Chapter 5: Kitsune Power!
Nobunaga kept his head lowered as the council adressed him. Korin was the first to speak. “You have failed, Nobunaga, after boasting so highly of yourself and your abilities. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
Nobunaga let out a small growl. “I almost had him. The kitsune was incapacitated and his friends were weak. Then the Cat’s Eye showed up. He… he is a better fighter than I would have imagined.”
Narek’s eyes perked up. “You actually saw the Cat’s Eye? So, then it is true that he is the one raiding our supplies and attacking our troops?”
Nobunaga nodded. “And I fear I stumbled in at a most eventful time. An elven magician going by the name of Vi has taught them of the uses of the staff. When I arrived there, one of the mansion walls was destroyed and the two tail was just laying limp on the ground. I fear he may have touched the staff of that Vi girl.”
Monica gasped lightly. “So then he knows? He knows of his powers?”
Nobunaga nodded slightly. “I’m afraid so, Monica. However, the good news is he is obscenely powerful when it comes to magic, much higher in ability than we ever dreamed! He can’t cling to any staff without having it explode in his face!”
Usul’s eyes darkened. “But you still lost.”
Nobunaga growled. “I told you, it wasn’t my fault!”
Sonin smirked. “It doesn’t matter. You boasted that you’d bring that Kitsune back here, one way or another. And, unless I’m going blind, I see only one Kitsune standing here right now.” She pointed proudly to herself.
Korin raised his hand. “Very well. You said they were in the cat village? Do you think they are still there.”
Nobunaga shook his head. “Even with the two tail in the condition he was in when I left, I don’t think they would wait around too long, for fear of being captured by the local soldiers.”
Narek nodded and grinned. “That means that there are only two places they could have gone. They could either cut straight through the forest and head for the dog village, or they could have taken the path that leads out of town towards the human village. My territory.”
Monica snorted. “You know as well as any of us that no one would be foolish enough to try and go through the forests. They are populated by wild beasts that would tear all of them to shreds, especially if that kitsune is still in rough condition and if the elven magician is staffless. You said yourself that his friends were weak.”
Nobunaga nodded. “Weak but stubborn. All of them were ready to lay down their lives for that fox boy. How he inspires such fierce loyalty, I’ll never understand.”
Usul nodded. “So their destination is obvious. They’re headed for your village, Narek. You’d best get there quickly.”
Narek grinned. “Unlike my feline friend here, I do not like sticking myself in the thick of things. My soldiers and spies in the village will be more than enough to deal with that fox and his friends. I keep my village under heavy guard around the clock. There is nothing that goes in or out that isn’t fully scanned for anything suspicious.”
Korin nodded and waved his hand. “Very well then, I declare this meeting at a close. You are all welcome to return to your rooms now. I have some… business to attend.”
Sonin giggled. “Mind if I stick around and help you?”
Korin smiled. “Not in the least, child.”
As Monica, Usul, and Narek all vanished from the chamber, Nobunaga clenched his fists. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew I would lose!”
Korin shrugged. “Well, not really, but I have never lost a wager before, so I decided to put it all on good luck.”
Sonin giggled loudly again. She placed her hands on her hips and grinned at Nobunaga. “You have been a very naughty kitten, Nobu. Come here and take your spanking!”
Nobunaga blushed gently, though is eyes were filled with rage as he looked at the little fox, who was sitting down in the chair he normally sat in at the table, patting her legs expectantly. “I only take my punishments bent over the bed or the table.” he growled.
Sonin clucked her tongue and wagged her finger at her. “Not this time, naughty kitty. This time you’re getting a proper spanking, over my knee, bare bottomed, with a paddle. I’m gonna make you squeal like a little girl before we’re done!”
Korin said nothing, merely standing to the side. He chuckled a bit and motioned for Nobunaga to do as she said. Nobunaga hesitantly made his way towards the fox girl, clenching and unclenching his fists, his mind racing with the embarrassment he was suffering from this. He stood next to her for a time and she sized him up a bit. “Okay, brat, over my lap.”
Nobunaga could do nothing but obey. He slowly lowered himself over her lap, squirming until he found a semi-comfortable position. “You’ll pay for this, brat.”
Sonin giggled gently and waved her hand, a paddle appearing in it. “Don’t be such a sore loser, Nobu! You’re gonna be sore enough in a moment as it is!”
Nobu let out a gentle hiss. “Don’t you dare tempt me, Sonin.” He warned.
Sonin smirked and tapped his bottom gently with her paddle. “And you’d better not tempt me, Nobu. You feel that heat? That’s right, this paddle is made out of foxfire and I can make it just as painful and uncomfortable for you as I want.”
Nobunaga stiffened, but merely nodded and bit his lip, raising his tail up.”
Sonin grinned and pulled down his pants and underwear, gasping a bit. “Wow, what a cute butt!” she giggled gently and tapped his bottom again with the paddle. Now, with his hind end unobscured, he could easily feel the heat coming off the paddle. He shuddered gently, a move that Sonin could definitely feel. Sonin smirked again as she felt him shudder. “What’s the matter? Afraid of a little spanking, brat?” she asked, raising the paddle up high.
Nobunaga clenched his fists and glared back at her. “You little, egotistical, maniacle BITCH!” he shouted at her.
Now, Sonin was frowning. “The correct term is vixen, Nobu.” She brought the paddle down hard on his backside, making a loud SMACK!
Nobunaga gasped. The pain from the heat, mixed with the girl’s own strength was far more than he had prepared himself for. He gripped the legs of the chair quickly. He heard Sonin giggle. “Wow, look at those cheeks of yours jiggle! You were just made for spanking!” She brought the paddle down quickly, four more times. SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK! She also kept a short pause between her spanks, allowing each one to sink in nice and deep so that the next one would only build on that pain.
Nobunaga was already started to squirm gently on her lap, the pain building up far faster than he was used to. Where had Sonin learned to spank like this? Being Maochist, it did make him feel good, but he was still glad he didn’t have to deal with this every day of his life. He grunted as another flurry of slaps assaulted his pinkening behind. SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMACK, SMAAACK!
Sonin was thoroughly enjoying herself. She had waited a very long time to take Nobunaga down a few pegs for all the insults and threats he threw at her over the years. It felt good to do it in such a way that made him squirm so deliciously over her lap. As he started to squirm, she grabbed the back of his neck, knowing that it was very easy to control someone’s movements if you had control of the head, and pushed it down a little, forcing him to plant his hands firmly on the floor in front of him. In turn, this also raised his buttocks up a little more, making it an even more accessible target than before. She decided to have even more fun with this as he started to sniff a bit. “Now, bad boy, why are you being spanked?” SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!
Nobunaga knew that if he opened his mouth, he’d started to whimper and he didn’t want to give the fox brat such satisfaction. On the other hand, she’d probably use it as an excuse to paddle him harder. He decided to take the lesser of two evils at this point and opened his mouth, a sob issuing forth. “I-I’m being s-spanked for f-f-failing, Ma’am! OW! Ouch! AH!”
Sonin’s ear twitched at the sob. She raised an eyebrow. She would have thought that he would have lasted longer than that. “Are you crying?” she asked, slowing the paddling a bit.
Nobunaga nodded gently, a few tears dripping from his eyes.
Sonin shrugged and sighed gently, rubbing his bottom with the paddle again, making him squirm again, the heat very uncomfortably for his poor, red bottom. “Tell you what, Nobu, I’ll let you off with only twenty more spanks if you apologize to me for everything you’ve done to me since I started here.”
Nobunaga couldn’t figure out why she was cutting her own revenge short. He guessed it was for more humiliation and he growled gently, shaking his head. “N-No! I won’t take pity, or mercy, from a delinquient fox brat. He flicked her in the face with his tail. “Go straight to hell, Sonin.”
Sonin’s eyes flared and she grabbed his tail and both his hands, pinning them against his back. “I was trying to be nice, asshole!” That was all it took to make her snap. The paddle started coming down so fast that it was hard for even Korin to tell one spank from another. SMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACKSMACK!
Now, Nobunaga was openly sobbing, instantly regetting not taking her offer. He started to kick and squirm and get his hands free, but her grip was like iron against his hands. “OW! I-I’m sorry, Sonin! Forgive meeeee!” he shouted, more of a child now then he ever had been.
Sonin grinned and kept up her assault on his bum. SPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANK! “You little brat! SPANKSPANKSPANK! WHen someone offers you something like that, you should take it! SPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANKSPANK! Now, I’m going to make it so you can’t shit comfortably for a year!” She growled and let go of his hands, pulling him off of her lap and dragging him over to the corner, spanking him the whole way, and turning him roughly towards it. “Now keep that nose in the corner, and don’t you dare look out or I’ll repeat your entire punishment!” She took the paddle in both hands and reared back, swinging it has hard as she could against his bottom, one last time. SMAAAAAAAAAACK!
Nobunaga let out a loud yell and crumpled to the ground in tears, curling into a small ball as the pain rocketed up his bum and into his back. “S-stop… I’m sorry…”
Sonin panted a bit, her energy almost gone from her fit. She made the paddle disappear and tossed her hair back, looking down on him gently. Maybe she had taken it too far. Korin had said that he liked it, but he did have a limit. Perhaps she’d crossed it.”
Korin shook his head. “I’ll leave you two alone. See that he gets back to his room alright, Sonin.”
Sonin nodded. Korin left. She didn’t have the heart to hurt Nobunaga again, for some reason. The thrill of revenge was gone now. He looked so much like a child, curled up and crying against the wall like that. His bottom was perfectly crimson, all over, not an inch of it left unscathed. She sat down in front of him as he started to calm down. “I meant it when I said I’d give you mercy. I was concerned for you.” She was very glad that Korin was gone so that she could speak her mind so plainly and not be ridiculed for it.
Nobunaga sobbed a bit more, reaching back to rub gently. “R-really?” he asked, his voice raspy and weak.
Sonin nodded. “Damn it, I didn’t wanna spank you that hard, Nobu, I just got really angry when you refused me. I felt like, maybe I could beat the pride out of you.”
Nobunaga breathed gently, his breath still shaky, but much calmer. “I think… you succeeded.”
Sonin shrugged and rested an arm on his shoulder. “You know, I have always thought of you as a big brother, Nobu. Why else do you think I bother you so much. You treat me like your little sister without realizing it.”
Nobunaga growled a bit. “Little sisters don’t spank big brothers, it’s supposed to be the other way around.”
Sonin shrugged. “Not always, you know. Plus, isn’t a little sister’s job to annoy and embarrass the big brother.”
Nobunaga thought for a second. “I see your point.” He sat up gently, groaning at the pain in his buttocks, keeping his more private areas covered. “You’ve still made my life a living hell since you started here.”
Sonin nodded guiltily. “I know, but it was all in the spirit of fun, I swear. And I am sorry, I really didn’t mean to go so far with my spanking… I just sorta… lost it.”
Nobunaga shrugged. “It’ll heal.” He smiled a bit. “Nice to know you’re actually a halfway decent person.”
Sonin giggled. “You tell anyone about this and I swear your butt won’t be the only red part of you.”
Nobunaga grinned. “Same goes for you, brat.” He held out his hand. “Right, the past is behind us, okay?”
Sonin nodded and shook his hand gratefully. “Okay… big brother.” The two of them nodded and, their new freindship forged, left the brotherhood hall behind them.
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In the few days following the fight with Nobunaga, Mia had monitored Rai’s recovery carefully. He was feeling much better now, it seemed, his body almost completely back to normal. However, the hand that had touched the staff, as well as the arm up to the elbow, was still a charcoal black color. Worried about this, Mia questioned Vi about it. The elf simply shrugged. “That’s what happens. The skin will grow back naturally overtime, probably faster than normal given how fast his magic circulates. Even with that ability, however, that kind of wound will take time to heal. A lesser magician probably would have had to have his arm amputated to keep the corrosion from spreading. Trust me, his arm is fine. If he can move it, it will recover.”
Indeed, he could move his arm, as if it had nothing wrong with it. As soon as he was able to stand again, he had taken up his sword and run a few practice drills, his stiffened body taking a little while to let the kinks work their way out of his system again. He smiled to himself a bit and nodded in satisfaction after his body returned to its normal functionality.
As promised, Mia’s mother did not tell a soul about the fugitives within her house, nor did any soldiers come to check. Either the council was keeping this very hush, hush, or they were merely waiting until Rai and the others were on the move again. Ly had guessed it would be the former since no member of the council would want their defeat made public.
At the end of the third day, Rai stood on the balcony outside Mia’s room, where the wall was already almost fully repaired from his little joyride. Mia stepped out next to him and offered him a small cup of tea. He smiled and accepted, taking it carefully in his blackened arm. “Thanks.”
Mia nodded. “You’re welcome. So, we’ll be heading off tomorrow, right?”
Rai nodded gently. “Yeah. We’ve stayed here far to long. We can’t hide out here for much longer, according to Ly. The military’s patience will only last so long.” He sighed gently at her. “How did your mother take the news of us leaving?”
Mia frowned. “Just like I expected her to. She looked like she was about to faint with joy, to tell you the truth.” She shrugged. “But she did give me this.” She held up a small necklace around her neck. On he end of it was a small bronze coin with a cat’s insigna on it. “It’s the symbol of our house. She wants me to take at least some of my heritage with me, you know.”
Rai chuckled a bit and nodded. “I see.” He took a small sip from his tea. “So, we never did decide where to head next.”
Mia shrugged gently. “That’s a bit of a problem, Rai. Now that they’re aware of our location, even though they won’t attack this house directly, as soon as we leave the grounds, we’ll be sitting ducks. There are probably going to be guards around the entire village, and even if we get by them, the roads leading to the next towns will probably be blocked as well.
Rai smirked. “Meaning that there is still one option that they didn’t consider because they thought we weren’t crazy enough to do it.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “What are you getting at?” she asked.
Rai looked at her with a grin. “Simple: we climb over the wall in the city and we cut across the forest.”
Mia answered by giving him a sharp slap on his backside, making the kitsune jump. It had been quite a long time since she had been the one to spank him, he recalled. “That’s crazy! Out of every hundred people who have ever gone into the forests outside a village, only about ten have ever come back out again!”
Rai smiled a bit, rubbing his bottom slightly. “I say we try to increase those odds. It’s our only real choice now, Mia, and you know it. I talked with Ly about it earlier. He said it was crazy too, but he agreed, it was the only way we’re going to get out of here safely. He’s already plotted a course that will take us through the forest to the dog clan village, across from here.”
Mia nodded gently. “I understand.” She sighed gently and shrugged. “I guess we really don’t have a whole lot of options.” She patted his shoulder. “Come on, it’s getting late and we’ve got to be ready for tomorrow.”
Rai smiled at her and took another sip from his tea. “I’ll be in soon, don’t worry.”
Mia shrugged and headed back inside. “Alright, your bed’s already made for you anytime you wish to go to it.”
Rai sighed gently as she left and looked down at his blackened hand, glaring at it. He flexed it, rotated his wrist, wiggled all his fingers a bit, and moved his elbow up and down. “Still working.” he said gently. “Get better soon.” he willed his arm. He was still so shocked by the idea that he was… well, a living, breathing weapon. Not like the military soldiers of course, they had lost their heart, their will, their conscious feelings through the brutal training they had endured. But him… he was a natural weapon, a creation of nature. He looked from his arm into the sky. “Why?” he asked gently. “Why must I bare this burden? I don’t even fully know what I can do with this power of mine… so why give it to me?” he asked. He shook his head, recieving no answer. Tucking the blackened arm out of sight into his Kimono, he walked back in and went straight to bed.
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Rai groaned as he felt something poking him gently in his back. “Go ‘way…” he groaned. He was rewared with several more hard prods to his back. He shifted, but didn’t move. After that, the prodding stopped and he gave a mental sigh, thinking that this was his chance to finally rest. However, just as he was starting to settle back into his dreams, he felt something very hard, and very painful, come down hard on his clothed arse. It didn’t take a seconds dose to get him up. His eyes opened wide and he shot out of bed, clutching his abused backside tenderly. “SON OF A…!” He stopped and looked over there to see Serenity holding a large hairbrush and giggling. He huffled a bit as he saw Ly, Vi, and Mia standing there as well. “You could have stopped her.”
Ly shrugged. “Usually, I would have, but you were sleeping and you ignored I attempts to wake you up. So, we decided to let Serenity handle it.”
Serenity looked up at him, the picture of pure innocence. “You aren’t made, are you Rai?”
Rai rubbed his bottom a few more times and sighed, shrugging. “I guess not. But next time, just push me out of bed or something, alright?”
Vi giggled a bit. “While you were snoozing, we did you a favor and packed up everything we’d need to get back to traveling. I even had time to make a quick replacement staff.” She held up the staff she was talking about and as soon as she did, Rai took several steps back, instinctively putting as much distance between him and the staff as he could. Vi frowned. “Oh, um, sorry.” She drew the staff back and waved her hand over it a bit so that it disappeared.
Rai relaxed a bit. “Thank you.” He said gently. “Alright, let’s get going then.” He sighed and picked up his small sac of belongings and provisions. “Ly, where do we need to head to cut through the forest?”
Ly pointed eastward. “The northeast wall would be the best place, I think. If we get over that wall, the forest is least thick if we travel in as straight a line as possible there.”
Rai nodded again and pulled his cloak on over his sword and his face. “Okay. Let’s go then.”
They left the safety of the house, immediately taking refuge behind whatever cover they could find. Soldiers were out and about today, carrying loaded weapons, going from door to door, knocking, and inviting themselves in. They came out, pulling children or minor teenagers out.
Serenity frowned gently and turned to the others. “What… what are they doing?” she asked gently.
Rai bit his lip and closed his eyes. “Mia, what’s the date?”
Mia thought for a second. “It’s the second day of the month of the adder… why?”
Rai nodded. “I forgot… today’s the start of ‘Recruitment Week’.”
Serenity frowned. “What’s that?”
Ly rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s right, you lived in an inn outside the clan villages. You have no idea about anything we have to worry about, huh?”
Serenity growled. “Alright, so I’m ignorant. What is it?”
Vi sighed. “It’s the one week every ten years that the army goes into each town and forcefully takes anyone they feel has potential as a soldier. They’re taken from their families and are trained as soldiers, fated to end up heartless, merciless, and to never know their parents again.”
Serenity gulped. “Those… those bastards.”
Rai’s eyes opened. Mia momentarily backed away from him. His eyes, even obscured by the hood as they were, looked dark and icy. “They came into my home. My… my mother… she…” He growled. “My mother had tried to hide me. She promised me that they wouldn’t take me… she promised that we’d still be together. She was wrong.” He suddenly flashed and grabbed his sword. “No one’s going to suffer what I did!” he shouted, dashing straight at two soldiers who were trying to pry two children out of their mother’s arms.The two guards barely had time to utter a cry of surprise before Rai’s blade ripped through their flesh. One of them had time enough to activate his emergency beacon before he fell. Rai motioned for the mother and her children to hide.
Mia’s eyes widened. “Rai… What is he doing?! Is he trying to get himself killed!”
Vi bit her lip. “Mia… do you know what the penalty is for a parent who tries to interfere with a recruitment?”
Mia shook her head. “No. They never came to our house.”
Ly shook his head. “They wouldn’t. The recruiters don’t care about nobel children, children who are raised in establishments outside of a town, or orphans. They only care about the ones bred and raised within a specific sphere of influence.”
Vi nodded. “Well… when a parent or guardian tries to hide a child from the recruiters and is found out… the entire family is marched outside and is shot, excecution style in the back of the head… the child in question is… is forced to watch. Rai’s family was probably found out.”
Mia gasped and looked up at Rai, who had started slashing like a maniac at the soldiers that were approaching him, their own swords drawn. “He… he saw his family shot?”
Serenity’s eyes teared up. “Rai… how does he go on with that kind of knowledge?”
Ly pointed as another few bodies fell to Rai’s insane swordsmanship. “Does it look like he can contain it? This is the anniversary of his parent’s murder. All his anger, all his pain, all his sadness, is at its peak on this day. He’s lost it.”
Mia bit her lip. “I always knew he opposed the empire, but I… I never thought he was so bloodthirsty towards them. Look at him, he’s like a killer now!”
Serenity shook her head. “He’s not our Rai! We gotta stop him! Look, he just took out four more of them! He’s getting covered in blood!”
Vi nodded. As a lull in the guards approaching came around, she whispered soft words and drew out her staff again. She muttered a quick spell and golden lights surrounded Rai, forming halo-like bonds over his body, restricting his movement. He started to snarl and tried his best to break free. “Let me go! I’m gonna kill them all for this! They’ll know I mean business! Let me go!”
Vi panted a bit. Since this staff wasn’t as powerful as her original one, she was still exerting more energy than normal to keep him bound. “Hurry! We can move him through the air as he is now! We need to get out of here now, before more guards show up!”
Serenity and Ly nodded, dashing forward and grabbing Rai’s arms, pulling him through the streets to the northeastern wall with Vi and Mia behind them. Rai growled and snarled at them. “You bitches! You traitors! Let me go! I’ll kill them! Let me go!”
Mia’s eyes teared up to see the Rai she had respected so much come down to this. “Rai… please calm down!”
Rai spat at her. “Shut up, you noble wench! You couldn’t possibly understand my pain! You were protected and shielded your entire life, remember? You have never tasted a single bit of pain in your life! LET ME GO!”
Tears started to slip from Mia’s eyes as Serenity and Ly vaulted Rai over the wall, following afterwards. Vi gave her a lift up just before more guards arrived on the scene, assessing the damage. Rai continued to fight against his bonds, screaming and shrieking curses at them. “Don’t you know what’ll happen to those kids if I don’t do something!? They’ll become just another pawn in the empire’s game! Let me go, I have to do this!”
Mia couldn’t take it anymore. She whirled on him and jumped up, slapping him square on the cheek. “SHUT UP!” She panted hard and he looked down at her, a shocked expression on his face. “You’re the idiot here, Rai! Don’t you see what you were doing? You were no better than those guards back there, killing them without mercy, without remorse! They used to be just like you! You can’t completely destroy a person’s soul, you can only hide it! Somewhere, deep down, they still had their moral fiber, and we could have restored it! But now… but now, none of those you’ve slain will get a chance at a second life! YOU’RE the monster here, not them! And to think, I actually respected someone who’s no better than the empire itself!” She turned and fled a little ways into the woods. Vi chased after her, forgetting that once she was out of eyeshot, the spell would vanish. It did and Rai dropped to the ground.
Serenity stared at Rai for a second. “Rai… are you… are you okay?”
Rai didn’t answer. He rubbed his sore cheek gently and slowly looked down at his blood-stained blade. “What… have I done?”
Ly crossed his arms. “Something… something that I do wish I didn’t have to see.”
Rai bit his lip. “No better… no better than them… I’m no better…” He stood up and slowly sheathed the sword, not bothering to clean it yet. “You two go and catch up with Vi and Mia. I’ll… I’ll meet up with you all a little ways in the forest, just… go and make camp, alright?”
Serenity started to protest, but Ly set a hand on her shoulder. “Do what you must, Rai… just… make sure it’s the right thing.”
Rai nodded gently and turned, walking away from them. Serenity turned to Ly. “Why’d you just let him go like that?! He’s gonna go back and slaughter them!”
Ly shook his head. “Idiot! Didn’t you see the hurt on his face? The pain in his eyes, the sadness? He know’s what Mia said was true and now that he’s forced to face his real character, he can’t take it! He’s making a decision now that could effect his future, and we can’t play a part in it!” He sighed gently. “Come on, let’s go and make sure Mia and Vi are okay. Mia seemed really distraught.”
Serenity nodded. “Yeah, she looked pretty bummed out too.”
Ly rolled his eyes. “And maybe I can increase your intelligence on the way.”
Serenity nodded as they started to walk. “Yeah, and… HEY!”
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Rai walked alone, back towards the entrance to the village. His hand was still firmly over the spot where he had been slapped and he felt tears rushing to his eyes. He vaulted himself up onto the wall at the spot where they had leaped over. He saw a large amount of villagers and military personelle staring at his handiwork. His heart froze as he saw one woman standing over one of the dead men, her arms around his neck, hugging him close. She was wailing. “He’s dead! My boy is dead!”
Rai cried gently from his spot on the wall and he felt painful memories of his own well up within his head. He heard the gunshots that had killed his family. He remembered the absolutely pitiless look that the soldiers had had on when they had done it. He remembered his training, how he had been forced to kill or be killed to weed out the weak. He truly was no better than them.
He looked down at his hands, the tears dripping onto them. He had sworn to do all he could to bring down the empire… all he could… but not like this. He sobbed lightly, looking down at his hands still. “I really am a weapon! I can’t do anything but kill, can I? I was born a weapon, molded into one, used as one, now it runs in my blood!” He shook his head. “I tried, moma…. I really did… I tried so hard to resist, to be good, to stay as I was… but to what end?” he asked gently. “It’s all for nothing, mom… all for… for…” He stopped and looked up through his ears, twitching slightly. Their bodies… the heart might have stopped pumping, but… but their bodies continued to bleed! The bodies wouldn’t have expired so fast.
He didn’t have much inthe way of a staff, but… well, here went nothing. He raised his hands. “If I’m not a weapon, then let this be a sign… please, whatever god there may be, let this work… let this be my repentence…” He forcibly shoved his magical energy out of him, sending a small blast towards the bodies. Everyone was too shocked to care much where it came from. The bodies all slowly started to heal. Soon, there was no trace of injury at all. The villagers all stared in amazement as the formerly deceased started to move again. The one in the woman’s arms moved last of all. The young neko looked up into his mother’s face.
Slowly, she smiled. “Lucas… my Lucas, you… you’re alive.”
The young Neko felt himself for a few more seconds before biting his lip. “I was… dead… mom… mom, is that really you?”
She nodded. “It’s me, Lucas… I never thought I’d see you again.”
Rai smiled gently at the reunion. “I’m not… not a weapon, I… I can do good things, I… I…” his vision started to blur and he suddenly felt extremely tired. He tumbled backwards, off the wall and outside the village, falling unconscious on the other side. “Not… a weapon… but still… like them… still have… a soul…”
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Mia sighed gently, staring up at the cloudless sky. “I can’t believe I actually got involved with that… thing…”
Vi frowned. “Don’t you think you’re being a little unfair to him? I mean, this can’t be easy for him, this being the day he saw his family murdered and all.”
Mia winced, knowing that she was right. “But he still slaughtered all those guards without even thinking about the possibility that they didn’t have any control over what they were doing, that they were just innocents just like him.”
Serenity crossed her arms. “Oh, I think he knows now… after you smacked him and told him off, he almost had a breakdown, Mia!” she shook her head. “He looked like he might have been really, really depressed.”
Ly closed his eyes and leaned back on his arms. “Depressed is definitely the word.”
Mia bit her lip. “Quit acting like this is all my fault! Where is that fox anyway?”
Serenity examined her nails. “Well, we told you, but you were too busy sobbing to listen.”
Mia glared at the girl. “Well, where is he?”
Ly pointed back towards town. “He said he had… something to do alone, so he headed back towards the town.”
Mia jumped up. “WHAT!? And you two didn’t stop him? What if he went back to finish what he started? I… I’ve gotta go and stop him!” She dashed off.
Serenity shook her head. “Do you think they’ll ever figure out they love each other.”
Ly shrugged. “If they make it through this, it may just be possible.”
Vi shook her head. “In the meantime, I think I need to see about you two liers.”
Ly raised an eyebrow. “What? We didn’t lie!”
Vi frowned. “You didn’t say a thing about where Rai was headed. You knew that Mia would have gone right after him, didn’t you?”
Serenity shrugged. “I wanted to stop him, but Ly said not to!” she protested. Ly growled at her but it turned into a yelp as both his and Serenity’s ears were grabbed by the elf magician and they were leaned over her lap.
She sighed and bared both of their bottoms. “I think you both have earned another quick spanking from auntie Vi.” She raised her hand and both of the children started wailing loudly as the spanking started.
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Mia panted hard as she finally broke through the edge of the forest. “Gotta… stop him!” She dashed towards the wall and gasped to see Rai there, laying on his back, unconscious. “Rai!” She ran up to him and took him up onto her lap gently, tapping his face. “Rai, wake up! What happened to you?” She stopped as she heard talking on the other side.
Straining her ears, she listened. “It was a miracle!” she could hear one person say. “A huge burst of magic just came out of nowhere and healed all those soldiers! The gods must really be smiling on us to give us scuh a gift!”
Mia gasped and looked down at a now conscious kitsune. “I… I’m not… a weapon…” he said gently, a few tears still falling down his face.”
Mia bit her lip. “No… no you aren’t Rai… you’re… you’re the greatest kitsune that ever lived… you have the power to change the world… and you know what it needs to be used for.”
Rai nodded, his energy returning at a rapid pace. “Mia… spank me.”
Mia blushed and gulped a bit at the comment. “What? Rai, why? Amends have been made! You could have died, giving your magic straight from your body to save those boys.”
Rai shook his head. “That doesn’t make a difference. I did such a horrible thing… at the time, I really was no better than the empire… I… I saw a woman in there, clutching one of the younger soldiers… it was her son… I… I…” he started to cry. “Please, please spank me, let me know that I’ve recieved a good punishment for this… I don’t wanna be a weapon anymore!”
Mia bit her lip and started crying as well. She lifted Rai up into her arms and hugged him tightly. “You are no weapon, and I’m so sorry about what I said. I was so harsh, I… didn’t think, Rai. We were both at fault.”
Rai shook his head. “What you said held merit, Mia. Please, do this for me?”
Mia slowly nodded. “Only if you promise a similar punishment for me for what I said to you.”
Rai frowned, but sighed and nodded, moving his ponytail out of her face. “Alright… but just a small one…”
Mia closed her eyes. “Kinda reminds you of the day we met, huh? Spanking each other like this… but how do we decide who goes first without being unfair?”
Blushing, Rai made a suggestion. “How… how about we spank each other at the same time… we bare each other’s bottoms and spank each other until we feel satisfied that we’ve been punished enough.”
Mia blushed as well, but at a lack of a better idea, she nodded. “Alright, Rai… and know this, that I am so, so sorry for what I said and I had no right to accuse you of that.”
Rai smiled gently and bared his bottom, as well as hers, making them both blush. He was careful enough to keep their clothing high enough so that their private areas were safe. “Apology accepted and I am sorry that I went totally insane back there… never again will I do that, I promise you.”
Mia nodded and rested one hand on his bottom while her other hand wrapped around his torso. He did likewise. “Ready?” she asked.
Rai nodded and raised his hand. “Yeah…” He brought it down with a loud SMACK and felt Mia’s hand land at exactly the same time. They both gasped, but didn’t stop, raising and lowering their hands quickly and efficiently. SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK!
Both of them started to whimper, draining each other of what little tears they had left. Each felt the pain of the other, their own burdens lifted somewhat from their shoulders as they were punished. SMACK SMACK SMACK! Rai bit his lip and stopped himself, shaking his head. “No more for you. Your offense was minor compared to mine.”
Mia blushed, but didn’t protest, pulling her panties up over her pink bottom. “Then I will stop there with you.”
Rai frowned. “But…” he was silenced as she put a finger to his lips. “Hush… please, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. You… you’ve been through a lot, emotionally and physically.” She bit her lip gently and rubbed his back, pulling up his pants. “Just… please promise me… that you won’t… won’t ever…”
Rai nodded. “Never again, Mia… never again… I am not a weapon… I am a two tailed kitsune… and I have power… and that power… that power will be used to help, not to hurt… I promise.”
Mia nodded and held him tight. They were safe here next to the village since no one came around to this side of the wall. They fell asleep against each other, each one smiling, a few tears of happiness at their newfound companionship glowing in their eyes.
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High above, atop one of the large churches that overlooked the town, the Cat’s Eye gave a small smile under the bandana he wore. “No longer a weapon… You, Rai, are indeed meant for great things.” He looked from them to the village. Faced with their own mortality, the guards that had been wounded before were loath to continue the recruitment. The other guards summed it up as post-attack trauma and sent them away. “And I think that… with a little more work, you can undo everything that the heartless military has worked so hard to put together… you my friend, will give them back their humanity.”
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SMACK! Back in the forest, not far from the village, Serenity and Ly had made an interesting discovery. With their abilities combined, There wasn’t much an elven magician could do to stop them from bending her over, baring her bottom and giving her a good revenge spanking. Vi was on the recieving end of this discovery… and she wasn’t enjoying it much…
CHAPTER 5 END
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