A/N ;; I have to say that this chapter jumps around a lot. In and out, in and out, in and out... You get it.

Also, in this chapter, plot happens.

Thanks to TheManWithBacon, Daughter of Kabegami, and BoudicaFlamespirit for the reviews. Extra thanks goes to BoudicaFlamespirit. And extra special thanks goes to Daughter of Kabegami. They know what they did.

BoudicaFlamespirit - Ha. Your review made me laugh. But as for your question, you can ponder that all on your own.

People who review the next chapter will get... Cookies, because I can't think of anything else right now.

After Shin and Kazue had left their spot – as they called it – and returned to the shore, the two humans quickly made their way through the sea of sand that covered the ground. It was still moderately early in the day, and the sun was only inches away from the horizon, bundles of clouds slowly making their way across the blue sky.

Shin's home – or hut, as he preferred to call it – was only about a ten minute walk from the city when they considered the speed they were traveling at. The two humans tried to cover themselves behind the boulders that were just tall enough for them to duck behind to make sure Kazue wasn't seen by too many people. Shin frowned as he thought about this. According to Kazue, the news had spread nearly instantly and if she was seen, she was sure to be glared and admonished for her supposed actions.

His goal was to get to his hut, have Kazue spend a night there, and then move on. He didn't want to dwell on convincing her to stay near Southern Ryoshima Coast, as he knew she had already set her mind on leaving. She probably wanted to find a place where her accusations didn't stand, where she was like a new person. He understood her reasoning, though he found no reason to linger on the past, and instead look towards the future.

"Is that it, Shin?"

Kazue's voice broke Shin from his thoughts. He looked forward, seeing his hut in the distance. He supposed it could be considered shabby and ratty, but it was the place he had built himself and called home.

He looked towards Kazue. "So, what do you think?"

Her bright gaze was transfixed on him in the form of a warm and slightly questioning glance; the fact that she had never been or even seen his home obviously painted on her face. She didn't say anything, and he shifted slightly beneath her stare.

He blinked when Kazue let out a small giggle and moved forward. She shot one last look at his hut before she craned her neck to face him, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

"Well, are you ready? Come on."

With that, she began to walk toward the hut and left Shin to question her reaction. He looked down with slight uneasiness, almost nervous. He hadn't before cared about the looks of his home, nor what people thought of it. Now, however, Kazue's reaction unnerved him and he couldn't help feeling a smidge of disappointment that he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Come on!"

Kazue's voice called out for him again. She stood in front of the hut, her small figure partially hidden by a boulder that stood near the hut.

Shin narrowed his eyes and attempted to clear his head. He took a single deep breath before he began to walk toward her.

"I really like it, Shin!" Kazue said once he was close enough to hear, her hand placed on a part of the outside wall.

He smiled in disbelief.

Kazue walked into the entrance of the hut.

And, almost reluctantly, Shin followed.

Shin's worries were proven irrelevant.

Kazue broke into a huge grin as she entered the hut. She looked to the top of the hut in awe, her eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like this, Shin!" she said. "You built this on your own, right? It's good!"

He closed his eyes as he entered and a cool air covered his skin as he left the warmth of the sun. A faint scent of fish entered his nose. He sniffed, and his muscles eased at the scent he had gotten so used to. He opened his eyes. Kazue's familiar laughter echoed throughout the small space. Soon, his vision adjusted to the darkened area.

Shin raised a thin eyebrow.

She floated around the hut, her crystal bouncing against her chest with each step she took. Each time she saw something, she bent down to examine it and then very carefully put it down as it was. After a few minutes, she eventually landed back in front of him.

He didn't know whether to smile or frown.

He let out a light sigh when Kazue tugged on his hand, gently reminding him of her existence. "Shin?"

Shin was too surprised by her reaction to his home that he didn't even notice Kazue speak. He felt relieved that she would be able to stay in his hut without feeling uncomfortable.

"How long have you lived here, Shin?" Kazue's voice reached his ears again.

"From before I met you..." he answered absently.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake and Shin heard the rattling of vases and pots, then the sounds of shattering clay. Kazue yelped and grabbed onto his arm, while he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

Once it stopped, only mere moments after it started, Shin removed Kazue from his arm and stepped outside.

"Great Gods..." he muttered.

From behind him, he heard Kazue's voice, still shaky. "What is it?"

He retreated back inside and tried to put on his brightest smile. "It's nothing, Kazue. They're just testing some new fireworks. Don't worry about it."

Even Kazue raised a brow at that.

Ren's goals were simple: Wait until that girl and her friend were asleep, carry out his plan to lure the girl out, then take back what was rightfully his. He didn't want to make himself look generous or caring when he was carrying out his plan, when he knew that such an attitude would eventually mold him into a soft and sensitive individual – one that would be easy to breakdown or manipulate. He was Ren, not a sap-trap in which anybody could take advantage of when they were unable to take care of themselves. He did what he wanted, and nothing else.

He had seen hurt all over the world – pain, misery, anguish, regret, bereavements; everything anybody could imagine. He was born into being a messenger fox, as it was said that that was his destiny. He had spent over two-hundred years serving Inari. He had followed the path that was supposedly set out for him for over three centuries. Maybe, as he watched nature befriend humanity and humanity become wiser, he had seen the downfalls of it all. War. Crime. Power. Envy.

Ren knew that gods could die. That was something most people didn't understand. Ren was aware of it. He had always been.

"Ren..."

One of the fox's five tails twitched.

"Ren..."

He tried to ignore the figure beside him, Kouki – though he preferred to call him Annoyance.

"Ren... Ren... Ren... Ren... REN!"

A low growl sounded from the throat of the fox, alerting the demon beside him, Kouki, that he had acknowledged his persistent attempts to grab his attention. But still, the fox did not look at him, still focused on the small hut below the outcrop of rock he was laying on.

"Ren? Hey... erm... Ren? You listening to me?"

Kouki blinked, his caramel hair falling into his eyes as he cocked his head, waiting for an answer. He was a demon, but perhaps the closest thing that could be related to a human in terms of appearance. The only thing that separated him from the image of a human were his hands and feet, which curled and had bring blue claws where there would be nails.

Ren finally turned towards him, though his crimson eyes were narrowed and murderous. He had shifted back into his fox form to conserve some of his energy. "This better be important," he snarled.

Kouki nodded quickly and pointed towards the sky.

Ren's eyes widened as he took in the image of the swirling dust cloud that had gathered above Southern Ryoshima Coast. He paused before saying, "How long has that been there?"

Kouki gave a light shrug. "A couple of minutes, I think."

The fox's eyes went narrowed again. "'A couple of minutes'?" He snarled again and revealed sharp fangs. "Why didn't you tell me then?"

Kouki pulled back. His green eyes were wide. "I tried..."

When Ren didn't say anything, Kouki's gaze went back towards the event in the sky, and asked, "Does it mean anything?"

"There's a line between the demon world and the human world," Ren began. "When one wishes to cross over, there are certain requirements that must be fulfilled and," he motioned towards the cloud, "that's usually the result, although it's usually much smaller and doesn't last more than a second. The portal size relates to how many demons are using the portal and how long it needs to stay open. If it's this big..."

He didn't bother to finish.

He didn't need to.

In a darkened room packed with computer consoles, countless Red Imps were scuttling about on every available surface. Their eyes reflected the scrolling lines of computer code. The only unique being in the room was a single red-haired human, though even he was strange, as he had eight different fox tails sprouting out his backside. He stood close to a hologram projector, which was already projecting the likeness of an equally enigmatic being.

"When will the portal stabilize?" demanded the eight-tailed human. "We're wasting precious time here!"

"Approximately two days, Sire," hissed the opposite creature with stringy yellow hair and wide, swiveling eyes, as it paced before its side of the hologram. "The smaller demons are working as fast as they can, and there are no interferences from the humans."

"I was told that it will open up over the water."

"Indeed they shall," nodded the spider-like being, as it tapped several keys on a computer console with its large, scarlet claws, "and that location was for the best, really."

"Elaborate."

"Simply put, any portals put high over water will be considerably stable, as they have almost no interference from humans, which increases our chances of success."

"Very well, then. Make sure that we can mobilize as soon as possible."

With that, the hologram faded into nothingness.

Those who had gathered near on the shore of Southern Ryoshima Coast were scattered when the swirling dust cloud exploded with dazzling flashes of blinding white light. Some people found themselves trying in vain to rid their vision of the explosions' burning afterimages, while others cried out in alarm as wide columns of light lanced into the water from the storm centers.

Then, almost as abruptly as they had begun, the distortions vanished. The once-dark skies were rendered cloudless and blue once again, and witnesses would later wonder if they had been hallucinating the whole thing. However, a lingering scent provided them with ample conviction as to the reality of the strange incident.

A/N ;; PLOT!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!

That is all.