Kiyomisa: Ne, Sasali-chan, could you maybe e-mail me a pic of Souten? (and Ayame if you could ^-^) It'd make it easier to write 'em in. Waaaahhhhh!! So many couples and everyone wanting different ones!! Oh well, it's my own stupid fault for making so many ^-^.
* * *
Ranma sat in the room they'd gotten for the night telling the others about Ryoga having youkai blood.
"Well that explains a lot," Mousse said when he'd finished.
"Hai," Sango agreed.
"I wonder how Ryoga's taking it…" Akane murmured.
"Being part youkai is nothing to be ashamed off," Miroku began wisely. "Especially since he's proved himself our ally and friend so many times. No, I'm worried about how Inu-Yasha will take it."
Sango blinked. "Why would he take it any differently?"
"Wolves and dogs do not get along."
"Inu-Yasha better than that!" Shampoo scolded the monk, glaring at him.
Miroku raised his eyebrows. "I never said he wasn't. I'm just saying it might be something he needs to mull over for a while."
A villager came in, an anxious look on his face. "Pardon me, but another youkai has appeared, Exterminators."
Sango got a glint in her eye and stood up, shouldering her boomerang. "Good, maybe it'll put up more of a fight this time."
"Shampoo help. Sitting doing nothing boring!" the amazon stated firmly, standing up as well.
"I'll come too," Mousse declared, standing up and wrapping his arms around his fiancée's waist.
"It might not require anything other than a simple ofuda," Miroku scolded and stood up as well. Ranma and Akane watched as they all trooped out, Sango arguing with Miroku.
"How's your foot Akane?" Ranma asked after a few moments of silence.
Akane blinked in surprise. "It's doing much better…why?"
Ranma frowned slightly. "I was jus' worried, that's all."
"Oh. Thank you for asking."
"Sure, no problem."
Akane yawned and Ranma glanced at her again. "You tired?"
Akane made an angry face and opened her to mouth to reply indignantly, but she thought better of it and nodded instead. Ranma looked around the room.
"Well…we don't have any pillows…I guess you could use me, if ya wanted."
Akane stared at him in disbelief, and Ranma fidgeted uncomfortably.
"What?" he demanded irritably.
"You're being nice," Akane said.
Ranma scowled. "You don't have to sound so surprised," he muttered sulkily, crossing his arms petulantly over his chest. He started when something warm rested on his thigh. Akane had put her head in his lap. "I like it when you're nice," she murmured, her eyes already closed.
Same here, Ranma thought, a small smile appearing on his face as Akane snuggled a tad closer. He laid his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it comfortably until she fell asleep.
* * *
Ukyo finally stopped running at the other end of the village. She sat down at the base of a tree and curled up, hiding her face in her arms.
"Ukyo…" Meinu murmured as she and Kagome caught up to her. The two moved towards Ukyo, only to stop when a disgusted snort caught their attention. Sesshoumaru was standing just beyond the village boundaries, his eyes narrowed in distaste at Ukyo.
"Pathetic, she's not even injured."
"Now listen here you-" Kagome began, but stopped when Meinu placed a hand on her arm.
"Let me speak with him, Kagome-san. You stay with Ukyo."
There was a look of determination on the youkai's face that Kagome hadn't seen before. "Are you sure Meinu, I mean-"
"I'll be fine."
Meinu strode over to the demon lord determined not to let the trembling in her legs affect her composure. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow questioningly at her. Meinu swallowed nervously.
"Have you decided to accept my offer?" He inquired in voice so low that only she could hear him.
Before she knew what she was doing, Meinu had slapped him sharply across the cheek. "How dare you! Have you no feelings at all!?" she hissed. Then with a gasp, she covered her mouth, terrified of what she had done.
Sesshoumaru's eyes seemed to glow dangerously as they narrowed angrily at her. "I assure you, I'm not as unfeeling as you think," he spat. He snapped his fingers and Jaken appeared with the two-headed dragon. Sesshoumaru grabbed Meinu and leapt onto the dragon gracefully, she struggling uselessly in his arms.
"Meinu!!" Ukyo and Kagome cried, leaping up at the sight.
"Ukyo, Kagome-san!" she cried back before the dragon sped off so fast that it seemed to vanish.
"We have to get the others!" Kagome grabbed Ukyo's arm and they tore off to the village, unaware of the eyes watching them.
"If I were to rescue her friend, Kagome would definitely fall for me," Kouga murmured to himself.
"Don't be stupid!" Ayame snapped under her breath, earning herself a glare from Kouga. "Don't you know who that was? That was Sesshoumaru! His father was ruler of the Western Lands! "
"So? He's only a dog," Kouga retorted as he stood up. "Besides, Kagome'd be impressed."
"Then I'm coming too. I can't just let my fiancé get killed, even if it is tempting…" Ayame muttered the last under her breath.
"All right then, let's go!" Kouga ignored her and tore off in the direction the dragon went, Ayame keeping up with him as his lackeys got left behind yet again.
* * *
"Honestly Sango-sama, my hand slipped! It was an accident!"
"Oh really Houshi-sama!? I don't recall asking you to stand behind me like that!"
"Me no think those two ever get along," Shampoo murmured to Mousse. Mousse laughed.
"You're right. I don't think Ukyo was right about them after all."
"Mmm…Mousse…Shampoo hear there hot-spring near village…" Shampoo purred, looking up at him coyly. Mousse reached up to push up glasses that weren't there out of nervous habit.
"Is-is that so?" he stammered, feeling his face heat up.
"Unh hunh," Shampoo confirmed, slinking closer and toying with the top tie on his shirt. "Airen go to spring with Shampoo?" she inquired silkily.
Mousse grinned widely, though his face was watermelon red. "O-of course!"
Shampoo giggled and tugged on his arm to lead him away. Neither Miroku nor Sango noticed their disappearance.
"Now Sango, a beautiful woman like yourself should be flattered by such attention," Miroku tried, flashing her a smile. Sango was momentarily caught off guard, but then her face reddened even more and she slammed her boomerang on top of the monk's head, knocking him soundly onto the ground.
"How dare you mock me!"
"Sango! Miroku!"
"Kagome? What's wrong?" Sango demanded as Kagome and Ukyo came running up, clearly worried.
"It's Meinu-she's-been kidnapped by Sesshoumaru!"
"Nani!?" an enraged voice said from the other side of the street. The four turned to see Ryoga and Inu-Yasha standing there with twin furious expressions.
"We're going to get her back," Inu-Yasha growled before heading down the street.
"Wait, shouldn't we get the others?" Kagome called after him.
"No time, and besides, we don't need them!"
"We have to get Meinu-san back," Ryoga added, ignoring the angry/grateful look that flitted across Ukyo's face.
"Are you sure she's in danger?" Miroku inquired, brushing dust off of his robes as they hurried after the two part-demons.
"What are you saying Houshi?" Ryoga snarled.
"Sesshoumaru doesn't seem the type to take hostages, or to take someone away to kill them. He must have some other motive."
"Who cares what his motive is!? All we have to do is stop him!" Ukyo interrupted, glaring at the monk.
"All right, I was merely stating an observation," Miroku muttered. The group followed Inu-Yasha as he pause every once in a while to sniff out the trail before zooming on again.
What ever his half-brother had in mind for the gentle youkai, Inu-Yasha wasn't about to let him get away with it.
* * *
Kiyomisa: Umm…yeah….please don't hurt me! I have no control over them whatsoever! They made me write it I swear! Oh, and I am very sorry this took longer to get out…I got myself involved in another story. Super Smash Bros. Melee shonen-ai…don't ask…so it may take me a little bit longer than normal to get the next chappie out…*bows* thank you for your patience!
