Okay, hopefully there's still someone out there reading. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter done. It sort of slipped my mind, so please don't bother Kyoumi about it. Send a personal message to me (Maki Totakiyami) about it. It's not her fault. Anyway, you've waited long enough. Here's the next chapter.

Chapter Eight

Suddenly she hugged him, knocking him too the ground. She just lied there, half on top of him and half on the side, hugging his neck.

"Tori?" Hitsuji asked after a little bit.

"This is comfortable," she said, snuggling closer to him.

Hitsuji laughed a little bit and put an arm on her back.

"Yeah. It is," he answered. "Goodnight, Tori."

"Goodnight, Hitsuji."

Tori woke up in the morning feeling better then she ever had in her life. She felt warm and safe, two things that she really wasn't used to in her life. She didn't want to wake up either. She sighed, opening her eyes a bit, not affected by the light, before she closed them again. Wait…… why was she lying on some one?

Tori sat up quickly looking at where she was lying a moment ago. Hitsuji was sleeping like the others as the sun began to rise. She was still wearing his haori as she stood and stretched her limbs, a small smile of content on her lips.

Hitsuji also woke up, slightly colder now that his only source of warmth was standing up. He smiled, seeing her there in the morning light, her golden brown hair shining along with her vibrant golden eyes. He loved seeing that smile on her face too. She probably didn't smile much before she ran away from Ashi. Hitsuji suppressed a growl when Ashi's picture came up in his mind. They didn't stop him, but at least Tori was safe for now. That's the only thing Hitsuji cared about.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Hitsuji asked as he sat up, stretching as well.

Tori blushed slightly, only because she slept well due to the fact she fell asleep on Hitsuji. "Yes I did. Thank you." Tori replied sitting down next to the demon. They sat in silence for a while until Inuyasha woke up, waking the others so they could head back to Kaede's village.

"Are you doing okay Tori?" Kagome asked as they walked towards the village. She was worried about her friend. Hitsuji was the only one that got Tori to talk last night, and they didn't bother them as Tori received her much needed sleep.

"Yes, thanks to everyone. I'm really sorry that you were pulled into this. Ashi isn't your problem but you all were put in danger all the same." Tori said looking down at her talon feet.

"Didn't I say not to worry about that?" Inuyasha said looking over to the eagle demon. "If Ashi comes again, we'll be ready and I'll kick his ass for you. Nothing's going to happen, so stop worrying about it."

"Now that we know what this Ashi person looks like, it'll help if he decided to bother us again." Miroku said. He was walking beside Sango who was on top alert waiting for Miroku to do the one thing that he was famous for.

"Besides," Hitsuji said wrapping a comforting arm around Tori's shoulder. "I won't let him do anything to you."

Tori blushed slightly, but couldn't help but smiling all the same. As long as Hitsuji was there, she'd be safe.

Because I have no idea what to do, what so ever, I'm skipping three days okay?

"I told Kagome that she better not stay long. This classifies as long!" Inuyasha complained as he sat in a tree staring at the well that led to Kagome's world. Kagome said that she was in a desperate need to gather supplies and that she wanted to see where she was supposed to be in school. Inuyasha was against it, but didn't complain when she said that she'd bring back more instant ramen.

"From what you've told me, she usually is here right? Give her a chance to be with her family Inuyasha." Tori opinioned, smiling slightly at Inuyasha's complaints. She had to agree with Sango and Miroku, Inuyasha had feelings for Kagome. Love and other things like that weren't really Tori's expertise, but she could feel it as Inuyasha continued to complain.

"Why don't you go check up on her? It's only been two days, but that might get you to calm down." Hitsuji suggested. Since the incident with Ashi, he hadn't left Tori's side. He was going to keep his promise and make sure that nothing happened to the girl.

Inuyasha didn't need to be told twice. He asked the two demons to tell the others he was going to check up on Kagome and jumped through the well. They wondered why Inuyasha was the only one from this time who could travel through the well, but they didn't bother with it too much. Some things just didn't have answers.

"So what would you like to do?" Hitsuji asked the eagle demon as they walked together towards Kaede's village. They've been gone all morning just walking together and Hitsuji didn't know how else to spend the rest of the day. As long as he was with Tori, everything was fine.

"I don't know." Tori replied honestly. It was her idea to go check up on Inuyasha who hadn't traveled far from the well when Kagome left. Now it was just her and Hitsuji and the fresh morning sky. Well, it was fresh until Tori noticed a small pillar of smoke that began to rise into the air coming from the village. "Oh no."

"What?" Hitsuji asked looking in the direction that Tori was looking in. He couldn't see anything. Then again, he didn't have Tori's excellent eagle sight. "Is everything alright?"

"No, I think that the village is in danger." Tori replied. She changed into her eagle form and waited for Hitsuji to climb on her back before she took off into the air. Hitsuji could now see what had troubled the eagle demon. A small group of demons made their way to the village and were attacking everything in sight. They were burning homes and gathering the village people in the center of the village. A select few demons were fighting off Sango, Miroku, and Kirara as they tried to help the village residents. These weren't demons to mess with. They knew what they were doing and were putting up a good enough fight to hold the monk and demon slayer back.

Tori landed right on the outside of the village and changed back, running towards Sango to help. In the process, Tori was grabbed around the waist by a demon and the demon tried to take off with her running toward the edge of the village. Hitsuji, quickly enraged, grabbed the demon in return hitting it square in the jaw. With a sickening crack, the demon fell limp and he held Tori up close to him.

"Thanks." Tori said as they made their way over to Sango again. She was heavily defending from one demon while trying to dodge the attacks of another skilled demon also trying to attack her. Kirara was off on her own surrounded by a group or demons, Miroku with the same situation.

"Tori, you have to get out of here!" Sango shouted over the noise. "These are Ashi's demons! They're looking for you."

Tori froze after hearing those words. Her heart stopped for a minute and she stopped breathing. Ashi's demons? He wasn't going to quit searching for her. He was willing to hurt all of these innocent people in order to get her back. Tori looked at Hitsuji wide eyed, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.

"So that's where you've been hiding." a familiar male voice announced over the noise. Hitsuji wrapped his arms around Tori's frozen shoulders and looked over to see a smug look on Kobun's face. "As you can see, we've been looking everywhere for you."

"What do you want Kobun?" Hitsuji demanded. Hitsuji knew what it was, but he only hoped that it could be for another reason.

"Ashi isn't happy about the encounter with Tori the other day." Kobun said, smiling growing slightly. "He wants what's his and nothing will stop him from it. Not even the lives of every person in this village."

"Will you leave them alone if I come with you?" Tori asked, breaking out of her frozen state and Hitsuji's arms. "You haven't killed anyone yet, have you?"

"No, but your decision decides whether or not we will." Kobun said. "Ashi wants to see you again. Only you. If you come with us, we'll leave the village not hurting a single hair on the head of these pathetic humans."

What else could Tori do? If she didn't go with them, all the people in the village would be hurt. She didn't want that. She didn't want all the innocent people to die thanks to her. The guilt would be too much to bear. Tori wouldn't have it. She looked behind her to see Hitsuji staring at her wide eyed.

He knew what she was thinking. But she couldn't go. If she went, there was no telling what Ashi would do to her. He could fight these demons. They would wait for Inuyasha to come and help them also. Tori could help free the villagers. This would work out.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tori said as she turned from Hitsuji and walked towards Kobun.

"Tori, don't-" Hitsuji shouted, but his vision went black as a large demon snuck up behind him and hit him in the back of the head. He instantly went limp not able to hear Tori calling his name or see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Quit whining." Kobun ordered. He walked over to Tori, roughly grabbing her arm, and made the dirt rise up around them. "We're done here." With that Kobun made the dirt circle around them completely taking them to wherever Kobun desired.

"What!" Inuyasha asked as he looked around at the villagers that were rebuilding homes and other things.

"We were under attack by Ashi's demons. We tried to hold them off, but these weren't demons from around here. They're a lot stronger and smarter then the demons we usually deal with." Miroku explained as Inuyasha and Kagome returned the next day.

"They were here looking for Tori. She left with them so no one in the village would be hurt." Sango finished as she placed a wet rag in Hitsuji's forehead. He still hadn't woke up from the head wound, but Kaede said that was expected. The old priestess was outside right now looking for herbs to get rid of any possible infections in the wound. Yeah, Hitsuji was a demon, but it was her job to take those things into consideration.

"If only I hadn't stayed so long." Kagome said taking the blame on herself. If she had only returned one day sooner then Inuyasha and herself would've been able to fight. She just had to stay home one extra day. Shippo looked up at her with sad eyes not really knowing what to say. He climbed into her lap and hugged her slightly.

"Don't you dare blame this on yourself. Tori decided to go on her own so there was nothing you or I could've done if we were here." Inuyasha said. "The only thing that we need to do now if find her."

"But that's where things get difficult. After we left Hitsuji with Kaede, Sango, Kirara, and I tried to track a scent of any sort. There's no sign of them anywhere. It's like they disappeared completely." Miroku said.

Hitsuji groaned slightly, ignoring the pain in the back of his head as he sat up "Where-" he asked, but as soon as he opened his mouth the memories of yesterday showed fresh in his mind. "Tori!" he shouted looking around for her, but Kagome's hand on his shoulder calmed him down.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Tori left with Kobun after you were knocked out. She left so none of us would be hurt." Sango explained. She could see the anger fill Hitsuji's eyes as he remembered why the demons were there.

"She sacrificed herself to save the villagers." Miroku added.

"Don't make it sound as if she's dead!" Hitsuji shouted surprising everyone by his outburst. He stood up, ignoring the wet rag as it fell from his forehead to the floor. "Will you help me find her?"

"You don't need to ask." Inuyasha said standing up as well cracking his knuckles ready for a fight. "Naraku can wait. Let's go."

Okay, I'm leaving it here for Kyoumi to take. I thought this was a good spot to stop. I should've made it longer since you all waited so long. From now on I promise not to forget about the story for so long. Anyway, click the button below and leave a review.