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The Gift

Daniel's Storyline, Chapter 6.4 & 6.5 (take 2)

copyright comidacomida 2018

Herne quickly stepped to the side as Talapus collapsed like a wet paper sack. Although Kon turned to face the Elk when he spoke next it was directed at me, and I saw the way his two tails curled in on one another to form a heart. "Don't go anywhere, Danny... you and I aren't done yet."

Although I couldn't help but stare at the train-wreck developing in front of me, somehow, somewhere an old, gravely voice managed to force its way into my frozen brain. "Hey... kid..."

I turned to look at who spoke, and saw a pair of glowing Blue eyes looking out at me from a dark alleyway. By the time I looked back, Herne and Kon had already started their deadly dance. My attention shifted between the fight and the mysterious stranger. In the end, I focused on what I could handle: the alley. "Is... someone there?"

There was more than one voice speaking but the second one was so faint that it was almost like a whisper passing through the air vent from one room to another. The one that called to me was the one I could hear clearly. "Your eyes are Blue for a reason... even if you can't do much you can still do something."

It was a strange statement to hear, especially since my eyes were brown. My attention got pulled back to the fight as Herne let out a war cry and I turned just in time to see Herne slam his shield right into Kon's snout. The Fox fell away and back but the Elk continued the advance, stabbing his sword in a lunge for the Yokai's abdomen. There was a powerful blast of smoke just as the blade was about to hit and the fog disappeared as quickly as it had formed; Herne had skewered what looked like a dummy made of burlap and hay.

I watched in surprise and disbelief as the mist reformed behind the Elk and Kon stepped out of it, delivering a swift kick to Herne's heel. The Yokai added a swift chop to the side of the Stag's neck where it met the shoulder and I watched in surprise and horror as Herne fell to his knees; Kon grabbed hold of one of Herne's antlers and gripped him by the chin with his other paw, tensing his muscles in what was obviously preparation for snapping the Elk's neck. Before I could even cry out I heard the silent voice behind me suddenly booming like a hurricane "Help me help him!"

The entire street rumbled and for just a moment it looked like the asphalt was as liquid as the sea, roiling and swelling during a hurricane. It was just in my mind, or had to have been since none of the buildings quivered and the nearby stoplights didn't swing the least on the lines suspending them over the road. I still felt it, in my feet and up my legs, but, after that sensation passed my attention was drawn to the glimmering return of the mist that had helped the Fox disappear and reappear; the new fog, though, was different and, rather than whisk Kon away to somewhere else it actually restrained him. A disembodied voice that sounded strangely like Kon himself spoke Japanese from within the vapor. "Mou ii."

The Yokai twisted, straining as his paws opened, releasing Herne. He backpedaled, obviously against his own will; he was so caught up in whatever was going on with him that he didn't pay any attention to me. I ran in and pulled Talapus away from him, then went back to do the same with Herne. By that time Kon's low growl had turned into grating, angry words. I couldn't understand any of them though since they were all in Japanese, but the final statement was definitely. "Yurusenai!"

Once Talapus and Herne were safe I looked back to the Yokai, and what I saw was mind-blowing. The mist had practically fused with him, but small bits of it remained surrounding his body, trailing off of him like hunks of tinsel on a Christmas tree... or, I guess more like the strips of paper posted up around a Shinto shrine-- when I looked closer I could even see what looked like Japanese symbol-things written on them in bright Blue light. Kon screamed out at the top of his lungs "AMAI NA!"

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth before letting out what I can only describe as a Fox trying to howl. He sounded like he was in pain, but it was something a lot worse than physical. I took a step back when he fell forward onto his palms, his back arching as the sound of tearing hide and cracking bone signaled that something was going on and, as I watched, his two tails split further apart as a third grew out between them, bursting forth like a bean sprout. The cries of pain tapered off and Kon slowly looked up and stared right at me, right eye glowing a baleful Red and the left a soft Blue.

When he spoke his voice was even and mellow despite the streams of glowing red tears pouring out his Blue eye and droplets of glowing blue tears rolling down his cheek fur from his Red one. He spoke my name, and something in Japanese. "Daniel. Tadaima."

I had idea what I was seeing or what was going on, but I was still scared shitless. "Kon... stay-- just... stay away from me!"

He nodded with surprising calm and his Blue eye gleamed softly. "I will... and I am sorry for my actions."

Before I could say anything his Red eye burned agrily. "You can't send me away! You will pay! You will ALL pay!"

The voices were both Kon but they did NOT sound the same; there was something going on that I couldn't see and couldn't hear but in some way I could still sense it. It's hard to explain, but I knew there was more to it, especially when Kon told himself "Daniel is not our enemy. He is innocent."

Kon hunched forward, glowing Red saliva oozing from his maw as he snarled. "No one is innocent..."

The Blue voice became much softer... gentler almost, and I heard a hint of Kon's good natured humor peek through. Even though I couldn't understand what he said, it almost sounded like a friendly jab. "Jibun de mineru na."

A calm voice spoke from behind me "He means well, but he's in great pain."

Glancing quickly at the speaker I saw the Dog from the park and the bus. The street was empty so it was easy to tell he wasn't with his Seer but I didn't spend any real time thinking about that and went for the obvious question "What are you doing here?"

He offered a smile, which looks pretty funny when it comes from a Dog with such huge jowls. "You called for help."

My attention went back to Kon who, still surrounded in Blue mist was struggling with himself. His three tails lashed in various directions as he tried to move, ultimately managing to take a single step forward before the fog rose into the air, carrying him with it. Snarling and lashing wildly like a crazed animal, Kon flailed his limbs, roaring out at the top of his lungs "Makeru mon ka!"

The mist continued to thicken as more and more of it flowed out of Kon's chest. The Yokai continued to struggle, shouting and growling, screaming and ranting in Japanese constantly except during the occasional moment when he was speaking to himself much more calmly; during those moments his Blue eye glowed brighter and the mist flowed more freely. I jumped when I got the impression of a paw resting on my shoulder. Bart the Dog spoke softly "Th' Fox told me that yer a good kid, but t'keep ya safe he's gotta go."

I glanced back at the Hound and saw that he held a small strip of paper with Japanese calligraphy on it. Although I didn't have a lot of experience telling the difference, for some reason I just knew the thing was made up of spirit mater, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to accept it but when I reached out and he set it in my palm the paper didn't pass through. Power strummed through my palm, down to the tips of my fingers, and up my arm. Even as I paid attention to Bart and the paper, Kon called to me. "Daniel... it is time that we say our goodbyes."

That was definitely not what I expected to hear from him. Spinning around I had a hard time forming any words, sticking instead with a simple. "Huh?"

The Red and Blue eye flickered, switching places so that the Red eye was crying Red tears and the Blue eye Blue ones. His voice took on a darker tone. "Come on... destroy me. It's what Humans do."

There was anger and pure disgust in his statement... so much that the words forced me back a step. "What? No! No-- not all Hu--"

He gnashed his teeth, spittle trailing from his lips. "It's me or you, Danny... and if you hesitate I won't!"

I looked down at the paper in my hand; although I didn't know how it worked I could still somehow tell how to use it. You know how, in all of those fantasy and sci-fi movies when someone tries to use some powerful something-or-other that they have no knowledge of it usually turns out... well... bad? Yeah... I really wasn't too keen on it... especially not with everything going on being so insane. "I... I don't know."

Kon looked like he was trying to force his arms out of their sockets or willing them to grow five times longer as he reached for me. "I DO know! I'm going to eat you, Danny... from the inside. I'm going to wear you like a wetsuit when I dive into your life and take what I want. It's mine, Danny-- YOU'RE mine... and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

The Fox's eyes quivered, flashed, and the colors switched places again. "You can't stop me without help, Daniel... that's what the omamori is for. Use it."

I didn't know what was going on; nothing made sense and I was facing down a Spirit that wanted to eat me, but was telling me to defeat him. Was Kon just trying to trick me more, or was there something going on I didn't understand? I don't understand plenty, and I realized that was the case but I still didn't want to get any closer to him. Bart was there, thankfully, and he gave me the perspective I was missing. "A Yokai's power comes from their tails... this one has two bad tails and one good one and he just got the good one back."

I looked from Bart to Kon then back to Bart, then back to Kon. "But--"

Though Red tears fell from both eyes, they were both Blue when he spoke. "Daniel... please."

I found myself crying too. "I... I don't want to hurt anyone."

His smile was full of pain. "I have lived with nothing but hate in my heart for centuries. I have done many great wrongs and, unless I am stopped I will continue to do them. You will not hurt me... you will let me rest."

I don't know how long I stood there with the spirit paper in my hands but, after however long it was I slowly took a step closer. The mist around Kon took on a more solid shape until, when I was stranding right in front of him, the fog had formed into linked chains. Although his body continued to struggle against them his eyes remained clear, calm, and focused entirely on me. I swallowed as I gripped the paper. My voice was hoarse. "I... don't know what to do."

Kon smiled softly. "You are special Human, Daniel. If you were not then I would not have spared you when we first met. You DO know what to do. I have faith in you."

My tears continued to fall even as I held up the paper, running my thumb along the black ink; I was surprised when it glowed a greenish blue beneath my finger. "I... I have to use this... don't I?"

His voice was even, but firm. "You do not have to do anything... but it is the only way for you to be kept safe... from me."

It didn't make me feel any better, especially because I was starting to get 'that kind of feeling' just from holding it. "This is going to kill you... isn't it?"

Rather than give me a direct answer, Kon just cocked his head to the side, offering up a smile as his eyes did that 'anime thing' that Fox eyes do, and he responded in Japanese "Heki da yo, Danny-kun."

Letting out a deep breath, I--