Disclaimer: Characters belong to Riot Games

The White Fox

Spring had always been her favourite part of the year. It was the only time where the cherries were the ripest, and the fields were often blanketed by a blanket of fallen pink petals, covering the grounds with a bright sheen of cheerful colours.

It was also the time where the weather was not too hot in the day, nor was it too cold at night. The fruits were the sweetest, and Ionia would be at its merriest time, full of children's laughter and the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. Her steps were the lightest at this time of the year – she realized she did not have to work to stock up for winter, and she had more time to spend under the warm sun.

The white fox darted in between trees, sniffing the air. She smelt something sweet and ripe, its familiar scent alluring and attracting her to the temple within the woods which she had called home. As she neared the temple, she smelt something else as well, something thick and choking – incense – and also the distant, rhythmic sound of a gong.

Her senses, however, were only fixed on the sweet smell. She followed the fragrance, her pointed ears pricked as she detected the tiniest of noises. Her green eyes darted back and forth, looking for anyone passing by. Realizing the area was clear, she licked her paw and went nearer to the fragrance.

And there it was – a plate of ripe, juicy peaches that was placed in front of a majestic bronze statue, holding a sword in a formidable manner. There were incense sticks lighted in front of the statue, and the peaches were an offering from the temple. The fox licked her snout hungrily, and dashed towards the peaches.

Happily, she helped herself to the fruits, white tail brushing back and forth as she nibbled merrily on the fruit. She was free of worries for some time, until a sharp twang caught her attention, and she immediately snapped.

Her white fur stood, and her tail frizzled. She was on high alert, her ears twitching as she detected the source of the noise. She soon took notice of a young boy, dressed in sky blue Ionian robes who sat under a tree, a flask of rice wine next to him while he held an odd musical instrument – a qum, which was an instrument of a long wooden plank with steel strings of various lengths and thickness tied across it. It was a heavy instrument, and the boy held it across his lap as he held a think wooden stick near one of the strings, while his other finger pressed on a few strings at the same time. He strummed with the wooden stick, and another note sounded in the air, making her twitch.

She flinched. He obviously did not notice her, as his attention was fixed solely on the qum. Beside him laid a beautiful silver sword, one that she knew would be a threat to her if he decided to use it.

The boy took a sip of his wine, then resumed with tuning his instrument. He strummed a few notes, and on the fifth resonance, he began to sing in Ionian as he played:

I've gone to the temple to light a blessing,

But the monk grabbed ahold of me,

And so I had no choice,

But to sleep and serve or plea,

If word got out about this,

It would surely be my fault,

So to whom do I confess my sinless sins to?

To whom do I confess my sins to?

The white fox watched, captivated and intrigued by the boy's sweet voice. He continued singing while playing the song, its melody reverberating in the air. His voice was strong and unshaken, complimenting the slow yet inspiring tune to the song. Every note he played matched well with the notes he sang, and there was a vivace to his performance that made it so beautiful.

When the song ended, and the temple was thrown into silence once again, the boy put down his qum, and reached for the flask beside him. He took a sip then chuckled to himself.

"Yasuo," he called out. "I know you're around,"

A few leaves on a nearby tree rustled. Birds chirped. The white fox remained still, not daring enough to make a move.

The boy frowned. "Yasuo," he called again.

Another boy, dressed in similar Ionian robes, slid down the tree which the player leaned against. This boy was younger, and his hair was tied in a tight ponytail, but a lot more shaggy compared to the player's slick and neat hair. His face had blots of mud and dirt, as though he had rolled in a puddle several times on that day.

Despite the huge discrepancy in their appearance, it was obvious that they were both brothers. The younger boy had a sparring sword strapped to his hip – the kind that was made of real steel, but blunt around the edges. He plopped down beside his brother, and the elder brother smiled while rubbing the younger one's face, cleaning the dirt off his face.

"Look at you," he admonished. "Have you been to the market square again? What if the Elders find you sneaking out of the temple?"

The younger boy, Yasuo, pouted. "It was one time, Yone. The Elders are against everything I do while you're free to whatever you want,"

"Everything I did is not without purpose," the player, known as Yone, wagged a finger at his brother. He placed the cumbersome qum on the ground, sighing as he rubbed his sore thighs. "Whereas everything you did, is just plain mischief,"

His younger brother frowned, pouted and crossed his arms, showing his temper. "They even gave you a real sword," he eyed his brother's steel sword – beautifully forged and delicately crafted, made for a warrior's hands. The white fox's ears twitched – it was as though she could feel the envy creeping in the boy's words.

Yone chuckled and shook his head.

"When will I ever get mine? I've beaten ever single boy in this school. I've even beaten you once!" Yasuo drew his sparring sword and struck at the tree Yone leaned against. True to his words, he was able to make marks upon the tree trunk, even though the blade was blunt. The trunk shook, just as Yone's laughter shook both the fox's and the little brother's souls.

"Onda-ri," Yone playfully called his little brother while he vigorously rubbed his wild hair. It was the nickname that Yasuo hated the most, a term which meant little bug in Ionian. It was meant to be used as an endearment Yone had for his little brother, but Yasuo always thought his brother was calling him weak.

Yasuo only frowned even more.

"You are strong, never doubt that," Yone made his brother look at him. "But you must be patient. Learn to suppress your wild nature, and enjoy the quiet things that happen only for the briefest moments in your life – just like now,"

Yasuo made a disgusted face. "And learn to play music or calligraphy like you?"

Yone laughed. "Perhaps. Then you will know patience,"

"Yone," Yasuo's face lit up, and Yone arched an eyebrow upon seeing the mischief glinting in his eyes. "The song you played just now,"

"What about it?"

"I've heard it in the market square,"

Yone's eyes widened to wide saucers, and his burst of outrage frightened even the little fox that was hiding behind the statue. Her hair stood as he screamed.

"You did what?!" Yone yelled. Yasuo only grinned mischievously. "Where have you been to?! This isn't funny, Yasuo!"

"I must be right then," Yasuo only kept laughing at his brother's reaction. "You're singing Ssanghua-jyom, the song of the ssanghuas. Where else would you know the song, if you've not visited a ssanghua-dian?"

"Yasuo," Yone said sternly. "That is not a place that a kid should visit. No one can help you if the Elders find out!"

"Relax!" Yasuo waved a hand, dismissing his concern. "I've heard the ssanghuas sing it from the balcony of a ssanghua-dian. Funny way to attract men, isn't it? But it works," Yasuo then stood and imitated the antics of a ssanghua, waving his arm in a seductive manner while swaying his hips back and forth, another hand concealing the lower half of his face while he giggled playfully.

Yone sighed. "You do know what's a ssanghua-dian right?"

"It's a place where mercenaries drink and fuck, I know," Yasuo said. Yone then flicked his brother's forehead, and Yasuo cried while rubbing the sore spot.

"Never say that, Yasuo. It's improper,"

The little brother frowned. "Yet it's proper for you to sing the song of the whores?"

Yone flicked his brother's forehead again.

"Never call them that, Yasuo," Yone reprimanded. "Some of them may not have a choice. It's not right for you to call people names unless you've walked in their shoes,"

"Are you showing sympathy, brother? How else would you learn the song, if not from one of them?"

"A chance encounter," Yone explained. "I found the song, by chance, hidden in one of Elder Sung's erotic books which he concealed in the library – now don't tell anyone!"

Yasuo giggled.

"The meaning of the song intrigues me, not the ones who sing it," Yone said, while he subconsciously plucked the strings of his qum. "Sometimes, Yasuo, some people had no choice. Or rather, they were forced to do something they were against,"

Yasuo frowned. "I don't really understand,"

Yone laughed. "It's alright, onda-ri. You're too young to understand. I'll wait until you are older," he reached into his robes and took out a thin, long item, wrapped in swathes of cotton. "I've made you a gift,"

Excited, Yasuo grabbed it with both his hands and quickly unwrapped his present. Upon finding out what it was, his shoulders stumped.

"A di?" Yasuo exclaimed, obviously disappointed, as he held a handmade bamboo flute in his tiny hands.

"You'll only learn patience once you learn music, onda-ri," Yone remained indifferent to his displeasure.

The white fox's ears flattened, as she realized that these two boys were totally oblivious to her presence. Her stomach growling, she reached for another peach, placed slightly far away from the statue. Just as her snout was about to touch the fruit, her ears stood as she heard the sound of a twig snapping, and before she knew it she was suspended in the air, held by a rope tied tightly around her leg as her world turned upside down.

Both brothers snapped to attention upon hearing the her yelp. The older brother, Yone, knitted his eyebrows in confusion, whereas his brother lit up upon seeing her caught by the snare.

"I can't believe this! I caught it!" Yasuo shouted and ran towards her. Frightened, she gnashed her teeth and struggled to be freed, but the rope only bit tighter into her skin, rubbing it sore.

"You placed a snare in the temple?" Yone asked incredulously.

"Something has been feeding on the fruits we used to pay homage to Lord Kenji," Yasuo reasoned, briefly looking at the bronze statue that stood proudly with his sword brandished. The young boy then pointed at the white fox. "And there it is, the culprit,"

Yone sighed. "Have you got no sympathy, onda-ri?" he reached out to her and cooed gently, but she was scared and threatened. She growled and tried to bite him as his fingers approached her, just as he quickly retracted.

"Sympathy just tried to bite you, brother. And stop calling me that," Yasuo crossed his arms and frowned.

"She's hungry. Why would you think an animal would understand what is right and what is wrong? Look at her, she's trembling. Your snare is hurting her,"

"What do you want me to do?" Yasuo raised his hands to the skies in disbelief. "I can't risk letting those kids think that Lord Kenji's spirit has returned to eat those fruits,"

Yone drew his sword. She jolted and shivered at the sight of the blade. Eyes wide, she thrashed even more wildly, trying hard to free herself.

"She's wild, brother," Yasuo protested.

"Try to catch her when she falls," Yone ignored his brother's pleas, and stood in a stance as though he was ready for battle. In a flash, he swung his sword, and it cut through the rope cleanly, dropping the catch.

Yasuo stood under the fox, and reached out to grab her as she fell. She landed softly in his arms, the rope still tied around her hind leg. Agitated, she bit Yasuo on the forearm, making the boy yelp and release her in pain.

She hopped off his arms. Thinking she was free, she tried to dash into the forest to make her escape, but the rope had rubbed her skin sore and she found it hard to run. Furious, she tried to run away from the brothers, but the elder brother scooped her up easily, and scratched her behind the ears.

The white fox opened her jaw trying to bite his hand, but it felt so good that she could only roll around in his arms. She tried to bite him, but Yone was swift as he avoided her advances, and even risked rubbing her under the chin.

"Damn it!" Yasuo cursed, looking at the bite mark on his forearm.

"Here, use this. Rub some miju on it and wrap it with a bandage," Yone threw his flask of rice wine to his brother, while he slowly placed the little fox upon the ground. She was calmer now, but still wary of the two brothers.

Yasuo did as he said, and remained far away from the fox that had bitten him, glaring at her.

"You had it coming, onda-ri," Yone shrugged. "The poor creature is hungry, perhaps we should feed her,"

"With what?"

"I have some flower cakes with me," Yone reached into his robe and took out a bundle. Unwrapping it, he placed it upon the ground a few feet away from her. The fox stared at the food laid before her, and she could feel drool dripping from her snout. But she remained still, fearing that it was another trap.

"Go on," Yone implored, standing back to show that he meant no harm. "You can have it,"

"Why are you so nice to a wild animal, brother?" Yasuo asked curiously.

"The best way to confront fear and hatred is to show love and kindness," Yone said as he rubbed his little brother's head. The white fox approached the food with slow steps, and when she finally sniffed the cakes, Yone beamed excitedly.

She took a bite, savouring the rich taste. Deciding that it was safe to eat, she ate even more, finishing the cakes within bites. Somehow, she had forgotten the two brothers around her, and was startled slightly when they both sat down near her.

Yone reached out and pet her behind her ears. Her ears twitched, acknowledging his existence, but continued licking the crumbles as she allowed him to pet her.

"See? She's tame,"

Yasuo reached out to stroke her fur. Upon seeing him, she crouched and growled at him, baring her fangs.

The younger brother held back his fingers. "No, she isn't,"

"That's because you trapped her," Yone chuckled, running his fingers through her fur gently. She enjoyed his touch somehow. She could not understand the exchange between the two brothers, but she knew she would be safe lingering around the older brother, and she felt comfortable as he treated her kindly.

While she was eating, Yone untied the knot that wound tightly around her leg. Just as she was about to stay closer to him, a distant bell tolled.

"It's training time, brother. The other pupils will be here," Yasuo stood abruptly.

"Oh no, you have to go before the others see you," Yone mumbled. As though hearing the urgency in his voice, the little fox stood, her yellow eyes fixed on the brother's brown ones. She watched curiously as he crumpled the cloth which was filled with flower cakes earlier and sheathed his sword. Then he knelt down, and tickled her under her chin.

"We will meet again, little fox," Yone smiled. "But you have to run now. Go, go back to the forests," he shooed.

Knowing it was time to leave, the white fox dashed back into the woods, crawling under the fence. When she looked back at the temple, people were filling into the courtyard, and the two brothers stood next to each other, lining with the rest of the pupils as they began their training.

She watched, curiously. And when another bell tolled, she understood it was her cue to leave.

The older brother promised that he would meet her again. Little do they know, fate had already decided that it was their first and last meeting.

It had been a while since the white fox met the brothers, and throughout the years she had forgotten them. All she knew were the trails of the forest and the winters she had worked hard to survive. Life was ever the same for her, and her only worries were to get fed and find shelter.

Then came the Noxian invasion.

She remembered it clearly. The trees burnt. The leaves were bright orange while the ground was black from the soot. It was winter that time, but it wasn't snow that fell, but ashes.

The white fox darted in and out, hearing screams and cries and sounds of crossing blades, blood being spilled and the shrill noise of an unknown creature. She watched humans die upon the charred grass – Ionian guards and Noxian soldiers alike. The colours of their armour meant nothing to her, however, the only thing that intrigued her was the reason the humans fought.

If they had a conflict to resolve, why should it involve burning the forest?

What do they hate so much they have to murder each other?

How much do they have to destroy to prove a point?

These questions ran through her mind, and she was confused for a while. Her yellow eyes fixed upon the dead soldiers, some of them mutilated, burnt and ripped apart. She was in a daze, that she did not notice a bloody hand reaching out for her.

When she felt something wet clapping down her back, she jumped. Looking back, she saw one of the dead soldiers, his belly torn open to reveal the bloody entrails within. He wheezed and coughed – she knew he hadn't the strength to harm her, and so she watched him.

"You," the old soldier hissed in pain. "You will feed on me once I die. Like those carrions and vultures. Only that Ionia had no such creatures. Only foxes and harmless creatures,"

The white fox stared at him, fascinated.

"I... shouldn't have joined the guard," he rambled on. "Perhaps... I should have spent more time... enjoying the finer things in life. But now we're burning life," he looked at the forest around him, the fire still raging and swallowing everything in its way.

"But you," the soldier stared at her. "You are curious, little creature. I saw you looking at these soldiers. I noticed you, watching the men fight. You... you wonder why we fought so hard only to die, do you? You don't even understand me, but you're curious,"

The white fox blinked. The man only rambled on.

"I know what you want," he coughed. "You want to be human. Someone has been kind to you before, and now that you see what humans are capable of - destruction, you're curious why they would act like wild dogs. And you want to be human to understand,"

The old soldier lifted a hand. His finger trembled, but the tip of it glowed an eerie green.

"I will give you a gift and a curse," the old soldier whispered. "I cannot enjoy what was given to me, so I will give you that opportunity. But remember that this is also a curse. Be prepared for repercussions,"

With his last ounce of strength, the old soldier reached out to grab the fox by the neck. He pushed his palm onto her head, and she felt pain searing through her skull. Massive amounts of energy flowed through her entire body, and her pupils narrowed significantly.

The forest glowed a bright green, and a huge shockwave emanated through the forest, briefly putting out the fires that was demolishing the forest.

When she woke, she gasped loudly, feeling her lungs deprived of air. She got up, wheezing and coughing, her vision blurring and swimming as she tried to recompose herself.

She looked beside her – the old soldier, who turned out to be a mage, was dead. His eyes were opened, but they saw nothing, and blood continued to flow from his broken body.

She gasped again, supporting herself on weak arms. Her throat was dry, and subconsciously she reached for her neck. Then, she froze.

There was no fur, only smooth, bare skin.

Fear gripped her heart, and she wheezed again. It was then she realized she had a voice – a human voice. She looked down, and instead of seeing paws she saw a pair of hands – milky skin, slender fingers and well-trimmed nails. Her hands shook as she touched her own face, feeling her lips, nose and eyebrows, and smoothly ran down her body which was very much human, with feminine features such as wide hips and firm breasts. When she touched the top of her head, she felt silky black hair in a state of unkempt, and a pair of furry fox ears on her head.

She looked behind her, and there she saw it. Nine white tails.

She had become human.

Bushes rustled, and she stayed still as she heard people speaking. Ionian, she recognized immediately, though she could not understand a word that was uttered.

She was startled when two men emerged from the bushes. The two soldiers, clearly Ionian, stopped dead in their tracks upon noticing her, holding their swords aloft.

Their eyes were wide with panic upon noticing her ears and tails. "D-demon," one of them muttered, and pointed their swords at her.

She was frightened as well, but she had no way of conveying her words. She could not understand their language, let alone speak to them.

But she reached out a hand, hoping they would understand –

"I told you, this forest is cursed. The Noxians had done something!" one of the soldiers said frantically.

"We have to kill her," the other soldier said, convincing himself that she had to die. He held his sword and walked towards her.

She shook her head, scrambling back. She held a hand in front of her, trying to put some distance between the men and herself.

"She's afraid, perhaps she meant no harm,"

"It's a disguise! She's a demon, she'll lay a curse on us!"

Without hesitation, he raised his sword and rushed forward. The nine-tailed fox raised her arms in defense, and she shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the impact that would cleave her into two.

But it never came.

A scream was heard. When she opened her eyes, she saw a bright blue orb forming before her. It spun with energy, and reacted when she felt fear and panic flaring through her body.

She had no intention to hurt, but she followed her animal instincts, baring her fangs and throwing the orb forward. It danced forward just as she wished, and struck the man straight in the chest, before returning to her.

She watched as the man stood still in a daze, before dropping his sword and falling to his knees, his hands clawing at his throat as his eyes bulged out. He wheezed and gasped, and to his horror, a white mist began flowing out of his mouth. He howled as the mist was directed to the fox's orb against his will, and he continued to struggle, just as her orb sucked his essence away.

Then she experienced something odd. Her vision changed to something else, and it happened in flashes. It was then she realized she was watching a playback of the man's memories, experiencing his experiences – every sight, smell, sound and feeling.

But all those memories were painful memories, and each flash brought greater pain to her. She was on her knees as her orb flared red, experiencing the man's greatest fears and pain.

At the same time, she knew what the man knew. Suddenly she understood Ionian, and its culture, and what he loved and hated. Knowledge flowed through her, and her mind absorbed everything she saw.

When the man finally dropped dead on the floor, and her orb stopped vibrating with energy, only did she drop to the ground, gasping for air. Beads of cold sweat formed on her forehead and her naked back, and she looked at the remaining soldier, who was horrified by what he saw.

"It... It wasn't..." she spoke in fluent Ionian. "I meant no harm –"

"I saw what you did," the man quivered as he pointed his sword at her. "You're dangerous,"

"Please," she pleaded, too weak to stand. "I need help. It hurts. What he did hurt me,"

"He's the one who died, not you!"

Terrified, the man threw down his sword in surrender, turned around and fled. Until a long chain and a hook sprung out of nowhere and caught the man in its grasp. The chain was made of links of human bones, and the hook was a sinister blade – curved and made to reap.

Dark energy emitted from the chain. The man found himself unable to move, and suddenly five phantasmal walls erected from the ground, and eerie howls sounded within the walls, drowning the man's screams.

When the walls broke down, the chain withdrew. Held at the end of the hook was a bright green soul, retracting back to its master who stood far away, holding a bright green lantern.

The fox stared at the demon with the chain and lantern. His head was nothing but a skull burning with green fire, and he wore a ragged cloak that seemed to belong to the dead. She watched as he chuckled, and placed the soul of the man he reaped into the lantern. She soon noticed that the lantern was alight not because it was lit by fire, but the souls within were burning and suffering.

"What are you?" she asked in Ionian. The demon moved closer to her, tilting his head to the side as he clearly could not understand her.

He spoke in another language, one that she could not understand. Upon seeing her puzzled expression, he grinned. Lifting the lid of his lantern, he withdrew a small orb of green energy – a soul, she realized, one that was once human.

He spoke in his language again. But this time she recognized the word 'Noxian'. Before she knew it, he directed the soul to her orb, which was still pulsating harmlessly in her hand.

Her eyes flared red as her orb absorbed the soul. She soon saw the memories of the spirit she had unwillingly taken, and this time it hurt even more because the soul was already horribly tormented. She saw the life of a Noxian soldier, from his harsh training to his demise in the recent Noxian invasion. This time she screamed and collapsed from the pain, unable to withstand anymore torture.

Her eyes were hazy for a while. Then she heard the demon speak, and oddly she started to understand him.

"... if I do this, surely you will have the knowledge of the common tongue," he spoke. Then his eyes flared with great interest. "You showed a reaction, looks like I'm right,"

"Devil," she said in common tongue. The demon laughed.

"Believe me, we aren't so different anyway," he knelt and inspected her. "Beautiful... You absorb human's essence, and then you feel what they feel, and you obtain their memories, experiences and knowledge. No wonder the mage said it's a curse and a gift – you need the essence to stay alive in this form,"

"What do you know of me? Who are you?"

"I am Thresh," the demon said. "Like you, I take away people's souls. I told you, we are not so different, after all,"

"Those people... You make them suffer,"

Thresh shrugged. "I do not care,"

"I'm not like you," the nine-tailed fox shook her head.

"You are too human," Thresh sneered. "You do not have a choice, fox. You may have morality, and a guilty conscience for now. But soon you'll realize, that you will die without living off human's essence. Your nine tails will wilt, the white fur will fall and you will feel a searing pain as it burns away, and unless you take another soul, you will die painfully in this form,"

She shuddered, but she said nothing.

"This... this isn't what I wanted," she mumbled to herself.

"Be careful what you wish for," Thresh rattled his lantern. "You intrigue me, fox. I wonder which side of you will win – your sense of morality, or your survival instincts?"

The fox said nothing, only berating her cursed fate.

"But whatever it is," Thresh grinned. "Can I take your soul on the day of your death, little fox?"

Trivia: I had this story in mind a year ago, but part of the plot, and the title, were heavily influenced by a 2008 Korean film I'm obssessed with - Ssanghwajeom, 霜花店, or 'A Frozen Flower' in English. It's a historical film starring Song Ji Hyo and Jo In Sung, and it's explicit content makes it one of the most controversial films in Korea. But wonderful acting and beautiful plot.

In the ancient times of Korea (Goryeo, I think), ssanghua was actually a type of cake/dumpling, and when translated to Chinese or English it literally meant frozen flower. At the same time, an erotic poem, namely Ssanghwajeom was written by an unknown poet, and the song that I came up with in this chapter roughly follows the literal translation of the poem, but it's not exactly the same. The poem was sang as a song in the film 'A Frozen Flower', and I guess it explains the film's sexual themes. This is the song from the movie: watch?v=8bj4s2PPBXg

Here's the direct translation of the poem in English: forum/a-frozen-flower/origin-of-the-a-frozen-flower-song/

Now disclaimer: I only borrow the term ssanghua and the meaning of the poem for my story. Soon, you'll understand (in the later chapters) the meaning of ssanghua in my story. The plot of the film has nothing to do with the plot of the story.

Also, Ionia is obviously inspired by the Asian culture, and so I'm bringing in Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture to form the Ionian culture - namely the instruments, names and etc etc etc. Correct me if I'm wrong regarding the culture or anything (especially Korean culture), but do understand that I'm an Asian myself.

A/N: This is the first chapter for my new story. Do leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for your support.