Chapter 19 -- The Prisoner and the Jewel
Note: this chapter has switched POV. This chapter will be from Kurama's pov. Enjoy.
Note 2: I know I feel that there's too many pronouns, don't have to tell me. I could either butcher it up and take another 3 months or let you have it now. I chose now, so love me.
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Kurama stared at his kidnapper wondering what her plan was. He was almost sure that she wouldn't kill him, but he had second thoughts about the sword. He had seen how she fought with that sword at the front lines, and he was positive it would slice him in half if he attacked a few feet from her.
He preferred long-range attacks, as they were less likely to flaw his perfect skin. It wasn't that he was vain; he didn't like getting hurt. He somehow knew his family would not be harmed. The last time his family had been threatened…
He shook his head because that was a dark time in his past. Kurama took pride in his composure, so until the ordeal was over, he vowed to keep his cool no matter what.
The girl should be pleased that he was able to keep his word and didn't skin her alive for that underhanded and shrewd way of kidnapping him. He supposed that he wouldn't have gone if she had simply asked. Youko might have, but not him. So, he did give her credit.
Kurama silently watched her as she led him away from his house and towards his captivity. He could feel her energy, and it wasn't malicious or evil. He wanted to say it felt pure, but someone who could wield a sword that killed without mercy and could threaten his family couldn't be all that good.
He stayed mainly for the sole fact he wanted to solve the damn puzzle. If he wasn't attracted to riddles and games he wouldn't be in this mess. He could have killed her long ago and everything wouldn't have turned out like this.
She led him back to her shrine. They silently walked up the shrine steps. He was curious as to what he would find waiting for him at the top of the steps, and was prepared for everything, so that nothing could surprise him.
This felt oddly like a death march and it was his funeral. He knew deep down he wouldn't die today, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be wounded either. He was surprised when a young boy, about the age of his own brother, ran out from the house.
"Hey Kagome, I thought you were bringing home a demon?" The cheerful little boy gave Kurama a quick up and down with his eyes before returning them to his sister.
"Souta, this is the demon." Kagome stopped and introduced the two.
"So where are the ears?" Souta asked walking around Kurama like he was a piece of meat. "Or at least a tail…or even claws. My sister is human and she has sharp claws." Souta giggled and ran from his sister's fury.
"I'll get you for that one Souta!" Kagome shouted shaking her fist and shaking her head. She was a weird one; she was smiling the entire time she threatened her brother. "Now, I'm sorry about the accommodations, but you'll be staying in there." She pointed to a building.
Kurama could feel the wards radiating from the building. He knew, from the moment he sensed them, that this place would be his prison. Well, it was better than some reeking dungeon with a stench that would stick in his sensitive nose.
He walked into the large room.
It was spotless minus the fine amount of settled dust indicating stuff had been removed. "Wow, Mom brought a futon. That was sweet of her. I'll have to ask mom to bring you some supper, since you weren't able to eat before you came. I am sorry that it had to come to this."
He watched her as she picked up a few remaining plants. He eyed one and almost grabbed it out of her hands. "That's the red asclepias bicuspis! It's extinct! Where on earth did you get it? And that's the hemigenia obtuse!" Kurama felt the leaves and watched as they seemingly danced in between his fingers.
Kagome smiled. "I didn't know these guys had names. I should remove these guys since you are a plant user."
Kurama showed his hurt, loss and disappointment but he stood back and allowed her room to remove the plants. Most plants in this room were extinct. He had only read about them on the internet. Not even Youko had gotten the chance to harvest them or even see them.
"I'll leave them here under one condition." Kagome said staring at him trying to decide if this was a good idea or not. "You have to promise that you will look after them and will not use them as a weapon against me or my family."
It seemed like a fair enough deal. If the plants happened to attack on their own, then that was not apart of the clause. "Deal." He watched as Kagome set the pots back on the table and excused herself. His attention was still on the plants until he heard a voice at the door.
"You were faster than I expected and still standing." Kurama walked towards the front entrance to see what was going on. Kanna stood outside assessing the lack of damage on Kagome's body. "I thought you would have put up more of a fight for your freedom, fox."
Kurama snarled and reached out his hand to throttle the female demon. He hissed as his arm was shocked with energy. His eyes slanted as Kanna placed a seal by the door. He tried his best to stand, but the pain he was experiencing was overwhelming. It felt like his insides were trying to crawl their way out of his skin through his pores.
Kagome rushed inside and helped him to the floor. "Kanna, what did you do that for?" She screamed in confusion.
"That was the sealing scripture. It was needed so he can be contained. Otherwise,
he could walk out while you were sleeping and kill your family, making sure that he beat Hakudoshi to it." Kanna said looking straight through her. "His demon energy is sealed. He's not going anywhere. Have fun Kagome and make sure he's left alive long enough to get the shard." Kanna turned around and seemed to bleed into the shadows.
"Are you alright?" Kagome asked looking at the color of his skin and watched the rise and fall of his chest. "Do you need to lay down for a bit?"
Kurama shook his head. "I'll be alright once the room stops spinning." He closed his eyes and tried to breathe without feeling the need to throw up. He was glad he didn't eat supper. At the rate he was feeling, he would have vomited the entire meal and it would have been wasted.
He felt Kagome's feather light strokes down his back and her soft soothing voice filled his ear. He had to admit that she was great at nursing someone back to health. He allowed himself the brief moment of respite before gathering his wits about him once more. He sat back and rubbed his temples before moving to his eyes.
"Thank you. I'm fine now."
He watched as Kagome stood and left. He couldn't sense anything outside of the room. It was like everything outside of the room was dead and gone. Not knowing was just enough to drive him insane. If it wasn't for the small windows placed in various directions, he could have assumed everyone and everything was dead.
Kagome came back a few moments later with a tray in hand. "I brought you some aspirin for your head and once you can eat, some supper." She set the tray on a side table and left again. He wondered how he would spend his time. Even he only had so much patience. He could sleep the time away, but then he felt like he wasted the day.
He took the pill, and the smell of the food was enough to make him eat. He half tasted it for poison and half for how hot it was. It wasn't poisoned and it wasn't too hot to eat. Actually, it was really good.
Kagome returned several minutes later with a few more pots of plants. She even had her family help her bring them. He was shocked at what he saw. Most of the plants were supposed to be long extinct. He knew now that he wouldn't be bored.
He could feel the sleeping demon inside of him perk up to one smell that caught his attention. "I was wondering if you could nurse this little guy back to health. No matter what I try, I just can't seem to get him to thrive like the rest." She handed the pot over to him.
He wanted to check to see if he was drooling or not. This was a rare plant only found in the demon world atop one of the most dangerous mountains. Youko had tried and failed to gather the plant once. It had almost cost him his life, but now it was here in front of him.
How did she have plants like these in her possession? He half listened to the boy's chatter, but he did catch the mother's end comment, "It's a shame he doesn't have ears."
He wanted to ask what was wrong with this family. He was a demon who could kill them and all they worried about was his lack of ears. He was afraid of what would happen if he told them that he did have ears. He took a moment before he realized that he would be better off if he kept his mouth shut.
He didn't know why Kagome didn't open her mouth. She knew what he looked like, yet she never disclosed the information to her family. He watched as the mother ushered the son out of the room. He wanted to laugh and shake his head at the boy's lunacy. Who in their right mind would want to hang out with the captured fox demon? Obviously this family, because they weren't afraid of him.
Why weren't they? He should be a threat to them. Instead he was like a member of the family, albeit one that couldn't leave his prison. He wondered what would happen if he killed them all right now. He could kill the mother and the boy before the girl even knew what happened. She was busy with her back turned to him.
She would learn to never turn her back to her enemy. He reached into his hair and pulled a single rose from his hair. He momentarily debated on where he should start. He wasted that split second and he almost jumped back at the force of power that soared from the sword.
Kurama watched as the power crawled up her arm like a lover's caress. He willed himself to move, but he was rooted to the spot and smell of purifying power was so overwhelming, it took the breath from his lungs. He was caught like a deer in headlights. Youko screamed at him to do something. It was what he would have loved to do, but he was also busy screaming at himself to move.
His eyes never left her sword. She walked up to him and held out her hand. The power that was radiating off of her seemed to jump onto his skin. It felt like he was being burnt by her power and probably was.
"Your weapon." Kagome demanded coldly.
"Kagome, dear, it's only a rose." Her mother chided behind her.
Kurama raised his head and looked into her eyes. Her normally clear blue eyes were now cloudy and swirling with pink. It was as if she wasn't trying to control her power. That was it; she was giving into it. She was losing the battle within herself because her family was in danger. Needing to defuse the situation, and fast, he quietly handed over the rose.
The crimson petals swelled and the flower burst in full bloom before exploding. It was only a rose but it was filled with demon energy and she had purified it with a single touch. He watched as she fought to regain control of herself now that the situation was under control.
"I just wanted to present a thank you present for your mother." Kurama lied through his teeth, trying to make himself look like the victim.
"That was so sweet of you dear, but I'm afraid that I should be the one to apologize to you for having to keep you locked up in here." She replied back. The relation between the mother and himself was restored. Actually, it seemed as if she had no idea her life was in danger.
He watched as she excused herself and took her son with him. "If you want to kill me that's fine, but don't bring my family into this mess."
"I'm just repaying the favor," Kurama smirked.
"My hands are already stained in blood, both human and demon. I'm sure spilling the blood of one or even fifty more would do nothing to wash away my sin." Kagome sighed and sheathed the sword and placed it back on her back.
"How do you sleep at night knowing that?"
"On a soft bed under warm blankets. I can't change the past but I can change the future. That's all I need to know to keep me going."
"Why is the jewel so important to you?"
"Because it's my curse and my destiny. It came from me, so I have to put back the pieces together. I don't have a choice in the matter. Now, I will leave you for the evening. I'm sure you can entertain yourself for the rest of the night." Kagome turned and left.
Kurama watched her from a tiny window, wondering about what she had said. It was such a heavy burden if she really had to protect the jewel with her life. There was scripture that spoke of one female that lived to protect the jewel, but she was betrayed in the end. That was her problem; she had trusted someone in the first place. It was easier to not trust than to be scorned in the end. Either way, it was a sad existence and, it seemed like Kagome was reliving it.
He watched on as Kagome stared up at the moon. She suddenly looked so old, almost as if the stories were true, that she did live for five hundred years. He knew right then that
she had seen much more than she ever should have.
He watched on as her grandfather called her name and the aged look on her face vanished. She was the young teenager she was supposed to be again.
He brought the demon plant over to the futon Kagome had prepared for him. The reason why the plant didn't thrive was because it lived off demon energy. The small plant sucked up his power. It wasn't enough to drain him; after all, it was still a seedling.
'So what do you make of all this?'
.:I think she should have purified you.:.
'What, why?' Kurama curled up his lip to the sadistic fox in his mind.
.:You were going to kill her mother and brother. That would have made you lose respect points.:. Youko simply stated as he crossed his arms.
'She did threaten to kill my family…'
.:But at least she looks cute when she does it.:.
Kurama rolled his eyes, 'You know looks mean nothing to me.'
Youko growled, .:And that's the reason why you'll never get laid! You need a haircut, and you could use a facial, oh and that reminds me! Lay off the Pocky, it's causing you to break out.:.
'You know I don't care about looks; I'm more concerned with power.' Kurama restated.
.:Great, fine, whatever. This girl has power and you're obviously interested or you would have killed her for the killing your family comment… So now make yourself look better so I'm happy. Then everyone will be happy.:.
'No.'
.:No? Why not? This is supposed to make everyone happy, and I deserve to be happy too.:.
'Youko you don't really care about anything so long as your immediate needs are met. Besides, I'm more concerned about how long I'll have to be here than getting a haircut. The last time I got it cut the hairdresser was making love to my hair and it took four hours for a trim.'
.:Yeah, I remember, but at least he was cute.:.
Kurama shook his head and placed the plant to the side of the futon. He got up and walked to the door. Everyone was probably sleeping or getting ready to retire for the night. He decided to take this moment of opportunity to try to escape. He was a master thief after all. There wasn't a cage that could keep him in.
He walked to the door. There was a soft hum as the scrolls did their work, but he felt like he could simply walk right past. He snorted to himself. "And she's supposed to be a priestess."
A quarter of his body was through the door when Youko started to scream in his mind. The wave of nausea washed over him again. This time it was stronger. He remembered what that pale, girl demon had said. It sealed the demon inside. It meant that if he was human he could escape, but because Youko was part of him, he couldn't leave.
He did give them credit, but there was more than one way to escape. He stumbled along, using objects as leaning posts until he stopped seeing double. He slid open a window and stuck his arm out. Again Youko was screaming in his mind. He could see Youko huddled so far in the back holding his forearm as if he was the one that stuck his arm out and got purified.
That meant that he couldn't use windows or doors to escape. That was fine with him; it meant that he had more of a challenge presented for him. There was no thrill in trying to escape if there was a huge sign saying exit on it.
He took another rose from his hair and produced a whip when he caught sight of an old ladder that probably led to the roof. Half thinking that it would be rotten and if he pulled too hard then the building would come crashing down on his head, he tugged ever so gently at the wooden staircase.
The resulting crash would definitely defeat the purpose of escaping without anyone finding out.
He took a few steps up the old steps before he was thrown across the room and landed on his backside.
.:So I'm not the only one to get injured in this. Do it again!:.
"What the hell was that?" Kurama asked rubbing his bottom and going to inspect the force that threw him back.
Kurama peered up the stairs. He saw a Shinto statue pointed straight at him. He frowned. It was a strong demon repellant. By the looks of the dust that was caked on it and on the stairs he figured that no one had used the stairs in a while. There was no other way out.
He half frowned before he used his whip on the wall in frustration. He watched as the scrolls absorbed his power. He stood still waiting and watching to see if the power was reflected back at him. When nothing happened he walked over to the wall to inspect the damage.
There wasn't even a mark indicating what he had done.
Lips were pierced in a stern frown, he reached out and flicked the scroll. It fluttered to the ground. He tried another scroll and the same thing happened. He figured there had to be some trick to the scrolls.
His way out was soon at hand. He flicked about half of the scrolls off the wall when he felt a pulse and was almost brought to his knees. Youko's howling filled his mind. Kurama took some comfort in knowing he wasn't worse off and fell to his knees unable to keep upright.
He tried crawling back to the futon but the room was spinning so fast there was no telling which direction it lay in. Unable to think or breathe properly, he tried to tell his brain to calm down. He could feel supper trying to make its way back out. He remembered thinking that passing out was probably the best thing that could happen.
He awoke feeling like he had been overmedicated and was coming out of the foggy state. Kurama coughed to clear his throat and realized that he was laying down on the futon. He had no recollection after falling to the ground. He frowned as he realized that he had been changed.
He hated having no memory. It was one of the reasons he refused to allow alcohol to pass his lips. There were no pieces of paper littering the floor. He half wondered if it had all been a horrible dream, but when he looked behind him the stairs were still pulled down and the statue was staring at him.
That's when he realized it had been real. He spotted a wet stain on the wood floor and realized that he did lose his supper. He stood and felt sick like he had gone on a drinking binge and spent most of the night hugging the toilet. At least then it could have been called a self-inflicted wound.
Well this was too, just not as fun and it was much cheaper. He hissed as the door opened and Kagome brought in a tray with food. He wasn't sure if the smell made his stomach growl or churn. Either way he needed to eat it.
"Seems like you had a rough night." Kagome entered and took a seat on the edge of the futon. "I brought you some food since you have nothing left in your system."
"You're not going to laugh and mock me because I tried to escape?" Kurama asked while he opened the small porcelain container to get to the oatmeal.
Kagome shrugged, "I would have tried to escape too. Personally, I would have stopped when I started to feel sick. Then again, I know I'm going to release you the moment I get the shard. So, that means you either have no faith in me or in your friends. If you have no faith in anyone, then that leads to a sad existence."
"Why do you have so much faith in people?" Kurama asked after he had swallowed his mouthful of food.
"I've seen what happens when you don't trust anyone. It leads to a sad and meek existence. I still feel sorry for Kikyo, even after she stole my soul and tried to kill me. She couldn't let go and trust again. Betrayal is hard, but not trusting anyone is harder."
"Do you trust me?" Kurama asked as a test. He could feel Youko straining forward to listen to her answer.
"Of course I do. If I didn't I wouldn't have cleaned you up and I probably would have killed you the moment you were passed out. Although it would have been cowardly..." Kagome tapped her forefinger on her lip thinking for a few more seconds. "Oh and before I forget, I brought the scissors and brush Youko asked for."
Kurama choked on his spoonful of oatmeal. 'Come again?"
"I would have thought he would have mentioned it to you. I don't know how your relationship works…But while you were passed out I helped Youko heal his injuries. His forearm was badly purified."
"How did he get released?" Kurama demanded as he set down the spoon.
"I don't know. I was dragging you to the futon and then I was changing your shirt and cleaning the puke off of you, he came out."
"What did he say?"
"He was a complete gentleman." Kagome reassured him, while Kurama looked baffled. Youko…a gentleman?
.:Hey, I was good!.:.
Kagome gave him a weird look before continuing. "I patched up his arm and he asked for the favor." She said holding the requested items.
Kurama slanted his eyes, "And that's it?"
Kagome blushed and Kurama knew something more was up. "Tell me." He demanded. He had a feeling he didn't want to know.
"He asked me to bear his children." Kagome chuckled at the memory.
"I'm so sorry about that." Kurama hurried feeling a tad mortified. He wanted to crawl into a hole and kill Youko. He was snapped out of his mortification when he realized Kagome was howling in laughter. "What's so funny?"
"I told him he had better think of a better pick up line than that. I had a much cuter sex fiend ask me that question. Then Youko tried," Kagome was laughing so hard she needed a moment to catch her breath, "but after that it didn't work. I think I insulted him. But the expression on his face when I said no." Kagome wiped away the tears. "So I'll trim your hair as an apology for laughing at him."
Kurama was rendered speechless. He sat there in a state of confusion. In his state, Kagome had moved to his backside and started to brush his hair getting the knots out of it. Usually he did a surface brushing discarding the knots underneath.
'How did you get free?' He demanded to the fox.
.:Dunno, just took liberties since the opportunity presented itself.:.
'How many times has that happened before?'
.:None. Otherwise I would have been laid by now.:.
Kurama rolled his eyes. Kagome was gently running the brush through his hair. It actually felt nice considering the turmoil his body went through last night. He closed his eyes and relaxed while she did her job.
He cringed when he heard the sound of scissors chopping hair. He prayed that she would not give him a bob cut. It was only hair, but it was his hair.
.:Enjoy it while you can.:. Youko purred.
'I'll get you for that one.'
.:You needed a hair cut. I knew I should have asked for the facial too.:.
'Didn't you do enough damage already?'
"Done." Kagome said as she put down the scissors and picked up the brush again.
Kurama didn't hear her; he was too busy feeling relaxed. His eyes were closed. He never knew something so simple could be so indulging. He didn't realize that something was wrong until he felt Kagome playing with ears atop his head. He tried to allow the feeling to linger, but the moment reality hit him, it was lost.
"What was that?" Kurama asked as he spun around to face her.
Kagome's eyes were wide open. "It's your demon, you should know. All I know is that I was brushing your hair and ears appeared. Sorry, but it's been a while since I had the feel of soft fur under my fingers."
.:And it's your fault she stopped too. I was enjoying that. I want to know how she got that good:.
"Kagome, I'd hate to interrupt, but Hojo's on the phone for you." Kagome's mother waved around the cordless phone as she poked her head inside.
Kagome stood and hurried to the phone. "Hello? Hojo? Yes I'm free, why what's up? A movie? Sounds great. I'll see you at two then. Bye." Kagome pressed the end button and handed it back to her mother.
"So you're going on a date?" Kagome's mother asked looking excited.
"Yeah, he wants to take me to a movie and then dinner."
"What about the prisoner here?" Kurama asked not knowing what to make of the situation.
"You'll be gone by then."
Kurama raised his eyebrow in speculation, "And where will I be?"
"Dunno, probably at home fighting with your brother." Kagome shrugged not knowing the answer but supplied one anyway.
"What about the shard?"
"It entered this world this morning. They should be here soon. So I'm going to leave you because I need to get dressed for my date." Kagome sauntered out of the room. Kagome's mother was not far behind telling her what she should wear and how she should do her hair.
.:I feel gypped. She gets a call and forgets about us. I thought this jewel was supposed to be important?:.
'The jewel is important.'
.:What would happen if she didn't collect the last fragment?:. Youko asked wanting to know the worst-case scenario.
'I assume that the world would be over. That jewel is supposed to grant the user a great power. Imagine what would happen if Hakudoshi got his hands on it. Her threat on my family is small peanuts compared to the damage he could cause. I mean we are talking about demons that've waited five hundred years to finish their business.'
.:We'll get to watch right?:.
'Is that all you want to do? I didn't think you were that laid back. I would have assumed you wanted in on the action.'
.:Only if the opponent is worth fighting.:.
Kurama rolled his eyes and went to clean up his bedding. If Kagome was right then that means she placed her faith in his friends. She was too trusting. One day she would be scorned and burnt by that trust. He knew it would be a sad day when that happened.
Kagome returned an hour later dressed in a pretty blue dress and a sweater wrapped around her waist accentuating her indented waistline. Kagome stood at the doorway and suddenly looked towards the stairs. "They're here."
Kurama stood and walked towards the door. He couldn't sense anything. He didn't want to say anything about it though; it made him look weak. Kagome took the sword off her back and held it in her hand.
"I thought you trusted my friends?"
"Insurance." Kagome turned towards him and flashed him a smile.
Kurama watched as he saw shadows approached the top of the stairs. He waved to everyone as they came running up. "Good to see you're still alive." Yusuke shouted as he approached the sanctuary.
"Why wouldn't I be alive?" Kurama teased.
"The shard?" Kagome asked and held her hand out. Koenma reached into his pocket and pulled out the shard. Kagome paid no attention to him as she approached Yusuke and stood in front of him. "The shard."
"What makes you think I have it?" Yusuke crossed his arms.
Kagome reached out and touched his breast pocket. "Would you take it out for me or do you need the cheap thrill?"
Yusuke's nostrils flared and Kuwabara and Kurama both laughed openly. "Fine, I'll get it." Yusuke pulled out the single shard and placed it in her hands.
"You know I should have killed you for trying to double cross me." Kagome stated as she rolled the remaining shard in between her fingers. Any residual miasma was purified. She held it up to the sun and felt the weight roll off her shoulders.
Kurama watched as Hiei drew his sword and stood behind Kagome with the tip pointed at her neck. Kagome didn't even flinch. Instead she turned around and faced him. "Who would you place your money on Kurama?" She called out disregarding the sword inches from her. "Do you think Hiei would kill me before Kanna stole his soul again, or is Kanna's mirror faster? Personally my money's on Kanna." Everyone watched as Kanna emerged from the shadows of the large tree.
"It's a fight I personally do not want to see." Kurama said the only thing that wouldn't start a blood bath. Right now he was more concerned about being able to get out of the sanctuary alive.
Kagome walked away from Hiei and touched the sealing scroll Kanna had placed on his prison cell. Kurama could finally hear the sounds of life coming from outside again. Timidly, he took one step waiting to see if Youko would start screaming. When he didn't Kurama walked outside once more a free man.
"What are you going to do with the shard?" Kurama asked Kagome.
"Watch." Kagome placed the single shard onto the small slit missing from the top of her sword. They watched as the shard fused with the rest of the jewel. The jewel was now complete.
"That's it?" Yusuke sounded disappointed.
"What did you expect?" Kagome raised her eyebrow at Yusuke's remark.
"Some flashy light show, some sort of genie to appear and grant us wishes, something other than that. That was boring…Isn't this supposed to be some big thing?"
Kagome shrugged and placed the sword back on her back. "I hope we did the right thing." Koenma mumbled as he turned and walked away. "I would hate to see what happened if this got into the wrong hands."
"That's my responsibility to bear now." Kagome traced her fingers over the completed ball sitting atop her hilt.
"Let's go home." Kurama suggested to his comrades. They started to walk away. He stopped momentarily as he watched a male figure walk up the steps. He heard Youko growl in the back of his mind. He disregarded the fox's sound. The boy was human. The boy was no threat.
"Kagome!" He shouted in excitement. "Are you ready for our date?"
Kagome smiled and answered him. She motioned for him to wait a moment as she ran inside her sanctuary. She emerged a moment later with the demon plant. "Kurama wait a moment." She called out causing everyone to stop their descent on the shrine steps.
Kagome ran over and held out the demon plant towards him. "Will you take this little guy since he seems to thrive in your care?"
Kurama was shocked at the present she was giving him but gladly received the gift. "Thank you."
"Isn't that…?" Hiei's voice was slightly shocked indicating he knew about the plant.
Kurama nodded his head.
Kagome leaned forward and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "Sorry about everything." She whispered in his ear before running back up the stairs to meet with her boyfriend.
The group descended the stairs. Kurama couldn't place his finger on it, but part of him didn't want to leave just yet and he didn't know why. He felt a ball in the pit of his stomach. He knew something big was coming, he just didn't know what.
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OMFG it's done. So E you are right, it's been like 6 months since the update dodges thrown items But I did like 3 chapters in one…so they should be happy right? dies laughing and this is like 6 months worth of betaing too right? Date with Hojo squeeing this is the beginning of the end…must find past notes for end of chapters (there's only like 4 chapters left give or take 5)
Beta's note:
First off, I would like to address Shabopo: Fyyrrose thought I had forgotten about you're comment, but I haven't. Why in god's name would you even want to take a lvl 300 English course I guess I have that lovely lecture coming next semester, blegh. Aside from that, I have NO PROBLEM with semi-colons (I'm a period fan personally), but you simply can't trust Word (especially older versions) to punctuate correctly. Besides, I just point out things Fyyrrose overuses (before she had rampant run-ons and this time it's prolific pronouns), otherwise how would she know? Personally, I think commas are my weak point, not hers Anyway, thanks for the 300 lvl cheery thought…
I'd like to thank the ratties for making this particular project take an hour long than it should have. Thank you Medli, Nova, Tiz, Boogey, and Fara, I appreciate you biting my toes and stepping on the keys to do things I wish I knew how to do!
AN2: Thanks again E for betaing. I know too many pronouns, but this time you didn't scorn me about semi-colons. One day I'll put all your advice together and there won't be a problem—of course not till this story is over. I am a review junky so fill my need.