Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Kitsune-tsuki ❯ Chapter 3

By the time that the sunlight filtered through the tall trees, Heero had kindled a small fire. Duo and Hilde soon woke, and both moved near the fire to ward off the lingering chill of the night. The three sat there for some time, each made uneasy by the heavy silence. As the fire began to die out, Hilde offered to get more wood, and hurried into the forest to gather some branches. As her footsteps faded into the forest, Heero shifted and raised his head to peer out from underneath his thick bangs. He met Duo's eyes with an intense gaze, and abruptly said "Kitsune-tsuki."

It took Duo a moment to comprehend what Heero had said, simply because it was so unexpected and strange. "Possessed? Nani?"

"Aa," Heero answered. "The young woman is possessed by a fox spirit."

Duo was hesitant to believe ill of the young woman. He had not noticed anything odd about her during their travel together. His disbelief was plain on his face, and Heero ticked off the reasons for believing thus on his fingertips.

"One. Kitsune love to eat rice with red beans." Duo scoffed. Hilde's love of rice with red beans did not convince him that she was possessed. But Heero was not done yet.

"Two. Kitsune-possessed people often appear to be arguing with themselves, answering in markedly different voices. I heard the young woman do this last night." Duo still felt that the monk must be mistaken in his accusation. Perhaps he imagined the different voices. Heero continued.

"Three. Kitsune often play pranks such as cutting a woman's long hair or shaving a man's head." Heero reached out and touched his braid, twining it around his hand. "Had I not stopped her last night, you would be a much-changed man."

Duo looked into the deep blue eyes. His expression went slack and his lips parted slightly. "My ... hair?" His eyes blazed with sudden anger, and he would have gone after the young woman for an explanation if Heero did not have the end of his braid in his grasp.

"Let me handle this," Heero said firmly. Duo looked at him doubtfully, and rescued his braid from the strong grip before nodding.

Hilde arrived back at the fire, arms full of branches. She placed them on the ground, not noticing the strangely searching look that Duo gave her nor Heero's intense gaze. She sat down and began to feed the branches into the fire.

"Kitsune." Heero's harsh voice jolted her, and she nearly dropped the branch she was holding. Hilde opened her mouth to deny the accusation, but Heero held up a hand to stop her. "It was not a question, but a statement of fact." Their eyes locked in silent battle. Hilde looked away first, attempting nonchalance.

"What do you want, monk?" she asked in a light tone.

"Leave this young woman. It ill befits you to possess her."

"The girl amuses me. She is spirited. I will do as I wish with her and her body." A sly look came into her eyes. "Do you want her body, monk?" She turned coquettishly. "Do you, Duo?"

"You're - she's - not my type," Duo stammered, blushing deeply.

Heero's voice cut in. "You will not be tricking us that way, kitsune. What do you want to leave the girl? Offerings, prayers?"

"What good will the prayers of a shidoso do me?" she asked mockingly. "And neither of you have even enough rice to eat for dinner, much less to make offerings with. Give me one good reason that I should leave her."

Heero's lips pressed into a thin, firm line and he began to mutter a familiar threat. Suddenly, Duo blurted out "I could hunt for you - bring you offerings of fresh meat."

She looked at him contemptuously. "What prank are you hoping to pull?"

Duo looked shocked. "I would never! The hunter who raised me taught me to respect the spirits of the woods. In fact, there is still a small shrine near my home where I daily place offerings to these spirits, kitsune included."

"That - is your doing? Once, after a battle your simple offerings gave me strength to make it home." The young woman paused reflectively. "There are few like you, who care for the forest spirits in this age."

Duo held his breath. The young woman glared at Heero, and then smiled in a way that made the stoic monk nervous.

"All right. I will leave the girl, because of your kindness. However," she said as she raised her hand, "there is a condition." She turned to face Heero.

"You, monk, will accompany the hunter to Akanuma and back to his home. You will stay there for no less than three cycles of the moon, and assist him in maintaining the shrine and placing offerings there. Do you accept?"

"I do," Heero said.

Her lips curled up in a smile, and she winked at Heero as she said "Then, goodbye." Hilde's eyes closed for a moment, and when she reopened them she looked much younger and a little frightened. In a husky voice she said "Arigatou," and then burst into tears.

Heero watched as Duo consoled the young woman. They had succeeded in getting the kitsune to leave, and it had been far easier than he thought it would be. But for some reason, he felt as though the kitsune had just played a great trick on him. He recalled the smile she had given to him, and the feeling deepened. Shrugging it off, he returned his attention to Duo, whose antics already had Hilde laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes.

"Bakayaru," Heero muttered. A lone howl, mocking and somehow imbued with laughter, echoed from the far reaches of the forest.