An Unlikely Encounter

The fox stared at him with wide yellow eyes, asking questions that the man could never begin to answer. It tilted its head, studying him. He swallowed, then spoke. 

“H…hello.” 

It did not respond. He didn’t really expect it to. But kitsunes were rare to spot, and even rarer to interact with. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Of course, he had to choose his words carefully. Some kitsunes were kind, gentle spirits that, if befriended, would protect you from evil spirits. However, others were bringers of chaos and mischief, and loved to toy with humans. There was no telling what this one could be, though its shimmering white coat was generally a good sign. 

“Do you need something?” he tried again, keeping his voice low and steady. It continued to peer at him with those huge golden eyes. Its nine tails swayed ever so gently in the crisp autumn breeze. 

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bush near them. Another fox stepped out, one with dark brown fur and light red eyes—another kitsune? he wondered—and ran up to the white fox, which seemed to almost roll its eyes at the brown fox. 

The brown fox stalked in a circle around the white fox, its menacing fangs gleaming in the perfect angle of the afternoon sun. The white fox shrunk back, its ears folding back against its head. 

This clearly wasn’t playful banter between two friends, he thought with a pang of fear. This was danger. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and shooed the brown fox away. It growled at him, but he took another step towards it, and reluctantly it slunk away. 

The white fox looked up at him again, and it seemed to make a decision. It trotted up to him and places a single paw on his foot, sending a shiver up his spine. Then it ran away into the distance. He could do nothing but watch as it dashed down the sidewalk, through the idyllic town. 

~~~

Years later, he had never forgotten about the incident, but it no longer occupied his mind like it did for weeks after. It had to have been a kitsune, he had thought with a feeling of glee. And I touched one! 

Yes, it had been a magical experience, but it was not worth fixating upon. Life went on. Hours were put in, girls were dated, apartment leases were paid off. And slowly, the memory of that day slipped away into the recesses of his mind.

But then one day, he was walking down the same street he had met the kitsune, on his way to get coffee. Everything seemed to be the same—the soft glow of a setting sun, a light frost on the branches, marking the beginning of a long winter—when the brown fox stepped out in front of him, startling him. It had seemed to appear out of nowhere.

It growled menacingly at him, walking towards him at a rapid pace. He realized that the fox had grown quite a bit larger since last time—in fact, it was almost the size of a large dog. Much larger than a fox should be. 

Panic coursed through his mind as he thought what to do. Clearly this fox remembered him, and it was not a happy reunion. Being shredded to pieces by a huge, evil kitsune was not exactly a pleasant way to go, so this was certainly not an ideal situation. 

He grabbed a puny stick on the side of the street, holding it shakily out in a not-so-threatening manner. The fox hissed and smacked the stick out of his hand, slicing his hand with its sharp claw. He cried out and stumbled back, but the fox stalked ever closer. 

Suddenly, he heard a yelp from the bush behind him, and out rushed the white fox, sprinting to stand protectively between the two. It was larger, too, but not nearly as big as the brown fox, which ran forward to attack. He flinched, waiting for the slashing pain of the fox’s claws against his face. 

But the white fox gave a mighty cry, and a golden shield burst forth, stopping the brown fox in its tracks. The translucent barrier had a glowing white rune, one that was indiscernable to him. The golden glow surrounded him and the white fox into a protective bubble. 

The brown fox swiped at the shield, pummeling at it with everything it had, but it couldn’t even leave a scratch. The impenetrable shield seemed to only grow stronger with every hit. 

Finally the brown fox stopped, panting and defeated. The white fox stepped forward menacingly, and the brown fox shrank back, whimpering. The white fox tilted its head, tails swaying, and gently yipped, sending a gentle blue rune in the brown fox’s direction. It absorbed the symbol, sighing as the cobalt sank into its skin. With a shudder, its brown fur rippled into a deep ocean blue, its red eyes turning a peaceful gray. It bowed to the white fox, then looked up at the man, apology in its eyes. He smiled gently at the fox, who bowed its head again and walked off. 

The white fox turned to the man, his mouth agape. It grinned at him in that way that only foxes could. Tranquility washed over him, as if the kitsune had told him, I will always be here to watch over you. And he trusted it completely, this old soul who must have lived at least a thousand years, who came to his aid even though they had barely met. 

He bowed with deep reverence, and the kitsune nodded its head in response. It walked up to him and placed its paw on his foot, once again. He felt a sensation slither up his spine, but instead of a cool shiver like last time, it was a warm feeling, one that made him feel safe, comforted. It smiled at him one last time, then slunk away down the street. 

The man never saw the fox again. He went on to live a long life full of peace and prosperity. As he laid on his deathbed, years later, he swore he saw the fox sitting next to him, waiting for him. He smiled, and closed his eyes.