Chapter 1: Origins of a Fox

It had been only a week since Sunset had met Hermione, Harriet, and Winter, and she now had a very important question to ask a certain kitsune. From what she had read before in several Japanese mythology books, kitsune were a kind of Yokai, or spirit, that were natural tricksters, yet wise beyond belief. They could wield near flawless illusions, or burn those who threaten them with foxfire, and the number of tails one had signified age and rank, with nine-tailed kitsune being the wisest and oldest among their kind. But, there was one issue alone that made absolutely no sense about Harriet.

If kitsune were normally only found in Japan, how in Tartarus did one come from England?

Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Sunset went off to find Winter, hoping the shifter could shed some much-needed light on just how this anomaly came to be. She found Winter sitting on the roof of the inn they were staying at, staring out into the distance, humming a strange tune that chilled Sunset's spine. Sunset climbed up onto the thatched roof of the inn, and carefully made her way to where her friend was. "Hey, Winter. Can I ask you something important?"

"Yeah. What do you need from me?" Came the reply. While Sunset and Winter got along well, it didn't help matters that Winter's attitude sometimes grated on people's nerves. She was very blunt in her speech when being asked questions, yet could give Shakespeare lessons in talking around a topic when she felt playful.

"Do you know Harriet's parents, by any chance?" Sunset asked, cocking her head to one side. Winter smiled warmly, deep in thought.

"I do. They are some of the warmest people I know, loving and kind, and fierce in defending those they love. Lily Amaryllis and James Charlus Potter, best friends of my own parents and of my uncle Sirius Orion Black. I can already tell that they likely known of what has befallen us, and eagerly await the day we escape this prison."

Sunset blinked at that, not entirely sure what to say. "While it is good her family is so loving, I was curious on how a kitsune would be born in England. Aren't they native to Japan alone?"

Winter chuckled. "Harriet's parents are human, before you ask. However, there's a story behind it that isn't the most appropriate, if only for the fact that certain terms were screamed during the whole ordeal that were never meant for polite company. Siri still laughs at the memory, on occasion."

"What happened?"

"Oh, Aunt Lily and Uncle James took a trip to Japan, and James managed to piss off a yokai on accident. Apparently he was drunk and said some things about the yokai's parentage after it flirted with Aunt Lily. The yokai in question cursed them to bear a kitsune as their first-born daughter. Aunt Lily then tore into the poor sap for cursing them, and actually made it cry!" Winter by that point had Sunset roaring with laughter at the story.

Once she had calmed down enough to speak a full sentence, Sunset looked Winter in the eyes and asked "Winter, why did you three trust me so quickly?" Winter, oddly enough, looked poleaxed by the seemingly innocent question. Sunset's mind whirled with potential answers to her own question. But, before she could get really paranoid, Winter began to speak.

"I know it seemed that we trusted you too quickly, right? After all, this is the Death Game, where anyone could stab you in the back and leave you dead, in both mind and body. The simple answer is that we don't fully trust you, but we could tell you don't actually mean us harm. We could sense a sort or nervousness about you, as if you needed to latch onto the first friendly person you met, regardless of who they were."

Sunset looked down in embarrassment at being read so easily by strangers. It was times like this she cursed her equine nature. Her inherent herding instincts, while not so strong as to push her toward attempting romances left and right, made her skittish when alone. It was why, even at her worst, she had kept Snips and Snails around her. "You aren't wrong there. I tend to latch on to po- er, people, fairly quickly. I'm glad I met you three first, though. Anyone else would have just abandoned me... or worse."

Winter paused for a second, her narrowed eyes now shining a brilliant gold. "What were you about to say?" she asked, her voice carrying a haunting echo, as if she were two speaking at once.

"I-I don't know what you mean!" Sunset squeaked, her voice jumping a few octaves higher than normal and her heart beginning to beat rapidly.

"You were about to say something, but quickly corrected yourself and said 'people', as if it isn't natural for you to say it. Tell me what you were about to say."

Sunset sighed, a defeated look crossing her face. 'Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag, though I should never say that around Hermione.' With a deep breath, Sunset began to tell Winter of her past, from her earliest memories to being trapped in the game. "...And that's my life. Though, I guess hearing it isn't odd compared to the things you've seen, huh?"

Winter chuckled warmly at the smirk on Sunset's face. "No, it'll likely be a long time before anything seems strange to me anymore. Personally, I think it has to do with close proximity to Harriet. The bloody fox sticks her nose into all sorts of insanity and trouble, drags practically everyone down the rabbit hole with her, and comes out covered in blood and smelling like shit. I swear that girl will be the reason I become an alcoholic. Shame my mate isn't here, though. At least then, when the blasting curse hits the shit pile, it would've been fun to watch."

"Who's your 'mate', then? I assume it isn't Harriet or Hermione?" Sunset asked.

"Gods, no. Nah, my mate isn't exactly human either, though she can pass for one. There's a girl at our school, Luna Lovegood. She's part Fae, and a complete sweetheart. Just don't ask her a direct question if you value your sanity at all. Confused the hell out of everyone at first, but we've never argued... except over what kind of tea is better, which I still say Earl Grey is." Winter explained, shrugging her shoulders as if to say that's life, y'know.

"Hmmm. I tend to prefer Oriental blends myself, but I don't mind Earl Grey. What kind does Luna prefer?"

"Lemongrass, if you can believe it. Sacrilege, I tell you!"

And somehow, Sunset couldn't help but laugh at her new friend.

Author's Note

I'm sorry in things seem a little... rushed. I'm trying to balance school with this, and... yeah.