26 Chapter 25

"You almost ran out of time there," Death purred.

"Yeah, no thanks to you, and you apparently forgot to tell me everything about this weapon of yours," I scoffed, throwing the scythe back into Death's hands.

"Well, things were in such a rushed state that I couldn't get everything to you in time," Death answered innocently.

"Mm-hmm."

I looked around; the war was finishing around us in a blur.

Soldiers passed through me, and there was shouting the distance. The tide had turned for the Seventh as the victor. There was comprehension of how much time was passing. I couldn't tell if the battle took a few minutes, hours, days?

"Interesting, isn't it?'

I spun around at Death.

Her presence felt completely different than before. Before, she held a far more dangerous feeling and intimidation, but now, this new sense of calmness and comforting aura stood, filled the area.

"You seem surprised?" Death asked, moving alongside me, watching the battle beginning to whine to a close.

"I didn't know you had a different feeling after I die," I replied.

"Yes," she purred, "the living have always had a fear of me but then when they die, it's…"

"It's what?" I asked, feeling it odd for Death to suddenly pause.

"I can't explain it other than it's beyond even my understanding that the souls would change their perception of me."

"But, you're the Angel of Death. They should come to you, right?"

"Yes, I am the Angel of Death, and it is my task to collect all of the souls on this earth for the last days, but there isn't any law stating that the souls are to come to me, let alone having these feelings of comfort and calmness towards me," Death explained.

"Wow, interesting," I complimented.

"Sorry to change the subject, but how do you know how much time is passing?" I asked.

"That depends on a few things, mainly though, on the individual. Since you died here, and you haven't been roaming the earth, you see time pass in hours. If you were staying here for a while longer, the duration of time would change to days, then years, and then eventually you lose track after that," Death informed me.

"Ah, interesting. What would be the relative time passing for us?"

"Time doesn't really apply here," Death answered, turning around and walking away to somewhere.

My body followed, somehow being silently commanded by Death to follow. I didn't complain, the silence was pleasant for once.

"If you had to put a number on the relativity of time, what would you say it would be?" I asked.

My voice disturbing Death, and her silence.

"If I give you a number, would you shut up the remainder of our walk?" she pleaded.

"Absolutely! It's just itching at the back of my brain," I chuckled, scratching the back of my head.

Death huffed and counted with her fingers.

"I'd say about five minutes. Now, will you shut up, please?"

My soul burst into flame, scaring the angel enough to spread her wings.

"What is the meaning of this?" Death demanded.

"Gee, I don't have a lot of time to explain in detail," I began as pieces of me burnt away.

"But to put it in a nutshell, what you have right now isn't my true soul, pretty good right, fooled you. See, I gave my real soul to someone else and put an artificial soul in its place," I smirked.

If Death had a face for rage, I would have loved to see it, but the last bits of my artificial soul was about gone. Death reached for the fragments.

"See you at the end of days, Lady Death." I wished her farewell.

~~~

(1 Year Passes)

After the battle, things went back to normal, or as normal as they could be. Mimiku stayed at the beach house with freedom as long as she was willing to protect the world. Nekko continued to date Mimiku, and things were beginning to get rather serious with the two.

The world was more unified than it had ever been, with more magi flourishing. Fitzy and Abby got married, and believe it or not, Fitzy became Grand Field Marshall of the newly formed army of the Pangea. The Director was still the Director creating a newly established Academy with welcoming necromancers and nine-tail kitsune if there were any.

As for me, I was made head of the special operations, Major Selene Emma Winters.

I gave a heavy sigh remembering the battle, remembering the victory, and the losses. My phone buzzed on my desk, and I tapped it. The screen lit to life, showing a smiling Eugene and me in swimsuits.

How I miss him…

I had received a text from Nekko asking if I was still coming over for dinner at Mimiku's to celebrate my birthday. I replied and pushed a button on my desk phone.

"Tammy, I am heading home for tonight, would you lock up?"

"Yes, ma'am, have a good-night," my secretary replied.

"You too."

I tapped the phone off, got up, packed my few items, including the daggers Eugene bought me and headed out the door. I walked down to the main entrance of the Academy. Upon coming out to the courtyard, there stood a monument erected for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

On the memorial was a plaque with the massive list of names, but at the bottom was a large picture of Eugene James Dupeux. There was an inscription:

"For the greatest sacrifice given, Corporal Eugene James Dupeux has been awarded the Medal of Honor. He will always be remembered."

I touched his face, and my eyes stung, filling with tears. I wiped them away, looking around and seeing that there was no one around. I gave the picture a kiss and continued on my way.

The sun was beginning to shed its remaining rays of light when I finally got to Mimiku's house. It still didn't feel right that I just called it Mimiku's home. Before I knocked, the door swung open.

Mimiku greeted me with warm, sad eyes.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

I scoffed with a smile, and Mimiku pulled me in with a hug.

"I really wished that I had through Hue into the ocean, right now and that he would walk in through the back door, soaking wet," Mimiku whispered.

I giggled and tried to stiffen the sob.

Mimiku welcomed me into the house, and nothing in this place had changed.

Thank goodness for that.

Nekko was already on the couch in comfortable shorts and a tank top. She gave me a wave, getting up and hugging me as well.

"I'll pull dinner out of the oven and get this party started," Mimiku announced.

Nekko went back to the couch and continued to watch whatever show that was on. I, on the other hand, made my way up the stairs and into Hue's room. Here, nothing was moved. I picked up a t-shirt and held it to my nose.

A smile crept across my face.

Next, a surge of pain exploded throughout my hand. I scream in pain and dropping to the floor. I gripped my hand, looking for what could be causing the pain.

A design began to draw itself on my ring finger. It was the same one from when I had put the ring on. I was gripping my hand so tight that my fingertips were starting to turn white.

"What's wrong?" Nekko shouted, coming up the stairs, followed by Mimiku.

"My hand," I screamed, showing the kitsunes my finger.

"What is this?" I asked.

Mimiku took my hand and examined it. She gave a worried look.

"Emma, this is a curse. Who gave you this?" Mimiku asked.

"Hue's ring," I blurted out.

The pain was becoming worse, and my forehead was starting to form beads of sweat.

Suddenly, red strands begin to shoot out from the mark, creating, forming something, a being. The light that accompanied this creation was nearly blinding.

First were strands of veins, then the bones, next were the muscles and tendons, and lastly, the skin. Green fired surrounded the figure, fusing everything together before vanishing into smoke. The man was covered in tattoos, and as the light faded, so did the pain in my hand.

My eyes couldn't believe who was standing before us. Mimiku was just as shocked as the rest of us and frozen in place. This being covered himself in dark jeans and a black, lightweight, long-sleeved shirt.

He gave me a smile.

"Sorry, I would have been here sooner, but the transition from the dead to the living took far longer then I had anticipated," Hue chuckled.

We didn't move or say a word.

"It's me, the real me. No tricks," he expressed.

"You, you died," I breathed.

"An artificial created me did," he answered.

"Death wasn't straight with me when she gave up her scythe, and in turn, I trick her," Hue laughed, "she is pissed at me."

Hue took a step, and both the foxes jumped back spooked, but his eyes were only on me.

"I don't know exactly how long it's been. I know that it's been about a year, but I don't know if it was past your birthday, or that I'm too early. Which then again, I didn't know what I would be getting you; I hadn't had time to look," Hue babbled.

Hue walked up to me as I stood, but I placed a finger on his chest to stop him coming any closer. He felt real and sounded real.

"This is real, right?" I questioned.

"As real as it gets, no strings attached," he reassured me.

My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, and I didn't stop myself from embracing him. I held him tightly and buried my face into his neck; I didn't even stop the tears. Hue wrapped his arms around me.

He feels warm.

"Oh, and I am recently informed that it is your birthday, Happy Birthday," he whispered into my ear.

I broke out laughing, pulling a little way out of the hug.

"And you didn't bring a gift for me?"

"I figured that me coming back from the dead was good enough," he started.

"No, that hurt a lot," I interrupted, narrowing my eyes at him.

"How about this."

He cupped the back of my neck and brought my lips into his. An electric surge shot from my head to feet and back. He pulled slowly away.

"How this gift?"

"Do that I again," I asked with my eyes closed.

Hue was more than happy to oblige. Mimiku wrapped a tail around us and pull us to her and hugged us both. She then decided to lick Hue. At first, Hue didn't protest, but then he tried getting away from the licks.

After a few, we were all sitting on the couch; I was curled up with Hue. Hue had filled us in on what he was doing for a year, which apparently was only five minutes for him.

"That took a whole year to do?" Nekko questioned.

"It felt like seconds coming back here. Again, I am sorry about the whole ring thing and it being so painful," Hue apologized to me.

"I'll forgive you for now," I teased.

"So, how are things here?" Hue asked.

"Returning to normal with the exceptions of the laws being amended for creatures and beings, like you and I," Mimiku shot over.

"People think that you're dead what are you going to do once they know that you're alive," I asked hue.

"Easy, I am going to apply for teaching the advance classes for necromancers," Hue stated.

"There's more?"

"There will be," Hue smiled.

"Yes, there will be more."

THE END