Chapter 16: Chapter 16 (Spoilers for Sagi’s identity. If…you didn’t already know it. I’m bad at subtle)

Mother. Mother. Kiko went through so many different emotions in a short length of time. First she was amazed and relieved, thinking her mother was dead or someone she would never meet. Her heart swelled with elation, and then her mind burned with fury. Why had she left? Why…why…why?!
“Why?” Kiko’s feelings spilling over to a point of speech. “Why did you leave me?” Kiko’s eyes filled with tears and was frozen to the spot, just staring mournfully.
“We have an intricate culture. A culture that your father wanted to keep you from. And I couldn’t stay with him telling me that I couldn’t teach you who you were. I couldn’t watch you bounce about life not knowing who you were, looking to your friends as they got old and wondering why you were still young. So I returned to my clan and waited for him to come talk to me. He never did” Yeni seemed deeply aggrieved to look at Kiko as she was. But it wouldn’t last.
“That’s your reason? Some bullshit culture keeping you away from your daughter like it’s a valid excuse?!” Kiko’s despair turned to rage at the whole concept, anger bubbling away inside her. In response Yeni took on that angry mother look that just came so naturally to every mother.
“It’s been our guidance for thousands of years, how can you dare call it into question!” Yeni bristled at such an accusation, and barked back angrily.
“And how many children have been abandoned for this glorious culture of yours?” Kiko was not one to give up, so deep in the throngs of anger as she was, and so jabbed wherever she could, not going to be the one to fall first in this argument.
“Ugh, you really are his daughter, aren’t you? No-one else could be so stubbornly against their heritage” Yeni’s tone became a dismissive one, more than hinting at her relationship with Kiko’s father.
“Speaking of parents, are you really my mother, or just the woman who gave birth to me?” Kiko immediately regretted it as soon as she said it, but this was no time for regret. It was a time for anger, and angry words. And in her head, the words of her inhabitant rang out. Forever the most beautiful thing Kiko would hear, they still didn’t soothe her.
‘Wow, you guys suck. I am so fixing that as soon as I am more than a voice in a girl’s head. Nice statue though’

The tent, so bustling and full of life, suddenly just...stopped. Everything went quiet, nobody dared breath, they just stared at Yeni and Kiko. The elder Kitsune stared for a moment and then the fluffy tails behind her back stiffened and trembled, subjecting Kiko to some unseen pressure forcing her down. Kitsunes of five tails and above were those ascending to godhood, and had the power and presence far greater than their four tailed kin. Nobody was sure what was going to happen, not even Kiko. And the voice in her head was conspicuously silent after the last quip. And then, after what seemed like an eternity, the pressure subsided, and the tails retracted. In their place, was tears, and Yeni grabbed Kiko, enveloping her tightly in a hug.
“I…” She whispered, an attempt to speak before failing entirely. Which was good because Kiko was still a bit shell shocked from the power released by her mother. The tent subtly emptied and Yeni just, hugged Kiko. For a long time. And then Kiko took a deep breath and Yeni let go, looking at her daughter through tear stained eyes.
“What a mess we are. First time we ever meet and there is a screaming argument between us. I wish I could have stayed, wish I could have watched you grow up, and guide you. But, we all have such faith in this culture of ours, and nobody questioned it. On the rare occasion that a woman is in this situation where an abandoned City Kitsune is met, the separation and culture has harrowed the love they feel until there is nothing. But for you, I just can’t. There are such feelings in my heart that I just can’t give you up. I have to keep you, and I know SIR will want you back and I know I will be torn if I ever let you go again” Yeni hugged Kiko tightly, pressing her against her bosom as a child would her favorite toy that had only just been returned to her. This extended for Kiko until she was released, and her mother stared deep into Kiko’s eyes. She had the most beautiful auburn eyes, Kiko felt her heart melting all over again.
“Why don’t you like the cities? Why do you live all the way up here?” Kiko asked, looking at her mother with tear-stained eyes.

“Because of The Betrayer. But that is for later. We have to get you back. The Shadowtails magic will be fading soon and SIR is hardly subtle when it comes to these sort of things” Yeni took Kiko’s hand and pulled her along, out of the tent.
“W-woah! Who are the Shadowtails?!” Kiko asked frantically, stumbling along behind her mother.
“Special Kitsunes that can cast powerful concealing magic. They can choose a person, a group, a country or even the whole world, and for a number of hours equal to twice their tails, that person ceases to exist to the chosen targets. Reasons for their absence are fabricated, and they just, aren’t there until the power runs out. We haven’t got the exceptional Shadowtails, but we do alright for these kind of situations”
“So, what did they say about me? Who can see me?” she asked, a little bit of trepidation in her voice.
“Basically…only Kitsunes can see you” Yeni replied.

The idea that there were Kitsunes with such a powerful ability, and the slight terror of the idea that someone could be around an entirely imperciveable. But Kiko really tried to ignore that and just go along with Yeni. Getting dragged into a small, black tent, and then through an archway. A sudden pressure crashed against her entire body, feeling viscous and oozy. Like sticking her finger in jelly, only across her entire body. A few seconds of jelly transport later, and she was in the city again. The back room of a café, in fact. It never really got a lot of custom, but had been around as long as Kiko had.
“Did we just…teleport?!” Kiko asked, looking back at the arch.
“I could go into the science of what we did, but it would go over your head. Just, accept that we didn’t, ok?” Yeni asked, with a coy grin. It was quite disconcerting to see the Kitsune mentality in action with someone else, but it didn’t bother her very much because of exactly the same reason. Running to prevent herself from getting dragged along by her eager mother, they arrived at SIR. And then, on a whim, Kiko gave her mother a tight hug.
“Hopefully…next time can be better?” She asked, smiling awkwardly before turning to the door, and getting face to face with Queenie.
“Yeni. I haven’t seen you here since you left Drax…” Queenie seemed surprised to see Yeni, and Kiko was surprised the two knew each other. Thinking about it, the three knowing each other was logical, but still surprising.

“I did not leave, Tai’zian. Drax forced me to go” Yeni replied, turning to set off, but not making it far because her hand was grabbed by Queenie, or Tai’zian, as it seemed her name was.
“Drax didn’t force you to do anything. But, I’m not getting into that. Why are you here? Have you come to see Kiko?” The Demoness had a warm touch and a soft voice, trying her best to comfort Yeni so she -wasn’t so ready to dart off.
“No. I was in town on Maiden business, and was just passing through. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back” Yeni tugged on the holding hand, not hard enough to rip out of her grip, but enough to impress the fact that she wanted Queenie to let go.
“You were always a terrible liar, doll. But fine, if you want to keep your secrets, I can’t force you to tell me. Just know I am here for you whenever you need me. Whatever you need me for” Queenie’s words made Yeni pause, and look back at the demoness.
“Tai…I loved Drax. Even after my culture forced me to leave him. I was heartbroken to hear he had died, which as you know, is not an easy emotion for a Kitsune to feel. Kiko, I don’t know. I will know in future but for now she has to focus on her training” Yeni nodded, and then strolled away. Tai, smiled to herself and went inside, happy to have talked to her friend.

Kiko then turned away and scurried back into the building. Not wanting Queenie to decide to go check on her while she wasn’t there. In the main lobby, there was a pair of people stood, as if waiting for something or someone. A man, in regal dress uniform, and a sword by his side, stood like a veteran soldier, postured and prepared for any movement. The woman, by contrast, had a rather casual way of holding herself, and a rather casual set of clothes to accompany it. And she had some amazing eyes as well, one was a deep, crimson red, just the shade of blood, and the other was a striking yellow. The yellow eye seemed to glisten in the light. And then, turned to Kiko, while the rest of the woman didn’t move. Kiko froze, not knowing what was going on, since nobody should be able to see her. And then the woman smiled.
“Something funny? Do share, it might break up the monotony” the man told the woman. He had a gruff voice, and Kiko could see some elongated fangs in his mouth almost like the Headteacher of her school, Mr Ridas.

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“My eye is seeing things again. As long as I have had it, it’s still strange to see things the rest of me can’t perceive…But, hey. If you have such an issue with the montomy, why don’t you go to the mess hall?” the two seemed friends, despite the differences in their dress.
“Hmm, if I go to the mess hall, who will protect you?” The large, fanged man asked, scanning the hall intimately.
“Heh. Protect me? Darlin, if anything, I’m protecting you. Your position is purly ceremonial~” the woman replied, a teasing grin on her face. “Besides, your montomy is about to break” The woman looked directly at Kiko and grinned, flicking her eyebrows.

A little spooked that someone was looking at her despite being told that nobody should be able to see her, Kiko scurried away to Queenie’s room, and got changed into her SIR uniform. How, she was going to explain the outfit she had just taken off, she didn’t know. But, cross that bridge when she came to it. What was she going to say to Queenie? Or…Tai’Zian as was apparently really called. Kiko had to be sure not to call her that until she found out in a way that wasn’t overhearing it while she didn’t exist. She explored, did some tail tricks and tried to get used to having two, and then practiced drawing her gun from its holster. These activities ate up the rest of the time, and eventually the door opened and Queenie came in.

“Hey Kiko. Good to see you awake. Let me have a look at that gunshot wound” Queenie said, coming up to Kiko before she could refuse and expertly stripping her clothes to bare her shoulders. That skillset would definitely work well in the bedroom later. But, for now, there was just a confused look on her face. “Any…secret regeneration powers you’ve not told us about?” Queenie asked. The question made Kiko look to her side and, see that there was no wound. Not even a blemish.
“No…umm, I have no idea where it went, but I was definitely shot” Kiko’s voice had a stunned tone as she stared at the lack of wound.
“I know. Bruyn reported it. We got you patched up and let you rest here, so you were in more comfortable surroundings when you came too” Queenie’s words sparked a memory in Kiko, and she quickly looked to the woman.
“How’s Remokr?” There was a bite to the request, an intense impatience that Queenie picked up on and didn’t try reassuring. Just spoke.
“Unconscious, but other than that she is stable. It was a very stupid thing she did. Could have blown her brain to hell, or fried her nervous system. Or any other manner of a terrible, terrible death. I understand why you did it, but it was stupid” Queenie somewhat lectured. And Kiko couldn’t deny that. “Stupidity aside, come on, we’ve got someone for you to meet. And as much as I love your personality, do try to be nice around this one” And with that, Kiko followed, entirely unsure what her ‘personality’ was. She wasn’t sure it was ever anything of note.

Then she was face to face with the heterochromia woman, and her wolf companion. The woman looked on with a smile, but the wolf-man looked back at the woman and then to Kiko, and then said something she missed.
“Kiko, this is Sarasagi, the Queen of Blood. And her Knight-Commander Ulf” Queenie introduced. Kiko stared for a few seconds and then gave an awkward curtsey.
“It-it-it-it-it is good, to see, you, your Majesty. I, am Kiko” there was a sudden feeling of being pressed down upon, as if the gravity of the world had multiplied many times. She could hardly focus on anything until Ulf nudged Sarasagi in the ribs, and the pressure vanished.
“Call me Sagi. I do so hate the formality of my full name. You are Kiko, I hear. One of my beautiful girls from back in the war” Sagi walked up to Kiko and strokes her face, planting a kiss on her lips which made Queenie scowl deeply, but said nothing about it. Clearly, this Sagi was quite a character to intimidate the Ever-Burning Lady. And then suddenly Kiko shrieked and made Queenie and Sagi jump. Ulf didn’t so much as bat an eyelid however.
“You! Are from another planet!” she suddenly pointed and accused vehemently. After recovering from the jumping, Sagi gave a nervous laugh.
“Yes, yes I am. It is a nice place, but then it is my home so I guess I am bias towards it” Sagi put on a fond smile, remembering all the hijinks and shenanigans she got up to. And then gave Kiko a stare when the Kitsune poked her in the breast.
“Why do you seem so…normal?” Kiko asked more, poking Sagi some more. The question seemed to amuse Sagi considerably, and she gave a hearty giggle.
“Ahh, I am sorry. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just I asked the very same question when I saw my first, extra-terrestrial, if you will. There is a point in gravitational force in the planet, where it is too strong to create fully sentient life. Evolution is too focused on not going splat and not enough on brain power. Standard Gravity is designated as 1G. A planet can get about 2.5G, about two and a half times stronger than this planet’s gravity, before it becomes too strong. And about 0.3G About three times weaker than this planet’s gravity, before it becomes too weak to create a proper form. Life can evolve, but at a staggeringly slow pace and it can’t leave the planet without specialized pressure suits or it will quickly die from either asphyxiation or being crushed under the power of the gravity their bones are not designed to handle. People from different planets may appear shorter and stockier, or taller and more limber, but the general shape remains the same. Planetary aspects can add in deviations. My planet has a lot of night, so I am a very pale thing. Some planets are 95% water, so you get aquatic appearances. But nothing dramatically deviates from that because, Science” Sagi finished her explanation and saw Kiko’s brain had been well and truly burned out.

“You broke it. Nice” Ulf commented, which got him a glare.

“Not my fault they are so easy to break. My Blood-Moons were a hardy bunch. A true delight to fight alongside” Sagi replied, her head held high as she spoke of her Kitsunes. This place was one of great glory and great horror both. One of the biggest wars outside of Olympus Mons. And Mons was a fucking deathpit. Even long after it had happened, it was still a holy pilgrimage for Necromancers across the universe, considered one of the greatest places to connect with their aspect. Eventually, while reminiscing, the little Kitsune managed to recover herself.
“You are very beautiful, my Queen” Kiko said suddenly, and then blushed when she heard it and covered her mouth. Queenie scowled at that, but Sagi only giggled.
“To the task at hand then. Blood Moon runes, yes? They have been going a bit wild but you had them under control because of their rarity and the fact that Kitsunes are rarely people in SIR to boot because of how The Great War ended. So this is the first time all the values have added up to make this particular situation. Is that a correct summary?” Sagi asked, holding herself with regal posture despite the less than regal clothing and tone.

“Yea..but, what do you mean, how it ended? Does that have anything to do with…The Betrayer?” Kiko asked. Her mother had mentioned something like that but never elaborated.
“It does, yes. The Betrayer was a cowardly creature who drove a Blade of Blackened Soul into the back of Tzi, the great hero of the Kitsune, and wielder of the Crystal Talon. There, at his moment of triumph, he died. The Kitsune tore The Betrayer into a thousand pieces and then ate them so he would never rise again, but the damage had been done” Sagi looked as if she was going to go on more, but Kiko’s eyes grew wide and her breath suddenly laboured.
“S-sword…where’s my sword? Where did my sword go? I need my sword!” she exclaimed, looking around with a panicked expression.
“Hmm. Reminds me of a young Taka at the start of the War” Ulf commented, before looking to Queenie.
“Bruyn has it” the large Demon woman said, waiting a second before realizing nobody knew her, except for Kiko who was currently freaking out, so she darted off to go find it.

While she was gone, Sagi put a hand on Kiko’s forehead and soothed her frantic heart. Kiko, feeling the warm hand on her head, was calmed. Enough so that Queenie could return and hand her the sword. Kiko grabbed it and hugged it, before unsheathing it and sighing deeply at the song. “It has been a long time since I heard that song. You would not think the man who sung it to be capable of such, but he did. Matched pitch and tone, tempo and style to the song of another, a most potent creation. The two songs together are things of great wonder to behold” Sagi spoke while the song went on, and then Kiko sheathed it and sighed deeply again.
“Yay. Kiko, now with extra nuts. Can’t I obsess over something better than a sword?” she exclaimed, shaking her head before looking up at Sagi. Something about the stare made her feel completely naked in front of her. And so Kiko covered herself even though fully clothed. Sagi smiled and shook her head softly, before cocking it and looking into the Kitsune’s eyes.
“I see she has found a new host in you. I look forward to meeting her again. Divinity is an interesting thing to interact with when you are something like me”. Kiko’s eyes grew wide at the mention of Divinity, especially when in relation to her. As if implying that the she in her was some sort of God. She couldn’t ask any questions however, because a growl suddenly ripped through the air. One of the members of SIR had walked past, and growled viciously at Ulf. The man turned and snarled back, the two baring teeth and certainly not shy about their hostilities.

Sagi closed her eyes for a long second, and then opened them back up and looked to Ulf. The man bared teeth for a few more seconds, and then regained composure and took his place back at Sagi’s side.
“Good dog” the other man said, his voice dripping with venom and hate. Kiko barely had time to react before Ulf pounced with a savage roar and the two ripped at each other with claws and teeth as if the other was an enemy they had been tracking for a decade. The problem came quickly, as their violence brought blood, and Kiko was ensnared. Sagi let out a groan as the two struck each other, but Koko dived right into the combat and it was quickly over with yelps and pained growls. Mostly the man who had stayed to fight, Ulf had recognized a lost cause and backed out with only a few breakages to pay for.
“And that, I take it, is the core concern of my presence” Sagi commented, nodding softly before speaking again. “Kiko!”

The words were sharp and hard, and even in her blood-lusted state, Kiko couldn’t help but turning around to look. And there, she beheld, a wonder. She, was unsure how anything could look this good, could look this beautiful, but she couldn’t do anything about it, and just dropped the battered wolf man and stared.
“Come with me, my dear” Sagi held out a hand, which Kiko stumbled towards and took. With the fox girl in hand, Queenie left to a deeper part of the building.

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