Author's note: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. Er, make that the looooooong wait. If you didn't already know, I was in England for all of July, and picking up again was a little rough when I got back. I already have the idea for the next chap, so it may not be long before I update.

STOP BEFORE YOU CONTINUE!!! IF YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT JACKALS AND SHIGEKI, GO BACK AND REREAD CHAPS 3 AND 4! I revamped the story, so you won't understand what's going on! Everyone else, read on.

REVIEW or else!!

The summer sun rose high in the sky, blazing down at the travelers below. Kagome rode silently upon Inuyasha's back as he raced through the forest, with Kaijin keeping pace beside them. Inuyasha watched the tiger apprehensively.

I know he's right next to me, but he's barely making a sound! How the hell does he do that?? Inuyasha scowled. Compared to him, I might as well be an army charging through the undergrowth!

Kaijin glanced over at the half demon and caught his look. "It's because I'm a hunter. It wouldn't do for my prey to hear me sneaking up on it, now would it?"

Inuyasha blinked in surprise. He read my thoughts?

"I don't have to read your thoughts, Inuyasha. They're written all over your face."

Growling, Inuyasha turned away. "Just shut the hell up."

Kaijin simply shrugged. "Whatever."

As silence hung over the group, the day's heat grew. Before long, Kagome was shifting uncomfortably on Inuyasha's back.

Yikes, it's getting hot. I wonder how Inuyasha's holding up with those heavy robes of his. She tilted her head to the side. I wonder…if he's a dog demon, does he sweat? Is he like a human in that area, or is he going to start panting on us?

Unbeknownst to her, a bead of sweat ran down Inuyasha's jaw line. He scowled irritably. This heat is getting really annoying. These robes weren't built for hot summer weather, dammit. He shifted Kagome's weight on his back. And her added body heat isn't helping things much.

Frowning, he glanced at Kaijin. The cat didn't seem to notice the increasing heat. Then again, with as little as he's wearing, he's probably the best off out of the three of us.

"Hey, Cat Breath, just how far south are we?" Inuyasha glowered as the tiger cast him a blank look. "You said your father was Lord of the Southern Lands, right? How far south are we right now?"

Taking a leap in sync with Inuyasha, Kaijin lifted a hand to his chin and thought.

"Well, I can't say that I know a great deal about our land, but I know that the island we're on is fairly large. There seems to be a larger one to the north, if that means anything to you." Catching the confused looks from Kagome and Inuyasha, Kaijin sighed and dropped to the ground.

"Here, let me draw it for you." When the two landed next to him, he extended the claw on his index finger and began to draw in the dirt. He drew a large, rectangular island first, then drew a vague outline of a larger, longer island above it. He dotted the region below with tiny islands, then marked the southern tip of the first island.

"We're currently around here. The fox goddess' shrine is up here." He marked a spot further north on the same island.

Slipping free of Inuyasha, Kagome walked over and crouched next to Kaijin's drawing. She frowned.

"It looks like we were blown all the way to Kyushu!" She glanced up at Inuyasha. "Any further south, and we'd have ended up in the middle of the ocean!"

"So…how far are we from Kaede's village?"

She bit her lip. "Tokyo's on a different island altogether. We'll have to cross part of the ocean to get back to the main island, and after that it could take days, maybe weeks to get back home!"

"Are you serious??" Inuyasha tossed his hands up in the air. "Great. Just great. I'm cursed, we're traveling with a guy who has kitty chow for brains—"

"Hey!"

"…And now you're telling me that it's going to take weeks to get back home? That's just damn terrific."

Kagome frowned. "Hey, I'm not thrilled about it either." She looked pleadingly at Kaijin. "Do you think you could help us find a quicker way back, once we're done with the fox goddess? It'd be a big help."

"We don't need his help! I can find the damn way home."

"You didn't even know where we were!" Kagome stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha. "I think we can use all the help we can get." Ignoring him, she turned back to Kaijin. "Please?"

The tiger blinked in surprise, then rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose it couldn't hurt. Why not?"

Thrilled, Kagome beamed at him. "Thank you so much!"

Kaijin shifted slightly away, discomfited by her smile. "N-no problem."

Inuyasha tossed his head and feh'd. "Let's just get on the damn way, ok?? We're wasting too much time out here."

Kagome sighed wearily and swiped at her brow. "It's already getting hot, and the day's barely started." She glanced at Kaijin. "How hot does it usually get down here?"

He shrugged. "I'm used to it, but I'd say that this is pretty mild. It should get a lot hotter by the end of the day." He smirked. "The heat makes it even easier to smell prey. A lot of animals have a low tolerance for heat."

Yeah, and I'm one of them. Inuyasha discreetly tugged at his robes, releasing a small pocket of heat. Damned if I'll let THEM know, though. I'm not letting Cat Face show me up.

Tail twitching, Kaijin took a long look at Inuyasha. He looks like he's roasting. Taking an imperceptible sniff, he caught the sharp stench of sweat beginning to rise from the dog demon. Smells like it, too.

Kaijin turned and tugged absentmindedly on a plant leaf. "Maybe we should take a short break. If you guys are hungry, I can go fetch some food." He glanced up at the light filtering in from the foliage. "Most people take a break during the middle of the day anyway."

"Why should you go for food?" Irritated, Inuyasha strode up to the tiger demon and folded his arms. "I could catch something just as easily as you can."

Lifting an eyebrow, Kaijin looked Inuyasha over. "You don't look like much of a hunter, Dog Butt." He smirked and laid a hand on his shoulder. "No offense."

Inuyasha growled, shrugging Kaijin's hand off. "Is that a challenge, Cat Breath?"

Sensing a fight, Kagome lifted her hands and walked between the boys. "Come on, guys, this isn't really necessary, is it?"

"Yeah, Dog Butt, relax." Kaijin rolled his eyes and shifted, planting his hands on his hips. "These woods are dangerous. It would be reckless for both of us to go off for food, and I assume I'm correct in thinking you'd prefer to protect Lady Kagome yourself?"

"Well, I…"

Nodding, Kaijin started off into the forest, lifting a vine out of his path. "That's what I thought. Just sit tight and cool off, I'll be back soon."

With that, the tiger disappeared, a few leaves and branches waving behind him.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue, then shut it with a scowl. That little creep was mocking me, I know it. Tilting his head, he lifted one arm and worked the kinks out of his shoulder. Still, with this heat, I could use a break.

"Whoo! Nothing like summer weather, right Inuyasha?" Kagome smiled stretched both arms over her head, unknowingly exposing part of her stomach. Blushing, Inuyasha tugged at his collar again.

Yawning mightily, Kagome plopped down in front of a sturdy tree and leaned back against its trunk. Thick mosses provided a pleasant cushion as she settled in.

"Mmm, I can see why people often take naps in the middle of the day." Smiling, she patted the ground next to her. "Come on, Inuyasha, take a load off."

Because he would like nothing better than to flop onto the ground with her, he scowled. "You know, you could be a little more concerned. I happen to have a time limit to get this thing off my hand!"

Her smile slipped, and she sat up. "You think I don't care? I'm just as worried about your curse as you are!"

"You sure aren't acting like it," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

Sighing, Kagome rose to her feet and walked over to the half demon. Gently, she took his hand in hers and turned it over, running her fingers lightly over the doodle. Inuyasha stared at her fingers, a blush creeping over his cheeks. The doodle, which had begun to warm, cooled instantly at her touch.

Kagome stared at the doodle as she traced its lines. It's so unfair. Inuyasha shouldn't have to deal with a curse just because of a mistake! That goddess had better take it off him when we find her, or she'll have more than an irritable half demon to deal with. Looking up, her eyes locked with Inuyasha's.

"We are going to get this doodle off you, Inuyasha." Determination strengthened her voice. "Don't you worry about that!"

Lifting his eyebrows, Inuyasha considered Kagome. There was no fear for his safety in her eyes; only a steeled will to make sure his safety stayed intact. Since when is she my champion??

As one, they looked down to their joined hands, blushed, and stepped back. Inuyasha cleared his throat and turned his head away, tipping his face arrogantly up.

"Feh. You don't have to tell me that. When I meet that fox goddess, I'm going to rip her limb from limb!" Not moving his head, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Don't you worry about that!"

She smiled weakly. "Whatever you say, Inuyasha." As long as he keeps that attitude, he'll be fine…so long as he doesn't try it on the goddess herself.

Sighing, Kagome settled herself back down on the moss. "Well, now that that's covered, why don't we take a break?"

Inuyasha frowned and hesitated, but he lowered himself next to her. The soft moss gave under his legs, a sweet scent wafting up to him as he crushed the tiny plants. Lowering his eyelids, he took a deep breath of the scent.

"Mmm."

Kagome glanced over at Inuyasha's murmur, her own lids growing heavy. The dog demon was relaxing visibly, his head bobbing forward. Smiling sleepily, she scooted closer to him. He's so cute when he's sleepy.

As the strange scent wrapped around him, Inuyasha closed his eyes. His brain was fogging over, making it impossible to focus on any of his senses. A little alarm started ringing in the recesses of his brain, but another inhalation of the perfume silenced it. Yawning, he let his eyes drift shut.

Thump.

He flinched as a heavy weight dropped onto his shoulder. Peeling open one eye, he looked down at the top of a black-haired head. Kagome? He frowned down at her head, busily trying to figure out why she would put her head on his shoulder. The answer should be simple, shouldn't it? Why couldn't he figure it out?

Barely awake, Inuyasha sat and listened to her slow, heavy breathing. She's…asleep. His frown deepened. That should have been obvious. What's going on? Why can't I think straight?

A rustle sounded in the bushes next to him. Slowly, Inuyasha managed to turn his head to look. Blinking slowly to clear his swimming vision, he focused on a pair of red eyes that burned their gaze into him. Inuyasha shook his head slightly and tried to speak.

"Mmf nn…" Frowning, Inuyasha swallowed and tried again. "Who…are you? What's goin' onnnn?"

The eyes blinked, and a dark, oblong head slowly worked its way out of the bushes. As Inuyasha struggled to stay awake, he saw a grin full of sharp, crooked teeth spread across the creature's face.

"W-who the hell are you??" He forced the words out of his throat, but the question used up the last of his remaining energy.

As the world went dark, he heard a dark laugh fill the air.

Kaijin wandered through the forest, an assortment of colored fruit in the crook of his left arm. He hummed softly as a bird flew overhead, and he calmly flicked a claw at it. A small wave of ki caught the bird mid-flap, and it dropped from the sky.

Catching it, he shifted the fruit closer to his body and used his freed hand to hold the bird's body. He started idly plucking the bird as he walked.

I wonder how the lovebirds are doing? Smirking, he leapt over a fallen log. Part of the reason he'd left was to give those two a moment alone, though neither seemed aware of his intentions.

"Hmm. I wonder how much time alone they'll need?" He stuck his bottom lip out as he pondered. "I could probably start heading back in a few minutes."

As he stepped lightly over branches and boulders, the wind shifted. He came to a dead stop.

"I recognize that scent." Slowly, he turned to follow its trail. "That's where I left Dog Butt and Lady Kagome."

Scowling, he dropped the food and ran.

"Dammit!!"

Drip, drip, drip.

Inuyasha slowly came to, a strange tingling sensation all over his body. Grunting, he peeled his eyes open.

Darkness swam before his eyes as he tried to focus. Shaking his head to clear some of the cobwebs from his brain, he tipped his head up and looked around. Cave walls and stalactites filled his vision, moisture slowly dripping from the rocky points. The air was stale, and it reeked of decayed flesh and bones. Wrinkling his nose, he glanced at the cave ceiling.

Why was his hair dangling above him like that?

Abruptly, Inuyasha realized that he was hanging upside down. Eyes widening, he struggled to move, but his entire body was bound in some tough, stretchy material from the neck down (or up). He twisted and tugged at his arms, irritated when he only resulted in swinging himself back and forth. The material creaked as his weight strained it, but it didn't give.

"Dammit, what the hell is going on here?!" Growling, he wriggled furiously in his cocoon. The tingling sensation grew steadily worse as he moved, causing a black scowl to mar Inuyasha's face.

It's not a digestive liquid, because that stuff hurts like hell. What's in this thing?? As he tried to glance at the cocoon, the material pulled slightly away from his neck. Immediately, Inuyasha felt the prickle of tiny legs upon his skin.

"Huh?" Twisting, he tipped his chin to his chest and tried to eyeball whatever was crawling on him. The prickle stilled, then moved up along his neck and crossed his cheek, coming to a stop upon his nose.

Inuyasha's eyes crossed as he focused on a tiny, spider-like creature. Its head was also oblong, with two tiny red eyes centered near an open, tooth-filled mouth. Wrinkling his nose, Inuyasha blew puffs of air at it.

"C'mon, get the hell off me." When it refused to budge, he violently shook his head. "I said get off!"

The creature cocked its head and studied Inuyasha for a long moment. Its miniscule mouth worked jerkily, emitting a small "neyarng" sound each time. As Inuyasha growled, it lowered its head…

…And bit him. Hard.

"Ow!! That hurt, dammit!" Tired of dealing with the little bug, Inuyasha started working his shoulder free of the cocoon through the tiny gap at his neck. If I could just get an arm free, I could squash the sucker and get out of here!

His hand started to burn.

Freezing, Inuyasha let his gaze zero in on the inquisitive spider on his nose. The blood slowly drained out of his face.

"EEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!"

Kagome abruptly came to as a scream filled the air.

"Hn? Inuyasha?" Blinking, she spotted his cocooned form writhing frantically before her. A quick glance at herself confirmed that they were both bound and hung upside down. Biting her lip in worry, she looked up at Inuyasha.

"What's going on here? Inuyasha, are you alright?"

"Get it off, get it off, GET IT OFFA ME!!" Whimpering, he swung himself around and whacked Kagome.

"Oof!" Kagome swung backwards, her cocoon creaking as it moved. "Inuyasha, what's gotten into you??"

He stopped struggling, his body swinging back and forth. Eventually, his cocoon turned, and he faced the girl. His bottom lip trembling, he regarded her with wide, tear-filled eyes.

"There's…a SPIDER on me! And I c-can't…get it off!!"

Kagome stared at him. "You're afraid of a spider?"

Choking back a sob, he nodded and shuddered when the spider demon crawled around to his ear. "It's the…the curse. My hand really h-hurts."

"Oh, I get it." Kagome bit her lip. "Are you sure you can't fight it?"

"If I could, don't you think I w-would?? Ow!" He winced as the spider bit him on the ear.

"But where did it come from?"

"I-Inside the cocoon." His eyes went wide. "You mean THAT'S what the tingle is???"

Yelling crazily, Inuyasha went berserk. He twisted his body violently, ignoring Kagome's pleas for him to quiet down. As he swung, the cocoon's base began to tear…

Fwump.

Crunch.

Inuyasha hit the ground heavily, the cocoon still wrapped snugly about him. The encasing underneath him began to feel strangely wet, and he had a sinking feeling that it wasn't from the water on the ground.

"EEEWWWWWWW!!"

As he continued trying to free himself, a laugh rumbled into the cave.

"So, are my little 'guests' comfy?"

Its feet scraping along the cave floor, a tremendous spider-demon crawled out of the darkness. Looming over its victims, the demon began to laugh.

"You two looked like such fine food for my children. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to snag you!" It bared a long row of sharp teeth. "In a few moments, my children should be ready to feed on you."

Inuyasha looked like he wanted to cry as he scooted back from the spider, but he steeled his trembling lips.

"S-so that scent was one of your tricks?"

The spider smiled. "Aye, that was mine. Most demons don't even notice it when they crush my moss." Lifting a leg, the spider scraped at its back, then brought its limb forward. The moss from the forest now covered its leg. "This cave's moisture creates some of the most fascinating plants, don't you agree?"

A weak growl rumbled out of Inuyasha's throat, and the half demon straightened, hopping awkwardly to his feet.

"Y-you picked the wrong guy to feed to your young, you sicko! I-I'm going to p-pound you!" His heart pounded sickly as the spider took a step closer to him. No way am I going to let this curse get in the way! If Kagome and I are in danger, then I'm going to get us out of it!! A tiny whimper slipped free as the spider smiled and laughed. Even if, at the moment, I'm scared shitless.

The spider grinned down at him. "You have spirit, I'll give you that. Hopefully your flesh will bestow some of that energy to my young!" It tilted its head slightly. "Do try not to scream too loud when they eat you, though, will you? It would give me a headache."

"S-screw that!" Inuyasha scowled. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I'm eaten by a weak demon like you! Much less a horde of your young!"

His hand burned, but he refused to give in to the pain. He fisted his hand and clenched it to the point where his claws were digging into his palm. Immediately, he felt dozens of spiders swarm to his hand, and his stomach lurched.

Gross, gross, gross, gross, ew ew ew ew ewwww… Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha clamped down on his runaway emotions. I'm not afraid of spiders. I'm not afraid of spiders.

Chuckling, the spider demon strode closer to him and leaned forward, its teeth gleaming. Inuyasha scowled and closed his hand over Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"You know, you may be too good a catch for my young. Perhaps I should sample you first!" The demon cackled, a stream of drool escaping its open mouth. Inuyasha couldn't help taking an awkward hop back, tightening his grip on the sword.

"I'm not afraid of spiders. I'm not afraid of spiders!" He shuddered as they climbed up his sleeve. "I'm not afraid of spiders!"

Yes, you are. Don't try to deny it.

"Who said that??" Whipping his head around, Inuyasha nearly lost his balance as he tried to locate the source of the voice. A woman's voice chuckled into his ear, and he could feel the brush of phantom fingers against his palm.

You want to fight me. How extraordinary. Another breathy laugh. I wonder, should I let you die here? I can make your limbs weak, your bravery abandon you. Should I do it?

As she spoke, Inuyasha's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. His teeth began to chatter as fear burrowed into his heart and wrapped around it, squeezing desperately. Closing his eyes, Inuyasha tried to summon up his will to fight.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid! I'm strong, and I can win!" He shuddered at the feel of the spider's breath upon his back. "I can win!"

Kagome began to struggle as the spider demon skittered closer to Inuyasha while the boy mumbled to himself. She could feel the spiders scurrying over her skin as she moved, and she forced down a wave of disgust.

"Inuyasha, you can do it! You know you can!!"

Blinking, Inuyasha glanced up at her. "Kagome?" The girl looked ridiculous, swinging upside down with her hair tumbling into her face. Shaking it aside (or trying to), she sent him an encouraging smile.

"We both know you're strong Inuyasha. Don't let a stupid doodle make you think otherwise." Nodding shortly, she grinned. "Take this loser out!"

Smirking, Inuyasha straightened. She's right. I can do it! Ignoring the blistering heat in his hand, he tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga and smiled up at the spider demon.

"You really should've picked your victims better." His smile dropped into a scowl as a wave of fear went spiraling into his stomach. Growling, he dredged up all his strength and ripped Tetsusaiga out of its sheath.

RRRRIIIIIIIP-P-P!

The shredded cocoon fell to the ground, hundreds of spiders spilling loose. They scurried over Inuyasha's bare feet, some stopping to bite him on the way. Ignoring the shudder of fear that ran through him, Inuyasha leveled his sword on the shocked spider demon before him.

What do you think you're doing? You're terrified of spiders! You couldn't possibly have the strength to take on one of this size! The dark voice mocked him, an angry edge to its words. Go ahead and cower, puppy. It's expected of you.

Inuyasha worked to ignore the voice in his head, his eyebrows furrowing. I won't listen to her. She can't force me to fail! He refocused his gaze on the spider demon.

"You're done!" Scowling, he swung his sword back. The goddess' voice shrilled in his head, scraping against his brain. "Kaze no Kizu!!"

"KREEEEEEEEAR!"

With a horrible screech, the spider vanished, taking most of its young with it. The voice in his head silenced abruptly, though his hand was still unpleasantly warm. Breathing heavily, Inuyasha lowered his sword and turned to Kagome. She smiled sheepishly at him for a moment, but her smile quickly fell from her face.

"Oh god!!" Eyes wide, she started wriggling back and forth. "Ow! OW!!"

"What's wrong??" Instantly worried, he raced to her side and placed a hand on her cocoon. He could feel the spiders swarming under the web. "Are you all right?"

"They're—oh god—they're eating me! OW!!" Eyes wide, she looked up at him. "Get me out!!"

Without hesitation, Inuyasha dug his claws into the cocoon and tugged with all his might. A few cracks formed in the fibers, spiders angrily spilling out to bite his hands. Grunting with the effort, he forced the cracks open.

C-CRACK!

With one mighty heave, he split the cocoon in two. Kagome fell instantly, only to be caught in Inuyasha's outstretched arms. Squealing, she slapped at the spiders still crawling over her and knocked them to the ground.

"That was so groooooss!!" she whined, batting at yet another spider. She blinked when Inuyasha's arms tightened about her, and she glanced up at him. His gaze was intense upon her face, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Kagome, are you all right?" His voice was quiet as it swept over her. Staring up at him, Kagome found herself blushing.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." She lowered her gaze. "Thanks for saving me."

He was quiet for a long moment. "…Kagome?"

"Y-yeah?"

"…There are spiders all over me." When she glanced back up, his eye twitched. "Get them off me. Now."

She stared at him in surprise, then glanced down at his chest. Sure enough, spiders were still crawling all over him. Biting her lip, she batted them away.

"There, they're all gone." She looked up at his face, which hadn't changed. He was staring straight ahead, his eyes vacant. "Are you ok now?"

Inuyasha took a shaky breath and slowly released it. "Of course I'm fine. I'm not afraid of spiders."

"I know." Reaching up, she touched a hand to his cheek. His gaze slowly focused on her. "Inuyasha, I'm so proud of you. You beat the fox goddess' curse!"

He blinked down at her. She's proud of me? Unbidden, warmth spread in his chest, and a small smile worked its way onto his face. To cover it, he turned the smile into a smirk.

"Feh. Did you really think some dumb wench could control me?" His hand flamed with that comment, but he ignored it. "Honestly, don't you know me better than that?"

She grinned. "I guess I should."

"Inuyasha! Lady Kagome!"

At the sound of Kaijin's voice, both looked up. Within moments, the tiger demon rounded the dark tunnel's corner and stopped before them, breathing heavily.

"Are you two all right?? I rushed here as soon as I caught that spider's scent." A frown on his face, he turned on Inuyasha. "You idiot! Can't you protect yourself for one measly minute?? With your curse, I thought you two had been devoured by now!!"

Kagome stiffened, glaring at Kaijin. "As a matter of fact, Inuyasha managed to save both of us, despite that stupid curse! What do you think about that?"

The dog demon in question had opened his mouth to snipe at Kaijin, but he closed it at Kagome's defense of him. A blush crept over his cheeks.

Blinking, Kaijin finally took in the pair. The corners of his mouth tensed as he bit back a smile.

"Am I…interrupting something here?" Slowly, he allowed the smile to break free. "Perhaps you would rather I left you alone for a little while longer?"

The two stared at him in confusion before glancing at each other. Neither had realized that not only was Kagome still settled in Inuyasha's arms, but that his grip on her was also far tighter that it had any excuse to be. Blushing furiously, they parted, Inuyasha quickly lowering her to the ground. A few baby spiders crunched under her feet.

Smiling smugly, Kaijin turned towards the exit. "Shall we?"

Inuyasha scowled to cover his embarrassment as they started to proceed out of the cave. "Look, Cat Breath, it ain't what you think!"

"What's not what I think?" He sent back his most innocent expression. "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

Like hell you don't. Still blushing, Inuyasha settled for crossing his arms and glowering. Though his weak defense had been aimed at Kaijin, the only opinion Inuyasha worried about was Kagome's. He hadn't even realized that he'd kept his grip on her—it simply felt natural to hold her in his arms. At that thought, he blinked and blushed deeper. Where did that come from? It feels natural to hold her? Since when??

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he tried to gauge her reaction. A slight frown creased her face. Was she upset with him?

Before he could pursue that train of thought further, a rather large spider scampered onto his foot and tried to work its way up his leg. All thoughts halted immediately as he dove for it, slapping frantically until it was removed.

Kagome mused quietly as they walked, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the cave walls. Why did Inuyasha feel he had to deny anything to Kaijin? Is it that embarrassing to be caught holding me? She frowned slightly. Still, I have to admit…it always feels good when he holds me. I guess it's because he does it so rarely, or only when I'm in trouble. She sighed.

It would be nice if he would just hold me for once, without my life being in peril.

Meanwhile, the Fox Goddess frowned irritably at her mystic mirror.

"So, the little pup thinks that my curse is so easily conquered? How dare he assume power over my will!"

Scowling, she clenched her fist and sent lines of fire along the doodle. The dog demon squirmed visibly in her mirror. Eyes narrowed, she traced a finger along the image of his face.

"You'll pay dearly for your insubordination, puppy. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to do my will."

A dark smile filled her face, and a harsh laugh bounced gleefully off the walls.

"Just like the dog you are."

The first movie is premiering!! Check my website for showings- Time's almost out!