- Mina's pov -
"I'm so tempted to blow every single girl in this classroom to bits right now." Usually they were quiet when Kurama was gone, like today, but since Tomoe is here, they're not. Right now they are swarming him. Can't he keep his fans down? I can keep the guys off me so why can't he at least get his fans to quiet some. Nanami laughed as we watched three girls go up to Tomoe and ask him who they were. He's probably memorized everyone's name for Nanami. I bursted out laughing when he let slip that she was his master, making Nanami flip and pulling him out of the classroom. That was priceless! The girls went up to me.
"What are you to Tomoe-kun Mina-San?" Crud! We didn't think of anything to say if anyone asked us that!
"Um, Tomoe and I are cousins on his Mother's side." They nodded and I rushed out to follow Nanami and Tomoe. They were near the girls' bathroom for some unknown reason.
"Thanks you two, now Tomoe and I are cousins because I had nothing else to say. Really thanks." I glared at them both as they chuckled at me.
"Come on. Let's go back to class. That girl from before gave me the class handbook." I nodded and followed behind Nanami along with Tomoe.
- time skip -
Nanami closed the class handbook with a sigh and I yawned. Tomoe was asleep on the desk beside us, making us giggle quietly to each other.
"Leave him. We can come back and get him after we turn this in." She nodded and we left the classroom. As we crossed the breezeway, there was a man.
"Hello Mina, Nice weather isn't it?" I pushed Nanami behind me and growled at him, letting my ears and tail show.
"We forgot about the snake!" I nodded slightly at her.
"Nanami, go, get Tomoe. I'll be fine." She nodded and ran back inside, the class handbook forgotten on the ground. I made a gushed of wind blow towards the demon before running into the area behind me. Quickly, I made a cloud and jumped on. If he wants me, he gonna have to catch me first. I flew up high and looked back down. What is he doing with that water? Oh crud, he can make it into a water snake! Fly cloud! Fly! I dashed off on the small cloud, the snake demon not far behind. Why me? I yelped as it started pouring down rain, making me lose my focus and the cloud to disappear. I screamed as I fell to the ground below. Turning, I tried using the wind to slow me down but it was useless, I couldn't concentrate enough. I closed my eyes as I neared the ground. When I didn't I opened my eyes to see the snake demon carrying me on his giant water snake. I blushed cherry red seeing his arm around my waist. He grinned at me.
"You ok Miss Mina?" I nodded slightly as everything got blurry. Soon, darkness took me over.
- time skip -
I groaned slightly as I woke up. My head is pounding. Opening my eyes, I saw two shrine spirits holding a centipied in front of my face.
"Hey Wolf demon. Centipied?" I screamed and kicked them and the centipied away. Eww! The snake demon came into the room and smiled at me. I looked around the room, so we are in a shrine and I guessed right, he is a shrine familiar.
"You're awake! Morning Mina-chan." I looked at him.
"Why am I here?" He smiled at me.
"Why that mark on your wrist should tell you. Mistress already blessed the marriage!" I narrowed my eyes at him and stood up.
"Like hell I will stay here! I'm leaving!" He just smriked while the shrine spirits snickered.
"You can try~" He gives me the creeps. I walked outside and through the gates. Smirking as I did so, I ran down the path. This place is so creepy. I tried to make a cloud but couldn't, why? I sat by a tree and started meditating. I couldn't even form a puff of wind. Something is making me not be able to use my wind here!
"This is so annoying!" I climbed into the tree and looked out at the setting sun. I have no clue what are in these woods and all I have is a small short sword that I keep hidden underneath my clothes. Wait, I checked my person for the sword. It's gone! I know I had it on me when he kidnapped me damn it! He took my sword! Well, if anything comes after me, I'm going to put up one hell of a fight. I hopped out of the tree and started walking along the side of the path. I looked a head to see nothing, this is gonna be a long walk, joy.
- time skip -
"Damn it!" I tripped over a branch, falling over and scraping my knee. Blood poured from the cut and I sighed. I should make a camp soon I guess. Looking further up the road, I saw a light. Hooray, people! I quickly got up and started running towards the light. Only to be met by a freaking shrine gate, those shrine spirits from earlier, and the snake demon. He smiled at me as I fell back on my butt.
"No way." He came up to me and knelt down.
"I told you that wouldn't be able to leave. Don't worry, the mistress has already forgiven you. Oh, you're hurt." He pressed a rag against my cut to stop the bleeding why I just looked at him. Why does he have so much interest in me? I'm so used to other demons and gods trying to kill me that it's surprising when I'm not. He smiled when he was done patching up the cut while I just put my head in my knees. He looked at me in concern.
"Are you ok? Does it still hurt?" I shook my head and looked back up at him slightly.
"What's your name anyways?" He smiled again.
"My name's Mizuki."
- time skip -
I sat on the deck next to Mizuki as we looked at the plum tree. Maybe if I ever go back to Nanami's shrine then I can get her to plant one there, along with a cherry tree, an orange tree, and a bunch of other fruits. What? I like fruit and even though it will take a while they will still be pretty to look at.
"Why are they in bloom? Plum trees aren't in season." He grinned from beside me.
"I froze time here when they were most beautiful. Mistress loves this tree." I nodded and continued looking at the tree before yawning. He looked at me.
"There is a bed already prepared inside. Don't worry, I won't do anything yet. I'll wait until you're ready." I blushed and shuffled inside. That's something I don't think about until I'm at least of age! Seeing an open door, I peered in to see the two shrine spirits fixing a bed.
"Here!" I glared at them before getting them and the two pillows out before closing the door. I fell onto the pallet and closed my eyes, letting sleep take me.
[Dream]
I looked around, unfamiliar with where I was. It was a forest but unlike I've ever seen before. The trees looked dead and menacing. I held out my sword as my ears laid flat on my head. Slowly walking through the forest, I came up to a house. There she was, my little sister, Yuki.
"Yuki!" She looked at me and opened the door, since I had seen her through the opened window.
"Big sister!" She ran towards me and I hugged her tight. I missed her so much. She looked at me.
"We have to hurry before he comes back for me." I nodded and we started running the way we came. These trees seemed to go on forever. Seeing a light at the end, my grip on Yuki's hand tightened. We're almost there! Suddenly, there was a laugh and she slipped out of my grasp. I turned to see a man, with white hair and a creepy mask on his head. He's a demon!
"Sorry milady but you're not taking her just yet." I growled at him.
"Let my little sister go!" They started flying backwards and I went running towards them but seemingly going anywhere. I reached out to Yuki as they vanished.
"Don't worry. You'll see her soon! Until then! She's where the crows fly!" Everything faded into darkness.
[dream end]
I sat straight up on the covers and sighed. It was still dark out. Going through the hallway towards the bathroom I saw earlier. I stopped when I saw Mizuki sitting there, looking at the plum tree with sadness in his eyes. Why is he so sad? Wait, is his mistress dead? He did freeze time around here just for her plum tree. There also isn't any visitors from what I've seen. I'll have to figure out tomorrow.
- the next day -
"Hey Wolf demon. Here's breakfast. Eat up." I looked at the frog in disgust before throwing the shrine spirits. I threw the bowl and the frog at them afterwards. The door opened and Mizuki came in with rice balls. I eyed him warily.
"I see they are treating you nicely." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms as he offered me a rice ball.
"Tomoe's food is better." Please don't let him ever hear any of this! He'll never let me live it down!
"Is it now? Mistress only drinks Sake. Maybe one day you will like to have some?" Sake? The shrine spirits grinned
"Mizuki-dono's sake is the best in the world!" I nodded and looked at the curtain covering up their 'god.' Standing up, I went over to it and they panicked.
"Don't open that!" I opened the curtain to see an orb in a chair.
"So, that's what was missing. There's no god." Mizuki frowned at the spot.
"There use to be a river nearby that children would drown in sometimes. The villagers thought it was cursed and built this shrine, thus the mistress was born. The village people ended up leaving the village. No believers, no god." I nodded and smiled slightly at him as he cried.
"Hey, it's ok. You must miss your mistress. She seems to have been very close to you. Right now, my little sister has been kidnapped and I've been trying to find her. I miss her very much and sometimes I do cry but I know she would want me to be happy and so would your mistress." He looked at me.
"Are you trying to cheer me up?" I shrugged and he hugged my waist.
"Oh, why can't you just stay here forever with me?!" I screamed and kicked him, repeatedly.
"Don't ever do that again! I thought you said you wouldn't do anything!" I was blushing bright red as he smirked.
"I've changed my mind." I yelped as he pushed me down and I started struggling. I screamed again as he tried pulling off my shirt. Someone help me! The doors bursted off as flames came into the room, separating Mizuki from me.
"Mina!" I turned only to be hugged to death by Nanami.
"Nanami! You came to save me!" She nodded.
"Tomoe's here too!" I looked at him and nodded. He smirks at me.
"What? Couldn't save yourself wolf?" I glared at him.
"My powers were blocked thank you very much." Mizuki put out the flames as I hid behind Tomoe. Nope, Mizuki lost any trust I had for him with that move. He tried to rape me!
"Setting a water god's shrine on fire. Not the smartest thing fox." Tomoe glared at him and sent more flames at him before picking Nanami up in his arms and putting me on his back.
"Sorry snake. You've already lost when one, I found this place, and two, when I got my mistress' friend back and number three, you will lose your life and everything you hold dear." Mizuki's eyes widen as the shrine spirits came in crying.
"Mizuki-Dono! The garden is on fire!" We all followed him as he ran to the plum tree and sighed in relief.
"It's still safe." Tomoe tsked.
"So, this is all an illusion, a background, for this tree." Mizuki nodded.
"This is all I have left." Tears formed in Mizuki's eyes as Tomoe threatened to burn the tree down.
"Don't Tomoe! Let me handle this." I got off his back and walked over to the crying Mizuki. He looked at me in surprise. I knelt down to his kneeling form.
"Don't cry Mizuki. A man shouldn't cry. I bet you get lonely here a lot. I have to go now but I'll come back whenever you get lonely and look at the plum blossoms with you." To empathize my point, I touched one of the unopened blossoms and it furled open. He looked at me in surprise as I helped him up and hugged him. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away blushing. He blushed too as I waved goodbye and went to the large carriage.
"You promised to come back? Even after he kidnapped you?" I nodded and glared at Tomoe.
"Shut up." He just smirked.
"I heard you say that my food was good." He was here for that?! I hugged and crossed my arms.
"Like I would say that, you must've misheard." Nanami just laughed as we bickered the whole way home.
- end of chapter -
Flarefox: Mina and Mizuki! Sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
Mina: *blushing* Shut up!
Yuki: Seriously? I'm the younger sister? And why am I a fox demon? I'm a red panda demon!
Flarefox: Oh shush, it goes along with the story. Anyways guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please vote and comment! Foxy fox flare! See you guys later!