'I was born with a different kind of morality. The morality of an animal - of a crow or a fox or an owl - and not of a normal human being.'
-- Peter Swanson
I sat beside mother; my fluffy white tail curled around me as I considered Uka's words carefully. I never told anyone just how I felt; or how my whole world seemed to be getting heavier and darker with every passing day. Or how I have lost so much and abandoned the rest.
No child should have to suffer this much!
I felt mother nuzzle me with her furry muzzle as she softly spoke "You need to answer the goddess' question, Sora."
"Yes, mother." I answered as I then asked Uka "Just how much of me remains human?" I felt mother glancing up, wondering the same. She remembered my stories of my trials in the Yōkai's city and the village of the foxes; but she never believed them.
In fact, she did not want to believe them. Afraid of the sacrifice coming back to haunt her. For upon my death bed, she had made a bargain with Inari to serve the goddess in both life and in death. It was why she now appeared as a fox; forever trapped as a kitsune just to return my life to me.
The Inari goddess glanced down at me as she then said with most certainty "Just one small ember in a roaring Bon fire."
"So, he's 99 percent kitsune!" mom's voice cried.
"As I have mentioned before, Mae had stolen the last of his human essence when he was one nine years old. Even now, Mae Tamamo lives the life of a mortal human, whereas he must live the life of an immortal kitsune."
"Immortal?!" as mother bristled! "Kitsune's are not immortal! Only the nine tails are!" The goddess did not at first comment as her eyes revealed all the truth.
"Mae Tamamo was once a nine tail kitsune." her words chilled the room "Only a nine tail can reach inside someone's soul realm and steal their ki. Lesser foxes must possess another living being to consume their ki."
"Wait?!" I was so befuddled "I am a nine tail!?"
"Indeed." she nodded.
"But...I only had one tail." I recall.
"Of course." she grinned "Kitsune children only have one to two tails. Any more, and their little bodies could not process the flow of elemental magic. But as a kitsune ages into adulthood, they regain all of their missing tails, returning them back to their former power. You have just come of age, and now your former power is also returning."
"My son is a nine tail!" mom said, amazed.
"Indeed." Uka nodded.
"My depression..." I wondered "...is it because I am a nine tail now?"
"Yes and no." Uka quickly answered. "This might be difficult to understand, so I will try to simplify it."
Uka asks for one of the foxes to come to her, as she seems to manipulate its star ball, turning it dark for a moment as the fox immediately falls asleep and begins feeding off of the energy surrounding it.
"As you can now see for yourself, most kitsunes need to consume ki in order to stay alive. Even us gods are not immune to their vampirism. Only the hoshi-no-tama serves as a focal point for absorbing ki from nature and avoiding killing other spirits and mortals." "However, only the nine-tails can actually survive by breathing in the ki from the energy of the spirit realm. That is why you are probably feeling much better now, right?"
'She seems to have a point there.' I realize 'Since I have been here, it feels like the darkness and heaviness has lifted from me. I feel so much happier and lighter.'
I nodded my little furry head "Yes."
Uka reanimates the star ball and the fox wakes up and resumes its duties. "The longer that you remain in the mortal world; you will find it getting harder to absorb the ki from the spiritual energy of the world unseen. And as a result, you will begin to devastate whichever element is your focus, bringing either natural disasters like drought, famine, fire, or terrible earthquakes and volcanic eruptions."
"What element is he?" mom asked.
"Water." she answered.
"That explains the lack of rainfall as of lately!" as drought has ravaged much of central Japan, sparking terrible wildfires and death of vital crops and vegetation. Even the reservoirs are going dry, and water is becoming undrinkable! Yet, when I am depressed, the rain returns with a vengeance and floods entire towns and fields of grains, wiping them all away. "I've caused so much destruction!?" as I was horrified!
"Yes." Uka nodded "You have certainly made my job much harder as of recently. So, when you had finally returned to the shrine, I had Omiya detain you at any cost. Sorry about that."
"There is no need to apologize!" I bowed my head "Many are starving and fighting over resources because of me." "I swear, I did not know it was my doing!"
"Indeed." she said without sympathy "Which is why I do not blame you for the disaster that you have brought upon the mortals. In fact, it has been quite profitable to my shrine, but I do hope that you now understand just why nine-tails must remain in the spirit world. We only send the nine-tails to the mortal realm to punish the humans when they are forgetting us."
'That explains why Aki and Fuku never came to see me.' I realize 'They would have brought with them, unintentionally, destruction to the humans and the mortal realm if they had stayed too long.'
"Then," I ask the goddess "may I live out the remainder of my life in the spirit world? I do not want to hunt anyone anymore!" Uka nodded as she got up and reached down and picked me up off the floor, cradling me.
"I am glad that you understand your situation clearly. You were mature beyond your age when you first came here. And it pleases me to see that you have become an honorable and good fox. I believe that you prayed to see both Aki-sama and Fuku-sama again? To live with them?"
I nodded, embarrassed "Yes!" I wondered how many other things that she remembers me praying for! I never really thought that someone was actually listening.
"I can send you to them if you like; and there you can live out your life in happiness."
"What about mother?" as I looked at the white vixen.
"Sora," she said "I had made a deal with Inari to serve her forever as her messenger and servant. I taught you this when you were little, that we serve the spirits of nature to bring forth a better world. An oath that I cannot break! And besides, I am happy here. I have a purpose and the ability to help the world that I had left."
She walked over to me as she then said "It is time that you now wake up and return to her." mom smiled as she then acknowledged "I know in your heart that you love her, and I hope that one day, you two will marry and have many beautiful children that I can come and see."
"Can mother come and visit me?" I asked the goddess.
"Of course!" she nodded "Your mom isn't a prisoner or a slave. She only serves of her own freewill. However, because you are family, I will make the exception and expectation that you both continue your loving relationship here in the spirit world. It makes me happy to see family together!"
"Thank you!" I cheered, my fluffy tail wagging as the goddess put me back down.
"Do you now wish to declare your name to your mother? Or need more time?" I shook my head as I turned to mother, smiling.
"Mama...can I please have your permission to be called Mikuzume no Osaki? It was a name that was given to me when I first turned into a fox when I was little." Mother nodded, smiling.
"Of course, I will give you permission! Mikuzume is a really pretty name. 'Beautiful dawn', right?" Mom smiled as I just blushed, thinking just now that the name sort of sounded feminine with mother had said it. "Mikuzume Osaki?"
"Yes, mama?"
"Why Osaki?"
"Uhm," as it was a good question that I never considered "I do not really know why, it just sounds familiar to me. Is it really disrespectful to not use dads' surname?"
"No," as dad was sort of never around. I never really knew him "But my maiden name is Osaki, so I am surprised to hear you claim it."
"I...I didn't know. Forgive me." I bowed down.
"Tsk-tsk!" mom grinned "I would be honored if you accepted my maiden name as your own too. In this world, we can start anew, just you and I."
"Thank you!" as I ran on all fours over to mom, stumbling over my four feet. Mother and the goddesses giggled as mom nudged me to get up.
"If it is possible, I'd like to see you in your nine-tail form."
"Me too!" Uka said as she focused her energy into the palm of her hand and produced a shimmering ball of blue light. "This will help heal what Mae had damaged inside your soul realm, but eating this will also be irreversible. I will not be able to undo the changes that shall follow. Are you certain really certain that you want to do this, Mikuzume-san? It would be the equivalent of dying as a human and being reborn as a spirit."
"Yes. I understand the consequences of my actions." Uka knelt down as she held the orb of light for me to consume as she placed it in my mouth and I swallowed it.
I felt an intense burning sensation as my whole body seemed to be twisting, breaking, and reshaping. I whimpered and cried as unlike Mae's painless enchantments and spells to integrate me into the Yōkai society as a broken fox to be forever hunted for her crimes; having my soul and ki being reshaped into something new was pure agony. Death!
I watched from watery eyes as mother and the goddess watched over me as the pain caused me to lose consciousness.
I suddenly awoke, startled as I glanced around, crying out "Mama!?" but as I looked around, all I saw was my room of loneliness and despair. I could hear the sound of solitary drops of water falling from the roof, splattering into puddles from a bygone intense thunderstorm, still rumbling off in the distance.
"It was just a dream..." as tears fell from my eyes and splattered upon a page of poorly written math homework. I glanced at the page as I closed the book and got up and looked around.
"It felt so real though!" I glanced down at my journal as I found my answers within "I must have dreamt about what I once had written." I picked up the journal and held the leather book in my hands 'Why now!? Why am I remembering all of this now?!'
I walked over to the lantern as I turned off the electric light and then walked to the breaker and killed the power to my house. With the electricity turned off, all the humming and noises of electronics had ceased as I closed my eyes, breathing a welcoming sigh of relief. All this noise was overbearing to my sensitive ears.
I stood there as I thought about the mountain...I felt that I needed to go there for some reason. I grabbed my house keys and my rain coat and exited the ancestral house of my mother's clan. I glanced to the right as the weeds had covered the ancient nameplate as I wondered.
I used my hands to pull back the thick vines and dense greenery as kanji characters appeared before my eyes:
大崎住民
"Ōsaki residents!" I was stunned as I whimpered "That's right! My mom was of the Ōsaki family; dad was of the Azumamaro family. But...I dreamed of that!" I straightened myself out as I pondered, my troubled amber eyes glancing up to the green mountain that loomed over the little village below.
I breathed deep as I began walking though the Fushimi Ward and through the narrow streets as I decided to follow the same path that mom once took. Walking in the same steps that she had once walled, while carrying my dying body, up the mountainside.
I skirted around the Fushimi Inari Taisha and into the familiar community of Kaidoguchicho that served like a back door into the wilderness of Mount Inari. Here, the shrine was rustic and neglected. A place where Taoist faith melts away into Shinto practice.
Stairs led to other smaller auxiliary shrines and personal family shrines. Piles of little red torii's and miniature porcelain foxes littered everywhere. All around, the bamboo forest creeped at the edges as I worked my way through the shops and narrow paths that connect everything together.
Higher and higher, I walked, out of the complex rows of tiny shrines as I finally reached the tunnel of thousands of torii's that lead upward to the lower flanks of the mountain.
I finally reached the division of where the Inari pathway leads either up the mountain, or to Echo Pond. I continued upward, rewarded with views of Kyoto as I headed to the next station at Fushimi Inari Yotsuji
When I finally reached Yotsuji, I was winded, but the view was absolutely stunning as the rain had cleared and the sky was darkening. 'How stupid of me to go all the way up here just before nightfall!' Yet, in my heart, I needed to reach the top before the last rays of the sun vanished.
As I rested there at the small auxiliary shrine; I only had one more push to reach Sannomine, then the terrain is easy as you circle around Ainomine, Ninomine, and finally a climb to Ichinomine. They may seem like strange words, just think of them as stations where you can take breaks as the summit draws near.
I stood there, from the corner of my eye; I saw something that surprised me. There, standing in the middle of the path was a golden fur fox as it seemed to stare at me; surprised to see me here too.
I was stunned as I whispered in shock "A fox!" as I've never seen a living fox in Kyoto before. Plenty of statues of them, yes, but never the real deal. I watched as it trotted towards me, and then stopped.
I sat there as even now; I could remember the sensation of soft silky warm fur all over my body. The addition of having a bushy tail and ears to match a vulpine all on a humanoid form. 'How I miss it!' How I missed being able to cuddle against Aki's soft fur as I slept.
The fox did not seem all too scared of me. In fact, it began trotting closer and then began running towards me as it leapt onto a bench and out of shock for not being bitten, I fell backward against the outer shrine wall of a small shrine building.
That type of motion should have scared it off, but instead it only leapt down from the bench and walked over to me as its two soft paws stood on my leg as it stared at me with its deep amber eyes.
We were so close that I could feel its breathing!
"Please..." I croaked "...don't bite me!" I'd hated to have my first encounter with a fox to be a rabid one!
To my bewilderment, the fox only stepped closer and nuzzled me as I was stunned. 'This...this isn't normal!' as wild animals do not do this! Not even my neighbor's cat, and it is domesticated!
Whatever the reason, I shuttered as I felt its soft silky fur against my face as I released a purr-like sound that I swear that I do not know where it came from. I slowly reached with a very cautious hand as I then touched the fox's head. I expected to snap at me, but it did not even flinch or shy away. My fingers ran through the fur as I smiled, so pleased.
"Haaai, your fur is as soft as I remember!" as I continued to pet the golden fox in pure bliss. The fox seemed to just smile with its muzzle as it snuggled into my chest and laid there for the duration.
A couple who was leaving the summit saw me sitting against one of the shrines as I was petting the fox. They were stunned as the elder man seemed to protect his beloved wife, but neither could move on as this was something almost 'divine'.
"How? How did you...?" the elder man asked.
"Please, do not ask." I whispered.
"But foxes..." as he clearly was stunned "...uhm, ah, can we take a photograph? Please?!" I glanced down at the fox as the vulpine seemed to read my mind and nodded her head.
"Uhm, she says yes." 'Wait!? She!' as I thought I heard a female voice, but not certain if it was all in my imagination.
"The fox communicated with him! He's a spirit!" the woman realized as the man was trying to quickly take a picture as the fox and I posed. When the picture was captured, something that certainly would leave the shrine members talking; he reached down to pet her.
"I would not do that!" I warned.
"Oh..." he quickly bowed "...please accepted my sincere apology, kamisama. We will leave you in peace. But, can you please send word to Inari-sama that we desperately need more rain for the crops.
"She already knows." I answered without thinking.
"Thank you." as they moved on, occasionally glancing back, half expecting I would probably disappear. The fox stepped off of my lap, and walked a few feet up trail as I decided to follow it.
Whenever I stopped, the fox would also stop and glance back at me as I then realized that it wanted me to follow it. Back into the tunnel of torii's, I follow the fox to the Ainomine station and then to the Ninomine station. Here, Aoki Okami was enshrined, just one of seven deities of Inariyama.
Near the teahouse, I glanced out to Yawata City that merged into Hatogamine with Mount Ikoma in the foreground. Mount Inari is roughly 233 meters above sea-level, and yet, it was a strenuous hike with many stairs.
The fox trotted back over to me as it opened its mouth, and from its mouth dropped a strange object that landed with a thud upon the ground. It stood there waiting for me to take it as I walked over and picked it up to see what it might be.
I held within my hand, a small shimmering orb as the fox smiled and began running up the path as I cried out "Wait! Wait up!" as I held the trinket and chased after the kitsune.
The wild spirit ran swiftly like the wind as it beat me to the Ithinomine Station. The last rays of the sun were finally setting, my shadow merging with the forest all around me. I chased after the fox as I entered the shrine dedicated to Suehiro Okami as I saw a few people there as I quickly stopped and tried to regain my composure.
They all watched me as I felt 'observed'. I tried to blend in with my surroundings as I glanced around, looking for the fox as I could not find her. Unlike the other stations, Ithinomine didn't really have much of a view, and I could not easily see the sun. So, I decided to go where Mae had stolen my humanity, walking up the fifteen stairs as I approached the shrine with its stone altar.
When I finally reached the shrine, I placed my hand upon the stone as I closed my eyes 'Mom said that I died here...' This would be the same place where Mae had also taken half of my ki and replaced it with her own.
"Why did I come here?" as I dropped tears on the stone.
"Because it was meant to happen, Mikuzume-chan." I swiftly turned, looking at Aki as she was standing behind me, smiling "My-my, just look at you! You have grown into a handsome young man!"
"Aki-sama!" I gasped, walking over to her. I swiftly embraced her as she wrapped her nine tails around me, hugging me warmly. "I have missed you so much!"
"I have to." she smiled at me "And so have many others."
She had me glanced down at the 'once' humans who had stared at me in disbelief as they all have reshaped into familiar faces of friends that I have made in Kakurezato Village. Standing at the bottom of the stairs was Fuku, smiling as she waved at me.
I watched as the last ray of light disappeared from the light as I whispered "Golden hour." I felt my body become weak as whatever illusion I once had, now abandoned me. Aki's tail's held me as she used her tail's to place me back on the stone shrine. "What is happening to me?"
"You are crossing over now, returning to your true spirit form." she answered, holding my hand, comforting me "Do you still have which I had just given you?"
"Yes." as I opened my closed fingers to my hand, and in the palm of my hand was a beautiful shimmering trinket with otherworldly beauty "A ring?" I asked her as I held it before my eyes. It wasn't any ordinary ring, for it had a beautifully carved gem of jade green set within silver light. I glanced at Aki as she smiled, holding my hand, warmly.
"I have loved you ever since the day I had first met you in Yōkaichi. Mikuzume no Osaki, I want to spend the rest of my days as your friend, lover, and wife. Will you please accept my proposal of marriage?"
I was stunned by her words, but how could I say no to the woman who occupies my mind almost every day. I nodded, crying tears of happiness as Aki took the ring and slipped it upon my finger and the bent over and kissed me.
"Congratulations, to the both of you!" Ukanomitama smiled as she seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Are you ready?" I nodded as I felt another hand gently caressing my cheek me.
I glanced over to the left as I saw mother! She was back in her human form; except she was also a kitsune. She now had silvery fox ears and a bushy silver tail that gently swished side to side. She smiled as she held my other hand.
"I am so proud of you!" she squeezed my hand, smiling with tears forming in her eyes as she could see the fear in my eyes. "Do not be afraid, it will be over very soon."
The ball of energy that the goddess had fed me had begun to blossom as its energy surged throughout my body. I gasped as it was a powerful sensation that made my skin prickle. I felt itchy all over as I could feel my fur regrowing, and growing long for the colder season that was upon us.
The energy caused my body to become very strong with heightened senses as my bushy fox ears returned to where they belonged. My hair tickled my neckline as I felt it grow, turning into a silvery-blue color.
"Help him up." Aki asks her stepmother-to-be as mom gladly complies and helps me sit up on the altar. And just in time too, as from my backside, nine individual tails seemed to sprout out of my tailbone.
They grew longer and twice as bushier than either Aki's or my mother combine. I found that I could easily manipulate every one of them individually as one would so easily manipulate their arms to block, or legs to walk.
One of the tails rested upon my lap as I finally had my hands back, and I plunged my fingers into a sea of fluff. I glanced at the shimmering snow-white tip of my tail as I recalled yuki-onna once enchanting it 'I wonder if that enchantment is still there?' as I've always had an icy cold spot on my back when I was a human. I touched the white fur to find that it was freezing cold!
My body continued to change as I then glanced at my wedding ring that Aki had given me. I looked at it, thinking 'It sort of looks like the type of wedding ring that a husband would give to his wife?' I felt my arms pushed away from my chest as I have grown into a mature woman!
"Why? Why am I a girl!?" I cried out, noticing that I have shrunk, as compared to Aki. I could feel as I squeezed my legs tight together that I was fully female...an alarming development.
"Fufufu!" Fuku giggled as she hides her face with one of her red tails "You silly fox, all nine-tails are inherently reborn as female. Not to mention that your divine essence comes from a previous female fox."
'That's right.' I realize 'Tamamonomae is a female fox. In fact, all nine-tails in Japanese mythology are depicted as female.' I gave a depressed growl as I shook my head in disgust 'I've should have known that!'
I glanced back at the ring as I sighed "Well, that explains that." I heard Aki and mother laughing as my oblivious nature had got the best of me once again.
The heat of the transformation had finally finished as I glanced at Uka "I think I am done changing." as I've changed so dramatically that I hardly recognize myself. I felt Aki taking my hand once again, as she smiled.
"Do not worry about anything, my Mikuzume-chan! Like before, I am going to spoil you, and take good care of you—" her eyes glanced at mother as she bristled, realizing that might have been offensive "uhm, if that is alright with you, Azumamaro-sama?"
"Please call me Osaki." mother asked as she then nodded, smiling "And yes, you may!" She glanced down at me as she caressed my delicate face, still trying to get used to me being a girl "You look so beautiful!"
"Uhm," as I was embarrassed "thank you, mama."
"Let's get you dressed into something nice!" as Aki used her magic to cover me up in a beautiful silk kimono. I wore a white top with a red hakama pleated skirt. Over the kimono was a colorful kimono jacket of blue, white, and pink that matched lovely with my hair and blushing cheeks. "Wow, you look stunning!"
"Thanks! I absolutely love it!" as I took Aki's hand as she helped me off the altar and once more, I stood on my own two feet. I looked at all the faces of all my friends that I haven't seen in almost a decade.
Many of staff members at the Nine Tail's Inn have ventured into the mortal world to welcome me back, including Madam Chika, Ikumi, Ryu, and Toshiaki...they barely aged a day!
I glanced at Fuku as she stood with a ten-tail kitsune whom I remembered seeing many times at the inn, and running the Toshokan. I still carried my journal that she gave me as I tried walking over to the ten tailed fox. Aki, Uka, and mother walked behind me, just in case I needed help.
Everyone watched, I was like a baby taking her first steps as mother and Aki quickly held me from falling over. "Thank you." I said, embarrassed.
"Take it easy, darling." Aki told me.
"Remember, you have just been reborn in this form, take your time to relearn how to walk." mother added as I smiled at her and Aki. I was so blessed to have a loving mother and a wonderful lover and friend.
When I finally reached Ketsu, I presented the journal to her. "Ketsu Okami-sama, as promised, I've recorded my adventures and a few extra tales in the book you've given me." Ketsu gladly took the book as she bowed.
"I look forward to reading your tales, Mikuzume-sama." she used her magic and produced another book as she handed it to me "For you, to continue recording your journey as a nine-tail and wife of Hyaku-sama."
"Thank you so much!" I gladly accepted the large book of blank pages and held it to my overly large chest 'It is going to take some time to get used to those.'
"I..." I tried to address the people, though scared "...I want to say thank you so much for coming here to support me. Leaving was the hardest decision I ever had to make; for I made so many friends who were all like family to me. Please forgive me for not saying goodbye."
Chika walks forward as she raised my chin as she looked at me, smiling. "Smile my dear girl..." she cooed as I did as I was told and she approved "...now there is the sweet face that I remember. You never have to ask any of us for forgiveness, as there was no offense to be forgiven. I personally am so happy that you have returned! So many of the foxes back in Kakurezato Village look forward to meeting you again."
"Thank you." I bowed and then hugged the madam, surprising her again, but she only wrapped her tail's around me and hugged me back.
"Now go, your beautiful bride to be is waiting!" Chika grinned as I glanced back at Aki as she stood beside her aunt. I walked over, still trying to get used to having so many tails as I hugged her, and kissed her in front of everyone as they clapped.
"Come you two." Uka calls Aki and I as she opens a portal to return to the spirit world.
I glance back at the nightfall upon the mortal world as I turn my face away from it all and walk hand-in-hand with Aki towards a new bright future!
Nine Months Later
Nine months into this life, it is hard to believe that it has already been that long. And longer yet for the humans whom I left behind. If you are reading this, from this written day, then I have already been missing for a year and 6 months. Time flowed differently here.
Today is the day of my wedding, and never in my life had I ever considered that I would be playing the role of 'wife'. In fact, kitsunes can choose to appear either male or female. However, most nine-tails are reborn as females; but can reshape themselves either genderless or the opposite sex if they desire. But I, myself, am unable to do that.
'For I am broken.' as I stand patiently as I am dressed in a uchikake white wedding dress that is typically worn in Japanese traditional wedding ceremonies. Under it was a kakeshita kimono.
Mom already had me try on the iro-uchikake that I will wear at the reception, after the wedding. It was very cheery with its bright turquoise flames of kitsunebi...my special type of devastating foxfire. There were also images of cherry blossoms drifting down towards grains of rice that endeared me to the Inari faith.
'I should really thank Mae for all of this...' I pondered.
When Mae had stolen my humanity to hide from the celestial kami, she was very sloppy in her execution. And as a result, she damaged her own essence that makes it impossible for me to shapeshift into the opposite sex. And because I am trapped forever as a female fox, she is expected to be trapped forever as a mortal human male.
"Nervous?" mother asks with a sly foxlike smile. It was really nice that Ukanomitama had given her the time off to prepare and attend my wedding. In fact, much of Kakurezato Village and Yōkaichi City have closed their shops early and have come to the Shinkirō Vale, to where Aki and I now live.
I nodded my head, blushing "Terrified!"
"Do not worry about it!" mom softly says, doing my makeup while being careful not to discolor the wataboshi white hood. I wanted however to wear a tsunokakushi headdress, but mother would not allow it.
"You will be absolutely wonderful, my dear!" she then said, painting my lips "Just remember to be curtsy and let your husband take the lead. I am grateful that Aki has chosen to play the role of groom. You should do your part to by being the wife."
I glanced at mom as she looked so beautiful in her black tomesode kimono, embroidered with her family's crest and a beautiful design of historic Kyoto and the Inari Shrine.
With my makeup done, she then covered my feet in tabi socks and slipped on a pair of zori sandals. I carried a hakoseko purse, a sensu folding fan and a kaiken knife that once belonged to my mother when she was a human.
Mother stood before me as she tried not to cry "You are so beautiful! Remember to always stand by Aki's side."
"When will you be?" I worried.
"Right behind you. I will be walking with Kenema-san." she held my hands as she looked into my amber eyes "And you're ready to go?"
"Yes." I nodded as I was guided to Aki who was waiting for me. She had taken on a male form for the time being and looked handsome in 'his' black montsuki formal kimono with many symbols of Inari embroidered in white. He smiled as he offered his hand and I accepted it, absolutely beaming.
'She is so beautiful as a man!' as my heart was going like mad. I must have been blushing very red as Aki couldn't stop giggling.
"You look so gorgeous, Mikuzume-chan!"
"And you look handsome, yourself; my dear Aki-kun."
Together, Aki and I followed behind Ukanomitama and two kitsune shrine maidens dressed in their traditional costumes as they lead us through the forest. I noticed that the foxes behind us were casting enchantments, causing the rain to fall down all around us. But somehow, the sun continued to shine on the parade: 'Kitsune no Yomeiri!' I was finally experiencing what I once witnessed when I was only nine.
We went up the mountainside, and when we turned around a few trees, I noticed that the non-kitsunes were all wearing fox masks as seen in many paintings from fox weddings. Some were carrying gifts wrapped in pretty paper, and some were hauling crates of food and sake.
We walked for miles as he reached high above the forest and before my eyes, a beautiful rainbow greeted us. We passed through the vale and entered a space that was reserved for our wedding.
I glanced at Aki as we both walked to the altar as our lives were about to begin...but this time we were going to begin as a couple. Husband and wife, two nine-tails whom have found happiness in the eyes of the other.
Fin