Author's note: This is a new writing style that I'm testing. I won't be writing in this style for my other stories.

A Tail for a Tail

His name is Ryoma, a black cat with a kinked tail. He just became two years old.

He lives in a forest with his dad, mom, and older brother.

All of them are black cats, and none of them have a kinked tail like Ryoma.

They play with Ryoma's tail a lot, and he really doesn't like that. At all.

–

Ryoma's neighbors are foxes.

He has never seen them before, since his dad nags him a lot about how dangerous they can be.

But how dangerous can they be, if he's never seen them?

Ryoma ponders that as he rolls on his back and plays with his own tail.

–

Ryoma's dad is annoying.

His dad's name is Nanjiroh and is a little famous amongst other forest animals. He's always teasing Ryoma for his tail.

Ryoma tried growling at his father but it didn't stop him.

Maybe he should try running away from home.

–

Ryoma runs away from his home.

But where can he run to?

Ryoma grooms the fur on his tail and thinks deeply.

Maybe he can hide in the foxes' den.

–

There is a weird-looking fox sitting in front of the foxes' den.

Ryoma pokes out his head from behind his tree and stares.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…

The fox has nine tails.

–

They look fluffy.

Ryoma's eyes are trained on the tails.

They look very fluffy.

–

Ryoma can't catch the tails. The fox keeps pulling them away from him.

He meows to complain.

The fox looks at Ryoma and glares, telling him to go back where he came from.

Ryoma huffs. He doesn't give up that easily.

–

He goes home to prepare for a surprise attack (for the tails) the next day.

–

Someone beats him to a surprise attack.

Ryoma growls angrily at the bunch of wild wolves that are attacking the fox from yesterday.

No one notices him.

Maybe he really is too tiny.

–

Ryoma beats up the wolves.

He's always been good at fighting in the dark.

The wolves run away, scared because they can't see what is coming at them.

Ryoma lifts his chin proudly and waves his tail.

–

The fluffy tails are mine now!

Ryoma runs towards the fox, who is lying on the ground.

The fox breathes heavily.

Ryoma thinks he sees some blood from the fox's body.

–

The fox seems to be in pain.

Ryoma purrs sadly and puts his own tail into the fox's paws.

Then he licks the fox's wounds.

For a second, Ryoma thinks the fox is smiling.

–

The next morning, Ryoma goes back to the foxes' den to check on the nine-tailed fox.

The wound is still there, but the blood is gone.

The fox approaches Ryoma.

He gives Ryoma a fish.

–

The nine-tailed fox's name is Syusuke, according to his family. Syusuke is three years old.

He has a father, a mother, an older sister, and a younger brother.

But all of them only have one tail.

Weird.

–

Syusuke still doesn't let Ryoma touch his tails.

But this time, the fox is purposely dangling his tails in front of Ryoma before taking them away at the last second.

Ryoma meows unhappily.

Syusuke is smiling.

–

Syusuke can breathe fire.

He suddenly coughs sometimes and spits out a ball of blue fire.

He extinguishes the fire with his tails quickly, hoping Ryoma doesn't see them.

When Ryoma sees them, the cat's eyes sparkle in excitement.

–

The other foxes don't play with Syusuke.

Ryoma sees them sometimes when they visit Syusuke's younger brother, Yuta.

When Yuta is playing with his friends, Syusuke watches from the sidelines.

He never joins. Ryoma wonders why.

–

Ryoma decides that he doesn't like the other foxes.

They all ignore Syusuke whenever they pass by.

Ryoma puffed.

Maybe he should invite Syusuke to his home.

–

Inviting Syusuke is a bad idea.

Both Ryoma's older brother and father growled at Syusuke as soon as they saw him.

Ryoma growls back at them, then they stop.

For some reason, Syusuke looks happy.

–

Ryoma's own nest is messy.

He forgot to clean it up before inviting Syusuke.

Ryoma looks at Syusuke guiltily and meows.

Syusuke steps inside uninvited without hesitation.

–

Syusuke is sleeping inside Ryoma's nest.

Ryoma finally catches one of Syusuke's tails.

Suddenly, Ryoma feels someone grooming his fur.

So Syusuke is not sleeping after all.

–

Syusuke stares at Ryoma's tail, at the kinked spot.

Then Syusuke grooms the fur there too.

It feels ticklish to Ryoma.

He's happy that Syusuke likes his tail, because he likes Syusuke's tails too.

–

They fell asleep after a while.

Ryoma hears a set of footsteps approaching.

He opens his eyes.

His father is standing right outside his nest, looking at them.

–

Nanjiroh looks concerned.

Syusuke puts Ryoma under him and growls at Nanjiroh, unaware of who it is due to sleepiness.

Ryoma meows.

Syusuke realizes that the bigger black cat in front of him is Ryoma's father and whimpers apologetically.

–

Nanjiroh leaves in a satisfied mood. Ryoma doesn't quite understand why.

Syusuke still looks shocked and sad though, so Ryoma gives him a good lick on his face.

Syusuke licks him back.

Ryoma finds out that Syusuke has pretty, blue eyes.

–

Ryoma decides to go back to sleep.

He sees Syusuke's tails, completely unguarded.

Ryoma falls asleep on top of them, surrounded by the tails.

Syusuke doesn't seem to mind.

End

Author's note: This is all just a distraction so you don't notice that I'm slacking on my updates for Under the Cherry Blossoms.