Peaceful, serene, so placid was the sky that night that even the wretched souls could rest easily. The unruly spirits of those long gone seemed to be on hold as the clouds journeyed on to new lands, dancing on the wings of the western winds and casting strange shadows on the rippling sands of the desert plains. While the moon hung shining dully overhead, there was a strange scent in the air, one that only the truly sensitive or incredibly hardened could detect, something foreboding in a sense.

In a dappling of forest to the north of the desert beaten path, a small fire crackled and burned throwing shadows and light around the clearing in hopes that it might warm the hands of some pathetic traveler this night. Little did that fire know that its recipients were hardly in need of comfort so much as they were in desperate wanting of food and victuals.

"I'm hungry."

The speaker stood and kicked some loose gravel into the flames restlessly, the light casting strange patterns on their face. It was a young girl, possibly sixteen years in age, standing moodily at the clearing's edge. Her eyes blazed a crimson gold, flickering with unknown battle lights and bloodlust, shimmering with something more kind than that, buried beneath her false bravado. A large quantity of red curls sprawled out behind her in unruly wonder, a lion's mane in any case, accentuating her confident smirk of dangerously glimmering white fangs. She was muscular in any case but pathetically thin compared to the average and she put one hand on her hip mischievously.

" Maybe we can lift some. See any takers?"

A cryptic voice answered from her left, seeming slightly sage in the mingling wind.

"Even if there was someone within miles that we could gryft from, knowing you, you would undoubtedly kill them anyway."

The girl nearest to the fire snapped the closest branch from its tree and dipped the end into the fire, waving it confrontingly in the face of her companion.

"Yeah, got any bright ideas ass hole? I'd love to hear some."

The light revealed a girl around four years older than the latter, long brown hair cascading down her back and ending somewhere past her waist. An aura of wise well-being emanated from her energy and seemed to calm the surrounding air though it did little to sway her partner. She was lithe, dangerous in her own quiet way, a much more intelligent being than her companion in many ways and she acted almost like a keeper to the other girl.

"Nanashi, restrain yourself. Don't be rash."

"Kaname, don't go acting all high and mighty. I'd do anything for food right now."

Kaname hooded her eyes ironically and tossed some more wood languidly into the fire.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Nanashi sat haughtily down on a flat piece of ground.

"Dumb-ass."

She began to play with a solid golden ring on her left hand and muttered incoherently to herself. Kaname looked over in an almost sisterly way and smirked.

"Playing with it won't make it any less powerful."

Nanashi sighed and lay full length on the ground, staring up at the star scattered sky.

"I'm glad. Who knows what I might do without it on."

Kaname looked habitually down at the golden ring on her index finger.

"I personally find it comforting to know that while its on, I can't do damage to the surrounding world."

Nanashi raised her eyebrows and Kaname rolled her brown orbs.

" Not unintentional damage at least."

Nanashi groaned as Kaname began to polish the ring on her shirt.

"You know that your power limiter looks way too shiny compared to your clothes, right?"

She was indeed right as anyone could see by the tattered white tank top that had unraveled somewhere above her belly button. The rest of her ensemble however was in much better condition, having been stolen a few towns back and still somewhat new. A short black skirt that clung tightly to her hips was almost met at the hem by the top of her shining black boots. A chain hooked from belt loop to belt loop, carrying on it several sharp objects, although quite small in size.

"I still can't believe you managed to skirt that off of that admirering fellow in Carvace. Your best Nanashi, your best."

Nanashi grinned at the praise at looked down proudly at her precious clothing, a blue skirt almost identical to her partners and boots that only reached to her mid-shin, a zipped up vest covering her torso but revealing a small amount of cleavage.

"Yeah, it was brilliant, wasn't it?"

At this point Nanashi froze where she was and sniffed the air hungrily. Kaname lowered her eyebrows.

"Smell something?"

She received no answer but Nanashi beckoned to her and licked her lips ravenously.

"Someone's out there, about three miles south, I'd say...four of them."

Kaname nodded and flexed her muscles, nodding her head in the direction of the forest edge.

"Seems that we won't be going hungry this night. Nan? Do you possibly want to borrow a dirk for this job, its not like you really need..."

Before she could finish Nanashi reached behind her back and withdrew a large triple bladed sword from a sheath strapped to her shoulder, gripping the richly engraved hilt meaningfully and licking the blade with familiar confidence.

"What, are you going to deny me my fun after I've been without blood so long?"

Kaname sighed.

"I suppose not. Lets get going."

With that they seemed to disappear altogether, flying in two barely visible blurs at unnatural speeds through the woodlands. The surrounding leaves and tree limbs bowed and whirled as they passed, reacting seconds after their disturbers had already gone and settling many minutes later. In a mere ten seconds they reached the edge of the forest and were soon able to spot a light on a not so far off dune. Nanashi grinned and stopped just fifty feet from their destination point.

"I'll do what I do best and you perform your specialty, deal?"

Kaname nodded curtly.

"Whatever. But please be sure not to splatter the blood all over my new clothes. I've really grown attached to them."

Nanashi smirked.

"Oh, sure thing princess. Go."

She took three magnificent running strides and leaped so high into the air that she almost disappeared among the blackness of the heavens before landing right beside the fire. Kaname appeared likewise but by ground, eyes cold and unforgiving.

"Well, do it already."

Nanashi looked around quickly to find the most luscious foods before she realized the eight pairs of eyes staring at them.

"May we help you?" asked a cheerful but cautious voice from her left.

It was a man of about twenty five, hair dusted a strange grayish brown and right eye covered by a single eyeglass. A green head band wrapped around his skull to prevent the wayward strands of hair from clouding his view and his bright green left eye seemed to reflect pure kindness as did his smile. He seemed dangerous in his harmless tone and Nanashi tensed.

"Shut up."

Kaname's tone however, was slightly different.

"We are looking for food. We haven't eaten in..." she looked over at Nanashi for a reference but was only met with a blank stare. "A few days at least."

Another voice gasped in outrage and seemed to be completely horrified by Kaname's last statement.

"A few days at least? That sucks, how can you live like that?"

The voice belonged to a much younger looking boy with crowning brown hair and a golden power band at his hairline. His brown eyes had shrunk down to mere dots in horror and his spiked shoulder pads quivered as did his whole body as he shook his head in a completely stunned expression.

"A few days."

The one sitting adjacent to him groaned.

"For the love of God, is that all you think about? Food? I'm so sick of your griping."

He reached up a muscular arm to push the strands of magenta from his face and in doing so revealed daring pink eyes and a cigarette smoldering in his mouth as he leaned lazily against the parked jeep. He ran his fingers restlessly through his hair and the young boy frowned.

"Shut up you damn water sprite."

"Don't call me that monkey!"

"WILL YOU TWO CUT IT OUT!" screamed another voice from their left.

There sat an irritated young man with strangely cut blonde hair and a sour expression. His violet eyes reflected his anger and the wind ruffled the stray wisps of hair slightly, revealing a red shakra in the middle of his forehead, the marking of a holy man. The scrolls draped around his shoulders also heralded his spirituality.

Nanashi tapped her foot impatiently.

"Do you mind? We're trying to rob you ya bastards."

Kaname raised her hands warningly and began to speak, " Fang, I wouldn't try, you see."

But before she could finish Nanashi rushed forward with her sword upraised and voice screaming a triumphant battle cry. Before she could cut anyone to pieces, steel met steel and the magenta haired stranger had risen to the challenge, spitting out his cigarette and squishing it under his heel.

"Too slow."

Her was wielding a staff like weapon with a crescent shaped blade at the end and a flatter and less threatening slab at the opposite side. Nanashi barred her teeth and growled from deep inside.

"You wish."

They began to fight, blade on blade and head to head, blocking, thrusting, parrying, rushing to the others side in hopes that they might catch their opponent off guard. Nanashi tried several different attacks but the challenger seemed incredibly at ease with fighting and more experienced than even she. Just as the stranger was about to throw another blow, his weapon flew from his hands and clattered to the ground several feet from the jeep, as did Nanashi's with the same startling power. She turned to see Kaname with her hands upraised and eyes flaring an unusual silver.

"That is enough Fang. There is no reason to fight."

Nanashi glared at her and spat contemptuously on the ground.

"Oh really, and why not? I can find one," she pointed out, cracking her knuckled eagerly.

Kaname ignored her and turned to the brown-haired man with the spyglass.

"We're terribly hungry and were wondering if you might have some food to spare."

Nanashi was outraged and voiced her opinion.

"Foxfire, no! Don't grovel at the likes of these bastards."

Kaname sent her a warning glance and returned to her audience.

"Please excuse my rash friend, she is foolish without nourishment."

The younger boy scoffed.

"Yeah, who wouldn't be."

The spiritual traveler sighed.

"We have no food, now leave."

His cheerful companion shrugged.

"Oh, c'mon Sanzo. We've got plenty."

The one called Sanzo seemed angry at this and a vein popped warningly on his temple.

"Hakkai, we don't need any freeloaders mooching off our supplies."

Hakkai seemed to think otherwise and looked over at his younger companion.

"Goku would you mind passing me the rice and sake?"

The boy nodded, but not before grabbing some of the food himself. As Hakkai passed the food to Nanashi, she promptly began to stuff her face but was whacked fervently into her rice pudding a Kaname sighed.

"Manners, Fang. Remember your manners."

Nanashi settled grumpily to where she had been before her rude awakening and ate like a regular human with chopsticks and a straight back. Kaname ate in a much more reserved manner and was only able to manage a few bites before placing a hand over her mouth.

"Thank you, it was very hospitable."

Nanashi too seemed to have lost some of her original fervor and pushed her bowl away.

"Too rich for a binge."

Kaname nodded.

"You cannot go from eating nothing to a rich feast in one day."

Goku seemed alarmed and talked with his mouth hanging open and filled with half-chewed food.

"You really don't eat much do you."

"No, we..." Nanashi paused, "...don't get a lot of human contact lets say."

Her eyes glittered bitterly with longing but the want soon vanished from her pupils. Goku snickered and ate another spoonful of rice pudding.

"Well for not a lot of human contact you got real close to kicking Gojyo's ass."

The pink haired stranger smirked and used his arms as a pillow on the back of his head as he resumed his position against the vehicle next to Sanzo.

"I don't know what fight you were watching monkey-ass."

Nanashi hid a smile at the one called Gojyo's sharp attitude and muffled her laugh in her sword hand. Kaname rose and wiped her mouth daintily on her shirt, offering a hand to Nanashi who pushed it moodily away. She turned indifferently to Hakkai and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for the meal. We will repay you one day."

Nanashi and she began to run back to their clearing in the forest and on the way Nanashi turned angrily to her counterpart and growled.

"What was that? You don't bow to anyone, I've never seen you act like that."

Kaname looked wearily ahead and hopped over a stray log.

"Sometimes that's the easiest way to get food, to cooperate."

They halted at the clearing and Nanashi's temper flared fiercely.

"Hiko never would have groveled like a common dog. How could you. I could've cleared them in one shot of my triple katana."

Kaname settled herself on the ground and turned away from Nanashi, perturbed by the conversation.

"You weren't at all close to beating that Gojyo character. Just drop it Nan, go to bed. We're heading on to Koorime City in the morning."

Nanashi sat up against a tree and glared pointedly at Kaname.

"Koorime City? Never heard of it."

Kaname's answer carried on the wind.

"There's plenty of things that you've never heard of. Go to sleep."

With that both closed their eyes and drifted into light sleeps, sleeping with one half of their bodies tensed for a possible midnight attack.