ExhilaratingInnovation

8:88:888:88:8

The inu-youkai paced back and forth of the living room of his house that had grown empty so long ago. Shaking his head as he tried to discern the absolute dread of the estate, he could hardly concentrate as he stared at the picture on the wall.

Turning his back to it, he stared at his claws for a moment, scowled at them as he bared his fangs and growled at nothing in particular. Straightening his shoulders, he grinned and combed his claws through his hair. "Well . . . I never would have thought---"

He said witha wince as he cut the T.V on. He watched as the head of Japan's richest company, and the tai-youkai began making statements about expanding his company. He smiled sheepishly as he turned up the T.V, eyeing a girl that stood to his side, her head straight, her green eyes flashing, her scowl indignant and proud, and he shuddered as for a split second, it looked like she was staring straight through the T.V screen, and those piercing eyes looked striaght into his soul.

Man . . . she has the pride of a lion and an ego of an elephant . . . but she's just a pup!

Basically you are too.

He snorted. Hardly. I am past the stage where I fend for my own thank you.

So now you're telling me you're a petefowl? Good one.

What?

Don't think I didn't notice the way you concentrated on her. You have to admit, she is beautiful.

Yes, but I have heard rumors she is a mixed breed. Half inu-youkai, half neko youkai.

That makes her all the more special, eh?

Nope. Cats are bitchy. I can't deal with that.

And what are you? Tolerant? Keh!

He didn't answer to that as he continued to stare at her. She seemed uncomfortable, though to human eyes you wouldn't be able to tell. Her red hair fell over her shoulders so softly and elegantly, he wondered how it would feel to touch them. Her eyes had wicked effects on his brain, and they seemed dulled and unclear by the glasses that she wore. I don't think she wears those often.

Why do you care?

Who said I cared? I just don't think she wears those often.

R-i-i-i-ght. You do realize I'm a part of you right? So may I ask why you are basically lying to yourself?

I'm not lying. I just don't think---

You've been in denial ever since she died, have you known that?

Detective Nakabashi's eyes glazed over with sadness as he nodded his head and sighed. Yea . . . ever since she left nothing made sense.

Have you tried to make sense of your situtations? I mean look. You survived through the trauma. You kept up your end of the bargain, to both of them.

Yes . . . to my baby Sakura, and my darling Keiko.

Remember how Sakura used to cry when you would look at the picture of Keiko? Don't you . . . don't you miss her?

I . . . I do.

Then go and get her.

I . . . I can't.

Why?

She wouldn't want to see me like this. I'm not the man I was when I left her with Keiko's mother.

She's almost 12 now, did you know? When's the last time you've seen her?

I . . . what does this has to do with anything?

I'm trying to say, before you run off and meddle with other people's pups, take care of your own.

Can I do that? Would she want to see me?

All I can say is go and find out.

I . . . alright.

8:88:888:88:8

Sora tossed and turned in his sleep as he called out to his mother over and over again. She wouldn't move, she didn't move and she would never move again. He remembered that day like yesterday, how he had cried and soon met up with Detective Nakabashi. His father held no remorse, had even went as to so far to mock him when he told her she was cold and stiff.

"Then call an ambulance. Dont' stand here looking at me." Sora waiting a few moments, thinking he was going to get up and start weeping and wailing like those people do on T.V, but his father didn't budge. That was when Sora opened his eyes and realized the truth. His father was a monster.

Running as fast as his little legs would take him, he snatched the phone off the table and ran back to his mother. Dialing 911 like she taught him to if anything ever happened, he continuously shook her frial cold body, hoping she would turn her head, or grunt, or give some indication that she was still alive, and that she was still here with her.

"Hello?"

"Hello! My mother . . . she's not moving . . . and she has a cut in her backwith blood all around her!"

"Okay, you must not panic. Stay with me. Is she breathing?"

Sora began crying. "I . . . I don't know."

"Has she made any movement?"

"I . . . I don't know you have to help her!"

"Don't worry, an ambulance is on it's way. Just stay with me and don't panic. Now; who's there with you."

"My father, and my dog."

"Okay. Where is your father."

"In the living room drinking and watching T.V."

"Come again?"

"He won't move. He's drunk."

"Did . . . did he hurt your mother?"

Sora dashed a hand across his eye as he laid his head on his mother's back, trying to hide the viscious hole from his young eyes. "I . . . I don't know. I was told to stay in my room, and I had to go pee, and then I got hungry, then I came to the kitchen, and found her like this."

"Are you sure you don't know if he hurt her?"

"Yea . . . they're here!" Sora moved the phone away from his ear just as his father walked into the room and pointed to the body. Sora gasped as he stared at the tears that streamed down his father's face, and the 'broken look he had in his eyes.

"Please!" Katana wailed. "You have to help her! I don't know . . . I just came home with my son from the park and we found her like this!"

Sora stared in disbelief as the paramedics pushed him out of the way, causing him to stumble in his father's arms. Katana picked young Sora up, and held him over his shoulder, digging his head into Sora's shoulder and weeping loudly. Sora stared at his hands in disbelief. The crimson blood of his beloved mother dripped from the palm of his hands onto the wine colored rug, where it went unnoticed. He balled his fists up, and sweared never to be like his father, never to treat anyone in the world lesser than what they are.

Sora whined as the dream fast forwarded to the next week, and he stood in a black suit in front of his father and other family members as the stared at the casket. Sora didn't cry, he didn't weep, didn't wail, or didn't break. He just stared, pale eyes at the mass that was taking his mother away forever. He stared at the hunk of wood that was the boundary between his heart and his soul. He watched asa part of him was being ripped away, and that in himself, caused Sora to never be the same again.

Sora watched as his father squeezed his shoulders tightly, and began laughing. The people around his disappeared, and he laughed shrewdly as he spun Sora around and pointed a blade at his chest. Sora stumbled back, and fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face as his father began grinning and singing a little song that Sora despised.

It's time for the end . .

The trash has got to go.

Make room for the better things.

It's time for the end.

Sora covered his ears and begged his father to stop, but it kept ringing through his ears, into his mind, seeped into his heart, and Sora curled into a little ball as the trees, the grass, the birds, and gravestones, everything began to mock him, bidding him farewell as his father 'made room for the better things.'

Just as he felt a white hot burn in his stomach and looked at the blood gushing from it, he sat upright, his breathing labored and harsh as he felt around his bare sweaty chest and made an attempt to hug himself. He was glad his was in his own room. His father had gone out in the middle of the night, and Sora was absolutely sure he wasn't coming back for a long time. His father hadn't touched him, hadn't punished him or nothing. And for a while, Sora thought a change was coming.

Swinging his legs over the side as he rubbed his palms up and down his arms, he stared at the clock. It read five-thirty in the morning. With a sigh, Sora stood up and shuffled into the bathroom.

Peeling off his clothes, he turned on the hot water and stepped inside the shower. Allowing the scolding water to drense his whole body, he sighed as he lathered up, and washed himself, feeling sparkly clean when he was finished. Stepping out of the shower, he didn't bother to wrap a towel around him as he opened the window and walked away from it. He began brushing his teeth, dancing playfully at his image in the mirror before he rinsed his mouth and walked back in the bedroom, only to open his mouth to scream.

"Oh . . . kami . . . help me . . ."

8:88:888:88:8

Taji tossed and turned on her bed as she stared at the clock. It read twenty minutes after five in the morning, and she didn't have anything to do. She couldn't go to sleep, she hadn't been able to go to sleep for the past three weeks, and it was all his fault.

She shook her head as she fixed herbaby blue spagetti string tank top and her white red and blue pocketdotted pants and hopped onto the roof of her house. Sniffing eargerly, she began sprinting across rooftops, but stopped suddenly as a familiar scent drifted to hernostrils. She glanceddown and found Mr. Katana Kitohoshi, grossly kissing aquite young woman as his hands trailed all over her body. She giggled and writhed, causing him to chuckle as heturned her her around and began kissing her neck and shoulders while seductively adding pressure to her hips.

Wrinkling her nose and snorting in disgust, Taji leaped from theroof of the building, and landed on the hotel. Looking down, her mouth gaped open as his scent with the mixture of spring rain drifted to her, and shehopped off of the side and latched onto the window sill, hoisting herself in just as he walked out the bathroom.

"Oh . . . kami . . . help me . . . "

Sora's face turned a deep red as he hopped onto the bed and covered himself with the blanket. "T-Taji . . . what are you doing here?"

She blushed and rubbed her toe onto the carpet. "I-I-I needed to talk to you." She stammered nervously.

Sora blushed as he stared at her physique which looked so elegant and pure in the rising sunlight. Her creamy skin glittered with health, her natural beauty so stunning her was captivated by her very presence as her innocence tugged at his heart. "About?"

"About . . . everything."

Sora sighed and pointed to the bed across from him, gesturing for her to sit. She complied, and neatly folded her hands in her lap as her cheeks darkened and she stared at her hands. Sora panicked. "What's wrong?"

"I . . . " He shifted slightly, and her gaze fell to her lap before her face darkened and she tore her eyes away. "Could you . . . like maybe . . . I . . . you . . ."

Sora made a yelping sound as he abruptly stood up and sprinted into the bathroom, giving Taji a good view of his backside. She giggled softly as he muttered things about being a complete idiot a little louder than he intended, and he came out in a pair of boxers. He sat down in front of her and held his face in the palm of his hands. "Sorry about that."

Taji waved it off. "It's okay. Now we're even right?"

Sora nodded, but her face hadn't lost the embarassed color. He smiled and didn't comment on it. "Right."

"Anyway . . . about Kazuki,"

"Taji . . . "

"I . . . I talked with him. I told him that's it's not going to work out."

"You . . . you did what?"

"I don't want to be with him." She pulled her gaze off his face and settled it to her bare feet, which she now realized were aching. She winced. "I don't have feelings for him like I thought I did."

"Taji?"

"What I'm trying to say is . . . I want to be with you Sora." She raised her eyes to look at him. "Only you."

Sora grimaced at the raw emotion in his eyes, the complete courage and confidence, as well as hope and fear. Her honey eyes were bright with anxiety, hope and he thought he saw a trickle of desire as well. Reaching out and placing his hand on top of hers, he stiffened as she took her hand in his and held it close to her heart. "I . . .Taji, I want to be with you too. It's just that . . . my father, and your whole family, it's not going to be easy."

Taji smiled sadly. "Who said everything in life was easy?"

Sora smiled as her kissed the back of his hand and nuzzled his cheek against it. "Taji . . . you'll never understand how long it's been since I've felt like this."

"I can . . . if you tell me."

"I . . . I feel happy, and not alone anymore. I haven't felt like that since . . . since my mother died."

Taji grimaced a little and sat next to him, laying a soft hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. She used to call me . . .she used to call me the 'Light of the World' or her 'Skye'. I used to think it was silly back then, but now that I think about it, that's what brightened my day."

"'Skye.' That's what your name means, doesn't it?"

"Yup. It sure does. I remember she said on the day I was born, the sun was bright, and there was not a single cloud in the sky. She said the air was fresh and crisp, children were playing, and Kami smiled down on us with a ray of light."

Taji smiled. "Oh . . . that's so sweet. My mother'sa miko you see."

"A miko?"

"Yes. She is a woman with superb spiritual power, and the strongest in the world. Well, since I'm a female, I'm a miko too."

"So you have spiritual powers too?"

"Yea . . . but I have to be careful with mines. I'm half human, half youkai; hanyou. Youkai are unpure souls, and miko are pure souls. It causes an unbalance because the unpure blood that runs through my veins is constantly fighting the youkai blood. So for instance, on the night I turn human, my miko powers are strongest. But on the night of the Red moon, it's extremely dangerous for me to use it. But in my hanyou form, it's perfectly safe, but it takes a lot of energy."

Sora scratched his still damped hair. "That seems complicated."

She shrugged. "It was when I was younger. But then I accepted what I am, and it became much easier."

"So, your mother is human?"

"Not anymore."

"Huh?"

Taji giggled. "I'll explain later. But for now, I have to go."

Sora nodded and walked her to the window. "Be careful."

Taji smiled. "I will."

8:88:888:88:8

"So?"

"So what?"

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know what do you want to do?"

"I don't know what do you want to do?"

"I don't know what do you---"

"Don't start that you two please."

Taura sighed as Nyoko, Taji and Sora giggled. Elbowing Inuakamori as he glared at Sora, and kicking Inukuromori as he snarled at him. They yelped in surprise and shot her a look meant to have some mercy, but she narrowed her eyes at them and smiled at Sora. "Do you guys want some ice cream."

Taji nodded her head and her and Nyoko stood up and followed Taura as she sauntered off to the ice cream parlor. Inukamori and Inukuromori glared at Sora through narrowed eyes. "Hey sucka."

"What's up?" He said cooly.

Kuro snarled. "You like our baby sis?"

"Yup."

Aka growled. "Why?"

"Because she's beautiful, sweet, intelligent, and some other things that I need not tell you."

Kuro chuckled. "You've got guts. I'll give you that. Wait until you meet the old man."

Aka agreed. "Yea. Then you'll have a different story."

"I take it Mr. Taisho is just like you two? Then I have nothing to be afraid of."

The twins growled and pressed their ears to their heads as the girls returned. Taji handed Sora his vanilla ice cream and took a seat with her strawberry. Taura handed kuro his chocolate, and Nyoko handed Aka his cookies in cream. Taji frowned. "Nyoko, why didn't you get one?"

Nyoko sighed. "Surely you understand we are being watched, no? I wish not to believe you are as to so naive not to notice the strong youki that concentrates on us everytime we make a move."

Taji wrinkled her nose. "It's the same one I felt that day he came to the school."

"He?" The twins asked.

Taura shook her head. "Yea, I've sensed it too, but I just thought maybe it was somebody hooking or something, but it's far too strong to be a students."

Sora looked confused. "Can you explain this to me?"

"No!" The twins barked.

Taji barked at them and bared her fangs, causing them to silence as she pushed her ears on her head menacingly. Sora frowned. "Why do you guys have ears?"

They all stiffened. "You--can--see--through--the--spell?" Taura said in a long breath.

Sora looked around. "When I was with Taji, I thought I saw it like in a shadow or something, but just now I saw it clearly. And now I can see Nyoko's and the twins too. Can you see them?"

Taura nodded. "Only because I've seen them without the concealment spell before. But it's best that this is a secret kept within this circle, okay?"

"But . . . I have a question. When you guys were talking about sensing, do you mean that like you can tell when a person is coming that means danger to you or something? Like I can tell when my father is coming, or when the kids with different hair colors are coming, and I didn't know what it was."

Taji licked her ice cream slowly. "Sora? Was anybody in your family a monk, or miko?"

He shrugged. "How would I know? Katana doesn't talk about the family often."

They didn't say much more as they continued to eat their ice creams. Nyoko eye's scanned the crowd, and she growled softly catching the other's attention. "I can't feel it anymore."

"It . . . it just disappeared."

The twins jaw tightened. "Want us to look for 'em?" Aka asked, cracking his knuckles.

Taji held out her hand to stop them. "No, don't. You don't want to make a scene. Remember Uncle Sesshy'll have to cover up if you screw up."

Sora's head whipped to the side. "Over there. Something's over there."

Taura sighed. "I . . . I don't feel anything. Are you sure?"

Sora didn't say anything as he stood up and walked over to the isolated area he was looking at. An old tree that stood leaning to the side, close to death, seemed to beg for him to put him out of misery. It's bark was unusually dark, and it gave of a aura that caused him to shudder. Taji placed her hand on his shoulder as she looked around. "You feel that too?"

He nodded as he reached and touched the bark. A light enveloped his hand, and pulling his hand back, a static force began pulling something out. His eyes widened in surprise, and as he pulled his hand free from the force, out fell a little jewel that caused the others to yelp in surprise. "That looks like . . . " Taura began.

"That's . . . it looks like . . . The Shikon No Tama!"

Nyoko shook her head. "But not quite. It looks just like it, but the aura of it is slightly different."

Sora stared at the small jewel in his hand. He looked at Taji. "Am I supposed to keep this?"

Taji shrugged. "Put it in your pocket. We'll take it home to my mother. We'll protect you on the way there."

"What do you mean?"

Aka and Kuro growled. "The quickest way home, is to cut through the Central Park in Tokyo. The only problem is lots of youkai like to feast on victims there. It's a suicide attempt if a hunter ever goes there, but we have no choice."

Taura sighed. "Let's go."

8:88:888:88:8

A/N

I think I am going to take somebodies advice and not update until my allergies stop attacking me. Personally, I don't like this chapter, but it fits into the plot, so I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it. Enjoy!