Disclaimer: I own everything not familiar to you, well except the hoshi's which reminds me. I'm sorry if I confused you Marie with 2 Hoshi's that wasn't the intention. Don't worry little Hoshi is gonna be called Shi-chan soon so no more confusion I promise. Anyways. Speakin of those I don't own, Clear Shadow owns the Hoshi's. Man that's weird I can see how someone who doesn't know could be confused. Anywho, I'll bet your wonderin if I killed off the little pip-squeak? Well read and find out………

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            A tiny bit of blood dripped onto the sword. The girl had cut deep enough into Ashi's neck to make it bleed, but had stopped before she could actually severe his head. The girl stared at Ashi; he hadn't so much as flinched. Just as he had said, he hadn't stopped her; she had done that on her own. The girl stared at Ashi in shock, his face showed no emotion, no clue as to what he was thinking. Ashi had been fully prepared to die. If the girl wanted to kill him so bad then why stop her. But she hadn't gone through with it. Why? Why hadn't she killed him? Was it because she was too afraid to actually kill someone especially someone her own age demon or not? Or was it because Ashi hadn't tried to stop her? Tears filled her eyes and began rolling down her face as she tried furiously to wipe them away. Ashi didn't know what to do. It was like waking up from a dream and he realized that his near death wasn't a dream it was real. The feeling of death hadn't disappeared; it was still hanging over him. The sun began to rise over the horizon and Ashi backed away from the girl who had collapsed on the road.

            "Why didn't you kill me?" Ashi asked curious.

            "Just leave me alone."

            "You had the perfect opportunity to kill me and you didn't take it. Why? What is my life to you?"

            "Just go away and leave me alone, next time I see you I wont hesitate to kill you." Ashi nodded and walked away from the girl.

            When both Hoshi's came outside, they found Ashi high in a tree, trying to bandage his hand. Unlike the wound on his neck the one on his hand wasn't healing. Normally because of the mixing of blood in Ashi's body, any wounds that he received would heal quickly, but the one on his hand had only just stopped bleeding.

            "Stupid damn thing pain in my as-"

            "What happened?" Hoshi asked when she spotted the bloody bandage.

            "Nothing." Ashi said trying to mask the pain on his face as random swears escaped under his breath.

            "Your bleeding Ashi-sama." Little Hoshi commented. Ashi rolled his eyes.

            "Its no big deal." He said. Ashi had to admit he was finding it rather difficult to bandage his own hand.

            "Would you like me to wrap that for you?"

            "No I can do it myself leave me alone would ya?"  Hoshi looked down at the little kitsune by her side.

            "So how do you get him out of a tree?" she asked. Little Hoshi grinned evilly up at her.

            "Don't even think about it you." Ashi warned his teeth clenching the bandage.

            "FOX FIRE!" Little Hoshi shouted, a burst of fire hit the tree knocking the boy to the ground.

            "Woooowwww" Hoshi commented

            "Why you little-" Ashi started to say as he stood up. Little Hoshi ran over to him and glomped the boy around the middle knocking the wind out of him This gave Hoshi a chance to unwrap the poorly tied bandage and examine the wound while the half-breed tried to get his wind back.

            "Ashi this looks like a sword wound,"

            "Yeah so?" Ashi coughed "maybe it is." Suddenly the wound began to fade.

            "What the-" Hoshi started to say

            "Its about time." Ashi said pulling his hand back and cradling it against his chest.

            "Where did that wou-"

            "What this?" Ashi said the girl nodded "just a flesh wound." And with that Ashi scampered back up the tree and out of sight.

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            A few days later found Ashi strolling aimlessly down the road a mile or so from the village. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl. Out of frustration Ashi kicked a stone, it connected with his bare toe, and Ashi had to hop around trying not to scream out in pain as pain shot from his toe up his leg. Suddenly he stopped and sniffed the late morning air. His mind instantly recognized the scent, it was that girl. Quickly Ashi was up a tree, gently hopping onto a branch, he sat down on it, and when she was right underneath the branch Ashi swung down hanging onto it by his knees.

            "Good morning," he said. At first the girl appeared stunned, then suddenly she pulled out a wooden sword and knocked him out of the tree. Like a kid hitting a piñata, yup that's a good way to describe it. "Ok so bad morning huh?" Ashi grumbled rubbing the back of his head "what the hell did you do that for?"

            "What do you want I told you if I ever saw you again I wouldn't hesitate to kill you."

            "With a wooden stick?" Ashi asked, as he started to stand up, she glared at him and promptly brought the sword down hard on Ashi's head, knocking him back to the ground. "Ow would you cut that out? That thing hurts."

            "Not bad for a wooden stick? Hmm?"

            "Ok I wont make fun of the stick er sword." Ashi said holding out his hands in truce. The girl stared at his paw like hands and long claw like nails. Ashi caught her looking at them and quickly hide them behind his back. His ears gave an uncontrollable twitch; the girl looked at them and began staring at them. Those were something that Ashi couldn't really hide, though he did try and flatten them. When that didn't work Ashi simply stared at the ground avoiding the girls gaze.

            "Are you hungry?" the girl asked so suddenly Ashi was caught off guard.

            "Why?" he asked suspiciously

            "If you don't want to its no big deal, I was just wondering." And with that she turned and walked off through the woods. Ashi followed, just to see where she was going. When she finally stopped Ashi couldn't help but stare in amazement. It was a beautiful pond, and it was teeming with fish Ashi could smell them. "I see you followed."

            "Sure I guess." Ashi said squatting down next to the girl,

            "I don't have much but I'm willing to share with you." She was lying when she said she didn't have much, a couple of pieces of fruit at the most. But she spilt it evenly with Ashi.

            "Do you like fish?" Ashi asked

            "Why?"

            "Would you like some?" Ashi said pointing at the pond "its filled with fish." She nodded "ok hold on a second." He ran down to the pond and carefully stepped into the water. Wading out waist deep Ashi only had to wait moments before he was able to grab a good sized fish.

            "How'd you do that?" the girl asked when Ashi stepped back on shore.

            "Its easy, anyone can do it, anyone with patience that it." The girl watched as Ashi gathered rocks to make a fire pit and small branches to make the fire. Then he took a sharp rock and skinned the fish then he took two sticks and sharpened them into sharp points. "Now all we need is the fire." He looked over at her "you don't happen to have any flint on you do you?" she shook her head Ashi sighed he didn't have any one him either. "Ok then stand back." He didn't want her to get hurt, It had been a while since he had used his demonic powers and wasn't sure how out of wack they'd be.

            "What are you going to do?"

            "Hopefully start a fire." Ashi said "and not a forest fire" he added under his breath. Ok just like Shippo taught me Ashi thought concentrate on the power, wait till you feel the burning, aim…..and "FOXFIRE!" He felt the flame leave his hands and hit the wood, igniting it instantly. Ashi fell backwards landing hard on his back; he hadn't realized how much force the foxfire would have. But the fire was ablaze and that was all that mattered.  Ashi grinned and handed one of the sharpened sticks to the girl and together they began cooking the fish.

            "Thank you." The girl said "um my names Kendra."

            "Ashi."

            "Your different then most demons? How come?"

            "Different how? Cause I don't randomly kill people or destroy villages."

            "I guess." Kendra said, "how come you didn't try and kill me the other night." Ashi began gnawing on his fish trying to avoid that conversation. "You could have killed me at anytime you had plenty of chances."

            "I could say the same thing to you." Ashi said looking at her "you almost had my head yet you stopped." Kendra shrugged

            "When I saw that you weren't afraid to die, I began thinking maybe you weren't evil. But don't think for a second that I wasn't going to kill you."

            "No I wasn't thinking that." Ashi said thoughtfully "but your right I was prepared to let you kill me that night, I wasn't afraid. At that point death was looking better and better." Ashi finished the fish and began gnawing on the bone "so what happened at the village?"

            "Demon" Kendra said an angry look flashing over her face. "A demon attacks our village we never know when it's going to attack, the last time it attacked it killed my mother." She reached slowly to her neck, she pulled out a leather necklace with a pouch hanging off inside was a clear smooth stone the size of Ashi's palm. "This was my mother's She used this to see things she was a priestess. The jewel is magic. With it you can see anyone or anything you want just by asking it even the dead. It works I've used it to see my mother. Its all I have left of her."

            "I'm sorry" Ashi said, "I know what it is like to lose a mother."

            "What happened to yours?" Kendra asked. The firelight shone on Ashi's face illuminating him in an evil looking manor.

            "She got sick, no one knew what was wrong with her, she died a few years ago."

            "Guess we have a lot in common?" Kendra said

            "I guess" Ashi said, he stood up and stretched. "Is it just me or is it getting hot out?" he said and pulled off his vest.

            "What are you doing?"

            "Going for a swim, wanna join me?"

            "I can't swim." Ashi shrugged

            "Its easy, and besides, its not that deep." She grinned and shook her head "fine suit yourself." Ashi said, he took a running start and jumped into the water. When he came up for air, Kendra was standing on the waters edge watching. "Sure you don't want to join me? The waters warm."

            "Its not deep?" Kendra asked walking up to her knees. Ashi swam out to the middle, which came up to his neck.

            "This is as deep as it gets. And I can still touch perfectly fine." He walked back to shore and held out his hand "come on take my hand," he said. She looked at him and slipped her hand into his and held it tight. "I wont let go I promise." She allowed herself to be guided out into the water. "See, it's not that bad." Ashi took a deep breath and disappeared under the water.

            "Ashi?" Kendra said looking around frantically for the boy "Ashi!"

            "What?" Ashi asked resurfacing "I'm right here."

            "Don't do that!" Kendra shouted punching him in the mouth, splitting his lip.

            "Hey what the hell was that for?" Ashi asked pressing his hand to his bleeding lip.

            "Why'd you do that?"

            "Do what?" Ashi said splashing some water onto his lip.

            "Go underwater?" Ashi rolled his eyes

            "Cause I wanted too." He said, "now its your turn, why'd you hit me?"

            "Cause you went underwater." Ashi grinned "sorry" they said at the same time. They looked at each other and began laughing.

            "Hey Kendra?" Ashi said, she looked over at him

            "What?"

            "DUCK!" Ashi shouted and sprayed water at her.

            "Why you!" Kendra shouted tackling him into the water.

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