Fluffy Miracle

by AnthonyTsa

It is said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can ultimately cause a typhon halfway around the world. My birth was certainly a flutter of a butterfly's wing or rather... a sweep of a fluffy tail.

Something I've been working on casually on the side while I had the time. Don't worry, Spin of Destiny is not going anywhere, I just wanted to write something a bit more casual, less dramatic..for now at least. There are certain details that should make clear prior to you reading this first chapter.

-Main character is an in-universe OC. It's not a SI, some reincarnation or isekai'd protagonist with outsider knowledge. The plot of the past will have to be pieced together by the protagonist in order to uncover the conspiracy plotted by very bad people that you probably know already.

-Story takes place before and up to the canon timeline but at that point, it can't really be considered canon.

-For those that are horny, no harem, pairing is still being decided between a small list of possibilities or no pairing at all. Expect little to no smut, mostly implications, and some suspicious scenes, if I do write some here, it will probably end up in AO3.

-Expect some OC content.

---

Birds chirped as they flew across the misty mountain ranges following a path of a small river beginning to thaw, trading the cold heights for a flourishing sanctuary of nature. The sun, shining brighter and brighter, melted away the frost, revealing fox holes and animal shelters of all kinds and their emergent residence. Foxes followed along with the colorful sky-soaring beasts as they jumped from one tree to the other. A single brown-furred one yawned and dashed into a tall-grass clearing, faint wisps of power rising from the surrounding faunas as the fox took its daily route. An open red gateway with paper talismans and metal chimes, it was the first man-made structure that stood in the mammal's road, a Torii gate. Any ordinary person would take in the peculiar feeling, that strange sweet smell in the air that made them feel inner feeling warmth among the cool breeze surrounding them, they would confidently say – this place was mystical, beyond the earthliness of the world. Past it laid a hilly valley of green, where civilization had found its home underneath the heavy cover of trees, nature blending in with buildings. Indeed this particular fox had found its shelter, though younger than the trees and earth it was nonetheless its home.

Having done this many times before the fox ran through the cliff, its speed immeasurable as if it was falling yet the little fox stayed on, its paws gripping tightly to the ground. In an incredible show of strength and agility, the brown fox took one good leap off the nearing cliff with seemingly reckless abandonment, reaching at the sky as if it was one of the birds it was following home. Except…it glided, nearly walking on the air, as if were some sort of large and fat kite. A faint glimmer of power surrounded it as it gently flew down onto one of the side bridges leading to the village, passing by several Humans who either kept their attention to their work or at the very least bowed their heads to the mammal.

The buildings appeared rather new in their material make – wood and tough paper, barely any stone. But the style was well-grounded in the settlement, no matter how old the house appeared, its architecture was similar: a small platform built underneath to elevate them slightly off the ground, sliding doors, tiled or thatched gently curved roofs taking dominance in the architecture. Some rare pagodas of stone did manage to pierce and poke through the thick canopy, unlike many of other houses hiding underneath. It was still amazing to walk through the fairly open for the young fox despite having seen it countless times, nonetheless, it understood well it had no time to dally and it had caught on the scent of its master.

Tracking it the fox ran into a shrine dedicated to nature around them, being careful as to disturb the natural order of it either by knocking any of the offerings or disturbing the local's prayer and meditation time. The brown fox yipped in accomplishment, spotting its admittedly short master sitting quietly and observing the scenery, steaming teacup in hand.

"Ah, little one, come to whisper more secrets into my ear or maybe just a simple pat on the head, hmm?" Its master inquired, nine tails rested neatly around the railings, a smile present only hidden by waving a fan. She was Tamamo no Mae, the nine-tailed kitsune and faithful servant of the Founder's direct bloodline. It was mostly a peaceful day and so she certainly didn't mind any unannounced company, especially the younglings.

The one-tailed kitsune yipped and jumped happily into her lap, curling and putting its head onto her shoulder. Her long self-obligated journey around the continent was over…for now, after avoiding dangers of all kinds, predators both natural and of monstrous origin, she was in the comforts of her home village. The fox's snout opened, whispering secrets and information it had gathered observing the world.

"So much the same…tensions are rising between Humans and Monsters. Some of the queens aren't doing themselves any favors. More and more "heroes" showing up proclaiming they'll slay the Monster Lord." Tamamo chuckled at the last part, if only the people knew of her Lord's nature, perhaps then without that Goddess's influence behind the scenes peace would be possible, she just hoped that hatred wasn't too ingrained into the Humans south of her home. "Whatever the case we can expect some groups to manage to venture further into the north, causing trouble along the way no doubt..."

The kitsune's ears lowered for a moment, even with all that effort it ended with failure. It was just before she felt the easing touch of her master's small hand. "You have done a great job, don't strain yourself too much, save that energy for something else. Take a break, this is not your task to do, you only have a single tail after all." Once she heard her say this she gave a curious look, showing the talisman that hung from her neck.

"Yes, yes...you may call on my help any time, but that doesn't excuse recklessness. I'm not always available, you know? I have plans to accomplish - some pranks, another trick over there…the usual." Tamamo wagged her finger lecturing her before lightly flicking the little one's forehead. It was painless but served to give the lesson clearly.

"Lady Tamamo!" A voice called to her from behind, nearly shaking the shrine with its sheer volume and disturbing the peaceful residents, who in the end we're left a bit too afraid and befuddled to protest this disturbance. Only Tamamo had remained calm in the face of this, annoyingly having to restrain the little one in her lap from jumping out and causing any more distress to the people.

Tamamo sighed as her peaceful day had been disrupted by whatever news her subordinate would bring her, and judging by the urgency of her tone it didn't sound like anything good. She turned and gave a sly smile to the seven-tailed kitsune. "Nanabi, while it's always good to see you, I don't particularly think you should come rushing to me like this. Not everyone here is as tough as me, you might get someone hurt.

"Forgive me, but this is important." Nanabi quickly bowed her head apologizing and met her master's eyes, someone who wasn't exactly taking her urgency seriously. It was fine and didn't bother her in the slightest, the large Monster was used to that part of Tamamo.

"Yes, yes. Figured as much, well what happened or is happening?" Tamamo calmly inquired, taking the first few sips of her tea, which had turned into gulps watching how the large fox's tails swung frantically – something was definitely off.

"Honoka's giving birth." Nanabi blurted out without pause. The brown-furred kitsune jumped up in excitement at the pleasant news, more would soon join their little skulk. There hadn't been that many people to play with.

Tamamo 's eyebrows shot up and her hand froze for a moment, the cup of tea just touching the lips as steam blew into her face. She settled the cup onto the wide railing. "Well, that's great news! Though I imagine you wouldn't be storming in here in such a manner if that was it, would you?" The future Heavenly Knight carefully inquired, hoping for nothing too tragic to come out of her subordinate's mouth.

"She is having trouble and is in pain." Nanabi solemnly stated, her ears lowering as the movement of the tails stilled. "That's why I come seeking your aid…I'm afraid of the worst and so does her husband. Ple-"

"Say no more…" Tamamo said before her subordinate could finish her plea. None of this was needed, no one needed to beg or request such things from her much less expect a refusal, she'd do them in a final heartbeat, especially for her own descendant race.

In a single instance, that signature young sly smile vanished from her countenance, replaced by a determined stare of a long weary, and wise elder. There was no sense of whimsicalness present, only millennia-old wisdom, and knowledge waiting to be used in whatever way to help her friend. Her fan and cup were long gone, put aside in a mere second. Before the one-tailed kitsune knew it she was on the ground as well staring at her now serious master.

"Follow." She gave the command and vanished from the sight of both of the subordinates either using speed they've previously not seen before or simply teleporting there. Nonetheless, they both understood perfectly - an ancient titan had reawakened if only for a single day.

---

Curses and yelling filled with agony got louder as Tamamo approached her destination, her pace becoming faster. It was plain to hear for a Kitsune like her, making the situation all the more worrying, sounding as though she was giving birth to an entire litter. No other of her kind or most Monsters had such complications, producing offspring was just as a simple endeavor as getting and charming a mate. Rarely were there ever problems and when there were, their cause was external – a previous wound, or illness acting up at the moment, nothing that was part of the natural process.

What is her problem then? Last I saw her she wasn't injured or sick. Perfectly fit and healthy during her pregnancy…hmmm…

She leaped over a short fence separating the wilderness from the expansive garden. At its center was a large two-story house, recently repaired and taken care of by both the Kitsune currently suffering and her husband; they preferred the location, it being more isolated from the village. As Tamamo skipped along on the stone-paved path, being careful as to not step on the many plants grown with great agility, she agreed with their assessment.

In comparison, this little homestead was more peaceful than the rest of Yamatai, which despite being rather tranquil had its fair share of excitement that some would consider needless. Some petty daily squabbles shouldn't be heard at all. But Tamamo knew there was no time for her to ponder if having a more private life might be worth trying out, a new family needed her aid lest it ends tragically.

Tamamo forced the front door open, not bothering to knock. After all, she had no point in delaying her arrival any further with empty courtesy. Her eyes and ears twitched at the horrendous greeting to the household, those curses, and groans descending downward from upstairs.

"Lady Tamamo, I knew you'd arrive. Nanabi was quick to get you, I see." A voice called to her, belonging to one of the few elves in the village, one who hadn't taken combat art, unlike her sisters. She wasn't at all surprised neither by the nine-tailed fox's violent entry nor by the serious frown on her face. "I'm sure she has already briefed you, please. I have tried helping but that little bugger is a stubborn one or…"

"Save the small talk for later. First, just let me tend to her." Tamamo quickly answered before the elf could trail off, neither of them wanted to consider the possibility of the child born on this day dying and the distraught it could cause to their friend.

"R-right, sor-" With one leap Tamamo jumped past the apologizing elf and landed onto the second floor right as she finished her sentence leaving the poor Monster stunned at the feat of speed before seeing the fox girl vanish.

Going through a wide corridor she saw the door was already open for her, likely by whoever stormed in first, or perhaps it was never closer to begin with. Honoka's voice was at her loudest here, it was hard for Tamamo to not just carelessly rush in there. Not wanting to cause any shock or accidental damage she slowed her pace and walked through the doorway. The room was recently cleaned and sterilized, that much was evident by the scent. Inside of it was a scene she had happened to see many times in her long life, that of the so-called miracle of birth.

The woman that lay atop the towel covered with bed legs spread was Honoka, a four-tailed kitsune whose long amber hair and tails always flowed beautifully in the wind. Beside her was an adult man holding her hand. He was tall but neither burly nor overly lean, the messiness of his hair was marked by a dusty grey, together with his deep stare, brown and green clothing it brought out the cat-like gold in his eyes. Another one of her kind knelt nearby, trying her best to act as a midwife, but her skill was lacking.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here! Please, you have to help…" The man turned and pleaded to the fox sage while her wife was too preoccupied with stress and pain to speak, only noting her superior's presence. "We've tried everything we could, but nothing seems to stop the pain."

"Stand aside, please. Allow me." Tamamo ordered to her fellow, who without saying a word bowed and backed off from the pained Kitsune. She rushed and got to work quickly, sitting atop the bed the nine-tailed Kitsune began by gently grabbing hold of Honoka's left leg. "Shh…relax, everything will be fine. Take deep breaths, don't suffocate." She softly cautioned, although doubting whether or not her good word was able to ease her friend, yet it didn't matter all that much.

First, Tamamo's grip tightened and she sent her energy toward the limb, which spread throughout the pained woman's body as the curses and yells deadened in her throat turning to more eased rapid breathing. Pain receptors deadened completely. Tamamo had no desire to curse a fellow Monster with the inability to feel anything and eventual paralysis - nothing she had done was permanent. Second... Touching the kitsune's stomach she pushed senses beyond their natural levels, reaching for energy signatures and seeing what could not be seen with a naked eye. Tamamo froze, raising her eyebrow in puzzlement. Not a fox, no…a human? Well, that certainly explains it. They're rarely ever born from random chance and Honoka isn't powerful enough to influence her body in such a way.

Well…it will be a surprise for them. A smile broke her serious countenance, which didn't go unnoticed by those that surrounded her.

"Good news, I take it?" Honoka gasped out, her soft almost weak voice contrasting against the frustrated and agony-filled yelling that rang out throughout the entire estate.

"Yep, told you everything will be alright." Tamamo nodded her head and everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. In a single moment, the environment became quieter, easier to work with. It had been just the way she preferred, granting mercy to the nine-tailed sage's ears. "Just need to pull this feller out.

With blinding speed, Tamamo reached forward and through clever use of her powers, she cut the umbilical cord and carefully teleported the baby's head out, confirming her senses and slowly filling the room with screams and cries once more albeit a lot more juvenile ones. This was no magical fox or even a litter of them but a single human child. Strangely this child possessed a lot more hair on its head than usual, particularly two thick tuffs…which twitched…

The rest was easy to do. All that was needed was to clean the newly born babe. Tamamo kept the baby close and covered up underneath the cloth. Its cries still filled the room, that, and Tamamo's humming which had turned from stressed to calm and even playful. The kitsune tenderly cradled it, her hum turning into soft sung as she let her aura flow serenely like a peaceful river. It took a full minute before the cries started to die down.

A hand poked out of the cloth and slowly grabbed hold of her outstretched finger. Tamamo froze, her arm quivering lightly, the cries went completely silent turning into soft giggles, the only other witness to this was a midwife who was shushed by her lord. Piercing gold orbs, the ones he inherited from his father, met her green ones.

"Oi, you may be my Lord and have helped me, but that doesn't give you the right to hog the kit to yourself. I'm the mother and I'm sure my husband would like to see his child." Honoka's voice pushed back to reality and her red eyes met with the sage's green, giving her back awareness of the place she was in and who the child belonged to.

"Oh…you'll see what I have to show you." Tamamo turned around and walked to the parents, presenting them the child. Both looked on as the child expected to see a small kit being held, their smiles filled with relief, but that soon turned into shock and amazement once the baby underneath the cloth was unveiled.

"It's a human…a baby boy," Honoka observed and her master nodded, reaching to grab the boy and hold him in her very hands and Tamamo obliged. The kitsune happily hugged it, her heart-melting away upon hearing the babe's cheerful laugh appearing more comfortable than in Tamamo's hold, from one glance he had recognized her as family.

"Buh!" The boy uttered its first sound, something other than crying or giggling. He fully accepted his mother's embrace. It didn't matter to her if her child was human or not, he was still her child, blood nonetheless even if a bit less so, he was proof of her and her husband's union. She understood that her husband didn't mind either, after all, he was willing to marry her, a Monster, without any forceful or seductive coercion.

"Look over here, Abner, this is our child." She shifted over to her husband, presenting the kid.

Abner hummed. While his grin remained his eyes narrowed and put his right hand on his chin. "Hmm…Hate to break to you… but I don't think Humans have fox ears on their heads…" He chuckled and so did his child, awkward silence filled the room afterward. It didn't take long for the man to speak up. "What? I-I kn-know this is important and all, but am I the only one in this room with an eye for detail? His hair is twitching by itself. Look." He lightly put his hand on the boy's head and ruffled his amber hair.

Two fox ears poked out, untangled from the knots in the child's hair, they stuck out and burned themselves into the brain of whoever took a glance. The mother felt something more brush against her palm and moved beneath the cloth. Soon a furry single tail emerged from the white cloth, widening everyone's into saucers.

"W-WHAT?!"

"HUH?!"

Many more stuttering exclamations of surprise and befuddlement filled the room and the baby stirred in discomfort. Tamamo took a step back from all that, holding her left hand's finger and staring at the boy caught in this recent chaos, being confusingly surrounded by it. No words could escape her mouth, yet her mind raced forward filled with wonder, taking and throwing ideas and concepts. It was as though she was as shocked as the parents and even the midwife, but certainly, her efforts had been most worth it, she had helped bring a wonder. A miracle, no doubt about it – a fully blooded male Monster, or maybe mostly, considering he came out as a boy and not a kit like the other one-tails.

So I finally ended up being right, mother. Darkness shifts and changes, given enough years, and it can transform the most ordinary things into something incredible, dangerous…without her input. Tamamo gazed at the boy's smile. She thought about how long she waited for someone like him to pop into existence and then let out a laugh that overtook the panicked surprise as she went over to poke the boy's stomach.

"So, what took so long to finally show up?"

---

Twilight descended onto the world, covering it at the beginning of shade and night, crickets began to chirp, and the calls of nightly birds could be heard from afar. Peace finally came to the household as confusion and amazement faded, all but the family left to their homes, hushed into temporary secrecy. The miracle child born today fell asleep quietly in his mother's arms, curling into a ball and hugging his own tails much to the delight of every observer. There was not a second after that the boy was let go.

Honoka swayed back and forth, lightly rocking and cradling the small kit. The kitsune sighed at how troublesome this day had been but it was all worth seeing her child energetically crawl around the house and sleep without issue. She was dressed back in her signature kimono, which was black, had a pattern of red roses on it and hung loosely around her body, one of many she possessed, yet it was the one she was wearing when she met her husband on that fateful night.

A shoji door opened behind her, it was Abner still wearing a smile on his face. However, it wasn't as wide and he portrayed that he was more in thought than purely joyful. His slow methodical steps hadn't eased either. From a single glance, Honoka could tell that there was something on his mind and it had been eating away at him, for now, she could only ease into the issue if he had no desire to speak of it yet.

"Ah, he's asleep already, that's good, that's good…can't believe it hasn't been a single day and he is already crawling around. Do all Monsters grow up so fast?" Abner inquired, even his tone held a tinge of restraint in it.

"Yes…most of the time, Monster children develop a lot faster than Humans do. It's one of the many reasons why some leave their offspring behind as unthinkable as it might seem to you or me." Honoka answered before walking over to a small bed and laying the child down, they both kept their voices low.

"Thank the Gods. Don't think I've had the chance to tell you this, but I knew this one family that was part of my caravan back in my younger days. They've just gotten kids and well…as far as I could tell it was troublesome for them to say the least. They were noisy, sometimes got in the way, and had to be constantly watched. In the end that family had to settle down as I did, can't say I blame them. Staying here with you was the best decision I made in my life." Her husband explained, sheepishly chuckling to himself and scratching his neck. "That whole thing kind of… made me scared of having kids, but this little guy has been very well behaved for someone who was just born."

Honoka turned, taking several steps forward and pulling him closer with what tails she had. Abner didn't resist, wrapping his arms around her waist. She placed a hand on his cheek while the other was on his chest and gazed longingly into his eyes. "It's because he knows our scent, what made him and so feels safe when we are near.

"Speaking of which, honey, I thought of a name for our son." She paused, neither of them expecting to get a son and only being discussing names one could only give to a daughter, anticipating the most unlikely couldn't be expected from them.

"Oh, well shoot."

"Ichiro."

"Ichiro…quite a fitting name" Abner glanced at his sleeping son. "Can't imagine it took you long to come with that." He bit his lip once he saw his wife's pouting expression. It had almost seemed she was about pushing away from the offense. "Simple doesn't it's bad. I mean it fully, it fits him perfectly. Can you please stop looking at me like that?"

"Hmm…" She hummed considering the request and turning her pout into an obvious fake frown that was on the edge of breaking into a teasing smirk. "Give me a kiss and maybe I'll consider it."

"Reminds me of the first time we met." He remarked, chuckling to himself, it didn't take long for him to comply wholeheartedly, taking her lips with his tongues going into a dance for sweet dominance. Silver moonlight was their only witness to this deep embrace, though it was chaste in, comparison to the other pleasantries they had. They separated, only a thin line of saliva connecting their mouth.

"Oh…we'll hand up having another one at this rate…"Honoka breathed out as she leaned against his chest, hot fog coming out of her mouth. "Unless that's what you want? Hmm…" She looked up at him, seeing a passive smile as a response to her question, his expression longer filled with doubt or had he appeared to ponder something unknown to her. Only a tinge of uncertainty lingered in his gaze, yet it wasn't she worried out, after all, she could wipe it away with a touch or two.

"Sure, maybe we can have a few more, but first, about the little kit we already have." Abner glanced at his child once more, still holding onto the kitsune, perhaps even a bit tighter than before. His wife had many ways to make him feel better, but he doubted anything other than her genuine reassuring words could dispel what was burning in his heart. "Have you thought about what I said? It's –"

Honoka shushed him before he could say anymore, putting a finger against his lips. "You don't have to justify yourself, he is your blood, it's only right that you worry about him just as should I. I've given it thought and you're right, such burdens and expectations cannot be thrown on Ichiro because he happened to be born was a certain way…no…we'll just have to her tomorrow. I'm sure she'll at least hear what we have to say."

"Really? That's good, good…" He trailed off, averting his gaze at the floor and making the distance between him and his wife. "And we don't exactly have to consider tomorrow. "

She raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? Why so? What have you done now Ab-."

Suddenly, the door separating their bedroom from the rest of the house slid open. Honoka went on immediate alert, whipping her head to the supposed night-time intruder and taking a combat stance all while her husband remained strangely inattentive only lazily glancing at the doorway. Just when she thought the best day of her life had nearly passed, someone had to come and try to ruin it. That was…until the foreign scent her nose had picked up and the glowing emerald had registered in her mind. Honoka's guard relaxed slightly, her eyes shifting down to see the admittedly small ancestor of her race standing there quietly with her folding fan and observing.

"My, have I come here unannounced? I thought I was being expected here, but by the looks of it, the little old me isn't welcome anymore. "Tamamo lamented, though her tone lacked any sadness to sound anything close to genuine, more so by the soft giggle she let out. "Had you not called for me, Honoka? Or was it your shrewd husband that tricked me?"

"My apologies, Lady Tamamo, for my behavior and my husband's deceit. I should have him disciplined for this. '' Honoka's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as her battle stance turned into a bow. While there had not been an unwelcome guest barging into her old home that ruined her day, but that the love of her life had pulled such a stunt against not only her lord but the one who helped deliver her child. Of the things, she spoke with her husband she wasn't ready to approach Tamamo at, any other time but now.

"Nonsense, aren't we considered spirits of trickery by many? That right there is why he is a keeper, I'd say reward him instead." The nine-tailed fox waved it off, stepping into the large bedroom. She gave one thoughtful gaze at the sleeping infant, staying still for a full minute before finally turning to them both. "I can only assume it was done for good reason, isn't that right Abner?"

"Ah, yes…good reason." Abner sheepishly nodded, lightly nudging Honoka, nearly begging for her to speak in his stead as he grabbed her hand. He never really had a comfortable time speaking to any Monster other than her wife, especially with the ones high up the ladder that is Monster society. There was always something about them he couldn't quite describe, a feeling that constantly kept him on his toes. However, he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of an important matter. "It's about our son. I know you have done a great deal to help us now, but we may have another request for you."

"Oh? Well then, let me hear. I'm sure I can offer plenty of help."

"When you return to the Monster lord…would it be possible for you to not speak of our son?" Honoka asked, pressing a closed fist against her chest. She waited for a response, heart pounding hard, hoping for the best. If she was forced to discuss this now, she'd as well give her best reasoning. "Please take no offense, we only want to keep him hidden…safe."

"I know he is special, but it's…I, we don't want that much attention on him, it would be too much pressure for a child and we would be failures as parents if we allowed it all to overwhelm him. The spotlight isn't for everyone and the stress of having so many eyes on him, no matter what they might want, could break him. I know this well" Abner reinforced her request with his own pleas, declaring to himself that there would be no other way. He would root himself into the ground to ensure that his little ray of sunshine remained safe.

"Please, let him have a normal life…as normal it could be, at least until he can walk his own path in life, be strong and ready to face whatever life has in store for him." Honoka finished as they both stepped forward to Tamamo with pleading stares.

Honoka and Abner felt their hearts sink at the silence that followed after, each second that passed was torturous and the young-looking kitsune in front of them hadn't filled the room with her signature humming. Tamamo had only stared at them, twiddling her thumbs with one hand and glancing from the sleeping boy to the parents.

"It seems you really care, don't you? He'll grow up just fine with you raising him." A small smile formed, hidden by her fan, as she nodded her head. Such fervor and determination for their kin was a breath of fresh air for the fox sage with how many times she had seen Monsters hold their children with little regard. "No worries, I won't even have to lie to my lord. She is likely to not even ask about it. I'll keep my lips shut, just for you both." She winked, placing a finger on her lips.

"Though more problems might arise with the village than in Hellgondo, the news will no doubt spread." Tamamo casually noted, only raising an eyebrow when Abner lightly paled at the news of this realization.

"Huh? That is a bit troublesome. Damn, why didn't that cross my mind?" The man rubbed his face with his hand, thinking perhaps that the day had drained him emotionally with all of the nerve-wracking that he experienced when his wife was going through pain and the joy of seeing his son face to face. "Well, I suppose there is something we have to do about that as well.

"Eh…nonsense, don't tell me you want to keep him locked up here?" Tamamo pressed further. The wary stares he got from his wife and the nine-tails sage caused Abner to raise his arms in defense of the vicious accusation of his character.

"A-ah, never dream of it in a hundred years! Whatever happens, I'll accept. All I want is for him to just live a free life just like me, unburdened by any outside troubles, that's the very reason why I don't want any eye from the throne on him." He explained himself quickly and the silent acceptance he got in response eased his soul to no end. In his time as a parent, he'd at least hope to give his children the life that he had, both as a sign of respect to his parents and desire to see whoever he fathered grow like him.

"Good, you'll find that a Monster's spirit is rather wild, untamed for the most part and all you can do is give them tools necessary to pave their path. I have a feeling that kit will be no different. A little interaction will be healthy for a growing young man." Tamamo chuckled. It didn't last long, fading away as she turned more serious. "You need not worry. Let me keep an eye on him if you find yourself unable to protect him, I promise to you as both a friend and a fellow kitsune."

"Thank you, my lady. You are truly kind." Honoka bowed, her mate clumsily following suit.

"Please, just call me by my name. We're family at this point. Consider me… an auntie of sorts."

---

Sunlight shone down onto the world, illuminating the autumn-touched canopy of trees, whose mass shuddered in the air like giant banners. Leaves glided through the air, some barely hanging to their branches, others painting the ground a deep red, gold, and brown. It was a time of harvest and slow decay, rest and passing hope for eventual greener days after the cold fades. Underneath the forest canopy, a figure dashed along an unknown path, skipping, hopping through the cracks of the terrain while kicking up the seemingly endless amount of piles of leaves before stopping by a tree. Two tails fluttered and swung behind it, their fur was amber colored and white-tipped.

"Hmm…now where is she hiding?" The figure quietly asked himself as his ears twitched and golden eyes that shone in the shade glanced around his environment, looking for any disturbance. His frame just like his body was boyish, young, and undeveloped, yet agile enough to make the wilds a welcoming place. He wore a loose green shirt and plain pants, both of them seemed to fit a man older than he was. Only a single piece of clothing stood out – the feathered charm tied to his hair. Ichiro was the name given to him by his parents and he wore it proudly.

The kitsune heard light rustling and a familiar scent hitting his nose, and his gaze quickly darted to the origin point of the disturbance. Low and behold he found what he was looking for – a small barely noticeable bump underneath a leaf pile, slowly stalking toward him. There you are…and here I go! The sly man sprang into action immediately, running the opposite direction of his apparent assailant.

From the sounds, his senses picked up he figured they continued their chase, a small glance behind him confirmed his suspicions – two foxes running after him, one grey and the other amber. They separated narrowly avoiding whatever was in their way and flanking the boy's right and left side His sprint began naturally on all fours before he let his legs do most of the work. Ichiro pointed his fingers to the ground and a small shockwave pulsed through the ground behind him, creating a smokescreen of dirt and sand, which gave him an opening to move. There were no faults in this movement or transition as he jumped down to a slightly less familiar part of the region.

Not good, that restricts my movement more, can't afford to wander off Six's knows where. Can't hide either, if I can smell her out no doubt she can do the same with me. Ichiro chose the more forested path as at least offered the most cover out of all of his fleeting options. Just on the horizon, he spotted his village, Yamatai village – victory. But that doesn't matter. The little game here is coming to a close.

Ichiro continued to sprint toward his hometown. Though he lived quite far away from Yamatai, it was just as much a home to him as it was to its inhabitants even if he rarely did stay for long. Exploring the wilds and maneuvering through its twisted environment was a hobby he thoroughly enjoyed, one that tested his agility and memory, and if he couldn't get back? He'd just use his nose to track whatever scent was closest to him. He approached a thick hedge of foliage on a hill that separated the deeper forest from the village; it served as a decent vantage point observing a good chunk of Yamatai's rural marketplace.

Good view of what's to come...The kitsune chuckled as he stopped. It was a good idea that he decided to wake earlier, at the break of dawn, otherwise, his simple mischievous plan for justice would have been problematic to pull off. Don't know if they can climb trees yet. Guess I'll have an excuse to hold them, heh. Turning he saw the two foxes catch up with him, wagering that at their rate if their race was a little longer than their childish enthusiasm certainly would win over his agility unless he started jumping tree to tree.

"I win! Still got it!" Ichiro proclaimed loudly to them, pointing over to the Yamatai village. The boy raised an eyebrow as his words hadn't seemed to slow them down one bit. He took an awkward and cautious step back before stretching his arms and waving them around. "H-ey, s-stop! Slow down!"

Not long after those shaky words left his lips the boy felt those two foxes crash into him, their force mitigated by their fluffiness, yet it didn't stop him from tumbling back. He could avoid, however then he would have to deal with the aftermath of two innocent kin getting harmed. In an act of spontaneous sacrifice, he grabbed and held onto the two one-tailed kitsune tightly around his chest as they began to roll down. Curling up into a ball, his puffed-up tails took the brunt of the damage.

"Oof!"Ichiro fell flat on his back, breathing out a sigh of relief that it was all over, which was admittedly a bit hard to do with two sizable masses lying atop his chest. He pulled his head up and glared at them as hard as he could. "Now what did I tell you just now…look what happened, my tails' are all stained by dirt and grass."

Just as he expected the innocent puppy eyes came, their ears dropped in response to his scolding yet he didn't let up, warning them that they could have ended up way worse than either his clothing or tails did. Their remorse…didn't last long, as he closed his mouth and paused the jump onto his laying frame once again and his arms were fast enough to keep them at bay this time. Ichiro screamed bloody murder, his body shaking, as they rubbed their heads and tails against his chest and neck, licking his face. His curses turned into uncontrollable giggling and laughter after they had begun to tickle him with their paws

"Ah! Stop! Hey, I won! You shouldn't be treating me this way. Please…" It took a while before he could muster up the courage and frustration to finally push them off, leaving his attire scratched, stained along with his tail. "Get off!" They stopped for the moment, letting him get a breather.

Great, it's just not enough that I fell flat on my ass and dirtied my clothes, but now my face is slobbered…ugh…Ichiro wiped away the saliva on his face with his sleeve and hand. If he was already dirty then there was no reason not to avoid any more filth if it meant getting rid of something discomforting. He glanced at the two foxes staring at him, wide-eyed, the grey one was shaking while the other one, his sister remained calm, tail wagging. Well…I can't stay mad at them, too adorable.

"Hey, calm down. I'm not angry, only surprised, that's all." He raised his arms and knelt. Ichiro's hand slowly reached for the small fox's head, patting her head and rubbing her ears, the desperation and irritation in his tone was nothing more but a distant memory. Being a kitsune himself the boy knew all of the sweet spots, having felt such loving touches first hand from his mother and father. After a while the gray fox's nerves were eased, it no longer flinched at his movement or touch, he paused, for the moment both of his hands that were preoccupied with petting his younger kin stopped moving.

"Feels like I'm forgetting something. OH! Right, rightrightright…vengeance."

His fluffy friends tilted their heads at his crazed ramblings. It was only until his gaze met a not-so-far-away tree did his focus return to him. Ichiro turned his head toward them. He held a finger up in the air, a minuscule energy spark came off it, sparking like a small white star. It was one of the most basic spells that he learned naturally. It was completely useless in combat, only being a simple prick a pin against a body, but it had other uses. "Come here with me, I'll show you something good."

The two-tailed kitsune climbed onto his tree interest, his younger kin in his grasp. He pointed at the peculiar open spot at the marketplace and waited patiently burying his face in their fur, but not before giving them a hint of what's to come.

"Here is some wisdom I learned in my life - people don't look up."

---

The shops and markets of Yamatai were busy as always in their own calm way. There was no massive influx of people running from place to place buying and selling whatever goods they had, no…trade was slow but steady, akin to more of a river stream. Business kept turning up at a comfortable rate, no one needed to rush to accommodate all of their customers' needs or demands, it helped that most knew each other as well. A breath of exhaustion rang out through the market stall amongst the incoherent babble of bargaining, it came from a girl that had finished carrying a crate of vegetables into the stock.

"Oh, thank you, dear..." A man beside her spoke, he was small and frail-looking only being a couple of inches higher than the girl. His hair had completely gone completely gray, no trace of the wondrous auburn color was left in his scalp unlike the child aiding him. "Oh, these old bones don't work like they used to, shame."

"Don't worry about it grandpa, you can always count on us for help, what's family for after all?" The girl responded, her breathing stabilizing somewhat, as she leaned against a nearby pole for support.

"I suppose you're right, it can't be helped." The old man dusted himself off before gazing at his callused ridden hands. "I did not work for most of my life to not get a single year of rest, maybe I should take it easy a bit." He moved to the counter of his stall, brushing off some of the dust on the table then turned to his granddaughter. "But ah, you're still a kid. You should be out running around and playing with others at your age. Go. Don't let me take those blissful years away from you, already you've done enough."

"It was nothing, can't let little old you carry all the weight around." The girl laughed the awkward silence off while her elder remained frozen, reminiscing about long-forgotten sweet days. She wasn't concerned about that, having rarely heard from her parents or even from him about the time when he was younger, besides, other questions were on her mind. "I do wonder if I'll meet those foxes again. They're so soft…"

"Oh, you're talking about the newest kitsune younglings?" He inquired and chuckled at the enthusiastic nod he got. "Playful buggers I'd tell you that, though not the most subtle or careful of creatures. One day they nearly knocked me down as they ran through here, but I don't think those sweet little things meant it all, maybe they're just used to tougher folks. One word of advice: Never pull on their tails."

"Eh? Why not? They're always nipping at me, it's only fair I get to be rough too…" She complained putting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot against the road. Of course, she couldn't deny that there had been pleasant moments, especially when she could pat their hats and touch their tails, but still, it didn't change what they did to her. "Besides, it's not like they really mind. They always come back to play some more"

"Still, not good." The old man frowned, shaking his head as he pondered whatever fate might befall his blood. "You'll end up bringing down the wrath of some Mighty Fox. Kitsune can be very cruel and devious behind those smiles. I should pray for your safety so that they won't exact their revenge or at the very least that they're merciful when doing so."

"Bah! What's the worst that could happen?" The auburn-haired child threw her arms up in the air in casual exasperation and doubt. As she said those words, the sound of a magical dart being fired reached their ears that followed a flash of light. Whatever it was, it hit something, a small wooden plank fell down beside the girl's foot. In a mere instant, she found herself hit by a cold stream of water coming above, soaking her clothes and hair wet. It was only when a bucket hit the ground did her mind begin to process the chain of events that had unfolded.

"E-E-EH?!"

"I was too late to warn you, child." The grandfather remarked as somberly as he could, attempting to stifle his laughter as he looked at his grandchild's shocked expression. This was not the worst fate he had imagined that would be imposed on her by the kitsune, yet the simplicity and unexpectedness of the punishment made it hilarious to the old man. "Hmm…very cruel indeed." Yet try as he might, he couldn't stop the chuckles that left his lips.

The girl blinked, she would have demanded her old man to stop laughing was it not for the fact that it was joined by some other foreign laughter coming from the woods - likely where the perpetrator was hiding, taking pleasure from her embarrassment and misery. The stares she received did not help her anyway, shape or form, yet that hearty laugh that outshined her grandfather's wheeze sounded familiar. Her body shook, the name of which the resounding laughter belonged to remained on the tip of her tongue. "That laugh…it couldn't be anyone else but him…Ichiro. I swear when I get my hands on him, he'd wish he had never been born.

"You are not safe, you hear me Ichiro!" She yelled out into the vague direction of where Ichiro was hiding much to the dismay and hilarity of everyone around her. One step, two steps, the girl found herself slowly inching toward the woods only to be stopped by a hand placed on her shoulder.

"Now, now, stop a little and think. Is chasing someone like him through the forest when you're completely drenched really a good idea? Go back home and dry yourself out, then we'll see what you think about this prankster." The old man advised, throwing on a thick cloak on her soaking wet form. "Just don't go too far."

---

"Oh… the face she made when she realized what happened, my sides hurt." Ichiro's laugh slowly faded away amidst shouting coming from his unfortunate target, he wiped away the few tears that formed from his cheeks before holding on tighter on his young kin to prevent them from jumping around and throwing him off the branch. The older kitsune jumped and landed onto the ground with the little foxes in hand, his ears twitched as the yelling continued. He was sure had made an enemy today with his actions based on her swearing mischievous vengeance, as if he wasn't already an annoyance for some.

He placed the foxes down. They ran around his legs, nimble forms dashing through the gap in his stance. Ichiro stopped them with a gentle touch of the palm. The boy could tell that they couldn't stand still too long and there was no point in doing so either. "Shoot! I don't want you getting in trouble. Come now, we have some time to scatter before she gets here!" He told them, it didn't take long for his grey-furred friend to run leaving only him and the one he shared his blood with.

A deep breath escaped his lips as he eased, the rest of the body following his shoulders and relaxing. He took some steps forward and messaged his ears, which had been assaulted by his victim's squeal, sometimes having superior senses proved to be an annoyance. Being able to zone out of your environment was an object of envy for the young man when it came to comparing himself to Humans. Something you were better off not hearing or seeing…

"Let's go Abi, we'll take the scenic route later. I'm sure they're already waiting for us to come back." Ichiro called to his sister and pointed over to the narrow dirt road going up a hill slightly away from them. That one was faster and while he usually preferred the formerly mentioned one, he knew well that neither of them had the time for a peaceful stroll to fully partake in its beauty.

The scenery of their family's beautiful garden was the first sight to greet them – fields of gold, brown, blue, and red flowers graced them. Even his excitable sister took care in not trampling over any flower and plants growing and followed the stone-paved road up to the house, right behind her brother. Its struggle against the encroaching cold was a wonderful thing if a bit of a gloomy reminder that nothing was permanent, like the flowers here everything was always changing in some way.

Wish there was some way to keep some of them alive and blooming through the year, but it gets too cold during the winters. A single somber thought passed through Ichiro's mind, it was perhaps the only takeaway from the time where gentle snow and cold took hold of their village. Snow and frost were nice to play with, huddling around a warm fire more so, yet it made the world bland, took away its colors. Maybe, mom or gran could teach me how to animate a snow golem. That would be fun.

Ichiro grasped the handle of the front door. He stopped right as started opening, flinching as his sister jumped onto his shoulder and yipped, her little legs barely being able to stand on the small space. The older kitsune made sure not to stumble too much when catching Abi. "Careful there, can't sit still for one second, can you?" He chuckled, finally opening the door to his beloved home and stepping in.

The place was welcoming as any home is to a person, it had its atmosphere – being comfortably warm and still in comparison to the occasional breeze that blew outside. Its large and wide size, where none of the furniture could be obstacles, was also accommodating for the simple fact that his little sister couldn't be slow no matter where she went, climbing and dashing her way around everything. Not that he could blame her for doing so, he was as much of a wild soul as Abi but knew when to have restraint, yet there was always something freeing about climbing, jumping, and running. Sharp cat-like eyes darted across the rooms, many ornaments and trinkets were hung up on the walls or placed somewhere safe, most of them were mementos from his dad's adventures.

A familiar mop of grey hair poked from just around the corner, followed by the rest of the man's body as he noticed, gold meeting gold. In a mere instant, the young kitsune in Ichiro's arms sprung forward, jumping out of his grasp and onto the man older than them both. He caught her without much issue, not even stumbling or flinching from the suddenness of the act. However, that soon changed once the kit's tongue found its way home onto his face, forcing him to hold her at a distance.

"Well, if it isn't two of my most favorite people." Abner's chortle filled the corridor as he placed Abi down. She gave a disappointed growl to him, which was quickly silenced by a rub of the ears, in a single heartbeat the father's second hand was seized by Ichiro who placed it onto his own head. "I just finished "

"Uhm…yeah, we played hide and seek, ran around the forest…" Ichiro trailed off while recounting his simple adventures, he didn't only play with his sister or whatever kits found their way to him, sometimes his peers in age had some free time or maybe even occasionally his playful granny showed a few tricks, then the real fun began.

"Did you play any pranks on the locals?"

"Uh, no! Where did you get that idea from?"

"Ichiro, I know you always have that smirk on your face when you do something, always…that, and your mother heard you sneak out in the morning." Abner explained. Any time his son returned in an elated mood, there was always either a kid coming to their house to complain or a parent mentioning it in casual small talk. A very specific pattern formed, something quite easy to follow for the likes of him. "So, what did you do now?"

Ichiro gave a long-drawn-out dramatic sigh as he followed his father into the living room, once again he couldn't' conceal his mischief from his parents. While they didn't pry, them being unaware of his actions beforehand when the consequences come knocking on their door lead to some more heavy-voiced scolding and something in his gut told him that them not knowing about this particular prank would bite bit him in the ass, judging by the fact that he fled from crazed yelling about revenge. Come clean? Yeah, why not? At least they'll have some context when a girl with crazy eyes appears at their front door. Besides, I have done worse, like that firecracker incident…never again…

"Eh, it was nothing too complicated, simple really. I just set up a bucket of water to fall on someone's head." He chuckled remembering the event, so did his father too, although it sounded like it came from relief rather than his sense of humor. "Got quite a reaction out of it either was having a bad day or was holding all of that frustration in." If the latter was the case, he was glad to be of some help in relieving that emotional weight, sometimes yelling all out helped, especially on a person willing to take it.

"Ah, water in a bucket…classic."

The living room was especially spacious with a soft red carpet, its walls were fitted with bookshelves that contained most of everything his mother and father collected of the years along with some display cabinets containing minor strange-looking long-drawn-out devices trinkets, and devices, which function Ichiro knew nothing off and had enough caution within him not to touch. Several instances of nearly getting his eye poked out by a wooden owl proved a bit too dangerous for him, but at least he learned how to take it apart and put it back together. The general comfort furniture though of high quality, the boy had no doubt in it, it paled in comparison to his mother's attempts at flexing her green thumb, there was a concerning amount of potted plants and flowers placed around. If one minded the hyperbole one could compare it to a jungle filled with the colors of the rainbow and more, almost hypnotizing.

Inside there was his mother softly humming to herself, she was mostly hidden by her majestic thick tails that lightly swayed. He always did enjoy hiding underneath them, or simply being lifted up by them. Despite it all, Ichiro could tell that she was tending and admiring some of her work, it made the boy wish he had the same skill, maybe then he'd be able to look at them from something more than a beauty perspective.

Abner reduced his speed, walking carefully on the tips of his toes while holding out Abi. The man shared a single glance with his daughter, conveying the same message to each with a mere nod and smile. Ichiro could tell immediately what the man was trying to do he was as predictable as him, it seemed saying is right –the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Honoka's ears twitched and her tails stopped their motion. The boy shook his head in disappointment, hoping that perhaps his father was close enough to do what he wanted. Mom isn't easy to sneak up on, most Monsters in general. It is both a blessing and a curse ...always makes things interesting when thrown into the mix.

Honoka turned with graceful joy toward them, her signature beaming smile on her countenance, the movements almost seeming like a dance to the less elegant men and fox. Yet such a lady-like image was shattered into pleasant surprise once Abi came into view and suddenly gave a boop with her nose, which was quickly followed by Abner's hug that was loose enough not to squish the one-tailed kitsune.

In the loving exchange, she gave a kiss on the cheek to her husband and took Abi into her hands, cradling, the small kit's shaking hyperactivity changing into blissful tranquility as her reassuring mother's touch was the only thing that was calm in her world. "Ah…you're finally back. How did I not notice you, my little Abi?" She questioned herself, stroking the kit's fur.

"Maybe my scent was the first one you focused on." Abner jokingly suggested

"So it seems…so it seems. We have spent so much with each other that we are all practically soaked in other smells, it gets hard to tell apart sometimes from you or our little fluff balls." Honoka said before glancing toward Ichiro." Ichiro…what's my little boy been up to? Messing with the village's kids again."

"Mommyy!" Ichiro faked cried, dashing forward and hugging her. "There's this mean girl that wants to hurt me-e-ee!" He complained, all of his words were extremely slurred as he continued to fake sob. "All I did was accidentally pour water on her, I didn't mean it."

"Well if she ever comes here, just put on a big smile and apologize." Honoka chortled. "Maybe offer her your tail as a peace offering."

"But she pulls on Abi's tail, I don't want that to happen." It was in that single sentence said when she fully saw through her little boy's act and understood his reasoning. His ridiculous exaggerated mask of fakeness was already suspicious enough, although she easily wagered it was done to conceal something.

"Ah, so that's why you did it, can't say I disagree with your reasons," Abner added, shifting a sympathetic gaze at Abi.

"Hmph…then you'll have to teach her not to do that." The mother stated in a tone that wasn't all too serious and left the decision up to her son. Getting a tail pulled was an unpleasant sensation, yet Monsters were a sturdier bunch compared to their non-dark animal counterparts, even one with a single tail could take more damage, such mean-spirited action shouldn't be all too concerning.

Honoka set down the fox in her hands "Every punishment needs a lesson to go with it. Otherwise, it's not anything close to justice, but just plain sadism." She grabbed some paper and a stylus, placing them down in front of the fox boy. "Just like this is your punishment."

"Mom, please don't do this to me. I'll read any book you'll give me, just don't make me write. It's so boring." Ichiro begged his mother, shifting his gaze between both her and Abner and hoping his old man would intervene and save him from this dull torture.

"What are you looking at me for? Pretty sure most of the stuff that mom will give you shouldn't be within sight range of a child." Abner huffed and walked off out of the living room, leaving only Ichiro, his powerless sister, and his soon-to-be tormentor.

"I can already write…" Ichiro said, averting his eyes away from Honoka's motherly gaze.

"Can you even read what you write?" She gave one simple question that made the boy turn pale in despair. This was the last thing he wanted to hear come out of her mouth, had really not been just in punishing someone for pulling on her sister's tail.

"Ye-….no…no, I can't…" Ichiro sheepishly admitted. Writing had always been a weakness for him, not from a lack of talent but of motivation, especially rewriting something from a book, couldn't he just keep the book and read it himself? While the act itself was rather simple, it was the dull stillness of sitting in one place and scribbling some words down that killed him on the inside.

"You're going to have to learn one day. Sooner is better than later. After all, an educated mind reads and writes. If you want to learn anything serious like magic by yourself, you're going to have to know how to do both." She put a hand on his cheek directing his gaze back onto her own.

Abner casually strolled back into the living room, a strange thick book in the man's hands that was dusted off. Looking at it his expression was nostalgic as if it had reminded his days of the long past. Honoka and Ichiro turned to him with curious looks. He had made his presence known by his loud footsteps and loud cough. "Thought about it…and I actually have an idea of how I can help you. Writing is boring to you, right? This will make it more interesting." He handed the book to his boy, who observed it in interest.

"It's a spellbook." Abner preemptively answered Ichiro's question and smiled as his son's eyes lit up.

"A spellbook? May I for a moment?" Honoka asked for the book to observe it to judge the contents within it. A part of her felt as though she had seen it before somewhere, the familiar flaming rose emblem on its cover being particularly stuck her jogged her memory forward. Ichiro complied with the request without complaint, though the excitement in his hands and eyes was unmistakable. The kitsune mother skimmed through it, halting after a few seconds, her eyes widening. "This is not just a simple spellbook, no…this old Albert's notes, You still kept them to this day?"

"Who is Albert?" Ichiro questioned, never had his mother or father mentioned this figure ever in his life. If they had, he would clearly remember someone note-worthy enough to write notes containing magic in them.

"He i- was a family friend, a wizard that traveled with my trade caravan. He gave me that book right there as his last gift to me before… old age finally caught up with him." Abner the events leading up to the old man's death, how with his last breath passed down his notes. After that it took a while for him to realize that he could no longer speak to Albert, the wizard could no longer protect him. It was admittedly shameful that hadn't spoken about him to his son, but perhaps neither of his children were mature enough to know that much about his past. "I had too much heart to just sell it and I couldn't learn any magic so this has been sitting in some corner, gathering dust. But now, maybe we can put it to good use like it was meant to be."

"Albert would have been a good teacher, no doubt better than I even." Honoka said in dismay, though the quality of his notes was unmistakable the man's direct teachings and guidance would have far triumphed whatever he wrote. Still, some of his truth remained preserved, and thank the Six for that.

"Really?" Both Abner and Ichiro were on the same note, voicing out their surprise at her strange remark.

"Well, I don't really know about that honey. I loved the man dearly, he was like another grandpa to me, but he couldn't quite hold a candle to you." Her husband didn't waste any time explaining his skepticism, while the man was a brilliant magician, Abner had never seen him perform great acts of power or take the limelight with his tricks during their travels, unlike his wife.

"Pah, those who don't understand magic always focus on the firepower and grandiose looks, there is nothing wrong with a subtle touch, many of my kind can attest to that." Honoka brushed his skepticism away and unbeknownst to Abner, Ichiro nodded along with his mother. "Sure, Albert may not have been able to call down the wrath of the elements, blast his enemies with endless arcane but that's because he is human, his aged body and soul had limits. Monsters have a much easier time learning and using magic – a higher energy reserve and nearly instinctual grasp on manipulating their energy, while Humans must dedicate a large part of their life to learning and using it. Therein lies the only advantage Humans may have, complete rational understanding of the mechanics of a spell."

"I might have been more powerful but Albert knew and understood the very principles of what made the magic he used, it allowed for a perfect manipulation and modification with little to no risks." Honoka finished approaching her son and handing him the notes, but not before giving her last piece of advice for the day. "Show the same care and diligence as he did in this craft then you will no doubt surpass many if you desire to pursue the path of a wizard."

"Well…I…uh, don't really know what to say…" Ichiro sheepishly said, feeling disappointed in the fact the words were stuck in his throat. Having used magic many would call mediocre and basic to pull off his pranks at a safe distance the boy could certainly tell that all spells had their uses even the weakest ones but not to this extent. "Let's see what's in here first!" He opened the first pages of the book only to be shocked to see how neat the writing was and how well-drawn the diagrams and sigils were, his mother was right – these notes were written by someone who clearly knew what they were doing.

"Take it I did make writing more interesting for you?" Abner suddenly asked, his sudden inquiry and Honoka's amused chuckle forced his son to make a full stop.

"Huh?" Ichiro raised an eyebrow at them both, before noticing that he had been subconsciously reaching for the writing stylus atop some paper. The boy planted his hand down onto the table as he smiled, his core slowly filling with enthusiasm. "Guess I am. Will you let me try to cast some of those spells after I finish?"

"I don't see why not. Just don't try lighting the house on fire." Honoka quipped and nodded at her boy, sitting beside him. All while Abner grabbed Abi, cradling the one tailed-kitsune who slept.

---

Ichiro had taken up the challenge at writing comprehensively without any complaint much to the relief of his parents. The said process was frustrating to the young kitsune, it was either his lack of focus that led to him making mistakes or his relatively untrained hands creating shaky writing that ruined his attempts at rewriting sentences. Nonetheless, he was determined to acquire such new knowledge and hold more power at his fingertips and so held steadfast in pleasing his mother's standards. He wrote as though he was some sort of speed demon, no matter how much Honoka warned him to slow down or erase what he wrote and ordered for a repeat. Nothing stopped his pace, he was going to learn to write in such a manner or fail to try.

At its most basic core fire is made of three simple parts – heat, air, and some sort of fuel. In the most optimal of cases, all of these factors are fulfilled by their respective circumstances leaving the magician with only one job of directing the flame, their only issue is facing a stronger opposing force. Spells that involve igniting an object or person require the magician to fulfill the requirement of heat by using their energy. However, in most common occurrences with magic involving fire, the magician must use their reserve to heat and fuel the flame. Fire magic should not be used in environments that have little to no air, not only does the magician risk using up what little breathing time they might have left, they are also faced with the daunting task of fulfilling all of the criteria to make up a fire spell by themselves. Such a feat may only be comfortably performed by those with innate prowess in fire magic or those that have contracted spirits, for they are the ones that truly understand the very spirit of fire.

The two-tailed kitsune placed down his writing implement and gaze down at the paragraph, behind it all the concept was easy to understand for him. Fire was made up of three different parts, the more parts were present outside of the mage's input the easier it was to conjure and control the flame. Of course, it wasn't all that simple. It never was as evident by the numerous other pages he read through on such a subject. For now, the basics sufficed for Ichiro.

"Huh? Okay, that one seems simple enough. " Ichiro said to himself as he pushed the piece of paper that had been so tortured by his stylus and eraser aside for his mother and father to check, yet both ceased what they were doing to see him bring his hands up and seemingly grasp the air.

"Going to try again?" Abner questioned, yet got no answer from the boy. Despite the silence, he was glad to see his child have so much resolve and commitment to a task.

"Watch this." Ichiro said to them as power began to flow into his palms, erupting outward and forming channeling signs.

It hadn't been like anything he was mostly used to, the approach to this was more complicated than his ordinary magic darts. The boy's hands began to warm up before the heat pooled where he was concentrating. Some strands of hair fell atop his eyes being pushed by an air current flowing the point between his hands. Only a few seconds later did a ball of fire erupt in the boy's grasp, making him flinch and nearly drop concentration, which caused it to almost fizzle out into smoke.

"Here we go, a firebolt."

"Would you look at that..." Abner remarked at the thing floating between his son's hands with pride and amazement. There he was, his young child, casting a spell he had only learned the existence in the same day. Sure, it had been a simple magical construct of flame, but that didn't change what Ichiro had accomplished in his eyes and further cemented his idea that he could achieve greatness.

"Knew you could do it." Honoka placed a hand on Ichiro's shoulder, he didn't move or react much, only giving a soft if a bit cocky smile to both of his parents. "Remember the saying 'don't play with fire.' "

"Got it, mom."

The spell conjured up was a marble-sized ball of fire that appeared fairly concentrated and dense as opposed to normal fire, almost seeming as though he could grab freely. So as long as he kept focus he could leave it there floating, physical movement only eased directing and adding force. He pulled on it, bouncing the bolt from one hand to the other before shifting its position to the top of his finger. Its flowing movement, sparking was mesmerizing to look at for Ichiro. Pulsing with heat it was as though it was alive, breathing the air that he was directing in, within was the unmistakable and intense urge to spread and devour. The light, like a candle, reflected off the Kitsune's eyes, such conjured flame was proving he was capable of more than he thought. Ichiro understood what he held. Fire was both a warming comfort and a destructive force of nature to be trifled with.

From that moment onward Ichiro could define his desires clearly, a certain spark of ambition shone within his golden eyes.

---

The night quickly came to Yamatai village and most of its inhabitants were lulled to sleep, their sleeping minds left to wait for another day. Besides the calls of insects and forest wildlife, the village was dead quiet. Some however had stayed up in this hour bound by their diligence or duty to do their job that required a more silent environment, far from the busy chatter that usually took place. While a selective few had their mischief and childish spirit keeping them alive and awake, moonlight always did give a special atmosphere for their games. Two figures walked along a worn-down path, they glanced around cautiously as if waiting for someone to suddenly jump out of them or run away.

"Champion of hide-and-seek my ass…" A young feminine voice exclaimed, it came from one of the figures that walked tirelessly, her gait filled with frustration. She was a young elf, skin dark much like her older sisters, the only thing that made her stick out of the environment was her silver hair tied in the form of a loose ponytail, green eyes that shone in the dark like a cat, and a crimson rose-pattern jacket she wore, only her pant blended into the fauna. A dinky dagger was holstered against her hip. "No doubt about it, his scent is all over this place. Who the hell hides in a sacred shrine?

Besides was a human girl, similar in age. She shivered at the cold nightly breeze that passed by them, both wanted nothing more than to find their target and warm up. In comparison, the girl was a plain-looking country bumpkin, irises brown as the tough wood that grew strong in the forest, which was the same as her hair tied in a side plait. "Gran usually comes here to pray, but it's a bit scary here at night, isn't it?" She asked as they passed by a spirit gate, leading to the shrine.

"Probably why he chose it, to keep scaredy-cats like you away!" The elf pretended to lunge at her, with hands in the shape of imaginary claws. A sadistic chuckle followed the elf's companion as she stumbled back.

"H-hey! I'm not scaredy-cat…" Her friend proclaimed, cheeks turning to a raging red as she gave a good look at the shrine they were in. It was darker than the village, being under the careful shade of the trees there was nothing lit. Strangely the shrine seemed empty despite housing a certain hiding fox, the stone began to tear away to the environment. Wood lost its splendor in paint and rotted. No offerings were left, likely eaten by some critter. "It's ominous, that's all."

"Hmm, seems to me like he deserves a punishment for dragging us all the way here, hmm…what to do, what to do?" The elven girl putting her hands on her hips, looked onto the clouded sky above as she sniffed for that boy's scent, they were close incredibly so, yet it seemed she had underestimated his so-called foolishness. While his scent was in the shrine, it was all over the place, its exact location was barely traceable.

"By p-punishment…do mean-"

"Might…" The elf answered her friend's sheepish question before it was spoken out and frowned, sighing at the silent discomforting disbelief her friend showed. "Why not…? Moon's out and it's a perfect romantic night, besides there has to be repayment for all shit he pulled… well…maybe not in a shrine, I won't stoop down to his level."

"Right…speaking shrine…were these candles lit before?" She inquired with another question that gnawed on her mind. For it might have been her own forgetful paranoid mind playing tricks on her and finding something to be afraid of, but she could swear she saw something move in the corner of her eye, that unnatural rustling of bushes and now candles somehow lighting themselves up.

"I don't think so." The elf answered slowly, almost unsure herself whether or not her memory was correct. And they both began to turn to the center of the shrine, where a strange broken-down idol of a warrior figure was laid to rest atop an altar. Beneath it was an offering bowl, where sacrificial incense was burned. "Uh…Ichiro! We know where you are, you can come out now!"

There was no answer, only the hoot of an owl and chirping of bugs was heard, and this deadly quiet remained for long. Each second passed felt like an eternity, an eternity filled with doubt on whether they were alone and if their company was truly the one they were looking for. Their bodies froze up completely as the candles and fire pits leading to the main altar began to spontaneously light up on their own, one by one as though it were some cruel attempt at being inviting for the two girls.

The elf took a step forward, it was meticulous, all of her movement was forced out through sheer will. It didn't buy her any more courage than she already had, although it did serve to encourage her friend to follow after her, yet it couldn't be said this action was born of bravery either.

"This isn't funny, Ichiro. I swear if you don't stop this now, there will be more than an honest beating coming to you." She warned, pulling out her dagger and clutching her friend close to her as they interlocked their arms. Whether it came from desperation or not didn't matter, that frustration and anger directed at the prankster seemed to be the only thing staving off her strange sense of dread and terror. Something about this place didn't seem right at all.

Again, there was no answer from the one sought to find, just the main altar offering bowl flame having a flame conjured up out of thin air. They both stopped at that point, instincts and rational thought both screaming in unison for them to turn back while they still could, that there was something or someone dark awaiting them at the shrine, that they stumbled upon a creature they could not comprehend.

"You find disturbing a forgotten specter's rest amusing?" A voice echoed through the shrine, coming to every single corner. It had appeared to belong to a man, weary and tired, yet still powerful. The fire at the offering bowl, condensed as if hardening into some type of material, formed a two-dimensional face of two eyes, a toothy scowl, and a sharp beard. "No offerings present? What else are you for than to wake and mock these ancient bones of mine?"

"No, we-"

"Then leave and never return, before my patience runs thin... unless you seek to test it?" The face gave a malevolent smile, mocking in its simplicity. "Let it be known that the dagger you wield will not aid you in any way, you cannot harm someone already dead…LEAVE!"

With a shriek that drowned out all of the forest ambiances and most likely awoke many, the girls turned coat, running out the place of worship as fast their legs could carry them, no doubt to warn the others about the wrathful specter lurking in one of the hidden shrines. The fiery face, satisfied by its work, turned expressionless and vanished leaving behind only a few candles. Then a very boyish laugh emerged from the shadows, followed by more. All of their voices synchronized in unnatural perfection.

The two-tailed kitsune walked out from behind the main altar, clapping as though imagining that there was an entire audience watching him perform such a theatrical act. He proved to be correct, soon enough more enthusiastic clapping and whistling joined the boy as five more smiling figures popped out of the shadows…they were all Ichiro, every single one of the figures that lurked in the shadows was each a lively identical copy of each other.

They shared a celebration, congratulating each other on a job with pats on the back or hugs, though strangely none of them spoke a word to each other. It was eerily silent within the shrine as always, except for a loud thud ringing out throughout the stone pathway. An abandoned chest shuddered and shook, something was knocking against the top from the inside, but it refused to budge. The lookalikes all glanced at the shaking trunk, one of them pointed over to it while a few others nodded and hastily walked to it.

One clone took a single careful look at the thing keeping the chest shut - a lock that was open but completely rusted over. He then prodded it open, letting the chest lid be open as a pair of legs popped out wearing the same pants and shoes as the lookalikes. Those two legs waved around in desperation, shouts filling the air, the chest would have nearly flipped over were it not for the Ichiro's lookalikes holding it down.

A sigh was heard. "I'm stuck, a little help here?" The one trapped requested the lookalikes and they wholeheartedly complied, rushing in to pull him by the legs and free him.

Another Ichiro emerged from the chest with a joy-filled, if a bit panicked expression, he was gently placed on his feet, finding support in the speechless lookalikes. His senses came to him quickly, he took some steps forward and suddenly grabbed hold of his back, leaning back while he stretched his strained spine. "Uhh…my back…by the spirits', damn, was it stuffy in there." He wasted no time to complain about his short-lived suffering, before glancing toward the path his two victims ran on.

Ichiro smiled, nodding to himself in satisfaction which had quickly turned his previous discomfort into a long-forgotten memory. It was a victory against his pursuers, ones which he willingly invited into a game. Yet all the same the boy couldn't pass up an opportunity for mischief. The lookalikes all nodded with him before abruptly vanishing into thin smoke, leaving him finally alone in this ancient place of worship.

"Phew…can't believe that worked as well as it did." Ichiro breathed out the delayed breath he was holding in while on the verge of being compromised inside a tight chest. It was now or never. Ichiro's pursuers finding him within its small confines wouldn't bode well for the boy. "Could have sworn that she was braver than that, it should have taken more words from me for her to break. Ah well…make things easy for me…"

"But are you braver than her? Brave enough to repent for your blasphemous transgressions, using the dead for your petty jest?" An irritated phantom voice that echoed throughout the forest broke the boy out of his joyful daze and brought him to the cold reality of the night around him despite all of the candlelight near him, which had begun to be snuffed out just as quickly as the two-tailed kitsune realized the truth of his situation.

The blood in his veins froze, he felt an unnatural cold creep up behind his back. Whatever he had angered was standing or floating right behind him, there was no doubt about it. Ichiro felt the spectral breath of death touch his cheeks and neck, a poison that promised a painful end to the one that had wronged its owner. He swallowed the lump that formed his throat, either he was going to flee, be spared, or be killed on the spot.

"Now then what will it be?" The specter breathing down on him asked and he found no strength within himself to answer. "Turn around, so I may see the face of who I will judge." That question was followed by an equally terrible order the boy had prayed to not hear. For that was also the temptation, the morbid curiosity buried within his subconsciousness brought out into the world to see.

With great hesitation that was hurried by the stench of death in the air he breathed in, Ichiro turned to see his potential assailant. Slowly, body moving first and head following second he tried getting the wrathful being into his view before some remaining spark of courage took hold and forced his body to make the sharp and fast turn to his doom. Did it come from something noble or was he being suicidal? He could not say. Yet much to his surprise, he found nothing, the space behind him was vacant. Although before relief or more paranoia could set in an impossibly fast blur charged toward him, there was no time for him to step back or avoid whatever was coming to him.

It stopped and the first thing he saw was a pair of emerald eyes. A finger lightly tapped his nose ."Boop."

"Gah!" Ichiro stumbled back, falling flat on his ass, but his panic, which could no longer be restrained, made him quickly recover and drag himself away from whoever was his surprise assailant. His brain and heart went into overdrive, there was a strong fast beat in his chest, he could feel the blood running through his veins and feeding his muscles to make the body do everything it can to run away. A creative mind did what does best, and Ichiro overimagined. He went through every single possible scenario that could happen, much to his own horror, and concluded the thing had been playing with hi-

"Ha! Spooked you, didn't I?" That was until a familiar playful laugh stunned him completely. It was a laugh that was cemented deep into his early childhood memory, belonging to a single person who was a constant ray of sunshine in his life. He remembered getting excited or falling asleep to many of her fantastic stories and the bits of wisdom that were given always carried him forward. Now, what were such welcoming memories doing in this decrypt shrine?

"Oh…I really did give you quite a shock…you're all pale." The voice noted, a touch of concern overtook the playfulness in her tone. Ichiro felt something warm and soft wrap around his outstretched arm as his finger interlocked with another hand's finger. it was smaller and softer than his own. "Come now, there is nothing to be afraid of, it's just me."

The two-tailed Kitsune was pulled up and out a regained sense of lucidity finally decided to take a look at the one who scared him. Those two emerald green eyes he saw first came into view first and it was until nine tails swinging behind her back crossed his vision did the identity of his unexpected guest fully cemented in his mind.

"G-granny!?" Ichiro exclaimed out of shock while quickly turning into enthusiasm once his eyes scanned her form. As he lived and breathed the strongest of his kin, Tamamo, stood in front of him, three of her tails holding him close. Yet such revelation brought more questions that he hoped to get answers to.

"Granny? Is this really how you greet me after all of these years? I remember the time when you were still little, running around calling me big sis." Tamamo complained as she pouted, irritation seeping out of her countenance, though the boy figured this was just a jest through the fact that she hadn't cast him aside yet. She brushed her hair and brought it in front of him. "Don't have any ancient grey in my hair or fur now, do I?"

"But you are old!" He wasted no time to retort. Perhaps the first proper lesson that he had ever learned with Tamamo was that appearances could be deceiving, his granny certainly did look like a young girl yet the truth was far from it - she was the most ancient out of all of them. Age hadn't detracted any fine detail about her. Anyone that could live to live for many centuries without losing a bit of her youth and fun, playful demeanor was good in his books.

"And because of that, I am just a granny?" Tamamo inquired with a smirk. Were it not for his superior hearing he wouldn't have heard her whisper under her breath the regret of ever mentioning her approximate age.

"But you're my granny." Ichiro returned the smirk with his own and then hugged her, transforming Tamamo's awkward yet assuring hold on him into an actual warm embrace, in a mere instance he felt all those nine tails wrapped around his frame soft enough to make him fall asleep while standing. A chuckle rang out through the shrine. This year he was finally taller than her, his chin being only slightly above her head. Not much of an achievement but it at least meant he wouldn't remain little for long.

"Suppose I can't be mad about that." Tamamo mumbled averting her gaze away from before burying her face in his chest, the hold becoming tighter. "It's nice to see you again after all this time. Our Lord hasn't exactly been gracious at giving me a break. She's been planning something…but enough of that, I won't bore you with pointless details. What have you been up to?"

"Just my usual handy work, don't you know if you saw it or not but it turned out pretty good." Ichiro said remembering how loud the terrified screams and screeches were. There was no hint of arrogant pride in his tone, just a simple sense of accomplishment. Each successful trick pulled off was another victory for him.

"Arrived just when it was happening... Scaring a couple of girls like that...you're a heartless beast." Tamamo humorlessly remarked, sharing another chortle with the boy as they finally broke off the embrace. Ichiro could feel the warmth come back to the shrine, the lights that went out light back up again.

"I had my reasons, can't let my record be broken and nobody made a rule against scaring your seeker away." The two-tailed kitsune casually shrugged, walking over to the chest that kept him trapped for a moment. Nothing he did was wrong, it was a valid strategy in a situation where you're being chased by someone tougher than you, just be scarier. "So, how was it? Does it meet your standards, oh great one?"

"Amateur, seriously, who gets stuck in an unlocked chest?" Tamamo japed and Ichiro turned a crimson shade once realized that she had truly seen everything that transpired despite his wishes. "But for a young beginner like you? Brilliant. Using clones to light and control the fires was a perfect idea, they don't have a scent and if caught you'd just vanish them away into thin air. They can be used in a fight but also as a distraction, any kitsune worth their weight knows that."

"But the fire…Honoka teach you that?" Tamamo inquired with a raised eyebrow, it was maybe the first question that appeared in her mind when watching Ichiro perform. Yet as far as she knew Honoka hadn't shown a strong intention in teaching the boy such offensive magic, it seemed she'd rather prefer to let the nine-tailed sage handle it.

"Learned myself or rather from notes of the one called Albert." Ichiro answered without skipping a beat, concealing his frustration at having the notebook be closed on him before the saucier, more intricate details came into view.

"Ah…Albert, I've heard about him, an extremely skilled practitioner as Humans go. You'd do best to learn everything you can from him, not just to swing a couple of spells around." Tamamo advised, there was no humor present in her voice. In life, she had seen too many haughty mages and sorcerers, both Humans and Monsters that focused too much on fanciful flair and suffered as result. "Speaking of magic, what do you know so far? Might help broaden that skill set of yours." She winked.

"Oh well, I have my usual stuff." Ichiro said sheepishly, not much of what he knew was altogether impressive in comparison to some of the things that his other kin had even on a technical aspect. He wasn't blind. There wasn't anything in his possession that was surprising to the old fox sage." Magic dart, when I need some subtle precision or…to knock a bucket on someone's head." He pointed up his index finger and a minor spark of arcane shined from the tip. "Clones, but I haven't gotten them to talk independently yet and finally my newest addition is a firebolt" After a pause a ball of fire was conjured up between his hands, which had been snuffed out as quickly as it lit up.

"That's it, what have you been doing for the past years? Boring…" Tamamo shook her head while yawning exaggeratedly.

"Huh? I thought it was about being practical and creative, not flashy…"

"Exactly, you never tried experimenting and making anything by yourself?" Her question didn't fail to give the boy a mind-shattered pause, he thought on her words and how much truth they held. Ichiro glanced to the side, which closed together upon hearing his granny's sigh. He avoided Tamamo's gaze. "Your generation is always supposed to be more creative than the one that came previously. That's the virtue of being young, a child's head hasn't been filled with ridiculous nonsense and rules yet."

Ichiro felt a finger touch his chin pushing him to look back at Tamamo, who had been standing on his toes to meet his eyes. "Chin up, it's not the end of the world nor does it mean you're not creative. Certainly, the trick you pulled can prove that wrong. Make something up right now."

"Right now?" Ichiro raised an eyebrow. As much as he currently knew magic had to be treated with respect, otherwise, said person wanted to blow themselves up. While finding new ways to use his spells had been an entertaining and fascinating adventure, to actually randomly experiment so suddenly didn't sit all too well with him.

"Right now." She repeated confidently, the soft gaze she gave him silently reassured him that nothing would go awry. "Start with something simple. Take the way a spell works and then change it. You can use another as a reference. How do you think people thought off entire spell books of magic?"

"Alright."

The two-tailed prankster took some steps back, making the careful distance between him and his nine-tailed granny as they shared a nod. Without any hesitation he summoned back the firebolt, figuring it would be best to start with a base he could modify. Alright, alright, Ichiro…you understand this spell better than anything else. Albert laid it out pretty well in his notes, three things are necessary for fire: air, fuel, and heat. Ichiro watched the flame dance in his palms, throwing from one place to another, if it weren't for the inherent instincts of safety he'd be gripping the thing without thinking. Air is already all around me, I don't need to worry about that, and heat and fuel are taken care of inherently. That leaves nothing else, a firebolt is just a small ball of fire meant to be fired like a...bolt... Ichiro quickly summed up and concluded the information he had managed to gather about the spell. The heat and fuel that it took to make that little spark had given it a light touch of his power to maintain, through the dull sensation of having energy taken he found the link between him and the flaming ball at his fingertips.

Hmm…what if I…The boy shifted his fingers around, sigils formed and changed in shape, new ones being added and some being dismissed, he removed his hands away from the bolt, letting it float in the air on its own. Just like I first thought, hands aren't necessary to direct this thing, probably not even needed to make it, but it helps to focus. He pulled on the link between him and the fire and the fiery bolt darted from point to point around the shrine to where he was looking at. Another firebolt was summoned and joined together in a waltz with his first one. Hmm…still takes quite a bit of effort to control, I still need to think about it where it goes. Pretty normal, but in the heat of the moment and with multiple of these things to be guided it's inconvenient. Maybe…

"That face you're making…take it you have pieced together what you want out of this spell? Want to figure anything, ask away. Take as much time as you need. " Tamamo chimed in and had only been just when he noticed she moved to one of the altars, using a floating flame to heat a teapot.

"Almost, need to solve a single problem." Ichiro replied as his brain rushed toward a solution to this conundrum. If he were to find one then he'd be able to call on hundreds of fireballs without having to worry about where they'll end up. That seemed like the proper goal to strive for a so-called amateur like him. "Save some for me." He added, bringing his attention back to the flames, which had nearly sputtered out of existence.

What to do, what to do? It would be better if I didn't need to pay attention to any flame I conjure, just let one loose and that's it but that would also prevent accuracy. Need some passive way of feeding them. The gears turned. A puzzle was in front of him, one that he had to solve if he wanted to make Tamamo proud, to show himself that he could accomplish anything he set his mind to. On a desperate chance, the two-tailed Kitsune traced the steps and the chain of events that lead him here. What was it that Tamamo said to him? That he could use a spell as a reference? Did he necessarily only need to use one? These flames have a link to me...

Like clones. Ichiro's eyes widened in realization, he had struck gold and right at the vein's heart. Could they be like my clones? To be able to think on their own and still be linked to me in what I want? It might just be my energy feeding but the same link is there. The floating fire bolts vanished and once more he held out his hands, rearranging and manipulating the structure of the spell.

"Made something? Just in time for tea actually."

"Yes..." Ichiro awkwardly coughed. "I think so anyway"

The approving nod he got from her pushed him further into finishing his experiment and so he took a wide stance. He clapped his palms together, loose symbols appeared around his entire frame, mostly concentrated on his hands. They were more intricate and complex in design than the previous ones used for a regular firebolt. As he parted his hands three balls of fire formed, they were linked by a thick jagged line of flame between them, their burning calmer and focused, appearing more like a firefly.

Without any command given, the freshly made fire bolts flew out and about around the shrine, going through every nook and cranny they could find, spreading out to light some of the few unlit candles, lanterns, and braziers. It was all at his call that they made this dance and it didn't take long for them to come back to him, safely circling his appendages before finding their place behind the novice prankster, circling his back.

Tamamo clapped and whistled, prompting her grandson to bow, drawing an end to his performance for her. She stood back and strolled to him gazing proudly at both the boy and the firebolts flying near him. "Interesting design." The kitsune remarked, observing its peculiar natural movement as though they were living breathing creatures, her fingers just about brushing against one. "May I?"

"Of course."

She grabbed the ball of flame, closing her own hands around it. Ichiro's ears twitched, his nose felt itchy, an intense power radiated from his elder. He took some steps back, there were no magic markings or signs, or any indication that she was casting a spell, but the feeling of power. Tamamo's power was unmistakable. It was only after half a minute of his granny staring at her closed palms did she finally move.

Tamamo stepped forward. Her movements were lady-like. She walked like one would initiate some sort of ballroom dance. Yet the elegance wasn't a long-lasting piece of such display and soon the dance turned into violent and wild swing upward. In a blink of an eye, the nightly sky was littered with tens of hundreds of these little bolts of flame, either floating peacefully or engaging in some sort of race with one another. Neither kitsune said a word to one another, only quietly taking each other's side and watching the spectacle unfold.

"What are you naming it?"

"Will-o-wisp."

---

Here we have the first and hopefully not last chapter of this story. This is the first and shortest arc, the childhood arc, it's going to be made up of cutesy moments or scenes that lead toward developing the character's personality. There will be some scenes that are a bit saucy but nothing serious. This arc will be followed by the Monster Lord's castle arc, where MC meets Alice and makes the castle's archives his new temporary home.

Yes, a fully-blooded male Monster, that does possess some interesting quirks of humanity. Dark Energy is very mutative, it can be seen by the way Monster came into existence, by rapidly mutating the existing wildlife into women that drain men's life through their balls. This mutation and evolution were divinely guided by Alice I, however, she has been taken out of the equation by her sister. No Alice I, no one to guide such mutation on a planetary scale, and therefore Ichiro comes into existence. Or perhaps his birth is not made of random circumstance? Both are plausible and only time will tell which assumption is correct.

Namesakes:

Ichiro: The name literally means First Son ("Ichi" - one. The kanji for "Ro" - son), which is quite fitting considering his position in the story. It can be viewed from two perspectives, that he is the first son of his family and that he is the full-blooded "First Son" of Monsterkind.

-Honoka: A bit more complicated, the kanji that make up the name are words for harmony and flower. The latter has an obvious connection to her hobby while the former will have more to it later.

-Abner: A more western name, to signify that he is not Yamatai Village originally. In Hebrew, the name means "My father is a light.", which will have a connection to the MC goals as in Abner will be one of the inspirations leading Ichiro to his types of research.

- Abi - The name Abigail was shortened to Abi to make it sound more Japanese. It is the fusing of the two cultures of Honoka's and Abner's, the latter being the one to name her.

Before anyone asks, Tamamo is not one of the possible pairings despite the story's name and the main character's closeness to her. That's the main problem, despite all of the weird kinks that I have (Shocking news from a guy that played MGQ, I know), writing incest, even if it is not blood-related, is not something I'm comfortable with. Trust me, I have tried... much to my own dismay.