Disclaimer: Well, here it is again. I do not nor will not own anything done or made by Tamora Pierce.

Chapter 14: Children Are a Pain

Daine looked at me with wide eyes from the spot that she had fallen in surprise. Then someone picked me up from where I was dropped and turned me around to look closely at me. It was Numair. He peered at me and checked me all over.

"I believe that this is Diana. Daine, so you know how to undo the changes?"

"No, but I can get her father, I heard that he was here to visit with her."

"Alright. Diana, I want you to stay here. We will bring your father to you. Can you watch our child? She can be a handful."

He smiled kindly at me and set me down. I looked to either of them, and then nodded, showing that not only did I understand, but that I would also watch their child. They left in a flurry of capes and robes.

Sighing, I sat down and looked around. This place was not bad, although it was a little dark. Deciding that I should at least see where the little girl would be, I get up and wonder around. What really interested me was a back room that was absolutely dark, but the door was open a crack. Padding up to it, I squeezed through the whole, that door was heavier than it looked. Looking around, like only a cat could do, I see that this is a workroom. A room specially designed to hold in magic if anything escaped the caster.

There were all sorts of spells set up in here that went on without the mage nearby. Never in all my long life have I ever seen spells able to do that. This mage must be strong enough to create even his own Immortal if he wished; he could probably make himself into an Immortal.

I realized that if I make the wrong move, I could get incinerated so I left. Mewing to myself, I squeezed back through the door and went to the other rooms. From the smell of the first room, I figured that it was Daine and Numair's.

Shaking my head a little, I walk onto the next room. The door closed so I put me nose to the bottom to sniff. There was something in there, well, a couple somethings. One was familiar, but I could quite place it, the other was what I believed to be Daine's daughter. Deciding to "let sleeping dogs lie" I went back to the living room and leapt onto a comfortable looking chair.

Five minutes later, there was creaking of a door and paddling of feat. I lazily lifted my head to look up at the front door. That wasn't open, but what was?

All of a sudden something squealed and I soon found my answer… and it hurt! Sharp pain arose from the fur on one of my tails. I mewed loudly and my head shot in that direction. A child by the looks of four was pulling on my tail fur. With sheathed claws, I batted at the child's hands.

She screamed at me, then started batting at me with… tentacles? Her screeches brought out the other creature that was in her room… a dragon. She took one look at the situation then whistled loudly. It was so high pitched that it hurt my ears, making me cover them. It seemed to have the some kind of effect on the girl, because she suddenly let go of my tail and looked ashamed.

I snatched the offended tail back close to my body, the other tail covering over it. Glaring at the child, I jump backwards, onto the high back of the seat. The child looked at me with a pout, and then all of a sudden she started shifting. Warily I watched her, waiting for any sudden movements.

The transformation was ugly. Her feet slowly shrank to talons while her legs slowly grew feathers and shrank, the nose and mouth on her face melted together to form a large beak on her face while her head shrank and narrowed to form an eagle's head. Her arms twisted and shrank, feathers slowly etching onto them. All the while, I could hear her bones cracking and grinding as the moved and even new one grew. I could also hear the organs shifting around in her stomach, and those that I could hear; I knew that they were disappearing as others grew.

Within seconds she was a bird of prey, and staring straight at me with a glint in her eyes. Then, she flapped those wings and was in the air and coming right for me. Mewing in despair, I leapt off the back of the chair and onto the table behind it just as she struck the chair. The girl was in the air again, hot on my tail. Blocking all sounds out except for the flapping of wings, I concentrated on dodging her so that I would not get killed in her attacks.

But how, why would a child attack me? She's just a child, or is she mad at me and having one of her toddler fits…? Oh great, a fit! I remember when Klorilyle had those fits! I hated my aunt's child, that little- Hello!

I jumped again as the talons snatched at me again. This was getting boring, but I couldn't do anything to stop her. Then an attack from the side got me. Somehow I missed her and her wings batted against me, making me fly to floor. That's when my senses came back in a rush, I could hear the dragon's shrill whistles of panic and the clatter as something glass hit the floor. Just then the door opened and Numair walked in, fallowed by me dad and Daine.

"Jenna! That is enough!"

Numair was usually happy and rarely angered, but he seemed beyond angry now. Lightning crackled in his eyes as he stared down at his daughter, who immediately lowered herself to the ground and transformed back into her original form.

"Bad toy."

She screamed the whole way down the hall. Daine rushed to my side as Numair followed his little monster child to her room. Daine checked the cut on my shoulder and tried to heal it, but something blocked her. Sighing, she set me down.

"You have shields on you that I cannot get through to help you, you must take them down so that I can show what to do and you can have your regular body back."

Concentrating inward, and sure enough, there was a silvery sparkle "wall" around me. It was tight, and from the looks of it, I did not put it up. Rushing back inward, I look up at my father.

"Your mother put it on you. You may just have to watch Daine do it from her mind."

Just at that moment, other people started to crowd around. I guess I made a bigger ruckus than I perceived. Soon there was another child pulling and tugging on me, then another, and another. It seemed endless. My father was actually pushed out the door and Daine was pushed down the hallway. We were all separated and I was in danger of being hugged to death.

I slipped from one careless girl's arms and out the door. Soon I was fleeing for my life with a whole pack of kids stampeding behind me.

What is it with kids and cats? Do they always go after them like this?

Actually no. I do not know why they are chasing you, but I suspect that you are about to find out.

You, get out of my head. You're starting to get on my nerves. You're never here unless it's too late and you're rarely ever any help.

Fine.

The presence that was there was suddenly… not. She just disappeared. I know that I told her to, but I didn't think that she would actually disappear. It kind of felt… well… it felt lonely. But I had other things to worry about, like the pack of rabid children close on my heels.

Abruptly I turn a corner and squeeze through the bars of a gate. I glance back, but the children were stopped the padlock keep the gate shut, they didn't have the keys. Stopping completely, I study them; they didn't look nor moved right, almost like dolls. Shaking my head to clear it, I watch them closer. They soon seemed to have lost interest and left.

Then something landed in front of me. Not waiting to see what it was, my nose told me to get out of there, for the thing definitely was not friendly, or even human. I tore off down the stairs, not caring where they led.

The thing was close on my heels; I could feel its hot breath on my back. The thing was huge. It could easily swallow me, four times the tiny size I was right now in one bite. I knew I was tiny, Sakura was tiny; she could easily sit on my shoulder and barely touch my ear. I could sit on an average person's shoulder and touch the top of that person's ear.

I convulsed in pain and fell, my momentum making me tumble forward still. My right hip was in excruciating pain. I slowly rise to sitting position and look at it. Claws had raked it and I couldn't put any kind of weight on it at all.

Great, I'm going to be missing even more class. Maybe I can have Sakura pass as me.

Remembering that I was not alone, my head shot up and looked at the creature. He was standing over me, looking down. It looked at if someone had taken a bulldog and pumped it up until it was the size of an elephant. It had a huge mouth that could not only eat something four times my size in one gulp, but probably a whole pregnant, horned cow, horns and all. It had no fur, but was just basically purple-pebbled skin with many warts and huge bumps. Its eyes were easily the size of a shield, and pure red. There were also huge silver spikes or spines all over its body. There was only one reason for this thing to exist… death.

I could tell that it was an immortal, not only by the hum in my mind, but also by the silver claws and fangs. It opened it mouth and leapt at me. I closed my eyes, knowing that I was going to die, and waited for the impact… It never came.

Opening my eyes, I see Sosonokatsu's white hair as his claws strike out and dig into the thing, tearing out its flesh. Dark green liquid oozed out of its wounds. Injuring it seemed the wrong move, for it became even more vicious and faster. Soon, both were all cut up and bloody, but still going at each other.

Both my tails were thrashing violently as I watched, fearing for Soso's life. I bared my fangs as he was thrown against the wall, denting it while some of the plaster fell off. Looking closer, I see that this is part of a grave like place. Being superstitious I begin to fidget and shiver, thinking of all the spirits that could be here… watching… waiting to strike.

Just as Sosonokatsu ripped out its still beating heart, something grabbed me. I hissed and merowled at the thing, but it ended up strangled as it gripped my lower and upper jaws together. The hand also held my head in place, rendering it impossible for me to turn to see who it was.

It was holding me in its arms, close to its chest. It felt human, but that didn't mean anything. Looking down, I see that it has claws instead of fingernails on its humanlike hands. I then started struggling as hard as I could, but it just chuckled at my futile attempts.

"Sosonokatsu, are you missing something?"

I could feel his silky deep voice rumble in his chest. The hand on my mouth started to glow and feel kind of hot and uncomfortable. I try to pull my head back, but it was useless. Then all of a sudden there was a tight leather muzzle wrapped around my nose. Glaring at it, I will it to set fire, but it doesn't work. Again I try, but then see that it is shielded against magic. It was useless; my legs were pinioned to the man's chest.

"Kakon, I see that you have been doing your homework, want me to toss you a dead rat?"

That was a double insult. Not only does it portray that he needs a treat for a reward for all his hard work, but also that he couldn't kill his own prey.

Wait a minute! How dare HE! He doesn't even care that this dark, hot… NO! Evil bastard has me pressed against his well defined, muscled, NO! Chest. NOW THIS HOT BASTARD IS EVEN STROKING ME! Doh. Wait a minute; did he just say that he owns me?

"Go sniff your ass, Dogboy. I'm pretty sure she'd make a great pet with a little training, what do you think?"

I jerk my head free of his grasp, but I still couldn't bite him so I looked at Soso. His eyes were faintly glowing red, his claws were glowing a slight blue, his fangs were bared, and he was growling. I could tell he was almost to point of insanity, but wasn't sure if this Kakon knew. Soso just might be crazed enough to attack.

"Go shed your skin like the lowly snake you are."

Just then ninja leapt down into this death pit and rush at Katsu. As they seemed to gain up on them, Sakura comes in roaring out of the sky in her battle form and gets into the fight. I look up to see this Kakon's face.

His hair is black as coal and his eyes were red with slits. In the middle of his forehead was a black circle and on the sides were black dragon wings. On the sides of his face were two dark green stripes, one on each side, which started in font of his ears and stopped half an inch from the corners of his mouth. Seeing me, he smirked, which irked me.

"I will not fall for your instigating today, Sosonokastu."

How dare this dark, hot, deli-No! Bastard touch me!

Growling, I struggle and jerk around but his grip does not budge. Then I remember my claws, which I dug deeply into his ribs, where they were pinned. He cried out and his grip loosened a little. That was all I need and I slipped out. Landing on my feet, I run towards the battle. All of a sudden I fling back, as if I was tied to something and I hit the end of it. I look down and see the magical "rope" leading from the end of my muzzle to Kakon's wrist.

He laughed evilly and tugged the leash, making me flying backwards to land at his feet. He then reached down and picked me up. His claws wrapped around just under my font legs, as you would with a bad puppy.

"Now, now little girl, I will not have disobedience. It seems that you are to smart for your own good. I have a temporary remedy for that."

Putting under me under one arm, he wedged me tight so that I couldn't move. He reached in a little puck inside a pocket in his sleeve. Just as I was about to dig my claws into him again, he tossed sparkling dust at my face. My body started to go limp on its own accord. I slowly started to loose my vision, blurring the fight as I slowly drifted into the total darkness of unconsciousness. The last thing I heard as the last little tendril of comprehension dissipated, was the feral roar of Sakura.

Translations

Haku: white

Hanyou: half-breed

Inu: dog

Kakon: root of evil

Katana: a type of curved sword that Japanese samurai use, or in this case, Yamani samurai

Kimono: a Japanese outfit that the girls wore

Kobodou: fighting in close combat with weapons

Neko: a cat

Obi: the sash around the middle of the kimono to hold it shut

Sakura: the blossoms of a cherry tree

Sensai: a teacher or tutor

Sensu: a flip fan used in Japan

Youkai: demon

Name Meanings:

Sosonokatsu: spelt incorrectly, actually Sosonokasu, but it means, to instigate and/or to seduce

Kakon: root of evil

A/N: Okay, this took me a while. I am sorry that it took so long. I had math AIMS, then I got sick with allergies, which upgraded to bronchides. I just got over it mostly. But as I promised, here's chapter 14. I will try to put up the next chapter A.S.A.P., and hopefully I will not get sick this time.

ephona: Thanx for the support. Yes, we are all crazy here. Unlike some people who do not fit in here, they should go away… not naming any names. I'm glad you like my story, I hope you like this one too. I got really bored and it took a kind of twist. I blame The Boredom.

Kerichi: Why you keep saying that the chapter is interesting? Usually when you say that, you are either bored with it or you don't like it!

Kristiana: It's not very good to get addicted to anything; especially my story. It'll eat you brain. Don't blame me when all of a sudden you can't do you homework. Now here are the answers to your questions. 1: The blue triangle is on the left side. 2: Diana is almost "17" and Soso is "17 ½". 3: The chapter kind of skip days, they're not day by day, unless it was the chapters of when she was sick. When her father came, it was like two months later from the sickness. I hope that this will help you.

Tranquil-Insanity: I'm glad that you "loved this chapter". Trapping her as a cat was a weird twist that I decided on at the very end. But here's the next chappie, hope you like it.