FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Naraaku was confused. "You're where?"he asked Lily.

His vision was very diffuse and foggy, and he had his hard time walking towards her. His legs were weak and shambling.

This had happened so fast. Strange toughts invaded his mind. In one minute, he was in the island alone with her, then, by some strange miraculous works, the elder kitsune of his village had appeared defront them and casted them even further off the kitsune's gea.

His old and weary face was still engraved on Naraaku's mind, his indifferent expression, his wrinkles on his forehead, his nearly dead whiskers... All of his foxy anatomy still haunted Naraaku's toughts. But all of this vanished when he heard Lily's dreamy voice.

"I'm home Naraaku... i can't believe this, but i'm home."she said, looking towards the horizon, the orange horizon that resembled the beautiful sunsets both of them witnessed in that island, the island of damnation, as it was called... the island of new hopes as they baptized it...

Naraaku was even more confused. He tried to open his eyes more to see what Lily's home looked like. It took him nearly ages to do it, for he was tired and disoriented. But as his vision returned to him, he could not believe his eyes: What was supposed to be filled with shining green grass, running flows of cristal water and humble wood huts was not. Instead it was corrupted with huge grey monstrosities, the floor was black and traversed by strange multi colored animals. But they were so far he found it strange. His feet could now feel the soft grass under him. As he looked around he could see some trees. He felt slightly home.

"Naraaku, this is my home." Lily said, holding his arm, waving the other in a swift motion towards the city she knows so well. "I grew in this metropolis... i love this place..."she said. Her voice sounded dreamy and away, nearly crying of happiness.

Naraaku sighed sadly, almost crying too. He wasn't feeling good, and all he wanted was to sit down, maybe snooze a bit, to absorb all that was happening.

Lily looked down at him when she heard him sigh, and understood. "Come here Nari, i'll take you back there..."

She wrapped her arm under his shoulder and put his massive arm over her neck, like a wounded soldier, an uncommon sight in that time. She carried Naraaku's shambling self towards a more plain ground, looking back at the city that waited for them... or maybe not.

***

Naraaku opened his eyes abruptly. But he couldn't see anything, hear anything, or feel anything but cold and fear.

He was back in that dark realm where he met the old, weary and vengeous kitsune. Or he tought so. He was like floating in mid air, altough he did not know if he was being watched or not. Then, a glowing light shined so brightly it nearly blinded him. He raised his arm quickly to cover his sensitive eyes from the light, but his natural curiosity made him peek as much as he could to the blinding light.

Then,at it came to him. He wasn't back in that shadowy place where he could be visited by unwanted other ones. He was back in that grassfield. He found himself standing in the middle of a huge grassfield, as large as the eyes could see. The sunshine lighted the grass so brightly it looked like a humongous sea of lavishing green water. A light breeze blew towards him, making him feel revigorated and fresh. But then, that feeling of ease vanished.

He knew he had to find it again. He knew that if he did not find it he would never get out of there. He knew, that if he didn't find it fast, he'd never see her again.

As soon as he could move his nimble legs, he sped away through the bright fields, his furry legs swooshing as he opened his way through the short grass. He didn't enjoy the feeling of grass on his pads, he never did, but it had to be. He knew it was far away, but he wouldn't give up. He could feel it nearer and nearer. More and more. Just a few more miles. Just a few more heartbeats. Just a few more breaths.

After what may have seemed ages, Naraaku's eyes could see what he was looking for. Far away in the horizon, the little red dot, looked too far to be reached. But he didn't stop, he kept on running as fast as he could, faster and faster, as he reached what he had been looking for.

Laying on his feet laid a small, beatiful red rose.

He shivered a little, trying to contain the tears inside him. His whole body was tense and stiffed, His nails were pressing wildly against his palms. He was trying to hold the tears in him. But he couldn't. The salted water slipped over his cheeks, dropping in the grass below his feet. That feeling he had so many times before. The grass under his feet. He couldn't bare feel it because he knew something bad was to happen. But not this time. This time it couldn't happen. The rose was fully perfect, and didn't break or lost petals as he came near like the other times. He put hiself on his knees and snapped the rose off the floor.

In that moment, he woke up.

Naraaku could not feel the grass under his feet now, but all over his back. He moaned in pain as he tried to get up, but the pain was so much he couldn't stand up. He just closed his eyes and begged for the pain to stop.

After a while he could hear footsteps behind him, but he didn't move his head in fear of the pain. Then, Lily's sweet voice sounded behind him.

"Oh well, he's still asleep... when will he wake up?"she said. He could hear her sitting down and biting an apple, as well as her eyelids closing. He tried, with all strenght he had, to moan anything so she knew he wasn't asleep. Conjuring all forces he had he slipped off his muzzle a loud moan, but it didn't call Lily's attention.

"Poor baby... he spent the last week moaning... i don't know what to do..."she sighed, biting the apple again. Naraaku could just kill her if he didn't love her so much. But, "last week"? What did she mean by that? Was he unconscious for a week? Again?

He tried to summon all other forces in him to move his arm. He took a light breath and tried to lift his right arm, but he couldn't do anything. So he tried to do something else.

He hadn't really tought about this before. He couldn't move, but he could think. If everything went well, maybe he could call Lily's attention. Mental actions are much less costy than physical actions, and do much more.

He could feel a light tremble on the floor as he ordered the little gravel to hover. Opening his eyes as much as he could, he could gaze at a dark sky, barely seeing anything, but he knew he could throw the little rocks at Lily. As soon as she meeped after being showered with little rocks she turned back abruptly.

"Naraaku! Was it you?"she yelled. Naraaku giggled, but then gasped in pain.

"It is you!" she yelled and quickly stood up, so eager to be with her beloved once more, her fur all green because of the grass she sat on the last few days. She stopped right above him, one foot on each side of his head, looking down at him. "Naraaku? Are you awake?"she asked, eager to know about the injured fox.

He tried to nod, and this time he could, for the pain didn't mean much compared to his will of letting Lily know he was ok. Lily let out a scream of contentation, smiling as much as she could, and quickly kneeled above him, nuzzling his cheek. "You're alright!"she yelled at his ear.

***

Naraaku was fully healed the next morning, after a good night sleep. When he woke up Lily wasn't there, but came back soon carrying a armful of apples.

"Lily! You're back!"he yelled, jumping towards her and hugging her so tightly as his arms let him. And that was much. Lily meeped as she was nearly crushed by that titanic colossus that wrapped his arms around her. She was happy that he was back on his feet but she rather appreciate that on the ground.

He let her go and she trembled a bit, still stunned by that tight hugh.

"Naraaku... you must control your strenght..."she said, woozy.

"I'm sorry Lily... i'm so glad you're ok because... i tought you had died..."

Lily looked at him puzzled. Why did he tought she had died? She did nothing to be in risk of life. Naraaku, began to tremble a bit, his face full of grief and sadness. Lily gazed at him surprised and bit her lower lip as she saw Naraaku slip a tear off his eye... In that same moment Naraaku threw himself towards Lily again and hugged her again, but not as tight as before.

"Lily... i'm afraid of losing you... i love you..."he whimpered, tears strolling away in his face.

Lily couldn't bear the sight of the crying fox, as she began to weep herself too. She wouldn't bear the feeling of leaving Naraaku alone, not here, far away from his home...

"Naraaku, i still wonder much about what happened."she whispered, still embracing the kitsune. She was happy he was ok. She couldn't bear the thought of once more losing the one she loved. But, what if she didn't love him? What if she was being controlled by him? That was a thought she was trying to get away from her all this time, ever since she told her what his kin could do with their "magical" powers.

The fox's arms tightened around the feline he embraced, caringly and lovingly. He wanted to feel her at his side all the moments in his life. He couldn't bear the feeling of once more losing his beloved one. And one though assailed him: Did Lily felt like this too? Did she love him? He hoped so, he wished with all his heart that she shared the feeling of love he felt for her.

***

One hour. One hour was what took them to walk their way off the hill they were refuging since they were magically transported away from "The island of new hopes". That hour was spent in pure silence. Noone talked, no breathing could be heard, no footsteps. They were too eager to go somewhere more dignate to live. At least, Lily was. She eagerly wished to return to her home city. The place she had left about half year ago. Or was it more? Or less? Time mattered not in that place. What mattered was that they were together. That was what was really important.

But Naraaku would rather live up in that hill. That was the only place that he could feel briefly home. But, as long as he was with Lily it mattered not if he was in the top of a mountain or the biggest hut they could find. Didn't even matter if they lived in a Nezumi's burrow. The most important adress in his home was Lily.

They travelled quickly towards the metropolis Lily lived in. Now, standing before them was a deep-black trail, grained and dirty. Lily called it a "road".

Naraaku resisted to the urge of pulling Lily to him as she took a few steps away from him. She was scouting the place to see if her home was near, or far. She didn't trail much in the wild as they were doing now, but she knew her home was near the beach. Waking up every morning and hearing the honks of tourists and the cursing of weekend drivers was what filled her and Rufus's ears instead of the gentle rocking of the waves.

The inner wilderness was far off her home, in the west side of the metropolis. The beast was on the far east. In the middle of them was a social barrier that prevented them from crossing. The problem was not Naraaku, it was her half-naked body. All she had to cover herself was Naraaku's tradicional Kitsune leather strap. Her tail wagged anxiously at the attemp of finding somewhere they could stay. Both of them felt rather cold at the shadows that the tress behind them casted for the sun was still on the far west. No "beasts" were crossing the "road", for Naraaku's happiness. It was calm, and quiet, a normal sunday morning, or at least, should be.

"Lily, what can we do?"Naraaku asked eager to find somewhere they could stay. Lily promptly told her about the adversing situation they were stuck in.

"We can't cross the metropolis, if someone sees us they will obviously tell the authorities and i'm a "jailbreaker" as far as i know..."she said still wondering what they could do. The answer struck her as lightning.

She gave out a loud "Yay!" of happiness as soon as she understood what they could do. Naraaku turned at her quickly and hopeful. If she had somewhere to go they would be safe. He could cast a protective barrier, or so he hoped.

"What is it Lily? What can we do?"he asked in hope. Anywhere, just anywhere.

"Me and Rufus bought a camphouse that we were supposed to use the weekend just after... well, he... "passed out"she said, a look of grief in her eyes. But she quickly looked at Naraaku with her gleaming eyes and put up her fists.

"I believe it's not far from here! We can stay there. It's legally mine, so i can stay there."she said with a determined look. Good idea Rufus had of spending a few days in the wild.

"Does that mean i can't stay there?"Naraaku asked with indiference.

Lily gazed at him stupified. "What? Of course you can! You WILL come with me there! I won't leave you alone here."she said in a loud and moody tone. Those words made Naraaku's lip form a small smile. She cared about him, and that made him happy. One of the few things that did.

"I just don't know exactly which way the damn place is..."

***

Fortunately, Lily's luck was once more their saviour. She merely ventured into the woods again until they found the dirt trail that she and Rufus had followed with the real estate agent to see their house for the first time.

"This is it, if we follow this trail we'll find our new home Nari."she said loudly, happy for seeing things go well for a change.

"Are you sure Lily? I'm only following you. For everywhere, and forever."he confided her, not having a clue of what was going on, or where they were going. He just wanted to be with her, in their hut.

After a short travel up the dirted road they ended up at their destination. In front of them stood an imponent wooden construction. The windows were wide open and the porch was so large and cozy. A rocking chair was balancing lightly to the brief wind that blew. It was a large brown wooden place, two stories high, filled with everything they would need. Lily rushed quickly towards the house, grabbing Naraaku by his wrist to make him run too. He followed her eager to know what awaited them.

"Naraaku, this is our new home."she said in a dreamful voice, leaning on Naraaku's massive log of an arm. He wasn't too happy about it, but just feeling Lily's touch made him be ever so happy.

The door was unlocked, but it had no keyhole anyway. Lily opened it with a small swift movement of her paw.

And the house was dreamy. Decorated with the most exotic and strange of vases, paintings and plants. The lobby was carpeted and filled with mirrors, along with a table to place keys and cards. It all felt strange at Naraaku's eyes. He never seen anything like this in his whole life. He was already eighteen kills old, but he had never seen such "perfect" hut.

Lily was tired and wanted to sleep. So was Naraaku. She turned at him and held him close, wrapping her arms around his toned chest.

"Nari, let's go to bed now, i'm tired, and i need to sleep."she whispered. At the sound of those words Naraaku nodded lightly in agreement and whispered back at her while wrapping his own arms around her.

"Ok, let's lay down and try to sleep then."he said softly. But Lily giggled. "Not here silly, the lobby is no place to sleep. The room is upstairs. Let's go, follow me."she said amused.

Quickly and smoothly they walked up the wooden staircase and quickly entered the bedroom. In there a perfectly made bed awaited them, in a room that lightly resembled Lily's old room, in her beach house. She took a few charge steps and jumped on the bed, sliding forwards at beating her head against the bed's edge. After that, she felt nothing more.

She murred gently, feeling herself under soft blankets in a warm and comfortable bed. Her head hurted and she couldn't think much. She tried to open her eyes and when she did she realized she was staring at the face of a grumpy little black cat. She was starled. Didn't know what to say or think. Her eyes were gazed open staring at the smirking face of Rufus.

"Lily, dear, did you sleep well tonight?"he asked her, smiling. But, what was happening? How did Rufus return? What was that? A prank? Was Naraaku a dream? Did all that never happen?

"What's the problem my love? Why are you so frightened?"he asked, a look of worrying filled his face. Lily merely blabbed the words.

"Where's Naraaku?"she asked. She was hoping that was a dream, but what if it was not? What if Naraaku was the dream? What if... the elder had more revenge on them?

Rufus smiled warmly and nodded with his eyes closed. His muzzle let out a chuckle that left Lily even more confused. "Naraaku's fine dear, he's making breakfast."he said.

Lily quickly sat up nearly hitting her head against Rufus's, wondering what that would mean. Turning her head towards Rufus she asked him perplexed.

"Doing breakfast? What the hell are you talking about?"she yelled, wondering what kind of a joke that was. Rufus tilted his nose towards the door and Lily turned her eyes at the signed porticulum. And there was Naraaku, wearing a smile and a pink apron that covered his chest, but not his sheathe. In his paw rested a frying pan that smoked with fried eggs in it. He vowed gently to the laid down couple and asked if he could come inside. Nothing of this made sense. What was happening? Rufus was alive and Naraaku was a maid?

"LILY!"a voice shouted at her ear and she opened her eyes abruptly. Before her was Naraaku, looking at her witha face filled with grief. He was holding her in his arms, and she felt her head hurt, sore with the bump.

"You looked like R'theeza again, weeping in my arms..."he cried. Tears once more strolled down his face. Just then Lily realized she was crying again.