Disclaimer: I do not own Inu yasha or Sesshy... or Yu Yu Hakusho.. Thus I
do not own any animes.. Woe is me!!! ::Acts out Shakespear's plays,
reshaped for anime content:: To be, or not to be.. the answer is NO. Oh
woe betides upon my poor soul not to own an anime of my own.. Hey I
rhymed!! Wow!! I'm soo happy, now what was I saying??? *_*
Hey everybody! I'm sorry I didn't answer each reveiw like I did last chappie, but there are a few at the bottom of the page. There is also a poll going on.. For everyone who wants to know the pairing of this fic... just to let cha know .. ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JAPANESE DICTIONARY: Kaimei - means darkness. Since he is the evil dude in this story, that's his name.. Hidama - means fireball/ Falling Star. It's a demon province where Kaimei's castle is. Once was called Seito-Kaasuto. Seito-Kaasuto - means Star castle. Where the goddess lived. Seito is the name of the city. Tsukiyo - means moonlit night. Is the name of the goddess who banished Kaimei to darkness. Gachi - means elegance; grace. Since Tsukiyo's mark is a swan, it only fits.. Youkai - Demon
~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~* Roses and Tears
Chapter 5 ~ All Work and Play **************************************
Kagome shouted at quick good bye to her mother, as she ran out the door. As she did, she could faintly hear her mother yell her good byes as well, before the door slammed shut. She started running torwards the stairs. Her eyes caught sight of the well house, only stopping as she passed by the doorway.
.. Shippou.... Sango... Miroku....
.... Inu yasha.....
She shook her hand roughly as soon as the thoughts entered her head, and started running again, not looking back.. never look back.. She told herself sternly. Her eyes were wide open, a slight frown gracing her lips, her hair pulled back in two braids, flying wildly behind her in her mad dash. She was late, her alarm hadn't gone off, and on her first day back to school too. It had been three days since her little 'incident' and her foot was healed enough to walk on, and most of her bruises were paling, showing in another day or two they'd be gone.
Each day Hojo came and visited her, only she had not seen hair nor eye of her savior.
'I wonder what he's doing right now..' She thought friviously, finally reaching the sidewalk. She started racing down the street, looking at her watch, with her plain gray eyes. Class was starting in three minutes, and the high school was several blocks away, and would take well over ten minutes to reach. eight if she ran the whole way. This was when she needed to pull off some miko magic to slow time or delay school from starting!!
She whizzed around the corner, barely dodging a flash of green, by spinning out of the way, only yelling a quick "Sorry!!" over he shoulder as she bolted away, the boy clad in a green school uniform only look at her scowling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Stupid girl, doesn't she know there's no hurry? It was just school..' Yusuke thought, as he dug his hands in his pockets, and started walking away.
Suddenly a certain blue haired girl, floated down beside him.
"Hey Boton.." He said, in an unfriendly tone.
"Well, well aren't we all sunshine and merry in the morning.." She scolded, although a smile played on her lips anyways.
"What do you wan't Boton?"
"Koenma is calling a emergeny meeting for all the spirit detectives. Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara are already there."
"I'm busy.." He said closing his eyes. She frowned.
"Well have it your way..."
In the blink of an eye, he started dissapearing, slowly starting at his feet, moving upwards. Boton floating away from him.
"I'll meet you there Yusuke." She called cheerfully after him.
"Boton why I should---" Before he could say more, he had completely dissapeared, only appearing again in a different realm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I have called you all here today.." Koenma said, sometime later after Yusuke calmed down, "Of an evil thats is threatening to take over the living realm, and the shadow realm."
"What?!" Kuwabara started. Everyone ignored him.
"Let me finish. His name is Kaimei. He is a very powerful demon sorceror from Hidama, a demon province, long forgotten. The story is.. Sometime long ago, about five-hundred years ago in that same province, only called Seito-Kaasuto(AN: means: Star Castle..), was ruled by a powerful goddess, called Tsukiyo, ruled the land kindly, but with an iron fist for wrong do- ers. All the people were happy with their beloved ruler. Until Kaimei came along. He hated the goddess, and tried to curse her. Only she caught him first, and managed to seal him in his on hatred. Unfortunately this came as a great price. It drained her most of her power, leaving her almost dead. So she sent her spirit away, to be reborn again, as her dying hope was to once again return and save her country from whatever darkness had claimed it before her awakening.
"About five years ago, a demon released him, and now all he hungers for now is the goddess' life, and will not rest until he claims it. She is the only one who know the secret to defeat him, if we do not find her before he does, all the realms are doomed. You MUST find her. Or my father will kill me.." He whined at the very end.
"So let me get this straight.. We have to find a girl, who doesn't know who she is, and she could be anywhere in either realms." Yusuke said agitated.
"Yes, only you can find her only one way..." Koenma started folding his arms.
"And that would be..?" Kurama asked.
"Whenever he powers manifest, a mark which looks like a swan, etched in to her skin. It is called a Gachi mark."
"So.. Thats all we have to find a girl?!?!" Kuwabara yelled.
"Oh and she should be really beautiful..."
"THAT should help a lot Koenma.." Yusuke said sarcastically. He ignored him.
"So everyone agrees to take on the case?"
"Yeah!!" Kuwabara said honorable.. or at least tried.
"Sure, don't have nothing better to do.." Yusuke said.
"Yes." Kurama said evenly.
There was silence.
"Hiei?"
"Actually I couldn't care less what happens to either of the realms, but I haven't had much excersise in awhile, so why not.."
"Great. All of you start on the case right away, starting in the living realm." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome groaned, her head falling on the table, only slightly painful to her forehead.
"Kagome what's wrong?" Eri asked her, sipping her Cola.
"Too... much.. math...."
"Well what did you expect?!" Ayumi asked, glaring half-heartedly at her friend.
"You WERE gone for THREE WHOLE DAYS.. and you missed all those days earlier this year. No wonder you are having so much trouble..."
Kagome only groaned again.
"Gee, thanks for being so supportive..." She muttured in to the table. He friends didn't hear her... or just ignored her comment.
"So Kagome what's going on between you and Hojo?" Eri asked innocently.
Kagome bolted up, blushing.
"Nothing! Aren't you guys tired about always talking about that?!"
"We'll give it up, when either you confess you love.. or he becomes disinterested.. But we highly doubt either one happening.."
She glared at them, packing her things in her bag.
"I'm going to go sit in the courtyard until lunch ends. Bye you evil friends!" She yelled waving, as she walked back, mutturing the last part.
They waved back.
Smiling devilishly as she went out of the lunchroom, heading out for the open sunshine and green grass, and most of all.... silence... She smiled broadly at the thought.
'Quiet, Quiet, Oh so quiet silence. No sounds to listen to Away from gossip and yelling too. oh Peace and Quiet. Too good to be true.'
She sang in her head, humming aloud. Kagome was heading for her favorite spot. Right under the cherry trees, with the blossoms in full bloom. She found it vacant, running over to it joyously.
Plopping down, setting her bag beside her, she made herself comfortable. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, crossing her ankles. Pulling out a apple from her bag, she bit in to it happily.
Chewing, she watched the students relaxing in the outdoors with her as well. Outside the school gates, cars zoomed by, or slowed in the traffic jams.
Taking another bite, she watched people walking down the sidewalks. Some were wearing expensive suits. Others in casual wear, or gang clothes. Kagome's eye caught sight of boy with long red hair,and green eyes..
'Kurama!' She thought mentally. She was about to stand up, and call out his name when she noticed who he was walking with. There was a tall gangly boy, with a mop of orange-red hair, wearing a blue uniform. Standing behind him was A shorter boy, with black hair spiked up, where heavy looking black clothes, although his looks matched that of the taller boy. Then, in the fron, beside Kurama was a boy in a green uniform, his hands stuck in his pockets, a bored expression on his face, who looked slightly familiar, althought she couldn't place her finger on it..
"So.. he's part of a gang..' She thought sullenly. She hadn't expected him of that, for some reason. He seemed the honorable, kind type. Not someone who would cut classes, or pushed smaller kid around, or pick fights with people. Well he was a youkai, what else would he do? All the demons she had ever encountered, were well.... jerks. Pushy, inconsiderate, narrow-minded, short tempered, minus Sesshomaru, who never showed Emotion, and most were inpulsive. Jerks. Total Jerks.
She sighed.
Setting her apple core to the side, to throw away later, and pulled out a sheet of paper, and started copying notes from her opened book.
Yuk. Math.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey does anyone know exactly where we are going?" Yusuke asked, looking around at the people standing around them.
"Well, maybe we should split up, and search in different directions. We might find her faster." Kurama suggested.
"Yeah!! I call the Sugurshi private girls school!!" Kuwabara claimed.
"Does your stupidity know no ends?" Hiei commented, glaring at the angry baboon.
"What did you call me you midget--?!?!" Kuwabara yelled, balling up his fists.
A slight wind was picking up, blowing cherry blossoms in to their faces.
"Whoa thats pretty.." Kuwabara stated, stopping his attack at Hiei.
The blossoms were floating around them, like feathers, filling the air with a slight alluring smell.
"Hiei.." Kurama said, suddenly sniffing the air. Hiei was doing so as well.
"Do you smell that as well?" Hiei finished for him. He nodded.
"What?" Kuwabara asked trying to sniff the air too.
"You idiot you can't smell it. Only youkai with sensitive noses can." Yusuke said, closing his eyes.
"Oh. Yeah." He said. Closing his eyes in suit.
Meanwhile both demons, looked at each other.
Hiei snorted.
Kurama sighed.
They both turned forwards again, continueing walking, only stopping when they heard Kuwabara roar,
"Wow look look at that chick!! She's HOT!!"
They all looked to where he was pointing. Sitting under the cherry trees was a girl, writing.
Her hair was back in braids, while her ebony bangs fluttered in the breeze, covering her eyes. She was sitting comfortably, tapping her pencil on the paper, as if trying to solve a difficult problem. Her lips were in a slight frown, as she bit her lower lip. On her wrist was a bandage, and she had a few bandaids on her arms, and legs.
All of their observations ended when, a school bell rang. Startling all of them, even though they kept watching her anyways. She started shoving her things in her bag, standing up, dusting off her green skirt. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she lifted her face up, giving them a good veiw of her face, as she smiled in the sunlight.
"Kagome..?" Kurama whispered, looking startled, as did Yusuke. Kuwabara started yelling, grabbing his shoulders.
"What you KNOW her?!!? Why didn't you TELL ME?!?!" He shouted.
He gulped, looking nervously over at Kagome, and found her looking straight at him. He blushed slightly, as she grinned, waving to him, earning another plea from Kuwabara to introduce her to him.
She tapped her wrist, acting like a watch was there, then held up four fingers, then pointing at the entrance way.
Kurama understood loud and clear.
'School ends at four. Meet me at the gate.'
He nodded, and She smiled before turning away, and heading back in to the building.
He sighed, as Kuwabara, finally let go of him, Yusuke pulling him off, calling him a variety of insults.
Kurama looked at the sky, as if asking for help.
Meanwhile Hiei was having problems of his own. Her scent was... bothering him. It was enticing, as if her soul radiated innocense and beauty. He found himself staring at her like a jewel... What was wrong with him?!?
He shook his head. This case might be more difficult then I expected. She better not tey to tag along.. He thought stubbornly.
The four boys stood there. Two fighting, one staring in to nothing-ness, and the other lost in their own little world..
Hard to imagine, these are the four that were earth's last hope....
*************************************** Yep. That is an okay ending I guess.. I'm writing this at 12:30 a.m., so sorry for any spelling mistakes, or other things. Its been a VERY long day. I was up to 3am last night, and woke up 7:30am, and now here I am*yawn*. Oh, yeah, anyways.. I have decided to set up a poll on who you want the pairing to be. Either:
Kagome/Kurama
or
Kagome/Hiei
or
Both
I can use both by writing two seperate endings, listed as Kurama pages or Hiei pages, so both sides win(Sorta Alternative endings). Even though it'll be alot of work, It's okay with me, so I don't mind. Please tell me what you think okay? Open to suggestions as well. I'll set up result with each chappie, and at one point or another I'll tally up da votes, and see which way you guys what this story to end... okay? Well until next times, Read, Choose, reveiw gomen! bye!!
Hey everybody! I'm sorry I didn't answer each reveiw like I did last chappie, but there are a few at the bottom of the page. There is also a poll going on.. For everyone who wants to know the pairing of this fic... just to let cha know .. ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ JAPANESE DICTIONARY: Kaimei - means darkness. Since he is the evil dude in this story, that's his name.. Hidama - means fireball/ Falling Star. It's a demon province where Kaimei's castle is. Once was called Seito-Kaasuto. Seito-Kaasuto - means Star castle. Where the goddess lived. Seito is the name of the city. Tsukiyo - means moonlit night. Is the name of the goddess who banished Kaimei to darkness. Gachi - means elegance; grace. Since Tsukiyo's mark is a swan, it only fits.. Youkai - Demon
~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~*~*~~* Roses and Tears
Chapter 5 ~ All Work and Play **************************************
Kagome shouted at quick good bye to her mother, as she ran out the door. As she did, she could faintly hear her mother yell her good byes as well, before the door slammed shut. She started running torwards the stairs. Her eyes caught sight of the well house, only stopping as she passed by the doorway.
.. Shippou.... Sango... Miroku....
.... Inu yasha.....
She shook her hand roughly as soon as the thoughts entered her head, and started running again, not looking back.. never look back.. She told herself sternly. Her eyes were wide open, a slight frown gracing her lips, her hair pulled back in two braids, flying wildly behind her in her mad dash. She was late, her alarm hadn't gone off, and on her first day back to school too. It had been three days since her little 'incident' and her foot was healed enough to walk on, and most of her bruises were paling, showing in another day or two they'd be gone.
Each day Hojo came and visited her, only she had not seen hair nor eye of her savior.
'I wonder what he's doing right now..' She thought friviously, finally reaching the sidewalk. She started racing down the street, looking at her watch, with her plain gray eyes. Class was starting in three minutes, and the high school was several blocks away, and would take well over ten minutes to reach. eight if she ran the whole way. This was when she needed to pull off some miko magic to slow time or delay school from starting!!
She whizzed around the corner, barely dodging a flash of green, by spinning out of the way, only yelling a quick "Sorry!!" over he shoulder as she bolted away, the boy clad in a green school uniform only look at her scowling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Stupid girl, doesn't she know there's no hurry? It was just school..' Yusuke thought, as he dug his hands in his pockets, and started walking away.
Suddenly a certain blue haired girl, floated down beside him.
"Hey Boton.." He said, in an unfriendly tone.
"Well, well aren't we all sunshine and merry in the morning.." She scolded, although a smile played on her lips anyways.
"What do you wan't Boton?"
"Koenma is calling a emergeny meeting for all the spirit detectives. Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara are already there."
"I'm busy.." He said closing his eyes. She frowned.
"Well have it your way..."
In the blink of an eye, he started dissapearing, slowly starting at his feet, moving upwards. Boton floating away from him.
"I'll meet you there Yusuke." She called cheerfully after him.
"Boton why I should---" Before he could say more, he had completely dissapeared, only appearing again in a different realm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I have called you all here today.." Koenma said, sometime later after Yusuke calmed down, "Of an evil thats is threatening to take over the living realm, and the shadow realm."
"What?!" Kuwabara started. Everyone ignored him.
"Let me finish. His name is Kaimei. He is a very powerful demon sorceror from Hidama, a demon province, long forgotten. The story is.. Sometime long ago, about five-hundred years ago in that same province, only called Seito-Kaasuto(AN: means: Star Castle..), was ruled by a powerful goddess, called Tsukiyo, ruled the land kindly, but with an iron fist for wrong do- ers. All the people were happy with their beloved ruler. Until Kaimei came along. He hated the goddess, and tried to curse her. Only she caught him first, and managed to seal him in his on hatred. Unfortunately this came as a great price. It drained her most of her power, leaving her almost dead. So she sent her spirit away, to be reborn again, as her dying hope was to once again return and save her country from whatever darkness had claimed it before her awakening.
"About five years ago, a demon released him, and now all he hungers for now is the goddess' life, and will not rest until he claims it. She is the only one who know the secret to defeat him, if we do not find her before he does, all the realms are doomed. You MUST find her. Or my father will kill me.." He whined at the very end.
"So let me get this straight.. We have to find a girl, who doesn't know who she is, and she could be anywhere in either realms." Yusuke said agitated.
"Yes, only you can find her only one way..." Koenma started folding his arms.
"And that would be..?" Kurama asked.
"Whenever he powers manifest, a mark which looks like a swan, etched in to her skin. It is called a Gachi mark."
"So.. Thats all we have to find a girl?!?!" Kuwabara yelled.
"Oh and she should be really beautiful..."
"THAT should help a lot Koenma.." Yusuke said sarcastically. He ignored him.
"So everyone agrees to take on the case?"
"Yeah!!" Kuwabara said honorable.. or at least tried.
"Sure, don't have nothing better to do.." Yusuke said.
"Yes." Kurama said evenly.
There was silence.
"Hiei?"
"Actually I couldn't care less what happens to either of the realms, but I haven't had much excersise in awhile, so why not.."
"Great. All of you start on the case right away, starting in the living realm." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome groaned, her head falling on the table, only slightly painful to her forehead.
"Kagome what's wrong?" Eri asked her, sipping her Cola.
"Too... much.. math...."
"Well what did you expect?!" Ayumi asked, glaring half-heartedly at her friend.
"You WERE gone for THREE WHOLE DAYS.. and you missed all those days earlier this year. No wonder you are having so much trouble..."
Kagome only groaned again.
"Gee, thanks for being so supportive..." She muttured in to the table. He friends didn't hear her... or just ignored her comment.
"So Kagome what's going on between you and Hojo?" Eri asked innocently.
Kagome bolted up, blushing.
"Nothing! Aren't you guys tired about always talking about that?!"
"We'll give it up, when either you confess you love.. or he becomes disinterested.. But we highly doubt either one happening.."
She glared at them, packing her things in her bag.
"I'm going to go sit in the courtyard until lunch ends. Bye you evil friends!" She yelled waving, as she walked back, mutturing the last part.
They waved back.
Smiling devilishly as she went out of the lunchroom, heading out for the open sunshine and green grass, and most of all.... silence... She smiled broadly at the thought.
'Quiet, Quiet, Oh so quiet silence. No sounds to listen to Away from gossip and yelling too. oh Peace and Quiet. Too good to be true.'
She sang in her head, humming aloud. Kagome was heading for her favorite spot. Right under the cherry trees, with the blossoms in full bloom. She found it vacant, running over to it joyously.
Plopping down, setting her bag beside her, she made herself comfortable. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, crossing her ankles. Pulling out a apple from her bag, she bit in to it happily.
Chewing, she watched the students relaxing in the outdoors with her as well. Outside the school gates, cars zoomed by, or slowed in the traffic jams.
Taking another bite, she watched people walking down the sidewalks. Some were wearing expensive suits. Others in casual wear, or gang clothes. Kagome's eye caught sight of boy with long red hair,and green eyes..
'Kurama!' She thought mentally. She was about to stand up, and call out his name when she noticed who he was walking with. There was a tall gangly boy, with a mop of orange-red hair, wearing a blue uniform. Standing behind him was A shorter boy, with black hair spiked up, where heavy looking black clothes, although his looks matched that of the taller boy. Then, in the fron, beside Kurama was a boy in a green uniform, his hands stuck in his pockets, a bored expression on his face, who looked slightly familiar, althought she couldn't place her finger on it..
"So.. he's part of a gang..' She thought sullenly. She hadn't expected him of that, for some reason. He seemed the honorable, kind type. Not someone who would cut classes, or pushed smaller kid around, or pick fights with people. Well he was a youkai, what else would he do? All the demons she had ever encountered, were well.... jerks. Pushy, inconsiderate, narrow-minded, short tempered, minus Sesshomaru, who never showed Emotion, and most were inpulsive. Jerks. Total Jerks.
She sighed.
Setting her apple core to the side, to throw away later, and pulled out a sheet of paper, and started copying notes from her opened book.
Yuk. Math.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey does anyone know exactly where we are going?" Yusuke asked, looking around at the people standing around them.
"Well, maybe we should split up, and search in different directions. We might find her faster." Kurama suggested.
"Yeah!! I call the Sugurshi private girls school!!" Kuwabara claimed.
"Does your stupidity know no ends?" Hiei commented, glaring at the angry baboon.
"What did you call me you midget--?!?!" Kuwabara yelled, balling up his fists.
A slight wind was picking up, blowing cherry blossoms in to their faces.
"Whoa thats pretty.." Kuwabara stated, stopping his attack at Hiei.
The blossoms were floating around them, like feathers, filling the air with a slight alluring smell.
"Hiei.." Kurama said, suddenly sniffing the air. Hiei was doing so as well.
"Do you smell that as well?" Hiei finished for him. He nodded.
"What?" Kuwabara asked trying to sniff the air too.
"You idiot you can't smell it. Only youkai with sensitive noses can." Yusuke said, closing his eyes.
"Oh. Yeah." He said. Closing his eyes in suit.
Meanwhile both demons, looked at each other.
Hiei snorted.
Kurama sighed.
They both turned forwards again, continueing walking, only stopping when they heard Kuwabara roar,
"Wow look look at that chick!! She's HOT!!"
They all looked to where he was pointing. Sitting under the cherry trees was a girl, writing.
Her hair was back in braids, while her ebony bangs fluttered in the breeze, covering her eyes. She was sitting comfortably, tapping her pencil on the paper, as if trying to solve a difficult problem. Her lips were in a slight frown, as she bit her lower lip. On her wrist was a bandage, and she had a few bandaids on her arms, and legs.
All of their observations ended when, a school bell rang. Startling all of them, even though they kept watching her anyways. She started shoving her things in her bag, standing up, dusting off her green skirt. Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she lifted her face up, giving them a good veiw of her face, as she smiled in the sunlight.
"Kagome..?" Kurama whispered, looking startled, as did Yusuke. Kuwabara started yelling, grabbing his shoulders.
"What you KNOW her?!!? Why didn't you TELL ME?!?!" He shouted.
He gulped, looking nervously over at Kagome, and found her looking straight at him. He blushed slightly, as she grinned, waving to him, earning another plea from Kuwabara to introduce her to him.
She tapped her wrist, acting like a watch was there, then held up four fingers, then pointing at the entrance way.
Kurama understood loud and clear.
'School ends at four. Meet me at the gate.'
He nodded, and She smiled before turning away, and heading back in to the building.
He sighed, as Kuwabara, finally let go of him, Yusuke pulling him off, calling him a variety of insults.
Kurama looked at the sky, as if asking for help.
Meanwhile Hiei was having problems of his own. Her scent was... bothering him. It was enticing, as if her soul radiated innocense and beauty. He found himself staring at her like a jewel... What was wrong with him?!?
He shook his head. This case might be more difficult then I expected. She better not tey to tag along.. He thought stubbornly.
The four boys stood there. Two fighting, one staring in to nothing-ness, and the other lost in their own little world..
Hard to imagine, these are the four that were earth's last hope....
*************************************** Yep. That is an okay ending I guess.. I'm writing this at 12:30 a.m., so sorry for any spelling mistakes, or other things. Its been a VERY long day. I was up to 3am last night, and woke up 7:30am, and now here I am*yawn*. Oh, yeah, anyways.. I have decided to set up a poll on who you want the pairing to be. Either:
Kagome/Kurama
or
Kagome/Hiei
or
Both
I can use both by writing two seperate endings, listed as Kurama pages or Hiei pages, so both sides win(Sorta Alternative endings). Even though it'll be alot of work, It's okay with me, so I don't mind. Please tell me what you think okay? Open to suggestions as well. I'll set up result with each chappie, and at one point or another I'll tally up da votes, and see which way you guys what this story to end... okay? Well until next times, Read, Choose, reveiw gomen! bye!!