Duel with Lilykitten <3
What is Inari's most cherished memory? How might another character (Yoko) feel about hearing that story told?Being a Japanese goddess among mortals can be a tricky task and Inari can definitely confirm that. Although her love for human beings was strong enough to determine her to live among them, she didn't imagine how different it was from her previous lifestyle. First of all, Inari had to hide her true identity and learn how to see the world from a new perspective. She had to learn how to understand other's feelings, how to treat the other persons and how to act in certain situations. But the road there was tough and lonely...
A lost princess who had a simple life, full of risks, a constant fight for survival. It sounds like the reverse of the classical happy-ending fairytales, but that's how Harumi's life looked like before. She didn't remember how her old life used to look like, but all Haru knew was that she must take revenge on her family for abandoning her back then. "I'll make them regret that"
Yoko became a myth. A very skilled in swordsmanship woman, who know no mercy for her enemies. Some said that she was the daughter of the Dragon himself. Some said that she was cursed by a demon to a life in anger, longing for revenge. But while the authority inside the city's walls was on the monarch's side, the one ruling the people outside was Yoko. She was the Queen of the poor, both thieves or honourable men, but she was making sure that nothing happens to them.
This story is about how Inari met Yoko. The half kitsune was considered pure blood, so she was allowed to go inside and outside the city whenever she liked. Yet, she spent most of her time away from the "aristocratic" way of life those people used to live.
One night, when she was wandering through the forest near the city, she heard someone following her. Inari has a brilliant sense of hearing so she could clearly distinguish the sound of someone's steps. With a quick move, the got on the top of her "shadow" who was immobilized on the ground.
"You have nerve" she heard a laugher.
But Inari acted like she didn't hear.
"Who are you? An assassin or something? If so, who do you serve?"
"Please..." replied sarcastically the mysterious woman, rolling her eyes "...do I really look like I'd willingly serve someone? I'm all on my own. Tell me your name and you should know mine."
Inari sighed "you look like you'd need a friend, my name is Inari btw." she offered the one on the ground a hand to help her get up.
The other person took her hand hesitating. Her eyes got bigger in surprise, then they widened with suspicion. Nobody was that nice with her without a reason before. After she took a safe distance, she replied "Well then, I'm Yoko".
When two lonely souls are meeting each other, you can only say it's destiny. Inari made a habit from visiting the strange woman every night. There was something about that that made the Kitsune think that she's not like the ordinary people. On her turn, Yoko found at Inari a fascinating aura, that made her wonder what are the secrets that the unusually friendly girl is trying to hide.
The relationship between them evolved into a very close friendship. Not once had one risked her life for the other. Yoko discovered that the "little spoiled girl", as she used to call Inari, is a wonderful fighter and can easily take care of herself.
"How did you get to be so good in combat? I assume you didn't learn that in the city" asked Yoko once. "That's true, indeed. I'm not from the city" replied Inari enigmatically. That day was the one when all the secrets were revealed and it remained in their heart as the most cherished memory they ever had.
For an all alone person, finding someone to trust is the most beautiful thing. For a lost soul, being found is the best feeling of them all.
Inari discovered who Yoko really was and Haru got to know her friend too. She revealed her plan to get revenge on her family, but Inari expressed her disagreement.
"What if they never meant to abandon you, Haru, but it just happened?" (She was thinking of how she left the godly life for one among the mortals. Inari didn't mean to abandon the ones who cared about her, but she knew her place was on the Earth)
Haru blinked, surprised. She never tough about it from that perspective. "So you're saying that, if I come back... my family will be happy to see me? And that they don't think I'm unworthy?"
"Of course they don't think that!" Inari smiled.
"But how about all those helpless people? I cannot let them to be exploited by the rich ever again. They deserve to be free."
"If you are, indeed, the lost princess, you have the power to change that for ever."
So Yoko returned to the palace as Harumi, closely followed by Inari who was invested with a very important function. She never gave up fighting for the ones less lucky, at day being the princess Haru and the night being Yoko, the saviour of the poor ones, keeping secret her true identity, just like Inari continued to do.
If someone discovers that princess Harumi is Yoko, she might be judged for high treason against the king and sentenced. If someone discovers that Inari is a Kitsune goddess, the two worlds (the gods' and the mortals') could be thrown into chaos for a long, long time.
