Me: hmm...well, I'm back with a new story, and I hope yo ulike it. Saving me has just about 1 chapter left, but I won't update if I don't get some reveiws, so it's up to you guys. Anyway, my latest story, hope you like. And yeah, if you've ready my profile, you'll notice that I kinda took one of my own challenges, but I was bored and no one was reveiwing Saving Me, so why not? Anyway, here goes.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever (despite the fact how much I want to) own "InuYasha" otherwise Sesshomaru would appear more often, Buyo would be in it more, InuYasha would have black hair 24/7, and Bankotsu and Jakotsu wouldn't have died, and neither would have Kikyo, so bug off.

Summary: Buyo falls into the Feudal Era years before Kagome after a disagreement with his family. After wandering around lost, he meets the Band of Seven and befriends Jakotsu. But not long after that they're slaughtered and Buyo, having lost his companions, returns home in sorrow. Two years later, Buyo's dragged into the past qith kagome to confront his past. But this time he must choose between Kirara, his crush, and the rest of the Inu-Gang, or the Band of Seven, former friends and comapnions. He must choose quickly for the battle with Naraku draws near, for his fianl desicion results in the outcome.

Prologue: Part 1

A large cream tom spotted with ginger splotches crouched down low into the grass, his eyes narrowed and tail-tip twitching back and forth over the tall grass he hid within. A frond of bracken twitched several inches away from his nose, and he tensed his lean muscles, sheathing and unsheathing his long claws and flexing them over the damp earth, still smelling sweetly form last night's rain.

The scent of mouse drifted through the blades of grass and wafted into his nose and danced around his head. Buyo's paws moved over the ground soundlessly, bringing him one step closer to his goal. Buyo inched forward a little more, until he could see the tip of a long, hairless pink tail twitching back and forth. From his position he could see its whiskers twitching and its small paws working furiously as it nibbled on a walnut. Buyo carefully placed his forepaw on the ground and inched forward. The mouse suddenly froze, and Buyo, alarmed, mimicked. After what seemed an eternity to the frozen cat, the mouse resumed eating, and Buyo released a deep sigh.

Buyo's paws prickled with excitement, and his tail began to lash more furiously. After a moment of tense silence, Buyo tensed his muscles, and then sprang. Just as he did, he heard a young girl call his name in a loud, bubbly, high-pitched voice. The mouse let out a squeak of alarm and darted away, leaving behind the unfinished walnut behind. Buyo landed with a hiss of annoyance.

A split second later he was back up on all fours and he shot after the mouse. He gained on it quickly and with a powerful kick of his hind legs he sprang at it again. His paws were just about to crash down on the mouse's back, when he felt two hands grip him around his stomach and haul him into the air. Buyo jerked to a stop and let out a choked hiss of surprise as he was spun around several times.

At last he was returned to the ground, and by that time, after he scented the air carefully, Buyo found that the mouse had long since disappeared into its nest. Buyo turned and glared at the young girl, a child really—well, she was only in seventh grade…that made her a child…right?

The first thing Buyo noticed was that the girl's raven hair, which was normally about waist length, if not longer, was now reduced to a little less than shoulder length. Not only that, but her messy, dark bangs were now straight and neat, as if someone had straightened them out.

The girl caught him staring. "Like my hair, kitty? Mom took me to get a haircut today after school. I think it looks nice, don't you?"

Not really! Buyo wanted to yowl, but that would be a waste of breath. Not only did humans not understand cat, but the also wouldn't listen even if they did.

The girl fluffed up the ends of her hair. "Mom said if I'm good all week and I baby-sit for Souta while she's at work she'll get me a pair of earrings to match my hair!" The girl stared at Buyo. "Are you all right, Kitty? You don't look well."

Buyo curled his lip at the nickname "Kitty." But he shook the name away and saved the thought for later. Buyo flicked his tail to where he last saw the mouse, and then pointed with his tail-tip to the half-eaten walnut.

"What is it? Oh. The mouse you were chasing." She wrinkled her nose. "Why would you want that when we have nice yummy kitty food for you?" Yummy?! Why don't you taste it and see just how "yummy" it is!! But as always, she ignored him and said, "Besides, you'd get blood all over you paws and your nice, soft creamy fur. And mom would throw a fit."

As if on cue, the girl's mother slid the door open and shouted, "Kagome, it's time for dinner! Come on in! Oh, and bring Buyo! We don't want any dead rodents in the house!"

Kagome nodded and scooped Buyo into her arms. Buyo's hind legs and tail dangled limply as Kagome bounded across the yard, holding her arms beneath his forelegs. Buyo's whiskers gave a slight twitch of irritation. He should be used to this by now. Too bad he wasn't.

Once Kagome dropped him on the floor inside, he tried to dart back outside, but Mrs. Higurashi shut the door quickly and firmly, nearly ripping off all of Buyo whiskers as she did. "No," she scolded. "You are not brining another dead animal inside."

Buyo flattened his ears in non-hostile way and parted his jaws in wide, pleading mew, and stretching his eyes wide, hoping he had mustered his cutest face possible.

"No." Mrs. Higurashi was firm. "Besides, you'd spoil dinner."

Buyo's cute face scrunched up into a dirty look and he hissed, then wheeled about with a fierce lash of his tail. Mrs. Higurashi watched as Buyo stalked off, his fur spiked up in anger.

Buyo stared at the gooey, slimy brown glop in his red food dish. Kagome noticed his blank look and said, "Buyo, eat it. It's yummy, and good for you."

Buyo glared at her. Of course you can say that. You're eating rice! And lots of other tasty-looking things. Buyo's mouth began to water as the sweet, enticing scents of the food on the table filled his nostrils. Before long, Buyo was trembling, and his tail-tip twitched. He began to mew like a kitten, and he fluffed up his fur, making himself appear twice his size.

"Hah-hah," Souta laughed. "Look at that. Buyo's begging!"

Instantly Buyo bristled, and the half-formed mew in his throat thickened into a fierce growl. He hissed, and swiped at Souta's pant leg with unsheathed claws.

"Hey!" Souta yelped.

"Buyo!" Mrs. Higurashi jumped up loudly, her eyes blazing with fury. "Bad cat! Bad cat! Bad cat!"

A split second later she was holding a thrashing Buyo by his scruff. "Kagome, open the door." Kagome quickly bounded past her mother and held the door open. Mrs. Higurashi dropped Buyo on the ground outside, tossing him a few feet away as she did, and stood back as Kagome shut the door. Buyo, stunned by the impact, lay there for a moment, then picked himself up and began to smooth his ruffled fur hastily.

After a few moments of grooming, Buyo leapt back to the door, stared intently at it as though willing it to open, and then turned away and sprang onto the window ledge. The curtains were drawn mostly over the glass, but there was still a gap between the cloths wide enough for Buyo to peer through. He pricked his ears and concentrated on what the family was saying.

"Mom, why is Buyo acting so different?" Kagome asked as she poked at her rice. "Today he glared at me after I picked him up and swung him around a little. He used to love it when I did that! And he curled his lip at me when I called him Kitty."

"And what about when he attacked me just now?" Souta added.

Mrs. Higurashi sighed and put down her chopsticks and rice bowl. "Well, maybe it's because nobody spends any time with him anymore."

"What do you mean?" Souta and Kagome chorused together.

"Well, when we got Buyo, it was to give Kagome someone to talk to and just pet and play with, and to give Souta a friend when he first started school. But then Kagome moved to middle school and Souta made friends. And poor little Buyo was left alone. I have to work, and then cook, clean, and grocery shop. And Gramps is too old."

"And crazy," Souta added. "But…where is he?"

"Visiting a friend somewhere in the city."

Kagome glared at Souta and said, "Go on, Mom."

"Well, since Buyo got bored very easily the first day no one played with him, I had to let him outside so he wouldn't destroy the furniture or curtains. Every day since then he's been outside, and he's gotten horrible manners and—as you saw just now—he's gotten misbehaved and wild. He's not very social, he hates it inside, and he refuses to eat his cat food now. I don't know what to do." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. Kagome and Souta stared at her, holding their breath. "Maybe I should give him away."

Buyo went rigid. His ears twitched, and then flattened. He felt his tail go limp, and his whiskers drooped. Buyo sighed, and then jumped from the window ledge and landed lightly on the grass. Buyo's head hung and his tail trailed behind him as he walked away form the house with slow, sorrowful steps. After a while, Buyo felt the grass and dirt become wood beneath his paws. He looked up, and saw the ancient well-house looming before him, looking dark and mysterious as a chilling sense of foreboding seeped from its walls.

Buyo shook off a shiver and slowly climbed up the steps until his nose was inches from the door. Buyo held out his forepaw and unsheathed his claws. He slid the claws into the thin crack between the wood and squirmed them around. After a moment the door inched apart a little, and Buyo wedged his muzzle in. The gap widened, and soon Buyo was able to slide inside the shrine.

Buyo's eyes instantly began to glow as soon as he set paw inside the shrine. The air was old and musty, and thick layers of dust lined the floor, only to be sent up in a swirl of gray powder every time Buyo mover his paws. But despite this, Buyo stalked towards his goal: the well.

Buyo reached the well in record time and hopped up onto the ledge. He held out a forepaw above the wooden door, but hesitated for a split second before pressing down firmly. Buyo flexed his long claws against he rotted wood. There was a loud splintering, and Buyo felt the wood beneath his paws disappear. The sudden lack of solid ground cause Buyo to lurched forward; his hind paws lost their grip on the wood and slipped. Soon Buyo crashed through the wood and was falling rapidly to the rocky ground beneath.

Buyo tensed his muscles and braced himself, and shut his eyes. After a seemingly eternity of falling, Buyo opened his eyes and found himself floating in an unusual bluish aura, before his paws touched down gently on the ground. Dazed, Buyo stood frozen for several minutes, before his muscles loosened. He looked around, and then titled his head back. A ray of moonlight fell upon his face. Buyo blinked.

After a brief hesitation, he launched himself at one of the rocky walls surround him and dug his claws in. he froze for an instant, and then scrabbled for a firm foothold, before he began to climb upward. After a half hour or so, Buyo dug his claws into the wood that edged the well, and he managed to drag himself up by clawing desperately at the ivy-strewn rock. Buyo fell over the edge of the well and landed on soft, springy grass.

Confused as he was, Buyo stood after catching his breath and surveyed his new surroundings. A thick expanse of trees loomed up behind him, while a stretch of land cropped with plants and vegetables reared up behind him. Instantly deciding against the village, Buyo loped into the woods. He scented the air, searching for prey, when his fur suddenly spiked up and his back arched. Buyo instinctively bared his fangs and unsheathed his claws, and looked up. He was surprised to see a silver-hair boy resting against the massive tree he stood before, dressed in red, and wondered why he'd reacted so violently, until he noticed the boy's pointed, dog-like ears. Buyo spat in annoyance. Dogs! Buyo stuck his tail into the air, the tip curled slightly, and stalked off deeper into the tree, wanting to get away from the "dog-boy" as fast as possible.

Buyo collapsed on the ground in exhaustion and hunger. He'd already left the dog-boy's forest, and had crossed several fields and passed through a village, but hadn't found anything to eat. The prey here was scarce and fast, and not only that, but several monstrous animals about the size of a large dog had attacked him. Buyo still didn't know how he escaped.

Suddenly Buyo's ears perked up, and his head snapped up off the ground. He heard voices—seven of them, and he smelled…something, but it was food, he knew that for sure!

Buyo lurched unsteadily to his paws and staggered toward the noise.

In a wide clearing not too deep in a small forest edging the field Buyo had only just collapsed in sat a group of seven men…um, five. One was several times larger than the others, and the other seemed more robotic than human. Buyo lingered in the bushes, unsure, but when a light wisp of the sweet, fresh scent of food played across his nose, he couldn't resist any longer and cautiously crept form his hiding place.

Almost immediately something long, silver, flexible—and sharp—flashed across his path, missing his toes by a hair. Buyo yowled in alarm, but before he could turn and race away he felt a pair of strong hand grip his middle and heft him up. Buyo began to thrash, but the person held him stubbornly and…surprisingly, in the correct position to hold a cat. Buyo felt himself relax, and the stranger began cooing.

"What do you have there, Jakotsu?"

"Ooh, it's a kitty! A cute and feisty one, too!" the woman Jakotsu replied. Wait, Buyo thought. That doesn't fit. "Jakotsu's" hands were too big to be a woman's hands and this Jakotsu's shoulders are too broad to be a woman's…Holy shit! A gay man! Buyo hesitated, thinking it over. Then again, he doesn't seem all that bad. He's actually quite friendly!

"Let me see," the same voice commanded.

Buyo felt himself being carried further into the clearing. He felt several pairs of eyes staring intensely at him. Buyo didn't struggle as Jakotsu dropped him gently on the ground. As soon as his paws hit the ground he shot off, fully intent of fleeing, when a strong hand closed around his scruff and Buyo lurched to a stop, his forepaws wrenched off the ground and his hind paws leaving deep ruts in the ground.

Not even a second later Buyo was lifted into the air. Buyo shut his eyes. When he opened them, he found himself staring into deeply tanned young man's dark eyes. His long black hair was neatly braided, and half-hidden beneath thick bangs was a long purple star. Buyo curled his lips, and parted his jaws in a hiss.

The man smiled—a little. He seemed amused. "Heh—nice cat Jakotsu." The man released his grip on Buyo's scruff and before he even hit the ground Buyo was back in Jakotsu's arms. "So, what're you gonna do wit him?"

"Can I keep him, big brother?"

"Uh, I don't know. Will you take care of him? Feed him—share your food with him?"

"Yes, big brother! I really will! I promise!"

The man shrugged. "Sure, then, why not? I have no objections."

"Bankotsu, big brother, are you sure it's wise? This cat will only slow us down."

Buyo—as well as Bankotsu and Jakotsu—turned in the direction of the man who'd just spoken. He was bald, with dark striped beneath his eyes, and an unusual marking on his forehead.

"How so, Renkotsu?" Bankotsu asked, sounding as if he didn't really care about Renkotsu's opinion.

"He'll need to sleep, he'll need food, and during battle…what shall we do with him?" This Renkotsu person continued ticking reasons why Buyo tagging along would be bad, and Buyo and Jakotsu sighed. Bankotsu looked bored.

"Oh, big brother!" Jakotsu protested. "I'll watch him, I really will! And when time of battle comes, he'll merely get out of the way, simple as that!"

"Where will he go?" Renkotsu asked.

"We'll find a tree where he can stay until we're finished, and then come back and get him. Or, I could just call him."

"Will he listen?" a man with thick, spiky hair, green slash marking on his cheeks, and an ogre-like face question.

Jakotsu put on his "I-hate-you-face" and pouted. "Why must you all ruin my fun?" He shook his head fiercely and hugged Buyo tighter. "He'll come! Besides, if he doesn't, he'll die out there all alone. Demons will come and kill him, and then I won't have a little furry friend anymore!"

Buyo paled beneath his fur.

Bankotsu laughed lightly. "Let him have his fun. If anything happens to the cat, it'll Jakotsu who'll have to worry. The rest of us can just pretend he's not even here." Renkotsu looked ready to protest further, but Bankotsu looked up sharply, a deadly glint in his eyes. "Does anyone have any objections?" he asked in a low, chillingly cold voice. There was a muffled chorus of "No's" and Bankotsu said, "Good." Then he looked at Buyo. "So what's his name?"

"Umm…hmm, didn't think of that…uh…." Jakotsu held Buyo out in front of him and stared; Buyo stared back. Finally Jakotsu grinned widely. "Oh! I know! I'll call him Koru!"

"Why Koru?" the ogre-man questioned.

"Cuz he looks like a Koru!" Jakotsu replied. "Duh! Don't you know anything, Suikotsu?"

Suikotsu arched a brow, but said nothing.

Bankotsu stood up abruptly. "Well, now that that's settled, let's get the hell outta here." Bankotsu lifted a massive halberd Buyo—Koru—hadn't noticed before and swung it at the small crimson flames serving as a campfire and instantly the fire withered. The other men instantly broke out in protest. "Quiet," Bankotsu growled, and there was immediate silence. "Huh, all right. Well, we're moving on now."

"If you don't mind me asking, why, big brother?" questioned Jakotsu.

"Remember that lord who hired us some time ago?" When the others nodded, Bankotsu continued. "I got a bad feeling after meeting with him. I don't trust him very much. I think its best if we stay on guard and after all the noise we just made"—he looked at Buyo and Jakotsu—"we should move camp."

Suikotsu stared at him. Then he sighed. "If you say so, boss."

Buyo trotted at a steady pace beside Jakotsu. He glanced at the tall man curiously, and then looked down at his paws. How long had it been since he'd stared into the kitchen of what had once been his loving home? How long since he'd been kicked out of his own home? Buyo sighed. He couldn't really blame Mrs. Higurashi. After all, he hadbeen misbehaving, but still….

"Are you okay, kitty?" Jakotsu asked suddenly.

Buyo stopped, looked up, and meowed loudly. Jakotsu bent down, scratched Buyo behind the ear, then straightened up and hurried to catch up with the others. Buyo loped after him. After he caught up, he slowed and mused, Hmm, when he called me kitty, I didn't really care. I wonder why. Buyo shrugged and padded on, enjoying the cool breeze.

He heard a light rustle, and then scented mouse. Buyo instinctively dropped into a hunter's crouch and began to glide forward. Noticing this, Jakotsu called to Bankotsu and pointed to Buyo, all the while motioning to be quiet. Buyo, meanwhile, pinpointed the mouse's location and began to creep forward. A blade of grass twitched, and a clump of bracken shivered. He heard a soft skittering of tiny paws, and Buyo instantly lurched forward. He took a flying leap at the mouse, unsheathing his claws, and brought his paws down heavily on it.

The mouse thrashed beneath his paws, and hissed loudly. A moment later a large black rat-like creature forced its way out from under Buyo's paws and jumped away, only to turn back and face Buyo. It was completely black, except for its four red eyes, two main ones, and then another two, much smaller, behind and above the first pair. The rat hissed again, baring its long, chipped front fangs and then leaped at Buyo.

Buyo slashed his paws at the rat and knocked it aside, then tackled it roughly and bit into its throat. Blood spurted from the wound, hot, reeking, and burning like acid. Buyo snarled and pulled back as the blood scorched his fur. The rat began convulsing, and within minutes it lay dead.

Buyo, panting heavily, approached it and sniffed at its limp form. Bankotsu smirked. "Heh, Koru's pretty tough. Took down a demon rat no problem." Bankotsu moved closer until he stood over Buyo. Buyo looked away from the rat and up at Bankotsu. "If he were a bit bigger—maybe a demon, or something—he'd make a pretty fierce battle companion. Heh, then we'd have to change or name form the Band of Seven to the Band of Eight." The thought made him laugh.

Bankotsu turned away from Buyo without another word and took up the lead once more. Buyo only just managed to catch his breath as he watched his new companions follow after their leader. After a moment's pause, Buyo trailed behind, thinking over what Bankotsu said. He complemented me. Buyo snapped out of his daze and remembered the rat: his trophy. He whirled and snapped it up in his jaws, shaking the wet blood off, and then loped after Jakotsu.

That night at their campsite, Buyo was excitedly playing with his dead rat trophy, tossing it into the air and slapping it roughly with sheathed paws. He tackled it midair and sent it skittering across the ground with a well-aimed swing of a paw. Buyo leaped at it from the behind, spun the limp body around to face him, and then shot behind it once more, hissing. Buyo lashed his tail and jumped at it. He pinned his paws at its throat and back, and prepared to toss it back into the air.

But before he did, a new scent washed over his scent glands. Buyo stiffened, tasted the air again, bristled, and growled. Jakotsu glanced at him. "Are you okay, Koru?" Buyo lashed his tail in response, and glared into the trees in the direction where the scent originated. Bankotsu followed his gaze, and Buyo strained his ears for the sound of approaching enemies. He couldn't hear anything, which meant they—whoever they were—were still a long ways away from camp.

"Looks like the lord's army has caught up to us," Bankotsu remarked. "Come on, we'll get out of here for now."

"Why run?" asked Suikotsu. "Why not fight?"

"It's not that I don't want to," Bankotsu replied carefully, "but I just have a bad feeling about this."

The other members glanced at each other, but said nothing as they began to gather their weapons. Renkotsu, meanwhile, mover to stand beside Buyo. "Are they coming from this direction, cat?"

Buyo turned narrowed eyes up to Renkotsu. So far Buyo didn't trust him very well, and he was suspicious of what he was about to do. But all the same, Buyo gave a small nod.

Renkotsu smirked a little, and said, "Get back, little kitty, or your fur will burn off." Without waiting to see if Buyo obeyed, he held the end of the large gourd he carried and took a long gulp. When he pulled the gourd away, Renkotsu released a breath of thick, curling crimson flames which instantly lit the trees, shrubbery, and undergrowth with flames that immediately began to burn. Buyo screeched in alarm and lurched back. The fire rose higher, and began to spread forward.

Renkotsu then turned to Bankotsu and said, "The lord's warriors shall be preoccupied for the time being. We may leave on your command, big brother."

"Good job, Renkotsu." Bankotsu rested Banryu along his shoulders. "Well, let's get going."

Buyo sat, perched cautiously on a high tree branch of a massive oak tree. He had his ears pricked, and was constantly tasting the air. Buyo's paws pricked with a sense of dread he couldn't identify and he found himself kneading the branch with worry. He felt shivers of anxiety course up his spine. Buyo strained for even the lightest rustle of undergrowth to indicate Jakotsu's and the others return, but heard nothing, and instead tasted the air. Instantly Buyo began to gag on the stench of blood, which was thick in the air. Buyo coughed, and hastily closed his jaws. Almost a second later a terrified shriek blasted his eardrums, and Buyo felt his fur spike out in alarm.

Several hours later, after the cool blue skies darkened into a creamy-amber color, Buyo heard the Band of Seven approach, and he tensed his muscles, readying himself to spring down to greet them. But he froze when he scent blood on them. Buyo shrank back at the smell and held his forepaws over his nose.

When they came into view, the members of the Band of Seven were chattering excitedly, except for Bankotsu, who seemed to be the only calm one among them. Immediately Buyo located the source of the blood-scent on several of the members.

Kyokotsu large, cracked fingernails where crusted with dry blood, as were his massive, sharp teeth. Jakotsu's blade had a few drops of blood near the edge of blades, and even that was a thin, jagged, slightly smeared band of red. Small metallic parts on Ginkotsu were spattered in drying blood, and he smelled of gunpowder. Suikotsu's large clawed gloves were smeared with blood, and the front of his armor wielded huge red stains. Mukotsu had used up some of his poisons, which he kept in a large old-fashioned backpack, and he now had to make more; the only part of him stained with blood were his shoes, almost as though he'd run through puddles of it. Renkotsu's gourd sounded remarkably empty, except for a few tiny splashes, and he only had a few dots of red on his shoes and sleeves. Bankotsu, meanwhile, appeared as though he'd never been touched by blood—even Banryu was clean and glossy, just as it had been when he'd left.

Jakotsu sheathed his sword after he entered the campsite and called, "Koooo-ruuuu!" he called. "Where are you kitty?"

Buyo quickly licked his shoulder and chest, flattening his bristling fur, and hen leapt down from his perch and landed lightly at Jakotsu's feet. "Mrow?" he mewed.

"Hey, Koru," Jakotsu greeted. "How are you? Did you miss us?"

Buyo then remembered his sense of dread, and began kneading the ground. He meowed hurriedly, and dashed away in the direction that led deeper into the woods, shot back, and then dashed away again, all the while yowling loudly.

"What's up with that cat?" growled Suikotsu, irritated.

"Maybe he's nervous," Renkotsu suggested.

"Or maybe he senses something…?" Mukotsu mused.

"Is that it?" Jakotsu questioned. "Do you sense something coming?"

Buyo nodded vigorously, and darted away in the direction opposite that they'd come from, and looked expectantly at them.

"Well?" Renkotsu turned to Bankotsu. "What shall we do big brother?"

"That cat was right before," Bankotsu mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. "He informed us of the approaching army and allowed us to get away." He looked at Buyo. "I'm gonna trust you, cat, but you'd better be right." Then, to the others, he said, "Let's go, quickly before anything happens."

"I daresay it's too late for that."

Buyo bristled and hissed as a dark figure appeared from a shadowed space between a cluster of trees.

"So, you must be the general of the lord's army, eh?" Bankotsu pointed Banryu's tip at his chest. "Not all that impressive."

"Impressive, maybe not, but my arm is the biggest and strongest in the land. And it's even stronger now that we've combined forces with our neighboring lands to seek you out and destroy you. Prepare to say good-bye to the light of day." There must have been a hidden signal within his words, for as soon as the general finished speaking, a flurry of arrows sailed over the treetops and struck the forest, hitting trees and spiking the ground. There was a loud rustle of underbrush as the army came closer, cutting off all escape.

"Damn," Bankotsu cursed. "Surrounded. We have no choice but to fight."

Jakotsu unsheathed his sword, and as he was about to flick it towards the enemies, he remembered Buyo and whirled. Buyo was slowly backing up, coming closer towards the Band of Seven as the army pressed closer. "Koru!" Jakotsu shouted, and Buyo perked up and angled his ears toward him. "Koru!" Jakotsu repeated and this time Buyo shot towards him in a creamy blur. "Koru, get out of here," Jakotsu ordered. "Go hide and save yourself. If we survive, come look for us. I know you'll track us by scent, but if we don't"—Jakotsu trembled a little. "If we don't, I'll miss you."

Buyo's shoulders sagged, and his whiskers drooped sadly. I'll miss you too.

Another flurry of arrows sailed overhead, and Jakotsu swung his sword, deflecting all the arrows that came at him and Buyo. "Go on, Kitty. I hope to see you again."

Buyo stood frozen for a moment, and it was only when a streak of silver flashed in front of his paws did he regain feeling in his legs. As he wheeled around and fled towards the nearest tree, he saw Jakotsu glance his way and give a small sigh of relief. Just like when we met, Buyo though as he clawed his way up the tree. An arrow lodged itself in the wood, taking off a few hairs from his tail, but otherwise missing. With a terrified yowl, Buyo lunged at the nearest tree branch and clung tightly to it, sealing his eyes and ears to the battle unfolding below.

Hours later, it was over.

Buyo was unsure of how long he'd crouch in the tree, terrified and shivering, blocking out the sounds and sights of battle. But the scent of blood still filled him nose and mouth—that was something he could never be rid of. Finally, after the surviving warriors and the general had left, Buyo slowly stood up from his position and shakily inched down the tree trunk.

Buyo examined what had once been the campsite, which was now littered with corpses and flooded with blood. Arrows studded the ground, undergrowth, and surrounding trees; shattered swords and broken weapons littered the ground beside their fallen owners; small, dying fires flickered uneasily in dry spots of the clearing. Renkotsu's doing, most likely, thought Buyo.

Buyo carefully padded out into the clearing and sniffed each bloody corpse and nosed every shattered weapon.

Near a small flicker flame Buyo found Renkotsu's gourd, crack in several areas with a shard missing near the mouth. Large pieces of Ginkotsu's metallic areas lay in shattered heaps around the battlefield, and his robotic claw-arm lay in a crumpled heap near the edge of the clearing. On the opposite side Buyo saw Mukotsu's backpack filled with crack and broken poison-filled jars. Trees ripped from the ground and large footprints in the ground—creating deep pools of blood—were a sure sign of Kyokotsu. Buyo found one of Suikotsu's gloves half-buried beneath a pile of pieces of broken armor, weapons, and torn clothing, soaked in clotting blood. But when he looked around, he saw neither Bankotsu's massive halberd, nor Jakotsu's sword.

Buyo sniffed the air lightly, searching through the stench of blood and corpses, and followed a certain trail to the spot where he'd last seen Jakotsu standing. He found a torn piece of Jakotsu's kimono, and after a bit of digging and prodding, Jakotsu's snake sword, with parts of it folded and others unfolded, cracked in multiple places and crusted in blood.

Buyo felt his ears droop, and he sighed softly as he picked up the scrap of cloth in his jaws. As he turned away, he felt something round beneath his forepaws and pulled it away. He hesitated, and then dug around a bit. He only scraped the surface when he found a faint glimmer beneath the dirt. He fished it out and found himself staring at Jakotsu's butterfly hairclip. Silence stretched on for eternity, and at last Buyo place the cloth on the ground beside the clip, smoothened it out, and gently pushed the clip onto the cloth.

Buyo gathered up the clip and cloth in his jaws and then padded off, pausing only twice.

Once, to offer a prayer for Jakotsu and the other members of the Band of Seven, wherever they might be, and once at the spot where he'd first met them. He only knew it was there when he felt an odd tingle in his paws. He stood at the bushes where he'd hidden, and turned to the nearest tree. There, with the small bundle still in his mouth, he reared onto his hind legs and left two sets of markings in the tree bark, crossing several of them, and leaving one—the smallest scratch—unmarked.

Then he continued back the way he'd come with a farewell flick of his tail.