The two walked in silence, Kurama looking about every once in a while.

"Hey...Are we there yet?" Holding up a finger, the girl turned to him. "Shah...It's in that clearing. Now listen well. All of my sisters

are home for imouto-chan's birthday. Do not let any of the older ones charm you." She cocked her head to

one side. "How old are you?"

Kurama blinked. "One thousand, four hundred."

Her eyes widened. "You're that old? You look much younger!"

"Alas... This is my ningen form. Really, I am a youko...Perhaps you have heard of me. I am Kurama."

She grinned widely. "Yes! I have! You stole that amulet four hundered years ago! I remeber because that

same day I tore my favorite dress.

"Perhaps you have heard of me. My name is Kuuyami, of the Eight Cat Sisters."

"Kuuyami...I'm afraid I haven't."

She looked put out when Kurama realized something. "You said eight sisters? But you said seven sisters

worked otherwise, then there is you...But what about the younger sister?"

She sighed. "Kuni, the youngest, cares after Mother. She is young, innocent, beautiful, and naive. She has

never stepped out of the forest, except to get food. She wards away demons, but she does that by scaring them with her immense rei. She has much intense ability that has not been tapped. But she does not know.

"Now, can we go?" She grabbed Kurama's shoulder and yanked him along with her.

Kurama stared at the house. It was large and made completely of logs. Out in front of the house was a girl

that looked identical to Kuuyami, but she was smoking and had no cloak. She looked over at the

approachers.

"Oh, wow. The Black Rat shows up." Her voice was deep and gravelly, due to the smoke probably.

Kuuyami sighed. "Hello, Shinta. How have you been?"

But Shinta was not paying attention. She was eyeing Kurama up and down, purring.

"Mm...Got yourself a ripe one there... Kind of young... Hey, honey. When you get tired of her, my room

will probably be right down the hall." She winked.

The yoko looked back indifferently. "I'll remember that, in case I decide to send blood thirsty ninjas."

Shinta blanched and walked off, muttering curses. Kuuyami gave an approving nod and signaled for

Kurama to follow her to the house.

"Mama-san! I am home! I have brought a visitor!"

An elderely cat woman appeared from behind the corner as Kuuyami put her coat on the rack. "Oh!

Dearest, you are home! And such a dashing young man. Is he yours, or maybe a gift for Kuni?" Both

women giggled. Kurama raised an eyebrow.

Kuuyami grinned. "Like I said earlier, my smallest sister is niave. She has never kissed a man, nor even

been courted."

He cocked his head to the side. "But if she is young and beautiful, why has she had no suitors?"

The mother answered, "She wishes instead to stay and take care of me. She is always doing things, always

busy. In fact, I think she is in back now, chopping wood."

The eldest cat sister smiled again. "I shall go see her. Come meet her Kurama!"

Going around the back of the house, Kurama heard the steady thunking of blocks being chopped in half.

The sight that greeted him was rather confusing. Seven female cat demons were in the back working. The

yard was a rainbow of colors and clothes. One was chopping wood, one was picking flowers, one was

sweeping the doorway, another pulling sticks off trees, and the rest doing assorted things. Kuuyami brought

him towards the one sweeping the doorway.

The older cat girl coughed. "Kuni...?"

The slighter girl turned around from her work. Kurama was struck by her presence. She had an enormous

amount of rei emmitting, but it was warm, like summer waves. Her large, grey eyes drunk in the sight of

the two. Light black hair was pulled to the back, with the exception of a few rouge strands which were too

short. Cat ears twitched with eddies of air. Her skin was the color of rice paper, and her hands were small

and delicate looking. She wore a long skirt, with long sleeved black shirt and an apron over her clothing.

Her smile took her whole face.

"Sister! You have returned!" Dropping the broom, she threw her arms around her eldest sister. She was

laughing gleefully, dispite the fact that her sister was covered with dirt. "I have missed you so!"

She backed up and looked at the young man. She realized she was staring straight at him, and lowered her eyes.

"I-Idon't believe I have ever met you..." Her voice was quite and meek. Kurama took a pity on her. She

must have been raised to not stare at men straight in the face, and to speak low and delicate.

"Hello, Kuni." He kept his voice loud and cheerful. She kept her head down.

He tried again. "Happy Birthday! You must be excited."

She nodded and looked up. "Thank you, sir."

Kurama shook his head. "No, please call me Kurama." He bent down slightly. "And you are, let me see,

nine hundered today?"

She sighed. "Yes. I am getting old."

Kurama laughed. "No! Not at all! I am one thousand and four hundered years old! That is old!"

She looked at him happily and smiled. It made something in the pit of Kurama's stomach twitch. It was

familiar. It must have been because she looked like Kuuyami.

Inside, Kuni was opening her gifts. Shinta had given her a necklace ("That took me three weeks to earn

enough money for that!"), a sister named Mei gave her a new dress made out of silk ("You look good in

red!"), and another sister had given her a new jacket made from fur ("One hundered percent deer!").

Finally, she came to Kuuyami's gift. She looked at the odd wrapping, then preceeded to rip it off. She

gasped at the jewel.

"Ooh! It is so beautiful...I love it!" She looked at her sister and smiled.

Kuuyami grinned. "From Kurama and I."

Kuni looked at the jewel, then at Kurama, and put it down. "Thank you."

Later, With three of the sister singing and playing instruments, the sisters danced. Kuuyami danced fluidly,

but Kuni seemed to be born on wind. She wore the dress Mei had gotten her, and fluttered about the room.

Partialy against his will, Kurama was passed around the room. He danced awkardly with Kuuyami, and

extremely akwardly with the others. At the end of the song, he found himself ready to dance with the

birthday girl. The music was ready to start up, and she looked at him shyly. But when it began, she gasped

with happiness, and grabbed his hands. Dancing, twirling around the room, he laughed when she tripped

over Shinta and landed on a chair. But, resiliantly, she stood, giggled, and contiuned to dance. At one point,

she cleared an area. She seemed to meld with the music as she twirled, parrouted, and jumped. He realized

she would probably make a good fighter, seeing as how she was nimble. She began teaching her sisters

some things she was doing, and a routine for part of the song. Soon, all cats on the floor were dancing in

unison.

Kuuyami was laughing as she picked her sister up and twirled her. Kurama realized that the smaller girl

was the same height as her sister and was more filled in, but held a different beauty.

Her sisters on stage then brought Kuni up. "Sing for us!" Kuni blushed, then told her sisters what to play.

She began singing in a ringing, beautiful voice about a deep forest. At the end, when the words tampered

off to, "Perhaps my heart will be heard," the music was cued to let her sing accapella. She sang, and she

stared at Kurama for the last line. Except the eyes weren't hers. They were grey, yes, and intense, but

narrowed, like she expected him to catch a meaning. Her sisters clapped as they finished, then all began to

wander off to bed.

The mother cat walked to where Kuuyami, Kurama, and the youngest sister were standing. "Wonderful

job, my dear. Now run off to bed. OH! Wait!" She turned to Kurama. "Do you need somewhere to stay,

young man?"

Kurama began to decline, but then decided that it was rather cold outside. Plus, he had taken a liking to

this family. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't mind, if you don't."

"Not at all. Will you be sleeping with Kuuyami?"

Kuuyami gave a small 'eep' sound, along with Kuni. Kurama laughed.

"No, ma'am. I will sleep wherever you put me."

Late that night, Kurama lay on the downstairs couch, near the fire. He pondered the day. It had begun so

simply, and now it ended with him sleeping in a house filled with beautiful women.

He shuddered, realizing how cold he was without a shirt on. He snuggled under his one blanket.

A creaking sound came from the stairway. Kurama sighed, realizing it was probably Shinta.

"Shinta, please let me sleep." When no reply came, a propped himself up on his elbow.

At the foot of the stairs was Kuni, her skin glowing in the moonlight. She had her hair down and held

something in her arms. She walked quietly towards the couch.

"K-Kurama?" She looked down.

"What is it, Kuni?" Her timidness made him curious.

"I thought you might get cold, with only one blanket. So I brought you another one."

The yoko smiled in the dark. "Why, thank you Kuni."

She didn't answer as she unfolded it and placed it over Kurama. As she began to walk off, Kurama grabbed

her wrist.

"Kuni? Is something the matter?"

She turned, and Kurama was struck by just how long, thick, and dark her eyelashes were.

"I'm a little tired...But, I do have a question."

"What would that be?"

She hesitated. "Are you and my sister...well..."

He laughed lightly and signaled for her to come closer. She obligied.

"Well," he whispered conspiratously. "I just met her today. I helped her get your birthday present."

Kuni took a step back and kneeled down. "Really?"

Kurama nodded. He smiled again. "Thank you for the blanket."

The cat girl looked down, and then at the fire, where his shirt sat in a heap. " I'm glad you did come. None

of my sisters can dance with me quite like you did."

"Well, you dance very-"

"You are a fighter, aren't you?"

The yoko was taken aback. " Ah..Yes, I fight."

"And you can't be a simple human, because I would have smelled that. They smell yucky." She turned her

whole body to face him and scooted closer, to the edge of the couch. "What are you?"

He carefully replied, " I am a fox..."

" A youko?"

He nodded. She giggled. " I've never met one before you! I like foxes!" She realized what she said and

covered her mouth with her hand. Kurama moved her hand and held it away from her.

"Do not be afraid of what to say."

She looked away. "I am usually hit by men that visit the girls when they come. They don't like me talking."

The yoko squeezed her hand. "Don't be afraid to tell me anything."

She looked at him with wonder, than smiled. Kurama, overwhelmed with an odd feeling in his throat, like

he had just made an oath to the gods, wrapped an arm around her and hugged her.

"You are a very special girl, Kuni. I can tell. You are talented, graceful, humble, obediant, beautiful, kind,

and pure. You are like a snowflake, untainted. No... You are like a bolt of lightening. Pure energy, radient

and beautiful, swift and straightforeward."

Kurama then realized that she had fallen asleep, her head on his chest. Her skin was cold, but her breathing

even. He smiled and wrapped her in a blanket, then stood up. He picked her up and placed her on the

couch. She whimpered and shivered, her claws retracting back and forth. Kurama put the blanket around

himself, then leaned on the couch, sitting up. He attempted to sleep, but finally realized that Kuni's

prescence kept him up. He took another look at her, her face lax and lips parted. He reached out and moved

a piece of hair from her face. With this done, he smiled and lay his head back on the couch