The World Unseen

Chapter 8 -- Uncertain Future

'A Fox entered the house of an actor and, rummaging through all his properties, came upon a Mask, an admirable imitation of a human head. He placed his paws on it and said, "What a beautiful head! Yet it is of no value, as it entirely lacks brains.'

-- Aesop

With the hoshi-no-tama in her hands, Fuku enchanted it, and before my eyes she transformed into a beautiful white fox with nine long bushy tails that swayed behind her. She pranced around and then walked over to me, smiling with a few laughs. "Do you like my little trick, Sora-chan?"

"That is amazing!" I nodded "You can turn yourself into a fox?! How amazing is that!"

"Of course!" Fuku danced as she seemed to grow into a massive beast with red marking around her face that resembled that of the Noh masks in theatrical plays. "Aki-chan, you should show him your fox-form too." Fuku's words had me glancing at her, waiting. Aki took out her own hoshi-no-tama and using it, she too transformed into a rather beautiful white fox with nine bushy tails.

"I wonder..." Fuku pondered as the white fox transformed back into a humanoid as she pulled out the hoshi no tama that I have been carrying "...here, try to focus on a fox-form..."

"Fuku! No!" Aki quickly changed back; taking the orb out of my hand "Sorry Sora, but I do not know if that would be a wise idea! It could trap you in a kitsune form for the rest of your life."

Fuku looked down, ashamed "Sorry, I clearly was not thinking."

"It is okay." I smiled "I appreciate you showing your fox-form to me! That was astonishing! What else can you do?"

"Hmm..." she pondered "...I know!" she hurried over to a bookshelf, her tails dancing behind her. She reached up and brought down a terrifying cream-colored human skull. "Normally, kitsunes cannot take on a human form for far too long. And do you know why?"

"No." I answer, terrified.

"Because we lack something called human essence. We can use our tricks to appear human; but it is incredibly difficult to maintain that shape for far too long. Some kitsunes have learned that taking human bones, fluids, or their own essence can turn them into a shapeshifting human being. The skull is desired, because the brain controls the body; but it is the soul of a human that they desire the most."

"And...what would happen if they steal the soul?"

"Essentially the human being would become a kitsune spirit, and the kitsune spirit would become a shapeshifting cursed mortal spirit. It is a terrible price to pay for the chance to experience what it means to be human. So, damaging that the celestial kami have forbidden it."

She then placed the skull in my hands as she glanced at Aki "This should be safe enough to try." Aki just nodded as she only watched.

"What...what are you doing?" I asked Fuku as she guided me.

"I can turn you back into a human, using this." She said, giving me a chance to back out. I just nodded my head as she had me hold the skull above my own skull as she taught me a chant that I cannot write into words.

When the enchantment was finally done. I felt my body changing and reshaping rapidly. Yet, when I was changed back into a human being, I was stunned along with Fuku and Aki. Instead of turning back into my old self, I somehow transformed into a female version of myself. My beauty was amplified to a point of madness.

"What the...what happened to me?!" as my voice betrayed me. I looked at my friends as they were baffled. This wasn't supposed to happen. But for Fuku's suspicions, this only confirmed it: someone has stolen my essence and replaced it with their own.