We began to make our way out, and Erica glared at me with disgust, which only pleased my Kitsune, who was running in circles in a celebratory dance for getting the opportunity to show off. I peered over my shoulder and gave her a cheeky grin as I deliberately wrapped my arm around Yoshi's in an act of possessiveness, which in return allowed me the pleasure of seeing another scowl form on her face.
I looked forward, and Yoshi reached out to open the door for me, gesturing for me to exit first. Once we were both outside and the door closed, I finally took a calming breath and Storm's essence pulled back to wherever it resided within me.
"Crimson?" Yoshi asked with caution, appearing unsure if Storm was in control or not.
"Yes, Yoshi," I replied, turning to face him. He sighed in relief, and unexpectedly pulled me into his arms. "Yos...hi?" I asked, unsure what the big deal was.
"I thought you'd lose your shit,” he whispered, placing a lingering kiss on my neck, which sent shivers through me.
"Why?" I asked, relaxing in his embrace. I didn't sense anyone around, which made it easier for me to just let go and loosen up after that intense confrontation.
"Storm and Erica despised one another. Think of cats and dogs," Yoshi explained.
"You know some cats and dogs are best friends," I pointed out. He pulled back to lift an eyebrow at me, and I leaned up and kissed him. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes lingering on mine for a second before he responded, sliding his hands down to my ass and pressing me against him as our mouths moved at a sensual pace as we kissed.
We didn't pull away until we both desperately needed air. "Why did you hesitate?" I asked.
"I wasn't sure if Storm's essence was still lingering inside you. I...didn't want to kiss her by accident," Yoshi admitted, glancing away for a moment. "Aki told me she'd made a few appearances with him."
"Ah...ya. Last night was one of them it seems," I replied, taking a moment to think about it. "Why is that anyway? Storm was fine with giving you guys approval, yet her essence seems like the opposite. Kinda like a jealous twin sister."
"Her essence is essentially her magic. Storm, as in her soul, gave us permission. Her lingering magic, on the other hand, is influenced by her memories. Now that your powers are unlocked, maybe the essence feels more threatened because it will be harder to take control of you? It's just a theory, but Aki, Quil, and I were discussing it earlier," Yoshi explained.
He kissed my forehead; the action made me sigh happily. "I like how defensive you were back there. Made me feel special," I confessed. "And thank you. I...know it's difficult with the situation I'm in and dealing with the chance of Storm's essence taking over and testing you. I don't mean it. Sometimes it just happens, and other times, it's more of an impulse that comes from a trigger or memory," I confessed.
Yoshi grinned and pulled me into his arms once more. "I know, Crimson, and there’s no need to thank me. I said I love you, and even with our circumstances and the fact we're still working on moving forward from our feelings for Storm, please know that you are now our priority and we will love and give you our loyalty. Some more than others at first, but I'm confident in the rest of the guys," Yoshi assured me.
I nodded into his shoulder as I tightened my hold. "I know, but it still deserves acknowledgment and praise," I whispered. He held me for a long time, but we pulled back just in time as the door opened and an angry Erica stomped out, slamming the door shut behind her. She grumbled something under her breath, the words too low for my normal ears to pick up. Then she stormed away, not even noticing we were standing right there.
"Guess that didn't go well," Yoshi commented.
I giggled. "Guess not. Let's go back?" I asked, ready to finish our conversation with Yomato and set up a game plan with the others.
Yoshi nodded, slipping his hand into mine. "Yes. Let's make a plan to bring peace to Homatomashi and locate the remaining crystals from Storm's pocket watch."
"So, this is where N.R.O. has been snooping around?" I asked, looking out at the vast forest before us as we stood at the entrance of the Monko Forest.
After our discussion with Yomato, Yoshi and I had returned to our living corridors to explain what happened to the others, which included our confrontation with Erica.
The other guys got displeased looks on their faces the moment I mentioned her name, making me wonder what she had done to make all my men hate her with a passion.
Akihiro and Quillian had gathered a bunch of reports that disclosed an increase of suspicious activity in Monko Forest. Many individuals claimed they saw mysterious figures in black walking around the forest at strange times of day and night, which prompted them to make the reports.
Quillian had a hunch these were N.R.O. associates trying to pinpoint where one of Storm's jewels from her pocket watch was located. Though we didn't have enough evidence to base our hypothesis on, it was worth looking into.
We had all split up, with Malachi and I taking the north side of the forest while the others were in groups to cover the other sections.
"Yeah. The villagers said they'd been spotted in this section of land the most, but everyone is afraid to approach them," Malachi replied.
He wore blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and he'd changed his cornrow hairstyle, putting his hair in a simple ponytail that gave him a little poof at the end. He noticed my gaze, turning his head slightly to stare directly into my eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked, walking over to me.
"Nothing. Just checking you out," I admitted, noticing the slight tinge of red in his cheeks from my compliment.
"Really, Hottie?" he inquired, his husky voice sending chills through me.
"Yes, Hottie McHot Pants," I confirmed. He reached up, brushing through the strands of my hair that I left down. The rest of my hair was worn up in a ponytail and put together with one of Itsuki's hair ornaments he'd made me.
"I’ve missed you..." he whispered with a pained expression.
I frowned, moving closer to him and slipping my arms around his waist. "I'm sorry. I don't think I'm doing a good job sharing myself," I admitted with an apologetic look.
He shook his head in disagreement, moving his hand to brush his thumb against my cheek. "I don't think it's fair to judge you for that when we've been rather busy with everything. Since the ambush during our run, everything has been a blur. A lot has happened to you in a short period of time. I can't be selfish and complain, but I also can't help but say I really want more time with you,” he admitted.
"Malachi," I whispered.
"Even if we just go back to running again...or just get some time together. Even if it includes some of the other guys, it's fine...I just really want more time with you,” he confessed.
His eyes lowered to my lips, but he hesitated, looking unsure if he was even allowed to kiss me. I went on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. It was a tender kiss, with very little movement, but he kissed me back.
"Let's try to go running again. If the others are worried, we can always rotate like we did before between Haru and Itsuki," I suggested. Now that I was on the topic, I realized it felt like the three of them had gotten barely any time with me.
Before everything had happened, things were a little more balanced. There were morning or afternoon runs with Malachi and Haru, training with Itsuki and Quil, cooking with Haru before everyone came home, and reading with Yoshi. Aki always made an effort to fit himself wherever, but he was normally always there when I painted at night and would take me to bed if I fell asleep on the couch.
Yet, after being more intimate with Aki and getting closer with Yoshi after our dispute, I'd been spending more time with them instead of the others. I could see it might have been affecting them.
"That would be nice. I know I joke a lot...I just...like making you laugh and want to stay around you longer,” he whispered.
"I know, and I love it," I replied, pulling him in a hug and inhaling the soft scent of his cologne. "We'll work it out. It won't be long before we
get the chance, especially once this is all over. For now, just baby steps," I encouraged quietly, and he nodded into my shoulder.
"Hai,” he agreed, holding me in a tight embrace for a minute before pulling away. "Ready for some searching, Hottie?"
"Totally. Let's get looking," I hummed, slipping my hand in his. We shared a look, and we both smiled at each other before returning our focus to the forest.
Will we find another one of the crystals?
"Where are you?" I whispered to myself as I strode forward. I let the warmth of the pocket watch around my neck guide me along.
We'd been walking for a few hours through the thick forest, and I thought we'd give up after we reached the third dead end, but then the pocket watch, which was invisible and resting on my neck, began to feel a little hot when I looked in a specific direction.
I'd used it as a guide as I made my way deeper and deeper into the forest, beginning to feel a little closer to what I was looking for. This part of the forest slowly became darker as the trees got so thick I could no longer feel the sun's rays, let alone see them peek through the leaves and branches like before.
I reached a tiny clearing that reminded me of the one I'd found after my disagreement with Konashi, where Storm had taken over and I'd run away after my little demonstration of anger.
The place looked so familiar that I did a double take and questioned if it was actually the same. "Hey Malachi, doesn't this place look familiar?" I asked.
There was no answer, and when I looked back, I saw he wasn't behind me, which made me frown. "Malachi?!" I called out but was greeted only with my echo.
I must have wandered off course when I was following the watch's directions. Hmm. I looked back at the clearing and approached the lake, kneeling down to gaze at my reflection. I wore black tights and a loose pink t-shirt. I hadn’t brought my twin swords since they were being sharpened by Yomato's best blacksmith. I hadn’t seen the need for them when we didn't know what we were going to find to begin with.
I glanced back to see a wooden bench beside the lake and decided to sit down and wait for Malachi. He'd found me the first time, and I was sure he'd find me again. I rose up and walked over to the bench, sitting down and staring out at the immense beauty of the place. Though it was daytime, it still looked like it was night due to the lack of sun and how cool it was in this area.
I noticed tiny insects that buzzed around and the little butterflies that fluttered about. Urufu would have loved this area, but I let her go with Quil who was searching the south side alone, while Aki and Yoshi focused on the west, and Itsuki and Haru were looking east.
My eyes lowered to where the pocket watch was on my neck, and I lifted my hand up to brush against it. The invisibility spell was temporarily canceled out at my touch, and the object came into view. It was a spell Itsuki had placed on it, stating it would at least hide the pocket watch’s location from enemy eyes and only I would be able to make it visible.
The moment I removed my hand, it would revert to its invisible state, and even if someone tried to grab at my neck, it would be impossible for them to take it off unless it was in its visible state.
I looked at the pink crystal, remembering my Kitsune who was curled up in her spot. She was a little closer to the surface than she normally would be, but she was still completely calm. I could see her eyeing the pocket watch with a guarded expression while her tails lazily swayed from side to side.
"Pink crystal...Kitsune," I whispered, gently rubbing my hand over the stone. The action made it glow lightly in response, and my Kitsune rose up, coming even closer to the surface like the pink gem was calling to her.
I moved on to the blue crystal, a wave of sadness running through me as I recalled the painful experience Storm had dealt with. One by one, she had felt her familiars forcibly pulled away from her, and even though it didn't happen to me physically, the pain felt fresh in my heart and made my lip tremble in agony and anger.
I brushed my hand across the blue gem, doing my best to compose myself. "You had to watch Storm die. Then you had to see me on the verge of death too. I'm sorry," I whispered.
From the bottom of my heart, I felt like the gem deserved my apology. In my mind, I knew it was a he, and I wished I could say it to him physically, rather than just to his crystal form. The crystal began to glow, and I thought it would stop like the pink one, but it didn't.
The glow got brighter and brighter until I had to close my eyes to shield them. When I noticed the light dim against my closed lids, I slowly opened my eyes. They grew wide as I stared up at a blue flame that floated above me, with silver glowing eyes that stared at me.
It was difficult to tell what it was, but it reminded me of Urufu somehow, only bigger. I reached out cautiously, not wanting to scare him, my instincts being correct with telling me it was a male.
He moved his head forward to meet my hand, poking his flaming nose against my palm, but the heat didn't burn me. It's was a comforting warmth, and I smiled when he continued to poke his nose at my hand.
"Can I see what you are?" I asked, curious about what kind of familiar he was.
He nodded his head and floated to the ground before his body was engulfed in turquoise light. I had to close my eyes again, unable to handle the intensity of the bright blue rays that suddenly illuminated the forest.
When the light dimmed, I opened my eyes to see a beautiful blue wolf. His fur shifted from turquoise blue to a navy blue. His tail also followed the same color transition, but the top of it was in an amber color that reminded me of Aki's orange-gold tails.
He tilted his head, seeming curious about how I'd react, his silver eyes staring at me with a look of innocence. I grinned widely and opened my arms up.
"Hello there," I whispered in awe. "Thank you for showing yourself to me. Can I get a hug?" I asked.
"Woofa!" he replied happily, and in one leap he was in my lap being embraced by me. I held him tightly, thankful to finally know who he was and to have unlocked his true power. I had no doubt that he was mine. This wasn't the same familiar Storm had, but a familiar created by my powers, which had reignited the crystal's power.
"Thank you," I whispered. My voice choked with tears as I began to cry. It didn't make much sense why I was so emotional at this moment. Yet, it felt right. Within my heart, I knew it was okay to shed the tears that escaped me because this wasn't the kind of thing that happened all the time.
This was a special moment that I was blessed to experience. It was thanks to these crystals that I'd get the opportunity to have more than just one familiar, like Urufu. I'd have a total of five when all was said and done, and I would cherish the bonds we made.
"Woofa,” he comforted, nuzzling his head against my cheek to calm me down. When I composed myself, I looked down at him.
"You think any of your comrades are here?" I asked.
"WOOFA!" he replied, hopping off my lap and trotting towards the water. He stopped right at the edge, tapping his paw at the water before looking back at me.
"It's in the water?" I asked, feeling a little stunned.
"Woofa!" he replied, nodding his head. I stared at the water long and hard, and my Kitsune agreed, feeling confident the crystal was in there.
"Guess there’s only one way to find out," I said under my breath, getting to my feet. I pulled off my shirt and stripped my pants off, debating whether to go into the water naked so I didn’t get my lingerie wet.
"Aki got me this set...hmm." I put my hands on my hips, trying to figure out some way to get into the water without damaging the pure white set.
"Woofa?"
"I don't want to get these wet," I replied, pointing to my bra and underwear. He walked back to me, and when he reached my feet, he sat down and began to howl.
"What are you..." I trailed off, noticing the sudden appearance of a magic circle beneath my feet. It began to move upward, cloaking my body with some weird aqua looking gel. It moved all the way to my head before doing another downward pass
, applying a second layer of the gel.
It made me feel weird, but it wasn't hard to breathe and didn’t feel slimy either. It was cold but comforting. "Will this make it so I don't get wet in the water?" I asked. He nodded, and I gave him a prideful grin.
"We need to give you a name," I realized, crossing my arms and closing my eyes, deep in thought. I guess I should just ask him to tell me his name.
"Do you have a name you want to be called by?" I asked, opening my eyes to look down at him. He stood up and began panting happily, wagging his tail rapidly from side to side.
"That's a yes, then. What would you like?" I inquired. A name came to my mind almost immediately, and I nodded in approval.
"Mizuko, or Mizu for short? Is that right?"
"WOOFA!" he replied happily, beginning to jump up and down, which made me giggle.
"Alright, Mizuko, that’s your name. You'll get along with Urufu nicely." I hummed, kneeling down to pet him. "Let's try to find the next one."
"Woofa!" he agreed eagerly. I nodded and stood back up before approaching the pool of water. I took a deep breath before diving right in.
The water was welcoming as I glided downward, swimming through its slightly cool depths. I heard a splash and looked to my right to see Mizuko had followed, swimming down to where I was. I gave him a confused look, but he seemed perfectly fine breathing underwater.
I decided not to delay any longer, beginning to swim deeper. I was impressed by how deep the little pool of water actually was. From the surface, it looked like you'd reach the bottom within a few strokes, but I was clearly proven wrong.
I flinched at the sudden warmth of the watch against my chest and Mizuko dived deeper until his paws landed on the almost invisible ground below. It was nearly pitch black, with only a few glowing fish here and there to add some form of light.
Calming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 2) Page 9