"....Hhhhhh.."
Fai sighed sitting up in the moonlight. Him, Syoaran, Sakura, and Ai were sleeping in that hut. Kurogane was with Fuuka and her friends hunting demons for fun. He looked at Ai who was sleeping closest to him, giving her a suspicious look.
"I can't take it. I gotta know."
He said to himself, and let little magical sparkles futter over to Ai. She awoke instantly and sat up looking around drowsily. Fai hovered above her smiling.
"Huh?"
"Hello Ai. How are you?"
"I'm...trying to sleep."
"What is my name?"
"It's Fai-sama, Fai-sama."
He smiled and chuckled in his throat.
"That's what I thought, you are not Ai."
"What makes you say that?"
Fai sat back and Sighed.
"You avoided me all day. You don't follow me around like usual. I clearly told you not to call me anything other than 'Fai' and you've never called me 'sama'. Therefore, you are not you. You are not Ai."
"Fine fine, you got me."
She sat up.
"I'm not Ai. I don't even know who she is, except she must look like me."
Even though he already knew that, Fai felt a little saddened.
"Who are you and why are you with us then?"
"I am a replacement of that girl, sent here by the members of the 'Tower' back in Tokyo. They kidnapped her and I was supposed to fess up earlier but I got distracted."
Fai frowned.
"I want my little duckling."
He curled up and laid down.
"Wahh...I want my Ai.."
The fake Ai looked at him oddly and laid down as well. Fai said aloud,
"That's just too bad. And to think I was planning on molesting you in your sleep. I was going to do all sorts of things to you."
She sat up wide-eyed.
"Like what!?"
"Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that. First I was gonna slowly take your clothing off and once you awoke in surprise I-"
As he spoke with his eyes closed, the girl snuck out of the hut. Fai chuckled to himself and went to sleep.
Fuuka, Kurogne, and Sango were up brignt and early looking for some demons to track down, when they crossed by the largest rice patty , seeing a familiar man at work.
"To-saaaan!"
Fuuka yelled running to him.
"Daaddy!"
When she came near enough, the man lashed out with a katana at her.
"Whooah!"
She blocked it with her sword.
"Haha, that's my girl!"
He said putting his sword down.
"Just making sure you didn't lose your touch, even after so long."
"Daaad!"
Then he opened his arms to embrace her.
"Yay! I can't believe it's been 10 years since you've seen me! It's only been a few weeks for me."
"You've been in a whole other world haven't you?"
"That's right! I had a good time too."
"Tell me all about it."
She told her father, Matsumoto all about her travels so far. Fai also caught up with them and told them all about the clone that was following them.
"Well we left Ai behind then? Doesn't that suck!"
"It is quite unfortunate. I actually feel guilty, don't you?"
Fai said.
"I don't have time to feel guilty. Hey, I'll head out to find some good firewood."
Fuuka got up to go into the wooded area. While grabbing armfulls of twigs to bring back she caught herself thinking of how much fun she had back in Tokyo, with Kamui. She had him on her mind far too often for her not to feel a little strange.
^I have always thought he was the hottest thing alive..but now I can't stop imagining him!!^
She was looking up at the darkening sky, remembering when she had Kamui asleep on her for a long time, how much she enjoyed it.
^I think I'm becoming obsessed....I..really do like him more than I thought don't I?^
"Miss Kagome, could I have a word with you?"
Fai was in front of the Sacred Well when Kagome arrived.
"Hi there Fai-san."
She said hopping off of the ledge.
" I have a question for you, I hope you aren't too troubled to answer it soon."
(March 14 2009)
She and him started walking together towards where everyone else.
"I think I'll just try to make it as simple as possible for you. Your ability to travel from your own dimension to this one...would you ever give it up?"
"...give it up? Like never be able to go home again?"
Kagome stopped walking.
"Yes. Would you consider sacrificing that? Would you ever choose one of the two worlds to remain in...forever?"
"Why?"
"Well, as I discovered earlier, your ability is linked to the feathers that we are searching for, that return Sakura-chan's memories to her, which are very important to her."
"So I have one of the feathers?"
"I believe you do."
"So you want to take it fro me then?"
"We need it, yes. But that is up to you."
Kagome had her hands on her chest, considering the situations.
"I'll give you time to think about it Kagome-chan. Take your time, but remember, me and my friends are on an important mission."
Fai left her to join his friends.
When night time came around and a blazing fire was lit in the center of all of the friends, Fuuka held a piece of fish she caught earlier over the fire. As it dangled in the flames she was inwardly distracted by the same kind of thoughts that were knawing at her brain all day.
^Now I really want to see him. Kamui..^
Her father grabbed the stick she was holding.
"Hey Fuuka, no use burning a perfectly good piece of fish! Haha,"
She smiled at her father.
"Hey dad, you know we'll be leaving pretty soon right?"
"I realize that, yes."
"Will you miss me?"
"Of course I will, you're my little girl! I don't know any other girl your age who will run after demons with me! Or that aren't afraid of me!"
Matsumoto laughed heartily like a man who really was enjoying himself, his sharpened vampire fangs shown in the firelight.
"Do you miss Mom?"
Fuuka asked quitly, avoiding her father's gaze by watching Mokona swipe food from Kurogane on the other side of the campfire circle.
"Well if course I miss her. I miss your mom every day that passes by and it never gets any easier, but it's not getting harder yet. What's up Fuuka, you haven't asked me that since you were little?"
Her legs swung over the sidde of the fallen tree she was sitting on.
"I don't know why I asked."
^Probably because I'm missing Kamui.^
"You miss her don't ya girliy?"
He said putting his arm around her reassuringly.
"Yeah I do."
She tried not to let the memory of her mother's death come into her mind. Her dad looked at the sword by her ankles.
"You really want to carry that sword around with you everywhere? You can leave it back here with me."
"No way..I use it sometimes. And it's important."
"Alright."
Next to Kurogane, Syoaran chuckled as Kurogane threatened Mokona and Modoki who were pestering him. He looked at Sakura, she had the distant look in her eye as she gazed up at the starry sky.
"Sure looks nice doesn't it?"
He asked her, she snapped back into reality when he spoke and nodded.
"It does."
She said whimsically.
"That star looks like the North Star, right?"
He pointed up at the brightest star he saw.
"Could be."
Sakura replied. Syoaran was never satisfied with her one or two word responses. Like she was never all there...or she didn't want to be. He tried to hide the sad glow in his eyes by tilting his head.
"Princess....."
She turned her head to him but skept her eyes locked on the glimmering dots in the sky.
"..never...nevermind."
She made a 'Hmm.' noise then got up to tell everyone goodnight and dissappear into Kaede's hut. Syoaran tried to swallow the large, upsetting lump stuck in his throat.
"Kagome, what's with you, is something wrong?"
Inuyasha asked her, she was sitting in his lap and he was stroking her hair.
"...It's.."
She glanced at Fai who was watching. Miroku was beside them,
"Yeah Kagome, you've barely spoken at all today."
His little daughter was asleep in his arms.
"Well....Inuyasha..i love you.."
She was slowly going to get to her point.
"And I love you too Kagome, is that all? Aren't we past that?"
He chuckled nuzzling her.
"Well it's that..I might lose may ability to travel in the Well."
Inuyasha didn't fully understand, but listened.
"And...I was wondering if I can stay here with all of you...forever."
She said slowly.
"Of course. Will you?"
"..I guess I will now. I just want to see my family one last time then."
She got up from his lap, still holding his hand. She took him with her to the well. Fai leaned over with his elbows supporting his chin.
"How sweet. And I thought it would be harder than that." ^_^
"Does that mean we get Sakura's feather?"
Syoaran asked.
"Kagome will give it to us...probably in the morning. She'll spend the night with her family."
"That's great."
Fai noticed how sad Syoaran looked.
"I'm sure Sakura will be happy to have another precious memory back."
"I'm sure she will."