Long ago in a faraway place, a magical beautiful kingdom thrived. It was a diverse kingdom and one of the few and only kingdoms that mingled among regular humans and thanks to this they were one of the most powerful kingdoms in history. The beautiful and majestic kingdom of Neo Edo.
The royal family of this kingdoms dynasty matched the power of this kingdom as well. A long five hundred year dynasty full of warriors, fighters, peacemakers, and leaders all of them powerful in their own right powered by their families Hamato Ninpo powered purely by the love they possess in themselves and receive from others. They lived in a giant palace that had a gorgeous sprawling garden full of luscious greens, beautiful flowers, and delicious fresh fruits that would make many salivate at the mouth.
The Emperor of this palace and kingdom is Hamato Yoshi a rat Yokai who was a very loving if rather lazy ruler. He had never wanted to be Emperor and had done everything he could do avoid it, but when it came to destiny it was not something that could be avoided and he became Emperor due to be the only possible heir. He enjoyed a showboating lifestyle when he was in his youth and prime being a very public figure and leaving most of the official stuff to his advisors and Shogun's. Eventually he became more involved in the kingdom's affairs after he turned forty and to the public's shock one September day it was announced the Emperor had been given a son!
A young strong kappa with a spiked shell, long spiked tail, hazel brown eyes, and a cute little snaggle tooth coming from his mouth. He was quite a calm baby more interested in trying to eat his fist than crying or being whiny. No one knew who the mother was but the king had said that he preferred to keep his love life private. Rumours spread about if this boy was a true biological Hamato or not. Nevertheless at the young kappa's christening the Hamato family ninpo appeared and accepted him the royal family crest appearing on his chest and glowing making all the rumours disappear over night. And just like that prince Hamato Raphael the next heir to the dynasty.
A couple years later when the prince was merely two he was gifted brothers, two! Adorable twin kappas one boy and one girl. They both refused to be separated or else they would screech and whine. The older of the two was a soft shell turtle with purple markings on his body, dark green skin, mismatched eye colours one blue the other red, and was prone to biting anyone who held or touched him making his a nightmare with the nursemaids. On the other hand the younger one a red eared slider with beautiful vibrant yellow crescent stripes on his arms and legs, two vibrant red crescent markings over his sapphire blue eyes, and always smiling or demanding hugs making the young princess a absolute dear to be around.
Due to them being so different from their older brother more rumours spread about their origins, but the Emperor put a stop to that before they could spread. They were his sons and he tolerated no rumours being spread about them.
Nevertheless the same thing happened at their christening proclaiming two more promising Hamato heirs. Prince Donatello and Princess Leah came to be.
Then the fourth and final prince came to be only a year later. A beautiful adorable little box shell kappa whom had bright baby blue eyes, smallest of his brothers, dark green skin that was darker than his older brothers, gold spots all over his body minus his face, and was the most prone to popping in his shell when frightened.
This time people were too scared to openly question the Emperor as the christening came and this one too was declared a official Hamato prince. Hamato Michelangelo.
If there was a mother the four were never seen with one. The most wildly accepted theory was that the Emperor had a thing for kappas he never wanted anyone to know about and those boys were the results of it.
These four princes at young ages were proving to be much more promising than there father each having wonderful and perfect qualities to be great leaders each one of them having a special bond between them all.
But that's only the backstory of our story, the real story doesn't start at the top it starts at the bottom in the roughest parts of the world.
But even the rough has a diamond if you give them a chance.
"STOP! STREET URCHIN!"
A single teenage rabbit Yokai ran through the streets of Neo Edo the police hot on his tail. He wore a yukata with light blue clothing on it of varying shades, his fur a pure white colour whiter than snow, red hazel eyes, a light scar over his eyebrow from a long time ago, rabbit ears that were longer than your average rabbit yokai done in a topknot, and strapped to his back was a katana named Willowbranch handed down to him a long time ago.
His name is Usagi Yuichi and this is his story.
"Wouldn't street rat be a better name? Eh I guess when your emperors a rat you don't wanna insult em," Usagi said to himself out loud as he ran through the streets trying to loose the police on his tail. This whole situation was not his fault.
Yet he can't focus on that now he needs to make sure he looses the police first. Usagi stopped at a alley and ducked into it jumping through into a window and pressing hard against the wall. His ears twitched as he waits for the guards to run past the window. After a moment he hears them run past the window and without hesitation he jumps back out running back the way he came grinning victoriously when he crashes right into someone twice as large as him. He falls over and looks up expecting the worse only to grin sheepishly. "Hey Gen how's your day going?" Usagi asks.
His friend Gen is a rhino Yokai who's front horn was cut off by Usagi himself accidentally a few months ago. It will grow back eventually, but it'll take at least three years before it's fully grown back.
He wore a dark purple vest and grey pants. He towered over most and looked at usagi with disapproval.
Gen grabbed Usagi off the ground and pushed him to the feet taking him out of the alley and into the crowd so no more guards spotted him.
"How many times have I told you not to get into trouble with the guards?" Gen asks. "It wasn't my fault! They tried stealing from a kid on the streets and I stopped them but then they rattled to the police and they didn't believe me," Usagi defends himself.
"Also I stole from them," Kitsune adds brightly appearing on Usagi's otherside.
She's the real street thief of Neo Edo. Able to swindle anyone and even if you watch her hands she'd still find a way to pick your pockets dry. That's how Usagi had met her. She had complimented Usagi's pet as a distraction to pick his pockets, and then complained when she found out he was broke.
He then later gave her some of his food when he food when he found her starving on the streets. Ever since Kitsune decided to take Usagi under her wing and be his city guide, even if Usagi insisted he was alright by himself.
Kitsune is a fox Yokai with her reddish orange fur bright and youthful like her eyes a happy ice blue, her hair pulled back in a puffy ponytail that turned white at the end like a foxes tail, she wore a black shirt under a green vest with dark pink flowers on it, green track pants of the same shade, and black sandals.
"How did you steal from them? I saw you on the other side of the street," Gen said. Kitsune proudly held up Spot, a Tolka mini dinosaur looking creature with spotted markings on his body, and innocent black eyes. He was Usagi's bestest friend ever and the two have never been separated before. In his jaw was a gold necklace, though by the dents it was probably made of very little gold if anything. "I've been teaching Spot to steal!" Kitsune proudly proclaims as the Tolka dropped the jewel in her hands.
"Hey! Do not teach innocent and sweet Spot to steal," Usagi said grabbing Spot from her and hugging him protectively the Tolka eeping softly.
"Kitsune you need to stop stealing! Remember what Chizu said? People, mainly criminals, are disappearing off the street," Gen whispers and Kitsune rolls her eyes. "Oh come on they haven't caught me yet and they won't catch me now," Kitsune said confidently.
Gen sighs feeling like the only one who has a brain cell at this moment. "I'm heading back home. You come with me," Gen said grabbing Kitsune's arm. "I don't want to deal with anyone going to jail tonight. The Shogun's already has it out for us," Gen reminds her before looking to Usagi. "You coming?" He asks.
Usagi shakes his head. "No I heard about this Master Bradford and this school he has called the Komodo Dragon school. I'm gonna see if he will take me on as a student!" Usagi proudly explains optimistic.
His friends however give him pitying looks. "Usagi no one is gonna take you on as a student just give it up," Gen said softly trying to be nice. "Just face the facts rabbit. At least we know when no one wants us," Kitsune said and Usagi huffs his nose twitching in irritation.
"No! I will not give up because a samurai never quits! I am sure this one will at least listen to me first!" Usagi stated confidently.
"He's gonna laugh and slam the door in your face," Kitsune said. "No he won't,"
Predictably
"HAHAHAHAHA! Oh your a riot kid! As if I would take on a Usagi as my student real funny joke," The human laughs in his face outside the school that was one of the buildings apart of the merchant district that had some of your more questionable locals.
Usagi's ears twitched in irritation and he takes a deep breath to remain calm. "I wasn't joking sir," Usagi said politely. Bradford drops his smile and than slams the door in his face.
Usagi sighs disheartened turning away with Spot running at his feet right next to him.
That's the tenth time that's happened. No one wants to take him on as a student no matter how hard he tries. What's worse is he can't even get a job in the meantime to pay the bills because of the Shogun ruining his family name.
"Maybe the others are right Spot," Usagi said disheartenedly as he walks along the street performers and merchants loudly proclaiming themselves so they may gain some money.
"Maybe I'll never become a great and legendary samurai like Miyamamoto Usagi," The rabbit sighed sadly as he found a quiet spot to sit down at. He did not feel like going home just yet. He wants to stay for a few more minutes in self pity.
He observes the surrounding area sad and worried for his future. He had no money, no one would take him, what was he going to do? As he worries he suddenly spots something, or someone, that made him sit up and eyes go wide.
Only a few stalls down someone was walking down the street observing the people with a excited grin. You could tell from the green skin they were a Yōkai, clearly a kappa by the three fingered hand clutching tightly to a well made but plain brown satchel. Their shell was covered in clean white garments that had green and gold stitching at the edges with a blue bandanna over his eyes two wholes cut out so you could see his bright sapphire blue eyes framed by Red Crescent stripes over those eyes.
He looked around the area at the stalls and the street performers with excitement. Due to his clean clothing people around assumed him to be of upper class, especially since blue was not a easy colour to come by in such a potent shade, and when his sleeves slipped down slightly you could see a golden bracelets over them one with red ruby gems and one with purple amethyst stone mirroring the red one.
They were probably fake stones since even the nobles could never afford stones that nice in such a large quantity, but the gold was still worth something. There was probably something valuable in that satchel.
Yet when anyone tried sneaking up on him the kappa would always turn and glare at the offender and the glare was so scary they would scurry off frightened. He went back to smiling soon after though once something else caught his attention.
Spot realized his friend was quiet and chirps worried. "That's the most beautiful being I've ever seen spot," Usagi said dreamily smiling.
Eventually the kappa came across a stall that housed delicious and scrumptious looking apples, pears, and grapes. At the stall were two human children. Judging by their appearance they were obviously poor the clothing had tears in it, and looked dirty as well clearly extremely poor or even homeless. They looked at the fruits with drooling hungry mouths, but they knew from painful experience that this vendor would catch and hurt them badly if they did.
The stranger saw this and his heart goes out to them. He bends down to them catching their attention. "Hello are you two hungry?" He asks. They nodded so the turtle opens the pouch and pulls out four apples and a whole loaf of bread. The children gasp seeing the food as the kappa hands it over. "Go on, take it," he said. The children look at each other disbelieving.
"It's free go on," He urges and the children snatch it stuffing the food in their older smaller satchel on the bigger child's shoulder.
"Thank you," they both said before running off with the food. The kappa smiles standing when he suddenly had his arm grabbed and he was roughly manhandled to face a angry and ugly Yokai pig with a British accent sneering at him.
"Are you gonna pay for that?" He growls. "Pay?" The stranger asks confused. "For the food you just stole from my cart!" He yells at the kappa who starts pulling at his arm trying to get away.
"I didn't steal it was mine! I don't have any money!" He states pulling, but the pig Yokai was stronger and saw the bracelet on his wrists grabbing both of them. "Oh these will compensate nicely," he grins trying to unlatch the bracelets and the kappa struggles harder. "No! I didn't steal you wannabe chef! I didn't!" Suddenly there was a force driving the two of them back the pig finally letting go of the turtle as he looks at this new person.
"Hey hey Meat Sweats calm down," Usagi said getting in front of the kappa protectively. "It's Rupert Swagger," the pig Yokai corrects. "I'd stick with Meat Sweats," the kappa said snidely and the pig growls at him. "I can handle this hey," Usagi turns to the kappa who he has named blue in his head for now since it matches his bandana colour.
"Do you have any money?" He whispers. The kappa shakes his head than realizes that the rabbit has taken his red bracelet from him. Before Blue could take it back Usagi hands it over the Meat Sweat smiling. "There a bracelet for your trouble and!" Usagi tosses a apple he had just burrowed off the cart that the pig hadn't noticed. Meat sweats grins putting both of them in his pockets. "A apple for the trouble, come on," Usagi said taking the kappa by the arm and leading him away as he protests.
"No I am not leaving without my bracelet!" Blue argues. "You mean this one?" Usagi holds up the bracelet shocking Blue who whispers. "How did you do that?" He asks. "Trick I learned from a friend," Usagi winks when there was a shout. Meat Sweats had found out that it was stolen. "USAGI YOU STREET URCHIN! YOUR JUST LIKE YOUR ANCESTOR!"
Usagi looks back seeing police getting through the people towards them. Usagi looks towards Blue and motions towards Spot. "Follow the Tolka he knows the way trust me," Usagi urges and Spot urges Blue to follow. Blue looks unsure but then Usagi runs off taunting them with his bracelet. Blue sighs and follows the tolka. He better get that bracelet back.