A Companion for Life (Part 6 / Final)
#2 of Companion
A Companion for Life (Part 6 / Final)
A little note about this chapter. I had finished this a long time ago, but after reading a book about how to write novels... I began to think slightly different. This caused me to rewrite this chapter many times (some parts of this chapter are drastically different than the original draft).
Charlie's attention went from the library book in his hand to the person standing in front of him. It was an old Japanese man holding a wooden cane in his left hand. "Yes?"
The man took a seat across from Charlie. "I hope I'm not interrupting your studies." He had a deep accent.
"It's fine." Charlie shut the book. "I was just reading this book on the history of Doubu."
"I'm sure it must be a brief history." The man laughed.
"Yeah, but the man who wrote it seemed to know what he was talking about, despite it being written only ten years after Doubu were discovered. Do you know about this book?"
The man chuckled. "I am very familiar with it, yes. I wrote it."
Charlie practically jumped from his seat. "You're Daisuke Yamada!?" Charlie shook his head. "No... there's no way the most important man in the Doubu community would come here."
"Unless I had reason to, right?" Daisuke slowly got to his feet. "Walk with me. There's something I'd like to talk to you about." Daisuke started to pace away, leaving Charlie in disbelief. He quickly packed his books and followed him.
It was a cool November morning. The majority of the students were either still sleeping or in class. Charlie's class didn't start for another hour. He remained silent as he walked to the side of Daisuke.
"How are your studies going?" Daisuke asked without stopping.
"It's going fine..."
"Good. Good." Daisuke nodded his head. "What is it that you are majoring?"
"I decided to focus on studying the biology of the Doubu."
"Oh? What made you decide this?"
"Well... I'm interested in figuring what their origins are." Daisuke's raised a curious brow. "Did they evolve from other animals? Did a mutation occur? It's a mystery that I want to solve."
"That's quite ambitious of you." Daisuke stopped walking. "But don't you think that some things are better off being a mystery? Sometimes it is what's unknown that makes it more admirable."
"Yeah, but pursuing the unknown is what leads us to finding the answers."
Daisuke chuckled. "And what if you don't like what you find? You'll find yourself having less determination to go on than you did before you discovered the truth. Is that what you want?"
Charlie was silent. "Why do you think the truth will be bad? Neither you nor I actually know..." Charlie's eyes went wide as a smirk formed on his face. "You already know the answer... don't you?"
Daisuke started walking again. "Perhaps I do."
"Then please! You have to-"
"I'm not just going to reveal the answer to you; it's something you have to work for."
"I know you didn't come here just to tease me. What do you want?"
"Ah yes... I almost forgot." Daisuke turned around and looked at Charlie with serious eyes. "I am aware of what your lab has been doing recently."
"What?" Charlie didn't know what exactly Daisuke was talking about.
"From the reports your lab has been submitting it is obvious to me that you possess more than the Doubu that came from Tokyo..."
Charlie started to sweat a bit. Where was this conversation going? Was something going to happen to the lab; all because of the Doubu he and Arthur had found?
"It seems your lab possesses a Doubu egg."
"Egg?" Charlie said in disbelief. "The lab didn't have a Doubu egg while I was there."
"I am aware of that. It's only been recently that they've been submitting data they should not be able to acquire." Daisuke paused for a few seconds. "You do not realize how much trouble your lab and your peers are in for not reporting the finding of that Doubu egg."
Charlie's eyes widened.
"Even though I am head of the Tokyo lab, I have no jurisdiction over what happens to the Doubu here in the U.S." Charlie started to relax. "I can inform the main U.S. lab in Dallas about this, but I'd rather have this settled in a different way..." Daisuke smiled. "Which is why I am here talking to you... If Dallas discovers that your lab was in the possession of a Doubu egg, they will immediately shut it down and everyone affiliated with the lab will be stripped of their right to research Doubu. However..."
"What!? However what!?" Charlie was starting to panic.
"If you do something for me I'll forget all about it..."
"What do you want me to do?" Charlie didn't think twice. He knew Daisuke has the influence to convince the Dallas lab to do what he wanted. At least by going along with what he had planned would be better than him and the others losing their rights to study the Doubu.
"I want you to go back to your lab and make it so that you don't have an egg anymore." Charlie immediately had a confused look on his face, making Daisuke sigh. "I want you to hatch the egg."
"What? But Arthur and the others will be furious with me!"
"Is that not better than the alternative?" Daisuke smirked.
Charlie closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"There are two ways I see this ending... If you make the right choice I will tell you the origin of the Doubu." Charlie looked at Daisuke. He could see that Daisuke was serious about what he was saying. "If you make the wrong choice... then you're on your own." Daisuke reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a card. He held in out to Charlie using both hands to grab both sides.
Charlie cautiously took it. He examined it. It was a business card for the Tokyo lab. Both English and Japanese text was written on it. He turned it around and noticed a number written in pen.
"Call me when you've settled it... Daisuke turned around and started walking away. "If I don't hear from you before the New Year, I will let Dallas know."
Charlie watched Daisuke move further and further away from him. He looked at the number and added it as a contact in his cell phone. He took a deep gulp and looked up at the sky. He only had a few weeks to do something.
Charlie knew that he had the most to lose from all of this. He'll lose his career if he doesn't do anything, and he'll lose the trust of Arthur and the other's if he does do what Daisuke says.
"What do I do?" Charlie groaned.
Charlie punched another dent into the metal door. "I know exactly what to do now!" He couldn't contain his excitement as he walked past Adam and Eve, both stepped back to avoid getting his way. "I'll get to enjoy the sights, indulge in Japanese culture, and pay that bastard back for what he did!"
Charlie bent down in front of his now demolished desk to pick up his cell phone. He dialed Sam's number. After a few rings the other side picked up. "Hey Sam! I think I've found a solution to helping your brother!" Charlie smirked.
Sam sighed as he walked into the apartment after returning from another evening at the hospital. Almost immediately he was met by a strong squeeze as he saw himself engulfed by black fur. "How was your day, Jet?" Sam asked with a gasp.
Jet released his grip on Sam and smiled. "We read another book today!"
"Really?" Sam counted in his mind how many books that left the two. Every now and then he would buy them a bunch of harmless books that were on sale, but they read them faster than he supplied them. "Are you going to read another tomorrow?" Jet nodded his head. Sam looked past Jet and saw Snow sitting in her feral form.
"How was your day, Snow?" He got no response. Ever since Snow came home with them she's been very distant with Sam. Despite his best efforts, he just couldn't get her to interact with him. All she would do is stare at Sam.
Sam whispered into Jet's ear, "Ask her if she liked the book she read."
"Did you like the book, Snow?" Jet asked with a smile.
Snow's ears went up. "Yes. It was very enjoyable." She smiled.
Sam smiled hearing her response, although he wished he didn't have to speak through Jet to get an answer from her. He's tried to bond with her since Charlie gave her to him almost three months ago, but nothing seemed to work. He tried playing tag a few times with both of them on the roof, but it would always end in one of two ways; either he and Jet would play and Snow would watch, or he would watch Jet and Snow chase each other. It was more often the latter.
Tomorrow was the start of the weekend. He would try once again to get close with her.
"Time to get ready for bed, you two." Jet's ears went down from the realization of what time it was. He didn't object as he rushed down around the corner down the hall. Snow quickly followed. Sam stretched his arms and legs as he walked down the hall.
After brushing his teeth Sam entered his room. In the corner he could see that Jet and Snow were already falling asleep. Since Snow came Jet went from sleeping on the bed with Sam to sleeping on some pillows with Snow. Sam would have let both of them sleep on his bed, but they both couldn't fit.
And it wasn't as though Snow wanted to in the first place.
Sam turned off the lights and got into bed. He could barely see the silhouette of the two Doubu. "Good night" he said as he rolled to his side.
"Night..." Jet said softly.
When Sam woke up the next morning he saw that Jet and Snow were still asleep. He quietly got out of bed and walked out. One thing he picked up since bringing back Snow was learning how to cook things other than hotdogs. He'd help his mom cook breakfast in the morning and eventually started cooking breakfast for the family on the weekends. Today he was cooking scrambled eggs with sausage and bacon.
Like clockwork, when the aroma of the food spread throughout the apartment Jet and Snow appeared. Jet would peer over Sam's shoulder to get a look. "You know you won't get any food unless you sit down." Sam said playfully. Jet's ears went up and he quickly took his spot at the table. Snow said nothing and took a seat next to Jet. Sam was glad that she would participate in eating with everyone at the table, but he suspected it was just because Jet did it.
Sam filled two plates with food and cut all of it into pieces. He served the two the food. Jet took his fork and started eating. Snow took a fork and starting eating hers slowly. She insisted on using a fork to eat her food when she saw Jet doing it months ago. It only confirmed Sam's suspicions of her wanting to do everything Jet did. It reminded Sam of when Jet first used a fork. Snow was still getting used to it though, but she would learn how be adept at it with time.
Sam's parents soon came in after smelling the food themselves. Sam served them each a plate before grabbing one for himself.
Jet and Snow rested on the couch while Sam cleaned the dishes with his mom. "It's Spring Break for you isn't it? Do you have anything planned?" She asked as she dried one of the plates and placed it back into the cupboard.
"Not sure yet..." He handed her another clean plate to dry. "But I'll think of something..." Sam suddenly became distracted when he heard his cell phone ringing from his room. "Be right back." Sam dried his hands and went to his room.
Sam looked at the number. There was no name attached to it, but it seemed familiar. "Hello?"
"Hey Sam!" Sam immediately recognized the voice as Charlie's. "I think I've found a solution to helping your brother!" Sam almost dropped his cell phone in surprise.
"Really!?" Sam was ecstatic. "You mean you've made a cure?"
"Almost... I just need to do one more thing in order to finish it."
"What's that?"
"Well I have to go to the Tokyo lab; they have something there that can't be found anywhere else."
"So you're going to Japan. That's cool. You should call when you get back and tell me how it went."
"Actually..." Charlie paused. "I was wondering if you had ever wanted to go to Japan."
"Huh?" Sam was surprised. "Well sure. I mean... Japan isn't my number one choice for where I'd like to visit, but yeah; it would be cool to go there someday."
"When's your next break?"
"Spring Break just started, but..."
"Prefect! I'll book you, Jet, and Snow a flight to Los Angles. We'll meet up there and then head to Tokyo."
"Hold on Charlie! Don't you think this is short notice? I mean you don't even need me to come with you to Tokyo."
"Actually..." Charlie paused. "I might need your help."
"How?"
"Well... the Tokyo Lab is very stingy on giving away this resource. I could tell them why I need it myself, but they might not believe me."
"Why wouldn't they believe you?"
"Other people have tried to obtain it in sneaky ways... so they keep a tight lid on the stuff. However... if you were to come with me and explain the situation..."
"They might find the story more credible?"
"Exactly! What do you say?"
Sam thought to himself for a while. "Alright. I'll do it."
"Excellent. I'll email you the tickets later." Charlie hung up.
When Sam went back to the kitchen his mother had already finished the rest of the dishes. She looked at him and asked who had called him. Sam didn't answer her directly. Instead he responded "I know what I'm doing for Spring Break..."
"If it isn't too much to ask..." Adam said nervously as he and Eve watched Charlie close the phone with a smile. "Why must you use Sam like this?"
"Yamada is rarely ever seen at his own lab. He's only ever there when something important is going on, or if he has an appointment. Sam will be the one to lure him out."
"He'll see Sam?" Adam asked. "How do you know?"
"Because I know he feels guilt over the death of Sam's grandfather." Charlie remembered that bloody night when he barricaded himself from Snow. When Charlie told him what happened after he hatched the egg he sounded shocked...
"But he blames me for it!" Charlie shouted. "Before he hung up he told me that I deserved whatever was coming to me..." Charlie paused. He thought about the last words Daisuke said to him over the phone. "It would all be over in fifteen minutes." Charlie never did understand what those words meant. Was he predicting how long it would take for Snow to get to him? What else could it have meant? Charlie shook off the thought.
Charlie looked at the computer now lying on the ground. He placed it upright and created a new email account labeled [email protected] "Dear Mr. Daisuke Yamada..." Charlie read a few scattered lines to himself as he typed away. "I will be in Tokyo for the next few days... Your lab is one of the places I'm planning to visit... It would be great if I could meet you in person... my grandfather, Arthur Shepard, was very interested in Doubu and I've acquired that fascination from him... Please reply if you can meet me... Sincerely, Sam Shepard." Charlie smirked as he sent the email to the address on the card he had kept.
After booking six first class plane tickets to Los Angeles and another six to Tokyo he turned to face Adam and Eve who tensed up. "While Sam is distracting him the two of you will come with me." Charlie smirked. "We're going to find his little deposit of Doubu eggs, and claim some as our own... then I'll pay him back for what he did to Arthur, Doug, Julia, and Cynthia." Charlie clenched his right fist, not noticing that his fingernails had become much sharper than he remembered.
Sam's parents were very adamant about not letting Sam go to Japan. They didn't trust sending him across the Pacific with someone they barely knew. "Jet and Snow will be coming with me." Sam said, trying to assure them that he wouldn't be completely alone.
"Having two Doubu with you isn't going to make us feel better." Sam's mother said. "Traveling alone across the state is one thing, but going to another country that speaks a different language is another!"
"Why is this guy even paying for your trip anyways?" Sam's father asked. "Why is he being so generous to you?"
"Because he needs me." Sam said.
"Needs you for what?" Sam's father asked.
"Well... I'm helping him with a project."
"Is this project so important that he needs to pay for you to go all the way to Japan?" His father asked with suspicion.
"Yes." Sam said bluntly, catching his parents off guard.
"What are you two doing then?" Sam's mother asked.
Sam was unsure if he was allowed to tell them what exactly they were doing. "It's something that'll help Tyler... that's all I'm going to say." Suddenly his parents' expressions changed. They were no longer showing any sign of resistance, just shock.
"Something to help Tyler?" Sam's mother said in disbelief. "Help him how?"
"...It might fix his mind and body..." Sam said. He could see that his parents were getting excited by the thought of what would happen if Sam actually produced the cure. Sam turned his head and grinned. He knew that he had won this argument. He knew his parents weren't going to pass up the chance at helping Tyler. Sam wasn't the only one who wanted to see Tyler back on his feet again.
After a two hour flight to Los Angeles International Airport Sam, Jet, and Snow met up with Charlie, Adam, and Eve at the international terminal. As they were passing through customs Charlie checked the phony email address on his cell. To his surprise there was already a reply from Daisuke Yamada.
"Dear Sam.
I am pleased to hear that you are interested in Doubu.
I wouldn't want you to have come to Japan without getting the full experience of my lab.
I will be at the lab every day this week.
I look forward to meeting you.
-Daisuke Yamada."
Charlie couldn't believe that he had responded so quickly. He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of how well his plan was going.
After a ten hour flight they arrived at Narita International Airport at five in the afternoon. Sam had fallen asleep during the flight. When he woke up near the end of the flight he was a little surprised about how Charlie's hair had grown longer, and that his facial hair was growing out faster as well. Charlie went to the lavatory and looked at himself in a mirror. "I guess a side effect is increased hair growth." Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing a little shave and a haircut can't fix."
They rented a car with a GPS built in it to navigate around the city. Sam was expecting them to head to a hotel first, but Charlie told him that they were going to the lab first. "Why now?" Sam asked.
"It's better to do it now and get it over with so we can spend the rest of the week sightseeing." Charlie didn't look at Sam; he was too preoccupied driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side while driving on the left side of the street. It was very nerve-racking to him. "I'm going to drop you off at the lab. Go to the front desk and tell the person you're here to see Daisuke Yamada."
"Daisuke Yamada?"
"Yes. He's the head of the Tokyo lab. I got you a meeting with him."
"Seriously!?" Sam was surprised. "Why would he want to see me?"
"I told him you were very interested in Doubu..." Charlie made sure not to tell Sam he had used his name. "When he sees that you have two Doubu of your own he'll believe it. Just go along with whatever he says; you'll probably end up talking about what you like about Doubu, how long you've had one and other stuff like that."
"Alright, but when will you be coming?" Sam asked.
"...Not for a while... You see... Yamada and I don't exactly get along. We kind of had a falling out when we met so I don't think me being there will help you get on his good side."
"And that's why you actually needed me, huh?" Sam looked very annoyed at having been lied to. "You could have mentioned that before instead of waiting until now."
"Sorry." Charlie chuckled. "I just didn't know if you were one of those people who fear talking to someone important all alone."
"And what about the resource you need? What do you want me to do about that?"
"Just get Yamada to like you. I'll work on getting the resource, but the decision will come down to Yamada."
"Sounds easy enough." Sam sighed. He wondered what the man was going to have him listen to.
The sun was setting when he, Jet, and Snow were dropped off at the lab. At the front desk was a Japanese girl. "Excuse me?" Sam said as he approached the desk.
<Yes?>
"Yeah, hi. I'm here to see Daisuke Yamada."
"Are you American?" She asked. Sam nodded his head. "My English isn't the best. But I'll try to help you."
"You speak Japanese and English? That's cool." Sam had never tried to learn two languages.
The girl smiled. "You said you are to see Daisuke Yamada?" Sam nodded his head. "Give me a moment..." She picked up the phone. After a few seconds she started speaking Japanese. <Grandfather, there is someone here to see you.> She listened to the other end for a few seconds. She looked at Sam. "What is your name?"
"Sam Shepard."
<A Sam Shepard is here to see you.> She listened for a few more seconds before hanging up. "He will be right down." She smiled to Sam.
"Why does she speak weird, Sam?" Jet asked out of curiosity.
His words seemed to surprise the girl. <How can you be talking with the collar on? Is it broken?> She looked at Jet curiously.
Sam had no idea what she had just said. "She's speaking a different language Jet."
"Why?" Jet asked.
"Because it's the language she grew up with."
Jet approached the girl. "Is it hard speaking another language?"
<Amazing! I have never heard a Doubu speak English so fluently before! And he's very cute!" She rubbed the top of Jet's head. Jet didn't get his answer, and Sam chuckled.
Moments later an old man came down with a cane in his left hand. He looked to the girl. <Ayame, where is Sam Shepard?> Ayame held out her arm to direct his focus onto Sam. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." They shook hands.
"I see you have met my lovely granddaughter, Ayame."
"Yes. She speaks English very well."
Ayame shook her head with embarrassment. "Oh no! I still have much to learn!" Daisuke noticed that her cheeks were starting to turn red. He chuckled.
<You think he's cute don't you?"> Daisuke laughed.
<Grandfather! Don't say that out loud!>
<Why not? It's not like he understands what we're saying now.>
<That's not the point!> Ayame started getting flustered. She briefly looked at Sam, but quickly averted his gaze.
"What are they saying Sam?" Jet asked in his ear.
"I have no idea Jet. Perhaps we should take up Japanese..."
After Daisuke and Ayame conversed more in Japanese Ayame walked back to her spot behind the desk. Daisuke turned to smile at Sam. "Why don't we head to my office to talk. Ayame will join us later."
"Sounds alright to me." Sam said. He waved goodbye to Ayame as he followed Daisuke.
Around the corner, watching through the glass doors, Charlie smirked as he watched Sam walk off with Daisuke. When they disappeared down the hallway he entered the building. He approached Ayame.
Ayame looked up to see Charlie coming. "Hello. Are you American?"
"Yes I am."
"How may I help you then?"
"I'm curious to see where the Doubu eggs are kept."
"I'm sorry... the lab is going to be closing soon, so you really won't be able to see much."
"It's alright. Could you please show me where it is so I'll know where to go tomorrow."
Ayame thought about it for a moment. She looked at the clock. It was ten minutes until she was supposed to lock the main entrance. She shrugged her shoulders and got up. "Give me a moment..." She approached the front door. She turned a key, making it so people could leave but not enter. "Follow me please." She smiled.
"It's strange. You're the second American today to come in with two Doubu."
Charlie chuckled. "Is that so?"
Charlie kept a small distance between him and Ayame as he followed her. Adam and Eve followed closely behind him. Eve looked at Adam and noticed he was acting very strange. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but..." he sniffed the air. "Doesn't something here seem familiar?"
"This is where all Doubu come from." Eve said. "We probably came from here too."
Adam shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about... something around here is making me feel odd... I've never felt like this before..."
Eve didn't understand what he was talking about. Perhaps he really was sensing something, but only because of his superior sense of smell over hers. As they continued walking closer to their destination, Adam was starting to become a bit restless. Eve inhaled through her nose and her eyes widened. Her body felt like it had just been surged with electricity. Is this what Adam was feeling?
"This area is called the garden." Ayame said as they approached a large window. "It's the very center of this lab."
Charlie approached the window a peaked through. It lived up to its name. A large variety of flowers and bushes were inside. In between the plants he could see hundreds of eggs scattered about. Charlie chuckled. "They don't grow from the ground they do?"
Ayame laughed. "No. My grandfather decided to keep them here."
"I see... is there a way to get in?"
"Oh no! I would need my grandfather's permission before I let anyone in the garden."
"I see... well could you give this to him for me?" Charlie pulled out a card from his pocket.
"This is my grandfather's personal card... he rarely gives these out."
"Yes. I'm sure he would allow me to enter if he knew I was here."
"I'm sorry. But my grandfather is busy with someone right now and the lab is about to close."
"No problem. Just bring it to him. I'll stay here a little while longer before I find myself out."
"Are you sure you know the way back? If not there is an exit down that hallway."
"Thank you. I'll be fine."
"Have a good evening." Ayame bowed her head before she left carrying the card.
Charlie smirked as he turned back towards the garden. Glass windows surrounded the entire room, and the only way in seemed to be a large steel door. Charlie smirked as he cracked his knuckles.
"Please have a seat." Daisuke said as he closed the door to his office. Sam took sat down in one of two leather seats facing the desk. Jet and Snow shifted into their feral forms and lied down next to him. This allowed Daisuke to notice something. "Your Doubu possess a very unique fur pattern..." Daisuke looked down at the two as he walked past to his desk.
"Really? I didn't think there was anything special about the pattern."
Daisuke chuckled. "You've probably only seen a small number of Doubu, but I have seen tens of thousands of them. One thing I've noticed about each of them is that none of them possess any kind of fur pattern; their fur is a single color."
"Is it a big deal that they have a pattern?" Sam asked.
"Yes it is... but what amazes me is that you managed to find two Doubu with a fur pattern, both of which are very similar to each other."
"Yeah. They were both found in the same cave. I think they might be siblings."
"Siblings?" Daisuke started to laugh. "I'm afraid that's impossible. No two Doubu are blood related."
"You can't possibly be telling me that Doubu would only lay one egg in their lifetime." Daisuke laughed again. "What's so funny? Am I missing something here?"
"I'm sorry, Sam. I'm not laughing at you; I'm just amused by how different your suggestion is from the truth."
"Truth about what?"
Daisuke's amusement shifted into seriousness. "This is something I only share with those who truly care about Doubu. I would never tell this to any Doubu scientist, no matter how enthusiastic he or she may be about Doubu... I only share this with someone who truly has bonded with a Doubu; someone who hatched one."
"Is it something bad?"
"That depends on you. You may react to my story differently than someone who hasn't bonded with a Doubu." Daisuke quickly glanced at Jet and then to Snow. "...Although circumstances might make it more difficult for you."
Sam smirked. "I've had difficult moments in my life. A story isn't going to be a problem for me."
Daisuke smiled. "Very well... how much do you know about demons?" Sam shook his head, showing that he did know a thing. "Well there are many tales of demons in Japanese folklore. There's one in particular that interests me. It takes place over a thousand years ago on a day that seemed like any other. All of a sudden, however, thousands of demons emerged from the forests and started slaughtering the villagers."
"Sounds gruesome." Sam said.
"Yes. It took many by surprise by how much many of them resembled animals that they have seen in wild. They gave them the name Akuma Doubutsu, which is Japanese for demon animals. These demons attacked villages across Japan and feasted on blood of the villagers. It should have been simple to kill them since, after all, they were basically animals, but... they possessed something unique."
"What was it?" Sam asked, curious.
"The ability to fly..." Sam and Jet gave surprised looks. "They could sprout wings from their backs and fly like the birds. It made them even more dangerous." Daisuke paused for a moment and noticed Sam was still surprised by something. "It took time, but eventually the soldiers of Japan were able to kill off the majority of the demons."
"Majority?" Sam asked, snapping out of his previous thoughts. "What about the rest?"
"They seemed to realize that they would die if they remained in Japan, so the last of the demons flew east towards the rising sun. It's said that the demons became exhausted and crashed into the ocean below. Meanwhile, back in Japan, all those who were slain by the demons were buried in mass graves. This was a time before cremation was favored. The bodies of the demons, however, were burned in order to destroy their essence."
"Wow..." Sam tried to picture everything in his mind.
Daisuke smiled. "I used to be an archaeologist with a love of folklore. When I learned of this tale I wanted to see if there was any truth to it. I spent months trying to pinpoint where these ancient mass graves could be. When I finally pinpointed one I went alone to see if I was correct. I was, but I wasn't expecting to find what I did."
"What were you expecting?"
"Bodies... mainly skeletons, but there weren't any of those. Instead I found hundreds of eggs... Doubu eggs."
"You mean you just found all of those eggs."
"That's right. After that I found more deposits of the eggs... all in the exact spots where I was expecting to find the remains of the people killed over a thousand years ago... And now you know how the Doubu you see today were introduced to the world."
"Wow... That was a very interesting story."
"Yes, but one more interesting part is that, back then, the people shortened the name Akuma Doubutsu to Aku Doubu..."
Sam's eyes widened. "Doubu? You named them after the demons?"
"Yes... because they were created by the demons."
"You lost me... you said that all of the demons were either killed or fled Japan... how could they make more?"
Daisuke smirked. "It's simple... what do you think happened to all of the bodies I was supposed to find?" Daisuke let Sam think about it for a moment. "Those eggs were once the dead."
Sam didn't say a word. He just stared at Daisuke with disbelief.
"After I found the eggs and opened this lab I tried to learn more about what I thought was just folklore. I wasn't able to find any direct answer, but I came to my own conclusion. The demons feasted on the people which means that when the demons bit into them, their saliva would enter the blood stream. After the human died, the saliva in the body would begin to alter the very structure of the person."
"That sounds absurd..." Sam said in disbelief.
"I know it does, but remember that we're dealing with demons; that alone is absurd isn't it?"
"Are you telling me that every Doubu I've ever seen was once a human?"
"Yes... but they have no recollection of ever being human."
Sam slumped back in the chair. He looked at Snow and then to Jet. "So you two were once human, huh?"
"No, they weren't." Daisuke said. "The two you have in front of you are special."
"How?"
"I've already told you that Doubu are only supposed to have only one fur color. Only the demons were ever described as having two... and they were all located on the back at the base of their wings. These two are Aku Doubu."
"You said they all died!" Sam said.
"I only said that the remaining demons fled east. It's possible that a few of them were able to reach the Americas. Perhaps they feasted on the people in the new world and that there might actually be more eggs to be found." Daisuke looked at Jet and Snow. "I must admit... I never thought I would ever be so close to an Aku Doubu, let alone two... and I'm a bit relieved."
"Really?"
"Yes... I was expecting them to be more... savage, but it seems that they can behave like regular Doubu."
"I don't like to be violent..." Jet said solemnly, surprising Daisuke. His face was filled with shock.
"I did not think they could learn to speak since they were never human..." He looked at Sam. "How long did it take them to learn English? What teaching methods did you use?"
"Well..." Sam was having a hard time deciding whether he should tell Daisuke. "I didn't actually teach them..."
"Impossible." Daisuke said. "You can't be telling me they knew how speak English right from when they hatched."
Jet stood up. "Charlie said it's because we do this!" Sam's eyes widened.
"Charlie..." Daisuke mumbled. "He can't be talking about that Charlie..." Daisuke cut himself off as he watched Jet jump into Sam. "What the!?" Daisuke shouted as he jumped from his seat.
Sam sighed. "Sorry about that. But yes... Jet learned to speak English after he merged with me for the first time."
The two separated. Jet had a grin on his face. "Snow can do it too!"
"Amazing..." Daisuke chuckled as he composed himself. "You are very lucky to have hatched two of these creatures."
"Well actually I only hatched Jet." Sam said. "Snow was given to me."
Daisuke looked at Sam curiously. "You did not hatch her?" Sam shook his head. Daisuke thought to himself for a moment. "He mentioned the name Charlie... is he the one that gave you her?"
"...Yes." Sam knew Daisuke had caught on.
"...And did this Charlie work with your grandfather?"
"Yeah. He continued his research after my grandfather died in a lab fire."
"Really..." Daisuke's face turned serious. He was about to say something until there was a knock on his door. <Who is it?> he spoke in Japanese.
<It's Ayame.>
<Come in.> Everyone turned to Ayame entering the room.
"Forgive me for interrupting your conversation." Ayame said. "But I have something for you grandfather." She held the card out to Daisuke.
Daisuke examined the card. "Who gave this you?" he asked.
"An American. He urged me to give it to you."
"And where is he now?"
"I left him outside of the garden, but he might have already left." Daisuke said nothing as he left the room. "Where are you going?"
"Stay here!" Daisuke said as he left.
Ayame looked at Sam. "Did something happen?"
"I don't know." Sam replied. "What did you give him?"
"Just a card. An American with two Doubu like you gave it to me."
Sam was silent. "Were the two Doubu a black panther and Golden Retriever?" Ayame nodded her head. Sam sighed. "Oh great..."
"What is it?"
"From what I heard he and your grandfather don't get along very well. They might be heading into a confrontation..." Sam cursed in his head. Charlie had told him that they needed to get on Daisuke's good side to get the resource, but now he's probably going to get in a fight with him.
Daisuke quickly made his way to the garden as fast as he could walk. He was one corner turn from reaching the area. He was expecting to see Charlie standing there, waiting for him. When he turned the corner, however, his eyes widened. The steel door had been torn off its hinges and now laid on the ground. He groaned and entered the Garden. He stared in shock once he got inside.
"So you finally decided to show up." Charlie said. He was sitting on the ground surrounded by half a dozen newly hatched Doubu, all of which were cuddling up to him.
"So you are alive..." Daisuke shook his head.
"Not too happy about that I see..." Charlie chuckled as he rose to his feet. "Quite an impressive place this is. Tell me... why do you keep all the eggs here?"
"I'm not telling you a thing." Daisuke said.
"No matter... I'll figure out the answers eventually. For now I'll proceed with my other goal and kill you."
"Kill me?" Daisuke asked. "Why would you want to kill me?"
"Don't act dumb. I'm paying you back for what you did to Arthur and the others."
"I did not do anything Charlie; it's because of you that they are dead..."
"That's not going to work. I may have hatched the egg, but you knew what the outcome would be."
Daisuke sighed. "In that case I will apologize, but only because I did not anticipate for that to happen."
"Bullshit! You know everything there is to know about Doubu!"
"And I do, but this was special case I wasn't prepared for." Daisuke glared at Charlie. "I also can't predict the actions of others... but the choice you made proves that you are not fit to research Doubu."
"The choice I made?" Charlie pointed to himself. "You didn't give me a choice! If I hadn't done anything I would have lost my right to study them!"
Daisuke sighed. "You still don't understand... This may sound cruel, but I think it would have been better if you had died that night."
Charlie clutched his fists. "Oh really? What gives you the right to say whether I should live or not!?"
"Because I can tell from your appearance that you're walking down a path that's worse than death."
Charlie chuckled. "I don't know what the hell you're babbling on about, but I think it's time for me to kill you now." Daisuke looked unfazed. "Did you see what happened to the door?"
"Yes... you got one of those two Doubu to break it down." Daisuke looked at Adam and Eve and noticed something. "Did you hatch them?"
"Nope, and it's not them who broke down the door!" Daisuke's eyes widened momentarily as Charlie started rushing towards him. "I see... if you didn't hatch them that means..." Daisuke looked up when he heard Charlie scream out in pain. "I did." Daisuke watched as Charlie was subdued by Adam and Eve. Eve had her claws dug into his left arm while Adam's teeth were biting into his right arm.
Charlie looked at the two, dumbfounded. "Why?"
The six newly hatched Doubu surrounded Adam and Eve and growled, positioning themselves to attack if they did anything more to Charlie.
"It is in a Doubu's nature to protect the one who they are bonded with."
"Impossible!" Charlie grunted. "Neither one of them could remember a single thing about the person who hatched them."
"When separated from the one who hatched them, Doubu begin to forget about the person and the link weakens, but it is never destroyed. Bringing both of them back here rekindled their link with me and with it their instinct to protect me. All Doubu are hatched by me."
"You greedy bastard..." Charlie grunted again. "Not only do you keep all the answers to yourself, but you also make sure that no one but yoursel gets to hatch the Doubu."
"I do not do it out of greed... there is a reason why I do it..."
<Grandfather!> Daisuke turned in surprise to see Ayame with Sam and his Doubu. <What's going on!?>
"What the hell is going on here!? Sam said with annoyance. "I came to here in hopes of getting the solution to help my brother, but instead you two are fighting and... what are you two doing to Charlie!?" Sam looked at Adam and Eve.
"Please Sam..." Eve said. "We are just trying to stop Charlie from killing him."
"What!?" Sam glared at Charlie. "Was this your plan all along!? I came here with you to try to help my brother, not help you in killing someone!"
Charlie grunted. He yanked his right arm way from Adam, causing his teeth to tear off his skin and a bit of his muscle. Charlie screamed as he took his free arm and punched Eve right in the face, shattering her skull. The kickback caused her claws to tear deep cuts into his left arm. Charlie glared at Adam whose ears were now down in fear. Charlie gave him no pity as he slammed his fist into Adam's chest, shattering his ribs and causing them to shred through his lungs and heart. Adam flew a couple feet in the air before landing on his back, showing no sign of life.
Everyone in the room stared at him in shock, even Daisuke was surprised by the ferocity he displayed. All the young Doubu immediately crowded around him.
Charlie ignored them and instead knelt down and took off Adam and Eve's collars. He reached into the collars and took out two syringes. One had a black strip wrapped around it while the other had a white one. "I have every intention of helping your brother Sam..." Charlie turned to Sam and smiled. Charlie injected the syringe with the black strip into his arm. After injecting all the material into his arm he tossed it away.
Charlie grunted as his body started to feel warm. He looked down at his arms and noticed that new layers of muscle were rapidly forming, along with a new layer of skin to cover it.
"Impossible..." Daisuke was speechless. "What was in that vial?"
"Was that Jet's blood..." Sam said with shock. Daisuke eyes widened.
"That's right. It was Jet's blood that gave me my strength, and now this one gave me rapid regeneration. Don't you see, Sam!? It works! All I need is to get another sample and then-" Charlie gasped. His body started to surge. He collapsed to his knees and dropped the other syringe to the ground.
"What's happening to him!?" Sam asked as Charlie's body structure started to shift into something that didn't resemble a human. Ayame closed her eyes and stood behind Sam.
"Do you remember what I told you earlier?" Daisuke asked. The Doubu you see today were made because the DNA of the Aku Doubu merged with the DNA of the human... If he injected himself with blood from either one of your Doubu then he's changing into one..."
No sooner had he said that, black fur started to sprout from all over Charlie's body. It seemed like it was over as Charlie was just gasping for air now.
Daisuke approached Charlie. "It's unfortunate that you had to become involved with Doubu like those two... if you had injected yourself with the blood of a normal Doubu then nothing would have happened."
Charlie looked at his hands that had shifted into paws. "No..." Charlie lifted his paws to his face. He could feel that his face had turned into a muzzle. "This can't be happening... no... I'm sure this is only temporary..."
"It's permanent Charlie..." Daisuke said. Charlie looked up at Daisuke with fear in his eyes. "You said this was the second time you injected yourself with their blood... you were already going through physical changes, but injecting yourself a second time sped up the process."
"But wait..." Sam said in disbelief. "If I injected my brother with that stuff..."
Daisuke turned to Sam. "Your brother would most likely be cured of all ailments, but over time his body would shift into what you see now. I guess you'd have to choose whether you want him to live as a Doubu or die as a human..."
"No!" Charlie screamed as he stood up. He approached Daisuke.
<Grandfather!> Ayame screamed as she rushed towards them.
Daisuke stood still as Charlie reached his hand out towards Daisuke's throat. To Charlie's confusion, when his paw grabbed Daisuke's throat he couldn't squeeze. "Squeeze dammit! Squeeze! I've been robbed of finding a cure and I've been turned into a beast! Don't rob me of revenge too!"
Daisuke sighed. "You are a Doubu now... you should know that Doubu are incapable of harming humans unless it's out of self-defense. For you... this is a fate worse than death."
"No!" Charlie shook his head. "I can't be left to this fate!" Charlie released Daisuke's throat and turned around.
<Are you alright grandfather?> Ayame asked as she ran up to him and hugged his side.
<I'm alright Ayame...> Daisuke looked down at his granddaughter for a moment before setting his sights back on Charlie again. His eyes widened when he realized Charlie was now holding the other syringe.
"I'm so sorry Sam..." Charlie said. "In the end I was no help to you or your grandfather. I won't ask you to forgive me for what I'm about to do... but I want you do something..." Charlie inserted the needle into his arm. "Run!" He injected the blood into his system.
Moments later Charlie let out an ear-piercing scream that made all of the young Doubu run away in fear and hide in the plants. Sam and the others covered their ears. Sam gasped as he watched Charlie's eyes turn completely black.
When Charlie stopped screaming he looked around with his pitch black eyes. He looked at Sam momentarily before his gaze went to Daisuke and Ayame. Charlie's eyes focused on Daisuke. He opened his mouth to reveal all his new razor sharp teeth.
"Look out!" Sam shouted as Charlie started to charge at Daisuke.
<Grandfather!> Ayame shouted as she and Daisuke closed their eyes. Charlie leaped into the air with his teeth aiming towards them.
"Leave them alone Charlie!" Sam shouted as he kicked Charlie in the side. The kick caused Charlie to crash to his side. Daisuke saw the opportunity and led Ayame away. Charlie saw this and growled at Sam as he got back onto his feet. "C'mon Charlie, you don't have to do this." Sam words did nothing and instead he received a growl from Charlie. Charlie charged at Sam at a speed faster than before.
"Look out Sam!" Jet shouted as he dashed at Sam in his feral form. He jumped straight into Sam.
Sam leapt back as Charlie swiped his claws down at him. "Thanks Jet."
"No problem..." Sam could feel Jet smiling. "But what are we going to do about him?"
"I don't know..." Sam said. "I don't think we can talk him out of this..."
"Then what should we-" They were interrupted as they dodged another attack from Charlie. "What should we do then?"
As Charlie swiped at them again, Sam caught his arm and flipped him over his back. "We can tire him out at least..." They watched as Charlie got back onto his feet. He let out a loud howl. "Now what?..." They watched as Charlie's body started to shift again. His form shifted from upright into a feral form that Jet and Snow could switch between with ease. "If he's anything like you when you're feral then..." Sam's eyes widened when Charlie started charging at him again. His speed had more than doubled than when he was running on two feet.
Luckily, they were able to side step in time to avoid Charlie's teeth. Charlie quickly turned around and charged at them again. They were barely able to avoid his charges as they kept coming one after the other. "We can't keep this up for long!" Jet said.
"Then let's turn the field to our advantage!" They felt a similar sharp pain on their upper back. Between Charlie's attacks they launched themselves into the air and stayed twenty feet above Charlie.
Daisuke was speechless. He couldn't believe that he was potentially seeing what those a thousand years ago had seen. It sent a chill up his spine.
"We have the advantage now... he won't be able to attack us while we're in the air."
"Sam, look!" Sam focused his attention on Charlie who was now in a crouching position.
"What is he doing?" Sam wondered, but his answer came quickly has Charlie leapt at them like a missile. "Shit!" Sam shouted as Charlie soared at them faster than they could have the chance to dodge. Time seemed to slow down for Sam as he watched Charlie's claws draw closer and closer towards his heart.
"Sam..." That was all Sam heard before he suddenly found himself falling backwards from Jet's body. He watched as Charlie's claws pierced through Jet's chest and emerge from his back, splattering traces of blood over Sam's face.
"Jet!" Sam screamed as gravity took effect and sent him falling twenty feet into a bush. He quickly raised himself up in time to watch Jet's body fall to the ground. "Jet?" Sam couldn't blink. He slowly walked toward Jet's body. "C'mon Jet. You can't do this to me." He knelt down next to Jet. "I can't have you always sleeping like Tyler was... Oh please Jet open your eyes!" Sam screamed and turned his head, his eyes were filled with rage as he watched Charlie slowly approaching him.
Sam was about to get back to his feet before another ear-piercing howl filled the room. Snow jumped between them, her eyes black and growling with her teeth bared at Charlie. "I will kill you!" She said in an enraged voice. She started to grunt a few times as her body pulsed. Suddenly, at set of black feathered wings emerged from her back.
Snow flew high and dived straight for the creature. She opened her mouth and clamped her teeth into the creature's back. It yelped in pain before running its paws against Snow's face, causing her to release her grip.
As the two of them were going at it Sam was trying in vain to get Jet to open his eyes. "C'mon Jet I can't lose you. You've saved my life so many times and yet I couldn't save yours when it mattered most..." Sam wrapped his arms around Jet as he started crying, realizing Jet was dead.
The fight continued between the two enraged Doubu with Snow having the upper hand. She was as unpredictable as the creature, but had the wings as extra mobility. She kept trying to aim for the creature's neck with her teeth, but it was always able to dodge and cause her to either bite another part of its body or miss it all together.
The fight dragged on for minutes. Suddenly the creature started breathing heavily. Snow slashed at it, causing it to collapse. Snow approached the creature which was now on its side gasping.
"That's enough!" Daisuke shouted, catching Snow's attention. She growled at Daisuke as he approached the two. "Instead of focusing on killing this thing, why don't you go to the side of your fallen friend?" He pointed a finger at Jet.
Snow looked over to Jet and suddenly her growling stopped. She slowly walked over to Jet as her eyes returned to normal and the wings drew back into her body. She stood over Jet and nuzzled him a bit before she starting whining and howling.
"I'm sure you're coming back to your senses too, Charlie." Daisuke said as he knelled down beside him.
"What's happening?" Charlie asked.
"After being in that state for fifteen minutes... your heart begins to stop. In a few moments you will die..."
Charlie coughed. "It's for the best then..."
"Is it?" Charlie looked around. "Look at the Doubu you hatched a while ago..."
Charlie struggled to turn his head. When he saw one of the young Doubu, his eyes widened. It was lying on the ground, writhing in pain in the same manner as him.
"I told you there was a reason why I hatch all the eggs... I used to share that responsibility with my wife. She adored all the Doubu she hatched, and this was before we started sending Doubu to other countries. She died ten years ago from breast cancer... and all the Doubu she had hatched died with her, but only the ones that she kept in contact with..." Daisuke sighed. "That's when I realized how important the bond was between a human and Doubu. To protect them I severed my ties with all the Doubu I had hatched. I decided to bear the burden of hatching all of them, only to send them away without getting to know them."
Charlie smirked. "How did you know about the fifteen minutes?"
"Trial and error... the first eggs I found were kept inside a lab surrounded by metal and glass... after a while they hatched without a human, and each Doubu that emerged went into a frenzy. Some even shattered the eggs that hadn't hatched yet, but the Doubu that came out of those were dead on the spot... The surveillance showed that they only lived for fifteen minutes. I learned from that a discovered that the eggs need to be surrounded by dirt in order to absorb nutrients for the Doubu inside."
Charlie's breath became swallower. "What did you want me to do that day?"
"I wanted you to hatch the egg and experience what it's like to be bonded with a Doubu... I knew there was a possibility you would shatter the egg, but then you would be left with a dead Doubu. What happened that night was just bad luck..."
"Why... why would you be content... with the possibility of a Doubu being killed?"
Daisuke smiled. "I have my reasons..."
Charlie chuckled painfully. "Can't give me all the answers can you?" Charlie's eyes started to slowly close.
"No... you have to find them for yourself..." Daisuke watched Charlie's eyes close completely and the rhythm of his chest stop. He heard multiple strained howls from the young Doubu before there was silence. Daisuke sighed and shook his head. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ayame standing over Sam and Snow, both of whom were grieving over Jet.
"Sam... I'm so sorry..." Daisuke said as he approached him.
Sam took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do..." I promised my parents I'd come back with a cure, but now..." Sam shook his head. "What was it for? Why did Jet have to die?" Sam stood up suddenly and looked at Daisuke with tears in his eyes. "Why did he have to die!? He's only four years old and half of it he spent alone in a lab! He deserved better than this!" Sam collapsed to his knees. "Why..."
Daisuke and Ayame remained silent. Snow whined as she looked down at Jet. She then looked at Sam and slowly approached him. She stood to his side. She didn't say anything and instead laid her head against his shoulder. Sam was slightly surprised by the action, but didn't object. He slowly raised his right arm and started rubbing her head the same way he had done for Jet.
Sam couldn't help but continue to cry as he did this.
Daisuke was able to get Sam and Snow on a plane back to the U.S. the next day. Jet's body remained in Japan. Daisuke said he would arrange to have the body sent to Sam so he could bury him.
Neither Sam nor Snow said anything during the plane ride home. When he arrived home his parents were at first surprised to see him back so soon, but their surprise turned to sorrow once they learned that Jet was dead. Sam didn't go over the details of how he was killed.
No one said anything in the days that followed. Sam stayed in his room all day, lying on his bed. One thing he was surprised about was that Snow slept on the bed with him. Sam wanted to be a bit happy about that, but all it did was remind him of when Jet did it.
One night as Sam lied awake on his bed. He thought about when he first met Jet. He remembered how Jet's first word was his name. It was the first word that he ever said... and the last. Sam clutched his pillow. "Sam?" At first he thought he was just hearing things, but then he heard it again, this time a bit louder. "Sam?" He raised himself up and saw Snow staring at him. "Did I wake you?" She asked softly.
Sam was surprised that Snow was talking to him. This was the first time she had ever talked to him directly. The first time he heard her voice was when they were merged momentarily. Every time after that he had to use Jet to talk to her. "No..." Sam said. "You... you've never talked to me before."
"I know... I didn't want to talk to you. I came to despise you because Jet always gave you more attention than me."
"Oh... I didn't know you felt that way..."
"Did you know he never hugged me?" That surprised Sam. "I never asked him to hug me. I was hoping he would do the same that he did with you... but he never did." Snow started to cry. "Now I'll never be able to." She closed her eyes.
Sam watched her cry, and without thinking he drew closer and wrapped his arms around her. "I know..."
Snow was initially shocked by Sam's action, but then just let it all go and hugged back as she cried into his chest.
Sam looked down at Snow. Jet wasn't the only who had a terrible childhood. Snow suffered like Jet did, except she didn't have someone to go home to.
Snow spaced herself from Sam. "Thank you Sam. I can see why Jet liked you so much."
"He was like a brother to me... one who I could actually talk to."
Snow wiped her tears and smiled. "Let's go see your brother at the hospital."
"Right now!?" Snow nodded her head. "But's it's after eight. We won't have time."
"You forget that Jet is my brother." Snow jumped into Sam, covering his body with white fur. "And I can do what he can do." She said in their mind. Sam smiled.
It was the first time Snow had ever really flown before. She marveled at the lights emanating from the buildings and the streets below. "This is amazing..." Snow said as they flew higher than the buildings. "I wish we could have done this more..."
"We'll do this again sometime if you want." Sam said.
"Thanks..."
They landed on the rooftop of the hospital. They carefully made their way to where Tyler was being kept. Sam walked over to Tyler's side.
"Hi Tyler..." Sam said.
Snow watched Sam talk to his brother. "Well..." Sam looked at Snow. "this is where we way goodbye..."
"What!?" Sam blurted out. He quickly corrected himself and lowered his voice. "What are you talking about?"
"I've lost the only person I ever considered family. He was part of your family as well... and I don't want you to lose another part of your family."
"But I always considered you a part of my family too, Snow!" Snow started to cry again. "You don't have to do this."
"I want to do this Sam. Not only just to give your brother back, but also so I can join mine as well." She got close to Sam and gave him a hug. "I wish I got to know you sooner." Sam couldn't help but start to cry a little as she let go of him and approached Tyler. She removed her collar containing Jet's fur and tossed it to the side. She turned to look at Sam one more time. "Good bye Sam." Sam watched Snow merge with Tyler's body momentarily before separating. She now looked like she hadn't eaten for days with how skinny she got. She opened her eyes revealing them to be completely black.
It was hard for Sam to watch as Snow grunted on the floor, trying to move her body, but in vain. Sam knelt down and held her. She didn't have the strength to bite him. Minutes passed as Sam felt Snow's struggles become weaker and weaker until she had stopped moving all together. Sam held her tighter as he started crying into her fur. "Good bye Snow."
Sam managed to get Snow on his back and carry her piggyback. He looked down at his brother and noticed that he looked fine now. "Sorry Tyler... I'll see later, but for now... Sam looked at Snow. "I need to get her home."
The wind blew through Sam's hair as he stared over the cliff of his grandfather's house. He stood next to the mountain path that led to the cave where he first met Jet and where both he and Snow were found. Sam had dug a large hole at the start of the path before it became rock. He looked down in the hole.
Jet and Snow lied on their sides, facing each other so that they'll always keep each other company. Sam took one last look at them. "Good bye." He painfully filled the hole.
Sam sat down on the ground and looked out at the horizon. Sam didn't know where he was going from here. Tyler was finally coming back home, but Sam was going to be moving on with his life once he graduated from high school. He had finally gotten what he had wanted for all these years... but he had lost so much more to get it... Sam sighed.
Seven years passed. Sam had spent a year after high school catching up with Tyler before going to college and majoring in Culinary Arts. Daisuke paid for Sam's tuition.
Sam was now living in his grandfather's house that he obtained after Charlie's death. He was a chef at a restaurant in town. Some of his old friends would come by often to eat and talk to him, but soon they each moved away.
Sam would sometimes lay awake late at night. He knew how painful it was living here, but it also gave him some comfort. He could remember all the times he spent with Jet here, and even imagined what it would have been like if Snow had been present.
The next evening as he was about to leave work a face he had not seen for seven years walked in. "Sam?"
Sam looked up. It took him a while to recognize her, but when he did he smiled. "Ayame? Is that you?"
"Yes. How have you been?"
"I've been doing alright..."
"...Do you still think about them?"
Sam chuckled softly. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of them..." Sam sighed. He put a smile back on his face. "So what you doing all the way out here?"
"I came to see you."
"See me? That's quite a trip just to see me."
"Sam... my Grandfather died last month."
"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."
Ayame shook her head. "No it's alright. He lived a good life. I'm now responsible for the Tokyo lab."
"Really?" Sam was surprised. "That must be tough."
"It's not so bad. He'd been training me to take over for years now... but shortly before he died he told me all the secrets that he knew about Doubu... and said that what I did with them was my choice."
"And what have you decided to do?" Sam asked curiously.
Ayame was silent for a moment. "I want to tell you one of the secrets, one that my grandfather wanted to tell you, but thought it would be too painful."
"And what do you think?"
Ayame smiled. "I think you're ready for it."
"So what is it?" Sam was curious.
"Perhaps it would be better if I told you at your place."
"Alright... do you have a car to drive?"
"Yes I have a rental. I'll follow you."
As Sam walked to his car he watched Ayame walk to hers. He noticed she looked through the back window and smiled before getting in the driver's seat.
After a short drive they both pulled up to Sam's house. "This is a very beautiful place..." Ayame said as she got out of the car.
"Would you like me to make you something?" Sam asked.
"Oh no. First I must tell you the secret." Ayame took a deep breath. "Doubu cannot breed."
"Excuse me?" Sam was a bit surprised.
"Doubu are incapable of giving birth or even conceiving. This is also true for the demons."
"He told you about them, huh?"
"Of course. But that's not important. What's important is that even though Doubu cannot have offspring, new Doubu can still be made."
"How?"
Ayame smiled as she went to her car. She opened the door and two small Doubu leapt out, both with tired expressions. "They are still tired from the plane ride."
Sam couldn't believe his eyes. The two Doubu in front of him looked like...
"This is Adam and this is Eve." Ayame said as she hugged the two.
Sam's eyes widened even more. "But they were..."
"I know Sam, but this is what I'm trying to tell you... my grandfather told you what happened to the humans after they died... well when a Doubu dies the cycle starts over..."
Sam started to back up.
"Wait, Sam!" Ayame tried to stop Sam, but he rushed off towards the cliff.
Sam rushed to the spot where he had buried Jet and Snow. He quickly got to his knees and started digging away the dirt with his hands. He smiled when he saw the outlines of eggs in the dirt.
"Wait Sam!" Ayame shouted as she ran towards him.
"Wait for what?" Sam said as he looked back and forth between Ayame and the eggs.
"I have to warn you about something first... when Doubu are born again they lose all their memories of their former life..." Sam looked at the eggs and remained silent.
"So... they won't remember anything?" Sam looked at Ayame.
"No. They won't remember you or all the time you spent with them... My grandfather didn't want to tell you this because... well... the only way for them to maintain their memories is if you forcefully hatch them... but at the risk of..."
"At the risk of them going berserk..." Sam finished.
"I'm sorry Sam, but things can't go back to the way they were before they died." Ayame said.
Sam was silent. "They'll remember nothing..." Sam chuckled and smiled gently at the two eggs below. He slowly held out his hands and placed each of them on an egg. Sam felt the warmth he had felt all those years ago when he found Jet's egg.
"I'll go wait by the car..." Ayame said as she turned around.
"Thank you Ayame." Sam said. Ayame didn't say anything back. She just smiled.
A few moments passed before cracks began to form on both eggs. The first one to emerge was Jet. Snow emerged from her egg shortly after him. They were both the size of when Sam had first met Jet; like little wolf cubs. Their eyes were closed.
Sam gently picked both of them up in his arms. As he held them their eyes began to open and they looked at him with excitement.
"Hey there..." Sam said smiling at both of them. "My name is Sam." Sam couldn't help but laugh as he watched the two Doubu try to mouth out his name. "You'll both get it eventually." The two Doubu smiled at him as they shifted themselves to rest their heads on his shoulders.
Sam sighed happily. "What do you say we... start over?"
I've waited a year to reveal the meaning of the title... feels good.
This marks the end of the series. I never enjoy ending a story, but after a year I was finally able to end it like the way in my dream.
I hope all of you enjoyed the entire series, and I thank each of you who waited patiently for me to release chapters.
Please post what you thought and any questions you might have.
I have a new series in mind, but I don't know when I'll be able to get to it since I'm in my last semester of College before graduating.
Until my next release. Take Care Everyone.