But she could never stop that one tail from swishing in joy.

	It had been months  Murrimi was captured. For the fox, the routine, the duty, was less then pleasant. But it had it’s perks. In a slightly ironic twist, she had the simple pleasures she had planned to demand in the first place. The tea. The fried tofu, the fisherman’s catch of sushi. Offerings were regular, and why not? The village was simple, and fertile. Very, very fertile.

	Every day, they had slept as a bell, A melodious chime of five tunes played by the whim of the wind gave the town a serene, calm atmosphere, and it was.. comfortable, to be merged with the tanuki so.
	Every night, mortals would see the same bell, but that is when the pair were awake. Tanuki were not known for duty, But every night, without fail, Natsu would visit the field of every farmer who left offerings. Every night, Murrimi would quite literally witness him fucking the ground. It was as if he had used his shaft as a great plow, breaking up the snow hardened earth, softening the soil. Wild bamboo shoots would sprout from the soil long before the spring thaw, showing just how fertile, how ready for life he had made the earth.

	On this night through, ice cold water flowed through the snow, shelves breaking apart, falling to the ground in crashes. It was a warm night, and spring was to come soon. It was also the fifth full moon since the fox’s capture. Though there were sparks of passion now and then, Natsu had kept himself reserved, as if to keep the fox “in her place.” and of course, it was difficult for Murrimi not to treat the tanuki in kind. After all, he did trick, and even capture her.

	That’s why it startled her so sharply when she heard the sharp metal clang. Every link of the enchanted chain binding her body and will in place lay in the wet, thawing snow. It didn’t occur to her that she was free. The thought wasn’t even there, just.. confusion. Natsu’s voice was the next thing to startle her. Monotone, commanding, so difficult to read, “And so, you are free. Five tails, Five full moons. Your sentence served.

	I’m free! It’s all she could think. I’m finally free! She darted away, through the thick bamboo and brush, into the wilds of the mountain side once more.

	No more tanuki to loom over her, to watch her every move.
	No more humans to look on her as some alien creature.
	No more duty to uphold, and no more sleeping as a bell with that damned raccoon-dog!

	She quickly dug herself a little den among the soil. The ground was still a little hard, so it had been difficult work. Hungering work. And it was time for food. Time to hunt. Rabbits were still easy to spot. Catching a rabbit on the other hand, well.. It was as if they had supernatural sense. The moment Murrimi would even perceive a rabbit, it darted, taking off. It had been a long time since the fox hunted, and the fox didn’t even realize she’d lost some important touches. The rabbits easily saw the flash of reflected light in her carelessly raised eyes. The scent of a wild fox, even a kitsune, was obvious the the rabbits. As light approached the horizon, The fox had to settle for a few mushrooms and shoots of bamboo.. which did not sit right in her stomoch.

	She returned to her den.. the soil still damp, chilly inside. Her fur fluffed, and her tails tucked tightly about her body, hoarding all the warmth she could for herself. Sun kissed the earth, and she slept.. or tried to... but the thawing snow melt dripped, and robbed her of rest. The water rolled through er fur, soaking through the fluff, pasting wet strands to her skin, robbing her of warmth. As the moon once more raised up, she woke, weary, tired still.

	Aimless, directionless, the fox trudged through slush and mud.. her nose leading her with such lovely scents.. leading her to a human cabin, smelling of stew. not even paying attention to her st BARK BARK BARK BARK

	The fox darted, with all her might, her thoughts interrupted, her fur bristled out, she ran, fast as she could to her own den, heart racing, threatening to leap out of her jaws and run away itself. In her den she didn’t feel safe.. she felt.. cornered, trapped, ears raised. Hungry. Tired. Afraid.

	No tanuki to watch over her, to keep her safe.
	No humans to look upon her as a deity, with offers of food and drink.
	No warm tanuki to sleep and rest with in total sensory comfort
	No more direction.

	Perhaps... she had been captured for too long. Long enough to be tainted. corrupted. Captured too long to consider herself totally, and utterly wild. But.. did the tanuki want her at all? Was her capture just a punishment, a lesson? Something temporary?

	“Or would he take me back in?” her private throught slipped audibly from her muzzle. She could still smell him. His mark, renewed every day, on her muzzle and ears.

	The thought of returning to that tanuki brought a raise, and a swish to that one tail, that never stopped since the first day she was captured. The thought of a comfortable place to rest... the absolute comfort of sleeping.. in his ballsac, like he had on that first day. It never happened again.. but that’s exactly what she wanted. It’s where her nose was leading her.

	To the village, there he was. Sitting on his knees beneath the illusionary bell. He was careful in guarding his emotions during the past five months.. but when his eyes focused on the five tailed feral, His face lit up, a smile pulling his muzzle wide. “It brings me great joy to see you back, Murrimi. What can this old tanuki do for you, hmm?”