By now, the dragon princess Shi
to had become tired from her play and singing on the cliff, and desired to return home. But when she came to the palace of the dragon lord, the royal guards stopped her.
"Who are you, who would arrogantly enter the palace?" They demanded. The princess protested, but without her coat or her voice, she could not convince them. Returning to the shore, she sobbed and cried at the injustice. There, Renard the fox comforted her.
Silly rain princess
what is the worth of a voice
compared to the value
of your loving family?
Tears for things you have lost
are surely treasures themselves!
The dragon princess begged the fox to aid her, and Renard was moved to pity by the sadness in the beautiful voice, as was expected in the plan of Sonata. With his fox speech he tricked the guards, and told Shi
to to go to her father and explain truthfully.
Now, at this time Sonata had come before the dragon lord, and sat as his daughter on the throne's side. Before her was unimaginable wealth, of pearls and gold, silvers and more. And Sonata adorned herself with it and dressed in the finest clothes. Not since the white city had she seen this much, and her heart was moved by it. Now listen to this song!
Why return
a rainbow coat
and all of the world's riches
for a voice?
Wealth like this is powerful
throw away a throne for another
what is the difference?
Beneath the water, the moon
is hard to see
But here the plan of the Fox and Sonata had been well prepared. It had been made when she had been thinking of family and home, and so it's warmth was clear. For Sonata had learned with fox cunning, that even a child of Baz'Auran can find the wealth corrupting. To know what are true treasures, and what are simple treasures, was a lesson for everyone to learn.
Here, Sonata sat dressed in the rainbow coat of a dragon princess, and she admired her wealth and the dragon lord spoiled her.
But the plan's action continued, thanks to the faithful fox! At this moment, the dragon princess Shi
to approached the throne. The court officials began to mutter. The guards began to stare. And Sonata's attention was brought from the wealth to this girl, who spoke in a beautiful voice of the white city. And the voice's beauty called to Sonata, for it seemed more beautiful than the riches, but she did not recognize it as her own. And Shi
to spoke with tears.
"Hear me, father! I am your true daughter, not that one who sits by you!" Shi
to cried out in Sonata's voice.
"Father, this one tries to fool you. Surely if she is your daughter, she would have received your love and blessing. If I am not your daughter, what is this coat I wear?" Sonata answered. Renard the fox laughed, and the court laughed as well. The dragon princess cried again.
"You stole that rainbow coat from me!" She accused. Sonata stood with a haughty, proud dragon-like glare.
"I did not! Everyone in this room can know your lie. There is no truth in it. You are just a thief, who has come for my treasure!" By chance, Sonata's glance passed across a copper mirror of great value. And she saw the green in her eyes, and for a second could not recognize herself.
"Fox or dragon, human or goddess, all must be careful when it comes to greed." Renard said with a sly grin. But Sonata hardened her heart. The pearls and gold were heavy, but it was hers. Everything was all hers.
"You tricked me, trading this voice was a treasure! But what is it worth?" The dragon princess cried out, falling to her knees.
"A beautiful voice like this is appropriate for me, but how can I live with a life like this?"
Compared to the fall, this anguished princess was pitiful in Sonata's eyes. But she had a sister who had taught pity, and in this memory of a face, of a gentle harp played together, the sound of rain brought by rainbow coats, echoed like the melody of trickling fountains in the plaza of song. So, like the rain and fountain water, the greed fell away, and Sonata felt herself returned. She stepped forward, and looked at the dragon lord and at the daughter. Then she approached the dragon princess and said.
"This coat was given as a gift from a father to a daughter. No true and smart daughter would give such a treasure away. A voice by itself is no different. You took it thinking it's divine music would come, but music alone is a treasure that can only be shared and not traded. You desired the voice for something that it is not. And so you also valued the rainbow coat as something it is not."
Saying this, Sonata returned the rainbow coat to the dragon princess and her voice was returned to her.
A fox princess' plan
to steal a dragon's treasure
truly the lady musician
plays a tempestuous song
but at the end only
do we learn the true purpose
Sonata wrapped the second sister's rainbow coat around herself and turned to the dragon lord.
"Truly, my voice is a gift from my father! A gift that is beyond any rainbow coat, or fox coat, or great riches. My voice, and not only it, but my very existence is a gift from my father, Baz'Auran, to this world. And as long as I remember that, I will never lose myself, or those things most important to me! The treasured love and memories of my brothers and sisters, and of our hopes and our dreams! O dragon lord, he is your father too, and he gave you this life and this duty, but you have abandoned it!
I would sing a song of regret to you. A song about a dragon girl and a fox princess, and of a daughter of the white city who fell and lost herself and her music!"
And the song Sonata sang was piercing and lamenting. She sang of a girl proud and full of energy, playing next to fountains and among family and friends. She sang of the terror of the fall, and of how she had lost everything. She sang of a fox princess who had become cunning and sharp, but whose trickery had stolen herself away. She sang of a dragon princess' rainbow treasure, and the lord of the lake who had fallen from grace to greed. And she sang how that princess who had fallen was no longer the same, but had found a treasure within it all.
All in the court were moved to tears by her song, and as she finished, the dragon lord stood up.
"How this song has pierced me!
The world under the red moon had grown
so cold and distant,
It froze my heart away,
until it had become like these stones!
My ancient duty forgotten,
now in the song's lament do
I find my own regrets number more
than the pearls about me!
Woefully I abdicate in favor of one more noble.
Divine daughter, princess of song
For I perceive it was surely
the plan of Baz'Auran
to give this throne to you some day.
Step forward, daughter of Baz'Auran,
and receive the rainbow crown from me."
But Sonata stopped before him with a frown.
"Be careful with giving treasures rashly, dragon lord of lake Madako. I will take your crown and wealth because it is freely given, but my ambition is much greater than to rule a lake. Stay, dragon lord, and redeem yourself with good service to me and my family. I will give your daughters my blessings and instruction, so that they may become wise and good rulers, and skilled at making music. Of the wealth here, it shall go to the villages whom you have wrongfully taken it from. Let the five lakes be filled with wealth, and let the rainbows signal my coming. To bless their dutiful service even under a tyrant, I will take the humans to my care. Of the wealth of the three princesses, I will give it to the foxes to distribute."
In sorrow
a shamed dragon lord
offers his treasure
but lofty ambitions and
noble desires beckon.
A glorious song waits
to be played
Stepping forward, Sonata received the rainbow crown from the dragon lord. Placing it on her head, about her the brilliant rainbow aura only further reflected her divine beauty. Now her radiance revealed, all in the court paid her respect and bowed. But Sonata turned to Renard the fox.
"Cunning fox lord, I know that the robes and flute I gave to you are still in your keeping. Keep them, in my gratitude I ask for your service and of your clan. For a time I was a daughter to you, and you treated me well. So I will bless you and give to you the honor to hold onto the divine treasures that are my robe and my flute. You will help me to deliver the wealth gathered here, and advise me well on the affairs of the world. So I ask of you this service. Let it be known that foxes are fortunate creatures, for they helped me when I was alone and when I struggled. And I hope again, in the future for eternity."
Slyly the fox looked at her and spoke with a bow.
"Of course we of the fox tribe will always see you as our own daughter. Maybe someday you may leave some pride and come to wear the fox coat again? You have become proud and greedy like a dragon princess, but cunning and smart like a fox, Lady Sonata. Of this I am both proud and in awe. I never dared to what a majesty I would meet.
But that dress is tattered and ugly, and the flute is like a child's toy. If I didn't see you or hear your song, I would think moon treasures are not so great." A smile came to Sonata's face.
"Treasures like those have value that cannot be shown by appearance. How foolish was I to not understand that before, but I know it now! And I know that my memories of those times are the true treasures. And those I will never surrender!" And the fox laughed.
"How miserly!
How well you
have learned the fox game!
truly Renard would say
this was his intention from the beginning!
but this lie from a fox won't fool anyone.
It is better to chase one's tail,
than to sell it!"
Renard laughed, and Lady Sonata did too.
It was the first time she had laughed since before the fall.
And that laughter was like a melody that echoed from the court, and around lake Madako, rain began to fall again. In the sky, a brilliant rainbow was revealed.
She has sang many songs,
but not yet are they numbered,
the songs of the white city.
and now she, whose beauty is as the rainbow,
shines on us in the gentle rain,
with ambition and desire,
the splendor of wealth,
the gifts are fulfilled, and the land we live in
rich with many treasures,
by this song rained down on us,
The gift of heaven.
Sing nobly, daughter of Baz'Auran,
Of the nostalgic white city days past,
Nightmares and sorrows of the fall,
All the joys and cunning of the foxes
Together with dragons and humans
And of your family's struggles to come!