One Last Chance (A Kamisama Kiss Fanfic)

Chapter 13

((Don't worry everyone. I know you are all expecting this to be a troll chapter or something but I promise you're safe from tricks here. ;) Enjoy!))

"Sakura, for the millionth time, straighten your back and square your shoulders. You're not an old hag! And stop looking at your feet and keep your chin forward! If you drop one more book, I swear to the gods that I will make you walk across this room another two dozen times!" Tomoe barked as he leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed as he watched the vixen pathetically waddle across the room.

Biting her lip, Sakura raised her eyes to look at him, and in that moment, she stepped on the hem of her kimono, causing her to trip. Immediately, all five books tumbled off of her head and onto the floor with a mighty crash that echoed like ominous thunder throughout the room. Sakura froze, not even daring to breathe, as Tomoe's eyebrow twitched spastically and his hands shook, his long nails digging into the flesh of his palm till it bled.

"I-I'm sorry..." Sakura whimpered, her ears flattening against her head. She was already too exhausted and discouraged to fight with her mentor so she merely swallowed the lump forming in her throat and braced herself for another scolding.

Grumbling something under his breath, Tomoe took a deep breath and strode towards the open doorway.

"Let's just move on to something else. I'm tired of watching you flop about like a fish on land. Follow me." he growled flatly then walked out of the room, not even checking to see whether to not he was being pursued. Sighing loudly, Sakura rose to her full height and chased after him, not wanting to earn more reprimanding than necessary. The two foxes quickly made their way outside before Tomoe finally turned around to face his student, giving her a stern glare.

"Summon your kitsubeni."

Sakura blinked at him, not sure she had heard correctly. Tomoe's eyes narrowed.

"Why are you staring at me like that? You heard me with those massive ears of yours, did you not? Summon your kitsubeni!" he snapped.

Sakura took a step back, her eyes wide. Was he insane? Did he want her to burn the entire shrine down with their friends inside?

"I-I can't!" she whimpered, her ears dropping.

"Yes you can! The problem here is not that you can't; it's that you won't. Now summon your kitsubeni!" Tomoe barked.

"I told you, I can't! I can't control it! I'll kill everyone!" Sakura argued.

"Fine, if you want to be stubborn then I'll force it out of you!" Tomoe snarled as he summoned a massive ball of his own foxfire and hurled it at the vixen like a flaming baseball of death.

Sakura released a noise that sounded like a cross between a yelp and a shriek as she dove out of the fireball's path. "Hey, what the heck?! You could've killed me!"

"That's the point! Summon your foxfire and fight or burn and die!" Tomoe shouted as he summoned a horde of smaller orbs of kitsubeni and sent the flying at her.

Heart racing, Sakura ducked, slid, and jumped to avoid getting hit then took off running towards the house, hoping to hide within its walls. However, Tomoe hastily leaped into her path, eyes full of an unsettling light that sent chills down the vixen's spine. Skidding to a halt, she turned and hastily ran another way, narrowly avoiding the balls of fire that were sent after her.

"He's not playing around. He's actually trying to kill me!" she panicked. Scanning her surroundings, she noticed Mizuki lounging lazily on the back porch, sipping a cup of sake. Next to him was a half full jar, a basin of water, and a pile of untouched laundry. Running past him, she hastily snatched up the basin before Mizuki could protest and spun around with it, tossing the water onto the flames that had been following her and extinguishing them.