All That Glitters isn't Gold

Kitsune, gods, and vampires?

As I walked the path back to my family's home I heard voices in a language that I wouldn't know if it weren't for being a messenger.  I walked around to the front of the house to see quite a bit of villagers waiting for me.  Paul pulled up at that moment with some groceries.

"What's going on?" Paul asked.

"Our messenger has returned.  Our gods have blessed us.  They will hear our prayers once more!  Merciful Apolaki!  We shall care for our messenger." The voices were crying.

I noticed they were holding different foods to feed us with and that Rafael was among them.  I quickly opened the front door and invited them inside.  They were all elderly with a few young people sprinkled in.  I could tell the young people were dragged along and didn't believe I was anything special.  Magic left before they were even born so why would they believe in something like this?  The beliefs of the Spanish spread throughout the islands ruining the beliefs of the people.  There were so many different local dishes and I tried everything.  I have to say my favorite was the dinuguan.

"Our kids will help you restore the temple as we're too old to do such work." Rafael said apologetically.  

"You have kids?  I'd love to meet them." I said with a smile.

"Oh no I don't have any myself.  I guess the saying it takes a village?  However it goes, we all kind of raise the kids in this village.  Your mother was all there was for me.  There's been no one else." Rafael explained.

"There was no one else for her either.  It was always you as well.  But she felt she had this duty to not let the Filipino messenger line die out.  That's the only reason I'm here.  I mean after all her mother gave up her power so that she could have me." I said.

"I know my child.  It's ok.  I harbor no ill will towards my mate or you.  I see you as my own.  The child I would have had with my mate if fates had been kinder." Rafael said.

It was then I could see he was at peace.  He'd be passing soon.  He'd been waiting for me.  I hugged the man that could have been my father.

"Do you know dinuguan was your mother's favorite dish as well?" Rafael asked.

"No, I didn't know that.  I guess the Kitsune apple doesn't fall far from the Kitsune tree." I teased.

After a couple hours the villagers cleared out of our small home so that Paul and I could sleep for the night.  The next morning I woke in my space heaters arms.  I snuggled in before wrapping my legs around him.  I heard him hum pleasantly as I rubbed against him.  After a quick romp in the sack we showered and then had breakfast.  

"How about we go to the beach today?" Paul suggested.

"I like that plan.  I mean this is our vacation together.  Not just to learn about myself." I said.

After we cleaned up we got ready for a day at the beach.  We got on our motorbike and rode to the beach.  We picked out a spot and laid out our towels before placing our backpacks on them.  I stripped down to my swimsuit and placed my clothes in my backpack.  Then I ran for the water with Paul chasing after me.  Paul caught up with me and picked me up.  I cried out as he tossed me into the water.  I stayed under and swam around him and then snuck up on him.  I jumped on his back knocking him into the water.  

We stayed at the beach for hours.  We played, swam, relaxed, ate lunch there on our towels.  We eventually left and drove around touring the village.  We finally pulled up to a cute cafe for dinner.  The night before I'd heard a lot of prayers but I was hearing them again in this cafe.  One simply asking if I was for real.  I smirked before allowing my tails to be visible.  We'd just finished paying so I smirked as we left.  I sashayed making my tails sway with my hips as we left.

The next day young people arrived to help returning my temple to it's former splendor.  It was even more than what had arrived the day before.  I could hear them talking about me being real and how some of them witnessed it themselves.  I smiled to myself as we went about cleaning up the temple.  As we cleaned I heard a scream.  I spun and saw cold ones glittering in the sun.  One of the young people helping was on the ground writhing in agony from the venom.

"We've been waiting and waiting for the return of the one that got away.  You may not be her but you are the one that returned.  Our Kings will be so pleased with us." One of the sparklers said.

"I don't believe you'll live for them to be pleased with you." I said with a smirk.

I hid my concern for my people behind my smirk.

"You think you can take all of us by yourself?" The cold one asked with a laugh.

He was there with a small army.

"Oh, you think I'm alone?" I asked with an answering grin.

Paul jumped beside me in his wolf form and let out a ferocious howl.  That didn't seem to bring them fear but the 2 gods materializing behind me seemed to do the job.  They also appeared to have brought my twin with her wolf.  

"Well, now this seems too easy.  I would never deem myself important enough to command my gods.  However may I request you both return?  I think Bells and our wolves are enough."  I asked with a gleeful smile.  

Apolaki nodded before they both disappeared.  I watched as the cold ones appeared relieved.  I noticed that the young person was no longer writhing on the ground.  They'd been fully healed by the gods.

"Can you shield the villagers as well as us?" I asked my twin.

"I'm stronger than ever.  There's a mini me inside of my amplifying my powers." Bella answered breezily.

"I have a niece or nephew?" I squealed in delight.

A cold one tried to kill me but her shield was already up.

"Yep.  I'm thinking if it's a girl Paula after Paul.  If it's a boy then it'll be Royce as it's the male version of Rose." Bella said.

"I'm honored!  Paul is not."  I said as I bounced on my feet.

"I may or may not be kidding.  We'll all find out when my little fox is born." Bella said.

We turned back to the fight if you can call it that to find it almost done.  Paul and Jake had been taking care of the cold one army while we'd debated my future niece or nephew.  We took that moment to kill our own cold ones.  I was setting dismembered cold ones on fire left and right.  Once was all said and done Bella dropped her shield.  The villagers seemed to be in a shell shock.  

"A kitsune, gods, and vampires?  Oh.  Werewolves too??" Someone finally began blubbering out.

"Shifters actually.  Shifters are completely different from werewolves.  But that's not the point.  I think all of you need some time to process everything you just witnessed.  Why don't you go one home and check on your loved ones." I said with a kind smile.  

As they left the gods took my twin and her mate back to Washington.

"So Paula, huh?" I asked Paul with a grin.

Paul chuckled as he threw me over his shoulder carrying me back to our home.

A/N: I started this update more than a month ago.  I think I lost my passion for this story.  I'll be wrapping it up.  Not edited.