I do not own Saiyuki or any of it's charaters. I own my own, my friend Kyo chan owns Satomi, and I own Kaemon and Akari XD. Thanks! Also, the second part will be told in Satomi's view.

"Thank you so much Akari-san," Fuyushi-san said with a low bow, her graying black hair tied back in a low ponytail with a peaice of fraying twine. "Thank you so much for helping me with the firewood."

I grinned, winking at the smaller woman. "No thank you for those delicious egg rolls mam," I purred, my glasses sliding down my nose. I couldn't push them back up; not without dropping the armload of firewood I'd chopped for her, so I just had to settle with looking at her blurry, slightly roundish form. "I haven't eaten that good in quite a while."

I heard a murmur of happiness as I turned around, my sandaled feet finding purchase on the thick grass as I walked towards the shed. Fuyushi-san followed me, plodding along with the small bucket of water she'd drawn from the well. It was the only thing I'd allow her to do. I can be a bitch sometimes, sure, but no way in hell would I allow an old woman to carry something that would break her back. Though my own back was starting to moan in pain from all the work I was doing for her; cooking, repairing her thatched roof, chopping firewood for the up -coming winter, and making sure I didn't eat her out of house and home.

I deposited the stack of logs outside the shed door, pushing up my glasses with a finger. Fuyushi-san bent over, her knees shaking slightly from the weight as she placed the bucket beside the pile. She looked up at me with tired, happy dark brown eyes. "You're such a godsend Akari-san," she whispered, bowing once more. "Can't you stay a little longer?"

I'd love too. I really would. Fuyushi-san has an almost grandmotherly way about her; she's kind and radiates an aura of warmth…something I haven't felt in a long time. I sighed. "I would love to Fuyush-"

"-Please Akari-san! Chika! Call me Chika-san!"

I smiled. "Fine. Chika-san. But I'm on a mission right now. I'm looking for my brother. He's about yea tall," I chirped throwing my hand as high as I could over my head, "and likes to immatade western lifestyles. He's got dark brown eyes, black hair that's usually greased back. If it's not greased back it looks like a duck butt.

"He likes the finer things in life, including women. He also has a slight western accent and a ton of angry yazkua after him. I'm trying to find him before he gets himself killed. Have you seen him?"

Fuyushi-san blinked owlishly for a few moments before smiling, the creases at the corners of her eyes increasing. "I have no idea what you're talking about Akari-san." I almost fell over. "But," Fuyushi-san continued softly, "I do know you are one of the kindest people I have ever met Akari-san. I don't have a lot….my sons are dead…but I-"

Quickly I shook my head. "No, no, I don't want anything," I replied, waving my hands calmly.

-"a few yen."

"Ok it's a deal." I'm always in need of money and stealing can only get me so far. Or well…that's what I'd like to tell myself. Really I'm just very greedy when it comes to the ever holy moolah. She nodded, plodding herself towards her hut. I followed behind at a respectful pace; no need to hover over her shoulder at every breath. Inside it was almost as bare as it was outside. Only a couple of faded pictures of young kids, her sons, smiling at us, a cooking pot next to our bed rolls and my patched sack. She wobbled a little as she bent over, plucking from the dirt a small beige bag. From inside I could hear the ever happy song of a few yen clinking together.

I plucked the bag out of her hand and dug out one yen, leaving her the rest. I bowed low, holding out her pack with the remaining yen nestled inside. "Aren't you going to take more?" Fuyushi-san protested.

"No mam…one yen is enough," I replied back, my head still lowered respectively as I felt the weight of the bag disappear. I straightened up; giving her one of the biggest smiles I could muster. She didn't reply anything back to me, merely smile and nod while I got to packing. Which is good in a sense. It's always harder to say good bye when the person you leave is so sweet.

I left when she took her daily nap, only looking back once, when her hut was a mere dot on the horizon. Ever since that day three years ago, I've been on the move. Call me foolish, call me stubborn, and call me anything one will, but I will never give up looking for my brother. In the three years I'd spent searching for him in the northeastern corner of Shangri-la the most important thing that had happened (other than the discarded dead ends of my brother's whereabouts) was the youkai going berserk. That was fun to deal with. Especially when even now, I still can't hit the broadside of a damn cliff without the strong possibility of taking out my own foot.

I began to whistle, my held high as I walked onward, into the unknown.

I had been trying to get some well deserved sleep when I saw her: a human girl with a bounce in her step, whistling happily with a throw down sack over her shoulder. She was a foregoer obviously; her skin had a dark tone to it, and thanks to my enhanced vision I could see just how callus her hands and how frayed her sandals were. This girl had done a lot of traveling. Like me. And she barely looked old enough to be alone in the woods.

Normally I would have left her alone. I leave all humans alone now, especially since the Minus Wave three years ago occurred. It's best to let the humans drown in their own filth of sex, lies, murder. But that whistling! My God it was cheery! I resisted the urge to leap out of my tree and whack the girl across the throat, instead opting for the silent reaction of digging my long fingernails into the bark of the tree.

She stopped, swinging her pack over and rapidly digging in it, the tune never faltering. Finding a black tie, she pulled back her light brown hair into a ponytail, pushed up her glasses, threw her bag over her shoulder again, and continued on her merry way. "I should camp here," she crowed, looking around.

"God no! Just leave already!" I yelled, almost falling out of safe tree. Stupid! I try to avoid her and I yell? She blinked owlishly but made no move.

"Ello?"

Well…I might as well go to her. Maybe my appearance will frighten her off and I can sleep in peace. I leapt to the ground, landing with silent grace that would make a tiger proud before I sashayed over to her. She had pretty eyes behind those slightly crooked glasses-a dark shade of hazel- that widened as she saw me. "You….you're a youkai," she said, cocking her head to one side.

"Yes."

"A girl youkai."

What is this, Twenty Questions? "….Yes…"

Her face lit up. "And you're not insane! Finally I can have some girl conversation and not worry about having my throat ripped out! Come, come! Let's camp together!"

I almost fell over from the audacity of this girl. This girl ….she's insane… "Are you not going to run from me?"

"Why? Oh! I'm Akari by the way!"

"Satomi…" I should have whacked her in the throat.