Two

Tag sat at his desk, dressed only in the cut off sweat pants and bandana on his head that he usually wore to bed, working on the first of many assignments he had to get done during his week off. He'd drawn the blind and closed the curtains, making the room very dark except for the light on his desk. Tag tried to concentrate, but his mind wouldn't let him focus and the equations seemed to be dancing on the paper, so he gave up and closed the math book. He closed his eyes, setting down the pencil with a sigh. A gentle knock sounded at the door, then the soft deeply worried voice of Tag's mother came.

"Tasogare, are you all right? I got a call from your Theatre teacher, he said you were suspended." Tasogare's mother said plainly, but full of worry.

Tag got up and opened the door. "It's nothing Mom. I told you about shoving John Friday. I'll do my time on a matter of principle."

"It's not even five and you're ready for bed, are you sure you're feeling okay?" Tag's mom wasn't convinced.

"I'm just really tired." Tag shook his head slowly.

"We still care about you Tasogare, you being adopted means little to your father and I, we will always think of you as our son." Tag's mother offered. "If there's anything you need, please tell us."

"I'm fine really." Tag fidgeted with the amulet around his neck. "I've just had a rough day."

"Oh, Megan also called, she'll be by here later, should I tell her you're busy?" Tag's Mom asked.

"No, I have to explain something about the suspension to her, I promised I would." Tag said. "If I'm asleep, wake me up."

"Okay son." Tag's Mom said, leaving his door.

Tag laid down on his bed, closing his eyes. He drifted into a light sleep, haunted by reflections of his day at school. He didn't get much rest though. His body fidgeted, tossing and turning as the memories replayed themselves. Tag couldn't relax himself enough to settle into a decent level of sleep, so he did the best he could, forcing himself to remain asleep, even though his body and mind both wanted him to wake up. What felt like hours later to him, Tag heard another knock on his door. He got, looking exhausted, and feeling twice so. Walking over to the door, he opened it. Megan stood with her hand still raised, ready to knock again.

"I can come back Tag." Megan said, turning her gaze down the hallway to hide her embarrassment.

"Sorry," Tag reached into his room and pulled on a button down shirt with cut off sleeves. He buttoned it quickly. "It's been one of those days Come on in."

Megan stepped into the dark room and hesitated. She saw the chair at the desk, and took a seat, looking around the room at the posters and drawings hung on the walls. She seemed a bit uneasy, so Tasogare spread the curtains, and tilted the blind open, letting in some light. Tag sat on the edge of his bed, looking as nervous as usual. His gaze was on the loose threads of his cut-offs that rested just above his knees.

"I guess you're here for that truth I mentioned today." Tag spoke in a coarse whisper. "Are you sure you want it?"

"That would be nice." Megan said. "I'd like to know how you pulled that trick off."

Tag got up and walked over to his door. As he locked it, he turned to Megan. "I need you to promise me right now that you won't panic and start screaming or making a lot of noise." He sat down again on his bed. "My adoptive parents don't even know this." He added cautiously. "I haven't been able to tell them yet."

"Okay." Megan sounded uncertain. "What's so awful you can't tell your parents?" She asked, staring at Tag for a moment. "Tag, what is that?" Her tone went alarmed.

As they had been speaking, Tag had uncurled his tail and laid it across his lap. The furry tassel on the end twitched gently. Tasogare didn't answer right away, taking a deep breath first. "It's my tail."

"You're not serious?" Megan said in disbelief. "That's a real tail? You're pulling my leg Tag."

"It's real." Tag pushed off the bandana, revealing his ears.

"Oh my gosh." Megan sounded freaked. "Wha-what are you?"

Tag's eyes, a deep golden color, flooded with emotion, taking on a sad, terror filled innocence. He stood up, and turned his back to Megan. She saw the tears falling to the floor, splashing as they hit. "I didn't want to show you because I knew you'd be scared."

"Tag, you startled me." Megan got up and put her arm over his shoulders. "I've known you too long. You're a quiet kid with a very big heart. That is something I could never be afraid of."

"Promise?" Tag didn't sound sixteen, more like a six year old who'd gotten lost at the airport, or mall. Megan nodded silently in assurance. "Good, because I'm not finished." Tag lifted the arm off him, and removed the amulet. He placed it in Megan's hands. "I'll need you to put that back on me in a few minutes." He moved toward his bed, not sitting, but leaping onto it in his lion form. He settled down sphynx style, gazing at Megan with distant eyes, uncertain and solemn. "This is me as I really am, a Hanyou, half human, half animal, or 'demon' if you will."

Megan seemed confused, even watching the lion's mouth moving while it spoke in Tag's voice. She backed toward the door instinctively. She didn't know how to react to seeing her friend one moment, then a rather large animal the next. Reaching behind her, Megan unlocked the door carefully. She didn't open it though, seeing Tag try so hard to keep his stiff pose, even while the tears rolled down his cheeks at seeing the fright he'd caused. He drew a tense breath, forcing himself to remain as calm as he could manage so not to frighten Megan any more.

"It's all right, I'll understand if you go now." Tag's voice was sad. "I'm sorry I'm frightening." He finally moved, lowering his head to rest on the bed between his front paws.

"Oh, Tag, I'm not scared, it's just a lot to take in all at once." Megan said, stepping away from the door. She reached out and ran her hand through the mane, pleasantly surprised by how soft the black fur was. "Besides, I still have your amulet." She added with a gentle smile.

A knock at the door made both Megan and Tasogare jump. Megan got up quickly to try and get to the door, but didn't make it in time. Tag's mother opened the door just to make sure Tag was all right and to invite Megan to dinner. Her eyes widened and she quickly pulled the door shut without saying anything. Tag, still in his lion form, crawled under his blanket, burying his large head in the pillows. He started to visibly tremble, which bothered Megan. She started to put the amulet back on, but Tag's father entered in a rush.

"Megan, Where's Tasogare?" Tag's father asked sternly.

Megan pointed to the lump in Tag's bed. "Tag's under there." She answered.

"All right, what's this I hear about a lion in here?" Tag's father asked, marching firmly over to the blanket, and drawing it back. He jumped away from the bed with a startled gasp. "What is that and how did it get in here?"

"Dad, please calm down." Tag blurted urgently, further confusing the startled man.

"Did that thing just speak to me in Tasogare's voice?" Tag's father asked.

"I am Tag, Dad." Tag shifted so that he could face his parents.

"How can you be our son?" Tag's mom asked scared out of her mind.

"I am your son Mom, I am Tasogare, please call me Tag." Tag spoke the introductory phrase he always used when meeting someone. It was the tone in which he said it that indicated the voice was really Tag's.

"We've got to do something." Tag's father said. "Who handles this, the police? Animal Shelter? Maybe the adoption agency?"

"No!" Tag sat up. "Let me try to explain!"

"Explain what?" Tag's father demanded "That you are the human child we adopted sixteen years ago. That's impossible! I'm calling the police I'm sure they'll know what to do."

"Dad wait!" Tag begged. "Please?" He added in tears. "Mom, I need you to trust me and stop Dad from getting anyone else involved in this. I promise I'll tell you all I know, just don't have me locked up."

"I don't know what to believe anymore." Tag's mom said shaking her head.

"See why I didn't want them to know Megan?" Tag asked, snatching the amulet in his mouth before bounding out the door and down the hallway.

"What did he mean just now?" Tag's mom asked Megan.

"He didn't tell you that he wasn't human because he didn't want you to be afraid of him. He just told me today that he was, how did he say it, a hanyou."

"A what?" Tag's mom asked.

"It's a Japanese word, basically it means half youkai. A youkai is animal spirit that can take human form, sometimes they are called half demons." Megan explained. "My mother's family is from Japan, so I'm learning the language and culture."

"I hope he didn't run off." Tag's mom said with worry.

"I'll go find him, you stop your husband." Megan started for the door.

"Tell him to come home so we can make sense of this as a family."

"I will Mrs. Evans." Megan hurried out the door.