Before Fate Would have it

[MyNameIsNothing]

The girl whose hand rested upon his temple was quite the delightful little creature. She found pure delight in simply being able to speak with him in some fashion, releasing a laugh that sounded like pure music. Even his ancient soul stirred slightly at the sound. His grin widened as she pondered his question.

Ah, so he had been correct, they had been the gods' handiwork. Only they could create beings such as this with power that was rivaled only by the most ancient demon lords. Two children, born of a star, sent to the mortal world for some unknown purpose. Perhaps one day the humans would create legends of them.

He paused as they both suddenly spoke up, asking their own questions of him. While the bright one's voice was light and musical, the dark one's voice was richer and smoother. They both asked very valid questions, and he saw nothing wrong with telling them the truth this one time. However, he had no intention of sharing every detail of his life with them.

"Fair enough, I suppose I can share a little bit with you as well." His voice was smooth like oil, and gave the sense that he was always slightly amused with everything around him, though laughing at it, rather than with it. "You may call me Katsutoshi. There are many other titles I am known by, though if you know anything of the world of demons, you might have heard mention of the The Great Snake Lord." A thin forked tongue slid from between his lips for just a moment, then slipped back into his mouth.

With that he had answered their questions, and they had answered his. He now had one more to ask. "Now that we have introductions out of the way, I have a proposition I would like to make to you." He leaned forward slightly, and the voice from his mind softened slightly. "Allow me to journey with you two. I have been following you recently, and I will continue to do so whether you wish it or not. I can prove very beneficial to you both. You are new to this world, little more than infants even with your great power." He placed a thin hand on his chest "I however have lived a great deal longer, and can instruct you in the ways of this world." He had thought through this carefully. They would need someone if they ever wished to survive in this world. Even with power granted by the gods, until they learned to wield it, they were as vulnerable as newborns. Even now he could likely kill them where they stood, were he so inclined. Assuming they were even able to die.

As he finished, his head turned slightly towards where he sensed the kitsune's presence, noting a change in its aura. Shortly after the creature had taken on a human form as well, a dark-haired young male. He opened one eye ever so slightly, a glint of golden iris and slitted pupil. "It seems the little fox has decided to stop cowering in the bushes at last." He said aloud, the mocking tone of his voice even more prominent. He detested his kind, and would waste no polite words on him.

 

[Serenity]

Hikaru gave her twins hand a gentle squeeze. An apologetic gesture. She could sense the unease that came as she revealed how they came to be to the strange demon before them. In future she would have to remember not to divulge such things so easily. There was no telling what information could become a weapon in the wrong hands. And as of yet they had no idea if this man was friend or foe. She had a sneaking suspicion that with this demon it could go either way. Right now he seemed absolutely fascinated by them, but if that changed would he still remain friendly?

She listened as her sister conversed with him and was surprised when he answered. He was a snake lord, no wonder she could sense great power from him. She hoped he never found cause to turn it on them.

Since he had given his name, she thought it only polite to share theirs. “We are the Kimiko Twins. I am Hikaru, and my sister is Tsukiko.”

His next question slightly angered Hikaru, and that was no easy feat. It wasn't his question really, but the way he proposed it. Who was he to think that he could simply follow them whether they wished it or not? In all honesty she would be thrilled to have him accompany them, teach them the ways of this world, even how to speak as he did with his mouth. But the threat to follow anyway turned her stomach. And despite the truth of his words, she didn't like their inexperience thrown out like that.

But she said nothing in reply, merely looking at him with calm blue eyes. The only sign at all of her displeasure came in the slight frown upon her lips, and the smallest wrinkle in her brow. She would let Tsukiko decide the answer to this.

In the mean time her attention was grabbed by a shifting of power. The little fox demon seemed to be up to something. Turning her head in his direction her eyes slid over his new form. She wondered what brought on the need to change in him. She wished suddenly that she could go over and touch him, communicate in the way she was with Katsutoshi. She wanted desperately to apologize for the fright they had given him.

 

[Karameida]

Tsukiko Kimiko​

Tsukiko sat there awhile in quiet contemplation absorbing everything that was being said. The subtle changes in the people and the slight shifts in the powers that were working around them. The skeletal branches of the tree's swayed loftily on the soft breeze that had been steadily rolling through the clearing. The leaves rustled and swayed and a few became air born as they were ripped from the stems. The wind seemed un-natural as if influenced by the quartet of un-natural beings repressed powers. It was a subtle flow on the undertones of the wind but still enough that it seemed the four had created their own little safe-haven within the clearing.

She had noticed Katsutoshi's mannerisms and tones always made it seem he was sharing a private joke that no one else could understand and that oddly made it feel like you were the butt of the joke. That in and of itself could prove problematic for them well, at least for herself. She never knew when her rage would strike nor at what could provoke it and she was sure this demon could provoke her to even farther depths of madness than she had earlier experienced. She did not trust him in the slightest, the Snake Demon lord was easy enough to believe. The demon in front of them was incredibly snake like even his eyes from the few glimpses she'd managed to attain in the few moments of his arrival. To his smile and his demeanor it was creepy. She did not wish to venture farther down the road of darkness that she had viewed while in the grips of rage, it frightened her quite honestly.

While in the throes of darkness she'd seen something that she intended to keep from happening even if it ended up killing her. She didn't know if she should keep it from Hikaru or tell her and see what their combined views could come up with but for now she would keep quiet on the matter.

Her gaze slid to her twin and she smiled softly at her sudden agitation most likely due to the mocking nature of the way katsutoshi spoke. Shaking her head slightly she returned her gaze back to the snake demon and tilted her head slightly. She knew what he had said had been nothing short of the truth and they did have to put that into account. She half-way frowned as she stared at him and slowly blinked. She left her eyes closed for a moment before opening them up in drawn out blink and stared at him another moment. "I know you speak the Truth....." she started but trailed off as if searching for the right words. "We have been considering the problems that would face us as we are vastly new to life in general...." she thought trailing off once more. It was a little hard for her to communicate with him since he was an outsider and she didn't know how to form the right words. It was vastly more different than conversing with her other half since Hikaru seemed to always know her thoughts.

She frowned again and her brows furrowed as she searched for the right words "I do not trust you....but it's quite apparent that we need you." she thought staring into his closed gaze. "It seems we have a mutual gain from traveling together so I think it in Mine and Hikaru's best interest if you did travel with us as a companion helping us to speak and understand the customs in this world." she thought the words coming a little easier and smoother than before. "I will stay wary of you and watch you closely." she thought to him. It wasn't so much of a warning or threat but meant more as a forewarning.

She felt the under-currents of power shift and shake behind them signaling the re-entrance of the kitsune. She hadn't forgotten about him nor had she intended to confront him but it seemed he was going to attempt to confront them. She had to give him courage, squeezing her hand tightly into a fist she bit her lower lip. She could still feel the blade pressing into her hand, the warm blood sliding over her skin and down the blade all imprinted in her memory. Giving her sister a little smile she let go of Hikaru's hand breaking her link with Katsutoshi.

Turning around she stared at the man standing in front of them and she tilted her head slightly blinking a little at his new form. Turning her gaze back to her sister she smiled a small smile before looking back at the being who'd almost lost his life because of her. Taking a hesitant step forward she looked at him cautiously before taking a few more steps to cover the distance between them. Blinking she bit her lower lip and looked up at him a moment, raising her hand she hesitated and pulled back slightly and paused. She felt nervous and her heart was beating a hundred times a mile taking a deep breath she touched her fingers to his temple and remained silent a moment a small flush of red sweeping over her face. "H-Hello?" she thought hating that her projected voice was so shaky. Swallowing around a lump in her throat she stood her ground "I...I wanted to apologize...for earlier.." she said glancing off to the side at the shredded trees and winced slightly.

it felt odd to be apologizing for nearly killing someone, the simple sentiment left it feeling a little bereft of meaning or sincerity. Licking her lips she took a deep breath and looked back at him truly regretting what she'd done. "I'm sorry I have not said anything. Neither me or my sister knows how to outwardly talk as you do....we have only recently discovered...with that demon over there that physical contact with a being will allow us a temporary mental contact with said being..." she hurried on in a sort of half explanation. "I...don't know what happened out there...but I would like to know if there is anything that we...that I can do that would at least start to atone for the wrong I have done to you..." she thought trailing off. She sincerely hoped that he could hear her and that it wasn't just something with katsutoshi cause if it did turn out to be a fluke she would be incredibly humiliated.