Kitsunehime: .........

Miyu: Out of things to say?

Kitsunehime: *nods*

Inuyasha: Haha!

Kagome: Inuyasha! Be nice!

Toutousai: *is drunk* I'm a *hic* little teashpot, la lee dee da la, tip me over and whoopsh! There I goesh! *hic*

Kitsunehime: .......Someone get him out of here!

Lucivar: *backs away from Toutousai who now seems to be drooling* I absolutely refuse to even touch him. *looks at others*

Fahleing: I'm invisible today, you can't see me.

Koryu: I died.

Kitsunehime: Oi! That's the excuse I usually use! Whoever doesn't get the crazy old drunk out of here has to do the disclaimer!

Inuyasha: I'd rather do the disclaimer.

Daemon: Can't we just float him out with Craft or something?

Sakuya: Great idea, sherlock! Why didn't you speak up sooner? You idiot!

Sesshoumaru: Then do it already!

Jaenelle: *floats him out* There.

Kitsunehime: Now......let's see.........Myouga, you do the disclaimer!

Myouga: *running*

Kitsunehime: Someone catch that flea!

Rin: *catches him* I got him!

Myouga: NOOOOOO!

Titian: Hey, you're pretty loud for a flea.

Kitsunehime: *holds up flea spray* Do it or else.

Myouga: Meep! Kitsunehime-sama does not own us! Now get that stuff away from me!

Kitsunehime: ........Now that that's done, here's the next chapter:





To Rule the Darkness

ch. 17 Travels



Kohaku waited until Sango and Miroku were asleep, then turned around to wake up Souta. "Psst! Hey Souta, how about we get those two together?"

"Yeah! We start tomorrow, ok? This'll be fun.....!"

Next Day~

Souta and Kohaku looked at each other and grinned. Sango eyed them suspiciously as they took off on Kirara. What she and Miroku didn't know was they were doing this all according to plan, leaving them alone together.

"So, how long would you say we have left until we get to the Hall?" Miroku asked amiably after walking in a couple moments of silence.

Sango thought for a bit. "Hmm...........actually, I have no clue. I think we're close though." While thinking, she accidentally forgot to watch exactly where she was going, and tripped on a random little rock. "Kyaa!"

Miroku caught her almost without thinking. "You ok?"

"Hai, arigatou," she said, blushing a bit since his arms were around her. But she didn't move away, as Kohaku and Souta, who were hiding in the shadows, thought she would.

Neither did Miroku. They stood like that for a while until they realized what they were doing. Then they sprang apart, blushing slightly and muttering apologies. From the shadows, the boys, and Kirara, sighed in disappointment. 'Next time........' they thought.

Of course, what the whole group didn't know was that the Hall was just a little beyond where they were. It could not be seen because of the trees in the way.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Youko Kurama and Miyu Shiori had made it all the way to the Dog Forest at that time. True to their nicknames, they still resembled white forest spirits running through the trees.

They made better time than Youko had first estimated. It took them only a little less than a week and a half to reach the Dog Forest, and at this rate, they could reach the Hall itself in another half a week.

"Miyu, do you want to make camp for the night?" Youko asked as they ran with the sun setting.

She shook her head, almost imperceptibly so she wouldn't lose her balance and crash. "No, we only started at noon because of the rain. Besides, running at night is great."

"Especially with the full moon, koishii." Miyu smiled at him when he said that.

"Hai, my kitsune. Let's spook anyone within miles out simply by being 'spirits,'" she said laughingly.

And so they raced on ahead, framed by the light of the full moon, looking for all the world like.......well, spirits.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


Kirara woke suddenly, feeling the presences of two youkai. She watched, on guard, as two fast, graceful shapes soar past, silhouetted against the bright moon. They passed with only a cursory glance downwards, so Kirara relaxed and went back to sleep.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


"There's a small group of humans below us," Miyu murmured to her mate softly as they passed over them. "And a firecat," she added.

Youko gave them a quick glance, and decided they were no threat. "Four humans, all asleep. The firecat's just watching." He sent out a quick psychic probe. "The witch wears the Red, the adult Warlord wears the Green, and the two younger Warlords wear the White and Tiger Eye. And the cat may be Kindred."

She flicked a backwards glance at the clearing as they bounded farther and farther away. "Kindred, eh? Interesting........."

Towards morning, the pair found a nice, cozy little cave and slept there, curled up in each other's arms until a couple hours before high noon. Then they continued their journey.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~


'Well, landens aren't all that bad after all ne?' Sesshoumaru thought as he stared at the ceiling from the bed of a rather prosperous landen inn. 'None of the snake-pit of political intrigue most of the Blood are immersed in.'

"Lord? You're food is here," A buxom young woman said from the open door. Sesshoumaru waved her in and gestured for her to put the food down on the small table. "Anything else you'll be needing, Lord?" She licked her lips and almost unobtrusively pulled the neckline of her dress lower.

Sesshoumaru ignored her attempt to *ahem* "display herself" and merely said, "Nothing else. You may go now." 'So, there are stupid whores among the landens too, eh? No matter, I remain Rin's alone.' At the thought of Rin, his heart seemed to contract, and a previously unexperienced feeling of deep longing assaulted him. He didn't even notice when the slightly affronted serving wench huffed and shut the door behind her as she left.

'It's been.....how long already? Almost a year......Oh Rin......I wish I were with you right now......I miss you so much it hurts......' He put down his food, and put his head in his hands. 'Rin, if only you knew all the new emotions I'm feeling for you' "Rin....." he whispered aloud. 'Hell, I'd really like to be back among the Blood right now, even Inuyasha's company is preferable to that of the landens! Oh sure, they're hospitable enough, but there's always an undercurrent of fear, fear of the Blood, Craft, Darkness, and kami-knows-what-else!'

Sighing lightly, he picked his fork back up and resumed eating, trying to ignore, or at least lessen, the ache within his heart.







Sorry for the rather short and pointless chapter, I'm having.........er, I wouldn't exactly call it writer's block, just a lack of ideas and/or inspiration. I have ideas for what I want to put in later, but almost none for now. Any suggestions are welcome! If I like them, and have a way to work them in, I'll use them.

starrynight323: Youko Kurama is so cool...... *sigh* In fact, he looks a hell of a lot like Inuyasha!

Ja!