Chapter Text
It rained heavily as the rainy season finalized and took hold of the sky. Mamoru looked up under the large leaves partially shielding him from the rainy, taking in the sky’s image.
“I really don’t want to catch a cold, but I really have to find work.” Mamoru looked down and clutched his father’s mala necklace. He barely remembered his parents, but he just knew that his mother died before his father passed away soon after her.
“It’ll be okay. It shouldn’t be hard to find a job as long as I keep walking,” he assured himself, walking through the thick forest against the gravel path for some protection against the rain.
Soon after the rain cleared and the leftover humidity heated the air, Mamoru stumbled upon a small shrine. Filled with small torii gates and small fox statues, Mamoru realized it was an Inari shrine.
Crouching down at the level of the small shrine and statues, he mused at how cute they were. “How cute. You know, I’ve never seen a fox up close. They always run away when they spot me.” Mamoru stood up and looked over his left shoulder. He saw a fruiting peach tree and smiled.
He twisted and picked off two peach, and placed one atop of the ledge of the pedestal the small fox statues stood. The small fox statue had a red bib tied around its neck. Rain water dripped off the stone roof of the small fox’s house and rolled over the ripe peach.
“Enjoy!” Mamoru said cheerfully as he continued with his peach onto the beaten path on his search for work.
Out of the side of the pine trees, a small but fluffy fox tail wagged, and a small blond boy emerged. He skittered towards the peach; his bright and heavy kimono reflected the sunlight.
Koki crouched down and picked up the peach. His eyes sparkled with fascination as he turned the peach around in his hand and examined the skin.
“He... gave this to me?”
“Koki?” a tall woman with silver tails came out the main larger shrine, hidden by the enchantment of the pine trees. Its image hazed with the sunlight, as it wasn’t of corporeal form.
“Mama?” Koki looked up at his mother and smiled. “Mama!! Look at what the man gave me!” Koki jumped up and down to his mother, who picked up the peach from his hand.
“He gave you an offering,” His mother smiled back at him. She crouched at his eye level and gave him back the peach. “This is yours. You're free to eat it.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. When you’re done, give me the seed and we can replant it and grow it together.”
“Grow it?”
“Yes, when you plant the seed, it grows to become a tree, just like that one.” Koki’s mother gently placed her hand on Koki’s shoulder and he turned around as she pointed at the tree Mamoru picked the peach from.
“Ah...”
“And one day, you’ll become the guardian of all fruiting trees, just like that peach.” Koki’s mother hugged her son tight and kissed his cheek.
Koki giggled and ran back inside the main shrine, where he sat outside by the back entrance to eat the peach.