Chapter 6

The will of the heart

"To pass this test, you must answer questions of life, your life to be exact, and I'll know if your telling the truth or lying."

"This should be easy then."

"Alright first question: Do you like being with your family other then your friends and foster family on Sauria?"

Kirin froze, he never had been asked this question about his life, if the other questions were going to be like this then Kirin was going to have a hard time answering.

"Yes I do love being with my real family."

"Alright…next question: If you knew Ariaz as your true friend, would you have killed him when he was inhabited by Gray Fang?"

"Nothing can get in my way of evil, yes I would."

"Good…next question: did you mean to yell at your father, and then beg forgiveness from him so quickly, or did you just want it to go away, the pain you felt when he yelled at you?"

"What are you asking?"

"I am saying do you really hate your father?"

"No I love him."

"Are you sure, remember I can tell when someone is lying."

"Fuck! What is he trying to do here? Is he trying to make me remember all the times I felt pain?"

"Answer the question."

"No, I love my father, even if I scream at him or if he angers me right to the core, he's my father, and he would love me no matter what!"

"You speak truthfully about these questions…Alright next question: Your friends, would you hurt them just to stop evil?"

Now this question froze Kirin right down to the bone.

"What? I told him I would kill Ariaz if he was my true friend, now he's asking the same question, how can I answer this?"

"I can't take the whole day child."

"No…I wouldn't hurt my friends, no matter what, they would fight along side me, they always have.

"Your heart is shining the truth, I haven't seen such truthfulness."

"What about Star?"

"She lied once, soI sent her away, she could never obtain my knowledge."

"So how many questions do I have left?"

"One more."

Kirin was ready for this final question, he wait for Kirin to speak.

"Would you throw everything away, your strength, your Soul Edge, your Friends…just to be with Katrina?"

Now Kirin was afraid to speak, his eyes were wide, his pupils dot sized, he was terrified to speak, thinking he might say the wrong answer.

"Damn, he's been planning this from the start, he was just testing me, now he pulled out this question. Damn, I don't know what to say, I love Katrina with my very heart and soul, but I also like my friends, my Soul Edge, even my strength. Damn, how do I answer?"

"The will of the heart can be a cruel thing Child, that is why I made this test, to see if you were indeed the one that deserves to know my knowledge."

"Damn you."

"Now answer the question."

Kirin lowered his head.

"I…I can't."

"Why not?"

"I like the things that I have, but I love Katrina, I can't decide on an answer."

Kirin rubbed his chin, he looked down at Kirin, his tears rolling down his face and onto his chest.

"Child…I must say this was a great time to share…so I shall do what I promised in this challenge."

Kirin was waiting to be sent back to the ship, he couldn't believe he failed in this test, trying his best to reach the shrine.

"I shall pass on my knowledge to you."

Kirin stopped crying and looked up at the vulpine, was he serious? Kirin was going to give his knowledge to him?

"I don't understand… why?"

"You might call this a Trick question, the other questions were just to test you, I wanted to make you feel the light, make sure that you did have a pure heart, Star just answered straight away, answering my question with false words, you however, have shown yourself to be a true pure hearted vulpine."

"That wasn't nice, a trick question."

"I like to toy with other minds."

"I can see that."

The two paused for a moment, then started to burst out in laughter, The fire god never felt this for over ten-thousand years.

"Well Child, I am ready to pass on my knowledge so that I may rest easy."

The fire god held up his paw and touched Kirin on fore-head, images floated inside his head, knowledge of Soul Edge arts, its history, and the History of Cerina, the one thing Kirin wanted to know most.

"I hope my knowledge will be agreat ser, Ack!"

Kirin looked at the Chained god, a knife was shot into his throat, but the knife was different, it radiated an aura that melted the flesh on the dead fire god, but who threw this knife, and why would they kill the god? How did they kill the god?

Kirin turned his head, a figure stood in his presence, holding a white staff, but a mask to hide her face.

"Why did you do that?"

The figure didn't answer, she was silent, like an assassin.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

"Ask Kirin there, he's sure to know."

"You bitch!"

Kirin lunged at the assassin, and the two went tumbling down the stairs, but Kirin remembered the lava flow over the entrance, how did this assassin get through without being affected or burnt?

The assassin launched Kirin off of her and held her staff in combat readied way, Kirin stood up, unaffected by the assault and pulled out the Completed Soul Edge.

"Kirin lived for too long, I was doing the gods a favor, I should have killed you too when I had the chance."

"Kill me? Just who the Fuck are you?"

"Take off my mask and find out for yourself."

Kirin swung his Soul Edge at the assassin, but she was too quick, easily dodging his attacks, but his skill with the Soul Edge and acquired knowledge off its arts made him more relaxed and evasive, no one could struck the other.

"I will kill you for killing Kirin, make sure of that."

"Funny, you'll be telling him how you failed to keep the knowledge for one day!"

The assassin leaped into the air and brought her staff down, but Kirin back flipped onto his paw and spun, kicking the assassin in the face, knocking her away from Kirin.

The assassin quickly got up, Kirin was more flexible now, she had to use a different tactic, then she looked at the poles, thinking of dropping them on top of Kirin, she kicked the two poles to the side of her, having them fall on Kirin. Kirin was crushed under the weight of the Poles.

"I knew it! He wasn't going to keep the knowledge for an hour! Now I'll just take both prizes, the Soul Edge, and the Knowledge that I deserve."

Before the assassin could get close to the rubble, Kirin burst out of his tomb struck the asssassin in the stomach with his fist, he stretched his back then started to walk over to the downed assassin.

"Now lets see who you are."

Kirin reached slowly for the mask, something made his spine shiver at the sight of this assassin, but he had to avenge the death of the fire god.

He removed the mask and placed his paw over his mouth of who was behind the mask, he couldn't believe it.

The masked assassin was none other than Star.

"Star…why?"

Star stood up and glanced at Kirin, resisting the pain that was inflicted upon her body.

"Because the knowledge should have been mine a long time ago, not yours to take!"

"You weren't pure of heart, but still how did you get into the shrine, the sign said that…"

"I know what the sign said, but with this staff I have right here, I can break that rule, and allowed myself to walk right into the Shrine."

Kirin was disgusted with Star, he couldn't believe that she did this, but no matter what, he had to kill her, but before he could even strike her, she swung the head of her staff into his Kirin's jaw, knocking him backwards.

"Seeing how I only need one part of the knowledge, I think I'll take it now!"

Star placed her index finger and her middle finger on the downed Kirin, a part of the knowledge entered up her paw and into her mind, the one piece of knowledge she desired was now her to use: the power of chaos. She never deserved the Knowledge because she couldn't see the light, she wanted the darkness to control, now she had it.

"I only need this to finally take control of the entire Lylat system, and neither you or the an entire army can stop me now!"