Life As A Fox

Chapter 45

NSW-The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story (see my bio for explanation)

"Are you sure about this?" Kiba asked, Hinata nodded. "you have no need to worry Kiba, his bonds are tight, and he is weak, if he is enraged, he will not cause bodily harm" Kiba looked to Sakura quizickly "bodily harm?" Sakura nodded "he cannot grant physical damage, but his words can be as sharp and as feirce as his fangs upon flesh."

Sakura glanced to Sakura who held Hime "be careful, and mind what you say" "hold it" a voice rang out, they turned to see Mammoth accompanied by a demon badger. Mammoth strode towards them "forgive the intrusion, but we wish to access Fluffy as well, I have heard stories of his...recovery, and I wish to see for myself, of weather they are true."

Sakura nodded "very well" then let all of them. The room was darkly lit, Mammoth stepped forward, a growl filled the room. Eminating form somewhere in the darkness. Sakura spoke "you must not step forward so brashly, he takes offense" Mammoth galnced to her "what?...offense how?" Sakura spoke "you move like a warrior does...closing in on his pups."

Mammoth nodded, understanding her meaning. "can we not get some light?" Sakura nodded and moved towards the draped windows, removing them slowly. The light danced across the floor until it reached the foot of a bed, where a wolf demon lay. Fur ragged and dull, bones jutting from beneath loose skin. But eyes that burned with intensity of many suns.

Mammoth spoke "wolf heart..." two ears flicked forward, as the eyes turned slowly towards him "...Mammoth" he said in a raspy voice. Hinata stepped forward as well, for a moment those eyes flicked away for him and settled on her, they softened only slightly. "you...had a child" he said in the same manner Hinata nodded "Hime" she said softly, "a girl..." Naruto said.

He cast his eyes downward thinking, "Gin..was once a child such as that, young...full of potential, and full of life..." he broke away from his train of thought, and went silent. Gomeg stepped forward studying him "this...this can't be...it's not possible...I thought...no...it's unheard of...not with humans."

They all looked to him "what? what are you talking about?" Gomeg turned to Mammoth "the teenagers...did they go under any sort of transformation? did they change after Fluffy became their sensei?" Mammoth nodded "WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME THIS?" Mammoth was shocked at the badgers out burst. "I..did not think it important, I thought they were only following his orders and training."

Gomeg cursed in demon, "you are mistaken, what had happened was not just kids acting like beasts...it was the act of soul lines" Hinata gazed to him "soul lines?" Gomeg nodded "certian pack demons, and herd demons will create bonds with each other, much like a bond between life mates, only weaker." Gomeg sighed "what happens is, herd demons or pack demons use this bond to help the pack or herd survive, to be able to speak to one another silently, to be able to know where another is, to know when one is needed, these are all things soul lines do".

Gomeg continued on "however, the thing of soul lines is, they must be constantly formed with each new addition to the pack, because if not, and a demon loses all of his soul lines..." Gomeg grew silent. Turning his head away "what...what happens?" Gomeg spoke "I have only seen it happen once, when I was a child under going my fathers instruction."

Young Gomeg sat upon his haunches before his father who towered over him, Gomeg traced small swirles in the ground before him as his father told him yet another story of some demon of old who did something important that would be a life lesson for him. Gomeg pretended to listen but was caught up in his own fantasies of using his powers to fight and be a great warrior.

His father waved his paws about, his large claws gleaming in the sun 'never used to take life...always used to save life' Gomeg thought remembering the words his father always said when he spoke about his claws. His father was just about to finish the story when a crashing noise came from the bush, his father without missing a beat turned his blind eyes to Loketi, the great demon stag.

Gomeg would like to know how is father saw when he was blind, and how he himself would see the world when he too abandoned his normal sight for the abilities of a seer and healer. "Garabi!" Loketi yelled in his deep bleating voice, he was a powerful and tall stag, the deer demons where larger then their normal animal counter parts, they stood at least two to three heads taller, and where much more wider.

Loketi tossed his head about, his prongs gleaming in the sun. Gomeg gazed at them, even Loketi's antlers have slayed many a competitor to his mates. "what is it Loketi?" Garabi replied "it is Imura...something terrible has happened...humans..." Garabi yipped "HUMANS!? humans have never came near this forest, it has stood for a thousand years as the only place where we demons can live and thrive...it is our forest!"

Loketi nodded his head "that may be, but a small herd of them appeared at the edge not to long ago, they have built a settlement...and have been growing" Garabi muttered to himself "why is it, I am the only one who hears of things last" Loketi flared his nostrils "it does not matter, we need to go to Imura now!" he said stomping his hooves.

Garabi nodded "very well, what has happened?" Loketi permitted Garabi upon his back. "I will explain as we go!" then Loketi bounded off, springing in the graceful panicked flight that deer posses. Gomeg raced after them, he wished to see, wished to help. Gomeg raced as fast as his little paws could carry him. Following after the bounding hooves of Loketi.

Finally they arrived at the place where Imura and his herd rested during the day, a small meadowed clearing. Perfect for them, a hill jutted out for Imura to stand on and watch over his heard, and the grass was tall enough to conceal the young foals and fillies he sired. But the meadow was not as Gomeg had veiwed it before, instead it was a battle field, a battle field where horses lay the slautered enemies.

Gomeg breath caught in his throat, all around him young mares lay, their bodies folded around their young colt or filly protecting them to their very last breath. Garabi closed his eyes "tell me Loketi, does not even one survive?" Loketi nodded "his first mare, the mare he has always kept by his side, she lives...yet" Garabi nodded "I must save that mare if I wish to save him."

Gomeg glanced up not understanding, "what happened"? Loketi looked down noticing him for the first time "humans came, wishing to tame wild 'horses' what they found was demons, so of course they followed their ways and slaughtered every one of them without mercy, even the fleeing colts and fillies." Gomeg began to cry, some of them where his friends, he would play with them from time to time, when his studies permitted.

Loketi sighed "Imura came in, with a frenzy and hatred and killed a few of them as well, then they fled their fear stench overwhelms my eager nostrils." Loketi said happily. "come there is not much time" Garabi said and they pressed forward weaving in and out of the bodies until the came to where a silver mare still breathed...but not for long.

A single cut ran from her shoulder, across her ribs and to her stomach, she whinnied softly to Garabi, he fell down next to her and began to work quickly. He took his power and the power that Loketi borrowed to him and began to heal the wound, but the wound was deep and closed slowly. Gomeg looked about, suddenly a figure that struck fear into his heart appeared from the trees.

Coal black he stood a dominating figure, muscles tensed and gleaming in the sun, his eyes burned with a hatred, he tossed his head madly about, pounding the earth with his hooves tossing the earth about like a child god. He screamed in agony as he tore through the grass to them. He paused suddenly screaming at them "HELP HER" he said, voice tearing through the air.

Garabi nodded "I am doing what I can" he said, sweat upon his brow. The wound by now was only half closed, and blood was still raining down the other half, the mare, Shirsen nickered to Imura. Comforting him, Imura put his massive head down and cradled it next to hers, her eyes closed half lidded taking comfort from him. The mare finally spoke "my child comes...I would have it saved and not me."

Imura rose up on his back legs he roared in defiance "NO! I WILL HAVE ONLY YOU, NOT THE CHILD" Shirsen nickered, "the decision is mine, the child will breath life, and I will not, already I have sent my energies to the child, heed me my love, form the bond you have with the child, there is yet time to save yourself from the pain of being empty."

Imura landed shaking the earth "NO! I WILL NOT BE EMPTY, FOR YOUR FLANK WILL BE NEXT TO MINE, AS IT ALWAYS HAS" Shirsen sighed "Garabi, you are a healer you listen to the patiant not the over worried lover, I wish this, do as I ask...please, I would see my last foal into this world as I prepare to go to the next." Garabi nodded understanding, he moved to help pulling out the young foal from her torn belly.

She moved her head to only see the child, a dapple gray beauty. She smiled "he will grow to be as strong as his father but hopefully he will have my patiance...my young Imasen" The colt whinied softly begging for his mothers milk. But his mother only nickered softly in reply then lay her head down then, she slowly closed her eyes and her spirit faded, bringing her peace.

Imura roared as his last bond had been severed, he went mad with agony and pain, as he felt the herd that had once numbered many now lay to none. He was their protector and their leader, and he had failed them. Garabi pushed Gomeg out of the way before Imura's hooves could land upon him. Imura went mad he raced about the field calling to his dead herd, begging them to stand with him once more.

Loketi helped steer the young Imasen towards the trees, he would need milk, and Loketi knew a few of his does would have to share theirs with Imasen. Garabi put a hand on Gomeg's shoulder, "I know you secretly wish to be a fighter like most demons are taught, but you have the gift, I know you do" Gomeg looked to his father "what of Imura?" Garabi looked up "he has condemed himself for acting so brashly and not forming the line when he had the chance...and so he shall suffer the fate."

Gomeg looked to Imura who know stood shaking, his flanks already covered in sweat. "what fate?" Garabi sighed "the fate of having your soul, slowly bleed out, with so many wounds...he will not survive." Gomeg was confused by this "but he does not bleed, he is fine" Garabi brought his son closer "he bleeds on the inside, heart, mind, and soul bleeds in pain, this will cause him to die, not from wounds, but from pain...that is what is happening."

Garabi turned to leave "what shall we do?" Gomeg asked "there is nothing, we must only make sure no one come near him, he will strike them, his vision is now clouded he see's only enemies with it, enemies that would take his dead kin away, enemies that would doubt him as a leader, who would call him failure." Gomeg nodded he did not like it, but his father knew about these kinds of things.

So everyday Gomeg watched the one proud Imura slowly deteriote before his eyes, sweat caked his once proud flanks, blood began to weep from his over used hooves. He slowly began to slow, his head growing heavy, but he did not lower it to eat, or drink, or even sleep. Instead he kept on wailing and mourning for his herd. Days passed and soon, he barely could move, he lay on the ground, panting.

Gomeg had thought that that was how he was going to die, on the ground next to the bloated and leaking bodies of his kin, but he did not. One night he rose, agedly then he made the long journey to the top of the hill he would stand on, the moon lite his path as Imura the great stallion of the East meadow herd, rose up on his back hooves one last time, his fore hooves pumping and beating the air as if it were an enemy, and while doing so gave one last triumphant call.

Then his body fell forward and rolled down the hill. There was a silence that took Gomeg's breath away, he felt a shiver then his breath was let out as slowly one by one, pale luminescent figures rose form the bodies of the herd, it was the spirits of the herd, they had waited patiently for their leader to die, so that his spirit which now rose from his body shaking his head could lead them to the afterlife.

They gathered around him and he nodded to each in turn, reuniting with them, Shirsen walked up to his side, the caressed each other, then with a whinny and a small rear, he bounded off, collecting his herd members, they ran after him. He then circled and they turned upwards, running up an invisible hill, past the tree line and following this unknown path into the stars.

Gomeg cried at this, he felt both sad and happy for the herd he knew that now they would forever run in the afterlife, with their great coal black stallion at the lead. He felt a sudden paw on his shoulder "see, I told you, you have the gift, no warrior would have seen the beauty that had just been revealed to you." Gomeg then nodded understanding, he may not be a warrior and take lives with his claws, but he could be the one instead that brought back life to those who needed it.

Gomeg smiled softly at the childhood memory, "It is in itself a great and terrible beauty" Mammoth glanced to him then to Fluffy "how is this beautiful? he looks half dead-" A growl erupted at the mention of death. Mammoth decided that he would refrain from speaking for the time being. Gomeg sighed "only three lines were broken...there may be a chance."

Gomeg stepped forward "Fluffy" he said Fluffy looked down to him "what do you want?" he spat "only to help" Gomeg said reaching out to him "there is no-" He was cut off as Gomeg touched him, and pulled himself into Fluffy's mind.

At first Gomeg was confused as he swam through the memory bank, he saw images and pictures flash around him, a child, human with blonde hair and blue eyes, whisker marks upon his cheeks. He was alone and sad, but always remained happy and smiling. He grew into a young man, who had heavy burdens a best friend who betrayed him, a creature powerful and hard to control inside him.

Gomeg soon saw the boys life ended, and Fluffy's body in his place, 'so this child became a demon...the work of the goddess indeed' Gomeg soon had went though all the memories, the horrifying deaths of his students. Brutal and bloody, what would give most people nightmares. Gomeg shuddered as he entered Naruto's (for that was his name) private lair of grief.

He sat hunched over, inside what seemed to be an empty dungeon, it's floor however was replaced with ice. Gomeg padded over to him, Gomeg saw that three chains lay at his feet, what was once his soul lines lay cast off, lying on the cold floor. Naruto looked to him "what do I do...I long for death but also fear it as well."

Gomeg nodded "you have sense, you know that if death where granted, you would instead have to live an eternity wandering upon this earth, and no hope of getting closure or receiving forgiveness" Naruto laughed sadly "am I worthy of such, maybe that punishment would be fitting for me." Gomeg shook his head "no, it is not, no one deserved that punishment"

Naruto snapped his anger sudden "and no one deserves that kind of death!" he roared. Fur bristling. Gomeg nodded "true, the students died and horrible death, one you should have not witnessed nor any other, but the fact remains it happened, now what are you going to do about it? sit here and wallow in self pity, longing and fearing your punishment like a whipped dog?"

Naruto was silent "no, you instead should be doing different, find your reason for drawing breath, you had one before with no pack to call your own! you are different Naruto, you are a demon who can choose weather he wants to die or not, most who loose all their soul lines would be driven mad with the pain, yet you maintain some of your sanity! which means there is hope!"

Naruto scoffed "what hope is that? how could I show my face? I the failure? I the always failure, proclaiming I can protect when instead I let those under my care fall so brutally" Gomeg nodded "aye they fell brutally, but you forget they fall so that others may rise, so that others without the means did not have to fall, they where warriors, fighters, their duty and honor was to battle, just as your is."

Naruto studied him "but why is it that they young fell, while I did not?" Gomeg gritted his teeth "because the goddess wills you to live" Naruto snorted "the goddess may, but I am sure my students would beg otherwise, they would probably prefer to breath then I, they had the potential to go far, yet the fell like quivering leaves before those bloody Chen clan."

Gomeg took Naruto's head in his paws "they fell so that the Chen clan could follow them, the Chen clan is a backed up beast, waiting for slaughter, their numbers taken, their hope of knowing us and over-powering us taken as well, and when a person is backed into a corner with no hope, he most reassuringly falls."

Naruto looked to him "yes, or he rises like a god out of the mist and becomes stronger then any other" Gomeg shook his head "not if he is matched by person of likeness, are you not pushed into a corner? your students taken from you? do you wish for that to happen to everyone of Konoha? you are not the only sensei to loose the lives of his children, you are not the only father to feel the pain of losing a child, many have lost that and more, yet they stand strong and tall willing to face their enemy."

Naruto growled "that is all it will ever be, a cycle of hatred, if one man slays another man's brother a person will rise to slay his own brother, and soon in turn there is a war gripping the land!" Naruto looked away "revenge is never the answer" Gomeg nodded "it is not, however is proves to give many the right kind of insentive to breath"

Naruto glanced to him "you want me to live so that I may kill? how would that service my students memory" Gomeg grinned "it wasn't, it was only to get you to think of them as not lost, nor taken, but leaving you of their own will, you wish to honor their memory? tell me if your student's looked upon you now? what would they think and say? to see their great wise sensei who had always said that the greatest thing you can do in life is not give up...give up?"

Naruto looked away "they would be ashamed" Gomeg nodded "a grieving father is pardoned a great many things, but a fool is not one, do not be a fool and think that your pain is equal to no others, your pain hurts but I have seen others go through worse. What you need to know is that your students wish for you to be strong, fight through this...like the wolf you are."

Gomeg turned "your students may be gone, but your pack is not" he said finally Naruto looked to him "your students will be with you right here" Gomeg said pointing to his heart "if you wish to save them like you couldn't before, live their life for them, carry them with you and let them experience the world, just as you promised them, and protect and serve those who call you precious to them."

Gomeg looked to Naruto "it will be hard, there will be times when you will slip back to self doubt, but confide in those who care for you and are here, they will help you through this." Naruto looked into Gomeg's eyes "your eyes, I see now...they see things that normal eyes cannot pick up, they see a person's soul not their body."

Gomeg grinned "for a young one, you learn much" "now come, a women who cares for you wishes you to meet her child" Naruto sighed "how can I go back to them, after all I did?" Gomeg placed a hand on his shoulder "like I said, many things can be forgiven to a father grieving his children." Naruto turned to him "I can't promise that I will be happy, my heart still hurts, but I will try."

Gomeg nodded "that is all I ask of you, Naruto" Naruto looked to him "wait...my name?" Gomeg nodded "just noticed I see? yes, I know your past, you are a great gift and holder of much interest and questions, but I will not ask of them until you are fully ready." Naruto nodded "thank-you Gomeg" Gomeg only nodded and grinned.

I hope you enjoyed, you see I did not plan for Naruto to get over his students death quickly, it will be a long process still, but this is a starting point. Although it seems like he has gotten over the deaths, he has not, it won't be for awhile, I threw in the Gomeg flash-back only because in a rough draft of this chapter I wrote last year it was in there, the flash back is the only thing I have mostly kept, everything else has been changed.

I do not wish to spur on further anger from my fans, but I want to be truthful to you as well, people have told me to put up warnings and although I am considering the fact, I do not like the idea, I prefer my ways but to keep my story and all my work from being deleated in a click I might have to give lee-way.

From

The Forsaken Author of the Lost Story.

NSW