"Emmerit Delaney, eh?"
"Yes."
"And why will ye be stuck here? Odd choice of words."
"Well, that's because I am a time and space kitsune. Since I ended up here, I won't be able to go back to my time until the end of the month."
"When ye say 'back' do ye really mean... forward?"
"Yup!"
Merida shook her head in confusion but looked over his form. It was the same colors of a regular fox, the dark orange and white colors, unlike Higgs (whose fur matched his hair color), and his demeanor was quite different.
"May I ask if ye are a descendant of someone here?"
"I am."
"Can I ask who?"
"You could but I'm afraid I can't tell you. You're an astute woman as it is and so the fact that you know about me is going to be hard enough to keep secret."
"It's not for me to tell who ye are or arenae, but judging by how ye are, there arenae many people who could pass down that form."
"True, but you don't know how far into the future I'm from. The curse grows with each generation and doesn't necessarily stay confined in jolly old England. The world is a vast place and each of them has myths of their own that the curse can get a hold of. I may turn into things that thus far you have never seen."
"Aye, that be true... but for someone trying not to stick out, ye seemed quite alright to show me."
"As I said, you are an astute woman; and the fact that you are here at this particular wedding means that you wouldn't have been too scared, right?"
"Ye have me there... I assume that ye dinnae have a place to stay for the time?"
"I do not."
"Ye can stay in the mansion with us and it willnae mess ye up."
"That's mighty kind of you." Emmerit put his hands in his kimono sleeves. "What will you tell them?"
"Merida?" The two of them turned as Catherine came out from the shadows of the trees. "Who is that? Why does he look like that?" she growled angrily at his kitsune form.
"Er..."
"I'm Emmerit Delaney, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said with a small bow.
"Um... right... Who are ya and why are ya in that form?"
"I am a time and space kitsune." He answered without missing a beat.
Merida made a face at him. "Ye tell me I have to be all secretive and all but when someone asks ye ye just blurt it out?"
Emmerit laughed nervously. "I'm sorry, I know it sounds a bit convoluted. I mean, how else was I going to explain myself anyway?" Merida made a face. "Besides, I'm actually quite used to not hiding what I am, so I forget that during this time period it's a big no-no."
"Wait, wait, go back: time and space kitsune?" Catherine asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm from the future."
"And now yar here?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?" he said with a shrug.
"I meant that if ya can travel back in time, then why are ya here? Why don't ya go all the way back and keep the first Northumberly from pissin' off that gypsy?"
"Ah, but that is the beauty of the curse: you can only go as far back as your own strength of will."
"What?" they both asked.
"Do you really think the curse would leave itself open to be able to be destroyed that easily? It always has a countermeasure, a failsafe. You can't pull a fast one on it. Anyway, since different types of kitsunes exist and one of them is time and space, the only way to travel back in time is to activate the time travel and think of when you'd like to go. The further back the destination, the harder it is the travel to; you need more stamina and strength. You saw the storm that came though, right?"
"The nasty one that hit in the middle of the ceremony?"
"Yeah. That was me."
"Ye?"
"That's how going back in time works. Obviously it's not the best thing to be done, since going back and changing one thing can change course of the future and all that space/time continuum stuff. That being said, time itself tries to keep you from doing it and so it creates a storm of sorts. The farther back you go, the more harsh and fierce the storm will become. As you 'walk back' in time, you are being pushed back by it as well."
"What if ya tend to get to one date but the storm is too much and ya can't?"
"Then you end up in whatever time your stamina gives up at."
"Then ye're stuck there all month?"
"Not necessarily. It just really depends on how far back you go. If you go back a few years or so, things won't be so bad. It's when you get to decades or centuries; that's when it starts getting tricky. You can go back as far as your stamina will carry you but when you exhaust your strength, whenever you stop is where you'll be. Sure, you can try to gather your strength and go further, but the storm just starts back up at the strength it was when you stopped, it doesn't reset."
"So yar sayin' that the storm that would be created tryin' to go back to the beginnin' of the curse would be so powerful that it's impossible to get to it?" Catherine asked.
"Precisely. The further along the generation the curse extends, the harder it is for future generations to go past a certain point."
"Of course... so then... what are ya doin' here?"
"I'm here as a humble observer... although I think I came to the wrong wedding."
"Then ya're here for mine?" Catherine seethed.
"No. Wait... I never actually got your names.
"I'm Merida Dunbrough."
"And I'm Catherine McClavish, soon to be Northumberly."
Emmerit blinked quickly. "Oh dear... I must have gotten a little carried away." He smiled. "No worries. I'll just be a conscientious observer... or better yet... Excuse me for a moment." He said, starting to head back into the mansion.
"Look human!" Merida yelled.
He gave a wave and shimmered back into his human form before he walked in.
Merida looked at Catherine, who looked pensive."
"Weel... this seems nerve wracking to a high degree."
"What could he possibly want? And what does he mean by 'wrong weddin''?"
"That I'm not sure but I dinnae ken he's harmful at all. Seems he's a bit mischievous but willnae cause too much trouble. It's obvious he's a Northumberly else he wouldnae turn."
"But... as a kitsune, doesn't that mean he would be from Higgs' line?"
"He said that he was from aways into the future. People are all over the world in many places with many myths and legends. He said that as the world opens up, so does the range of the curse. Tis hard to say if he's not from another line... thought that doesnae give reason to wanting to come to this time..."
"All this talk of travelin' through time... do ya really think he is from so far in the future?"
"Ye didnae see him afore he revealed he was a kitsune. He was dressed in the oddest clothing made out of strange materials."
"If ya say so... I just hope he won't ruin my weddin'."
"He seems to be a conscientious observer and nothing more."
Catherine looked behind her friend inside the house and made a face.
"Oi, what is he doin'?"
Merida looked behind her and saw Emmerit doing a strange dance and the small orchestra was clumsily playing a song, obviously not knowing what they were doing.
"Conscientious observer, ya said?"
"That's what I thought. Come on, let's get him afore he causes problems."
Catherine rolled her eyes behind her friend as they went into the house to try and keep their friend from messing things up.
************************
Higgs was watching Emmerit Delaney with high suspicion. Something was off about this young man. The wedding and reception were closed off to 'invitation only' and he didn't remember knowing anyone fitting Emmerit's description. The music that was playing was clumsily coming along but whatever it was was enjoyable, but the man looked absolutely ridiculous flailing about like a drunken fish.
"One wedding down and one more to go." Elizabeth said, taking a drink.
"Yes. Do you happen to know that young man?"
"I am glad to say that I do not."
"Hmm... no one else seems to know who he is either."
Just then, Merida and Catherine went out to the floor and grabbed Emmerit away, apologizing to everyone. Higgs frowned.
"Looks like your maid might have an answer for you."
"I'll have to talk to her about that."
"Would you care to dance with me, Lord Northumberly?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.
"I would be delighted."
He held out his arm to her and they went to the ballroom floor, where the orchestra was playing something it knew.
**********************
"You expect me to just sit idly by and do nothing while I'm here?" Emmerit said, crossing his arms in the hallway where Merida and Catherine had pulled him.
"Aye, that's exactly what we want ya to do." Catherine growled.
"Ye're getting into trouble."
"I'm so glad technology advanced as fast as it did. This life is boring."
"Well no one asked ya to stop here with yar time travelin' business." Catherine said in a huff as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ya know what, I'm goin' to go dance with my fiancé and make the best of this July. I leave him in yar capable hands, Merida."
She walked off as Merida made a face.
"Oi, why me?" she mumbled to herself.
"You don't like hanging out with me?" Emmerit said, acting shy.
"Dinnae ye ken ye're getting off that easy. What was that in there?"
"I was just trying to have a little fun."
"Ye keep yer fun by lying low. Ye're going to raise suspicion."
Emmerit crossed his arms. "This blows. Everyone my age is pretty much grown up and getting married or whatever..."
"I'm sorry that our lives are so very different from yers. Maybe an ye had landed where ye wanted to be, ye would have more 'fun' or whatever ye were looking for."
"Well it was supposed to be around this time period..." He looked past Merida. "When did they get married?"
Merida looked behind her and saw Higgs and Elizabeth dancing. She smiled sadly.
"They arenae married..."
Emmerit seemed confused and turned around, mumbling to himself. He started pacing and then finally stopped.
"Well... it seems that I am also in the wrong place as well as wrong time."
"What?"
"Never mind..."
"Mr. Delaney... is Higgs Northumberly yer grandfather?"
"No, he isn't."
"But he is related to ye, aye?"
Emmerit seemed apprehensive. "...Yes... but... This is all wrong."
"What do ye mean it's all wrong? Ye're the one that went back in time and all; shouldnae ye ken ye own way about?"
"I'm not completely aware of how my powers work..."
"Mr. Delaney, whose future did ye come to try and change?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"I saw them. Before ye changed completely... the bruises ye were hiding."
"Oh those? Pfft, that's just a residual backlash of time travel, Ms. Dunbrough-"
"Shaped like fingers?"
Emmerit looked away. "It's not what you think."
"Ye can deny it all ye like, Mr. Delaney, but I've seen my fair share of abuse. I ken what a hand-bruise looks like on another's skin." Merida turned to leave but stopped. "Ye can do as ye like, sir, but try to keep a lower profile. When the reception is done, look for me and I'll let ye come to the mansion."
"You'll still let me stay with you?"
"Ye're a Northumberly, no matter the time or space; ye're always welcome amongst family."
She nodded and went back in to the party.
Emmerit rubbed his forearm and pulled up the sleeve. Sure enough, there was a handprint there. He smiled sadly.
"Damn, she's good..."