Tora-chan: Yea people like my writing. I had two reviews since the last chapter asking me to continue. And because of AngelFoxtail and Shiba-san I started to write this chapter for you two. (Happily typing away)
Aillas: You two made her very happy, so happy that she decided to let me go home.
Tora-chan: Yes at the end of this week Aillas is going back to Tren and Yuki will be coming back, hopefully in time for the next chapter.
Aillas: Yes, I'll be going home
Vitanie: Not if I can help it (trying to back Aillas into a corner with rope in hand).
Tora-chan: While we try to help Aillas stay away from Vitanie were going to let you read the next chapter. (Vitanie untie Aillas right now!)
---------------
Last time: Vitanie and group fought off a Lyjian attack. Leiko and Hideaki came back to help.
---------------
Vitanie opened her eyes and jumped up in shock, "What the freaknoid?" She scanned the room and then sank back down when she remembered what had happened.
"Good you're awake," Leiko said as she walked in and dropped a wet wash cloth on top of her head. "I go to get this and you wake up, you just do that to annoy me don't you?"
Vitanie's ear started twitching because of the cloth lying on top of it. Vitanie looked up at Leiko as she grabbed the cloth and held it in front of her.
"Thank you Leiko. You came to warn us about the attack and then you watch over me until I woke up. Thank you for everything."
"Don't go thanking me. I still plan on killing you myself. Until that time no one else is allowed to beat me to it," the tan tigress snarled making Vitanie laugh. "What do you find so funny?"
"We both know that you don't mean that," Vee chuckled eyeing her.
"Sure I do, I'm going to kill you because you're driving me nuts and doing exact what I tell you not to do and on top of that I'm going to kill you because you made me actually like you," Leiko managed to snarl as she started to laugh with Vitanie.
"I didn't make you do anything. You didn't have to like me; you decided that on your own. Just like you decided to follow that Tijian life debt on your own; you could have ignored that by claiming your Lyjian side," Vitanie countered still laughing.
"You do that just to annoy me don't you?"
"Do what?"
"Read my personality so well that it looks like you've known me for ages," Leiko answered trying to contain her laughter.
"No, it's just an added bonus," she replied her laughter growing again. Leiko joined in and they kept laughing both ending up on the floor holding their sides.
That was how Yuki and Hideaki found them several minutes later. Both were in tears from laughing so much trying to regain their breath.
"What's going on?" Yuki asked in shock. Both tigresses turned toward the wolf and started laughing all over again.
"I don't think we want to know," Hideaki smirked shaking his head and walking away.
-----
Kagome walked slowly over to Inuyasha who was helping right the temple gate that had fallen during the battle. Over where the fire had broken out she saw Sango, Miroku, and Hiroshi helping stack logs and rocks until the wall could be properly repaired. Kohaku was helping Mari and Shippo remove some of the damaged materials from the fires. When she was only a few yards away Inuyasha spoke up.
"You get the shard?"
"Yeah, but don't you find it weird that there is a shard? I have the complete jewel right here, so how is this shard connected?"
"You're right, we got the last shards from Koga right after the battle with Naraku," Inuyasha mumbled when he stopped to think about that. "We should bring up later when we have a chance to talk about it," he finally shrugged and pushed the gate the rest of the way into place, while Yuki reattached it to the wall.
"That is an interesting question indeed," a voice spoke up from behind Kagome. She turned and saw Mani standing there with a cloth pressed to her arm where she had gotten cut. From behind Mani, Kagome could she Vitanie and Leiko come out of the temple and head over to them.
"How could a shard be missing from a complete jewel? That truly is a puzzle, unless of course that isn't the complete jewel," the priestess said with a small smile.
"Oh that's right, you finished the jewel just before we meet," Vitanie commented having heard the conversation. She then turned toward Mani, "Should we try the purification ritual again tomorrow? It kind of got interrupted today."
Mani looked over at Vitanie and saw the worry and fatigue that weighed down on her. "You have been working too much. What are you doing up? You should be resting," the priestess exclaimed shooing Vitanie back toward the temple.
The gesture made her growl as she dodged the shooing hands and moved further from the temple.
"I can't let you guys do all the work, so I'm here to help. And stop being a mother hen, I have enough of them with Yuki and Hiroshi I don't need you and Leiko added to the count," she huffed causing Leiko and Kagome to chuckle.
"You should tell her before she gets even more upset."
At that everyone jumped and turned toward where Sora now stood behind Mani. Her eyes weren't completely focused but she wasn't completely connected to a spirit at the moment either.
"You are right, no more putting this off. Vitanie please come with me," Mani sighed before turning and walking toward the temple. Vitanie followed Mani to the temple and quickly realized she wasn't the only one. Everyone was following them wanting to know what was going on.
Mani had walked up to a wooden box that had protection seals plastered around it. With only a light tap on the top of the box the seals fell away allowing her to pick the box up and carry in over to the know very curious tigress and her friends.
"From the way that you disregarded your own safety to protect this temple and your friends I was able to see that you are indeed the one to have this. Please use it with care," she stated lifting the lid off to reveal a beautiful katana with a white wrapped hilt. At the base of the blade a diamond was inlaid to cause the whole to sparkle with light.
Vitanie slowly reached for the sword and drew out of the box, the grip felt like it was molded for her hand as she felt the balance and weight of the blade.
"The Hoshi Ken, after all this time we finally have the key to the last piece of the puzzle," she breathed out in awe.
She barely heard Inuyasha grumble, "I don't see how that blade is any better then my tetsusaiga." That gained him a smack upside the head from Kagome and a glare from Yuki.
"Now I insist that you stay the night tonight and rest," Mani said with a clap of her hands.
"No, they have brought enough trouble to us already. And why did you give that blade to a demon," Shaiming yelled from where he stood just inside the temple doors. The little man looked irate and about ready to burst a blood vessel when he saw the sword in Vitanie's hand. Mani on the other hand just handed the white and silver lined sheath to the tigress before addressing him.
"Shaiming, I know that Vitanie is the person to possess this sword. Besides I thought you would be at least a little happy at the prospect of being able to go home," she sighed giving him a hard look. He just grumbled and stalked off again. "I don't think I can apologize enough for his behavior," she bowed to the others.
"Don't worry about it. He is just trying to protect you in the way he thinks is best," Vitanie replied sliding the sword slowly into the sheath before tying the sword to her belt.
"You're too forgiving," Leiko replied from where she was leaning against the wall near the door.
"Yeah better believe it. You allow a Lyjian how wants to kill you and a fox that kidnapped you to travel with you," Hideaki added with a smirk.
Vitanie turned to them with a sweet smile on her face, "Be that as it may, you both have decided to help me of your own accord. I have never once asked or requested your help."
Leiko opened her mouth to argue then quickly shut it when she realized the truth of that statement. She gave a rather un-scathing glare before turning and walking out. Hideaki gave a small wave of his hand before following her knowing that she wanted to vent and was going to give her a target to do so.
"They have a point you are too trusting," Inuyasha said walking up to her.
"You let them in without a blink on an eye. You need to be more cautious," Yuki added.
"And you need to remember that I also let a wolf that tried to eat me the first time I met him travel with me as well," she frowned at him. "You need to trust my judgment here. They won't betray us, I trust them."
With that she motioned to Kagome, Sango, Mari, and Sora to follow her over to Mani where they decided that a soak in the hot springs was in order.
--------
Tora-chan: Okay I'm sorry for how short this is, but I had the hardest time writing this chapter. I don't even care for it that much.
Aillas: It is fine, I'm sure your readers will enjoy it (rubbing her back trying to soothe her).
Tora-chan: You're just saying that because you want to make sure that you can still go home (moping)
Hiroshi: Tora-chan he's right it's fine. It took you forever to write but you pushed through that writers block and got the chapter out.
Tora-chan: But I still have writers block. Well I'm tired and going to bed. Sorry but no promises on when I'll get the next chapter out. I'm trying to get a new position at work so I've been busy. Well laters.
Hiroshi: Please review they inspire her to write more.
Aillas: It's been wonderful being her with you all, but I'm leaving and going back to Tren. Have a wonderful morning, day, and night. Cheerio.
Hiroshi: You do realize you stole my line right (walking away with Aillas to get something to eat).
