Author's Note: Wow, I'm really sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I have a good excuse though: my laptop got stolen!!! It had everything important on it, including my outline, chapters 8 and 9, and all my notes. So not only did I have to rewrite this chapter from scratch, but I also had to completely rewrite two term papers and two speeches for school. *sigh* Why do people do things like steal? It makes me sad…

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, I would borrow the Tetsusaiga from him and use it to hunt down the jerk who has my laptop. Muah ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

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~ ~ Chapter 8: Yukari's Shadow ~ ~

Yukari had no idea how long she had been running; the sun had come up some hours ago and still she was following the young village boy. They had stopped at a few springs along the way to rest, but Yukari could see the young boy wilting. She ran along tirelessly, praying that she reached the village before the demon had a chance to do any more damage. As she traveled she was thinking very hard about something. Sesshomaru. He was entering her thoughts more and more often, and Yukari wasn't sure why.

I've never met anyone like him before, she mused. She shook herself mentally. He's a rude, arrogant, insufferable jerk! How could I ever think he's charming? He doesn't have a charming bone in his body! Yukari, however, found that reminding herself of Sesshomaru's faults did not made her think of him less.

Sesshomaru, meanwhile, was tracking the running girl from a safe distance: close enough for him to be able to follow her scent, but not close enough for the human to be able to see him. He was amazed at the miko's determination; by his reckoning, they had been traveling for about 14 hours. Most humans would have given up or given out by this time. He smirked to himself. If I didn't know better, I would say that she had demon blood.

All of a sudden Yukari stopped running while the boy continued on alone. She had sensed the overwhelming aura of a demon. As she reached the outskirts of the village, she tentatively sent out a thread of her power: the demon was lurking about 100 feet ahead of her, but she couldn't see it. Sesshomaru stopped in a tree directly above her, crouching silently as he concentrated on suppressing his aura; he didn't want the miko to be able to sense him with her powers. He studied her face carefully. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she tested the demon's aura; Sesshomaru could sense it as well.

It's a dokuhebi youkai, Yukari realized. Very rare, very large, and very intimidating. She snickered to herself as she remembered something. Too bad their strength doesn't match up to their impressive appearance. Allowing her power to escape from the tight hold she usually kept on it, the miko's body glowed with a brilliant white light. She straightened her shoulders and walked swiftly in the direction of the demon.

Sesshomaru was staggered by the intensity of the miko's power, although he remained outwardly calm and collected. I had no idea just how much she was holding back, he thought. He leapt onto the roof of one of the village houses; there was no way he wanted to lose sight of the miko. "It's because you like her," the irritating voice in his head said. "You want to protect her and make sure she remains safe." I want to do no such thing, he argued. I am simply curious to see how she handles herself in battle. Suddenly he realized what he was doing. The Demon Lord of the Western Lands is arguing with himself? I'm becoming as pathetic as the rest of the population, he thought disgustedly. He returned his attention to the impending battle and resolutely ignored the little voice in his head.

Yukari strolled bravely through the village, her sword poised and her muscles taut. As she rounded the corner of the house on her left, the dokuhebi youkai came into view. Ew, she thought to herself. That is one ugly demon!

The snake demon was huge, at least as big as the house it was standing by. Its scaly hide was a sickly orange-brown color, and its body was streaked all over with bright emerald green stripes. When it sensed a large source of pure energy approaching, it turned its immense head and fixed a pair of glowing violet eyes on the miko. It hissed at Yukari, its scarlet forked tongue flicking in and out of its cavernous mouth.

The miko narrowed her eyes at the demon; she wasn't impressed. As the snake demon slithered slowly towards her, Yukari could see three villagers run away from the corner the demon had trapped them in. Good. At least I arrived in time to save them, she thought.

"Demon!" Yukari shouted. The ugly youkai focused its attention back on her. She drew her sword from its sheath, and the sharp silver metal glinted in the bright mid-morning light. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Without warning the demon rushed her. Wow! This demon is fast for a creature so large! she thought. When the dokuhebi youkai opened its enormous mouth Yukari could see sharp fangs glistening; they were at least as long as her katana! She had to dodge quickly to avoid the milky white venom that dripped from razor-sharp fangs. She sighed in relief as the wind created by the huge demon's head passing narrowly by her ruffled her hair gently. That was a close one! she thought in relief.

However, as the snake demon's head rushed past her, its thick tail whipped around and caught Yukari a blow to her unprotected right side. She flew through the air and slammed against the house far to her left. The sword dropped from her hand as Yukari slumped to the ground. She slowly got to her feet, clutching what felt like at least three broken ribs. Shit, she thought. Now I'm going to be twice as slow as before.

Sesshomaru had to forcefully restrain himself when he saw the snake demon's long tail strike the miko and send her crashing into a wall. He breathed a barely-detectable sigh of relief when he saw her get to her feet. "See?" the irritating voice in the back of his mind said smugly. "I told you that you wanted to make sure she was safe." That is completely ridiculous, he told himself sternly. This Sesshomaru would not waste a single thought as to the safety of a weak human. "Then why are you so worried about her?" it asked. Not having an answer for that question, Sesshomaru remained silent and returned his attention to the battle.

Before Yukari had a chance to regain possession of her sword, the snake demon whipped around and coiled its slick body around her. Yukari gasped as she felt the demon squeeze her body; the pressure on her broken ribs was nearly unbearable, and she was having difficulty breathing. The dokuhebi youkai hissed at her again and squeezed tighter. Sesshomaru's breath caught in his throat as he watched the youkai attempt to squeeze the miko into oblivion. "Maybe you should go help her," the voice advised him. Shut up! he told it. I will do no such thing. He fixed his gaze on the miko's face: her features were twisted in pain and she was gasping for air. Perhaps I should intervene, he thought.

Yukari was getting extremely pissed off at herself for allowing herself to get into this ridiculous situation. She threw her head back and released a blinding white flash of her power. The air around her crackled and flashed with lightning-like bolts of fierce purifying energy. The ugly snake demon dropped her abruptly and she knelt on the ground gasping, desperately trying to force air into her abused lungs.

As soon as she caught her breath, Yukari scrambled to her feet and lunged for her sword; she needn't have worried. The venomous snake demon lay on the ground howling in pain: its hideous body was covered in bright red welts, and it oozed blood from all the spots where its body had been in contact with hers when she had released the energy blast. Clutching her throbbing ribs with her left hand, she brought her sword around in a sweeping arc. The miko thrust a wave of her power through the blade, and in response it glowed with a brilliant blue-white light. As soon as the katana pierced the demon's scaled hide it flashed brightly; the demon vanished in a cloud of now-purified silvery gray ash.

The villagers, watching fearfully from their houses, came out swiftly to congratulate the powerful miko on her victory. Yukari modestly brushed aside their gratitude; she had simply been doing her duty as a priestess. The attention made her slightly uncomfortable, and she was painfully aware of the pressure the broken ribs were putting on her lungs.

She left the villagers with instructions to contact her if they had any more trouble. One of them, apparently the mother of the village boy who had come to find her, took her arm and led her to a small hut. The young boy clung tightly to his mother's hand as they walked silently. The middle-aged woman gently pushed Yukari onto a mat on the floor and instructed her to remove her shirt. Yukari obeyed, revealing a bright decoration of bluish-purple bruising and swelling on her right side. The village woman widened her eyes at the extent of the bruising.

"Take a deep breath," she instructed.

Yukari obeyed, but as she filled her lungs with air she was struck by dizzying pain. The woman dipped a cloth in a bowl of water and herbs, and applied a poultice to the swollen area. She wrapped Yukari's body tightly in thick cotton bandages.

"There you are," she said to the miko. "The herbs should ease the swelling, and the bandages should help keep the ribs from moving around too much. However, you must be careful not to overexert yourself until you are fully healed."

"Thank you so much," Yukari replied. "How can I repay your kindness?"

The woman smiled at her and handed her a cup of herb tea. "Child, you do not need to repay any kindness. It is we who are in your debt."

Yukari sipped her tea and returned the woman's smile. As soon as she finished her tea she felt better, and knew that it had contained herbs to ease her pain. The woman invited Yukari to stay with them for a meal, but the girl politely declined. Her chest ached and she wanted nothing more than a warm bath and a long sleep. She said good-bye to the young boy and his kind mother, picked up the sack she had brought, and walked out of the village as quickly as her bruised and sore body would allow.

Sesshomaru watched the miko emerge from one of the village houses and walk away in the direction of her house. He followed her, leaping lightly from roof to tree branch when he reached the woods. The girl was limping slightly, and he could hear her breath coming in ragged gasps. I wonder how severely injured she is, he mused. Nonetheless, I am impressed by the way she handled herself with that dokuhebi youkai. She recovered nicely after that initial blunder.

After about an hour of walking Yukari's side was absolutely killing her, and her breath was wheezing in her chest. I have got to take a rest before I collapse! she thought to herself. Settling herself on the shady grass under a tree, she leaned back against the trunk and closed her eyes. Damn! she shouted silently. I had better start healing soon. I'll never make it home at this rate. She knew that she had used up a lot of her power fighting the demon, and so it was going to take her a little extra time to heal. Her body was crying out to her for rest, and she could deny it no longer.

Sesshomaru landed soundlessly beside the miko and carefully unmasked his aura. The girl obviously noticed but only opened one eye; apparently she had recognized his aura and knew that he was there.

"Hello Sesshomaru," she said softly in a voice that was husky with sleepiness. "What are you doing here?"

He made no reply, but instead eased down beside her with an inhuman grace. Yukari was too tired to be concerned as to why he had followed her to the village. She closed her eye again and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Sesshomaru detected the change in her breathing as she feel asleep. He turned his golden gaze on the miko sleeping on the ground beside him. If I leave her here alone she will surely be attacked and killed while she sleeps, he realized. "I guess you will just have to remain here and protect her," the voice told him smugly. Sesshomaru sighed, resigned. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the tree trunk.

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Translation: dokuhebi means "venomous snake"

Author's Note: I'm typing this chapter with an audience watching! My dad's kitten Mandy is obsessed with watching the computer. She chases the cursor across the screen, and it's really cute. Just wanted to share that with ya'll.

I need everyone's opinions on something. Do you guys prefer reading shorter stories where the relationships progress quickly, or do you like slow-building relationships in longer stories? I have two versions of this story planned out, and it can basically go either way from here. So what I need to know is whether you: A) want Sesshomaru and Yukari's relationship to speed up {like 5-6 chapters more} or B) for it to continue to build slowly and grow gradually {like 10+ chapters more}? Please review, or email me, or send me a message on AIM (I changed my screen name, and it's now XOsayuriOX ). I really want to get some votes before I continue writing. Thanks!!!!

Responses: (Yay!! This is the greatest part!!!!!!!)

Serenity 971: I know, I hate cliffies too, but I can't seen to stop writing them!! I am so evil… Thanks for the review, I'm so excited that you like it enough to still be reading!

ThE GrEaT MeSa: woot woot! Roomies forever! I'm really glad you like it, and I'm hereby dedicating this chapter to you. Awesome job, shuhitsu!!!!

ShortPoet: You liked it! I'm glad that you did, and I also wanted to say thanks for responding to the reviews that I sent you. There aren't many authors who do that, and I think it's awesome!!! Hooray for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mourning Fox: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it so far. Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I promise I'll get back to my regular schedule now.

theMaven: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I think Sesshomaru would look hot dressed like that! But think of it more as a combination between what Inuyasha wears and what the mikos wear. Lol. P.s. you're still my hero, by the way! hehehe

EatingKogepan: Thanks for the review! I'm happy that you liked my story so far, and I hope that you like this chapter as well!!

That's all folks! Love ya'll!!!

XOXOXOXO Sayori