title: The Kitsune's Treasure
author: trixie
disclaimer: i don't own gundam wing, or a samurai, or any clever foxes. darn.
summary: A samurai is preyed upon by a very clever fox. (GW, AU, Heero/Duo)
notes: for the lovely and talented daimeryan rei, for her birthday, and for fic on demand. ^_~ this may seem like a very… *very* roundabout answer to her request, but… well, i started to think of heero as a samurai, and then…
There was in the house of Peacecraft a very talented and ardent young samurai lord named Yuy Heero. Yuy was strong, and steadfast, and pure of heart, and he defended his lord's lands with such distinction that the lord was considering allowing his daughter a love match with the young samurai. Yuy was raised to do things as his lord instructed, so he courted the young lady of the house, and preparations for their wedding feast began.
Now, it happened that in the vicinity of the Peacecraft home, there was a clever kitsune named Duo. Duo was one of the kitsune's names, but he had many, as he was a trickster even among his own kind. Duo watched the house of Peacecraft for many a long night, pondering what mischief he could best unleash upon them.
He decided that he would steal from them the greatest treasure in the house, so one moonless night, he snuck into the keep of the Peacecraft and carefully sought out the greatest treasure. It was the night before the wedding feast of the samurai and the lord's daughter, and even among all the bustle of the house, the clever kitsune slipped easily from room to room.
He searched through all the house, through the lord's chambers, through the treasure vault, and through the lady's jewelry chests, but he found the greatest treasure of all in the samurai's room. He had to sneak in very carefully, for even though he was a clever kitsune, he knew the samurai was equally skilled, but he managed to get in and get his treasure without waking the samurai.
Still, he was so enthralled by his ill-gotten treasure, he couldn't help laughing when he got out the window. The samurai woke immediately, and saw the tail of the kitsune flying out the window, and he immediately gave chase, but the kitsune was fast, and he ran off with his treasure.
In the morning, the samurai went to his lord to ask permission to leave on a quest to hunt down the kitsune and regain his lost treasure. The lord was displeased, and his daughter cried, begging the samurai to stay and be wed to her. But the samurai merely replied sadly that the kitsune had stolen his heart, and until he had it back, he would have to follow it and the kitsune.
The lord sadly acquiesced, and gave the samurai provisions to make his quest. The samurai set out on his loyal stead, Wing, and searched high and low for the clever kitsune. He asked many travelers on the road if they had seen him, and they all replied that they had not, but as he was a clever kitsune, the samurai Yuy knew that he would leave no trace.
With no way to know if he was getting closer or further away from the kitsune, Yuy made his camp each night, and dreamed of the day when he would find the kitsune, and regain his heart.
His provisions ran low, and he had traveled far away from the keep of Peacecraft. He passed by a wandering circus, where a clown with no smile directed him to a wise man from the West. He visited the wise man, with golden hair and sea-colored eyes, and the wise man directed him to make his camp at the entrance to a cave four days travel west. There, he was to remove his armor, and start a fire, and pray to the Buddha to bring the kitsune to him.
He did as the wise man directed, and with the bright moonlight shining down on him, he removed his armor, and built a fire, and prayed to the Buddha to deliver the kitsune to him.
He prayed for the whole night long, and when the sun rose, he looked up from his prayers to see the shining eyes of the kitsune. He blinked, and demanded his treasure back.
The kitsune considered his request, and refused, saying that he had grown quite attached to the treasure, and would not give it up. But, since the samurai had traveled for so long, and removed his armor, and prayed to the Buddha, the kitsune would give him a treasure in return, if the samurai followed the kitsune down into his cave.
The samurai was apprehensive, but he found himself unable to deny the keeper of his heart, so he followed the kitsune down into the cave, where the kitsune gave the samurai his own heart, in exchange for the one that he stole from the samurai.
And the samurai and the kitsune lived together on the mountain for many happy years, taking care of each other's hearts.
~*~