Kari slowly opened her eyes to see the familiar shelves filled with herbs and potions and yet again not knowing how she got there. Kaede's hut looked the same as it did when she had left, or had been taken away. No one was insight, not even the old woman. Kari could here birds chirping outside and by the way that the sun was coming in through the window next to her bed, she could tell that it was mid afternoon. She watched happily at the birds and butterflies playing outside her window. She heard the smallest creak of the old wood floor and turned instantly around. "You're awake! Thank goodness," Kouga sighed as he bounded over to her bedside. "We all thought you were a goner." Kari smiled gently but she couldn't speak, her throat was as dry as parchment. She pointed to the pitcher of water on the table. "Oh, you must be thirsty."

Kouga walked to the water pitcher and poured a glass full and walked back to the bed. He put arm around and helped her sit up to drink some of the water. After she had some, she asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days. Are you sure..."

"Yes I'm fine. Where is everyone?"

"Kaede is in the village helping some sick children."

"What about Ki and Inuyasha?"

"They have to guard a little something...or should I say someone...in the forest."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. It's what you didn't do..."

"Okay, if you want to talk in riddles, go ahead. Now next question, where's Hiten?"

"He's a little...tied up at the moment."

"He's not dead...so I'm assuming you mean that literally."

"Mmhmm."

"So that must mean..."

"Yoojzzwansseo."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up lighting bug," Kili replied to the incoherent mumbling.

"Datcllmehtta!"

"You heard what she said, lightning bug. Shut up or we'll let ya die nice and slow instead of the quick death. Understand?" Inuyasha growled in his face. Hiten nodded dumbly against his bonds.

"I wonder what Kari is gonna do with him," Miroku stated.

"I would tell you, but I don't wanna frighten Hiten here, now do I?" Kili replied. At that Hiten started to struggle against his bonds until Inuyasha silenced him.

"I'm going for a walk... you two can handle things on your own, right?" Kari asked.

"No problem. He's bound up so tight that I'm surprised that he can breathe," Miroku said as he picked at his fingernails.

"I'm going with you. Considering all the trouble you've gotten yourself in, it'll be goblins after you next," Inuyasha said as he followed her out of the clearing and into the forest.

"How stupid do they think I am?" Miroku asked himself.

Kili and Inuyasha walked through the woods talking about the events that had occurred in the past few days. The walked about a mile and stopped in a clearing not far from a stream. "So are there any more bloodthirsty villains after you that I should know about?" Inuyasha asked as he sat down on a log.

"Of course! But don't worry about them. Kari and I can take care of them, no problem!" she said with a smirk on her face.

"So that was 'no problem' three days ago?" Inuyasha said mockingly.

"Umm...yeah well...that was different..." Kili started to stammer. Inuyasha grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down to sit next to him. She landed with a thump and looked at Inuyasha surprised. He held her hand as he looked into her eyes.

"I don't care what you say. Kouga, Miroku, and I are going with you from now on." Kili started to interrupt but he pressed his finger to her lips. "I don't care if you had a vision, glimpse, whatever!" He moved his hand to her cheek and stroked it gently. "I don't want you getting hurt." He removed his hand from her face and rested it on her shoulder. "When I saw what those brutes had done to you...when you told me..." he looked down, unable to look her in the eye.

"Inuyasha, look at me." He slowly looked up at her. "I am fine. I can take care of myself. I could never forgive myself if...if what I saw were to happen. You can't come with me. You can't..." Inuyasha stopped her by lightly brushing his lips against hers.

"I can and I will," he said with the smallest hint of a smile. Kili smiled back.

"Okay, maybe you can come." She paused and looked him playfully in the eye. "You know, you're very persuasive." Kili replied.

"Really? Are you sure you don't need any more persuasion?" he said getting closer to her.

"Nope!" and with that she stood up and started to walk away. Inuyasha sat there completely stunned as he watched her walk back to where Miroku and Lightning Bug where.

Kari was sitting at the table, stuffing herself with any food in her reach. Kouga was sitting across the table from her, watching her as if she had two heads. "What?" Kari said when she saw him looking at her like that. "You've never seen a person eat before?"

"No, I've just never seen a demon act like a humanoid bottomless pit before," Kouga replied.

"Incase you haven't noticed," Kari said vehemently while stuffing more food in her mouth, "I haven't eaten in five days!" Kouga looked taken aback by her answer. "What? Did you expect Hiten to feed us while we were there?"

"Well, considering what you've told me about his obsession about you, I would think so." Kari shook her head while shoveling more food down her throat. "He wanted me to suffer before he would treat me as his mate. He wanted me to..." she paused, looking like she was going to be sick. She swallowed her food and sat back. Kouga took her hand, but she immediately flinched away. "I'm sorry...I...It was a reflex...don't take..." Kouga just nodded his head. "I understand. After what you've been through, I'm surprised you can act normal around guys let alone be touched by one. I mean..." his voice trailed off as he looked at her. The look on her face was one of pure horror and she was staring past Kouga towards the door. He turned around and saw a stricken Miroku with half of his hair burnt off and terribly wounded.

"Lightening...bug," were the only words he uttered before he fell to the ground unconscious. Kouga ran to help Miroku but Kari ran past him and looked to the sky to find Hiten escaping with Kagura.

"You're mine, Kari! I shall claim you my mate! Just you wait Kari!" Hiten screamed as they flew into the distance.

Inuyasha, Kouga, Miroku, Kili and Kari were sitting on the floor of the hut. It was a mere hour after Hiten had escaped and Inuyasha was itching to be after him. "What are we waiting for?" Inuyasha screamed at Kouga, who had continuously blamed Inuyasha for leaving Hiten alone to go off after Kili. "We should go after him while the trail is fresh!"

"We are not leaving yet! We should wait until Kari is better from her ordeal!" Kouga yelled back just as hot tempered.

"I'm feeling fine..." Kari started but she was interrupted.

"If you weren't a mutt, you would be able to smell out the trail even if it was a few days old!"

"A few days old! What I am worried about is them getting too far ahead of us! Besides...who knows what other old foes we will have to deal with in the next few days!"

"Hey now, we didn't get into that much..." Kili tried to defend herself but she was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"I mean...we have already have had to deal with Kagura, the soldiers, and Hiten!"

"Yeah, and the whole Hiten problem would have been taken care of if you hadn't gone off after Kili!"

"Now, hold on..." Kili started again but was again interrupted.

"I didn't want her to get into any trouble! At least I was protecting someone! You weren't doing anything!"

"Um...guys?" Kari tried.

"I was making sure Kari was being properly taken care of!"

"Guys..." Kili said.

"Flirting's more like it!"

"Hey! Guys!" Kari said a little louder, trying to get their attention.

"Well, at least I didn't kiss the girl, like someone I know!"

"GUYS!" Kili and Kari screamed, getting everyone's attention. There was a moment of silence in which Inuyasha and Kouga looked at the girls and Miroku looked at Inuyasha.

"You actually kissed her?" Miroku asked.

"Miroku..."

"Way to go, Inuyasha!" Miroku clapped him on the back.

"Miroku..." Inuyasha growled.

"You have to give me all the dirty..." Miroku was interrupted by a hanyou's hand crashing into his head.

"SHUT UP WILL YOU!" Inuyasha roared.

"Listen," Kari said to get everyone's attention, "We don't have to follow them and we can take as much time as we need."

"Huh?" the Three Stooges said in unison.

"We know where Sanyli and Sakuso are going to be for the next couple of weeks," Kili said.

"They go to the same place every year for...," and here Kari paused and glanced at Kili, "this time of year. The springs to the south."

"Man," Miroku started, "these girls are really...," he paused when he looked at Kili and Kari's evil stares and realized why they hadn't explained the reason why they went. "Umm...really...um...gonna get it when we meet 'em there. Haha...hmm." He looked at the floor trying very hard not to smile. 'No wonder those two have been extra protective of the girls for the past two days," Miroku thought to himself. 'Two days from now is the start of mating season.'

Hey! Hope ya like the new chap! I hope to update soon! I wonder what gonna happen when the guys wake up and its mating season and they have two gorgeous girls nearby! R&R!