3 Chapter 02

Later that night, I placed the knife set into a wooden box that I picked up at the weapons depot. I meticulously wrapped the box in green wrapping paper and put a bow on top. Emma's favorite color was green. I smiled at the thought of how excited Emma would be.

I think I racked up some brownie points.

"You're putting a lot of effort into this gift even though Emma doesn't celebrate her birthday," Mimiku brought up, having her nine-tails sway to and fro as she plopped her chin in her palms, leaning on the kitchen island.

She wore soft short pj shorts and a hoodie crop top.

June Mimiku is my kitsune servant but has been the one raising me since I was seven. She's more like my big sister than my servant. She had the looks of a model with golden-brown hair and purple eyes. She liked this look so that she can influence people at work from time to time.

She went by Mi-mi or Mimiku but never by her first name unless she's in deep trouble or if it's something serious. Mimiku worked in the intelligence division, but planed missions off the intel gathered.

She has nine tails but hides four of them by fusing those select four with her five other tails. She's considered a significant threat to Pangea as well as me. Emma doesn't even know.

"I want to impress her and remember the gift," I said, trying to acquire a piece of tape from the dispenser.

"Speaking of Emma, you said she'll be off at?" I asked, looking at the time.

"She and Nekko will be off around six, after their debriefing with the Director. Then, they will be heading this way," Mimiku repeated herself, again for the hundredth time.

The clock read that it was half-past five now. I grumbled at the clock, but Mimiku smiled at me.

"You're not going to get laid, Hue," Mimiku presented with an overly abundant smile. Her tails flickered with delight. It's embarrassing that she would even say that.

"I am not looking for…sex," I corrected her, "I just want to see her smile as I give her this." I held up the gift.

She's not buying it.

"Uh-huh, and that's why your ears are red?" she asked mischievously.

"Speaking of Emma and Nekko," I tried to change the subject, but Mimiku pounced on me, knocking me to the floor.

She pinned my arms down by holding down my biceps and sat high on my chest, so I couldn't buck her off.

"Get off me, you fox," I yelled at her, squirming to get her off. I have no luck.

"You want more than just to impress her. You want a kiss," she teased, giggling and changing her tongue from its human form to its natural fox form.

She began to lick me uncontrollably. There was nothing I could do except try and move my face left or right. The doorbell rang out, and all at once, Mimiku's licking stops, her head and ears pointed to the front door, and her four tails fused into five.

Mimiku looked at me, and I, her. Jumping to her feet and getting the head start, I touched her leg with my finger sending a jolt of electricity up her leg. She lets out a half cry, half whimper and collapses to the floor. I hopped over her with a triumphant sneer and answered the door. Emma and Nekko were here early.

I was about to say hello; however, a tail wrapped around my feet and pulled them from under me.

"Run! Save yourselves!" I screamed.

The tail yanked me back into the house and out of sight. Mimiku slipped up in my place.

"Evening, ladies! Emma, I love your jean skirt. The tank top and your sweatshirt are so cute!" Mimiku complimented.

Emma walked in with her hands in her sweatshirt's pockets.

"What was that all about?" Emma asked, trying to see where I had been thrown.

"Oh, settling a family dispute," Mimiku replied, narrowing her eyes to the back door.

"Where did you throw Hue?" Emma hunted.

"Out the back door," Mimiku answered in delight about the action.

"Nekko, sweetie, you're in your white kimono! You look pretty," Mimiku cooed, greeting her by touching their noses.

Nekko was a five-tailed kitsune of the divine light. She's owned by Emma's family and is Emma's companion. For the past two months, she's been seeing Mimiku intimately.

"T-thank you, Miss Mimiku," Nekko replied bashfully and blushing as Mimiku went in for another nose kiss.

I trudged through the back door, soaking wet. My hair, which was cut in the form of Mowhawk, but kept, combed back, was all over my head. Emma placed a hand over her mouth to hide her giggling smile. Once she could control her giggles, she put her hands behind her back.

"How far did she throw you?" Emma pressed. I look up from my trek and at Emma. Usually, I would have had butterflies and got tongue-tied.

"Fair enough. Want a hug?" I popped, opening my arms up and moving toward Emma.

She backed away with a hand out to stop me and smiled. She had a perfect smile. It made me smile.

"Hue, no!" she exclaimed, putting the couch between her and me.

"I will freeze you if you come any closer," she warned with a white smile.

Emma Winters is an ice ninja of the Winters Clan. Her family supplies the Academy with ninjas for exceptional operations. Only a select few people know her real name is Selene Emma Winters.

I am lucky enough that she told me when we first met nine years ago.

She's not only a potent ice mage, but she's an S-Class ninja, which pretty much means that she could do anything by herself because there's nothing that could stop her. She could even beat a five-tailed fox.

For all sakes and purposes, Emma was awesome. You didn't mess with Emma, unless, you were as dumb as I was.

"Eugene James!" Emma warned again, pointing her finger at me as I climb over the sofa. Emma darted to the end of the couch. Mimiku and Nekko, mostly Mimiku, cheered for one of us to get the other.

"Uh-oh, she used your middle name, Hue. She means business," Mimiku bantered. Nekko used the sleeve of her kimono to cover her face as she smiled. Both fox's tails wagged happily.

I made another attempt to hug Emma, but she pointed her hand at me. My body went cold and numb, freezing into place. I gasped as the chill finally registers in my brain.

"Oh, m-m-m-my, g-g-g-gosh, th-th-this is un-f-f-f-fair," I stuttered.

The cold that sank to my bones.

Emma laughed heartily as did the foxes.

"I did warn you," Emma stated, with a sportive laugh. Mimiku walked to the front of me and changed her tongue back to her fox's and grinned at me.

"D-d-d-don't you d-d-d-dare Mi-Mi-Mi-Ku," I haphazardly threatened.

Like I can do anything, I can't send a current into another person even if I want to.

"Mimiku, don't! You could get your tongue stuck to his face," Nekko shyly called to Mimiku putting a hand on Mimiku's shoulder.

Mimiku looked over her shoulder and at Nekko's concerned face. Mimiku turned to Emma.

"With your permission, could I take your cutie of a fox upstairs and get her into more, comfy clothes," Mimiku directed, with a sly smirk.

"What about dinner?" Emma inquired.

"What about me?" I enforced.

"Dinner is ready, we are having tacos. Everything that needed to be warm is in the oven, and the colds are in the fridge," Mimiku answered instantly.

Emma gave permission, "Yeah, go ahead but not too long, please? We are starving."

Mimiku whimpered with excitement as she began to guide, the now, beat red Nekko to the stairs. Mimiku stopped and answered me.

"Ask Emma nicely, and she might thaw you," Mimiku hinted at me.

I rolled my eyes at her and glare.

"I sh-sh-sh-should have w-w-w-warned Nek-k-ko about wh-what she was g-g-getting into with Mi-Mi-Mi-ku," I stuttered looking at Emma.

She came up to me, rubbing her hands together. A bluish, smoky, light flared inside her hands, and once they did, Emma placed her hands on my frozen chest. As quickly as the ice was cast on me, Emma withdrew her spell unfreezing me. I crumbled to the floor, shaking.

"You were supposed to catch me, jerk," I said, looking at Emma.

"I thawed you. You're still wet," Emma remarked but helps me to my feet, "now go and shower and put warm, dry clothes on, Family Feud will be on in a few."

I headed for the stairs and start my climb to the bathroom.

"Hey Hue," Emma called from the bottom of the stairs. I turned around.

"It's good to see you," she smiled.

"It's good to see you too, Emma. I missed ya," I replied.

After the epically warm shower, I got dressed, got the two kitsunes from Mimiku's room, got dinner set, and sat in front of the T.V., watching the Feud.

Succeeding dinner, Emma and I were kicked out. Mimiku wanted to have some quality time with Nekko. Mimiku handed me a beach blanket and skillfully snuck my gift into my back pocket.

Emma loved to walk on the beach. She led me down over the beachhead and to the shoreline. She took her shoes off and told me to do the same.

"I think I've gotten plenty of water for the day," I shoot at her.

"Don't be a baby," she tactfully counters.

We trekked a quarter of a mile from the house and found a spot to sit. I laid out the blanket, and we sat watching the waves come on to the shore.

"Hey, Emma?" I broke the silence.

"Yeah?" she replied, looking at the ocean.

"What's today?" I poke at her.

She raised her head and looked across at me. I was holding out the gift. I swore her cheeks were a darker shade of pink.

"I should've known better," she admitted, taking the present.

She unwrapped the green paper, examines the box, then looked at me with her eyes as big as apples.

"You didn't!" she gasped.

I didn't say anything as she puts her attention back on the box in her hands. Cautiously, she re-opened the box. Her mouth dropped, and she quickly closes the box. She shoots another glare.

"Hue, you didn't," she repeated quietly.

"I did," I answer.

She leans forward and hugs me. To see her happy meant the world to me. Emma may not celebrate her birthdays, and it could be a pain trying to nab one for her, but this right here, was worth it.

She settled down from her excitement and wiped away her happy tear; Emma took one of the blades out and examined it. She tested its balance; tossing and waving it around.

"And they can be imbued?" she inquired, looking at the slots for the shards. I nod my head, and she continued with her examination. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket.

"Hey daddy," she greeted. She kept a smile on her face and acted like there's nothing wrong.

Emma put her phone back into her back-pocket sighing, taking one last look at the ocean.

Her family had been calling her back frequently recently.

"Need to get back?" I obviously asked.

"Yeah, family affairs," she stated, standing up.

I stood, folded the blanket, and led the way back to the house. Emma took care of the new gift she's been given. As we approached the house, we could faintly hear the explicate sounds of ecstasy.

"It's your birthday, and they're having se-," I was cut off with an abrupt shot to the stomach.

"I really don't want to think about that," Emma brought up and took out a whistle.

It was a distinctive whistle for kitsunes.

She inhales and blows into the whistle. No sounds came out, but there came howling from the house. Emma put the whistle away, and we headed for home.

The porch light popped on, the back door opened with Nekko in her kimono and Mimiku in her earlier outfit. She was displeased for being interrupted, displaying her tails upward, methodically swaying and folding her arms across her chest.

Nekko took her place at Emma's left side. Emma pulled a coin from her pocket. A blue emerald that was in the shape of a coin, with a wolf's snarling head on the front of it.

I was given the same coin from Emma when I turned eight. The only thing that I know about it was that it teleports you to Emma's home.

We said our goodbyes and waved.

"Ie," Emma spoke.

A blue teleport symbol lit up beneath Emma and Nekko. A whirlwind of snow engulfed them, and they were gone with the snow dissolving.

"How did Emma react to her gift?" Mimiku prodded, looking at the spot her lover disappeared from.

I glanced at her with the biggest grin on my stupid face. "Come on, let's hit the rack," I told Mimiku.

"Geez, it stinks in here."

Mimiku recommended that I plug my nose.