Chapter 2

Kat sat on her couch, reading an old leather notebook. The notes were written in Japanese, and though she understood the language, she was bit rusty due to lack of use and had to stop and think every now and then as she came across a rune or two she didn't recognize. "Dammit," she cursed softly. "I really need to read more." She closed the notebook and set it on her coffee table before leaning back and running both hands through her hair. "Maybe I should get some magna?" she thought out loud.

Standing up, she thought about what her mother had written in regards to finding a soul-mate.

We are a proud and powerful race. But in many ways it is a lonely existence. Never are we able to reveal our true natures to our friends, for fear that they would attempt to use our power to their own ends. But to make up for this loneliness, we are gifted with the ability to know our soul-mate, and to have our soul-mate know us, upon our first gaze into their eyes. This person, aside from our families, is the only one we can reveal our true natures to. That is not to say that a relationship will be easy, despite the love you and your soul-mate will feel towards one another, it is still a relationship. And all relationships require work and compromise.

When you and your soul-mate are joined for the first time, you will be bonded. So long as you live, so will your soul-mate. But should you be killed, the bond will break and your soul-mate shall resume a mortal life. Never has a soul-mate whose bonded was killed remarried in the entire history of our race. It is for this reason that, when especially dangerous situations, you must not be in mortal form. I know that, should you be reading this, I am most likely dead and you spend most of your time in your human form, but when you find a soul-mate you must remember that they will have no other mates from the time you bond.

That is in many a ways a curse in and of itself.

Perhaps the most important part of finding your soul-mate is this, you will only be able to have children with your soul-mate. This is why there our so few of us in the world. Despite our immortality in our natural form, it can take centuries, as it took me, to find your soul-mate and have children. Between this, and the death of our kind in mortal form, via accidents and foolishness, our race is slowly dying out.

Your magic will affect your bonded, and they may even be able to use some of your own magic to an extent. You father has never used my magic, but he has also never tried, preferring to use his own ability, something he says he understands.

So when you find your soul-mate, cherish them.

Sighing, she walked into the kitchen and began to brew a pot of coffee. She also grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels to add a little kick to strong black coffee she was preparing. Deciding to have a smoke while she waited for the coffee to finish, she headed for her roof access. She would smoke in her shop, and she would smoke in bars, but she refused to smoke in her apartment.

Stepping out onto the roof, Kat pulled out and lit a cigarillo.

"You know, that's not a very healthy habit."

Kat turned and smiled at the sight of Angela sitting on the bench she kept up here. Shrugging, Kat took a drag of the cigarillo before responding, "It won't hurt me."

"My understanding is that smoking those things can cause cancer," the gargoyle said, standing up and walking towards her.

Smiling Kat asked, "How long have you been up here? I did say you could come back anytime tonight after all."

Angela fidgeted. "Only about ten minutes. I was trying to think about what to say to you, aside from thanking you again for saving me."

Kat rolled her eyes and took another drag of the cigarillo. "Angela, you've thanked me three times now. Trust me, when I say you don't need to thank me anymore." she took another drag. "What was it you wanted to talk about? Why you feel as though you suddenly have feeling for me?"

Angela blushed as her eyes widened. "How did you...?"

Kat sighed and put out her cigarillo. "You should come inside. There are some things we should probably discuss," she said, unwilling to look the gargoyle in the eye.

"Kat?" Angela questioned.

"I'm sorry Angela, but this is hard enough for me. We should go inside." Kat walked over and opened the door, holding it for the gargoyle.

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Angela watched from her seat on the leather couch as Kat walked into her kitchen.

"Would you like some coffee?" Kat called.

Angela thought for a moment before responding. "I've never had any, but I'm willing to try some," she answered.

A few minutes later, Kat walked out of the kitchen carrying two coffee mugs. She set one done in front of Angela before sitting on the opposite end of the couch and taking a sip of her own. "I make it kinda strong, and I drink it black. If you don't like it, it can be made weaker, or you could add some sugar or cream." She smirked weakly. "In difficult situations a little whiskey doesn't go amiss either."

"Kat?"

The woman sighed and rubbed her forehead as she sat her coffee down on the table. "I don't know where to begin Angela. I wish I did. But I'm afraid, afraid that you'll hate me for something I had no control over, but is nonetheless my fault. That you'll be angry at me for some perceived wrong I've done."

Angela felt sympathy for the woman. This was obviously difficult for her. "You don't have to tell me," she told the Kat, hoping to ease her fears.

"That's the problem," Kat sighed. "I do have to tell you. I guess the first place to start is that I'm not entirely human."

Angela looked at the woman shocked. "Fae?"

Kat laughed. "No," she sad with a smile. "I'm not a fae. I, like my mother before me, am a kitsune, a nine-tailed fox."

Angela smiled. "You don't look like a fox," she teased.

Kat rolled her eyes, before a brief flash flared, and in the woman's place sat a pure white fox, with nine tails. The fox looked at Angela with solid violet eyes, and smirked showing several sharp pointed teeth.

"Now do I look like a fox?" Kat asked sarcastically.

Angela just nodded. "You're beautiful," she mumbled. Holding out her hand, the gargess asked, "May I?"

"Go ahead, just stay away from the base of my tails."

Angela gently reached over and ran her hand over Kat's fur. The fur felt as soft and smooth as fine silk, and incredibly warm. "Why do I need to stay away from the base of your tails?" she asked, out of genuine curiosity.

"Do you know what an erogenous zone is?" Kat said jokingly.

Angela's eyes widened and she stopped moving her hand. "I...um..I mean...," Angela cursed herself. She had forgotten that his creature in front of her was also the woman she was attracted to.

Kat chuckled, and in another flash, the woman was sitting once more beside Angela, with the gargess' hand resting on her shoulder.

Angela quickly pulled her hand back, and missed the look of hurt in Kat's eyes.

"As I was saying before," Kat continued her explanation, ignoring the awkwardness that had just occurred, "I'm not completely human, but a kitsune. My race is Asian in origin, and goes by several different names, but we are magical beings. Perhaps our most useful skill is our ability to shape-shift. We are guardians for the most part, much like gargoyles, with our magic geared towards such, or at least we used to be. Now, we pretty much try and stay hidden so that we may live our lives without being exploited. While I'm not as strong a gargoyle in this form, I am stronger than a normal woman, as well as faster and with better reflexes. When in my natural form, I am probably stronger than you, and definitely faster, with lightning fast reflexes, razor sharp teeth and claws, with an affinity for fire, a strong durability against harm, and the abilities of flight and invisibility. A kitsune in their natural form is an almost unbeatable foe."

Kat took a sip of her coffee before continuing. "That's not to say we aren't vulnerable. There were ways for magicians to bind us as servants, and when not in our natural forms, while immune to disease and time, we are just as easily injured as any normal mortal. When my kind began to be hunted, it wasn't unusual for a warrior to wait and watch for the kitsune to become mortal before attacking them."

Angela noticed the haunted look in Kat's eyes. "You said your mother was a kitsune like you?"

Kat smiled sadly. "She was in her human form during a robbery gone wrong. I don't know why she didn't change into her natural form. Maybe she didn't think of it, maybe she didn't think the situation was that serious, maybe she just didn't have time. Whatever the reason, she died when I was two." Kat sighed. "But that's not what's important."

The woman looked into Angela's eyes. "Our most important gift is how we find our mates, our soul-mates. When you woke up last night, you looked me in the eyes, and...well..."

"I'm your soul-mate?" Angela finished.

Kat nodded. "Yes. You're my soul-mate. It's why you feel the way you do about me, it's not full-fledged love yet. The bond doesn't create that. What it does create, is attraction, so that I notice you, and you notice me. Aside from that, it's almost exactly like any other relationship. We can get mad at the other, we can get hurt by the other, we will have to make compromises with the other." She looked down. "And, until we are bonded, you have the opportunity to walk away."

"And you?" Angela asked. "Can you walk away?"

Kat shook her head. "No, you're it for me. Walk away or not, I will never be able to love another in the same way I can come to love you. It's the curse of being a kitsune."

Suddenly, the reason for Kat's fears made sense to the gargess. "You're afraid I'll walk away?"

Kat nodded.

Angela smiled, and gently tilted Kat's face up with her talon. "I won't," she said, looking into Kat's violet eyes. "I am attracted to you Kat, and I won't say that I'm okay with this, as it sound like your being forced to fall in love with me, but I am willing to try. You said that until we bonded I could walk away, what in it that bonds us?"

Kat smiled. "Intercourse."

Angela blushed. "So you're saying that once we...you know, we'll be bonded?"

Kat nodded. "For eternity."

Angela took a sip of the coffee Kat had provided and grimaced. "This is bitter," she said, a look of disgust on her face. She looked at Kat. "You said something about adding sugar?"

Kat smiled and stood up. "Come on, you can experiment with coffee flavor in the kitchen."

As Angela followed the other woman she said, "Kat, I can't be with you, as a mate, not now. But I'm willing to be your friend."

Kat smiled sadly. "I understand."

"But," Angela placed he hand on Kat's shoulder and turned her to face her. She continued, "That doesn't mean I won't be able to one day. But this is...a lot to take in, and honestly we hardly know one another. Maybe, after we get to know one another, I can try."

Kat nodded. "That's all I would ask. Just understand that, no matter your decision, I will always want more from you than just friendship. I will respect your decision, and I won't push you to decide to be with me, but it is something you need to realize if you only want me as a friend."

"Of course," Angela acknowledged. "Now why don't you explain to me how to alter the taste of this horrid drink," she said holding up her mug of coffee."

Kat chuckled as she dug into her cabinets for sugar.

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I know it's short, but I felt that, emotionally, a lot happened in this chapter. Please Review, and check out the Challenges in My Forum, Link on Profile.