A/N: Kira is getting so strong! They work on her 3rd Tail today; Peter even brings Kira a present.
I borrowed from my scene in Wolf Beckons here so some of you may notice the similarities heehee. Obviously I had to change bits and pieces of it so it's not an exact copy of what I wrote before but it follows the scene from that story and has some elements directly from that story.
We also see some of Peter's antagonistic thoughts shine through, his animosity towards Scott coming to light a bit. Personally, from Peter's perspective, I think his attitude is completely justified XD Although I do love Scott as a character, they are all dynamic and have faults and I like exploring that more. Since this fic is more centered on Peter and Kira, Scott is going to get some "trash talk" hahahaha. It's nothing awful though, just... truthful.
*Friday*
Peter parked his car a few blocks away from the school, at a nearby park, this way it could stay here for a few hours and not be suspicious. Kira would be coming from the school in a short while so he had time to set up. It hadn't taken him long to slip into her house and grab her katana, he had that along with a gift for today. As Peter bent down to grab the box from the passenger seat, he paused, realizing something: he was going out of his way to help Kira with this. This was going beyond just helping a Packmate, and it was more than just because the Kitsune had a crush on him. Last week, hadn't he been scheming ways for her to pay him back a favor? And now he was getting ready to give her a gift. This wasn't like him, at all, but Peter wasn't really concerned with it- curious sure, but not concerned. Like he'd told Kira, he always took what he wanted and his Wolf wanted her, who was he to question it? He walked into the woods, finding a tree to lean against, and waited for her to find him.
Kira hurried out into the woods, wanting to be out of sight in case anyone happened to look in her direction. It wouldn't take long for the school to realize she was absent and she was sure to get into trouble when she got home. That was later though, and she was focused on the now. As soon as she was far enough into the trees that she couldn't see the school, Kira closed her eyes and focused her hearing. He was closer than last time and it only took her a few minutes to pinpoint his heartbeat and follow it to his location.
"You're getting better at listening, good," Peter commented as soon as he caught sight of her.
She beamed at the praise, happy that she was continuing to impress him.
"I have a present for you, just like I promised. As well as the katana from home. You know the basics of what we're supposed be doing today, any idea on how we're supposed to achieve it?"
"Yea, we're imbuing my katana with my spark, so that way it can be an extension of my powers, and after that, I can actually learn how to summon the weapon to me. Wait, a present… what for?" Kira asked, looking up from her notes.
"Why can't I have something made for you? Don't have to have a special reason for it." And while the gift was special, Peter was being honest. The only reason he'd had the box made was because he knew she needed it. The sooner she had it made, the better, that's all there was to it, no special reason.
"Can, can I see it now, or do I have to wait?"
Peter chuckled and bent down, picking up the box to hand to her. "Might as well open it now, so you aren't distracted during the lesson."
"Th-thank you, I wasn't expecting… does this have something to do with my Tail?"
"Well, open it and find out."
Slowly Kira stepped closer, hands reaching out to grab the box. With shaky hands, she gripped the wooden box and brought it to her chest. On the lid there was a piece of dark metal with an image of a nine-tailed fox etched onto it. The design was tribal, painted over in white and it reminded Kira of lightning, the way the lines branched off of each other. Her fingers traced the image, "It's beautiful!"
"It took me forever to find the right design for the emblem but with your new aura, I felt like that one was perfect, especially with the color choice," Peter told her.
"New aura, what do you mean?"
"Oh, I never told you about that. You were so caught up with all the Tails- I noticed it last week, after you got your first Tail. Kitsune, as you know, all have an aura, but what I'm sure you're unaware of is that the aura changes over time-"
"It's changed? Changed how? Is that bad?" Kira fired off.
Peter held up a hand, smiling at her, "If it was bad I would have brought it to your attention as soon as I noticed. It's just a natural change. You've seen it before right, can you describe it?"
"I only saw it in pictures but um, it was like this orange light that surrounded me, and it was in the shape of a fox right?"
"Yea, that's the aura of a baby Kitsune, baby in the sense that they haven't yet realized their potential. The spirit has woken up but hasn't achieved anything yet. Now that you are aware of your type and have your first Tail, your Fox spirit has matured, has changed. May I?" Peter asked, pulling his phone out.
"S-sure," Kira stammered out, strangely nervous about seeing her new aura. There was no reason to be nervous but she couldn't help it… her Fox spirit was growing stronger thanks to Peter and Kira wasn't really sure how to repay him. She tilted her head away from the camera, knowing if she looked at him head on, the image would be skewed and hard to see.
Peter quickly snapped a picture and checked to make sure it captured the aura; satisfied, he stepped closer to her so she could see. He smiled as he watched her face light up with awe and wonder, silent as she looked over the picture.
"That's really what it looks like now? My Thunder Fox!"
"Yea, since you're learning more about your powers and have awakened the lightning skills, your aura changed to represent that. As you gain even more Tails, your aura will grow brighter, more vibrant- it's hard to see here but you also have your Tails." Peter pointed out two different white flares over her shoulders, "Those are them."
"You can really tell all of that from my aura? If… If I knew how to look, and Mom wasn't always hiding it… I would be able to tell what kind of Kitsune she is? And what about… her Tails? She gave them up, sacrificed them so would she still have them?"
"Yes, of course. She sacrificed her physical Tails but didn't sacrifice her knowledge of them. Over time, once her spirit gains back enough power, she'll be able to re-manifest her Tails. It isn't an easy process though and it will probably be many years before she even has enough strength to summon one, let alone all nine," Peter answered. "But anyways, that's why I chose the style I did, something to mark your Thunder Kitsune abilities, and not just the Fox spirit- I wanted something specific, just for you. Go ahead and open it."
"Oh yea, right." Kira had been so amazed by the box itself, she forgot that there'd probably be something inside. Slowly Kira lifted the lid, gasping as she realized just what Peter had designed this box for. Inside, the box was lined with cushioned velvet, small pockets specifically sized for her daggers. There were two rows, one (able to hold 5) in the bottom of the box and one (able to hold 4) in the lid. They were positioned so that when the box was closed, the two rows would interlace instead of overlap, and when it was open, all the push daggers faced the same direction. The velvet was snug enough that the Tails wouldn't fall out but that each pocket had slight indents for her fingers right by the handle so she could easily pull them out of the box. The Tail she'd given Peter was already safely tucked into one of the pockets.
"I needed a Tail so that way I could get the size just right. Once I had the velvet sized, I had Deaton make a box with the right dimensions so the velvet would fit perfectly inside. Now you don't have to carry your Tails in your bag, they'll be safe in the box."
"Why do I get the feeling that this box is special?" Kira asked, looking up at Peter.
The Wolf smiled at her, "Probably because it is special. I had Deaton make it out of wood from the Nemeton."
"This… this is made from the same wood as the spiral urn? I thought that was used for special occasions- Derek said that his mother's claws were held in there… before we used it for the Nogitsune…"
"And what makes you think your Tails aren't special?" Peter asked, cupping her cheek. "Your Tails are your most important possession as a Kitsune, they can't just be stored in an ordinary box! I'm sure the box your mother used for hers was made from something special as well. Oak trees hold a special power for Druids here, but I'm sure there is a species of tree in Japan that is just as sacred. But I chose the Nemeton from Beacon Hills because this is the town where you've started earning your Tails."
"Yea, I like that! I didn't mean… I appreciate it, I really do! I just thought that because… I'm not a Druid, that I shouldn't use special wood but, you're right. That tree was special for this town, what better wood to use than some from the Nemeton to symbolize and always remember where my Tails came from. Does Deaton know?"
"No, I only asked him to make the box with the specific dimensions, he didn't see your Tail or even the velvet that was supposed to go inside. I had the same person that made the pockets actually secure them into the box as well as attach the emblem on the top. Go ahead and put your first Tail in here, I want to show you how to secure the box."
Kira handed Peter the box so she could dig through her backpack, easily finding her Tail in the small front pocket where she'd left it. Gingerly she set it in the very first pocket, now she had one in both rows! And if she worked hard, she'd have a third before dinner.
Peter closed the box and held it between them, "Because the Nemeton had an array of magical powers, its wood has the same properties. And because you are a supernatural creature, this wood will respond to your touch. There are various ways to create a lock within a magical box, each depending on the creature that owns the box. For you, all you have to do is touch the metal emblem and push a bit of your spark into it. It will bond with the metal and the wood, creating a seal only you can open. Your Tails will always be protected."
"Oh Peter…" Kira exclaimed, looking up at him. He was going through so much trouble for her- no one had ever showed such interest in her before. It probably hadn't been easy for Peter to convince Deaton to make the box, especially considering that the Wolf wasn't trusted, let alone that the wood was very rare and special. But he did it for her, so she'd have somewhere safe to put her Tails. She never would have thought to ensure such measures; Kira knew she couldn't just carry them all in her backpack forever, but she hadn't come up with a solution yet either. Obviously she wouldn't have stuck them in a tin box but no way would she have been capable of finding a material like this. Kira put her hand over the image of the nine-tailed fox, awakening her spark and letting it ebb into the box. The effect was immediate, the edges of the top and bottom coming together and almost disappearing entirely; if she looked close enough, she could see where the two halves met but otherwise it just looked like a solid piece of wood.
"There, now it's attuned to your touch, no one else can open it once you've sealed it. Your Tails have a home now."
Kira set the box down on her bag and then hugged Peter tightly, wishing she could convey just how much this all meant to her. This was beyond anything Kira had thought his training would include- and to think, she'd originally planned on asking Derek! That idea was laughable now, Derek hadn't known much when it came to fighting the Nogitsune so why had she expected him to be able to help her? But Peter was going above and beyond what she'd expected, how could anyone not realize how great Peter was for the Pack? Clearly he was teaching her to the best of his abilities, making sure she knew about her heritage. If the others just treated him with more kindness...
Peter was surprised by the hug, not used to anyone wanting physical contact, everyone else in the Pack kept their distance. But he returned the hug, kissed her on the top of her head, and rubbed his cheek against her hair. They needed to get to work though, so he only allowed himself a few moments before clearing his throat, "Are you ready for Tail number three then?"
"I was born ready!"
"Let's get to it then." Peter handed her the katana and moved her to the center of their little clearing- they'd need space for this. He positioned himself behind Kira, covering her hands with his own as she held the blade out in front of her. As his body pressed in close, he could feel the Fox relaxing, falling back against him; there was a familiarity between them now. Kira no longer jumped at his touch, although her body did still heat up at his proximity. It was amazing that her nervousness from before was gone, the jumpy Kira from last week had disappeared. Peter would have to see if it was still just as easy to make her blush later. "Okay so imbuing your weapon, how do you think that works?"
"I know that imbuing means to infuse, so I'll be pushing my spark into the katana, allowing it to become bonded with my spark. But I don't know how to do that since… I mean, if I have it in my hands, I can easily make the whole sword light up with lightning. I've been practicing at home, look." Kira carefully ignited her spark (not wanting to harm Peter), letting the energy flow from her hands and onto the metal. Tendrils of the white energy flowed over the katana and then jumped to the ground. "But I know that isn't right, it just doesn't feel like the katana is connected to my spark at all."
Peter smiled, "Well it's good to see some initiative, practicing without me. You're right though, imbuing is much more than just covering your weapons with your element. What you need to do first, is bond with the weapon; you've mastered how to wield it and now you should be able to unlock its inner… essence.
"Swords have essences? If I didn't know for a fact that you rarely watched tv, I'd ask if you've been watching too much anime," Kira kidded, finally letting her spark die down so she could focus on what Peter was telling her.
"Ha, ha. But really, where does a lot of popular anime come from? Japan. Why do you think there is a reoccurring theme in the shows, about how the weapon has a personality, that the weapon and the wielder must be in sync?"
Kira's eyes widened, "It's really a thing?"
"Probably not quite in the way anime portrays it but in a sense, yes. For most people, a knife is just a knife, something sharp they can use to cut, but in the hands of a Kitsune, it is more than that. Because there is a part of you that is 'more than,' Kitsune are able to bond with inanimate objects around them. Think about it? In our modern culture, is fire a living entity, is lightning? No, yet Kitsunes are born with the power to communicate with it, bend it to their will. The same goes for any weapon you learn how to wield; just by holding it in your hands, the sword becomes more than just a sword. The Fox spirit inside you bonds with the essence of the weapon and transforms it- weapons brandished by a Kitsune are magically powered weapons."
"Is that why I had to use this katana to kill the Nogitsune… well I suppose he isn't really dead but… Mom said I had to use this one, because it was special."
"Yes. Normally, any weapon would do, if you'd learned to master it first. But because there was so little time, your mom had you reforge this one, one that already had experience with the Nogitsune, in order to ensure you could achieve your goal. You caught on fast in your training with her, learning how to use the sword, but by no means had you mastered it. The essence of the sword was only half awake but now that you have even more experience wielding it, you can fully awaken it and bond with it. Just… feel it." Peter slowly stepped back from Kira, giving her space to figure it out. He could explain it with words but he had no way of knowing exactly what this part felt like, so it was up to her.
Kira nodded, closing her eyes and concentrating as Peter backed away. Slowly she twirled the sword in her hands, just feeling the weight of it, recognizing how her body flowed to the tune of the sword. It was almost like the katana was telling her body where to go instead of the other way around. In fact, the more Kira concentrated, the more she realized that that was true. So she relaxed her body, opened up her mind, and let the blade dictate her movements. Nothing her mother had ever taught her felt like this, but then again, lessons with her mom were very fast paced. But now Kira knew that the reason she was able to learn so quickly was because the sword already had a bit of her spark inside it, was already in tune with her from when she'd reforged it. She focused on that feeling, of how the blade was a part of her, an extension of herself; finally she spun around and opened her eyes, "I think… I think I found it, I'm not sure- how can I tell?"
"Well, let's try moving onto the next step- send some of your spark into the weapon. Just let it pass from your hands to the weapon- not over it like before, into it. It might take a second, but you'll know the minute you succeed." Peter approached her, knowing that his touch helped awaken her spark; he settled behind her again, hands on her hips. He watched as her hands sparked once more, only this time she didn't let the electricity pass onto the blade. Moments passed and then suddenly Kira's sword lit up, a burst of energy flowing from her and the sword, the lightning disappearing from her hands as it was absorbed.
"Whoa?! I… I did it!" Kira exclaimed as she opened her eyes, seeing her katana glowing as the last of the energy disappeared. Slowly it dimmed, returning to its usual look, but there was an air of power surrounding the katana now, letting them both know they hadn't imagined it.
"Now to use it, let the power just flow through you, see what happens," Peter suggested, amazed at seeing this with Kira. He'd seen one other Kitsune wield a weapon in this state but it was a River Kitsune (Hanako's father) so it was with water instead and it wasn't nearly as magnificent. There was just something about her electricity that fascinated him.
The Kitsune amped up her power, reigniting the glow in the katana; as the power built up, the blade came to life with tendrils of lightning shooting off here and there. She swung her sword, sweeping it over her head and shoulders, spinning with a flourish before digging the blade into a nearby tree. As soon as the metal hit the bark, there was an explosion, huge arcs of electricity emanating from the strike. Kira panted as the energy died down, showing off a rather impressive dent in the side of the tree. Her hands fell to her sides, barely managing to keep a grip on the sword as her power drained from her.
"That was impressive! Although it looks like it took a lot out of you. It might take some time to learn how to adjust the power you put into it. That's what practice is for though. Plus you aren't used to sending out your energy in that form just yet, it's like working out a new muscle- it takes time to get used to it before the soreness goes away."
"And this isn't even the part that gets me my Tail is it? I have to master the summoning too right?" Kira asked, leaning the sword against the tree so she could shake out her arms.
"Correct, the first part is necessary in order to learn the next part. Otherwise one could technically argue that this Tail is too similar to just learning how to manipulate FoxFire. Although in all honesty, you'll probably use just this first portion of the power more often than the actual summoning part, both are necessary for the Tail."
"Gotcha. And yea, I'd say this Tail was too easy if it was only the first part. Obviously it's a little different since, I was manipulating my FoxFire beforehand, when I just had it running over the blade. Now it's imbued and it reacts differently, has a mind of its own and is more natural- I can feel the change," Kira panted out. She was still working on getting her energy built up again, but she was ready to at least listen. "So how exactly does the summoning part work? I know last week I asked if it was kinda like a magnet thing and you laughed. I had just thought magnet since… Thunder type, but then I realized later that this is something every type can do so of course it wouldn't be magnetic."
"This is the complicated part, and I can only really explain in the same way it was told to me. Now that you have bonded a portion of your power with that weapon, you are infinitely more aware of it. Same goes for the box, if you concentrate, you will always know where the items are because they are tied to you. And because you have that awareness, you can call the weapon to you, whenever you want-"
"Wait, how far away are we talking? I know you haven't explained the' how' yet so I'm still picturing this kind of telekinetic floating sword just moving across a room... Does it have to be within line of sight or…?" Kira interrupted, having trouble comprehending just how this was supposed to work.
"Even further than across a room, the Kitsune who taught me about the Tails was able to summon her bagh naka from 50 yards away, while being in a completely different building. So obviously that also means it isn't based on line of sight. It takes a lot of control and focus, and the less familiar you are with the weapon, the harder it is of course. So since you've practiced a lot with this katana, and since it's the first weapon you've tied to your spark, you'll be able to call that weapon faster, further, than other subsequent weapons."
Kira's jaw dropped, "I…I can learn to do something like that? And with multiple weapons?"
"Yes, with as many weapons as your spark can handle. I can sense a huge amount of power within you, if you keep up this pace, I know we could make you more powerful than my friend, and she was 650 years old. And the more you practice, the further away from your weapon you can be- as far as I know, there is no limit. A Kitsune will have a personal limit of course, of just how far they can summon from, but there isn't a universal limit that I'm aware of, one that a Kitsune is unable to pass. So there is always room for improvement, always a reason to keep training."
Kira was giving Peter such a big smile that her cheeks were hurting, she never would've known how powerful she was if it wasn't for him. Already, she could feel her power and control growing stronger, the vibrant energy flowing just beneath the surface. Hell, this was already her third lesson and, despite being tired, she was still conscious. That was already a very marked improvement from how worn out she'd been at earning her first Tail. Kira reminded herself that she still had the hard part to learn, but she was sure that she'd manage to stay awake this time. This one was harder, more taxing, than learning how to heal, but because she now had two Tails under her belt, Kira could feel her energy rebounding a lot faster than before. "This is unbelievable! I mean… last year I thought stuff like this was only in movies or books and now here I am, being taught how to throw around balls of electricity by a Werewolf! I just keep feeling like I'll wake up and all of this will have been a dream- it doesn't feel real!"
The Wolf smirked at her, stepping closer, "Well then, you definitely have some naughty dreams. Do you often think about older men having their way with you?" To punctuate his point, Peter lifted her up, hands squeezing her ass as he kissed her. Carefully he walked them over to the tree, letting her back rest against it so his hands could move up her sides. As Kira moaned and wrapped her legs around him, he slid his hands under her shirt, deft fingers easily unclasping her bra.
She pulled away a bit, turning to nibble on Peter's earlobe, "Only since I've met you," she whispered. It was easy to admit that Peter had taken over her fantasies, probably for longer than the Wolf may have realized. But it wasn't just a fantasy anymore, not even her wildest dreams could conjure up feelings like this. The way his touch warmed her skin, leaving trails of heat up and down her sides as his hands roamed. Impatiently Kira reached down and tugged her arms free of her bra straps and let the piece of fabric fall from her shirt, needing him to touch her more intimately. Of course he didn't disappoint, large hands coming up to gently cup and massage her breasts She moaned as Peter bit down on her neck, his growl loud in her ears; when he started to rock his hips, bite turning into sucking, her moans turned into keening whimpers. "Peter, please…" she whined, legs tightening around him so she could grind down on him.
"As much as I'd love to just Claim you right here, I'm more of a gentleman than that," Peter mumbled, growling in satisfaction at the purple mark he'd left on her neck.
"I don't care about gentlemanly," Kira argued, biting down on his ear harder to make a point, one hand tangled in his hair.
Peter moaned, hands starting to lift her shirt, "We can't, not here."
"Why not?" she pushed, arching her back to encourage his hands more, wanting her shirt off.
"Because we aren't that far from the school, if Scott or any of the others decide to listen, they might hear your screams," Peter commented. He smirked against her throat as the scent of her arousal grew even stronger, his words having the right affect on her.
"You plan on making me scream then?" Kira asked. She tried to sound coy but even she heard the flutter in her voice, the tremble of want.
"Oh baby-doll, if I'm not making you scream then I'm not doing my job," Peter promised.
Kira just about melted in his arms, had he just… oh that had a stronger effect on her than when he'd called her a 'good girl' the other day. Apparently she was an absolute sucker for pet names… Not to mention the assurance of mind blowing sex. She was a mess and it was all his fault; Peter knew exactly what he was doing.
The Wolf continued to nip and suck at her neck, buying himself some time to cool down a bit; as much as he wanted her now, Peter also couldn't help but tease. He wanted to push both of them to their limits, see who would break first, because that would make it all the more exciting when they finally gave in. "Besides, it was a close enough call when Derek came back into the loft the other night."
"What do you mean?"
"Derek has Wolf senses, he totally picked up on the fact that someone had gotten a little frisky-"
"He knows?!" Kira asked, back straightening so she could look at Peter's face.
"No, not about us. Derek, bless his dense little brain, mumbled something about needing to have a serious talk with Scott, about how his loft isn't an orgy den. Apparently he's so used to my scent being there, coupled with the fact that he has no reason to suspect that we are spending time together, he thought Scott was the culprit." Peter of course didn't mention that he'd almost snapped when he heard his nephew say that. Scott, touching Kira? Over his dead body maybe, and everyone in the Pack knew just how hard it was to kill Peter. The only reason he'd managed to abstain from saying anything was because he knew that their secret was more important than his ego right then. Which was a big surprise to him as well.
The Kitsune sagged with relief, "For a moment there I thought I'd be going home to my death. If Derek found out I'm sure he'd tell Mom and Mom would kill me…"
"No one will hurt you," he promised, kissing her possessively on the lips. They needed a change of topic though, a much safer subject, "How about we finish working on your Tail?"
"If we have to," Kira sighed, not untangling her legs from around his waist. She was more than content to just be in his arms, sad that they couldn't do this more often. Especially if Derek had come close to figuring it all out, just because she couldn't rein herself in. "I'm not ready to let go, so you explain it to me while I try and gather my wits." At least all of her energy was back and thrumming again, now she just needed to get her head focused, as well as her hormones.
"Well next, you're going to want to focus on your awareness of the sword, strengthen the tie you have to it. What you'll start off doing is just practice waking up the spark while the sword isn't in your hands."
"Oh, so I'll be able to light it up even when I'm not holding it?"
"Yup. It might be hard at first, since it's easiest to feel the tie when you're physically holding the weapon but-" He was interrupted as Kira giggled and he felt the air around them come alive. Peter turned, seeing that Kira was already powering up the katana from a few feet away as it lie on the ground. "Smart ass," he chuckled, squeezing her side.
"I just wanted to see if I could. I've spent a lot of time with this sword so I'm not surprised I can already do this part. And just by fluctuating the power, I can feel the tie flexing, getting stronger; it's like you said, a muscle that I need to work and make stronger."
"Well, here, hop down and go pick it up, if you're so ready to move on."
Kira sighed but did as she was told, climbing off of the Wolf and retrieving her weapon. "I'm totally calling for a rain check mister! I totally expect some of this awesome sex sometime in the future." Wait, had she just said that? Out loud?! Wow her filter really wasn't working right now! And the wink Peter gave her did nothing to help her focus.
"Bond with the weapon some more, like you did earlier; you need to be acutely aware of the katana before we can move on to the last part."
"Gotcha." She twirled the katana around a bit, just letting some of her spark pour into it, watching as electricity shot off here and there. It was intriguing to see the blade start to glow and emit energy, her lightning flowing into the weapon seamlessly. As she just spun around, she could feel her tie with the sword grow even more. She continued to twirl and as she moved around, she felt her awareness shift, Peter faded from her senses as she focused on her katana. With all the time Kira had spent with this sword already, it was only minutes before she felt like she'd reached the point Peter was telling her about. "I'm ready now, I can feel it. I have totally achieved 'one-ness' with this sword."
"If you're sure, go put it by the tree and step away- make sure to turn the spark off first. Then just… call it to you."
Kira nodded, pulling the electricity back into herself before leaning it against the tree and taking a few steps back. She turned to Peter, waiting silently for his instructions.
"We'll start simple, step by step instead of trying to create the whole process on the first go. Try to create a spark in the sword from this distance."
"Easy!" Kira laughed, knowing that this step would be child's play hadn't she already done that? She could probably start up the spark from even 15 feet away- she could feel that that was her limit right now, and she was maybe three feet away. Her eyes started to glow as she ignited the spark in her katana, little arcs shooting off of the blade.
Peter grinned, "Now the tricky part; this is the hardest step to explain, but once you learn step two, step three comes easy. You need to use your Thunder powers to create a portal between your hand and the weapon."
"Ummm… excuse me?" she paused, not really sure how to do that. The electricity in her sword died out as she completely lost her focus. "How exactly? Please tell me I get a hint or something…"
"Again, I can only go off of what I was told but basically you need to connect the spark in your body with the spark you put into the katana- create a pathway. The third step is pulling the weapon through that portal and into your hand, hence why once it's open, the summoning is easy."
Kira sucked in a breath- that sounded kind of hard; she got the gist of the explanation though… it was just the actual 'doing' part that was going to be a challenge. No way to figure it out except to start trying though. So she narrowed her eyes and concentrated, turning the spark back on in her sword. And since Peter had mentioned pulling it to her hand, she pooled her spark into her hand as well. But then she felt stuck… She wasn't a big science nerd… How did someone create a portal?
"Need some assistance? I might be able to help you figure it out, even though I have never personally experienced creating something like that," Peter offered.
"No, not yet…" Kira decided to just go with her intuition, she was a Kitsune after all. She didn't need a degree in theoretical physics for this. Instead of focusing on making the portal, Kira would just focus on pulling the weapon to her, maybe that would be enough. After a few minutes of concentrating, she could feel that the katana wanted to come to her but it was having trouble. The bond was there but her grasp of the ability wasn't strong enough. She turned to Peter, "Attack me."
"You really like to order me around, don't you?" Peter smirked. This was the second time she'd just blindsided him with that phrase, and here he'd been afraid of hurting her.
"I just think that I need to jumpstart the portal. If I feel like I'm in danger that will help me. You mentioned the need to 'jumpstart' the spark, how the thought of me being in danger would trigger my healing. If the jump in adrenaline helps with healing, then it probably helps with this too."
Peter nodded in understanding, her logic was sound enough. It wasn't exactly the assistance he'd been thinking of a few minutes ago but it worked. They squared off, the Wolf with his claws out and the Kitsune weaponless; if this didn't help her figure out the summoning part, what would? He leapt at her, claws arcing through the air; he was starting off slow since they had only sparred once, for a few minutes.
Kira easily dodged, reading his slower movements, flipping back and kicking at him. She recognized that he was starting her off on a slow pace since she didn't have that much experience with his fighting style yet. It was a nice gesture on his end but Kira knew it wouldn't last long. Plus she couldn't exactly manipulate her FoxFire like before, not when she was trying to concentrate on pulling her weapon to her hand. Peter was relentless in his attacks, never giving her a chance to go on the offensive, keeping her on edge. Kira dodged and kicked, all the while trying to pull her weapon to her, needing to keep her hands free. Occasionally she felt his claws touch her skin but they never drew blood, both of them knowing that she would lose concentration if she had to heal.
Slowly, Peter picked up the pace, only when he was certain she was keeping up with his attack pattern. Then, because he knew she was looking for a push, he ran at her, one hand lightly circling around her neck as he did a leg sweep. His free arm snaked around her middle, slowing her down as he pretended to slam her onto the forest floor. Her eyes widened at the bolder attack but she just went with it, legs kicking up and knocking him away, momentum pulling her into a backwards somersault. As she leapt to her feet, she spun in a circle, arm out as though she had her katana; Kira envisioned it swinging into her opponent, that she needed her katana to even stand a chance against this enemy. As she swung, she suddenly felt something solid in her hand- her sword! Abruptly she stopped her movement, sword's edge just inches away from Peter's neck. Both of them were panting, having exerted more energy than they'd realized in that short exchange.
"I… I did it!" Kira exclaimed, jumping into the air, dropping the sword from its precarious position. "It worked! I don't even know how… I didn't focus on step two, only on step three."
Peter laughed, "I'm glad you were able to stop at such short notice, you were moving pretty fast, I would have had trouble dodging that one." He'd seen the blade appear out of nowhere but had been committed to his attack. He would've had to sacrifice his arm in order to save his neck, but Kira had stopped before he'd even been able to bring his arm up.
"That… that was amazing… I'm not even sure I can do it again, I'm just wiped out. But I did it! Maybe after I've rested I can try again." Then Kira collapsed onto her knees, the katana's tip sinking into the ground, wow she was exhausted. As she sat there, she replayed those moments in her head, pinpointing exactly when she felt the weight of the hilt appear in her hands. And thank goodness she had amazing reflexes, had managed to halt her momentum on a dime so Peter didn't get hurt.
"Why don't you check the box?" Peter called out, interrupting her thoughts. The Wolf had dropped down onto the ground as well, resting as the adrenaline left his body.
"Box? You think I got my Tail?"
"I think it's safe to say that you summoned your weapon into your hand, which is what the Tail is for. Maybe you haven't totally mastered it yet but, you still completed the task. If the box was made right, your new Tail should have appeared in the third pocket."
Kira crawled over to the box, scrounging up a bit of her spark to unlock the box. She hesitated for just a second before lifting the lid, squealing when she saw a third push dagger. "We did it! I mean, I'm totally going to practice more, once I get my strength back but we did it! By the time I go home tonight, I'll be able to summon my katana in an instant, just watch!"
"Good, you're setting goals for yourself, keep it up. I don't want to see you getting complacent, ready to move on to the next thing even though you just barely understand this one," Peter encouraged.
"Yea, that's what I plan on doing in between our training sessions. I haven't really worked on my healing since I haven't really gotten hurt that much lately but instead I've been focusing on my FoxFire. I can form some pretty strong lightning orbs now and even move them around my room instead of just throwing them in a straight line. Plus, like I showed you earlier, I had practiced with moving my FoxFire over my weapon. Now I have something new to practice while everyone else is busy…" Kira's tone grew sad. The boys were all still busy with lacrosse and the girls loved to watch them play, but Kira didn't feel like she belonged in the bleachers. Scott never asked her to go, just expected her to be there… and here she was, trying to grow stronger so she could help protect them all the next time a threat appeared… Was this how Peter felt all the time?
"Hey, chin up. You're making amazing progress, who cares if no one else but me is around to see it right now. At least you have the drive to get better! Do you know how often Scott trains a week, trying to hone his Wolf abilities?"
"Um…"
"He doesn't. At all. He spends all his time focusing on lacrosse and school. Okay, maybe school is important, but lacrosse? He's got the red eyes of an Alpha but he doesn't have the mentality of one. Have you ever seen him train with Isaac? Or how about Allison and Stiles? Allison trains with her father all the time, is an expert at wielding those weapons of hers but if she doesn't have any practical experience in fighting against a Were, she's only going to get hurt again. And Stiles! Stiles is a Human, he's beyond fragile! Scott has done nothing to help train him, because he thinks the only way to make Stiles stronger is to give him the Bite, which of course the boy doesn't want. Even Isaac needs the training, the poor kid thinks he's hot shit and doesn't understand that he has all the skills of a pup. Derek would do it but he doesn't want to step on Scott's toes, he feels like if he just starts teaching Isaac again, Scott would take offense. At least when Derek was the Alpha, he trained his Betas, every night. You'd think the debacle with the Alpha Pack would have really proved to them that they need to get better, driven the point through their thick skulls. But instead Scott is determined to rely on his dumb luck and 'everyone is a good person' attitude." Seriously, Scott needed to get off his high horse and actually learn how to spill some blood, teach the rest of the Pack how to as well. Wait, maybe Allison should be the one teaching them, she had some experience with being bloodthirsty.
"If Scott isn't training the Pack, then how do you stay so strong?" Kira asked. The Kitsune definitely felt like she'd had her head in the sand this entire time- how had she never noticed? Sure, her family had only been here a little while but in all that time, the Pack only fought when there had been a threat in the area. It was just like Peter described, none of them ever practiced... Even her mom had her practice with the weapons if not her Thunder abilities...
"Oh please, even if Scott was training them, I wouldn't be included in that. I've kept in touch with Deucalion, he needs the practice as well since his Pack is gone. Ethan never went back to him, which, I don't blame him. Deucalion doesn't want to lose his edge, just like I don't, so we struck up a deal."
Kira's eyes widened, "You're training with Deucalion?" She hadn't been here for the fight with the insane Alpha and his Pack but she had heard all about it. Stiles was one to embellish a bit but not Isaac, and if even half of what Isaac had told her was true…
"Of course I am, I can't depend on Scott to give me a challenge. Derek at least continues to push himself, it's not going to help him get any stronger but at least he won't get weaker. But you, you're better than all of them Kira- you're actively deciding you want to be stronger and you're working at it! Some people might have given up if their parents decided not to teach them about their powers, or if they had an Alpha that couldn't care less. But not you, you went searching for help and now you're learning more about your Kitsune spirit every day."
"Damn straight!" Kira cheered. She wasn't the type to sit around and do nothing, not when she had this whole new world to learn about! So just like that, the Fox jumped to her feet and grabbed her sword again. "I'm ready to try again."
By the time the two of them were done, the sky was turning red and they couldn't even stand. But Kira was able to successfully summon her sword from about 10 feet away without the need of an adrenaline rush. And she was even able to pull it from Peter's hands within 3 feet. All in all, Kira would call this a very successful day! Now it was time to go home though, and Kira was just too tired to move. The knowledge that she was going to be grounded when she got home wasn't a very good motivator either… As soon as school had let out, her dad had called her, wondering just where the hell she was. She'd lied of course, mentioning that she was just feeling overwhelmed and had skipped to go to the mall for the day. "Guess I can't avoid home forever," she finally sighed, getting to her feet.
"I'll take your katana, drop it off later so your parents don't see it," Peter commented. Kira tossed him the sheath and bent down to grab her bag, gently setting her new box inside. He smirked to himself, picking something up off the ground, "Oh, don't forget this."
"Forget what?" Kira asked, turning around. She turned red when she saw that Peter was twirling her bra around on his finger. She fumbled for it when he tossed it to her, stuffing it in her bag as well. How had she forgotten to put that back on? Good thing he found it or else she'd die of embarrassment later when she realized that she'd left it on the ground out here.
"Come on baby-doll, I'll give you a ride."
There it was again, the pet name, wow her heart was jumping in her chest; she could listen to him call her that all day. Kira jumped on Peter's back, pleading with him to carry her, complaining about being too tired. But really, she just wanted to be close to him, wanted to stay covered in his scent. It wasn't like Mom ever used her Fox senses anyways, she wouldn't pick up on it. And she'd be showering before she saw anyone from the Pack so it didn't matter. This was her time with Peter and she was going to enjoy it. "Hey Peter, thank you, for everything."
"Of course, I'm more than happy to help you. Like I said, we're Pack."
"We're also… more than that right?" Kira whispered, hooking her chin over his shoulder.
"Most definitely," he assured her. "You're mine now and in time, I'm going to make sure everyone knows it. But your Tails are more important right now."
"Yea, we have to keep it on the down-low or else they'll try and stop me from seeing you," Kira said. "I just… wanted to hear you say it." Her heart was fluttering again, inexplicably excited about the way Peter had phrased it. Shouldn't the concept of being 'owned' scare her? It didn't though… maybe it was because they were more than Human. Surely their extra perceptions tied into how relationships worked, the need to scent and mark their significant other. She'd seen the signs of it with Scott and Allison, how he was finding it hard to let her go, having trouble accepting that her and Isaac seemed to be getting close. That had to be because of the Wolf inside him; Peter had a Wolf too, one that didn't want to let her go. And Kira's Fox was okay with that, it was almost like her inner spirit was preening with satisfaction. Peter was a good choice and she'd do whatever it took to keep him.
When Peter finally let her down so she could get into the car, he was satisfied with the fact that she was okay with his Claim. She wasn't a Wolf, although she wasn't Human either, but there had been a chance that she'd react negatively to his statement. Which was exactly why he'd been so blunt about it, he wasn't going to pretend this was something it wasn't. Peter didn't want a girlfriend, didn't have time to win over a shy girl with dating, he wanted her, specifically, it was primal. As they drove to her house, Kira seemed to glow despite her evident exhaustion, she was beautiful. When he parked the car around the corner from her house, Peter pulled her in for another kiss. "Text me when you have access to your phone, that way I'll know it's safe to contact you. We'll figure out a time to meet again."
"Sounds good. I'll have my phone back by Monday at the latest," Kira answered, leaning over to chase after his lips. Her hands held the back of his neck and she pressed kisses along his jaw, the only thing stopping her from crawling into his lap was her seat belt. "Come see me soon, please," she whispered.
"I will."
Happy, Kira finally climbed out of the car and grabbed her bag, jogging towards her house. Even if they couldn't find time to train right away, Kira wanted to see more of Peter, needed more of him. As long as he was on her side, Kira could handle whatever her parents would try to do, because she knew that he wouldn't let a small thing like her being grounded stop him. He was a Wolf of action! With him on her mind, she couldn't keep the smile off her face, even as her parents stepped into the hallway.
"Living room, now!" Noshiko ordered.
A/N: I'm getting closer to revealing the true depth of their feeeeeelings ;) I've had a plan this whole time for the "why" of exactly what Peter and Kira are feeling. Something that I've alluded to with mentioning how Peter was confused by his attraction and whatnot. It's just a slight spin on the relationship, and it's nothing bad at all, just something I think fits in with Kira's Fox spirit. The next chapter will be a direct continuation from this one so it will focus more on Kira and her parents at first, although of course I can't /not/ have some Peter interaction there lol