You found me alone in the den, dying, but wait, I have no idea why I have this stupid notion to tell you this, maybe it is because you remind me of my younger self, a stupid, rash Vulpix in some dumb quest for freedom.
I could see that you are offended at my comments, but at the same time, curious at how I knew that you were questing for freedom.
Oh, didn't I mention it, kit? I had done that years ago. A young Vulpix, bored with the life at home, tired of the iron leash that his parents kept on him and finally, decided to try and seek for freedom.
And now, the same thing is happening to you just as it had happened to me. So, listen carefully, naïve one, or I will kill you.
I could see the skepticism in your eyes at the absurd thought of me killing you.
Well, you are right, I could hardly move my body and my flame is dying, how could I possibly kill you? But for your own sake, you had better listen, I am going to give you a piece of advice.
Stop that idiotic quest.
Stop it.
It won't have any nice result.
You protested, saying that I said that because I wanted you to go home.
For goodness sake, why the hell would I do that!
I don't care about you going home, I don't even know you!
I am only telling you this because I don't want somebody making the same mistake I did.
Freedom.
Have you even heard such a word with its meaning as existent as magic?
I could see your indignant look at this, but shut up, kit, let me talk finish.
There is no such thing as freedom.
In fact, I wonder why beings even bother to invent this word at all.
Is it because of their mis-conception?
Or is it because of some desperate hope?
I have no idea, but I don't care.
What I wanted to inform you is that nobody is ever truly free.
A mate has her family to look after.
An alpha has his pack to rule.
A fighter has his beloved to defend.
You are asking me why I am telling you all these examples? Am I any of those?
Oh no, of course not. Do I look like somebody who has a mate? Do I look like an alpha? And how could a weak old Ninetales ever be a fighter?
I am just a poor lonely hermit living on this mountain, with no family and no possessions.
I could see the look in your eyes, thinking that I seemed freer than anybody, with no family burdens, no possessions and no entanglements with anybody.
Well, kit, you have much to learn.
Much as I don't have any of those, I still have the thrice accursed life you see.
I am still breathing right now.
I am still in the clutches of it.
I had once seen a Rattata caught by a Persian. It was obvious from the start that the Rattata would die, but still it continued to struggle. It did not seem to care that one of limbs had been torn off during the struggle, it just tried to cling on to life.
It is amazing how hard living beings fight to live. Absolutely fascinating.
You are probably thinking that I am half insane right now and considering the prospects of abandoning me here. But listen to my last speech before you leave me. It is the dying wish of an old helpless Ninetales, your parents would be ashamed if they knew that their kit had abandoned somebody at their dying moments.
You sighed.
I cackled.
Looks like that I had struck a point.
Let me warn you one last time, stop this foolish quest of yours.
There is no such thing as freedom.
No such thing of freedom when you are alive, when you fear for your life.
No such thing.
Unless you do not fear death.
However, I could see that you fear death, it is obvious that a young kit like you will fear it, after all, even the greatest of all alphas fear it.
I could see your incredulous look, but still, you asked me what will happen if you grew to stop fearing death, your curiosity is roused by my speech.
Kit, I doubt that there is any human beings, any animals, any living beings that truly do not fear death.
Each of us will still have something we longed for in life, something that we fear will be gone once we died.
That's why, I say, there is no such thing as freedom.
You told me to keep quiet, asking if there was anything that you could do to save my life, trying to stop me from dampening your thoughts.
Nothing, there is nothing you could do, my thousand years are almost up.
Anyway, even if you don't fear life, there are plenty other things for you to fear. Trainers, mind-addled pokemon, big nasty monsters racing about in human cities and many others. There is no end to the list.
You looked at me uncertainly, a hint of doubt in your eyes.
Good, be uncertain and go back home to your pampered den. You have no idea what's out in this cruel world.
Go back home and stop this useless quest of yours, little one.
You bristled at my 'little one'.
You sure get offended easily, I smiled wryly.
You then said accusingly that even I would be if I was called a 'little one'.
But aren't you a 'little one', little one?
You boasted, saying that you were a big brother to your little sister.
If you are a big brother to that sister of yours, I am her great-great-great-great grandfather, I have lived nine-hundred-ninety-nine years as Ninetales and thirty-seven years as a Vulpix, compared to me, you are nothing than a baby.
I smiled as you lower your eyes.
I am glad that you see sense, now go back to your sheltered den, you are too weak to be in this world.
Once again, you got offended.
I sighed.
Go away, I am sick of babies who got offended easily. Leave old Kurso alone to die.
You gulped and went pale in terror.
Interesting, I never thought Vulpix could go white.
I heard you squeak out in tones that I could barely hear, asking me if I am that Kurso who ran away at the age of five, cam back ten years later to become a killing machine, then ran away again but came back another five years later to bring a human to capture his very own kin.
I was annoyed at the kit's obvious stupidity.
Do you know any other Ninetales or Vulpix with my name?
I answered my own question, I doubt you will, I bet that my name is now a curse within all the Ninetales and Vulpix.
Your eyes widen in fright.
I smiled inwardly.
To think that even an old dying Ninetales like me could frighten somebody with just my reputation.
I wondered what will happen if I do something threathening, and before I could control myself…
I snarled at the Vulpix and was rewarded with the sight of a six-tailed red fox running helter-skelter away from me.
Well, well, well, I bet that foolish kit would now run back to his den.
I was relieved, it was as if an invisible burden was lifted off my shoulders.
I sighed, it was getting boring again.
That was the third visitor I ever had since I came to this den, it was boring living by myself.
All the same activities everyday, all the same things happening, it was just plain boring.
But, at least the god had sent me somebody to liven things up in my dying moments, even though he ran away before I died.
Why did the god sent somebody so flighty?
I can't even have a good talk with him, I can't even complain to him!
Instead, I have to give that guy advice.
What in the world is the god doing?
I sighed.
Gods are always tricky to fathom.
And it seemed that now that kit had left, my duty was done and I felt my strength fleeing from me, my flame dwindling.
I had played my last part in this world and it was time to say goodbye.
Goodbye world.
It seemed that I had about reached my thousandth birthday.
One last thing.
Good luck, kit.
However unlikely it is…