Suzume was surrounded by a blinding white light. She threw her arms up to shield her eyes. I didn’t know this had to be so dramatic. The light faded as abruptly as it had appeared. She lowered her arm and glanced about. The garden had disappeared. She blinked, letting her eyes readjust, and her gaze fell on a simple wooden structure. Is this the shrine? She stepped inside. The idol was sitting back on his pedestal, face serene and hands folded in his lap. How did I get back here?

“Don’t take all day,” Kaito called from outside the shrine. Suzume peeked outside the shrine door. Kaito was leaning against a nearby tree waiting for her. He glanced at her as she looked outside. “You’ve been taking forever; I never figured you for a pious woman.” He grinned and her stomach constricted. Does he know, does he suspect the truth about me or did the god’s wish come true? “Why are you staring at me like that?” He walked over to her and she took a step back. Her powers did not flare up to protect her so she could only assume she was safe. She didn’t take her eyes off Kaito, however and he snapped his fingers in her face. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me. Oh, little priestess, I’m sorry if I’ve led you to believe—“

“Shut up,” she snapped and pushed past him. He’s back to normal, I think. At least he’s not caressing my face any more.

 “A bit testy today, aren’t we?” She could just imagine the expression he wore while he spoke. There was probably an ironic twist to his mouth and he probably had an eyebrow cocked. His dark eyes were probably dancing with laughter.   

I almost miss the gentle way he looked at me. Suzume blushed before shaking her head and smacking her face. Get it together. Everything is back to normal, just like you wanted. Now I just need to learn how to control my powers and seal him away once more then all my problems will be done for. She inhaled and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts.  While she was trying to regain her composure, Kaito sneaked up behind her. He touched her on the shoulder. She stiffened and twirled around to face him. He loomed over her and she had to tilt her head up to meet his dark gaze.

“You’re acting strange, are you feeling alright?” he searched her face and the softening of his features reminded her of the Kaito under the spell. He really love Kazue. That’s why he was acting that way. She shook her head again. No. Now is not the time to go soft. If he knew he would kill me for sure. It’s me or him and I am not going down.  She shoved him away and with it her own guilt over wiping his memories.

“I’m fine. What’s wrong with you? You’re acting awfully sentimental. Are you falling for me maybe? Because I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Dragon, because I have no interest. ” She gave him a cocky grin.

He smiled back at her and she bit her lip to distract from the butterflies in her stomach.

“Do you two need a moment alone? I think I’m going to puke,” Rin drawled.

Suzume sighed in irritation. Great, maybe I should have modified my wish to get rid of Rin too. Suzume rolled her eyes towards the sound of Rin’s voice.  The fox-woman sat on the roof of the shrine. Her robe was hitched up to her hip once again displaying her pale thigh.

“Rin, what are you doing here?” Kaito called out.

Rin stood up on the roof with hands on hips and regarded them. “I came looking for you, master. I heard that you had been released from the seal and I came to avow myself to your service, once more.”

I feel like we’ve had this conversation before. Suzume frowned.

“You were always faithful, Rin,” Kaito chuckled. He threw his arms open to receive Rin in an embrace. She jumped down and landed neatly on her feet. She picked up the trailing end of her robe and ran over to Kaito, flinging herself into his arms. The speed at which they collided was a blur to Suzume’s human eyes but the two immortals only laughed as Kaito spun Rin around, Rin’s tail flung about in the wind. After an overlong embrace, in Suzume’s opinion, Kaito set Rin on her feet.

 Rin giggled as he did so. She turned her back to Suzume and  tossed her auburn hair behind her shoulder. Her long red tail twitched behind her, mocking Suzume as she brushed Kaito’s hair back onto his head.  

Suzume scowled at the pair of them. My wish turned the clock backwards. Meeting Rin, everything that happened in the village, it all went back to normal. She sighed. I’m beginning to feel like this journey will never end.

Rin brushed against Kaito, fussing over his top knot which had come loose while they were playing around. He only laughed and playfully asked her to leave it be.

“Master, I cannot believe you’ve gone without someone to style your hair and your clothes.” Rin tutted as she brushed her long fingered hand along Kaito’s sleeve.

Suzume bit her lip and kept herself from a scathing retort. What does it matter to me if that harlot is all over him? Suzume couldn’t stand to watch any further and turned her back to the pair of them, only to continue to watch them over her shoulder.  After a few moments, Kaito remembered Suzume standing there.

“Oh, Rin, where are my manners? This is my pet priestess,” he said while motioning with a loose wrist in Suzume’s direction.

She scowled at the pair of them.

Rin looked over at her. She gave Suzume a once over before turning back to Kaito. “You’re keeping a pet human again? Are you sure that’s wise, after last time?”

Kaito pushed Rin back and held her by the shoulders. Her fox ears flattened to her skull and her posture shrunk.  Suzume could see why; Kaito’s eyes had clouded over like thunder clouds. “You forget your place, Rin.”

Rin fell to her knees on the ground and placed her forehead against the ground. “I’m  so sorry, master. It’s been so long since you’ve been gone and there’s been no one here to correct my impertinence. Can you forgive me?” She glanced up at him. She smiled revealing her white teeth and a pair of canines. Her ears were pointed towards the back of her skull. If Suzume had really been meeting her for the first time, she might have thought Rin chastised but Suzume knew enough about the fox woman to know this was an act.

Kaito patted her head and she sat back on her haunches to regard him. “I never could stay mad at you, Rin. I’m glad you came back to me. But as I’m sure you’ve realized my kingdom has fallen and the world has changed while I slept. I have no need of your particular services...”

“What do you mean by services?” Suzume interrupted. This had been the last straw. What other service could this promiscuous looking woman provide a male like Kaito.

Kaito glanced at Suzume. “I was wondering when you would but in. Rin here is one of my former vassals. As for her services, that I’ll leave up to your imagination.”

Suzume glanced up and down Rin from what she’d witnessed of the fox-woman thus far; she did not think she was his maid.

“Well, what is she doing here?” Suzume had been hoping Rin would go away now that the god matter was settled –not that anyone remembered other than Suzume.

“Like I said, I’ve been looking for my master—“

“Kaito,” Suzume corrected. If he calls him master once more, I am going to puke.

Rin looked at her and gave her a toothy grin. Suzume gave her a questioning look in return.

Rin’s smile only grew. “Right. Kaito. I planned on returning to his service but now I’m not sure what I’ll do since he’s rejected my vows.” Her bottom lip quivered and she looked to Kaito who was standing with hands on his hips.

“That’s too bad, we really should be going,” Suzume said.

She strolled past the pair of them and down the path a few steps before Kaito’s next words stopped her. “I think Rin should join us.”

Suzume whipped around. “Absolutely not!”

“Do you let the human tell you what to do?” Rin asked Kaito innocently while giving Suzume a narrow eyed look.

“Rin has skills that we could use on our journey. I can’t watch you all the time and since you seem apt to getting into trouble...” he motioned vaguely in the direction from which that had come.

She couldn’t argue with that logic, but she tried anyway. “Well if I had a better mastery of my powers then I wouldn’t need you to babysit me.”

“You should be honored to be under Master Kaito’s protection.” Rin interjected. Her ears were back flat again and the hairs on her tail were bristled.

Suzume ignored her and continued. “What can this concubine do for us? What can she do that I can’t? I was handling the spider just fine before you showed up. Plus I killed that monster thing in the forest all by myself.”

“I will not be insulted by a mere mortal woman,” Rin raised her voice.

“Enough.” Kaito’s voice cracked across the squabbling women.

They both twirled to face him and his expression was foreboding. He seemed taller than Suzume remembered and his shoulders broader. The clouds behind him were gathering and looked gray and ominous. Suzume glowered back at him, even if she knew better than to challenge Kaito when he was in a foul mood.

“You would be dead if I hadn’t saved you from the spider, and if you’re so sure you’d be better on your own then I’d be happy to find another spider for you to battle. As for this imaginary monster in the forest, if you had killed anything within a mile of here, I would have sensed it. Your lies might work on humans but they will not work on me, human. Rin is coming with us and there will be no further arguments.” Kaito gave Suzume a pointed look and for once she clamped her mouth shut. Then to Rin he said, “You will treat my pet with respect and not eat her.”

Rin looked at Suzume with a toothy grin.

“She looks like she would be stringy and flavorless anyhow,” Rin said.

“Fine.” Suzume huffed.

“Good, now let’s head out.” He turned and stormed down the pathway.

He seems more on edge than usual.

When Kaito was out of ear shot, Rin fell in beside Suzume. Suzume turned her head away and hurried her pace, but Rin kept up with little effort. Damn immortals. Rin cleared her throat and Suzume pretended the rice paddy fields were of intense interest. Rin ran in front of Suzume and waved her hands back and forth. Suzume stopped to adjust the strap on her sandle. Rin stopped and squatted in front of her.

Suzume sighed in defeat. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“It’s more of what I can do for you,” Rin replied.

“I doubt you can do anything for me.” Suzume stood back up and continued walking, thinking the conversation was over before it began. She was wrong.

Rin laughed and it was a throaty womanly sound. “I know what you wished for, and if you hope to make this out alive you’ll need to trust me.”

Suzume stopped in her tracks, truly shocked for the first time. Rin looked at her with her fox tail twitching back and forth. The spell only worked on Kaito. She knows.

“Why would I trust you?”

“Because I’m the key to your past life.”

A/N: So it seemed like quite a few of you were mad at Suzume for her wish. Please forgive her, she can be somewhat of an idiot at times. :p And I mean that in the most loving creator way possible. So what do you think Rin is up to? Is the fox trying to trick Suzume or do you think she really wants to help?