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“Find him!” one of the palace guards yelled. The rest of them followed the leader’s orders. Some of them were on horses, while the others were on foot and had sniffing hounds with them. They were frantically pursuing a thief. It was believed that the thief managed to rob the princess’s tiara. This was the fifth time someone had robbed the castle, and they were almost certain that it was the same perpetrator.
A group of the palace guards were running through the woods, until an invisible force stopped them. Two of them hung upside down from the trees, while the other three tripped over.
“Idiots,” Machi sniggered as she watched from a treetop, at a safe distance away from them. She had set a trap for them earlier, with the use of fine threads. She hopped down and continued her way, hoping to use the obscurity of the woods and evade them successfully.
She had a modus operandi - infiltrate, steal, run into the woods, go to the river, escape by a canoe. Once she reached the river, it was safe.
However…
She stopped in her tracks. A bunch of palace guards already found her canoe. They used the dogs this time - they were getting familiar with her routes. Her other option was to go deeper into the woods, which were said to be enchanted yet dangerous.
“Follow me, if you don’t want to get in trouble,” somebody called out. The person’s voice was… slightly off. And what’s more, could this person be trusted? But Machi had no more time to contemplate - the guards seemed to be closing in, and she did not know the deeper part of the forest. Fair folk and magical beasts roamed around it, and it was best not to tamper with them.
She ignored the voice at first. The voice chuckled. "Suit yourself, they'll have your head for sure~" it mocked.
"Fine," she decided in a split second.
"This way," it said in an amused tone.
The orangery figure was swift in moving around the forest. She found it difficult to keep up. "Try not to trip my dear," the voice added.
She halted. The mysterious figure seemed to have disappeared. "Hurry, come inside, I won’t bite," the voice instructed. She stared at it, sceptical. But she heard the long-distance murmurs. The guards were nearby. The den had an opening large enough for her to squeeze through. She braced herself and slid on a filthy slope. The den was bigger than it looked from the outside.
She remained still and silent. “Where do you think he went?” one of the guards asked the other. They were not even aware that the thief is a woman. Machi could see their foot from the opening.
“Not sure, we must scour the vicinity,” one of them suggested. She tried not to breathe too hard, afraid that she and the helpful stranger would get caught.
“Alright. But make sure we hurry back. This part of the forest is deep. Rumours say that the fair folk lives in this area and they are petty and ruthless. It’s too dangerous if we stay out too late,” one of them warned. The rest agreed.
Minutes passed. The surroundings darkened. Machi’s eyes never left the opening. It seemed like the guards were all gone.
“They’re gone. I don’t know why you helped me, but thanks, whoever you are,” she turned to where she thought her companion was.
She let out an audible gasp.
“You’re a… you’re not human,” she stated. She immediately reached for a stick and pointed it at him.
Orange eyes contrasted the dimness of the surroundings. The red fox bared its teeth, smirking. “Took you long enough to figure it out,” the fox said.
“How come you can talk? Are you a magical animal?” she interrogated the fox, still arming herself with the stick.
He chuckled. He took two steps forward at her. “Stay back!” she warned. He pounced on the stick.
“Now, now, I don’t have plans for you to be my next meal,” he said, “even if you seem tasty.”
“I don’t trust you,” she spat.
“It would be cannibalism if I did eat you. I don’t indulge in that,” he said.
“So you’re human-”
“Used to be-”
“Listen. It was nice of you to help me, but I don’t plan to stick around any longer,” she said and headed for the exit.
Thunder roared, signalling heavy rain in the near future.
“Looks like you have to stay here,” he remarked, his tone filled with triumph.
She frowned at him. “I don’t care if it’s raining,” she scoffed and continued moving.
“You don’t know this part of the forest well, dear,” he mocked. She turned to him, listening.
“The dryads and fair folk, they resent humans. If they see you, they’ll play tricks on you,” he said.
“I’ll survive,” she replied.
“They resent humans,” he repeated.
The human population had been expanding and they were cutting down the forest. It was not a surprise that the creatures of the woods will have a deep hatred for humans. They were also known for their severe punishments for those who cross them.
“I heard a rumour that an enchantress once turned a prince into a hideous beast and the people serving in his castle became antiques,” he narrated. “Fair folk are very petty.”
“Fairies can also be envious creatures. I wonder what will happen if they come across a beauty like you ,” he added.
“Fine. I’ll stay here-”
“Smart choice-”
“It’s raining, we might as well get comfortable together~”
“Stay away-”
"I'm just messing with you-"
She faced away from the fox. “So, what did you steal this time?” he asked.
“I lost it,” she answered.
“How?”
She rolled her eyes and grumbled, “it was stupid.”
“Oh, come on, humour me-” The fox’s tail swished a little and touched her leg. She pushed it in response.
“It was the Princess’s tiara. I dropped it in the lake while I was making my escape,” she explained.
“Which lake?”
“The first one when you enter the woods-”
“That’s too bad,” the fox said, but with no empathy, “that lake is very deep and you’ll have to be a good swimmer.”
“Even if I can swim, it’s useless. The sunlight does not reach the bottom of the lake,” she countered.
“Have I told you that foxes are good swimmers and are nocturnal animals?” he gave a rhetoric question. That piqued her interest, and she finally turned to face him. The fox was smirking deviously. Something was up.
“You’re awfully generous-” she observed. He said nothing but eyed her like a predator.
She sighed, "alright. What do you want?"
"Clever girl," he praised, "let me offer you a deal."
She considered it.
"Fine-"
"If I retrieve the tiara for you, you'll have to help me become human again," he said.
"Do you know how?" she asked.
"No," he answered.
Her eyebrows came together. "Then no deal. I am not thinking of a solution with you," she responded.
He slanted his eyes. "I helped you get away from them. In fact, you'll owe me twice."
“Once is enough-”
“Then what will you tell your leader? You can’t come up empty-handed,” he replied, licking his lips.
Oh, this fox knew very well of her circumstances.
“How did you- you were following me,” she concluded.
“As soon as the birds told me that there was someone stealing from the castle, it fuelled my curiosity,” he said with delight, “only to find that the thief in question was a lady. I believe the guards are still searching for a man. They are fools. But alas, they were getting familiar with your escape route.”
“Okay, fine! We’ll go tomorrow-”
She disliked how he read her like a book.
“Watch your step,” the fox warned.
“What?” she turned back.
“Traps. One wrong step and they’ll snap your feet in half,” he leapt in a way that activated the trap hidden underneath the leaves, but it failed to catch his leg. He did the same action until the path was cleared. “The hunters would like my pelt, but I think it looks better on me than on someone else,” he said. He looked back at her, proudly smirking at his performance. She had a straight face, unimpressed.
“How did you end up like that?” she asked.
“I was a royal jester. I slapped Your Majesty’s behind and joked that I mistook him for the Queen,” he said.
“Then he turned you into an animal?”
“No, he wanted my head. But for being of service to him, he granted me the honour of choosing my death,” he continued, “I chose to die of old age.” He smirked triumphantly.
She remarked, “you kept testing the waters. You pissed him off.”
“He did not like that I outfoxed him. Not one bit. Then the next day, I woke up as an animal.”
She scoffed, “serves your right. How did they do it?”
“Probably a wizard,” he said. “He can afford to cast out spells for him.”
They were at the lake. She dipped her hand inside the water. “It’s cold,” she remarked. “I’ll wait for you. If you’re not back by 10 minutes, I’ll assume that you died.”
He squinted his eyes at her. “Darling, don’t underestimate me,” he replied cheekily, but there was also a tinge of menace. He dived into the lake, until Machi could no longer see his reddish fur.
She waited for him.
A minute has passed.
She threw a rock at the lake, and it bounced on the surface twice before sinking.
5 minutes.
She threw another. It bounced thrice.
8 minutes.
A part of her began to worry.
The fox appeared out of the water. Machi felt relieved. In his mouth was the tiara. He paddled towards her.
“Give me that,” she snatched it away from him.
“Don’t I get a thank you?” he teased.
“Thanks,” she said, “let’s head back. There has to be someone that knows how to turn you back.”
“Watch out-”
All of a sudden, the fox jumped and pushed her. Machi fell to the ground. “What the-” she was about to snap at him, when she saw his paw being snapped in a trap. He whined pitifully, the paw wounded and bloodied.
“I told you to be careful!” he growled. Her face relaxed and moved to inspect the trap. “Get me out,” he barked.
She attempted to push down the spring. “It’s too strong,” she said.
“Use your feet. Step on it,” he demanded. “And hurry. There might be hunters around. They usually have bloodhounds to sniff us out.”
She did as she was told. The jaw loosened enough for the fox to remove his paw. He whimpered, limping. She did not know this talking creature, she might very well leave him to die. That could have been her. She felt guilt in her heart, watching the animal suffer and get wounded in her place. As much as he was not trustworthy, she was in his debt three times now.
She bent, picking the fox up. “My, this is a surprise,” he chuckled.
“Shut up. I’ll drop you,” she threatened, “just… lead the way.”
Machi came back to the hiding place. “I managed to steal medicine from the veterinary. It’s used for hounds, but it should work on a fox,” she said, “we need to make sure you don’t get infections.”
His head perked up, but he seemed lethargic. He was licking his wound. The wound had stopped bleeding, but it was a mess. She applied medicine to the wound. He squirmed.
“Stop moving,” she said, irritated. She applied it despite his protests. She then dressed it with a bandage. She exhaled, “you did not need to do that for me.” She caressed his fur. His ears moved in response.
“Then I’ll be the one who will nurse you to health. I don’t think lending you a hand will be easy, given that I don’t have them,” he half-joked.
She smiled a little. “I see that you’re still a royal jester-”
His almond eyes became slimmer. “I made you smile,” he observed.
“You didn’t,” she lied.
“You don’t fool me,” he countered.
It started raining. “We’re stuck here again,” she said.
He glanced at the tiara. “You haven’t given them to your leader yet?” he asked.
“No. Next week,” she answered.
“Why don’t you have a little fun with it? Wear it,” he suggested. She gave him a weird look and waved him off.
“Humour me a little, my dear. Have fun. We’re stuck here,” he said. “Unless… you have a different definition of fun ,” he hissed.
“You’re disgusting,” she replied. She looked at the tiara. The stones on it dazzled. Shrugging, she placed it on top of her head. She faced him and said, “there. Are you satisfied?” His orange beaded eyes observed her. She took it off quickly, becoming uneasy with his stare.
“I’ll tell you a secret: you look more ravishing than the Princess ,” he whispered.
“That’s not true,” she patted his jaw.
“Have you seen her?”
“No,” she admitted.
“Well, I did. That’s how I know,” he said. There was an air of awkwardness after his unlikely compliment. The rain prattled on, getting heavier by the moment.
She laid down. “After the rain stops, I’ll go to town and find someone who knows who can undo your mess,” she said.
“Ah, that would be great-” His tail swished from side to side happily, brushing her leg.
It tickled her. “Stop it,” she said tersely, “you’re so annoying! Are you always like this?”
“It’s the first time I’ve talked to another human since my transformation,” he said, “but yes I am always like this.”
She shook her head disapprovingly. She fired back, “given that the King was infuriated enough to turn you into this, it’s not surprising.”
“If you find me so vexing, then why are you still here with me?” he challenged. She did not answer.
“Admit, you like my company,” he said.
“Don’t push your luck. I just feel indebted to you. Then after you turn into human, I’ll be on my own way,” she said.
“If you see me in my human form, you’ll change your mind. I am very appealing to the eyes,” he boasted.
She raised her eyebrows. “You can bite the dust for all I care,” she dismissed him. It did get her curious though - how did he look like when he was human? I’ll know soon enough.
Days passed. The routine was this for Machi: steal medicine, treat him and dress his wound, and find answers to his cure. Today was different - she had to give her loot to the leader of the band of thieves she was part in.
As she arrived, she saw familiar faces: Nobunaga, Feitan etc. The leader was there too. There was someone missing, however.
“Where is number four?” she asked.
“Uhh, he died. He got ill. Typhoid,” Phinks answered.
“We’ll need a replacement for him soon,” Franklin appeared, “we’re going to rob a guild of knights next month.”
“Next month?” she seemed startled.
“Why? Is there something else better you have to do?” Feitan inquired, almost accusingly.
She glared at him. “I have an errand to run. I need to plan ahead,” she said.
“You’re nursing someone,” Nobunaga pointed at the medicine poking out of the bag. “An animal, in particular.”
“I didn’t take you to be soft on animals,” Phinks remarked.
“It got injured…” she reasoned weakly and looked away. There was no way they’d believe that she met a talking fox.
She looked at the haul of stolen goods. There were books. Probably from her leader. He would steal a bunch of them, read them and then stash them away. A title caught her eye. The Complete Grimoire: Book of Spells and Potions. She picked it up. Maybe it was useful.
“Have you taken an interest in magic lately?” Chrollo surprised her from behind.
“There’s something I want to know,” she replied, not giving away too much information as she flipped the pages.
“What do you want to know?”
“It’s a stupid idea-”
“I’ve read it, Machi. If you tell me, maybe I can help you,” he persuaded.
Not wanting to disrespect the leader, she answered truthfully, “is there a way to turn an animal back into a human?”
“Not that I know of, the book does not specify that-”
She chucked the book back into the stash. She sighed, “then this is useless.”
Chrollo put two and two together. “Is the animal you’re taking care of used to be human?” he asked.
She hesitated. All eyes were on her, interested in what she had to say. She gave in, “he’s a fox now. He’s injured. I’ve been nursing him back to health.”
“What’s his name?” Chrollo asked.
Her eyes went wide. She had been spending time with this fox, yet did not ask for his name. “I… I don’t know-”
“You don’t know?” Phinks controlled his laugh.
“What if he’s just a magical talking fox trying to trick you? There are myths about the Kitsune and Hu Li Jing . Although they are not native here,” Nobunaga informed, “they are sometimes good, other times they’re tricksters.”
“He’s not like that,” she fired back defensive and folded her arms.
“Why are you helping him so much? What’s in it for you?” Feitan jumped into the conversation.
“I feel indebted to him. He helped me. That’s all there is to it,” she answered.
“You seem to have a soft spot for him,” Chrollo commented.
Phinks made a gagging sound. Uvogin started laughing, “oh snap! Machi has the hots for a fox.” He was holding a glass of ale, intoxicated.
“Maybe he’s foxy in his human form~” Nobunaga said cheekily.
“Shut up, all of you. It’s not like that,” Machi said, fuming.
“Perhaps this will help,” Chrollo gave a book to Machi. It was titled: The Frog Prince .
She looked up at him. “This is a storybook for children,” she said, “I don’t see how this is going to help.”
“Sometimes people write stories that have kernels of truths in them. This story originated many years ago. You might find your answer. And once you’ve helped him become human, I’d like to meet him. Maybe he can be an asset to our group,” Chrollo said.
That stopped everyone from joking around.
“Are you sure? You don’t even know what he’s like,” Pakunoda said, “what was he liked before he turned into a fox?”
“He used to be a royal jester,” she answered.
“Oh, so he’s a fox and a clown,” Shalnark concluded.
“This is a bad idea-”
“We don’t want clowns, we need thieves-”
“I’m merely considering a replacement. No need to worry,” Chrollo said. He turned to Machi, “will you bring him here once you’re done with your quest?”
“I’m not certain about that…” she said. She somehow didn’t want to include him in her thievery activities. It was nice to simply have someone outside of her thieving group to have a conversation with. “But I’ll do it.”
She returned later than usual. The fox turned to her, beaming, “ah, you’re back! I was beginning to think you’ve betrayed me and left.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you have a name? Or did the King not give you one?” she asked.
He raised his eyebrow, amused at the question. “Interesting. And here I am thinking we’re doing this anonymously.”
“Do you have a name or not?”
“The royal court calls me Hisoka. And what’s yours?”
“Machi-”
“What a pretty name,” he grinned, " true blessing . It is indeed a blessing to have met you.”
She turned away from him in embarrassment. She remembered words from the members of her thieving group. She placed a hand on her chest to calm down.
“The leader handed me a book. It might have a clue to a cure. I have not read it yet,” she said, holding the dark green book in front of him. “And, the leader wants to meet you. He’s considering you for a replacement. One of the members has recently died.”
“What an interesting guy. I'd like to meet him,” Hisoka stated. He focused on the book cover. “The Frog Prince! I remember having to read it for His Majesty once. Open the book.” Machi did. “Yes, now I remember.”
The pages had illustrations on them. A woman with a tiara. Probably a Princess. She lifted the frog and kissed him. He turned human again.
“I see. It has always been the same,” Hisoka said.
“What is?”
“The solution is always a true love’s first kiss ,” he concluded. He licked his mouth and stared at her like a meal.
“I’m not following-” she was getting uncomfortable where this was going.
“You have to kiss me,” he said in delight. He grinned at her, showing his teeth.
“Are you an idiot? It’s just a story,” she insulted him, irritated that he even suggested a crazy idea. Her kissing a fox? Hell no!
“We won’t know if we try~”
“Don’t even think about it!” she swatted him away.
“I’m joking, unless… you want to try,” he chuckled.
“We’ll think of something else!”
It had been another week. No progress on her quest. The only good progress was that Hisoka’s paw was healing. She travelled to a house that was rumoured to be a witch named Palm Siberia. She had been ransacking the house a couple of times for answers. She climbed to the window slowly, and crept into the room. There were all sorts of oddball things - tarot cards, mermaid scales, a crystal ball, skulls and a shelf filled with potions. There was a table with a mess of parchment. Chills run down her spine. She would never get used to the creepiness the house emitted.
She read all the labels of the potions - perhaps there was one that could turn someone into a human. There was nothing. She heard footsteps. Crap! It must be the witch.
Palm was beginning to lock the door. Machi immediately hid in the closet. Palm appeared, with all her long hair down. “Come out. I’m not going to hurt you,” she said. Machi did not move. Palm held up a paper, dangling it like a carrot to a bunny, “I know you’re looking for this.”
She added, “you want to turn your little red fox into a human, right?”
How did she know? “How did I know? I can read minds. And if I close one of my eyes, I can see where you are,” Palm said and closed one of her eyes. She approached the closet. Machi’s heart thumped, afraid of the other woman. Palm opened the closet and Machi fell out of it.
Palm held the parchment to her. “Take this. And hurry, before he forgets his human self and becomes a fox for eternity.”
“He will forget?”
“Yes. He’ll remain a four-legged creature. Feral and inhuman. No memory of his former human self-”
“You’re being helpful. What’s in it for you?” Machi questioned.
“When the King asked me to turn the royal jester into a fox, I never wanted to do it, but I had to do it so that I won’t get burned at a stake. My conscience is now clear. Stop ransacking my house. Take it and leave,” Palm demanded.
She opened the parchment in front of Hisoka:
Turning a beast into a human like no other,
It must first know the act of warmth of the lover.
Hisoka closed in on her. “ The Frog Prince story was right all along. We have to kiss,” he teased. He leaned forward.
Machi looked at him, concerned. “You’re a fox-”
“If I wasn’t, would you kiss me?”
“What kind of solution-”
He shook his head, disappointed. “I don’t know how else I’m going to be human-”
She looked at him with pity. If he does not turn into a human anytime soon, he’ll be a fox for good. Just another red fox in the forest, hunting rabbits and hopefully avoiding capture from hunters. No memory of him being human. No memory of her. A wild fox, afraid of human contact.
She asked, raising her finger, “just once?”
“It can be more than once~”
She shut her eyes. He lifted his wet snout and it touched her nose. She opened her eyes reflexively. From her perspective, she could see his snout, with sharp teeth and saliva dribbling out. She suddenly wanted to vomit, repulsed by what she saw. She slapped him away. “Get away from me!” she yelled in frustration, “to hell with this.”
He slumped back to the ground. Poof! A pink cloud enshrouded him. Machi coughed, waving away the powdery cloud. A tall muscular man with reddish hair appeared, with familiar orange almond-shaped eyes. It took a while for Machi to realise that the man was completely nude in front of her.
"Enjoying the view, Machi?" he flirtatiously asked. She turned her head away.
She scolded him, "put some clothes on!"
"We're in the middle of a forest, Machi," he reasoned.
She removed her outerwear and handed it to him. "At least cover your modesty," she instructed.
He wrapped the outerwear to cover himself. "Interesting how hitting me worked," he said.
“ Act of warmth is vague-”
Heat. Passion. Rage. Contempt. Adoration.
“ Love and hate are two sides of the same coin~ ”
“Are we?”
He approached her, “I do know one thing - lover is straightforward. It’s no big surprise,” he caressed her head. She held his wrist in response. He leaned in to kiss her, and she accepted it.
“So now you’re okay with kissing me-”
“Because you’re already human-”
“But not when I’m a fox? Oh, that’s heartbreaking,” he pretended to feel hurt, clutching his chest.
“Foxes can have rabies. Whatever I did worked instead of a kiss. Come on, I’ll have to present you to the leader. He’ll decide if you’re a suitable replacement-”
He halted. There was no way he can go back to the castle. The King will not like seeing him. He essentially has no livelihood. “But I have never stolen a thing,” he said.
“You already did. Let's go-”
He sniggered, knowing that she was referring to her heart.