League - Chapter 9

 Authors note: Make sure to check the main fanfiction page for gameplay to story changes so you are able to follow along.

Make sure to also check out the Yokai Tamer game page for more information and to play the game yourself

~~~

After lunch, Yukkii made his way along the long corridors towards a certain tengu's bedroom. His heart was heavy, worried about how the tengu would react to the news he was going to give him. He didn’t have a choice. The outer worlds were coming closer to invading and he needed to leave to investigate more closely. Out of everyone, he could only entrust this mission to Takoyakii and himself.

Raising his hand, he knocked on the door.

"It's open," A male voice called out. He sounded preoccupied with something. "Come on in."

Yukkii pushed open the door to find the tengu he sought sitting on the floor surrounded by his beads. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to change the configuration to make my aura stronger and more overwhelming," he replied threading a few beads onto his bracelet before poring over the remaining beads on the floor. "You need something Yukkii?"

"Yeah…" Yukkii leaned down and grabbed his wrists. A bright light passed between the two tengu. "I'm passing the leadership to you."

"Wait what!" The tengu looked down at his wrists and realized the twin cuffs that had once sat around Yukkii's wrists now held tightly around his. "Why?"

"Sieg…" Yukkii took a seat next to him on the floor. "My sources have been reporting to me that the outer worlds are encroaching on ours. One mentioned meeting a tengu that killed him without batting an eyelid. I have to go investigate to make sure that our guild can handle any oncoming threats."

"I'm not a guild leader!" Siegheart replied. "I don't know what to do."

"You have Dar and Ember here who can help and guild you," Yukkii replied softly. "Dar knows a lot about leadership and Ember was the guild leader of Hope before coming to us. They can guide you." Yukkii stood up with a sigh. "I'll be leaving with Tako tonight after dinner. Please try not to make the guild worry too much."

Siegheart nodded and watched as he left the room. I think I'll do one better. Ember knows and has been a guild leader. I'll pass the cuffs to her.

~~~

Just before dinner, Siegheart strode quickly through the halls up to the top floor. He wanted to offload the cuffs to Ember as quickly as possible. They're more trouble then they are worth to have.

Before the two married, both Darius and Ember were fine with Siegheart coming into their rooms without knocking. Ember, in particular, had so many pets who would barricade the door to prevent him from coming in if she was getting changed or not decent when he tried to enter. He figured since they were together and held the same thought on that that he should be fine going in without knocking.

He opened the door and froze in his tracks. There was no mistaking what they were doing. His face heated up as he tried to move away and back out the door. A few moments passed of him staring before a yelp and a very intensely pleasured moan from Ember snapped him out of his frozen state. He backed out the door and shut it again behind him.

"Even I would have told you not to go in there unannounced," Kirei said trying his best not to laugh at Siegheart's embarrassed expression. "Those two are worse than Choco and I."

"KIREI!" Chocolatte gave him a smack on the arm. "I saw you were going to be here." She took note of him trying to cover his wrists with his sleeves. "Something we can help with instead while they are occupied?"

Siegheart sighed and showed them the cuffs. "Yukkii passed the leadership to me but I don't want it. I'm not a guild leader. I don't know how to be a leader." He indicated with his head back towards the closed door behind him. "But Ember does. She was the guild leader of Hope. If anyone can be a guild leader, it's her."

"Keep them hidden until after dinner," Chocolatte replied after a rather quiet and vague moment. "I'll ask her to come to see you."

"Thankyou Choco," Siegheart replied somewhat relieved that the cuffs would be moving from him relatively soon.

~~~

"Ember?" Chocolatte pulled on the sleeve of the red clad kitsune before her. "Sieg was looking for you earlier. He looked a bit frantic."

"That's strange," Ember replied with a frown. "Not much phases Sieg. The only time I've seen him detached from his happy self was when Skeith and then Toto left to go on a journey. I wonder why he was looking for me tho."

"I'd suggest going to see him before you go up to your room for the night," Chocolatte replied. "We both know once you go there Dari isn't going to let you leave again until the morning…" Ember blushed lightly at that. "He's been more possessive and protective of you ever since the attack."

"Haa…" Ember shook her head. "Also more sparta in training me. If I don't jump fast enough he bites… And not in a good way." Chocolatte giggled and gently gave Ember a little push towards the door. "I know I know. I'll go see Sieg."

She made her way through the halls, her tails swishing behind her. She had seen Siegheart slip out earlier looking a little nervous. Part of her wondered what was so dire that he would go to her instead of Darius, Kirei, or Godson. Maybe it's a kitsune issue… His playboy ways have gotten him in trouble? She pondered over the possibilities until she got to his bedroom door. She knocked on it lightly.

"Ember?" She could hear his voice from inside. He sounded nervous.

"Yeah," She folded her arms and stared at the closed door. "Choco told me you wanted to see me." She squealed in surprise when he suddenly opened the door and dragged her inside. "What?"

"Did she tell you what it was about?" Ember shook her head. Siegheart sighed and pulled the sleeves of his robe up to show the twin cuffs marking him as Guild Leader. "Yukkii passed it to me. He said he was going on a journey, I'm not a guild leader Em… I don't know how to lead… But you do." He took her hands and focused on the cuffs transferring from himself to her. "I know Dar doesn't want to be guild leader."

Sighing, Ember looked at her wrists before leaning down to pick up the single cuff. "I wonder what Dari is going to say about this…" She covered her wrists and sighed again. "I wasn't expecting to become a guild leader again…" She leaned back against the closed door. "I actually didn't expect to become a co-leader but Snowbunny made me one. I hope I don't mess up…"

"You won't Em," Siegheart replied with a smile. "You were the guild leader of Hope for a long time and did well. You'll do well being our guild leader as well." 

"I hope so," Ember turned to face the door. "I better go see Kirei." Siegheart nodded and waved. 

With a deep sigh, Ember made her way up to the Dynamo floor. If she was going to be guild leader, she needed his support. She already had Darius' without him knowing she was now guild leader.  Raising her hand, she knocked on the door.

"I saw you coming," Chocolatte said as she opened the door. She took a quick glance down at Ember's wrists and saw the hint of the cuffs under her sleeves. "I made sure Kirei stayed here."

"She wouldn't tell me why though," Kirei added with a huff. Ember wordlessly entered and took his wrist. "Wha?"

"I need you as Co-leader," Ember replied pushing back the sleeves of her robe to show him the twin cuffs. "Dari and I will need you as impartial if we have a difference in opinion."

"Of course," He ruffled her hair causing her to pull her ears back mildly annoyed. "Does Dar know?"

"Not yet…" Ember sighed. "Not sure how to tell him."

"Don't," Chocolatte said with a sneaky smile. "It'll be more interesting if you don't." Seeing Ember's raised eyebrow she added "I haven't seen it… I just know."

Ember shook her head and closed her eyes. "Time to rearrange the floors…" Below their feet a low rumble grew in volume. The building groaned unhappily about being woken up again to rearrange itself. Chocolatte and Kirei watched at the ancient magic that flowed around Ember. 

Kirei looked out of the window. Darkness, like the middle of the night, lay beyond. He knew they were in a little pocket dimension while they were being moved. When Ember finally opened her eyes, the scenery outside the window gave way to a close-up view of a cherry blossom tree. Petals gently floating in through the window with the breeze.

"Top floor…" Kirei said before sighing. "Longer distance to walk now to get outside." Chocolatte smacked his arm in response.

~~~

Darius straightened up from his position of crouching and holding onto the table. What happened? He hadn't expected the building to shake. Earthquake? He looked up at the clock. Ember isn't here yet… Mild concern ran through him before he shook his head. I haven't done anything for her to avoid me again. Being too distracted with his thoughts, he didn't see or hear the door open.

Ember stood there watching him shake his head. "Headache? Or your instinct bothering you?"

"Neither," He replied and moved to give her a hug. "You're late."

"Sieg needed to see me and I also had to go see Kii…" Ember trailed off feeling him run his hands down her arms. Silence spread when he reached her wrists. 

"What did Sieg need to see you about?" His fingers ran over the bump the cuff made over her skin. He tested both sides and could feel it on both. She should only have one cuff…

"Take a guess…" Ember was smiling wryly. She knew he already guessed but didn't have all the pieces to how.

Darius stepped slightly. His hands still resting on her wrists. "Sieg had the guild leader cuffs. How?"

"Snowbunny passed them to him," Ember sighed letting go of the confidence she was presenting. "Sieg told me Snowbunny went on a journey with Tako. He said he had never been a guild leader before and that he wanted to pass it to me because I use to be Guild Leader of Hope."

"So you accepted and went to Kirei to make him co-leader?" Darius asked. Ember nodded and he sighed. "So that shaking was you." He came closer again and pinched her ear. "So then I get to have a bit of fun with the new guild leader?" He paused looking at Ember's expression. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I'll be a good guild leader," she replied softly. "Hope was a smaller guild in comparison to League. Also strength-wise, we were weaker as well…"

Darius sighed and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You'll do fine."