".....hm." Azazel mumbled.

"Well, he doesn't seem the type to lie about something like that, from what little I've seen." he told her. "Seems like a straightforward, earnest young man." he commented further.

"Which makes his statement even more worrying." he said.

"However, I sense darkness in him." he then continued.

"I'm sure you sense it too." he commented.

"Not 'evil', but... darkness." he sighed.

"That kid's strong. Perhaps stronger than he's aware of."

"...doesn't surprise me." Azazel admitted.

"Again, he looks emaciated in so many ways." he said.

"Regardless, I'll find some clothes for him." he told her.

"And I'll send you up with some food for him. For when he wakes up." he went on.

"Also, don't worry if anyone comes looking for you." he then said.

"While we both know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, I will personally see to it that neither yourself or the boy are bothered." he assured her.

"It's the least I can do for a friend."

Azazel just chuckled.

"I know." he replied.

"Thankfully for you." he said.

"Anyway, come with me." he then told her.

With that, they went to a room where miscellaneous things were kept, and they went a larger box, which he opened.

"Lots of lost or discarded clothing here." he commented.

"Should be enough to put something together for him."

"Good." Azazel replied.

"I hope it's restful." he said.

"As I said, I'll give some light snacks for up there, but let me know when he's awake." he went on.

"I get the feeling it's been a long time since he's had a good breakfast." he muttered.

"But at any rate, I need to get to manning the head desk." he told her.

"I'll leave you be to get whatever else you may need or want."

Ash slept throughout the night, and though it was solid, Rylie could see that it was fitful at times.

As though he kept slipping in and out of a nightmare, or nightmares.

However, just as the sun's light started to emerge through the window, Ash awoke.

He stirred and sat up, before letting out a BIG yawn.

He then looked around for a moment, had a slight second of panic, before things caught up to him, and he calmed down.

He sighed quietly, and laid back down, staring at the ceiling.

Ash was silent, but nodded as he sniffed the aroma coming from the tray.

"Uh-huh." he replied.

He then got out of bed, and made his way to the food.

"Wow..." he said.

"This looks and smells really good." he commented.

He then grabbed a piece of bread that was there, and took a bite, his eyes widening when he did so.

"This is really soft!" he exclaimed.

Ash paused for a moment.

"Uh..." he stammered.

"Well, my name's Ashley." he said.

"But... you already knew that..." he went on.

"Uh.... I'm really fast?" he then said.

"I'm good at finding things." he continued.

"REALLY good at that." he said proudly.

Ash paused for a moment.

"Because I'm a mouse." he told her, eating more food.

"I hear really good." he said.

"And I'm fast." he went on.

"I can also smell really good, too." he added.

"I try to use it to be helpful." he told her further.

Ash shook his head.

"No." he replied.

"Mistress... uh... hm." he mumbled.

"How did they put it...?" he wondered, thinking about it.

"They... they took the building blocks that make a mouse a mouse, and mixed it up with the building blocks that make me, me." he told her.

"So I'm kind of a mouse. Kind of a human?" he continued, before sighing.

"I don't know WHAT to call myself..." he admitted quietly and heavily.

"Other than a 'failure'..." he added dejectedly.

"...." Ash was silent for a moment.

"They originally wanted to do it with a dragon or something like that." he replied.

"I dunno, something really strong and powerful." he continued.

"But they said I wasn't a match. That my body wasn't compatible with it." he went on.

"That's when Mistress said I was a failure." he told her further.

"Said 'pewhaps a widdle mousey would be bettew fow a widdle failure'..." he then said, mimicking a mocking sing-song tone... surely the one 'Mistress' had used on him in the past.