Chapter Text
As much as the full moon empowered yokai and manifested those powers, Okarun had been quick to learn the new moon did the opposite. Yokai powers diminished in the moon’s absence, and in these rare occasions, Okarun felt… normal. He felt as he did before his encounter with Turbo Granny, feeling… human.
A part of him knew he should be happy about it, a return to normalcy, a break from the curse and the quirks of being some odd pseudo yokai.
But in truth, he felt… off his axis.
It was almost losing something a part of him, something just… gone.
And in its absence, the normalcy just hit him hard.
He lacked a sense he came to value. He could lightly refer to it as a “sense of smell”, but it wasn’t entirely that. Nor was it entirely seeing auras like Miss Ayase could. He just… got a sense of what was around him, a sense of who was around him, an instinct that directed him to danger, and told him where his important people were.
It was especially sensitive to Miss Ayase.
Part of him wondered if it came from him and his affection, or if it came from her influence over the curse and how she literally molded it for their utilization; but even if his eyes were off of her, he always knew she was close and had an idea of where she was.
But during new moons, that sense was lost.
He didn’t know where she was, and even when she was before him and he could see her, there was some odd instinct that stressed about not fully registering her as there despite what all his natural senses told him.
It was just… an unnerving disconnect.
And then there was a loss of prowess. In comparison before his curse, he is still far stronger than he was before, faster and more physically fit; but it wasn’t the endless ease he had with his curse. He couldn’t run as long as he wanted. He couldn’t hold Miss Ayase for as long as he wanted.
And with a hard hitting truth that he couldn’t join fights as he wanted.
For all he has gained, it was still not enough to face up against the supernatural. Not in the way to carry Miss Ayase or take out threats, nor in durability and taking blows.
He was a liability.
And the very first time he experienced that reality, it was a truth he couldn’t handle.
School had ended and they were all heading to the Ayase residence for dinner, when a loud boom caught their attention, one Miss Ayase and Jiji confirmed was tied to spiritual energy.
“Someone dares cause trouble near me?!” Miss Shiratori immediately snapped, “They’re asking for the Number One Hero to kick their—”
“Woah there, Fearless Leader,” Miss Ayase interjected, “aren’t you kinda powerless, right now?”
Miss Shiratori stood stiffly at the reminder, and slouched with a huff.
Absently, Okarun wondered what Miss Shiratori felt she lacked. Did she have her own sense too? Did Miss Ayase’s power leave some sort of influence on her as she did for his own curse?
“Ooooh!” Jiji jumped up. “A Momo-Jiji team uuuuup!”
Okarun flinched at the phrasing.
Even though they were dating and Jiji seems to have moved on, Okaruns still couldn’t resist the instinctive unease.
“Yeah! Let’s go kick ass, Jiji!” Miss Ayase pumped, sharing in the hype. Turning to them, she said, “You two go ahead home, we’ll catch up after we sort this out.”
“But,” Okarun protested.
“With luck we’ll be there in a few,” Miss Ayase called, booking after Jiji. “But don’t wait up!”
And so Aira and Okarun were left alone, watching the two friends go without them, unable to help.
It left Okarun feeling sick, with worry and frustration. And despite his current state, he could feel that itch to join, to race after them.
He knew they would be fine.
Miss Ayase and Jiji were powerful and capable.
But he wouldn’t know for sure, not if he wasn’t there. Would she really be ok? Could she really evade what comes her way? What if she got reckless? What if Jiji didn’t watch her back? She didn’t always pay attention to her surroundings, what if she got—
“Let us go, Takakura-san.”
Okarun had a start at Miss Shiratori’s voice, turning to her in surprise. He had forgotten that she was there. And as her words registered in his mind, he uttered a helpless, “Eh?”
Miss Shiratori gave him an annoyed look. He was getting a lot of that after Miss Ayase’s trip. He should probably be more apologetic for the trouble he caused her…
“There’s nothing we can do,” Miss Shiratori said, “and if we hang here, we risk getting in the way. So, let’s go!”
“Ye-yeah,” he mumbled, but his feet stayed rooted to the spot, staring after where Miss Ayase and Jiji went, feeling nervous and twitchy.
“I don’t like it either,” Miss Shiratori admitted aloud. Setting a hand on her chest, she declared, “As the chosen one and leader, I would’ve expected to always be there for every fight! But, unfortunately, you and I are limited by the moon…” Miss Shiratori glanced his way, insisting, “but, hey, Momo as a demon lord will be fine. She does know what she’s doing.”
His protests were on the tips of his tongue, his insistence to fear for her right in his grasp. But he knew it’d be a waste of words. Both of them were going to worry and dislike being out of a fight. And he knew she was right, chances were even good that they’d put them more at risk if they intervened or lingered.
There was just nothing either can do about it right now, not until the new moon passes.
But still his feet stayed rooted, that instinct to follow and be there gripping at him tightly.
Another boom sounded off and off sheer instinct, Okarun ran forth.
“Takakura!” he faintly heard Miss Shiratori cried out in alarm, pursuing him. The explosions grew louder as they drew near, and Okarun stumbled at the sheer force of them.
Turning the corner, he saw what was causing all the ruckus.
It was a decent sized creature, looking like a mix of a lizard and a ray, having a reptilian head and body, but the arms were long, flipper-like wings, and it was biting at telephone wires and seemingly absorbing electricity.
“A wyvern,” Okarun breathed.
It jerked and rattled the pole hard enough that it broke under the beast’s force, starting to fall towards Okarun. Squeaking in alarm, he rushed forward to avoid, stumbling as it fell heavily behind him.
He heard Miss Shiratori squeal in alarm.
In a second of panic, he looked back and sighed in relief to see she was ok, far from the fall pole and wires.
“Takakura!” she cried out, sounding angry and scared.
It was then that Okarun realized what he had done.
He hadn’t been able to resist, he had ran right here into danger, as himself, utterly powerless.
And now there was no way to back out. At least, not this way.
“Head to the Ayase home, Miss Shiratori!” Okarun called, trying to sound confident, “I’ll be fine!”
By the look she gave him, Miss Shiratori did not believe him.
Unfortunately for Okarun, Miss Shiratori wasn’t the only one who heard him.
With a loud screech, the wyvern dove down upon him. Screaming, Okarun fled, not hearing Miss Shiratori shouting after him. For as fast as Okarun has become, it was nothing in comparison to a gliding lizard. He looked back just in time to see it nearly upon him, jaws open wide.
Absently, he noted it had shark teeth.
Before it could reach him, a truck slammed into the beast, and Okarun jerked as he felt himself grabbed and pulled swiftly to the source, coming to a stop right in front of Miss Ayase, who grabbed him by the front of the shirt and snarled, “Okarun, what the hell?!”
“M-Miss Ayase,” he greeted sheepishly, unable to hold back a gulp.
“What are you doing here?!”
There was another screech as a wyvern was heading for them, and Miss Ayase looked away enough to slam another car upon it, silencing it and leaving it to lay still on the ground.
“I’m sorry,” he managed out, “I, I just reacted…” He looked away, admitting, “We, we always fought together...”
“Yeah, when you have power!” Miss Ayase snapped, reaching out and grabbing a flying wyvern, slamming it to the ground.
He sagged apologetically. “I’m sorry…”
Momo softened to a wince. “Okarun,” she started off, only to be caught off by another screech. Seeing three wyverns diving at them, Momo’s brow twitched. “We’re having a conversation here!” she snapped, slapping all three into a wall and slamming them into it. “These things are SO RUDE!”
Okarun took in how Miss Ayase easily took down the creatures, and something clicked for him how unneeded he was.
She was fine.
Even without him, she was doing fine.
He really was just making it harder for her…
“I’ll try to get out of here,” he said quickly, “I’m sorry for getting in the way.”
Before he could try to rush off, to deal with the turmoil of reality and wants, Miss Ayase grabbed him by the back of his shirt and gave his cheek a hard poke.
“Dude, get out of your head! This is not the time or place!” she ordered.
To back it, there was a boom and some wyverns went flying away in fear. Seconds after them, they heard Jiji jeering, “Come at me geckoes! I shocked myself as a kid! I’m immune!”
Momo reached out, grabbing a worn bat and offered it to him. “If you’re here, you’re going to help. You’ve seen Gran’s swings. Let’s see how you do.”
He tentatively took the bat, put off by the rough texture in his hand, feeling the weight of it, and recalling how Miss Ayase’s grandmother swung her bats around. She delivered blows with precision and power, he recalled.
He just has to echo that, as himself, practically human.
Oblivious to his stressing, Miss Ayase ordered, “Watch my back, I'll try to cover as much as I can—” she cut herself off, instinctively grabbing one wyvern by the tail and slamming it into another.
“I got you covered!” he promised, looking around for any danger that would aim for her blind spot.
Despite his promise, Miss Ayase seemed extra attentive to how she normally was, paying more attention to her surroundings, catching threats before they could get close to them. Okarun wondered if his situation prompted her to be more aware, mindful of him.
It was a thought that frustrated him but also made him happy.
Gradually, between her quick grabs and Jiji’s spiritual push, the wyverns were depleting. Many that were beaten down arose and fled, diving into the distant river to swim away.
When it seemed like the last of them was gone, Miss Ayase dropped to the ground with a sigh. “Man, that was a lot.”
Guard down, she didn't notice one downed wyvern that lingered. With an angry hiss, it lunged at her. Hearing it's movement, she turned just in time to see a big mouth full of teeth heading for her face.
Bonk!
The wyvern dropped from the blow of the bat, the now cracked bat, which Okarun gazed at in surprise.
“Oh! Good hit, Okarun!” Miss Ayase praised.
“Okarun?!” They turned to see Jiji jogging up to join them. “What are you doing here?”
“O-oh, I, uh…” he dropped the bat, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
Thankfully, Jiji didn’t press, offering a grin instead. “Well, thanks for the help, but maybe leave it to us next time, kay?”
“Especially during new moons!” Miss Ayase added sternly, giving him a scolding glare.
“Yes, Miss Ayase.” Well, he'll try.
He doesn't know if he'll ever really be able to not intervene though.
“Need to be carried home, Momo?” Jiji asked playfully.
Okarun shot Jiji a half hearted scowl.
“Nope,” Miss Ayase answered with a loud pop. “But I am ready for dinner.” Rising up, she reached for Okarun, taking his hand. In a slight rare moment, he took it, and held it back just as firmly. It felt like he didn’t want to let go, which made her happy. And also made her feel slightly bad for what she’s about to do.
Pulling him closer, she pulled him down into a headlock, earning a loud, “Ack!” from Ookarun.
She growled in warning, “Seriously, if I find you purposefully joining fights during new moons I’m going to slug ya!”
“Understood!” he cried out.
Relatively appeased, Momo released him snd headed home. Okarun followed, still holding her hand, though he was rubbing his neck, wincing.
They found Aira waiting for them at the edge, blocked by a fallen telephone pole (that Momo quickly moved aside) looking fretful, relieved to see them, and then her expression shifted into pure rage.
Okarun had only a second to squeak in alarm before Aira was upon him, screeching in outrage, fisting coming down upon the boy for his recklessness.
Momo stood off to the side, watching the show.
Jiji stood beside her, looking between the two warily. He asked Momo, “Are you going to help him?”
Momo gave him a light glare. She grouched, “If I’m going to be given a hard time for my own stupidity, then he needs to as well!” Besides, Aira wasn’t beating him that hard.
Jiji held up hands to ease the glare off of him, mumbling, “Fair.”
Eventually, Aira eased off, satisfied with getting her upset out, and primly ordered they all return for dinner because she was hungry.
As everyone followed, Okarun drew near Momo, and shyly brushed her hand. The light touch led to her taking it, and Okarun leaned close, mumbling, “I’m sorry.”
“Haaa,” Momo sighed, admitting, “honestly, I’d probably do the same if I was in your shoes.”
“And I’d probably be just as upset,” he acknowledged. And scared, he added to himself.
With a huff, she leaned into him. She offered, “We could ask Gran to teach ya.”
Okarun turned to her, uttering, “Huh?”
“She knows martial arts,” Momo revealed, “and she’s really good. Like, take on a whole army good. I’m not bringing this up to encourage this, but, we should be thinking of solutions, right? Like, you could get sucked into Empty Space still.”
“You, you think she would teach me?”
Momo made a face. “Honestly, she’s probably going to regard you as a better student compared to me.”
Okarun can believe it. Still, he offered, “I’m sure you’re good, Miss Ayase.”
Momo thought back to her ex kicking her to the dirt. “Nah, I need to work on it too.” Gran just wants to make everything spiritual when Momo just wants to learn the moves. She’s already anticipating how much of a pain it’s going to be. “New moons won’t last forever, but they will keep coming. So, this could help at least.”
At least that’s what Momo’s learned when she did something stupid but would still do, just find that reasonable solution that makes it less stupid. If even a little. It’s better than being fully stupid again.
“If she’ll have me, I’m willing to learn,” Okarun promised.
When they arrived, Seiko grouched at them for being late and letting food get cold. With a cold meal full of grumbles, Momo retired early, they day finally catching up with her. While her and Jiji did good, that stretched her powers a little thin.
And as the light traces of dawn tickled the sky, Momo snapped awake, like a tree sensing the warm grace of light. With a loud hum and stretch, she got up, rubbing her face to help wake up. She had just closed the door with an audible click when there was a rush of air and familiar energy zipping up to her side.
She looked up, having just enough chance to see Okarun shifted in his cursed form, energized and awake with the power’s return. And evidently playful when the black muzzle nuzzled her, and opened for a big, black tongue to lick her.
“Ack! Don’t lick me with your creepy yokai tongue!” she snapped, pushing the laughing Okarun away.
The maw clacked in amusement, but Okarun greeted, “Good morning, Momo-chan. Did you want to join me for a run?”
Seems the power returned with restlessness too.
“Absolutely,” Momo said.