I landed with a thud in sand, jumping as Akumei hit hard on top of me. "Ow…" Once again, I had appeared too close to the ground to react and slow down first. "Why is this happening all of the sudden?" I slid out from under Akumei and looked around. "A desert, great…" I sighed, getting to my feet and pulling Akumei with me. I started half dragging him along the hot landscape with me. I was wet when I hit the ground so now I was covered in sand as well. I muttered under my breath as I continued doggedly forward for miles. Occasionally I would stumble and barely catch myself, afraid that if I fell, I wouldn't get back up again.

After what seemed like forever, I arrived at a town. Despite my exhaustion, I immediately caught a few very familiar scents and went towards them without hesitation. I was totally oblivious to the stares I was getting as I staggered down the road and entered a bar. As I swung the door wide, every eye in the place fell one me. I ignored it and proceeded to a table where four people sat. "H-hey g-guys…" I gasped out and then collapsed onto the ground.

"Oh my…" Hakkai murmured, staring.

Goku shoved the last of his food into his mouth and then jumped down beside me. "Kira? Wake up! Since when did you have wings?"

Gojyo got up now as well and crouched beside me. "Well, we gotta take her to our room now. Can't just leave her here…" He smirked slightly as he scooped up my limp form.

"Control yourself, Gojyo…" Hakkai said casually as he picked up Akumei as well and went out the door. Gojyo and Goku quickly followed.

"Should we just let them take her?" "She looked like some kind of angel!" "What are they going to do?" "We can't let those guys have her…" All of the whispering stopped immediately as Sanzo stood and shot them all a glare before leaving as well. He caught up with the others already at the hotel room.

"She's all gross and sandy…" Gojyo muttered as he set me on a bed.

"We need to get her cleaned up. Just a moment please." Hakkai said and then left the room. He came back shortly after with a girl just a few years older than me. "She has agreed to help." He smiled.

"Could you all please leave the room?" The girl asked hesitantly.

"What?" Gojyo asked, his face falling.

"Her father is the hotel's manager." Hakkai explained as he ushered the other three out of the room with him. "She has volunteered to fix Kira up for us. Meanwhile, we'll go explore the town!"

The girl nodded her thanks and shut the door behind them, turning to me. She looked me over curiously and then half dragged me into the bathroom. I was undressed, washed, and then wrapped in a wide robe while she took my clothes to be washed. She had trouble because of the wings and ended up having to cut the back out. Tying the belt around my waist to hold it closed, she dragged me back to the bed and laid me down, turning as a knock sounded on the door. She opened it to find all four guys standing there. "Oh, you're back." She murmured. "I've just finished. I'll take her clothes to be washed and they will be ready tomorrow. For now, she is still asleep. And so is that other man…"

"Alright, thank you very much." Hakkai smiled and she returned it, retreating down the hallway with my clothes in her hands.

The four poured into the room, heading straight to my sleeping form lying on the bed. "She definitely looks better now that's she's not covered in sand." Hakkai noticed.

"But when did she get wings?" Goku brought up again.

"Maybe she visited some world and was cursed with them." Hakkai laughed.

"Doesn't look like much of a curse…" Gojyo murmured, touching one lightly. "Hey, what's this?" He bent closer to me and reached for the silver locket around my neck.

"You don't remember?" Hakkai asked. "She showed us the first time we met. It holds picture of her family."

Oh yeah…" He said, releasing it. "Man, she's really out cold."

"Don't get any ideas." Sanzo muttered, shooting him a glare.

"Hey, it's not as fun when they're passed out." Gojyo smirked.

"Good, then you'll be leaving her alone tonight!" Hakkai cried cheerfully. "Except, there were four beds and now we're down to three. Who doesn't get one?"

"She refused it last time." Goku recalled.

"But she looks so comfortable now. Do you really want to force her to sleep on the floor?" Hakkai asked.

"No…"

"Let's play for it." Sanzo said, holding a pack of cards. Everyone quickly agreed and soon it was decided: Gojyo lost his shot at a bed.

"You didn't throw your games on purpose, did you Gojyo?" Hakkai asked.

"What? I never lose on purpose!" Gojyo shouted grumpily.

"Alright…" Hakkai sighed as he placed the sheets over me and then got into his own bed. Sanzo and Goku were already in there's. Gojyo was forced to settle down as comfortably as possible on the hard floor. He ended up leaning against the wall at the foot of my bed.

I awoke early the next morning, yawning sleepily at first and then snapping wide awake as I recalled passing out in the bar. Where am I now? I thought, looking around wildly. First thing I noticed was that I was no longer dirty or wearing the right clothes. Then I saw the guys all around and the top of Gojyo's head over the footboard on my bed. What happened? I paused. Why does my hair smell good?

I sat up jumping as a voice sounded out. "Good morning." I looked across the room and saw Hakkai was now sitting up as well and smiling towards me. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded wordlessly. "What happened after I…?"

"I carried you back and some girl cleaned you up. She's supposed to bring back your clothes sometime today." Gojyo replied with a smirk.

As if in reply, a knock sounded on the door. Hakkai got up to open it and a girl handed him a bundle of clothes and then left again after he thanked her. He crossed over to me and handed it all over. "Thanks…" He showed me to the bathroom and I went in to change. I slipped out of the robe, tied on the backless blue shirt, and slipped on the almost knee length black skirt before returning to the room with the four men. "This feels better…" I said with a small laugh.

"Why didn't you wear more stuff like that before?" Gojyo asked.

"I didn't have a choice this time." I replied, blushing. "These were the only clothes I was given."

"Where did you get those wings?" Goku asked, coming over to us. Sanzo was watching from his bed, still seemingly half asleep.

"In a tournament for demons I fought in the last round. My opponent threw some gas at me and when I breathed it in, I got these wings." They were tucked in against my back, since we were inside, but still were very noticeable.

"But wouldn't that help you? Why would your opponent do that?" Hakkai asked.

"He didn't know what it would do. He was kind of conducting an experiment in the middle of the match." I sighed.

"Did you win though?" Gojyo asked.

"Yeah, I actually killed him… but I brought him back to life again."

"What? How'd you do that?" Goku cried out.

"With my sword…" I murmured, pointing to it as it lay against the wall beside Akumei. "We're friends now since he felt guilty. When he was revived, he was entirely healed but I was beat up almost to the point of death. He stayed with me until I grew better." I stared at the floor nervously during the silence that followed.

"I'm hungry." Goku finally declared.

"We'll eat later." Sanzo muttered.

"Can I have another picture of all of us?" I asked suddenly. They agreed and I snapped it quickly before putting away the camera again. "Thanks." I grinned. In the next instant, I was leaning forward with my head almost touching the ground as I clutched it tightly.

Are you ready?

Yes…

That was all that was said. I looked back up at the guys. "I'm leaving again…" I murmured as I crawled towards Akumei. I strapped on the sword and camera bag, all the while worrying about that girl. Why did she sound so faint? It's like she was about to pass out or something…

"Are you alright?" Hakkai asked me.

I looked up, smiling to hide my concern. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm leaving now but who knows, I might come back again! I have so many times already…" I stood as I started to glow and wrapped Akumei's arm around my shoulder. "See you later…" I disappeared from the room with one last wave.

"Something was definitely troubling her…" Hakkai murmured.

Gojyo knelt down and picked up the single black feather that lay on the floor. "Yeah…"

"We cannot let her problems distract us. Let's go." Sanzo said, standing and going out the door.

"Food!" Goku cried as he, Hakkai, and Gojyo all followed.


"Sent…" The girl's voice was even quieter than before.