Ombre: The Last One

Ombre was always so happy when her friends came to see her.

She hid a lot, under the table in the library, but she just really liked it under there, where it was quiet and lit by her magic lights. And Goro would spend time just outside, or they'd research and read together -- and Mishka came around and was pleasant, quiet company who was also fun to play little pranks on sometimes -- and Roddy, too, though he wasn't quiet normally and that was *also* fun.

She missed Gwydion, but she'd even gotten used to Hansel's frequent presence across the stairwell, in the war room. He was quiet, too. She'd heard about him almost killing that woman over hurting Goro and couldn't decide if she was horrified or pleased. Either way, she kind of missed his sort of quiet after he left the castle.

When everyone left the castle, it was much *too* quiet.

Joan came and went, and there was that girl Samantha, and Jasper's little sister and older brother (the one that wasn't Abel or Azriel) were staying with them still, until the Sanguines weren't a threat, and Raef's husband was still there, but --

She didn't know most of those people, and when Joan was out, Ombre just stayed under the table until someone she knew came back. Mishka didn't usually leave with the Graverunners, but he'd gone with them to Sienna Springs, and she missed him especially because he was the one who she was used to still having around. She always missed Goro the most, though.

She was really excited when Ba'ob came to see her.

He hadn't been around in a while, but he came and went too, so when he showed up it was always like a treat. He looked really different, though -- he was all cleaned up and his hair had been cut. She thought it was really cute, and maybe it was because of the influence of Azriel and the Runners and living in civilization, and stuff. Maybe it was a really good thing. 'Cause she worried about him sometimes, and what he'd do in seventy years or so when Azriel wasn't around to look after him anymore. She loved Ba'ob to death, but she was … flighty, and scared, and she knew that. She didn't know if she could watch out for him.

It was kinda weird, though. He didn't really look like himself, and his wolf seemed a little distressed. He grabbed her in a hug, first thing, and she was happy to hug him back, but it didn't seem like … a happy hug. He held onto her for a long time.

“How come Wolfy's got a collar?” she asked, after a bit.

He looked torn on what to say. “Bala wanted it.”

“Who?”

“Outside,” he said, tugging on her hand a little, and his voice cracked -- he was just a baby, she forgot sometimes -- and he flinched. “Come … outside. Please. Someone to -- there's someone who wants to see you.”

“Um … okay.” It sounded really suspicious, but he seemed like he was upset or something. She figured she should investigate it.

She really wished Goro was here to go with her, though.

As they reached the entry hall, she started to hear string music, and wondered if it was Azriel -- that would be nice. Why would Ba'ob be acting weird, though, if it was Azriel? Yeah, that didn't make sense.

It turned out to be a pretty dark-haired elven woman -- that was weird too, Ba'ob didn't like other elves -- playing a violin. She gave Ombre a winning smile.

“Hello! I'm Scarlett.”

“Hi?” Ombre said, puzzled. Ba'ob was still holding onto her arm, and he whined a little.

“That's a pretty necklace,” Scarlett said, leaning into her violin. “Would you give it to me?”

Oh, that made sense. Ombre loved giving people stuff. She had so much of it, and … Scarlett was her friend, and she really liked giving her friends stuff.

“Yeah, of course.” She unclasped the amulet and handed it to Scarlett. It'd look so nice on her. And she was obviously a bard, and bards were like wizards -- not usually very tough. It'd help her, and Ombre loved helping her friends.

“Thank you so much,” Scarlett said, and then, “You seem sweet. I'm sorry about this.”

And the song changed, and Ombre slipped out of consciousness.

###

When she woke up there was something on her snout. She stirred, and blinked her eyes open. She didn't recognized this place.

It was cold.

“There she is,” a voice crooned, and a form dropped down next to her. She still felt groggy, but she saw black clothes, and a mass of white-blond hair.

Ombre tried to say something and realized that she was fucking *muzzled*.

“I apologize for the inconvenience,” the other woman said. “But apparently you didn't want to meet with me. I couldn't have you disappear once I had you.”

She twisted and realized her hands were tied behind her back, fingers wrapped up. She couldn't cast. Couldn't -- do anything, just made a muffled, panicked noise through the leather strips.

“There, there.” The woman petted her ears. “I'd let you go if I thought I could trust you not to run away, but -- oh, some dogs are easier to control than others.”

Ba'ob. Goddess, Ba'ob. Had he …? She blinked back abrupt tears. Had he sold her out? Would he do that? Why would --?

The woman pulled her more upright, making her grunt. It was some sort of study, all very normal-looking, frost on the windows. The pale woman knelt there in a silky, long black dress, regarding her with -- something like fondness, and holding the front of her tunic with one hand. Ombre automatically collected her feet under her and wondered if she could just run. Like back in the day, when something went wrong with a show and she had to book it before anyone realized.

Letting go of her, the woman tapped one delicate finger against the muzzle. “Your name is Ombre, it seems. Or is it Volpae? Or Vincent?”

Ombre stared at her, wide-eyed.

She went on, looking amused. “Mine is Balayage, and it always has been. Do you know me?”

Ombre shook her head slowly. Was she supposed to? Balayage -- it didn't sound familiar at all.

“Precious.” The pale woman patted her cheek. “I'm going to tell you a wonderful story.”

She stood up and turned to the desk, and Ombre prickled, thinking about bolting while her back was turned, but it seemed risky and Balayage's eyes were on her again soon enough. She leaned her hip against the desk and picked a long black cigarette holder up off of it, lightning a smoke with the tip of her finger -- the nail black and sharp with enamel -- and taking a drag off of it as she looked down at Ombre.

“It's been such a long time since I met another one of us,” Balayage said idly. Her form flickered -- she was a tall snow-white fox for a moment, tails flaring out behind her.

Ombre drew in a harsh breath and her eyes widened.

“Granted,” Balayage said, “it's because I killed so many of them.”

Ombre made a tiny, frightened sound. Nogi kitsune. Death fox. Oh, goddess.

“Don't be afraid, though, precious,” Balayage crooned, and Ombre withdrew as much as she could when Bala stepped forward to drop down in front of her again. “I don't want to hurt you. Oh, I miss other kitsune. My sisters all went underground, you know, and those self-righteous zenko just vanished themselves.”

She rolled her eyes and ashed her cigarette onto the floor.

“And I killed so many of your pretty cousins that Inari was weakened, do you know that?” she whispered, grinning, close to Ombre's face. “Can you feel it -- how whispy Yako Inari is, so close to slipping away entirely, being eclipsed by Nogi and Zenko. Is it you, precious? Are you the last one?”

She stroked Ombre's face, almost reverently. Ombre was just … frozen, trembling slightly, staring. She knew that her connection to her goddess was weak, that she hadn't been able to find any of her fellow kitsune since she'd come out of her tomb. But she'd never thought that -- that someone had just slaughtered them all. Much less another kitsune.

Ombre struggled against the muzzle, trying to force out a word. All she could get out was a desperate, inquisitive sound.

Bala's lips curled. “Why?”

Ombre nodded.

“To hold a god's life in my hands,” she murmured. “We were never plentiful, were we? Inari was never powerful -- and split into three aspects. Divided. Easily conquerable. But you, oh, little Volpae --” she shifted her cigarette holder so that she could cup Ombre's face in both hands -- “you kept her alive, didn't you? I scoured the world for other yako foxes but I could never find them, because you'd hidden yourself away.

“To hold a god's life in my hands,” she said again, stroking Ombre's cheeks with her thumbs. “And now I do.”