"Psst. Hey Mayu." Kinta said one day and snuck out the back door. Mayumi followed grateful to get out of the thick smokey environment of the tavern.
"What is it Kinta?" Mayumi asked curiously as her friend lit a cigarette.
"Word is there's a new girl showing up today. Supposedly she's even younger than you." Kinta said inhaling the smoke deeply before letting it out in a puff.
"Really?" Mayumi asked intrigued. "When is she supposed to arrive?"
"Don't know." No sooner had the words formed off of Kinta's lips that the two females heard a blood curdling scream. Mayumi flew back into the tavern ignoring Kinta's yell to come back. She followed the scream from where it came from, up the stairs that she had been forced up her first night there and into none other than Gavler's quarters.
Mayumi swung open the door and gasped at the sight that lay before her. Gavler swung violently at a small girl whom barely looked like she was out of infancy, Mayumi guessed she may have been thirty, forty at the most. Before she could think Mayumi raced into the room and jumped onto Gavlers back, clawing savagely at his eyes. Gavler reached behind him, grabbed her by the hair flipping her hard onto the floor.
His eyes widened in fear as he realized whom it was he had attacked.
"Mayumi, leave this does not concern you." He said in a whisper. Mayumi stared at him coldly allowing her green eyes to pierce into him. She noticed he began to shake, a smirk crawled across her lips. She enjoyed watching him cower in fear before her it made her feel powerful and so very much alive. Slowly she stood and picked up the hysterical little girl.
"I'll be taking her." She said quietly. Gavler opened his mouth to protest but Mayumi snapped back.
"This child is now under my protection, if anything happens to her you will pay dearly." Mayumi said in a voice she barely recognized as her own. Gavler snapped his mouth shut and watched in silence as Mayumi exited the room with the little girl.
Once she had gotten the girl to calm down a bit she layed her on her bed and held her close. It was comforting to have someone to protect.
"What is your name?" Mayumi asked. Silence.
"Mine is Mayumi, Mayumi Taisho." Again silence.
"I've been here now for almost thirty years. Sad that time goes by so fast. You needn't worry about anyone. No one messes with me because I am under Ryouko's protection"
"Rin." A little voice said. Mayumi looked down at her and smiled.
"That's cute. It suits you well Rin."
A quiet knock fell upon the door as he it opened slowly. Mayumi smiled as she saw the spirit fox enter. "So I hear you have a pet." He said closing the door softly behind him. Rin grabbed onto Mayumi as he walked closer to them. Mayumi held her to her and smoothed out her long raven hair.
"It's alright Rin. That's Ryouko."
"Is he your true one?" The little girl asked curiously. Mayumi blushed trying not to look at Kurama who was amused by the question.
"Umm. Well..uhhh"
"Of course we are child." He said kindly to the little girl. Rin looked up at him sleepily and nodded her head. A few moments later she shut her eyes. Mayumi got up and covered the little girl up.
"I'm keeping her." Mayumi said after a few moments.
"Oh really? How are you going to protect her?" Kurama asked interested. Mayumi looked up at him with a pleading look.
"Please kitsune. Help me protect her." Mayumi said taking his hand in both of hers. Kurama rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Will it make you happy?" He asked with a small smirk. Mayumi nodded.
"Alright then." He said wrapping an arm around her waist. "Alright."
The years passed quickly in the tavern but more were happy. Mayumi took Rin on as her own and gradually Rin warmed up to Kurama. Mayumi loved watching the two of them together, sometimes she would forget where the three of them were and pretend they were a family far away from that wretched establishment, until Kurama had to leave and they were once again left to wait on tables and take abuse from the customers.
On one particular day Mayumi, Rin and Kinta sat around one of the tables.
"Fifty years." Mayumi said silently. The other two glanced at her.
"Huh?" Rin asked.
"It's been fifty years since I came here." Mayumi said. She glanced out the window and sighed heavily.
"You haven't been off the property since you came here have you Mayu?" Kinta asked. Mayumi shook her head.
"Well what's stopping you?" She asked.
"Yeah Mayu why don't you and Ryouko go away for a day?" Rin asked.
"I can't leave you Rin." Mayumi said sadly. Kinta shook her head.
"Are you afraid?" She asked teasingly.
"No! Why would I be?" Mayumi said agitated.
"Then stop making excuses and go. Ryouko's due here today so just take a walk with him and get the hell away from here for a while. Don't worry about Rin we'll be fine."
"Yep. Just fine Mayu." Rin echoed. Mayumi shook her head and headed towards her room. She layed down on her bed and shut her eyes, thinking about her forest. It had been a while since she had thought about her home but now it all seemed a distant memory.
Was it really so hard to listen to the elders? Would it have been so bad if she just stayed in the forest and eventually found a mate amongst Kuraki or perhaps even Masuki, her dear friend. The more Mayumi thought about it the more she realized that she was better off where she was. True her life was not the greatest but at least she was not the naive little thing she had been when she first arrived. To live her life safely tucked away, hidden from the world and its dangers sickened her. To think that her fellow imps could live their lives in the dillusion made her fell queasy. Besides she had Rin, and Kinta and of course Yoko Kurama whom for reasons she still did not know had taken an immediate liking to her.
She reopened her eyes to see Kurama hovering over her his face very close to hers. She gasped softly as his golden eyes stared back into hers.
"Kurama." She whispered somewhat startled. Kurama smiled a genuine smile and took her hand lifting her to her feet.
"Come along Mayumi." He said leading her towards the door.
"What? Where?" She asked a little groggy.
"I want to show you something that I'm sure you will love." He said. Mayumi pulled bacl a little.
"I can't." She said as he swung open the back door.
"Sure you can." She heard two familiar voices say in unison. She glanced over her shoulder to see Rin and Kinta smiling mischeviously knowing they had told Kurama to take her out. The two pushed Mayumi out the door before slamming it shut and locking it. Mayumi stood dumb founded for a moment just shaking her head. Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder making her jump a little.
"Shall we be off?"
(I don't get on here that often but I'll try and keep up with this story because I know it's going to be a long one. Please R&R. Arigatou:) )