A Love Beyond Time

Chapter 2-Valley of the Nine-tail Fox

Shion dreamt that he was flying.

He dreamt of lush green fields and crystal-clear turquoise lakes, of thick forests and dramatic cliffs. He dreamt that he was riding a large nine-tail fox, its luxuriant white fur gleaming like the first snow of winter, over those fields and lakes and cliffs. He could feel the winds rushing past his face, whistling in his ears as they glided across the azure skies.

As the platinum-haired samurai clung to the vulpine, rubbing his cheek against the velvet coat, they flew down and landed on a wide ledge leading to a cave. The fox trotted into the dark, cool interior with the human still on its back. The cave was enormous and airy with soaring ceilings and hanging stalactites, a wide passageway meandering through its depths. Soon, the passage split into three narrower paths, each leading to a cavern slightly smaller than the main entity. The reynard chose the center cavern and continued trotting. The stretching path gradually gave way to a gentle slope and opened to a massive space with two geothermal lakes that shone like silvery mirrors cocooned by swirling steam. High above, the towering ceiling formed a gentle dome that sparkled like jewels.

The fox shrugged the human off its back and stretched. As it moved, it changed. The shape of its body, the muscles, the bones. Where a magnificent titan fox once stood was now a tall man with gold-red hair and stormy chocolate eyes. Asahi looked around the healing cave, wondering where Keiko was.

"Looking for me, my dearest brother?" a young lady strolled out from behind a pile of rocks, slim of built with milky skin, tumbling black hair, and delicate features. She went up to Asahi and kissed him affectionately on his cheek. He smiled and ran his hands over her hair.

"Not really. I was just doing some spot check to ensure that the guardian of the healing cave isn't skiving at work." Asahi laughed as Keiko scowled and swiped his offending hands away, but his laughter was soon replaced by a solemn expression as he lowered his voice. "All jokes aside, Harumi and I came across four humans in Horai earlier. They are severely wounded in an apparently ferocious battle against Mu Dan. I'd brought the one with the worst injuries back first. Harumi is bringing the rest." Behind him, he could sense that the blind man was regaining his consciousness.

Keiko frowned. "But we never bothered with the humans who came to Shinsenkyo previously, regardless of what happened to them. Why the exception this time?" She studied her brother-in-law closely, hoping to find some clues in his demeanor. He shrugged and sighed.

"Your sister and I are just as perplexed. Seimei didn't tell us anything, only to investigate some commotions at Horai and to bring back any humans we find if they are alive." Asahi hesitated. "I have a bad feeling about this entire event. The humans we encounter this time are different. Very different. Especially this one." He turned and looked at Shion, who was now sitting up. Although Asahi knew the samurai was blind, he could still feel the latter's unseeing gaze boring holes in his and Keiko's direction.

Shion felt as though he had been tied to a galloping horse and dragged through the streets of Edo. His entire body ached and burned terribly. It took all his strength and more to stop the moans from escaping his parched throat. He shook his head lightly and cursed when he felt his brain threatened to spill out of his skull with that action. Taking a few breaths to steady himself, he focused on the energic auras glowing at his right side. He recognized the fiery red aura from earlier, but the lavender aura was new. As Shion tried to read its intentions, it drifted nearer to him.

Keiko scooped some water from one of the lakes into a wooden bowl and approached the silver-haired man, taking stock of his blood-drenched clothes and shallow breathing. She knelt beside him, slipped a slender arm around the broad shoulders, and held the bowl to his cracked lips.