Himari and I packed for the trip to the Heavenly Realm. It was utterly different in Power level and how one handled things— in essence, to ascend even temporarily could help control and process the power around you.

I looked through my bags and internally sighed; how different could it be? Moto was a bit on edge; he disliked the Heavenly Realm, foxes treated him differently, and it wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time. I grumbled; if anyone said anything about him to me, I would throttle them.

“He shall take care of himself, do not be tense.” Himari chided, “little fox, he has heard far worse in both lifetimes.”

“It does not make it okay.” I snapped, lifting my eyes to the ceiling and trying to control my temper at the thought.

Once I had the things I needed to be packed, I exhaled, “So, how long are we staying?”

“Well, we shall stay a few days here, so roughly a week there?”

“I see. Time does move differently.”

“And you shall be able to see Mother.”

I blinked, “M-mother?”

“Yes,” the small fox nodded.

“Well, now I will be nervous; how many people get to meet a God.” I managed to glance at the door just as Moto’s tall frame engulfed the empty space. “Moto, have you met Inari since being reborn?”

“Yes, but usually she comes to me.” His ear slanted down as if sheepish.

No wonder the other foxes were jealous. “Ah, well, thank you for coming with me, but if you’re not comfortable, I am sure Himari—“

“I am going.” A firm look dropped onto his face, and he glared at me; Himari made herself scarce.

“Wait. Why,” without warning, I was yanked into a warm embrace and shuddered as he breathed on my neck. “Moto, are you okay?”

“Where we are going, you will be an object of interest. He paused, “I am a bit on edge considering that there will be many who are interested in having you as a companion.”

“A-Are you…wait…Moto, are you jealous!?” I shoved him back a bit at arm’s length and was rewarded immensely by the embarrassed look he had. He wouldn’t even look at me, his eyes darting this way and that way to the floor, the ceiling, then finally locking his eyes with mine, pupils were blown out, blackening his gaze once he made eye contact.

He looked almost feral.

“Moto, hey,” I sighed and, without even thinking or considering, flopped back, yanking him with me onto the futon. “Come here, you dumb fox.” A peal of laugh and a sound of surprise from him, I managed to land with him against my shoulder, head nestled in the crook of my neck. “Just shut up and let me hug you.”

He blinked, his long lashes tickling my skin. “Takara.” His voice was rough, and I barely registered it as I nuzzled the top of his head.

“Hm?” This was great fun, he was bright red across his cheekbones, and his wild eyes were trying to process as my tail wound about his back brushing the back of his neck. Heehee, payback!

He shuddered, and I bit my lip to keep from laughing as his eyes rolled back slightly, body slumping into me finally relaxed. “That’s cheating.” He growled.

“Nah.” I kissed his forehead. “Now, what would make you feel better.” I asked.

The blush cranked up a level, and he stammered. “Y-you wouldn’t be comfortable with it…I would just want to…” his voice trailed off as he glanced up and caught the line of my neck with his gaze, “get my scent onto you.”

“Huh?” Oh right…scent was a huge part of foxes’ social structure. If we were serious about each other, eventually, no one would be able to tell where he began, and I ended— I pinked slightly. “What does that entail?”

A rumble from his chest. “Nothing too…” he swallowed, “intimate…but…” his hands traveled and cupped my throat, a claw tracing my jugular in a wicked pattern. “My little vixen.”

I realized very suddenly I lost the upper hand. He had propped himself on his forearms and hovered over me, long tendrils of hair sweeping the covers as he planted both knees on either side of my hips. I concluded I could die right then and not even complain about the final view I had. I traced my eyes across his features down his neck into the sweep of his robe that partially hung open claws digging into the floor beneath us through the down feathers and fabric, the scraping noise echoing through the room. Oh my.

A low whisper, a smirk sliding across his face, “do I make you nervous?” Leaning down, he brushed his nose to mine, pressing his forehead to my own to calm me. I could feel a hand cup my throat and thumb my pulse languidly. “Are you a curious little fox?” He leaned in, and I felt my entire body lock up as he licked where his thumb had been.

“N-no…” I hissed a breath out as his fangs dragged lazily there, feeling light lines of red appear before healing quickly.

“You should be.” He rumbled. “The majority of those idiotic pampered lapdogs would relish being where I am.” Inhaling as his nose pressed in the juncture of my shoulder. “To do what I’m doing.” Claws sunk into the wood almost violently. “And they’d consider much more than that.” Elongated fangs appeared in my peripheral vision.

“And you would know, wouldn’t you.” I countered. “What they consider much more than that.”

He didn’t even blink, a slow, broad, and fanged grin with a dark chuckle. “Hmm. Yes.”

So this is what he was like when he lets his instincts take over.

“I will not stray.” I scolded.

“I am not worried about you.” He glanced at me, blackened eyes sparkling. “It is…” he paused before engulfing me in a deep kiss. “Territorial.”

I was reminded of my response to Fija saying she would hug Moto’s tail and felt my gut tighten in rage for a moment. Oh ya…bonding…

But the fox above me seemed to be lost entirely, crooning to me in a melodic sound and nuzzling my cheek, then my hair, pressing into me like a weighted blanket and rubbing his eager palms across my pulse points. “W-what are you doing?” I giggled as he huffed, “you remind me of a cat!”

He scoffed, “I am NOT a cat.” He growled, pinning me, an evil gleam in his gaze. “Now hold still, or I’ll find the pulse point at your thigh.” Licking his lips, I finally understood what he meant.

I let out a sharp squeak and clamped my eyes shut feeling my legs grip together. “DON’T you dare!”

“Then hold still.” He commanded as he moved to nuzzle and kiss my wrists and crease in my forearm before finding the artery that ran up my arm.

“Hey!” I screamed in feminine outrage when he had struck like lightning and held my knee up against his mouth, fangs bared.

Fixing a hard emerald ringed stare at me, he grinned. “Doing this,” he muttered around my skin, “is as intimate as it can get.” Sighing, blissful, his eyes closed as he inhaled. “With the exception of a few things…”

I tried to shake the haze from my head as a dull thump of need shocked through me.

“Your scent is strongest where your life is closer to the skin.”

“W-what are you doing?” I slowly blinked as I was hypnotized by the kitsune keeping a tight grip on me as if I would bolt, claws imprinting on the flesh just at the juncture where my thigh met his palm.

“Marking you…partially…” it was a strained sound, as his tails wound about my body, slashing the air in agitation and fluffing up to create goosebumps. “Just partially…”

“But marking…fully?” I paused. Did I want to know when his vision turned into slitted pupils, and suddenly I felt like prey?

He breathed deep and exhaled to get control. “I won’t go further, little vixen.” But his gaze was sharp, almost challenging and begging at the same time, ears flattened back and fangs bared. “I’ll…” he exhaled sharply and kissed the spot behind my knee dragging his teeth along the pulse that thumped violently. “Behave.”

The last one was in my foot, and I giggled and tried not to yank my leg from him. But stopped when he glanced at my thigh and licked his lips.

“No.” I scolded.

“Fine then.” His gaze slid to my chest, where my heart was.

“No funny business.”

“I am the epitome of good graces.” Pausing to gauge my reaction, I nodded. He pounced and, with a smooth movement, kept me covered as he dragged his tongue across my heartbeat with a low growl. “I would prefer here,” a claw dragged down my sternum to where my robe blocked his attentions, skittering down across fabric to where my heart physically lay within my chest, and I pouted. “But I shall behave.”

“Yes, you will.” I huffed.

“But one day…” his mouth close to my ear, it vibrated down my body to my toes—a large hand grasping my neck ever so slightly with a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be able to sink my fangs into that pretty little neck. And there will be nowhere for you to run.”

I exhaled; that does it. With a flip, I growled and pinned him to the floor.

“For someone so open,” he rumbled, “you do have some interesting moments.”

“Clear water runs deep, old fox.”

His brow furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“It means never leap into a body of water that is clear thinking it is not able to drown you just because you see the bottom.”

He thought for a moment but was halted as I dragged my teeth against his throat. “Now STAY.”

I could hear Himari howling with laughter when he let out a choked sound.

I grinned to myself. He was blinking, the hazy look now gone and a wariness about him. “Taka, what are you…doing…” his head fell back with a low gasp.

I wouldn’t tease him too much. But I took a moment and dragged my fangs down his sternum, mimicking his claws movement before kissing just above his thumping erratic heartbeat before nuzzling it, enjoying the muscle tension and relaxation as a shudder slammed through the kitsune.

“Like so?” Glancing up, I paused; his entire being was shaking as if he were keeping a tattered hold on his control. Head back, pulse slamming through his throat; a sheen of sweat had broken out across his body from the effort to hold still. A guttural, primitive rumble emerged from his open mouth. I watched his claws scrape into the wood, shredding the comforter beneath us. Slowly his head pulled up, and he locked eyes with me.

“Run little vixen.” Moto growled.

I bolted off of him and ran for the safety of the kitchen, leaving him in a pile of fox jello.

Hiding behind a confused Gaelan and Fauna, I could hear Himari at the bedroom door, “sooooooo Motoyuki… How’d that go for ya…” A low, deep agonizing growling sound came from the room, making the small fox chatter with laughter. “Poor kitsune.”

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

The Torii gates were quite beautiful as always, but the walk was long; eventually, Moto had tucked me onto his back and carried me the rest of the way. “Here we are.” Himari said with glee. “WELCOME!” She cried, shoving me forward once Moto set me down.

Blinding light slashed across my vision before a mist enveloped me; I could smell cherry blossoms, feel sunshine on my flesh, and smell the ripeness of rice stalks.

The fields that swept before me were endless, tucked with little boughs of trees or a building here or there, waterfalls fell from clouds, dripping crystalline blue liquid into pools where animals gathered. The pink pearls that danced along the fields were beautiful, as dozens of kitsune gathered around the Torii entrance.

“WELCOME, YOUNG ONE!” The foxes all cried.

Blinking, I stepped back into Moto and felt his arms circle my waist. Sighing, I touched his hand, grateful.

“Do not fear,” he murmured into my ear, “I am with you.”

But as that comforting word came, we walked, and the murmurs began.

“It’s the field fox.” Some muttered.

“Ugh, it smells wild.”

“Why is it here with the new Zenko?” Others hissed.

Motoyuki merely kept an iron grip about my waist.

By the time we got to the end of the path, I had enough. Stepping away and in front of Moto, I faced them. I had tried to keep my tone calm. But the stares of disgust caused a switch to flip inside me as I felt the Fox slide to the surface. Power swarming into my vision, I exhaled as fangs elongated and claws extended, planting my feet firmly in a defensive stance in front of the one I cared for. I was not weak anymore. I was a thing of nature who felt the urge to smite anyone who stood before me.

“Oh boy, now you’ve done it.” Himari chuckled, “you shouldn’t make her angry.”

My voice vibrated in a multi-ply of tones. “If you do not speak kindly of him, I will RIP out your throats!” The echoing, snarling voice couldn’t have been mine…could it?

Moto’s gaze was wide, staring at me with what looked like pride and disbelief…and his eyes gleamed as if he held back tears. “Taka.” He whispered, placing a hand over my gaze to block out the kitsune before me. “Shasen, Shasen om il suresa.” and after within my mind, [[calm…calm yourself my shield.]]

The others had backed up a considerable amount, muttering apologies. I blinked and sighed.

“Such a beautiful display of power.” A voice thumping with vibrant sounds of spring echoed across space.

“Goddess!” The word rippled through the entire congregation as we looked towards the path that led deeper into the realm. She was flanked by Kitsune, Yuna, and a male I did not recognize. Flowers in her hair and a deep red and gold kimono trailing behind her. Behind her fan, she glared in disappointment at the other foxes before lovingly glancing at me.

“Mother…” the whisper was from Himari as she bowed.

I followed suit, as did Moto.

“Come, my kit.” She opened her arms to me. “We have much to discuss.”