Kurai Yoru (Darker Night)

5: A New Friend...

A day had passed, and it was already time for Thalia to go back to her home at the underworld. After blushing a bit from the teasing Sitri gave her, she teleported back to her palace. Ani was saddened, but she knew that the vampiress will visit them again soon.

Now, we see Sitri staring at a stack of papers in front of him. The monthly report he always gets from the underworld just came, and as always, it's a ton of workload.

"Gah. I need a break." He sat back at the tall chair he's currently sitting at.

He stood up, approaching the small bookshelves behind his chair. He picked a random book, and placed it besides the mountain of papers at his desk. He looked around the study room, taking note of the fact that it is more silent than usual, judging that the room is just right next to Ani's. And, whenever a sound comes in the room(usually yells of agony from Ani's playmates), it would echo as the room was really large. He flicked his fingers, and turned off the lights from the bone chandelier like the ones that can be found anywhere in the castle.

It's not like it gave much light anyway.

"Aah, sweet darkness. I missed you." The demon said as he started reading the book while it was pitch black inside the study room.

Just as he was about to read the title, the door a bit far away from him suddenly swung open.

"Brother!" Ani giddily yelled.

Sitri slammed his head at the book. Then, he slowly looked up. "What is it Ani?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe what I saw moments ago!" Ani said as she ran towards the obviously not interested demon-boy.

"Try me." Sitri said boringly.

"It was a fox! A yellow fox! And she was really cute! I even fed her a fish, but she said she wasn't hungry." Ani frowned at the end.

"A... fox?" Sitri's eyes twitched. 'You interrupted my rest because you saw a fox?' He mentally deadpanned.

"And it wasn't just an ordinary fox, it has nine fluffy tails!" Ani made a hugging motion.

"Oh, a kitsune? Pretty rare to see them near our castle." Sitri's bad mood slightly lessen. "Did you get a feel on her aura?"

"Uhm, actually this is why I came here, I was just so excited I forgot to tell you it first." She scratched her head. "She doesn't have an aura. And, aren't kitsune's supposed to be super strong?" The little girl said while looking up and tapping her chin.

"A kitsune without an aura?... Interesting." Sitri monotonously said. "Excuse me Ani, I'm going to talk to this... Kitsune."

"Okay. But, can I--"Sitri interrupted her mid-sentence.

"No, you can't play inside my study room. Never." Sitri stared at the pouting girl.

"Mowww... Please? Pweeease?" As Ani started charging her ultimate attack, the puppy dog eyes. Sitri hurriedly turned tails and teleported away.

"Oh no you won't." Sitri smirked as he dematerialized from existence.

Ani stomped her foot. "Meany!"

=≠=≠=≠=≠=≠=≠=

Sitri reappeared at the forest behind his castle. Heaving a sigh, he began to walk deeper down the woods. "That Ani. I do not remember teaching her such underhanded tricks."

After walking for some minutes, he suddenly heard some rustling at the bushes beside him. Judging from the nine tails poking above the shrubbery of plants, he concluded that the kitsune isn't the best in hiding.