After
I was exhausted, I just tracked a two hundred and twenty pound deer for thirty miles, and I eventually caught up to it. I was heading back home now that I had eaten my fill. I stopped by a river to get a drink of water and started walking again. I was now old enough to go out of my band's territory. Being one with nature again felt good, familiar.
I stopped when I smelled something circling me. There were three, no four men surrounding me. I growled when the first man stepped out from behind a tree. I was tired, but I wasn't too tired to fight off a few jerks. "Well, look at what we got here, boys; A Lycan out of Lycan territory." He chuckled. I could smell him without trying; he was soaked with the stench of liquor. The other three's laughter was slurred. I had to make this quick; Yoko-sama said that I couldn't be out of our territory after dark and it was almost sunset. They pulled out daggers.
"What do you say that we get that pretty fur for her Lady, kerewa?" The one to my left chuckled wickedly. They were going to kill and skin me for my fur. Lycan fur was the rarest fur in all of the Makai. Which made sense; Lycans were endangered, on the brink of extinction.
I snarled, baring my fangs. "Sounds good to me." Kerewa sneered, he closed in on me. I growled and tackled him, I ripped out the front of his throat, let it go. I turned to the other three, my mouth bloody, I growled deep within my throat, my eyes glowed a little. I took out the one in front of me; he reached with his dagger and ran it down my right hind leg. I howled in pain. I took his head in my mouth, twisted it, and broke his neck. I finished the remaining two off. I pulled out the dagger with my teeth.
I had no choice but to limp back to the castle.
################################
It was at least midnight; I was in so much trouble. I transformed back, I looked at my leg, and it was bleeding pretty badly. I sighed then grunted as I pushed the creaking hinged doors open. As I thought, Yoko-sama was sitting on the stairs waiting for me. He got up and walked up to me, "Where the hell have you been?" He growled.
"I was hunting then I ran into some trouble." I answered. I wasn't going to lie; even if I did Yoko-sama would be able to tell I wasn't being honest.
"What kind of trouble?" Yoko-sama's voice lowered a little.
"Just some thieves who were giving me a hard time." I shrugged, it didn't seem like a big deal to me.
"Did you kill them?" Yoko asked, for some reason he growled at me.
"Y-yeah." I suddenly felt a hand come sharply across my cheek, I fell backwards onto the floor, hitting the back of my head on the door frame. Yoko-sama had just slapped me, "Yoko-sama…" I didn't know what to say, he had never hit me before or gave me the look that said; "I want to rip your heart out and eat it."
"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?" Yoko-sama screamed at me. I flinched at his tone and at the pain that ran through my leg, "THE BANDS THAT THOSE THIEVES BELONGED TO WILL COME HERE! YOU JUST PUT THE WHOLE BAND'S LIVES IN DANGER; THEY'LL COME HERE TO KILL FOR REVENGE! YOU STUPID DAMN EMIKO, DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SENSE AT ALL?" Yoko glared and snarled at me.
My heart felt like it had been shattered into a million pieces; Yoko had never called me that. "I'M NOT STUPID!" I shouted back.
Yoko-sama's eyes wavered when he realized what he just said, "Cub…I…I…" He tried to explain himself. He saw my leg, "Your hurt." He stated in a whisper.
"How perceptive of you." I rolled my eyes as I got up.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"I'm leaving, I mean; I wouldn't want to endanger the band with my injuries." I transformed and ran into the forest despite the pain that was shooting through my leg and cheek.
"Cub!" Yoko-sama called after me. I let my tears fall as soon as I was out of sight.
############################ (Yoko's POV)
Guilt was whipping across my soul. I called my cub an Emiko. The way she looked at me; it ripped through me all the way down to my core. Kuronue and Etsuko chewed me out when I told them what happened, I deserved it. I went to my room, I sat on the edge of my bed, and I looked at my bed side table to see a CD with a note taped to the front. I picked it up and pulled off the note and read it.
Dear Yoko-sama,
I record this especially for you. I hope you like it.
With Love Forever,
Amaya Tokemei
I looked at the disc in my hand, I got up sat down at the small desk that I kept in my room, I put the disc in the CD player on my desk, I put the EarBuds in my ears, and let the CD play.
Amaya's began to sing as a guitar started to play, I assumed that she was the one playing it. I was quiet as I listened. Her voice was beautiful, smooth, "For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through
Through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me, ooh
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love, I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe, I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because
I was loved by you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were always there for me, the tender wind that carried me
The light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me." I stopped the CD once the song was over. A larger bullet of guilt hit my heart that might as well be a huge Bull's Eye. I had to find her, find her before I lost her completely, find her before she bled to death.
############################(End of Yoko's POV, back to Amaya's POV)
I sat down; the cliff was part of a mountain over a large valley, a forest stretching far behind the valley. The moon was full, shining down on the valley, bathing it in a slivery glow. My leg had healed hours ago, but it was still sore. My cheek was bruised; Yoko-sama had really gotten me good. I thought about not using "sama" anymore when I said his name, but I've gotten used to using the term it's been set into my mind permanently.
I looked at the trees of the forest, I howled loudly. I was answered by scattered howls. "At least I know that I'm not the only wolf in the area." I sighed. I cut my eyes to my left, and then looked back down at the valley beneath me, "Go away."
"Cub please…" he said, his voice pleading.
"I'm not your cub; I'm a "stupid damn Emiko" remember?" I said; cutting him deep with the words that left his mouth during our argument.
He stepped out from the shadows, "Amaya…"
"That really hurt you know?" I layed me hands in my lap. I was trying so hard not to cry, I wasn't lying; that really did hurt me, it cut me deep.
"I know. I was just mad, I'm not trying to use that as an excuse, Cub, but it's true. I shouldn't have lost my temper or slapped you or yelled at you. I'm sorry I called you that; I'll never call you that again, Cub. I swear." Yoko-sama said. I looked at him, his eyes were brimmed with tears, I looked back at the valley again, and I got up, and ran to him. I ran into his arms, I held him close to me. I was probably being too forgiving but I couldn't stand it when Yoko-sama and I fought.
We sat down on the cliff. "I never asked you why you killed those thieves." Yoko-sama said as the wind blew through our hair.
"They we're gonna kill and skin me, and give my fur to their lady." I answered. I fiddled with my fingers as my hands layed in my lap.
"Oh… why did you come here?" Yoko-sama changed the subject before another fight began.
"I just like it here." I shrugged. I did like it here, it reminded me my pack's territory; my pack lived in a valley by a forest just like the one bellow us.
"Why is that?" Yoko-sama wanted me to be specific. I smiled then hollowed, placing a hand by my mouth to emphasize the sound of my cry. A whole pack replied this time. "That is so cool." Yoko-sama grinned, he howled. The pack's cry became louder, there was a single howl sounded behind us, and Yoko -sama jumped a little.
I chuckled softly, "You are such a human." I teased. We both smiled at each other.
"Let's go home." Yoko-sama stood up and held out hand for me to take, I took it and he helped me get to my feet.
"Yeah." I said. The next day we had a lot of convincing to do when the bands arrived at our front door, but they thankfully believed us.
After that me and Yoko-sama headed to the dining room for lunch, "I found the CD you left me." Yoko-sama stated suddenly.
"Oh and what do you think?" I wondered. Yoko-sama stopped, I stopped too.
"I loved it." He smiled at me.
"I'm glad." I grinned at him, I was really hoping that he would.
"I'm a lot different from the kitsune I used to be." Yoko-sama walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the right side of the hallway, there where windows on either side of the hallway, but he chose the one of the ones on the right.
"Why is that, Yoko-sama?" I walked over to stand beside the kitsune youkai.
"I was changed, my once black, cold, cruel heart was melted, I became the person that I thought was impossible for me to become." Yoko-sama didn't look at me, but he did look out the window at the mountainous area that stood in the distance, "You did all that, cub; if it weren't for you I would have stayed the same forever."
"How could I possibly do all of that?" I was amazed that Yoko-sama was being open with me.
Yoko-sama turned to me, he smiled gently at me, and he tenderly caressed my cheek that he had wounded, "You done all that because you loved me."
Fin
Kinda cheesy ending but that's all I had at the moment.
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