"...it's cold..." The early winter greeted the once warm habitat with snow-covered trees and flakes dancing in the icy wind, the delicate blanket of coldness under the fox child who lay drifting in and out consciousness. A shaded figure loomed over as the cold surface once underneath became tickles of warmth being replaced with a soft bed. "Can you hear me?" The figure asked but received no more than a slight finger movement for a response as the girls body lingered to sojourn in sleep for a few more hours. When awake, the startled child jolted up and backed away   

"It's alright...I won't harm you" The first figure came into color. A tall and lean man stood in front of the bed examining the girl with dirt-brown eyes, black hair with stone streaks sitting on his head along with a peacock feathery coat to complete the look.

"Are you feeling okay now?" The child turned her head to look at the other that carried her from the cold, who was anything but human; The boy had the contrast of white and grey ears with a tail as well as the same-colored fur all over him, with azure eyes watching her. She didn't get the time to answer as the other spoke before her.

"My name is Satoshi"

"Hitori" Unlike Satoshi who smiled, the wolf had his arms crossed over his chest only looking at the girl for a moment. She figured it was her turn to introduce herself as she looked at the two that rescued her

"I'm...Kazuko..." Barely a mumbled that was loud enough to be heard, her eyes scanning the room to see who would speak next

"You may call me Professor" Satoshi spoke up once again, "Is there anything I can get you?" He asked the girl who was still clearly cautious of them

"A cup of water would be nice..." Kazuko replied slightly louder than before, the Professor nodding and walking out to get the said drink. The two sat in awkward silence, the boy making his way to the edge of the bed while Kazuko watched his every move

"I'm not going to hurt you"

"Where did you come from?" She held her legs close to her chest while looking at him

Hitori glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye as he continued, "The Professor found me like I found you and took me in" He let out a small sigh while her tense body relaxed a bit, turning to face her. "What about you?"

"I don't remember much of anything before you found me..." Her soft features shifted into ones of confusion for a moment going back to a calm expression when the Professor came into the room with the cup

"Drink this"

Looking at the cup then at Satoshi, the girl inched little by little closer to the edge of the bed and took the water from his hands as it was handed it to her however, a thermometer was put in her mouth before she could take a sip.

"This will take the temperature of your body" Hitori stated before taking it back and studying the numbers while Kazuko took a few sips of her water and gave it to Satoshi who went to put it back, stepping out the room again

"No memories, huh? Must be weird not knowing anything" The boy rested his head in his hands as Kazuko let out an annoyed sigh

"I never said I didn't know anything; I know how to do things. What about you? Any memories?"

"Why do I have to tell you? I don't really know you and we aren't close friends" Hitori's back was turned from her once again with his tail at his side, "What can you do? Any fighting attributes or musical skills?" Her head perked up at the last word which he took as a yes, also taking her hand and leading her out of the room into the hallway; the walls and floor tattered with dry ebony along with hard wood. A few doors down from the room with the bed was a small room with a large piano catching dust on its keys and the long bench that stood beside it, the empty space being filled by them

"Play"

"What should I play?" Her fingers hovered over the keys while her eyes looked at him

"Anything that comes to your mind" Kazuko paused for a moment before looking back at the keys and started to play a once famous Chopin piece: op 9, no 2, closing her eyes and letting her hands take the moment and silence; replacing it with the sweet melody of the piano. The boys eyes were focused on her hands but soon traveled to her physical features: Kazuko had long coal back hair, sandstone fur along with black splats trailing her body and fox ears where human ears would be, a bright hazel right eye and a left dark lavender eye with a swaying tail. His ears stayed flat as he looked at her and listened to the music, but she stopped. "Why did you stop?"

"Why are you examining me like that?" Her bi-colored eyes peered over at him as Hitori spoke

"I can't play as well as you, so I thought to take lessons" He started his reply while turning his head away then looking back at her, "I learn better by watching" Looking at him with slight curiosity and going back to finishing the piece; the wolf closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to peek back at her. When she finished, Hitori led her to another room with a podium and a wide-open space

"I'll test your combat skills now. I want to see where you're at with it" Stating this to the fox before he made his way to the stairs that led to the podium and the control station for the room, pressing a button allowing sections of the wall across from Kazuko to split and open revealing combat dummies with wooden swords. The ceiling cast lights below to reveal two dummies in all black with white stripes who jaunted towards the girl. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as one of the dummies went towards her with its sword, dodging the swing and landing a blow to its gut and stepped on its head taking the sword from it; hitting the others head with it. Both dummies lay on the ground motionless signaling they have been defeated. Kazuko turned and looked up at the podium with a grin as Hitori smiled slightly. "Now to step it up a few..." He mumbled to himself while pressing a different button, causing two more spaces in the wall letting four more dummies come out, all the same color and the same weapons. Kazuko's ears perked up as she faced the dummies, Hitori watching her every move. With the second to last dummy chasing her, she flipped on the wall, her hands glowing a light pastel color before the dummy was levitated up and thrown onto the last one who was also running after her. The boy's eyes widened slightly before he jumped from the podium and went to the girl.

"I-I think that was one of the things I could do before you found me Hitori..."

She did say she doesn't remember much before I found her.... could she not remember the rest of the fox-half breeds...? His train of thought soon came to a stop when the Professor entered the room with a chuckle

"I had the chance to see Kazuko's fighting and hear her play, and I must say I didn't expect you to interact so well with one another"

Bright red blush dusted onto Hitori's face as he looked at Satoshi, "Why were you listening in the first place?" He huffed before looking away

"H-hitori..." The girl glanced at the wolf before she stumbled to him and descended to the ground only to be caught into his arms once again