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Quite sorry for the long space in between updates. But yeah that's life. I got a guinea pig! I named Blaze. I thought everybody should know. He's really cute! K hope you guys like this chapter!

Disclaimer: Roses are red violets are blue, Inuyasha no mine, and there's nothing I can do.

Chapter 10

Maybe she isn't so bad

Kouga dashed through the forest, silent as shadow, yet deadly as a drop kick to the face. He had the future wench around the middle as he sped toward the village of Kaede. She had stopped kicking him and screaming in his poor ears a while ago, and now she lay limp in his arms, exhausted.

"I guess this is what I get for not keeping up with the series. By now at least five books should have come out. Things happen when you miss books. Maybe that's when you went crazy..." Yumi murmured loudly enough for him. Kouga said nothing, deciding to ignore this. For one, he only half understood what she was talking about.

A broad field came into view, clearly used to grow crops, and such. Farther along a village stood on the brink, growing larger as they came closer. Some men who were working in the fields, looked up. Many with fear in their eyes. Demons were not welcome in the village of Kaede. Only InuYasha was permitted. He, not being fully demon nor fully human, was neither rejected or welcomed. He was only tolerable in the presence of Kagome.

Soon Kouga had whirl-winded his way through the narrow streets of the huts. A priestess was sitting on a blanket in the middle of the cluster of houses, with small children arranged in a circle around her. She turned to see who had interrupted her lesson with the children.

Yumi saw as an expression of surprise came over her. "Kouga why are ye here?" Kaede stared openly at Yumi. "And why have ye brought along your kinsman-or woman." Kaede said to him.

"She is not related to me. Kaede can you tell me where she came from?" He barked out the first part fast, as if he wouldn't want to be associated with her. Then asked the last part more quietly.

"Oh dear this must be the lass from Kagome's time." She ambled up, with the help of the children. "Please come with me." She led them over to a hut and gestured them inside. As soon as Kaede, Kouga and Yumi were inside with the flap closed. Kouga dropped Yumi on the ground hard.

"Ouch! Hey that-" Yumi started to protest but was interrupted but Kouga.

"Kaede are you?"

"Aye that's me. Now what exactly would ye like for me to tell ye about her?"

"Where did she come from?"

Kaede took a breath, and began the story she had told Kagome. Both Yumi and Kouga sat on the ground transfixed, listening to every word, drinking it in. Yumi seemed to have no expression, but she listened with a straight face. Kouga sat with a frown, and as Kaede went on the furrow in his forehead got deeper and deeper, until it was almost a scowl.

After the whole tale had been told, the hut was silent. Then Yumi broke it.

"So-so you mean that I-I have p-power?" she stuttered.

"Yes. It seems you have granted your own wish. But let me ask you. Why here?"

Both priestess and demon faces were turned toward Yumi, who turned a delicate shade of crimson.

"I..well...you see...it's like this...um...I..." she trailed off hoping that they would understand. But to her utter disappointment, they were even more confused looking than ever. "I just thought this would be a nice to place to visit." She looked uncomfortably at her hands folded in her lap.

"Why here?" This time is was Kouga who spoke up. "Why in all hells, would you choose this place? There is absolutely nothing special here." He sounded angry and stood quickly, storming out of the hut.

"Ye must forgive him Yumi. Just recently-" Kaede began but was interrupted by Yumi.

"Yes, I know Kagome shot him down." she finished, still staring at the doorway which Kouga had stormed out of.

"Lass I do not know what ye just said, but if it means his heart is broken then yes it is true." Kaede said solemnly. "But Yumi." She turned facing Yumi. "Why is it you wanted to come to Feudal Era Japan?" She asked. Yumi stared at the floor playing with the fringe on the fur wrap she wore.

"Because I love him." she said quietly.

"Ahh..." Kaede sat back, in an understanding way, absorbing this new statement. A moment passed where only the sounds of children playing, mother's scolding, and old men grunting to each other, were heard. "So what do ye plan on doing child?"

Yumi got up and walked to the door silently. "I don't know." with that she left the hut, tears streaming down her face.

Kouga zipped back to his cave. It seemed that all of the pups were now looking for Yumi, in their silly game. Some of the faces he saw were happy and carefree, they'd never before looked like that, not until Yumi arrived. That girl was happy in nature, so inevitably her happiness spread. He saw it, as one pup ran around to another and tapped him on the shoulder yelling gleefully "You're it!"

This game seemed to be good for young muscles. All that running was building up stamina. Three of the pups ran to him, circling around him and shouting in joy. "Kouga! You're back! Where were you? We're finding Yumi! Do you wanna play?" It was Maru who looked up at him, face shining with child-like amusement.

Without saying a word he kept making his rounds watching as even Ona seemed more spirited. Ginta and Hakkaku were playing some odd match, which involved gripping one-anothers arms and trying to force the opponent's arm down flat on the table. The whole thing used arm muscle only. So far it was even draw. Yumi presumably taught them this. He kept going, watching as even the little female pups acted more out going.

Yumi had really changed the place while he was gone. Everything was light, and care free, except for his guards which acted as sentry's scouting his territory, they were as stone faced and determined as ever, if more. Somehow the lifetime he had built up and accomplished could be dissolved by a pretty face, and sweet nature. Maybe it was all for the good. Everyone was safe so deep in forest, and all these games seemed to be for the better. And this strange power she had. Maybe Yumi, the wench from the future, who had brought him all puzzlement wasn't as bad as she seemed, for a human that is. Kouga made up his mind, she could stick around a while longer. She had proven herself useful.

With determination he made his way back to Kaede's village. He would find her, and bring her back.

Yumi trudged along the beaten forest path. Kouga had obviously dumped her there, so he probably didn't want her to be in his midst any longer. As she made her to no where, a bright flower caught her eye. It was purple, and seemed out of place in the wild brush surrounding it. Yumi made her way over to it and squatted down to examine the pretty flower. With a cautious hand she plucked it from the earth and brought it to her nose to smell. Almost instantly a red steam poured out of the petals, making her eyes water and throat cough. The vapor started to coat her lungs with some unknown sticky substance. Yumi struggled on the ground for a moment, trying to fight off the air borne attack. With a choking sound, Yumi tossed the flower as hard as she could away from her. It did help. The red steam began to evaporate and her lungs commenced to work properly again.

The flower also had an awful smell, it reeked, and any demon within miles would be able to catch the scent. In fact it brought one demon she did not want to see right now.

"You..." A cold voice said from the shadows. "I thought you would be dead by now, pathetic human." A red headed wolf demoness stepped out from the darkness, and stood before Yumi arms crossed, and a wintry glimmer in her bright green eyes.

"A-Ayame!" Yumi sputtered still trying to clear her lungs.

"Foolish human why is it that when you picked my deadly lilly, and you are not dead?" She bent over to retrieve the fallen flower. "It doesn't matter, my trap was set to catch something for my pack to feed on, you are tonight's main course." She laughed softly and took a menacing step toward the kneeling human.

"No-I gotta go back. People need me" she said with fear in her giant brown pleading eyes.

"You are nothing but an insignificant human, no one needs you, except the hungry bellies of my pack." Ayame countered.

"No. Maru and Ona, and the other pups and K-kouga needs me." Yumi stuttered, fully unaware of the connection between Kouga and Ayame. Her announcement was met by angry stunned silence.

"How dare you!" Ayame shouted, while pulling another deadly flower from her hair. She posed as if to strike Yumi in the chest. It would have been comical to see such a fierce woman try to kill another woman with a flower, but the fact was that flower was laced with poison, and the tip was sharper than any blade Yumi had ever seen. "Die now for ever mentioning that name, and assuming one as strong as he would ever need you!" She swung the flower down right to Yumi's heart. Yumi closed her eyes, sure of what would happen next. But it never came, She blinked them back open to find Ayame sprawled yards away, and Kouga standing over her protectively.

It was quite a transformation, the last time she had seen Kouga he had stormed out of Kaede's hut, irate at her. Now he was some kind of hero trying to save her. Ayame struggled up even more angry than before. "How dare you steal Kouga from me! I will kill you girl! Just you wait!" With a burst of wind she was gone.

Trembling, and more scared then she had ever been since coming to the Feudal Era, Yumi stood up next to Kouga. "Um thanks for that." she mumbled scared and embarrassed at the whole ordeal.

"She will come looking for you when she has regained her strength, you know. She will try to kill you." he said looking into her face, with sincerity.

"I guess you want me to leave then, huh? Don't want to endanger the rest of the pack, by my presence right?" She turned away, a thorn piercing her heart where Ayame could not, at the thought of leaving so soon.

"No my pack is quite able to defend themselves." He spoke Yumi turned around, her spirits lifting.

"So-so I can stay?" She whispered.

"For now." he said still looking into her tear stained face. Yumi let out a whoop, then ran

and jumped on Kouga hugging him tightly.

"Thanks so much!" She squealed. She remembered that she was hugging him, and slid down off him quickly and quietly. Kouga repressed the urge not to smile. This girl was contagious.

Far off, wounded and wrathful, Ayame made plans to destroy the human girl. She had made the mistake of thinking her pathetic, and let her be, the second time she was interrupted by Kouga. The third time she would not make a mistake. The third time, Yumi Futami would be annihilated.