(Edited Chapter - please don't hate me.)
(Hey everyone! I want to say I am deeply sorry about the issue of disappearing for awhile. A lot of stuff happened IRL. Between my three kids, my promotion (yay!) recently at my job but now working full time, and attending online college full time, I've just had little to no time! So please forgive me.)
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Nine-Tails
The night came faster to an end than I thought it would. It was a night needed. Between the laughter and the cheers and just overall excitement, it made it worth coming back. Not that I had much choice coming back, but knowing I had, everyone made it better. I’m still hoping Enoxon was okay, but we could do only so much if he was under Mundus’s control right now. I needed to devise a plan to bring him back if it was the last thing I had to do. Now that I was officially reaper and had to start training, much needed to be done. It seemed like a hassle, but I had to. The underworld needed me, and I needed them. To work alongside Kurai and Astaroth to ensure we got everything under control again was what needed to be done. Astaroth was the one who was closest to my mother, the previous reaper. He knew what she went through and was ready for me to start my training officially. This included the black magic that needed to be under control.
Though, I haven’t told anyone about the secondary voice I had in the back of my head. I was hoping that was just a side effect of the stasis, but I won’t know for sure without exploring it somehow. Nevertheless, tonight was a night for all of us to enjoy, and that’s exactly what we were doing. Yushin had too much to drink, which caused Jenieva to cut off drinks for the night - at least for him. He was slumped over in one of the other booths, passed out. Casielle and Zarall had drawn on his face like a typical party-goer. He was absolutely out of it.
The night went on, though. It had gotten quiet after a few hours - resulting in people readying to leave. I had paced towards the later hour, knowing I probably shouldn’t drink so much. I was enjoying everyone’s company. Jenieva had taken Yushin home with her only because he had passed out. It reminded me of the way she would carry Enoxon over her shoulder when he was done with the alcohol. Yushin wasn’t used to drinking as a Celestial. I figured it was because he was always busy with his Spirit Walker position. Maybe he never got free time - I hope I can help change that. I wondered if he had any friends - besides us now. But he seemed to be eager to join us. I felt bad. Did the Spirit Walkers ever get time off? Indeed, they got tired or restless. Everyone needs a break - even if you are just a spirit or non-human or whatever Yushin was considered. Regardless, he went home with Jenieva.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been out with a group of people,” Mati’s low voice rumbled through the empty streets of the underworld.
Kurai, Mati, Astaroth, and I had locked up Jenieva’s store for her when she decided to take Yushin home.
“Ah, thanks for the night, everyone. I did appreciate it very much. Aria, I do look forward to our training here soon,” Astaroth’s gentle voice sounded as he turned on the road to dismiss himself.
“I was surprised when you said you were going to join us for the night, Astaroth,” Mati commented, looking him over. “I thought you were too busy to have a fun night out, what with Lord Mundus being gone.”
“Of course,” He stated, glancing towards me. “Aria, I shall see you again soon,” A quick smile flashed across the demon’s face before he said his goodbyes. With a quick snap, he disappeared into the thin darkness - which led to it being Kurai, Mati, and I.
Kurai hadn’t spoken since his second drink. He was quiet most of the night and only said when told to. His gaze was focused on the ground, and I could barely see him swaying. It was almost unrecognizable, but it was just barely being noticed.
“Aria, if you have any issues, please let me know. Astaroth wasn’t the only one who worked beside the previous reaper. And, well… Not everyone can be trusted - especially after what has happened. I have something for you,” The celestial being reached into his pockets and began to fumble with something. As he pulled out whatever was in his pocket, he clenched his fists, and a bright green light appeared between his fingers, and his eyes glowed a gentle green. Within a few seconds, something was created between his fingers. Opening his hands, the glow turned into a small silver owl pendant. “If you ever need something, I want you to say, ‘Pestiis Tormenite,’” His voice is deep and serene, yet profound.
Looking over the little pendant, I couldn’t help but feel a ray of warmth shimmer through me, and I smiled. I was indeed grateful for those around me. I ran my finger over the pendant and nodded as I practiced his simple chant, “Pestiis Tormenite. Thank you, Mati. I appreciate it,” I told him, putting the pendant around me and tucking it inside the top I had on.
“Of course, you have a wonderful night, and we’ll see you another time,” Mati flashed a genuine smile before snapping his fingers and transforming into his owl form. Hovering above me momentarily, he nodded one more time before flying off.
I watched the owl gracefully take off, waving up to him as he did so.
“Tch, suck up,” I heard Kurai mutter under his breath.
Glancing at the Nogitsune, I smiled gently and shrugged. “It’s good to have friends,” I responded to him, my voice swaying a bit. I did forget how many drinks I had tonight, but it was enough to get me a bit tipsy - teetering on the verge of being a bit more than tipsy.
“Who needs friends?”
My smile twisted into a frown when he said that, feeling my heart sink a little. Surely, he didn’t mean that, but perhaps he did. He was always the quiet one. The only one I ever really saw him with was Enoxon - who is now wherever in the Hell he is. Nevertheless, we had each other, and I knew - even after our connection was interrupted by Lord Mundus - he was grateful for me. Reading the emotions that welled up inside him was great, sometimes. I wonder if the pact between us would ever be remade - but would that mean I technically owned him? I was not too fond of the thought of that. I ought to do some research on pacts between humans, or half-humans instead, and demons. Do we share powers, or do I get to feel his emotions? Surely, there was something more than just an emotional thing - right?
As I followed Kurai through the quiet town of nothing but the ice-cold air surrounding us, my mind continued to flutter in many directions. My surroundings swayed a bit, almost as if they were being rotated. The alcohol had time to sit in me and start affecting me a bit more. I feel fine, so I should be fine. But with my mind twisting and turning, ugh.
Between knowing that Enoxon was with Mundus, and knowing that I was a reaper, knowing that somehow, somewhere, my mother was alive - knowing that there were so many souls that needed to be guided and just knowing how much I had to do was just mind-boggling. If I could somehow contact Enoxon without Mundus knowing, that’d be a start, wouldn’t it? Or would Enoxon be in his slight ‘mind-controlled by Mundus’ kind of stage?
So many unanswered questions.
So many thoughts.
What was I going to do?
As if Kurai noticed my stress, he cleared his throat and spoke lowly, “Snow, I know you’re a bit stressed out. Everything will be fine. You’re alive and well. That’s what matters. As for the entire Demon Lord Chasing the Reaper thing, it’ll work out.”
I frowned, crossing my arms as I walked in sync with him and focusing hard not to lose my balance. “It’s not even that,” I murmured in response, “I just feel like there’s a lot I have to do personally. The underworld asks a lot of me, and I’ve been out for three years.” I
“You seem to think that everyone knows who you are and what you are,” Kurai replied, “But honestly? They don’t. Mundus is rarely seen here, and the underworld is currently at peace. Minus the snow, of course.”
Not replying, I sighed and shook my head. “I appreciate your words of concern, but… It’s not easy, and I’m supposed to learn magic, guide souls, save my mother, save my other Spirit Walker, save Enoxon, train with Yushin, ensure that our connection with the Celestial World is stable, and altogether make sure that I’m not dead? And I’m supposed to take on Mundus?!” I tightened my hold of my crossed arms, feeling once more rather shaky and angry. “Meanwhile, everyone else gets to do whatever the hell it is they want to do.”
“You’re not the only one stressed out, Snow,” Kurai replied, pausing beside me. “I don’t mean this rudely, but it’s not all about you.”
“How is it not?!” I groaned, turning towards him. “I am the reaper. I didn’t even know this until… well, three years ago! I’ve lived my life as a lie - protected by sorcerers and a mother who put me practically on a witness protection program.”
“Once again - “
Cutting him off, “I don’t even know my real mother nor father, like, why did they give me up? Was it to protect me? Why couldn’t they?!” I could feel the tears well up as I overreacted. Maybe it was the loss of three years of my life - being unaged as everyone and everything around me grew. Granted - it was only three years, but still.
“I -”
My emotions got the best of me as I began to speak random thoughts - part of being intoxicated. My surroundings got a bit more dizzy as I began to sway, but I tried to talk, “I get they wanted to protect me, but if she was a Reaper and who knows what my father was, they’d have the power - surely! And they could’ve just conjured some magical creature - like Mati! She probably did it because she loved me and didn’t want to see me get hurt - but I mean, come on! I don’t even know what they look like! I don’t even know their names!”
“Snow-”
I began to pace back and forth in front of an older, abandoned building as my voice got louder, “Why did they have to drag other beings into it? Why did I have to go to the human world? Why couldn’t I stay with them and learn magic? Why do I have to do everything at once rather than being trained to do so?!”
“SHUT UP!” A voice squealed from inside the building. “Some demons are trying to enjoy the peace!”
“OH YOU SHUT UP!” I snapped back at them, raising my fist at the slightly cracked open window.
“What did you say?!” The voice from the building snapped back as a dark figure appeared before the window - its red eyes shimmering angrily.
“YOU HEARD ME,” I snapped back.
“You better get out of here, Human - before I rip you to shreds and claim you as mine,” The threat was real.
Before I could answer back, Kurai’s hand covered my mouth, and his other pulled me away from the body as he called back up, “No need for that. I would hate to incinerate you!”
“Get your pet on a leash, demon prince,” The demon snarled. “This is why we don’t let our pets drink - they can’t handle it.”
I immediately bit Kurai’s hand when I heard the word ‘pet.’ When Kurai’s hand left my side and my mouth,’ I shoved past him and glared up at the window, “Excuse me?!” With the two windows, my mind tried to focus on. They kept blurring together and unblurring.
“Pet,” The voice taunted.
“She bites, I’d watch yourself,” Kurai sighed, shaking his head.
“Come down here and say that to my face!” I taunted, raising my fist at the demon.
“Maybe I will, but I don’t think your owner will appreciate you disobeying him. I hear in the human world that pets are typically scolded when they disobey,” The voice mocked me, laughing as its eyes glittered with amusement. “Now get lost,” it snarled.
“I thought demons were supposed to be scary, but what you are hiding in your house is similar to a lost puppy in a cardboard box,” I grinned in satisfaction.
“That was an awful taunt,” The demon voice laughed. “You’re practically as scared and weak as a lamb is in a pack of wolves. No wonder you can’t handle your drinks. You won’t last long here, pet.”
With the anger and confusion that rose inside me from the demon’s taunt, I could feel the same magical feeling I had earlier when Kurai set me off. The only thing I could think of was to reply to the demon, who now had his window shut, “Well, you suck!”
“Terrible,” Kurai muttered from behind me, “Now, if you-”
The magical feeling inside my belly grew hotter and stronger as I tried to think of the same way I made the books fly around. I stared at the window so hard that I felt like my eyes would bulge out. Instead of that, though, I heard a shattering noise come from the window. A grin swept across my face as I watched the shattered glass fall to the ground.
“HEY!” The demon returned to the window, its figure finally coming through as a young woman with long black hair and demon-red eyes. “How dare you!”
I shrugged, “Oops, did I do that?” Letting out a half-giggle, I stared up at the demon and grinned widely, swaying back and forth gently as I watched her.
“You - !”
“Time for us to go,” Kurai said, reaching my hand and dragging me through the snow.
I glanced over my shoulder at the young-looking demon-woman, sticking my tongue out like a child would. Honestly, I did feel better after that. Granted, I didn’t like being called a ‘pet.’ Is that what these demons looked at me and saw? Was I just now a pet to Kurai due to his marking? Maybe she was just a sad demon who had to throw an insult out like that. But she also called Kurai a Demon Prince? Was that a thing now? Is that how the people of the underworld saw him?
“I’m assuming you feel better?” Kurai questioned me, breaking the silence as we trudged through the snow.
“Sort of,” I replied, glancing over at him. “But demon prince?” I questioned him, raising an eyebrow, nearly tripping over my feet.
“... A lot happened in three years, Snow.”
“Care to share?” I asked him.
“Yes… But,” He murmured, “It’s a lot. And you’ve had a good bit of drinks tonight, and we should get you back to the reaper’s cove.”
“I hardly had anything to drink!” I gasped, feeling a bit offended by him.
“Snow, I’ve now caught you from falling to the other side at least three times since we’ve left that house,” He shared with me, glancing over to me.
I rolled my eyes, pursing my lips. “You just can’t count. I can walk on my own - see, watch,” With that, I let go of his hand and began to walk on my own, trying to walk in a straight line. “If the cops were to find me, I’d be able to walk my straight line!!”
“Yeah…. Look at your snow-prints,” Kurai replied, pointing to the ground.
Lowering my gaze, I stared at the uneven prints moving in and out of each other. “Nah, that’s a perfect line!” I could feel the effects of the intoxication growing a bit stronger by the minute. My surroundings swirled a bit faster now.
“Using magic while intoxicated probably isn’t a good idea either,” Kurai chuckled. “Come on, drunky, let’s get you home.”
“I’m not!” I argued, crossing my arms and trying to walk. I then tripped over something - again, and began to fall forward before some magical force kept me afloat. When I realized what it was, I gasped, “Oh, you learned a new trick!” I squealed in amusement.
He glanced down at me, “No?” He questioned.
Little did I know, he held me up with his arm strength, but my mind couldn’t comprehend that right now. “You know magic like Eno!! What’s it called, like, kinesis? Kin-es-sis?”
“Telekenisis?” Kurai replied.
“YES! That one! Those tails gave you more! Oh I want to see all of your tails - pleaseeee,” I begged him, gasping and grabbing his arm to pull myself up towards him. “Your tails are fluffy!”
“You’re like a child when you’re drunk - an emotionally unstable child,” Kurai muttered, rolling his eyes as he stabilized me upwards. Anyone could see, though, that he was slightly amused. The little flicker in his eyes told it so. His reaction gave it away, too, knowing that he partook in our little interactions.
“Happy Kurai,” I chuckled, reaching up to one of his little black fox ears. At least, I think I grabbed it. I’m not sure, and I saw about four ears.
Kurai’s head ducked away from my hand and sighed, “Might be a long night.” His fingers brushed against mine as he gently reached for my wrist with his open hand. He quickly closed his eyes, held onto me, whispered something under his breath, and teleported us away from the snowy underworld village.
The mystical enchantment wrapped around my body, twisting me into another world for a moment as we disappeared from one spot and reappeared at another. We were in what looked like a dark living room. I hadn’t been back to the house since before Enoxon’s disappearance. After Kurai destroyed it, I knew it had been significantly changed and rebuilt. It was pleasant and calming, but I still saw double everything.
“Kurai, I thought Yuuushin didn’t want us here,” I asked.
“We aren’t exactly at the house - think of it as… a portal.”
“Oof, like how you just create random portal places?! Is that what this is?!” I asked him, highly amused. “Aww, I want to learn how to create portals. It’d be so much fun!”
Kurai’s hand rested on my head, and he nodded, “One day you will, but for now. I’d recommend resting.”
“But it’s cold,” I whined, hugging my arms as I stood in the room.
“Well, yeah. You’re soaking wet from the amount of time you fell in the snow while just walking,”
“But I thought you teleported us.”
“Sheesh, you’re out of it. We were walking for a while before I gave up trying to take care of a drunken mess and teleported us,” The nogitsune sighed. His hand gently whisked away from my head, and he went towards the fireplace off the side of the room.
“OH, I HAVE AN IDEA!” I squealed, running towards the fireplace. “Please,” I begged him, looking at him wide-eyed, trying to focus on his but ultimately swaying to the side.
He raised an eyebrow, steadying me by touching my shoulders. “I’m afraid to ask,” He replied, shaking his head but keeping his gaze on me.
I squealed as the slight memory of something special came to me. “Your fox - turn into it!”
Kurai’s eyes widened in shock as he heard my request. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was something he never expected from me - especially in this state. He looked at me with surprise and confusion, trying to process what I had just asked him to do. He was at a loss for words for a moment before finally managing to stutter out a response. “M-my fox?”
“YES! Please, you’re a fire-fox - you have so many tails I want to see!” I clenched my fists in anticipation and stared at him with excitement. “Please?” I asked him gently.
Kurai felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he processed the request. He couldn’t believe he was about to do what I had just asked. It wasn’t something he got asked to do a lot, and typically, his fox form was only made for protection. But he couldn’t refuse the request either. He had always been one to oblige whenever asked for something, especially by her, and this was no different. So, with a sense of reluctance, he took a deep breath and prepared to carry out the request, hoping he wouldn’t embarrass himself in the process. “I…”
I smiled at him and nodded. “Come on! I promise I won’t do anything silly,” I tilted.
“Well, I had been wanting a reason to show off the tails,” He murmured, his ears flickering on the top of his head. Glancing away, Kurai’s hands gently let my shoulders and fell to his side. Kurai closed his eyes and deeply breathed, feeling the heat rise. As he exhaled, his body started to glow with an intense, fiery aura that illuminated the area around him. Gradually, his form shifted and contorted as if the flames molded and reshaped his body. His limbs elongated, his fingers grew into sharp claws, and his ears turned into pointed fox ears. His hair turned into flickering flames that danced around his head like a blazing crown. His clothes burst into flames and disintegrated, revealing a sleek fur coat that covered his entire body. In seconds, Kurai had transformed into his magical fire-fox form. The fire that came with the transformation dispersed, leaving the large magical black fox with his bright amber eyes and pointed snout in my direction.
There, his voice intertwined with my thoughts.
Immediately, I could feel the heat radiating off his body as he sat down in the living room - looking huge in the small space. “Wow!” My voice squealed, filling the air like a little kid had just found the best toy in the world. “Look how pretty you are! Kurai!” I couldn’t help but throw myself to him and wrap my arms around his furry neck, and I could feel his body heat up with embarrassment. His fur was so soft, and it comforted me. He was a giant fox. As I glanced down his slim back, I came into eye contact with his tails, counting them as I did so. “One… Two… Three…” I counted all nine of his long furry tails and smiled brightly. “That’s so neat, Kurai. Thank you,” I murmured gently. Knowing that he could have done so much more with his life in the past three years rather than train to receive these next two tails made me sad, but he sacrificed so much more for me. I held onto his furry fox neck longer than intended and felt rather sleepy. The warmth radiating off his body made the room as warm as the fireplace.
I think he was shocked and embarrassed, but he didn’t seem to show it in this form. Instead, he seemed to embrace the compliments and thank yous as I did. He was… non-emotional, I guess you could say it. He didn’t respond to me; he just sat there as I held onto him. I was in a significant emotional state tonight after the dinner with everyone and returning to where I had first been invited. Well, I was forced here… Nevertheless, overall, I was grateful.
“Congratulations on your tails,” I murmured to the fox as I pulled away. “Proud of you,” I said, sitting on my knees and staring intently at him.
These tails grant me so much more power than I’d imagine, so please, if you ever need help… Please don’t use that stupid bird pendant; reach out to me. The nogistune’s voice whispered into my head.
I chuckled and nodded, “Sure.” Leaning against him, I swear I probably drifted off into a night of sleep immediately because I don’t remember what happened after that.
(Kurai's POV)
With the soft halfling snoring at his ears, the young nogitsune looked her over and assumed Snow had fallen asleep. Very faintly, he gently moves. She had passed out completely intoxicated, but it seemed that she had enjoyed her night with everyone. The fox shuffled ever so lightly to get out from under her grip around his neck, maneuvering to assure she didn’t wake up - not that she would, but just in case. Once Kurai’s fox body was completely out from under her, he gently placed a paw on her marked arm. His ears flattened against his head because, for whatever reason, he felt a little bit of a guilty conscience. The words that he had spoken to her regarding ‘belonging to’ bothered him. Before his training, it was practically the other way around. She owned him - just because of the pact. He morphed back into his human form, crouching beside her and looking at the marking.
Was this enough to keep Mundus at bay?
Disturbing thoughts crossed his mind at the idea of Mundus getting near her. Every night after the Underworld Ruler had practically murdered Snow, the image of her pain and watching her body almost go from a happy bundle of joy to a corpse that was thrown out like trash… That pained him; it pained him to remember any of that. No matter what he did, the image - the replay of that night could not escape his mind. The memory of beating himself up every single night. Then what? He spent the last three years training to free this woman he barely knew. Did the connection between them grow that strong by just the original pact?
A sigh escaped the young man, his black fox ears flattening against his head, and he gazed her over. “Goodnight, Snow,” He said softly and wrapped his fingers around her mark, teleporting her to the bedroom for her to sleep peacefully.
Kurai was left alone in the living room, lost in his thoughts as he watched the flames dance in the fireplace. The warmth from the fire enveloped him, and he felt comforted by its soothing glow. His eyes were fixed on the flames, but his mind was elsewhere. He was lost in a sea of memories, thoughts, and emotions, each vying for his attention. His brow was furrowed with concentration, and his face was etched with deep lines of contemplation. The only sound in the room was the soft crackling of the fire and the occasional creaking of the wooden logs. Kurai was wholly lost in his world, oblivious to everything around him. He felt like he was floating in a sea of thoughts, adrift in the endless waves of his mind. The fire was like a beacon, guiding him through the tumultuous waters of his thoughts and comforting him amidst the chaos. The idea of ever watching Snow get hurt frustrated him - how could he even allow that in the first place?
How could he go three years without even attempting to save her?
“Looks like someone had a fun night,” a female's voice approached him from behind. The figure came up behind Kurai, wrapping her arms around the nogitsune’s neck. “I must say, though, I am rather jealous,” Her voice whispered into his ears as she enclosed him.
Kurai’s body tensed as he listened to the woman come from behind, but his hand reached up and gently rested on the woman’s hand that wrapped seductively around him. “Not now, Mitsuko,” He replied softly, removing the hand from his shoulder.
“Oh, come now,” The woman slinked around to the front of Kurai, her gentle brown hair cascading around her lithe body and gently resting on their shoulders.
It was impossible not to notice Kurai’s jet-black hair falling in disarray around his face and the sadness and confusion clouding his usually bright and lively amber eyes. His forehead was creased with worry, and his lips were downturned in a frown, giving the impression of a man lost in thought, trying to come to terms with what happened within the last 24 hours. For the past three years, the nogitsune trained harder every day to release the trapped woman called Snow, yet that’s not the only thing he has achieved within the last three years.
He lifted his gaze, resting on the woman in front of him called Mitsuko. He looked up at the woman who decided to sit before him, pulling his attention to her. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back, and her light blue eyes sparkled in the firelight. But what could catch anyone’s attention were the two wolf ears perched on her head. They were sleek and grey and seemed to twitch as she spoke. The woman smiled warmly at Kurai, and he could feel a sense of ease emanating from her. As she searched his gaze to reassure him, Kurai noticed that her ears were still twitching as if they were listening intently to some distant sound. The two of them sat in silence, watching the flames dance and listening to the occasional cackling of the fire. He couldn’t help but rest his head against her shoulder, taking a deep breath and breathing in her perfume. It was a delicate fragrance that seemed to blend floral and woody notes in perfect harmony. The fragrance was not overpowering; instead, it wafted around her like a gentle breeze, adding to the peaceful ambiance of the room. Kurai found himself drawn to the scent, and he couldn’t help but inhale deeply, trying to capture its essence. The perfume seemed to complement the woman’s unique appearance perfectly.
“You did a good thing, and you should be happy that you’ve saved yet another life,” Her voice was soft and gentle, yet had a hint of temptation that drew Kurai’s attention. The woman spoke melodically, her words flowing effortlessly and soothingly, like a lullaby. Her voice was warm and seemed to wrap around Kurai like a comforting blanket. Finding himself lost in her voice, he felt a sense of ease. The woman’s voice was like music to his ears, and he couldn’t help but listen intently to every word she said. She pressed her lips against the man’s forehead, giving it a slight and gentle prod before pulling away, yet still holding on to him.
“It’s a bit different,” Kurai’s voice replied. “It’s… Something more.”
“Shh, she’s just the Reaper,” The woman huffed, glancing away from him. “She’ll be focused on her training. You were once her guardian, and now you’re mine,” Her voice pulled him in closer.
However, her words weren’t as comforting as he was hoping. A soft breath escaped him as he raised his head just enough to lock gazes with her. Her eyes were as captivating as the fire that crackled behind them, burning fast with the power of Kurai’s fire magic that ignited the fire. “Of course, Mitsuko,” He murmured in response to her, holding her body close to his warmth. She embraced the warmth that radiated off his body as she continued to snuggle against him and rest in his arms.
With her, Kurai felt a bit more confident. Finding another kitsune spirit was impeccable - considering the only thought that came to his mind was that his brother and Lord, Mundus, had them all eradicated. When he came across this woman, things completely changed for him. He felt drawn to her - considering she became his teacher in the past years of training. She was the only one who understood what he felt and how he felt - the only one to understand what it truly meant to be alone…
He knew that this kitsune spirit understood everything about his people, his life, and what it meant to be bound to another by force of hand.
He knew what he had to do.
Even if it meant shattering the connection he once had with Snow.
Even if it meant ruining everything he had before Snow.
He felt complete alongside this Kitsune - no longer alone like he had been.
No longer a wanderer.
No longer an outsider, an intruder.
No longer a traitor.
Introducing - Mitsuki.
Should be fun. :)
