AN: I feel very guilty for starting so many fics even though I keep getting ideas for them. I know that I should update 'Natural Predators' soon but I promise I am working on other fics too. Still I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you for choosing to read my work.

Cursed by the Sunlight

Chapter One

It was another year, another passing of the seasons and Kenai didn't remember how long it had been since he had seen Denahi. All he could do was hope that his brother was okay. He knew that Denahi would be okay. They had been separated by the months that had made it so he had become a bigger bear, a stronger bear, a Papa bear.

Kenai watched proudly as his two cubs played by the water's edge. He and Nita had had two cubs a few months back and the two were trying to catch fish. He and Nita had been accepted into the bear colony despite the years which they had spent as humans.

"You need to really watch the fish," Kenai told them as he put his paw in the water and scooped one up. He had known after he had made his decision that he had to get better as a bear and learn to fend for himself, get him and Nita enough to eat, be firm if there were any new bears on which part of the territory was his and his family's.

He looked to Sitka, the male of his cubs as he stood there in amazement.

"Surprised that your papa can do that so well?" Kenai asked as he raised his head.

Hokani, the female cub, laughed at this. "I can do that better," she said before Kenai saw that there were strange ripples in the water. He raised his head and sniffed the air. Something was wrong. There was the stench of man and not the men of the group in his village which Denahi had convinced not to hunt the bears. They must be coming from another place. "I can be the strongest bear around," Hokani said as she ran forwards.

Kenai heard the pained growl of another bear and then that was joined by yet another. He raised his head before hearing the haunting sound of a gun. "Get behind me, both of you," he told them. Sitka instantly followed his advice. Hokani however moved forwards. Her eyes widened as she saw men very different from the type she had seen before. They were wearing strange clothes and as they held a weapon up, there was a loud bang and one of the elder bears fell dead at their feet.

"Hokani!" Kenai ordered, shuddering each time he heard the sound of the gun. Sticks he could fight against. He would hold them in his mouth and try to scare the hunter before they could make another move towards him. The men in his village didn't use guns but he had heard of their power. The next sound that Kenai heard was haunting to him. It was Nita yelling his name. He moved forwards to help her but then found a gun pointed at him. Before he could get to Nita, he heard her yells for him silenced as the man killed her.

Kenai launched forwards at the man who was attempting to attack him and his offspring and he swiped at the man with his paw, growling to show his aggression. The man moved backwards and stumbled and instead of killing him, Kenai grabbed both cubs in his mouth and ran with them. His heart pained, burning in his chest as he felt haunted by Nita's yelling but he found a hidden cave. He put his cubs down, giving them a warning sign with his expression for them to stay completely hidden. He took a few steps and a few deep breaths, trying to make sure that everything was okay.

He moved back to his cubs and lay his body around them, protectively keeping them close to him as he remained with his head lifted and turned to the entrance of the cave. "Please," he said feeling the pain of losing Nita, "keep us safe."

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Even though it was far away, Denahi could swear that he had heard a shot. He turned to his fiancée, Chenoa. She looked at him concerned but Denahi swore that something had gone wrong where the bears were. That meant that he might have felt Kenai's death. He turned to Chenoa before jumping out of bed. "I have to go," he told her as he kissed her lips softly.

"It's nearly dark," Chenoa protested. "I don't know what you feel you need to do but I'd prefer for you to stay here."

Denahi looked to her nervously before shaking his head, he put on his boots and then grabbed his coat and a couple of blades. "I'm sorry. I can't. I have to go."

"Does this involve Kenai?" Chenoa asked and Denahi looked at her completely shocked that she knew exactly what it meant. "The two of you share a spiritual link. You promise that none of the other bears will harm you?" she asked. "You might not even -"

"Kenai promised me my safety if I were to go there. I need to make sure that he's all right," Denahi protested. Chenoa nodded, knowing that she couldn't argue with him.

"At least take some food with you," she advised him and Denahi nodded as he waited for his beloved to pack something for him. He kissed her again before running off to where he knew the bears lived. He had to see for himself that his brother was okay.

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The trip had taken him a long time, even when running but finally Denahi arrived at where the bears had been. His eyes widened as he saw colonists, white men. He saw how they had taken a few carts and were just throwing the dead bodies of bears onto them. He swore to recognize a few but none that he could see with Kenai's markings. He gasped as he realized that he recognized Nita and he looked again for Kenai. Had they taken him too? He had once sketched a picture of his brother from all sides so that he would always remember what he looked like. One time Kenai had met him with Nita and that time Denahi had sketched her too. He could see them throw her corpse onto one of the carts to most likely sell as a pelt and tried to soften his reaction.

There were dead bodies of bears, blood, too much blood. Denahi felt like he was going to vomit and as he stood there, he could sense one of the white men turning in his direction. Not wanting to enter into another confrontation, Denahi pulled backwards. He fell down as his foot pressed against a rock and pushed himself against a cave. He needed to catch his breath. He knew he was vulnerable here but who knew if those men had wiped out the whole bear community.

Inside the cave, Kenai had realized that someone was there. He tried to push into the darkness, making sure to hide the young bear cubs. He would have to search for Koda who had gone on another journey and make sure that he was okay. Sniffing the air, Kenai found that familiar smell. Someone from his previous village. Nervously he moved forwards and out of where he was hiding.

His eyes widened as he saw Denahi sitting outside, his leg looked a little hurt. Kenai could hear his breaths tighten and pushed his head against his brother's side. He gave a whine knowing that Denahi wouldn't be able to understand him. He felt relieved when his brother opened his eyes and scrambled to his feet before recognition dominated his expression.

"Kenai," Denahi whispered before throwing his arms around the bear's neck. "Thank the spirits that you're okay," he said as he pulled back to look at him, feeling a sting in his foot. He put his hand on his brother's forehead but then felt Kenai tug on his coat, trying to guide him inside the cave and still making those bear whines. "I'm coming," he told him before spotting the two tiny cubs. "Are those?" he asked and Kenai nodded.

Walking over to Sitka and Hokani, he licked both on the head and saw their fear when they saw Denahi. They both hid behind Kenai. Men terrified most bears and these two had never seen their uncle before. Kenai tried to look at them comforting them. "Remember when I said I had three brothers?" he asked them and they both nodded, Kenai gestured with his paw. "That's my brother. He won't hurt you," he tried to persuade the cubs but of course Denahi didn't understand any of it.

Kenai licked them again feeling the guilt of being responsible for their mother's death. He stood up on his hind paws and turned to Denahi. He tapped his chest before gesturing back to his cubs.

"Those are my nieces or nephews?" Denahi asked. He didn't want to tell Kenai about Nita if he didn't know, especially in front of his extended family. Kenai nodded. Denahi watched them. He would wait until they came to him. "I think we need to leave this cave but I don't know when," he said, "I saw what happened. I am so sorry," he apologized.

Kenai nodded and allowed his brother to hug him, he held him back but as the sun rose in the sky, he started feeling weak and gave a growl of distress. His cubs were growling in pain but somehow Kenai found his body to become stiff and he dropped down in Denahi's arms, pushing the second son down.

"Kenai!" Denahi yelled as he tried to turn the bear so that he could examine him. He didn't know much about bears but he wanted to at least be confident that he could provide Kenai with the help which he seemed to need. As he pushed his hand through the fur on his brother's face, he saw his body glowing and shrinking. He looked out of the cave at the sun which shone brightly in the sky and then placed his hand on Kenai's body. He was shocked when he could see his brother, just a couple of years older than when he had last been human.

"Kenai," he whispered, "Are you okay?" he pushed his brother's hair back to feel his forehead before his eyes widened as he saw two babies, less than a year old on the ground, one boy and one girl. They looked so much like their parents. He gently moved Kenai onto his back before going to the two human children.

He carefully pulled them into his arms, one in each arm and then to his chest. They continued to sleep. "It's going to be okay," he tried to reassure them. "I'll protect the two of you. I won't let anyone harm you or your dad," he told them. "I'm your uncle."

Denahi heard Kenai's weak voice as he continued to remain still on the ground, he appeared so weak. "Denahi," Kenai whispered and Denahi immediately went to his little brother's side.

"I'm right here," he told Kenai as he carefully se the babies down next to their father. "It will be okay."

End of Chapter One

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