Watashi no koibito (A Tomoe Love Story)

Chapter 7

Shadowing over Kimiko's sleeping figure, Yonomori and Mizuki sat on the porch facing the full moon. As the two gaze upon the moon, Yonomori eyes shifted down to the glittering lights of village. The hushed wind carry the muffled voices of the villagers. A single sigh... Yonomori reverts her eyes back to the moon.

"It's such a beautiful night tonight." She spoke.

"It is." Mizuki replied back.

"Mizuki, my dearest familiar and family. Promise me something will you?" The unusual tone Yonomori spoke with, caught Mizuki's attention as he turned to face the goddess.

"My lady?" Yonomori's blonde hair shadowed over her eyes as her hands reached down to Mizuki's and caresses them in her hands.

"Mizuki, promise me. Don't hold yourself back for me, live your life. Find someone to spend your life with." 

"Lady Yonomori..." The poor snake familiar, eyes wide as the moon, stared sadly at his only family he has ever had. Understanding as the caring water goddess is, she awaited Mizuki's answer. Mizuki's head lowered sadly as he held onto his master's hand.

In a blink, the moon retreated as the sun rose from the peaks of the mountain. The birds chirped soundly, along with the trees dancing in the wind, creating a melody of nature. Opening her eyes, Kimiko rose up from the futon. Looking around her surroundings, she remembered her encounters with the water goddess along with the snake familiar. After refreshing her memory, she noticed the cold room. 

In the center room of the temple was where Mizuki stood in front of a small room with purple curtains covering the entrance. Mizuki's head hung low mournfully along with the two shrine spirit that were no longer floating but on their knees. Kimiko walks in, detecting something was wrong. 

Mizuki's head rose back up feeling the human girl's presence behind him. He spun around and greeted her with a wide smile, masking his face. The two shrine spirit slowly floated upwards and greeted Kimiko as well.

"Good Morning Lady Kimiko of Minori Shrine!" They spoke in unison.

"Oh good morning everyone." Kimiko spoke with a comforting smile. 

"Mizuki I-" Mizuki cut her sentence off by quickly replying.

"My lady you must be hungry, we will prepare you breakfast. Please do not disturb Lady Yonomori, she is sleeping behind these curtains." Mizuki and the shrine spirited exited the room. Kimiko stared at the curtained room and pondered about what Mizuki said.

The snake familiar returned with a pot full of sake. The shrine spirited held a living centipede and a handful of other large bugs.

"Here's your breakfast human!" The shrine spirits said holding the bugs closer to Kimiko's disgusted face. The thought of eating something that could crawl around inside your stomach, sent a shiver up Kimiko's spine. 

"Thank you.. But I don't necessarily eat bugs.." She trying to revert her mind away from the thought of eating bugs. Hearing her response, the shrine spirits chucked the bugs into their own mouths and chewed happily. Kimiko looked away from the two as Mizuki poured two cups of sake for one another. He pushed the cup of sake closer to Kimiko and took a sip from his own cup. Noticing the drink, Kimiko gulped it all down.

"Mizuki... You don't have to hide it from me. I know that Lady Yonomori is gone..." She looked out the open door at the silent village. Mizuki head hung low once more sadly but this time, droplets of tears fell down to the carpet. A sad whimper escaped from his mouth. Kimiko mourned with him as she moved closer to him and stroke his back gently. In reflex, Mizuki's grabbed onto Kimiko's sleeve and tugged on it. Without pulling away from Mizuki, she wrapped her arms around Mizuki, gave him a shoulder to cry on. The familiar was overwhelmed with the additional heartfelt that his silent weeping broke into a full burst of tears. 

While the two sat there, lost in a moment of mourning, down by the village the streets were empty... But not the shores of the lake as the remaining villagers were burnt to death then tossed into the river, so that from afar the smoke nor the stench of burning flesh can not be detected. 

Tomoe stood on top of a roof whilst he watched all of them, as if he never left in the first place. Seeing how loving and caring Kimiko is towards the snake familiar. How she is the complete opposite of Tomoe, that made him bitter. Tomoe the fearsome fox yokai, imprisoned by a force he is completely defenseless at. 

For days, he stood there watching the two come closer together. Even though he rid the water Goddess, he awaited the chance to take his human hostage back. Although his patience wore thinner and thinner. Every second he spent watching Mizuki being caressed by Kimiko, his heart yearned more and more to be reunited with her. After spending a week of watching them, Tomoe has finally come to accept that he is indeed in love. Which is why, he no longer planned to wait and instead take action on his beloved Kimiko.