Darren now trailed behind the regressed kitsune siblings, shell shocked that the rings had this much power. Making their way into a side room, Darren and Steph now watched as the kitsune sat down to talk.
"Darren I don't know why you want me here!"
Darren now glanced over at the soul drive, noticing Stephs discomfort. "Steph I have no idea how to deal with kids," he exclaimed. "Dont you have a program or something that can help."
"For human children yes," Steph countered. "But I don't know the first thing about kitsune! I mean, I could probably download something into my memory banks."
"See what you can do," Darren stated. "For now though I just want you here. Just in case I need help." The two nodded, watching as the five siblings pulled up chairs, the youngest of them frowning as they realized their feet dis not touch the ground.
"Whats with your psycho girlfriend," Kiko asked.
"Leave Abolith out of this," Fukushu stated. "This is not her fault."
"This sucks," Kiko grumbled, frowning as she noticed her feet swaying. "And its your fault Fukushu! If you hadn't shown up none of this would have happened!"
"All I wished was to make my peace with our father you brat," Fukushu countered. "Your the ones that attacked me!"
"Thats cute," Kari replied bitterly. "Since you attacked me and reduced me to infancy."
"That was an accident the spell I cast was supposed to stun you! How was I supposed to know it would activate Liliths curse! Besides those were wizards, why would you fear me attacking now?"
"Can you blame them," Kari responded acidly. "You nearly killed our mother. In fact you killed my human mothers in case you think I forgot."
"I didn't kill Mika," Fukushu replied defensively. "That was Evan."
"No but you killed Claudia," Kari countered. "You killed her, Uncle Shiro and Jennifer, Aunt Naomi and Diane. Do you have any idea what my mother did after she found them? Mika went insane! You may not have killed her but you set her up for death!"
Fukushu winced, his hatred of the Tozawa and Harris families had been a long lasting blood feud. Angered at their involvement in his sister Yomis death, he had sought vengeance for years. For decades he had tried to defeat them. When it finally happened, the results were catastrophic.
"You're right," he whispered. A deafening silence now befell the siblings. Fukushu apologizing? It was unheard of.
"Hold on your apologizing," Chisai exclaimed, his voice squeaking in shock.
"Yes I'm apologizing," Fukushu grumbled. "For centuries I have sought vengeance. Wizards, humans, they have blinded me."
"And here we go again," Kiko groaned. The nine year old kit jumping to her feet as she stomped towards her elder brother. Glaring at him with all the ferocity with childish features could muster she now jabbed her finger into the young teenage kitsunes narrow chest. "Always when we were growing up it was humans fault, never you."
Fukushu remained silent, narrowing his eyes as he glared at his little sister. "Little Kiko always so feisty," he smirked. "You always drove our parents crazy. Father would often tell me how proud he was of you, if not frustrated. The free spirit of the family."
"Dont bring Pop into this I'm still mad at you."
"Can I ask a question," Takeo asked. The siblings now turned to their youngest brother, watching the 7 year old kit adjusting his glasses. "Why do you hate humans so much?"
Fukushu narrowed his brow, angrily glaring at his little brother. "They are a disease," he growled. "I have seen nothing in my centuries of life to make me think otherwise."
"Oh please," Kari scoffed. "I was raised by wizards, surrounded by humans before regaining my immortality. Humans are flawed yes but they aren't a disease."
"You have only seen the best of humanity," Fukushu said quietly. "None of you have seen what I've seen."
"Then tell us," Kiko exclaimed.
Fukushu stood glaring at his siblings. "What would you like to hear," he snarled. "How I rescued Abolith? How I found her being raped and tortured by humans. Or perhaps I should tell you how my second in command Isao was kidnapped by a wizard, only to have his eyes plucked out! His eyes used by wizards to finish a potion! How about our sister Yomi! Tortured and brutally murdered by demons and wizards. Wizards you ALL consider allies!"
The others sat in stunned silence, unable to talk. Fukushus breathing was ragged, his face contorted with rage.
"Fukushu," Kari said softly. "I'm sorry. Humans, yes, they can be evil, cruel. But they have goodness in them. Don't let these instances cloud your judgment. We look to you. You are the eldest"
Fukuahu closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist tightly. They did not understand, none of them did. Sighing he now gazed at his siblings, he had kept this secret for too long.
"I am not the eldest brother."
A collective gasp escaped the siblings as they now gaped at Fukushu. The teenage kitsunes shoulders slumping as a mournful look crossed his face.
"I was the second born son of the dragon," he sighed. "The oldest was my brother, Raiden. The son of the dragon and nature. I was Jiro, the second son who idolized his older brother."
"Jiro," Kiko stated. "Are you telling me your name is Jiro?!"
"May I finish," Fukushu grumbled, glaring angrily at his little sister. "Yes I was named Jiro. I choose Fukushu as my name later."
Darren watched as the teenage kitsune sighed heavily, his eyes appearing to dampen as he remembered what happened.
"Kari and Yomi were mere infants," he sighed. Barely more than newborns and tiring our mother out. The three of them had finally fallen into a slumber, father telling us to go outside. Even as a child I often explored the area around our home. It had always been safe."
"So what happened," Kari asked.
Fukushu snarled, his eye's narrowing. "Humans," he growled. "I do not know what they were. Farmers? Merchant's? Warriors? It doesn't matter. I was a child, no older than Takeo is now. In my naivety I approached them, wanting to make friends."
Fukushu paused, slamming his fist into a wall. Darren jumped, startled by the kitsunes outburst. "They were superstitious," he continued. "They believed in the power the parts of a kitsune had. I was captured, tied up, I would have been slaughtered if not for Raiden."
Darren watched as Fukushu now wiped his eyes, his head hanging low. "Raiden may have been older than I," he sighed. "He was strong, powerful but he too was a child, no older than your Catalyst. He freed me, fought as hard as he could yet in the end, he paid with his life."
Fukuahu spun, glaring angrily at all in the room, his face contacting in rage and sorrow. Tears freely falling from his eyes.
"If I had been stronger," he yelled. "Older! I could of, no I should have done something! Instead I cowered, shivering in fear as I watched the humans beat my brother to death!"
None spoke a word, the story Fukushu spoke had been a family secret for close to a millennium. "It was father who found us. I watched him strike out with unbridled rage as he tore those humans to pieces. Their deaths were not quick, father made sure of that. Afterwards two things happened."
The siblings now asked in unison, still too stunned to form anything other than a single word.
"Our parents were heartbroken. They would have no more children for two hundred years. Father blamed himself, deciding to take our people to this land. Cut ourselves off from humanity in hopes of living in peace. I also made a decision that day. Jiro died with his brother. A weak and foolish child, unable to come to his brothers aid. In his place Fukushu was born. I would seek revenge against all humans for the death of my brother."
Fukushu sighed, narrowing his eyes. "You say humanity is so good yet I have seen nothing but the ugliness of man since I was but a child. Tell me my brothers and sisters? How am I supposed to forgive those that have taken so much from me?"
The kitsune siblings said nothing, unsure if how to proceed. Darren now shifted in place nervously, hoping he could somehow med this ancient wound.