KIRA
Moving. That was what her mother had told her that morning. They were moving. And Kira didn't want that. She didn't want to move. She had friends here… sort of. She had a life here. And sure, maybe she could have found a new life somewhere else, somewhere more normal and not full of werewolves, crazy spirits and the possibility of some new monster coming to terrorize them.
Granted, Kira couldn't speak much on that front. She'd only been around for the Nogitsune, but from what Scott had talked to her about, this town had seen a lot of freaky activity. The Kanima was still a lot for Kira to try and wrap her mind around.
So here she was, on a Sunday morning, staring up at her ceiling and trying to process this. School would be starting again soon, now that Winter break was about to be over. And that would mean she'd be back in class, which was nice to think about; she missed school.
But there was also someone else she missed to, and she hadn't exactly been very social with him over break. How did you text a boy you liked who just had a friend die, specifically his old ex? Kira knew it wasn't her fault, after all, she'd come here to actually fight the Nogitsune, not the other way around.
Still, could Allison's death have been prevented if Kira had done things differently? Or would someone else have died instead? Could they have stopped her death, as well as Aidan's death? She didn't really know the twins, but she saw how Ethan had looked after what had happened.
Kira had known Allison, though, albeit not very long. They'd fought side by side, and she got along with her. She couldn't believe she was gone.
She sighed. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on these things, at least, not right now. Chances were that as soon as she saw Scott again, she'd do just that. Besides, did she even have the right to spend a lot of time thinking about this? As she knew, she hadn't been very close to any of them.
She wasn't even that close with Scott. He was someone she liked, and someone she trusted, but did she even know that much about him? Did he really know that much about her? And did he like her, too?
"Ugh, I need to get my life together," Kira muttered to herself, trying to ease out of her thoughts. She got up from her bed and walked over to her closet. The wood's weren't that far away, and Kira felt like being alone and training for a little while.
Her mom had tried to stop her the first time she had left, saying there was no point. Kira wondered if that was true. Could she even get better with a sword? She didn't know. But she didn't really know that much about her powers either, so what was the harm in going out?
After Kira geared up, she left her room and headed toward the living room. Both of her parents were in the kitchen, talking and chuckling. Kira was glad to see they were as happy as always. It reminded her that things could still be good and normal like they had been before her world turned into something from out of a Richelle Mead novel.
Maybe she should try to read a new book. It would help take her mind of things, and it had been awhile since she'd had a chance…
"Kira?" her dad said, seeing her standing in the doorway. He was in a good mood, as was her mother, judging by how they looked. As they both looked her up and down, however, she could see their moods starting to darken slightly.
"Are you going out again?" her mother asked hesitantly, as if the question itself would be the motivator for Kira to leave the house and go hack up some imaginary, invisible people in the middle of deserted woods.
"I'm just going out to let off some steam," Kira replied, putting on a smile and trying to downplay it. Ever since everything that had happened, her parents had been a tad more protective and on trying to make sure that she wasn't uncomfortable or felt okay. Kira figured that's what happened when your parents felt slightly guilty for bringing their daughter to fight a Big Bad, even if Kira hadn't really been the one to beat the Nogitsune.
"Kira, I just think… since we're going to be moving soon, maybe you should focus on packing and…" her mom said, but trailed off.
"You said we have to sell the house first," Kira replied without emotion. "You guys haven't even started on that. Why bother starting on packing if we're going to be here for awhile."
"I would hope we'd be out of here by the end of the month," her mother responded. "You remember what we talked about earlier, right?"
"I remember," Kira replied, trying to keep her cool. She didn't want her parents to see just how much this was bothering her. If they did, then they really wouldn't let her go – they'd want her to stay and talk, and she knew all she'd end up doing is shutting herself in her room and repeat what she had just been doing for more hours on end. "Anyway, I'll be back in a little while. If you need me, call me."
It was weird how calm the forest could make her feel. She'd come out here about three times now, and yet it already started to feel like a nice little haven. She'd worried she might run into someone going for a jog since it was always daylight when she came, but she never did. She remembered hearing something about some fire way back, but she couldn't really recall what it was that she'd heard. She'd need to ask Scott about that when she got the chance…
That is, if she spoke to him again. Could she? What would she say?
"Enough, Kira," she said to herself. She'd come out her to swing her sword around for a workout and not think about her problems, not dwell on them further. She'd probably find time for that when she got home.
Kira put down her bag and drew out her sword. Truthfully, Kira hoped she'd never have to use this again other than for recreational use. While it was thrilling to think of herself as some supernatural being, the drama and worry that came with it seemed undesirable much more than books and TV had prepared her.
Maybe if she were a witch instead, she could have done some kooky Sabrina antics and even tried to sweep Scott off his feet. Were witches even a thing? Kira would pocket that question for later. Surely somebody could tell her the answer to that.
It was then that Kira heard movement in the woods. Kira stood still immediately, wondering if she had imagined it. For all she knew, it might have just been some squirrel.
And then she heard it again, and it sounded way too big to be something cute and tiny and adorable.
Kira wondered if it were a mountain lion. She did remember hearing about an incident –
The sound came again, and Kira's thoughts were silenced. It wasn't one singular sound. It was the sound of something moving something running, and she could feel it coming straight at her. As she moved her body swiftly around, she was surprised by what greeted her. It was a coyote.
What was a coyote doing out here? Kira didn't remember if there were coyotes that lived here. Then again, did mountain lions? And how was she supposed to act?
If it had felt like any other coyote, Kira wouldn't have been worried. She had enough faith in her abilities to know she could just dodge the beast and book it home without having to hurt it. But the coyote, the way it moved, the way it looked at her, didn't seem like any other coyote.
The coyote ceased movement a couple of feet away from Kira, looking directly at her as if Kira were the one intruding here. Maybe she was – she didn't exactly come out here at a specific time. Maybe the coyote ran through here or even lived near here. Wonderful.
Kira looked at the animal, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do. Was she supposed to break eye contact, or keep it? She knew she should have spent a little more time watching Animal Planet. She was willing to bet Lydia probably knew what to do – she always had an answer for everything.
Unfortunately, she was out here alone.
"Well… this is awkward, huh?" Kira said nervously, and then mentally facepalmed. Why was she talking to a coyote? Oh sure, she was a "fox", but that didn't mean she could really communicate with other animals. Or could she? Why hadn't she asked more questions about all these supernatural elements yet?
And then, the coyote did something… strange. It made a noise, and if Kira hadn't felt she wasn't losing it, she would have thought it sounded like a laugh. Then it started to shake, and it's body began to shift and change and –
"Oh!" Kira exclaimed with embarrassment, and immediately turned around from the sight of the naked girl. She looked like she was her age, and she looked familiar as well.
"You know, I think some people might be a little concerned by the fact that you're talking to a coyote," the girl replied, a sarcastic undertone in her voice. No, it was more… cocky, with a mix of mock.
"I think others might be more concerned about the naked girl roaming about the woods who was just a coyote," Kira said, still turned away and covering her eyes for added effect. She didn't have any attraction to the female body, but she was still embarrassed to have someone naked around her. It felt like she was invading their personal space.
"Oh please, I roam around as a coyote naked, and nobody bats an eye. But suddenly I leave the house with 'too much skin showing', and suddenly I'm the indecent one? Sometimes, I think I would have preferred staying a coyote."
"Wait," Kira started, a memory coming back to her. "You're that girl – the one Scott and the others helped."
"Was starting to wonder if you would figure it out. I know you weren't there for it, but I've seen you guys around together. Figured you had to know who I was by now."
"Malia, right?" Kira said, and she felt she should have turned around, should have tried talking normally and politely to this girl, but she just wasn't sure she was comfortable with staring at what some thirteen year old's dream goddess most resembled in their head.
"The one and only."
"What are you doing out here?" Kira asked.
"I went for a run. I like to pass through here sometimes, and then suddenly, I smell someone who shouldn't be out here. Granted, I've smelled you before, but not when you were actually here. I figured I'd see why you were out here. Apparently, you're playing samurai. Or something."
Kira wasn't sure how to respond. How could she? This was an awkward situation, and this was her first time talking to this girl, a girl who had been trapped as a coyote ever since she was a kid. What topics could she possibly bring up?
"You're… friends with Stiles, right?" Kira said, grasping at straws. She knew Stiles and Malia had teamed up at Eichen House. Malia had probably seen Scott and Stiles recently. Kira felt slightly jealous. She wished she could muster up the courage and make the attempt to talk.
"I wouldn't really say that," Malia replied. "Stiles is just someone I know. As for Scott, I haven't even talked to him. I've just seen him with Stiles here and there. They're not really my crowd, but from what I've noticed lately, you're not really a part of their crowd anymore either."
And now this conversation was going in a direction Kira would have preferred to have skipped altogether. She didn't respond, and after a solid minute of silence, she heard Malia sigh and begin moving.
"Anyway, I should get going. My dad is eventually going to wonder where I am if I'm not home for his hourly check in. Gee, it's great to be human again. Totally more freeing than the old me," Malia replied, and Kira could feel her passing by her and then stop. "By the way… I did have one question for you. Well, another question, I guess."
"What?" Kira asked.
"That girl, the one I saw you talking to the other day… the red head, what, uh, is her name?"
This was definitely an odd question. Kira didn't really know why Malia was asking, but from the girl's tone of voice, it didn't seem like Malia was mocking her. It sounded like Malia was genuinely curious, and even slightly… confused.
"Her name is Lydia," Kira replied. "She goes to school with Scott and I – well, I mean, with Scott and us. All of us. Not Scott and I. There is no, I mean, I –"
"Whatever," Malia replied, and whatever tone her voice had previously taken was gone. "Seeya, samurai girl."
Kira could then hear Malia start running off, and soon enough, another sound – the sound of her Changing. Kira finally looked around and saw Malia, in her coyote form, running off into some other part of the woods.
So much for having a nice little haven.