Kirby-Chan: Hello! I AM ESTATIC!!! 52 REVIEWS!!! I am so I happy, I can scream!
Simon Belmont: Hey, Mika! When are you going to do a Castlevania story? I need a job!
Kirby-Chan: TOO LATE!!! I'm all ready starting a fic with a Belmont! -(I don't own Castlevania! HA!)
Simon: WHAT!!! WHY NOT ME!!!
Kirby-Chan: Because you came form the late Renaissance! And I need some from around the feudal area of Jap- DARN IT!!!
Simon: Huh?
Kirby-Chan: I don't want to spoil any thing for my readers!
Simon: ::waves to readers:: Well, that means Mika is plotting something for a new fic. Until then, Enjoy this chapter-
Kirby-Chan: ::pulls out Website address:: And these pretty pictures of Simon and other Castlevania people I found!! (I don't understand the language but the pictures are nice!)
Simon: NO FAIR!!! I don't pull out websites with your picture on it!!!!
Kirby-Chan: You need more fan girls. ::to readers:: The guy with red hair is him! Sorry for wasting your time! Here's the Chapter!!!

#####################################

An Unlikely Fellowship

Chapter 12: A Close Call

The powerful glare of the huntress scanned the land in front of her. She was a watcher and preferred to be prepared for any attack that would come from an on coming enemy. She had a strong body, beaten and some what scarred from the many battles she had fought over the long years. Yet, the warrior's face was gentle and very beautiful. Her long raven hair danced with wind as she carried her favorite weapon, the Hiraikotsu. Her hand softly stroked the fur of her trusty pet, Kirara as she carefully checked the whole surrounding area.

As soon as she saw that the cost was clear, she turned to her group of friends that trotted close behind her. "Come on every one!" Sango called, "There is a clear path we can take!" The first of the group to meet up with Sango was the young houshi, Miroku. As holy as he may appeared, this "monk" had a problem with "touching" beautiful women. However, Miroku had a close connection with the huntress and made sure that it was him that got to her first.

He glanced out to where the huntress scouted and said, "Odd, I sense no youkai nearby. Kagome-sama, didn't you say you felt a shard this way?" The young miko strolled to her comrade's side nodding, "Yes, I am certain that I felt one this way. It's faint, but if we keep going straight we should run right into it...however, something does not feel right." Miroku turned to the rest of the travelers and walked to Kuwabara, "Kuwabara-San, could you tell me what you feel coming from in front of us?"

Inu Yasha growled at the houshi's request, Miroku had only recently gotten known this big dork. Now he was asking the moron's opinion. On the other hand, Miroku knew Kazuma Kuwabara wasn't the smartest nor the most handsome man on the planet, but Miroku trusted his spiritual awareness more than his own, he needed a second opinion and Kuwabara was the best choice to get it from.

Kuwabara glared into the fields suddenly, he felt some thing squeeze in his stomach, telling that something was definitely wrong. "There's something out there, and it feels really creepy. Houshi-sama, are you sure you want to go there?" Yusuke patted the back of his friend and laughed, "Come on Kuwabara! Don't be a puss!" Kuwabara stomped at the teen, "I didn't say n'thing 'bout being "scared"! I was just saying we gotta be careful!!"

The fire youkai glared at the tall ningen with his crimson eyes, "Hn. Then let's go and meet this threat. I tire of all these meaningless conversations." Inu Yasha stepped beside Hiei and mocked, "Maybe you should stay behind. We wouldn't want to lose you in the tall grass." Hiei smirked and welcomed the challenge, "Oh no, I can manage myself. I'm just worried that you might find that sniffing the butts of other dogs maybe more enjoyable." "You little bastar-" Just then a large stick was thrown into Hiei as a voice yelled, "You two better SIT down and calm down!"

Inu Yasha instantly plummeted to the ground, causing the nearby Yusuke to start laughing. The fire youkai glared at the miko with burning eyes, "Onna, stop throwing things!" Suddenly, another large stick was hurled at him as Kagome shouted, "MY NAME IS KAGOME NOT ONNA!!" Botan figured she would have to stop the group from killing each other so she hovered on her boat ore above them hoping to get their attention, "I can quickly shoot above the area and get a glimpse at what we're dealing with!" Before she could get the group's approval, Botan raced into the air to scout ahead.

Yusuke growled, "Damn it, she's going to get herself into trouble I just know it!" With that Yusuke dashed into the fields after the ferry woman. Sango mounted Kirara and nodded in agreement, "Yusuke may need back up! Are you coming everyone?" Like a flock of wild geese, the group ran off one after another into the crisp, yellow fields.

Botan flew above the fields looking for any disturbance. Oddly, she felt as if she was being watched so she stopped turned around...Nothing. With a sigh of relief, Botan began to start her scouting quest when suddenly, A large mole like creature sprung from the ground, opening his jaws as if to snap her out of the air. Botan screamed as she barely dodged the
monstrous teeth of the mole youkai. As fast as her ore could take her, Botan raced back toward the others shouting, "It's in the ground! Yusuke, the monster is in the ground!!"

Yusuke stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Botan zooming away from a giant mole, "Hang on Botan!" "Yusuke-san! Don't that thing will kill you!" shouted Miroku as Sango gripped the Hiraikotsu, ready to swing it at the beast.

Yusuke spat in the dirt and hissed, "Not if I kill that damn thing first." To Sango and Miroku's surprise, Yusuke held out his finger in front of him as the demon speed closer, and closer.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Screamed Inu Yasha as he tried to reach to him first. Suddenly, a blue-white aura appeared at the tip of Yusuke's finger. The creature rose from the soil once more, gaping it's mouth open to shallow Yusuke whole. Yusuke just smirked as he shouted, "Hey, fur face! I hope your hungry cause I have a Rei Gun Special with your name on it!" With
that a large white energy shot from Yusuke's finger engulfing the creature as it disintegrated into dust.

Inu Yasha tripped in surprise as Miroku and Sango's jaw dropped. "H-his attacks are almost like Kagome-sama's!!" Miroku gasped. "WHAT THE HELL?" shouted Inu Yasha to Yusuke, "You didn't tell me you shoot freak' in laser beams from your fingers!" Kagome smiled as she ran over to Yusuke, "That was amazing! you guys really are some thing!" The Spirit
Detective smirked with pride, "Feh! Hey, Kagome, call it a hunch but, I think that thing was the one with a jewel shard."

Kagome nodded as she scanned the area with her miko energy. She was the only one in the group that could feel the jewel shards no matter how strong their spiritual senses where. Sure enough, there was a jewel shard in the heap of dust. "Found it!" She called as she dashed over to it's area. As she reached to pick up the jewel shard the ground around her caved in as she fell into the dark hole. "Miss Kagome shouted Kurama as he and Hiei dived in after her.

"Oh no you don't!" Shouted Inu Yasha as he sprang in after them. Shippo, who had been sitting on Kuwabara's shoulder, cried as he watched the rest of the group jump in one after another, "Ahh! What are we going to do Kuwabara?" Right on que, Botan landed on to the ground and before she knew it, Shippo was shoved into her arms as Kuwabara leap into the

hole shouting, "Wait there!" The ferry Woman and the Kitsune pup glared at one another. "Shippo-Chan, I think they are trying to keep us from all the fun!" Shippo puffed out his chest in anger, "BAKAS!"

Kagome fell endlessly into the deep dark pit. She was used to floating down the well but this felt different. No matter how much she wanted to stop gravity it pulled on her even more until...'CRACK!' She had plummeted painfully to the ground. 'How come all these things happen to me?' she thought to herself as she tried to push her self off the ground. A sharp stinging pain form her arms and legs kept her from doing so. A hot river of tears streamed down her face as she lay limp on the ground.

'Things can't get any worse.' she thought as she rolled in agony on to her back. As if on que, the group around her started moving and quaking. Suddenly, moles youkai the size of dogs emerged from the ground. Then it hit her, where was the jewel shard? She turned her head to her right hand. Crimson liquid trickled from it as from where the shard was jabbed into it.

'Just my luck,' she thought, 'They are going to eat my favorite arm first.' Kagome stared up to where she fell from. A sweet and beautiful smell then flooded her senses, as it seemed to rain flower petals. The creatures stopped in their tracks bumping into one other in confusion. 'That's right!' Kagome thought, 'Moles are blind and are dependent on their noses for food!' "ROSE WHIP!" Shouted a voice as a thorny green vine ripped into one of the moles. The other mole youkai smelt the blood of their fallen brother and rushed over to devour him.

Kagome felt her body being lifted off the ground, "Onna, how many times are you going to have to get yourself in trouble?" Kagome winced in pain and grunted painfully, "My name...is...Kagome, Hiei." "Hn. Don't waste your energy speaking. Kurama is dealing with those...things." "KA-GO-ME!!!" shouted a familiar voice. Of course, it was Inu Yasha and the
first thing he did was run over to her. Inu Yasha growled when he saw her once more in Hiei's arms. "What took you so long, half breed?"

Hiei handed the young miko over to the hanyou, "Get her out of here before those rats smell her blood." Inu Yasha nodded and sprang back out of the hole. Kurama elegantly leaped from on mole to the next, killing any thing that moved toward him. One by one, more moles borrowed out of the floor and walls of the holes, feeding on the dead. "HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango's giant boomerang smashed and tore through the creatures. Miroku knocked away any beast that neared Kirara and Sango. "Rei Ken!" Shouted Kuwabara as he slashed the many creatures with the energy sword. Yusuke of course, was blasting any thing that moved.

"There are to many of them!" Shouted Sango as she clung to her boomerang. "Then we should retreat for the time!" Kurama called to the rest of the group. "Hn. And I was beginning to enjoy our killing spree." With that the group retreated from the hole as the ground below them soon was covered in mole lings. As they reached the surface the found that Inu Yasha had laid Kagome on the ground while Shippo scurried about her body crying his eyes out. While Inu Yasha was threaten Botan saying, "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! HEAL HER NOW!"

Botan glared at the hanyou, "I can but with her bones misplaced she'll be crippled! I won't do that to her!" The rest of the group came over to them. "Kagome-Chan!" screamed Sango in horror as she knelt by her side. Kurama pushed his way to Kagome and began to examine her. His keen eyes studied her features and he turned to the others, "I will be able to help her but, I'll need Botan's help." The older kitsune gently took hold of the miko's arm and snapped it a certain way. Kagome screamed in agony as the dog-man grabbed the fox by the shirt, "What the hell are you doing to her!"

Kurama's eyes flashed golden as he lifted the inu into the air with one arm. Then with a deeper and colder voice, the kitsune spoke, "Back off you damn, puppy! I'm setting her bones back to where they are supposed be. Interfere again, and I'll shall not be as merciful." The other then decided to leave the fox alone as she worked on Kagome. After the hard part was done, Botan began to heal poor Kagome.

Kurama yawned as he turned happily to the others, "I'm impressed, she took it all very well. She should be fine." Inu Yasha raised an eye browl at him as he glanced at the fox's eyes, "What the hell was that? Your eyes changed." "It was just my demon self, Youko. He too seemed worried about Kagome. Your harsh actions made us both angry." Sango eyes widened, "Youko? As in Youko Kurama? But he's dead!" Yusuke and Kuwabara began to snicker.

Miroku nodded, "Yes, as I recall, there was a great kitsune thief by the name of Youko Kurama that stole from and killed many innocent people at will. It wasn't until a powerful holy warrior came and destroyed him." Shippo smiled when he knew that they where talking about a kitsune, "Youko?! My dad used to tell me many stories about how powerful he was." Hiei walked over to Kagome as he replied, "Hn. He is the one and only Youko. Though, he didn't exactly die."

Kurama shook his head in agreement, "With the last of my energy I hid my soul in a scared tree and slept until I had enough strength to get a body. But believe we should leave before the moles have a chance to regroup." "All done!" called Botan with glee, "Kagome just needs a good night sleep and she'll be as good as new!" Kagome lay on the ground in a deep peaceful sleep. Kirara knelt by Kagome as Inu Yasha lifted her on to the cat youkai's back. "Let's hurry!" Kuwabara mumbled, "That hole just keeps on bugging me." Yusuke had enough, those stupid moles had given them so much trouble today. They almost failed their assignment because of those fur balls plus, they smelt really bad which pissed off Yusuke even more.

Once more the teen approached the hole, down below, the creatures began to climb on top of one another to reach the outside. Yusuke held out his finger in front of him as he roared, "REI GUN!" This time an even bigger energy ball shot from his finger as it ripped into the hole devouring the youkai in it's white light. The whole group turned to the young man as he causally trotted back to the others but all he said was, "They where pissing me off."

Inu Yasha roared with laughter as he joked, "The hell, grease-monkey! I was just about to kick their asses myself!" Yusuke smirked, "I'm sorry, maybe next time I'll some for you. Stupid Dirt rats!" Miroku rubbed his temples, "......Bakas. Well at least now we won't have to move to far." With that the team once more began their long journey.

Little did they know, that Sesshomaru was prepared to being a journey of his own. One that would end when they

would meet.

####################################

HOLY!!! That's a lot to happen in one chapter!!! O.O()