The mid-day sun was harsh and unforgiving as it beat down on the backs of a small fox family. They'd stayed under the protection of trees for as long as they were able, but now there was naught but the wide-open field between them and their destination.

The family consisted of a mother and her two cubs, one looking to be about a year, the other just a few months old. The eldest of the cubs whimpered softly as every step felt like torture on his abused paws.

"I'm sorry, Shoyo. We can rest later." The mother, Kaname, gently nuzzled her pup, and then looked down at her youngest, Natsu.

"Natsu, dear, are you doing ok?"

"I'm hungry mama… and I'm tired…"

Kaname felt her heart break a little more.

"I know; I'm sorry, baby. But things will be better when we get to our new home, you'll see."

The pups nodded and looked ahead to their destination; The Forest of Beasts. Even at half a day's walk away, the forest was an impressive sight, with great green trees spanning the length of the horizon. It was known far and wide for holding the most condensed population of werefolk ever recorded.

"Mama, tell us about the forest…" Natsu requested.

"Well, it's said that a long time ago there were 6 large clans fighting over control of the forest. The war lasted almost 60 years, until a new generation was born; a generation that wanted to put an end to the bloodshed. The clans were getting smaller and smaller every year, and the battles were even starting to destroy the forest they coveted so much. In light of this, a treaty was struck between 2 of the clans. The other clans eventually joined as well and there's been peace ever since."

Shoyo and Natsu smiled a bit as they imagined their new home, letting the thoughts distract them from the agony in their feet and the sun cooking their fur.

Kaname looked at her pups and slowed to a stop.

"Let's rest for a while," she suggested. No sooner had she spoken did the exhausted pups flop onto the grass in relief. The mother fox chuckled softly and lay down as well, watching as her kits fell asleep in no time.

As she watched over them, she let her mind wander back to before tragedy struck; back to when her mate was alive and their forest teeming with life. They'd led a comfortable life in their little den, the modest forest they lived in providing enough prey and protection for the little family.

But it wasn't meant to last, it would seem. A human colony to the east of them had started to hunt on their lands, and the prey became scarce. Her mate had to start hunting further and further away from the den, until one day, he didn't return.

With two pups and no mate, the young mother grew desperate. Her desperation grew more every night she had to put her kits to bed hungry until she made the fateful decision to leave their den and head north, to the Forest of Beasts.

The journey was arduous, and the destination was risky, but there were no other choices. Kaname only hoped they would be accepted into a clan, or at the very least given a small area to hunt and live. Her life and the lives of her pups were in the hands of fate now and she prayed she hadn't made a mistake.

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Kaname let the pups sleep for a few hours to regain some of their energy. It also gave her time to rest her own weary body, thin and worn down from lack of food. As a mother, her first priority was her children. This meant they always ate before she did, even if it meant she didn't eat at all. But, looking down at their scrawny figures, she didn't regret for even a second giving up her own portions.

The tired mother stood on heavy legs and gently nudged the kits awake.

"Come now, it's time to go." Her voice was soft and encouraging and she hid the pain in her eyes as her precious kits struggled to their feet, tired and starving.

"We're nearly there, my darlings." With a quick lick to the tops of their heads, she started to walk again.

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Shoyo looked at his mother as they walked, his heart sinking. Her once vibrant fur was dull and matted, and he could see the way her feet dragged more and more with every step.

He knew he didn't look any better, but he'd still had baby fat to burn through, unlike his mother. She was practically skin and bone, and a voice in the back of his mind told him she wouldn't make the journey to the Forest of Beasts.

Shoyo shook his head violently but then regretted it when a wave of nausea washed over him, making him pause in his steps. He heard his mom calling to him and took a deep breath before starting to walk again.

"Sorry, just got a little dizzy is all." He told her. The male fox nuzzled her lightly when he saw the concerned expression on her face and tried to give a reassuring smile. Kaname didn't look entirely convinced, but she didn't press the issue and the fox trio continued on their way.

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The sun was just beginning to sink on the west when Natsu collapsed.

The sound of her tiny body hitting the ground was so soft it nearly went unheard. Shoyo's ears had barely picked up the sound, and when he turned his head to investigate, his little sister wasn't moving.

"Natsu!" The young fox hurried over to his sister. His cry alerted Kaname who was hot on his heels and nudging the little girl desperately.

"Natsu?! Natsu, baby, you've gotta wake up!"

Shoyo started to nudge his sister as well, his heart clenched tight in fear. He could hear her heartbeat, but it was faint and beating too slowly.

"Shoyo, we need to get to the forest as quickly as possible. Do you think you can run?" Kaname looked at her son. The frightened young fox nodded and Kaname picked Natsu up by the scruff of her neck before starting to run. Shoyo was barely a step behind, the stinging in his paws fading to the background in favour of the adrenaline.

Their new speed brought them to the edge of the forest within an hour and it was all they could do to not collapse. They'd stopped only once, just long enough for Natsu to be transferred over to Shoyo.

When they passed the first tree into the cover of leaves, it was all Shoyo could do to keep from collapsing. He set his sister down oh-so-gently at the base of a large oak and looked to his mother, who was barely standing herself.

Kaname dragged herself over to her pup, eyes wide and unsure as her ears tipped forward, seeking desperately for a heartbeat that never came.

The devastation hit like a ton of bricks as she collapsed beside her youngest pup, howling softly in grief. She was joined by her son and the surviving foxes mourned together, Shoyo pressing his side to hers and resting his head atop his little sister.

With heavy hearts and weakened bodies, they fell asleep.

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The early morning sun peeked through the foliage of the Forest of Beasts, falling on the forms of three foxes, their fur illuminated by the beam of light.

Only one of the foxes stirred, a coldness seeping in against his side and under his head. He lifted his head, his body weak and tired and looked down at the pup he'd kept close. Rigor Mortis had come and gone, leaving her once lively body limp and cold. The pain in his chest reminded him it wasn't a dream and the cold where she'd pressed into him felt like it sunk right into his heart. Maybe it was the tiredness that plagued him, or perhaps the stomach that threatened to eat itself, but it took him a little too long to realize Natsu wasn't the only cold one.

Shoyo turned his head slowly, oh-so-slowly, to look at his mother. His ears confirmed what his eyes were telling him and the young pup threw his head back and cried his agony to the sky.

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A/N: Thanks for reading, hope you liked it.

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