Twookie & Rokujou Toshi
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Origins of Magic“Al! Stahp!” A young girl shouts, her one-year-old black hair swirling across her shoulders in a dark vortex as she turns on her brother and throws the closest object near her at him—a stained pillow with some of the stitching beginning to spill out like wilting flowers due to the children’s frequent wars.
“You started it, Thea!” Al, a four-year-old boy shouts back, throwing another, even more stained pillow right back. His white hair, tipped black, like a white brush dipped in ink sticking to his forehead that is sweaty with frustration at his little sister.
Before she realizes it, Tsukineko’s house has, once again, become a war zone of cotton. Pillows of all shapes, colors, and designs are being tossed about the room at an alarming rate—flashes of Thea’s frizzy cat ears peaking over her next weapon and Al’s wolf ears fluttering in furry as he dodges it encompasses all she can see as she walks into what used to be her living room. Her husband, of course, is nowhere to be seen. So she does what all magical mothers do when their children are destroying their houses: pulls out her tome of magic and begins to chant a spell.
“Forces of magic, hear my plea: craft a vortex to trap those who bicker and flee.”
Before the chant even finishes spilling out of their mother’s mouth, the two children freeze—the ammo in their hands falling into the puddle of already fired pillow missiles on the floor. But before the children can open their mouths to stop the chant, their mother’s spell begins to trickle out of her palm—a purple vortex now swirling around them. Flailing their arms, the two children began to scream for their mother to set them back on the ground, but the vortex swirls too fast for even Tsukineko, with her sensitive cat ears, to hear them.
Putting a hand behind her ear, the witch purses her red lips together in a triumphant grin. “I’m sorry, what was that, you two? I can’t quite seem to hear you out here! Was that an apology I sense?”
The two kids, clothes disheveled and swirling about them, begin to nod their heads vigorously. Tsukineko, proudly tosses her midnight, violet tipped hair over her shoulders, swirling her hand as the vortex slowly sets them back on the ground—Thea’s cat and Al’s wolf tails fluffier than ever as they both rise to a seated position. Thea’s eyes begin to well with tears and Tsukineko’s arms swoop around her daughter in an instant. Al’s wolf ears slant down as he crosses his arms over his chest—mouth pouting in frustration.
“You always baby her,” Al whispers under his breath.
Of course, no matter how low they mutter, Tsukineko’s strong ears can always pick it up. Which, she admits to her husband, makes parenting slightly easier. “Because she is a baby, Al. You need to be nicer to her.”
Within moments of being in her mother’s arms, Thea’s tears disappear and she is instead filled with an intense fit of giggles as she begins to play with her mother’s fluffy ears. Tsukineko sets her gently back on the ground next to her brother. He huffs, steals a look at Thea whose blue eyes are now locked on his fluffy, twitching ears. Al’s midday sky eyes lighten, unable to stay mad at her innocent, wonder-filled face.
“It’d be easier if she didn’t cry all the time, and pull on my ears. It hurts, you know…”
Thea frowns, as if in silent apology. Tsukineko smiles, glad to see the two of them getting along—even if just for a moment. She sprawls out on the ground next to them—tucking her long legs underneath her and setting her magic tome in her lap. She grabs as many pillows as she can and begins to scatter them about herself and her children—creating a misshapen sort of pillow fort without a roof.
“Why don’t I tell the both of you a story? Will that cure this squabble?”
“STOWY! STOWY!” Thea grins, bouncing up and down in excitement.
Al sighs, “I guess so. If it’s a good one.”
Tsukineko smiles and opens her magical tome. With a wave of her hand, the contents inside slowly begin to disappear until the tome is nothing but a blank canvas.
“All right, then, you two. Let’s begin.”
The two children huddle closer, until they are on either side of their mother. Their wolf and cat ears tickle Tsukineko’s arms as they peer over her shoulder at the book. With a flash of her finger, ink begins to dance onto the page in the form of words and sketches.
“Once upon a time, there was a girl who grew up in a village. This was no ordinary village, mind you, but a supernatural one filled with Nekomata Goddesses. It was a land of magic and beauty beyond reality where nature was abundant in fields of flowers and grand temples stood to honor the magical beauty of nature throughout the world.”
“Pwetty cat ladies?” Thea asked, her bright eyes gleaming as she watched the sketched nekomata villagers flutter about flowers and ornate temples.
Tsukineko laughed, nodding. “Yes, very pretty. Like you.”
She took a moment to tickle her daughter’s ears, causing Thea to giggle, before she continued. “They were immortal, and legend says they are created when the spirits of humans and cats merge in the afterlife due to their close bonds throughout life—causing them to be reincarnated as nekomata.”
“Are nekomata always women, though?” Al asks, his ears perking with curiosity.
Tsukineko shakes her head. “There are male nekomata as well, though they are never allowed to live in the same village or mate. Both genders live separately and carry on traditional family and friend roles—caring for newly reincarnated nekomata but never giving birth to more themselves.”
“Why not?” Al tilts his head.
Tsukineko shrugs. “I am not entirely sure as there was never a case within this village. But legend says if nekomata of opposing genders mate it curses them—a curse worse than death.”
Thea gasps, to which Tsukineko responds by rubbing her daughter’s shoulders affectionately until she smiles again. And Al grins, a young boy adoring stories of curses and violence more than those of magic and goddesses like his sister.
“The young nekomata girl was named Rayven Puff, and she was adopted by the leader of the Nekomata Goddess’s village—Queen Nekomata. The Queen named her Rayven for her long, black hair which was as dark and sleek as a raven’s. The nickname ‘Puff’ stuck due to how soft her skin and hair was—like a ‘puff of cotton’ the Queen always said.”
Thea smiles, to which Al rolls his eyes. “Where’s the fun part?”
“I’m getting there,” Tsukineko winks, “For, although she was well liked by her mother, she was outcasted by everyone else. For whatever reason, she could not channel the magic bestowed upon her at birth—the magic that fueled the nekomata’s purpose of controlling and fueling nature’s elements.”
“Sad kitty girl…” Thea frowns.
Tsukineko nods. “Yes, she was very sad indeed. Though she had her mother to care for her, who loved her, she did not have any friends. No one else to talk to. She spent hours alone while her mother did her duties, alone with her own shadow. Until...something even more dreadful happened.”
Al leans forward, intrigued, as Thea gasps. Tsukineko turns the page, and the ink flurries across the page in dark splotches of chaos.
“When she was barely a few years older than you are now, Al, her village was destroyed. By who she knew not what. All she could see was darkness rain across the sky, and fire as it scorched the fields and buildings that she once familiarized herself with. Suffocating from the smoke, her mother told her to run—to escape from her only home. And, with wariness in her steps, she did.”
Thea begins to tear up, to which Tsukineko pulls her in closer.
“Rayven struggled to survive for many years in the wilderness alone. There was no one to guide her, to help her. Until she met someone very peculiar—a tall, dark man named Tsukiyama Toshi. A man with a proud smile and horns atop his head who approached her on one cold, rainy day.”
“Stranger danger,” Al warns, “Doesn’t she know not to talk to weirdos like that?”
“Unfortunately for Rayven, she had no choice. She was freezing, huddled under a vendor stall in the middle of the night. Everyone had packed up and gone home for the night. She hadn’t eaten in days. So, when he offered her his hand, though she was wary since no one had ever been nice to her before, she took it.”
Al grumbles and Thea grips tightly to her mother’s arm—obvious worry for the girl written all over her face. Even though Tsukineko is very sure she doesn’t quite understand the majority of the story just yet. But one day, Tsukineko thinks, She will.
Taking a breath, the neko mom continues, “Rayven stood to her full height, studying this man. She did not know quite what to make of him at first. All she knew was that, with him, came the promise of food, water, warmth, and security. And all she had to do was follow him. So she did. All the way back to his home—to the dark realm of demons.”
Al slaps his knees in shock, to which Thea jolts at the noise. “I knew it,” he exclaims, “I knew he was no good!”
“Hang on, hang on,” Tsukineko holds up a hand to stop his outburst, “There’s much more to the story if you’ll let me continue.”
Al nods, intrigued to learn more. “But she better not let him get her so easily.”
With a short chuckle, the neko woman continues, “He became her new father. Her new demon father. He was the Lord of Demons, the commander of all demons. And he gave her everything she wished for—food, water, shelter, warmth, and, most importantly, a place to belong. She was reincarnated as a demon herself, though she knew she could never erase her Nekomata blood, or ears, entirely. She became Tsukineko Toshi—daughter of the Lord of Demons. And all who knew her name respected and feared her.”
“Did she really want to be feared, though?” Al asks, curiously.
“I suppose she did want to be accepted and respect,” Tsukineko explains, “Though to be feared exactly wasn’t on her mind when she became the daughter of a demon. Still, she felt content with knowing she was cared for and no one treated her poorly. That was enough for her.”
Al nods, settling back into a comfortable position leaning against his mother’s shoulder.
Tsukineko continues again, as if she had never been interrupted, “The Demon Lord raised her as a demon, teaching her how to wield dark magic and to fight alongside him and his demon army. He even gave her a special familiar named Hokkori—a demon that normally looks like a white puff ball with bat wings. Completely harmless. But in battle, Hokkori turns into a proper demon with horns, red eyes, white hair, and dons a wolf mask, though Tsukineko never understood why. And he wields a bloody blade strong enough to cut through steel.”
“Wow! Hokkori sounds cool!” Al exclaims.
His mother nods in agreement. “Very cool. And best of all, he never abandoned her. He became attached to Tsukineko, following her everywhere and allowing her to make her own decisions—regardless of whether or not they aligned with the Demon Lord’s. And, along with her familiar by her side, she became strong, stronger than all of the other demons. Strong enough that many thought her even a rival to even the Demon Lord himself. And, when she became of age, the Demon Lord bestowed upon her the title of commander of the demon army. She ruled over the demon army, finally able to have the power and freedom to do as she wishes as a commander and not as a lowly recruit.”
“But didn’t she have a job to do? How did she have the time to do anything else?” Al asks, wolf ears tilted in confusion.
Raising a finger, the storyteller explains, “That, dear Al, is because she had the freedom to leave the demon realm. To return to Earth, though this time she was no longer just a starving runaway. She was strong. Strong enough to take fate into her own hands and search for what she truly wanted. And what she truly wanted, more than anything, was love.”
“Ewww,” Al rolls his eyes, to which his mother chuckles and his little sister giggles.
“Fuwwny Fawce,” Thea burbles, pointing at him.
“Yes, your brother has a very funny face,” Tsukineko agrees, “but that face will change one day. When he too understands the power of love.”
Al rolls his eyes. “Let’s just get this story over with.”
With another swirl of her hand, the page turns once more. The ink unfurls new, dark versions of similar backgrounds the children were familiar with—sidewalks, roads, lamp posts, stores, houses.
“In the human world, a world Hokkori vowed never to enter unless absolutely necessary, Tsukineko journeyed to find what love was—alone once more. Using magic to hide her cat ears and demon wings, Tsukineko begam to mingle with the humans. And, after time, began to learn their ways. She began to fall in love with their food, their customs, their hobbies. But that was not the only love she found. For, shortly after coming to the human world, she met a man who she fell in love with at first sight—a man named Rokujou.”
For a moment, Tsukineko smiles as a sketch of Rokujou fills the page—a tall man of blue eyes, black hair stained white at their edges, and the kindest, brightest smile she has ever seen.
“Momma?” Thea looks at her curiously, bringing her out of her trance.
“Yes, yes, back to Rokujou,” Tsukineko clears her throat, bringing her attention back to the story as it begins to appear before them, “She falls in love with Rokujou instantly the moment they bump into each other on the street one day, and from that moment on they were inseparable. They courted and, after a few years passed, married and began to live together. Though Tsukineko often had to leave for her job (a secret from Rokujou) and Rokujou also had his (a job which Tsukineko was also blind to)… Regardless of the times they could not be together, they loved each other more than anything and had a perfectly happy life for many years—even having two beautiful kids.”
Tsukineko snuggles her two kids closer to her as she speaks, but frowns as the page flips once more. “Unfortunately, not everything ends quite that easily for the girl once known as Rayven. Everything was okay, for awhile, until the fateful day came when Tsukineko finally learned just what Rokujou was hiding. A secret that revealed hers as well.”
“Secwets?” Thea gasps, obviously amused by the word.
“Yes, Thea, many secrets,” Tsukineko smiles, the page turning with the flick of her finger, “And they were revealed by the most unlikely method: their two children sneaking off, casting a spell from her Grimoire—her tome of magic. A spell to summon a very...familiar familiar.”
Al raises an eyebrow, completely clueless while his baby sister babbles—continually whispering the words that amuse her the most under her breath.
“Just imagine, poor Tsukineko setting the dinner table with her husband when, lo and behold, POOF! Rokujou disappears, or, rather, reappears—a white puff ball in his place!”
“I knew it!” Al snaps his fingers. “Rokujou was Hokkori all along! That’s why he never went to the human world with her!”
Tsukineko winks at her son, nudging him affectionately with her shoulder. “You’re quite right. But, you see, there’s more to it than Rokujou just hiding his identity. When Tsukineko attempts to understand the situation, Rokujou seems lost, confused, and asks her what he is doing in this house, where he is. And that’s when Tsukineko realizes. Rokujou wasn’t keeping his identity secret at all. Because he simply had no memories at all between his demon and his human forms.”
Thea frowns. “Roku...jaw...bad guy?”
Tsukineko shakes her head. “Far from it, Thea. In fact, both Rokujou and Hokkori loved Tsukineko most. He choose to stay by her side in both forms, though he had no memory of his other form’s existence. That is, until his demon, cat goddess wife tells him just that once the children’s spell wears off moments later.”
Al frowns in concentration. “So what does he say?”
“That, Al, is the moment he realizes. He realizes the nightmares, the dreams, everything he’s been having lately in his human form...that they were real all along. That those were his true memories trying to tell him, warn him.”
“Wawn him?” Thea babbles.
Her mother nods. “Warn him of what he did in his past, how the rift between his two forms happened, and of a threat that was soon to approach their doorstep.”
Al grins, excited. “THIS is where is gets interesting.”
With a chuckle, their mother continues, “That night, after sending the kids to bed, Rokujou explained everything to his wife. That he was Hokkori all along, that he was turned into a demon by a cursed blade given to him by Tsukineko’s own father, that this blade was what was causing his hair to go pure white despite his youthful age, and, most importantly, that her father knew where she was, and that he was coming to put an end to their life together.
“With bated breath, and tears in her eyes, Tsukineko held fast to her husband’s hand. She promised right away that she would do what it took to stop her father, do whatever it took for them to continue their life together. But she instantly noticed the broken, distant look in her husband’s eyes. She knew there was more to the story—the part of the story that would hurt the most.”
Thea snuggles close to her mother, her eyes watery as she buries them in her mother’s lap—unable to look as the ink continues to form the scenes before them.
“With a saddened sigh, Rokujou spilled the biggest secret revealed to the both of them—that the crimson blade he now wielded in his demon form, that was given to him by her father (the Demon Lord) was, indeed, the blade that summoned the darkness and fire that destroyed the village she grew up in—that killed Queen Nekomata, the one she called mother. That he was forced to wield that blade or else even more people would be destroyed.
“And, for a moment, all Tsukineko could do was stare at her husband—saddened, outraged, and in shock. All of it was beginning to fit together like some twisted puzzle in her mind, and she wondered how, why, all of this had to happen. She didn’t blame her husband for what he had done, for the death of the one she called mother, but it did not mean it did not hurt that it was him who wielded the blade, that destroyed the place she once called home. That it was his actions that caused her to be homeless, to go on the run, for so many years. Even though she knew he regretted it, would take it back if he could.”
Thea begins to cry, her heart tormented by the sad reality of the story. “Mama...no like stowy…”
“Trust me, Thea,” Tsukineko says, giving her daughter the biggest hug she can muster, “The story does not end here. This is not the end for Tsukineko, for Rokujou.”
Al slaps his fists against his lap, outraged. “It was all her father’s fault! What a jerk!”
With a solemn nod, Tsukineko continues, “Yes, Tsukiyama Toshi forced Rokujou’s hand, turned him into a demon for his own will. And, what was worse, was that he did it to gain claim to his only daughter—Tsukineko herself. For, Rokujou explained to his wife, Tsukineko was the secret child of The Demon Lord and Queen Nekomata all along and was taken by the Queen in order to keep her from being corrupted by the darkness. The Demon Lord, unable to cope with this decision, eventually decided to take action—using a cursed demon blade upon an innocent human to destroy the village and take back what he viewed as rightfully his.”
“Ouch,” Al winces, “That’s gotta sting for Tsuki…”
“Tsukineko was furious. Not only was her father responsible for her real mother’s death, for destroying her childhood home, for leaving her struggling on the run for years, but he did it all becomes he saw her as his property—to use her for his own gain. Not only that, but he forced her only husband to become a demon and do his dirty work too. She knew now, despite the fact that he took her in and taught her how to use her powers, she could never forgive him. She had a family, and she would never again consider him a part of hers.”
Thea raises her head, the tears beginning to dry as the story begins to shift away from the sadness of the past into taking back the future.
Flipping a stray bang out of her eyes, Tsukineko flips the page once more, “In the silence of the night, their kids dead asleep, Tsukineko and Rokujou decided to not let the Demon Lord take away their happiness and vowed to never let him take away anyone else’s. They rode off into the night, Tsukineko on her demon wings as Rokujou transformed once more into his demon form—though, this time, transforming right into battle form—blade in hand. They met the Demon Lord and his army head on over their city, their home—prepared to fight for the future of their lives.”
The young cat girl curls her hands into fists. “Fiwght!”
Tsukineko, and even Al, find that they can’t help but laugh and hold her close as the rest of the story begins to unfold.
“The final confrontation was upon them. They interrogated the Demon Lord, but he was not to be swayed. He wanted his daughter, despite the consequences, and Tsukineko knew she could not let him continue his violent rule. For who knew how many worlds, places, he would destroy in order to chase her down? She crafted a bountiful force field around the town, channeling every inch of her power—power of light she knew came from her mother all along. And she vowed, tome in hand and Rokujou by her side, that she would free everyone from his treacherous rule.
“The Demon army swarmed towards them, and they knew they had no way out but to fight. But just as they raised their weapons, the demons turned around at the final moment—pointing their dark weapons upon the man that was their leader. They were tired of his mistreatment, of his selfishness, and decided they, too, desired to be free of him. To which the Demon Lord fired a dark ball of energy—a spell so dark that it caused them to fade from the human world and return to the realm of demons. A spell that would keep them trapped there until the spell was broken. And, suddenly, it was just them—the Demon Lord, Tsukineko, and Hokkori. The end was near.”
Al has his hands clenching his shorts, waiting with bated breath as the page turns once more. And Thea begins to hold her hands together in a silent prayer—perhaps for Tsukineko and Rokujou.
“They clashed with the demon lord—a flurry of magic and steel that spread across the night sky like a splatter of dark fireworks. Even with the two of them, the Demon Lord was quite a feat to behold. He parried spell after spell, strike after strike, and the demon couple found themselves at the end of the rope. And that was when Hokkori, holding his blade up high, decided that we would finally unleash the fullest extent of the blade to stop this monster once and for all.”
“If he unleashes it, then…” Al ponders, “What happens to him?”
With a raised finger, Tsukineko explains, “What Tsukineko fears most—he will become all demon, unable to remember their human life together. But Hokkori, who loved Tsukineko just as much as his human counterpart, decided he would much rather live life as a demon, forget their life together on earth, then let the Demon Lord destroy any chance they have at a future. And he does not give Tsukineko time to stop him. He raises the blade higher, a dark wave of power channeling through it, and sends it spiraling at the demon lord in a blow powerful enough to crush the mightiest of monsters.”
“Yes! The Demon Crushing Blow!” Al exclaims, naming the attack as if it one in a fighting game.
Tsukineko rolls her eyes playfully at her son, but she continues, “The Demon Lord falls, the demon army finally free to live a life that fits them. And Rokujou, as Tsukineko feared, had turned into a demon—his hair fully white and his skin pale as winter’s breath. As he lay on the ground, she cradled him. With a few of her loving tears, he awoke. And his eyes, she beamed with joy, were bright blue—the eyes of her loving husband. With a soft voice, he cradled her cheek and told her that he could remember. He remembered everything—his demon memories, his human memories. And that he would never leave her, ever again. She held him close, and the battle was over.”
Both of her children fist bump into the air, one with obvious more energy and excitement into the air. And they all do a silent cry of victory as the page turns once more.
“And so, they went back to their everyday life. Tsukineko continued to lead the demon army, this time for the sake of helping others rather than greed as her father had before her. And Rokujou, now able to transform at will without losing his memories, helped her every step of the way. They raised their kids with kindness, as humans—using magic to hide their supernatural features. Tsukineko began to dive more and more into human hobbies—sharing those hobbies with the world in order to become more and more close to her husband, her human-raised children, and the world. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.”
The book closes as the final words fill up the entirety of the last page—the story now over.
The yawns, smiling happily. “And now, I believe it is time for your nap, little one.”
She scoops her daughter up into her arms and begins to walk into her room where she lays her down gently and begins to hum her to sleep. Her little wolf boy follows, unable to get the story out of his head.
“Mom?” He asks. “Where do you think they are now? Tsukineko and Rokujou?”
With a smile, she reaches out a caring hand and ruffles her son’s hair. “Wherever they are, I’m sure they’re happy.”
With that, her son grins and runs off into his own room—closing the door to turn on one of his many favorite games. Thea finally drifts off into sleep a few minutes later, Tsukineko kissing her forehead as she draws the covers over her shoulders and tucks her in. The mother stands, grimoire in hand, as she turns off the lamp and exits the room. And, just as she does, her most favorite face appears through the door frame with a bag of groceries in his hands.
He sets them on the kitchen counter as she approaches, kissing him gently on the cheek. “Been telling them that story again?” Rokujou asks, smiling.
Tsukineko nods. “I feel bad for making them forget, for not even letting them see their own ears that make them who they are...but...I want them to be kids, just a little bit longer…”
Rokujou kisses her on the forehead, taking his wife’s hands within his own. “And so they shall be. And one day we will tell them.”
Tsukineko smiles, falling into her husband’s arms as he wraps them around her like a shield of warmth. “One day.”