FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Akira held his clothes tightly as he marched upwards in the forested hills. The darkness of a terrible storm was fast approaching. Rumbling thunder was heard in the distance, and flashes of lightning were easy to spot overhead. Not even creatures of yore or folk tales would attempt to be outside during this bad weather. The wind blew steadfastly causing treetops to sway and bend like reeds at a pond. It howled in his ears without abandon. He shielded his eyes and ascended higher to avoid the storm, but also the possibility of a flash flood in the river valley.

The last traveler he had seen was hurrying in the opposite direction, but that was more than an hour ago. Far from his village and home, Akira only had his wits about him to last through the terrible storm. Worst of all, there was no shelter for him to take, and his situation was becoming worse. He continued to bare through the wind tugging at his clothes as the sounds of the storm came closer. Lightning suddenly flashed through the sky before cracking like a ferocious whip an instant later. The human dove to the ground and covered his ears as a loud roar of thunder boomed loudly. Akira shakily rose to his feet.

'I should've taken the other path, and avoided the hills!' Akira scolded himself as he resumed ascending the steep climb. Rain began pattering heavily onto the ground through the pine trees around him. It was the sign of an imminent downpour, and he didn't want to slide and fall into rivulets of mud. His eyes glanced around frequently, hoping to find shelter as soon as possible. However the ground only sloped upwards with nowhere to hide. The pattering gradually became a hissing downpour. The pouring commenced like spray from an ocean wave. Akira stopped behind a tree wondering if that was the safest place to ride out the storm. At the very least he could stay partially dry. He quickly wiped his eyes and looked at his surroundings.

'I can barely see...' The more distant trees resembled hazy shadowy pillars. It was far darker than it should have been. The sun would likely not be seen until the following morning, if he was going to survive. Thunder rumbled throughout the sky above him, and distant flashes of light were nearly constant. The wind howled around him incessantly causing the trees and leaves to shake with a roar of their own.

The loud cracking of a a tree trunk splintering forced him to flee on. He didn't hear the boom of a tree falling through the thunder, wind, and rain; but he didn't care to find out. Running blindly into the rain, ground oddly leveled out beneath his feet. The trees quickly thinned out. Aided by flashes of lightning, he found himself in a grassy field that stretched out before him. His footsteps noisily splashed into random puddles of rainwater, desperately in search of someplace to hide. He was drenched to the bone, and cold. There was no direction our guidance in the midst of the storm.

"Help!" He screamed as the wind silenced his voice and blew torrents of rain onto him...

The taller field grasses lightly bobbed from the subtle mid-autumn breezes passing by the hilltop plateau. Only cirrus clouds were visible in the sky. Their faint wispy forms barely dimmed the sunlight shining pleasantly above. It was all that remained of a strong storm from the previous evening and night. It was the mark of a pleasant day. A feminine figure calmly walked across a narrow damp path in a lonely field. Her robes and sash were modest in design, but unmarried without a single loose thread.

At first glance her upright shape appeared human, but that was deceptive. Her head was that of a fox's with triangular shaped ears, a whispered muzzle, and a black nose. Her feet were digitigrade paws with matching claws. The only inhabitants atop the plateau were considered by humans as mystical creatures. Their forms ever changing, the kitsune were foxes with magical powers. Her graceful steps were nearly silent as she stepped through the grass. Her many white tipped orange tails weaved in the warm air behind her.

The kitsune was the eldest of her siblings, and the head of the shrine complex atop the plateau. The area overlooked the numerous lower forested hills to the south, east, and west which lead to scattered villages and towns in the river valley below. To the north, cold towering mountains dissolved into an uninhabited ridge. The plateau was difficult to access under these circumstances. It created a safe haven to live, but at the small cost of loneliness. Her copper golden gaze swept over the ground from left to right as she walked. Twigs with bundles of leaves were strewn across the ground along with sticks of varying sizes..

"That was a horrible storm last night." She mumbled. Following along the path, the forest to her left still appeared damp. Her sensitive ears detected several chattering birds from afar. The pathway ended at a large puddle just before the swollen banks of a small pond. The excess water overtook some of the surrounding field grass and reeds. Much of the grasses not underwater appeared disturbed from the fierce winds last night; either appearing blown over or spread out. But the apparent disturbances didn't phase her.

"Nature always restores itself." The kitsune hummed to herself. She observed the calm water and carefully stepped around the mud. Her copper golden eyes scanned the ground.

"Hmm." Her eyes focused with curiosity on a tiny odd shaped puddle. The outline of the mud was oblong but anatomical in design. It wasn't natural. Was it simply her imagination, or was it the washed out remnant of a footprint? The kitsune's tails weaved and swirled behind her in thought. Taking a step forward, she looked around the wild tamped down grass. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a motionless figure by the swollen pond's edge.

"It's a human!" Her voice rang out in surprise. The kitsune's tails stood out stiffly in shock. For a moment she was simply stunned from the finding and didn't know what to do, except stare. A hand clutched her kimono feeling her heart race. Based off his features, it was a man. The clothes he wore were dirty and wet, and so was his skin. Amako blinked and snapped herself from inaction. She quickly jumped to her paws and ran back along the path, her many tails flowing behind her. A flurry of questions raced through her mind as she ran back through the field to where she lived. Who was this human? How did he end up on the hilltop plateau after a storm? Amako spotted one of her younger sisters outside their home. The six tailed fox was carrying a small jug in hand, but easily spotted the fox running towards her.

"Yuki!" She urgently called for help. "Come quick!" The fox waved her hands.

"Amako? What's wrong?" The kitsune with fewer tails immediately dropped her things and ran after her older sister.

"Hurry! I found someone!" She yelled and led the way through the path. Her sister ran through the field after her.

"Someone? Who?"

"It's a human!" She explained. "I found him in the grass near the pond." Amako slowed down as they spotted the body in the grass beside the engorged pond. Yuki covered her muzzle with a hand and tail in shock at the human laying motionless. Her wide green eyes couldn't move away from the scene.

"What's a human doing up here?"

"I'm not sure." Amako knelt down by the unmoving person. She listened for a moment while Yuki anxiously watched. The fox's black tipped ears wiggled. "He's cold, but he is breathing!" She looked up at her sister with surprise.

"Let's bring him back home." The younger kitsune suggested.

"Alright. Let's carry him." They quickly moved to rescue the man.

Sound preened into the human's ear. There were voices softly echoing around him, murmuring amongst themselves, but he didn't recognize any of them.

'Is this a dream?' He silently wondered if he had died and arrived in heaven. Sensation gradually returned to his body as he awoke. Eyes peeked open only to squint at the sting of sunshine. His body felt warm and comfortable, albeit sore and achy, especially his head, but he wasn't sure why. Everything felt hazy, like a dream.

'A bed-?' He noticed the cover over him, but something else much more important caught his immediate attention. His eyes widened fully awake at the sight of two people seated around him. However, they weren't human. Both were women dressed in pristine robes, but each had the head of a fox in every way. A muzzle, triangular ears, whiskers, black nose, and obviously fur was present. One had copper golden eyes, but the other had green eyes like jade. Their hands were human-like but with animal characteristics as well where each finger had a claw instead of a nail. The many tails behind them both confirmed what he was looking at. Fear snapped into him through his dazed state.

"Kitsune!" The word blurted out groggily, and tried sitting up. The discomfort and soreness in his body quickly slowed him down, and nearly caused him to fall over.

"Ugh." He groaned feeling stiffness in his back while his head started to throb from the jolt of his nerves.

"Don't sit up too fast." A gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He looked worryingly at the claws on her dark brown furred hands before shying away. He breathed through his mouth as he struggled to make sense of what was going on.

"Are you afraid of us?" One of the foxes asked. The fearful look in his eyes was telling enough as he watched them. He didn't speak, but simply nodded instead.

"I knew we should've transformed into humans." She muttered.

"It's too late now." The other pointed out. They turned their attention back to the mysterious human.

"What's going on? Where am I?" He blurted out.

"You're inside our home atop the plateau. Do you remember how you arrived here?" The six tailed fox asked. His brow furrowed as a blank expression of concentration formed on his face. Seconds passed as he looked between the two kitsune before dropping low.

"I can't remember." He pitifully stared at the end of the sheets covering him.

"We found you laying unconscious by the pond." One of her tails flicked in the direction.

"What pond?" He asked.

"The only one here by the forest and field." She explained but only received a blank expression in return.

"What is your name?" The other asked in turn. For a change there was a moment of calm on the man's face.

"It's..." His voice trailed off as he paused. "My name. I... I don't." He paused again and closed his eyes. A focused expression ingrained along his face, but soon turned to worry. "I should know." He muttered with visible frustration. The two kitsunes looked at each other with surprise and visible concern. The human watched their tails swirl and move in the air in thought.

"I know my name..." He frowned with confusion, but his lack of an answer proved otherwise.

"You likely have amnesia." The one closest to him spoke up. The human stared at them in disbelief, but didn't say anything. His gaze lingered off at one of the walls nearby.

"My name is Amako." The kitsune with copper golden eyes spoke up.

"I am Yuki." The greened eyed kitsune added. "We are sisters." The human blankly nodded. The fact that he was sitting with two mythical creatures made as much sense as the situation he fund himself in.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" Amako asked. The nameless person focused on his body.

"My head... Everywhere, but mostly my head. It hurts." He rubbed his forehead.

"Lay down and rest as much as you can." Amako advised. He wasn't sure whether or not to trust the foxes. They saved him didn't they? Although, he couldn't remember anything. At their behest, he reluctantly laid on his back, but warily kept an eye on them.

"If you need anything, then call our names." She said. "No one will bother you." He watched with worry as both foxes rose to their paws and walked towards the door.

'They have paws.' He noticed the animalistic quality. Yuki filed out first with her six tails disappearing last. The second fox with her numerous tails was about to leave right behind her.

"A-Amako." He managed to speak. The kitsune's black tipped ears perked up as she paused.

"Yes?" She turned and faced him. He looked into her deep eyes balled his hands into fists.

"Am I going to be okay?" He asked. There was a brief silence between their gazes.

"I haven't heard of anyone losing their memory without magic." She admitted. "But I believe you will be okay." Her foxy face curled into a reassuring grin. "You should be thankful for your good health, so please take some time to rest." The kitsune advised him. The nameless human blankly nodded. Her paws quietly stepped out of the doorway.

"Thank you." He managed to say before she closed the door.

He desperately wanted to sleep, but he was fraught with worry. All he could hear in his sleepless thoughts was the terrifying howling winds and rain of vague, but recent memories. Tossing and turning his aching body left him increasingly tired. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake the uneasiness of the unknown. The fact that he was in a house of foxes worried him the most, but he didn't know why. At long last, he gave up trying to sleep and stared up at the ceiling. It seemed only emptiness greeted his long gaze.

'At least my head doesn't hurt so much anymore.' He thought to himself. He sat up, checked under the covers, and was happily surprised to find the rest of his body intact without any cuts. 'Thank goodness.' He sighed with visible relief. At least he wasn't seriously harmed. He stared at the new robe he was wearing. For some odd reason, it felt out of place on him despite how comfortable the garment was.

"What happened to me?" He asked himself in a whisper. 'Why can't I remember?' The lack of an answer frustrated him.

"Hello?" A small tap at the door directed his attention away from his misfortunes for the time being. The door to the room slid open revealing the six tailed kitsune carrying a food tray. Steam from a bowl of soup visibly wafted into the air as she padded towards him.

"Hi." The human managed to say. The sight of the fox woman still made him nervous.

"I hope you were able to rest some." Yuki mentioned. "We made you something to eat." She knelt down at his bed and placed the tray on the floor beside him. His eyes looked hungrily at the spread before him. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until the food tray was placed before him.

"Thank you." He mumbled and sat forward, more than eager to eat a good meal. The second kitsune, Amako walked into the room with something in her hand. Her many tails silently swayed and swirled behind her.

"Akira." She spoke and looked as the small item. The human's eyes widened as his entire face rose with excitement.

"That's my name!" Both kitsune nearly jumped at the sudden burst of his voice.

"It is?"

"Yes! My name is Akira. I couldn't remember it until you said it." He sighed with some relief.

"How did you know Amako?" Yuki asked her sister.

"It was etched into the handle of this small hunting blade." Amako glided across the floor and showed them the simple knife. The blade was clean and still sharp, but the handle appeared worn from many years of use. Akira touched the item. He saw brief flashes of a flat level forest, and hunting traps set up in various places.

"Yeah, this is my hunting knife." He quietly spoke as he remembered.

"Oh. You hunt?" Yuki curiosity noted. Akira nodded in response.

"Where did you find this?" He asked Amako.

"It was in your old robe with your belongings." She handed over a pair of copper coins, and a piece of string. "I'm not sure what the string was for." Amako admitted. He touched the money, but didn't remember anything about it. There was nothing significant about the string either. A growl from Akira's stomach reminded him about the prepared food.

"Sorry." He grinned and returned to the food tray.

"Eat as much as you like. I will return shortly." Yuki said before standing up and leaving the room. The other kitsune, Amako remained in the room with him while he ate. The meal was filling, but he kept an eye on the fox beside him. Her many tails reminded of large fur covered snakes. They were difficult to discreetly count. Akira could count five or six before losing track of one, but he knew she had more. He watched them closely to no avail.

"Are you counting my tails?" She correctly guessed with a subtle grin.

"Uhh..." The human roughly swallowed, finishing his meal. Before he could property answer, he felt one of the tails touching the back of his neck. Glancing over his shoulder, he hadn't noticed the rest of her tail laying on his back the entire time. It warmed him through his clothes, but he still felt a deep uneasiness about letting the fox touch him that way. Would she bring him harm?

"I have a feeling I should be more frightened of you." He admitted causing the kitsune to laugh.

"I'm sorry!" She quickly covered her muzzle. "But I am telling you the truth. We aren't going to harm you." Akira didn't say anything, but he believed she was telling him the truth. There was no malice in her words or actions, but he was still cautious towards the fox. The door opened once again, and the green eyed fox appeared once again.

"The bathhouse is ready for you." Yuki stood in the open doorway.

"A bathhouse?" Akira looked at them questioningly.

"We cleaned you the best we could after Amako found you." Yuki explained. "But we obviously couldn't bath you unconscious. Even though it was unexpected, a bath sounded nice.

"Can you walk?" She approached the other side of his bed. Akira looked at the bed.

"I think so." He pulled his legs up and shifted around. Both foxes were at his sides in an instant, in case he fell. They both placed their hands on his shoulders and sides for extra support.

"Let me try to stand first!" He was surprised at their eagerness to help him. Akira grunted as joints popped and cracked noisily like dry twigs. His legs were stiff and sore, but he managed to stand up on his own. Despite that, both foxes remained glued to his sides. A brief moment of dizziness passed over him as he regained his bearings.

"Are you sure that you can walk?" Amako asked.

"Yes." He stared at the floor with a determined look.

"If not, we can carry you." She offered.

"I can walk." He took a stubborn step forward with success. Only his muscles strained weakly. "I'm just sore." He mumbled as they slowly stepped towards the open doorway. Leaving the room they entered a hallway that stretched their left and right. Amako and Yuki led him to the left. The hallway floor was cool beneath his feet. Their paw steps were nearly silent compared to his heavier steps. Akira glanced over his shoulder and noticed a plethora of tails behind him. Two of Amako's were resting against his back, but further down the hall he noticed a silver fox head watching them. It quickly ducked back into another room. Akira looked straight ahead wondering if he was seeing mirages.

"I think I saw another fox." He quietly spoke.

"Sorry." Yuki spoke up beside him. "That must have been one of our younger sisters."

"We very rarely encounter visitors." Amako added. "They're probably just as surprised and curious to see you here."

"You have sisters?" He wondered how many foxes inhabited the building. Akira could easily imagine more than a dozen spying around every corner.

"Yes, we have two younger sisters, but no one else will be joining us." She reassured him.

"Us?" Akira felt nervous as they reached the end of the hallway. Yuki stepped forward and opened another door revealing unfiltered bright sunshine. Akira shielded his eyes for a moment to adjust his sight. The evening sun was shining strongly without any clouds in the blue sky.

"It's a very beautiful day." Amako smiled appreciatively. He stepped out onto the warm sunlit walkway with Amako and Yuki. Overhanging tree branches partially obscured their view beyond the platform that wrapped around much of the building. The edge of what appeared to be a lavish garden bordered his left. To his right was a ceremonial building with a Torii gate. However, Akira was taken to a modest building straight ahead with an open entryway.

A thin opaque curtain with designs of bamboo, birds, and leaves served as the only barrier, rather than a door. The curtain allowed more sunlight inside while providing some privacy from anyone outside. Being a family of foxes, they likely never had such a problem until now. The kitsune used their tails to part the curtains and walk past with Akira. Inside was a small and quant bathhouse. The first half of the room had small shelves to store personal items as well as buckets, stools, and two small reservoirs to wash with. A low bamboo median wall divided the front half of the bathhouse for a hint of more privacy. The second half contained a steamy bath that gave the entire building a humid air.

"Hold still please." One directed Akira. He felt a little nervous at the idea of being disrobed and bathed by the two ladies, but the human couldn't complain too much about their help. Without them, he could've suffered a worse fate. Akira resigned himself to their assistance as they unraveled his robe with adroit hands. Coaxing him out of his garments, he was led towards a stool. Neither kitsune was more than an arm's reach away from him.

He sat down on the low stool with his back facing them. Neither of the ladies disrobed, but they both brought forward stools of their own with washcloths and buckets of warm water. Their hands were surprisingly gentle, but firm when they bathed his body. Despite having claws, they didn't poke or prod him in the slightest. However, there was little that their hands didn't touch. His entire back, front, arms, and legs were given equal treatment under their peculiar care. Amako noticed something on his body and paused.

"Is this a scar?" She carefully touched his leg. The muscle tensed as he felt a padded fingertip trace over a faint line on the back of his lower leg. Brief memories flashed into his mind with vivid details.

"I was bitten by a large fish when I was a kid." He suddenly remembered with fascination. "I was at the river's edge when my friend was pulling in the net. I was in the water with him when it thrashed in the net and attacked me." He recounted the story.

"You remembered something." Yuki observed with interest.

"I did." He grinned. The memory helped take his mind off the fact that two kitsune ladies were washing his naked body. A bucket of water was dumped over his head and back to rinse him off.

"Clean?"

"Clean." Both kitsune have each other an affirmative nod. Akira was helped to his feet and directed to the bath next. With a little effort, he stepped into the bath to soak. The warm water felt heavenly. His entire body went limp as his muscles relaxed for the first time all day. The remaining time blurred by as he nearly fell asleep in the quiet bathhouse. Only the softer voices of the vixen's kept him partially awake. After an unknown amount of time had passed was he stirred from his near slumber.

"Akira?" A hand nudged him.

"Did he fall asleep?" Another voice openly wondered.

"Huh?" He grumbled and blinked his eyes. "I'm awake." The water shifted as he moved. Yuki and Amako helped him out of the bath where he was promptly dried off despite several yawns on his part. He was given a fresh set of clothes, but he allowed them to dress him.

"There. Do you feel better?" Yuki asked as they led him past the curtain outside.

"Yes. The bath was nice." He nodded. The air outside felt refreshing against his clean skin. Akira was directed across the walkway and through the hall back to the previous room. The food tray was gone, and his bed was remade. Everything appeared pristine and clean. Incense was quietly burning giving the room a pleasant smell of sandalwood with a subtle hint of pine. As soon as he stepped forward, the weight of the entire day rested on his shoulders. A prolonged yawn cut through him to good effect.

"How long has it been?" He wearily asked.

"One afternoon and evening." Amako informed him.

"How long was I asleep?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Yesterday, last night, and all morning." She told him.

"You must be tired. Please get some rest." Yuki advised.

"My sister is right." Amako added. "No one will disturb you." The human nodded silently and shuffled over to the futon. The kitsune looked at each other with faint grins and shut the door. It wasn't even dark yet, but Akira immediately laid down in the bed. The human's head hit the pillow with a resounding thud. He was exhausted but content. With a full belly and clean body, all he wanted was a good night's rest.

The pattering of rain softly echoed from outside. The cool drizzle filled much of the morning and early afternoon. Having just eaten lunch, Akira's tray of food was carried away by Yuki.

"Thank you." He said the words loud enough for them to hear this time. Amako was seated nearby to keep him company for the time being.

"Have you remembered anything else about your past?" She inquired.

"No." Akira stared at the opposite wall with nothing else to do.

"Have you tried thinking about it?"

"Yes." He plainly spoke. "But nothing came to mind."

"Don't give up." The kitsune encouraged him. "I sure your memories will return when you least expect them to. It's only been a few days."

"I hope so. I feel helpless because I can't remember anything."

"You do? Why is that?" Amako was curious to hear his answer.

"I don't know why exactly, but it's a horrible feeling. It's as if I can't walk, but with my mind." He explained. The fox slowly nodded.

"I understand what you mean. You feel lost."

"Yes." The somber tone in his voice concerned her.

"Do you want to do something besides sit in this room?" Amako asked. "That should keep your mind thinking." Her offer sounded nice. Akira looked at her for a moment.

"Yes. I'd like that." He stood up with her.

"Follow me." Amako grinned and led him into the hallway. He took a right and walked beside her down the hall. They passed by a few closed doors before taking a turn.

'How many rooms are in this building?' He wondered. Akira had only seen his win guest room and the bathhouse, but how large did a complex need to be for four foxes? The kitsune stopped at one particular door and opened it for him. The room was fairly simple and open, much like the guest room he was staying in. However, two large wooden blocks with legs rested in the middle with cushions to seat on either side. Extra cushions rested in a small pile by one corner. Incense was left unlit in a small shelf. Amako motioned with a hand for him to come forward. Akira entered the room and approached the closest of the wooden blocks. Two lidded bowls made from cherry wood rested on top.

"Have you ever played the game Go before?" Amako asked. Akira stared at the closest board, and its 19 x 19 grid pattern. Faint memories of old and middle aged men placing black and white stones on a gridded board flashed through his mind. However, the memory faded as soon as it had started.

"I don't think I have."

"My uncle and father once played the game at the royal court in Edo." Amako told him. "Of course they were in disguise." She added with a grin, and sat down on a cushion at one side. Akira joined her by sitting across, on the other side.

"The surface is very smooth." Akira touched the board.

"Both are cut from a single piece of wood." She told him and moved both of the bowls to the floor. Removing the lid revealed one full of white stones, and the other full of black stones.

"Was your father and uncle skilled at this game?"

"Yes." She nodded. "It is said that it can take more than a lifetime to master the game, and they were know on throughout he court as good players."

"Are you good at playing?"

"I don't play go very often, maybe once or twice a year." She mentioned. "My sisters are much better than me. I'm only a novice despite my age." The kitsune also teased. Akira wondered how old she truly was, but decided against asking such a personal question. He glanced at her many tails laying still across the floor around her, and managed to count a total of eight.

'She must be very old and wise.' The human guessed, but didn't know for certain.

"Are you sure that you haven't played before?" The kitsune asked again, and began placing stones on different points, alternating between black and white. "I once heard that this game is very popular among many people."

"I don't think I have. There's very little I can remember about it."

"Then that means you are a beginner." She mentioned. "Where do you think I should place a stone next?" She asked. Akira studied the board of strange patterns and placements. There was a small cluster of stones in two corners, but only one in another. It made little, if any sense to him.

"I have no idea." He admitted.

"You are very honest." Amako grinned as she held the white stone between her dark brown furred fingers. "The point of the game is to control as much territory as possible. Each point is worth one point, but of course your opponent is trying to do the same task." She explained and used two fingers to place the white stone with a resounding clack on the board. It was an odd game of infinite possibilities, strategies, and shapes. However, the kitsune held his attention more so than the game.

"Can I ask you something?" Akira spoke up.

"Of course." Amako looked at him with a smile.

"How many tails do you have?" The odd question caught her off guard.

"You want to know how many tails I have?" She teased with an innocent grin.

"Yes. I usually lose count around five or six, but I counted eight earlier. Do you mind if I ask?"

"It's ok to ask." Amako reassured him. "I have eight." She held them all up in a perfect fan shape behind her. The kitsune's stance mimicked the sun and its rays, but also it's beauty. My eight tails signify my age, but also what I am able to do." She tried to concisely explain. "Humans revere but also fear kitsune like us. We are common on folk tales as well as myths." What Amako told him didn't sound too unfamiliar.

"How powerful are kitsune?" He asked. Amako paused to think for a moment. Akira wondered if he had asked something stupid, but she quietly stood up. Her eyes locked with his, and in one passing moment her fur changed. Akira's eyes widened as her once fluffy orange and white complexion had become a starlit sky, reflecting the nighttime of space. He blinked wondering if he had fallen asleep while Amako was playing Go, but he was already awake. The board before him and the room around him hadn't changed.

"What the..." He watched in awe as she held up a hand and formed a small ball of dull silvery light floating above her black padded palm. It emitted a subtle beautiful chime that mimicked a distant temple bell tolling in celebration. After a few seconds her hand closed, causing the bell to disperse like dust. The human was completely unprepared for her third demonstration. In one fluid motion, her entire body changed into a black silhouette of pure darkness.

Akira's jaw dripped without a word. Her entire figure was darker than the pitch black of night under a new moon. The darkness was so smooth that it defied the world he knew. Her outline defied his depth perception. With each second he stared, an oddly entrancing dizziness made him feel unsteady. The human stumbled back with a shocked look on his face. In an instant the kitsune returned to her normal self. It was as if nothin glad happened at all.

"Are you alright?" Amako rushed to his side and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. A pair of tails were ready to help catch the human in case he became dizzy again.

"Are you going to hurt me?" The words seemed to stumble out of his mouth without any thought.

"No, of course not." Her voice was filled with concern. Akira looked at his shaking hand and drew in several breaths to calm himself.

"Are you sure that you're ok?" Amako held onto his shivering hand. His muscles tensed for an instant before relaxing as her padded palms warmed him.

"Yeah." Akira exhaled. "That was... intense." He managed to say. The images from what she had become were firmly imprinted within his mind.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Her black tipped ears folded back as she regretted her decision. "It was a stupid mistake."

"No." Akira shook his head. "Thanks for showing me. I wouldn't have known what to believe if you hadn't." Akira had a new found respect for Amako. Her power, as well as her siblings' power, was something he could barely comprehend without his memories, and likely even if he had them. She also wasn't merely caring for him on a whim. Amako was taking the time to help him recover when she very clearly didn't have to.

"Your hands are warm." He glanced down and noticed that her dark brown hands were still holding onto his hand. However, Akira was no longer shaking, and felt comfortable.

"Oh. Sorry." She grinned, but Akira chose not to shy away from her this time. He held her hand firmly. It was a comfortable reminder that he was alive and well.

"Are you sure that you're feeling alright?" The kitsune asked again. One of her tails curled around his back while another rested on his leg. He could feel their reassuring warmth through his clothes.

"Y-yeah..." He nodded bashfully. "I just need a little longer..." His voice trailed off as the tail began rubbing his back like a hand.

"I understand." Amako softly spoke while the rain continued pattering softly outside.

A storm approached the kitsune dwelling when night fell. Alone in his easy room, the cascading thunder and lightning invoked fear within the human. He couldn't sleep a wink with nature's commotion outside.

Sitting up in his bed, the dark room around Akira was utterly silent except for the pattering of rain outside. His arms were folded tightly as he waited for the storm to pass. He nearly jumped as a flash of distant lightning illuminated the room. A rumbling wave of crackling thunder ensued in fashion. Akira clung to the blanket he had been provided as the noise passed. The pitch black of night coupled with the thunderstorm made him restless.

'I hope this storm passes quickly.' He thought to himself and listened to the showers outside continued. The rain didn't bothered him like the loud bangs of thunder. Staring into the darkness, he wondered if going back to sleep was possible. At that moment a peculiar glow of light caught his attention to his left. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, but the glow was indeed real. Coming from several sources in the hall, he could see it approaching him. The eerie glow of light stopped at his door. Akira held his breath as the screen softly slid open. Standing in the doorway, a familiar foxy figure was softly illuminated in a gentle light coming from tiny flames that seemed to float just above the tips of her tails.

"Oh. Amako." He blew a sigh of relief. "It's you."

"Did I frighten you?" She asked.

"A little." He admitted.

"My apologies." She gave a quick bow. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" She quietly asked. A flash of lightning interrupted them before a shaking rumble of thunder passed by once again.

"The storm is very loud." He admitted without directly answering her.

"Do you want me to stay with you for the night?" She asked. Akira looked at her for a moment in surprise at her offer. Another flash spurred him to make a decision.

"Yes, please." The human accepted. Amako nodded and slid the screen door shut behind her. The odd flame lights on her tail tips vanished. He half expected the kitsune to retrieve another bed to sleep in the same room, but instead she quietly stepped up to his futon. Akira scooted back to make room for the multiple tailed fox as she laid down across from him.

"Uh. Are you sure-?" Hesitation and nervousness took ahold of him.

"Hmm?" Amako innocently hummed and made herself comfortable. Akira felt his mouth dry and didn't complain any further. Sleeping in the same room as the kitsune, who was his host was entirely different than sleeping with her. Another rumble of thunder passed causing the human to shudder noticeably.

"Are you cold?" Amako's voice softly spoke through the darkness. Akira looked into the darkness between them with confusion as he heard movement. A distant flash of lightning reveled some of her many tails reaching out towards him. His eyes widened fearfully.

"W-wait!" He held out an arm only for one of her lengthy tails to brush past and loosely wrap around the limb. "I don't think you should um..." His voice faded as he felt something touch his side and knee. Other fluffy tails wrapped and coiled around his legs and arms before trailing up his back. He nearly rolled out of the bed, but the fox's tails helped keep him still. In moments the human was ensnared in an oddly comfortable furry embrace. Akira silently took a moment to adjust to the new sensation of warmth and coziness he suddenly found himself in. It wasn't bad at all. The human liked it much to his own surprise. He blinked feeling a hand gently touch his shoulder. It wasn't a seductive move, only friendly.

"I want you to know that you're safe here." Amako reassured him. Akira felt the warmth from her hand even through his night clothes.

"Thank you." A pent up sigh unknowingly blew past his lips as his body gradually relaxed. The comforting warmth of her fluffy tails at his back and side was pleasant. "I feel safe with you." He told her truthfully. Her lips curled into a kind grin that became visible with another distant flash of lightning. He edged a little closer as a softer rumble of thunder echoed across the house. The subtle body heat was hard for him to resist.

"You're very warm too." He added.

"I won't let you feel a chill." She promised. With that said, they bid each other goodnight. Akira wasn't concerned about the storm anymore.

Akira awoke with a refreshing yawn. Coziness still enveloped him like a lingering dream. In fact, he felt too comfortable to not be in a dream. Warmth and softness seemed to encase him like blankets of animals pelts. Truthfully, he didn't want to wake up yet, but the sunshine coaxed him to open is eyes. The golden hues of morning sunshine greeted him, but he wasn't alone. Akira felt a brief moment of surprise when he found Amako sleeping beside him.

'Oh, that's right.' He closed his eyes and remembered last night's storm. The thunder and lightning were distant memories to him now. Across the futon, the kitsune was still sound asleep from what he could tell. His gaze explored her from a close distance. The sunrise filled the room with golden light, and the fox's fur developed a cheerful sunny hue because of it. She was still dressed in her pretty flower patterned kimono. Her fur plentifully spilled out of her clothes. The white fur along her throat was visibly to the top part of her chest where he could see a hint of furry cleavage. Averting his gaze, he glanced around and saw plenty of orange fur around them. Three of the kitsune's eight tails were draped over his side and back like a fur blanket.

'That's why I'm warm.' He realized and exhaled. Amako stirred across from him. Several of her tails curled and shifted as she yawned, revealing a mouth full of teeth and a long pink tongue. Copper golden eyes blinked awake as she stretched.

"Good morning." She sleepily hummed. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No. You were still asleep." He regretted sitting up as her tails slipped away from him.

"Did you sleep well?" Amako stretched again as she sat up. Her tails slipped back to her side or behind her.

"Yes. I slept through the entire night." He contently spoke.

"I'm glad to hear it. Does the rain bother you?"

"No." He shook his head. "It's the storm. The lightning, wind, and thunder." Akira shuddered. "I don't know why, but it does."

"Hmm..." The kitsune thought for a moment before speaking her mind. "Before we eat, do you want to walk outside?" Amako suggested.

"Sure!" Akira liked the idea. He was eager to explore more of the mysterious place he was living at for the time being. Amako rose from his bed and walked past him to the other side of the room. Several of her tails brushed by him along the way. The kitsune opened up the sliding door on the other side of his room, and revealed access to the outdoor walkway. Akira hastily rose from his bed and walked outside with her. Two of her tails rested against his back to stave off the early morning chill. Breathing the fresh morning air felt nice.

"This is a beautiful view all from one's bed." He glanced back at the open room.

"I always liked this room be use it has direct access to the garden." Amako grinned and led him down the pair of wooden steps and onto a stone pathway. It was the only way through the lush wall of greenery before them. They passed under a large unpainted Torii gate, and entered the garden. After a single turn, Akira felt like he had been transported to a hidden forest. Ferns graced the edges of the stone path. Overhanging maples, cedars, and beechwood trees casted plenty of shade. Azaleas and chrysanthemums resided in sunnier sections that lacked tree cover.

"How large is this garden?" Akira looked round the twisting path where sections of bamboo grew. The house had virtually vanished from sight.

"It's not as big as you think." She told him. "The trees prevent you from seeing the stone wall outside as well as most of the buildings. If there were no trees or bamboo, then you would be able to see everything." Akira had a difficult time imagining that with the forest landscape surrounding them. Meandering along the winding stone pathway, they came across a modest opening in the garden. He could see part of the building complex and bathhouse over a tightly woven bamboo fence.

"It feels like I'm peeking at everything from the outside." Akira looked around.

"Mmhm. I like the view." She agreed before leading him to a rocky creek that bordered the pathway. Akira could see the stone wall through several azalea bushes and larger ferns.

"How does the water flow in here?"

"It goes underground before resurfacing inside the garden." She explained.

"It's a little creek." He remarked. The water was narrow enough to step cross at almost any point, but served as an end point for this section of the garden.

"Were you expecting a raging river?" She guessed with a little smile.

"Well..." He grinned. "Maybe." He watched the calm water bubble along its rocky path. Akira blinked and his facial expression changed. He leaned forward and touched his head as sadness overcame him.

"What's wrong?" Amako was holding his side, ready to help in an instant. Upon hearing her soothing voice Akira stood upright and composed himself.

"Just a..." His face briefly grimaced before hiding his sadness. "A bad memory." He mumbled. Amako didn't shy away and looked longingly at him.

"You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to." She reassured him. "I will understand." Akira thought for a moment before responding.

"Maybe I should talk about it." He summoned the courage to speak his mind. "I don't think I've told anyone else before in a long time, but I trust you." The kitsune's tails swirled eagerly as her ears attentively faced him. "My parents and siblings died when I was young. I can remember it all now."

"That's horrible." Amako's voice was filled with sadness.

"There was a flood after two days of rain. So much was washed away..." His eyes searched the creek for the once raging waters that washed through his entire home. "I was all alone without them." More subsequent memories came to him; bundling wood for a lonely fire, cooking alone, and visiting an eerily silent grave. The sadness accompanying the images was almost overwhelming.

"I don't want to think about it anymore." He sighed and stared at the rippling water.

Akira looked over at Amako hoping that she would understand what he was only beginning to recollect.

"It's ok." Her copper golden eyes were full of concern, but he was happy to see them. He was glad that she was right there, standing by his side.

"Thank you." He held her arm tightly for a moment. Her ears wiggled as a little grin emerged along her muzzle. Turning around, they made their way back to the walkway.

"Now I understand why you are afraid of storms." Amako mentioned. "It might also have something to do with how I found you near the pond." She added.

"You said there was a bad storm the night before you found me." He recalled.

"Mmhm." The fox nodded. "That might be the reason for your memory loss, and some of your fears." Akira didn't say anything, but he believed that she was correct. Her idea sounded truthful, but he wasn't sure what events conspired exactly to block his memory entirely.

"When you found me..." Akira murmured. Amako's ears dialed towards him attentively. "Did I look dead? How bad was everything?" He felt a chill from simply asking. A third tail joined the other two already on his back.

"You were unconscious." Amako calmly nodded. "I was surprised to find you. Normally the grasses in the field are upright and tall, maybe waist high." She used a tail to demonstrate. "You were laying face down, your skin was pale, and you felt cold to the touch. Your clothes were wet too." Amako recalled all of the details. "Despite all of that, you didn't have any broken bones, and you were breathing."

"Wow." It sounded like a story, yet all of the details were true. As they returned to the walkway, a figure was standing by the opening of his guest room.

"Good morning Yuki." Amako spoke up first. "Is something wrong?"

"We are waiting for you two to eat breakfast with us." Yuki informed them.

"We will join you right away." Amako briskly stepped back inside. Akira was eager to eat and following the two vixen's through his room and down the hall to another room. It was larger than his guest room, and the main fixture was a low wooden table with cushions for seats.

Two other vixens he had never seen before were already seated at the table, and dressed in fine silk robes like their older sisters. The first was a three tailed silver fox. Her fur was mostly an inky black that resembled the darkest shadows of night, but the silver in her pretty pelt was akin to silvery moonlight. Her eyes were green, just like Yuki's. The other kitsune had four tails. Her fur was a lighter orange than Yuki or Amako's. Her eyes were a bright sapphire blue that rivaled the sky's beauty.

"Akira, these are my youngest sisters Kiku and Chiharu," Amako introduced him to the silver fox and then the lighter orange fox. The three tailed and four tailed kitsune peered curiously at him as he sat down at the low table. Their combined seven tails flickered excitedly.

"Hello." He politely greeted them despite feeling nervous under their vulpine gazes.

"You're the human named Akira?" Kiku the silver fox asked.

"Do all humans have small noses?" Chiharu inquired.

"What village did you come from?" Kiku asked another question before he could respond to either of them.

"I... Don't know." He felt awkward saying it.

"Please." Amako urged her youngest sisters to restrain themselves. "Keep your questions respectful, and do not show him any powerful magic. Akira is our guest until he recovers his memories." One of her tails rested against his back as reassurance.

'I'm glad Amako is sitting beside me.' Akira thought to himself. Yuki returned with several small dishes of millet porridge and egg in hand before taking a seat at the table.

"It's nice to have a normal meal once again." The six tailed fox spoke contently. "And with a guest." She grinned at Akira. The human felt a brief moment of loving kindness as a particular image of a group of humans struck his mind fondly. He didn't know who they were, but it was a brief time in the past where he was happy. He blinked and looked at his food. They barely started eating before the youngest siblings asked more questions.

"What do you like to do?" Chiharu asked.

"Well... I'm not sure." Akira admitted. "I like your garden. It's very beautiful."

"We love the garden too." Her tails waved in the air behind her with interest.

"Do you like your clothes?" Kiku spoke next. "Amako and I helped make them this spring."

"Oh, uh, yes. They're very nice."

"Can humans grow fur?" Chiharu childishly inquired.

"Chiharu..." Amako glared at the silver vixen who immediately feigned innocence.

"Can humans make lots of different sounds?" Chiharu asked.

"I guess?" Akira didn't know how to answer her. He wondered what exactly she meant. "Oh. I do want to say something." Akira spoke up only to hesitate when all four foxes looked directly at him. "Eh. Erhmm." He cleared his throat. "Thank you all for saving me, and providing me with wonderful hospitality." He generously thanked all four of them. "I have to admit I was scared and nervous about Yuki and Amako helping me, but I can thank you two enough for all that you've done for me." He gave a short bow to all of them.

"Aw. Thank you." Amako smiled. "Our house is your home until you regain your memories." She promised. The other three foxes wore grins of their own and heartily nodded in agreement.

It was a pleasant day as Akira stepped along the outdoor walkway. The autumn weather was mild with only an occasional subtle breeze. The hilltop plateau was very beautiful and scenic during the season. An array of colorful foliage was developing amongst the deciduous trees in the garden and outside the building complex. It created a beautiful landscape around the home, and Akira enjoyed the surrounding nature during the past few days.

He walked over to the bathhouse that resided on the edge of the garden and bordered the shrine. Both buildings were silent for the most part. A tweeting bird hopped along the roof before flying away as he approached. Walking through the entrance, he found that no one else was inside. The interior was peaceful and quiet, much to his liking. The human hoped to relax and focus on remembering more of his past. He disrobed down to his undergarment and retrieved a stool. He tested the bath water with a hand next.

"The water is warm." He pleasantly noted. Akira turned around only to see the curtains parts as another figure enter the bathhouse. "Oh! Hello Amako." He was surprised to see her. The kitsune stepped forward.

"Are you taking a bath as well?" Amako inquired.

"Yes, but I can wait if you want to go first." He politely offered. The kitsune almost appeared offended by his words.

"You are our guest, and besides, who else will get your back?" She questioned. "Have a seat on the stool, and I will help you." Amako offered. Not wanting to turn her down, Akira walked over to the stool and sat down. Akira glanced over his shoulder expecting her to quietly pad up to him, but much to his surprise he saw Amako disrobing. With her sash loosened, her silk robe unfurled and slipped off her shoulders. It was no surprise that the kitsune was covered in fur from head to toe. Her sides were the same orange as much of her face. Her arms transitioned from dark brown to orange around her elbows. The same was true for her digitigrade legs just below her knees. Her entire front from her throat down to her covered groin and inner thighs was covered in fur white as freshly fallen snow. Both breasts were a lovely shape and covered in white fur as well. Soft pink nipples and half hidden circles of skin peeked bashfully out of the fur. Behind her back all of her tails swayed and twirled in the open air.

Akira felt his eyes linger on the beautiful vulpine body. Despite Amako not being human, he couldn't help but see her as attractive. Setting her robe aside, the kitsune was only wearing a loincloth similar to his own for modesty. Amako looked at the human with an amused expression.

"It is a bathhouse." She politely reminded him without needing to cover herself.

"Oh! Uh. You're right." The human broke his stare and faced the wall as she finally approached him. The kitsune sat down on the stool behind him with a bucket of warm water and a washcloth within reach. Neither spoke a word as she began washing his backside with ease. Her hands were gentle, and the suppleness of her padded palm and fingertips felt nice. Every now and then he felt the vague sharpness of a claw brush harmlessly over his skin, helping him stay awake. It was also a clear reminder that she wasn't any mortal lady despite her kindness.

"So how have you been today?" She asked while rubbing his back once more. "I haven't seen you since this morning. Are my sisters treating you well with their company?"

"I'm doing alright. Chiharu showed me a lost of poetry that she had collected, and I spent some time in the garden with Kiku. She has a fondness for flowers. And then I spent lunch with Yuki. Your youngest siblings are very sweet, but curious." He admitted.

"I know hat you mean." She giggled behind him.

"Sometimes their questions can be overwhelming, but it hasn't helped me remember anything."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Amako paused, and rested her padded hands in his upper back.

"No, it's ok." Akira didn't mind. "They're very nice to me." He said as she resumed washing him. "How has you day been?" He asked in turn.

"It was a little boring, but now it's much better." She told him with a hum. He was a little concerned as she continued bathing him once his back was clean. Akira watched as the clawed fingertips on her dark brown furred hands glided down his sides next. Although, he didn't want to complain since he liked the sensation of her padded palms and fingertips against his skin. Amako rubbed his shoulders next, nearly lulling the human to sleep. Akira barely noticed her stop and slide a hand over his front.

He blinked in surprise as she gently placed her hand over the center of his chest. Akira sat upright uncomfortably.

"A-" He began to speak, but an odd feeling entered and stirred within his heart. The sensation was warm and fluttery like a breezy summer afternoon, but it felt even better. Even though he had no idea what was happening, his body relaxed as the platonic pleasure spread.

"What are you doing?" He asked, but didn't feel in any danger to stop her.

"Just... Well, it's nothing." She hesitated to answer. "Your heartbeat feels strong and healthy." Amako told him before retracting her hand. Akira blinked as the sensations slowly faded, but slightly lingered inside his heart.

'What did I just feel?' He wondered to himself. 'Maybe it was my own imagination.' The human wasn't sure. He blinked and looked at the bathhouse around him only for a soft voice to attract his attention.

"Akira?"

"Hmm?" He watched Amako turn her back to him, but glance over her shoulder.

"Would you wash my back?" She politely asked. The fox's black tipped ears folded down coyly. Akira blinked as his gaze fell down her naked back. The orange was somewhat darker on her backside with a more ruddy tinge until he reached the base of her numerous tails.

"Do I have to wash all of your tails?" He warily eyed the snaking appendages.

"No! You don't have to!" She sweetly laughed. Akira breathed a little sigh of relief and wet a washcloth before rubbing her back. Even though Amako was a kitsune, she still had a lithe human-like body underneath all of her beautiful fur. His hands glided down her back like water, and using the washcloth was just as simple. He liked bathing her in return for all that she had done for him. Even though a few of her tails occasionally brushed against his legs, arms, and sides, he didn't complain. After all, her fur was soft to the touch. However, he didn't meander elsewhere despite glimpsing the sides of her breasts a few times.

"There. You should be done." He set the washcloth aside only to see his hands. Red fur was sticking all over them. Akira glimpsed the white fur of her naked front again as she turned around.

"Oh. I'm sorry." She wiped off his hands using her own. "My fur sheds inconveniently."

"It's fine. Thank you." He watched her dark brown furred fingers remove the red fur. The kitsune wet her hands in the bucket when his hands were clean once again.

"You can go in the bath first if you like. I will finish washing myself." She offered.

"Thanks." Akira stood up and turned his back to remove his final undergarment. He quickly stepped into the water and eased down. The warm water felt perfect and drew a silent sigh from the human. Akira heard the water dripping behind him as Amako finished bathing herself. He peeked over his shoulder and saw that her back was turned for the time being, allowing him to relax for the moment. However, the moment was brief as the human soon heard the kitsune pad over towards the bath.

Amako quietly stepped in beside him, but let her tails hang out of the bath to help keep dry. As she settled in, barely arm's length away, Akira found an obvious distraction that he didn't want to bring up. The water barely reached the cusp of her furry breasts leaving them on full display for his eyes. Amako didn't even say anything to counter his obvious glances. If anything, the fox's silence encouraged it, however, she eventually moved a tail to partially cover her chest out of decency towards him.

"Ahhh." The warm water is soothing." Amako finally broke the silence in the bathhouse.

"Mmhm." Akira hummed in agreement and kept his gaze fixated on the water's surface. A bath was the one place where he wouldn't be able to hide his arousal if it rose to the occasion. That fearful thought made him wonder.

'Do I find her attractive?' The human asked himself. He imagined Amako's younger sisters, but none of them stirred the same feelings. Akira trusted and liked her, but did that mean he felt something more?

"Are you falling asleep?" A giggle interrupted his thoughts as a wet furry elbow touched him.

"Huh?" He blinked at looked at the kitsune. Her muzzle was wearing a contagious happy grin. "Um. No." Akira found himself starting to smile. "You aren't trying to teach me Go." He chuckled.

"Ah!" She quietly feigned shock through her bright smile. "I am a good Go teacher." She flicked a droplet of water at him.

"I know you are." He admitted.

"If learning a game is boring for you, then would you like to walk in the field another day?" She asked.

"The field?"

"Yes. I don't think you've walked outside the low walls yet." She realized. "We are on top of a plateau above the hills and river valley. Only the mountains in the northeast loom over us." Amako pointed. "But between the north and east for a fair distance is flat forest."

"I think I'd enjoy that." He liked the idea.

"Good." Amako hummed contently as her legs shifted under the water. Akira glanced at the water and felt a paw brush over his foot before resting beside him. But Amako's grin didn't fade in the slightest. Her pretty muzzle tilted up slightly as she closed her eyes to enjoy the warm water. Akira sunk a little lower and did the same. Despite feeling nervous around her during moments like this, he enjoyed being with her even more. Maybe there was something to his feelings?

Time ticked by slowly before he opened his eyes once again. Glancing over, he found Amako looking at him.

"I think I'm done. Are you?" She asked.

"I am too." He nodded. They stepped out of the bath together, and retrieved a towel for each other. The fox's wet fur clung to her body, accentuating her feminine curves. However, the fluffiness from her tails was a comical sight by comparison. Akira held back a laugh.

"What?" She turned and looked at him. The cute look on her face coupled with the fact that she was starkly naked made it all the more humorous.

"Nothing!" He chuckled. "You're very beautiful, Amako." He told her only to realize what he has just said. Akira quickly covered his gaping mouth. A wave of embarrassment washed over him.

'I can't believe I just said that!' He buried his head in a towel.

"You're flattering me." The kitsune looked down bashfully, ears folded back as she wore a subtle grin. Akira hid most of his embarrassment by drying himself with a towel.

"Here. I wanted to give you something." She walked over and pulled something out of her folded robes. The item made a quiet clacking noise.

"What is it?" He tried peering over to get a look.

"A necklace." Amako shyly grinned and walked up towards him. She held up a lengthy cord with several deep red beads attached. A small red tag piece was in the center. Akira paused as she placed both hands on his shoulders, and leaned forward. The pads on her palms and fingertips felt far more tender than anything else. He looked up at Amako once it was securely around his neck. Despite the kitsune standing before him completely naked, he found his gaze locked onto her copper golden eyes radiantly watching him.

"I want you to wear it." She told him. "I made it just for you." The human was at a loss for words as his heart raced.

"Oh! Uh. Thank you." He managed to say. Amako took a step back and walked over to her clothes once more. Akira couldn't help but watch the kitsune dress herself, even as she peeped over at him on occasion.

"Do you need me to help you dress?" She teased with a sweet voice, snapping him from his stupor.

"Um. No! I can dress myself." He nearly fumbled his words out of nervousness.

"I'll visit you later then." She promised before calmly leaving the bathhouse. Her numerous tails were last to slip outside.

"Yeah! Ok." Akira took a breath and looked around the empty bath before finding where he had put his clothes. 'I sound like an idiot when I am around her.' He quickly dressed himself and headed outside...

Akira found himself pacing around his guest room. It was the late evening, and he was still expecting Amako to visit him before nightfall. He had already eaten a wonderful meal provided by Yuki and Chiharu, but his thoughts were focused about what had happened earlier in the bathhouse. He couldn't think about anything else for the rest of the day. So much had happened in one afternoon.

'I called her beautiful... I said that.' He rubbed the back of his neck. 'She is.' That wasn't hard to figure out. The fact that she had wanted to be with him made him a little excited too. "Do I like her?" He whispered. His stomach felt a little fluttery from merely speaking the question. 'Maybe she likes me.' He touched his heart, but didn't receive the same sensations from before. Being human, there was no way he could explain what had occurred.

'It must be some sort of magic.' Akira assumed. After all, Amako was a kitsune. His fingers traced over the beads on the necklace she had given him earlier at the bath. He wondered if the necklace had a magical power that could harm him, but he didn't feel different in the slightest.

'I trust her.' Akira felt over the beads as he thought to himself. There was so much going through the human's mind that he barely noticed someone at his door.

"Hello?" A quiet tap made him stop. The door screen slid open revealing Amako standing in the hallway. She was dressed in a pretty dark patterned kimono.

"Hi Amako." Akira was glad to see her.

"Hello." She politely bowed before entering his room. "Have you continued feeling well? No ailments or sickness?" She asked.

"No. I feel healthy."

"I'm glad to hear it." Amako grinned. "Have you remembered anything else?"

"No." He shook his head. "But I haven't tried for a while either." Akira didn't want to say that he had been thinking about her all day.

"No more bad memories then?" The kitsune quietly asked.

"No, nothing bad." He grinned. Amako's smile seemed to brighten as her tails weaved in the air. "Your fur looks very fluffy. I noticed that." He pointed out.

"Oh." She touched the white fur around her neck that spilled out of her kimono. "Yes, our winter coats are coming in. You will be seeing thicker fur on everyone very soon." Amako appeared happy that he had noticed. It was also a subtle reminder that colder weather was already settling over the mountainous region.

"Since the nights are becoming colder... did you want to stay in my room for the night?" She asked.

"Oh. Your room?" Akira was taken aback by the offer.

"You can still use this room if you like." The kitsune quickly interrupted and took a half step forward. "I don't mean to force you out of this room if you prefer it."

"Well..." Akira hesitated to decline and looked round his room. He remembered how warm her fur was against his body. "I liked it when you stayed with me the other night." He quietly admitted. A few of her tails seemed to slowly sway in the air behind Amako in agreement.

"Would you like to stay with me then?" She asked once again. Akira pursed his lips feeling a hint if hopefulness in her sweet voice.

"Yes." He finally agreed with a nod. "I'd like to." Amako smiled happily and turned around. All of her eight tails appeared to bob happily in the air behind her back. Akira hastily followed her out. He closed the door behind him, but the light in the hall was dim. He could barely see anything around him, but felt several tails brushing against him.

"Can you see-?" He didn't even finish the question when a few of her tails rose up with little flames dancing above the white tips. The Illuminating soft glow of icy blue light almost didn't appear real, but he could see much of the otherwise dark hallway because of its presence.

"How are you-?"

"It's a little trick that I learned when I received my seventh tail." She softly grinned in the glowing light. "Ready?" She asked as one of her tails not holding a little flame touched his lower back.

"Yes." He nodded. Amako quietly led him down the hallways with the odd sources of light dancing above the tips of her tails. He glanced at the tail curled around his lower back. Without her Akira wouldn't been utterly lost inside the kitsune home. He was taken to a room softly aglow from the inside. Amako paused and opened up a door revealing the interior.

"Welcome to my room." The kitsune allowed him inside before closing the door behind him. At first glance the room was of the same style and only slightly larger than his own guest room. Oddly enough there was only one futon bed prepared for them in the center of the floor. Her room had interesting decorations that fascinated him. Intricately painted masks hung on the wall with beautifully painted folding fans. A pair of silk tapestries with wild multiple tailed foxes hung along another wall. Urns and incenses were present as well.

"Wow." He approached the wall where the fans hung. Each one was painted with beautiful designs mostly representing nature. One in particular had pretty azure and dark blue lines representing waves against a painted ocean and river.

"They're mostly decorative." Amako explained. "But certain ones can control certain elements."

"Control elements?" That sounded significant. "How is that decorative?"

"It only works when someone powerful like a kitsune uses them." She explained. "For example," Amako touched one with green curly painted lines, bamboo, and autumn leaves falling, "this one controls the wind." Akira could only imagine what happened when they were on use.

"Then what are the masks for?" He looked at several lined on the wall. "Are they decorative as well?"

"No. They're very special." She was happy to tell him.

"How so? They look like regular festival masks to me." He didn't see anything like the painted fans.

"Just watch me." The kitsune wore a foxy smile. Amako demonstrated by grabbing one with red and yellow painted features. She placed it over her face and wore it. Akira's eyes widened in shock as she transformed into a beautiful woman right before him. There was no trace of fur on her newly donned porcelain skin. Her black claws had disappeared as well. Pretty hands and nails were present instead. Dark sleek hair trailed down her back, and pretty dark eyes gazed at him innocently. Akira blinked, but what he saw wasn't a mere trick of the lantern light either. The kitsune had effortlessly changed into a human woman in mere seconds.

"Do you like this human form?" Her mouth moved perfectly as if it was her true face, but the voice was from a completely different woman. Plump lips curled up into a pretty smile. "Or do you like my regular form?" She reached up and removed the human face and revealed her true fox face. The frozen human features she once wore turned back into a mask. Her hands returned to their anthropomorphic state and her tails became visible once more.

"Uh." Akira was taken aback at how easy and quick she could change her appearance. "I like you the way you are now."

"You do?" Her ears twitched curiously.

"Well, you are a kitsune." He knew Amako as a fox, so wasn't it more befitting that she be herself? "That was almost scary." A chill run up his back.

"I'll put the mask away." She lowered it so he could see her face clearly. "Please make yourself comfortable." A tail gestured to the undisturbed bed. Akira knelt down at the bedside only to realize that there was only one bed. Not only that, it was where Amako regularly slept. The human didn't want to refuse her offer after accepting it, so he laid down and faced where she was standing. She dimmed the lantern lights to a cozy dull glow with the flick of a tail. Akira wondered how she could do that, even with magic, but his eyes were immediately delighted by something else.

He stared as Amako effortlessly slipped out of her clothes and set them aside. Her graceful orange furred back was naked before him. Her voluptuous body was partially hidden thanks to the dim lights, which only seemed to highlight her natural furry curves. Amako turned around but did not attempt to cover herself. all eight of the fox's adroit tails hung in the air behind her. He had seen her naked before in the bathhouse, but the loving affection glowing in her copper golden eyes made his heart thump strangely within his chest. The breathless sensation felt good and bad at the same time. He rolled onto his side, turning his back to her to give a little privacy to the kitsune. However, he could feel her gaze against his back.

"Are your eyes pleased?" She coyly asked before approaching the futon. Akira felt his cheeks warm from her words alone.

"Um..." He struggled to speak. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare." The lie was distasteful to his tongue.

"Oh?" The soft doubt in her voice didn't sound displeased in the slightest. "Am I not beautiful?" He felt the covers shift from movement as she laid down behind him.

"Of course you are!" Akira blurted out before sealing his lips. A not so subtle blush formed across his face at the fast admission. That was the second time he had called the kitsune beautiful.

"Aww. Thank you." Amako sounded pleased. Akira wasn't sure what to say or do now that the naked kitsune was laying in the same bed with him. All he had to do was turn over and see her. Would that be appropriate? Inaction plagued his thoughts, but she made the first move.

The human held his breath for a moment as he felt two distinct nubs of flesh touch his back. The kitsune's soft bare breasts gently pressed against his back more noticeably next. His back arched from the subtle intimate touch, but he didn't shy away from her. The tails trailing along his body helped soothe his nervousness as her hand glided over his side. Her palm found the center of his chest and carefully rested there. A lovely warmth and coziness entered him. The warmth spread throughout the core of his body just like when he was bathing with her. Whatever worries or fears he had quickly dissipated. It was a wonderful feeling. Akira half grinned feeling her whiskers tease his neck and shoulder as she nuzzled a little closer. He could've fallen asleep right away if the sensations hadn't stopped when she removed her hand. Akira shifted his legs and brushed against plenty of fur.

"Are you still awake?" Amako softly asked over his shoulder.

"Mmhm..." He hummed. "When you place your hand over my heart." He began only to cut himself off. "Never mind, this will sound silly." Akira dismissed what he was saying. He heard and felt the kitsune laying behind him shift.

"Oh, I'm curious now." Amako brushed her legs against his. "Please tell me."

"You'll think I'm being suspicious or something."

"That's nonsense." She giggled. "I want to know."

"Ok." He smiled, trusting her completely. "When your hand is on my chest," he glanced down and placed his hand over her own, "I feel a little giddy." Akira admitted. "It's similar to when the sun is shining on me, but it also feels like you're searching for something. I'm not sure how else to explain myself." Amako was silent for a moment as her tails trailed along his body. "It was kind of crazy." He bashfully admitted.

"No, it's not crazy." Amako spoke simply to the human's surprise. "I can't lie to you, Akira." She pleasantly hummed and nuzzled closer into his shoulder. "When I place my hand over your heart, I am searching for something." The kitsune admitted. Akira loosely held onto a tail and stroked it as he listened to her.

"You see," Amako continued, "I can read the energy of one's heart through my hand if I focus. If there is evil in a heart, then I can sense it like an icy chill. The same is true for any emotions you are feeling."

"My emotions?" He was a little concerned.

"Mmhm." She nodded, brushing her muzzle over his skin. "I sensed nervousness at first, but it was only for a moment. After that I felt happiness and trust which felt warm and nice."

"Oh." He breathed an internal sigh of relief. "What did you sense in my heart?" He asked. Amako nuzzled him before answering.

"The fact that you can feel me reading your heart is a good sign in itself." The kitsune explained with a smile.

"How so?"

"It means that your heart is open, not cold and closed." She told him. "I never felt any malice within your heart. There is a wonderful warmth of good inside you." Amako closed her eyes. "I guess you could say that I'm reading your heart."

"You're reading my heart..." Akira said it aloud.

"I, well..." She paused. "If you don't want me to-"

"It's ok. I trust you." Akira felt safe with Amako. She had taken great care of him during his stay, and had always been very hospitable. The kitsune smiled happily. Her tails finishing curling around his arms and legs, and covering his entire front. He was completely protected by her had any danger made itself known.

"Thank you." She whispered as his eyes closed.

A sunshine filled evening marked an otherwise cool autumn day for the plateau. The air was pleasant, but a stiff breeze could chill a lightly clothed body. One of the doors to the side of the main building opened up. Amako and Akira stepped outside together, but more paws were padding behind them.

"Why can't I come with you two?" Chiharu walked after them.

"Because I promised Akira that I would take him into the field a while ago." Her elder sister explained. Chiharu's blue eyes looked at Akira for his opinion.

"We won't be gone long, Chiharu." He offered a grin.

"Please wait here for us." Amako waved a hand for the younger kitsune to stay.

"Fine." She folded her arms and pouted with a deflated frown. "I'll wait here." Her four tails hung low to the ground. The human and kitsune stepped off the walked and passed through an open gate through the low stone wall. Amako walked alongside him through the grass, and placed a few tails on his back for warmth. Akira grinned at her for the affectionate gesture, and reached over to hold her hand. Amako sighed softly as their fingers interlocked. One of her tails looped around their arms as well.

"This is a beautiful place." Akira looked around the field towards the forest. The deciduous trees were in late bloom gracing them with an extraordinary view of oranges, yellows, and even sparse reds mixed with the spruce trees. Over the top of the plateau, in the other direction, they could see the distant rolling forested hills in the lower distance stretching out to the horizon.

"Mmhm. Autumn is a wonderful season of change." She wholeheartedly agreed as they continued walking through the field until the kitsune building complex behind them disappeared behind a gentle slope. They approached a small pond nestled close to the forest with the tall mountain looming far away in the distance. It's murky waters were still, and the reeds were plentiful along its shallowest surfaces. It reminded Akira of the kitsune's pristine garden. Amako suddenly stopped in her tracks a short distance from the pond. Akira looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?" He noticed that her smile had faded. The kitsune's tails were also motionless.

"This is the pond where I found you that morning." She let go of his hand and loosened her tails.

"Here?" He looked around.

"Yes." Amako nodded and folded her hands. "The grass was matted down from the rain, and the pond was swollen with water, but I managed to find you laying here." She vividly remembered the morning. Akira walked around the thick grass deep in thought. His eyes gazed at the beautiful scenery around him, but had difficulty imagining a storm sweeping through the area. Everything was too serene, but he felt something.

He touched the necklace that Amako had made and gifted to him. He always wore it, but no memories returned to him as he concentrated. Akira wasn't particularly worried though. He didn't want to remember everything bad that had happened to him. After another minute he turned around and faced Amako. Her copper golden eyes lifted up.

"I'm glad that you found and rescued me." He smiled and walked back to her. Amako's arms opened up and enveloped him in a hug. Even her tails looped around his back. For that brief moment in each other's embrace, there was nothing else around them. They were each other's world. Once they parted, Amako held up her hand. Her padded palm rested in front of him and produced a series of small golden glowing lights. They floated around them like seeds adrift on the breeze.

"Wow." Akira watched the enchanted lights hover around them before fading away into glimmering golden dust.

"Oh my." Amako chuckled bashfully as she looked herself over. "My fur is such a mess now." She wiped one of her tails that had collected bits of grass. "Akira?"

"Yes?" He turned to see the kitsune facing him with her black tipped ears bashfully folded flat.

"Would you mind coming to my room to help me groom my tails before we sleep?" She asked.

"No. I'd be glad to help." He accepted. "And thank you for taking me out here." He reached out for her hand again. With a happy smile, Amako grasped his hand as they strolled back to the house.

***

Akira found himself in Amako's room for the late evening and early night. He had lost count of how many times they had slept together in Amako's room, but he wasn't concerned about anything for the moment. They were both seated in the kitsune's futon. Her many tails were laid out around him while he brushed one at a time. He couldn't help but notice that Amako was simply holding one of her tails despite having her back turned to him.

'I am doing all of the brushing.' Akira comically noted, not that he minded. He set one brushed tail aside only for it to delicately curl around his arm. Akira held back a laugh and lifted his arm. The tail yielded to his movement, but wouldn't let go. Another tail quickly rested in his lap to be groomed next. And all of this occurred without Amako saying a word.

"Have my sisters haven't been bothering you too much when I'm not around?" She asked.

"No. Everyone has been very kind to me, especially you." He pointed out gratefully. The kitsune merely smiled without saying anything more.

"I should be thanking you for helping me groom my tails." She finally mentioned.

"I'm more than happy to help." Akira kindly smiled as he brushed through another one of her long appendages. Her now fluffy well groomed tails seemed to thank him by coiling around his arms or waist, even while he busily worked on others.

"There. I think I'm done." Akira set the brush down and pet the long tail in his arms. It laid perfectly still for him.

"Your winter fur is really soft." He admired her thick seasonal coat. "And warm." He noted several others partially wrapped around him of laying across his lap.

"Thank you." She grinned happily. "Would you mind grooming all of my fur when it sheds in the spring, or becomes unkempt?" She asked.

"No, not at all." He said only to suddenly realize what that meant. "Um." His cheeks felt warm. "N-no." Akira answered again. "I mean, if you're fine with me grooming... all of your fur." His mouth felt a little dry as he spoke.

"Of course I would." A tail coiled around his entire waist. "We would have my room all to ourselves..." She mentioned and glanced back at him with a more than pleasant grin. "And no one will disturb us." The kitsune's voice dropped as she turned around to face him. "Just like now." She whispered. Her beautiful copper golden eyes gazed lovingly at him.

Akira nodded, almost entranced by her voice and powerful eyes. His breathing quickened subtly as he felt fluttering within his heart. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Amako leaned forward, ever so slightly craning her neck, and kissed him. Akira'a eyes widened subtly as he stared at her beautiful eyes across her long muzzle. The warmth of her lips was entirely different than her fur, but no less inviting. His cheeks blushed when she parted from him. There was disbelief at what had just happened. It was so brief, yet he could still feel the warmth of her lips. The look in her eyes hadn't changed. Akira felt his heart shudder wantonly in response.

"Amako..."

"Mmm. Please lay down." She spoke in a hushed voice, and tenderly rubbed his shoulder. Akira looked over his shoulder as her tails cleared the way. He gladly indulged her request. The lights in the room dimmed to a cozier setting. Amako slipped off her robes and laid down beside him. Her naked body pressed against him warmly. Without a word the kitsune leaned forward and kissed him again. The fox's mouth pressed against his own, but this time he didn't remain idle. Akira coddled a furry cheek and pressed his lips to her fuzzy ones.

"Mmm..." She hummed in a delighted surprise at his confidence. Her tails grew emboldened with each passing second. The fluffy appendages coiled and twirled around his leg and torso, clearly seeking something. Akira felt his clothes slipping off his body as they were removed, but he didn't care. Amako's soft fur soon brushed unopposed against his bare skin. It was wonderfully sensual her soft warmth kissed his naked body all over. There was no escaping her wonderful embrace, even if he wanted to. He couldn't control his body's growing desire as they kissed and brushed against each other. He attempted to hide his growing arousal, but two of her white tail tips trailed up and covered his half erect manhood. However, the tail underneath began tracing up and down like a paintbrush. Akira felt himself throb under her mischievous tails. He reached down to remove them both, but a dark brown furred hand stopped him.

"Aahhh Amako." He softly moaned and arched his back as her tails teased his naked flesh. The grin on her face didn't lessen, but her tail gradually stopped brushing him. The human blew a grateful sigh.

"I was close..." He managed to say, but the kitsune was only beginning. Amako rose up and sat beside him. Akira suddenly had an intimate view of the white furred swell of her breasts. Both had a perky spouts of flesh aching for his attention.

He could see her vulpine muzzle peering out above as she smiled at him encouragingly. He lifted his arm up only to see it completely covered by a pair of tails. Amako grinned and loosened the tail's grip. Reaching up, he brushed against the downy white fur along the cusp of her breast. The fur in its own right was soft to the touch, but so was the feminine mass. He tenderly rubbed the soft female bosom, exploring the soft curves with his curiosity fingers. The stout nipple easily hardened under his gentle touch. The smoothness of her flesh was even more sensual to touch than her downy fur. He moved over and fondled the other breast next, but without a word, Amako directed his hand to the center of her chest and placed his palm firmly between her breasts.

Akira looked up at her with a little confusion until he felt her heartbeat, but it wasn't an ordinary sensation. There was something else, as if resembling heat from warm sunlight traveling up his arm. His eyes widened as the feeling blossomed. It might've been his imagination, but soft reds and pinks, warm sunshine, bliss, and coziness all enveloped his heart and mind. Akira had no way of explaining it, yet at the same time he knew exactly what was happening. He could feel all of the fox's emotions flowing into him, mingling with his own, and then radiating throughout his senses. It was the most fulfilling bliss that he had experienced.

"I can feel..." He silently gasped, but a single fingertip touched his lips.

"Shhh." Her honeyed voice whispered. "You don't have to say anything." She said with a warm grin etched onto her lips. "I will be gentle." Even as she set his hand down, her intimate feelings lingered throughout his body. Amako's gaze turned to another part of his body, unabashedly standing tall. His arousal hadn't diminished with her two tails still teasing him. Tails writhed and snaked around Akira as Amako started to move. Her tail tips seemed to flicker back and forth mimicking little white flames all around him. They almost served as a distraction as the fox sat down on his legs. Akira sharply inhaled as his member became partially buried in her downy white groin fur. The sight of his pulsating length surrounded by her warm fur made his teeth clench. His eyes jerked up to the sweet foxy face smiling sweetly at him. The look in her eyes made his throat dry.

"Are you still comfortable?" She whispered. Akira nodded without uttering a word. He didn't resist her advances. In fact, Akira was eager to meet them. In a swift move the kitsune rose up and positioned herself. Soft fur teased his length for a final time. He watched in anticipation as her furry womanhood touched his manhood. Amako pressed down until their hips connected. Akira stared at their groins where his length was no inside of Amako. He writhed in raw pleasure from the velvety heat of her womanhood. Her inner heat was almost too much to bare. Her numerous tails firmly wrapped around his arms, legs, and torso ensuring that they were bound together. Their eyes briefly connected once more, but neither signaled a complaint. Akira knew that he wouldn't last long, but he was going to enjoy every second of it anyway.

Without further delay the vixen above began to move in a gentle rhythmic motion. The slick vice-like heat stroking his length. All the human could do was hold on while the softly moaning kitsune rode him. Planting both hands beside him, she ground her hips against his and bounced atop him. All of the loving motions began to blur as they mated. Her freely hanging breasts bounced and swung above him like silent chiming bells in tune with the erotic wet noises below. Coos and moans were exchanged passionately between the pair, but the earlier foreplay left Akira with little endurance. The peak of pleasure neared all too soon.

"I'm! Ahh..." He tried to speak only to devolve into a moan. The pleasure coursed through him with an utter need of release. It only took another second when he reached the point of no return. Thrusting upwards, he came with a resounding cry. Each short wet slap was met with a pulsating pleasure until he was finished. Laying beneath the kitsune, he felt breathlessly weak.

Above him, Amako's mouth was slightly ajar as she panted. Her black tipped ears were folded back cutely with a concentrated look across her face. The kitsune shuddered stop him twice briefly before relaxing. Akira panted as she loomed over him, but his eyes gazed up at her with pleasure. There was a pleasured look in her eyes as well, not only from their lovemaking, but the passionate care she had for him. Hanging below, her breasts seemed to do the same.

He had a little energy to reach up and rub her shoulder, but do little else. The tail coiled around his limb helped support his effort though. The white tail tip patted the back of his wrist appreciatively. Amako carefully lowered herself down, and as soon as she laid on top of Akira, his arms wrapped around her back. Despite her breasts squished against his front, he knew that their hearts were as close as possible. Tails wove intricately around his body, covering much of his body. Akira was coddled in all of her soft furry warmth, and he delighted in the softness of her luxurious fur against his naked skin. It was perfect.

"Wow..." He barely uttered the words.

"Mmm." Amako hummed sweetly. "That felt wonderful." Akira agreed without a word and rubbed her back despite the tails that had coiled around much of his upper arm. After a while his breathing steadied.

"I shouldn't feel this tired." His body almost felt sore, or possibly drained. But the pleasure radiating through his entire body felt heavenly.

"You gave me a little of your energy." Amako mentioned. The fox mover her head to look at him, but her protruding muzzle had to rest against his cheek somewhat.

"I did?" He didn't know what she meant.

"Yes, a little piece of your essence." The fox nodded causing her whiskers to tease his skin, but he still didn't understand. "I can tell you another day, but there is no rush." She told him. "We will have many nights like this." She promised much to his liking.

"I look forward to all of them." He kissed Amako, earning a delighted hum from the kitsune.

Akira was surrounded by a cozy warmth that he had never awoken to before. Peeking an eye open, he could see a tail curled around his shoulder. The orange fur was thick and warm, holding onto him like a hand. Glancing over, Amako's warm front was pressed against his side. One breast was lazily resting on his chest, its naked ring of skin and nipple openly visible. An arm was laying across his front as well like a fallen tree. The gentle rise and fall of his chest didn't disturb anything. He fondly looked at her dark brown forearm that transitioned to orange just before her elbow. The winter fur felt as silky as it looked. Akira wanted nothing more than to lay there with Amako for the entire morning, and admire her beautiful form.

He traced the beads around his neck, careful not to stir the kitsune. His eyes lazily stared up at the ceiling. The loving memories from last night were vivid in his thoughts despite most of his older memories remaining hidden from him. With Amako it didn't bother him nearly as much now. The new memories he had made with her were important too. The ones from last night made him smile fondly. Sex was an obvious pleasure that any person could speak of, but experiencing intimacy with someone you loved was on an entirely different plane. Akira couldn't have felt any happier.

"Hmm?" A soft hum stirred awake. Several tails around him shifted subtly as the arm across his chest moved. Her long vulpine jaws opened up in a protracted yawn revealing plenty of teeth. Akira smiled once her pretty eyes blinked opened. The copper gold orbs gazed at him fondly befor e halfway closing. The kitsune sighed peacefully as she laid her head back down. All of her tails began weaving and curling around him in alternating fashion before settling down.

"It's morning." She whispered.

"Mmhm." He softly hummed. "I like waking up with you this way." He touched her arm and trailed down to hold her hands. Each clawed finger softly gripped his hand in return.

"I do too." She pleasantly agreed. Akira watched as one white tipped tail flickered beside him. "Would you mind staying with me every night?" Amako asked after a brief pause.

"No." He easily answered. "I would be glad to."

"Thank you." Her grin broadened almost to the point of revealing her teeth. Amako's pointy ears perked up suddenly. Akira blinked as he heard the door to the room quietly open.

"Ama-." The voice of a younger sister sister abruptly cut itself off. Amako swiftly looked over her shoulder, and the door slid shut a moment later. Akira could faintly hear the padding of paws hurriedly retreating down the hall.

"Unfortunately, we can't sleep in all morning." The kitsune sighed before laying beside him once again.

"I was thinking the same thing before you woke up." He admitted and placed a hand on her breast. She grinned as he began touching and lightly fondling both breasts. He affectionately rubbed both furry masses until both of her nipples were firmly erect.

"Be careful if you arouse me." Amako playful growled at him with a gleam in her copper gold eyes. One of her tails curled around his thigh.

"Why should I?" He played along without stopping.

"You might find yourself pinned to my bed with a lot of work to do." She gave his chin a quick nibble before licking his cheek. Akira held back a chuckle and took the affectionate gesture in stride. He stopped and kissed her fuzzy lips. Amako hummed and coddled his face before parting with a sweet lick to his nose.

"I could use some help in the garden this morning after we eat." She told him.

"I'm more than happy to help." Akira accepted as they rose out of bed together.

It was a brisk autumn morning. There was no breeze, but the air was noticeably cooler. Deciduous leaves were changing colors in vibrant and flashy ways. But the beautiful show of nature was a final burst of life before the inevitable winter. Leaves fell from the simplest of breezes and casual winds. Of course, the gardens had to be cleaned of all the debris. Akira was busily gathering tending to brush and leaf litter inside the grounds.

Amako was watching him work from the nearby walkway. The kitsune wore a noticeable grin across her muzzle as her eyes never wavered from him. She softly sighed and placed a hand on a timber column that supported the extended sloped roof.

'I could watch him all day.' She thought to herself, utterly oblivious to the soft padded paw steps approaching her from behind.

"Watching him from afar?" A voice made the kitsune's ears wiggle back.

"Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say?" Amako looked back and found her sister Yuki standing behind her.

"You're barely listening to me." The green eyed fox covered her muzzle as she giggled.

"No..." Amako feigned innocence. "I just didn't hear you. That's all."

"Of course." Yuki's tails swayed knowing the obvious. "I haven't seen you this happy before." She mentioned and looked at her sister.

"I'm happy that he is here." The elder kitsune simply spoke with a smile as she watched Akira work in the garden.

"His presence has been good for everyone here." Yuki nodded.

"Mmhm." Amako readily agreed with a hum of approval.

"Ah, I see." Her younger sister visibly grinned. The sound in her voice caused Amako to avert her gaze from Akira and look directly at Yuki. The look in the kitsune's green eyes made Amako's tails twitch nervously.

"What?"

"You're being protective of him." She teased.

"Yes... I am." Amako felt relief pulse through her that the obvious question wasn't asked as Akira approached them.

"Good morning Akira." Yuki kindly greeted him. "Have you been working since sunrise?"

"Good morning Yuki. No, only for an hour or so. It's cold outside this morning." He rubbed his arms fervently.

"Do you need a warmer set of clothes?" Amako questioned and touched his robes.

"I don't feel cold. I'm not shivering." He didn't complain.

"Oh?" Amako's black tipped ears perked up attentively. Three of her tails immediately crept over and rested against his back to warm him. "I can get you something warmer if you'd like anyway." She didn't hesitate to offer.

"Thanks. I would like that." He grinned.

"I need to go back inside and find something then." She stated with a bright smile. "Let me check my room." Amako slipped away and went inside, leaving Akira with Yuki.

"Sometimes I envy your winter coats." Akira admitted. "They're very warm."

"It can be a lot to groom, especially when our coats change for spring."

"I didn't think about that." He realized. "Amako always looks nice and well groomed." Akira glanced back at the doorway where she had disappeared inside.

"I see that you and Amako are both very fond of each other." Yuki mentioned.

"Oh." He hesitated and cleared his throat. "Amako is very nice, and I like her." His voice lingered nervously.

"You've been sleeping in her room for plenty of nights as well." The green eyed kitsune added with a knowing grin.

"Oh. Uh." Akira didn't know what to say. "I uh..."

"It's okay." She waved a hand much to his relief. "If my sister trusts you, then I trust you."

"Thanks." He felt relief. "I trust her too." The six tailed kitsune appeared pleased to hear that.

"Have you remembered anything else about your past?" Yuki curiously asked.

"No, I'm afraid not." He shook his head, but there wasn't any sadness in his voice.

"It might take a while longer then I suppose." She remained hopeful that the human would remember his own past. He accepted the fact, and nodded without a word. The kitsune's green eyes spied on his necklace next.

"What kind of necklace is this?" Yuki curiously asked. "I've seen you wearing it around here recently."

"Oh. I'm not sure." He innocently shrugged. "Amako gave it to me."

"Amako gave this to you?"

"Yes. I think she made it herself." He recalled.

"Oh, that's very nice of her." Yuki grinned and felt over the dark red beads. Her vulpine head turned curiously at one spot in particular. She inspected the small markings on the bottom of the little attached talisman. "Huh... That's odd."

"What is it?"

"It feels... No." The fox frowned and shook her head in confusion. "I think this is imbued with magic. Oh my... It can't be!" Yuki's frown deepened as she examined the talisman closely.

"What's wrong?" The human asked only for the kitsune to tightly grab the necklace. With a swift pull she snapped the necklace off him with an audible pop. The beads fell to the wooden walkway clattering like hail, before rolling to a stop. "Why did you-?" Akira paused in mid-sentence and touched the side of his head. A funny lightheaded sensation overcame him. It felt like a small weight had been lifted directly from his head.

"This is no ordinary necklace." Yuki held up the small tag piece of the necklace. Her eyes were fierce with anger. "This talisman hides a hidden magic that suppresses the memories of the wearer." She told him. Akira stared at the written symbols in disbelief only for the funny sensation in his head to increase. Vision after vision appeared in his mind as his memories rapidly returned like a spring fountain.

"Wait here, please." Yuki ran inside with the tag in hand. "Amako!" She yelled down the halls and stormed over to her sister's room. Upon opening the door to her room, she found her eight tailed sister standing nearby with a confused expression.

"Why are you shouting in the halls?" Amako asked. The kitsune froze when Yuki held up the talisman. The tense and fearful look in her copper golden eyes was apparent to her sister.

"You know what I'm holding up, do you?" Yuki asked. Amako didn't answer and lowered her gaze. Her nose pointed down towards the ground guiltily. Even her tails hung lamely with their white tips dusting the floor.

"This necklace... Akira told me that you made it for him, and I know that only you could make this." Yuki declared despite her older sister's painful silence.

"How could you suppress his memories?!" Yuki fretted only for her sister to fall silent. The fox's face didn't lift from the floor. She stared between her paws with pursed lips. The silence was deafening, and her sister's patience was growing thin. "Amako, answer me please!" Her voice carried like thunder. The elder kitsune winced, but ever so slowly her lips parted.

"At first I did not want him to remember his bad memories, but then I didn't want him to leave." Amako held back her tears, but the somber tone in her voice spoke volumes of the guilt and desire in her heart. Her sister's tails rose up in shock.

"What?" Yuki's voice had fallen to a mere questioning whisper.

"If he remembered his past, then why would he stay here?" She frowned. "He would return to whatever life he had." Her explanation only continued to perplex the six tailed vixen.

"I don't..." The younger fox didn't understand, or know what to say. "Why?" She stared at Amako wondering why the elder sister would do such a thing. "Why would you do this?" She asked again. Beneath the orange and white cheek fur, she could see Amako's frown twist painfully. Her hands trembled as she balled them in tight fists.

"Because I love him." She croaked as tears began falling from her eyes. Yuki covered her mouth with a hand. The room fell silent for the longest minute.

"Oh my..." The six tailed fox's eyes searched the floor quickly as everything made sense. "I should've known, but I didn't want to." Yuki felt exasperated from the ebb and flow of her emotions. She placed a hand on her head and slowly paced.

"I can't believe it." Yuki mumbled. "You kept him here... for yourself."

"No! No. I didn't mean to... Where is he?" Amako quietly asked.

"Outside. I ran inside to talk to you." Yuki sighed.

"Please get him. I need to apologize and explain myself before it's too late." She told her sister. The six tailed kitsune nodded and promptly left the room. Two other fox heads quickly disappeared back through open doorways as Yuki's bold steps walked back down the hall. The doorway was still open, but when she exited the human was gone. She looked up and down the walkway only to step on something.

"Ouch." Lifting her paw, she found that the maroon beads from the broken necklace were still scattered along the walkway, but there was no sign of the human anywhere.

"Akira?" Yuki called out as she searched the walkway again. She peered around the walkways but didn't see anything close to the shrine or the garden. Ruffling her head fur, she began to worry.

"Akira?" She called out again to no avail, and returned to the hallway. Amako was standing outside her room looking expectantly.

"I can't find him. Help me look!" Yuki quickly talked. A look of fright overcame the eight tailed kitsune as her other sisters soon joined the search. Everyone darted down halls and searched through rooms.

"Akira?!" Amako ran through the hall to his guest room as fast as her paws could carry her. 'Don't tell me... Don't tell me...' She feared her thoughts a as he ran. The look of worry only deepened across the fox's face once she reached the open doorway. Amako expected the human to be standing there, watching the garden. Maybe he would be mad, but if she could talk to him... Then everything would be okay. However, the room was empty and his possessions were missing as well. The silence and emptiness filled her with despair. There was no sign of him even when every room was searched twice. In her heart, she knew what happened.

"He's gone!" Amako shrieked. Covering her eyes with both sleeves, she wailed without abandon as her sisters ran to comfort her.

Akira struggled to walk against the blustery gusts of wind. Ducking his head, he could barely make sense of the blurry forest around him. The darkness of the towering pines turned the forest into nighttime, and the cold winter air seemed to bite his skin at every opportunity. Watery eyes barely open, it was hard to see the swaying trees around him. He didn't know which way to go.

"Don't leave me!" A crying female voice echoed in the wind sending a terrifying chill of grief into the human's heart. His numb knuckles clenched tightly at his clothes as he shivered weakly.

"Who said that?" His words were inaudible as the cold wind blew into his face.

"Come back!" The female voice echoed around him. "Please!" The loud wailing pierced his ears like a sharp howling wind. Akira didn't know what to do. He twisted and turned causing the pine trees to blue around his vision. No matter where he looked, person crying was never seen. Akira couldn't find her no matter how much he searched.

"Come back to me!"

"Where are you!?" He yelled desperately. Another burst of wind blew, threatening to cut right through him. The loud snapping of wood startled the human as a tree close by started to fall. Akira shielded his face from the blistering icy winds and screamed.

Akira jolted awake and sat up in a cold sweat. All he could hear was his heart pounding relentlessly. Panting in brief confusion at the dim light, he quickly realized that it was another bad dream. Holding his head in his hands, he calmed himself down. Around him, four small walls were barely visible in the sliver of pre dawn sunlight. It was no palace to anyone, not even for most travelers. The basic hut that he called home for most of his adult life was very plain. Constructed almost entirely of wood with a thatched roof, a meager empty hearth was his only source of heat. The life of a woodsman was very basic and simple. He lived on the edge of the village and assisted in the farmers' work as well as fishing and foraging to feed himself during the winter and summer months. But it was the beginning of winter, and the house was cold.

It had been a mere month since he had descended the shrine complex on the plateau in a fearful stupor, and yet it felt like an eternity had passed. All of his memories once blocked like a dammed river had now been able to flow freely once again since that day. The memories about his accident during the storm were fuzzy, and would likely remain so; but his subsequent feelings were still fresh in his mind.

"Amako..." He whispered the eight tailed fox's name. The beautiful kitsune face was vivid despite the time that had passed since he had left the plateau. The pretty pattern of orange fur covering much of her face with the trailing white descending from her chin. The lighter tufts in her triangular black tips ears matched her dainty whiskers. The smile on her foxy face was radiant like her copper golden eyes. Akira placed his hand over his racing heart, but silently wished that it was her hand instead.

Slipping out of bed he reached for a special garment. His fingers touched a soft yet warm textile. He didn't need to see what his hands touched to know what it was. Akira pulled the folded garment into his lap to hold. The comfortable clothes that the kitsune had made were all that he had to remember Amako, and his entire experiences by. Her tails brushing along his body were but a pleasant memory at the moment. The thought of her fur touching his skin made his body feel warm. He touched his neck but felt nothing there. Even though the necklace she had also given him was meant to suppress the human's memories, he still missed wearing it.

"She made it for me." He whispered. The loving gift no longer existed. Coddling the garment to his body, the vivid dream weighed heavily on his mind. This wasn't the first night the howling voices had plagued his conscience.

'I can't keep this up.' His tired eyes closed in thought. The lack of sleep only worsened whatever prolonged pain he felt. Akira was left nervous and on edge.

"I need to see the priestess." His eyes opened once again, and rose from bed.

***

The cold early morning winter air chilled him through his garments, but he ignored the chill clinging onto him. In the nearby forests, there were no chattering birds yet. The silence except for his footsteps was icy cold. Following a long path through the fallow fields outside the village, Akira walked towards a modest temple within sight. The village temple was a quiet place where no disturbances were created. Traveling monks used it as a place of rest on occasion during the spring and summer, but its halls were silent during the colder months. Akira spotted someone as he approached the front entrance. At the top of the steps, an aged woman dressed in white robes unlocked the main door. The elder priestess was only beginning to open up the temple. She paused in her work once she noticed the man approaching the temple steps.

"Priestess, I must speak with you." Akira bowed out of respect.

"Hello. What must you see me for at this early hour?" She politely inquired.

"I need my future divined." He explained. "I have been having the same dream for several nights now."

"Ah, yes, you're the man who returned from the hilltop plateau several weeks ago." She recognized him. "Please enter." The older woman opened the large door to the village temple. Akira ascended the steps and removed his footwear before following the white robed priestess inside. The sunshine beamed through the hall, illuminating the darker interior. He glanced at the faint glimmer of silken tapestries of famous monks and magical scenes of the mountainsides. She took him down a hall and into a room softly aglow from the sun. In the center was a tripod basin with a cord of sticks beside it.

"Please sit." She directed him to a mat on the floor. He deeply nodded and sat down. The priestess retrieved the wood and began building up enough tinder. Akira patiently waited as she created a small fire. Once it began crackling on its own, the priestess turned to face him.

"Tell me what needs to be divined." She inquired.

"In my dreams there is a woman wailing and crying for someone to return." He explained without giving up too many details. "I am in a forest I that is difficult to see, me the winter wind is very strong. No matter where I stumble or what I say, she still cries for someone to come back to her." He had to take a breath when he finished. Gripping his arm, Akira felt himself start to tremble and shake from telling the nightmare. The crying, uncertainty, and dread all nipped at his nerves like chilling echoes.

"The lady on the mountain in grieving." She spoke an old phrase that likely had deeper meaning to the situation. "I shall examine the changes that have yet to unfold." She told him before rising from her cushion. Akira watched as she walked over to a nearby wall where several blankets were placed. The priestess returned with an old white turtle shell in hand. Kneeling beside the fire once more, she threw the bones into the fire. A sizzling set of crackles and pops erupted as embers and ash rose up from the disturbance. The seconds passed by dismally slow as Akira watched the priestess and the fire. He didn't have the slightest clues about divination, but all he could do was watch as his fate was going to be determined. Akira started feeling sleepy as the fire dimmed to a few faint flames or orange.

"Before Completion." The priestess muttered the ancient phrase as her old eyes examined the bones.

"Completion?" He blinked as she suddenly spoke.

"From what you have told me about your recurring dream, there is great distress not only on your mind, but someone else's you know." She deciphered the meaning. Akira nodded and could still hear the woman wailing in his dream. "When mountain and thunder are separated or the sky and sun are apart, it causes distress. This separation," she motioned by holding her joined hands out before pulling them apart, "is causing you and the other person grief. However, this can be remedied." The priestess informed him.

"How?" Akira eagerly wanted to know.

"By joining both thunder and mountain back together." She clasped her hands together. "Things that are not meant to be separated must be joined together. There is something that has yet to be finished. It is within reach so long as the timing is correct." The priestess paused and examined the bones yet again.

"I want to go back to the plateau." He immediately bowed down to the priestess. The white robed woman was surprised at the prostration as well as the request. "I know what I need to do."

"I must give caution to your request." She warned him. "It is early winter. I don't expect your journey to be easy, but I will give you my blessing to travel up to the hills and plateau again." She granted him permission to return. Akira rose up from the floor with wide eyes of excitement.

"Thank you!" He proclaimed and bowed a final time.

Akira clutched his clothes tightly feeling a cold breeze blow past him. It was the only source of noise in the bitterly silent trees. The towering pines occasionally swayed and rustled from the chilly winter wind. The winter weather made his ascent up the wooded hills quickly became difficult. His path was well worn near his village, but faintly visible higher up.

"Just a little further." He kept telling himself to withstand the cold nipping at him. A falling snowflake caught his eye. Glancing up, he saw more flurries descend from the grey sky above. The little white specks trailed through the air from the wind. This was only a taste of foul weather. Winter was never merciful to the unsuspecting in the mountainous inland provinces, and the presence of flurries was only a promise of more to come. What chilled him the most wasn't the cold, but the eerie similarity to his nightmarish dream. He half expected to wake up in his bed at any second, but there was no wailing voice crying out to him. However, Akira wasn't in an unfolding nightmare anymore.

The towering tree line immediately thinned as he reached the top of the plateau. Directly ahead the field stretched out towards a distant building obscured by the light snowfall and hazy overcast. The building complex appeared like a mirage before him, but there was no doubt in Akira's mind that it was correct dwelling. Akira wondered for a moment if it was real, but pressed forward earnestly.

'I'm almost there...' It had taken him all morning and much of the afternoon to ascend the tricky terrain. His back and legs thanked him for reaching the summit, but he couldn't rest yet. He was very close to his destination. Stepping forward, the field grasses were starting to collect a faint but noticeable white dusting from the light snowfall. As the human neared, he could distinguish separate parts of the complex, including the low walls outside the gardens. The warmer memories of his stay were fresh in his mind, but felt alien with the cold landscape before him.

His eyes widened when he spotted a figure walking along the front walkway. The feminine body walked upright like a human, but he could see fur in obvious places. The head of a fox and several visible tails were unmistakable. Akira hurried across the rest of the field up to the entrance.

"Yuki!" He called out. The vixen jumped unexpectedly from the sound of his voice. Her muzzle opened in shock once. For a brief second only the howling wind spoke between them.

"You're that man!" She gasped and covered her gaping muzzle. "You're Akira!" The kitsune ran up to him. "You're alive, and you came back!" Her six tails swirled ecstatically.

"I am glad to see you." He felt relieved when they were finally face to face.

"We never thought we would see you again." Yuki smiled as her breath fogged into the cold air.

"Where is your sister, Amako? I need to speak with her." Akira quickly asked. The pleasant shock on the vixen's face fell into a more sober despair.

"We need to talk first." Yuki gathered herself before speaking. "Everyone will be in an uproar if I bring you inside unannounced." The six tailed kitsune took him along the outer walkway that wrapped around the building. As much as Akira wanted to find Amako and talk to her, he couldn't barge in unannounced and expect a warm welcome. Yuki chose a secluded spot for them to talk.

"We can sit here. No one will disturb us." She stooped and sat down at the end of the walkway where it met the edge of the garden. The trees and bushes were dormant, several had only bare branches to offer as scenery to the once lush and brilliant colors. The human obliged and sat down across from her regardless. The fox's emerald green eyes gazed upon him with seriousness.

"Tell me what happened that day ." She asked. "What did you do after I ripped the necklace off you?" Akira glanced over at the walkway. The sound of the beads scattering across the floor remained fresh within his memories.

"I was terrified at first." He admitted with a hint of shame in his voice. "Everything I knew rushed back one thought after another. I couldn't handle all of my memories coming back so fast. It was hard for me to sort everything out. All of the fear resurfaced from the night before you and Amako found me. I remembered the oncoming storm during the afternoon and running up the hill to avoid it, but the storm seemed to follow me. I don't know what else happened except for the lightning and thunder." Akira searched the ground for an answer he didn't have. "If I hadn't lost my memories after the storm, then I would have likely tried to escape my first night here." He honestly guessed.

"Kitsune are known to people as benevolent but also malevolent." Yuki calmly nodded in agreement. "Your fear wasn't misplaced."

"I felt betrayed for a few days when I ran away." He slowly added. "I was angry, but I sorted through my feelings." His gaze returned to Yuki's. "I had to return." His voice rose with confidence.

"I do not blame you for running back to your home." Yuki told him. "It is understandable that you were angry. I was angry as well for what my sister had done to you. Blocking someone's memories is like stealing their soul." Her fur ruffled up in memory of her agitation. "I'm sure you know what her reasons were." Yuki settled it with a soft sigh.

"I think you were angrier than me." Akira almost grinned. "I felt uneasy before consulting the priestess in my village. I wondered if you or Amako would visit me in disguise, but I didn't want to wait if that was the case."

"We kitsune do not like to interfere with human affairs." She explained. "We aren't the no-kitsune of the lowland fields who play mischief on unsuspecting people." Akira felt gratitude at the respect of privacy.

"There are plenty of old tales about foxes in my village and throughout the countryside." He acknowledged. "They play tricks, lure men away, and cause trouble for those who are foolish. I'm not interested in any of those old tales, but I wanted to ask you something that Amako told me before."

"Please go ahead." Yuki gave a curt nod.

"Amako told me one night that she received some of my essence. What does that mean?" Akira asked. Yuki's face appeared surprised at first, only to soften understandingly.

"This is of an intimate nature, but I will tell you." Yuki spoke. "When a kitsune and human mate, the kitsune received a small portion of the human's energy. In excess this can be used to steal life, or to receive and store it."

"Store it?"

"Yes." Yuki nodded. "This means a human and kitsune can have a child together, bond closer, or the human can be healed easier. It also means the kitsune can tell what direction to find you." Yuki explained.

"So Amako could've found me on her own?"

"Not exactly." Yuki told him. "It is like a compass. She can tell what direction you are, but that's all." Akira wanted to learn more about it, but he had more important questions to ask.

"How is Amako?" The kitsune was noticeably absent. Yuki didn't seem happy to answer.

"Amako hasn't taken well to your sudden departure." Her face became crestfallen. Even her triangular black tipped ears fell back sadly. "She hasn't been the same. Her face appears sad, never smiling anymore. Often at night, we hear her weep in sorrow."

"I know." He stated. The bold words intrigued the six tailed kitsune.

"How do you know?" She challenged, but contained her voice. "How would you know about my sister's distress while you were away? I am not asking this out of anger," she clarified despite her tone, "but out of curiosity." Her tails weaved in the air as she looked at him, waiting for an answer. Akira explained what had happened since his return to the village.

"When I was in the village, I had the same nightmare for a few nights," he began, "where I would hear a woman wailing in pain and sorrow, pleading for someone to return. No matter how much I cry out, it does not stop. When I wake up, I feel a pain in my chest and stomach." He touched the area. "It's as if the sorrow from the dream is physically affecting me. I talked to the priestess of my village and she told me that the lady on the mountain is grieving. I knew that it was about Amako. I know that she loves me." He gripped his knees tightly with emotion. Yuki covered her muzzle with a hand and tail. Nearly a minute of silence passed between them, but she still did not yield.

"Please." His voice approached begging. "I need to speak with her." His eyes sought an answer from her, pleading to understand him. Yuki held back most of her sadness before finally relenting with a nod. She rose to her paws and turned around with silent grace.

"Please follow me." She glanced over her shoulder. "Amako is inside the shrine."

'The shrine?' He dutifully followed the six tailed fox across the walkway outside the building.

"She hasn't left our shrine in weeks." Yuki informed him as they followed the twists and turns around the complex. "No matter how much we plead, she never comes out." The news sent a chill down the human's back. The little shrine was a separate building from all of the others. It was the one area of the kitsune complex that he knew very little about. Yuki paused before giving a polite bow to him.

"Thank you." Akira said. With a simple gesture and flick of a single tail towards towards the building, the kitsune calmly retreated to the main home. Turning his attention to the shrine, Akira stood still for a moment. The building's foreboding silence reminded him of the temple back in his village, but there were no humans inside these walls.

A Torii gate stood tall and unmoving like a heavenly mountain. Red streamers made from silk dangled listlessly from the entrance. There was so much beauty within the structure, but all of the aesthetic pleasures were lost to the human for the moment. Gathering himself, Akira bowed his head as he brushed past the long silken streamers. He passed under the gate and entered an interior atrium alight with numerous candles and lanterns. His footsteps barely made a sound over the smooth wood. He reached out and quietly slid the main door open. Stepping inside a well lit room of lanterns, he found a small privacy screen separated him from the other half of the room.

Muscles tensed and eyes widened upon seeing the faint shadowy form of a fox woman through the screen. Silently releasing a tense breath, Akira stepped forward.

"Amako?" He whispered and crept around the foldable screen. The human froze and drew in a deep breath at what he saw. The kitsune was indeed Amako. He could quickly count the eight tails as confirmation. Slouched forward with her back turned to him, she was wearing a plain yellow garment with a white obi tied around her waist. Her fluffy winter coat appeared invitingly warm and soft as it always had. However, her fur was disheveled and scruffy. It was a far cry from how pristine she once looked. The kitsune's appearance was only the beginning. Her tails were listless like fallen branches instead of the mischievous and caring appendages he had once known. Her head slowly turned around, and the sight of her visible despair felt like a punch to the gut. The orange fur below her eyes was matted and damp, likely from crying. The grief in her eyes clawed at his heart like sharpened talons. Akira had to suppress an immediate urge to comfort her as he sat down.

The mixture of emotions swelled within Amako as she realized who was seated before her. The fox's long jaw quivered as she tried to speak. The seconds were agonizing to pass.

"Akira. I... I..." Words seemed to fail her for a moment, but she gathered herself before finishing. "I'm so sorry for keeping you here against your will." She profusely apologized. "I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't put me under a spell or force me to stay here." He quietly interrupted. "You and your sisters treated me well and cared for me. I wasn't harmed."

"No." She shook her head. "I would never have done that to you." Amako agonized at the thought of doing harm to him.

"Of course not. I understand, and I still trust you completely. I'm not angry at you." He kindly spoke to her. A flash of relief came over her face, dispelling the anguishing guilt she had held onto for so long.

"I shouldn't have done that."

"It's ok." He soothed her concerns. "I'm fine. I forgive you."

"We never saw you... No one knew where you went. We didn't know... I missed you so much." She spoke above a whisper.

"I missed you too." He quietly replied. "But I'm right here." Akira offered a grin. "I remember when you placed my hand over your heart." Reaching forward, he touched her hand. The fur covered back and claws were no longer oddities or causes of fear to him. Her pads felt leathery and warm all the same. "Those feelings..." He remembered pleasantly as if it had happened last night. "It was indescribable. I only wish I could describe and tell you how wonderful it was to touch your emotions." He found himself smiling happily at the memory of how close they had grown. Amako slowly nodded.

"I wanted you to know how I felt, since I had been reading your heart already."

"I finally realized that, but... Do you love me?" He finally asked the question she had been expecting. There was no hesitation in the kitsune's answer.

"Yes." Amako nodded. "I don't know how or exactly when it happened, but yes, I love you." Her tails finally came to life and moved closer to the human. The white tipped appendages snaked mischievously over the floor and through the air. Akira watched as they cautiously touched his legs, shoulders, back, and arms. He gently pet one of her furry tails that rested in his lap like a pet cat.

"I missed the softness of your fur." He was happy to feel it once again.

"Aw." Her smile finally reemerged once again. "I knew you liked my fur." Amako touched the back of his hand only to pause. She looked at him with worry in her eyes. "You're cold!" She whined at the fact. "I promised not to let you feel a chill ever again." Amako recalled what she had once said. Before Akira could respond, the kitsune dove into his arms. Taken aback, the human blinked with a gaping mouth as she tightly hugged him. All of her tails writhed with life and coiled around him, pressing against his back and resting against his sides. It was a sensation he never thought he would feel again. Akira held her close, not wanting to let go. The warmth from her body spread through him like the spring sun.

"You would not mind if I requested to stay here with you?" He asked, breaking the quietness between them.

"No!" She happily cried without hesitation. "Please do!" Her claws gripped him tightly, threatening to tear into his clothes. "Please don't leave me." She whined in his arms.

"I won't." He softly told her. The vixen's ears wiggled upon hearing his words. Amako slowly drew back and looked at him. She wiped her eyes but didn't waver. Her copper golden eyes were full of hope, desire, and love. Every ounce of her soul wanted him to stay. Just as he was about to speak, the creating of a floorboard interrupted their intimate reunion. Their heads quickly whipped around only to hear someone scamper away. Amako and Akira looked at each other next. Both exhaled pent up sighs in the moment of levity.

"My sisters are nosy." Amako finished wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "The misery I have put them through is enough to-"

"Amako." He stopped her.

"Yes-?" She paused as his hands coddled her shoulders. He drew closer and gingerly touched his lips to her fuzzy mouth. Akira kissed her softly at first, but pressed their mouths and noses firmly together. The fox's hands clamored along his arms to hold onto him, wanting the moment to last forever. When they finally parted, Akira uttered the words the kitsune had waited so long to hear.

"I love you." He finally spoke his true feelings towards her. The look in her eyes reflected pure happiness. Amako squealed in delighted joy as she hugged him once again. The few tails not already wrapped around the human waved in the air happily. Akira smiled but the force from her sudden burst of energy knocked him onto his back. With the kitsune laying on top of him, there was no other place he would rather be as her sweet laughter filled the shrine's walls with joy.

END (or wedding ceremony?)