Kurai’s Castle Blunder

As the first snowflake settled, it whispered secrets of a winter tale waiting to unfold… Behold! Off in the woods lived a very small pack of wolves. The head of the pack, or Alpha, if you will, was a gold and white she-wolf with electric green eyes named Ōkami Suisen. Below her in rank, her children, Ōkami Kurai and Ōkami Kage. As to where their father wandered off to, well, nobody knew as he had been rather aloof since last winter.

“MOM MOM MOM! FIRST SNOWFLAKE JUST DROPPED!” Kage exclaims, bursting back into her den in a flurry of black and white fur.

“Oooh, let me see!” Kurai exclaims, blundering past her startled mother.

There, outside, even more snowflakes were falling. The first one is still sitting there, rather comically. Such a fake looking snowflake, and yet it is real. It’s like those massive snowflakes that fall sometimes.

The ground is bitterly cold, preventing such a fragile beauty from melting. Kurai approaches and stares at the snowflake for a moment. As Kage is staring up at the pure white sky, Kurai eats the snowflake. Kage returns her gaze to the ground and only sees a bit of saliva left on the ground.

“Oh…it melted,” Kage says, sounding rather disappointed.

“Yep,” Kurai says, not telling her sister that it melted in her mouth.

“Well, in that case, the winter storm might not be THAT bad,” Kage says.

“What are you two doing?” Suisen asks, yawning and stretching.

“Snow!” Kage announces.

Kage attempts to sit upright on her haunches to smack a snowflake. She loses her balance and flops over. Kurai laughs and leaps on her little sister. Kage is ALMOST an adult wolf now. Just last year, she had been created as the grips of winter began to creep in.

Kurai, on the other hand, is now a bit over two years old. After the epic failure that was trying to get her to study at Reeds’ Academy, she is now enrolled at The University Of Tubes and is actually doing very well. Everyone at her new school seems to love her and she has gained a hundred new followers every week. Hopefully she can keep up her fame…

“Oh…it’s that time of year again. I was wondering about that,” Suisen says, briefly glancing at her own fluffy butt.

“Look! It’s still falling and sticking! I guess the first flake just wasn’t so lucky,” Kage announces.

“Yeah…I wonder how much will be falling,” Suisen comments, looking lost in thought.

“It’s way too bright out here with these glowing white snowflakes,” Kurai grumbles, trying to eat some more snow.

Suisen stands at attention. Her ears flick around anxiously like a deer that has just sensed a hunter’s presence. Instinctively, Kage runs and hides underneath her mother. Kurai, however, doesn’t seem to notice any danger and is still busy playing in the fresh snow.

“Kurai,” Suisen whispers sternly. “Get behind me.”

“What? Why?” Kurai asks.

“Now,” Suisen prompts.

A dark shadow appears amongst the brilliant white snow that is falling. Kurai notices and stands at fighting position rather than cowering. She snarls, raising her hackles and fluffing up her fur. The figure draws closer and closer.

“Mmmhah hah hah hah!” the shadow laughs, menacingly.

“Kurai! No!” Suisen warns.

“STAY BACK!” Kurai cries out, her red eyes glowing with rage.

“Foolish child…do you think such a small fluffy scrap can scare me?” the figure asks, baring his teeth which are almost as brilliantly white as the snow.

“I am no child!” Kurai argues, even more rage flowing through her.

“I came with a message for your mother, and you’re getting in the way!” the figure says, growling in annoyance.

“STAY BACK OR I’LL SHRED YOU!” Kurai warns.

“Is that so? Well, take this!” the figure cries out.

As the shadowy figure lunges to bite Kurai, Suisen leaps to the rescue. Kage squeaks in fear, no longer under her mother for protection. Kurai watches as Suisen attacks the dark figure, shredding his robe. It’s none other than Mr. Balls… The evil coyote who was SUPPOSED to be locked away in jail!

“Mr. Balls?!” Kurai and Suisen both exclaim in shock.

“HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH! THAT’S RIGHT! I’M BACK! AND STRONGER THAN EVER!” Mr. Balls says, throwing his head back in laughter.

“Who’s that?” Kage asks, still cowering in the snow.

“Kurai, save your sister, I’ll fight this menace,” Suisen calls.

“Yes, mom,” Kurai grumbles.

Kurai would much rather rip Mr. Balls to shreds than stand in front of her little sister. Suisen and Mr. Balls continue to fight. Kage peers around Kurai, watching in wonder. Never has she ever seen such violence.

At last, Mr. Balls flees. Suisen chases him a little ways, howling threateningly at him. A little bit of red is left in the snow that was starting to collect. Soon enough, that would be covered over.

Suisen returns and gently licks both of her daughters. Kurai licks Suisen’s nose and makes her laugh. The mother wolf is slightly injured, but hopefully her willingness to fight has driven the convict away for good. Just to be sure, she guides her children into her den.

“Mom, who was that guy?” Kage asks.

“He’s a big scary guy, but don’t you worry, your mother is scarier!” Suisen promises, wincing in pain.

“He’s gone, so can’t we go play in the snow?” Kage asks.

“He might loop back around. I can’t risk losing you guys,” Suisen whispers.

Kurai, too, wishes to run and play. Sadly, she stares at the falling snow, longing to run through it. With her dense fluffy fur, she’s practically BUILT for the snow. Suisen yawns, tired out from fighting.

“Mom? Are you alright?” Kurai asks.

“Yeah, you look exhausted,” Kage says.

“I’ll be fine…I just…I need to rest a bit,” Suisen says, turning circles before lying back down.

“Mommy,” Kage says, throwing herself at Suisen. “I wanna play.”

“I’ll play with you after my nap. Stay close. Do not leave this den. You hear?” Suisen asks, curling her lip as Kage tussles with her ears.

“Okay, you promise?” Kage asks.

“I promise, Kage,” Suisen says and licks Kage’s face.

Suisen is fast to sleep and her pups are still awake. Kage and Kurai wrestle with each other, trying not to tumble over their sleeping mother. Kurai may be an adult, but she’s just a little taller than Kage. Bored, Kurai decides to raid the kitchen.

“Hmmmm, what should I eat?” Kurai wonders, propping her front paws up on the shelves.

“What?! Share, please! If you’re going to raid the kitchen, you have to share! It’s only fair!” Kage whines.

“Hmmm, MAYBE I’ll share… If and ONLY if, you promise not to tell,” Kurai warns.

“Okay!” Kage says, wagging her tail.

Kurai grabs the food from the pantry and shares a bit with Kage. Kage happily eats her food. Kurai, happy that her little sister isn’t getting her in trouble for once, smiles and chows down. Before long, all the food is gone.

“You win, sis,” Kage moans, hee stomach hurting. “I can’t take another bite…”

“That’s weird. You have the same parents as me, you should be a mutant as well,” Kurai says.

“Really?” Kage asks, frowning deeply.

“Yeah! Arashi is my dad, too! I know he is!” Kurai says. “You should have an endless appetite just like me.”

“No, sorry… I’m not hungry at all…” Kage groans.

“Hmmmm…” Kurai says.

“Well, I’m bored again…” Kage says.

“Me too,” Kurai agrees.

The two wolves sneak back to the main room. Suisen is still fast to sleep. Kurai leaps over her mother and dashes out of the cave. Kage gasps in shock and chases after her the best she can without getting too much of a stomachache.

“Wait! Mom said we can’t come out of the cave!” Kage exclaims.

“She’s sleeping. Surely we can have a little fun and return before she notices!” Kurai argues.

“Ummm, okay. What if that Mr. Balls guy returns?” Kage asks.

“I’ll EAT him if I have to,” Kurai says with a laugh.

“Whoa…okay!” Kage says. “You annoy me sometimes, but I must admit, you’re really brave!”

The two dark wolves dash around in the glistening winter wonderland. At the rate that the snow is falling, soon, the entire area will be throughly coated. Snow flies up as the two wolves run around. The two end up running further and further from home.

“Look! I’m the Alpha!” Kurai announces, leaping up onto a high rock. “You will do as I say!”

“Nuh-uh! Mom’s the Alpha, not you!” Kage argues.

“Regardless, you are beneath me!” Kurai proclaims.

“NUH-UH!” Kage barks, pouncing on Kurai.

Kurai loses her footing and yelps as she hits the ground. Kage remains firmly planted atop her. The two continue to wrestle in the snow together. Eventually, they break away from each other, both panting.

“You’re strong for a lil’ sis!” Kurai remarks.

“Hah, and even with that huge belly of yours, you got me good!” Kage says.

The snow fun continues! Kurai and Kage dive through the snow like a fox hunting in the winter. Little tunnels are formed in areas where the snow has already collected more than other areas. Unknown to them, they are being watched.

“Eat snow!” Kage yells, shoving a wad of snow into Kurai’s mouth.

“Mmmmphhh?!” Kurai mumbles through a mouthful of snow.

“Ow-ow-awooooo-OOO-ooooo!” a coyote howl sounds, echoing in the icy wind.

“No way…” Kurai says after she swallows most of the ice wad (the rest melted from her hot breath and refroze on the ground).

Kage, despite claiming to be tough, whimpers and hides behind Kurai. The older of the two wolves resumes the fighting position she took just a few hours ago. Mr. Balls in his ripped robe appears in the distance, standing there ominously like the shadow of death. Suisen is not around to save her pups.

“Hmmmm, what do we have here…? The Ōkami kids, but no Alpha?” Mr. Balls asks with a snicker.

“Stay back! I’m warning you!” Kurai says with a snarl and a growl.

“Hah hah hah hah hah…you don’t scare me, child!” Mr. Balls says.

“You WILL fear me!” Kurai snaps.

Kurai runs and throws herself at Mr. Balls. He swipes her roughly and she whimpers, falling to the ground. Quickly, she gets back up, chomping on the coyote’s long spindly legs. He easily throws her aside.

“Shame. I liked you, Kurai. I ADMIRED you. And THIS is how you treat me?!” Mr. Balls asks with a scoff.

“Liar!” Kurai yells.

“Ouch! And now you call me a liar! I feel disgusted that I ever liked you!” Mr. Balls says.

“K-Kurai…” Kage whimpers.

Kurai is not about to give up, she gets up again. Mr. Balls advances on Kage, threatening her with his fangs. Kurai strikes him and he swivels around, biting her roughly. Kurai lets out a loud yelp and collapses.

“What a weakling,” Mr. Balls mutters, turning his attention back to Kage.

“P-please, sir! L-leave us alone!” Kage says, trying to burry herself in the snow.

“Do you KNOW what coyotes do to wolf pups?! Do you have ANY idea of what I could do to you?!” Mr. Balls asks.

“Don’t kill me!” Kage cries. “I’ll do anything! Just don’t kill me! I wanna make it to my first birthday!”

“You’ll do anything?” Mr. Balls asks. “Well, I wasn’t prepared for that. I was just about to up and kill you now as revenge for what your mother did to me…”

“I promise…I’ll behave…also, don’t kill Kurai…” Kage says.

“Hmmm, I don’t know, that’s a LOT to ask… Spare BOTH of you?” Mr. Balls asks. “Fine. You’re coming with me.”

“Y-yes, sir…” Kage says, getting up at submissive (ears back, tail tucked between legs, eyes squinted and averted, mouth shut).

“Goooood…perhaps you’ll make for a good minion…” Mr. Balls says.

Mr. Balls struts away and Kage follows, keeping her head low. Kurai is left injured in the snow, unable to save Kage. Even with all going wrong, there still is hope. The snow continues to fall…