A/N: OMG! 20 REVIEWS!? Wow... you guys are the greatest! And guess what?! I finally broke the 100-review-mark on ff.net! Alright! And I owe everything to you guys, you wonderful reviewers! I am soooo happy! And, I got another 17 email reviews! OMG! *does the happy dance*

Anyway, I got so excited, I typed this chap up before studying for my departmental exam! Lol! Oh well, geology can wait. I am so psyched!

So, thanks for all the reviews. But before I start this chap, I would like to say something about the last chap. About ten people, asked me whether Inu and Kag now know about each other's feelings since last time. Well, no, not yet. They DID admit their love to themselves, though. I know, they shouted it out and everything, but everything was in their dream. I'll be getting to the admittance part soon enough.

On with the chap!

Disclaimer: I hate this part, really. I do not own Inuyasha. Satisfied?

-----/---@

SEVEN WEEKS

Points

-----/---@

The sun shone onto the dry lands of the withered field, coating the ground in an almost ethereal glow of gold. The wind that blew across the plain was dry but cool, and that very same wind gently blew deep into the sole cave in the plain.

At first glance the cave would seem to be empty, but no - Within the cave lay two figures, a man and a woman, lying so close to each other on a thick red robe.

The man was clutching the woman to him possessively, tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. The woman was snuggled into the man's chest, both arms around his narrow waist.

The woman stirred first, absently nuzzling the firm warm wall she was against. Kagome was tired, and though sleep had finally left her, she was still reluctant to totally wake up, or at least open her eyes.

Her eyes snapped open though when she realized that she was not lying against a wall, but was clutching a firm hard body to herself in an almost iron grip. She cautiously lifted her gaze to see who it was, and relief washed over her form as she looked up into the innocent sleeping face of Inuyasha. She noticed that they were both lying on his haori, and that their limbs were so entangled about each other, one could barely tell which belonged to whom.

She briefly wondered why they were laying like so, when she suddenly recalled what had taken place the night before. She had been close to death, no doubt about that. Then Inuyasha saved her and then...

Her cheeks reddened as she remembered the kiss. He had kissed her... she had kissed him back. It was her first kiss and she was glad that she had shared it with Inuyasha.

'Isn't it odd though?' she asked herself. 'I am one who is destined to never be touched by any man. It's so ironic - the princess of Crystallia falling in love with the legendary knight...'

She trailed off at that. She was in love with him. She knew that now. She had even admitted it, even it WAS just in a dream. But now she knew. She now knew why her heart beat a fraction faster whenever he stared into her eyes. She now knew why her cheeks heated up whenever he held her in his arms, or when he had her on his back as he leaped high up off the ground. She loved him.

'But does he love me?' she thought, before catching herself. 'No, this is wrong! I'm not supposed to fall in love with him,' she chided herself with the realization that Inuyasha would have to leave in some time, and the further realization as to why she felt a strong pang of pain upon thinking of his inevitable departure.

'I am the Lady Azalea. I can't fall in love with him, and he can't love me. It's just not right, it's not possible!' she thought as she began to stroke his cheek with the back of her fingers. This brought tears to her eyes. She would only be hurt by loving him, but she couldn't help feeling that way. She would only feel the pain when he left, but she couldn't let go of him. She tightened her arms around him even more, and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks.

'Itai... kokoro ga itai,' she thought as she felt her heart twist painfully in her chest. Her love for him was futile, and even if he did love her back, it was utterly hopeless. They could never be together, and she knew it. But she still loved him. She could never lose her feelings for him, and even if she knew that it would kill her to lose him, she would bear the pain later, as long as she could have the time with him as long as he was there.

Looking at him, she made a decision. For now, she decided that she didn't have to think of future repercussions. She didn't want to care if they would be torn apart. She would be a normal girl, even for a short time, and love Inuyasha, like any normal girl could love. She would forget that she was Azalea. She would be Kagome.

She tried to wipe her tears with the back of her hand. She didn't recall falling asleep beside Inuyasha, but for now she didn't care. She would relish their closeness for as long as she can.

She snuggled back against his chest, tucking her head back under his chin the way she was doing when she woke up. She would lay like that until he woke up, even pretend to be asleep if need be.

Inuyasha felt the movement and slowly stirred. He had just had the best night's sleep in his entire life and he knew exactly why. He looked down at his reason right then, thinking that perhaps she had just been shifting in her sleep.

His arms were tight around her, and she was hugging him back. He was originally going to sleep sitting up, but the night had been cold and they didn't have her bag and its usual blankets, so he decided to sleep beside her when he realized that she had begun to shiver. He could barely contain the contented sigh that threatened to leave his lips as he plunged his fingers into her long raven tresses. Her hair was soft, just the way it had been as he treaded his fingers into the silky locks as he had kissed her the night before.

"Kagome," he sighed softly, unconsciously tightening his grasp. He knew that he could never ever forget that kiss in his entire life and not only because it was his first kiss. Kagome's lips had been best thing he had ever tasted. She was probably better than the sweetest wine, and as he had kissed her, he knew that he wanted to be doing that for the rest of his life.

'But you'll be leaving Crystallia soon, remember?' an evil voice asked at the back of his mind. Yes, indeed he will, and the thought greatly saddened him. Maybe he could take her with him back to his world? But then again, what if she didn't want that? He loved her, but did she feel the same?

'But she kissed me back,' he mentally argued. That kiss had to have meant something to her! Maybe she liked him as well?

He shook his head against his depressingly hopeful thoughts and just stared at the top of Kagome's head. She was still securely in his arms, and he smiled as he gratefully took in deep breaths of her scent. She always smelled so calming, and he started when he felt her begin to move again.

'Shit! I'd better move my ass! She'd freak out if she saw me here!' he desperately thought, trying to lift her arms off him, but she just tightened her hold on him.

'That's it, I'm in for a BIG bashing!' he thought as the girl began to slowly open her eyes. He was expecting her to scream at him and call him a hentai, but to his surprise, she just smiled up at him groggily and said, "Ohayou, Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he stuttered. "I... well... ohayou."

"Well, aren't we articulate?" she teased him lightly. "Are you ok? Your eyes are a bit bloodshot. You're still stressed about yesterday, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah," he lied. No way he was admitting that she had him flustered. "I'm still kinda shaken up, I guess."

"Liar," she taunted coolly, nuzzling his chest. "You suck at lying, did you know?"

"Hell yeah," he replied with a soft chuckle. "I'm really just a bit tired still. And I need to call Miroku and ask him what the hell happened to Tetsusaiga last night," he defended, looking down at her head that she had all but buried in him.

He unconsciously began to stroke the hollow of her back, treading his fingers through her hair as she tightened her arms around him. It felt so oddly familiar somehow, that neither noticed. The morning sun was making the plain rather musty, but both felt too comfy to notice the heat.

Kagome broke the silence. "Kaze no Kizu," she stated abruptly, making Inuyasha look down at her.

"Nani?" he asked uncertainly, remembering a conversation he had with Miroku once, quite some time ago. Kagome looked back up at him.

"The wound of the wind. It..."

"It is a powerful wind attack. The Tetsusaiga has the power to take down one hundred youkai in one swing by an attack that slices through the wind. The Tetsusaiga would go through a portion of the wind and release it. The Kaze no Kizu..." he said, before suddenly brightening. "Was that attack I did yesterday... was THAT the Kaze no Kizu?" he asked, looking her in the eye.

"Well... how did you know that?" she asked uncertainly. Hey, SHE was supposed to be the brain chief here! She was the princess, not him!

"Miroku told me about it once, when Kouga kidnapped you. Remember that day?"

"Heck yeah," she replied. "Anyway, I can't tell for certain. I have certainly NEVER seen the Kaze no Kizu, but by the way your attack looked yesterday... well, if I compare it to the description in the book... they're a match, so to speak."

"That's great then! I mean, it's probably the Kaze no Kizu by the way things seem. I just performed a big attack!" he said happily. Then, as if suddenly daydreaming, he looked off into the distance that was visible through the cave's door. "Man, wait til I see Kouga again. I am gonna KICK his ass! Ha!" he declared with a maniacal grin.

"Inuyasha..."

"And that Naraku! If he dares to show his face now, man is he gonna get it!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome interrupted his merry musings. "I understand your enthusiasm, but please calm down about it. We aren't even sure if what you did was the Kaze no Kizu. And if it WAS, we aren't sure if you could do it again. It may have been a lucky fluke, you know."

"Hmmph! Don't you trust me yet? I'm good, I'll practice til I get it perfectly. THEN you won't think it's a fluke." Inuyasha said with a light scowl.

"I know you will, but time isn't right for you to gloat yet. You can gloat AFTER we confirm that you performed the Kaze no Kizu, ne?" Kagome smiled.

Silence broke again, giving them time to think. Both desperately wanted to ask the other about what took place at the battle's aftermath - the kiss. Questions were driving them both crazy, but both felt too shy to ask out loud.

The companions seem to have finally noticed that they were still intimately wrapped around each other. They looked down at their arms before blushing scarlet together. Kagome let out a small squeak and scooted back, while Inuyasha just blushed darkly and softly pulled away.

They both sat up, looking at everything but the other. Kagome broke the awkward silence again. She cleared her throat, and without looking up, said, "Ano... weren't you gonna call Miroku-sama?"

-----/---@

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" Naraku asked Kanna, who was cowering behind the cloth divider. She was desperately trying to hide her face from view, and her hair wasn't cooperating.

"Iie, Naraku-sama. I am honest to you all the time. I would never keep anything from you," she said.

"I can smell your fear, you know. Just tell me what it is and I'll let you off easy. I won't kill you," he said. Kanna felt her fear grow.

She had foolishly been skirting around Naraku for the past few days, and he probably noticed. Now he was asking her... but she couldn't very well tell him that Azalea had somehow DISAPPEARED from the dome!

"Naraku-sama, onegai. I am telling the truth! And if ever there was something wrong with me right now, it is nothing of importance, I assure you," she pleaded.

A long silence followed. Kanna was all but twisting in her place when Naraku suddenly smiled. That, if anything, unnerved her even more.

"Alright then. You may go," Naraku said simply. Relief flooded through Kanna, and she thanked him repeatedly before leaving.

Naraku was then left alone to dwell on his dreary thoughts. He was frustrated beyond belief that Inuyasha and his wench had AGAIN managed to defeat his men. 'Darn them,' he thought. 'And I went through so much persuasion with them too.'

Not only that, but Inuyasha seems to have either developed or acquired a new sort of power. That wind blast he performed was something to think about too.

Meanwhile, Kanna was halted right outside the door of Naraku's chambers by Kagura. Kagura was grinning from ear to ear, with a look in her eyes that practically screamed 'good work there, dear'.

Kanna hesitated before motioning for Kagura to follow her. Kagura followed, of course, and when they were far enough from naraku to be out of earshot, the usually placid-looking youkai glared at her sister.

"Kagura... I. Want. Answers. NOW!" Kanna said through gritted teeth. "I believe I have a right to them. I was the one who had to endure Naraku- sama's fearful probing. Tell me what I want to know, ima sugu ni!"

Kagura was surprised by the way Kanna was acting. She was usually docile, but now she was glaring daggers at her. She sighed and replied, "What do you wanna know?"

"Firstly... how was she able to escape? We all took great care in making sure that the barrier won't let her through. How did she get past the barrier?"

Kagura sighed. "Easy question. Clearly, the hime is smarter than I gave her credit for. She gathered her powers into something - probably an inanimate object - and left it within the dome. She left her powers in that object, in the dome, but that allowed her to get away, since the dome only filters out power, not aura."

"So, her power is still within the dome? That is amazingly stupid of her, then. Why would she leave her powers free to the use of her enemies?" Kanna asked.

"Baka. No one can use the powers of the Shikon besides her. Hell, nothing is strong enough to contain it but the shikon no tama!" Kagura said in annoyance to Kanna's ignorance. What her sister asked next nearly blew her up.

"What's a shikon no tama?"

"Don't you know anything, Kanna? Anyway, the shikon no tama is kind of the partner of the Shikon power. It controls and holds the power within the princess. In times like these, it could be used to hold the power. If anyone gains control of it, which is damn near impossible, this jewel could give the owner immense power. Got that?"

"Hai, I think so. Now. I wanna know... where is Azalea?" Kanna asked uncertainly.

"Let's play charades with that one. Listen, she is just around the corner, doing things that I never imagined she could. She doesn't even look quite like herself. And she is also quite powerful, even without the shikon's power within her. Inborn holy powers, I guess," she smiled evilly before continuing. "She wears clothes that are the exact contrary of her old princess robes of long flowing white. And lastly, she trots around with the legendary warrior carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows. Give up?"

Kanna was shocked. "Kagome? Demo... kuso! I wondered why they look so much alike! They are one person!"

"Folks, we got a winner!" Kagura said sarcastically.

-----/---@

"So you think that what I did was the Kaze no Kizu?" Inuyasha asked Miroku enthusiastically. Kagome was giggling behind him, happy for him, and Miroku was beaming at him, his smile reaching his ears.

"Hai, I am sure of it Inuyasha! I am so happy and relieved! You managed to perform the Kaze no Kizu so easily! You are just full of surprises," Miroku was practically shouting, and Inuyasha could hear Sango giggling like a monkey behind him.

"Keh. It's not like it was easy. That damn fucking attack damn near drained me!"

"But you managed to hold on, didn't you, Inuyasha-sama?!" Sango squealed. "You truly are remarkable, as the legends say!"

"Now stop that 'legend' shit. I ain't no legend." Inuyasha said, before grinning like a manic. "So I finally got the Tetsusaiga's ultimate attack, ne?"

Miroku looked thoughtful. "Well, no, Inuyasha. There is still one more attack, one far more powerful than the Kaze no Kizu."

"NANI?! You said this attack could take down a hundred youkai all at the same time! You mean there's another that's more powerful than this? God dammit, why didn't you tell me sooner! I wouldn't have tried for this thing if I knew!" Inuyasha shouted yet again.

"Well, you wouldn't be able to perform the Bakuryuuha without learning the Kaze no Kizu, so it's not such a waste of time," Miroku explained calmly.

"Bakuryuuha? Is that the attack?"

"Yes Inuyasha. Don't ask me how it is done, I have no idea as of now. I have still yet to read the rest of the ancient books," Miroku replied before Inuyasha had the chance to "calmly" interrogate him.

"I should have known," Inuyasha snapped, absently flicking a strand of black hair from his shoulder. 'Hmmph. Must have fallen from Kagome while she was sleeping beside me this morning. Keh.'

Again, our ever-observant houshi noticed this. "Inuyasha, where did you get that strand of hair? I mean, your hair is silver..."

"None of your damn business kouzo. Now, if you don't mind, we've got more traveling to do. Ja ne!" Inuyasha said before zoning out.

Miroku turned to Sango in confusion. Sango, however, looked simply ecstatic.

"Oh, houshi-sama! He did it! It won't be long now... he could probably defeat Naraku in less than a week now!" Sango said happily. Now if they could just find Naraku...

"Sango, didn't you notice that strand of hair on his shoulder?"

"It was black. So what? He could have gotten it anywhere. He sleeps in caves, ne?"

"I know... but he said... he said it was none of my business. He could have just said he didn't know, but what he said has made me rather suspicious..."

Sango looked exasperated. "You still think that he has a secret companion, ne houshi-sama?" Miroku nodded. "Well, even if he does, we can clearly see that whoever it is helps him get to Naraku, not the other way around. His companion even seems to be lifting his spirits!" Sango said with a small smile.

Miroku was still unconvinced. "I will only believe that once I see it with my own two eyes."

-----/---@

They were lost. Kagome knew it, Inuyasha knew it - heck, they both knew it.

"Inuyasha, we've been here before. See?" Kagome said, pointing to the remnants of a small night camp. The "camp" just consisted of a few rocks and twigs that suggested that there had been a fire burning there previously.

"You don't know that for sure, wench!"

"Yes I do, baka! Look!" she snapped back, pointing to a rather large dry bush. Strewn among the knarled branches was a thin white bandage.

"My hand bandages got dirty last night, so I decided to change them and throw the old ones away. Now what, exactly, do THOSE look like?!" she said as steam threatened to flow from her head.

"Umm... bandages?" Inuyasha replied sheepishly.

"Right... now, in case you haven't noticed, we have been going around in circles for THREE DAYS! I thought you said you knew where we were going?!" Kagome screamed. Now Kagome knew that Inuyasha could sense the princess' presence, or at least the shikon no tama's presence. That was how he knew which way to go, anyway. But how they could mess up like this, evaded her sense of reason.

And Kagome wasn't helping any, which was driving her insane. She could also sense the shikon, of course. The power did belong to her. But she too was following as they went, and it seemed to be leading them in circles.

"I do know where we are going! It's just that... the princess seems to be moving. Do you think she escaped somehow?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.

'You have no idea,' Kagome thought with a grim smile. "Azalea-sama couldn't have escaped. She is in a barrier that one with shikon powers couldn't get through."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, ok?!"

"OK! Well then why is the aura leading us in circles?"

"I don't know! Maybe you've just messed up your senses!"

"My senses are not messed up!"

Both stood glaring at each other for a short while, before Inuyasha finally conceded.

"Ok, I know we're lost. I just don't understand how that could have happened. We've already wasted so much fucking time in this stupid desert- ful of dead trees. WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE?!" he shouted to the skies.

"As if shouting would help. We have to find a way out of here!"

"Yeah, I know but..." Inuyasha abruptly stopped talking.

"Nani, Inuyasha? Hey, what's wrong?" Kagome asked in confusion.

"I hear something... it's coming from over there," he replied, pointing to a spot to their right. "Someone's asking fro help..."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kagome said, already starting to go off in that direction.

"Matte," Inuyasha said. "Is it right for us to go over there? I mean... we have more things to worry about and... it might be a trap. I know I'm paranoid but we've had enough encounters to be paranoid."

"Well, it still wouldn't hurt to see. Besides, what if that person really is in trouble? Wouldn't that stay and weigh on your conscience? Besides, with Kaze no Kizu under your control, what could stop you?"

"I guess," Inuyasha replied. "Alright, let's go."

They both bounded off to the direction Inuyasha had indicated, Kagome on Inuyasha's back again.

The path led them to a large clearing that, Inuyasha noted, they had never been in before. In the middle of the clearing lay a boy of about five, practically bathing in his own blood. Kagome gasped at the sight and told Inuyasha to move faster.

When they got to the boy, they noticed that he was pale, ghastly pale, and blood was spilling from a large gaping wound on his stomach. Inuyasha picked him up and tried to press a hand to the wound in his abdomen in an attempt to stop the bleeding. His shirt was torn up in many places, as if a demon had sliced through the fabric of his clothes.

Kagome turned her eyes from the wound, letting her eyes rest upon a higher part of his torso. She took one look at his chest, and she let out a little squeal.

"What?" Inuyasha asked in alarm, straightening his posture to make it easier for him to spring up if there was a youkai. Kagome looked shocked, pointing to a spot on the boy's chest. Inuyasha turned his eyes to the boy's chest, and he let out an audible gasp.

Right there, in the middle of the boy's chest, was the mark of a blue star.

"Oh Kami," he said softly. "This kid... this kid has a star mark." Talk about stating the obvious.

"Ee. He's a future palace guard..." Kagome trailed off as hot tears threatened to flow out of her eyes.

Inuyasha tried shaking the boy, his hand desperately seeking a pulse on the boy's body. The child was barely breathing, but had a very weak pulse.

Kagome looked around and gasped again as her eyes found lump among the rocks a few meters away. She rushed over there, and sure enough, she found another child, about three or four years older than the first, also bearing a blue star on his chest.

This child was more conscious than the first. The first child was almost dead, but this one still managed to make small hoarse calls for help.

'This child must be the one whom Inuyasha heard,' she thought as she picked him up from the ground and carefully laid him on her lap.

"Kagome! Where the fuck did you run off to?" Inuyasha yelled.

"I'm right here, Inuyasha! I found another child!" Kagome said, ripping of a piece of her skirt to push down on the child's bleeding lower chest. The child winced and opened his eyes, looking at her through hazy, unfocused brown orbs.

"Hey kid... are you alright?" she asked in an attempt to make conversation. The kid shook his head slowly. No surprise there.

"I... I ache... Boku no ototo wa doko?" he asked Kagome slowly.

'Ototo... his younger brother... that other kid must be his younger brother!' Kagome nearly gasped again at the thought. Both children had star marks... what did this mean?

"Your younger brother is with my companion. He is safe, don't worry."

"Iya... no he isn't. I saw him fall... that youkai... AARGH!" the child was cut off as he cried out in pain. The bleeding wasn't stopping and he was going paler and paler by the minute.

"Hush... save your strength... you're wounded too." Kagome smiled softly at him. 'This child reminds me of my Souta-oniisan. He worries about others before himself.'

-Flashback-

"Souta-oniisan!" Azalea shrieked as she saw her elder brother fall. He was a palace guard; she was the princess. They had been made to stop treating each other as relatives since they were summoned to the palace, and this was the first time in six years that she had called him 'elder brother' one again. Hardly anyone knew that the princess and one of the palace guards were brother and sister.

Souta rose slowly, facing Naraku, his anger coming off him in waves. "You will not TOUCH my sister, Naraku! You would have to kill me first!"

"Very well then," Naraku said calmly, raising a hand to fire a blast of youki, when Sango dove at him from behind. Naraku nearly fell to the ground, and Sango used that chance to launch an attack.

Youki blazed from Sango's open palm, but it was not strong enough to hurt Naraku. He simply released a blast that would have terribly wounded Sango.

Souta saw this, and in a sudden surge of strength, leapt at Sango and pushed her out of the way. Being as badly wounded as he is, the blast knocked him off easily, mortally wounding him. He was thrown across the floor to slump against the high throne.

"SOUTA!" Sango screamed as Kagome let out a painful shriek.

"ONIISAN!!!"

She bent down from her throne to stroke her dying brother's cheek. Souta lay there, looking at her hazily, before taking her hand in his.

"Kagome... please, be careful... be strong for your niichann, imoto-chan... D-dai suki." He stuttered weakly, before going limp and closing his eyes in eternal rest.

"ONIISAN!"

-End Flashback-

"Lady, do you... do you have a star mark?" the boy asked, cutting off Kagome's sad thoughts. This confused kagome.

"No... but my companion does. Why?"

The child suddenly looked alarmed. "Then you have been lost for days too?"

"Yes. How did you... did the same happen to you and your ototo?" she asked as she ripped off some badages from the roll she carried with her.

"Yes... this desert traps people with star marks. Then the youkai kill them... make your friend leave this place... the youkai won't harm you but your friend..."

"Oh my god..." Kagome gasped, before turning to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!"

Just as she shouted his name though, a large hound-like youkai, with gleaming red eyes and long sharp fangs rushed at Inuyasha and the child he held from behind.

"INUYASHA, LOOK OUT!"

-----/---@

A/N: That was it for chap 15! I hope you liked it, and please don't kill me if you didn't. If you kill me, I can't finish the story for those who did like it. Lol!

Anyway, I hope you don't mind that I made the shikon no tama function differently in this fic. I figured that since this is AU, the shikon no tama could fit in with my story in a different way.

Anyway, a certain email reviewer noticed something, and I decided to say it here as well. Yup, I try to answer my reviewer's questions through my next chap. I actually think up possible questions and answer them here. I do that because I know that my fic can be awfully confusing, so I try my best not to leave anyone hanging, without divulging things that would practically tell them how the fic ends.

And yes, I have a countdown of days for this fic. At present, Inuyasha has been in Crystallia for 23 days.

Responses (email reviews not here)!

Upper Class: Actually, I just his name. ^_^ I don't really like the idea of Miroku having a "foe" for Sango's affections, lol! I'm glad you like my story. Thanks for the review!

RavenShadow: I'm glad you like my story. Thanks for the review! ^_^

LiLmissy16: Uy, bagong name! Anyway, I'm glad you think my last chap was 'adorable'. LOL! You really seem enthusiastic about the kiss! And about Inu finding out, that would be in a few more chaps. Sorry. ^_^ By the way, are you still grounded? Man, that would really suck. Halos tumalon ako sa bangin pag grounded ako e. Anyway, your reviews are still the longest, don't worry. And hey, where did you see the Inuyasha movie2 trailer?! OMG, I've been DYING to see it! Sa internet din ba or sa animax? Kung sa internet, I'm BEGGING you for a link! Hindi ko alam kung kelan lalabas yung movie2 sa Pinas e, sorry. I tried asking Comic alley but the woman at the counter was clueless. And I WISH that I had a prof na kasing uto-uto nung teacher mo. Hay... Thanks for the 3 LONG reviews! Muwaah!

Mikogurl: FF.net screwed with my name once too, but I managed to fix it up real quick. Anyway, I did take a long time with that kiss, ne? LOL! Thanks for the review!

TheWraith: Yeah, that's right. Anyway, I hope this chap answered your other question. And about Kagura and Kanna... hmm... I'll think about it. I really haven't decided on what to do with those two. Thanks for the review!

Kimberlee: Here's the chap! I'm glad you like my story, and sorry for the cliffy. Can't help it, hehe. Thanks for the review!

Lilacks: Thanks! I do try. Anyway, thanks for the review!

LisSakura: I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!

Meshenia: Hehe... I PROMISE not to shorten my chaps, just for you, lol! Besides, I realized that I couldn't bear to shorten them anyway. I'm glad you liked my last chap, I hope you liked this as well. Thanks for the review!

Kitten Starr: I'm glad you like my story. Here's the chap! Thanks for the review!

Diva Erinnus: Hehe... salamat! And about Kikyou, I hate her guts, lol! And, you'll add me to your list?! Oh, wow! Double salamat! Ano nga pala real name mo? Wala lang, just curious. ^_^ Salamat sa review!

Trina: Hi Paulina! Wow, ever, pinagkalat mo ko?! Salamat! I'm glad you think I write well enough to tell others about my fic, even though nobody listened, hehe. Ikaw lang ang IY fan dyan? Aw, that's sooo... hard! At least naman may kilala ako dito na 3-5 people who are obsessed with IY, like me! One more thing, taga-saan ka? Wala lang, curious lang po ako. Hehe. I'm glad you like my story. Alubsu2 (as a reviewer, lol)! Thanks for the review!

Vegito044: I'm glad you like my fic, and I hope this chap answered some of your questions, lol! Here's the update, and thanks for the review!

Koinu-no-ai: Until 4 in the morning!? Wow... that's oddly flattering, you know what I mean? I know how confusing this fic could be. Like I said before, sometimes I confuse myself, lol! Thanks! I'm glad you like my story enough to read it till that late, er, early. Wow! Anyway, you spelled 'mysterious' right, don't worry. Thanks for the review, and please keep reading (and reviewing, *wink*)!

Deamon Fighter: I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!

Litwolf689: I hope this chap answered your questions. ^_^ I'm glad you don't think it was cheesy. Anyway, thanks for the review, and I promise to keep writing, lol!

Justmeh: Yeah, finally! I'm glad you don't' think it's cheesy. Anyway, thanks for the review!

Subaruu0584: I'm sorry I didn't get to respond to you last time. Gah, I don't know HOW I managed NOT to read your review earlier! I guess ff,net's been screwing with my reviews again. Well, Kikyo isn't gonna be in this fic. I really don't like her. I hope this chap answered your other questions. Thanks for the review!

So that's it! I'm still a hyper-active-buta because of all those reviews! Haha! As usual, I hope you liked this chap, and please read and review! Even criticisms are welcomed. At least I'll know what to fix if I get them. Ja ne!

ScarletRaven1001