Chapter One

" KITTY!"

Yep, you guessed it. My name's Kitty, well, Kitani Himahoshi, but everyone calls my Kitty, or Kit, or even Kitten sometimes, but it depends on the person. It's ironic really, I mean my name's Kitty but I'm not a neko. Not at all, I'm a full-blooded kitsune so I've been told.

" KITTY! It's time for training get back here this instant!" That's Tegoro calling me. I don't want to go to training today so I'm not going to. Teg will understand. Teg is short for Tegoro, and no Teg and Tegoro aren't the same person. Teg is short for Tegoro the younger and Tegoro is Tegoro the older. No, don't get it wrong Teg and Tegoro are brothers; one just happens to be called "the older" and one "the younger". Teg is my guardian, you know that person whose suppose to take care of you and stuff. He does a really good job. He doesn't let Tegoro do anything to me no matter what. He even lets me skip training now and then too, that's how I know he'll let me skip today. He respects the fact that a fifty-year-old like me can't handle training every day.

That's another thing I suppose I should explain. You see Makai years and Nigenkai years are totally different. In the Makai fifty is young, really young. I suppose if I went to the Nigenkai (hypothetically of course) I guess I'd be the same age as a, umm, five year old I guess. I'm not really sure though I've never learned much about the Nigenkai. So now hopefully you can understand why a fifty-year-old demon can't handle training everyday. It's hard work for us young peoples.

"Kitty! This is the last time I'm going to ask you to get back here before I come get you, now COME HERE!!" Tegoro has a temper, a very big one at that. He's really fun to annoy, even if he is really, really, really mean when he finally catches me. He makes me do more work in training if he catches me, so naturally I don't let him. "Kitty! Get back here now you spoiled cub!"

From my hiding spot in the hidey-hole under the tree I could see Tegoro walking around really stompy like. Really quickly after that I heard him mumble to himself, it sounded kinda like "Stupid, spoiled cub doesn't know the definition of words like commitment, hard work, effort, responsibility, if my brother wouldn't treat her so nicely I wouldn't have this problem, no I definitely would not." But that's just what I think he said I'm not absolutely sure about that. As he was mumbling he stomped off away from my hidey-hole and left for good I think. He knows I like this area but he doesn't know his way around it yet.

I was just about to leave my hidey-hole when these other people came into the clearing were my tree is. There are three of them, and they're all really tall, although it could just be that I'm really short so everyone is tall but I bet they aren't as tall as Teg.

"Team Tegoro is back and this time they're fifth member is some stupid kitsune cub from what I've heard. I've never actually seen it but I'm sure that it's true. Not very many people would kid about Team Tegoro around here, to afraid of getting beat up and stuff." One of the guys told the others. He looked pretty friendly if I do say so myself and I did so he must look like it. He must be smart to know that people wouldn't kid about Team Tegoro. No one like to mess with Teg and his brother unless they have a "death wish" as I've been told to call it.

"Thank you Karau. That helps us out tremendously." I couldn't tell if this guy was being serious or joking but I decided to say that he was serious. This guy looks really cool; he has big, black, bat wings, with those long sharp horn-looking things on the end. His favorite color has to be black because he has really long, black hair, and is wearing long black pants, with a black sleeve-less vest, and a necklace with a single red jewel on it around his neck.

"Is there anything else you can tell us Karau? Just in case we actually decide to enter this year." This time the third guy asked the question. He has a white sleeve-less shirt on, with big baggy white training pants. He has silver hair that almost goes down to his awesome fluffy, silver tail. And atop his head sit to white kitsune ears just like mine!

"Keep an eye out for that cub if you know what's good for you. Team Mioshi told me that the cub over heard them talking about battle tactics and that stupid brat turned around and told the younger Tegoro everything." That guy Karau said. He kinds looked like he was about to blow up at the thought that I was telling Teg stuff that would ensure our victory. Teg told me to tell him anything about the tournament I over heard and so I did. It's not my fault they decided to talk about everything they planned to do in the ring right out in the open like that.

"Karau do you know the name of this infamous kitsune cub?" The bat guy asked. I decided that this would be the perfect time to come out of my hiding place to introduce myself. I quickly but silently wiggled out from my hidey-hole to stand behind the three-some.

"Well-" He didn't need to get any farther than that because I needed to introduce myself.

"Hi! My name is Kitani Himahoshi, but you can call me Kitty if you want!" I told them cheerfully with a big, goofy grin on my face. The three guys whirled around to stare at me in shock. I guess it took them a minute to realize that I was the kitsune cub that they were talking about, oh well they caught on eventually. Their expressions were hilarious. They all had that open mouthed, big eyed, expression on their face. But really, where else would a kitsune cub like me be on a day like this?

"So I suppose now you'll run off and tell Tegoro everything we just said right?" Karau sneered at me.