The Legend of Omega

Yanagi glared at the man and stood protectively in front of Nami on instinct. The little girl had been strange but cute. This man how ever was strange and dangerous from what she could sense. Yanagi's hair seemed to sharpen and she knew that Nami would notice from behind her but didn't care at the moment.

"I am Yanagi and this is Nami. What exactly do you want and why does it involve 'Personal things' hm?" Yanagi asked her voice edgy.

She didn't know why but Yanagi felt this man was dangerous. He was the worse kind of dangerous at that. The overly curios and overly 'nice' type of dangerous.

"Ah, I see we have a couple then?" He looked them up and down. "I'm not one to judge, but I can't say as I'm not heavily disappointed." He winked. "That's all right, clearly I'm coming on too strong anyway." He smiled and held out his hand. "May we start over? You have very beautiful eyes by the way Yanagi."

Yanagi growled angrily but took a deep breath to calm down not realizing it caused her DD sized chest to rise in just the way all the men in the room liked.

"Excuse me Mr.Pervert but me and Nami are not a couple." She glared at his hand and then met his eyes with her own Amber ones.

"You shouldn't be 'coming on' to us in the first place. Unless you want me to cut you i suggest you leave and go find your sister."

Yanagi's nails had sharpened like her hair and she was prepared to slash this man to ribbons.

"It's not necessary...to um, get violent.." She said cautiously as she tugged on Yanagi's clothes. "Please sir, apologize." She asked with fear filled eyes and a nervous shaking while she held her suit case tightly while still gripping Yanagi's clothes with her free hand. The seemingly sexual intentions from this man began putting poor Nami on edge as she became more nervous as she went along.

"I believe I already did." Norimasa's gaze hardened. He didn't take kindly to threats. "A second apology is not necessary. Unless YOU feel inclined to give me one for calling me a pervert." His hand went to the hilt of what would be considered either a short sword, or a long dagger. He wouldn't be the one to deal the first blow, but he also wouldn't be the one to take the first hit.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw how shaken the other girl was. "Gah..." He exhaled as he forced himself to relax his stance. Rolling his eyes he held out his hand for the SECOND TIME, hoping the overzealous one wouldn't bite it off. "What I meant by "personal things" is that I enjoy hearing people's stories. I'm interested in things like parents, children, and ambitions." It was pretty annoying to have to explain to such an extent. It sounded so sentimental. Norimasa HATED sounding sentimental. "Also..." he said through his teeth. "I only meant to flatter you...not convince you that I'm some kind of sexual deviant..." All of this said while he somehow miraculously ignored Yanagi's bountiful bouncing breasts. It had been an irksome process, but he knew if he didn't clear the air he'd have two very pretty enemies, instead of two very pretty friends.

He wanted to add a comment about how everyone in the world wasn't out to rape them, but he figured that would be in poor taste. The amount of backtracking he'd already had to do was more than enough.

Nami focused her gaze upon this man as she concentrated, but looking like this could look very strange to some. After a few moments of concentrating she said, "He can be trusted....for now." She said with her first sentence without being nervous. "But," She started as she held onto Yanagi a little less. "Shouldn't you be finding your sister?" She asked before whispering more to herself, "Mine used to always be after me...."

Norimasa was shocked. He'd seen that look before, though only once. "Don't you EVER do that again!" He shouted. His eyes grew wild, he hated people, he hated everything! At least that's how it felt right now. Everyone looked in the direction of the shout. All eyes were on them. His rage was almost at it's climax as he threw the cake table across the room. Luckily no one had been in it's path. "How DARE you!" was the last thing he said before storming out.

Things quieted down substantially when Norimasa left. Unfortunately, the quiet didn't last. "MAN OVERBOARD!" came a shout from the deck.

Yanagi's eyes widened at Norimasa's rage and action. Where the hell had that come from. What had Nami said to set him off. Yanagi didn't know but he had at least been sincere in his apologie so she would say she was sorry for jumping to conclusions later.

"Well that was odd. Are you alright Nami?" Yanagi asked after her nails and hair went back to normal.

"He was quite angry just then wasn't he?" Yanagi shook her head. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"

"He does no seem to have any, evil intentions, in the least." Nami said as she now was returning to normal albeit still in her usual semi nervous state. Nami stood up on her wobbling nervous legs as she did a sort of cute tipsy toe as if that would help see overboard. "Should we see what happened?" SHe asked as she grabbe onto Yanagi's clothes again.

Yanagi shrugged.

"I guess. You lead the way." She said smiling brightly at the girl hoping to encourage her.

Holding her suitcase she got up slowly as she cautiously walked forward, hoping Yanagi was right behind her the whole way. She never really trusted anyone before, but recently she has been trying to be more optimistic and trusting. After a few moments they had arrived by the side as Nami looked over the side of the boat looking to see what was down, or if someone really did fall over.

The little girl splashed helplessly by the side of the boat. Her tiny hands were searching desperately for something to climb up, but they found nothing. The child's frantic attempts to grasp the side of the boat were getting weaker. "Earl!" One of the deck hands shouted. "Get the life preserver already!" his voice commanded urgently. Pale as a ghost Earl replied "The new fellow he..." The one giving the commands turned red. "HE WHAT!? THERE'S NO TIME FOR THIS!" Earl gulped audibly before responding "He forgot to switch them out."

The big burly deckhand almost lost it. He grabbed Earl by the collar shouting "THEN YOU GET IN THERE AND SAVE HER!" All the while poor Nippa was losing the battle. "PLEASE NO! PLEASE! I can't swim!!!!" Earl pleaded.

When the blustery deckhand had finally gotten the jist that Earl would be of absolutely no use to him, he began taking his shirt off. "If you want something done right..." he started. Once the shirt was off he looked back at the water. Much to his dismay the girl had vanished. "Oh...No..." he whispered to himself. If only he had seen her go under...

Yanagi eyes widened when she saw the little girl in the water. When she saw that the humans would be no help she stripped down showing instead of a bra ande panties that she was wearing a blood red two piece swimsuit.

"Stupid humans" she growled and just as the girl went under she dived over the side of the ship. As she plumbeted down down toward the water she gathered air around her. It would allow her to shoot easily through the water. Yanagi hit the water and dove down. Under the water she looked around. She saw the girl and began to swim quickly toward her. Then out of the murk came a great white. It swam swiftly toward the girl.

"Hell no" Yanagi thought. She swam and grabbed the girl. By the the shark was close. Yanagi reared her hand back and swung and the shark came close. Her claws cut through it easily.

When Yanagi came to the surface she swam to the side of the ship. She dug her claw into the ship a little and then began to climb. People were all shocked. The bigger shock probably came from the fact that in her hair shish-kebabed by it in it's spiny appearance was the shark.

When Yanagi got to the top she threw herself, the girl, and the shark on the deck. She quivkly performed mouth to mouth on the little girl to get her breathing. When the girl opened her eyes Yanagi smiled warmly at her. She stood up and and pulled the girl to her chest. Turning she looked at the deck hands.

" I require a towel for me and the girl." She snapped then pointed at Earl. "And you! You will bring this shark to the kitchen and get them to cook it. I have grown hungry and it is now my food!"

When neither man moved she growled deeply. The men gulped and did as she asked. Yanagi looked at the little girl.

"You alright little one?" She asked softly.

Nippa coughed and sputtered as the last bit of ocean was being purged from her lungs. "I think so..." she looked up at Yanagi. "Ow..." Nippa groaned and looked at her arm. A long red scratch appeared where Yanagi grabbed her. "Wow lady, you're sharp." Frowning for a moment, Nippa examined the scratch. Her smile came back as she got up. Oddly enough the child had no problem getting on her feet, despite the previous predicament. "It's ok though, I like you anyway." She held out her scratched arm to Yanagi. "Lick it please." She met Yanagi's expression of utter confusion with one of her own. "What? I saw a dog do it, and his scratch healed up real good."

Yanagi giggled she shook herself to dry herself more. Yanagi failed to notice several men pass out from the way her wet breasts jiggled. She walked over to her clothes and grabbed her satchel. She stuck her hand in and pulled out a jar. In the jar was a milky substance. She pulled some out and dabbed it on the girl's wound.

"I'm sorry little one. I have to be sharp sometimes. Sometimes to protect myself and sometimes to protect others." After the cream was on the girl for a few moments Yanagi did indeed lick it off. To the shock of all around the wound was gone.

"There you go my dear all better." She said to the little girl. She saw the looks she was getting.

"What?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

Nippa giggled with glee. "I knew it! I knew it." She sang and danced in a little circle. "Hurray for sharpie!" she exclaimed, latching on to Yanagi's leg. She snuggled the leg for a while, then got bored. "I can come with you?" She asked looking up with her pools of blue cuteness. "I'll be real good I promise!" She crossed her heart with her index finger, then stuck out her little finger. "Pinkie promise!" She added, in case the first promise wasn't good enough.

Yanagi looked down at the little girl. She tried to resist but she couldn't she picked the little girl up and held her close. Putting her own pinky around the little girl's.

"Ok it's a promise at least until we find your brother ok little one?" Yanagi asked with a smile.

Nami, now in a state of fear yet still retaining the hope that she could trust Yanagi lightly tugged on her arm without grasping too tightly as she was afraid of prickling herself. Nami motioned to come closer to her mouth so she could whisper as she whispered into Yanagi's ear, "I don't trust her." As her eyes motioned toward the little girl. Nami then got up as she held onto her suitcase while speaking, "I'm...I'm going to go to the bow of the ship again...if you'll excuse me..." She then began walking away towards the bow in a quick pace as she averted her gaze from meeting peoples eyes.

Yanagi watched Nami go. She sighed. She put Nippa down and dried herself and the girl off with the towel that was finally brought to her. She quickly got dressed. She looked down at Nippa.

"Little one i need you to do something for me ok? Your going to stay with the nice sailor man til i get back ok?" She asked she saw the little girl was unsure.

"I made you a pinky promise so i'll come back but i need to go check on my friend." She said quickly. Then she turned to one of the deck hands.

"You! You will take her to a table in the dining area and await my return. When i come back i will wish to eat that shark." She said commandingly and followed Nami. She Found the girl alone at the bow.

"Nami what's wrong my dear? What are you so afraid of?" she asked softly. "If it would make your fear lessen i will tell you what i am and why i have come on this journey."

"No need to tell me what you are...." SHe began as she attempted to ignore the question of what she was afraid of. "Although I cannot say exactly, but I believe you to be a spirit of a sort, possibly a weasel." She said as she looked over the edge of the boat towards the ocean floor where o ne could see an old sunken ship, the sight of which made her smile for the first time since she got here.

Yanagi's eyes opened wide. The girl guessed? or did she read her mind? either way.

"Your right i am a Kama Itachi a sickle weasel. My mother though was a wind spirit so i have control over some more powerful wind magic then most of my kind." She noticed the girl's smile as she looked at the sunken ship.

"You can see them can't you? Not just see but hear, talk to, and have company with the dead. Is that it? Are you more at peace with those who haven't been able to go to the next world?"

"Ye-yes..." She said as her face returned to a pout. Even in the state the world is in, accepted what used to be the darkest of creatures as citizens, psychics or people who can communicate with the dead were sometimes looked down upon, even more so by any religious person. "Sorry for feeling ashamed....I know that you do not judge me harshly..." Nami gave a wave towards the bottom of the sea in goodbye as the cruise sailed over the wreckage.

Yanagi smiled at the girl. Then did something she knew would probably shock the girl. She hugged her close.

"There is nothing wrong with what you do." She said softly. "My master who i am searching for is a great blacksmith but he also can speak and take company with the dead. He adopted me when asked by my father who died after hiding me beneath a willow tree. That's why he named me Yanagi. He also did something grand for my father. He made it so my papa could always protect me."

Yanagi pulled away from the girl and opened her satchel. She pulled out a beautiful black scythe. Then suddenly a spirit popped out of the scythe. It was a pitch black weasel.

"Nice to meet you child. I am Kazekura. I am Yanagi's father." The weasel said with a smile. "She can't see or hear me."

Yanagi smiled as the scythe seemed to hum.

"My master can bond spirits who wish it to weapons. Spirits of samurai who wish to help others fight. A Priestess who wished to lend her granddaughter her strength by being made into a bow. That is why my master is know as the Spirit Smith. I'm sure you have heard of him."

Nippa didn't like being left with the deckhand. As soon as she got the chance she stomped on his foot and ran off. She started looking for Yanagi, but had no idea what direction she'd gone in. "La la la la" she happily sang while walking. The deck was quiet, most of the passengers were still inside having fun. After looking a while Nippa stopped to sit down. She looked out into the ocean, wishing for something to do.

For some reason or another her gaze drifted downward. Next to the edge the hilt of her brother's blade glinted in the light. "Norimasa..." Nippa whimpered. Upon picking it up a deep sadness fell over her. She hugged the sheath tightly as she let out a loud wail. "He left me! He LEFT ME!" She cried.

"Yes, but not too many..." She began as she looked sadden after just having wsuch an amazing look on her face. ""I was never really allowed much.." She began before stopping herself from saying too much. "This is my first time really going out asides from reading old books, so I really sdo not know too much other then what I've been taught.." She said gloomily, but smiled as she viewed the spirit in front of her.