Servant

By: OtakuSailorV

Chapter 5: Kitsune's Tail

"We grew up in a village far from here, hidden deep in the mountain valleys." Gin began, closing her silvery eyes slowly as she recalled their tale. "It was a nice little valley, surrounded on all sides by the mountains. It was warm during the days, with cool nights. There were waterfalls, and rivers, glades, and pools of crystal clear water. It was paradise for us, the hidden kitsune tribe. We knew such happiness and peace that we were oblivious to the wars and suffering going on outside of our mountain homes."

Yuhi could picture everything perfectly. She gasped as the pictures came to mind. She had never had such a thing happen to her before. Never before had she been told a story that brought both emotion and pictures with it. Yuhi was nearly overwhelmed by it all, and her eyes were still open!

Kai smirked slightly, her arms crossed, as she watched Yuhi's face. "Yeah, Gin's stories do that to ya." She chuckled slightly, not minding that she had so rudely broken into her sister's story telling. "There's a reason she was chief story teller at the village."

Gin sighed. "Kai, would you please be silent?"

Kai clamped shut immediately, fidgeting in her seat.

"Ah, now, where was I?" Gin tried to recall her place, her silver eyes opening slightly, giving off an eerie effect in the process. "Ah, yes-"

"Kai was one of the leading huntresses, even the men acknowledged her as a good fighter." Kai smirked, reveling in the praise; her purple orbs closed in though. "All the children loved her, as did the rest of the community. Though they respected her as well. Not one of them would challenge her with spite in their voice, and none of them took their defeat without a pleased smile on their face. And Kai was sure to always be gentle, and never to hurt them too badly."

Kai's head jerked up, her face flushed. "That's not true! I fought my hardest against them!" She protested, though her mood and blush gave it away. "Besides, you should move on with the story, I'm not the only one the village loved."

Gin and Yuhi exchanged a glance and giggled at her before Gin continued.

"Yes, Kai was not the only one. I was very much adored as well. Not only for my strange appearance, as it is quite rare for kitsune's to not only be twins, but have silver hair as well, but for my unusual way with words. I was told at a young age that I would make a great story teller, as I could make even the most rambunctious kitsune pup sit still in awe with my stories that were intricately woven with emotion. So when I became old enough, I was appointed chief storyteller of the village. I was to entertain everyone with my stories, and tell all of the past."

Yuhi gave a soft 'wow' as Gin smiled, her eyes still closed and her head upturned, as if she were drinking in sunlight. "Chief storyteller. . .wow. . .your village must really HAVE been in peace. . ." Yuhi smiled softly at them.

Gin and Kai nodded in unison. "It was." Gin sighed. "It was perfect, it was our paradise."

"There was nothing we could have ever wanted more, than for that to continue forever. For our village to stay safe. . .and. . .secret. . ." There was a note of distant sadness in Kai's voice, as if she weren't there in the room with them, but lost in some old memory.

"What. . .happened. . . ?" Yuhi asked tentatively, knowing the outcome though.

Kai growled audibly, and after a moment, her eyes flew open, the purple orbs ablaze with wild emotion. "That bastard Naraku is what happened, that's what!!"

Gin sighed, not opening her eyes, but lowering her head so that her chin touched her chest. "Now, Kai, you don't have to yell-"

"I don't care!" Kai yelled, standing and clenching her fists, her teeth barred. "I hate that bastard! I'll never forgive him!! I'll kill him!! I'll kill him!!!!"

Yuhi was startled, her ears perked up in shock, though she should have been used to the kitsune's flaring anger.

Gin, however, remained calm. "The collar will activate if you keep that up, my sister."

Kai growled, eyeing the gold collar around her neck, or at least trying to. "Feh." She growled, turning so that she faced the wall, crossing her arms, and plopping back down cross-legged. "Just tell her what happened, Gin!"

Yuhi waited as Gin's eyes lingered on her sister briefly before turning back to her, heavy sadness making the silver orbs swirl.

"You would think that the birth of twins would be seen as an omen, a black omen that we should have been destroyed for. But, instead, we brought laughter, happiness even. It's a wonder we weren't killed at birth, but kitsune are not very superstitious to begin with, and we were left to grow and thrive. We were conceived as blessings rather than omens."

"Blessings." Kai growled, interrupting again. "We were blessings?! Tell me what you think was so blessed about us!!"

Gin made no answer, but continued on after the outburst. "And we let everyone think that, though we had no idea what was coming. . ."

Gin dropped off suddenly, and Yuhi fidgeted. "What. . .what was coming. . . ?" She asked softly, leaning forward.

Gin looked to one side, her eyes giving nothing away. Slowly, she took a breath, and smiled happily at Yuhi as she turned her head back toward her. "Isn't it funny, that, when you think of something tragic happening, you immediately think that it was a dark and rainy day?"

Yuhi was confused by the comment, her face blank. Gin continued on, obviously not noticing that her meaning perplexed Yuhi.

"But it was quite sunny and delightful that day. There was not a cloud in the sky, and Kai and I had just gone fishing together."

"It was the first time Gin had been fishing with me in years. She had almost forgotten how." Kai smirked at the memory.

Gin smiled brightly and nodded. "I was confused by it all, and Kai was catching hundreds just with her bare hands."

"Gin managed to catch one, but she was so stunned that she nearly dropped the pole back into the water. I had to help her."

Gin laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "And it was just a little fish too. So tiny. . ."

"Yeah. . ." Kai agreed, her voice tinged with the longing for days gone by.

". . . We were on our way back to the village, laughing because I had slipped into the water after releasing my fish," Gin broke off to laugh again. "And I had pulled Kai in with me, so we were both soaked to the bone."

"Suddenly though, I smelled smoke, and screams echoed throughout the forest." Kai grit her teeth, clenching her fists angrily.

"Kai couldn't contain her anger, and was instantly in her true form, a giant red kitsune with three tails. I ran after her, but wasn't fast enough to keep up with her pace. She told me to stop and turn back, to hide, but I wouldn't listen, I would follow my sister to her death if I had to. It was my village too after all, and I was worried for the children."

"I picked up my pace on purpose when I saw that she wasn't going to stop. I wasn't going to let my sister get hurt fighting, something that she wasn't good at and had barely any experience in." Kai's back was still to Yuhi and Gin. "I reached the village first, and flew into a vicious rage when I saw everything aflame, and my loved ones dead and bleeding at my feet. I think I went mad at that point, for even my eyes seemed to cloud with red as I tore toward the scent of poison and miasma, intent on finding and tearing apart the attacker."

Kai dropped off this time, and Gin didn't pick up after her. Both of the kitsune sisters were silent, as if contemplating what was replaying in their minds.

". . . And I found him, at the center of the village. . ." Kai finally picked it back up, only to drop off again, though the spite was imminent in her words.

"Meanwhile, I had just entered the village, and almost broke-down as I came upon the sight before me. Slaughtered, all of them. Every one of those that I loved and cherished were sprawled throughout the village, dead. Their houses burning to the ground. I searched for living as I also searched for my sister. I have to say that this was the first time I had ever become angry. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I tore past the bodies and burning fire, my mind and body intent on making it to my sister's side no matter what the cost. I came upon her, and our villages attacker, in the middle of our town, the fire blazing in Kai's eyes as she peered at the stranger."

"He wore a baboon pelt, hiding himself from us. Though we could tell he was smirking at the look on our faces." Kai growled. "That bastard Naraku, he killed them all, and stood there, in the middle of it all, loving every moment of it."

"I'm afraid in my rage, and my inexperience with such blinding anger, I allowed myself to transform into my true form." Gin sighed slightly.

"Gin became her lovely, silver, four-tailed kitsune self. Blue fire was bursting from her feet as she growled formidably at Naraku who just cooed at us."

"'You beast, what have you done?!' Kai demanded of him, spitting. 'They got in my way.' He informed us simply. We were furious, and we both jumped toward him at the same time."

"But he dodged, but not without leaving his pelt behind. I had grabbed it in my jaws and was tearing it into shreds as he flew upward into the air, smirking down at us."

"We continued to attack, but to no avail at all. He was toying with us." Gin seethed, apparently her anger rousing as well.

"Finally, he attacked, must have grown weary of dodging around us."

"We were beaten horribly by an attack we could barely see."

"But not before I got planted an attack on him as well. He was feeling the pain at the same time we were. I had just about singed his arm off." Kai gloated, pleased with herself. "He wasn't happy about it though, and tried to crush my skull in return."

"I bit onto what I thought was the wrist of the monster, latching on so hard that I was sure my jaws were set into the arm. He relinquished his hold on Kai immediately and tried to beat me off of him, bringing the arm up into the air and slamming me back down onto the earth."

"I wasn't about to let him hurt Gin though, and I was immediately on my feet and going for his neck, though my senses told me that he was pure poison. I didn't care; I was wild with exertion and mad rage. I would kill myself if it would kill him too."

"While he was distracted with Kai trying to bite his head off, I ran up his other arm and went for the head as well. I was sure that he could not attack us both with so little time."

"But he managed it. The bastard slammed me into the air and then hit Gin before attacking us both with a wave of miasma that nearly choked us."

"Temporarily poisoned, and worn out, we just lay there, expecting him to kill us. I'm not sure what thoughts ran through our minds, or if the anger was still as intent. All I can remember is the pain that seemed to clear my mind briefly of all anger before filling it with terror and such pain that I cannot even begin to explain." Gin shook her head, finally opening her silver eyes, tears glistening in them slightly.

"I don't remember much either. It all hurt so much. But I was still sure that if he got close enough, I could rip him to pieces before I died. Or that at least if I did die, it was in the defense of my comrades." Kai clenched her fist again, this time in determination. "I would gladly have excepted such a death, though I wanted his head more."

"But he did not kill us. He looked down on our beaten and broken bodies and laughed cruelly. 'Fools,' He proclaimed loudly. 'I will not allow you to die. Instead, you will suffer by living helplessly in the castle of the creature you most despise. You will be but humans though, and will forever want revenge, but shall never have it. Though you will be allowed death at this moment if you will tell me what you know of the Shikon no Tama.' He informed us, still smirking as we watched through half-closed eyes."

"I was confused at first. Had he done this to the village because he thought we knew something about some Jewel? Some bauble? He had slaughtered our village for that? My anger was renewed, and I spoke before gin could, my voice hoarse, and blood dripping from my muzzle and mouth, but still I spoke as strongly as ever. 'You bastard, you filth, what in all the hells are you spouting?! We know nothing of your stupid Jewel!! Come down here a bit closer and I'll bite your ugly head off!!!'"

"He only smirked at my sister though. 'You know, though you may be oblivious to it. If you just tell me, I'll give you both the death that you desire.' I was too confused and pained to feel any spark of anger at his words, but Kai seemed to muster enough for both of us. 'I'll tear you to shreds, I'll leave nothing of you behind!! I would never tell you, even if I knew!' She growled angrily at him, blood gurgling out from her jaws as she barred her teeth. 'Death, hah! To die at your hands would be the most degrading, disgusting thing!!' 'Is that how you view those you've lost?' Kai was furious and was about to jump at him, when her weak muscles finally seemed to give out, and she slumped to the ground, though her head was still upturned. 'Damn. . .you. . .' She growled."

Kai growled, remembering all of it, her hackles raising in her effort to keep herself in check. "There was no going on. We were tired from the wild fight, and from blood loss. All we could do was watch as he sneered down at us, creating the golden collars that now hang around our necks from thin air. They immediately fitted around us, causing a painful burning sensation where they met out bloodied fur. We hissed in pain, using what remained of our strength to claw at the collars, but to no avail, they continued to bore into us until we were left in our human forms again, only this time, we appeared totally human."

"We went into shock at that point from all that had happened in so short a time. When we next awoke, we found that we were locked in down here. Kai immediately tried to get out, and that's when we discovered that the collars would not allow us to escape, or attack. We knew from what he had told us before that we would stay down here until we told what we knew of this Jewel."

"But the bastard never came down here, not once. We were totally alone down here until you came along." Kai looked over her shoulder at Yuhi. "So we have no idea what his evil mind is thinking. Maybe he forgot about us. Maybe he thinks we're dead. Who knows? But ever since we woke up down here, we haven't seen him again."

"And that concludes our story." Gin said with a soft smile at Yuhi. "Naraku destroyed the village that we loved so much, that had thought us a blessing, and keeps us down here for what purpose I have yet to hear of."

Kai growled furiously, bending over so that she was huddled against her crossed legs as if he stomach hurt her. "A blessing were we?! A blessing?!" She roared, her red hair appearing to flame out behind her. "That bastard slaughtered them all because he was looking for us!! He had no interest in them, so he killed anyone who stood in his way! We weren't a blessing we were a curse! If we hadn't been born there, they'd still be living peacefully and secure in those mountains!!"

Gin looked over to her sister and saw the small tears that were forming at the corners of her eyes where they were painfully squeezed shut.

Seemingly making a decision then and there, Gin turned back to Yuhi as if she had not witnessed Kai's tears.

"Do you have any questions, Yuhi?"

Yuhi was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. Slowly, she shook her head. "No." The answer was almost a whisper as she clenched her hands in her lap tightly together.

Kai rubbed at her eyes while they talking, ridding herself of the 'foolish' emotions that were clouding her mind before turning around, arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, you had better get back to your 'Naraku-dono'." She scoffed, though she didn't seem to be directing her tone at Yuhi this time. "He might be getting worried about you."

Yuhi smiled sadly at her. "Ok, Kai-san."

Getting up, she bowed to them before leaving, taking extra precaution not to slip on the mossy stone steps.

Kai seemed a bit baffled by the honorific, her arms still folded as she watched Yuhi go.

Gin smiled, deciding to catch her sister off guard with her next comment. "I think she'll be just fine."

Kai came back down to Earth, looking sidelong at her twin before nodding her agreement. "Yeah, she's a good kid. She'll be ok. We don't have to worry about her."

I hope no one became confused during this chapter. It was supposed to be that Kai and Gin were alternating telling the story. I'm pretty sure you can tell which one is Kai and which is Gin if you just go back and re-read after reading this. Gin is more descriptive, especially with emotions, while Kai curses violently and moves the story along faster. So sorry if you guys got confused. I was trying to make it as distinct as possible who was speaking at the time. Sweatdrop

Oh, and thanks for your reviews as always. You make me very happy.

Thanks again. See ya soon!! Ja'ne!

Review please!!