Felicia's Introduction (Felicia)

     As Jedah left to begin the mission for which he had been revived, the Shintai he had left behind began to build its world, but like the Shintai itself, this world was unstable and fragile; a world of dreams that called inside the souls it so desperately needed to sustain itself.

     One such soul had been traveling through an alley near her home in Las Vegas when a strange fog rolled in, obscuring her senses for a long moment. As the fog cleared, Felicia was unsure of her surroundings. This city smelled all wrong...

Felicia looked around, confusion apparent on her face. Sniffing the air cautiously, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. Something was off, and she didn't like it.

"Hello?" she called, her tail flicking back and forth with agitation, "Is anyone ther

She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest and padding down the street, sniffing all the way in an attempt to smell something familiar.

     And then, as if on cue, a familiar scent trickled into the nekomimi's nose, filling her with happy memories of her childhood. Just around a corner stood an old orphanage that she would never forget. An orphanage she had used a good deal of the money she made as a musical star to preserve. However, standing outside it with several orphan catgirls just like her was a face she never expected to see again, for death has a way of limiting such possibilities.

     Yet, as impossible as it seemed, there she was. Rose. The kindly nun that had cared for her all those years had lost none of her charm, and her wizened smile was as bright as ever.

Felicia's step faltered slightly when she saw the nun, "R-Rose?" she asked herself uncertainly, peering at the old lady. Finally a wide grin broke across her face and she dashed forward, wrapping her arms around the woman, "ROSE!" she cried in glee.

"Felicity," she smiled that serene smile as she called Felicia by the name that she alone could without a scratch to the face, and hugged her tightly, "Tell me child, how did you return?"

Felicia breathed in Rose's scent, savoring in the smell that brought back so many fond memories. "Honestly..." she said, finally releasing the nun, "I don't really know... there was a fog... and then... I was here."

"I see," Rose nodded gravely, "Then it is true..."

"What's true, Sister Rose?," one of the catgirls asked with a wide-eyed stare. It was the short one Felicia knew as Nono.

"Nothing to fear sweetheart," Rose smiled, motioning the girls inside until she and Felicia stood alone, "Can you hear it?"

Felicia looked around, her ears twitching in ever direction, each independent of the other, "Yes... wait... no, wait... what am I supposed to hear?" she asked sheepishly.

"There is great suffering, Felicity," Rose looked into the distance, "The world has changed, but not the people in it. Everyone's still searching for happiness, but the desire of one has changed the world, and so all are suffering..."

Felicia frowned, looking in the same direction Rose was looking and planted her hands on her hips with a sigh, "If everyone just gave a little... couldn't we all be happy? I mean, what's wrong with everyone getting a happy ending?" she asked quietly.

"And that," Rose placed a hand on Felicia's shoulder with a maternal smile, "Is why every story has a hero."

Felicia could feel that warm, comforting hand fade away, and as she turned to look, Rose and the church were gone. She was in a dark alleyway at night, and a tortured howl rang out in the distance.

Felicia rested a hand where Rose's hand had been and stood quietly for a moment, "Don't go," she murmered quietly. After a few minutes, she sniffled and wiped her eyes, looking around to see if anyone had been watching. Sniffing the air again, she began to walk down the alley, trying to find another clue on where to go next.

And again, the howl rang out. It was strangely familiar, but she had to get a bit closer before she picked up the scent of Jon Talbain, the werewolf that had helped her out all those years ago. He sounded distressed.

"Could that really be Jon?" Felicia asked herself, shifting from a slow prowl to a brisk trot without breaking stride. 'I hope he's not in trouble, something doesn't sound right,' she thought, following his scent and the sound of his howls.

And so, Felicia's adventure continued...