"Are you sure we should be bringing her?" Kagome questioned as the group walked out of the little village with Yahna skipping merrily at Inuyasha's heals.

"If you'd like to stay behind and listen to her screech for several days, be our guest," Sango grumbled. "I don't know how much of her crying you heard, but I for one heard enough."

"I agree," Miroku stated. "For the moment, appeasing her is far better for everyone's health."

"Not to mention hearing," Shippo added.

"And sanity," Sango grunted. "Besides, Keade-sama said she couldn't stay. The villagers may adore her and think she is some sort of holy creature, but they need sleep."

Inuyasha, who was leading the group, glanced back in annoyance. "Keh, so we have two brats instead of one. Wont be any different."

That's what he thinks, Kagome mentally sighed as she watched the new child in their group. "Shippo-chan knows how to take care of himself. Yahna can't," Kagome retorted.

The kitsune suddenly leaped onto Kagome's shoulder. "Don't worry, Kagome. I'll keep Yahna-chan out of trouble. She is the only imooto I have, after all, so it's my job to make sure she's safe."

She gave him a gentle pat on the head. "Arigato, Shippo-chan."

He puffed up with pride. "You can count on me, Kagome. No one in this world can take better care of her than me: her big, brave, onii-san." The kit leaped from her shoulder and landed softly on the ground. He trotted up next to Yahna and took a straight posture with his arms folded over his chest. "You stay right where I can see you, Yahna-chan. If I can't see you, you need to come right back. And if you have any problems, you come right to me. Okay?" She nodded enthusiastically. He beamed with pride. "Good. Now be a good girl and hold my hand. These roads are dangerous and I don't want you getting lost or attacked by bandits."

The others chuckled while Inuyasha hid a proud smirk by snorting.

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"You can't catch me!" Shippo teased as he dashed a few feet away from Yahna. Yahna snorted in response and toddled after him. The kit lowered down to all fours and wagged his bushy tail playfully in the air. Just as she was about to tackle him, he leaped several feet back. She tumbled into the grass with a slight yelp.

Inuyasha peeked open an a eye. From his spot up in the tree, he was easily able to see the two children playing and the adults and feline lounging in the grass under him. After seeing Yahna get back up and dust herself off, he grunted and closed his eyes again.

Below his tree, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were relaxing and enjoying a light afternoon snack of potato chips and rice balls. The day was nice and clear, perfect for picnic. Kagome was a little sorry she didn't have a small kite. With the gentle breeze, she could have easily flown one. No doubt Yahna and Shippo would've loved it. Neither of them had seen a kite before.

"You'll have to be faster than that, Yahna-chan!"

Then again, maybe not. The two seemed quite content with their game of chase.

Shippo dashed back up the hill and stopped in Miroku's lap. A moment later, he zipped away just as Yahna leaped into his place. Instantly the monk grabbed her and began lightly tickling her belly, making her giggle wildly.

Again, Inuyasha peeked open an eye. He stared curiously down at the monk and girl. What's he doing to her? the hanyou wondered. He leaned over a little to get a better view. From where he was, it looked like Miroku was lightly scratching her belly while Yahna laughed uncontrollably and struggled to get free. Why's it making her laugh, though? And why's she fighting to get away if she likes it? Inuyasha scratched his head. This was very odd behavior.

After making the girl cry from laughter, Miroku released her. She darted over to Kagome and ducked behind the school girl. At first, Inuyasha thought she might have been afraid. The huge grin on her face as she peeked around kagome, however, said otherwise. This made the inu hanyou's golden eyes widen with fascination. His gaze shifted back to the monk, who just smiled contentedly. Very odd, Inuyasha concluded.

Eager to join in their game, Kirara jumped to her feet and wagged her twin tails in the air. Without missing a beat, Yahna leaped for the youkai cat. Being much more agile, Kirara avoided her and landed near Shippo.

"Meeew," the cat teased.

"Come get us," Shippo added.

The pup bounded after them. They dashed off, each going in different directions. Shippo went back towards the adults. Kirara went for the nearby tree line. Yahna paused for a moment to stare at each, then decided to chase of the feline. The kit looked disappointed and after they disappeared in the underbrush, he went after them.

Kirara, meanwhile, was having a grand time darting in a few circles, then leaping away. With so much growth, she easily lost Yahna. She snickered to herself when she doubled back and found Yahna sniffing the ground to try and find her. Down on all four with her nose to the ground and bottom in the air, the girl really did look like a little puppy. Taking a seat behind some large roots, Kirara waited patiently for the girl to track her to her current position.

Suddenly, Yahna ventured off the youkai's path. She rounded a tree and was out of sight.

Curious, Kirara flicked her ears forward and tested the air's scent. She didn't smell anything out of the ordinary, but the wind was in the opposite direction as Yahna, so she could have missed something. Inuyasha hadn't detected anything earlier, but they usually overlooked smaller youkai. Normally these youkai were only creatures like rats and lizards; things that even Shippo could take on and probably win. Yahna, however, didn't have any fighting skills. If she were found by something unfriendly, the end result might not be very good.

When Yahna did not come back into sight right away, the cat started to get nervous. She leaped out of her hiding spot and began mewing.

No answer.

She called again, but with no response.

A foreboding knot started to form in the feline's belly. It was the same feeling she always got when it suddenly occurred to her that she or Sango had forgotten something... something important.

She flipped her ears forward.

Nothing.

Without any hesitation, she darted after the pup.

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There had been something different, something interesting, something new this way. It was a little fainter than Kirara's scent, but it was definitely near by. She had caught a hint of it on the breeze a while ago but passed it off as unimportant since everyone else did. Now that it was close, it couldn't be ignored.

Then Yahna spotted small foot prints in the dirt. She leaned down and started tracing them with her fingers. They looked sort of like hers but bigger and without the little claw impressions on the hand prints. The scent she had been tracking was coming right from it...

All the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. Yahna jerked her head around and came face to face with a pair of bright cobalt eyes. They blinked at her.

She blinked back.

It blinked again.

She blinked back again.

After several more exchanged blinks, Yahna stood fully up and took a few steps back. The scent that filled the air told her that indeed she had found the new and interesting thing.

Well, interesting was certainly a word for it. The crouching creature looked human and about Yahna's size and chubby build. Long white hair hung all the way down the other child's back just like Yahna's but had several star shaped, pale pink flowers folded in. A pair of round, fuzzy white ears with black tips protruded form the strange girl's hair slightly more to the side than Yahna's own ears. A small, triangle nose twitched, taking in short, testing breaths while a long snow white tail with ebony stripes waved back and forth behind her. Large claws protruded from the girl's hands and feet but didn't curve inward like Yahna's. Like her hair and fur, the girl's skin was very pale with a little pink on the cheeks. The only contrast to her pale features was the striking cobalt eyes with slit pupils.

Cautiously, they both leaned in close so they were almost nose to nose and sniffed.

Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.

The tailed girl reached out and tugged on Yahna's hair, earning her a purr-growl from the pup. In retaliation, Yahna grabbed the tail and tugged. The new girl giggled and gave her a scritch behind the ear.

Satisfied with their finds, the two backed off a little and just stared at the other. After what seemed like a whole minute to the two tots, the tailed girl pointed to Yahna's chest. "Gong xiang?"

Yahna tilted her head to one side and blinked. "Gong xiang?" it repeated while pointing to her chest.

"What?" Yahna inquired.

"Gong xiang?"

Still a bit confused, Yahna reached into the front of her blue haori and pulled out the hard candy Kagome had given her. She held it out to the strange girl. Hesitantly, the girl reached out and took a piece. She sniffed it, then popped it in her mouth. After a moment, she made a sour face. Yahna giggled. She picked out a second piece and pulled the wrapper off, then popped the candy in her mouth. The new girl blinked, then made another face, only this time she was concentrating on doing something. The wrapper was spat out on the ground and the tailed girl smiled.

Then she reached into her hair and pulled two flowers out. She held them out to Yahna. The pup smiled and handed over the candy. While still holding onto the candy, the new girl walked behind Yahna and gently gathered up the child's hair. She began braiding it tightly while Yahna stood patiently. When she had braided all the hair she could, the cobalt eyed girl tucked the flowers in the silver braid. She smiled rather proudly as Yahna pulled the hair over her shoulder to examine it. Yahna smiled back and gave a slight bow. The girl bowed back.

A snap of a twig made the tailed girl's ears stand on end and twitch. Yahna spun around just as some of the grass behind her parted. The stripped tail puffed up just before the tailed girl dashed back into the underbrush and far from sight. Yahna glanced over her shoulder just as Kirara stepped through the grass.

The fire feline stared at Yahna curiously, focusing on the braid and pink flowers. "Meow?" she inquired as she lightly batted the flowers.

"Gong xiang," Yahna stated proudly. Kirara sighed. She twisted around Yahna and forced her back the way they had first come.

It wasn't long before they ran into Shippo. The second they came into sight, the kitsune noticed the girl's hair. "How'd you do that, Yahna-chan? I haven't seen any flowers around here that look like that... and when did you learn to braid hair?" he asked.

"Gong xiang," she replied in a sing song voice.

Shippo scratched his head and walked with them back to the group. "What's that mean?"

"Gong xiang."

He frowned in confusion. "Alright..."

As they walked back to the group, they saw everyone putting everything away. Instantly, Yahna darted over to where Inuyasha stood and grabbed his hand. "Otoo-sama!" she cried excitedly.

"Yeah, wha- eh?" The older hanyou grabbed her hands and lifted her up. He tapped the braid with his other claw and gave a sniff at the flowers. A tiger? Out here? Can't be. I didn't smell... is that...

"What pretty flowers," Sango commented as she noticed the pup's hair. "Where'd you get those, Yahna-chan?"

"Gong xiang," Yahna replied with a confident smirk.

Everyone gave her a confused glance, then looked at Shippo. He just shrugged. "That's all she told me too," the kit stated.

"Gong xiang?" Miroku inquired. Yahna nodded. The others all stared at him. "It's a Mandarin word. I'm pretty sure it means to share, though it's been a couple of years since I spoke or read it."

"You speak chinese?" Shippo inquired as he leaped onto the monk's shoulder.

"A little, yes. To read the scrolls of Buddha, I had to learn it. As I said, though, it's been a while."

Sango regarded the girl carefully. "But where did she learn it?"

"Probably the same place she got those flowers," Inuyasha snorted as he shot a glare at Shippo. The kit 'eeped' as the golden eyes focused on him with that vicious look in them. "Keh, some great onii-san. Can't even keep track of her for a few minutes."

"Oi, that's not true!" the kitsune child protested. Kirara meowed in agreement.

Inuyasha gathered Yahna up in his arms and began walking. "If it had wanted her blood instead of playing with her hair, she'd be dead right now," he growled, knowing how much it would set the kit off.

"I thought you didn't care what happened to her so long as she's far away from you!" the kit snorted back.

"I don't, which is why I don't beat the shit out of you right now for screwing up..."

"Inuyasha...!" Kagome started.

"And it'd be your fault since your the one who said you didn't smell anybody in the area!" Shippo broke in with a loud snarl. "How was I suppose to know there was anything dangerous here if you said there wasn't!..."

Inuyasha let out a low warning growl, cutting off the boy's tirade. Yahna gripped onto the front of him and buried her face in his chest. He let out a grunt, and gave her a pat on the head. "Come on! We're wasting daylight!" he snapped.

Shippo's tail puffed up and he let out a faint, slight purr-ish growl. "Jerk! ..."

A gentle pat on the head stopped the kit's comments. "He was just worried about her," Miroku explained in a hushed tone. "He's not really mad at you."

"Humph! I don't care what he thinks!" Shippo pouted.

"Of course not," the monk agreed as he trotted to catch up to the others.

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"Yes, Yuki, those would be the right ones," Kikyo said softly as she took the herbs.

The little crane hanyou beamed with pride. Though he could neither smile, frown, or talk, the boy had proved to be very expressive.

He had also proven to be very bright. He knew how to read and write kanji, meaning he came from a good home before now. Perhaps one of his parents had been a noble. Though Kikyo's knowledge of writing was limited, she did recognize a few symbols, including what he wrote as his name: Yuki. The name fit him, really. With all the white features, he would have blended in perfectly with any snow.

"I think this should be enough to treat everyone," the miko stated. He nodded and grabbed the basket of plants and the two headed back towards the camp of soldiers.

Kikyo hadn't planned on taking the boy with her, but had quickly found there was nowhere she could leave him. The villagers had not been happy about they boy's presence and vocalized their opinions. A second village they had passed through refused to let her stay if she kept him with her. Even the soldiers they were with now seemed weary of him. If she had left him, the dead miko did not doubt he would have been killed. So she took him with her.

And in the short time since she had taken him in, she had found she enjoyed his company and help. He learned quickly, carried arrows, found most of his own food, and never got in the way or complained. He had watched her gather souls and not once showed any signs of fear or loathing. She was also certain he had seen her kill a few of the soul gatherers from hell to save human lives. It made her wonder just how much he knew about her.

One little hand clamped onto her hakama as they came back into the camp of wounded men. This was what the boy feared. He did not like soldiers or blood and clung to her when either were near. Having both did nothing to ease his anxiety, especially with the things these men would say. Though Yuki was mute, he was not deaf. He heard every word, every threat, every promise of pain. It made even her sick. Here he was, helping tend to their wounds, and they repaid his kindness with contempt.

"Wonder if cranes taste like chicken," one battered guard whispered to another.

"Maybe we should find out," his friend snickered.

Yuki stepped closer to the Miko. Kikyo shot the two men a glare, ending their chuckles. She took the basket of herbs from her charge and handed them to the wounded men. They looked confused.

"You all seem well enough to care for your own so my charge and I shall be leaving. Come Yuki," Kikyo said sharply as she turned and walked back in the direction they had just come.

As the two disappeared back in the forest, a third soldier came up to the two. "What's her problem?"

"No idea," they replied.

When the camp was out of sight, Yuki slipped his hand up into hers and leaned his head against it. The boy let out a loud sigh.

She gave him a slight smile. "I'm feeling better already too. We'll find a better place to stay next time."

Yuki nodded, rubbing the plush feathers against her cold skin. A little warmth spread across the fake skin, making her sigh as well.

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Chinese Words Used

gong4 xiang3 - to share (the numbers are the tones, which are used in the Chinese langueage)

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Looks around Hello? Anyone still here? shrugs So yeah, I know it took a long time to get an update. I have three good reasons; one is school. School is important and takes lots of time which leaves little time for other things. After being told I would lose my financial aid if I didn't take enough credits to be a senior next school year, I've been busy trying to do 17 units, 16 of which were academic. This is on top of fighting to get classes and being told I'm not the right major to be taking a general ed. class that everyone has to take. Grrrrrrrrr. The second has been my text program. It has been giving me grief since I updated everything and I haven't done much work on any of my writing. The problem is that every two or three minutes, it will stop to think for a good two or three minutes. I've ripped it out and reinstalled it and it's finally working a little better (not stopping as much), but still gives me problems. Three is They're new stuff is not very mac friendly. I had to update my profile via my roommate's computer. I literally haven't been able to update easily. Sigh It looks like it's getting a little better. I can update my profile at least.

So, we're into chinese words now. I found a translator and have been using that for the words I need. And don't worry, the kitty girl will be back soon enough. Also, Yuki means snow if you didn't figure that out.

So, on to comments. For everyone that was worried about me, I assure you I'm fine (a little stressed but the chocolate is helping). I'm updating when I have time between school, my job (which I may not have anymore due to budget cuts), and my comic. I'll try to get back to posting once a month, but no promises.

KumoriKage, if reading my fic hurts you, then maybe you shouldn't read. As for the sake, I wasn't aware that I had miss it when I edited it. As soon as I find the spot you are talking about, I will correct it. Any time you see misspellings, please mention where they are so I can find and correct them.

Yes, inhyel, I am a girl.

To everyone else, I'm glad people like it as much as I do. I love working on my writing and I've been disappointed not having a chance to. Hopefully I'll have more time this semester to work on all of my writing and completely overhaul my Slayer's fics and merge them into one big story like it's suppose to be. The sad thing is, I'm about half way done with that set and I just haven't gotten around to it. I may also post up some of my original stuff on later.

Well, see you all next update.