Gloria looked around apprehensively as her and her friends slowly made their way up the mountain. In the course of a few hours she had gone from worrying about her sisters wedding to rescuing her aunts child. "Not how I expected the weekend to go," she grumbled.
Looking at her sisters friends as well as her own she wondered what was she doing here? Gloria had no experience fighting kitsune. "What's on your mind Glo?"
Gloria turned towards Sasha, the dark haired teen and Jackie had drawn close to her, noticing the look of concern on her face. "I dont know," Gloria sighed. "I mean we've never done anything like this. Besides I'm worried about the kids."
"Ann has that covered," Jackie stated. "Shes watching them along with Jen and Ashley."
"But what can those two do if something does happen," Gloria asked.
"You'd be surprised," Shiro smirked, placing a hand on Gloria's shoulder. "Sorry to eaves drop but saw you three looking nervous. Trust me, Jen has a couple of tricks up her sleeve."
Gloria could only nod, hopefully Mika's brother was right. Turning a corner they paused. Sitting before them was a seven tailed kitsune. "So we have any tricks up our sleeves to deal with that," Sasha grumbled.
Gloria paused for a moment taking the kitsune in. The seven tailed kitsune appeared to be meditating, his silver fur blowing in the mountain breeze. So far he seemed oblivious to their presense. "Can he see us," Jackie asked. Gloria looked closer, noticing the bandages across his eye. "I think hes blind," she said.
Slowly the group now approached, startled when the kitsune raised his hand. "I can sense your presense."
"Who are you," Mika asked.
"My name is Isao," he said. "And this is as far you go."
Gloria and the others gave eachother a concerned look as Claudia and Mika stepped forward. "Look Isao," Claudia stated. "We dont want a fight. Your boss took a kid of ours, we want him back." As Claudia now approached Isao raised his arm higher, a series of swords now appearing behind him. "That will most certainly be an impossibility."
Claudia paused, she had fought enough kitsune and sustained enough injuries that she was not taking any chances. Isao smiled, sniffing the air as he turned in Claudia's direction. "Your scent is familiar," he said slowly. "You have fought our kind before."
"That a problem," Claudia grumbled. Isao shrugged, the swords now beginning to point towards Claudia. "Indeed," he smirked. "I've never liked wizards."
Claudia's eyes went wide as Isao raised his hand. Before he could make a motion, Gloria and the others saw a lasso of solid water spring forth, wrapping Isaos hand tightly. Turning they gaped as they saw Mika had conjured the watery chain.
"Holy crap my sisters a water bender," Naomi screamed.
Isao snarled, he had not anticipated elemental magic, fortunately he had backup. "Aiko now!"
Aiko sprung up from her hidden position, taking a deep breath the four tailed vixen leveled her rifle at the group releasing a round at the group.
Gloria and the other dove for cover as magical bullets began to rain down on their position. Gloria quickly found herself next to Diane and Naomi as they watched Claudia and Mika counter.
"Quit fan girling over your sister," Diane yelled at her girlfriend. "We got to help."
Naomi nodded taking out her wand and pointing it at Aikos position. The rocks the four tailed kitsune hid behind transforming into water that quickly fell away. Now finding herself exposed Aiko grabbed her glaive, firing another round from her rifle. Diane tried to shield everyone with a barrier, only to find the bullet shatter her shield and land dangerously close to Mika.
"Those bullets go through my shields," Diane shouted. Samantha could see the look of concern on the teens face. Quickly transform into her dragoness form she launched herself towards Aiko, hoping to incapacitate her.
"Not so fast," Isao bellowed. Samantha's eyes went wide as a pair of flaming swords now sped towards her. Mike and Shiro noticed what was happening speeding forward to help Samantha. Shiro unsheathed his katana, deflecting one of the swords away. Mike was not as fortunate, taking the blade in his shoulder. Despite having transformed his flesh into steel, Mike howled in pain, grabbing his shoulder as it began to bleed from a very ugly wound.
"MIKE!!!"
Samantha reversed course, scooping up her husband as he held the wound. "I'm fine," he grunted. Samantha grit her teeth, her eyes turning purple as she turned back towards the pair of kitsune.
Isao and Aiko smirked as they prepared to strike once more. As they moved to attack they found their actions stalled. Glancing to the side Isao could see Gloria snap her fingers, freezing the two in place.
"Take them out and hurry," Gloria groaned. "I can only keep these two frozen for so long." Samantha nodded, opening her mouth the dragoness released a powerful blast of magical fire directed at the two kitsune.
Isao was able to free himself, bracing himself as the blast engulfed them. The seven tailed kitsune was surprised by the power of the blast, a blast that knocked Aiko backwards.
"Impressive," Isao smiled. "I can hear your voices. You are all still quite young yet have this much strength. Truely you are worthy opponents. Aiko are you hurt?"
Aiko groaned, slowly getting to her feet as she readied herself to strike. "I'll manage," she grunted. Gloria and the others watched as the four tailed vixen readied herself to strike once more.
"Manage this," Mary Elsie bellowed.
Gloria watched as the auburn haired coed now cast a spell, thick vines erupting from the ground and ensnaring the vixen. Aiko let out a surprised gasp as she was pulled to the ground. The vixen now struggled to free herself, finding the vines held her firmly in place.
Isao snarled once more, raising his hand once more to send a flaming sword flying in Mary Elises direction. Once more Gloria found herself freezing the sword in place as Jackie and Felixia assisted. Mika now saw an opening, leaping at Isao and tackling him to the ground.
"Will you knock this shit off already," she yelled. "We dont want to fight!"
Isao paused sniffing the air around Mika. "You smell of our clan," he said in awe. "How?"
"Our daughters a kitsune you putz," Claudia bellowed. "You really think we want to hurt Karis family?"
Isao paused, pushing Mika and the others away with a wave of his hand. He had not anticipated wizards actually caring for his kind, let alone claiming one as their daughter. Taking a deep breath he now began to try and refocus. Perhaps he had been mistaken in assuming these wizards were his enemy.