Yokai Bond {Private Flashback} Familiar

Familiar Approval

Whenever a member within the Kitsune clan is born, so is that member's partner. The fox familiar is a signature of the ones who serve under Inari. From the day they are born the two will bond and grow. They will become dependent on one another. At age of five both Akira and her fox familiar Pyro held their ceremony of chakra bondment. It was the final stage of their developing bond. During the ceremony both Akira and her familiar would obtain a black marking along the outer corner of their eyes. The clansmen would dress them in colorful beads to express different meanings. After the ceremony their bondment would finally be completed for good. Then both partners must live for each other and never ever be separated. 

Upon Akira's first time understanding her little fox pup, she absolutely adored her. Falling asleep every night curled around her partner as if Pyro was some sort of stuffed animal. After their ceremony at the age of five, the partners would began training together. Working towards strengthening each others weaknesses. Working as one. Pyro was the fire that burned within Akira. One that drove her to be successful.

First day training after ceremony bondment. Akira's birth mother aided in dressing her for today's training. After fitting her in suitable outside attire, both Akira and Pyro sprinted to the kitchen for their early breakfast. Both of the younglings mouths watered as pancakes and bacon was stacked on one plate for them to share. Akira avoided the syrup for Pyro's sake. The little foxling position upon her lap as the two dug into the delicious food. Pyro favoring the bacon strips the most. After the two finished their meal, Akira's birth mother helped clean themselves up. Then she encouraged them to find Akira's father who was waiting outside. 


That was when the younglings ran out to join him. "As we walk into the woods, you must stay silent. If I hear you stepping on one stick then no dessert  for either of you tonight.This was her father's way of teaching them to walk silently. With that the two followed behind the man in charge, and they ventured out into the wooded area. They took the time to avoid any twigs that laid within their path. Which of course caused them to fall behind. The father had noticed the two trailing behind and only slowed down himself since this was their first time. The two learned quickly that training wasn't all just fun and  games,  but still they was eager learners. 


A month past after their first day of training. The father was proud to admit that they was fast learners and bonded very nicely with each other. Almost as closely as the elder son and his yokai fox partner. Akira and Pyro always followed in the larger footsteps of her elder brother Kenchi, and his unique white fox. His strength was her inspiration.

One night the little red haired girl found her older brother laying beneath the stars. His fiery hair was much more of a deeper crimson than hers, as it feathered over his stern face. His attention was to the stars that painted the night sky. Kenchi's partner Ghost laid across his neck. Akira had stood, wondering why her brother displayed such a stern expression. Never understanding what it was that went on within his thoughts. After Akira had decided to give up on reading his mind, she had ran to pounce on top of his laying form. Tackling him and surprising the poor sleeping Ghost. Instantly his stern expression was replaced with a bubbly one. Hiding away secrets that troubled him

~~~~

Today was Akira's birthday. She would be turning fourteen upon this day. A day that took the turn for the worst. She was within her small room, Pyro snuggled up in the center of her lap. Her little fox tail covering the tip of her snout. Akira's little hand ran through the soft blonde fluff of her yokai. Until her brother suddenly burst through the door...


Akira didn't have enough time to react as Kenchi rushed to her. Everything happened at once. Her brother snatched her within his arms, his face covered by a look of disbelief. Pyro fell from her lap and Akira fought against her brother to catch her. But her brother would not allow it. "Akira we must hurry. We don't have much time. Just trust me." His familiar Ghost rushed to Pyro's side. Ghost was a little older than Pyro, and somewhat larger. Ghost gathered the little fox's blonde scruff within her muzzle and lifted the startled little thing. With that, Ghost nodded her head towards her partner. Then the four left their home to never return.


After that day Akira could never get her brother to explain what happened. She was worried about mum and her father, but he kept silent. She could see that his face held some sort of grievance. Something bad had happened, she just knew it. The four of them ventured upon their own for a few days. Feasting on wild berries, roots, and some small game that Ghost was able to bring. They made sure to always leave a few berries or some bones from the game buried by a tree as an offering to Inari. Hoping that the great Yokai would somehow give them a path.


As if Inari had heard their thoughts, the four came upon an abandoned cabin within the woods of Konohagakure. Kenchi made the decision that it would be safe for them to crash there. Searching the cabin first before allowing the other three to enter. After he made sure it was safe, the others entered to rest. There was only one futon. So Akira curled up against her older brother's side that night. A few tears trickled down her cheeks that night. She had finally accepted the fact that she may never see her parents again. She wondered if they was hurt...


A couple months passed. Her brother was growing to like the cabin that they found. All to say, it was where they lived now. One morning Akira had the luck of taking down two plump hares, along with the help of her yokai. She grinned with pride as she ventured back to the cabin with today's lunch tied to her waist. Pyro trailed right beside her. As they neared their new home, Pyro's nose twitched. She was picking up a scent that didn't belong. Akira stopped within her tracks with her attention focused towards her fox familiar. "What's wrong Pyro?" Her voice sounded as if she was worried.


Pyro continued to sniff the air. Before a whine made it's way from her snout. "Blood" Akira felt the presence of Pyro's words within her thoughts. Blood? This can't be good. Akira quickly picked Pyro up within her arms, and sprinted towards the cabin. Her ember eyes scanning the surroundings as the building came within her eyesight. Pyro continued to let out desperate whines. "It's okay Pyro.. Don't worry." Akira did her best to reassure her partner. Despite her feeling worried as well. The young Akira burst through the cabin door, with the frightened Pyro within her arms. The red haired girl was worried something might have happened to her brother. She already lost her parents. She couldn't lose anyone else. She couldn't allow it. As she entered the cabin in a frenzy. She was relieved to see her brother, but the relieve only lasted for a second until her eyes fell onto the white fur body that laid limp across his lap. It was Ghost, his yokai partner. Her brother's hand trembled as he stroke her soft fur. Tears dribbled from his cheeks and chin. Ghost laid lifeless with a nasty wound spread across her back flank. The crimson hue of blood was vibrant against her beautiful brilliant snow fur. The wound was fresh. "S-she crawled to me. . . just before she died." Her brother's voice shook. Akira fell to her knees as Pyro let out a terrifying yowl. Her partner's enraged voice echoed through her thoughts to the point she had her hands covering her ears. The death of Ghost was devastating, but she had not known about the trauma of the severed bond just yet.


Her brother returned from burying his partner within the back of the cabin. His face was void of all emotions. At first he was silent, and locked himself away in his room. What happened next broke Akira even more. As the night grew darker, her brother finally left his room. But only to come begging her to end his life. He kept repeatedly pushing a kunai within her hands and pleading her to sink it home within his esophagus. She didn't know how she was to react. Her terrified eyes couldn't process this new image of her dear older brother. The one that was always strong willed and there for her. The one that had been taking care of her, was now begging to die. His face was scratched up as if he had been digging his nails into the flesh of his cheeks. Akira cried and begged him to stop. He was scaring her in this frenzied state. "Little sis please. . . My head is splitting into two!" Akira continued to refuse. There was just no way she could do such a thing. She needed her brother! He was everything to her! The little girl spent the rest of her night curled up within one of the corners of a room. Pyro did her best to comfort her.


The next morning everything was quiet. She left the room, hoping to see her brother calmed down and back to normal. She had planned to search for some quail eggs and cook him a treat to try to comfort him. But that plan didn't last for long. As she walking into the living room of the cabin she let out a dreadful scream. One that sent her partner running towards her in a heart beat. Her dear brother laid on the floorboards in a pool of thick crimson. Her brother had givin up and took his own life that night. He had joined Inari now, along with his Ghost. That was the last straw for Akira. She couldn't take it anymore. Nor could she understand why her brother would leave her like this. Why? He still had her even if Ghost was gone. Why was he so weak? Akira felt as if she must know. She didn't want to he weak like her brother was. She was not going to be like Kenchi. She must weaken the bond between her and Pyro. She must!


Akira had gone mad. She suddenly threw Pyro outside the cabin and shut the door in front of her beloved fox. She resisted the howls and yelping of her protesting partner as her heart bled. Everything was too much for her. The death of her brother and the realization that this spiritual bond almost felt like a curse. She didn't want to be weak. She didn't want the same fate of Kenchi if she was to fail in protecting Pyro. Akira scrambled into the next little room where she usually slept. The one where Kenchi and her hand curled up into the same small futon with their beloved foxes. Tears streamed down from her eyes as she slammed the door closed. Sliding down to the floorboards with her back against the wall. Her hands clenched at her ears, desperately trying to close out Pyro's painful cries. Her heart was wrenching and twisting in pain. Akira's life have became a total nightmare! "I DON'T WANT TO BE WEAK!!!" Then a new form of pain erupted within her head. It first began like a few speck of dots and a dull headache. Until suddenly it felt as if fireworks was bursting inside her brain. Lights flashed behind her eyes and she let out a horrid shriek like a banshee. The little girl fell to the floor, her body sprawled out as she spasmed. Her nails clawed at the wooden boards until they was bloody. It was as if numerous of screams echoed through her thoughts endlessly. Akira choked and cough between her screams of pain.


It was as if this was punishment. Punishment for taking Inari's gift for granted. The bond was not something that could be severed. Inari gifted the clan a partner to have their back, so it was their job to keep Inari's children safe. The foxes depended their life to their partner, so their partner must do the same. Abuse that gift or fail and the results would be brutal. Inari would grieve over his lost fox child and bring down his wrath. Her brother was punished for failing to protect Ghost, and Akira was being punished for abusing her gift. She was being a very bad partner. Being selfish. And the results was of her clawing and screaming amongst the floor. Blood dribbled from her mouth mixed with saliva from where she had accidentally bit her tongue. Now she understood why her brother had given up. There was no way to survive this unless you was to completely break your mind. In the end Pyro had clawed and chewed through the two doors that separated her from her suffering partner. Pyro, the one who had been tossed out and seen as a weakness, came scurrying back to comfort Akira. Ridding her of the mental torment that was lashing out at her. She would never completely recover from that day. A large piece of her was missing. But she accepted her duty to protect her fox partner no matter what. But refused to ever have that sort of bond with anyone else.

{WC: 2,300}
{Claims}
+Familiar (2,000/2,000)
+5 Health for Akira (1,000/1,000)
+5 Health for Pyro (1,000/1,000)

Approved