Chapter8: It's my mess to pay for

"Hey Kagome-chan, There are hot springs nearby here, about two miles a way." Sango said suggestingly. "Hot spirngs do sound nice." Kagome said thoughtfully. "Yes, a good hot soaking would calm us I am sure." Miroku said now recovered from the beating. "Hot springs... that sounds wounderful." Ria said smileing. "Just as long as Miroku doesn't spy again." Shippo pointed out. "May I point out that I did not peek last time." Miroku said in contempt. "Yes he was a good boy." Yusuke said grinning widely. He had been around them long enough to reliese what was happening. 'Alright then, lets go!' Kuwabara said joyfally trotting a way. Everyone sweat dropped. "Kuwabara, you stupid dunce! We still need to pack!" Yusuke yelled. Kuwabara tripped in surprise. "Oops...Forgot about that." He said. After actually packing up camp and stopping Kuwabara from going the wrong way they headed out in search of some relaxation.

"Hey, is that a fire cat?" Ria asked looking over to Kilala. "Yes, have you ever come in contact with one?" Songo asked. "Yes, a couple of times, they arn't very trusting, it took me a mounth just to get near one." Ria said as she stretched her pale hand out to the demonic cat. It shifted a way but smelled her hand after a while. "Yes Kilala and I have known each other for as long as I can remember." Sango said smileing. "Yes, I too have a companion, but I don't know where he went, we got seperated from each other during the confusion in the raid when I was caught." Ria said sadly. "Oh my." Kagome said. "Who was this guy! I thought Kurama was your boy friend!" Yusuke demanded. "You have a loud mouth Yusuke. My compainion is a small ice fox cub, it's not a demon or a spirit, it's just a normal fox except it's blue." Ria said with a giggle. Kurama smiled in releif and pulled her closer. InuYasha growled giving a 'don't you even think about touching her in the wrong place.' glare. "I can spell the hot springs!" Ria announce happily.

And sure enough behind some bushes lied the small plots of about 3 hot springs. "Girls go first!" Kagome yelled walking over. "And no peaking!" Sango and Bioton called together. A few min. later the 4 girls walked out with towles around them selves and stepped into the hot springs. "Ahhh." Kagome sighed smileing. "mmm this feels great!" Ria stood up looking at the sky. 'Tonights the 2nd night of the full moon. Good thing I don't transeform then.' Ria thought smileing. A gasp pulled her from her thoughts. "Thoughs are some bad scars!" Kagome exclaimed seeing Ria's bare back. About 10 slash marks that looked like they where from either whipes or knives. "Oh thease? They arn't that bad. See I'm a theif and theives have to take riskes, riskes of being caught...and punished." Ria muttered the last part. "Punishment? You mean torcher!" Sango exclaimed quietly as though it was forbidden to say it. "Yes, probably in the worst way, but, enough about that, You like my big bro don't ya Kagome?" Ria said diverting the subject back to a lighter one and instantly became much more bubbly as she sat nect to the young meiko in training.

"Well I uh, no, I mean uh." Kagome stuttered blushing. Sago smiled. "You catch on quick." Sango said smileing. "Oh young love, sounds like Yusuke and Kaiko." Bioton giggled. "No! I don't I mean he's a nice guy, kinda stubern and hot headed but I don't have a crush on him." Kagome said nervously. "Hey Songo how bout you help me with my algebra?" Kagome said smileing. "Oh, we've only been here for no more than five min. C'mon, I promise I wont ask any more questions." Ria admitted. "Well O.K." Kagome said smileing sinking into the nice hot water. "I'm glade I don't have any more test for a while." Kagome mumbled. "Test? What kinda test?" Ria asked. "Math test, most of the time." Kagome answered. "I know a little math, do you mind if I look?" Ria asked. "Sure, maybe you can help." Kagome suggested. "Yeah, some of the stuff I can't get. Kiede's the one that has most of the experties." Sango remarked. "I'm sure I can help with a lot, math isn't my experties but literature sure is, that edger allen poe was quit a gentalman." Bioton said smileing. "Who is Edger Allen Poe?" Sango and Ria asked togeather. "He's a famous poet from America." Kagome said smileing.

"Hm, name sounds weird." Ria said thinking. "Well that's because it was American." Bioton said giggaling. "Does literiture intrest you, you peeping tom's!" Sango said throwing a rock into a near by bush. A loud squeek came through from the bushes. A fox slowly woundered out with swirly eye's. "Seena!" Ria yelled. waiting over to the kit. It had six tales and shiney blue furr. "Oh, I'm sorry Ria I thought it was Miroku or a theif!" Sango said worriedly. Miroku, InuYasha, Yusuke, and Kuwabara burst through the bushes "Whats wro...ng..." Miroku trailed off and begain stairing at them. A blush grew on all the girls faces. "Don't just stand there get outta here!" Yelled Ria recovering. InuYasha grabbed Miroku and pulled him from the clearing as the rest ran for it as multiple things where thrown at them. One long ice stick almost hit Miroku in the shoulder. In which case he begain running as well till they where out of fireing range. "Man, that sister of yours has got a temper! She threw and ice staff at me! That actually was sharp enough to break the skin!" Exclaimed Miroku. "Yes, she did that to me a couple of times when I accidently walked in on her." Kurama admitted. "How many is a couple." Growled InuYasha. "About four...out of the course of 200 years." Kurama said the last part as InuYasha looked as though he would kill him at any moment. "But one thing, it was worth the sight." Yusuke said laying on his back smileing, carful of his now black eye. "Greese monkey better not mean my sister." InuYasha said threateningly. "Hey mutt, sister or not she is hot!" Yusuke exclaimed. InuYasha begain cracking his knuckles. "Face it, Your sister has grown into a ful fledged Kitsune, and a nice looking one at that." Miroku confessed. "Hey Kurama, we need your opinion yeah know!" Yusuke said. "Yusuke, here is mine, don't ever spy on her like that perpusly." Kurama warningly yet calm. A plant slithered up taping Yusuke on the shoulder. He turned looking thuroughly pale at what he saw, he reconised it as the death tree from the dark tornament. He then looked over at Kurama with his eye twitching. He then noticed that a ting of gold peirced through Kurama's eye's as he read a book Kagome had lent him. (Yipes! I really would not want to be Yusuke right now ') "Ah, yeah sure Kurama." Yusuke said nervously.

Miroku was dead silent with a bit of wide eye's. InuYasha remain unfaised, or as unfazed as you can get with about three droppes of sweat rolling down your left temple. "O.K. You guy's your turn." Kagome said drying her hair off. "O.K. C'mon guys." Kuwabara said happy to get a way from the chance of being eaten by Yoko's death tree. Ria smiled coming out of the bushes. "What are you so happy about?" Sango inquired. Ria told them of how she had come up behind the guys and grown the death weed, which was a fake of what it looked like which was the death tree, how Kurama had played along so well. Every girl in the camp site laughed histaricly. "You should have seen there faces!" Ria exclaimed. "Ha! We should do that more often! It was sooo cool!" Kagome said smileing happily. Ria smiled brightly. "Hey Kagome, didn't you want me to take a look at your homework?" Ria asked wiping the tears fom her eyes. "Oh yeah." Kagome said walking over to her bag. She took out a thick book that read ALGEBRA on the front. Ria looked cureously at it. "This is what I'm working on." Kagome said as all the girls crowded around the book. She opened to page 567. There was a picture of fireworks in the middle, beside it, it read "Quadratic Equations and Projectiles" "Intersting." Ria muttered. "Do you know it?" Sango asked looking cureously at the book. Ria stared hard at the book silent for a moment. "Not really." She finally answered. Everyone sweat dropped or took an anime fall. "Let me read it for a min." She suggested. Kagome handed her the book and read carfully. After a moment Ria looked up con fused and asked. "Whats football?" Kagome sweat dropped along with Bioton. (My Algebra book refurres to football in this chapter ) "It's a game in the furture, basicly alot of people on teams go at each other takaling and throwing a ball called a foot ball around trying to get it from one end of feild to the other." Kagome explaned. "Really, sounds fun." Ria said smileing. "Can you kill them?" InuYasha asked cureously as he and Miroku emerged from the bushes of the hot springs, Kurama and the others where still back there getting dressed. "No." Kagome answered sweat dropping. "Huh, why not?" InuYasha inquired. "If they get in your way..." InuYasha stopped at the dirty look Ria gave him. "What!" He asked a little louder than his normal voice. "That isn't funny, you shouldn't kill just because there in your way, Kagome-chan said it was a game so I suppouse there suppouse to get in your way to prevent you to get to the other side, like practicing stratigy only it's a game, like the how you and I would have to stratigize to get the ball back when thouse human village-" Ria was cut off. "Don't talk about that!" InuYasha shouted. Kurama and the other two idets (Hiei went off to explore) emergered from the hot springs and looked back and forth from the two "siblings" stared at each other. Ria was taken aback, her brother had never yelled at her, ever, 'What...Why, what happened while I was gone?' "InuYasha, why did you yell at her-." "Don't Kagome, obveously somthing happened that I am not aware of, and it is my own falt for not being there for him." Ria said a sad smile graced her features, shadows cavered her eye's. "Ria..." Kagome said softly. But Ria cut her off. "I'm going for a walk." She stood up and begain to walk off. Kurama called out to her and begain to follow her. InuYasha was angry, 'She has no right, she didn't know what it was like...being alone.' "InuYasha! Why did you yell at her!" Kagome shouted. "ME! SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY IDEA! NONE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA NONE OF YOU, WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ALONE TO BE HATED BY EVERYONE!" He shouted glaring at them all. "Hey! Mutt, your not the only one who is hated, my dad was a no show, my mom is drunk constently, and I am feared by everyone but a few people, but I'm lucky enough to have at least one thats always been by my side, whoes always cared for me." Yusuke said angrily. "Your not the only one who's had a bad past but at least most of us have learned to deal!" He coutiued angrily. "YOU ARN'T HATED BY ALL MAN KIND ARE YOU? EVERY TIME I GOT AT LEAST ONE BREAK IT WAS TAKEN A WAY!" He shouted back. 'He's talking about Kikyo, and about Ria.' Kagome thought with sadden eye's. "And you think your the only one?" Yusuke said now deadly calm, his hands hand where balled into fist, his knuckes white, and tightly clenched. He finally let him self go and punched the hanyou. InuYasha flew back words into a tree. "Thats for being a lieing cheating jerk!" Yusuke yelled and walked off. "Urameshi! wait up!" Kuwabara yelled, running after him. InuYasha looked up astonished. His breathing was hard. "InuYasha, are you O.K.?" Kagome asked. InuYasha stood up. "Leave me alone." He said, shadows over his eye. "Kagome, leave him be, he needs time to think." Miroku said walking up to her and bringing her back to the camp site. InuYasha stalked off. What had he done? He yelled at her, at his own sister. He didn't even have much of an idea what happened to her while he was gone, he assumed she had hooked up with that fox and lived a good life, theiveing. He had never thought more or questioned it. What did they know, what had happened, he had to do something, to make her forgive him.

Ria ran, she ran as far as her legs would carry her, 'It would have been better if I would have never seen him again.' She thought. She finally stopped dropping to her knee's on the soft moase ground. Tears fell from her eye's dropping solidly to the ground. The tear gem's sparkled in the moon light. She felt so alone. Like she had been for so long, and would be for so much longer than eternity she would thought had seemed. Conforting hands wrapped around her small body. "Ria, it's O.K." Kurama's soothing voice wispered in her ear. His hot breath went down her torn gi. "No it's not! I wasn't there for him, I promised I would be! It's my falt he went though all that alone!" Ria sobbed. "I promised him! I PROMISED HIM!" She yelled. "It's not your falt." Kurama wispered. Ria heard him speak conforting words and spun her around. She grabbed his shirt and begain crying on his shoulder, small tear gems fell to her side. "Kurama, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Ria said through a muffled voice. "What? Why, you haven't done anything." Kurama said pulling her to look at him. "I'm being weak, I'm stupid to cry." She said not looking at him. "Ria, look at me." He said hooking his pointer finger under her chin and moved her head to looked at him. "Crying, is a weakness, but whats happening, I rather you cry than keep it in side, it would have eaten you up from the inside out." Kurama said hugging her close to him. "Thank you Kurama." She wispered huggin him back. Kurama smiled. She smiled back at him. Kurama moved to be level with her. She moved closer captured in his never ending pools of emroled green. Kurama closed the gape between them, They both kissed passionetly, and deeply. Ria cut it short by pushing his a way hastily. He looked at her confised. "Kurama, I can't, I can't do this, I'm not your mate, when you died I was..." A scream issued from the camp site. Kurama and Ria instantly parted standing up, they both raced from their current area.

InuYasha's eye's filled with terror as Kagome's scream issued through the tree's. 'No!' He sped off throught the tree's, a black blurr rushed past him 'Was that shortey?' InuYasha thought surprised at his speed.

Yusuke Stopped in mid-punch of a tree and Kuwabara stood up from his resting spot. "What was that?" He asked. "It sounded like that was from the camp site, C'mon, lets go." Yusuke yelled running tword the camp site Direction.

Ria arrived to see a tall figger held Kagome with one hand around her neck, one arm around her waist and one hand on her mouth (He has three arms lol ) Sango stared at him menicingly. Kagome's eye's shouted for help. 'Hiei, Hiei! Da it answer me!' Ria yelled in her mind. 'What do you want Ria?' Hiei asked. 'Kagome has been captured, I need your speed, get over here.' Ria called out. 'hn, fine.' Hiei grunted back.

Hiei jumpted from his tree and sped toward the area. He had heard the scream and checked it out but it was merly a baka spiter the onna had screamed at. He had proceeded toward a tree telling the mutt it was nothing and tried to get some sleep. Obveously something had escaped his sences, which ment it must be a C class or more. Hiei turned and begain heading back. After about no more than 5 sec.'s Hiei stopped in his trackes. A tall thin yet muscular demon emerged from the brush. "Ah, Hiei of the Jigon eye. So pleased to meet you." The tall demon said with a bow. His black cloak swished in the night air. His moon light white hair defied gravity but was shorter than Hiei's. His calm ice blue eye's made him a deadly foe if he wheren't facing Hiei that is. His facial features remained nutrail. He wore black army boots that sarted where the pant leg ended. His shirt color was a mystery as it was covered by the midnight cloak. When he bowed he revealed his black gloved hands.

"What do you want Avery." Hiei grunted. "Aw off to protect your dear little sister are you?" Avery replied, a twinkle in his ice eye's. Hiei glared at him. "You know nothing of my sister." Hiei hissed. "You forget you have two." Avery corrected. "I shall kill you and the one who told you this!" Hiei said threateningly. He unsheilthed his sword. "Move. Or you shall be dead." Hiei grunted. "How shall you kill who knows every move you make?" Avery questioned smirking confidently. "I'll ask you not another time move, I shall kill you with no remorse." Hiei hissed. "Like you killed my mother!" Avery shot back coldly. "Your mother got in the way!" Hiei replied. His glare cold and unwavering. "Bull Sh Hiei, Kill me like the heartless murderer you are, you would kill the only family you had just for revenge." Avery accused. "Don't accuse me for somthing that happened long ago." Hiei warned. "I did and I will if it makes you fight me. Oh and I already have my revenge on you, more than in one way, soon you will be torchered and then tried for your sin's." Avery said and begain laughing like a maniac. "We will meet again." With that Avery faded a way. "Coward." Hiei hissed but no less began off again, along the way he picked up a mutt. They both entered but stopped dead in their tracks.

Ria and Kurama lay on the ground, both had mutiple burnt marks and wounds in which had blood oozing out of it. Miroku was slumped up agenst a tree and Sango and Kagome and Shippo where no where to me found. Yusuke was also slupted agenst a tree. Kuwabara was unconsouse hanging upon a high branch. "What the hell!" They both shouted. Ria sturred groaning and muttered curses. She grabbed her forhead looking around seeing the damaged area, the ruined lunch was the farthest thing from her mind as it layn strewn all over the ground. She turned to the only two still contous in the camp site. "I..InuYasha! Hiei! They took Kagome and Sango, and Kirara too!" Ria exclaimed. InuYasha ran over to her helping her up. InuYasha begain to rub her back gently to calm her down but only to have her flinch at his touch. He frowned and tried to look at her back but she ruffly pulled a way from him. "Don't, now is not the time." She said standing up, only to colapse. "Ria! What are you talking about?" InuYasha corsed as Kurama came to. "Ria? Ria! are you alright!" Kurama said in alarm. Ria smile reassuringly and then fainted.

Hiei appeared upon the tree that Kuwabara was now waking up upon. Hiei smirked and pushed him off. "Whaaaa!" He and Yusuke said as Kuwabara landed on him. "Ug." Miroku a woke from his uncontous state looking around. Shippo's grown came up as he crawled from under Miroku's sash (Sash people! not clothing!) looking around. His tale was sindged and a bit of his clothing was chared. "Shippo, you O.K.?" Miroku asked smiling at the young cub. "Yea I'm O.K." Shippo replied. "What the fuck just happened!" InuYasha said out of flustration and confusion. "A demon, a powerful one, he came and kid-knapped the girls, all of them except Ria, Kirara tried to chase him off but the demon knocked her out, and took her as well, judgeing by what I've seen so far he's poisness, the ablilitys of fire and poison." Miroku explained. "tthat demon took Kagome, Sango, and Kirara a way." Shippo said sniffling, tears appearing in his eye's. "Don't worry Shippo, we'll get 'em back." Ria said softly, she had a waken and seemed to have regained her strength. "Ria...I need to check something a moment." Kurama said walking over to her. She turned and stood up to face the fox demon. "Kurama, right now I need to go after thease guys, they have endangered my friends and my family, THEY are trying to hurt me by hurting what I love most, because... well lets just go, I'll explain later." Ria said walking off.

No one spoke, no one made a sound, the forest that surrounded them was silent to, it seemed like there was a mute, like, the world was on pause, num. No laughter, no stratigizing, just...numness, that would not go a way. 'What have I done, I should have left, I do not belong here, not in their world, I could have, once before, before I was captured.' Ria thought. 'I put them in this mess, I'll take them out of it, on my own.' She decieded. Night followed and everyone set up camp, "I will gather roots and herbs for dinner." Ria said walking off. "I will accompany you." Kurama said standing up. "No, you are needed here, we where the last ones to black out, help them stratigize, I will be back shortly, then we can finalize them." Ria said smileing pleasently and reassuredly. "But you said you knew thease people." Kurama replied. "Tell me the herbs you need, I shall retreive them." "No, Shippo is sleeping and will be upset to see you gone, either of you." Ria said hastily looking at InuYasha whom was about to rise. "Very well, we will, come looking for you after an hour to see if you need help." Kurama replied. "M Hm." InuYasha said nodding.

No longer than 15 min. later Ria reappeared at the camp site. She had verious herbs and plants in her small sac in her arms. She smiled brightly and begain making the lunch, Sango brought water and Miroku got slapped twice for "helping" Sango carry the water or a pot. InuYasha was in deep conversations with Kurama and Kuwabara, Yusuke sat quietly staring into the fire. He only looked up when Ria called for everone to come in because she was finished with dinner, It was Ramen with chunks of meat that Hiei had shown up with shortly after she had begun cooking.

Miroku smiled and sniffed it happily. Kurama kindly took some and passed some to Hiei whom swiftly took it and reperched himself on "his" tree branch.

Shortly after eating many of them yawned and went to bed, no more than an hour later Ria emerged from her...sleeping sac, or at least thats what Kagome called them, or was it bag, heck, she couldn't remember. She silently crept from the camp. 'I put a herb in that meat that will make sure the sleep deeply and soundly, by the time they awaken, it will be over and Sesume will be no more, it was my mistake to stay, and it is my mistake to pay for, even if it's with my life, because it's the lives of others that hangs in the ballence.' Ria thought stalking off into the night.

Yes, I am sorry about Songo being kidknapped and then being at dinner, it made no sence, I ment to put Miroku in there Gomen.