The moon was high in the sky, and Ashi held her small, infant daughter in her arms, trying to calm her as she cried. After a moment, she realized that she would cease her crying when she spoke to her.
"You just want to hear Mommy's voice, Kiko?" she asked her. The baby only let out a small coo.
"Alright, little one," she whispered, sitting down. "I'm not as good with bedtime stories as Daddy, but I'll try to come up with something."
Ashi thought for a moment, and then began an odd fairytale.
Once there was a Daimyo that lorded over the seaside. Rather do as a good Lord would, he exploited his people. They barely had any food to eat, nor could they house themselves.
One day, a Samurai who served the Daimyo went out amongst them and saw with his own eyes just how much they were suffering.
He went straight back to the Daimyo and told him of everything he had seen, but the selfish Daimyo dismissed his concerns.
Many times the Samurai pleaded with the Daimyo to change his ways, but he refused to listen.
Eventually, the Samurai realized that he would have to do something much more drastic in order to help the people. He challenged his Daimyo to a duel.
During the fight, his blade broke and the shards pierced the Daimyo's heart.
The Wife of the Daimyo watched in horror as he fell to the ground. She let out a scream that made the blood of her former husband's Samurai turn cold and revealed herself as a witch.
She pointed her fingers at him and said, "Let all of the Earth see you as I do!"
The Samurai watched in terror as his pale skin turned to crimson red and he screamed in pain as a pair of horns grew out from the side of his head. The Witch had turned him into an Oni.
Many years passed and all of the peasantry in the province came to know the Samurai turned Oni as a defender.
One day, the Oni Samurai heard a woman crying for help near the seashore. As he neared the voice, he heard another voice trying to command her. He looked and saw a young woman, out in the water, and a young Samurai holding what looked like a kimono. He was telling the woman that if she didn't come out and agree to be his wife, he would burn her robes.
He ran up to the human Samurai and pulled the robe out of his hands as he knocked him backwards. Once he saw the Oni, he ran away in cowardice.
As the Oni Samurai was about to drop the robe on the ground, he took a good look at it and was surprised by the colorful, ornate details in it. Upon further inspection, he discovered that the inside of it was lined with feathers.
In an instant, he realized what it was: a hagaromo. He had come to the aid of one of the Tennin!
Very careful and neatly, he folded the robe and placed it gently on the ground.
He covered his eyes and turned to the Tennin, bowing deeply. He apologized for intruding on her and told her he would stand watch for her, so she could enjoy the rest of her swim. And with that, he turned around and left.
Once she judged him as being far enough away, the Tennin ran back to the shore and scrambled to get her robe back on. She was tempted to fly back to her home immediately, but her curiosity would not waver. She had never heard of an Oni saving someone, or having good manners for that matter. What was this strange creature that had come to her aid?
With great caution, she approached the Oni and thanked him for his aide. He spoke to her again, with such kindness and sincerity in his voice, that Tennin realized that something must have gone a foul in this poor creature's life.
She asked him how he came to be in that form and he told of his previous life as a Samurai, his duel against his corrupt Daimyo, and of the Witch who cursed him.
The Tennin thought for a moment, and decided she would help the Oni. She promised him that she would repay his kindness by discovering a way to lift his curse. And with that, she flew back to her home in the sky.
About a month passed before the Oni saw the Tennin flying around again. Just as he had begun to think she'd forgotten her promise to him, he realized she was flying towards him. She landed in front of him, and hesitantly approached him, folding her arms as if hugging herself.
"I have found a way to free you, but it seems cruel to tell you now," she told him.
"What cruelty could there be?" he asked.
The Tennin took a deep breath and began, "One of the Tennin must give you their hagaromo of their own free will."
The Oni started to become excited, but as the Tennin continued, it became clear why she had approached him as she did. Once he had the hagaromo, it would magically dissolve as part of removing the curse. He would be free but the Tennin would be trapped on the Earth.
Downhearted, he thanked the Tennin and assured her she had no reason to shield herself from him. He then asked her if she knew of any other way, as he had no desire to trap anyone away from their home.
She thought for a moment, a remembered reading about an old temple, high in the mountains. Inside, dwelt an old, Wise Man versed in the ways of magic. However, due to it's location, it could only be entered into safely from the air. Surely, if there were another way, he would know.
She told him of the temple and that she would be willing to fly him in, under the condition that she would be able to lift and carry him.
It took a few tries, but they discovered a way for the Tennin to lift and carry the Oni, however she discovered she wouldn't be able to do so for an extended period of time.
So they agreed to journey to meet the Wise Man together.
As time marched on, the Tennin was surprised to discover what an interesting and clever companion the Oni was, and that she had soon begun to think of him as a dear friend.
As they neared the mountain, she had begun to realize that she felt something else for him. The Oni Samurai had begun to feel the same, but feeling ashamed of his cursed form, was unable to bring himself to speak to her of his feelings.
Once they got to the mountain's base, the Tennin took the Oni in her arms and flew as far as she could with him up the mountain. They had to stop seven times and it took the entire day, but they finally reached the highest point.
They entered the Temple and found that the Wise Man had died long ago.
Disappointed, they headed back down the mountain, only to be met by a young Samurai. After a moment, they realized that it was the same Samurai who had threatened to burn the Tennin's hagaromo when they had first met.
In his arrogance, he became convinced that the Oni had placed a curse on the Tennin to make her aide him, and followed them to the mountain. As he saw them approach, he took an exorcism arrow and shot it at them.
The Tennin, still in flight, barely managed to dodge it, crashing to the ground as she did. The Oni was on his feet first, preparing to fight.
"Go," he told her. "Fly back to your home in the heavens as fast as you can."
The Tennin wanted to stay at his side, but began to realize that the young Samurai was not the only foe as she looked around and discovered that he had brought a small battalion with him.
Thinking quickly, she reached into her robe and pulled out a magic shakuhachi. As she played it, the young Samurai and the soldiers suddenly became sluggish. As she continued, the humans all began to collapse to the ground in a deep sleep. She only stopped playing once she was certain they were all asleep.
Unfortunately, she hadn't had time to warn her friend about the shakuhachi, so the Oni Samurai had fallen asleep as well. She then very carefully flew him away from the soldiers.
When the Oni Samurai awoke, he found himself near a beautiful waterfall surrounded by the forest, with the Tennin holding him close with her head over his heart. In his surprise and embarrassment, he jerked away from her, asking where they were.
"Far away enough to be safe," she told him. "There is an enchantment here. A human will not be able to enter."
"Why were you resting on me?" he asked.
"Forgive me," she said softly. "When you didn't awaken at first, I'd feared that I had harmed you." She then told him of how they had escaped with tears in her eyes.
He begged her not to cry, misinterpreting the meaning of her tears, but she merely shook her head.
"My tears are from relief. I'd feared I had lost you," She said. "I love you more than my home in the heavens." Without another word, the Tennin took off her hagaromo and put it over his shoulders like a cape.
In an instant, the garment dissolved and the Oni Samurai transformed back into his human form. Then he took the Tennin in his arms and said, "Thank you for breaking my curse. I vow to spend the rest of my life repaying you. I love you more than I can put into words. Will you be my wife?"
The Tennin happily accepted. They got married and they were happy together until the end of their time.
Ashi felt a soft snore escape from Kiko. She looked down and found her finally asleep. She then very carefully got up and carried Kiko to her crib, laying her down. Afterwards, she left her room as quietly as she could and went back to bed to find her husband seemingly asleep.
As she laid down, she rather quickly found his arm around her.
"So, what happened on the Tennin and the Oni's wedding night?" he asked, teasing her.
"Really, Jack?" she said, glaring at him as best as she could. "You were supposed to be asleep."
"I had to use the bathroom and heard most of it. I couldn't help noticing some of the details seemed familiar, my celestial maiden," Jack whispered in her ear, kissing her nape.
Ashi let out a small laugh. "Does that mean you're my Oni Samurai?" she joked.
"Do you want me to be?" he asked after a moment.