[TST] Two Against The World (Roy + Rou Inari AU fic)
Been in the works for a loooong while, finally finished it after many pauses and a brush with death. So tl;dr basically secretly the Hijikata family are a long lost family of Inari, and Rou gets the juice. Shit happens, and this is just how things might have happened. It was supposed to have porn, but then I got lazy.
Title : Two Against The World (Part 1 of 2)
Fandom : theskytides, AU number god-knows-what
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairing : The Hijikata familiy, Hijikata Toshirou, Roy Mustang (sort of), Kondo Isao, Okita Sougo and Okita Mitsuba. Brief cameo by Miles Edgeworth, and mentions of Manfred von Karma.
Warning : Totally unneeded and unnecessary angst.
Notes : About bloody time I did this. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KAE? Also part two can be found here!
TWO AGAINST THE WORLD: PART ONE
theskytides AU fic; 14,025 words
On the fifth of May on a certain year in Bellcius, the Hijikata clan was supposed to have a pair of twins coming into existence. Instead, all that ever came out was a single child. The other was found to be stillborn, to die even before the child could even attempt to live.
The Hijikata Clan, of course, could only care less-at least this spared them from the trouble of needing to separate the twins. The news was announced, and only few mourned for the passing of this unborn child. The other was given his name before being passed down to his assigned caretaker in order to ensure that he lived. The last thing that the family wanted was a scandal in their name over some accursed boy, cursed enough to have killed his other half even before he came into existence.
And this it was like this did the child-later known as Hijikata Toshirou-came into existence in the world, alone and unwanted and left to a fate that few could ever think of.
He was only six years old when he first encountered it.
Back then he was still too young to understand, to not truly comprehend what it was that he had encountered. It had been out of curiosity (and a spot of stupid bravery), when he decided to head towards the abandoned buildings in the Hijikata compound in spite of the warnings that had been given to him, the stories and tales of ghosts and hauntings that was told to him by his caretaker. Curiosity had overlapped everything else, and it was strange… but something also seemed to call him towards there.
Toshirou blinked and rubbed the dust out of his eyes as he carefully entered the rickety half-rotten wooden shack that had been sitting old and abandoned at the corner of the compound, only noticeable because of the half-broken kitsune statue that was somehow still there at the entrance. His blue eyes reflected the shimmer of dust specks that gleamed weakly under the sunlight that streamed in through the cracks from above, casting the place with just enough light for him to see, even though the place was still creepy-looking enough.
I should leave… the young boy thought to himself, taking a moment to turn back towards where the door was, only to yelp as he tripped on something he didn’t notice and fall painfully head-first onto the wooden floorboards with an audible CRACK. Alarmed, Toshirou was quick to scramble back up and attempted to get away, but the wood-already long weaken from time itself-gave in under the weight all too easily and the boy shouted out in fear and surprise as he fell through the floor. There were only a few moments for him to react before he landed painfully onto the dirt, pain throbbing across his body.
A few moments passed before Toshirou regained himself, mind still shaken from that rather bad fall. The boy let out a hiss, wincing as he attempted to push himself up only to cry out as pain shout through his right leg. Great, he must have injured it somehow… now how was he supposed to get out of this place?
Just at that thought, the sound of rustling seemed to come from somewhere, and Toshirou paused in his attempt of standing up in order to glance nervously around him. Nothing, besides the darkness, streaks of light and the specks of dust that that still floated around from the aftermath of the crash. The hole from the floor was right above him and the boy was fairly certain he could reach it with some effort, if it wasn’t for the fact that his leg wasn’t agreeing with him at the moment.
Somebody… Toshirou thought helplessly, biting down onto his bottom lip in a bid not to cry even as his eyes started to water and he could feel himself shaking in fear. He was alone, there was nobody here to help him-not Ikumatsu, not Tenkei… nobody. He was all alone here, in this strange place and nobody was going to notice he was missing and then he would die-
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
The boy whipped his head around at that, heart beating rapidly as fear washed over him quickly at this strange voice that seemed to be in his head. He was too afraid to answer; too scared to do anything now-he was terrified, afraid, alone.
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
That voice, again. Toshirou felt himself shaking horribly, fear paralysing him right where he was while he kept looking around, eyes darting in an attempt to locate the source of this strange voice. Was this place really haunted, like what he had been told? Was a ghost out to get him because he didn’t listen? Was he going to be taken away from this place…?
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
“H-Hai!” he yelped out before he could stop himself, and right after that outburst he only gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide in fear as they started to dart around again, looking for whatever it was that had spoken into his head.
More rustling again, this time more prominent-enough to know that something was approaching him. Toshirou looked towards where the sound was coming from, fear shaking him right to the core of his soul as the boy stayed still, rooted to the ground and unable to even move an inch. The lack of a proper light were making things hard to see, but eventually the boy could make out something that had four legs, pointy ears and… four tails?
Kitsune! Toshirou managed to realize what it was before the creature appeared under the sunlight and the boy could only stare, caught in a mix of shock and awe. It was indeed a kitsune-fairly bigger than him, with a rusty-red coat that reminded him of the dying embers of fire and bright blue eyes that looked almost like his own. Four large tails swept across its back, the ends tipped white despite the dust and dirt that coated this place. The kitsune regarded the boy with a piercing look that made Toshirou freeze abruptly, cold sweat forming on his head as what seemed like an eternity pass by for him.
You are only six years old. It was a statement, not a question.
The boy gulped audibly, but he nodded nevertheless. “H-Hai.”
Were you asked to come here?
“I-Iie,” was the answer, and Toshirou could only hope that telling the truth would get him off whatever he had just found himself into. Was this kitsune going to eat him because he was young, just like the stories he had had heard?
To his surprise however, all that the fox seemed to do was to let out a small sigh, blinking as it glanced away. I had wondered what had happened…
“A-Are you going to eat me?” came the frightened question from the boy there and then.
The kitsune turned back to look at him with that question, blinking at the young human in a way of what seemed to be both surprise and confusion. And why would I do that?
“Be-Because the stories said-”
The stories are just that-stories. Toshirou could almost swear that the fox seemed to snort at that before turning back again to the side, tails swishing behind. You shouldn’t believe everything that you hear, kit.
Toshirou blinked. “Kit?”
Force of habit. The kitsune looked back at him once more, blue eyes blinking as it shifted, moving its head closer to the boy who had immediately frozen up the moment the fox got closer. Relax-I’m not going to hurt you. A pause, and then it added on as an afterthought. Or eat you, for that matter.
“…really?” the boy went, uncertain and unsure.
Really. Now let me see that leg of yours.
“…okay.” Toshirou took his chances with this strange kitsune that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, if only because the kitsune was possibly his only way out of this place. This place was far from the main compound, and hardly anyone came around this area. It was this or to die, and as things stood as they were the boy really didn’t have much of a choice. Willing himself to move, the boy cautiously moved his leg, wincing at the pain but managing to bear it as he managed to straighten it out the best that he could.
The kitsune was quick to act, moving its snout closer towards the leg as it gazed at the limb critically. Looks like a mild fracture-nothing you have to worry about. Saying that, the fox raised its head back up-and then it moved one of its forepaws to press against the fracture, the action causing Toshirou to let out a pained cry.
“-urts!” The boy barely managed out, tears forming at the corner of his eyes as he squeezed them shut, jaw clenched while he tried not to simply scream.
Bear with it for a moment, it’ll be over soon. A gentle green light appeared around the kitsune’s paw, glowing in a way that was like water as the light flowed to encompass around the fracture before flaring brightly and a rush of warmth ran up and down his leg, the sensation akin a hand smoothing over his skin. It lasted for a moment before the feeling vanished, and Toshirou looked down to see his leg just as good as new.
The kitsune shifted to settle on its hunches, an amused light entering its eyes. It’s been a while, but that should do the trick. Try standing up.
Toshirou cautiously did as instructed, keeping one eye on the kitsune as he slowly pushed himself up, fully expecting pain to come at him at any moment… but then blinked when he felt nothing and slowly tested out his leg, taking one careful step after another-nothing at all. It was like the fracture never happened at all.
So? The voice made the boy look up towards the kitsune, who seemed to be smirking right there and then. How is it? I hoped the years hadn’t made me lose touch with my abilities.
The child took a few more moments to walk about, making sure that his leg was absolutely fine before looking back up at the fox and nodded his response. “It’s okay.”
Good. The kitsune seemed quite pleased at that, standing back up on all of its feet and moving closer towards the boy again. The fear quickly kicked in again, but after what the fox had done, Toshirou managed to push it down, just enough so that he could stay where he was and not move back. The kitsune inched closer, snout before his face as the mythical creature sniffed once, twice and then moved back to return sitting on its haunches. A pause, and then the fox moved and bent down so that the kid could climb onto its back. Now get on, I’ll take you out of here.
“E-Eh?” Toshirou returned, unsurprisingly at a loss with this sudden development.
What I just said. Unless you intend to stay here with the dust and dirt.
“O-Of course not!” the boy replied hotly, cheeks puffing up in retaliation as he quickly marched over and got onto the back of the kitsune. Oddly, the side of the fox seemed to be just right for him-almost as if the kitsune was just for his size.
Toshirou would have thought more about it, but his thoughts were cut short when the kitsune moved without warning and the boy was made to hold on and try to not fall as the somewhat large fox circled the area where the child fell through earlier. This is the place, correct?
“H-Hai,” came the response.
Alright, hold on tight. The kitsune shifted, raising its front so that its forepaws could grab onto the edge. Toshirou yelped, holding on tightly so that he wouldn’t fall off-though that wasn’t going to be necessary, as a tail soon wrapped around him and carried him up towards the hole. The boy initially was frozen with fear again, but soon made sure to hold on as the tail carried him right out of where he had dropped into.
The kitsune seemed to smile as the boy turned to face him once the tail let him go when he was carried out. Now make sure you don’t fall in again. I can’t be here all the time, you know.
“Why are you even here?” the boy then asked before he could stop himself.
There was a pause at that question, and the kitsune glanced away as well before a response came. It’s not my place to answer that, Toshirou.
The child looked at the fox for a few passing moments after that, but eventually he turned around and let the subject drop. “Well… um. T-Thanks for helping me, Kitsune-san.”
It’s just what I had to do. The kitsune blinked before letting go, disappearing into the hole below the broken floorboards. Now get back before the family start to worry about you.
Toshirou obeyed at once, quickly making his way out of the shack with little difficulty this time. It was already sunset by the time he was back in the main compound, and he pointedly managed to evade the questioning looks that Ikumatsu was giving him when he returned full of dust and dirt and grime. At least it was better than having his leg fractured, after all.
It never occurred to him until when he was in bed later in the night that he had never told the kitsune his name-so how did the fox know it in the first place?
“Kitsune-saaaaan!”
Didn’t I already tell you to stop coming here, kit?
“For the last six years already, yes~”
The fox sighed at that, very much resisting the urge to pawpalm. Then why are you still…
“Because there’s nothing else to doooooo.”
Go train your swordsmanship or something. Stop finding me and dragging me to your childish games.
“But I was just practicing earlier!” Toshirou returned hotly, cheeks puffing up in retaliation-the same way they always did whenever he was being huffy and stubborn. “C’moooon, work with me for once!”
I have no obligation to listen to you. Though really, the kitsune knew otherwise-he (contrary to what others might think he was a ‘he’ and not a ‘she’, thank you very much; not all of his kind were females) very well knew why he was still here and with the young boy. He had known right from the beginning when the boy was born and he could feel the other’s spirit and soul; this child was the one slated to inherit the long-forgotten power of the Hijikata Clan. For decades he had been trapped in that forgotten shrine, lost and forsaken by the very people who he had formed a bond with. But then out of the blue one day, this child entered into his domain, and the vague feeling he had then manifested into certainty when he laid eyes on the six-year-old back then.
Hijikata Toshirou was to be the next Inari of the clan.
Generations had already passed since there had been an Inari available for him-the clan had grown superstitious and paranoid from their old ways of long ago, and nowadays they had gotten rid of any potential Inari before they became of age. Toshirou was the only one in a long time who somehow had managed to live all the way up until now-and this was the last day where he was twelve. Tomorrow would be his thirteenth birthday, and the time where he would receive the power that had been sealed within him until then. Tomorrow, things would change drastically-he had been preparing himself ever since their first meeting, but the reality of the situation was only settling in now. Tomorrow, this child would begin to be his master.
“Kitsune-saaaaan.”
The fox blinked at the call, quickly frowning afterwards as he felt Toshirou’s finger prodding on his nose. The kitsune quickly backed away, looking not at all amused as he regarded the boy with a mildly irritated gaze. What is it?
Toshirou only puffed his cheeks up again at that. “You weren’t listening to me at all!”
Apologies. He blinked again, taking a moment to shove the thoughts in his head before continuing. What were you saying?
“I was saying about tomorrow!” the boy quickly went, voice clear with passion and excitement as he stepped back, grinning as he placed one hand on his hip as the other made a dramatic point towards the distance. “Tomorrow, I’m going to challenge my elder brother and prove myself before the family! They won’t ignore me after that!”
…I see. The kitsune wasn’t that all sure if that was the best idea, but he wasn’t going to rain on his soon-to-be master’s parade. Once midnight struck tonight… his power would be for the child’s to command, even if he wasn’t aware of it. The fox had never said a thing about the boy’s fate as the Inari-it wasn’t his place to speak, and he wasn’t that all sure of the boy could ever handle this reality. He knew enough by now to know why the boy was treated as such, why he was shunned and distanced from the clan. It was all because of him, because the boy was to be the Inari. Somehow Toshirou managed to live past the day he was born… but life had never been easy for him, and the kitsune knew that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. So long as the boy was the Inari…
He was shaken out from his thoughts once more as the twelve-year-old brought his face up close to him, and the fox had to back away out of surprise. Is there anything else you wanted to say?
Toshirou gave the other a glare at that. “Stop spacing out and listening to me, for one!” The boy pouted visibly, glancing away as he crossed his arms. “Seesh, what’s up with you today anyway? You keep spacing out every five minutes on me. It’s not polite, you know.”
In another time, the kitsune would have simply retorted back in return by pointing out that Toshirou wasn’t very polite himself in the first place (most people usually revered kitsunes, not do things like poke them and kick them and attempt to hit them with surprise attacks that were far too obvious) , but now was not the moment for him to be chiding-not when many things were going to change tomorrow, and the life they had now was going to change in a matter of hours. Hard to digest, really, after all these decades of being left alone in the dark and dirt; he would be happy to embrace living under a new Inari, but with things as they were now…
“Kit-su-neeeeeee,” Toshirou went once more with more prodding, and the fox let out an annoyed snarl while shaking his head so that his snout could bat the boy’s hand away and quickly turned around, his four tails swishing behind him with the action. The boy, however, wasn’t so easily deterred, and soon the kitsune found himself caught in a pseudo-hug as the child managed to climb onto his back and wrapped his arms around his neck.
“Once I prove myself to the family and they accept me, I’ll introduce you to them!” he said, voice excited and happy. “Then you can go around with me everywhere instead of being stuck here all the time!”
The fox turned his head around just enough to catch the sight of the happy, carefree boy who cared for him with all his heart despite not even knowing why. The boy who had come to adore him despite their initial encounters, who had first feared him but now had long since come to regard him as his closest companion.
Closing his eyes, the kitsune let out a soft sigh and turned his head back as one of his four tails reached up to ruffle the boy’s hair (a habit he had picked up in the years). We will see then.
Right there and then at that very moment, all the kitsune could only wish was for the eventual fate of this child to be averted. Fate, however, was something that even something like him couldn’t control, and the fox could only wait to see what the next day would bring for him and his soon-to-be master.
“Ungh!”
Toshirou grunted, wincing as he felt the soles of his worn out sandals giving way from the skid he had just done onto the ground. His feet burned from the friction, and his body was screaming in pain and agony. The boy-now a teenager-knew he shouldn’t have expected this to be easy; he had been training all his life for this very day, after all. The day where he would beat his brother and finally prove himself to the clan about his worth.
Still, that was going to be easier said than done. Just fifteen minutes into this fight, and all he had managed was a laughable few blows-his brother, though weak, was still strong and fast when needed, and was now beating him mercilessly in this match.
“Is that all you’ve got, Toshirou?” came the mocking voice of Tenkei as he struggled to push himself back up onto his feet. His knees were buckling, and the younger Hijikata could feel his body starting to falter from exhaustion. He couldn’t go on much longer like this… but he didn’t want to give in either. This was his one and only chance to show his power for the clan, and for them to accept him-after this, even Toshirou knew he would never get another chance like this again.
Power. I need power and strength… I need them in order to prove myself once and for all. I need power!
Is that what you really wish for?
Wha-before Toshirou could respond to that abrupt voice that had seemingly come from nowhere, he was thrown back once more when Tenkei took advantage of his moment of confusion to deal a particularly vicious blow in the form of a thrust that struck him in the gut. The teenager cried out as he rolled across the ground, wincing at the sharp sting of pain that burned across his gut and outwards. The teenager groaned as he rolled back and tried to push himself up again, but a foot struck him at the side of the head and all he could feel was pain throbbing between his temples. Lots and lots of pain.
Tenkei snorted from above him, more haughty than anything else as he kept his younger brother still by resting one foot on his head. A sneer was directed down at him as the elder of the siblings grinned viciously. “Weak as always, Toshirou. And here I hoped you’d get an edge even with my physical weakness. Looks like all you were was just talk and nothing else.”
The words burned into his mind, and Toshirou felt the hot sting of tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. I’m not… I’m not strong enough…
Do you want the power to prove yourself?
That voice, again. Somehow the voice reminded him of the kitsune, but the voice was also quite nothing like it. There was a strange difference in the quality-somehow much clearer, much more prominent unlike before; a heavy weight at the back of his mind he could just seem to grab with his own two hands.
Do you truly want the power and strength that you so seek?
Yes, Toshirou answered then, desperate for anything just so long as he could get it. I want the power-the power to protect and to defeat those in my way. I need strength.
There was a pause, and the boy was almost certain all of this had been just a trick of his mind before the voice spoke again-a strange weariness in its tone that was quickly covered up by the resounding finality which echoed in the next words that were said. Then so be it. From now, my strength is also yours.
As soon as those words were said, a sudden surge of warmth swelled from within him, blowing up like a balloon or a bubble that just grew bigger and bigger until it finally burst and all that Toshirou could feel was that warmth flooding his senses and wholly enveloping him-returning him strength that was lost from the battle earlier. The pain was gone; he felt as good as new, as if he had just woken up to a brand new day and hadn’t been suffering from a beatdown at all in the last fifteen minutes. Confidence surged through him along with this newfound strength, and the boy reached up without thinking to grab his brother by the foot that was pressing his head down, fingers tightening to an iron grip around the ankle.
There was no chance for Tenkei to even sound out his surprise, to let out his sudden shock-one moment he was still gloating over the weakness of his younger brother, and the next he found himself falling onto the ground, tumbling back from the (inhuman) force of the sudden tug that Toshirou had done from his ankle. The back of his head struck the earth, and he yelped at the sudden explosion of pain that came from it. He had no time for a reprieve however as the younger Hijikata was on the move the moment the boy had pulled himself back up, moving in a way that spoke of power and grace. His steps were not like the brash and foolhardy ways of before-they were now much more controlled and much more certain.
Tenkei barely had time to get up before the end of a bokuto was pressed against the column of his throat, and he looked up to see Toshirou’s blue eyes now glowing in a way that could only be described as supernatural. His hair seemed to be flying in some non-existent wind, and just behind him the elder Hijikata could just barely make out the swishing display of four tufted tails in the air.
Four tails.
Four.
Death.
“To-Toshirou-” he tried to speak, stopping to let out a cry of pain when his attempt to move his foot was only met with pain; his ankle had been dislocated from the pull from earlier, and it rendered him unable to move at all. Unable to move, and only stay still with the wooden sword against his neck and the sight of his younger brother now looking at him with power in his eyes and something powerful behind him. Something powerful and strong and would only bring nothing but death.
The elder Hijikata tried to speak, but a pointed jab on his throat effectively put a stop to that. He looked at his brother now, eyes wide with nothing but fear. His younger brother, usually nothing but a naïve idealistic dreamer now standing over him with this much power-it was unnatural. It was inhuman. It wasn’t of this world.
“Monster!” came out the cry before Tenkei could stop himself, but it was effective enough. Right at the moment the word fell onto Toshirou’s ears, the boy felt the energy suddenly leaving him, the warmth vanishing from within him only to be replaced with a strange coldness. He blinked, looking down at his elder brother who was still staring at him with wide eyes-eyes which only held fear within them. The growing sensation of dread that was forming at the pit of his stomach only grew worse as Toshirou attempted to take a step forward only to see his brother trying to scramble back, voice getting higher as he screamed for him to stay away. Whispers broke out from behind him, and somehow his ears could make out the half-formed words and hushed tones.
“-he’s one of them, isn’t he?”
“Didn’t we already weed them out?”
“Disgusting!”
“Horrible, I say.”
“To know that such a being like an Inari still exists in our noble clan-”
Inari? Toshirou thought out in surprise-he knew of them, having heard stories about them from his caretaker. The Inari; people destined for power, the ones chosen by a kitsune to be their human host-
A kitsune.
Yes, the voice from before sounded again, and this time he could recognize it. I am the kitsune spirit that had been kept by your family ever since this clan was founded. You are the first Inari to have lived in the last two hundred years.
The last two hun-the boy wanted to ask, but his attempt was cut short as words suddenly echoed across the field and the dreadful feeling he had been sensing earlier fell all the way into the pit that had abruptly formed at the bottom of his stomach.
“Bring the Inari before the council of elders.”
Hijikata Toshirou, age thirteen. Second son of the main branch of the Hijikata clan.
It was raining. Endless, cold and merciless rain that drenched him to the bone and seemed to cut through his chilly skin in order to freeze him inside.
On the grounds of inhumanity and attempted murder-
He was given no time, only the evening to get what he could get and to bade his final goodbyes to the few who still bothered with him.
-you are henceforth banished and excommunicated from the prestigious Hijikata family.
All he had was a small sack of clothes and a short katana fitted to his size, the blade given to him by his elder cousin. The rain continued to pour, making his clothes cling to his skin and filling him with an ice-cold sensation that somehow stung deeper than any physical pain that he had ever felt.
All we can hope is that mercy is on your forsaken soul.
A child like you was never meant to exist.
He was never meant to exist. An abomination like him was never meant to be here.
He was the child of a demon, a demon’s child, they said. A child with power that no child should have. The power of an Inari-a harbinger of bad luck, doom and destruction. The family thought that they had managed to get rid of the last ones thirteen years ago, when only one of a pair of twins lived through their birth. Apparently that had not been the case at all.
They did not take kindly to the unexpected.
Toshirou didn’t know how long he spent crying after he was forced to leave his home with only the barest of things with him-he cried and cried and cried some more, sniffling and sobbing as he felt the rain mingling with his tears, the cold chilling him in so many ways both physically and mentally. His heart ached with the pain of what had happened to him, and the presence/voice at the back of his head now was not helping with matters as well.
I am sorry, the kitsune went, if I had known that something like this would happen, I would have-
“You would have what?” the boy asked, choking out the words in-between sobs. “You would have told me earlier, let me suffer this even earlier than now?”
No, that’s not what I meant-
“Then what the hell do you mean?!” he almost screamed out, feeling that desperate need to vent his anger onto something-onto anything-so long as he could let out all of his bottled emotions and find a release for his frustrations. “Because of you I’ve just lost everything I’ve been working for! Because of you, I’ve been driven out! Nobody wants me anymore!” He was cursed and accursed; he was inhuman, unnatural. He was supposed to have died when instead he was alive; he wasn’t supposed to be here, he wasn’t supposed to be in this world.
He was nothing but a monster.
I didn’t-
“Stop making up excuses!” came the shout, and not even the downpour of the rain could hide it. “I don’t want to hear them anymore.” What had happened had already happened, Toshirou knew-he had been banished from his family, thrown away by them because he had been deemed too dangerous by possessing the power of an Inari; something that should have been gone long ago already. As much as the boy always wanted to be special… if all it did was to make him into a monster, then he might as well not have it anymore. There was no need for such a power when all it resulted was nothing but sorrow and heartbreak as long as he had them.
He could feel the thing in his head, still prodding and questioning and asking about him. Just a few days ago he would have seen it as his best friend, his greatest companion in all of Reial… but now all he could see was a beast that had stolen everything which he wanted the most. A monster that had made him lose everything that was precious to him-and now because of his power, he was stuck with it. A curse in its most accursed sense.
Lowering his head, Toshirou felt the raindrops continuing to fall onto him, soaking through his clothes and freezing him to the hollow of his bones. It was cold, horribly cold-but not as cold as the ice that was now in his heart and soul. Just like this, and he had lost everything… all because of the kitsune.
He didn’t want this. He didn’t need this.
“Go away.”
The surprise was only all too easily felt the moment it heard his words. What are you-
“Go away! Leave me alone! Stay away from my head!” he cried out into the night, tears stinging hotly at the corners of his eyes in spite of the weather. “I don’t want to see you again! Don’t come near me! I don’t-” His breath hitched, catching in his throat. Because of it, because of the kitsune-the entire fault belonged to it and nothing else. “-I don’t need a monster like you with me!”
There was a long pause after that, with the only sound that rang in his ears being that of the downpour around him. The kitsune was silent, saying nothing for the longest time, and Toshirou was about to open his mouth to speak again before it did finally reply. …you are my master, and I am obligated to obey your orders-just as you wish, I will take leave from your side until you call upon me once more.
“I’ll never call you,” the boy breathed back, conviction rock-solid even as his voice trembled from the cold. “I don’t need a thing like you with me, ever.” Not when it had already made him lose everything already.
Another pause, shorter this time. As you wish.
A second later, Toshirou could feel the presence leaving his mind-it was hard to describe it in words, but it simply felt as if a part of himself had just left him. The cold bit harder than ever, but the boy wouldn’t let that shake his resolve; he didn’t need a beast like that with him. He could survive on his own well enough, no matter what. He would never ever call on the services of something like that monster. Not even to his dying breath.
With that conviction secured, the boy made himself look at the road ahead of him and adjusted the sack that was around his shoulder. The rain continued to pour on him, but he made himself step forward and move to wherever the road would take him. He would survive, one way or another; now that he no longer had that thing with him. He would live to see the next day, and the day after that and live through each and every day to show that he was still alive no matter what.
He was human, and so because he was human it meant that he didn’t need a monster with him to do all of this.
The law of the wild.
It was the only law that ever came to apply in Solare, and it was something that Hijikata quickly came to know well. There were many variations of this law-survival of the fittest, a world of only the strong, the battlefield for survival-but the basic concept remained the same; only those who could survive this harsh world of Solare would thrive, and others would only be beaten down and killed. A place where you couldn’t escape once you stepped in, for the scars and bloodshed would stick to you forever and never be washed off no matter how much you tried.
A world fitting for somebody like him, Hijikata supposed. He had nothing left after all, and what better way to live than to throw himself into a world where death might be awaiting in every turn? Crazy, yes, but it wasn’t as if he had anything else left for him-there was nothing for him in this place anymore, now that he had lost it all. Besides, being dead would mean he’d never have to see or feel or hear that thing again, because try as he might it was impossible to shake off that feeling of emptiness that never stopped to claw within him for these past few weeks, the hollow sensation that screamed in his soul without pause and almost drove him mad at times. He knows what the feeling is, he can guess the cause for it-but he isn’t going to give in, because Reial could drop from the sky first before he would give into something that took everything from him.
He would rather die before he’d let something like that happen.
“Ungh!”
On the ground, just managing to breathe. He couldn’t move-everything hurt, from his limbs to his chest and his head. He attempted to turn around, but the pain was too much and all he could do was to roll to his side and cough violently as he felt nothing but agony flooding his senses. Distantly, he could taste his own blood on his lips. Hijikata tried to move again, but was stopped when a hand clamped onto his head and pulled him up, fingers tightening painfully around his skull. The teenager blinked weakly to see the face of the gang leader he had just tried to steal from-something he had been doing in order to try and survive, but it seemed that his luck had finally decided to run out on him today.
“You really got some nerve, you know that?” the man went, sounding darkly amused as he looked at the young teenager he was holding up now. “Stealing from me, leader of one of the strongest gangs in Solare! Do you have a death wish or something?”
Hijikata attempted to respond, but his injuries got the better of him and he coughed again, choking out more blood. It trailed down his jaw and dripped from his chin, staining his clothes and the ground below him. He felt himself weakening-the blood loss was getting to him, he knew. Maybe he really was going to die here and now.
Die…
“Hah, well. If you want it so much, then I’ll just give you that.” Through bleary vision Hijikata saw a sword being drawn out, its edge resting against the column of his throat. His pulse raced, and he could feel his heart quickening in fear-he had been preparing himself for this, but yet when he was finally faced with it, all he could feel was fear and the desire to not die. He still needed to live even if he was at his lowest-he still needed to show that he could live, even when his family had kicked him away and left him to rot in the streets.
But right here and now, he was going to die.
The teenager squeezed his eyes shut as a single lone thought crossed his mind. I don’t want to die!
“Your death will serve a fine example for the rest of Solare!”
Save me!
And to his utmost surprise, a familiar voice echoed in his head after that.
Understood.
Not even a second later, an unearthly roar rang in his ears and Hijikata felt himself falling-landing on something soft and warm and familiar as a scream that wasn’t his registered into his senses. An abrupt silence followed after that, and taking that chance the teenager opened his eyes only to widen them in shock.
Towering before and with its back against him was the kitsune, its red coat now seemingly blazing like a raging fire under the light of the sun. Three tails swished before him, and the fourth was what Hijikata found himself now sitting on. From where he was he could see those usually cool blue eyes now smothering in rage, blood dripping from its jaw as it growled towards the man who had tried to kill him earlier-now missing a whole arm, and the limb lay torn and bleeding just some distance from where Hijikata himself was.
Said man was now looking at the beast before him with nothing else but fear in his eyes, backing away for a few steps before he stumbled and fell onto the ground. The kitsune moved forward, and the tail that had been around and under Hijikata slid away to swish in the air once more as it stalked ever closer towards the man, growling dangerously in its throat as the intent to kill hung clearly in the air.
“M-Monster!” came the terrified cry, and Hijikata felt that old stab of fear and despair in his gut.
Monster.
Without thinking, he shouted the first thing that came into his mind. “Leave him!”
A pause, the silence taut and tense and the kitsune turned to look at Hijikata for a good few moments after he shouted that out. Eventually though, he heard its voice echoing in his mind for the first time after all those weeks. You are sure?
“He already knows not to mess with me,” he returned, glancing at the man who was still trying to back away. “And everyone will know better than to cross me as well, after this.”
…as you wish, then. The fox backed off, turning around so that he could return to his master’s side. As for the man, all he could do was to freeze in terror as Hijikata stepped up closer to him, glancing down impassively for a few moments before speaking.
“Know that today I’m only letting you off so that you can go and tell your friends and your gang not to cross with me,” he paused so that he could look down at the man with the harshest glare he could muster up. “Know me, and then fear me, because the next time anybody crosses my path I will not be as kind as now to let you live.” Once that was said, Hijikata turned back, tasting blood on his lips as he spoke his last words. “Now go.”
It didn’t even take a second after that to hear the fleeing footsteps of the man from behind him.
Title : Two Against The World (Part 1 of 2)
Fandom : theskytides, AU number god-knows-what
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairing : The Hijikata familiy, Hijikata Toshirou, Roy Mustang (sort of), Kondo Isao, Okita Sougo and Okita Mitsuba. Brief cameo by Miles Edgeworth, and mentions of Manfred von Karma.
Warning : Totally unneeded and unnecessary angst.
Notes : About bloody time I did this. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KAE? Also part two can be found here!
TWO AGAINST THE WORLD: PART ONE
theskytides AU fic; 14,025 words
On the fifth of May on a certain year in Bellcius, the Hijikata clan was supposed to have a pair of twins coming into existence. Instead, all that ever came out was a single child. The other was found to be stillborn, to die even before the child could even attempt to live.
The Hijikata Clan, of course, could only care less-at least this spared them from the trouble of needing to separate the twins. The news was announced, and only few mourned for the passing of this unborn child. The other was given his name before being passed down to his assigned caretaker in order to ensure that he lived. The last thing that the family wanted was a scandal in their name over some accursed boy, cursed enough to have killed his other half even before he came into existence.
And this it was like this did the child-later known as Hijikata Toshirou-came into existence in the world, alone and unwanted and left to a fate that few could ever think of.
He was only six years old when he first encountered it.
Back then he was still too young to understand, to not truly comprehend what it was that he had encountered. It had been out of curiosity (and a spot of stupid bravery), when he decided to head towards the abandoned buildings in the Hijikata compound in spite of the warnings that had been given to him, the stories and tales of ghosts and hauntings that was told to him by his caretaker. Curiosity had overlapped everything else, and it was strange… but something also seemed to call him towards there.
Toshirou blinked and rubbed the dust out of his eyes as he carefully entered the rickety half-rotten wooden shack that had been sitting old and abandoned at the corner of the compound, only noticeable because of the half-broken kitsune statue that was somehow still there at the entrance. His blue eyes reflected the shimmer of dust specks that gleamed weakly under the sunlight that streamed in through the cracks from above, casting the place with just enough light for him to see, even though the place was still creepy-looking enough.
I should leave… the young boy thought to himself, taking a moment to turn back towards where the door was, only to yelp as he tripped on something he didn’t notice and fall painfully head-first onto the wooden floorboards with an audible CRACK. Alarmed, Toshirou was quick to scramble back up and attempted to get away, but the wood-already long weaken from time itself-gave in under the weight all too easily and the boy shouted out in fear and surprise as he fell through the floor. There were only a few moments for him to react before he landed painfully onto the dirt, pain throbbing across his body.
A few moments passed before Toshirou regained himself, mind still shaken from that rather bad fall. The boy let out a hiss, wincing as he attempted to push himself up only to cry out as pain shout through his right leg. Great, he must have injured it somehow… now how was he supposed to get out of this place?
Just at that thought, the sound of rustling seemed to come from somewhere, and Toshirou paused in his attempt of standing up in order to glance nervously around him. Nothing, besides the darkness, streaks of light and the specks of dust that that still floated around from the aftermath of the crash. The hole from the floor was right above him and the boy was fairly certain he could reach it with some effort, if it wasn’t for the fact that his leg wasn’t agreeing with him at the moment.
Somebody… Toshirou thought helplessly, biting down onto his bottom lip in a bid not to cry even as his eyes started to water and he could feel himself shaking in fear. He was alone, there was nobody here to help him-not Ikumatsu, not Tenkei… nobody. He was all alone here, in this strange place and nobody was going to notice he was missing and then he would die-
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
The boy whipped his head around at that, heart beating rapidly as fear washed over him quickly at this strange voice that seemed to be in his head. He was too afraid to answer; too scared to do anything now-he was terrified, afraid, alone.
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
That voice, again. Toshirou felt himself shaking horribly, fear paralysing him right where he was while he kept looking around, eyes darting in an attempt to locate the source of this strange voice. Was this place really haunted, like what he had been told? Was a ghost out to get him because he didn’t listen? Was he going to be taken away from this place…?
Are you Hijikata Toshirou?
“H-Hai!” he yelped out before he could stop himself, and right after that outburst he only gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide in fear as they started to dart around again, looking for whatever it was that had spoken into his head.
More rustling again, this time more prominent-enough to know that something was approaching him. Toshirou looked towards where the sound was coming from, fear shaking him right to the core of his soul as the boy stayed still, rooted to the ground and unable to even move an inch. The lack of a proper light were making things hard to see, but eventually the boy could make out something that had four legs, pointy ears and… four tails?
Kitsune! Toshirou managed to realize what it was before the creature appeared under the sunlight and the boy could only stare, caught in a mix of shock and awe. It was indeed a kitsune-fairly bigger than him, with a rusty-red coat that reminded him of the dying embers of fire and bright blue eyes that looked almost like his own. Four large tails swept across its back, the ends tipped white despite the dust and dirt that coated this place. The kitsune regarded the boy with a piercing look that made Toshirou freeze abruptly, cold sweat forming on his head as what seemed like an eternity pass by for him.
You are only six years old. It was a statement, not a question.
The boy gulped audibly, but he nodded nevertheless. “H-Hai.”
Were you asked to come here?
“I-Iie,” was the answer, and Toshirou could only hope that telling the truth would get him off whatever he had just found himself into. Was this kitsune going to eat him because he was young, just like the stories he had had heard?
To his surprise however, all that the fox seemed to do was to let out a small sigh, blinking as it glanced away. I had wondered what had happened…
“A-Are you going to eat me?” came the frightened question from the boy there and then.
The kitsune turned back to look at him with that question, blinking at the young human in a way of what seemed to be both surprise and confusion. And why would I do that?
“Be-Because the stories said-”
The stories are just that-stories. Toshirou could almost swear that the fox seemed to snort at that before turning back again to the side, tails swishing behind. You shouldn’t believe everything that you hear, kit.
Toshirou blinked. “Kit?”
Force of habit. The kitsune looked back at him once more, blue eyes blinking as it shifted, moving its head closer to the boy who had immediately frozen up the moment the fox got closer. Relax-I’m not going to hurt you. A pause, and then it added on as an afterthought. Or eat you, for that matter.
“…really?” the boy went, uncertain and unsure.
Really. Now let me see that leg of yours.
“…okay.” Toshirou took his chances with this strange kitsune that had seemed to appear out of nowhere, if only because the kitsune was possibly his only way out of this place. This place was far from the main compound, and hardly anyone came around this area. It was this or to die, and as things stood as they were the boy really didn’t have much of a choice. Willing himself to move, the boy cautiously moved his leg, wincing at the pain but managing to bear it as he managed to straighten it out the best that he could.
The kitsune was quick to act, moving its snout closer towards the leg as it gazed at the limb critically. Looks like a mild fracture-nothing you have to worry about. Saying that, the fox raised its head back up-and then it moved one of its forepaws to press against the fracture, the action causing Toshirou to let out a pained cry.
“-urts!” The boy barely managed out, tears forming at the corner of his eyes as he squeezed them shut, jaw clenched while he tried not to simply scream.
Bear with it for a moment, it’ll be over soon. A gentle green light appeared around the kitsune’s paw, glowing in a way that was like water as the light flowed to encompass around the fracture before flaring brightly and a rush of warmth ran up and down his leg, the sensation akin a hand smoothing over his skin. It lasted for a moment before the feeling vanished, and Toshirou looked down to see his leg just as good as new.
The kitsune shifted to settle on its hunches, an amused light entering its eyes. It’s been a while, but that should do the trick. Try standing up.
Toshirou cautiously did as instructed, keeping one eye on the kitsune as he slowly pushed himself up, fully expecting pain to come at him at any moment… but then blinked when he felt nothing and slowly tested out his leg, taking one careful step after another-nothing at all. It was like the fracture never happened at all.
So? The voice made the boy look up towards the kitsune, who seemed to be smirking right there and then. How is it? I hoped the years hadn’t made me lose touch with my abilities.
The child took a few more moments to walk about, making sure that his leg was absolutely fine before looking back up at the fox and nodded his response. “It’s okay.”
Good. The kitsune seemed quite pleased at that, standing back up on all of its feet and moving closer towards the boy again. The fear quickly kicked in again, but after what the fox had done, Toshirou managed to push it down, just enough so that he could stay where he was and not move back. The kitsune inched closer, snout before his face as the mythical creature sniffed once, twice and then moved back to return sitting on its haunches. A pause, and then the fox moved and bent down so that the kid could climb onto its back. Now get on, I’ll take you out of here.
“E-Eh?” Toshirou returned, unsurprisingly at a loss with this sudden development.
What I just said. Unless you intend to stay here with the dust and dirt.
“O-Of course not!” the boy replied hotly, cheeks puffing up in retaliation as he quickly marched over and got onto the back of the kitsune. Oddly, the side of the fox seemed to be just right for him-almost as if the kitsune was just for his size.
Toshirou would have thought more about it, but his thoughts were cut short when the kitsune moved without warning and the boy was made to hold on and try to not fall as the somewhat large fox circled the area where the child fell through earlier. This is the place, correct?
“H-Hai,” came the response.
Alright, hold on tight. The kitsune shifted, raising its front so that its forepaws could grab onto the edge. Toshirou yelped, holding on tightly so that he wouldn’t fall off-though that wasn’t going to be necessary, as a tail soon wrapped around him and carried him up towards the hole. The boy initially was frozen with fear again, but soon made sure to hold on as the tail carried him right out of where he had dropped into.
The kitsune seemed to smile as the boy turned to face him once the tail let him go when he was carried out. Now make sure you don’t fall in again. I can’t be here all the time, you know.
“Why are you even here?” the boy then asked before he could stop himself.
There was a pause at that question, and the kitsune glanced away as well before a response came. It’s not my place to answer that, Toshirou.
The child looked at the fox for a few passing moments after that, but eventually he turned around and let the subject drop. “Well… um. T-Thanks for helping me, Kitsune-san.”
It’s just what I had to do. The kitsune blinked before letting go, disappearing into the hole below the broken floorboards. Now get back before the family start to worry about you.
Toshirou obeyed at once, quickly making his way out of the shack with little difficulty this time. It was already sunset by the time he was back in the main compound, and he pointedly managed to evade the questioning looks that Ikumatsu was giving him when he returned full of dust and dirt and grime. At least it was better than having his leg fractured, after all.
It never occurred to him until when he was in bed later in the night that he had never told the kitsune his name-so how did the fox know it in the first place?
“Kitsune-saaaaan!”
Didn’t I already tell you to stop coming here, kit?
“For the last six years already, yes~”
The fox sighed at that, very much resisting the urge to pawpalm. Then why are you still…
“Because there’s nothing else to doooooo.”
Go train your swordsmanship or something. Stop finding me and dragging me to your childish games.
“But I was just practicing earlier!” Toshirou returned hotly, cheeks puffing up in retaliation-the same way they always did whenever he was being huffy and stubborn. “C’moooon, work with me for once!”
I have no obligation to listen to you. Though really, the kitsune knew otherwise-he (contrary to what others might think he was a ‘he’ and not a ‘she’, thank you very much; not all of his kind were females) very well knew why he was still here and with the young boy. He had known right from the beginning when the boy was born and he could feel the other’s spirit and soul; this child was the one slated to inherit the long-forgotten power of the Hijikata Clan. For decades he had been trapped in that forgotten shrine, lost and forsaken by the very people who he had formed a bond with. But then out of the blue one day, this child entered into his domain, and the vague feeling he had then manifested into certainty when he laid eyes on the six-year-old back then.
Hijikata Toshirou was to be the next Inari of the clan.
Generations had already passed since there had been an Inari available for him-the clan had grown superstitious and paranoid from their old ways of long ago, and nowadays they had gotten rid of any potential Inari before they became of age. Toshirou was the only one in a long time who somehow had managed to live all the way up until now-and this was the last day where he was twelve. Tomorrow would be his thirteenth birthday, and the time where he would receive the power that had been sealed within him until then. Tomorrow, things would change drastically-he had been preparing himself ever since their first meeting, but the reality of the situation was only settling in now. Tomorrow, this child would begin to be his master.
“Kitsune-saaaaan.”
The fox blinked at the call, quickly frowning afterwards as he felt Toshirou’s finger prodding on his nose. The kitsune quickly backed away, looking not at all amused as he regarded the boy with a mildly irritated gaze. What is it?
Toshirou only puffed his cheeks up again at that. “You weren’t listening to me at all!”
Apologies. He blinked again, taking a moment to shove the thoughts in his head before continuing. What were you saying?
“I was saying about tomorrow!” the boy quickly went, voice clear with passion and excitement as he stepped back, grinning as he placed one hand on his hip as the other made a dramatic point towards the distance. “Tomorrow, I’m going to challenge my elder brother and prove myself before the family! They won’t ignore me after that!”
…I see. The kitsune wasn’t that all sure if that was the best idea, but he wasn’t going to rain on his soon-to-be master’s parade. Once midnight struck tonight… his power would be for the child’s to command, even if he wasn’t aware of it. The fox had never said a thing about the boy’s fate as the Inari-it wasn’t his place to speak, and he wasn’t that all sure of the boy could ever handle this reality. He knew enough by now to know why the boy was treated as such, why he was shunned and distanced from the clan. It was all because of him, because the boy was to be the Inari. Somehow Toshirou managed to live past the day he was born… but life had never been easy for him, and the kitsune knew that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. So long as the boy was the Inari…
He was shaken out from his thoughts once more as the twelve-year-old brought his face up close to him, and the fox had to back away out of surprise. Is there anything else you wanted to say?
Toshirou gave the other a glare at that. “Stop spacing out and listening to me, for one!” The boy pouted visibly, glancing away as he crossed his arms. “Seesh, what’s up with you today anyway? You keep spacing out every five minutes on me. It’s not polite, you know.”
In another time, the kitsune would have simply retorted back in return by pointing out that Toshirou wasn’t very polite himself in the first place (most people usually revered kitsunes, not do things like poke them and kick them and attempt to hit them with surprise attacks that were far too obvious) , but now was not the moment for him to be chiding-not when many things were going to change tomorrow, and the life they had now was going to change in a matter of hours. Hard to digest, really, after all these decades of being left alone in the dark and dirt; he would be happy to embrace living under a new Inari, but with things as they were now…
“Kit-su-neeeeeee,” Toshirou went once more with more prodding, and the fox let out an annoyed snarl while shaking his head so that his snout could bat the boy’s hand away and quickly turned around, his four tails swishing behind him with the action. The boy, however, wasn’t so easily deterred, and soon the kitsune found himself caught in a pseudo-hug as the child managed to climb onto his back and wrapped his arms around his neck.
“Once I prove myself to the family and they accept me, I’ll introduce you to them!” he said, voice excited and happy. “Then you can go around with me everywhere instead of being stuck here all the time!”
The fox turned his head around just enough to catch the sight of the happy, carefree boy who cared for him with all his heart despite not even knowing why. The boy who had come to adore him despite their initial encounters, who had first feared him but now had long since come to regard him as his closest companion.
Closing his eyes, the kitsune let out a soft sigh and turned his head back as one of his four tails reached up to ruffle the boy’s hair (a habit he had picked up in the years). We will see then.
Right there and then at that very moment, all the kitsune could only wish was for the eventual fate of this child to be averted. Fate, however, was something that even something like him couldn’t control, and the fox could only wait to see what the next day would bring for him and his soon-to-be master.
“Ungh!”
Toshirou grunted, wincing as he felt the soles of his worn out sandals giving way from the skid he had just done onto the ground. His feet burned from the friction, and his body was screaming in pain and agony. The boy-now a teenager-knew he shouldn’t have expected this to be easy; he had been training all his life for this very day, after all. The day where he would beat his brother and finally prove himself to the clan about his worth.
Still, that was going to be easier said than done. Just fifteen minutes into this fight, and all he had managed was a laughable few blows-his brother, though weak, was still strong and fast when needed, and was now beating him mercilessly in this match.
“Is that all you’ve got, Toshirou?” came the mocking voice of Tenkei as he struggled to push himself back up onto his feet. His knees were buckling, and the younger Hijikata could feel his body starting to falter from exhaustion. He couldn’t go on much longer like this… but he didn’t want to give in either. This was his one and only chance to show his power for the clan, and for them to accept him-after this, even Toshirou knew he would never get another chance like this again.
Power. I need power and strength… I need them in order to prove myself once and for all. I need power!
Is that what you really wish for?
Wha-before Toshirou could respond to that abrupt voice that had seemingly come from nowhere, he was thrown back once more when Tenkei took advantage of his moment of confusion to deal a particularly vicious blow in the form of a thrust that struck him in the gut. The teenager cried out as he rolled across the ground, wincing at the sharp sting of pain that burned across his gut and outwards. The teenager groaned as he rolled back and tried to push himself up again, but a foot struck him at the side of the head and all he could feel was pain throbbing between his temples. Lots and lots of pain.
Tenkei snorted from above him, more haughty than anything else as he kept his younger brother still by resting one foot on his head. A sneer was directed down at him as the elder of the siblings grinned viciously. “Weak as always, Toshirou. And here I hoped you’d get an edge even with my physical weakness. Looks like all you were was just talk and nothing else.”
The words burned into his mind, and Toshirou felt the hot sting of tears starting to form at the corner of his eyes, threatening to spill down his cheeks. I’m not… I’m not strong enough…
Do you want the power to prove yourself?
That voice, again. Somehow the voice reminded him of the kitsune, but the voice was also quite nothing like it. There was a strange difference in the quality-somehow much clearer, much more prominent unlike before; a heavy weight at the back of his mind he could just seem to grab with his own two hands.
Do you truly want the power and strength that you so seek?
Yes, Toshirou answered then, desperate for anything just so long as he could get it. I want the power-the power to protect and to defeat those in my way. I need strength.
There was a pause, and the boy was almost certain all of this had been just a trick of his mind before the voice spoke again-a strange weariness in its tone that was quickly covered up by the resounding finality which echoed in the next words that were said. Then so be it. From now, my strength is also yours.
As soon as those words were said, a sudden surge of warmth swelled from within him, blowing up like a balloon or a bubble that just grew bigger and bigger until it finally burst and all that Toshirou could feel was that warmth flooding his senses and wholly enveloping him-returning him strength that was lost from the battle earlier. The pain was gone; he felt as good as new, as if he had just woken up to a brand new day and hadn’t been suffering from a beatdown at all in the last fifteen minutes. Confidence surged through him along with this newfound strength, and the boy reached up without thinking to grab his brother by the foot that was pressing his head down, fingers tightening to an iron grip around the ankle.
There was no chance for Tenkei to even sound out his surprise, to let out his sudden shock-one moment he was still gloating over the weakness of his younger brother, and the next he found himself falling onto the ground, tumbling back from the (inhuman) force of the sudden tug that Toshirou had done from his ankle. The back of his head struck the earth, and he yelped at the sudden explosion of pain that came from it. He had no time for a reprieve however as the younger Hijikata was on the move the moment the boy had pulled himself back up, moving in a way that spoke of power and grace. His steps were not like the brash and foolhardy ways of before-they were now much more controlled and much more certain.
Tenkei barely had time to get up before the end of a bokuto was pressed against the column of his throat, and he looked up to see Toshirou’s blue eyes now glowing in a way that could only be described as supernatural. His hair seemed to be flying in some non-existent wind, and just behind him the elder Hijikata could just barely make out the swishing display of four tufted tails in the air.
Four tails.
Four.
Death.
“To-Toshirou-” he tried to speak, stopping to let out a cry of pain when his attempt to move his foot was only met with pain; his ankle had been dislocated from the pull from earlier, and it rendered him unable to move at all. Unable to move, and only stay still with the wooden sword against his neck and the sight of his younger brother now looking at him with power in his eyes and something powerful behind him. Something powerful and strong and would only bring nothing but death.
The elder Hijikata tried to speak, but a pointed jab on his throat effectively put a stop to that. He looked at his brother now, eyes wide with nothing but fear. His younger brother, usually nothing but a naïve idealistic dreamer now standing over him with this much power-it was unnatural. It was inhuman. It wasn’t of this world.
“Monster!” came out the cry before Tenkei could stop himself, but it was effective enough. Right at the moment the word fell onto Toshirou’s ears, the boy felt the energy suddenly leaving him, the warmth vanishing from within him only to be replaced with a strange coldness. He blinked, looking down at his elder brother who was still staring at him with wide eyes-eyes which only held fear within them. The growing sensation of dread that was forming at the pit of his stomach only grew worse as Toshirou attempted to take a step forward only to see his brother trying to scramble back, voice getting higher as he screamed for him to stay away. Whispers broke out from behind him, and somehow his ears could make out the half-formed words and hushed tones.
“-he’s one of them, isn’t he?”
“Didn’t we already weed them out?”
“Disgusting!”
“Horrible, I say.”
“To know that such a being like an Inari still exists in our noble clan-”
Inari? Toshirou thought out in surprise-he knew of them, having heard stories about them from his caretaker. The Inari; people destined for power, the ones chosen by a kitsune to be their human host-
A kitsune.
Yes, the voice from before sounded again, and this time he could recognize it. I am the kitsune spirit that had been kept by your family ever since this clan was founded. You are the first Inari to have lived in the last two hundred years.
The last two hun-the boy wanted to ask, but his attempt was cut short as words suddenly echoed across the field and the dreadful feeling he had been sensing earlier fell all the way into the pit that had abruptly formed at the bottom of his stomach.
“Bring the Inari before the council of elders.”
Hijikata Toshirou, age thirteen. Second son of the main branch of the Hijikata clan.
It was raining. Endless, cold and merciless rain that drenched him to the bone and seemed to cut through his chilly skin in order to freeze him inside.
On the grounds of inhumanity and attempted murder-
He was given no time, only the evening to get what he could get and to bade his final goodbyes to the few who still bothered with him.
-you are henceforth banished and excommunicated from the prestigious Hijikata family.
All he had was a small sack of clothes and a short katana fitted to his size, the blade given to him by his elder cousin. The rain continued to pour, making his clothes cling to his skin and filling him with an ice-cold sensation that somehow stung deeper than any physical pain that he had ever felt.
All we can hope is that mercy is on your forsaken soul.
A child like you was never meant to exist.
He was never meant to exist. An abomination like him was never meant to be here.
He was the child of a demon, a demon’s child, they said. A child with power that no child should have. The power of an Inari-a harbinger of bad luck, doom and destruction. The family thought that they had managed to get rid of the last ones thirteen years ago, when only one of a pair of twins lived through their birth. Apparently that had not been the case at all.
They did not take kindly to the unexpected.
Toshirou didn’t know how long he spent crying after he was forced to leave his home with only the barest of things with him-he cried and cried and cried some more, sniffling and sobbing as he felt the rain mingling with his tears, the cold chilling him in so many ways both physically and mentally. His heart ached with the pain of what had happened to him, and the presence/voice at the back of his head now was not helping with matters as well.
I am sorry, the kitsune went, if I had known that something like this would happen, I would have-
“You would have what?” the boy asked, choking out the words in-between sobs. “You would have told me earlier, let me suffer this even earlier than now?”
No, that’s not what I meant-
“Then what the hell do you mean?!” he almost screamed out, feeling that desperate need to vent his anger onto something-onto anything-so long as he could let out all of his bottled emotions and find a release for his frustrations. “Because of you I’ve just lost everything I’ve been working for! Because of you, I’ve been driven out! Nobody wants me anymore!” He was cursed and accursed; he was inhuman, unnatural. He was supposed to have died when instead he was alive; he wasn’t supposed to be here, he wasn’t supposed to be in this world.
He was nothing but a monster.
I didn’t-
“Stop making up excuses!” came the shout, and not even the downpour of the rain could hide it. “I don’t want to hear them anymore.” What had happened had already happened, Toshirou knew-he had been banished from his family, thrown away by them because he had been deemed too dangerous by possessing the power of an Inari; something that should have been gone long ago already. As much as the boy always wanted to be special… if all it did was to make him into a monster, then he might as well not have it anymore. There was no need for such a power when all it resulted was nothing but sorrow and heartbreak as long as he had them.
He could feel the thing in his head, still prodding and questioning and asking about him. Just a few days ago he would have seen it as his best friend, his greatest companion in all of Reial… but now all he could see was a beast that had stolen everything which he wanted the most. A monster that had made him lose everything that was precious to him-and now because of his power, he was stuck with it. A curse in its most accursed sense.
Lowering his head, Toshirou felt the raindrops continuing to fall onto him, soaking through his clothes and freezing him to the hollow of his bones. It was cold, horribly cold-but not as cold as the ice that was now in his heart and soul. Just like this, and he had lost everything… all because of the kitsune.
He didn’t want this. He didn’t need this.
“Go away.”
The surprise was only all too easily felt the moment it heard his words. What are you-
“Go away! Leave me alone! Stay away from my head!” he cried out into the night, tears stinging hotly at the corners of his eyes in spite of the weather. “I don’t want to see you again! Don’t come near me! I don’t-” His breath hitched, catching in his throat. Because of it, because of the kitsune-the entire fault belonged to it and nothing else. “-I don’t need a monster like you with me!”
There was a long pause after that, with the only sound that rang in his ears being that of the downpour around him. The kitsune was silent, saying nothing for the longest time, and Toshirou was about to open his mouth to speak again before it did finally reply. …you are my master, and I am obligated to obey your orders-just as you wish, I will take leave from your side until you call upon me once more.
“I’ll never call you,” the boy breathed back, conviction rock-solid even as his voice trembled from the cold. “I don’t need a thing like you with me, ever.” Not when it had already made him lose everything already.
Another pause, shorter this time. As you wish.
A second later, Toshirou could feel the presence leaving his mind-it was hard to describe it in words, but it simply felt as if a part of himself had just left him. The cold bit harder than ever, but the boy wouldn’t let that shake his resolve; he didn’t need a beast like that with him. He could survive on his own well enough, no matter what. He would never ever call on the services of something like that monster. Not even to his dying breath.
With that conviction secured, the boy made himself look at the road ahead of him and adjusted the sack that was around his shoulder. The rain continued to pour on him, but he made himself step forward and move to wherever the road would take him. He would survive, one way or another; now that he no longer had that thing with him. He would live to see the next day, and the day after that and live through each and every day to show that he was still alive no matter what.
He was human, and so because he was human it meant that he didn’t need a monster with him to do all of this.
The law of the wild.
It was the only law that ever came to apply in Solare, and it was something that Hijikata quickly came to know well. There were many variations of this law-survival of the fittest, a world of only the strong, the battlefield for survival-but the basic concept remained the same; only those who could survive this harsh world of Solare would thrive, and others would only be beaten down and killed. A place where you couldn’t escape once you stepped in, for the scars and bloodshed would stick to you forever and never be washed off no matter how much you tried.
A world fitting for somebody like him, Hijikata supposed. He had nothing left after all, and what better way to live than to throw himself into a world where death might be awaiting in every turn? Crazy, yes, but it wasn’t as if he had anything else left for him-there was nothing for him in this place anymore, now that he had lost it all. Besides, being dead would mean he’d never have to see or feel or hear that thing again, because try as he might it was impossible to shake off that feeling of emptiness that never stopped to claw within him for these past few weeks, the hollow sensation that screamed in his soul without pause and almost drove him mad at times. He knows what the feeling is, he can guess the cause for it-but he isn’t going to give in, because Reial could drop from the sky first before he would give into something that took everything from him.
He would rather die before he’d let something like that happen.
“Ungh!”
On the ground, just managing to breathe. He couldn’t move-everything hurt, from his limbs to his chest and his head. He attempted to turn around, but the pain was too much and all he could do was to roll to his side and cough violently as he felt nothing but agony flooding his senses. Distantly, he could taste his own blood on his lips. Hijikata tried to move again, but was stopped when a hand clamped onto his head and pulled him up, fingers tightening painfully around his skull. The teenager blinked weakly to see the face of the gang leader he had just tried to steal from-something he had been doing in order to try and survive, but it seemed that his luck had finally decided to run out on him today.
“You really got some nerve, you know that?” the man went, sounding darkly amused as he looked at the young teenager he was holding up now. “Stealing from me, leader of one of the strongest gangs in Solare! Do you have a death wish or something?”
Hijikata attempted to respond, but his injuries got the better of him and he coughed again, choking out more blood. It trailed down his jaw and dripped from his chin, staining his clothes and the ground below him. He felt himself weakening-the blood loss was getting to him, he knew. Maybe he really was going to die here and now.
Die…
“Hah, well. If you want it so much, then I’ll just give you that.” Through bleary vision Hijikata saw a sword being drawn out, its edge resting against the column of his throat. His pulse raced, and he could feel his heart quickening in fear-he had been preparing himself for this, but yet when he was finally faced with it, all he could feel was fear and the desire to not die. He still needed to live even if he was at his lowest-he still needed to show that he could live, even when his family had kicked him away and left him to rot in the streets.
But right here and now, he was going to die.
The teenager squeezed his eyes shut as a single lone thought crossed his mind. I don’t want to die!
“Your death will serve a fine example for the rest of Solare!”
Save me!
And to his utmost surprise, a familiar voice echoed in his head after that.
Understood.
Not even a second later, an unearthly roar rang in his ears and Hijikata felt himself falling-landing on something soft and warm and familiar as a scream that wasn’t his registered into his senses. An abrupt silence followed after that, and taking that chance the teenager opened his eyes only to widen them in shock.
Towering before and with its back against him was the kitsune, its red coat now seemingly blazing like a raging fire under the light of the sun. Three tails swished before him, and the fourth was what Hijikata found himself now sitting on. From where he was he could see those usually cool blue eyes now smothering in rage, blood dripping from its jaw as it growled towards the man who had tried to kill him earlier-now missing a whole arm, and the limb lay torn and bleeding just some distance from where Hijikata himself was.
Said man was now looking at the beast before him with nothing else but fear in his eyes, backing away for a few steps before he stumbled and fell onto the ground. The kitsune moved forward, and the tail that had been around and under Hijikata slid away to swish in the air once more as it stalked ever closer towards the man, growling dangerously in its throat as the intent to kill hung clearly in the air.
“M-Monster!” came the terrified cry, and Hijikata felt that old stab of fear and despair in his gut.
Monster.
Without thinking, he shouted the first thing that came into his mind. “Leave him!”
A pause, the silence taut and tense and the kitsune turned to look at Hijikata for a good few moments after he shouted that out. Eventually though, he heard its voice echoing in his mind for the first time after all those weeks. You are sure?
“He already knows not to mess with me,” he returned, glancing at the man who was still trying to back away. “And everyone will know better than to cross me as well, after this.”
…as you wish, then. The fox backed off, turning around so that he could return to his master’s side. As for the man, all he could do was to freeze in terror as Hijikata stepped up closer to him, glancing down impassively for a few moments before speaking.
“Know that today I’m only letting you off so that you can go and tell your friends and your gang not to cross with me,” he paused so that he could look down at the man with the harshest glare he could muster up. “Know me, and then fear me, because the next time anybody crosses my path I will not be as kind as now to let you live.” Once that was said, Hijikata turned back, tasting blood on his lips as he spoke his last words. “Now go.”
It didn’t even take a second after that to hear the fleeing footsteps of the man from behind him.