It had been a little over a month since you had found the fox on your property. The poor creature had been unconscious by the side of the half frozen river, it’s body covered in wounds. Had it not been for the weak and almost imperceptible breaths it had been taking, you honestly would have assumed it was already dead.
Unfortunately, with the only vet being quite a significant drive away, and the roads having been quite perilous at the time, you hadn’t had any way of getting further help. Instead, you had carefully and tenderly bundled the barely breathing animal into your jacket and taken it directly home, hoping against all odds, that it would survive the night.
The first few days had led to no end of stress, the foxes condition failing to improve even with round the clock care. To your eternal relief however, after almost a week spent falling asleep at the animals side, you finally started to see progress.
Though it’s moments of consciousness were never long, the sight of the foxes bleary eyes dazedly trying to focus on its surroundings, had filled your heart with no end of joy, and with a renewed hope burning in your chest, you had continued to lovingly tend to it the best that you could.
It was early one morning during the second week, that you saw the fox fully aware for the first time.
Something about its strange golden gaze had frozen you in place when it first landed upon you, and for a moment you had been concerned that it would become aggressive now that it was awake. To your surprise however, you’d found the fox to be shockingly docile as it allowed you to care for it, though it’s unusual piercing stare remained intently focused on you the entire time.
Though obviously more alert than before, the fox had continued to sleep quite often, its wounds healing at a frankly astonishing rate from that point on, much to your relief. Soon enough, it had even taken to following you around the house, always choosing to come and rest in whatever room you had moved to.
As time went on and you continued to spend more and more time around the creature, you started to notice strange things about it, like the way its gleaming white coat almost seemed to glow in a certain light, or the way your eyes sometimes deceived you into believing it was somehow larger than before, despite already being rather large for a fox. Occasionally, you even thought you saw more than one tail swaying contentedly behind it, though when you looked again it was always completely normal.
It was its eyes however, that captured the most of your attention.
Something about its strangely intense gaze always felt otherworldly… old, and the feeling of it resting upon you never failed to send a shiver down your spine, though it was a feeling you eventually grew use to.
You knew that you would eventually have to say goodbye to it, something that you found yourself dreading more and more each day. After so much time spent together, you’d grown rather fond of the strange little creature, a feeling that was apparently quite mutual if its behaviour was anything to go by.
To your amusement and silent glee, the almost healed animal had taken to cuddling up to you at every possible opportunity, sometimes even draping itself over you in an attempt to get you to stay in place for just a little longer. It was a behaviour that you couldn’t say you disliked, and more often than not, you found yourself giving in and whittling away the hours as you curled up in front of the fire together, your fingers buried in its impossibly soft fur.
Such moments filled you with a strange feeling of safety and comfort, and loathe as you were to admit it, the thought of being all alone again, now filled you with a deep and painful ache, despite how accustomed you had been to it before.
Still, you knew that you couldn’t indulge in your selfishness forever, and with the fox now almost completely healed, and the weather finally starting to look less harsh, you knew it was almost time.
Laid back upon your bed, you stared wistfully at the half asleep fox as you combed your fingers through its silky fur, the mischievous little creature having quickly claimed its spot on your chest the moment you had laid down to have a break.
“I guess it’s almost time for you to leave isn’t it?”
Your words were nothing but a soft murmur, but instantly the fox froze, its eyes snapping open and focusing on you with an unnerving intensity. With a sad smile, you stroked gently over its head, letting out a shuddering sigh as you continued to speak.
“I can’t keep you locked away here forever, you’re meant to roam free….”
Unable to keep looking into its piercing eyes, you focused instead on one of its velvety ears, gently rubbing it as you ignored the sting in your eyes and the thickness forming in your throat.
“I’m really going to miss you, you know?…..I wish you could stay with me forever.”
Grimacing at the way your voice cracked towards the end, you let out a shuddering sigh, cursing yourself for getting so emotional over such a silly thing.
Not wanting to spend the rest of the day moping in bed, you decided to get up and do something to distract yourself from your gloomy thoughts, though you found your actions rather swiftly hampered.
With a soft oomph you found yourself shoved back onto the bed, your eyes temporarily blinded by flash of light. The sight that awaited you once you reopened your eyes, instantly made your heart skip a beat in shock.
In place of the small soft form you had been cuddling with only moments before, was a tall and hauntingly beautiful kitsune, their clawed hands pinning you down to the bed with ease as they straddled your trapped form. Behind them were nine beautiful tails, each one puffed up and swaying in agitation as they scowled fiercely down at you.
The sight of them was enough to steal your breath away, your eyes remaining wide as you stared up at the ethereal creature, completely frozen.
“If you think you can be rid of me so easily after all we’ve been through, you are sorely mistaken.”
Their voice practically radiated power, the sound of it sending an instant shudder through you as you realised just how dangerous the creature above you, was. Despite that, their firm grip on you remained almost achingly gentle, even in their anger.
Eyes narrowing into slits, they bent over you until the tip of their nose was brushing your own, their firmly controlled breathing teasing you with each exhale, though it wasn’t that which stole your attention.
Up this close, it was impossible to ignore the powerful emotion swirling in their gaze, their golden eyes glowing as though wisps of ghost lights had been trapped within them.
“You sealed your fate the moment you welcomed a kitsune past the threshold of your home.”
