Chapter Text
Kyojuro sighed for the twentieth time today, many spirits (both male and female) had visited the powerful fox spirit, in hopes to become his mate and carry his pups, no matter what gender his chosen mate was. Kyojuro loved his job but the part of having to choose a mate was rather taxing.
Originally the Rengoku clan was not the guardians of the mountain
Many years ago, it was the clan called the Kamado’s that were the guardians. They were powerful wolf spirits with a strong nose. Because of this ability they were able to smell intruders and enemies miles and miles away. The Rengoku’s were their allies and long time clan friends. It wasn’t until a group of enemy spirits appeared had marked the end of the Kamado’s. The wolf clan did their best to allow all of their friends to escape, even the Rengoku’s were forced to retreat and were given the task to watch over the mountain. Everyone accepted the Rengoku as their new mountain guardians.
“Kyojuro, that’s the 500th spirit you denied as your bride,” Shinjuro was getting annoyed with his eldest.
“Father, I do not wish to marry someone I am not compatible with,” Kyojuro’s core did not burn hotly any time he met a spirit he was to be partnered up with.
The eldest fox spirit sighed, Shinjuro was lucky to have found his own mate: Ruka. He was out during his strolls and found the beautiful female fox spirit sitting on the forest floor and surrounded by deers and a few birds. Shinjuro had told both his sons about how his core burned hotly the moment he laid eyes on their mother. Kyojuro longed for such a connection.
“The elders aren’t too happy that you are prolonging your marriage. Sooner or later, they will have to force you to mate with someone. Compatibility or not.”
Kyojuro sighed and his ears flattened. He did not wish for an unhappy life for his future pups, even if his spouse would be the only one happy.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
“Be back before dinner, your mother will be making your favorite.”
Kyojuro’s ears perked right back up and all of his eight tails wagged happily, making Shinjuro laugh and pet his son’s head.
*****
Kyojuro did have enough time, so shifting into his fox form allowed him to leap through the mountains. He was powerful enough with his eight tails, but his ninth tail wouldn’t appear until he had taken a bride. The fox would stop from time to time, watching a herd of deer eat, or a mother bear and her two cubs walk by the river. Kyojuro decided to take a quick nap before heading back home. He jumped up onto a boulder and curled up into a ball.
*****
Kyojuro’s ears twitched as a faint sound was heard. His head perked up and his ears twitched again.
Jingle
Jingle
“Bells?” Unlike the Kamado clan, the Rengoku’s were not blessed with an enhanced nose. Still they could hear and smell better than the other spirits that lived in their mountains.
The sound of bells had made him curious and quickly ran to the source. He gasped at the feel of the fire that roared. His affinity to flames had allowed him not to be harmed by any shape of fire. Still it tickled him and he felt his core starting to flicker to life. The flames were in a circle, spread out a few feet apart from each other. In the shadows, Kyojuro lurked and allowed his eyes to spot the one responsible for the bells. His eyes widened at the sight before him. There was someone in the middle of the circle doing some sort of dance barefooted. The figure was wearing white pants and a top that had the designs of flames on it. Covering the person’s face was a white cloth with the kanji for “Sun” written on it and was attached to a dark red headband. The person was wielding a branch that had six spikes attached to the side and attached to the bottom of the branch were the bells that Kyojuro had heard.
The person was moving gracefully as they danced on the ground that wasn’t covered by snow. Kyojuro was entranced by the person’s moves. He could smell the scent of the person through the scent of ashes that the fires were giving off. As the person had finished their dance, Kyojuro felt his core roar. His eyes could tell that the dancer was small and curvy, thus concluding them to be female. He wanted to get closer to this person, the one who had made his core roar to life. Before he could call out to them and shift into his half-human and half-fox form, the person was called inside.
Tanjiro
That was the person’s name
Kyojuro noticed that this person did not smell entirely human. There was a smell that was vaguely unfamiliar to him. Kyojuro knew he could not linger anymore and had to go home. He took one last look at the empty circle and quickly ran back home.
*****
“Aniue, there you are!” A fox, much smaller than Kyojuro, quickly ran up to him. Fix tails wagged happily. “I was just about to look for you.”
Kyojuro smiled and nuzzled his younger brother’s face. “I apologize for worrying you, Senjuro. But I am home now!”
Both brothers shifted into their human-like forms and walked hand in hand home.
*****
Kyojuro found himself unable to sleep. The images of this Tanjiro replayed over and over in his mind. The dance this person did had set his heart ablaze. Their unique scent enticed him. Getting up, he quietly dressed up and managed to sneak out. In his fox form, he was able to sneak past a lot of people and run down the mountains. He grinned as he finally reached his destination, as he was about to emerge from the shadows, the shoji door slid open.
While it was dark, Kyojuro was still able to faintly see the person but the scent was one he had come to recognize. He waited until he saw the person light up the lantern and smile in their direction.
“I know you're there,” Tanjiro’s gentle voice called out, “I’m the only one awake right now.”
Kyojuro took a few steps forward and gasped as he saw Tanjiro. She was wearing a burgundy kimono with a green and black checkered haori over it. Her smile made his heart flutter.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, god of the mountains.” Tanjiro got up and set a plate down on the ground that wasn’t covered by snow. “Please accept this humble offering.”
It was a plate of sweet potatoes, he could see the smell that they were still warm. He sat in front of the plate and took a few bites of the sweet potatoes.
“Delicious!” And then hungrily chowed down. “How did you know that I liked sweet potatoes,” his tongue licked his muzzle.
“My father had told stories about how the Rengoku clan was fond of sweet potatoes.”
Kyojuro was amazed that this person knew of his clan. This information made him weary but his heart told him that she would not harm him.
“Humans normally don’t live this close.”
The redhead giggled, “Yes they don’t. My family isn’t like most humans.” Her red eyes glowed in the dark.
“How did you know that I was here?”
Tanjiro tapped her nose, “I was told that I have a very strong sense of smell. Unfortunately I am the only one in my family to have it.”
“You have siblings?”
She nodded happily, “I am the eldest daughter! My sister Nezuko is the second eldest daughter, Takeo is the eldest son. While Hanako, Shigeru, and Rokuta are the youngest.”
“My that’s quite the family. I myself am the eldest son.” Kyojuro picked the empty plate with his mouth and trotted towards the young woman. The moment she reached for the plate, he quickly transformed into his half human form.
Tanjiro looked up and gasped. Her own glowing red eyes stared into his glowing red and yellow eyes.
“Why,” he placed a gentle hand on her face, “why is it that you set my heart ablaze. How is it that you make my core roar to life my dear girl?”
Tanjiro blushed, “I do not know myself, dear guardian of the mountain.”
Kyojuro purred at her words. The fox spirit leaned over and nuzzled her neck. The young woman moaned as the blonde nipped and licked her neck. Kyojuro felt himself getting hotter, his body temperature was rising than normal, as if he was being enveloped by the sun itself.
“Tanjiro,” the fox spirit purred, “be mine,” he cupped her face and kissed her.
Tanjiro felt herself getting lost in his scent and warmth. Despite having just met the guardian of the mountains, she felt safe in his arms. As soon as his lips made contact with her own, Tanjiro surrendered herself to him. Her own heart and core telling her that this man would keep her safe. Kyojuro would make her happy and that she belonged to him.
“Aniue?” A soft voice broke through the trees. Kyojuro looked over and spotted Senjuro in his fox form.
“I have to go now love,” Tanjiro gasped as she felt her neck hot. Kyojuro licked the area to cool off the imprint. “Now no one will have a chance to claim you,” he gave a small loving kiss before transforming into his fox form and running towards his brother.
Tanjiro watched as both foxes disappeared into the dark woods. Her hand touched the flame like tattoo on her neck, as she moved her hand away the mark itself disappeared.
*****
“Aniue, who was that woman you were with?”
Kyojuro grinned at his brother, “That is the woman who is going to be my bride!”
“But the council won’t like that you chose a human,” Senjuro’s ears lowered. He did want his brother to be happy but also didn’t want him to get hurt.
“Well it’s too late for that, I’ve already imprinted on her.” His heart fluttered at the memory of leaving his imprint on her. It would ward any suitors that would try to claim her. “Mother will be happy for me, father will probably be displeased.”
“The only thing that matters is that you're happy! I’ll be sure to keep this a secret.”
Kyojuro playfully nipped his brother’s ear, “Thank you Senjuro!”
*****
It almost became a nightly thing for Kyojuro to visit his beloved Tanjiro. He was always greeted with a warm plate of sweet potatoes. Sometimes Tanjiro would blushingly feed him sweet potatoes. He enjoyed their nightly talks and her company in general. There were times he could feel her emotions, it was because of his imprint that there had been a small link between them. Kyojuro felt himself feeding off of her emotions, especially her happiness. It lit a fire inside of him, one of which he had never felt before. The link itself was only one way but Kyojuro knew that whenever he felt happy, Tanjiro also felt happy as well.
The fox spirit liked the way she would brush his hair but always avoided his ears.
“You know,” his eyes glowing up at her, “you can pet my ears if you like.”
She blushed, “Are you sure?”
“Positive!” The moment a gentle hand stroked his ear, Kyojuro was done for. His tails were swaying lazily and purred in contentment. “You smell divine my dear.”
“It’s because Kyojuro smells happy.”
The fox spirit nuzzled her stomach, he inwardly purred to smell that she was completely untouched. That her womb had not been tainted with another man’s seed. Still there was the unique scent that made its way to his nose. He slightly looked up and noticed her eyes were closed but still stroked his head lazily. Kyojuro smelled like she was hiding something from him and was curious to know what it was. Despite the shoji door being closed, he could smell that inside of the house. It smelt like the home of a spirit, but it was something that Kyojuro was not familiar with.
“Tanjiro…” Before Kyojuro could say another word, he felt the woman shiver, and it wasn’t because of the cold. Immediately Kyojuro got up and stood in a protective stance in front of Tanjiro.
Anger
The smell of anger wafted in the air.
“So this is where you’ve been, Kyojuro.” Stepping out of the shadows was his father. “Mingling with a human!”
“Father, what are you doing here?”
Shinjuro looked over his shoulder and snarled. “I should be asking you this. What are you doing with a human Kyojuro?”
“Why does it matter, I love her!”
Within a blink of an eye, Shinjuro held Tanjiro by her neck, making the young girl squirm.
“Humans are fragile Kyojuro! They die so easily.”
“Let her go!” Kyojuro tackled his father, making the elder spirit let go of the young girl. “Don’t you ever touch her.” He furiously began attacking his sire.
Shinjuro managed to knock his eldest son off of him. “What do you think you’re doing boy?! Do you know what you've done?” Shinjuro picked up his son by the back of his kimono. “The council will have to decide your fate.” A vortex of flames appeared and covered the two fox spirits, once the flames disappeared so did the father and son.
Little did they know that a pair of glowing yellow eyes had been keeping an eye on both Tanjiro and Kyojuro. A pair of fangs glimmered in the little moonlight and the figure disappeared into the shadows.