Back to ze past

"If that is what I wanted wouldn't I have said so myself?" Amaterasu asked.

---

"Hey Mori." Yuki grinned, placing his hands behind his head. "There's a tavern nearby."

---

"Dreams. No good.... Dreams..." Wu muttered before drifting again.

"I thought your first statement covered that." He said and rubbed his forehead. "I still don't feel good, I didn't mean to snap at you."

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"Is not you damn rat" Mori complained, growling. "And some idiot drank all of the sake last night" He prodded his head.

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Raven held him closer with a grimace. He hated to admit that he was fond of people, so he wouldn't, but in all the time he'd spent at the monastary, Wuu had been nothing but bafflingly kind to him. He didn't want the man to die.

"They say when your anger shows, you speak the truth." Amaterasu couldn't even look at him. "Is that what you want? Us to break up?"

---

"Would his name be Mori at all?" Yuki asked.

"Well when I'm angry, I'm an idiot. Surely you know that." He said and shook his head. "No. You took it the wrong way." He continued to walk.

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"Can't remember" The panther shrugged with a smirk.

Amaterasu rubbed her arm, she suddenly felt insecure. Almost too Insecure. She licked her lips and followed after him, deciding it best to keep her mouth shut.

---

Yuki pulled his hand away from his head for a moment to look at his fingers. Swallowing hard, he put hi hand back. "Ahh, how much further is all this?"

"About a day or two, at the most." Mori said. "According to the idiot." He nodded his head back towards Taro. "Why, you alright?"

"Yeah." Yuki smiled. "Perfect."

Mori grunted and kept walking.

By the time they reached their campsite for the night, Raven was becoming constantly more worried about Wuu. Taro had even been ghosting them, expression grim, and offering the ninja some pointless conversation to give him something to do other than worrying.

Raven set the man down carefully whilst Sadaharu walked off to get some firewood.

Wuu reached out and grabbed Ravens arm.

Raven looked down at him, eyes wide. "Master Wuu?" Mori leaened back against a nearby tree and sharpened his sword, staring up at darkening sky.

"You watch over grandchild." Wu told him, handing him a necklace. "Family pendit. Give to grandchild."

Yuki was off collecting wood.

Raven held it loosely in his hands and looked to Wuu, horror filling his eyes. "No, no. You can give it to him yourself!" He said quickly, trying to pass it back.

"Ring for you." Wuu handed him the ring in question. "Good Kid, Give necklace to Grandchild."

"Someone get Yuki!" Raven called over his shoulder. Taro sprang off into the trees and Raven let his eyes drop back to the monk. "Hang on, just- just hang on! You'll be fine, you can give it to him yourself and, and you don't need to give me anything." He said and ran a hand through his hair.

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"Yuki!" Taro called, slowing when he had gone a short way into the woods.

"Pishing Poshing." Wuu Said."Tired, so tired. Sleep..." Wuu lent back, his eyes closing.

---

Yuki turned. "What is it?"

"It's Wuu. Quickly" Taro said and tugged Yuki back to camp. Raven was slumped down, sitting beside Wuu and looking blankly to the objects in his hands.

"What happened?" Yuki asked, skidding down beside the old monk. "Wuu? Wuu?!" Yuki called when the old man didn't stir. He shook him lightly. "Wake up!"

"He wanted you to have this" Raven said quietly and passed him the necklace. He then stood up and turned the ring in his hands. "I should have called you earlier or-" He broke off and shook his head, walking away.

Yuki looked down at the necklace. "No!" He shouted. "You are not dead!" He threw the piece of jewlwery at Wuu. "I still have so many questions..."

Amaterasu leant against a tree, watching. Not sure what to do.

Raven slumped down against a tree, head bowed and ring clasped tightly in his hands. Mori stood still, mouth set in a thin line as he continued to sharpen the nicks out of his sword. Sadaharu moved back into the camp with an armful of firewood and quickly figured out what had happened. He placed it all down and headed over to stand uncertainly near Yuki, one hand reaching out to take hold of Yuki's shoulder.

As Hikaru and Kuroi passed through another indiscript village
they noticed an unusual amount of noise emitting from the Tavern

several demons held another in an armlock and threw him bodily out into the dirt
"-And stay out! we won't be so hospitable if you show your mangy hide around here again!"

The demon, A Kitsune, pulled himself to his feet and glared
"Oh really?"
Kitsunebi formed around his hands as the demons went back inside
"see how high and mighty you are when your on fire!"

Hikaru was suddenly behind him
*Smack!*
she smashed him over the head with her fist

he swayed
"...Mother....Fuc...er..."
and collapsed

Kuroi rasied and eyebrow
Hikaru grinned "you have no idea how long i've wanted to do that"

Yuki placed a hand over his eyes and took a deep sigh. Through ot it all he had expected the old man to sit up, scream that he was sleeping and than he'd hit someone over the head.

But it hadn't happened. He just lay there, a small smile on his lips and his eyes closed. A little more then sleeping but Yuki knew he'd never wake up.

Amaterasu moved over to them, she bent down near Yuki. "We need to bury him."

Yuki gave a shakey nod.

~a few minutes later~

Kuroi dumped a bucket of cold river water on the Kitsunes head

he sat up swearing, hikaru crouched infront of him
"Ohayougozaimasu... Takeo-kun, causeing trouble again as always"
she smiled

he smirked "Hikaru-chan, a pleasure as always"
she stood and ruffled his white hair

"Incase you were wondering, this is Kitase Kuroi." she said indicating Kuroi who looked moody

"Ah, your current 'partner in crime' I see! So you finally ditched Kaoru?" he laughed

Hikaru twitched

"OH! I see, yeah gomen hika"

Hikaru pouted and kicked at him half-heartedly
"I see the shrine kicked you out again?"

"Huhh! They couldn't hold me! no one can!"

"Yeah, riiiiiight."

Momiji glared at the White Kitsune from behind her mother
he blinked in shock
"Never saw you as the motherin' type Hika..."

"stranger things have happened..." she said looking away

Kuroi snorted then walked off, Momiji trotted after him

"..." Takeo stared at Hikaru

"What?!"

he rose and eyebrow

"Oh shut it!" she smacked him in the arm and followed Kuroi "You coming or what?"

Sadaharu sat down beside Yuki and threw an arm around the rat's shoulders, he didn't know what to say, so he trusted himself with silence. Mori shoved his sword back through his belt and turned to keep an eye on their surroundings.

Yuki gulped. "Yeah..."

Amaterasu looked to Wuu's body. "A burning wold be best. he may have been of high keep in china but here, he was a monk. This is how they are buried of sorts."