White Lotus: Okari (A Kamisama Kiss fanfic) (Completed)

Chapter 10

I tagged along for a patrol around my borders, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and I didn't smell any trespassers so it was another eventless day. As I was returning to my tree, I felt a small pinprick on my neck but I thought nothing of it. There were alot of bugs in the forest and it was common to get bitten but it never bothered me before so I just shrugged it off. I sighed as I jumped back up my tree. I howled and called over Willow. It had been days since I last visited Yukiji so I figured today was a good day to visit her. "You howled, my lady?" Willow said from the bottom of the tree. I jumped down and scratched the side of her head, her tail swishing happily. "I will be going out to visit my friend. Keep an eye on the place for me okay?" she simply nodded her head. "Oh and Willow...If Tomoe arrives, tell him I'll be gone for a short while"

"Yes, my lady. I'll be sure to inform the fox of this matter..."

"Good...I'll be counting on you to keep this place safe. I'll be going now"

"Have a safe trip Lady Okari!" was the last thing I heard before I was too far away to hear anything else. I traveled through the forest because it was shorter and I didn't have to mingle with the humans. I reached her new home in record speed and knocked on the door right after I made myself look human. Even if she knew what I really was her household and her husband didn't and I thought it best if they didn't find out that their new Lady of the house had ties with a yokai. "Who goes there?" the guard questioned. "I-I'm Okimi and I'm here to visit Lady Yukiji..." the guard stared down at me from his post and his resolve seemed to melt away. "Open the gate! Lady Yukiji has a visitor!" he yelled.

The gate shook and it opened to reveal the familiar castle where Lady Yukiji was now living with her new husband. "Right this way Miss. I will escort you to Lady Yukiji's room" a servant said, guiding me inside. "Why can't we meet out here? Is she sick?"

"No Miss, but the Lady is with child so she is not allowed to move around too much" I was quite shocked at the news. I was taken to her room and left there. I knocked and she told me to come in. "Ah Okimi, it has been quite a while. Have you finally come to visit me again?" she was wearing a loose kimono without the belt. "I-I'm sorry...I lost track of time. How long has it been? The last time I saw you you weren't this..."

"Swollen?"

"N-not exactly... When did this happen?"

"a few nights after I went into your territory. Roughly...seven months ago" her words flew over my head and I had a hard time processing anything she said. I didn't mean to offend Lady Yukiji but she looked like she was about to pop, I didn't exactly understand how human reproduction worked and quite frankly, I was intrigued. She noticed me staring at her bump and she chuckled. "Do you want to come closer?" I nodded at her question. I enchanted the door so no one would come barging in while I was in my yokai form. My ears popped out of my head while my tail stretched. The closer I got to Yukiji, the more I heard the sound of a tiny heartbeat. My ears twitched at the sound.

I came closer and pressed my ear right ontop of her bump and the heartbeat grew louder. I almost jumped when it moved. She just laughed at me then I sat down right infront of her. 

"So...how have you and the fox been? Did you finally tell him?"

"Uhm...N-not exactly...I-I haven't had the chance to yet because...h-he hasn't returned since about seven months ago. He left a few weeks before you visited me, actually. I'm starting to get worried. He doesn't usually take this long to come back from a battle" I fidgeted with my fingers. I was starting to worry that something might have happened to him. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. We are talking about the strongest yokai in all of Japan, I'm sure he's just...uhm...looking for gifts for you" she tried to comfort me as best as she could. I shouldn't worry her, it might affect the little one growing inside her.

"Y-yes...I-I suppose that's why..."

"Don't worry, how about we chat. It has been a while"

Yes...it has.

<><><>

After that short visit, I decided to go back home. Although I was glad to see Yukiji again there was still a small ache in my chest. As I jumped back onto my cherry tree perch, I realised that I'd never despised the silence even more than I did at that moment. It was too quiet and it made me fully aware of how much I missed that stupid fox. I sighed as I stared at the darkening sky, remembering his last words to me before he left: 

"Do you have to go so soon?" I asked, he chuckled then kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it. Until then...wait for me..."

I sighed as I laid my back farther into the branches of the tree. Tomoe...where are you? Didn't you tell me to wait? Well...how long are you going to keep me waiting? I heard rustling noises from afar and my heart jumped. I jumped off of my tree and followed the rustling sounds until I reached the very edge of my border. I waited to welcome him with open arms. I had been waiting for months and this was the only time I really realised how impatient I had been compared to before. As the noise got louder, my senses became clearer and my heart dropped to my stomach. The scent was familiar but it wasn't him.

"Ah Okari~ Why the rush? Were you expecting someone?" I tried not to show my disappointment. Akura-ou was a dear friend of mine so I was glad to see him, he just wasn't quite who I was expecting when I heard that noise. "Not at all...I was just going out for a nightly run. How have you been?"

He held his hand out to me and I stared at it curiously then I laid my hand ontop of his and I was pulled out of the border of my territory and into his arms. "I'm still alive and that's fun and all but... I'd like to hang out with you"

"Let me guess...you're bored and Tomoe kicked you out for stealing his things again-" Tomoe... if Akura-ou is back then that must mean...

"Hey Akura-ou...is Tomoe back with you?" I asked, I could feel my cheeks flush and he stared at me curiously but then his expression turned grim. "Actually...now I remember what I was actually here to do" he rested his hands on both of my shoulders and squeezed firmly. I was starting to worry. "Okari, Tomoe...he's...moved on..." my heart felt like a large chunk of solid granite. "W-what...?" I mumbled, I could feel fear crawling its way up my spine from the tip of my tail. "I'm sorry, Okari but he's...found someone else" at that moment, at those exact words, my heart shattered into a million pieces. "Oh..." was all I could say at that moment, my head hung low, my eyes covered in shadows. I couldn't exactly describe the pain I felt, it was all over my body but at the same time the pain was more severe where my heart was.

I felt my knees weaken and buckle, sending me crashing down into Akura-ou's arms. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets but they refused to shed tears. My nails dug into Akura-ou's arm as I clung onto him for support. My whole body shook and I wasn't quite sure if it was because I was heartbroken or if it was because I was angry. Tomoe... so that's your game you sly fox... that's why you took so long to return. You had... other plans. Was I just another thing for you to play with? I feel so stupid. Foxes are sly and untrustworthy. I should've listened to myself from the start... I. Hate. Foxes. I felt something within me click and my mouth twitched into a playful smirk. 

I giggled then I pounced on Akura-ou, sending us both crashing down to the ground. I sat on his abdomen, my tail flicking back and forth as I stared at him with such playfulness that it rivaled a child's. "Akura-ou~" I cooed, tracing circles all over his net shirt. "You said you were bored right? Why don't we play a little game... my wolves haven't tasted yokai blood in such a long time. Let's go expand your territory... I have some steam I'd like to blow off" he returned my playful smile with his own wicked smirk then cupped my cheek with his hand, caressing my lips with his thumb. "You took the words right out of my mouth. I'll do anything for you, my dear Okari"

"Good...now tell me which yokai are good treats for my pets"

Author's Note!

Finally! I finished this chapter. Did any of you expect this twist in the story? I wonder what happened to Okari... 

Anyway, see you guys in the next chapter!

*mumbles* which will hopefully be published as soon as possible and will probably not take long.

Bye!

~Rei