Facing the Storm

by Wilson, Yumoyori

  "We're aware," Aki replied. Only a few people in all of Homatomashi knew Aki was a Nine Tail. It was one of the reasons he was trained by ChiyoChi.

  He was trained to hide his power and, when he did shift, he normally had 6-7 tails. If we ever saw him have nine tails out, it was either because there was an urgent matter that needed him to use a great deal of power or he was simply pissed off. Not to forget how utterly possessive he was.

  "Then you can understand what a big deal it would be if Crimson ended up being on Homatomashi's side of justice. Crimson was human, yet she was the top sword dancer. She already had good endurance thanks to her running as well. She was making her connections by selling artwork and gaining followers. If she gained the power she was born with, she'd be a bigger threat and White-Eyes’ rule of thumb is when anything becomes a threat to him, it's eliminated."

  "Did that apply to Storm Yuna?" Quil asked.

  James slowly nodded. "Yes. The peace agreement would not benefit what White-Eyes has planned, but Storm was more concerned about getting the agreement over with and leaving Japan to live freely with Erica. She was too blinded by her love to see that she couldn't run away. White-Eyes had wanted to be the leader of N.R.O for years. He wouldn't dare let her off the hook to enjoy life while he had to pick up the slack. If he was going to run things, he'd do it on his terms by being the boss."

  "When you dated Crimson though, you acted like the typical drunk boyfriend who didn't give a shit and had side chicks left and right," Malachi reminded.

  James rolled his eyes, looking a bit irritated. "I had no choice. It was the most believable act I could pull off. I won't deny the fact I cared about Crimson...I probably still do but getting close and lovey with her would put her at a greater risk. White-Eyes doesn't always keep an eye on me now that I've gained his trust, but he would rather believe I was drunk in love with Crimson and let our relationship slide knowing it was just that - a love based on when I was wasted but was non-existent when I was sober. Was it fair to Crimson? No...but if it kept her alive, I didn't care. I'd rather be looked at as a pathetic boyfriend than get Crim killed."

  "Was you getting all tight knot in the pants when we arrived an act too?" Quil asked.

  "Yes and no. Still don't like you guys," James grumbled but continued. "But the more resistance I showed, the better I looked. It assured Konashi and White-Eyes that I wasn't in on what was going on. Your interference was random and not expected, which was already adding tension to the problem. Konashi knew the moment Crimson got involved that the secret they had been trying to hide all this time could be revealed by accident and that was making White Eyes antsy because it threatened the reveal who N.R.O belonged to. When Crimson inherited Storm's powers, no one knew whether that included her memories, and that was another problem."

  "You left her on the mountain though," Malachi reminded.

  "I was there, but with the commotion that went down, it was hard for me to keep track of Crimson. I found her right before Kitsune arrived, and I didn't see it necessary to interfere then."

  "It's Aki," Akihiro huffed, his ears popping out randomly.

  James sighed. "Whatever."

  James looked back at Jiyuna. "So, to answer your original question, I dated your daughter to protect her, but I did love her. She did deserve someone better and not a puppet like me, but if I had the choice to go back and decide, I'd do it all over again. As long as Crimson's breathing, I don't care how I'm perceived."

  The room was silent for a long moment before Yomato decided to add his view on things. "We've been trying to get information on White-Eyes for years. James was our best bet and we took hold of that. However, Crimson's involvement and Storm's death wasn't expected. James wasn't aware he'd need to kill Storm until an hour or two ahead and was unable to reach us to deliver the news. With the knowledge we have now, I'm slightly relieved that Storm was removed. Her signing the peace contract in the position she was in could have backfired in the long run and lead to war either way."

  "If James is a double agent, is he even allowed to be here? Won't he put Crimson and well all of us at risk?" Haru questioned.

  "I have some freedom of where I can be at certain times of the day. I get a few days off at the moment, but I don't know if White-Eyes will call me back prematurely due to the failed bomb mission Hakua just pulled," James explained.

  "You knew about Hakua?" Yoshi questioned, narrowing his eyes at James.

  "Slightly," James replied, looking uninterested with the topic.

  "Slightly? How is that even an answer? You could have prevented all of this if you had told us," Quil confronted.

  The others turned his gaze on him and he bit his lip. "Can't say."

  "See. That attitude just pisses me off," Quil grumbled.

  "Wait," Haru announced, his mismatched eyes locked onto James. He narrowed them for a moment and James crossed his arms, looking a bit uncomfortable with his analytic gaze.

  "What?" James muttered.

  "You're spelled," Haru declared.

  James rolled his eyes. "I thought that was mentioned already."

  "What does that have to do with anything?" I asked. "Because he's spelled he had to treat Crimson like shit for the sake of face?"

  "Yes," Yomato announced again. I knew we sounded like we were repeating ourselves, but it didn't sit well that Crimson was treated so poorly for the sake of information.

  "James needed to gain White-Eyes’ trust. That means having to make oaths to ensure his loyalty remained, and he wasn't swooning over us if you think of it that way. White-Eyes doesn't know James is a double agent on our side. He simply believes James is the one gathering information on us for years to favor N.R.O. We've been merely giving him information that wouldn't necessarily harm us," Yomato explained.

  Even Jiyuna looked a little confused by the disclosure but remained silent. He must have known James in general, but not to the extent of dating his daughter and treating her poorly.

  "Still doesn't make it right that Crimson was treated like shit," Aki mumbled.

  "Or why he got away with what he did on the mountain," Yoshi added, his sapphire eyes already beginning to transition to a vibrant gold which already told everyone in the room that he was upset.

  "I get you’re butt hurt. Can we discuss how you all hate me later?" James whined.

  "Back to Hakua. Why are we finding out about her betrayal now?"

  James groaned. "Can't say."

  We all groaned except for Haru, Yomato, and Jiyuna.

  "He can't," Haru reminded again.

  "At least someone remembers the situation I'm in," James muttered.

  "You're able to tell us all that information, but you couldn't tell us about Hakua?" Malachi questioned.

  "I am spelled. Whatever I've told you is based on my own knowledge and discovery. There are certain things I can't say, such as who White-Eyes is or his intentions, or why he wants Crimson and all that stupidness. Same thing with Hakua. I can't share about my so-called 'colleagues.' It's not my place, and I only found out recently that Hakua was a part of N.R.O. After her argument with Crimson, that was what basically sealed the deal with her wanting to eliminate Crimson. I don't know why or what went on in Hakua's head because I barely knew her, but my fox wouldn't settle anymore and I never ignore our instincts. The moment I heard her conversation with the guard, I had to do what I did. If I'm found out, my ass is dead." James shrugged.

  We couldn't argue with his statement, and Haru sighed. "Are you able to bypass the secret thing in your fox form?"

  "You mean as a cunning fox and bypass it somehow. Haven't tried it. Not many fox shifters," James replied.

  "Would you be up to try it?" Haru questioned.

  "Up to my fox. I don't care." James’ eyes returned to Crimson again, and I was curious as to why he kept looking at her.

  "Why do you keep staring at Crimson like you're worried about something?" I asked.

  "Crimson's still hiding something," James whispered, his
eyes lingering on Crimson's sleeping figure.

  "What do you mean she's still hiding something?" Haru clarified.

  "Have you guys figured out what fully happened? With her and Erica?" James asked.

  "It's a hard subject to bring up, Mr. Bipolar," Quil pointed out.

  Malachi nodded. "It's not like we can waltz in and say, 'Hey Crim. We feel you’re hiding something. Spill.' Doesn't work that way." He ruffled his mini afro with his left hand.

  "Crimson is a person that, until pressed or cornered, will keep hold of certain information that's on her mind. It can be about an incident or situation she's in that really bothers her and it’s not until you nag her that she'll reveal EVERYTHING about the troubling situation. I’ve known Crimson long enough to confidently say there's MORE. She can't move forward if she doesn't reveal whatever she's holding back," James stressed.

  Jiyuna nodded. "Even when Crimson was a child, she held back a lot. She wouldn't express what was bothering her until pressed by her mother. Even then, it was a rarity in itself."

  "What could she be not telling us?" I asked.

  All of us were silent, trying to figure out what the possible reason could be of Crimson's silence. She was pretty open with all of us, and before this incident, we didn't think she'd be holding information back.

  The topic was such a sore subject, none of us wanted to poke about it. Sexual abuse was a sensitive topic, and after watching Aki deal with his past and having a few setbacks, I didn't want Crimson to keep looking back at what she'd experienced.

  "I think we should let ChiyoChi handle this," Haru suggested.

  Aki sighed but slowly nodded. "I agree. She would know how to bring up the topic. I also think Crimson will need therapy for what just happened. Her mental state won't be well after what Hakua did."

  "It's just blow after blow for Crimson. When is she going to get a break?" Quil grumbled.

  "Why don't you guys just give her one?" James huffed.

  We looked up at him and I gave him a displeased look. "What's with the attitude, Mr. Bipolar?" I huffed back.

  "You guys are saying you should do this and that, yet you're not doing any of it. You guys wanted her to have a break, but you should have been more strict and not let Hakua come to begin with. I swear you've suggested she does therapy, yet again, the topic is being brought up now. You say you want to give her a break, but I can guarantee you'll want her to get back to training so she can defend herself. You guys are always contradicting yourselves."

  "How the hell do you know all of that?" Yoshi muttered.

  "And are we being lectured by Mr. Bipolar? Please Ancestors, help us." Malachi cringed at the outspoken thoughts.

  James looked annoyed but continued. "Who cares how I gather my info? I'm a fox."

  "Yup, totally explains it," Haru mumbled but James ignored him.

  "When Crimson wakes up, let her talk to ChiyoChi. That's the first thing you guys need to do. No excuses or lovey-dovey shit."

  We didn't say anything, but I could feel that my friends hated the fact we were actually getting lectured by James. He did have a point that Crim's therapy was non-negotiable. It was just weird coming from him. Even my wolf was annoyed with the situation.

  "Then one of you take her out or something. Let her live and forget about all the shit she's gone through. I doubt all of you can go with her and, to be honest, she may need some one on one time anyway. Let her get a drink or paint or do something normal. Give her an actual break to just feel like a human again."

  Feel like a human again...

  With James words, it kinda of struck a chord inside me. This whole time we'd been doing our best to give Crimson the crash course of how to be a shifter, but we'd never given her time to adjust.

  It's been a go-go train ride with no stops for her to absorb what she's been learning and adapt to this change. She wasn't born as a shifter but as a human, and we'd neglected the fact that she would need breaks to fully accept her new life.

  "We haven't really let Crim enjoy herself for a bit. The hot spring trip should have helped, but her fight with Hakua made it go south," I admitted.

  The others nodded in agreement and from their expressions, James' words were sinking in.

  "I'll take her out," Malachi announced. "I think Hottie needs some time to relax and I have a few ideas on what we can do. I think after her therapy, we'll have a general idea of how bad the situation is. Maybe a few days off for her just to recoup would do some justice."

  "That would have a positive effect on her for sure. Just to let loose and forget what's going on around her for a few days," Aki added.

  "I believe you all are going to need a break. I suggest a few of you take some time or rotate between groups. Haru especially, with all the healing you've been doing," Jiyuna suggested.

  Yomato nodded. "I also agree with this. James? When do you think you'll be needed."

  "Not sure. I requested two weeks off. I can check in to make sure my services aren't needed. I also want to make sure I'm not being followed in any way, so I'll deal with that. I'll keep you posted," James replied.

  "Are we working with him then?" Quil asked.

  Yomato thought about it for a moment before he replied. "I believe it's time we made an alliance between groups. I understand you guys and James don't get along well, but if we want to get through this breach of privacy, we're going to need all the help we can get. James is a reliable source."

  "Before we do this alliance thing, how can you trust him not to turn on us too?" I asked.

  James answered. "Before taking on this mission, I made an oath to never betray Homatomashi. It's still valid. As long as my intentions remain positive and with the overall goal of Homatomashi having a better future, I won't get penalized by the oath I made. Besides, Crimson apparently likes you guys, so I don't have much choice but to suck it up with this alliance," James commented.

  "Is there even a nice side to him?" Malachi whispered to Quil.

  "I doubt it," Quil replied.

  "You two really suck at whispering," James grumbled.

  Yomato smiled and clapped his hands. "Then it's settled. For now, the focus is on recovery and figuring out what's going on within my palace walls. I want to ensure that whatever plan you all make, someone must be on guard and watching Crimson. One or two of you can keep her occupied, but there should always be one close by on guard. White-Eyes may act like he doesn’t want Crimson to claim the last crystal for her pocket watch, but he’ll need it complete if he wants to use it for his own selfish reasons. We can't let him have his way. Understood?"

  "Hai, Emperor." We all spoke in unison; even James voiced the same response.

  "If Crimson needs me or her mother, you know how to contact me," Jiyuna pointed out.

  "Yes. Thank you, Sir," Aki replied and bowed his head to Jiyuna. We all followed suit, and James gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

  "It's getting late. You may all take tonight off. Hotaku and I will be heading back," Yomato confirmed.

  "We'll escort you back at least," Yoshi noted.

  I nodded my head. "I'll come with."

  "Very well. Arigato," Yomato replied.

  We said our goodbyes, and I walked to Crimson and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

  Rest up, Crimson.

  ~CRIMSON~

  "This is...different," I mumbled, looking around the training room.

  "I decided it would be good to switch things up today. Training isn't only about the physical aspect." ChiyoChi gestured for me to come in.

  As apprehensive as I was, I couldn't deny her, closing the door as quietly as I could and taking a better look at the room before me.

  The lights were dimmed and there was a large circle of candles that burned brightly to light the room. What caught my attention most was the large blank canvas in the middle of that warming circle of candlelight.

  The lump in my throat made me swallow as my heart hammered in my chest. My eyes gazed along the white canvas
, my fingers twitching in both excitement and misery. When was the last time I had laid a single stroke on paper? Let alone a beautiful canvas such as that.

  My eyes trailed down to the empty stool and along to the side where various paints and watercolor equipment were laid out for me.

  I should have been excited—thrilled to be able to do my passion as one of my training sessions with Master ChiyoChi.

  Yet, I stood there frozen in place. My heartbeat was fast, the blood pumping so loudly my ears rang, and my palms were sweaty. I ignored how my breathing had picked up and the slight tremble in my fingers.

  Fear. I was terrified to paint, but I so desperately wanted the escape. A week had passed since the incident with Hakua, but it felt like a blur. Two of those days were spent sleeping and a third day was spent in bed to ensure I didn't have a mental breakdown.

  Even now, I still couldn't accept what had happened. I didn't want to believe my friend, someone I'd known for the majority of my youth and early adult life, could possibly stick around with the intentions of one day killing me.

  Maybe I couldn't accept it because I'd never do that to someone. To spend time with a person with the hidden intentions of one day eliminating them from this world. I'd loved Hakua as I would a family member. She was like a sister to me. I guess that's why her betrayal hurt me so much. A pain so sharp I could have killed Malachi because of it.

  The guys had been super supportive during my recovery, and I was even more surprised to see James watching over me when I'd woken up. He was asleep, sitting on a chair next to my bed, but it blew me away that he was physically there. It felt like I was seeing a completely different side of him, but I held back my rekindled love for him because I didn't want to be hurt again.

  Even with the knowledge I'd been holding back from them, I simply couldn't open myself up yet. I wasn't ready. I didn't know if I would ever be ready. Though, I was so tired of holding back. Exhausted that I couldn't do more than simple loving gestures. My body yearned for more skin to skin and to be connected on a deeper level that would be the perfect escape from all the built-up stress and tension.