AR: Wow, this is the third chapter I've started this week. Yay me! -claps-
DAG: Angel, you're acting like you're five.
Kim: Yeah, but she always acts like that. You've known her since the ninth grade, so I would have thought you knew that by now.
AR: Life is too depressing, so I retrogressed back to the mindset of a five-year-old to get rid of all the stress.
DAG: Angel, that just makes you sound retarded.
AR: Um...so, how does your shoulder feel, Devi?
DAG: Ugh...no comment.
Breanna: Is this another opportunity for Angel to make a fool of herself and what's left of her friends?
AR: What do you mean "what's left of her friends"?
Bre: Um...exactly what I said. You're violent.
AR: I am not. I resent that statement.
Kim: And they forgot that I was here again... -sighs and walks away-
Bre: You hit some kid with a glass bottle in sophmore year, then you pushed a desk into him. That's violence.
AR: -shrugs- He deserved it. Besides, he was annoying, so it's alright.
Bre: You dislocated Devin's shoulder the chapter before last. That's just wrong.
AR: Well, she deserved that, too. Anyways, you get the whole disclaimer thing. I'm too lazy to type it today. Yukana, Kaori and the others will be back by the time the end skit comes around.
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I know that you're hiding things
Using gentle words to shelter me
Your words were like a dream
But dreams could never fool me
Not that easily
I acted so distant then
Didn't say goodbye before you left
But I was listening
You'll fight your battles far from me
Far too easily
(1000 Words: Jade from Sweetbox - FFX-2 Soundtrack)
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Chapter Twenty-Four recap:
"Hey, Sesshomaru...I think we should find Sango and tell her that we found Kirara." Kagome announced quietly. "And that she has a bigger family now."
"That can wait, we've got company."
Don't Fall Away
Chapter Twenty-Five: Advantage or Handicap?
"Now, really, they couldn't wait until after we told Sango that we found Kirara?" Kagome said in exasperation as about a dozen demons came into her line of vision. "I mean, if they wanted to waste our time with lower level demons, then that's fine, but why couldn't it wait?"
"Don't judge by appearance, Kagome." Sesshomaru warned. "There are more than just what you can see."
"Yes, I know this."
"Oh, how cute is this?" Kagome tensed as Kagura walked calmly into view, followed by Kurayami. "I had heard that Kikyo's plan backfired, but this is unexpected. My, my, you look different."
Sesshomaru stepped foreward slightly, putting himself somewhat between Kagome and the other two females. Kurayami took note of this and nodded to herself.
"Kagura, he isn't watching." she announced. Kagome eyed them suspiciously, suddenly getting the feeling that they weren't there to cause harm.
"Tell me why you are here." Sesshomaru ordered. Kagome walked foreward and laid her hand on his arm, silently telling him not to draw his sword just yet.
"Smart girl." Kagura commented. "Naraku has formulated a plan and he was stupid enough to tell Kurayami and myself, believing that we feared for our lives enough not to tell anyone. But, as you can see, he was wrong. We don't want to see Naraku take over any more than you do and we're already helping to ruin his plans. It is only a matter of time until that bastard realizes this, however, so you and your friends should hurry if you have any hope of defeating him."
"They have a plan, Naraku and the Southern lord." Kurayami informed them. "They are trying to remove you, Kagome, from the picture. They think that once you are incapacitated, your friends will no longer pose a threat to their plan."
"You had best plan an attack soon, very soon. Otherwise, there will no longer be a chance. Understood?"
"Why should we trust you? Both of you have tried to kill me in the past, and one of you almost succeeded." Kagome inquired shrewdly. "And what, pray tell, would make you think that we would turn our backs and give the both of you the perfect chance to make another attempt at our lives?"
"You think too much." Kagura muttered, perfectly aware that Kagome could hear every word. "Do you not remember how ecstatic I was when we thought that Naraku had been defeated, only to find that he had faked his death in order to lure out Princess Kaguya and absorb her to gain immortality?"
"Yes, I remember. I also remember that it was you who helped Kaguya out of the mirror so she could try to freeze time and rule the world."
"I know this, but in my defense, it was Kanna's idea."
"Will you two shut up?" Kurayami interrupted irritably. "This is getting us nowhere fast, so we need to know now whether or not you're going to accept our help."
Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, carefully weighing the pros and cons in her head while, at the same time, studying his expressions to see what he thought.
"Fine, but we'll be watching both of you." Kagome announced.
"It's nice that you trust us enough to set...let's see...seven people on guard duty."
"Actually, I meant 'we' as in Sesshomaru and I." Kagome corrected. "If you decided to do anything, I think that just Sesshomaru and I would be enough to handle it."
"Kagura, we have five seconds." Kurayami said suddenly, turning to Sesshomaru and Kagome. "Grab the neko and leave. Quickly, before we all get into something we can't handle."
Kagome nodded and scooped up Kirara and the kittens before darting back toward the castle, Sesshomaru following closely behind.
They arrived back at the castle not even five minutes later. Kagome paced the entrance hall for almost a half hour before Sesshomaru was able to convince her to help him find the others.
"Now that I actually think about it, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Kagome told him as they were making their way towards where they believed Sango and Miroku to be. "I mean, Kagura never gave us a reason to trust her before, so this could mean that my potentially bad judgment could endanger all of us, including Rin and Shippo."
"You are worrying too much, Kagome." Sesshomaru declared. "As you said, should anything happen, the two of us are more than capable of handling it."
"Maybe you're right." Kagome said. "Next time I doubt one of my decisions, all I need to do is have you quote me using more complicated terms."
"You are starting to sound like Yukana."
"Hey, I resent that statement." Kagome objected. "Yukana sounds like me, the only reason you see it the other way is because you're not around when I start talking like that."
"Be that as it may, but Yukana has been speaking like that for longer than you have been alive." Sesshomaru declared.
"That's nice...hey, there's Sango." Kagome said, waving her arms to get the taijiya's attention. "Sango!"
"Oh, hi Kagome. Did you find Kirara?"
"Yeah, she's back at the castle."
"That's good." Sango sighed. "Where was she?"
"She was over that way." Kagome said, pointing. "We actually found her in a bush...with a litter of kittens."
"What? Kirara had kittens?" Sango asked, not sounding as suprised as she probably should have been.
"Yes, Kagome counted four." Sesshomaru cut in.
"Hey, Sango, where's Miroku?"
"Eh, I left him lying unconscious somewhere south of here." Sango said dismissively. "I would guess five minutes, maybe?"
Kagome rolled her eyes and walked off in search of InuYasha and Kaori. She was actually a little worried about the two of them, since she hadn't seen or heard from or of them for at least an hour. She half expected the forest to catch fire or for one of them to turn up ranting about the other, either at the castle or while they were still searching. Another thing Kagome wondered about is why Sango had paired herself with Miroku when she knew that he had wandering hands. She smiled to herself. She knew what it was, and it didn't take a genius to figure it out.
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"Yukana, do you honestly think that this is going to work?" Sakurako inquired.
"Of course I do." Yukana defended. "It's working already, can't you see it? Those two are almost inseparable, and they don't even know it yet."
Both women jumped when they heard the door slam against the wall as it opened, followed by a fuming Kaori, a smirking Kagome, and an amused Sesshomaru. Kaori stomped in and sat down next to Sakurako.
"I swear, if that moron says one more word to me, I might just snap and throw him against a wall. I mean, it worked for Kagome, did it not?" Kagome and Sakurako exchanged glances.
"InuYasha getting to you again?" Yukana asked, even though she already knew the answer. "Kaori, you need to learn to gain control over your temper."
"You're only seeing it from your point of view." Sakurako added. "Try looking at it through his eyes. You have to remember that he hasn't been here for a while, as far as I know, and he's losing Kagome's attention to his brother. He's just looking for something else. He's confused."
"Well, he can be confused all he wants, but he needs to leave me out of it, 'cause I don't want to hear him complain anymore."
"Tune him out, then." Yukana suggested.
"That's easier said than done."
"How about you both be quiet? I think I can sense the others coming."
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Y: Hey! I'm back!
AR: Yeah, and you missed the chapter.
Ka: Bummer.
Bre: Don't worry, she'll fill you in later.
AR: Maybe.
DAG: If she doesn't, Bre will. Besides, it's kind of impossible to do the next chapter if you guys don't know what's going on.
AR: No it's not.
Se: But it would be nice to know.
AR: Yeah...
IY: What is it with you and making me seem like a spoiled brat?
Ka: InuYasha, everyone does that, not just AR.
AR: Yeah! But, anyways, it's time to end this little thing. So, have fun waiting the two days for the next chapter!
Bre: Two days?
AR: With my internet down, I've had plenty of extra writing time. I wrote this chapter as well as chapters twenty-three and twenty-four all in about five days. Anyway, I forsee many more days without my internet, so I'm off to start the next chapter. Wish me luck!