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Chapter -15- Twilight of the Gods

Saturday, July 22, 2049 - mid-morning Honolulu, Hawaii ...

** Conner placed the grocery bags** into the metal basket in the trunk of the rental car then turned towards Dawn.

She afforded him with a smile then tilted her head, seeing his expression. "What's wrong?"

Conner stepped away from the trunk of the car and walked over besides her. Side by side, they stared out over the Pacific Ocean, which began where the rolling beach left off down below.

"Conner, what's wrong? I haven't known you that long, but I can tell when a boy is pensive. Penny for your thoughts?"

"Really? You've seen all my coin collection. I don't need one more."

"You know what I mean. What's on your mind?"

"Tamamo."

"Are you upset that you haven't heard from her after trying to talk to her the day you met us?"

"Something like that. We just ... we had a serious connection in a very short period of time. I've got all these feelings for this girl."

Dawn frowned thoughtfully. "Is something wrong between the two of you? Or are you worried because you've not heard from her?"

"I'm worried because of where she is, and the fact that she is surrounded by others that are more like her than me," he trailed off and frowned. His eyes dropped to the asphalt. "What is it she sees in me? It's not maturity, because I'm fifteen. It's not money because she doesn't need that sort of thing. It's not my ability, because she's light years ahead. At first we were so close, and now I barely see her. I miss her, and I'm worried that I might be in over my head."

"How so?"

"She lives a world away from me. Quite literally. And she has other important people in her life. People whose time and attention take precedence over me. How can I feel important to her if she's got these others that need her attention full time? It's like ... she might as well just date them."

"Do you want her to?"

"God no."

"Help me understand what has you worried," she said.

Conner fidgeted. "I've always been confident because I take after my mother. Before meeting Tamamo, I wasn't even interested in dating. I guess that can go hand-in-hand with my mentality when I was younger, but..."

"Go on."

"She's practically a goddess. I'm some kid. She made me feel special. But I'm not. Maybe I'm just something to amuse her, but I have nothing to offer her. A guy can offer a girl protection and be a breadwinner. I can do those things. But how do you provide ... what do you provide for a goddess who doesn't need the things I have?"

Dawn eyed him. "A little dramatic, hon." She lifted her hands to stop him from replying. "Sorry." She rubbed her chin. "Uhm, what about these other people she hangs out with?"

"Yeah, some of these people are old and funky and nasty looking. So why hang around them? What does she get out of them that I can't provide her with? I can't be there, so what's her life like when I'm not around? I just ... it's hard. Some part of me feel like I have to share, and I don't know how to handle that, either."

Dawn place her hand on his left forearm and gave a tug at the short hairs growing from the back of his wrist. "Whatever the situation is, Conner, don't wear your heart on your sleeve. Women love seeing the vulnerable side of a man, but don't let it be the first or the only thing we see. Let us see the cool and calculating side first. Let's us see that you're graceful under fire. Then, when we're curious and hooked, that's when you let us see the vulnerable or sensitive side."

He frowned.

"What?"

Conner looked down at the hair on his wrists. Something that only started coming in lightly over the last year or so. "So what you're telling me is ... suck it up and stop whining."

Dawn chuckled and shook her head. "Whining is more, like, 'Nobody likes me. I have no friends. Why do I even exist? I wish I was more popular.' Nobody wants to hear that because it makes people feel awkward. We want to surround ourselves with people that make us feel good. It makes life more bearable. But what you're doing isn't whining, per say. It's more like ... I don't know; I don't know how to describe it. I just wish I knew this girl so I could agree or disagree with the situation. Then maybe I could better help you with it. But I've only heard of her."

"Well, she's beautiful. She's smart. She's mature."

"She's a cougar huh?" Dawn asked with a smirk.

"What's a cougar?"

"A woman from the generation before yours. At least eight years or older, give or take."

"Well I suppose that is a pretty accurate description thus far. She's definitely older than eight years my senior."

Dawn put her hands on her hips. "Why are you so stuck on her? You guys have sex or something?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Dawn frowned. She tugged at a random spot on her shirt and cleared her throat. "Your first?"

"Yup. And it was special."

"I see, now. You guys have sex, then you go without talking to her for a while."

"Yeah," Conner said with a sigh of frustration. "Some part of me wonders if it's because I was awful. Or if she lost interest and she didn't have the heart to tell me. My stomach gets numb when I think about it. I'm so in love with this girl but I get so jealous that she's too busy with these old fogies she lives with."

"Busy?"

"Yeah," he repeated, adding, "Too busy for me. Or at least busy enough it requires her attention out of some sort of," he trailed off, rolling his hand as if looking for the right way to phrase his statement. Finally he threw his hand up in disgust. "I don't know the word I'm looking for."

"Obligation?"

"Yeah!" Conner nodded emphatically. "Exactly! She's obligated to attend to these others, and I'm sitting here, like, 'girl I love you. But I know you're busy with your old foggy friend that you may-or-may-not be having a physical thing with.' How would I know, right?"

"This guy have a name? Or is it her dad?"

"Inari or something. They're not related. I don't know much about him, but she really looks up to him. I think they're roommates or something like that. I don't even know why I'm jealous of the guy - I've never even met him. At least not yet."

"How long have you been involved with her?"

"We started talking earlier this year," he said. "We've met in person two times."

Dawn blinked and looked away so that Conner wouldn't see the incredulous expression on her face. "That's it?"

"Well, one of the times lasted a few days straight."

"I see." Dawn looked around for James, frowned, then turned back to her boyfriend's nephew.

Conner shrugged. "I want her in my life. But I have to share her with others and I don't know how to handle that. Uncle James said it's because I have all these hormones at one time, and it's clouding my judgment. I asked him how long I might be an idiot like this, and he said it might last until as long as twenty-two years old. He said some people mature sooner than others, but no matter how mature I am for my age, I still have the adolescence crap like every other teenager. I hate this. My chest hurts when I think about losing Tamamo."

"Well, hon, James is right. Puberty and adolescence clouds your judgment. It's a mix of hormones, inexperience, and first-timer's infatuation."

"Yeah. It sucks. A lot."

She afforded him a gentle smile. "Come on. Let's finish getting all the supplies we'll need. James should be finished at the other store by now. And we've got all the groceries we'll need to last a few days. Let's go see where he's at in the shopping list and help him out."

"What should I do about Tamamo?"

"Right now? While your hands are tied? You should ignore the situation. Pretend like it doesn't exist. I'm not saying to get over here. I'm saying to man up and put a pin in this for later. Take a deep breath, focus on the here-and-now. Reply when she does. Detach yourself a little. Get emotional later, once things have cleared up and you see each other on a regular basis. But not today. Today you shouldn't be focusing on something you cannot fix."

"I see. I'll try."

"Conner, I'm glad you could come to me with whatever is on your mind. I appreciate that."

"Yeah. Thanks for listening to me whine."

She gave him a pat on the shoulder then fished the keys out of her pocket. "Okay, hop in the shotgun seat. Let's go find your uncle."

"Yeah..."

X

X

Where time and space meet Celestial Realm ...

** "Tamamo-no-Mae-sama?"**

Tamamo faced a mirror portal, watching over Conner Parker. She had her hand over her heart and her eyes glistened with moisture. Hers were tears of happiness. "He loves me," she said with a soft smile. The kitsune turned and faced a short impish creature behind her.

The three-foot imp, down on one knee, saw her face and abruptly bowed. The being cleared its throat then despite a raspy voice, it spoke in an eloquent draw. "Go-kyoryoku no hodo o-negai moshiagemasu."

Tamamo narrowed her eyes then looked around for a moment. Her gaze returned to the simple creature. She tilted her head. "Who is 'we' little one? Cooperation for what?"

The imp bit its lower lip then peered up at her. "Go-kyoryoku...kudasai."

Tamamo sighed and nodded. "No need to repeat yourself. You have my 'cooperation.' What is it you wish?"

The messenger gestured for her to follow. The kitsune adjusted her tails beneath her kimono and followed the creature through the Hallway of Reflection towards the Shinto Chamber of Majesty.

"Wait, I know this hall." She looked around, wondering which of the gods had summoned her with an imp messenger. She asked the being with the raspy voice, unable to determine the imp's gender.

The messenger said nothing. It trembled instead.

At the end of the hall was a gorgeous circular room. The floor was an enormous red sun and white rays were painted up the walls, over each door. She stopped at the center of the large red circle and looked around herself. "Who am I to see?"

"Watakushi wa eigo o hanasanai."

She sighed in frustration. "Seriously?" She rolled her eyes. "What do you mean you don't speak English?!"

The creature cowered at her tone.

"Oh calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm frustrated that you don't understand me. Who doesn't speak English in this modern day?" She paused, with eyes wide, and thought back to Sinopa who once said the same thing. Tamamo rubbed her forehead then pinched the bridge of her nose as she'd seen others do so often in the past few decades. "I'm turning into Sinopa-chan. Heaven help me."

The imp gestured impatiently, yet nervously, towards one of the doors. The creature kept its eyes averted, looking a bit pale. It gestured with trembling hands towards the door.

Tamamo sighed and patted the androgynous creature on the head in passing. "Hai, boku." She stepped through the door and closed it behind herself.

Majestic silence filled the room. She looked up at a large, gorgeous mirror, shimmering on the wall by the light of recently set candles. Tamamo glanced back at the door then towards the mirror once more. She knew, as soon as she saw the mirror, that Omoikane had summoned her. She stood before the reflective surface holding the essence of the great Shinto god of pondering and wisdom.

The last time she'd spoken to him, he was in a random mirror in the hallway. But she knew he was one of the few deities enshrined within a mirror that led to a realm beyond the Celestial plane.

She approached the reflection, able to see herself within.

Tamamo bowed low, lifting her eyes to look at the surface. "Ya-gokoro-omoi-kane-no-mikoto," she said, pronouncing the deities name to sound like 'oh-moe-e-kah-nay.'

A humble looking middle-aged man with fairly long hair approached the other side of the reflection and bowed gently to Tamamo. He offered a soft smile and gestured for her to rise.

Tamamo stood up. "Yagokoro Omoikane no kami, son of Takamimusuhi, I am honored by your summons."

"You sought me out to ponder."

"I have. Twenty-five earthly rotations ago, I remember. I asked you to ponder because I believe in your mind."

"Do you now?"

"Yes." Tamamo nodded firmly. "When Amaterasu-omikami hid away in the Rock Cave of Heaven, it was your calmly measured reasoning that brought about her successful return to the world. And let us not forget, the goddess of the sun and your father entrusted you with great responsibility. Their wisdom is beyond measure, yet they sought your council. I sought wise council; yours is the wisest, my lord."

Omoikane lifted his hands and gestured for Tamamo to relax. "Your praise is appreciated but unnecessary. Come closer, beautiful Tamamo-san. I wish to see your eyes in better lighting."

Tamamo reached for one of the many candles decorating the chamber. She brought it before herself and approached the brilliant mirror. The kitsune came close enough that she could see what she considered imperfections in her skin. "Do you bring me so close that you wish to see my flaws?"

"I like your modesty. If you see imperfections, then you are open-minded enough to be humble. Tamamo, humility is as honorable a trait as confidence. But only at the right time, shown to the right people. I assure you, I do not see flaws. I only wished to look upon the golden hue of your eyes. They are the windows to our core being."

"You ... wanted to see my eyes?"

"Indeed I do. The eyes of a demi-goddess show her true intent."

"I assure you my true intention is to help Sinopa-chan. I have practically raised her. I love her."

"You were in love with her for a time."

"Certainly not a love that can replace Konoe-tenno."

Omoikane smiled. "Spoken truly. Your love for the child emperor is immortalized in legends, now."

"Yes. I heard that Earth writers have penned such."

The deity nodded in reply then smiled softly. "But now you are in love again. It has changed you. Perhaps for the better. I see that you are madly in love with this young boy. A boy who does not yet understand the meaning of your adoration, nor the innocence he gifted to you."

Tamamo licked her lips, feeling apprehension build in her chest.

The deity folded his arms, standing tall and relaxed before her. "Why do you tense in such a way? Do not judge yourself before me. I do not judge you. I speak only the truth in a blunt way. Yes, I know the two of you made love. However, I wish to speak upon the topic you brought to my attention, regarding your non-affectionate love, which you hold towards Sinopa Crevan."

"Ah, yes my lord, when I summoned you twenty-five years ago, I was deeply worried for the wellbeing of Sinopa. I know she seems like an insignificant four-tail, but I see great things in her future. But for her to achieve them, she must survive."

Omoikane brought his fingertips together, not quite folding his hands but keeping them together, just the same. "Mm, I see your concern for her. My family calls Sinopa-san_The Little Rebel_."

"I ... yes, she acts with her heart."

"Yes. She also ignored the heritage of those she serves - the children of Japan. She acted impulsively by choosing her name and her appearance. It shows she considers only what is in front of herself; she does not place rationale in the long-thought."

"The long-thought?"

"Consideration for what is to come in the distant future."

Tamamo dipped her head with a nod of understanding. "She is like a daughter to me."

"Hai."

"I sometimes wish that she was related to me. At least then I could justify my previous actions in regards to her. I do not understand why I put myself into such trouble for the little child. I only know that I love her. And yes, you were right in your summation of my feelings. I once could not separate my emotions. I thought I was in love with her. But now I know better."

"Wait ... do you not know?"

The kitsune frowned and tilted her head. "Do I not know...?" Tamamo bit her lip. She considered all the times she was instructed to suppress the memories of others and wondered if it may have happened to herself. "Please do not tell me I am her mother."

"Would it be so bad?"

"I have begun a romance with her grandson. It would be..."

"She is not your daughter, Tamamo."

Relieved, she drew in a deep breath and, all at once, explained, "Lady Kiko has often asked me to remove the memories of others and it has now occurred to me that I might very well have become the victim of just such a treatment by Kiko or one of her servants and..."

Omoikane gestured for her to stop speaking. "Cleanse yourself of these worries over Conner Parker."

She bit her lip. "I was foolish to take his innocence. I wanted it for myself so that no other would possess it."

The deity offered a soft smile of reassurance to relax her. "Tamamo, please ... with whom you choose to make love is not of my concern. In the end, your relationship with Conner Parker is your business." He gestured to the floor then settled down, crossed his legs and folded his hands. "Take solace, Tamamo-san - there is no relation. And even if there were, would it truly matter?"

"That is the question, I suppose."

He tilted his head at her then shifted his weight, somewhat. "In the end? No. It doesn't not matter one way or another. However, you did know Sinopa's parents."

She blinked. "When?"

"Genno freed you from the Hoji. You returned to the Celestial Realm with your spirit resurrected by Inari no Kami. After a while, you became friends with two kitsune, a nine-tail fox and a seven-tail vixen."

"I do not remember them."

"They sought a litter of children but after two seasons, they could not conceive. Inari felt they would increase their chances by mating more often, but both kitsune were matched by their enjoyment of scholarly pursuits. Inari asked them to allow you to become their helper."

Tamamo shook her head slowly. "No memory of it. What happened?"

"You were tasked with their physical happiness. You brought them together, to help their romance flourish. You seduced them both and channeled their physical desires, then guided them to one another in the bedroom."

"I did ... what?"

"When neither was in the mood to make love, you seduced each and brought them together. Quite often. They eventually had a litter. And then our people began warring with the Chinese deities. Your lovers and their litter was destroyed by the nogitsune of the Huli Jing."

"Ah yes, the Chinese spirit foxes. We kitsune do not always see eye-to-eye with our counter parts in China and Korea."

Omoikane nodded. "The litter, which was born of your actions of physically uniting the parents, was killed in the attacks."

"They all died?"

"Hai. They all died ... all except for one, which you managed to hide. Shizuko."

Tamamo gazed down at the sitting man. "Sinopa's birth name was Quiet Child? She is anything but."

"She was appropriately named. She is the only child that remained silent the night of the attack, allowing you to hide her away. Even now I cannot understand how the spirit foxes of China would attack and murder the spirit foxes of Japan."

"My race is a complicated sort." Tamamo knelt, feet tucked beneath herself, which caused the kimono to wrinkle slightly over her mid-section. She frowned in thought and said, "Shizuko. A pretty name for a pretty girl. And I raised her?"

"Only briefly. After the incursion found resolution, it was discovered that you were raising the child. Kiko demanded you release Shizuko to the wild. After all, the child was too young to pay fealty to Inari, and thus was not under his protection. You protested."

"I protested against Lady Kiko?"

"Vehemently. For your insubordination, she placed you into solitude for four years, and dropped Shizuko into the wild, leaving her to become nogitsune ... wild spirit foxes with no ties to Inari. However, because you are important to Inari, he bartered for your release."

"I wish I could remember the things you've told me."

The deity frowned, thoughtfully, and said, "Kiko released you but not before destroying those memories you had. She claimed she did it so that you would harbor no ill will; she said she wanted to keep the peace between the kitsune and the Huli Jing."

"I would have taken the attacks personally and possibly sought revenge. Perhaps it was best she did what she had to do in order to preserve the peace. What happened next?"

"You returned to serve Inari. When Eiyuu Geroi appointed you to act as the keeper of a young kitsune on Earth, he chose Shizuko in smug defiance of Kiko's actions. He reunited you with Shizuko to spite the first-born of your race."

"So that's why Kiko despises him?"

"One of many reasons. Kiko was unquestionably and uncharacteristically angry. To the point that she threatened Eiyuu Geroi's life."

"Sinopa goes by the western calendar. I've learned how to read it, now. What year did Kiko and Eiyuu get into their argument over Sinopa?"

"I do not follow it. But it was about sixty-five years ago."

Tamamo brought her hand to her mouth. "The year Sinopa met Jonathan Parker."

"Hai, Tamamo-san. The very year Shizuko was sent to Earth, she met a man named Jonathan Parker. They married soon after. Please, give me a baseline for the western calendar - what year was Shizuko with child?"

"She calls herself Sinopa now. And it's for the best, as she no longer warrants the name 'Quiet Child,' my lord. Please, I beg your pardon, I did not mean to correct you."

"It is of no consequence. If I call her by the wrong name, it is important you tell me so. What year was Sinopa carrying her litter?" he repeated the question with a gentle tone.

"The western calendar year of 1999. She was forced to return to help in the dynasty war of 2014. In 2015, the old dynasty was toppled. By mid-2016, Eiyuu Geroi became Grand Chancellor of the Gendai-no-Dynasty. We currently reside in the year 2049, late in the seventh month out of twelve."

"I've not spoken to anyone with such intimate knowledge of the modern physical realm. I enjoy learning new things to ponder. Speaking of pondering, it is time that I tell you why I have called you."

"Pardon, my lord? I thought you called upon me to speak of Sinopa's future."

"Only to a degree as it coincides with a warning meant only for you."

Tamamo's expression became rife with confusion. "A warning?"

"Hai. I bring you grave news, a dark prophecy, and I seek to prepare you for a difficult road ahead."

"I do not understand. This is the year of victory."

"Too much has changed. Total victory is no longer possible on the Earth plane. It is now the year of survival."

Tamamo bit her lower lip and remained silent.

Omoikane frowned. "I brought you here, at this very moment, to preserve your life. If anyone is proof that people can change for the better, it is you. Your second lease on life, after being freed by Genno the Priest from that cursed topaz stone ... that is what I consider when I look at you."

"With all due respect, it was Konoe's love that saved me spirit."

"And it is your love for Conner Parker that will keep you on the correct path. Tamamo, you are an impressive woman. You have reinvented yourself. You are deserving of a chance to make the most of it."

"Please elaborate."

"An uprising is beginning at this very moment, Tamamo-san."

Tamamo stood up and placed the candle back on its stand. "Where?"

Omoikane frowned. "The courtroom is in an uprising. The Gendai-no-Dynasty, a transitional period of tolerance and wisdom, is now at an end. Sinopa is safe only because she is beyond the immediate reach of those who are at the heart of these attacks."

"Who is behind these attacks? Is it Kiko?"

"I do not know. They are systematically blocking mirrors. I cannot see into the courtroom. However, Kiko works with people sympathetic towards her husband, Loki. It is not yet clear to me if she is behind it all. It's equally possible she is being manipulated. That is something upon which I must ponder. However, if she finds you, she will kill you or destroy your memories and poison you against others. And she will only spare you if she finds you helpful. Of course, knowing your past ... and knowing your husband in China, and knowing the terrible acts you were capable of in your youth ... she would most likely reset your mind and turn you against those you have come to love."

Terrified, Tamamo backed away from the enormous reflective surface. "Thank you for your council. I must go and warn my loved ones."

"You must flee the realm, Tamamo."

"Surely you know I cannot!"

"Seek the boy whose innocence you have taken ... Go to him and stay alive."

Tamamo fidgeted. "He cannot help me. I must stay and fight."

The deity gave a stern look. She froze, not having seen Omoikane ever offer such an expression before. The man stood up, adjusted his garment, and said, "There is little you can do against gods so much more powerful than yourself. At least not at this time, and certainly not alone. This war will be fought with the mind since it cannot be won by traditional means. Not anymore. Too many have died in too short of a time."

"Then I am doomed."

"You are not thinking clearly."

Tamamo frowned. "Yes, I am. I know what you were suggesting. I promised Sinopa I would never practice kitsune-tsuki. We both know possession of a human body is frowned on by our kind in the modern age."

"You cannot stay here! You must go, Tamamo-san!"

"The last woman I possessed was killed in a matter of minutes."

"You are wrong - you are not thinking clearly. What happens if you are captured? Kiko would revert you to the memories and mentality of your youth, in China. You would delight in torture, and lose your sense of identity. Tamamo, you are a nine-tail. You would be too powerful of an enemy. You would be better suited as an ally, Tamamo-san. But know this, if you die in the mortal plane, you will be separated from your Hoshi-no-Tama. Without it, your spirit will cease. Still, such a fate would be far preferable to turning against your friends and loved ones."

She swallowed. The deity was right and she knew it. "I would not cease, my lord. My spirit was released by Genno from the Hoji. I thought at that moment I would cease to exist. But Inari no Kami intervened. He revived me once before, and would surely do so again."

"I am afraid Inari cannot help you any longer. It is too late for such a time."

Tamamo's eyes widened with horror. Her pupils dilated to wide circles. Panic took her. She dashed out of the door and slammed it shut behind herself.

The imp messenger lay on the floor, decapitated. Tamamo stumbled over a leg but regained her footing. She dashed through the arch, back into the Hall of Reflection's eastern wing.

She passed rows of mirrors and asked, "How can our people win the day?"

Omoikane appeared in them, but seemed further away in the smaller portals. "That is no longer an option. There will be no victory. The only thing we can do, now, is to stop the end from happening. We must survive, and we must protect the survivors of the human race. Without their faith, we cease to exist."

Tamamo came to a halt and waved her hands in front of one of the mirror portals. Omoikane's image faded, replaced by a strange image of a brightly colored logo. "Conner! Please, Conner are you there?"

X

X

Meanwhile...

Conner stopped in the middle of the aisle."Hey," he said, "Look."

Dawn and James turned to face Conner then froze, seeing a small orange weasel-sized creature holding a vanity mirror in its muzzle further up the aisle. James rubbed his face then asked, "Is that a ferret?" in a soft voice so as not to startle the creature.

"I think it's a little fox. Look at its face shape and the tail."

"Looks like a fox to me," said Dawn, adding, "But it's way too small. Maybe a baby fox or something. But look, he has a little bit of grey on his snout. The fur is mottled a little. I think he's actually too old to be a baby."

The little fox trotted towards them, holding the vanity mirror, taken off of a shelf several aisles over. He approached the trio, brazenly.

James looked at the others then moved in front of them, as if protectively. "It doesn't look like he has rabies but, usually animals aren't that brave towards people. Is that a sun visor meant for a car? Why's he carrying it?"

The little fox trotted around James and dropped the automobile sun visor at his feet, with the mirror facing upwards. The animal sat down on his haunches.

Dawn, amused, said, "He's sitting pretty. Never seen anything like that before. It looks like his fur is turning all white. Either that or he has a strange pattern."

James scratched his head. "Yeah, like he's a half-breed regular fox with an artic fox."

Conner eyed them for a moment. "There aren't any arctic foxes in Hawaii. Unless they're at the zoo maybe." He leaned over and picked up the mirrored sun visor. "He got this out of the auto department around the corner."

"Conner!" the female voice sounded distant but distressed.

Conner turned the mirror towards James and Dawn so they could see a white-haired Asian woman in the reflection. "Believe me now?"

"Conner, please this is an emergency!"

The boy turned the reflection about and gazed into it. "I'm here. Are you okay?"

"Ragnarök has begun. Find a human female, even if she's temporary. I will return shortly. When I do, have someone available that I can possess. You will have to place the mirror against their fingertips. It will be a matter of life and death."

Conner's jaw dropped. "Then do it now. Why are you going to return shortly?"

"There is a diary I must retrieve. I cannot leave it here, as it would divulge too much information about all of you. The information in the wrong hands would make it far too easy to destroy all of you. I love you too much to allow such breadcrumbs. I must fetch it from my bedchamber. Keep this mirror with you. I will return to this particular one as I have prepared it to be sealed after I cross through it. I'm afraid we will not be able to return to this realm for quite some time, however. I will be trapped there for the foreseeable future. Do you understand?"

"I do. Who is the little fox that brought this mirror to me?"

"He is a kanko, and my pet. He will watch over you. He will also help us find the others. Karla and Sinopa have taken to calling him Kuda for short. Keep my kuda-gitsune safe. He cannot return to this realm, limiting his ability to flee to safety."

"I'm worried about you. Are you sure you can't just come with us now?"

"I_must_ retrieve my diary. It could be used as a source of intelligence to destroy the remaining supernatural humans associated with Sinopa."

"Then let me come with you and watch your back. You could use the second set of eyes."

"No. Absolutely not. It takes a team of trained supernatural warrior humans to fight against deities. I cannot jeopardize your safety."

"Please, Tamamo, I insist."

"Conner, love, please. Find me a person I can possess. Even if only a temporary residence. If you're able, find an Asian female. I will stay with her until it is safe for me to return. So please, find someone healthy and strong. But, due our limitation of time, any female will do temporarily."

"I will find someone. Please hurry. The thought of you in danger without me is enough to turn my stomach. I cannot lose you."

She offered a weak smile. "It warms my heart to hear such words. I must go. Keep this mirror close." Her image faded.

All at once Kuda jumped at Conner and dug his claws into the boy's clothing. The miniature fox clamored up to Parker's shoulder and settled upon it. The little fox sighed deeply through his nose.

Conner looked back at James and Dawn, back down at the mirror then back at them. "We need to find someone who won't be reported as missing. I don't want to create some sort of search party that will lead back to the island." He paused then turned to face Dawn. "Just for the sake of not abducting someone from Hawaii, can you take her on while we look for a fitting full-time person?"

James furrowed his brows. "I don't even know what the hell just happened. What are you asking of my girlfriend, Conner?"

Dawn rubbed her face. "I don't even know what to say. That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen, which goes far beyond the fox that came out of nowhere and is now sitting on your shoulder."

"Please, Dawn. It's just temporary. It would be akin to a temporary split-personality disorder. There's no danger. Then we could hunt down someone either willing to volunteer, or someone who doesn't want to live - someone willing to abandon their body so to speak."

Dawn furrowed her brows. "You mean, you think we should catch some suicidal person in the act and have this person inside of a mirror possess their body? Look, I'm still trying to get over the fact that we just saw you have a conversation with a woman in a mirror, which was delivered by some sort of miniature fox."

"At least now you know I didn't lie to you."

James frowned. "We should pay for our supplies, load them in the car with the groceries, and get moving. I can walk on ropes and fight people with guns and I've never been trained to do it. Who am I to question what I just saw? But one thing is for sure, the store won't allow your new pet to walk around in here. So I'll pay for everything while you head out to the car and wait for us." James took the sun visor mirror from his nephew. "I'll ring it up and bring it out." He handed it to Dawn.

"I don't feel comfortable holding this. What if this shit is real, James?"

"Then I will tell this person not to use your body to sleep with my nephew."

Dawn used the sun visor to swat at James. "This isn't a joke. You saw her. I don't want that drama. I don't want to hold this."

James sighed and put it under his arm. "Give us five minutes, Conner."

Conner snatched it back from his uncle. "I can't risk her coming back that soon. Dawn and I will go out to the car. She can bring it up to the doors and have it running. Just pay for everything else. I'm a thief by trade. It's a stupid sun visor. I'm not parting with it, and we both know I can't stand in line at the register with this..." he pointed to the fox on his shoulder. "So I'll simply leave with it."

"Not a big fan of stealing, Conner."

"Sorry. This isn't leaving my hands except to be used as she asked. Dawn?"

Dawn sighed and threw her hands up. "Fine." She took the keys from James' belt loop then said, "C'mon, Conner. God, what am I getting myself into? Let's go scout the parking lot for potential candidates. You said temporary. We can find someone for right now, and use her to find someone else before leaving Hawaii. But she's not getting me. No way. That's just weird. And I'm still not sure I believe in all of this. It's unnerving to me."

Conner nodded and nodded to his uncle. "See you outside. Use the family credit card I gave you." He turned to Dawn and walked out of the aisle with her, heading towards the front of the supplies store.

"You don't look mopey anymore," she told the youth.

"Yeah. Just worried, now. I'm glad she still cares about me," Conner said, adding, "But I don't want her in danger. I can't lose her so soon after starting things with her. Would the two of you like to accompany me to Japan? We'll drop the supplies off at the island and keep heading west. I want to find her a Japanese girl to use."

"God this is getting weirder by the minute," Dawn said with a sigh. "You're the one with the funds. If you want to go to Japan, we'll go to Japan. But I'm not going anywhere near that one place with the radioactive exclusion zone or whatever it's called."

He sighed. "Fukushima. We won't go anywhere near it, okay? Just relax."

"Sorry. I'm just handling this the best I can." She walked out into the parking lot and approached the rental car.

Conner followed her out of the store, across the lot and looked down at the mirror again. "I hope she hurries..."

X

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Next chapter: https://www.sofurry.com/view/694413