Background/History;;
The First Night;;
The night was fairly normal, the lights were all out in the small home that the boy slept in. It was a dark night, quiet, and there wasn't all too much around the home for a young child to occupy himself with. Nothing in the home anyways. Boredom, hunger, and the burning of spare change in his pocket motivated young Kyle out of the bed. He knew he would be in trouble, big trouble. But the idea, it sounded so good. He had been collecting this change for a long time so he could finally purchase those snacks his parents so desperately wanted to keep him from having. Tonight was the night, it just felt right. It felt like the right night for a sneaky adventure down the street.
Slowly and quite clumsily the eight year old climbed out the first story window. He knew he shouldn't, but he did. It was a spark of bravery for the normally shy and obedient child. The boy was of a thin build, with messy dark hair and bright energetic blue eyes. Barefoot and in shorts and a t-shirt, he dashed off down the street to the alleyway shortcut. He looked so small against the tall fences that lined the dark alley. Kyle walked with his head down a bit. He wasn't scared, he told himself he wasn't. But he never walked through this space without a bit of nervousness.
He was looking behind him when his foot made contact with something sitting on the ground. A hard smooth surface, the surprise caught him off balance, and he fell forward. The boy caught himself with his hands. His eyes were closed tight, and he shook just slightly. At least he had been alone... Kyle slowly opened his eyes, closing them quickly at the bright orange glow. What was that? He forced his eyes open again, sitting back and looking the thing over. The glow was amazing, lighting the area around with a brilliant orange color. Who would leave something like that just sitting in an alley? A curious child, he lifted the lantern with a smile. Well, that sure lit the path better than just the moonlight. Whoever had left it must not want it anymore, he assumed, and he began to walk again. It was rare for him to get new things, and he didn't feel like letting this one go. Just as he had never let go of a single toy.
It was only a few steps before he started to look around. Was someone following him? Had his father noticed!? He looked around often, hurrying his steps toward the next street. He wouldn't go home now, he wanted those snacks. But he was worried. What if it really was his father following him? No, nobody was there... he told himself. He had made sure he was alone. A shadow crossed in front of him with an orange glow, and the boy tried to follow it with his gaze, but it moved again. Quickly, it bounded into the middle of the path. The glowing orb seemed to hang in mid air for a moment before the figure settled. Kyle stopped, searching the dark before holding up the lantern.
There in the orange glow sat a blue fox, splattered with fiery colored spots. Golden eyes stared back into the eyes of the child. He sat tall and seemingly proud, ears perked and tail curled around his paws. There was a moment of silence, gazes met, and a relaxed feeling came over the boy. He let himself breathe nicely again, a bit of a smile coming to his face. There was that feeling, a feeling of belonging. A feeling that it was just right. This over all good and comforting feeling that seemed to radiate from the fox along with the glow of the lantern and orb. It seemed to scare away the shadows, at least to the mind of the child. Safety and comfort that he had not felt before.
"Hello." A sweet and soft male voice rang in Kyle's mind, but no real sound came from the creature, and there was no movement. "Mind some company? You seem to have found something that belongs to me." The fox tilted its head to point out the lantern, then looked up again. The question was curious, pleasant, and hopeful. The fox wanted the companionship just as much as the child had been wishing for a friend. He knew the answer before he asked. It was meant to be, but he allowed Kyle to wait and think of it. Head tilted, he watched the fairly confused young child. Lifting himself from his sitting position, the fiery fox padded softly to the boy. He walked around the child's legs, rubbing against him gently. He looked up when he came back around.
"I-uh... Hi." Kyle said quietly, but nicely. He was confused, but oddly not a bit scared. "This is yours...?" he looked to the lantern, "I'm sorry, i didn't know... You can have it back..." his voice got quieter with each word of the last phrase. He watched the creature, turning just slightly as the furry animal walked around him. He was amazed, and it showed on his face. "You want to come with me...? I'm just going to get some chips. Nothing special...", it hardly phased him that he was speaking to a fox rather than another child, "but you can if you want. Maybe we can share some." He offered.
The fox looked up, ears twitching. "I would very much enjoy that. If you'll share some of your chips." He added with a playful tone. The boy giggled and nodded at him. "Well, I'm Nuriel. I think we will be great friends."
"Friends?" Kyle's face brightened more. The fox nodded. "I'm Kyle," the boy said with a smile, "and I'll share my chips."
And he did just that. They continued on the trip to the store together, the fox prancing beside him. The child ran into the store, where he knew the owner fairly well. it was a small family store. He returned with a soda, chips, and also candy. He had enough, at least he thought. The man told him the things were on a cheap late night sale. He sat down outside, opening the chips. Kyle held a chip to Nuriel, who took it gently. He seemed pleased, eating it happily and looking to the child. Kyle smiled, then held out a couple skittles. His favorite flavors, a red and an orange one. The fox happily ate those from his hand.
Nuriel looked up. "Yum." He closed his eyes as he licked his lips. Kyle smiled at him, then wrapped his arms around the fox. Nuriel let out a surprised squeak, then relaxed in the child's arms when he realized just what he was doing. He shifted to be more comfortable, then leaned his head into Kyle's chest.
"Hey Nuriel," Kyle started, "we are gonna be best friends, right?" He looked hopeful as the fox lifted his head. With a pleasant look at him, he then placed his head back against the boy.
"Yes Kyle, best friends. Always." Nuriel promised. He meant it, they were together, for as long as they lived.
The night was fairly normal, the lights were all out in the small home that the boy slept in. It was a dark night, quiet, and there wasn't all too much around the home for a young child to occupy himself with. Nothing in the home anyways. Boredom, hunger, and the burning of spare change in his pocket motivated young Kyle out of the bed. He knew he would be in trouble, big trouble. But the idea, it sounded so good. He had been collecting this change for a long time so he could finally purchase those snacks his parents so desperately wanted to keep him from having. Tonight was the night, it just felt right. It felt like the right night for a sneaky adventure down the street.
Slowly and quite clumsily the eight year old climbed out the first story window. He knew he shouldn't, but he did. It was a spark of bravery for the normally shy and obedient child. The boy was of a thin build, with messy dark hair and bright energetic blue eyes. Barefoot and in shorts and a t-shirt, he dashed off down the street to the alleyway shortcut. He looked so small against the tall fences that lined the dark alley. Kyle walked with his head down a bit. He wasn't scared, he told himself he wasn't. But he never walked through this space without a bit of nervousness.
He was looking behind him when his foot made contact with something sitting on the ground. A hard smooth surface, the surprise caught him off balance, and he fell forward. The boy caught himself with his hands. His eyes were closed tight, and he shook just slightly. At least he had been alone... Kyle slowly opened his eyes, closing them quickly at the bright orange glow. What was that? He forced his eyes open again, sitting back and looking the thing over. The glow was amazing, lighting the area around with a brilliant orange color. Who would leave something like that just sitting in an alley? A curious child, he lifted the lantern with a smile. Well, that sure lit the path better than just the moonlight. Whoever had left it must not want it anymore, he assumed, and he began to walk again. It was rare for him to get new things, and he didn't feel like letting this one go. Just as he had never let go of a single toy.
It was only a few steps before he started to look around. Was someone following him? Had his father noticed!? He looked around often, hurrying his steps toward the next street. He wouldn't go home now, he wanted those snacks. But he was worried. What if it really was his father following him? No, nobody was there... he told himself. He had made sure he was alone. A shadow crossed in front of him with an orange glow, and the boy tried to follow it with his gaze, but it moved again. Quickly, it bounded into the middle of the path. The glowing orb seemed to hang in mid air for a moment before the figure settled. Kyle stopped, searching the dark before holding up the lantern.
There in the orange glow sat a blue fox, splattered with fiery colored spots. Golden eyes stared back into the eyes of the child. He sat tall and seemingly proud, ears perked and tail curled around his paws. There was a moment of silence, gazes met, and a relaxed feeling came over the boy. He let himself breathe nicely again, a bit of a smile coming to his face. There was that feeling, a feeling of belonging. A feeling that it was just right. This over all good and comforting feeling that seemed to radiate from the fox along with the glow of the lantern and orb. It seemed to scare away the shadows, at least to the mind of the child. Safety and comfort that he had not felt before.
"Hello." A sweet and soft male voice rang in Kyle's mind, but no real sound came from the creature, and there was no movement. "Mind some company? You seem to have found something that belongs to me." The fox tilted its head to point out the lantern, then looked up again. The question was curious, pleasant, and hopeful. The fox wanted the companionship just as much as the child had been wishing for a friend. He knew the answer before he asked. It was meant to be, but he allowed Kyle to wait and think of it. Head tilted, he watched the fairly confused young child. Lifting himself from his sitting position, the fiery fox padded softly to the boy. He walked around the child's legs, rubbing against him gently. He looked up when he came back around.
"I-uh... Hi." Kyle said quietly, but nicely. He was confused, but oddly not a bit scared. "This is yours...?" he looked to the lantern, "I'm sorry, i didn't know... You can have it back..." his voice got quieter with each word of the last phrase. He watched the creature, turning just slightly as the furry animal walked around him. He was amazed, and it showed on his face. "You want to come with me...? I'm just going to get some chips. Nothing special...", it hardly phased him that he was speaking to a fox rather than another child, "but you can if you want. Maybe we can share some." He offered.
The fox looked up, ears twitching. "I would very much enjoy that. If you'll share some of your chips." He added with a playful tone. The boy giggled and nodded at him. "Well, I'm Nuriel. I think we will be great friends."
"Friends?" Kyle's face brightened more. The fox nodded. "I'm Kyle," the boy said with a smile, "and I'll share my chips."
And he did just that. They continued on the trip to the store together, the fox prancing beside him. The child ran into the store, where he knew the owner fairly well. it was a small family store. He returned with a soda, chips, and also candy. He had enough, at least he thought. The man told him the things were on a cheap late night sale. He sat down outside, opening the chips. Kyle held a chip to Nuriel, who took it gently. He seemed pleased, eating it happily and looking to the child. Kyle smiled, then held out a couple skittles. His favorite flavors, a red and an orange one. The fox happily ate those from his hand.
Nuriel looked up. "Yum." He closed his eyes as he licked his lips. Kyle smiled at him, then wrapped his arms around the fox. Nuriel let out a surprised squeak, then relaxed in the child's arms when he realized just what he was doing. He shifted to be more comfortable, then leaned his head into Kyle's chest.
"Hey Nuriel," Kyle started, "we are gonna be best friends, right?" He looked hopeful as the fox lifted his head. With a pleasant look at him, he then placed his head back against the boy.
"Yes Kyle, best friends. Always." Nuriel promised. He meant it, they were together, for as long as they lived.