Heaven's Not Enough
Chapter 7
I saw so many things
But like a dream
Always losing me in a cloud…
Youko blinked the tear away as it floated into the nightly sky, never to be seen again or acknowledged again.
Youko was running at full force down the hill, ignoring the alarming pain in his paws. He was nearing the end of the hill at top speed. Right before he was about to reach the bottom of the hill he sprang in the air and landed where Yasashiku once was before he dodged the heartless pounce.
He chuckled, "Youko. Stop this child's play. And let the real fun begin."
Youko growled but agreed fully. It was time to start this fight. So he caught his breath for just a moment before charging at full force at his father.
His so-called 'dad' quickly gained his speed as he sped off to meet half way with his disowned son.
This time, Yasashiku was the one to jump.
He jumped up with his jaw wide open, baring his teeth. Youko stopped for a split second to see his old man's jaw wide open with saliva connecting his white teeth, showing his anger in unspoken words.
He was able to doge at the last minute by getting up on his hind legs like a bear does to show his mass weight and strength. But Yasashiku saw this as an opening and quickly shot up and clasped his jaws around his child's neck, knocking our favorite thief to the ground on his back.
His jaws snapping, he managed to flip himself back on his stomach, but was having trouble getting out of his father's constant grabbing of his neck, but he would twist his neck and nip at the elder's face causing him to break free.
But it was short lived, because his father quickly leaped on him and Youko was back to being on his back with his father on top of him. He tried to grab his neck but this time Youko was the one to bite.
He clamped down on his father's snout with all the muscle that he could use in his mouth. Yasashiku, with some struggle, snapped his jaw open, causing his son to cease his grip on his prideful mouth.
Youko used this chance to quickly flip himself and get a good ten feet from his papa.
With another leap at each other they were back to fighting. Snapping jaws, twirling necks and bashing heads with claws at their fullest.
His father was easily getting the upper hand in this fight. Youko needed to think of a strategy and fast. He quickly pulled away with a slight yelp from his father's tight grip that he got on hind leg.
What is this? He though. We are about the same height. Same strength from what I can tell. So why? Why does he keep on getting the upper hand! He growled to himself. Experience.
"What's wrong? Why have you stopped, my little one?"
Youko snarled at that last part.
He was lost in thought and didn't see his father charging at him until he was only a foot away. His reflects caused him to duck, causing his kinsman (A/N: Hey! That's a funny word!) to roll over him.
When the father got his footing he snarled and bobbed his head up and down, and waving his body around, provoking his son to chase him. How could he refuse such a grand offer?
He quickly gained his speed at an abnormal speed or any normal fox (or should I say wolf?) could not manage. The snow was kicking up under his feet as he lunged at his father while the wind was blowing against his fur almost giving a refreshing feeling.
But that moment of bliss soon faded as he met with identical eyes of his own. Soon the snapping jaws slapped him back to reality and he quickly complied and started bearing his teeth.
His father noticed his off dazed look and not only saw this as a weakness but an opportunity. He dug his purely white teeth into the silvery fur of his son as a deep shade of red liquid poured from the thief's body.
Youko could feel his body being pushed back as a red color filled his vision, but what remained normal color was the full moon. He looked up at it and it gave him the urge to howl at the break of his lungs. But the urge soon left him as the stinging pain in his shoulder over took him.
He snarled and wiggled his body to get out of the elder fox's grasp. Though he did escape, it just made him wound deeper. He growled at his foolishness. How could he just daze out like that? Was he that childish?
He quickly got up and made hast for the hill. He didn't see the same hill that he came from but a very steel, rocky hill. Perhaps even a cliff. He quickly started running up it. Well, it was more of a fast walk then a run. But he needed to get out of that situation.
He jumped over the edge and got on solid snow ground. He went a distance away and then awaited for his father to follow. And within seconds, came the fox.
Both had their fangs showing. Their teeth showed that were once white as snow but now had saliva and blood running in them, with their tails raised high. Then Youko opened his mouth fully with spit connecting his top and bottom teeth. He lunged at him.
He charged with his head rather low, so when his father dodged, his head went down. Yasashiku quickly dodged and went to the other side of Youko, making them switch sides so Yasashiku was facing the cliff. Youko quickly spun around and they both lunged at each other. Grabbing each other's neck in mid air and landing with a thud. Snow was pushed out of their was causing white dust to scatter into the frosty air.
Yasashiku was on top so he decided to do something to surprise Youko by letting go of his neck and taking his leg into his mouth. Youko could hold back his yelp of pain and tried to bend his neck to snap at Yasashiku but he twisted his body, along with Youko's leg, to dodge the attack, but then retreated with a backwards jump.
They continued chasing each other with blood scattering around them.
Mainly…Youko's blood.
Youko had limited speed thanks to his wounded leg and his shoulder wasn't helping. With all of the fighting going on neither foxes noticed that they had made their way towards the steeper cliff. This one was definitely a large sized drop. But the foxes were too enraged into the battle that they didn't even bother to notice how close they were to the edge. And how they were slowly…slipping.
--
Tsukiko had woken up in the middle of the night. Or at least that's what she thought. She looked around to see some of the humans awake. She sighed heavily and tried to go back asleep. But then she noticed the other humans waking each other.
What are they doing…? She thought to herself.
She noticed them packing up and exiting the cave!
"Where do you think you are going?" She asked in a calm voice, eyes shut.
"Leaving."
She opened an eye. "Leaving?"
Yusuke sighed. "Yes. We are finding Youko. We will not help them, so don't have a hairball. We just want to encourage him to let him know that we are behind him."
She let out a grunt and closed her eyes. "Hm? I thought we already decided that we would do that. So why leave now?"
Yusuke let a scowl appear on his face. "Why are you so calm?"
She opened her eyes but looked away. "Not calm. I'm just trying to…save energy."
"'Save energy'?"
She gave him a deep look in her eyes. "I told you how Youko wanted to defeat his father? Well…I…if he's going to loose…why make him die?"
She looked ashamed. She had fought them telling them that Youko would want to die if he lost. But…she now couldn't stand it. She couldn't see him die. She couldn't…she wouldn't…
"…So…in short…you want to step in to save him from his death if needed?"
She nodded her head, with her eyes not shown. "That's correct."
Yusuke let out a small laugh. "I knew that you wouldn't be able to stand it."
Her eyes shot open wide. She quickly stood up, "Not able to stand it? Not able to stand it! I could handle it way better then you could! I'm sorry if I'm not as heartless as I seemed, but I had waited for what seemed for eternity for him to return and now that he was he goes off and kills himself?" Tears were rolling down her cheek painfully. She hated crying. But she had to let this out.
But she collected herself and let her bangs cover her eyes. "I was jealous of you guys…you got to know him for what seems like way better then me. Or at least…the Youko he is now. I only know him as my little brother who was always very depended on me and would always look up to me. But now…it seems…like as if not only does he look down on me…but I am not even in the picture…" She let a few more tears roll down but then wiped them away. "So that's why…" She said in a stern voice. Raising her head with firry eyes showing, "…I cannot let him die."
Yusuke smiled, "I understand. You want to go now?"
Tsukiko looked a bit hesitant, but then nodded. She went over and shook her second mother. Then she went up to Ryuichi and kicked his leg.
"Wake up."
Both looked up at them with a surprised look but then they knew what was happening. They both got up without a word and started walking towards the exit. Everyone was now walking out. It was still very dark out but the wind had died down a bit.
But soon the ice-cold air was blowing against their faces as they ran off, trying to search for the foxes. After all, they had no clues as to where they were. Though the winter land seemed endless, it was one of the smaller rings of the others. This gave them some hope, but not much.
Tsukiko whispered to herself, "Youko…I will find you."
--
Youko had his front paws on Yasashiku's shoulders when all of a sudden he felt his back feet slip. He almost fell but then gained a bit of footage. He thought he saved his fall when all of a sudden both him and his father were slipping.
He quickly jumped from his father and tried to stay on the edge. Yasashiku did the same but to no avail. So soon they were both falling down a, what it seemed, a bottomless cliff.
But he knew better. The ground was coming. And fast.
He shifted his body weight so that his front paws were vertical to the ground. He looked over and saw his father doing the same. He showed his teeth with an angry scowl.
His father seemed to ignore him.
He's no fun. Youko's eyes widen once he thought that. Did I really just say that to myself? Was that my…inner youkai speaking to me…?
Youko then saw the ground coming faster then what he anticipated. His front right foot connected to the ground causing some pain as his body weight and gravity weighted down on his foot. But he didn't let that stop him.
He then shot backwards using his back feet. His father mimicked his move. Once he got his footing again he charged with strength he never knew that he had. They both opened their mouths trying to get some body part of the other one into their sharp grasp.
Youko could feel his eyes widening and the air going into his unprotected eyes. Again, this little spring of the moment ended in Youko shedding blood.
No good…I'm not getting anywhere! He thought to himself. …And he is.
He growled out loud at that last thought in his head.
"Youko." Yasashiku spoke causing him to get an icy cold stare from Youko. "I'm disappointed. Are you really this weak? Or are you not letting your full inner fox come out?"
Youko let his scowl deepen. Yasashiku chuckled. A thing Youko thought he could never do.
Yasashiku closed his eyes with a small smile on his lips.
"You aren't, are you? Pity. You will only die without using your full instincts." He then shot his eyes open and his gaze back up to his bleeding son. "Are you afraid of what you truly are?"
Youko was a bit taken back. Was he afraid? Afraid he was a monster? A beast?
Youko growled out in a low voice, "I do not fear myself. But if it were my instincts to take over, then I would feel as if it was not I who killed you." He drew out on the word 'killed'.
Yasashiku chuckled again, "Foolish boy. I could have taught you better. It's a pity that you ran away…"
"I did not run away!" Youko snapped.
Yasashiku lowered his head a bit, taking his gave off of Youko. "Then it's a pity that you abandoned your fellow kin. It was quit a shock to the foxes. And an embarrassment to me. I only wish that I could have raised you better…"
Youko was getting upset. What was he getting? A guilt trip? And what was this about 'hoping that he could of raised him'? Did he not have the chance to do that most of his childhood?
"Don't fool yourself. You had plenty of time to 'raise me'. But you chose pride over family. And by family…I mean me…and mother."
Yasashiku stared daggers at his embarrassment of a son.
"Do not bring your mother into this!"
Youko closed his eyes, feeling almost a sense of accomplishment to make his old man lose his temper so badly.
"It appears she already has."
Yasashiku growled and then jumped at him, "You will die, you mangy dog!"
They went into a fit of snapping. Youko managed to grab Yasashiku's ear and tear some of the skin off. Almost making Yasashiku yelp at him. But Yasashiku dug his nose into Youko chest, and when he thought that he was deep enough, he took a clump of flesh in mouth and tore. Youko was too in shock to even scream of pain.
He could feel this…feeling. It felt like someone hitting him in the chest with a huge truck. Only a thousand times worse. He could feel the wind go against his exposed innards. The air was a thousand times more painful to his skin then it normally was.
Youko fell at this when Yasashiku pulled away. On his side, he saw Yasashiku spit the clump of flesh and fur on the ground, causing the perfect snow to be stained with blood. He slowly raised himself. When you looked at him you could see a small bit of muscle showing. The fur around the gap was quickly turning a chrisom color and clinging to his body from the moister.
Youko wanted to stay down. To sleep. Oh yes. He wanted sleep.
But he knew that his body was not asking for sleep. But death itself.
He could feel his paws bleeding from splinters as the icy snow dug into his soft paws. His eye site kept on going in and out as he saw a white figure in front of him getting closer and closer. It didn't look like he was running. But walking. Youko didn't notice, but Yasashiku did, that Youko's body was swaying back and forth from dizziness of loss of blood. He tried to clench his teeth, but that caused too much pain. His father got so close that he could feel his breath against his ear.
"And now…my ungrateful son…you die." He could see his father open his mouth, revealing a set of murderous teeth. He knew that he would die. This was the end. He didn't even get to give a proper goodbye to his mother…his friends…and…Tsukiko…
Then the image of his beloved flashed into his head. "I waited so long for you to return…" He could hear her voice echo into his head. She waited. And then he just left again. Surely she hated him. Surely she would be glad of his death. But then he remembered when he was laying on the ground with Tsukiko after he confessed his love for her.
They were lying together; she was snuggled into her chest. Her body warmth was soothing and her scent was a deadly turn on for him. She whispered to him softy in his ear, "I will always love you."
I can't…die…must…live…
His thoughts ran threw his head. Then his inner self took control. He all of a sudden snarled and stooped down and grabbed the lower jaw of the fox lord and jumped away, causing the jaw to snap. He heard the sound of what he thought was cracking bones. Once he landed back on the ground he slowly turned.
His father's eyes were wide with shock and his jaw looked completely out of line. He then saw his father fiddle with his jaw with the little muscle that was working in his jaw and semi snapped it back into place. It still looked a bit cricked though.
Yasashiku tried to spit out "You horrid excuse of a fox!" but found his jaw refusing to move.
This was bad.
He let out a loud growl since that involved no movement of the jaw. Youko would smile at this, but then couldn't find the strength. He was exhausted. And, to his surprise, so was his father. He spread his legs out a bit more to help balance himself.
Yasashiku had enough of this.
Even though his jaw didn't work, he still had his claws. And his son was half dead. This was as easy as getting an afternoon snack. He, at first stumbling a bit, run at his son, his claws coming further out of his paws. His son just stood there! Had he given up hope? Did he think he could try another surprise attack? What a fool!
He ran to his disowned son and clawed at his face. Youko dodged slowly. Yasashiku missed, but just by a bit. Youko then scooped down and opened his mouth and grabbed a hold of Yasashiku's rib cage. Yasashiku felt his blood run cold as he thought about his own son causing him to shed blood.
This enraged him and he tried to jump out of his grasp but to no avail. Youko got a tight grip. He squirmed about and then slashed at Youko's eye. Youko closed his eye tightly just in time so his eye itself was untouched but the skin around it was another story.
He soon found himself seeing red in his right eye. He blinked his eye trying to get the blood to come out, but to no use. He then put his concentration to the pit of flesh in his mouth. He then tightened his grip and yanked. He felt a mesh of fur and skin in his mouth. He could taste the blood and the fresh meet of his father.
His blood tastes just like mine… he thought to himself.
The more he thought of it the more it disgusted him. He spit out he clump of fur and flesh. They locked gazes. Now both of them were injured, though Youko was slightly more wounded, right now he saw himself having a fifty-fifty chance of winning.
That's not counting the unmatchable skill of his father. But that would not stop him. He would not die knowing that he lost to that beast.
But the thing that made them lose eye contact that a cracking sound. Followed by what sounded like thunder. Youko looked up to the sky.
Clear. No clouds in sight.
So what was…?
Then it hit Youko and he looked up to see snow and some rock coming down from the cliff. He dodged it but then noticed that the whole thing looked unstable. He looked around. He was now in a valley. A narrow, rock valley.
Not good… He thought. If that thing came crashing down…he would have nowhere to run. The only way was…up. But that cliff was coming down. He returned his glance to the other wall. It was a dead drop. Not in a million years could he climb that.
That leaves me no choice… He crouched down, and then sprung his body at the cliff.
More blood spilled because of his sudden action, but he didn't have time to notice.
He then jumped from one point of the cliff to another. And another. And another. All the while trying to dodge falling objects and once he almost fell because he landed on an unstable rock. Though after some struggle he made it back up, he bolted away from the edge so that he would not go crashing down with the rocks.
After he was a good distance away he felt a huge rumble. He looked behind himself and saw the edge completely collapse.
At least I was out of the way…
Then it hit him. Where was Yasashiku…?
--
How did I do on the fighting scene? Please feel free to tell me how I did! Sorry if my fighting scene wasn't that good but I find that the hardest part of this story. T.T
