Prologue

A young hanyou ran out into the open back yard with a smile plastered on her face as she watched her mother and father cuddle into the afternoon sun. Standing still as a blur of blue and green whizzed past her, she sneered and closed her eyes, using her senses to guide her. "I know your there." She called. She felt a rush of wind, could tell that they were using the trees as a way of trying to confuse her. Straightening her bright yellow mini sundress and tugging up her jeans that she wore underneath slightly, she yawned with irritation as her ears turned this way and that at the sound of a cracking twig.

The wind blew lightly as slight chuckles and pants were heard from all sides. She turned on her heel at the slightest sound, or shift in the direction of her older brother's scents. A lesson taught to her by her father, sometimes the best way to corner an enemy, is to let them believe that your back is to them. The only problem with that strategy, was that her brother's were taught the same thing. Scanning the area quickly with her keen vision, she took a deep breath as she stood still---stone still in the middle of the clearing.

Whether she was more annoyed by the fact that she just wanted to go for a simple dip in the pond and they wouldn't let her, or the fact that they were doing it on purpose so that she couldn't get to the pond she wasn't sure, be she was a little irritated right now, and she didn't have time to play their games right now. Checking her watch on her left wrist, she flipped her long silver hair back over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips, leaning most of her weight to the left.

Her brothers were always trying to trick her this way, ever since they were younger. At 14 years old, she had grown accustomed to this little game, and she knew all of their tricks--- or so she thought. Gasping as one of her brother's ran up behind her, she turned to face him, when she was caught in a headlock from behind. "You cheated!" She shrieked as she sunk her teeth into the soft flesh. Grinning idiotically as he released his sister, the young hanyou lapped at the blood running down his arm as his brother landed beside him.

"You can't always win." The other simply said as she gave them a pointed glare and placed her hands on her hips. A spitting image of her mother with the blended genes of her father's temper, she was something that all med would grow to fear---at least those she wasn't related to. Long silver hair ran down her back, soft ears at the top of her head, and bright yellow eyes that stood out like the sun itself. Staring at her brothers, she sighed and turned on her heels and stomped away.

The twins smiled and looked at each other before slapping a high five. They had never grown tired of teasing their little sister every chance they got, and it was just something they would never stop laughing over. Looking at his brother's wound, the one in the green's smile widened. "Well, it seems you went overboard again Aka." 'Aka' grinned.

"Feh! Brat deserved that anyway." He said simply as he fixed his blue polo shirt. Inuakamori No Taisho was the first conceived of the two, only by two minutes, but that doesn't mean he was more mature than his brother. His view of life was have fun before you get old, and he planned to do just that before he turned old and bitter like his Uncle. However, his cousin was nothing like that, but that didn't stop him from causing mischief. A spitting image of his father, just like his brother, they weren't surprised when he decided to follow in the footsteps of him.

Inukuromori No Taisho, however, was just like his brother when it came to having fun. But the only difference, he felt that there was a time to be serious, and a time to have fun. He was very organized, and sometimes outspoken by his brother, but when that was to happen, and it usually did, by the time the day was over, everyone knew he was there. Basically dragged into the influence of his 'older' brother, he was usually the first to take the blame for something that was usually the result of hours of yelling, and in a few cases, even tweaked.

Another way he was unlike his twin brother, he'd rather torment his sister's frequent brother, than beat them up like Inuakamori loved doing. When it was necessary, it was done, but usually, by the time their father was finished, they weren't needed. Kuro opened his mouth to say something, when his mother's angry voice rang into his head.

"Inuakamori No Taisho! Inukuromori No Taisho! Over here, now!" They shuddered. Their mother only used their full names when they were in trouble. They were only having fun. Flattening their ears as they immediately went to her, she was tapping her foot impatiently as her husband and daughter sat behind her. "What did I tell you about teasing your sister?"

"We were just having fun." Inukuromori answered. She sighed.

"Kuro, Aka, you have to be careful." She said as she reached over and rubbed each one's ear's softly. "Your sister doesn't like roughhousing." Behind them, she sneered and stuck her tongue out at them mockingly. "How about you play with your father?"

The twins looked at each other and smiled. InuYasha, however, wasn't. "What?" Kagome sighed and turned around.

"Oh come on, you never play with them anyway. Get to know them." InuYasha grumbled as he stood up and walked away.

"Don't yell at me when they are covered in bruises."

Kagome snorted as she sat down next to her daughter. "You know better." She twins chuckled as they followed their father into another clearing. Handing her daughter another bottle of water, she watched as her eyes filled with tears.

"It's not fair mom!" She wailed. "I can't even get a date without daddy and the stupid twins scaring them away." Kagome smiled inwardly.

"Well, they love you. They just don't want you to get hurt." The girl frown deepened.

"It's still not fair." She mumbled. Kagome laughed softly. Cringing as a tree fell in the distance, followed by loud laughter from InuYasha, she bared her fangs in irritation.

"I'm going to end up killing him. . . ." She mumbled as she fished for the box of cookies in the basket. Giggling as she handed them to her mother from next to her, Taji No Taisho smiled as her mother sighed in relief.

Looking like her mother so much it scared InuYasha when she opened her eyes for the first time, she had a temper to match, so much that the sound of her yelling at her brother's caused InuYasha to whimper and grimace at some points. Big, bright amber eyes with long curly silver hair, her ears perky and pointy, she had the grace and intelligence of her mother, but was cursed with the pride of her father. Too stubborn to admit when she was happy her brother's brutally punished a young boy of looking at her too hard, or when they could smell that he wasn't 'thinking' about her the way they wanted him to, Kagome couldn't help but smile at how close they were, yet how stubborn they were to admit it.

Laying back on the red and white checker blanket, she closed her eyes softly as she relaxed. Why her family decided to do this, she would never know, but she had to go to the mall with her best friend, Taura. She opened her eyes and sniffed the air, reassuring her that her mother was still there.

"Mom, how is Sango and Miroku doing?" Kagome smiled.

"Oh, they are just find. Kazuyu should be graduating soon. I wonder what he wants to do . . ." Kagome flicked her ears as InuYasha appeared into the clearing with a accomplished smile on her face. Taji sat up as soon as her brother's came into view.

"So, I guess dad beat, as always." The twins growled and hopped into trees just above the resting area with a scowl. Kagome giggled.

"Don't worry you guys. Just wait about ten more years. Your father'll be very sorry. You see." InuYasha retorted to that, and Kagome simply ignored it as Taji crawled over to her father.

"Dad, can I go out this weekend."

InuYasha stared at her through the corner of his eye. "With who?"

"Kazuyu's friend from school. He's a really nice guy and---"

"No."

"Please? I mean he's even human!"

"I don't care. No."

"Dad!"

InuYasha grinned. "On second thought---"

"Oh thank you daddy." Kagome dropped her water bottle as she reached over and felt InuYasha's head.

"He's lost it." She mumbled.

"You can go out with him. On one condition. Your brothers go with." Taji looked like she could have ripped her own head off. The twins laughed evilly in the trees above. Looking up at they twitched their ears and toyed with the charms hanging around their neck, trying to look innocent, all she could do was sigh and lay back down. What did she do to deserve this?

Closing her eyes, she snorted and tried to fall asleep. Why she wanted to fall asleep, she would never know. But she just knew it wasn't working. Sitting back up, she grabbed a bottle of water, stood up, and slowly trekked away from the family. Knowing her way through the huge backyard wasn't that hard, and pretty soon she found her destination.

About 16 yards away from her, was a large pond. The sun shined down on it, making the blue water shine with pride and the fish under seem like they were all rainbows. Birds chirped in the distance, singing their song of welcome to her as she peeled off her clothes and sat them on a nearby rock. Walking to the edge of the pond, she closed her eyes and flattened her ears before she dived in, feeling the rush of cold water break down her senses. Her father always said that he did this when he was young. Enjoying it as a way to relax, she resurfaced, gasping for breath, and floated on top of the water. This. . .is the life.

"Well hello. . ." Taji screamed and sat up. Staring at a pair of amber eyes and long silver hair pulled into a ponytail, she gasped as something dawned on her that kept her speechless. He. . .He's youkai. . . Inu youkai. . .

The young youkai stared at her with shock as his cheeks reddened and he immediately turned to be pinned down by the glare of two very older brothers and a pissed off father.

"What the hell do you think you's looking at," InuYasha snarled. "Sucka?"

"Your daughter, what else?"

8:88:888:88:8

A lady about her mid thirties smiled as she kissed her husband and son goodbye. Walking out of the door, she walked to the corner, and sighed as she looked at the large clock across the street. It was already dusk, and she needed to get her day's walk, as well as dinner done before her husband came home. Wincing inwardly, she kept walking down the street.

Once she finally arrived at the supermarket, she walked inside, feeling the air conditioner making her skin grow goosebumps. She shivered and began walking towards the diary section. Picking up a basket, she placed a quart of milk inside, and picked up some eggs and cheese. Walking into the next isle, she picked up some snack food for her son when he returned from school. She reached for some candy, when her cell phone began ringing. Sighing, she placed the basket down and answered it. "Yuki Kitohoshi." She answered casually as she picked up the basket, holding the cell phone with her free hand.

"Yuki. . ." A voice asked. "Where are you?"

She rolled her eyes. "At the supermarket. Why?"

"I left work early to spend time with you, and you go shopping. Come home." She winced. She could tell he was drunk, which would equal to Sora ending up at his grandmother's house, once more. She held back rising tears.

"I'm sorry, but he was hungry, and I didn't want him to go to sleep without anything to eat."

"He did it yesterday."

"And the three days before that. He needs to eat something honey."

"I'm sending him to the hags house. He'll come home by himself tomorrow."

"But---"

"He knows what to do. He can catch the bus. He'll be fine." She reluctantly agreed, and hung up.

Once she finished shopping, and she opened the door to her home, she dropped the keys onto the table and went into the basement. The door to the basement shut by itself, and all the lights went out. She opened her mouth to scream, when she felt a white hot burn in the middle of her back. The man over her laughed as she crumpled to the floor, blood gushing out of her back as he licked the blade of the weapon.

"Serves you right . . ." He muttered before he left her to die.

Sora Kitohoshi walked through the streets of Tokyo in silence as he stuck his hands in his pocket. He really didn't want to go back home right now, but if he father or anybody called, he might have to.

It had been ten years since his mother had been murdered. Ten years since the abuse his mother suffered was focused onto him. And he had been taking care of his self for eleven years, seeing as his father never cared anyway. When she died, they simply moved to another place, and he was forbidden to say anything about the murder, or her. He simply agreed, to youngand too weak to stand up to his father.

Icy blue eyes glazed with sadness, he ignored the stares from women as he walked without a particular destination. He wanted to talk to somebody, anybody, and hehad noidea just who that person is. He had just moved to Tokyo, would be starting school tomorrow, and already he had a problem with the way things are done here.

He has his own apartment. He doesn't have a problem with that. The problem is that his father can walk in anything he wants to, and told the landlord to forbid him to change the lock. He had been put on a leash, like a vile beast, and wasn't able to do anything without his father's consent, until now. Turning the corner, he sighed as he looked at rows of pretty houses that went up and down hills. Turning back around the corner, he nearly bumped into a tall, strong chested man and fell to the ground. "Oh,I'm sorry." He muttered.

The man chuckled and helped him up. "It's alright. Say, I haven't seen you around these parts before."

"I just moved here 6 hours ago." Sora said simply. Theteenager held out his hand, and beamed when Sora shook it.

"Oh, hello then. I'm Shippou No Taisho. Are you lost? You look a bit shaken up." Sora weakly shook his head, constantly looking over his shoulder and fidgetting. Shippou frowned. "Anything wrong?"

"I. . . Just have to get away from my father. That's all." Shippou's frown deepened as Sora walked around him rather quickly. Tossing his long raven hair over his shoulder and looking behind him, Sora broke out into an all out run, bustling past crowds of people aimlessly as he sought to get father and father away from the dark brown hotel building from hell.

Bending over and placing his hands on his knees, he took deep shallow breaths before he looked up, sweat pouring from his forehead realizing he was in front of a forest type area. He took a step forward, and stopped abruptly as he heard a car pull up beside him . He sighed as his cell phone began ringing, and he reached into his pocket to pick it up. As he did so, the window began rolling down, and a man of a fairly old age, with a wrinkled face and beady eyes stared at him. "Get in." He muttered into the reciever.

Sora slowly crept toward the car. Before he could make any move, the door flew open, an old, wrinkled hand shot out, and he was dragged into the car. The man muttered curses as he closed the door when the car began driving. Looking over the young boy, he scowled and struck him in the face. "What did you think you were doing?"

Sora felt around his inside cheek, to find that he was bleeding. Refraining from answering, he scooted as far away from the man as he could. "Going out for a walk." He muttered weakly. He cried out as he was struck again.

"The same thing your mother said ten years ago. That was the last time I ever saw her. Don't do it again." He said as he hit him one more time. Sora watched through teary eyes as his father lit a cigarette and blew the smoke in his face, knowing Sora hated it.

Sora ignored the apparent taunt and looked out the window. Liar. . .It's all a lie. . .That's not how she died. . .

He told him self that for a good part of an hour, but that didn't stop that hurt that was welling up in his chest, making it hard to breath, making his whole body feel like a glass bottle, so fragile and easy to shatter.

He was only five when she was taken away from him. Feeling his body and soul go numb as images of her limpless body laying on the basement floor in a heap with groceries around her, the only thing he could do to keep from killing someone, is think about how he needed to live for her. How she wanted him to grow up into a human being, not the monster his father was. He was taught by his father never to hit women, but frequently watched as he cruelly slapped his mother around, and beat her until she even moved. When he was 12, he was given the 'talk.' He watched as his father made love to his mother, and he could tell it was breaking her heart, but she said nothing, and his only instructions were to watch, and not move.

His father had grown cold ever since she had left, and things had never been the same. There was a day were everything was perfect, he never beat them, never did inhuman things to them, until she cheated. Then, everything went wrong. And when she tried to leave, they went from bad, to all hell. There was nothing he could do, but run in his room as his mother screamed and yelled for his father to stop whatever he was doing to her, whether for his pleasure, or watching her bleed or cry.

As the car stopped, he didn't move until given permission. Once in the house, he locked himself into his room, and cried himself to sleep.

8:88:888:88:8

The studentswere throwing thingsat each other intheTaji'sclass, andher and Taura ducked a book that were coming towards their heads. The teacher had stepped out of the room, which meant all havoc, even though they all knew they would get in big trouble when the teacher came back. But they didn't care. The year was almost over, and they just wanted to have fun.Taji sniffed the air slightly. There was a new scent, one she didn't recognize. Shrugging it off, she began asking Taura about her race for the millionth time.

Suddenly, the teacher walking inside, using his middle finger to push his glasses back over his nose as a book sailed across the room. His eyes twinkled with anger, and he glared at the culprit. "Class, I have an announcement to make." The pandemonium ceased, and all eyes were focused on him. "There will be a new student today. He has never been to Tokyo before, and I wish for someone to be his guide until he learns his way, by request of his parent. Any volunteers?" The class looked at each other.

Taji sighed at her classes ignorance. "I'll do it sensei-chan." She said exasperated. The class turned and looked at her, but she focused on the teacher. He smiled as the student walked in. Her eyes were glued on him as he walked to the back of the room, and took a seat---next to her. He looked over at her, looked her over, and simply fixed his gaze on the floor.

Keh! He's rude. . . But cute. She stopped staring for a while as the teacher began teaching again.

After class, he waited for her after class, standing by the door, and when she walked out, she immediately turned to talk to him. "Hi, I'm Taji No Taisho. Pleased to meet you." He shook her hand nervously.

"I'm. . .Sora. Sora Kitohoshi."

She frowned slightly as she tried to peer at his face. He hadn't looked anybody in the eyes ever since he'd been here, and it was starting to creep her out. "Are you ok?"

He looked at his watch, completely ignoring her question. "Isn't it time for our next class?" She reached for his arm, and he quickly snatched it back and threw them behind him. She stepped back at the sudden movement, but stared at him with curiosity.

"Yeah, follow me. Luckily we have all the same classes." And with that, she turned and led him down the hall.

8:88:888:88:8

"Want us to fix him?" Kuro said as Taji placed his sandwich in front of him. She merely shook her head as she went back to look into the fridge, tossing each one of them a bottle of water. Taking one for herself, she picked up her plate and sat down at the head of the table.

"Always so much violence." She said simply as she picked up her sandwich. Taking a small bite, she wondered why he was so twitchy, always on pins and needles.

"Maybe he isn't right in the head." Aka said. "You said he wouldn't look you in your eyes either."

She shrugged. "I don't know what his problem is, but he sure is weird, and I have to gude him until he learns his way around. At this rate, it's going to take forever." She scowled as Kuro took a bite that looked too big for his mouth. He was barely able to chew it, but he smiled as he swallowed it anyway. "You eat like a pig."

"Correction. Dog. I am a dog, so I eat like a dog." Aka grinned as he did the same thing. Taji merely sighed and took a edible bite of her sandwich. She watched as Kuro drunk his water in much the same sloppy manner he wolfed down the sandwich, and she blinked when his plate was pushed in front of her. "Another please."

She looked at him, a retort forming in her mouth, but she snatched the plate anyway and got up to fix him another sandwich. She wondered why Sora didn't act like her brothers. Pigs, and totally disgusting, besides the fact every girl they see are drooling over them like they were movie stars. At times they were fun, and they were open with their feelings, and sociable. The exact opposite of Sora. He wouldn't look anybody in the face, not once, except for his father. After school, he was looking at his father dead in his face as his father stepped out of this huge limo.

She could smell fear radiating off of him like a cologne, and she could just plainly see that something wasn't right about the way he was acting. A slight nod of his father's head, and in a blink, he was in the car, and it was gone. He answered everyone "Yes Ma'am." or "Yes, sir," And when everybody was eating, he sat in the corner by himself with a notebook, and he wrote so quick and so fast Taji couldn't keep focus for very long.

She sighed as she returned with the plate of food for her brother. Once she set it down, he awaited until she sat down before he picked it up, and bit into it like it was moving. Aka shook his head as he looked at his sister. "Why do you care anyway?"

"What?"

"Why do you care about the new kid anyway?"

"I don't." But she did, and she didn't know why.

"He's all you talked about all day. Maybe you like him."

"No! He's shy, and he doesn't talk to anybody, and he just looks at you when you try to be nice to him. . ." She shook her head and snarled at her brother, telling him to leave it alone. He chuckled, held up his hands in a defensive manner and shook his hands. She lowered her head as Shippou walked into the kitchen and picked up Kuro's empty bottle of water, and threw it away.

"Hey kids. How was school?"

"Good." Aka grinned. "Taji's gota crush on a new kid."

"I do not!" Shippou chuckled. He walked out of the kitchen after looking intothe fridge.

Taji sighed and laid her head down. Why did she care so much why he was rude, anti-social, and just all out weird? Why did the way he smelled disgruntle her, the way he would look anywhere but at her want to scream, yet she thought it was so adorable? Why did he make her curiosity spike, and her constantly turning to make sure he was on the right track in work?

Why did she even give a damn what hell his name was? She began getting frustrated. Why was her body reacting without her even knowing? It wasn't fair. He can't just come in and change her life like he's a god or something. But that's what he was doing, and she was just about tired of how everything just began to go out of control on the day she met him.

Sighing as she lifted her head up, she smiled to find another sandwich on a new plate sitting in front of her, with a thank you note from her brothers, as well as asking her to tell her parents that they were out, and would be back before 8. She smiled and laid her head back down. Why did she do things for them anyway? Why was today so full of questions.

8:88:888:88:8

"How was school Sora?"

"It was . . . Ok. The teacher gave me a guide like you asked her to. But the girl she picked. . . She's different."

Sora's father scowled. "Different how?"

"There's just something different about her that just made it hard to concentrate today."

"Well I'll be damned. It seems my useless son is in love."

"Love? I don't think---"

"Did I give you permission to speak?"

"No sir. I'm sorry sir." Sora's father scowled as he looked his son over. Bright blue eyes shining with happiness, and his hair falling over his shoulders, he looked like his mother in more ways than one, that made his father's anger heighten.

Standing up, Sora's father walked up so close to him that Sora could smell the achohol on him. Sora knew better than to move, but he wanted to step back more than ever right now, but he didn't dare flinch. "Go to your room, and finish your homework." Sora didn't have to be told twice. In a flash, he was out of that room and his father heard his door close.

Standing up, he staggered over to his pants pocket and pulled out his wallet. Taking out his I.D, he looked at the picture of him, long blonde hair falling down over his back, green eyes shining with a new hope.

Katana Kitohoshi. The card said. He snorted and shoved the card back into the hold it was in. I don't even know who I am anymore. Ever since that bitch had to die.

He sneered as Sora turned the radio on. He hated music. In fact, he hated everything right now.

Sora was surprised he wasn't getting up off of the floor. He was sure he was going to get stabbed again. He lifted up his shirt and looked into the mirror as the diagonal scar going fron his mid abs to lower stomach. His father had been drunk, it was just 6 months ago. He had come home late one day, and next thing he knew, he was in the hospital, telling the doctors that he had fell and cut himself with the knife. He traced a finger over it and winced.

It still hurt. The doctors said it had to be stitched. After they took the stitches out, he had to walk around with a swollen bulge on his stomach for about 3 weeks, and now, it was still sore, but the doctors said he didn't need to put anything on it, that it'll be fine as long as he showered regularly and made sure it didn't get infected. He sat down on the bed carefully and opened up his book bag. He really didn't feel like doing his homework, so he decided to wake up early tomorrow morning and do it. Laying back, he folded his hands behind his head.

Long silver hair, beautiful honey golden eyes, she literally made him melt into mush when she first smiled at him. Unsure whether she thought of him for a total fool, he had to admit she was beautiful, but he felt there was something she was hiding that meant life and death to her if she dared to tell anybody. He closed his eyes. She didn't wear pounds of perfume like some of the girls did, not a lot of makeup, and she was very nice and considerate.

He didn't mean her being his guide for a month or so. The only thing he minded was the fact that she was popular. He didn't want to be around a lot of people, and the most popular peron in the school decides to be his guide. He has a feeling everything's going to go wrong very quick. But he simply ignores the feeling nagging at him, and rolls over carefully.

She had left with to buff looking boys that almost looked exactly like her, and had the same hair and eyes. They were taller than her, and he could tell that they dared any guy to talk to her since they watched her likehawk. He remembered as she was leaving, she waved to him and her brother's looked at him like they wanted to knock his head off. And he was scared to call, but he decided to anyway, just to hear her voice.

"Taisho Residence. Shippou No Taisho speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello. This is Sora, Sora Kitohoshi. Is Taji available?"

"Yes, she is. She's right here. Hold on one moment please?" Sora could hear the phone being passed before her melody of a voice drifted into his ears.

"Hello?"

"Hi! This is Sora. Are you busy?"

"Nope. I was just getting ready to call you. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the library with me today, I didn't get all my notes and using a computer in this place is nearly impossible." Sora blushed.

"Um, sure. I'll see you there in about ten minutes or so."

"Ok." They hung up, and Sora threw a fist in the air. Then he pulled it back down, staring at it incredulously.

Do I like Taji No Taisho? Nah . . . .

8:88:888:88:8

A/N

First chapter of a new story. Well, here's the dictionary for those who don't understand.

Sora : Sky

Kitohoshi : North Star

Taji : Silver and Yellow Color

Inuakamori : Dog of the Red Forest

Inukuromori : Dog of the Black Forest

Katana : Sword; Blade

Yuki : Snow ; Luck

Well, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter of Covetousness 2 : Discoveries. I wonder what will happen next, eh?