Disclaimer: I own Ashi, Kendra, and his mother, that's it. Clear Shadow chan owns Hoshi and Shi-chan. Everything else belongs to their creator, Rumiko Takashi *blinks* holy crap did I spell it right? Go me! Ok thankees to hand out:
Clear Shadow: I did update you goof! See updation! And er the this be a flash back, thought it sounded kinda cute…..Ok maybe not……Leave me alone!!! I blame Max! And as a note….GET SOME SLEEP!!!!!! Also please update! I updated its your turn!!
Tbiris: Glad to hear from you, I didn't know I could spell since I'm usually horrible at it, but I thank you for thinking so. You asked when they meet Shippo. It won't be for another few chapters. If you've read Half Breeds song, by Clear Shadow, you'll read the part exactly where Ashi and Shippo meet again after a few years apart….Its kinda funny….ok for Ashi not for Shippo. Actually not funny for both of them since Ashi tries to kill his brother…Ya So if you cant wait the few chapters for Shippo to come in then I suggest you read Half Breeds Song, Clear Shadow is under my favorite Authors if you wanna check it out! *bows*
Trinity-33: Ashi? Kawaii? Hm *looks at Ashi* you know maybe at some points he can be a sweetheart. He can be a pain in the donkey sometimes but I'm glad you think he's cute and cool. Hehe he wont like that but I do! Also sorry if the way I was writing was confusing you, when I first started writing there was no paragraphing…None …what's so ever, I have one fic that is 105 pages long….that's without paragraphs! This way is the way I was taught by my friends and its kinda habbit now, sorry if its confusing thought! I'm glad you like the title, I won't change it I was just stating the fact that it was not fun coming up with it. You know you have a point I've never really seen any Shippo related stories..*thinks for a moment* that's not cool. Well hope to keep hearing from you! *bows*
Ok those are all those who haven't been thanked as of yet….If you wanna be thanked you've gotta review! Anyways enjoy new chappie! *bows*
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Ashi's nose gave a twitch as the smell of something good, wafted past his sensitive nose. Whatever Hoshi was cooking it smelt good. Opening one eye a crack, Ashi realized that he had wandered to the window and fallen asleep against the wall, at some point in the night he had slid to the floor. He stretched his stiff legs out and looked over to where he had left Shi-chan. She was gone, the bed was neatly made. He stood up and stretched his arms towards the ceiling, his shoulder cracking a bit. Following his nose, Ashi quietly went to where the food was.
"Good Morning!" Ashi suddenly felt Shi-chan glomp him around the middle. "Hoshi-sama wanted to let you sleep; you must have been tired; you didn't even hear the rooster crowing right outside silly." She finished in one quick breath before letting go of Ashi; who blinked in utter confusion before following the tiny kit to Hoshi.
"Well it's about time Ashi, normally you're the first one awake up before dawn."
"Er ya," Ashi said scrapping his foot across the floor "something smelt good so I came to see what it was," Hoshi smiled at him and he gave her a kind of half grin back.
They had just sat down to eat when the door burst open, a frightened young man stepped inside breathing heavily and grasping at the door frame for support.
"La….La…Lady Hoshi," he gasped, Shi-chan looked at the man frightened for a moment, she slowly inched closer to Ashi, whose older brother instincts kicked in he put his arm protectively around her shoulders.
"Yes?" Hoshi asked standing up
"Lady Hoshi, my wife is ready to have her baby but she wants you with her. You're the only one she will see." Hoshi nodded
"Led the way," she said then looked at Ashi "Ashi come I need your assistant."
"Me?' he cracked "help with childbirth?!"
"Yes," Hoshi turned to Shi-chan "can you be a big girl and stay here?" Shi-chan bowed
"ok Hoshi-sama!" she said
"Good, we'll be back in a bit, come on Ashi," He looked at Shi-chan and quietly followed Hoshi and the villager out the door.
They where half way to the village when the man noticed Ashi…..Well his ears at least.
"Lady Hoshi! A demon is accompanying us?" he asked frightened, Ashi looked up at the word demon and stared at the villager; he then looked at Hoshi and caught her eyes looking at him caringly.
"Ashi is my assistant," Ashi had to duck his head to suppress the grin, for a brief moment he felt proud that Hoshi saw him as her assistant.
"But he is a demon,"
"Half Taku and that does not make a difference he is my assistant, please allow him to stay." The villager didn't reply he simply nodded his head. But Ashi smelt fear and every time he looked at the man, he would shrink closer to Hoshi trying to put distance between himself and Ashi. Ashi didn't say anything; he kept quiet and followed Hoshi. When they reached the village however Ashi found it difficult to completely ignore the comments from the villagers.
"Is that a demon?"
"Aye, look at those ears,"
"Why is Lady Hoshi allowing a demon to travel with her?"
"Look at the ears, he's one of those Kitsune's, tricky damn fox demons, can manipulate anyone even Lady Hoshi."
"I don't like the looks of him,"
"Come children inside now," Ashi looked down at the ground and didn't even notice his fists clenched tight, so tight that his sharp claws dug into his palm drawing blood. He may have not liked what he was, but Ashi didn't like people talking about him like he was cold hearted killer. Hoshi paused when she heard the villagers talking she turned and looked at Ashi, his head was down hiding his face under his bangs, looking at his fists she could see droplets of blood dripping from his clenched fists. She sighed and turned to the man
"Please go on ahead and prepare some hot water and cloths, we will be there shortly." The man bowed respectfully and ran off towards one of the homes. Hoshi turned her attention to Ashi, all of the villagers had vanished into their homes, but Hoshi could still see them peeking out to watch. "Ashi?" she stepped forward closer to him "Ayashi? Ashi look at me" he looked up as if just hearing her; his eyes flashed with anger and for an instance had changed from yellow to a dark yellow, as quick as it had appeared his eyes returned to their normal color.
"What?" he replied, his voice was tense as if he was holding back his temper and having trouble keeping it that way. Hoshi was pleased to see how well he kept from lashing out, which was normal for him.
"Are you ok?"
"Fine why?"
"Well for one thing you're getting blood on your gi," Ashi looked down at his clenched fists covered in blood, his blood. It took a few seconds for him to be able to fully extend his fingers, he stared at his both his palms and the five distinct puncture wounds on each of them, looking down at his he saw his green pants where covered with droplets of blood.
"Oops," he said.
"Ashi are you sure you're ok?" Hoshi said taking his hand into her own.
"I'm fine. Forget about it, let's just go." He said pulling his hand back quickly.
"Do you want me to wrap it? I have cloth" Ashi shook his head
"No I said forget about it, it's gonna heal right away anyways, there aint no point in wastin your stuff on me."
"There isn't any point," Ashi shot a glare at her
"What-" Ashi started to say back but stopped when he saw her grinning at him.
Ashi wasn't really happy about the idea. In fact he would have rather been back with Shi-chan cleaning the house! In fact he had thought about running as soon as Hoshi was inside the house. But he stayed, but he hesitated on entering the house. The sounds of running feet inside and hurried talking brought back memories for Ashi, memories he'd soon like to forget. The memory of when his mother had died. Ashi was not allowed inside the village let alone near his own home to be with his mother, the villagers had believed Ashi's presence in the village had brought the demon to them and had even gone as far to refuse help to his mother until Ashi was outside of the village. However concern for his mother, Ashi risked his life to sneak back into the village to watch the doctor and the priestess care for his mother. Ashi could remember how scared he felt, looking through the window watching his mother cough and moan painfully. His mother had been killed the same way Kendra had, only while Kendra had been hit directly by the attack, Ashi had managed to protect his mother with a technique he had mastered from his father; Fox Spirit, a special attack that when used at the right moment creates an impenetrable barrier, guarded by the spirits of a Kitsune's ancestors. Kitarou had been both shocked and pleased that his youngest son, a hanyou on top of that had mastered the technique well enough that the shield was nearly impenetrable. But as Ashi was still young and none of his attacks where very strong yet the Fox Spirit had only partially worked. His mother still became sick and she still died, she had known Ashi was at the window watching and had called her son in. Ignoring the glares made by the doctor and priestess, Ashi entered his own home and lay in his mothers arms for the last time. After she died Ashi was chased out of the village, it was outside the village Kitarou found his son and brought him home.
"Ashi are you coming in?" Hoshi said from inside, Ashi took a deep breath and cleared those thoughts from his mind as he entered the home. The scene before him was something that the 9 year old wasn't ready for; a woman lay on a mat with a blanket draped over her, her husband knelt next to her holding her hand with his other hand on her forehead. Hoshi was standing near the woman's feet, she looked up when he walked in. "Oh good, Ashi please bring me the bowl over there and a cloth, be careful the water is hot." Ashi did as she asked carefully carrying the bowl over not spilling a drop. The woman, who had been quiet and calm seconds earlier, suddenly opened her eyes and caught sight of Ashi.
"DEMON!" She shouted, ignoring her husbands attempts to calm her, "Demon, its here for my baby!" Ashi's eyes widened, he felt his entire body shaking not from anger, but from fear. "It's come to take my baby to hell! You will not take him, I'll kill you with my bare hands first!" Ashi could feel his heart beat quickening; he knew if the woman didn't stop screaming like this other villagers were going to come. Afraid that he was going to hurt the woman by scaring her and afraid that his own life might be in danger; Ashi slowly began backing away ready to make a break for the door. Hoshi stood up and walked over to the boy.
"Hoshi," he said looking straight at her "I'm goin home, I don't need this" he lied
"Ashi," Hoshi said as if she hadn't even heard his demand "down the road to the left is a house with yellow curtains in the window. Inside is a man, tell him Hoshi sent you for her usual herbs,"
"He aint gonna listen to me, this is a bad idea, that woman's scared of me, the villagers are scared of me, I'm gonna go back and help Hoshi." Ashi whispered
"Ashi, I need those herbs, I know your really too young to understand, but those herbs will make her more comfortable, she's not herself, it happens with this kind of pain." Ashi looked at the woman then back at Hoshi "will you please collect those herbs for me?" Ashi sighed and looked at the woman again who still babbling on about demons taking her baby.
"All right I'll go," he said
"Thank you Ashi," Hoshi said hugging the boy, Ashi growled out of instincts to being touched, but didn't say anything. "If he should give you any trouble. Tell him I will come by later with socks as payment, he'll know then you speak the truth." Ashi gave Hoshi a funny look; he looked back at the woman and made his way out of the house and down the road.
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Ok chapter 9 up and running! Chapter 10 will be up ASAP cause its almost done being typed…I think…..hafta check on that…hehe…..kidding Clear Shadow I mean it its almost done….Same with Lost Innocence that chapter almost done too! Ok so if you all would do me the gracious favor and please review? I would greatly appreciate it….Really I would….No flames but I will take kind criticism!
