Tomoe jerked into a sitting position when he heard Nanami's call. He had been lying on the roof, arms crossed behind his head, considering the blanket of stars above.

"Tomoe?" Nanami called again.

"Up here." He answered. Nanami spotted him and smiled.

"Keriel's asleep. I wanted to talk to you about something. Will you come down, please?"

Tomoe considered her for few minutes, his mind replaying the conversation he had just overheard.

"No. You come up." He decided. With a snap of his fingers blue fox fire swept Nanami off her feet and lifted her to the roof.

"Oh wow!" She cried cheeks flushed "That was scary!"

"Sit down before you fall." Tomoe instructed, sweeping his tail aside to make room. His ears went flat until he was sure she would not fall. "You had something you wanted to discuss?"

"Yea... just don't be mad okay?"

"I'll be the one to decide whether or not I get angry. What is it? What have you done?"

"It's Keriel..." Nanami started. Tomoe's ears flattened again, his brows coming together in a frown. Nanami swallowed and continued. "She wants to apologise to the God she offended. I think it's a good idea."

Tomoe said nothing, he knew there had to be more to this.

"So... She's asked me to come with her. To Over Yonder I mean... and I've agreed."

"You what?"

"I agreed to go with her." Nanami pressed, this time her voice was firmer. "I think she wants to start being a better person... she just needs a little courage. So I said I'd go with her, for support!"

"Support." Tomoe repeated flatly.

Nanami glanced up at him. She had fully expected him to be screaming at her by this point, instead Tomoe was radiating a sort of controlled calm. This unnerved her and she shivered.

"Your cold." Tomoe observed. "Come here."

The fox familiar whipped off his haori and laid it gently on her shoulders. He scooted closer placing one arm behind her so she could lean against his chest.

"Thank you." Nanami whispered.

Tomoe didn't dare look at her. If the ridiculous girl was blushing that was bound to set him off as well.

"So... Let me see if I understood correctly. You want to go Over Yonder, accompany some half demon you barely know into a place swarming with the foulest yokai imaginable, most of which are desperate to get their hands on Land God blood, so the shameless creature can appologize to a God who is more likely to blast her off the face of the earth instead of hearing whatever she has come to offer. Correct?"

"Um. Yeah?"

"No. Absolutely not. I forbid it."

Nanami sighed. "Tomoe... what was there between you and Keriel?"

Shocked by the direction the conversation has suddenly taken, Tomoe jumped where he sat. His tail bristled furiously. He looked down at Nanami expecting to see tears or her face lit with anger but she wasn't even looking at him. She was staring off into the distance and didn't appear to be upset at all. He relaxed slightly, bringing his body closer to hers.

Nanami could feel the tension rippling in his abdomen and arms. It must be hard for him to tell me, she thought but waited patiently for his answer.

"We were... close."

"Like girlfriend and boyfriend close? Did you love her?"

"I hate the term 'girlfriend and boyfriend'. It's a nauseating human invention yokai such as myself never use. And no. I didn't love her. I... enjoyed her." He blushed furiously at this last statement. "We shared a mutual respect for one another and we both benefited."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he meant.

"So you cared for Keriel..." Tomoe gave the slightest of nods. " I guess I can understand that. Tomoe I think it's important that we help her. I mean- you're not still mad at her for trying to trick you with the stolen mirror. Are you?"

"No I'm not mad. Annoyed. But not mad." He considered for a moment. "Why does this mean so much to you Nanami?"

Nanami placed her hand very gently on top of Tomoe's own.

"Because she came here looking for my help. I owe it to Lord Mikage, the shrine, even to you, to be the best Land God I can be. It would be terrible to abandon someone who needs my help because I... was jealous."

Without saying anything Tomoe took up her hand in his.

The moment was ruined by a loud thump.

A book appeared out of nowhere landing on the roof beside them and missing Tomoe's tail by inches.

"Curses what is that thing doing here?" Tomoe cried.

In answer the book flipped open and the pages began to move as if turned by invisible hands. The pages stopped turning. The book seemed to have found the what it was wanted. The Tome quivered then scooted a little closer to Tomoe's leg.

"That... is, actually, not a bad idea."

"What?" Nanami asked in interest. Tomoe had picked up the book and was reading the open page.

"It's a Guiding spell the books wants you to learn."

"Guiding spell?"

"Guiding Star spell to be exact. Look."

He offered her the book and Nanami scanned through the instructions.

"Looks complicated. Will it work?"

"It's not complicated, it's been done before. I'll help you. Now... First you must choose a star."

"Choose a star?"

"Nanami would you stop repeating everything I say and just pick a damn star already." Tomoe growled, pointing at the heavens.

Nanami picked one.

"Okay so you frame it between your fingers. Like so..." Dropping the book into his lap Tomoe scooted behind Nanami so that she was leaning fully against his chest.
He picked up her hands and brought her middle fingers together crossing her index fingers beneath. This created an inverted kite shape in the negative space.

"Right, good. Now look at your star through this space and think of your home. Really hold in your mind what this shrine means to you, the people here, your memories... Push those memories through your fingers... Good... from a connection between your home and the star."

He was whispering now, his mouth very close to her ear. Nanami could feel his warm breath on her neck and his silky hair brushing her cheek. Her breath caught and her heart skipped a beat.

"No... focus. Good girl. Now... repeat after me." Tomoe helped her cast the spell.

A light radiated from Nanami's hands, growing steadily brighter and brighter. Around them all the stars seemed to fade a little, except for the one framed by Nanami's fingers as her divine power intensified.

The golden light surrounded them, pulsing in perfect time with Tomoe's beating heart.