AN: Welcome back, I am still alive and have finally gotten over my writers block and decided this would be cathartic. So here is another chapter for all you lovely people who are sticking with me and my poor update schedule which is non existent.

Kit woke feeling groggy and remembering the moments from her past that had flooded her dreams last night. That time in her life may be over but the guy still managed to get a rise out of her. How could a simple memory of a person, who wasn't even in her life anymore, still get her anger churning?

Sighing Kit sat up and scrubbed her hands over her face. She got up and got dressed, smiling as the demon fox continued to laze at the foot of the bed with half lidded eyes. Shaking thoughts of the past from her head Kit tipped her chin at the door and Kyubi was instantly up and by her side.

After eating, the two went across the street to pay Fu a visit. He smiled fondly at their entrance and went in back only to reappear a moment later with a tray in hand. Kit quickly liberated him of his burden and set the tray of tea at their usual table. It had become habit after that first morning to come over and share an early morning with the old man.

As they sat and the fox demon settled at their feet, now fully glamoured into a bushy tailed Heeler, Fu started asking questions.

"How are the ribs my dear?"

Kit responded with a wry smile, "noticed that did you?"

"Hard not to when you winced with every breath."

"They're fine now. Fully healed and I'm ready to get back to it."

"Back to what though, I wonder."

Kit shot Fu a confused look as she poured the tea.

"That is an interesting bracelet you have there."

Eyeing the old man, Kit paused as she passed him his cup. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a bit and drank their tea.

Someone passed by the window of the tea shop and Kit turned out of habit to look outside. Catching sight of the person she sat back and smiled.

"What has you so happy all of a sudden?"

Kit looked up at Fu's question and her grin widened slightly. Humming quietly she redirected the conversation. "I must say, your bracelet is quite intriguing as well." A nearly imperceptible pause came from the old man before he continued with his tea.

Kit took a moment to peek at Fu's shadow and ran into another smaller one instead. With a smile she sipped her own tea and then spoke up again, "Hello Wayzz."

She caught the mall grin that Fu tried to hide behind his mug as the little turtle poked his head out.

"So tell me, how exactly did the two of you come across a demon fox?" At the question Kyubi let the glamour drop and set her head on Fu's knee.

"My late wife was the wielder of your current powers. This fox and I are old friends."

"Why give her to me? I don't get it." Kit's confusion overtook her sense.

"You are kindred, a bit mischievous, and always clever. But you have a darkness that can only be matched by this being. A nine-tailed fox is revered for its intelligence, yet feared for its power. That can cause darkness and it is a lonely existence. When the fox sensed an imbalance it awoke and chose you for a partner. I was merely transportation." Fu finished with a small smile.

Kit looked down at the fox demon and questioned again, "Why me?"

"You will see in time, that foxes never trick you unless needed. And we always lead you where you need to be." The answer was given quietly and the demon gazed back with its amethyst stare, meeting the paler eyes of its human partner.

"That doesn't mean that I don't need you. Since my entrapment in that charm, I am unable to operate on my own. Much like these little gods, I need a human partner. I chose you because you are not someone who craves power nor do you shy from responsibility. And you have been the best partner I could ask for by far."

That was the longest conversation Kyubi had ever offered since they had met and Kit had accepted the responsibility of becoming the hunter she now was. Kit took a moment and mulled the information over. It made a strange kind of sense; she often exhibited traits of the fox even before she'd moved here and started fighting escapee demons. With a final shrug she let the matter go and reached down to stroke one of Ky's soft ears.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

The two relaxed back to their previous state and Kit finished her tea.

"So," she turned to Fu. "What do you think of Marinette and Adrien's progress?"

The old man raised his brows in surprise but quickly accepted at seeing Kit's small smile. He didn't argue as he explained his thoughts and Kit only paid half attention.

The familiar blond boy who had passed the window earlier had been Adrien, coincidentally, and he had been heading towards Marinette's place. Kit wondered if he was going to pluck up the courage to ask her out. It was obvious he had started to fall for the bluenette.

"And now you are distracted again. Care to share? I hear it can help lift the burdens of the mind."

"Just waiting for those two kids to pull their heads out and get together."

The two finished their drinks and chatted aimlessly after that. When Kit stood to leave, Fu followed her to the door.

"Something else seems to be on your mind my dear." Fu simply looked at her as he made his statement. Shaking her head Kit answered the unspoken question, "Just the past."

With that she headed back across the street and got ready for the day.

As the day passed and classes progressed, Kit kept thinking back to the memory that had taken over her dreams. The only thing that broke her reverie was Elle passing off a package that came in the mail.

Suddenly, classes wound down and the sun was starting to set. Kit and Elle finished up and she let Elle loose once Adam had pulled up curbside to get her for their date. The younger woman hadn't stopped gushing all day between classes. Kit smiled and waved them off before heading back in and locking up behind her. She grabbed the box from behind the counter and shut off the lights before heading upstairs.

Kit and Kyubi ate then settled outside as the air cooled and she stared at the package. About the size of a shoe box, it wasn't big, and the brown paper gave no indication of its contents. There was no return address on the label. Brow furrowed in confusion, Kit borrowed on of the fox's claws and broke the tape.

Suddenly, her phone rang and Kit paused. With a sigh she got up and took the box to the coffee table before answering the call.

"Hello?"

"We have drama." The male voice on the other end was over shadowed suddenly by hysterical tears and cries.

"Give her the phone." Kit shook her head. Her siblings were officially at the age of dramatics when a ruined relationship constituted the end of the world.

"Speaker phone work?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

"Stop blubbering Erika."

"Shut Up Jack!"

"Both of you shut it." Kit's quiet command was met with silence only broken by the occasional sniffle as Erika tried to get herself back under control.

"Now… what happened Erika?"

"He dumped me. Over text."

"Ouch. Okay, I didn't catch that part." Jack let some sympathy shine through as he obtained that fact.

"How many does this make?"

"I think this is the third jock of the semester." Jack's answer was swift and curt.

"Jack, you're starting to sound like Dad. Either show some emotion for once or get yourself a girlfriend." Kit took a breath. "Erika, choose someone who's not a jock. They are all brainless morons who can't see anything past your pretty eyes and increasing boob size."

"Hey! Kit that's so mean."

"It's also true."

"Jack, don't help me." Kit broke the two up before they could start bickering again. "Erika, find someone who's worth your time. Just branch out, look other places besides the football team. You're worth so much more than the rich morons Mom and Dad are going to start pushing towards you." Kit thought back briefly to that time in her own youth when they had started on her.

"You're right."

"I usually am."

"Don't sound so smug Big Sis."

"Thanks, Jack." Kit chuckled as her brother let himself go for a moment and allowed his sarcasm to peek out. The twins laughed on the other end.

"Sorry Sis."

"Don't be, snark sounds good on you. Just don't overdo it."

"Otherwise she'll have to kick your ass." Erika couldn't hold back a light at her own comment.

"I hope you don't talk like that in front of Mom yet. You either Jack."

"We don't," Erika defended.

"Good. Cuz otherwise, she'll kick your asses." Kit gave her own snarky comment. "But seriously Erika, pay more attention. Just because the guy is cute, does not mean there's a brain behind the pretty face. Try talking before dating, deal?"

"Deal." Erika agreed with a sigh.

"Jack."

"Yeah?"

"Anybody?"

"Maybe." The short answer was all Kit knew she would get out of the teen until he was ready to say more. "Okay. If you need me…"

"I know how to call."

"I'll talk to you guys later."

With final goodbyes, Kit hung up, a smile tipping the corners of her lips. Looking down at Kyubi she grinned a bit wider. "You'd like them, I think. Even with their teen hormone driven drama." Facing forward, Kit sat at the edge of the couch cushions. She pulled the box closer and opened the flaps, reaching through the Styrofoam peanuts to pull out a bubble wrapped mass from their depths. With some confusion Kit began unrolling the packing until an all too familiar item fell into her hand. Her lips parted with a shocked exhalation.

Setting the object on the coffee table, Kit stood and practically ran to the terrace. Hands slapping to the railing, Kit's breathing turned heavy and harsh as memories swarmed again in her mind's eye as they had all day.

A gentle touch at her side had Kit looking down. Kyubi's gaze was open but blank, not offering pity or sympathy, just a presence and willingness to listen if needed.

"I need to get out of here. I need to do something, anything." Kit looked back at the Paris skyline.

"Then it's a good thing we have a job to do."

"Hm?" Kit looked back at the demon in confusion.

"Foxes do serve a purpose, we are escorts of the dead. We show souls to the afterlife. I think tonight is the perfect time to touch up Paris. They have been building a bit lately. With centuries of unsupervised souls here, we have quite a job ahead of us."

"I have to escort the dead?" Kit's confusion doubled.

"The souls, yes. No corpses involved." The fox allayed Kit's fears before a mischievous glint shone in her amethyst gaze. "However, your human form couldn't possibly complete the job. Time for an upgrade, I think."
The confusion returned as Kit listened. Kyubi explained the new ability and the added powers that came with it. Finally, Kit felt as if she understood enough to give it a shot.

Merging with the fox and shifting, Kit soon wore the now familiar costume that had become like a second skin.

Pulling the beads from around her waist, Kit flicked them out much like Ladybug's yoyo and swung to the nearest rooftop for a better vantage. With the sky now dark, she would not be noticed as easily and soon found a darkened roof near the Eiffel Tower. Crouching on the balls of her feet, Kit took a deep breath and braced one hand on the surface beneath her.

Looking inward, she pulled at the strands of power within and finally mentally latched onto the newest addition, thicker than the rest. It would stay that way until she mastered it and separated its parts for individual use. All her powers had manifested this way.

The strands started out like thick steel cables. The outer layer was the basic power, like a folder file on a computer. Once she had master the base power the file opened; the cable started to unravel and the subsequent abilities became accessible.

Plucking the new strand, Kit took another breath and let the power ripple out. It flowed over her skin and her muscles bunched and burned as her form changed.

When she opened her eyes every detail of her surroundings came into sharp relief. Smells were sharper, sounds became clearer. Suddenly, she could hear everything. Without focusing on any one thing, Kit stepped from the shadows. Ears swiveled, nose twitched, and she could feel the multiple tails behind her settle into place as if they had always been there.

Bunching her muscles and bracing all four paws under her, Kit jumped from her current perch to the Eiffel Tower. Her fox body responded as if she weren't normally a human woman. Looked like all the time she'd spent fighting demons and akuma had paid off in preparing her for this new form.

The climb to the top of the Tower was a little awkward but hey, a fox body could only do so much. Until Kit's control of the shift improved, she'd have to be careful about using it.

Settling in the top cross section of beams at the tip of the Eiffel Tower, Kit let her tails settle again before closing her eyes and blocking out the noise and bustle of the city.

Opening her eyes to watch the moon, the woman turned fox finally tipped her head up, ears relaxing back, and let out a high eerie not. The howl would confuse anyone who witnessed its origin, but it served its purpose. Kit felt the rush of energy and power ripple across the city. Every lost soul in Paris heard the call and rose.

ODaG

Adrien looked out the window at the unexpected sound and watched as bright orbs of light lifted across Paris and glittered in the night sky.

Marinette joined him at her window and they both stood still, watching the show.

His father was gonna be pissed that he was out so late, but at least their project gave him a fair excuse to be at the Dupain-Cheng house so long.

Marinette looked at Adrien from the corner of her eye and sucked in a breath the expression of peace on his face.

He had come over in the morning and they had used their free day off school to get their partner project at least mostly complete for their history presentation at the end of the week.

She looked back at the light show going on over Paris and heard the same eerie sound ring through the night. That sound had drawn Adrien to the window when Marinette would have disregarded it and kept working.

Now she was glad they had stopped to watch. The sight gave Marinette a sense of peace of her own and she let herself lean into the blond next to her. Adrien started when their shoulders brushed but quickly resumed his previous stance and even leaned back in her direction.

They sat there, comfortable in each other's presence and simply watched as the lights moved through Paris, heading for a familiar destination.

ODaG

Atop the Eiffel Tower, Kit didn't notice the pedestrians below. Those humans looking for the source of the sound that had rang out and been followed by an ethereal sight. She kept up her song and felt the souls of Paris march their way inexorably closer.

The fox felt the power each soul held and knew the purpose of her position as the nine-tailed fox. This power had sat and lain dormant in this chaotic city for far too long and it was time to remove it from play before some asshole demon saw fit to collect the souls and devour them for their power.

The power flux grew and the souls continued to gather. With the next breath, the fox's howl changed. Crescendoing to a higher level the song opened a rift and Kit held the note as the souls rushed the entrance. Every soul but the most stubborn ones entered the afterlife and Kit dropped the note. As the howl cut off the rift closed and the fox finally relaxed fully.

Emotionally spent and ready to face the past again, Kit allowed a deep, sub-vocal growl to emanate out, chasing the lingering souls back into hiding until she could guide them to the afterlife individually.

With the matter of the souls of Paris settled Kit bounded from the top of the Tower and the used the strength of her new form to head for home.

ODaG

A pair of eyes watched from the shadows as their owner tracked the dark shape from the Tower's top until it was lost in the distance. Stepping out of his own shadowy corner, he headed back to his own home, ready to bide his time once more. He would have to wait until they met on more equal footing. Even then, he wasn't sure he would escape the encounter unscathed. That fox was not to be trifled with and he knew he had done just that in the past. She was probably still holding a grudge.

ODaG

As Kit landed on her terrace she let the shift take over and stood, once again on human legs. Finishing the process, Kit released her transformation and as the costume disappeared, Kyubi manifested beside her.

Kit smiled at the demon and then padded on bare feet back inside. Picking up the box and packaging she dumped it by the door to take out tomorrow. Moving back to the living area she looked at the object sitting dead center on the coffee table.

An obsidian nine-tailed fox statuette looked back with amethyst eyes. Kit held its gaze a moment before breathing deep and turning her back. It had been a long night and she refused to let the past get to her tonight. She didn't have the physical or emotional energy. Kit felt Kyubi pause before following her into the bedroom. The two climbed into bed and with a final sigh, Kit closed her eyes, ready to put this nightmare-returned behind her.

Kyubi watched her human partner a while longer before, reassured of her peaceful sleep, the fox shut her own eyes and slipped into her own rest.

AN: So there you go, a lot of dialogue in this chapter sorry. Hope you liked the phone call with Kit's siblings, I loved writing it and it made me smile. Next chapter has even more past driven anger for Kit and that is all the spoilers I am giving.

Song O' the Chapter is Til the Light Goes Out by Lindsey Stirling from her most recent album Artemis. It made me think of the scene with the soul lights dancing all over Paris.

And with that hope you all liked it and I will hopefully have another chapter out soon because I was rereading my chapters and my favorite chapter is coming up.

Bye for now, Shadow