The Beginning

It was stormy the night before her birth. But the moment the next day opened its gates, the rainy clouds were swept away and were replaced with the sun shining over them. It was a good day, with an equally good weather. Spring came and as the flowers bloomed, so did Rosa. Or at least, her stomach did. The flaxen-haired beauty looked just as young as the day, and it was known on that day that she came visiting her family's home, bearing good news for everyone. She was pregnant.

That was the first thing that Jay heard when he came back from his business conference. That his wife was pregnant with his child after they had been trying for one for the entirety of their marriage. This was because despite 4 years of marriage, Rosa was unable to carry a child due to her preexistent condition that eventually does not allow her to bear a child, or at least the risks were low for her, that's what the doctor said when she went for her checkup after her second miscarriage. Her family knew there may be a chance that the child would not survive long enough to greet the world if another miscarriage were to occur again so they didn't hold high hopes into welcoming a new potential member to the ranks. However, they did not show their concern in front of the mother, fearing that all the negativity would only stress her out, and could affect her pregnancy. Who knows? Perhaps the heavens were kind enough to bless her with her long awaited offspring after years of crying.

Rosa belonged to a well-known family in Argentina. She was adopted into the family after her biological father was killed in an assassination attempt on the employer he was protecting; who turned out to be Rosa's father today, the head of the Marín family. There was one thing that all members of the family would be proud of, and it will continue to flow through the blood of their descendants; or Luna for instance. To everyone's prayers, Rosa finally gave birth to her baby girl on one evening at her own home, under the discretion of not wanting others to take her as leverage in their continuous family war. Oh yes, how could she forget, after her father was adopted into the family after having several generations working for the same family, Rosa is a part of the 'family business' even when she had no direct involvement in it. In the eyes of the public, they were running a real estate company but behind the doors, as far as the underground goes, hand in hand with each other, they were running another organization too; one that was slightly more unorthodox.

Her birth wasn't complicated, much to everyone's surprise. She came to the world crying loudly and was a very healthy baby girl. It was then that everyone knew, she was definitely her mother's daughter, and her grandfather's beloved when he became the one who held her first. Lunafaye Grace Marín. The one who gave her such a name was also her grandfather. The patriarchy runs deep in the family but no one had problems with how things were operating, not even Rosa. "Family is family, we don't betray each other," that is what her mother always told her every night before she goes to sleep. Unlike others, she didn't have to worry about being caught in the unfortunate cross-fire between the drug cartels' ongoing war in the city. Luna lived a very sheltered life. A privilege that not many in the city of Rosario could afford to have. And that memory is what she would carry on until she emerged into early adulthood.

When her parents moved to Buenos Aires, things were slightly better since the violence was low due to the city. Nobody really thought much when a 4-year-old Luna exclaimed she would be an independent woman once she grows up. Or when she said she would pave her own way in the future and make a name for herself. Everyone dismissed them as playful jokes that she cracked up every once in a while. They were in awe of her, the family hasn't had a child for decades. Luna was the first child to be born after 25 years. That's it, born. As in birthed. Not adopted. Which brings another issue in hand, or rather, a presence that will terrorize the poor girl's life. Her only fault? Oh, for having the Marín name.

Two years before Rosa's pregnancy, both her and Jay had thought about taking up the option for adoption since she had yearned for a child of her own to raise, even if they weren't her flesh and blood. That's where Marissa came into the picture. She was 4 years older than Luna. Back then, Rosa had no hopes that she would be able to get pregnant, so they went to adopt a girl. Marissa is the opposite of Luna. And such was the treatment she received too. While her parents love her, her grandfather did not show the same compassion he showed Luna. He refused to acknowledge her as a part of their family even though both Rosa and Luna had no blood relation to him. Her grandfather, Alvaro, always reminded her of her place, "Luna may be my adopted granddaughter with no blood relation to the family but she is Rosa's flesh and blood, and Rosa is my daughter." To him, Marissa held no significance whatsoever to the family, she was treated like an esteemed guest but her treatment was nowhere near half of what Luna received.

Imagine telling your granddaughter that you will never exceed the expectations you put on her, that was bound to leave a mark on her. And it did. The unfortunate victim in the case was Luna, who knew no better. She would not know that she would be the source of her own sister's jealousy. She lived a sheltered life, but she also grew up learning a lot of things from Alvaro. Unlike Marissa who had their parents' devotion, Luna was a lot closer to her grandfather. A year after Luna's birth, Rosa got pregnant again, this time with a baby boy that would later be Luna's most trusted confidant; Ezequiel. She knew of the danger that lies outside of their house, but she held onto the motto that she always seemed to be reminded of; the whole thing about trusting family and to never betray them. It was common knowledge that traitors were executed without mercy. It was the number one rule in the household.

Family is everything, that's what Luna grew up hearing. But why was it that the older she got, the more she distanced herself from the likes of her own family? When she turned 10, Luna's birthday party was ruined due to a message being sent by a rival cartel. She was only 10 years old when she witnessed her first murder. It would've traumatized any child and she was not excluded from the thought. She locked herself inside her room for days, refusing to set a foot outside because she was afraid.

Alvaro received news of her condition and went to reprimand her personally. He scolded her and said he would not tolerate any petulant behavior from her. But that wasn't all that her grandfather reminded her, aside from scolding and chastising her for her behavior, he comforted her. Every time she cries, he would soothe her and stroke her hair, assuring her that she is strong. "Strong people don't give up, cariña," he said, and though it took her a while, Luna eventually got better and promised to never let him down again.

She was not as outspoken or bubbly as before, Luna became quieter and more reserved. She would often keep to herself and spend her evenings with Alvaro. It was no surprise to others to see the old man favoring her more than any member of the family. She quickly became his jewel and despite his active status in the organization behind his drug cartel, he never once taught her the bad things. Business is business, but family is forever. He would entertain her with a few tips that were supposed to prepare her for her future and he did not expect her to follow in their family business either. The old man clearly had a soft spot for the sweet Luna, to the point where he wanted her to create her own story. Her parents were proud to see her growing up like the independent female she promised she would be, and her brother, Ezequiel would be cheering for her in every step of the way.

Everyone was happy because Alvaro had led the family in an iron fist and was unforgiving but a 14 year old girl was able to melt his heart. Except for one, of course. Marissa who was already 18 by then, only felt immense hatred towards her. She never stopped terrorizing Luna, who then decided enough was enough. One day, she confronted her older sister. They had a big argument that resulted in a fight between the two of them, Marissa who was taller and stronger was able to apprehend Luna who was shorter then. But unbeknownst to the elder female, Luna did learn a lot during her time spent with her grandfather. Discipline, ethics, business strategies and underhand tactics, oh and also self defense. How could he forget to teach her that. So when Marissa had her cornered against the railing of the second floor, she wondered if her sister was really that deranged enough to hurt her this badly, as pushing her off the railing would be a murder attempt.

Luna didn't know what pushed her to the edge but she told her sister that her obsession for her grandfather's approval will be her demise. That snapped a cord in her somehow and Marissa lunged at her, but Luna escaped to the side just in time before she could push her. Unfortunately, that meant the elder female went toppling over the railing and she didn't have enough time to digest the fact that her sister just fell over.

By the time she got down to the ground to check if Marissa was still alive, she saw the blood pooling around her, which had her panicking. Nobody knew they were there at the vineyard because it was supposed to be a private meeting between the two of them. She didn't know what to do, it took her a few minutes to realize what just happened. Or rather, what she just did. Luna left the scene and searched for her grandfather that evening, knocking on his office door like her life depended on it. As soon as the door was opened, she engulfed him with a hug and cried, explaining everything to him while shivering in her unkempt self for every word that comes out from her mouth.

"It wasn't my fault... "

Alvaro gave her specific instructions and told her to change her clothes, to go to her room, and to not let anyone in until he settles it. Before he left, he told her he would take care of it. She was 14, no matter how mature she was, she didn't know what he meant by settling it or taking care of it. So she went to her room and did exactly what he told her to do. Seeing as Luna kept to herself most of the time, no one bothered to visit her room because they know they won't get any response from her aside from a nod. When morning comes, she was greeted with Alvaro's tired face who told her everything was taken care of and that she didn't need to worry about a thing. "Nothing happened yesterday."

The story went out. Everyone thought she ran away. Luna had the perfect alibi too should people question her. All thanks to her grandfather. Her parents were distraught by the news of their missing daughter and were even more broken when they received a call from a hospital saying they found someone who resembled Marissa, 8 months later. It was reported that she's been in a coma ever since. Either Death wanted to play a game with Alvaro or the girl was simply lucky. Marissa was found near a swamp, in her bloodied state. The passerby who brought her in thought she was dead so he called to report a dead body. But she was still alive, albeit very weak but still very much alive. Due to the injuries she suffered from, the doctor said she was facing a high risk of being paralyzed from waist down as well as temporal amnesia. A part of Luna desperately wished that Marissa would forgive her but after the interference by Alvaro, she also wondered if it was better for her to die so no one would know what she did. Ever since then, she stopped talking to everyone else; especially her parents. The only ones she would talk to were that of her brother and grandfather.

She knew what she wanted when she reached 16. To get out. Luna has been studying and doing her research on the process of emancipation ever since that day of the incident. She didn't want to stay under the same roof as her parents, who turned out for the worst after Marissa's tragic accident. Her father became an alcoholic and her mother started to act as if she didn't exist, always calling her Marissa when they held no resemblance whatsoever. Marissa has been in a comatose state for 2 years and her parents were slowly losing it, especially after Alvaro told them it was a waste of money to keep holding onto someone who clearly had close to no hope of waking up, much less recovering. Her relationship with her parents fell apart and so did her trust. Luna wanted to be as far away from them as possible and when Alvaro proposed for her to apply for a school in the United States, she was quick to accept it.

But it wouldn't be enough, Luna was afraid that her deranged mother would find a way to get her back. Alvaro may love Luna a lot but he could not deny his daughter's wishes either. In an effort to cut herself off from the reins of her parents and to make sure her grandfather and mother's relationship wouldn't worsen because of her, she took the initiative to file for an emancipation. She was at the correct age to file for one, and despite Alvaro's signs of disappointment, she promised she wouldn't completely cut him off from her life. She just wanted to create her story on her own like he told her. Of course, she knew everyone was just treating her nicely because of the hold she had on their leader; Alvaro. The others liked Marissa a lot better because she has 'proven' herself worthy for the respect while all Luna did was just be the rebellious kid who didn't give much care on what people thought of her. Her reckless behavior had warranted a few scoldings from her own parents but at the end of the day, their opinions did not matter.

What Happened After

Luna dropped out of her school, started searching for work and moved out after two months of working at a retail store. Since she didn't have school to bother her, she was able to take another part-time job as an animal shelter worker. She didn't make a lot but it was enough for her own self, and once she is declared legal, she would be able to find more opportunities. A few days before she turned 17, she was granted her emancipation by the court, much to her parents' dismay, but they gave their agreement, whether it was voluntarily or just feigned action, nobody knows. She took her GED shortly after that and was granted a better opportunity at working other jobs.

A few days after her 18th birthday, under the full moon, equipped with the knowledge of preparing herself to go through a painful process of turning, Luna remembered what it feels like to be in pain again. The only people who were there to help her were the same two people she could never cut off from her life; her brother and grandfather. Their entire family had the kitsune gene, even Rosa who was adopted into the family, as her father was also one. She knew the day would come but nobody prepared her for the pain. When she fluttered her eyes open, all she could see was her white fur. Alvaro told her there hasn't been an arctic fox in their family since him and joked about destiny.

She still came to visit Alvaro and Ezequiel every week after work. Luna was offered the chance to intern at an estate management company and despite her endless refusal the year before that, she ended up giving it a try because it wasn't under their family business, but rather a friend of theirs. That was also when she met Isabelle, and the 19-year-old girl was as cliche as her name. Luna first met Isabelle when she was stuck at the entrance of her apartment complex, due to the heavy rain and thunder. Isabelle was a sweet girl who stood at 5'4" and invited her to come into her place so she would find a better place to seek refuge and shelter. At first, she rejected politely but eventually gave in when Isabelle pointed out her shivering and wet self. She didn't know she would fall for her, honestly. But when Luna kept bumping into Isabelle every once in a while that was slowly starting to feel surreal, she couldn't deny her attraction. She thought Isabelle was the opposite of her but she turned out to be someone much different. After months of friendship, Luna built her confidence and decided to confess but Isabelle had already beat her to it by pulling her in for a kiss while she was trying to form words.

Everything was fine to her. She actually felt happy, for a change. It wasn't until Marissa was said to be finally discharged from the hospital that Luna suddenly remembered what it feels like to be afraid. She woke up miraculously and was allowed to go home with a private nurse to treat her. Alvaro assured Luna that she won't talk because she lost her memories due to the hit to her head but it still caused her unrest. She had planned to get out of the country when she realized she will never be able to get rid of the guilt and shame that kept hovering all over her. Luna didn't like that she even thought about eliminating the problem for good, and she will never be able to live peacefully when she knows Marissa could remember any second. She didn't push her, she fell on her own but it doesn't change the fact that Alvaro covered it up for her and she left her instead of calling for help.

Luna wanted to move away. Away from her family and she knew it would hurt Alvaro to leave like that, especially permanently, but she did it anyway. It was bad timing, she also found out that Isabelle was the daughter of a member under her grandfather's reign and she felt like she was betrayed because Isabelle lied to her and said she didn't know who she was. Any other day it might have been fine but with the paranoia and betrayal she felt, the hurt was simply too much so she broke off their relationship and warned her to stay away from her. She lied to Alvaro and said she would come back some day, because she knew her grandfather would do anything to stop her from leaving permanently.

With a passport and one luggage, she set off to the United States. Before departing, Alvaro told her that she should go and find an acquaintance of his that would be able to help her with her kitsune side, as he could not do that from a distance. And just like that, she was off to Evermore. Maybe she could finally escape her past and start anew there.