Guardian

8:88:888:88:8

Sora rolled his eyes as he felt the familiar presence of a youkai hiding behind the tree as he ate lunch silently. The Taisho family weren't able to come to school because InuYasha had given them all a terrible cold, and Nakabashi was assigned to follow him everywhere he went as protection. Sora watched as he hopped from the tree to the rooftop, then back again, landing just outside the tree next to Sora. "Do you have to be so obvious?" Sora had asked him.

Detective Nakabashi Hiroyima glanced around cautiously and frowned. "What do you mean kid, no one knows I'm here."

"Yeah . . .every one but the tree."

Sora sighed. Just ten more minutes, and he'll be back under the watch of Nyoko and Taura. Then, he could shake the feeling of complete idoicy when the detective hopped around like a jackrabbit. The Detective had to work all this week, eleven hours because of a recent murder that had taken place. It was taken into the view of the police force that was mainly youkai because Aka and Kuro were too weak to do the job, Sesshomaru had no choice but to call Luitenant Nezumi and explain to him just why he wasn't able to dispose of the culprit himself.

So, Detective used his lunch break to watch over Sora because Nyoko and Taura decided to go out for lunch since they had just gotten allowance. They didn't want to go at first because if they went, Sora couldn't because he was given strict instructions not to leave the school without a youkai or hanyou with him, unless Taura had her weapon. They had offered to take him with them, but he decided it was best to stay in school, and they had called Detective Nakabashi.

Now, he was being constantly annoyed with his youki being everywhere at once, and a couple of times the teacher seemed annoyed by this too. But Sesshomaru had called a meeting with them all and explained that he needed to be protected, and that he must be on the watch at all times. So, Nyoko was transferred into his class. He began drinking his juice to keep from snapping at his friend, and was on the point to tears when the girls walked in. He nearly bounded over to them and took Taura's hand. "Please . . . get him away from me."

Taura giggled as Nakabashi, who had now settled in a tree, growled. "I heard that."

Sora wrinkled his nose. "Well at least he's kept still."

Nyoko smiled wanly as she walked over and peered into the tree. Circling around in and narrowing her amber eyes, she crossed his arms over her chest as he stuck his head down and peered at her. "What is it?"

"You do realize that I could sense you were here before I even got within a mile of the school?"

"So?"

Nyoko rubbed a tired hand over her face. "You put your scent all around the school, as well as your youki everywhere you were. Besides this tree, it's faint, but it's still strong enough to be a threat."

"Isn't that a good thing?" He scratched his chin. "Won't that scare all the youkai away?"

She sighed and shook her head. "But it'll call the stronger ones, the ones that have so much pride that have to destroy ones like you. Some may be enough for the twins to handle, but some of them might make us ask for assistance from Father or Uncle Yasha. And that is not a good thing."

Nakabashi looked a little embarrassed, and Nyoko shrugged and shook her head as she smiled and walked away. Taura withheld a giggle as she watched Nakabashi wave goodbye and soar out of the tree. Placing her hand on Sora's shoulder, she took a piece of his sandwich and quickly moved her hand when he tried to swat it away. "How about we go over Taji's afterschool?"

Sora flinched. "But aren't they sick?"

Nyoko rolled her eyes. "So? It's not like you guys could catch it. I can though."

Sora stepped back a little. "I don't want to be a burden . . .but I have a lesson with Mrs.Taisho today afterschool anyway."

Taura winced as they began to walk back into the school. She let go of Sora, and he was ahead a couple of steps. She leaned in closer to Nyoko. "Did you see him too?"

Nyoko glanced over her shoulder before she nodded. Cracking her knuckles, she sighed as she licked her lips. "Yes . . . one of us has to sit close to Kitohoshi, until he leaves."

Taura glanced over her shoulder as well, couldn't shake the feeling that he was following them, watching their every move with predator precision. "I think . . . I think that you should sit with him. I'm basically useless without my weapon."

Nyoko stopped in front of the class they were to be attending next. Wrinkling her nose at the faint smell of onions and curry, she nearly coughed as the rest of the class, the human groups walked in without being fazed. A couple of hanyou's and youkai walked in without a second thought, but most of them had to get it together before they could walk in. Taura, who had been trained with a stronger sense of smell than an average human, wrinkled her nose as well as she coughed and tugged Nyoko into class.

Sora sat in the middle desk in the back of the room, with Taura to his right and Nyoko to his left. Putting his head down, he reached in his shirt and ran his finger over the smooth jewel, smiling before he removed his fingers and glanced out the window. The sapphire sky was clear and beautiful, but Sora couldn't help the feeling that something wasn't right . . . that it was too perfect. Nothing was happening, noone had been hurt . . . it was just too peaceful, even for his liking.

The teacher, who looked a little shaken and pale too, began teaching about algebra. Sora, who had the slightest clue about what she was talking about, began eagerly taking notes, not noticing that his two bodyguards were constantly looking around, paranoid as a dull throb developed in his chest. Pushing it away as he tried to focus on the formula the teacher was presenting, Nyoko broke into a low growl that made half the class turn around and made the teacher falter.

Sora looked at her as well, raising his eyebrow as she flushed and muttered an apology, shooting the teacher a frantic glance. Sora looked down at his chest as the dull throb became a pulse again. He looked at Taura. "It's doing it again!" He whispered.

"Doing what?"

"That throbbing thing."

Before Taura could reply to his accusation, Nyoko stood up abruptly and shoved Sora under the desk. "He comes."

8:88:888:88:8

Taji groaned as she rubbed her eyes and waded into the backyard, where InuYasha was taking his frustrations out on a tree. Kagome sat nearby, sipping on tea as the twins, who sat in a tree close to the one their father was abusing, broke into a shrieking laughter that had their father screaming at them for minutes. Kagome broke out into a small laugh, which darkened her father's mood. "Oh, cheer up InuYasha. It's just a cold."

InuYasha fumed and hit the tree again. "A cold that dulled every one of my damned senses."

Taji flattened her ears as he hit the tree again and the wood splintered. Kagome stood up, her tail between her legs as she flattened her ears too and bit her lip bloody. InuYasha immediately turned and looked at her, and in a flash had hopped on the patio and was now looking over her. "See, everything isn't dulled."

InuYasha fumed as his gaze darkened and he propelled Kagome into the house. Inkuromori scowled as Inuakamori hopped out of tree and into the next one. Taji hopped into the tree with Inukuromori. "What's happening? What's wrong with Aka?"

Kuro turned his back to Taji, something that he rarely did a long time ago, but now it was a regular thing. She frowned. "I don't know. I told him that I don't need his help to hunt anymore, and he just left."

Taji gasped. "But . . . you've been hunting together forever!"

Kuro stood up and peered over her shoulder. "Yeah well, it's time for a change . . . don't you think baby girl?"

Taji watched as Kuro jumped onto the ground, and onto the patio before wading into the house. Aka snorted as he hopped next to Taji. "He's a bastard."

Taji stared at the door. "Something's wrong . . . he's been acting strange lately."

Inuakamori scowled as he sat down on the branch, his leg dangling over the side as he tugged his button down shirt open. "Well, he can go to hell for all I care. How's Kitohoshi doing?"

Taji shrugged. "He should be fine, since Uncle Sesshomaru explained to the youkai at the school the situation. Nyoko and Taura wouldn't let anything happen to him. They should be in last period. When they get home, he's safest here."

Aka shrugged as he stared off into the distance. "Don't you just think that it's been too quiet? That something's going to happen?"

Taji sat down next to her brother, laying her head on his shoulder. "I don't know . . . I guess things are destined to happen because the Shikon No Tama has been discovered---"

Kagome stormed out the house, her tail wagging frantically as she secured her bows and arrows in her hand.InuYasha ran right out after her, Taji and Aka ran up to her as she growled. Kuro and InuYasha walked out of the house, and Kuro handed Aka his sword. "Taji, do you feel that?"

Taji closed her eyes. "Yes . . . what is it?"

InuYasha snarled. "It's . . . it's not Naraku, yet it is."

Taji looked off into the distance, and a huge explosion had occured in the direction of the school. She gasped as InuYasha handed her her twin blades. She twirled them in her hands, and held them at her sides as Kagome sniffed the air. "Sora . . . I smell blood. We . . . we have to hurry!" She panted.

Taji didn't have to be told twice. In a flash she was leaping towards the school, running as fast as she could as her father and brother's darted ahead of her. Her mother, who was running next to her, didn't look at her as worry wrinkled her features. 'Sora . . .please be alright.'

Taji skidded to a stop as Nakabashi fell on his back right in front of her, a large gash on his shoulder. He grimaced and stood up, slapping his hands over his wound as he panted. Children and adults screamed and ran around frantically. Taji sighed as she sniffed the air, relieved no one had been injured and that they were the only ones still sticking around. A fairly large behemoth looking youkai growled as Nyoko hopped on his back and thrusted her fangs into it's tough skin. Sora walked out of the building with Taura limping on his shoulder. He stopped when they were far out of reach, and sighed when Aka took a hold of her. "What happened?"

Sora flinched. "I was sitting in class---" Taji walked up and blocked an oncoming energy bolt as her father rushed into battle. "---when this thing just hopped into the classroom. Nyoko had began attacking it, and Taura got hurt while we were trying to escape."

Taji fumed as Kuro lunged into battle helping his father. He cried out as the behemoth tossed Nyoko off his back, and she collided with Kuro in midair. They groaned as they hit the ground with a sharp thud. Sora looked down at his chest again. "Taji . . . it's doing it again . . . "

Taji didn't pay him any mind as the behemoth opened it's mouth and shot a ball of energy towards her. She blocked the attack with a miko barrier, and with a cry of anguish, bared her blades and sliced the youkai in his leg. It cried out and stood on it's hind legs, whirling about frantically, knocking Taji, her father and Kuro a couple of yards away. They groaned as a sharp light was heard and the behemoth was struck between the eyes. Sesshomaru landed neatly on the ground and scowled at the beast.

Sora scurried back a little with fear as Kagome nocked back and released an arrow, which didn't make it close enough to hit the behemoth. She gasped and tried again and again, but it didn't work. InuYasha, who was trying to strike it with his blade, called for Kagome to get somewhere safe before he was knocked back and stayed on the ground for a little bit. Aka and Kuro attacked in sync, never giving it a chance to strike them as Nyoko and her father lashed it with their energy whips. Taji leaped in the air and brought the blades to her chest. Looking down at the behemoth, she crossed them over her chest and closed her eyes. A beam shot out from the two blades, creating a large hole in the behemoth before it screamed and burst into ashes. She landed on the floor neatly and fell to her knees.

Sora sat on the ground with Taura, panting frantically as the ashes combined and formed a little ball of energy. It looked like a hovering flare of fire, but it just ran around frantically. The Shikon No Tama found it's way out of Sora's shirt. He reached to grab it, and the ball of energy came flying towards him before it enveloped the jewel.

Everyone watched, dumbfounded as the jewel glittered, causing Sora to have a pink hue. Then, the little ball of energy was sucked into the jewel, and the jewel found it's way back into Sora's shirt, and the throbbing ceased. Taura stared at his chest. "Whoa . . . "

8:88:888:88:8

Nakabashi groaned as he opened his eyes and stared at the icy blue orbs that looked down on him. He barked with surprise and sat up, yelping when his shoulder felt as if it was on fire and looked around with panic. "Calm down Hiroyima, you're safe now."

Nakabashi shook his head as his vision focused and he glared at the blonde hair that was Sora. "Hey kid, how are you doing?"

Sora shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess. The monster's gone, so . . . how do you feel?"

Nakabashi laughed softly and grimaced. "Like hell."

Taji walked into the room and placed a plate of suspicious looking vegetables on the bed next to Nakabashi and sank to her knees next to the bed, her ears flattening on her head as she whimpered. "Sorry we arrived so late . . . "

Hiroyima winced and rubbed Taji's head playfully. "Don't worry about it. As long as the kid's fine, right?"

Taji didn't look like she agreed, but she watched as he peeled the bandages off of his arm to take a look at the wound. Sora watched as the blood covered cloth dropped on his lap, and he quickly looked away when nausea began to flutter in his stomach. Taji sniffed the wound cautiously and backed up quickly when Nakabashi raised his eyebrows at her. "Sorry. Curious."

The detective laughed as he looked it over. "What . . . you've never seen a bone deep wound before?"

Taji blushed and shook her head as she lowered herself so that only her eyes peeped above the edge of the bed. "Mama always sends me out of the room."

Sora nearly laughed as Taji began wiggling her bottom before she lunged up and looked at the wound again, bumping heads with the detective. She didn't look dazed though as she sniffed it again and wrinkled her nose. "It's amazing how blood smells, isn't it? Disgusting, yet satisfying at the same time."

Sora looked a little creeped out by Detective Nakabashi's outburst, but from the way Taji looked away, it must have been true. He wondered : Just how hard was it as a youkai and hanyou to fight back the temptations of bloodlust? When the urge comes to bathe their fangs in the warm blood of their prey, how do they fight it off; or do they? Sora shuddered as he pictured the sweet, young girl he knew on all fours, her jaws locked around the helpless throat of a human girl, her mouth and teeth drenched in blood as she threw her head back and unleashed a bloodcurling howl that made the moon quiver with fears. Fear washed over him, brought him back to reality like a douse of cold water as Taji peered at him through large amber eyes. "Is something wrong? You look a little pale."

Sora plastered a fake smile on his face and shook his head, waving of her concerns. "Hiroyima, aren't you supposed to be eating your greens?"

Taji pinned the detective with a glare as he chuckled nervously andpicked up the plate, scowling at the food. Taking the fork, he took a big mouthful and reluctantly chewed it and swallowed. Taji nearly barked with excitement. "Well? How does it taste?"

He forced a smile. "Wonderful."

Sora nearly cracked with laughter as Taji clapped her hands with joy. "Great! I cooked it myself with one of Hanako's petals! They are supposed to help you heal you know."

Nakabashi sent Sora a panicked glance, and with a deep breath, Sora grasped one of Taji's ears and flicked it softly. They quirked and moved around like little radars, and she narrowed her eyes at him as he stood up and held out a hand to help her up. She took his hands and narrowed her eyes at him as he turned her around and placed his hand in the small of her back, pushing her out the room with his head bowed. Once they were out of the room, he closed the door with his heel and continued to push her until they were at the back door. "Out."

"You're kicking me out my own house?"

Sora rolled his eyes. "Not exactly. I'm putting you outside. Call it time out."

She wrinkled her nose as she marched outside and made a show of hopping into the closest tree. Sora chuckled as he slowly walked over to the tree, sliding down the bark and sitting on the ground, twirling his finger in the grass as the wind blew his hair into his face. Taji snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest and forced herself not to stare down at his lonely figure. "My old man's gone, and it seems everyone is getting hurt all because of me. Aka, Kuro, Nakabashi, and you. Mother . . . she was the worst of all of you."

Taji cocked an eye open and leaned over the branch to look at Sora. He had his knees pressing into his chest, with his head hidden between them. "Kitohoshi . . . "

"I . . . I just don't know what it is. Is it karma? Have I done something in a past life? Why is everything . . . why is everything happening to me?"

Taji whimpered as she dug her nails into the bark of the tree. "Don't . . . don't think like that. It's not good for you . . . or for the jewel."She grimaced.

Sora did too. "The jewel, eh? Is it because of the jewel that all this stuff is happening?"

Taji could see, taste and smell his sadness. It lashed about in his aura, caused her own youki to back down in fear as anger washed over the fear and left her feeling breathless as he fell silent, his breathing ragged. The smell of salty tears stung her nose, yet she could tell that they hadn't been released from his sapphire gaze just yet; they were close coming. She hopped off of the tree and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him close as she broke into a soft rumbling that left him feeling soothed and relaxed.

She smiled as he brought his head up and laid in on her shoulder, sighing heavily as his eyes drifted close, though he wasn't quite sleep. More like drifting off, but Taji could tell it wasn't long. "During the battle . . . you did good not to panic."

Sora shrugged. "What good would have it done? I'd just get even more in the way anyway."

Taji sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. "It's just that . . . when we youkai and hanyou become weak, or take a severe wound like Hiroyima to the point we are losing a massive amount of blood in a short time, our youkai blood takes over to ensure our survival. But when that happens, we seldom have control, we go on a bloodthirsty hunt. Nakabashi was close to losing control, and if you would have panicked, we might have lost him forever."

"F-Forever?"

Taji nodded and laid her head on his. "When we lose control and bathe our fangs in blood, it's very hard to come back, even when we get help from others. But because of mother's miko powers, the twins and I, including her do not have to worry about transforming into our youkai state."

"What about Nyoko? Or Sesshomaru?"

Taji shrugged. "Well, since they are youkai, I guess their blood simply goes into overdrive. Sesshomaru can transform into a larger form, but I don't think Nyoko can do it because her mother is a cat youkai, which means she is a mixed breed. But now that I think about it, because of her mixed blood, she is more likely to lose control because dogs and cats have short tempers, and now those two bloodlines are mixed inside of her. She seldom opened her mouth at all, but she seems happier and more open now."

Sora sighed as he sat up straight and scooted away from Taji. His eyes darkened into a midnight color, causing his face to look more mature and handsome. Taji's breath caught in her throat as his scent spiked and left goosebumps all over her, and flashes of that embarrassing, yet breath taking night in her room left her feeling dazed and groggy. Her cheeks burned with color as her throat went dry and all ability to communicate vanished. All this happened when he spared her a glance that lasted no more than three seconds. She gasped as she slapped her hand over her chest and demanded her heart slowed down. "Mother always said father was changing before our very eyes. She said that soon it would be time for her to go away in order to save him. Then a month later, that's when the abuse started. Nakabashi said that he's gone. What does he mean?"

Taji shrugged. "I . . . I don't know. Mother won't discuss it with me. I think . . . I think it would be much better for you and her if you ask her yourself."

"For her?"

"Mother . . . Mother is a very compassionate and caring person. If she had the ability to save you from the hurt you were experiencing now, she'd drive herself to near death in order to help you. She has a heart of gold, and seeing someone hurting like this, it takes it's toll on her more than I can ever understand."

Sora's eyes darkened to another shade as pain flashed over his features, then disappeared as soon as it had come. "Mother . . . Mother was like that too. That's why it made me wonder how the old man could . . . how could he hurt her like that?"

Taji watched as his shoulders began shaking and he looked away from her. Moments later, he stood up and walked around to the other side of the tree. But Taji didn't have to be next to him to know he was crying. She could hear his sobs and smell his tears.

It stung her nose; but that was in no comparison to how it stung her heart. 'I'm . . . I'm so sorry Sora.'

'All that pain . . . all that hurt . . . it's been more than eleven years, Taji. He hasn't said anything about the pain he feels inside. I don't think . . . I don't think sorry's going to cut it this time.'

Taji gasped as a tear slipped down her cheek . 'I know it's not . . . but's it's all I can do. It's all I have.'

'Give him what you want to. Give him what he wants.'

'How can I know what he wants, when he's like . . . like this? I can feel the years of hurt starting to unfold, but I have a feeling that there is much more than he's showing.'

'He needs to talk to her . . . he needs to see her. Give him the gift of yourself and take him to see her, and he'll be alright.'

'How can you be so sure?' She dashed a hand over her eyes as she felt the soft thud of his sitting down and could hear him scraping his nails in the hard dirt. Wincing, she pressed her claws into the bark, trying to get through to him, could feel him slipping away from her. 'How do you know that everything will be alright?'

'Because . . . she told me.'

8:88:888:88:8

A/N

Okay, I have bad news. There is that blasted threat of losing the internet again, and I think this time my stepfather is serious. So that means I won't be able to update every day like I try to do, probably once a week or whatever. I have to walk up a HUGE hill, (like I have stated before) to get to the library and it's like 80 degrees tops everyday, and that's not something I would do, especially if I am heavy set. Sorry for the incovienence.

Also, I have decided that Sora might have his own series. It'll be like the original plot, with Naraku or whatever, I don't know I have to get it together. So I just wanted to state that so this way when I finish up the Covetousness sequels and start on another project with the same characters people won't be like 'What?

Enjoy!