This is the second chapter all of you have waited for… I'm sorry I've taken so long, but I've been busy… I is sorry… -- Stupid father… Well, anyways, here it is!

Chapter two: Fight and a friend

Yukino kept her eyes on the ground as she trailed behind Miller through the crowd. She just wanted to run, she was afraid of what the others will find out if she looked up at them.

"Hey Miller, how much you payin' for her!" On guy asked, laughing.

Yukino stopped, not very interested in the ground anymore. She walked to the guy, looking up through uneven bangs at. He backed up a little when she came up to her, almost like he was afraid of her.

"Come on, Kai, don't listen to him, he's delirious." Miller said, lightly pulling the leash forward. Yukino obediently followed him at the pull of the leash. She became interested in the floor once more, but an idea formed in her mind.

If this doesn't work out, then I'll be screwed…

Yukino raised her right arm, her hand in a tight fist, and hit Miller hard on the side of his head, then watched as Miller's body fall to the ground with a thick thud, his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

She then grabbed at the leash, pulls it from his grip, lifted it under her right shoulder, then over, then gripped the end of the leash and tied it to one of her belt loops on the left side.

That feels a little bit better, but…

" You think you're tough, but I can see through you, read you like an open book!" Someone, female probably, yelled at Yukino.

Yukino turned and faced the girl. She was a small build, like Yukino, but she looked a little bit smaller.

"You think you can fight, but you're just chicken to go face to face with your fighter…" Yukino only smiled as the girl said something that could seal her fate. She bent her knees, raised her arms up, hands in fists, and looked into the girl's eyes.

"You really want to try me!" The girl seemed a little taken aback, but she stood her ground to Yukino.

Yukino only nodded, keeping her stance and her eye contact with the girl, like a wolf ready to attack an intruder.

"Okay, then, let's go…"

Yukino could only smirk, she knew that this girl was weak and she'll like it when she'll beg for mercy before too long..

This is going to be easy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sanzo watched in silence as the two women started the fight. Never in his life did he want to just watch someone else fight for a change.

The slave girl kicked the blonde in the stomach, tripped her, then grabbed at something from her pocket; a small knife. She unsheathed it, then aimed it for the blonde's gut, her expression unreadable. Sanzo's breath caught in his throat for the second time in his life. He couldn't understand why he was so worried about, but he knew he was.

"Aren't you gonna say something, bitch!" The blonde girl screamed, her voice breaking up from her fear.

All Sanzo could see was the slave's smirk before he heard her say in a low rumbled voice, "Now die."

He knew he had to act, now, but before he could move to stop her, Hakkai and Goku ran up to the scene, Hakkai going to the slave while Goku ran to help the blonde.

Hakkai grabbed the slave from behind, pulling the knife from her hands and holding her against him, tossing the knife a good distance away from them. While Hakkai was immobilizing the slave, Goku helped the other girl to her feet and lead her through the crowd.

Gojyo and Sanzo walked up to Hakkai and the slave, Sanzo walking behind Hakkai, Gojyo walking up to the slave, bending to her level on the ground.

"Hey there, you fight really good. Where did you learn how to fight like that?" Gojyo whispered to the slave.

The slave smirked, then kicked Gojyo's stomach, then flipped Hakkai over her head, making him land on top of Gojyo. Sanzo then discovered that she would be tough to beat alone, then realized that he was the only one around her.

Damnit, where in the hell is Hakuryu, stupid dumb-assed dragon…

The slave picked herself up and ran right into Sanzo, then backed up, her body returning into the fighting stance she had before.

"Hey, calm down girl. Don't bust a blood vein, we're only here to talk, not to fight." He said, trying to calm her down.

She tripped him from the knees, then ran to the woods behind the village. Sanzo lied there, watching her run.

Damn, I think we just found another rival…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yukino ran through the forest, thinking about the three guys she hurt. She felt really sorry for the monk she tripped, but by god, he was standing in her way of freedom! She wasn't about to give it up so easily after she fought for it.

She stopped after a while, then lied against a tree in an open area. She started taking in raged breaths; her body about to give up and shut down. She only prayed that she wouldn't see those three again.

She heard a noise, like a little cheep, and looked up into the tree to notice a white dragon staring down at her, their eyes locking.

How weird, who would leave a dragon defenseless?

"Hey there, little one, why are you out here by yourself?" Yukino asked the dragon. The dragon just tilted it's head to the side, still staring at her. She stood up, still looking at the dragon. It just stared at her, backing into the tree a little.

"It's okay, I won't harm you. Come here, little one, are you hungry?" Yukino asked, bringing her arm up slowly toward the dragon. It's cheeped, then jumped from it's branch, sitting on her shoulder.

"Well, hey there… I guess that means you're hungry, right?"

The dragon nodded it's head, staring at her still. Yukino smiled at it, then walked in search of something for the dragon to eat. All she could find was some fruit and a group of herbs, then thought of something.. She grabbed the fruit and herbs, then sat down to experiment, the dragon looking at what she was doing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, guys, I've gotten the… Wow, what happened to you three?" Goku asked, struggling the urge to laugh, but failing miserably. Hakkai was on top of Gojyo and Sanzo lied there on the ground, looking towards the forest.

"Sanzo?" Goku asked, walking towards Sanzo.

"…"

He didn't even twitch…

"Hakkai, what's wrong with Sanzo?" Goku asked, turning to Hakkai, who was getting up from his awkward position.

"I don't know, Goku, but he should be fine soon." Hakkai said, looking at Goku.

Sanzo finally stood up, but kept his attention in one direction; the forest.

"Let's go." Sanzo said flatly, not once looking away from the woods.

"But Sanzo," Goku started to protest.

"Now!" Sanzo yelled, walking to the forest. Goku quickly followed Sanzo, Hakkai and Gojyo not too far behind.

"Sanzo, where…"

"Death!" Sanzo sounded unusually pissed today to Goku.

Goku shut his mouth and looked to the ground, wondering where Sanzo was leading them…

Gojyo stayed quiet, he knew that Sanzo wasn't himself and, quite frankly, he liked his ass and head where they were. It didn't stop him from silently cursing Sanzo and the woods, though.

"Stop." Sanzo whispered harshly, stopping just before an open area. Gojyo, Hakkai and Goku stopped next to Sanzo.

"Look, but be quiet." Sanzo whispered, pointing to an old weeping willow in the middle of the area. At first, Gojyo couldn't see anything, but then he saw movement underneath it. The slave girl was sitting underneath the tree, making something, with… Hakuryu on her shoulder? Gojyo shook his head, but the image didn't fade.

"Hakkai, isn't that…" Gojyo started.

"Hakuryu, yeah, that's him.." Hakkai whispered.

"Hakuryu seems at like 'er, Hakkai." Goku stated.

"Yeah, good eye, Goku…" Hakkai said absentmindedly.

Hakuryu looked in their direction, then cheeped softly. Gojyo felt like he would be killed if the dragon came over to them. Like the girl was some kind of cold-blooded killer.

He saw us, this is not good… Shit, I would like to live!

Hakuryu flew over to them, flying to Hakkai, all the while the slave watching him.

" Oh, crap, now we're busted!" Gojyo whispered, fear griping his insides hard.

Hakkai stood, then walked into the opening, Sanzo and Goku not far behind.

Th… they left me! Damn them!

Gojyo quickly stood, then walked behind them all, hoping he wouldn't die.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yukino watched as the same three guys came into her sight, along with a little kid. She was griped by fear and she formed her fighting stance once the one with the monocle was close enough. He stepped back a little, bringing up his hands.

"Whoa, we're not here to fight, so put those away, please." He said, a smile draped across his features.

She eased up, then stood straight and looked at him with dark eyes. She then saw the dragon from before.

"Is that dragon yours?" She asked cautiously, pointing to the dragon on his shoulder.

"Yes, his name is Hakuryu, you like him?" He answered. All Yukino did was look at the dragon, Hakuryu, as he watched her, their eyes locking once more.

"Hey, Hakkai, what's she doin'" Yukino looked over to see the kid once more.

" You stupid monkey!" The monk came from behind and whacked the kid upside the head with some oversized fan. Yukino couldn't understand any of it, but she ended up laughing at them.

Oh, man, I haven't laughed in years!

"See? We're harmless."

"Speak for yourself, Hakkai!" The kid yelled.

Yukino looked back at Hakuryu. "So his name is Hakuryu, huh?" She said, petting the dragon.

"Yes, it is… Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Hakkai." He announced, bowing. He then looked back and pointed to the kid.

"This is Goku." Hakkai then pointed to the monk.

"Sanzo."

The one with long crimson hair came up to Yukino, grabbed her hand, then kissed the top.

"This one is Gojyo"

Yukino didn't like being touched by people she didn't know, so she balled her hand into a tight fist, then brought it up to meet Gojyo's chin, sending him back a ways.

"Good, god! Gojyo got beat by a girl, I never thought I'd see the day!" The kid, Goku, shouted with a grin on his face.'

"Shut it, monkey!" Gojyo yelled.

Yukino started to laugh once more, but straightened out…

Can't afford to open up… Remember that.

"What do you want, though…" Yukino asked, a little too much harshness than she wanted.

Before Hakkai could respond to her question, someone came from behind the trees behind the guys.

"There you are, come on, Kai." Miller said.

"No." Yukino said, standing her ground for the first time in who knows how long.

"Come on, we don't have time to chat right now."

"We have enough time, besides, why stay indoors when it's so beautiful out?" Yukino asked, looking to the sky.

"Why are you doing this?" Miller asked, becoming pissed off. Yukino knew it was a long shot, but she wanted her freedom.

"Why do you want to lock her from the rest of the world?" Gojyo countered, sending Yukino off balance…
She didn't think they would defend her.

"Because I own her!" Miller yelled.

"You own nothing, Miller," Yukino said calmly, "nothing."

Miller laughed. "You simple minded girl, you are mine. You gave yourself to me…"

"You dumb ass! I never gave it to you, you took it from me!" Yukino yelled, but instantly regretted what she said as she looked upon the guys…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Goku was trying to register the comment, but couldn't understand what she meant. He looked at Sanzo, becoming more confused than ever.

"Wha?" Goku asked, breaking the short silence they were enveloped in.

The man, Miller, started to laugh insanely, which took Goku off guard.

This guy's crazy! Goku thought, recoiling at the sound of the man's laugh. Goku looked back at the slave, question in his eyes.

"The little boy doesn't understand!" Miller kept laughing.

Goku fumed, turning to look the man in the eyes. "Hey, you wanna fight?" Goku yelled. Miller stopped laughing and smirked. "Okay, little one, come at me."

Ohhhh… What will happen? Ha, I'm sorry, it's not very cliff-hangy, you just have to think really hard. I'm not very good with leaving people in cliff hangers… But that doesn't matter, all that matters is that I updated it. I'm proud of myself so far with this story. I usually don't like what I make, but this is going to be good… I have a new character as well, but she won't be introduced until much later, but I will have her profile up… Ja Ne, for now.