The Fox Cub and the Fire Demon Baby
 by Rose Nanase 

The Fox Cub and the Fire Demon Baby

by Rose Nanase

Authors' Note and Disclaimer: This is an AU Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic. Chieira [Chi-eh-ra] is mine and Hikari's creation. "The Fox Cub and the Fire Demon Baby" was written spur-of-the-moment by me in an IM conversation as a kind of twist on "The Fox and the Hound." We do not own Hiei and Kurama, but the fairy tale and Chieira are ours.


"Chieira! Be careful!" The warning came too late, as the pile of books came crashing off the shelf above the little girl's head. She was pulled out of the way, and the books hit the floor harmlessly.

The girl looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes, making them look like bright emeralds. "I'm . . . I'm sorry, okaasan . . ." She sniffled. "It was an axsidint . . ."

Her mother looked at her, voice softening. "It's alright, sweetheart. Next time you want something from the bookshelf, just ask."

Chieira nodded, blinking her tears away. "Hai, okaasan." The little girl sifted through the books on the floor until she found the one she wanted. She lugged the book over to her mother. "Will you read me a story, okaasan?" Chieira managed to pick the book up and nibbled on the top of the leather cutely.

Her mother smiled and took the book. "Hai hai. Let's go to the special story chair." As soon as her mother had settled in the ancient-looking rocker, Chieira was lifted onto her mother's lap. "Which story do you want me to read to you, little one?"

"Um . . ." Chieira thought about that for a moment, snuggling into her mother's side. "Oh! The Fox Cub and the Fire Demon Baby! Please!"

"Okay." Her mother smiled at her and opened the book. It was filled with hand-drawn pictures that her father had made for Chieira to go along with the stories that her mother knew by heart. The little girl snuggled even closer to her mother, listening in awe as her mother's voice changed to the voice of the storyteller. "Once upon a time, in a place far, far away, there was a little fox. He was an orphan fox, but his mother had known when her time to go into the Reikai was coming, and she had found a good home for her fox cub before she had died."

Chieira interrupted, her green eyes, which were an exact match with her mother's, wide and curious, as they always were when it was storytime. Every time her mother began to retell a story, the little girl forgot how the story went, and it was like she was being told the tale for the first time again. "Were the fox cub's eyes green?" The question was asked every time the story was read, making the question and answer a part of the story.

"Yes, the fox had eyes as green as fresh grass," her mother answered with a smile. "As it happened, a fire demon baby with eyes as red as ripe apples lived right next door to the fox cub."

"Wow . . . Just like otousan . . ." Chieira said, in awe, as she always was, by this part of the story.

"The fire demon baby and the fox cub met quite by accident, but their meeting sparked a deep friendship. They told each other everything, and they played all the time. Just being near the fire demon baby made the fox cub happy, and the fire demon baby was happy just being near the fox cub."

"The fire demon baby and the fox cub were bestest friends, right okaasan?" This question, too, had become part of the story, as children are supposed to ask such questions of fairy tales.

Chieira's mother laughed softly. "Yes, they were best friends. However, the fire demon baby's father was a hunter, and he didn't like the fire demon baby being best friends with a fox. He wanted the fire demon baby to become a great hunter. He told the fire demon baby that he could no longer be friends with the fox cub."

Chieira started to cry, as she always did at this point of the story. "He's a bad man! How can he make the fire demon baby leave his bestest friend? It's not right!"

Her mother hugged her gently. "I know sweetheart. Some people in the world are like that. But not all." Chieira sniffled, listening as her mother continued with the story. "So the fire demon baby was banned from seeing the fox cub. But the fire demon baby loved his friend the fox cub, and he wasn't going to lose his best friend. So the fire demon baby kept playing with the fox cub in secret."

"They really were bestest friends!" Chieira smiled, happy for the friends.

"Yes, they were," her mother said softly. "But the fire demon baby's father found out that they were still friends, and he was very angry. So the fire demon baby and the fox cub ran away to find somewhere where they could be friends. They went into the Big Forest first, but they became lost. They didn't know what to do. But luck was with them, for the fox cub saw a new fox, and he called out. But the new fox ran like he had not heard them."

"Why, okaasan? Was the new fox a bad fox?"

"No, sweetie. You'll see." Her mother said with a small, sad smile. "But the fire demon baby had been taught by his father in the ways of tracking, so they followed the new fox. The trail led to a fox village, but when they entered the village, they found that the foxes would not come out of their homes. The fox cub asked why, and he was told by the fox chieftain that they were afraid because the fire demon baby was a hunter."

Chieira frowned. "Okaasan, what's a chieftain?"

"A chieftain is a leader," her mother explained, still using the storytelling voice, for this, like all of the other things that Chieira had asked, had become part of the story. "They told the foxes their story, but it did not convince them. The fox chieftain said that the fox cub could stay, but the fire demon baby would have to leave, for he was not welcome. The chieftain told the fox cub that a fox could never be friends with a hunter, and that, if the fox cub stayed in the fox village, he could never see the fire demon baby again."

Chieira's lip trembled and she cuddled closer to her mother. "That's mean!"

"This made the fox cub angry, and he would not leave his friend. So the fox cub and the fire demon baby left the fox village and continued on their way, questing to find a place where they could be friends together without people trying to tear them away from each other."

Chieira pouted, her heart hurting for the sorrow of the fox cub and the fire demon baby. "No one should separate bestest friends! What they are and where they come from doesn't matter!" She sniffled, tears springing to her eyes at the unfairness of the people trying to stop the fox cub and the fire demon baby from being friends.

"I know, sweetie." Her mother hugged her. "But it seemed as though the fox cub and the fire demon baby would never find such a place, for they were turned away from every town. They were losing hope and become disheartened. The fox cub and the fire demon baby decided to try one last time before giving up and living by themselves in the forest."

Chieira's tears spilled over as she grieved for the fox cub and the fire demon baby. "Don't give up! Don't! I'll let you be friends!"

Her mother gave her a loving hug. "The place they went to was called 'Ningenkai.' They expected to be told to leave, and to be told that a fox cub and a fire demon baby could never be friends, but something wonderful happened."

"What happened? What happened?" Chieira's eyes shone with hope.

"They were greeted by many friendly faces, belonging to all different kinds of creatures, who were all friends. They were welcomed with open arms, and their friendship was celebrated. And so the fox cub and the fire demon baby were filled with happiness, and they knew that they belonged in this wonderful place called Ningenkai. And there they lived happily ever after as friends." Chieira cheered, tears streaming down her face. Her mother looked at her, concerned. "Why are you crying, Chieira?"

The girl smiled through her tears. "Because they found somewhere that they could be together! It's so wonderful!"

Her mother hugged her. "You have a big heart, Chieira." The girl fell asleep against her mother, and her mother gently tucked her into bed.

"'The Fox Cub and the Fire Demon Baby' again, Kurama?" a voice asked from the window.

Kurama smiled, tucking his daughter into her bed, smoothing her silver and black hair before standing. "It's her favorite. I know it's your favorite, too, Hiei." He turned and looked at his lover.

The fire demon jumped off the windowsill, careful not to make too much noise. "I don't know how you come up with those stories, Kurama."

The redhead hugged his lover as they left their daughter's room. "You inspired me, itooshi." He kissed the diminutive sanjiyan's hair. "And you drew those beautiful pictures to go with the stories."

Hiei smiled minutely. "I never saw any use for that skill before meeting you, my fox cub." He turned and kissed Kurama.

Kurama ran a gently caressing hand through his lover's dark hair. "Let's get some sleep, my fire demon baby."

~Owari~


Okay . . . You're probably wondering how the heck this works. As in, how can Hiei and Kurama, both males, have a child who looks so much like them? Well, that story is currently being written by Hikari, and it does not include male pregnancy, so don't worry. A picture of Chieira [Chi-eh-ra] can be found here: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=75881. A copy of the original conversation that gave birth to this fanfic is here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/rosethorne/day/2002/08/31

Also, being a mother does not necessarily require a certain gender, in my opinion. Notice how no mention of Chieira's mother's gender was mentioned until the end, when it was revealed that the mother was Kurama. A mother mothers a child. A father fathers a child. Who the heck cares what the gender is? I basically used the "To care for as a mother" definition.

Hope everyone liked it. ^__^;;


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