Inside an immortal cave, two girls sat in a bathtub. One had fox ears and a fluffy tail, while the other had horns and a dragon’s tail. The dragon girl was currently washing the fox girl’s tail with great care. “Nana, I can wash myself…..”

Yuki pursed her lips. While she lost a finger. She took a healing pill to stop the bleeding and closed the wound. When she got back to the sect, Elder Nishikawa was able to purge the poison out of her system but for the thing near her heart, Elder Nishikawa said she had to leave the sect to talk to someone about it. 

But ever since she lost her finger, Nana has been doing everything for her. While she was weak on the way back the poison in her system was no longer there so she could at least wash her body on her own but Nana wasn’t having it.

“I already started so just stay put,” Nana replied as she concentrated on combing her soapy fingers through the now wet fluff.

Yuki turned her head to the side to see Nana’s expression to be soft and warm. She looked like she was really at peace washing her tail. As someone who understood this very much, Yuki decided to let the dragon girl do as she pleased. She turned slightly and leaned against Nana’s chest and closed her eyes.

Yuki did not know why she was so comfortable with Nana. Any time they were together and alone like this she felt at peace. She wondered if it was because Nana knew everything about her. She even knew how many moles she had! 

“I’m sorry….” Nana whispered softly which tickled Yuki’s ear.

Yuki opened her eyes and looked up at Nana who was staring down at her with a confused questioning gaze. “Why are you sorry? It’s not like you did anything wrong.”

“No…. I should have pushed through and made my way to your side. I should have protected you.” Nana replied. She felt it was her fault for not being strong enough to protect Yuki. She had promised herself not to let Yuki suffer anymore and now…. Nana pulled Yuki’s hand which was now missing a pinky to her lips and kissed it gently.

Yuki sighed as she reached up and poked Nana’s cheek. “You are not at fault. I slipped up. So do not blame yourself for this. You have saved me so many times I can’t even make up for it with a single lifetime. I know you care about me and want me to be safe but, I want the same for you. We are the same and not everything will be easy. Our lives are going to be hell. We may even lose a hand or an arm. Maybe a leg. We could even lose our heads if we are not careful. But that does not mean we will not push forward. Our mission is still the same. We will find the people who destroyed our clans save those we can save and move forward from there.

“No matter what, we will have each other to fall back on. My life is yours, as your life is mine. We will protect and help each other.” Yuki smiled as she lowered her hand and placed it on the hand that was holding her injured one. “Together, we will figure things out. Luckily we are not alone and have made friends. Friends we can trust.”

“Mmm…” Nana nodded and leaned down, and pressed her forehead against Yuki’s. The two stared into each other’s eyes without saying a word. But both had eyes that were firm and filled with resolve. After about a minute, Nana finally asked softly. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”

“You can sleep in my bed any time you want.” Yuki chuckled. “I think you have slept in my bed since we got here, so there is no need to ask anymore. If you want to sleep in my bed, just do it.” 

 Nana finally smiled and hugged Yuki for a few seconds before going back to washing her tail. She felt much better now that they had talked. She felt lucky that she had Yuki at her side. She was kind and warm. She never judged her and allowed her to be herself. She was truly thankful to Yuki, who entered her world.

After a long bath, Yuki and Nana dried off and put on nightwear. Nana then proceeded to brush Yuki’s hair and tail so that it would not get all snarled. When she was done, although Nana tried to say no, Yuki polished her scales, making sure they were perfect in every way. This kind of back and forth had become a norm for the two of them. Whether they realized how strange their actions were to those on the outside was another story.

Just as the two were about to go to bed to get a good night’s sleep after the hell they had been through, Elder Nishikawa’s voice sounded out from the front entryway. “Yuki, Nana, come out here I need to talk to you.”

Yuki and Nana both climbed out of bed and walked out to see Elder Nishikawa standing there. “Sorry, I know it’s late, but I need to talk with you two about the thing planted into Yuki’s body.”

Yuki’s eyes narrowed as she nodded. “Then come please sit, Master.” Yuki smiled and motioned for Elder Nishikawa to sit down. It was only some small cushions, but it was all they had.

“I meant to come back sooner but that old bastard wouldn’t let me until he finished talking about his dear wife.” Elder Nishikawa looked exhausted. She took a deep breath and looked at the two girls across from her with a serious expressions. “The thing implanted into Yuki is something called a Demonic Seed.”