YamiNeko: Hellooooo!! Please don't be mad at me for the slow updates, but finals are next week and I am currently failing three classes, so I've had to get my arse in gear. And then, if that weren't enough, uploading chapters has been hell!! I couldn't log in on the computer with Microsoft word(c) and I couldn't type on the internet station computer, so I've had to type up chapters in the lab and upload them on another computer on campus. I am so tired. ~_~ But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop! I've been writing chapters so all I gotta do is type them. So without further ado, here is chapter 8!! ENJOY!! =^n__n^= Oh, and by the way: '...'= thoughts, "..."= speech, ((...))= me being silly... (...)= a note.
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Chapter 8:Flashback of a close call

*~*
Midori raised her katana over the bubble.

"This girl will join my sister NOW!!
*~*

Midori was ready to cut the girl in two when-

*SHWING!*

Like a bolt of lightening, Midori felt a familiar presence.

'W-what is this power?! Aoi??' The throbbing sensation of her sister's aura pulsed in her ears. "AOI!!"

Her sister's aura was a bit faint than usual, but unmistakable. The shock of this startling revelation caused Midori to bring her arm down, luckily without her previous sense of aim. The blade sliced open the bubble, spewing poor gooey Kagome onto the ground with a squishy *splut* ((AN: ^_^)). But her captor was a bit preoccupied.

"Aoi! My sister! She lives!" Her screech landed on deaf ears as Kagome let out a groan. "Ugh..." She was still covered in glop and was slipping into unconsciousness. Midori was snapped back into the present time and began to furrow her brow; what would she do with this girl now? She was proved to be of no threat after all, but someone could find her and mistake her for a snack and she wouldn't be able to defend herself. Midori picked up her now unconscious prisoner and carried her to a lower level in her quarters, placing her onto a cot in a secluded dungeon cell. Before leaving, she put a warm blanket over Kagome.

"There may be more truth to your story than I thought. If so, Lord Naraku may truly be a threat to both of us." After securing the cell, Midori set out to find her sister.
*~*

"My name is Aoi and about a week ago..."
Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou all sat guardedly around the cat demon. All except Kirara, who was staring contently at the new kitty. For some reason, something seemed dangerously familiar about this demon besides her color. And although Inuyasha could have sworn he had smelled her scent before, he sat quietly as Aoi told her story.

"A few scouts along with my sister and I had set up camp here. We had been hunting. The scouts found a strange demon in the midst of a horrific field covered in demon body parts and pieces. The scouts took pity on him, for he was severely bloodied and weak. He seemed to have survived a battle with some of the more ferocious demons around here. When the scouts tried to help, he insisted he was fine. He told them he was there to request a visit with me. The scouts relayed me his message and I unknowingly walked right into his trap. I would have ran, but he put up some sort of barrier."

"What has this got to do with anything?! We could have found Kagome by now, listening to this cat babble on!! Sheesh!" Inuyasha barked. As soon as the last words left his mouth, he received a swift double-bonk on the head from Sango's boomerang and Miroku's staff. "Let her finish, Inuyasha!" Sango said, annoyed.

"Ahem, as I was saying... He had me trapped. I recognized him as a shifty, perverted character that had taken a shine to me. His name was Naraku."

Four sets of eyes widened at the mention of their archenemy's name. "Naraku?!" Miroku said. "How are you tied up to him?" Inuyasha questioned. Aoi continued. "I have had a previous confrontation with him..."

*~*~* Flashback (insert cool swishy view here ^_^)*~*~*

Naraku signaled Kagura to use her wind from behind Aoi. Aoi, who had been traveling collecting much-needed herbs, heard the foliage crackling behind her. Aoi ran and, as if materializing, appeared behind Kagura. She delivered a swift kick to the back of Kagura's head, sending Kagura to the ground with a thud. Aoi landed cat-like as she scanned the area. She had wandered into someone's territory. And that someone appeared quietly in front of her. Naraku stood quietly as he removed his baboon mask.

"Hnn, what a lovely thing you are. And powerful at that." Naraku caught a glimpse of Kagura trying to pick herself of the ground. ((with swirlies for eyes! @_@)) "I apologize for my minion's attack. I am Naraku." Naraku bowed low before the confused neko. Aoi did not feel comfortable around this being. She could smell the thick scent of lust above the monkey fur. Aoi decided she had better get out of there so she readied a smoke ball behind her back. Just as she was about to throw it, a strong hand grasped her wrist as an arm wrapped around her neck in a tight grip. It was Kagura. Naraku's politeness was merely a distraction for Kagura to sneak up on her as Naraku stepped forward until he was mere inches away from Aoi's face.

"Kukukuku. You are Aoi of the local neko pride," Naraku said heavily. 'Hm, so beautiful, like... Kikyo." A lustful rumble sounded in Naraku's chest. 'Maybe... she can relieve a bit of Onigumo's lust for the dead priestess.'

Aoi could see the wickedly lustful expression on Naraku's face as his eyes scanned her body. 'I will NOT mate with some nut ball in a monkey suit!' she thought. She kicked at Naraku, who effortlessly caught her ankle out at his side, putting Aoi in an even more "compromising" position.

"So feisty... Kukukuku, this should be quite interesting," Naraku growled. 'This is as interesting as it's gonna get!!' Aoi's brain screamed as she used her unrestrained arm to summon a blue, sparkling dagger. ((Think Kuwabara from Yuyu Hakusho)) She swung, aiming for Naraku's neck. Naraku dodged, just barely, but managed to grab her wrist. Her will to fight only proved to further arouse him. "Kagura," he barked, "you are of no use now. Leave us." Kagura obeyed, but only because she did not want to witness what was to come.

Naraku pulled Aoi crushingly against him. Aoi gasped as Naraku's grip tightened on her wrist, causing her to release her weapon. It dropped to the ground and disappeared. "Do not resist me," Naraku whispered, "We can both enjoy this. I may even consider letting you join me." Naraku inhaled her sweet smell, laced with a hint of fear. 'I could use her strengths, as well as her body,' he thought perversely.

Aoi mentally gagged as she suddenly got an idea. She stopped her struggling and tried her best to look relaxed. "Hmm, I have been looking for a strong mate to protect me," Aoi lied in her most seductive voice, "and you are strong and quite the handsome demon. I think I might enjoy joining you." 'Smart cat,' Naraku thought as he smiled in anticipation. Aoi used her free arm to loosen her blue haori tie. She grinned seductively as she let her haori slide down one of her shoulders, revealing the thin wrap of her undergarments that covered her breast. 'Oh, gods, I'll be gargling for weeks after this!' she thought as she nuzzled noses with Naraku and coaxed him into a deep kiss. He moved his grip slowly from her limbs to her waist. As Aoi purred teasingly into Naraku's mouth, she waited until Naraku went undo the closure of his fur-thingy. As soon as both his hands were off of her, she kneed him in the nethers as hard as physically possible. Naraku let out a less-than-manly scream as he felt his arousal crunch agonizingly. Onigumo's lust had been his downfall. Aoi quickly threw a smoke ball to cloud his senses further as she ran for her life. But she couldn't hide the smirk on her face. "Men..."
*~*~* End flashback *~*~*

Sango and Inuyasha barely stifled her laughter, while Miroku, though amused, cringed in a bit of sympathy. Shippou, not quite sure he understood, decided to ask Aoi a question. "So how on earth did you end up in a tree if you got away?"
"Well, as I was saying before, I went to meet with him, not knowing it was him until too late. He attacked me again with some white child ((AN: not trying to be racist here!!)) with a mirror. I think she tried to suck up my soul, but I managed to get away before it was completely absorbed. I used my magic to create a sealing spell and fired it at him. But the girl with the mirror absorbed it and Naraku managed to alter it and fire it back at me. In my weakened state, I could not escape. He sealed me to that tree and called forward vines to slowly sap me of life until I died. I would have been dead by the morning, had it not been for you. I owe you my life." Aoi took another bite of the bread Sango had given her. Inuyasha looked at her hard. "So how does this help us?"

Aoi placed her finger to her chin. "Well, I seem to remember Naraku using the part of my soul the girl stole from me and made it into quite a formidable beast with glowing glass pieces in its head. It looked a bit like me, but-" "But it was larger, dark blue, and furry all over with two tails?" Inuyasha said, maybe a bit louder than necessary. "Why, yes! He created it to attack someone; an inu-hanyou. I believed it to be you. I also believed that you killed the beast because my soul returned to me. It gave me the strength to hold on a bit longer."

"I knew it!! I never forget a scent!" Inuyasha said proudly.
"But, Inuyasha, didn't you forget the way the ball smelled and got in trouble?" Shippou questioned, right before he was kicked across the campsite.
"Midori, that bitch!! She poisoned me and took my Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, before realizing what he had said.
"Midori?! That is my sister!" Aoi said, wide-eyed.
Inuyasha stared down at the neko. He was beginning to piece things together. "Your sister thinks I killed you for your jewel shards. She took my-I mean, um, our friend Kagome."
"But wait, how does Naraku fit into this?" Sango said, "I have a strong feeling he is further involved in this."
"You may be right," Miroku said sagely.
"Either way, if my sister has your friend, we haven't much time. Midori was never very patient to kill. I will take you to my pride!" Aoi stood up quickly, then fell back down with swirly eyes.
"She is still weak. I will carry her," Miroku offered.
"No, *I* will carry her on Kirara, houshi!" Sango insisted. Miroku hadn't made a move on her for a while, but Sango didn't trust him around the dizzy neko. For some reason, the thought of Miroku randomly groping other women made her blood boil. She was beginning to wonder why he hadn't tried to pat her rear or pinch her breast in over a week, although he always seemed to be staring at her with a charming glow on his face.

Much...like he was now...

Sango's face blushed as she held a small scowl on her face and helped Aoi onto Kirara. 'Stupid houshi. Always looking at me... He's probably undressing me with his eyes, the lecher. What would he think if I were to do that to him? Stupid pervert' Her blush grew deeper as she actually began to do so. She imagined his well-toned chest and arms as they wrapped around her, their faces just an inch from each other... She hadn't actually realized that their faces suddenly *were* just an inch apart. The clever monk had moved forward and was about to kiss her when-
**SMACK!!**

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WOOOO! So how do ya like that?! I tried making it as long as possible, but its 11pm and I gotta get back to my dorm before the storm starts up again... I will try real hard to post again tomorrow, but its Easter, so I dunno if the labs will be open. Keep your fingers crossed! I cant cuz mine are cramped from typing... =^;__;^= Owie... I'd better get some reviews for this!!! Also let me know if ya want a lemon in the story. I'm already thinking of putting in a songfic as one of the chapters, but I love lemons. But if ya don't want one, that's totally cool, just say so!! If not, I'll just make it limey... I'm such a pervert sometimes... heheh... And shoutout to hersheykiss, Child of the Dawn, Kenyasha, Brownie-luving-Icee-chan, AnzGurl_89, Jibun Teki, and all of my other loyal, lovely reviewers!! Thanx you guys for stickin by me!! I WUV YOU!!! And a note: I typed this last night and the computer crashed. I was so pissed cuz I thought the story was gone. So I came in here to retype it and decided to use the one I used last night. When I logged into the system and opened Word, MY PAPER WAS SITTING HERE WAITING FOR MEEE!!! How's THAT for a happy Easter?! So now it's up to you guys! REVIEW! And remember: Lizzie Luvs you!! =^0__-^=[G1]
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