"Oh." She breathed in wonder as the small furs were, in fact, white foxes. They looked at her with their pointy ears and pale grey eyes. "Are you hungry?" Yuki wondered and slowly she kneeled, opening her bag.

The foxes drew closer and when she unwrapped some of her food, rice balls, and jerky, the foxes fell on them devouring it like crazy. When they were done, they jumped on Yuki and licked her cheeks; she laughed and patted their heads, feeling the warmth of their bodies.

The lake burst into color and Yuki left a startled cry, falling back. She covered her eyes from the blinding light until it subsided. She looked again. On the water's surface, a woman stood, the three foxes circling around her shoulders, flying in lazy circles. Her kimono was green and her long blue hair was tied up with coral pins.

"You fed the children of the moon." She spoke softly and her cobalt irises locked with Yuki's.

Yuki kneeled and lowered her head in a stance of utter respect. "I didn't mean to trespass, oh kami-sama." She spoke fearing that the goddess would punish her.

A chuckle was heard, closer this time. "I am no kami, just a spirit of the lake. I offer sanctuary to the kitsune of the nearby tribe and I must say that you are no ordinary mortal."

Yuki lifted her head.

The woman stood close to the bank, but she didn't touch the ground. "Tell me child, was your mother spirited away?"

"Y-Yes. But she died giving birth to me."

"And thus you are as such." She looked at the small foxes and spoke into a language Yuki couldn't understand. She turned to the girl again. "The foxes will lead you to the tribe. They'll know that you have met me. Maybe there you'll find the answers you seek."

And she disappeared into the form of water. The foxes jumped and circled Yuki, using faint blue fire. It circled her body and suddenly her feet weren't touching the ground. Together they flew her away from the lake and deeper into the mountains into caves deep and dark and through there into yet another clearing.

This one had small houses, all around the center of the meadow where a huge fire was burning. Yuki saw with surprise the same men and women, all with pale faces and white hair. But none had the same eyes like her. Theirs were pale grey and they looked at her with astonishment as the three foxes landed and gently let Yuki stand.

Then the foxes jumped into the arms of their parents taking the forms of two boys and one girl.

They spoke in hushed voices and then all the eyes turned to her. Yuki trembled with the unwelcoming attention but she stood, having her hands clasped in front of her.

"Is she the lost child?" an old man asked and he slowly got up. His beard was long, falling almost to his stomach and slowly he walked closer and looked at Yuki.

"Ah, you do resemble Ame."

"You knew my mother?"

"She was meant to stay but her love for her husband was greater. She left us before you were born."

"So it's true then. I am a child of the Kitsune." Yuki rasped, tears appearing in her eyes.

Everyone held their breaths as they watched Yuki's tears fall, then crystallize into diamonds. Yuki looked down at the precious stones, then back up.

"What am I?" she shouted with anger and despair and all the foxes drew back, looking at her with wonder.

"You are the child of the moon."A man's voice was heard.

Yuki saw him walking towards her. He looked young, in his late twenties but the way he walked inspired power and strength. He drew closer and cupped her cheeks. He had the same eyes as her. "You are my daughter."

Shiro had been the lord of the foxes for over one thousand years. He had countless of children but never a wife. Yuki learned that he had met Ame when one day she saved him from hunters. In his fox form, he had been enamored by her beauty and kindness. When he tried to take her with him, she denied his offer.

"So you took her away, either way."

They were sitting in one of the huts, the one at the top of the small hill. Shiro's eyes were gleaming with unshed tears.

"She came on her own will. No matter what mortals say about us we are peaceful spirits. Ame was already pregnant when she came to me and I gifted her unborn child, you, with the riches of the sun, the tears of the moon and the kiss of the earth. I never believed that she would come back."

He bowed before her and offered an apology.

"I loved your mother Yuki," he looked up at her, "and I hope you'll grow to like me too."

Yuki was stunned. None had ever treated her with respect and Shiro had looked at her in the eyes.

"Can I stay here Shiro-sama?"

Shiro smiled warmly at her.

"Of course."

-----------------------

Yuki spent her days together with the fox clan. Their way of living was simple, yet more beautiful than all the luxuries her father ever had brought to her. She found out that only her hair and tears could produce gold and diamonds and she wondered what the kiss of earth could do. She worked side by side with the women, sparred with the men and all the times Shiro would watch her, pride on his face and eyes.

At nights the foxes would take their animal forms and dance around the fire, flying to the sky. Yuki would sing and clap her hands, not caring about her missing trait as a fox. She loved her life.

"Shiro-sama, are there any other clans?" Yuki asked one day when she and her 'father' walked together at the perimeter of the mountains.

"Yes, in fact, we wait for the clan leaders to come this afternoon. There will be a celebration of them." Shiro spoke and pointed yet another plant which had trait on curing. Yuki was an apt student learning fast.

She smiled, dressed in white pants and a kimono shirt, having her katana sheathed with a red sash around her waist. She had gotten stronger with the sword and she liked the way she held herself in the training sessions.

Male and female foxes learned to fight and that was a part Yuki liked in the clan.

A blast of light covered them both but none flinched. The green light took shape revealing a young man with pale blue hair and green eyes. His yukata was brown and two long swords were tied around his waist too. Shiro smiled.

"Aoi-sama, I am glad you came. And as always early too."

Aoi bowed and smiled.

"Shiro you should know that I am full of surprises." He turned to Yuki.

"And the lady is?"

"My daughter, Yuki."

Yuki bowed introducing herself. Aoi stared at her for a moment then bowed too. "You are the child of the moon, the princess of foxes."

"Is that what they say about me?" Yuki smiled and Aoi grinned.

"Just rumors. I am honored meeting you Yuki-sama."

The clans had gathered around the fire, and on their fox forms, they spoke of their lands and the humans who lived around them. Fear for a new war was at the horizon but Yuki was catching glances of Aoi, who at the same time as her would turn and look at her.

They would both blush.

And then Shiro would look at them and smile. He wanted his daughter to be happy, even if they were not connected with blood. Even when he knew that her lifespan was that of a human's.

The days passed in work and celebration but it was one of those days when Yuki learned to love. It made its way into her heart and blossomed like the sakura at summer. Aoi was kind to her, loving her with his words and actions, not fearing the day, time would separate them.

But time caught up with them one day.

Fires burnt to the forest.

The foxes left to defend it. And Yuki was also one of them, along with Aoi and the other clans. Horrified she realized that they were her father's men, who burnt down the forest and fought with another army. The clans burst into action. Swords crashed with spears and claws appeared, slashing skin.

Yuki fought with the grace of a dancer and the fierceness of a samurai.

And then she saw him; her father fighting his way towards the lake. She ran towards him, stabbing and killing with Aoi and Shiro shouting behind her.

"Father!" she screamed and leaped all the way above him, landing in front of the soldier who was ready to stab Nishimura. She elbowed him and with her knee she threw him to the ground, stabbing his chest.

"Father." She turned around and saw recognition register on her father's features.

"You!" he shouted and lunged at her. They both fell to the ground Nishimura slapping Yuki furiously. "Monster! You brought bad luck to my people! You are a monstrosity!" he growled and locked his hands around her neck.

"No..." Yuki croaked looking at her father with sadness.

She knew why this had befallen him. Her father never respected the gifts she had from the foxes. He didn't know of Shiro's love for her mother, or that the gifts could bring peace and prosperity.

A howl echoed and two foxes, a white and a blue one, appeared above Nishimura grasping his neck into a deathly choke. He let Yuki go and she scrambled backward trying to breathe again. She saw Aoi and Shiro kill her father, blood on their pawns and teeth, before turning to her. The battle was still raging but Yuki was tired all of sudden.

"Yuki, come on love," Aoi whispered on his human form and took her into his arms.

He had just turned around when the arrow found its target.

Straight into Aoi's chest.

"NO!" Yuki bellowed as Aoi fell. She took him in her arms and rocked them both, wailing out loud. She couldn't believe this not after all this time, she would lose someone she had just learned to love.

Her eyes flowed tears, becoming diamonds on Aoi's clothes and shakily she kissed him. A breath burst into him suddenly and Yuki felt Shiro shouting behind her. She pulled back and looked down at him. The wound on his chest disappeared and slowly his eyes opened.

"Yu-ki."

Yuki smiled down at him, realizing that the kiss of earth was the gift of life itself. She looked at her father who stared at her wide eyes and with pain.

"No Yuki."

"Goodbye, Father." She said softly and her body fell into the lake.

---------------------------

"Then what happened Father?" Sakamoto asked.

His father threw more wood into the fire.

"Yuki's last gift had a grave price; she had to sacrifice her life if one she loved was in fatal danger. When her body fell into the lake, suddenly everyone stopped fighting and the war itself stopped. Peace came gain but the foxes grieved the loss of their princess. That's why we make offerings. To honor Yuki-sama's sacrifice and remember that family and love can be more than the ties of blood."

"And what about Aoi?"

"They say that he lived eons and eons but he never took a wife or had children."

"A sad story indeed." Sakamoto's mother commented, then ushered her children into the cart. They had a long day of traveling tomorrow.

When the carts finally began moving again, Sakamoto grabbed few rice balls and he ran to the lake. He stood at the bank and quickly he threw them into the water.

"When I come back next year I will give you a proper offering!" Sakamoto shouted and turned around to leave.

He didn't see the water rippling.

He didn't see the woman with pale white hair dancing together with the man of blue fox's hide.

But he believed that Yuki and Aoi lived.

As long as someone believed.