The burglar snuck through the house, careful not to wake up the parents and children in this old, creaky home. He giggled to himself like a fuzzy caterpillar was crawling up his arm, as he was pleased that he broke into the house without setting off any alarms. Everyone was asleep, the floors were carpeted, and just as he was turning the dial to the safe, a lamp on the table behind him fell to the floor with a crash. The burglar jumped up and spun around in fear there was a dog he missed during recon, but no one was there. Footsteps came from down the hallway, and with no time to lose, he opened a window and jumped out, running into the dark of the night.
Susan turned on the lights, spotted the lamp, and smiled. "Thanks, Rakka." Mist formed in the air above the lamp to form a young angel who smiled in response.
"It's nothing. I had to scare him off somehow," she said sheepishly.
The ghost turned her lower half into mist and followed Susan back to her bedroom. When the family arrived to their new, hundred-year-old home, they didn't expect someone else to be "living" there - the ghost of a young girl. Rakka didn't remember how or when she died, but she was kind all the same. And with a new family to stay with, she wanted to do all she could to keep them safe. The daytime was boring for her, since everyone was away at work or school and she couldn't leave the house in sunlight due to her ghostly nature, and they were often asleep at night. But she loved the weekend, because she got to play with Hibiki and Katsuki when they were done with their homework.
Susan went back to bed, and Rakka fiddled with the television to turn it on. It was a documentary on the history of hot pepper, and she wished she knew how to manipulate the remote control.
The next day, Susan called the police to investigate the break-in and give a report. Inspector Cabanela did a pirouette through the house and paused mid-step when he saw the broken lamp.
"Hmmmmm," he thought. "This feels like a haunted room, I've seen plenty of those. I need to get an exorcist before anyone gets hurt."
Rakka shook and trembled in her spiritual plane. It was the middle of the day and she couldn't do anything, but she wanted to prove she was a friendly ghost. "I have to do something!" She cried, and when sundown came, she flew straight to Susan.
"The police man said they were going to exorcise me! You can't let them do that!"
"What?!" Susan stood up from where she was sitting and having her evening tea in shock. "What can I do? I'll be at work all week tomorrow!"
"I don't know!" Rakka feared at her. "But if your kids will be here, they can do something!"
Rakka rallied Hibiki and Katsuki together to come up with a plan. When the police came with the exorcist, they would set up traps to trip them up. Once night arrived, Rakka would appear and convince them not to hurt her and that she was the one to stop the burglar.
When the day arrived, George Cabanela brought Bryakuren Hijiri, local nun with plenty of experience in kicking out ghosts. The two kids tied strings across the hallway that would let loose a bunch of toys when either adult pulled them, and they were able to delay them for an hour due to toy trucks blocking their steps and a long, long, lecture on obstructing the law.
At last, dusk arrived, and Hijiri stepped into the room with the lamp. Just at that moment, Rakka appeared, though he was more translucent than usual. It took all of her energy just to be visible on this plane.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" She held out her hands at everyone. "I was the one who scared the burglar off, and I don't want anything bad to happen to my family! Even if I don't know the people that raised me, Susan is like a mother, and Hibiki and Katsuki are my siblings! I don't know what most ghosts are like, but I promise I'm not like them!"
Hijiri dropped her exorcism materials to the floor in shame.
Hibiki ran to stand in front of Rakka is solidarity. "Yeah! And if you think of laying a hand on her, I'll shoot you in the face!"
"Hibiki, we don't have any guns in here."
"Katsuki, I'm trying to make a point!"
Inspector Cabanela scratched his chin. "Hmmmmm, but if you can affect the material world, that would make you one of the most powerful ghosts I have ever seen! Why, if the police had you on our side, we'd catch much more criminals!"
"W-what? But..." Rakka fidgeted. "But I can't leave the house during the day..."
"Nonsense! We do a lot of work at night, anyway!"
"But what about my family?"
"I'm sure ghosts are allowed to take vacation days."
Rakka beamed. That meant she'd be getting paid! And now her family could afford a better security system! "Thank you so much!" She pulled forward to give everyone a hug, but she passed right through them.
"...You'll have to wait a few more hours before I can do this."
When Susan got home, Rakka gave her the good news. Susan wiped a tear from her eye, proud that her adopted daughter got a night job. From then on, Rakka started on the path to becoming what she always wanted...
Rakka's Story
Susan turned on the lights, spotted the lamp, and smiled. "Thanks, Rakka." Mist formed in the air above the lamp to form a young angel who smiled in response.
"It's nothing. I had to scare him off somehow," she said sheepishly.
The ghost turned her lower half into mist and followed Susan back to her bedroom. When the family arrived to their new, hundred-year-old home, they didn't expect someone else to be "living" there - the ghost of a young girl. Rakka didn't remember how or when she died, but she was kind all the same. And with a new family to stay with, she wanted to do all she could to keep them safe. The daytime was boring for her, since everyone was away at work or school and she couldn't leave the house in sunlight due to her ghostly nature, and they were often asleep at night. But she loved the weekend, because she got to play with Hibiki and Katsuki when they were done with their homework.
Susan went back to bed, and Rakka fiddled with the television to turn it on. It was a documentary on the history of hot pepper, and she wished she knew how to manipulate the remote control.
The next day, Susan called the police to investigate the break-in and give a report. Inspector Cabanela did a pirouette through the house and paused mid-step when he saw the broken lamp.
"Hmmmmm," he thought. "This feels like a haunted room, I've seen plenty of those. I need to get an exorcist before anyone gets hurt."
Rakka shook and trembled in her spiritual plane. It was the middle of the day and she couldn't do anything, but she wanted to prove she was a friendly ghost. "I have to do something!" She cried, and when sundown came, she flew straight to Susan.
"The police man said they were going to exorcise me! You can't let them do that!"
"What?!" Susan stood up from where she was sitting and having her evening tea in shock. "What can I do? I'll be at work all week tomorrow!"
"I don't know!" Rakka feared at her. "But if your kids will be here, they can do something!"
Rakka rallied Hibiki and Katsuki together to come up with a plan. When the police came with the exorcist, they would set up traps to trip them up. Once night arrived, Rakka would appear and convince them not to hurt her and that she was the one to stop the burglar.
When the day arrived, George Cabanela brought Bryakuren Hijiri, local nun with plenty of experience in kicking out ghosts. The two kids tied strings across the hallway that would let loose a bunch of toys when either adult pulled them, and they were able to delay them for an hour due to toy trucks blocking their steps and a long, long, lecture on obstructing the law.
At last, dusk arrived, and Hijiri stepped into the room with the lamp. Just at that moment, Rakka appeared, though he was more translucent than usual. It took all of her energy just to be visible on this plane.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" She held out her hands at everyone. "I was the one who scared the burglar off, and I don't want anything bad to happen to my family! Even if I don't know the people that raised me, Susan is like a mother, and Hibiki and Katsuki are my siblings! I don't know what most ghosts are like, but I promise I'm not like them!"
Hijiri dropped her exorcism materials to the floor in shame.
Hibiki ran to stand in front of Rakka is solidarity. "Yeah! And if you think of laying a hand on her, I'll shoot you in the face!"
"Hibiki, we don't have any guns in here."
"Katsuki, I'm trying to make a point!"
Inspector Cabanela scratched his chin. "Hmmmmm, but if you can affect the material world, that would make you one of the most powerful ghosts I have ever seen! Why, if the police had you on our side, we'd catch much more criminals!"
"W-what? But..." Rakka fidgeted. "But I can't leave the house during the day..."
"Nonsense! We do a lot of work at night, anyway!"
"But what about my family?"
"I'm sure ghosts are allowed to take vacation days."
Rakka beamed. That meant she'd be getting paid! And now her family could afford a better security system! "Thank you so much!" She pulled forward to give everyone a hug, but she passed right through them.
"...You'll have to wait a few more hours before I can do this."
When Susan got home, Rakka gave her the good news. Susan wiped a tear from her eye, proud that her adopted daughter got a night job. From then on, Rakka started on the path to becoming what she always wanted...
Detective Angel Ghost Rakka, Part 0: Origins