Kitsune in the Shadows

Chapter 16 – One Step at a Time

“While I wouldn’t mind us staying like this a bit longer, I think you might have some things to do,” Aria said, looking down at me in her arms.

“…”

Aria put me back down in the chair before kneeling down in front of me.

“Now, I know you still have at least one question left on your mind, so this is the time for you to ask.”

…

Alright…

…

This might be my only chance…

“Um… D-do you know… a Goddess?… S-she looks like a fox…” I said while pointing at my own ears.

“Well, I happen to know quite a few Goddesses who look like foxes,” Aria’s ears twitched, “I look like a fox too, although I know you’re not looking for me.”

…

“S-she had… b-black fur and… b-black eyes.”

I looked at Aria, hoping that my little description would be good enough because I knew nothing else about them.

“Hmm, a Goddess that looks like a fox and has black fur and eyes…”

Please…

“I do know a Goddess like that. I know them very well, in fact.”

“Then!-”

I abruptly stopped myself from talking.

Should I even be trying to talk to them again…

…

They didn’t respond to me… for seven years…

…

They must have had a reason…

What if it was my fault…

Aria leaned forward and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.

“Don’t worry so much, the Goddess that I know would love to meet you. I can guarantee it myself.”

“…”

But how would you know?…

It might not even be the right one…

“How about this? You can go over to her temple, and if she wants to meet you, she’ll bring you up herself. Okay?”

But, do I even want to know…

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…

What if… she actually doesn’t want to talk to me?…

…

Still…

“Alright…” I muttered.

“That's good. You don’t know how much this would mean to my sister.”

Sister?

“Unfortunately, it also means that we need to say goodbye to each other for now,” Aria said, spreading her arms apart while looking directly at me.

…

I knew exactly what she wanted, but my body still hesitated. After waiting for a few seconds, she picked me up out of the seat and hugged me tightly once again.

“One step at a time. You’ll get there eventually.”

“…Mhm…”

I don’t believe you…

But…

…

I want to…

Aria carried me over to where I first met her.

“When you get out there, just head to the other temple. I know you already know which one I’m talking about.” Aria said as she set put me down.

“Mhm”

“Well then, hopefully, we will get to meet again soon, little kitsune,” she said while waving at me, “Maybe next time you can be the one to give me a hug instead.”

As soon as she finished talking, everything around me started to turn white.

Wait!

“G-goodbye Aria.”

I don’t know if she heard me, as everything had already turned completely white by the time I started talking.

After just a few short moments, I found myself back in the empty room from the temple, collapsed on the floor.

I pulled myself up off the floor while checking over myself to make sure everything was still there.

Was that even real?…

As I thought through what just happened, I found my hand gravitating towards my forehead, where Aria had supposedly given me a gift.

I hope it was.

…

I need to get to the other temple.

Pushing the door to the room open, I could see Raynelle and Celica still talking, although Celica had her hood down, revealing her brown hair that had been tied in a ponytail.

“Oh, are you back already?” Celica asked as soon as she laid eyes on me peeking out from behind the door.

I nodded as I walked out of the room, and Raynelle came over to me before picking me up.

Everyone has been picking me up today.

“I told you she’s quite nice.” Celica smiled at me, “I’ve finished telling Raynelle how to get you back in here if you start feeling any more pain, so you’re free to go now. I imagine you would want to get some rest yourself… it has been a bit of an eventful day.”

I grabbed Raynelle’s shirt and pulled myself closer to her.

“I think we’ll do just that,” Raynelle responded in my stead, “We do need to go back and check up on Ava after all.”

But…

“Again, Thank you so much, Celica. I don’t know what I would have done without you. And… sorry… for before.”

Celica responded simply by smiling and waving as Raynelle, with me still in her arms, left the temple using the same passage we entered from.

After leaving the temple, the sun outside seemed dim in comparison to the garden Aria was in.

“Alright, let’s get you home quickly.” Raynelle said as she pulled my cloak over my ears, “I know you don’t like being out in public like this.”

But…

That’s not what I want right now.

Raynelle started walking back to the inn, probably more worried about Ava now that I was fine.

It would be nice if…

I stopped my thoughts there.

I don’t need to think about that right now.

There’s something more important.

I waited patiently as Raynelle made her way across the square, but as soon as we got near the black stone temple, I summoned all the strength that I had to try and force my way out of Raynelle’s grip.

“Whoa there! Kit!” Raynelle blurted out, “What’s gotten into you?”

Raynelle struggled to hold me down without hurting me, but she eventually managed to find her grip and pulled me in tightly against her chest again.

Just let me go!

…

I pointed towards the black stone temple while looking directly into Raynelle’s eyes.

Just leave me here alone if you have to!

…

I… want to know her answer.

“But…” Raynelle looked back and forth between me and the temple before letting out a loud sigh, “… Are you sure?”

If you aren’t going to listen to me, then let me go!

Once again, I started to struggle, trying to force my way out of Raynelle’s grasp.

“Fine! I’ll let you go there… just… I’m going with you.”

Fine! Let’s go!

Raynelle carried me up to the black stone temple until we were in front of two large stone doors. One door had an intricate carving of a nine-tailed fox sleeping on a cloud, while the other was blank as if it had been left unfinished.

Throughout the entire time that I stayed here, I never even thought to try to open these doors.

…

If it actually was that easy to meet the fox from my dreams all this time…

…

Raynelle set me down on the ground, and I instantly ran over to the doors to try and open them, but… they wouldn’t budge. No matter how hard I pushed against them, they refused to open.

Is that it?

Is that your answer?

…

“Do you need some help?” Raynelle called over.

“…”

Raynelle let out a chuckle to herself before she came over and effortlessly pushed the large stone doors open.

“There you go.”

“…”

“Really? Not even a thank you?”

I turned away from Raynelle and made my way into the temple.

This is more important.

Inside the temple, it was dark. There wasn’t a single window, but rather, the only light in the building came from a few dim candles that were haphazardly scattered around.

“Ahhhhhh… What do you people want?” A man’s voice came from the far corner of the room.

I didn’t respond; instead, I tried to find out who the voice belonged to.

It didn’t take long as the sounds of chains being dragged along the floor started coming from a corner of the room.

What is this?

This isn’t what I thought a temple for a Goddess would be like.

Especially not for a Goddess as nice as she was.

“The least you could do is respond…” The owner of the voice came into view, “This is why I can’t stand people…”

He was a tall, slender man with two large rabbit ears hanging down from the top of his head. His messy, short hair was pitch black, while his beady eyes were bright red. However, what drew most of my attention were the black shackles around his wrists and ankles, connected with long chains that extended into the darkness of the temple.

It wasn’t the fact that the man was wearing shackles that caught my attention, but rather, there was a feeling that I got from them. It felt… familiar.

“Are you still not-”

All of a sudden, the man stopped talking and fell to the floor, accompanied by the sound of the chains slamming against the stone floor while holding onto his ears in his hands.

“I hear you!” The man yelled, “Why can’t you just use spirits like all the others!”

Maybe… I should just leave.

I started to back away, but the man started shouting again.

“Hold on! Just wait a minute!”

At this point, Raynelle had stepped in front of me in an attempt to hide me from the man who was now crawling on the floor.

“You there! With the fox ears! Just hurry up and make your way in,” the man said, looking directly at me, “I really don’t want to be screamed at again.”

Screamed at?

…

“Kit, let’s just… go home… I don’t think this is where you wanted to go.”

…

…

No…

I ignored Raynelle and walked past her further into the temple.

“Wait!” Raynelle shouted.

I need to do this…

As I walked further into the darkness, the room seemed to get cooler.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt this.