This is the Cirno News Network with a special humanitarian news bulletin! One of our loyal listeners just sent in a request for us to broadcast their need to locate their pet cat! Let's see… Hrm, this is smudged, and that is… Oh, well, looks like someone dropped it in a fire. Who then chewed it up… Wait, where has our… Pardon our confusion, listeners, but we need to clear up something with one of our employees, whom seems to have been destroying our news segments out of spite.

We here always strive our best to treat our employees well, so we do not know what could have inspired this. Once we discover what has happened, we shall get back to you!

Thank you, and enjoy the show. This has been THE STRONGEST! Now, back to your irregularly scheduled fic.

Those That Cower From Giants

Hum de dum, hum de dum… Sure is hard work, bring back food for all the little kiddies. Sure that they don't mind none, now do they? Can't wait until they grow big and strong enough to come along and help me. They're starting to get close enough as it is. Oh, what a joyous day it shall be!

Plus, it will be much easier to haul my kill. That dread peach tree shall rue the day that it tried to challenge my clan! Eheh… I suppose it has rued it, as I have caught many of its young within my grasp, for my kin and I to feast upon this evening! First that tree, tomorrow, the forest, the day after? The world, I do say! …Although, what would one do with the world once they have it?

Silly me, one would plant peach trees everywhere! Perhaps they would grow so thick, we could make a home under their boughs? That would be delightful. Not having to leave our cave to gather food… A good and safe place for the kids and I. Especially the kids.

I still wonder if we should try and move to the outside. But then, I keep on hearing all the monstrosities out there… The metal monsters that belch smoke. Machines of canvas and string flying through the air. Such a thought is crazy, unless it is held up by a balloon. Hrm. I wonder if we could take a ride on them? I'm sure the kids would love it if they could fly up in the air. The world looks so big from down here, but up there? I can only imagine how tiny it would seem.

Not to mention where we could travel! I wonder if we could find someplace remote on the continent. Next to a nice stream, perhaps. Plenty of water, fresh fruit… We wouldn't need anything more. Such is the life.

Ah, but what am I saying. Dream beyond my capabilities. Still, one can always hope… Ah, but here are my little darlings now. Come out, come out! It's just me! I've brought dinner for us all!

Yes, yes, do not worry about it at all, go ahead and start eating. I do hope that it is enough to fill you all up! I know how ravenous you are. Maybe next time I'll bring some nuts. Give you hard heads something to crack open, and take your time chomping them down. Oh, there you are, dears. How are all of you doing? Anything in particular happen today? Or just the same old as always?

The latter? Nothing wrong with the same old. It's good that we're actually safe enough that we can have the same old be something safe, instead of us running away. Remember when we lost… Right, right. I'll do my best not to think about it. You're right, just look at the smiles on the kids' faces. So carefree. We'll have to remind them of what's waiting for them, out there in that nightmare of a world. Not today, though. Tonight, we'll rest easily.

Huh? Did you hear that? A whoosh down in the caves. Someone's here. Something is here. Are they coming for us? Who knows. Children! Please, follow your mothers back into the caves. Quickly! Go, before anyone knows that we're here!

Dratted footsteps, they're approaching, quicker and quicker. It's not the four-legged fiend that's toyed with us so, either. There are too many legs, and their footfalls are much too heavy. Quick! Children, into the hole! I will… I will stay behind, and make sure that you are not followed!

Yes, my loves, I will do my best to return. Fear not, for these beasts shall die by my hands! …I hope. By the maker, why must we be found now? When we've finally found some peace… What is it now? Are more of us to be sacrificed to flesh hungry beasts, taken for the taste of our innards?

Hark! Here they come. Lie low… Lie low. Maybe they won't see me. My voice won't carry that far, even to the most sensitive of ears. They can't have seen me, even if- Oh. Oh no. The sack for the peaches. It's still out. And… And they noticed it! Oh, dear me, please let this be swift, and that they do not find the children…

Hrm? Are they gone? Perhaps they just shrugged it off as the remains of something else, left behind. I certainly do not see them. Could it be that they possibly- GAH! Youkai! In front of my face! Staring at me! Big teeth big teeth oh no leave me alone! Be gone with you! Or I shall do my best to slay you!

Ah, the beast leaves me alone! Perhaps she is full, and does not desire- Whoah! Put me down! Down I say! I will not tolerate being manhandled by aaaiiye a scary beast! Leave me alone leave me alone leave me alone!

D-d-d-Drop dead!

Why yes, I am scared out of my wits, you're going to eat me! Isn't that what all youkai do to my kind? Just because we're so small and weak doesn't mean you can just waltz right up and bite our heads off, just for a taste! So, go ahead, get it over with. I won't flinch. I will just look you in the eye as you eat me, and hope that my gaze is seared upon your soul, damning you to an eternity of remembering what you did to me!

Wha? Someone telling you to put me down? Yes yes, put me down; put the yukkuri down! Don't even think about eating me! Foolish youkai, you've met your match! Your match at the hands of… A ghost? What is a ghost doing here? A ghost and a youkai… Hey! Were you eaten by this youkai, and were haunting her? Maybe you can tell me, so that when she decides to eat me, I can haunt her for eternity too! After all, I'm real scary, can't you tell?

Oh, you're not haunting her? Really? That sucks. Does that mean I won't be able to haunt her when I die? Ohh, maybe when I die, I'll grow hands, and then I can really haunt her. Fear the rocks that I can now throw at your head!

Yehe, alright, I'll stop it right now. Especially as she is starting to look positively murderous… Oh, what's that, a bronze lady in a shield? Cool! She knows what it's like not having legs! Does she have to hop around everywhere like we do, or does she just roll around like a big giant coin with a hole in the middle?

Wait, she floats? That sucks. Why can't we float as well? It would be so nice if we could. Then we wouldn't get eaten all of the time… The thought still makes me cringe. What about the-

No, I wasn't going to say anything, nothing at all! I'm the only one that's here, after all! No others, not one single other yukkuri! Even if there was, I'm sure that they would taste mighty nasty, and you'd never want to eat another thing again!

Well, how was I supposed to know that the youkai could feel them… Bah. Why does bluffing never work against those it really needs to? Perhaps I should work on intimidating instead. That would be much better, yes? After all, even if I don't have a good poker face, I can be very scary.

Why, yes, it is a pain to play poker with no hands, let me tell you. Ever tried to bluff while holding a card in your mouth? It's ridiculous, I tell you! Especially when you're trying to respond to some anecdote on Russian Literature.

I am certainly not talking in hopes that you'll just get bored and move on, though. Why would I do that? We certainly don't get visitors here enough to shoo one away as if they're not wanted. Go ahead, kick off your shoes, stay a while! We sure have a nice few comfy rocks that you can lie on! Or sit, if you prefer. Nice and hard, that they are!

Ouch! Why'd you slap me, crazy youkai! I am not a pervert for saying that! The rocks here are big and hard, true, but what kind of rock isn't big and hard? Wait, talk? How is talk a kind of rock? Talk is cheap, true, but it has nothing to do with how hard or soft it is? Oh. Well, I still don't see! Why does talk end with c if it is a rock? If it's a rock, shouldn't it end with a k? Or at least a c and a k?

Shut up? Why do I need to shut up? You're the one's that barged in here, so why are you telling me to shut up? Is it a regular thing for you, barging into other people's homes and ordering them to shut up? I bet you steal everything that isn't nailed down, too! On top of that, you bring a hammer to extract the nails as well!

I'm onto you, you fien- Gyah!

Ok, ok, you caught me. You caught us. There are more of us here… And we're all alone. No one to bother us. No one to help protect us. We're dead, if you so much as try to crush our gooey bodies. So go ahead. That's why you're here, isn't it? It's why they always come, after all. Always for to eat us, always to kill.

Really? You're not? I don't trust you. It could be lies. Big big lies to make me think it's ok for my kids to come out. Big lies to have my wives join me. You'd like that, wouldn't you? You'd like if they all came out, and you could take us all in one bunch. I can see you considering it! It's in your beady little eyes.

Yes. Beady.

So fine. Let's assume that you're not coming here to eat us. Then where are you supposed to be going? Where is such a high and mighty group of fine folks going? Why, going to feast on some human, perhaps? Or have you already done that, and are merely returning to your caves so that you may rest nicely. Oh, I am sure that the rocks there are much harder than my own. And not nearly as smooth!

Heheh. I see. Going to visit the harvest goddess, hrm? I wonder what it is that you need from her. What could a youkai and ghosty possibly need from one such as her? After all, you don't grow anything at all, I bet! Not even like our peaches. Our wonderful, precious peaches. It's but one tree, but we cherish it all the same.

Wait, what's that? The last peach! And I haven't had anything… Please, give it back? Would you, please? Even if not for me, just roll it on in so that the kids can nibble on it. Yes, yes, I already did admit that they were here. So, will you stop lambasting me and just give it back to them?

Thank you. It's not often that we get such a large bounty, especially at once. Why, how do you suppose that's the case? It isn't as if there are much larger creatures that roam around this land, stealing the fruit from the trees that belong to those that are small. Just because I like nuts for the variety doesn't mean I wouldn't take a peach over them any day!

Yes, it would make me feel better if you sent that youkai on ahead. I'm sure that she'll be oh so sad to leave behind such a tasty snack, but she'll just have to suffer without. Hrmph. Phooey at you too, youkai!

Now that we've got that out of the way… Why are you still here? If you are looking for the harvest goddess, she's out the cave, and a ways away. I still don't know why you'd need her, though. Few crops can be planted this time of year, anyways.

I had wondered what that stench was, thank you very much. Didn't know there was a rotting body in here… Bah, could you please take it out as soon as you can? I don't want it seeping into the rocks. We'd have all sorts crawling around. Probably sorts as unscrupulous as you…

Wait… Just a second. That is a human body! With a giant hole in it! Why are you toting around a human body with a hole in it? Especially one that is dead? Are you trying to attract the youkai here? Oh, I see now. We're not important enough for you to kill personally. Instead, you must attract other youkai here to do the job for you! Well, I shan't stand for it in the slightest!

Hwah? Your body? What is your body doing, being toted through the caverns like a dead body is toted? That sounds rather disrespectful. Don't you bury bodies once they're dead? At least I think you do. It's rather hard for me to dig, after all! Besides, dirt doesn't taste that good.

Wait, if that body is a human's, and it's your body… You're a human? Oh, thank the maker, you're a human! Then we're safe. Oh so safe for now… Yes, very safe. After all, humans won't hurt us! Isn't that right, human?

Why am I so sure? Oh, don't you know how easy it is to be hunted, human? It's the same for both of our kinds, yes it is. The yukkuris and the humans, together both at risk for being eaten by whatever deigns to kill us. It's such a horrible fate, is it not?

What do you think happened to the rest of us, after all? No, not the rest of my clan, but the rest of our species. We used to be quite the common thing! Not compared to those fairies, of course, but still it wasn't uncommon to find one of us. But then, some youkai discovered that we tasted quite good. Not as delicious as a raw human, but still quite the treat!

That's one thing that you lucky ducks have going for you, though. You have that special treaty. You don't have to worry about being eaten if the treaty protects you. Of course, outsiders don't have such rights until they're accepted, but it's still close enough that it hardly even matters!

But we never had it, so they had free roam. So many of us died… It was horrible, human. It was so horrible. I can scarcely recant what happened in those days, the sheer terror in my mind. At least… At least most of the thinking youkai took pity on us. Or was it that they thought us too pitiful to be worth their time? I don't know. But the few of us that remained were able to find each other. That's what we have here.

It's all that we have left, human. I hope that one day we're able to leave this depressing land, and be able to find some place to call our own. But until then, we can do nothing but survive. It's like that all the time, after all. We are powerless to stop it. And no one truly cares about us…

I mean, look at me, human! Look at me.. Do I look like some sort of mindless beast to you? Oh, hardy har har. Just because I easily jump to conclusions means that I'm stupid? I just use whatever I can to protect my clan. My children. My wives…

I'm mean, look at them. Yes, you can come out… Just peak through. Aren't they pretty? Smart too. Alice there is doing so well, she might even be able to make her own dolls soon. Patchy's getting along quite well with her reading. Reimu would be out here with me, but I know that I could protect them well enough! Plus, if I die… I'd rather she'd be there with them, just in case.

That's not counting all the others of us that are left, back there behind them. Don't you see? Isn't this worth defending? I know you're weirded out by this some. Heh, how can I tell? It's written all over your face! Not quite literally. No umbrellas to do that around here.

Still, I think it's worth it. So, are you staying around any longer, or are you moving on? I'd like it if I could have the kids come out and get some air before they go to bed. Not to mention I need to start looking for another cave. At the rate they're growing, we won't even fit in that tiny hole anymore! We'll need something much bigger…

Hrm. Well, if you're insisting on helping me… There's a four-legged menace that's been bothering us recently. Always been lazing around on the trees, that one has. I don't know if it's a youkai, or just an evil spirit, but it seems to be quite amused when it tries to chase us around the field.

Oh, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. After all, you're a big scary ghosty of a human! You should go out there and just do something real scary. Try and act like me! Except more awesome! Because the only thing scarier than me, is me! I just said that though, so you should know this, don't ya? Aye, I knew I found a smart human, that I did.

Alright, well, be having fun, will ya? I'll be seeing you around, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. Maybe with an honor guard or something? Oh, and if you find anyplace that might be safe for us to live, do let us know, alright? We'd love to find somewhere safe!

Yes… yes, they're gone. including the youkai. You can come back out now, loves. See, I told you bluffing would work! Bluffing and a lot of smooth talking. Although, do you know why he told us to take it easy? Shouldn't he know that nothing is every easy for a yukkuri?

Bah, it's probably just one of those stupid human expressions. Oh well, come on. Let's have some fun before nightfall. We can look for that new home in the morning.

A/N Well, this here's the last of the three, so don't expect any more so quickly. Or for me to rhyme intentionally. As what are the odds that it will come to- Gyah! Alright, Kogasa, I'll stop it now. Should have had someone with a sense of music helping me, but you're grandfathered in.

Back to the story. Yes, they are yukkuris. I know I may get some angry shouts about this, but if you don't like them; oh well. I had this idea, and I wanted to do it. I wanted to see if I could make yukkuri likable, without all the gore and what not that seems to plague the stories I've read. Besides, until I actually spelled it out, did they seem like the little blobs, or like normal people?

Oh, and if anyone laughed at the haunt her/Haunter joke with the yukkuri growing hands, have an internet cookie. Because it hurts me reading that again. Also, the cat you are thinking is bothering them? It's not the one you're thinking of.

Thank you Mr. Muss for your compliments. I don't intentionally go into them trying to describe one character or the other besides the one whose title is on the headline. I just let them play off one another and see what happens. Of course, Koishi needs to be careful, for at this rate she might truly hurt someone. Or get them into a situation that they can't get out of. Oh, and we'll convert you to the ranks of the named one of these days. One of these days, at the very least.

Digressing; that's all for now. Please read and review as always, and until next time