Shards

Chapter 1

Two years.

Its been two years. A lonely two years that a familiar has lived without his master. Two years of wondering and hoping, that she would return by his side, but having the gutsy feeling that it will never happen. She had left without a word and without a sound to be heard. The bright girl that he had always cherished, protected, nurtured, and even loved, was gone from his sight, but not from his mind. Her chocolate brown eyes, her cocoa colored hair, her buttermilk silky skin, and her lily sweet fragrance were no where to be found. Not a single trace of her was left behind, except of a picture of her smile.

'Where did I go wrong?'

'Did she not want to be a god?'

'Did she not want to be here..?'

'...Did she not want to be here... with me...?'

'...Did she not really... love me...?

His doubtful thoughts always seemed to strike him and haunt him every minute that she had been gone. He knew that he loved her, he always did from the start. After the curse was broken, things only seemed to be thinner in the air. The days were more quiet and the days became tense. Had she been planning this all along?

'I love you Nanami...'

Not a day goes by when he says that in his mind looking at her picture. When demons fall in love, it is more complex than the feelings of an average human being. When a demon loves, he loves forever. It would hurt more and it would ache more than what any human feeling could possibly feel.

"I miss you Nanami...," Tomoe whimpered as he sat down on the steps to the shrine looking at the picture he held in his palms. Mizuki, Onikiri, and Kotetsu all peered around the corner at the silver fox, debating if they should confront him and help him feel better.

"I've never seen Tomoe-sama so heartbroken..," Onikiri said with tears lingering to pour. "Why did Nanami-sama leave us behind two years ago? Weren't we good enough..?" Kotestu whimpered.

'She shouldn't have left the shrine like this,' Mizuki thought to himself. 'Look what she has done leaving without a word..'

Then Tomoe stood up from his spot and walked up the steps to the shrine. Mizuki followed behind and caught a glance of Tomoe's purple eyes. They weren't the same as they use to be. The brightness that use to gleam in those aubergine colored round sectors had faded away. The happiness that use to drive him was gone. His love was gone and the ache seemed to get worse every time his heart beats. The Tomoe that Mizuki use to know, was gone.

"Hey Tomoe...," Mizuki broke the silence.

"Yeah," Tomoe spoke monotony.

"Why don't you cheer up? You aren't alone in this shrine. You got me, Onikiri and Kotetsu who are also concerned about your welfare."

Tomoe stopped in his tracks and turned around to only show a fake smile forced across his face. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I should try to cheer up.."

No matter how hard he forced himself to smile, it was apparent through his eyes, that all hope for life doesn't exist in his mind.

"Tomoe..."

"It's getting late Mizuki, I'm heading to bed," Tomoe waved a hand as he walked towards his room. The sound of his lonely foot steps drag across the maple wood flooring. This was depressing to listen to no more than watching it.

"Nanami, you're an idiot..." Mizuki sighed and rubbed his head.

"Agghhhh! Why the hell would you do this!?" Mizuki falls to his knees messing his hair all over the place. While in the room, Tomoe leans his back against his closed door, clenching his fist till his claws drew blood. 'You are an idiot...' Tomoe smacks his hand on his face trying not to cry, but no tears fall because they were already dried up, there were no more tears he could cry out. He never felt like this in a long time. He felt like hell.

Out of nowhere, a sharp sense came to his nose. He could smell a yokai. It wasn't Mizuki's, no the feeling was stronger than that.

"Tomoe-sama! Tomoe-sama!" Onikiri and Kotetsu cried out.

"There's a yokai presence at the gate of the shrine!"

'I don't have time to put up with some lowly demon..' Tomoe sighed to himself. "I guess well make a nice greeting won't we?" Tomoe opened the sliding door with much less care if it broke or not.

"Tomoe-sama... wait for us," Onikiri and Kotetsu followed behind.

Getting to the entrance of the shrine, Tomoe didn't hesitate to throw his blue flames towards his unknown target while the others behind him stood to the side with blue lines rolling down their faces. Within the matter of time, smoke rose up from the ground and a female voice yelled out a single word to block her opponents attack. "ZOI!" Then two blade like movements, the fire was absorbed.

"Tomoe-sama! That was an ancient language just now! It is only spoken by a yokai who uses an ancient shard sword for protection!" Onikiri shouts out shaking his hands in the air.

'A shard sword ehh?'

"You have no business being here demon!" He shouted out. "I'm not in the mood to play games with lowly demons like you!"

"Is that really how you speak to your master after two years?" A familiar voice spoke beyond the smoke.

Tomoe's heart stops at the sound of her words. It can't be true, it can't be her. There is no way it can be her after these long two years.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

As the smoke clears up, two brown fox ears perk in different directions and a long brown tail flows encircling the feet. The same brown chocolate eyes glow, and the same cocoa colored hair flowed with its shortened length. The same sweet buttermilk silky skin gleamed before the sunlight and the same lily fragrance embraced the air. On her forehead glowed a bright light and the smile that rose upon the girl's face was an all too recognizable smile, but it really didn't seem to have the same meaning anymore.

The world suddenly stops and Tomoe's heart drops out of his chest. His eyes widen in shock and his teeth tighten with loss of words. The world blackens and crashes down to his feet. It's her. It's really her... It's..

"Nanami..."