LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

long awaited meetings

As the gates to Hilltop opened, Kitsune ran out.

"Haha!" she cheers, leaping into Sakiko's arms.

"Hey, love," Sakiko kisses her head, waddling inside the gates.

"I thought you were gonna be out there for forever!" Kitsune complains.

"Why aren't you at the fair?" 

"Tara and a bunch of others left already. I was waiting for you!"

Sakiko wishes she had it in her to be a little angry. The fair was a big deal and Kitsune deserved to have fun. Yet, she stayed behind and waited on Sakiko. Sakiko would be lying if she said she wasn't a little emotional.

But, there was so much more.

"Kitsu," Sakiko says, clearing her throat.

Kitsune looks up at Sakiko with a smile. Sakiko couldn't help but smile back before nodding her head to Nanami.

"Hi!" Kitsune greets happily before hesitating, "Who are you?"

Nanami laughs through the tears in his eyes.

"Glenn?" Kitsune questions, "Daddy's brother?"

"No," Sakiko chuckles, "This is Nanami- Haha's brother."

"Your brother?" Kitsune repeats, "You didn't tell me you had a brother."

"Your mom just.. wasn't sure if she still had a brother," Nanami explains lightly.

"Like Aunt Miko?"

"Yeah.. Just like Aunt Miko," Sakiko agrees.

"Aunt Miko left with Auntie Magna. I think they went to.." Kitsune drops to a whisper, "Make out."

"Did everyone just leave you here?" Sakiko asks.

"Kal-Kal stayed with me," Kitsune points up to the watch post.

"Kal-Kal?" Sakiko repeats.

"Uncle Al tried to stay, but I made him leave."

"And how did you do that?"

"I told Aunt Enid to make him go or else."

Nanami was so.. confused on his feelings. Kitsune had her own bubbly personality.

He wishes that he could say he saw a lot of Sakiko in Kitsune. The truth is, he just saw Ryan through and through.

Somehow that made the past ten years feel even worse.

--

The trio had gotten Kal and Marco to join them. They were halfway to the Kingdom when they found a cart that had been tilted over.

"This is Hilltop's," Sakiko inspects.

"It is?" Nanami stuns, taking a knife out.

"Ms. Hilda?" Kitsune asks, kneelinf by the contents that had been spilled by the cart.

"You sure?" Sakiko asks.

She knew it was their's, she was just training Kitsune without Kitsune realizing.

"Ms. Hilda makes these," Kitsune holds up a wooden chip with an 'H' engraved on it, "She was going to trade them at the fair. Mr. Miles told me about it."

"We ran up on it earlier," a gruff voice announces.

Sakiko steps in front of Kitsune, dual knives in her hands. Nanami also stands guard.

"Who the hell are you?" Sakiko questions.

"We're the highway men," the man in front greets, "We were sent to protecr the roads by the King and Queen."