Kitsune no hōyō

Kitsune's embrace.

It was yet another dreary day in the horrible village I was stuck in. For most out of all things I do dislike it here on the coastline of The Hokkaido island-region of Japan. I'd go to Kyoto myself but a journey of that stature could take months. As I headed into the small shop to buy rice, the shopkeeper bowed in greeting. He knew of my higher status. Being that I was the Priestess of the Inari shrine until my father returned from his trip to Kyoto. I was living alone and just needed to buy rice. It was a cheap but staple food for our small community. As I walked out with a sack of it I noticed two fishermen standing with their daily catch of fish, sake. They were talking about strange occurrences lately; a week ago the wife of a farmer had gone insane. She crawled along the ground convinced she was a fox. She overcame the sickness but most of us are worried that the Yōkai were at work in the shadows of our village.

That night I headed back to the shrine. I came to find everything completely destroyed, Urns vases ornaments, just about everything was everywhere. I froze in place as a snake was curled up in the middle of the floor. It unfurled the moment I exhaled and looked up at me. I was frozen. Unsure if it were to attack, it merely stared before I made a mad dash for my lamp. I swung it several times. The coals flying at the snake and burning it as it hissed and slithered off. "That was close..." I huffed to myself before I began to clean up the mess that was made, "What kind of snake could make a mess like this?" I sat up. Annoyed by the stature of this mess when out of nowhere a boy crashed into me and pinned me down by the neck, I struggled violently attempting to break from his grasp until I felt sharp pricks in my skin "Are those claws...?"I thought as I began to panic wildly. Flailing as he grinned mischievously "I got you now Hebi!" I felt a burning sensation as I realized he was about to light me up in flames. "Stop! I'm not a snake demon please!" I pleaded with him. I was not ready to become Yokai-Toast when I had a long life ahead of me. The red haired boy slowly let me go as he looked me over, "Wait wait..." He stood for a few seconds before a grim expression crossed his face, "You're...You're a human?" He blinked, as I stood up. I reached for my lamp as I banged him on the head hard with it, taking advantage of his momentary distraction, knocking him out. He began to snore loudly. "...He still isn't dead? I thought to myself." I Began to drag him outside before he pulled out of my grasp. As I glanced back I went blank with complete confusion, A small red fox sat in his place with a cheesy grin on its face. I noticed that it had 9 tails and all of what just happened finally began to make sense in my head. This wasn't a normal Yokai. I was dealing with one of the most powerful! A kitsune. He must have come for the Inari shrine. I took a few steps back in fear and bowed. The kitsune returned to its normal form and fell over laughing. I looked up seriously annoyed as he began to speak, "Oh you humans are hilarious." he cooed. A stupid smile on his face as I got up, "My names Natsuno by the way." He yawned. I reached for my lamp again but he snatched it away. "Now what's your name?" I blinked several times. He spoke in such an odd manner, I reluctantly complied and spoke my name, "Tumiichi Sorai."(Note in Japan last name comes first before personal name) He nodded seeming serious for the first time, "Nice to meet you Sorai. But I'm going to leave now." He walked off. I walked back into the temple still trying to come to terms with the events that all just took place in one night. As I was setting up my bedmat I heard screaming outside. As I peered out of the doorway to the temple I noticed a large crowd of people gathered around a young man. He was writhing and screaming nonsense. I watched in horror as almost as fast as it started, it stopped. The life in his eyes extinguishing. A samurai shoved his way through the crowd. Prodding the corpse with his katana. as he inhaled deeply. "This man is dead. He died through Yokai possession." a horrible feeling began to take over me as I realized Natsuno had only disappeared shortly before this happened. Was he a dangerous Yokai...?

I reluctantly returned to my hut going to sleep, As I opened my eyes the next morning I rubbed them several times sitting up, Had it all been a dream? I asked myself, dazed. I began to believe it was until I noticed the crimson haired boy sitting in the corner of the room. Nibbling on a piece of fish. "Good morning!" Natsuno cheered to me. I simply gawked for a few moments before realizing that at this point. Anything was possible. I pretended to ignore him as I got up to go cook rice, He began to follow me out of plain curiosity "Helllllloooooo?" he waved his hand infront of me "Earth to Sorai." I continued to cook the rice before I noticed outside that there was a man clad in Samurai armor. I quickly scrambled to place a tea pot over the fire and prepare the small table. It was female etiquette to Welcome a Samurai warmly into her home. As I let him in we both kneeled at the table. I began to pour him a cup of hot tea. He took a sip and began to speak to me. "As you know we've had an outbreak of Yokai possessions." I nodded silently as the Samurai stood up and Unsheathed his Katana. "Under orders of the Dynamo of this Land you are under arrest for Treason against the community, Yokai." I put my hands up, with wide eyes as he dragged me off. I spent that night holed up in a Prison. I knew that I was to be executed publicly tomorrow. I only had a small amount of time left. Oh if only my father was still here. I sat down, there was no use in crying. My life was coming to an end all thanks to that stupid Kitsune. I had begun to close my eyes until I noticed a shadowy figure standing at the foot of my cell. "Well look what the Priestess of Inari got herself into." he smirked deviously as I looked up at him with a death like glare "Maybe if You hadnt had been possessing and killing people I wouldn't have been in here." Natsuno stared at me blankly, "And that Is why i'm here." he held up his hand as a blue flame began to crackle around it. Next thing I knew the bars were simply melting as I stared in awe. I had heard much about Kitsune-Bi, but to see it for myself was amazing. Natsuno extinguished the flame and held out his clawed hand, prompting me as I grabbed it. He picked me up and held me bridal style as I noticed the samurai grabbing his stuff. "I hope you're comfortable." Natsuno smirked as he began to run. Faster than any human ever could, the world around me simply melted to nothing but a blur. We ended up stopping in the middle of a large clearing as Natsuno lowered me. "Your father. Hashirama sent me before he died. As you are the tender to the Inari shrine. It is my duty to protect you. As in also rooting out the evil that strives to kill you." he glanced at the trees. I could hardly believe my eyes as a snake slithered out and through the grass. Turning into a man before my very eyes. He was a Snake demon. It all came clear to me now. The possessions weren't done by a Kitsune. They were done by a Hebi. "Stand back." Natsuno instructed me. Before I knew it he was already gone. Flurries of superhuman kicks and punches being exchanged between the two powerful Yokai, Natsuno stumbled back. Holding his arm where the Hebi-Yokai had bitten him. He was losing to the powerful beast. It dawned to me suddenly that he was the same snake I saw in the temple the day it was destroyed. I quickly ran back to the Shrine, I knew what I had to do. I began tearing through the items that I had assembled. Pulling out my lantern. All I had to do was light it. As I leaned over the fire holding the lamp in the flames I waited for the coals to ignite. Just as they began to glow. I heard a crash. It was the Samurai. He sliced through the thatch and looked at me with a death glare. "You're going to die, Yokai!" He swung his Katana at me. I had to quickly roll to avoid being sliced clean in half, dropping the lamp in the process. He continued to swing at me. I was defenseless, I took a look over at the smoldering flames and ashes as an Idea came to mind. I ran over, picking up the searing coals despite the immense pain it caused me, and I threw them onto the wood. Watching as it burst into flames. I grabbed my lamp and quickly ignited it. Making a mad dash out I kicked the doorway letting flaming debris from the ceiling collapse onto it to bar the Samurai inside, I turned and kept on running,as fast as I possibly could towards Natsuno. When I arrived he was still fighting, but barely hanging on. As he fell backwards I ran up to the Hebi. Throwing the lamp onto him as it exploded into flames. Burning him alive I stood and watched in horror as his body seemingly melted into thousands of snakes and slithered off. The threat was dealt with. I looked at Natsuno. Who was was lying on his back, badly bruised and bleeding somewhat, he didn't look well at all. "Sorai..." he whispered and pulled me over. "What?" I said, tears coming to my eyes as it hurt to see him in the state he was. All of the sudden he grabbed my arm and jerked me down. Bringing his lips to mine for a good bit before I managed to pull away, I had gone from crying to wanting to hit him with my now inconveniently shattered lamp. As I watched him I noticed his body began to heal almost magically. "Huh?" I said out loud in confusion as Natsuno gave me a cheesy grin, "You didn't know that Kitsune feed off of the energy of others?" I shook my head as he asked me that. I only knew about Kitsune from the scrolls. As I turned in the direction of my home, I watched the column of smoke rise above the trees, "Well..My home is gone, What do we do now?" Natsuno rested his hand on my shoulder and smirked "Well...Wanna go to Kyoto?"

--THE END--