"Kaede, come here," Imari said. "I'm so sorry. I wish you'd told me, but we can fix this—"
Kaede recoiled again. Imari's arms no longer looked inviting, but more like a trap. "There's no fixing it. It's something Aozora Kaede did. Iori Kaede knows better. If I go back, even to save my parents, Setsuna will use me again. I've already watched too many samurai and yokai die because of me. I won't watch more people I love die too." Unbidden, the memory of Hayate's blade pressing into Imari's throat took over Kaede's mind. She imagined blood trickling beneath the sharp edge, pooling in the dip of Imari's collarbone, running in a river down her front. "It could even be you next time! I'm not going to let that happen."
"That isn't your decision," Imari said, lowering her arms.
"And this isn't yours." Kaede squared her shoulders, jutting out her chin. "Don't you remember what happened in Yin? You were acting like Takeshi, stepping in for me when you didn't need to."
"I was trying to protect you," Imari protested. "The Kaede I know would be grateful, and she'd want to do the same for her family, no matter how distant they were."
"This has nothing to do with that."
"How can you say that? You don't even want to help them."
"I do want to help them. What I don't want is to get them killed by going back! See, this is why I was afraid you wouldn't understand. Everything that happened back home is my fault." Kaede began to shake, clenching her fingers into fists. "I ruin everything I touch."
"Kaede, you don't—"
"I'm ruining this right now. The best part of my life." Tears rose in Kaede's eyes. She couldn't stay any longer. She couldn't listen to Imari's harsh words, or stand to look at the disappointment in her eyes. "I'm going," she said, turning back toward the mouth of the cave. "I just…I have to be alone for a little while."
"So, what?" Imari said, her voice cold and distant. "That's it? You're going to let Hayate take your parents hostage? Refuse to talk to me? Maybe you are the coward you say you are."
Kaede didn't answer. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she needed time and space to figure it out. "I'm sorry," she murmured, but when she headed toward the cave, she didn't look back. She already knew what she would see: Imari's face falling with a heartbroken expression of disappointment.
***
Imari stared after Kaede's retreating form until she disappeared from sight. At first, she wasn't sure what to do. She stood, stunned, reeling with everything that had happened. Part of her still couldn't believe Kaede had deceived her. She had offered her trust only to have it thrown back in her face. It was practically an insult. She had never pushed to learn more about Kaede's past, but this felt like more than an omission. It was a lie, pure and simple. The woman she was in love with had lied to her.
"I'm so sorry, Imari," Kyuubi said, startling her from her thoughts. Imari looked down at the fox. She had been so wrapped up in her own hurt feelings that she hadn't even remembered she wasn't alone. "This is my fault, I'm afraid. I never meant to cause trouble between you and Kaede."
"You didn't." Imari dropped down to her knees, too weary to continue standing any longer. "This is our fault."
"That's the thing about arguments," Kyuubi said. The fox crawled closer, resting her front paws on Imari's lap and staring up at her with her sweet, narrow face. "They're rarely just one person's fault. But if you care at all about my opinion, she shouldn't have lied to you about her family."
"I know that, and she knows it, too." She could still see the look of regret on Kaede's face.
"But her lie isn't what's important right now," Kyuubi continued. "I know it hurts, but you have bigger things to worry about. Right now, Hayate is gathering an army to invade Aozora. You’ve seen how all those other deaths weigh on Kaede's conscience. How do you think she's going to feel once her head clears? When she realizes she stood by while her family and her entire province were slaughtered?"
Ice flooded Imari's veins. It was true, she was angry at Kaede's deception, but the thought of the woman she loved carrying such a burden was unacceptable. No matter what she kept from me, she doesn't deserve that.
"I need to go get her," Imari said, making to rise. "We can work out our problems later. Right now, keeping Aozora safe is more important."
Kyuubi climbed the rest of the way onto her lap, preventing her from standing up. "But will she even come with you? You heard what she said. She's convinced everything that happened back in Yukimura before she left is her fault, and she thinks she isn’t good enough for you. You won't be able to convince her to go back with you."
"I have to try anyway,” Imari said. “You're right, Kyuubi. When she realizes she could have prevented this, she'll feel guilty all over again."
"And how long will it take her to realize? A day? A week? A month? Kaede is stubborn. By then, it may be too late to fix things."
An idea began to form in Imari's mind. It was vague at first, like a shadow behind a thick layer of fog, but gradually, it started to take shape. "I could go without her," she said slowly, testing the words out. “To Aozora. . .”
“Or,” Kyuubi purred, “you could prevent Hayate going even that far. Tackle the problem at its source.”
“I’d go to Yukimura then?” At first, the prospect seemed ridiculous. Imari knew there was no way she could stop an invasion all on her own, even with the sword Wen Ling had given her. But the more she thought about it, the more right it felt. Go to Yukimura. Kill Hayate. Protect the family of the woman she loved. It seemed so simple. Of course that was what she needed to do.
"Yes," Kyuubi said, "you should go without her. I'm sure Kaede would be grateful to you for saving her family. It might even make up for the fight you had."
Imari felt a tug of doubt. The plan began to unravel, and she frowned as her head cleared. "No. Kaede doesn't like me stepping in to solve her problems. The only times we argued before now were when I put myself in danger for her."
"But you heard what Kaede said before she left." Kyuubi let her tails drape over Imari's knees. "She thinks she destroys everything she touches. You'll never convince her to go home and fix this, and if you don't, she'll regret it for the rest of her life."
"Yes," Imari repeated. Once more, everything seemed simple and clear. It was as if she'd been lost in a forest, but finally, she had found her way back to the right path. "She'll regret it."
"You don't want the woman you love to lose her parents, do you?" Kyuubi's eyes took on a look of deep concern. The swirls of orange and gold in those deep brown irises were so pretty, Imari completely missed the moment they shifted. When had the color changed? "Think of how devastating that would be for her. Imagine how terrible you would feel if you lost your father."
Imari didn't have to imagine it. A gaping hole of sadness opened in her chest. She felt hollow, too empty even for tears. Her blooming feelings for Kaede aside, her father was the person she loved most in the entire world. The thought of losing him was like losing sunlight or air. The wave of pain was so intense she couldn't breathe.
"No," she said, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "No. I don't want Kaede to feel this."
"That's right. You don't. You need to save Kaede's family so the two of you can mend your relationship and be happy together."
As Kyuubi said those words, Imari felt a surge of relief. Her mind-numbing grief vanished, and a warm, cozy feeling rushed in to take its place. She smiled, then sighed, letting out the heavy breath she had been holding. "Happy." She could be happy with Kaede, if they could get past this. She was certain of it.
"The two of you are meant to be together," Kyuubi purred, cuddling in closer. "I knew it from the first moment I met you. But you can't win true love unless you fight for it. Are you going to fight for your love, Imari, or are you going to let Kaede lose herself in grief and guilt?"
For a moment, Imari's niggling doubts returned. Kaede can defend herself. I should be fighting at her side, not charging in ahead of her. But then she remembered the pain, and t
he relief that had come after, and the train of thought vanished. "I want to fight for her. I'll stop Hayate and Kaede's aunt, no matter what it takes."
"Good." Kyuubi climbed out of Imari's lap and backed away, beginning to ripple and shift. Soon, she was in her human form once more, although the tips of her nine tails still peeked out from beneath the hem of her kimono. "Please, get up, Imari. I have a gift that will help you on your journey."
Imari stood obediently, gazing at Kyuubi's outstretched hand. Within it was one of the most beautiful pearls she had ever seen. It was large enough to fill Kyuubi's entire palm, and mist drifted over its surface, like a nighttime cloud passing over the glowing circle of the moon.
"Sun and Moon," she whispered, staring into its milky surface, "I've never seen anything so beautiful."
"Thank you," Kyuubi said. "We foxes make them, you know. Our pearls allow us to have eyes and ears all over the kingdom, and they make for fast travel too. If you take this pearl, it will carry you to one of its cousins in Yukimura. Then you can stop Hayate and Setsuna."
"Setsuna too?" Imari asked, but she soon forgot the rest of her question. The pearl was too entrancing. Her eyes grew larger and larger the longer she stared into it, and her fingers itched to reach out and take it. It looked smoother than silk, and with the way it was glowing, she was certain it would be warm.
"Yes. Setsuna and Hayate must be dealt with if you want Kaede to love you again, Imari. With them gone and her parents safe, there won't be any barriers left between you anymore."
"No more barriers," Imari agreed. Kyuubi offered her the pearl, and a tingle zipped up her arm as she closed her fingers around it. The living gem was warmer and heavier than she expected, thrumming under her touch.
"Don't forget," Kyuubi said, her voice and figure growing more and more distant, "you're doing this for Kaede. This is the only way."
Imari closed her eyes as the shadows enveloped her, surrendering to a warm, soundless wind that caressed every inch of her skin. Yes, the only way. The last thing she saw before she disappeared was a white wolf near the mouth of the cave, turning and running back into the mountain.
Chapter Twenty
KAEDE SAT ON THE edge of the mountainside with her arms around her legs, her back resting against the rough surface of a boulder. It wasn't an ideal spot, with little shelter from the wind and sun, but she didn't care. She didn't want to go back inside the cave and risk running into the Hibana brothers or Wen Ling. Her eyes were too dry to cry and her heart felt battered and bruised.
Everything was falling apart. Her family was in danger, Imari hated her, and she didn't know what to do. The words Imari had thrown at her still cut deep: Maybe you are the coward you say you are.
She was a coward. That much was clear from the way Imari had looked at her, first with shock and disappointment, then with anger and disgust. It was so different than the way Imari had looked at her last night, with more love than Kaede had ever seen before shining like stars in her eyes. But none of that had been real. Imari was in love with a fantasy-version of her, one who actually stood and faced her problems. That meant Imari had never really loved her at all.
Kaede shuddered, tucking further in on herself and burying her face in the gap between her knees. It always happened this way. Someone would claim to love her, come close to accepting her without any strings attached, and then it would all fall apart—first with Setsuna, then Hayate, and now, Imari. Maybe it's my fault that this keeps happening to me. I should have trusted Imari. Maybe I'm not lovable. The only one who doesn't end up disappointed in me is Rin.
"Kaede!"
The sound of alarmed barking snapped Kaede abruptly from her sorry state. After a few blinks, she saw Rin bounding toward her, a striking white blur against the dull grey-brown of the mountainside. She lifted her head and sniffed, wiping her wind-burned cheeks. "Go away, Rin. I don't want to talk right now."
Rin skidded to a stop without her usual grace, sending small pebbles sliding in a shower behind her paws. "No, you don't understand. Imari's gone, Kaede! Sun and Moon, I told you two not to trust that fox."
Immediately, Kaede refocused. "What do you mean?" she asked, pushing herself to her feet. "Where did Imari go?"
"I don't know. I was waiting for her near the mouth of the cave, keeping my distance. I saw her take something from Kyuubi, and then she disappeared."
Kaede's gut churned. Hearing that Hayate was preparing to march on Aozora had been bad, but this was worse. No matter what they had said to each other, she had sworn an oath as Imari's yojimbo—and another, even stronger oath when the two of them had shared their feelings. If anything happened to Imari, she would never forgive herself.
Kaede drew her katana, folding her fingers tight around the grip. No longer was she despondent, paralyzed with fear and self-loathing. She couldn't afford to be, for Imari's sake. "Where did you last see her?"
Rin took off back down the mountain, and Kaede followed. She slid half the way, but managed to maintain her balance. Less than a minute later, they arrived at the same spot where she and Imari had argued. As Rin had said, Imari was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Kyuubi. There wasn't a trace of them anywhere. All she could see was the empty mountainside and the sharp afternoon glare of the sun.
"Are you sure she disappeared?" she asked Rin, her voice cracking with desperation. "You can't pick up her scent or anything?"
Rin's ears drooped and her tail hung low between her legs. "I'm sorry, Kaede. She's gone. I saw it happen myself."
"We need to tell Wen Ling and Suanni. Maybe they'll know what to do."
It wasn't much of a plan, but it was the only idea Kaede had. She sprinted back for the mouth of the cave with Rin trotting along beside her. "Wen Ling!" she shouted as soon as entered, "Where are you?"
She met Wen Ling at the other end of the passage, nearly bowling the smith over in her hurry. A strong, steady hand reached out to grab her arm, keeping her from tripping over her own feet. "Kaede? I heard you call from the forge. What's the rush?"
"Imari's gone," Kaede blurted out. "She was talking to Kyuubi, and then—"
"Wait, Kyuubi?" Wen Ling's eyes narrowed with what looked like anger, an expression Kaede had never seen before. She grabbed Kaede's elbow, practically dragging her the rest of the way through the hall and into the forge. "Come with me. You need to tell me everything."
"So, you know this fox," Rin growled. "This is looking worse and worse."
"Oh, I definitely know her," Wen Ling said. "Let me summon Suanni. They will need to hear this as well." She let go of Kaede's elbow as they arrived at the forge, striding past the anvils and over to a small alcove. Tucked inside was a drab brown sheet Kaede hadn't noticed before, draped over something tall and thin. It almost looked like an abandoned weapon stand, but as Wen Ling uncovered it, Kaede saw that it wasn’t.
Beneath the blanket was a large brass gong suspended on a simple wooden frame, but the surface itself was intricately decorated with raised black lines. Eight symbols were inscribed around the edges, one for each direction, and in the middle, the serpentine silhouette of a dragon coiled in on itself. Kaede barely had time to marvel at the beautiful craftsmanship before Wen Ling removed the mallet from its hook. She struck the center of the gong, and its warm voice rang throughout the forge, echoing up and out through the hole in the ceiling.
They didn't have to wait long for a response. Kaede heard the rush of wind from above, and then a large shadow passed over the opening, blocking out the afternoon sunlight. The forge suddenly became darker, although the ever-burning fires seemed to leap in recognition. A moment later, Suanni swooped down into the cave, slipping their narrow body through the opening and touching gracefully down on the ground.
"We have a problem," Wen Ling said, not bothering with bows. "Imari has disappeared, and Kyuubi is responsible."
"Kyuubi?" Even by human standards, Suanni looked concerned. Their whiskers fluttered with a puff of impatient air, and Kaede could see a glimpse
of their gleaming teeth. "So, she's returned then."
Kaede clenched her hands into fists. Every moment not spent searching for her felt like a waste. Her whole chest ached, and her skin crawled with the desire to do something. "We need to focus on Imari, not Kyuubi! She's the one who disappeared into thin air. She could be in danger."
"If Kyuubi is involved, I'm certain she is," Wen Ling said gravely.
Suanni dipped their head, coming closer to eye level. "Kyuubi may present herself as a harmless fox, but she is anything but. She has lived for over a thousand years, and she's spent most of her long life toying with anyone she can, simply for her own amusement. The short lives of humans and most other yokai mean nothing to her. She sees your suffering as a form of entertainment."
"And what about Imari?" Kaede asked. "Is Kyuubi toying with her?"
"Likely," Suanni said. "Kyuubi is a master manipulator. She uses her powers to delve within her victim's mind and convince them to betray their own moral codes. Tell me, what did you and Kyuubi discuss before Imari disappeared? That may tell us where they're headed."
Kaede tried to focus, but her mind was lost in a fearful fog. All she could think about was Imari. "I—I don't know." Her mind flashed from Hayate's sword at Imari's neck, to black dollops of blood dotting upturned mountain snow, to the final words Imari had said to her. Coward. Coward.
"Kaede." Rin's cold nose nudged at her shoulder, distracting her from the haunting echo. "I know you're afraid for Imari, but you need to think. What did Kyuubi say to you?"
She brought her hand up to cover her face, raking her nails along the top of her head. "We were arguing. She was angry I hadn't told her about my family. She wanted me to go to Aozora and rescue them from Hayate. Ancestors, I left her. I ran away again. If I'd stayed, I could’ve done something,"
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