Hello there! This is most definitely my longest chapter yet, and I love it. I kept writing and writing. I couldn't seem to stop with it. The chapter just never seemed done. But now, it is, and I am putting it up here. It's going to add a huge chunk of words to the story. I also hope it will help me to lengthen my other chapters that will follow. I've had trouble with that in the past. However, since I'm putting it up so close (the same day, in fact) as the ninth chapter, there probably won't be a chapter update for a few weeks. I'm still in the beginning of chapter twelve. I don't want to post eleven until it's done.

Oh yeah, there hasn't been a disclaimer since... chapter seven, I think. I should put one in now.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the pre-existing characters that are in Inuyasha. I only own what people I make up from my own imagination. If I buy everything, then I would own it, but I lack the funds and the necessary language skill for that. So I must settle for borrowing Takahashi-san's show and characters. They rock.

Read and review, as always!


Singing to the Wind

Chapter 10

Journey


Two weeks passed, and Hikari found herself missing the wolves and their cubs terribly. She could be more open with them than she could with any human she'd ever met. It made her feel more welcome among something other than her own devices. Talking to herself got rather tiresome when she'd been doing it for a few hours. Add to that the fact that she always knew how she would answer.

At the moment, Hikari was sitting in the tower alcove, staring at the pages of a book. She just didn't seem to be able to absorb the words. Her mind felt slow today, she supposed was the reason.

Out of nowhere, she began to hum a tune. It was eerily soft, and rather ethereal in nature. It floated above the rafters, winding its way down the stairs to carry quietly through the halls. There were no words to the nameless song that Hikari knew of. She'd never even been taught any tunes as a small girl, or her entire life, for that matter. It seemed odd that she would suddenly know one, but there it was, drifting off of her tongue and catching anyone's ear that it could reach.

Abruptly, the aria ended, still echoing over the walls.

"That was pretty," Hikari commented. At that moment, as she often did, she looked out the window. Outside, summer was drawing to a close. Early-blooming flowers were losing their petals, while the later ones barely had buds yet.

By the look of things, winter was fast approaching, and with it, dangerous storms would pester the mountains, but leave the valley with nothing but a good layer of snow. It was one of the good things about living between several high mountains. Storms got blocked or weakened, and you didn't have to worry so much about invasion. It wasn't as though anyone could get in all that easily, much less an entire army.

The only true way for a human to leave the valley was by following the way of the river, and out through a narrow and winding pass. Past that, there was a very large waterfall, and a cliff surrounding it. It one wanted to get down and out without hurting themselves, they would have to go down a thin outcropping of the cliff, and behind the enormous veil of rushing water. There were many small ledges that could be classified as stairs there.

After the hidden steps, a person would have to use a boat or raft of some kind to get away, because the large lake left no room for land by the base of the (at this point, very sheer) cliff.

Now that she thought about it, Hikari realized that it was nothing short of a miracle that the people had managed to get into the valley in the first place. If the leaving was treacherous, then, theoretically, the entering would be equally so, right?

She stood, placing the book back from when she had gotten it. The sun was getting low, and it was time to visit her mother. Just a short hike up a steep slope, and Hikari would be able to vent whatever unwanted feelings she had in her mind. This was always her favorite part of any day she was able to do it.

At the top of the slope, the stone table and things were awaiting her arrival. Her mother's heart glinted in the slanting sunlight, almost sparkling. It's deep blue tone settled Hikari's nerves the moment she beheld it, and she knelt before the gem, putting it on a level with her eyes.

"Hi, mommy," she said. "I hope it isn't too cold up here for you. I wouldn't want you to freeze. Although, I guess that's kind of silly. You can't really freeze, can you? You've been up here a really long time, and every winter, I say that same thing. Still, you never complain. I like that I can keep talking to you like this. You always listen to what's getting me worried." A pause followed, as Hikari attempted to sort out her thoughts. "Speaking of which, there is something bothering me. It may be a bit selfish, but I'm lonely up here. I can't talk to the people, and there isn't anybody like Ayame and Kouga around to keep me company. Sure, I have all the animals, but you try carrying on a conversation with something that doesn't know what a demon is, or what a friend should be. I guess, mommy, that I need to travel more. Staying cooped up in the valley isn't going to help me make new friends at all. Maybe if I go on a journey, I'll find someone to be my friend and live with me here in the mountains." The gears in her head were cranking at full gear now. "If I leave right away, I can be gone for a month and a half, and be back before the first snowfall. Though it doesn't always come at the same time. And it is kind of a hassle to travel in, especially if you're flying. It gets all over my wings, and feathers aren't the easiest things to clean while way up in the air." True to form, Hikari was quickly veering off the intended course of subject. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I'll just walk! Then there's no chance that snow will wreck my flight!"

A thin pink cloud covered the sun, washing the ground with diluted beams. The wind that had carried it now blew over the mountain top, making the girl shiver. She looked to the setting sun, reluctant to leave.

"It looks like the world's going to sleep now, mommy. Maybe I should, too. You know how cranky I get when I don't get to sleep at the right time." Hikari stood, patting the only thing of her mother's left in the world. "I'll come up and say goodbye to you before I leave, okay? Night, mommy." Then, she climbed back down the incline, as she had so many times before.

The next morning, Hikari awoke to pure silence. No birds, no wind, no nothing. It confused her a great deal, so she poked her head out the window. To her immediate horror, she could see only dead stumps, burned and blackened, as far as the eye could see. She covered her face with her hands, trying to rub out the sight from her mind. When she looked again, however, it was as though nothing had happened. All the trees were tall and green as before, and he could hear the animals rustling and chirping again.

Hikari cocked an eyebrow. "That was weird," she quipped.

She dressed in the worker's outfit she had, packing everything else into a large bag. Grabbing a smooth staff that was resting by the door to her room, she slung the pack onto her shoulders by its straps.

"Off we go!" She'd almost reached the path away from the cliff when she remembered that she'd promised her mother a visit. She spun around, slapping her head for not reminding herself sooner. Then up the hill she went.

She reached the top and saw the the sun was very tilted to the east. She figured that there were still at least twelve, if not more, hours left of daylight. Her mother's heart glittered in the light with an inner luminescence. Hikari smiled, and sat down in the grass, admiring the morning clouds.

"I'm going to go now, mommy. I came to say goodbye, just like I said I would." She stopped, biting her lip, as though her mother were giving her an inquisitive stare. "Okay, so I forgot until right before I actually left. But I still came, so ha!" her grin widened. using the staff for support, Hikari lifted herself up off the ground, then began walking away. "I love you mommy, so be good, okay? Bye now!" She waved back at the enormous sapphire, and it glinted of its own accord.

"Silly as always, I see," it said rather amusedly.

Naturally, Hikari heard none of that, seeing as she was too busy thinking to herself which way she wanted to go first. Should she go south, to where it was warmer? Or east, to the larger sea? Maybe north? On second thought, not north. It was too cold up there, and the last thing Hikari wanted was to be snowed upon. She finally decided after all her inner bickering, that she would go west. She could stop by Kouga's, then continue on to the great forests.

She giggled. "It's a plan!"

Going down the mountain was a little harder than normal, but that was probably because of her pack. It was jammed with all sorts of things. Clothes, a pillow, a small, plush representation of a bear. The only thing it lacked was actual food. Which Hikari was sure she could simply get on her own. If not, then grass always tasted good to her.

When she got to the river, Hikari followed it out the narrow pass, which, for all intensive purposes, could be called a gorge. Steep walls, little greenery, and lots of rock. Yup, a gorge. She was at the top, and then headed around the lake while still on the hill. It was just easier that way.

Upon reaching level ground, she looked to where the sun was. Which was still pretty in the east, so she walked with it to her back. Out ahead of her were the vast plains. For some reason, very few trees grew on the extremely level ground around her mountains. It wasn't really much of a bother, just rather strange.

Hikari walked for about three hours straight, humming softly to herself as she went. The sun was now directly above her, bright and hot. The thinner forest of the west were now much closer, only about an hour's travel away. And Hikari was getting very hungry indeed. She was trying to keep it at bay, but alas, her stomach would not yield. Finally, she gave in and sat in the long grass. When standing, it had come up to her knees. Now, however, it reached her shoulders, almost effectively hiding her from sight of anything that was shorter than two feet.

"Ah," she sighed. "To have a nice roast chicken, with rice, and maybe some steamed carrots! I want fooooooood," Hikari moaned dispiritedly. Leaning her head back to the sky with her eyes still closed, she blew a stream of air out her pursed lips. "No cooks here, I guess." She opened her eyes and looked back at the ground. What she saw completely stunned her.

The exact food she had just described was now sitting on an earthenware plate right at her feet. And it looked really good, too. She glanced around, wondering if someone had hypnotized her and cooked up what she wanted. However, the sun was still at it's peak, so no time had passed. Not to mention that it was a ridiculous notion, at that. So she simply set down her staff, took off her pack, and dug in.

It was a superb meal, in all. Hikari managed to finish it off within five minutes, but that was just how she ate. It didn't reflect on how much or little of the food there was. It was more indicative of how good a dine it had been.

Hikari was now quite happy with how full her stomach was, and she set off for the trees again, smiling just a little bit brighter. The sun had only shifted a minute amount to the west, hardly noticeable. It was probably somewhere around eleven thirty in the morning at that moment, she figured.

The trees, as she found out when she reached them, were actually much closer than she had guessed. It had only taken a half an hour from lunch to when she got to the sparse tree line. They were mostly oaks and aspen trees, as she could see. They were also tall in the majority.

After another two hours of walking through brambles, ditches, and tight spaces, Hikari found a river. It was nothing like her home river, but it was large enough, and clear besides. She took a few long droughts from the stream, satisfying her thirst.

As Hikari righted herself, although, she heard a snapping twig. Spinning, she surveyed the surrounding trees, only to see nothing that would have made the sound. The occasional bird or insect, yes, but nothing so large as to break a stick.

Her eyes narrowed, attempting to pinpoint something, anything, for that matter. She tucked a section of auburn hair behind her ear to listen better, but still could hear very little that would give her a clue. So she figured that she was in for a good chase.

In a split second, her wings were out, and she leapt into the air, coasting over the trees. Whatever had been hiding from sight in the forest was indeed tailing her, for something began to jump rapidly through the trees. It was going at a speed rivaling her own, judging by the movement of the rustling trees.

As she was flying furiously away, her head covering slipped off, drifting down to the foliage, and her hair was free. It whipped in the wind, glinting as it often did. Her staff was still in hand, and the pack was firmly attached to her back, between the wings. She pressed harder, trying to outrun the pursuers beneath her.

All of a sudden, something shot out of the trees beneath her. A long, pink something, that attempted to wrap around her ankle. Fortunately for her, it missed. It had also appeared to be straining for height, which meant that the appendage of the creature's was probably not very long.

Hikari made the decision to fly higher. If she couldn't outstrip it, maybe she could just get out of its range. It seemed to be a good choice, too, for as she climbed in altitude, the long, pink thing lashed out, but could mot reach within a few feet of her. So she continued to get higher.

What then startled her was when a very much larger thing broke through the canopy of leaves, with wings that were shiny and transparent. It had glowing red eyes, and slightly hairy limbs, black and stick-like. It looked very much like an insect.

And it was right in front of her. Definitely not the best place for it to be. She had the sudden urge to smash it. Hard. Make its guts splatter across a wall, as any fly would normally be fated to do. All she needed now was a giant fly swatter.

She glided to a stop, hovering with a beat of her wings every second. It was also simply stalling in midair, facing her, a sly and menacing smirk upon it's horrendous visage.

"What's a little birdie doing so far from the nest on such a fine afternoon," it rasped in a voice that was as buzzy as the creature itself. "Surely you didn't think you could outsmart me, did you?"

One look at him gave her the spunk to retort with "No duh. I can outsmart you any day. Just give me a book."

As per the usual, Hikari's rather coarse words struck more than just a nerve. The whole insect demon trembled with anger. "I'll show you, fast food," he grumbled. Then he rushed forward, obviously intent on killing her.

But, of course, Hikari's quick reflexes allowed her to raise her staff and swing it at the approaching predator, connecting squarely with his head, and sending him tumbling down into the forest once more, very stunned indeed. He likely wouldn't wake for several hours, by which time Hikari would have long departed.

"Fast food my ass." She was rambling on to herself. "I eat, I don't get eaten. Impotent little bug."

With that, she flew off towards the west. Hopefully, she'd run into Kouga, though she could not remember the exact course that she had taken that day with Ginta and Hakkaku.

Such saps they were, she thought to herself. Loyal to a fault, and borderline wusses, but they still managed to hold their own, especially when Kouga was off doing something that was more than likely to be deemed by Ayame as very stupid.

Now that she thought about it, Kouga seemed to be the only one of any of the wolves that she had met that wasn't loyal to his pack. He was always running off to do something, whether it be chasing Naraku (as she had experienced firsthand) or, according to Ayame, 'fooling around with that pitiful human girl Kagome'. He happened to be the tribe leader, but he took no pride in the job.

Without knowing it, she'd flown slowly for an entire hour, lost in thought. The barking of wolves was the thing that finally startled her out of her reverie. She had obviously wandered into the wolf territory.

And it should be just her luck that Ginta should spot her shadow and look for its source. He shielded his eyes from the glaring sun and immediately recognized the unidentified flying object.

"Hii- chan!" he waved zealously, jumping a little. She glided down to meet him, landing quite gently. She also noticed that many of the cubs and other wolf demons were staring at her in awe. They'd never seen anyone with wings that wasn't evil. The birds of paradise, in fact, were pretty much the sole interaction with any creature that had feathers, and that gave a bad first impression of winged things. So she waved heartily. They calmed, knowing then that it was only a friend coming for a visit.

Ginta hugged her tightly. He smelled of stale bread and wet fur. "It's so good to see you! How have you been," he inquired.

She put a finger to her chin, as though the question required serious thought. "Well, I got kinda bored, which isn't all that strange for me, but I figured I'd go on a trip, 'cause I wanted to travel a bit before winter came, and when winter comes, you can't do much of anything, just because there's too much cold and snow around, and I thought that since I'd be coming this way, I'd drop by for a visit!" Ginta laughed at her sheer cheerfulness.

"We were all being kind of down since you visited, and we thought that you could help to cheer us all up. Truth be told, most of us missed you, and it's getting kind of depressing," he said.

Hikari struck a pose. "Never fear, for Hii-chan is here! Just tell me who I need to annoy."

Ginta thought for a moment. "Well," he started, "I think it would be best to go to Kouga first. He just won't stop obsessing about finding Naraku. He's been up on the ridge for an entire week now, just drawing maps, and where Naraku appeared. Whenever someone talks to him, he won't answer, or he'll growl if they don't go away quickly."

The diminutive redhead patted the dejected wolf on the back, then headed up to the ridge. "I'll snap him out of it. Just leave it to me," was her final statement.

She found Kouga exactly where Ginta said he'd be, sitting alone, drawing maps in the loose dirt. His back was to her, and she was pretty sure that he was too wrapped up in his obsession to even notice that she was there. A smirk appeared on her face, and she crept silently over to him, then leaned her head by his ear.

"Boo," she breathed. The desired effect of this action, which was a good scare, was achieved, as Kouga leapt up and whirled around, then tripped on a rock. He apparently hadn't been getting much sleep, Hikari noted to herself. There were dark rings around his eyes, and both his hair and his clothing seemed to be thoroughly coated in dirt. All things considered, he had earned the right to be cranky.

"What the hell was that? Where did you come from?" Kouga stood up and pointed a clawed finger at her.

Hikari gave a trademark blank stare. "I came from down the mountain, baka. If you would at least try to notice what's going on around you, then you might have figured that out. According to Ginta, you've been up here for a week straight. That can't be good. Why don't you come down?"

Her words only seemed to make him more stubborn, if that is at all probable to happen. "I don't need to go down," he scoffed. "I don't need anyone at all. I just need to kill Naraku, to make him pay."

The shorter of the two rolled her eyes. "And what if he's broke," she teased.

Kouga gave her a surprisingly harsh glare, but she just smiled sweetly up at him. "Stop that. This is no joking matter. He and his heartless minions killed off almost half of my tribe. He'll do it again if I let him. I have to make the first move."

Hikari's smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of intense wisdom and sadness. "And what if he kills you instead? Then the tribe will die for sure. They'll have no one to protect them if you leave. The most you can do right now is stay by their side, and shield them when the time comes. I may not know much about Naraku, but he is clearly not the sort of demon to do something without purpose or provocation. If he eradicated half of your tribe, then he clearly meant to hinder you and make you give him a reason to take out the rest of you. Don't give him that reason, Kouga."

Kouga turned up his nose. "Big words, from such a small little thing."

She raised her head regally. "The small are usually the best weapons, simply because they are often overlooked and underestimated. If I ever come across Naraku, I will be sure to let him do the same. It may just be his downfall." She swayed a little in the breeze, pivoting around. "Now come on down. You must be hungry after all that drawing." In response to his sudden growl, she replied, "And yes, I meant that as an insult."

Kouga felt the need to hit her upside the head, but refrained from it. At the moment, all he wanted was to sleep. He hadn't know how tired he was until she'd startled him out of his obsession. He could also really do with something to eat, because his stomach was now rumbling like crazy. So the natural choice was to follow the annoying little brat.

In front of him, Hikari shook her head. 'He can't really think I'm a brat, now, can he? Annoying, yes, but I'm not that selfish. Wait a minute? Who am I kidding? This is Kouga. He barely means anything he says or thinks. Especially insults.' She inwardly laughed.

Kouga's ears perked at her giggle. "What's so funny," he inquired.

Hikari just shrugged and twisted her head around to face him. "Everything." she answered.

The demon sweat dropped. 'She sure has a way of avoiding the question,' he thought offhandedly. 'And yet, I have a feeling she was actually answering it, in her own way.'

They trotted back down the path to the caves- well, Hikari was the one that trotted. Kouga was simply putting one foot in front of the other, and leaving it at that. He really didn't have the energy to do much else, and was baffled as to how the girl in front of him could manage to have such a large capacity for activity as she did. It was almost as tiring as the fact that he had had neither sleep nor food for about a week. Almost. But at least now, he'd get food and some sleep. He could always deal with Hikari later, when he;d had time to shrug this huge weight off of his shoulders.

Kouga couldn't figure out what had made him snap. He wasn't the type of demon who'd just take to himself like that. Run off, heck yes, and maybe even not be in touch for a week, too. But sitting on top of a hill, drawing in the dirt, and totally ignoring anyone who came near him was just not his style at all.

The second he came into view, almost all of the wolves' jaws hit the ground. They could hardly believe that he was there right then. He'd basically been a stone for a week, and now, this small-looking girl had gone up and cracked him open. Even Ayame had trouble with that, and she always got his attention when she wanted it.

For now, though, they didn't bother Kouga. The pack just sat where they were, doing what they'd been doing. The children kept on with their games. The adults conversed in the normal hushed tones.

At last, Hikari approached the leader of the pack, bearing an exceedingly large piece of roasted meat on a wooden plank. Quite possibly a small boar, in fact. She plopped it down in front of him, and sat on the other side of it from him.

"Eat up, already" she chimed. "Before I get hungry enough to help you."

Kouga snorted dully. "I'd like to see you try. Looking at you, I don't think you could eat all the meat off of a leg if you tried." He tore off a limb for himself, and began munching.

In the second that he closed his eyes, though, she managed to practically inhale two legs, leaving the bones very very clean, and was chomping on the apple that was previously in the animal's mouth when he looked again. He should have known not to egg her on, but then again, this was Kouga, so of course he didn't.

"You're lucky I'm not hungry right now, wolfie boy," she taunted. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have anything else to eat. Now get to putting that meat in your mouth, and swallowing." He obeyed silently, for once.

Ginta and Hakkaku made their way over to the two cautiously, as not to disturb Kouga. Hakkaku hugged her straight off the bat. He, like Ginta, was overjoyed that she had visited, and just that much more ecstatic that she had been able to recall Kouga from the hilltop. While the exhausted wolf demon ate a few feet to the left, they engaged in warmed conversation. The two boys told Hikari stories of the past few weeks, little things like the children's new discoveries, and basic couple gossip. Sadly, they had to break it off when they spotted Ayame, who headed in the small group's direction.

Upon seeing Hikari, Ayame broke out into an open grin. "It's good to see you again," she said once she reached the girl. "It's been a little while, hasn't it?"

Hikari flopped onto her back, peeping up at the demoness from her place on the ground with a happy smirk. "Yup," she chirped. "Is it just me, or have you gotten taller?"

Ayame crouched down, looking directly into the other girl's eyes. "It might just be the way you're lying on the ground, Hii-chan."

Hikari giggled. "That might be it," was her beaming reply, before righting herself. "I got Kouga down from his pouty spot," she informed the more statuesque female.

"I noticed. It's been a week since he ate anything. I figured it had to be getting to him eventually. Men do think with only two things, you know. The stomach is one of those."

Her statement confused her companion. "What's the other thing that they think with, Yame-chan?"

Ayame nearly gagged. She knew that Hikari was much older than her, but she acted so much like a kid that Ayame was forced to think of her as a little sister. the question sounded as if it were posed by a four-year-old, so she was naturally reluctant to answer it. "Never mind that," she amended. "It's not important to know that."

Ginta and Hakkaku were staring at the two girls this entire exchange, increasingly befuddled. They had no idea what the two were talking about, being rather slow of mind as they were (no offense to them).

Nonetheless, they didn't ask, and Hikari was soon on a different subject, so they couldn't ask without getting estranged glares from the girls. Better to stay out of it, they figured.

"Ginta," Hakkaku asked tentatively, "Do you ever get the feeling that the girls all seem to talk in code?"

Ginta merely shook his head wisely. "All the time, friend, all the time. It is why we cannot truly understand anything they say, because there is always a hidden meaning in their words. Guys just can't get it without help."

The other demon nodded. "So that's why Yoshiki got mad last night."

That mumbling made his friend look at him suggestively. "Did you say something?"

Hakkaku shrugged. "We were looking at the cubs playing, and she said that they were really cute. I told her that I wasn't that into kids, they were kind of annoying to me. She gave me this really hard stare, and kind of huffed off."

"A true mystery," Ginta sighed. "We may never know what they think."

A cheerful voice made them jump a few inches off the ground. "I think that food is good, if that helps." Hikari offered.

Ayame put her hand on the shorter one's shoulder. "I don't think it will, Hii-chan. They didn't mean that."

Hikari just pouted. "Guys are weird," she mused. Ayame could only agree, and the small redhead glanced to the sky. The sun was getting kind of low at that moment. She should head off.

Ayame followed her friend's line of sight, interpreting what she was thinking. "You can stay here, if you like. The woods aren't exactly the best place to be when you're alone at night. There's a lot of things that I'd rather not meet while they're prowling around in the dark."

Hikari sighed, then nodded. 'Ayame's right,' she told herself. It was dangerous out in the woods after the sun had gone down. Not that she'd had any personal experience with that, but her mother had told her enough times for her to get the picture.

Now, Ayame led Hikari to the caves and where the women and children slept. The stone floor was completely covered in mounds of furs, spread out to serve as cushions and blankets. One almost had to wonder where it all came from. She let the demoness lead her to a particularly comfy spot near the back, where most of the children were.

"If there's an attack," Ayame explained, "The kids and pups are better back here, where we can protect them. The others up near the mouth of the cave can distract the intruders while we help the little and vulnerable ones. We have a system of caverns that was found, and the elders let in a stream from outside."

Hikari was awed. "That's impressive. It's like the hiding places the villagers dug back home for in case the valley got flooded or anything."

Ayame was intrigued. She'd never heard her friend talk about her home, or really about herself, for that matter. "You live in a valley?"

The diminutive girl shook her head. "No. I live on a mountain. The valley is where the villagers live. It's really isolated. Kind of hard to get to too, unless you're flying."

"So I take it you don't get away from the valley much, then?"

Hikari nodded. "Yeah. I just don't have much reason to leave the house."

"But what about the village? Wouldn't you need to go down every once in a while," Ayame inquired.

"They don't know it's me," came the distant reply. "They can't see the castle that their ancestors built, and they wouldn't be able to understand that I'm not a fairy tale."

Now the wolf was really confused. "So you mean to say that they built you a home, and now they don't even know you exists? How'd that happen?"

Ayame never got her question answered, because at that moment another wolf sat herself down right next to them, one with an extremely swollen belly. She rubbed her back, as though it were paining her a great deal.

"Temari's kicking again," she complained with a warm smile. Hikari could tell that she wasn't really annoyed about it at all. Whatever it was. She'd never seen a person with such a large stomach.

Ayame quickly took note of this fact. "Haven't you ever see a pregnant woman before?" Hikari slowly turned her head from side to side, indicating a 'no'. "Well, here's your chance. Noriko," she gestured to the wolf with the expanded midsection, "Is going to have a pup in a few weeks. It's going to be a girl, and she's already named her daughter Temari."

The blue-eyed girl cocked her head. "I didn't know that was how most babies were before they came out. I was never lucky enough to come into the village until after they were born."

A laugh emanated from the other redhead. "Didn't your mother ever teach you the facts of life? I mean, you were born the same way."

Hikari smiled, shaking her head softly. "No, my mommy found me as an egg. I never got to be inside anyone to the point where I could kick them." She reached out her hand to Noriko's stomach, resting it gently on the bulge, and giving a smile that was both sweet and sad.

Ayame was again prevented from speaking by a person interrupting the tide of conversation. This time, it was a young male.

"Time to settle down for the night," he informed everybody in the cave. "They're going to put out most of the campfires now.

Hikari was pretty much the only one who didn't even acknowledge the boy. She was too busy gaping at Noriko's belly.

"What is it," asked the expecting mother.

"She kicked..." the girl breathed.

Ayame managed a light chuckle. "We can explore the miracles of birth in the morning, silly. It's time to get to sleep." She pushed Hikari down playfully, then stood up. "I'm part of the first shift of watchers during the night, but I'll come back in a little while.

Hikari just nodded meekly, feeling very much like one of the three-year-olds that were currently cuddling into her for warmth. She glanced around her, looking at all the cute and furry little bodies. She wouldn't be lonely at all that night...


Hikari- You know, I only recently started on chapter 11. I'm kind of worried that I won't be able to finish the other chapters in such a timely fashion.

Saikyou- Don't worry- I'll help you with ideas and stuff if you get behind!

Hikari- Thank you, Sai-sai! I'm also glad that you came!

Saikyou- Je t'aime, mon amour, bon voyage!

Hikari- Avion! Ou est le bain?

Saikyou- Up the stairs, you know that.

Hikari- Right. I was just making sure that you hadn't remodeled.

Saikyou- It's your house, not mine.

Hikari- Oh yeah!

Saikyou- Hii-chan this chapter is really long. I like it.

Hikari- Thank you! I like it too!

Saikyou- You're bored, aren't you?

Hikari- Intensely.

Saikyou- Well, I'm sorry, but I can't help you there. I have my own boredom issues.

Hikari- Why don't you try eating? It always helps my boredom.

Saikyou- and that is why it would be impossible for you to be anorexic- you love food too much.

Hikari- I do, don't I? Oh, look, a Victoria's Secret!

Saikyou- Do you think Brian is in there?

Hikari- Yup. He's coming out right now.

Saikyou- What!

Brian- Oh. Hi. You weren't supposed to see that.

Hikari- Well, not only did I see it, but I webcast it. And took pictures.

Brian- Where are all the cameras?

Saikyou- This is the fanfiction world. Everything is a camera.

Hikari- This cake is a camera! (cuts open cake to show camera.)

Brian- Perfect.