~Disclaimer...
(Much to Nika's dismay, Yusuke and friends took her precious Kuramy-poo away. After having a good cry and vowing to find him again, she had amused herself with Fluffy. ^_- But she had quickly gotten bored with him, O.O, and decided a night out on the town with her favorite 'bad dog' would be a good distraction. So now...we gaze upon an earily empty house...)
......silence.......more silence......even more silence......."meow!"-(What the...!?)
--ring!-ring!-ring!-ring!-click--
Nika's voice: "I'm sorry. No one's home to say that Mistress Nika does not own InuYasha. But if you leave a message at the beep, I'll get back to you later. Bye!" *beeeeeeep!*
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Previously:
"You cannot leave." he said, as if it were the truth.
She looked back at him, a look of bemusement on her face. Her smirk returned and she said simply, "I wasn't planning to."
Now:
Naraku refused to admit it, but this girl frightened him. For the first time, he actually feared someone. And it wasn't anything tangeable that made him feel this way. Sure, she was obviously powerful. But, it was the way she spoke. Her voice radiated power and authority greater than his own, as if he were beneath her. And she obviously didn't fear him. But he wondered why she didn't just leave. He could not hold her there against her wish, and yet she stayed. Just as he was about to question her on this, Kagura burst in.
She said rapidly, "An army approaches from the North!" (A/N-I have never seen the episodes with Kanna and Kagura and have never heard her speak, so sorry if this seems so totally not-her)
Naraku seemed unconcerned and asked, "Who's army is it?"
She replied quickly, "It's the Demon Lord of the North, Ryuichi, and an army of taiyoukai!"
Naraku was on his feet in a flash. "What?" he said.
Kagura nodded and said, "They've finally begun their attack! And their army, it's three times the size we thought!"
Now Naraku was concerned, but not overly. So what if the army consisted of nothing but the most powerful of youkai? He would still emerge triumphant. But there was a little voice nagging at the back of his head that said he should be cautious.
Shizuka however was very concerned. She knew what was going to happen, and she knew she couldn't allow it to. For as long as she could remember, she had visions. Not visions of the past, like Asami. Nor visions of the future, like her father. Her's were visions of what could have been, and should NOT be. Most were of Naraku, his defeat. Or, at least, how he could have been defeated. And what frightened her and made her so resolute in her conviction not to allow him to be defeated, was what happened after and due to his death. Chaos and destruction. *And,* she thought to herself, *If he's defeated now, my entire family history may be drastically altered. Hell! I may not even be born!* She had seen the horrors unleashed on the world by his death. She suddenly made up her mind and said, "Let me help." catching both Naraku and Kagura offguard. She could hardly believe it. Was she really going to turn her back on all that she had learned over the past six years? On her vow never to use her powers again? On her vow never to kill again..?
Naraku was having just as much trouble comprehending her words. Was she really saying she would help him defeat his enemies? Would she fight on HIS side? Why would she? She was his enemy as much as InuYasha. Wasn't she?
She said softly, "Will you accept my help?"
He just nodded and she walked to a window. She paused before it and turned back to face him. She said, "Then watch after my sister. If any harm comes to her while I'm gone, I WILL destroy you." With that she leaped onto the window and jumped out. But instead of falling to her death, she turned into a raven and flew away, toward the approaching army.
Naraku just stared for a moment before giving Kagura orders to take care of Asami. Then he quickly followed after Shizuka. He couldn't believe she was planning on taking on the entire army by herself! And there was no way he was staking everything solely on her victory. He would follow her and watch her from a safe distance. If it seemed she was about to lose, he would have to step in. But silently he thought to himself, *But if she cannot win, what chance do I have?*
Just after Naraku left, the undead miko, Kikyo, came into the throne room. She asked Kagura where Naraku was and Kagura told her. Kikyo refused to be outdone by that human girl and also followed after them, for completely different reasons. As her Shinidamachuu wound about her, she thought, *The girl is powerful. Her soul should sustain me for quite some time.*
As Shizuka approached the army she felt Naraku's presence just behind her. For some unknown reason, she smiled inwardly.
Upon finding the army she circled above it for some time, riding the air currents and appearing to be nothing but another crow. When they reached what she considered a suitable place, she landed just ahead of them to await their arrival. She transformed back to her human form, but now she looked somewhat different. Her eyes were colder, darker. No longer the previous brillant green, they were black, as if relfecting the dark soul imprisoned within the flesh. She reached back and let her hair down. It fell about her body in a cascade of blackness like a death shroud and reached past her knees. Storm clouds began to gather overhead and the sky darkened, as if responding to the change in her.
The army of demons stopped before her when they sensed a dark force. From what they were sensing they were expecting to be met by Naraku himself, but they most certainly were NOT expecting what they now saw.
At the head of the army was the Great Demon Lord of the Northern Lands, Ryuichi. He was a proud and powerful hawk-youkai, and called out to her, "Who are you, girl? Are you one of Naraku's allies?"
She said darkly, "I cannot allow you to defeat him. I have nothing against you, for you only wish to rid the world of a great evil and protect your lands. But Naraku's demise here today would have dire consequences on the future. If you turn away now, and return to your lands, I will let you go." Then she raised her hand high above her head, preparing to attack. "Otherwise," she said, "I will have to kill you all."
Oblivious to the danger, the youkai lord said snidely, "You!? A mere human? Kill all of us!?" Then, thinking that her raised hand was some sort of signal to attack, he looked around for a hidden army. He had assumed the evil force they all felt was Naraku, hiding somewhere closeby, and that the girl was a sort of emissary, sent to deliver his message. But now, he realized he was dead wrong.
A dark cloud of mist began to fill the battlefield and the army began to panic.
Shizuka's eyes filled to be completely black, souless, and a ball of purple energy gathered in her raised hand. When it had fully formed, she laughed once and said, "Come into the void." It seemed as if time stopped and all sound was obliterated as she hurled the energy ball behind the gathered army. It exploded with a powerful shock wave, throwing the entire army to the ground, while Shizuka stood unaffected. Then an enormous black void, full of swirling purple lights appeared and the entire army began to be sucked into it. The powerful wind unrooted trees, ripped out grass and sucked in boulders.
Naraku, from his position on a hill, had to struggle to keep from being pulled in himself. He had never felt such awesome power! It was unlike anything in this world!
Shizuka simply stood, arms relaxed at her side, eyes black, her hair whipping around her, and a cruel smile on her face. This was her truth. The truth she had denied herself of. The truth of the power that lay inside her, waiting to be unleashed on the world. A dark, evil power that was unmatched! A power which brought her great joy...
Finally, after everything, including the army, had been sucked in, she closed the void. It grew smaller and smaller, until it was only a pinprick in the fabric of space and time. Then it disappeared all together. Where once a great army stood on a grassy plain encircled by trees, now lay only a deep crater in the earth. She smiled to herself and thought, *Who would have thought that my ancestor's power would change so, over the centuries?*
She was still smiling when Naraku approached. When he was a few feet away, she spun on him and he actually took a step back from her gaze. Her eyes still held the same soulessness and her smile was dark and malicious. Then her expression softened and her eyes flicked back to green. When she had returned to her normal state, she turned and gazed sadly over the battlefield, what was left anyway. The sky cleared and the sun shown down on the ruined earth.
Naraku was about to speak, since it didn't seem she was going to. But then a purified arrow shot through the air and impaled her from behind.
She let out a gasp and fell to her knees. She doubled over from the pain and barely caught herself with her hands before she fell on her face.
Naraku spun around and saw Kikyo standing with her bow raised. He was filled with rage at this betrayal and wanted nothing more than to kill the miko, but the part of him that was Onigumo wouldn't let him.
But suddenly Kikyo cried out in shock as the void opened beneath her feet. She jumped to the side, knowing to avoid it from watching the battle. But long, black snakelike tentacles emerged from inside it and wrapped themselves around her. She let out a scream of pain as the tentacles began to squeaze the life from her. The souls of the dead began to free themselves from her body and fly off. She struggled desperately to keep them within her, but it was futile. Nothing escapes the grasp of the void. As the last soul, Kagome's soul, flew away she stopped struggling and her body went limp. The tentacles pulled her lifeless body into the void and it closed once again.
Naraku looked down at Shizuka and saw that her eyes were once again black. She sat up, barely flinching at the arrow which was now beginning to burn away her body like acid. It was purifying her.
Naraku reached down to remove the arrow, but she stopped him.
"No." she said simply. "This arrow will burn any negative being that it touches. It will burn away my body until nothing is left. Only a miko, pure of heart and soul can remove it."
He stood looking down at her and said, "InuYasha's wench could remove it. She is a friend of yours, I believe."
She nodded and stood haltingly. She said coldly, "I will return to their village and she will remove it." She began walking toward the village, seemingly oblivious to the world around her.
Naraku didn't know why, but he was suddenly panicked at her departure. He didn't want her to go! He had to think of a way to see her again. "I will bring your sister to you." he said, with no hint of emotion in his voice.
She didn't even stop. She just nodded again and kept walking.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(A/N) Okay, from now on it's probably going to go 'serious chapter-funny chapter-serious chapter-funny chapter-serious...' Uh, you get the idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(It's now one in the morning and Nika and Fluffy STILL aren't back! Where could they be..!?)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for everyone's response to my previous "chapter", my response to that "freak who so rudely flamed me". I can't believe what some people do with their time. I welcome flames, when they help me improve my story. But that, that... Okay, before I go off on another rant... Thank you to: Seishin-Kenshihiro, Nassau, Evil Pixi Stick Spork Goddess, ayanna24, Jodea Moondreamer, Lady Yami, shadowspinner, lilhillbillie, Amai Kaminari, rin incarnate, and skii_chick.
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Seishin-Kenshihiro: um...what can I say..?...I'm just confused...what? uh, thanks...I guess. Oh, by the way, did you just read to chapter three? 'Cause if so, that may be why I don't understand what you wrote. Try reading the other thirteen chapters. But thanks for the review! ^_^
Nassau: Thank you! Believe me, the story is developing! And that's a brillant idea about the shock collar! I'm glad we're on the same page about that! Of course, judging from the eye twitch he's developed, I think I need to turn Fluffy's down a bit. Ah, you called me Mistress of the Bishounen! Thank you! Make sure you read my next fic. I don't know when it'll come out, but thanks to Jodea Moondreamer I'm gonna make my next story about the abduction of many bishounen by the New Sake Sisters Fangirl Fanclub. After this story, I don't think the Fanclub will ever be the same again. Of course, I could be wrong! ^_^ Fangirls certainly can bounce back pretty quick! And don't worry, with reviews like yours, I'm pretty much happy all the time. And one good one can totally turn my mood around!
Evil Pixi Stick Spork Goddess: Wow! What a name! I love it!! As for what happened to Charity and Morgan, well, they'll return. But they're comic relief, like Taro. I needed a series character, like Shizuka, to actually develop the story. They'll return full force somewhere around the epilogue. I know, that seems like a long way away. But the epilogue won't be just one chapter. It'll be more like three or four. They will make appearences throughout the story, but the story will focus more on Shizuka now. That's not what I started out to do! It just sorta happened. But you gotta admit, they started out the story just fine. And Shizuka's carrying on in their place as the main character very well. I tried to put a lot of my darker side into Shizuka, so I'm still there. As the STAR! It's like Charity's my light side and Shizuka is my dark side. Whoa, deep. And I kept Taro around to lighten the mood too. There will always be a comic relief around. Even if it's just Miroku! *heh-heh* Just wait til next chapter when Taro faints and Miroku tries to help him up!
ayanna24: Hey! I missed you! Haven't heard from you since the first chapter! Please don't leave me again! -puppy dog eyes- Fluffy: "Not again..."
Jodea Moondreamer: Oh, my! (flush) What a compliment! I'm really all that!? *heh-heh* I know! And thank you soooo much for the story idea! I'm definately gonna do that! I just don't know if I can juggle a new story, Unleashed, Instincts, and two other original stories I'm writing, all at the same time. I refuse to abandon Unleashed and Instincts, since people actually seem to like them. And I'm enjoying writing them. So I guess the other two will suffer. Thanks!
Lady Yami: Thank you for sticking up for me and my story! I hope that jerk gets sucked into Shizuka's void and suffers eternal torment! *ahem* And don't feel bad for Miroku. I think everyone knows he get's the girl in the end. And Taro DOESN'T get him! And if you didn't realize that, well, just take a good look (or read) at Shizuka. She looks an awful lot like Sango, doesn't she? And that powerful void she said came from her ancestor? Hmmm.... It couldn't be!? *giggle*
shadowspinner: Thanks for reviewing. I love it when I can write something that makes people who don't normally review, uh...review! Even if I did have to get nasty to do it!
lilhillbillie: Thank you for emailing that freak! I hope other people he flamed like that don't take it lieing down and email 'em so many times that he decides to change for the better! Or at least go into permanent hiding. And quiver in terror at the words flame, authoress, and review! And yes, I did email him! That was the first thing I did when I found it! And at the end of it I told him to "CHEW ON THIS!!!!!!" and sent him the entire story of Instincts, just so he knows that I'm not an airhead fangirl to be taken lightly! I doubt he'll read it, but it made me feel better! And that's what counts!
Amai Kaminari: WOW!! I think you're about as animated as I was when I wrote that! That about sums up how I feel. Of course, I like my 'expanded' version too! ^_^ *giggle* And I think that person, O-o, is gonna be really afraid to go to hell now! Since I'll be waiting for him with an army of angry anime fans at my back! Not to mention the Hounds of Hell; led by my Fluffykins, of course! And I really doubt that O-o will be going anywhere else when they die... ^_-.
rin incarnate: At last, I've found my Rin-chan!! Sorry Fluffy hasn't made an appearance, yet. Like I said, his scene is gonna be probably the funniest part of the story! But due to certain serious developments, he'll have to wait a while. He'll probably come up in the epilogue asking what happened, being out of the loop and all, and then he'll be glomped by the fangirls! And, sure you can be one of them! The more the fluffier! uh...yeah. And don't worry. Shizuka's gonna work a little magic and collar him for Charity, who is his offical fangirl. ME!! Think of a cross between InuYasha's prayer beads and my Fluffy's shock collar! *giggle* And if you'd like, I can put you in my next fic. The Fanclub is gonna kidnap a bunch of anime bishys and hold them prisoner! Including Sesshoumaru!! There's a fic like that called "Kouga Fangirls Unite!!" somewhere! I absolutely love that one, but I don't know who wrote it... -_- And where they feed Kouga lime jello, we're probably gonna go with watermelon jello. Everyone loves watemelon jello! um..okay...thanks! And I'd love it if you'd email me so we can work on your character!!
skii_chick: Thank you for loving my "thingies at the top"! They're usually funnier than the story! Well, I try. Ooh! I'm looking for an absolutely RABID fangirl for Kurama in my new fic! Wanna be it!? It's okay if you don't. I'm sure I'll find someone else! Everyone love Kurama! More than watermelon jello!!
(Much to Nika's dismay, Yusuke and friends took her precious Kuramy-poo away. After having a good cry and vowing to find him again, she had amused herself with Fluffy. ^_- But she had quickly gotten bored with him, O.O, and decided a night out on the town with her favorite 'bad dog' would be a good distraction. So now...we gaze upon an earily empty house...)
......silence.......more silence......even more silence......."meow!"-(What the...!?)
--ring!-ring!-ring!-ring!-click--
Nika's voice: "I'm sorry. No one's home to say that Mistress Nika does not own InuYasha. But if you leave a message at the beep, I'll get back to you later. Bye!" *beeeeeeep!*
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Previously:
"You cannot leave." he said, as if it were the truth.
She looked back at him, a look of bemusement on her face. Her smirk returned and she said simply, "I wasn't planning to."
Now:
Naraku refused to admit it, but this girl frightened him. For the first time, he actually feared someone. And it wasn't anything tangeable that made him feel this way. Sure, she was obviously powerful. But, it was the way she spoke. Her voice radiated power and authority greater than his own, as if he were beneath her. And she obviously didn't fear him. But he wondered why she didn't just leave. He could not hold her there against her wish, and yet she stayed. Just as he was about to question her on this, Kagura burst in.
She said rapidly, "An army approaches from the North!" (A/N-I have never seen the episodes with Kanna and Kagura and have never heard her speak, so sorry if this seems so totally not-her)
Naraku seemed unconcerned and asked, "Who's army is it?"
She replied quickly, "It's the Demon Lord of the North, Ryuichi, and an army of taiyoukai!"
Naraku was on his feet in a flash. "What?" he said.
Kagura nodded and said, "They've finally begun their attack! And their army, it's three times the size we thought!"
Now Naraku was concerned, but not overly. So what if the army consisted of nothing but the most powerful of youkai? He would still emerge triumphant. But there was a little voice nagging at the back of his head that said he should be cautious.
Shizuka however was very concerned. She knew what was going to happen, and she knew she couldn't allow it to. For as long as she could remember, she had visions. Not visions of the past, like Asami. Nor visions of the future, like her father. Her's were visions of what could have been, and should NOT be. Most were of Naraku, his defeat. Or, at least, how he could have been defeated. And what frightened her and made her so resolute in her conviction not to allow him to be defeated, was what happened after and due to his death. Chaos and destruction. *And,* she thought to herself, *If he's defeated now, my entire family history may be drastically altered. Hell! I may not even be born!* She had seen the horrors unleashed on the world by his death. She suddenly made up her mind and said, "Let me help." catching both Naraku and Kagura offguard. She could hardly believe it. Was she really going to turn her back on all that she had learned over the past six years? On her vow never to use her powers again? On her vow never to kill again..?
Naraku was having just as much trouble comprehending her words. Was she really saying she would help him defeat his enemies? Would she fight on HIS side? Why would she? She was his enemy as much as InuYasha. Wasn't she?
She said softly, "Will you accept my help?"
He just nodded and she walked to a window. She paused before it and turned back to face him. She said, "Then watch after my sister. If any harm comes to her while I'm gone, I WILL destroy you." With that she leaped onto the window and jumped out. But instead of falling to her death, she turned into a raven and flew away, toward the approaching army.
Naraku just stared for a moment before giving Kagura orders to take care of Asami. Then he quickly followed after Shizuka. He couldn't believe she was planning on taking on the entire army by herself! And there was no way he was staking everything solely on her victory. He would follow her and watch her from a safe distance. If it seemed she was about to lose, he would have to step in. But silently he thought to himself, *But if she cannot win, what chance do I have?*
Just after Naraku left, the undead miko, Kikyo, came into the throne room. She asked Kagura where Naraku was and Kagura told her. Kikyo refused to be outdone by that human girl and also followed after them, for completely different reasons. As her Shinidamachuu wound about her, she thought, *The girl is powerful. Her soul should sustain me for quite some time.*
As Shizuka approached the army she felt Naraku's presence just behind her. For some unknown reason, she smiled inwardly.
Upon finding the army she circled above it for some time, riding the air currents and appearing to be nothing but another crow. When they reached what she considered a suitable place, she landed just ahead of them to await their arrival. She transformed back to her human form, but now she looked somewhat different. Her eyes were colder, darker. No longer the previous brillant green, they were black, as if relfecting the dark soul imprisoned within the flesh. She reached back and let her hair down. It fell about her body in a cascade of blackness like a death shroud and reached past her knees. Storm clouds began to gather overhead and the sky darkened, as if responding to the change in her.
The army of demons stopped before her when they sensed a dark force. From what they were sensing they were expecting to be met by Naraku himself, but they most certainly were NOT expecting what they now saw.
At the head of the army was the Great Demon Lord of the Northern Lands, Ryuichi. He was a proud and powerful hawk-youkai, and called out to her, "Who are you, girl? Are you one of Naraku's allies?"
She said darkly, "I cannot allow you to defeat him. I have nothing against you, for you only wish to rid the world of a great evil and protect your lands. But Naraku's demise here today would have dire consequences on the future. If you turn away now, and return to your lands, I will let you go." Then she raised her hand high above her head, preparing to attack. "Otherwise," she said, "I will have to kill you all."
Oblivious to the danger, the youkai lord said snidely, "You!? A mere human? Kill all of us!?" Then, thinking that her raised hand was some sort of signal to attack, he looked around for a hidden army. He had assumed the evil force they all felt was Naraku, hiding somewhere closeby, and that the girl was a sort of emissary, sent to deliver his message. But now, he realized he was dead wrong.
A dark cloud of mist began to fill the battlefield and the army began to panic.
Shizuka's eyes filled to be completely black, souless, and a ball of purple energy gathered in her raised hand. When it had fully formed, she laughed once and said, "Come into the void." It seemed as if time stopped and all sound was obliterated as she hurled the energy ball behind the gathered army. It exploded with a powerful shock wave, throwing the entire army to the ground, while Shizuka stood unaffected. Then an enormous black void, full of swirling purple lights appeared and the entire army began to be sucked into it. The powerful wind unrooted trees, ripped out grass and sucked in boulders.
Naraku, from his position on a hill, had to struggle to keep from being pulled in himself. He had never felt such awesome power! It was unlike anything in this world!
Shizuka simply stood, arms relaxed at her side, eyes black, her hair whipping around her, and a cruel smile on her face. This was her truth. The truth she had denied herself of. The truth of the power that lay inside her, waiting to be unleashed on the world. A dark, evil power that was unmatched! A power which brought her great joy...
Finally, after everything, including the army, had been sucked in, she closed the void. It grew smaller and smaller, until it was only a pinprick in the fabric of space and time. Then it disappeared all together. Where once a great army stood on a grassy plain encircled by trees, now lay only a deep crater in the earth. She smiled to herself and thought, *Who would have thought that my ancestor's power would change so, over the centuries?*
She was still smiling when Naraku approached. When he was a few feet away, she spun on him and he actually took a step back from her gaze. Her eyes still held the same soulessness and her smile was dark and malicious. Then her expression softened and her eyes flicked back to green. When she had returned to her normal state, she turned and gazed sadly over the battlefield, what was left anyway. The sky cleared and the sun shown down on the ruined earth.
Naraku was about to speak, since it didn't seem she was going to. But then a purified arrow shot through the air and impaled her from behind.
She let out a gasp and fell to her knees. She doubled over from the pain and barely caught herself with her hands before she fell on her face.
Naraku spun around and saw Kikyo standing with her bow raised. He was filled with rage at this betrayal and wanted nothing more than to kill the miko, but the part of him that was Onigumo wouldn't let him.
But suddenly Kikyo cried out in shock as the void opened beneath her feet. She jumped to the side, knowing to avoid it from watching the battle. But long, black snakelike tentacles emerged from inside it and wrapped themselves around her. She let out a scream of pain as the tentacles began to squeaze the life from her. The souls of the dead began to free themselves from her body and fly off. She struggled desperately to keep them within her, but it was futile. Nothing escapes the grasp of the void. As the last soul, Kagome's soul, flew away she stopped struggling and her body went limp. The tentacles pulled her lifeless body into the void and it closed once again.
Naraku looked down at Shizuka and saw that her eyes were once again black. She sat up, barely flinching at the arrow which was now beginning to burn away her body like acid. It was purifying her.
Naraku reached down to remove the arrow, but she stopped him.
"No." she said simply. "This arrow will burn any negative being that it touches. It will burn away my body until nothing is left. Only a miko, pure of heart and soul can remove it."
He stood looking down at her and said, "InuYasha's wench could remove it. She is a friend of yours, I believe."
She nodded and stood haltingly. She said coldly, "I will return to their village and she will remove it." She began walking toward the village, seemingly oblivious to the world around her.
Naraku didn't know why, but he was suddenly panicked at her departure. He didn't want her to go! He had to think of a way to see her again. "I will bring your sister to you." he said, with no hint of emotion in his voice.
She didn't even stop. She just nodded again and kept walking.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(A/N) Okay, from now on it's probably going to go 'serious chapter-funny chapter-serious chapter-funny chapter-serious...' Uh, you get the idea.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(It's now one in the morning and Nika and Fluffy STILL aren't back! Where could they be..!?)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for everyone's response to my previous "chapter", my response to that "freak who so rudely flamed me". I can't believe what some people do with their time. I welcome flames, when they help me improve my story. But that, that... Okay, before I go off on another rant... Thank you to: Seishin-Kenshihiro, Nassau, Evil Pixi Stick Spork Goddess, ayanna24, Jodea Moondreamer, Lady Yami, shadowspinner, lilhillbillie, Amai Kaminari, rin incarnate, and skii_chick.
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Seishin-Kenshihiro: um...what can I say..?...I'm just confused...what? uh, thanks...I guess. Oh, by the way, did you just read to chapter three? 'Cause if so, that may be why I don't understand what you wrote. Try reading the other thirteen chapters. But thanks for the review! ^_^
Nassau: Thank you! Believe me, the story is developing! And that's a brillant idea about the shock collar! I'm glad we're on the same page about that! Of course, judging from the eye twitch he's developed, I think I need to turn Fluffy's down a bit. Ah, you called me Mistress of the Bishounen! Thank you! Make sure you read my next fic. I don't know when it'll come out, but thanks to Jodea Moondreamer I'm gonna make my next story about the abduction of many bishounen by the New Sake Sisters Fangirl Fanclub. After this story, I don't think the Fanclub will ever be the same again. Of course, I could be wrong! ^_^ Fangirls certainly can bounce back pretty quick! And don't worry, with reviews like yours, I'm pretty much happy all the time. And one good one can totally turn my mood around!
Evil Pixi Stick Spork Goddess: Wow! What a name! I love it!! As for what happened to Charity and Morgan, well, they'll return. But they're comic relief, like Taro. I needed a series character, like Shizuka, to actually develop the story. They'll return full force somewhere around the epilogue. I know, that seems like a long way away. But the epilogue won't be just one chapter. It'll be more like three or four. They will make appearences throughout the story, but the story will focus more on Shizuka now. That's not what I started out to do! It just sorta happened. But you gotta admit, they started out the story just fine. And Shizuka's carrying on in their place as the main character very well. I tried to put a lot of my darker side into Shizuka, so I'm still there. As the STAR! It's like Charity's my light side and Shizuka is my dark side. Whoa, deep. And I kept Taro around to lighten the mood too. There will always be a comic relief around. Even if it's just Miroku! *heh-heh* Just wait til next chapter when Taro faints and Miroku tries to help him up!
ayanna24: Hey! I missed you! Haven't heard from you since the first chapter! Please don't leave me again! -puppy dog eyes- Fluffy: "Not again..."
Jodea Moondreamer: Oh, my! (flush) What a compliment! I'm really all that!? *heh-heh* I know! And thank you soooo much for the story idea! I'm definately gonna do that! I just don't know if I can juggle a new story, Unleashed, Instincts, and two other original stories I'm writing, all at the same time. I refuse to abandon Unleashed and Instincts, since people actually seem to like them. And I'm enjoying writing them. So I guess the other two will suffer. Thanks!
Lady Yami: Thank you for sticking up for me and my story! I hope that jerk gets sucked into Shizuka's void and suffers eternal torment! *ahem* And don't feel bad for Miroku. I think everyone knows he get's the girl in the end. And Taro DOESN'T get him! And if you didn't realize that, well, just take a good look (or read) at Shizuka. She looks an awful lot like Sango, doesn't she? And that powerful void she said came from her ancestor? Hmmm.... It couldn't be!? *giggle*
shadowspinner: Thanks for reviewing. I love it when I can write something that makes people who don't normally review, uh...review! Even if I did have to get nasty to do it!
lilhillbillie: Thank you for emailing that freak! I hope other people he flamed like that don't take it lieing down and email 'em so many times that he decides to change for the better! Or at least go into permanent hiding. And quiver in terror at the words flame, authoress, and review! And yes, I did email him! That was the first thing I did when I found it! And at the end of it I told him to "CHEW ON THIS!!!!!!" and sent him the entire story of Instincts, just so he knows that I'm not an airhead fangirl to be taken lightly! I doubt he'll read it, but it made me feel better! And that's what counts!
Amai Kaminari: WOW!! I think you're about as animated as I was when I wrote that! That about sums up how I feel. Of course, I like my 'expanded' version too! ^_^ *giggle* And I think that person, O-o, is gonna be really afraid to go to hell now! Since I'll be waiting for him with an army of angry anime fans at my back! Not to mention the Hounds of Hell; led by my Fluffykins, of course! And I really doubt that O-o will be going anywhere else when they die... ^_-.
rin incarnate: At last, I've found my Rin-chan!! Sorry Fluffy hasn't made an appearance, yet. Like I said, his scene is gonna be probably the funniest part of the story! But due to certain serious developments, he'll have to wait a while. He'll probably come up in the epilogue asking what happened, being out of the loop and all, and then he'll be glomped by the fangirls! And, sure you can be one of them! The more the fluffier! uh...yeah. And don't worry. Shizuka's gonna work a little magic and collar him for Charity, who is his offical fangirl. ME!! Think of a cross between InuYasha's prayer beads and my Fluffy's shock collar! *giggle* And if you'd like, I can put you in my next fic. The Fanclub is gonna kidnap a bunch of anime bishys and hold them prisoner! Including Sesshoumaru!! There's a fic like that called "Kouga Fangirls Unite!!" somewhere! I absolutely love that one, but I don't know who wrote it... -_- And where they feed Kouga lime jello, we're probably gonna go with watermelon jello. Everyone loves watemelon jello! um..okay...thanks! And I'd love it if you'd email me so we can work on your character!!
skii_chick: Thank you for loving my "thingies at the top"! They're usually funnier than the story! Well, I try. Ooh! I'm looking for an absolutely RABID fangirl for Kurama in my new fic! Wanna be it!? It's okay if you don't. I'm sure I'll find someone else! Everyone love Kurama! More than watermelon jello!!