Can’t save who is unable to be saved

I bit the bottom of my lip as my father finally began to show his true feelings. He didn't care about my mother or the promise that they made just before her death. 

'Was I just born to be an heir and not out of love?' I knew to some degree how important it was to have an heir, but now it seemed like my mother was just used as a tool. 

"Now that you are quiet, the terms of the contract collar will be imposed on you and let's just say the next time you see your little "friend," you may feel a certain urge." There was a sinister tone in my father's voice as he spoke about the collar. 

It was already insane that he was going to such lengths to control me. 

"Why are you doing this father?" I wanted some kind of reason behind his actions. It felt all too erratic and unplanned, like he was desperate to stop a certain outcome from happening. We already had some ties to Ayame with her mother, but clearly there is more to it.

"You wouldn't understand, plus there is no point in telling you now." Suddenly, I felt a click around my neck. I didn't notice Darik was back and before I knew it, the collar was around my neck. 

It tightened around my neck and sigils appeared, initiating the contract that was placed on the collar. I squirmed in agony as it felt like my neck was being crushed and barely allowed me to breathe. 

The collar then glowed purple for a brief moment, engraving the sigils on the metal. Then a wave of information flooded my head, telling me the terms of the contract and the imposed behaviours. 

It then finally loosened its hold on my neck, allowing me to breathe properly. However, I wished it strangled me to death, the conditions of the contract were something I never wanted to see.

I felt a mix of anger and hollowness inside my heart. I felt utterly defeated and the only thing I could do was sob as the terms of the contract repeated in my mind. 

"Take her away Darik, I'll have some orders for her later." 

"Yes, my lord." 

***

"Argh, my damn head." Opening up my eyes, my brain slowly caught up to what happened just before I got knocked out. 

"Kasumi!" Shooting up from whatever I was laying on, I quickly looked around the room, but found myself back at the shrine?

'Wait what? How did I get back here?" A splitting headache emerged as I tried to think, but my memory was hazy. All I remember was that people from Kasumi's family were trying to take her back. 

'If I'm back here then maybe Kasumi is in the spare room.' There was a chance that Tomoe took us to the shrine to recover and it was the outcome I hoped for. Getting up from my bed, I almost sumbled over as I still hadn't quite woken up. I also had a headache, which didn't help at all, but I needed to see if Kasumi was okay. 

Having a hand up against the wall, I walked towards our only guest room. It was more of a storage room nowadays but there was still a bed just in case someone needed it, like Anna if she wanted to stay the night. 

My heart raced as I got closer to the door and a part of me didn't want to open it. 

'Please be here.' Opening the door to the spare room, I was greeted with a completely empty room. There was no sigh of someone staying in the bed and I felt my heart drop. 

'N-no, surely she is just somewhere else.' I hadn't accepted reality just yet, so I quickly stumbled my way to the small living room, however Kasumi was still nowhere to be found. Falling to my knees, I no longer had the energy to keep walking.

The headache only got worse and I was left with a sense of uselessness. My memories became more clear and it only made me realise how useless I was in stopping Darik. 

'If only I was stronger.' Tears streamed down my cheeks while I cursed my inability to fight. I was only a two tail kitsune which, in the grand scheme of things, was pathetic when facing other kitsune. 

It's fine when fighting humans who have no abilities, but this encounter made me realise how weak I truly am. 

*Sob* "Why did I have to be so weak?" Life felt like it was finally getting started for me and I even had a friend with whom I could enjoy all the things I liked. 

'I wish I said yes to her sooner.' There was also a looming feeling of guilt, as I had put a hold on Kasumi's feelings for me, but if I'm honest, I was just scared. I didn't know what it meant to love or if it was even right for us to date in the first place. 

If there was going to be someone I wanted to be with, it was Kasumi. Although I know no one else other than Anna, from what Tomoe says, its very hard to make bonds with other Kitsune. I could with a human, but then their life spans are too short and they tread down a path of pain. 

I continued to sob on the ground in pain while I lamented myself and all the things I should of done. 

"Oh Ayame, you should still be in bed." Tomoe, who had been absent so far, emerged from her office and saw me crying in the doorway. She quickly knelt down and hugged me tightly while patting my head. 

"Where is Kasumi?" It was a question I didn't want to hear the answer for as I already knew it, but I wanted Tomoe to confirm it. 

"..." Tomoe stayed silent for a moment and stared at me with eyes that were on the verge of crying as well. 

"I'm sorry, I wasn't able to stop them from taking her. If I did, then Kasumi and your safety would be at risk from powers I cannot stop. I wish I could of done more, but there is nothing we can do." Breaking the silence, she apologised and confirmed Kasumi was being taken. She also elaborated on why she wasn't able to take action. 

I wanted to be angry and scream about why Tomoe didn't stop them anyway, but what right do I have after being knocked out so easily?

Gripping Tomoe's clothes, I just sobbed into her arms, trying to cope with reality. It was a short lived friendship, but it was the most fun I had in so long. It was the light that gave me a sense of direction, but now that light has disappeared. 

"It's okay Ayame, just because she is gone doesn't mean we can't get her back. It's a little complicated, but don't worry, I will figure out a way." However, what I did not expect to hear was Tomoe's declaration to get her back. 

 "H-how?" I found it unreasonable, as we had no way of tracking her and there was no way I could fight. 

"I'll discuss the details later, but don't lose hope now. Life has its bumps and although this is more like a mountain than just a hill, it doesn't mean you can't climb it." Tomoe was right. I can't sit here moping forever out of regret and guilt because of my incompetence. It isn't like I have completely lost Kasumi, I just need to get stronger so I can bring her back and protect her. 

"Thank you… Mom." I found myself calming down and feeling a lot better about myself. I was certainly close to drowning in the darkness, but Tomoe, my mother, helped me stay afloat. 

"Anything for you." It was reassuring to hear Tomoe's words and before I knew it I fell asleep in her embrace.

***

Picking Ayame up from the ground, I gently carried her back to bed to rest a bit more. It was still the middle of the night and she hadn't gotten nearly enough rest. 

"Phew, it seems like she will be okay mentally. I hope she can use it as fuel to get stronger." Although it was horrible what happened, one good thing would be that Ayame gets stronger as a result of this. 

'Now that the research is complete, it's probably about time I start bestowing some of Sakura's things to her.' I had kept hidden many of Ayame's real mother's belongings that I planned to give her once she was ready. 

It was still a bit early, but right now that didn't matter, I needed to push Ayame in the right direction. 

*Knock* *Knock* 

Snapping my head to the front door, I instantly let my kistune traits let loose. There was no way that someone snuck through my barrier without me noticing, unless it was another kitsune. 

'It better not be the council.' There are very few kitsune that can go undetected, so unless its a human with completely zero magical power, it could possibly be an enemy. 

Approaching the door, I opened it and the very last person I wanted to see right now was there. A pink haired Kitsune with a slutty outfit. 

"Heyyy~ <3"