The next day, Kuniko awoke early in the morning, the first rays of light creeping into their large den. She got up, fanged fox mouth open wide in a yawn. As their father wished, they all had slept in their feral forms, he said it was an insult to bear the form of a human in the already well protected den of the fox demons. She streached cat-like in her fox form, the only one in there about the correct size of an adolecent fox cub. The easy to spot differences were only of the long, tail that ended in a sythe-like spike, and the ruffled spot on her back where she could produce long, and poisonous spikes that she found she could throw. She felt kinda sorry for the intruder to their den that found this out along with her on that day.
She looked around, spotting her father first for he was stirring; he didn't look any different from when he had come home yesterday. She trotted around, seeing her mother next. She looked exactly like Kuniko did, except for the fact she was much, much larger, only slightly smaller then her father, and she had well groomed silver fur. She had the bladed end of her tail tucked under her maw, mostly so that if she twitched while she was having a bad dream, she wouldn't hurt anyone around her.
Kuniko trotted right past her mother, and broke into a run when she saw her sister, a living, smaller copy of their father, but with the silver fur of their mother. She jumped up, climbing onto the larger kitsune and biting her ear playfully, trying to wake her up so she could force her to play with her. She yelped when her big sister's six tails flickered and smacked Kuniko off of her. Kuniko landed with a thud, whining slightly. She sniffled slightly and got up, shaking off the small amount of dirt that had gotten onto her orange fur. She hissed at Umeko, thinking about sticking a spike into her and then running off.
She thought better of this however, and bounded out of the den and into the sun light. ~Maybe I can meet up with Yasuo!~ She thought to herself as she chased after a bird that had been sitting outside the entrance. Kuniko was having so much fun with the bird, she had not sensed a dark shadow behind her. After the bird had finally been able to fly away from Kuniko, she panted slightly and closed her eyes, wincing slightly as the fire engulfed her. The young Kuniko who always wore a pink, sakura patterned kimono stood shivering slightly in place of the demon fox's. 'I hate that fire...' She growled to herself and preened her silver, golden tipped hair for a moment before skipping off towards the silver sapling. The dark form that had been watching followed behind closely, using the trees for cover.
Kuniko slowed to a stop as she came closer to the silver sapling, checking to see if anyone was there. She smiled widely when she saw a dark form against the young tree. 'Yasuo!' She called out, running up with a huge grin on her face.
She slowed to a stop though, glaring at the form that was leaning against the tree with an arrogant look upon its face. 'Yasuo? I'm Kisho, baka.' He commented, smiling wide and showing his fangs.
'What are you doing out here?' She growled, angry and disappointed.
'What? Is it a crime to go some where to think?' He asked nonchalantly and looked up to stare straight ahead, his jaw set.
Kuniko smiled widely and cruely. 'They punished you, didn't they?' She asked in a high pitched voice, smelling the blood on his red clothes he wore this day.
She knew something was odd, he almost never changed out of his blue clothes. 'Shut up.' He snarled, glaring at her.
'They beat you uuu~p! They beat you uuu~p! They beat you u-'
'Shut the hell up!' He snapped at his half sister.
Kuniko frowned, walking closer. 'What's wrong?' She asked, often times, Kisho wouldn't respond like that, more often then not, he'd say "And soon their heads will roll."
He glared ahead, then after a moment, responded 'Nothing, nothing is wrong.'
Kuniko balled her little hands into fists and placed them on her sides. 'Kisho, don't make me hurt you.' She warned in a teasing matter.
'Go for it.' He grunted, closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest where the red was darker.
Kuniko frowned, thinking for a moment. 'Don't make me wake up mother! In fact, you have five seconds!' She said cheerfully and Kisho opened his eyes.
'four...' She said, smiling.
'You're not, you're kidding.' He growled, but didn't close his eyes.
'Three...'
'You wouldn't, she doesn't get much sleep.'
'Two...'
'You wouldn't be so cruel!' He snapped, looking over at her.
'One...'
'Hmph! Go tell her then!' He said, crossing his arms and looking ahead again.
'Ok~!' She said, turning on her heel and almost took off.
'Stop! Wait! Alright, I'll tell you, whining little brat.'
'Annoying hanyou.' She answered back, but smiled and turned, sitting down.
Kisho grumbled, then turned, looking his half sister right in the eye. 'Hearing this, you promise not to tell a soul, right? Not even mother!' He added quickly.
Kuniko nodded ecstatically. He grumbled then turned around, back to her once again and stared up at the sky before telling her. 'They did punish me, you were right for once brat. You know I have to steal food, well, they caught me.' He said, glaring slightly.
'They weren't at all happy to see I was a hanyou. So, of course, they attacked me. That didn't bother me though...' He trailed off, Kuniko cocking her head to one side.
'My father... he didn't try to stop them, I think if he had the chance, he would've helped them.' He sighed, hitting the tree sapling with one clawed hand.
Kuniko frowned. 'Oh Kisho, don't think that! I know your human father, he wouldn't hurt you even if the other villagers tried to force him to! You know he has to act like he doesn't know you, he would be slaughtered!'
Kisho turned after a few moments to agree with his annoying half sister, but he stopped, face pale and eyes wide as he looked behind Kuniko. Kuniko raised an eyebrow. 'What is it brother?' She asked.
'BROTHER!? BROTHER?!' came a roar behind her.
She squeaked in fear and fell forward, flipping over to stare at the usually cocky looking human that was the demon that ruled the forest. 'K-Kana...' Kisho stuttered, backing away from the outraged looking demon.
'I was going to kill you for talking to my daughter, but this...' Kana was trembling with rage, flames erupting out from his feet, but didn't consume him so he could show his true form.
'Father! Don't!' Kuniko cried, jumping up from the ground and putting herself between the two.
'AND WHY SHOULDN'T I?!' he roared again, glaring at the innocent kitsune, not noticing that Kisho had turned and fled.
'He's my brother! Don't hurt him father!' She cried, begging him.
'I will not kill him yet, I will kill the bastard that did this! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!' He roared, then the fire consumed him, turning him into his true demon self.
'Father! No!' was all Kuniko could cry as the demon bounded out of sight, following the speedy hanyou to the village.
Kuniko whimpered, looking around before mimicing her father, chasing after him in her fastest form.
Kuniko arrived at the village, panting moments later, looking around wildly for any sign of her father. She streaked past onlooking villagers, all muttering to themselves about something, Kuniko didn't care. 'Yasuo! Yasuo!!' She called in a high pitched yelp.
~Yasou would know what had happened!~ she thought jumping to the rooves of the huts to continue searching. She eventually found the young boy striding towards a vast green field outside the village, using the huts for cover. 'Yasuo! Have you seen my Fath-?' She was about to ask the boy who was giving her a cold look as she landed in front of him.
She looked into the boys eyes, wondering why her childhood friend was giving her such a cold stare. She closed her eyes, changing back into her human form and looking curiously at him. She opened her mouth to ask why he was staring at her like that, with a strange sword in his hands, but before she could say anything, she heard an angry roar out towards the feild. Kuniko turned, too afriad of what was happening to ask and ran as fast as her kimono would allow. 'Father!' she cried as she ran, now seeing the flames licking the sky from the feilds.
Kuniko stumbled on a rock as she came to a grassy ridge, looking out at the battle. She stubbornly brought herself back up on her hands and knees. The fox demon stood within a circle of his own flames, glaring out at a human weilding a sword and a young boy behind the human, who looked alot like-
'Kisho...' Kuniko whispered quietly, straining her ears to hear what was going on.
'Seiko... I should've known...' came the cold, growling voice of her father.
'Kana... you don't need to do this.' The man that looked much like Kisho responded, holding his sword out, waiting for the demon to move.
Kisho looked shocked, but was in a position to help his father if needed. 'You expect me to back down after dishonoring me so greatly, Seiko?' Kana replied in a cold whisper.
Seiko looked up at Kana, the only fear that showed was the fear for his son, Kisho. 'Kisho... please, leave this place, I'll stall him as long as I can.' He said quietly, Kuniko having to cup her fox ears with her hands to hear them.
Kisho stared at his father. 'No, I can't allow you to face him by yourself!' Kisho growled back, trying to be as quiet as Seiko.
'I knew I'd have to face him sooner or later Kisho, I don't want you hurt, you're the only son I have.' He replied, then turned, patting him on the shoulder before returning his gaze to Kana.
'Go... now!' Kisho hesitated, but nodded and turned, running once more into the forest.
'I'll hunt him down you know...' Kana said coldly, watching Kisho leave.
'Hanyou are a disgrace just by existing.'
'Says you.' Seiko growled angrilly, flicking his sword in annoyance before crouching slightly.
'Shall we hurry this up, Kana? You can't leave the wife that despises you waiting...'
With this insult, Kana lept from his circle of flame, maw snapping at where Seiko was. Kuniko winced, thinking her father had killed him. She was surprised to see a form flash by besides her father. Seiko stopped, turning and glaring up at Kana.
'Missed.' He commented and smiled, 'Pathetic...' He continued, then jumped back just as fire erupted around Seiko.
'Angry eh?' He asked the fox who still hadn't moved from his position on the ground.
Seiko charged, sword flashing for the fox's eyes. But the sword went right through. 'What the-?' he said, just as Kana lept at him from behind, slashing Seiko's unprotected back.
Seiko didn't scream however, just turned and glared at the demon, jumping out of the way of a second swipe.
'You're good.' Kana commented, growling as blood began pouring out of the wound Seiko had caused on his run by.
'So are you.' Seiko replied, standing and resting on his sword.
'But you're weak for a demon.'
Kana roared, charging Seiko again. Kuniko's father skidded as she slid from his lunge, a form appearing above her father's head. Kuniko held her breath, unsure of why they two had just been engulfed in flames.
She waited as patiently as she could, worry for both the youkai and the ningen etched into her face. Just as she thought she'd turn blue from holding her breath so long, the two appeared again, backs facing each other. The first to fall was Seiko, falling face first into a red puddle. A puddle of his own blood. Kuniko looked away for a moment, shuddering. She didn't like the looks of death, but inside, she was secretly happy. Her father had just proven himself right, that all youkai were better the ningen. When she looked back, She paled greatly, seeing her father fall to his side, revealing a deep, horribly deep gash in his side.
'Father!' Kuniko cried, scrambling up onto her feet and running towards the barely breathing youkai.
Kana attempted to raise his head to see who had called out father, but Kuniko put a hand on his bloodied skull, which also had a number of gashes running through it. The youkai looked as if he was only hanging on by will.
'Don't move father... you're badly hurt!' She sniffled, believing with all her heart that he could pull through this.
Kana groaned quietly, looking sadly at his daughter. 'I'm sorry you had to see that...' He said in a hoarse whisper.
'I'll go get mother! She can treat these wounds and make them all better!' She said, turning to rush off and get her mother, but one word stopped her.
'Don't...' Kana pleaded with her, trying to get up.
'Father! please don't move! you'll only make it worse!' She cried as the youkai fell back down, unable to move again.
'Its... no use, don't bother her...' He groaned, then looked up at Kuniko sadly.
'Kuniko, I know I have been teaching you everything I know, but there is something I need to tell you now...' He started, his voice getting fainter and fainter.
He was interrupted however when the village warriors came rushing down the hill, pointing at the demons and calling back to the others. 'My little kitsune...' He said in a voice barely audiable by human ears.
'I'm not little...' Kuniko responded sadly, her hope fading as she heard this tone.
Kana took in one last breath, 'Go... please... my little...... kitsune...' he sighed, not taking in another breath.
Kuniko disobeyed however, and hugged the end on Kana's maw, waiting for him to take another breath. 'Please don't leave me father...' she whimpered, refusing to budge until he answered.
Kuniko was forced to leave however, as arrows and spears soared towards her, an arrow landing a hit and almost pinning her hand to her father's cooling body. She gasped, grabbing the arrow and tugging on it, it wouldn't come out of her hand. She turned her tearful face to the villagers, hatred shining out through her eyes as she rose and fled, sobbing back into the forest.
