With any notion of the pair entering a coupling gone, both sides decided instead to stay out of it and simply give them any space they required to be themselves and to continue the growth they had displayed up to then.

Then one day, Kyubi's old habit of growing out patches of fur flared up and left Illerion curious. "Hey, I know we haven't been as close lately, but it's only so we can take a breather and define the boundaries of our relationship right, we're still friends aren't we?"

"Of course we are, I don't ever see us ever not being friends, even if we go a thousand years without speaking because of the time difference between realms."

"So tell me what's stressing you out so much that your fur has grown all patchy." Kyubi gasped having not realised, not that she was surprised. Over the centuries, her natures had synced up, but she still displayed the occassional outbreak except her eyes no longer had her fox pupils and Kitsune pupils side-by-side.

"Oh, sorry, it's nothing really. Lord Tsukuyomi has announced a contest to make his sister a kimono which he can gift her on her birthday."

"Hahahaha! I'm sorry Kyu' that is the biggest birthday cop-out I've ever heard."

"I happen to agree actually, but I still want to win, but I really don't have any interest in making something for his sister too."

"Why not make your feelings clear with the komono you make?..." Illerion suggested a wicked grin, making Kyubi immediately interested about what she had in mind. "...Make a Kimono, to her measurements, but to Tsukuyomi's style, make it so gorgeous he refuses to hand it over to her."

The plan was inspired and Kyubi jumped at her friend and transformed into a fox so she could enjoy her fur.

"Your divinity channels have healed wonderfully, Kyubi. You've really grown up well these last few centuries Kyubi."

"You have too Illerion, you're even allowed to explore the timeless realms now, even if it is only with an escort."

"True, but I still don't have the one thing I really want. I started to mature when I entered mid divinity, I'll become an adult when I reach upper divinity. The problem is, I want to stay young, I want to change the way others see Elves."

Kyubi was surprised, she had asked many times what Illerion wanted for the future, but never received a straight answer. Instead she was always left with a sense of distance, like the would simply never be able to occupy the same space for too long, a sense that made it impossible for Kyubi to not start comparing her to Tsukuyomi and ended their relationship before it started.

"Everyone thinks of us as boring hermits, or hedonistic deviants. I can't stand it, but what really annoys me is how they're all so stupid and rigid and nothing ever changes. I'll start with our reputation so no one thinks that crimes will go unpunished, even if I have to tear an entire species apart to make the point, no one will ever want to attack us by the time I'm done."

"What next?"

"Then I'm going to open their stupid eyes, do you remember when Obelix taught you about human adaptability..." Her tone fell to a conspiratorial whisper. "...I believe with all my heart it will be a human that saves the Elves, maybe even all the species, their fear of death as a concept has given them something everything else lacks because we're too busy revering Death as a law."

"Very interesting, Illerion...." Kyubi licked the hand that was petting her. "...Unfortunately, your idea of gentleness has always been a bit aggressive. I doubt a human would survive."

"Well, I'm sure I'll find one sturdy enough to last long enough to get the job done." The pair giggled to themselves and then a short while later, Obelix arrived to begin their lessons for the day.

"Glad to see you two talking again, but please keep the subject matter fit for public discussion. You should also be very careful with who you share that opinion with Lady Illerion, it is insightful, but many are beginning to fall to the side of erasing the humans."

"I know and thank you for the sage advice, Sir." Obelix was still shocked by Illerion's newfound way of showing respect to those she sees as worthy and whilst still mostly chaotic, she had established and even published her moral code so that it could be common knowledge and help others be less intimidated if even a little.

"It is my duty, now sit and we shall begin..."

When the school day had finished, Kyubi returned to the sanctuary and immediately got to work on the kimono and that was the pattern until it was perfect and finished and then she presented it to her lord.

As she did so, he took it and examined it, every thread positioned and coloured so perfectly no flaw could be spotted even with the use of divinity infused senses.

"Frankly, my sister doesn't deserve a gift this perfect. The only one I can think of worthy enough to wear such a masterpiece, is the one who pained over and worked to refine their talent to the point they could create it. I will bless it with twilight's visage so you may display your talent flawlessly for as long as you wish to."

It glowed briefly as he blessed the kimono and then he handed it back to her. It was exactly what she wanted, exactly what Illerion had described, yet she was left wanting more out of it.

Her moon observations had waned due to her schedule and forced sleep and lessons in a realm in Nothingness, but her devotion to her lord and love for him burned as fiercely as it ever had.

"Lord Tsuluyomi, thank you for the kind words, I'll wear it every day to remind you that I'm yours."

Kyubi then did what no other fox had ever done, including Tenko and turned her back to him without another word to leave.

It was a choice she regretted as yet again, a voice called out without any apparent origins, but this time a woman's.

"Little Tsuku', you need to stop toying with the young girl's heart." Kyubi maintained course, as a fox she was deeply curious and wanted to stay to meet them, but as a woman she was making a point to the man she loved.

In the end, the last thing Kyubi heard was almost enough to make her stop but she was driven on by being continually rejected. "Lady Ishtar? How may I serve you?"

The prospect of finally meeting her was a true test to her resolve, but she wasn't going to give in after making such a grand declaration and she returned to Ginrei and changed into the kimono that would become synonymous with her.

From that day on, she never wore another kimono, though she still made clothing it was only ever new dresses for Illerion.

Their friendship had been restored, she had achieved her goal of bring a degree of order to the queen of Chaos-Elves and she had reconciled with her own nature and recovered from the centuries of self-inflicted damage.

She had achieved everything she had hoped to and been dared to and when the time of her two-thousandth birthday approached, all she felt was sadness. It was a week away from her birthday and the end of her time learning from Obelix, but Illerion didn't seem phased in the slightest.

"So? You excited for your birthday and finally getting to serve your lo-..." Kyubi stood up and walked away, unable to cope with how happy Illerion sounded about her leaving. "...Hey! Where are you going!?"

"Sorry, it's too sad to talk about, can you not come with me?"

"No, sorry, but serving isn't my style. Besides, I would just get jealous watching you make goo-goo eyes at Tsukuyomi."

"Well then, I'm going to go cheer up and I'll see you tomorrow."

It was a situation neither of them, particularly Illerion had been in before, it was entirely uncertain and it made them both incredibly uncomfortable.

"Hey, Kyubi! We're still friends right!?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course we are."

"Well then, just give me a shout whenever you're free. I know you'll be a grown-up, but I'll still be your friend and as soon as I learn how to be as old as you feel like you foxes, I'll be old enough to leave this place and visit you."

It was a beautiful plan, one that promised their friendship never met its end at the hands of time. Yet unfortunately, like so many plans, it was doomed to fall apart because of unconsidered factors.

The girls made the most of their week, renewing every promise they'd ever made to one another, completely unaware that things were in motion that would change the very state of Nothingness and Thingness alike.

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