*bows repeatedly* Thank you everyone for all your patience! After much deliberation I have completed the tenth chapter! I've wrote, read it, re-read it and edited it and now it's done and ready for your reading! Aren't you happy?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha, but I sell him in the House of Bishes!

Chapter 10:

Ago

"Kagome-sama, are you alright?" Miroku asked. Sango tried to help up her friend but the girl wouldn't move. Kagome sat there in a tight ball arms around her legs, oblivious to her companions' attempts to snap her out of it. Sango looked worriedly at her.

"Kagome-chan, what happened? Where's Inu-Yasha?" at that question Kagome buried her face into her arms further, a small sob escaping from her. Sango looked shocked. Had something happened with Inu-Yasha? Was he seriously injured? Or worse, dead? She had never heard of what would happen if the guardian died while still protecting the mortal soul so she wouldn't know the repercussions. She looked over at Kirrara who shook her head. So Inu-Yasha was alive? Then what had happened while they were gone?

There was one that had a dim idea of what was going on, although it didn't make much sense. Had Inu-Yasha told her? Everything? Shippo frowned. He may be a kid but everyone knew Inu-Yasha and Kikyou's story and from what he had seen of Inu-Yasha the half-angel wouldn't be so foolish as to just blurt out the story of his life especially something so… delicate. Shippo sighed.

Miroku looked at his small guardian who seemed lost in thought.

"Care to explain?" he asked. Shippo thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I guess I can tell you Miroku. Just no blurting and don't tell anyone what you know or who told you, understand?"

Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Shippo, are you threatening me?"

"No…"

Miroku sighed and set Shippo on the ground. "Heel."

WHAM!

Shippo spat out some dirt and dragged himself up from the imprint in the ground, sitting with his back turned to his task. "Just for doing that I won't tell you." He said, flicking some dirt off of his rosary-from-hell.

"I can say the word as long as I want." Miroku said calmly, taking a seat. Shippo paled.

"Okay, okay I'll tell. But remember, keep it hush."

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid stupid!" Inu-Yasha slammed the back of his head against the tree with every 'stupid', yelling at himself for being such a moron and a jerk. He winced and rubbed the back of his head. "ow…" Well, there you have it folks, he thought. Inu-Yasha, dumbest creature alive. Well, what did you expect from a half-angel, quarter-demon and quarter-human? He was just a worthless three-blooded idiot. He didn't deserve to be Kagome's guardian, especially now. Snarling he slammed his fist against the tree. IDIOT! How could he be so selfish? Kagome was right: he really was a jerk.

He winced and massaged his hand, curling up and sinking deeper into depression. Great. Everything was just great. Now all he needed was some stupid cliché, like Kikyou coming back from the dead. He pouted, ears laid back. He was worthless, like everyone said. A worthless three-blood. He still couldn't tell if he hated his parents or not. After all, he barely knew them; they had died when he was really young. Naraku was the one that killed them – he sighed. In the end everything came down to that motherfucking asshole. Inu-Yasha picked at a piece of lint on his pants, moping. Maybe he really did have a sign on his back that said 'come and bother me'.

Or maybe he attracted trouble like moth to a flame, like Kaede-baba had always said. Apparently his father was always like that, which was no surprise. But still, why did everyone always have to compare him to his father? He wasn't his dad and he could do just as many great things. So he wasn't an unbelievable superhero that slew the evilest villain alive, but what a load of crap that was anyway. His dad obviously didn't do such a great job at killing Naraku, because now the asshole was back and the great and almighty Inu-Yasha the First wasn't here to save the day. Nope, only his mixed-breed son to fix up loose ends and still try to have a life. He sighed. Not that his life was really going anyplace great anyway. He fiddled with the hilt of the sword he inherited from his father and slowly, as he sank into depression, sank into his past, a past when angels and demons walked the earth as humans and the threat of Naraku was very, very real…

~ ~ ~

"Inu-Yasha, hold still!"

"No! Won't hold still, no like bath! Bath icky, Yasha stay like this!"

"Oh great." The black-haired woman rolled her eyes and impatiently tapped her fingers against the wooden bath. "Come on Inu-Yasha, I'm not going to wait all day." She gave a meaningful glare at her son, who sat firmly on the ground in his filthy kimono.

"Dirt better." The white-haired child, no larger then Shippo, pouted, giving his own glare to the bathtub. "Yasha stay." He flicked a dog-like ear in annoyance.

"And stop calling yourself Yasha, that's not your name." The women said.

"S'what ya call Pop." The boy said, doodling meaningless scratches into the ground with a stick.

The mother threw her hands up in the air. "That's because it's his name! It so I don't confuse the two of you! Kami! You're so stubborn!" The child continued doodling, ignoring her. The woman's eyes narrowed and she stood up, rolling up her sleeves. "Fine then, if that's how you want it."

Inu-Yasha paled and jumped up quickly. "No mama, no mama, no mama!" Before he could get out of reach his mother grabbed him, held up upside-down by one ankle and undressed him, all the while he was kicking and screaming. With one hand she flicked him into the bathtub with a splash and she threw his clothes into the hamper to be washed. Her son popped out of the tub, gasping for breath. He pouted, refusing to look at his mother. "Fine. While I'm here I'll wash." He muttered. His mother rolled his eyes and set about cleaning him.

"Where's dinner?" the door slammed open just as Inu-Yasha and his mother were finished re-dressing him, with almost as much hassle as it took to get his clothes off. Child and mother looked up to see what appeared to be a much larger, more aggressive version of the boy, with exception to three striped scars on one cheek, a scar over his other eye and a sword hooked to his belt. His yellow eyes also glinted much more dangerously then his son's; after all he had more demon blood. The female angel stood up and greeted her husband with a frown.

"In the garden if you're going to keep up this attitude." She scolded him, wagging a finger in his nose. "Seriously Yasha, what kind of example are you setting for your son?"

Yasha grinned, showing a pair of dangerous looking fangs, only they didn't frighten his wife at all. "A fuckin' good example, if I do say so myself."

He was rewarded with a frying pan to the head. "And don't use that language in front of our boy. You're lucky I even slept with you." She scolded him, threatening to the pan in his nose. Yasha was seriously getting a headache from trying to focus and he quickly sat in a chair.

"Sorry Ka-chan." He said, scratching at the already wounded table with his claw, working at a rut he had started some other light-hearted argument before. "I'll try to watch my shitty langua - fuck! I mean…" he gulped as his wife glared at him dangerously.

WHAM!

"Sorry." Yasha mumbled, the frying pan dented on his head. The women sighed. "Now I have to go and fetch another frying pan. That's what, the sixth this month?"

"You're the one who keeps hitting me." Yasha grumbled, taking the pan off of his head and tossing it out the window. His wife eyed him warningly.

"Only because you deserve it. Now we're having venison for dinner, so be a dear and go fetch some onions from the garden. And take Inu-Yasha with you. Some time with his father will do him good. Just don't let him near the puddles."

"Hai!" Yasha grinned, grabbing his son and putting him on his shoulders. "Ready to go kick some demon ass little guy?"

"Ya! Ass-kicking!" Inu-Yasha cheered and, after a look at his wife, Yasha decided that was a good time to leave.

"Good onions, eh son?" Yasha said, flicking another vegetable to his young boy. Inu-Yasha caught it, stumbling under the attempt to balance the other three as well. The child didn't even risk a nod. Yasha grinned. "I know, I'm a slave driver. You'll thank me for this someday."

Inu-Yasha wasn't quite sure what balancing onions would reward him with later in life, but didn't voice these opinions to his father. Instead he made his way to the home, tottering at a snail's pace. Yasha side and took a few onions off his son's load. "Better?" he asked. His son ignored him.

"Inu-Yasha-sama! Kanake-sama!" Father and son looked up to see a group walking up to them, headed by a monk in purple robes carrying a staff. The elder Yasha picked up the rest of the onions off of his son and dropped them in a pile near the door, then turning around to face their visitors.

"Miryoku you came just in time for dinner." The hanyou smirked. "Or was that the point?"

The monk smiled and helped his wife off of her pet feline. "Perhaps. After all, we can smell Kanake-sama's cooking from far off and I would just love to taste her venison one more time. Isn't that right Shinju?" The brown-haired women beside him nodded.

"C'mon Yasha, you know you miss us!" a small, red-haired child with a foxtail jumped onto the half-demon's head and was quickly pulled off. "Kinu, go away." The elder growled. The small angel stuck a tongue out and wiggled free from Yasha's grip.

A wooden spoon smacked itself onto Yasha's head and Kanake stood in the doorway, smiling at her guests and managing to scowl at her husband at the same time. "Yasha don't hurt Kinu. Inu-chan, that goes for you too." She gave a stern glance at her son, who was trying to see if the other child's tail was removable.  She beamed at her friends. "Come in, come in. There's enough stew for all, provided Yasha tightens his belt a bit.

"He's getting plump anyway. You're too soft on him, Kanake-chan." Shinju smiled as her pet transformed into a much smaller version. "Come Kira-Kira."

Kanake led her guests through the door. "The meal's not much since I wasn't expecting you. Still, I suppose to you pits it doesn't matter." She picked up the young Inu-Yasha, who hadn't seemed to take the hint and had been chasing Kinu around with a stick.

Miryoku smiled. "Indeed Kanake-sama."

Ah, what a wonderful meal!" Miroku sat back, smiling broadly. Kanake beamed. "You like it that much?" She asked.

"This is delicious, Kanake-chan." Shinju agreed. Kinu nodded in agreement, still eating.

"It was okay." Yasha said, taking another bite of a piece of meat. "You've made better though." He was rewarded with his comments with a spoon to the head from his glaring wife. "What, I complemented you, didn't I?"

Miryoku sighed. "Yasha, you've been married to this woman for how long and you still have no idea how to treat her. Your charisma is hopeless."

"My char-whata?" Yasha snorted, rubbing the bump on his head. Miryoku sighed again. "Never mind."

"Inu-chan, stop bothering Kinu." Kanake scolded. Inu-Yasha paused his game of poking Kinu with the chopsticks to glance at his mother, then went back to poking. Kanake threw up her hands in exasperation and grabbed her son, seating him firmly on her lap and refusing to let the wriggling child get loose. He eventually gave up and pouted.

"So get to the point monk." Yasha said, placing his chopsticks down. Miryoku and Shinju looked at him in confusion. Yasha waved his hand, elaborating. "You obviously didn't come here just for a meal or else you would have brought your brats." He ignored Kanake's warning glare. "So why are you here, really?"

Miryoku immediately became serious. "It's Naraku."

The atmosphere at the table suddenly chilled. Even Inu-Yasha stopped bothering Kinu to look up. Although the child had never actually met the infamous Naraku he had heard the stories from his parents; from what he could tell Naraku was very bad.

Yasha growled deep in his chest. "I thought we got rid of that bastard."

Miryoku shook his head. "Not for good and even you knew that. Somehow the Shikon no Tama has managed to get in his grasp; he's recovered and for all we know is stronger. He's changed though; he's not the Naraku from the past. He's getting to the point and going straight for the Key in the south."

"Fuck." Yasha swore and this time Kanake didn't reprimand him. Instead she looked at Shinju and Miryoku. "How much time?" she asked.

"A week, two tops." Shinju answered, stroking Kira-Kira's head. Kanake nodded and stood up.

"Then we don't have a moment to lose." She said and quickly cleared the table with her otherworldly powers. For ages she had been trying to hide the fact she was an angel and just live life like an average human. Now however was the time for action, not nostalgia. She grabbed her bow and arrows and changed into her average angel garb, which resembled female warrior outfits of that time quite greatly. She turned to her husband. "The sooner we leave the sooner we can kill that bastard."

Yasha nodded and stood up and Miryoku and Shinju stood up as well, their weapons ad already been close at hand. Kanake picked up Kinu and placed him on the table beside her son.

"Kinu, stay here please." She said quietly. A cross look covered Kinu's face and he pouted. "But I've been with you guys from the beginning! I should go too! You might need me!" He whined and Kanake rubbed his head. "I need you here more." She said.

"Yeah," Yasha agreed. "This fight's not for a kid like you. If you want to prove yourself a man, guard my son until we get back. Trust me, he's just as much trouble as Naraku."

Kinu still pouted and cast a wary glance at Inu-Yasha but the younger child wasn't paying any attention to him. "Pop, I wanna come 'n beat Naraku uppa too!" He whined, running over to his father. Yasha smiled and patted his son on the head.

"We'll try to leave a piece of him for you, 'k boy?" he said, giving his son's doggy ears a reassuring pat. "Kinu, I'm counting on you." He added to the fox-child. Kinu nodded fearfully.

"Inu-chan, be a good boy for Kinu and Ka-chan, okay?" Kanake said, fixing up Inu-Yasha's gi and patting him on the head as well. "Ka-chan and Tou-san will be right back." She kissed him on the forehead and joined her husband and companions and within a few moments they disappeared into the woods surrounding the house. Inu-Yasha and Kinu watched the still forest a few moments after they left until the irrepressible Inu-Yasha turned to Kinu and grinned.

"Come back here, ruffian!" Kinu shouted at the top of his lungs, chasing after the boy he was supposedly watching. Inu-Yasha grinned and kept running, the angel's toy clutched in his tiny fists. Growling, Kinu pulled out a leave and transformed into a version of Inu-Yasha's mother, plus a tail.

"Inu-Yasha!" The Kinu-Kanake shouted in a rather convincing voice. The renegade child froze in his tracks and looked fearfully over at his 'mother'. Kinu-Kanake looked at him sternly. "Give me Kinu's toy, now."

"Fine." Inu-Yasha grumbled, handing it over. "It's just a stupid kids toy and Kinu's a baby for having it in the first place."

"I'm not a baby! And you're younger then me!" Inu-Yasha grinned and Kinu paled. "Oops."

Inu-Yasha tackled Kinu, causing him to change back, and both children proceeded into a merry fight with each other, neither of them noticing the old human woman walking up through the woods. Finally Kinu accidentally kicked the younger boy in the head. Inu-Yasha sat down and began bawling. Kinu was, at best, at loss for words.

"Listen Inu-Yasha, I'm sorry. Hey, c'mon, kids don't cry. How old are you anyway?" Kinu said, in an attempt to cheer him up.

"Five!" Inu-Yasha bawled. Kinu blinked. "Look, can you shut up kid? Please?" He suddenly noticed the old woman standing over them. "Oh, Kaede-bachan! What are you doing here?" Inu-Yasha stopped crying.

"Bachan!" He jumped up gleefully. "What did you bring me this time?" He asked, eyes greedily on the bundle she was carrying. Kaede often came to visit his parents and she would always give him gifts and trinkets from the village. Kaede set the bundle down and sat down beside it. Kinu looked worried.

"It's not a gift so much as an inheritance." The old woman said, opening the bag. To Inu-Yasha and Kinu's surprise she pulled out Inu-Yasha's father's sword, the majestic Tetsusaiga. She handed it to Inu-Yasha, who took it but couldn't lift it and looked at her in confusion.

"But Pop says I can't have Tetsusaiga until I'm bigger than it." He said. "Won't he be mad?"

"Kaede-bachan, what happened with Naraku?" Kinu asked, worried. What did she mean by inheritance?

Kaede shook her head slowly. "This should be a time of rejoicing, for the demon Naraku is dead and the world is safe again. Unfortunately it was won at a great cost. Shinju and Miryoku have survived and are healing in a near-by village with their children. However, Kanake-sama and Inu-Yasha-sama both died of their wounds shortly after." She looked at the young Inu-Yasha, who was still far too young to understand this. "Your mother's request was that you live with her old mentor and her friend, the angel Kikyou."

Inu-Yasha clutched Tetsusaiga tightly, real tears running down his cheeks this time.  "K-Ka-chan… Tou-san…"

"Kaze no Kizu!" the giant air blast exploded onto the target, splitting it a hairline from the middle. The giant sword transformed back to its original state, a rusted katana, and the bearer returned it to his scabbard. The half-angel scowled as he went forward to inspect his work. He snorted. "Feh, a bit off. I'm losing it already." He kicked the target, knocking it over. "Bastard."

"You shouldn't use that language here. I suppose you can't help it, with your lineage and all, but you've been living with us long enough to know that, don't you?" He looked up to see a female angel standing to the side underneath a tree, smirking. He responded with a rude gesture, causing her to frown. "Everything just goes in one pointed ear and out the other, doesn't it threeblood?"

"No one asked you!" He shouted back and stormed off. The other angel slowly followed behind, just enough steps to annoy him. After all, this was nearly routine. He finally turned around and snarled at her, causing her to smile. "I know you're bluffing." She said sweetly.

"Go to hell." He shot back and stormed off to his house. She followed behind and closed the door gently after he nearly knocked it off of the hinges slamming it. She then sat down beside him, where he was pouting off and staring into nowhere.

"Do we have to do this crap every day?" He growled. "Why can't you just leave me alone like everyone else does?"

The other angel smiled and patted his knee. "Because unlike everyone else I've lived with you for the past 200 years and I know that underneath everything you're a really sweetie." She was rewarded with a snort. "Look Inu-Yasha, can't you just act like a decent angel one day in your life?"

"No." Inu-Yasha smirked. " 'cause I'm a horrible actor."

She glared at him then smiled. "You're impossible. No wonder Tenchiki-sensei made you sleep outside like a dog."

"I'm not a dog."

"Sure you're not." She stood up, rubbing his pointed ears. "I just think you're jealous."

Another snort. "Of what?"

"Me, Kinu, everyone else who's actually doing something with their life."

"One, I happen to like my life as an exterminator. Two, why the hell would I be jealous of that brat? And three, why would I be jealous of Kinu either?" Inu-Yasha said, twirling Tetsusaiga on two fingers. His companion simply began tidying up the kitchen for dinner, the insult not lost on her.

"Well my fuzzy-eared friend I'd like to counter your point. One, you can't be an exterminator all your life and it's not the best way to live, no matter how much of any blood you have. It's just frowned upon. You're like an angelic mafia." Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. Her and her mafias. "Two, I'm older than you, so that doesn't make me a brat. And three, Kinu's already on his seventh task and will become a Guardian's apprentice soon, which is a great honor for doing it so quickly."

"And an insult." The half-angel countered. "It took you what, since I moved in here to get that? And he's only been trying for the past 82?"

"No." She said serenely, chopping up some vegetables. "I only became a guardian angel shortly after you came because Tenchiki-sensei thought it suited me. Becoming a Guardian is hard work, and Kinu is a prodigy. Even Tenchiki-sensei thought so. You could just feel it from him."

"And I'm a good-for-nothing halfling." Inu-Yasha muttered. The other angel sighed, put the vegetables into the boiling water and went to sit down beside him again. "You're not worthless," She said. "You're useless. There's a difference."

He did not look amused. "Thank you for clearing that up. It's been bothering me for ages. How do you do it?" The look on his face was just so amusing that she burst out laughing. Inu-Yasha sighed. "Kikyou, I just don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"Feeling's mutual." She replied, resting her head on his shoulder. He sat there stiffly but soon relaxed and even put his arm around her. Ever since his childhood he had been a loner among the angels, except for her. For some reason he had always felt comfortable around her and had never known why. He sighed and leaned closer to her to whisper.

"You're stuff is burning."

Burning. Everything was burning. The heat scarred Inu-Yasha's face, causing him to painfully open his eyes. Where was he? He looked around but he couldn't see much through the flames.  What was going on? He couldn't remember anything and there was a horrible ringing in his skull. Slowly and painful he stood up, trying to get his bearings. First, though, he would have to leave the fire.

He jumped up and over the first wall of flames, recognizing a wall. He was stunned and almost crashed when he landed. Quickly he began running, recognizing a door here, a painting there, a tree, a fence, a lamp… Kami.

"Oh shit." He swore, jumping to the very top of the highest tree in his village. For that was where he was. The tree, protected by magic even older then the angels, stood firm against the flames but the village did not. Inu-Yasha watched in horror as the only home he could remember went down in flames.

He clenched his fists in anger. Whoever the hell had done this would pay dearly. Very dearly. He stood up and looked around, almost frantically, listening above the roar and trying to concentrate over the heat. Where was everybody? Where was Kikyou? Had something happened, was she okay? Why couldn't he remember?

"Kikyou!" He shouted, waiting fearfully for the reply and hearing none. "Kikyou! Where are you?" He looked around, scouring everything in sight, trying to find any sign of life amidst the flames. Then he sensed it, a tiny spark of feeling. Quickly, almost flying, he leaped from the tree and hit the ground running, racing through the heat and smoke to where he suspected he was to go. He raced out of the burning village to a small hill where many of the other angels were gathered. Some of them watched as the village went down in flames; most were crowded around someone who seemed to be wounded. They all looked up as Inu-Yasha raced up.

"Where is she?" he asked a nearby villager. "Where's Kikyou?" Before even waiting for an answer he turned around and went up to the crowd of people, who parted to let him by. He didn't even noticed as he went up to the Guardian that they were tending too. He noticed with shock the blood staining the front of her outfit, the tearing gash in her clothing and flesh. And the necklace, the jewel that had once belonged to his mother was gone from her neck. Someone had stolen the Shikon no Tama.

"Kikyou." He crouched down beside her and put a hand on her forehead. "Kikyou, are you alright?"

"I-Inu-…" She groaned, then opened her eyes. She looked at him unseeing for a moment. "Inu-Yasha…"

"Shhh, I'm here." He tried to silence her but she angrily pushed his hand away and drew a dagger from her sash. Before the half-angel could react she plunged the weapon into his chest. He could only sit there and stare at her in shock and confusion before fully registering the pain.

"You asshole!" She shouted, pulling out the dagger and preparing to stab him again. "After all we do for you!" He caught her wrist before she struck him again. "Kikyou, what are you doing?" he asked. She struggled to get out of his grasp, causing her own wound to bleed more.

"You stole the Shikon no Tama, that's what." She hissed at him angrily. "After everything we did for you, after we raised you and took care of you and taught you everything we know. All you ever did was lie to us, pretend to be one of us. You're nothing but a halfling. You made me think you loved me so that you could weaken me! Well guess what, now I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

"I…" Inu-Yasha stared at her blankly. Stole the Shikon no Tama? What was she talking about? Suddenly he froze. There was only one smell on her, and one smell on him. His claws and her blood. He had done this. He had struck her. But how? It wasn't possible. Last thing he did was fighting that scorpion demon. He would never-

"Go to hell." Kikyou spat are him and stabbed him again as he wasn't paying attention. Inu-Yasha clutched the dagger that went straight through his heart, the pain nearly blinding him. But he could still see enough, see and watch as Kikyou died, still driving the knife into his chest. He couldn't tell which pain hurt his heart more.

"I didn't do it…" He struggled to get out, disbelieving the fact that Kikyou couldn't hear him. "I didn't do it, I didn't do it…."

~ ~ ~

"Inu-Yasha?"

"Eh?" Inu-Yasha looked up from his reminiscing, finding himself looking at Miryoku and Kinu. "Gah!" He jumped back, startled, thinking maybe by some stupid fluke he had suddenly died and was with his parent's friends. Then he realized it was only their descendants, and this was 400 years after he had last seen them. "Oh, it's you guys."

"What do you mean, it's only us?" Shippo asked. Inu-Yasha ignored him and jumped down from the tree, dusting himself off. He looked at mortal and angel. "Why are you here?"

"That's not a very warm welcome." Miroku sighed. "But we're here to pick you up. Kagome-sama, Sango-chan and Kirrara-sama are waiting in the hotel near the city."

At the mention of Kagome's name Inu-Yasha's face immediately fell. Miroku looked at him curiously. "Is something wrong?" Inu-Yasha ignored him. Miroku smiled. "Ah, I get it. Inu-Yasha is feeling bad because he kept some secrets from Kagome-sama. You should really learn to tell the woman you love everything about yourself. Especially since Kagome-sama doesn't seem to be the kind to go after the mysterious-past types."

"The one I – " Inu-Yasha blinked. "What the hell are you talking about, monk?" He snapped. Miroku smiled.

"Nevermind. Come, we must be going." He started walking and left Inu-Yasha there to stare at him, confused and angry and angry because he was confused. After Miroku had walked some distance and showed now signs of stopping the half-angel sighed and began following. He had had enough time to think anyway; too much of it hurt his brain. Besides, when he was alive his father had always told him to never dwell on the past, because it only hurt the present. Inu-Yasha sighed inwardly. Yeah Pop but what if my past and present are the same, he wondered. Miroku looked back.

"Is something wrong? You're sighing like a love-sick girl."

SMACK! Inu-Yasha glared at Miroku, clenching his fist as Miroku rubbed his skull. "Stop using that fucking word!"

"Yes Inu-Yasha." Miroku said, unable to hide a smile. Luckily for him the angel was sulking and didn't see. Miroku and Shippo had already made a deal, and the monk could tell this was going to be an interesting night indeed.

End Chapter 10

And that's the end of Chapter 10! Onwards to more struggling, swearing and the completion of Chapter 11! Hopefully I'll have it completed over the weekend.

And I also have a very, very important announcement about this story that I'd like to make. Actually two.

One: Due to the problems we had with chapter 10, I don't want this to happen again. So I'm going to take next week off. Also, this Wednesday is my B-day and I have six tests that week. It's a lot of hassle, not to mention I'm working on the cover and first page of the doujinshi. So I'm taking a week off, but we'll be back on the 25!

Two: After a lot of brainstorming, calculating and wasting time in English classes, I've decided that this story will be split into three books, each book containing around 13 chapters each. For those of you who don't know, most major fantasy novels are split into parts, which are called books. Why they're not called parts, I don't know. But anyway, I'm going crazy because I can't think of a good title for the first book. So I decided to hold a contest. Whoever comes up with the best name wins a chance to be in Chapter 12, which will appear the 27th. Good luck!

Ja ne,

~Ama~