Deep within the mountainous lands of Japan within a small cave a large fox with a total of six tails was in a deep sleep, curled around her only cub, protecting her with her body and keeping her warm with her body, the cub was small, small and weak, she was only six months old and like her mother she aged at an incredibly slow rate, well her true form did anyways.
The cub had only a single tail like all the young Kitsune before they became stronger and so her mother had dedicated herself to training her daughter to ensure her survival, teach her to hide among their only threat, humans and to fight off other predators and beasts.
Little did they know of the threat that approached them, for within the bushes, behind the trees, concealed by the darkness of night a large group of men, armed with several weapons, slowly closing in on their prize.
"I told ya didn't I" one of them stated, his voice barely a whisper, his form hidden by the darkness, only allowing his outline to be seen much like his 'comrades' they continued to approach the two Kitsune slowly and carefully.
"Yeah, yeah two Kitsunes, they'll sure to bring a hefty price when we sell them" another replied.
"Yeah, the full grown one is sure to be no push over, six tails" one of them murmured his voice hoarse and ruff.
"Six, man she'll earn us a mint" the first one snickered, taking the safety off his gun and taking aim, the leader of the group, the one with the ruff voice thrusted his arm to the side, blocking the shot.
"No, we can't risk waking the cub before we're close enough to grab it" he stated, the gun was lowered.
"How much is the cub worth?" asked the one who just lowered his gun.
"Kitsune are rare and a baby one will be worth plenty to a scientist, even one so young and with a single tail" the leader responded as they continued to near the sleeping animals.
He waited until they were mere feet from their target, he took aim and silently fired a tranquilizer dart into the mother, the mother went limb, the small cub's ears perked, her head popped up, she looked round and saw the men, she began to whimper, trying to back away, only succeeding in backing into her own mother's body.
The gripped the cub by the scruff of her neck and lifted her off the ground.
"You guys carry her back to the ship and get her into the cage, those tranquilizers wouldn't keep her out for long" the leader stated, receiving a few grunts in response before they lifted the body of their catch.
The trip back was short and the entire way the cub stirred, trying to escape her captives grip, letting out small whines and whimpers, once back the mother was placed in a large cage and the cub in a small one.
It didn't take long the two prizes, thanks to the mother's power levels she was sold within moments and the cub was sold to a research lab for quite the price.
A/N I am so, so sorry this is so short, sort of a prologue, still deciding where this fic should go so all suggestions will be appreciated, plz review.