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ComplicatedDestruction: Thanks Brie! You're always amazing:) You need to hurry and get the next chapter of Fire in the Furnace out so I can read it! :)
I walked alone, the only presence that followed me being the mysterious Voice. It went silent every other moment, like now, but I could still feel the tangible sense of companionship it put in the hole that Madara had ripped out of my heart. I guess he just turned out to be a toy soldier after all... always wound up, ready to spring into action, guns blazing and the like.
So are you.
Shut. Up! Damn you.
I felt the voice recede, and subconsciously, I touched the mark that binded Byakko to my body. Binded our souls together, forever as one...
As if on cue, he materialized beside me, matching my pace easily. Every once in a while, when the Voice got to be too much, he would walk along side me, keeping me sane (as much as possible) and letting me vent my emotions to him. When he wasn't beside me, he was doing his best to track Madara's progress on me and exploring the world, searching for new jutsu for me to learn. He was always trying to expand my technique-vocab, so to speak.
"Kitsune..." He acknowledged quickly, trotting to keep up with me, even though he was rather tall. On all fours, he came to my chest. Then again, I'm only five-foot-one, so whatever.
"Byakko. Any news?"
"Last checkpoint was in the Fire Country. We're good." I frowned at his choice of words. We most certainly were not good. The most badass man in the entire ninja world was on my trail.
And my chakra was leaking out like crazy.
We were NOT good.
But I didn't voice my concerns.
Chicken shit.
Great. Now the Voice was verbally abusive. Damn, I am so freaking messed up...
"Kitsune." It took me a moment to register the voice, then to register that Byakko had stopped and was bristling harshly. I frowned, following his gaze. It was a cloaked figure, standing still and rigid on the path before me. My eyes narrowed dangerously on his frame, hands reaching for a couple kunai.
The figure looked up, and my heart jumped up to my throat when I saw red eyes.
But after a moment of consideration, I relaxed. This wasn't Madara. It couldn't be. There weren't any tomoe in the iris.
"Little fox," it spoke. I still hadn't figured out if it was female or male. It's voice was like the Voice in my head, but not the same exactly. Asexual.
Soft, yet deep enough that I was unsure if it was feminine or not. I cocked my head to the side, pondering the 'little fox' thing. I wasn't really little, was I? Or was it talking about Byakko? Because I'm pretty sure that he is not little-
My fangs showed white and pointy as I drew back my lips in a wordless snarl. My white tail flicked irritably, and from the small hissing noises coming from beside me, I was sure Byakko shared the sentiment. "Little fox, I have a message from the Great Master-"
I slung a few kunai at the figure's face, turning tail and running in the opposite direction. Of course, I didn't want to listen to anything this 'Great Master' had to say to me. I just wanted to run away and leave everything behind.
Straight into the figure again. Twin kunais were sticking out of its face and one out of its cheek. Black blood dribbled from the wounds. Byakko hissed more ferociously, eyes turning white-hot blue.
Charred, blackened fingers reached for me. Not having the air to scream with, I tried to back up. As a dignified descendant of the Mitarashi clan, I should have fought more. I should have used the powers that fireball released within me.
I should have, should have, should have...
I should have done a lot of things. But I guess I just wasn't as smart as I thought I was sometimes.
Byakko went to bite at the hand that was stretched out to me, but as soon as he did, he howled in pain and rage. The blood was acidic, burning his muzzle and tongue, scarring the beautiful pale fur. That was enough to get me into action.
With a snarl of complete hatred, I lashed out, claws extended. Using the poison affinity my clan was known for, I slapped its chest, clawing only enough to slightly break the skin so blood welled up slowly. My hand was already clutched at my chest protectively before the first sight of the ugly life force leaked out.
Yanking at Byakko's mane-like scruff, I tugged him out harm's way. 'It' let out an ear-piercing shriek as the degenerative poison worked its way into the miniscule cuts, eating away the fleshy outer layers and disintigrating bone. Soon, it was just a writhing mass in the dirt, the red eyes rolled back. I shuddered quietly where I stood, adrenaline pumping through my veins with every heartbeat. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
The heart only hurts when it's beating,
Came the cryptic Voice. It had come to give me plenty of advice the past few weeks, even though sometimes it insulted me. I tried not to think about how that made me completely and utterly fucking insane.
I agree with you completely on that note, Voice.
Interrupting my conversation with my inner Voice, a scuttling, shifting sound made my fox-ears prick, swivelling back towards the disturbance. It was hard trying to get used to this form, but it did have plenty of advantages.
I turned on my heel, glaring out into the waning light of mid-afternoon. There were more things like the one shrieking on the ground.
My mouth dropped open and the arms that were wrapped protectively around Byakko's neck. So many...
"Little fox, little fox, little fox..." the chanted in that monotone, asexual voice they had. They all looked the same, and had that same jerky, stop-motion looking gate that propelled them towards us at alarming speeds.
"Byakko..." I murmured, tightening my grip. Using what little chakra reserves I had left, I pumped them into my hands and transfered them to him. Like the smart little fox demon that he is, he used it to grow big enough for my petite self to hop on. "RUN!" I yelped, flinging poison senbon to the creatures. New shrieks greeted the chilly air.
Byakko launched forwards, sliding easily into a fast pace. More shuffling and scuttling came from the trees around us. I was starting to panic a little.
"Can you go faster, Byakko?" My voice was earnest and chaste, all the stress and insanity forced into a few syllables.
A shriek above me cut off his reply. Without further notice, one of the creatures slammed bodily into Byakko's side, knocking me off and hurtling him into a tree. Rolling on the ground quickly, I hopped back up, pain emanating from a new gash on my side. Red liquid oozed languidly out of the slice.
Why don't you just accept the way Fate works, Kitsune?
Not a good time, Voice. Confusion thrashed around through my body, sometimes allowing me to think clearly, sometimes muddling everything up. My eyes began to water when a foul smell hit my nose; it was the smell of rotting flesh.
Looking up, I saw the first creature I had attacked standing above me, kunais still in place in its face and skin hanging in ragged clumps around its body. Organs and bones were still being eaten away by the acid; it didn't seem to notice or care.
It opened its mouth, and immediately, insectile animals began to creep out. It delivered a swift punch to my stomach, cutting away the scream building in my throat. I realized at that moment that its hand wasn't charred.
It was coated in iron.
"Kitsune!" That voice. I know that voice. A mixture of fear and pain, anger and rage, love and hate... it was all associated. I couldn't bear it, oh no, I can't, I can't...
Can't breathe, can't think, can't see, can't look. Don't let it be, don't let it be, don't let it be...
"Madara..."
Accept that Fate works in mysterious ways, my little fox child.