Yuki slows down and breathes heavily, not having ran that hard or long for a very long time. Jen appears in front of her.
“Tired all ready?”
She makes a face at him and continues to breath hard.
“I’m not used to running that much.”
Smirking, he lightly laughs.
“That’s true, you are rather lazy.”
She moves to hit him, but he easily dodges the feeble attack.
She looks around at the mostly empty street.
“Looks like everyone is at the Festival.”
“Just about everyone.”
She nods in reply. Looking at him, her brow furrows in thought.
“You said you would explain what was going on…”
He nods slowly.
“Yes, but not here. We’ll save it for when we return to your home.”
She sighs softly.
“All right…”
They continue onward, walking together down the barren street.
Leaning closer to him, Yuki whispers.
“It seems so creepy like this. There’s usually always people around.”
He smiles slightly, with a bit of nostalgia.
“Yeah, just like it was so long ago…”
She looks up at him.
“Hey, Earth to Jen.”
Lightly laughing, he nods.
“I know, I know. Well, this is taking forever. Shall we get home quicker?”
Yuki hesitates, then nods. Flashing a smile, Jen holds onto her.
“Can’t remember the last time I did this with a passenger.”
He closes his eyes, and the area around the two is enveloped in blackness. She looks around, and can’t see a single thing. The blackness soon dissipates and the surroundings are not the street, but the hallway in her house. Jen opens his eyes and smirks tightly.
“There, that was much faster.”
Glancing at him, she gives him a confused look.
“What did you just do?”
Smiling innocently, he turns away with his hands on the back of his neck.
“Oh, nothing really, just bended space and time.”
She blinks, then blinks again.
“What?! H, how did you do that?!”
He simply shakes his head.
“It’s just something a powerful being such as myself is capable of doing. How else do you think I’ve always managed to get inside some place you just locked up without you noticing?”
She lightly tightens her fist.
“You’re such a bastard.”
Jen chuckles at that.
“Well, I could be considered that, I suppose. After all, it’s not like kitsune have marriage licenses or anything.”
She glares at him.
“That is not what I meant.”
He winks at her.
“Yes, but that is what it really means.”
She rolls her eyes and sighs, vexed.
“Just get on with the explaining all ready…”
He nods and walks to her. She looks up at him when he places his arms around her.
“What are you doing?”
He leans in and whispers.
“Shh, you’ll see soon enough.”
The area around the two is enveloped in darkness again. When it dissipates, Yuki sees they were in a forest.
“Where are we?”
Jen doesn’t let go of her.
“In the past. Though we are not physically here, just viewing what had occurred.”
She gives him a confused look.
“Don’t worry, it’ll make sense soon enough.”
With a wave of his hand, he directs her attention to a man crawling on the ground several feet away. The man seemed to be on the verge of death, with multiple cuts and bruise on his body. He continues crawling, though pausing often to gather additional strength.
A white fox with nine tails walks to him. It speaks to him.
“Who are you, and why are you here?”
The man looks at the kitsune, and closes his eyes.
“I am Katari Hiroshu, and I’m trying to get back home after I was attacked on the road.”
Yuki look at Jen.
“Katari Hiroshu? My great-great-grandfather?”
Jen nods. The fox walks to the man’s side. It nudges him over onto his back.
“You will not live if you do not receive attention to your wounds soon.”
Katari nods slowly.
“I had the feeling that would be the case.”
The kitsune takes a human form, revealing to be Jen, though clothed in a blue robe. Placing a hand on the man’s forehead, the past Jen closes his eyes.
“If you live, you and your descendents would live a fortunate life.”
He pauses before continuing.
“And the eldest child of your great grandson will be a girl. She is the one I have been waiting for.”
Katari reaches out to grab Jen’s robe.
“Please, help me.”
Without another word, the past Jen waves a hand over Katari and then places both palms onto the wounded man’s chest and stomach. A faint light emits from the body, and when it subsides, the wounds are completely healed. Katari looks at himself and regards the kitsune with wonder.
Jen doesn’t speak, merely pulling out a ball, and extending it to Katari.
“Keep this for me. Pass it along to your eldest child, and their eldest child until the eldest child shall be a girl. When the time comes, she shall return it to me. Until then, I shall watch over you or your descendents, whoever possess the star ball.”
Katari gives him a confused look.
“But why?”
Jen gets up.
“The star ball is mine, and I won’t allow the bearer to be harmed badly. As to why her, the time that she will exist in will be extremely different than it is now. I do not wish to be there, so she will help lead me to a place where I will finally depart from this world entirely.”
Yuki looks up at Jen, who holds her tighter.
“Just watch and listen for now.”
She nods and returns her attention back to the past.
“Why do you wish to not be there?”
The past Jen shakes his head.
“You ask far too many questions. There are quite a number of things beyond the comprehension of humans. Let’s just say, I’m not fond of how the world will change, so I intend to leave it behind. It’s just that I can only be defeated by a myobu, a monk, or a priest. Her reckless behavior will make it possible for me to meet my end.”
The past Jen looks far away into the future.
Both Jens speak.
“Then I’ll find peace. I’ll no longer have to see the takeover of humans. My pride prevents me from being defeated by a monk or a priest, as I will not allow some human to be superior to me in any way.”
The past Jen looks back at Katari.
“Forgive me, I have not introduced myself. You may call me Jen Ide. It is not my true name, but it is what you can call me.”
Katari looks back.
“How come I can’t find out your real name?”
Jen shakes his head.
“If you have my real name, you will have power over me. The simple fact of the matter is this, I’m only lending you my power, it’s not as if I am your servant. I shall do what I will, my own way.”
Jen hauls the human to his feet.
“The town is not too far away. You should reach it by mid day tomorrow. Keep the star ball close by, and don’t even think of selling it. If anything happens to it, you and your family will be killed.”
Katari nods slowly, not wanting to get on the kitsune’s bad side.
“I’ll be watching over you, though you shall not see me. Farewell.”
Jen disappears and leaves the human staring at the spot the kitsune was at. Katari holds tightly onto the ball.
“This will be my family heirloom, huh? Very well.”
With resolve, he begins his trek back to town.
