The evening stretched on into the witching hour; midnight was supposed to be a time when the veil was thinnest-- or, so I had seen on every witchy show that ever aired on tv. I was lounging on the back porch that overlooked the ocean, watching the ever-present moon reflect off the black surface. The chilled sake was delicious. And I swished a mouthful around before gulping in satisfaction.

Like I had said before, I was what you'd call an Otaku. My main field of interest was in Manga and Anime that specifically dealt with what's called Isekai.

....which is what happened to me...

I slapped a hand to my face. Thank you, Creator. I know I didn't get Truck-Kun'd into the new life I have now. That in and of itself is a blessing. But how did I die?

"Do you really want to know?" A voice whispered in my ear.

I stifled the snarl of annoyance at the Dragon. "Ryujin!"

They smiled, a look of concern across the exquisite face. With a relaxed hand, they felt my forehead.

"If you would like, I could tell you." But their eyes held a deep sadness.

"I- I had a vague idea..." I said softly.

Nodding, Ryujin sat down next to me, and I poured him a small cup of sake. "Moto is out hunting, something about needing to prep for breakfast. I just think he's on edge."

"Hm?"

"Oh yes," Ryujin reached a clawed hand and tapped the jade pendant hanging low and resting on my sternum. "I thought he didn't have the heart to make something so beautiful anymore."

"He was reincarnated?" I took a few more sips of sake and reached for some toasted nori.

"This is good," Ryujin said, nibbling on the snack. "But yes, he was reincarnated-- and I found him in my oceans, we fought."

I blinked and looked the Dragon up and down. "W-who won?"

Ryujin had a look of infuriating bemusement. "It was a tie. Damn fox."

At this, I busted up laughing, "oh my goodness, Ryujin, you poor dear." I pat his hand, and he brushed me off with a sigh.

"It is fine; he was and is a worthy opponent. He is far tamer at your side than I have ever seen him. We went to one of my local villages on the shore and drank till we couldn't see straight-- which took quite a lot of sake...we may have drunk them dry."

Immortals I shook my head.

"But back... to you." Ryujin said, smiling, "would you like to know?"

"I would, but how?"

"I could show you. And don't worry, there won't be any pain to it. It's just a memory." They said with a nod.

"Hmm... Fine. Let's do it." I rubbed the crumbs off my hands and shook myself a bit firmly.

"Alright, come here." He pat the space where he sat between his legs and when I paused, he gave me an annoying air of an exhaling groan. "Relax, I am ancient; you are nothing."

"Gee, thanks. Don't need to be too gentle about it." I moved till we sat, myself cross-legged with his palm over my eyes.

"Very well. Remember-- it is only a dream...Taka..."

The world warped behind that hand. And suddenly, I was watching as if I were an outsider, images flashing faster than I could count, rewinding mindlessly through my own memories, till I caught a glimpse of opening my eyes to the new world I now resided in.

And then--

Red.

It was everywhere, and I glanced at my hands, seeing the sticky substance splattered across my body. Hands reached out, a hissing voice and cruel bruising fingertips.

It is only a dream, it's only a dream. It's only a DREAM. I repeated the mantra, desperate as the fingers gripped my throat and strangled me. "You did this, this is ALL YOUR FAULT. Why didn't you just KEEP QUIET."

I caught a glimpse of a limp form lying in a red spattered doorway, reaching ever so slowly for a glowing brick in front of her as the assailant raised their arm once more for the final blow. Oblivious to the victims outreached hand trying to call for help. The scream of sirens.

Pages fluttered past me.

The wallpaper moved with vile creatures inching their way forward. The assailant paused, and looked straight at me. A leer curling upon its inhuman face. "There you are...dear heart."

A preternatural scream echoed from my soul. NO!!!!!! STAY AWAY!!!!! Covering my eyes I felt everything jerk sideways.

The vision cracked around me, fire exploding from my body in a torrent of rage.

I gasped; I was no longer in my body. I was hovering outside, watching my form slump limply into Ryujin's grasp, who frantically shook me and tried putting out the fox fire to no avail.

But I was fading. Even when the others raced over to see what had happened, Gaelan was frowning and saying something to the girls in Nisse. They began to gather blankets and other items he listed off.

Moto was back. And with one look at my limp form, I could see the reason the Dragon had stated he was a worthy adversary. I clutched my chest to stop the ache that I knew wasn't there.

How was I going to get back? I wasn't dead, that much was certain-- but I certainly wasn't present. Talk about Dissociation.

"Her heart is still beating," Ryujin said firmly, gripping the field fox by the shoulder roughly to hold him off.

Moto cursed and was racking his brain to think as quickly as possible. "She might be with Yuna." Waved the fox-fire away before shoving Ryujin aside and scooping me up.

"Little sister, come to me." A voice called. "You poor thing, come follow my voice now."

Ever so slowly, I faded. I was somewhere new-- a glowing nightshade of neon and bright orbs, a shining luminous blue path among the garden of beauty.

"W-where am I?"

A feminine voice reached out to me, "my word-- little sister, what are you doing in the memory pool?"

A white-haired fox stood before me in a flower-patterned kimono mottled with greens and blacks. "I am Yuna; it appears your soul has detached for a moment." She tskd me and waved her hand, "come, come, follow me."

I had no choice, and so I floated after her as we began to move through the place. "The next time you wish to see, come to me. Not a Dragon." With a smile, she moved aside and let me by. "Here we are." She said, pulling me to a large round pool of water. "And back in you go."

"But wait who are--"

"In good time my dear, come visit me." I was falling with a shove of power. And within moments landed in my body with a jerk of electricity and foxfire.

My eyes snapped open to see Gaelan cradling me, pressing healing magic to my forehead. "Gaelan?" He startled and looked down at me.

"Thank goodness," he pressed his forehead to mine in a brotherly gesture as Fauna and Freya swarmed me with hugs piling on top of myself and the Sentinal.

Moto was sitting opposite the house of Ryujin. Both smoking and both looking enraged.

I blinked a bit, "Gaelan?" We were upstairs, the windows flung open, warm blankets surrounding me, and magic hovering over my heart, helping it beat. The magic winked out, and Gaelan looked a bit tired. What on earth happened while I was out?

"They had a fight." Freya replied for him, "and they may have wrecked the mountainside. But... Neither of them won." They both looked torn to shreds, blood drying on their clothing and claws scratched across their arms and legs, a large bite mark stained Ryujin's robe across his throat, the scales cracked and a bandage stained red.

He rubbed the affronted appending and glared at Moto, "damn fox BIT me."

Motoyuki bared his fangs and growled.

Freya continued. "So Fauna told them to sit and wait till you got back. If you hadn't come back soon, they were going after you. Lord Moto was very angry..." this last part was whispered.

Moto had heard her and slanted an ear and speared us all with a glare. Oooh. I am in trouble.

"Where was I?"

Moto replied with clipped words and fangs, "you were in the pool of memory."

"And that fox." I sat up and rubbed my head.

"Yuna, the Holder of Memory for Kitsune. Something that should NEVER have been touched by a Dragon!!"

"How was I supposed to know the Fox clan had a separate way," Ryujin snapped.

"Everyone OUT." Moto snarled.

I almost protested, but he was towering over us now, his full height straightened as normally he slouched to make himself look less imposing. But at maximum size and what looked like unadulterated rage and ire, he was every bit the legend of the angered Kitsune.

Everyone did as told.

I pulled the covers up over my head to hide, feeling my tail tuck around me.

Peeking from under the covers, he seemed to be struggling internally. A look of rage riddled with a stark blush across his face as he looked down at me. "D-Don't try to be cute right now, Takara Tsukamotsu!"

I made my pupils expand and wiggled my tail at him from under the blanket.

Gritting his teeth, he clapped a hand over his face and scrubbed with a snarl looking at the ceiling. "What were you thinking!!" He finally exploded after a moment.

I jumped in my own skin. "I-I just wanted to see--"

"How you died?" He asked, and within moments he was on his knees in front of me, giving me a shake, "if you had landed anywhere else!" He hissed, "anywhere but the pool of memory! If you had seen more than intended. Taka, there is a reason Yuna is the only one allowed to show memories; we can get sucked into them, as Kitsune we are in-between beings; we are irrational when it comes to our instincts, if you had not fallen out, you could have damaged your soul!" He was a bit frantic now, desperate to communicate with me this vital information. He clutched my face, in-between his palms keeping our foreheads pressed together. His voice low and urgent.

"I-I didn't know..." I had relived my death. The blanket fell backward to the floor as a large hand cupped the back of my head. Tapered fingers tangled into my hair, forcing me to look at him as his arm dragged me by the waist closer, pressing us together and drawing his nose across mine in a gesture of tenderness.

"Don't ever do that again; you scared me to death, Taka. I couldn't sense you. You vanished." D-did I hear tears?

I blinked as I was clutched into a tight embrace, fox tails surrounding me and winding one of them with my own as he rubbed his nose into my cheek, his entire body shaking from emotion.

I had never seen this from someone-- not towards me...sure, on movies, in manga and anime, the hero becoming worried and distraught over the lead...

But never me...

No one had ever cared...and in a flash the picture played out again, on a loop behind my eyes.

"I'm s-sorry!" Like a child, the dam broke, and I wept. "There was so much..."

"I know," a murmur into my hair, "Ryujin showed me the small amount he had caught..."

I flinched, "I-it wasn't that vivid..." I whispered. But deep down, I knew what had happened. The Monster had finally rid himself of the daughter that brought him so much shame. As if he himself were not the cause of it. Sobbing, I tried to catch my breath, "they didn't want me! Why didn't they just let me go? I didn't want to be there!"

I knew the words didn't truly make sense; Ryujin had only seen a flash of what I had witnessed. But the blood-- there had been so much red..." I just wanted to be happy!" I now clung to my companion, fingers digging into his robes.

When finally exhausted, I hiccuped and tried to pull away but was kept still, "J-just...let me hold you... please." It was muttered into my neck, deep inhale, and shudder. "My little vixen."

The words melted into me; wrapped in it was a sense of belonging and care. "Okay..." I wound my arms around his neck and rubbed my face into Moto's skin feeling warmth seep into the freezing block that was my body.

"I know that this is difficult for you." He muttered, tone laced with understanding and patience. "Just know that I care for you. We never have to be alone again."

We? I blinked back tears and clutched him tighter, giving him a nuzzle against his dampened cheek, "No we don't."

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Moto was acting out of instinct. I had been warned of such a reaction by Gaelen as he came to check on me. Apparently Sentinal and Kitsune, Fey and Elves were similar in some facts. They were connected deeper to nature than others. And that sometimes bled into response and reasoning.

I wasn't allowed to set a foot down as Gaelan carried me wherever I wanted to go; dinner was made by Fauna, who had worked her magic on the seafood that we had caught, the lobster being my favorite as I had never had it in my past life. I was a bit of a glutton. Happily munching, I realized that I was sitting between Moto's knees, leaned back against him, wrapped up in fox fur and an iron banded arm. I chewed and glanced up at him resting his chin on the top of my head, I held out some lobster to him, "say ahh."

I almost thought he wouldn't but he happily ate what I gave him with his free hand after I held out a bowl. He snarled at Ryujin when they had walked over and pat my head and apologized.

"Moto!" I snapped; it dulled to a low rumble in the back of his throat.

"I get it," Ryujin glared, he pointed at his bandaged neck, "did you have to use your teeth?"

The arm tightened around me, and Moto's ears flattened back. "Yes."

"Be nice," I said firmly, "both of you need to make up; it was an accident, no one is going to go trying it again."

Both immortals grumbled. Ryujin sitting down next to us and leaning on Moto. The fox stifled his instincts and sighed, "Don't let it happen again."

"I have no plans on ever looking into a Kitsune's memory ever again." The Dragon assured us all.

----------------------------------------------

I wasn't allowed to be alone; not that it bothered me at all. I didn't really want to be alone anymore.

But there was another reason for it. Moto had explained that sometimes the soul could be listless and detach after being flung out of the body. It caused several symptoms that even Gaelan knew about, a couple of them being dizziness and fainting. Bathing was done under Freya and Fauna's watchful eye.

"I am sorry I frightened you." I whispered as they dunked my head into the warm water.

Fauna sighed, [[my lady, you truly frightened Lord Motoyuki. I had never seen a response such as that.]]

"What exactly happened?"

Freya looked at her sister who shrugged. "Very well." She pulled a small mirror from the table, and touched the glass, "look."

Before me, on the surface of the mirror, two immortals were locked in battle. I blinked, shocked, Ryujin was in dragon form, full size and plowing into the mountainside like a terrifying serpent.

I watched in abject horror as Moto had scaled the length of the serpent being and plunged a short dagger into the scales. Foxfire exploding down through the metal; the Dragon had screeched and warped back into a semi-human form before the Kitsune latched onto their throat with a savage roar tearing scales and flesh away.

"I-I don't need to see anymore!" I looked away, but I couldn't help but feel a thrill at the little voice in my head. He did that for you, stupid.

"He stopped when he had heard something, we didn't hear anything, but he calmed down. And said that you were on your way back."

"That must have been Yuna-- thank the gods." I shuddered for a moment but couldn't help but recall the look of wild Kitsune standing on the mountainside facing down an ancient being with nothing but a short sword, fangs, and fire.

I had to admit, if you were into that catalyst of destruction but treats you like their little princess bordering on villain character...I mean...not that I was...into...long hair floating on an updraft of flames and hell-spawn fury...over...me...

Was I...?...crap...

I gulped and shook my head trying to think. Moto's docile nature with me had made me forget; he was a field fox, a wild kitsune with no tie to anyone. And yet, here he was cooking, cleaning, and caring for me. But that mirror had shown me a wild, crazed eyed creature of the dark.

Why wasn't I afraid? I sat back in the tub to think long and hard. Moto and I had only known each other now for several weeks. But in reality, it was as if I had known him far longer. We just fit, our temperaments, the way we both had a sense of humor, and patience. That was something I admired of him. He was always willing to wait patiently in all facets of his life should he need to. Of course having been living for fifteen hundred years and napping for on hundred of them, I supposed Kitsune might be patient after a while knowing they would probably outlast whatever kept them waiting.

Would time eventually become so irrelevant to me?

But back to the matter at hand. The Fox. He said he liked me. It was odd getting a confession so soon, and I pondered if that was just the way of things-- but I was not in an anime or manga, that wasn't how things worked.

On the other hand, having lived so long, it would be safe to say Motoyuki would be honest and up front rather than coy and hiding behind the scenes. Straight forward was another thing that I liked about him so much.

But how did I feel? THAT was the question. In my past life it wasn't that I didn't ever have feelings for other people, but being so bent on survival it sort of takes over your entire life and thought process that there isn't room for anything else. I had finally slowed down, but...was I really slowing down? I tried to think back on the pastime I had spent here.

But pieces were blurred, almost as if I hadn't really been there and someone else had. I sighed as I sank deeper into the water. This, as I had learned in my psychology classes at school was classic trauma response. Not that mental health was a thing in this world-- I made a promise to myself to make it a thing-- but I was going to have to talk to someone about all of this at some point.

But that would have to wait for later.

I dried myself, bundling up in a warm robe. Still drying my hair I stepped out of the bathing room and headed upstairs to find Moto lounging with a scroll across the multitude of pillows and futons separated for my personal space but close enough for him to wrap me in his tails if I wanted. He glanced up, bored and seemingly over the entire fiasco that early evening had brought. "Hello little vixen."

I blinked and felt my face poof into pink.

Moto caught the look. "What?" He asked, leaning on his elbow, long hair sliding across his shoulders and to the floor.

"S-so you really can take on a Dragon."

His brow furrowed, and then a grin lit up his face, "ah did you see what happened." A laugh and not without pride. "Well he did deserve it."

I was walking towards him sighing, and toweling my hair, but once I sat down on the opposite futon, he set to drying my hair by warming the air with foxfire. "Thank you." I was worried I would burn my hair trying that.

"Of course..." a pause, "I hope it didn't frighten you." He said.

"Not at all." I replied, fluffing my now dry hair, but I felt my fingers brush across my neck and shuddered for a moment remembering fangs burying into scales.

I wonder what it'd be-- I felt my claw extend and press slightly into the flesh near my collar bone.

WHOA TAKA I blinked and rapidly shook my head. Nope nope nope nope NOPE. BAD Taka!

I squeaked as a large hand slid across my neck and jaw. A murmur in my ear, as nuzzling past my heavy hair drew hot puffs of breath across my skin. "I would be far gentler with you and your pretty neck Taka." The wild scent of forest and earth caressed my senses before a glide of fangs across the juncture of my neck and shoulder followed by a soft lick; "you really must stop being so easy to read... it's far too cute. I am only a man after all..."

And... he was gone with a gust of wind.

I glanced around frantically, fanning myself.

Holy crap! This fox was gonna KILL me. You don't just get all sexy like that with a wallflower!!! My heart can't take that!!

Sleep did not come easily. I tossed and turned with dreams that made no sense, and yet were not entirely unwelcome: warmth, fox fire riddled my sleep.

I squirmed when I felt a warm hand on my forehead, "shhh, little vixen. We have forever, after all." A kiss on my cheek and a soft laugh.

Stupid patient fox. I thought, disgruntled in my dream.

But I settled into the warmth of my own tail and sighed; he was right, we did have forever.