"I know you were listening in, Shuichi... Your scent is... strong, today..."
She told him quietly, her eyes suddenly finding her hands very interesting.
"Will you come in?" She asked in a quiet, yet hopeful voice.
Shuichi swallowed hard as she turned away from him. Her anxiety was palpable as she walked back to the kitchen. He nodded, and took tentative steps into the room behind her. He knew he should leave now, right now, before he made decisions that he still thought it was far too soon to make, but the barely untucked tail of the girl in front of him spoke volumes.
It would crush her if he walked out that door, and he knew it. No, the only way out of this was by using his words. He would just have to dissuade her, and convince the girl that this was still too soon, for her own good.
'For her own good???' A vicious snarl in his mind. 'She was attacked you sniveling whelp!! What would have become of her had the monster 'marked' her instead? Your hesitance 'will' get her killed boy... or worse!' Yoko's words echoed in the boy's head, and he grabbed onto the edge of a table to steady himself from powerful images the demon forced into his mind. Images of her lying bruised, broken... used...
He bit his tongue so hard he could taste blood to keep his own snarl from escaping his lips. It was the wrong move.
Yumiko felt the air in the room change and flinched, visibly flinched. Her tail tucked further between her legs in one swift motion, and her ears flattened back as she froze on the spot. Shuichi's energy was radiating off of his body in waves! It spoke of one emotion, and only one... rage...
Seeing the girl flinch broke Shuichi out of his thoughts at once, her fear-scent hitting his senses even as her tail tucked under. He had frightened her...Truly frightened her, all thanks to Yoko's incessant prodding. He took in a deep breath and sighed, speaking softly.
"I am not angry with you, Yumiko... merely the situation. You have no need to be frightened of me."
She had flinched at his first word, but calmed slightly, though her ears remained flat against her head, and he could see the tilt as she looked at the ground in front of her.
"Do you hate me so badly?" She asked in a voice hardly more than a whisper. The words caught him completely unprepared.
"What?" Was all he managed to say, frozen in place.
"Do you hate me so horribly... that the thought of bonding to me disgusts you so...?" Her voice quivered, and the sound of it nearly broke him. He summoned every bit of restraint he had, and remained rooted to the spot.
"I do not hate you, Yumiko... there are simply ways I would rather do this..."
"It's not like I'm asking to be your mate..." she interrupted, then flinched. He had the impression that he was not meant to hear that thought.
Still, it cut him to the bone, and he sighed anew. "A sylphan bond should be seen as something akin to a mate's bond Yumiko. In fact, it should honestly be seen as even more than such. You would be bound to me until my dying breath. You would not live to find another mate. How can you be so ready to throw your freedom away in such disregard?"
He didn't mean to scold her, but that's how it came out. Yoko was still growling inside his head, and it made the boy quite short-tempered with the situation. He had wanted to court the girl, to win her affection over time, and fulfil the requirements of the true bond only once she was truly certain she was ready...
He opened his mouth to continue, to voice this, when her energy suddenly spiked. H stifled a gasp, the pure force behind the spike much greater than he had imagined the little fox capable of! Before he knew what had happened, she whirled around to face him, seafoam eyes burning in fury.
"NO, that's what a TRUE Sylphan bond should be! I'm not talking about a true sylphan bond! I know you know the difference so why do you keep saying you want to wait... you want to wait, when it's clear that you don't want to at all?!? If you don't want my bond then just say so and I'll let it go, but I can't stand this game!! I'm scared Shuichi! I'm supposed to help the detective on his missions, how do I do that when any demon I meet could do what that monster did or worse!! And you keep-"
She couldn't take it anymore! She just wanted to stop thinking about this damn bond! She wanted the ache in her chest to stop, and the fear of never being good enough to stop! She lost control, and screeched the words at him.
Every bit of pain she had felt for the past year, ever since her first heat cycle, came scorching through her, and the scent of him so close did nothing to help it! If he would just accept a temporary bond, even that much would dull the pain! She knew how close her birthday was, how few days remained until that horrible ache returned, and knew that a chosen bond could stifle it at a single word, otherwise she would be forced to isolate, and suffer for days on end again, praying that no demon caught her scent!!
It would allow her to think clearly again, and not worry about another demon trying to steal her like that disgusting beast had! She wouldn't feel that horrible heat again until after the true bond was made, but none of that was as important as this damned fox's stupid since of moral pride!!
The words were still falling from her lips when the boy's whole body stiffened, his energy escaping in one massive wave, more powerful than anything she had ever felt! The force of it made her gasp, and she took a step back, her lashing tail falling still, and her ears going flat back once more as she caught sight of his eyes. Her core went cold as the emerald orbs were replaced by gold.
'Enough...'
She flinched and nearly fell to the floor at the weight the strange voice in her head carried. Whoever those eyes belonged to, his very presence demanded obedience, and she felt her knees give out beneath her.
_____________
Yoko had endured all he could. This fox, this incredibly brave little Sylph, was begging the boy to take her bond, to claim her as his own, to allow her to bloom and shine brightly in the sun like the rare flower she truly was, and his pathetic sense of human morality was stopping him from even hearing the true desperation in her voice.
'Enough...' He thought, and was shocked to see the little fox flinch at the thought. 'She's let us in Shuichi... See how desperate she is?'
*DON'T DO THIS YOKO!* The boy screamed inside his own head, finding himself pulled into the cage that normally housed the demon who now controlled his human form.
Yoko didn't like using the boy's body this way. It took a great deal of energy, and he did not enjoy feeling the human body encasing him so closely, the lack of ears and tail an alien feeling that rather repulsed him. He tried to twitch his ear, but it did not move. He tried to lash his tail, but it was not there. He swallowed a snarl of frustration, and hardened his resolve.
Oh, how he would love to show the girl his true form, to whisk her away into the night and find a quiet burrow for the two of them, but he already had a beloved pet... Tsume had been heavy on his mind as she had spoken. A sacred treasure promised to another, but that demon, much like the boy, had wanted to wait until the little wolf had reached her hundredth year. It had been complete chance that he had stumbled across her scent trail that day, and followed it to the mountain's peak. She had become his greatest treasure, but began as his greatest mistake.
The snarl in his chest had been enough to break through every barrier he had put between himself and the boy as he wrested control. Whether Shuichi thought he was ready or not, this little kitsune certainly was. He would not disappoint her. 'You'll thank me for this one day... Shuichi...'
*Yoko please, I beg of you... let me do this in my own way!* Yoko's eyes hardened, the whole conversation happening in a matter of seconds, and he could see the girl's eyes go wide as she watched him... As she felt the full weight of his voice in her mind.
'ENOUGH, Shuichi! If you wish to court her before completing the bond then do so, but I will not sit by and watch her suffer for your misplaced heroism. She suffers for your nonsense boy, now-'
His thoughts were cut off as he felt her energy falter. He jolted as he watched her start to fall, and smirked to himself. 'Perfect' He silenced Shuichi inside his mind, and summoned all the strength he could in order to force the body to move. He could only hope this worked.
In a matter of heartbeats, he had surged forward, scooped her into his arms, and spun them so that she would land on top of him. She blinked several times as the realization of where she was sank in, and had already began reddening as Yoko captured her lips with his, or rather... with Shuichi's.
Yumiko's eyes had fluttered shut as her legs gave way beneath her. She had expected to fall to the ground before the powerful kitsune in front of her, but instead felt strong arms lift her up a heartbeat before her knees could touch it. For a moment, the world spun, then she careened with something hard and warm that seemed to wrap itself around her.
She gasped from the impact, or at least tried to, but was cut off when a pair of lips slammed against hers! Her eyes flew open at once, and she peered into piercing golden eyes as Shuichi kissed her!
This kiss was nothing like before... It felt raw, possessive, and demanding. She melted as his eyes shifted back to green, and felt the tendrils of the bond reaching out once more. She arched into the kiss, moving her fingers to tangle in his hair as the ancient question sang in her head.
'I would give my bond to you... would you accept it as your own?'
Shuichi watched in horror as Yoko made his move, shuddering as he could feel the tendrils reaching for him. Wait... reaching for... him? Yoko snarled in his mind, then started laughing uproariously. 'Well, look at that... the tendrils ignore me completely even when I'm using your body... now do you understand, boy?'
He did. He didn't want to, but Kami curse him he did... He released a snarl of his own, and using every bit of strength and spirit energy he could muster, dragged Yoko back into the cage of his mind, taking control of his own body once more.
As soon as he emerged, he nearly choked on the heat radiating from her form. It was intoxicating, and he tightened the grip he had on her shoulder and waist to steady himself. He couldn't deny he had wanted to kiss her again, though he hadn't imaged it going like this, He was fully aware that pulling away now would devastate her, and any chances he had at being close to her.
Sighing inwardly, he relented and deepened the kiss, pleased as she tilted her chin, giving him better access. At once the tendrils of the sylphan bond began to dig into him, boring deeper and deeper as if searching for his core, but finding naught more than a human's heart. The pain was white-hot as the tendrils made their way to their target, and just when he was ready to break the kiss and scream, he heard her voice inside his head.
'I would give my bond to you... would you accept it as your own?''
Shuichi felt his chest tighten as he looked down at the firebrand kitsune in his arms. She looked up at him with such emotion. A mixture of hope, longing, fear, and pleading. How could he refuse her? He had said it himself. Should she truly ask, he would answer, and his own anxiety was nothing compared to the waves of emotion rolling off the little fox.
'I accept your bond as my own.'
_____________________
Shuichi blinked open his eyes as the warm scents of summer washed over him. To his surprise, he stood in the middle of a pristine forest clearing, towering mountains looming not far off. It was perhaps fifty meters wide, with a small stream cutting through it's center, and bordered by ash, oak and cedar. All around his feet grew vibrant wildflowers, and he bent to pick one of the crimson-gold blooms.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Said a voice, deep and as gentle as the wind that caressed the forest clearing.
Shuichi froze, then whirled around, his energy already fusing with the petal in his hand before it.... vanished?? He felt the petal disappear, and nearly fell to his knees as it did so, the presence of whoever had spoken to him far stronger than the boy had expected.
"You can't kill the dead boy, it would be a waste to try."
Shuichi looked up from the ground to find the speaker, and his heart skipped. All at once he understood. He was in the Sylphan glade! "A-are you...?"
"Yumi's father... yes."
Before him stood a tall demon with chin length cream-golden hair, black at it's tips, kitsune-like ears, and tail the same. His attire was similar in style to Yoko's preferred wares, but cream in colour, accenting his slightly sun-kissed skin perfectly. He was handsome to say the least, but his most striking feature by far, were those eyes. So similar to Yumi's own seafoam orbs, and to Shuichi's surprise they held nothing but warmth for the boy as he drew closer to examine him.
"My daughter has chosen well! There is great strength in you. Courage, wisdom, cunning, and a deeply rooted desire to protect that which is precious to you." He hummed to himself for a moment, his eyes seeming to take over every inch of the boy's body. "Not bad looking either... you'd make beautiful pups..."
Shuichi had been watching the Kitsune-Sylph closely, unsure what to expect, but flushed at his last comment. "W-what??"
The demon burst out laughing and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, his tail twitching slightly in amusement.
"I apologize, I was simply teasing! It's a tradition to tease new bonds a little. Let's us get a feel for who is trying to claim our children. That blush on your face tells me it's not even something you've considered yet, which is good! You're both still pretty young. Of course, I was already Yoko's age when I found my bond. I imagine right now she'll be trying not to drown in Yumiko's tears!"
The red-haired boy stared at the older demon in absolute awe as he rambled on. He was standing in the Sylphan glade!! A place where only bonded pairs ever got to see! Not only that but he was speaking to Yumiko's father, and even more than that he couldn't help but stare at the slightly bluish-silvery tattooed markings running along the demon's chest, the clear indicator of who he was speaking to, and he felt his knees buckle once again.
The demon made no move as Shuichi fell to his knees, but narrowed his eyes as he lifted a hand to touch the markings.
"So you recognize them... I'm not surprised, I did give Yoko quite a reason to remember my name... it must have been what... fifteen hundred years ago? Something like that... tell me then, boy... do you know my name?"
Shuichi gulped. He did know the name, and he knew exactly why the fox wished him to say it.
"Eco, or more specifically, Ecovehn. (Echo-vee-yen) The Moon's chosen flame." His voice was quiet as he spoke the name, and instinctively searched for Yoko in his mind. He gasped at the stillness as he realized the demon was not there!
"I'm sorry boy, but Yoko was not brought here. This bond is for you alone. You may share a body, but Yoko has his own bond to consider. Do not fret, he is likely in another clearing right now, speaking with another's father."
Eco told him with a gentle voice. There was a sorrow in his eyes as he spoke of the other one, and not for the first time, the image of a beautiful grey wolf-demon swam through Shuichi's mind.
He was about to ask who she was, as Yoko was careful to keep most memories of the girl locked away, when Eco cut him off.
"It's not for me to tell you, boy... By the way, this isn't the glade. You don't earn that right until you've completed the bond. But I do come bearing gifts!"
The Sylph's voice was cheerful as he extended a hand to the boy, a wide grin on his face as he continued. The kind, even friendly demeanor of the Moon's Chosen Flame thoroughly baffled the crimson-haired boy, and he watched for any signs of a trap.
All he had heard of this fox, was cruel cunning, and a thirst for blood. A warrior as old as the three kings themselves, if not older. Nearly a thousand years ago, he had disappeared and many had thought him dead, but in truth he had found a mate worthy of his bond. Not wanting to bring attention to the small village his dearest lived in, he took on the form of a simple, golden furred kitsune, and remained near the village until the time of his death.
The clearing of a throat drew the boy from his thoughts, and he realized he was still staring at the sylphan demon's hand. He gave himself a mental shake, and straightened. There was no logical reason for him to fear this man, but two to trust him. The first being that Eco was already very dead. The second was had he wanted to kill Shuichi, he could have done so by now with no more than a flick of those sun-gold claws that reached for his hand.
"Forgive my rudeness," He began, shifting to clasp the hand, and giving as firm a shake as a mortal could when in the presence of what might as well have been a deity. "I was not expecting my bond's father to be the Moon's Chosen Flame. I am very grateful for any gift you choose to bestow."
A snort came from the demon, and he shook his head before speaking.
"No reason to grovel at my feet boy! Im nothing more than a fox who happened to gain the friendship of a deity. You could well do the same one day if fate so dictates. Besides, all you need to think of me as, is the father you'll have to answer to if something happens to my girl..." He spoke not unkindly at first, but by the end there was a faint growl to the words, a clear warning within. Just as quickly as the growl, and deadly gleam had appeared in the sylphan fox however, it was gone. Replaced by the warmest smile Shuichi had ever seen.
"Now then!! The gifts! Since you've only initiated a partial bond, you'll only have a minimal access to the power of Sylphan magic, but I'll grant you a few encants to get you started. As I'm sure you know, Sylphans carry access to some of the oldest magics in existence, and we share them fully with our bonds. For now you will have access to growth, and infuse." Eco stated in a lecturing way.
"The ability to increase the size your bond's fully animal form at a moment's notice, and the ability to infuse anyone, or thing with her gifts, which for Yumiko's case would translate to fire, as you already possess the gift of forest. You have a few minutes before you must go, so I would suggest practicing them here. Before that however, there is a final gift..."
The Sylph's voice had dropped near the end, and a severe expression crossed his face. "I have discussed it with the ancients of my kind, and we believe that going against the spirit king's law is best at this juncture.. Normally, the sharing of premonitions, or any information that could change the course is prohibited, but we have weighed the risks..."
Shuichi watched curiously as the demon ran a hand through his hair, clear reluctance in his voice, and he steeled himself for whatever the sylph would say.
"Nine months from today, you will receive an invitation. I cannot tell you to what it might be, but when the time comes... you will know. The invitation will come with a time limit. it is imperative your bond be made whole before that time is up. For yours, and Yoko's sake."
_______________________
Yumiko woke to the scent of honeysuckles and dandelions. She blinked several times, trying to piece together her memories. She had just been in her apartment, hadn't she? Yes... she had been in Shuichi's arms, so why was she here?
Blinking again, she realized she recognized this clearing, oh yes... she recognized it! She knew each and every flower here, knew their scents, their personalities! Which ones stretched furthest to the sun in greedy hunger, and which ones were content with their fill. This was the clearing just north of her mother's village. 'It's... this is a dream... I need to wake up!!'
Even as the panic rose in her mind, a calming voice called from behind her, and her ears twitched immediately at the familiarity in its tones.
"Do not be afraid, little one."
Yumiko gulped hard and turned around, eyes wide and already full to bursting with tears as she stared into the most beautiful face in existence! Her mother.
"MAMA!!" She squeaked, her voice as fragile and desperate as the day Mako had first found her. She threw herself into the firebrand-kitsune's arms, sobbing as she felt her mother's embrace wrap around her for the first time in nearly eleven years.
"Oh mama, please don't let this be another dream!!" She said through the sobs.
A gentle chuckle tickled her ginger ears as a fiery tail wrapped around her waist.
"Oh my sweet kit... I've missed you so!" Suna purred as she spoke softly to her little Yumi, her only kit.
Terrible sobs wracked the near-sixteen year old girl as her mind was dragged back to that of a five year old covered in ash.
"Momma I'm sorry!!! I'm so sorry I d-didn't mean to... t-to...."
Even now she couldn't get out the words, and a wail was bubbling in her throat, escaping in a low keen as the older kitsune hugged her tighter.
"Now, now, sweet one... You have nothing to apologize for. You are not to blame for what that demon did. It was nothing you did that triggered that pulse." She spoke so softly, as though speaking any louder would shatter the kit like no more than spun sugar.
"I have never blamed you little one..." she hugged her daughter once more, then gripped her shoulders, forcing her to step back and look her in the face.
"Now, dry your tears Yumi, it's time to celebrate!!!"
[A/N:
It all begins here! The temporary bond is firmly in place, what will that mean for our little fox? This chapter was so much fun to write! Yumiko has finally found her voice, and Yoko made a bold move to force Shuichi's hand!
With her fire finally awake, what changes lie in little Yumi's future? How will Mako take the changes? Find out next time!]