A late birthday gift for ZippyZapmeister on ao3. As such, it's also available there under Shiny_the_Strange. Please enjoy!

Leaves and sticks crunched under Dia's feet as she bounded through the woods. The fox was only slightly out of her reach, teeth snapping as she attempted to catch it by the tail. Nobody got away with trying to swipe Dia's meal from under her nose, especially not some tiny, third-rate fox.

Turning, the fox bolted to the side. Dia skidded in the dirt as she adjusted her angle, quickly catching up to her adversary. She chased it straight for a few more moments before it changed direction again, yipping as it continually avoided Dia's fangs. It ran towards a tall wooden fence, a house rising behind it.

The sight made Dia stop in her tracks, barely paying attention as the fox squeezed underneath the fence and disappeared. Had she reached the town already? Glancing back, there was nothing but the thick forest and underbrush. Though not a particularly far distance from where she had begun her pursuit, the town was still a little too far out for her to feel entirely comfortable leaving her prey alone. Her foe had been chased far enough; she would have to teach it a lesson another time. With a low growl, Dia turned and ran back.

As she darted in between trees and hopped across logs, she caught the whiff of something savoury. Sniffing the air, Dia began to slow, just for a moment.

Pork.

Dia licked her lips. Stopping and glancing to the side, she suspected that the smell was coming from the tiny cottage in the distance. That was the one benefit to passing through the area, she supposed; mouth-watering smells were always coming from inside the cottage. It always wanted made Dia want to investigate, to put her paws up against the window and gaze inside.

Raising onto her hind legs, a cool breeze blew across Dia's skin as her fur vanished and face shortened, paws transforming into hands and feet. It was practically a compulsion, briefly transforming into a human every time she longed to approach the cottage. How easy it would be to simply walk up and ask for some of the food. All she'd have to do was find some old clothes in town, pretend she'd come from far off, and say she was desperately hungry. Certainly whoever was inside could spare a little. A free meal, no hunting whatsoever…

No. That was definitely not happening. Once again Dia reminded herself that she would not stoop to the level of tricking humans for food. It was more respectable to hunt as a fox rather than beg as a human. Plus, if she didn't return to her prey, then what was the point of running all the way out here? She shook her head. Time was ticking; she had to go back to her kill. Putting her hands on the ground, her body reverted into its fox-like appearance. She continued on her way, the tempting scent falling further behind.

Before long, Dia had picked up another smell. Her nose instinctively crinkled; it was a familiar, putrid stench, something that had been near many rotting corpses. The stench grew stronger as her pace increased. Her heart beat faster; surely she hadn't left her kill alone for that long? The sound of running water became louder. Reaching the riverbank, stream glittering beneath the orange sky, Dia narrowed her eyes.

The bear raised its head from what was practically the skeleton of a fish, a glob of drool hanging out of its mouth. An ache instantly formed in Dia's skull; it was one thing to attempt to steal her dinner, but to successfully steal and then devour it? Unforgivable.

A snarl filled the air as Dia charged. Her teeth sank into the bear's arm, the taste of blood dripping into her mouth as she tore at it. Everything around her became a blur; the bear flailed its body, its roar echoing in her ears. Dia let go and landed before running a distance away. Turning to face her opponent, she charged again. She dodged as the bear swiped at her, circling around it. Leaping onto its back, Dia bit its neck, pulling at the fur. Even as the bear violently shook, she kept her footing.

The bear shook for a few more seconds before running away from the river. It approached a tree, twisting slightly and thrusting its side. Dia let out a whine as her body slammed into the tree, grip releasing as she slid to the ground. Rolling back onto her feet, a deep, sharp pain ripped through her upper back. The pain hit her again, then again as Dia yelped. From the side of her eye she noticed small sprays of red splashing onto the dirt around her. She glanced up at the bear, its exposed belly and neck towering above, its face and claws beyond her sight. The pain quickly grew worse and worse.

Something inside Dia told her that if she didn't strike back right away, death was on the horizon. She lunged at its neck, her jaws snapping into it with a wet crunch.

A strangled, gargling cry came from the bear as it instantly lurched back. Dia's hold on it faltered, letting go completely as she fell to her feet. The bear fell forward and let another gargle out before stumbling off into the woods, a trail of blood dripping behind. Gradually its movements became quieter until they ceased completely.

Dia panted, head spinning as she tried to process everything that had just occurred. A tiny, floating light drifted past her; a firefly, most likely. More floating lights began to appear. Looking into the sky, a twilight blue began to replace the receding tangerine. When had it gotten so late?

The pain was steadily worsening. Her body felt heavy, slightly cold as a wind ruffled her moist fur. The sound of rushing water and chirps of hidden crickets became the only things she could clearly identify as her vision blurred slightly. Maybe a drink would help. Taking a step towards the river, Dia fell onto her side as her legs collapsed beneath her. Struggling to keep her eyes open, the world darkened.

When Dia's eyes next opened, the sky was nearly devoid of orange, stars beginning to glitter above. More fireflies had gathered, almost bouncing as they floated above the river and the rest of the surrounding area. When one landed on the side of Dia's snout, she found herself unable to shake it off. She simply watched as the bug crawled onto her nose, stilled for a moment, and flew off, a trail of bright yellow following it.

Cringing, the pain shot back into her all at once. How long had she been lying there? Two minutes? Two hours? While Dia knew she had likely not been there for all that long, every second felt like an eternity. Attempting to flop onto her belly, her legs wouldn't move.

The smell of fresh blood lingered in the air. She was going to die here, wasn't she? All because a stupid bear thought it would be a good idea to devour her kill. What a fucking joke.

Her mind began to race. Memories of all the other creatures she'd encountered and fought filled her head. Though she had considered what might happen if she were to lose a fight, she hadn't expected it to actually happen. Now that she was lying alone, bleeding out, she wondered about her fate. Would her carcass be eaten by other animals? Would she be found before that happened? What would happen if her friends found her? What if Mari found her, or worse yet, Ruby…

Dia frantically sniffed, trying to distinguish the scents around her other than blood. Water, fish, bear, leaves, wet dirt, birds, the fireflies, pork, human, smaller foxes. No kitsune other than her own. Great, she was going to die and nobody would know until they found her. If they found her. The scent of pork and human made her wish she had approached the cottage and avoided this whole situation—

Wait. Pork and human?

The scents grew stronger. Listening carefully, Dia heard footsteps coming from behind. As they got closer, she began to whimper loudly. Though it was probably futile at this point– would a randomly passing human even consider approaching an animal that was more than likely mangled to hell and back? –, there was no way she was going to allow herself to be ignored. It wasn't long until the scent was right nearby. The footsteps stopped.

A brief hum sounded. The human became visible as it went around Dia and stood in front of her. Kneeling, its round face and amber eyes were slightly illuminated by the lantern it held. Another brief sniff told Dia that it was probably female, and that she was covered in the porky scent. Was she the one who lived in the cottage? "Oh! Your fur's so dark I almost didn't see you there, zura! Did you come to see the fireflies, too?" she said with a smile.

There was no fear or apprehension whatsoever in the woman's voice. Her cheerful questioning made Dia want to cry out. Even if it was exactly what Dia wanted, didn't this woman know better to approach a wild animal with so little caution? Did she even realise Dia was on the brink of death?

Worse yet, what if the woman was happy Dia was about to die? All her life Mari had told her stories about other kitsunes being killed for their gorgeous pelts. Something about them fetching a rather pretty price to collectors. Dia had always managed to avoid hunters, firmly believing they were too stupid to catch her. Now that she was on her deathbed, though, that possibility of that being her fate seemed more real than ever. Dia tried to growl, only for it to come out as a cross between moan and a whimper.

"Shh, I promise I won't hurt you, zura." The woman continued to smile as she continued to look at Dia. After a few seconds, she stood again. The lantern swung for a moment, briefly shining into Dia's eyes.

Suddenly the woman's smile dropped. Her eyes widened. "Oh no…"

The concern made Dia's mind slow a little. Okay, maybe the woman wasn't happy that she was about to die; in fact, her tone made Dia feel like she had no ill intent whatsoever. Still, that didn't mean her body wouldn't be taken away and sold the moment she bit the dust. There was no letting one's guard down. Dia bared her teeth as best as she could.

Ignoring the display of aggression (or whatever it came out as), the woman walked over to Dia's other side. "Your back's all bloody! We've gotta get you to the vet!" She reached beneath Dia and wrapped her arms around her belly, grunting as she hoisted her up and pressed herself against her backside. "Oof! You're a big one, aren't you?"

The moment Dia's body made contact with the woman, she suddenly lost the urge to flee. Maybe she was getting delirious, maybe it was because the warmth of the lantern against her stomach, maybe it was knowing that death was so close that it was pointless to struggle. Maybe it was even because the woman smelled not only of pork, but also of matcha and red beans. Whatever it was, a bizarre sense of calm and relaxation washed over her. She lay limp and drowsy, her surroundings a blur as the woman trudged through the woods.

"Hold on just a little bit longer, zura. You're going to be okay soon," softly said the woman. Second by second, Dia found it increasingly difficult to keep her guard up. The woman's gentle words and seemingly genuine desire to help seemed to be getting to her head. The softness of her skin and bosom against her didn't help either. It was almost if her saviour's presence was…comforting?

Her saviour, huh…

After some time, a light began to shine in the distance. A faint image of the town became visible as the lights became more plentiful, eventually surrounding Dia and the woman from all angles. In the distance Dia noticed a red-haired human (most likely female as well) standing in front of a building, doing something to the door. Her saviour headed in its direction. As they got closer, the smell of various chemicals stung Dia's nose.

Coming to a complete stop next to the other person, the woman panted. "Maki-chan! Maki-chan! Are you still open?"

"I'm just closing up. It's been a long day— Hanamaru, what the hell is that? And why is there blood all over your shirt?"

Hanamaru? Was that her saviour's name? Somehow, it seemed fitting.

"A fox I found! You have to save it, zura!"

The other woman – Maki? – stared with wide eyes. "I—Hanamaru, that thing's way too big to be a fox! Not to mention, it looks like it has three tails! Why did you bring it here?"

"Because there's nobody else around who can help!" Hanamaru's voice began to tremble.

"Do you even realise how much danger you put yourself in by doing this?" Maki crossed her arms. "Seriously, is that even a fox?"

"If it's not a fox, then it sure looks a lot like one. I know it's not safe to do this, but it was just lying there, I couldn't just leave it, zura! Please! I think it's about to die!"

Maki narrowed her eyes at Dia. She raised an eyebrow. "It looks pretty weak. Are you sure it isn't dead already?"

Hanamaru brought her hand to Dia's neck and slowly rubbed it. The sensation elicited a small whimper from Dia. "Did you hear that? It made a noise! And I feel a pulse, zura. It's really slow."

Uncrossing her arms, Maki sighed. "Okay, okay. Fine. But just this once. But don't be surprised if we can't help it. I'm gonna need you to do me a favour and call Eli as soon as we bring this animal to the examination room."

Hanamaru said nothing before sniffing loudly. Her voice quivered. "T-Thank you, Maki-chan…thank you!"

Maki pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. As they entered the building, Dia felt her consciousness slipping once more. Her thoughts began to jumble as they bounced from what had happened just before the bear fight up until now. As she drifted off, the last image in her mind was Hanamaru's lantern-illuminated face.

Tight. Heavy. Constricting.

Before Dia could even open her eyes, she noticed a snug but somewhat painful pressure against her chest and upper back. The scents of various animals assaulted her nose. Her eyes opened slowly, gradually taking in the sight of the room around her. The walls were tan, white in some places where the paint was slightly chipped. The door, which was slightly ajar, appeared to have a small, smudged window in the upper half. Soft voices were coming from the other side. Aside from that, the room was utterly featureless. Odd that it was covered in a metallic grid, though. It was almost like she was—

She was in a cage.

Dia immediately tried to stand, only to find that while her paws moved, she was only able to get her hind legs to rise, and only for a few moments before they shook and flopped back down. How on earth had she ended up here? She yipped loudly.

"I think she's awake now. Let's see how she's doing," came one of the voices from outside the room. The door opened fully as Maki, a mystery blonde woman carrying two bowls, and Hanamaru walked in. Maki leaned against the doorframe, while Hanamaru and the other woman approached, grinning.

Memories of the previous day suddenly came flooding back as Hanamaru came closer and opened the cage door. She knelt over Dia and stroked the top of her head. "Hey there, zura! How do you feel?"

Dia gazed up at Hanamaru, her heart pounding slightly faster. She had lived. She had really, truly survived. Nobody was going to take her pelt. Her body wasn't going to be eaten. Her friends wouldn't find her lying dead by the river.

And it was all because Hanamaru had found her. Though she certainly didn't feel good by any stretch, Dia yipped with joy.

"I hope that means you're feeling a little better, zura!" said Hanamaru. "You're so lucky, Maki-chan said that you were only able to survive 'cause your blood stream was so slow. You nearly died, but we were able to get enough blood back into you just in time! Maki-chan stitched and bandaged you up afterwards and Eli-chan and I cleaned your fur. Eli-chan also said you're a girl. Are you a girl, zura?"

Dia yipped again in response. Hanamaru's grin grew even wider.

"Alright, let's get something in your belly," said the blonde woman. She placed the bowls in front of Dia, who squinted at them. Staring at the blonde, Dia made a "hm?" noise. What was she, a common dog?

…Still, she was thirsty. And terribly hungry. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

The blonde smiled apologetically. "You've gone through a lot. Having something to eat and drink will help you feel better I'm sure."

Staring back at the bowls, Dia sighed. She raised her head, but found she was unable to get it very high. Her tongue grazed the water, taking barely any into her mouth.

"Here, let me help you with that, zura." Hanamaru took Dia's head in her hands and held it up. Dia began to lick rapidly, this time getting significantly more onto her tongue. As she drank, she looked up at Hanamaru. Now that she could see Hanamaru in the light, Dia couldn't help but notice just how much her eyes truly glimmered. They went well with her honey-coloured hair, she thought. Her smile was almost infectious; somehow, seeing it made Dia want to smile too.

"I can't believe the way you two are talking to her," said Maki, groaning. "I'm telling you, she's not a kitsune. I thought you of all people would be above this, Eli."

Dia stopped drinking. Had Maki really not figured out what she was?

Eli turned back and frowned. "You said it yourself. We don't know what kind of animal she is. You also said there's no report of missing wolves or any other kind of canine from any nearby zoos. What else could she be?"

"You say it like you weren't telling her you hope she feels better last night," said Hanamaru, frown matching Eli's.

Maki blushed, crossing her arms and looking away. "L-Listen, the only thing I know is that we need to send her to somewhere where she'll be taken care of properly. The wildlife rehabilitation officers are coming later today. What they tell us will determine what we do with her."

"Aww, okay…" Hanamaru's face grew longer. Seeing her frown made Dia want to frown too. She let out a whimper.

Eli reached over and scratched Dia behind the ear. "Okay, I think we should probably let her continue to rest. You two take a break, I'll help her eat and keep an eye on her for now."

"Okay," said Hanamaru, gently letting Dia's head down. The removal of her hands made Dia whimper once more. "Don't worry, I'll come back later, I promise. Hopefully the wildlife rehabilitation people will say you can stay here and I can come see you tomorrow and the day after too, zura!"

Dia yipped in approval. The urge to spend more time with Hanamaru was steadily growing.

Maki headed for the door. "Alright, that's enough. Let's go. I'm starving."

"Me too. See ya later, zura!" Hanamaru waved at Eli and Dia before following Maki out of the room.

Dia listened until Hanamaru's footsteps were completely inaudible, already wishing she would return.