Disclaimer: I do not own Magic: The Gathering, only my own characters.
WARNING: The following chapter contains adult situations. If you feel offended or uncomfortable with this, do not read.
CHAPTER 54-Foxey Lady
Leaning over, Arrathir formed a tight seal around Eva's mouth with his own and exhaled, feeling her chest rise. He repeated the procedure a few times and then put his ear to her chest to see if he could detect a heartbeat; he couldn't. Fighting against despair, he performed the artificial respiration again.
On the third exhalation, he felt a strong arm press against his head, crushing his lips against Eva's. Surprised, Arrathir realized Eva was conscious and instead of slapping him for kissing her, had him in an intense lip lock. She hungrily devoured his lips and Arrathir could feel the demon awakening, full of lust. Pushing the demon aside, he kissed Eva back with all the passion he'd always felt for her. Eva growled in approval and thrust her tongue into Arrathir's mouth, who moaned in pleasure as she gently probed his gums. Their tongues battled within their intertwined mouths, driven by all the pent-up sexual tension between the two summoners.
They parted, gasping for breath. Eva rolled over, getting on top of Arrathir. She looked down seductively at him.
"Eva…" Arrathir started before she silenced him by putting a finger to his lips.
"Shh," she said, smiling as she dove in for another passionate kiss. She reached up and stroked one of Arrathir's furry ears, earning another groan from the ghell.
Arrathir was in heaven. The girl of his dreams who had left his love unrequited for so long was not passionately making out with him of her own accord. He'd fantasized about this several times before, but his fantasies were nowhere near as pleasurable as the real thing.
Eva broke off from Arrathir and began nuzzling his neck, gently nibbling his collarbone. Arrathir closed his eyes in pleasure and buried his face in Eva's hair, inhaling her scent. Eva smiled wickedly as she saw the effect her ministrations were having on Arrathir. She bit down on his neck just hard enough to leave a love-bite before assaulting his mouth again. She began slowly gyrating her hips, grinding against Arrathir, whose eyes went wide as he realized what she was doing. He began feeling extremely aroused and it took all of his self-control to prevent his demon from taking Eva right then and there. He could feel the demon's excitement at finally being able to have his 'mate.' He was also vaguely aware of Chikuro trying to contact him, but he shut down their mind-link to fully enjoy the moment.
Arrathir was still a bit confused about the whole situation. He'd never gone this far with a girl, or as far as he supposed this would go, given Eva's current behaviour. His inexperience in the matter worried him slightly. He was afraid of disappointing Eva if they ever 'got to it,' but he supposed he would do fine on instinct.
Eva began moaning gently and Arrathir could smell her arousal growing. Removing her left hand from Arrathir's ear, she began unfastening his cloak, teasing him as she slowly undid the buttons. Arrathir moved his hands down Eva's back, crushing her body to his as she continued to disrobe him. He could feel the heat radiating from her body like a furnace. He lovingly stroked her tail, enjoying how it reacted to his touch.
Wait a minute…tail? Since when does Eva have a tail?
Opening his eyes and craning his neck to look past Eva's face, he saw a black-tipped bushy brown fox's tail poking out from a rip in the back of Eva's dress. He also noticed a pair of triangular brown ears on the top of her head. With these new appendages, she looked like every otaku fanboy's dream girl.
She's…a kitsune?
A dozen thoughts flashed through Arrathir's mind, some more perverted than others. His confusion was increased, but then again, so was his arousal. He prayed he wouldn't burst into a nosebleed now, because he'd probably bleed to death from it. He could feel his self-control waning as the demon screamed at him to give in to his primal urges.
In a supreme effort of willpower, Arrathir broke the kiss and pulled away from Eva, who looked slightly hurt and confused. Pulling himself up, Arrathir kneeled and faced the fox-girl.
"Eva, what is going on?" he asked "Why do you have fox ears and a tail?"
Eva's hands snapped up to her ears and she squealed in delight as she stroked her ears, grinning like mad. Upon discovering her tail, more squeals ensued and she rubbed her tail against her face, nuzzling it.
"They're so cute!" she squealed, still hugging her tail.
"OK, Eva," said Arrathir "What is going on here? You're acting…different."
"That doesn't matter right now," said Eva, her voice low and sultry. She reached up, grabbing Arrathir by the collar and pulling him in for another kiss. "The only thing that matters," she added, letting Arrathir take a breath "Is you. I want you. Do me, here and now."
Arrathir gulped. This was about the last thing he'd ever expected Eva to tell him. Something was definitely wrong now. Eva was not herself at all. She'd never come onto him like this and she'd never acted so, well, sexy.
"Look," he said, furiously blushing "I'm really flattered you feel this way about me. I feel the same about you, but don't you think we're moving too fast? I don't think we're ready for a physical relationship yet. We met barely a month ago and we don't have protection or anything. I don't want to get you pregnant or anything and…" Arrathir was cut off as he felt Eva's hand creeping up his thigh.
"Come on," whispered Eva in Arrathir's ear "I know you want me. You've wanted me for a long time, haven't you? Well, I'm all yours. Take me."
"Now's neither the time nor the place," said Arrathir "You're not yourself, Eva. I don't know what is going on, but I can't let you do this. Plus, I'm not ready for this."
"Well, I am," said Eva, her voice suddenly icy "And I always get what I want!"
She threw herself onto Arrathir, pinning him to the ground and began tugging the waistband of his jeans, trying to pull the down.
"Whoa! Down girl!" said Arrathir "I said 'no'!"
"I don't care," said Eva "I need this."
"Eva, I'll let the demon take over! Really! I can barely control him as it is!"
"Mmm, do," said Eva "You're so much better that way; so wild and dominating. It turns me on. I know what you want," she added, reaching up and beginning to stroke Arrathir's ears again. The rat hanyou felt himself relaxing and knew he'd soon go to sleep.
Chikruo! A little help here?
Hey, I'm not getting involved. Your problem, not mine. I'll just sit back and enjoy the show.
What the fuck is going on?
My guess? I'd say the Keeper of Red Mana has awakened. Can't believe nobody saw it coming.
WHAT?
Oh come on! It was obvious, come to think of it: her rapid mastery of mana, her summoning a Blistering Firecat to save you from the Slivers, her temper and her personality even. All telltale signs she was the Keeper of Red.
OK, she's the red Keeper, but why is she acting like this?
She's a demoness and she's in heat. She needs a male; any male. Hell, she'd probably do Erik if he was here.
…Thanks a lot for putting that image in my head!
Unlike male demons who only reproduce to prolong their line, female demons crave sex.
So you're saying all female demons are nymphomaniacs?
Depending on the breed and the individual, their libido varies. However, in this case it's a bit more extreme. I can't imagine what several millennia of sexual frustration would do to one.
Well, do something here! Eva's not in her right mind, so technically, this would be rape!
Are you saying you're not consentient?
You know damn well what I'm talking about!
OK, give me control and I'll see what I can do.
"Now, now, Chiruu," said Chikuro, taking over and seizing the demoness' hand "I don't thing your host would be too happy with what you're doing with her body."
"Chikuro," said the other Eva, her face softening as she recognized the Keeper. Winding up, she slugged the Keeper soundly across the face. "Itsu-na!" ("Stupid idiot!" The '-na' particle adds the 'stupid' adjective to the noun. i.e. 'Arrathir-na,' means 'Stupid Arrathir.')
"Dashime su," said Chikuro ('It's nice to see you,' lit. 'Nice seeing you'), rubbing his cheek. He could hear Arrathir laughing in his Soul Room.
You once said something about me getting my ass kicked by a girl?
Watch it, or I'll switch back. Do you want to deal with her?
Your problem, not mine.
"Don't give me this bullshit!" said Chiruu "You killed me, remember?"
Chiruu angrily blasted away the two zombies blocking her path. The undead burst into flames and collapsed, allowing the Keeper of Red Mana to pass. Slamming open the double doors ahead of her, she marched into Chikuro's chambers.
The Keeper of Black Mana was seated on his throne and a contemplative pose. However, Chiruu knew better than to trust his innocent expression. She could feel the mana crackling in the air around him as he prepared to unleash his spell.
"Chikuro!" she snapped, tearing the Keeper out of his concentration "This is madness! Your thirst for power has gone too far!"
"Madness?" asked Chikuro "No, my dear Ruu (Chiruu flinched at the use of his pet name for her): it is justice. Punishment for treason."
"Obliterating an entire plane because they refuse to serve you is justice?" said the kitsune "Chikuro, this entire war is madness! You're tearing the Multivesre apart with this conflict! Even if you do succeed in your insane conquest, there will be nothing left to rule over by the time you're done! The Multiverse has suffered enough. I beg you to stop this! Chiburuu's death alone is reason to cease the war. We still don't know how he died."
"Oh, that weakling?" said Chikuro "I killed him."
"You what?"
"He got in the way of my plans," said Chkuro nonchalantly "I have no use for hindrances."
"How could you have done that?" yelled Chiruu "You've betrayed all the Keepers of Mana! You don't realize it, but you've upset the flow of blue mana through the Multiverse! This will have serious repercussions throughout the Multiverse!"
"Did you come all the way here just to bitch at me?" asked Chikuro.
"I won't let you do this!" said Chiruu "I won't let your lust for power destroy the Keepers!"
"You're going to stop me?" laughed Chikuro "Fine then, but know this: I will not hesitate to kill you."
"So be it!" said Chiruu "If the only way to reason with you is to bash your head in, then I'm afraid that's what I'm going to do!" She leapt at Chikuro, claws bared. The Keeper of Black Mana dodged the first swipe and blocked the second, countering with a right hook to Chiruu's jaw, sending the Red Keeper crashing into a bookcase, the books falling off their shelves from the impact.
Grabbing a falling book, Chiruu set it on fire with a handful of mana and flung it at Chikuro. The Keeper was slow to dodge, and the book clipped him on the left side of the head, singeing his fur. Growling, he tapped the butt of his staff against the ground, zombies forming from his mana.
"Attack her!" he ordered.
As the zombies charged, Chiruu's hands were a blur, preparing her spells. She unleashed a fireball upon the zombies, the spell incinerating all the creatures in a giant detonation.
By this time, Chikuro had already prepared his next spell. He loosed an enormous ball of energy at the kitsune.
"No!" said Chiruu as she saw the spell approaching, but it was too late to dodge. The spell hit her with a tremendous explosion that shook the
foundations of Chikuro's fortress. When the smoke cleared, Chikuro stood victorious across the fallen kitsune.
"So," he sneered "You though you could stop me? Fool, I might have spared your life, but you had to interfere. Well, if you're not with me, you're against me!"
"Chikuro, please," said Chiruu. Her fur was matted and bloodstained. Where her tail once was, only a bloody stump remained. "It's not too late to stop this folly! Don't do this! Think of what we had: do you really want to loose it all? Was it only an illusion?"
"That was in the past," said Chikuro "I look only to my future. You, unfortunately, are not a part of that future anymore. I must bury the past with my own hands to build my future. Now die."
"I love you…" said Chiruu, her eyes watering.
"I once did too," said Chikuro, his expression softening "Believe me when I say I am sorry to do this." He raised his staff and Chiruu's body went limp.
"I really didn't enjoy that," said Chikuro.
"Why would you kill me?" said Chiruu.
"That was in the past," said Chikuro "I've changed."
"Don't think I'll fall for that again!" said Chiruu, her hand bursting into flame "You're going down!" She threw her handful of mana at Chikuro who jumped aside, the raw energy singeing his cloak.
"Whoa! Chiruu!" he yelled "I'm not the same, I swear!"
"A likely story!" said Chiruu, throwing another handful of mana at the Keeper "What new scheme do you have to take over the Multiverse?"
"I'm not!" protested Chikuro, dodging.
"Whatever!" said Chiruu, gathering her mana. She spewed a Fireball at Chikuro. The spell decimated the area, burning the trees to a crisp on its path. When the fire died down, Chikuro was gone.
"I got him?" said an astonished Chiruu.
"Not yet," said Chikuro from behind her "Here's a new spell I've added to my repertoire: Handcuffs!" A two-headed snake appeared and bound Chiruu's wrists together. Chiruu struggled against her bonds, but it was useless. She stared defiantly at Chikuro, a scowl on her face.
"Going to kill me again?" she spat.
"No," said Chikuro "I am not."
"Why should I believe anything you say?" yelled Chiruu "You were always a liar, willing to say anything just to get what you wanted!"
"Chiruu, look at my eyes," said Chikuro "Look at them!" The kitsune turned her emerald eyes to Chikuro's sapphire ones. She could see not trace of malice in them, only anxiety. "I swear I am telling the truth," said Chikuro "If you don't believe me, look through your hosts' memories. You'll find proof I have changed. I'm helping to awaken the Keepers of Mana."
"Really?" asked Chiruu, her expression shifting from fury to bewilderment "Who have you awakened so far?"
"You're the last," said Chikuro "All the others have awakened, well except for Chihowaido who technically hasn't awakened since his host hasn't accepted him."
"You helped awaken the Keepers of Mana?" said Chiruu, raising an eyebrow "Never thought I'd see the day where you'd actually give a shit about anyone other than yourself."
"People change," said Chikuro "I owe it partially to my host. Speaking of which, has your host accepted you yet?"
"No," said Chiruu "Does she have to?"
"Yes," said Chikuro "She has to willingly accept you into her soul or you won't properly awaken."
"Chikuro," said Chiruu "Promise me one thing: that you really have changed."
"I understand," said Chikuro "What I did to you was unforgivable. I shattered the trust between us and killed you in cold blood, but I promise that I have changed. I've renounced my old ways and now I'm working with the other Keepers instead of against them."
"I'd like to believe you," said Chiruu "But think is kind of hard for me: being back all of a sudden and only remembering you as a tyrant. I really don't know what to think."
"Just believe this," said Chikuro "After you died, I never stopped loving you. I swore that once I ruled the Multiverse I would find a way to bring you back so we could be together forever."
"I believe that," said Chiruu "Because I know it. Strange isn't it, how history repeats itself? Your host and mine went through similar trials as we did."
"Only let us hope their story will have a better ending," said Chikuro.
"You know?" said Chiruu "I'm starting to see the old Chikuro again, not the power-hungry megalomaniac, but the Chikuro I first met."
"Chiruu," said Chikuro "Can you ever forgive me for what I did?"
"Eventually," said Chiruu "Just give me time to get used to being back and to the new you. When I see how much you've changed and that the old Chikuro is gone, I will be able to bury the past."
"Fate has given us a new chance," said Chikuro "I won't spoil it this time. I love you, Ruu."
"So do I," said Chiruu as Chikuro kissed her.
Uh, Chikuro? Not to interrupt your little reunion, but what about Eva?
In a minute, naki. Kind of busy here.
Chikuro felt his other self rolling his eyes. Sighing, he ended the kiss.
"Now, you'd better get back into your Soul Room and get Eva to accept you," he said.
"All right," said Chiruu "Um, a little help?" she added, nodding to her bound wrists.
"Oh yeah, sorry," said Chikuro, removing the enchantment.
"Thanks," said Chiruu, giving Chikuro a quick peck on the lips "I'll hopefully see you soon." With a wink, she retreated into her Soul Room, Eva's inert body falling into Chikuro's arms.
I think you'd better take it from here.
Wait, did Eva see everything that happened?
No, most likely she was still unconscious in her Soul Room, I think.
Your reassurance is a great source of comfort. So that's it: we've completed the Awakening.
Kind of anti-climatic, isn't it? Were you expecting something more epiphany-esque?
Sort of. Well, at least we finally know who they all are. I still can't believe we didn't see that Eva was the Red Keeper. The whole kitsune thing was a surprise as well. Hey, if I ever end up marrying Eva or something, our kids are gonna be really fucked up. Can you imagine that? Half-rat, half-fox?
No worries there. Demon interracial breeding is uncommon, but not unheard of. Usually, the pups derive their demon species from the father, again with the whole issue behind continuing their line, so if you guys ever have kids, they'd probably be rat hanyous since the female alleles are recessive.
Who are you? Gregor Mendel?(1)
You forget all those biology courses you took in high school. I read over most of the information you learned and that's imprinted in your subconscious.
Fair enough.
When Eva opened her eyes, she was confused to not see Arrathir's anxious face leaning over her. Instead, she saw a domed ceiling. Sitting up, she found herself in a small, but cosy room. In one corner was a comfortable-looking armchair in front of a low table. A Magic deck rested on the table. Getting up and picking it up, Eva realized it was hers, but with a few new cards. A punching-bag hung from a heavy chain in the centre of the room. The walls were painted a deep red and were bare, except for a single poster-sized picture of Arrathir. The strange thing was that Eva had no memory of ever seeing the picture. It in, Arrathir facing her (from Eva's perspective) and was standing up, arms crossed over his chest with a defiant air.
Opening the door leading out of the room, Eva found herself in a hallway. In front of the door she's come out of was another door. While Eva's was wooden, the other one was made of stone and had an icon of a fireball engraved in its centre. Putting her hank on the knob, Eva suddenly felt at peace. She opened the door and entered a large room draped with red silk.
In the middle of the room, a woman was practicing with a katana. She elegantly wielded the blade, slicing through the air as she stepped about in an elaborate sort of dance. Eva watched, hypnotized, as the razor-sharp blade passed within a hair's breath of the woman's head. Eva suddenly realized the woman had fox ears as well as a fox's tail.
With a final flick, the woman sheathed her weapon and turned to face Eva.
"I was wondering when you'd unlock my Soul Door," she said with a warm smile.
Eva was shocked. Apart from a few facial differences, the woman looked exactly like her.
"Who are you?" asked Eva, already suspecting the answer.
"I'm Chiruu, the Keeper of Red Mana," said the kitsune.
"I'm…a Keeper?" said Eva, in shock.
"Yes," said Chiruu "Welcome to the club!"
"I don't get it," said Eva "The Keepers' demon type is supposed to represent their colour. Kitsune are white creature."
"That where Wizards of the Coast screwed up," said Chiruu "Kitsune are spirits of fire. They are noted for being able to generate or otherwise create fire. As well, do not forget red is the colour of passion and kitsune are often portrayed as lovers. There are countless tales of kitsune taking on the shape of a beautiful young woman and seducing a young man. Often, these stories end tragically-the fox-wife is discovered and must leave her husband, but one story provides the etymology of the word 'kitsune' and does not end tragically. A fox takes the shape of a woman and falls in love with a young man. The two spend many years together and she bears him many children. However, she is ultimately revealed, but instead of casting her out, the human begs her to stay with him, telling her he cannot forget her after all these years and asking her to come sleep with him. She agrees and from then on spends every night with her husband before departing in the morning in her fox shape. She comes to be called kitsune, because in the classical Japanese, 'kitsu-ne' means 'come and sleep' while 'ki-tsune' means 'always comes.' So while Wizards may have made kitsune white creatures in their cards, we are more attuned to red."
"Um, makes sense, I guess," said Eva "So if all the Keepers of Mana are awakened, what happens now?"
"I don't know," said Chiruu "It's been so long since the Keepers of Mana have disappeared that the flow of mana through the Multiverse must be seriously deteriorating, but with the Keepers back, the flow should return to normal. I guess it will only take some time."
"I'm still in shock," said Eva "I knew this day would come; completing the Awakening, but now that it's here, I just have trouble convincing myself that all this is real. On top of all that, I also find out I'm a Keeper of Mana and a kitsune!"
"I know it's a lot to take in," said Chiruu "But you'll get used to it. Maybe you should return to the real world and mull things over. Maybe talk about it with Arrathir. Speaking of which, when are you going to tell him you love him?"
"Eventually," said Eva, blushing "But I think he's got other things on his mind right now."
"Well, you just tell him when you think you're ready," said Chiruu "Oh, by the way, don't be surprised if he looks at you strangely for a few days."
"Why?" asked Eva.
Back in the real world, Arrathir was still waiting for Eva to wake up.
Do you think she'll accept the Keeper?
Of course! Who wouldn't like Chiruu?
Who indeed? Was she always so…outgoing?
You have no idea, but I'll tell you when you're older.
Arrathir's retort was cut off by Eva's yelling as she woke up.
"Quinn! I'm gonna kill you!" she bellowed as she lunged for the Keeper. Arrathir didn't stick around to find out why she was so angry. He turned tail (quite literally) and ran for it.
Calling me by my last name: never a good sign.
My guess is Ruu told her about your little 'encounter.'
Looks like I'm on the run again. I hate my life sometimes.
Arrathir bolted off into the forest, a raging Eva on his tail.
To be continued…
Author's Note: So, Eva is the Keeper of Red Mana. Who didn't see that coming?
(Crickets chirp)
Some of you may contest my choice of Eva's demon side, but as I've explained, I find kitsune to be much better suited to red than white. Plus, fox-girls are hot…damn…YM's rubbing off on me.
Still, not too shabby. I stared The Awakening in May of last year and now in March of 2006, we're nearing the end.
Also, I intended to make this a song chapter with Jimi Hendrix's "Foxey Lady," but since I can't, the chapter title is a nod to the song.
Until next time, Kwaherini!
(1) Mendel was an Austrian monk who is considered to be the father of modern genetics for his study of inheritance traits and his theories about the laws of inheritance.