Following both Aaron and the teenage Sachiko, Darren's eyes now fell on Fukushu. The nine tailed kitsune appeared dressed for battle, adorned in his black hikama and armor. The teen now noticed a grim expression on the kitsunes face as he spoke in hushed tones with a grey and thin kitsune with one eye. "Were there any survivors Hua Tsu?"
"None," the thin 4 tailed kitsune replied. "The Normals forces irradiated the area. All we found were dead or dying dragons. There was nothing we could do." Fukushu nodded, a long sigh escaping his lips. Turning his vision upwards, Darren now saw him furrow his brow as he glared at the teenage Sachiko. "Leave I need a moment with Sachiko!"
Hua Tso bowed quickly exiting as Fukushu stared at Sachiko. Studying the nine tails face he could see how angry he was but, gazing into his eyes Darren saw something else. Relief.
"Where were you," he bellowed. "When Aaron told me you, Mia, and Zack had vanished I believed you had gone to help the Dragons." Darren could see the powerful kitsune seething with rage as he glared at the teenage Sachiko. Sachiko for her part remained defiant, standing straight as she locked eyes with Fukushu. "Will you listen," she exclaimed, cutting off Fukushu in mid sentence. "Mia sensed something and I went to investigate it was important."
"Mia can be reckless Sachiko," Fukushu countered. "Even Rexie fears her master's thirst for revenge. We both know she's been angry since Zack was tortured."
"Wait Rexie is alive?"
Fukushu paused, for the first time looking past Sachiko as he locked eyes with Darren. "Who is this boy," he asked, his attention turning to Sachiko once more. "Is this why you ventured out of our sanctuary? To rescue some child?!"
"Dad?"
Fukushu paused, his ears twitching as he now saw the group Sachiko had brought with her. Behind Darren the kitsune noted the large group of teenagers as well as two Soul Drives. It was the two kits barely poking out behind this group that now made the kitsune gasp, stumbling before Sachiko raced to his side.
"Whoa easy Fukushu," the teenage kitsune said. Darren was flabbergasted as he gazed at the kitsune. Fukushu's face seemed to contort in pain, his eyes dampening with tears as he tried to brace himself against Sachiko. As Darren studied him, he felt as if he could see the powerful nine tails heart break before his very eyes. Sachiko now tried to comfort him, supporting him as he looked close to breaking down. From what Darren could gather it appeared Sachiko and Fukushu had developed an almost familial connection.
"How," Fukushu stammered, his voice choked. "That's why I had to go," Sachiko said softly. "And I'm glad I did. The kid, look at him. He has the Dragons Tongue."
Fukushu furrowed his brow, Darren now noticing the kitsune withdraw his own sword, which Darren recognized at the Dragons Tongue as well. "How is that possible Fukushu," Sachiko asked. "You told me that you received the Dragons Tongue when the kitsune kingdom was destroyed. How are there two of them?"
Fukushu said nothing, his eyes still trained on Raiden. Taking a breath he now turned to Sachiko, placing a hand on the teens shoulder. "Sachiko take the others to the barracks," he sighed. "I will talk with this boy."
"But Fukushu!"
"No buts," Fukushu said firmly, Darren noting the stern yet warm expression washing over the kitsunes face. "I need to interrogate this boy. Now, please, escort them to the barracks." Sachiko sighed, nodding as she now guided the others out. Fukushu's eyes studied them carefully, his sight lingering on the teenage Sachiko as well as Raiden before he spoke again. "Who are you boy?"
"Darren. Darren McKenna."
"Where did you get that sword?"
"Tatsu gave it to me," Darren stated. "After defending the kitsune from the Normal. I held him in my arms as he died." Fukushu scowled, unsheathing his blade as he now approached Darren, the teen breaking into a cold sweat under the fearsome kitsunes gaze. "You're lying," he growled. "Tatsu and most of the kitsune were killed decades ago. How could he have given you that sword?"
"I'm not lying," Darren countered, his voice perhaps a bit louder than he wanted under the circumstances. "Look this is crazy okay! One moment I'm on my way to see Miss Yuriko for training and the next poof, the world changed. I can't explain it but I'm telling the truth."
"Miss Yuriko you say," Fukushu said softly. "If you're talking about Mia and Zacks goddaughter that too is an impossibility. She died as a child. Now I will ask you once more, how did you come into possession of that sword?"
"I'm not lying," Darren exclaimed. "Tatsu gave it to me. In fact, you were the one that taught me how to use it! You showed me how to contact the spirit realm. How to speak with the past wielders of the sword. You told me that I was the nineth wielder, Tatsu being the eight, while your master, Akane, was the seventh. Please, you need to believe me. I don't know what's going on!"
Fukushu paused, raising an eyebrow as he studied the teenager in front of him. If this kid was a simple thief he would have no knowledge of the powers with the blade, let alone knowledge of his old master. Only the true wielder was aware of these secrets, Fukushu having told no one of them when he cane into possession of the blade. "Perhaps you are not lying Darren," he said softly. "But it still does not explain how you ended up here."
"I've been trying to figure that out as well," Darren sighed. "I felt something was off and cast a spell. The next thing I knew I was standing in Yurikos yard but she was gone."
"Why we're you going that that house?"
"Miss Yuriko," Darren stated. "Yuriko Mishimura or Harris is the owner of the Magic Shop. When I found the Ring of Age and the Ring of Change she started training me. She says....she said I was the Catalyst." Fukushu raised a furry eyebrow, carefully studying the teenage boy as his tails swished behind him. "It makes sense."
"What? What makes sense?"
"Darren if you are indeed the Catalyst then you are powerful enough to protect yourself from whatever happened," he said.
"What did happen?"
"The Normal," Fukushu said, the bitterness in his voice palatable to the teen. "Over 80 years ago they began their crusade. Destroying magic and any of the wizards supernatural allies across two timelines. It has been a gradual crusade, slowly picking off wizards and their allies for decades. They murdered the last Catalyst, her friends, her allies, even my family."
"Your family," Darren asked, his eyes going wide as he realized what that meant. "Wait, are you telling me Abolith and Raiden are dead?" Fukushu simply nodded, a scowl forming across his face. "Wait so they're dead, how is Sachiko alive?"
"I found her in the wreckage of her home," Fukushu said softly. "Akira had tried to contact me, to warn me I think of the Normals intentions. I didn't listen. I heard what was becoming of the timeline Akira resided in as he watched Mia and the others. By the time I arrived both he and his wife Ayami were gone."
"But Sachiko was still alive."
"Yes," he said. "And I have raised her since she was an infant. Caring for her the way Akira would have wanted. Atonement for my stubbornness in not helping the wizards. Atonement for not being there when Abolith and my son died."
Darren slowly stood in silence, taking in everything he had heard. Somehow the Normal had changed history. No matter what he would need to find a way to stop them.