'Ash Ivy, Dragon Bark, Spark Spice…', Matsuri threw all sorts of spices into the boiling pot. By combining her knowledge of magic with medical science, she would once again try to do the impossible. If they'd had more time she would have gone back to her house to get the proper equipment but she would have to make do without her cauldron. The kitchen was a mess. The contents of the spice rack were spilled all over, pots and pans were strewn about and puddles of spillages dotted the kitchen floor. 'Alright, that should do it', she thought after stirring the mixture thoroughly. "Now for the last ingredient", she poured the red fluid that was Mei's blood into the boiling pot. Matsuri continued to stir.
"Yuzu isn't just a werewolf. The reason why her hair colour is so rare is because she's a mixed breed. Her mother was a werewolf but her father was a kitsune. Kitsunes are descended from Japan. They're also known as fox spirits or nine-tailed foxes and are, much like vampires, immortal. Due to growing up with her mom, however, Yuzu's kitsune blood lay dormant, only knowing how to control her werewolf powers. I think, Yuzu's kitsune powers can be awakened if she drinks an immortal's blood to trigger her own immortality."
Meanwhile, Mei was sitting next to Yuzu's bed. She was stroking Yuzu's hair gently, twirling the golden locks around her finger. 'It's funny. If it hadn't been for this beautiful blonde hair, we may have never met...', the vampire girl thought to herself while processing what Matsuri had just told her. She thought back to the time when they first met. Yuzu was being hunted down by men for her unusual hair colour. They were going to sell her because of her rarity but while she was fleeing from them she came across the dark haired girl's mansion. The rest was history with Yuzu barging into the vampire's quiet life.
Tears began to fall as she watched the colour on Yuzu's face getting paler and paler, her breaths becoming shallower with each breath. She remembered how Yuzu, despite numerous times of messing up her chores, would never give up and try even harder. Thinking back on these times, Mei felt foolish for not realizing sooner that she had feelings for Yuzu. Her hand moved to the unconscious girl's cold hand and she gripped it tighter as if she was willing life and warmth into Yuzu.
Suddenly her eyes widened and she shot up from the chair. Mei leaned into the blonde's unmoving chest. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. Yuzu's heartbeat stopped.
Despair, panic and horror hit her all at once as the realization struck that Yuzu may never open her eyes again. 'What do I do?!'. Mei, almost stumbling over the chair, sprinted towards the door, "Matsuri! She stopped breathing!".
She heard rapid footsteps approaching the room almost immediately and after a few seconds, Matsuri finally arrived with the potion. She wasted no time in pouring the vial's contents into Yuzu's mouth, being careful not to spill a single drop. She stepped back and both girls held their breath. Vampiritis has been incurable to werewolves for many centuries, and even if Yuzu is half kitsune, there was no guarantee that the potion would work. Nothing was happening, was it too late?
Suddenly, a blinding glow shone from the blonde, followed by a loud gasp. Both girls sighed in relief. After filling her lungs with air, Yuzu's breathing seemed to have steadied. Though Yuzu was still unconscious it was clear that the potion worked. The former werewolf's blonde locks were brighter than before. It almost looked like they were emitting a celestial glow. Her skin was back to its usual healthy pigment and her limbs weren't as stiff as a board anymore.
Slowly, Yuzu began to open her eyes. Mei rushed to her side while Matsuri went off to fetch a glass of water.
"Hey", the vampire girl said softly as she stroked the girl's cheek.
"Hey", Yuzu said back weakly before sitting up from the bed. "What happened?", she held her head, remembering the painful migraine she had shortly before everything went black. After no reply came Yuzu looked up to see the usually stoic vampire in tears. "M-mei? What's wrong?"
Mei tried to wipe the tears away as she spoke, "You almost died, Yuzu. No- you did die. Your heart stopped!", she tried to explain in between sobs.
Yuzu didn't know what to do. She'd never seen this side of Mei. Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around the other girl. "It's alright. I'm okay now, see?"
Mei looked into Yuzu's bright, green eyes. Earlier, her dilated pupils made it seem like her eyes were devoid of life but now they were full of life once more. Luminous, almost like a cat's eyes. She buried herself into the blonde's chest, hearing the rhythmic beating of Yuzu's heart. The vampire continued to silently sob into the other girl's chest until finally calming down and pulling away. An unexpected yet adorable chuckle escaped the vampire's lips which surprised the other girl.
"I just realized, that's the first time you called me by my name", Mei smiled a genuine smile.
It was so beautiful. She was so beautiful that Yuzu couldn't help but lean in and steal a kiss. This kiss wasn't like the last one. This one was soft and quick. Not long enough to leave them breathless and not short enough to be considered a peck on the lips. But it was enough to convey what both girls were thinking; 'I love you'
The next day
"Alright, there shouldn't be any problems now", Matsuri nodded confidently. She stayed over until the morning to check up on Yuzu after a night's rest.
"No problems?! Look at these!", Yuzu tugged at her tails. Yes, tails. It seemed like she had somehow grown another one overnight. "Why do I have two?!"
Matsuri shrugged nonchalantly, "My theory is that after coming back to life, another tail grew to represent your rebirth". She started packing her stethoscope into her bag, "Anyway, you'll get used to it. Since you've awakened your kitsune side, you'll keep growing tails the older you get, probably".
Mei hesitantly walked up to the shorter girl, looking apologetic while still trying to maintain her serious demeanor, "I guess I owe you my gratitude… and an apology"
"Oh? I didn't expect you to actually apologize", Matsuri smirked. However, her smug attitude was suddenly replaced by a genuine smile, "Since I met Yuzu, I've always looked up to her. Sure, she acts like a child sometimes and can act more immature than me but I still view her as my older sister", she looked over at the blonde, who was still tugging at her tails as if they would come off. "It's only natural that, as her younger sister, I'd want what's best for her. So, will you love and cherish her?", Matsuri looked into Mei's eyes, waiting for her answer.
Mei nodded as she held Matsuri's gaze with conviction. No words were needed to express her desire to stay with Yuzu.
"Okay… then what about these?", Yuzu interrupted them as she pointed at the top of her head in exaggerating motions.
"They're ears Yuzu. Hmm, maybe you did suffer some brain damage…"
"I know they're ears! But why do I have wolf…? Fox…?", she let out a frustrated growl, "Animal ears?! It's like when I'm halfway through my transformation during a full moon!"
Matsuri ignored her, noting that there was definitely nothing wrong with Yuzu, seeing as she was back to her energetic self. She handed a bottle of medicine to Mei, "Make sure to give her this after every meal until she finishes the whole bottle. It's for her organs, particularly her heart since it stopped beating for a few minutes"
Mei took the bottle carefully before the rambunctious blonde spoke up again, "What's that? Will it get rid of them?", she asked hopefully.
Matsuri grimaced and waved her wand, preparing for a teleportation spell. She did not want to hear any more of Yuzu's complaints. Just as she was about to disappear she looked at the vampire girl one more time, mouthing words only Mei was able to decipher; 'Take care of her'.
Now that the young witch was gone, Mei turned her full attention to Yuzu, who was still causing a ruckus over the newly acquired appendages. "Getting another tail is one thing, but seriously? Animal ears?"
Without warning, the raven haired beauty began to pet her causing Yuzu to jump in surprise, "I quite like them", she said simply, still stroking the top of her hair, brushing over her ears every once in a while. A sudden purr escaped Yuzu's lips.
"Did you just... purr?", Mei couldn't help but grin at Yuzu's flustered face. "I didn't know you could do that"
Yuzu hid her face in embarrassment, "I didn't know I could do that either!"
The vampire girl chuckled before walking away towards the kitchen, "Shall we have some lunch? Matsuri said to give you some medicine after", she held up the bottle of medicine.
Yuzu scrambled after her, "W-wait, let me make lunch!".
"No, you stay in bed. I'll make lunch", Mei said sternly.
"But it's my job!"
Mei stopped all of a sudden. She seemed to be in deep thought before she turned back to the blonde, "Yuzu, you are no longer a full fledged werewolf, therefore you are no longer bound to the ancient rules", she paused for a moment. "This means that you do not have to continue being my servant. You may go wherever you wish and I'll see to it that you'll be paid in full for your time and services here"
'Eh?', Yuzu's heart fell. 'Does that mean I'm no longer needed? Is she sending me away?'
"But", Mei continued, "if you wish, you can continue to stay here in my mansion, with me. Not as my servant but as something more"
The blonde looked up to see the vampire holding a hand out to her. Despite being a vampire her face resembled her own red face.
Mei suddenly cleared her throat snapping Yuzu out of her daze, "W-will you be my lover?", the vampire asked bashfully. For the first time in her life, she felt so embarrassed that she couldn't meet someone in the eye. The silence was deafening and with each second that passed apprehension and doubt filled her mind. However, her worries dissipated the moment Yuzu flung herself at her, clinging onto each other in a warm embrace.
"Really? Are you sure? Are you fine with someone like me?", Yuzu bombarded her with questions. She couldn't believe that the girl she fell in love with felt the same about her.
Mei chuckled at Yuzu's enthusiasm, "I should be asking you that"
Hope you guys enjoyed this super short mini series! As always, thanks for reading, all criticism is appreciated（‐＾▽＾‐）
(May or may not write more depending on my busy schedule of procrastination.)