5 Chapter 5: Lucy's Friends

Many orphans lived in the children’s house along with Lucy. She shared a room with her best friend, also an orphan, Sam. She was her only friend in the children’s house, for the others considered Lucy’s personality too cold and locked-in, and Sam, with her bright and easy-going attitude, was the only one to penetrate through Lucy’s wall she had built around herself.

Even now, Lucy was alone in her room, sitting on her bed and fallen into thoughts. She stared at a photo of her parents put on her bedside table. She loved this photo very much – she, still a baby, taken by her mother in her arms, while her father stood next to the mother, and both of them smiled happily. It was so sad those happy times had gone forever… Tears came to her eyes as she recollected her joyful past which looked so bitter now.

“Lulu, you’re here?”

She raised her head and met the eyes of Sam – a twelve-year-old girl with blonde twin-tails and light blue eyes, wearing a light blue dress. A brown wooden bead-bracelet beautified her right arm. She had a bright smile on her face, as always.

“Hey, Sam! Yes, I’m here,” Lucy put the family photo back on the bedside table and turned to her friend.

“Cool! I was searching for you. I heard from Mrs. Thompson that you have graduated from school and enrolled in a high school for the upcoming autumn. It’s amazing! Congratulations, big sis!” Sam hugged her tightly.

“Oh,” Lucy hugged her back, “Yes, it’s true, I’ve graduated. Thank you”.

“Ohh, wait till I tell Sandy! She’s going to be so happy about this!” Sam put a hand on her wooden bracelet and cried: “Twinkle, Sandra Nutts!”

“Hey, wait! No need to_”

Lucy got worked-up, but it was too late – the bead-bracelet of Sam sparkled brightly and large yellow light orb appeared. Out of this orb, a tall woman emerged, but it was no ordinary woman. Brown colour dominated in her appearance – brown hair, brown eyes, a brown-to-yellow dress… The most unusual, however, were her brown squirrel ears and a fluffy squirrel tail. She grinned once saw the two children, and waved a hand in a friendly manner:

“Hello, girls!”

“Hello, Sandy,” Lucy answered.

“Hey, Sandy! Guess what!”

“What, tiny?” Sandy smiled down at Sam.

“Lucy has graduated from the Intermediate Spirit School and enrolled in a Spirit High School for the upcoming autumn!”

Lucy blushed and scratched her head – it was really too much of a fuss over such a simple thing… and then, there was that amulet of the vile spirit, a not-so-pleasant remembrance.

“Wow, now that’s some news! Congratulations, Lulu!”

“Hehe, thanks…”

“Come on! Who’s the lucky spirit?” Sandy jumped in happiness, so joyful she was for her hostess’ friend. “If you graduated it means you’ve acquired one, right?”

“Is it a girl? Is it as beautiful as Sandy?” Sam’s eyes sparkled with curiosity too.

Lucy chuckled:

“It’s no big deal… It’s not a girl, but a boy, and, he is rather handsome, to be honest…”

“Aww, someone’s in love!” Sandy cackled in her squirrel voice.

“Wow, isn’t it romantic, to fall in love with one’s own spirit friend?” Sam giggled.

Lucy flushed up with embarrassment:

“Huh? No! That’s not it! I don’t have affections for him, rather…”

She recalled the evil fox spirit’s words of how he would devour her. Shivers ran down her spine. Sandy and Sam blinked in stupefaction once they noticed she had gone pale.

“Lucy, dear, are you alright?” Sandy got concerned like a protective mother, “You seem rather terrified”.

“Oh, if only you knew!” tears gushed from Lucy’s eyes, “I accidentally ran into a Skull Territory during the exam, and there, I met such a monster!”

She told them everything that had happened to her and showed them the golden-chained Yin-and-Yang necklace. Hearing the spirit’s name, ‘Huli Yuehong’, Sandy widened eyes in dread:

“Oh goodness, Huli Yuehong? He’s the vilest of all foxes of the Huli Clan. He is more than a thousand years old, and he is known for his bloodthirstiness and slyness… Oh, poor child! We must get rid of that necklace before he comes for you!”

“Oh, my! Is he truly that scary?” Sam shivered, with tears in her eyes.

“Aww, don’t worry, Sam, darling,” Sandy embraced the tiny girl in her arms, “I will destroy that amulet and we’ll get rid of that vile fox for good!”

“Huh? Is it possible to destroy the necklace?” Lucy blinked in a stupor, as she had heard of such a thing for the first time.

“Yes, if a fellow spirit hits it with large spiritual energy. To our luck, I am a spirit,” Sandy prepared a light orb in her arms. “Lulu, take that necklace off and put it on the floor. I’ll destroy it”.

“Um, okay…”

Lucy took her necklace off and put it on the floor as demanded. Both she and Sam moved aside to give Sandy some space. Sandy, on her part, prepared the light orb in her fist, gave a battle cry, and blasted the amulet. But oh, my, not even a single scratch was marked on it!

“Huh?”

Sam and Lucy grew astonished – how come it turned out unharmed from such a strong energy blast?

“No way…” Sandy went pale, “Its barrier is too strong!”

The amulet sparkled, and a tall silhouette emerged, with five tails. It grew large claws and clutched Sandy’s neck. Sandy yelled. She cramped and gasped for air in the beast’s tight grip.

“Sandy!” Sam screamed.

“Wh… What’s happening?” Lucy was no less frightened.

Her question was soon answered, and brought her a great dread: the silhouette morphed into the monstrous fox spirit from before.