Facing the Storm

by Wilson, Yumoyori

  I finished washing my face and even applied a bit of makeup, something I hadn't done in quite some time. My self-care, in general, hadn't been really good, and it was only thanks to Aki and occasionally my dad that I was somewhat presentable during my time here.

  Once finished, I went to the dresser to find something decent to wear, quickly slipping on a matching lingerie set in a nice caramel shade.

  I was in a good mood, especially after my talk with Aki. I wanted to feel more confident today, and I decided to wear an outfit I'd usually wear.

  After a long time of staring at my favorite jean shorts, I decided to be bold and wear them. Urufu and Mizu were staring at me happily, looking pleased with my choice of clothing. I slid the shorts on, ignoring the white bandages that poked out from the dark denim material.

  I picked out one of my white short-sleeved shirts, sliding it on before I walked over to take a look in the mirror. With a deep breath I nodded to myself, my eyes stalled on the bandages that reached just above my knee.

  Maybe I shouldn't wear shorts? It doesn't look nice, right? Shorts and bandages. Ya...someone might ask what happened to me. Not like I'm going outside though...

  My Kitsune tilted her head in confusion, moving up to the edge of the surface which caused my white ears and multiple tails to come out. Normally I had three with an occasional fourth, but now there were six which freaked me out a bit.

  Dear Kitsune of mine. Did you do that on purpose?

  She rolled around happily, and I could envision her playful behavior and pride-filled pink eyes.

  Guess I can't chicken out...

  "Woof!"

  "Woofa!"

  I looked down at my familiars who were now standing next to my feet and gazing up at me with joy. I crouched down to pet the both of them and they snuggled into my embrace when I gave them a hug.

  "You guys somehow get me," I whispered, and they barked in approval.

  "Crim?"

  I glanced over my shoulder at Aki who was out of the washroom in his boxers. I rose to my feet, Mizu and Uru taking the opportunity to run past Aki to play in the washroom.

  His green eyes scanned my outfit and I blushed, turning around to move back to the dresser. "I wanted to wear shorts today, but I think it looks weird with the bandages and all, and I guess I should change because it looks weird and the guys would think I have no fashion sense and criticize me and I could just be rambling a bunch of excuses, so I don't go out like this and freak out even though I don't plan to go outside in this."

  I didn't wait for Aki to reply, reaching to pull out the middle drawer to find something else, but I felt his presence behind me and he ever so gently pulled me into his arms.

  "Aki?"

  "Sorry. I would have asked, but my Kitsune wouldn't let me stall," he admitted with a low voice that sent tingles of anticipation through me. I paused in my quest of finding a different outfit to turn and face him, pressing my hands against his bare chest as I stared into his eyes that were filled with admiration and pride; those green orbs shifted to an amber color.

  My Kitsune was intrigued then, and if it weren’t for the little resistance I had, she would have burst through the surface to meet the kitsune who I knew was staring down at us.

  "You are a jewel. A precious item that one should polish and cherish. Wounds heal. They don't tarnish the beauty within your soul."

  The wise set of words gave me encouragement, and I slowly nodded my head in understanding. "Arigato Gozaimashita," I whispered.

  Aki's eyes reverted to their forest green color and he sighed. "He always interferes when I want to make myself look cool," he mumbled, which made me actually giggle. My Kitsune jumped around in my mind, feeling just as happy for getting Aki's Kitsune's attention.

  "Does your Kitsune have his own personality?" I asked.

  "Something like that. He likes to sleep most of the time, but he has a liking for you and a crush on your Kitsune it seems. Now he's growling at me for telling you." Aki shrugged looking unbothered while I blushed; my Kitsune stalled mid-movement to gawk at his words. She ran to the corner and curled up shyly as if Aki's Kitsune could see her which made me smile.

  "My Kitsune is trying to hide because she's shy but happy that your Kitsune likes her."

  My words made my Kitsune growl and she snuggled in the corner again, purposely ignoring me.

  "Ya, kitsunes get shy when they're honest," Aki whispered and pulled me into a hug. I rested my head against his chest, closing my eyes to listen to his heartbeat.

  "Don't change out of your outfit. You look beautiful as always."

  "But what if the others don't like it?"

  "They'll love it, Crim."

  "Even with the bandages?"

  "Even with the bandages," he confirmed. I lifted my head up to look up at him and he claimed my lips, kissing me passionately like how things used to be. He broke the kiss and gave me another peck on the lips before he ran his fingers through my hair.

  "Hmm. I wonder if your hair has something to do with your ears and tails popping out randomly."

  "I have more tails this time too." I slightly turned my body for him to see the increased number of tails. Aki arched an eyebrow at me before he headed towards the nightstand next to his side of the bed.

  He opened up the top drawer, retrieving a thick white silk ribbon with pink incantations on it. "Let's try this."

  "Is that like the ribbon you have in your hair?" I inquired, noticing the similarities.

  "Yes. There's a strong kitsune elder who lives near the palace who designs these for kitsune shifters. It's made so stronger shifters like us don't need to worry about our ears and tails randomly popping out during our everyday life."

  He walked back to where I stood, moving to stand behind me. "I'm going to be right behind here for a moment, Crim. You can see me through the mirror, right?"

  I side glanced to the standing mirror on my left and nodded. "Yes. I can see you." I realized he was making sure I didn't panic. "You can do what you need to do. I'm okay."

  He nodded, looking pleased before he began to gather my long silver and black locks. I watched him gather them into a ponytail before he began to tie the bundle of strands with the white ribbon.

  "I informed her the shifter I was getting this for could potentially be a nine tails kitsune. She added a large boost to compensate your energy levels for when you get stronger. If you really need your ears and tails, the ribbon and the incantations will activate, allowing you to do what needs to be done whether it's protecting yourself or fighting in combat," Aki explained.

  He finished up and moved around to face me, gesturing for me to check the mirror. I smiled brightly at the new hairpiece that was tied in a similar style as Aki's but gave off a feminine appearance. If bows could look male or female, this ribbon was killing the game in the girl department.

  My Kitsune was also pleased, giving up on her hiding efforts to come close to the surface. I noticed my ears and tails had disappeared, and even though my Kitsune was very close to the barrier that held her in, I still appeared the same as I normally did.

  "It worked!" I announced, and Aki chuckled.

  "It suits you," he whispered, placing the loose strand that hung on the left side of my face behind my ear.

  I took a step forward, wrapped my arms around his waist, and leaned up on my tiptoes to kiss him. He looked shocked by my move, but his eyes closed and he kissed me right back. I hoped the bittersweet kiss showed just how much I cared about him.

  "I love you so much."

  "I know, Crim," he murmured against my lips.

  "Will you teach me how to use my Kitsune powers? I don't know what they are, but I'd like to be able to harvest them. Especially if we're planning to get the final crystal."

  He nodded. "Once we get your combat and magic usage down, we'll work on your Kitsune powers and see how lethal you are."

  "Me? Lethal?" I huffed, rolling my eyes. "I doubt it."

  "You are underestimatin
g what a nine tails kitsune can do, love," he pointed out with a wide grin.

  "A nine tails kitsune is that powerful? I never heard much about them," I admitted.

  "We'll teach you. Myself, Yoshi, and Quil all have a good amount of knowledge on kitsunes. We'll have to do more research as well to help you out. "

  "You'll research more for me?"

  "You didn't think we would? We have to make sure we're knowledgeable about the woman we love and protect." He kissed my nose and moved back to the dresser to pull open his drawer and retrieve some clothes.

  "Protect, huh? Aren't you guys going to have to find someone new to protect? I mean like someone who was at the level of Storm's status and needed such protection?" I inquired.

  Aki slipped on a pair of black sweats and grabbed a red t-shirt. "Nope."

  "Nope?" I repeated.

  "We already agreed that we're protecting you from now on."

  Nani? Protect...me?

  "Why me? Once we regain the last crystal, don't I have to return the pocket watch and be on my way?" I clarified.

  "No. Its magic responded to you. It has chosen you as its owner."

  I gawked at him while his words sunk in. My Kitsune was running around happily, seemingly pleased with the rather shocking news.

  "Chose me? Even though it was by accident?" I questioned.

  Aki slipped his shirt on and walked over to me. Once he faced me, a smirk formed on his lips.

  "Everything has a meaning in this world. Fateful encounters like these aren't an accident. Some may think it's stupid or impossible and can think that something scientific happened that leads to someone being at a certain place and particular time, but the ancestors that watch us from above decide when someone or people enter our lives. I don't think us meeting you was an accident."

  He reached for my hand, slipped his in mine, and squeezed it gently. "I don't want it to be one, anyway."

  A sweet smile formed on my lips as Urufu and Mizu began to run around us. "I'm glad it wasn't," I whispered.

  With those words we headed to the door, letting my familiars out to run downstairs. "Aki, do you think we'll be able to take down N.R.O as we are right now?"

  "As in at the power level we're at now? Not yet," Aki admitted. "But that's why we're going to plan out what we have to do to get stronger. But first, I think we need a type of break. A mini vacation for all of us."

  I thought about it for a moment. "I think that's a good plan."

  A mini vacation with all the guys. Maybe I'll ask Hakua to come along?

  "Hakua said she booked the resort for us," I announced, hanging up my phone and looking around my men who appeared a bit shocked by my words.

  "You just called her ten minutes ago," Malachi pointed out.

  "There's no way she was able to book Onimatsu Resort. It's booked for the rest of the season," Quil added.

  "Not to mention only celebrities or people in power can get a booking," Itsuki revealed.

  "Check the reservation again. They sent a confirmation email?" Yoshi questioned.

  I looked at my phone and Haru got out of his seat to sit next to me, peering over my phone as I opened my email to retrieve the details of our booking.

  "Onimatsu Resort, 12PM check in at Villa A, VIP resort. The entire section is reserved for Ms. Jiyuna and her company for the three-day stay. Special permission granted by Hotaka Jiyuna..." I trailed off, realizing my dad had granted our request.

  "My father," I stated out loud.

  "That explains it," Aki said with a wide smile.

  "How did he even know?" I questioned, feeling grateful to him for continuing to show his support in unexpected ways.

  "You changed your last name, right?" Haru asked.

  "I did," I replied with a nod for extra emphasis. "What does that have to do with anything?"

  "Jiyuna is really well known for his acts across Japan and across the nations. Onimatsu is owned by a Japanese American couple; the wife is Japanese, and the husband is Caucasian. They travel back and forth between our country and America and normally assist with political matters; they also know many of the fighters and defenders from our country. They must know your father well and heard of the recent Council change and appointing of your mother," Haru explained.

  "Not to mention, Crimson got major recognition for it," Malachi added.

  "Recognition? Who got recognition? Me?!" I asked feeling a little stunned.

  Malachi looked at Aki. "You forgot to tell her, didn't you?" He sighed. "See, Yoshi? I told you he'd forget."

  Yoshi blushed and sighed as well. "I had hoped this time would be different."

  "I didn't forget!" Aki countered, his cheeks growing red as he innocently scratched his head. "See, what happened was every time I did remember, it would slip my mind just as fast."

  "He was too happy spending all his time with Crimson that the mere thought escaped his mind like a butterfly being distracted by the sun," Itsuki mumbled, shaking his head.

  "Agreed." Haru chuckled and Aki groaned.

  "It slipped my mind. I didn't forget."

  "That's the same thing," Malachi countered. I smirked, watching them bicker before they got back on topic; Haru took the lead to explain.

  "You were awarded an award for Bravery and Ambition for Peaceful Lifestyle. You weren't there for it because you were recovering so your dad accepted the award on your behalf. He made sure that everyone that was present knew of your existence and that you were truly his daughter. He gave a speech about how proud he was of you and it received a standing ovation in the end."

  I just stared at them with my mouth open, rendered speechless by their words as I tried to hold back my tears. "He...told everyone about me? I'm not anyone important though. Isn't he...I don't know, ashamed that he had a daughter who was human most of her life?"

  It wasn't like I wanted to be negative, but I'd been looked down upon and tossed to the side my entire life. To suddenly and quickly find out who my real father was and have him present me as if he'd raised me single-handedly boggled my mind, and the sheer mention of him being proud of me left a fluttering happiness within me.

  "Crimson," Yoshi whispered, walking up to where Haru and I sat. He lowered to sit on the other side of the sofa and smiled.

  "You deserve to be praised for everything you did. You had no obligation to follow us on that mission. We could have left you behind and searched for the crystals ourselves. However, you joined us and thanks to your presence, we located the next crystal and revealed a traitor who'd been spying on us for years. Many people have tried to bring Erica down and show her true colors, but she was a rat that never got caught. You also helped us find the truth about Storm, and that is what's going to help us finish N.R.O once and for all. It's a big role that with the way everyone had treated you since birth, was something you didn't have to be a part of. That in itself has shown bravery and proven that there are many things that need to be changed and improved upon for Homatomashi to be a better place."

  I looked at the others who also had prideful expression on their faces as they nodded in agreement.

  "You earned that right, Hottie. Now you get to be treated the way you should have been treated from the beginning. You'll see a big change now that you’re legally a Jiyuna and people see the truth about the countless lies that were fed to them for years," Malachi declared.

  "That includes getting into resorts and other places with ease due to your status," Itsuki added.

  "Is it unfair?" I asked. "We're getting access over celebrities who'd pay top dollar to get in."

  Aki shook his head. "Onimatsu is a resort where 100% of their proceeds go to stop injustice and sex trafficking."

  My jaw dropped at his words. "Really?"

  Haru nodded and reached out to hold my right hand that wasn't holding my phone. "Not many people know about it. We only found out about it a few years ago when Aki discovered it. They've helped save thousands of shifters and have dismissed numerous legal cases where the vi
ctim was blamed wrongfully. We've been there a few times."

  "That's amazing," I whispered.

  "Their Villas are huge! Wait...WE GOT A WHOLE VILLA?!" Malachi shouted.

  My eyes returned to the email and I looked at it again. "Yup. Villa A. Why?"

  "A Villa is basically like having an entire resort to yourself. It has everything! It has its own set of hot springs, spa, restaurants. Think of it as an island sectioned off for specific guests," Itsuki elaborated.

  "It's that big?!" I exclaimed.

  The others nodded, exchanging glances. "This looks like it's going to be a nice mini vacation," Aki declared.

  "Hakua can come, right?" I asked.

  "Sure! As long as she doesn't force me to deal with children again," Malachi whined.

  "You're still salty over not having alone time with Crim." Aki winked.

  "Don't remind me of my failures." Malachi groaned dramatically, making us all laugh. We relaxed for a few moments as we finalized our plans, deciding we'd head to the resort early tomorrow morning.

  We then focused the more important matters.

  "Do we have any news about what's going on with N.R.O at this point?" Aki asked, his gaze landing on Yoshi who sighed.

  "Father has sent a few private agents to try to figure out what their next plans will be. Right now, they're at a huge disadvantage with wanting the crystals and pocket watch. They do, however, have the last one and they'll guard it with their lives."

  "Or they'll come after Crimson to steal the watch and crystals," Itsuki pointed out.

  "Or simply kidnap her, " Haru grumbled.

  The others looked displeased about that and I closed my eyes. In seconds, the pocket watch was in my hand, which resulted in a few gasps as I opened my eyes to see their shock.

  "Did Crimson just summon the pocket watch that I swear Aki put away in the drawer last night?" Malachi asked, seeming a bit freaked out.

  I rolled my eyes. "I'm right here, and yes I did. I had a dream about it a few days ago."

  They all gave me confused looks.

  "You had a dream about how to summon the pocket watch when you're not wearing it?" Quil clarified.