Tryst

Hello. Been a while since I posted anything. Just been too busy lately. Anyway, here's a Fic I wrote a while back and posted in the megaten community in LJ. It's a NarumiRaidou fic. Please be warned that there maybe spoilers in this fic.

Atlus owns Devil Summoner. I'm just a fanfic writer.

Tryst

Part One: Narumi

Narumi descended the stairs one agonizing step at a time, remembering that once upon a time, he belonged in this world that felt of cold steel and old leather, tasted of a tinge of blood with a scent of agony.

"What's your name, boy?"

He saluted. "I am Nakai Yasuna, sir!"

The Major General laughed at his eagerness then. He didn't quite know why but the older man had taken a liking to him since that day and him, being him was more than happy to serve under Munakata.

As he descended, the sound of the soles of his shoes made loud clunking noises, shattering the quiet rhythm of the unfamiliar machines about him. The rust on the railings dirtied his hands. His blood stained his clothes and the sounds of the moaning and groaning of the undead and demons filled his ears as they approached talons out and fangs bare.

He had his own fangs. He was not defenseless even if he was only human. Even if-

-"Human beings are mortal..." The little boy had said when they met for the first time outside the woods of Shinoda.

It was dusk and in Shinoda. The Major General had business here and he was with the Major General. He only took a short break and walked about when he saw the boy.

It was just a little boy but he knew the boy was not human. Not entirely at least.

"They live and die as mortals would..."

"And you are not?" He asked the little boy.

The little boy laughed a quaint little laugh as if what he said was funny.

"What do you think?" The boy asked coyly.

He didn't miss a beat.

"You are a fox... A god messenger, aren't you?"

The little boy shrugged, teasing. "Maybe."

"What's your name?"

"Kuzu no Ha." The little boy replied.

"Arrowroot leaf? Such an odd name…"

The little boy smiled at him with that secret fox smile that promised-

-Victory against the undead soldiers. Narumi reloaded his gun. The undead's burning carcasses lay at his feet and some of the demons have fled though not without inflicting more injuries to his person. He winced as he dragged himself down the steps. Even if he closed his eyes, he knew where he would go.

Being aide-de-camp to Major General Munakata had its perks. He handled papers and other reports for the man and accompanied him wherever he went. He knew about this place but they were just plans then, blue prints he had held once. He remembered—

—Looking down at the prints in amazement. To think that they'll be building an underground facility. He wondered if it had already been approved. But it looked impressive. He couldn't help but look at the details of the prints although it's still not of its full potential. There's still some room for improvement.

"Oh, so you've found them, Nakai-kun."

He looked up from the papers to see Major General Munakata come in. He quickly straightened up and saluted. The Major General laughed at him and motioned for him to be at ease.

"What do you think of the plans?" The older man asked, cheerfully.

"They're amazing, sir!" He replied, eagerly. "Is this for the Super Soldier Project?"

Munakata laughed and nodded. "Of course. One day, we will need soldiers to protect our people should the time of war ever come…. Though, I hope such a time would never come, but still we must always be prepared."

He looked down at the plans again. He wanted to help this man who hoped to defend the peace of this country.

"Sir, I will do everything I can to support you!"

Munakata put a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"I am glad for that." Munakata replied. "Now, what do you think of these plans?"

He looked down at the plans. Munakata watched him, closely as if he knew that the younger man can see something no one else can.

"We could fortify the defenses here…" He remarked and pointed some parts. "And make it slightly larger than the usual in order to accommodate more… Although that would mean we'll have to move some parts and strengthen the foundations… To make a channel large enough that it could move out to sea with nary a problem…"

Munakata smiled. "I knew it."

He turned to Munakata. "Sir?"

"You have… good eyes, Nakai-kun. I will leave the plans in your care."

He saluted. "You can—

—Count on me to mess up…" Narumi muttered to himself as he staggered to the next staircase. "Who would've thought, I'd be getting problems in a facility I helped built…"

He winced when he touched the gash on his chest. That Anju cut him, really good this time. It was probably going to leave a scar. Not that he minded. It wouldn't matter anyway. He'll be dead by the time this is over, taking Munakata with him.

He sighed, sadly and looked up at the ceiling where the earth crumbles, dust falling. He closed his eyes—

—And opened them to see the little boy standing by the side of the road. The pale boy that had that quaint little fox smile. He didn't know why, but still he was not afraid of this boy, despite the knowledge (and the belief) that he wasn't entirely human.

It was dusk and the only ones one could meet in the road would be foxes in human forms.

"Good evening, little fox." He greeted cheerfully. The fox boy was always a welcome sight.

"Good evening." The boy greeted. "You seem to be in a good mood."

He stopped just beside the boy with a smile. "It's nothing… It's just that I was thinking that I wanted to see you."

The boy gave him a small fox smile that he adored. Fox smiles are very rare.

"I'm glad… but…" The boy said, simply. Then very sadly. "This will be the last time we will meet…"

He walked toward the boy. "Why is that? Have the Gods called for you, little fox?" He asked.

The boy turned away. There is sadness in his face but it was beyond tears. Parting after waiting to meet. Like lovers. This may have been a tryst if only either of them had known. At least that was how the little boy had looked then.

A little lover.

"The next time, we meet. I would not remember you." The boy added.

"Why?"

The boy gave another one of those quaint little fox smiles. "If only to save your life."

The wind moaned and the trees murmured sadness.

"You should be careful." The boy said. "It's too dangerous."

He was taken aback at that. "What do you mean?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead, the boy looked past him. He turned to see what the boy was looking at to see the Major General walking toward them. He saluted to the man when the older man came.

"What are you doing out here, Nakai-kun? Having a tryst?" The older man asked, cheerfully.

"No, sir." He replied. "I was on my way back to the camp when I met this boy…"

Munakata turned to look at the little boy all in white. The boy seemed to be shinning against the darkness of the night with hauntingly calm gray eyes. He knew that look. His eyes can see after all. The boy can see death on the Major General.

"Hello, child." The Major General greeted. "You shouldn't be out here alone at night. Who knows what may come to eat you."

The boy stepped closer until he stood before Munakata.

"Do not dig too deep." He warned. "Or you will die."

The cold wind blew and made him shiver. Munakata just watched the boy with silent amusement.

"And what else do you see?" Munakata asked.

"You will kill my Darling…" The boy said, turning to him. There was silence and then: "I will kill you." The boy said, seriously.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to believe it and wanted the boy to take those words back. So he reached out and grabbed—

—The box for support. Narumi chuckled bitterly as he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. What the fox child had said came to past. His old self was killed by Munakata, just right after he resigned his commission. He didn't know it then, but he found out that the Major General had been afraid of something and told him to resign and live a life away from the military for his safety.

He had refused but it became an order. And his old life died along with an explosion of fire that killed half of the men he had ever known.

Living life, he changed his name. Narumi Shouhei. He'd changed it and looked for a fox child that had warned him a few years back, in that dark night by the roadside. For his prophesy had come true. At least in manner if not in the most literal sense.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. Why think of these things now? It wasn't like—

—He could remember. The boy had told him after all, the next time they meet he would not remember. But he could not help himself. He had to try.

He stood in that roadside just outside the woods of Shinoda, waiting.

It was a tryst after all. Even if the other could not remember. The boy had come though the boy was no longer the little boy he had met then. A youth of fourteen years was what he found in the dusk filled roadside.

"Excuse me," He began. "But have you seen a fox waiting here? I promised to meet him even if he doesn't remember me anymore here in Shinoda."

The youth gave him a small frown. "Why would you promise a fox that? You shouldn't promise such things to beings you cannot hope to understand…"

He smiled. "True." He replied. "But that's the only thing I could do. I loved that little fox. He called me his 'Darling' as he is mine."

The youth thought for a moment then shrugged. "There is no fox here, sir." The youth replied. "Except for the fox of Shinoda, who is said to live in these woods, where I also live."

"Ah…" He said, smiling. He had good eyes after all. Though this youth could not remember, he knew this was the fox he was looking for. He didn't know if something had happened. He wanted to ask but knew he would not get an answer.

"Then maybe I shall go and come back some other day. But tell me, what is your name?"

"Toudou Kaguya." The youth replied. Then after a short pause. "Toudou Kaguya of the Kuzunoha Family."

"Ah… Kuzu no Ha… What a nostalgic name…" He murmured then tipped his bowler hat forward to hide his face.

"Goodbye, little fox…"

Those were his words. He remembered speaking them to the youth who was once a fox child. And when they met again, the youth was a young man, a Devil Summoner. But he could not bring himself to call the young summoner by that beloved name.

Narumi felt like it wasn't his place anymore. He looked up at the black smoke rising from one of the machines. It smelled awful, to say the least, oil and grease and grime with a tinge of rust (or was it blood? He didn't quite know). The air felt heavy and hot against his skin.

It would be best if this place never get to see the light of day.

"I'll have to get rid of this joint…" he muttered to himself.

With unsteady hands he fumbled into his pocket to get his cigarettes.

Last smoke before the execution? That thought made him laugh. He would've offered himself up to the gallows and to the God of Death sooner if that would've spared the life of his fox boy.

If only he had been spared…

His sadness is beyond tears now. It was beyond anguish. Beyond Agony.

Crying wouldn't have solved anything. True. And he was a man. He can't cry. Not yet at least. Not until everything is over and done with.

He dropped the box of cigarettes. Its contents, a single, white cigarette, jumped out at the first impact and rolled all the way to the staircase he had just been to.

He cursed. Even the pleasure of his last smoke was denied to him.

"What's the world coming to…?!" He muttered, darkly.

Never mind. He scolded himself, tipping his hat forward to hide his face. It was silly to even think of smoking at such a time.

He was about to move but stopped when he heard it, the sound of soles of shoes, clunking against the metal staircase, where his cigarette had rolled. It sounded human, to say the least and the feeling was not cold…

It was oddly comforting.

"Who's there?!"

"Narumi-san!"

Narumi couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, little fox…" He murmured more to himself than Kuzunoha Raidou standing at the last step of the staircase "…I was just thinking that I wanted to see you."

Tryst

Part One End

Notes:

I wrote this one a while back and posted it in the community in Lj. Though I changed Narumi's old name from Kawano to Nakai because I realized that Kawano was Sadakichi's last name. And I made Narumi's old name back in the military Nakai Yasuna because Sadakichi once asked if Narumi is his real name. I don't know what Narumi's real name is though. I just thought Nakai Yasuna sounded nice. Toudou Kaguya is the name I used for Raidou.. I don't know if he has real name though...

Thanks for reading.