I woke slowly late in the night, when the fire was reduced to glowing embers in the velvet darkness around us. I felt Kyo slipping into my cocoon of warmth under the blanket while Akira took up his seat by the fire. The pallet was a little ways away from the embers so we were cast in shadows except for what the light of the moon illuminated of us from under the trees. I murmured sleepily to him as he spooned himself against my back, hands wrapping around my body to hold me close to him as he rested. His breath was warm against my neck as he tucked my head beside his and smoothed my hair away from my shoulder. I shivered when he kissed me right below my jaw, but he always did something like that before he settled in to sleep. It was like he had to breathe in my scent or feel my skin before he could rest peacefully. I closed my eyes again and let my body completely relax into his, warm and protected by his hard body. Sleep began to fog up my mind when his hand slid into the top of my kimono I was sleeping in since I hadn't changed before going to sleep. My eyes snapped open when Kyo boldly palmed my breast and pinched the tender nipple between his fingers. I turned my head as far as I could and opened my mouth to yell at him but he shoved his other hand against my lips, two of his fingers accidentally sliding inside, although that didn't stop him from taking advantage of that.

"Shh, quite, dog-face. Akira's hearing is really good. Wouldn't want him to hear ya. Hold still and keep quiet." He whispered hotly against my ear, his words little more than a puff of air. Still stopping my words with his hand on my mouth, he lightly grazed his teeth against the bared shoulder he'd kissed earlier. His lips barely grazed my skin before he bent down and started slowly lapping at me, moving inch by infinitesimal inch up the line of my shoulder to my neck, then to my jaw and ear. By the time he reached my jaw I was shivering and the breast he had yet to touch was aching for his attention. Tears of frustration built in my eyes, but also tears of wanting. My body was getting hot, and with Kyo laying behind me like this, both of us on our sides facing the fire, I couldn't touch him. My hands were pinned against my chest. It seemed like my breasts were extra sensitive and the each time Kyo's tongue touched me, jolts of sensation went zinging straight to them and between my thighs. I clenched my legs together and bit down on his fingers, making him pull his hand away from my mouth. Drawing in a quiet gasping breath, I pushed back with my bottom and felt his desire poking me. I smiled and tilted my head to the side, taking my ear out of the reach of his lips unless he shifted.

"If I let you do this, we are going to help Yukimura." I whispered back. Kyo's hand froze. If I was going to persuade him this way, then I was going to do it all the way. Under the cover of the blanket, I wiggled one arm free and reached around my body, sliding my palm into Kyo's kimono. His skin was burning hot to the touch and jumped when my nails grazed it. I stroked my hand from his chest to right below his navel until his body was tense. Then I pulled my hand out of his clothes and slowly started to pull my kimono up above my thighs. His bare legs rubbed against mine and he blew out a frustrated breath, squeezing my breast hard.

"Fine, ugly. Deal." He said, pulling my head back and biting me hard on the jaw. I smiled and let my eyes drift closed. Kyo's hands both reached down my body. With one hand he dove between my thighs and spread open my entrance, which allowed him to use his other hand to explore down below freely. I shoved the edge of the blanket into my mouth to keep from crying out as he slid two fingers deep into my ready body, pumping them in and out. For some reason I was more excited the normal. Maybe it was the thought of Akira finding out what we were doing in the shadows behind him. Whatever the reason, I clapped my hands on Kyo's wrist to stop his movements. He stilled, then pulled both hands away. I let my hands fall to the side as he shifted my top leg to the side so he could insert his between mine. His hips pushed against me, the proof of his hunger leading the way. I grabbed a fistful of the blanket and shuddered. Kyo opened my body again and slowly guided his hard tip in.

Shifting in slow increments, he invaded me fully. I clenched tight around his hot length, breathing deeply through my nose to keep from panting or letting out mewling cries of pleasure. Finally all the way inside me, Kyo slid both his hands up my body and grabbed my breasts again, starting a slow, sensual massage of the flesh that made me tense up. Silently, every second a minute and excruciating as an hour, he made love to me. His hips thrust slowly, with purpose and skill, hitting me in every spot that normally had me screaming his name to the skies. He breathed quickly and heavily against my neck, his body burning hot against and in mine. Kyo pinched both my nipples hard at the same time and I shattered in his arms. Clenching tightly around his member inside me, I came hard, but without a single sound, which made me get even hotter as I reached release. In the midst of that, I felt more than heard Kyo grunt and his heat filled me up completely. We remained locked together for several long minutes, and I finally took the blanket out of my mouth.

"Kyo.." I whispered his name because I couldn't not say it. He shifted his body, his member still inside me, so that we lay comfortably within each other's embrace. His hair spilled over my face as I finally opened my eyes and craned my neck around to look at him. His face was slightly flushed and that smirk of his flirted over his lips. He conked me on the forehead with his own, using a hand to turn my face back around to the fire.

"Sleep, woman." He ordered louder, closing his own eyes. I giggled and giving my inner muscles one last squeeze to torment him, allowed my own eyes to drift shut and restful sleep to wash over me. When I woke up the next morning, Kyo had already gotten up and was packing together our things. I felt sickly and tired, and between my legs was a sticky mess I knew I was going to have to wash up. Moaning a little, I sat up and rubbed my face. Why was I feeling so horrid whenever I woke up? It hadn't started until Kyo came back… lack of sleep? I growled under my breath, knowing that was probably it since Kyo was keeping me awake so much. Akira heard me and smiled in my direction.

"Morning, Yuya-san. I was going to wake you but Kyo wouldn't let me. There're meat buns for breakfast. After you wash up a little we will be on our way to Tokyo." He said, slinging a pack over his shoulder. I noticed Sui's sword on his back as well. A quick glance at Kyo proved that his pack was actually mine. They weren't going to let me carry anything. Jerks. Glowering, I staggered upright and hurried to the river side. Rolling up the hem of the kimono, I waded out into the cool water and quickly cleaned myself up. I sighed and stood tall, stretching out my back. Thinking on it, maybe all my nausea and sickly feeling was completely natural. After all, women have that unfortunate condition once a month…Kyo hated it, and would often make love to me despite my protests during those times. He really dislikes being denied, more then I disliked cleaning dirty sheets. I find it strange, though, since most men find women unclean during those times. My cycles are usually very light, something that has been slightly irregular since I started after my brother's death. But every couple of years I would get hit with a really heavy cycle that would literally have me off my feet and crying for days. I would like to be prepared in case that is that reason I was feeling ill, but my supplies were in the pack and Kyo had it. Grumpy again, I got out of the river and straightened my clothes, walking to where the men awaited me. I glared at Kyo as I walked up to him and tugged on the strap of my pack.

"Gimme that." I ordered. He smirked and just started walking. I growled and stomped after him, trying to pull the pack from his shoulders as Akira cheerfully followed along behind us. As I walked, grumbling the whole time, I watched Kyo. He was just so…beautiful to me. I know many people thought it strange that I found a murderer like him beautiful, but I did. Kyo had a pure soul, despite his decidedly cruel nature. He never allowed others to manipulate him and did what he could to protect those he cared about. Watching his tall, broad back from behind, I smiled. I love this man so much it hurts me. As though he could feel my stare, Kyo turned around and caught me with an admittedly sappy look on my face.

"Bitch, stop staring at me like that and get your ass moving." He snapped. I laughed and skipped up to his side.

"But Kyo, I thought you liked my ass?" I teased, skipping around to walk in front of him. Kyo slapped me across the rear with his Tenrou. I yelped and jumped forward, turning bright red.

"Such a loud woman." Kyo sneered as he walked up to my side. "But I can make you even louder." I flushed bright red and huffed, turning my back on him to stomp ahead of the men. No matter that he was right, there are some things a girl just can't stand. For the rest of the morning, I didn't speak to either one of the guys. But as I walked, I felt trembles in my muscles and nausea was constantly licking at my throat. Not wanting to let the guys know I was feeling ill again, I pushed myself harder. Finally, we reached the outskirts of Tokyo. I stopped and stared at the bustling city in the distance. So many people, all living in one place, was slightly daunting. As much as I love being around people, I need solitude as well. Kyo and Akira stopped next to me, both men surveying the distant crowds.

"Sake, noisy women… where is that brat Sasuke meeting us at?" Kyo asked Akira, putting a hand on the back of my neck. I slide away from him, not wanting to give him the chance to feel how hot my body had become. There was a fine film of sweat on my skin as well, and my eyes were slightly blurry. What was wrong with me? My lover gave me a strange look as I slide away from him but didn't pursue me, for a young man jumped down from the tree before us and stood glowering in our general direction until his eyes landed on me.

"Nee-san!" He called, walking up. I forced a smile and opened my arms, embracing the young white haired boy. Well he wasn't a boy any longer. He was turning into a handsome young man. In the years since the battle that had almost taken Kyo from me, Sasuke had grown as tall as me and leaner, losing the childish baby fat and developing the slim musculature of a ninja in truth. The white hair he had grown a little long as a boy was cut in a close shag around his face, making him look even more mature has it framed his eyes. His golden eyes, more catlike than a human, beguiled those who looked at him and gave his angular face a more mysterious quality. And, I thought with a smile, those golden eyes of him had beguiled the heart of his master, although only the boy himself seemed unaware of that fact. Now that the boy was quickly approaching his seventeenth birthday, and his body was gaining lean muscles and maturity, there had been some talk of a difference in the way his master watched him. Some of our traveling companions had a bet going on as to how long it would be before Sasuke was "taken" by his master. I found that thought a little disturbing and didn't actually think it was going to happen, but trying to convince Bontenmaru and Hotaru of anything other than what they thought was impossible. I stepped back with my hands on his shoulders. He was going to be a highly attractive man once he grew into his gangly body a little more.

"Sasuke, it's so good to see you again. How are Saizo and the others?" I asked, letting him go. He gifted me with a rare smile, one that lit up his gold eyes and made his face take on the boyish quality it never had a chance to hold in his youth.

"The Sanada Ten are all fine. Yukimura is…Yukimura. He's waiting at an Inn, along with everyone else. I'll take you there." He said, turning and walking off after only briefly nodding to the other two. I shook my head at him. He is forever going to be a difficult boy to handle but I guarantee that Yukimura is probably the only one who can do so. Sasuke led us into the hustle and bustle of the town, but we were never hemmed in by the crowd. It probably had something to do with both Sasuke and Kyo's dangerous auras that kept people away. Akira controlled his fighting spirit completely so he could blend in and go unnoticed. We were led to one of the more luxurious parts of town and I lifted an eyebrow.

"Red Tiger is paying for the rooms for all of us. He wants to use his family home but his father is also in town so he can't." Sasuke said as he knocked on the door, rolling his eyes. "If Yukimura could keep his head out of a sake bottle we might have been able to use this chance to take care of Tokugawa." He mumbled as the door cracked opened. I recognized Saizo's face and smiled at him. He nodded his head back and opened the door to let us in. Sounds of drinking, talking, and yelling rolled out at us. I smiled as I recognized some of the voices and what they were saying.

"Haha, you can't win because I'm the best!" That had to be Bontenmaru. He's always going to be convinced that he is the strongest man in the world.

"I hate water…" That has to be…

"What did you say, Hotaru?" Yup, it was Hotaru. And Shinrei is here too. I wish those brothers would just get along already.

"When is Lord Kyo going to get here? I miss him so much…" Ugh… I know she's helped us a lot, but Lady Okuni still bothered me. Her obsession with Kyo has to go…

"Lord Kyo? Shut your mouth, you fat whore. Kyo is mine." Ah, Akari! Get her, Akari…wait, no, you have a Kyo obsession too!

"Now now, let's all just try to get along, ok? Here, have some more sake." I laughed at that. Yukimura would never change.

"Um…Yukimura, maybe you should stop drinking now…" That voice belonged to Red Tiger. I was a little shocked he wasn't drunk yet. He tried to keep up with Yukimura and always failed.

Frowning, Sasuke shoved the door of the common room open and stalked in. There, gathered in a circle about the room, were our companions from the old days. They all looked up and stopped what they were doing as we came in. The reactions upon seeing us were all varied and humorous. When Yukimura Sanada saw us he smiled, but then yelped when his young ninja Saskue took his sake bottle and hit him on the head with it. I laughed a little but when I saw Yukimura's almost violet eyes as he let the ninja scold him, my heart warmed a little. He really did love the boy. Kyo started yelling at Bontenmaru, saying he was the leader and the best. Okuni, upon seeing Kyo, tried to cling onto him, but Akari threw herself in the way and the two started bickering. Akira shrank back upon seeing Akari, and bumped into Hotaru and Shinre, who were about five seconds away from starting a fight inside the inn. Those two half brothers can never get along. I laughed and took a step back towards Kyo, but bumped into someone. Hearing the soft gasp, I turned and saw Sakuya with a tray full of tea behind me. Kyoshiro was right behind her, steadying her.

I smiled a welcome to them. I saw other friends of ours, members of the group who had fought to save the world all those years ago, lingering around the room. I waved to Yuan and his father, heading over to them to give them my hellos since it had been awhile for me to see them. Tokito scurried closer to Akira as I walked by. The young girl had stuck to the blind man like glue since he'd beaten her in battle; it was kinda a repeat of Kyo and Akira when he was growing up. I opened my mouth to greet her at the same time she saw me. Before anyone could say anything, Kyo had punched Bontenmaru hard enough to send him flying back into Okuni and knocking her down. Akari, seeing Kyo's back turned, sprung forward and tried to strike him in the face, the only way Kyo had ever agreed to think about marrying her. Even after knowing we were lovers, she still never gave up on getting her man. Kyo turned and caught the woman's staff before it got near to him.

"Still slow, Akari." He taunted, then lost his sneer. "You need to look at Yuya. She is sick." His words caused the whole room to fall silent as many worried eyes locked onto me. I sighed and shook my head.

"He's over reacting. I'm fine." I protested. Kyo turned on me fast and his red eyes were hotly angry. I took a step back, then sighed. "Fine! Akari can check me over. But it's nothing serious." I snapped. Yukimura stood up and walked over to me. I glanced up at him. For being a man in his forties, he was certainly eternally youthful in appearance. He was almost as tall as Kyo, with a strong body frame he usually kept hidden under the robes he wore due his station. His face was still young and handsome, those distinctly blue violet eyes of his still sharp. His black hair had not one strand of grey in it and his features were unlined as twenty year olds. The only time I recalled his age was when I thought of his powerful, ruthless personality gained through a hard life. Kyo watched him closely as he patted me on the shoulder.

"We will all talk after Akari has looked at you." He said kindly. I sighed and started to follow Akari out of the room. Sakuya stood up and followed, making everyone look puzzled. The dark haired seer flushed.

"Well… Though she has the heart of a women, Akari is technically still a man so I feel that we should have a woman go with Yuya." She said, making me flush and everyone else laugh. Akari held up a hand and glowered at everyone. They shut up and she smiled, leading us out of the room. No one messed with Akari. Even though the Medusa's Eye was no longer in her body, she could still really hurt someone and the threat of having your secrets exposed usually kept the rabble calm. "Lay down on the bed, Yuya-chan." Akari ordered as the door closed behind us.

"Now, what's been your problem?" She asked as Sakuya took a seat by my side. I rolled my eyes. "It's probably just a girl thing. My cycles are normally very light but every couple of years I get bad ones that cause me to be dizzy and nauseous. This is the first time it's happened since I met Kyo so he's probably overreacting." I explained. Akari chuckled a little, then brushed her blond hair out of the way so that she could lean over and check me up. Despite the truth of the matter of Akari being a man, I never thought of her that way. She acted like a woman and was more beautiful than most ladies I knew, myself included. So I treated her like a woman all the time, which made Akari treat me with a kindness not shown the others. We were close friends, despite our conflicts over Kyo. First she held my wrist to check my heart rate, then checked my breathing. After looking at my eyes and the insides of my mouth and ear, she sighed.

"Yuya, there's nothing externally wrong with you, and you say you've not started bleeding yet. Let me check on your internal organs and such just to make sure so Kyo doesn't pitch a fit." She said, lifting her hands over my chest as they started to glow. As a shaman Akari's powers were unmatched in healing. She hummed a little as she worked. Then suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she stared at me, eyes wide. Swallowing hard, she made the glow a little more intense, then jumped back and ran to the door. Flinging it open, she stormed out and shouted loud enough for me and probably any other guest in the inn to hear.

"KYO YOU PERVERT!" I sat up and ran out after her, Sakuya by my side. Akari was panting and red faced in front of Kyo, trembling. Kyo, a bowl of sake in his hand, was staring at her confused. "How dare…how absolutely cruel of you to make me, the woman who loves you and Yuya so much, be the one to find out you've …! Don't you know what it will do to her?" She yelped it at the top of her lungs. It was so quiet you could have dropped a hair pin and scared us all. Kyo set down his sake, and cutting a quick glance at me, faced Akari fully.

"Run that by me again. Without calling me names this time, and explaining what the hell I did." Akari wiped at her eyes theatrically and pointed to me.

"Miss Yuya is not sick, per se. She is pregnant. With Demon Eyes Kyo's child. From my estimation, she is about three months along. She is not showing because the child is very small, most likely because you're a Mibu and she is human. As the baby grows her ability to provide it with the nutrients it needs wanes. So in short, Yuya is pregnant with your child and will probably end up dying because of it. YOU JERK!" I felt my head grow lighter and my lungs grow smaller. Akari turned back to me and saw how pale my face was.

"Oh, I'm…I didn't mean…Yuya-chan!" I swayed where I stood but before Akari could jump forward and catch me, I was safe in Kyo's arms. Akari's words had shaken me, and my hands trembled a little. I had been told I was going to die before, and actually had almost passed away at one point, but none of that had frightened me as much as this did now. Though something I wanted, the way Akari was speaking scared me, as did the lack of reaction showing on the face of the man I loved. Knowing how out of control he could get in matters concerning me, I tried to hide my shaking hands, but Kyo saw them. The room was deathly silent as he sat me on the bench and then faced Akari.

"I believe you said my woman was dying." He whispered, red eyes almost glowing. I swallowed hard, feeling choked by the pressure of his anger. Akari sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was a small star mark partially hidden under her bangs, a mark that was the gift of a man named Hishigi to her. He had transferred all his knowledge into her mind seconds before dying, as well as his regrets. Akari had to carry his burden and sometimes she couldn't understand what his memories were telling her. Maybe this was one of those times?

"Yes I did. I don't know if I can clearly explain this but I'll try. First of all, Yuya is with child; it's about three months along. She probably didn't know because her body has continued to have small cycles and she hasn't gained any weight at all. Her body is a human body, but Kyo is a Mibu – a demon for all intents and purposes. His child is Mibu too. When the Mibu began to die out ages ago, of course they tried to mate with humans to preserve their bloodlines. However…any women the men mated with died because the children were Mibu and sucked the life from them; The men who they tried to have mate their women with were unable to get their women with child. The mothers all miscarried. This is because the two bloodlines do not mix. It leads to death to try. That is why the Mibu created the False Mibu. They used their blood and the bodies of the people of the Forbidden Forest. Only inhuman bloodline mixing together with the Mibu science could create a creature that could carry a tiny piece of Mibu blood, but of course they were not true Mibu, and also eventually ended up dying of the "death Curse" as it was called. So Yuya is slowly being…kinda killed by Kyo's child." Akari finished.

Kyo lunged forward and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pulling her up so his nose was almost pressed right against hers as his other hand wrapped around her throat. I reached out and tugged on the edge of his kimono but he didn't even glance my way as he choked his one time friend. "Akari, why the hell didn't you say something about this sooner?" He growled, his voice making the hairs on my arms stand up.

I stood up and wrapped my arms around Kyo from behind. He let go of Akari, who choked a little, and pulled me around into his embrace. The others gathered behind us, looking angry until Sakuya spoke up.

"She didn't say because she didn't know. This is Hishigi's knowledge she is using. His information only comes to her when she stubbles upon something that triggers the information to be given to her." She said softly, walking up to Kyo. I clung to his kimono, slightly scared of what he might do if I let go. His anger pulsed in the air around us. "Don't fear so much Yuya; I'm sure that there is something we can do to help."

Yukimura walked up to us and smiled slightly. "Yes, there is actually. Akari-chan said that the baby will destroy Yuya because she can't provide the magical vitality it needs. If she stays near Kyo, the process should be slowed down since he is an energy source similar to the child's. One of the weapons that went missing from the Mibu lands is, if I remember correct, a healing sword. It was supposed to have the power to even defeat death, and was said to have been made from the bones of a powerful ancestor of the Mibu, some sort of demon. I think he was a dog." At Yukimura's words, Kyo growled and looked at his sword. I giggled a little. A few weeks after he'd come back to me, Kyo had told me the story of how he'd been sent, by the demon that lived in his sword, to a safe place to recover from his injuries. Tenro, the demon of his sword, was actually the first King of the Mibu and Kyo's demonic ancestor. This weapon Yukimura spoke of had to have been made using his remains. Tenro and Kyo argued all the time and didn't really like one another personally, but Tenro respected Kyo and allowed him to be used. Ignoring Kyo's interruption, Yuikimura continued. "If we find this super sword we can probably use it to correct for the lack of magical power that Miss Yuya has and save her. But I fear that this magical sword is the last weapon and the one we know the least about, so we might need to find the other seven first. Or six, since Kyo and Yuya brought one with them. And when all is said and done, these are the ultimate Mibu weapons so allowing anyone but a true Mibu to handle them might be dangerous. So Kyo, we're going to need your full cooperation." The feisty general smiled sweetly at us.

"If dog-face hadn't been in this predicament, Sanada, what would have done to make me go along with this joke?" Kyo grunted, turning to the others and shaking his head. "Never mind. I'll kick those bastards asses and get the damn swords back." Yukimura sighed and grabbed Kyo's shoulder. "Get your hands off me." Kyo growled. Still smiling, the man stepped back and took a swig from his sake bottle, nonplussed by my violent lover's anger. Then he spoke.

"I think it best for right now if you and Yuya stay here and rest. She was fine, right, until you started traveling. It must be the extra toll on her body causing it. So don't make her work harder until Akari can get her stabilized. It might work better for us all to break into groups and go searching on our own. I say groups of two to three. Mahiro and Red Tiger can stay with you guys as extra protection of a sorts, since she cannot travel either. Anyone who finds a sword like the one that Kyo and Yuya found, bring it back and have Akari check it out for authenticity, and if it is a Mibu weapon, leave it with Kyo for safety and send out notice to the rest of us so we know which weapons are left. The Sanada messenger hawks are all released, so my Ten will be the information system." He said, smiling as he spoke. The man thinks he can get anywhere with just a smile. And the sad thing is….he really can. Kyo started to open his mouth, to complain I know, so I sighed heavily and rested my head on his shoulder, fingers digging into his kimono. He stared at me for a moment, then looked over at Yukimura.

"Fine, do it your way. But my servant's better do a damn fine job or I'll object." So saying, Kyo picked me up and carried me up the stairs like a bride. I couldn't say I was happy to be left out of the fight this time, but I was glad that I was going to get to spend some time with Kyo where we weren't constantly in battles. Smiling, I rested my head on his shoulder as he walked up to our room.

"Once again, you smile while facing death. Do you really believe in me so much?" He asked suddenly, sounding not like him at all. I laughed and pinched his shoulder.

"Of course, but this time I'm believing in our friends. And in the mean time, we get to be together. That doesn't happen much. And now that we know, we need to get some baby stuff for the house, so let's go shopping together. Just the two of us; it'll be fun." I said. He shook his head as he shouldered open the door.

"Idiotic ugly dog-face. That does not sound like what I would call fun." He muttered, laying me on the bed and putting the pack down so he could sit on the edge watching me. "But you are my woman so I'm not going to leave you alone for some worthless servant to guard." He said, pulling his pipe out and lighting it.

As the smell of tobacco swirled around me, I sighed and curled onto my side, pressing my body against his. He dropped one hand and slowly drew his fingers through my hair as he smoked. I knew that as long as I was here everything was going to be perfectly alright. Kyo wouldn't let anything happen to me…and while we waited we could deepen our relationship. I felt in my heart that this was going to be alright.

- After this it will be switching over to my OTHER favorite couple from the series, Yukimura and Sasuke (yes, I ship them), so if you are disturbed by this relationship then I suggest skipping the next few chapters, once I post them. Which I will do if people seem interested. The story will return to Kyo and Yuya, but I have a plot reason for what I'm doing. Thanks for reading this much! Please continue to enjoy. (Also, I seem to be having formatting issues which don't show up until after I post something, so if something is screwy, lemme know and I'll try to fix it.)