Legal Disclaimer: OH-Man... I think I really lost my marbles this time!! Wait a sec! I don't have marbles!! =O.O=!! Hmm... Maybe that's it!! At any case... I don't own Ushio or Tora they are a (c) to Kazuhiro Fujita, as if you didn't Know!!! Enjoy this fic that I really think I've own done my crappy-ness in!! Another thing... this fic is completely in SD!! So... imagine it happening, and have fun... another thing, sorceress Zeba and her brother Zallcos are (c) to me so no stealing! If you wanna use them, ask me first... R&R people!!

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It was a beautiful holyday morning -like duh!!- Birds singing, breeze softly brushing its way though the trees many leaves... then it guides us to the temple... Shigure in the kitchen making breakfast, as his son snored out loud in the safety of his bedroom... and the ancient orange beast on the... huh?? Wait a sec! Tora ain't on the rooftops?? Odd!! O' well... we go to the temple boy... snoring out loud as he sprawled in bed, bed cover thrown away, as usual, spear near by almost touching his finger tips... slowly murmuring in his sleep, the young man woke up slowly and rubbed his eyes... yawning then in a lazy daze walked to the bathroom for a refreshing shower... but then, he heard a loud cry... going like "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" blinking in start, Ushio hurried to the window, but saw nothing... he knew the cry, as it belonged to the ancient beast!! He quickly washed his face and hurried down stairs, spear clutched in his hands...

"Morning dad!" he walked down the stairs, "was it just me or was it Tora crying a few minutes ago?" he asked...
"Huh? (Turning around) Ushio! It's about time you woke up!!" his father sounded like if he was in a hurry "listen I ....uh-heh...!!" Shigure was trying to hold back a chuckle, then locked his eyes with his puzzled son "showing you would be easier!!" he smiled...
"Showing me what dad?" cocking an eye brow, Ushio felt some thing BIG was gonna happen...
"Well (turning around towards some thing) I think you should come out now Tora!!" Shigure chuckled "he'll know about it no matter what you do!!" he concluded, yet still chuckling...
"No!!" a faint sound of a growl mixed with embarrassment was heard from the ancient beast... where ever he was...
"Tora?" the boy asked, looking around, yet not seeing his huge orange furry partner "Tora? Are you invisible or sumthin?"
"If only I could do so... it would've saved me the embarrassment Brat!!" the voice recalled still growling...
"Well (pause thinking, yet looking around to the source of the voice) if you're not invisible, where are you then??" the boy asked, then saw his dad walking to the near by table and kneeled down, lifting the cover...
"Hiding wont do any good Tora!" he chuckled...
"Huh??" Ushio felt totally confused...

Walking then kneeling next to his dad, he saw the most amusing sight... Tora had been shrunken to a size no bigger than an ordinary house cat!!! Ushio gawked him, blinking a few times then turning to his dad, he father gave a nod... Ushio turned back to the 'little' orange fur ball in front of him, who was curling around him self only hiding his face; still he could hear a growl... spear in hand, an amused smiled drew wide from ear to ear on the temple boys face, as he drew a hand wanting to touch the little guy and make sure this ain't no dream, but was assured of it when mini-Tora bit one of his fingers almost snipping it off...

"Ouch!!! Dammit Tora!! What was that for?" cried the temple boy at the little guy still holding on to his finger with his teeth "Hey!! Let go!!" he grabbed the 'little' orange beast by the mane and yanked him off, but was only gifted with another bite on his other thumb "OUCH!!!" he cried...
"Oh-uh!!!" slurred the little beast and he quickly darted towards-under the sofa, making a run for it from a swatting spear...
"Tora!! You come out here right now!!" shouted the temple boy growling in anger, as he kneeled to the ground looking for the shrunken beast, only for another nasty bite snapping his ass!! "YAW!!!!"
"(Growling as he dug his claws down the boys baggy pants)"
"Tora!!" cried Shigure then grabbing Tora and yanked him away, still careful not to get bitten him self "Calm down!! This might make thing go worse!!" the priest tried to reason...
"Aw-F*** it Tora!! I won't be able to sit for a week!!" he whined glaring the little beast in his father's hands, feeling his sour bottom...
"Good!!" grinned the beast... but only then for his eyes to snap wide open as he got flipped up side down as the temple boy yanked him from his fathers hands by the tail, placed him on the Sofa's arm, then got one hell of a spanking from the slipper the temple boy took off his foot...
"Good, eh? If you like sum-buddy scaring up your ass, then take this then on for size you little orange furry maggot!!!" the boy widened his grin at the beast yelped jilting in pain with every painful spank against his soft furry skin "want some more fuzz ball?? Or did you have enough??" obviously Tora never got spanked before! Just bonked on the head or pocked by the spear!!
"!!!" The pain took away his voice... Tora just couldn't help the pain at all, as his silver eyes wheeled tears, and his tongue was tied in many knots...
"Ushio! I think you've done enough damage for now!!" Shigure said gripping his son's wrist, and taking away the slipper, preventing another spank to the shrunken beast's tender part "are you all right Tora?" asked the priest...
"Like F*** hell I am!! I think my butt's on fire!!" shallowly answered the orange beast, legs somewhat crossed, tail tucked, slowly drawing back his hands on his tushy needing comfort...

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After some time... later...
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"So, what gives Tora?" asked the temple boy, trying his best to sit down with no pain attached on a puny cushion, spear gripped in his hands "how did you become so small all of a sudden?" he mocked...
"........." Tora said nothing, sprawling there on his side on another cushion, resting on the other side of the sofa, but embarrassment was purely clear on his face, even though he cant blush, it was obvious he couldn't talk about it right at that moment... but still, clearly the boys spanking was painful enough, it hurt so much the orange beast hadn't flicked his tail once!! Tora glared the boy; arms folded in front of his stripped face, but then yelped as some thing cold slowly rested on his butt...
"Calm down Tora!!" said the priest as he placed a wet small towel on the beast ass "it should cool you down for now" he chuckled...
"But it hu-ur-rts!!" whined the best, claws digging in the cushion, voice pure in pain, yet whining like a child...
"Oh-stop your whining Tora! Is your tushy that sensitive?" mocked the temple boy; drawing back a hand feeling his own rear, Tora's whining made it snap for a while...
"Well..." interrupted Shigure as he sat between them, then rested his back and eyed the beast "would you tell us what happened exactly Tora? We might be able to help!" he asked calmly, yet trying to hold back a chuckle...
"........." Tora silenced and turned his face away in shame... he couldn't talk about it... even if he knew he had too, he needed too, and he just couldn't...
"What's the matter short stuff?? Water beast got your tongue?" mocked the boy with his voice full of laughter...

The ancient 'little' beast angrily (-T.T-X) stood on his four feet growling and trying to crackle thunder... eyes wide open (-O_O-) as he couldn't do that... so he tried throwing flames... It didn't work either and ended up coughing out a small gust of white smoke!! Sweat drop (-O.O-') he tried to go invisible but ended up with a bigger sweat drop (-T.T-()) and a blank dark blue face (~_~|||)... dropping his head, he had to admit that shrinking took away all his abilities, an now, he's just a little orange fur ball as big as a cat... no more no less!! But worse than that, the little ability show had Ushio laughing his head off with tears streaming over his face (-C_C-X) the only thing Tora had left, was his claws and jaws, not forgetting his massive speed and agility... but his rear still hurt, so he thought he'd charge up for later...

"God-What a laugh!!" Ushio slowly stopped laughing then whipped away the tears and eyed his father, holding back a laugh as well... "Any thing else left Tora??" he chuckled, then blinking the beasts irritated face "Ow!! Hey dad!! I think the little guy is angry!!" he mocked...
"X" Tora drew in a deep breath as his top lip twitched, and many X's popped over his head, rumbling loud like a hot volcano ready to erupt, claws digging and teeth showing with a growl, his mane went fuzzy...
"Aw C'mon Tora!!" chuckled the temple boy, holding the spear in one grip, then slowly moving from his spot to scoot closer to the beast pass his father...
"Don't provoke him Ushio!" he father warned, "you might regret it some day!!" he concluded...
"Aw C'mon dad!! I mean look at him!! Such a tiny little cute defenseless orange furry ball of an ancient man-eating beast!! What kind of harm could he possibly do??" asked the temple boy with a sheepish grin...
"Looked at you rear lately?" the beast mocked asking...
"Err!!! O.o;;; screw that!!" the temple boy blushed as he felt his butt... but with a cocked eye brow eyed the beast "say, how's you butt doing Tora?" he asked mockingly...
"It would've been just fine if it wasn't for you!!" he slurred...
"suuuuure it would!!"

The doorbell rung, and the beast jilted... Ushio didn't do any thing, wondering who it could be, but then blinked the 'little' orange ancient beast skipping off the cushion and hiding in the kitchen quickly... after a pause of wonder, he blinked Asako and Mayuko walking in, both with smile...

"Morning Ushio!!" Asako began...
"Morning!" repeated Mayuko...
"Err, uh-yeah!! Hi girls!!" nervously laughed the temple boy, understanding the beasts reactions... standing up, then preoccupied, drew back his hand and felt his painful rear...
"Some thing wrong Ushio?" Asako asked, seeing him do that...
"Huh? (Noticing) Oh-nothing much! I just... just (thinking) slipped off the stairs a few minutes ago and fell on my butt!!" she blushed a bit chuckling "it kind of hurts, but nothing serious!!" he concluded...
"!" His father smiled and went to a room, leaving his son with his guests...
"Aw!! I know how it feels, it happened to me once when I was waxing the restaurants floor!!" she smiled blushing lightly...
"Um, Ushio! Where is Tora?" asked Mayuko with a concerned voice...
"T-Tora??" he mumbled repeating... "Oh-he's...uh... he is... um..." desperately thinking, he blinked a small corner where he could see the beast behind the girls in the kitchen, waving his hands trying to show him what to say... translating as good as he can he quickly stirred back to them "Oh he, um, went out, uh, h-hunting, and um, he's gonna, going to, uh-be back, um, uh, well, some other time, today? Err, Tomorrow, uhh... I think tomorrow!"

Feeling absolutely stupid, as a rush of embarrassment splashed it's cold waters in his face, Ushio eyed his two female friends eyeing him oddly with the strangest look he had ever seen... they looked at him as if like he was a guy from another planet trying to communicate with them or sumthin!!!

"What happened to Tora Ushio?" calmly asked Mayuko, hand on her heart as it pounded fast in her ribs...
"Yeah! What happened? You didn't kill him did you?" scolded Asako...
"N-No!! He-he's just... um... not-like-he-use-to-be!!" he spoke each word alone slowly trying to reason...

Suddenly a clatter of braking dishes came from the kitchen; Asako broke her glare with Ushio and quickly walked there... Ushio tried to say something and stop her, but it was too late...

"Eek!!" she squeaked in start as some thing quickly swooped through he kitchen in front of her... "Wh-what was that??" she asked...
"What is it Asako?" Mayuko asked standing next to her friend...
"Some thing just passed in front of me!!" he answered...
"What was it?"
"I dunno! I think it's a pretty huge rat or sumthin!"
"What??" a voice protested, almost showing it self, yet almost un-clear...
"What was that?" suspiciously asked the harsh voiced girl "rats don't talk, do they?" stating more than asking...
"Uhh... Tora?" asked the hamburger girl...
"-O___O-;;;;" he lightly gasped, hiding behind a few things up a cupboard...
"Is that you?" she continued... then walked into the kitchen... "Tora, if it's you, where are you?"
'What to do-what to do-what to do?? I gotta hide and fast!!' the ancient beasts mind moaned in a nervous rage, as Mayuko's ocean gray eyes scrolled among the things he hid between...

"Mayuko!!" Ushio called out, she turned to him "why on earth would you think a 'huge' guy like Tora would be doing in such a 'small' place like the kitchen's cupboards?" he reasoned...
"There is some thing in the cupboard Ushio!" she stated still trying to see what the thing was "it's moving, I just can't make out what it is!!"
"Let me!!" said Asako as she threw on an apron and wore thick gloves "I'm gonna catch it and find out!"
"UHH!!!! O_O;;; I wouldn't recommend that Asako!!" hesitating Ushio had to think of some thing and as quick as quick could be!!
"Why not? It's probably more scared of us than us from it!!" she reasoned, "Now, come to mama!!" she grinned as she drew in her hands attending to grab the thing...

Heart pounding in his throat, avoiding her searching hands, backing up even more into the cupboard, Tora never thought that one day he might get caught by the harsh voiced girl... he could imagine it now... if they saw him! They're probably gonna use him like a doll, dress him up like a girl or some thing, and torture him with their girly games!! Maybe bathe him, feed him... worse of all, dress him like a baby and put him in that thing a baby rides... the living horror!! He might think that getting stuck down the basement again with the spear in his shoulder would be perfect right then!! The horror of the moment made him go berserk, so even before Asako could tell, he sprung right outta place, jumped on her head and skipped towards the wall and then... THWACK!!! He forgot that he lost his special abilities, counting in the walking though walls part...

"T-T-Tora??" squeaked Mayuko as she scooped up tenderly the dizzy little beast, the stars and bird over his head flew away "is this... really you??" she asked brushing back a little of his orange mane... "Your so... so ... small!" she stated puzzled... there he was curled in her arms like a house cat...
"What??" Asako pace toward them after feeling her butt, Tora's jump startled her and made her flinch, but then looked carefully at the cute little orange fur ball in her friend's arms... "Tora??" her eyes widened... seeing the cute, little, orange, wide silver eyes, and fuzzy, adorable beast...
"SO CUTE!!!!" both girls exclaimed somewhat squeaking in excitement...
"Wonderful!!" Ushio mumbled to him self slapping his forehead, then turning to the 'very excited' girls cuddling and nuzzling the apprehensive beast, as Tora's eyes were crying out 'help!!' in a desperate gaze "this is gonna be a 'long' day!!" exclaimed Ushio to him self...

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"Ow!! Watch it!!" cried the beast as Asako brushed his tangled mane with a hair comb in her hands, as she settled him harshly in her lap, she made him sit back sprawling his hunches, not knowing how much his ass hurt brushing against her jeans pants...
"Oh quit whining Tora!" she scolded him, as they were in the middle of Ushio's very-tidy bedroom, the beast tried to squirm away, but she grabbed him "stop moving will you?! Sigh, just a sec and I'll be done!!" she exclaimed brushing his mane...
"Yaw!! Ya' know! For a girl your awful tough!!" he whined, "Do I look like a plush toy to you?" squirming "let go!!" he struggled...

Finally he was able to slip away, he was just about to dart to the door when she caught him by the tail and yanked him back... yelping as she did so, he drew back his hands in pain...

"Do you have to be so rough??" he scolded...
"Well Gee sorry! Don't tell me you fell off the stairs too!!" she asked...
"Not exactly..." he mumbled to him self...
"Hey Tora!" smiled Mayuko as she walked in with Ushio and the spear, she was holing a plate with three coffee mugs, and one tea on it...
"Coffee!!" exclaimed the beast in a happy tone...
"^__^" Mayuko simply exclaimed with a smile as she sat down with the temple boy "So... Tora!! Would you tell us what happened?"
"-O.O-;;; err... do I have too?" he shallowly asked, really not wanting to talk about it...
"Spill the beans already Tora! We don't have all day!" scolded Ushio with a big smile on his face... "Who knows? We might be able to help!"
"I doubt it!!" the ancient beast responded... but then got patted on the head softly by the hamburger girl...
"Tora, if you don't tell us what happened, we wont be able to help even if we could!" she softly said, their eyes locked, and she smiled...
"Well..." a heavy weight on his heart, he couldn't say it, because he know he would need to explain many things first... letting go of a sigh, yet treasuring her soft hand on his head, he lightly felt pleased with her cuddling and forgot that he's being watched by his human friend...
"From earth to Tora!!" smiled the boy, as the beast's eyes snapped, "Is your communication system on or off?" he questioned mocking...
"(Just growling)" Tora really felt like eating the boy now, but how could he do so in such a miserable size?
"He-he!!" the boy chuckled, but then, only for the spear to start humming lightly... Ushio eyed it, then with a wicked grin, craned it towards the tiny beast who skipped in start...
"Hey!! What's with the F***ing idea brat??" cried the beast after he stumbled backwards and fell sitting into Mayuko's lap...
"Just kidding Tora!!" he laughed, but the spear didn't stop, actually it hummed really loud now, so loud they all felt the need to cover their ears...
"Uh-hey!! What's going on?" asked Asako blocking her ears...
"Dunno!" answered Ushio "it never did that before!!"
"Can you make it stop?" asked Mayuko...
"I dunno!!" he answered...
"Dammit! It must be 'her' again!!" the beast growled blocking his ears in pain... they all craned to him in confusion, but then the spear's loud humming faded away slowly...
"Geez! I thought I was on the urge of turning deaf!!" said Ushio...
"Me too" exclaimed Asako feeling her ears...
"Yeah!! Me three!" continued Mayuko, and then turned to Tora in her lap "are you okay Tora?"
"Huh? H-yeah..." feeling his flat ears "I think so!!"
"So... Tora!" said the temple boy "who's ... 'her'??" he asked...
"Oh-just some lowly F***ing Bit** I know!" he said calmly rubbing the side of his head trying to stop the ringing pain...
"What's her story?" carefully asked Asako...
"Just some F***ing sorceress who likes to cause trouble... Ack!!! Sumbuddy make that ringing stop!!" he shouted slowly blinking a few times...

"tisk-tisk-tisk... you just don't learn do you Lord Nagatobimaru?" a female voice hissed softly like a snake...
"Huh?" every one turned around looking through out the room, yet no one was seen...

Tora skipped in terror and in a case of worry snuggled him self into Mayuko who took him into her embrace... Ushio stood on his feet, spear clutched in hand, and Asako crept closed to her friend and both brushing into each other, looking around, yet seeing no one... then the window and door of the room closed slamming by it's self... as the room turned dark and somehow full of some thing like fog... clutching the spear tight, Ushio wondered if he should transform or not...

"Calm down children!" the voice spoke again with some thing like and echo "I have no interest in any of you..." it continued...
"Who are you?? Show your self!!!" shouted the temple boy...
"No need to be so rude boy!!" the female voice responded, then a figure out of the smog started forming "I guess living with a personality like the Lord here must've affected your language!!"

The female body came to view, as it was a female with wide golden eyes, black eye lashes, and light milky skin, hair as black as midnight as long almost touching her feet, that were slightly peeking from under the dangling tail of her long dark purple dress, the dress looked amazing in the way it sparkled, showing her bosom and she was wearing dark purple gloves matching her dress with a black lice around her neck, she was also wearing sandals, long bloody red finger nails, bloody red lipstick and light purple eye-shade, yet with a fang showing when she spoke, one odd thing though, her ears were a bit pointy, like a pixy or some thing...

"Hello!!" she said softly, finger touching the young temple boy's chin...
"O.O!!!" Ushio was speechless, for a sorceress, she was one hell of a knock out of a babe!! Only did Asako's pinch down his tender part snap him out of it... "Ouch!!"
"Lord Nagatobimaru!" exclaimed the woman with a smiling face "looking quite adorable I must say!!" oddly, she then threw him a blow kiss!!
"You F***ing Bit**!!!!" he shouted sounding embarrassed "turn me back to normal!!!" he cried...
"No!!" she said turning her face away, fingers going through her hair...
"And why the hell not??"
"Because your rude!! Ask politely and I might 'think' of turning you back to normal!!" she smiled...
"WHAT!!!! IN YOUR DREAMS WITCH!!!!" he cried in frustration, trying to jump out of Mayuko's embrace to snap the pixy's neck...
"Tora calm down!!!" said Asako, pushing him down back into her friends arms after placing her hand on his head "sit down and shut up!!!" she scolded, then turned to the pixy "are you the one who did this?"
"Why yes! Why do you ask?"
"Well... I just wanna know one thing... why??"
"Well, why don't you ask him??" the pixy pointed a finger to the beast with a chuckle in her voice...
"Him?" asked Ushio gazing at his friend...

The three kids turned to the ancient beast for an explanation; Tora only sank his head between his shoulders trying to hide his face... the female laughed sarcastically and then eyed him with her fangs showing...

"You would never admit it even if it killed you eh?" she asked, cupping her waist then shifting her weight to one side she walked towards them... passing Ushio he froze solid and did nothing... kneeling on her feet, she placed a finger under the beasts chin... "Really cute!! I've really out done my self this time!!" she giggled...
"Why-I-Outta-!!!" he blew up a blood vessel with his shark teeth trying to bite her hand, but when he did, he felt like he bit a metal bar or some thing really solid "YAW!!!" he cried drawing back his pained chin "are my teeth still there?" he asked painfully...
"Uh-yeah!!" answered Asako after checking on them... "Though I think I see one somehow cracked!!" she continued...
"Ummh..." painfully Tora closed his eyes and felt his chin, then eyes snapping wide at the pixy still kneeling here in front of him... oddly his gaze was drawn to her smile, then dropping down to her torso, her chest's crack, moving as she breathed... -O.o-

"Uhh..." said Ushio then eyed the woman stand on her feet again... "I don't think he's willing to say... but, who are you?"
"Oh-how silly of me!!" she said as she turned to the boy "I am sorceress Zeba!!" she said then extended a hand for him to kiss!!
"Err!!" he'd rather shake!! "Pleasure to meet you... I think!!" looking at Tora glaring him "what?"
"Idiot!! She's an enemy!!"
"Are you sure?? She doesn't seem like it to me!!"
"Well she is to me!!"
"Well any way" interrupted Asako, standing up and talking to the pixy "would you be most kind and turn old fuzz ball back to normal??"
"Maybe... but honestly, I don't feel like it right about now!!" she said after taking out a mirror from her chest and fixed her lip stick...
"And why not?" asked Mayuko with Tora still in her arms...
"!?" Zeba turned to her, blinking the beast in her arms cradled like a kitty, she widened a smile and cocked an eye brow "Why I must say... don't you think he looks better and much cuter like this?"
"Huh?" asked Ushio then eyed the beast "well... yeah, he is... harmless... in a way!" he stated...
"But it just wouldn't be Tora to be so... small!!" said Asako...
"...Not forgetting cute!!" finished Mayuko...
"Good! As you humans say 'live and learn!!' see you around!!"

Before any one could do any thing, Zeba went away with a sudden 'poof' and vanished... the room went back to normal if like nothing ever happened... Ushio looked at the little beast... obviously, Tora did something but just wouldn't admit it, and this was some sort of punishment, but... for how long??

"Sigh... I'm doomed!!" the beast hummed to him self, desperately...
"Oh-relax short stuff!!" smiled the temple boy patting his friend on the head "what harm can this little problem cause!? I'm sure we could work things out till every thing is solved!"
"Hand-Off!!" the beast growled, holding back the urge to bite...
"Geez! What a grouch!!" said Asako, but then smiled "Hey Mayuko? Let me carry him! Please??" she smiled...
"What??" cried the beast "I'm not a toy!!" then Mayuko shifted him towards her friend, Asako grinned widely "hey-Hey-HEY!! You can't do this to me!!" he cried trying to skip away...
"There ya' go!!" said Asako grabbing him "Gee, your so cute, much softer and more puny than before!!" she giggled cuddling him...
"...*Cough*..." Ushio held back a smile in need to explode...
"I-am-going-to-regret-this-for-the-rest-of-my-life!!" the beast growled to him self in shame as Asako nuzzled him...

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Later that day, it was night if I should say!! Asako and Mayuko had to go back home, though Asako wanted to stay a bit longer to have more fun with the 'cute-little' beast, but she had to go... Ushio and his father stayed up a bit late, but then Shigure went to bed... since Tora cant go back to the rooftops to spend the night, he had to share the room with the temple boy...

"NO!!!" cried the beast skipping away and scratching the door needing out of there... covered in a shade, he quickly turned around...
"Oh-no you don't!!" grinned Ushio plunging over the little guy with a pillow, who quickly sprung and away "What the...??"
"What are you trying to do? Plop me to death? I'm outta here!!" Tora quickly jumped out the window, forgetting he can't fly "AHHHHH!!!!" zooming back he was able to grab the edge of the window curve... "Phew!!" then something grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him up "Huh?"
"What are you? Crazy or something? You lost your powers remember?" smiled the boy with a wide grin "C'mon! It's just for tonight!!" he reasoned...
"No way I'm sleeping there!!" Tora complained, but then found him self thrown into a basket made specially for him "what do I look like? A kitten or sumthin?" he growled, trying to jump out, he was pinned to the basket-bed with a little blanket...
"Oh-quit your whining! This is the only thing that fit's like a bed!!" chuckled Ushio... tucking the beast under it...
"In that case, I don't want no bed!!" the beast quickly slipped the boys clutch and sprung out and on top of the wardrobe...
"Tora!! Come down here right now!!"
"Make me!!"
"Oh-I sure will!!" Ushio smiled grabbing the spear, then pointing it to the little orange fur-ball... "Changed your mind?"
"Err..." ducking back "I think I'll sleep here for the night!!"
"What? But it's all dusty up there!!"
"Better than a basket!!"
"Fine!! Have it your way then!!"

And with that Ushio didn't want to bother him self with the beast any more, so he laid down the spear and went to bed, it was merely a few seconds then we heard his loud snoring... Tora almost tied his ears in a knot, but slowly he got used to the noise and slowly drifted to dream land as well... both knowing nothing about them being watched...

~*~*~*~*~*~

In a dark cold dungeon, a sorceress sat on her throne smiling as she gazed through a mirror in front of her, lightly giggling to her self... it showed a view of the room, Ushio sprawling and snoring out loud in bed, as the beast tried to rest on top of the wardrobe... but then she craned her head away to see a figure walking towards her... a hansom man with pointy ears walked to her, same as she was, white milky skin, golden wide eyes and hair as black as midnight, but his hair was shorter, till his shoulders only... wearing a dark purple shirt and pants looking like a general in an army or something, with a cape flapping as he walked towards her...

"Ah!! Zeba!! Your home early this evening, no?"
"Brother!! You're the one who's early!!" she said amused "how did your battle go?"
"Quite boring I must say... no one stands my magic!" he shrugged "well then... how was your day sister?" He asked...
"Come here and take a look'sy!!" she giggled...
"??" Walking to her cocking an eyebrow, he looked at the mirror "Say! Isn't that Lord Nagatobimaru?"
"Yes it is!!" she smiled...
"Ho-God, what have you done to him??"
"(Just widens her smile)"
"God sister, do you want him to be yours 'that' bad??" he asked...
"Well yes!! That's what he gets for rejecting me!!" she responded feeling the surface of her mirror where the view of Tora came...
"But you're a sorceress! He's an AzaFuse/TsuFu demon!!"
"So??"
"Urgh... I am never going to understand the way you women think!!" he stated shrugging as he walked back to where he came from "you are such a living wonder" he concluded...

"Some day Lord Nagatobimaru... you... shall be... mine!!" she hissed finger nails scaring the glass causing a painful screech, frowning... "But why the wait??" she smiled "Might as well have some fun till he changes his mind!!" she said to her self... "Minions!!" she called out... a gust of black smoke gusted out and swirled towards her, many pairs or red eyes glowed in darkness... "Go my parities!! Go and seek me what I desire!!" she smiled... and with only those words they flew away upwards to vanish with her echoing laughter with in the darkness of the dungeon...

=====================================================

The next morning... the second day and every thing seems calm, Ushio's room in a mess like usual, spear propped near the bath room door that was cracked open slightly, as we hear the sound of rushing water... and yelping!!!

"HEY!!!" the beast jilted dripping wet "F***!! What were you trying to do drown me??" he asked panting... socking wet he shook of the water, but then got gripped again by the boy...
"Oh-calm down Tora!! I just wanna wash away all the dust!!" he grinned, "Besides!! I've been 'dieing' a long time ago to give you a bath!! And this is my change!!" dangling him over the sink, full of water and shampoo foam "now, in ya' go!!"
"AHHH!!!" the beast tried and tied some more... but to no avail; finally he was in, wet and feeling the heat of water... "Ack!! I think my fur is melting!!" he stated, only for a cold feeling of shampoo over his head...
"Now, some good scrubbing would do it!! Close your eyes so soap wont go in Tora!!" said the boy, finally glad the beast surrendered to the case...

~*~*~*~*~
Some time after...
~*~*~*~*~

In the bedroom with a hair dryer, Ushio rinsed away Tora's wet mane and dried him up, thought the beast kept on complaining abut the heat, Ushio didn't pay any care!! The beasts mane went fluffy and made him look awful funny; a little combing fixed him up just fine...

"There!! Now you're all clean and tidy!"
"Still I cant believe I left you do this to me!!"
"Well, it was either I or Asako Tora!!"
"........."
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing..." but then his stomach protested... his face ducked...
"Oh!! So that's it!!" Ushio chuckled "relax, I'm starving my self!! C'mon, let's go down stars for breakfast!!" as the boy scooped up the beast in his hands, spear in his other hand, he felt Tora as light as a feather "God Tora your so light!! You weigh nothing at all!!"
"Do tell!!" murmured the beast "put me down stupid!!" he growled, trying to bite the boys hand, but only to be laid under the boy's arm backwards "Hey??!!" he cried in surprise... "What are you-"
"You want some more of my medicine Tora??" rising a hand showing the flat side of the spear "I'd be more than happy to give you!!"
"no-No-NO!!!!" the beast hovered his hands "save me the pleasure!!" he weakly grinned, he didn't want to end up getting spanked again, defiantly not with the spear...

Smiling in victory Ushio felt the power over controlling the beast... 'Hey! I could get used to this!' he thought to him self... Tora really wished if he at least could crackle thunder again or throw flames... he wanted to make lamb-chops out of the boy in that second... finally reaching the kitchen, Ushio let go of Tora to sit at the side of the table next to his father, who was busy reading the morning paper...

"Morning dad!"
"Morning Ushio, morning Tora!!"
"What ever..." growled the beast in irritation...
"Well you seem to be in a rather grumpy mood!" said Shigure with a smile, changing the page...
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one shrunken!!" hissed the beast, only to get a pat on the head from the temple boy... "HAND-OFF!!!" he growled loudly...
"Oh-relax short stuff!!" chuckled Ushio then moved away his hand to place a 'big' mug of coffee in front of the irritated beast...
"-O.O- is this... coffee?" he asked hopefully...
"Yep! Drink up!!" smiled Ushio, as Tora crept closer to the mug and smelled it... then he chuckled as Tora had a few problems in drinking it since the mug is awful hot and a bit huge for his hands to hold "need any help?" he asked...
"No!!" hissed the beast, then standing on his hind legs, he held it up and slowly leaned it drinking, the first sip was a bit hot, since he was small, the heat was a bit too much for him to take, so he had to back up a little "Uhh... I think I'll drink it later!!"
"(Just laughed)"
"What's so funny?" growled the beast, but then got patted tenderly on the head -again- by the priest... "Don't do that!!!" he shouted blushing...
"Why not?" said the temple boy patting him again on purpose... "Your so fluffy, cute and darn adorable!!"
"Would you say that still if you lost a hand?" growled the beast with a grin, eyes fixed on the boys wrist...
"!!!" Quickly drawing back his hand he saw the beast drawing up a smile on his face "very funny Tora" he grinned...

"(Chuckle)" the doorbell rang "Ah, probably the girls!! I'll go see who's at the door!" said Shigure as he left...
"Okay!" smiled Ushio then turned to the beast that watched the priest walk out of the kitchen...
"What??" fixing his eyes on the boy looking at him... backing up on his four feet "wh-why are you looking at me like that?" a suspicious wicked grin drew on the boy's face, the beast felt alerted...
"Hi Ushio!!" exclaimed Asako with a wide smile, she walked to the kitchen and quickly scooped up the little fur ball "And how are you this morning Tora??"
"Err!! I'll be doing just fine if you put me down!!"
"Say, where's Mayuko?" asked Ushio...
"Oh she said she'd be heading down town to do some shopping!!"
"Uh, put me down!!" growled the beast pushing the female away from him in effort to escape...
"There is no way I'm letting go of you short stuff!!" she grinned "C'mon! What do you say we go with Mayuko??"
"We??" asked Ushio...
"Yeah! You, me and Tora!!"
"What? But Tora can't go invisible, remember?"
"I know! That's why I brought this!!" she showed him a little empty pick nick basket "I asked mom if I could borrow it!! I told her that I'm attendant to do a pick nick and thought you guys might want to join!!"
"Is that why Mayuko's shopping?"
"Yeah! This is gonna be fun, right Tora? (Pause) Tora?" blinking him slowly crawling his way out of the kitchen "OH-no you don't!!" she caught him by the tail and yanked him up-wards, making him go up side down...
"Watch the tail??" whined the beast, all this yanking made it hurt...
"Mayuko's gonna be there!!" said Asako...
"She will?" asked the little beast... "Well, I guess there wont be any harm in going, since theirs food!!"
"Same old Tora! Every thing shrunk except for his appetite!!" exclaimed Ushio as he chuckled...

Out side the door, a flock of crows on a tree were watching them laugh at the beast with bloody red eyes glowing, squawking in their ugly voices, they flew away towards the city... after a while, they reached a grocery shop, as Mayuko walked out with a paper bag and vegetables peeking out of it, walking down the road with a smile... the crows landed on the ground in a near by dark corner, transformed into a gust of smock then became some thing huge, black and with the same bloody red glowing eyes... the closer Mayuko walked to the thing, the huge claws extended, until when she reached the spot... it was all over...

~*~*~*~*~
Near by...
~*~*~*~*~

"Are you 'sure' about this?" asked the beast peeking his head from out of the basket, only for Asako to push him back in....
"Oh pipe down all ready!" she scolded...
"Relax you two!!" said Ushio then looked at the traffic lights "okay, Mayuko should be here soon, right?"
"Yeah!! I wonder what's taking her so long!!" she wondered looking at her wristwatch... suddenly a shriek came...
"What was that??" asked Ushio in start...
"MAYUKO!!" gasped the orange beast then quickly skipped out of the basket running to the direction...
"Tora! Wait!! Come back here you idiot!!!" he shouted as low as possible... quickly running after the orange fur ball followed by Asako...
"I'm sure it's Zeba!!" the beast growled to him self "that crazy love-sick puppy!! Why wouldn't she understand I couldn't love her??" Feeling guilt 'I could never do so even if I wanted!!' he now thought to him self...

Running towards a corner, he saw a few vegetables rolling his way, sadly he tripped over one and fell chin first, then saw female legs struggling as some thing pulled it into the darkness of the near by ally, it was Mayuko, he knew it from her smell... not thinking at all, with a rage or anger and the need of battle, he darted to the thing and with all his might, plunged on it's face scaring and shredding... in pain, the thing let go of the female as she thudded a few feet away after being thrown... feeling her neck, she saw the little orange fur ball battling the black thing, then Ushio and Asako came into the picture...

"Asako, take care of Mayuko, I'll take care of the black thing!!" growled the boy then swatted the spear on the things head making it screech in pain, as the orange beast dug his claws deeper in it...
"Want some more shifter?? I'll give you more!!" the beast growled even deeper with a rumbling sound in his chest...
"!!!" In case of fright, the thing blew up into a cloud and drained down the sewer system to escape, leaving the beast and the boy slamming their backs into a near by wall...
"Oomph!!" the beast fell right into the temple boy's lap "Dammit!! We can't let it get away!!" he growled and quickly ran after it but it went though the drainpipes faster than him... cursing in a mad rage he punched his knuckles leaving marks on the wall in anger...
"Whoa!!!" blinking the knuckle marks, Ushio knew that just because the beast was little doesn't men he's completely harmless!! "Tora, what 'was' that thing??"
"It was a shape shifter!! My guess is that Zeba sent them!!" he growled craning back to the boy, sitting back on his hunches tail flickering...
"Them? But there was only one!!"
"He was a group of shape shifters stupid!! Didn't you see they way it split up??" then turned to the hamburger girl "Is she all right?"
"I dunno!" responded Asako, watching her friend cough hand still on her neck "Mayuko, are you all right? Did that thing hurt you?" she asked...
"...!!!" Mayuko tried to speak, but ended up feeling her throat...
"Oh-wonderful!! That F***ing son of an a** h*** took her voice!!" hollered the beast really getting pissed off...
"Is there a way to get it back?" asked the temple boy standing up and feeling his spine...
"Only way to do so brat is to catch that thing!!" the beast hissed...
"Well... where did it come from?" the boy asked...
"Uhh..." the beast hesitated "I-I'm not sure!!" he answered weakly...

Jilting the spear hummed in protest... Ushio tried to calm it down, but it refused and slightly crackled thunder... in a sudden move, it shot a bolt right to the beast... yelping in surprise and self protection, Tora figured out that the spear wanted the truth out of him... he couldn't say it because he thought it was more his problem that the temple boy... but... Mayuko lost her voice! Why? Because Zeba sent a shape shifter to get her so maybe it would use her to lour him to her!!! It didn't get her though, but it did get her voice... his thinking was broken with another bolt shooting next to him making him trip and fall on his stomach in a try to run off... the spear took that chance and sent a bolt to his rear...

"YAW!!!!" jumping with his orange hands rubbing his butt "Dammit you F***ing Sh** crap of wood!!!" feeling his butt again "Okay, so I think it may have been Zeba, all right??" he growled to it... "Satisfied??" he finished...
"Zeba?" asked Asako "why on earth would Zeba try to take away Mayuko's voice??" she asked...
"Yeah!!" agreed the temple boy... but then, he and Asako blinked a gaze of worry on the beast face "you know why, don't you Tora?"
"Err-yes!!" he squeaked weakly, really not wanting them to hear it...
"Well... why?" asked the harsh voiced girl...
"Well... because... uhh..." he couldn't say it... he laid a flat hand on his face hopefully thinking for a reason they might believe...
"Tora!" said Ushio grabbing him from the back of his neck and puling him up and over his shoulder "since your so small now, it's not like perching over both my shoulders, but it would have to do for now!!" he smiled... Ushio was trying to comfort the beast so then maybe he'll be able to tell them what the gig was... "So? What gives?" he asked calmly, having the beasts face so close to his own...
"Well..." the beast began, eyes locked with the temple boy... taking in a deep breath, he had no choice... "It all began a few years before my imprisonment... I was simply hunting down a few..." Pause blinking worriedly at the boy "uhh-animals!!" he smiled...
"Carry on!!" Ushio cocked an eye brow, as knew the beast meant to say humans, but said nothing...
"Well... I just bumped into this little pixy girl attacked by a huge bull... I really didn't care about her, I just wanted to eat, so I pounced on the bull and eat him up... and now, the pixy grew up to be what you know now as sorceress Zeba, and she's well... so grateful... she... uhh... wanted to thank me and... Offered me to come with her to her... palace... I said no! So I guess she felt offended... that's all there is to it!!" there was some thing wrong about the story, the spear hummed with every pause the beast did as he spoke, proving that there were a few lies among his words...
"Tora... I have doubts about your story, but we'll do the judging later!!" said Asako as she helped her friend up "C'mon! We have to get Mayuko home, and think about this on the way back to the temple..."
"Yeah!!" was all what Ushio said...

~*~*~*~*~

In a dungeon... she awaits... crystal ball in her hand... magic mirror in front of her floating in thin air... "One down... three to go!!" was all what the sorceress said... eyes fixed on the harsh voiced girl...
"I'm warning you sis!! I simply don't like this at all!!" the man from before warned as he walked to her...
"Oh-go jump in a lake Zallcos!!" she hissed at her brother and then threw a spell on him... as he turned into some thing typically green, small, slimy with long legs and goes 'ribbit' all day long!! "That's more like it!!" she smiled, and then snapped her fingers for the black cloud to go and get the second victim...
"_/\o.o/\_ ribbit??"

~*~*~*~*~

"Ya' know, I still don't like the sound of this!!" said the beast as he got pushed into the basket again "Hey!! Not so rough!!" he cried...
"Oh-shut up Tora!!" then saw Ushio walking back towards them "So?"
"Her parents are out now, she'll be safer there till we come back!!" the boy said as he walked down the road with his friend... "I think you should head back home too Asako, Tora and I had better be heading back too!!"
"What?"
"It would be better! If the thing were after Tora, then it would follow us!! You have to stay away from danger!"
"But I wanna help!!"
"Female!! You would be most helpful if you go home!!"
"Oh-shut up Tora!!" and pushed him back...
"Oomph!!"
"Asako" said the temple boy picking up Tora out of the basket "go home! I'll see you tomorrow!!"
"What? Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"Well... all right... but if you need help, you'd better call!!"
"I will!"
"You'd better!!" it was all she said as she waked away...

The minute they split... Ushio placed Tora on his shoulder like a furry thing and told him not to move... but then... the black cloud of smock was waiting for Asako with in her home... little did any one know what awaits them back home...

~*~*~*~*~
Later that day... when Ushio arrived sometime at sunset...
~*~*~*~*~

"Dad!! I'm back!!" there was no answer... "Dad? Where are you?" asked the temple boy as he walked into his home... Tora jumped off his shoulder, shook his mane and stretched up till you think his limbs would split apart... but there on the table, Ushio was a yellow card {to Ushio: I'm out right now, I'll be back later or tomorrow... take care until then, sign Shigure...}'that's odd!!' Thought the boy...
"Something wrong brat?" asked the beast...
"Dad is out and he left me this note!!"
"So?"
"He never goes out in such a hurry... what's odd is that he titled and signature the note he left!!" the temple boy pointed out as he cocked an eye brow at the card...
"Let me see!!" said the beast... Ushio shifted the card at the beast, and Tora took a sniff, but then snorted in start and blinked oddly...
"What the F***!!!" the beast shouted...
"What's wrong Tora?"
"What's wrong?? WHAT'S WRONG?? I'll tell you what's wrong!! This card's got Zeba's finger prints all over it!!" he growled... "That F***ing Bit** of a love-sick puppy..." Ushio blinked with that last sentence "... she'll never understand even if the truth shoot it's gun right through that stubborn head of hers!!" he shouted in frustration... then emptied his anger on one of the tables wooden legs...
"Love-Sick-Puppy??" suspiciously asked the temple boy... but felt definite of something as he saw the beast freezing in his tracks clawing the dinner table... "Tora... what did you mean by that??"
"Nothing!!!" the beast quickly answered with a fake smile that even the boy could see through...
"Tora!!" the boy sang the name with a wide ear-to-ear smile... "Why is Zeba after you any way?"
"I dunno!" sheepishly answered the beast shrugging a shoulder, but then, the spear hummed again "What??" the beast cried at the spear sounding embarrassed "Can't a beast have some privacy in his life??"

"It's 'you' isn't it??" the boy laughed "Zeba is in love with you right?? That's why she keeps chasing you and you shying on her right?? Admit it" the boy pointed a finger of accusing the beast with a victorious grin...
"NO!!" the beast blushed "I-I-I ... I have no idea what you're talking about!!" pause thinking for a sec "and I'm not 'shying' on her!!" he said trying his best to stay calm...
"suuuuure!!" the boy sang, then quickly took out a flash light and turned in on in the beasts face "admit it rocky!! This is the police!! Admit your crime and we'll send you to prison un-harmed!!" he acted like an inspector in some suspense movie...
"Hey!! Turn that darn thing off!!" said Tora protecting his eyes "trying to turn me blind or something?" he asked...

Ushio chuckled then fixed his gaze at the beast rubbing his pained eyes... feeling a rush of something silly he couldn't stop the running chuckle... the beast just glared him silently for some time... slowly, the temple boy stopped then gripped the spear a bit tight and focused in his thoughts...

"Okay... we need to go and search for dad... any ideas?"
"Where else? We'll find him at Zeba's dungeon!!"
"Her... dungeon??"
"Yeah! Dungeon!!" the beast repeated, "what's the matter brat? Scared?" he mocked...
"Not as much as you'll be 'lover-boy'!!"

In a case of anger and in need to crack some ones neck, Ushio dodged a mouth full of shark teeth... Tora ended up munching down on the flashlight... spitting the stuff out, he growled at the boy, but it quickly turned into a yelp as the boy held a humming spear in his hands with a wide wicked grin... if the beast wasn't careful, he was gonna get swatted!!

~*~*~*~*~

"I don't believe Nagatobimaru does all this with that human boy all day!! How can he take all this pounding??" asked the pixy in a voice where irritation and confusion mixed, as she was talking to the two females and an old man tied and trapped each in a cage... "O' well..." she shrugged and went back looking into her mirror watching the two partner fight... with three glowing balls in her hands and a small cage where a frog was trapped, half into water...

~*~*~*~*~

"WHOA!!!" cried the beast trying to strop screeching his claws to the slippery floor, but then sliding on the kitchen floor and splattering into he wall... then slowly thudding on his back "Wa-ha-hoo... what a bang!!" he slurred, eyes swirling in dizziness...
"Stupid!!" chuckled the temple boy as he finally cough his friend and pulled him up... "I think we had enough goofing around, let's go find dad!!"
"........." Tora said nothing and just growled... but then Ushio scooped him up with one hand, holding the spear in the other "Hey! What do you think your doing brat? Put me down!!"
"Hey! Don't you wanna hitch a ride like always?"
"Well... you could've just said so!" he slurred then climbed his way to the boy back and held to the shoulders... "Finding Zeba shouldn't be hard... she likes dark cold places that are usually abandoned!!" Looking out the window "this time of night would be perfect!!"
"What about what she 'doesn't' like??"
"I think she hates... (Pause, glaring look)... why are you asking?"
"Just wanna know how much you know her!!"
"Very funny!" the beast growled...
"Aw-C'mon Tora! Tell me; honestly, don't you think that she's at least hot or something? I mean don't you at least 'like' her?"
"WHAT??"
"Hey!! I note!! I said 'like' her, not 'love' her!!"
"Well I ..." there was a heart taking pause "Nether!!" he said softly more to him self than the boy...
"Really? Don't you like her at least a itty little bit??"
"What's the matter deaf? Or do you want me to snip off your ears brat?" growled the beast his hot breath right in the boys ear...
"Yaw-hey watch it!!" he drew a finger feeling his eardrums... "No need to be so touchy!!" he mocked... then drawing his hand to rest on the beasts head cuddling him "relax!!"
"For one last time brat... Hand-Off!!!" he tried to stay calm...
"All right!!" the boy chuckled as he walked out and out of his residents...

~*~*~*~*~

Far away, in the middle of the heart of the dark cold night, eyes in bloody red were watching closely... the temple boy and with the ancient beast resting on his shoulder like a huge orange cat, dark orange tail flickering... and on the other side of the viewing mirror, were three hostages and a sorceress... oh-yeah, and a frog!!

"Come to me!! Come to me my love!! Soon, you shall be mine!!" Zeba smiled to her self, eyeing a close up view of the small orange beast over the shoulder of the waking boy... and then craned around to a sound of movement to blink Asako trying to struggle her way out of the ropes she was tied in...
"Ribbit!!"
"Shut up Zallcos!!" she growled to her brother...
"Ribbit!!!"
"I said 'Shut-Up' Zallcos or I'm going to turn you into frog-leg soup!!!"
".........X..."
"That's better!!" she smiled then went back watching her mirror...

In the background, we see Asako in her cage still struggling, but since Zeba took away her voice along with Mayuko and Oji-san, she couldn't do any thing, yet she tried to bite off the ropes... no good, and her teeth hurt!! Desperately sighing, she turned to the others... Mayuko just shook her head, Shigure shrugged as if saying 'this is hopeless child!!' and calmly sat back... she sighed again and hoped Ushio would find them fast...

~*~*~*~*~
In the mean time...
~*~*~*~*~

"What?"
"Come-On Tora!! I mean you must've at leased liked her even for a little while, or why else would she hang on to you so tight??"
"Well... I-I'm... that's not the point!!"
"Of course it is!! It's 'you' she's after, right!? I need to know to be able to help dad!!"
"Not in my life your not!!"
"Oh really?" grabbing him from the back of his neck like a cat "listen Tora, why don't you just tell her you don't love her!?"
"I did!! She's just too stubborn to get it through her head!! It's not my fault women are so hard-headed!!"
"Well you must've did something to make her think you lover her!!"
"No I didn't!!"
"How sure are you??"
"Well I'm... sigh... I dunno... maybe I did do something... I just don't remember any more..." jumping off the boys grip, walking a few steps away in the empty street "every time I wanna remember any darn thing, the memory of... 'Down there' comes... I hate it!! That's why I keep trying to forget... I ... I guess..." looking down at his hands as he sat back on his hunches "I've been trying to forget so much... I lost most of what I know... and what I use to remember..." silent he grew...
"..." Ushio looked up at the sky, cloudy and dark, as the moon hardly showed from all the thick clouds... "Sorry..." he whispered to his friend...
"It doesn't matter... just forget it!" the beast softly mumbled to the boy, voice calm yet sounding a bit sad... pacing back towards the boy he climbed up his back and rested his arms folded on his shoulder "Come now, we must find the priest brat!!" he tried to hiss, but ended up sounding soft...
"Sure..." Ushio lightly smiled and carried on in his way, Tora resting silently on his shoulder...

~*~*~*~*~

"Close friends aren't they?" Zeba smiled... "Let's see how close they really are..." she lightly frowned yet still with a smile "Shifter!" she called out towards the mirror "don't you dare fail me now!! Get me the Lord... I don't care if you F*** up the boy or you end up F***ing him up!!" she hissed, "Just get Nagatobimaru!!" she growled... and with that the beast gave a nod from it's perch in the darkness... then shifted soundlessly after the two friends... "This should be interesting!! Don't you agree with me??" she smiled asking as she then turned to the worried humans behind her... not to forget an irritated frog...

~*~*~*~*~

"Tora..."
"Yeah brat?"
"Are you all right, you're acting awful quiet!!"
"I'm fine..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah..."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
"Absolutely sure?"
"Yes Dammit!! I am all ready!!" he somewhat growled, yet not sounding mad... his eyes locked with the boy... beast to human...
"Your not okay Tora!! I can tell!! Is it because you're still small?"
"Does it even matter to you?" he turned his face away...
"Of course it matters!"
"No it doesn't..." he sounded broken hearted "what matters to 'you' know is to find the priest, your father!! So lets go and F*** up this place till we do!!" he growled...
"Just because he's my dad doesn't mean I don't care about you too Tora!!"
"Sure..."
"Really!! For me, he's a part of my family, just like Asako and Mayuko!! And so are you!"
"Tch-Yeah-right... sure I am..."
"Tora I mean it!!"
"Sure you do..."
"Tora..."
"I'm nothing to you but an orange a** h*** who came into your life and ruined every thing!!" the beast shouted "some one you keep pounding when ever your angry or feel like shouting at someone or just a living punching bag!!!" he paused taking a breath "if I didn't know any better, if you had the chance, you'd just want to kill me and get it over with!!"
"No it's not! It's not like that!!"
"A-ha, yeah, right..."
"Tora I'm not kidding, honest!!"
"........." The beast just glared...

Tora jumped off the boys shoulder again, but before his feet could even touch the ground, he was caught as the sound of the spear came falling next to him with a clatter... suddenly feeling a tight embrace, he found the boy holding him tight, kneeling on the ground, the feeling made him freeze... there he was... they were chest to chest, in an embrace?? He froze... why was the boy doing so? The hug tightened, he could feel the boys heat running though his own blood... the beast closed his eyes... feeling it... he didn't know why, he just felt like he need too... the night was cold and dark... the feeling enveloping him was warm and safe... every thing was silent, except for the sound of the boy breathing over his head, and his heart beats vibrating against his own ribs echoing thought the boys chest, reaching he ancient beasts ears... not knowing why, but appreciating that, Tora couldn't help but to tuck his head under the boys chin... where he somehow found warmth and comfort... eyes still closed... Ushio had his eyes closed as well, both feeling each others presents...

~*~*~*~*~

"Aw-how adorable!!" smiled the sorceress, watching them do so, for her it was a lovely view... in the back ground, the three humans had their eyes shot wide open and almost out of their sockets, jaws almost dislocated... Ushio let go of the spear just to hold back Tora?? Were they that close?? Asako, Mayuko and Shigure eyes each other in need of an explanation... Mayuko eyed Tora in the mirror with a faint smile as he almost rested his head on Ushio's shoulder, and then she lightly smiled... "So their closer than we think eh?" Zeba grinned... "Shape Shifter!!" it rose it's head waiting for the order as it hovered a few feet top the two friends in the middle of the darkness of the night "I changed my mind, get them both... alive!!" it gave a nod, then fixed it's red eyes on the two, charging up...

~*~*~*~*~

"Ahem!!" coughed the beast "are you don yet? I don't wanna end up being seen like this!!" he growled softly...
"Huh? Oh-sorry!!" the boy said letting go of the beast, "I just... don't know what came over me!!" he said picking up the spear, then standing up and brushing dust off his pants shins...
"Well... what ever it is, keep it away from me, all right??"
"Sure!!" The boy stated blushing a bit...
"And another thing... don't you DARE hug me again!! What are you? Gay or sumthin?" he mocked...
"I don't think it was funny Tora!!" he frowned to that...
"What ever..." chuckled the beast, feeling oddly light headed... "C'mon... I think we should go this way!" he pointed to a dark ally...
"All right..." but after one step he froze "Tora!!
"??" The beast craned to him after pacing a few steps...
"Did you feel something??" he asked with a frown, spear gripped tight in his hands, battle position...
"Huh?" the beast looked around and tried to sense the surroundings, but before he could get a chance, some thing swooped down quick and grabbed him pulling him skywards... "Hey!"
"Tora!!" cried the temple boy, then saw a pair of red bloody eyes glaring him... slowly the clouds moved away giving enough light showing the figure of the shape shifter, with Tora being drowned in it's darkness...
"It's pulling me into it stupid!! Do something!!!" he struggled to escape the darkness, but the more he moved the faster he got sucked in, then finally was enveloped whole...

~*~*~*~*~*~

For a short while, Tora could only hear the boy's voice shouting in anger... enveloped in darkness... the beast opened his eyes and looked around, he saw nothing and found him self floating in thin air... but then something came to view, as a stone wall with many cracks appeared in front of him, and a wooden roof top of him... it looked familiar... craning around, he saw the living horror... he saw him self pinned to the rock in the cold dark basement... he felt the rushing cold feeling through his spine, grabbing his head crying trying to stop the image from repeating it's self... he slowly felt scared, closing his eyes he had a shiver... never wanting to see that view again... but then felt some thing change... when he opened his eyes... he was some where else... every thing went blurry, and he found him self in a cage...

~*~*~*~*~

"What the F***??"
"Welcome... Nagatobimaru!!"
"Huh??" turning around, he saw the sorcerers lightly bending to see him in a small cage, that fits his size, and talking about fits, Tora went nuts!! "You crazy child!!! Why don't you get it through that scull of yours??"
"Well... it's either I do, or they do!" she smiled turning around, extending a hand showing him the prisoners...
"F***??" he blinked them... then turned to a noise near by to see the boys picture in a mirror fighting the shape shifter...
"Ah-yes!" she smiled turning to the mirror "the battle! I all most forgot!!"
"Ribbit!!"
"Shut up Zallcos..." she reached into the water bowl and chocked the frog... "One more sound and you are a dead frog!!!"
"*Gulp*!!"
"Good!" she growled then turned back to the battle in her mirror "this should be interesting!" lightly turning to the beast trying to crack the cages bars with his claws and jaws "join us, wont you??"
"Zeba!!" Tora hollered "Why?? Why are you doing this??" he asked growling...
"..." She glared him, then walked to him slowly... after a pause she lightly kneeled to him...
"??" Tora felt a shiver down his spine... suddenly the cage vanished, but before he could do a reaction, she quickly cupped his face and locked their eyes... he froze... he could've ran off or some thing... but he didn't move... instead he just sat there on his hunches and gazed at the golden eyes locked with his own... "Why?? Just explain to me, why are you doing this to them?" he softly asked her whispering...
"Because..." her forehead met his "I loved you... and you wouldn't love me back..." her eyes wheeled tears, they almost rolled down her face but she whipped them away... "For that!!" she stated "I am going to have a little fun with your friends... nothing harmful... don't worry..." she grinned...
"Zeba! Listen to me, I-" he was about to continue when she threw a spell pinning him in his place, he could stand up on his hind legs, but he couldn't take a single step...

~*~*~*~*~

In the mirror, we see the boy and the black cloud with the bloody red glowing eyes... Ushio found him self irritated and so angry, he transformed into the lance user... spear clutched in his grip, eyes slit like a cat in purple-green... hissing and growling as his fangs showed...

"Okay smog face!" let's see what your 'really' made of!!"
"..." The shape shifter said nothing, well... actually not making a sound... glaring the boy in battle pose it got ready as well...
"Not much of a talker, are you?" he mocked... "Hey!! Fog face!! I'm talking to you!!" pause, it didn't respond, and Ushio gained a sweat drop "yeah!! You!! Do you see any other F***ing a** h*** around here??" it didn't react to him still... "Sh**!! Would you at least... growled?" he pleaded annoyed...

"Well..." lightly chuckled the sorceress, eyeing the beast slapping his forehead in irritation "obviously, he doesn't know much about my dark shape shifters... does he?"
"No he doesn't..." the beast chuckled to him self annoyed "Idiot!!" suddenly cried the beast in anger facing the mirror "Shape shifters are silent assassins!! They don't talk, they just battle you moron!!!"

"Tora?" questioned the boy gazing around confused... "??"

"He... he can hear me??" the beast asked...
"Impossible!! No one could communicate with the other side using the mirror but me!!" stated Zeba in confusion...
"Ribbit!!"
"Oh yeah... and you too Zallcos!!" she mumbled...
"Hey! Brat!! Aim to the head!! Do you hear me? To the he-Oomph!!!"
"Hey! You're ruining my game here!!" Zeba growled after pushing a cork in the beast's mouth... "Though I personally love your voice, I don't want you ruining my fun!!" she turned back to the battle...

"Whoa!!" cried the boy escaping a hand full of claws longer than Tora's... "Geez! You need to take care of those nails! Their ugly!!" the boy mocked... then he darted the spear to the things chest... "Hee-yaa!!" he cried, but instead of stabbing it, he found him self quickly passing through it!! "HUH??"

"F*** it Brat!! Can't you do any thing right??"
"You know!" Interrupted the sorceress "I'm really begging to hate all this cursing!!" he said with a scolding voice...
"Ho-F*** up you lousy Bit***!!"
"!!!!" She blinked him, clearly he was blowing his tops "well, I never!!" she whispered to her self, and then slowly grew a smile "you know! There is always more than one way to teach a beast new habits!!" she said to him...
"Ho-really?" he asked growling, the folding his arms "and what the F***ing hell could that be??"
"First, I'd like to ask you to stop cursing!!"
"No!! I curse when I feel like it!! So F*** up if you don't like it!!" he smiled as she frowned in anger...
"Well then, I'm afraid you leave me no other choice!!" then, she simply snapped her fingers... pause... nothing happened...
"HA!!!" laughed the beast "What is the matter? Out of magic all ready?"
"No! I have plenty more!" she smiled...
"Sure you do..." slurred the beast, not caring about what her spell could be; he turned back to the mirror to see the battle...

"Say! Since you don't talk! Mind if a say some thing?" growled the boy, the thing simply stood on it's feet, as it transformed into a huge thing, as big as a bear yet as tough as a bull... "I must say... you STINK!!!" he cried with a crazy smile "I mean you smell so bad I could smell you from miles away!!" he concluded... the thing didn't react "Aw-F***! At least frown!!" he suggested hopefully for the thing to actually do some thing expected... it didn't!! It just stood there breathing slowly, ready to plunge on the boy... "THIS is going to be one long night!!" Ushio said to him self... after brushing back his long black cloud of locks...

"What is he waiting for Dammit??" said the beast, and he was just about to continue when some thing struck his rear "Ouch!! What the F*** was-(Slap)-Yaw... that?" he slurred feeling his buttocks...
"That my love, was my magic!!" said Zeba "every time you curse, you get a spank down your cute little butt... it's as simple as that!!"
"What?" he hollered "Why the God-damn F***ing Sh**-" he got three hits this time "... would... you... (Slowly drawing back his hands feeling his rear, tears on the urge of dropping) ... do that for?" he eyed her...
"This is my way to tech you how to stop cursing honey! The more you curse, the more you get a whooping!!"
"What is it with everyone and spanking me all of a sudden? First the brat, now you?" asked the beast in anger "I'm used on getting speared and pounded all over my body, bonked on the head and stabbed... well... some times down my butt, but never spanked!!" he stated still feeling his bottom...
"......" she slowly drew a smile and lightly blushed "all right, I admit I think you have a really cute butt! So I really wanna be fair..." she snapped her fingers and the beasts feet went free...
"Huh?" he took a few steps and stretched "Aw-man! Stretching feels so good!"
"But you can't escape no matter what you do!"
"Ho-yeah? Watch me!!" he grinned and darted to the cages where the humans were, but then, smacked his face, nose first, into something solid... "Oy!! What did I hit?" he slurred feeling his nose...
"An invisible wall!!" Zeba said with a smile...
"F***? (Spank) Ow!! This is gonna take a little getting used too!!" he scolded him self standing up and feeling the pain... then turned to Asako who was in the urge of cracking up in laughter... if only she had her voice... Mayuko and the priest turned away so he wont see their faces... feeling a rush of heat running up his face he growled at her "It's not funny female!!"
"...!!!" Asako tried to calm down; slowly she did... but then locked her eyes on the mirror...
"??" Turning around, Tora saw the mirror as well, and the boy was loosing!! "Hell? (Spank) Ouch!! Uhh... I'm really beginning to hate this!!" he growled and looked around in hope to see what the thing striking his bottom is... sadly, he saw nothing, yet he thought he'd better cursed in his thought so he wont get a hit, sadly that didn't work either... skipping around yelping, no matter where he ran of to, the pain was still there going against his tender skin... and the idiot kept on cursing the thing every time it spanked him, making things go worse... Zeba lightly blushed and laughed watching him, but then turned back to the battle...

"Whoa man... I-uh ... I'm running out of steam" panted the temple boy as he hardly was able to stay standing on his two feet... but in the end, the black cloud plunged over him, as he tried to slash it, he ended up getting pulled into it... slowly, he went to the dark world... Ushio felt exhausted... getting released from the spear he was back to normal, but warn out dead... he was about to fall asleep any minute now, panting with his mouth open... he didn't see any thing in the dark... but then slowly, he started to notice a place where three cages stood with his father and friends trapped in side... and the sorceress from before sitting there on a thing like a throne, legs crossed, with Tora laid in her lap like a house cat, mostly bent on her knee looking somewhat exhausted as well...

"Tora?" he called out asking as his echo rang in the place...
"Huh?" sounding tired, the beast rose his head slowly and saw him "Brat!!?? What the f*** took-(yelp)-you... so long!!" the yelp sounded if like some one hit him or some thing, Ushio didn't understand, but then quickly walked to his dad, only for the shape shifter to merge in front of him like a ghost rising from the floor...
"Hell??" asked the boy "what do I have to do to get rid of you?" he asked, spear ready to pound the thing...
"Relax my boy!" said the sorceress as she raised a hand, the other still scrolling down the beasts back... Tora looked too tired to even move, eyes slitted trying to stay awake watching the boy... "Listen... you cant defeat my shape shifter, so, I'm willing to give you a few options..."
"Hey! I don't do deals sister!" Ushio just glared at her, quickly turning his eyes from her to the thing, and then to Tora, then his father and friends...
"Ribbit!!!"
"Huh?" Tora turned to the frog, blinking him oddly; he cocked an eyebrow, then whispered so Zeba wont hear him "Zallcos? Is that you?" the beast asked the frog, who answered with a nod "but... you're a frog!!" he said...
"..." The frog simply shrugged, then pointed a flipper at three glowing balls a top of his sister in some thing like a fish-bowl... Tora eyed them, and understood what the transformed brother was trying to say, "you know I'd be delighted to help! But I'm just too tired Dammit!!" (Spank) "!!!" He jilted, then slowly drawing back his hands...
"!!" Looking down at the sudden move in her lap, smiling widely at the punished beast, Zeba lightly smiled and laid her hand on the beasts back, as the temple boy was busy fighting the thing again "cursed again have you?" she asked with a smile...
"God-I feel like my skin is splitting apart... please just make it stop!!" the beast pleaded in weakness, really too tire to fight at all... slowly he craned to her, but to tired to do any thing...
"..." Eyes pure pain, his face was probably burning up in shame by now, so she cocked an eyebrow and laid a hand on his rear...
"H-Hey!!" he snapped in pain and embarrassment "w-what are you doing??"
"Chill! This will only take a minute!" slowly she rubbed his butt, as she slowly blushed, it was clear on her milky white face "your not gonna get spanked any more" she whispered, but the beast was too tired to hear her say that...
"!!!" Feeling some thing cold running through his tushy, the beast felt strangely sleepy... not helping it at all, he was fast asleep in seconds... Zeba smiled then picked up the sleeping beast and laid him on a crimson cushion, laying a soft kiss on his forehead before turning to the battle...
"..." The frog, her brother, Zallcos, he had his eyes shoot wide open and blinked the exhausted beast, then eyed his sister waking away... feeling sick of being so small and icky, he hopped out of the bowl, reached the throne and did his best to get the voices...

In the mean time, Zeba was standing next to her shape shifter and was busy talking to the boy with his spear... Ushio was panting, exhausted from such a day he had, and still wanting to help his friends... somehow, he couldn't get his eyes off the sorceress's bosom, so he lightly blushed...

"Listen, if you know Tora doesn't want you, then why do you hang up to him so much??"
"He's mine... I'm willing to take a life time if it means I'll be able to make it happen!!"
"Why Tora? Just tell me, why 'him' from all others of his own kind??"
"Well... I don't know honestly... for me... he's the only one who shows in a crowd!!"
"You've gotta be kiddin' me!"
"Do I look like some one kidding around boy??" she growled "Shifter!! Finish him off" she said as she walked away...
"Not if I finish him first!!"

Craning around to see the boy and the shifter plunge into a battle, she didn't care and walked to her throne, only for her eyes to shoot wide open as she saw the frog standing right next to the bowl he put the prisoners voices in... in a hurry, she walked towards him, but too little too late as the frog pushed the blow off it's base causing it to fall down and smashing up... "NO!!!" the sorceress cried as she saw the three glowing balls crack and turn to bolts of light, shooting back to who it belongs... then, the frog shimmered in light and was transformed back to normal...

"Finally!! I was getting sick of eating fly's!!"
"Zallcos!! What have you done to my plans you idiot!!!"
"Zeba, I've had it with you!!" he growled and threw a spell to the three hostages, the ropes around them vanished, so did the cages...
"Oh!! Finally!!" gasped Asako stretching up...
"Uhh..." Mayuko stood up and felt her sour body, and then helped Shigure stand up "are you all right Oji-san?"
"Yes..." he panted, and then gazed up at his son "this doesn't look good!!" he hummed...
"Zallcos, stay out of my business all right!!"
"Listen sister, I am not going to leave you make a fool out of your self for some one who doesn't even have interest in you!! (Pause) in other words, that you might understand 'shape up, or ship out' sister!!!" he growled...
"!!!!"

"There is nothing worse than two siblings fighting!!" whispered Shigure... then eyes the two girls as they shifted their attention from the sorceress and her brother to look at the temple boy fighting a black cloud...
"What do you think we should do?" asked Asako...
"Mayuko, you go and get Tora, Asako, help Ushio, I'll see if I can figure out a way to settle the siblings fight before they start casting spells over each other... some one might get hurt... like us!!" he hummed... they girls gave a nod...

Creeping towards the dozing beast, Mayuko carefully scooped him up and then turned around to see how the others were doing... Asako was holding a broomstick, from where ever she found it, and was thwacking the cloud beast's head with it along with Ushio, who seemed to be running dead out of strength, leaning against a wall panting... Oji-san was talking to Zeba supported by her brothers shield spell, but didn't seem to be doing much...

"Why don't we just take it one step at a time?" asked the priest, eyeing the angry young woman in front of him... "Maybe we could work thing out?"
"I think not..." she growled...
"Zeba, why are you so stubborn?? Nagatobimaru isn't interested in you in any way, and you admit it, still you refuse to let go of him..." he stated to her "When will you grow up?" he growled...
"Zallcos... you never tasted love... so you simply have no idea why I'm doing this..."
"It might feel right for you... but the question is 'is it right for him'??" asked the priest...

Zeba froze... slowly her breath quickened... blinking a few times in thought, her eyes wheeled tears, so she quickly turned around only to see her love in Mayuko's arms... she froze... then frowned and held back an urge to explode... then she craned around again to face her brother and the beast, then eying the temple boy being comforted by Asako as she fought with her life for him... she stood there watching her...

"All right..." she whispered "I'll brake my spell..." she said as she walked to the beast sleeping in the humans arms...
"...!!" Mayuko saw her walking towards her, eyes fixed on Tora... she had a good feeling, so when Zeba extended her arms for her to give her the beast, Mayuko didn't hesitate...
"Though I wished it would be from you to me... I guess I'm never going to have you no matter what I do..." she whispered softly as she nuzzled him "I love you..." she finished as her lips met the beast's...

~*~*~*~*~

The black beast made of clouds squeaked and vanished as the light enveloped the place... Asako, Mayuko, Shigure and Ushio closed their eyes for a sec only to blink them selves at the temple gates at 12 o'clock in midnight... with out an idea what happened they gazed each other... Ushio eyed the spear then blinked around, as the temple door was open... they all walked in with a hurry, to see the beast back to normal size, slumped on his side asleep in the middle of the living room...

"Tora!!" exclaimed the temple boy as he walked to his partner "Tora get up you old flee bag!!" he shook his friend whom slowly trembled his eye lids and gave out a moan...
"Oh... my aching head!" he growled sitting up, but then his head felt heavy and dizzy, then fell back with a thud, the floor squeaked "OY..."
"Hey! You all right?" asked the boy with worry of the floor braking under them...
"My head... it feels so... heavy!" he hummed to him self "what happened?"
"Don't you remember?"
"All I remember was feeling like my ass was on fire!" he growled, then slowly with support of his hands, he sat up again, still feeling dizzy "how... how did we got outta there?"
"Uh, long story!" smiled Ushio...
"Well... every thing seems to be going fine!" said the priest, then turned to the girls "now, you two should head back home, remember, it's school tomorrow!" the two girls gave a nod and walked back home...

"School tomorrow eh?" said the sorceress as she gazed at her mirror... "This could be fun!!!" then turned around passing an angry little turtle... walking into the darkness, she had another plane...

~*~*~*~*~
Next day... morning...
~*~*~*~*~

"Morning dad!"
"Morning Ushio..."
"Hey! I see Tora is still asleep in the living room, with an ice pack on his head!! Is he getting any better?"
"Still tired, he says that he feels like his head will explode right off his shoulders any minute!! I guess he'll be just fine by tomorrow!! Now hurry up before you get late for school!"
"All right, at least I wont have 'him' tagging along!" chuckled the boy then walked out...

~*~*~*~*~
On the way...
~*~*~*~*~

"Morning Ushio!"
"Oh-Hey Asako!"
"Morning guys!"
"Morning Mayuko!"
"So? How is he?"
"Tora?" he's still dizzy from yesterday, but dad says he might get better by tomorrow!"
"I'm glad to hear that! I was getting worried!"
"Yeah... say Ushio!" asked Asako with a tone "how did it feel?"
"Awful weird! When they say love could kill, I never though of any thing like 'that' in my life!!"
"No-no-no!!! I mean... with you and Tora!!"
"Huh?"
"Asako!!!" blushed Mayuko...
"Just be quiet Mayuko..."
"What are you two talking about? What with me and Tora?"
"Ya' know!" Asako smiled wickedly "back in the dark cold ally last night!!"
"Back at the al-!!!!!" Ushio gasped and his eyes shot wide... "Y-y-y... you... you saw it?" he backed up a few steps blushing, and his face burned red "b-but... I didn't mean it honest!!!" he worriedly smiled "I-I-I... I just don't know what came over me!!" he concluded...
"Ushio, you have no idea how cute you two looked!! All cuddly and hugging like that!!" she giggled as his face burned up hot... she could see his ears burning as well... but then, the school bell rung...
"Uhh!!! I gotta go catch up on class! See ya!!" then zoomed right out of sight leaving the two girls behind...
"Did you have to say it Asako!" softly scolded Mayuko...
"Are you kidding me? Wait until school is over..." she walked away "I wanna see the orange fuzz ball's point of view!!" she chuckled nastily, followed by her fiend...
"You know Asako, maybe we should tell them that they hugged because of the shape shifters spell... though I thought that they were gonna kill each other, I guess their friendship was deeper than we thought!! It was stronger than the spell that's for sure!!"
"What? You want me to tell them and take away all the fun? Besides, after all that spanking Tora had, I bet he won't be able to sit for weeks!"

~*~*~*~*~
In Ushio's class...
~*~*~*~*~

"Phew... I bet Tora was the one who told them... why would he wanna embarrass me as long as it includes him in it?" the boy whispered to him self in irritation...
"Yo every one!! Guess what! We're having a new teacher!!" a boy said as he quickly ran into the class and sat in his seat... soon every one was in place when the door opened and the new teacher walked in...
"O__O;;;" Ushio gasped as he saw the new teacher... 'Zeba!!!' he asked him self... it was her, but she changed the shape of her ears so she'd look normal, wearing a short skirt and a set making her look like a secretary or some thing, all in black and purple...

"Morning class!! I'm your new teacher Mrs. Zeba! True it's a funny name, but no mocking please!" she stated, blinking the temple boys gaze, showing that he recognized her, she smiled and winked an eye...
"Thank god Tora isn't here!!" he hummed to him self really blushing... "Because this is going to be one hell of a day!!!" He concluded as she began the first lesson...

=====================================================
A/N: Geez I hate my self when I write such sucking fics... well at any case... though I really don't know why I wrote this... I hope you enjoyed this one and don't forget to R&R people...