Hey everyone and nice to see you all again. I hope you enjoy tonight's show of Guardian Angel, bringing you action, adventure, romance and a stupid half-angel who doesn't know when to listen.

Another hard week at the office, man it's a tough one I tell you. But school's almost out for exams and then it's another week of blissful holidays, where hopefully I'll get my act together and actually finish two extra chapters of this story. (note to self, bribe impatient readers with much leftover Christmas candy)

The front door saying that Miroku says in this chapter is a real quote from a karate class one of my friends went to (and dragged me along) and we started discussing ninjas. Amazing the things you learn.

Shout outs:

Navi-Zero: I haven't gotten that far in Kingdom Hearts yet. To tell you the truth, the only PS2 item I own is a memory card. I go to my friends houses to pay the games ^_^. But from what my friends' been telling me (and she sucks at video games) then I'm sure he'll be a tough cookie.

Wizardess Gal: Sorry about the cliffhangers (…not). Keeps you reading though =P

WarriorGL I'll try to get those pictures emailed to you, as soon as I figure it out. Unfortunately I have the technical skills of a lemur, but I'm learning!

KevinEC: Another hooked on my story… excellent…. (and what's wrong with doujinshis?)

Ronagu-chan: Whew, I'm going to have to start counting the doujinshi fans to see how much time off I have to put. And for actually –seeing- it, see below

Leina: Hmm… good question…

Disclaimer: Woort.

Chapter 22:

 Reunion

"Inu-Yasha, are you sure this is wise?" Miroku asked, running to keep up with the half-angel as they raced through the forest. Inu-Yasha's mind was clearly made up as he nodded in response, tightening his grip on Kagome's legs as he ran through a tree.

"Hell yeah." He growled some incoherent curse under his breath as he gave up running and just started flying ahead at top speed, giving Miroku more work to keep up with him. "If Naraku's planning war on a mortal city, especially one this big, then it means he's not just hitting one plane. He's going for the living mortals too."

"But that's against every code in any book ever written!" Shippo squealed from his seat with Kagome. "I can't believe Naraku's that crazy! If they ever catch him he's dead meat!"

"If they caught him before he'd be dead meat, brat, now it's just worse." Inu-Yasha snapped. "He's been on the wanted list for centuries. He's responsible for one and a half of the apocalypses and because attacking living mortals is against the codes no one would have suspected this. I still want to know how Sesshoumaru found out."

Kagome straightened up and looked dead ahead to the edge of the forest, where they were heading. "Inu-Yasha…"

"Naraku is the kind of evil that is so predictable that he's unpredictable." Miroku continued with the conversation. "There's an old saying 'the ditches may be guarded but the front door never is' that basically means that everyone's tried so hard to guard and protect all the littlest and sneakiest ways of getting into the house that the robber just has to walk though the front door, where you'd never expect one to come because it's so obvious."

"And the same with Naraku." Sango added from the back of Kirrara. "He's gotten everyone so worried that he's going to try some backhanded move to get what he wants that right now he's merely attacking head on, something they're not ready for."

"Inu-Yasha…"

Miroku shook his head. "I just hope we get there in time before he does anything drastic, especially with the number of demons that Kagome's sensed."

"Damn straight." Inu-Yasha snorted. "And I still want to know how the hell Sesshoumaru knew about this. It's fucking annoying!"

"Inu-Yasha…"

Miroku looked thoughtful for a moment. "But still, why now? After all, he's had many chances to do it, but now seems a most inopportune time, especially if someone knows of his location and plans. And if he's had the Shikon no Tama for over a month now then why didn't he use it to get to the mortal plane instead of waiting around and – "

"Inu-Yasha!" Kagome suddenly shouted, pulling on her guardian's hair. "Sit!"

Inu-Yasha fell to the ground with a muffled crash, as Miroku and Kirrara slowed down to a halt and trotted back to where the dog-eared angel was glaring at his task. Inu-Yasha pushed himself up and swung around to face Kagome.

"What the hell was that for, wench?" he shouted and Kagome crossed her arms.

"If you had listened to me earlier then I wouldn't have done that and I wouldn't have to tell you that you have about three seconds before a giant demon comes crashing through those trees to kill us all."

Inu-Yasha blinked for a second until realization came to him. "Oh."

Kirrara snarled and whipped around as Sango jumped off of her and got her boomerang ready. Miroku quickly got his staff while Shippo stayed with Kagome, a fearful but determined look on his face. Inu-Yasha quickly jumped up and turned to face the threat that Kagome had predicted.

Ever since Kagome was a little girl she had always had nightmares and would get frightened during the day, telling her mother that demons were around. Of course, her mother had always accepted that Kagome was just getting influenced by their crazy grandfather who believed everything was a demon and she never did do anything about it. Even Inu-Yasha, silently protecting Kagome and quite bored while doing so, dismissed most of the nightmares and day-frights as superstition set on by her grandfather since he never sensed anything. Now that he thought about it, Kagome probably just ignored the feelings herself as she grew older and he never noticed, although there were the times she was right. Now that she was dead she detected them perfectly every time.

He was starting to hate it when Kagome was right.

The oni was about 9 feet tall, bumpy, yellow, covered with horns and spikes and very, very, very ugly. In one hand it carried a club, in the other it carried an axe. It's tiny black eyes watched them as it let out a roar, saying something in demon about 'me kill puny ones' and then stomped forward to do the damage it promised. Inu-Yasha cracked his knuckles and got in a ready stance. "Kagome, back up. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Inu-Yasha, I can fight too!" Kagome argued and Inu-Yasha turned to look at her, his amber eyes flashing.

"I'm not saying this twice! Get out of here and fast! This isn't your fight!" With that he turned around and ran forward to get the oni. "Hey big and ugly! Over here!" he darted in to land a punch before darting out again and stopping on the other side of his opponent, claws ready.

Kagome glared at her guardian. First he tells her to go and hide somewhere and then he adds insult to insult by trying to lead the oni away from her. She crossed her arms and frowned. Well she wasn't going to stand around and let him do that.

"Kagome, let's go!" Shippo squealed from on her shoulder, tugging on her collar. Kagome shook her head and patted the small angel before concentrating on bringing up a bow and arrows. Shippo tugged on Kagome's collar again. "Kagome, leave this to the others!"

"Why's that, Shippo-chan?" Kagome winked before bringing an arrow to the bowstring. "Why should Inu-Yasha have all the fun?"

Inu-Yasha darted underneath a tree branch as the oni swung it's heavy club towards his head, roaring. Grinning, the half-angel sprung into the air and sliced a deep gash along the demon's right eye. Roaring in pain the oni swung madly, striking out at anything that moved.

Sango caught the oni on it's lower jaw with Hiraikotsou and she quickly retrieved her weapon as Kirrara jumped nimbly out of the way of the oni's mad swings. As another of Inu-Yasha's attacks distracted it she swung the boomerang with full force to crack off one of the ugly horns protruding from it's head, with an ease born out of the constant deflection of a certain hand.

"At least the monk's good for something." She said with a smile as Kirrara veered around for another attack.

Miroku was offering his own, more subtle help to the battle. He stood off to one side, leaning against a tree and murmuring into one hand. Inu-Yasha shot a glare at him while ducking a wild swing of the axe. "Oi, bouzo! Get out here and do something!" When Miroku gave no answer the half-angel snorted and jumped back up to give big, dumb and ugly an uppercut on the nose.

Suddenly a small piece of paper flew past the dog-angel, causing him to react in mid-air. The paper struck the oni in the center of it's forehead and began burning, causing the youkai to drop it's weapons and try to pull the offending charm off. Inu-Yasha smirked as he landed and glanced over at Miroku. The monk grinned and gave the 'peace' sign.

The oni was now on one knee, completely blinded and invulnerable to attacks. Inu-Yasha pulled out Tetsusaiga and grinned, ready for the final blow. Suddenly, from nowhere, the demon's head just exploded and disintegrated in a flash of glowing light, as the rest of it's body disintegrated as well. As the light died down everyone stared at where the oni was standing in stunned silence.

"What the fuck?" Inu-Yasha sputtered, sheathing his sword. "What the hell just happened there?"

"Cool!" A voice shouted and everyone looked over at Kagome as she ran up and picked up her arrow from where it had destroyed the demon. "I didn't know I could do that!"

Shippo, who was sitting on Kagome's shoulder, glanced over at Inu-Yasha and caught the guardian angel's death glare – aimed right at him. The tiny fox child squealed and hid himself behind Kagome.

"Don't hurt me I couldn't do anything and she did this on her own please don't hurt me!" He squeaked in nearly incoherent babble.

"Shut up, brat." Inu-Yasha said, coming over to Kagome. "Oi, I told you to stay out of trouble!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow, looking at Inu-Yasha darkly before standing up and causing the bow and quivers to disappear. "I did stay out of trouble. I was far enough away that the oni couldn't reach me and I didn't get hurt or kidnapped this time." She smiled at her guardian, who ears were laid back from the insult. Inu-Yasha sniffed the air a few times and his ears lay flatter on his head as he glanced into the forest and then back at his task.

"Listen wench, I'm your angel so do as I fucking say, alright?" He growled. Shippo wondered if he was going to die and he curled up into as tight a ball as possible as he hid in Kagome's arms.

Sango sighed and changed back into her regular clothing, shaking her head. "This is going to become another one of their quarrels, isn't it?"

"How many sits do you believe this one will end up with?" Miroku asked, politely making conversation. Sango shrugged.

Kagome couldn't stop grinning and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to laugh when she tapped her irritated guardian on the nose. "You're just jealous because you didn't get to kill it."

Inu-Yasha blinked a few times, crossed-eyed as he tried to follow the finger that had tapped his nose. Then his eyes narrowed, and focused, again and he growled. "What the hell do you take me for, a f –" He stopped dead, his ears swivelled completely around behind him. Kagome had froze too, and Shippo looked up when he felt Kagome go stiff. "Kagome?"

Inu-Yasha and Kagome looked at each other, nodded, and in a flash Kagome was on Inu-Yasha's back as the angel tore through the woods. Miroku and Sango turned around to watch them disappear, startled by the sudden action. They looked fearfully at each other and quickly Sango jumped onto Kirrara, transforming back into her battle uniform. After a second's hesitation she glanced over at Miroku.

"Houshi-sama, get on." She said quickly, as if she were cursed to change into something nasty if she spoke coherently.  Miroku looked at her confusedly. "Pardon, Sango-chan?"

"We have to catch up to Inu-Yasha and Kagome-chan quickly and Kirrara runs faster. Get on, hurry." Sango said quickly again, trying to force away the red coming to her cheeks. Miroku smiled and happily hopped on behind Sango.

"Ah Sango-chan, it would be my pleasure to ride with you…" he trailed off when he saw the look Sango was giving him.

"Try anything and I will practice more of Hiraikotsou's moves on you, Houshi-sama." She said dangerously. Miroku gulped and nodded.

"Certainly, I understand."

"Good." Sango said and quickly Kirrara took off into the air. The feline angel shot through the forest at impressive speeds, until the two mortals riding her back could make out the red, white and black silhouette of Inu-Yasha and Kagome. Kirrara banked to the left and came around full circle, landing opposite of the half-angel and his task.

Inu-Yasha was down on the ground, sniffing, ears perked forward to catch every bit of sound. Kagome was holding Shippo, who was looking very confused, and looking around the clearing, trying to find something. As Sango and Miroku got off of Kirrara Inu-Yasha snorted and stood up.

"It's her alright but I can't tell what's going on. Seems like she was looking for something." He growled and sniffed the air a few times. "And the damn wind's too calm! I can't pick up anything!"

"What is it, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked as Inu-Yasha picked up some dirt and sniffed it again. Kagome blinked and looked over at Sango. "Eh? Oh, it… it was Kagura. She was here."

"The minion of Naraku?" Miroku asked, coming up beside them. Kagome nodded and Miroku looked thoughtful. "That's strange. I wonder if she had anything to do with that large oni we just fought."

"No doubt about that, the ugly shit-head had Naraku's smell on 'im, faint but there." Inu-Yasha said, joing the group and glaring at the sky. "Dammit. What was she doing?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not sure. Though it looks like she was looking for something."

"The question is, what?" Miroku mused aloud. Inu-Yasha snorted and folded his arms. "Stupid bitch." He muttered under his breath then glanced up at the sky. "It's going to be night soon so if Naraku's sending demons after us then he knows we're coming. If we keep moving then he'll get us for sure, especially if Kagura knows we're here." He surveyed the area. "We'll keep moving for another while and then make camp. There should be a grove of rocks around here, if I remember this area." He picked up Kagome and nodded to Sango, Miroku and Kirrara. "Let's get moving before Naraku's goonies come find us before we're ready."

The others nodded and followed behind the half angel as he started running through the woods. Inu-Yasha's ears were trained back, as he thought frustratingly of the smell he had gotten from the clearing and where he remembered it from.

Kagura landed in the river back, hovering just above the water to avoid getting even the feeling of wetness on her feet. Wrinkling her nose she impatiently gestured as some of the lower youkai that they get the bones out the ground quickly.

So they defeated the oni she thought musingly, having heard the commotion and leaving the clearing where she retrieved the remains just in time. As she watched the small creatures digging through the ground she counted the small containers she had filled; five, meaning after this there was one left until she went to Tokyo to retrieve the final one. She rattled the sixth container impatiently, watching the demons pull a small bone out of the ground.

"That will do." She said, picking it up and hastily dropping it into it's carrier before closing the lid. "Now hurry up," she snapped, "we have one more to go."

"Collecting something, Kagura?" The wind demon froze as a voice behind her spoke in a sarcastic tone. She frowned, recognizing it, and turned around. "Well, if it isn't the wolf whelp." She sneered.

Kouga snorted but made no move, standing there with his arms crossed and his blue irises sparkling dangerously. "I heard you were attacking Tokyo."

"I'm not, Naraku is." Kagura sniped back, pulling out her feather. "You have a problem, deal with him."

Kouga smiled viciously. "But my problem's with you, bitch. You're the own that wiped out half my clan."

"Shame that I wiped out most the females too." Kagura said sarcastically wistful. "Or you horny little bastards would have just bounced right back in numbers, wouldn't you?"

Kouga's eyes narrowed and he started growling. "Take that back."

"Why?" Kagura taunted and Kouga freed his hands, claws flexing.

"Take that back or I'll make you take it back." He said more menacingly. Kagura raised an eyebrow but did nothing. Kouga crouched. "That does it, I'm going to rip you apart right here!"

"Ryujin no mai!" Kagura whipped out her fan and knocked Kouga aside, as she quickly boarded her feather ship. "Goodbye, little wolf!"

Kouga wiped the blood from his mouth and glared up at the tiny, vanishing speck that was Kagura. "Damn…" he muttered, standing up and brushing himself up. He would et her… at some point.

"Hello? Hello? Hello-o-o!" The small girl ran down the corridors, peeking into rooms and disappointedly finding them empty. A frown on her face, Rin continued her search for somebody, anybody, to have a conversation with. As sweet and tolerable as she was, one could only stand Jaken's croaking voice repeating 'shut up' for so long. "Hello?"

She poked her head into one room that was noisy, figuring noise meant life. Her eyes lit up when she saw the old demon, working relentlessly away at the metal weapons he was fabricating for the war. "Good morning Ji-sama!" the undead girl called cheerfully, walking into the blacksmith room.

"Eh?" the demon looked up at the blinked at her with his huge eyes. "Ah, the girl. Good morning? Is that what time it is? You can never tell in this insufferable dungeon. Oi, girl, don't touch that!"

Rin was studying a curved, ornamental dagger with a wolf's skull on the hilt and a strange design on the blade. At the blacksmith's warning she put it down, but taking her time. "What is it?" she asked.

"That," the demon reached over a long arm and pulled it closer towards himself and out of the reach of the girl, "is for Sesshoumaru-sama. It has no war purpose but it serves as fearsome decoration and, should he need it, acts as a second weapon."

"Oh…" Rin watched the blade reflect the firelight in flickering patterns.

"Rin! Rin! Where are you! Oh dammit, Seshsoumaru-sama's going to have my head for this.. Rin!" Jaken scampered past the blacksmith before retreating back and glaring in. "Rin!" he snapped. "What are you doing in here! Sesshoumaru told you that you couldn't wander!"

"I'm talking to Ji-sama." Rin said, sticking her tongue out at Jaken, who glared back at her. "He's better than smelly ol' Jaken!"

"Stupid mortal." Jaken grumbled before turning his glare and spite on the smithy. "And you! Get back to work! Sesshoumaru-sama needs those weapons for the war at the new moon!"

The old demon matched Jaken glare for glare. "Jaken-sama, I believe you're taking your position too much for granted. I am not forced to do everything you say and I have already created suitable weaponry for Sesshoumaru-sama's army twicefold."

Jaken grumbled. "If you hadn't crossed Sesshoumaru-sama you wouldn't be stuck down here in chains!" he rattled the demon's bindings meaningfully with his staff. "You're just lucky Sesshoumaru-sama isn't putting you on the battlefield!" he countered.

The blacksmith smiled. "That is because I have a use. You, however, stay here because you would be an ever bigger burden in the war."

Jaken's jaw dropped open at the bold insult and Rin giggled. Clamping his mouth shut  Jaken glared at the demon and the girl and turned around to waddle out. "Four days! Remember that! Everything must be done in four days!"

"Stupid smelly ol' Jaken." Rin giggled again, sticking her tongue out at the demon's back. The blacksmith nodded and smiled.

"Rin! Get out here now!"

Rin made a face and sighed. "Oh fine. "Bye-bye Ji-sama!" She trotted off after her babysitter and began up another conversation, just to see Jaken go over the edge again for her amusement. The blacksmith smiled, shook his head and resumed working on the armoury.

"Here we are." Inu-Yasha said, putting Kagome down. It was a pile of rocks, stacked together to form a small shelter, with moss growing in between the cracks and sure signs of weathering. "We'll stay here for the night."

Miroku sat down and leaned against the rock, sighing. "The good part about being a spirit is that we don't need a fire or food for this little camp out. Which means a lot less work."

"Lazy bum." Shippo muttered.

"But we still have to rest or else we'll run out of energy." Sango pointed out, resting against. Kirrara. Miroku nodded. "True, true." He agreed.

"I'll keep first watch." Inu-Yasha volunteered. "Everyone else get a lot of rest, since we'll be at Tokyo tomorrow. Especially you Kagome." He said pointedly to his task.

Kagome leaned against the rock, frowning at Inu-Yasha as he leaped to the top of the structure to keep a lookout. He had been treating her way to delicately lately and it was time he stopped. She sighed and closed her eyes, holding onto Shippo as the tiny kit curled up on her lap and soon fell asleep. A shuffling noise, squeak, and a slapping noise signalled that Miroku and Sango had made they're agreement for the night. Kagome felt herself drifting off as well. Using all that energy in that fight, especially after her sickness… but still, it was no reason for Inu-Yasha to treat her like she was glass. She sighed, feeling a strange tingle before realizing that it was just her own aura… getting tired sure screwed her up…

Inu-Yasha frowned as everyone fell asleep, his ears twitching this was and that as he watched the sliver moon. Only four more days and Naraku was giving all out war. But now they had warning, from a mysterious visitor to his half-uncle, who's identity Inu-Yasha was starting to suspect. He was beginning to think that maybe he should have just stayed an exterminator.

He sniffed the air, stiffening. He quickly glanced back and saw the demon flit into the trees. Growling, Inu-Yasha quickly checked to make sure none of them were near the group and he dove into the woods. Running at top speed he followed the scent of the youkai unti he reached it's destination. There were about twenty of them, glowing silver creatures, all sitting on one tree. Inu-Yasha clenched his claws, preparing for an assault when he heard a noise behind him. Quickly he whirled around to face the attacker.

He blinked when he recognized the scent, but growled anyway. He knew that they were her demons, but he didn't know she was here as well. He stood ready, unsure of what he should do. This could be a trick, but it was also so close to the real thing…

Kikyou smiled as she leaned against the tree, amused at the half-angel's reaction. "Now, now Inu-Yasha, no need to be such a scared little puppy. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

End chapter 22

Important notice: Okay, I know a lot of you want to see the artwork that goes along with this story and the doujinshi as well. Well, I tried to make a website to post them up for your viewing pleasure but… well… my habit is when I'm trying something out I do crap to figure everything and then I do the good copy. But that doesn't work well with geocities. To see my poor attempt at a website, visit www.geocities.com/talon6482/shoki_de_nekosho_ni.html Don't worry, it won't take up much time. So, anyone who wants to see the cover art the the first few pages of the doujinshi I have done, give me your email address and I'll try to send them to you. If you have Photoshop that would be best, and if you have a mac I'l… figure that out. And another thing, points and candy to whomever can help me out with posting it up on the world wide web. ^_^

In other news!

More Shout outs:

Sirithlothien: Yes, mighty good quote, is it not? I have it in big letters on the top of my locker. My male friends don't approve (pph, I wonder why?)

Link no miko: That's okay, although I haven't actually gotten to that point in FF7 yet (I'm playing, I'm playing!) I knew, before I even knew what FF7 was, that… that person dies (will not spoil it for others, although probably a moot point) so it doesn't matter. Ah, Wonderland in KH (will that topic ever die?) I remember that. Donald keeps dying for me. From now on in big battles I just let Goofy do everything (Donald dies in the first, like, ten seconds) and I get to work on what I'm supposed to do. Goofy's strong! It's surprising… And I tried to explain Kikyou, I truly did! It just wasn't coming out right so I just decided to leave it so that you would come to your own conclusions. And I don't think anyone knows who Naraku's after, so you're not alone (and a Link doujinshi? Wanna trade?)

Claira: you spent 8 hours reading this? *blinkblink*… *blinkblink*… Woah. I didn't know my fic was so AWESOME and so WOW. Look out world! Ama's gonna be the next JKRowling! (I hope not. I don't feel like being on welfare)

Crystal Twilight: It is a good rule to live by. Anime bishes are by all means the only ones we need. Why bother with anyone else? And if you ever need a bish, just give Ama's House 'o' Bishes a call (my address is on the other pages.. somewhere)

Tsukinoko: Yeah, I think seventh cousins works out fine. And like I said before, I look more closely related to my fifth cousin than my sister, so it's all relative. And besides that, just don't think about.

Fate: isn't it though?

Rosz of the Angel: Why did it take you so long to read my story? Why? Am I not good enough? *reads rest of review* scratch that. And there's LOTS more to come. I'm estimating at about 52 chapters now… meep. And you're close on Naraku's plans, but no cigar… (I gave thee a hint there)

~Ama

Saying/anecdote of the week: (this actually happened yesterday) I'm just starting training at MacDonald's and a woman ordered a parfait and I didn't know where the button was on the cash so I had to ask my trainer. When I was finished with everything the woman said "So Amanda, first day on the job?" I just blinked and looked at her then said: "How did you know… OH! I have a nametag!" Needless to say my co-workers kept calling me 'nametag' after that. My boss that it was really funny. _***