Chapter One

I opened my eyes to the bright sunshine streaming through the open window of my room. The scent of warm summer air gently blew against my skin as I automatically reached up with one clenched fist and rubbed my eyes tiredly. It was a Saturday, so I had slept in later than I usually would if it was a school day. Yawning, I finally pushed myself up on my elbows on my tatami mat as I raked my finger through my tangled long brown hair, brushing back my side bangs irritably. Although I was relieved that I was able to get more sleep than usual because it was a weekend, I still felt emotionally exhausted.

A sudden sliding sound off to my side broke my blurred thoughts as I quickly moved my head in the direction of the noise. Onikiri was standing behind my door, peeking through a crack he had made, with his usual look of distress (I am pretty sure it's the mask) At first I thought he heard me waking up and was going to wish me good morning, so as I began to smile at him and greet him "Good morning Oniki- " CRASH! I practically jumped out from under my blankets from the sudden noise coming from what sounded like the kitchen. "Whaa?!" My mouth attempted to make an audible question of what the heck was going on, but before I could even attempt it a second time, Kotetsu showed up beside Onikiri, their little bald heads both peeking into my room looking distressed.

"Nanami-Sama! Tomoe-dono and Mizuki-sama are at it again!"

Big dramatic tears of fear were running down their masks (I still wish I knew how they were able to do that) Sighing and shaking my head as I covered my face out of annoyance and exhaustion I pushed back the covers and shakily stood up in my pajamas that Kamehime had sent to me for my birthday a couple months ago. They were soft and silky, and so so comfortable to sleep in. Tomoe got mad at me a couple weeks after I received them because I had worn them so much that when I tried to go on a walk to town with him in them, he practically threatened to rip them off of me if I continued to wear them so much. So now I was only allowed to wear them to bed every other night. I tugged a sleeve down with a look of irritation. Heading towards the door as my thoughts began to clear more now that my body was in movement. Both of my Shinshi have been fighting and arguing practically non-stop for the past week or so.

Tomoe and Mizuki have never really gotten along, but after a while I thought it was just some strange way of how they actually showed their friendship to each other. So, yes, every once in a while I had to intervene when Tomoe would kick Mizuki from one of his sarcastic comments, or Mizuki would attempt to put poison in Tomoe's sake. It was such a regular occurrence that I began to get used to it, and for some reason it made the Shrine feel more homey and relaxed. But something has been going on lately between them that has been very out of the norm. Tomoe has become particularly protective of me when we are in Mizuki's presence. Which is almost all the time, since we all live together. The only time Tomoe has looked at all relaxed is when we go to school together, and I only know this because he just falls asleep behind his math book in class all day. I am not quite sure what made Tomoe become so guarded around Mizuki though and because of that I have no idea how to fix it. Ever since the first time I had met Tomoe when he rescued me from that old hag yokai in the demon world, he has always had his moments of being protective or even jealous. But that is just because I am his master. I know that he has always been wary of Mizuki because before he became my second Shinshi-dono, Mizuki had kidnapped me and intended me to become his bride.

That was almost a year ago, though, and things had settled down long before this started. As I stepped into the hallway and began to head for the kitchen, an ear splitting shatter made me flinch as I knew yet another one of our dishes had just been broken. I would have to go to town to get some more sometime this coming week. If it weren't for Tomoe's enchantments and spells, I am pretty sure our Shrine would look like a pile of splinters; especially due to the high level destruction from them fighting as of late. I did not want to see the mess that had been made as I reached the doorway to the kitchen. It was too early in the morning, and I was cranky from having to deal with this day in and day out.

Sure enough, what could only be described as terrifying, lay in front of my wide eyes. The kitchen had become an array of broken glass, food on the floor, counters, and even somehow smeared onto the cabinets. The stove was on high, and something in a pan was bubbling over making the room smell burnt and funny. Tomoe was holding an armful of tangerine's, and throwing them one by one, as hard as he could, at mizuki who was holding up a sauce pan with one hand as a shield, and with the other, scooping out lobs of half-melted ice-cream and throwing them at Tomoe in return crossfire.

"-dare you try and take the shiitake out of Nanami's breakfast again! I prepare a special meal just for you and you always have to ruin it!" Tomoe's fox canine's were bared in loathing as he baredly managed to dodge another lob of ice-cream, this one having headed straight for his head. I could only stare in shock as I tried to take in the scene before my eyes.

"It is my job as Nanami-Chan's Shinshi that I see all her comforts met, Tomoe! So I HAD to take that shiitake out of her breakfast! You know she hates it!" Mizuki screamed back in his innocent voice. As he scooped out another bit of ice-cream with his long dainty fingers, tears came to his eyes as Tomoe, seeming a much better shot than Mizuki, managed to hit Mizuki right in the cheek with one of his tangerine's. He must have been throwing it pretty hard because a red welt already began to blosson on his pale white skin. A darker aura began to build around Mizuki's form as he brought his clawed hand filled with dripping ice-cream back. "See what you are making me do! I am having to give up the ice-cream I hid in the back of the freezer to fight for Nanami! And it's Strawberry you fox beast!"

Tears ran down Mizuki's face as he threw as hard as he could, somehow managing to land the pink sticky coldness right on one of Tomoe's ears, which were flattened out of anger. For a moment Tomoe paused, the air in the room feeling as if it dropped at least ten degrees. "Snake... I'LL KILL YA!" He screamed as he suddenly dropped all the tangerine's, and lunged straight for Mizuki's throat.

"Tomoe, STOP!" I shouted just before he was able to grip Mizuki's skinny throat. My tsureki (powers a kamisama possesses over their shinshi where they have to listen to a command given by their master) stopped him right in his tracks, his raised claws a mere inch from Mizuki's throat. Mizuki was trembling with wide eyes, and as soon as he heard my voice and knew he was safe from Tomoe for the moment, he looked at me with tears still in his eyes, and dropped the sauce pan in his hand (dropping it on Tomoe's foot) and ran straight for me, crying and reaching out to me. "Nanami-chan! I did my best to protect you Nanami-chan!" He reached me and fell to his knees dramatically, wrapping his arms around my legs and resting his cheek against me as he sobbed. "That wicked wild fox is a beast and I cannot stand living with such a lowly yokai that I have to call my brother shinshi! Nanami-chan let's tie him up to a post in the backyard for three days and punish him!"

I stared down at Mizuki, wide eyed at his usual theatrics. More-so, I was worried about the strawberry ice-cream he was getting on my pajamas. Before I could even speak, a growl resounded from behind Mizuki and Tomoe faced us, his arms folded, practically shaking with anger as he attempted to hold himself back from attacking Mizuki once more. His ears flattened even more as he shouted again, "There is something wrong with that insolent snake!" He pointed a long clawed finger at him as Mizuki squeezed me more tightly and whimpered. "He was not just trying to take the shiitake out of the breakfast I made for you this morning, Nanami. I saw him trying to sneak some questionable liquid into it as well!"

Frowning as my eyebrows drew together in confusion, I glanced down at Mizuki who was looking back up at me with an innocent pleading expression. Tomoe had made a couple similar accusations about Mizuki lately. Claiming that he attempted to put something in my tea before bed, in my bath as it was getting prepared. Even in the toothpaste. But each time, Mizuki had a reasonable excuse for it all. Saying that it was something to help my sleep, bath salt to help me relax, or a medicine for the pain in my back I got a few days ago from helping lift something heavy in the shed. And after he had said this, I didn't worry about it because I assumed since Mizuki is a yokai practically 500 years old, it must be some ancient remedies that the japanese used to believe in and he would use all the time back at Yonomori shrine. (The shrine Mizuki used to serve in before he became Nanami's Shinshi) Glancing back up at Tomoe, I began to try and calm him down.

"Tomoe, did you ask him what he was attempting to put in my food and why he might be doing it?" Folding his arms and glaring down at the floor, I watched with amusement as Mizuki's strawberry ice-cream dripped off of his hair in the quiet of the messy kitchen.

"No, because he would say the same exact things that he has been saying all the other times." I watched as his eyes darted back up at mine, I felt a slight shock as something like fear flashed through his violet irises. "Nanami... How can you not see something is wrong here?" His gaze slid down to Mizuki who had finally managed to unwrap his arms from around my knees and push himself up onto his feet, standing by my side and glaring at Tomoe.

Folding his own arms, he spoke to me as he was still glaring at Tomoe. "It was something for your nerves, Nanami chan... I know that the wild fox has been distressing you lately and I wanted you to feel relaxed during your break from school this weekend." I watched as something like a smirk flashed across Mizuki's features in an instant, but was gone so quickly that I could have mistaken even seeing it. A growl ripped from Tomoe's chest in response to Mizuki's snide remark and he took a threatening step towards him; Mizuki, in turn, latched on to my sleeve with a look of fear in his eyes.

Sighing, I suddenly stepped forward, between them once more. Holding my arms out to keep them apart. Tomoe's suspicions were beginning to seem borderline unreasonable. Yes, it was rather strange that Mizuki had been trying to do all these 'helpful' things lately to help me relax or sleep, but surely he had been doing it this whole time and Tomoe had only been catching him in the act recently. I was feeling a whole lot more tense and restless lately, but I just thought it was from all this fighting I had been having to put up with. But maybe it was because whatever Mizuki had been putting in my food and such had actually been helping me. There is no reason Mizuki would be trying to poison me... After all, he has been so grateful constantly because he had been alone for so long after Yonomori sama passed away. He was so lonely, me and Tomoe are all he has. Hence why it was absurd for Tomoe to be suspicious of such things. He should know that.

"Tomoe, I need you to calm down and think about this rationally. Why would Mizuki be trying to poison me? You know he would never attempt to hurt me."

I instantly regretted even asking, because he had an answer right away that I should have seen coming. A serious expression crossed his features as he stared at me as if I was an idiot. "He kidnapped you and tried to make you his bride when he first met you, Nanami. Not to mention, when I found you, he was about to force himself onto you." A blush began to rise in my cheeks as I remembered the embarrassing situation Tomoe had barged into, I still am very thankful he was able to make it in time when he did, even if he was a little late.

"A snake who was willing to force himself onto you, then made himself your shinshi without your permission... how is it hard to believe he is trying to put something bad into your body, Nanami?" I bit my lip as I thought it over. A part of my mind began to see that he was making sense, although I did not really want to see it, I could not deny the points he had been making.

"But... ever since Mizuki has become my second shinshi, he had done nothing but try to help me and protect me. Just as much as you have, Tomoe. He may not have all the powers you possess since you are a former yokai, but he is a part of this family now and I cannot accept what you are telling me." Even though what he was saying was making a little sense, the facts that I had brought up rang truer in my own mind. Mizuki was part of my family now, and I loved him as one loves a brother or a best friend. Not to mention, Tomoe has always been so hard on him, I feel like I am the only one who can defend him, so I must.

Sniffling sounds made me glance in the direction of Mizuki, who now had his hands clasped together, looking at me with adoration and amazement, a big grin spreading across his features. "Nanami-chan...!" Suddenly I was being wrapped in a tight hug as Mizuki pulled me against him, my eyes widening at his unawareness of personal space.

…...

I watched in disgust as the snake pulled Nanami into his arms, his fake smile making my stomach churn. How could she not see it? How could she not see the evil that has been festering and growing in Mizuki for the past month? It's been exhausting having to watch every single move that snake bastard has been making just so I can make sure that Nanami doesn't get harmed. How could she believe those terrible lies he was feeding to her every time I have caught him in the act.. If only I could manage to get the poison he has been trying to dose her with, then I could show it to Nanami and prove it was not any of those things he had said.

I wanted to jump across the room right now, and rip his head off and be done with it. The perversion living in our household was beginning to be too much for me to bear. Something had to be done quickly or Nanami was going to get hurt... badly. A familiar pang of the worry I had to endure for twenty years, waiting for Mikage to return sprung up in my heart.

As I watched Mizuki hugging her tightly, his chin resting on her shoulder as her back faced me, his eyes suddenly opened, a slow and wicked grin began to widen on his face as he pulled her even closer, directly challenging me with his green eyes.

Yes... something had to be done about that snake.