Full Summary:

Once upon a time, there was a girl. A girl with green hair, and kind, benevolent amethyst eyes.

Once upon a time there was a fox. A white-haired, nine-tailed fox demon.

Now, here in this story the girl and the fox meet. At a festival with bright, colorful lights, both of them get lost in its wonders, and whether it is by chance or by fate, they cross paths. It is somewhat a love story, and if you are interested, then sit, and listen to this tale of romance and magic.

Lenalee remembered her first time at a festival like this. It had been a long, long time ago, when she was still a child. She had been with her elder brother, exploring the venue's many marvelous activities, wearing a plain, red yukata very similar to the one she wore now.

Her hair, unlike before when it had been too short, was tied into a bun, two delicate wooden chopsticks placed in the green hair that was hers. As she walked, her wooden sandals hit the pavement while left and right brightly lit stalls with colorful prizes were crowded with chattering people. They seemed to come alive like the paper lanterns hanging comfortably on strings above her, and she smiled as she passed two children, a girl and boy, playing the fishing game for a goldfish or two.

She didn't really know what she was doing here by herself on such a wonderful night as this. The dark sky was littered with millions of gleaming stars and the atmosphere was perfect for someone like her to be out with friends, but alas while everyone was with family or lovers, she had no one to go with as they were all busy with who knows what. She was used to it by now, surely, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Being left behind just because of her strange spiritual powers was still saddening. Claiming to see ghosts and spirits - it always estranged her from others, and no matter what she tried the people around her always found out somehow.

She sighed, and again she asked herself what she was doing alone on this beautiful night, but continued to walk on, observing the other joyous faces around her as she explored the festivities.

Where was he? Was this still the Yokai Realm? It didn't look like it, but that couldn't be right, Allen thought.

He was sure that he had taken the right turn to the Ayakashi's festival, but it appears that he has once again gotten himself lost. Even more confusing was that this festival was being held in both the Human and Yokai realms, so he had no way of knowing in which one he was at as they both looked almost the same. So for now, Allen kept his nine, furry white tails hidden with magic in case he was with the mortals, and made sure to appear human. And if he was indeed in the Other Realm, he could always defend himself should any other being try to eat him.

His white yukata and blue sash matched his equally short, white hair, and as people stared he did not notice because the smell of delicious food quickly distracted him. He licked his lips in hunger, dashing over to one of the okonomiyaki stalls lined along his left side, his original objective already forgotten.

Once he finally got to the front of the stand, the crowded line of people now behind him he excitedly ordered, "Ten sets please!" and left the store with a very happy, paid store owner. He carried the ten carton boxes unsteadily in his two hands, looking both ways for oncoming foot traffic as well as any places nearby, so as not to drop his newly ordered food.

Eventually he spotted an empty bench at the end of the rows of stalls to his right, a metal fence separating it from a small grassy mound with growing flowers. Its dimly lit area was fine with him, and so he quickly made his way to the wooden seat, dodging the arms and bodies of passersby from every side.

He was nearly there after a few more minutes of struggling and careful maneuvering to keep his food and others safe and unmessed, and the chair was only a few feet away, his exhaustion beginning to grow. He sighed in relief, smiling at the thought of finally being able to eat when an oof! and toppling of a box or two of his octopus balls brought him back to reality.

He looked down and saw a girl - a very human-looking one, at that - had fallen onto her butt on the floor, and immediately dropped his layers of cardboard containers to help her up. He bent down, took her hand, and shifted his gaze to find dark emerald eyes staring back at him with surprise, a slight frown on her face.

"S- Sorry," he mumbled, and stood back up, pulling the girl with him. "I didn't mean to spill that all over you and ruin your pretty yukata."

The girl blushed slightly at the word "pretty" and smiled, albeit seeming a little disappointed. "No, no," she said. "I wasn't checking in front of me, so it was my fault." And seeing the food which Allen had dropped in order to help her, she added, "You didn't have to waste all that food, either."

The fox demon returned the smile. "It's alright. It's worth it for a breath-taking lady such as yourself."

She laughed, and it sounded like hundreds of tiny little bells softly chiming in his ears.

"I'm not that pretty," she replied, but he wasn't listening. "I mean, after all..."

Her words went through one ear and out the other as Allen couldn't take his eyes off of her. It was at that instant he knew she was human - no other demon he's ever met has had a wondrous laugh like that, and though as worried as he should be about being in the Mortal Realm he chose to stay, wishing to keep the company of this girl a little while longer.

"And anyway, most people don't like me because of my..." he tuned back in just as she paused, putting a hand to her chin.

"... uniqueness," she finished, uncertain of what he would reply had she told him the truth, Allen assumed. He didn't press her for answers, and thus changed the topic quickly because the girl seemed uncomfortable with the current one.

"Oh, um, since it's my fault you dropped all your food, how about I buy another... one, two, three, four... ten, was it, sets for you?" She asked, beating the yokai to it.

He blushed at having her discover his gluttony, and objected. "It's fine! You really don't need to, since I was daydreaming, sort of, before I bumped into you."

"Ah, here," he said, handing her some napkins he'd received upon remembering her stained clothing. She took it gratefully, and tried to get off as much as she could, gently dabbing the tissue so as not to smear the sauce.

"How about we sit over there, so it's easier?" Allen suggested, gesturing to his original destination and the girl nodded.

They walked over to it and sat down, and Allen realized that he had not yet introduced himself, and so he did. "My name is Allen, by the way," he took another tissue from his pocket and began helping her wipe the stains away. When the two had gotten off what they could, she held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you. My name's Lenalee. Lenalee Lee," and he took it.

When he let go, Lenalee then popped up with another question.

"Well, um, Allen..." she started.

"How come you have a tail?"