2 Found You

Laughter carried through the air as Dusk swept through the Sutou village. Lanterns, in turn, leaving an almost festive atmosphere as the villagers carried about their remaining task before turning in with their young. It another day of contempt and blessed gain for them after all, remaining them of more to come. The village stood strong under the watchful gaze of their unknown deity, Suji.

Suji himself that night lie comfortably upon the highest crimson gate leading to Rose shrine, soundlessly peering outward. It was indeed another beautiful night to him as the breeze felt comforting against his silky fur. Reminding him that it had been nearly eight years since spring. His memory was still fresh as even if he had lived for so long, the past eight years had dragged on dreadfully. Was he truly expected to wait for more?

This thought brought on another scowl as his eyes softened. 'To be made such a fool of in a short eleven measly years. I should have expected.' His six tails swayed until they dangled limply from the edge of the wood as his crimson orbs glared off into the distance. He couldn't help but feel anger bubbling up inside himself as he cursed the pesky spirits that roamed these lands. The memory of priorly almost roasting the council alive still fresh in his mind.

The thought itself of burning them alive was the last nudge he needed to give off a smug expression. He might have been indeed younger and foreign to the lands, but he could still have taken them down a notch if he so pleased. His contentment grew more by the second until a certain sound brought him back down from cloud nine. His snowy colored ears perked up above his head as the sound of fluttering grew close.

His smile immediately fell flat as he tried feigning ignorant bliss until he no longer could. Those same color eyes stared darts into his spine as the Tengu landed beside him and cleared his throat. 'For being the age you are in human years and kitsunes kid, you're all over the place. I've been wondering where you took off to after your outburst and retrieval of news from the old man. You should know better than causing such a commotion like that when the spirits here are still wary of your presence. I cannot promise you a good reputation around here for much longer, especially if you keep rejecting my helping offers.'

The Tengu paused as Suji offered an indolent gaze in his direction until their eyes met like fires colliding together. His only verbal reaction was only a mere grunt as he thought of how a mere brainless bird could be second in command to the council. Suji nestled further against the wood and merely chose to disregard his words. His actions did not go unnoticed, however, as the Tengu hobbled over to his swaying tails. Only to seconds later bite his beak into the fur until it both touched flesh and startled Suji.

It hadn't been as if Suji simply ignored the Tengu's advice completely, more so it was the fact he didn't care as to what the other spirits thought. So when he was suddenly bitten, he could no longer contain his annoyance and bared his teeth as conjured fox flames surrounded him momentarily before slowly dissipating. The sudden commotion left surrounding birds to scatter off from surrounding trees while the man now in front of him seemed unfazed. His skin was paler than the light emitting from the moon now out itself while a Tengu mask covered the majority of his face.

Suji snorted in distaste as he folded his ears back firmly and spoke once more. 'Riku, I do not need your consult right now.' Riku smiled innocently despite the threatening tone of Suji as his wings stretched out to their full length, casting ominous shadows beneath them as he popped his back.

Suji relaxed his muscles and lied back onto his stomach with close inspection on Riku as he spoke again, still sounding smug. 'You really don't seem to learn well do you, kid? But I guess it is no shock, being as most people can conclude that some foxes are a little slower than others. You wouldn't happen to be one of them, right?' His question only further aggravated the fox as he finally looked away with an indigent expression.

'You are quite the brave and yet stupid creature yourself then, being as you blindly follow the words of those old and incompetent spirits. Fools I call, as It doesn't take a genius to realize she will be back. Both eight and eleven years ago she promised a return with even a memory. It would be foolish to even doubt that now or even the idea she fooled a spirit of the gods. It would end tragically.' Suji felt the wind tickle the tips of his ears at the mention of those short years. He felt the familiar warmth that had no description bubble within his chest as he stared outward. 'That mortal is odd with her ways, but I do not doubt her. She's proven to be very determined in her life, and it's rather an admirable trait indeed.'

Suji's innocent confession of admiration left Riku slightly astonished. Not once during their years had he heard the fox show off the impression of a forlorning cub. It was only at that moment did he offer a more serious and gentle hidden smile. Times did indeed go by fast from that incident. His callous fingers lifted and moved over to gently pat the fox's head between his ears, snapping Suji out of his wandering thoughts.

'You know what, kid? I like you, so I'll tell you that years before Hiro was even brought into this world, I was treated no differently than you had been over these last few years by the council. Maybe that's why I'm here for you to the best extent I can, but even so, I have become a part of the council and I have to abide by their guides. Even if I know it's not right either sometimes. To top that off, we both know she will return soon, and I don't think you should put some else's gut feeling over your own. She's your host correct? It would only make sense to trust your own opinion rather than others.'

His earnest comment left the fox motionless as he contemplated the Tengu's advice once more. It seemed sensible for the first time that evening and left Suji feeling content. He furrowed his brows and let out an exhausted sigh. His muscles ached as he shifted his weight onto his front and then back paws to rise up. He had other tasks to finish before midnight struck and began padding forward across the wooden gate towards the treeline. 'I'll keep that in mind then.'

Suji feigned ignorance once more as he felt Riku attentively peer into the back of his head wordlessly. Their conversation was officially over, and the storm had passed. Riku would no longer hinder him from leaving the gate. They both had official duties as shrine deities to attend to and yet the pesky raven always managed to still find time to interrupt his task. Suji reduced his speed as the treeline shook with force when winds surrounding the area asserted their presence. Spirits from all variety began emerging from the shadows with their ghastly calls.

It was indeed another beautifully disgusting night for fox as he vaulted from the gate onto the rough bark of a nearby tree limb. The warmth from the sun emerged still from the tree surface as Suji carefully made his way down onto the earth beneath them. He could still feel the Tengu peering in his direction for moments more until the feeling began fading with the winds. He knew the Tengu well enough to comprehend the fact that he never overstayed his visits.

Suji softened his gazes substantially as he caught a small glimpse of the now empty spot where Riku once sat before the treeline finally became calming down. It led to no shock seeing as how fast the Tengu could merely vanish without a single trace left behind. He had always been such a tricky raven to pinpoint or corner. Suji brushed aside the thought and began pacing forward across the gravel, his dedicated lanterns lighting ablaze. The shrine became engulfed in the hues of his light source as he surveyed the area.

An occasional brittle leaf fell onto the path beneath the fox as he inhaled the scent of pinewood and sap. Their land felt as if it could have gone on forever if not for the steep heel leading back into their cozy village. It was only at the edge of their land did he really admire their surroundings. It was nothing close to the personality his village had posed as this offered an enteral beauty frozen. Something Suji simply couldn't feel comfortable to call his own haven for being out of place.

When reaching the grounds for both destination one and two, his nose could smell something vaguely familiar. It was sweet like the finest herbs one could collect and yet, he had never smelled such herbs. 'What kind of creature could carry such an ambiance and smell so sweet?' Suji licked his lips intently as his firefox grew bright around the surrounding area. Their forest was thick with foliage and spirits hiding behind barks of wood when spotting the deity in fear. It made no sense when the lot of them tied to the culprit but something inside of him was pushing him forward.

Suji felt as if anymore anticipation of ending the chase would have his heart left pounding outside his chest. It had been eons since he felt such excitement towards a simple chase as he forced his back hindquarters to push off the ground. He landed without fail onto a nearby branch as he began hopping from the trees until the figure of a shadow came into view. His smile grew wider. 'You may fall before me now!' He launched his body from the treeline until his forceful impact with the culprit sent them both tumbling down into a nearby bush with a thud.

His nostrils flared as the intoxicating scent washed over him with force, leaving desire to throw caution to the wind. His body tore, leaving his once furry paws growing individual indexes and his fur receding until nothing but that of a human's body remained. He flexed his stiff fingers as his short white tresses nearly covered his crimson eyes as they stared down into gray ones. It was her. Disbelief shrouded the pair immediately at their sights as Hiro was the first to speak. "Uh. Uhm. Suji, your nails are hurting me…"

Hiro redirected her gaze aside to the foliage beside them as Suji had an odd look of hunger in his eyes. It might've been only a second that the emotion was recognizable, but the feeling from her cheeks was more than enough to make her uncomfortable. For their first time meeting in eight years, this was not on her list of how they would reunite. "Why are you here? So far into these woods? Why did you lie to everyone? I do not understand your motives, Hiro." Hiro could hear the blunt anger in his tone as he tightened his grip on her fragile wrist now, drawing trails of blood from her porcelain skin.

Guilt churned profoundly within her stomach as she felt bile beginning to form in the back of her throat from his intense gaze. Hiro wanted to sink beneath the cold ground beneath them as she finally locked eyes with Suji who upon notice, softened his gaze slightly. He felt uncomfortable himself seeing such a fearful expression on the female. "I hadn't lied. That is all there is to it that you'd need to know." Her unusual response and attitude resulted in a scowl forming on Suji's lips.

Was it true that she intended to abandon him? Had he done something wrong during her time away that upset her?

Suji felt the thought causing turmoil in his head as he absentmindedly hoisted himself up from the girl beneath him. "Do you wholeheartedly believe I am not to be involved? Are you unaware of how severe your actions can bestow consequences on others?" He felt Hiro shift her gaze from him once more as he lit their surroundings ablaze once more in a gentle flame. Spirits from all shapes and sizes watched the duo as the began slowly dissipating from the area entirely.

Hiro held her breath without thinking as Suji molded the world around them until she sat behind the presence of a familiar man. Kentaro without uttering anything as he drank in silent peace, the miniature shrine in front of him offer the photo of a single woman smiling without care. Hiro sat beside her father and tucked her knees close to her chest before speaking quietly. "Why are you showing me this? You know this is too much for trying to coax me home. You assume the worst from everything still Suji. What if the village is better off with someone such as me coming in and disappointing them? Or him or you Suji?"

Hiro could only whisper his name as she felt the illusions from him dissipate back into the forest. Hiro became enveloped in moonlight pouring in through the treeline as she listened to Suji crouch in front of her. "Despite the number of years that seem to pass Hiro, you appear to stay unchanging. I cannot say it is the best, but I cannot say it is the worst either. You are clumsy, and you do not seem to succeed to represent your father when it comes to the villager's eyes."

His words felt cold upon hearing as Hiro felt her composure threatening to break. It hadn't been as if she expected him to comfort here with lies, and yet when he held the truth in front of her. Hiro felt hurt. "You know Suji, maybe that is true about me, but did you really have to make me feel more of a failure than I am? I wasn't fishing for compliments, or even pity from you; I just. I don't know anymore." She felt her eyes watering until the cold fingers of Suji gripped her chin and redirected her attention back to him.

His irises burned with intensity revealing that of fire engulfing the world before he spoke softer. "Allow me to finish before you cut me off, you idiot. For being the next Miko of the shrine, I must admit you jump far too fast into making short accusations. For you see, nobody in your village nor the next seems to be the same as the other person that walks by. Related or not. You and your father are from two different generations of time, or even eras if you must go that far for reassurance. Your generation of obligations will most certainly be both new and even odd, but that from what I see to be the norm for you mortals. Yet it is also the same for some spirits. Don't think of this as me giving you pity or anything of the sort; it's just valuable information."

Hiro felt her breath hitch for a moment as Suji attempted to wipe her face of the dirt, only causing his nail to graze the flesh on her cheek. It hurt for a mere moment before she couldn't help but sniffle and laugh softly at his concerned expression. "Then I suppose we shall remain the unchanging duo together, Suji. You're no different from eight years ago both personality and looks. It's shameful that I'll only look older than you eventually. I couldn't run from you either seeing as it is rather dark tonight with these trees; cold as well."

Hiro lifted her warm hands against Suji's cold indexes and inhaled deeply. She wondered if Suji perhaps ever felt cold during these eventful nights alone during her absence. His touch was warm against her cheek as she finally caught his gaze. His eyes showed loyalty and worry as she finally smiled at him as his thoughts caught up with his actions and resulted in him retracting his hand with a cough. "It must be cold for you. Do not leave this area as I retrieve necessities nearby for the night…"

Suji felt his heart in his throat as he retreated from the female before him in respect. His palm felt oddly warm as he began compiling together a small campfire for Hiro. His world felt as if the constant tick in front of him left him in a constant perplexed state as occasionally offered a glance over to Hiro who now laid on her back. She admired the branches swaying while searching out beyond the canopy and to the dim glow of the stars. He thought she would soon pass out and finally decided to head out for necessities for the night.

Hiro, on the other hand, couldn't feel the least bit sleepy as her thoughts roved endlessly as the sky. Hiro would undoubtedly begin her new found duty as sole Miko of Rose shrine tomorrow seeing as Suji wouldn't allow her to avoid her fate. The seemed scarier just an hour ago if not for comfort she found in having Suji back by her side as her official deity. They were an odd pair full of odd stories as those whispered overseas, and yet she felt happy to be able to somewhat understand Suji.

This was how her life was bound to always end up with, and for that moment. Just only that moment. She was willing to live and forget those taunts and worries. She would always have Suji to stand by her side if not anyone else. That was for certain.