Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Thin Line ❯ Kitsune Chronicles Part I; Senshi ( Chapter 6 )

DV- I'm really sorry this took so long, but serious issues came up.

Chiisai- `Reading through the chapter' Wow… you went really weird on this one.

DV- Didn't I?

Ganko- That's not something to be proud of.

DV- Maybe not for you.

Furyou- How did she go weird?

Koto- Yeah, let us see!!!

Sango- Are the two groups finally going to meet?

DV- Nope.

Kagome- You like tormenting people, don't you?

DV- Hey, I'm just making sure everyone knows everything before they do meet!!! It will eventually happen, but you people just have to be patient!

Furyou- They don't want to be patient. They want their story.

DV- `grumbled to herself about overworked and under appreciated authors.'

Kitsune Chronicles Part I; Senshi

"Ah, who needs `em! I'm stronger than any of those losers, anyways!"

If anyone could be there to hear that, there would have been more than a few raised eyebrows.

After all, here was a little kitsune girl, no older than four, openly declaring her total independence. It didn't help that the girl short red hair that ended just below her ears, wore the tattered remains of what could've been once a fine kimono and was as skinny as a rail. She certainly didn't look like one who would last very long in the harsh life of the Makai.

The girl plopped down on the ground, a puff of dust going airborne out as she did. She set down the katana she'd been holding beside her. The weapon was far longer than her, but she took great pride in being the only one allowed to hold it, and refused to leave it behind.

As you probably already suspect from the slightly bratty attitude and the oversized pride this little girl has, (and even without those, the katana alone should have told you,) she was a younger, smaller and far less experienced (As you will come to find) version of Senshi Nazomi, fresh from (sort of) running away from home.

And what would prompt this kit, who had a fairly happy (if slightly oppressive) childhood to do that? Why, the fact that she was an only child, of course. (AN; `grins at confused expressions,')

See, the thing is, in the House of Youkai Lords that Senshi belonged to, Ladies were not allowed to inherit. Ever. And since a bad experience off the battlefield left her father with… well, let's just say he's unable to reproduce and leave it at that. Anyways, then they had a teeny tiny problem since Senshi was an only child and, obviously, a girl.

So Senshi's parents had a little heart to heart and decided it was time they found a mate for the four year old. That way, the two of them could get to producing the next heir ASAP. And even if they didn't, at least Senshi's father could pass his throne to his son-in-law.

To say Senshi didn't like this idea might be a tad bit of an understatement, as the maid who told her and the poor guard that was innocently passing by at the time would be quick to tell you. Don't worry about them though. It may take three more weeks with the healers, but they'll survive. (Hopefully)

So Senshi decided to sneak away in all the ruckus that surrounded her supposed `mate's' arrival with his own parents. Her parent's caught her and there had been this huge uproar that ended with Senshi's parents disowning and her and Senshi herself telling her parents they could take their fancy kimonos and titles and shove them up their-

…Well, you know where this is going.

She'd been walking for a week straight now and showed it. Naturally, telling her this in her current mood would be a death wish but still, it was an observation that had to be made.

Senshi sighed. She was tired, irritable, icky and, most importantly to the four-year-old ex-lady, HUNGRY!!!!!!

"Bleck!" Senshi said, wrinkling her nose. "Stupid parents… stupid mate… Like I need some dumb jerk to help ME!!!" Senshi was tired of being put down because she was a girl. All growing up that was all she heard, and so far, it had only encouraged her to beat the boys, much to her parent's displeasure.

Sighing, Senshi laid across the grass watching the sky above her. She felt it was only just to take a break after all the walking she did.

"Bet a boy would've passed out after the first day," She murmured to herself as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep that World War III couldn't rouse her from.

When Senshi awoke, it was to an odd sight.

A small band of raggedy looking children, battered and worn and far dirtier than her at various ages had crowded around her, and one, a boy forest apparition, was almost right in her face.

"KYA!!!!!" Senshi screamed, maneuvering away and glaring at the boy. "WHAT THE HECK'S YOUR PROBLEM?!?!?!?!?!"

"Told you she wasn't dead," A young female eagle youkai said triumphantly.

"Pity," A snake-boy said offhand, "Asobu would've paid good for that katana." Senshi growled and flexed her claws. Some of the older youkai children, the ones in their early teens, laughed at the sight she made.

"Easy, we're not gonna kill you," A girl (about thirteen) said, stepping forward and running her claw through Senshi's hair in a gentle, comforting way. She was a female ookami youkai, and they were by nature extremely protective of children. "What's your name, sweetie? And do you know where your parents are?"

Senshi eyed her distrustfully for a moment before relaxing. She'd lived among the castle long enough to tell a fake from the real deal, and ookami were far more open that kitsunes when it came to things like that. If they didn't like you, you knew it.

"I am Senshi Nazomi. And I don't have any parents," She said this in a proud way, as if daring them to feel sorry for her. Her pride was the most important thing to her, even at that young age. Too bad she didn't know what pain that would cause her.

"Really?" One three-year-old wind apparition said happily, "Neither do we!!!" Some of the older youkai had wry smiles one their faces at that.

Senshi cocked her head and studied the group. There were about nine of them. The ookami (13), the snake (7), the wind apparition (3) and the forest apparition (5), the young eagle (3 or 4, Senshi could tell) then a pair of Doku twins, (about 10) then a male purizumu youkai (14) and a girl that smelled like his sister (2).

"You're a kitsune, right Senshi?" The ookami said. Senshi nodded proudly.

"A mountain kitsune!" she declared.

"Isn't that one of the more common breeds?" The purizumu said with a frown.

"Only `cause we're too strong to kill," Senshi countered glaring at him. The ookami giggled.

"I like her attitude," She said with an impish grin. The eldest member of the group glared at her.

"No, Kanri." He said with a frown, "We have enough trouble getting by as it is,"

"So we're just going to leave her here?!?!" The ookami, now identified as Kanri yelled at the purizumu. The other children watched the two eldest curiously.

"She's too young, and obviously spoiled. That kind of kid is not going to be of any help to us!" Senshi's eyes flared with fire.

"What's that supposed to mean?! And who said I needed you anyways?!?! I can make it on my own!!!!!!!!!!" the boy's eyebrow kicked up and a few of the other kid's giggled.

"You honestly think so?" he asked.

"I know so!!!" She declared. "I don't need anyone! I'm gonna make it on my own and prove girls are a million times better than boys!!!" the purizumu eyed her curiously for a minute.

"You said your name's Nazomi, right?" He asked. Senshi blinked, startled at the sudden change of topic.

"Yeah. So?"

"Have you ever been on your own before?"

"Well… no."

"Ever fight for your life?"

"Umm…"

"Have you ever even made your own food?" Senshi glared at him in anger.

"So what if I haven't!!! I'll learn!!!" the purizumu sighed.

"Tell you what, kid. If you impress me with your fighting, I'll show you how to do all that and more."

Kitsunes are curious creatures by nature. They crave to have the knowledge that eludes them. It gets them to trouble on more then one occasions.

As a matter of fact, Kagome would later say (Rather wryly.) that the only reason the old saying is `curiosity killed the cat' instead of `curiosity killed the kitsune' was because kitsunes clung to life out of sheer determination to make those around them suffer.

The mountain kitsune had primly responded by reminding her beloved alter ego that she could take over the body as soon as Kagome fell asleep and confess Kagome's deepest, darkest secrets to Miroku.

Inuyasha had been puzzled at the many sleepless nights the miko had after that.

Anywho, now that that slightly random and amusing tidbit is over with, back to the present! Or past, depending on your point of view…

"You're on!" Senshi said, determined to make it no matter what. She wasn't going to be weak. Never in a million years. So anything that could make her stronger, help her survive, was more than welcome.

"Alright then," the purizumu said, drawing two curved blades. "Will you be using your weapon?" Senshi glared at him as he mocked her in a tone of cruel amusement, eyeing Yamakatta.

"I'll do just fine without it!" Senshi declared, other than admitting that she'd never held a katana once in her life. She nervously rolled a few pebbles around in her hand.

She'd never fought anyone other than the guards before, and was praying that the taunting she endured from the boys in court were wrong and the guards hadn't held back with her because she was a girl.

Suddenly, the boy faded away. Senshi was immediately on guard. She knew the boy hadn't turned actually invisible or was running fast or something, but was simply doing just as his breed's name suggested; Manipulating the light to make it look as if he wasn't there.

There was a noise to Senshi's left, and she flicked a stone in that direction, only to be hit from behind. She hit a rock at a painful angle, making several of the youkai children winced.

"First rule of fighting, kid. Keep all senses open and alert." The purizumu said, flipping a blade and catching it again.

Growling, Senshi stood rather shakily. He was faster than she first thought. Clenching the fist that held the pebbles a little tighter, she watched the purizumu warily as he disappeared again.

This time, though, she stood he ground and shifted trough the rocks beneath her feet to `feel' where he stood. When she felt him leap to attack her from the front, she molded one of her pebbles into a crude stone shield, lighter than a normal one would be but still heavy to the kit, and not as durable or large as her shield would come to be with time.

The purizumu's blade hit the shield, which cracked slightly under the applied pressure. Senshi felt proud for having evaded that attack, and only just caught sight of the other blade.

On instinct more than anything else, Senshi tilted her head slightly so that although the blade grazed her cheek, it did not go as deep as originally planned.

Stunned, Senshi jumped away from the purizumu, feeling the wet trickle of blood rolling down the side of her face. Though the cut was by no means deadly, Senshi could feel the throbbing sting of Purizumu energy trying to poison her blood.

"That's enough, Yakei!" Kanri shouted, stepping forward to stop the fight, "She's ten years younger than you! If you keep this up, you might kill her!!!!"

"What's the difference if it's me right now or an older youkai a week from now?" Yakei asked sharply.

"I'd hope you have the compassion that youkai doesn't!" Kanri yelled back.

"Compassion from me won't make either of us stronger," Yakei said, letting the blades fall loosely from his hands and dangle on cords that were attached to his wrist.

"But-!"

"Don't I get a say in this?!?!" Senshi demanded, glaring at both of them. Both blinked at her in surprise. "I'm not weak, and I don't need to be treated like a little girl!!!" Senshi continued, completely disregarding the fact that she was indeed a little girl. "Now if we're gonna fight, fight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yakei cocked an eyebrow at Senshi before flipping his blades back into his hands and stalking towards her. As he walked, he triggered his purizumu powers, and began to disappear again, starting at his feet and rapidly working his way up.

Senshi tensed, trying to feel where he was again. But this time, he'd caught on. His footsteps were softer, and couldn't be singled out from the other things hitting the ground like they could before.

The kit bit back a groan of disappointment. She didn't know what else she could do. True, Senshi had been studying magic in the castle almost constantly. (Her parents didn't go to the castle library too often. Her father figured he already knew everything and her mother was too busy ordering servants around, So that was generally Senshi's refuge.) But the only spells she'd mastered were simple ones. Spells used for playing around or getting away from the-

Ooh, that'll work. Senshi thought with the trademark Evil Kitsune Gleam in her eyes.

The next second was a blur unless you were watching very carefully. Yakei appeared right behind Senshi, poised to attack the four year old. Senshi allowed one small pebble to slip through her fingers.

When it hit the ground, it absorbed into it like she'd dropped the stone in water and, before Yakei's weapon even touched her head, a giant cloud of dirt flew up, swirling madly around the children.

Senshi grinned as the group coughed like mad. The dust repelled away from her, as if held off by an invisible barrier. The ability to stay dirt-free no matter what the circumstance. One of the many perks of being a mountain kitsune. Senshi grinned as she watched Yakei stumble around in the dust storm she'd created. The ability to see through stone (and flying fragments of it,) came in handy, too.

Flexing her claws, Senshi leapt forward and struck Yakei. The youkai was on guard immediately after the attack landed, and knocked Senshi out cold with a strange ki blast almost instantly.

The kit came to two days later, a cold rag on her forehead and all her wounds treated. She saw she was in some kind of hideaway, and she could see Yamakatta sitting innocently against a nearby wall. Senshi could smell those orphans' scents everywhere, but no one was around.

Senshi was too tired to get up, so just laid on the makeshift bed trying to regain some strength and think of a plan.

She'd lost.

Senshi's scowled fiercely and forced back tears at that thought. She'd only got one hit in. One hit!!! And here she was barely able to move! Ignoring the fact that her hand was now bleeding from clenching her fist, she wondered what was going to happen to her now.

They probably found out they couldn't use Yamakatta, and were going to keep her alive long enough to learn then kill her. Not that she'd tell them even if she did know how others could use it.

A sudden noise at the entrance distracted her in time to see Kanri come in, a basket of healing herbs against her hip. The ookami looked surprised to see Senshi awake.

"Do I have something on my face?" Senshi asked irritably. Beaten and wounded though she was, she was still very proud. Kanri laughed.

"Oh, no, it's not that sweetie. I was just-" Senshi shot her an even look. "Nevermind. Are you hungry? I could make something for you."

"Why am I here?" the kit asked, ignoring the question.

"Yakei may be a rude jerk, but he is honest and he always keeps his promises."

"But I lost," Senshi protested.

"Still, you put up a good fight, and you never lost sight of your goal. Besides. That dust storm was a neat trick!" Kanri said with a bright smile and a small chuckle. "You really impressed Yakei. He even said you could be a great fighter some day."

"I want to be strong," Senshi said, sitting up, refusing to wince at the pain this caused. "I want to be the Greatest fighter ever! I never want to lose again." Kanri watched her quietly for a moment.

"Yakei can teach you, you know. He can show you how to be the best fighter the Makai's ever seen."

"I don't want to be the best in the Makai," Senshi said, glaring, "I want to be a legend. I want everyone in the Makai and Reikai and all the important people in the Ningenkai to know me and respect me. I want to be so strong, my mother will have to take back what she said about girls never being able to stand against boys in a fight. I want to never have to rely on anyone ever again."

"Everybody needs someone, Senshi." Kanri said frowning.

"Not me," Senshi said stubbornly, "Not ever again," the ookami sighed.

"We'll see, kit. We'll see…"

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DV- Once again, sorry for the delay! And for everyone who's asking when the groups will meet, be patent for about three more chapters.

Chiisai- And be grateful if she gets off her game long enough to writer that much.

DV- Ehehe… My dad couldn't bring me to Kentucky for break, so he got me Inuyasha Secret of the Cursed Mask and YuYu Hakusho Dark Tournament to make up for it. I hightly suggest both, particularly the Cursed Mask. Unlike most anime based games, it's an RPG, not a fighting game.

Ganko- One DV's become obsessed with.

DV- But everyone looks like chibis!!!!!!!! It's SO cute!!!!!!! Except maybe Naraku. He's creepy. And it doesn't really do Sesshomaru justice.

Everyone- -_-;;;

Chiisai- You think everything is cute about that game.

DV- Everything IS cute about it!!! Especially Rin, Shippo!!!

Koto- `rolls eyes.' Don't forget to review on your way out.

DV- And have a Happy Holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!