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Nekoma Forest 

“The coronation went smoothly,” Yaku Morisuke announces as he enters the hut that the leaders call their office. “Oikawa Katsumi has taken the throne and Oikawa Tooru and Iwaizumi Hajime have retired. Shiratorizawa has calmed too, so we should be able to call back some of the extra spies we sent.” 

“Hard to believe Oikawa Tooru is no longer king,” Kuroo Tetsurou remarks, writing another recommendation. “After all we had to do to keep him there.” 

“He deserves the break,” Kozume Kenma mutters from where he’s bent over applications. “He shouldered a lot over the years.” 

Fukunaga Shouhei, curled in a corner, hums his agreement. He’s supposed to be helping Kenma with the documents, but instead he’s stolen his leader’s favourite spot in the sun, soaking it all up as he watches the others work. Kenma grumbled at him when he first settled in, but Kuroo, and now Yaku, don’t say anything as he sets his head down and continues to watch. Shouhei prides himself on his reputation for being unpredictable and impossible to understand, because it means that whenever he does anything, no one questions him, they simply accept it and move on. It’s gotten him out of things, gotten him into things, and occasionally it’s gotten him exactly where he wants to be. 

“Kenma!” Yamamoto Taketora bursts into the hut, panting a little. He blinks at the other occupants. “Oh. I thought Kenma was alone.” 

“What’s going on?” Kenma asks as Shouhei lifts his head, watching Tora closely. 

“Tanaka’s here,” Tora says, “with Noya-san. The foxes are back, and this time they’re ready to be Guardians.” 

“What?” Yaku demands as Shouhei meows softly in surprise; Tora glances at him for a moment. “The other Guardians told us that someday the foxes would be ready to ally, but already? It hasn’t even been a cycle!” 

Tora shrugs. “I don’t know; I’m just the messenger. The crows have called a meeting to discuss our options.” 

Kenma groans and Kuroo sighs at the same time while Yaku laughs at their reaction. Shouhei gets to his feet, trotting towards Tora as the three leaders discuss the situation. Tora looks down at him, a small smile on his face as Shouhei rubs up against his leg, purring contentedly. Tora bends down, offering a hand, and Shouhei hops into his arms, snuggling into Tora’s muscled arm; this is exactly where he wanted to end up. Glancing at the leaders, Shouhei finds Kenma giving him an unimpressed glare; he responds by burying his nose in the crook of Tora’s elbow. Tora scratches him between the ears, laughing softly as Shouhei continues to purr. 

“Alright,” Kuroo says; Shouhei doesn’t bother looking at him. “Yakkun, Yamamoto, Fukunaga and I will go. Kai will be here with Kenma and Lev’s on his way home too.” 

Tora murmurs an affirmative as Kuroo and Yaku lead the way out of the hut. Shouhei glances at Kenma one last time as Tora starts moving, knowing the look he’s being given is a do something about this, obviously referring to his relationship with Tora. Once again, Shouhei responds by burying his nose in Tora’s arm, Kenma’s sigh following him out into the Forest. Tora holds him carefully, still scratching him between the ears, and Shouhei hasn’t been this content in a very long while. Tora is just so solid and reliable and Shouhei feels so safe. It’s where he wants to spend the rest of his life, long or short as it may be. 

They find Tanaka and Nishinoya waiting for them, talking together in low tones. They look graver than they usually do, and Shouhei finds himself curling a little closer to Tora, who pats his back reassuringly. Shouhei doesn’t really listen as they sort out positioning, all he knows is that Tora is forced to set him down. He doesn’t want to go, but he lets himself be passed to Nishinoya, who sets him on his shoulder. Tora, now in cat form, clambers onto Tanaka’s shoulder, while Yaku takes Nishinoya’s other shoulder and Kuroo takes Tanaka’s. 

The flight takes a while, but Shouhei doesn’t mind, content to watch the Plains pass under them as they go. He doesn’t leave the Forest often since he’s an advisor and so close to Kenma, but when he does, it usually means things are pretty serious. The foxes are very serious, especially since it hasn’t been all that long since they tried to kill the Oikawa line. Their leaders promised they wouldn’t return to be Guardians until all of their people understand that humans are to be protected, not killed, and to do it in twenty five human years, not even a cycle for them, is impressive. 

When they arrive, Shouhei refuses to return to his hybrid form and instead curls up on Tora’s shoulder. Kuroo and Yaku both give him an unimpressed look, but Shouhei just purrs into Tora’s ear and watches his friend melt at the sound. He’s found, over time, that people come to underestimate him when he’s in cat form, so maybe if he goes wandering off during the meeting, he’ll overhear something he shouldn’t have. He doesn’t want that to happen, of course, but it’s better that they know. Sawamura, Sugawara, Kageyama and Hinata are there with the three foxes, and in the distance, Shouhei can see shapes that must be Bokuto, Akaashi and other council members, but he’s much more interested in the foxes. 

“Kuroo, Yaku,” Sawamura says. “Allow me to introduce you to Miya Atsumu, Miya Osamu and Suna Rintarou, advisors of the foxes leaders.” He gestures to each of them as he introduces them

“It’s nice to meet you,” Miya Atsumu says. “You can use my first name. I’m afraid I don’t know who any of you are.” 

“Yaku Morisuke,” Yaku says, “leader of the cats.” 

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” Kuroo says, “leader of the cats.” 

“Yamamoto Taketora,” Tora says, “advisor. This is Fukunaga Shouhei, also an advisor.” Shouhei meows softly. 

“Kenma sends his regards,” Kuroo says, though it’s mostly directed at Hinata. 

A few moments later, Bokuto, Akaashi, Ennoshita and Azumane slam down. Nishinoya and Tanaka approach their soulmates as Bokuto and Akaashi come towards the group. Azumane and Nishinoya slip away, while Ennoshita and Tanaka come to stand beside Sawamura and Sugawara. The three foxes watch the whole scene with calm faces. There’s a flicker of recognition in their gazes as Bokuto and Akaashi stop in front of them. 

“Bokuto Koutarou and Akaashi Keiji,” Suna Rintarou says softly. “We meet again.” 

“Suna Rintarou, Miya Osamu and Miya Atsumu,” Akaashi says. “Glad to see you aren’t killing anyone.” 

Tanaka and Tora both snort; although they’re both scolded, Shouhei can’t help but agree with the sentiment. None of the foxes react to the jab, and silence reigns for long moments. Shouhei can’t help but notice the way Miya Atsumu watches him, eyes flickering between Shouhei and Tora. He wonders what the fox sees, what he’s decided just from seeing Shouhei on Tora’s shoulder. 

“So you want to be Guardians again,” Kuroo says finally. 

“We do,” Miya Osamu says; Miya Atsumu’s gaze shifts away. 

“It wasn’t very long ago that you tried to kill the entire Oikawa line,” Yaku says flatly. “Why should we believe that you’ve all changed so soon?” 

“Because we riled a lot of the younger foxes up,” Miya Osamu says. “We hit a rough patch and decided to take it out on the humans. After Hinata-kun set us right and Kita-san and Aran made it clear , we helped clean up our mess. We want to help humans again, make up for the harm we’ve caused them.” 

“Hmm,” Bokuto says. 

“You must understand why this is hard to believe,” Sawamura says. “We worked hard to keep the Oikawa line safe from you. One of our councillors nearly lost his life to your magic, and as did the former consort of Seijoh in the process. Children died, and Oikawa Tooru nearly lost his first child—the child who is now Oikawa Katsumi, King of Seijoh.” 

“We understand that we’ve caused much harm,” Miya Atsumu says. “And we cannot undo any of it, but we want to take steps to help ease the aftermath. Allow us to prove ourselves.” 

Silence reigns for long moments as the leaders consider this. A few moments later, Sugawara scoffs softly. He glances at Hinata and Kageyama, and they usher the three foxes away. Shouhei can’t help but admire that kind of teamwork. To know with just one look what someone is asking of you is a show of just how close you are, and while he’s pretty sure he, Kenma and Tora have something similar, it’s nothing like that. Sugawara’s expression didn’t even change and the other two just knew. 

“So what do we do with them?” Yaku says. “We can’t just let them be Guardians again, can we?” 

“We should probably give them a chance to at least try,” Bokuto says. “It’s not like we couldn’t use the help.” 

“What do you mean?” Tanaka asks. 

“You haven’t heard?” Akaashi asks. “There are rumours that a new continent has been discovered. More humans, but no Guardians, which means we’re going to be spread even thinner.” 

“Wonderful,” Sawamura sighs. “That’s just what we need.” 

“That’s not even mentioning Nohebi,” Kuroo mutters. “That whole kingdom makes me want to tear my hair out.” 

“Do it,” Yaku says. “That would be funny and would distract me for a good ten seconds afterwords.” 

“So we put them through the trials,” Ennoshita says, stopping Kuroo from going on a rant and steering the conversation back on track. “Then what? We just… accept them as Guardians right away? They can’t keep living in those little patches of wood between Shiratorizawa and Seijoh, and humans are going to be confused.” 

“Maybe we should think about that later?” Kuroo suggests. “If need be, we can send them to the new continent and they can make themselves useful there.” 

“That seems like a lot to ask, but we’re not there yet, so I’ll drop it,” Sawamura says. “I assume they will be the same trials you put my councillors through?” 

Shouhei can feel the way the energy shifts to uncomfortable for just a moment as they all remember the trails the owls and cats put the crows through when trying to decide if they should help the crows solve the mystery of the missing crows. Turns out the crows didn’t need them, but their refusal of aid has not gone forgotten. Tora shifts, and Shouhei clings to him a little tighter, as though the other would ever let him fall. 

“Yes,” Yaku says. “And we’ll take care of the Nohebi problem too, because it will require a delicate hand.” 

“Perfect,” Sugawara says. “Hinata and Kageyama will need to go with you, since they’re refusing to cooperate with anyone but Hinata, and Kageyama’s not going to let him go alone with them.” 

“Do you think Tsukishima and Yamaguchi will go too, relive the memories?” Tanaka asks. “And uh… you know.” He snickers even as Ennoshita smacks his arm. 

Kuroo and Yaku exchange a glance as Akaashi and Bokuto do the same and Shouhei and Tora tilt their heads in unison. Sawamura sighs, Sugawara snickers a little too, and Ennoshita murmurs something to Tanaka that makes his soulmate roll his eyes but mutter his compliance. After a moment of hesitation, Kuroo speaks up again. 

“No, we don’t know, but we should really get moving. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can turn to more pressing matters at hand.” 

Sugawara and Sawamura exchange a glance and then beckon Hinata and Kageyama over. They quickly explain the plan, and though Shouhei wants to whine at the thought of another flight, he stays quiet. He doesn’t fail to notice the agitated pace of Tora’s tail, and he tries to comfort his friend by rubbing up closer. Tora startles, tail stalling in the air a moment before he laughs softly and reaches up to scratch Shouhei between the ears. Shouhei purrs, uncaring of the sounds of frustration that Yaku and Kuroo make. Tora stops a moment later, and Shouhei opens his eyes to find that everyone is preparing. Hinata and Kageyama are back with the foxes, explaining what’s to come. 

None of them look surprised, only resigned, and Shouhei hopes that this goes by quickly, because he doesn’t think he has the patience to deal with this. Miya Atsumu turns a roguish smile Hinata’s way, but the crow only frowns at whatever promise accompanies it. Kageyama watches the fox with a smooth expression that doesn’t hide the way his wings spread in challenge. The foxes look intimidated by this, which isn’t really any surprise; it doesn’t take a crow to sense the power rumbling in Kageyama’s body. The confident smile fades, and Shouhei wants to laugh at the sudden nervous tension radiating from all the foxes. Kageyama Tobio is one of the most powerful Guardians seen in ages, and upsetting him is not a good idea, not to mention these are the foxes who nearly killed him less than a cycle ago. 

Shouhei wonders if they’re about to witness a fight, but then the door to the crows’ headquarters opens to reveal Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, which softens Kageyama’s entire demeanour. Hinata also lights up at the sight of them, excusing himself to go over to the other councillors. Tsukishima greets Hinata with a soft, “sunshine,” that has Shouhei doing a double take. Oh, this is what Tanaka meant, Shouhei realises as Yamaguchi slides his hand into Kageyama’s. Crows have soulmates, but not all soulmate pairings are romantic, and even those that are aren’t necessarily complete. Love is much more complicated than any soul bonding could contain. 

Shouhei’s gaze slides back over to the foxes, where he finds Miya Atsumu is watching him again. He wants to growl, hiss, but that would draw too much attention, so instead of showing his annoyance, he tilts his head, blinking slowly. Miya Osamu glances at him too, then scuffs his brother’s ear and brings him back to the foxes. Shouhei settles back against Tora, feeling the cat beneath him relax a little. He’s a familiar weight on Tora’s shoulder, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that his presence relaxes his friend, but it still makes something in Shouhei very pleased to know that he has such an effect on him. A moment later, Yaku and Kuroo are calling them over. Time to bring the foxes to the Forest. 

By the time they make it to Nekoma Forest, it’s light again, and Taketora is pretty sure he slept most of the way home. Shouhei is placed in his arms again because no one else seems to know what to do with him, but the other cat doesn’t even stir. Taketora scoffs quietly, glancing at Kuroo and Yaku and finding them glaring at him again. He’s still not sure what they’re angry at him for, but he’ll probably figure it out eventually. Hinata and Kageyama stand near the foxes, Hinata a barrier between his soulmate and the ones that once hurt him badly. Taketora isn’t sure how Hinata can smile at them when they nearly killed Kageyama, but the little crow is known for his ability to bring out the best in people. 

Kuroo and Yaku start explaining the test to the foxes as Taketora watches Shouhei for a few more moments. He knows, however, that it’s time to wake the cat up. He sets him down, and within moments, Shouhei is stirring, hissing angrily at the light. He looks up at Taketora, then glances over at Kuroo, Yaku, the foxes, the crows and the owls. He stretches, and Taketora takes his turn returning to his cat form, and once Yaku nods at the two of them, they scamper into the forest, calling on their magic as they go. 

Together, they settle high on a tree, magic darkening the area they’re in, hiding their appearance to anyone who doesn’t know where to look. Now, they wait. The last time they did this test, it was nearly three cycles ago, and the crows were faster than he thought they’d be, especially since they snuck up on himself and Shouhei as some kind of revenge. He’s still a little upset about it, honestly. How could he let newbies to magic in general show him up like that? Whenever he complains about it, Shouhei points out that Kageyama has never been a “newbie” to magic, which is true, but Kageyama didn’t do it alone. 

So they wait. And they wait and they wait and they wait. Taketora can tell that it’s getting late, that it’s almost dark out and the foxes will run out of time to pass just the first test. If they can barely pass this one, how do they expect to pass the others? Finally, Taketora spots the foxes underneath them and can feel the magic brushing against his own. A moment later, Miya Atsumu points at them.They head down the tree and lead the cats back out of the Forest. None of the leaders waiting look impressed by the display, but they nod and accept the pass anyway. 

“We’ll head to the Mountains now,” Akaashi says. 

“Yamamoto, Fukunaga, you’re staying behind,” Yaku says. “You’ll be handling the Nohebi situation with Shibayama. Kenma has the details.” 

Taketora nods, and he’s pretty sure Shouhei does too. Though he doesn’t show it, he’s very excited about travelling with Shouhei, who’s the most entertaining of the cats he works with. They watch the leaders depart with the foxes, and only head into the Forest to find Kenma once the other Guardians are no longer on the horizon. Cats call out soft greetings as they make their way deeper into the Forest, and Taketora is the only one to respond. Shouhei has never been forthcoming with people he doesn’t know, so it’s not a big surprise, and no one expects him to reply to them. The atmosphere is calm, quiet, and Taketora does his best not to change that as they arrive in the little village most of the cats call home. Cats in all form mill around, but they pay little heed to Taketora and Shouhei, who are always doing something or other. 

They make their way towards Kenma’s hut and find Kenma waiting for them with their other companion. Shibayama Yuuki is relatively new to the work, not an advisor, but still a high ranking spy, an impressive accomplishment considering his relatively young age. He joined a few moons after Lev and was in the running for Lev’s job, because while his magic wasn’t as explosive or powerful as Lev’s, it’s steady and reliable, which are the only things Lev seems to lack. The two make a good team, and the cat has made himself useful on more than one occasion. Taketora likes him, honestly. He’s quiet, but his actions paint him as a sweetheart, which means Shouhei is of course attached to him. It’s only fair. He is adorable, especially when he’s a little black kitten. Not to mention he makes a very good spy. Who can resist spilling their secrets to a kitten? 

“You’re here,” Kenma says. “Good. What do you know about the mission?” He doesn’t bother with formalities, looking tired of the meeting and all the extra people in his hut already. 

“Not much,” Taketora admits, knowing Shouhei isn’t likely to answer. “Just that the whole kingdom makes Kuroo-san want to rip his hair out.” 

A small smile graces Kenma’s face for a moment. “I’m sure Yakkun enjoyed the idea of that.” 

“Very much so,” Taketora agrees. “So what is going on in Nohebi?” 

“We’re not really sure.” Kenma sighs, stretching a little. “The crows have felt dark magic rising there for a while, but with the foxes and the shift of power in Seijoh… well, they’ve been a little busy.”

“Right,” Taketora says. “So we’re on a reconnaissance mission?” 

“Yes,” Kenma says. “And then, once you’ve done your reconnaissance, you fix the problem. If you need help, come to us, but I’d prefer you do it all in one go. Nohebi is far away and we don’t have either owls or crows to assist us, as they’ll be handling the foxes.” 

“The foxes’ timing is certainly convenient,” Shibayama notes in his soft voice. It’s the first time he’s spoken, but Taketora agrees with his assessment, having just thought the same thing. 

Yes, the foxes claim they want to be Guardians again, but it’s happening at the same time that dark magic is rising in a kingdom known for its troubles with dark magic, not to mention they were tangling with dark magic not too long ago. Kenma shrugs, sighing heavily. 

“Shoyo believes the foxes are truly ready to be Guardians again, and the other crows seem to be agreeing with him. Even Kageyama, who has every reason to hate them, believes they are telling the truth. He doesn’t trust them, but he has faith in his soulmate. And while I do have faith in Shoyo’s instincts, he also has a habit of trusting people very quickly. So let Kuro and Yakkun worry about the foxes, and you take care of Nohebi for now.” 

“So we go to Nohebi, figure out what’s causing the dark magic and stop it?” Taketora asks. “The crows couldn’t find a specific point?” 

“It’s the whole damn kingdom,” Kenma mutters. “It always is when it’s Nohebi. Stupid snake goddess and her stupid ideals.” 

It isn’t the first time Kenma has expressed his distaste for the snake goddess the Nohebi people worship—she encourages the humans to follow their worst instincts, make terrible decisions, and causes the entire kingdom to stink like dark magic every couple of moons. They haven’t been able to shake her or her grip on the humans, and although it’s always been problematic, the more dark magic that stirs the less the humans will want to escape it. And that… Well, they can’t let that happen. 

“Alright,” Taketora says. “We’ll start preparing.” 

They leave the next day, and although he likes Yamamoto and Fukunaga, Yuuki can’t help but dread the long trip ahead of them. Unlike the owls and crows, they don’t have wings, and so their journey will be made entirely on foot. They have help crossing the Mountains—a small village of owls resides right by the border of the Forest and they’re more than happy to transport the cats over the Mountains. There’s another village of owls on the other side, tasked with keeping on eye on the fully human kingdoms, and they’re accepted into the village there seamlessly as well. 

They stay for a night before moving on. They pass through another human kingdom, Johzenji and it’s a long journey. It’s a big kingdom, full of people who don’t seem used to strangers. Their stealth magic helps keep them hidden, but they can only hold onto it for so long, and occasionally they pass through a village without disguise to stock up on food, water and other supplies, earning themselves long looks and wide berths. 

Yuuki finds himself lonely on the trip, given how close Yamamoto and Fukunaga are, it’s hard for him to integrate himself into their relationship. It also doesn’t take him long to see the way the two look at each other when they think no one is looking, and Yuuki wants to groan. When Kozume told him that the trip might be long, Yuuki hadn’t realised he also meant this, whatever this is. Or isn’t, apparently. Neither of the advisors seem willing to talk about it, or the other, and Yuuki wants to bang his head on a tree. How have the leaders and other advisors put up with it for so long? Knowing his friend, Haiba is probably clueless, but the others… It can’t be easy, watching such obvious pining. 

Finally, they make it to Nohebi, which makes it much easier to track the dark magic that does seem to be everywhere, despite the fact that there aren’t any humans for miles. The magic seems to stem from a highly populated area, likely the capital, and so it will be an even longer journey through the wilds of Nohebi. Unlike other kingdoms, Nohebi doesn’t have small villages, only giant cities, each of them centred around a temple dedicated to their goddess. All of them are far from the borders Nohebi shares with Johzenji and Wakutani, near the coast, which leaves any visitors to travel through the thick of Nohebi before reaching their cities. It makes allying with them extremely difficult, which Yukki suspects is the point. 

Once they do arrive in the capital city, there’s no denying it’s beautiful. The buildings are made of grey stone, smoothed out until they look soft as a cat’s fur, and at each end of the city stand two great buildings made of white stone. One, a square shape that climbs tall must be the temple, with what appears to be a statue of a giant snake at its feet. The other is longer, with towers and walls that mark it as the palace. The roads beneath Yuuki’s paws are rough, but not rough enough to hurt, and although the people milling around the city seem content, there’s an underlying tension surrounding them. Yuuki immediately guesses that whatever’s causing the dark magic is also causing what almost feels like uncertainty in the air. 

He exchanges glances with Yamamoto and Fukunaga, and they all agree: time to do some investigating. 

The three cats reconvene at their camp site, tired and exhausted but relieved. Yuuki, at least, has found an explanation. Judging by the determined expression on Yamamoto’s face and Fukunaga’s usual serene expression, they found the same one. 

“So,” Yamamoto says. “The line of succession.” 

Yuuki nods, and Fukunaga hums, staring at Yamamoto’s lap consideringly. After a moment, he returns to his cat form and curls up between the other cat’s crossed legs. Yamamoto doesn’t bat an eye, instead starting to pet Fukunaga’s head. As he starts to purr, Yuuki remembers they have a job to do. He busies himself preparing the camp as Yamamoto and Fukunaga continue to do… whatever it is they’re doing. 

“I’m not entirely familiar with human traditions,” Yuuki eventually mutters. “Why is the line of succession such a huge deal?” 

Yamamoto sighs. “Well, humans seem to believe that their kings and queens were chosen by divinities—or us, in some cases. Here, of course, they believe their royal family to have been chosen by their goddess. So when Daishou Suguru married the prince of Johzenji and adopted a son instead of having one of his own, some people felt uneasy. And now, with his sister presenting her biological son, legitimate and with Daishou blood in his veins, it lets those people express those concerns and give an alternative option.” 

Yuuki nods slowly. It makes sense. Although the king, his consort and their son are well loved throughout the kingdom, it still makes sense for the tradition of their people to be important, perhaps more important than them. 

“And even though they’re turning towards their goddess, she’s giving them mixed signals and causing the disagreement to spiral out of control, thus sparking the dark magic,” Yuuki finishes. 

Yamamoto hums a confirmation. “Diabolical.” 

“But why?” Yuuki can’t help but ask. “Why does she want to spread dark magic? What can she possibly hope to gain from her people crumbling? From those who worship her falling, her temples destroyed?” 

Yamamoto sighs. “I’m not sure. Kenma said the plan was to fix this, and, at this point, the goddess has caused so many problems that we need to figure out her reasoning.” 

“So we need to investigate her,” Yuuki says softly. “We’ve never been able to figure out who she is or where she came from.” 

“But we also need to keep tension down here,” Yamamoto points out. “Maybe… let Shouhei and I investigate the goddess, since we’ve sort of dealt with her before. You stay at the palace and keep an eye on the situation. If anything happens, you’ll be here to try and smooth things out. If need be, you can even reveal your true form and use that as a way to get both sides to sit down and have a civil conversation.” 

Yuuki nods slowly. It’s a good plan. The best they can do in the time they have, anyway, and it’s better than nothing. Yamamoto and Fukunaga will likely have to run all over the kingdom to get answers, so leaving someone here, where the tension is highest, to at least try and keep it under control, is solid logic. 

“We’ll split up in the morning,” Yamamoto says, giving Fukunaga one last good scratch between the ears. “For now, let’s get some rest. We deserve it.” 

They start at the temple in the capital, hoping for answers. They learn a surprising amount, actually: she’s always changing “hosts”, fusing humans with snakes to become some kind of hybrid. She often appears by one of the many temples that were built for her generations ago; acolytes are sent out as sacrifices in response to her silent demand. Most never return, but those who do speak of a beautiful woman with scales instead of skin, slit eyes and a forked tongue, or a huge snake that curls around entire tree trunks. It’s enough to make Shouhei wonder if this goddess is like them. A shapeshifter… 

“Guardian,” Tora growls when they’re alone. “They’re describing a Guardian.” 

“But that’s impossible,” Shouhei mutters, even though Tora’s right. “There’s no such thing as snake Guardians.” 

“You don’t think she could’ve come from the new continent?” 

“No, we would’ve found it sooner if it was close enough for her to travel,” Shouhei points out. “She’s only cycles old, so she would’ve been young when she arrived.” 

“Right,” Tora mutters. “This is entirely unhelpful. We’re not going to be able to figure this out alone.” 

“You mean we need to go back to the Forest,” Shouhei says. “But Kenma said we need to at least try to solve this on our own.” 

“What are we supposed to do?” Tora demands, spreading his arms out wide. The frustration is evident in his voice, and Shouhei wishes he could soothe it, at least a little. But Tora’s right. “We might’ve found an entire new species of Guardian. We’re not qualified for this!” 

Shouhei huffs. “You’re right. We need to tell the leaders. Who knows. Maybe we’re missing something because we’re just advisors.” 

“Right,” Tora mutters. He starts pacing, hands reaching up to tug lightly at his hair. “This is insane. A whole new species of Guardian. Is the foxes’ return not enough? Creator…” 

“We need to tell Shibayama,” Shouhei says, if only to keep them on track. “Let him know he’ll be alone for… a while.” 

“Okay,” Tora mutters. “We can do this.” He stops pacing, meeting Shouhei’s eyes. It’s easy for Shouhei to see the confusion and the panic in them, the way Tora is terrified of what this could mean. And he gets it, because what they’ve found… it could change everything . “We can do this, right?” 

“Right,” Shouhei breathes, reaching out to take one of Tora’s hands. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.” 

Yuuki can’t believe it. A whole new species of Guardian. Fukunaga and Yamamoto, however, don’t seem to be joking, and this isn’t really the thing they’d joke about. The worst part is that it almost makes sense with all of the descriptions they’re giving to her. 

“Why didn’t we see it sooner?” he can’t help but mutter. “It’s the only explanation that makes any sense.” 

“We didn’t want to,” Fukunaga says. “Besides, this shouldn’t be possible. Not to mention, she’s the only one of her kind, which means either there’s a whole other continent that we don’t know about, or something else.” 

Yamamoto snorts a laugh that’s too hysterical to portray amusement; Fukunaga looks at him immediately even as Yuuki wants to erase the sound from his brain. None of them say anything for long moments. Yuuki takes a shuddering breath, trying to get himself to calm down. They’re real Guardians, which means that they will find this faker and prove to her what it really means to be a creature of magic. They outnumber her by a lot, so they can’t lose. 

“Okay,” he says finally. “So you’re going to go get advice from the leaders?” 

Fukunaga nods. “Yes. We’ll be as fast as we can, but we’re just kitties. No wings in sight.” 

“Right,” Yuuki says. “So I’ll need to hold down the fort while you’re gone.”

Fukunaga hesitates, then says, very slowly, “It’s okay if you don’t think you can handle this, Shibayama—” 

“I’m okay,” Yuuki interrupts. “I’ve got this, Fukunaga-san, I promise. Besides, I’m the least likely to stand out. It should be me. And you and Yamamoto-san were the ones to figure all of this out, so you both need to be there.” 

Fukunaga studies his face for a few moments before nodding. “You’ve got this.” 

Yuuki smiles tightly. He glances at Yamamoto, who nods in approval. The two advisors exchange one final glance before turning into their cat forms and scampering away. Yuuki turns back towards the palace, aware that his current strategy, watching from afar, is no longer going to cut it. He’s going to need to get closer to the action. How hard can that be as a little black kitten? 

Daishou Kuguri Naoyasu is tired. It’s been a long few months and he’d like nothing more than to get it all over with. He understands why his parents want to fight this—they didn’t come all this way for their son, shared blood or no, to not get the throne. They’ve never made him feel any different because of their lack of blood relation, but they’re some of the only ones. The king’s lead advisor, as well as some of the guards who’ve been around since Naoyasu was a child don’t, but the rest of the staff, and the kingdom as a whole… As much as they claim to love the royal family’s ‘unusualness’, they also can’t deny that Naoyasu doesn’t have the blood the goddess deemed worthy to rule. And then his aunt, and his cousin, with real Daishou blood in his veins showed up. In all truth, he has the better claim. However, Naoyasu was raised for this in a way he likely wasn’t. And that’s probably the only reason he hasn’t given up. 

Naoyasu sighs, finally pushing himself out of bed. If either of his parents find him still lying there, in the middle of what they’re calling a crisis, there’ll be hell to pay. He gets dressed quickly, but before he leaves the room, he hears soft meowing from his window. He turns, finding a small black kitten, staring at him with big eyes. It paws at the window, meowing again, and in a state of shock, Naoyasu lets it in. It seems content by this turn of events, stepping carefully into his room, tail swishing almost happily. After a moment, the cat jumps, and Naoyasu doesn’t have time to react before it’s landed on his shoulder, purring contentedly. He blinks at it for a moment. 

“Are you…” he starts, then feels ridiculous, because he’s talking to a cat. However, the cat’s head turns towards him, so… “Are you gonna stay there?” 

In response, the cat curls itself up on his shoulder and continues to purr. 

“Great,” Naoyasu says. After a moment, he reaches out with his opposite hand to pet it gently. The cat purrs louder. “I’m going to call you Fuku,” he decides. “I’m gonna need a lot of luck.” 

The cat’s purring cuts out for just a moment, long enough that Naoyasu knows he didn’t imagine it. However, when it bumps its nose against his neck, he finds himself distracted by how wet and cold it is. He sputters and demands that Fuku never do that again. The cat just goes back to purring. 

Yuuki learns a lot in the following weeks. The prince grows quite attached to him, bringing him everywhere, including all the meetings with his parents, where they discuss what they can do to try and rectify the situation. Daishou Suguru and Terushima Yuuji are sceptical about the kitten on their son’s shoulder, but he introduces Yuuki as ‘Fuku’ and Yuuki blinks big eyes in their direction and they relent immediately. Besides, Yuuki himself can see just how attached the prince is to him, and the way he seems to make the boy happy, and he notes the softness on the king and consort’s face as they watch the two. 

So, Yuuki has a personnel line to the entire situation unfolding, and he keeps an eye on everything carefully. The unhappiness and confusion of the people doesn’t seem to be going down at all, but it also doesn’t seem to be growing, which is something, at least. However, the king’s sister and her son both get nasty at times, and it takes everything in Yuuki’s power not to diffuse the situation then and there and scold them all like the children they are. So young, all of them, compared to him, though he’s young by Guardian standards. 

Yuuki likes the prince a lot, and as the prince confides in the Guardian, he can’t help but feel sorry for him as well. This situation isn’t easy, even without the knowledge that dark magic—magic that could destroy the kingdom and everyone in it—is spreading because of it. And the prince, again, is young. Not even fully mature by human standards, and having the weight of hundreds of lives on his shoulders. It’s impressive, really, how he’s handling it, but he shouldn’t have to handle it. 

Yuuki can’t help but hope that Fukunaga and Yamamoto find an answer and a solution soon. 

Nekoma Forest

Tora and Shouhei make it back to the Forest in record time, pushing themselves hard. When they find the owls waiting for them at the Mountains, they beg them to take them all the way back, and it doesn’t take much convincing when they mention the new species of Guardian they seem to have discovered. The owls are just as stupefied—and horrified—as they are. The rest of the way to the Forest is fast, but not nearly fast enough for Shouhei’s taste. This whole situation is… insane. Terrible, actually. For an entire Guardian to have slipped under their radar for cycles? A failure on all of their parts. 

The owls drop them off at the edge of the Forest, one of them promising to stay for a few days to carry them back to Nohebi faster, while they send the other off to warn the other leaders of the new Guardian. New Guardian. Oh, Creator. 

Tora and Shouhei scamper through the Forest, ignoring everyone who attempts to stop them. They only find Yaku in the leader’s hut, and he looks surprised to see them back so soon. Really, if this were any other mission they shouldn’t be back for another few moons, so Yaku’s scepticism makes sense. However, they have more important things to address. Shouhei changes into his hybrid form, and that must make it clear to Yaku how dire the situation is, because he immediately sets down the documents he was looking at to stare at them wide-eyed. Tora follows Shouhei, panting hard. 

“We found the source of the dark magic,” he blurts. “It’s… Uh…” 

“It’s a Guardian,” Shouhei says. 

Yaku blinks. “It’s a what?” 

“A Guardian,” Shouhei repeats. “We did research into Nohebi’s snake goddess. From the descriptions we found, she can’t be anything but a Guardian.” 

“Oh, Creator,” Yaku breathes. “How did we never see it before?” 

It is, in retrospect, a little obvious. To be fair, there’s been no reason prior to now to suggest that this goddess is anything other than a figment of the imagination, but with the spottings and the scales and the tongue… She has to be a Guardian. 

“Okay,” Yaku says after a moment. “Walk me through what you’ve found.” 

So they do. They tell him about the issue with the throne of succession—mentioning that Shibayama is still in Nohebi, ready to jump in at any moment—their investigation at the temples, the description of a woman with scales instead of skin, slit eyes and a forked tongue, the huge snake that curls around entire tree trunks. The conclusion that they have no choice but to come to: this goddess is a Guardian, perhaps the only one of her kind. 

“And with no training, no one to look for her, her magic spiralled out of control, consuming her,” Yaku muses when they’re done. “It… it makes sense, in a twisted, convoluted way.” He sighs, looking more agitated than Shouhei’s ever seen him. “I… I don’t know what to do,” he admits. 

Shouhei and Tora exchange glances; this is the reaction they’ve been mostly expecting but not the one they need. Yaku is one of the steadiest people on the continent, to shake him of his usual confidence and presence says something about the situation. It’s also very bad, because they do need to actually do something about the situation. 

“Well,” Yaku says. “I think… I think the only thing I can do is send you to the Secret of Magic.” 

Shouhei blinks. The cats have been guarding the Secret of Magic for as long as they’ve been around, and it’s called a secret for a reason: they’re forbidden from ever going. They’ve learned a lot about their magic in recent cycles, adapting to each other much better after the foxes’ (believed) extinction, and then again after they reunited with the crows after the disaster that had been that situation. No one really believes that they need the Secret of Magic, that it’s just there if they ever need guidance in their magic. Shouhei doesn’t even know if this counts. But if Yaku thinks it does… 

“Is… Is that allowed?” Tora asks. “I didn’t think we were allowed to go there.” 

“Not unless there’s an emergency,” Yaku says. “And, unfortunately, this is an emergency.” 

“As though we haven’t dealt with enough emergencies,” Tora grumbles. “What… What are we even going to find at the Secret of Magic?” 

“I don’t know,” Yaku admits. “It’s not something I’ve ever thought about extensively. I never thought we’d need it.” 

Shouhei is not exactly reassured by this. 

What they find, once they make it to the forbidden area of the Forest, is a grove. It’s a very pretty grove, with hanging trees and blooming flowers. There’s a breeze that shakes leaves and blows petals their way, that ruffles Shouhei’s hair so that it frames his face in new ways, and Taketora wants to stare at him in this lighting for a good long while. But, unfortunately, they have more pressing matters. It takes only a minute of walking for them to find a clearing, a relatively big open space that has sunlight streaming from the sky. It’s very nice.  

It takes a moment for Taketora to spot the cat that sits in the middle of the clearing. In his defence, the cat is in their cat form and sits curled up in the middle, and almost looks like a shadow. As he and Shouhei approach them, he can’t help but think that this cat looks familiar, that he’s seen them somewhere before. Shouhei seems to think the same, staring at this cat with all the force he can, which is a lot. 

They stop a few feet away from the cat, who, after a moment of what seems to be consideration, shimmers as they shift into their hybrid form. When Nekomata Yasufumi appears in front of them, Taketora stumbles back—Nekomata died several human years ago, though not before he mentored all of the current leaders and advisors, including Lev (and Shibayama). Taketora looks up to him, even past his death, and to see him here, alive, is almost as devastating as hearing about his death was. 

“You…” he chokes. “Nekomata-sensei—” 

“Oh,” he says. “Is that how you see me?” 

Taketora blinks. He looks at Shouhei, who’s looking at him with wide eyes and confusion all over his face. It makes Taketora want to reach out and take his hand, reassure him that everything is going to be okay, whether or not he can insure that outcome. 

“What do you mean?” he rasps. 

“Nekomata Yasufumi is dead,” the cat who wears his face explains. “I am simply an avatar; I wear the face who can best advise you and your situation.” 

“Oh,” Taketora says, very softly. “That’s…” 

“You’re an avatar for the Creator,” Shouhei interrupts, not quite a question. 

The avatar simply smiles. “What seems to be the problem?” 

Shouhei is quick to explain all that’s happening, while Taketora can do nothing but gape. They’re face to face with an avatar of the Creator himself, who is wearing the face of their dead mentor, and they’re telling him about the whole new species of Guardian they’ve discovered that has been living under their noses for cycles. 

“Is it… Is it even possible that she can exist?” Shouhei finishes with. 

“Unfortunately,” the avatar sighs. “She was born at the same time as Nohebi; a mistake made by the Creator.” 

“A mistake made by the Creator?” Taketora repeats softly. 

“Yes. And I believe your leader’s conclusion was correct—left unchecked, her power consumed her, leaving nothing but a husk that feeds on dark magic that seeks to create as much as possible. It will never be satisfied, not with just Nohebi, not with this continent.” 

“So we need to stop it,” Taketora finishes. 

“Correct. To help the dark magic in Nohebi resolve, you must kill her, and help resolve the situation that’s currently causing such a spike. Once the tension eases and she’s taken care of, Nohebi shouldn’t give you anywhere near as many headaches.” 

“How do you kill a Guardian?” Shouhei asks. “Especially one that’s been feeding on nothing but magic—dark magic at that—for cycles?” 

“With magic,” the avatar says, as though it’s the most obvious answer. “If you use anything else, she will simply heal.” 

“Are we powerful enough for that?” Taketora blurts before he can think better of it. 

The avatar smiles reassuringly at him, and Taketora almost sobs; it’s the same expression Nekomata made every time they needed any reassurance or they showed any doubt. To see it now, so long after his death… 

“You were chosen to advise the leaders of the cats, weren’t you?” he says. “Surely that must say something about your power.” 

That sounds very similar to something Nekomata would’ve said. Before Taketora or Shouhei can say anything else, the avatar is gone, leaving them alone in the clearing. The two of them are silent for long moments, absorbing all that’s happened and all that’s been said. It’s difficult to process, almost as if they’re hearing of Nekomata’s death all over again. Once Taketora feels like he’s breathing normally, he looks over at Shouhei to see how the other cat is doing. He finds him already looking at him, and the two of them stare at each other for long moments. 

“We have to go,” Shouhei says. 

“Right,” Taketora says. “We need to fix things.”

Not to mention that they have to travel for days, hoping that no civil war has broken out since they left and will continue not to break out until they return. They have faith that Shibayama will do what he can, but they now fully understand who he’s up against, and a force like that isn’t one to be trifled with. And it certainly isn’t one they can leave unattended for much longer. 

They rush back to Yaku to tell him the fastest summary they can manage while still making sense, avoiding the more complicated parts, and then rush to the edge of the Forest, where they find the owl waiting for them. They thank him for waiting, shift to their fully cat form, and let the owl carry them. Hopefully, they won’t be too late. 

Kingdom of Nohebi

Yuuki has been alone in Nohebi for a couple moons when Fukunaga and Yamamoto finally return. They look almost crazed, and Yuuki feels almost nervous as they meet, the prince safely asleep in his room. He assures them that nothing has happened, that no civil war has broken out. And they tell him. It makes sense, in retrospect, all that’s happened before this, and all that’s been happening now. The fact that the Creator made a mistake makes less sense, but who are they to question the being more like a god than the Guardians ever were? 

“So we need to kill her,” he says into the silence that follows their explanation. 

Fukunaga and Yamamoto nod in sync. They’re leaning into each other, looking completely unaware of the way they’re each supporting the other. They must be exhausted after having run across the continent in so little time, but they still stand, precariously, using the other to make it stays that way. Yuuki nods in return, slowly. 

“I should stay,” he blurts. “Make sure whatever happens when you kill her doesn’t… If she’s as full of dark magic as the avatar of the Creator said she is, her death might have unexpected side effects. I should stay and make sure that no civil war breaks out now. And then I’ll fix things. Or, try to anyway.” 

Fukunaga and Yamamoto blink at him, and for a moment Yuuki thinks they’re going to reject the suggestion, but then Fukuanaga smiles and Yamamoto nods again. 

“Smart,” he says. “We’ll leave you the palace, then.” 

Yuuki does his best to appear cool and collected. “And I’ll leave you the goddess.” 

It isn’t all that hard to find the so-called goddess of Nohebi. Leaving a trail of dark magic in her wake, it’s easy to track her to the woods just outside the capital city. She seems to be relatively deep into the woods, and the closer they get, the more dark magic surrounds them. Taketora can’t help but shudder; he’s never been surrounded by this much magic before, “light” or “dark”. He remembers hearing stories of how some of the councillors stopped the disappearances in the Plains and wonders if this is what it was like when they fixed everything, when one almost gave up their life to save his people. He can’t help but wonder if he and Shouhei will have to do the same to kill her. 

As the magic grows, something whispers in Taketora’s ear, urges him to turn back, to let it all happen. What’s the point of stopping this magic if more is going to come, no matter what he does? It takes him a moment to realise that the dark magic is trying to play on his darker instincts, grow on the magical energy in him. Which is concerning, to say the least. If it’s powerful enough to have effect on him, not only a Guardian but a powerful one at that, then the magic is much stronger than they originally thought it was. He glances over at Shouhei, who looks to be coming to the same conclusion. 

This goddess truly doesn’t want to die, Taketora notes. The magic is connected to her, and she must know why they’re here—there isn’t any other reason they’d be seeking her out like this. He wonders, briefly, if she truly understands what she is. If, before her magic grew too powerful, she wanted to help. But that’s a dangerous line of thought, because any hesitation can allow the magic to strike, and then the humans would be defenceless. And then Yaku would be angry at him, which is too terrifying a thought to entertain. There are much better ways to die. 

He stays near Shouhei as they struggle forward, wading through dark magic so thick it’s like swimming. Cats hate water, and this really isn’t much better. Their magic swirls around them too, trying to combat the other magic on instinct alone. However, it’s heavily outnumbered and without the ability to kill the magic at its source, it’s also useless. Taketora isn’t really sure how long it takes for them to wade even deeper into the darkness, but he can definitely tell that it’s getting thicker. He thinks again of the crows—Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi and the mystery spy—and wonders how they did it. How they managed to keep their heads on straight with all the magic that must’ve surrounded them. He remembers that not only had the spy given up part of his life force, but that Kageyama had also given up some of his raw magic ability, which means they must’ve been drowning in magic. Well, at least he’ll be able to join in on that club. 

They’ve been pushing for a good while, and Taketora thinks he must be going crazy, because they must’ve passed by her at this point. Then he sees her, curled around a tree in her snake form. What’s equally as interesting about her is that unlike the cats and the foxes, her size stays the same in her animal form. When the cats (and the foxes) shift, their animal size matches that of the actual animal, so it’s easier for them to blend in in the human cities they’re watching over. However, since that isn’t the purpose of this Guardian, nor does she need to blend in, it makes sense for her form to stay the same size. What normal-sized snake would inspire any more fear than usual? But like this, wrapped around entire tree trunks, eyes flickering between the slits of a snake and a more humanoid shape, she’s truly a sight to behold. 

For a moment, they all just stare at each other. Then the giant snake shimmers, and in its place stands the woman with scales instead of skin, a forked tongue brushing against her lips and eyes slit like a snake. She approached him slowly, and Taketora notes the way Shouhei’s hand starts burning with a different type of magic than the one surrounding them. It’s bright against the rest of the woods, and he sees the way her eyes stick to it, something like fear in the tight line of her body. 

“Reconsider,” she says, voice rough. “Don’t… You don’t have to do this.” 

Shouhei and Taketora don’t say anything, but Taketora allows his magic to surface, to start burning a hole around his hand in the same way Shouhei’s is. The snake swallows, and Taketora does his best to remember that just because she looks like a Guardian, and she might be acting remorseful now, but she’d caused nothing but problems ever since she’d been born. 

It isn’t her fault, a voice inside his head whispers. The magic made her do it; how could she know any better? Killing her seems cruel… 

He hesitates just long enough that she can lunge forward and catch Shouhei, pinning him against her chest. Taketora shouts, but the dark magic around him has solidified, making it impossible for him to move, and all he can do is watch as she funnels the dark magic into Shouhei, as it begins overwhelming him too, just like it did her. He struggles, pushing against the dark magic with all that he has, but there’s too much of it, and he can barely keep it from overwhelming him. It’s almost enough, but he can’t… He can’t watch Shouhei die. Not when there’s so much he’s left unsaid. He hasn’t said I love you, and while he’s pretty sure Shouhei knows subconsciously, he wants him to know. And to watch his love die—

The dark magic flickers. Taketora stops moving for a moment, blinks at it. And then he thinks about Shouhei again. The dark magic flickers. Oh. Of course. It’s cliché, but there’s no denying the fact that the one of the only weaknesses dark magic has—other than a lot of raw magic—is love. Dark magic seeks destruction, to wreak havoc to feed itself, while love is, technically, the opposite. Taketora focuses on Shouhei, on the way he always chooses to perch on Taketora’s shoulder, on the way he chooses to be strange so no one questions him. They’ve spent a lot of time together, just the two of them, with their other friends… but it isn’t nearly enough. Not yet. Not yet. 

When Shouhei was younger, he used to go to the only waterfall in the entire Forest and watch it for hours. The way the water just kept falling and falling and falling, no matter what, always interested him. It still does, but he doesn’t have the time to do that anymore, as an advisor to the leaders of the cats. He especially finds it interesting that despite the fact that there’s always water falling, the stream at the bottom never overflows. It is given more and more water, but there’s somehow always space for the new. 

That’s how Shouhei feels, as the snake fills him with dark magic. He’s powerful and he can feel it; he didn’t think there was any more room for magic inside him. But there is, and she’s giving him a lot of dark magic, enough to unbalance the delicate balance between “light” and “dark” magic inside him. Guardians are beings of magic—light and dark—but that doesn’t mean they can’t have too much of one or the other. This is dangerous, and Shouhei knows it won’t take much more magic until the dark magic has overwhelmed him, made him just like the snake, hungry for more and uncaring who gets hurt—or killed—in the process. He doesn’t want that.

He’s just about to start mourning all that he’s never done—or said—when he notices the patch of brightness out of the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turns in its direction, something like hope bubbling up in his chest. Tora is in the middle of the brightness, wading through the magic that attempts to solidify around him, trap him so that he can wait his turn before being drowned. But Tora keeps moving, a determined set to his brow that Shouhei recognises well. It only takes a moment for the snake to notice him too, and the magic that’s been trying to overwhelm Shouhei slows, seemingly without her realising it. 

Despite the roaring of magic that calls out to them as magic users, it’s somehow silent as Shouhei and the snake watch Tora approach, slowly but steadily, until he stands beside them, close enough to touch. Shouhei pulls against her grip, but it doesn’t break. He reaches forward, but his arm is batted down too. 

“How?” he rasps, feeling stuffed with magic but also that it’s slowing down the longer they stare at Tora. 

The other cat smiles at him, something soft in his eyes. Shouhei’s breath catches in his chest. Is he— 

“I love you,” Tora admits. 

Shouhei’s eyes widen, and he wants to respond, to say anything, but he’s distracted by the magic around Tora flickering, shaping itself into a sword that fits itself in Tora’s hand. Tora looks down at it, and Shouhei feels the moment the dark magic stops trying to overwhelm him. He uses the snake’s distraction to shake himself free of her grip, getting out of the way to let Tora sink the sword into her chest. 

There’s a breath where the magic freezes as the snake stares down at her chest, and then the black magic inside her bursts from the wound. Shouhei throws up a hasty ward—nothing compared to what an owl could do, but it’ll have to do—and feels Tora do the same as the magic ripples out, out, out… It likely spreads across the entire continent in little more than a second—thank the Creator they left Shibayama with the royal family—but when it’s done, there’s no dark magic left. Shouhei rubs his chest, feeling suddenly empty, but immediately turns to look for Tora. He finds the other cat in cat form, curled up on the ground. He looks like he’s sleeping, but Shouhei knows it’s more than that. He falls to his knees beside him, desperately trying all of the healing he knows. 

But Shouhei isn’t a fox—healing magic isn’t his forte, and he’s drained after the fight with the snake. So he picks Tora up and turns to rush towards the palace, to get Shibayama and then hurry home. Tora will need the foxes to heal now. 

Once Fukunaga and Yamamoto leave, Yuuki returns to the prince’s room, curling up in the windowsill to keep watch. Morning comes quickly, and the prince is summoned to a meeting with his fathers, aunt and cousin earlier than usual. Yuuki is quick to get comfortable on the prince’s shoulder, watching the palace go by with big eyes that occasionally scare a staff member or two. He doesn’t really feel apologetic about it. 

They’re the last to arrive in the room, and Yuuki notes the way the princess sees him and then dismisses him immediately. Inoue Daishou Shinobu is a bold woman and carries herself like a ruler. Although married off at a relatively young age, she’s cool in the face of her brother’s fight, and has been the entire time. Her son, Inoue Kenji, doesn’t seem all that interested in the fight, or in the throne, but he does seem eager to please his mother. He looks a lot like his uncle, and it’s easy to see the Daishou blood in the way he moves. 

The two parties haven’t met face to face like this very often—they usually went through other channels, giving backhanded compliments and making endless demands and mostly empty threats. On the rare occasion they do meet in person, it’s more of the same. However, today, Yuuki can’t help but note that there’s more tension than there usually is, that everyone that sits at the table seems tense. Yuuki can’t help but feel frustrated, but he knows it makes sense: he can sense the rise of dark magic even from here, and its effects had to be felt in the palace at some point. He just wishes it weren’t right now, right before Fukunaga and Yamamoto are supposed to kill the snake. 

When they do finally start talking, it’s instantly clear that no one is in the mood to be civil. Wonderful. Yuuki eases out some of his lighter magic to try to help things calm down, but it doesn’t seem to be very effective. He’s trying to be subtle, so the magic barely makes a dent in the argument that’s rapidly spiralling out of control. The only one who remains silent is the prince, who watches the fight happening, having shifted Yuuki into his arms so he can scratch him behind the ears. (Yuuki desperately tries not to be distracted by how good it feels. He definitely understands why Fukunaga spends so much time in Yamamoto’s lap, butting at the other for a head rub.) 

And then, he feels an explosion of dark magic not far from the palace—as well as the ripple that arrives moments later. He’s far enough away that all it does is send a shiver down his spine, but he hopes Fukuanaga and Yamamoto weren’t too close to whatever it was and that they’re both alright. Oh. That explosion must’ve been the snake dying; if she was as overwhelmed by the dark magic as the avatar of the Creator told Fukunaga and Yamamoto she was, it makes sense for that magic to burst when she died. What it also means is that the dark magic that had been amassing for the past few weeks is suddenly gone, faded away without a host to vie for, and leaving those affected by it blinking at each other in confusion. Including those at this meeting, who also happen to be leaders of the kingdom. Yuuki realises he has no choice but to reveal himself—he has to explain what’s happened. 

He shakes the prince’s hand off and wiggles around in his lap until the prince lets him jump to the ground. He takes a few steps away from the table and shifts. He can hear the humans at the table gasping, and he only looks back once he’s in his hybrid form. While most of the humans look amazed and stunned by his transformation, he can’t help but note the almost betrayed look on the prince’s face as he stares at the Guardian he believed to be nothing but a cat. 

“You’re a Guardian!” Terushima Yuuji blurts. 

“Yes,” Yuuki says. “My name is Shibayama Yuuki, and I was sent here because of the rise of dark magic in Nohebi.” 

“Dark magic?” Daishou Suguru repeats. “What?” 

“Nohebi is a common place for dark magic to fester,” Yuuki continues. “Your goddess encourages it. We’ve only recently discovered why. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that this fight of who will next rule Nohebi is causing a rapid growth of it, and with or without her, this separation will cause dark magic.” 

“So what can we do?” the king asks. 

“Choose an heir,” Yuuki says. “Not based on your own pride, but on who you believe will make the best king. The longer you drag this out, the bigger the issue would become. And a civil war is the last thing any of us want.” 

The king and his consort are nodding, exchanging a long glance. The princess seems to be considering this carefully, while her son simply gapes at Yuuki openmouthed. Yuuki’s gaze shifts back to the prince, who’s staring at the wall, eyes faraway. After a moment, he clears his throat. 

“I will step aside,” he announces, “if it means saving my people. Kenji-san can take my spot as heir. He has Daishou blood.” 

“Nao,” the king says softly, looking like he might burst with pride and devastation. “You—We raised you for this. You will make a wonderful king. I thought… I thought you wanted to be king.” 

Yuuki wants to agree, because as Fuku, he’s heard all about how important all of this is to the prince. How important the people are to the prince. But he stays silent, because this isn’t his decision to make—and if he’s correct, the prince may have tipped the scales in his favour. 

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” the prince says, voice steady. “What matters is the people, and what they need.” 

There’s silence in the room, but Yuuki shifts his gaze to the princess, who watches her nephew with an appreciative look. 

“No,” she says. “You will not step aside.” 

The prince looks at her, blinking in confusion. Her son glances at her, looking just as befuddled. 

“You are willing to let go of all you’ve been raised to do if it means saving your people,” she says. “That is the making of a true king. You are the better candidate for this, I must admit.” She looks to her son, who looks slightly betrayed by this. “Still, I do think you could benefit from having Kenji close.” 

“Yes,” the prince says immediately. “I believe he would make a fine head of advisors.” 

He meets his cousin’s eyes and after a moment, he nods. He receives a nod in return. Yuuki has to hide his smile as the king and his consort reach for their son, pride apparent in every line of their bodies. Yuuki soaks in the moment of silence that follows, allowing himself to relax for the first time in days. Of course, that’s cut short almost immediately when a knock on the door comes, bringing with it the announcement that there’s a Guardian at the gate—and only one. 

Yuuki is immediately running, and he doesn’t realise the royal family’s followed him until he skids to a stop in front of Fukunaga and he hears panting behind him. Yuuki would turn to look at them, but he’s distracted by the still form in Fukunaga’s arms that can’t be anyone but Yamamoto. He meets the other cat’s eyes, knowing his own are wide in shock, and it’s only then that he notes the almost desperate look in Fukunaga’s eyes. 

“She’s dead,” Fukunaga says, words jumbled in his mouth. “Tora killed her. Foxes are required.” 

After a moment of taking all the new information in, he turns to the royal family.  

“We need to go,” he blurts. “There’s… important business we need to take care of urgently.” He hesitates. “Your goddess is dead. It’s for your own good, but… don’t be surprised when reports start coming that she hasn’t been spotted.” 

“Wait—” the king starts, but Yuuki’s already turned back to Fukunaga. 

The two of them rush towards the edge of the city, and Fukunaga informs Yuuki that one of the owls from the little village is waiting for them, and that it means they’ll be able to get back to the Forest faster—that they’ll be able to get Yamamoto back faster. 

Yuuki is fond of Yamamoto, who brings a unique but collected energy to the table and is always prepared to teach. He doesn’t want to lose him, because he has a suspicion that that could mean losing Fukunaga too—and to lose one would be awful enough, but to lose both? He doesn’t think that he, or any of the other cats, could take it. So he pushes until they reach the owl, hoping to the Creator that they make it in time. 

The trip back to the Mountains and the owl’s village is fast. There, they’re passed off to a different owl so the first can rest, while another is sent to get the foxes to meet them at the Forest. Yuuki can feel himself trembling against the owl’s shoulder as they fly through the Forest, watching Yamamoto closely where he’s held safely in the owl’s arms. He doesn’t look very good, even in cat form, and Yuuki doesn’t know how to cope. 

They’re flying, so everything is fast, and before Yuuki has fully recovered, they’re in the village, and Yaku, Kuroo and Kenma are running out to meet them. The owl passes Yamamoto to Kenma, who cradles him close, while Fukunaga stays in his cat form, hopping from the owl’s shoulder to Kenma’s. Yuuki is the one to shift to his hybrid form. 

“I don’t know what happened,” he says. “All I know is that this happened when Yamamoto-san killed the snake.” 

“So you did it?” Yaku demands. 

“They did,” Yuuki says. “I wasn’t there. I had to stay at the palace and make sure a civil war didn’t break out.” 

“But it’s over?” Kuroo asks. “There isn’t a problem in Nohebi anymore?” 

“Yes,” Yuuki says. “It’s over.” 

A few hours later, a fox Shouhei doesn’t recognize arrives in the Forest. He introduces himself as Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Astumu’s soulmate. He explains that usually, Miya himself would’ve come, however an emergency involving Seijoh’s new queen means that Sakusa is the only healer readily available. Shouhei hisses; it doesn’t matter who’s here as long as they heal Tora, which Sakusa hasn’t yet done. Kenma doesn’t bother scolding him, and Sakusa places gentle hands on Tora’s forehead as his hands begin to glow. It only takes a few minutes for him to deem Tora healed, and Shouhei immediately takes up a protective spot behind him. He doesn’t trust this Sakusa Kiyoomi, the foxes having regained their position as official Guardians or not. 

Sakusa doesn’t seem upset by this and excuses himself almost immediately after explaining that while Tora is healed, it might take him a bit to wake up, since he’ll need the rest. So Shouhei curls up and waits. 

Taketora wakes to the softness he’s only ever found in one place: Shouhei’s hut. The other cat has an obsession with blankets, and he’s accidentally fallen asleep enough that he can recognize it easily. He isn’t sure exactly how he got here—the last thing he remembers is throwing up wards to protect himself from the snake’s dying outburst, and then… darkness. Something must’ve happened to him, maybe his ward wasn’t very good (no surprise there, wards are not his forte). He sits up slowly, blinking at the darkness that surrounds him. It must be night in the Forest. He wonders how long he’s been out. 

“Hey,” a voice whispers, and Taketora jumps. 

He whips his head around, finding Shouhei sitting a few feet away, watching him with concern clear in his eyes. Taketora relaxes at the sight of him, before he suddenly remembers what he said before he stabbed the snake. He can’t help but tense up again, because what if Shouhei rejects him and thinks he’s weird? 

“About what I said,” Taketora blurts. 

“It’s okay,” Shouhei interrupts before he can spiral. 

“Is it?” 

“Yes.” Shouhei scoots closer, until the two of them are very, very close; Taketora swallows. “I love you.” 

Taketora blinks. “You—What?” 

“I love you,” Shouhei repeats. 

“Oh.” 

“Can I kiss you?” Shouhei asks into the heavy silence that follows. 

Taketora swallows again. “Yes.” 

Shouhei leans forward, very slowly, and Taketora’s gaze flickers to the others lips before leaning forward and meeting Shouhei in the middle. Their first kiss is slow, and Taketora relishes it for all it’s worth. Shouhei is the first to pull back, though he doesn’t go far. 

“How long was I asleep?” Taketora asks, voice a whisper. 

“A few days,” Shouhei replies, voice just as quiet. “You’ve missed a lot.” 

“Like what?” 

“Shibayama stopped a civil war, and the royal family decided that the adopted son would be the next king,” Shouhei whispers. “One of the foxes came to heal you. Sakusa Kiyoomi. Miya Atsumu would’ve come, but he had to go to Seijoh.” 

“Seijoh? What’s happening now?” 

“Oikawa Matsukawa Akio went into premature labour. It was… It was really bad. Without Miya, he probably wouldn’t have survived.” 

“And the baby?” Taketora asks. He’s almost afraid of the answer; he doesn’t think the Omega King—or his soulmate—could handle any more tragedy. 

“A healthy girl,” Shouhei says. “Oikawa Himari. Miya promised that there was nothing wrong with her.” 

“Good,” Taketora says. “They deserve some joy.” 

“And a vacation,” Shouhei says. “Sleep.” 

“I just slept for days!” Taketora protests. 

“Don’t care,” Shouhei murmurs, pushing him until he lies down, curling next to him. “Sleep.” 

Taketora huffs but doesn’t protest again as Shouhei makes himself comfortable against his side. Huddled together, Taketora closes his eyes and relishes the closeness. It isn't long before he's drifting off to sleep, content beside his love.