This chapter has been revised. No major changes to the plot. Grammar, dialogue, more details added. Enoy and review!
Asvoria stretches in her bed, back arching like a lazy cat with sheets stretching around her lithe frame as she woke. A crack sounds as her neck joints pop. She slumps out of her bed onto the floor, curling back into a ball on the soft carpet as her sleepiness overtakes her body, silver ears twitching as she yawns. She grunts as her newfound guardian picks her up and rolls the girl over in her arms. Icy eyes look up bleary, letting her fuzzy vision clear.
"Wakey wakey Ria. Kinana covering for me today and there is no way you're getting out of this shopping trip."
The icy blue eyes narrow in an annoyed glare as the darker ones sparkled with mirth. Mira turned her face away when she was swatted in the face with a silver tail, the child's face flattened into an irritated look.
Ria is placed on the ground and her feet start moving towards the vanity placed across the room as the routine that the duo had established over the past two weeks kicked into gear. Yawns filter through as she takes a seat on the cushioned chair. Her ears are wrapped in her magic as she absorbs them back into her body to allow the hairbrush Mirajane was using to easily pass through the tangled locks. The kitsune's eyes close in a gentle solace as the brush softly works through her tangled hair from her twisting sleep. The take over mage frowns slightly when the appendages don't reappear.
"I don't understand why you hide them. They're nothing to be ashamed of," Mira states as she fiddles with the strands as she tried to morph them into a hairstyle. She adds the fact they were adorable as a side note in her head, Ria hated being called adorable.
"Make it hard to put up," Ria counters as her new guardian attempts a braid, gathering the dark silver locks in her hands and twisting them together.
"I can work around that," Mirajane assures flatly.
The child fingers the collar of her pajamas, distracting herself as she picks at the soft material. "People don't like them… I know what they say. 'Sides, it's what make me not like you."
The frown lines around the platinum's eyes deepen, "We're not very different. I have demon properties. If I didn't I couldn't use my magic."
"Silly Mira," Asvoria chirps as she tilts her head back to look at her elder, messing up the woman's attempt at styling the hair and the braids unfurl down the back of the chair. "You human who can tolerate the demon particles." She stresses and her face sullens, brows slightly furrowed and mouth turned down as she turns back to the mirror, "I'm only part human. Barely human, really. And your magic is nothin' like mine."
"You're plenty human. You're just special. My special little...uh- pup?"
Ria giggles slightly and humors her designated caretaker, magic dissipating as her ears appear. She leans into the scratching fingers, "Close Mira. Baby foxes are referred to as pup, kits, or cubs. Before they decided my name they called me kit. Still would, even though I'm not a baby." The last bit is muttered out with a bitter edge.
"Well, my little kit, you and your ears are beautiful."
"What about my tail?" Ria jests as she flips the bushy tail up to tickle Mirajane's stomach.
The take over mage digs tickling fingers into the kitsune's sides. It was a bit of a brash move, the most sudden movement she's made toward the child. She holds a baited breath, waiting for the girl to freeze or turn with a growl and slitted eyes to glare at her. The peal of laughter that erupts strike her in her chest, her shoulders falling with the release of a hidden weight. Her fingers pick up speed, drawing out the pitchy laughter that makes Mira's ears ring in the best way possible. Small hands try to catch the larger ones dancing across her ribcage, lips pleading her to stop between her hiccups of laughter.
"Mira!"
The platinum ceases her tickling and brushes her lips against the child's cheek. Her lips twitch up at the smile thrown her way and can't help but think that her little fangs were adorable. She assures nothings wrong when Ria raises one brow and tilts her head, ears falling to the side.
Ria climbs into the leggings that Mira holds open for her and slips on the blouse that Mira had set aside earlier. She takes the barmaid's hand as she is led to the bathroom and steps onto the stool so she's able to reach the faucets of the sink. The white-haired mage wets the toothbrush, giving it to the child before putting toothpaste on her own. The two brush their teeth for a minute before the platinum points down at the sink and makes sure the girl spits out all of the froth. Asvoria's movements hold more grace than prior mornings. None of the spray hit or mirror and the child didn't make herself almost vomit, nor did she brush at her mouth until her gums bled. The model gives an approving nod when she is flashed pearly whites and watches as the still tired child stumbles toward the apartment's exit to slip on her shoes.
Mira had learned a few things about kitsunes, or at least her kitsune. One being they weren't morning creatures, or really even day creatures. Except of course when a burst of energy woke her up before dawn and she forced her mage out of bed to play with her. It usually worked in the barmaid's favor; Ria would doze off under the counter in the nest of blankets that members had started placing in her spot while she worked, usually only rousing from her half-awake, half-sleeping state when Cana tried to initiate a conversation or a bar fight got to the point her sensitive hearing prevented her from lazily lying around. Night time was a whole other story, once dinner had settled in the kit's stomach she would crawl out from underneath her bar and settle for following Mira around like an imprinted duckling. Ria tried her best to stay out of the way, or even help, the barmaid. The possibility of holding a conversation with her was more probable during this time, although she still shied away from anyone who wasn't her caretaker or Cana, mostly because the alcoholic seemed too tipsy to ever harm her by that hour. Plus the drunkard made the deliberate effort to sneak her sweets and bits on meat, so she was alright in Ria's book. There was one group, however, whose friendship with the fox spirit had shocked the majority of the group.
"Mira, Ever here!" Ria called and spurred the platinum into action again.
The Thunder Legion had taken to the child, allowing the demon girl into their little clique, and guarding her on a level comparable to their god, Laxus. Despite the kitsune's slight fear of the dragon slayer, she enjoyed the protection of the group. She felt secure in the middle of their little huddle. Bickslow could make her laugh, Freed expanded the boundaries of her mind and Evergreen kept every hair on her head from harm. Curling up under the Thunder Legion's table or in Ever's lap always meant that she would be undisturbed.
"We going, or can I go back ta sleep?"
"No, we're going," Mira responds as she fixes the small pony at the top of her head. "Morning Evergreen."
"Good morning Mira," Ever responded as she rose from tying the child's shoes. Asvoria could do it herself, but having the adults do it was faster than trying to make her unaccustomed fingers do it. "I've been looking forward to this all week. Time away from those barbarians I call teammates…"
"Freed and Bickslow aren't that bad," Ria interrupts, defending the two mages not in the room.
"Sweet little Ria," Ever tsked. "Don't let the boys here fool you. All of them are dense. Don't trust them at all. If you need something you ask me or Mira or any of the other girls. You got that?"
The ears flicker at the comment, unsure how to file that tidbit of information away.
"Breakfast anyone?" Mira chirps happily as she opens the door.
…
Ria's ears twitch as voices begin to filter through her ears and tilt back slightly against her skull. Her magic weaves its way around the appendages, eyes downcasting to the tablecloth. The two women surrounding her in the booth frown slightly.
"Why did you…"
They follow the spare glance cast to the other side of the diner and catch a glimpse of the snickering children at another table. One makes fake ears with his hands and the two children around him snicker. The two parents seem oblivious to their children's actions.
"The little…" Ever mumbles, voice rumbly and fingers twitching towards her glasses.
"Picking on a little girl," Mira agrees and her face falls when Ria pushes into the booth's hard cushion. Her fair features darken and she casts a glare at the snickering group across the diner.
The three stop their noise, faces ashen as they turn to look at the mage drilling holes into their head. The girl squeaked and quickly looked away, burrowing her face in her arms to avoid the stare. Her older brothers look as if they had peed themselves, large lumps catching their throat as they tried to swallow the panic rising up their trachea.
"Stop," Ria pleads in a whisper as she hides behind the hair that frames her face.
Mira blinks and looks down at her side to see the child wringing her hands together under the table.
"Ria?" The model asks.
"Stop. They're right anyway."
"Sweetie," Ever starts but stops when the kitsune suddenly stabs her pancakes with her fork.
"It's fine."
The child blinks at the plate of cake slid across the table and looks up. A vision of scarlet drawing her eyes.
"Erza, what are you doing here?" Mirajane asks.
The redhead flips her ponytail over her shoulder, ignoring the bumbling fools of men she made with the action, and nudged the slice of vanilla cake closer to the child. The kitsune shifts uncomfortably, the dubbed queen was no doubt a frightful person. A twitch of the nose confirmed the smell of her metal armor and faintly of something sweet. Her magic aura pressed around her too and, had Mira been exerting hers as well, could have easily leveled a common man. It made the hairs on her neck rise and she feels herself curl inward. She'd seen the scars faintly marring the woman's wrist, but she can't help the fear that curls around her whenever she approaches.
"There's a new armor out later this week and I wanted a little cushion to make sure I could buy it. These jobs are relatively easy. Ria," The brown eyes level her with a serious stare. "Don't let them bother you. Cake's on me."
…
Asvoria tears the fifteenth shirt over her head and throws it at Evergreen. The fairy mage snickers at the girl's obvious displeasure and folds the piece of clothing.
"We done?"
"No, we still have two more shops to go," Mira interjects as she holds another dress up to the girl's body before rejecting it.
Ria twisted in the small amount of personal space she had in the dressing room and still managed to catch a foot on one of the piles of clothing. The glare she sent Mira's way makes the take over laugh and pick up the pile of clothing that had passed examination.
"Alright, alright we can take a break. We're going to go pay for these, you wait for us by the door where you can rest on the bench," Mira chirps as she and Ever heave the bundle of clothing out of the fitting room.
Ria shakes her hair when the take over mage ruffles it affectionately before heading toward the door of the store to rest on the bench outside. She yawns, half tempted to curl up on the warm metal. Her nose twitches as a mixture of new scents approach.
"Look it's the cat girl!"
The silver-haired mage looks up and withholds the groan as the three children from before approach. The one boy, a seven-year-old girl grasps the sleeve of one of her older brothers, but is shrugged off.
"Where's your ears mutt?" One taunts.
Half of the twins lashes out and grabs a handful of the silver locks, yanking the strands. "Yeah," He jeers. "Where you hiding them?"
Ria tries to pry the fingers from her locks, restraining the power building up in her muscles as her adrenaline rose. She drops her hand when she feels the tingle of her claws begging for release and yelps when one of the boys pushes her off the bench onto the ground. Her eyes widen when she feels her ears and tail pop out
"Loser. Are you even human?" The one who had pushed her asks as he twists the tail in his hands, fur falling out with the rough tearing.
"Brother, stop!" The youngest, the sister, pleads as she glances around nervously for witnesses.
"Shut up!" One of the twins growl and twists a wrist, scowling when Ria doesn't yell and only purses her lips.
"Our Pa could skin ya like the weird beast you are," The boy snickered as a few more tail hairs were ripped out. "Or I could do it for ya! I got my swiss army knife on me. I could take care of this for ya and make you look normal!"
The one boy snickers and kicks her legs out from beneath her. Ria's ears twitch at the sound of unsheathing metal.
A bolt of lightning strikes next to the two menaces. Frightening them into dropping her tail. Ria almost blurs as she escapes her terrorizers.
"Ria, get over here."
Her ears, already flattened against her head, press harder against her cranium as she changes direction to hide behind the lightning slayer's legs. Her fur stands on end as the static emitting from the Dreyar pulsated with his magic, or possibly just because she's frazzled and frightened.
"You little brats are pretty stupid. Picking on someone half your size for no reason. If there's one thing I hate, it's cowards like you," Laxus rumbles. "I should teach you not to mess with a member of Fairy Tail again."
The three siblings actually scream before running into each other as they attempt to escape. The twin boys grasp the arms of their little sister before rushing back up the street. Laxus huffs, electricity falling away before casting a glare at the child by his legs. The three foot tall creature restrains her yelp as she lets go of the dragonslayer's pants.
"Don't be a weakling and take that shit. They're idiots who aren't worth your time."
"I-I could hurt them…"
"That doesn't matter idiot. They attack you it's self-defense. Don't be a coward."
"Y-yes sir," Ria whispers and steps away, wringing her hands.
"Attack me," Laxus demands and growls when the child shakes her head no. "Do it now or I fry you."
Asvoria takes a step back, shaking slightly at the thought. Not really having a choice, magic sparks from her hands as she tries to think up a spell. Her brows furrow as she thinks.
"You have five seconds before I electrocute you."
Her eyes widen in panic. She considers Laxus' magic. Lightning, what could she possibly do against lightning?
"Terra Imagini!"
Her magic explodes from her hands before columns of earth begin to swirl around the dragon slayer. She feels the energy leave her body, sucking out her essence for the spell and feels herself weaken. The lightning he dispels is absorbed into Ria's columns as they close in around him. Ria takes a step back when a fist parts her soil and purses her lips. She skids to the left as a bolt of lightning strikes next to her. Her hands tighten into fists as magic wells to the surface. The silver plasma is released, the blob forming into some sort of golem that swung its heavy arm towards the man.
"Ria!"
The kitsune turns her head towards the two females charging her. Mira scooped the girl up, pressing her against her chest as Evergreen swung her magical balls of light at the creature. However, being made to reflect lightning, the similar properties of the fairy magic barely scuffed the golem.
"What is this thing?" Ever yelped as it swung again at Laxus. "Laxus!"
Ria manages to unravel one arm out of Mira's grip. The creature glows as it transforms back into magical plasma and zooms back into the girl's hand. It's a warm pulse that floods her body as her magic resettles.
"What?" Mira murmurs as she looks down at the child.
"No way. That magic… It's Arc of Embodiment. A lost magic," Evergreen whispers.
"Laxus, what happened?" Mirajane asked as she stood, carrying the embarrassed child with her.
"Three little brats were pulling at her ears and tail."
The arms tighten around the fox girl, causing Ria to look up and catch a glimpse at the emotional eyes. A pale face burrows into her hair as Mira hugs her close. A nose runs along the soft fur that covered her ears.
"I'm sorry Ria. They don't see your beauty."
"Hun, nevermind them. Mira's right, you're perfection to us. And if anyone says differently," A hand rose to fidget with her glasses. "I'll turn them to stone."
Ria was ninety-eight percent certain that turning her bullies to stone was the wrong way to handle things. She looks up when Mira kneels to place the child on her feet.
"Come on little Kit. Let's go you out of here."
...
Asvoria runs her fingers through her tail before flipping it around to see if any noticeable bare spots were visible. Her ears droop in annoyance when Mira approaches with a comb.
"It's fine."
"Just let me brush it," The barmaid interjects and slides the child onto her lap despite her whining.
The teeth of the comb gently pull the strands into place and a few members sit at the table. The Thunder Legion take a seat and the Strauss siblings fill the rest of the table.
"Little bastards," Bickslow yells.
"Most uncouth," Freed agrees as he opens a book.
"They weren't men!"
"Are you okay Ria?" Lisanna asks as she looks across the table at the kitsune.
The silver-haired mage nods and nudges Freed's arm. Her eyes glance down at his book before looking back up at Freed.
"I'm reading about you kitsunes. Is this true, that you can possess people?"
The question causes the rest at the table to stiffen and glance at the child nibbling on a piece of jerky on Mirajane's lap. The canines dig into the meat and tear with a sharp snap. The demoness stares into Freed's eyes, eyes glowing slightly and the table feels the shift in power. The child smiles slightly, fangs poking into her lip, at their discomfort; she tenses her muscles to keep her tail from twitching, but the wagging is uncontrollable when even Elfman swallows the lump in his throat. Ria breaks out into laughter and draws her energy back in.
Mira narrows her eyes and casts a half-hearted glare, "Ria! That's not nice!"
"Typical fox," Lisanna sighs as the child pulls in her laughter and settles for snickering quietly to herself in mirth.
"Seems my reading material isn't the most accurate," Freed mutters as he closes his book. A journal appears from inside his jacket and he takes a pen from his breast pocket. The pen scratches against the paper."Possession is myth," Freed mutters to himself. "So Asvoria, what is true about kitsunes? Do tell."
The child doesn't answer and the various members look up from their lunch to see that Ria had fallen asleep during the short paragraph. Her ears tilt forward as she nuzzles against Mira's chest. Her tail moves to act as a snuggle buddy.
"She fell asleep that quickly?" Bickslow asks as his totems fly away to examine the child.
"So cute!" Lisanna quietly squeals and leans over her sister to look at the girl. "Sis, when are you going to adopt her so I can call her my niece?"
The barmaid moves to pet the soft ears, the inside fur slipping between her fingers. She tightens her arms around the sleeping figure.
"We still haven't had the guardianship papers certified Lis. I don't want to force her into anything either…" Mira quickly quiets when Ria moves on her lap, fearful that she woke her up. But the fox girl just shifts to reposition herself before settling again.
"I doubt she'd mind Sis."
"It'd be manly to have a kitsune as a niece!"
Mira forcibly smiles, not quite sure if Lisanna was correct. The fake smile softens into a real one when Ria subconsciously nuzzles against her.
Important changes: To depower Ria a bit because she's a kid and shouldn't be god-tier; her Arc of Embodiment is converted from her kitsune powers and basically draws a part of her life force. She is able to regain this energy by absorbing the ethernano in the air over a period of time. This is under the reasoning that ethernano is like an atom and is the building block of both curses and magic since Curse power and Magic originated from an original source. Make sense?