Twisted Well

An Inu-Yasha / Sorcerer Hunters fan fiction by Iapetus

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takehashi created Inu-Yasha.  Satoru Akahori and Ray Omishi created the Sorcerer Hunters.  (Note that my name is not included in there.)  Their creators, and a slew of other people who have rights to the publications of the manga and anime own these series.  The point is, I'm giving credit where credit is due.

I'm gathering that if you are planning on reading chapter 2, you've read chapter one.  Same time paradoxes apply, as well as text emphasis.  To double-check anything, see the beginning of chapter one.

A.N.:  Wow, I got reviews!  Thank you SO much for them, I wasn't sure that it would be noticed (kind of like those writing pieces that sink into Fanfiction.net oblivion… on page 285 of whatever listing their in…)

Don't worry; I will keep working on this story.  The only thing that will keep me from posting on a regular basis is writer's block.  I don't want to have a short chapter for you guys, and with me teching for a musical (which premiers in two weeks), it will be about 2-5 days between chapters. 

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Chapter 2:  Redemption, Release, and Realization

            Maye was out of breath.  She had been running ever since she got out of town.  She was a good sprinter, but long distances took a different discipline.  Despite trying to pace herself, her energy was drained.  Sitting down against a tree, she started to stretch her legs.  Clenching her teeth against the pain of stiff muscles, she tried to think of how far she ran.

            I think I got in about 12 miles, she thought, even if it does feel like 50. When she started, the sun has just risen.  The count was fond of early-morning raids.  Now, it had traveled to the far opposite side of the horizon, and was setting amongst a beautiful sky of red.

            Red sky at night… that means I should have good weather tomorrow.  Maye needed all the good weather she could get.  The first leg of the journey was through thick forest.  To avoid Pepper, she had to go where horses couldn't.  On the main road, the journey to Dorado was about 35 miles.  By going though the forest barriers, she could shave 10 miles off her journey.

            Despite her good lead, and the knowledge she had only 13 miles to go, she wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.  3 miles of forest left, then 10 miles of swamps. She shuddered.  No way around it, except the road, and I can't go on that.  Going through it would not be fun.  There were many horror stories that originated from the swamp.  Her older brothers had told her enough stories about it in hopes she would never go there.  It was said demons inhabited it, and let no one out alive.  In a world full of magic, one didn't laugh at such a story.

            Trying not to think about such things, Maye stood up, and began looking for somewhere to sleep for the night.

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            "Mom?" Kagome asked, entering the house.  A familiar smell came to her nose.  Mom's making okonomiyaki for lunch!  Running to the kitchen, she saw Sota eating his lunch.  Her mother was mixing more batter.

            "Kagome!" both of them exclaimed.  Buyo walked up and rubbed his body against her leg.  He was purring.

            Kagome's mom picked up a towel and wiped her hands clean of flour.  She then came over and gave her daughter a hug.

            "This is a nice surprise!  I thought you were coming back next week!"

            Her daughter stiffened at the words.  "Well, I kind-of forgot my notebook paper."

            Mrs. Hiraguarsi laughed.  "It fell out of you bag as you were leaving last time.  Before I could give it to you, you were already gone."  Her mother quickly looked away.

            Kagome knew that the Shikon Jewel Shard hunt was hardest on her mom.  To know that your child risked their life constantly was enough to worry any parent.  Her mother was a strong woman, but she was still human.

            "I know you're a busy lady, but could you stay for lunch?"  Her mother asked.  "The last three times you came home, it was just long enough to pack your bags and get your homework."  She didn't mention that the last two times, she had been gone shopping.

            "I'd love to, Mom," she said, and took a knife to begin cutting cabbage.

            Sota swallowed his last bit of Okonomiyaki.  He may be young, but he could tell when Kagome wanted to talk to their Mom in private.  Well, I can ask her about her adventures later, he thought.

            "Mom, can I be excused?" She nodded an affirmative.  Picking up his plate and glass, he set his dirty dishes by the sink.  Kagome gave him a look that told him she appreciated the gesture.  Picking up Buyo, he headed outside.

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            Éclair stretched her arms.  It was four in the morning, but she needed an early start.  Putting on her clothes, she headed out of he shelter and into the meadow.

            When Zacher had died, Éclair wanted to be with her brother again.  She had not seen him in three years, and they had barely a week together before Big Momma sent them out on their next mission.

            All week, she had thought about Gateau, and how he wasn't just her brother anymore.  When they were kids, they had both heard the legends of the Sorcerer Hunters, but it was a surprise when she found out her brother was one as well.  Well, a surprise and not a surprise, she thought, beginning a kata.  Gateau hated Sorcerers even before Mom and Dad…she smiled weakly.  Her parents had protested Sorcerer rule as well. They were hoping to gain enough support from the Parsoners to appeal to the Emperor.  Gateau was dedicated to the cause, and so was she. 

            In memory of her parents, and to be with Gateau, Éclair had asked Big Momma if she could become a Sorcerer Hunter as well.  Her training from Zacher made her a worthy opponent, and had proven before that she could dispatch Sorcerers.  Momma said that there were still things she needed to learn, but approved of her request.

            Due to her lack of knowledge in hunting Sorcerers, Momma had assigned another Hunter to brush up her skills.  She had to prove her stealth in a formal mission before she could fight with her brother and his friends.  Her mission was to discover why a weird power surge was coming from a dry well in the western region of Spooner.  It may not be eliminating a Sorcerer, but discretion was the key.  Her teacher, Cranberry, was very competent, and her respect for him grew with each lesson.

            He seems to have seen many battles, she thought.  There is a look that seems that some of his soul was lost in those battles.  Like a bit of his smile will never return.

Gateau had that look about his face as well.  Anyone who lost a special person in his or her life had that look.

            When she started to help Zacher Torte look for the God of Destruction, it required her to kill many Sorcerer Hunters along the way.  Due to their special abilities, they kept to themselves when it regarded to them living.  That was evident in the Hunters' Secret Village.

            Most of their friends would have come from there.  I wonder if he lost anyone special? A pang of guilt hit her, and she missed the next move in her exercise.  Yes, she had been in love with Zacher, but killing those people of her own free will…  She'd asked him to remover her memories.  She had told her brother it was because she didn't want to remember hating Zacher.  What she hadn't told him was she also didn't want to feel her normal conscious while she killed.  Without it, she could have not have served him.

            A bed creaked in the shelter, then an audible yawn.  Cranberry was up.  They would be leaving soon.  It took a long time to walk to where they needed to go, and Big Momma had thought it a good way to learn patience.  Morning to early afternoon, the two would walk and jog in the direction of the power source.  On the way, Cranberry would talk of the history of the empire, how the Sorcerers gained power, how to recognize someone from Momma's spy network, where to go in a city, listening to what people DON'T tell you, and so on.  She would ask questions, familiarizing herself with the life of a Hunter.

            The evenings were dedicated to training.  Without Zacher's mystical protection, she had to learn how to break magic barriers and shatter curses with her own chi.  Chi blasts and magic were two different things, so adjusting one to waylay another took intensive training.

            Cranberry was the illegitimate son of one of the most powerful Sorcerer's the world had ever seen.  He had been known for killing over a hundred Sorcerer Hunters.  He was the reason the Sorcerer Hunters created the Hidden Village; and why the village was so small.

            Apparently, the one who finally killed him was Cranberry's mother.  She was a Sorcerer Hunter.  Bringing herself to the level of a concubine, she infiltrated his organization.  When she had won his trust, she killed him one night while they were in bed.  But, the price of her action came in the form of a son.  Cranberry had told her that the only people who knew his sire's identity were Big Momma and the Haz Knights.  And now me, she thought.  It felt good that someone trusted her so much.

* Flashback *

            Éclair looked back at her sensei in shock.  Noting her silence, he spoke up.

            "Your history is as dark as mine.  I know you're having problems coping with coming back to the real world.  Remember, bad things happen, but knowing others are going through tough times can be reassuring.

            "Gateau was probably one of the most self-conscious people I had ever met when he first joined.  Now look at him!  He has found others that he can relate to, and it has made him what he is today.

            "I wouldn't have told you that if I hadn't had complete trust in you.  You told me your relation with Zacher, which only your brother and Big Momma know.  When you told me your story that detail could have been left out, but you told me anyway.  I respect that courage, and I knew then you were a good person at heart.

"Either way, you have the right to know who you're up against.  I am half-sorcerer, after all, so don't take my attacks in training lightly."

* End Flashback *

            When he was 18, his past was revealed to him, and was told to make a choice.  If he wanted to be a Sorcerer Hunter, he could.  If he wanted to be a Sorcerer, then he'd be invited to live with either the Chips or the Shureins 

            He had chosen the path of his mother, and became well known among the other Hunters.  His power was legendary, and his tactics were shrewd and well planned out.  It was why Big Momma assigned him as her teacher.

            His personality was welcoming, and it was hard not to like him when he talked.  Cranberry put people at ease, a skill many valued in such hard times.  The charm he possessed had nothing to do with magic.

            The door to the shelter was pushed open.  Cranberry stepped out into the morning sun, and squinted against the horizon.  A monstrous yawn left his lips, betraying his real state of awareness.  Scanning the meadow, he saw Éclair performing her katas letter-perfect.  Some he had taught her – for honing her ability to use chi, but he saw mostly ones of a foreign nature.  The moves he recognized, but not the sequence.  It must be one Gateau taught her, or Zacher, he thought.

            Zacher Torte was a fearsome enemy, and if he saw potential in the Mocha family, there was a reason for it.  Éclair, as he gathered from Gateau, was already an excellent fighter before she was kidnapped..

            Deciding that she would be awhile,  Cranberry stole away into the forest.  Éclair knew he needed time to himself every now and then, but not for what.  Pulling out a mini communication orb, he levitated it with a sprinkle of tiny sparkles.

            Big Momma appeared in front of him, and he promptly kneeled.  Head bowed, he did not rise until she told him to do so.

            "Cranberry, how are you and Éclair?  I have not heard from you for over a week, and couldn't track your progress." Her voice held a note of disproval.

            "I'm sorry, Big Momma.  We did not mean to startle you," he bowed his head again, but this time, quickly.  "But really.  You couldn't find us?" he said in disbelief.

            "I could follow you, yes, but even I don't have ears everywhere."  Both chuckled.  "Still, please report."

            "We couldn't contact you because for awhile we were on a busy road.  I didn't want to use an illusion spell on such a great scale while trying to contact you.  I wouldn't have been able to concentrate."  He waited until she gave a nod of acknowledgement.

            "Éclair has made incredible progress.  She soaks up my lessons like a sponge, and has a perfect memory for fighting techniques.  Every day, while sparring, I use only enough power to end up in a draw.  It will slowly strengthen her chi attacks.  Every day, I have to use more and more magic."  He grinned at the achievement of his student.  "It's only been a week!  And yet, if you met her in battle now, you could not recognize her as the woman who fought with Zacher.  Her brother was her first teacher; then Zacher; and now me.  For a long time, she had tried to imitate how men fight, and only achieved a certain success.  Now, she is modifying her techniques to suit a woman's body.  Her strength skyrocketed when she came to this realization."

            "Did you tell her to do this?" Momma asked.

            "No.  I had just noticed it when she started to correct it."

            "So, she has decided to fight like a woman instead of a man." Momma smiled at her statement.  "It was a good move on her part.  Chocolat and Tira will like that a lot."

            "I think she could join them in their next mission.  After we finish ours."

            "Have you received any more leads on the new power source?" Momma wondered.

            "Not on its origin, or what manor it might be – but more are appearing.  It stays ever-present in my mind.  The Sorcerer in me longs to grasp it.  As we head toward the main source, the urge grows stronger.

            "I may have forsaken my title long ago, Big Momma, but I am still intimate with the ways of a Sorcerer's mind.  I will never touch this power, but hit it from a distance.  But, be careful.  If I am struggling with it, then others are as well."

            "Cranberry, you could not have risen to your position if you could not have had the willpower to restrain yourself.  We are all tested in different ways.  It is hard for me, though to see someone suffer at the hands of a Sorcerer.  No one can subdue the one in your conscious with vexes you so."  Momma looked at him with love in her eyes.  "As one of my Haz Knights, however, I still need you to look for this. 

"Mille is keeping his eyes open, even though he is watching Carrot and the others.  I highly suspect that you are going to have to join up with him soon.  Two siblings can often bring out the best in each other, and Éclair should be with Gateau.  His other four companions were able to reach new heights in ability while either protecting or getting encouragement from their sibling."

"Your wish shall be granted, Big Momma.  I'll contact you when we reach the dry well.  It should be in about two days."

"Good luck, Sir Cranberry…" the deity said as she faded away.  He picked up the communication orb that had fallen to the ground, and went back to the meadow.  He was fully awake now, and they needed to get going.

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            Little brothers can sometimes be really cool, thought Kagome.  Not many would give me a chance to talk to mom in private.  With her grandfather always around and Sota begging her to tell her about adventures, he hadn't had time alone with her mother in months.  Wait a minute…

            "Where's Grandpa?" she asked.

            "He's at Mr. Chang's house.  His family swears there's a demon possessing their cat, because it only eats.  It never seems to sleep, or plays with the kids anymore.  I think they should have taken it to the vet." Her mom laughed, and Kagome joined in too.

            "If I remember correctly, that cat only ate and slept anyway," Kagome's laugh turned into a nervous giggle.  Augh!! Even with my mom, here in Tokyo, I can't escape demons.  I know it's rubbish, but talk of demons tends to make me jumpy, she thought.   Well, her apprehension was valid.  Many demons had tried to kill her, and Naraku was currently seeking her death as well.

            "Do you want squid on yours?" her mother asked.

            "When did you buy it?" Kagome asked.  She only liked freshly grilled squid on her okonomiyaki.  Squid grilled the night before and then added on gave the meat a texture she didn't like.

            Her mother indicated the bowl of raw squid.  It wasn't often her mother kept it raw for okonomiyaki.  Meat needed to be cooked quickly, or it would go bad.

            "Mom, how did you know I was coming home?" she heard herself asking.

            Her mother winked.  "Mother's intuition.  You'll learn when you have children of your own."

            Man, Mom's guesses are unnerving.  But does she know why I'm here-

            "You're having boy problems, aren't you?"

Kagome was silent.  She did it again!

"-and I bet it isn't Hojo.  But, I guess in his case, ignorance is bliss."

Her mom proceeded to cut the raw squid into small cubes.  The grin on her face was a rare one – relieved of the stress built up from a hard life.  "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Of, course."  She put the rest of the cut vegetables in a bowl.  Then, she grabbed the batter and poured some on the hot griddle.  "It's Inu-Yasha."

"I thought you hated him," her mom said, surprised.

"I did, but something seemed to change."  Kagome then told her about the resurrection of Kikyo, how Naraku had ensnared both Inu-Yasha and the priestess, and his plead for her to stay with him.

"He is in love with Kikyo.  Even though he says he knows now that we are not the same person," despite being her reincarnation, she thought, "he seems to have feelings for me.  He may think that he's hiding them well, but Inu-Yasha is a terrible actor in matters of the heart.

"Sure, we still fight, but it is harder for us to talk to one another.  Sometimes I think it would have been easier if I never found out about his relationship with Kikyo."  She was sobbing now.  The comforting arms only a mother could supply gave her a tight squeeze.

            Letting the girl cry on her shoulder, Rumiko contemplated her daughter's problem.  As a parent, I always thought my kids special.  Kagome seemed different, though, even before we found out about her connection to the Shikon Jewel.  She smiled.  Kagome is as tough as nails, and won't take any crap from anyone.  She took after her father in that respect. 

Biting against her lip, Rumiko fought the urge to cry herself.  Her husband, Yoshi, had died three years ago from a form of Children's Leukemia.  The cancerous blood disease was especially deadly to adults, and he died within two years of diagnosis.  The thought of the girl's father had given her an idea, though.

"Kagome, I want to show you something."  Her daughter wiped her eyes with a napkin, and stood up.  She took the finished okonomiyaki off the griddle, so it wouldn't burn.

Rumiko led her daughter up to her room.  It was adorned with pictures of all sizes.  The largest picture, in the center, showed an aged photo of a girl who looked like Kagome, and a boy who looked like Sota.  Both were teenagers, and in school uniforms.  She stopped to look at it for a moment.  Every time I look at that photo, I'm so shocked to see how much our children looked like us.  At the bottom of the photo, it was signed: Rumiko and Yoshi, friends forever.

The picture cheered Kagome up a little, even if it wasn't what she was to see.  Reaching under her father's former side of the bed, Rumiko pulled out a silk bag.

The silk shined in the afternoon sun a magnificent shade of royal blue.  Inside the bag was a small ivory box.  A dragon was carved on the top, and wound itself around to the base.

"Your father was given this box by his father, before he died.  He was 15-"

"I know."

"-and your grandfather new it would he hard for him to live without him.  To not have a parent while you're growing up is a hard thing."

"I know," this time, Kagome was tearing up for a different reason.

"Your father wanted me to give this to you when you were old enough," she stated, handing her the precious little box.  "It's called a Worry Box.  Whisper what troubles you, and those who care for you will hear it.  This way, you can always tell me, or your father, what troubles you when you cannot come back here.

"Your father knew you were different from other girls.  That's why, when he found out he was dying, he decided to give you this box, instead of Sota.  This box has been handed down from father to son on your father's side for the past 600 years.  He is breaking tradition, but I agree with the choice.

"I know Inu-Yasha will be coming for you soon, and with your sporadic visits, I haven't been able to give it to you in private.  My father doesn't know this box exists…"

"…or he'd have it on display with all the other 'relics'.  Thank you, Mom." Kagome gave her mother a huge hug.  This box meant more to her than 100 Shikon Jewels.

A shout could be heard from the well.  It could only be Sota.  "Hey, Kagome!  Inu-Yasha's here!"

            "Well, speak of the devil…" Kagome said, annoyed.

            "You mean demon, dear," Rumiko said, correcting her.  Kagome rolled her eyes at the pun.

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            Carrot was laid out on the only bed in the room.  It was the best they could find, and with his fainting, he needed a good place to rest.  Restless dreams were evident by his eyes moving rapidly under his eyelids.

            Marron looked from his brother to the small bit of jewel in his hand.  This "Shikon Shard" as the demon called it, was its source of incredible power.  As a magic user, he could sense how one could draw upon it for more energy.  As a chi user, he could ascertain it gave the ability to heighten one's senses a hundred-fold.  The demon said that we had one as well.  That means that we have two, right now.  Where is the other one? he thought.

            It was true that on the way home from the Magic Carpenter job, he had noticed an unusual power source.  However, the thought it was because of the magic compass they were to take back to Big Momma.  Jingo Roe was the best magic carpenter in the business, so a compass made by him would indeed increase one's power.  But somehow, there was something more within it.

            Glad that the other three were out, he went to Tira's bag.  She had the compass last, and he could inspect it.  It had a mahogany base, with a birch top.  Taking off the top, he inspected the device.

            It had been worn from years of use.  In it's top was what he had been looking for.  No wonder his final building was his best, the mage thought, pulling out the jewel that stuck out of the top.  He had this for his last job.  Had Jingo Roe been aware of it?  Was he so willing to save Crepe's life that he would delve into power he didn't understand?  He may have been willing to kill off the whole island, he may have lost his sanity, but Roe was not a fool.  He would only build something with what he could do alone.  He would not have used this if he knew he had it.

            Big Momma had told them to beware of the power surge that was growing on the island.  Jingo Roe had built a magic maze the size of Knossoss one only one other occasion: to aid a family friend – the Chips.  They weren't that strong of a family magic-wise, and Count Chip needed all the magic he could get to fend off rogue Sorcerers.  But that maze still exists today! He thought, the pieces coming together.  If that power source was put in the mountains where the Chips live, it would have surely caused an earthquake…staring down at the jewel, the mystery was finally solved.  It was the jewel!  It was the extra energy Momma sensed!  But I still don't understand how such a small jewel could be so powerful…

            A groan brought Marron's attention back to his brother.  …and how did my brother know how to kill the demon?  I sensed its power, but could not distinguish exact source.  It didn't make sense.  Of all the Sorcerer Hunters, he would have possessed such a skill.  He was not envious, but how could his brother, a non-magic user, figure it out?  He was happy and frustrated at the same time.  His older brother still protected him today.

            "Marron?" Carrot whispered tiredly.

            "Brother, are you ok?" he asked worriedly.  Personally it looked like he had woken up from a beating Chocolat and Tira gave him.  He went to move his left arm, and winced.

            "Tira's healed your arm, but you shouldn't move it for about an hour.  It hasn't regained all of its strength yet," the younger brother pointed out.

            Carrot nodded, not having enough energy to argue.  "What happened?  I couldn't remember much after it crushed my arm."

            Marron took in a deep breath.  "We weren't sure ourselves.  We were hoping you knew, and would tell us."

            The door opened cautiously.  Seeing the two men talking, it was flung wide open.

            "Oh, Darling!  I'm so happy your ok!" Chocolat jumped on Carrot.  She was crying.  "I was so worried that you'd die before we could have our baby!"

            Awake from his troubled sleep completely, Carrot now tried prying the hysterical woman off him.

            "Augh! Chocolat! Get off me!" he yelled.

            "Carrot?" another voice chimed in.  Tira was standing there in the door.  "Sister, Carrot's arm can't handle that right now!" she was fuming, as she always did when Chocolat threw herself on him.

            "He could always stand it when he had bruises of us whipping him.  Why is this so different?" Chocolat whimpered, still holding him, but this time much lighter.

            "Because, Sister, he broke his arm.  We never broke any of his limbs."

            "Anyways -" Carrot began, but his attempt to speak up was halted.  Gateau was standing in the doorway, a net full of fish slung over his back.  The trout were still wiggling to get free.

            "Oh, the Baka's finally awake, huh?" he big muscled man commented.

            "I can't believe it," Carrot groaned in disgust.  "The one time I have anything important to say, no one will listen to me!"

            "What, Baka, haven't you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?" the big man taunted.

            "Sure, but this time you SAW the wolf!"

            "Hey, Carrot, did you go through my things?" Tira shouted over the argument.  The question seemed so out of place in the conversation that Carrot, Chocolat, and Gateau stared at her.  "Wait a minute!  Where's the-"

            "-compass?" Marron held up the old and battered tool.  "Right here.  I had a hunch…"

            Had it been any other man, Tira would have taken out her whip and taught them a lesson they wouldn't forget.  He must have had a legitimate reason for it…she thought, and sat down to listen.

            "… that this compass held a mysterious power; more than a magic carpenter could create.  It was the only magic item we had, and at first the facts didn't add up.

            "The Chips have a similar building to Knossoss.  Because they are a weak, but good family, Jingo Roe took the job.  It was to protect themselves and the parsoners they looked over."  The mage paused.

            "But the Chips' family household is in the mountains!" Tira protested.

            "If it were indeed like Knossoss, the mountain would've fallen to pieces," Gateau pointed out tartly.

            "In size and build, it was almost identical.  But as you know, Big Momma warned us about the power increase on the island."  They nodded.  "The Chips maze has been around for years.  If there were a problem, Momma would have dealt with it by now."

            "The population is slightly less in that mountain region, since their home was near Mt. Gum's base," thought Chocolat aloud.

            "… and the two stories don't add up.  That is, until the attack of that demon.

            "For about two weeks now, I've noticed a steady increase in foreign power sources.  One of which was at Knossoss.  At first, I thought it was I wasn't familiar with the magic a magic carpenter can create.  I didn't realize until just recently…" Marron pulled out the shard, "…that this was the real power source."

            There was a stunned silence.  Tira's mind was racing.  No wonder it attacked us!  Even though we didn't know we had it!  Marron put the second shard, the one Carrot had retrieved, next to the first.  Both began to glow a soft bluish-silver.

            "It was glowing like that right before the demon attacked!" she exclaimed.  I didn't know why it did… I thought I was seeing things.  The forehead of that demon was glowing too!"

"That was because she implanted the shard in her head," Carrot indicated the spot on his own head he had hit earlier that day.  "I thought at first all of you could see it.

"When Chocolat missed with her garotte wire," Chocolat stiffened against him.  "I'm not saying you're a bad shot – just the opposite.  If you would have seen that, that shot of yours would have ended it."  Chocolat's eyes became aglow.

"Oh, Darling, you really do love me!" Forgetting his arm, she gave him a mammoth hug once again.

"OUCH!  Chocolat, stop!" She held him tighter.  "Ow, c'mon!  Stop!"  Out of breath, he held her at arms-length.  "I was more worried about it healing itself."

"How did you know it was healing itself?" Gateau asked, dubious.  "None of us knew until Chocolat jumped out of the way.  That head wound was one thing, but when it was in several pieces, I didn't think it would ever come back."

"I couldn't make anything of it, because I didn't know what it was." Tira looked down, dejected.  "If I'd have known, I would've shared it sooner."

            "Tira, Marron's just figured it out.  Don't kick yourself.  None of us knew what was going on," Chocolat let go of Carrot to sit next to her sister.  "That isn't like you.  In fact, we still don't know what's going on."

            "The power source has a name:  Shikon Jewel shard," Marron pointed out.

            Why such a name? The younger Misu sister thought.  Who knows?  Some questions are best left unasked, but this is one we need to face.  What is this thing?

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Ok, tell me the truth.  Did you think this chapter was any good?  If you did, please review.  Reviews are a great encouragement to me, and I write better knowing my work is appreciated.

So, until chapter 3 – Goodbye!