Kat#1: Sorry for the unbelievably long wait! I know that my profile said it'd be up in December, but my internet is the worst it could be. Plus during Christmas break I didn't even have a computer. Not to mention I lost the parts of the story I had written down to later type up. Gods I feel bad. I hope this chapter can at least start to make it up to you all who actually like the story.

I own no one.

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The night went wonderfully and we came home later than expected but I felt so good I couldn't help but think of the celebration that was held after Naraku's defeat. I was humming the music we made and I felt so good I had to fight myself from dancing like I did during the party. Because it was almost 11:00pm, Daddy had sent me to bed immediately. I couldn't sleep though. The presence I felt earlier today had lingered around the house and I recognized it as soon as I got into the house. With the house finally quiet, I could concentrate enough to pinpoint the location of the aura's owner. It was definitely inside the house somewhere. I had a feeling that it was across my room and in Mino's room to be as exact as my feelings were. Finally I couldn't stand not knowing for certain and just had to check. I carefully crept out of my bed and to my delight, it didn't make any more sound than the rustling of shifting sheets. Tiptoeing across the carpet, I reached to open my door wider when I heard something. Soft talking.

"- get a response to you by tomorrow morning." Mino? What's he doing still awake?

"Move the deadline further you stupid fox. It's already morning." Who's with my brother? And at this hour?… Mino what are you doing?

"Very well. By the afternoon than."

I heard a soft thump. "I'll just bring Yusuke with me when I come back tomorrow." Someone sat on the carpet roughly. "So… who's the girl?" Me?

"She would be my younger sister, the first child of my stepfather. Her name is Kagome. She'll be attending my old school this year."

"Hn. She smells like a dog." WHAT!? "A dog, fox, and a cat." I heard Mino give a faint laugh.

"Well, she does have a cat. Its name is Buyo if I remember correctly. As for the fox and dog, I really cannot say."

"The fox didn't come from you, did it?"

"No. I haven't had the need for such a thing lately."

"You're an idiot." Well that came out of nowhere.

"Why do you say that?"

"Hn. I bet you haven't even sensed it yet, have you?" Sensed it?

"I have. A power is being mixed into the air around the neighborhood." He can sense my spiritual energy scanning the area? Well, I guess it was sort of amateurish. I had only just learned it from Miroku before I left.

"I was wondering if you were being affected by it. That maybe you got in a fight and lost." Fight? Mino wouldn't be the kind to fight… Then again neither would I.

"No I haven't. Though, when we came back from the train station this afternoon, I noticed a purifying force was checking out the area. It's since covered this part of the city." I had been trying to find the demons by getting them to respond with their own energy. Nothing happened so I had stopped during dinner. But, how could my brother feel such a thing?

"It isn't doing anything, not even really following anything, so why do you think it's here?"

"No idea. It does make it hard to think though, knowing it could destroy us in any second. Where do you suppose it came from?" It could destroy them? Since they can sense it, does that mean they're demons?

"I have a hunch: You sister." …crap.

"Kagome may have come from a shrine, but she's told me herself that no one in her family has had any spiritual power since before her grandfather's grandparents." I had told my new family about how grandpa believes he has powers but really doesn't.

"It could develop later." This other person, demon, whatever, was persistent. Who was he? Why was he so suspicious? I've only been here for a day. Had he been watching me when I thought no one was? I remember looking around myself when I felt a small surge of demon energy.

"But it hasn't yet, if it even will. It can't be Kagome." Wow that was close.

"Hn, I'll keep my suspicions, fox, you keep yours." Fox fox fox. Is Mino related to a fox or something?

"So long as I don't catch you spying on her." I heard a window open. "Let Yusuke know I hope his journey is safe and that Keiko misses him." Keiko? How does Mino know Keiko?

"That monkey does whatever he wants when he wants." Mino gave a small chuckle.

"Thank you. Goodnight." The window closed. I opened my door to look for the 'intruder of my new home when I realized it was gone. It must have been that really fast demon from earlier. I can't quite name what kind, though it does feel familiar. I left my door and let my closet light remain on. I sat in my bed and curled into my knees.

I feel very confused. This youkai is definitely a friend of Mino's. And Mino seems to allow himself to be called fox, and I'm pretty sure the nickname isn't a name to compliment his looks. Since he knows a demon, is my brother a demon? Is he a kitsune. I felt my heart flutter at the thought. I seem to attract many fox youkai. Granted, this would only be my third, but they're supposed to be elusive, picky and rare anyway. Does Daddy know? Or Hata? Shiori?

If anyone, Shiori might but I don't think she knows if her son is a youkai. He doesn't feel like one though. What kind of kitsune is he? Either be part, half, or full or even mentally, he is vulpine. But what kind? What sort of abilities does he have? During dinner everyone kept saying Mino likes to garden and that his plants grow quickly and are very beautiful. If I remember correctly, Shippo said that there are some kitsune who link their energies to foliage. He said they are rare Kitsunes who are scattered through all the kinds of Kitsunes there are. Is this a clue to Mino's abilities? I'll have to watch him closely. Thank you, Sango, for teaching me as much as you could about demon society.

What is Mino really like? Surely he has another type of life if he's a demon and his friends come to visit at night and sneak out the window. I hope he's not part of a gang of thieves or something. Well, actually, even if he was I don't think that matters. As long as he takes care of me. Actually, that thought makes me wonder about something. I just met Mino today. Why do I feel like I can trust him with my life? Even Hiei didn't give me such a relaxed feeling. Then again, Hiei just put me in a mothering mode since he was so adorable when I first met him.

My gaze drifted from my closet in front of my bed to the right where the door is. There was a white form through the small crack of the open door. I looked up in curiosity, thinking of Youko, and realized that it must be someone who was awake. Mino was the only one I could think of who was awake.

"Shuuichi?" I asked softly.

"What happened to Mino?" My brother opened my door and let himself in.

"Well, Hata isn't around so…yeah." Shuuichi took my hand and sat down next to me. He felt my forehead as well as his own. "…what?"

"Are you feeling ill? Why are you up at this hour?"

I could ask you the same thing." Mr. I'm-going-to-hold-a-secret-conference-during-midnight. Shuuichi gave me a look that said, 'as long as you don't I'll still respect you.' "I just couldn't sleep." I said as I looked at my hands.

"Are you uncomfortable?" Compared to the Feudal Era, this is heaven.

"I'm very comfortable."

"Then, what's on your mind?" Well…

"I guess it's just that I'm not going to see my friends for a long while." And when I do…they might be dead…

"You can call them anytime." I was shaking my head before I knew realized it.

"They don't have much technology." Wow, that sounds weird. I must be really tired.

"Really? Where do they live?" I leaned against my brother since he decided to pull both of his legs up onto my bed. He felt really warm.

"Well…" The Bone Eaters Well… I mean- "Uh, at my house they lived a bit away. Now that I'm here, it's impossible to see them now." Shuuichi looked sympathetic. He gave me a hug, giving me the opportunity to smell his scent. It smelt a little like Shippo. Like a lush and humid forest that humans dared not enter due to irrational fear. I felt really homesick now. I wanted to cry.

"I understand. I too have a friend who lives somewhere far away. It's like he's in another world. He also lives without a way of technical communication." It's not fair that he gets to sound smart this late in the night…

"How do you talk to him?" I asked as I curled into him. I glanced up to see his expression. He looked off to the side for a second. He was choosing his words carefully. He must be talking about that boy who Keiko misses who's traveling back home. The journey must be dangerous or something. I wonder if I could meet him.

"Well, I guess mail. It's a good enough way, but his girlfriend is taking it a bit harder than the rest of us. You see, my friend Yusuke proposed to her before leaving. Keiko said she'd wait but, she's starting to lose faith. This isn't the first time she's had to wait for him to come back, though this wait is considerably shorter than the last." He shrugged. The story sounds so much like the Keiko I knew. I just have to ask.

"Keiko? Keiko Yukimura?" He looked at me in shock.

"Yes. Do you know her?" I smiled. Finally, a familiar person.

"I met her for the first time in almost ten years at the train station. We were the best of friends as kids before she moved. She made a guy friend almost immediately when she settled and told me everything about him. She said he was a real demon all the time. I warned her not to think so bad about him or he'll propose when she gets older, but…" I smiled. It looked like he proposed anyway. Either it was destiny or she didn't take my advice.

"A demon?" Shuuichi questioned.

"We were kids when she started saying that about him. About eleven… She always said that he would get into fistfights, he never went to school, he argued with the teachers whenever he did go – he was my nightmare and I didn't even know him. A while back, three, maybe fourish years ago, she said he died. She was heartbroken. I told her to pray for a miracle and help his mother whenever she could. I didn't think it could help bring back the dead, but I knew it would help ease the loss for both her and his mom. A while later she called back and said he was going to live. I don't know the details, but I still think this Yusuke guy is perfect for her." Like they were meant to be…

"What of you Kagome? Do you have a boyfriend?" I know Shuuichi felt me tense. I could see myself flinch in the mirror even, so of course he felt me. I hid my face into his chest and mumbled my answer.

"I don't have a boyfriend." Destiny can be cruel as well as generous. Hojo moved a while ago, all the other boys at my old school think I'm too sick to have any fun with, Miroku's got Sango, Kouga's forever bound to Ayame from their demon bonding thing that they did… and Inuyasha doesn't want to have a relationship greater than friendship. He said so after we were done celebrating Naraku's defeat because he was scared that if he loved another person, they'd be in danger like what happened to Kikyo and what always almost happened to me… No. I'm not able to have a boyfriend. Shuuichi tightened his arms around me just a little bit to let me know he was still there.

"Maybe we can get you a little pet to baby then. That should help you feel better about this, right?" He suggested, lifting my face so I could see his smile.

"I don't need a pet to mother. I already have Shippo." Crap.

"Shippo?" Uh, let me think of how I can get out of this. I tried to convince myself that what I was about to say wasn't just part of the truth but the whole truth.

"He's my son. My only child." Mino's voice hardened immediately.

"Son?" My brother made me sit up so we could see pretty much eye to eye. I wanted to smile at his over-protective mood, but I didn't. "Do not tell me you already have a child." He looked ready to kill the father if I ever said a name. I wanted to giggle. However, I kept a straight face and continued calmly.

"I do. He's about eight now." I think he's eight… Hm, I'll have to ask. I've only been celebrating the anniversary that his father appointed me as his caregiver. I've never really learned Shippo's birthday. God, now I'm going to feel awful this school year.

"…You were nine when you had a child?" Shuuichi asked, looking scared. I guess he did the math quickly. Now I know who to go to if I have trouble in math! I grinned. My plan to trick my brother without actually lying worked!

"Of course not. I adopted Shippo. He's the cutest little fox you could ever meet and he says the craziest things." Dammit! I keep slipping!

"Did you teach it to speak?" …Sure, we'll go with that.

"He tries… But now he'll be so sad without me." I curled up against Shuuichi again and breathed deeply. "…You smell like a forest." I feel lightheaded.

"Is that good or bad?" I heard Shuuichi slur a bit. Good, we're both tired. Now I won't feel so bad if I just fall asleep on him and leave him feeling awkward. I sighed, feeling oddly content and relaxed. It felt like my journey back to Kaede's village. I would curl up with my soul bound brothers, a much different sleeping arrangement than with Inuyasha and everyone else.

"Dunno… It reminds me of Shippo…" and Kirara, and Kaede… and the whole Feudal Japan. Mino smells like clean nature… Not even the parks in this time that are saved as mini 'sanctuaries' smell as pure as Mino does… that sounds corny.

"Kirara? Kaede?" What? Am I talking out loud? Mino straitened me so that I could more comfortable lay on his chest and he relaxed onto my pillows. I very certain that he really didn't mean to, but I could tell that we were both very tired and I'll admit, this was a very relaxing position we were in. It's not that we're doing anything bad. Oh, wait, Mino asked a question.

"Friends..." I yawned. I'm pretty sure my eyes are closed and now they'll stay like that until I wake up. "They're the best I could ask for…" Mino said nothing. Was he already asleep? Was I already asleep? Oh, wait, no! I have to wake up! Daddy'll kill him if he doesn't go back to his own room!

xXx

HK: Yup, now that I fixed up this chapter a bit, a messy situation has arrived.! Bwhahahahaha! I feel so evil. Onwards, to the next chapter!