Notes:

The poem at the start doesn't belong to me. It's from the play "Kuzunoha - The Fox of Shinoda". I didn't translate it either. It was translated by Folklorist Nozaki Kiyoshi. I just altered it a bit but I think I got the gist of it. The play itself had several variations. DS: Kuzunoha Raidou doesn't belong to me. I just love the game.

Thanks to my friend who helped write this fic.

Thank you very much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this fic.

Tryst

Part Five: A Month after the Case

Narumi smiled down at the beautiful calligraphy written on scented paper. The brush strokes were elegant and flowing. The white of the paper reminded him a little of pale milky skin and the black of the ink, raven-coloured hair.

Of course, the black of the fox's hair was darker still, soft and more beautiful than the ink.

"If you love me Darling, come and see,

In yonder great wood shall you find me.

In Shinoda in the land of Izumi,

Where arrowroot leaves rustle and dance pensively."

Narumi grinned and hummed to himself as he turned to the mirror to straighten his necktie. Today was a good day after all. He needed to look his best. He was meeting someone important today. There were steps in the hallway and Tae entered the office.

"Hello boys." She greeted.

Narumi didn't turn to her, too busy looking at the mirror. "Hello, Tae."

Tae pouted. "Ah Shouhei! Lazing about again?" She tsked. "I thought you'd changed."

Narumi laughed. "Sorry, doll. The agency's closed for the next few days." He remarked. "I'll be out of town."

"Leaving Raidou-kun alone?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

Narumi put on his vest. "No, of course not!" he replied. "Raidou's out too. He went back to Shinoda a few days ago because he needed to meet someone there."

"Ah…" Then she grinned. "A lover?"

Narumi's smile widened. "You got it, baby." He replied. "It seems someone's been waiting for our Raidou up in Shinoda. He's hoping to meet this odd bird. They see each other it seems but they never actually meet. Dumb luck, if you ask me."

"Huh? Why?" She asked, interested.

Narumi looked into the drawers and checked his gun and holstered it. He didn't quite need it but who knew? He might.

"Raidou's got a few holes in his memory." He replied. "But the bird kept waiting. So now that the holes are nicely filled up, he's going to show up."

"Ah…" She sighed, disappointed. "I always thought he'd end up with Kaya…" She remarked. "He looked goofy for her."

Narumi laughed. "The Daidouji Doll?" He asked in disbelief. "What gave you that idea?"

Tae shrugged. "Well, when Kaya went missing, he's the one running all over the place to look for her."

Narumi checked his wallet. "Sweetheart, the dame was our client."

"And after that, they see each other often."

"They're friends." Narumi replied looking for his hat finding it hanging on the rack. "And she works here as our secretary, yeah?"

"Just friends?"

"Sure." He replied. "I tell you, Raidou's already stuck on another bird." He paused and turned to her with a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Tae, did you just come here to beat your gums?"

"How rude!" She scoffed. "Of course not! I just wanted to see how my boys were doing. But since you're going out…" Her voice trailed off in thought.

"Another caper?" Narumi asked, interested. Tae always brought in the most interesting cases, be it occult-related or otherwise.

"No. Just needed a little help on a story for a book I'm working on." She replied. "Raidou's from Shinoda, right? I heard there have been sightings of a fox there. But not just any fox! It was as white as the Inari Foxes of legend! A fox with Nine Tails!"

Narumi took his hat and smiled. "A fox?"

"Yes." She replied. "The fox appears at dusk in human form."

She rummaged through her purse to get a small notebook, flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Narumi watched her patiently, smiling cheerfully.

"Ah! Here it is!" She turned to Narumi. "We have several eyewitnesses that could swear they saw a fox waiting by the woods of Shinoda. One of them even greeted the said fox…"

Narumi grinned as he listened to Tae talk as put his hat on. "I think you should leave that fox alone." He remarked. "The fox's probably just waiting…"

"Waiting for what?"

"A lover." He replied. "So how do I look?" he asked, grinning.

"Swell." She replied. It was true. "And you? Who are you going to meet?"

Narumi grinned down at her from the door.

"A lover." He replied. "Lock up when you leave, alright!"

He didn't give Tae a chance to protest. The door closed behind him and he was on his way.

The woods smelled sweet that day and the shade of the trees made it cooler still. Raidou drew his haoritighter about himself while he walked up the cold stone steps to the shrine. The dark-green of his kimonomade his skin paler still. He seemed to be shinning against the shade and the mist of the woods. He looked like he was giving off his own light.

He stopped for a moment to take a deep breath of the fresh air. He felt like he hadn't been here for so long.

"Kuzu no Ha."

Raidou stopped and looked up with a smile as he held out a hand for the raven to perch on. Gotou, now a raven, landed on his hand.

"Gotou-Douji." He greeted, smiling. "It's good to see you again..."

Raidou felt the raven grin as he turned his head away.

"It's good to see you are well." Gotou replied. "What are you doing here? I would think that mayhap you would not be alone."

Raidou smiled that fox smile, light and pleasant. "It's nothing." He replied. "I just wanted to come here…"

"Has he been giving you trouble?" Gotou asked after a short pause.

Raidou shook his head, cheerfully. He knew who the bird was referring to.

"No." He replied, amused. "I just wanted to be here. He is well, by the way and said that he misses you. Though I'm not quite certain he knows you still live…"

"Ah? An odd fellow." The bird remarked. "I doubt he knows unless you tell him… That sap doesn't follow his own advice. He keeps putting himself in the strangest situations…" he paused as he turned his black head to him. "Are you sure he is the one you've been waiting for, Kuzu no Ha?"

Raidou nodded, smiling. "Very certain."

"Ah…" the bird said, satisfied. "And have you remembered what you've forgotten?"

Raidou closed his eyes. Has he remembered everything? Maybe not everything for some lost in time. They can make new memories together after all. This was another life, even if the man was mortal, he'd still live.

I will not die.

Somehow, in his memories…

Not whilst you live.

They will become immortal themselves…

They shared a companionable silence after. It has been a while, since he had seen the sun set. The setting sun taking away what little light is there in woods. It was dusk. It was another time.

"Dusk has come…" Raidou remarked, looking up at the sky.

"So it is…" The raven agreed. "Then I shall take my leave…"

"Goodbye, Gotou-Douji." He said.

"Goodbye Kuzu no Ha."

And the raven flapped his wings up and disappeared into the darkness of the woods. It was not dark for long. Fireflies appeared (or maybe they were spirits, he didn't quite know.) and lighted pathway up to the Nameless Shrine. They blinked in and out, seemingly dancing, maybe even guiding whoever would come up at night to pray to get to the shrine.

And they were beautiful.

Kuzu no Ha closed his eyes and smiled when he heard the soles of shoes tapping against the stone steps. It was foreign in these quiet woods, where the fireflies (spirits?) danced to the sound of the singing trees and crickets. He knew then to whom those steps belonged.

He opened his eyes to see Narumi Shouhei taking his hat off.

He smiled.

"Good evening." He greeted, giving the other man a fox smile. For he is a fox.

"Good evening, little fox." Narumi greeted back. "You seem to be in a good mood."

Raidou chuckled at the remark. How can he not?

"It's nothing…" Raidou replied, mirth in his eyes. "I was just thinking that I wanted to see you…"

Tryst

Part Five End

Tryst: End