𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙚 -𝘼𝙣 𝙄𝙨𝙚𝙠𝙖𝙞 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘-

Farwell to the Fox

"Such a lovely day for picnic." Sobo says as I help her unload the car.

"Wonderful summer day at that. I just hope Shigure and the others will be able to find us." I stretch the picnic blanket out.

"Oh, I forgot. Can I leave you to finish up? I need to do something in the woods." I ask her. 

"Of course, if you're not back by the time your friends arrive, I'll send one of them to find you." I grab my backpack, as she finishes unloading the car.

"Okay, thank you!" 

I rush off through the open field towards the woods. It feels so nice, to be running. I feel weightless, like a feather. The only noises are that of my backpack in my hand occasionally hitting the ground, and the grass as I run through it. I close my eyes, and when I open them, I am a fox. Not actually a fox, but I feel like one, running freely from the fields to the forest. Leaping over to rocks of a small stream, reaching the borderline of the woods. 

I spent my childhood running and playing in these fields and the woods. I know nearly every crack and crevice . And I still know the place where I left my old kitsune mask for that fox I saw. That is the place I am going to today. To left go all I left of being a fox. To let the past be the past, to burry the lies and secrets. 

I slow down from a run to a walk as I enter the forest. I know better than to run in the woods. I make my way under the cool shadows of the trees, and over the rough rocks and roots that covered the ground. 

I reach the place where I met that fox so long ago. There's only a bit of light, and it's right over the rock where I saw the fox. It looks like a movie, or an anime scene. So surreal. It's so pretty, just like a painting. 

The kitsune mask I put there is, naturally, long gone. I open up my backpack, and pull out the one Shigure gave me. I feel a bit bad giving away his gift, but, I'm sure he wouldn't care that much.

As I approach the rock, I spot a pair of glistening amber eyes in the shadows of the trees. A fox approaches the rock, and jumps up on it.

He seems so unafraid of me. Like I'm not even here, or like I'm his own kind. I put that mask down on the rock right in front of him. He sniffs it, then looks up at me and yips. It's like he's thanking me for the mask. 

"Uh, you're welcome?" I say, feeling pretty dumb. He's a fox, he doesn't understand you.

"Tanaka!" I turn in the direction of Shigure's voice.

"You better get going, I..." I turn to the fox, and see that he's leaped off of the rock. With the mask in his face. "Enjoy it, it's yours."

He nods at me, and then dashes back into the shadows. 

"Tanaka!" I hear Shigure shout again.

"I'm coming!" I shout back. 

                                                                   -----------------------

"What were you doing in there?" Shigure asks as we head back.

I run my hand through my now, short hair. "Just doing something."

"Like what?" He persists.

"Can't I have my secrets?" I laugh.

"It depends. If you're plotting something, I want to know. We can now plot together! As a couple!" He puts his arm around me. 

"We might be couple. But, I don't have any plans on plotting anything, anytime soon." I shrug. 

"That's what they all say." He kisses me on the cheek.

"From the looks of it, you've got a plan stirring in your mind. And you want me to help you, not the other way around." I say as we get closer to where everyone is.

"Maybe, maybe not." He smiles.