Weeks passed, and life went on. She had left the lights of Ionia far behind her.
A few short hours ago, she had come across an old, dilapidated house out in the countryside, perched atop a tall cliff with a waterfall spilling down the side. It seemed forgotten by time, nearly overgrown by vines.
The lone occupant, an aging man, had been easy prey.
Now, driving wind and rain crashed against the walls of tiny house, threatening to send its walls toppling. Wind howled and tore at the trees, and sent leaves whirling through the air like blades.
Ahri couldn't shake the sense that she was in danger here, but she dared not leave until the storm had passed.
She lit a lantern and set her dagger on an end table near the old couch and threw herself heavily onto it, sinking into the soft cushions and watching the rain dash itself against a window pane. Thunder cracked and lightning splitting the murky, green-grey sky.
She clasped her hands together as if she were praying to keep them from trembling.
She stayed there for what seemed like ages, scarcely able to move. The man that lived in this house alone, her last victim . . . It had been hard. So hard. She had hesitated, knife in hand. The man had begged, down on his knees, for his life.
That had only made it worse.
Eyes screwed shut, screaming to block out his pleas, she had plunged the dagger into his heart. And now, she was held captive by the storm in a house that hung heavy with the smell of blood and death. It was nearly too much to bear.
A single tear rolled down Ahri's cheek. Nothing could be worth the pain she felt. She didn't know why she regretted killing the man. In her head, it made as much sense as it always had. But her heart was wracked with pain for seemingly no reason at all.
And recently, she had been having nightmares about what she had let herself become the night of The Festival, a slavering, bloodthirsty beast, killing everyone in sight.
What was happening to her? She knew not.
What she did know however, was that she couldn't bring herself to kill again, even if it meant not ever being human.
That was it then. She would be forever cursed to inhabit a body that was not human, nor fox; it was a form that inspired fear.
She buried her head in her hands. She wished someone would help her, tell her what to do.
Slow, measured footsteps sounded on the wooden porch outside, snapping her out of her-self pity. She warily eyed the door, heart pounding in her ears as her fight or flight instincts kicked in. Slowly, the doorknob began to turn with a squeak of rusty old metal. That was impossible though, she was sure she had locked it.
The door swung open quickly, and a single figure strode in. Wind from the squall outside tore through the room, blowing out the lantern and ruffling Ahri's clothes and hair.
It was a woman, no larger than Ahri herself, dressed from head to toe in strange jade green armor. The lower part of her face was completely covered by a mask so that only her eyes and brow were visible. Through the dim grey light streaming in through the windows, Ahri noted the metallic glint of two wicked, sickle-like blades attached to her back. She gripped the hilt of one of them in her right hand as she strode over to Ahri, but did not draw it.
Ahri raised her hand and a flickering cyan ember flashed to life above her open palm. "One more step and you will be little more than a pile of bones and ashes."
The ominous figure halted her advance. "I would advise you to put out your flame, little fox," She said in a strangely melodious, yet serious, lilt that lacked any sort of mirth. "I've been looking for you for a long time."
Whoever this woman was, Ahri was in no mood to deal with her. "Lucky me." Ahri said sharply. "Now leave, or you will sincerely regret it."
"You will find that attacking me will have a . . . less than favorable outcome."
"Don't be so sure. " Ahri retorted, unfazed. "I've learned a thing or two about fighting. Now I'm not going to ask again. Leave or die."
"I am afraid I cannot, Ahri. But that's not really your name, is it?"
Her curiosity piqued, she put out the glowing flame. "It's the only name I have ever known."
"If I am not mistaken, the true Ahri lies in a cemetery in the capital. Another of your victims, I'm sure."
"So you've seen her grave and you know I took her name," Ahri replied, tossing her head. "Is that a crime?"
"Do not insult my intelligence. I know what you've done, you butcher. Did any of those men you killed and robbed deserve to die? Did that old woman whose name you stole, who sheltered you, deserve to die?"
"I didn't intend to harm her, she-" Ahri stammered.
"What you intended and did not intend are none of my concern," the masked woman said coldly. "You've preyed on the weak and innocent for long enough."
"You don't know why I've done what I've done. You don't know my reasons."
"Nor do I care. Nothing you could say could possibly justify your actions."
Who was this woman to tell her that?
And why was she right?
" Wherever you tread, chaos and death follow. Your mere existence upsets the world's natural balance, and I, Akali of the Kinkou, have been sent to rectify the problem."
Ahri fumed. She was angry at this woman for hurling accusations at her, angry at herself for what she had done in the past.
"I don't think I've ever met someone who says so little with so many words." Ahri said, temper flaring. "If you're here to kill me, you should just say so."
The masked woman ignored the insult.
"How can you be so complacent after all you've done? Those people had wives, children; all lives that you've ruined!
"You condemn what you do not understand," Ahri said quietly. "And you refuse to hear me out. I suppose it has to be this way, then. Goodbye, Akali of the Kinkou."
In a flash, Ahri snatched up the dagger that had been lying on the end table and slashed wildly at the other woman, who drew one of her blades with an almost inhuman speed and parried it effortlessly, but Ahri did not let up. She threw herself into the assault, raining blows on her with savage fervor.
The woman was forced back step by step as she parried Ahri's flurry of dagger swipes. Ahri grinned inwardly. This would be a simple affair.
Then all at once, the woman feinted as Ahri lunged for her heart and clasped Ahri's wrist in a vise-like grip. She wrenched it around, causing Ahri to cry out in pain and drop the blade. She roughly shoved Ahri backward, sending her stumbling.
"It would be unwise to continue fighting," The woman was saying.
Ahri said nothing. Shaken but still unafraid, she snapped her fingers and a new ball of fire flickered to life with a dull whump. In a blur, she threw the fireball at the figure. It exploded dead center in her chest, only succeeding in jarring her slightly. Some of her clothing caught fire, but she did not seem to notice.
"Make your peace with whatever gods you worship, monster."
Akali lunged at Ahri, seeking to cut her throat with one of her kama and end the engagement quickly. But the girl spun to one side, the blade whipping harmlessly past. She raised her palm and propelled yet another ball of ghostly blue fire at her armored opponent.
She might as well have hit her with a pillow, for all the good it did.
"Pathetic. You can cast spells well, but they have no bite. It would seem you are out of options, Ahri." Akali said in an even voice. Her mask betrayed no hint of emotion.
The woman came at her again, this time brandishing both blades. She swung them in an X shape, hoping to turn her chest to ribbons. She would have succeeded had Ahri not stepped nimbly backwards. As she came at her again, Ahri delivered a series of quick kicks to his knees before delivering a powerful kick to her stomach, causing her to double over. Ahri raised her hand again and sent another gout of cyan flames into her face. She staggered backwards once more, but seemed otherwise unperturbed.
What does it take to kill you? Ahri thought to herself. If I can't do something soon-
Ahri's thoughts were cut short as her heel met the solid wood of the wall behind her. Her blood turned to ice water. Nowhere left to run.
The woman called Akali sheathed her weapons.
Ahri seized her chance. With a desperate cry, she raised both hands and summoned more fireballs that began swirling about her.
Quick as lightning, Akali's hand clamped around her throat, choking Ahri and causing the embers that danced around her to flicker out immediately. Ahri's hands flew to her neck, but Akali's grip was like iron.
Ahri struggled for breath as Akali effortlessly lifted the fox girl off the ground with her right hand and drew one of her blades with her left. Ahri was horrified and awed all at once. How could this woman who was no larger than she be this powerful? There was obviously more to her than appearances suggested.
Ahri's eyes widened in fear as Akali raised the blade of her Kama to her throat. In a desperate attempt to save herself, Ahri lashed out with a savage kick to Akali's chest, and rained blows on her with her left arm.
Her final assault seemed to irritate the woman, but little more. She lowered the arm that clutched the blade, and for an instant Ahri hoped she would release her.
She was partially right.
With a shout, the ninja hurled her through a nearby window. She sailed through it and into the storm outside.
Her head hit the wet ground with a dull thump, and pain raced through her skull like bolts of lightning, her arms and face covered with numerous streaming cuts from the broken glass. The pelting of icy rain on her face was all that kept her conscious.
She sat up slowly. She was dizzy, and found it hard to concentrate, but she tried to make out her surroundings anyway. She was some distance from the house, and behind her was the waterfall she had seen earlier. She had her back up against the wall again, figuratively, of course. She groaned. There would be no running, even if she wanted to.
She watched Akali stride slowly over to her with vision that blurred at the edges, rain dripping from her green armor in torrents.
She tried to stand, only to fall back down to her knees.
"Such fight in you." Akali remarked. "The cornered animal fights the fiercest, I suppose."
"I am not an animal!" Ahri hissed through gritted teeth. She struggled to her feet once more. "I . . . am . . . human!" She cried.
Akali shook her head. "What true human slaughters her own kind for her own self-gain? No, you do not deserve to count yourself among us. Now give up. Your fight is finished."
"Not yet it isn't." Ahri said as she raised her palm again. This time, a large ball of surging blue energy coalesced, bobbing above her hand.
With a shout, she charged at Akali, commanding the ball to lash out at her as she did. It clipped her on the shoulder, causing her to stagger. Ahri followed up with a desperate, vicious blow across Akali's jaw that left her knuckles streaming blood. With savage fury, Ahri mentally commanded the ball to come back to her. It slammed into the small of Akali's back, causing her to cry out and sink to her knees. As Ahri pulled back her arm for another blow, Akali calmly caught Ahri's fist in her own and shoved the fox girl away. As she stumbled backwards, a stone turned underfoot, sending her crashing to the ground.
Ahri snarled and jumped to her feet once more, and gathering her composure, she made ready to defend herself. But Akali made no move to attack. Rather, she threw a small metal sphere at the ground near her feet. It exploded with a dull crack and smoke began hissing out of its broken shell, blossoming around the two women.
Before long, Ahri couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She looked around frantically, trying to spot her opponent.
"Coward! Show yourself!" Ahri called out into the cloud. "So much for 'restoring the balance'."
As if in response to her mocking comment, something impacted heavily in the middle of Ahri's back, causing her to fall to her knees with a cry. Before she could stand again, Akali maneuvered in front of Ahri and lashed out with a kick that caught her under the chin. The girl flew backwards several feet out of the smoke cloud, landing at the very edge of the cliff, tails trailing behind. Ahri peered out over the edge at the pool of water fed by the waterfall some 100 feet down. It wouldn't be fun to fall.
Ahri coughed and spat blood onto the ground as she stood again.
"Just don't know when to quit, do you?" Akali inquired, moving out of the cloud, wisps of white smoke still clinging to her.
"Just not in my nature," Ahri said as she wiped blood from her lips with the back of her hand.
"I admire your courage. And your fighting prowess is worthy of a ninja. It's too bad I have to kill you ."
"Thanks."
"I don't suppose you'll make this easier on yourself and submit to your fate now?"
Ahri shook her head. "I've done too much, come too far to give up now. Sorry to disappoint."
"Very well. Have it your way."
She slashed at her with her Kama again, forcing Ahri back. She managed to avoid each swipe by a hair's breadth, but she was tiring quickly, and she heard the roar of the waterfall grow steadily louder with each step. She was running out of space in which to maneuver.
Triumph shone in Akali's eyes. She had Ahri on the ropes, and she knew it. But Ahri wasn't about to make this easy. But what could she do?
Something familiar at the back of her mind called to her then. Not with a voice, but something she could only describe as a sort of influence that encouraged her to focus on it. Gritting her teeth with a focus that brought tears to her eyes, she delved into the deepest corner of her mind. It is there that she found the very source of her magic. It was a curious thing, almost a second consciousness in itself. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew was the spark of her magic and she could feel it continuously generating energy.
She willed it to come forth.
She rose off the ground slowly, as much to Akali's surprise as her own. She let the magic take control, and like a gust of wind, she flew through the air towards Akali.
As she tore through the air, Ahri fired off several bolts of crackling blue energy towards Akali. She unflinchingly brought her blades up and slashed them through, causing them to dissipate in a shower of sparks, escaping unscathed.
"My, you're full of surprises aren't you? But you'll have to do better than that!" Akali taunted with a laugh.
More furious now, Ahri dashed forward a second time, and again her essence bolts were deflected. Akali laughed at the futility of her assault.
"How?" Ahri cried, teeth bared in frustration. "How can you be so much stronger than me?"
"Doesn't feel good to know that no matter what you do, death will come for you, does it? I imagine that fear is what your victims felt before you ruthlessly cut them down."
"Don't you lecture me about fear!" Ahri yelled, pointing at the green clad woman. "I have lived in constant fear for months now. I know it better than you ever will!"
She spiraled again through the air towards Akali, cracking off magic along the way. Akali held her ground, and as Ahri blazed past, she shot a hand out and caught the other woman about the throat.
"Your running and dashing tactics are amusing to watch, but none can match the speed of a ninja. Now . . .submit!"
She threw the Ahri high into the air, and stepped back to watch her crash into the rain-slicked rock at her feet. Ahri groaned and shuddered in pain. Akali placed a boot on her chest, laughing behind her mask as Ahri tried to push it away.
She spun a kama in her left hand, creating a glowing disk of whirling steel. Still laughing, she lowered it slowly towards Ahri's neck. Eyes widening in fear, she frantically pried at the boot crushing her ribcage.
No. Not like this.
She screwed her eyes shut and focused on that spark of magic within her again, this time willing every ounce of power it held within it to come to her aid.
She felt the familiar sensation of ice water racing through her veins, erasing her pain and fear, clearing her mind. Raw power raced through her limbs. She felt invincible.
When her eyes opened again, they glowed pale green and were absent of pupils. Green light limned her body, and magic burst from her, slamming into Akali like a ton of bricks.
Akali flew several yards before landing nimbly on both feet.
Slowly, Ahri rose, the air around her shimmering, ebon hair floating around her, defying gravity. She locked her incandescent eyes on Akali, face devoid of emotion.
""At last you've reached your true potential." Akali taunted. Come then, and face your death."
"I control my fate! " Ahri cried in a strange, echoing voice that was layered with magic. "Not you, not anyone else!"
She swung her gaze skyward and gave a great cry, and the green glow that surrounded her became flickering emerald flames. The very air twisted about her like a hurricane, whipping up pink blossoms in its wake.
And all around her, the land itself died as she tore the essence from it.
The grass wilted and became brown, the trees lost leaves, and countless insects curled up and died, legs twitching in the air. Essence surged into the woman's body , and she became hidden in a shining sphere of green light.
"I may be neither man nor beast," Ahri said in that voice that wasn't her own. "But life itself bends to my will! I am Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox – this is my fate!"
The sphere of life stealing energy expanded further, engulfing Akali. The ninja gave a gasp as she felt its icy touch. Her eyes were seared by the blinding green glow that came from everywhere at once, and the air was ripped from her lungs. She lifted a hand in front of her face. She watched in horror as trails of viridian energy snaked out of her fingertips. This woman was stealing her very soul.
She rose her kama skyward and chanted; "The path between Light and Dark! Veil my blade in shadow . . . and silence my foe!"
Akali's kama became wreathed in purple-black embers that absorbed all the light around it, deadening the magical vortex that swirled around Ahri.
Ahri's glowing eyes snapped towards the other woman.
"This game has ended, witch." She said. She swung her kama viciously, which tore easily through the layers of magic surrounding Ahri, but was stopped short by a stronger inner layer. This inner shield shattered with the impact, leaving Ahri gasping and stumbling backwards.
"Lights out." Akali jeered. She threw one of the shadowy kama. It scythed through the air and sliced through Ahri's right shoulder in a spray of scarlet blood.
Freezing shadows surged through her body from where the blade struck. She fell to her knees with a gasp.
"The shadows consume all . . . mana, life, it's all the same to them." Akali explained. "Which is why you'll find it quite hard to cast any more spells."
Crying out in rage and frustration, an exhausted Ahri thrust her hand at Akali's face, attempting to conjure another fox-fire.
Not so much as a spark leapt from her open palm.
Akali laughed as Ahri desperately tried to cast spell after spell, to no avail.
"That's it, then. I'm done. . . " Ahri said quietly, pulling her arm back.
"Oh, how the world will rejoice at your death! How it will sing at seeing balance restored-"
Ahri had had enough of this woman's cocksure ranting. "Just do it already!" She snarled.
Akali regarded her coldly before spinning and kicking Ahri in the ribs, sending her tumbling over the edge of the cliff.
Author's Note:
Ring out!