as her other hand held on to Emi.

As they slid into the hallway, Yuki felt her sister jerk her arm away, hesitating. “Rika! What are you doing? We have to get out of here!”

Rika had her head turned back from where they came, body tense in concentration. Yuki fidgeted impatiently, still trying to hold on to a wiggling Emi. “Come on Rika! Didn’t she realize how much danger we were in?”

Her sister’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. “I have to go back! Yamamoto is in trouble!”

“Wait! Wait! Hold up! You can’t….” “Yuki tried to reach for Rika as she held up her ruby, readying herself to transform. While Emi, who had enough of being ignored and being woken up constantly, was now clawing at Yuki’s arms, trying to get out of her hold. She could see flames already starting to revolve around her twin, devouring her. “No….” Emi wailed, biting Yuki’s arm. “Don’t leave me alone again.”

“STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!” Yuki screamed, just as the flames died down. A giant wolf stood in front of her. Yuki's arms went limp releasing Emi.

“Ruff Ruff Rika!” Emi trilled, waddling up to the white beast and hugging it’s snout.

“That’s… really Rika?” It was one thing hearing about the transformation. It was another thing to see it in real life. The wolf’s yellow gaze fell on Yuki, sending shivers down her spine as she thought just how easy it would be for Rika to just devour her. Yuki swallowed, bracing herself. “No...she’s still my sister.”

Yuki stood up on shaky legs, positioning her glasses. “Rika….you promised me you wouldn’t leave….you…” She faltered. Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was useless. Because despite her sister’s promise, deep down Yuki knew that she was the only one who could have a chance to help Yamamoto.

“I hate the guy, but…” Yuki’s hands clenched into angry fists as she fought to sort her feelings. “...but it would be wrong to leave him to die.” She felt angry tears prick at her eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I want Rika to go!”

Rika lifted her head away from the toddler, moving till her snout was inches away from Yuki. Her pointed ears fell back submissively. She opened her mouth.

“Wait!!!” Yuki held up her hand, pushing against Rika’s black nose. “I know I said that, but logically speaking….you’re the only one that can help him.”

“But I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll watch over Emi for you.”

“What am I saying? Watch over her? The kid hates my guts!”

Rika’s ears perked up in surprise. “Are you sure?”

It was unsettling to hear her sister’s voice in a body that wasn’t truly hers. “Just go!”

“Rika no!” Emi wailed, flinging herself on top of the wolf’s snout. “No leave!”

With a pained look, Rika lifted Emi up and allowed the small child to fall from her snout into Yuki’s waiting arms. Yuki quickly grabbed the toddler by the middle as she fought to go back to Rika. The white wolf turned away sadly, causing Emi’s screams to increase in volume.

“I’m sorry.” Rika said, before quickly dashing off around the corner.

“WAHHHH!” Emi screamed, throwing herself on the floor and sobbing.

“Emi come on. We need to find the exit!” Yuki bent down to grab her hand but the toddler yanked her arm away violently, sending the teen a death glare.

“No!” She replied, shaking her head viciously. “I want Rika!”

“Well she’s not here. So you’re going to have to deal with me.”

“NOOOOOOO!” Yuki screamed, fists hitting the floor dramatically.

“How has no one heard us yet?” Yuki wondered, covering her ears at the display. She took a deep breath, trying to keep it together. “Okay, up you go.” She grabbed Emi and flopped her over her shoulder. The child continued to scream, hitting Yuki’s back with her fists as she hurried down the hallway.

“Why doesn’t this kid like me?” Yuki wondered, her kicking feet grazing her cheek painfully.

“Because she knows you would care less what happens to her?” The voice inside her whispered. Yuki shook her head.

“That’s not true.” Yuki defended herself, but felt the voice getting stronger as it continued.

“It’s because of her you and Rika are in this predicament. You had a plan for your life, a goal, a dream and now...the future is unclear. Your precious twin is running off, risking her life for one spoiled child. Your control over her has vanished in the wind. You control nothing now.”

“STOP IT!” Yuki gasped, almost running into a pair of metal doors. She gave a sigh of relief as she realized she knew where they were. “The main office should be through these doors.” Yuki pulled them open and instantly found out why no one had heard Emi’s tantrum. The room was in chaos. The silent office they had passed earlier was in disarray, papers flying everywhere and people scrambling about as gusts of wind knocked over filing cabinets and caused complete disorder.

“Someone close a window!”

“Is there a typhoon outside?!”

“At this time of year?!”

“This is definitely the work of Haruto.” Yuki thought wirely, trying to keep her glasses from being blown away while still holding a wiggling Emi. “He obviously didn’t want anyone to interfere.” Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as a computer crashed down next to them. Yuki shrieked, running back into the hallway.

She collapsed on her knees, clutching her frantically beating heart. “That….was….way too close!”

As she caught her breath, Emi slid off her shoulder and pointed up at the ceiling. “Up!”

“Up?” Yuki glanced up at the ceiling, which looked pretty normal. Same white tiles and fluorescent lights as any other office building. “Wait….” Yuki strained her ears. “Is that….squeaking up there?”

The metal opening to the ventilation ducts fell to the floor with a loud clatter a few feet away from them. Yuki stared in shock as the head of a dog-sized white mouse poked its head through. Its pink nose sniffed the air, beady black eyes gazing around the hallway. As its gaze fell on Yuki and Emi, Emi gave a happy shriek.

“Mousey!” The mouse gave a startled squeak, ducking back into the vents.

“Well that was anticlimactic….Well good job, I guess.” Yuki reluctantly congratulated the toddler. “You scared it away.”

She realized she had spoken too soon. Suddenly the roof above them trembled and the squeaking sounds seemed to triple in volume. A second later the giant mouse appeared again, dropping out of the vent and onto the floor. Above it, more mice appeared, following its lead. Yuki’s jaw dropped, as the hallway started to fill up with a horde of gigantic white mice. All their beady eyes locked on one target.

Them.