Sorry this has taken so long to get posted. I was hoping a certain someone would have posted a new chapter as well, though that doesn't seem to have worked. —sigh— I'm too wishy-washy, I can't hold up that threat. Ah, well. The other reason is that my server is being an ass and taking at least an hour to get as far as the little blue tool-bar on homepage. And since AOL (the prick) isn't letting me sign on, once again I am reduced to using library computers for my fanfiction needs. At least I still get my mail.
Darkspirals: 1) Believable, hell, it's hard enough getting the porcupine head to cooperate without dicing me into itty-bitty pieces. 2) Nah, not really a good idea. 3) Sore wa himitsu desu! (That's a secret!)
Shadowkitsuneonna: Okay, not that soon, but here's another chapter for you to love! I hope you do!
Magus784: No, no, what you said yes to is still a long way coming. (Past-chapter-10-long-way-coming.) I thought those were mildly evil, yes, or at the very least not nice, and as for who's real? They both are. Or did you miss the part about the statuette being under her bed and the dream? Maybe I should tweak that chappie and clarify, if I can figure out how to without losing cohesion…—trails off, mumbling various ways one could tweak previous chapter—
Kitsune Kit: —Niana facefaults, Aislin glares but doesn't give chase, and Obsidian turns bright, bright red—
Silverwing013: Yes, it took a bit longer than I expected to get to that point. Did you know Zephyr started out having a much quieter, much shyer personality? But you see what happens when I give my characters free rein to shape themselves. —Aislin whaps Niana upside the head— OW! What was that for?'?
Aislin: Just because. n.n
Asilin Kheldarson: —Obsidian hides behind Aislin— Obsidian: Help! Too many girls interested in THAT!
Shiku: I so envy you, you lucky…—notices Aislin just daring him to say whatever it is—…little renard.
Niana: which mystery? The dreams, the statuette, or the whole Ivory-disappearing-into-thin-air thing?
KuramaIsFine: Glad you're back, but I can see how well your plan worked out. n,.,n Joke, joke. Seriously, welcome back!
—————————————————————————————
By afternoon, however, Hiei is the one wide awake and Obsidian is the one drowsing; this time, though, he's stretched out on the back porch, soaking up the sunlight while he watches Yukina garden. The pretty green gem that Hiei had given him is loosely trapped between two fingers after having provided over an hour of total fascination.
In his short life beyond prison, Obsidian had only seen his teacher make these tear-stones, these hiruiseki, once or twice, the ice-fox the only one of Koorime descent he had known before Hiei. He finds himself mildly surprised that another is capable of making valuable shinies out of saltwater. Though the kit knows that that is a foolish, romanticized assumption unworthy of the Winter Rose's pupil.
It must be this damned fatigue that's making his mind wander so, the young fox muses to himself silently as he reaches 'inward' to that well of 'himself', finding the pool dangerously low and murky. Ah, well. He need must only wait a few more days until Summer Solstice and then he can replenish all of his energies fully. Question is, does he have the patience to wait that long?
A snort that causes Yukina to glance over at him in curiosity, finding him apparently asleep on the warm, polished wood, turning back with a smile to her plants. He's waited almost a century to make a thorough escape; what's a few more days?
Ahhh, sighs Obsidian internally, stretching like any contented housecat would as he luxuriates in the feeling of green growing things singing their cycle-melodies into his metaphysical ears. It's a harmony that he's long gone without, and he finds himself suddenly possessed with the need to actually be among the songs instead of just listening to them.
That's an easy enough matter that doesn't require much work. He simply gets to his feet, tucking his prized shiny back into that little pocket-space behind his ear, and ambles over to a particularly thick part of the grass that looks like it's being allowed to revert to wildness for a while. Perfect.
Hiei snickers in his tree as the youngling practically burrows into the greenery, the loosely-clad arms stretching up with the graceful fingers digging happily into the soil. Absolute, lazy, laid-back contentment radiates from the barely visible body sprawled in kitsune style, hidden almost entirely by the long grasses.
/You look like a fox-skin rug, chibi-kitsune./ A negligible tail-flick is the only response since all of Obsidian's attention is taken up by the melodies pouring into his head by the equally-happy plants reaching up for the loving, life-giving light being showed upon them. Picking one that's relatively simple being sung by the violets bordering the mixed garden, he tries singing along in a warm tenor.
"Life, life, growing green and strong. Healthy, happy, cared for. Stretch-stretch up, dance with wind, embrace sun. Life, life, life. Stretch down roots, dig them deep. Drink the water, eat the light. Life, life, life. Open leaves, open flowers, friends the bees and birds sing too. Growing, growing, reach out give joy. Life, life, love. Life, life, love."
Even the Dark Forest seems to fall silent as the young voice sings as carefree as the plants do, feuds between all the lesser youkai and ghosts living among the trees momentarily forgotten in the spell of that simple, joyous melody.
"Life, life, we sing for you. Happy, happy, feel the sun and rain. Touch the wind and sing it sweetly. Sap is running, life is flowing. Life, life, life. Season giving, season passing, we grow strong and swiftly. There are birds, they fly together. Bees are buzzing, life is making. Life, life, life. Colors subtle, cousins flashy, scents are singing you to us. Life, life, life. Life, life, life. Life, life, love."
"Life, life, love," intones a second voice, this one a sweet alto. A raven head pops out of the grass at the sound, golden eyes eager as the white-clad woman approaches with a brilliant smile lighting those beloved turquoise eyes.
"Shishou!"
"Sensei," Aislin corrects gently as she crouches by her student, that smile never fading. "The plants here like you, winsome kit. They're singing louder for you."
"I like it here," he replies with enormous content. "Genkai is like Gambit back at the Lair. Cranky, but they'll both defend their people even if it kills them." Aislin's smile grows a little wider at the thought of the fox-wolf youkai who probably tops even her own millennia by a handful of centuries, still living at the Lair last time she checked (a few months ago on a vacation) training what fighting skills he could into the newbies. Gristled, scarred, indeed cantankerous, he'd earned his name from the numerous risks he'd take to get any of his team out in one piece when raids would go sour—and the fact that he would survive them with little more than a new scar to scare the newbies with. To have him be compared with Genkai is a mildly unflattering, but childishly accurate effort.
"I'm not certain if I should take that as an insult or a compliment," comes an amused raven-harsh comment as said elderly psychic emerges from within the temple. "Who is 'Gambit'?"
Obsidian just continues to smile brightly and draw the life-songs around him like a security blanket as Aislin turns her own charismatic smile up at her friend. "Gambit is a fox-wolf back at the Lair. He's our Weaponsmaster and a teacher to anyone to comes into the gang. He's got a personality like yours and he takes just as much pleasure as you do whacking sense into his students. The only difference is that somehow he gets them to love him for it within the first few days instead of a few months." That smile takes on a thoughtful edge. "Maybe it's because he's such a good lodestone for hero-worship. He's older than me and he treats everyone like family, tells the newbies about his battle-scars and how he got them, jokes, gambles, welcomes questions, and will do absolutely anything to keep whatever raiding team he's in in one piece."
"Like you, only you're a lot more lemony about it," Obsidian pipes, not wilting under the weight of the measuring look Genkai favors him with. "There's lots of anger drifting around, but it's not hate-anger, it's exas…what's the word?"
"'Exasperated'," Hiei supplies from his tree-perch. Aislin's smile turns into a grin flashed up at him along with a wordless wash of affection.
"Thank you! Exasperated-anger. Like whoever's making it wants to go bang their head on a wall."
"Genkai-san often has that effect on Yusuke-san," Yukina giggles, amused at the description. It seems to strange to her that this youngling would be wanted by Reikai—he's far too sweet and too young, really, to have deserved such a long sentence in a prison.
Genkai's wrinkled mouth twists upwards into a wry smile. "The dimwit brings out the worst in me. How does he expect to get anywhere if he keeps using the method of 'punch now, don't bother asking questions later'?"
"This is Yusuke we're talking about, Genkai," Aislin puts in merrily. "I highly doubt 'later' is a concept he bothers with."
After snorting at the apt opinion, Hiei speaks up again. "How's Kurama, snowflake?"
That amusement disappears. "He's doing better than he was at two this morning. It took me until dawn to soothe Yoko back under his human mask as well as clear away that headache-inducing maelstrom he had his emotions tangled in."
"Yoko-sama reacted badly, didn't he?" Obsidian asks meekly from his grass-patch. Aislin ruffles his hair with an absent-minded nod.
"Yes, but it was to be expected under such circumstances. I came over from school to check up on you now that Hiei's filled me in on what I've missed," she tweaks one ink-black silky ear gently, "like your blood poisoning. I'm sorry, Obsidian. If I'd known you'd have such a violent reaction even with the medication I'd have healed you myself and consequences be damned."
"You're only mortal, Aislin-sama," consoles Obsidian. "We all make mistakes. So Yoko-sama is feeling better now?"
"Yes, I left him sleeping at his human mother's home. Shiori may not know about youkai or Reikai or any of that, but she knows Kurama is in no state to be irritated by anything right now. I tried getting him to come here for a nap, at least, but you know Yoko. Stubborn as hell when he wants to be." A bothered shrug from the ice-fox. "Oh, well. Hopefully he won't rip up his bed-sheets while I'm gone. How are you faring now, winsome kit?"
"Good. I can't wait for the Solstice, though."
Another affectionate hair-ruffle. "I'll bet. That'll really get you recharged, real quick."
"Why is that, Aislin-san?" Yukina asks, up to her elbows in mint.
Surprisingly, it's Genkai who answers, her tone gentle for the koorime maiden. "Because he's a fox, and all foxes are especially attuned to shifts of natural balance whether their primary abilities lie with plants or not. Youko especially so, since all of them are plant-manipulators. And since the Summer Solstice is the major shift for life-energy, these two and the red-head are going to be bouncing off the walls day after tomorrow."
"I'll try to restrain myself," Aislin retorts dryly. "However, you won't have to deal with a hyper Obsidian; with as low as my winsome kit's reserves and usable energies are, it'll take that much of a nature-based boost to kickstart his energy centers."
At Yukina's horrified look Obsidian hastens to reassure her. "It's not that bad, really, Yukina-san. It's just that with the draining-seals on my restraints continually sucking away my youki, my body got used to surviving on the bare minimum and let all my reserve-spaces dry up. They'd come back naturally, but with the Summer Solstice it'll be like I was never jailed."
"You said they hardly fed you on top of that, foxling." No need to guess where that thrilled comment came from.
Aislin rolls her eyes. "They likely wouldn't have let him miss a single meal, but I doubt the cooks have any proper idea of how much a growing child—and a renard on top of it—can eat at one sitting. Has he been getting properly stuffed while I've been away?"
"You can help with the dishes he makes if you're so concerned about how we're taking care of him, Aislin," Genkai offers slyly with an edge of annoyance to her raven-harsh voice. "I know how much youngsters eat, Winter Rose. It stands to reason a youkai youngster would need to eat more."
Gurgle. "Um…speaking of which…" Aislin's silvery laugh echoes over the garden as she pulls a hungry Obsidian to his feet.
"Come on, then, I'll bet you're craving something good and hot, right?" At his eager nod the mixed-blood laughs again and gently steers him towards the Dark Forest. "Don't save dinner for us, Genkai, Yukina-chan. We're going to indulge our carnivorous side today. Hiei, do you feel like coming with us?"
"I grew tired of eating things bloody and raw a long time ago," is the almost prim reply from the tree. "Go stuff yourself."
"Ah, well, if you change your mind there's plenty of prey to be had." And the two kitsune disappear into the forest just beyond the Moon Gate. Yukina peers anxiously after them until she wins a warm chuckle from the resting fire apparition.
"Don't worry about either of them, Yukina-san. Worry more for the poor sod who's not going to see sunset."
——
Hiei's advice is sound, but doesn't filter through the thick undergrowth to the ones who really need it. Silent as shadows, two sleek foxes the size of German Shepherds drift through the tangled black-berry thickets and the strangle-vines embracing the remains of their unwary or too-slow victims. They easily pass among the thirsty Blood-Thorns, skirt the single patch of demonsbane that is all Genkai allows in this place—it's warded to the seven hells and heavens to keep browsers out so that the hunters won't have to worry about that—and finally take cover beneath a particularly thorny wild rose.
Beside the round-eared Arctic fox, the dappled black kit stretches happily one leg at a time, getting himself used to the feel of his most natural form. This is the body that takes no energy or effort to maintain—the only problem had been that the switch is a lot more 'visible' to aware eyes and would have been like holding up a sign shouting 'Here I Am!'. Which he will certainly not be doing, thanks ever so.
Of course, even a natural form will feel stiff when you haven't been in it for a few decades. An indulgent lick to the side of his head makes the kit pay attention to the area around him. The two had already passed by the bat-youkai what's-his-name, an E-class that both had agreed wasn't worth their time. But now…
Stepping gracefully into the clearing in front of the hidden hunters is a real deer. Not a youkai, just one of the herds usually off-limits except during certain times of the year. The bucks and the does past bearing age are fair game during those periods, one of which began yesterday. Thankfully, only a few real youkai have actually made the Dark Forest their home, so the deer population doesn't really take that much of a drop when the bans are lifted.
Impatient, Obsidian wriggles his hips and receives an admonishing swat via paw to his head as an order for stillness. He subsides as turquoise eyes calculate distance, age of the doe, possible speeds, and all the other little details that are needed to make this a successful kill.
The doe hasn't noticed them yet—nor should she, since she is upwind of the kitsune and they are hidden quite well beneath the trailing branches of the rose bush—as the she picks her way into the middle of the sun-dappled clearing. Obsidian bunches himself as his mentor does and they leap from behind the thorny runners, slamming into the doe to ride her down to the ground.
The kit grabs onto a hind leg while Aislin takes the throat, crossing the powerful limb with the other and snugging both tight to the heaving torso, keeping the sharp hooves from flailing into either hunter. Within just a few minutes the last breath is taken, the large body falling still under the jaws of the kitsune.
Despite the fact that no more fresh blood is pumping into her mouth, Aislin releases her hold but gingerly, making certain that the deer isn't going to spring up and bolt unexpectedly. Her pupil has already released the limp hind leg and sits by the doe's hindquarters, eyes as impatient as his lashing tail, but he remembers the manners Aislin has taught him about 'breaking into' a kill before permission is given.
(("Now?")) he begs in Kitsune, voice deeper and pitched strangely due to the differences in a fox's vocal cords and a humanoid's.
(("Yes, now. Eat before your stomach scares off the rest of the game,")) Aislin laughs, watching as Obsidian instantly sets to. She makes one last check for intruders or scavengers before she, too, starts eating.
They're halfway through their meal when Aislin raises a blood-stained muzzle into the air, scenting the breeze blowing around them as her hackles rise. Obsidian yips when his own scent changes as well as his fur, turning sharper to match his sudden rusty hue. Aislin times things well, for no sooner has the illusion settled than a pack of five wolves separate themselves from the tree-shadows.
The alpha is a male with charcoal-brindle fur and butter yellow eyes, the tell-tale sign of a descendant of lightning. The young renard knows what's important and continues eating while Aislin growls a declaration of their kill to the wolf youkai that shouldn't even be here.
(("Back off, moon-chasers. This is ours, and we don't feel like sharing."))
The alpha steps forward, a faint aura of electricity lacing faint yellow bolts across his fur. His body-language is amused as he replies in Canid, the precursor of the canine and vulpine languages//"Neither do we. So get lost, snow-walker."/
Obsidian nearly chokes on a piece of venison at the unoriginal slur. If this guy thinks that he can beat his master, the wolf has another thing coming. The alpha-bitch swaggers forward a few steps, her ears flat, teeth bared as she glares at the black fox. /"Something funny, little one-tail?"/
The young renard swallows his bite before he grins at the female, muzzle dripping blood. /"You moon-chasers would have better luck tryin' to lick a dragon than whupping my sensei! She's the strongest around!"/ Then he reburies his teeth into the tender belly-meat of the doe.
/"That ain't sayin' much, cub,"/ another wolf growls insultingly. /"Just a bunch of weak dregs 'round here."/
/"Genkai would hardly allow much stronger creatures to dwell so close to her temple,"/ Aislin tells them dryly while licking crimson stains from her chops. /"Nor would I, for that matter. Now get lost before I send you back to Makai with your bobbed tails between your legs."/
/"But we're hungry!"/ cries the omega, a little tan-coat female with amber eyes.
/Then go kill your own. There's no ban on venison today, pick an old doe or any buck and eat it, I don't care. But you will not deprive my blood-starved kit his first raw meat in years."/
/"Some teacher, snow-walker."/
/"Leave her alone!"/ Obsidian barks. /"It's not her fault the toddler caught me! His stupid cooks don't know what to feed a kit, either."/
Mild interest shines in the wolves' eyes at the mention of the toddler. The alpha sits, a signal that he's no longer interested in the deer just a yard or two beyond him. The other wolves relax, lying down in the lush grasses that somehow grow here despite the relative lack of sunlight. /"How'd you get loose, kit?"/
/"Sensei got me out."/ Not entirely a lie. Aislin had told him exactly what to do if he'd ever gotten caught, and he'd followed each instruction carefully. An approving sideways glance from the oversized white fox in front of him for his quick thinking.
Appraising yellow eyes study the unruffled vixen now cleaning blood from a front paw. /"And just who are you, vixen?"/ Another good sign for the wolves; they'd dropped the slur for any species hailing from the frozen lands of Makai.
/"I was once known as the Winter Rose."/ No need for her to give a clan name or location; there's only been one Winter's Rose of any renown, and that is her. And indeed, her old thief-name has the expected reaction. New respect glowing within those butter-yellow eyes, the alpha male rises long enough to give her an elegant wolf-court bow before sitting again.
/"I sit rightly rebuked, Queen of Thieves,"/ he tells her calmly with one ear tilting to one side. /"But rumor held that you were as dead as your mate."/
A luxurious stretch, the motion for great amusement. /"Much to many's disappointment, I'm sure, but reports of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated."/
/"Ah,"/ the male sighs//"'Yoko has returned,' they cry."/ Unwittingly, the wolf has repeated word-for-word what Kurama had said when he first shifted back to his true kitsune form during his first Dark Tournament. The shift hadn't been voluntary, but it had saved him from becoming sashemi on the concrete floor. /"That makes welcome hearing."/
/"Indeed. Now, your name and clan, stranger, since this is my territory you're walking on."/
A proud lift of the handsome, shaggy head as he looks around at his people arranged as neatly as any formal court around him. /"I am Suishō Inazuma, and we are all that remains of the once-great clan of Crescent-Blade. My life-mate, Nadeshiko Kazeuta/ the alpha-bitch, a pale gray-brindle, nods gracefully//and my children Takumi, Takara, and Suzume."/ In turn, the beta who'd snorted at the forest denizen (glossy brown), the still-silent male (medium gray-brindle), and the omega bow. A fatherly smile towards his youngsters as they keep to their places around him. /"My cubs are not yet quite old enough to pick their own use-names, but I haven't heard too many complaints about what I've named them."/
/"What we named them,"/ Nadeshiko corrects genially. What no one else seems to have noticed is that Obsidian has stopped filling his stomach and is staring at pretty little Suzume with wondering eyes. She lets her ears droop, tucking her head close to her chest in a gesture that would be replaced by a blush if she were in human form.
Takara notices his sister's embarrassment, following her gaze to the handsome young renard just staring at her like he'd been whacked on the head a few times. With a canine grin he looks over at Takumi, twitching his ears to get his older brother's attention. When the eldest's honey-amber eyes flick over, Takara tilts his head towards his sister, then the fox.
Takumi looks, an equally-impish grin folding his upper lip up. But when Suishō looks over, the wolf-cubs are all looking studiously at the ground or the tree-branches and the fox is studying the hole he's made in the deer. A bemused ear-flick before he returns to his conversation with Aislin.
Instantly the four youngsters are grinning at each other, Obsidian tilting an ear off to the side. Slip off?
The three wolves glance at each other. Trust a fox? But Suzume gives the slightest nod and the four youths somehow manage to escape their figurative leashes, trotting a good ways away before sitting in a much more casual circle than before.
/"Hey, renard, like what you see?"/ Middle-triplet Takara queries cheerfully at Obsidian, teeth bared in a friendly grin.
/"Um…"/ Now it's Obsidian's turn to blush, with Suzume following his example. /"Well…"/
/"Ah, ignore the match-maker over there,"/ laughs Takumi, thumping his tail on the ground. /"Our sister's pretty, you're male. No surprise, yeah?"/
/"Takumi!"/ Suzume gasps, ears flattening in shock. /"Mind your manners!"/
/"Why? We're landless and the last of our clan. My manners among peers vanished with our cousins."/ Takumi rolls a shoulder in a lop-sided shrug before looking back over at the renard gazing once more at his sister. /"So, renard, what's your name?"/
/"I'm using the name Haru right now. My real name's not good to banter around, you see. Toddler's hounds are still on my trail."/
/"Crossing water didn't work?"/ Takara asks, using the slang for traveling to different worlds.
/"Nah, and I won't have the energy to hop to the shaded bank 'til Long-Day."/ Makai, Summer Solstice. /"You?"/
/"Father wanted to find us some safer territory here in Ningenkai since some ancestral enemies have been hunting us, but if people like your sensei are around, we're safer off with them."/
Obsidian scratches at one ear, body-language reassuring. /"Nah, sensei's not that bad. She's really a great person once you get past that ice-shell of hers. Me'n my sister have learned a lot from her."/ He grins over at a 'blushing' Suzume when a faint growl comes from her stomach, his ears flopping in different directions. /"Huh, I guess you guys really are hungry, huh? C'mon, while our folks are talking I c'n show you another deer-trail. If we're lucky, maybe we can get another deer and they can have that one."/
The others rise willingly as Obsidian bounds off to lead the way, some of his energy restored with the life-strength of the deer spreading from his belly outward. Takumi takes second-point, his head cocked to one side as they lope through the brush. /"Why help us, Haru?"/
A rolling shrug. /"Cause I know what it feels like to be hungry. I wasn't kidding when I said the cooks for the prison were incompetent."/ He stumbles a bit as the illusion of his red fur shatters into platinum dust that vanishes before it hits the ground, ears going flat. /"Damn. I went too far. Hopefully sensei won't come chasing after me for a while yet 'cause I left without permission. I've been scolded enough this week."/
Behind him, the siblings exchange looks. They hadn't heard of the Ice Fox taking a red-fur, but everyone worth their ruffs has heard of her black-furred student who had mysteriously disappeared last century. So he'd been taken by Koenma? He's got all the luck of his race, then, whether the Ice Fox had helped him or not. The Reikai Prison is the nightmare of every thief, con artist, and monger of Makai, even if one discounts the rumors and half the stories.
But those issues wash from their minds as the hunger takes over, speeding their feet as they follow the blur of shadow before them.
—
/"Our youngsters appear to have run off on their own."/
/"So they have, Ice Fox. Shall we worry about them yet?"/
/"Heh, no. Worry more for the poor sod who won't be seeing sunset. Since I have no more need to feed my bloodlust and there's still plenty of venison, it would please me if you would partake of that most excellent meat sitting over there."/
/"And it would please us to accept your most gracious invitation."/
—
From around the carcass of the unlucky stag, the young wolves keep sending glances towards the curled up ball of shadow against a tree, the furred sides rising and falling in easy rhythm. (("You know, for a student of the Ice Fox he sure tires out quick, Takumi."))
(("Don't be dense, Takara. Didn't you hear? He's been in Reikai Prison for the last century. They stick these seal-shackles on you that suck out most of your strength so you won't escape. If he's been in there for ten decades, then his reserves and stamina would've shrunk from disuse.")) Chomp. Gulp. (("'Sides, this is the second deer he helped bring down. They're stubborn with just four, pains in the ass when it's two. Let him nap."))
(("I think he's really brave,")) Suzume whispers with her nose close to her bite-marks. (("He got out and came here, where there's that Spirit Detective."))
(("Mh.")) Takumi nods while he chews off a piece of shoulder. (("I hope our parents and the Ice Fox let us stay here. I like Haru. He's a good guy for a fox."))
They all look up when a strong energy abruptly stops above them, to find a certain pair of crimson eyes gazing back. "Well, well, a trio of ookami youkai in my forest." A flick to the 'lump'. "What did you do to the cub?"
Surprisingly, it's Suzume who speaks up. "We wore him out, I'm afraid. But he got his fair share. Our folks are back that way," a gesture with a paw, "talking with the Ice Rose."
"Ice Rose? Oh, the snowflake." Some of the anger in those eyes drains away, the owner dropping into a feather-light crouch right next to the sleeping Obsidian. "If she's cleared you, I won't take your hides." They are dismissed from his attention. Hiei turns to the sleeping fox and nudges him with a booted foot. "Hey. Baka chibi-kitsune. Wake up. You've got a visitor back at the temple. Hey."
"Mzzrph?" That sleek black head is lifted, the golden eyes blinking sleepily at the sight of the put-out fire apparition standing over him. "'Lo, 'yey."
"Zombie. You're as bad as Kohaku."
"Uh? Oh. 'ood 'oon 'kami."
"Yes, the Blood Moon ookami. Get up and come on, I hate playing messenger-boy." But Obsidian has already fallen back into the arms of sleep. The two male wolves are snickering at the young fox while Suzume just rolls her eyes and huffs.
"No, sir, you wake up boys like this." Walking over, she whispers into the silken ear, "Look, Haru, there's a naked fox-girl over there with lots of food to share with you."
"Food? Where?" The brothers burst into peals of laughter, rolling onto their backs in their human forms, arms wrapped around their ribs, as a fully-alert Obsidian looks around for the promised edibles. "Food?"
"Baka kitsune."
"Oh, hello, Jaganshi-san. Why are you here?"
"Hn. If I didn't come 'fetch' you I'd have to deal with that fuda-wielding friend of yours in a snit. Get your ass back to the temple."
"Oh. Okay. You three want to come? If you're going to live in the Forest then you might as well meet Genkai." The three wolves look at each other and shrug; if their parents are still in a discussion with the Ice Rose, then what's the harm? It would save time, too, time which they could use to stake out the forest as theirs. They turn to Obsidian and nod, the fox rising smoothly to his feet and once again leading the way while Hiei vanishes, presumably ahead of them to find a good place to watch the 'fireworks'.
But even Obsidian is in for a surprise, warned only by the briefest touch of dismay against his mental shields that had been crafted for him by Aislin to switch along with the wolves into his human form. And a good thing, too, for standing easily with Zephyr in the temple courtyard is Yusuke and Kuwabara, both looking curious as to why this girl would be here.
"Yo, Haru. Who're these three?"
"Haru!" Pounce! The tired fox's face turns red as he tries to disentangle himself from the relieved girl, a grin lighting his face when he spies the case for his laptop lying where Zephyr had been standing. "Where have you been?"
"Showing the new neighbors around the forest," is the meek reply while the trio of wolves laugh at his discomfiture. "Hey, leggo, Zephyr, I gotta breathe!"
"Oh, sorry." Yusuke and Kuwabara snicker at Obsidian, but straighten their expressions when Zephyr turns to glare at them. "Something funny, boys?"
"Nothing!" they both squeak, "Nothing at all!"
"That's what I thought." It's her turn to blink when Obsidian catches her by the wrist and begins to tug her towards the temple. "Eh?"
"Come with us, Zephyr, I need to introduce these three to Genkai-sempai." The black fox snags his laptop and jerks his head in a clear signal for the triplets to follow after him then walks into the temple's main hallway. The wolves are quiet as they look around them in awe of the scale of the ancient building—not to mention that it belongs to the greatest living psychic of the current time.
"This place is huge," Takumi breathes as they pass through one of the training rooms, looking up, and up, and up to the ceiling. "All this space for one human?"
"Well, one human, a koorime maiden, and a one-tailed fox." A half-grin. "Oh, and a sometimes really off-kilter fire apparition. Hiei's really a great person, but he relies on his masks too much."
"Don't let Hiei hear you say that," a gruff voice warns him from a side room. Obsidian backtracks then enters, pulling Zephyr behind him. The wolves trail behind like ducklings to cluster around him as they stare at the old woman sitting at a low table. "You know he likes his image."
"Heh, good point, Genkai-san. These three are Takumi, Takara, and Suzume of the Cresent-Blade clan. They've come here looking for sanctuary with their parents."
"And the girl is Zephyr, if I recall correctly."
"Hai. Hello again, ma'am."
A faint smirk as the worn brown eyes assess the new arrivals, taking in the slightly-tattered clothing and clean faces. There's dirt on their hands and faint smears of blood around their mouths and necks from killing the deer, but it looks more like they were the ones under attack. "Rather ragged lot, if you'll excuse the phrase, boy—" Obsidian shrugs at the reference to his thief name "—and certainly not the most impressive I've seen. Where are your parents?"
"Last time we saw them the Ice Rose had them in a discussion about something or other," Takara says with a shrug. "Haru here took us hunting for the first meal we've had in a couple of days; some old enemies of the clan have reared their heads to wipe out our family. Us and our folks are the only ones left of the Crescent-Blades."
"I'm going to go see if Yukina's got anything sweet in the kitchen, Genkai-san. Is that all right?"
"Go, go." One aged hand is batted at him. "Younglings and sweets, I swear."
"Arigatou, Genkai-san. Come on, Zephyr, you gotta see what Yukina-san cooks!" A cheery wave over at the trio. "See you later, guys, and don't worry; Genkai doesn't bite unless you're really stupid." A wry chuckle from the old woman as Obsidian exits the room with Zephyr once again in tow.
Once the fox gets the girl several hundred feet down the corridor towards the kitchen, he leans back against the wall with a relieved sigh. "Huh, that worked."
"What are you talking about, Obsidian?"
Golden eyes gleam in the dim light of the hallway. "Getting you here, with me, without anyone else nearby. Do you want to go exploring, fallen angel?"
"Obsidian, you're scaring me."
"Heh, sorry, Zephyr. It's just that this will be tricky enough without attracting attention from people who would try to stop us."
"Stop us? Stop us from going where?"
An odd look makes his golden eyes glitter. "From going home."
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Obsidian, you sneaky fox. But can he get away with it without alerting anyone else? Like Aislin?