Shirayukihime and The Lost Fox

Chapter 19: Painful Awakening

Third POV

In the end, Mihaya was arrested and taken away to be tried for his crimes. Thanks to Zen and Shirayuki, Akira was safely taken back to the cozy inn that they were staying. He didn't wake up for hours after they brought him back, making both Shirayuki and Zen begin to worry.

"Still asleep, huh?" Zen asks from the doorway. Most likely to Mitsuhide's chagrin, Zen had refused to go back to the castle and return to his duties. Instead he remained by Akira's side, worrying over the young but mysterious boy.

Shirayuki looks over to Zen, pausing in wringing out a cloth before putting it to Akira's head. "Yes," she said worriedly. "His fever has gone down, but he still remains asleep." Zen approaches Shirayuki, who was sitting next to the bed Akira was lying on. He rests a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He's strong. He'll definitely wake up. Give it time."

She gives him a nod and stands from the chair. "Let's get something to eat. I'm pretty sure I have leftover bread the innkeeper gave me." They both leave the room, leaving Akira to rest for a while longer. They were only in the next room, so if something happened they would be there in a heartbeat.

And something happened indeed. As Shirayuki and Zen conversed in the kitchen, Akira bolted upright in the bed, gasping as if he had a nightmare. But it was quite the opposite, actually. He had no nightmare to speak of, only the stress of talking with a goddess on his mind. He bent over and rested his face in his hands, trying to get rid of the extreme headache he was receiving and to calm his breathing. Suddenly, Akira cussed loudly, gripping his burned forearm to his chest. "Holy-! Gods be damned, shi-!" His body was catching up with the pain it had suffered, and now Akira was feeling the backlash.

Shirayuki and Zen both jump at the colorful shouts coming from Akira and rush to his room. They stop at the doorway, looking in to see what the fuss was about. They saw Akira sitting up in bed, holding his arm to his chest. His shirt had been taken off because of his fever and the headband that had captured his ears was removed. His body was well-toned, the body of someone who trained a lot and had the scars to prove it. He had minor scars, the results of a high schooler's foolishness and of kendo sparring. They spy the fox tattoo on his arm, but don't really pay attention to it.

He looked up at them, his jaw clenched and his fox-like ears swiveling towards them in the doorway. His mismatched blue and gold eyes were intense with pain and confusion, but also seemed different, as if they couldn't exactly focus on them. "What the hell happened?" He asks hoarsely.

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Akira POV

My body felt like it was stuffed in a barrel only to be thrown out to sea for a week. It ached everywhere, and my arm felt like it was on fire. The memory of Mihaya dipping my arm into the torch flames came back into my mind, made me grimace. My vision was especially fuzzy. I could only see blurry blobs of color. A string of curses leave my mouth from the pain. Soon after, a series of footsteps coming from the adjacent room start up, heading for this room.

My ears flick to the figures standing in the doorway, and I could make out bright red hair on one person. I clench my teeth against the pain, gritting out, "What the hell happened?" The two figures walk into the room, the red colored hair whom I guess is Shirayuki hands me something cold. A glass of water. I take a grateful drink from the cup.

Shirayuki takes a seat at the edge of the bed, taking the cup from me. My eyes train on the other person in the room, trying to make out their appearance or to recognize them. "Akira, how are you feeling?" Shirayuki asks. I ignore her question, instead narrowing my eyes at the other person.

"Shirayuki, who's the other person here?"

A stiff silence falls in the room. "You don't recognize me?" My ears prick in the direction of Zen's voice. He walks closer to the bed, pulling up a chair next to the bed and sitting down. "Zen?" I murmur. I shake my head slightly. "I can't see. My visions all blurry."

"Really?" Shirayuki asks. I feel her lift my hair from my eyes and lean forward. I hum in agreement. "I can still see, but everything's blurry blobs of color."

"It must be because of that sedative," she mumbles. She leans back from me, sitting up right. "Your sight should clear up soon. Tell me if it doesn't." She appears as if she smiles at me. I blink my eyes. "Alright."

"Shirayuki," Zen starts. "Can you leave us be for a moment? We need to have a talk." I couldn't help but feel like I was in trouble. Shirayuki left the room after setting a shirt out for me to change into, closing the door behind her, and Zen turns back to me. "Now," he starts. "Tell me everything. Shirayuki has already filled me in from her point."

So I told him what had happened, leaving out only the Goddess' visit in my dreams. I didn't leave out how I bit him or the sedatives or anything else that might've hurt my pride. As I talked, my vision gradually began to clear up, enough to where I could see his facial features but was still unclear.

"I'm sorry for not being able to protect her, Zen," I apologize quietly as I swing my feet over the bed. I grab the tunic shirt and put it on, fumbling with the buttons. Zen sighs, leaning over to help with the buttons. "It's not your fault, Akira," he says gently. I say nothing and instead let him button the tunic.

"How'd you get these scars?" He asks, changing the subject. I look at him curiously for a moment before realizing what he was referring to. "Oh, those scars? I've always been slightly reckless as a child. Some come from my daring foolishness from all ages, while others come from my training with swords and fighting." I give him a crooked grin. I lean back and look up towards the ceiling, getting stuck in my memories. "There were a few times people my age had picked a fight with me simply because they didn't like my eyes or thought I couldn't defend myself." I chuckle up at the ceiling, watching it as it slowly became clearer. I felt the bed dip beside me.

"I almost never came out unscathed, but then again neither did they." I grin widely and laugh at the memories. I see Zen looking at me with a smile on his face, but continue on. "The looks on their faces when I would punch back were priceless. They thought I was helpless to defend myself. My parents would throw a fit whenever I came home after a fight." My eyes widen as I pause in my rant, my mouth hanging open slightly. "My parents..."

I look down into my lap. Zen looks at me curiously, wondering why I stopped so abruptly. I swallow the lump in my throat and continue more quietly, saying, "My parents would always fuss over me, bandaging up my cuts and everything. When my little brother would ask me what happened, I'd always say something like I had fought with a dragon or some kind of mythical creature." I smile sadly into my lap. "Now that I think about it, he should have turned ten years old just last month." I couldn't help the quiver in my voice, or hold back the tears that spilt into my lap.

I couldn't go back. It hasn't truly sunken in until now, that time is passing and I'm missing so much. I lean forward, covering my face with my hands and my ears pin down onto my head. I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. Slowly, Zen pulls me into his side, giving my a comforting side hug. His hand reaches up to gently pet my head. "It's okay to miss your family," he says quietly. More tears wet my palms. "I'm not sure if I'll ever see them again." My response is muffled by my hands.

"All the more to treasure your memories."