Shouts from behind had her spurring to run faster, lifting the long robes of the kimono she had been forced into wearing so her legs had that much more leg room. It was a heavy load in her arms, but it stopped them from snagging on any trappings that lined the halls and giving away where she was. It was the reason why she was running that was more than frustrating, having been kidnapped again by the lord of the manor she was running through all because he thought she'd make a lovely bride. A ruse to get to the Shikon, until he began spouting off of her beauty and asking of her tales of bravery and the like.

The only problem with her would be escape, was she had no idea where had no idea where the exit was!

Turning another corner, she let out a yelp as she bounced back after running into what felt like a wall. She concluded that it wasn't, based on the surprised grunt the wall let out when she crashed into. Her silent and frantic prayers were that it wasn't another guard she had just run into.

Looking up as she was already in the process of gathering the long skirts of her kimono to make a quick escape, she paused at the male that stood before her. Definitely not a guard. Was he one of the thieves that had alerted the guards and had given her her window of opportunity?

The large bat wings and the rather long pointed ears that peaked from beneath his long black hair and strange hat made her quickly realize that he was youkai, and her ticket out of here. If he was one of the thieves.

"You one of the thieves?" she stood up hastily, her eyes flickering back down the hall she had just run, before turning back to the still very tall male.

Said male narrowed his eyes down on her, raising a clawed hand and took a menacing step forward, only to draw back when shouts from the guards and their pounding feet drew nearing. "I am, so if her lady wants to keep her head, she would best be on her way back to her lord."

Growling low in her throat in frustration, Kagome shifted the skirts into one arm so she could reach out and take hold of the wrist that had just a few moments ago been raised as a threat to her. "Listen, you want out of here alive and in one piece, then take me with you."

The male quickly flicked his wrist to take hold of her own in a near crushing grip as he leaned down to growl in her face. "Listen woman, I take orders from no one. Specially not from some human wench who is looking for excitement or trying to gain attention from her unfaithful lord."

Another noise of frustration bubbled at the back of her throat at his words, and when she was about to open her mouth to give him a tongue lashing the likes Inuyasha would fear, her mouth snapped shut when the guards finally entered the hall they were in. Dropping the fabric, she turned back to the male and hastily whispered a simple command. "Catch me."

Kuronue blinked in surprise when the woman suddenly went limp against him, though her free hand held rather tightly onto the front of his vest indicating she was still very much awake. He was about to drop her when he heard when the guards first entered the hall but froze and mentally cursed her when they came in sight of each other. The guards raised their weapons and were about to strike when they called him out as a thief, when the leader held the others back when his eyes dropped on the woman in his hold.

"Halt! He has the lady Kagome!" the guard spread his arms out to keep the others form moving forward.

The men had their eyes darting from the woman up to him, the weapons slowly lowering and they took on placating postures, groveling. Seeing the opportunity, Kuronue pulled the woman closer, he began to make it for the exit he had just discovered. His lips twitched both at his now assured escape, but as well as the near silent 'watch it' that came from the woman when he added a bit more pressure to her wrist when he pulled her closer to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Good. Now back off and tell the others to do the same. No surprises, unless you want the little lady to get hurt, now do we?" he snickered when said woman grumbled under her breath.

Working his way backwards out into the courtyard, he leaped out into the open night air when he finally had the room to spread his wings. He tensed when the shouts of the rest of the guards echoed around him, though the ones that had finally managed to catch up with him, and his living accessory, ran out after him shouting the others to hold their weapons. Shifting his hold on his only way out of his sticky situation alive, his eyes surveyed the gathered guards only to quickly fall on the lord of the manor.

Smirking, he hefted the woman into his arms, wings spread out for effect. He had been spending to much time around his partner if he was going for dramatic. He watched with glee as the lord became frantic when his eyes settled on the rather tiny woman he held and reinforced the order for the guards to hold, as well as begging that he not harm the woman.

Bending his knees, he let a fang peek over his lower lip before launching into the air and taking flight. He followed back to the edge of the forest where he knew Youko more than likely waited for him, or mourned his passing. Not that the damn fox would openly admit that he'd mourn over his passing, brood yes for a long while, but in privacy.

"Are we gone yet?" the soft spoken question reminded Kuronue that he wasn't alone.

When he finally reached the edge of the forest a safe distance south of the manor, he landed, and then promptly dropped the woman and watched her. A brow rose when she let out a pained yelp and turned to glare up at him. Though it was quickly blinked away when she searched their surroundings. She struggled in getting up onto her feet, absently dusting off her robes. A slow smile worked its way onto her lips.

Kuronue reared back and his brows furrowed when she thrust two fists into the air and declared freedom loudly into the air, laughing as she spun about.

"Yes! Freedom from stupid men! When I get back to the others, I'm marching back to that lord to slap him silly!" arms dropped at her sides and her face turned up to look at him. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy, kidnapping me and trying to force me to marry him? Like that's the way to win a girls heart."

Kuronue blinked at her, shocked at her words, mouth and attitude. "Most women would be honored to have been in your position."

"Yeah, well, I'm not. If he wants to get married, he should try meeting potential brides, not kidnapping them." she continued to grumble under her breath and as she searched the surrounding area as well.

"I'm glad to see you alive and in one piece friend. And you didn't come empty handed either." a smooth and purring voice draw their attention as a silver figure made their way towards them.

Kagome blinked as the new male literally glowed in the moon light as he approached, and she squirmed at the sight of the silver ears and lazy swishing of a silver tail. Her tick was rearing it's head, thought it was drowned out when memories of a different set of silver ears and a different colored tail reminded her of her friends.

"So the rumors were true, the Lord had taken himself a beautiful bride. She is beautiful, for a human." a clawed hand rose to take hold of a few of strands of her hair to feel it's texture.

Huffing at the compliment, and hidden insult, Kagome freed her hair from his hold. "I'm not that lords anything."

Kuronue observed the woman, eyes narrowing at her calm demeanor in the presence of youkai. Most woman would be screaming for help, but this woman, this Kagome, was calm. It was as if she was used to interacting with youkai. His thoughts were interrupted when a new presence was quickly making its way towards them, though he was shocked when the woman had apparently been aware of it long before him or even Youko.

"Kouga!" a bright smile was on her face, no shock or surprise when the fast approaching whirlwind stopped before her and a pair of tan hands took hold of her own.

"Kagome! How's my woman doing? I ran into Inu-baka a few days back and he told me of your kidnapping. Everything alright?" the wolf brought her closer by raising her hands, face a mask of worry as he scanned the woman for obvious signs of damage.

"I'm fine. Just another Lord who thought he could kidnap me so he could marry me, nothing to worry about." Kagome shrugged her shoulders, smile now lopsided and not at all put out when Kouga's face morphed into one of anger and he growled lowly.

"I knew that the idiot couldn't protect you, but to let you get kidnapped from some human lord? Why not come with me back to the den, this way you don't have to worry about such things from ever happening." the unvoiced question was spoken loudly to any that were paying attention.

"Sorry Kouga, you know I can't. Not with Naraku still out there. You think you could take me back to the others?" her eyes widened and her lower lip began to pout as her voice took on a more pleading tone.

Kuronue and Youko shared a look, not only not used to being ignored, but the question of who this woman really was running between the bother of them for her to be connected to the eastern wolf Prince but also to be tangled with the menace that was Naraku. Their thoughts and silent communication was interrupted when Kouga swung Kagome up into his arms and said woman turned to Kuronue with a bright smile and wave.

"Thanks again for helping me escape. Try not to get caught next time!" she offered a bright fare well that quickly faded when Kouga took off further south.

"Just who did you help escape, partner?" Youko asked, his tail swishing behind him in a way that Kuronue was familiar with. It meant that Youko was intrigued, not that he would blame him, Kagome appeared to have been an unsuspecting woman, but apparently was much more than she seemed.

"I don't know, I was beginning to wonder back at the manor. I know nothing more than that her name is Kagome, she was kidnapped by the lord who had hoped to marry her, and she was not happy that she was there to begin with." Kuronue shrugged his shoulders, scratching the back of his head, wings twitching when Youko gave him a look.

"Interesting puzzle. And she doesn't look to bad, for a human." the smile the Youko wore told Kuronue all he needed to know.

"So, I take it we're going after the woman next? I'm gonna warn ya, she is not like other human women. She talks back, she-!" he was interrupted when Youko chuckled.

"Of course she's not, otherwise we wouldn't be going after her. Did you know, she's a miko?" Youko's chuckles continued to echo in the air softly as he turned and went deeper into the forest.

Kuronue felt shocked and stunned at the revelation that had just been revealed to him. That woman was a miko? She could have purified him the moment they crossed paths, instead she allowed him to touch and manhandle her. Even after she had finally gained what she had wanted from him, she didn't raise her hands against him. In fact she willingly associated with youkai if her interactions with Prince Kouga were anything to go by. What sort of miko was she?

It wasn't any wonder why Youko then was interested in her, and now knowing what he did and remembering their short interactions between himself and Kagome, Kuronue could honestly say that his curiosity was also piqued. And he also owed her his life, that courtyard had been completely surrounded, he would have died this very night had it not been for her and she knew it too. Instead of using the opportunity of the guards being drawn away and allowing her to escape unnoticed, she ran into him and helped him to escape, though it had been to get out herself.

Following after his friend, Kuronue chuckled as he fixed his hat. It looked like the future was going to take an interesting turn. It wasn't every day that both Youko and Kuronue became interested in the same target for the same reason. Youko only went after anything that met a certain qualifications, while he only wanted the challenge.

The shadows of the forest swallowed him up, making it seem like he had never been there to begin with. Yes, with what he gleamed from his short time in the presence of Kagome, it would prove both interesting and challenging indeed.

AN: I am working on Fairy Tale Syndrome, but I had a really bad cold these last two weeks and so looking at a screen for to long left me not only with a major headache, but also with a nauseated dizzy feeling as well. So I hope this can tie everyone over until I get to post the next chapter of Fairy Tale Syndrome, though I hope everyone does enjoy this little chapter as well. Read, enjoy, and review!

- BunnyWK