The chair was comfy. I could lean all the way back in it. It was a lounge chair, that's what they call them I think. Oddly, I think this was the first time I’d ever been in one.The sun was bright but a large umbrella gave me just enough shade to shield my eyes. In front of me was a long rectangular pool with crystal clear blue waters. Along the side of it were other chairs and umbrellas similar to mine but all were empty. In the pool were two familiar figures. Two sets of ears. Two sets of tails.

Kira and Fenra.

Together.

I watched them play, they seemed totally happy and carefree. I reached by my side and found a drink there. It was orange and red, some kind of fruity tequila mixture. Each sip was glorious. As I drank and I watched. Kira wore a striped yellow matching pair of bikini bottoms and top. Her voluptuous form was on full display under the dazzling sun. She was currently struggling to stay atop a large triangular pool float shaped like a pizza. She was squealing at Fenra to stop, though playfully.

Fenra, my little fox, was evidently much more confident in the water. She was circling Kira like a shark and splashing her from below. Fenra wore a dark blue form fitting one piece that was reminiscent to me of the school uniform swimsuits we’d had as kids in highschool. As she kicked and dove I watched, mesmerized by her skinny yet well muscled form, her pert behind.

God, both of them were just perfect. I took another sip. Bad thoughts, Ryo, bad thoughts.

A loud SPLOOSH echoed throughout the pool zone and suddenly the tranquil scene erupted into chaos. Kira was splashing wildly and I saw Fenra at the edge of the pool, giggling to herself. She did not seem to understand the gravity of the situation and was pointing and laughing, dangling only her legs in the water, a safe distance from the scene. She had already swam to the shore after toppling the cat girl’s float into the water.

“Shit, shit!” I yelled. I realized immediately that Kira was struggling. She couldn’t swim! I dropped my drink. I heard the glass shatter beside the chair. I Ignored it. I stood up and ran to the edge of the pool. I didn’t hesitate, I dove in, ignoring the giggling Fenra and heading straight for the struggling cat spirit. I dove into the water and swam towards her as fast as I could. I hadn’t really done much swimming since highschool but I had been pretty good at it, even placing in a few competitions for front stroke. I thanked god for that at the moment.

I grabbed her and she continued to flail, her large breasts smacking my face from side to side as I held onto her waist and used my legs to kick her up to the surface. In any other circumstance I may have appreciated this particular form of frontal assault… but I was trying desperately to hold my breath and get her to safety. I tried to ignore it as I kicked and kicked, finally stopping when I felt her bump up against the edge of the pool.

I surfaced, helping her grab the ledge and then I hauled myself out. Next I grabbed her by the forearms and helped her onto the concrete of the poolside. She was gasping and spitting water but she was conscious. I gave her head a pet and sat down beside her. “Can you breathe? Did you swallow much water?” She coughed and shook her head, her long wet white hair clung to her shoulders and chest. Big yellow eyes stared up at me and her lip quivered.

“Master! It was so scary!”

A shadow fell over her and I. It was Fenra, her head cocked to one side, staring down at us both. Kira scrambled backwards, sitting beside me and turning her body to face the fox spirit. The cat girl flung her arms around me and buried her face in the crook of my neck.

“She’s coming after me again, stop her master!”

Fenra bowed her head, her hair obscuring her face. A shadow passed over us all then, a cloud blocking the sun.

“I’m sorry master… I didn’t mean…” Fenra whispered. There was something wrong with her voice. Her form. It was bent at an odd angle. And her tone was distorted.

“Liar! She’s got a knife!” Kira screamed.

A knife? I looked to see that in Fenra’s hand was a long curved blade.

It can’t be!

The fox spirit lunged towards us, blade drawn. Her eyes were blood red.

***

I awoke gasping and spluttering. There was drool on my cheek and chin. I looked over to see Hana, similarly passed out, and similarly drooling. I wiped off my chin and blinked. I sniffled. It felt uncomfortably cold in the train’s cabin. I was unsure why they needed to blast the AC at max in these things. It was as though one could live here in the summertime at only two temperatures, totally and unbearably hot outside or freezing cold with AC inside. I reached over and gave Hana’ shoulder a push, then another. Finally she snorted and bolted upright. Awake.

Her laptop began to slide off her lap but she managed to catch it in time.

“Have a good nap?” I smirked. “I thought you were gonna work there.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Hana raised an eyebrow and pointed at my head.

“Yeah, and how about you bed-head? Don’t tell me you didn’t also fall asleep. You look like Einstein at a metal concert.”

I winced a little at that but took the jab in stride. Looking over into the window and checking out my hair I saw she was right, it was going in just about every which way. I tried unsuccessfully to fix it by licking my palm and trying to smooth the errant hairs down but it was no use. I gave up.

“Um, Ryo?” I heard Hana ask softly.

I stopped with the hair fixing and looked over at her. “Yes?”

“Where is Kira?”

No!

I whirled in my seat, searching for the cat girl who just a moment before when I’d dozed off had been right beside me. Hana was already on her feet, packing her laptop into her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder.

“Come on, we’d better search for her. Who knows what trouble she could have already gotten into” Hana said hurriedly as she stepped into the aisle.

“Good morning everyone! Thank you for traveling on the Kujama Express! Our next step in approximately ten minutes will be Okaino. Have a wonderful day!”

“Great. Not only is she on the loose, we only have ten minutes to find her,” I moaned.

“Then better get cracking Ryo.” Hana said, trying to put on a brave face. I could tell, however, she was worried. “You go that way, I’ll go this way. Text me if you find her.”

Before I could agree or disagree, Hana sprinted towards the front of the train. I blinked back the sleep in my eyes, and headed in the other direction.

Goddamnit Kira! Please don’t go too far!

*

I started with the obvious, scanning each and every aisle. Then under the seats. The train was relatively empty so I did not have anyone to ask if they’d seen a busty white-haired girl in a sweater go by. Nor was I sure I wanted to ask that question. If her hat had fallen off and her ears or tail was on display, even less so. As it was I encountered only one or two sleeping seniors and I could not bring myself to wake them up to ask.

After a thorough search of our car, and then the second one. I was getting worried. I pulled out my phone. No texts from Hana and about five minutes had passed. I was running out of time. Inbetween the next two cars was a bathroom which I slid open. Other than a rather pungent perfumey odor (better than the alternative) there was no sign that anyone had been in there recently. The next car, the door would not slide open. I pulled and pulled and it remained shut.

I looked through the circular window. It was dimly lit but it did not appear to be a normal seating area. There was what looked like an old wooden bar and countertop and a few stools sat in front of it. Ah! The snack car! I looked down at the useless handle. Beside it was a big blue button that automatically opened the door for handicapped patrons. I pressed it. Nothing happened at first and then I heard a beep. It slid open slowly, haltingly, eventually reaching the other side and snapping fully open. I entered. It was dark and kind of eerie. Only low emergency lighting was on in strips along the ceiling and the sides of the floor. I instinctively raised my fists, something was off.

I felt an energy. A powerful energy. There was darkness… was it… perhaps… a demon?

MEOW!

“Kira!?” I called.

Following her cry I heard crashing, banging and the sounds of many thuds as if various projectiles were hitting the ground at a rapid rate. I looked around for the source and saw that above the bar, a large cupboard hung open, various bags and boxes and bars of chips, cookies and snacks were free-falling onto the ground. I ran up to the counter, and with an agility I did not know I possessed, hurdled over it and onto the other side. I fully expected to encounter Kira, locked into a struggle with the summoner himself… perhaps she had even been captured!

I will show him!

But I was wrong. Below me, Kira was quite alone. She was surrounded with… snacks? And not just those that had fallen from the cupboard above. She appeared to have been there for quite some time. All of the cupboard doors along the interior of the wooden bar were in-fact open and she was already covered in crumbs. She blinked up at me sheepishly. Then she chewed, and swallowed, a crinkling sound led my eyes down to her waist where she folded up a packet of cookies and then attempted to hide the evidence behind her backside.

“Um.. master. I’m sorry. I got hungry…”

I shook my head in disbelief in both the mess she had created and the adorableness of the sight below. Kira’s hat had been lost in the melee and her fluffy ears were free, her tail wagging beneath her. She licked her lips and stood up from the pile of snacks, dusting herself off. Her sweater (Hana’s sweater) was covered with chocolate stains.

Great. Way to hide the evidence of your crime! It’s all over you.

“Are we there yet!?” She asked perkily.

I checked my watch.

Two minutes.

“Almost.” I texted Hana to get off at the next stop and that I’d found Kira.

Shit, we have no time to clean this.

I was trying to think fast. The number one priority was getting off the train and hiding Kira’s mess. Priority number two was hiding her ears and tial once more. I looked for anything to help me and found a train attendant’s uniform in one of the cupboards behind the bar. I looked between Kira and the uniform.

“Quick, take your clothes off!”

The girl blushed and covered her chest.

“Master! You pervert-”

I groaned and grabbed the uniform.

“ Not like that! I’m not going to watch, just put this on! We have to get out of here fast, and we can't leave her with you looking like that. They’ll know right away it was you who made this mess!”

I turned around as Kira fumbled with the uniform. I checked the watch. One minute.

“Um… Kira, do you need help?”

A pause. Then a shy voice:

“Yes.. please.”

Just don’t look. Just don’t stare. You can do this.

I turned back around.