Horitsuba Gakuen

I was tempted to catch one of the ofuda, but I held back knowing that I would be having one unhappy rider. So off we went toward the energy flow.

It was odd...It feels like some trace of magic but still more energy than magic. That's probably why I couldn't detect it.

While running I felt a sharp pain in one of my back paws. I made sure that I didn't faulter as I came to a stop. I stayed standing keeping my right back paw. "Ouch. How could I not see whatever it that is stuck in my paw. I always scan the ground as I run."

It was only getting worse so I ran to a clearing far away from anyone. "Have to stop this!" Then I remembered the magic circle. I bit throught my finger and started to draw the circle on my leg. "I have to remember! It will put me in my minor form but it should seal off all of this and there will no longer be any trace." I finished the circle, this new found ability was sealed first with all the others I had, I shifted into my minor form which was a black cat then my breathing ceased and I was sealed into shinemuri State.

After I had pulled out a small, sharp rock out of my paw I continued and found the source of the energy.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah...its going to take a bit before I can step down on that paw." I went over to, what looked like a shell. "This is the source of the energy. Wonder what is inside..." Accidently I stepped down on my injured paw and gave out a small yelp.

"Just lie off it." I said. I came closer to the sheel to see what was inside.

I lied down to prevent myself from hurting it even further. "Can you see anything?" I inquired as I looked over my paw carefully.

I kneeled to see if I could view the contents. I couldn't so I guess I have to open it. My hand went to the top of the shell

I placed my nose against the shell. I smelled a familiar scent. "Place one of your hands on my head. I recognize the scent coming from inside." I then realized that it was Shika-chan's scent. "What the heck!? ITS SHIKA-CHAN!! She is inside that thing...but...she isn't moving from what I can hear."

"WHAT?!" I was shocked "We have to get her out now!"

"Wait...I think this shell is keeping her alive. And..." I took a small whiff "I smell a small bit of magic at work here too. We can't interfer or risk losing Shika-chan." I said with a worried look on my tiger face.

"Could we at least move it?" I asked "The girl's helpless with directions."

"I don't think moving it will be a problem. I'll be right back. There is an herb nearby that I can use on my paw that will dull the pain for awhile." I trotted over, grabbed the herb pulped it up and rubbed it on my paw. The effects of the plant kicked in really quickly. "Place the shell on my back. You have to keep it steady while we head back to campus." I said.

"Are you sure you want to carry it?" I asked as I liffted the shell.

I nodded. "It will be less strain on me than it would be for you." As she placed the shell on my back, I made sure that the shell rested just below my shoulder blades where I had a curve that would be a good spot for it. "Ok. Ready to go Yuki-chan?"

"As ready as I can be" I said.

With the shell safely on my back I start running like the wind once again toward campus.

When we arrived, we were in the forest behind the dorms. "Where will we put her? We can't just have something like this come into the dorms. Heck I shouldn't be near the dorms in my tiger form."

That was a good point. Maybe we should make hide out one of these days? I finally suggested "right here? She should know her dorm, hopefully"

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I don't think we can go much farther without Fay-chan

The shell had the mark of a magic circle in blood.

"It getting late and Shika-san isn't here yet and it's getting late we should go look for her." Cain said.
"Right!" The twins agreed.

"So now what?" I asked "I have to take a bath and order the stuff for the spell."

Hearing movement coming from Shika-chan's dorm area, I rushed over there in my tiger form with Yuki-chan on my back. "We need to prevent them from finding Shika-chan's shell until the time is right." I called to Yuki-chan over my shoulder.

"So where are we gonna hide it? It's not like we could just dress it up to be something romtely normal"

"I don't know. Stale them. I think they are going out to look for her. I'll find a way to hide it." I dropped her off near Shika-chan's dorm and rushed back into the forest.