Mii had always been a house cat, confined to the cozy interiors of her home in Kyoto. But on the third night her family didn’t come home, and her food bowl was still empty, she jumped up to the open window in the bathroom and found her way down to the ground.
The world outside was grim, ravaged by a deadly plague that had swept through the city, leaving it eerily deserted. The once vibrant streets of surrounding Kyoto were now empty, the silence punctuated only by the distant howls of wind through the trees and abandoned buildings.
At the Kyoto City Zoo, a panda named Yoo had also found freedom in the chaos. His enclosure, once a haven of bamboo tended by caring humans, was now a ruin.
The three other pandas at the zoo weren’t his family. They had urged him to come with them when they escaped the enclosure, but he was too scared to leave. They had gone three days ago, and he had been all alone ever since.
Driven by hunger and a primal urge to survive, Yoo climbed up an overgrown tree, carefully over the barbed wire fence at the top of his enclosure, and ventured out of the zoo into the unknown city, his massive form moving clumsily but purposefully through the empty streets.
There were humans everywhere, but to Yoo, they looked like they were sleeping. In cars, in parks, on the sidewalk. He wondered why they were so tired, and why they weren’t going anywhere or doing anything.
Mii and Yoo’s paths crossed at a temple at the outskirts of the city. Mii, perched atop a stone lantern, watched as Yoo lumbered into the courtyard, his eyes scanning the surroundings. At first, she was wary, her instincts telling her to flee. But there was something in Yoo's gentle demeanor that calmed her.
"Hello," Mii called softly from her perch, her voice echoing in the empty courtyard.
Yoo looked up, his round eyes meeting hers. "Hello," he replied, his voice shaky but deep. "Are you alone too?"
"Yes,” Mii replied and jumped down off the lantern to the ground. “Did your family not come home either?”
“I don’t have any family,” Yoo said. “I used to live in a zoo, but the humans that used to take care of us abandoned us. And all the humans out here in the world look like they’re sleeping.”
"I don’t think they’re sleeping," Mii replied. “I think something very bad has happened.
And so, an unlikely friendship was born. Mii and Yoo became companions, navigating the desolate city together. Mii's agility and sharp senses helped them find hidden food and safe places to rest, while Yoo's strength and size provided protection.
Days turned into weeks as they explored the abandoned streets of Kyoto. The once bustling markets and vibrant temples were now silent witnesses to the plague. Yet, amidst the desolation, they found moments of beauty and solace. Cherry blossoms still bloomed, their petals floating like pink snow, and the gentle flow of the Kamo River offered a rare sense of peace.
They did run into other animals, mostly abandoned pets, like Mii. They made a few friends, but mostly Mii and Yoo kept to themselves. While they were unsure what other animals they could trust, they always knew that they could trust each other.
One moonlit night, as they rested in the shadow of the local shrine's torii gates, they heard an unsettling sound. A low, guttural growl echoed through the air.
"Shadow demons," Mii whispered, her fur bristling. "My family used to talk about them, but I thought they were just stories. If they’re real, they come out at night, seeking to feed on the living."
“Even us?” Yoo asked. “We’re just animals.”
“But there are no humans left, so maybe they’re desperate,” Mii replied, her eyes widening. "We need to move now!"
But it was too late. Shadows began to swirl around them, forming the shapes of menacing creatures with glowing red eyes and long, boney hands with razor-sharp claws. The demons circled, their sinister laughter filling the air.
Mii hissed, while Yoo positioned himself protectively in front of her. "Stay close to me," Yoo growled, his voice steady despite the fear gripping his heart.
The first demon lunged, and Yoo swung his massive paw, sending it crashing into a torii gate. Mii darted forward, her agile form a blur as she leaped and slashed at another demon, her claws leaving shallow gashes.
But the shadow demons were relentless, their attack overwhelming.
Just when it seemed they might be overpowered, Mii spotted a faint glimmer of light near the shrine's main hall.
"Yoo, the shrine!” she bellowed. “It's our only chance!"
Yoo picked up Mii by the scruff of her neck gently with his teeth and charged toward the light of the shrine door. The demons snarled and wailed, and one of them swiped its claws across Yoo’s back, making him groan in pain, but he forced himself not to drop Mii.
The duo reached the shrine's entrance, and as they crossed the threshold of the door, a barrier of light erupted around them, repelling the shadow demons with a blinding flash of bright light.
Panting, they collapsed inside the shrine, the demons' howls fading into the night. The protective barrier held, and they were safe—for now.
"We made it,” Mii said looking at Yoo, who was lying on his side of the floor of the shrine, the large scratches and his matted white fur clearly visible. “Are you okay?”
“I will be,” Yoo replied. “Are you?”
“You saved my life,” Mii replied, her eyes filled with gratitude and relief.
“I wouldn’t have thought to come in here unless you said it,” Yoo admitted. “We saved each other’s lives.”
In the heart of the deserted Kyoto, amidst the desolation and the lurking dangers, Mii and Yoo found hope and strength in their friendship. The future remained uncertain. But they knew that they had a better chance to survive, and stay optimistic about the future, if they stuck together.
