His fox, Showtime

His Fox, Hurt

Ashi stood outside, his gaze was confused as he stared at the doors of the house. "Why have I been called out here?" "No! Fox!" Ashi immediately looked to the large lord who had held Freckles in a tight grip. Ashi bared his fangs at him, his eyes flashed gold, "Release my Freckles!" "So... the strong demon has a weakness?"

Ashi opened his eyes as he sat up with a feverish huff of air. His chest was heaving slightly as he looked around at his surroundings, "I'm... in the room?" He looked to the bedside and saw a small cup of water near him, along with a change of noble clothes. He slowly sat up with a yawn and walked over to the clothes, they were colorful with red trimming on it.

"Hmph... That buffoon always knew how to have good taste in garments." He changed into the clothes, throwing on the large cape that Joker had given him at the circus. The door opened as soon as it finished and he was greeted by children, "What? I don't remember him able to gift life." The two children, which he noticed one was a boy and another was a girl with a basket of fresh flowers in her hand. She handed him a lovely rose before they both led him into a large sitting room.

Memory:

"Fox!" Ashi looked over to see the girl, feeling his lips involuntarily come into a smile, "Little Freckles." Freckles smiled brightly as she had caught his attention away from the book, "I brought my big sister, Beast!" Ashi tilted his head, before setting down the shakespearean play he was reading. The little girl gave a bright smile as she showed an older teenage girl who was behind her.

"Hello, Beast." Ashi gave a smirk along his face as Beast turned bright red in surprise, "H-Hello." Ashi gave a small chuckle as he was tackled by Doll, Beast smiled as everyone else smiled at the group. Beast was having her hair used as a braiding tool as Ashi was taught by Doll, "I don't understand why I must know this..."

Current time:

"You're alive. I almost didn't believe Joker at first." Ashi quickly turned his head seeing a man in a wheelchair with tons of bandages on his body. All he could see was his eyes and mouth, as Joker was behind the wheelchair refusing to meet Ashi's eyes.

"I am. I'm afraid your dogs were squished." Ashi looked blank as he allowed his tails to emerge and his ears to appear, "Finny-sama properly dealt with them and saw to my recovery." Joker looked confused as he began to explain some minor things, "When you told me about the circus at first, Baron Kelvin... I thought you were mental. However..." Baron Kelvin looked surprised as he stared at the demon, "The ones who work it... Have kind hearts. It was fun." Ashi's gaze was kept on Joker's face, who glanced towards him, Baron Kelvin looked irritated, "You've gone soft." Suddenly Ashi's slight smile had changed to confusion, "What are you talking about?" Ashi looked bristled that the Baron would even dare to insult him.

"You are no longer the cold demon I met before. Something has warmed your very core, and weakened you." Ashi gave a loud snarl his posture becoming more threatening, "Weakened me!? How dare you insult me!" Ashi went towards the Baron but Joker held out a sword to his neck, the two children held on to Ashi's cloak. Ashi paused as he stared at Joker before giving a noise, "You're such a fool." Kelvin looked confused as he observed Ashi leaning towards the sword allowing it to lightly pierce his skin.

"Pardon?" Ashi was obviously having fun as he licked his lips feeling the small drops of  blood trickle down his neck, "You heard me Kelvin. You're pathetic enough to change your entire appearance to try and please a child. You're disgusting." Ashi smirked at the angry look on his face, "How dare you." Ashi chuckled as he moved back, "You are so self conscious of yourself, you were fine before all this garbage, and now you look like a horrifying psycho. You really are pathetic," Ashi looked at Joker with a quiet look of distain, "You even used someone who loved you as a servant. He would want nothing to do with you anymore."

"You're one to talk." Joker spoke again, his voice soft but he spoke. Ashi looked at him looking slightly off at Joker's words, "What do you mean?" Joker put up the sword before he tilted his head looking at Ashi's body, "You had changed your appearance when you entered the Circus. Is your new master afraid of your appearance? Does he care about the fact you eat humans like him?" Ashi bristled his fur unconsciously, his body stiffening in the question.

Memory:

It was dark at night, Ashi had awoken to the sounds of whimpers and looked at Finny by his side. Finny was shivering as he whimpered and moved in his sleep. Ashi ears and tails were out as he leaned over Finny worried, "Finny-sama?" Finny opened his eyes before he let out a yell and hit Ashi in the nose. Ashi held his nose in shock as it bleed as Finny looked at him in terror.

"M-Monster." Ashi looked at Finny who quickly ran out of the room as he looked at his once white sheets become stained with red drops. Ashi started to shake as he watched the red drops fall before he growled lowly and walked to the bathroom. He looked at his reflection noticing the blood trickling past his lips as he looked shocked. He looked at his face as his once beautiful gold eyes had somehow appeared more terrifying and horrid. He looked at the newest bruises and bites along his body from a feeding as he quietly whispered to himself.

"Monster."

Present:

Ashi bared his teeth his hand unknowingly inching towards his nose his tails shielding his body, "You know nothing about Finny-sama!" Joker looked surprised to see how defensive he had gotten, "So... He is terrified and abused you. Why do you stay with those people? They are scared of you, and treat you as if you are dirt." Ashi looked down, his voice low and husky as if trying to hold back, "Shut up. He did it out of defense!"

"They grab your tails, and they force you to clean. You are forced to serve a bratty lord. I bet you have limited time to even hunt." Ashi gave a quiet cough, before he shouted louder, "I told you to shut up! Listen to your elder you Brat!" Joker continued, not seeing Ashi physically shake in anger and tiredness, "They force you to look human, call yeh by the name you loathe. Did he save yeh? Do yeh owe that pathetic human?" The fire suddenly turned blue, as Ashi's tails flailed out beautifully his eyes golden in the blue light, his teeth curled back as he snarled.

"I told you to shut up! You pathetic mortal! I will end you if you so much as harm Finnian!" Ashi suddenly grew stiff before he fell to the ground. Joker hastily moved his sword away, as Baron looked at him and sighed, "The demon seems to be malnourished." The two children that had held onto Ashi were badly burned, and they slowly walked away to be treated as Joker stared at Ashi. Baron looked at him before nodding quietly, "See to it that he is set properly. He mustn't snap at the lord!" Joker nodded solemnly as he looked at the collapsed demon, "Yes father." Picking up Ashi he carried him towards the one place that calmed even his beast down.

The Library.