*This is my version of Kamisama Kiss that has a slightly different beginning.
Kamisama Kiss Chapter 1:
At the School:
"…zono. Hey, Monozono!" an obnoxious voice said in a sing-song voice. "Huh…" a young brunette girl of newly turned seventeen groggily said through her pounding headache with a pair of chopsticks in her mouth. "Isobe, don't you have a sewer to hang out in?" she asked in annoyance. "Just trying to bring you back to harsh reality." the boy with dyed blonde hair jested trying to get under her skin for her situation.
"Oh! Would this be your lunch for today?" he asked, rhetorically, "it's the same as yesterday's!" then he grabbed the box filled with plain white rice and a plum in the middle. "What eat is none of your business!" she exclaimed as she exclaimed as she grabbed her lunch back, which mostly spilled to the floor when she staggered due to fatigue.
"Is she okay?" a female student asked her friend. "She has to work really hard for about two or sometimes three jobs a day to cover the rent for her apartment, because her dad's gambling debts." her friend said. "Oh, so she hasn't been eating enough lately?" another girl said. "Yep, that's poor daddy issues Momozono!" Isobe stated, not caring about the weaken girl. "Momozono? Are you okay?" the homeroom teacher asked, concern. Then his question was answered as Nanami felled to the floor.
At Nanami's Apartment:
Nanami was released from school for the day and she was fired from all three of her jobs, because they were tired of her taking sick days or making mistakes all the time due to fatigue. Luckily, it was the last day of the school year today, so she had some time to find a job before the second year for her started. But not much, because knowing her father, he lost their money again trying to win more at the horse track or some other form of gambling.
"I'm home!" she called out, but she noticed that the place was quiet, too quiet. "Hey Dad…where are you?" Nanami asked as she looked around the apartment. But no one answered. Then there was a knock at the door and she went over to answer it.
There were two men in suits wearing sunglasses, they looked like government officials. "Can I help you?" she asked, nervously, hoping they weren't in trouble, which most likely, they are. "Yes you can." one of the men said. "We have it on good authority that the inhabitants of this apartment has been neglecting on paying the rent for more than one occasion. So we have been given orders by the land lord to ceased this room and ask you to move out at once." the other one informed.
"What?! Now hold on! I think there's some money around here somewhere. Let me get it and accept it as down payment." Nanami stalled. She went back inside and saw that the money she had hidden was gone. No doubt found by her father again and taken away to gamble away again. She turned the furniture upside down trying to see if there was even a single coin to pay them.
Then she noticed a paper falling off the table. It say 'Gone off on a journey, don't look for me. Dad' Nanami just sat there speechless, on the brink of tears. "Why Dad? How could you leave me like this?" she asked no one in particular.
"Is everything alright miss?" one of the collectors asked concerned. They saw her sitting there, looking like the world had ended. One of them took the piece of paper from her and read the contents. "Looks like her father ran off and left his daughter to deal with the debts." he said feeling empathic. "So we have a more serious situation here." the other stated, wondering how he and his partner was going to deal with this situation.
"Do you have any relatives or close friends you could stay with?" he asked. "No, I'm my father's only relative and my mother was an only child, also my grandparents are dead as well." Nanami said with tears spilling, "And I couldn't possibly brother my friends with this situation." "I'm sorry, there's nothing that can be done about the apartment, it's already set in stone." one of the collectors said sincerely, "But we'll find a place for you to stay."
Shelter:
"Here dear, you just settle in and get some sleep." The social worker said gently, trying to give her comfort. "Thank you," Nanami said, trying to give her best smile. With that, the social worker left her alone to her thoughts.
Since they couldn't find any trace of her father or any relatives that she might not know about, the collectors took her to a shelter for homeless children for her to stay until further notice. She didn't have much to bring, she only had a small duffel bag filled with her clothes and personal belongings. She grasped the fang pendant from around her neck, which was a memento of her late mother, and decided that she needed some fresh air to clear her thoughts,
Later at the Park:
She sat on a bench at the local park and just sat there with a space look on her face, and thought about her selfish father. How could he just gamble away everything they had, while she and her mother suffered, therefore, having nothing that could save her when she was suffering from an illness? Then, when things were hopeless, just up and leave his daughter alone in the world to fend for herself? Then in that moment, Nanami gathered all the anger she felt and yelled. "HOW CAN THAT STINKIN OLD MAN DO THIS TO ME?!" about to choke on the tears that were threatening to come out.
The moment they did, she ran to the nearby fountain to wash her face and look at her pathetic face. "There's no way, I'll be able to go to school anymore, now that's I have nothing!" she wept. "I'm sorry, Mom, I won't be able to keep my promise anymore, I'm all alone now, and no one will help me."
"SOMEONE HELP!" a male voice yelled. Out of curiosity, Nanami headed towards the source of the call for help, after she wiped her face. There she saw a man in a tan coat up a tree and a dog barking and growling at him as if he was a cat he was chasing. "PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!" the man cried again, "WOULD YOU PLEASE GET THAT DOG OUT OF HERE!?" "Shoo! Shoo!" Nanami said, simply making the dog go away with the wave of her hand.
Relieved that the canine pursuer was finally gone, the strange man came down and relaxed. "You're a live safer. Thank you. I have just arrived in this town after a long time and that dog just ran up and barked at me." the man said. "So, I take it, you must not like dogs then?" Nanami asked. "Kind of, yeah. But I guess that the people from around here down exactly feel welcoming towards me." the man stated, brushing himself off, "Are you a local person, yourself?" "Well, sort of, at the moment, I don't have a place to live." Nanami said as tears threaten to escape again. "What's wrong?" the stranger asked concerned. "Oh it's nothing." Nanami said, trying to erase the tears of abandonment from her face.
For some reason, Nanami opened up to the stranger and complain about all the problems she had in life and the misfortune that happened today. The stranger was opened and patiently listened to the young girl's distress. "Wow! Your father was in serious debt, I'm sure you must hate him intensely for running away like that." he cried out of sympathy. Nanami just giggled at the awkwardness.
"Well, this might be inappropriate to mention, but I have abandoned my home." he said, "It's been decades since then. There's no telling how everyone is doing. Tomoe's sure to jump kick me as soon as I show my face." "Still, at least you have a home to go back to." Nanami said, laughing awkwardly, "Sounds awesome, I mean, I don't even have that anymore, except staying at that shelter on the other side of the park." "I predict you will have a new home before you know." the man said.
Nanami looked at him oddly, but the man just shook it off. "I must be going now, I have some business I need to take care of." he said as he kissed her on the forehead, "For luck." With that, he left and Nanami eventually went back to the shelter.
The Next Morning:
"Breakfast Time!" Someone called out. Nanami groggily got out of her hard bed and got dressed. She hardly slept a wink after she got back from the park. Her mind was so full of worries and doubts. Did her father really abandoned her? Was he tired of her always nagging about using their money for gambling that he stormed off, leaving her alone, never to return? Will she be able to continue school? Will she be able to go, let alone afford it, even if she got a new job? Will there be a family that would be willing to take her in? What will happen to her? Shaking off the doubt, she left her room to have breakfast, although she didn't have much of an appetite.
"Nanami come to the office." one of the social workers said as she was about to come to the dining room. Curious about what was so urgent that she was called to the office on her first day here. As she walked in, she saw a feminine looking man with flamboyant makeup and clothes.
"Are you Nanami Monozono?" he asked. "Yes." she answered. "My friend needs a young lady who is close to coming of age to take in so she might carry on his work and live in his house." The man-lady said.
"Are you serious?" Nanami asked in disbelief. "The house you are going to shouldn't be left untended forever, and with you there, he wouldn't have to worry anymore." The man-lady said as he left, "Also, he said that you more worthy of that house than he could ever be. I'll bring you to the house this evening and when you're there, tell the people there that Mikage sent you. You'll be their new lady and mistress." Having regain her spirit and her appetite, Nanami ran back to the dining hall and planned for her new home.
Later that Evening:
They rode in a taxi and the Man-Lady left her at the entrance of long climb of stairs. 'Mikage Shrine' Nanami read the old battered sign overhead, looking back at the letter of introduction in her hand. "An old shrine?" she said to herself in bewilderment, "Does his family run the shrine or something. If so, it doesn't seem like they handling it very well. I guess that's where they need my help for."
She carried her stuff, struggling to walk up the stair with such a large burden in both arms. When she reached the top, she stopped to catch up with her breath, when she looked up at the shrine in front of her for the first time and gasped in shock. "Whoa! This place looks way worse than I'd pictured, it looks practically deserted!" she said flabbergasted, "I don't know how I can help."
"Lord Mikage?" a child-like asked, turning Nanami's head in the direction of the voice in curiosity. "Welcome home, Lord Mikage." another child-like voice sounded. "Who's there? Show yourself!" Nanami demanded, looking around frantically.
Then suddenly fire appeared all around the shrine. "Lord Mikage!" the voices exclaimed. "AHH! FIIRRREEEE!" Nanami exclaimed as she rapidly backed away and tripped into the shrine, landing her at the entrance of the room. "So, you have finally returned!" a male voice said from the middle of the room.
Surprised, Nanami sat straight up and turned towards the source of the voice. There, standing with his back towards her, was a young man about eighteen or late twenties. He had an elegant silk red kimono with beautiful floral patterns with a black haori with similar patterns, it seemed too feminine for a man to wear, but for him, it seemed befitting. He has beautiful silver-like white hair that reached the nape of his neck and flawlessly pale skin, whiter than his white hair.
Other than his white hair, he was very other-worldly. He had a tail and ears like that of a fox that matched his snow white hair, and he had long claw like nails. When he turned around to face her, he revealed a very handsome face with the most exquisitely striking cat-like purple eyes. The very sight of the young man made Nanami just sit in awe of the flawless looking creature in front of her.
"Where have you been? It has been a long time." he said with a seductive sounding voice that could take the most stubborn woman off her guard around him, "Twenty years feels like an absolute eternity, how about you?" That statement broke Nanami out of her admirable trance, what was he talking about? "DIE YOU FIEND!" he exclaimed as he leap at the girl, claws out for the attack. In a reflex, she whacked her duffel bag in the boy's face as she screamed in panic.
After the boy recovered from the sudden attack, he finally took full notice of the new visitor. "Wait! A human girl?" he exclaimed. Then Nanami got another look at the boy and breathed a sigh of relief. "A boy?" she asked herself. Then a thought came to her.
"Oh wait, I get it! You're one of Isobe's friends and you're here to play yet another prank on me." she stated, which earned a perplexed look on the white haired or rather furred fox man, "Alright Isobe! Joke's over! Come on out!" Nanami said, "And take these things off." She tugged the fluffy, white tail, but it didn't come off. "Hey what's with this, it's not coming off." Then she pulled as hard as she could. "YOOUUUCCCCHHHHH!" The boy yelled. Then she reached and grabbed his ears. "These are coming off either, it's like they're real!" she exclaimed. "They are real!" he snapped, sending Nanami to lend backwards and land on her back.
Then two small beings, the size of small kids, appeared. "What's Wrong Master Tomoe?" one of the two impish looking beings asked in concern. One had a mask that looked like a geisha's face, and the other had one that resemble the face of a child with a strange green patch on the side. The one with the geisha face came over to Nanami and moved her bangs aside. "Master Tomoe! As you can see, the mark of the land god is here on the forehead right where it should be!" he or she exclaimed. "And I sense Lord Mikage's presence with her!" the other one exclaimed. "Yet, this is not him." The fox named Tomoe stated.
Nanami just lay on the floor in shock. "Now then, woman, tell me who exactly are you?" Tomoe interrogated. As she took in the sight on the two small beings with creepy masks and the foxlike being, a realization hit her hard, and s scream began to build up. "SUPERNATURAL THINGS ARE EVERYWHERE! I'M IN A YOUKAI SHRINE!' Nanami yelled at the top of her lungs.
After Nanami calmed downed, she explained about she got here and showed the letter to Tomoe, who studied it closely. "Without a doubt, this is definitely Mikage's handwriting." He stated. "He said he needed me to take care of his work for him and to live in his house." Nanami said as she continued to admire Tomoe's gorgeous profile.
Then suddenly, he appeared extremely irritated as he fluttered his fan in front of his face as if to keep him from exploding from his temper. "Just so you know, the man you met last night was the land god of this region." he explained, "And this shrine is the home of that land god. The fact that he sent you here as the new lady and mistress, could only mean he sent you here as the new land god here in his place!" "….Uh?" Nanami said dumbfounded to say anything else.
"Oh what a happy day!" one of the little creatures said and it and the other one threw confetti around her. "The land has returned to the shrine at last!" the other one said. "We must prepare a feast for the occasion at once!" the geisha mask exclaimed as he and his friend made a fish and several vegetable side dishes appear on elaborate trays. "Please have your partake of this, Lady Goddess of the Land!" the other one said. "Help yourself!" they both said as they held out the trays to her.
"WAIT! HOLD ON!" Nanami shouted as she suddenly stood up, "Me? A Land Goddess? There's got to some kind of mistake. I'm just Nanami Monozono, just a normal seventeen year old high school student. How and why did I become a goddess?" "Tis simple!" the small beings said, "It all started when you received the mark of godhood on your forehead." "I have a mark? How did that get there?" Nanami asked herself, then the events of last night came back to her, "It must have been when he kissed me."
"You call this a land god?" Tomoe asked no one in particular as he observed her face, fingertips on her chin, which made Nanami's heart leapt out of her chest, "What can a pathetic looking girl like this do. At the very least, she can collect offerings to the shrine. In other words, she is unacceptable." "But this lady…" the geisha mask said. "Was referred her by Lord Mikage himself!" the other one finished. "I care not! Throw her out!" Tomoe insisted.
"EXCUSE ME! YOU'RE BEING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY AND RUDE TO ME FOR NO REASON! YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T HAD A VISITOR IN YEARS! BESIDES I DIDN'T ASK TO BE A GOD OR A GODDESS OR WHATEVER! I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE ANYWAY!" Nanami yelled. Tomoe seemed shocked by her statement for some reason. "Now now, Lady Nanami! Don't say that! We are overjoyed to have you!" the masked beings said as she kept refusing the position despite their pleas.
"If you insist on giving that creature a place here, I shall leave this shrine." Tomoe stated. "MASTER TOMOE!" the creatures exclaimed in panic. "I am Mikage's Familiar, I have no intention of serving another." he said as began to disappear, "If you like, you can have a lion dog take my place." "WHOA! WAIT A MINUTE!" Nanami yelled, not wanting him to leave this place because of her, since it seemed that he has a very important role to play here. But he was gone in a blue flame.
Nanami just stood there, shocked about what just happened. Then the wind started to pick up, indicating that weather was taking a turn for the worst, which was something Nanami didn't want to get into. "Oh um… I don't suppose you can just put me up for the night?" she asked. "With pleasure!" the creatures said, happy to help.
The Next Morning:
When morning came, Nanami woke to a start. "What a weird dream! My dad abandoned me and the house got seized, I met this man who gave me his home, but this house was actually a shrine with little ghosts in it and a guy with fox ears named Tomoe, who told me I was a land goddess, which made me all "what in the world!" but then this Tomoe guy said that the whole thing was unacceptable, and left. And so I spent the night here!" she said in one breath and then giggled, "How funny!" "GOOD MORNING LADY GODDESS OF THE LAND!" the two creatures from last night exclaimed cheerfully, proofing to Nanami that last night's events weren't a dream.
"Now if you please, get right to it!" they exclaimed. "Do what?" Nanami asked, confused. "Your duties as a land goddess, my lady!" they answered, then they explained the duties, "First, sweep the front yard, purify the halls to keep the evil spirits at bay, then swiftly rake away the fallen leaves, and wipe the hall of worship with a damp cloth. Then you must weed the flowers!" "That's all a god has to do? Sounds more like housekeeper work." Nanami stated.
"Hold on! I don't recall ever agreeing to be the land god, did I?" she stated, with arms crossed. "OH NO! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!" the tiny beings exclaimed crying tears, "NOW THAT MASTER TOMOE HAS LEFT US, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN PROTECT THIS PLACE LADY NANAMI! WITH US!" "ONIKIRI!" The one with the geisha mask introduced. "KOTETSU!" the other said. "WE SHALL HELP YOU SUPPORT THE SHRINE!" Onigiri exclaimed. "AND WE SHALL SUPPORT YOU, LADY NANAMI!" Kotetsu exclaimed. "SO PLEASE DON'T HESTITATE TO ASK ANYTHING YOU WISH!" They exclaimed as they bowed respectfully at her, despite her awkwardness.
"So, who and what exactly is Tomoe?" Nanami asked out of sudden curiosity. "Oh, Master Tomoe is Lord Mikage's Familiar." Onikiri answered. "Familiar?" she repeated. "Yes, Familiar." Kotetsu stated.
"He was once a wild fox, and Lord Mikage took him in as his familiar of the shrine in place of a lion dog." He explained. "Lord Mikage isn't exactly a fan of dogs." Onikiri explained. "Woof!" Kotetsu barked turned he turned himself into a dog. "Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed as she remembered two nights ago.
"Hold on a second, aren't foxes related to dogs?" Nanami stated. The little spirits froze in confusion. "Really?" Kotetsu asked. "I always thought that Master Tomoe, looked more like a cat with those pointy ears and fluffy tail." Onikiri stated. "No, I'm pretty sure foxes are part of the Canine family, same as dogs." Nanami stated.
Awhile later, Nanami got started on the chores the spirits mentioned and was weeding the yard by hand. "Well, the least I can do, is do something to repay them for letting me stay the night. But after this, I'm going back to the shelter, try to come up with a story about how the Mikage place didn't work out, and remain there until another family adopts me, or at least until I graduate, come of age, and can get a place of my own." Nanami said to herself. In the midst of the all the work, she cut her finger on one of the thorny weeds.
"So you don't even know how to properly weed?" a voice from behind her said, startling her, "What a tragic useless girl." Nanami was relieved that it was only Tomoe, and yet she was greatly annoyed about his comment. "What are you doing here? I thought you left." she asked, arms crossed as she returned to her weeding.
"You know you will never fulfill the duties of a land god." Tomoe stated. "I know that." Nanami answered. "Then why don't you go home and just be a human?" he asked. "That's because I don't have a home to go to, thanks to my irresponsible father's gambling debts." Nanami said. There was a moment of silence, but then suddenly a ball of blue flame appeared and then disappeared before Nanami could turn around to see what it was. "Was that Tomoe? And if so, what was all that about? And why did he even come back?" she asked herself.
After finishing all the tasks the wisps have asked her to do, Nanami returned to the main hall of the shrine and fell down flat on her back, exhausted. "I'm so tired! They said they wanted me to be a land god or whatever, but I can't help but get the feeling they're just taking advantage of me." She said. She would have taken a nap, if it wouldn't for a strange voice.
"Dear God!" an elderly voice echoed through the shrine. This surprised Nanami, jolting her awake, seeing a senior woman praying in front of the shrine offering box. "I hope you will hear my prayer, please protect my daughter and make sure she gives birth to a healthy child." the voice said, it seem to have come from the woman. Nanami was surprised that she heard what the woman was praying without actual words being said.
"That woman, I just heard her words." Nanami said to herself. "Indeed, you did!" Onikiri exclaimed from behind her. "What you just heard was the prayer from the heart of the worshipper!" Kotetsu explained. "Part of your godly duties is to sit in the shrine and listen to the prayers of the worshippers who come here!" Onikiri explained further.
"Come, come, Lady Nanami! There is more to do!" Kotetsu exclaimed. "We need you to look through all of these!" They stated as they dropped several books that made a stack as high as Nanami was when she was standing up. "What are these?" Nanami asked, not liking the amount of books in front of her. "A record of all the wishes of the worshippers of the last twenty years, my lady!" Kotetsu explained. "TWENTY YEARS!" Nanami shouted in shock. "Master Tomoe has been writing them down." Onikiri said.
"The intent was to have Lord Mikage look upon them upon his return." Kotetsu said. "With his absence, we have sadly seen a decrease of worshippers to the shrine." Onikiri said. "But thanks to Master Tomoe somehow managing to keep the shrine in decent condition, we sometimes get occasional visitors like you just saw." Kotetsu said. "We realized that we have made you do a lot of work today." Onikiri said. "Usually Master Tomoe takes care of everything by himself." Kotetsu explained.
"No wonder, he writes neatly and the accounts are so detailed." Nanami said to herself. Then another worshipper, a young man, came in front of the shrine and began to pray. "Dear lord, please. Dear lord, please. Please, make my wish come true." The man's voice echoed out. As Nanami skimmed through the records, she thought back to the things she said to Tomoe the previous night, and felt a pang of guilt.
"Well, Lady Nanami, Do you understand now?" the will of the wisps asked. "Yeah, I get it. There's no way I can be a land god." Nanami stated with a sad smile. "WHAT?!" the two spirits exclaimed in disbelief. "I'm just a normal girl, it's not like I have any special powers or anything." she said. With that, the wisps fainted flat on their backs.
"However…" Nanami began to say. "However?" the spirits exclaimed, with hope anew in their voices. "I think I need to speak to Tomoe." Nanami explained, "Some of the things I've said to him weren't true. I would like to talk to him and apologize if I can." "Um…unfortunately, I'm afraid that Master Tomoe has gone to the World over Yonder." The spirits explained. "World over Yonder?" Nanami asked out loud.
In the World over Yonder, Red Light Distinct:
Since Nanami was insistent on seeing Tomoe, the spirits reluctantly led her to the place they mentioned before. It was so dark, a person couldn't see ten feet ahead of them. For a long time, it was mostly forest bare of any fruit or leaves.
For what seemed like an hour so, they arrived at a place lined up with red buildings and throughout the dark streets, red lanterns were lit along the balconies. All through the air, a mixture of pipe smoke and essential scents could be smelled everywhere that it can suffocate a person into a yearning and arousing desire in this place of forbidden pleasures. "Wait a minute, this looks like an olden time red light distinct, like in the late Edo Era." Nanami stated as she got an ill feeling in the pit of her stomach.
The spirits pay no mind and ran into one of the pleasure houses, Nanami followed them in, despite her reluctance. "MASTER TOMOE!" Onikiri yelled. "WHERE ARE YOU, MASTER TOMOE!?" Kotetsu called. "Quiet you two, you are making a scene." The familiar voice of a certain familiar called from inside a room. "Master Tomoe!" Onikiri exclaimed. "There you are!" Kotetsu added in relief, until he saw what was going on inside.
Tomoe was wearing a loose white kimono that was revealing his broad white chest and slim legs. Two females that had the appearances of raccoon dogs were dressed as geisha and were serving him sake' and doting on him. "You need me for something?" he asked uncaringly.
"MASTER TOMOE!" the spirits yelled in despair of the familiar's current appearance, "HOW SCANDOULOUS, YOU ARE A FAMILIAR IN SERVICE TO A GOD!" Onikiri yelled with tears in his eyes. "BUT HERE YOU ARE DRINKING SAKE' IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND HOLED UP IN THE RED LIGHT DISTINCT!" Kotetsu scolded. "Leave me alone!" Tomoe said, indifferently.
"MASTER TOMOE! YOU MUST CHANGE AT ONCE!" Onikiri said as he and Kotetsu tried to put his purple haori on. "AND YOU, HARLOTS, REMOVE YOURSEVLES AT ONCE!" Kotetsu ordered to the two geishas, which they did not take well. "SUCH IMPERTINENCE FROM WILL OF THE WISP CHILDREN!" one of them said as she and her friend kicked them. "YOU TWO SHOULD LEAVE!" the other exclaimed. "Indeed, you should." Tomoe agreed as he continued to sip at his sake'.
In the hall, Nanami stood outside the door, hands covering her eyes, partly to hide her sight from the partly exposed body of the beautiful creature lying inside the room in luxury, and partly out of shamefulness of the fox's lecherous and irresponsible behavior. "YOU HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE SHRINE WITH US!" Kotetsu argued. "LADY NANAMI NEEDS YOU TO BE HER FAMILIAR!" Onikiri added. "DO YOU NOT CARE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SHRINE?" Kotetsu integrated. "No, I do not care in the slightest." Tomoe answered bluntly, which shocked Nanami deeply.
"Good riddance if you asked me, I no longer have to be a familiar at all. What a tedious job that was." he said with a content face. What the spirits said about Tomoe was in far comparison of what he was saying now, how can he think such a thing? "So from this day forward, I shall idle each day away doing exactly as I please." Tomoe said as he laid on his side as a geisha poured him another cup.
"MASTER TOMOE!" Onikiri cried out in desperation. "We're here for Lady Nanami." Kotetsu stated. "She stated that she wishes to speak to you again." Onikiri added. But Tomoe just continued to drink. "That's why we brought her along with us." Kotetsu added. "What?!" Tomoe exclaimed as he jolted into a sitting position and froze at the sight of the displeased girl, which was unusual for him.
Then without warning, she marched into the room, stood in front of him, and slapped him hard across the face. Everyone was stunned at the human girl's sudden action. "What was that for?!" Tomoe demanded as he rubbed the tender red handprint that was left on his face. "I do regret coming here though." Nanami stated, not listening to his question, "You're disgusting and selfish! I can't believe you would just up and abandoned the shrine like that, that shrine is your home isn't. YOU'RE NO DIFFERENT THEN MY GOOD FOR NOTHING FATHER, WHO JUST LEFT HIS DAUGHTER TO FEND FOR HERSELF IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A HOME TO RETURN TO!"
For a while, she trembled in anger and disbelief at the fox's attitude and then turned around to exit the room. "I'm leaving, I'm going back to the shelter!" she announced as she walked off. "LADY NANAMI!" Kotetsu cried out.
"WHY DID YOU BRING HER HERE?!" Tomoe demand, which caused the spirits to fall back from the sudden interrogation. "SHE INSISTED WE COULD NOT DENY HER!" Onikiri explained hastily. "I DO NOT CARE WHAT SHE'D INSISTED! WHY IN THE WORLD OVER YONDER WOULD YOU BRING A HUMAN HERE!?" Tomoe asked, getting more irritated by the second. "LADY NANAMI IS NO ORDINARY HUMAN BEING THOUGH, SHE IS A LAND GODDESS, REMEMBER?" Kotetsu stated. "WHICH MAKES THIS EVEN WORST!" Tomoe exclaimed as he went to put on his haori.
"I can't believe he would say something so contradicting and irresponsible!" Nanami said to herself as she thought back to Tomoe's earlier words, "WELL GOOD RIDDANCE TO HIM, THEN!" She was so upset that she didn't see where she was going and bumped into something or someone and landed on her rear end. "Hey there, missy!" a cyclops looking monster said with drool escaping from his mouth. The sight of him and his friends, one looking like the cross between a cat and a chicken, the other looking like an alien of some sort, made Nanami freeze up with fear.
"I know you, you're the human girl that has taken place at the Mikage shrine." The cat-chicken stated, with his tongue sticking out. "I heard that Mikage gave up being a land god and found a replacement, but I had no idea that she be so…" the alien looking creature said. "Delicious and tasty looking." The cyclops finished. Nanami screamed at the top of her lungs in horror.
"I CAN'T RESIST!" The cyclops exclaimed as he and the other two lunged at her. "I'M GOING TO GOBBLE YOU UP, STARTING WITH YOUR HEAD!" the cat-chicken yelled. Nanami grabbed a stick to use as a sword against the beasts, but that was unnecessary as the creatures were fighting over each other to get to her first.
"LAADDDYYYY NNNNNAAAAAANNNNNNNAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIII!" the spirit yelled at the sight of what was taking place as they rush towards her to carry her off to safety, while the creatures were still arguing. It only took them a second to realize what happening. Instantly they gave chase to them, but they were immediately stopped by a familiar intimidating figure, Tomoe.
"Why, if it isn't Master Tomoe?" the cyclops exclaimed, trying to act pleasant. "I don't suppose you wouldn't mind if we eat that girl, would you?" the cone head asked. "We would appreciate it, if you didn't get in the way." The cyclops added with a slight threat. "Why ask me? You don't need my permission." Tomoe said, aloofly. "Seriously?! You don't mind?" the cat-chicken asked. "WOW! THANK YOU!" the cyclops asked, ecstatically. "However…I am in a terribly foul mood right now." Tomoe said. Then he gave the three hideous and despicable creatures a death glare and sliced and burned them into pieces.
"An average human girl given the responsibilities and powers of a land god huh?" Tomoe mused to himself, "Figuratively speaking, she's like a duck that brought over its own pot and leeks. Meaning that she may have the necessary powers, but it's useless if she doesn't know how to use them. "Oh well! It's not like it's any of my business." He said as he turned back to the brothel he was at. He stopped for a slight moment, but then continued walking.
In the Woods of World over Yonder:
Once they gotten a safe distance from the town and those demonic thugs, Nanami and the two spirits stopped in a clearing in the dark woods to catch up with their breaths. "We should be safe now that we've come this far." Onikiri stated, between breaths. "At least, we certainly hope so." Kotetsu added.
"Lady Nanami, please go back to Master Tomoe!" Onikiri pleaded. That request only irritated Nanami. "You must make Master Tomoe your familiar at all costs!" Kotetsu added. "WRONG! I'm going back to reality!" she said as she walked off. Why should she go back to make that Fox her familiar after what he said?
"But Lady Nanami!" Kotetsu exclaimed as he and Onikiri ran after her as fast as their short legs could carry them. "If you seal the contract to have Master Tomoe as your familiar!" Onikiri started to explain. "Master Tomoe will have no choice to obey you're every command!" Kotetsu finished. This stopped Nanami in her tracks. "My every command? Seriously?" Nanami asked in disbelief. "Yes! That is one of the powers that Land God possesses." Onikiri answered.
Then Nanami got a mischievous look on her face. "Ho! Ho! That does sound good!" she said as if she was the villainess in a story plotting an evil scheme, "So what do I have to do, to seal the contract I mean?" "It is most simple, Lady Nanami!" Kotetsu stated. "First you must to up to him…" Onikiri started to explain. "AND THEN KISS HIM RIGHT ON THE MOUTH!" Both of them finished, which made Nanami too speechless to say anything.
" DO THIS AND MASTER TOMOE SHALL BECOME YOUR LOYAL SERVANT FOREVER! " Onikiri sang off key. " AFTER THAT THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN NOT MAKE HIM DO! " Kotetsu sang with him. But then they noticed that Nanami had vanished. "Huh, Lady Nanami?" Kotetsu asked. "LADY NANAMI! LADY NANAMI!" they called out, frantically.
"Those guys are crazy! There's no way on earth, or wherever this place is, I would do something like that. I'm not wasting my first kiss on him, or on any boy for that matter!" Nanami thought to herself. Then she ran off as fast as she could. "I'm going back, as I said I was, as fast as I can go!" she exclaimed to herself.
"Excuse me, you here, young miss!" an unfamiliar voice said. Nanami turned in the direction of the voice and saw an elderly woman lying on the ground with a large bag on her back. "Would you be so kind as to help an old lady?" she asked. Nanami was going to help anyway, but the sudden voices of the spirits persuaded her more. "Where do you live madam?" she asked in haste as the spirits continued to call her name.
She helped the old woman to her feet and carried her on her back. After what seemed like hours of walking, Nanami can't make right or left of her sense of direction anymore. "Madam? Are you sure this is the right way to your home?" she asked as she let the woman down gently as she looked around to get her bearings.
The woman just gave an evil smile and slowly transformed behind Nanami's back. Two horns grew out of her head, fangs from her mouth, and her white grey hair grew into hideous waves. "It's…right…" she said as she crept up to Nanami from behind with a knife in her hand, "HEERRREEEE!" Nanami turned around and screamed at the sight behind her.
But then the gruesome creature was knocked away by some kind of force and crashed into a tree. "LADY NANAMI!" Onikiri exclaimed. "ARE YOU HURT?" Kotetsu asked in concern. Then the monster got back up and was getting ready to charge with knife in hand. "What is that thing?" Nanami asked. "It is a demon hag!" Onikiri answered with hard shivers of fear. "We should probably get out of here now." Kotetsu suggested. With that, they ran as fast as they could with the hag right behind them.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" the hag exclaimed, "COME BACK HERE! IF I EAT THE FLESH OF A LAND GOD, I'LL LIVE FOR ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS!" then she released a stream of web like substance over the threesome, seemingly catching them. Then she pulled on the threads to reel in her prey, if happened to be a little shrine spirit. "Kotetsu will not taste so good." he whimpered at the face of the witch. "I DON'T WANT YOU! I NEED THE GIRL! NOW WHERE DID SHE GO?!" she exclaimed as she tossed Kotetsu behind her and gave chase to Nanami again. "MAASSSTTTTEEEEERRRRRR TTTTTTTOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEE!" Kotetsu yelled as he ran back to the red light distinct to get the wayward fox.
"LADY NANAMI! KOTETSU HAS GONE TO FIND MASTER TOMOE! WHEN HE FINDS HIM, SEAL THE CONTRACT TO MAKE HIM YOUR FAMILIAR!" Onikiri insisted. "NO WAY! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY!" Nanami argued, running faster as she did. "Then please use this, Lady Nanami!" Onikiri added as he hold up three white sheets of paper.
"What are they?" Nanami asked. "They are white Talismans!" Onikri answered. "White Talismans. "They are like magic paper. Whatever you write on it will come true." he explained. "That's so cool!" Nanami exclaimed.
She snatched one of the papers from Onikiri's hand and immediately scribbled something on it and then slapped it on his face. "TURN INTO A GOD SOLDIER!" she ordered, but nothing happened. "Um…Lady Nanami…" Onikiri hesitantly started to explain, "The power of the talismans can't surpass your own abilities." "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT EARLIER?!" Nanami exclaimed in disbelief as she fell over from the shock.
Unable to take time to recover, she immediately got back up and continue to run as fast as she could. "Only two more left!" she stated to herself as she examined the remaining sheets. Again the hag shot out more webbing and this time caught Nanami in her web.
"IT'S TIME TO DINE!" the witch exclaimed as she bit the top of Nanami's head. She was expecting the taste of flesh and blood, but instead she tasted wood. What she had battened into was a wooden log, on it was a talisman with Nanami's name written on it. "CURSE YOU, GIRL!" she yelled as she tossed the log in the air as she did to Kotetsu not too long ago.
Up ahead a ways, Nanami and Onikiri were continuing the escape. "I only have one more!" She exclaimed. Unable to think of anything else to do, she reluctantly wrote something she didn't want to write.
Back to the Red Light Distinct:
Running out of breath, Kotetsu finally made it to town. "Has the human been eaten yet?" the familiar voice of a former familiar said from the roof of one of the buildings. Kotetsu immediately stopped in his tracks and looked up. "PLEASE MASTER TOMOE!" he pleaded, "YOU HAVE TO HELP LADY NANAMI!" "So not yet then." Tomoe stated calmly as he sipped his sake'.
Then something caught the corner of his eye. It was a talisman on fire and it was heading towards him. "Tomoe! Help me!" a voice cried out from the talisman. As Tomoe held out his hand to catch the piece of paper, it disintegrated completely. Then Tomoe snickered in amusement. "Oh well, might as well look, then I can see her cry." he said to himself.
Back in the Woods of World over Yonder:
"WHAT WAS I THINKING DOING THIS?!" Nanami asked herself as she struggled to climb the giant tree in attempt to escape the hag with much difficulty. "HURRY LADY NANAMI, YOU MUST KEEP CLIMBING!" Onikiri exclaimed a few branches ahead of her. Behind them, the hag was laughing as she was catching up. "I GOT YOU NOW, GIRLIE!" she exclaimed. "SHE'S FAST!" Nanami exclaimed in panic.
A moment later, the hag grabbed Nanami by the ankle. Nanami tried to shake off the hand, but to no avail. "LADY NANAMI! LADY NANAMI!" Onikiri yelled in desperation. "LET GO!" Nanami demanded, but still the witch wouldn't let go.
"You seem to be having a tough time there." A voice calmly stated. Nanami turned her head and saw Tomoe standing on the branch she was hanging onto with Kotetsu standing behind him. "I heard you might be in a tight spot, so I rushed over immediately." he explained. "Tomoe…" Nanami said, feeling touched that he actually cared. "I wanted to get a good spot to enjoy the show." he said as he laid back with a sake' cup in his hand as if he was watching a play. In frustration, Nanami finally managed to kick the witch off of her as she kicked the tree in anger at the fox's thoughtless.
Nanami managed to drag her upper body to the branch and was able to catch up to her breath and heartbeat. "Do you need some help human? Oh, I'm sure you do." Tomoe asked in amusement of the girl's futile antics, pushing her buttons, "If you just say 'Please forgive this foolish girl, O' Great Tomoe!' I just might help you." "Yeah right, like when the skies fall, I'll help you." Nanami stated stubbornly as she let go of the branch and dropped to the one below. This action surprised the fox.
"Lady Nanami!" Kotetsu exclaimed in panic. "Just say it!" Onikiri pleaded, "Please forgive…" "No way!" Nanami argued. "…this foolish girl…?" Onikiri stated. "NO WAY!" Nanami argued again. "…O' Great Tomoe!" Kotetsu argued back. "NOO WWWAAAAYYYYY!" Nanami yelled to get her point across.
"You only have to say that one line." Onikiri said. "Then he will help you!" Kotetsu added, "Correct, Master Tomoe?" "Oh yes, that's right." Tomoe said without looking them in the eye, "Just say it. Say it and I will help you."
"LADY NANAMI, SAY THE LINE!" the spirits pleaded. "NO!" Nanami said stubbornly. "LADY NANAMI, SAY THE LINE!" they pleaded again. "I SAID NO!" Nanami said again. "LADY NANAMI!" they exclaimed in frustration. "I WON'T!" Nanami said again, "THERE IS NO WAY! I RATHER DIE THAN BOW TO HIM!" In a huff, Nanami pulled herself over on the branch where Tomoe stood.
"DON'T GET IN THE WAY, PRETTY BOY!" the hag snapped as she threw her knife at Tomoe, which barely touched him. Irritated that the hag tried to make a strike against him, leaving him a scratch on his right shoulder, Tomoe threw a ball of blue fire towards her with a direct hit. But unfortunately, it had no effect whatsoever.
"Why didn't it have an effect?" Nanami asked. "My guess is that she's the kind of demon that can only be defeated by a god or a god's attendant." Tomoe peculated. "God's attendant? Like a Familiar?" Nanami asked. "Don't get any ideas!" he warned. "I wasn't!" she stated.
When the hag's nails extended to ten times their original length and shot them at the taller twosome on the branch. "LOOK OUT!" Nanami yelled as she pushing him out of the way! However, that action made them lose their footing and fell out of the tree. The spirits could only scream in despair as the two were falling rapidly to the ground.
"WHY DID YOU PUSH ME!?" Tomoe demanded as they fell. "LIKE I WOULDN'T DO SOMETHING WHEN SOMEONE WAS ABOUT TO GET HURT!" Nanami answered over the wind, causing Tomoe to be surprised by her answer. Running out of time and ideas, Nanami pondered about what to do. Then she realized that there was no choice yet but to…
"TOMOE, I APOLOGIZED IN ADVANCE FOR THIS!" Nanami exclaimed. "For what?" Tomoe exclaimed. Nanami grabbed him by the back of his head and started to pull him towards him. "For this!" she answered as she planted a kiss on his lips. Then suddenly, some sort of electric current went through both of them. Almost as if they were being connected.
Then Nanami separated her lips and took a breath. "Alright Tomoe…Stop that hag now!" she commanded. Tomoe could do nothing, but remain shocked as rings of light closed in on his wrists as if they were shackles. "CUURRRSSSSEEEEE YYYYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!" Tomoe yelled as they continued to fall into the darkness below.
Then there was a bright light, it surrounded them and suddenly they were floating softly to the ground. "Lady Nanami!" Onikiri exclaimed from the tree. "And with that…" Kotetsu began to say. "You are an honest to goodness land god! Congratulations!" they exclaimed together.
As they floated down, Nanami landed in Tomoe's arms as he landed on the ground on his feet like a cat. She looked up and locked eyes with him. Embarrassed with being held bridal by a guy, let alone a non-human guy who doesn't seem to like her, she quickly looked the other way.
"What's going on here, man? Let go of my prey!" the witch exclaimed. "Get down here…" Tomoe said menacingly as blue and black fire appeared in his right, "YOU PUTRID HAG!" he threw the fire at her, knocking her out of the tree. And then he tried her up with ropes.
"BECAUSE OF YOU I'M STUCK BEING A FAMILIAR AGAIN!" he complained as he kicked her in the face, "JUST WHEN I WAS BEGGINNING TO ENJOY MY FREEDOM TO THE FULLEST, YOU DIRTY OLD HARPY!" "YOU'RE BEATING AN FEEBLE OLD WOMAN, WHAT YOU THINK OF YOURSELF?" the hag complained as Tomoe continued to kick her, regardless of her protest. "Virtually speaking…" Onikiri began to say. "This looks very bad."
"TOMOE!" Nanami exclaimed with worry in her voice. "WHAT!?" Tomoe snapped. "You're bleeding!" Nanami exclaimed. "It's nothing!" he stated, "I'm not like mere humans, it will heal before long." I see." she said, considering that Tomoe wasn't human, he wouldn't get hold up just because of a scratch.
"Anyway…Thank so much for helping me." Nanami said gratefully with a bright smile on her face. Tomoe didn't say anything but had a slight blush on his face. "Can go now?" she asked, "Back to the shrine." With that, the four left for the Mikage Shrine and Nanami's new life.
