FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

A pair of young eyes anxiously watched the world go by from his seat. Everything close by seemed to zip by in a hurried blur, but the hills, towns, clouds, and forests farther away lingered much longer in his sights. The soft clacking of the train was barely heard compared to the occasionally rocking of the train car. The ride, as well as time itself, seemed eternally slow for the young ten year old boy. Sitting beside him, his mother was quietly reading a book. She easily took notice of his silent stare through the window.

"Did you enjoy seeing the mountains?" His mother asked without lifting her gaze.

"Hmm... The countryside is very different from the city. Why does grandpa live so far away from us? Why can't he live in the city?"

"He likes living in the countryside, Keiji."

"Why?" Keiji asked. She looked up from her book.

"It's beautiful. Many trees, terraces, hills, and flowers fill the area. It's quiet without hearing traffic, construction, or many crowds of people. You can hear birds, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves, and... ah, I am getting carried away." She smiled. "He grew up in the countryside, and that's where he likes to be." The explanation seemed long winded and strange to her son, who had other immediate desires in mind.

'There are no stores or places to buy toys.' He thought to himself. Through with fidgeting in his seat for the past half hour, he desired an adventure to pass the remaining time aboard the train. "Can I walk around mom?" He quickly spun in his seat and leaned towards her. The wise woman gave him a knowing look.

"Behave yourself." Her simple words were well measured. However, they were merely taken as a yes by her son. Keiji sprang to his feet and into the aisle. Hurrying up the aisle, he passed by many others riding the train. Plenty were asleep in their seats, the ride merely part of a typical commute. To the young boy it was an opportunity to play without any limits.

'This train car isn't too crowded.' He observed plenty of empty seats. His mind imagined little games to play before the train arrived back home in the city. However, after several minutes he became tired. Sitting down in an empty window seat, he slumped to the side and closed his eyes. With a brief yawn, he fell asleep in the empty seat.

***

Thump! A noise made Keiji stir from his brief slumber.

"All passengers, we have arrived at the next destination..." A dull voice on the intercom spoke. "Please exit where the doors are open."

'Huh?' He rubbed his eyes and noticed people moving down the aisle with their belongings in hand. Jumping to his feet, Keiji stood behind a line of passengers waiting to exit. Peeking out the small windows as they shuffled along, Keiji could see that the train had indeed stopped at a station.

"We're here already?" He hadn't realized that the train stopped moving. 'I must've overslept. Mom didn't wake me up.' The boy looked around but didn't see his mother anywhere.

'Mom must be waiting for me outside!' He quickly scrambled outside the closest exit where others were filing out. Bright sunshine greeted him as he exited with the little crowd. After rubbing his eyes, the boy looked around puzzled. The station's platform was different than he had remembered. Even the station to his right looked older in appearance. A large Torii gate spanned across the entire width of the platform.

'Did we stop in another town first?' He waited as others filed out with their luggage in hand, walking around him. Not seeing his mom anywhere, they boy followed everyone else from the boarding platform and towards the station. Keiji passed under the gigantic Torii gate. He was careful not to bump into people while looking for his mom. A man walked by Keiji, but the boy noticed a large pair of horns protruding from his head. They curled up slightly appearing more realistic than any decoration or mask the boy had seen before.

'Huh?' He stared before looking away, but another person had a red face with a long red nose, and white hair. The person wore an overcoat made of straw as well as woven sandals. Everyone was odd by appearance or clothing. Even one person possessed fishy scales instead of skin and had fins on top of his head and ears! The scene was so bizarre, Keiji didn't know what to make of it.

'Is this some kind of festival?' He stared wide eyed at the odd people around him.

"Ticket please." A nearby voice drew his attention away. Keiji spotted an elderly couple dressed in robes talking to a tall slender uniformed figure. However, a tail and animal ears made his eyes widen. The figure turned revealing a feline head, just like a cat.

"That's a cat!" He said only to cover his mouth.

"Hey! Who are you?" A commanding voice called out. Another uniformed cat approached him.

"Uh..." The startled boy's mouth gaped open. "Wh-what?"

"Ticket, please." The white gloved feline extended a hand towards him. Panic coursed into the boy's veins and his legs turned to run. "Halt! Stop!" The cat yelled. Keiji jumped over a few bags and carryon items and out of the small station. The boy found himself standing on the side of a street in a town he had never seen or imagined before. Without time to think, he bolted across and into an alleyway.

"Catch him!" Voices yelled as the uniformed felines chased after the boy. The narrow passage didn't seem to end. Each twist and turn led him between several buildings like a maze. He hoped it would result in a dead end. Glancing over his shoulder, the hair on his neck stood up at the sight of three cat people chasing him.

'What are they?!' He didn't stop running. The window to a small building up ahead opened up. 'A turtle?' He couldn't believe the shape he saw leaning out of the window, but he didn't have time to stop and ask questions. Keiji ducked to avoid running into the old turtle, but hit a small glass tube in its hands. Powder fell directly onto the boy's head, and getting in his eyes.

"Ah! I can't see..." He rubbed his eyes. Blindly turning a corner, his leg hit a hard object. "Oof-!" He fell forward. Falling over a small crate, he crashed into several baskets and tumbled over. One large basket fell overtop of him, shrouding him in darkness. The sound of footsteps approached and briefly stopped before they continued running through the alleyway. After a few moments they disappeared altogether.

'They're gone.' Keiji thought to himself only to suddenly feel sick. The sickening feeling only grew worse with each passing second. Overcome with nausea, he writhed on the ground in darkness.

"Ugh..." He moaned. His entire body itched and ached all over. His skin felt like it was becoming covered with a coarse blanket.

"Are you ok?" A voice called out as the baskets were lifted off him. The darkness vanished and there was sunlight all around him. Taking a deep breath, the odd ailments had dissipated. He caught his breath and shakily rose to his knees. A hand helped him stand up.

"Thank you..." He opened his eyes and looked up. Dressed in a silk kimono was a beautiful lady, although she wasn't exactly human. The figure standing before him had the head of a fox, a furry body, and numerous white tipped tails.

"You're a fox!" He jumped back only to feel something odd attached to his lower back. "What the..." He turned and saw a tail dangling behind him. "Huh?" He grabbed ahold of his own face only to feel something protruding from where his nose should've been. He slowly reached up to touch his face only to feel a furry muzzle instead. His mouth quivered in shock, but that wasn't all. His hands had changed too! Black pads replaced palms, claws replaced nails, and fur was visible in place of skin. In a puddle of water, he could see his new image clearly.

"I'm a fox!" He shrieked only for a hand to clamp over his muzzle.

"Sh! They might come back if they hear you say that." The fox lady told him. He whined and nodded. "You're definitely not a fox... Are you a human?" She peered closer.

"Of course I'm a human!" He wailed only for her to clamp his muzzle shut again. "Mmph!" He whined.

"I thought so. I sensed something was different about you. What happened?" She slowly released his mouth to talk.

"I don't know. These cat people were yelling and chasing me." He worriedly looked around.

"They're Houxi cats. You want to stay away from them." She advised.

"Houxi cats?" He felt his ears perk up.

"They're a bureau of cats who guard the town from people who shouldn't be here... What I want to know is how you got here." She questioned him. "Did you run away from your parents?"

"N-no!" He recalled everything starting on the train. "I was asleep on the train and then I was on the platform. I saw a man with horns on his head, and then a cat person yelled at me. I ran and then a turtle dropped something on me..." He blurted everything out.

"Are you telling me you came here through the train?" She looked at him with mild disbelief.

"Yes!" He quickly nodded. The fox lady was concerned.

"Well, you won't be able to sneak on board again, at least not anytime soon. All those Houxi cats will be combing through the area looking for you... Or at least a human boy. We have to change you back before that."

"I want to go home." His eyes started to water up.

"Don't cry." The kitsune comforted the boy. "Hmm. I can't just leave you all alone... I work and live at an inn. You can stay there with me for now, but you'll have to work." She offered her hand.

"Okay..." He wiped his eyes and nodded before taking ahold of her hand.

"Good. I will lead the way." She walked with him onto a street. "What's your name?"

"It's Keiji."

"I'm Fusago." She smiled. Looking to his side, the kitsune's tails elegantly flowed behind her.

"You have a lot of tails." His eyes couldn't keep up with how many were swaying behind her.

"Yes, I do." She said proudly. Glancing all around, the town Keiji found himself in was completely bizarre. The architecture of every building was premodern. Shrines and temples featured okichigi roof designs, and nearly everything was made from wood or stone. Although, the shrines were little structures and very simple in design. Some had small Torii gates, roofs, or painted poles of varying colors. Others had inscribed stones, ornamental vessels, and small statues inside. Everything was made from naturally occurring sources like timber, stone, and thatch.

"Are those shrines?" He asked.

"Yes. That's where many spirits receive prayers and offerings from humans back in your world." The kitsune answered.

'Wow...' Looking at the ground, the simple road they were walking on resembled an old cobblestone design. Side streets and alleyways were essentially dirt pathways. Looking up, the sky was no less strange to his eyes. It was clear and sunny, but a giant blue fish was floating in the sky high above them.

"Where am I?" He looked around the completely bizarre town. It felt more akin to a dream than reality.

"You're in the town between the afterlife and the human world... You know, the spirit world."

"The spirit world..." Keiji said in disbelief. Although, it made more sense than anything else.

"Is there anything else you aren't telling me?" She asked. "How did you turn from a human into a fox? You mentioned something about a turtle."

"Something fell on my head when I ran by a turtle. He was leaning outside a window." Keiji recalled and felt the top of his furry head. 'I have ears!' He felt two large triangular fox ears atop his head.

"Stop that. You look silly." The kitsune told him as they turned a corner and approached a large tall building with several floors.

"What place is that?"

"It's called the Fox Tower, because a lot of foxes come here during the spring and summer. This is where I work." Up above at the top floors Keiji could see people gathering and hanging laundry. On the ground level statues of foxes, tigers, and dragons surrounded the perimeter. The boy couldn't help but gawk at the presence of a living feral tiger curled up asleep beside one of the statues.

"C'mon. Stop staring." Fusago tugged him along and inside. Through two large doors, he was greeted by an atmosphere that was busy, calm, and lively all at once. Guests were chatting noisily at round dark wooden tables like western styled restaurants. The tables were surrounded by low back walls, or moveable folding screens for some privacy. Workers were quick footed and ready to cater for any patron's needs. The kitsune led him to a red panda who was directing other workers where to go.

"Hey Fusago, who's the kid?" A male calico cat asked.

"I'll tell you later." She said without stopping.

"Ah, Fusago. You're back... Is this a guest?" The red panda eyed the kitsune suspiciously.

"No. This is Keiji, and he needs to stay here and work for the time being."

"Stay here and work, eh?"

"Madame, I can take him under my wing so he can work for you."

"Hmm... Another worker." The red panda lady rubbed her chin in thought. "I'll allow it."

"Thank you!" The vixen smiled, although Keiji wasn't sure how to feel about working in such a busy place.

"But I need you to help serve tea to Yen Lo right now. He has just arrived." She pointed with the aid of a fan.

"Yes ma'am." She nodded before kneeling down to Keiji.

"Do what you're told, stay out of trouble, and don't talk much." Fusago ordered him. "Madame will not let anything bad happen to you. I'll come back to get you when I'm done."

"Okay." He nodded. The kitsune flashed a smile before quickly departing. The red panda lady looked down at Keiji with hesitation. Tapping her fan in hand, she thought before reaching over and grabbing something.

"Stand here with a tray and wait for food and drinks to be called. Then give them to our guests. If you think you're finished, then find something else to do." She told him.

"Yes ma'am." He nodded and stood patiently to be called, but silently hoped that he wouldn't be. Keiji felt nervous as he pressed his back against the wall. The large room was full of odd people. Some looked like ghosts, others were animals, but a few at east resembled being human. Glancing up, there were plenty of decorations on the walls ranging from simple fans to large silk paintings to even samurai helmets. Upper sections of wall were used as kamidana, spirit shelves. The male calico cat from before stood beside him.

"Hey, I'm Nao. You're filling in for Kawamara?"

"Who?" He blinked.

"So, you're new here?" The grey furred feline guessed.

"Um. Yeah. Fusago brought me here to work."

"You're friends with Fusago... She once shot a ball of fire at me when I tried asking her to go with me on a date." He glibly told Keiji.

'What?' His eyes opened at the scary thought. The kitsune had never appeared malicious or fierce to him. Movement on a low shelf caught his eye next. A fat little statue made of a dark red metal was moving. No bigger than a citrus fruit, the long pen in hand quickly scribbled onto a limitless piece of paper that curled as more lines were added.

"What is that?" He watched as the little statue was writing down every order and word spoken.

"The kitchen god. He records everything." Nao shrugged.

"Does it record what I say?" Keiji asked.

"Yes."

'Hmm.' The boy felt paranoid and kept his lips sealed. Peeking across an entryway, he could barely see into the kitchen. A few iron cauldrons were cooking over open flames while cooks were quickly walking around, tending to things. His eyes widened seeing one of the empty iron cauldrons transform into a raccoon dog. He watched the animal scurry away as a chef yelled at it.

"Get back here!" A man darted past the boy's sight.

'What the-!'

"Hey, kid!" A voice brought Keiji back to what was going on in front of him. "Give this to Mr. Zhen." A tall and slender man with grey skin and two large horns protruding from his head was looking at him.

"Uh-h, yes!" Keiji stood up straight and accepted the glass. His nose smelled a peculiar alcohol aroma. "Don't drink or eat whatever the cook hands you." Nao's voice told him.

"I'm not." Keiji quickly walked over to the table, weaving around others who were standing or other waiters hurrying about. Approaching a far table against the wall, there was a red haired spirit seated alone. He had three empty cups before him, but his eyes were closed, apparently asleep. Keiji set the drink on the table and quietly left the lonely guest to himself. As he walked back to the wall, the boy noticed other unique and interesting guests. There were several crows on a neighboring small table cawing at each other. A crane wearing a large conical hat was standing silently among them. At another table there was a monkey talking to several ghosts, tengu, other animal people, and creatures.

"My brother once stole a human toddler because he was bored." The monkey spoke. "But he returned the little human in less than a day."

"Why?" His compatriots looked at each other curiously.

"Who can listen to all of that crying?" He erupted into a shrieking laugh. Keiji passed by another table with actual humans seated. A bald man was talking.

"Namazu was causing an earthquake the other day." He fretted. "I'm glad that catfish has quite its temper tantrum.

"That's good to hear."

"Speaking of news, I heard that a young human boy escaped into this town earlier today." A low voice caught Keiji's newly attentive fox ears.

"I heard that too." Another quietly spoke. "The Houxi cats are probably looking everywhere for him.

'A boy escaping!' Keiji wondered if they were talking about him. The merchant caught sight of the boy standing close by.

"Bah! A trickster fox. Go away!" He frowned and waved a hand. The boy scurried off to the wall without hesitation. As the evening progressed, catering drinks became easier, but the fast paced work environment easily became stressful for the boy. Orders were swift and promptly followed through.

Walking across the room after another run, Keiji's lingering gaze at a table of elderly female ghosts costed him. He accidentally bumped into a seated baboon's outstretched arm. The cup in hand was knocked out, spilling onto the floor. The boy panicked and froze at the mess he had created.

"My drink!" The baboon became enraged.

"I'm sorry!" Keiji quickly began wiping up the spilled drink. He scrunched his eyes shut for a moment, feeling tears well up from his folly.

"You stupid brat!" The patron roared. Looking up, the boy could see anger across the baboon's face as he prepared to strike with a short staff in hand. A flash of color darted across his blurry, watery vision. A resounding clack of wood against wood halted the baboon's strike. Blinking, Keiji could see that the madame's fan had intercepted the baboon's staff. The older red panda lady herself was standing over Keiji.

"I am the owner of Fox Tower, and nobody lays a hand on a worker. You can leave or be thrown out if you prefer." She firmly spoke. "I'll put so many lumps in your skull that not even the dancing demon brothers will be able to take them all out." The baboon humphed and prepared to leave. Keiji scrambled to his feet and ran away despite the onlookers. A hand grasped him by the wrist and pulled him aside to a quieter hallway. Kneeling before him was the kitsune from before.

"F-Fusago!" He gasped.

"I heard a big commotion. Everything alright?" She asked. He frowned and felt his triangular ears fall back against his head.

"I spilled a drink and someone was mad at me." All of the frustration of his plight bubbled to the surface. The boy clutched two handfuls of her clothes, and hid his face in her kimono.

"You did fine." She patted his back consolingly.

"No! I knocked it over..." Keiji started to cry. He wasn't sure how many minutes had passed, if any, but it felt good to get the crying over with.

"Better?" She asked when he finished. Keiji nodded and took a few deep breaths.

"Yeah."

"Good. It's been a long evening for you. Let's go upstairs to sleep." The kitsune led him down the hall, passing a few guests and workers along the way to a flight of stairs.

"What did you do for the evening?" He asked.

"I unfortunately had to serve tea to Yen Lo... But I normally work in the bathhouse section of the tower."

"You bathe people?" Keiji found it really odd, and furrowed his brow.

"Rarely. I usually control the water's temperature, provide towels, food, and anything else. The worst part is having to clean up the entire place if we have a messy guest." She stuck her tongue out briefly. "Other than that, I occasionally serve tea in one of the other quieter rooms." She held his hand and walked him up the flight of stairs to the fourth floor. There were no guests present, only workers of various species and backgrounds. There were no real rooms either, only random nooks or corners several feet wide and long to sleep in. Workers were laid out or seated on mats to sleep, either in small groups, pairs, or by themselves. It was much quieter than the throng of activity on the first floor. Fusago took Keiji to one spot that bordered an outdoor balcony.

"This is where I usually sleep." The vixen pulled out a second mat for him. It may not have been a bed, but it was better than just sleeping on the wooden floor. Stepping outside, he sat down on the walkway.

"Tired?"

"Mhm." He mumbled.

"I'll get you something to eat." She offered.

"Thanks." He pressed his forehead against the middle railing and stared out into the late evening town sights. The vantage point gave him a good view of the town, and its many strange qualities. Candlelight from paper lanterns illuminated the streets in a soft evening glow. Most had retired for the night, but a few people were lingering in the streets. It was quiet, a complete change from downstairs. Further out he could see a forest and then tall dark mountains pierced the horizon behind the town.

'Where am I?' He couldn't begin to comprehend the most basic questions stirring within his mind. An overwhelming sense of being lost left him feeling helpless.

"Hey, Keiji." He heard Fusago returning. Looking over, he noticed something in her hand. "Here." She handed it to him.

"Thank you." He was surprised that it was the only thing she had brought him to eat. It looked like a large round piece of bread with an unknown filling. "Is the food normal?" He asked as she handed it to him.

"How is food not normal?" She found it funny. "Eat it. You haven't had anything all day." Stomach growling, he took a big bite.

"Mm!" The bread had a very soft and chewy texture with a meaty filling. It was devoured in a hurry, but a full stomach didn't fill the emptiness in his heart. The situation he was in frustrated him.

"Can you send me home?" He asked.

"I cannot." Her ears fell back.

"But you're a real fox. Can't you use your magic?" He didn't understand.

"I can use magic, but it would take something enormous to be able to send you back to your home on a whim." She snapped her fingers which created a little flame that vanished in an instant to make a point. "I can't even undo the odd spell that the turtle accidentally put on you... Whatever powder he created, it really worked." She combed through the fur in his head.

"I miss my mom." He choked up some as his eyes watered. A consoling arm and tail wrapped around him. The boy found himself in the kitsune's caring embrace. She patted his back.

"Don't worry. I'll help you get back to normal and go home." She promised.

"Thank you." Keiji wiped his eyes, and looked back outside. "Where exactly am I?" He sighed.

"I already told you." She plainly spoke. "You're in a spirit town. A place between the living world and the heavens where the gods reside, but also many other worlds too."

"What other worlds?" He wondered.

"It shouldn't be too difficult to explain..." She thought aloud. "There is the world of darkness where the dead reside, and then there's obviously the heavens. They're all different from the land of yellow fields, the land of blue rivers, and so on." She motioned with her wrist.

"What are those mountains?" He pointed towards the far distance.

"Just mountains, although I wouldn't want you to go there. They can be dangerous. Monks and hermits, yamabushi, occasionally go there on spiritual retreats, but they usually stay in the wooded foothills or the small forest outside of town." She explained to him. The boy could only sigh at what he had heard. The reality of the entire mishap had finally settled onto his young mind Looking over, he gazed at Fusago. He had a hard time believing that the whole ordeal wasn't a dream, but the lady covered in fur was a mystical fox! He was sitting next to a multiple tailed kitsune, something that only existed in a storybook. Yet, there she was, along with everyone else, seated beside him. He reached up and pet her ears, much to the kitsune's amusement.

"You should get some sleep." She advised him. "Work starts early in the morning, and you'll hear the chime of a bell when it's time to wake up." Keiji laid down on the mat and stared outside. The upper story of the Fox Tower and peaceful and the view was scenic, but his ear perked up detecting an approaching commotion.

"Hey! Fusago!" A male voice spoke. A calico feline from before was parading over towards them.

"Hey Nao... Hello Mujina." Fusago smiled at a female badger tagging along. "And hello, Yoshimochi." A bulky tanuki carrying a large saki jar was also with them.

"Good evening to you." Mujina waved.

"I brought something for us to drink... as I always do." The tanuki held up an empty cup.

"Are you wearing talismans and good luck charms?" Fusago noticed several items around Nao's person. Necklaces, belts, and earrings among others were in plain sight.

"Maybe..." He spoke sternly despite the many good luck charms clacking noisily together. All four formed a loose circle. Although, when Mujina sat down her fur changed color from a light tan brown to a darker brown.

"Wait. Who is that behind you?" Nao curiously looked around the vixen.

"Sh! Sh!" Fusago waved a hand and hushed the loud feline. "It's an odd story, but um... Let's allow him to fall asleep." She suggested.

"Fine."

"What are we playing?"

"We're playing tien len tonight." He smiled.

"What? You aren't interested in playing mahjong?" Fusago questioned.

"Not a chance!" The feline held up a hand, revealing his deck of cards.. "We are playing cards tonight. Ah! This deck of cards will bring me renewed luck!" The calico cat declared and began shuffling in earnest. "Shuffle! Shuffle!" He cut the deck a final time before dealing. Keiji closed his eyes, hoping to find sleep despite the rowdy group playing behind him.

***

Several rounds had passed and Fusago found herself vying against her calico feline friend Nao. The tanuki and badger watched the pair closely. Nao had several cards in his hand, and Fusago had only three. Using the cards as a fan, she eyed the floor keenly where other cards had been laid.

'I am in a tough bind here...' She looked at the three jacks she had.

"Hmm..." Nao plucked out a few cards to play. "Three sevens." He laid them out in the middle.

"Aha! Look here!" She cheered and revealed her final three cards with glee. "I'm out."

"Fusago!" Nao covered his mouth.

"Don't be so shocked that you lost to me." She grinned and laid all three down overtop his own.

"The fox!" The feline pointed behind Fusago. "He's transforming!" Nao slapped his remaining cards onto the floor. Everyone's heads turned at the figure behind the kitsune. Behind her, Keiji had been unable to fall asleep. The card games had kept him awake into the early night, but his tired eyes had finally closed and managed to find sleep. Keiji's fur receded as his head lost its vulpine ears and muzzle. His tail disappeared as his hands and feet returned to normal. The kitsune's eyes widened as he changed. "Oh my... He really is a human!" Her mouth gaped open. Before ten was a sleeping human boy!

"You're a kitsune. Shouldn't you have known that already?" Nao guessed.

"I knew he was a human, but it just surprised me." She admitted.

"Why did he change suddenly?"

"I don't know..." She stared at Keiji who was sound asleep.

The chirping of a bird through the silence made Keiji's ear flick up.

"Huh?" Eyes peeked open only to stir, fully awake. 'Wait!' Keiji quickly sat up and looked around. He was sitting on a mat on a wooden floor beside a large open door leading to an outdoor walkway. He stared for a moment and watched the little chirping bird perched atop the railing. None of it had been a dream.

"I am still a fox." He looked at his black furred forearms and hands, although it wasn't very surprising. The previous day felt all too real to be a dream anyway. Looking over, the mat beside him was empty. 'She is gone.' Glimpsing around, there were others still asleep on their mats, or only beginning to wake up. 'I don't think I have to work yet.' He looked back outside.

"Hello!"

"What the..." Keiji was surprised to see a small rabbit on a floating pole, hovering just beyond the railing but within reach. The odd sight completely baffled the boy despite everything else he had seen. The rabbit was small, around his size, and the pole looking like an ordinary stick barely two meters in length. A large bag full of letters was hanging on a small knob with a large ring of at least two dozen various keys.

"Hey! This is for you!" The rabbit energetically spoke as a letter zipped through the air and into Keiji's hands.

"Huh? A letter..." He blinked at the small item in his possession.

"Bye." The rabbit said before suddenly rising in the air, and out of sight.

"Hey! Wait!" He jumped to his feet and called out. After a second the rabbit floated back down to him.

"What? Do you know how difficult it is to go back down like that?" The rabbit fussed.

"Sorry, but what's it like to fly?"

"You just hold on and go." The rabbit shrugged. Curiosity ablaze, Keiji stepped forward and grabbed onto the end of the pole. As soon as he had a stable grip, there was an immediate pull. Breath seemed to leave him as they instantly reached a fast speed.

"AAAAAHHH!" He yelled as they zipped through the air. He held onto the messenger rabbit and the pole with a tight grip, desperately holding on. His eyes could barely stay open from the blistering wind. Buildings blurred by as they cut through the air like a flying knife. The rabbit skillfully flew between buildings, above trees, and around birds without batting an eye.

"Slow down!" Keiji yelled only to lose his grip. The sky briefly stopped moving and then he began to fall. World spinning, the terrifying descent abruptly ended with a splash. "Blah!" Air bubbles escaped from his mouth as he swam up. With an audible gasp, his head emerged from the water's surface. His paws touched a rocky silt surface underwater, and he managed to steady himself. Water in his eyes, he waded blindly before something slapped the water right in front of him.

"Hey! Take this!" A young female voice made his ears stand up straight. Feeling around, he grasped onto a rope before being pulled into shallower waters. Sputtering and coughing, he took in several shaky breaths before wiping his eyes. He fell onto the grassy ground with relief. He was dripping wet and shaken up, but thankful to be alive after falling from such a height.

"Thank you..." He breathed and found himself looking at another fox. Dressed in meager clothes, she was roughly his height, and possessed only a single tail.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so." He nodded.

"You should be careful. There are kappas that live in this water." The young vixen told him.

"Kappas?" The boy scratched his back only to feel something stick to him. "Huh?" Something round and oddly glowing was attached to his back. He pulled the item off his back and looked at the shining orb. "What the-"

"You found my star ball!" She clapped her hands together and squealed in delight.

"This is yours?" He looked at the ecstatic vixen.

"Yes! I was playing around here and lost it. I was looking for it when you fell from the sky. Please give it back to me!" She held out her hands.

"Sure." He returned the oddly magical item to her.

"Thank you." She leaned over and kissed him. Keiji's jaw slackened and he blinked in surprise. "I'll never forget your kind act." She sweetly spoke before running away.

'She... kissed me.' He couldn't believe it.

"Kid! Hey!" A voice started the boy from his sudden stupor. At only three feet tall, Keiji was surprised to be looking down at a male rat dressed in priestly robes. Carrying a long staff with several shining golden keys, his presence seemed mystical and wise despite being of small stature.

"Boy!" His aged voice squeaked.

"Y-yes sir?"

"Why are you standing here gawking like that?"

"Huh? What?"

"You're so difficult!" The old rat exclaimed. "Go! Follow her!"

"O-Okay!" Keiji hastily leapt to his feet and ran along the grassy slope. However, he had lost of the vixen he had inadvertently helped. 'Where did she go?' He slowed down and looked around the tall trees bordering several homes. He did not know where he was to begin with. Scratching his head, he could feel water squish between his fur.

"I'm still wet too..." He looked at himself only to hear humming nearby. Looking beyond several bushes at a small home, he spotted a lady outside. A beautiful red panda woman was tending to a clothesline. Her fur was a brilliant pattern of dark browns, reds, hints of orange, and white. She wore a lengthy dress that was open, revealing a yellow shirt and pair of pants that appeared very modern.

'Who is she?' Keiji watched her fold clothes and drop them into a basket.

"Why are you watching her?" Someone spoke as a hand settled on his shoulder. Keiji jumped and spun around finding himself staring at a lady kitsune kneeling behind him. However, it was a fox completely different from Fusago. She had three tails and her fur had more of an orange complexion.

"Uh, I wasn't... I was looking for someone else." He tried to explain himself.

"You're soaking wet too..." Her brow wrinkled curiously. The lady fox held out an arm and opened her hand at him before tightly balling it into a fist. There was a sudden tug that the boy felt.

"Woah..." Keiji stood up and watched as all of the water in his fur pulled away. The water traveled through the air and into an earthen jar. "How did you do that?" He touched his dry fur and clothes.

"I work for the spirit of this river." She explained. "Come with me." She suddenly seized him by the wrist. "You have some explaining to do." The fox led him into a house. Old fashioned, it was styled like a tiny dojo of sorts with a wide open floor made from oak. Calligraphy inked on washi paper was hung along the walls, and one section had a kamidana containing a special mirror. Incense burned in one corner creating a pleasant aroma along with several freshly picked flowers resting beside it. Seated in the middle of the room was a white furred kitsune. Many lengthy tails rested on the floor behind him. Wisps of thin smoke escaped a very long pipe extending from his mouth. He was the perfect picture of a wily, sage fox.

"Sadamitsu," The vixen stepped forward. "I found this young boy disguised as a fox spying on Lady Murakami."

'She knows I'm a human!' Keiji worried. 'Are they going to turn me in to the Bureau cats?' He wanted to flee but the vixen's grip was tight as a clamp. The white fox calmly set aside his lengthy pipe.

"I already know everything..." He waved a hand to their surprise. "Take this and go to the street." He pointed away from the river before retrieving something from within his robes. Keiji looked curiously at a small dark colored ball, no bigger than an apple in the white fox's palm.

"Uh. Thank you." He accepted the odd gift. The round object was heavier than it looked and felt cool to the touch.

"You may go now." He reiterated and waved. Keiji nodded and hurried outside much to the vixen's astonishment. He walked around the house and found himself on the edge of a street.

"What does it do?" He looked at the heavy ball of iron in his hand. However, the boy had other priorities to figure out. "How do I get back to the inn? I'm pretty sure the morning already rang." He wondered and looked up and down the area. A female badger and skunk were walking towards him on his side of the street. Both were clad in simple loincloths with sashes, and a long band of cloth wrapped around their chests. They were hearty and heavily built, but by no means fat or lazy. The skunk and female badger carried a large amount of chopped wood over their backs with an odd item following them.

"What the..." Keiji watched a little hand axe with two small legs walking behind the two ladies. The odd sight baffled the boy. 'They're big and tall.' Looked up at the pair of women who were nearly six feet tall. A split log suddenly fell out of the badger's large sack of wood, and onto the ground with a dull thud before Keiji. The axe noticed and jumped up with excitement.

"Chop! Chop!" The little hand axe exclaimed despite having no mouth. Running towards the fallen block of wood, he skidded to a halt and bent backwards. With all his energy, his head swung forward and chopped the block of wood cleanly in half.

"Aahh!" Keiji yelped out of surprise. The hand axe fell back onto the ground with an exhausted, but content sigh.

"Good job, Kiru!" The skunk and badger paused to congratulate it.

'The wood is cut cleanly in half.' Keiji was slack jawed at what had just happened. He watched the badger grab the tired legged tool and slip it across her waist sash.

"Oh. Here is your wood." He handed her the two smaller blocks of wood.

"Thank you, sir." The badger smiled and spoke with a sweet voice.

"You're welcome." He replied and watched them resume walking down the edge of the street. "Who in the world are they?" He thought aloud and looked up and down the street again. Seeing two women walking around with wood and a hatchet reminded him of something from the past, long ago.

'Everything feels so old...' He remembered pictures from a history book of towns resembling the scene in front of him. Of course, the world he was in had to be the exception.

"What do you mean it's so old?" A male voice spoke. Keiji turned around and found himself staring at a ghostly head floating above an open jar, mimicking a cobra rising from a basket.

"I didn't say anything." He told the faint, misty effigy.

"I heard your thoughts." The ghost explained.

"You heard my thoughts?" Keiji asked.

"Yes! I can hear everyone's thoughts who are nearby."

"Ooookay..." The boy quickly slipped away from the nosy ghost.

"Oh... Lonely lonely." He moaned and returned to his jar. Keiji walked several steps before looking over his shoulder.

"That was a creepy ghost..." He mumbled under his breath. The boy quietly walked by several small traditional houses and buildings. Little shrines and altars were almost as common as homes. He wondered what their significance was, and why there were so many.

'Who can I ask to get back to the inn?' He looked around. At one shrine, he spotted a naginata wielding tiger, fully dressed in armor. 'Maybe someone else...' The boy kept walking and hoped to find a person less menacing in appearance.

"Hello..." Keiji said as he approached a boy his age, standing beside a building. His muzzle dropped as the figure phased through the building wall, and disappeared completely as if it wasn't there to begin with. "Oh... He went right through the wall..." Baffled, he felt over the sturdy section with his hands, but there was no way for him to pass through the same way. Turning around, the boy nearly jumped at what he saw approaching from down the street.

'A Bureau cat!' Keiji stood frozen as the cat calmly walked by. The uniformed figure strolled along the street, glancing at several buildings as he went. The cat didn't even glance at the boy, and resumed his leisurely walk. 'That was close.' He exhaled. The boy was quick to resume his search for help, rather than aimlessly wander the spirit town's streets. Avoiding noisy and chatty shopkeepers, he stumbled upon another odd resident... or was it a persona at all?

"A cloud..." Keiji found himself staring at a cloud floating just above his height. The fluffy white mass looked soft and thick, like a levitating pillow. A mouse riding atop the cloud was standing, but fast asleep. A large bubble from his nose inflated and deflated with each silent breath. 'He is asleep?' Keiji guessed, but couldn't believe that a mouse person could stand atop a cloud like that. However, he also heard soft snoring from the fluffy white cloud.

"The cloud is sleeping too?!" The boy was surprised. The cloud's eyes blinked open from the sudden sound. 'It has eyes!' The cloud's eyes focused on the young fox standing before him.

"Master! Master!" Its excited high pitched voice yelled. "There is someone talking to you!"

"Huh?" The nose bubble popped as the mouse awoke. He immediately frowned at the boy standing before him. "How dare you wake me from my sleep!" The high pitched mouse squeaked as fiercely as he could. Keiji held back a laugh at the adorable voice. Enraged, the rodent jammed his staff into the cloud.

"Ow!" The cloud cried out and shot small a bolt of lightning at Keiji.

"AAHH!" He jumped as the tip of his tail was singed. He quickly scurried away before another bolt could strike. Running down a side street, he spotted a pond and quickly ran towards it. Skittering to a halt, he dipped his tail tip into the cool water and openly sighed.

"That really hurt!" Keiji paused to rub his tail. He was unscathed but several hairs were visibly singed. Letting go, he wagged it a few times. 'It is weird having a tail...' He thought to himself. Looking around, he found himself beside a large pagoda and a large pond. Two human sized frogs dressed in priestly robes were sitting atop giant lily pads and lotus flowers, meditating. Suddenly, having a tail didn't feel so weird after all. Across the waters, someone wash fishing with a simple bamboo pole. Keiji walked around the perimeter and approached the pagoda. It was bordered by beds of peony flowers. Their rich fragrances made him smile. Beside the building, two foxes were sitting across from each other with a large wooden block between them.

'They're kitsunes...' He realized and noticed several tails resting behind each one. He watched one fox think deliberately before digging into the wooden bowl creating a rustling sound. Between two padded and clawed fingers he carried a stone before placing onto the board with a resounding clack.

"Uh. Hello." Keiji hesitated to bother them during their game.

"You're a human, not a fox." The grey fox spoke as he studied the board.

"I never sensed another fox here." The other stated.

'They know?' Keiji was surprised. Neither had even looked up at him. The sound of a clack brought his attention back down to the board. "What are you two playing?" The game looked a little familiar to the boy. There were dozens of white and black stones placed throughout the board's grid pattern.

"A game of Igo." The grey kitsune spoke.

"Go? Is that an old game?" Keiji recalled his grandfather playing it once before.

"Yes. Much older than us." The orange fox nodded.

"The empowers of Heian-kyo played from what I have heard." The grey one added.

"Heian?" The boy blinked. "That was hundreds of years ago. We learned about that time and the Taira in school."

"Ah, the Taira clan. That was a long time ago." The grey fox remarked with a smile. "I remember walking down the streets in Kamakura, disguised as a samurai."

"Who was it? Yoshimoto or Yoritomo? I think he founded the city after defeating the Taira."

"Now it is merely a quiet little town. How things change in a few hundred years!" The other fox remarked.

"Humans think they are god-like, but they cannot destroy whatever they create." He breathed a sturdy sigh. "Mount Sobo was untouched, forests were wild, and the gods were revered alongside nature." He stated. "But now that has passed. Many have forgotten the older ways and think everything is new again."

'What are they talking about?' Keiji was confused by their constant rambling, but they seemed to know a lot!

"I think the boy is about to leave us." The grey fox looked up from the board. The other fox agreed with a nod much to Keiji's surprise.

"There you are!" A familiar female voice sternly spoke with volume. Turning around he spotted a familiar kitsune standing nearby.

"Fusago!" His ear perked up. The boy quickly ran to her and was greeted with a hug.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" Her voice changed to worry. "How did you get way out here?" It took the boy a moment to retrace his steps.

"There was a rabbit flying outside where we slept. He... well I grabbed onto his pole and then I fell off..."

"Uh huh." She eyed him unpleasantly. Keiji's ears fell down.

"Sorry for getting into trouble."

"I'm pretty sure we are all going to be in trouble if we don't hurry back." She kept an arm around him as they walked. "I should have a talisman made so I can know where you are at."

"Sorry." His tail drooped.

"Don't worry about it. I read the letter you received." She smiled at him.

"Oh. From the rabbit." He remembered and nodded.

"No. He delivers mail. It was from a turtle." She explained.

"Turtle..." Keiji thought back to yesterday. "Yeah. I ran by a window and there was a turtle who dropped this powder on me."

"Right." She firmly nodded. "He said in the letter that he apologized for accidentally transforming you into a fox. He is going to work on reversing whatever changed you into a fox."

"Really?! That's great!" He jumped with excitement.

"Mmhm." The kitsune nodded. "Things make sense now." She stated. "Last night, you transformed into a human when you fell asleep."

"I did?" Keiji couldn't believe it.

"Yep."

"Hey, you found him!" A grey furred cat wearing a traditional male kimono waved. He carried an odd lantern on a bamboo pole that resembled a fishing rod.

"Thanks for helping me locate him Yang Fu." The kitsune waved.

"My pleasure." The feline smiled and walked alongside them. "We should get back before anyone notices we are gone." He advised. All three returned to the Fox Tower after Keiji's little misadventure. Inside the main entrance room, there weren't very many people seated for lunch but Fusago didn't let go of the boy's hand as she walked to a back hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"You're staying with me for now." She eyed him.

"What am I going to do?" He asked.

"Clean a few bathing rooms with me." The vixen led him around a corner and down a hall. She approached a red door and paused before knocking. Keiji watched the vixen press an ear to the door before grasping the old bronze knob. "It's empty." She opened it and stepped inside. Keiji was greeted with a lingering steam. The room was humid and warm, evidence that someone had used it recently. It was larger than a standard bathroom, more akin to a living room or large master bedroom. The walls were a plain white, but the private room had a fancy taste of crown molding, scented soaps, and other subtle luxuries. A large empty cauldron styled tub was in the middle of the room. Fusago went over to a faucet on the wall where small buckets and cloths were kept. She quickly filled two small buckets with water.

"Don't regular rooms have baths? And why is this so big? I don't see a shower."

"Most do, but this is for people and spirits who cannot bathe themselves."

'Can't bathe themselves?' Keiji could only imagine elderly people.

"This isn't bad." She set one bucket beside him with a rag before moving a few steps away. "Sometimes you wouldn't believe what kinds of things have to be cleaned in here!" Her voice softly echoed in the square shaped room. Rolling up her sleeves, the fox knelt onto her hands and knees, and went to work. With a wet rag she began scrubbing the floor dutifully. Keiji looked at the cloth in his hand and then the water.

"Hmm..." The task reminded the boy of housework. "So you can't clean the room using magic?" He asked.

"No. That's ridiculous." The vixen looked over her shoulder at him. Without any enthusiasm, Keiji wet a rag and began scrubbing the floor with her. Even though he was in the spirit world, a chore was still a chore.

"Fusago."

"Yes?"

"When I left the train the other day, everyone looked human, but I haven't seen many humans in this town."

"That's because they were in disguise." She explained.

"Oh. But I saw some humans earlier."

"The few humans that are able to reach this spirit town and are allowed to visit have special passports. Didn't one of the Houxi cats stop you and ask for one?"

"I think so..." Keiji recalled being frightened at the sight of the cat. "Who gets passports to this town?"

"Certain people..." Fusago wrung out her rag before continuing to clean. "Certain monks who reside in special temples, and even lovers of spirits like kitsunes can gain access to passports." She spoke with a hint of romance. "Of course their children might be able to visit as well."

"Is that a lot of people?"

"No, it is not many." She answered. "I hope that you are scrubbing the floor well since you have so many questions to ask." Keiji's gaze dropped to the ground and began cleaning.

***

With a tired sigh, Keiji dropped his rag into a bucket. His muscles were already aching, but it was only the afternoon.

"Is this our last room?" He asked.

"Yep." She stood up and briefly stretched. "Let's take a break. Ill get us something to eat." She offered.

"Thank goodness!" Keiji plopped down onto the floor, much to her amusement. 'This will be the fourth room we clean... I don't want anymore.' The second room they had cleaned had been coated in a slick slime from an odd "slug guest" as Fusago had told him. It was a nightmare for them to clean. The door opened up.

"Alright..." Fusago walked across the room before taking a seat. "Let's eat." She patted the overturned bucket beside her. The boy bellied up beside her, and was given a bowl. It was a soup with plenty of noodles, chicken, rice, and a warm golden broth.

"Mm. Thank you." He began eating the well earned meal.

"I knew Yang Fu was cooking today. He's my favorite cook who works here." She said as they ate. "He was the feline who helped me find you earlier."

"He had that lantern."

"Yep."

"Why did he have a lantern? It's sunny outside."

"Mm. It's not an ordinary lantern. It points the direction of someone or something you are looking for. It's like a universal compass."

"Oh... How long have you worked here?"

"Hmm... It's been a long time." She thought aloud. "Maybe two hundred and thirty years?"

"Two hundred-what?" Keiji stared at her.

"Yeah, I have been here for a while." She nodded.

"How old are you?" He wondered.

"That's impolite to ask a lady." Fusago said only to smiled. "I'm two hundred and eighty seven."

"Wow. That's... really old."

"Maybe to a human. You're only ten, right?" She guessed.

"Yes... Can you read my thoughts?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"Haha! No I can't do that." She laughed. "But a nine tailed kitsune might as well be able to." Keiji wondered about the kitsune who gave him the mysterious iron ball.

"Thank you for the soup." He drank the bowl dry and set it aside. "Can I walk around for a while?" Keiji hopped to his feet.

"Yes, but don't leave the building without someone accompanying you." She told him.

"Okay!" Peeking outside, the boy looked around. He didn't know what he wanted to do during his brief break, but he didn't want to clean bath floors anymore.

'Crowded hallway...' He noted the large amount of people walking up and down the large hall. Young and old, human and non-human appeared completely fine alongside one another. Although, Keiji had to remind himself that some only appeared human.

"Keiji!" A voice called out. "We need your help in one of the baths!"

"Huh?" Looking over, the boy spotted a young anthropomorphic Akita dog roughly his height peering outside one of the other bathing room doors. "Me?" He pointed at himself.

"Yes! You!" The canine waved. Keiji hurried over and went inside.

"There's so much steam..." He squinted his eyes and waved a hand in front of his face. The mist cleared some, and he found himself in a room with a large cream furred "feral" dog sitting on its belly in the center.

"Hello!" He was greeted by two identical young male Akita dogs roughly his height. Both were wearing two small white loincloths wrapped around their waists with the aid of a rope. Their fur coats were spiky and damp from the humidity and bath water.

"Hi. Is it a giant dog?" Keiji blinked in disbelief.

"He is a giant dog god." One of the Akita brothers spoke up.

"Can you help us finish cleaning him?" The other asked.

"Well... Okay." He had offered to help them, and it was different from cleaning the floors. The two Akitas were enthused.

"Yes!"

"Thank you." One bowed.

"Wear this in case you get wet." The other Akita handed him a loincloth garment, exactly like the one he was wearing.

"This?" The sides were made of rope, and they held together a small cloth. 'It's less than underwear!' But heeding the fellow worker's advice, Keiji quickly disrobed and donned the meager loincloth with the ropes tied behind his back.

"Ready?" One of the young canine's asked.

"Yeah." Keiji set his clothes aside. 'Where is the bath?' He looked around the square shaped room. The floor had drains, but the only source of water was a pair of faucets by the wall, all with overturned buckets, brushes, and towels.

"We already got his back half, we just need you to do the left side and we can do the right side." He was handed a bucket full of warm water, and a small hand held brush. The pair of Akitas quickly resumed cleaning their side while Keiji walked over to the left.

"He's taller than me while sitting." He stared at the canine's torso, a literal wall of fur in front of him. He scratched his ear in thought, and felt his tail wag.

'It's nice having claws.' He looked at his black socked fox hands. Wielding the brush in hand, he began working. He scrubbed through the section of fur on the god's flank. Thankfully the cream coat of fur was soft and easy to brush. Keiji then grabbed the full bucket of water and splashed it against the spot he had just cleaned. He repeated the process at least a dozen times, gradually making his way from the dog's flank to his front leg.

'How did the dog get in this room? He's huge!' Keiji couldn't understand. "I'm at the head. Am I done now?" He called out as a sudden puff of air blew over his fur like a warm breeze. The large black nose was mere inches from his body. "Woah. Uh. Don't move..." Keiji felt vulnerable standing before the large dog, staring directly at him. The nose sniffed him curiously before a pink tongue darted out and washed over his entire front with one swipe.

"Ack!" His body was lifted up as the giant tongue licked him. When he was set down again, the gross feeling of his front being soaked in spit made him shudder. "Yuck..." He spaced his arms and legs as drool dripped off him. The large canine god merely smiled and panted with a lolling tongue. 'Drool feels worse with fur.' Keiji carefully walked over to the large faucet and cut it on. Hot water poured out and he quickly began rinsing himself clean. 'This is gross.' He wiped the slimy mess off.

"We're done!" He heard the Akitas declare triumphantly. Looking over, Keiji watched the dog god begin to stand up, but the ceiling was far too short to accommodate his height.

'He will burst through the ceiling!' His mouth gaped. Just before that could happen, the dog god shrunk down to the size of a common house pet. 'He can shrink?!' Keiji was baffled as the much smaller dog happily trotted outside and into the hall. The boy huffed a sigh as the two Akitas approached him.

"What happened?"

"I got licked..."

"Oohh."

"I have something that can help!" One of the Akita dogs ran over to their belongings and retrieved a hefty scroll. "This will dry your fur faster than any towel." He unraveled a large scroll and pressed his hands on a large inscribed ink marking. "Come on out!" The Akita dog barked. A puff of smoke emitted from the paper. It quickly dissipated revealing a tiny emerald green dragon wielding a giant open fan several feet in length. The word 'Gust' was written in ink on the surface.

"That's a big fan-!" No sooner had Keiji spoken did the odd creature swing the giant fan with all its might. "Aaahh!" The boy was blown with a powerful gust that sent him to the wall. The strong wind continued to blow for several seconds before dying down. Keiji slid down from the wall. Both Akitas were holding their moths as the dragon disappeared.

'My fur is a mess!' He could feel it puffed out in every direction, but at least he was completely dry.

"Here are your clothes." They quickly brought them to Keiji.

"Thanks..." He returned the loincloth and dressed himself.

"Thank you!" The first Akita saluted.

"Sorry that you got licked." The second bowed.

"It's okay. Thanks for drying me."

"We'll clean up the water. Thanks again." They bade Keiji farewell and bowed in unison once more.

'I can't believe that dog could shrink.' He stepped outside. 'Now which way did I come from?' He wondered where Fusago was cleaning at the moment. Meandering up the hall, he picked a door and opened it. Inside were several foxes like Fusago. One was seated and writing down something while others were tending to a certain mother fox. She was standing beside a privacy screen, completely naked with her infant child in her hands. Two servants or possibly workers were beginning to dress her. His jaw dropped at the sight, and he quickly slid the door shut. 'Okay... Knock first.' Keiji thought to himself.

"Excuse me." A young voice spoke. A young cream furred cat walked past Keiji with a stack of books in hand.

'I think he's a Houxi cat.' Keiji recognized that the feline was a domestic cat. 'But Nao is a cat, but not a Houxi cat.' The top book suddenly slipped away and landed on the floor with a soft thump. "Oops." The cat paused and stared at the fallen book.

"I'll get it." Keiji offered, and followed the cat to a particular room. Sliding the door open revealed a small, but very lavish living space. Privacy screens blocked sight of a sleeping area. Silk robes and garments were hanging over them. A pair of swords were crossed on one wall, and a large statue of the Buddha rested in a corner of the room, an odd mechanical wheel contraption made from wood slowly spun, resembling a windmill, among many other items.

'Wow.' The boy stared in awe at the beautiful items.

"You're back?" A second young cat of similar age was seated on a straw mat woven with blue string tassels. He was reading from a book among many others stacked around him.

"Yep."

"Who is that?"

"Someone... A worker I guess." He sat down beside him.

'That's a lot of books!' Keiji stared at the nearly dozen volumes between the two young cats.

"Can you help us study?" One cat asked.

"What are you studying for?"

"The imperial examination."

"I have never heard of it..." Keiji admitted. The two young cats looked at each other a little puzzled from his answer.

"If you want to get a national degree of recognition, then you must take the exams. The basis is from studying the four books and the five classics. You should understand them very well if you want to pass the exams."

"My strategy will be to make comparisons!" The second cat spoke proudly. "I'm thinking of ways to compare the Sh?en and Equal-Field systems."

"That doesn't make sense..." The first eyed the latter.

'What are they talking about?' Keiji wondered.

"Worker."

"Um. Yes?"

"Can you please bring these back to the library for me." The young cat requested.

"These?" Keiji looked at the small stack.

"Yes, please." The cat smiled with all of his teeth. Picking up the books, Keiji quietly slipped outside and carried them to the front of the building. Heading for the door, a voice stopped him.

"You're going out again?" The lady's voice startled Keiji. Looking back, the red panda woman was standing by with a questioning look on her face.

"Yes ma'am. There were two cats who wanted me to return some books to the library."

"Nao! Go along with Keiji so he doesn't get lost." The red panda lady requested. The feline quickly appeared.

"Yes ma'am!" The calico feline was quick to reply to the lady's request, and accompanied the boy. "So I heard that you were involved in some mishap yesterday evening." Nao spoke as soon as they stepped outside. Keiji frowned and didn't answer. "I heard it was hilarious. The Madame threatened to beat up someone. That doesn't happen often, Keiji."

"I don't want to talk about it." The boy mumbled.

"Haha. I don't know why not. It sounds like a fun story." The feline smiled.

"Just take me to the library." He felt flustered.

"Library?" An unknown voice hiccuped. "There are a lot of books in there..." Nao and Keiji looked around and spotted a pudgy figure was seated against one of the dragon statues, half asleep. A large jar rested on its side beside him.

"Isn't that someone from last night?" Keiji remembered a similar figure playing cards with Fusago last night.

"Stop. That's a tanuki I don't know." Nao tapped Keiji's back. "Maybe the only one I don't know."

"Are they bad?"

"Hardly! They can give you a lot of good luck!" The feline smiled as they kept walking. "Just don't drink any of the stuff he has. Children and saki shouldn't mix. I know that because I was once a child." He led the boy along the street and away from the drunken fellow. There were plenty of different spirit world people on the street.

"Nao, who are they?" Keiji looked at a group consisting of a tiger, wolf, and Shiba Inu. All three were tall and well built, wearing armor and possessing katanas.

"Looks like three people who could easily beat us up." Nao guessed.

"What?"

"I don't know who they are, but I wouldn't mess with them." The feline shrugged. "Now... This is the library." Nao pointed ahead to a modest building of stone and wood resting atop a small series of steps.

"What's the building beside this one?" Keiji looked at the large ancient structure. The terra cotta roof and timber work appeared very old, even for the spirit world's standards.

"That's the Confucian Academy. School was never my thing, so I have never been in there." Keiji began walking up the steps only for the feline to remain behind.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"I'll wait for you out here." He promised with a brief wave. Keiji walked up the steps and went through the large open doorway. The inside of the library was normal enough. Countless shelves lined the interior. Books and scrolls were stacked high to the ceiling in most places, but Keiji was wide eyed at a different sight before him. Behind a long counter was a large dragon with a thin and long body at least two dozen feet in length.

"Wow..." The boy stared in awe. The heavenly dragon took no notice of the boy's entrance and continued writing with a quill pen without pause. There were more creatures inside the library than just the dragon. Little white circular creatures with sources of light inside their opaque bodies were floating in the air or resting in nooks and corners of bookshelves. Their glows reminded him of candlelight. The black eyed creatures stared curiously back at Keiji.

"Ah, you have books to return I see." A voice interrupted the boy's curious gaze. The boy found himself looking at a short pudgy female Shiba Inu dressed in a colorful kimono.

"Yes. Thank you." He handed them over.

"Are you studying for the exams?" The older female asked.

"Oh uh, no ma'am. I'm returning them for someone else." He explained. "What are the glowing things?" He asked. "And who is that?" Keiji looked over at the dragon.

"These are book spirits." She explained. "And that's Ryo. He runs this library as well as the academy next door. You must be new in this town." She smiled.

"Uh. Yeah." He admitted.

"Where are you from?" The Shiba Inu inquired.

"I have to go. Thank you!" He quickly left.

"Kids are always in a hurry nowadays." The older canine hummed to herself in amusement. Keiji exited the library and walked onto the street.

"Uh oh." He felt something fall out of his pocket. 'I dropped something...' He searched the ground.

"Hey..." He heard Nao say. Spinning around, he found the cat holding his iron ball. "What is this thing?" The calico cat inspected the dark object.

"Hey! Give that back!" Keiji reached up only for the calico feline to hold it out of reach.

"Is it valuable?" He wondered aloud. "Maybe I could sell it for several taels of silver."

"I said give it back, Nao! That's mine!" The fox boy jumped and managed to snatch it from the feline. Keiji clutched the item close to his stomach.

"Hey, I was going to give it back."

"No you weren't." Keiji frowned and tucked the item away before swiftly walking away.

"Hey! Where are you running off to?"

"I need to hurry back to the inn!" He hurried with Nao not far behind.

***

The afternoon trailed into the evening and then finally to night. The Fox Tower had remained busy throughout the entirety of the day, but thankfully activity dwindled down to one table. The sun had already set when Keiji trotted to a final table of patrons enthusiastically enjoying the night. A round of cheers erupted as he returned.

"Thank you for the drinks little fox!" The horned man boisterously proclaimed.

"Yeah!" A tengu cheerfully shouted. Keiji blinked as a hand patted his head.

"You're welcome!" The boy hurried back with the empty tray. The red panda lady smiled approvingly as he passed by. Keiji stowed the tray away beneath a counter and gave a tired sigh. The rest of the first floor was otherwise quiet. Even the kitchen's normally blazing heat had cooled. The kitchen god, however, was still writing down the final orders and everything he had heard.

"Boy..." He was approached by the owner.

"Yes ma'am." He stood upright. The older red panda lady smiled.

"You're a good worker. Here's a tip." She handed him a few coins and a single cash bill folded in half.

"Thank you!" He brightly smiled.

"Go get some rest. I'll handle this." She patted his back. Without a word he hurried into the halls, leaving behind the calamity. The rest of the first floor was quiet and nearly silent. A few workers, maybe one or two, were sweeping or scrubbing the floor for tomorrow. Even the guests' rooms were quiet so far as his ears could tell. After climbing several flights of stairs, he reached the living quarters of the upper floors. Numerous lanterns kept the area brightly lit. The day's excitement and work all suddenly caught up with the youth.

'I am tired...' His shoulders slumped forward as he reached the top of the stairs. One of the large open rooms hosted several workers either naked or half naked, bathing themselves. Since the baths were reserved for guests, workers who lived at the inn had to make due with less. Most were sitting atop overturned buckets while cleaning themselves with wet cloths. Others were sprawled out onto straw mats with a simple towel across a waist to dry off. A few were even doing laundry. Despite the open quarters, nobody seemed to mind the brief lack of privacy. Keiji couldn't help but notice one pudgy raccoon lady laying on her front. Despite being completely naked, she was sound asleep, probably worn out from working hard all day. The boy completely understood how she felt.

He found his way to the spot where he and Fusago slept. Grabbing a mat, he unrolled it close to the open door facing the outside balcony. He plopped down and looked around before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the odd heavy ball that had been given to him. It subtly glittered under the starlight.

'I wonder what it does?' He turned his hands and concentrated.

"Whatcha got there?" A familiar voice asked.

"I don't know..." Keiji turned his head only to find himself nose to nose with a foxy face. "Ah!" He leaned away only for the kitsune to giggle. "You startled me."

"Sorry." She half grinned and sat down in front of him properly. The kitsune was only wearing a robe, but it wasn't even tied closed. "Now, what's in your hands?" Her gaze settled on him.

"I don't know. That old person at the river gave it to me."

"Old person at the river? You mean someone else?" She guessed and waned forward. Keiji's gaze traveled a little lower only for his eyes to widen with nervous shock.

"Don't lean forward naked!" He pressed a hand to the center of her chest. "Your breasts are... hanging!" The boy nearly stammered.

"Haha!" He physically felt her laughter through his hand. "They're supposed to do that." She chuckled lightly and calmly tied her sash. "But you're going to kick yourself in a few years for telling me to cover up like that..."

"What?" Keiji didn't understand what she meant.

"Never mind." She shook her head and turned more serious. "What's that in your hand?"

"Oh. I don't know..." He showed her the unique item. The rough ball resembled iron, but glittered under the moonlight.

"Hmm..." She observed it and thought aloud. "I don't know either, but maybe my aunt would be able to find out. Wanna go on a little vacation into the countryside?" She offered.

"Yes!" He grinned.

"Good. You need a break from this madhouse." She told him. "Get some sleep. We will leave in the morning."

"You're not still feeling dizzy, are you?" Fusago asked as they walked along a forest path, dappled with sunlight filtered throb the trees above.

"Um. No." He rubbed his head.

"Ok. We'll see." She let go of his hand, but kept a few tails behind him just in case. Keiji kept his balance though, and walked beside her despite the sloping terrain.

"I felt dizzy when you... brought us here." Keiji wasn't sure how to explain the way they had arrived at the edge of the forest. One second they were in the spirit town and then the next, they had appeared in the forest.

"It should be wearing off by now." She said as they emerged from the forest and found themselves at a sunny meadow of rolling hills.

"It's very beautiful here." He liked the rolling green meadows speckled with flowers.

"Mmhm. We're almost there." The kitsune hummed and led him uphill. Although, the fields weren't completely empty.

"What are all of those?" He pointed at the small stone and wood structures, typically a single standing tombstone, dotting part of the landscape.

"Little forgotten shrines and graves." Fusago told him. Keiji wondered who they belonged to, but stayed close to the kitsune. They approached a lone little house atop the sloping hill. It was surrounded by colorful chrysanthemums on both sides, reminding him of a countryside cottage.

"Fusago!" A figure waved from the doorway. The lady was a fox dressed in a kimono. The older kitsune had long fluffy tails swirling behind her, and resembled Fusago.

"Aunt Akiko!" She waved.

"Who is this handsome young fox?" She instantly took a liking to her younger friend. Keiji felt nervous at the smiling vixen as her tails reached out to him.

"This is Keiji. He's why I wanted to come and visit." Fusago explained.

"Aww! Isn't he so cute?" She smiled and pulled him closer with her tails.

"Uh... Hi." He managed to say.

"Ah! Ta-tat!" The fox looming over him suddenly tsk'd with scorn. "Your fur is all disheveled, boy." Her eyes scanned over the little fox's visible fur. "Please take him outside for a bath... You could use one too." She pointed out to the younger kitsune's ire.

"Alright. Alright. But first, you need to take a look at this." She pulled out the odd iron ball from her robes. "We found this. Well, he received it from a certain spirit one day when he was wandering through town in the early morning." Fusago explained and handed it over.

"I'll take a look at it." She nodded. "Now you two go get cleaned up outside before you come inside." She waved for them to leave. The door slid shut as they turned and walked away.

"Your aunt is strange." Keiji mentioned as they walked down the gentle sloping hill.

"She doesn't like it if anyone is dirty inside. She likes to clean, but she hates to clean. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." He wasn't sure. Fusago led him to a spot not far from her aunt's house. The grassy ground was flat and square in shape, much like the layout of a small room. A tall pipe rose from one end in the grass and curved into a shower head above them. 'A pipe way out here?' Keiji stared at it for a moment. A warm breeze ruffled his fur, and he realized something very important. It had ruffled through all of his fur.

"Huh? Hey!" He realized that his clothes had disappeared.

"What? You would take them off anyway." She giggled and made hers disappear next.

"Oh..." He bashfully looked away from the naked lady fox. "Well, where did you put them?"

"Don't worry. They're inside." She didn't mind him and looked up at the shower head. Keiji looked around the empty fields of flowers.

"No one can see us, right?" He nervously asked.

"Hm. Maybe the clouds can." She thought aloud.

"Huh?" He looked up only to hear Fusago laugh.

"You are funny." The vixen rubbed his back with a hand and a tail. "Let's see if I can remember how to turn this thing on..." She thought aloud with a hand on her hip. The kitsune's ears perked up as an idea came to mind. Keiji watched her kneel down and carefully tap the side. There was a sudden hiss before warm water poured out from above to the boy's amazement.

"Wow! How did you do that?" He watched as his fur became soaked.

"A little proper magic." She winked before rinsing off alongside him.

"Where does the water go?" He couldn't tell. The ground felt wet beneath his paws, but it wasn't flooding.

"It goes downhill to a creek." It didn't entirely make sense to him, but he didn't need to remind himself that he was not home. They occasionally bumped into each other, but there was plenty of room for two. It was odd taking a shower in the middle of a field, not to mention with a lady fox, but it was also very relaxing and scenic. Washing over his ears, Keiji could see across the entire landscape of rich rolling hills.

"Isn't the weather beautiful?" Fusago hooked an arm around his shoulder, pressing her wet side against him.

"Yeah. It's nice." The fields full of bright flowers and little stone markers was something he had never seen nor imagined before. A band of colors caught his attention. "Hey! There's a rainbow!" He pointed far across the landscape where a short arc was visible.

"Someone must be getting married." The kitsune told him.

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever there's a rainbow, that means a fox wedding is happening. They're a lot of fun if you're lucky enough to be invited."

"Cool." He mumbled and wondered what one was like. The hand around his shoulder patted him.

"I'll get your back if you get mine." She offered and turned.

"Okay." He agreed and rubbed her back.

"Hmm. Hmmm." She started to hum. He laughed feeling the subtle sensation through his hands.

"You're having too much fun." She smiled over her shoulder at him.

"I'm done." He stepped back.

"Your turn." She faced him. Keiji turned his back to her and smiled as she preened through his fur.

'I hope this isn't a really weird dream.' The boy thought to himself about his experiences so far. When she finished rubbing his back, the shower cut off. "The water stopped." He looked up at the dormant shower head.

"I think we are clean enough." Fusago spoke and wiped off excess water in her pelt. Keiji looked around and realized that they didn't have any towels to dry with. "What are you looking for?" She could see him searching the ground.

"Do you have a towel, or something I can dry off with?"

"No." She wrung some of the excess water from her tails.

"No?" He felt nervous.

"Face the sun and lay back." She demonstrated by walking a few steps before reclining onto a sunny section of the sloping grass hill. He laid down beside her. The sun warmed him, and a warm breeze felt pleasant against his fur. It simply felt nice, and there was no other way for him to describe it. Living in the city had plenty of modern benefits, but laying in a grassy field wasn't one of them. Looking over, Keiji found himself staring at her. He couldn't take his eyes off her naked form. Her reddish fur color was richly vibrant, and the white along her front reminded him of soft snow. Despite being a fox, the kitsune was certainly very pretty.

"Fusago..."

"Yes?"

"You're uh... You're very beautiful, Fusago." He managed to say.

"Aww. Thank you." Her lips grew into a wide smile. "You're very kind." Her voice sweetly added. A funny giddiness and glowing sensation filled him. He folded his hands over his stomach and smiled with blushing cheeks. The few clouds in the sunny blue sky seemed a lot nicer now. Time eased by without hurry as their fur dried.

"I think I'm dry now." Fusago sat up and brushed her arms only to hear laughter. "What?"

"You're back is covered with moss and grass." Keiji couldn't help himself. The kitsune's eyes gleamed, and he immediately sensed her readiness to pounce. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran away.

"I'll catch you!" She laughed and chased after him. Laughter between the two ensued. Keiji zig zagged along the hillside but his pursuer was quick footed.

"Aahh! Noooo!" He yelled and laughed as Fusago scooped him up and into her arms. "Will you let me go?" He giggled.

"Sure. Let's get back inside." She set him down. They walked up to the house and the front door slid open once again.

"Here are your towels!" Her aunt cheerfully handed them one apiece.

"We could've used these a while ago..." Fusago mumbled and covered herself.

"Here you are young fox." Her aunt handed him one next. "You both look so much better now."

"Thank you." Keiji wrapped his towel around himself. Inside was cooler compared to the sunny meadow. The wooden floorboards felt cool and smooth against his paws. The home's interior resembled a traditional wooden house. The front room was more akin to a short but wide hall, whereas other rooms appeared small in size. Small ink paintings hung on the walls with other personal ornamental items. Within a little cut out in the wall, burning incense diffused a pleasant fragrance throughout the room.

"I saw a rainbow earlier. Did you know there was a wedding today?" Akiko mentioned.

"I didn't, but we saw the rainbow outside." Fusago spoke.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of chatter and gossip about it soon." The older kitsune hummed. "So, what exactly happened?" She asked and turned her attention to Keiji. "I can sense that he is a human, but why am I looking at a fox?"

"He was accidentally transformed into a fox two days ago, but he can change back into a human when he sleeps. We need to figure out how to undo the changes before he can return home. I don't think the human world will take kindly to a fox child."

"Oh, goodness. How did he end up here then?"

"It's a long story, but he managed to slip in through the train."

"Ah, maybe he is a fox." Akiko smiled playfully as her tails swirled in the air. "You said something about his body changing when he fell asleep?" She mentioned.

"Ah, yes!" Fusago's face lit up. "I saw it happen last night when I was playing cards."

"I can place a quick sleeping spell on him." The older kitsune offered.

"A what?" Keiji was hesitant to agree.

"I never thought of doing that..." Fusago admitted.

"Come here, Keiji. I don't want you to fall." She smiled and beckoned with a hand. The boy stood still and wouldn't budge. His ears fell flat against his head.

"I'm nervous." He frowned.

"Aww. Don't worry." She cooed. "I promise nothing bad will happen. You'll fall asleep for a little while, and then you will wake up in time to eat." She smiled as her tails waited to coil around him. He stepped forward and she held her hands open towards his eyes. His body started to lean forward only for her tails and hands to quickly catch him.

"It's alright. Rest easy." She pulled him into her lap and coddled him dearly. Fusago shook her head at her aunt's odd affection towards the boy. Keiji fell asleep in seconds. Before their eyes he changed from a young red fox to a human boy. Skin appeared where fur disappeared. His muzzle shrank into a normal human face. She caressed his cheek, marveling at the young unblemished skin.

"Goodness... He really is a human boy." She softly remarked at the naked boy in her arms.

"Yeah, we're working on getting something concocted so he can return home normal." Fusago mentioned. "Did you find out anything about the iron ball?"

"I'm afraid not." She admitted and retrieved the item from within her robe. "If he was given this, then it must be able to help him return one way or another."

"Mmhm." Fusago nodded. "That's what I think..."

"In the meantime you should stop playing cards and mahjong so much."

"What?" Fusago was surprised. "No, it's just a fun game, and I rarely lose."

"Is that because you cheat?"

"I do not cheat!" The younger kitsune exclaimed.

"Ok. Ok. Get dressed and help me finish cooking before he wakes up." She tossed Keiji's towel at her niece who quickly stormed away. 'Such a temper.' Akiko smiled and contently watched Keiji sleeping in her arms.

Keiji yawned and awoke with a stretch.

"Mmm..." He smiled feeling nothing but soft warmth around him. Opening his eyes, he found himself completely wrapped in red fur. Pleasant smells make his nose wiggle and breath eagerly.

"Ah, you are awake." Fusago's aunt spoke happily. "And just in time to eat. We prepared a lot for you."

"Your tails are all over me." He remarked and began prying them off.

"Haha, I know." She softly chuckled, not allowing him to pull all of them off so easily. "I couldn't resist holding you while you slept." The boy started to stand up only to notice that his towel had disappeared.

"I'm naked!" He realized and quickly covered himself with her tails, which all too happily curled around him again.

"Haha! Yes, it was hung out to dry." She chuckled.

"Akiko..." Fusago entered the room and frowned crossly at the sight.

"What?" The older kitsune feigned innocence. "He just woke up."

"Come on. Let's get you dressed into something." Fusago grabbed him by the wrist and brought the boy into another room. With the flick of a tail, the sliding door closed behind them. Covering himself, Keiji watched the kitsune open a closet door and dig around.

"What am I going to wear?" He asked and tried to peer around her.

"You'll see when I find something." She tapped her foot impatiently. "Aha. Here." She held out a traditional male's kimono in his size. "Now you'll fit in perfectly." She handed each garment to him, and he quickly dressed himself.

"Thank you." He finished by tying the obi sash around his waist.

"There. You look good now." The kitsune placed her hands on her hips with satisfaction. "Let's go eat." They returned to the kitchen and Keiji paused in the entryway. His eyes widened at the spread of food before him. Oranges, dumplings, noodles, pork, rice cakes, and dishes of different sauces decorated the low table. A large fish was sitting in the middle, steam rising from its freshly cooked body.

"Ah! Everything looks delicious!" His jaws opened hungrily. Akiko was already seated at the table, waiting for them.

"Eat all the food you can." The older vixen smiled and ushered him to take a seat on one of the mats.

"Thank you!" He eagerly found his seat and plucked his favorite foods. Fusago calmly sat down beside the hungry kid. Everyone dug into the delicious spread.

"How's working at the Inn going?" Akiko asked.

"Same old, same old... Well, until Keiji showed up." Fusago answered. "After he nearly ran into me, I took him to the Fox Tower where he could work and stay until further notice."

"A human boy working at the inn?" Her aunt was surprised.

"Several his age work there." Fusago shrugged.

"Do they know he is a human?"

"Only the foxes do." She smiled with a hint of satisfaction.

"Well what does he do?" The older vixen inquired.

"Anything. He serves drinks, runs errands under supervision, and occasionally gets into trouble."

"Busy busy." Akiko covered her mouth and giggled. "What kind of trouble are we talking about?"

"One morning he received a letter from the messenger rabbit, and decided to go flying with him."

"You rode on the messenger rabbit's flying pole?" Akiko laughed and looked at the boy busily eating.

"Uh huh." He nodded with a mouthful.

"You have your hands full with him."

"Yeah. I certainly do." She glanced over at the boy hungrily eating. Their chatter carried on through the evening as they ate much of the food spread out on the table. Cups of tea had been emptied and the large fish had been reduced to its head and bone.

"I'm full..." Keiji set his cup down and sighed happily.

"You cooked everything perfectly." Fusago hummed in agreement and dabbed her chin clean.

"Now that you are full... Do you want to see some real magic?" The aunt's voice tempted him.

"Real magic?" He didn't understand, but Fusago looked very skeptical at her aunt's idea. The older kitsune retrieved a human skull much to Keiji's shock. The intact cranium was bleached white and had leaves, grass, and a smaller bone attached to it. Akiko placed it atop her own head and whispered several words in a bizarre chant. Before the boy's eyes the older female fox morphed into a beautiful human woman.

"Now I am a pretty lady." She said in a completely different, and honey sweet voice. "Any man will be swooned by my advances, and depending on his character I may marry him or kill him!" Her suddenly devious character shocked the boy.

"Akiko, that's enough! You're scaring him." Fusago intervened.

"It's just a little spell-" Her voice became normal once more.

"He's a human, not a spirit or creature from here." Fusago took the boy by the wrist and led him from the kitchen to the back door. "Are you alright? You aren't saying anything." She keenly looked him over.

"I'm okay." He looked up at her. "It's just..." The boy felt a chill up his back thinking about it.

"If she scares you like that then say something." Fusago firmly told him. "I'll make sure she stops."

"Okay." He nodded as they slid the door open and stepped outside. A breath of fresh air settled his thoughts. The sun had set over the horizon, and darkness was starting to settle in for the nighttime. Stepping outside, he noticed a water pump and bucket beside a dirt path.

"Wait. If there's a water pump and pipe here, why did we go into the field and bathe?"

"Because my aunt would have sat outside and talked to us, especially you." She pointed out. "I thought you would be more comfortable with a little more privacy."

"Oh." He understood. "Thank you." A warm breeze blew across the grass and familiar lights captured the boy's attention. "Lightning bugs!" He recognized the faint golden glows just beyond the house. The boy walked up to one and tried to catch it. The blinking insect flew high above him.

"They're always all over the place." Fusago smiled and watched him try several times to catch one. His hands were quick, but the insects were quicker.

"I caught one!" He finally exclaimed and peered into his clasped hands. "Haha-ack!" Keiji suddenly choked and grabbed his throat.

"Uh oh. Are you ok?" She asked. He coughed and one glowing bug immediately flew out of his mouth.

"Ugh... Yeah..." He coughed several more times, causing her to laugh.

"You two come inside. It's getting dark." A voice announced from the back door. Akiko was standing in the doorway idly, no longer a human woman. She was in her normal fox form. Fusago nodded waved for Keiji to come inside.

"Sorry for startling you earlier." Akiko apologized to him.

"It's ok." He said through a sudden yawn. "I'm tired."

"It's been a long day. We could use a good night's rest." Fusago spoke.

"I have already prepared your room for bed." Akiko smiled.

"Thank you. We'll get some good sleep for a change." She led the tired boy to the room.

Lanterns floating in the air lit the room in a cozy warm glow. Keiji's eyes felt heavy at the sight. In the middle of the room a simple mattress with pillows and sheets had been prepared for them.

"You can lay down." Fusago gestured to the simple bed. Keiji was all too happy to lay down, and make himself comfortable in the cool sheets.

"Ahh." He sighed contently and relaxed. His eyes gazed around the dinky lit room. A pair of large fans hanging from the wall were painted with cherry blossom designs. Below them were smaller fans with green swirling lines depicting wind. Fusago hung up her robes before laying down beside him. She tapped his forehead with a single finger.

"Huh?" Keiji blinked much to her amusement.

"What are you thinking about?" Her tails swirled curiously.

"Before all of this happened... I was coming back from my grandparent's house in the countryside. I live in the city, and it's like I went back there... or here. I don't know." He shrugged. Feeling a sense of nostalgia was unnatural for the boy, especially at his age, but he didn't feel too far away from home at the moment.

"I used to come here when I was little." Fusago mentioned. "My family would send time together, and we would enjoy the warm nights playing games or using magic. I remember playing with those fans on the wall." She looked up at them. "But they're troublesome when you're learning how to use your magic. Turning them one way can create a gust of wind." She recalled.

"Why?"

"Well, it has to deal with your energy and how wind flows..." She wasn't sure how to explain.

"No. Why did you help me?" He sleepily asked. "You're a fox. Aren't foxes tricksters?"

"Well, I couldn't just leave you without taking some responsibility. Besides, not all foxes are tricksters." She winked. "Although, I'm related to a few tricksters."

"Your aunt, Akiko?" Keiji guessed, making her laugh.

"You could say that." She smiled. "But she is a really sweet person at heart. Both run in my family." She spoke and thought to herself. "Hmm... Maybe I also helped you to give the Bureau cats a little trouble." The kitsune smiled. "What do you do in the human world, Keiji?" She asked.

"I'm a student. Everyone my age goes to school."

"What do you study?"

"Whatever they teach us... Math, history, science..." His eyes briefly closed before opening halfway again.

"You must be smart."

"No, I'm just a kid." His eyes closed once again. In moments he fell asleep right beside her. Before Fusago's eyes Keiji transformed from a fox and into a human.

'You're not just a kid.' She thought to herself and smiled. "Goodnight." She whispered. The door quietly slid open, and a vulpine head peeked inside. "Are your ears never listening?" Fusago couldn't help herself from grinning at her aunt's persistence.

"Aww, he is so sweet sleeping beside you. Will you bring him back sometime?" She asked.

"Aunt Akiko, he is a normal human boy. I cannot bring him back here." Fusago reminded her.

"I know, I know... But I'd love to have him here and play outside. It was so cute watching you chase him across the field." She spoke without lifting her gaze from the sleeping child. Fusago half grinned and stroked the boy's cheek.

"Yeah, we had a lot fun here today." She quietly acknowledged.

"Maybe if he was a little older then you two could marry and have children of your own." She suggested.

"Akiko!" Fusago frowned and folded her arms. "He's still a child, and that's ridiculous."

"I know, I know, but still..." The older fox paused only to sigh. "I'll only say something stupid. You two sleep well tonight." Akiko kindly bade the pair pleasant dreams. As soon as the door slid shut, Fusago laid down and flicked a tail, extinguishing all of the lanterns' little flames.

His eyes peeked open. Sunshine made him silently scowl and search for sleep again.

'Morning...' He mumbled to himself and opened an eye. He noticed an arm resting beside him, and several white tipped red tails were loosely coiled around him or laying on him. The warmth was irresistible.

"Akiko?" He whispered and turned his head, but a different foxy face was asleep beside him. 'It's Fusago.' He realized. The vixen was still sound asleep with her eyes closed. Using a breast as a pillow, he snuggled up to her. She was like a sibling he never had. Just as he felt sleep would return, he blinked feeling her tails loosely coil around his back. Peeking an eye open, he could see an eye looking back at him.

"I know you're sleeping on me." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're warm and soft." Keiji held onto her, and buried his chin into her white fur. The female kitsune sighed contently.

"Alright. I'll give you a few more minutes to lay here." She patted his back. "But then you'll have to get up."

"Mmhm." He agreed and closed his eyes. The minutes seemed to tick by too quickly for him, but the cozy warmth was irresistible. Movement ended the peaceful moment. The kitsune shifted, causing the boy to frown.

"Let's get up." Fusago sat up and propped him up using her tails.

"Okay..." He yawned and stretched while she stood up. Her tails waved in the air while she smoothed out her messy bed fur. "So what are we doing today?" He asked.

"We are going back to town." She tied her robes back on. "I have an idea about that iron ball you received." She explained.

"You do?" Keiji's ears perked up excitedly.

"Yes." She turned and faced him. "You received it from a river spirit, and the turtle is working on reversing your transformation... I think the iron ball might be something that can help you."

"The iron ball..." He reached over and held the mystical item that the river spirit had given him.

"We'll show it to the old turtle and see if he can do something with it." She suggested. Keiji nodded and stood up with a stretch. Sliding the door open, they left the bedroom.

"I see that you two are awake." From another entryway in the house stood Fusago's aunt, Akiko. The older kitsune was neatly dressed in a beautiful silk kimono. Her numerous tails were weaving behind her in the air like autonomous snakes.

"We are heading back, Aunt Akiko." Fusago told her.

"Aww. You're leaving so soon?" Her ears fell back sadly and her tails drooped to the floor.

"Yes. We think the turtle will be able to use the iron ball that the river spirit have to Keiji to help change him back into a human."

"That sounds like a good idea." She agreed and walked with them to the front door.

"So you can't change me back either?" Keiji asked.

"No, I am afraid that I cannot." Akiko's ears fell back, but she managed a smile. "I'm sure you two will figure something out though." She promised.

"I hope that turtle thinks of something..." Fusago mumbled.

"It was nice to meet you, Keiji." She hugged him with all of her tails. The fluffy embrace was warm and soft.

"Thank you for the food and hospitality." He grinned.

"It was my pleasure." She gave a little bow. "You two stay safe! And please visit again!"

"Thank you!" Keiji waved.

"Bye. I'll visit you soon." Fusago said. The pair walked down the hillside and through the flowers, passing many little shrines and grave markers. The forest came into sight and Fusago stopped as soon as they entered its shade.

"Ok. You're not going to get dizzy again, are you?" She asked.

"Umm... No." He didn't sound sure of himself at all.

"We can walk back with the aid of a guardian wolf." She told him. "It will only take an hour or so to reach town that way."

"No. We can go back the fast way." Keiji insisted. He was just eager to return home a soon as possible, no matter the consequences.

"Okay... Hold still." She grabbed his hands and faced him. He stared up into her eyes, and in an instant, both disappeared from sight.

***

"Ugh." Keiji shuddered, feeling nauseated. The boy leaned forward and steadied himself.

"I knew this would happen." Fusago wisely spoke. He didn't pay attention to the vixen and regained his bearings. The last wave of discomfort quickly dissipated.

"Ok... I think I'm better." He exhaled and stood up straight. They were at the edge of town beside a wheat field. "Where did everybody go?" The boy noticed the quietness. Several gardening tools were piled up at the field's edge, but no one was working.

"There's a festival going on in town, so we shouldn't have to worry about the Bureau cats finding out who you are." She explained. "I'm sure nearly everybody is attending."

"What kind of festival?"

"The city gods festival."

"I haven't heard of that before."

"The spirit world has plenty of festivals and celebrations that are different from what regular humans do, especially since recent times." She walked with him into town. The streets were utterly empty before them. There was a loud whistle in the air before a colorful pop exploded into the sky.

"Fireworks!" Keiji exclaimed. They saw several kids run from one street to another, towards the action. Keiji looked up at Fusago expectantly.

"We might as well go through and watch." She could feel the excitement bubbling within the young kid. Distant sounds of cheering echoed through the empty streets. Making several more turns, they stumbled upon the edge of a loud street where many people had gathered.

"Stay close to me." Fusago warned as they cut through the shifting crowd. They emerged in the middle of a festival. The noise in the crowded streets was so loud that's could barely hear Fusago beside him. Even Keiji's nose was overwhelmed by the aromas of peonies and chrysanthemums, but also the large amounts of food being cooked. Vendors lined both sides of the street, cooking plenty of food to anyone's tastes or desires. It was as a festive sight as the wide eyed Keiji had ever seen before in his entire life. In the street were performers and processions like a parade. Koto and samisen music was loud. Drums and flutes were prevalent too. Feline and canine jugglers threw balls of fire around as if they were harmless. The colors were blindingly beautiful. People wore vibrant clothes of fiery reds, azure blues, and emerald greens among other colors. Awnings, streamers, umbrellas, and fans were all brilliantly colorful. Everyone present was excited and enthusiastic about the celebrations.

"Hello, Fusago!" A familiar cat waved.

"Hey Nao." The calico feline was wearing a large straw hat. "I wouldn't expect you to attend these festivals."

"Well, yeah, I mean I like the food." He held up the kibi dango. "And the foxy lady standing before me..." He grinned. Fusago eyed him suspiciously.

"Hi Nao." Keiji simply spoke.

"What are you doing here with the kid?" He asked.

"I don't have time to explain everything." She answered.

"You always say that!"

"I'm looking for someone who can help him. Do you know where a certain old turtle lives? One who experiments with magical things?"

"Yeah, he's about one thousand years old or so." Nao nodded. "He lived at the end of the street, within a block of the train station." He pointed.

"Thank you!" The vixen smiled before turning to Keiji. "Follow me."

"Why is the festival being held on this street? It's so crowded!" The boy remarked.

"This is where most of the shrines are, or at least a lot of them." Fusago pointed out. A large sumo wrestler was gleefully jumping as numerous gold coins sprang forth from one of the little shrines. Several foxes were guarding another as one read aloud prayers received from the human world.

"Step forward for the fire breathing contest!" A horned man and woman waved for onlookers to test their strength and skill of pyro. Ahead of them in the street an animated red skeletons danced with several ghosts. Elderly women cheered and clapped to the music for them.

"Na Cha! Na Cha!" They chanted.

"You're enjoying yourself." Fusago couldn't help but smile at the young boy's intrigue and fascination.

"This is so much fun!" Keiji exclaimed with bright eyes only to blindly bump into someone. "Sorry!" He looked up at an old man with a long piece of paper that unfolded several times to the ground. The boy quickly picked up the paper for the old man only for the end to keep unfolding until Keiji was holding an armful. 'What is this?' He could see small writing that covered the entire surface of the page.

"Who are you?" Keiji asked.

"I am the one who records every marriage that has existed, exists, and will exist." The old man explained.

"C'mon Keiji!" Fusago called out.

"Sorry! Bye!" He maneuvered around the old man and a crane.

"Hello!" A familiar, older Shiba Inu lady smiled at Keiji.

"You're from the library!" He recognized her. The canine lady was dressed in beautiful sky patterned robes and wore pink flowers above her ears. Numerous book spirits were standing or tucked away along the folds in her clothes.

"Here is a paper if you need to visit the library again to read." She handed him a small piece of old, age spotted paper.

"Thank you." They parted ways as he kept up with Fusago. Holding onto one of her tails, there was a loud whooshing sound that startled him. Several large red dragons flew overhead before swiftly disappearing into the sky above. Within seconds, showers of white began falling down to the ground.

"It's raining peony petals!" Keiji excitedly looked around at the sight that resembled fresh snowfall. The aromatic scent fused with the air. Children ran into the street and collided into one another, instantly turning into more flowers. The petals stopped falling as a solid bronze hen statue was carried at the front of a procession. Many officials marching behind were dressed in lengthy robes and tall ancient hats of importance. Nearby, several people were throwing necklaces and flowers onto a large Buddha statue being carried by a dozen people. A Bureau cat was walking behind the procession, dressed in a lavish uniform. Many western styled metals and buttons decorated the shirt.

"Who is that?" Keiji asked Fusago.

"That's Le Kang, Grand Marshall of the Skies. It's a silly title, but it means he is the top cat of the Houxi." Several Bureau cats were marching behind him, some holding up banners. "Okay, we need to meet with the turtle." Fusago reminded him.

"Right." Keiji nodded and followed her to the end of the street. Slipping through the crowd, they entered a side alley where several people were drinking saki. The noise echoed and died down as they navigated through the back alleys to a specific house.

"I think this is his home..." Fusago looked around before knocking on the door. Several moments passed by before the door slid open.

'It's him!' Keiji looked up at a turtle standing before them.

"Oohhh. The boy." The turtle spoke with an aged, and softened voice.

"Hello. You're the turtle who mailed him a letter?" Fusago guessed.

"Mm. Yes." The turtle nodded, and let them in.

'Turtles are really slow...' Keiji watched the elder walk with an unmatched slowness. They gradually walked inside and then closed the door. They followed the turtle into a workshop styled room. Old bamboo scrolls and dusty books littered the small house wherever he looked. Other odd items were scattered about the home. Models of pirate ships, ancient maps, numerous beakers, and masks served as decorations in the workshop. A large hourglass of golden sand caught his eye until a reflection in a mirror stole his attention. Keiji could see his human face and features, like a real reflection.

"It's me! It's my face!" He shouted and touched the mirror. However, when his palm touched the glass, the surface turned into a thick molasses substance. "Ah!" He pulled back in vain only for a helping hand, or tail, or assist.

"Be careful, and don't touch anything." Fusago warned him. "You're still a fox."

"Sorry..." Keiji breathed a sigh of relief.

"I saw the Yata Mirror once." The old turtle explained. "I tried creating something like it, but I am far away from accomplishing that."

"What exactly is that mirror you have?" Fusago asked.

"It just shows one's true self." The turtle answered.

"I am not looking at it..." The kitsune mumbled and stayed away from its reflective surface. Making his way over to a desk, the turtle looked through a few papers and examined them closely.

"Has anything else happened to him? Does he walk through walls, manipulate fire, talk to fish?"

"He turns back into a human whenever he falls asleep." Fusago told him.

"That's good. I was afraid it would be permanent." He admitted.

"Permanent!" Keiji and Fusago exclaimed in unison.

"I have been working on something, but I haven't been able to create what I need to change him back."

"Keiji received something from a river spirit. Show him."

"It's an iron ball." Keiji pulled it out of his robes. "Here." He handed it over.

"Hmm..." He looked it over and grabbed a mallet. Keiji watched in shock as the turtle suddenly started biting the iron ball. "Nom. Nom." His mouth made an odd noise.

"What are you doing, idiot?!" Fusago smacked the turtle's shell.

"Hmm. Sorry." He apologized.

"Sorry? You just tried to eat it!" The vixen's fur stood up in agitation.

'Is he the only person who can change me back?' Keiji silently wondered.

"I've got it!" The turtle cried out, and set the iron ball down. He raised a mallet into the air with a shaky hand. Then the mallet descended with a firm strike. Sparks flew as a loud bang echoed through the room, shaking the entire house.

"Hey! Careful!" Fusago barked at the turtle.

"Ooh. This is dangerous." His aged voice croaked.

'Obviously!' Keiji thought to himself. The turtle struck the iron ball several more times with the mallet, each one creating a loud thunderous bang.

"Are you finished scaring us to death?" Fusago let go of her ears. They watched the turtle reveal a crack in the ball before pouring out something akin to dark sand. Mixing several items together, he produced two small amounts of powder in separate beakers. One glowed blue, and the other appeared like regular sand.

"Okay... You should put these two together, or maybe it's this one and then that one. Hm..."

"Gimme that!" Fusago snatched the two beakers from the slow turtle. The vixen poured both onto Keiji's head.

"Hey!" The boy shielded his eyes as the powder poured over him. Keiji blinked and shook the powder off. Looking up at Fusago, his vision became blurry. He felt his entire body change. At first there was an unbearable heat, and then a sensation that he was underwater. When it passed everything normal.

"Keiji..." The vixen knelt down and touched him. Her jaw was slack and open.

"My... hands." He couldn't believe it as he looked over himself. His arm wasn't covered in fur anymore, he didn't posses claws or a tail, his ears were normal, and his face wasn't pointed into a muzzle anymore!

"I'm normal!" He could hardly believe it. "I'm human!" He collided with the kitsune and hugged her.

"You're back to normal!" She hugged him back in a furry wall of tails.

"Your fur is really soft." He hadn't felt the sensation on his skin before.

"Haha, that's the first thing you think of?" She chuckled and uncoiled her tails.

"Thank you, sir." He patted the turtle's shell.

"You're welcome." He gave a slow nod, and smiled.

"Here." Fusago pressed his shoulder with a single finger, and instantly turned his clothes back to the ones he had. "Now you look normal."

"Thanks... Wow. I'm human again." Keiji never imagined saying those words before.

"All that's left is-." A banging at the door startled all three, ending the celebration.

"Open up Mr. Soun!" An authoritative voice bellowed outside the front door. "This is Si An Fu from the Bureau!"

"Uh oh." The turtle mumbled.

"All of that noise..." Fusago mumbled. "It must've attracted their attention."

"Open the door, or we will!" The banging became louder.

"What do we do?!" Keiji panicked as the door was battered down with brute force.

"Hold on." Fusago clasped her hands together and thick black smoke instantly appeared.

"Ack!" Keiji began coughing. "I can't see!" He covered his eyes only for a hand to grab his wrist.

"C'mon!" Fusago yelled and tugged him along.

"Ouch! Hey!" Keiji bumped into several pieces of furniture, knocking things over that crashed to the ground before they burst through a back door. There were no onlookers to witness their escape. Fusago and Keiji ran down the empty street and turned a corner.

"No one is following us!" She glanced over her shoulder.

"Look! There's the train!" Keiji could see it as they dashed across the empty streets.

"There's hardly anyone at the station." Fusago pointed ahead. There were no Houxi guards anywhere in sight either. Upon reaching the platform, they paused to catch their breath behind a low wall. "No one is around. You should be good to go." The kitsune looked behind them and affirmed.

"What do I have to do?"

"Just get inside the train, that's all."

"I'll return if I get on board?" He couldn't believe it was that simple.

"Yep. You'll be home."

"Home..." The word weighed heavily on him. He was elated and ecstatic about returning home, but a great sadness stole the elated smile right from his face. He didn't budge despite the opening several steps ahead.

"What's wrong?" Fusago softly asked. Keiji looked up at her.

"I... I'll miss you." He felt his voice choke up and his eyes water. "I'll miss everyone!" Keiji tightly held onto the fox. Her fur felt even softer against his skin. "And I don't want to forget any of this..." He sobbed.

"Aww. It's okay." She comforted him. "I don't see how you could forget about all of this. You've been through a lot."

"Mmhm." He nodded and wiped his eyes. They hugged each other tightly before letting go. He reached up and touched the lady fox's ears one final time to her amusement. "Goodbye." He softly spoke.

"Bye." She smiled. Keiji turned and walked to the idle train. His steps felt heavy, but he passed under the station's large Torii gate and reached the open passenger doors. Looking over his shoulder one final time, he waved goodbye before boarding. The kitsune smiled and waved back at him. The doors slid shut. Then there was darkness. A pure silence preened his ears from every direction. Feeling frightened, Keiji wanted to call out, but he tightened his fists instead.

'Huh?' Keiji dumbly blinked. 'Where am I?' He looked around as colors and shapes began to reappear all around him. At first they were blurry, but then everything came into focus. Chairs, seats, an aisle, and passengers eagerly awaiting to arrive at their destinations. The soft clacking of metal wheels on rails reached his ears. 'The train...' He realized that he was standing along the edge of an isle beside a two seat space along a little window. A seated figure was looking at him expectedly.

"Mom!" He gasped and hugged her. The suddenness caught his mother by surprise.

"Oh my goodness. Are you alright?" She comforted him.

"I missed you." He buried his face into her shoulder, feeling his eyes water.

"There. There. It's alright... Well, you should thank the lovely attendant. She helped you back to our train car." His mother smiled and gestured. Looking over, Keiji saw a lady pristinely dressed in a train uniform standing by their seat row. The attendant's eyes smiled at him kindly. She was very beautiful with unblemished skin.

"I'm glad that I could be of assistance. Please enjoy the rest of the ride." She curtly bowed before walking away.

'Her voice...' He couldn't believe it. 'It has to be her!' The train noticeably began to slow and everyone else on board started to gather their belongings.

"We finally made it." His mother spoke and gathered her bags.

"Made what?"

"Back home." She smiled. "You are acting like you just woke up. Did you take a quick nap in the other train car?"

"Other train car..." Keiji looked back, but the attendant had disappeared.

"Come on. Carry this for me." His mother handed him a bag.

"Huh. Okay." He quietly stayed close to her as everybody began to stand as the train stopped.

"Stay close to me so we don't get mixed up." She held his hand as they shuffled into a line heading for the opening doors. He had finally returned to the city, his home.

The cloudy overcast had lingered across the city for the entire day. Keiji could hear the constant rain lightly pattering against the roof. It was a lazy afternoon, and he was stuck in his bedroom to study. There was a stack of large textbooks: Mathematics II, The Heian Period, and Biology among others. However, all of his books were closed and resting idly on his desk to collect dust instead of attention. The memories since visiting his grandparent's summer home, and returning by train felt distant from the weeks of rigorous schoolwork. Glancing around the still walls and unmoving objects, his sight returned outside. He opened the window and the sound of rainfall became clearer.

Staring outside, he watched a small puddle ripple from raindrops landing inside it. There was only a lot, an old fence, and several buildings to see. The sound of cars humming along the urban street were distant and faint compared to the rain. The dull scene didn't change at before his eyes. With a sigh, he blinked and folded his arms in the window sill to rest his head.

'All of this studying...' He grumbled to himself and closed his eyes for a brief minute. A brief clack of wood made him lazily peek open. A little shape of color made him focus. 'A dog?' He didn't give a second glance until realizing it was red fur with black socks. 'A fox!' His head rose. The small animal crept along the side of an adjacent building before pausing to smell the air. Keiji didn't move and watched with intrigue. It was rare to see any wildlife in a city other than a simple bird.

'Wow, it's coming really close to me!' He watched the fox trot towards him. His mouth parted in silence as the fox slowed to a walk, directly approaching his open window. The wild animal looked directly at him and locked eyes. It stepped forward and then suddenly hopped into his open window. Keiji leaned back and found himself staring face to face with the fox.

"Hey." He couldn't believe what was happening. So much excitement and awe filled him. Reaching out with a cautious hand, he touched the fox's head. It didn't flinch or shy away from him. "Your fur is soft." He smiled and pet the pretty red fur. The fox didn't say anything, but it looked like its muzzle curled into a little grin. Its jaws opened, dropping an odd item onto the floor with a soft thud.

"What the-" Taking his eyes off the fox, he picked up a small ticket made of thick paper. The word 'Ticket' was written with black ink with several other symbols and characters. An odd red stamped seal and blue stamped seal were on the bottom. He felt over the odd item causing a small attached piece of paper to slip out. Unfolding the paper, he discovered it was a small note with legible writing. His eyes widened as he read it.

'It took me a lot of time since you had to leave, but here is your ticket if you wish to return. All you will need to do is desire to arrive at a certain station. You already know the way!'

His jaw dropped as new writing appeared before his eyes, directly below.

'Thank you for patting my head! You're very sweet.'

Looking up, the fox had disappeared from the open window. Jumping to his feet, Keiji frantically looked outside.

"Fusago!" He called out but there was not reply through the quiet pattering of rain. His eyes barely spotted movement further away. A white tipped tail disappeared between a narrow gap in the fence. His lips moved but not a sound came forth. There were no words he could say. For a brief moment he listened to the soft whisper of the falling rain. Holding the the ticket to his heart, a bright smile overcame him with the greatest joy he could imagine.

END