College is killing me and finals are coming up… On a brighter note college lets out in 2 weeks so yay!
The land of the living came back to Ashi in stages first was sound, she became aware of the fact that there was soft breathing next to her a painful gasp every few minutes as well as shuffling in the next room like feathers brushing against stuff. Next was pain the ex-goddess gasped clinching her chest as pain exploded throughout her body. Sight was last cracking her eyes open she looked around sitting up she turned towards the door when it opened seeing Kurama on his cell phone she ran a hand through Tomoe's hair frowning at how hot the little demon was. "I'm sorry I can't make it today I over worked myself." Snapping his phone shut the tengu smiled at her. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up." Standing up a wave of dizziness over took her, dashing forward the crow caught her helping the teen into the next room. Shutting the door after sitting his house guest in a chair were a coughing fit racked her small body. Feeling something warm and wet splatter against her palm Ashi pulled her hand back staring at the droplets of blood.
"Damn that's not good." Eye's widening Kurama handed her a tissue, knelling in front of the female.
"What's wrong with you? Is it your body's reaction to losing the Divine mark?" Wiping her hand and mouth she sighed looking down at her lap.
"No I'm … ill. I have been for years, my body is slowly deteriorating. The doctors don't know why though. I have meds that slow it down but there at the shrine." Starting to fidget with the tissue she looked up smiling. "Please don't tell Tomoe he has enough to worry about as it is." Rather reluctantly the tengu agreed. "Sorry to be putting you out like this, but do you think that we could stay here until I fix this mess? With foxy being a baby it's up to me." Blinking at the strange request the crow nodded.
"That would be acceptable."
"Ashi!" Jerking up at the cry the ex-god was across the room in a second opening the bed room door. Seeing the female in question the tiny demon relaxed, sagging back onto the bed. Crossing her arms to hide the bloodied tissue she walked over scowling down at the kitsune.
"Yes chibi kit what can I do for you?" Looking around he sniffed smelling bird.
"Where are we?" Peeking over her shoulder Kurama grinned causing the fox to snarl. "Why is he here?" Sitting down on the bed she rolled her eyes snagging his tail which had drastically deflated with the size change.
"We're in Kurama's apartment. He was kind enough to take us in after I collapsed last night." Nodding sleepily at the teal eyed girl he tried not to focus on her stroking his tail. Glaring at the tengu when he gave them a funny look he sighed leaning back before his eyes drifted shut and he was asleep. Reaching up to rub his ears she turned to Kurama. "Why is he sick? I didn't think demons could get sick." Running a hand through his hair the crow looked away out the window.
"Normally yes we can't get sick, but that small body can't contain all of his demonic power so he's killing himself." Sliding off the bed she replaced the damp cloth that had fallen when Tomoe had jerked up.
"Is there any way to get rid of the axis power?" Rubbing his chin the tengu nodded leaning on the door frame.
"We might be able to channel some of it to someone else but they'd have to keep doing it daily until he gets back to normal. Plus we don't know what the youki will do to them." Bracing herself the ex-goddess placed a hand over the kit's chest willing herself to absorb as much as she could. Watching with wide eyes Kurama kneeled beside her pulling her hand away when he felt it was enough. Staring down at her hands she realized slowly that she had claws, black sharp tipped claws. "You shouldn't take so much you don't know what it will do to you. The damn fox is old and strong next time it could kill you." Smiling she noticed she was hot, burning actually, or that's what it felt like. At least the kit was breathing easier now and his blush was gone. Steering the teen back out into the living room the tengu groaned running a hand over his face.
"Why are you helping us anyway? Tomoe tried to eat you last time you two were together." Walking over to his fridge the tengu opened a can of pop before sitting it in front of her.
"I may not like him but I do like you and I've noticed where you go the wild fox isn't far behind. You're more lively when he's around, it's like he… I don't know really how to describe it." Snorting the teen took a sip of the offered drink.
"I have to be livelier I never know when foxy might try something. I hide his pipe a few days ago so when he's back to normal I'll be on alert again." Blinking the crow sit down in the chair across from her.
"You hide something from him?" Smiling the pain in her chest a dull ache she nodded.
"He left it on the table when he went to get more sake. Tomoe is always bitchin' at me to practice with my god powers so I stuck a sticky note with air written on it, on it. It's been sitting on the table for the last 3 days and he's looked everywhere for it. He hasn't complained since then though." Shaking his head Kurama stood up.
"It's a wonder a human like you living with a wild fox and actually out smarting him too." Folding her arms over her chest Ashi glared.
"You're one to talk bird brain. At least he didn't turn me into an ostrich." Gaping at the comment he laughed.
"I guess you're right. So with Tomoe like that what are you going to do?" Scratching her head she sweat dropped.
"I don't really know to tell the truth, but I have to get Tomoe back to normal for sure." Trailing off she grinned, and Kurama shivered. "Hey can I see your wings again?"
"Wha!" Clasping her hands she pouted.
"Please? I'll cook you a special breakfast, and just think Tomoe is asleep so he won't know to kill you later." Sighing the tengu tugged his shirt over his head letting his wings pop out. Quietly squealing to herself Ashi jumped off the couch running a hand through the soft silky black feathers.
"You're just so cute with wings. You were probably the heart throb of your clan." Smiling the crow leaned forward to give her better access.
"I would have been had girls been allowed on the Kurama mountain." Raising her eyebrow she paused in her molesting.
"What? You mean girls aren't allowed? How do you reproduce then? Do you guys really come from eggs?" Moaning and half listening Kurama answered.
"When Tengu reach a certain age they enter a mating phase, the males that are old enough come down the mountain and find a female to reproduce with. After the chick is born we give the female a special potion to wipe her memory so she doesn't remember the last few months." Leaning closer to the black feathers she grasp one.
"That's horrible. On a side note may I have a feather? It looks like it might fall out anyway." Looking to make sure the feather really was going to fall out he nodded. Tugging lightly the feather came free happy that it was so pretty she stuck it in her hair where it almost disappeared, blending in.
"Now where is this so called breakfast of which you spoke?" Giggling Ashi stood up washing, before ducking into the fridge to search for food to cook.
Waking up Tomoe sniffed rolling out of the bed. Following his nose to the door the tiny fox pushed it open before snarling. Ashi stood by the stove cooking 'bacon' as she called it with a feather in her hair while the damned Tengu lounged on a bar stool shirtless with his wings out. Lunging for the crow he stop when the ex-god turned smiling at him. "I was wondering when you'd be up foxy." Sliding a plate over to the other stool she motioned to the seat beside Kurama. "Here I made extra bacon for you." Climbing up the tall stool he nibbled on the food. "So how is it?" Blinking up at her with wide eyes he frowned.
"So so…" Letting her head fall to the counter top she smiled.
"Yep still the same old foxy."
Feeling something tickle her face Ashi pulled away before peeking her eye open. Squeaking she back peddled right off the edge of the bed taking Tomoe with her landing in a mess. Sitting up she glared at Kurama as he sit up slowly rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What? What happened?" Standing in a huff she yawned.
"You wouldn't give up your bed last night so we all fought for it. Somehow we ended up all three in the bed together." Standing and stretching himself Kurama glared at the fox for his own reasons. Moving into the next room he answered his buzzing cell phone.
"Ashi you need to be more careful around demons. With me not in my normal body I can't protect you." Moving to rub his ear she hissed when he smacked it away catching her with his claws. "That demon just wants to mate with you. Do you know what th-" Growling Ashi picked Tomoe up by the back of his shirt sitting him back down on the bed.
"Yes I do know Kurama told me yesterday while you were sleeping might I add. And I can take care of myself. So let me look after you for now, I'll get you back to normal somehow." Rubbing his ear she stood up as Kurama walked back in the room clad in a black suit. Catching his head the tengu roughly messed his hair.
"Had just who were you calling a demon, demon? I let you stay here and you insult me. Some manners." Snatching Tomoe from the abuse Ashi sighed rolling her eyes.
"Is it always going to be a pissing contest between you two? Geez he's a baby right now lay off would ya?" Pouting Tomoe looked down. 'It's not right that she has to defend me. I'm supposed to defend her dammit!'
"I've got to go to work today." Holding out a spare key he tossed it to her smiling. "I've left money, and my number, call if anything happens." Barely catching the key ring she hopped over before standing on her tip toes to peck his cheek, ignoring the small snarl Tomoe gave.
"Right have fun at work honey; I'll cook something special for tonight. You like McDonald's right?" Smiling at her playfulness he laughed. Petting her head he moved away.
"It's fine." Closing the door behind him he shivered having seen the wild fox's eyes flash red during Ashi's play peck.
Looking up at Tomoe from where she had sit him on her shoulders she smiled. After having been cooped up inside Kurama's apartment for near 3 days Ashi was going crazy, so about an hour after the tengu had left she'd grabbed Tomoe after her daily youki absorption for which he was asleep, she had taken them both to the nearby park. "Listen Ashi now that you're a normal human you don't have to worry about me. You can go back to being normal." Letting the tiny kit jump down she scowled.
"No I don't think so since I've started to hang around demons I feel like I belong. You've seen how well I get along with other kids my age, I don't. So I'm gonna get you back to normal and then everything will be fine again." Growling up at her Tomoe flexed his claws.
"I can fix my own problems. You're just a weak human anyway."
"Look foxy I don't know if you've looked in a mirror lately but you are a baby." Turning away he gritted his teeth.
"Look just let me- let me live th-" Staggering, the fox fell barely staying awake. Gasping Ashi rushed forward pulling the kitsune into her lap.
"Tomoe you dumbass why didn't you tell me you felt worse?" Growling he tried to rolling away from her failing miserably.
"Tomoe-dono! We've been looking everywhere for you. We are the 32 guardian lion-dogs who serve Princess Narukami-Sama. We are Koume and Kotake." Looking between Tomoe and the lion-dogs she pushed Tomoe towards them.
"Please you have to get foxy back to normal he'll die soon if he stays like this much longer. Tell Narukami that if she hurts him at all she'll have me to deal with." Shocked at having the wild fox pushed on them the lion dogs nodded before flying away with their prize. Hiding her face in her hands Ashi couldn't help but wonder if she had done the right thing. "She took my home and my friends, now she even has Tomoe. What do I have left?" Silently a tear rolled down her cheek followed soon after by another.
There ya go another exciting chapter of Ashi's shrine. Review if you feel the need