So it was that Sonata, daughter of Baz'Auran, became Sonata, daughter of Renard the fox. Once again, she had brothers and sisters, a family and friends. And for many days, she lived with them and played with them on the mountain Kodama. She learned many tricks and cunning games. And for a time, her heart was mended, and the fall was forgotten. But at night, the red moon reminded her, and it's light always gave her nightmares.
But the affair of foxes and fox princesses is not the story of Sonata. Of the times as a fox princess, an age before her coming to meet humans, and so, this is not the story to be told. But the fox princess did not lose everything, listen to this story.
One day in the middle of summer, Sonata the fox princess came to Renard. She greeted him properly, and spoke of her desires.
"Greetings, Fox Father. It has been long since you took me into your house. You have treated me well, like a daughter and a princess. I have become spoiled and dance freely with my brothers and sisters. But at night the red moon does not let me forget. It's terrible glow does not let me forget nightmares of the fall. It's majesty doesn't let me forget how much more I can be. It's memory doesn't let me forget that I once had a different family. I cannot be satisfied like this. Tell me, Fox Father, may I go to Lake Madako?" Renard smiled a sly fox smile.
"It has been long my dear princess, since we talked about that place. I welcomed you here into my family, and you became a daughter to me.
But what father can refuse his charming daughters? Kon ha ha! will take you there, my dear adopted daughter. We must go south three nights and west one. There are the mortals called 'human' who live by the lake. Once you are at the lake, make the proper rites and ceremony, and call your voice back." Sonata thanked Renard, and then left the mountain of Kodama with Renard. Swift as foxes they traveled, three days south and one west until they came to great lake called Madako.
At that time, there were humans who lived by in the valley of lakes surrounded by mountains land called
Gozan. The five lakes sat around the great lake of Madako, and they were named
Hifu,
Fumara,
Mittara,
Yocchi and
Itsanu. Each of the lakes had a village of humans who fished upon the lake for food. This valley of
Gozan was blessed with fresh and nurturing rain. The reason for this was the dragon lord who lived beneath the lake Madako, and who gave them rain for their crops. Yet it was not so easy, since the red moon came, for the dragon lord had turned from his sacred task, and lorded over the villages as a tyrant.
When Sonata and Renard came to the town of Hifu, the head of the village approached the two and prayed to them.
"Please, honorable fox chief and fox princess. You must help us. The mighty dragon lord who claims this lake has become terrible since the moon's red turn. Now he demands tribute and daughters from the village to serve him in his palace beneath the waves. The mother's crying can be heard in every house. Please, you must intercede!"
"How can a village's woe compare to the woe of the white city?" Sonata wondered with a bitter feeling. She could not comprehend the worries of the elder, for the red moon had signified far worse for her, who had lost her home and her family. But Renard covered his mouth politely and laughed.
"Little fox, sorrow can be known everywhere. It is easy to give and receive sorrow. Perhaps too easy. But happiness must be worked for. Who can say whose sorrow is greater? Indeed, we can help, but the dragon lord is strong and I have desire to make him angry." Renard said with regret. "It would be foolish to make an enemy of someone so strong. No, it is better to endure misfortune." And with this, Sonata felt disappointment.
"If... If Baz'Auran was here..." Sonata tried to say. The name, which she should have said Father, seemed distant to her too. She looked up at the sky, but the moon was so far, and red.
And in that moment she realized how far she had truly fallen. Here she was a fox princess, but in the sky, she had been something greater. Here she didn't sing, play music. She had fox brothers and sisters, but their smiles and laughs couldn't compare with those she had known before. To faces of family that were a blur, but she didn't want to forget.
The fox's gift of hope she had taken. But it was their gifts of love to her, that burned in her still.
"I must find my voice first. Please, elder, direct me to Madako's shore." The village elder led the fox princess to the shore. And here Sonata called out again.
"Where are you, return to me my voice!" But the voice that echoed loudly was like a fox princess' voice. It was sweet like honey, smooth and gentle. Sonata shook her head.
"This is not my voice!" She cried.
"I am no fox princess!" Renard laughed.
"Look into the waters. They do not lie."
And when she did, Sonata saw a beautiful fox princess looking back. She wore flowers and braids in her beautiful hair, but the eyes that stared at her were like the earth, and the ears on her head were furry and not made for the hearing of divine music. She turned in a panic to face Renard and the elder.
"No, I am a princess of the white city! I am not a fox!" The elder of the village looked doubtful and bowed respectfully.
"I welcomed the noble fox princess and her honorable father to this place. I have not seen a princess of a white city."
Sonata turned to the fox.
"You will give me back my robe and my flute, fox father!" The fox shook his head.
"I cannot. They are back safe on Kodama mountain. Only there could we trade something so valuable as that. Indeed, you were willing, weren't you? You wanted nothing more than to find your voice. You were willing to give up everything, weren't you?"
Sonata shook her head.
"No. I did not! Deep in my heart I should have known! But I was afraid, I was alone! I thought that some things were different! Oh, how far away the moon looked! My brothers and sisters wherever they are! What would I do if Fayruz saw me now? We were beautiful and twins, but I have forsaken even that! I am a beautiful fox princess, but if I think of my family, how wonderful they were! I am nothing compared to them, but I want to be! I want to be so much! I cannot accept that this is who I am! I am better than this! I will become better! If there is pain, then I will endure it! If I have a failure, then I will overcome it! I am not a fox princess! I am something far more noble and grand than that!" In frustration, Sonata pulled on the fox coat she had worn, and threw it down. And as she threw it down, her voice returned to her, from the depths of the lake.
throwing a fox coat
a goddess child revealed
her divine nature
"I am Sonata! Daughter of Baz'Auran the creator! Princess of the white city! I will not hide myself! I show you the truth, now return to me my own!"
The elder and the fox were both in awe and surprise at the power of her voice. It was noble and melodious, like dancing petals in spring, but beyond any they had heard. And as she spoke, both of them fell to their knees.
Sonata turned to the elder.
"I ask you then elder, for hospitality and charity. Lend us a place to rest and eat, and I promise that in return I will stop this dragon from troubling you. If it is a maiden the dragon wants, then listen to my plan to catch him!"
Together the elder and the fox listened to her plan, agreed, retreating to the village for the night.
In those times, it is said that this was the first time Sonata walked with humans. And she grew fond of them quickly. Compared to foxes, humans were more like the children of Baz'Auran, perhaps more than any other. And in the many moons she spent in the village, she taught the art of music to them, so that the first humans who heard the songs of the white city lived within the valley. The five villages and the five lakes found their oppressive burdened lightened, and new joy for each day came with the ringing of a morning bell.