Adventures with kitsunes

4 Tamiko's POV

  As soon as I heard Ei and Miko arrive, my heart flared with hope.

  Could they still save Makoto? Would everything turn out okay?

   When I had first found the archon, she had been in bad shape. She was already bleeding, battling exhaustion and pain while trying to run from the monsters that had accumulated behind her.

  When I had seen the situation, I had sent Kujou Ratei to go find Ei and my sister as fast as possible. But as soon as I saw Ei's face,I knew Makoto's condition was worse than I had thought. Miko immediately charged at the rifthounds with me and with her added support, we quickly overpowered the monsters together.

   After the last blasted beast disappeared, I looked at Miko with thankfulness in my eyes. She gave me a half smile before I remembered about Ei and Makoto and turned around with a small gasp.

   Ei was crouched at her sisters side, two finger on each of Makoto's temples. (those are the places on the side of you forehead)

  "Oh she-" Miko started before I grabbed her hand and dragged her over to our friends side.

  "Ei!" I said, "I know your trying to slip into her consciousness, take me and Miko with you!"

   Ei looked up for a split second before nodding and our scenery changed to the blueish teal background of Makoto's mind.

  There the two of them were, two slim figures with long purple hair, the only difference of them being the style of their clothing, Ei's was suited for battle while Makoto's was a beautifully embroidered kimono. Miko and I ran towards them, "Makoto!" I cried, "Are you?-"

  "Tamiko," Makoto said in her beautiful voice whil reaching out to caress my cheek. (Her face guys don't make it weird) "I owe you it all for your protection from those rift hounds," she paused to laugh, "I've never been a martial artist, not like Ei."

   Ei looked away, "Makoto don't-" she was crying now, "don't leave me Makoto. Don't go, inazuma needs you here, I need you here!"

  "Ei," Makoto's face softened, "you have always been the truly strong archon of us two. Take the gnosis Ei, be the leader inazuma needs, you are the electro archon now."

  Both Miko and Ei were crying now, "Makoto," Miko sniffed, "please don't go."

   I was even tearing up myself, "Makoto...." I didn't know what to say.

  She did though, "Tamiko," she said, "Ei needs you more than ever now, be her protector, as I have given for Ei, you do as well."

   I looked deep into her eyes and nodded, "I will," Makoto smiled, "Thank you, Tamiko, now Ei, give you hand."

  Ei, stifling a sob, obeyed her, Makoto placed the gnosis in her hand and closed her fingers over it. "Go Ei," Makoto said firmly, "save inazuma, only you can now."

  Our scenery changed once more and we were back in kanri-ah.

  "Ei?" Miko asked, drying her eyes.

  "I-I'm okay Miko, I'll be fine."

  I looked at Miko and Ei before realizing we weren't alone anymore, "Ei, don't look now, but you have a lot of monsters trailing you right now."

  "Time to go!" Miko called, switching to her fox form and starting to sprint back towards inazuma.

We ran silently and quickly back home. "Miko, Ei look!" I was the first to see the large thunder Sakura that was now next to the Narukami shrine where Miko was normally found.

  "Makoto must have-" Ei began, tearing up again.

  Miko placed her fingertips together in in reverence and Ei and me did the same, closing our eyes.

          CRASH!

  I ripped my eyes open to see the newest swarm of monsters attacking the newly found tree. No! I thought, not the Sakura! Not Makoto!

I could hear her voice in my mind then, "be her protector, as I have given for Ei, you do as well."

   Granted, I didn't think that moment would come so soon, but I knew what I had to do, I had the electro vision Makoto had given me, and the necessary skills with my blade.

   My first action was to back up slightly and drew my katana, I charged foreword and leapt high into the air. Raising my blade over my head, I infused it with electro energy in a powerful plunge attack towards the monsters.

   "For the shogunate!" I cried, bracing myself for the explosion that followed.