Chapter Text
Anyone who has heard of the Black Forest knew it was a place of magic and danger. Despite the warnings and stories of evil beasts and unnatural power, people all across Ikaruga would foolishly tread on into the seemingly endless and dense forest in hopes of some sort of treasure or riches for their own selfish gain. Some say the Black Forest had a mind of its own; that it was capable of its own thoughts much like the beings that lived inside. Maybe that’s why most that wandered in there were never heard from again. Maybe it was the forest itself that trapped travelers in and not the creatures. No one knew. If they did, no one would hear about it since they would be forever stuck in the forever dark forest.
Jin never saw the need or desire to leave. Being a fox spirit, he was quite comfortable within the safety of the forest. He had all he could have wanted within his home. Tsubaki, his best friend, was the best company he could ever ask for. Her other friends proved to be entertaining from time to time, but they found themselves in trouble a lot, so Jin tended to avoid that mess by making himself scarce whenever they had a “good idea.”
He was small, his fox ears and tail he would have to grow into. His traditional hakama almost swallowed his small body, but the little fox found it comfortable and easy to move in. Out of all the children in Kaka Village, the only village within the Black Forest aside from Ishana, Jin was the oldest- being about 10 in human years. And, at the rate he was going at, he was the most promising child in school and was sure to grow up to be one of the strongest casters- maybe enough to join the ranks in Ishada.
Life within the Black Forest was quite good for Jin. That is until a few humans came along.
It started with a girl. Jin had been tasked with finding Tsubaki and Makoto in the early morning since the two girls failed to show up for their classes, so he confidently set out. He wasn’t worried about getting lost since this place was his home, but he was more concerned about what troubles could possibly be stirring if Tsubaki of all people was late to lessons. One could never know since greedy humans tended to leave something dangerous behind.
When Jin finally managed to catch a familiar scent, he found that it was mixed with something else. Something human. Being the child he was, he rushed in with no plan other than the one to save his friend. It turned out it wasn’t needed, however, when he came across the two girls with one smaller looking one. A human child. Her big, green eyes were red from crying, blonde hair knotted with twigs and leaves sticking out here and there. From the aura she possessed, she was but an innocent child that reeked of fear.
“Jin!” Tsubaki gasped, looking relieved, “We don’t know what to do!”
“What’s wrong?” he asks as he approaches, frowning.
“She’s hurt!” Makoto shrieks, as if it were the end of the world, “Like, we can’t leave her here!”
“And we haven’t even gotten to the healing magic lessons yet,” Tsubaki adds in, blue eyes wide with concern.
It wasn’t unheard of for children to accidentally stumble into the forest. Most, if not all, were able to leave with no problem. It also wasn’t new for good-willed travelers to receive the aid of Kaka Village when in need. But, more times than not, they ended up staying in the forest, willingly or not. The good were often too easy to corrupt in these parts…
This child would be corrupted easily if the wrong kind of magic touched her, especially so far from Kaka Village.
“We don’t have much of a choice, right? We need to bring her in,” Jin states simply, reaffirming it with a nod.
“We won’t get in trouble…?” Makoto asks cautiously, her puffy squirrel tail lowering ever so slightly.
“I think you’d get in more trouble if you left her…”
Makoto puffs her chest. “Then it is settled!”
From there the three kids help the little girl to the village, where she is taken to receive aid immediately. She hadn’t talked the whole time, using her energy to only sniffle and shake. The day following, after lessons, they decided to visit since they were both curious and felt partially responsible for her wellbeing. The girl, while still tense, relaxed a little bit when the three entered. Jin could smell a little fear wafting through the air.
“Are you alright?” Tsubaki mumbles, sitting on the floor next to her bed with Makoto.
The girl hesitantly shakes her head. “N-no…”
“Ehh?! Did the healing stuff not work?!” Makoto gasps, shocked, “We need to-!”
“I miss Nii-san,” she croaks out, lower lip wobbling, “I-I’m scared. The stories said this place w-would eat me…!”
Jin scrunches up his nose. “Not us.”
“Do we look like we would eat you?” Tsubaki frowns.
Makoto laughs. “I wouldn’t eat you unless you were a tasty nut!”
“B-but, Nii-san said people get stuck here forever!” she cries, “I don’t want to be stuck! I wanna see Nii-san and Sister again!”
“Are we aren’t that bad to be stuck with,” Makoto says, which earns a light slap on the arm from Tsubaki.
Jin’s ears lower a bit. “You aren’t stuck here, so you can leave after your leg gets better.”
“Really…?” she sniffs, looking to Jin.
“Really.”
That seems to calm her down significantly. Conversation goes smoothly thereafter, as does their enjoyment. The human, Noel, takes to Tsubaki’s and Jin’s comforting presence and Makoto’s hyper personality easily and even starts attempting to play with them. All in all, it wasn’t bad. She fit in nicely and quickly and the three couldn’t be happier to include her as a friend. Well, she was more Tsubaki and Makoto’s friend; Kagura said it was probably a girl thing when Jin complained about it.
Jin was hunting for berries and nuts by request. He knew the best spot to get them, but refused to share the information with Tsubaki and Makoto, fearing that they would empty the place with their hungry stomachs. Plus, he liked having a place to himself. It might not last long since the others were constantly learning their surroundings, but maybe, just maybe, they might miss this… It wasn’t very big- the area bare save for the countless berry bushes and scattered nut trees around. During his free time, Jin liked to go to the center, where there was free space, and just lay there with the warmth of his tail curled around him while eating sweet berries.
But, today was not Jin’s lucky day. When the fox circled around the outer ring of the bushes, he was struck with sudden, immense pain dealt to his ankle. Jin’s scream was nothing short of pure agony as he fell to the ground, dropping his basket in the process. With wet eyes, he looks to his ankle to find a trap biting down. Blood was as obvious as the pain he was feeling. For a moment, through his racing mind, he thought of one scenario that made him freeze. This was a human’s trap. It had no place in being here otherwise. The trap had not been here during his last visit, which was not too long ago, so if someone were to find him…
Jin, at this point, could do nothing but wail loudly; both at the pain and the possible outcome of it all. It is true that the human that set the trap would never leave, especially if they thought to sell Jin, but they could do plenty of other things to him… He was scared. He was a child. He didn’t deserve this! Through the small breaks of his crying to sniff, Jin’s ears perked at the sound of twigs snapping and bushes rustling. His breath caught in his throat, cold fear gripping him as he stayed frozen and tried to remain quiet. Instinctively, he curled his tail around himself, as if it would shield and allow him to melt into his surroundings.
The sounds got closer and Jin could hardly resist the sobs returning. He was going to die.
Blonde hair is what he noticed first before a lower hanging branch revealed green eyes. Another human. A boy in white attire. His strong, soothing aura seems to calm Jin down some.
“Holy sh- Are you okay?!” Jin’s lip wobbles and the boy seems to take that as his answer. “Oh my God, okay, uh, I can get this off…!”
He kneels down and uses his bare hands to pry the device apart to allow Jin to pull away. The action, along with the snap! of the now useless trap makes the fox jolt and cry. He feels the gentle brush of fingers against his foot and immediately squirms back, not wanting anymore pain.
“Hey, cut it out! I’m trying to help you!”
It looks to be true. A bag that he had been supporting before lay open on the ground, bandages and sorts lying near. Jin’s tear filled eyes flicker between the bag and the human for a while before finally giving in. With a huff, the human dabs at the wound with cotton. The fox watches him work with a cautious and calculating gaze. He looks a little intimidating, but his aura and actions say otherwise. What was he doing here?
“Alright. Done.”
It is indeed all bandaged up, but he is certainly not going to be able to walk on it.
“Are… A-are you going to hurt me…?”Jin whimpers, watching as the boy, who was probably a little older than himself, stand up and look down at him.
“What? No. Why would I do that after helping you?” That was true, but one could never know… Jin blinks when the other blonde kneels in front of him, offering his back. “You can’t walk, right? You can trust me.”
Well, there wasn’t really a reason not to. The boy helped him and did not seem to have the desire to harm him… With shaking hands, the fox wraps his arms around his shoulders and positions himself so that he could be lifted.
“Where do you live?”
Jin fidgets on his back. “I’ll point the way…”
Jin starts to relax the more they walk, the human boy’s scent lulling him into a sense of comfort and safety. He kept making sure to avoid areas that would probably brush against Jin’s ankle and pain him, asks if he should walk slower as to not agitate it anymore… The fox gets a sense that he is genuinely kind and holds an air of responsibility around him. He likes this little moment. Jin, the oldest of all the Kaka children, was often the one taking care of the others and spoiling them; it just felt right to do in his position. But, Jin too liked to be spoiled. He liked the adult's attention, but he couldn’t act like a brat with them. They would scold him, if anything, so Jin had to do good deeds and be the best in order to be spoiled by them. It was hard work being the best, really.
Maybe that is also why Jin felt oddly at ease with the human. He was willing to fuss over him. Said human stopped and lowered down to rest Jin on the ground, but the fox whimpered and held on tighter.
“Relax, alright?” the human says, no bite to his words, “Only taking a break. Carrying you makes me hungry.”
Oh, God, was this the end for Jin?
The small blonde lets go and attempts to push away, but ends up putting too much pressure on his bad ankle.
“Idiot, didn’t I say relax?! Jeez!”
With a huff, the other boy plops down next to Jin and sticks his hand into his bag to pull out a container. Jin’s mouth waters, finding the smell to be intoxicating.
“What’s that…?”
“Meat buns,” the other replies, offering the container, “Try it. Sister makes the best, so I doubt you’ll hate it.”
Jin takes one without a second thought and starts eating at it. His ears perk up fully, tail standing at its end when the flavor hits him. Without chewing, Jin hurriedly goes in for a second bite, then another one. He is startled when the human laughs and whips his head towards him. His cheeks were stuffed and probably looked like Makoto’s when she often ate anything. A gentle hand is placed on his head, making his ears twitch, and rubs soothingly.
“You’re going to choke if you keep doing that! At least chew once!”
Embarrassed, Jin swallows the mouthful he has and eats as if in slow motion. He manages to steal another bun before they set out again, feeling more content now that he was fed. When they get to the village, they are instantly surrounded; the magic that surrounds the place lets everyone know a human has intruded. Seeing the condition Jin was in, their attentions were on him first.
From over Kagura’s shoulder, Jin keeps his gaze on the boy, who is trailing behind them. When they reach Litchi’s clinic, Noel, who was having a grand ol’ time with her new friends, stops what she is doing and nearly bounces in her spot. “Nii-san!”
At the call, the boy is at her side almost instantly. “Noel! Are you okay?!”
Tears of, presumably, happiness run down her chubby cheeks. “Y-yeah! I’m okay! Everyone here has been super nice!”
The boy relaxes and nods. “Good. That’s good… What happened? It was your turn to do laundry!”
Noel pouts and hits his arm before apologizing. From her story, she was, in fact, doing the chore when the wind blew a particular thin article of clothing away. When she couldn’t find it, she assumed it was in the forest, but not too far… Still, she ended up wandering in further than she wanted and got hurt. Not too long after, Tsubaki and Makoto found her. She then began to praise the two girls and Jin.
Tsubaki looks a little flustered at the praise, but is overall pleased. Makoto grins and practically begs for more of Noel’s praise. Jin is pleased that he is getting some attention.
“So, why might you be here, child?” Kagura’s deep voice cuts through, intimidating but also welcoming at the same time, “What’s your name?”
The human puffs out his chest and sets his hands on his hips as if he could one up Kagura the black wolf. “I’m Ragna. I came to save my sister, obviously.”
The wolf laughs and ruffles Ragna’s hair. “I see, I see! You are a brave kid for coming here willingly! I think the only saving you did was with Jinny, though.”
All attention is on Jin now and he doesn’t know if he should be flustered or happy about it. Ragna told them he found the fox caught in a trap while he, admittedly, got lost. The only reason why he found him was because of Jin’s loud wails. Jin pouts at that information.
Doctor Litchi sits up from her position in front of Jin and smiles at the two humans. “As thankful as we are for you to bring him back… You two children should probably get going.”
Kagura nods regretfully, his smile wavering. “I think she’s right. The magic here can start to affect humans whither they like it or not.”
Noel gasps, suddenly scared. “Will we turn into monsters?!”
Litchi giggles and shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. Only the bad people are turned into monsters. The affects of magic varies, so I can’t exactly say what will happen to you; but I guarantee you won’t turn into a monster!”
“I’m a good girl!” Noel cries, clinging to Ragna now, “Nii-san, too! We are both good!”
Kagura laughs. “Glad we don’t need to worry about two new monsters lurking around then!”
“I guess we should get going then, Noel. Sister has been worried sick.”
Noel frowns more and looks to Tsubaki and Makoto, who look equally upset. Jin looks on, feeling unhappy as well. Tearful hugs of goodbye are long and loud between the three girls and Jin can’t help but feel a little left out… Ragna approaches him while the girls are busy and Jin finds himself perking up a bit. He pets Jin, telling him to keep out of traps before pulling away, leaving the fox whining for more contact. It was unlike Kagura’s playful, teasing ruffle of the hair or pats of approval from others.
When the two departed shortly after, accompanied by Kagura, Makoto continued to lay on the clinic floor and sob. Tsubaki was staring at where Noel once used to be with trembling lips and red eyes. Jin felt strangely empty.
Days later, when Jin was able to at least walk without much of a problem, he sets out to the forest. He did not know where he was going exactly, but he did know what he was looking for. It was a long shot, but he could at least look to see if the two humans were viewable from the edge of the forest. They had to be close enough to where their clothes were in danger of blowing in, right? So, Jin treads along, making sure to keep himself hidden just in case. He wanders quite a ways before the familiar scent of mouthwatering buns. Swiftly and quietly, Jin follows the scent until he sees two blondes lugging a big basket around. Noel looks to be adding to the weight rather than help Ragna ease the load, but she is trying. They actually go straight for the forest and Jin feels his heartbeat quicken.
Jin follows them, not wanting to make himself known yet. The two siblings head straight for Kaka Village with their basket, the two giggling and chatting quietly as they did so. Jin oddly feels giddy as they near closer to the village, more than happy to spend more time with them and their basket.
But, they leave the basket out front and leave.
This makes Jin deflate noticeably, his tail dropping to the ground as his ears flatten. He approaches the blanket covered basket to find a note with it as well. Interesting. Jin pulls the offering into the village, fully intending to keep it to himself. That was impossible, of course, being that nearly everyone could smell the delicious aroma.
“What’s that you got there, Jinny?”
“Wahhh, it smells so good!”
“Don’t eat it all if it is something we can all share, Makoto…”
“Tao smells something tasty, meow!”
Jin tries not to frown. “Ragna and Noel left this for us.”
Kagura looks surprised for a moment. “Those kids? Really?” Jin offers the letter that came with the basket to Kagura, who proceeds to open it up and read it out loud, “I had a hard time coming up with a way to repay those who saved my children. Ragna suggested buns since one child took to them so fondly,” the man pauses, glancing to Jin knowingly, “I am deeply grateful to the children and others that took care of them while they were lost and I am sincerely sorry to have believed all rumors and stories about the Black Forest. Please accept the buns as a small token of my gratitude. Signed, Celica, Ragna, and Noel.”
“Yahooo! Free food!” Makoto cheers, peeling the blanket away.
“Tao wants buns too, meow!”
Jin tugs the blanket off fully and holds it in his arms, ready to drop it and go on to the buns like everyone else until he smells the faint scent of Ragna. It is mostly overpowered by the fresh scent of buns, but his smell is definitely there and Jin finds himself liking the combination. Wrapping the blanket around his shoulders, he too partakes in the offering before they are all gone.
Later that night, Jin uses his new blanket to make a little nest, the smell lulling him to sleep almost too easily.