Chapter 2: Settling In

Sana had grown tired of the mortal world over the years, they were always coming up with new gadgets to entertain themselves, or watch other people's lives on screens. They had even started dating online. Dating is another thing he didn't get. Sana had seen countless people enter and exit his life, he knew not to get too attached. When he was young and had much less power he'd been kidnapped in his "female" form. Just keeping her ears and tail away had taken all of her energy in that form. A small, female Sana had been forced to work in an escort establishment until somebody from the mountain found her. It was not the kind of place where she'd have to do that, but she was treated unpleasantly enough by customers that she longed for the day of her rescue. There was a man who claimed he'd buy her freedom and take her in. He'd visit her once a week, bringing gifts and deserts with him. Sana had depended on him heavily, he was the only person that was ever nice to her.

It was all a lie though. That man had only wanted her to like him, once he tired of her he moved on to frequent a different girl and Sana was left all alone in the dark again. She was only about 20 years old when it had happened, out on her second mission ever. It had taken two years after that man abandoned Sana for her to be rescued. That was when Sana learned why they weren't allowed to have romantic love. A fox's emotional state can shatter so easily and with it its divine power. The anguish of heartbreak had set Sana back years.

That wasn't the last time Sana had learned how terrible attachments can be. The emperor who'd named him treated Sana like his own child. Sana was about 200 years old, and it was the first time he'd trusted somebody since the man from the brothel. The emperor never once harmed Sana, but when he passed Sana felt like the world was ending. How could humans be so fragile? After almost letting out enough spiritual power to destroy the whole city he inhabited, Sana decided to only care for foxes.

Jingi, a white fox from the Eastern Mountain that Sana had lived in for a while had been like a sibling to Sana, they did everything together, and eventually, they'd decided to combine their houses. For centuries they were side by side. It was unconventional, but technically nobody could tell if they were breaking the taboo of attachments or not. One year, Jingi had been recruited to help end a war, so the common people would no longer be terrorized, but he was too committed to his divine task. Jingi did end the war, but he had perished at the hands of mortals to do so. It was then that Sana learned not even other immortals were permanent.

He'd seen all these figures in his dreams. They were reminding him of why it was better not to associate with others, to not get attached. He couldn't help but think of Jingi when he saw Ash. They had the same reckless smile and timid nature. He felt like protecting Ash, keeping her as his family, and ensuring her safety. The way he couldn't keep Jingi safe. That's why Sana altered their fake identities. It didn't feel right to have her act as his wife, he'd rather be a mentor and a safety net.

The problem was his desire to give her somebody to call family threatened to open his heart up to the world again. Her eyes held the key to breaking down the study walls Sama had placed.

He'd tossed and turned dreaming of his past until eventually, it became nothingness and he'd slept in a ball.

"Dad?Father? Sana?"

"Sana?"

"Wake up please."

When the first thing Sana saw was Ash's face, and her concerned naive eyes he was startled, scared of his care for somebody else.

All of his tails stood up, and he backed away until he was in the corner of the couch. His posture was defensive and his fangs were poking out.

"Sana? I didn't mean to scare you. It's dinner time, that's all."

Realizing his unbecoming behavior, Sana collected himself and stood up.

"My apologies, I'm not used to this environment yet."

As they ate dinner Sana learned a lot about Ash. She'd been very gifted in growing plants and maintaining the ecosystem on the mountain and had abundant power very early on. She suspects that her consciousness came about to help with the climate crisis. She'd spent the last 16 years learning about humans and begging other kitsune to take her down the mountain. Eventually, somebody asked Sana to take her with him, and that's how they ended up here.

Sana was fascinated by such a peaceful being, he had been given the power to use physical force. He'd intervened in wars, and expelled demons from human cities. His power focused on ending lives. Ash on the other hand was able to create and foster life. She cared so easily for plants and could heal the injured.

She was so bubbly and bright, he didn't doubt she'd do well attending a human school. He just hoped she didn't repeat his past mistakes.

After dinner, Sana retreated to his room. He lay on his bed facing the ceiling, thinking. What would it be like to just live? To not be a slave to another species' needs. What would he do if he could just do what he wanted to? Where would he go? The most disappointing thing to Sana is that he didn't know. He'd lived contently for so long, draped in fine silks, all the food he could ever need, a warm house to go back to. His estate even had been updated to have running water and his hot springs. Irrigation was a wonderful human invention. He refused to use anything with screens unless in the human realm though. If he couldn't love, and he couldn't die, and he already had everything he wanted, why change it?

He did think of Ash though, she could be whatever she wanted. She could find a nice man or woman, maybe she'd decide to be a doctor or an evniomrntalist, maybe she'd make art. Maybe, if he could be free he'd be her mentor, and help her live the life he'd witnessed too much to have. He could raise her like he was her father, and then one day maybe she'd have a child too. They could be like a normal family. One that lives for centuries.

Sana broke himself from his thoughts, the sun was already down and he had much to do. Firstly he had to get a uniform for Ash and get her supplies to attend the school he'd requested she is enrolled in. As he set the girly uniform down on the table outside her door he wondered if she would've rather acted as his son. But it was too late for that now, many spectators had already seen a teenage girl move into the estate with him. After recalling that nobody on the mountain had ever seen Ash's masculine form, he shook off the thought.

Next, Sana had to plan for their grand entrance to the school tomorrow. A pearly pink convertible had already been prepared for Ash, but she wouldn't take that to school in the norming. Instead, Sana would drive her there personally and go in to talk to the principal with her. It'd been nearly 50 years since he'd appeared in front of mortals, which meant that this cover character of his did not have a powerful reputation yet, and that needed to change. He did this every so often to maintain relationships and gather information. It also have him the necessary influence if he ever needed it. This was the reason why Sana was the unofficial "leader" back home. Spirits did not have any governing structure, they'd been created by energy from nature and that was the only god they followed. But, if anybody needed any guidance or a favor, they'd go to Sana.

Over the last couple of centuries, Sana decided that he needed to work alongside humans that knew about spirits, this would help him get his job done much easier. He'd sought out the most talented human martial artists of the time and asked them to help him. Miko had been easy to convince, and so had Anya and Taishi. Felix hadn't wanted to work with him at all, but after seeing good deed after good deed Sana did, he eventually resigned. They worked together for many years. The four being Sana's eyes and ears while he was away, and being generously compensated for the struggles they could tell nobody about.

Years later, Felix had fallen in love with Anya. She was stubborn but soft-hearted, and the only woman working for Sana.

Sana had been against it for five whole years, unwilling to see his peers fall into the same trap that he had. However after Felix had almost died, Anya had been beside herself. Not only did Sana realize how wrong he had been to ask humans not to fall in love, but he also understood that the damage had already been done. It was then they received his blessing to get married. Sana went as far as to take her feminine form to act as a bride's maiden at the wedding.

This had all gone down four or five generations prior, and all of the "servants" around were the descendants of those same martial artists he'd enlisted the help of all those years ago.

They acted as his servants while he was around, but in his absence they were an elite group of spies, hiding in plain sight, and making sure the delicate balance of peace stayed in place. They often helped other fox spirits at Sana's request.

A young man walked up to Sana, wearing all black, expensive clothing. He had Anya's fluffy black hair, but Felix's striking green eyes.

"The red car has been prepared, Master Sana."

"Good, then everything is ready for tomorrow's appearance."