Forgottenmun’s notes: You thought I was only going to make one, but nope, I made another, to match the sequence of events from the fox’s perspective in the second game generated by @shattereddetermination. Also thanks to @theseaofrainbowclouds for providing more information about the setting for me to make this maybe slightly more accurate. I apologize to other muns whose muses I have used that might not be entirely accurate because I am not entirely familiar with them. I did avoid putting too many words in other muse’s mouths. Cast includes: @anonekomata (Ano), @wanderandward (Wander and Ward), @dreamfulknight (Aislin), @chrono-lock (Dahlia), @ask-kibthetaguel (Kib), @sansationalcomic (Sans), @griminsnowdin (Grimmy) and of course Beliad. Also I hope I wrote Grim’s abilities right, even if I kept that scene pretty short.
The silence was too overwhelming, but the fox did not know what to say to her companion. Both had been selected for the games, but she had never seen the grey cat before, and her companion never spoke. According to their mentors, the cat's cuteness seemed to be winning over viewers, but in terms of skill, the grey cat did not seem to be bringing anything special, receiving a pretty low score from the judges. In comparison, the fox had received a decent score from the judges for her athleticism. She probably could have scored higher if she actually showcased her magic, but she was avoiding giving away too much of her capabilities. In the end, the fox barely knew anything about her companion, and that sit poorly with her.
“So, do you have a name?” She finally asked.
The fox tilted her head, baffled by the response, “That what?”
There was a pause before the cat wrote again, < This kitty isn't 'that', this kitty is あの. >
“You're saying the same thing. That and that.”
The grey cat didn't respond, but her head lowered and her shoulders seemed to shake, notepad and pen falling to the floor. Too late, the fox realized what must have happened.
“No, I'm wrong. Your name is yours, and I'm sorry I didn't hear it right. It's just a bit confusing because I recognize that word as something else,” She offered.
But the grey cat's eyes looked a lot colder than they had been, and the fox had no way to comfort her.
The fox averted her gaze, “I'm sorry.”
As the podiums made their way to the starting location proper, the fox's ears twiched at the sound of an explosion. It seemed as though one of the others tried to get a head start, which was very ill advised according to their mentors. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the grey cat grab a bottle and a napkin. There was no way to know what was going through that cat's mind.
She herself approached the piles of supplies, noticing Wander and Aislin also approaching. All of them cautious of the other, given the way they stayed alert.
“Okay, look,” The fox decided to speak, “Early on, our greatest danger will be the environment rather than each other. Let's just grab what we can, so we all have a fair chance at this thing. Deal?”
That seemed to satisfy both the amalgamate and the knight, and so they gathered things peacefully, parting ways once they exited the cornucopia.
Some time after noon, the fox was startled to hear a whirring approaching her, and her ears flicked towards the source as she looked up. It was an odd parachute drone, dropping off what seemed to be a small container of fruit. She bowed her head in thanks, before using her nose to push it into the bag she was dragging with her.
The cannon fire also startled her, but when she saw the list of people on the display, she was relieved to find that they weren't anyone she knew. Either way, it was time to prepare for the first night.
Strangely enough, she ended up in good company that first night, hearing lighthearted laughter she approached a shared camp.
“cmon kid, it ghost to be you”
“Sans that was terrible. No way I'm starting. I don't know many anyway,” the blue-tipped long-eared kid replied.
The human that was there held a hand over her mouth as she giggled at the two in front of her.
“What is it that you don't know?” The fox asked, making her presence known dragging her bag in with her.
“The skeleton here proposed ghost stories, for some bizarre reason,” The woman replied before the others.
“Well, you don't have the right number of people,” the fox replied, “it's customary for there to be four people when telling ghost stories, and for it to be summer, but well, I suppose the weather is good enough.”
Seeing as there was no real point in hostilities, she shared some of her supplies with the others as they settled.
“now see, theres this ghost that will sometimes lay on the ground,” Sans spoke when it was his turn.
“thats it, sometimes says z as though sleeping, but thats it,” Sans shrugged.
“Are you really that lazy?”
“Okay, my turn then. Ahem,” The fox paused a moment as she thought, “There's a forest, not all that different from this one in how it looks. It's not that special, but it does have a very special place in it, a stone surrounded by blue flowers. When it rains, blue lights come from them and move into the treetops.”
“It is, but here's the thing. The lights know when there's people around, and will follow them. It's said that the closer they are to you, the more you can hear a voice,” She elaborated.
“It's a spooky voice isn't it?”
“No, not really. It's been described as a girl's voice. Always saying the same thing,” She replied.
“What is it that's said?”
The fox tilted her head, “Why don't you ask her yourself? There's blue lights hovering right behind you.”
Immediately the three others whirled around in shock at the hovering lights, before they each disappeared.
The fox giggled uncontrollably, “I'm sorry, that was a bit rude, but that was me.”
“You nearly gave me a heart attack!” The woman glared at the fox
“I am sorry, but I did feel the need to be a bit more proactive than our lazy friend here in the retelling,” the fox apologized, “It is a true story though. What she says is two words: take care.”
The second day was a lot worse for the fox. The day of Ano's death. Seeing the grey cat's face displayed on the sky gave the fire fox a chill. It felt as though she were partly responsible; the grey cat was essentially a pack mate, and was so… different because of what the fox had said.
Perhaps it was that guilt that drove her to ask Beliad to do what they both knew was something that was likely to happen.
“Hmm, no,” the demon replied.
“No?” The fox tilted her head, quite surprised by the insistence in Beliad's voice.
The demon shrugged, “Look, I'm normally not one to turn down a free soul for eating, but if I'm going to get yours, I'd rather find out how strong you actually are first. And this? This isn't you. Where's the hunt? Where's the thrill?”
“So your pal is dead. You're not. So do what you can, and if we do fight, don't hold back okay? I want it to be a good one.”
It was perhaps not the best advice in the world, but strangely enough, that was what the fox needed to hear at that moment.
“Yeah, you're right,” She nodded slowly.
The demon grinned, “Naturally.”
The next few days were uneventful, mostly the fox took the time to herself to strengthen her resolve. She was selected for the games, and that meant she had to last as long as she could for the sake of the pack back home, especially with Ano's death. So when it came that a suit of armour entered her area of the forest, she was very wary, and avoided him altogether.
The avoidance worked for another day, until she met someone she didn't expect.
Another fox, but humanoid as opposed to her current form.
Having regressed to instinct, she knew only one thing. This fox was not part of her pack.
Hackles raised and with a low growl, she rushed in for an attack. Sparks and botlecaps flew from each side as she and Grim circled around, dodging behind trees, always moving and never backing down. Between the fox's multicoloured glow and Grim's green aura, the battle was very visible, and any who saw it through the trees understandably did not interfere.
Yet, in the end, the fox was not the most skilled combatant. Grim was able to feint her by bottlecaps, and then deal a crippling blow with sickle in hand. As she lay there, on the ground watching the sky fade, she nodded to her adversary.