Facing the Storm

by Wilson, Yumoyori

  "Shouldn't we be heading towards the mountain and not here with this old lady?" James grumbled in Mandarin.

  I sighed and shook my head. "I can understand you, and just stay still already. You always get all cranky when you're close to anything sharp."

  "Do not! You won't even tell me why the hell she has to poke me," James complained, giving me a nervous look.

  "It's for a good reason, Now hush and respect your elders," I scolded, giving him a look.

  James pouted his lips like a little kid, but he didn't move or say a word as the Great One began to clean James' arm.

  The old woman, or Great One, gave me a sweet smile before she got to work, and I pulled out my phone to check the time. We had a few hours until we'd all have to meet at the secret hidden entrance at the N.R.O. base. Everything was in place and all that was left was to get James a new seal mark that would override the one White-Eyes had on him.

  My phone buzzed, and I noticed the text message from Itsuki.

  Cutie Itsuki:

  "Can I call you real quick?"

  I decided to just call him back instead of text, wondering if it was something super important since Itsuki didn't text me as often as the others did.

  "I'll be right back. Making a phone call."

  "You're supposed to hold my hand," James whined and stared at the needle with fearful eyes.

  I gave him a sympathetic look and sighed. "Great One, can you please give me five minutes?"

  "Sure. I need to finish something for you to drink as well." She gave me a broad smile and put the needle down to walk over to her stove where she was making some weird thick liquid that made me want to run away rather than dare attempt to drink whatever it was.

  James sighed in relief. "I'm saved."

  "You're still getting it," I noted, and he just looked away which made me smile. I walked over to him and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'm calling Itsuki real quick."

  "Okay..." he whispered as his cheeks grew red. "Don't take too long."

  "Hai hai," I replied and walked out of the cozy home and dialed Itsuki's number. He picked up on the first ring.

  "Hey."

  "Hey. What's wrong?"

  "Nothing," Itsuki replied calmly. "I...just wanted to hear your voice, that's all."

  "Do you miss me, Itsuki? Or are you checking on me to make sure James didn't whisk me away and Quil doesn't want to call me for the 20th time?"

  "A little bit of both, though I did really miss you." He chuckled.

  "I heard that!" James called out from the house.

  I rolled my eyes. "Stop using your fox hearing to snoop or I won't hold your hand."

  He was silent, and my ears twitched when they got his quiet whimper which was super cute.

  "He hates needles?"

  "Terrified," I stressed.

  "That's surprising, and I'm purposely telling Quil so we can use it against him if he pisses us off."

  "You do have a diabolical side," I commented and Itsuki chuckled.

  "You guys both okay?"

  "Yes. The guards are at the entrance of the resort and Great One put up a barrier just in case. We won't be long," I assured him.

  "When this is done, can we go out?"

  "Ohhh. Itsuki wants first dibs on a date with me," I purred.

  "I do. I have to be smooth now before Malachi gets back and tries to use his sizzling hottie powers on you," Itsuki replied in an amused voice.

  "That's very true." I giggled, knowing Malachi would be the first to try to take me out when all of this was over. It would probably end up in some type of fight and I knew Haru would somehow slide through all of it unharmed and take me out if Itsuki didn't ask me at this moment.

  "I'd love to go out with you, Itsuki."

  "The whole day?"

  "The whole day," I assured him.

  "Good. I better go before Yoshi realizes I'm on the phone. He's in his Emperor mood."

  I laughed this time, knowing exactly what Itsuki meant. Even when Yoshi was in "Emperor" state of mind, he was still compassionate to me, but the other guys got it hard.

  "Stay out of trouble. I'll see you in a bit."

  "Love you, Crimson."

  "Love you too, Itsuki," I replied with a smile. We said goodbye to one another before he hung up. With a wide smile, I turned around and walked back into the home to see James sitting patiently for me.

  I lifted an eyebrow at his cute pouting expression and I presented my hand to him. "I'm here to deliver my hand holding services," I teased.

  "So mean," he mumbled but reached out to hold my hand tightly. He moved over slightly, and I sat down next to him, knowing this would take a bit of time.

  Great One walked back and got the needle ready once more and James turned his attention to me. "If you're going on a date with Itsuki...can I be next in line?" he mumbled.

  I blushed and slowly met his shy gaze. "Please?" He practically begged.

  "If it involves our usual bar and drinking, I'm not going," I pointed out.

  He shook his head. "No. Maybe we can go see a play or dance? I know you're interested in traditional dances and all since you did sword dancing. I wouldn't mind going."

  "A real date?" I asked. "We'd hold hands? Like this?" I asked as I lifted our joined hands with emphasis.

  He slowly nodded and surprisingly pressed his forehead against mine.

  "We'd hold hands like any other couple and take cute selfies. I'd cherish you like the diamond you are, and I'd be honored to show my affection in public if you'd give me another chance," he whispered.

  He didn't wait for me to reply; his lips softly pressed against mine. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, feeling the passion in the movement of his lips, and I knew he truly meant every word compared to his empty promises from the past.

  I broke the kiss to whisper against his smooth lips. "Okay...just remember to ask the others." I winked at him when he gave me a grumpy look, but I knew he was happy by the way his red eyes glimmered.

  The sound of the needle turning brought us out of our moment, and we both turned to see Great One's wide smile. "Ah younglings. I remember when I was your age. Stupid and in love."

  "Hey." We spoke in unison which made the old woman laugh.

  "Brace up hand holder. I'm going to start and do NOT move. This takes a lot of magic and concentration."

  "Yes, ma'am," James replied, looking nervous once again.

  I leaned in and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "You'll be fine. I'm right here," I whispered to him.

  He nodded and squeezed my hand tightly. "I know. Thanks, Crim Baby."

  "All done."

  "I thought I was going to die," James complained, resting his head on my shoulder.

  "Aww. You survived big guy. Now, off my shoulder. You're heavy," I whined.

  "You need to show more mercy towards me," James grumbled but lifted his head from my shoulder. I squeezed his hand and he took the time to look at the new mark on his left arm. "Now that I got this crazy tattoo, what does it do?"

  "That seal will override all seals placed on you since birth. Whoever has control of you and tries to ask you to complete a task against your will, it will activate and nullify the seal placed by them and anyone else."

  James was silent as his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped. "W...what?"

  I squeezed his hand and placed my right one on top of our joined hands. "When White-Eyes tries to control you, the seal on you will be broken. He won't be your Master, James. You’ll be free to do as you wish. That new tattoo will cut the strings that keep you chained to White-Eyes. You won't be a puppet anymore. You'll be free." I spoke as soothingly as I could.

  James slowly looked up to meet my eyes. "How...why? Whose idea was this?"

  "The guys. Aki told me about it and after our date last week, we all discussed it. Quil reached out to the Great One so she could gather all the materials needed," I explained.

  James just stared at me blankly, trying to process what I'd just said.
Great One chuckled and looked toward me. "I'll give you two a moment."

  I nodded my thanks, watching her leave her little home to give us a moment of privacy.

  "Why?"

  I turned back to study James whose head was hung low. "Why are you guys nice to me? I was a horrible boyfriend to you. I was horrible to them. I worked for a man who has killed thousands of people. Why are you guys being nice to me? I could get you hurt or I could betray you. How can you possibly forgive me so easily?"

  I reached out to lift James’ head with my hand under his chin, and his glossy eyes locked onto my softened ones. "You didn't have much of a choice, did you?"

  He swallowed and shook his head side to side as a tear escaped his watery eyes. "No."

  "Then, can we blame you? It's not fair that you had to be involved in this. You joined to help Homatomashi. You never expected it to be long-term and the result to be White-Eyes' right-hand man. You had to do your duty as a double agent, and as shitty as a boyfriend you were...you did it to protect me. Everything you've done, one way or another, was to protect me. Even though I still want payback for leaving me on the mountain."

  "You kicked my balls for that!" James countered. I arched an eyebrow and he groaned. "Fine."

  A smile formed on my lips, and I reached out to wipe the tears that left James' eyes as he blinked. "It's weird being loved again..." he whispered, closing his eyes and leaning in to rest his head on my shoulder.

  I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "You know I never stopped loving you."

  "I know...and I'm grateful for that." He held me tightly as he quietly cried. I knew he was crying out of happiness, but it felt nice to know our actions were well received and it touched James' heart.

  Great One eventually came back once James had calmed down and fed me the most horrible drink I'd ever had in my entire life. We'd said our thanks and goodbyes and she wished us good luck.

  I was currently sucking on a lollipop to try and take the taste out of my mouth as we headed back to the entrance. So far, it wasn't working which was making me cranky.

  "What kind of nasty drink was that. Whose idea was it?!"

  James gave me a remorseful look as he ruffled his hair. I only needed one glance to know he was guilty. "Spill"

  "Trust me on this one."

  "Ugh." I groaned. "If I never gain my taste buds again, I'll make sure Mizu and Urufu attack your balls," I huffed.

  He stared at me in utter fear. "That's...not nice," he muttered.

  "You know what’s not nice? Making me drink whatever that shit was. You won't tell me what it does?"

  "I'll protect you. It's my back up plan."

  "Back up plan."

  "You'll understand."

  "James, please don't kidnap or kill me again. I've had enough for my lifetime." I sighed. He reached out and slipped his hand in mine, causing me to stop and give him a look. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." He pulled me into a warm embrace, which left me a little stunned.

  "Um...James? You okay? Did you hit your head when I wasn't looking or...?"

  "No matter what happens tonight...trust your instincts and...I love you." He whispered the last part with so much emotion I wondered if he was going to cry again.

  "James?" I whispered, but he didn't say anything more, holding me in his arms like it would be our last time. With a sigh, I relaxed in his hold and hugged him back.

  "I love you too," I said softly.

  It's now or never. The battle starts now.

  "Fuck...I can't believe we got separated," I mumbled to myself, my ears twitching over and over again as I tried to listen as closely as possible to any hint of breathing other than mine.

  Reaching the mountain was a breeze, and thanks to the detailed map James had made, we had gained the element of surprise.

  We were together in the beginning, everyone fighting and moving as a unit until we reached the halfway point, which led to a wide open room with various shifters. Needless to say, we all scrambled to protect ourselves and to avoid the onslaught of bullets and other weapons that were flying our way.

  I let my instincts guide me while I used my dual swords to protect me. All the training that I'd done with Chiyo, Father, and the guys was finally paying off, and I held no remorse as I sliced through my attackers left and right. I wouldn't let them kill me because I didn't deserve it.

  As we spoke, Shifters across Homatomashi were raiding the spots where N.R.O. had planned to ambush at daybreak Monday morning, but I knew no matter what, there would be casualties.

  Even though I was confident in my abilities, I had a terrible feeling in my gut that things weren't going to go in my favor. My gut instinct is never wrong.

  Now that I was alone and getting closer to the final floor, my fear of death was beginning to bleed through me and I knew I'd fight hard not to die. I had too much to live for and I promised Itsuki we'd go on a date when all of this was over. Yup, priorities.

  I turned to my left and noticed the hall was full of mirrors. I began to cautiously walk down it, watching my image on the walls. My glowing pink tails were helping light up the hall, and as I continued my walk down, my eyes lingered on the anklet I still wore.

  My Kitsune noticed my curiosity, which was a bit odd for me seeing as I knew why it was there. Or why it should remain on my ankle.

  "I could help you."

  The voice that seemed to slide through my mind made me sigh. You can't help me.

  "I can, and you know it."

  Are you going to possess me?

  "Maybe."

  Then why would I possibly cut that anklet off?

  "I know White-Eyes just like James. I know he wants what I created. The least you could do for me is give me that moment of revenge."

  You think you're the only one who deserves revenge? All the people he's killed before you. You're one of the reasons why we're even here. You're a part of this problem.

  "I'm aware..."

  That's all you have to say? You're aware?!

  "What can I do..." I hadn't realized I was pacing until I stopped, noticing the hint of remorse in her voice. "What I did while living...was wrong. I was selfish and only thought of my own happiness which...in the end, I never got to enjoy, now did I? I wanted to love and be loved. Yet I thought Erica would be the only one for me. I closed myself off and didn't think anyone could help me out of this situation. N.R.O...it wasn't mine. Not originally...but I could have tried to run away. Try and fight my circumstances. Yet, here we are. I'm a dead essence that is slowly slipping away from you with each passing day. Can't you give me one last shot to help you? You know as well as I that I can be helpful somehow."

  Promise me you won't cause me to die.

  "I, Storm Yuna, promise to not contribute to your death."

  I don't get why I'm letting an essence make an oath. Does that even count?

  "Who knows?"

  My Kitsune didn't seem unpleased with the idea, which was enough reassurance for me to lean down and use the tip of my sword to cut the anklet. A weird sensation ran through me, making me shiver, but I rose up and took a deep breath.

  "Don't make me regret this Storm."

  "I won't," she vowed. "Now get moving. White-Eyes is in the next room."

  With a nod, I strode towards the door at the end of the hall, walking with confidence in my power and strength. Next week would mark six months since that night when I'd bumped into a thief who dropped the pocket watch that belonged to Storm Yuna.

  That one fateful moment led me to find out who I truly was. It led me on a path where I met a group of amazing men and found out my true past and where I belonged. I'd gained not only my Kitsune and powers, but a group of familiars to lift me up when I was down as well.

  Here we were, to not only gain the final crystal and make my pocket watch whole again, but to also bring righteousness to Homatomashi by ridding it of N.R.O. once and for all.

  There was a good chance I wasn't read
y, but I never would have been ready. It wouldn't matter how many weeks, months, or years were involved. This moment would change everything, and I simply had to give it my all.

  To do this for the sake of Homatomashi’s future. For MY future with my men by my side. I reached the black door, my gaze landing on the jeweled doorknob.

  Akihiro, Yoshimitsu, Malachi, Itsuki, Haru, Quillian, and James...no matter what happens inside these walls, I hope the universe lets you know how much I loved all of you. Thank you for loving me through the times I didn't love myself. Arigato for everything.

  With those last thoughts, I took a final deep breath, reached out for the doorknob, and opened the door to face my destiny.

  The door slowly closed behind me, and my eyes scanned the large pure white room. Everything was squeaky clean, almost like I was in a hospital ward and it wasn't allowed to have a speck of dust anywhere.

  All the furniture was white, which instead of giving off a pure vibe, it made me cringe and a shiver ran through me like I'd been here before. My heart was pounding rapidly and my palms sweaty with just a few steps.

  The familiarity of this place was making it hard to breathe like I was suffocating, but I couldn't understand it. My brain felt foggy, but I fought the urge to close my eyes. What's going on? What is with this place.

  "It's my fault," Storm whispered, her voice filled with heartache and sadness.

  Why is it your fault? I don't get it.

  "This place...harbors bad memories for me. You're being affected by it," Storm explained.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and my Kitsune ran to the surface to help calm me down. With the help of my Kitsune, we took a few deep breaths, and I felt the pocket watch on my chest grow hot. I kept it invisible, not wanting to reveal it just in case White-Eyes was hiding, but the crystal was indeed in here.

  "You finally arrived."

  I didn't turn immediately toward the sound, my left hand beginning to tremble for no explanatory reason. I didn't understand how Storm could have such a strong negative reaction when she was the CEO of N.R.O.

  Why are you afraid of White-Eyes? I needed to know. That would be the only way to figure this out. I mean, did he hurt you? Touch you? Abuse you?