ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy!!!
*sniffles* I feel loved!
Kagome-sama1489 (DV; Thanks QFF; Don't worry, it's coming soon or DV's in for a world of pain and misery!!!"
angelkitty77 (QFF; YAY!!! DV; Can't wait to try it!! And sort of, Sango's a sort of cross between a sister and a guardian now. If Kagome dies, she croaks as well, it's sort of a draw back to the power, but hey, everything has to be balanced.)
star's dreams (DV; Yep! ^-^; and I just HAD to make Rin a demon! I think she'd look SO cute as one!!! QFF; They're staying. Dog-boys gonna bitch and moan about it, though. DV; Thanks, and one more thing! QFF- in honor of you being the ONLY person to review every chapter... DV- we present to you... Both- THE MOST LOYAL REVIEWER AWARD!!!)
Angel-of-Tears (DV- O.O Ehehe... QFF- Oh, don't worry, she will! *evil grin*)
inudemoness247 (DV; Yep! Thank you! QFF; You're not alone Both; *growl*
kitsunekagome23 (DV; I will QFF; and I'll make sure she will)
badgerwolf (DV; thank you! QFF; Wow... there really ARE a ton of Kikyou- haters out there!!!)
kireishi-chan (DV; You thing what she did to Yusuke was bad? Try sharing Thanksgiving dinner with her. QFF- Shut up, fox-girl! DV; Bummer. Mine went by all too fast and now it's almost over... *sigh*
windmagelita (DV; lol We've got you covered for Kag/Kurama, Sango/Hiei and possibly Shippo/Rin, but Naraku's already dead and I'd feel too sorry for anything that gets paired up with Kikyou. QFF; As for Sesshy... Sadly enough, he's got a pairing, too or else he's be MINE!!! ALL MINE!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! DV- -_-;;; There's no way I'm related to you.)
Luscious (DV; A lot of people seem to like that ^-^ QFF; You might have... DV; But I never get tired of hearing it! QFF- We know. OH! And one last thing... DV; YOU'RE MY ONE HUNDRETH REVIEWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Party favors and streamers... again* And As you reward, you get al the main male characters of InuYasha and YuYu (Except Kuwabara, who no girl in their right minds would actually WANT) for the next week!!! Inu; SAY WHAT!!!!!!!!!!)
raven (DV; Hehe... you'll see! QFF; Don't torment people, DV, it's rude. DV; -_-;;;)
Jillian (DV; thanks!!!! QFF; Nope, but thing heat up in this chapter!!! DV; Shut up, Queenie!!! And I'm pretty sure it has...)
fluffy sama 13 (DV; Done!!! QFF; I'm pretty sure they know that by now, DV,)
BaikenSeishino (DV; Whoa, settle down before you end op in at padded room next to mine!!! QFF; But I'm the only padded room next to yours!!! DV- Exactly. And I forgive all who review! And if you like Sango/Hiei, your gonna LOVE this chapter!!! QFF; *finally gets it* HEY!!!!!!)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
QFF- *humming*
Inu- What the hell are you-!
Everyone else except DV and QFF- NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inu- I was just gonna ask her what she was hum-!
Kagome- NO!
Sango- InuYasha, haven't you learned by now that NO question we asked either of them are gonna get us anything but pain, annoyance and embarrassment?!
Yusuke- Actually, anything we SAY around them gets us pain annoyance and embarrassment.
Kuwabara- He's got a point there.
Shippo- *Wakes up from his nap on the couch* Who's humming?
QFF- Me, myself and us.
Shippo- What are you humming?
Everyone except Shippo, DV and QFF- *flinch*
QFF and DV- *grin at each other and start to sing* I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES! I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES! BUM BUM BUM- !!!
Everyone except the psycho singing duo- *groan*
Yusuke- Now see what the damn kit started?!
Kagome- You can't blame Shippo! He's just a little kid!
Botan- No writer of fan fictions owns any of us in any way shape or form (Dreams don't count.) Yari, Yakuso, Hogasha and company all belong to DreamVixen as they are her original characters. DreamVixen wants me to tell you that if she finds anybody else using her characters without her permission, she will give you hell. She also wants me to tell you she'd be happy to sell her cousin, Queenoffanfiction12, for a quarter or less.
\\.........\\ Youko\Kurama talk -.........- beast talk *.........* telepathy '.........' thoughts
********************************Fluffiness!*******************************
'I can't believe I'm learning this stuff from HIM!' I scoffed at the neko's mental sulking. She's acting like I WANT to teach her in broad daylight. Under different circumstances, I wouldn't be here even if she had needed my aid. But considering the... delicate situation... I had no choice.
"You know, it's a lot easier to say Kagome scares the shit out of you when she's mad." I scowled. Damn kitsunes to hell!
"Your vixen doesn't scare me," Sango grinned.
"Just keep telling yourself that." Then she started to giggle.
'If I hadn't been scared shitless myself, I would've laughed at the look on your face!' I glared at her, masking my thoughts and fighting the urge to blush. I would NOT show that kind of weakness in front of this girl!
*You are one to take about expressions. You looked ready to dig yourself a hole to hide in when the vixen rounded on you.*
'Can you blame me?' I smirked at the incredulous tone in her voice.
*And you call yourself a neko?*
'Hey, it's not like I asked for this, so BACK OFF!!!!!!' My smirk widened.
*Do you want to give it up now?*
'Depends. Will it get me away from you?'
*Probably not. Your vixen seems intent on you training with me* Vaguely, I wondered if the fox had anything to do with her stubborn refusal to allow the girl to train with anyone else, and to allow me to refuse to train her.
'Which fox?' Sango asked dryly, 'There's Shippo, Souta, Yakuso, Yari, Kurama...'
*Stay out of my mind.* I snapped at her.
"I can't help it, okay?!" She yelled at me, blushing, "It's just like hearing, I can't just stop it at will!" I mentally sighed. Maybe there WAS a good reason the vixen was so forceful...
"You can. You just haven't learned how yet." Sango's head shot up.
"Really? You can teach me, right?" Hope shone in her eyes. I felt a pang of sympathy for her for a second. Being bombarded with so many voices so often must come close to driving away what little sanity she had after traveling with such a mismatched group for so long. I forced myself to focus on the matter at hand.
"Of coarse. The Jigan might not be natural, but it works on the same level as your own abilities." Sango blinked in surprise.
"Your third eye isn't natural?" She asked in confusion. I belatedly realized that the surgery for the Jigan wouldn't come to be for hundreds of years.
"No." She glared at me, silently demanding a clearer explanation. "The Jigan is a third eye for the physi, implanted in a long and painful surgery. IF you survive having it implanted, the Jigan tests your will and strength. If you are weak, it kills you by eating away at you brain. It only takes half a minute, but it's not a way most would prefer to die." Sango stared at me in shock.
"Why the Hell would anyone go through THAT!" She exclaimed. I glared at her.
"There are reasons," I said shortly. She looked at me, carefully. Those now silver eyes of hers seemed to be trying to penetrate my soul.
"What was your reason?" She asked softly, brushing some stray hair out of her face while remaining wary of her new claws. I hesitated. Should I tell her? The neko seemed to sense my inner turmoil, because she shook her head and sighed.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," She said, sounding like herself again. "But I would like to know, and I think it would do you wonders if you told me."
"How could you help me?" I snorted.
"Sometimes, you just need to have someone who's willing to listen to make you feel better. Kagome taught me that. She'd listen to me, when I talk to her about Kohaku and how I was afraid I couldn't get him back, and I'd listen to her about her problems with the whole time travel and Kikyou and Kouga thing," here Sango smiled, "Ironically, Kagome had more problems then me, yet she was always more willing to listen than anyone else I know." I stared at her for a second.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, frowning in confusion at the odd girl.
"Because you need someone to talk to more than I ever did. Kagome told me what you are before all this started, though I don't think she herself knew at the time."
"That doesn't explain anything," I snapped. Sango smiled again.
"I never told you I was born the daughter of the leader of the tajiya, did I?" She said, settling against a tree. "My mother died not long after Kohaku was born, while defending a nearby village. Kohaku was never very strong in his childhood, so Father put a lot of pressure on me to become a great warrior and keep the position of leader in our family. He had me constantly training. Kohaku, too, in an attempt to make him stronger. We were distanced from the other tajiyas for so long, it almost felt as if we weren't tajiyas at all. When I started my duty as a demonslayer, it felt so good to have a little control in a situation, in the heat of battle, I could forget about my Father and all that pressure. It was just me and my opponent. Nothing else existed, nothing else mattered." Here, the girl paused.
"Sometimes, I'd feel a little angry at my Father. For all he expected of me and Kohaku. But when I saw him die like that when Naraku took control of my brother's mind, I felt so guilty. Now, Kohaku and I are the last of the tajiya, The rest are dead because of Naraku's deceit. Now, I don't know what to feel towards my Father." I stared at her, wondering why she'd trust me with this information.
"Why are you telling me this?" I repeated. Sango smiled.
"Because I know I can trust you with this, even if you are a snobby little bastard. I guess, I just want you to know you're not the only one out there who's all alone, even when they're surrounded by friends." I frowned at her.
"My sister,"
"What?"
"I had the Jigan implanted so I could look after my sister from afar. She didn't know of my existence, and I didn't want her to." Here I let my own self disgust seep into my voice. "I was a forbidden child, a killer, and she didn't deserve the pain of sharing the same blood as someone like me."
"Yukina's your sister." It was a statement, not a question. When I looked at her, she added, "Kagome sensed it in your blood. She's the one who told me. I haven't said anything to Yukina yet, and I'll warn Kagome to keep it quiet, too, If you want," I said nothing, but relaxed slightly. "I know saying this won't do much, but I don't think she'll turn her back on you if you tell her. Though I can understand what your going through." She raked a claw through her hair with a sigh, "I should tell Kohaku what happened. How he was controlled by Naraku and forced to kill our Father and the villagers, But I can't. Every time I get up the courage and go up to him, it goes away the second I look into his eyes or hear his voice. I feel like such a coward."
"You're not," I said, stubbornly. As much as I disliked her strong, willful nature at times, I respected her courage in situations that would send most weak humans fleeing. She was determined to be strong. To rid herself of weakness. And she'd do anything to obtain that strength. I hated her personality, yet was attracted to it at the same time.
I mentally growled to myself. Why did ningens have to be so Damn hard to understand! They were weak, fragile for the most part, yet they always managed to produce one of two that could compete with youkai. Those one or two were all that was needed to keep the race alive, and free. Yusuke was one of these, as was the baka, though I'd never tell either of them. This girl had been one, too. Before the spell, that is.
"Come. We need to start training your telepathy first, or that will drive you to the brink of insanity. IF your not insane already." The girl glared at me.
"Haha." She said sarcastically, "Just tell me how to get the voices to shut up!" She flinched when she realized how that sounded. I smirked. Perhaps this would be interesting...
After the neko learned how to block out and tone in on certain people's minds, we started back to the hut so she could eat and we could continue our training. Sango's jaw dropped when she saw the taiyoukai and his pup were still there, now also joined by the toad-like youkai from our earlier meeting. (AN; what the Hell is Jaken? Please, PLEASE tell me he's the last of his kind or something! .) The miko-vixen saw us and smiled.
"Sango, Hiei, how'd the training go?" I said nothing, still wary from her earlier outburst, which STILL rang in my ears. Yusuke smirked from where he sat with his miko girlfriend and Kurama chuckled slightly from his place at Kagome's side.
"Hn," I said, jumping into a tree.
'Kagome, what're Sessho-maru and Rin still doing here. And when did Jaken show up?'
'A few minutes ago. Rin wants to stay and play with the boys. InuYasha wasn't too happy, but he's not causing any trouble.'
'Are you sure it's okay, Kagome?'
'Positive.' Then the pup ran over to the vixen and the neko.
"Will neko-nee-chan and kitsune-nee-chan play with Rin after lunch?" the girl asked, hopefully. The miko youkai smiled.
"Maybe, if we're not too busy, Rin," she said with a smile. "I'm sure Yakuso-chan would be happy to play with you, though, if the boys lessons don't take too long." The girl's pout brightened.
"Rin go asked her!"
With that, the girl ran off to find the healer.
\\Please tell me Kagome's run out of chocolate. I'd hate to see that girl on a sugar-high.\\ The neko giggled slightly and I rolled my eyes.
*What's the matter, fox, scared of a kid?*
\\No! I'm wary of overly hyper kids. There's a difference.\\
*Suuure...* the neko decided to join our conversation.
\\Who asked you?!\\
"By the way, Kagome, I've been meaning to ask you something since this morning. I caught a wolf's scent around here, and it smelled a lot like that guy who likes you so much. Did he come by or something?" the warrior-vixen asked, smacking the monks hand away from her ass. The vixen stiffened, as did Kurama. Smirking, I wondered how the kitsunes would handle this.
"Uhh... yeah, sort of. We kinda got into an argument with him on the way back to the hut last night. Nothing much. Anyway, I don't think we'll be seeing too much of him for a while,"
"Should have let me kill him when we met the bastard." The hanyou said, sulkily. "Then, there would have never been a fucking problem."
"Sit," The hanyou flinched in expectation, but nothing happened. The vixen smirked at him while the other females laughed.
"Feh!"
"InuYasha, if you make me say that three more times, the rosary's going back on." The hanyou flinched again, his ears drooping.
"So is that what took you two so long to get back last night?" the neko asked as she started to eat. "I thought I heard yelling but I wasn't sure..." Kagome frowned.
"What were you doing up that late?" She asked curiously. Sango stiffened.
"I erm... couldn't sleep." She said meekly.
"Really? You looked dead to the world when I came in..."
"Well, yeah, I was asleep by then, but at first I wasn't," I rolled my eyes. Was she trying to sound like an idiot?
"Oookay..." the vixen turned to the fox, "Well, Kurama and I should get back to training now." She said, dragging the kitsune hybrid away. I glared at the neko until she finished, so we could continue. The sooner we got her training over with, the sooner the spirit detective would stop giving me that look.
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll tell Kagome you're not giving me proper training," I glared at her, then sighed and took my bandana off, opening the Jigan.
"Now will you shut up?" She glared at me.
"No reason to bite my head off, I was just curious," It had been eight hours since lunch. The neko had skipped dinner so we could continue her training without interruption.
"Don't you ningens have a saying about curiosity killing the cat?" Her glare darkened.
"Haha." She said, swiping at me with her claws.
"Bitch,"
"Shows how much you know. I'm a cat, not a dog!" I glared at her, she glared back.
"At least I'm not fool enough to get attacked by a miko when I had a chance to escape her."
"What was I supposed to do, let her kill Rin?!"
"If need be. You must do everything necessary to survive."
"Since when did you care? Besides you were attacked, too!"
"Youkai can't sense mikos, and the cowardly bitch attacked from behind."
"So? I thought you were supposed to have super senses or something. Why didn't you hear or smell her?!"
"I didn't hear her because a certain ningen bitch was yelling at me for nearly hurting a child. And she reeks of earth and bones, two smells that are common in a forest. What about you, Tajiya? Why did you not sense her? And why did you not escape for help? The barrier was designed to hold youkai blood, you and the child were human at the time. Why did you not leave?"
"Because, you creep, I wasn't going to abandon my friends around that bitch! She's already tried to kill Kagome far too many times AND she tried to drag InuYasha to Hell. I wasn't going to leave and find out she tried to take another friend from me!!!" I glared at her.
"What could you have done? You had no weapons, your feline wasn't with you at the time, what could you have done to stop her?"
"Anything I could. I would resort to fighting tooth and nail if I had to, That freaky bitch wasn't stealing any more lives!" I begrudgingly admired her loyalty to her companions.
"What about your life? Doesn't that count?"
"Why do you care?"
"Does that mean you don't have an answer?"
"No, it means I don't know why your asking me these questions!"
"Answer mine first."
"Alright, fine! No, it doesn't count. My life is mine to give, if I choose to die fighting, that's how I'm going to end. But it doesn't matter, anyways. I won't die because of Kikyou. Just like I wouldn't die because of Naraku."
"Then how DO you choose to die?" I asked sarcastically.
"You're such an arrogant bastard!" the neko snapped, turning to leave. I grabbed her wrist. "Let me go!"
"You honestly believe that getting yourself killed would make the miko youkai happy? And what about your brother, are you really going to leave him alone?" Her brother was a soft spot for me. Like me, she had to go without her younger sibling. Unlike my situation with Yukina, a simple swipe of a sword wouldn't fix the years of pain and guilt. Was she truly willing to give that up? I felt her muscles relax as she sighed.
"Why do you confuse me so much?" She asked softly. I nearly rolled my eyes.
"I should be asking you that question, Sango," She got a look of complete shock on her face. "what?" I snapped.
"You... you called me Sango..." she said in a hushed whisper. I glared at her mentally slapping myself.
"That's your name, isn't it?"
"Yes, but you've never used it before. As a matter of fact, you've never used ANYONE'S name before. At least, not that I remember... you had nicknames for everyone if you'd address them at all. Fox, Kit, Spirit Detective, Miko, Baka, Vixen, Girl, Hanyou..."
"Hn," She rolled her eyes.
"Figures you can only be nice for a second before to turn back into a creep." The girl grumbled. I glared at her.
"Your one to talk about anyone's manners." I snapped.
"I'm nice to people I deem worthy of being nice to! I'm not going to act sweet and caring towards a jerk!"
"Then why should I show manners to a bitch?!"
"I thought we've been over this before, I'm a cat, not a dog so fuck off!!!"
"I'll call you what I please,"
"See?! There you go again! Your such a snob! I bet you've never done one nice thing in your entire-!!!"
By now I was angry. My instincts were going haywire, demanding I show this girl who should respect who. I was losing control fast, and I had to shut her up before something happened that we'd both regret. Normally, I simply yell at her to be silent, but I wasn't thinking clearly at the moment, so I shut her up a different way.
I pulled her closer with the wrist that was still in my grasp and pressed her lips against mine. The neko made a muffled sound of protest before melting against me. I moved my arms around her waist, making her gasp in surprise and giving me the open opportunity to explore her mouth. I was surprised when she started to return the kiss, but not in the least disappointed. We parted and Sango gasped up lose air.
"What was that for?" She asked with a flushed face, sounding slightly dazed.
"To shut you up," I said truthfully, amused when her face darkened. I leaned closer before she could say anything, "And this is because I feel like it," I kissed her again. Once again, she lean against me without protest, this time offering her mouth to me.
"Jeeze, think you two could make that kiss any deeper?" Sango and I turned sharply at the unwelcomed interruption, which was grinning impishly, "Seriously, get a room or something!" the neko's eyes darkened and started bleeding red.
"What the Hell are you doing here, Ganko?!?!?!?!?!"
************************************************************************
Yume sighed as she looked into the darkened sky overhead. Then she turned her gaze to her claws. It hadn't been so long that she had been without them, only a decade, which was no big deal to a full youkai, but it felt like forever. She had missed being herself.
"My Queen?" Yume turned to the lord that was bravely housing her and her father, right under Kurai's nose. "Are you alright?" Yume smiled.
"I'm fine, Shujin. I suppose I'm just worried about my children." He smiled knowingly.
"I understand, my Queen. After so long, it must be hard to leave them on their own right now. It is only natural that you worry for their safety," Yume smiled.
"I guess that's true,"
"Besides, I have no doubt that if your children gained even half of your courage, they will be more than fine," Yume laughed at that.
"Oh, no. My children are far braver than I ever was. Kagome especially." The kitsune queen sighed at the thought of her eldest and only daughter. "She has such a fire in her. And she cares so much about everyone else."
"Sound a lot like you to me," Lord Shujin said softly, "You acted just like that when we were children, before you married Kurai and became queen," then, he seemed to realize what he said, "Forgive me, my Queen, that was out of line!" Yume waved a hand as if to brush it off.
"We've known each other for ages, Shujin, there's no need for such formalities. And perhaps you are right about Kagome taking after me." Yume sighed again.
"I'm sure of it, Yume," Shujin smiled, "She was an active child. And as for your not having courage, do you think you could have taken your kits like you did if you didn't?"
"I feared the entire time, Shujin, and I was always afraid for the last ten years, especially when youkai made contact with my daughter again. What if she had met with a shadow kitsune in the past? They would have been stronger than I am back then, and more likely to see past my spell. Besides, if I had any courage, I would have confronted Kurai years ago, instead of running and hiding."
"You were thinking of the prince and princess, Yume, and acted as any proper mother should in your situation. You didn't want to sink to his level, and betray your kin by fighting your mate. Don't degrade yourself for that," Yume smiled.
"Thank you, Shujin."
"Anytime, my Queen. Anytime."
************************************************************************
DV- What do you think? I had to get something in their about Kagome's mom, so people would know where she is, and I had to get Ganko with the group or suffer the wrath of the surprisingly large amount of reviewers that like him.
QFF- Well, yeah, but Did ja have to stick him in AT THAT MOMENT?!?!?!?!?!?!
DV- hehe... ^-^; Guess that was a little... uncalled for. I swear, that's the last interrupted kiss!!!
QFF- -_-;;; And how come Sango gets to kiss Hiei and I don't?!
DV- Because Sango's paired off with Hiei.
QFF- Can I have Kurama?
DV- No.
QFF- Inu?
DV- No.
QFF- Sesshy?
DV- No.
QFF- Kenshin?
DV- He's not in these series.
QFF- Who cares? He's hot!
Miroku- You can have me!
QFF- I'd rather go throught the natural birth for Quadruplets.
Inu- Whatever. Look, hurry up and review! The sooner you do, the sooner the wench writes and the sooner the story ends so the sooner we get outta here!
Everyone- o.O;
Sessho- Brother, you should start thinking before opening your mouth.
DV- Yep, now, if you'll excuse us, Queenie and I are off to our new padded rooms, comfy hug-yourself-all-day jackets and courtacy of angelkitty777!
QFF- Ja ne!!!
Kagome-sama1489 (DV; Thanks QFF; Don't worry, it's coming soon or DV's in for a world of pain and misery!!!"
angelkitty77 (QFF; YAY!!! DV; Can't wait to try it!! And sort of, Sango's a sort of cross between a sister and a guardian now. If Kagome dies, she croaks as well, it's sort of a draw back to the power, but hey, everything has to be balanced.)
star's dreams (DV; Yep! ^-^; and I just HAD to make Rin a demon! I think she'd look SO cute as one!!! QFF; They're staying. Dog-boys gonna bitch and moan about it, though. DV; Thanks, and one more thing! QFF- in honor of you being the ONLY person to review every chapter... DV- we present to you... Both- THE MOST LOYAL REVIEWER AWARD!!!)
Angel-of-Tears (DV- O.O Ehehe... QFF- Oh, don't worry, she will! *evil grin*)
inudemoness247 (DV; Yep! Thank you! QFF; You're not alone Both; *growl*
kitsunekagome23 (DV; I will QFF; and I'll make sure she will)
badgerwolf (DV; thank you! QFF; Wow... there really ARE a ton of Kikyou- haters out there!!!)
kireishi-chan (DV; You thing what she did to Yusuke was bad? Try sharing Thanksgiving dinner with her. QFF- Shut up, fox-girl! DV; Bummer. Mine went by all too fast and now it's almost over... *sigh*
windmagelita (DV; lol We've got you covered for Kag/Kurama, Sango/Hiei and possibly Shippo/Rin, but Naraku's already dead and I'd feel too sorry for anything that gets paired up with Kikyou. QFF; As for Sesshy... Sadly enough, he's got a pairing, too or else he's be MINE!!! ALL MINE!!! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!! DV- -_-;;; There's no way I'm related to you.)
Luscious (DV; A lot of people seem to like that ^-^ QFF; You might have... DV; But I never get tired of hearing it! QFF- We know. OH! And one last thing... DV; YOU'RE MY ONE HUNDRETH REVIEWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Party favors and streamers... again* And As you reward, you get al the main male characters of InuYasha and YuYu (Except Kuwabara, who no girl in their right minds would actually WANT) for the next week!!! Inu; SAY WHAT!!!!!!!!!!)
raven (DV; Hehe... you'll see! QFF; Don't torment people, DV, it's rude. DV; -_-;;;)
Jillian (DV; thanks!!!! QFF; Nope, but thing heat up in this chapter!!! DV; Shut up, Queenie!!! And I'm pretty sure it has...)
fluffy sama 13 (DV; Done!!! QFF; I'm pretty sure they know that by now, DV,)
BaikenSeishino (DV; Whoa, settle down before you end op in at padded room next to mine!!! QFF; But I'm the only padded room next to yours!!! DV- Exactly. And I forgive all who review! And if you like Sango/Hiei, your gonna LOVE this chapter!!! QFF; *finally gets it* HEY!!!!!!)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````
QFF- *humming*
Inu- What the hell are you-!
Everyone else except DV and QFF- NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inu- I was just gonna ask her what she was hum-!
Kagome- NO!
Sango- InuYasha, haven't you learned by now that NO question we asked either of them are gonna get us anything but pain, annoyance and embarrassment?!
Yusuke- Actually, anything we SAY around them gets us pain annoyance and embarrassment.
Kuwabara- He's got a point there.
Shippo- *Wakes up from his nap on the couch* Who's humming?
QFF- Me, myself and us.
Shippo- What are you humming?
Everyone except Shippo, DV and QFF- *flinch*
QFF and DV- *grin at each other and start to sing* I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES, EVERYBODY'S NERVES! I KNOW A SONG THAT GETS ON EVERYBODY'S NERVES AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES! BUM BUM BUM- !!!
Everyone except the psycho singing duo- *groan*
Yusuke- Now see what the damn kit started?!
Kagome- You can't blame Shippo! He's just a little kid!
Botan- No writer of fan fictions owns any of us in any way shape or form (Dreams don't count.) Yari, Yakuso, Hogasha and company all belong to DreamVixen as they are her original characters. DreamVixen wants me to tell you that if she finds anybody else using her characters without her permission, she will give you hell. She also wants me to tell you she'd be happy to sell her cousin, Queenoffanfiction12, for a quarter or less.
\\.........\\ Youko\Kurama talk -.........- beast talk *.........* telepathy '.........' thoughts
********************************Fluffiness!*******************************
'I can't believe I'm learning this stuff from HIM!' I scoffed at the neko's mental sulking. She's acting like I WANT to teach her in broad daylight. Under different circumstances, I wouldn't be here even if she had needed my aid. But considering the... delicate situation... I had no choice.
"You know, it's a lot easier to say Kagome scares the shit out of you when she's mad." I scowled. Damn kitsunes to hell!
"Your vixen doesn't scare me," Sango grinned.
"Just keep telling yourself that." Then she started to giggle.
'If I hadn't been scared shitless myself, I would've laughed at the look on your face!' I glared at her, masking my thoughts and fighting the urge to blush. I would NOT show that kind of weakness in front of this girl!
*You are one to take about expressions. You looked ready to dig yourself a hole to hide in when the vixen rounded on you.*
'Can you blame me?' I smirked at the incredulous tone in her voice.
*And you call yourself a neko?*
'Hey, it's not like I asked for this, so BACK OFF!!!!!!' My smirk widened.
*Do you want to give it up now?*
'Depends. Will it get me away from you?'
*Probably not. Your vixen seems intent on you training with me* Vaguely, I wondered if the fox had anything to do with her stubborn refusal to allow the girl to train with anyone else, and to allow me to refuse to train her.
'Which fox?' Sango asked dryly, 'There's Shippo, Souta, Yakuso, Yari, Kurama...'
*Stay out of my mind.* I snapped at her.
"I can't help it, okay?!" She yelled at me, blushing, "It's just like hearing, I can't just stop it at will!" I mentally sighed. Maybe there WAS a good reason the vixen was so forceful...
"You can. You just haven't learned how yet." Sango's head shot up.
"Really? You can teach me, right?" Hope shone in her eyes. I felt a pang of sympathy for her for a second. Being bombarded with so many voices so often must come close to driving away what little sanity she had after traveling with such a mismatched group for so long. I forced myself to focus on the matter at hand.
"Of coarse. The Jigan might not be natural, but it works on the same level as your own abilities." Sango blinked in surprise.
"Your third eye isn't natural?" She asked in confusion. I belatedly realized that the surgery for the Jigan wouldn't come to be for hundreds of years.
"No." She glared at me, silently demanding a clearer explanation. "The Jigan is a third eye for the physi, implanted in a long and painful surgery. IF you survive having it implanted, the Jigan tests your will and strength. If you are weak, it kills you by eating away at you brain. It only takes half a minute, but it's not a way most would prefer to die." Sango stared at me in shock.
"Why the Hell would anyone go through THAT!" She exclaimed. I glared at her.
"There are reasons," I said shortly. She looked at me, carefully. Those now silver eyes of hers seemed to be trying to penetrate my soul.
"What was your reason?" She asked softly, brushing some stray hair out of her face while remaining wary of her new claws. I hesitated. Should I tell her? The neko seemed to sense my inner turmoil, because she shook her head and sighed.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," She said, sounding like herself again. "But I would like to know, and I think it would do you wonders if you told me."
"How could you help me?" I snorted.
"Sometimes, you just need to have someone who's willing to listen to make you feel better. Kagome taught me that. She'd listen to me, when I talk to her about Kohaku and how I was afraid I couldn't get him back, and I'd listen to her about her problems with the whole time travel and Kikyou and Kouga thing," here Sango smiled, "Ironically, Kagome had more problems then me, yet she was always more willing to listen than anyone else I know." I stared at her for a second.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, frowning in confusion at the odd girl.
"Because you need someone to talk to more than I ever did. Kagome told me what you are before all this started, though I don't think she herself knew at the time."
"That doesn't explain anything," I snapped. Sango smiled again.
"I never told you I was born the daughter of the leader of the tajiya, did I?" She said, settling against a tree. "My mother died not long after Kohaku was born, while defending a nearby village. Kohaku was never very strong in his childhood, so Father put a lot of pressure on me to become a great warrior and keep the position of leader in our family. He had me constantly training. Kohaku, too, in an attempt to make him stronger. We were distanced from the other tajiyas for so long, it almost felt as if we weren't tajiyas at all. When I started my duty as a demonslayer, it felt so good to have a little control in a situation, in the heat of battle, I could forget about my Father and all that pressure. It was just me and my opponent. Nothing else existed, nothing else mattered." Here, the girl paused.
"Sometimes, I'd feel a little angry at my Father. For all he expected of me and Kohaku. But when I saw him die like that when Naraku took control of my brother's mind, I felt so guilty. Now, Kohaku and I are the last of the tajiya, The rest are dead because of Naraku's deceit. Now, I don't know what to feel towards my Father." I stared at her, wondering why she'd trust me with this information.
"Why are you telling me this?" I repeated. Sango smiled.
"Because I know I can trust you with this, even if you are a snobby little bastard. I guess, I just want you to know you're not the only one out there who's all alone, even when they're surrounded by friends." I frowned at her.
"My sister,"
"What?"
"I had the Jigan implanted so I could look after my sister from afar. She didn't know of my existence, and I didn't want her to." Here I let my own self disgust seep into my voice. "I was a forbidden child, a killer, and she didn't deserve the pain of sharing the same blood as someone like me."
"Yukina's your sister." It was a statement, not a question. When I looked at her, she added, "Kagome sensed it in your blood. She's the one who told me. I haven't said anything to Yukina yet, and I'll warn Kagome to keep it quiet, too, If you want," I said nothing, but relaxed slightly. "I know saying this won't do much, but I don't think she'll turn her back on you if you tell her. Though I can understand what your going through." She raked a claw through her hair with a sigh, "I should tell Kohaku what happened. How he was controlled by Naraku and forced to kill our Father and the villagers, But I can't. Every time I get up the courage and go up to him, it goes away the second I look into his eyes or hear his voice. I feel like such a coward."
"You're not," I said, stubbornly. As much as I disliked her strong, willful nature at times, I respected her courage in situations that would send most weak humans fleeing. She was determined to be strong. To rid herself of weakness. And she'd do anything to obtain that strength. I hated her personality, yet was attracted to it at the same time.
I mentally growled to myself. Why did ningens have to be so Damn hard to understand! They were weak, fragile for the most part, yet they always managed to produce one of two that could compete with youkai. Those one or two were all that was needed to keep the race alive, and free. Yusuke was one of these, as was the baka, though I'd never tell either of them. This girl had been one, too. Before the spell, that is.
"Come. We need to start training your telepathy first, or that will drive you to the brink of insanity. IF your not insane already." The girl glared at me.
"Haha." She said sarcastically, "Just tell me how to get the voices to shut up!" She flinched when she realized how that sounded. I smirked. Perhaps this would be interesting...
After the neko learned how to block out and tone in on certain people's minds, we started back to the hut so she could eat and we could continue our training. Sango's jaw dropped when she saw the taiyoukai and his pup were still there, now also joined by the toad-like youkai from our earlier meeting. (AN; what the Hell is Jaken? Please, PLEASE tell me he's the last of his kind or something! .) The miko-vixen saw us and smiled.
"Sango, Hiei, how'd the training go?" I said nothing, still wary from her earlier outburst, which STILL rang in my ears. Yusuke smirked from where he sat with his miko girlfriend and Kurama chuckled slightly from his place at Kagome's side.
"Hn," I said, jumping into a tree.
'Kagome, what're Sessho-maru and Rin still doing here. And when did Jaken show up?'
'A few minutes ago. Rin wants to stay and play with the boys. InuYasha wasn't too happy, but he's not causing any trouble.'
'Are you sure it's okay, Kagome?'
'Positive.' Then the pup ran over to the vixen and the neko.
"Will neko-nee-chan and kitsune-nee-chan play with Rin after lunch?" the girl asked, hopefully. The miko youkai smiled.
"Maybe, if we're not too busy, Rin," she said with a smile. "I'm sure Yakuso-chan would be happy to play with you, though, if the boys lessons don't take too long." The girl's pout brightened.
"Rin go asked her!"
With that, the girl ran off to find the healer.
\\Please tell me Kagome's run out of chocolate. I'd hate to see that girl on a sugar-high.\\ The neko giggled slightly and I rolled my eyes.
*What's the matter, fox, scared of a kid?*
\\No! I'm wary of overly hyper kids. There's a difference.\\
*Suuure...* the neko decided to join our conversation.
\\Who asked you?!\\
"By the way, Kagome, I've been meaning to ask you something since this morning. I caught a wolf's scent around here, and it smelled a lot like that guy who likes you so much. Did he come by or something?" the warrior-vixen asked, smacking the monks hand away from her ass. The vixen stiffened, as did Kurama. Smirking, I wondered how the kitsunes would handle this.
"Uhh... yeah, sort of. We kinda got into an argument with him on the way back to the hut last night. Nothing much. Anyway, I don't think we'll be seeing too much of him for a while,"
"Should have let me kill him when we met the bastard." The hanyou said, sulkily. "Then, there would have never been a fucking problem."
"Sit," The hanyou flinched in expectation, but nothing happened. The vixen smirked at him while the other females laughed.
"Feh!"
"InuYasha, if you make me say that three more times, the rosary's going back on." The hanyou flinched again, his ears drooping.
"So is that what took you two so long to get back last night?" the neko asked as she started to eat. "I thought I heard yelling but I wasn't sure..." Kagome frowned.
"What were you doing up that late?" She asked curiously. Sango stiffened.
"I erm... couldn't sleep." She said meekly.
"Really? You looked dead to the world when I came in..."
"Well, yeah, I was asleep by then, but at first I wasn't," I rolled my eyes. Was she trying to sound like an idiot?
"Oookay..." the vixen turned to the fox, "Well, Kurama and I should get back to training now." She said, dragging the kitsune hybrid away. I glared at the neko until she finished, so we could continue. The sooner we got her training over with, the sooner the spirit detective would stop giving me that look.
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"I'll tell Kagome you're not giving me proper training," I glared at her, then sighed and took my bandana off, opening the Jigan.
"Now will you shut up?" She glared at me.
"No reason to bite my head off, I was just curious," It had been eight hours since lunch. The neko had skipped dinner so we could continue her training without interruption.
"Don't you ningens have a saying about curiosity killing the cat?" Her glare darkened.
"Haha." She said, swiping at me with her claws.
"Bitch,"
"Shows how much you know. I'm a cat, not a dog!" I glared at her, she glared back.
"At least I'm not fool enough to get attacked by a miko when I had a chance to escape her."
"What was I supposed to do, let her kill Rin?!"
"If need be. You must do everything necessary to survive."
"Since when did you care? Besides you were attacked, too!"
"Youkai can't sense mikos, and the cowardly bitch attacked from behind."
"So? I thought you were supposed to have super senses or something. Why didn't you hear or smell her?!"
"I didn't hear her because a certain ningen bitch was yelling at me for nearly hurting a child. And she reeks of earth and bones, two smells that are common in a forest. What about you, Tajiya? Why did you not sense her? And why did you not escape for help? The barrier was designed to hold youkai blood, you and the child were human at the time. Why did you not leave?"
"Because, you creep, I wasn't going to abandon my friends around that bitch! She's already tried to kill Kagome far too many times AND she tried to drag InuYasha to Hell. I wasn't going to leave and find out she tried to take another friend from me!!!" I glared at her.
"What could you have done? You had no weapons, your feline wasn't with you at the time, what could you have done to stop her?"
"Anything I could. I would resort to fighting tooth and nail if I had to, That freaky bitch wasn't stealing any more lives!" I begrudgingly admired her loyalty to her companions.
"What about your life? Doesn't that count?"
"Why do you care?"
"Does that mean you don't have an answer?"
"No, it means I don't know why your asking me these questions!"
"Answer mine first."
"Alright, fine! No, it doesn't count. My life is mine to give, if I choose to die fighting, that's how I'm going to end. But it doesn't matter, anyways. I won't die because of Kikyou. Just like I wouldn't die because of Naraku."
"Then how DO you choose to die?" I asked sarcastically.
"You're such an arrogant bastard!" the neko snapped, turning to leave. I grabbed her wrist. "Let me go!"
"You honestly believe that getting yourself killed would make the miko youkai happy? And what about your brother, are you really going to leave him alone?" Her brother was a soft spot for me. Like me, she had to go without her younger sibling. Unlike my situation with Yukina, a simple swipe of a sword wouldn't fix the years of pain and guilt. Was she truly willing to give that up? I felt her muscles relax as she sighed.
"Why do you confuse me so much?" She asked softly. I nearly rolled my eyes.
"I should be asking you that question, Sango," She got a look of complete shock on her face. "what?" I snapped.
"You... you called me Sango..." she said in a hushed whisper. I glared at her mentally slapping myself.
"That's your name, isn't it?"
"Yes, but you've never used it before. As a matter of fact, you've never used ANYONE'S name before. At least, not that I remember... you had nicknames for everyone if you'd address them at all. Fox, Kit, Spirit Detective, Miko, Baka, Vixen, Girl, Hanyou..."
"Hn," She rolled her eyes.
"Figures you can only be nice for a second before to turn back into a creep." The girl grumbled. I glared at her.
"Your one to talk about anyone's manners." I snapped.
"I'm nice to people I deem worthy of being nice to! I'm not going to act sweet and caring towards a jerk!"
"Then why should I show manners to a bitch?!"
"I thought we've been over this before, I'm a cat, not a dog so fuck off!!!"
"I'll call you what I please,"
"See?! There you go again! Your such a snob! I bet you've never done one nice thing in your entire-!!!"
By now I was angry. My instincts were going haywire, demanding I show this girl who should respect who. I was losing control fast, and I had to shut her up before something happened that we'd both regret. Normally, I simply yell at her to be silent, but I wasn't thinking clearly at the moment, so I shut her up a different way.
I pulled her closer with the wrist that was still in my grasp and pressed her lips against mine. The neko made a muffled sound of protest before melting against me. I moved my arms around her waist, making her gasp in surprise and giving me the open opportunity to explore her mouth. I was surprised when she started to return the kiss, but not in the least disappointed. We parted and Sango gasped up lose air.
"What was that for?" She asked with a flushed face, sounding slightly dazed.
"To shut you up," I said truthfully, amused when her face darkened. I leaned closer before she could say anything, "And this is because I feel like it," I kissed her again. Once again, she lean against me without protest, this time offering her mouth to me.
"Jeeze, think you two could make that kiss any deeper?" Sango and I turned sharply at the unwelcomed interruption, which was grinning impishly, "Seriously, get a room or something!" the neko's eyes darkened and started bleeding red.
"What the Hell are you doing here, Ganko?!?!?!?!?!"
************************************************************************
Yume sighed as she looked into the darkened sky overhead. Then she turned her gaze to her claws. It hadn't been so long that she had been without them, only a decade, which was no big deal to a full youkai, but it felt like forever. She had missed being herself.
"My Queen?" Yume turned to the lord that was bravely housing her and her father, right under Kurai's nose. "Are you alright?" Yume smiled.
"I'm fine, Shujin. I suppose I'm just worried about my children." He smiled knowingly.
"I understand, my Queen. After so long, it must be hard to leave them on their own right now. It is only natural that you worry for their safety," Yume smiled.
"I guess that's true,"
"Besides, I have no doubt that if your children gained even half of your courage, they will be more than fine," Yume laughed at that.
"Oh, no. My children are far braver than I ever was. Kagome especially." The kitsune queen sighed at the thought of her eldest and only daughter. "She has such a fire in her. And she cares so much about everyone else."
"Sound a lot like you to me," Lord Shujin said softly, "You acted just like that when we were children, before you married Kurai and became queen," then, he seemed to realize what he said, "Forgive me, my Queen, that was out of line!" Yume waved a hand as if to brush it off.
"We've known each other for ages, Shujin, there's no need for such formalities. And perhaps you are right about Kagome taking after me." Yume sighed again.
"I'm sure of it, Yume," Shujin smiled, "She was an active child. And as for your not having courage, do you think you could have taken your kits like you did if you didn't?"
"I feared the entire time, Shujin, and I was always afraid for the last ten years, especially when youkai made contact with my daughter again. What if she had met with a shadow kitsune in the past? They would have been stronger than I am back then, and more likely to see past my spell. Besides, if I had any courage, I would have confronted Kurai years ago, instead of running and hiding."
"You were thinking of the prince and princess, Yume, and acted as any proper mother should in your situation. You didn't want to sink to his level, and betray your kin by fighting your mate. Don't degrade yourself for that," Yume smiled.
"Thank you, Shujin."
"Anytime, my Queen. Anytime."
************************************************************************
DV- What do you think? I had to get something in their about Kagome's mom, so people would know where she is, and I had to get Ganko with the group or suffer the wrath of the surprisingly large amount of reviewers that like him.
QFF- Well, yeah, but Did ja have to stick him in AT THAT MOMENT?!?!?!?!?!?!
DV- hehe... ^-^; Guess that was a little... uncalled for. I swear, that's the last interrupted kiss!!!
QFF- -_-;;; And how come Sango gets to kiss Hiei and I don't?!
DV- Because Sango's paired off with Hiei.
QFF- Can I have Kurama?
DV- No.
QFF- Inu?
DV- No.
QFF- Sesshy?
DV- No.
QFF- Kenshin?
DV- He's not in these series.
QFF- Who cares? He's hot!
Miroku- You can have me!
QFF- I'd rather go throught the natural birth for Quadruplets.
Inu- Whatever. Look, hurry up and review! The sooner you do, the sooner the wench writes and the sooner the story ends so the sooner we get outta here!
Everyone- o.O;
Sessho- Brother, you should start thinking before opening your mouth.
DV- Yep, now, if you'll excuse us, Queenie and I are off to our new padded rooms, comfy hug-yourself-all-day jackets and courtacy of angelkitty777!
QFF- Ja ne!!!