Acknowledgements: Thanks to Jacque-san for the attack of the plot bunnies.

Silrayn: *pops plot bunnies from in between her ears, bunnies hop mad all over the place*

Aya-kitsune, Brad-kitsune, Iraka-kitsune: *chases the plot-bunnies*

Silrayn: wait! *tries to catch the foxes who end up very plump from an excess of bunny meat* Oh well *starts to whip up ribbons to deck the foxes who are too full to try to escape*

Aya-kitsune: *belches at Silrayn's face*

Silrayn: *cringes at the bad breath* Ayan, you need to brush your teeth!
 

Kitsune Bí
WEIß KREUZ FANFICTION

VII. devil's bargain

"Ran has what?" Manx exclaimed as she heard from Birman.

"It seemed he has been missing for more than a week since the last mission. Though it's not unusual for him to disappear. Remember when Schreint had Aya-chan, he also did so. Aya broods." Birman said, puzzled at Manx' question. Manx hastily put on a less concerned face for her underling. She cursed herself for not paying personal attention, what am I going to tell Luren about this?

"What has the boys told you of what happened?" Manx said, reasserting her logical side.

"The boys reported nothing unusual. What are you going to do about it now?"

"I'm going to see about finding our errant agent, of course."

"He's just probably brooding but I see your point. We didn't really hear anything from him before he disappeared. Good hunting."

"Point. Thank you."

"Do you need anyone to be told about Aya's disappearance?"

"No, I'll handle it myself."

Birman gave Manx a salute and left, closing the door behind her.

Where have you gotten yourself off to now, kit?

***

"Botan, sit down." Manx said up to the pacing agent who was plainly agitated.

: Luren calm down. It's not even certain if some harm has befallen Ran-kit. :

"How could this happen now, Manx? Schwartz is almost gone out of our sphere. Estet is gone. Hardly anyone had the power to oppose Weiß. We made sure of that. I wished we had pulled him out. It might have been much of a shock but I didn't think…" Botan said, even his human voice sounded panicky.

: Marika give me permission to track him down. Please, he is the only thing I've left of my Reshka. :

: What if the nogitsune on your trail follow you to him or worse yet find him before you do? What, then? :

: I think I may have already lost them. I certainly haven't seen them for a year or so, maybe two. I wouldn't have dared that brief contact with Ran before if I hadn't been reasonably sure. :

: You trusted that I would care for him. :

: And look at where you got him. Into Kritiker, into Weiß… :

: He was already into killing Luren. You can't deny the need in him or the anger. He's become more human than kitsune. Though he does have kitsune needs. :

: Marika, why did you get him involved in this? You could have redirected the rage. Taught him about his kitsune heritage instead? :

: You know why, Luren. Brother, he's got rage in him. Human rage, not kitsune, he found out how to kill all by himself. He was an assassin before Kritiker found him. We only help calm him and give him purpose, more purpose than what he has found. I put him in Weiß so that he can have a pack, a family. Besides it's not as if they're kitsune. : The disregard in Marika, a.k.a. Manx' voice was like that of most kitsune surprised Luren. Humans were humans; killing them were like the killing of prey easily accomplished and no more mourned but he expected more sentiment from someone who fell in love with one.

: How can you say that when you loved Shuuichi of the Takatori Clan? And maybe so, but you could have turned Ran. Couldn't you? :

Ran was raised as a human he shouldn't be as disregarding of human life as that.

: Shuuichi was different, he wasn't your average human. And to answer your other questions, not really, no. Your Ran's a headstrong kit and he's convinced he's not a child, and I think he's right. You know that you took a chance when you gave him to humans to raise. :

: They're barbarians. :

: Aa, but what's done is done. No real way to undo it is there? :

: Hai. So I'll go to the Koneko to see if I can pick up the trail? :

: If you wish. Though I do hope you know what you're doing. :

: So do I, sister, so do I.: Botan sighed as he shimmered back to his red kitsune form.

I'm coming kit, hold on…

***

I can't figure this out. Ran's not suppose to be able to transform for about fifty years…

But the evidence was there unmistakable to his nose.

Ran-kit managed to transform into kitsune form, how could he? He shouldn't be able to shift forms all by himself. He's too damned young to be doing that sort of thing. But then growing up among humans…

The thought was not finished as Luren started to track the kit's scent where it stopped on the couch and the familiar scent assaulted his nose. A scent he had smelled only once and never again.

Schwartz…if they've harmed my kit…

***

Luren began to track the scent but it disappeared on the street. Unlike his fellow kitsune, Iraka, he had other means and ways of tracking Ran-kit and so decided to use it. Urgent as his need was, he would have used all that was in his power to find the kit. He pulled insistently on the glimmer of the kit-parent bond until he reached the place where it disappeared into a gate energy signature.

Oh, Ran-kit what have you gotten yourself into now…you've managed to gate yourself to the Void Clan Lands… I knew I shouldn't have left you alone, nor should I have let Marika take charge of you for so long. Practical as my sister is, she still has these blind spots…

Lost in his thoughts, Luren barely registered another presence, a human one, was coming into the room.

"Ayan, you're back!"

Ah the young one, Nagi Naoe. Luren thought as he jumped out of the window into the waiting tree.

"Ayan? Crawford's been worrying himself sick over you!" The dark haired Japanese youth asked peering out the window.

It seems the kit's made a friend or two here… Well, at least I do not need to punish them, if they've taken that much care with my little Ran-kit. Ran-kit where have you gotten yourself off to? And trouble have you gotten into now? There can't be anything else in the Void lands, not when he is there…and I wonder if he is more dangerous than Alshe or will prove to be since he will provoke Alshe's wrath…

***

Luren was living at that time in a small apartment, making a decent enough living by working as a factory worker. He managed to elude Alshe's hounds finally. His sister Marika had even been able to create a false death to hide his trail for awhile. A death that would convince Alshe that he and the kit were dead. It seemed to be holding though, by the Lady, he didn't know how long…

: Ah, Uncle Luren, how is it with you and your kit? :

Luren froze in the act of pulling off his pants. A large kitsune had appeared in the middle of the room, its glossy sable coat gleaming wetly in the white fluorescent glow of the light.

Gods, how can they find me so soon…And, Ran, is he safe?

: Oh, you need not fear that this will come to the ears of my father, Uncle Luren. We may have not met before uncle but my name is Shan, son of the Clan Chief. :

: What do you want? : Luren said panicked but trying for ways to escape this trap he was in. The words the other kitsune said did not comfort him for he had long since concluded that the rumors of instability in the Void Chiefdom's royal line were correct. His Reshka's relations were notoriously fickle-minded and as changeable as the wind when mood struck them.

: Nothing, just to tell you that I will protect you and your kit from further interference as I could. In return I want your blessing. When the kit, your surviving kit is old enough to mate, I want him to be mine. :

: What if I say no? : Luren wasn't going to promise his kit to this potential madman even if the Fire Clan practiced such an unreasonable custom, which they did not.

Who knows how much depravity my Ran-kit will have to suffer in his hands? Better to die than to let my kit fall into his hands…

: You will lead me to him eventually…Uncle. You know that. Besides, won't he have a good life being my mate? I'll give him all that he can ask for, if he becomes my mate. I love him above and beyond reason. :

: And why would you do that? :

: Because Aunt Reshka was like a mother to me when I had none. I think I'd like her to be my mother even if posthumously. :

: You're lying. : Luren knew at that instant that this Shan was lying about his reason and who knows what else…? For an eternity of time, the heavy ozone of power filled the room, blazing. Luren readied himself for the strike he thought was surely to come from the offended nogitsune. Then suddenly it was gone without a trace and the sound of kitsune laughter rang, slightly deranged to his inner ears. As precipitously as he appeared, the black kitsune disappeared in a flash of dark glowing mist.

Luren fell shakily to the bed wondering at his luck. Shan was powerful, an opponent to be reckoned with. And that the black kitsune stopped wasn't at all reassuring. From that day, Luren had the feeling of eyes watching him, kitsune eyes and knew that the black kitsune waited for him to go to Ran, to dare to lead the crazed nogitsune to his son. So Luren had stayed away for the twenty long years.

***

The memory of that one encounter burned in his mind as he stood a glaring red against the foliage of the Nogitsune Clan lands he had to wonder…

Did I do it that time? Did I lead that bastard to Ran when I met up with him for that short period of time? And is this the result of that one time carelessness? Did I trade a little happiness for the little one's freedom? Or should I have taken him away then… Now it's too late…

***

Luren had been an agent of Kritiker for five years. It was better life for the displaced kitsune, a free, unconstrained life that allowed him to use his abilities to the fullest. Besides, his sister who had been staying in the human world had been working for Kritiker for decades now. Somehow he wondered why, Marika had stayed in the human world. The human she loved had died a few months before, the victim of the man's own brother, an abomination that, kin-slaying… He knew that some kitsune stayed in the human world for fascination with the humans. Some like his sister fell in love with individual humans that they stayed with till their deaths, kitsune mated for life. Though to him it seemed like a foolish thing to fall in love with someone who would die in the blink of an eye. Still if the mating had mortal children a kitsune may choose to stay and take care of them.

I guess she thinks of Kritiker as their children…

With this in mind he had come in to a surprise.

"Abyssinian has decided to hunt alone for the kidnappers of his human sister."

"Why didn't you stop him? You know it's dangerous for him to do so alone. With Schwartz, Schreint and Estet about! We need agents too much to be losing them because of temperament."

: Luren, we know where he is at all times. He's hard to convince to return to the fold. Besides, weren't you the one who doubted his membership in Weiß? Maybe you could take him while he's at loose ends and give him a new direction in life. : Manx said in the pause that followed, their eyes met in challenge.

"Botan, it was his decision. He's an adult and a headstrong man."

: Maybe I will, Marika, maybe I will. :

Luren had stalked out of that meeting much faster than ever. Marika always drove him out with her logic. She had become all serious and much too involved with human affairs.

: The little one will not thank you for interfering in what he sees as a personal matter. : Concern trailed into the void as Luren focused on his objective and ignored the statement.

***

In the end, Luren opted not to tell Ran anything about their heritage or their relationship. It had been obvious that Ran felt truly attached to his human family. The kit's determination to help his adoptive sister touched deeply on kitsune loyalty. Botan was not going to complicate an already complex situation. It could've gotten Ran killed, if he complicated matters further.

And face it, you were afraid to face him. Afraid that he would reject you, that he would ask why you left him and what happened to his mother… Afraid that he would recoil with horror from the heritage that would be considered strange in the human world…

And this went on for months on end, unresolved, and now this had to happen.

Maybe it's for the best…

***

In the not-place of the Lady…

A small dainty fox, not much bigger than Ran, jumped off the lap of the Lady with a resigned sighed.  Her face was more mature, more defined she was no kit.  Though she wondered if that would have helped her case if she truly was.

"Did this have to happen, Mother?"  The red fox blurred into a red fox-headed, furry, woman wearing a faint copy of the many colored robes the Lady wore.  Her large brown eyes held some reproach she couldn't help but show.

"Aye, yes. It's for the best, this time Luren can't evade his responsibility for the kit." The many-tailed Lady said fiddling with a globe of light.

"But was it truly necessary, he really thought that he would lead evil nogitsune to his kit. And is it fair to the kit? Ran-kit is so young…"

"Kitsune value life but we are not cowards. Luren has not proven the second adage. He must learn to stand fast. Besides another mating is about to be tested. I favor Ran-kit. The little one has found great courage in adversity. The one he will be mated to must prove himself worthy to me."

"As you will, my Lady." The hooded figure turned to leave, back into waking world.

"I may have a reputation for compassion but I don't pretend to be easy, Marika-child."

"I know that, Mother." The cowl fell off to reveal the fox-headed woman it hid from view.

"Then be patient and wait. If it helps, remember that of all the kitsune I favor you, my last-born ones. And of all of you at the moment, I prefer my little grandchild Ran. You know my favor is not light nor is it fickle it will last Ran's lifetime."

"But as you said you never pretended to be easy. Shouldn't I fear for Ran-kit more for the favor?"

"Ah, that is what I like you my priestess, plainspoken. Be off now." The woman laughed filling the void with the tinkle of power. Marika bowed and left the place to the sound of laughter.

***

"Are you ready, Brad-san?" Iraka asked as he fidgeted. They had gotten back to the place from where Ran had gated in the Schwartz safe house.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Crawford said feeling the energy residuals in the room. They didn't feel alien to him. In fact they felt warm, welcoming as if Ayan was still in the room with them somehow. He knew that his new clanmate felt less than the welcome was raring to be off.

"On the count of three, one…two…three…" The world faded in a wisp of blue mist.

~TBC~

Author's Notes:

Ayan-kitsune: LITTLE Ran-kit! *Looks absolutely huffy as he says this*

Silrayn: Yeah! *Snicker* little.

Ayan-kitsune: LITTLE! *Huffs cutely*

Brad-kitsune: *licks Aya's head* Don't worry, I like you no matter what your size is.

Schuldich: *snicker* There's something to that.

Brad-kitsune: Hentai! *Jumps up on the German biting him on the nose*

Review this Fic...