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Chapter -8- FoxFire

September 3, midday Yokosuka, Japan ...

** Sinopa Crevan glanced at the reflection** with a smirk. Her amber eyes lowered then lifted.

She brought her hands up to touch upon the red locks that framed her face. She tilted her head in a subtle way, and used a curling iron to capture a sanguine ringlet of hair.

Sinopa tugged on it with the heated curling iron. She placed her curler on the sink counter. She moved the tendril of hair into position to better conceal the triangular orange-furred ear poking up on the top left of her head.

She reached for an adjacent flattening iron and gave several locks of her hair a feathered look, so that they gently stood out on the sides.

Sinopa flinched at the sensation of something itching against her ankles. She put the flat iron down on the sink and sighed.

She hiked the back of her kimono and glanced at the bottom of three orange foxtails that brushed the backside of her legs.

"What a pain," she murmured with a sigh. Sinopa lifted her eyes to the mirror and announced, "Tamamo-no-Mae, assist me, choudai."

Silence.

Sinopa frowned and added, "Kudasai?"

A white nine-tailed fox vixen trotted up to the mirror on the other side of the reflection. She was an image of grace and beauty.

The small white animal sat down and curled her numerous tails around her lithe body. The vixen's right ear flickered listlessly.

Tamamo offered a relaxed yawn followed by a tilt of her head. The fox's whiskers lay back along her muzzle. She licked her lips and, with proper dictation and enunciation, spoke. "Sinopa, you seek my council, little one?"

"Yes, I do."

"It pains me that you have such an affinity for American English."

"Please, I seek your council."

A grin tugged at the corner of the fox's maw. "Perhaps you are finally asking yourself why you are seeing a white man in the first place."

Sinopa glared at her sensei in the mirror. "Not amusing. Racism is tacky and childish."

"Mm, I suppose. Western white men aren't so bad. They amuse me. Some are even cute, I suppose."

Sinopa drew in a deep breath and sighed softly. "You are the most sarcastic tenko I have ever met." She shook her head and sighed again.

"Tell me what bothers you, Sin-chan."

Sinopa grimaced at the nickname. "You are a little more versed in love than I am," Sinopa replied. The three-tailed kitsune took a deep breath. "I want to tell him. We are in love and I want to tell him."

Tamamo gawked. "Sinopa Crevan, do you think before you rejoinder? Love with a human is not_possible. Konoe was beyond obsessed with me. Konoe _loved me, yet he ordered Miura to kill me."

Sinopa reached for the plugs to her curling and flat irons. She wrapped the cords around the handles of each and set them aside safely to cool.

Tamamo continued. "Ever have an arrow jut from your heart? Worst of all, I knew it was going to happen the day before, due to a prophetic dream."

Sinopa murmured beneath her breath, "Then you should have avoided it."

Tamamo continued her rehearsed speech. "Again, love with a human is simply not safe. Being shot in the heart is as painful as the breakup, itself. If not for Genno-sama, I would still be in that blasted stone, the Sessho-seki."

Sinopa brought her hand to her mouth, trying not to snicker in front of the mirror. "Yes, I know all about the stone, and the story of your spirit, the Hoji - your cursed soul after you were dispatched in this realm."

"Have some respect. I am your sensei."

Sinopa nodded and pursed her lips. She smoothed the lay of her kimono. "I wanted your opinion so that I look my best before I meet with..."

"You are changing the subject, Sinopa!"

Sinopa grimaced. "You changed the subject. I called you here to..."

"Do not disrespect me, little one."

Sinopa sighed and decided to play along with her sensei. "The stone, which trapped your soul ... did it really kill people?"

Tamamo balked. "I was a vengeful spirit before Inari no kami resurrected me in the celestial realm. But I never intentionally murdered anyone. The story of the stone was a horror story told to remind travelers to prepare for the dangers of crossing the country during that period. I am not a murderer, no matter how Japanese Mythology may remember me."

Sinopa tilted her head with a wry smile. "May I ask why_are you still upset about the death of your physical body? It happened in 1155 in the Western Calendar. That was _eight hundred sixty-eight years ago."

"Hai, you obsess over following that calendar now that you have begun dating an American man."

"But," Sinopa cleared her throat and took advantage of Tamamo bringing him up, in order to segue back to the original topic. "I desire to spend my time with that man. Tamamo-sama, please..."

"Please what?"

"You were in love for a long time. You were adored. You were respected and the humans flocked to you. How do I possess that level of confidence?"

"Again, you see how it ended? My confidence helped me to march to my grave with my head held high. I do not want you to experience that fate."

Sinopa placed her hands on the edge of the sink and leaned towards the mirror. "The difference is in the modern era. Sensei, nearly_ nine hundred years_ later, men are emotionally secure and more refined. More accepting."

"I thought the same thing. I thought Konoe was different than Zhou of Shang. It was two thousand years later. Men do not change. Humans do not change."

Sinopa sighed. "I am sorry Emperor Konoe-tenno acted the way he did when he found out you were not human. But, as I said, humans have matured in the last nine centuries. You have seen Jules; you have seen how he treats me, and the locket he gave me on White Day. He is splendid and honorable. He treats me with respect. He will not care if I am a kami spirit fox."

"Human men do not care what you call yourself. They will scream 'witch,' they will call you 'part animal,' and they will insult you with every breath."

Sinopa curled her toes so as not to glower at her sensei. "Jules loves me. He cares more that I am sentient and return his love. Jules is a good man."

The vulpine creature in the mirror bristled up. "Jules-san has treated you well, but you are still a fool. Even if he accepts you, any other who finds out will not accept you. The supernatural societies of the Earth realm will frown on a young demigod walking amongst them. Where do you think Miura-no-suke got his magical arrow? The market?"

Sinopa grinned. "Again, sarcasm does not become you ...Hoji."

"You are pushing your luck with me, young one. Lord Inari himself has even proclaimed I am the most beautiful of all kitsune. The most intelligent woman any Emperor has ever known - infinitely knowledgeable in all subjects, academic or otherwise. That is why I am your sensei."

Sinopa eyed Tamamo.

"What have I done to lose your trust and respect?"

"I do not know."

Tamamo sighed and shook her head with a look of longing. "Oh, Konoe ... Sinopa, I had our relationship laid out perfectly. All it took was for him to become sick and for someone to convince him I was working for a Shogun who sought to become emperor. All it will take is for your precious Jules to become convinced you are not good for his health ... without warning he will utilize his military training and hunt you down."

"Tamamo-sama ... drama does not become you. Age is making you suspicious of everything and everyone, including humans. Also, Jules retired from being a fighter pilot in the United States Navy, based out of Yokosuka. He never received warrior's training." Sinopa lifted her hand in front of the mirror. A small red flame appeared hovering above her palm. "I had a premonition last night; that is the reason I called upon you this morning."

Tamamo-no-Mae narrowed her golden gaze. The little multi-tailed vixen lay down upon her stomach. She rested her elongated muzzle on the backside of her snow-hued forepaws. "Go on, young one; tell me your dream."

"Jules and I will be called upon to join a small group of people to help find artifacts that may save Japan ... and possibly the Western World. I have spoken to him at length. We have agreed to speak about it over lunch. He is returning to Yokosuka this afternoon. Every single one of my premonitions come true."

"Yes, they have, Sinopa. However, all your past premonitions have been small-minded moments of clarity involving something meaningless, like who will win in a sports game, or what sort of things are worth investing mortal money into. Making your lover wealthy on matters of gambling is of no consequence."

"Sensei!"

Tamamo's ears laid back upon her svelte white head. "It is certainly not on the same level of importance as Japan being in danger."

Crevan leered at the little white fox in the mirror. "It is a serious premonition. The darkness in my dream came from across the ocean. It could have an enormous impact on the Celestial Bureaucracy, Tamamo-sama." Sinopa closed her hand into a fist. The fireball extinguished, leaving only a wisp of smoky evanescence from between her knuckles.

Tamamo sighed through her small black nose.

"You must believe me. I wish an audience with Lord Inari."

"He is busy tending to more important matters, Sinopa. If you perceive something amiss, take care of it yourself. Display initiative, my dear. If you are not part of the solution, then that makes you part of the problem."

Sinopa frowned.

"Your ability comes with great responsibility. It is an ability that greatly outweighs the average human."

Sinopa, not knowing what to say, bowed her head in a firm nod of both frustration and respectful acknowledgment.

"Sinopa, you are the only demigod on Earth from our court, which makes you responsible for all of Japan at this time."

"You do not appear surprised to learn of what I have said regarding my premonition. You seem stoic. Did you hear something?"

The white-furred fox in the mirror lifted her head from her paws. "I have not yet consorted with the Western Gods but will look into it - I am on good terms with the Olympian messenger, Hermes. Perhaps I can seek council from Lady Sigyn."

"That could take too long!"

Tamamo's ears lowered and her eyes narrowed. "Again, hear my bluntly spoken words: if you perceive that something needs to happen of great consequence ... you have an obligation to take care of it yourself. I will ask about, and see what I can learn. Hermes will know..."

"Hermes? The Greek and Roman gods are all but gone - without faith, our kind cannot exist. Therefore, it would seem a waste of time to speak to a dying, weak deity."

Tamamo narrowed her eyes. "Do not speak disrespectfully of my friend."

Sinopa frowned.

"Japan gives you my life, so your obligation is to the service of Japan."

"Yes, but my premonition placed me on the west coast of America."

"Sinopa, you said this threat is greater than Japan. Does the threat originate from Japan?"

"No, from beyond."

Tamamo narrowed her gaze, staring back from the mirror. "Then in order to service the Land of the Rising Sun and to service the Sun Goddess, you have an obligation to take your investigation beyond the borders of Japan."

"In my premonition, innocent people die."

Tamamo eyed her subordinate for a moment. The little white vixen laid her ears flat again. "Without the Japanese people and their faith, we cease to exist. And then you die, along with the rest of the court. Do what you must to keep them alive."

"Why would Hermes help you, Tamamo-sama?"

The white-furred fox lowered her gaze. "I was close to Hermes' son."

Sinopa tilted her head.

"Pan's death was a shame."

Sinopa furrowed her brows, unsure as to how a shinto fox was able to get along with an Olympian. "Many deities are racist towards..."

Tamamo raised her tone. "Hermes has always given me respect because I treated him and his son with respect."

Sinopa nodded quietly. She shifted her weight and fidgeted with the silk of her kimono. "I will need Jules' help. I am nervous because I will be telling him about me ... about us. Today."

Tamamo rolled her eyes.

"He and I cannot work together on this matter if he does not know what I am capable of. And ... I love him." Her eyes lowered. "Deeply."

"Dear me, Sinopa. Lord Inari does not have time for one of his messengers to be lovesick. Take some time away. Go have children, dear. Then, maybe, you can refocus on this realm again. Trust me when I say that you would make a fine mother. Go on. Have children; raise a family while Japan faces certain danger."

"I thought you didn't believe me."

"I believe your premonition, little one. I do not believe you are to save Japan with a white man from America."

"You were tasked to help me if I needed it, Tamamo-sama. Why are you acting this way all of a sudden?"

The fox in the mirror stood up on all four paws and yapped angrily at Sinopa. "Because I have made these mistakes so that you would not have to! Here you are throwing away my help because you have no respect for me! You are only a three-tailed fox. You can barely wield the fire that you wave around your paw! You are too young to be gallivanting across the mortal realm, seeking adventure and trouble. This nonsense with Nathanial Carrington will result in your death!"

Sinopa Crevan eyed her mentor with a grimace. "You know don't you?" said Sinopa, unaware she used a contraction. "You know Japan is in jeopardy..."

Tamamo looked away. Again, her left ear flickered listlessly. "Perhaps I do. However, I am trying to help keep you safe. Remember, I was slain in the mortal realm. Shot through the heart, with no one but myself to blame. Had I not been so intent on romancing a powerful mortal, I would not have suffered the death of my earthly body."

Sinopa glanced to the lower right.

"You may be able to heal a wound from a modern weapon, but if the bullet is made by a supernatural human, like the arrow that struck me down, then you too will experience the sensation of your life force draining out of your body."

"You lived," Sinopa whispered.

"Hai. Lord Inari only resuscitated me in the celestial realm because I am a nine-tailed kitsune. My power and my wisdom make his life easier. You are a mere three-tailed fox, Sinopa. Your loss would simply be a reason to mourn for an afternoon, eat bean curd and drink a cup of sake. That is all your death would amount to. So stop trying to seek it out."

Sinopa glowered at the mirror. "I am sick of craving your acceptance. You will never believe in me."

"Sinopa-chan, we were once friends..."

"Strange that I have no memory of a friendship. I only know you as judgmental and over-protective."

"Then earn my respect! Prove you are not a child who _thinks_she is in love! It is apparent to me that you do not know what true love is! Again, if you want my respect, you must _earn_it."

"And here I thought I did!"

"Oh? And when did such occur?"

Sinopa threw her hands upward. "When I survived the celestial civil war of 2014!" Sinopa opened her hands towards the mirror, palms outward. The mirror warped. Flames licked up the reflective surface. It shattered.

Silence.

Sinopa stomped her foot with a huff and a frown. "Tamamo, you can be such a... a..." She paused to think of the worst possible insult.

She raised her voice. "...Such a Korean Kumiho at times! You know what true love feels like, yet you judge me for my relationship! You call me a child?! How dare you? I had your back on a battlefield!"

Silence.

"Very well, if something is in fact wrong then I will investigate it. Jules and I, together, will seek out a solution."

X

X

Hours later...

** "Chère, wha's wrong?"**

Sinopa closed her eyes and lowered her head somewhat. She fidgeted with her chopsticks then said, "Jules, I have not been entirely honest with you. What I am about to tell you may be difficult to believe. However, everything I am about to say is extremely serious."

Jules Guillot was a handsome American man with dark hair, a fair complexion and a trustworthy face. His gaze met hers. "I'm listening."

"To be honest, I worry that you may not like what you learn about me."

He replied with a soft smile. In a relaxed, Louisiana Creole dialect, he said, "I hope this not about them tails, or them ears you tryin' to hide in ya' hair, chère."

Her eyes widened somewhat.

Jules' smile broadened. "I'd hate t' think you see me as unperceptive."

Her gaze cut to the right, flustered.

Jules reached for her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "After two years, you start to know a girl, y'know?" He paused and looked her over. He studied her expression and frowned. "That was only half, huh?"

Sinopa replied with a silent nod.

His Cajun-flavored accent was part of his charm. "Sinopa, ma belle, in two years, you ain't ever told a lie, ain't ever stirred the drama pot - and believe me, chère, I know some master chefs in tha' department - you've never faked yer feelings, either. So c'mon. Out with it, chère."

Sinopa licked her lips, thinking of a way to explain herself.

"J'taime. I'm ready to hear whatever it is that got'cher eyes so full'a worry."

Sinopa lowered her chopsticks and glanced around furtively. "I know that almost no one here speaks English ... let us keep our voices low, just the same." She licked her lips again. Her eyes burned figurative holes in her lunch.

"I'm ready to hear you, mon ange."

She inhaled deeply to relax herself.

Silence.

Sinopa exhaled in a calm manner. She glanced back up at him. "I am a kami, known as a 'kitsune'," she explained, pronouncing the word, 'Keet - suh'nay.' "I cannot tell you just how much my superiors disapprove of our relationship. It is considered taboo. Nevertheless, I am particularly taken with you."

"Mm, you always preferred we make love after copious amounts of liquor. But ya' tails are permanently attached. No bourbon inna world is gonna hide that."

"You handle your liquor surprisingly well," she said in a soft voice.

"Go on, then. I can tell you ain't finished."

Sinopa nodded with a slightly relieved smile. "Yes, there is more. I have learned that Japan may be in danger. Perhaps more than just Japan. It is possible that people will die."

"Wait, chère, you had one of them premonitions about innocent lives in danger?"

Sinopa pursed her lips with a firm nod.

"You never been wrong, ever. The lotto, the championship game; the damn Olympics! You had premonitions about alla' that, and now we's a wealthy couple. I know yer abilities're legit."

Sinopa relaxed. It felt good that someone acknowledged her gift. She turned her hand over and interlaced her fingers with his. "Arigato. I like that you not only believe me, but you also believe in me."

Jules gave her hand a gentle squeeze of acceptance and understanding. He leaned forward and lowered his voice to a soft whisper. "You tellin' me that you're havin' dreams we all in danger?" He brought his free hand up, reached across the table, and took both of her her hands into his. "I see the uneasiness in yer eyes."

"Jules, it was awful. I saw the world coming apart. I saw the suffering. I cannot let that happen, yet I have no clue how we can begin to stop it."

"Where'd the trouble take place in yer dream? Where'd it take root?"

"It started somewhere across the ocean. But I need to..." she trailed off. Sinopa thought back to her most recent dream. Clarity shined in her eyes. "In my reverie, my friend was in danger. We rushed to save him."

"You and I save your friend, together?"

"Hai. My friend tells us that we need to see the old thief."

Jules tilted his head. "Pardon moi? What t'ief?"

"I believe his surname is Parker. His family comes from a line of thief guild members that hail back to the days even before Tamamo stalked about this realm." She pushed her bowl back towards the center of the lunch table. "Jules, love, we need to go to California. Something to do with rare artifacts scattered throughout the globe - that is what sets these events in motion."

"Artifacts? Like ... relics or some such?"

"Hai. Ancient objects spread throughout the globe. Some pieces are disguised, some have been altered. Many artifacts were believed to have supernatural or mythological significance, and so they have been treated as such. Some were stolen from museums, others belong to private collectors."

"This is a lot at once," said Jules.

Sinopa grimaced. Worry shined in her eyes. "I will find my way to California."

Jules offered a reassuring smile and gave both of her hands a gentle squeeze. "I'll get us there even if I must pilot th' plane m'self, chère. Let's get underway then, shall we?"

Sinopa sighed in relief. Tension drained out of her face and shoulders. "You will accompany me?"

"Hell yes, I will accompany you."

The kitsune shifted her eyes to the right. "I wish planes were more like trains, with private berths."

Jules stood up and came around to her side of the table.

When Sinopa stood up, he drew her chair back and put his hand into hers.

"There are private births on them-there rich planes." His dialect made his words mesh together in a way that sounded like, 'dem'dere rich planes.'

She found his smile both gentlemanly and alluring in a masculine way.

"I'll book the reservations, mon ange."

"Will it be cramped?"

"Maybe it is, and maybe not." His strong southern diphthong and dialect made his words sound somewhere between classy and country. 'Meh-beh ih tee-yis, 'n may-bee nawt.'

Sinopa sighed. She adored the way he pronounced his wording. She loved his Creole French. She delighted in the way he accepted her, and the way he acted like a partner.

Jules' grin broadened. "Regardless, it's still a bed, non?" He placed money on the table and pinned it down with a cup.

"You are a good man to help me like this, Jules."

He replied with a soft smile. "You've done made it possible so Jules Lenis Guillot can retire, chère." The Cajun's charming smile broadened. He pronounced his words with a deep-country flourish, akin to, '...zhules Leh-nay Gee-loh kin reh-tar...'

"Hai, you could retire and settle down. Yet you wish to stand at my side. You consistently shower me with respect and adoration. You are responsible, in that you've invested the money I helped you to win, yet you are open-minded enough to entertain the thought of gallivanting about the globe."

"Oui, you made my wildest dreams 'come true, and I'm still young enough to enjoy it. Most thirty-two-year-olds will never know financial freedom, n'est-ce pas?"

"I can think of no one more deserving than you, Jules."

He grinned in reply. "With a swipe of the plastic card, we'll be in California in a matter of hours."

"Then what are we waiting for?" she closed her fingers within his. "Do they serve saké on the plane?"

"There's an assortment of fine liquor, poupée. I know this is right serious, though. In two years I ain't never seen you wanna leave Japan before, mon ange."

She nodded with a slight frown. "I feel I must privately warn the thief who was often contracted by the Esoteric Society of this realm. But first I must look up my old friend. I am afraid he, too, may be in danger."

"You've a friend in California, chère?"

Sinopa walked alongside of Jules, hand-in-hand. "Hai. The one we go and see in my dream. The one who tells us to find the thief."

At the next corner, the couple boarded a bus headed for the airport.

Sinopa continued. "The name of my friend is Nathanial Carrington. He wields the ability to throw lightning and absorb electricity." She settled on a bus seat.

Jules pushed his hands into his back pockets and eyed her for a moment. The bus pulled forward. Jules sat down beside her and smiled. "I ain' never met a 'supernatural' person before."

Sinopa glanced over at him with a smile. She shifted her weight a bit and settled into the cushioned seat at his side. She glanced over her shoulder.

Jules looked around. "Usually a Japanese bus is over-crowded."

"Hai, this is certainly strange, but I welcome the privacy." She canted her head from left to right. "I admit, though, I have never been the only one on a bus before."

Jules grinned. "You wanna make out in public?"

"As the saying goes in America - cute." Sinopa hiked the bottom of her kimono and showed Jules the bottom of the three foxtails that rested adjacent to her ankles.

"Oui, as I said earlier - I seen'em."

"Yet you have never brought it up or questioned it. I do not understand. Humans are supposed to be distrustful of my people."

"Yeah? Even though they pray to you all, and bring rice offerings to fox statues?"

Sinopa nodded in reply. "Humans worship us as demigods but distrust us as tricksters."

"Y'all people are Japanese, m'amour. I'm American - different culture. I've been in wars; I've seen things that I can't rightly explain. Nor would I try."

Sinopa remained quiet.

"Then you come along and we connect. Yeah, you have ears in y' hair, but I ain't one to judge de' anatomy of such an intelligent woman, chère. So long as you and I are compatible, then I can't complain." Jules interlaced his fingers with hers. "There's jus' one bit-of-a-thing on my mind, chérie."

"Tell me, love."

He offered a smile at her pet name. "Darlin', you're a foxy lady, no doubt. But why you love ole' Jules Guillot? Hmm?"

"I never figured out that part," she replied. She smiled and added, "But it is true that I adore you."

They smiled at one another.

"Then laissez les bon temps rouler. There's a lot I've wanted to show you in America, like fleur-de-lis. The gulf'll be nice 'n warm this time of year. Great for a swim."

"I hope we find the time for small pleasures." She glanced out the window. "How long will this flight take?"

"Oh, I dunno. It's best we get some sleep, non? You dun' mind sharin' a bunk wit' me, do ya?" He offered her a devious sort of grin, adding, "I know yer secret now, chère. No need t' be as demure with me as y' have been in the past, non?"

She returned his grin. "I love that you flirt with me."

"I look forward to this new level of openness, Sinopa. I do reckon it agrees with our relationship verra' much."

She couldn't help but smile. "Oh, is that right?" She leaned back in the bus seat and put her head on his shoulder. "You are such a caddy flirt. I dare admit I enjoy your attention."

"Oui, m'amour. That's why I do it."

Sinopa replied with silvery peals of laughter. "Hai. Tamamo-sama is going to have kittens - that is the human expression, is it not? I can see it now."

"Oui. Don't try to win ova' the haters, chère. You are not de jackass whisperer. You let ya' boss get away with far, far too much."

Crevan glanced to the left with a frown. "She ... she is not my boss. I know that is what I told you about Tamamo, and I know I complain about her a great deal."

"Go on."

"The truth is ... Tamamo is a nine-tail. An elder. I cannot disrespect her - rather, I should not disrespect her, even though I often do."

"Oui, she upsets ya." Jules glanced up through the window as the bus came to stop at the local MagLev train station.

The couple made their way off the bus and headed to the northbound tramline.

Jules waved his cellphone over the ticket purchase kiosk, touched a button to add a second ticket, and then thumbed the 'print' key. "So tell me about yer friend from California?"

"I have kept my roots to this realm trim. Just two people: my mate and my friend - you and Nathanial."

"Oh...?"

She detected a hint of concern from him. "I am sorry I have never told you about my friend before, Jules. Do not worry, though. Nathanial is far too old to be your competition. He is rather like a ... hmm, what is the saying? A 'grandpa,' I believe."

"I see. No worries, chérie. I'm not the jealous type; I trust you're a good girl."

"Hai, I am your good girl."

Jules grinned. He took her hand. "I'm jus' surprised I never heard of him before."

They made their way from the mezzanine down to the track just as a train was moving into boarding position.

Jules interlacted his fingers with hers. "On another note, chère, I feel as though I'd be holdin' ya back from your adventure to save Japan."

"Nonsense, Jules! You are the wind beneath my wings in a manner of speaking."

A handsome, sly smile found the right corner of his mouth. "My only power be charm and th' ability to fly anything with wings."

"Oh I know for a fact that I need your help. I do not know why yet, but it was in my premonition."

"Ah." He offered a soft smile. "No worries, chère. We make too good of a team to be apart. We's perfect for one another, after all."

A smile found the corner of her mouth. "Perfect, hmm?"

"Oui."

She stretched once more. Sinopa returned her hand to his. "How do you figure? My people would never condone us together."

"I figure it like dis, ma belle ... I be Romeo and you is Juliet." He guided her to a corner seat on the train.

The train had people on it, unlike the bus, but the other passangers kept to themselves.

Kanji came up on an LED screen.

Jules understood enough to see that it was headed for Haneda International Airport in Tokyo.

"I hope that is not the case - Romeo's best friend dies, as does the couple."

Jules chuckled. "Star-crossed lovin' aside, we all know things would'a been much better off for that couple if they all's parents just let'em alone."

"I wonder what Juliet saw in Romeo."

Jules grinned. "Many-a-woman dream of a bad boy who'll be gentle only for her. And every man wanna good girl who'll be naughty only for him, darlin'. I reckon we's perfect for one'a'nother."

"Yet, convincing Tamamo of our perfect relationship has been a chore."

Jules shrugged. "Le's show yer folks we mean how we feel. Le's get married, chérie."

She looked away to hide the brilliance of her smile. "Jules ... as sweet as you are, we should wait until we finish in California to talk about such things."

"It's been two years of datin', chérie."

"Hai. Two lovely years of dating."

"But you are interested?"

Sinopa replied with a somewhat coy smile. "Hai. I wish to follow the custom of _your _people. I am infatuated with your traditions."

"An American weddin' then, oui?"

"Hai. But not until we have contained the danger about which I dreamt."

"No worries, mon ange. Yer worth th' wait." He drew her over, against his chest.

She tucked her head beneath his chin then and towards him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Jules grinned. "I like that you're finally opening up t' show a little affection in public. Getting you to open up hasn't been easy. I'm happier 'n hell, and I'm proud of ya'."

Sinopa nodded with a hidden smile, keeping her face against his upper chest.

Jules continued. "So far as marriage, though, I promise ya this: We do it your way, chère. For now, sit back and relax. This train'll get us to Tokyo quick for sure."

"Hai. Everything is perfect. I only ponder one thing."

"What's on yer mind?"

Sinopa shrugged somewhat, face against Jules' chest. "Tamamo-sama knew Nathanial was in my dream. She is hiding something from me. I cannot figure out how she knows I am going to look for him."

"What kind of secret would she have over you?"

"I wish I knew. There are parts of my life I cannot remember. Things I have done that I have likely repressed. I want to remember, however Tamamo tells me it is best that I do not - at least for now. I once asked her to tell me what I can no longer recall. She said it is best to focus on the present for now. But I cannot help but feel as though it is something ... very important."

Jules ran his fingers through her hair, mindful of her fox ears. "I'm listening. How does it make ya' feel when you think about yer amnesia?"

"I feel as though there is a hole in my heart."

"Like you're incomplete?"

"Hai. What if I repressed these memories because they were too painful? What if I am experiencing guilt over something I did, and Tamamo is protecting me from my mistake?"

"Mon ange, what if there is someone else in your heart, and that hole you feel is their absence?"

Sinopa grimaced. She pondered for a moment then took Jules' hand and smiled at him. "You are the only man for me. I want you to know that I love you."

Jules smiled softly. "I love you, too. It's been two really great years, Sinopa. I want to be here for you through this."

"I'm sorry I kept such from you."

He interlaced his fingers with hers. "Today's a red letter day, poupée. You opened up to me and you confessed you's in love with me. I'm honored. So lemmie help."

She bit her lower lip. "You are a good man, Jules. However, I'm worried my memories were repressed because I've done something I regret."

"Call me a romantic, but I believe our heart remembers more than our mind, chère. That is why, first and foremost, we often remember how something or someone made us feel."

"Your words are wise."

Jules replied with a smile. He leaned close and kissed the side of her head. "You said you feel a hole in your heart? That's loss. May-haps you lost someone and you's repressing it?"

Sinopa sighed. Her eyes lowered to her lap. "How can one miss someone whose existence they do not remember?"

"A hole in yer heart feels different than guilt or regret. Would Tamamo hide the death of a loved one from you?"

Sinopa shook her head. "Our kind pays respects to honor our dead. Death is something Tamamo would not keep from me."

"You know what your heartache feels like better than I. Describe it."

Sinopa grimaced. She reflected on how she felt for the past nine years. She sighed. "You might be correct - the hole I feel in my heart is akin to feeling incomplete."

"Women are a puzzle, chère. Any man can attest to that. But if you'll let me, I'd be honored to help you find all the pieces."

Sinopa smiled softly. "You complete me, Jules."

"That's right sweet of you to say, Sinopa, m'belle. But we both know there are a few missing pieces. Lemmie help you find'em. Do you remember grieving, or just loss?"

"Iie, Jules. I know how it feels to grieve a death. What I have experienced for the better part of a decade is different."

"Go on..."

"I only know the heartache of loss, but I do not feel as though I have experienced a period of mourning."

"Well, then, that settles it. It seems to me you miss someone you knew. If you're missing someone, but you've never grieved over them, then they might be alive, m'amour."

Sinopa frowned. "If such is the case ... I can only wonder if he or she remembers me." She gave Jules' hand a gentle squeeze.

He returned the gentle squeeze, reassuring her that he would stay at her side no matter what. "You can count on me."

"All this time I assumed I was repressing something I did. Perhaps I had to take the life of someone I respected during the Celestial Civil War. All this time, and I never considered something as simple as forgetting someone ... and that terrifies me."

"All we can do is find whoever or whatever it is that you lost. Just know that you ain't doing this alone."

"Arigato." Sinopa looked down at her hand, fingers interlaced with his. "If it is true that I miss someone, I cannot help but wonder if they miss me, or if they remember me. I have so many questions."

"Like what?"

Sinopa bit her lower lip. She looked back up at Jules, meeting his gaze. "For example - I wonder what he or she is doing right now."

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