LUCKY FOX

A Ginji & Aoi Epilogue Short Story

PART TWO: A Deft Debate with the Hot-Blooded Earth Spider
Approximate Word Length: 2000
Average Read Time: 7 Minutes
FanFiction Rating: T

"You still haven't seen him?" Aoi asked the front-desk manager at Tenjin-ya for the third time that day as she made yet another round through the inn looking for the soon to be unluckiest fox in all the realm.

With a sigh on his lips, a roll of his eyes, and a shake of his head, Akatsuki replied, "No, Aoi. For the hundredth time, I haven't seen him."

"But are you sure you haven't—"

"No. He's not here."

"But what about in the—"

"I already told you!" Akatsuki loudly declared. "He's not in the kitchen. He's not in the basement. And he's not off hiding in some secret corner in the back. So, in answer to your incessant question, no! He's not here!" After explaining all of this – again – the red-haired, hot-blooded front-desk manager of Tenjin-ya leaned over his host station, gripping the sides of it until his knuckles turned white, and gave Miss Aoi Tsubaki his sternest glare yet, hoping it would finally scare her off.

But, of course, it didn't.

"But are you sure? I mean, I've been through Moonflower twice, all the gardens three times, and this has got to be my fourth or fifth time now searching through the inn. I've looked everywhere, but I still can't find him."

"Did you ever think that maybe . . . juuust maybe . . . THAT'S BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE FOUND!" the annoyed ayakashi screamed in her face while holding on to the tiniest bit of faith that maybe . . . juuust maybe . . . the obvious truth would be just the thing to faze her this time.

But, once again, it didn't.

"Look, Akatsuki," Aoi said with a stern glare of her own. "I'm just asking for a little help here. I think it's the least you can do after all the times I've helped nurse you back to health with my delicious food."

"That was one time."

"Actually, it's been three times now," Aoi replied while holding up a trio of fingers in front of his face to showcase her point. "And I'm sure it won't be the last time you'll need my help either."

For several seconds, they just stared at each other, narrowing their eyes in turn by tiny and tinier increments, debating back and forth through the age-old art of intimidation, until at last a winner was crowned.

"Ugh, fine," Akatsuki groaned. "I'll help you look for him."

"Great!"

"But only for a little while," he was quick to add on upon seeing her cheerful, triumphant demeanor. "I do have a job to do, you know."

Aoi looked around the empty lobby, giving it a quick once-over. Then her focus returned, unhurried, to the less-than-accommodating ayakashi in front of her. "Oh, yes, I can see that. You're so terribly busy . . . with zero customers to wait on."

"Alright, alright," Akatsuki conceded, accepting at last that he'd been utterly defeated by the obnoxious human girl. "Why don't you make your way back to Moonflower and check there again. It's nightfall now, so maybe you'll get lucky and that damn fox will stop by for his dinner."

"What about you?"

"I'll start by checking out the staff's quarters again and anywhere else I think that sneaky fox may be trying to hide. Then I'll meet you out front. If neither one of us has found him by then, we'll formulate another plan and go from there. How's that sound?"

With a cock of her hip and a tilt of her head, Aoi gave the earth spider a triumphant grin. "See! That wasn't so difficult now, was it?"

"Speak for yourself," he grumbled.

"I look forward to meeting you out front then," Aoi returned with an offhanded wave as she turned to exit the inn.

"Yeah, whatever," the not-so-helpful front-desk manager muttered to himself. "And I look forward to tracking that damn fox down and tearing off every single one of his nine tails one by one."

/^\ G+A /^\

"Giiiiiinnnjjjiii!"

All the nine-tailed fox wanted was some peace and quiet. Some space to think. And some time to come to grips with his imminent departure and the inevitable heartbreak that was bound to come with it. But all he kept getting was—

"Giiiiiinnnjjjiii!"

That.

Aoi Tsubaki endlessly sing-songing his name around every corner of Tenjin-ya and coming dangerously close to finding him.

So dangerously close in fact that he had to dart away from her several times throughout the day and find another hiding place, which was getting harder and harder to come by since she now had all of the staff and even some of the guests on the lookout for him.

"Giiiiiinnnjjjiii! Please come out. I only want to talk to you."

Off in the distance, ensconced in some shrubbery, the miniaturized, fluffy-white, nine-tailed fox couldn't help but stare after the persistent singer of his name, wondering all over again why he was even hiding from her in the first place.

I want you to help me win the heart of Shiro Tsubaki's granddaughter.

Oh, yeah. That's why. Because he promised long ago, even before Aoi arrived in the hidden realm, that he would help his Master and friend earn her love and make her his one and only ogre-bride.

Yeah, in my heart, I'm sure that was my first love.

Aoi's confession from long ago came flooding back into his mind.

No, she wasn't talking about me, he thought to himself in an attempt to rebuke the hope that was threatening to console him. She was talking about the Master. Remember, I was just a stand-in, a helpless ayakashi whose place is on the sidelines.

That's not true! the Aoi of his memory corrected him. You can't even imagine how much you being there reassured me, and how much it meant to me as well. You gave me the hope that I needed to keep on living. Oh, Ginji. You saved me.

And you saved me, he responded in kind, getting lost in the memory of what once was and wandering into the fantasy of what might have been had he not made that promise to the Master long ago.

"Oh, Ginji. Where are you?"

Her voice, so distant now and yet still so clear to his fox ears, sounded as forlorn as he felt. "Oh, Aoi."

"Ginji."

"Aoi."

"Ginji."

"Ao—" Abruptly, the fox looked up, recognizing at last that it wasn't Aoi who was saying his name anymore but—

"Ginji, what are you doing?"

"Master!" he yelped at the dark figure above him. Then, upon realizing he was still in his tiny fox form, he changed in a flash to his usual full-grown self before answering, "I was just inspecting the shrubs and making sure they're being properly maintained."

The Master Innkeeper of Tenjin-ya, one of the most intimidating Hachiyo in all the realm, keeper of the ogre flame that could melt the very skin off one's bones, frowned.

And just like that, the Young Master confessed. "I'm hiding from Aoi."

"Yes, I can see that. But why?"

"Because . . ." Ginji paused, second-guessing what he should and shouldn't say to the one he'd promised to serve.

"Ginji."

Until that frown made it clear to him that the time for second-guessing was over because the time for truth-telling had come.

"Master, I . . ." But still the truth seized his throat – and heart – creating a vice grip around both that wouldn't let up. Even for the ogre-god.

The ogre-god who was at that moment dragging one long finger-nailed hand down his reclined face and asking the strangest of questions to the burgeoning stars up above. "Why must I be cursed with such faithful employees?"

"Master?"

Odanna sighed. "Ginji, tell me honestly." The hand he'd used to face-palm himself just then now took up residence on the Young Master's shoulder. "Are you in love with Aoi Tsubaki?"

The nine-tailed fox blanched, his countenance turning whiter than his downy locks or his fluffy tails. "No, of course not. At least, not in the way you are, Master. I mean, I love Miss Aoi. But I'm not in love with Miss Aoi. She's just a dear—" Upon seeing the Master's less-than-convinced visage, Ginji found that he was suddenly unable to complete that sentence.

"Ginji, I saw it then and I see it now. The truth is written all over your face. You can't hide it from me anymore. Not that you were ever any good at hiding it in the first place," Odanna said with a light chuckle at his own private joke. "So, believe me when I say you can tell me the truth . . . because I already know the truth."

"But, Master, you—"

"—will survive." The Master's other hand settled atop his friend's open shoulder, boxing him in. "Just admit it already, you stubborn fox."

"Admit what?"

Odanna's crimson eyes began to glow, signaling the fox's doom if he continued to defy him.

"Alright. Fine," Ginji relented, the vice grip on his throat – and heart – at once letting up as if on the ogre-god's command. "I'm in love with Miss Aoi. And I've been in love with her for as long as I've known her. At least, that's the way it feels now because I can't even remember a time anymore when I wasn't in love with her. It's like I woke up in the middle of a freefall before I even realized I'd taken a dive off the cliff."

The ogre smiled at the fox's fitting analogy, the glow behind his eyes diminishing.

"But it doesn't matter," his conflicted friend continued. "I can't do anything about it . . . because you're in love with her too."

"True," the Master acknowledged. "But, Ginji, what you fail to realize is that while I may be a powerful ogre-god with strength, speed, agility, and, might I add, finesse, I do not have the ability to influence other's thoughts, choices, or actions. I'm just like any other man. Powerless to earn the love of one whose heart belongs to another."

"What are you saying? That Aoi . . . that she . . ."

The Master relinquished his hold on the fox's shoulders, folding his hands back together inside the long black sleeves of his kimono jacket, before saying, "I'm not at liberty to say anything about Miss Tsubaki's feelings or affections. Instead, all I can say is that she wishes, most desperately it seems, to speak with you, and I think it would be wise for you to go to her and hear what she has to say."

"But what if she—"

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU DAMN FOX!"

Both Odanna and Ginji spun around to see the hot-tempered front-desk manager of Tenjin-ya racing toward them. It was clear from his boiling blood-red eyes that Akatsuki only had one mission in mind.

Murder.

The ogre-god glanced over at the earth spider's unfortunate target. "You'd better make a break for it before Aoi comes running and you end up in an argument instead of a discussion."

"But what about Akatsuki?"

"Don't worry about him," the Master Innkeeper said, his eyes bright and his smile playful. "I'll calm him down. Just go get the girl already, you lucky fox."

"Lucky fox?"

But Ginji didn't have time to wait around for an explanation on his new nickname because Akatsuki was closing in on him and seemed suspiciously focused on his nine tails – and not in a good way. So, while he still had them attached, the fox took off running in the direction of the one who was still sing-songing his name, determined now to see if what the Master was implying was true or if he was just pulling his tails.

Author's Note:

I had fun writing that "debate" with Aoi & Akatsuki at the beginning of this chapter and I especially loved his last line about tearing off Ginji's nine tails. It made me laugh when I first wrote it and I hope it made you laugh when you got to read it. ;-)

I also loved this quick little scene with Ginji & Odanna. At least in my mind, I don't think Ginji would ever make a move without some sort of push from Odanna because the fox is so faithful to the ogre. It would definitely be hard for him to be in love with Miss Tsubaki because his feelings for Aoi and his loyalty to the Master would no doubt be at odds, constantly waging a war within him. Which is why I wrote this scene. To give the nine-tailed fox the okay from the ogre-god to be in love with the same woman he adores. Awww. :-)

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story so far, so please don't forget to like, follow, and leave a review.

Thank You for Reading! ｡^‿^｡

If You'd Like to See Aoi Tsubaki Fall in Love with Another Handsome Ayakashi, Check Out My Trio of Kakuriyo Epilogue Short Stories:

1) CAMELLIA [Odanna & Aoi]
2) LUCKY FOX [Ginji & Aoi]
3) BAD DOG [Ranmaru & Aoi]