CONFRONTING THE PAST
BY STRAWBERRYPAWZ
The sky was black, not a sound to be heard; to human ears that is. Ayame was not human any longer. She could hear the whisper of the wind through the trees, could hear the animals scratching and running through the brush. She felt a shiver run down her spine. All of this was new. The soft black fur of her ears. The nose that had transformed into the nose of a fox, longer, and wet to the touch. Her hair fell around her face in dark colored ringlets. She was shorter than she was as a human, but much stronger, and much faster. Her fur was the dark orange of a fox. Her tail was long and full with white on the end. She raised her nose to the sky picking up the scent of a rabbit that was unfortunate enough to be nearby. She felt her body tense in anticipation. Dropping onto all four paws she darted off after her prey, gracefully dodging trees and rocks. Ayame could almost feel the blood pulsing through the rabbit’s veins. She was so far gone now that rational thought wasn’t possible. She didn’t stop to think that she was about to capture and devour her first kill. At last it was right in front of her. It was a white rabbit, the color of snow just after if falls. It was frantic, trying to outrun the hunter. Ayame pounced, letting out an animalistic snarl. Victory was sweet. It tore through Ayame just as her sharp canines ripped into the silky smooth fur of the dead rabbit. She could feel the blood dripping down onto her unclothed body, and for the first time it hit her that she truly was unstoppable. Killing had given her a rush she had never felt before. It was empowerment. She was now as she was meant to be all along. Ayame stood and licked at her muzzle, her pink tongue darting out to catch the remnants of blood. She was walking through the forest, this time on just her feet, when she heard a noise. Her ears perked at the sound, and she listened intently, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It sounded familiar somehow, but she couldn’t place her paw on it. An urgency that she did not recognize flooded through her, causing her to sprint towards the sound with all her being. It was the howl of a wolf. Conner was taking one of his daily (or nightly, in this case) walks through the trees. He was a little on edge during these walks ever since Chronic was born. Chronic can hide in the shadows easily, especially at night, so Conner never knew where he was. Conner stopped and sniffed the air and smelt blood. He gasped in shock and ran after the smell. He felt as if he was not going fast enough so he jumped in the air and flapped his wings and flew into the direction at lightning speed. As he was flying he began to think he was making too much noise by rustling up the twigs and leaves on the ground, so he landed back down and began walking again. Suddenly, the smell of blood vanished and Conner lost track of the smell. He groaned and began to sniff and look around. A howl was heard and he turned around. The sound was coming from a different direction. This time, Conner ran as fast as he could. He was the protector of the forest. Chronic was the destruction. He did not want any more death taking place by the hands of that fat sack of crap. Ayame tore through the forest as fast as her four paws would carry her. She was heading in the general direction of the howling. She was so caught up in where the noise had come from that she stumbled once, and caught herself before running head first into a tree stump. As she grew nearer to where her instincts told her that the sound had come from, she heard It again. It was a longer, lower howl this time. At last, she bounded into a clearing. She was right in the middle, and froze when she heard a branch break. She stood into an uneasy crouch, her rounded ears searching the cool night air for more sounds. She felt a subtle shift in the air and spun around, her body falling easily into a fighting stance. She regaurded the figure before her, not comprehending, her eyes like fire. All thoughts of the wolf-like howl were forgotten. Conner skidded to a hault when he too made it into the clearing, staring right at the mysterious figure ahead of him. She began to get into a fighting stance and Conner just laughed slightly, seeing no source of the howl, other than this creature, he spoke
"So you're the one that howled huh?" He began to walk close to her, more into the clearing to allow his form to be seen in the moonlight. Ayame shook her head, maintaining her posture. "No. I didn't howl... I followed it here." She had a thousand thoughts running through her head. Why does he seem so familiar? She slowly relaxed her posture, though ready to fall back into it at any second. She stepped forward cautiously. "I felt like I needed to follow the sound. Instinct..." She trailed off, letting the words float between them. Conner looked around. If the howl didn't come from her, and there was no one around but them, that means:
"It's a trap.." Conner said quietly to himself. He widened his eyes and lunged for the mysterious female, grabbed her by the waist and flew as fast as he could, holding her close to him. Ayame was taken completely by surprise. DAMN HE'S FAST. She didn't react for a moment. Suddenly realizing she was up in the air, too far to rip the stranger apart and live, she glanced around. The stranger had wings. She was locked tightly in his arms. He was radiating heat, and it surrounded her. "Oh, my god," she whispered to herself. "Conner...?" She looked up at him, question evident in her eyes, mostly about his identity. "Who would want to trap us?" Conner looked at the female when it spoke. Not only did it speak, but it said his name. He slowed to a hault and landed, setting her down gently on her footpaws. He stepped back a few and pointed at her
"How do you know my name..? Who are you..?" This shocked him and made him completely forgot about Chronic and the possibility that he could be coming at any time. Forgot that he could come at any SIZE as well. Ayame looked up nervously at Conner. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "So it is you." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She fidgeted with her paws nervously before answering. "Ayame. I'm Ayame." She saw the confusion and shock in his eyes. She wondered briefly what was going on through his head. She stepped foward slowly. Conner's eyes widened in shock, he began to get a serious amount of flashbacks. He remembered the village he met her in years ago. He was able to get out, she was not. But last he saw her, she was human. How'd she get like this? He had to find out. "How'd you end up.. Like that?" Ayame's face darkened, and she glanced away from Conner. A lot had happened since she had seen him last. She wondered what she should tell him. It wasn't a short story by any means. "I was..." she looked up at him, right in the eyes. "kidnapped. They took me, and I spent a long time in a lab. They experimented on me. And now, I'm this." She motioned down to her body. "I'm a pandafox. I don't know how else to describe it." She shook her head. "I was held captive, and I escaped. This is my first night out in the world with my new form." She turned away from Conner and stared thoughtfully out into the dark forest. "You look different. What happened?" Conner nodded during her answer. "I was experimenting myself to myself and I ended up like this, a drulx. A wolf, fox, and dragon" he smiled, showing his fangs. "However he forgot to mention me" a deep voice said around them both. Conner growled and got close to Ayame, as if he was trying to protect her, and he was, but from what? Ayame looked him up and down, noticing how different he really was. Before she could respond a voice interrupted. Ayame automatically fell into a crouch, her teeth bared. Her fur stood on end. She gazed past Conner who had stepped in front of her. Partly hidden in the shadows was a figure. She couldn't really see much, but certain features glowed in the darkness. The pads of his paws were pink, as was the inside his mouth. His eyes were strange. One of them was purple, and one was blue. It was unsettling to look at. If he wasn't glowing, they never would have known he was there. His scent was intoxicating, threatening to take over her mind. Her ears were at alert. "Who is that?" The black creature stepped out from the shadows. THe moonlight shining on his fur, making his pink and blue markings slightly glow. Behind him, you could see sticky paw prints on the ground and coming from his footpaws. He continued walking close to the two, in which Conner grabbed Ayame's arm and growled, clutching it. The black creature then laughed and stopped "you think you can protect her from me, bug? ME!?" he laughed and his body vanished into smoke, and flew away. His laughter was still heard and Conner was still gripping her. Ayame found herself being held by Conner. She wasn't quite sure what had happened. The scent of this creature had her ready to follow him, had she known how. She looked up at Conner with confusion. "Um.. " Her eyes were full of fear. "What... what did he do to me?" She fell roughly against Conner, her face hidden. She latched her arms around him, letting him hold her up. Her legs were weak.
"So you're the one that howled huh?" He began to walk close to her, more into the clearing to allow his form to be seen in the moonlight. Ayame shook her head, maintaining her posture. "No. I didn't howl... I followed it here." She had a thousand thoughts running through her head. Why does he seem so familiar? She slowly relaxed her posture, though ready to fall back into it at any second. She stepped forward cautiously. "I felt like I needed to follow the sound. Instinct..." She trailed off, letting the words float between them. Conner looked around. If the howl didn't come from her, and there was no one around but them, that means:
"It's a trap.." Conner said quietly to himself. He widened his eyes and lunged for the mysterious female, grabbed her by the waist and flew as fast as he could, holding her close to him. Ayame was taken completely by surprise. DAMN HE'S FAST. She didn't react for a moment. Suddenly realizing she was up in the air, too far to rip the stranger apart and live, she glanced around. The stranger had wings. She was locked tightly in his arms. He was radiating heat, and it surrounded her. "Oh, my god," she whispered to herself. "Conner...?" She looked up at him, question evident in her eyes, mostly about his identity. "Who would want to trap us?" Conner looked at the female when it spoke. Not only did it speak, but it said his name. He slowed to a hault and landed, setting her down gently on her footpaws. He stepped back a few and pointed at her
"How do you know my name..? Who are you..?" This shocked him and made him completely forgot about Chronic and the possibility that he could be coming at any time. Forgot that he could come at any SIZE as well. Ayame looked up nervously at Conner. Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "So it is you." She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She fidgeted with her paws nervously before answering. "Ayame. I'm Ayame." She saw the confusion and shock in his eyes. She wondered briefly what was going on through his head. She stepped foward slowly. Conner's eyes widened in shock, he began to get a serious amount of flashbacks. He remembered the village he met her in years ago. He was able to get out, she was not. But last he saw her, she was human. How'd she get like this? He had to find out. "How'd you end up.. Like that?" Ayame's face darkened, and she glanced away from Conner. A lot had happened since she had seen him last. She wondered what she should tell him. It wasn't a short story by any means. "I was..." she looked up at him, right in the eyes. "kidnapped. They took me, and I spent a long time in a lab. They experimented on me. And now, I'm this." She motioned down to her body. "I'm a pandafox. I don't know how else to describe it." She shook her head. "I was held captive, and I escaped. This is my first night out in the world with my new form." She turned away from Conner and stared thoughtfully out into the dark forest. "You look different. What happened?" Conner nodded during her answer. "I was experimenting myself to myself and I ended up like this, a drulx. A wolf, fox, and dragon" he smiled, showing his fangs. "However he forgot to mention me" a deep voice said around them both. Conner growled and got close to Ayame, as if he was trying to protect her, and he was, but from what? Ayame looked him up and down, noticing how different he really was. Before she could respond a voice interrupted. Ayame automatically fell into a crouch, her teeth bared. Her fur stood on end. She gazed past Conner who had stepped in front of her. Partly hidden in the shadows was a figure. She couldn't really see much, but certain features glowed in the darkness. The pads of his paws were pink, as was the inside his mouth. His eyes were strange. One of them was purple, and one was blue. It was unsettling to look at. If he wasn't glowing, they never would have known he was there. His scent was intoxicating, threatening to take over her mind. Her ears were at alert. "Who is that?" The black creature stepped out from the shadows. THe moonlight shining on his fur, making his pink and blue markings slightly glow. Behind him, you could see sticky paw prints on the ground and coming from his footpaws. He continued walking close to the two, in which Conner grabbed Ayame's arm and growled, clutching it. The black creature then laughed and stopped "you think you can protect her from me, bug? ME!?" he laughed and his body vanished into smoke, and flew away. His laughter was still heard and Conner was still gripping her. Ayame found herself being held by Conner. She wasn't quite sure what had happened. The scent of this creature had her ready to follow him, had she known how. She looked up at Conner with confusion. "Um.. " Her eyes were full of fear. "What... what did he do to me?" She fell roughly against Conner, her face hidden. She latched her arms around him, letting him hold her up. Her legs were weak.