When Tomoe awakened the next morning, he looked out at the lovely blue sky and cursed under his breath. Standing, he dressed quickly and made his way to the inner shrine where Miko slept. He had resolved the night before that he would at least try to care for the young girl as Mikage had asked, so he placed a cheery smile on his face and knocked on the door cheerfully.

"Miko?" he called in a polite tone, opening the door tentatively. "It's time to wake up. Do you need help dressing?" Before he could ask anything else, a pillow flew through the air, smacking him in the face.

"I can dress myself, you pervert!"

Before Tomoe could reply, he was knocked to the floor. Clutching his head in pain, Tomoe looked up to see Onikiri and Kotetsu racing to Miko's side. "Miss Miko!" they exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

Miko glared at Tomoe from her place in bed and pointed at the white fox. "He's being creepy!" Immediately, the shrine spirits were muttering their apologies.

Tomoe stood, drawing the attention of the other three. "I apologize for upsetting you," he said through gritted teeth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take care of something outside before I attend to breakfast." Miko merely crossed her arms and looked away with a huff.

Reminding himself that she was only five, Tomoe walked out to the backyard. Making sure to close the door behind him, he stepped into the center of the yard and glanced around. The air was slightly chilly, but it was still warm enough that there was no need to bundle up. Looking up at the clear blue sky, Tomoe took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them once more, he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"DAMN YOU, MIKAGE!"

"Hey, dummyhead!" Miko yelled once more. Tomoe flinched at the nickname and bit back his anger. The white fox groaned and stood, dusting off his knees. All day he'd been interrupted by the young girl's frequent yells. At first, he'd sent Onikiri and Kotetsu to watch over her so he could finish his work, but that had only seemed to aggravate Miko further. Dusk had already fallen and he had barely gotten any real work done.

Turning to look at the young girl, Tomoe plastered an obviously forced smile onto his face. "Yes, Miko?"

The young girl hopped down from her place on the porch and waddled over to the fox. "I'm bored," she told him simply. "Let's go play." Miko tugged his kimono urgently.

Tomoe grabbed the young girl's hand and removed it from the kimono before she could wrinkle it. "I can't play with you right now," he replied harshly. "I have work to do since someone kept me busy all morning with ridiculous demands."

Miko glared at him, her golden narrowed. "Fine then," she said angrily, walking away with a huff. "I'll go play somewhere else."

Tomoe didn't even bother to watch the young girl enter as he turned back to the tedious task of picking weeds. "Miko, indeed," he muttered to himself as he worked.

The girl was sure to become a beautiful and powerful wolf when she got older, but her temper and rashness might get her killed before that time came. Miko's mind was sharp, but her tongue was sharper and Tomoe knew that such a combination could only lead to trouble. Not to mention, she seemed incapable of so much as smiling at anyone she didn't like and she had a terrible habit of speaking her mind no matter the circumstance.

Suddenly, a strange sound reached Tomoe's ears. Well, it wasn't really strange, but rather unexpected. He hadn't heard that sound in such a long time that he'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. The last time it had echoed throughout the shine was over five years ago. It wasn't unpleasant or annoying; in fact, Tomoe thought the sound was quite lovely. Tomoe turned to the source of the sound and a smile reached his lips; of course it would come from her.

Miko let out another carefree laugh as she chased a small butterfly around the yard. Her golden eyes were bright and she wore a rare smile on her face. The laughter floated throughout the yard, lighting up every corner of the shrine. Tomoe watched in amusement as the sunset seemed to turn the girl's dark hair into the same gold as her irises. The butterfly flitted above, darting in and out of Miko's reach. Each time it flew higher, Miko would jump up and let out another peal of delighted laughter.

"Miko, indeed," Tomoe repeated once more, though this time his tone was gentle. Perhaps he could get used to the irritating wolf girl with the lovely laugh.

Unfortunately, the moment of bliss was short-lived. Tomoe turned as another, much more familiar noise reached his ears, though this one was far less pleasant.

"Master Tomoe!" exclaimed Onikiri and Kotetsu as they rushed outside. When they reached the familiar, Kotetsu spoke, "The Tanuki girls called!"

"They said the item you requested has come in," continued Onikiri.

Tomoe nodded. "I see," he said. "I'm going to visit the Tanuki girls for a bit. Watch the shrine until I return." Moving inside, Tomoe headed to his room to change. He showered and dressed quickly, not bothering to check his appearance in the mirror.

The Tanuki girls had many clients, one of whom was a very powerful god by the name of Hoori, the god of hunting. Tomoe had asked the girls to procure one of Hoori's hairs, which was said to be able to lead its bearer to anyone they sought. How fortunate that they were able to locate a hair just in time for young Miko to arrive. Tomoe grinned as he stepped out to the backyard and began making his way across the border to the World Over Yonder.

If Tomoe hadn't been so excited at the prospect of finding his master, perhaps he might have noticed that the laughter in the shrine had died the moment he entered the shrine. He also might have noticed the black-haired little girl with golden eyes following him quietly into the world of the yokai kind.

Tomoe had been walking in silence for about fifteen minutes before he noticed. The entire had been quiet and uneventful with nothing to cause any suspicion in the fox's mind. However, in the world of yokai, it was exactly this sort of setting which should cause suspicion. Therefore, it was only natural when Tomoe paused, took a deep breath, and listened to the quiet stillness surrounding him.

It took another two minutes for him to hear it: soft, almost imperceptible breathing. Whoever was following Tomoe was very good at hiding their presence; he doubted even an average yokai would have noticed it. Another moment of silence allowed him to locate the source of the sound, just enough time for his stalker to realize they had been noticed.

Suddenly, a dark blur leaped out of the shadows and lunged at the fox. Tomoe rolled to the side in time to avoid a full-on collision, but not quickly enough to avoid a blow to the head. He cursed and stood, ready to defend himself; however, nothing could prepare Tomoe for the scene before him.

"I got you!" sang Miko as she danced about, waving her stick in the air triumphantly. "I got you!" She pointed at Tomoe. "You lose, dummyhead!"

Tomoe stared at the young girl in shock. "This isn't a game, you idiot!" Tomoe yelled once he recovered from the surprise. "I could've killed you!"

Miko merely shrugged, unimpressed. "Mikage ordered you to protect me with your life," she reminded him. "I doubt you could actually harm me even if you wanted to. Plus, you'd have to catch me first."

The white fox took a deep breath and chose to ignore the young girl's jibe at his skill. "It matters not," continued Tomoe in his calmest voice. "Come." He stretched out his hand and beckoned to Miko. "I'm taking you back to the shrine."

Shaking her head, Miko moved away from him in case he tried to grab her. "Nu uh," she said firmly. "It's boring there. I wanna go with you." She crossed her arms.

"You can't come with me," replied Tomoe, exasperation filling his tone. "This isn't a place for children. We're going home now."

"No."

"This isn't a discussion, Miko."

"You're right; it isn't."

"Miko!"

The little girl huffed and puffed her cheeks at him. "I said I'm not going back," she told him. "If you try to force me, I'll just sneak out again." Tomoe glared at her with a look of cold death, but Miko merely returned his glower with fearless defiance. The two of them stood like that for a long while, neither planning to back down any time soon.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for the fox familiar. "Master Tomoe!" Both Miko and Tomoe turned to see one of the Tanuki girls, Akane, rushing toward him excitedly. "There you are!"

Tomoe forced a smile as the woman reached him. "Miss Akane," he said pleasantly. "What a surprise. I was just on my way to see you and your sisters." Miko raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, thankfully.

"Yes, my sisters were able to procure one of Hoori's hairs for you," replied Akane. "I believe Sister Sakurako is waiting eagerly for your arrival." Miko's snort of contempt drew the woman's attention. "And who is this?" she asked with a kind smile.

"Merely a lost child," Tomoe answered quickly before Miko could open her mouth. The last thing he needed at the moment was for the brat to tell Akane about his newest job of cleaning up Mikage's mess. "I was planning on returning her to her family after visiting you."

Akane smiled up at the fox. "How kind of you, Master Tomoe," she complimented. "Well, I won't detain you any further. Have a nice evening." Tomoe returned the farewell easily and watched the raccoon-dog made her through the forest.

Once she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at Miko. "What?" he demanded at the disapproving look she was giving him.

Miko shook her head and began walking. "You really are a pervert."

"I don't want to hear that from the five-year-old stalker!" Before either of them could speak further, the forest cleared to reveal the all-too familiar red-light district of the yokai world. Miko followed silently as Tomoe led her to the Tanuki girls' shop. "Wait here," he ordered. "I'll be right back."

"Whatever, dummyhead."

Tomoe glared at her and fought the urge to scream. She's only five, he reminded himself as he walked further into the shop. Entering the familiar private room, Tomoe closed the door behind him and smiled at the woman waiting for him.

"Good evening, Master Tomoe," greeted Sakurako pleasantly. "I have the item you requested." Tomoe thanked her and sat down.

Taking the cup of sake she handed him, Tomoe spoke, "I trust it wasn't too difficult for you?"

Sakurako shook her head as she passed him a small box containing a single strand of the god's hair. "Not at all," she assured him. "Master Hoori is very kind. When he heard your plight, he was more than happy to offer one of his hairs. Though he did give a warning with the gift." Tomoe raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "The hair is very powerful; as such it can only be used once."

He nodded in understanding and slipped the box into the pocket of his kimono. Hoori's hair was powerful; he doubted the god would give another one quite so freely if Tomoe messed up this time, so he only had one shot at this. "I see," he said. Smiling at the woman, he continued, "I'll make sure not to let this gift be wasted."

Before Sakurako could reply, a loud crash from outside caused them both to stand and rush outside immediately. "What happened?" she demanded in a panicked tone.

One of the older women, Mizutama, answered. "A few children got into a fight outside," she said, but her eyes were on Tomoe. "One of them, a young girl, ran off into the woods."

Tomoe felt his stomach turn. "Did you see what she looked like?" he demanded.

Mizutama nodded calmly despite his panic. "Black hair, golden eyes, and a face like a doll," she replied easily. The fox's expression turned to one of horror as he ran outside. "Master Tomoe," called Mizutama. He turned impatiently at the sound of his name. Mizutama's expression was grim and he could tell she knew exactly why Tomoe was so upset. "She was crying." Tomoe nodded once before turning and running back into the forest.

"Miko!" he called as he ran. "Miko, where are you? Miko!" No response. He searched the forest for what seemed like hours.

Tomoe reached a small stream just as night fell. His voice was raw from calling out so many times, so he decided to rest and get some water. Where could she have gone? Tomoe wondered desperately. He looked at himself in the reflection of the water and snorted. Some familiar he was; it was his first day taking care of Miko and she had already run away. He could just picture the look on Mikage's face when he heard about this.

Suddenly, Tomoe looked up in realization. Mikage. That was it! He dug into the pocket of his kimono and pulled out the small box. Opening it, Tomoe studied the lone strand of hair for a long time. It was his one and only shot at finding Mikage anytime soon. Would it really be wise to use it for something like this instead? Perhaps if he looked a little more, he'd find Miko on his own. Even so...

For some reason, the thought of Miko defenseless and alone in the forest removed the last of Tomoe's hesitation. Picking up the hair, he spoke in a firm voice, "Take me to the wolf yokai known as Miko Tachibana." Almost immediately, the hair lit up with an otherworldly glow and floated out of Tomoe's fingers. As if pulled by a string, the hair began floating in one direction.

After about an hour of walking along the stream, Tomoe reach a large pond beside what looked like an old dried up waterfall. The hair floated to the wall and lit up the darkness to reveal an almost invisible opening. Tomoe stared in surprise as he followed the hair.

Inside the small cave, huddled against the wall, was Miko. Her long hair covered her face and her knees were drawn up to her chest. Muffled sobs were coming from the young girl's body and Tomoe felt his heart wrench. "Miko?" he called tentatively.

Miko looked up as if shocked and jumped away. "What do you want?" she demanded, her golden eyes defiant despite her tear-stained features.

"I was worried about you," replied Tomoe. "It's getting late."

Miko sat back down and resumed her original position. "Go away," she ordered. "I don't want to see you."

Tomoe sighed and crouched in order to meet Miko's eye level. "Will you at least tell me what's wrong?" he said softly.

"Why should I?" she said bitterly, not bothering to look up. "It's not like you're actually concerned about me. You only care what happens to me because Mikage ordered you to. You don't want me here."

The fox considered denying it for a moment, but decided against arguing with the girl for now. "Well, since Mikage ordered me to take care of you," he reasoned. "That means I have to ensure your safety and happiness. Now that I know you're safe, will you tell me what's making you unhappy?"

Miko sniffled and hugged her legs closer to her chest. "I saw some kids playing outside so I went to hang out with them," she said softly. Tomoe fought the urge to scold Miko for disobeying and continued to listen. "One of the boys was being mean to me. He said that Miko was a boy name. He said I didn't belong there." She looked up at Tomoe as tears began to roll down her face once more. "He said I looked too human to be a real yokai."

Tomoe lifted the young girl into his arms as she broke out into a sobbing fit. Holding her tightly, he spoke, "Miko, you shouldn't let ignorant brats get to you." He stroked her long hair as the sobs died slowly. "Do humans have ears?" Miko shook her head against his kimono. "Do they have tails?" Another shake of the head. "Then you're obviously not human, are you?" A third shake. "So if you know you're a yokai, and I know you're a yokai, who cares what that stupid boy thinks?"

Looking up at him, the little wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Tomoe." Tomoe's lavender eyes widened; the fact that she had called him by his name did not escape the white fox.

"Anytime," he replied easily. Placing the girl on the ground once more, Tomoe stood and took her hand. "Now then, shall we return home?"

Miko shook her head. "Can we do one thing before we go?" Tomoe nodded and raised an eyebrow at the young girl, but she merely grinned conspiratorially. "I owe someone a punch in the face."

The white fox nodded in understanding and led the little girl out of the cave. "By the way, how did you find this place?" he asked as they walked out.

The girl shrugged. "A little friend led me here." Deciding not to pry further at the puzzling response, Tomoe nodded and led the girl back through the forest, not even noticing when she waved to the small butterfly watching the pair from a distance.

"Well, well, well." Tomoe's lavender eyes narrowed at the young boy leaning against the wall watching them exit woods. "The crybaby came back. I thought I told you to go back to the human world."

"I'm not a human," replied Miko firmly, crossing her arms. "And I'm not a crybaby either." She crossed her arms as the boy laughed and pointed at her.

"Oh yeah?" taunted the boy. "Then why do you look so much like one, huh? Stupid human." He began chanting the phrase. Tomoe grit his teeth and stepped forward, irritated by the brat's presence.

"Miko?" Tomoe called pleasantly. "Don't forget Lord Ookuninushi is waiting for your call once we return home." Miko turned to him with a raised eyebrow, but one look at the yokai boy's sudden nervous expression helped her understand.

"Oh yes," she said with a nod. "Lord Ookuninushi is really protective. I can't imagine how angry he would be if he found out I was upset." Turning back to the boy, she continued. "Get it, dummyhead?" He nodded quickly. "Good, now drop and give me twenty!" Tomoe watched in amusement as the yokai boy got down and began doing push-ups in the middle of the street. "Now, say 'I'm a big fat dummy!'"

"I'm a big fat dummy," stuttered the boy.

Miko smirked in satisfaction and took Tomoe's hand once more. "Okay," she said. "We can go now." Tomoe nodded and let the little girl back towards the woods. Once they were out of earshot, the pair burst into laughter. "That was awesome!" Tomoe grinned in agreement. Suddenly, a pair of small arms wrapped around his leg, causing him to jump in surprise. "Thank you, Tomoe."

Tomoe patted her head softly before picking Miko up and placing her on his shoulders. "You're very welcome, Miss Miko."

When they arrived back at the shrine, Onikiri and Kotetsu had all but died of panic. "Master Tomoe!" they exclaimed as the fox familiar entered the shrine. "Miss Miko has gone missing!" Tomoe placed a hand to his lips and motioned to the young girl who had fallen asleep in his arms. Appeased that the young girl was safe, the shrine spirits watched as Tomoe laid her gently on her bed and closed the door softly behind him.

Exhausted from the day's adventure, Tomoe went outside and sat on the porch, pouring himself a cup of sake as he went. Looking up at the moon, Tomoe sighed contentedly. "Miko, indeed."