Chapter 4

Youko and Kari finally reached the cave. Youko immediately took off to tend to Toboe's wounds. Kari followed him, making sure to stay close by him around his men. When Youko entered the cave Toboe was lying unconscious on the floor. Kari gasped and rushed to his side.

"Oh my gosh! He got all these wounds just to protect me," Kari said quietly. She quickly asked Youko if he had any bandages.

"I have some but not very much," he answered.

"I don't need much just enough to cover the wounds before infection can settle in."

Youko nodded and went to the very back of the cave. He lifted up a demon bear's pelt and took out some gauze. He went back over to Kari and gave her the bandages. In a flash Kari was bandaging Toboe's wounds. All the while Youko stared at her, his mouth agape. Kari's hands and fingers were a blur as they quickly tore off some of the white gauze and wrapped it firmly around Toboe's shoulder and chest where the wounds were deepest. When she was finished she turned to Youko.

"Can you move him to a safe part of the cave?" She asked.

Nodding, Youko picked Toboe up off of the floor and took him to the very back of the cave. He placed him in a corner where a hole allowed the moonlight to come inside. Youko laid Toboe in the light of the moon. "The moon's light will help him heal. After all he is a wolf demon," Youko explained.

Kari looked at Toboe once again. She sighed and a tired yawn soon followed. Youko looked at her and saw that her eyelids were beginning to drop. He smiled and walked over to her. "Are you tired?" He asked.

Kari shook her head but Youko could tell she was exhausted. He gently picked her up. "Hey! I told you I wasn't tired," Kari protested trying to get free of Youko's grip. He grinned and began to carry her to the demon bear's fur. He carefully set her down. Kari folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. "I refuse to go to sleep!" She spat.

Youko rolled his eyes. He walked to the opposite part of the cave and sat down with his back leaning against the wall. Kari looked at him unsurely. Then she looked at the pelt. It was a dark brownish color and was very soft and warm. She stroked the fur. Eventually, her head was lying on it comfortably.

Youko looked at her. He was pretty sure she was asleep. Grinning, he got to his feet and walked out of the cave. Sakyou lunged in front of him.

"Where in the hell were you!" He roared. Youko noticed a cut on his left arm. His grin faded and he once again became calm.

Youko walked past him. "I already told you that I was getting Kari some food," he answered.

Sakyou jumped in front of him again. "I meant after you returned. Where did you go?" He snapped.

Youko tried to shove him out of the way but Sakyou grabbed Youko's arm and twisted it. Youko pulled his hand away and punched Sakyou across the face. "If you attempt that again I'll do worse," he growled.

Sakyou wiped away the blood that escaped from his split lip. "You baka!" He thought. He said to Youko, "Fine. Now answer my question!"

Youko's eyes narrowed and he answered simply, "I was fetching Kari from that demon Sakuban."

This made Sakyou quite enraged. "You were rescuing that human girl!"

"Yes I was. Do you have a problem with that?"

Sakyou's fists began to tremble. "You call yourself a leader! I can't believe you. You left your men to die. We lost 13 men. 13!"

Youko's fist once again struck Sakyou across the face. "If you ever question my leadership again I'll kill you!" He snarled.

Sakyou got to his feet and glared at Youko. He turned away and looked at the rest of the men. "They don't deserve him as a leader," he thought.

Youko watched as Sakyou walked off to join the other men. He sighed and walked back into the cave.

A few hours passed. Youko was leaning against the cave, staring at Kari. "Why do I feel this way when I'm around her?" He thought. "I feel as though I'm going to throw up but yet I don't. Why do you make me feel this way?"

A cool breeze entered the cave and blew past Youko, causing his hair to blow in the wind. When it came to Kari her body began to tremble. Youko noticed this and got to his feet. As he walked over to Kari he began to remove his shirt. He covered her with it and in a few seconds her body stopped trembling. She moaned and gripped the shirt tighter. Youko smiled and sat down next to her. He began to run his fingers through her long brown hair. "Why do I feel like this? Why?"

Kari groaned. Youko just grinned at this. He moved his hand to her shoulder and began to rub it gently. Kari smiled and muttered something but Youko couldn't understand it. He carefully began to run his fingers through her hair again. "I feel sick but it's a good kind of sick feeling that I have when I'm around her," Youko thought. "I don't understand. Why do I feel this way?"

Kari groaned again and turned over so her back was to Youko. He smiled and got to his feet. His tail flicked as he looked at her. "That feeling again, it's stronger." Youko walked to the opposite end of the cave and sat down, watching Kari. He continued to wonder what that odd feeling was. After awhile he gave up on it and for the rest of that night he watched Kari. Making sure that nothing bad was going to happen to her.

Kari opened her eyes weakly. She shot up and looked around her. "Oh that's right," Kari thought. "I'm in Youko's cave." It was then that Kari noticed Youko's shirt wrapped around her. She smiled and blushed at the romantic act that Youko had just committed. Her eyes searched for Youko but she couldn't find him. The morning's sun got enough light into the cave for Kari to see the entire inside. The only one in the cave beside her was Toboe. He was on his feet and the wounds on his body had strangely disappeared.

"Good morning Toboe!" Kari greeted smiling.

Toboe tore his eyes away from the entrance and looked at Kari. "Morning Kari. And how are you, sleepy head?"

Kari giggled. "I'm quite fine thank you!"

Toboe smiled and walked towards her. "How did you sleep?" He asked sitting down on the bear pelt next to her.

Kari answered, "Alright I guess. Where's Youko?"

Toboe pointed to the opening in the cave. "He left to get you some breakfast," he informed her. Then, getting to his feet, he walked out of the cave to leave Kari alone. She was still smiling after what Youko had done. She took off the shirt and wrapped it around her shoulders. The morning's air was chilly and Kari was cold, though she hated to admit it.

After a couple of minutes Youko came into the cave. He had some fruit in his hand and some sausages in the other. "Well good morning," he said kneeling down besides her. "Finally wake up?"

Kari smiled. She noticed that the sausages were still steaming and became confused. "I didn't know you could cook?" She said absent-mindedly.

Youko laughed, "I cannot! I stole these."

Kari turned her head sharply to look at him. "What? I can't eat anything stolen!" She shrieked, a little upset that he would do such a thing.

"Why? I do all the time," Youko answered grinning. "After all… I'm a great thief!"

Kari rolled her eyes and grabbed a sausage. She took a bite out of it. Her stomach was growling badly for food and, though she knew it was wrong, she ate the meat. Youko laughed. "Changed your mind quickly, didn't you?"

"Yeah I guess I did," Kari mumbled.

"Something wrong?" Youko asked scooting closer to her.

Kari looked at him for a second but then turned away. "I'm worried about Sakan," she said softly.

"Who's that?"

"My younger brother. Remember? I'm the only family he has and I'm just afraid that he got into trouble," Kari explained. She refused to eat anymore and got to her feet. Youko's shirt slid off her shoulders and he caught it before the white fabric hit the ground. "Oh and by the way thank you for keeping me warm last night," Kari muttered shyly. She blushed badly from saying that.

Youko nodded. "It's alright. Anytime."

Kari looked at him and for a second their eyes once again met. Then, blushing, Kari turned away and paced back and forth in the cave. Youko looked at her with concern in his eyes. "Do you want to go home?" he asked looking at the ground.

Kari stopped. She noticed the hurt that had come in his voice. True, Kari did wish to return home but she didn't want to leave him either. "Well… sorta," she answered.

Youko stood up and walked over to her. "It's a yes or no question," he said calmly. He was gazing into her eyes and he noticed how they widened when he talked so calm and collectively.

"Then I guess… Yes I do want to go home but I don't want to leave you either!" Kari blurted out. Youko brought his eyes to the floor and took Kari's hand. He began to lead her outside. "Where are we going?" She asked.

Youko did not answer. He continued to pull her out of the cave. When they came into the sun Kari had to squint, her eyes not quite adjusted to the bright light. Youko noticed the grin on Sakyou's face and glared at the dingo youkai. He didn't have time for Sakyou's nonsense. He led Kari to a deserted part of the woods and opened a portal. Kari stopped and pulled her hand away.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Youko still did not answer. He scooped her up into his arms and was about to step into the portal when Kari freed herself from his grip. "Youko! I don't want to leave you," she shouted.

Youko looked at the ground. He noticed a rock lying just a few feet away. Youko bent down and picked it up. "Kari," Youko said softly. "The makai is too dangerous and you miss your home so much. You must leave."

Kari shook her head and took a step away from Youko. He reached out and grabbed her hand. Pulling her closer to him he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her in a tight hug. Kari was totally unaware of the hard rock hitting her in the back of the head and then all was black as she was forced into unconsciousness.

When Kari opened her eyes she realized that she was in her bed. The sky outside was dark and a full moon was out. When she went to sit up she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. She rubbed it and felt a large bump under her hair. "Youko did hit me in the head with that rock," she thought. "Why did he do it?"

She ignored the pain and sat up. She got out of bed and noticed that she was still dressed in the clothes she had worn when she had gone to the makai with Youko. Kari sighed and changed out of those clothes and into her nightclothes. She then quickly walked to her brother's room.

"Sakan?" Kari asked entering the eight-year-old's room. "Are you awake?"

Sakan groaned in his sleep and Kari smiled, happy to know that he wasn't harmed. She walked over to him and gave her brother a kiss on the forehead. Then she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Sighing, Kari went back to her own room. It was then that the pain hit her. Not physical pain but emotional. She flopped on her bed in tears.

"Was it all just a dream?" She cried. "I miss Youko so much. He completed me and he even cared for me and…"

It was then that Kari noticed a rose lying on her headboard. She gently picked up the rose and inhaled its sweet scent. She fell asleep absorbed in the fragrance of the rose and the memories of Youko. "Will I ever see you again," she thought before falling asleep.