You Don't Coddle a Hunting Dog

by UltimateFenris

Summary:

When left with a half-demon child, Celine decides to take advantage of the creature's nature and raise it as a weapon.

Rumi knows what she is; she is a hunting dog aiding her demon hunters. She will be good, she will be useful; if not, she will be put down.

Mira and Zoey hate this.

Notes:

So make sure to mind the tags.

Shout out to those who came together in the Huntrix Yuri Archive discord server to take this prompt and run with it. Shout out to Ranger Kes, Punky Dino, Macaroni, and Ghost for helping me go crazy.

Chapter 1: A Trained Dog is Not a Perfect Dog

Celine kept her alive.

Miyeong asked her to, even if Celine couldn't stand the sight of the child.

For most of Rumi's childhood, that was the bare minimum Celine would do.

Food, water, shelter.

It wasn't until the blue threads of the Honmoon curled around Rumi while she slept peacefully unaware of what she was, enveloping the young girl in a soft light, that Celine began to treat her like more than a stray.

It had mourned the death of Miyeong, celebrated the birth of Rumi. She was claimed, no matter how Celine felt.

Celine could not look past the traits of the creature the man who had sullied her friend's bloodline.

She had to be trained, like a proper animal, albeit with more capabilities.

It started with the collar.

Rumi doesn't know how old she was; the first decade of her life blended together in a mix of monotony and starvation. Her room was cold and drafty due to an unsealed window, and Celine only allowed her one blanket to fight off the frost at night. She didn't deserve more than that.

When Celine had walked into her room, heeled shoes clicking against the hard floor, she held something in her hands. Stiff black leather, steel, and a small black box were gripped tightly.

Celine always looked calm, but a storm was hidden behind those eyes. Rumi stayed out of the storm's way and hid when she had to. There was no hiding now.

"Rumi, come. Sit." Celine commanded, pointing to the spot on the bare floor in front of her. There was no room to run past her; Rumi knew she would get caught, scruffed like an insolent pup who stole its master's food. Best to follow orders.

Rumi crawled forward, hesitant to move too fast or too slow in fear of making the older woman mad. She was always mad, quick to anger like lightning to a tree.

Once Rumi had sat down, eyes tracing the cracks in the concrete floor, Celine knelt beside her.

"The Honmoon chose you, for whatever reason, so you'll need to be trained," Rumi could hear the faint jingle of metal as Celine maneuvered the object in her hands, "Hopefully, you will have inherited your mother's voice." Her voice was cold, like winter rain.

Celine never actually tells her about her mother; she just knew she had one and that it was her fault she was gone. She was a mistake, barely human, an animal.

That became more evident as Celine slipped the collar around Rumi's gaunt neck. It felt heavy against her flesh. Genuine leather scratching against skin and rubbing her red.

"We'll start with physical training tomorrow morning, then lessons in the afternoon. I expect the best from you, do you understand?" Celine tightened the collar, assuring it was snug.

Rumi nodded.

Rumi shrieked.

Her flesh burned.

The Honmoon ripples like waves on a lake, helpless to protect her but affected just the same.

"Speak up, do you understand?" Celine fiddled with the black box, the remote.

"Y-yes, Celine." Rumi choked, her throat raw.

"Good."

Then, with the thud of her door closing, Rumi was alone again.

The Honmoon shifts around her, reminiscent of a caressing hand. There was not much comfort there, no consolation; Rumi didn't understand it much. It was a promise that she wouldn't be alone; she would just have to wait for her pack.

---

As Rumi got older, the treatment got worse. No longer neglect, neglect would have been better. She had a purpose now, and Celine would make sure she could execute it perfectly.

At ten years old, Rumi learned that there are different levels of pain the collar could bring. Rumi also believes Celine tampered with it to make it worse.

She refuses to believe that someone could treat a dog as badly as this.

She was worse than a dog.

If she were fast enough during drills, she wouldn't get shocked. If she could hit the right notes, she wouldn't get shocked. If she stayed human, she wouldn't get shocked.

She gets shocked a lot.

The first time she snapped, fed up with the constant pain, they were outside.

Celine had her running laps for an hour, shocking Rumi every time she slowed down while singing their shared mantra.

She howled it out, like an animal pup trying to find its pack.

We are hunters, voices strong.

Slaying demons with our song.

Fix the world and make it right.

When darkness finally meets the light.

Sweat pooled under her collar, adding to the chafing on her neck. The electricity burned into her skin over and over again. There was no relief out here under the sun.

"Do better, Rumi. You can't kill demons if you can't catch up to them. Maybe they'd even turn on you." Celine snapped, pressing that god forsaken button, just to emphasize her point. "There's no loyalty among demons; they'd kill you even if you are one of them."

Celine made a mistake, although she would never admit it, letting Rumi so close during her run. It made it so much easier to rely on instinct, to let the pain and her demon take over.

Blood and flesh bloomed under her teeth, in her mouth. Bones crunched under the strength of her jaw. Sharp iron drenched her tongue, and it was warm, so warm.

The only warmth she has known, born out of violence and pain, just as she was.

The screaming, Celine crying out in anger and anguish alike, seemed so distant and muffled compared to the feeling of control. Rumi was in control.

The moment was short-lived as a blunt object, a branch perhaps, was slammed into her temple, making her relinquish Celine's mangled arm.

Rumi lay panting in the dirt for a moment, blood, sweat, and soil mixing to paint her skin and clothes dark. She has a brief thought that maybe the amount of blood in her throat should make her sick, but she feels satisfied.

She huffed as Celine scrambled away in a cloud of dust, watching the cold persona of her master break apart.

Rumi thinks this is the first time she smiled bared her teeth at the older woman, lips curled back and stained red.

Maybe she is a dog, gnashing teeth, looking for her prey.

Her head ached, and she wished she didn't feel so heavy and unbalanced.

The young girl didn't even have the energy to scream, her body seizing as electricity coursed through her body from the collar. Celine stood, blood dripping down to nourish the earth, with her working hand gripping the remote with the ferocity of a lightning storm.

Her back arched, her claws gouged into the dirt.

Rumi didn't know how long it lasted, how long she had been wishing for release through death. She remembers the ache of her muscles after being involuntarily tensed, and the swift kick Celine had connected with her head.

The darkness followed after that.

Rumi does not remember the next week well, does not even remember being dragged to her room and chained. The one thing she does know is that the collar had higher settings than she had thought.

Chapter 2: Not All That is Broken Can Be Fixed

Notes:

Please review updated tags. Once again, shout out to the people in the Huntrix Yuri Archives server for helping me put this together.

Celine has been busy lately.

 

The elder hunter has been having Rumi repeat combat drills until there were no mistakes in her form. She was not allowed a weapon, relying on her teeth and claws to demolish training dummies.

 

Celine has learned to keep her distance at all times, scarred arm hanging at her side with limited mobility.

 

Rumi paces her room, doing anything she can to stretch her sore muscles and to keep her mind occupied. She feels wrong for missing Celine's attention, even if it was the shock of electricity. 

 

She's been good. She hasn't bitten Celine again; she's followed orders. Rumi doesn't understand why Celine is ignoring her.

 

Rumi stretches out on the floor, letting the cool concrete soothe her aching body. Her back and hips have been aching more than usual, so she cycles through her different stretching positions.

 

Oh.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Her pants were stained dark with blood. She didn't even notice it sticking to her skin.

 

Was she dying?

 

She couldn't fulfill her mission if she were dead.

 

She scrambled up and to the door, barely registering that claws, that she was not supposed to have, were clacking against the hard surface. She couldn't escape even in an emergency, as there was no door handle on her side.

 

"Celine!" Rumi banged on the fortified door, "Celine, something's wrong!"

 

She listened, but only silence met her ears.

 

"Celine! Please!" Rumi wailed. All their training couldn't have been for nothing; her body honed for killing should not be her end.

 

Rumi could hear the clicking of her guardian's shoes as they approached her door. Celine's shadow stopped, blocking what little light Rumi could see.

 

"Rumi, you are interrupting my work. Be quiet." Celine's command hung in silence. The young girl weighed her options; she could be punished, but surely dying was worse?

 

Celine, satisfied with the silence, began to walk away. Rumi panicked.

 

"Wait, please… I'm bleeding. I don't know what's wrong." Rumi whimpered. She pressed her forehead to the cold door, waiting for a response. She heard a sigh from the other side of the door.

 

"You aren't dying, but I will fix it. I need to make some arrangements. For now, you will need to be cleaned." Rumi heard the sound of clinking metal and creaking leather, "I am going to open the door, exit with your arms out and hands facing up." 

 

Rumi knew to follow these directions; she had quickly learned them when they had been introduced. Celine would not hesitate to incapacitate her with the collar.

 

"Yes, Celine."

 

The door creaked open, revealing the blank wall of the hallway. As she slowly exited, she could see Celine out of the corner of her eye, waiting. Celine's injured arm, adorned with a compression sleeve, held handcuffs. 

 

The older woman swiftly attached them to Rumi's wrists. 

 

"Good, turn around," Celine ordered.

 

Even with sharp metal biting into the flesh of her wrists, she preened at the praise. She was a good girl. The elation was short lived. 

 

Rumi hated the rough material of her muzzle, the two straps that affixed the muzzle to her head pulled at her hair and the leather encompassing her jaw rubbed her wrong.

 

It made her feel like an animal.

 

She is an animal. House-broken and trained.

 

Celine led her to Rumi's bathroom. A large basin tub and a detachable shower head. The door was much the same as her bedroom, locking from the outside.

 

Celine doesn't take chances with her safety anymore.

 

"Rinse off. I will bring you a change of clothes." Celine unlocks her cuffs and, in a surprising move, removes the shock collar as well. She walks backward and locks the bathroom door as she leaves. 

 

Rumi removes the muzzle herself, glad she didn't have it on long enough to chafe her skin. She sheds her clothes, the little protection she has from the stale air. The blood made her pants sticky, making it uncomfortable to peel away. She shudders at the feeling.

 

She can faintly hear her guardian argue on the phone. She hoped she wasn't the reason for the anger; she preferred the cold detachment Celine usually showed her.

 

Rumi was thankful that Celine taught her how to work the faucet, at least, usually letting the child tend to her injuries and messes herself. The cold water enveloped her as she watched the blood flow down the drain, almost pink like her patterns on her bad days.

 

Her guardian soon returned, with some pills and a cup of water. Some child's clothes were draped over her shoulder. The woman placed them on the sink counter, then bent down to collect the ruined clothing. Rumi watched her intently as this was one of the few times she was free from her collar.

 

She could make a break for it.

 

A sharp pain assailing her waist put that thought down quickly. A child wouldn't make it far on foot.

 

It wasn't like anyone but Celine would take her in, anyway.

 

Celine speaks up, "Once you're clean, take this medicine. It will make the pain stop. Then change." She turned to leave, once again.

 

"Won't I ruin those, too?" 

 

"It won't matter soon."

 

Rumi doesn't remember much after that. The medicine made her sleepy, and she almost didn't finish getting dressed before she collapsed against the sink.

 

 

 

When the half-demon eventually awoke, she was not in her bed, but she knew she was at home. It smelled like the incense Celine burned.

 

There was someone else puttering around the room. A woman in light blue clothes was monitoring the medicine bag connected to Rumi.

 

When did that get there?

 

She felt dizzy, the lights were too bright, and she could hear Celine yelling somewhere else. Her body was both lighter and heavier, and she felt hollow.

 

The woman shot her a sympathetic glance.

 

Rumi was out again.

 

This continued for what Rumi could assume were many days, becoming more lucid each time.

 

She learned the names of her caretakers, Doctor Ji-Won and Nurse Soo-Min. Celine yells at them enough that Rumi was able to pick up their names, especially when Soo-Min was caught giving Rumi larger meal portions. 

 

She likes Soo-Min the most; she actually explained why Rumi was bleeding. She started menstruating, and it meant that she was maturing. The nice nurse explained how to take care of herself, even demonstrating how to use the sanitary products.

 

Then, blessedly, Celine is gone for a few days. She's looking for more hunters, two girls to join her in their fight against demons.

 

Two girls to break down and build up.

 

Rumi doesn't know if she should be excited or scared.

 

Celine has a talent for training broken girls.

 

 

Chapter 3: Quick Note

Summary:

Just a note

Hey yall, theres some stuff going on behind the scenes so this chapter will be late.

But I wanted to address something as well.

As much as I am putting these characters through pain, with the end goal of recovery, there are some lines I do not cross.

This fic will not have any rape, non-consensual sex acts, sexual grooming, etc,.

I am sorry if it reads that way. I am know this is a dark fic on purpose... but not like that.

This prompt was born with the idea of how it would work out if Celine used Rumi as a weapon, not as a surrogate daughter.

I will update when I can. Thank you for all the support.

Chapter 4: A Lonely Dog Will Find Solace in Pain

Summary:

Mira has some opinions.

Zoey is horrified.

Rumi is happy to see the other hunters.

Celine is still awful.

Notes:

Few things before we start up again:

This is a dark AU, part of why shit hit the fan, and I didn't update last week. The Yuri Archives does not allow mentions of this AU. I am letting you all know this just in case anyone tries to join it, considering I shouted out people from the server in the first chapter. So if you do join that server, respect their rules, ok?

Next thing, thank you for the support I received after my author note that replaced last week's update. It showed me, we're all together on this ride. I am going to leave it up as well, kind of like... a checkpoint for readers.

I also want to thank those who stuck around and preserved the AU, I'm just the writer, but ideas have been pitched from multiple people in a fun collaboration. They've also had to reel me in on some ideas.

Last thing, this chapter's word count is around double the word count of chapter 2, teehee, and enjoy.

Mira wasn't stupid.

Auditioning to be an idol through a shady announcement on the edge of her unfiltered internet was not a sane or safe idea, but at this point, she doesn't really care.

Mira and her brother were secondary priorities in comparison to business deals and presenting a facade to the public. It was undeniable. Her brother, of course, tried to become the best he could be in hopes of being noticed by their family.

Mira threw herself into the activities that her parents deemed acceptable. Ballet became her primary hobby. She was able to lose herself in the music, the movement, and the ache of her muscles became the perfect distraction.

It still didn't matter. Performances were left unattended. Even while playing her parents' game, she couldn't win.

So she stopped playing.

Her first "outburst" went unnoticed for two weeks, which even surprised Mira, since bright pink hair is usually a very noticeable change.

It all fell apart when they did finally notice. Mira's mother was the first to lecture her about dyeing her hair, how she would be the laughingstock of the other wealthy families. Her father merely scoffed and shook his head.

When she began branching out to different dance styles and the wardrobe changes to match, her mother cried that she was trying to bring the downfall of their family.

If they thought a change in aesthetics would be a downfall, then their family was never strong in the first place.

Her family just didn't want her anymore. When Mira presented the opportunity to be trained by a Sunlight Sister and pay nothing, her parents all but packed her bags for her.

Despite all the red flags, it wasn't like she was going to go back now. Zoey, the bubbly maknae, would probably be overwhelmed without Mira's grounding presence. Mira has already noticed Zoey glancing at her for direction and support during dance practices in Seoul.

They were at one of their dance practices, sweaty and wheezing after finishing their tenth run through of the new choreography. They didnt even need choreography right now, it was purely to build up stamina and breath work.

Then Celine decided to treat them for their efforts.

"Would you girls like get some late night ice cream? You have been doing so well, I think you deserve it." Celine's voice was sickly sweet in a way that reminded Mira of her own mother, when she bothered to remember that Mira existed.

They should have been fine. Zoey and Mira could take care of themselves in their own right, Mira learning how to throw a punch just to piss her family off and well… she thinks Zoey is just feral enough to bite someone.

They walked a few feet behind Celine, unsure of which storefront would be open to serve ice cream at 10 pm, when Celine started speaking.

"You two are very special, more than you know. I had been searching for you both for a while." The older woman didn't bother to look at her wards as she spoke to them, "There are other forces in this world, some daring to take human souls, but we can do something about it."

Zoey slowly turned to Mira, as if afraid to alert Celine of the movement, and mouthed, "What?"

As Mira shrugged, a loud clang echoed down an alleyway close by. The hair on her arms stood up, either because of the sound or the chilly night air.

"I believe this will be a good example of your future duties," Celine stated as she calmly walked toward the alleyway. The girls scrambled to keep up, not wanting to be too far from their current guardian.

Bright yellow eyes peeked from the shadows, watching them with a predator's focus. Celine motioned for both of them to stay behind her, and then something Mira doubted could be real happened.

Celine reached out into the air and pulled a glowing sickle from nothing.

The eyes from the shadows narrowed. Growling echoed against the walls and into the night air.

Mira grabbed the loose sleeve of Zoey's sweater and pulled her backwards, and Celine advanced on the creature.

The thing decided to meet Celine halfway as it bounded towards her, claws out to shred her to pieces.

It was pale, no eyes, only teeth to rend flesh into meat.

It aimed too high, and Celine took advantage. As the creature soared in the air, she ducked and swung her weapon upward, slicing it across its abdomen.

It was gone.

Mira became hyper-aware of her breathing, the knitwork of Zoey's sweater, and the world going on as if nothing had happened.

"Uh, Ms. Celine, what the fuck was that?" Zoey said with what Mira believed was way too much confidence for what just happened.

"Zoey, what did I say about your language?" Celine quipped, standing back up and dismissing her weapon back to the ether.

"That it wasn't becoming of a future idol," Zoey spoke softly, regretting speaking out of turn.

"That's right, now to answer your question: The world will know you as pop stars, but you will be much more than that. You will be Hunters." Celine started, but Mira scoffed so loud she received a pointed look for it, "Demons have always haunted our world, stealing our souls and channeling strength back to their king, Gwi-Ma. Until heroes arose to defend us. Born with voices that could drive back the darkness. Singing songs of courage and hope. But Hunters are more than warriors. Our music ignites the soul and brings people together. With this connection, the first Hunters created a shield to protect our world, the Honmoon. Every generation, a new trio of Hunters is chosen to fulfill our ultimate duty. A barrier so strong it is impenetrable, that will keep demons and Gwi-Ma from our world forever, the Golden Honmoon."

Mira has so many questions.

Why us?

How dangerous will this be?

This has to be a prank, are we being pranked?

What comes out is: "There's only two of us, what about our third?"

A flicker of disgust crosses Celine's face before she composes herself again. "You'll meet the last hunter when it's time."

That time came a month later, when Celine moved them to the mountain compound.

---

Celine had let them unpack in a spacious room that they would share. Zoey had bounced into the room with two duffel bags, already set on putting posters on their walls. Celine had only asked them not to enter the locked door parallel to the training ground.

Zoey theorized it was a weapons cache they couldn't be trusted with yet.

Oh, how wrong she was.

That afternoon, they met at the training ground, waiting for Celine to return with their third member. There wasn't any evidence of anyone else living in the house.

The grounds were primarily comprised of packed dirt in a large circle. In the center, a steel pole was cemented to the ground. Mira wonders what the purpose of it is.

The door to the house opens and shuts.

Oh, what in the actual fuck.

A young girl, who had to be younger than Zoey, was being pushed forward by Celine. Their mentor had her hand on one of the girl's shoulders and was being guided to the center of the training grounds. Her hands stayed in front of her, like she knew to keep them seen, and there was something around her neck.

Mira barely registers Zoey pressing into her side, grabbing onto her arm, squeezing so tight she was sure she could lose blood flow.

Celine linked a heavy chain from the pole to a D-ring on the girl's neckpiece. The thing around her neck was a collar, tight and digging into the girl's flesh, leaving irritated skin at the edges. Long purple hair was pulled back in a messy braid. She looked so small.

Dark eyes peered at them from under loose strands of hair, and she heard Zoey gasp.

"Don't feel pity for her, she knows what she is." Celine states as she pulls one of the girl's arms up to display the purple patterns marring her arms, "She knows her duty as well. This is the third hunter chosen by the Honmoon. She will turn against her own to protect and fight by your side."

Celine steps towards them next, and Mira has to fight the urge to run.

The woman presents her own arm to them and pulls back the long sleeves that have always covered her.

"This is what she is capable of. She is a demon, able to cause irreparable damage to those she wishes to harm, so we must show no lenience in her training." Celine stated, the disgust was present on her face again.

Her arm was scarred with obvious deep bite marks, chunks of the muscle were missing, and Mira wonders how Celine has any function in her arm at all.

While Mira focuses on the older woman's arm, Zoey whispers, "What do you mean, we?"

"She will need a handler as you travel. I won't always be able to accompany you." She says it so calmly, so detached, Mira wonders how long Celine has rehearsed this.

"There's no way you expect us to go along with this, look at her! What the hell have you done to her?!" Mira shouted, moving to stand in front of Zoey.

Oh God, Zoey. She's witnessing all of this too.

"What I have done, is honed a weapon to help you on your mission to save humanity. I do expect you to go along with this, because what other choice do we have?" Celine said, and Mira was ready to punch the daylights out of her, but in a fight between the two of them, she had no doubts she'd lose.

Mira moves to glance over Celine's shoulder to look at the girl, crouched on the ground, head tilted like a confused dog trying to parse a command.

"Don't you want to make your predecessors proud? Finally, end the onslaught of death? This is the key to that happening. Cooperate with me, work with me; become the heroes I know you can be, make me proud." Mira's eyes snapped back to Celine when she spoke, then she glanced between Zoey and the girl again.

"Fine, but not tonight, this is a lot to process," Mira states, and she feels Zoey stiffen at her side.

"She's already here and waiting, we will have one lesson, then you can be dismissed." Mira knew this was a command, not a suggestion.

Their elder beckoned them closer to the chained girl, who stood up straighter as they approached.

Mira doesn't remember what Celine had said during the demonstration, tuning her out as she kept her eyes fixed on the poor girl.

Celine pulled her blade from the Honmoon's threads once again and circled the purple-haired girl. She mimed four different slashes across Rumi's body, angles of attack.

The last slash actually made contact as Celine slashed from one shoulder to the opposing wrist. The sickle caught against the skin of her wristbone.

The girl didn't move.

Celine lifted the girl's bleeding wrist, "This is a good example of a cut point, on a human, this is where the radial artery would be."

Mira met the girl's eyes.

The girls smiled, so softly as if communicating, it was okay.

---

That night, Zoey crossed their shared room and crawled under Mira's covers; a habit Mira had thought disappeared in Seoul.

Zoey curled around the taller girl, as if Mira were a human-sized teddy bear, laying her head against Mira's shoulder.

"We're not… going to treat her like that, right? Like- like an animal?" Zoey trembled as she spoke, trying to work out her nerves by playing with the hem of the blanket.

"I don't know Zo, Celine says she's dangerous. She bit Celine. We saw the damage. I just-I just don't know." Mira sighs into the air. The whole situation made her uncomfortable; the blank look in the creature's eyes until she saw Mira and Zoey. Why would the girl go along with it? If she were so dangerous, how come she hasn't escaped already?

"Celine keeps saying that the Honmoon chose us; it must have chosen her, too." Zoey murmurs, "We don't even know her name."

The revelation takes the air out of Mira's lungs.

 

 

Delicious bonus art from my beta reader Rumiii!!!

Notes:

Also, in theory, more AUs and fics will be published soon because, unfortunately, being at what is essentially a round table of different people having good ideas means I keep wanting to write other stuff.

Chapter 5: A Good Dog Knows Its Place

Summary:

Rumi is not used to this kindness.

Notes:

Have some fluff, as a treat.

Well at least I think it's fluff.

Hmmmm

The hunters were nicer than Celine.

 

They will learn not to be.

 

Rumi will take what she can get.

 

The smaller one, Zoey, smells like the salt of a sea breeze on a late afternoon. It reminded her of better times before her patterns started appearing, when Celine used to pretend Rumi was her daughter, and not the creature she had become.

 

There's something sweeter that shines through, like fresh honey used in tea. Zoey acts like it, too. Small candies were pressed into her claws when Celine wasn't looking. She was the one to ask Celine what Rumi's name was, treating her like a person.

 

The taller one, Mira, smells like old pages, spices, and earth—scent as strong as she was, towering over her team like the tree overlooking the training grounds. There's something underneath the persona Rumi can't pick apart. She's not as confident as she would like to appear, eyes shifting behind round glasses.

 

Mira doesn't know what to do with Rumi, and Rumi doesn't know what to do with Mira.

 

Some nights, Mira will stand outside Rumi's door, like a vigil. Rumi knows it's her, the scent of ink-stained pages and the rich smell of allspice lingering in the air.

 

Does she talk to Mira? 

 

No, Celine would say she was corrupting the young hunter. 

 

Maybe Mira is planning to strike. Put her down as is her right as a demon hunter.

 

Rumi hopes not; she can't protect her hunters if she's dead at their hands.

 

Most nights, Mira leaves without a word to Rumi, joining the silence by going to her room on the other side of the house.

 

Tonight was different. Mira stands outside her door for a long time, like a tiger statue in front of a temple. She seems agitated, the spice in the air becoming more prominent.

 

"Are you there?" Mira whispers against the door, muffled by thick wood, but still audible.

 

Where else would I be? 

 

Wild dogs need to be caged until they're either put down or trained. She's getting there.

 

"Shouldn't be here, need rest." Rumi rumbles, watching the shadow under her door move with anxiety.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were sleeping." Mira says, "I know training is rough for you."

 

No. The hunters need to rest, not their mutt.

 

Rumi does not tell her this; she is not in control. Mira is her owner, her leader.

 

"Uh, Zoey was worried about you, said she accidentally hit you pretty hard upside the head in sparring today." Her leader states. The shadow keeps shifting, back and forth.

 

"M' fine." Rumi tries to speak softly, to pacify the hunter. 

 

"Okay. I'll, uh, see you tomorrow. Sleep well." Mira waits a beat, listening for a response. 

 

There is none. 

 

Rumi watches as the shadow recedes from under her door as Mira shuffles away, obviously trying not to make noise, but she hasn't perfected her stealth yet.

 

The girl will learn over time that Rumi is not deserving of this care. She exists to serve and protect her hunters, lay down her life if she must. A measly punch to the temple wasn't going to keep her down for long.

---

The girls were getting complacent. 

 

Rumi could see it in how they looked at her during lessons. She's not human. She may have speech, but that is only so she can howl along with them. A hunter is nothing without her voice. Songs have to be strong, powerful, to unite people and strengthen the Honmoon; Rumi wasn't going to put that in jeopardy.

 

Celine was noticing, too. 

 

She was watching.

 

Rumi doubled down on distancing herself from her the girls when Celine was paying attention. 

 

She hoped if she didn't interact they would get the hint and focus on training.

 

Rumi willingly moved to sit farther away from the girls when motioned to do so. They couldn't learn to sing scales if they kept looking at her.

 

She avoids their helping hands as they reach out to her after particularly brutal sparring matches. Rumi was strong, she can get up herself, patch herself up with what little she had.

 

Rumi can deal with the pain herself, she was used to it.

 

That didn't stop them from visiting her door at night.

 

Celine couldn't always be awake, and after so many years of fighting and being in the limelight she took sleep aids.

 

This worked to Mira and Zoey's advantage.

 

Mira wasn't a sentinel compared to Zoey's bubbly personality. Zoey would whisper stories through the door while Mira hummed in content, only occasionally adding in.

 

Rumi learned that Zoey was originally from somewhere called Burbank, but her parents separated and she moved to Korea. 

 

Mira had her own family issues, choosing to leave them on her own, leading her to join the group.

 

Rumi wondered what it was like to have a family. However, there was little use wondering when she knew she would never have one.

 

 The purple haired girl rarely talked, not having much to contribute but would still try and answer any question directed to her. Mira tended to ask the technical questions, like asking Rumi long she had been living with Celine. 

 

Zoey keeps asking her what her favorite animal is, but Rumi doesn't know too many. Rumi chose the "all of the above" option for that one, all animals are wonderful

 

The younger of the two hunters went out of her way to include Rumi in these nightly meetings. She taught Rumi how to play tic-tac-toe using scrap paper and a crayon. Mira can beat Rumi in a few moves, but Rumi was on par with Zoey after some practice.

 

Rumi tries to memorize Zoey's giggles when she thinks of a terrible joke, of Mira's huffs of disbelief at Zoey's antics. Zoey's soft hands as she presses food into her claws, Mira's soft looks when Rumi sings.

 

Rumi's tired heart swells with the companionship of her girls, her pack, her hunters.

 

Rumi will enjoy the time she has with these girls. These moments are what she clings to late at night when she dwells on her fate.

 

The Golden Honmoon will banish her to the demon realm, where she belongs. She doesn't doubt that she will be seen as a traitor, inferior, by her own kind.

 

There is no other option.

 

She wonders if her girls know that.

 

Notes:

Im dying thay some of yall dont trust my other fic now bc of this AU. Oh well.

Chapter 6: An Animal Raised in Captivity Cannot Survive On Its Own

Summary:

Zoey and Mira work together to free Rumi

Zoey had seventeen plans on how to free Rumi from Celine's control. Only eight of them were feasible without outside help. Three of them didn't involve fighting Celine head-on. Two didn't involve arson.

Zoey had one plan to free Rumi from Celine's control.

Time to pitch it to Mira.

Mira was lying propped up in her own bed, reading some thick book Zoey doesn't think she'd have the mental bandwidth to read in its entirety.

Zoey drums her fingers on the cover of her notebook, debating how to approach the topic. She could talk about Free Willy and then see if Mira is receptive to the idea. Yes, that may work.

"I can hear you thinking all the way over here," Mira states, eyes peering at her over her gorgeous, round glasses.

"That doesn't mean anything, we literally share a room, you're like… three feet from me." Zoey shoots back, grateful she doesn't have to speak first.

"You're so American. I'm not going to attempt to convert that distance. Also, I swear you're fidgeting so much I'm afraid you're going to vibrate into a different dimension." Mira closes her book, dog-ear marking her page so she doesn't lose her place. "What's on your mind?"

"Rumi." Short, sweet, and to the point, just like Zoey.

Mira silently puts her book under her pillow and swings her body around so she's sitting on the edge of the bed. Mira's feet can touch the floor, but Zoey's short stature had her feet swinging an inch above the ground.

"Ok, speak." Mira commands. She's been leaning into the leader dynamic more now that they've moved here, under Celine's constant supervision and little criticisms. It sends a shiver down Zoey's spine.

"Ok, so. I've been observing Celine, and every night I can hear her in her room. I think she's taking multiple medications; she's gotta have a bunch to fall asleep. So, I think if we can get the key to Rumi's room when Celine is asleep, we can release Rumi. She can leave and go wherever she wants. We have to stay behind because, you know, demon hunting, but like she wouldn't be hurt anymore!" Zoey rambled, emphasizing each point with her hands.

"You think she takes sleeping aids?" Mira asks softly, afraid that the older woman would hear them after such a passionate rant.

"Well, she never leaves her room until morning, and she makes like zero noise, PLUS, don't you think she would have come in here if she heard my very passionate and totally correct plan to free Rumi?" Zoey posed the question with a final look at Mira, staring into those beautiful eyes not the time Zoey.

Mira nodded, but in a way where you know she's actually still processing and pondering the issue.

"Okay, tomorrow night then," she finally says, voice low like she can't believe she's agreeing.

Zoey fights the urge to squeal, but it escapes her lips regardless. She won't be able to sleep tonight, but she tries anyway. She has to be well rested to pull this off.

---

Zoey was so sneaky, actually. If there were an award for sneakiness, she would get first place, she's sure of it.

She had crept into Celine's room, an hour after lights out, to locate the key to Rumi's room. Honestly, she probably didn't need to be stealthy because Celine was passed the heck out; no way that woman was waking up.

Once Zoey had located the key, hung up near the door (should have checked there first, but oh well), she sneaked back out to meet Mira in their room.

Mira had grabbed an old pair of sneakers and some snacks for Rumi; she's hoping the shoes fit, but she wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

The two girls scrambled to the forbidden hallway, and Zoey could hear shifting from inside. Mira worked on unlocking the door in the dark while Zoey did her best to whisper their plan to Rumi.

"Rumi, we're getting you out, but you need to run as fast and as far as possible from here," Zoey spoke fast, struck with the fear of being caught regardless of Celine's current state.

There was no response in the room, but Mira opened the door anyway.

Rumi sat there at the edge of her cot, watching. Her patterns were pulsing with light, letting the girls view the uncertainty on her face.

Zoey didn't let that stop them. She moved inside, working to put the shoes on Rumi when the silent girl made no move to take them from her savior's hands.

Mira stood in the hall, watching for any sign that Celine could be onto them, but the house remained silent.

Once Zoey strapped the sneakers onto Rumi's feet, which she was surprised to find were only a tad too big, she pulled Rumi up and to the door, leading her through the house with Mira following behind. Zoe could hear Mira lock the room back up, hopefully eliminating evidence of their meddling.

When Zoey stopped outside, in the cool night air, Rumi ran into her back, nearly pushing Zoey over. Zoey righted both of them and grabbed Rumi's shoulders.

"Rumi, listen to me carefully. The main road goes down to a small village that may have shelter." Zoey reached up slowly, gently, keeping her movements obvious as she unbuckled the collar around Rumi's neck. "Keep low and keep quiet until you can find someone to help you, hopefully a police officer or something. I need you to run. Get out of here, stay safe, Mira and I will cover for you. Go." Zoey pushed Rumi forward with that final command.

Rumi looks up at the twinkling stars illuminating the night. The moon was full and lit up the house and trees in a soft light. It was beautiful. Then she runs into the trees.

Zoey watches, willing her heart rate to slow down. Rumi looked graceful, leaping past the foliage. Mira came to stand next to her, a welcome presence in this chaotic moment.

"We need to put the key back. With any luck, she won't notice Rumi is gone until just before training, then we can distract her for a bit." Mira is right, and Zoey knows it, but she still watches the trees for any sign of the girl they let go.

Zoey goes to bed with a lighter heart that night.

---

Celine doesn't wake them up that morning, letting them wander into the kitchen where she was reading a newspaper. She doesn't look up from the page when she speaks.

"I suggest you direct your empathy to those who deserve it," Celine says, "Rumi is meant to be here, at our side, and nowhere else. Grab your shoes. We're going for a walk."

Zoey's heart drops to her stomach at the statement. Celine couldn't have them hunt Rumi down, right?

Celine puts her newspaper down, revealing the muzzle and collar that had been hidden from their view, and gets up from the table.

Mira passes Zoey, moving to follow Celine's instructions. She stares at the older girl, trying to figure out what she should do.

She follows Mira's lead in the end.

Celine leads them up a path that goes farther up the mountain. The trail is well maintained and switches from dirt to stone steps the farther they go.

There's a sprawling army of graves, older graves had crumbling monuments but the one at the front was pristine.

Mira sees Rumi before Zoey does.

Rumi is curled up sleeping against the headstone, head resting against the engraving.

Why didn't she leave?

"Rumi, come here," Celine commands as they near the clearing.

Rumi's eyes snap open, and she turns to look at them, no, only Celine.

Rumi gets up, but she makes herself look small, practically moving on all fours and staying low as she moves to Celine's side.

"You girls need to understand that Rumi is not a person; she is an animal. You can't release her into the wild and expect her to thrive," Celine bends down to secure the muzzle around Rumi's mouth. Rumi bares her throat to Celine, like an animal showing submission, and her master loops the shock collar around the girl's neck. "A trained dog may run, but it always returns. Why face the cold uncertainty of the wilds when here, she is guaranteed her meals? Her medicine? The occasional reward of a pat on the head? What dog turns that down?"

Rumi wouldn't meet their eyes, choosing to stare at the ground. Celine runs her fingers through the girl's frayed braid, releasing strands and letting them fall against the leather straps. Rumi pushes her head into the touch, into the minute affection she is afforded as a glorified pet. A ghost of a smile graces Rumi's face, preening at the rare gentle touch.

"Oh, Rumi, we're going to have to redo your braid, huh? Let's go." Celine starts back down the path, and Rumi returns to standing on two feet as she follows with no hesitation. There is no leash to guide her, just training.

Zoey reaches out to Mira, looking for comfort, maybe a steadying hand, but she finds none. This is the first time Zoey has seen Mira break. Tears openly flow down her face as trembling hands cover her mouth.

What the hell are we going to do?

Notes:

You may have noticed the fic is now part of a series. I added a companion one-shot that can be read, but doesnt need to be. It is not canon to this AU and may disturb some readers.

Come yell at me on Tumblr @masked-goat.

Edit: Fixed a typo. Celine says she needs to fix Rumi's braid, not her brain.

Chapter 7: A Mother's Love is Fleeting

Summary:

Rumi doesn't understand why Zoey and Mira are upset.

Notes:

This chapter almost didn't get out on time because I lost track of the days with so many positive things happening in my life. Anyway, here's my weekly angst to celebrate.

Rumi could tell that her girls were mad.

Thankfully, not at her, although she would rather they were mad at her, as she did not want them to draw Celine's ire.

If Celine felt the pointed glares the younger hunters were aiming at her back as they descended the mountain path, she pretended not to notice.

Rumi noticed, though.

She couldn't afford not to notice the shifts in emotion and energy from any of the hunters who commanded her; an angry hunter could mean her death.

Celine, however, was pleased with her. Rumi could tell by the rare gift of trust Celine was giving her on the way down the path. Her master hadn't turned around once, trusting that Rumi would follow.

The hound was excited to get to the house. Celine didn't braid her hair often, usually letting Rumi handle it herself alone in her room.

There were certain rules to having Celine braid her hair though. Celine was still careful when she had to be that close to a demon.

Rumi didn't like the tranquilizers. She didn’t like waking up in a different place then the one she fell asleep in. She hates coming to consciousness and knowing her body has been changed; her claws clipped, her fangs filed down, the surgery she still isn't sure fixed anything.

But Celine won't give her a full dose since she's been a good girl. She didn’t run away. She stayed nearby. She has a job to do, and she won't run from it.

She just has to be sleepy enough that she won't attack, which Rumi thinks is fair. She's dangerous, Celine reminds her of it at every turn.

When they finally return to the compound, Rumi bounds to the front door and waits for Celine to open the door.

She catches a glimpse of Zoey, her eyes shining with tears, and Mira, her face red with anger.

Rumi… doesn't like seeing them like that. She didn’t do anything wrong. She stayed, she's loyal, and she needs to protect them.

Right now, though, she needs to follow Celine.

---

Rumi was sleepy, and the fingers running through her hair weren't helping.

She was allowed in the main room for once, leaning against the couch from the floor. Her head rested on Celine's knee as her master braided her hair.

This level of care, of affection, was extremely rare for Celine. Rumi wonders if it's because Celine got to visit Miyeong when she came to get her.

Rumi wished she had planned that, but she really just wanted to visit her mother. She liked to think she was still there, even though logically Rumi knew she was gone.

Sometimes Rumi wonders if she let herself die, would she see her mother again?

Rumi let her eyes close as Celine brushed her hair, reveling in the feeling of the slight pressure against her scalp.

However, she can faintly sense her girls enter the room, gentle feet walking across the cold floor, standing in front of the couch. She doesn't open her eyes, though, instead focusing on the warmth of Celine's legs pressed into her back.

"Whose grave was that?" Mira's voice cut through the comfortable silence like the trailing blades they use, blunt but devastating with enough force.

Celine's hands stilled for a fraction of a second before continuing to braid the beginning of Rumi's hair.

"What you saw this morning was the graves of all your predecessors who have been laid to rest after their service in protecting this world. One day, after you have made the Honmoon gold and have lived a long life, you will join them." Celine states, almost reverently.

"That's not what I asked. Whose grave was Rumi at?" Mira demands.

Rumi can feel the tense energy in the room, pulling her from her sleepy stupor, if only for a moment.

"One of the greatest hunters-" Celine started, but was cut off.

"…'s my mama's grave." Rumi whispers, slowly opening her eyes to look at her girls, her hunters, her new masters.

She feels Celine's hands tighten around the strands of her hair. Rumi wonders if Celine sees her mother in Rumi's face. Does she remind Celine of her own time in the spotlight, of her own trio she loved and protected?

"Rumi's mom was a hunter?" Zoey asks in disbelief, and she fiddles with the hem of her sweater, keeping her eyes on the frayed string.

"Ryu Miyeong doesn't deserve to have this creature tarnish her legacy." Celine spits, her grip on Rumi's hair becoming tighter. Rumi winces, whether it's from the older woman's words or her grip on her hair, she couldn't tell you.

"She is a fucking person, she's a human, she's a child." Mira screams, moving past Zoey, past Rumi, right to Celine.

Celine doesn't move from her spot on the couch and only removes one hand from Rumi's hair. She reaches into the Honmoon and summons her sickle to point at Mira's throat. Mira flinches, but stands firm. Celine wouldn't actually kill her, not with the Honmoon at stake.

"Do not speak like you know anything, you insolent child. You weren't there when this monster crawled its way out of my— of Miyeong's womb. It killed her, it destroyed her, because that's what demons do." Celine keeps the blade pointed at Mira, and Rumi growls low. She wasn't sure who should be protecting, and her limbs felt too heavy with the tranquilizers in her system to get up and get between them.

The growl seemed to snap Celine back to reality, the reality that Rumi was an animal, that she didn't deserve kindness. Rumi was a demon, despite her mother's blood, and Celine had lost herself in the familiar routine of braiding the hair of someone she loves.

Celine didn't love Rumi; she never will.

Celine pushes Rumi forward, and Rumi doesn't have the energy to keep herself upright, crumpling to the floor in a heap, hitting Mira's legs on the way down. Mira reaches out to her, but Rumi is pulled away.

Celine stays silent, her anger permeating the air so much that Rumi feels like she is choking on it.

Her master grabs Rumi by her arm and drags her across the floor toward her room, her half-braided hair falling into her face and obscuring her vision.

She could make out Mira and Zoey following them, anxious shuffling at a safe distance.

Her shoulder hurt from the strain of being dragged, but she felt boneless and couldn't get to her feet.

Celine leaves her on the floor of her room before shutting and locking the door. Her head rests on the floor facing the wall. She'll have to braid her hair on her own later.

Why did her girls have to provoke their master?

She knew it was an illusion, but she already missed the affection Celine had been showing her. For a moment, she had been able to pretend she was more than just a sentient means to an end.

For a moment, she got to pretend she was loved.

 

Chapter 8: A Pack of Dogs

Summary:

Zoey and Mira have a conversation

Notes:

"Fen, who let you have two beta readers?"

"Well, you see, if you bother people enough on the internet, sometimes you find out they are down to beta read."

Anyway.

The house was silent.

No training for the day. Celine had retreated to her room after locking Rumi away, taking the key to the fortified door with her.

They can hear her sobbing, faintly, under the noise of crashing: items breaking under Celine's thunderous fury.

Mira isn't sure what to do with that.

It wasn't even midday yet, and it felt so still, suffocating.

Mira kept her eyes to the floor, witnessing her own hands shaking before stuffing them in her pockets.

They haven't eaten today, and Mira knows Zoey will forget to eat if no one reminds her or makes anything.

She doesn't have much energy, but she's sure she can at least make some ramyeon. She trudges to the kitchen, Zoey's hand in hers, gently guiding her through the kitchen doorway.

There were gouges in the floor where Celine had dragged Rumi, claw marks Mira was sure Rumi couldn't control in such a sedated state.

Mira guides Zoey over them, but she knows from the way Zoey slows for a fraction of a second that she saw them too.

Mira sits Zoey down on one of the kitchen chairs. Zoey slumps forward bonelessly, her head thumping onto the table with exhaustion. After Mira is sure that Zoey won't fall out of her chair, she turns to rummage through the pantry. She thinks Celine only bought junk food for them, because she has never seen Celine eat anything she hasn't prepared herself.

She puts the kettle on the stove and sets the flame to medium.

Mira watches the flame spark and grow, wondering briefly if she could burn this house down. She didn't have the key to Rumi's room, though, and she refused to leave her.

"I wonder what would have happened if her mother had lived; she had always seemed so nice." Zoey whispered against her folded arm, barely audible through the sleeve of her sweater.

Mira paused, taking in her words before replying, "You say that like you knew her."

"Well, not like personally. Grew up listening to the Sunlight Sisters, and some of their interviews are uploaded online. Ryu Miyeong… she always seemed to brighten up with younger fans, would always get down to their level," Zoey explained, a hint of a smile at the memory, "Ryu Rumi, probably her full name. Yet, we treat her like an animal."

Mira didn't know how to respond to that, staring at the stove flame before changing the subject.

"Rumi didn't run away, she has Stockholm syndrome or something, she won't run even if given the opportunity. We don't have the resources to kidnap her ass and get her out of here, and even then, I'm not sure she wouldn't fight us to get back to Celine. We can't leave because that just leaves her with Celine." Mira sighs, the flame on the stove briefly flickering with the force of her breath, "I hate to say it, but I think we have to stay, to earn Rumi's trust enough that we can all leave."

Zoey bolts up and runs to the pantry. The sound startles Mira, causing her to shake with nerves, just a bit, before she sees the maknae rummage through a box of protein bars.

"Zoey, I'm already making something, couldn't have waited another minute for shitty ramen?" Mira attempted to joke, but it fell flat in the tense atmosphere.

"We forgot Rumi hasn't eaten either, unless she was able to catch something last night, but I mean, I didn't see any evidence of her hunting, and I don't think she knows how to forage, so I'm trying to find something I can fit under the door." Zoey rambled in a hushed whisper, the instinct to be quiet when doing anything kind for Rumi.

Mira switches the stove off and pours the water into some bowls with the ramen. It needed to sit anyway.

She follows Zoey down the hall to Rumi's door. It was still silent; no doubt the tranquilizers had not worn off.

Zoey crouched down, then lay sideways on the floor, doing her best to catch any movement under the door. There was none she could see.

"Rumi, are you there?" Zoey asked. They both waited for any sound to alert them to Rumi's physical state.

A whimper pricked their ears.

Mira inhaled a shaky breath, and Zoey braced her hand against the door.

"Rumi, aein, are you hungry? I have some protein bars for you." Zoey said, the term of endearment surprised Mira, but made sense. They both cared for her and want to show her they do.

"…can't move much… 'm tired."

Mira slides down the connected wall she was leaning against, crouching near Zoey's head.

"We know, baby, but food might make you feel better. Do you think you can make it to the door? We can slide some bars under." Mira spoke in the most soothing voice she could, but she found her voice was scratchy and dry. Zoey glances up at her, something like affection in her eyes, before returning to the door.

"…okay."

They both hear Rumi shift, presumably dragging herself along the floor to them.

It takes a bit of time, and Mira is sure she held her breath for most of it, but Rumi's clawed fingers peek out from the crack of the door.

Zoey puts her hand over Rumi's fingers, an attempt at a modicum of comfort, but she can see Rumi flinch, just the slightest bit at the contact. Zoey pulls back and pushes a protein bar forward, watching as Rumi gently grabs it with one clawed finger and drags it back into the darkness of her room.

Could they even call it a room? It was oppressive and dark, meant to seal her away from the outside world. A cold cell like this poor girl was a prisoner.

They could hear the wrapper crinkle open. Zoey sighed a breath of relief.

It was one step forward in caring for Rumi, building the trust between all three of them, even when there was a barrier keeping them apart.

Looking back, Mira swears she could hear the Honmoon hum in content; its hunters were bonding, were healing, were living — at least in this moment, together as they were meant to be.

Notes:

Was a bit shorter than I would have liked, but I felt that this actual planning was important. These are girls in their early teens going through it and hoping to save another teen girl from her own training.

My Tumblr is @masked-goat and I occasionally post snippets and polls there.

Chapter 9: No Gods, No Masters, Only Your Blood On My Lips

Summary:

Mira gets a gift.

Zoey takes up crocheting

Rumi sinks her teeth into the flesh of a hunter once again.

Notes:

COULD A DEPRESSED PERSON MAKE THIS?!

yeah, actually, that's why it hurts.

The next few months were an exercise of trust between all three young girls. They pulled back on their hits as they learned control over their weapons, showcasing progress in their training and providing Rumi with the mercy she had not been previously afforded.

Mira turns fifteen, and Celine attempts to bridge the gap and give her a gift, an expensive and well-made pair of combat boots. They would be good for hunting, sure, but it was reminiscent of a pair she left behind when she moved to Celine's estate. Mira is angry at how well it fits into her wardrobe, knowing Celine actually put thought into the gift.

She wonders if Rumi ever received any gifts, had her birthday celebrated, or been given any celebration. She doesn't think so.

Zoey has taken up crocheting, making Mira fingerless mittens for cold days on the training grounds. Most of the projects were given to Rumi as Zoey learned different patterns and stitches. It wasn't uncommon to see Rumi swaddled in ill-fitting beanies, scarves, and mittens that were accidentally torn open by her claws. The only reason they were able to get away with it was that Zoey had given a long-winded explanation on how they needed to protect her from the elements more if they wanted her to function properly and not get ill. That, and it conditioned Rumi to tolerate more accessories than she was used to.

Mira also started experimenting with recipes after Celine stated that demons could target them even in disguise as food delivery. There goes her plans never to cook and take advantage of Celine's money to always order in. She started out small with simple recipes, but worked her way up to more complicated ones. She was most proud of her mandu; she could easily transport the extra dumplings to Rumi with a little help from Zoey.

Rumi began to look forward to their little visits and the small breaks in training. When Celine was fixing Mira's technique, Zoey would sidle up next to Rumi and be a comforting presence. On good days, Rumi will lean her body against Zoey in some way, like a dog seeking attention. Mira didn't have the confidence to do such a thing, though; she settled for being a rock to rely on, not the soft touch Rumi so often needs.

It was one of those moments where a crack in her concrete facade appeared. Mira approaches and gets close to Rumi, blocking her view of Celine for a moment. She uses her body to shield a granola bar from view; chocolate chip and peanut butter mixed with oats, more of a dessert than anything else.

"Hey, I got a package of these during the last grocery run. You want one? We just have to make sure Celine doesn't see." Mira holds the wrapped treat out, allowing Rumi to inspect it.

"Our master will get mad if she catches you giving me something like this." Rumi states, barely above a whisper.

Mira's blood boils.

Our master

"Celine isn't my fucking master, Rumi." Mira seethes, taking the untouched granola bar and sticking it in her pocket. She walks a few steps from Rumi before returning to add something else.

Any other words die on her lips as she sees Rumi begin to curl in on herself, making herself as small as possible under Mira's gaze, in her shadow.

"Sorry, master, I didn't mean to- I forget, I forgot-" Rumi kept cutting herself off, and she refused to meet Mira's gaze.

Mira catches the white flower tucked away in her braid. Zoey must have done that.

Mira doesn't get a chance to apologize or explain herself before she gets called back to the training grounds by an unflinching Celine.

She never gets a chance to apologize.

Zoey leaves the training grounds to sit by Rumi's side, quick questioning glances thrown Mira's way as Rumi doesn't allow Zoey to get too close.

Her anger was always quick, like a spark. She tried not to let the fire catch, but someone always gets burned.

She doesn't deserve them, this cluster of broken girls trying their best to be a facsimile of a trio, of a family.

Celine notices, of course, she notices the growing closeness between all three girls.

She notices their impact on Rumi, their attempt to undo her training.

She notices Rumi's healthy weight gain.

She notices the soft touches between Zoey and Rumi.

She notices how Mira puts herself between them and Celine, a barrier between her girls and the older hunter.

This was unacceptable.

"Zoey, bring Rumi over here, will you? I think we need to relearn something." Celine asks, her voice was gentle, like a mother beckoning a lost child.

Zoey hesitated before guiding Rumi with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Celine frowned for a fraction of a second before recovering her gentle smile.

When they finally reached the center of the grounds, Celine quickly hooked her fingers under Rumi's collar and attached the chain to the collar. They hadn't chained her up in a while, and seeing Rumi slip back into her submissive self, patiently waiting for a punishment she doesn't deserve.

"Celine-" Mira starts, but is waved off.

"Back up, out of range of the chain." Celine demands, her gentle voice gone and replaced with one of steel, cold and damaging.

Zoey does so; better not to anger Celine further before she does something drastic. Ever the peacekeeper, choosing kindness over violence.

Mira disagrees.

Mira, full of embers waiting to ignite, can become a fiery inferno when provoked. The problem is that not everyone burns.

"Celine, she has done nothing wrong. Release her." Mira is every part of the commanding leader Celine had wanted her to be, crowding into Celine's space, teeth bared and jaw locked, but Celine still needs control.

Mira can be a pack leader, but she must bend to the will of her master.

Celine is quick, like a lightning strike, grabbing Mira and pulling the teen to her, Mira's back to Celine's chest. Mira struggles, but Celine drags her backward, her right hand on her throat and her left arm overlapping Mira's, holding Mira's arm against her own midriff.

Mira attempts to make contact with her right arm, but Celine has hunted for years; there was nothing Mira, fifteen, with familial wounds that would not heal, could do to stop Celine.

Zoey rushed to her leader's side, attempting to knock Celine off balance, but the girl is small and scared, and Celine elbows the young girl in the face. Zoey stumbles, hands covering her split lip.

Rumi is standing, concern on her face, not knowing how to help or who to help. She walks with timid steps until she has run out of chain, jerking back when it goes taut.

Once Celine has dragged Mira back enough, she releases her hold on the teen's throat and rummages through her pocket.

Mira gasps for air with shuddering breaths and looks to see what Celine could possibly be grabbing.

The remote.

Celine releases her grip on Mira's left arm for a moment to use both hands to push the remote into Mira's right hand, her own hand holding Mira's fingers in place, enough pressure could activate Rumi's collar.

"You fucking psychop-"

"Shut your mouth, you pathetic girl. Be stronger. Don't fall for her tricks. You think she cares? Everything she does is for her own self-preservation." Celine starts, locking a squirming Mira into a stronger hold. "She's a mutt, a half-breed, a mongrel. All she is good for is killing demons, then herself. She doesn't deserve your kindness; she is a weapon in your fight for humanity."

Zoey started to rush Celine again, only for a well-placed kick to send her to the ground, clutching her knee.

Rumi looked terrified.

"You need to learn she is not human." Celine states, before pressing Mira's fingers down on the remote.

The reaction was immediate.

Rumi let out a howl of anguish, overlapping vocals making it sound like a chorus of agony. She pulled and scratched at her collar, but it would not tear.

Her back feet were claws in their own right, gouging into the packed earth as she attempted to lunge forward. Her front claws slashed at the air, even if she wasn't close enough to Mira to do any damage. Horns split from the flesh of her head, blood trickling from new wounds. She struggled against her collar, straining against the chain keeping her in place. Her efforts were futile, jaws snapping at the air. Her patterns were an angry red, highlighting any available skin, even glowing at the hems of her clothing. She was growling, snarling with spittle dripping from her fangs, and down her jaw.

Rumi's eyes were on them, her.

Locked onto Mira with such an animalistic fury, she knows Rumi could tear her apart.

She heard a creak; the chain was breaking.

The chain was snapping under the force of Rumi's strength.

Chains break

The animal is free

A beast

Eyes watching

Its prey cannot run.

Mira is distantly aware that Celine has released her, but her focus is on the burning in her shoulder.

The remote falls.

She looks, really looks.

Purple hair.

Rumi's fangs are digging into the flesh of her shoulder, above her right collarbone.

Claws are digging into her hip and back.

Rumi's not letting go.

She screams over the growling filtering in from her right ear, guttural and unrelenting.

She screams until her throat is raw.

She screams until her voice is gone.

She screams as teeth are extricated from flesh.

She screams until the blood from Rumi's maw is wiped away with flitting hands.

Never has Mira felt this kind of pain, agony, the searing pain not even fire can cauterize.

She watches as Rumi collapses, her own pain finally overtaking her.

Notes:

I wonder what consequences that will have.

Chapter 10: Pick Up Your Blade

Summary:

The aftermath.

Notes:

IT'S STILL TECHNICALLY SATURDAY FOR ME SO THE UPDATE IS NOT LATE.

Zoey watches as both of her girls fall.

She ignores the pain in her knee and rushes forward, past a shockingly still Celine.

She doesn't think she's seen Celine this dead to the world, so uncomposed in the presence of Rumi.

Something went wrong then; this wasn't supposed to happen.

Zoey can't find any solace in that.

Zoey fumbles with taking off her sweater, pressing the bundled fabric to Mira's shoulder. Mira winces and twitches but doesn't react in any other way.

"Mira, God, please wake up," Zoey shakes Mira gently, then more violently as Mira refuses to open her eyes, "Mira, you know damn well I can't do this shit without you."

Mira grit her teeth and opened her eyes, "That hurt like a bitch, but stop freaking out, I don't think Rumi hit an artery."

"There are arteries in our shoulders?!" Zoey yelped. This situation was so fucked, honestly.

"I forget how shitty American education is sometimes, and then you open your mouth." Mira rasps, before Zoey delivers a swift smack to Mira's uninjured arm.

"Zoey, check on Rumi… I can't- I can't look at her right now." Mira whispers, and oh shit, she's right.

They were both victims in this, both bearing the pain Celine had orchestrated.

Zoey turns, and Celine is advancing on Rumi.

Celine walks with purpose, lips pressed into a tight line. She has a target, and it's the tortured girl lying in the dirt, waiting and watching.

Rumi is free from her chains, yet she does not run. Zoey cannot tell whether it's because of Rumi's lack of strength in this moment or her training keeping her in place. Her eyes were open, sure, but they were blank, like she was anywhere else but here in the dirt with Mira's blood in her mouth.

Zoey moves.

Despite the pain in her knee slowing her down, she makes it to Rumi before Celine does, crouched in front of her. Zoey registers in the back of her mind that she has turned her back to the creature that just ripped into her unnie's shoulder.

Celine stops short of Zoey, assessing the situation.

"Move out of the way. She needs to be dealt with." Celine states. There is no malice or glee in her voice, just cold detachment. She doesn't think Celine is in the present either.

"No. This is your fault. You took a calculated risk just to hurt Rumi, and you hurt Mira, too. I won't let you touch her." Zoey bites back; she wishes she had the same teeth Rumi brandished just so she could rip Celine apart herself.

Something overtook Zoey. Blood roared in her ears, and she swore the Honmoon hummed in harmony to the rage she felt.

She needed to protect Rumi, who had been subjected to this abuse far longer than she had been.

Her fingers vibrated, like her blood vessels were constricted, an ache in her fingertips.

She dragged them along the threads of the Honmoon, begging for something she could protect Rumi with.

It responds.

Shin-kal.

She remembers what they're called, surprisingly, from a book that Celine had made them peruse to give them an idea of what weapon would be appropriate, at least in her eyes.

One brandished in each hand, she's probably holding them wrong. She feels like she's an extra in a shitty American movie, holding these knives she knows are connected to her culture, but has no actual connection to her.

Celine pauses, clearly surprised at the opalescent weapons in the maknae's hands.

"For the mutt?!" Her voice cracked like thunder.

"Yeah, for Rumi." Zoey replies, resolute in her answer.

"You are a misguided runt of a girl." Well, that fuckin' hurt. Thanks, Celine.

"Leave her alone." Mira's voice breaks through like a crackling wildfire, dangerous and rising.

Mira has summoned her own weapon. Some sort of spear. She uses it, not as a weapon, but as a support to bring herself to her feet, letting her injured arm hang.

She points the weapon, a gok-do, toward her mentor, with one hand, and the staff of the weapon is braced against her hip.

She circles Celine, keeping her at a distance until she stands between Celine and Zoey.

Mira, the leader, the shield. She would not allow Zoey to fend for herself.

Zoey pretends Mira had included Rumi in her statement of protection, but she knows the only reason Rumi is included in the line of protection is because she was stationed behind Zoey.

"Really? Both of you pulled your weapons on me, your teacher, to protect a demon."

Zoey yells an affirmative while Mira grunts.

"Fine then. You have three seconds to lay down your weapons and submit."

Zoey and Mira don't move. Rumi whimpers.

"Three."

Zoey tightens her hold on her knives.

"Two."

Mira readjusts her gok-do.

"One."

Rumi growls.

Celine bursts forward.

She ducks under Mira's blade, pushing upward and to the side, breaking it out of Mira's hold and snapping the handle against Mira's side. With the blood loss, Mira goes down quickly, falling to the ground with a loud thump.

Zoey tries to slash at Celine as she approaches, but Celine uses the momentum of Zoey's swing to pull her forward and push her to the ground. Zoey doesn't brace for impact properly and hears her wrist snap, flooding her senses with white hot pain.

Celine looks down at Rumi. Rumi bares her teeth, an odd act of defiance not usually seen from the submissive creature. The huntress assesses her prey.

Faster than Rumi could react due to her aching body, Celine grabs Rumi by the throat, lifts her, and slams her back into the ground twice. The first one knocks the air out of Rumi, the second slams her head into the ground. She's still awake, scrambling to hold on to Celine, to pry away her hands. She's too weak. Celine squeezes, choking Rumi, suffocating her.

Rumi goes limp.

Zoey cries out.

Celine nudges Rumi's body with her foot, nodding when Rumi twitches.

Oh, thank fuck, she's alive.

Then-

Zoey doesn't think Celine meant anyone to hear her; she said it so quietly, she could barely hear the huntress say it over the buzzing in her veins.

"You look just like your mother, like this." It's a whisper, the kindest thing she could have possibly said to Rumi if she weren't unconscious, bruised, and covered in someone else's blood.

Celine walks calmly to the house, like not all three of the teens under her care were sprawled in the dirt, sticky with blood and sweat, due to her actions.

She comes back with metal cuffs, locking them onto Rumi while she slept. Zoey gets a brief glance at Rumi's face. She did look peaceful, for all the pain she had just been dealt.

Celine grabs Rumi by the cuffs and drags her to the house, a brief call behind her. "Zoey, you need to bring Mira inside and clean up. I'll call a doctor in the morning, make sure your friend doesn't bleed out on your watch."

With that, Celine drags Rumi through the back door and slams it shut, leaving her wards to the elements.

Zoey gets to her feet. Her wrist throbs and her knee aches. She'll have to stabilize both of them when she gets inside. She hobbles her way to Mira, her blood sticking to her clothes, turning brown in the open air. Mira has lost consciousness, too. She's breathing, though; she'll take that as a win.

She remembers one of her cousins, ever the hero, had become a firefighter a year back, and had practiced the fireman's carry on all of his delighted little cousins. Zoey hopes she can do it correctly. She manages to hoist her lanky teammate over her shoulder and carry her inside.

She doesn't find Celine or Rumi on her way to the bathroom. They weren't her priority right now, though. She decides to focus on Mira, depositing her friend in the bathtub to disinfect her wound. She read somewhere that human mouths had more bacteria than animals, so it wouldn't be good to leave it untreated.

Zoey sighs, wipes her tears away, and begins to stabilize her wrist, dreading the long hours until the next morning.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Hunting Dog AU!