The Journey of Two Sisters: Book 4 of the Kinstone series

We walk over towards a less-populated section of the courtyard. We can still hear the dozens of people talking, but at least for now it isn’t as bad. I smile, feeling glad to have some alone time with him.

“You look beautiful in a kimono, Aria-chan,” he tells me. “Somehow it suits you.”

I blush softly, “Thanks, Kenji.” I look up at him, smiling.

He stops walking and pulls me close to him, wrapping his arms around me. “You can’t begin to imagine how happy I am to be spending New Years with you.”

I reach and cling to his coat, staring into his amber eyes. Despite the flickering lights from the torches, I can still clearly see his face. His eyes shimmer against the flames, seemingly sparkling.

He leans down and presses his head against mine. “I wish this night would last forever, much like it did during our first date.”

I nod slowly, feeling the same as my grip tightens. There are just moments in life when you never want them to end. This is one of them.

He cups my chin, lifting it up and softly kisses me. “I hope to hear your answer, and for me to give you mine.”

My cheeks burn even hotter, nodding slowly.

He smiles, stroking my cheek with his thumb. I feel his warm breath up my face, causing my heart to beat a little harder in my chest.

We simply stand there, holding each other close, not even minding the cold.

“Want to go see our fortunes?” he asks. I giggle, nodding. He smiles and we head together.

We take our take as we walk about the shrine. We wrap our tails together as I hug his arm. He smiles, clenching my hand tightly. We tune out the noise of the crowd, focusing solely on each other. Even with a crowd, our time together is undeterred by the noise.

We arrive at the fortunes are given. I look up to see Reika manning it.

“Happy New Year, Aria-chan,” she says smiling.

I giggle, “Happy New Year, senpai.”

“I see your second and now third dates are going well,” she says, grinning deviously.

I smirk, “They are, although the second was cut short.”

She chuckles, “Well life doesn’t always play nice with our plans now do they.”

I sigh, knowing that to be completely true.

She hands me a box. I smile taking and giving it a few good shakes, watching as a stick pops out of it. I pick it and smile as it reads, “Great Luck”. I peer at the number the end of the stick and walk over to its corresponding cubbyhole. I pull out the envelope within and open it.

Your future is bright, but must first learn lessons from the past in order to reach it.

I stare it at with a confused look. Learn the lessons from the past? As in study something from history? I have absolutely no idea what it means. I blink softly the more I stare at it.

The past… Maybe it might have something to do with everything I’ve been dealing with for the past year. Right now my future is in flux, so no idea.

Kenji smiles to me as he stuffs his fortune into his pocket. I tilt my head at him. He shakes his head as he retakes my hand.

“It’s nothing,” he says, gently pulling me with him. I turn back and smile to Reika, who is still grinning at me. I smirk, still remembering how she must’ve told Asha about my second date.

We continue to walk onto through the shrine, again taking our time. He peers down at me. “When the snow finally lets up enough, we’re all heading back to school. Are you planning to go with us? I know you and the others were already taking about it.”

I shrug softly, “I don’t know yet. Marron and the others haven’t talked to me about it. She did tell me that after the New Years we will.”

He smiles, clenching my hand tightly. “Well if you do come with, everyone will be excited. Especially me.”

I giggle timidly. “I know.”

Being with him on a daily basis would allow us to grow even closer, sharing in more of the same experiences. I can easily see myself assimilating into being just a normal schoolgirl, now with the boy I love at my side. I feel my cheek burn softly at the thought of the both of us being in the same class as each other. Which…may or may not actually happen.

“Kenji!!”

The both of us turn and see his family walking towards us. I smile as his mother stops just shy of me.

I bow to her, “Happy New Years, Nonoha-san.”

She smiles sweetly, “It's good to see you, Aria-chan. I first want to apologize for your date being cut short. I scolded both his father and uncle for calling him, but the truth is I was just too late in order to stop them.”

I smile, swishing my tails against the stones. “It’s alright,” peering up at Kenji. “Any time together is better than nothing.”

She grins, “Well-spoken, my dear.” She then looks me over, “You look so natural in a kimono. Aside from being kitsune, you simply were meant to wear one.”

I giggle, “Thank you.”

She then leans over. “Although, I wonder how you will look wearing a wedding kimono,” she whispers into my ear.

My face turns a bright shade of red as the image pops into my mind. My tails quickly stand on end, feeling the fur bristling.

“Mother!” balks Kenji. “Not now.”

She laughs. “I’m only joking.” She then looks to me, “Well…maybe a little.”

Again my face heats up as she then winks at me.

He sighs, shaking his head. “I am so sorry, Aria-chan.”

I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “It’s okay,” smiling to him.

“So this doesn’t mean she’s going to be my older sister?” asks his little brother, who is no older than seven. Choji and I would often play together when his brother was away at school. He loves Fenris to death, with the pair often riding through the fields with me watching close by.

I lean down. “Maybe, not just yet, Choji-kun.”

His shoulders slump, “But I want you to be my big sister, Aria-oneechan.”

Choji also made it apparent to me in the last few days of my time here in May that he wants me as his older sister. Hence why he started to refer to me as oneechan. I smile, thinking I’d love to have a little brother like him to spoil.

I grin, ruffling his hair. “Just have to be patient. The best things in life come to those who wait.”

“Rightly so, Aria-chan,” says their father.

I smile to him, “It’s good to see you again, sir.”

He nods, “I agree. I still cannot believe that you are here, but I will admit I wish it were under better circumstances.”

My tails coil softly, “I agree, Nonoha-ojisan.”

“Regardless of that, it is also good that we have been able to meet more of your family. Your… ‘knights’, something I still haven’t fully accepted yet, have become quite entangled with the village. The same can be said of your sister.”

I grin, “They love to do that.” I then turn to seeing Kenji’s uncle and a very pregnant new aunt. I bow them, “It’s good to see you both and congratulations.”

They smile as I stand back up, seeing Harumi-san holding her stomach.

“Thank you, Aria-chan,” the umi osho replies. “Now with everything that’s been going on, are you planning to stay here permanently? I do hope you know that this village is your home and you are now a child of it.”

I nod, “I do know of that detail. But as of now we haven’t made any plans just yet.”

She strokes her stomach once more. “Well, if do choose to stay, many will be overjoyed by it.” She then leans over. “Also, if you are here for the spring, I would love nothing more than to swim with you again in the ocean once my child is born.”

My hands ball into fists as my cheeks burn hotly. I still remember swimming with her as a mermaid back in April when she wasn’t helping Kenji’s father and uncle.

She smiles, “I don’t care what form you assume. You are still kitsune to the core.”

I nod slowly, but smile, looking to her, “Yes ma’am. Someday I want to as well.”

She smiles stepping back.

“Well we need to get going,” says Kenji’s father. “I hope you have a restful night, Aria-chan.”

I bow to him, “Hai, Nonoha-san. I hope you and your family have a good year.”

His family smiles and bows to me. Kenji looks to me, “I’ll see you later, Aria-chan.”

I smile, “Until then.”

He grins and heads off with his family.

My ears soon flick as I hear the sound of scales scraping against stone. I smile and turn to see Asha and the shirohebi slithering over to me.

A large grin stretches across her face, “Happy New Years, Aria-chan,” greets my aunt.

I giggle as they gather around me. “Happy New Years guys.”

Her grin broadens as she shakes her head, “You look wonderful in that kimono, Aria-chan.” She chuckles softly as she sees my tails swishing happily on the stone. “I see that you’ve been receiving similar comments all night.”

I giggle, grinning to them. “All night.”

She chuckles again, “It can’t be helped for such a wonderful girl.”

The shirohebi each tell me happy new year, with Natsuki saying that if the weather turns a bit warmer, she could see me wearing kimonos more often. I giggle softly, telling her I might, but I actually prefer hakama skirts. She chuckles, saying that I’d still look lovely either way.

I turn to Asha. “Hey, are you doing anything soon?”

She shakes her head, “Nothing at the moment, but a storm is blowing in soon and we have to hunker down yet again. Much like as when you, Marron, and Fenris visited us, we won’t be able to do much until it passes. Despite the fact that our home is buried so deeply into the forest.”

“Okay,” I reply. “Well I want you to come by again if able to.”

She smiles, “I will once I am able to.”

I smile, swishing my tails happily.

My aunt pulls me into a tight embrace, actually lifting me off of the ground. I giggle softly as the shirohebi follow suit, with Asha gently dropping me into their arms. I wrap my tails around them feeling as though I’m with the gossip again.

I smile, clinging to them, feeling at peace while in the arms of so many.

Asha smiles, calmly clapping her hands, “All right girls, we should head off before the storm hits. I have little doubt we could receive any number of visitors who become lost in the forest.”

The shirohebi nod, sighing as they let me go.

“You take care of yourself, Aria-chan,” says Natsuki.

“I will, neesan,” I smile to her.

Haruna and Kikyo both gently ruffle my hair with Masami hugging me from behind. I grin to each of them, with the other two sticking close to Asha.

I look up at my aunt, “Have a safe journey home.”

She smile and leans in, with the trio slowly moving away. I giggle as she plants a kiss onto my forehead. “You as well, my little niece.”

I grin to her as the group slowly slithers away. The shirohebi then turn and wave to me as they head towards the frozen river. I smile and wave back to them, feeling my tails again swishing against the stones of the courtyard. I sigh for a moment, watching them disappear into the night. I take a step back and head into the courtyard once more.

I lean up against the wall, watching as more people to file through into the shrine. I rest my tails around me, staring up into the night sky. It’s been nice being here again, reconnecting with people and learning that I have been adopted by the village. I sigh softly, thinking that yet another chaotic year is coming to a close. I have little doubt the following year will be any different.

I feel a hand resting onto my shoulder. I somewhat sleepily turn and see Marron standing over me. “Are you ready to go home, sweetie?”

I unfurl my tails, nodding to her. She smiles, pulling me into her, hugging me tightly. Her hand tenderly glides over my hair, occasionally bumping against my ears. I giggle softly each time she does.

“I am so glad I get to spend another New Years with you, Baby Ahri,” she says. “It’s been too long.”

I grin, nodding into her chest. The last time we were together at this time of the year was right after we returned from Ikkicon.

She kisses the top of my head, “Come on, the others are waiting for us.”

I nod as we turn and head towards the torii gates leading into the outer courtyard.

“Aria-chan,” I hear someone calling out to me again.

I look up to see Hashibaba sauntering into the shrine. I smile as she steps over to me in her kimono.

“Happy New Year, my beloved girl,” she says.

I grin, “Happy New Year, Hashibaba.”

She beams brightly, looking me over, much the same as Kenji’s mother. “You look better than I could have ever dreamt of my granddaughter,” she says.

I blush, “Thank you Hashibaba.” I coil my tails around me, feeling them brush against the bottom of my kimono. I won’t lie, this really does feel natural to me.

My yokai grandmother smiles broadly, then looking to Marron and over to Kateryna. “Everyone in your party looks stunning,” she says. She then turns to Marron, “I must say, you did an outstanding job with the repairs.”

My sister smiles and bows her head, “Arigato, Hashibaba. It took some effort to get them back into good condition.” She then folds her arms in front of her, “Given more time, I can do a proper restoration on all three.”

Hashibaba smiles and nods, turning back to me. “I am happy to have at seen you before you left for home. Otherwise I would never have gotten the chance to view you on this night.”

I grin, holding my bag, “Same here.”

She smiles, pulling me into a tight hug. “Be well, my granddaughter, and I pray you a wonderful new year. So much is to come, I am sure of it.”

I smile, hugging her back, “You as well.” Again…I have no idea what this new year has to hold. So many ideas are running through my mind right now.

She smiles, planting a kiss between my ears, “Now get some rest, understood young lady?”

I giggle, “Yes ma’am.”

She smiles, slowly releasing me and takes a few steps back. She then bows to Marron and turns, joining the shortening line into the shrine.

I smile, then pan back over to the outer tori, seeing my knights, Fenris and Yukari all standing there waiting for us. I nod and we head over to them.

My aunt smiles as we approach. She then opens her arms to me, to which I quickly fold into them. She gently wraps them around me, stroking my hair. I smile up at her, staring deeply into her golden fox eyes.

She smiles, “You always seem to sparkle whenever you smile.”

I giggle. Again, so many people have told me that. I guess it must be true.

She chuckles, “We should head home little one.”

“Yeah,” I reply. “Let’s go.”

We smile and turn towards the entrance.

I pan up at my knights. “Did you both enjoy yourselves tonight?”

They each bow their heads. “That we did Your Highness,” says Orga.

“I was most intrigued as I watched you perform your prayers Your Highness,” adds Kateryna. “I also loved how wonderful you and your friends looked together.”

I giggle.

Orga grins, “I personally enjoyed watching you and your betrothed walking off together.”

My cheeks blush deeply. The couple laughs, walking closer together. I should really explain that a boyfriend isn’t the same as being my betrothed. That also doesn’t stop Kenji’s mother from coming up with images of me being in a wedding kimono, which still causes me to blush at the thought.

I shrug it off, folding my tails behind me. I feel something furry brushing against my hand. I look over to see Fenris’ eyes peering into mine.

I smile to him, “Thanks for always being with me Papa Wolf.”

He grins, “I forever shall be, Little Aria.”

I reach over and stroke his fur, ever grateful to have him with me. I pan around, seeing my knights, aunt, and my sister. I do still have a family, and I love them dearly.

We reach the van, with Yukari and Orga helping us into it. Once we’re all inside, we start up the van and head home.