"Ahhhh... That must be when you fell out of the sky. Luckily, your brother was guarding the area then waiting for you to come. You seemed pretty exhausted, so we just waited for you to wake up. who knew it would take so long?"
Miko giggled and apologized, "Sorry for the wait. Where is my brother anyway?"
"He is probably trying to earn currency in the human village outside the forest. I'll notify him so he can come back and see you tonight. If you want, since its been so long, we can try visiting the town further down from the village. Its been years since I myself went there."
"Thanks for the offer, but I want to go find Takei soon. He's... probably reincarnated already. I'll have to find him soon before he dies again. If I don't see him, it will probably be harder for to interfere with his reincarnation to the next life." Miko politely declined.
"That man again! Are you really still into him after so long?! Foxes and humans belong in separate worlds! They are mortal and human! We have a shot at immortality but we are still monsters! Do you think he'll accept you as a kitsune even when you grow nine tails and promise to protect him? Are you sure he doesn't view you as a demon like the other humans? Best you get over him! Fifteen years isn't really long enough to understand someone." Asura chided.
"It could have been more than fifteen years if only the war didn't break out! We love each other! And, he is different from the others. If not he would never have stayed even when I told him! I'll keep my promise to him from a hundred and twenty years ago: No matter where you are, no matter how long it takes, I'll still find you. Just reincarnate."
"Snap out of it would you? Some husbands who are married for more than thirty years could have been cheating the whole time! Their wives only find out after that long! So really, fifteen years is nothing, especially to us."
"I TOLD YOU I LOVE HIM! I CAME HERE TO PAY YOU A VISIT RIGHT AFTER I WOKE UP, NOT TO GET SCOLDED BY YOU! So please, I will be thankful if you stop throwing dirt and pulling his name through the mud."
"Fine. Suit yourself. Just don't say i didn't warn you." Asura resolved. she handed Miko a kimono, gesturing her to put it on. Miko accepted her offer, and stepped deeper in to change. When she emerged once again, she looked much, much better. Although it could not compare to her looks a hundred and twenty years ago, she still looked enchanting.
"So... you can stay for awhile I guess... Your brother is reaching in an hour. I have contacted Ryogi too," Asura said. The duo sipped tea together inside the tree hole, with a rune that offers protection, and another that enlarged the space inside. Its been a long time since the two friends have sipped tea together so leisurely.
"This isn't the usual green tea. Its new. I like it." Miko remarked. This indeed wasn't the usual tea they drank. Instead, it was sakura tea, with the sakura petals from their sacred tree, where kitsunes all around the forest would gather once every hundred years. The tree marked where their fox goddess had once died, and where she was thought to be reborn several thousands to ten thousands years ago. She now resided in the heavenly realm, welcoming foxes who managed to ascend to immorality. She decends once during the ceremony, welcoming the newborn kitsunes of that year, and giving words of enlightenment. Then, she grants her blessings and ascends back up. It is said that for only 3 days before and after the ceremony, the tree is said to be blessed by her, shedding its sakura petals which makes all the trees in the forest to do the same, mixing all the different petals up. If one can find the petals from that tree admist all the other petals, it is said that if consumed, one can get a year's worth of cultivation from it. However, the difficult part is that one must find the petals from the ground, as plucking it from the tree causes the petal to lose its properties and wither immediately. On top of that, the tree only sheds up to a few petals, making its as good as finding a needle in a haystack.
" What?! I can't accept it..." Miko pushed her cup to Asura's end of the table. How could she drink this tea? It was so rare a single petal could only be traded for several mythic grade treasures. They could very well be considered priceless, as a single petal is worth a year of cultivation to foxes, half a year's worth of cultivation to other beasts and monsters, but could add ten years to an average human life span!
"Just take it. You will need it to replenish your cultivation lost." Asura calmly replied, unlike Miko who was staring at her in bewilderment. However, she understood her best friend's intention and silently but slowly gulped down the tea, remembering to savour its exquisite flavour.
As Miko swallowed the tea, she felt her body slowly being reinvigorated. However, her mind had wandered off. She knew that her best friends cared for her, and would be worried and upset to see her sad. Why she might be sad? Although she knew that both her and Takei loved each other dearly, there was still this miniscule, small part of her heart that belived what others said about him. She shook her head to get rid of these thoughts. No, I must have faith in him. Its just because everyone is saying these things about him thats why I am starting to believe them. Its during these times I need to trust him even more, love him even more.