Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction / Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Tale of the Animal Spirits ❯ Confrontation ( Chapter 4 )

Tale of the Animal Spirits

`Chapter Four - Confrontation`

-Timeline: This chapter is happening during Sleek's dream in the past one…Just so you don't get all mixed up with the day. -

The wolfish-girl climbed from the cave hole. Looking back once before she became upright. Dusting off the grass and dirt form her once light colored clothes. She sighed, 'Our journey will begin soon.' About to hop the small distance from bank to shore a tug brought her back form thought. She glanced downwards at the small girl who moments ago was tugging upon her sweatshirt. "Windy…Can I come with you?" She asked, pleading with her bright miss-colored eyes.

She kept a warm smile, placing a gloved hand upon her tied locks. "I thought you were packing with your sister?"

"I…Was." She mumbled, shifting the baby blue pack comfortably on her back. "But, she helped me and then said she wanted time alone…"

"I see, well as long as your sister won't mind, you can come with me." MistKitten giggled and nodded vigorously. "I'm merely gathering food, a place a saw further ways."

"We'll be back by nightfall toos?" She asked, a bit concerned as she looked to the clear spring sky.

"Of course, it's only noon right now." She held back a chuckle as the girl was trying to count 'noon' on her pudgy fingers. "We'll be back in time."

"Okie!" She replied happily, stopping her count as she too hopped the stream to shore.

"Come, its just a bit ahead, just keep up, alright Misty?" She called behind as the girl sped up to join at her side.

"Yessum!" She kept in stride with the elder girl's, trying her best not to fall behind. Though, not knowing that her wolfish comrade wouldn't leave her…

~

The elderly teacher was sitting calmly at her desk. A knock upon the door made her snap back to reality. "Come." She growled, as the door cautiously swung open. The messy haired child peeked his head in and shut the door soundly behind him. She grinned at this, and averted her gaze to him. "Good that you have come. What have you for report?"

"Mistress, I have some good news." He choked his tone almost painful to speak. "The children, I know where they be headed!"

"You best, Caw." She said lightly, raising a raven brow. As the afternoon gaze pierced through the tainted windows her elder form fizzled softly away, white hair replaced by glorious locks of charcoal. Eyes of piecing silver glaring to the boy in front of her.

"They be headed to the shrine, m'lady…But, they have no chance, no chance at all!" He grinned despite himself, crowing his information to the lovely female ahead. She nodded and he continued, "You see, the fox-boy…He's the leader, m'lady, and he can easily be gone soon."

"Why…Is that?" She asked, slightly puzzled as a slender finger traced over the onyx ribbon witch attached a gem of her own.

"He's more along in transformation than the rest…He won't last I wager…" The boy stated in a devious tone.

She cackled darkly to herself, "And with no leader, no knowledge, they will fall will they not?"

"Exactly." He chuckled to himself as well, merely following his mistress.

"I see." She turned setting her lazy silver-casted gaze to the outside world. "My plan should work then."

"Plan, m'lady?" The crow-child asked, slightly in confusion.

"Yes, plan, you dolt." She spat coldly, glaring behind to him. He immediately cowered and apologized for his stupidity and to be told once more, all not in normal speech, animal perhaps. But, nonetheless the woman understood his babble and began to speak. "I will take the gems from those children. With the powers of the spirits in my grasp, using they're powers I will dominate over all. …You see, dear boy, using the powers of those animal spirits I will take the world. Showing them what they can do to destroy this worthless planet will bring people to panic. However, after destroying they can replenish as well. Showing them this will also lead them to believe I will help and plenty the world for them…And then, they will have to follow my whim or they will perish from minimal supports of this world. You see now, Caw?"

"I…Think so, m'lady, but…What of the children, they wont give willingly, yes?" He said, trying to hide his bafflement of the situation.

"Of course they won't give willingly." She snorted, turning back to the window, gazing to the forest. "But, if I send in a spy…One that will blend in most perfectly they won't be wise to my plot. Therefore, he will take and give to me, and they will never know." She stifled a chuckle as she brushed aside a few limp wisps of hair. "And even though they're spirit is gone, they will continue to transform and soon turn to animals, rabid animals that I can easily kill. They will never be back to normal until these spirits touch the sacred shrine."

"…What of you, mistress?! Won't you transform…What of I?!" He gulped, almost falling backwards from a desk.

"I have taken that into account, Caw, you see…We will place our spirits back to live and keep theirs. No use in having a crow and panther anyhow." She shrugged.

"I-I see." He said, taming his rapidly beating heartbeat it was a relief to know his mistress would not dispose of him. "And…Who for the job?"

"I will take care of that." The cautious boy's voice lit the area. Caw turning to glare with his crimson hinted hues.

"Yes you will, SmallPaw." She said softly, not bothering to look behind at the identical panther-child.

He nodded, not that she saw; "I take this task, and will come back with the shards, Lady Panther."

"I know you will, otherwise death will become you." She said coldly.

Caw half-chuckled and the boy merely glared to him with intense optics of gold. "I understand, and I take responsibility for all that will happen to me or my assignments."

"Be off with you then." She said simply and he bowed and shot off into the darkness of the hallways. Blackened lips coiled into a grim smile, "Caw, watch that boy, if he messes up, take over."

"With pleasure, My lady." He bowed; not going to be upstaged by a child then graciously flew off join the darkness.

She kept that disturbing smile, eyes glaring out the tinted glass to the forest below. A delicately ebon clawed hand rose to the glass pane. A soft light emitted from her pale hand at the glass itself took on the eerie light. She smirked, applying pressure and the light soon turned the whole pane the soft hint of blue and green. The blurs swirled, and soon appeared the forest and the maidens who walked there. She watched intently as they trailed sluggishly through the trees. "You won't be safe for long…Silly wretches, preparing for a journey they wont live through."

~

"Windy, we be back by nighttime?" The concerned child asked, tugging on a baggy shirtsleeve.

"Of course, Misty…Don't you worry." She smiled, as they kept pace.

"Mmkay." She smiled as well, following the elder girl's stride. However, she abruptly stopped, causing the kitten-child to wonder. She watched her posture and facial expression. As soon as the girl smiled again she lost her tension.

"Here we are." The wolf-child announced, gesturing the younger girl to go into the meadow as well.

"Wow! It's so pretty!" She giggled, running ahead of the other female to explore the vast flower field. The hints of pink, lilac, and gold tickled her un-covered legs and dress hem.

She smiled warmly, "Well, you can play over there, I'm going to go about my gathering. Just don't wander too far."

"Alright!" She said, wavering a small hand to her as she watched her go off to the rows of apple trees and berry bushes. 'What a nice place, I should show my sissy sometime!' She thought, merrily walking through the thick foliage of grass and flowers. However, another scent caught the girl's nose. She traced it, casting a wary look to her comrade wondering if she smelt the same. But, seeing how she was not noticing she probably was out of range or something. She shrugged and decided to follow this new scent. And it led her straight into…

"Eh, watch it!" The raven-haired boy growled, glaring at MistKitten.

"Me sorry! I was just following…" She began as her nose twitched it recognizing the boy's scent as the one she was trailing. "You!"

"What about me?" He mumbled, folding back his rounded ears.

"I followed your scent." She grinned, standing up again as they both had fallen when she collided with him.

"…I see, so what do you know of me?" He grumbled, keeping a wary glare and fixed posture from where he sat upon the dew drenched grass.

"Hm? Misty knows nothing! I was following your scent, silly, I don't know you yet. But, I'm MistKitten, and you?" She asked, setting out a glowed hand to him, so he could be let up.

He smiled slightly; relieved they weren't on to him then. He took her paw cautiously and rose to his feet, now at least a five inches taller than the girl. "I'm SmallPaw."

"Nice ta meetcha!" She said in her usual up-beat manner. He simply nodded, when another came through the bush.

A shiny red apple clutched in her fangs, hands busily tucking more in her shirt folds and pockets. Her ears immediately folded back, and she growled, best she could with an apple rammed in her mouth. "Mmmphist Rum!" (Mist Run - A/N) She mumbled having the girl simply stare in confusion.

The panther-child leapt forward in front of the kitten-girl and growled back, "Wolf!" He declared, whipping out a silver dagger and attempted to slash the front of WindWolf. She expertly leaped back and was about to assault.

"NO! No fight friends…" The girl intervened. "This ish Windy and this ish SmallPaw."

"Windy?" He snorted, tucking his dagger away and twitching an ear up. She rose back to her feet, spitting the half-eaten apple from her mouth to glare at the young boy.

"WindWolf." She corrected; she only let MistKitten and LoneHowl call her any form of nickname. She set off her growl trying to be her usual friendly self while collecting her other discarded apples.

"I see." He said softly, noticing the glint around her neck. 'Blend in.' He thought to himself. He needed to make a good impression on these new ones.

"I've collected the food, Misty we should head back." She said simply. "Come."

She looked up puzzled with how tense she was being but gladly followed. "Paw paw, coming?" She said, smiling back to his dark figure.

"I…" He thought this over, but decided another route. "I'll see you around, MistKitten. WindWolf." He said curtly. "I have something to attend to."

"Alright, bye then!" She waved and followed the rapid pacing girl ahead of her.

"Bye…" He mumbled half-heartily and headed through the under-brush.

"Almost night?" She asked, looking up to the sun-splashed sky.

"Yes, almost night." She repeated.

~

"Hmph, I'll take a matter in my own hands." He said quietly to himself. "Must move quickly though…The gems will be mine, and I can then 'blend' in with these people." A plan boiling in his tainted skull he ran through the woods to counter all of WindWolf's movements. He tied brush; tree limbs, and confused the many scents of the forest to his advantage. They would be moving into a trap. A trap all his own. A smirk crossed his thin lips as yet another tree was hacked to its demise. Soon to lead the girl's to a different path.

Unknown even to the working boy, was the crow-child. He loomed in the branches of the surrounding trees. Also hiding his bird-like scent with others. He smirked maliciously, 'What're you up to, child?' He cawed through the darkness alarming the boy to his own content.

'A crow…This far out…' He thought, glaring to the surrounding area, forgetting about the half-tied tree branch he hung from. 'Crow…' He repeated in his mind. Growling softly, but hearing footsteps nearby he mumbled and paced off again, finishing the tree and running to guide them again. The night was breaking the sleek folds of the day and plummeting all in darkness. The first star of night shone, glinting off the crow's crimson glazed eyes.

He watched amused by the actions of the boy and the girl's he wished to insnare. '…Ah, I see, a trap. How primitive. None the less, I shall watch your antics and report back to mistress.' So, as silent as a hawk he trailed the boy through-out the forest, known or not to him.

A/N:

Sorry if this chapter was boring and whatnot. Please, questions, comments? Leave a review for my e-mail box is soooo filled up. Or, always AIM me at KrillansAngel or Yahoo s/n at brittany_pikachu. But really they don't start they're actually quest for a while but before that time more action does come, not just explanations and stuff. Please continue to read and review! I really would like that =) Oh, and doesn't 'Caw' remind you of Jaken? Even in the slightest? I thought he did ^ ^; Anyhow, see you next time! New chapter to come, more excitement as well. And I had to add confusing things in the forest otherwise they wouldn't get lost, and then you know she cant use her nose 'cause of the misleading scents. Took a while but that's all I thought of so he could trap them. Ugh, anyway, a review means a new chapter! Please reviews and the next chapter will be extra long and action-packed! Thank you and g'day!