Realms of Alerfa: Yin and Yang (The Devil and the Battle Maiden arc) --- This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Note: I am DESPERATLY looking for a beta reader, since my grammar and such isn't perfect. If someone can help me out with this, I will be more than happy to co-operate with you. Thank you. --- Chapter 01: Arrival at Kowloon The plane flight from Carson City, Nevada to Hong Kong was quite a long and lengthy journey. A girl named Noelle Wong started to feel rather restless on her long flight to the orient. She tried to play some hand held video games on the way there, but she always had to take frequent restroom breaks on the plane. She also tried going to sleep, but she felt too nervous. Noelle could not wait to see her father again. She missed him so much. From late spring to early autumn, Noelle decided to vacation to Nevada to see her mother. Normally, her mother Hazel would come by in the summer to see her daughter and husband in Hong Kong. Even though Noelle's parents were separated, they still kept in touch with each other and were on good terms. It just seemed so sudden that Hazel ended up getting a career overseas from Hong Kong to the state of Nevada in the USA. Hazel works as a well known college professor at one of Nevada's oldest and well known universities. Hazel lives with her brother and sister-in law in Nevada. Since she worked from fall to spring semester, she decided to take breaks in summer to see her family in Hong Kong. And of course, Noelle was dating during her summer vacation. A young man name Caleb Cooper, who was in his senior year in High School. Noelle was dating Caleb for five months, and she felt sad that she had to leave him. But at least she hoped that a long distance relationship will work out. Both Hazel and Noelle looked youthful on the outside Noelle inherited her Filipino mother's petite, yet curvy body and wavy black hair while Noelle inherited her father's Chinese skin tone and facial features. If it wasn't for Noelle's slightly curvy build, she would actually look like a tween girl instead of a seventeen year old in high school. “Okay everyone, we are now beginning to land in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Store away all electronic devices and fasten your seat belts.” The stewards on the plane announced. As the plane got ready to descend, Noelle's head started to feel rather stuffy and light. “Ugh...just land and get this over with.” After the plane heads onto the landing strip and stopped at a terminal, Noelle stood and started to gather all of her belongings and tried as hard as she could not to get in people's way, but it was much easier said than done. As she left the terminal and headed into the airport, she started to follow the crowd around her. There were bilingual English and Chinese signs all over the airport. She could smell the pungent scent of Chinese food inside the airport food courts. There were also gift and souvenir shops dotting the huge port as well. Noelle seemed lost, until saw a rugged, yet slightly crinkled middle aged Chinese man with a tired smile. Her father, Kai Fai Wong waved at his daughter and called out her name. “Hey Noelle! I'm happy to have you back..” Kai Fai cheered out as he and Noelle hugged each other. “I'm happy to see you Dad.” Noelle said as she noticed a faint scent of after shave and cologne on her father. Once they were done hugging, Kai Fai helped carry Noelle's bags and made their way out of the airport. “How was your trip with your mother?” Kai Fai asked his daughter. Noelle giggled as she observed her surroundings. “I enjoyed every moment of it.” “I'm glad to hear that.” Kai Fai chuckled as he led her to his car. Even though Noelle got along with both parents, she felt that she had more things in common with her father than she did her mother. Kai Fai Wong is the head chef at an Asian fusion diner called “Rudra's Tasty Delicacies” or “Rudra's” for short. Her father was quite a head strong, talented chef that can cook things from Dim Sum Buns to Ramen and Udon soups with fresh noodles made from scratch. His diner has been featured on television shows and was rated one of the top diners in Hong Kong. Noelle even appear on the show with her father. It was moment both father and daughter kept close to their hearts. As Noelle got to her father's Honda, she noticed that the steering wheel was on the opposite side of the car. Then Noelle remembered that since Hong Kong was a former British territory, they keep to the left side of the road. She's been used to American traffic for the last six months, so she had to get used to traffic in her homeland all over again. In Kowloon, the city was lit up, and was much more lively than Carson City ever was. However, there was a downside: in the metropolitan and urban parts of the city, it was also very loud and noisy. In fact, it was so loud, that someone would have to shout to be heard. There were car horns honking loudly and some music being played up to full blast sound. There were also outdoor markets and restaurants, selling some odd food she would never find in America (unless it was in an Asian styled grocery store). Even though Noelle enjoyed her time in the United States, she was also glad to be back home in Hong Kong again. When Kai Fai got to the more calmer country side just smack dab outside of Kowloon, he started to speak up again and can be heard much more clearly. “So Noelle, remember how we were talking about you getting a motorcycle of your very own?” “A motorcycle? Are you serious?” Noelle asked, her face beaming with joy. Kai Fai turned the car around and backed up into the driveway of his home, parking right beside a crimson hued Bohemian Motor Bike (BMB). It wasn't new, judging by the fact this model was from the late 1990's, but Noelle didn't care. She fell in love with it and started to hug her dad so hard, he could barely move. “Oh my god, thank you very much Dad. It's so awesome!” “You're welcome Noelle.” Kai Fai said as his daughter stopped hugging him so tight. “My ol' pal Hideo Nozawa ended up selling it to me after fixing it.” “Ah...Hideo...How is he doing?” Noelle said as she eyed the motorcycle. “Also, how is Yukio doing?” “The Nozawas are all doing fine.” Kai Fai told his daughter. “Man I miss the Nozawas.” Noelle replied. “Will they be coming over sometime?” “They will be coming over, but not right away.” Kai Fai said calmly. “Yukio is working on getting a driver's license. Once he gets it, he will come by to see you like he promised.” Noelle looked over at Kai Fai's house. It was a small, one story, western styled tea house with white walls and a dark brown roof. Noelle was glad to be back in that house. After a bit more of a light conversation alongside an early dinner, Noelle took her things and headed back to her old room. There were boxes and boxes of Noelle's belongings stacked up on one another like building blocks. She starts to unpack her various belongings and tries to somewhat organize her room. She unpacked her school uniform, which consisted of a simple chalky blue han-fu styled dress with a deep indigo vest. After that, Noelle pulls out her lap top her mother gave her for Noelle's birthday last year and puts it on her desk, with the iPod plugged in next to the computer, which had to get its battery charged big time. When that was done, she reclined on her mattress and decided to give Caleb a call. She kept her promise of calling him once she was in Kowloon. It rang a few times before a young man's voice came on the other line. “Hello?” Caleb asked. “Hi Caleb, it's me, Noelle Wong. I made it to Hong Kong safely.” “Ah, thank the lord.” Caleb sighed in relief. “I was starting to worry that your plane made an emergency landing on an uncharted desert isle.” “Well, it does take a while to fly from Nevada, USA, all the way across the other side of the Pacific.” “Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot about how long the flight was. Oh, your friend Lucia swears she'll go crazy without you. Now she says that she has no one to pester but me.” “Don't worry so much.” Noelle said calmly. “Hopefully, my father and I will save up enough money to go back to Nevada again. I miss you.” “You mean you miss this sleepy little backwater town?” “Well, I miss you a lot Caleb. It's different not seeing you up close and in person.” “Uhhh, yeah, I miss you too.” Caled paused briefly before he continued the conversation. “So, are you starting school tomorrow?” “Ummm...yeah. I'm just so nervous. I'm not popular at my K-12 school you know.” “Don't be nervous. Just be yourself. But please, be your good self and not punch a preppy snob in the face, okay?” Noelle giggled in return. “Oh. I will try to keep my cool alright.” The couple talked for a while until Noelle's weariness got the best of her and wished her boyfriend to have a good night sleep. She hung up the phone and slipped into her striped gray, black and white kigurumi styled cat pajamas. Before she could close her sky blue curtains, she saw what appeared to be a bat with glowing magenta eyes flying around outside the window. “Huh? Now what is that thing?” Noelle pondered to herself as she watched the bat fly around. But just as the bat appeared, it ended up flying away, as if it spotted Noelle and was intimidated by her. “Huh...okay...that's just weird...(yawn)” And so Noelle shuts her curtains, turns the light off in her room and decided to plop down on her bed, and let the weariness take effect on her for the night. --- The next day, at a changing room in a Kowloon clothes store, a bespectacled young man was trying on outfits while a well dressed woman stands outside the dressing room. The woman outside the dressing room had long blonde hair that flowed slightly passed her knees, violet eyes, wore a purple and gold qipao styled dress and some black stockings with silver loafers. The young man, on the other hand, had shoulder length blue hair, yellowish orange eyes, a delicate, yet healthy figure, and wore a pair of oval glasses. The blue haired man seemed rather displeased with the school uniform that was given to him by the Hong Kong school district. “Is this the only school uniform they have available Miss Talana?” The blue haired man whined. “This outfit looks rather dumpy and dull.” “Oh Ran, stop your bitching.” Talana groaned in disgust. “That's the only suit they have available for now. You just have to deal with it. Okay?” “Yes Mistress.” Ran sighed as he was trying on his outfit. Little did Ran know that a creepy little fan girl in her tween years was looking through a small hole she drilled into a stall and was peeping on this semi-naked man. The girl had blackish-brown pigtails scattered all over her head, wore a pink sparkly “mermaid princess” t-shirt, some faded blue jeans and a pair of bright red tennis shoes. This girl, known as Wei Wei Chow, had some raging hormones, as well as a fondness for drooling over hot guys and loves to secretly play “Peeping Tammy” around them. “Ahh....ha ha ha ha....” Wei Wei giggled to herself as quietly as she could. “That guy has blue balls. I never seen some guys with both their fur bush and hair being a bright blue. Tee hee hee hee.” In a neighboring stall, Talana heard a young girl giggle and chortle like a hyena. She looked into that stall and found Wei Wei peeping on Ran. To get the fan girl's attention, Talana gave the girl a nice, hard swat on the hinder. “Owwww!” Wei Wei screeched as she looked over at the blond woman. “Ummm...uhhhh....” “You naughty girl! If I was your mom, I'd be canning you on the ass for your crude behavior.” Talana snarled at Wei Wei. “Oh, please don't tell my mom. I'll behave myself and be a good girl.” Wei Wei shrieked nervously. “Heh heh, I'm not telling her this time, but if you keep this up....” “Oh look, here's my mom! Bye bye!” Wei Wei shouted as she met up with her mother. Ran started to get curious about that girl. “What's going on Miss Talana?” “Oh, nothing Ran.” Talana fibbed. “It's just some tweeny brat trying to shop lift clothes.” “Damn little punks.” Ran thought to himself as he was fully dressed in his school uniform. His uniform consisted of black slacks, a drab, gray han-fu top, a lightweight tan vest and a pair of black, Chinese styled slippers for men. Ran didn't like wearing this, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. As he got out of the dressing room, Ran had a sour facial expression on his face, like he just got done sucking on a sour lime wedge. “Okay, time to laugh at this frumpy looking school outfit.” As Ran left the stall, Talana didn't laugh, but she did smile and fix Ran's vest. “You look just fine in this outfit. I bet she'd think that outfit would look handsome on you.” “I wonder if that girl is even going to that school?” Ran wondered. “I'd be disappointed if she wasn't there.” “Oh, I'm sure she'll be there.” Talana cheered as she and Ran left the dressing rooms. “Why would our master and elders say otherwise?” “True enough.” Ran sighed as he took a deep breathe and made his way to school, trying everything he can to blend in with everyone there. “I hope she remembers me...I can't wait to meet her again.”