I had much fun, as well as despair, in writing the piece. As I was writing, I couldn’t help but think how stupid we human beings are. We live in a place we call home, and yet, we dirty it without hesitation. As we thrive in the planet, the worse it gets. One can clearly see that humans are the cause of these major problems on Earth, as if we do not take responsibility for our mistakes. Some problems are just set aside to deal with later, but then, those are all forgotten. We become blind. That’s what our major problem is.

Humans create a mess, but do not bother to clean it up. From writing and hearing what other people have to speak for about genocide, I have to conclude that it is probably one of the foremost things we have to wipe out from this planet.

This might not be as severe, but it all narrows down to this moral question: What gives another human being the right and mentality to think that it is okay to kill another person? Through this article, I want to discuss this matter of genocide in terms of moral standards. I hope that, you, being the reader, will have developed a better to conscious to what is happening in the outside world right now.

Genocide; some say it is cruel while others believe it is a normal practice that can be used often. I say not. Human beings absolutely do not have the right to kill another person for any reason at all. Stop now. I want you to pause and get your mind off bustling miniature problems in your life right now such as your phone bill or your leaking faucet. Just think hard. Who came up with this so-called brilliant idea? A mere human being. Now, that human believes that it is right to kill another human and the practice of genocide can be used. Think about it this way. If that man, or woman, or whatever vile creature of a human it is chooses to kill another of the same species, it starts a chain. This gives the victim the right to fight back, to kill the attacker. However, genocide is the killing of one group of people or persons; such a practice should not be so confusing. You’re wrong. The victim is the same as any other person on earth. They have eyes, ears, hands, legs, and the exact same organs. I wonder, what makes people so stubborn and ignorant, thinking they are better than others? Now, it comes to the bigger question.

Genocide should be allowed to continue to exist in this world, shouldn’t it? From my perspective, no. What kind of disgusting creature thought about genocide in the first place? To kill off another human or a group of them just to feel superior? Take Hitler for example. He was quite the leader, killing off the majority of the Jews so that he and the Germans could reign supreme. He did it out of fear. Excuse me? Yes, I said fear. Some might believe in a different approach, but from what I hear, and conclude, he is a loathsome coward. Fear can change anyone’s lives and such, Hitler used this against the Jews. Jews controlled the majority of the banks and businesses, as if they had the world in the palm of their hands. Hitler despised this. Imposing his own sort of fear upon the Jews, he was able to manipulate the control over to him. Now that’s a leader indeed. Despite my sarcasm, inferiority was placed upon the Jews so that they felt little of themselves. Another thing was, Hitler’s paternal grandfather was half a Jew. With your own mind, one should be able to decipher this issue. Hitler mass murdered the Jews, and if his grandfather was half a Jew, Hitler might have been killing off his own cousins. He might not know of this matter, but since he is only blinded by his own reason for living and his conceited little mind, he cannot see clearly. Cousins, Jews, Germans, they are all humans. And humans, none of them deserve to be treated unequally. From this philosophical question, one can conclude that if one human decides to wreck another individual’s life, the other, as a human being, has the right to retaliate and use your own methods.

Should genocide be allowed and if it happens in other parts of the world, should we put forth our honed efforts to try to stop the cause? There are arguments to both these causes. From my perspective, I have to say yes. Reasons why is because we are all humans. We thrive in this very planet together and should work together to create a better place for everyone to reside in. Why can’t we do that? Greed always has to intrude in the worst of times. But that’s what it means to be human right? Others say that we as living organisms on the planet thrive by competition of resources. This can be argued countless times, and same goes for my general question. Some would counter my argument, saying that we do not have the right to intervene to another country’s private affairs. One does not ram into another person’s property without their permission, and the same goes towards the countries around the globe. But if mass killings were involved and other inhuman acts were enforced, what would you do, where would you stand?

Now, I want to impose another question: Where did we come from? What is our origin? Are we creatures just born to ready be superior? Dating back to millions of years ago, our closest ancestors were the chimpanzees. Yes, you see them in the zoo as creatures in the cage. You’re mesmerized by their tricks and their stunning curiosity. You laugh and tease as they stumble upon toys or make mistakes upon a tree. They are not so different from us. What? Animals you say? Biologically speaking, we are animals. We are directly descended from the animal kingdom. Animals lived in peace and harmony, until they have all evolved completely into another species, species that learned to think for benefits for themselves. Corrupting the world with pollution, technology, and waste, the humans think so highly of themselves because of their so called “achievements.” I think that these “achievements” are more of factors that can de-evolve our community. Animals in the past never had such competitive resources to consume. It is only in our days, that we humans decided to pollute the environment solely for our goals and benefits. We humans morphed our economy to become naught but poison.

Here’s the catch! From continually shaping our government, economy and standards in the entire system, we automatically switch our mentality as if we are the ones who are dominant. This is the key thing to our survival instincts and cockiness. Conceited, we feel nothing towards the nature that we destroy. We are overcome, overpowered, OVERWHELMED, by all these dreams of riches and fame.

Wait, slow down a second here. We have moved from genocide, to the Holocaust, to animals, and now we talk about topics related to the issues of global warming. Why? Because humanity is the main cause all these problems. I could come up with so many possible explanations and guesses. I could dive deeper and analyze the many philosophical questions you have in your mind, anything that you can practically imagine in your head right now. You see? We are the cause of all this commotion upon the planet. If we don’t stop now, even by ending the genocides and hate crimes against other folks, we can better the Earth. But it will be a matter of time before this world is destroyed from constant corruption. As long as we do not listen to reason, we will perish.

It happened in naught but a split second. A moment ago, the crowd was angrily throwing objections to one another; the next, the tribe was on their knees, brows sweating with anxiety. Raiden had done it. Ryura could not even look up from where he was kneeling, because the tremendous demon power of the leader was far too overwhelming. The alpha wolf only unleashed some of his demonic power in that moment, spewing energy to his surroundings, and keeping the wolves in a monitored paralysis. It had been a while since Ryura has felt such unimaginable power, and he knew it was nothing but a sliver of Raiden’s true potential. Not a single wolf from the pack was seen standing, with the exception of the five lieutenants, and Ayumi herself.

After what felt like an hour of torture, the energy subsided. The wolves, wiping the sweat off their foreheads, quickly stood up in absolute silence. Raiden exhaled deeply.

“Look, I know you are all frantic about the sudden arrival of the humans. I do not know why they were here or what they intend to do. However, I would like to say that despite the abrupt intrusion, you all must understand me. This ceremony is not up to me, but for my own daughter, Ayumi, to decide. As the princess, this ritual is necessary and will commence. No further questions or denials!”

Just as Raiden shifted his attention towards Ayumi, there was a sudden uproar in the middle of the crowd. The wise leader of the wolves lifted his eyebrows, as Ryura countered, “NO! Why the hell…?! She is your daughter! The humans can still be out there; trying to send Ayumi to her death?”

Koga, infuriatied, quickly snapped, “Know your place, boy! This is up to the princess to decide, not for some mangy filth like yourself!”

“I’ll show you who’s the filth, you incompetent fool!”

Ryura drew his sword, the other wolves stepped out of the way in awkward shock. Koga mimicked his actions. “Try me, brat.”

“ENOUGH! Koga, sheathe your blade, and to you, Ryura, the same! I will not tolerate this vile behavior on my daughter’s birthday!” demanded Raiden.

Both of the wolves did as they were told, but the looks on their faces were of complete disgust. Koga turned his back to Ryura, almost swiping the side of his face with the edge of his sheathe. It seemed as though Ryura was about to charge straight for Koga, and slit his throat, but Hitomi shook her head. Ryura returned to the sidelines, fuming. After a few painstaking moments, Ayumi finally spoke, with a gentle tone that soothed Ryura’s muscles and anxiety at last.

“Thank you everyone, for your concern for my wellbeing. As princess and one of the leaders of the clan, I shall look after myself during the hunt, and return unscathed. You need not worry.”

Ryura groaned. He did not like the idea of Ayumi going out to the wild by herself. She was indeed powerful, but still… the humans were just here, last night… Ryura continued to ponder these many troubles, while the rest of the Yokai Wolves bowed low and congratulated Ayumi with support. Raiden stepped forward and embraced his daughter in a tightening grip. She smiled. Without bothering to delay the reception any further, she rapidly sprinted towards the canopy opening, and with a gush of wind, she was no more. Leaves scattered as the shadow of an extraordinarily white mass disappear amongst the trees, as if the last snow of winter dissolved into a pile of new grass.

The cubs yipped in delight, and others roared with laughter and gaiety. But, Ryura showed no sign of happiness. He only looked gloomily over at the princess’s direction and dragged himself away from the noise. Hitomi was the one who noticed this immediately. Clutching her twin swords by her hip, she stepped down from the rock and hastily sprinted to Ryura’s side. She clutched his shoulder in concern, with eyes that almost reflected Ryura’s pool of troubled thoughts. But without looking back, Ryura roughly brushed her hand off and leapt out of Hitomi’s reach. In a matter of moments, he disappeared into the trees, leaving a trail of despair behind.

Hitomi shook her head disappointingly. Akira strolled up towards her side in time to hear her mutter under her breath. “Geez, he’s off to sulk again.”

“Well, you cannot really expect much out of Ryura,” Akira answered calmly, “It has been very harsh for him, even these past few years.”

“As his higher ranking officer and caretaker, I feel as though sometimes his actions were my responsibility. He causes commotion; I end up cleaning up after his insane mess.”

Akira quietly remarked, “That is our duty. As the stronger ones, we set and example and take leadership.”

“I know what Raiden-sama wants. It is just that…Ryura…he’s so irritating sometimes. His actions are so despicable, and yet, Raiden-sama claims I am the one most suitable to look after him. Why is that?”

Hitomi’s eyes met with Akira’s with inquisition. Akira opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. There was what sounded like a loud cawing of ravens amongst the trees, and then silence. It was at that moment when Koga stepped between the two and boasted, “Bad blood! That’s all I keep telling all of you! It is in his nature to betray us, desert us whenever he feels welcome to. That bastard is nothing-”

Hitomi nudged him in the ribs, taking note of Raiden pacing forward. Koga gave a tiny ow, and bowed. Hitomi and Akira did the same, finding Koga in minimal pain amusing. Raiden ushered them to rise, and waited until the remaining wolves from the ceremony disbanded back into their tents. In a low tone of voice, he remarked solemnly.

“I have kept a promise; we have kept a promise. I do not intend to break it, and neither should any of you. Do not make that face Koga. The others hate him probably even more than you do.”

Koga grumbled. Apparently, he contorted his face in abhorrence at the sound of Raiden mentioning the word “promise.” Raiden paid no further attention, continuing in giving instructions.

He whispered, “Now, as lieutenants, I want you all to thoroughly search the boundaries and mountains for any suspicious movements. I forbid you to enter the northern domain of the forest. My daughter is still on her hunt and I want no interruptions. Understood?”

“Yes, Raiden-sama” came the simultaneous answer.

“Very well. Jin! Kasumi!” The last two lieutenants bounded from the camp towards Raiden as an answer to his beckoning. They first appeared in their wolf forms: the one on the left being Jin, a large, grayish wolf with hints of white scattered evenly throughout his body, and the one on the right being Kasumi, the other female lieutenant. Her fur was reddish-brown, reflecting the color of a mature maple leaf in the autumn wind. In synch, both wolves revealed their human form, reverting back. Jin was just as tall as Koga, lugging a sleek claymore on his back. Kasumi, on the other hand, had red hair that hung loosely to her shoulders with similar stature compared with Hitomi. She carried one sword on her right side, with a dagger pouch on the left. The wolves greeted each other promptly, and then turned towards Raiden’s direction for further instructions.

“Okay. Akira and Koga, cover the eastern parts. Jin, I want you to search the western areas. Kasumi, scour the hills and mountains nearby, and see what you can find. And Hitomi…” Raiden walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder. “Good luck with Ryura.”

She nodded grimly. Raiden only gave her a reassuring nod and then, with a wave of his hand, they scattered.

Raiden gazed towards the sun, now high above the clouds, glaring without hesitation. There was only one thought racing through his mind, as he felt the blood course rapidly throughout his veins. You have left me with quite a burden. And yet, it seemed as though I had left you with one too. Isn’t that right, Ayane? There was no answer, and he never got one. The wind blew harder, picking up leaves at his feet. It was as if the sudden gust was in anger, or distant sadness that could never be reached. Raiden perked his ears, and thought he heard a woman crying in the outreaches of the forest. He jerked his head to listen more attentively. And then, it was gone. The force of the gale subsided, just as quickly as it came. He heaved a sigh.

But then, out of the darkness from the middle of the canopy, came the familiar scream of the wolf princess.

Many people assume that swimming is a fun activity to do whenever there is free time. Everywhere I go, people taunt that running track is much more difficult. Some even say baseball or even basketball is much more energy consuming than swimming. I ignoring such comments, knowing that swimming is by far one of the hardest competitive sports that has ever existed. I have been in a swim team for over five years and I know the trials, hardships, and obstacles you must overcome in order to succeed. In swimming, mentality plays a huge role. It is more of an individual sport, where one has to set their mind to their distant goals and strive to break them. In the majority of sports, basketball and baseball have teamwork, bonds that remain locked tightly together. Swimming requires your friendships to be torn apart in the pool, to destroy your opponent without hesitation, and in the end, come out of the pool to congratulate each other in brotherhood again.

In terms of the stress that is placed on the body, swimming develops your physical endurance. One might not realize but after a year of swimming, they can hold their breath longer and endure any land sport with ease. The water in the pool creates a barrier that the athlete has to push themselves through in order to get to the wall ahead of them. Each stroke causes strenuous pain in your body, since swimming uses practically all of your body’s muscles. When you first start swimming, your body is not yet accustomed to the sport, having cramps and aches all over. For me, it took several months, almost a year until my body was armed to take on any physical punishment in the water possible. Time flies, and you begin to develop a love for swimming, both for fun and competitively. That was what I loved about swimming. The exhilaration to swim fast was incredible, and one has to become fully dedicated to the sport and be prepared to race anytime. Take Michael Phelps for example; he rarely cares about his schoolwork. As noted in the Olympics, he mostly just eats, sleeps, and swims. Nothing else. I am not implying that if you swim, you never have to do work. What I am saying is that one must remained focused on the event they must swim and constantly stay determined to win. When it comes to a showdown in a pool, Michael Phelps is there, armed to take on the toughest athletes in the world for the race for gold. And what more could you ask for? 8 gold medals, 7 world records, and 1 Olympic record.

Its just like what my swim coach used to tell me and something that I always remember: ” The pain is temporary, but the glory lasts forever.”

Up ahead was the distant destination that he had to reach before dusk. Things tended to get much too dicey from a late report. Hikaru ran as fast as he could, gathering speed. However, his journey was cut short as a sleek arrow whizzed by him, startling him. What? He froze, and swung his sword to deflect yet another arrow. It hit with a clink against the edge of his blade and ricocheted off a nearby stump. He plucked the arrow from the ground, flinging it towards the original point. Catching a glimpse of several men beneath the green lush, Hikaru was bewildered. Why here? Leaving him no time to counteract, the soldiers sprang from the bushes in an attempt of an ambush. However, the effort proved futile. Firmly holding his sword below the hilt, Hikaru fought back with instinct. There were over fifty soldiers, plated with thick armor and shields. Yet, numbers dwindled as Hikaru dodged between sword and man, slashing countless bodies as numbers continued pouring in like a herd of mad rhinoceros.

Dyeing the edge of his weapon red, he continued to maneuver through them easily. Questions filled his head, irritating him to the bone. These are his men; why are they here? Did they track me from afar? Furthermore, why do they choose to attack me? This doesnt make any sense. But first, I must save my own skin from death. The cloud of confusion in his mind blinded his skill. At that moment, a blade from the left snagged the hilt of Hikarus sword, and flung it out of his hands. Lost amongst the tall grass, Hikaru stumbled upon the hard earth, as the ring of men encircled him. The premature fight finally ceased, when a voice shouted above the chaos.

"Thats enough." The voice, dreadfully cold, reversed the chills back to Hikarus spine. Echoing, the words repeated themselves alongside the thumping of his heart. Cautiously, Hikaru turned his head, immediately recognizing the speaker. His eyes met with another human, much older than him. But the man was immensely different.

The tall figure had a highly muscular stature, with broad shoulders. He stood over six feet tall, with a dark robe that covered his entire body like the clouds that block the moon from revealing its light. He carried no weapon, but only several needles by his side with a potion flask. To his left was a brown leather pouch half hidden behind the black robe. His face, however, was most unforgettable. His pupils showed a dark crimson red, emanating the color of fresh blood. Across his left eye, there was a devastating scar that started at his hairline till the neck. His gaze was utmost penetrating. And unlike the other soldiers, he had a large, but long face, representing his clever wickedness. His brow was thin with hair, and his forehead was covered with dark, glossy hair.

Hikaru, dumbfounded, exclaimed, "My deepest apologies," He immediately curled up on the ground, as if bowing to a god. "I did not realize it was you, my lord."

The man blinked, and his lips curled with a malicious smile. "No no no. There is absolutely no need to apologize. Come, rise, no need for formalities."

Hikaru bleakly answered, "I dare not to, my lord."

The emperor fiddled with his nails, flicking off the dust that was comprised beneath them. He was not surprised. "So you do know your place." With a swift bash, the royal hand swept Hikaru across the face. "Or do you, my young Hikaru?"

Hikaru, half dazed from the blast, gasped for air. He was on all-fours, with spit and blood drooling from his mouth. There was silence amongst the soldiers. Shaking, Hikaru pulled himself off the ground to resume his proper position, and bowed. Hints of blood still trickled down his mouth upon his robes.

"Lord Zaku, I was only…"

"I do not need to hear it. You sneak out during the night without my permission and now, you openly defy my orders, assailing your own people." He paused, and his lips slowly curled up into smile. "But, its interesting how we now lie in the eastern forest, so close to a few…adversaries". Hikaru gulped. Keeping his eyes on the soil, he strained from avoiding the sight of Zakus feet pacing.

"But, what do you know? Hikaru, thanks that you decided to take a stroll, saving me quite some effort. Our scouts traced your path and apparently stumbled upon…"  Zaku faced Hikaru, with a smug look upon his face. "…the Yokai Wolves."

Hikarus eyes widened. No

Zaku cackled with mirth. "Ha! Years, has it been? I have not seen such a potent tribe for thirteen years, ever since the destruction at North Peak. Formidableyes, indeed." He twisted his face, contorting it into a wicked gesture. Looking Hikaru in the eye, Zaku paused. "Hikaru, I want you to lead the attack."

At the sound of his last words, Hikarus heart dropped, feeling as if he was stumbling into a vortex of darkness. His head cocked to one side, stammering, "Why, do you want me to…"

"Do I need to repeat myself?", came the abrupt reply. Hikaru did not answer, feeling a drop of cold sweat trickle down his haunted countenance. Zaku only frowned, and inquired, "Have you forgotten who you are, General Hikaru?"

This hit the target. Hikaru sank low and bowed, mumbling, "No."

"I will be awaiting your good news." With that, Zaku averted his threatening eyes from Hikaru to the setting sun. He strolled off, with hundreds of other men trailing behind, like a gigantic pack of wolves. In minutes, they were gone. All that remained was Hikaru, still on his trembling knees, surrounded by his squadrons foot soldiers, beneath the red sky.

Because of XP, Kaoru follows the pattern of sleeping during the day and going out during the night to avoid any possible skin contact with the sun. She constantly stares out her window during the day when she cannot sleep. In the mornings, a handsome surfer boy, Koji Fujishiro, would be waiting by the bus stop right below her window. He becomes Kaoru’s first crush. With the help of a school friend, Kaoru was able to get more factual information about Koji, sparking Kaoru’s interest. Eventually, they meet up during the night, and Koji invites Kaoru to the bountiful shopping malls of Tokyo. Kaoru loves the scenery, and even played some of her written songs in the courtyard in front of a small audience. The crowd is immediately mesmerized by her talent. She dreams of creating her own album for the public audience to hear. Hearing this, Koji is determined to have her goals succeed. Koji begins to develop feelings for Kaoru, and asks her out. She agrees, only to have their date abruptly cut off by the wake of dawn. Distraught, Kaoru feels ashamed of herself and runs from Koji, believing that if she remained by his side, it would only cause him more pain to watch her suffer. Days fly by, and her XP condition gets worse, disrupting her ability to play while weakening her heart and spirit. Even with the support of her loving mother and father, her strength dwindles to the brink of death.

Beautifully crafted, the director of the movie did an excellent job in creating this storyline. I thought that the movie had a great plotline overall, but it also seemed as if there was no plot involved. The story was about a girl who had to overcome XP, but also a story about love and friendship. Kaoru’s character was played extremely well by YUI, as the personality strongly fits a young girl struggling through life with a lethal disease. And the supporting characters all help to guide us viewers into the life of a girl with XP. For general audiences, Taiyou no Uta is great to watch with family or even better, a loved one. Seeing Koji do all he can to fulfill Kaoru’s dream will get any couple aroused and heart-warmed. However, for all YUI fans, this spectacular movie contains most of YUI’s hottest songs. From "Skyline," to finishing off with the well-known song "Goodbye days," this movie is a must-see. One thing’s for sure, anyone will love it, no matter what the background.

Ryura looked much younger in his mind. The birds were chirping happily during a beautiful day. He saw himself as a child, skipping alongside the grassy road. Ryura recalled the place. The scenery was sparked up memories of his past. It was the very forest where he grew up. He ran up to the other children who were playing in the field. Dancing wildly in circles, the children started a game of tag. Ryura ran down the hill to follow the kids. Smiling, Ryura held up his hand and waved, tempting the others to allow him to join in. But to his disappointment, the children’s faces darkened to frowns, and hurriedly ran away from the field of grass. The suspicious stares would not stop. Ryura could see them eyeing him with hate, but there was a glint of fear in their countenances. Ryura did not understand, standing alone in the empty field looking puzzled. His fellow wolves always ran from him. No matter how hard he tried to hide the loneliness, the feeling of dread would always be evident. Ryura lifted his head and saw something out in distance. A figure was slowing walking up towards him on the other side of the hill. Shading his blank eyes from the rays of the sun, Ryura laughed.

It was a young woman, who wore a few bracelets of wolf teeth by her left wrist, but did not have the usual wolf-skin clothing that other Yokai Wolves had. Instead, she was clothed with a dress of dark purple, with two overlapping layers of contrasting colors of light and darkness. Her hands were clasped together in front of her, but Ryura saw them part, as if calling her out to her son. She held out her hands, lulling Ryura with a faint smile. Ryura ran towards his mother, with arms outstretched. Before his younger self could even react, his mother knelt down and pulled him close. Ryura closed his eyes, smiling. He felt warm, even against the wind that started to pick up. But then, Ryura saw it; that moment, was the first time he ever saw his mother truly cry.

She looked neither angry nor sad, but she only cried silently over Ryura’s small shoulders. Ryura clutched his hands into fists and grinded his teeth together. He remembered everything. He had always hated seeing his mother upset, let alone sad. Lowering his head, he didn’t say anything, letting the visions of his memory speak for themselves. Over his mother’s silent sobs, he listened to his younger self speak.

"Mommy, why are you crying?"

There was a pause, but no answer came from his mother. Ryura’s mother released her son from her grip. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood up and patted Ryura on the head. She managed a smile, and stared at Ryura with her sparkling, blue eyes. No matter how many times Ryura faced his mother; he always saw that emptiness within her. He did not comprehend as a child, nor did she ever elaborate what was wrong. You are still a child Ryura, which was the reply all the time. It was a funny feeling, as if she was about to run away every time she spoke those words. Ryura’s mother stood up and shifted her direction to the right. She began walking back up towards the hill. Ryura could not help but question her mother, seeing that she did not make a single effort to look back.

"Mommy, mommy! Where are you going, mommy?"

There was no answer. His mother only turned her head and smiled. Ushering Ryura to go back to camp, she continued to walk away. Ryura started to yell, but his mother did not answer. The memory started to fade away, the dreams swirling through his head, and the memories intertwined together. All he remembered was seeing a dark figure approach his mother’s side, as the whole world flipped over from a violent shove on his shoulder, returning Ryura to reality.

Ryura jolted up from his bed and caught the hand that woke him. Huffing, he felt the cold sweat trickle down his left cheek. Without second thought, he clenched the hand much harder. He only just realized that he violated his own lieutenant when he felt the side of his face burn from a quick slap across the cheek. His eyes met with his commanding officer, and he immediately let go of her hand. Ryura bowed his head down low, and muttered an apology.

"I am sorry, Hitomi-sama. Forgive me for my actions."

Hitomi was only a few years older than Ryura, but was much higher adept with her skills than Ryura. Hitomi had long, brown hair that is usually tied up in a ponytail. She wore similar clothing to Ayumi’s, except that she did not have as much bracelets around her wrists and ankles. Unlike the other lieutenants, Hitomi carried two swords by her side, fastened tightly together by her stash. Each sword’s scabbards were colored pure white, with a golden hilt at the end. She didn’t have any other weapon on her side that was noticeable, but she usually tied a pouch around her thigh that was full of daggers. They were hidden from her robes. Hitomi brushed her long bangs in front of her face to the side and stood up. She was about to exit Ryura’s tent, but turned towards him one last time. She sighed.

"I’ll let it go this time. Now, get dressed; the princess’s departure is imminent. The Yokai Wolves all have to assemble at the North Peak now, Ryura. Get going."

"Yes, Hitomi-sama."

Ryura bowed down low as Hitomi left his tent, leaving Ryura all by himself. Ryura rapidly got ready. Amidst the chaos of preparing for the assembly, he almost for got about his promise to Ayumi. Ryura hurriedly fastened the sword to this waist and opened the tent flap to take leave. Before he could even set his foot outside, Ryura abruptly stopped. Peering back into his small home, he knew he forgot the dagger. The object lay on the wolf skin that was sprawled on the ground. Ryura hastily strung his finger around the band, hoisting the colorful blue dagger that was at its end. Ryura managed a slight smile, as the dagger engulfed his entire world of memories in the sea of blue.

Ryura stepped out from his tent, returning to the sun’s suffocating hold upon his body. Engulfed in the morning light, Ryura shielded his eyes, and looked down at the dagger in his hand. It had a vivid color of blue that transformed to multiple colors in the light. Ryura managed to light up a smile after having it rest in his palms. Firmly, he held onto the dagger, almost until it sliced open his skin. Ryura felt his hand burn, but ignored the painful feeling. He ran over to the edge of the forest, where he was supposed to line up along with his fellow Yokai Wolves. Ryura saw them, all lined up in rows. The lieutenants were up front, while the lower ranked wolves, the omega, went behind their corresponding leading officer. Raiden stood in front of the entire clan. His overwhelming demon power could be felt from a mile away, as some weaker wolves started to perspire and breathe much heavier. Ayumi stood right next to Raiden, but she did not look very happy. Ryura’s stomach lurched; seeing Ayumi unhappy always made him quite sick. Mutters amongst the wolves stopped when Raiden finally took a small step forward.

He spoke, with a tranquil tone. "Today, as we all know, is when the first daughter of the leader of the Yokai Wolves reaches the age to hunt alone. It will be her first hunt today, and I thank you all for being her on time, even when announced at such short notice. However, before we get to that, there are matters to attend to. Koga, if you please."

The silence broke off with whispers amongst the wolves. What would have been so important to interrupt the coming of age of the clan’s princess? Eager to know, the wolves hushed when Koga cast his disgruntled look upon the crowd. Koga looked from left to right, and at last, he spoke.

"The humans were here, just last night."

There were multiple exclamations amongst the wolves. They were not pleased. Several were pacing back and forth within the camp, complaining about Ryura’s late arrival. The camp itself wasn’t as large, for it was left with the few that survived the past few years. But, the wolves have ran from the humans and learned to fend for themselves against harsh opposition. With only about 300 left, the wolves together gathered to form a tribe, the Yokai Wolves. The majority of them had thick, brown fur, and their bodies were relatively large in size. The wolves range from young children to the much wiser and older wolves. The oldest of all the wolves and most powerful was Raiden. In human form, he was a relatively short old man, but his appearance was wise. He had strong eyes that gleamed with knowledge and skill. As the leader, he commanded the lieutenants, all of whom are right below his rank in the tribe. The lieutenants were the ones who led their own groups of wolves, groups of over 50. The rest were in the soldier rank, like Ryura, who were the weakest of all the wolves, and very often, looked down upon.

"Where is that boy?" Koga, one of the lieutenants, never had much patience for Ryura. Koga had a stern look upon his face, and boasted enormous demon power.

"He probably wandered off again. That’s a habit that’ll never quit," replied his fellow lieutenant, Akira. Unlike Koga, Akira was more tranquil having a gentle but stern look upon his face. Akira was more likely to talk out situations whereas Koga would rely on his strength. Both lieutenants held a sword fastened to their stash, with fur coats that billowed in the wind. Koga and Akira wore a number of wolf teeth strung upon a thick yarn around their wrists. Their appearances were remarkable, having serious but tranquil looks at the same time.

Disregarding Akira’s comment, Koga merely scoffed. He strolled along the borderline of the campsite, scanning through the dark trees for any sign of Ryura. But, the effort was futile. Ryura was no where to be seen.

"That runt needs to be watched over more. He’s creating a huge problem."

Akira sighed. "It’s no use. I guess it’s in his blood after all. He’s just like his mother, and besides, we have a promise to keep. Not just us, but all of the YokaiWolves."

"Tch, you really think I care less? He’s got bad blood!"

"Does it matter at all? We are responsible for his life."

"Let’s just kill him and be done with this damn idiocy."

Akira ignored him. Shaking his head, he started to stroll back to the camp. At that moment, the sight of a distant figure upon the clearing of the forest caught his eye. Squinting against the sun’s powerful rays of light, Akira’s eyes widened.

"Ah, speak of the devil, there he is."

Ryura, in wolf form, leapt from the forest towards the camp. Akira started walking towards him, but Koga strutted forward, pushing Akira out of the way, quite angrily.

Ryura transformed back into his human form, as he dusted himself off. Hearing footsteps, Ryura turned his head, and before he knew it, he felt a grip upon his shoulder. Without a second thought, he grasped the hilt of his blade. In a flash, he withdrew his blade from his scabbard and swung. Koga maneuvered through the attack and grabbed Ryura’s hand. Before Ryura could even react, Koga slammed his fist into his stomach. Ryura grimaced with pain, as he fell in a heap before Koga. The blade dropped with a clang upon the rocks. Koga kicked the blade aside.

"Attacking your superiors now? When did you learn to get so tough?" Ryura did not answer him. That was a mistake. Koga, with very little patience, took Ryura by the collar and hoisted him up with ease. Their eyes met, with an inner fire that burned as they stared at each other with the utmost loathing. "Not going to say anything?"

Ryura coldly replied, "No."

Koga grew furious. Using his other hand, he was about to strike Ryura across the face. But, Akira, who caught up from behind, held him back. Koga, angered, demanded that Ryura should be punished for his lack of respect. Akira merely shook his head and told Koga to let him go. It would only create more problems, which nobody wanted at the moment, for there was still a tension between the humans and the wolves.

"What is the meaning of this?"

All three of them whirled their heads around. The voice came from a girl, about the same age as Ryura. She wore similar clothing made of wolf fur, and had plenty of wolf teeth wrapped around her wrists and ankles. She wore a mini-skirt, with a thin sword tied to it. She had necklaces of different colors and shapes. But her striking beauty was something left for one to gaze upon. Each step that she took was extravagant and contained finesse, powerful enough for the lieutenants to yield to her commands.

Koga released Ryura from his grasp, and turned towards her.

"My lady, I’m sorry for my rashness. Nothing like this will happen ever again."

The girl looked at him with glimmering eyes. "You may go, for now. But I do not want to see this intolerable behavior ever again. Understand?"

"Forgive me, my lady. I tried to tell him to stop, but he…

" piped in Akira.

"Silence. He should have stopped then. Don’t provide excuses. Go, my father awaits you two."

Both of the lieutenants did not dare refute her statement. They nodded, and took their leave, sprinting towards the tents in the center of the camp. The girl watched as they left her and Ryura alone. Ryura stood up and picked up his sword. Sheathing it inside his scabbard, he turned back towards her. She only sighed, and with a smile, she patted Ryura on the shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

Ryura grumbled, "Never better."

Her eyebrows rose. "You know, I don’t have to even butt in. I could have left you alone if you wanted me to."

"Look princess, it’s not my fault. And I for one would certainly know not to pick a fight with a lieutenant. He approached me first."

She laughed. "Hey, hey; what did I tell you? You can just call me Ayumi. There is no need for proper greetings. And don’t worry about it, I won’t tell my dad."

"Understood, Ayumi."

Ayumi kept laughing. "C’mon, I told you to quit it!" With that, she nudged him on the side and pushed him off the rock, where Ryura stumbled and fell on the ground, tangled in a mess. Ayumi giggled when Ryura tried to stand up. Ryura just laughed along, feeling much happier than he was when he came back.

"So, you want to go?"

Ayumi looked puzzled, not knowing what Ryura meant, but she smiled. She jumped from the high rock and landed next to Ryura. They began to stroll down the borderline of the morbid forest. There was an awkward silence between the two. The only sound that could be heard was the howling of the faint wind.

Ayumi finally asked, "So, are you coming tomorrow?"

Confused, Ryura questioned, "Tomorrow?"

"Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you don’t remember! It’s my…"

"Ah…I remember."

"So, you’re coming right."

There was a pause. Ryura stood still in front of Ayumi. Their eyes met for a brief second, but Ryura’s head jolted to the left, his face flushing. He eventually blurted out his answer with a slight choking noise.

"Why not?"

"Yay! Thank you, Ryura! Seeing me off on my first day! I’m so happy!"

At that moment, before Ryura could even react or respond, he felt what seemed like two tightening vines grip upon his waist, coiling around his body. Her arms rested upon his back, as she embraced him, passing the heat from her body to his. Speechless, Ryura only smiled, pulling her body close to his.

The sun dove behind the lush, leaving both of them in the trail of shadows. Ryura closed his eyes, feeling as if a gap in his heart had been filled. He was happy.

First of all, the food is exquisite. I haven’t been to another place in San Francisco with Japanese food as delicately prepared. Located all around the mall, the amount of options between the restaurants that are offered are unlimited. Ranging from sizzling seafood to the traditional udon, everyone could find something to satisfy their appetite. One restaurant even has professional cooks that prepare the meals right before your eyes. The food is absolutely delicious and scrumptious, to the point that when it enters your mouth, you would immediately dive in the plate for more. Plus, there are various vendors and snack stores to go to whenever you’re hungry. If you don’t feel like having a meal, you can always settle for a small crepe roll.

Secondly, the stores are utterly amazing. Not only are there groceries and souvenirs, but also a wide range of multimedia and hobby stores. The majority of the stores you’ll find are full of Japanese merchandise, many directly imported from Japan. This factor makes the majority of the products quite expensive. But don’t let the price intimidate you, it’s worth it. An absolute favorite is the Kinokuniya bookstore, which is located in the first floor mall. It’s sort of like a mini-Borders bookstore, except with a Japanese theme. If you are a manga lover, it’s an ideal place to get your books to add to your collection. Their books, unlike Borders, have not been tampered with, and are in prime condition. You can practically find any manga series you can think of there. There is also the insane load of music albums and videos that you can find. Not only in Kinokuniya, but they are also found in other multimedia stores throughout the mall. You can locate any Asian music artist in the stores, and easily pick out any Japanese DVD that comes to your mind.

Lastly, no one can ever forget the special event that happens in Japantown every year around April, can they? It’s the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco. Each year, around 200,000 people attend the celebration to honor the Japanese tradition. There are many booths, some with food and others with games. Throughout the bustling crowds of people, one can enjoy the lively and fun atmosphere. On the last day of the festival, there is a grand parade that runs through Japantown, starting at Sutter Street. The parade consists of an extravagant display of Japanese folk dancers, young kids doing martial arts, Taiko drummers, and the gorgeous Cherry Blossom Queen candidates. One cannot miss such a long parade, for it lasts for the entire afternoon without stop. During that time, people celebrate the coming together of cultures and embrace theirs with the Japanese, getting to know the colors of the Japan.

Looking back, I’ve been to Japantown too many times to even keep count. Whenever I have free time to spare, Japantown is something is often pops into my head. I love Japantown, because it usually has everything I could ever want, packed into a mall consisting of only two street blocks. Personally, I’ve bought various manga and music albums from Kinokuniya. Other than multimedia accessories, I’ve also eaten out with several of my friends at different restaurants each time to switch the taste around. In the case of the Cherry Blossom Festival, this year will be my fourth year attending. It’s quite crowded; believe me, I often had trouble trying to find a good spot to watch the parade. But, it’s all in good fun. I absolutely can’t wait to see the parade once again on April 20^th. Hope to see you there.

Light Yagami, a perfect, straight-A college student of Japan, hates the crime and corruption of the world. Everyday, crimes are committed and many criminals are left unpunished. His life changes abruptly when he finds what looked to be an ordinary notebook on the ground. It was labeled as “Death Note”, with the first page indicating whoever’s name is written in it will die. At first glance, Light does not believe such a ridiculous thought, but didn’t hurt to test it. After killing two criminals, Light finally realizes that the notebook is real, with the supernatural powers to kill humans with just a name. After five days of endless name writing, Light meets up with the previous owner of the Death Note, the Death God (the shinigami), Ryuk. Ryuk purposfully dropped the notebook from the Shinigami World into the human world. He was bored of the desolate Shinigami World, where he had nothing to do, and wanted to amuse himself by watching a good show. Now, labeled as Kira, Light eventually concludes that he will become the god of the new world, using the powers of the Death Note to kill off criminals that oppose to be a threat to the peace that Light dreams of.

Light was killing off the criminals of the world that he thought deserved such punishment. Many Japanese citizens praised Kira’s work, but some did not. Finding Kira as a mass murderer, the International Police Organization work straight away to investigate who the killer is. The leader of the investigation team, Light’s father, teams up with the mysterious “L”, a super genius detective, to catch the murderer. L eventually finds out that Kira is somewhere in Tokyo, Japan. However, no one knows Kira’s identity, even though Kira is the chief’s son. While the Kira’s fame rises amongst most of the Japanese citizens, L battles hard, using evidence to try and capture Kira. Now, Light and L face off against one another in a battle of wits, to outsmart each other in mental superiority.

After I watched the first movie of Death Note, I was blown away by the insane intellect that was used in between characters. The movie itself stood out to me, not by the action, but by the human emotion. The creators of the movie really did an excellent job in recreating the storyline from the anime into a spectacular movie. Capturing the hearts of many, such a movie really teaches you about the hidden darkness within a human heart.