"WHAT!?"
Kit looked disbelieving, tired, and VERY cranky…
"We met with the council, and they want to introduce you back into the society."
"We can't just send out a newspaper saying I'm back?"
Mitsukai smiled sadly, shaking her head.
"I'm afraid not. It's tomorrow night."
"But-!"
"No more arguing." Tenma ordered.
"You're going to the ball tomorrow, whether you like it or not."
"Make me."
No one was in the room with the reunited 'family', but the others were outside the door, listening.
Hellboy smirked.
"She's not gonna make this easy…"
"You thought she would?" Liz asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Anyway, inside the large room…
"I will if I have to."
"I'd rather rip off my own tail."
"I could do that for you."
With a glare, Kit unsheathed her claws.
"Just try it."
Mitsukai, knowing she'd lost control of the conversation, looked between both of them worriedly.
Tenma unsheathed his own pair, and the two glared at each other.
"I am your father. So what I say goes."
Hearing the word 'father' always triggered something in Kit.
It was either tears, remembering the man who'd raised her, or anger at the reminder.
This was a mix of both.
Her eyes darkened as angry tears scalded them, and she bared her fangs.
"YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!!"
Before the tears had a chance to fall, she ran.
She realized it was a natural instinct for her.
Whenever she felt pain, she tried to get away from it.
Running always seemed to be the only thing she COULD do in such situations.
Going through the doors, she went head-first into Hellboy's chest.
"Kid? Are ya okay?"
Kit didn't answer.
Instead, she latched on like a cat to the ceiling, crying.
Using his stone hand, the red demon cradled her closer, and Liz tried to soothe the girl.
"Its okay, Kit…" She soothed, rubbing circles into the younger girls back.
When Tenma tried to get closer, Hellboy backed up, shielding the younger demon more.
Kit hid her face in his upper arm, and even Abe tried to get between her and her 'father'.
Everyone could tell he was being too rough, trying to force a bond that took years to forge.
It would be even harder, since she'd already forged such a bond with someone else she'd named father.
But the look in his eyes made them all move to defend her.
She may have been rough at first, but she'd grown on them, forging a family where there once were just comrades.
Something about this demon seemed…off…
"You can't hide from it, Assarishita. You are my daughter, whether you like it or not."
"I may be your daughter, but you'll NEVER be my father."
His eyes seemed to flash, and Kit tried not to flinch at the glare she received.
Feeling support from the ones she called 'family', she returned one of her own.
Mitsukai got between the two, looking worried.
"There shouldn't be any fighting."
She looked at her daughter with what looked like guilt, but no one could be sure.
"You can go out to the pasture. I'll speak with him."
Kit nodded, letting her 'brother' carry her out of the hallway.
Expecting the 'pastures' to be more like a tundra, she was surprised to see warm grass and a small little river winding through like a snake.
There were even horses scattered about, but they had mighty wings and strangely-colored eyes and coats.
Hellboy let her down, and she walked towards one that was pure white, with kind gold eyes.
It neighed softly, nudging her 'paw' with its muzzle.
Kit felt like she remembered this horse, but she wasn't sure from where, and hugged the mighty head.
The mare even nudged her, asking for the cat-girl to mount her.
A bit uncertain, she looked over her shoulder at her friends.
The horse neighed, lifting its head to look at the three.
Her nostrils flared, and Kit moved a bit to the side.
The large mare met shoulder to shoulder with Hellboy, and her sharp teeth and diamond-hard hooves showed she could put up one hell of a fight.
The mare sniffed the large, red-skinned demon, as if making sure he wasn't a threat.
Kit kept a 'paw' on the horse's neck until she neighed softly, nudging Hellboy's shoulder and fanning her wings.
Kit smiled.
"I think she wants you on too, Red."
With a smooth flip, she managed to straddle the horse in front of its wing joints.
"Come on, bro." She urged, a small smile still on her face.
"Don't you wanna fly without gravity smashing you through walls?"
Liz smiled encouragingly.
"Go on, Red. You might never find another horse that can take your weight."
Kit snickered, her old personality shining through.
"You've got that right. Come on, big guy."
A bit reluctantly, he managed to get on the broad back.
With a few powerful flaps, the large hooves left the grass, and the mare flew up to what seemed to the edge of a mighty shield.
Kit gripped the silver-tinted mane tight, and felt Hellboy's stone hand tense around her waist.
"What's wrong? Scared of heights?"
"Only if I could fall."
With a smirk, she tightened her hold as the horse turned in the air, even doing a loop.
She never felt more free in her whole life, and almost pouted when the horse landed.
Patting the slender neck, she jumped off.
"How was it, Red?"
"…Crazy horse…"
Kit snickered at his muttered reply, until she saw a shadow further off in the pasture.
Straightening and cocking her ears, she saw it stop, as if studying her.
As the figure got closer, she saw it was a man only a year or two older than her, with deep red hair and moonlight eyes.
She felt frozen as the eyes locked with hers, and she hardly registered the threatening stance Hellboy had taken beside her.
"You must be Assarishita."
His voice was like velvet, smooth and soft, and she nodded.
"And who might you be?"
Her voice turned a bit softer than her usual rough tone, and she wasn't sure why.
Remembering the way Ben had dumped her not five months before, she tried to shake herself from the stupor.
"I am Kasai."
A small bow, and then he was standing again, looking her over curiously.
Realizing that, without her baggy winter coat, she was wearing her familiar skin-tight leather, she blushed almost unnoticeably.
Kit froze when his fingers went over neck, and she almost pulled back.
But…
His touch was so soft and warm…
"You've been targeted…"
Confused at first, she remembered the bruise there.
"Oh…I suppose…"
"You should be careful…A beautiful girl like you might get hurt."
Flattered at first, she heard the hidden meaning and steeled her eyes.
"Are you assuming I can't defend myself?"
"Unfortunately, that's the way most females are here."
Words died on her lips as their eyes locked.
"Then again, you haven't lived here. I suppose you could have learned."
Nodding only slightly, afraid her voice would come out too weak, she heard Liz hold Hellboy back from hitting someone.
Hearing footsteps, Kit turned to see her 'father' absolutely fuming.
Setting her face in a frown that Kasai noted seemed to fit her somehow, she glared.
Before she could say anything, he stopped in front of her.
"What are you doing?"
His voice held restrained fury, and she noted his claws were out.
"Talking. What does it look like I'm doing?"
She smirked slightly, noting his eyes flash.
There was mighty crack as he slapped her across the face with his claws…
