His Possession - Yuriko's Story: Dark

Epilogue

"Here again, Little Sister," Yuuto said instantly when Yuriko stepped onto the cliff.

The forest was darker than usual. As always, there was no moon in the sky but this time even the stars looked dimmer. When Yuriko gazed down, she couldn't see anything, not even the river that ran between the trees. While everything was covered in the darkness, Yuriko could feel the cold dampness pushing through her fur as the smell of dying nature lingered in the air.

Yuuto was sitting near the edge of the cliff. He turned his head and pierced Yuriko with his golden gaze as she laid down and curled her tail around her paws.

"Dad is giving me a hard time."

"Well, you've been acting like an idiot," Yuuto snorted. "Not that I appreciate anything Father does... but I assume that you are still seeing that vampire."

Yuriko opened her mouth, but she didn't have time to say anything when Yuuto continued.

"Don't lie to me. I peeked into your dreams," he said. "He is there, in your mind, constantly. And he is nothing but trouble; you should be with your own kind, being that kitsune or humans but stay away from those bloodsuckers."

"Umh... that bloodsucker has a name, he is a person."

"I don't care and neither does he... about you, I mean. He is just addicted to your blood. Vampires are no good, and you should be ashamed of what you have done."

"You don't know what I've done!"

"If your dreams are any kind of cue..."

Suddenly the night wasn't that cold anymore. Yuriko turned her head to the side and stared at the forest. Her tiny body shivered as remnants of her feverish dreams washed over her. But in the middle of all the shame, she realized something; Yuuto had said he had peeked into her dreams.

"In-between isn't my dream!" Yuriko said. "That means we can meet in other places too!"

"I surely don't want to meet you in those dreams."

"Umh..." Yuriko was quiet for a moment, gazing at her paws.

"Clearly you have sunken too deep into this, but don't worry. Everything will be better when I'm free."

Yuriko sighed but didn't say anything. Yuuto wouldn't understand her even if she tried to explain it. To be honest, she wasn't sure how to explain everything to herself.

"I'll do my best to help you," Yuriko said. And Mom, she added.

Yuuto flinched, gazing at the darkness. The tips of his both tails danced in the pace of his breathing when he sank into his thoughts, to the realms that weren't for Yuriko to reach.

"Yes. Use Father to find that gate and open it for me. Then we can discuss the other matters."

The forest started to fade until there was nothing at all.

Yuriko opened her eyes slowly. Her heart thrummed against her ribcage so fast that the blood hummed in her ears. The eerie atmosphere of the dream lingered in the dark bedroom she was supposed not to leave anytime soon, but she knew she had to talk with her father, to figure things out with him. Surely there was a way to open that gate to the realm of kitsune and released Yuuto from there... and after that, they could live as a family.

And maybe then I can also see Ruki without worries... though Dad seemed rather adamant about him. Does he fear vampires that much?

Tossing in her bed, Yuriko had to admit that the fear was valid. Had she not herself been afraid when Ruki had pierced her skin for the very first time? In fact, she probably should have been scared even now but somehow...