A human yokai (Tomoe love story)

Mikage

"You've changed so much Hikari." Said a voice in the dark. It was a males voice, it was one she knew. It wasn't Tomoe's it was more like the voice of the God that gave her her human form. Hikari whipped around but she saw no one. Her body was floating, her feet not touching solid ground.

"Who are you?" She asked wanting them to come out of hiding. A bright light appeared in front of her and the darkness faded away. Her feet landed on a cobbled pathway and around here there were so many beautiful flowers, of all different colours, shapes and sized. In front of her there was a gazebo made of concert with beautiful carved in white flowers and vines that twirled around the four pillars. Sitting on the ground underneath it there was a man. A man that Hikari recognised but didn't at the same time. He had a kind and gentle face, light brown hair that formed a neat bob around his face and large round glasses. He sat on an elegant blanket with his feet tucked underneath him and his hands resting on his lap. In front of him there was a large pot of sake and two cups. One in front of him then the sake bottle and the other cup was past that closest to Hikari.

"Please Hikari come and sit. There is much you and I must discuss." For some reason Hikari found his voice soothing and she trusted him. She sat in the place that was clearly meant for her and the man before her poured them both some sake.

"You know my name so...may I ask for yours?" The man smiled.

"I am Mikage."

"Mikage... So your the God that ran away and left his home twenty years ago."

"Yes that is I. I know that it seems harsh to leave Tomoe like that but I had good reason for doing what I did. I have called you here today to explain those very reasons."

"Why explain them to me? I am sure that Tomoe would like to know much more than I."

"I imagine that is true but I cannot see neither Tomoe nor Nanami at this current time. I did however believe that it was time I saw you."

"You speak as if you and I know each other."

"We do but it was many decades ago now. I am the God which gave you the human form that you gave up on not so long ago." Hikari's eyes widened.

"That was you?"

"Indeed it was and everything Mamorinogami told you that time you visited him was true. The infection that was killing your human form, as you said started 20 years ago, started because I, the God that gave you that form left my shrine. I didn't quite loss it like Mamorinogami put it but I did indeed leave it as you well know. The infection started spreading at such a rapid rate after a I gave my shrine to Nanami. I am very sorry for the pain that I put you through but there were reasons for this."

"And what were those reasons?"

"To save Tomoe. You see when I first found him he was covered in blood and dying. An infection on his body much like your own, an infection that even the power of a God could not cure."

"What caused it?"

"The answer to that question might be rather shocking to you. Tomoe fell in love with a human girl that went by the name of Yukiji and he wished to spend the rest of his life with her. However humans lifespan is short and soon gone therefore Tomoe wished to become human so that one day he might die beside her. To do his he turned to the power of a fallen God. He and that fallen God made a deal. The deal was that Tomoe would become human on the next full moon but he had to stay by the human girls side until then. Now at the time Yukiji had just given birth to a baby girl and she was very weak and fragile. She was close to death, that is why she died before the next full moon meaning that Tomoe could not keep his end of the deal. This is why the infection was there, it was to spread through his body and kill him."

"I had no idea he had such a troubled past." Said Hikari thinking of him.

"He does not remember it. In order for me to suppress his infection I had to wipe the memories he had of Yukiji. After that he became my familiar but he had a great hate for humans afterwards. One day however those memories will return to him. Just as the memories of me were slowly coming back to you. I had to wipe your memory of me so that you would nit come looking for me. If you did you would have met Tomoe much to early and the plan to save him would never have come into play. Of course with Tomoe I had to wipe his memory of Yukiji to save his life, with you if I wiped your memory if Ryuu, yes I could have saved you from a lot of pain but even so I could not do it. If I were to do such a thing you would have forgotten what it felt like to love and lose someone, you would be no different from the you that killed without a second thought."

"I'm glad that you didn't wipe my memories of him. Although painful I do not wish for them to disappear. I do not want to forget Ryuu, all the times we shared together...I do not want to lose a moment of the time that I spent with him. The least I can do if remember him after what I did to him."

"Not many would think in that way. If offered the chance many would take the chance to forget their loved ones and make the unbearable pain they felt in their chest go away. It is because you think that way that you and Nanami are my best hope to saving Tomoe."

"I do not understand...how can Nanami and I do something which you yourself could not?"

"You both have qualities that I do not possess. For Tomoe to be saved he must learn to love humanity again. I tried to teach him his but no matter what I did he just did not see what I was trying to say. That was why I was made ti take such drastic action. When I found Nanami on that bench that day I knew that she was perfect. Nanami is the descendent of Yukiji and different from other humans. She is head strong and she is always thinking of others. It was my hope that by giving her my shrine Tomoe would see these qualities and think differently about the human race. Not only that but Nanami came with you."

"Came with me?" Mikage smiled.

"I am well aware of your promise to protect Nanami at all costs and of the love you feel for her. I knew you would follow her wherever she went and that was important for Tomoe. You and he are very similar. You both used to be yokai that killed mercilessly, you both had someone that you lost, you both know what it feels like to be lonely, in pain, wanting to die but you took different roots. Even after your past you, the great arctic fox yokai developed feelings of love for a human. It is my hope that your love for humans will teach Tomoe a thing or two."

"I see you placed him under a human who he must serve day and night in hopes that he would see what humans are capable of and me, the vicious yokai that came to love humans. You have surrounded him by the love for humans in hopes that it might rub of on him. Now that I think about it, even Mizuki fits into your plan. He is in love with Nanami, a human and he even wished to marry her at one point. Then there in Nanami with her love for Tomoe. Her belief that love it love and it doesn't matter weather it is between a human and human or human and yokai. It is quite and elaborate plan."

"I suppose it is but it almost time for me to go. I leave you with a warning though. The Gods are at unrest, they have heard news of you returning. They are scared that you are the same as you were 800 years ago. They mean to kill you before you can do any damage."

"If they come a 16 years ago I would have gone with them and accepted my punishment, but then I met Nanami. I found her and Tomoe who I fell in love with. I have found so many reason to live and now they wish me dead. How ironic."

"It does not have to happen that way. The Gods once wanted Tomoe dead but he then became a familiar and now he cannot be touched because he serves a God."

"Are you saying that I should become a familiar?"

"Not at all I am simply stating a fact."

"As if a God would accept a yokai like me to serve as their familiar."

"I accepted Tomoe, therefore it must be possible. Goodbye Hikari, it was nice to speak to you after all these years." He said as the scene began to fade.

"Wait Mikage." Called Hikari but the scene continued to fade. She could no longer see him. She was surrounded by the darkness once again. "Thank you for everything." She whispered into the darkness...