In Our Town - (KH/FF)

Chapter 05: The Grey Wolf

"Hmm... I'm not sure about the sleeves, I'm sure I could do better if I just had a bit more lace...."

You let out a small laugh as Shiki continued to circle you for what seemed to be the hundredth time the moment you donned the new clothes she had finished making for you. It was a simple black collared dress with long sleeves coupled with a small black poncho to keep you warm from the autumn breeze. The feeling of new clothes that hugged you well and clean feeling, certainly protected you better than your previous mud caked clothes.

"I-I think they're fine, Shiki." You said in a small voice, starting to feel the same under her unrelenting gaze on the clothes on your back. "Thank you for the clothes.... And thank you for hiding me from those guys."

The doll's gaze grew soft, reaching up to pet your head in a gentle manner while breaking a smile for you. "You're a good girl aren't you, no wonder he likes you so much, hehe." She giggled. "Hmm, its late and he's not coming back... maybe he went back to the shrine. Do you think you can sneak back yourself?"

With Shiki on the look out, you sneaked passed back through the gates and into the grounds, the wind still nipping at you unkindly without your usual guide on your way back, clutching on the Haori that Joshua lent you as a form of comfort. Breathing a small breath of relief when you saw the faint warm glow of Joshua's shrine.

"Hello? I'm back?" you called softly as you slid the door open on your entrance, carefully creeping in as if the floorboards would betray your presence.

"Oh my, you took longer than I thought!" the male lifted his head from his position from his kneel desk, a smoking long smoking pipe lay gently in his hand. "Your new clothes do look cute on you, is our local fox not with you?"

As if on cue, a thunderous thump sounded outside. Joshua wasted no time in dropping his work and friendly tone – shifting something more serious as he pulled you further away from the door, a gesture you appreciated. Joshua slid the door open harshly, only for Neku's fallen body draped lifelessly over the wooden steps to greet his eyes. Horrified but a large wave of concern washed over you at the realisation of your friend is on death's door you started for him but Joshua's arm shot out to bar you from doing so. You watched him pulling the sleeve of his haori over his fingers to cover them up and then pulling at the collar of Neku's clothes to reveal a black scratch mark surrounded by some kind of dark rash.

"Out of all the people you had to fight you had to fight the remnants didn't you?" Joshua sighed, pushing his hair back with clear frustration. "What you go do that for, you stupid fox."

His answer was just a rough groan of pain that Joshua scoffed at, clearly not amused at more work. The boy quickly instructed you to fix the bed in the shrine to put him on, with a quick change of clothes and a final look at the strange wound, he pushed the covers back over Neku's shoulder. You both silently sat close to the bed, with only the small occasional rasps of pain from the fox coming from the bed hit close to your heart, Joshua while looked deep in thought with his fingers cupping his chin and his other hand touching his elbow.

"Is it bad?..." you asked, you felt silly. You knew the answer already, otherwise the always carefree and my pace Joshua wouldn't be this serious around to stop poking jokes at his fox friend.