Persistence
Translations and stuff: I'll assume anyone who reads this will know what the basic meaning of the suffixes (-chan-san, etc.) are, so I'm not explaining that. Gaki is brat, "Gaki ja nai", as Ritsuko's constant mantra around Kurama is "I'm not a brat". It just sounds much better in Japanese. "Mama ga iru" is something like "I want Mama". "Makenai" is "I won't give up". Ojisan is uncle (in my universe, Jakotsu and Bankotsu are related by blood; regardless, I think their kids would call the other Shichinintai "so-and-so-kotsu no Ojisan" anyhow). Neesan is a less honorific version of "oneesan", older sister. Uso is liar, "yo" makes it an exclamation. I think the only other words I used were basic knowledge, like baka and hai...if you don't know what those mean, you need to start wondering why you're on a mainly anime-centric site. Oh, and if anyone's wondering about the gender-bending with Kimo, Shikibu and Junichiro...sweatdrop Kimo's girly to begin with; Ritsuko calls him "Mama" because she's not willing to call two people "Papa" (Jakotsu is decidedly Papa). Shikibu and Junichiro probably got stuck in the wrong bodies when they were born. Junichiro is practically a drag queen, and hates girls like his father (he's like a Jakotsu clone, it's so wrong -;), Shikibu is very boyish to make up for that.
"Just a few steps, Ritsuko-chan," Jakotsu called, holding out the sweets the child no doubt desperately wanted.
The two-year old whined as the black-furred fox next to her nudged her gently with his nose. She hesitantly lifted one foot, put it down a few inches ahead, lifted the other foot, and promptly lost her balance. The fox leapt to cushion her fall, and upon catching her, turned into a five-tailed man with hair the same color the fur had been.
He pulled her in, smiling. "You're getting better, Ritsuko-chan. You'll be walking in no time!"
Jakotsu sat down next to his mate. "If we can get her to walk more than two steps, maybe."
The baby smiled a three-toothed smile at him and twitched her furry fox-ears.
"She's just a late bloomer," Kimo insisted, face-faulting as she sneezed, jumped out of his lap, and pounced on one of his tails.
"F'uffy!"
"Hai, just like yours, Ritsuko-chan," he chuckled, mussing her hair.
She wiggled her own fluffy black tails and giggled, then looked up in surprise when the door burst open, revealing her older brother, who was tightly hugging a silver fox that looked very much as if it would like to kill him. The creature struggled against Junichiro's strangling grip, and bit hard into his hand.
The teenager yelped, dropped it, and held his now-bleeding hand. Kimo sighed, lifted Ritsuko out of his lap and put her down so he could pull Junichiro after him to look for bandages. Ritsuko crawled curiously after the animal her brother had dragged in. She followed it down the hall and into a room she had only been in a few times before.
The fox, like her "mother" had only a few minutes before, transformed into a man. Ritsuko ran over to him, watched curiously as he opened the lock on a small trunk, and squealed when she realized what was going on.
"Those're Mama's!" she exclaimed, pointing to the jewels the man had taken from the trunk.
He snorted and went back to raiding the trunk, ignoring her.
"Hey! Put those back! They're Mama's!"
"They're not even locked up," the man answered disdainfully.
"'Cause you unlocked it!"
He rolled his eyes. "Gaki. Be glad I'm a thief, not a murderer."
Ritsuko's eyes began to well up. "G-gaki ja nai!" she cried, looking pitifully adorable.
The man stared at her, and muttered, "Nothing should be that cute." He looked through the jewels he'd taken from the trunk, removed the biggest one-a fist-sized ruby-and tossed it on the ground next to her. "Take it and tell your 'mama' to be glad you're still alive."
Ritsuko sniffled, scooped up the gem, and held it close to her, as if that might stop him, should he decide he really wanted it. "What's your name?"
He raised an eyebrow at her over his shoulder. "Youko Kurama."
"Fine! I'm gonna get 'em back when I get big, so don't even think about sellin' 'em!" She managed to look completely serious, despite not even being as tall as his knee.
This got her a laugh. "Sure you will, gaki."
"Gaki j'nai!" She ran after him, but he easily outpaced her, and she was left at the front of the palace, clutching the ruby. Sick of acting like an adult for the time being, she plopped down and cried loud enough to bring Junichiro's twin running.
"Ritsuko-chan, what are you doing with that?" Shikibu asked, in obvious surprise at seeing the ruby in her sister's hands.
"Mama ga iru!" Ritsuko whined, and her sister, sighed, carefully picking her up.
"Ritsuko, stop right there."
The kitsune froze, scowling faintly. "But Ojisan-"
"Just where do you think you're going? Kimo told you to stay in the house." Bankotsu crossed his arms, giving her a look that dared her to argue.
"But I'm not a baby anymore! And besides, since when do you care what Mama says?"
Her uncle snorted. "He's one of the few voices of reasons around here, disturbingly enough. And he said you were to stay here."
Ritsuko shook her head and flicked a furry ear. I'm going to get something for him." She grinned innocently. "And maybe I'll get something for you, too, Ojisan."
The mercenary sighed. "Didn't you stop being cute when you grew up?"
"Iie!" She giggled. "Ja ne, Ojisan!"
Ritsuko flicked one of her tails in agitation as she watched the silver kitsune race towards her hiding place, completely unaware that an ambush was awaiting him. She counted the seconds, and when he was about to pass her, leapt out and pounced-
Landing a full two feet behind him. Her quarry skidded to a stop and stared at her, looking as if, had it been possible for an animal to laugh, he would have liked to. The kitsune transformed into a fox-eared man and did so. Loudly.
Ritsuko scowled at him, gathered up what remained of her dignity, and got to her feet, ignoring several leaves stuck in her hair and tail fur. "Give back my Mama's jewels!" she demanded.
Kurama snorted, rolling his eyes at her. "Give it another hundred years, gaki."
"Gaki ja nai!" she snapped, stomping her foot once.
"Yes, you are! I remember you, little three-tailed, black-haired runt who didn't know when to shut up! I gave you the biggest from your mother's, what more do you want?"
"I want the rest of them!" Ritsuko growled. "Baka!"
Kurama narrowed his eyes at her and glared. As she tried to take a step towards and say something that probably would have been later regarded as a bad choice on her part, she noticed, too late, that there were vines effectively keeping her in her spot. As she fought somewhat pointlessly to get away, he stopped closer and looked her right in the eye. "A pup like you has no chance of getting those jewels back, even if I told you who I traded them off to. Go home and be glad I've decided to spare your life again."
The vines disappeared, and Ritsuko, now struggling against nothing, almost lost her balance. "Makenai yo," she said savagely before turning and stomping off, cheeks burning completely red.
"Ritsuko-chan! Where have you been!" Kimo grabbed his daughter's arm to keep her walking away. "We were all worried to death!" Ritsuko snorted. "Ano...except Junichiro-chan. He seemed convinced you were fine."
"Or he didn't care."
"Your brother cares about you!"
She snorted again and Kimo sighed.
"Where were you?"
"Chasing someone." Ritsuko turned to go, taking advantage of Kimo's momentary shock.
"Chasing who?"
She mumbled an answer.
"Nani?"
"His name's Youko Kurama."
If Kimo's surprise had stopped him briefly before, it halted him altogether now. He stared, Ritsuko crossing her arms and looking off. "Ritsuko-chan...Youko Kurama? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
She scowled at him. "I'm trying to get your jewels back. He's the one who stole them when I was a pup," she snapped.
"He passed up killing you twice!"
"Hai!"
"Ritsuko-chan!" Kimo pulled her in to hug her. "I don't care about the jewels! Please, consider yourself lucky; as far as I know, you're the only one who's caught him stealing something and escaped even once!" He touched her cheek. "You're my daughter; I don't want to lose you. Please, don't tempt fate again."
Ritsuko brushed his hand away. "I said I'm going to get those jewels back, so I'm going to get them back. I'll do whatever I have to, Mama."
Ritsuko's tail lashed angrily as she stared out the window, too lost in thought to notice when something came through the door and jumped on her. Something small and fluffy. Small, and fluffy, and familiar, and-
"KAWAII!" Ritsuko squealed loudly, scooping her nephew up.
Katsunori giggled and proceeded to drool all over her shirt as she cuddled him. Shikibu, the pup's father, of sorts, chuckled and sat down next to her sister. "I thought you might like some cheering up," she said with a smile. "You've been depressed ever since you got home last week. What's wrong?"
Ritsuko shrugged noncommittally, handing Katsunori back to her. "I've just been thinking about what Mama said, that I was the only one Youko passed up killing even once."
"That he knows of," Shikibu put in, wiping Katsunori's rather messy mouth.
"Yeah, but Mama would know. He was a thief, too, remember?" Ritsuko flicked an ear. "Of course, with Papa and Tsuichi-obasan addling his brain for near 200 years straight, one begins to wonder just how dependable his memory is."
The elder laughed. "Sou, sou, but don't let him hear you saying that."
"I'm not stupid."
"Sometimes, I wonder..."
"Ora!"
"Ritsuko, I'm just joking."
She scowled, but conceded defeat on the matter, and mussed her nephew's hair. He grinned at her, serving only to remind Ritsuko of when she had been that young and innocent, and met the man she was now so desperately pursuing for the first time. Her look turned to thoughtful as she pondered the reason he might not have killed her then.
"You stood up to him, right?" Shikibu asked, practically reading her sister's thoughts.
"Hn? Ah...hai."
"Maybe he wanted to see what such a brave pup would grow up to become."
"Or maybe he thought I wasn't worth the effort."
"Iie, he's killed pups before."
"Doahou!" Ritsuko flopped back on her futon. "Who kills a pup?"
Shikibu shrugged and glanced down at Katsunori, who had fallen asleep. "What about a week ago, then? Why didn't he kill you then?"
"You're asking me?"
"You're a lot of help."
"I thought I was an idiot, Neesan."
A sigh. "All right, let's think on it, then. What did he do, if he didn't kill you?"
"He caught me in a plant...but he didn't seem to want to actually hurt me. He laughed when I first missed catching him...I think he finds the whole thing entertaining." Ritsuko sat up. "Make anything-" She stopped on seeing her sister's face contort into hard laughter.
"Too funny," Shikibu managed. "He-hehe-" She stopped, trying to overcome the humor of it. She did, a few minutes later, and giggled one last time at her extremely annoyed sister. "Ritsuko-chan, I think he likes you," she sniggered out.
"Uso yo!"
"Iie, iie. See, when you were a pup, you were probably the only one ever willing to stand up to him, so he figured he'd leave you alive to see what became of you. He probably never expected to see or speak to you directly again, and yet the instant you turned into an adult, you hunted for him to challenge him for Mama's jewels." She paused. "Follow me?"
"How does that mean he likes me?"
"I think he..." Shikibu stopped, thought on it, and started again. "He's attracted to your courage-the fact that you stood up to him and spoke your mind twice, despite having heard horror stories of him by the second time." She patted her sister's shoulder. "Use that to your advantage, ne?"
Ritsuko rolled over. She was sick of fighting with her conscience. She had promised Kimo and herself she'd retrieve his jewels, but she had also promised him she wouldn't confront the thief again.
She rolled over again, this time facing her window, which was open to the cool night. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating her and making her indecision all the more palpable. Which promise was she meant to honor more? And would going after Youko again really be tempting death a third time, or was Shikibu right about the silver kitsune liking her?
Ritsuko sighed, staring at the dark forest that came nearly right up to her window. She was in quite the predicament this time. Flicking an ear as some insect that had flown in the window tickled it, she saw a flash of silver outside that was decidedly not moonlight. She blinked in surprise and sat up, looking out.
Another flash, this one slightly closer.
She went to the window and climbed out, dropping silently onto the deck that circled the entire house. The flash came again, and there was no mistaking it-it was the shining of a kitsune tail in the moonlight, teasing her. And Ritsuko only knew one kitsune with silver fur.
"What are you doing here?" Ritsuko called out to the trees surrounding her. She knew he was in here somewhere, most likely laughing at her. "Haven't you made enough of a joke of me already?"
Not surprisingly, no answer came.
Ritsuko scowled deeply, looking around for that telltale silver, sniffing for that telltale rose scent, listening for...anything. But like any good thief, he gave no answer in that way, either. She felt a fool.
"Gaki ja nai!" she shouted as a last resort.
Something small and hard flew out of the trees to her right, striking her ear. She yelped and looked down to see an acorn sitting near her foot. "That's just a bit infantile, isn't it?" she snapped, turning to face her right.
A practically grinning, golden-eyed kitsune stared back at her, waiting for a few seconds before turning and running off, a silver streak against the dark green.
"Oi!" She scowled, running after him as fast as she could. It occured to her briefly that he was trying to lead her away from the house...why, she didn't even want to consider. But soon, that thought was lost to the narrow-minded drive of a youkai on the hunt. She didn't know how far they went, or how long they were running, just that the moon was still up when the silver animal stopped in a small clearing and watched her come to a clumsy halt, finally realizing how much she must have been stressing herself to keep up with him. "What now?" she asked.
Back