Chapter 29
KITA
I stand with Sawyer as the earth redirects its quakes to the wall.
“They did it. They fucking punched through.” Sawyer says as he watches the soldiers pour out of the wall at ground level.
“We need to close that door now!” I grab his arm and grit.
“On it.” He turns and howls into the air.
I see a bunch of wolves rise and run in our direction.
“Let’s close it.” He smirks and shifts.
I shift too and join the charging army to the dimensional bridge.
As I get closer, I see the grave situation. Trucks and soldiers pour out and ready arms to attack, but that’s not what concerned me.
Tanuki.
He looms over Lefu who has clearly been weakened. This can’t happen.
I skid to a stop and shift. “Tanuki!” I growl loud.
He turns and his chest puffs out. His face twists to anger as he takes a challenging stance. He reaches back and pulls out two katana. He twirls them at his sides as Lefu sits in chains.
I lower myself into a lunge and place my arm above my head. I point to him. “You will not stop me.”
“No. I will kill you!” He growls and runs at me.
I run toward him, leap into the air and he swings his swords at me. I slip in between them, lay my body back and my foot lands in his face.
He lands on his back and I land on my feet.
With a swing of his legs, he leaps to his feet. I spin around and prepare myself. He runs at me again and jumps. He brings his swords down and I jump back. He strikes out and his blades hit dirt. I spin left and raise my foot and wrap his arm around my leg. I pull back, ripping a sword out his hand and it’s tossed into the air. I catch it and place it over my head with both hands.
He tries to jab at me and I block. He hits me over and over. I move quick and block his advances. My teeth grit and my brow sweats as he comes at me with all his strength. I run to a tree, up a trunk and push off. I flip over him as he runs under. I throw out a back slash and the tip of my blade cuts the back of his leg. He crumples to a knee as I land behind him.
He turns and sneers at me. With a large growl, he runs at me again, ignoring the pain I just delivered. He swipes down and I twist with a block. Our metal sparks as I spin the blades and push back. I turn and throw my arm out. My blade catches his arm and he stumbles as he grinds out his anger.
I tick my head and he roars as he swings his sword up. I bring my sword up underneath his as he brings it down. My sword hooks his hilt and I rip it out of his hands. It flies off into the battle.
I aim the tip at his neck. “You will die, Tanuki. Your evil cannot live.” I narrow my eyes at him.
His eyes glow and he springs into the air. He shifts into his dog form. “I will tear you to shreds!!” His demonic dog growls.
His speed catches me and we roll across the ground in a furious ball.
The wall thunders loud and the mirror world soldiers descend on the blood soaked battle field.
Wolves rip each other apart. Lycans and vamps grapple for survival and Graham screams out in excruciating pain.
I must win.
Tanuki tries to pin me as his teeth snap in my face. I shift and use my power against him.
I teleport us onto the mountain. Fanning my tails out he flies into the snow covered rock. His body crushes the stone and bounces across the peak. I pick him up again and smash him down. The rock under him turns to dust.
“IT'S OVER TANUKI!” I bellow.
“IT WILL NEVER BE OVER!!” His claws dig into the rock and uses a wormhole to appear in my space. His jaws catch my throat and he throws me against a tree. Piles of snow cover me. My fire tail melts the snow and I seethe as I clench my teeth. I fire all my powers at once.
Ice, fire and electricity streak across the ground and hit him. He screams in torture as my powers consumes him. He dips into a wormhole and appears above me, now badly burned.
He lands on me and we bite at each other in a ball of rage. My tails wrap around his large body and my strength crushes his ribs. He cries out and rips himself out.
I turn and teleport back to the battle field. I run into the fight just as I hear his wormhole open.
“KITSUNE!!” He roars as my eyes search wildly through the legs of fighters.
My eye catches it. The gleam of a swords edge. I run to it and hear soldiers scream.
I look behind me and Tanuki is throwing soldiers away in his jaws.
He’s closing in as I see the sword get closer. A mess of fighters feet kick it and I try to follow.
“No.” I search again. Where is it?
I run to where it disappeared.
Tanuki is tackled and he fought the wolf off viciously, ripping his throat out.
I see the sword embedded in the mud make a break for it.
“YOU CAN'T RUN!”
He leaps and I dive. My fox body slides in the mud. I shift, grab the sword and flip on my back just as Tanuki rose above me with jaws open and claws out. His chest lands on the sword blade and it sinks into his heart.
His face turns to shock as he slides further down the blade. His eyes meet mine and I stare into his soul as the power of his katana removes it.
He raises his fist and I don’t move. His blood coats my hands and he falls to the side. His body flops on the ground and dissolves into the mud.
I get up, hold the sword to my side and watch the last of him get swallowed. “Return to hell.” I grit.
The ground quakes and I whip my head to the wall.
“SOMEBODY HELP ME!!”
Graham screams and I look to the hilt in my hand. A lump develops in my throat as I look to Graham. I can see the veils cracking.
I know what I must do.
I break into a run with the sword held behind me. I see the Gods power trying to push and Graham pushing back.
“I must close the door.” I choke as tears well in my eyes.
When I’m close enough, I leap into the air, raising the blade above my head.
As I fall, Grahams eyes meet mine. “Kita.”
“I…” I turn the blade and drive it into his chest.
His body jolts and his eyes widen. The wall releases a loud, booming cosmic wave and Graham screams. His power expels from his body and I’m thrown backwards. I bounce across the ground and land on my side.
The wall pulses and Grahams body glows.
“NOOOO!!” A loud God voice roars over us all.
With the hilt sticking out of his chest, arches back and screams. The walls break apart and another cosmic wave fires out from Graham.
I lift my head as I cry. I see the blue wall recede and the gold one shimmer.
The enemy soldiers turn to the wall and confusion fills them as they start to realize they’re stuck here now.
Our fighters clue in and go on the attack.
Before I’m trampled, I scramble to my feet and get out of the way. I run to the trees and watch the gold wall fade. I also see something else.
“Oh no.” I pant.
I watch as Alter Lefu runs to the Lefu on the ground. He breaks the chains and grabs his doppelganger. The two exchange words and then they both disappear in a blur.
There’s two here now. That’s not good.
My eyes float to where Graham is and I slowly step out of the trees.
My chin quivers as I get closer. I see his bare chest with the sword through it that I put there.
I step softly beside his feet, along his legs and drop to my knees at his chest.
He’s laying on his side, not moving. My hand reaches out and I move his hair from his beautiful face. My heart aches as I watch my love die by my hand.
His eye slowly opens. “Kita.”
“I’m sorry.” I hitch as tears fall.
He slowly shakes his head. “Don't…be sorry. You…saved me. At least…this time…I get to say…goodbye.” His breath is labored as he tries to talk.
I wrap my fingers around the hilt and pull the sword out. He grits at the pain and rolls onto his back.
My shaking hand floats over the bleeding hole in his chest. I lean down and kiss his lips. “Don’t go.” I cry softly on them as I stroke his cheek.
“I have…to.” He pants.
“I love you.” I grab his hand and place it on my cheek.
“I…love…you.” He whispers his last words as his eyes close and his head falls to the side.
His hand falls and I lean to his head, sobbing. “I will avenge you, Koibito. I swear it.”
“GRAHAM!”
I raise my head and Sawyer runs to us. He lands on the ground on the other side of Graham. He looks at the wound and back at me. “What happened?”
I cry harder. “I had to close the door.”
He looks to sword and back at Graham. He scrubs his face. “Ok. You remember the crack. The ravine. Back in Phoenix.”
“Yes.” I nod.
“Take us there, right now.” Sawyer grabs my hand and Grahams arm.
“Ok.” I close my eyes and teleport to where Sawyer said.
We appear at the ravines edge and Sawyer stands. He picks Graham up over his shoulder. “Stay here.”
He runs into a building and I look over the edge. A minute later, I see Sawyer carry Graham to a pool on the bottom. I watch as he places Graham in the water.
I see the pool glow gold and the water churn. My mouth falls open when the water calms, but then the surface is disturbed by flailing arms.
My heart stops as Graham breaches the surface alive. He grabs onto Sawyer and they hug each other. Sawyer pulls him out and a huge smile grows on my lips.
“GRAHAM!!” They look up and I wave ecstatically. He waves back and runs for the wall.
I turn to the building and watch the dark doorway. My eyes catch movement and his dripping wet body appears out of the black. My heart pounds as I stand and look into his blue eyes.
His toothy grin gets bigger as he runs to me. He’s laughing as he picks me up and twirls me around. I wrap my legs and arms around him as I laugh with tears of happiness streaming down my cheeks.
He grabs onto the back of my head and devours my lips in a deep passionate kiss. I soak him in and feel his heart as my fingers grip his wet hair.
He slows the spin and pulls back. He gently sucks my bottom lip as he does. His eyes are dreamy as he gazes into mine. “This is the best resurrection yet.” He smirks.
I laugh, hit his chest and throw my arms around him. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby. I love you, too.” He whispers as he holds the back of my neck, buries his nose in my hair and rocks me.
I look to Sawyer who’s standing with his arms crossed and a leg kicked out. I mouth the words, ‘Thank you’ and he gives me a two finger salute then quickly wipes his eye.
I hug Graham tighter. I never want to lose him again. I won’t. He told me he wanted to stand under the moon with me. I wasn’t sure because I’d lose my powers, now, I don’t care.
I will lose every power I have just to have him.
Graham is mine. I just hope Inari understands.