Ushio huffed under his breath, tapping the eraser end of his pencil on his desk as he frowned at the mediocre drawing in his notebook. It was scratchy and rough, barely resembling the tiger-like creature in the cellar.

"That's a nice porcupine," a soft voice told him.

This time, Ushio really did groan aloud. "It's not a porcupine. It's my…" His voice stalled in his throat. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't just announce to the class that his soulmate was a monster. Forcing a smile onto his lips, he shoved his notebook into his backpack. "Thanks, Mayuko. I think the guys were right. I really need art lessons." Or a closer look at the subject in question. But how to get close to the beast without… A light went off in the boy's mind, and he perked up. "Hey, Mayuko. Is there a good burger place nearby?"

Five hundred years of waiting for a human to be STUPID enough to find him, and it turned out to be his soulmate. Nagatobimaru grit his razor sharp teeth, his claws itching to dig into the boy's flesh. His own soulmark throbbed beneath his fur, a now-constant reminder of the young man's presence.

Many centuries earlier, he'd tried in vain to remove the words. His claws had dug deeply into his shoulder as he'd ripped through layers of furred skin, eager to tear himself free from the unwanted connection. Within a week, his flesh and fur had healed, and the words were intact once more. Since that day, he'd kept the mark hidden beneath his long mane – a bitter reminder of his attachment to the world of man.

A shaft of light appeared on the floor before him, then another, and another. Peering up at the ceiling, Nagatobimaru caught sight of the boy's annoying face smiling down at him.

"Hey, Tora!"

"My name isn't Tora, you horrible brat! It's Nagato…!"

"I brought food," the youth replied, cutting him off.

The monster froze, his narrowed eyes widening into white circles. "Food?"

"Yeah. Hang on. I'm coming down."

As the boy descended the wooden ladder, the flimsy bag that hung from his elbow caught Nagatobimaru's attention. Why would the human pup bring him food? It had to be some kind of trick.

The boy's feet hit the ground, sending up a small cloud of dust. "Alright. Clearly, you're a meat eater, so I brought burgers!" The human pulled a strangely-colored bundle out of the bag, and tossed it Nagatobimaru's way.

The monster caught it in his claws, sniffing at it curiously. It smelled tasty… The beast opened his mouth wide to take a bite.

"No!"

Nagatobimaru froze, his thoughts shouting Trap! The child means to poison you.

"You need to unwrap it first. Like this." The boy pulled away the colorful paper on his own bundle, revealing a strange object that smelled of cooked meat.

Nagatobimaru mouth began to water as he watched the human bite into his HAM-burger, chewing slowly. He rushed to unwrap his own burger, shoving it into his mouth. The taste of something besides dust was nearly overwhelming.

"Wow. You were really hungry," the human announced, letting out a low whistle. "Here you go!"

Nagatobimaru caught the bag in midair, clutching it close with a possessive snarl.

"It's all yours, Tora," the boy chuckled, taking a seat on the dusty floor. He pulled several objects out of his bag.

"What's that?" the beast asked between bites.

"It's just my sketchbook. I like art. I'm…" The boy tapped his pencil against the paper, his gaze darting away to stare into the gloomy depths of the cellar. "I'm not very good at drawing, but I love it." There was a wistful smile on his lips as he admitted this.

"Not that I care," Nagatobimaru grumbled, crushing the now empty wrappers in his fist. "But if you like this… ART thing, you might as well keep doing it."

The boy's ebony eyes widened in disbelief. "Tora, are you actually being nice to me right now?"

"Don't be an idiot!" the monster snarled back.

The teen grinned, twirling his pencil between his fingers. "Do you mind if I draw you?" the young man asked.

"Why?"

"Have you looked in a mirror? You're fascinating!" the youth insisted.

"I am?" The monster raised a brow, and scratched his cheek. What a curious human. The boy was silent as Nagatobimaru mulled over the idea in his mind. "I don't care," the beast finally announced.

The boy scooted closer, careful to stay just out of reach. His pencil began to fly over the paper in his lap, even as he shot tiny glances at the creature barely illuminated in the shadows.

"What's wrong, brat? Why don't you get a closer look?" Nagatobimaru taunted, letting a creepy grin elongate his mouth to show off his razor sharp fangs. Dark eyes darted to those pearly white teeth, and back up at the beast's stripped face.

"Nope. You're still a people eater," the teen said, turning his attention back to his drawing.

And so their strange arrangement continued. Nagatobimaru soon learned that the brat's name was Ushio, and he was the descendant of the spear-bearer who imprisoned him. Why fate would soulbond them together was a mystery that the beast didn't care to solve. He was a monster, so why should he waste his time on a human?

Still, the boy did bring him food…

It was finally the weekend, and Ushio had just finished a very late breakfast. Grabbing a container of cooked chicken out of the fridge, he made his way to the back door, intending to convince Tora to allow him another art session.

Ushio swung open the door, catching sight of a shimmer in the air. "Okay – that's weird." Stepping into the courtyard, the young man began to walk toward the storehouse, even as he peered side-to-side to try to narrow down the source of the strange flickers in the air. He stopped in his tracks as something serpent-like became visible inches from his nose.

"The hell?" He leaned closer, and the translucent creature turned to look at him. As if noticing him for the first time, it let out a hiss as its head snapped toward him. Ushio let out an involuntary shout, and stumbled back – catching the attention of a multitude of similar creatures that were now materializing in the courtyard.

"SHIT!"

The boy made a mad dash for the storehouse.

There was a strange energy in the air when Nagatobimaru awoke from his slumber. He could practically taste the undercurrent of evil that did not belong to him. Hmmm… It had taken longer than he'd originally thought for the other monsters in the area to notice the release of his evil energy. It should have filled him with glee, but there was a hint of concern buried deep within him. The protective feeling rushed to the surface when he heard a familiar voice cry out.

Perking up his ears, he listened as the main door slammed open, and rapid footsteps rushed across the floor above him.

"Tora! There are little monsters flying all over the place!" the boy called out, even as he began to climb down the ladder. The insects followed him, snaking around his limbs with malicious intent. The youth landed roughly on the dusty floor, his hands immediately swatting at the creatures. "Get off, you horrible – NO! Get out of my shirt!"

Nagatobimaru growled, his claws aching for the chance to tear the presumptuous gyoyou to shreds for daring to touch HIS soulmate. Clearly distracted by the insects, the boy stumbled closer, not realizing he was now within Nagatobimaru's reach. The foolish little human.

"Eep! Get out of my pants, you pervert!"

Nagatobimaru wrapped his closest paw around the boy's shoulder, yanking him against his chest. With a snarl, he snapped his teeth at the gyoyou.

"Tora?" The human's voice was muffled by his fur, and only prompted the beast to tighten his grip.

"What do you want, brat? I'm a little busy," the tiger monster grumbled, keeping his attention on the insects swarming around them. The stupider ones darted forward, falling to pieces with a slash of his claws.

"What are they?" the youth asked, glancing up at him.

"These low level spirits are called gyoyou."

"And how do we get rid of them?"

"If enough of them merge together, their combined form will attack any human in the area – including you. But if you remove the spear, then I can defeat them easily."

"How do I know you won't attack humans?"

"I'm not attacking you right now, am I?" Another handful of insects died at his claws. "You'd better make a decision quickly, boy. Their numbers are growing."

Release Tora? He couldn't. It was entirely possible that the tiger-like monster was even more dangerous than the insects. Ushio flinched as one of the insects attempted to attack them from the side, only to be sliced into pieces by Tora's claws. He felt the monster's warm arm pulling him closer, protecting him from harm.

Even though the monster claimed their bond didn't matter, there was clearly some part of him that saw Ushio as more than food – right?

"Stay back, you pathetic youkai! I already claimed this boy as my own!"

He could release Tora on the agreement that he would defeat all the insect creatures, and make sure he agreed not to eat any humans… or he could try to deal with the little horrors on his own. Figures his dad would take off on a trip at a time like this.

His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that the arm holding him was loosening. Pulling back, he gazed up at the auburn-furred monster, noting that Tora's white eyes were focused on the opening above them. "What's going on?" the teen asked, glancing around the cellar. The insects appeared to have vanished into thin air.

"They're merging," the beast grumbled in a low tone. "Soon you will have a much larger monster to deal with. It's possible that it will leave us alone, and attack nearby people instead. We should just stay down here until…"

"We are NOT going to hide away while that creature attacks humans!" Ushio shoved himself out of the monster's grasp, retreating a few steps to put some space between them.

"You idiot! You can't fight that creature on your own," Tora argued, reaching for him. The young man dodged, and waited for the beast to draw back, before making his next move.

"I won't be alone." Ushio took hold of the spear's shaft, marveling at the feeling of cool metal beneath his fingers. He paused, his dark eyes darting up to meet Tora's gaze. "If I let you go, you have to PROMISE not to eat any humans."

"What? That's not a fair deal. What if I get hungry?" the monster whined pitifully.

"Then I'LL feed you. Now promise me!"

The beast grumbled under his breath, but finally gave in. "Fine! Damn. I can't believe I'm making a deal with a human brat like you."

"And you need to help me defeat that monster," Ushio added quickly.

"Help you?!" The monster's eyes narrowed furiously. "You'd be crushed the moment you stepped outside. You want me to kill that creature, then fine. But YOU have to stay down here."

"Are you getting protective of me, Tora?" the teen chuckled, a feeling of warmth swelling within him.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort! But now that we're making a deal, it means that I get to haunt you until the day I finally decide to kill you. And believe me, runt, I am the ONLY monster who will have the privilege of killing you."

"Whatever, Tora." Ushio rolled his eyes, and tightened his grip on the shaft. As he began to pull, he couldn't help but notice the dark blood pooling out of the beast's shoulder. What a horrible punishment for any creature to bear. As the last inch of the blade withdrew from the monster's shoulder, the teen stepped back, watching as Tora's long mane began to sway – as if it was in some way alive.

The monster let out a loud snarl, and surged into the air. "Stay here, brat!" Seconds later, he was gone.

"Tora can fly? Wow," Ushio breathed out. His attention soon turned to the weapon he held in his hand. "And you're the legendary beast spear. My dad is going to freak out when I tell him…"

A yowl of pain echoed from above, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. "Tora?" Ushio shook his head, glaring at the ground. "It's not fair! Why am I so powerless?"

A pulsating hum began to fill the room, emanating from the beast spear itself. "What?"

~Bond your soul to me, and I will give you the power to defeat all evil!~

"I can't," Ushio argued. "I'm already soul-bonded to Tora."

~This isn't a soulmate bond, child!~

~Be patient with him.~

"We need a bearer! It has been 500 years!~

"Okay, how many of you are in there?" the teen asked, eyeing the quivering weapon. The crimson fabric attached to the base of the spear was swaying, as if swept in an invisible breeze. "Right now, I'm hearing two guys, and definitely a girl."

~IT DOES NOT MATTER, BOY! The beast spear's purpose is to defeat evil. We must have a worthy bearer.~

The entire room suddenly flickered, as if a bolt of lightning had hit the ground right outside the storehouse. "Tora's in trouble." Ushio knew that he needed to make a decision. Bringing the spear's blade in front of his face, he grinned wryly back at his own reflection. "Alright, beast spear. Show me what you can do!"

"Alright, you overgrown insect. Enough playing around. I'm going to rip you to…"

"Get away from my soulmate, you big jerk!"

An intense fear filled Nagatobimaru, freezing him to the spot as a hunter with long black hair dashed past him. The beast spear slashed the gyoyou's body, ripping a sizable gash down its side.

The beast spear! That cursed samurai is back finish what he started… Wait a minute. Nagatobimaru narrowed his eyes as the hunter turned to reveal his own slitted eyes which seemed to light up at the sight of the tiger-like monster behind him.

"Tora!"

That insufferable brat! "What are you doing, idiot?" the beast shouted, his claws gouging marks into the pavement beneath him.

"Duh, I'm helping. Now let's get rid of this…" A tentacle wrapped around the boy's waist, throwing him into the air.

"Dumb kid," Nagatobimaru snarled, launching himself into the air. Extending his hair, he was able to grab the youth by the leg, yanking him out of the way of the gyoyou's attack. The boy flailed in his grasp, nearly hitting him in the head with the beast spear when the monster pulled him close.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!"

"Sorry, Tora."

"I can NOT believe you right now," the beast huffed. He told the boy to stay hidden in the cellar! How was he supposed to protect him if… Damn it! He was getting attached.

"You attack them first, and I'll finish them off," Ushio insisted, leaping away from the tiger monster before he could get a word in.

"Fine!" Nagatobimaru shouted, his crest of ivory hair sparking with lightning. Darting down, he slashed at the gyoyou's enormous form, electrocuting it for good measure. He could feel the beast spear's power filling the air behind him, and spun around quickly. His idiotic soulmate was wielding the weapon as if he was born to use it. It was almost impressive.

The rest of the gyoyou's form exploded, dissolving into dust in the air. The tiger monster watched as the boy landed in the courtyard, collapsing to his knees as his long hair melted away. Nagatobimaru shifted closer as the teen rattled off the beast spear's history. Great, now the weapon was talking to him.

"That's what became of the samurai who impaled you, isn't it?" the boy asked, still kneeling before the spear.

"Yeah." Nagatobimaru let his feet touch the ground, staying a few steps away from the youth – just in case he got any murderous ideas. He was a monster hunter now.

"So what now?" the boy asked unexpectedly, pushing himself to his feet to look up at the auburn-furred beast.

"My energy will hang around for a while, attracting more monsters like the gyoyou," Nagatobimaru admitted, scratching his chin.

"Are you going to stay, Tora?" Ushio asked, gazing back at him with those bright and innocent eyes of his.

"Fine," the beast scoffed, trying to ignore the warmth blossoming within him at his soulmate's attention. Dumb soulbond. How dare it infect him with – FEELINGS!

"Great! Now that you're up here, I can show you around. You are going to love television!"

"What is tel-ee-vision?"