Nathanael sat down at the breakfast table across from Lila. He felt a blush enveloped his face a usual occurrence when the kitsune was around him.
'Thing's aren't meant to be this way…I mean she's a fox, right? But I can't keep lying to myself…'
"Nathanael are you alright?"
Nathanael blinked out of his thoughts and looked to Lila with round eyes "Huh?"
Lila shook her head slightly "You've been out of it for the past few days, what is up with you?"
Nathanael's face became redder at her question and he looked down at his plate.
Lila pouted and stood up and approached him. Then she placed her hand on his forehead invoking a gasp from the red-haired boy.
"As I suspected, you are ill and have a fever," Lila says "Seriously Nathanael why didn't you just say from the start?"
Nathanael looked at her with wide eyes.
"Still just to make sure we better get an accurate reading on your temperate" Lila says as she heads out of the room.
"Where are you going?" Nathanael calls after.
"To get a thermometer" Lila shouts back. Lila soon comes back with a thermometer and hands the white device to Nathanael "Here" she says.
Nathanael tiredly sighs but checks his temperature. Once he has got a reading he looks at the digits and gives a slight gasp "thirty-nine point eight!" he says. 'I guess I have also felt a bit run down…I guess everything makes sense now'
Lila nodded "I was right then, go back to bed there is no way I am allowing you to go to school in your condition"
"I wish I could stay off but if I miss one more day I'll end up having to stay behind a year" He sighs and tiredly gets up heading towards the door.
Lila frowns "Nathanael you are too unwell!"
Duusu and Nooroo float in with anxious expressions on their faces. "Whatever is wrong, Lord Nathanael?" Nooroo asked.
"I'm sick but have to go to school, Lila says I can't" Nathanael responds in a flat voice. He heads slowly towards the door outside.
"Lord Nathanael you cannot!" Duusu cried rushing towards.
"Lady Lila you must stop him!" Nooroo said as he also flew after the boy.
"No, Let me go," Nathanael said as the spirits grabbed him gently and despite not putting much weight into it Nathanael started to fall forwards.
Lila stepped forwards and caught the boy before his face could hit the floor. "I cannot let you go to school in your current state" she smiles "This will be good, take time off from something as unimportant as school"
A flush crept up Nathanael's face and what with already being warm from his fever it didn't help him. He turned to look at the Kitsune "Just because it's not fun doesn't mean it's not important!" he exclaimed. 'She's so close…this is really not helping things!'
Lila rolled her eyes and picked Nathanael up into a hold "Trust me" she says "I am saying this with your best interests at heart"
Nathanael's blue eyes widened and he didn't know what to think or say but that may have been the impact of the fever muddling his mind or it may have to do with the fact Lila was holding him quite close to her.
"Lady Lila, Why not change yourself into Lord Nathanael?" Nooroo asks, a grin on his face.
Duusu gasped "Yes, Then you can go to school for him and he will not have to have an absence!"
Nathanael's eyes sparkled in glee and the corners of his mouth turned up.
Lila gave the spirits a dirty look as her expression hardened in annoyance.
"That's a great idea!" Nathanael cried, his voice slightly muffled due to the flu.
Lila pouted but walked to Nathanael's room holding the boy and then placing the boy on his bed.
"Get some rest," she says a growl in her voice as she turns and walks out the door slamming it shut.
Nathanael blinked at her behaviour then he shrugs and decides to do as she said.
So then despite being very annoyed with this situation Lila uses her illusion magic to transform herself into Nathanael. There is an orange glow that surrounds her and when it finally finishes she looks almost exact to the boy.
"Now where's his satchel" Lila snaps her voice identical to Nathanael's
(A/N: Okay, so just so I don't confuse anyone when I say Lila, it's actually her in Nathanael's body...sort of…I think you all understand anyway)
Duusu and Nooroo started at her wide eyes and slacked jawed.
Lila gives a loud sigh "Must I do everything around here myself?" she stomps into the living room and sees his satchel by the sofa. She shakes her head or well Nathanael's…
"Seriously he was that brain muddled he was going to head to school without it" she picks it up and puts it on her shoulder. Then heads out into the hall where the Spirits float still looking shocked which Lila finds strange because it isn't like they haven't seen her do this sort of magic before.
"I'm off then, make sure to keep good care of the invalid," she says heading towards the door.
"Wait!" Duusu exclaims.
Lila stops and turns to look at the Spirits with round blue eyes "What is it now?" she says in a tired voice.
Duusu and Nooroo look at each other then back at Lila. They then look back at each other with round eyes and then back at Lila.
Lila grows annoyed with their behaviour and screams "Just say it already!"
"Uh…w-well…I-I feel like something isn't q-quite r-right with your Nathanael l-look" Nooroo stammers.
Lila raises an eyebrow.
"What Nooroo means to say," Duusu says calmly. Then she takes a breath and looks to Lila with wide sparkling eyes "How come your Nathanael looks hotter than the real Nathanael!" she squeals
"W-what?" Lila says, eyes growing wide "Don't be ridiculous! I made myself look the exact same as Nathanael!"
Nooroo and Duusu start smirking. Duusu squeals "Lila thinks Nathanael looks hot!"
"I do not!" Lila growls, her face growing red "I'm leaving!" she shouts opening the door and walking out making sure to slam the door extra hard so they know she is very annoyed.
She stomps down the path grumbling to herself "Stupid Duusu, making up ridiculous fantasies"
"Don't tell me Nathanael's out again today" Carlo crowed looking at the empty desk "There's no way he isn't going to be held back!"
Carlo laughed "Anybody want to bet whether Nathanael comes back to school?" he looks around the class a smirk on his face.
"Yo, Carlo why do you always care so much about Nathanael?" one of his mates asked. Then his friend smirked "Don't tell me you have a crush on him"
Carlo blanched and glared at his friend "Oh, shut up, I like girls, not loser's like him"
His friends laughed at him.
Then a voice behind him says "Sorry to interrupt but you're all around my seat, would you mind moving"
The boys look behind them, their eyes widened and jaws dropped.
"What? Is that really Nathanael?" They muttered between themselves as they inched away.
Nathanael went and sat in his seat not even a bit bothered by Carlo's comments.
The whole class was staring at the red-haired boy who was looking out the window. The girls whispered between themselves.
"Did Nathanael get hotter or what?" one whispered
"I think he did" her friend replied.
"How is that possible?"
The whole class was confused and slightly in awe.
"What the hell is happening?" Carlo hissed. "There seems to be some kind of aura from Nathanael that makes…makes me…want to respect him?"
'Curse you, Nathanael, I will be certain to make you pay for this atrocity' Lila thought as she glared out the window, the reflection of Nathanael staring back instead of her own face.
Then there was a burst of smoke that filled the floor, Lila raised an eyebrow and looked to the door where flashes seem to be coming behind. It opened and Luka stepped in. "Good Morning everyone"
Suddenly all the student's attention were off Nathanael (or who they thought was Nathanael) and on Luka.
"For the first time in a week, the famous and popular Luka has returned to your class!"
Lila's forehead creased and her eyes narrowed 'The Tengu!'
All the girls were squealing and he had some fangirls already tailing him as he walked towards Nathanael not realising it was Lila.
Lila bit her lip hoping he wouldn't sense her magic.
"Hey, Nathanael…wait"
Lila's eyes widened.
"What's this…you seem to appear more manly since the last time I saw you"
A smirk appeared on her face or well, Nathanael's and her eyes narrowed. 'Foolish Tengu, my transformation spell is perfect!' she almost felt like laughing 'This school day is bound to be a breeze'
It was break time now and Luka's voice could be heard all around the classroom as he shouted: "Wait that fox goes here!" No one appeared fazed that he had just called Lila a fox and his fans that were crowded around his table nodded.
"Yeah, all the other boys were freaking out about it too" a girl laughed. "Not that you care about her, right Luka?" Another asked eyes narrowed in jealousy. "It appears she's off sick today," One said. The rest nodded.
'Seriously, Damn it' Luka thought 'I had planned to use the time Nathanael would be away from the fox to grow closer to him, it appears I don't have as much time as I thought' He glanced over at the boy who was looking through a textbook.
"Okay, Class" Miss Bustier said getting the class to quiet down. "How about we do some reading"
The class took out their books and flipped to the last page they had read to. Miss Bustier looked over the class and her gaze fell on Nathanael
"Nathanael, can you start for us?"
Lila paled and looked at the page with narrowed eyes. 'What the hell is this writing?' it appeared to be in some foreign language.
"Nathanael? Is something wrong?"
Luka gave a cough and stood up "Miss Bustier, Nathanael has been sick for a-while so he can't speak very loudly, but I will read it instead"
Luka picked up his book and began to read-a-loud the foreign language flawlessly. The girls in the class sighed dreamily.
Once he finished he looked to Nathanael with a smirk 'How was that, Nathanael' then he blinked in shock when he saw Nathanael giving him the most vicious glare he had ever seen on the boys face.
'Okay…'
Then in music class, the same thing happened as the teacher called to Nathanael.
"Nathanael can you sing the first chorus for us please"
The colour drained from Lila's face 'Wait, What? Warriors don't sing! I do not sing!'
"If I may, seeing as Nathanael doesn't feel up to it I can sing for him instead," Luka says.
The teacher claps her hands "Oh, yes how wonderful, a real star singing for us"
Luka then began to sing the song and the girls started to squeal, yet again. They were giving Lila a headache.
'I wonder would Nathanael be annoyed if he hears I put a silence spell on his classmates…'
"He's singing right in front of me!" one girl wept "I'm going to die, I'm dying!"
"Wait, wasn't this meant to be a choral piece?" Carlo asked.
Luka finished the song and smirked 'Did you like my singing, Nathanael?'
He looked to the boy and was met with a glare of seething rage, Nathanael looked ready to kill him.
Luka's eyes widened 'Okay…What?'
Later on, Luka saw Nathanael walking down the corridor and called out his name.
"Nathanael!" he walked to catch up with the boy who finally stopped walking and glanced around.
"What's wrong? You seem like you're in a bad mood today" Luka walked closer to the boy, his fangirls stayed waiting for him. "You know if something is bothering you, you can always talk to me"
Nathanael aka Lila pouted and glared up at the boy "I will say this to you only once, you suck, do not follow me around"
Luka's eyes rounded at the words he was hearing.
Nathanael smirked "I know you are after my heart quite literally because that is the only way you can obtain my status as a god, so back off"
The fangirls looked between each other trying to listen in to the conversation.
'Damn it, the fox must have told him' Luka fixed an innocent smile on his face"Oh no, is that what you've been annoyed about, well, I'm sorry you thought that" Luka says and reaches for Nathanael's hand. "You've got me all wrong"
The fangirls eyes widened and they started to scream "Why is Luka holding his hand?!"
"I'll tell you what I really desire…your love" Luka smirked.
Nathanael glowered at the Rockstar and wrenched his hand from the boys and uses his other hand to hit him hard in the face.
Luka stumbled back placing a hand on the side of his face.
"Touch me again and you die!" Nathanael snarled.
"I can't believe you hit me in the face!" Luka exclaims.
Nathanael pays no heed and turns around and walks away.
"Wait, Nathanael" Luka calls.
"What?" Lila asks stopping but not turning around.
"In all seriousness, it's the miasma in the air here, it's grown heavier don't go into dark spaces by yourself," Luka says.
Lila glances around and realises the Tengu is right. She walks away while thinking to herself 'Yes, the tengu is correct for once, it has grown heavier…darkness is the entrance to the world over yonder so that must mean an entrance has opened nearby'
"Marinette, Hurry up!" Alya shouts into the girls changing room "We're going to be late for gym class!"
Marinette inside the changing room is frantically searching through her locker "Yeah, just hold on I'm trying to find my headband" She moves clothes aside "I could have sworn I left it in here" she mutters to herself.
"You're so slow!" Alya whines "I'll just meet you there!" she closes the door and walks off.
Marinette not hearing Alya continues to search for her headband when suddenly the lights cut off. She jumps "Alya! Why did you turn the lights off on me? You know how dark and creepy it gets down here!"
When there is no answer Marinette whimpers "Are you still there?" her eyes widen in fright 'Aw no I'm in here by myself, stupid basement and it's no windows…I can't see anything at all'
She walks along holding onto the lockers "Alya!" she cries "If you don't come back right now I will hate you forever!"
"Who's a cute cute little girl does she have the sweet sweet taste of candy?"
Marinette gasps and freezes when she hears a strange voice.
"What flavour are you precious"
Marinette looks behind her to see where the voice is coming from. Her eyes widen when something licks her face.
"Blueberry! Yummy!"
Marinette screams and goes running out of the changing rooms and trips falling on her face just in front of the door. Tears glisten in her eyes. The door opens letting in rays of light, Marinette looks up to see Nathanael standing in the doorway.
"So this is where it has been hiding"
Marinette scrambles up on her feet and to Nathanael's side.
"Nathanael, there's a ghost in the girls changing room!" she cries "It licked my face and said I tasted like blueberries!" she shuddered and hid behind the boy.
"Yes, I know" Nathanael replies calmly "It is a visitor from the world over yonder"
"What?" Marinette says.
"Now you better leave I'll deal with this" Nathanael says with narrowed eyes.
"But Nathanael it's the girls changing rooms," Marinette says.
Nathanael glares at her "I said leave, get out"
Marinette backs out and Nathanael shuts the door. She stands there shocked and then Alya calls her "Marinette, get over her!"
Marinette runs to her friend.
"Could you be any slower? The teacher is looking for you!" Alya shakes her head "You and Nathanael are the only two who haven't shown up to class yet"
Marinette's eyes widen "Nathanael! I left him to the ghost!"
"What?" Alya raised a brow.
"I'm going back!" Marinette shouted as she ran back towards the changing rooms.
"I like this place a lot, so many girls come in here…all I did was watch technically I didn't do anything wrong, surely you understand, surely you won't burn me?"
Lila stands over the yokai with her foot on his chest. She still looks like Nathanael except her fox ears and tail are showing as she holds a foxfire in her hand.
Her eyes bore into the yokai and she snarled "You're pathetic and sick!" she glowered "A perverted low-level yokai like you doesn't even deserve my attention, however for Nathanael I must eliminate all future problems when I can"
The door flew open "Nathanael!" Marinette exclaimed.
Lila jumped and looked at the door. She made her fox ears and tail disappear. The yokai took this as his chance to escape leaping from the floor. It licked Lila's face making her shudder.
"Why do you have no flavour? You are not tasty!"
"Hold it!" Lila growled.
"I don't like the tasteless!" it leapt towards the wide-eyed Marinette "Hello, blueberry flavour, I lick!"
Before the yokai can touch her, Marinette is pulled away by Luka who slams his foot in the Yokai's face. "That's enough," he says.
The Yokai collapses on the floor.
"Ahh, L-Luka it's you!" Marinette says as her face flushed red.
Luka smirks "I thought I told you to stay away from dark places, Nathanael"
Nathanael (who was actually Lila) stood in the doorway eyes narrowed and seething with rage as he stared back at the tengu.
"Luka, Take that child and go outside immediately!" he snarled, grabbing the yokai and flinging him back inside the room. She slammed the door in their faces.
Marinette and Luka paled as suddenly loud crashes sounded from inside the room and the building shook.
"Ah, so do you have any idea what that thing is?" Marinette asked.
Luka laughed anxiously "Don't worry about it you should really just get back to class" he gently pushed Marinette in the direction of the gym.
"Yeah but Nathanael is in there!" Marinette says. "We should alert a teacher of the danger!"
Luka wonders how he can make Marinette keep quiet and then he smiles as an idea comes to mind. He leans down and presses a kiss against her cheek. Her face turns crimson and her eyes widen as she looks up at Luka.
"Can you do me a favour? Can what happen today be a secret, promise me you won't tell anyone" Luka says.
Marinette shakily nods and then walks away with a dazed look on her face.
Luka gives a relieved sigh and then heads to the door opening it "So you finished?"
He looks to see Nathanael sitting on a bench, the lights have come back on, and the boy is holding a purple candy lollipop in his hands.
"Where's the yokai? Did you let it go?"
Nathanael does not answer.
Luka sighs "Of course you did, I guess that's fine" he turns to leave then stops glancing over his shoulder at the boy "Nathanael, be careful unlike the fox I can't always be around to protect you, don't be reckless not without her near"
Nathanael smirks and stands up "Well then starting tomorrow I must make sure to have Lila come with me"
"Whatever" Luka grumbles walking away.
Lila smirks to herself 'Today has been more fun than I expected' then she burns the lollipop to nothing with her Foxfire.
(A/N: From now this Nathanael is the real Nathanael, sorry this chapter is probably weird and confusing and I make it more confusing)
Nathanael woke up and heard a ruckus in the kitchen. He got up and with blankets wrapped around him to keep out the cold headed towards the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and frowned.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he grumbled when he saw Aurore in the kitchen cutting up ingredients to make a soup.
"Hello to you too, my dear" Aurore smirked.
Nathanael pouted.
"I heard Lila wasn't around today so I just knew you would need someone to take proper care of you so I'm making you soup!" Aurore grinned
"Lady Aurore here is the soft shell turtle, it is sure to make Nathanael well again," Nooroo said as he and Duusu carried over a bucket with a live turtle sitting on it.
Aurore picked it up.
"Leave that turtle alone!" Nathanael exclaimed. He points accusingly at Aurore. Aurore pouted and looked to him with wide eyes "But-" Nathanael interrupts "No! The turtle lives!" he turned and headed back to his room, blankets trailing on the floor. He collapsed on his bed when Aurore's scream was heard, he sighed.
"The turtle bit Lady Aurore!" Duusu exclaimed.
"Are you alright, Lady Aurore?" Nooroo asked.
Nathanael sat down at the table and looked at the soup suspiciously 'She might have poisoned it with some weird love potion…but I'm hungry' He watched as the turtle moved along the table.
Aurore stopped it and picked it up cautiously. "So is it true that Lila cross-dressed as you and went to school in your place?"
Nathanael glared "Right now I'm more concerned about that turtle, put him in that boiling water and you will die!" he narrows his eyes.
Aurore placed the turtle in a wooden bucket that the spirits brought to her. "Still I'm surprised, your sacred word binding must be very strong"
Nathanael picked up the spoon deciding to risk eating her soup. "It's not like I ordered her to go, I just asked her and she went" He sipped some of the soup and was surprised at how good it tasted.
"You asked her," Aurore said her eyes narrowing. "Lila must be putting on quite the innocent familiar act around you"
Nathanael swirled his spoon around in the soup and grimaced when he saw mushrooms in it. He picked it out while asking "What do you mean by that?"
Aurore rested her head in the palm of her hand "Don't you know?" she laughed "Well, Lila was a wild fox to begin with so as her Master you need to be strict with her"
Nathanael frowned "Aurore, I don't appreciate you talking about Lila like that" Aurore's eyes widened at being told off. "She doesn't deserve to be judged because of her looks or where she came from, you'll just have to believe me" Nathanael says "I spend more time with her and I know her the best, sure she seems kind of wild sometimes but she does have a gentle side too" A blush appeared along Nathanael's face as he spoke.
Aurore smirked "Oh no it seems you've been completely enamoured by her" Nathanael's eyes widened in worry that she had worked out his secret. "Her abilities are stronger than I thought" Aurore sighed "Familiars are supposed to serve Gods but unfortunately it appears you are the one who appears to be tamed instead" her eyes narrowed "Trust me if you let your guard down that beast will kill you in your sleep"
Nathanael's eyebrows raised "Aurore, do you hear yourself speak?" he shook his head "Lila is nothing like those lies you just came up with!"
Aurore sighed "Nathanael, you are far too stubborn"
"No you are!" he retorted.
Aurore smirked "Then if you are so certain about your sweet Lila how about you take a peek at the past, see Lila in her true colours" her eyes glinted in the light.
Nathanael looked to Aurore with wide eyes.
Now Nathanael was sitting down on the carpet in the living room as the spirits hovered beside him anxiously.
"Are you sure you are well enough to do this, Lord Nathanael?" Nooroo asked.
"Yeah, I'm good" Nathanael smiled.
"Okay," Aurore says putting down an incense burner beside the boy. "This is a time wending incense burner" she explained "It's an object that allows your soul to travel into the past, far into the past"
As Aurore was talking the smoke twisted around Nathanael making him feel sleepy. Everything was becoming fuzzy so his eyes fluttered shut and he collapsed to the ground.
"Lord Nathanael!" the spirits exclaimed.
'How could I not recognise Lila?' he thought as he travelled through a blank white light.
Nathanael slowly woke up and could feel rain pouring on him. He realised he was lying on soil and grass and quickly got up on sore muscles.
He looked at his hands and frowned 'They don't seem the same...wait a moment my clothes are different too and…and my hair!' He ran a hand through his hair which was still a vibrant red but styled differently so that his fringe didn't fall over his eye and was also longer than his usual length.
"This isn't my body!" he muttered aloud. He took calming breaths not wanting to have a panic attack while stuck in the past
'Where am I?' He thought, looking around but all he could see was trees from every direction towering over him and keeping out the light. He started to walk looking for signs of human life.
Then he heard a voice call: "Someone help! Please!"
He moved through the trees, past jagging bushes and then saw a young boy lying on the ground injured. Nathanael rushed towards him and knelt down.
"It hurts" the boy cried.
Nathanael not used to situations like these said the only thing that came to mind "I'm here, what happened?" he held the boy in his arms.
"You can't go back there…" the boy says "We were attacked by some yokai…they killed everyone in the village"
"Yokai?" Nathanael questioned.
"Hawkmoth's looking for you, I can't believe he hasn't caught you already," the boys says with wide eyes that filled with tears "I ran away as fast as I could"
'A yokai named Hawkmoth is looking for me? Why?'
"Lucky for us this empty house was nearby," Nathanael says looking around the empty room. The boy is lying on the ground unable to move due to his injuries.
Nathanael ripped some cloth apart 'Right, I Need to treat his injuries' he placed the cloth on the boys back where someone had cut into. 'Who would inflict such a terrible wound on a child?'
"I'm luckier I think, who'd have guessed you just happened to be out of the village working in the fields" the boy smirked "Such a fine Kill, there is no way Lord Hawkmoth would pass over something like you"
Nathanael's eyes widened but he couldn't move away fast enough as the boy transformed into a large hulk-like yokai and grabbed Nathanael around the throat. he slammed him against the wall keeping a grip on his throat. Nathanael gasped for air but it was no use. Then the Yokai slammed him down to the ground. Nathanael let out a cry as pain shot up his body.
"He always takes any prey of any value away from us, Y'know," the yokai says as he keeps a tight grip around Nathanael's throat.
'A yokai…this is bad…'
"Don't worry about Lord Hawkmoth I'll devour you long before he gets here" The yokai says sharp teeth flashing.
Nathanael tries to struggle out of the yokai's grip but he is not strong enough. 'Someone help!'
As if someone heard his thoughts there is a burst of orange flames that engulf just the yokai, it let's go of Nathanael who scrambles away in fear and shrieks as he turns into nothing but ash that crumples to the ground.
'That was fox-fire' Nathanael thought with wide eyes.
"Trash always does burn well" a familiar voice quips.
Nathanael looks up to see a smirking Lila and a small smile appears on his face. Then he realises she looks slightly different to the Lila he knows. Her hair is longer and not tied up, it tumbles down her back and reaches down along her ankles.
"Oh My, a village boy," she says looking Nathanael up and down.
'Lila? She doesn't know it's me…well, she hasn't met me yet...I think' Nathanael is shocked out of his thoughts when Lila grabs him by his collar.
"It is true you are quite a fine specimen" she looks down on him with hard green eyes. "Quite weak though"
"L-Lila?" Nathanael stutters.
The Kitsune smirks and then rips Nathanael's top, he gasps in shock. She grabs him by the chin leaning down closer with narrowed eyes "Lovely voice" she smirks "Cry out…human"
Nathanael's eyes widen in shock and confusion 'Why is Lila being so cruel? This isn't the Lila I know…This can't be her' Nathanael's eyes narrow and he grabs Lila's wrist and roughly pushes her off him.
She stumbles back a bit but regains her composure. Then she looks to Nathanael with wide eyes, an amused smile appearing on her face.
"Tell me, who are you?" Nathanael asks.
Lila smirks and moves closer to him backing him up against a closed door. She presses a hand to the wall blocking his escape and leans down close to his face. Nathanael's eyes rounded and despite the fact this Lila wasn't his Lila he couldn't help his face flushing.
Before she can do anything a voice calls "Lila!" she glances over her shoulder and then opens the door Nathanael is leaning against and roughly pushes him inside the room. He gasps when he hits the floor and she shuts the door just as the voice speaks again.
"Lila, you disappear on me for what? A rundown shack in the woods"
Nathanael knew this was his only chance to escape he spots a hole in the back wall he can crawl through.
Lila replies "I did not wish to get wet"
"You're not very good company"
Nathanael crawls through the gap and back out into the lashing rain, he gets up on his feet and soon is running away from the yokai infested village.
"I came here because I thought some hunting would be good fun" Hawkmoth smirked, "But unfortunately a few of my prey got away you haven't seen a boy around here, have you, Lila?"
Lila leans against the closed door and examines her long nails "A little boy gave you the slip, you must be losing your touch Hawkmoth"
Hawkmoth laughed, a laugh that sounded like a Knife sliding over glass. "That doesn't answer my question, Lila"
She finally looks up at him "No, I have not as you can see this place is abandoned"
Hawkmoth nodded satisfied with her answer "Well, Keep an eye out I don't like letting prey get away…they call him Haruto"
'Haruto hmm' Lila nods "Sure"
Nathanael runs through the pounding rain, splashing through deep puddles that soak him. He pants for air not used to so much running but knows he cannot stop.
Aurore's words flash through his mind "Well, Lila was a wild fox to begin with…you let your guard down that beast will kill you in your sleep" Nathanael shook his head 'She's wrong…' Then Nathanael gasps as he slips and starts falling but this falling seems like it takes forever as he is enclosed in nothing but darkness. 'Of course, this is only a dream…'
"Nathanael"
Nathanael's eyes fluttered open and he saw the concerned faces of Aurore, Nooroo and Duusu looking down on him.
"You were gone an awfully long time," Aurore says
Nathanael slowly sits up and rubs his eyes "Where am I?"
"You are Home at the shrine" Aurore smiles.
"Lord Nathanael, you worried us so very much!" Duusu cries rubbing at his face in form of a hug.
"I'm exhausted, but wasn't I sleeping?" Nathanael asks.
Aurore shakes her head "No, I sent your soul into the past so you were actually awake" then her eyes narrowed as she looked at Nathanael "Did you meet Lila by chance?"
Nathanael's eyes widen and he slowly shakes his head "N-no…I didn't see her"
Aurore pouts "That's a pity"
Then the door opens and a furious Lila stands in the doorway, still looking Like Nathanael except for the fox ears on her head.
"See who?" she growls "Who were you not able to see?"
The colour drains from Aurore's face at the sight of Lila and she lets out a small "eek".
"Why is there a snake loitering in the shrine?" Lila snarls.
Aurore lets out an anxious laugh "H-hey there Lila, welcome home, did you have fun at school today?"
Lila stands over Aurore now "What the hell are you doing here? What were you doing to Nathanael?"
Aurore smirks and tilts her head "I. Can't. Tell. You."
Lila then kicks her in the face "Get out!" she sends her crashing through the window.
Nathanael pales 'Great more stuff we have to fix!'
Lila then transforms back into herself and sits down with a frown "Why the hell did you let her into the shrine?"
"We wanted to serve soft-shell turtle stew to Nathanael," Nooroo said.
Lila raised an eyebrow "What does a turtle stew have to do with her?" She then looks towards Nathanael and stands up coming closer to the boy.
"Nathanael" she reaches out a hand.
Nathanael finds his body freezing memories of the cruel Lila of the past still present in his mind. Then she gently presses her hand against his forehead. His body relaxes.
"Your temperature it is still high" she looks at him with concerned eyes "I will make you something for it, you should head back to bed"
Nathanael's cheeks turned pink 'This is the real Lila, the kind Lila I know' his eyes flooded with tears.
Lila looked at him with wide eyes "Nathanael, what is wrong?" her brows knitted together "What did Aurore do to you?"
Nathanael shook his head "No" he rubbed the tears away "I just had a nightmare that's all" he laughed "I'll be okay"
'I'm so glad that the Lila I know is this Lila'
He looks up at Lila and smiles "more importantly, how did your day go? How was school?"
Lila blinks and a sheepish smile appears on her face "It was very boring…nothing happened at all!"
I'll be starting a course in a technical college next week so there may be a delay in chapter updates but I will try to fic time to work on this fic in between coursework if possible. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D