Tails of a Kitsune - Life or Love

Chapter Five

"Wake up, you dumb cactus-brained pile of lizard guts!" a voice snapped. Iris slowly opened her eyes, wincing from the light.

Where am I? she wondered, taking in the small room she was in. She was lying on something soft... A type of fur? She forgot all that when she saw the tiny fennec fox in the corner of the room.

At first, she thought it was Petunia since this fox could have been her twin. But this fox had battle scars all over her, and her voice was too rough, and Petunia would never, ever curse like that.

The strange fox suddenly turned her head and looked straight at her. Iris saw that one of the fox's eyes had been ripped out, probably by force. In its place was a small hunter-green piece of fabric.

The fox's fur was matted with dried blood that stained her fur, and there was a blood-soaked bandage around one of her forearms. Iris controlled her urge to flinch or scream, and instead tried to look around some more.

Suddenly, something glinted, catching her eye, and she turned her head to see the strangest thing she had ever seen. It must be the thing that was chasing me...

Iris was shocked. It was a beautiful fox, made of water, that could actually move. But that wasn't what shocked her. The thing looked exactly like Cobra Lily.

"Hello?" she tentatively told it.

"It's about time you greeted me, you worthless moldy pile of vole brains!" the fennec fox retorted. "Since you asked so politely - not - I will give you the honor of knowing my name. I'm Hunter. Of course, that isn't my real name. It's Sunflower. But never call me that. If you ever do call me that, I will rip off your claws and stab you with them and then jam them down your throat!"

Okay... thought Iris, wincing from the violent description. Flower name... she must have been born in Vine Den... Iris looked at the water copy of her sister, shivering. 'I'm... Iris..." she mumbled.

"What's that? Speak up! After all those missions, my ears aren't the same as they used to be, you mumbling vulture-headed idiot!" Hunter growled. Iris could see a flicker of something in her eyes... Was it... humor?

When Iris didn't respond, Hunter rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, Iris the annoying mute shadow. Got that." Catching her staring at the water-sister, Hunter said, "That's just Cobra Lily's water projection. Nothing special, except that it can't talk. Now, that's nice, so it's one less thing to talk my ears off. These inconsiderate raptors around here talk way too much."

"Uh...uh...uh-huh," Iris responded, half paying attention, half examining the room.

Hunter sighed, then caught herself mid-sigh. "Great! You made me take my first sigh this week!" she growled sarcastically. "Wait, no, I had one during that possum-brained tutor's lesson, and when the Boss made me teach the annoying newcomers and... you know what, everybody's annoying. That's why I sigh."

"Oookay?" Iris told her.

Hunter looked her up and down appraisingly. "You're nice. You don't talk much and listen to my rants. Keep on doing that, and I might actually like you." Iris nodded mutely, confused by this strange, feisty fox.

Suddenly, she heard a voice through the door, "Honey! Sunnypie? I have a message, Sunshine!"

Hunter growled. "Mamba, I'm trying to be intimidating while I'm talking to this newbie! Can't you understand that?!" Iris squinted, shocked to see affection glinting in the sandy fox's warm amber eyes.

" 'kay, sugar! By the way, you need to lighten up!" said the most gigantic red fox Iris had ever seen, coming through the doorway. She gaped at him.

"Oh, hi! I'm Mamba," he told her good-naturedly. "But you can call me whatever you want. Just don't give her any nicknames," he smiled, flicking his tail towards Hunter. "She's grumpy, that one."