He awoke with the first rays of sunlight pressing against his eyelids. He did not open them at first. He wanted to savor this moment, just Rin and him blissfully tangled together. She is going to be my wife. He reached out blindly for her, trying to pull her closer. What he found was empty space. He opened his eyes; Rin knelt next to the futon, a knife in her hand.

"Rin, what are you doing?" His eyes flickered to the knife and then to the desperate expression on her face. Her hands trembled.

She threw the knife aside and tears rolled down her cheeks. He took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. Her entire body shook; there was a wild desperate energy in her. She was not doing what I think she was...

"Let's talk. Why did you have a dagger? Did someone threaten you?"

She shook her head and then she glanced through the open door. Sunlight crept across the room, inching towards her.

Before he could question her, she leaned forward and kissed him. It was hard, fierce, and sad all at the same time. She pulled away from him too suddenly for him to process what was happening. She strode across the room and stood in the sunlight. The beams of light illuminated her as if she were set ablaze. Her body glowed amber, gold, and red. Her hair fell in a coppery cascade over her shoulders, her head topped with red fox ears, and a foxtail swished back and forth behind her.

She smiled. "I'm sorry, Hikaru, this is goodbye."

It was her voice, sweet and sad. He realized then what she was doing, she was leaving him. He jumped up just as her body contorted and she transformed into a fox. The sun had risen and filled the one-room cottage with light. The fox looked around as if in a daze. When her eyes fell on Hikaru, she skittered backwards and headed out into the courtyard. He chased after her, calling out her name. Her ears did not even twitch in his direction. She darted behind trees and rocks to keep from being seen. She's acting like a real fox. Then the truth came crashing down upon him. The reason she had said goodbye wasn't because she was leaving him willingly, it was because whatever curse she had been under had turned her into a fox. She was gone. The fox hid in the crawlspace beneath the shrine. She stared out at him with golden eyes that glimmered in the dark. Hikaru fell to his knees, his head in his hands. I lost her.

"What have you done?" came a growl from behind him.

Hikaru stood up. The man, the wolf creature who had killed the soldier, stood at the edge of the courtyard. His clothes were torn and bloody and his hands were half formed into claws. Hikaru recognized the threat in his voice and looked for a weapon with which to defend himself. A piece of splintered wood lay on the ground; he darted for it. The wolf rushed towards him, and Hikaru snatched up the board just before the wolf's jaws could clamp down on his arm. He swung it upward, striking him hard across the skull. The wood shattered into a hundred pieces. Hikaru stumbled backwards. The wolf approached him, teeth bared as he loomed over Hikaru, but before he could attack, the fox jumped in front of him and landed on Hikaru's lap. She growled at the wolf.

He glowered at her with golden eyes but slowly backed away. Hikaru's heart pounded in his chest, hard enough to drown out the low rumble of the wolf.

"It was the curse, it turned her into a fox," Hikaru said. The fox was curled up in his lap now, her head facing the wolf.

The wolf's claws retracted and he crossed human arms over his chest. But there remained a dangerous light in his eye. Hikaru was not out of harm's way just yet. The wolf looked down at Hikaru, his eyebrows raised.

"Who are you?" The question came out sounding more intimidating than he thought it would. Hikaru rested a protective hand on Rin's furry head. She pushed against his touch. Her eyes never left the wolf.

The wolf glowered at him; his eyes had a yellow feral cast. He opened his mouth and revealed elongated canines sharp enough to tear him down to the bone. He did not look away, dared not, lest the madman tear out his throat. "I'm a friend of hers."

"Then if you have any love for her, you will not harm me."

The wolf laughed, more like barked without humor. "I love her." There was a bitter taste to his words.

And in that they had something they could agree upon. It wasn't much to start negotiations with, but he'd worked with less. "I swear I will find a way to return her to the way she was."

"She was supposed to kill you," he growled. "I should do what she did not have the heart for."

The fox lifted her head and stared at the wolf. He met her gaze and they looked at one another. Hikaru wondered if they could communicate. She became this to save me. He wound his fingers into her fur.

"I would kill you if it wasn't for her," the wolf added.

Hikaru ignored him. If the wolf loved Rin, he would not risk going against her wishes. He had learned in their short time together that she had that sort of effect on people. Rin's will was indisputable. She glanced back at him, golden eyes full of reassurance. Does she have a human conscious inside the fox body?

"Who can break this spell?" Hikaru asked.

The wolf scoffed. "As if I would tell you."

Hikaru stood up and displaced the fox. She slid off and wound herself around his legs. The wolf's gaze flickered towards her and a frown pulled down his face.

"Fine. Don't help me if you wish, but I am going to find a way to fix this."

The wolf laughed, a long mocking sound. Rin jumped up and the hairs on her back were standing on end as she stared at the wolf, her teeth bared. Hurt flashed briefly across the wolf's features but was quickly hidden behind his arrogant, intimidating mask.

"What's so funny?" Hikaru asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Run back to the humans. I will break her curse."

The wolf thought him a fool, easily intimidated and easily dismissed. And for his entire life, he had been. He'd done everything his father asked of him, observed every protocol and every tradition. And what had it gotten him—secrets, lies and betrayal. He was done listening to others; it was about time he did what he wanted for a change. He stomped over to stand toe to toe with the wolf. "I refuse to leave with her like this."

The wolf shook his head. "You are a fool. I have not changed my mind about killing you. It wouldn't take much, just a quick twist of the neck." He held up his clawed hand and flexed it in front of Hikaru's face.

"Just like that guard you murdered and that serving girl at the palace," Hikaru said. He sounded much braver than he felt. His stomach flopped back and forth.

The wolf narrowed his eyes at Hikaru. "What serving girl?"

"A woman at the palace, she died at the hand of some beast. They blamed it on Rin, but I never believed she could do something so vile."

"But you think me capable?"

Hikaru did not answer. Rin came up and rubbed against the wolf's legs. He looked down at her for a moment. Then very slowly he crouched down and stroked her behind the ear. Hikaru stood over him and watched as the wolf petted the fox.

"I did not kill the girl. It was most likely the forest guardian who did."

"Why would he do that?"

"He was looking for her. Some of these messengers he sends are... bloodthirsty. They get distracted easily." He shrugged. "The girl most likely got in the way."

He was trying to scare him, but Hikaru was not so easily deterred.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

The wolf sighed. "There's only one person who can help. You most likely will have to pay a steep price—especially if he wants Rin. You'd be handing her to him on a silver platter." The wolf did not look at him; he continued stroking the fox. Then after a few moments, he gently pushed the fox off his lap and stood up. When the wolf was standing, he was a head taller than Hikaru, better muscled and a Yokai. He could rip Hikaru apart limb from limb without breaking a sweat. Hikaru knew this, but he could also see a comrade, he saw his feelings reflected in the wolf's expression. The wolf loved her as well. This wolf, though violent and arrogant, cared for Rin, and perhaps that was enough to bind them together.

"And you're willing to take it because you love her?" Hikaru asked.

The wolf looked up at him, his golden eyes glowing. "Do not pretend to understand."

"I don't care what the cost is, I have to try. Whatever the guardian wants, I will give it. I cannot let her remain this way." Hikaru pointed to Rin. She wandered around the courtyard, sniffing at trees.

The wolf watched her as well, the expression on his face difficult to read. "She never should have meddled in human affairs," he muttered. "Very well, I will bring you, but if you fall behind or slow me down, I will leave you to the forest's mercy."

"Thank you." Hikaru bowed to the wolf. It only seemed appropriate.

He laughed again. "Don't thank me just yet, human. We're heading into the forest guardian's domain and he is known for his hatred of humans. You'll be lucky if you make it out alive."

Hikaru swallowed past a lump in his throat. "What are we waiting for, then?"

Shin smiled, it was faint and faded quickly, but it was a smile. At least that's a start.