—«Entry»—

Thirty minutes later the trio was walking up to a bungalow on stilts. Around its base was a small garden, neat, tidy, and ornamental. Josh and Clarise started up the porch stairs, but Ali hung back. She had noticed something among the flowers and the greenery.

She stepped closer and crouched down. She was looking at a fox statue made of white stone. She smiled, her eyes tracing hidden lines, marking the statue as a guardian. A calcified fire-fox that was still aware. She bowed her head slightly in greeting and respect. Her voice was soft. “It’s good to see that Granma Kim has a true guardian watchin’ over her. Thank you.”

She stood and belatedly followed her brother and his fiancé up the stairs.

By the time she reached the porch, Josh and Clarise had already stepped inside. Her ears swiveled and she could hear them. She shook her head. These ears are a blessin’ an’ a curse. I tend to eavesdrop without intendin’ to or even trying.

Inside, Josh was talking calmly, trying to find the right way to prepare for Ali’s entrance. “Yeah Ganny Kim, I know we don’t visit that often, but, well, Ali’s visitin’ and she has somethin’ she wants to talk with ya ‘bout.”

Kim regarded her grandson quietly. She was a small woman, just over five foot tall, with grey black hair, jade green eyes, and in her 60s. She smiled gently. “Then she should’ve come in with you, not dally outside.” Her English was accented not just with Cajun tones, but also Mandarin. A tie to where she was born, left when she was four years of age, and never been back.

Clarise spoke, softly and with great respect for the older woman. “She… stopped by your garden. Takin’ an interest in a lawn statue you have there. A fox, I think.”

Kim grinned warmly. “You are such a nice young woman Clarise. And that Ali would look there… most don’t even notice him. I think he likes it that way.” Inside she was curious. I’m not surprised Clarise’s is vague, few notice him, let alone be able to recall details about him. But Alison… Ali, my grandchild taking interest is odd, and a little worrying.

Ali’s voice came from outside the doorway, calm but cautious. “That makes sense Granma. A guardian totem wouldn’t be any good at his job if everyone was gawkin’ at him.”

Clarise’s brow furrowed. Guardian totem? I’ve visited here with Josh from time to time and I’ve ne’er picked up on a spirit. Ali’s abilities seem so far beyond me… Sweet Spirits, I wonder how Mambo Kalli would see her?

Kim’s smile faded slightly. “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ ‘bout child.” She names what he is so bluntly. Where would she have learned that? How could she—

Ali replied, not in English, but in Mandarin. “桓敏奶奶，我说的是那只以白色石像形式守护在你家的火狐。他对我感到惊讶但仍然认出了我。他做得非常好。”

[Translation of Ali’s statement in Mandarin: “Grandmother Huan Min, I am speaking about the fire fox standing guard over your home in the form of a white stone statue. He was surprised by me but still recognized me. He is doing a very good job.”]

Kim stopped and became very still. Mandarin? I still hear the swamp of her grandfather, but it is as fluid as if she was speaking it her whole life. But the first time I’ve heard her do so. And my full given name, calling my guardian for what he is. This is not my granddaughter. But the cadence to her voice, the small rasp of snark is her. Always has been her. I need to see her with my eyes, not just hear her. “艾莉森，孩子，现在就过来。” [Alison, child, come in here right now.]

Outside the door, Ali hesitated, her ears flicking nervously. “是的，祖母。” [Yes, Grandmother.] She stepped through the door, mindful to keep her tails tight to her legs.

As she entered, she saw her grandmother pale as Josh and Clarise stepped aside.

Kim watched as Ali entered, holding her features still. She could feel the blood drain from her face, beyond her control, as Ali crossed the threshold. Taller, taller than she was. Trembling fox ears, fox? Tail tips tight to her legs. Her legs… even in her boots, they aren’t human.

She stopped two paces from Kim, head bowed, hands clasped before her. The silence hung as she waited for her grandmother to find her voice.

Kim’s mind was racing. Her posture, it’s the same as when Ali… she would break something or ask something awkward. Her eyes, looking up I can see them. As green as my own. Her voice trembled ever so slightly. “狐狸精，你对我的孙女做了什么？” [Fox-spirit, what have you done with my granddaughter?]

“我是她的祖母。在过去的一年里我发现并学到了很多东西。最根本的是，我的灵魂始终是狐狸精，不知何故诞生在人类的身体里。” [I am she Grandmother. I have found and learned many things over past year. The most fundamental being that my soul is and always has been that of a fox-spirit, somehow born in a human body.]

Ali’s voice was calm, soft, and hopeful. “我依然是那个你小时候会宠爱的女人。在祖父阿方斯去世时，我陪你待了一个星期。” [I am still the woman who as a little girl you would dote on. Who stayed with you for a week when Grandfather Alfonse passed.]

“那就看着我的眼睛，孩子。” [Then look me in the eye, child.]

Ali nodded and crouched, bringing herself to Kim’s eye level. She looked into her grandmother’s eyes, hoping for recognition.

Kim let out a soft sigh, recognising those eyes. Their pleading expression. “我看得见你，阿里。我的孙女。我看到你有一些疑问和负担。请说出来，好让我们在场的家人都能听到。” [I see you, Ali. My granddaughter. I see you have questions and burdens. Speak them, please, so our family that is present can hear them.]

—«Josh’s Perspective»—

As he listened, Josh’s mind reflected on a conversation he couldn’t understand. Sweet Lady, they’re talkin’ so fast in Mandarin, I think. It’s so fluid I can’t catch a word. Knew Granny always had this in her back pocket. But Ali…? It’s flowing offa her tongue like she’s spoken it every day of her life. Not a pause or stumble, and the weight. Feels like a courthouse, judgement, an’ Ali’s standin’ there steady as stone. That’s my sis. Always stubborn, facin’ things head-on.

As Ali crouched in front of Kim, he grinned slightly. Respectful and humble, I recognize Ali’s posture. Same she always uses f’r Ma and Pops. With all our family elders. Then he caught it, Kim recognizing her granddaughter fully. He exhaled a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Tension flowed out of his shoulder, his posture relaxing. She sees her. Granny Kim sees her. Bodes well for the rest o’ the family being able to.

He stepped softly up to the fox-woman's side. “Told ya, Sis. Takes seein’ yer eyes.”

Ali just laughed. A warm, happy laugh.

—«Clarise’s Perspective»—

Clarise watched as Ali entered the room. Her thoughts swirled as she stepped out of the fox-woman's way. She looks nervous, almos’ pensive. But Mandarin? Spirits, she’s speakin’ it with Gran like she were born to it. I can feel the pattern of her tone, even if I can’t understan’ the words. Respect, resolve, seekin’, all Ali—her cadence firm in the tone. I feel small, outta my depth. O’er the last four years I trained, studied, an’ all I c’n manage is to scratch the surface, tug at the edges while she’s walkin’ through worlds like she belongs. ‘Hapse that’s why her Gran’s listenin’ so close. ‘Hapse that’s why I can’t look away.

As Kim’s recognition firmly dawned, she bowed her head, her eyes shining. She sees her… her granddaughter, her kin. So easily, smoothly. And I had chided, dismissed her. Took so long to see my friend. Spirits, I have a lot t’ learn. 

She nodded at Josh’s words. Then smiled broadly at Ali’s laugh. A sound of joy from the past, of fun, of belonging, of her friend. 

—«Leading into Grandmother Kim’s Story»—

Ali nodded as she sat down cross-legged on the floor, her tails wrapping around her. “Granma Kim…” She looked up, ears tilted askance, looking for clarity on the name to use.

Kim just nodded, taking a seat on a footstool. Bless her, she knows my proper name but wants to know if I’m ok what I’ve used and been called since grade school. She cares about that, sees the difference. Now she knows Kim is as much my name as Huan Min.

Ali smiled, ears dipping in respect. “Thank you.” It was quiet, but heart felt. “I’ve pieced together much about my situation. Most has been research. Some of it just came, some rolled in like a hurricane. But the one thing that I can’t fig're is the why. Why was the soul of a fox-spirt placed into a human body.”

Josh and Clarise each sit down, Josh on a chair and Clarise cross-legged on the floor like Ali. Both listen with curiosity and attention, but each for different reasons.

For Josh this is about family by blood. Part his heritage even if he isn’t intrinsically affected by it.

For Clarise, the apprentice mambo, this is lore and spirit. Things that feed this land, shape it. She has a responsibility to know and understand for that alone. But it also impacts her community, her fiancé, and her oldest friend. She may have started this day wrongly, but she was striving to make it better.

Kim shook her head slightly. “The precise reasoning for it I don’t know. What I know of huli jing, fox-spirits, from folk lore and ancestral tales. Our ancestors were from the province of Hebei. That is where I was born in 1961 in a village that had become a city named Jinniu Zhen. Where we—Father, Mother, and myself—fled from when I was four. Father managed to bring our family’s record, books, history. One story I remember may be related, but I must ask, what do you mean by ‘just came’ and ‘rolled in like a hurricane’?”

Ali sighed softly. “Last June I was snatched by a type of mage academy. Not a nice place, an’ not with good intentions. I was taken as target practice fodder. I kept my head down, learned, and managed to survive.”

“Say what now, Sis?”

“The place apparently collects people to practice their spells on. And that would be transformation or alteration spells in the hands of SOBs with morals and ethics that make Lawrence Harrow look like a saint.”

“The letch with the overbite and hentai addiction?”

“The same.” Ali paused a moment before getting back on track. “Anyway, along the way I found a spell that allowed me to remake my body to match my soul. After, the first thing that just came in was when I was writin' a journal entry and I didn’t realize I was writin' in Japanese. And that I could read it clearly. Mandarin was the third t’ show up that way.”

Kim looked confused. “Mandarin was third, after Japanese and…?”

Ali nodded. “Korean. And it was followed by Vietnamese.” She held her hand over her heart. “And in here I can feel the slight variations each language carries. Even though I can cast spells, create effects speaking any of them, even in English, the choice matters. Mandarin is the most ancient, elemental. It marries well with directly invoking the five elements—Earth, Water, Air, Wood, and Metal.”

Clarise straightened, voice soft. “The aluminum bat, you chose to use Mandarin because of the elemental connection.”

Ali nodded. ‘It’s a natural fit. The KISS principle in action in magick.” Her grin with that was infectious.

Kim chuckled slightly. “Ali, granddaughter, I see your wit hasn’t changed.”

“Thank you, Granma.” Her ears lifted a little. “As for the hurricane… About a month ago, a friend and I were testin’ a project we’ve been workin’ on. We wound up goin’ on an adventure that rattle somethin’ deep.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep, centring breath. “Lotta things were goin’ on, one of which was dimensional travel.”

One of Josh’s eyebrows rose. “Like comics type stuff? Seriously?”

Ali grinned. “Very like that Josh. Fact bein’ we landed in an iteration of DC’s multiverse. An’ yeah, we met folks in bright costumes an’ such. We also got pulled in t’ help with some not-nice people. Someone was settin’ up their own little group and providing ‘em magickal equipment. On that we found something like this.” She held out her hand, palm up. Above it a small glyph of fiery orange energy appeared. “It’s a sealing glyph made from foxfire. When I saw it, a box opened in the back o’ my mind. Information, connection. And understanding the energy is core to fox-spirits. It weren’t something I had been consciously tappin’ into ‘fore then.”

“So, it wasn’t like the languages. You were aware of the knowledge unfolding.”

“Yeah, Granma. An' that it was tied to my soul, inherent knowledge.”

Clarise cocked her head slightly. “That don’t sound right. What I’ve been taught is that you have t’ pull energy in then focus it int’ charms, potions, rituals. Not that it wells from within.”

Ali looked at her friend. “An’ where d’you think that energy ya pull comes from?” She paused slightly. “This is what I know from what I learned and what my instincts opened up t’. When I cast, I tap int’ the ambient mana around me. This includes things like the ley lines that cross near the homestead.” She quietly acknowledged Clarise’s shocked expression with a drop of her ears.

“That ambient mana though is generated from existence—critters, plants, life, death, emotions, people. I look, I c’n see the patterns. I c’n also see macgick havin’ been used, generally with a colour an’ texture to it. Foxfire is part of that ambient flow, though it’s peculiar to fox-spirits. An’ it doesn’t bleed out into the general environment.”

Clarise’s voice was subdued. “Colours and textures to magic? And there are ley lines near your family’s homestead?”

Ali nodded. “One’s about 15’ up in the air an’ pulsing a frosted blue-white glow. Other’s just at ground level, a sluggish brown an’ green twist. There are three very old warding circles there as well, constructed from almost fully faded, unwound black threads of voodoo.”

Clarise blinked. “Wait, what?”

Ali nodded. “When I saw them, I looked a bit deeper. They’re from the mid 1800s, minimum. With what I know about family history and the history of your community, that sorta makes sense.”

Kim cleared her throat softly. “Fascinating as this is, you were also goin’ to explain the ‘hurricane’, yes?”

Ali nodded. “Yes. We had managed to get a video feed of the person responsible. The others saw them as a two tailed, red-headed, almost human looking kitsune. What I saw… what I saw was…” Her voice faded, her ears twisting between disgust, anger, and sorrow.

Josh slipped from his chair. That look in her eyes. The way her ears are flickin’. She don’t need t’ say it, whatever she saw cut her soul deep. He sat next to her, holding her shoulder gently. “Sis…” The concern in his voice was deep and strong. She’s my Sis, family. An’ family don’t walk away. I’m here Sis, you ain’t alone. Not now, not ever.

Clarise leaned forward, mouth half open, a question dying on her lips. Spirits, the look in her eyes, the pain. Somethin’ old an’ sharp. So many questions, so not the time to ask. Josh next to her now, and on her shoulder, assistance, assurance, affirmation. Her jaw closed softly and she continued to listen.

Kim moved forward on her stool, her eyes narrowing. The breaks in her voice, the movements of her ears, they tell me more than my Granddaughter’s words. This is a truth lived and carved into her bones. Spirits protect her, the weight she carries is so much, maybe too much.

She leaned slightly into Josh’s hand. Her voice came back slightly detached. “He was wearin' her skin. Matted, dead black hair. Visible edges that leaked blood and… That’s when the mental door got kicked in. I knew she was still there, her soul trapped, her remains in a state between alive an’ dead. I knew, soul-deep, it was my responsibility to reclaim her soul, her pelt. Restore their unity so she could move on.” Her voice deepened, finding itself again. “Reclaimer, Arbiter, not Avenger. My roles, my obligations. I was so focused, so angry I snapped at Sig, my friend. Almost more than with words. She talked me down a little. Forced me to take space, to breathe, push the kumiho lineage back, quiet it.”

Josh glanced briefly to Clarise and Kim as his mind processed his sister’s words. He was wearin’ her… Sweet Lady, Quiet Lady, that’s nightmare fuel. I ain’t surprised her ears’re twitchin’. An’ the anger—raw enough that she almost bit a friend. The kumiho pushin’ at her, runnin’ hot. But she held it, reeled it in. Boxed it and made it hers. That’s my Sis—stubborn, strong, but still human t’ be hurt by it.

Clarise’s mind skipped a beat as Ali’s words hit. Her skin… Wearin’ her skin… Saints preserve us. That ain’t just story or spell-gone-wrong, that’s horror straight outta the grave. She caught Josh’s glance and blinked. Reclaimer, Arbiter… words, roles I don’t know the weight of, but feel in my bones they’re heavy. She’s shoulderin’ ‘em, pushin’ back on the kumiho aspects, an’ still worried 'bout snappin’ at a friend. She ain’t losin’ herself. She’s fightin’ tooth an’ claw to stay Ali.

Kim’s voice was soft. “The fact you saw the reality triggered a flood of knowledge. And that pushed you?”

“Sorta, Granma. Suddenly I knew how what he had done would have been carried out. What that would be doing to her soul. Where I fit in with dealing with it given I have six tails.” She paused. “It was ‘how’s and ‘why’s and ‘need’s, but little else. I was collapsin' in, focusin' on it like I’ve done to get ‘tween family and harm. Shuttin’ others out. Sig saw that an’ she, well she ‘Ali’ed me. Got ‘tween me jumpin’ head long into trouble without a plan.”

Josh shook his head, almost chuckling. Collapsin’ focus, shuttin’ folks out… yeah, that’d be my Sis, all o’er it. An’ her friend Sig, she ‘Ali’ed her—Bright Lady I’d’ve loved t’ see that. Figures that it’d take someone as stubborn as her to act as her brake. I’m glad she’s got friends as tough as kin.

Clarise blinked as she listened. She names Reclaimer, Arbiter, not Avenger—heavy words. But what stuns me more is she admits her faults right after. That’s power, an’ humility. An’ she says, “collapsin’ in,” like it was habit. I’ve read about focus tunnellin’, but to live it—Saints, no wonder she snapped. An’ then Sig stoppin’ her, pullin’ her back… that’s trust deep as blood. Somethin’ I don’t have with her yet. Maybe someday.

Kim nodded sagely. “Reclaimer, Arbiter.” She accepts the duty, but not vengeance. Here I see burden and blessing in her voice. That brings me pride despite my fear. As does her acknowledging her fears, her missteps, and that she has friends at her side similar to her. She sighed softly.

“Granddaughter, I think the story I’m thinkin’ of is that much more relevant. It is from the Tang Dynasty, during the seventh century.”

—]Fēn and the Fox[—

“Our ancestor, a woman named Fēn, was working in the fields one day. It was autumntime and the grain was approaching the point of harvest. As she toiled, she heard a soft whine among the stalks.

“Searching she found a young fox, seeming just shy of a year old, with their hind legs tangled in twine. The young one had been tugging at it, trying to gnaw it off and had badly cut herself.

“Fēn knelt beside them and the fox hissed and cowered. But she waited quietly. Slowly she began to hum a melody to calm the animal.

“As time passed, the fox calmed, then accepted her presence. During that time, she was able to see that the fox was female, a young vixen. Hours passed before she spoke in soft tones. ‘Little One, I wish to help you.’ She placed her hand on the ground near the vixen’s nose. The creature sniffed her and flinched. ‘You are hurt, tangled, and tired.’ She gently started to unwind the twine, peeling it away from paws, skin, and fur.

“She then reached for her suitou. Pouring water from it into her cupped hand, she offered it to the vixen.

[[Author’s Note: Suitou is a Chinese term for a gourd water bottle or canteen.]]

“The animal sniffed her hand and then the water. Slowly it lapped at the water. In time she tried to stand, only to whimper in pain.

“Dusk had started to gather and Fēn gently gathered her into her arms. The fox squirmed slightly, but our ancestor gently shushed her. ‘It’s alright Little One. Night is coming and being out in the fields will do neither of us any good.’ Humming softly, she stood and walked the long route back to her home.

“When she arrived, she set about making a bed for the fox. An old basket, some fresh straw, old cloths and blankets. When she was done, she nestled the fox into it.

“The fox blinked and sniffed. Her ears twitched and then she curled into herself, slowly falling asleep.

"Fēn then turned to her own needs, eventually falling asleep next to the basket.

“Over the next few days, she nursed the vixen back to health.

“The young vixen explored the small hut once her legs had mended. Fēn was a little concerned that she stayed there.

“One night while sitting on her sleeping mat she looked at the fox. ‘Why have you stayed, Little One? Surely you have a den of your own. Your place is in the wild rather than a human’s home.’ 

“This repeated a few times over the next few weeks. Then one night, as she again asked that question and gently stroked the top of the fox’s head, a voice answered from the archway that led out of her hut. ‘She knew someone would come. She knew she just needed someplace safe.’

“Fēn looked up to find a well-dressed woman standing in the archway. Well aware of her own peasant clothing, she bowed low without standing. ‘Good Lady, your pardon. I was not expecting someone of status to visit.’

“‘Please, there is no need.’

“Fēn sat up and looked at the woman. ‘How would you know what Little One might be thinking?’

“The woman sat down across from her. ‘Because I know what her mother taught her.’ She smiled kindly. ‘And she seems to have taken to you. There are few she lets pet her.’

“Fēn replied in respectful tones. ‘She was in pain and panic when I found her. Her hind legs had been caught in twine.’ Her voice softened. ‘She needed help, and I couldn’t leave her there. She’s been a good guest, yet I worry.’

“She paused, tilting her head. She looked at the stranger sitting in front of her. ‘Strange. I talk to you like you’re an old friend, but you only just entered my life. Who are you?’

“‘Someone who appreciates kindness, thoughtfulness, and honour in action and deed over word.’ She smiled as the fox stood and walked over to her and curled into her lap. ‘Someone that is grateful that a person of those qualities found and watched over her grandchild.’

“Fēn blinked, her voice a whisper on the wind. ‘“her grandchild”… huli jing?’

“The stranger nodded. ‘Yes.’

“Fēn went quiet, unsure if she was still awake. Then bowed her head knowing that dreaming or not the woman’s words rang true. ‘Thank you for your kind words.’

“The woman smiled and nodded. ‘I do need to be going, taking this one with me.’ She stood, the fox hopping to the ground and standing next to her.

“Fēn also stood, her head still bowed. ‘If I may, for my own peace of mind, what name can I call you by?’

“The woman tilted her head. ‘First, look at me, please.’ Fēn did as she asked, catching the faint movement of two fox tails behind the woman. ‘Call me Jìnyuè. And you?’

“‘I’m Fēn. And I am grateful to have met you, Jìnyuè.’

“Jìnyuè stopped at the archway. ‘I see something in you, Fēn, something that will follow your first-born daughters through time. Your heart. Your kindness. And someday, someday something more.’ And with that, she and the vixen were gone.

“Fēn received a reminder of her encounter days later as she returned home from the fields. Beside the entrance to her hut stood a white granite statue of a fox, a folded note tucked under it.

“Curious, she freed the note and read it. ‘Fēn– Reflecting on you, I found myself thinking you deserved something. This guardian spirit will watch over you and your daughters down through the ages. He will be overlooked by most, but you and his charges will know him. –Jìnyuè’”

—«Ali’s Reaction and Takeaway»—

Ali leaned forward as her grandmother begins. Her mind examined the words, the tone, and intenaly she smiled. I love Granma’s storytellin’ voice, pullin’ me into the tale. An’ this… I c’n feel it. It’s more history than fable. An’ the story settles in my chest like a weight an’ a balm all at once. Fēn didn’t rush, didn’t demand. She waited, sang, let the fox choose to trust. Me, I run headlong, teeth bared, forgettin’ to breathe. Maybe I gotta learn patience too, let folk an’ spirits come in their own time. Foxfire, fox-skin, fox-blood—it all feels like burden most days, but in Granma’s tale, the fox is kin, somethin’ to cherish. That makes my heart ache, reminds me I ain’t just fightin’, I’m part of somethin’ older, softer, steadier. Then Jìnyuè’s words, Bright Lady, those words—centuries old an’ I feel them crisp in my heart an’ soul, things I strive t’ remember, t’ be. An’ then the guardian spirit, passed down through daughters… that ain’t just story, that’s legacy. He’s a touchstone in her garden. She’s tellin’ me plain: I’m not alone. I keep thinkin’ I gotta shoulder it all, hold the line by myself. But maybe… maybe I don’t. Maybe I can trust in kin, in friends, in guardians seen and unseen. Maybe bein’ Reclaimer, Arbiter, don’t mean carryin’ it alone.

—«Josh’s Reaction and Takeaway»—

A nostalgic grin mixed with Josh’s concern and attention. Memories of bedtime stories when he, Ali, and the others were still kids. Family story or not, Granny still weaved a spell when tellin’ tales. An’ this one, it hits me in the gut, ‘cause it ain’t just some girl an’ a fox. It’ Ali, clear as day. Patience, lettin’ the fox settle on her own—that’s how I gotta see my Sis. She burns hot, pushes folk away when she’s protectin’, but maybe my job ain’t t’ fix it. Maybe it’s t’ sit steady, let her know I ain’t leavin’, same as Fēn sittin’ close but not pushin’. Then there’s the statue, that guardian passed down… sittin’ in Granny’s flower garden. Somethin’ solid and remindin’ f’r us. This ain’t just magic tricks or foxfire, this is family. Blood, bone, legacy—all the way back. Ali’s in the thick of it, whether she likes it or not. An’ when Jìnyuè blessed Fēn, I couldn’t help but think… Ali’s already got guardians. She’s got Granny, Clarise, friends, an’ she’s got me. Whether she admits it or not, I’m her shield same as I always been. That’s my Sis. Six tails, foxfire, Arbiter or whatever else—don’t matter. She ain’t facin’ it alone, not while I draw breath.

—«Clarise’s Reaction and Takeaway»—

Clarise sat quietly, listening close to Granma Kim’s words. This sounds like folklore, but somethin’ rings through. Somethin’ that speaks to my learnin’ as an apprentice. That’s not just charms an’ wards, but when t’ hold my tongue and listen. There is wisdom here, an’ I intend t’ listen with both ears when wisdom’s dropped.

Her brows knitted as the tale unfolded. Spirits, the story’s sittin’ deep in me. A fox-spirit seein’ long time virtue in Fēn an’ her daughters, a blessin’ through generations ‘cause one woman chose kindness an’ patience. An’ no, now I’m realizin’ that Ali’s walkin’ that very same path—kindness laced with foxfire an’ stone heavy burden. Needin’ patience… either remembered on her own or reminded to her by others. Here I been thinkin’ my role’s been to ask questions ‘bout everythin’, learn every spell I can, prove myself. But Grandmother Kim weaves it plain in this story of her an’ Ali’s ancestor: sometimes the lesson ain’t in pushin’ for answers, demandin’ them quickly. It’s in compassion, understandin’, in givin’ space, time, lettin’ wounds heal at their own pace.

As Kim mentions the guardian fox statue, she blinks. The fox statue in her garden among her flowers, a guardian spirit passed from daughter to daughter through the ages—her eyes flicked to Ali. The message is for her, but I hear too, knowledge we both need in our own ways. Ali’s carryin’ more than I can fathom, more than what Mambo Kalli has taught me so far, Yet Grandmother Kim’s tellin’ us both—legacy don’t mean yer actin’ solo. We, family an’ friends, also stand in that line with her, if we’ve got the courage to.  

A small smile creases her lips. I think I also now get Ali’s comment ‘bout givin’ things time and myself some grace. She’s my friend an’ she’s always seen me that way. I messed up, I need to own that but not dwell on it.

—«After the Story»—

“Fēn. Jìnyuè.” Ali’s voice was soft. She blinked, ears held respectfully. “People I’ll never meet. Never get to know. But they’re as important to me as breathin'.” She looked up, tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Granma. Thank you for keepin’ that history alive.” She stood and walked to Kim. She knelt beside the old woman and hugged her tight. “Thank you for bein’ patient with me an’ makin’ sure I heard what I needed hearin’.”

“You’re welcome, Alison.” She patted the fox-woman's back. “An’ know I’m as proud of you now, six tails an’ all, as I was when you declared you stay with me as comfort and help when you were ten.” Releasing the embrace, she looked at her granddaughter. “You have others you came home to see, yes?”

Ali smiled and nodded. “Yes. Great-Granma Misha, Granma Lin, an’ if I can wrangle it somehow, Great Granma Michi.”

Kim nodded. “Then I shouldn’t keep you three. Though, I’ll see you later at family dinner with everyone else.”

Josh’s voice was soft, and so was his hand on Ali’s shoulder. “An’ Sis, ya ain’t alone. Never alone. Ya’ve got family an’ friends ya c’n lean on. Here. In Seattle. That school o’ yers, with Sig. We’ve got yer back, remember that.”

Clarise smiled softly and nodded in agreement with Josh. She then looked to Kim and spoke quietly. “It was a blessin’ hearin’ history held tight like that, Grandmother Kim. Thank you ma’am f’r allowin' me to listen in and share your wisdom.”

Kim smiled and nodded. “You’re welcome Clarise.”