Kitsuzaya

(Written from the perspective of Heiwajima Shizuo. ShizuoXIzaya, DONT LIKE DONT READ DONT FLAME. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!)

It all started when I saw this pathetic thing by the side of the road. It was a small thing. Very fragile, and very pale. A fox. But it wasn't just any fox; damnit, if it was I wouldn't be this damned irritated! I took pity on it. Who wouldn't? It was raining and it wasn't even in a box. It was just...lying there. I thought it was dead, but a slight shiver that trembled through it's lithe body told me otherwise. It didn't look normal either, it was a darker orange than any other fox. In fact, the colors of it's fur strands were mixed, brown, gold, red, orange, black...it had them all.

Anyway. I couldn't just leave it to die. I picked it up, low and behold it fit right into the palm of my hand.

...at the time, it did.

"Hey! Oi!" I said, shoving the fox's snout away from my nose. "I'm trying to read here!"

My name is Heiwajima Shizuo. I'm a teacher at Raira Academy, which had just combined with another campus that shared the same territory, named Raijin. Back when I was younger, some punk kept on teasing me, following me around, calling me stupid names...like Shizu-chan. God. I. Hated. That. Name. I don't remember his name, but I do remember that annoying face. That god-damned annoying face of his. He disappeared before graduation.

...secretly, it was...oddly quiet for me when that happened.

"Jeez...kids at school and a brat at home." I sighed, reachng out to pet his soft fur. "Man, you've grown...it's a shame. You were so cute."

The fox whined and tilted his head to the side, hurt.

"Don't give me that look. It's only been..."

How long had it been again? Five months? Yes. Five months and...a week maybe? Well whatever. In that time span, he had grown to be such a nuisance. No longer fitting into the palm of my hand, I had to get him his own little futon to sleep on. (Cruel people let their pets sleep on the floor.) He was about the size of a little kid now, but his fur...his fur was still very beautiful.

And soft, I reminded myself as I pet him. "Jeez...don't tell me you're hungry again." I groaned and got up.

Going over to the counter made him follow me, as he always did. I didn't even give him a name yet, now that I think about it. He sniffed at my ankles as I walked, not even flinching. He was too trusting.

"Hey, hey. Oi." I said, feeling a slight tickle as the tip of his wet nose teased my skin. "Stop that. I might accidentally kick you. I'm walkin' here."

He sat there and looked at me, grinning. It was odd. He seemed...happier than usual today. I wondered why, but I ignored it; jotting it down as a coincidence. He was getting bigger, maybe it was hormones or...something. Maybe.

I was dead wrong.

The next day wasn't anything special. I did throw a kid out the window for misbehaving, and got yelled at by the school's principal the "Sapphire Tyrant" as the kids called her. She looked like a little kid, maybe about sixteen, but she was one hell of a fury. Probably why she got the position. Either way, I wasn't going to provoke her and let her yell. Afterall, she is the only other person in the world other than Shinra's girlfriend Celty, that could throw a bus at me just as easilly as I could at anyone else. All in all, it was a normal day.

...until I got home.

"Shiiiizuuuuu-chaaaaaaaan~!"

That voice.

I knew that voice.

That irritating, annoying, god-forsaken, damned voice!

"UMPH-!" I grunted as clawed hands pushed me back in a pounce. "WHAT THE-?"

Then I saw it. That stupid, smug face of his! It was always smiling! Like right now! He was smiling as he jumped on me. Those red eyes, that were always curved upwards in mock teasing. I hated him! It was then, I finally remembered his name.

"IIIIIZAAAYAAAAAAAAAA-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN...!"