Kitsune in the Shadows

Chapter 19 – Teach Me

[Ellaria POV]

Now that the little kitsune had left it was time for me to try and sort out the mess that my sister has gotten herself into.

“Now then, Ovia,” I spoke while using all the restraint I had to stop myself from grabbing my sister by the shoulders, “Would you care to explain what that was?”

“Umm…” She looked away from me, “I-I… t-talked to her.”

“Yes, you did,” I walked around her so she was facing me, “But you know that isn’t what I was talking about.”

My sister fell silent, looking away again.

“So, you do know what you did?”

She still refused to respond, so I placed my hand on her shoulder, forcefully turning her around to face me. At that moment, she immediately started listing off seemingly everything that came to her mind.

“I-I… didn’t follow the script. The g-gloves were a bad idea. I knew they were a bad idea, but I did it anyway. I didn’t k-know how to comfort her. H-her name, I don’t know what I was thinking. Why did I think that I had the right to n-name her? I-I even almost smothered her to death-”

I had to cup my hand over her mouth in order to get her to stop talking, and even then, she didn’t actually stop talking but kept shouting into my hand.

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I said after she had finally started to calm down.

“…”

I guess I should give her a bit of a hint.

“What’s all this?” I asked as I kicked one of the chains lying on the floor.

With a guilty expression on her face, she looked down at the chain for a while, remaining silent.

“*Sigh* This is why everyone is scared of you.” I couldn’t help but plant my forehead firmly in my palm.

No matter how many times I’ve gone out of my way to speak to her about this she just won’t let go of this whole persona she has given herself.

I just don’t understand…

Do you just… not want to get along with people?

“I-I wanted to make a good first impression.” My sister mumbled.

“What part of that was a good first impression?”

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My sister was visibly deflated, now crouching on the floor.

“B-but if I just followed the script…”

What am I going to do with you?…

I placed my hand on top of my sister’s head before using some of my divinity to force her into her fox form.

“Alright, now I will be the one to talk, and you will listen.” I sat down and lay against my sister.

“But-”

“I said that I’m the one who’s talking.”

My sister’s ears drooped down slightly.

“Good,” I gave her a scratch under her chin before continuing, “Did you not see how much you scared the poor girl, she even tried to run away from you.”

“YOU WERE WATCHING US!”

What happened to ‘I’m the one who’s talking’?

…

I know that’s going to be a losing battle right now…

“Of course I was watching you; I didn’t want you to ruin this for yourself. You don’t even know how many times I was this close to jumping in to help you out,” I lent back a bit further, “You could have at least taken her into your little ‘den’ instead of staying in-”

“No!” She covered my mouth with one of her tails.

“No?” I gently pushed the tail away, “But that little kitsune would have loved to see everything you keep in there, especially compared to what you have set up in here.”

“N-nobody can see that! That is just for me!… a-and you… I guess…” She said the last part under her breath, not that it did anything.

“Come on; you could even have shown her that little plushie version of her that you made.”

My sister’s eyes went wide, “Y-you didn’t tell her about t-that, did you?!”

“Oh, I don’t know…”

Ah, it’s always so fun to tease you like this.

“Y-you can’t!” She covered her face with her front paws, “W-what would she think about m-me if she knew…”

“What do you mean?” I moved her paws away from her face, “Why would that matter?”

“… I-I have to make a good i-impression… I-I’m the G-Goddess of Darkness… I-I can’t be a p-pushover…” 

…

I pulled my sister’s head into my lap and wiped away the tears that were forming.

“I’ve already told you before. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“B-but-”

“No buts. You already proved yourself when you ascended as a Goddess… You even ascended before me, don’t you remember?”

“T-that wasn’t fair…”

“It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t fair. It’s still what happened.”

My sister didn’t say anything in response.

Did you learn to stay silent from that little kitsune?

“*Sigh* Alright then, I’m sure you get my point now. Let’s move on to something more fun, hey?” I asked, gently brushing her snout.

She nodded her head while keeping it in my lap.

“I saw that you took some of the little kitsune’s mana,” I waved my hand, and the mana crystal containing her mana came closer, “I’m sure that you’re just as interested in it as I am.”

My sister nodded her head again, although this time, she also used the opportunity to nuzzle in  a bit closer as well, not that I minded at all.

“Unfortunately, it will take me some time to look into,” I started explaining to her, “Whatever magic she has been using is something even I haven’t seen before, and if you also don’t know about it, then we really don’t have a place to start looking into.”

She didn’t respond, but I already knew that it wasn’t the news that she was wanting to hear. Luckily for her I had already thought about how to deal with this situation.

“So this is my idea. I’ll split this mana into two so you can have a play with it while, at the same time, I can look into it on my side,” I turned my sister’s face so that she was looking directly at me, “Does that sound good?”

“Mhm”

“Great, this can be our little project together then.” I clapped my hands together, “That should help keep your mind occupied before the little kitsune comes back around.”

I started rubbing her cheeks, but she didn’t show the enthusiastic reaction that I was expecting. Normally this is the time when she would be jumping at me, rushing me to get everything started.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Is there something you’re still hung up on?”

She nuzzled her face closer to me. I responded in turn by placing my hand on her head and returning her to her normal self.

I knew she would try this.

“That’s not going to get you out of it…”

My sister turned, so she was lying face down in my lap.

“Hmm… How about… If you tell me, I’ll let you play with my tails for a bit? Just like the old days.”

She stayed still for a while, but eventually, she sat up and faced me, although she avoided making eye contact.

“W-what if she… doesn’t… come back?…” She fumbled over her words.

That’s what she’s so worried about?

Was she not watching that little kitsune?

“I’m sure you won’t have to worry about that,” I couldn’t help but chuckle a little, “I can guarantee she’ll be back at your doorstep before you know-”

“How can you be so s-sure?!” She leaned forward.

I stared at her tails swaying back and forth in excitement.

They really are surprisingly similar.

“Let’s just call it… your sister’s intuition, alright?”

She looked towards the floor for a bit before suddenly looking me in the eye.

“A-alright.” There was a sparkle in her eye.

“That’s good-”

“B-but…” My sister interrupted me, “…C-can you… help m-me?…”

“Help you with what exactly?”

I already have an idea of what she wants…

But she needs to tell me herself.

“T-teach me… how to… make a g-good impression on K-K-Kierra!”

I laughed a little at the situation.

“Then I’ll do just that,” I stood up and stretched, “You know I would never turn you down.”

“W-what are you waiting for?!” My sister leapt up off the floor before dragging me into the side room, “T-there’s only so much time before K-Kierra comes back.”

It really was a good idea to try and get along with that little kitsune.