Chapter 214: Chapter 213: The Fox part 9

The night of her thousandth birthday as a Kitsune came and she was summoned to the Twilight Realm, once more.

It was a far more casual gathering than she had expected, more like any other birthday enjoyed by anyone else, the biggest difference were those in attendance. Ginrei was obviously present, as were; Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Tenko, an Elven-God with a similar presence to Illerion, a god that had a similar presence to Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu, Nergal, an envoy of Samael and a man that left them all on edge.

“Before we begin…” Tsukuyomi stated, looking at those in attendance, though it was a glare in Nergal’s case. “…You have caught the eye of many, Kyubi. Even Lady Ishtar wished to be here and we have a confession to make in regards to your growth.”

“Whatever it is, I do not mind, all that matters is that I can serve you as a celestial fox.”

“It has actually only been a matter of months for the rest of us, my plan was set you an impossible goal to see you give up on me and enjoy your life. I apologise, I underestimated you and in doing so made light of your potential.”

“It’s fine, Illerion already told me as much, they sent her there to make her grow up faster.”

“Well, allow me to introduce your guests. You know Amaterasu and Tenko, this is Illerion’s father Elswaine, he wished to come and pay his respects to the one who shaped his daughter into a woman who wants more than-”

“Sorry, but I have to say you’re an ignorant fool…” Her outburst left everyone a little shocked. “…If you had even once tried speaking to her, or had an ounce of faith in her, you would know that she only ever wanted what was best for the elves. She wanted to do for your kind what Samael did for his and be a force of unstoppable reckoning that made others too scared to do you harm and I’ll never forgive you for assuming the worst of a person you never tried to understand.”

The words spilled out, with no hope of anyone holding them back, Kyubi was sure they might make her lord rescind her ascension but she believed that leaving them unsaid would be an unforgivable injustice to her only friend.

“Well spoken child, Tsukuyomi has chosen a fierce and sincere attendant. I came here to offer my thanks, for enlightening a foolish father.” Elswaine bowed and offered his deepest gratitude and respect.

“I suppose I should introduce Samael’s envoy next, the infernal crown Adramelech. He was sent here because his master apparently overheard you make a beautiful case in his defence in class.”

“Indeed, even if the context was forced, the insight and understanding you conveyed moved him. He wished to send the mother of demons or the pen to bare witness, but they are unfortunately otherwise preoccupied.”

“I’m humbled he felt the need to send anyone and hope our masters can remain on terms such visits are possible.”

“Next is Margo, who Lady Ishtar asked to attend in her place.”

“What a nuisance it is to be paraded around at that wench’s whimsical will!”

“Apologies Lord Margo, such occassions must exasperate your inversion.”

The man was smiling and shaking his head as he tried to use his hands to force it into a nod instead. “I’ll never apologise to a scummy little fox!”

“Please don’t trouble yourself on my behalf Lord Margo, I understand your words are contrary to their meaning.” With that, Margo looked about to cry and he threatened everyone before leaving.

“My sister will love you for that one little fox…” Nergal muttered as he watched Margo’s portal crackle shut. “…The single worst case of inversion in existence, one can’t imagine the hardship he’s faced.”

There was a moment of total agreement between those present, some of which were about as far from friendly as they could get.

“You have exceeded the already impossible standards I held you to, Kyubi. Now come and receive the blessing prepared for you, if it is still your wish to serve me that is.”

Kyubi was within arm’s reach before he had barely finished talking and received the grand blessing to the others’ amused chuckles.

The ascension was not at all what she expected, she found it rather anti-climactic in fact. She received the blessing, glowed a bit, then felt sleepy and the next thing she knew she was waking up on her feet.

“Good, knowing you as I do, I was expecting a more wild ascension,” Ginrei joked, though not as completely in jest as she made it seem.

“How long was I out? It didn’t feel like long.”

“About ten minutes or so, Kyubi.”

“Kyubi? Oh no, am I in trouble?” Kyubi grimaced and wondered what she could have possibly done to earn her mother’s fury, but what came wasn’t a wrathful scolding, but far more heartbreaking.

“What do you mean? You are no longer a child in need of a mother, so I am no longer your mother.” Kyubi’s entire world fell apart at those words.

’Are bonds truly so fickle?’

’She said it so casually, am I detached again?’

’Was I nothing but a duty to her?’

“Of course I don’t…” The words came out flatly, emotionless as Kyubi pushed her feelings to the deepest point of heart. “…Lord Tsukuyomi, do you require anything from me?”

“Kyubi? Of course not, this is your ascension.”

“Please call if that changes,” She then turned, a portal opening to the place she wanted to go, to where her one friend would be waiting.

Obelix had educated her on the various powers that celestial foxes possess and taught her how to use them as best he could in their absence, thanks to that it was fairly easy to adapt to their presence.

“Kyubi? Shouldn’t you be at a feast or something right now? You have a great chest now so I’m not going to complain that you’re here, bu-” Illerion had started talking the moment she felt Kyubi’s presence, but stopped the moment she actually turned to face Kyubi and saw her barely holding herself together.

“Ginrei said she’s not my mother anymore because I’m an adult…” Kyubi stared through Illerion as she spoke, oblivious to the fact that with every word, Illerion was becoming The queen of Chaos-Elves and not the Illerion she enjoyed getting to know for the better part of a thousand years. “…It didn’t even phase her. Is that what I will be like? Is that why I couldn’t accept you? Is my entire race wrong? Was I right from the start and threw it away? Have they been laughing at me this whole time?”

Kyubi was mentally broken, her mind turning numb with instant and brutal disenchantment with her entire species. Illerion could sense that, but she was actually glad, because she never wanted Kyubi to feel the bloodlust she was currently emitting.

“Kyubi, come here…” Illerion kissed her and laid her down, resting Kyubi’s head on her lap. “…It’s been a very big day, but I’m here for you now. Go to sleep, my bestest friend in all the realms.” It was more than mere words, Illerion was pumping her full of sleeping magic, desperate to put her out before she sensed her aura.

When she was finally asleep, Illerion took a deep breath, then opened a portal and stepped through.

The moment the first toe-tip crossed the barrier, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Tenko, Elswaine, Adramelech and Ginrei all felt absolute despair, even Nergal felt the harsh brutality of what was coming.

“Lords and Ladies, I apologise for my intrusion and the uncomfortable atmosphere. Lord Tsukuyomi, I thank you for granting Kyubi the one thing that meant more to her than her relationship with me.

Honoured guests, I thank you and am flattered on behalf of my dearest friend and on my own behalf I thank you for seeing in her the same potential and worth as I do.

Ginrei, if you or any fox has the misfortune or proves ignorant enough to cross my path, I will butcher every last one of you and crush your race as thoroughly as its disregard for her thoughts and feelings has crushed her.

If you find yourselves in need of help, I will laugh as I watch you all die.

If you ask me for help, I will help whatever troubles you.

From this day on, you may consider me a curse on all fox-spirits but Kyubi.”

Tsukuyomi stood and Illerion started crying. “Please sit down… I’m begging you…. Kyubi will never forgive me if I kill you…”

Tsukuyomi proved more foolish than any of them expected and underestimated the weight of her words, taking another step forward as Nergal was about to call him an idiot and was forced to move to his defence.

Illerion’s wave of skin-shredding aura was nothing like Nergal expected, he found it almost paradoxical in nature and had he been alone it would have been entirely undefencable. To the absolute surprise of just about everyone present however, Ishtar appeared in time to help him defend her subordinate.

As Illerion’s attack dwindled, she braced herself, with the addition of Ishtar she didn’t imagine walking away from the situation and then Ishtar’s fist cracked as it clenched…

’I’m so sorry, Kyubi. I always was prone to stupid mood-swings.’ To someone on Illerion’s level, every fraction of a second may as well have been a century with what she could think, do and perceive in that time and because of that she could feel Ishtar’s rage, Nergal’s rage and the fear of everyone else.

Then Ishtar launched her attack and Ginrei was reduced to bloody gore and tattered fur and Tsukuyomi was on his knees vomiting and Nergal backing away in the hopes Ishtar forgot he was there.

“I warned you Tsukuyomi. I told you to stop toying with that girl’s heart. I told you to cut her loose while she was still only five-hundred as a Kitsune and if you didn’t do that then make sure she was utterly comfortable and happy. You have disappointed me tremendously and to make it worse I had to work with this detestable Kin-slaying scum to save you from a punishment I’m not entirely sure you don’t deserve….”

Ishtar turned to face the utterly shocked Illerion, Ishtar’s wrath towards traitors and benevolence to family was well-known and widely considered absolute. Watching her strike a subordinate and destroy one of his was utterly inconceivable.

What was more impossible to believe, is that that same goddess would throw away her pride and kneel to one such as Illerion under any circumstance, but that was exactly what happened.

“…Lady Illerion, I thank you for caring so deeply for Kyubi. I cannot begin to tell you how important she is to me.”

“Err, I’m sorry, I’m very confused. Did you just miss, or am I dead and this is just what death is like?”

“I assure you I hit both exactly as I meant to. I can’t explain it to anyone, but Kyubi is absolutely vital to me. Knowing she was harmed so deeply because my foolish subordinate couldn’t command his properly, is disgraceful.”

“Then why is he still alive?”

“Because he is vital too, if he weren’t, he’d be dead. I swear I will keep him on a much shorter leash and ensure she is never treated so disgustingly again.”

“Not good enough. Even if it’s a lie, he must be every bit the benevolent, loving god she thinks he is. He must never accept her advances either romantic or sexual. Kyubi must be treated like the treasure she is.”

“I swear it and will gladly sign a contract you can make one.”

“One more thing… Kyubi can never know this, or suffer the embarrassment of this becoming gossip. Anyone who doesn’t agree to be contractually bound to ensure this whole thing never spreads must die.”

Ishtar thought for a moment, weighing how that event worked for her, then with a wince looked to Nergal. “If we have to kill them all and you help, I will forgive you.”

That single sentence coming from Ishtar’s lips was nothing short of a guarantee that everyone present had two options and no real choice. They either swore to make sure no one not present ever found out, or they died.

Honestly the contract was hardly necessary, the idea of Ishtar, Nergal and Illerion being a united opponent was horrifying. The beings in existence that might fight all three of them together could be counted on one hand if you excluded laws which were more conceptual-entities than beings.

“As much as I want to make up with my sister, I’d rather not kill any of you to do it, be smart and sign whatever Illerion puts in front of you.”

Adramelech was the first to speak. “Save the threats for Tsukuyomi and Elswaine. The grand crown would be entirely disgusted by what I’ve seen inflicted upon one he has taken a liking to and I have no desire to march against a subordinate of Lady Ishtar. Even of Cocytus would be particularly effective.”

He marched over to Illerion and signed then bowed to her and thanked her for doing what he failed to do, then he bid goodbye to Ishtar, Nergal and said a silent prayer that Samael or the mother of dragons hadn’t been watching from afar.

After that, the others all signed and then went their separate ways until only Tsukuyomi and Ishtar were left there with her. “As you are the only one I think capable of making the choice, what do you suggest we do, Illerion?”

“I’ll tell her I broke the rules and came to thank Tsukuyomi and rant, but found he had punished Ginrei and stripped her of her blessings. After that, he told me to tell her she would be named Shrine-Priestess on earth after completing five-hundred years as Tsukuyomi’s attendant. I’m sure you want to meet her casually at some point, I trust you not to abuse her Lady Ishtar.”

“I am unworthy of your trust, but swear not to break it. I have watched her closely and apologies, but I’ve heard several of your conversations, can I please grant the de-aging blessing you covet as a reward.”

“It would be much appreciated, Lady Ishtar, but Kyubi wouldn’t be happy if I let you give it so freely.”

“Then I will force it onto you, I don’t have time to spend on stubborn children.” Ishtar grabbed Illerion and hugged her, then released her and with one final thank you, sent her on her way.

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