Hi! This is Soko, posting on Xhiko's behalf. Yes, I have permission, so don't report me. .; Here's chapter 9 of The Book!

Disclaimers!

We don't own YYH, sadly. Soko, Mag, Xhi, and Connor, DO belong to us. ^^

ENJOY!

Soko's POV

Yoko and I walked around the wooded area and were now in a field of wild flowers. The soft sound of a nearby stream entered my ears and soothed me. Well, not that being in my lover's presence wasn't soothing already. We lay amongst the flowers and grasses, content with being together. I lay my head on his chest. "I'm glad I'm back, Yoko." I say, rubbing small circles absentmindedly on his chest. My fox chuckled and twirled my hair in his nimble fingers. "You've mentioned that," he said. I smile. "I wonder if the others are… getting along," I say, looking up into Yoko's golden eyes. His fingers trace my spine and find my tail. "I'm sure they're fine. Xhi and Mag appear to match Jin and Connor well. Jin told me himself that he was getting lonely in the Shinobi village, now that Touya's married. He's alone. Xhi is sweet and she'll be a good friend to him." Yoko says.

I rest up on my elbows to look Yoko in the eye. I tried to ignore the sensation of his fingers dancing on my skin at the base of my tail. "And what of Connor?" I asked. "I have a feeling," he said, smirking and allowing a fang to appear. I snorted and leaned down to kiss his nose. As I withdrew, his free right hand rose to hold my face. The fingers of his left hand stopped their playing on my back to hold me closer to him. "I love you," he said. I smiled and said to him, "Im mel le, anoi.1" He pulled me down into a gentle kiss. "Remember it," he says. I smile again. My fingers go to the chain and jewel around my neck. Yoko chuckles lightly. "You still have that?", he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Of course. You had these made for our fiftieth anniversary, did you not?", I ask. The fox's slender fingers reach out to touch the thin chain against my skin. "Yes…" he said. "Do you remember its properties?" I look him in the eye. "If the rose inside the emerald dies, then you have told me naught but lies. But if you stay faithful through all our lives, the rose inside the emerald thrives." Yoko smiles. "You do remember…" he says. I kiss his forehead. "Of course," I say smiling.

Yoko reaches to the chain about his neck to reveal a matching emerald. He looks at his pendant, then at mine. "I would never hurt you, love. I love you too much," he whispers, his arms encircling my waist. "You're too much, Yoko," I mutter, lying down once again next to my beloved fox. Nuzzling his neck, I smiled and fell asleep in his warm embrace.

Yoko's POV

I can't decide whether she's more beautiful when she's awake and smiling at me, or when she's asleep and dreams have placed a smile on her lips. Either way, she's beautiful; I still love her. It's been so long since I've been able to hold her. She left months ago for a heist that I couldn't go on. It was obviously personal to her for her not to want me to come with her. As she lays here in my embrace, I notice a scar on her upper left arm. {She's been injured. If I find the lowlife that hurt her, I swear he'll plead for death! Though I'm sure she already did away with the fiend…} I lick her wound, hoping that I don't wake her and that it doesn't hurt her any.

I finish playing doctor and roll her onto her side. I look at her serene face. I smirk. Soon, oh so soon, I won't be worried about losing her to another, a thought that had plagued my mind for the past several months. I'll be able to watch her through a crowded street and not have to worry about someone touching her. I'll ask her… and surely she'll say yes… Just a few more hours, and she'll be mine. Forever.

"Im mel le, anoi" – 'I love you, always.' This is a little bit of the ancient kitsune language. It isn't spoken often, except in formal ceremonies and government activities. It is used here to add a sense of formality and a feeling of timelessness.

~*~

Xhi's POV

"So Xhi, what happened to yer family?" Jin asks. I frown slightly. "No clue." I shrug my shoulders. "Nothing?", Jin asks. "Nope. Nothing.", I sigh, my shoulders slouching. "I got kicked out of the orphanage when I was four and have lived on the streets ever since." "Why the heck did ya get booted out?" "I was a pain." "I can see that…", he says, bopping me on the head. "HEY! JIN!" The imp laughed and ran away. I got up and chased after him. "Ahh! Help me! Evil short girl and little fuzz ball attack!", he screamed. Suddenly he tripped over a large log and fell flat on his face. Unfortunately, I couldn't avoid the puddle he had become and I fell right on top of him, Briskay falling on top of me. "Look, it's the human/demon/little weird fuzz ball tower!", came a joking voice. Jin looks up from the bottom of the pile. "Hey Connor.", he says, scooting out from under me. Mag and Connor are looking at us strangely from their place on the ground. Mag's skirt is dirty and her face is red and patchy… like she's been crying. "Well, sorry if we interrupted anythin'.", Jin says abashedly. "Bye!" He pulls me up and grabs me around the waist before dragging me off. I look back as Connor and Mag disappear from view. "Yo dude!", I say to Jin, freeing myself from his grasp. "What's up with that?" "Sorry Xhi, but it looked like Connor and Mag (isn't it?) were in deep, insufferable conversation.", he explains. I just look at him. "What?" I just shake my head at him. The imp grins wildly and swiftly picks Briskay and I up before we (well, I. Briskay doesn't talk) can say anything and flew us up. "Ahh! Jin!" "What? Don't like heights?", he teased. "NO!" He grinned before taking us higher. "So how's the view?" I crack open a single eye and take a glance down. I gasp opening both eyes wide. It was beautiful. There was a field of wild flowers, a large forest, what looked to be a lake, and several beautiful gardens. "Wow.", I whisper. "Yup.", Jin says, obviously very pleased with himself. "Dude, this is so cool!", I exclaim. "Since when am I 'dude'?", he asks curiously. {Wow. I repeat, wow. How did he know I would love this? Especially since I didn't know I would love this? This is like, so frickin' cool!}

"Come on. Let's go to the lake." He flew us down and we sat near the water's edge. I sigh heavily. "What's up? Do ya miss yer friends at home? I miss Touya. He was a good friend.", he says quickly. "Wha?" Jin grinned and repeated his statement much more slowly. "Ah.", I say, understanding. "Who's Touya?" "An ice master and an old friend. I'm a wind master." "So I suppose that means you've mastered the wind.", I tease. He just sticks his tongue out at me. He leans back so he's lying on the ground, arms folded under his head. I lay down next to him, my head near his ankles. Jin looks down at me. "Hey Xhi, you do know your ears are kind of pointed, right?", he asks. I sit up abruptly. "Will you please stop teasing me about my height? I AM NOT AN ELF!!!", I state loudly. "I'm not trying to poke fun at ya. I'm being serious.", he says, pointing to the lake. I glare at my reflection from all angles. Finally I say, "So what? They're not that pointed. And besides, so are yours." Jin smiles. "I know I'm an imp. And they're only pointy when I'm happy.", he explains. "So, why are they pointy now?", I ask, curious. He chuckles softly. "Hey, it's not everyday ya get to fly a pretty girl around.", he shrugs, leaning back again to look at the sky, a broad smile on his face. I, however, blush fervently. "Oh, am I embarrasin' you?", he teases, using a breeze to tickle me. I squeak. "Ahh! Stop it! Oh, come on Jin!", I gasp between laughs. I squirm and try to wiggle away from his invisible grasp.

Eventually he stops and sits up. He gazes at me and asks, "So why are ya here anyway?" I suddenly put on a very serious face. "… To take back the child that you have stolen from me. For my will is as strong as yours, and my power is great…" With that I stop. {Dang! I can never remember that frickin' line!} Jin just looks at me like I've grown another foot – which in a way wouldn't be so bad. "Sorry, it's from my favorite movie, The Labyrinth." I grin sheepishly. "Ok then, well, why are you here for real?" "Well it's a long story…" I spend the rest of the afternoon telling him the story of how Soko met Mag and I, and about the bounty hunter, and the freakily dark forest. "Wow, you certainly don't lead an ordinary life, do you?" "Nope.", I say sadly. Jin tilts his head. "What's wrong?", he says, frowning. "Nothing… I just wish that maybe I could have an ordinary life… in a home… with a family…", I say softly. "Bah! Tha' would be too borin' for me.", Jin states, jumping up and acting out a fight. "I need to able to get up in the air an' breathe!" He spins and lands next to me with a soft thump. "Just can't still for a minute…", I say, laughing. He sticks his tongue out at me. I stick mine right back out at him. "Come on.", he says and drags me off to do more exploring.

He lightly pulls me down another path. "Jin, do you actually know where you're going?", I ask, looking around nervously. "Yeah!", he says in defense. "Why?" "Oh nothing. It just seems like we're walking in random directions.", I explain. "Don't worry; I know the perfect place.", Jin reassures me. I give him a questioning look. "For what?", I ask suspiciously. He gives me a playful grin. "You'll see.", he said, picking me up and started to fly low to the ground. We came to a beautiful old tree. He flew us up and we sat down in its branches. I lean against the trunk of the tree, holding Briskay in my lap. Jin sits beside of me, his legs dangling from the large branch. "So… what's your village like?", I ask, stroking the ball of fluff in my lap. Jin turns his sky blue eyes to me. "Well, it's just like any other village, the Shinobi village is. Only, we're all Shinobi. What's yours like?" "Like yours, just normal.", I sigh, leaning the other way to rest my head against his shoulder. "Tired?", he smiles. "Yeah. I don't get much sleep anymore.", I mumble. "Why not?", he asks, question in his eyes. I reply, "I keep having a really weird dream." "Dreams?" He perks up, obviously curious now. "It starts with me sitting and playing a flute. Then, something weird comes up to me and I yell and he grabs me.", I explain briefly. Jin whistles in disbelief. "Tha's a lot of strange things in one dream. Things tha' make sense. None of me dreams make any sense at'all." I look up at him. "Why?", I ask. "Well," he says, staring off into the distance, a look of remembrance on his pointed impish face. "My dreams always start off with me…"

~*~

Mag's POV

"My parents were doctors. That's how I came to know about illnesses and medicine and so forth. They wanted me to go to Med school, but I've always fancied a more… traditional approach. But I guess I will go to Med school after all… it was my parents' last wish.", I chuckle. My tears were gone and I feel no need to cry while I tell about them.

Connor looks at me, honestly concerned. "What where their names?" I sigh, "Michelle and Jeremy… O'Conolly." Their names roll off my tongue like a prayer, my mouth reveling in the sweet melody. I look up into Connor's eyes, for he has realized the significance of my words. Instead of seeing the sparkling green irises I'd so quickly become accustomed to, I am greeted only by clouds. I look around frantically, trying to find my companion. Nothing. I get up off of the bench and run to the tree line, skirt flying in the wind. "Connor!", I call. No one answers. I call again; only crickets. In a blaze of fury, I call yet again, "CONNOR!!!" My tearing eyes catch a glimpse of a black figure, whipping around a tree. My feet move forward after it before my mind fully comprehends. I'm halfway to my destination, half that distance with each step bringing me closer to uncertainty. My heartbeat is thunderous in my ears. Sweat beads on my brow. The tree is just in front of me, its gnarled bark looking demonic. I muster up my courage. {What am I, crazy?} Lifting my left foot, I shift my weight. In a second it will plunge down and I will be there, where the stranger is. With a gulp, I slowly put my foot down, and then…

"Magdalene!", a fitful voice calls from behind me. I jet around. Connor! With one final longing glance at the haggard tree, I run back to him. Moments of bliss, wind in my red, blue-streaked hair, face refreshed after crying. A sharp pain surges in my ankle and I plummet to the ground. A blow to my head occurs as I land. Within seconds, Connor's strong arms are around me, pulling me up beside him. I sit in his hold, forgetting everything. It is in this position that Xhi and Jin 'fall' in on us. {Goodness, what do they think?} I blush and Connor makes a rather snide remark. They quickly leave, leaving us alone again.

"Where…", I stammer, looking up to find him. "Where did you go?" He gives a chuckle. Somehow, I feel as if he's going to lie. My thoughts shock me. "I um… can 'disappear' when I'm excited.", he explains. Somehow I think that his disappearance has more to do with the shadowy figure. A soft fuzz ball rubs against my leg. Oh no, not again… A familiar surge of pain enters my mind, taking over my thoughts. A booming voice says, "More than she knows." Another sinister voice joins in, "Don't disobey me, boy! You know my wrath!"

The voices and the feelings fade. All clear again, I can think. I look up into Connor's eyes, terrified. He doesn't register. I try to pull away, but he won't let me. Gesturing at my foot and the hole I stumbled in, he remarks, "It seems you have found a tunnel."