A/N: Oh God, I'm actually updating. That's a surprise. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to do some writing, since I'm currently hyped up on beautiful music... like always. So, here we go!

Crimson Day

~Chapter 1~

The sound of morning birds awoke Buddhist Monkey. He smiled as he could smell the fresh blossom petals through the cracked window... Wait. Why was his window open?

"Cyanide?" he called out, noticing his friend wasn't at the food of his bed. He frowned once he noticed that her cloak was missing, along with her bag that hung from the tree outside. 'Probably wanted to do this alone to prove how strong and brave she is,' he thought, shaking his head with a sigh. 'Why can't she learn that she's still young and weak in power?'

He slowly got out of bed, rubbing his tired eyes. After taking a quick shower, Buddhist Monkey found himself stunned in surprise when he saw Cyanide rolling around outside, one of her five tails clenched tightly in her jaws as she proceeded to roll around, tugging at it. She was acting like a little pup again, tugging at her tail, barking and growling quietly, rolling around in the dirt. It reminded Buddhist Monkey of when he first found the girl when she was four. She had wandered away from home, stopped in front of his home, and after waiting a while, she started to play with her tail. Seeing this made him smile.

"Cyanide!" he called out, catching the girl's attention. She ceased her tugging and barking, looking over at her friend with innocent eyes. Finally releasing her tail, she got up with a large smile, snatching her bag up and placing it on her shoulder.

"You ready to go?" she asked, seeming excited to get back on her journey. Buddhist Monkey had to admit, she looked a lot better now that she had rested. But how she woke up before him was a different story.

"Yes. Did you sleep well last night?" he asked, following the kitsune down the path and into the woods. She nodded happily.

"Yep!" she replied, though her smile slowly vanished. "Though, I did have a weird dream... We made it to the Ruins, but when we got inside, we got separated and I couldn't find you, or my way out!"

"Really? What happened then?"

"I dunno. I woke up and didn't feel like going back to sleep!"

Time seemed to fly by as the two talked and walked. Buddhist Monkey finally learned that for the past three months he didn't see the girl, she was off learning new tricks with her brushes. He knew the girl was always gifted with nature, and finally found her secret: her brushes. She confessed that she used the brushes for magic, and rarely painted pictures anymore. She used her magic at the beginning of the curse, reviving the bits and pieces of dying land, only to have it buried by the curse. She told him that this Soul Gem was her last hope. Her revival and reaping magic wasn't enough to break her village out of the horrible hex.

"How does this Soul Gem work, anyways?" he asked, looking over at the young kitsune.

"I dunno," she sighed, putting her head down. "But if it means my village will be back to normal, then I'm willing to give my life for it."

"You won't have to give up your life," he chuckled, patting her back. "Not with me around, anyways!"

"Yeah, I know you'll protect me!" she giggled.

The sun was finally starting to set. Buddhist Monkey was squinting as they continued their way through the thick forest, trying to follow Cyanide's light footsteps that crunched on fallen leaves. He could barely see her glowing eye markings as she would turn her head to make sure he hadn't gotten lose.

"You doin' okay, Buddhist Monkey?" she asked, finally stopping and letting him catch up. "You can always turn and go back. I won't mind."

"No!" he replied, casting her a small smile. "I'm not going to let someone as young as yourself travel out to somewhere dangerous like this alone!"

"I'm not a child, Buddhist Monkey!" she cried, pouting at him. "I'm old enough to know right from wrong!... most of the times..."

"Cyanide, whether you like it or not, I'm going to stay with you," he told her, knowing she was rolling her eyes. "And I'm going to help you find this Soul Gem, and help you lift that curse. Now, come on! Let's go find those Ruins!"

The two ran off, traveling further into the forest, Cyanide holding onto Buddhist Monkey's wrist, being his guide through the maze of trees, bushes, and other things. Buddhist Monkey allowed his thoughts to wonder, going back to when he first met Cyanide. He smiled as he remembered how she released her tail, bouncing up to him and asking him to play. He remembered how he picked her up, watching as she played with his robe, giggling as her paws got tangled in the orange material. He had asked her questions, though she replied with 'I'm lost, mister!' or 'I'm looking for a blue and white brush!' and even 'I'm hungry...'. He fed her the fruit he had, and even cleaned her up afterward. And once she found the brush she was looking for, he carried her home, where her older brother happily took her and thanked him greatly. Come to think of it, Buddhist Monkey hadn't seen her brother in a long time.

"Cyanide?" he spoke softly, finally returning to reality. "What happened to your brother, Tenshi?"

The kitsune didn't answer her friend. She just continued through the forest, her grip tightening a bit. He went to ask again, but she cut him off.

"I heard you. I don't wanna talk about," she said curtly, though he could pick up the hurt in her voice. He nodded slowly, continuing their way through the forest. He could only pray that they were close to the Ruins, and that Cyanide was going to be okay.