Warmth 2

Hahahahahahahah!!!! Okay I changed my mind... I'm adding a new chapter... I can't STAND having a one-chapter story! For me, a single chapter is just not enough... it wont do!!! I WANT MORE!!!!! SO I'll write more... MWAWAWAhahahahahahahah!!! *Chokes* O_O;;; *cough-cough-cough* GASP!!! Oh... much better...

By the way, my sister kept on bugging me about it, so I thought I'd clear it out, Kage's name is pronounced 'Kaa-Gee' not 'cage' okay? Clear? All settled? Good... now, R&R okay...

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~*~*~*~* Sequel... chapter one*~*~*~*~

The snow started falling lightly after the temple boy rode on the light brown females back... as the ancient beast stood there watching where they went, he eyed the sky wondering 'was this the right choice?' Tora really didn't know truly if he took the right choice... some how, it felt wrong, but then he thought that the boy's company grew on him, and he just has to let go of it...

Shaking his head with a quick jerk, the ancient beast craned around only to eye the place where the boy pinned the spear... the diamond shaped crack wasn't truly clear... but for him, it was as clear as daylight... looking back at the lightly falling snow, the beast shifted his head towards the shimmering moon light, making the white, cold, clear blanket sparkle marvelously...

A soft cool winter breeze blew softly against the orange thick, thick shivering beasts mane... rubbing his forearms with flat hands, Tora wondered if it was warm in the dens like the temple was... although he had doubts... with a single breath, a small cloud formed in front of his sight, as he turned around and walked to a near by tree with a huge burrow under it, wide and big enough for the beast to curl around him self and stay warm in... not feeling sleepy, yet needing some thing to get his mind of the boy and the spear, the beast slowly dozed off and slept calmly, as the burrow kept in his breath heating in the place, keeping him warm...

~*~*~*~*~

The sun rose slowly as it's rays woke up every living creature from it's resting place... and in the distant, a blur of light brown in crimson jogged it's way towards the dens circling the dead camp fire... Kage had just returned from the temple after taking the temple boy there... yawning yet not feeling sleepy, it was merely lack of breath... she stretched out and extended her limbs to snap away her sleep... licking her chops, and shaking her limbs, the female gazed sideways to eye the near by forest... walking a bit near the tree where the ancient beast sleep...

Kage blinked in surprise to see the beast sleeping there, as she felt the heat of his breath keeping him warm... smiling lightly she brushed away some snow from his dark orange tail, and grinned wider as she was about to crane around towards her home only to hear the ancient beast mumble some thing about the temple boy and the spear in his sleep, giggling she left the beast sleep peacefully...

Walking into her den, Kage saw her mate sprawling around him-self looking for warmth, eyes closed, breathing normally... as her daughter slept a few feet away in her own bed... Kage smiled lightly at her daughter, thinking of what had happened between her and the young light brown male... Kage hoped that things would go better between them, cause Jiaaku loved Ann truly, and he just never knew how to deal with such feelings...

"Young things in season indeed..." the light brown female chuckled softly... although she didn't know who said of those words, she knew they were true...

Walking towards her mate, the light brown female nuzzled him softly, sensing his sleepy mood and not wanting to awaken, feeling lazy and childishly bothered, Muma simply curled around him self even more and snuggled him-self into him-self looking for more warmth...

"Muma... dear... it's morning!" softly whispered the female...
"Um-hmm..." mumbled her mate, half way in dreamland...
"..." Simply smiling, the female craned towards her yawning daughter who had just awakened...
"(Yawn)... uhh... morning mother!" smiled the golden female as she blinked with sleepy eyes...
"Morning sweetie!" Kage eyed her daughter now... thinking of her and the young male as mates... thousands of thoughts passed her head... 'Heh, I might even end up as a grandmother! And I haven't reached 1000 yet!' she thought to her self...
"Kage?" mumbled the dark brown beast eyeing his mate sitting back on her hunches next to him...
"Morning Muma! How was your night?"
"Freezing like hell!" he complained, "where were you?"
"I'm sorry, I had to drop Ushio back home... how was Tora?"
"I haven't seen him ever since you went after Ushio last night... had he come back to get the spear?"
"Yeah! Its marks are still at Jiaaku's den though!"
"Talking about Jiaaku..." stated the young female "mind if he and I go hunting together today mom?"
"!!!" Kage blinked oddly at her daughter, she craned to her mate for an explanation...
"After you left last night, Jiaaku asked Ann if they could start from the top!" her mate smiled...
"!!" Thinking for a minute, hesitating, but then breathed a chuckling smile as she shrugged "Of course! But not too long!"
"Thanks mom!" widely smiled the golden female as she walked out "might as well go wash up, I feel like a mess!"
"Be careful not to catch a cold dear!"
"I will..."
"Talking about I cold, how's your Muma?"
"Oh-it's cured now! Yami said every think has been settled..."
"I'm glad to hear that..."

"Kage..."
"Yes dear?"
"About... Tora!"
"??"
"Honestly, don't you think we should find a place for him to be? I mean we can't let him sleep out side! And we cant let him in with one of us right!?"
"I see your point... Tora is sleeping in Ann's napping spot right now!"
"Huh? Gee, was it that wide? I remember it was smaller!"
"Hey kids grow up! And Ann used to be very little when she used to nap there any way!" smiled the female "any way, you were saying?"
"Well... I wanted to ask you... there was a den down north right? Do you think he'd like it there?"
"Muma! That den is kind of far, don't you think? Asking him to be there might make him think that we don't want him around, and even if we do then we want him to be as far as possible!"
"Oh-C'mon! He wouldn't think that......... would he?"
"If I know Tora right... he would!"

"Kage!!" the tanned female called as she stood out side her friends den "are you home?" she softly questioned...
"Coming!" said the female, nuzzling her mate then kissing him on the cheek softly "I'll be right back!" she whispered as she craned around and trailed towards the entrance of her home, crimson tail slightly flickered "yes Yami?" she asked...
"Oh!" she smiled "Morning! I was hoping you were home!"
"Morning..." stated Kage...
"Um, I wanted to ask... how did things go?"
"With Ushio?"
"Yes?"
"Well... not good... he didn't want to stay, I took him back home last night, I just got back a few minutes a go!"
"What? You 'just' came back?" Kage gave a nod "well... where's Tora then?"
"Tora? Oh-he's sleeping down at Ann's napping spot!" smiled the light brown female at her friends surprised face...
"This I have got to see!" grinned the tanned female as she softly walked towards the tree... only to see the ancient beast curled there around him-self with this faint little cute smile on his stripped face... eyes closed, breath warm rhythmically going with his heart beats... a few of his dark orange locks on his stripped calm face, as a few white locks danced with his breath...
"Adorable, eh?" whispered the light brown female...
"KAWAII!!!" squeaked the tanned female... hardly holding her-self from just jumping there and cuddling the ancient beast...

"Yawn!" the old black beast yawned as he walked out of his den, only to see his new mate giggling with her light brown friend... Kyofu slightly smiled, his face wasn't used on doing so, cause he was used on being cold and firm most of the time...
"Morning Kyofu!" greeted Kage as she paced towards their groups leader...
"Morning Kage..." he greeted back, then craned to his shyfull new mate and took a breath "Morning..." and he paused, as the word he wanted to say got stuck down his throat... the black beast just didn't know how to say the words he had in mind...
"Morning... Dear..." shy-fully said the tanned female as she held in the need to squeal in embarrassment...
"..." Looking side ways, the old black beast couldn't help but chock those words... cocking an eye brow at his mate, then shifting towards her light brown friend, Kage simply blew up chuckling at them as she shock her head and headed back towards her den, doing her best to laugh as soft as possible...
"We looked dumb... didn't we!" stated the tanned female to her new mate...
"No matter..." Kyofu softly soothed... then looked slightly around towards the path heading into the forest... "Um, Yami!"
"Yes...?" she wanted to add a word, but she couldn't...
"What do you say... we... go out for a hunt?"
"Um... I'd like that!"
"Really?"
"Sure!"
"Great... (Deep breath) how about now then?"
"Well... lead the way!"

Smiling widely, the black beast just had to do it... slowly he crept his head towards his new mate, and softly nuzzled her... Yami froze, it's not like this is the first time... they nuzzle a few times the night before, but she never did pay attention to that... softly breathing, Yami nuzzled him back, feeling his fur brush against her own... it felt ... good! So good, she couldn't help but to tuck her head under his chin, as she felt this warmth and comfort, it really had her wanting more... 'Now I know why Kage likes haggling Muma all the time... this feels wonderful...' thought the tanned female as she rested her head on her mate's torso, listening to the heartbeats...

"Sh**! What a view to start my day!" mumbled the ancient beast as she gazed with disgust towards the two haggling, snuggling, nuzzling new mates... they didn't hear him of course cause he was talking to him-self... his muzzle wrinkled, eyes slitted, pouting, lips twitched and body shivered with a cold splash "Pathetic!" the concluded before stretching his limbs out, with a cat like yawn and shark like teeth, he shock away the sleep and some snow that settled softly on his body... "Sigh... might as well go 'hunt' some thing... I just hope living with the brat didn't ruin my talents!!" mumbled the beast to him self as he trailed off into he forest...

~*~*~*~*~

A breeze of a winter morning blew softly against the beast orange fur, his dark orange locks and tail danced with every single breeze that blew near by... Tora thought about this new life he chose... was it the right choice? He still didn't feel it fitting... but he is a beast, and now he is living among the beasts of his own kind... so... why isn't he feeling rightfully in place??

With a sigh... Tora kept on trailing on until he reached a clearing where a cliff stood high... 'Jiaaku's thinking spot!' the beast thought to him self as he walked towards it... sitting there on the mere tip of it... eyeing the horizon and the sky above... it felt... heavenly good... with the whiff of that fresh morning cool --not cold! Cool!-- morning breeze, the beast couldn't help with to give a big smile on that stripped face... eyes sliver and slitted, opening a crack, eyeing the great sun as it rose from behind the trees and mountains designing the landscape around him...

Then a single breeze blew a bit harder, pushing and brushing back the dark orange mane from the beast face, feeling the cold soft hands of the wind cup his face and leave him to rest, it was... overwhelming... blinking a few times at the new home he had found... the beast chuckled softly to him self... 'I wonder what the hamburger girl and the harsh voiced girl are doing right now...' he thought, as his smiling chuckle turned into a lonely breath...

"Uncle Tora?"
"??" Craning around to that soft feminine voice, the ancient beast eyed the golden yellow female as she paced towards him with a smile "Hey! G' morning!" she greeted with a wide smile...
"Uh, yeah... morning!" the beast greeted back... though he really didn't remember greeting any one 'back' before... that was odd...
"What are you doing here?"
"Nothing... I was just walking around and found my self ending up here!"
"Oh?" Ann answered... eyeing the view she smiled lightly, then slowly leaned her side against the ancient beast warm thick, thick mane... slightly snuggling her self into him, he only smiled back and went back looking at he morning landscape...
"..." Sitting there eyeing the view, Tora only felt better with the young females company... he didn't know why, it just made him feel better...
"It's a beautiful morning... isn't it..." Ann said with a dreamy voice...
"Yeah..." softly whispered the ancient beast...

"Uncle Tora!" said the young female with a smile...
"Yes?" the ancient beast answered, yet not turning his eyes from the landscape...
"Jiaaku and I are attending to go out hunting right now... would you like to join?"
"You... and Jiaaku?" the beast asked with a start, "but I thought you didn't like him!"
"Well... I thought about it and... well... we decided to have a new start!"
"New start?" the beast wheeled a wicked smile, eyes slitted and crept his head near her "and what do you mean by that?"
"...!" Lightly startled from his gaze, Ann shyed and mumbled "nothing! We're just gonna go hunting that's all!"
"Hunting what?" Tora smirked making the young female nervous...
"N-well... uhh... wh-why are you staring at my like that?" she blinked nervously... the ancient beast only chuckled loudly barking towards the sky "what's so funny?" she scolded really not understanding what the orange beasts motive was...
"Nothing! I was just testing your nerves!"
"Well... don't do it again okay? You really had me feeling stupid!"
"No problem there!" Tora smiled softly as he brushed back a silver lock from her face with a careful talon...
"..." Eyeing the orange beasts long sharp talons in front of her sight, they were long, sharp and amazing... eyeing her own claws, they were long as well, but didn't seem to be as sharp as the ancient beasts...
"Some thing wrong?" Tora asked...
"Uhh, no-not really..." she went back looking at her claws...
"Ann?" he asked calmly noticing her absent gaze...
"Uncle Tora!" she quickly turned her gaze to eye the beast face to face, her eyes flashed in a light blue glow as a small smile drew on her lips "can you teach me how to hunt beasts?"
"Huh?"
"You know! Like those Oni's and slimy things you beat up all the time with Ushio!"
"Well..." startled from her request, Tora had to think about it shortly... then he turned back to her... her golden yellow fur slightly shimmered with light as the white background of snow gave her light blue eyes a mystic shine, her smile that lightly and shyly widened... he couldn't help but smile back with a faint chuckle "Sure!! I don't see why not!" stated the beast gazing back at the golden females Hitomi...
"Great!!!" she squeal and couldn't push back her need to just jump on the beast wrapping her arms around the neck hugging...
"!!!" Eyes snapping wide open, heart leaping into his throat, blinking at her there snuggling her self under his head, the feeling was odd, breathing a bit hard and quick, the beast eyed her there smiling and hugging him tight, hearts pounding, Tora only found him-self resting a single careful stripped hand on her head brushing down her silver locks...

"!!!!" Remembering what she just did as she felt his hand on her head, Ann quickly and in shame jilted back in embarrassment and jabbered un-understandable words trying to apologize for her sudden act...
"hey-Hey-HEY!!! That's all right!!!" stated the beast "but keep it in mind! You can't go hugging every one you meet!" he softly scolded feeling his neck... that hug actually felt good...
"Sorry..." whispered the female as she dropped her gaze in embarrassment towards the snowy ground, feeling her burning face, Ann just couldn't believe she did that... if Tora was one of her parents, then hey! What's there to be embarrassed about? But he's not! He is a beast much older than she is and with more experience in life, kind of like her grandfather, and it wouldn't be right for her to just go out there and hug him like the child she was!

"Ann!!!" a voice called a few feet away, as the light brown male jogged on his four feet towards her in a hurry, really feeling existed about their first hunt together...
"Jiaaku's calling!" softly stated the beast "better not keep him waiting!" blinking once, he smiled to her...
"Of course..." whispered the female, still feeling the rush of shame over her... heart pounding fast...
"Ann!"
"??" She widened her eyes at him...
"Forget about it!" softly hitting her with his fisted knuckles on her head...
"OW!" she jilted in pain...
"Forget that what I just did ever happened, okay?" chuckled the beast as he spoke softly...
"!!" She eyed him confused as he chuckled at her and walked away downwards towards the forest "Uh... okay!" she felt her head...
"..." Eyeing her sitting there for the last second Tora smiled widely before running off...

"Ann??" Jiaaku questioned eyeing her sitting in his spot "what 'cha doin' here?" he asked her...
"..." Eyeing him with light blue flashing eyes, she had this determined look in her face... slightly with a smile she eyed the forest again before craning to the light brown male "Nothing! I was waiting for you that's all!" she lightly and shyly smiled...
"Err... waited... for me?" he asked... cocking an eyebrow in confusion...
"Um, yeah!" she said softly before standing on her four feet...
"Oh!"
"Shall we begin?" the female asked, silver tail flickering...
"Ready when you are!" smiled the young male...
"Okay then, let's move!" she craned around and walked towards the forest...
"..." Silently walking after her, the young male felt some thing about his female --wanna make mine-- friend...

Near by on the top of a tree... chuckling while the dark orange tail flickered, the ancient beast smiled and fixed his eyes on the golden yellow female as she and her friend trailed into their territory 'ya know... they actually make a nice couple!' the beast thought to him self... 'Talking about couples...' a firm stripped face concluded to it's self 'I wonder what the brat is doing... F***! Why am I thinking about 'him' from all the world??' shaking his head trying to freak away the idea, the beast looked around, only to gaze the near by groups of deer's... 'Lunch time!' he thought as he licked his chops 'not as tasty as burgers, but I guess it would just have to do!!" soaring downwards in a single leaping dart, the beast crackled thunder wanting to scare the animals and have a little fun before munching down...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

"..." Ushio sadly and silently looked absent-mindedly at his lunch as he sat in his chair in the school cafeteria... "Sigh..." he dropped his gaze towards the juice carton... 'Tora loved that stuff... didn't he!' he thought as he picked it up and wondered if he should drink it or not... though he didn't feel any kind of hunger of thirst... he just felt... missing... lonely... elbow on the table as his hand cupped his cheek, Ushio gazed at it, then finally decided to open the carton and drink it...

"Ushio?" softly said Mayuko as she laid a soothing hand on her friends shoulder "what's wrong? You haven't been you self all day!"
"Probably missing Tora!" smirked Asako...
"Like HELL I do!" mumbled the boy irritated "I just feel like pounding some thing... that all..."
"And since 'poor' Tora isn't here for you to pound, you feel bored, right?"
"Not funny Asako..." growled the boy, shifting the spear closer to him...
"Well... I don't know Ushio... I kind of miss Tora already!" sadly said Mayuko soothing down her skirt looking at her lunch sitting next to her friend...
"Yeah... me too... kind of..." stated Asako with a soft calm voice...
"Well... not me!! I'm glad he's gone..." stated the boy... then just ripped his juice carton so fast it spilled in his lap "Aw-Sh**!!!" he cursed... then eyeing a hanky given to him by Mayuko, Ushio took it and dried his clothing...
"Say Ushio..." asked Asako curiously...
"Yeah?" the boy growled...
"Since Tora isn't here any more... why the spear?"
"Huh?" eyeing it calmly... the temple boy froze a little "to say the truth... I just feel more comfortable with it... besides! What if this was a trick from Tora? Maybe he wants me to think that he's not gonna be near my any more so I'd leave the spear back home, he'll take that chance and try to slaughter me!" reasoned the temple boy...
"I think not!" stated Asako with an annoyed gaze "You give Tora no trust Ushio! Ease on him a little!"
"Sure I will..." the boy mumbled, "if he was worth the trust that is!!" Ushio concluded, "Though I doubt it!"

~*~*~* The school bell rung *~*~*~

"Oh-great! We've been chatting so long I haven't even removed the wrapping of my lunch!" growled the boy in hunger that suddenly struck his empty stomach... that was annoyingly protested out loud...
"Who did?" asked Asako eyeing her --untouched-- lunch...
"..." Mayuko hadn't touched hers either...
"What lesson are we having now any way?" asked the temple boy...
"Its time for History now, right?" asked Mayuko...
"Yeah... too bad Tora isn't here! I have no idea how can he focus on such 'Bo~Ring~' lessons!!!" said Asako...
"Yeah... although I wont have some one bothering me on my desk any more! Having some one telling me what I messed would be nice right about then!" the boy mumbled to him self... usually, Ushio paid more attention to the beasts moves than to the lesson, and when the teacher asks him a questions he didn't pay attention to, Tora helps him out with a few tips... Tora gets swatted when he 'means' to give the boy the wrong answer...

Silently walking to their classes, Asako, Mayuko and Ushio, along with the silent spear, all walked like zombies towards their desks, missing the ancient orange beasts company... sitting in their places, the three of them didn't know that they were being watched over by a pair of ivy green eyes, as the light brown female smiled lightly before leaping out of the tree she hid in, and then trailed back home... she just felt like checking on the boy that's all... wasn't it?

~*~*~*~*~*~
Somewhere else...
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Uhh... *burp* Hoo!! That felt good! Nothing like the taste of warm fleshy meet on a cold snowy morning!!!" stated the beast as he licked his stained chops and claws, and with a careful talon, picked what was stuck between his shark teeth... licking and cleaning his muzzle, then gazing slightly at the scattered bones all around, then at his torso, it was stained all over "yeach! What a mess!" he scolded him self, then went into cleaning his stained orange fur...

Some where near by, and on top of a high distant cliff, Ann and Jiaaku were slowly and silently stalking a deer minding it's own biasness feeding on a tree bark... working in a pair of two, Ann couldn't hunt by her self, as she was used on going hunting with some one... slowly giving a nod to her partner, Jiaaku grinned wickedly, then slowly crept near the deer and was about to pounce when he made a mistake and broke a branch under one of his feet... shifting it's head with a sudden jerk, the deer quickly ran off leaping...

"Sh**!!!" cursed the light brown beast as he leaped after it...
"Oh great!!! Thank you So~ Much~ Mister Hot-Shot!!!" scolded Ann as her shark teeth showed hissing at the young male...
"Oh quit it and go after that thing!" the male hissed back as they both ran after the deer...
"..." Mumbling under her breath, Ann ditched her friend and jogged faster after the running animal, thunder crackling on her forelock...
"Hey! Watch it!!!" cried the male after snow splattered in his face when the female missed her target... Ann was running in front of him, so the snow in her path scattered towards him...
"Move your ass Jiaaku!! It's getting away!!" scolded the female as she panted chasing after the frightened creature...
"Oh-shut up!!!!" the young male growled...
"Oh-you shut--(=O.O=)--UP!!!!!" cried the female a single second before she slipped over some slippery snow and slid down an empty path... "WHAAAoooo...." She breathed as she then bumped into some thing and started rolling and rolling all around her self... "Ow!! Ouch! Yaw!!!!"
"ANN!!!!" shouted the young male running towards her till he stood next to her... but then, realized that he had just made a mistake... "Uh-Oh!!!" Jiaaku stated as his friends rolling made a huge snowball rolling right behind him... with her being the center of it "AHHHHhhhhh!!!" shouted the male kicking up to high speed...

SD mode on...

"CLEAR THE WAY!!!!!!!" shouted the young male...
"???" Craning around from his lazy perch, Tora stopped cleaning him self and got pushed over by the young male "Oomph!!!"
"SORRY!" cried the male as he kept on running...
"Why you pesky little goddamn punk! Why don't you watch where your--(Sound of rumbling)--huh?" -O___O-;;; AHHHH!!!!!" cried the beast as he also ran quickly escaping a flattening ball of white snow...

"MOVE IT!!!" shouted the beast as he passed by the young male...
"Huh?" eyeing the ancient beasts speed, Jiaaku craned to see the ball still after them "AH!!!"
"From where the F*** did that come from?" shouted the beast as the young male reached his speed, both running side by side...
"Uhh... Long story!!!" -^.^- () the young male tried to smile...
" Well it's gonna go longer if you don't make it stop!!!" the beast shouted in startle and annoyance as he craned around eyeing the ball...

!!!!!!THWACK!!!!!!"

"Ow!!!" the ancient beast slammed into a tree, then wobbled a few feet away from it, as stars spun around his head...
"To--(SLAM)--ra-ahh..." the young male slammed harshly to another tree...

!!!!!!KER-SPLAT!!!!!

The snow ball smacked the ancient beast as it pushed him slamming into he young light brown male... rolling and rolling... the huge snow ball grew bigger and bigger as it rolled downwards...

~*~*~*~
Close by...
~*~*~*~

"Morning Yami!"
"Morning Muma!"
"Good Morning Muma!"
"G' Morning Kyofu!"
"Say... ?? Where's Kage?"
"Kage? She said she was gonna go check at Ushio, just to make sure every thing was going all right!"
"That female sure does like looking for problems!" stated the black beast...
"Very funny Kyofu!"
"..." Craning to one side, Yami glared for a second "Hey... do... any one of you... 'Hear' some thing?"
"Huh?" listening carefully, both males silenced...
"Yeah! I do hear... some thing!"
"Oh-My!!!" stated the black beast as some thing huge, white, and round fell right next to them from the great blue sky...

"ACK!!!"
"WOW!!!"
"EEK!!!"

"What the hell??" breathed the dark brown beast... but then eyed some thing moving under the snow...
"Wh-what is that?" squeaked the female in surprise...
"I don't know!" replied the black beast...
"*GASP*!!! Jiaaku popped his head eyes wide-open mouth exposed in lack of air, shivering from the sudden cold blanket enveloping him...
"*GASP*" Ann popped her head from under the snow a few seconds after Jiaaku, then sneezed and shook snow off her head "I think I caught a cold!" she slurred, voice muffled... it was obvious that she had a cold...
"OH!!!" Gasped the ancient orange beast as he spit out snow and glared the two young beasts "why-you-twany-little (many X's popped over his head as he crackled thunder, his heat melted the snow lightly) AHHH!!!" he growled in anger releasing his arms from the snow splattering it around him, as he attended to grab the two young beasts and slaughter them to death...
"RUN FOR IT!" shouted the young male as he quickly skipped away dodging a harsh set of orange talons...
"EEK!!!" shrieked the young female as she snapped her eyes wide before running off escaping an angry ancient beast crackling thunder as he chased after them...
"WAIT UNTIL I GET YOU-YOU TWANY LITTLE BRATS!!!!"

"There goes the neighborhood!" mumbled the dark brown beast...
"You've got that one right!" slurred the black beast...
"Yeah..." concluded the tanned female "I hope the kids would survive!"
"Oh-don't worry! Tora might mash them to a pulp, but he wont kill them!!" Muma stated calmly, tail flickering "(White thing -.-' )"
"..." With a sleepy pair of eyes, Yami and Kyofu silently watched the two young beasts escape the ancient beast's attacks...

~*~*~*~*~
SD mode off... and now, somewhere else...
~*~*~*~*~

At the temple, Ushio was in his room doing his homework, silently writing it down in his notebook, spear next to him as he worked... with a breath, he was done, so he lightly smiled and closed every thing... picking up the spear, the temple boy walked down stairs towards the kitchen where his father was standing in front of the door frame with a mug of tea... silently greeting his father with a light grin, Shigure greeted back with another smile, silent as well... eyeing his son picking out a bottle of juice from the fridge, then heading towards the living room, the priest listened to the sound of the TV being turned on, then the sound of someone slumping carelessly on his side...

Walking towards the living room, Shigure saw the bored look on his sons face, yet he said nothing, silently he went back towards the back yard and watched the snow scattered all around... the priest him self was a bit surprised of the beasts choice, but respected it... silently sipping a bit of his tea, the priest didn't know what took over him till the brushing fingers of the light brown female brushed back his gray hair from his absent-minded face...

"Good Morning Shigure!" Kage softly whispered smiling...
"!!!" Surprised yet calm, Shigure smiled "good morning Kage!" eyeing her as she sat next to him as he stood, she looked back at the temple boy, who was looking back at the TV...
"I see Ushio is doing fine!" she stated calmly... her ivy green eyes shined shimmering slightly as they shifted back towards the priest...
"Yes... although he only told me about it 'after' he came back from school... we hadn't talked much last night..." the priest said... "How is he?"
"Well, when I last saw him, he was sleeping like a baby!" the smiled lightly holding back a giggle "he's probably out hunting right now!" she supposed...
"So he's doing all right?"
"You can say that!"

"Kage!!!" called the temple boy as he eyed the female...hearing his fathers voice talking had him thinking... it was either he had gone crazy, or he was talking to some one... "Hey!! Great to see ya'!" he widely smiled, spear gripped in hand "um, is... Tora here?"
"Nope, sorry dear! No one here but me!"
"Oh... good!" he concluded with a depressed voice, "who ever wanted him around any way!" pause "excuse me, I just remembered I forgot to do some thing, see you later Kage!" the boy tried not to growl so loud before heading back towards his room thumping his feet as he went up the stairs...
"Gee... is he 'that' upset?"
"Yes... Ushio had been irritated ever since Tora left... but honestly I don't know what to make of it!"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know... is it that he really is missing Tora... or is he regretting letting him go!"
"Is there a difference in what you said?" the female mocked...
"..." The priest only eyed her calmly...
"???" After a pause thinking "Oh!!! Sorry!" she slurred...

Eyeing a few smacks of snow falling off a tree near by, Kage took in a breath then eyed the temple boy's bedroom window... blinking once, she gave a smile at the priest, whispered some thing to him, he only gave back a nod, and then with a bow of respect, she craned around and went back towards her home...

Window opening a crack, the temple boy eyed the female as she left... with a sigh and an angry wrinkled face... Ushio had no reason to be upset; instead, he should've been happy, right??? Then why the goddamn F*** isn't he enjoying it??? Did Tora matter to him that much? No!!! That couldn't be!! The boy wanted to push back the idea... sitting at his drawing table, the temple boy just wanted to get his mind of the beast, to he started scrabbling and sketching all over a blank piece of paper... finally drifting into a world of absent-mind... Ushio thought about how they first met... he was so worried about the beast... why was that?? He couldn't tell... cupping his face in irritation, the boy breathed hard...

Silently thinking, Ushio found the silence and harmony of his thoughts in his memory... the first day Tora went to his school... their first battle together after the beast was free... that giant water thing that ate the temple boy, Ushio remembered that the ancient beast went into the water beast's stomach to get him out, that was when he found out that the ancient beast real name was Nagatobimaru, and was actually counted as a lord!!! Chuckling lightly... Ushio also remembered how the beast made a complete mess out of town when he wanted to clear him-self from the murder accused to him, and how Mayuko gave him a burger for saving her life... Tora's love for burgers grew up from that day on...

Suddenly, the temple boy felt some thing perching oh his shoulder, quickly his eyes snapped wide open, teeth showing, hissing, jilting from the ground to stand in battle pose, spear gripped in both his hands, he only blinked startled to see his father surprised blinking him oddly...

"Uhh... sorry dad!" mumbled the boy as he tried to smile... he had just been startled by his own father...
"Calm your nerves Ushio! Don't think too much!" Shigure tried to ease his son's frazzled nerves...
"Yeah... um, sorry about what I just did!"
"No harm done! Calm your self! Maybe a cool shower would do you good!" said the priest as he walked out towards the boy's bedroom door "Oh, and before I forget, Kage asked me to tell you..."
"???"
"If you ever feel like seeing Tora again, you could just ask her!"
"Like F*** I will!" the boy growled "I'm having a hard time just 'trying' to get that ugly stripped face of his out of my mind!!" stated the boy, arms folded, pouting and face all wrinkled...
"As you wish..." softly said the priest as he closed the door slowly...

~*~*~*~*~

Although... I do miss him dearly...

~*~*~*~*~

"Ow... man... that really hurt..." whined the young light brown male as he nursed his spine... the ancient beast really made a mess out of Jiaaku, but oddly enough, he really didn't even touch Ann... well... let's just say, she wont be able to sit for a while...
"Yeah... my butt hurts! I never new uncle Tora could spank so hard!" she rubbed her sour bottom "it's even harder than how mom does it!" she stated...
"Well you deserve it! You should never piss off Tora!" scolded the tanned female, as the two younger beasts looked after them selves in her place, but then heard her mates calling out side her den "stay here, I'll be right back!" she said as she walked out...
"Talking about Kage, I haven't seen her all day, where is she?" said the light brown male...
"I dunno... I haven't seen her since I woke up this morning..." the golden female replied...
"..." Silently the young light brown beast went back into nursing him self...

Out side the den, at the burrow under the tree, the ancient beast was curled around him-self silently wide awake thinking... he was silent... blinking once, his dark orange tail slightly flickered... taking in a deep breath Tora simply closed his eyes and decided to take a short nap... he really felt like resting a little...

Heartbeats pounding rhythmically, the sleeping spell over his head, eyes lazy and in need of rest, the faintest little smile drew on his face before he dozed off... silently and calmly breathing, Tora didn't feel the light brown female gazing at his cute sleeping face... Kage widened her smile as she craned around and went towards her leader and mate as they both talked to the tanned female...

"Ni Hao!" greeted the female with a smile...
"Hey! Welcome back honey!" Smiled back the dark brown beast, Muma paced towards his mate and both nuzzled a bit...
"..." Smiling wider, Kage eyed her tanned friend and her leader with his odd gaze on their faces "Yes?"
"Kage! Where have you gone to?" asked the tanned female...
"Yes?" concluded the black beast "Tora had just pounded your daughter!"
"!!!" Eyes snapping wide open, the light brown female lightly crackled thunder as her shark teeth showed, hissed and her claws dug in the snow "what?" she quickly asked with a hissing voice "fuzz ball... did... WHAT?" she growled...
"Now-now! Take it easy dear!" reasoned the dark brown beast...
"..." Glaring with pitch green eyes, Muma froze solid as he felt the heat splash right out of his mate as she crackled thunder a bit more and thumped her way towards the sleeping beast, cursing under her breath...
"Muma! Aren't you gonna stop her?" asked the tanned female...
"And get my self killed? Heh-I think not!" stated the dark brown beast...
"Well then, in that case... I think we should duck for now, wouldn't you say?" suggested the black beast...
"I agree! I'm heading for the hills!" said the dark brown beast before leaping away...
"Shall we?" asked the tanned female...
"Let's move..."

~*~*~*~*~
In Yami's den...
~*~*~*~*~

"I'm really sorry for making a real mess Ann... I guess it was my fault!"
"Hey it's all right! It's only our first try!" smiled the female, and then widened her grin "besides! Dad told my many stories about how mom really made a mess outta things when he use to train her back when they first met!"
"Um, trained her? What do you mean?"
"Well... mom was kind of like Yami when she was young!"
"Rather talk then fight?"
"Yeah... dad thought it would be better if she at-least learned a few tricks..."
"Yeah, Kage is good at very thing... but flying that is!"
"Mom hates heights okay!"
"..."
"Some thing the matter Jiaaku?"
"Is it just me? Of do you hear yowling?"
"..."
"Ann?"
"Uhh... it sounds like mom is back... and she's kicking Uncle Tora's ass!" the golden female lightly smiled...
"Do you think we should go out and help him?"
"I wouldn't recommend that buddy!"
"So...?"
"We'd better duck here till it's over... here is where it's safe!"
"Good idea..."

Trying to ignore the sound of the orange beasts being scolded and annoyed by the light brown female, Ann and Jiaaku found them selves forced on talking till it was over... it was a good time to get to know each other better...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Some thing wrong Ushio?"
"No... I just feel like... my back kind a hurts!"
"Probably been watching TV too long!"
"Yeah... I think I'll go out spear practice..." said the temple boy, then stood up gripping the spear as he walked to the slid door, opening it, it was lightly snowing... eyeing the snowy sky, the boy drew in a deep breath before releasing a deep exhale... wearing snow boots, the boy went into the back yard, held the spear vertically as he closed his eyes and focused... every thing was silent and in the pitch shade of black...

"Damn you-you F***ing little BRAT!!!!" An ancient husky voice shouted loudly in his mind as some thing flashed in a slitted silver glow...

"*Gasp*!!!" shooting his eyes wide open, Ushio cleared his throat and closed his eyes again as he tried to go back into focus... but for some reason, the only thing he could hear was the beasts...

Cursing, crackling thunder, slashing claws, snapping jaws, feet running through some thing, his flashing orange mane, dancing with the wind, his dark orange tail flickering as he walked, from walking to running, the great brunt stripped arms and feet dashing in winter snow, crunching autumn leaves, splashing summer waters, scattering spring flowers... and all he felt was the heat of his body, the softness of his fur, the wind blowing in his face, the claws that tried to kill him more than once, and all he saw was blurred in orange, red and white... as the set of silver slitted eyes suddenly flashed in the pitch black world he was trying to hold him self into so tightly, as the dangling dark orange locks softly danced with the passing breeze in front of the silver eyes...

"!!!" Craning around, Shigure saw his son quickly darting inwards and ran up stairs in a hurry "Ushio!" he called startled and concerned, after a sound of a struggled battle up stairs, the boy came down cursing and hissing at him self as he wore a thick winter coat, snow shoes still on, spear still gripped, with the mere sight of almost tears in his strict mystic black eyes "Ushio!?" questioned the priest...
"Sorry dad... I just remembered I forgot to do some thing very important!"
"???"
"See you later! I'll try to come back early..." was all what the boy said before he ran out side, yet never eyeing his father once...
"Oh..." said the priest a second before his son vanished closing the door with a slam... his sons voice was shivering... why was that??

~*~*~*~*~

"Aw-C'mon Asako!" smiled Mayuko "do you really think that Ushio would want to join us?"
"Hey! It's worth it, right?" said Asako, then shifted her head quickly "talking about which, there's Ushio right now!" she stated as she saw her friend running down the street in a hurry, then slowed down and the running morphed into walking...
"Ushio!!" called Mayuko waving a hand, but the temple boy was too busy thinking to hear her...
"HEY!!! BAKA!!!!" scolded Asako...
"??" Ushio spin towards her for that one!!!
"I knew that would work!" smirked the harsh voiced girl...
"Uhh..." panting "Asako? Mayuko?"
"Ushio what's the matter?" asked Mayuko...
"Yeah? Have you joined a winter marathon or some thing?" mocked the harsh voiced girl as she lightly giggled...
"..." The boy said nothing, and simply just panted as he stood there in front of them, silent...
"Ushio..." Mayuko softly spoke "where are you going?"
"..." Craning to one side, the boy didn't know the answer him self and just gave a shrugging shoulder "I don't know... I just... just..." hands fisting, spear clutched hard, eyes closed shut, the boy thumped his foot hard as he growled to him self in anger "I just wanna get this F***ing goddamn feeling out of me!" spear butt smacked the ground "no matter what I do, I keep feeling this heat all over! I wanna go some where... where I can think... some where quiet and... and..." he shook his head trying to pull out a word...
"Hot springs?" suggested Asako with a smile...
"??" The boy blinked her...
"Asako won five tickets to a 'hot spring' inn up the mountains!" smiled Mayuko "and... well... we were hoping that, maybe you or/and Oji-san would like to join?"
"No animals or children under 5 years old are allowed!" stated Asako with a bored voice "don't you just hate it when they say that!" she stated...

"Up the mountains?" asked the boy...
"Yeah!" Asako smiled, then reached to her pocket and pulled out three tickets "here! I'm sure you'll like it!"
"..." Eyeing the tickets, the temple boy glared them, then shifted his sight to his confused friend... "Asako... you're offering me 'three' tickets!" he lightly growled...
"Huh?" after a pause, the girl snapped "Oh-yeah! Tora isn't here any more..." drawing back a ticket, the sighed a breath "too bad..."
"..." Ushio eyed his two friends as they both gave a sad face... they both seemed to miss the ancient beast already... and this has only been the first day after he left!!
"Ushio..." softly exclaimed Mayuko "can... can we at-least... could you take us to him please? At-least... so we could wish him good luck?" the ocean gray eyes wanted to wheel tears, but pushed it back as she cleared her throat...
"Yeah..." Asako snapped, "I wanna 'at-least' hit-him goodbye for leaving so suddenly with out telling us!" she frowned...
"Well..." breathed the temple boy... a little smile drew on his face "I'll see what I could do about it!" he said...
"..." With a smile, Asako offered the two tickets to him again, so he had to take them... with a smile, he said goodbye, and the temple boy trailed back towards him home, as slow and calm as possible... he knew how much Tora meant to the girls... even to him self... the beast was almost every thing...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

Some times... you think your alone... if you go some where wanting to be alone... things show you that your wanted where you used to be... no matter what or who you are... existence of loving, caring hearts pound softly to your memory... their thoughts race remembering how you were... what you had been and meant to them... your marks will always be a pattern for them to take... a guide for them to ask... a long path in life that is shining so marvelously... even if a blind person met your kind warm heart... he would follow... not with his eyes... with his heart... with his feelings... his senses will tell him the right way to get to you... cause he knows... how much it's worth to have a friend that is so unique, so special... it would be called a horrible loss to leave such a crystal in the crystal waters... it would be lost... they wouldn't see it with their eyes if they didn't know how to tell the difference between a pure heart, and what surrounds it... your friendship... that's all I need... that's all I want... that's all I have of you... so... please... no matter what happens... no matter what course in life I must take... please be there for me... for your self... for both of us... my friend...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

Shifting his head as his dark orange forelock flickered within his sight... the ancient beast looked up high towards the sky as he felt something... cold... lonely... seeping into his chest... why? He didn't know... the ancient beast was floating in thin air near the treetops...

"TORA!!!!" cried the light brown female as she shivered in fright... the female was stuck up a tree, clutching its bark tightly with her claws...
"..." The ancient beast only eyed her with sleepy eyes and a wide grin...
"Stop snickering you big-ass and get me down from here!" she whined in horror "you know I'm afraid of heights!" she squeaked... her ivy green eyes on the verge of crying...
"Hold a grip of your self female!" scolded the beast softly as he stood on the branch she was sitting on... her crimson tail was curled around her as she hugged the tree with her arms and feet...
"Hey! Wh-what are you doing! Don't shake the tree you idiot!" she shouted eyes wide open as she shivered...
"Tch-be quiet!" Tora chuckled as he stretched his arms and wrapped them around her curved waist... having a good brush against her soft back...
"Eek!! Hay! What are you...!!"
"Quiet!" he smiled widely then tried pulling her off the tree she was gripping so tight "Kage!!" he scolded, "How do you want me to get you down if you wont let go of the damn tree?"
"..." She shyed "I'm sorry... I-h... I'm just... I'm scared!" she breathed whispering... her breath quickened as she almost broke into tears...
"Hey!" softly scolded the beast, hands shifting up cupping her shoulders "Calm down! Okay! I'll get you down, you just have to let go of the tree that's all!"
"Sure!! Are you gonna get me down the same way you got me stuck up here??" she growled at him...

The ancient beast slurred mumbling as he remembered... when the light brown female kicked him as a wake up call from his nap when she found out that he spanked her daughter, Kage flipped her mane and chased him all over... the only way to get rid of her was to make her chase him into the forest then deal with her there... sadly he didn't remember the cliff side and since the female couldn't... err... correction, didn't know how to fly, since she was afraid of heights and all, Kage slipped after the beast flew leaping from the tip of the cliff leaving her to slip and smack into a tree... and she still is, and also too scared to even look down...

"Female, it's really not that high! It's only a few feet down!" the beast tried to reason, but it seemed that the female was too frightened to listen... "Kage!" Tora rubbed her shoulder trying to comfort her "it's all right! I'll see that every thing would end up fine!" he smiled lightly...
"..." Eyeing him with a face of a frightened child, the female only blinked once before a single droplet rolled down her face...
"God..." breathed the orange beast "are you 'that' scared?"
"..." She only gave a single nod... still shivering...
"..." The beast had never seen any one so scared... despite the ones that were scared when he was going to eat them... this time it felt different...
"Tora-hh..." the light brown female said with the faintest voice "could you please get me down... I'm scared to the bone I can hardly move!" she softly concluded pleading...
"It's all right!" Tora smiled softly, then shifted his hands from on her shoulders to brush her forearms "let go of the tree as slow as you can all right?" she gave a nod and took a deep breath before resting her stretched muscles, claws slowly drawing back letting go of the tree's bark...
"Uhh..." in fright, the female let go of the tree...
"Okay... hold on!" said the beast as she quickly, not wanting to look down, wrapped her arms around his neck, almost flinching in surprise and in speed, the beast almost fell... only did the females squeak alarm him...
"Oh-God I just wanna get back on solid ground..." she lightly sobbed, her head under his chin, arms tight around his neck, her heartbeats thumping fast and hard against her ribs...
"Calm down female..." softly scolded the beast as he brushed down her crimson locks... feeling her fear was odd... Tora felt... sorry for the light brown female... she might've been a strong fighter, yet still she was female after all... her fear of heights was the only thing making her go 'chicken' some times...
"..." Kage's arms hugged tighter in need to feel safe...
"I'm gonna go down now, all right? Are you ready?"
"If we don't do it now... better now than never..." she breathed, eyes closed as she hugged him tight...
"Here goes!" said the beast as he leaped once towards a near by tree...
"Eeeek!!!"
"..." Holding her tight, ignoring her frightened heart, the beast kept on going down and down till he was finally on solid ground...
"..." The female was frozen silent...
"Kage?" he called softly "hey! You okay female?"
"..." Her face was pale and warn out "I don't feel so good!" then she gave a shiver that even the beast could feel "I'm cold!" she whispered, arms hugging him tight, snuggling her face into his torso...
"Err..." the beast felt a rush of heat, eyeing the defenseless female cradled in his arms... Kage had her eyes closed, breathing fast, yet still shivering... she was scared out of her wits, she couldn't even breathe straight, gasping a little trying to maintain her self...
"..." The female opened her eyes a crack, ivy green eyes shimmered as they wheeled tears slightly staining her cheeks, seeping down the beast's torso...
"Hey! It's over! Stop your crying!" Tora said lightly scolding as he brushed a single crimson lock from her face, flicking a droplet away off her face with a careful forefinger...
"..." Eyeing him with a single blink, Kage fixed her ivy green eyes to those silver slit silver eyes eyeing her calmly... dropping her gaze to the beasts torso, she just snuggled a bit deeper, eyes barely opened a crack, cheek resting lightly on his shoulder, breath going against his neck...
"I wouldn't think you'd want to walk it, eh?" Tora said softly...
"..." Kage said nothing and just closed her eyes tight... a few more droplets wheeled down slowly... her breath braking and gasping again...
"Didn't think so..." he murmured as he eyed away...
"Tora..." the faintest voice whispered "c-can... can you... please... take me back home? I... I'm..."
"Hush..." the beast whispered to her, lightly frowning "you know... I don't think it would be a pretty sight for your mate to see you with me!" the beast reasoned...
"I just wanna go back home..." she faintly whimpered like a child...
"Sigh... fine!" the beast growled a bit... but he knew that the female was too scared to even walk... although she really weren't that heavy, he really didn't want to carry her back home... what if some one saw them?

With a deep breath, the ancient beast simply and soundlessly walked his way towards the light brown female's home, feet slightly padding through he snow, trailing it's way silently... the light brown female only dropped her head down a bit more as the beast walked with her in his arms... eyeing her as he walked, Tora couldn't help but to smile lightly...

"Tora..."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you..."
"..."
"...for helping me..."
"What ever..."

Held there in the ancient orange-stripped brunet arm, the female felt her-self feeling much better... safer... calmer... although the memory of 'why are you afraid of heights any way' kept ringing in her mind, the female just wished that she wont have any nightmares after this... trying her best not to remember... Kage just held in a breath as she closed her eyes tight doing her beast to push back her tears...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

A little human child ran giggling in joy as she flickered her silky red hair for ever one to see, her father, with his long silver-gray hair, light blue eyes, traditional Chinese clothing smiled at the shimmering of his daughters ivy green eyes... she was no older than 10 years or so as she ran her way up the hill side... her father was busy talking to some men around him who seemed to be his followers, his clothing seemed and looked like he was from a high rank in the army or such... after the men went to their duties, the man with silver-gray hair craned slowly with a quick jerk as he heard the sound of a faint scream, only for his eyes to snap wide open, loosing the sight of his daughter... pacing quickly towards the hill side, the man saw his living horror... his daughter was dangling half dead to a branch that stabbed half it's bark into her soft petite flesh, crimson liquid threads seeped down her face and limbs as she cried in fear and pain... she looked down once, only to see a pit that seemed to not have a bottom... she was top a bottomless cliff side...

Calling out loud for his men, the father slowly and carefully tied a rope around his waist as he climbed down wards towards his child... she had lost a lot of blood, and her body was beginning to bruise all over... stretching his hand for her to grab, the branch broke... only for him to see his soul fall down with his child...

Wind blowing through her wounds... eyeing the solid stone ground zooming fast towards her face... coldhearted wind pushing her soft tender skin harshly as she slammed and smacked into the rough rocks, shrubs, thorns, bushes and cliff sides... every thing went black as she remembered that horrible day... when she woke up... it was a miracle she was still alive... she was too week to move, as she spent two whole months in bed to regain her lost strength and to heal her wounds... the poor child created a fear... this fear was over her, because it was too fast and too sudden for her to work against... her mind, body and soul were caught in this memory, never wanting to even think of fighting back that evil thing...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

"GASP!!!!" waking up with a heart full of horror, the female eyed the pair of dark brown hands holding her forearms tenderly... she was back at her den, on her bed of dead leaves, surrounded by her mate and daughter...
"Kage! Are you all right?" asked the dark brown beast as he flicked away a rolling teardrop...
"Are you okay mom?" asked the golden female, as nothing but worry filled her shivering voice...
"Muma... Ann..." was all what the female whimpered as she sobbed again... that memory haunted her alive... she couldn't live with it...
"It's okay baby! It's okay! Its all over!" Muma softly said as he held his mate tight into an embrace, her arms around his neck, gasping and sobbing...
"..." Worried and frightened, the golden female slipped her way out of the den, only to see the others waiting at their homes entrance... except for the ancient beast... Tora was sprawling under the tree, silent and calm...
"Well?" asked Jiaaku "how is she?"
"I'm not sure... she woke up, but she's still pale and scared..."
"God... I never knew Kage was so serious when she said she was scared of heights! This is more like a phobia!"
"I understand... I juts hope it would pass by it's self... I don't think we have any hand in helping this time..."
"..." Eyeing the ancient beast, Ann simply and silently paced towards him "Uncle Tora..." she called... the beast craned his head to her slowly...
"Yes?" hissed the beast; anger and some thing un-describable seemed on his ancient stripped face...
"Do... you know what happened precisely?" Ann softly asked, "We might find some thing to make mom feel better!" she tried to smile...
"I have nothing to say..." stated the beast, then stood up and paced towards the forest with silent cat-footed steps...
"Uncle Tora!" called the golden female, but she got no answer...

All eyes fixed on the ancient orange beast as he trailed off into the cold forest... the golden female looked up, only to see that the snow was falling again, lightly and softly as it danced with the windy breeze... Tora was feeling angry... why? Why is there this heat burning him up? He needed to cool down, to release some heat... and the only way to do that was to beat up some thing... pacing with no intention but to hunt, the ancient beast lightly crackled thunder and growled while walking down through the forest...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well?" the boy asked as he eyed his father looking at the tickets "what do you think?"
"Well... we're in winter... and the idea of a hot spring sound just fine to me!" Shigure smiled...
"Great!" exclaimed the boy with a smile, sitting back legs crossed...
"Have you decided when the trip should be?"
"Um, not yet! I thought I'd ask you first!"
"Oh! Why don't you go and ask the girls to agree on a time then? These tickets last for two weeks only!"
"Okay!" I'll ask them on the phone!" Ushio said as he stood up and walked toward the telephone...
"..." With a smile, the priest eyes the tickets again and wondered 'how long has it been since I last went to a hot spring?' shrugging, the priest only placed the tickets in a near by book he was reading earlier and walked towards the open door, sitting down, he gazed up at the snow sky and lightly smiled to him self... it was by afternoon by then, the sun was up and warmly hot... not to the snow that is!

"Hello? Yeah, hi Asako! I just wanted to ask, have you decided a time for the trip? You have? When? (Pause, as he gave a nod a few times) Okay! Sounds fine to me! But, have you asked Mayuko? You have? Good! Its tomorrow then at... shall we say, 10 o'clock? Hmm? NO! I just don't like waking up too early that's all! (Frowning) very funny Asako! No! NO!!! ASAKO!!!" growled the boy as he hissed

On the other side of the phone...

"Oh-I was just kidding Ushio! Lighten up a bit! Aha... okay! See you tomorrow! Bye!" the harsh voiced girl smiled as she hung up the phone... walking to her room Asako saw her mother packing a few clothing for her "Hey mom!"
"Hello dear, I hope you'll be careful on your rip all right?"
"Mother! It's only for three days!"
"I know!"
"You know? Why did you pack me all these fancy clothing then?"
"Well... I wanted you to go with some good-looking clothing! Take out what you don't want if you see that you don't like them!" said her mother as she walked out closing the door behind her...
"Gees, do they want me to marry Ushio that bad?" annoyed, Asako asked thin air as she craned around and took out some of the clothing... "True Ushio is cute and all but... but what? I'm only 15 I'm too young to get married! Defiantly not to a stubborn headed jerk like Aotsuki Ushio!" dreaming off somewhere, Asako started wondering and dreaming many ideas as she packed her things with the faintest blushing smile...

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

"I ... I'm sorry dear... I don't feel like going out right now..."
"Oh-but Kage! You've been in the den all night!" whined the dark brown beast as he cupped his pale mates shoulders "just for a few minutes? Please?" he asked softly...
"..." Shaking her head slowly, Kage had her eyes closed an shifted her face a side...
"Kage... baby..." said Muma as he carefully placed a single forefinger under her chin, shifting her face back towards him "please?" he said...
"... sigh... well... I guess a little fresh air wont hurt!" she tried to smile...
"Wonderful!" smiled the dark brown beast as he escorted his mate, walking side by side out towards the open space in front of their home...
"..." Eyeing the place, Kage saw that the others were waiting for her...
"Kage!" Jiaaku called with a happy voice...
"Mother!" Ann cheered...
"Oh-Kage! It's about time you came out! We were worried about you!" Yami said as she walked to her friend and both hugged a little...
"Are you feeling better?" Kyofu asked...
"Yeah! Much better... now that all of you are here!" Kage couldn't help feeling the warm sensation of her friends' worth-ship wrapping her whole... but suddenly her smile slowly faded, eyeing the lonely looking ancient beast whom only craned away as she eyed him perching a few feet away...
"..." Eyes slitted and looked pained, Tora only attended to walk away...

"Tora!"
"Aw-sh**... I knew this was coming..."
"Tora... why the long face?"
"..."
"Um... listen... Tora... I'm sorry... about... what happened and..."
"??"
"Um... I was hoping that... you... you..."
"You were hoping... I... what?"
"Well... about yesterday and... the tree thing... I'm really sorry for being so... so..."
"Childish?"
"Um (shying) yeah... and I was hoping that maybe... just 'maybe' you'd..."
"Would?"
"Uhh... I don't know how to say it..."
"Just spit it out, wont you?" with a faint sign of embarrassment, said the beast as he whispered to the light brown female "every one are looking at us!" he stated rather annoyed...
"??" Craning about a little, Kage saw every one fixing their eyes on them "Oh!" she slightly squeaked, "um... I was just hoping that..."
"What? Say it already!"
"Aw-Sh**! Forget it!" she exclaimed in a frazzled mode "I just wanted to say thank you Tora! So... thank you... my friend!"
"!!!" Eyeing her shying in embarrassment, Tora fixed his eyes on Kage as she walked back towards her mate, whom only nuzzled her softly...

Eyeing her there... every one she knew were around her... with their company she felt safe, happy, needed, wanted... loved... that was had him burning... the cold fire ate his soul... lonely, cold, bothered... nothing filled his mind but that stick with the metal head and tattered red silk, gripped by a lousy little twany twerp whom only likes to thwack him on the head with it... sometimes... we don't want to be alone, but we find our selves wanting the company of any one... even if it was someone we cant stand... or at-least act like we don't... with a deep breath, the ancient beast craned around as he trailed back into the forest... looking for that seldom, solid, calm place that he and him self can think peacefully at... the beast paced quicker...

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

"Hurry! When do we get there?"
"Calm down Asako! That hot spring ain't going any where!"
"Oh-be silent Ushio!"
"X"
"Ushio!"
"Yeah Mayuko?"
"Tora and the beast family are living some where... up there... right?"
"??" Craning towards the taxi's window, Ushio saw the mountain, the one where he left the ancient beast at the earlier night... giving a frown and keeping in a sigh, the boy craned back towards his ocean-gray eyed friend as he gripped the spear tight "yeah... a** h*** is up there some where... probably making a mess outta things... I wonder if he took the rank as Leader like Kyofu asked..."
"Huh? Kyofu? J... just how many are there up there any way? The only ones I know are Kage, Muma and Ann!"
"Well, yeah Asako! You just have to add Kyofu, who is the leader... Yami, she's kind of like a doctor there, then Jiaaku, he's the youngest, and Kage counts him as Ann's older brother!"
"Kyofu, Yami and Jiaaku?"
"Yeah... and you just reminded me!" the boy smiled "Kyofu asked Yami to be his mate when Tora and I were there..."
"When you two were together still?"
"Um... yeah..."
"What did she say?"
"They're a happy couple as far as I could tell!"
"Cool! Did you throw a wedding?"
"Well... not exactly a wedding! It was more like a little celebration! Until..."
"Until?" asked Mayuko...
"..."
"Oh... until 'that' happened... right?"
"Yeah... and it's a good thing it did! I wouldn't want to see that goddamn face again! I hope he never comes back!"
"Well I hope he does!" scolded Asako "things just wont be the same with out Tora!"
"Wanna bet?"
"...no..."
"We are finally here!" stated the priest as he turned around towards the three children sitting in the back seats of the taxi... each with his suitcase in his/her lap... Ushio added the spear to 'his' luggage of-course...
"We are?" excited, Asako opened the door and eyed the place...
"Whoa!" breathed Ushio...
"Cool!" cheered Mayuko...
"Thank you!" said Shigure as he gave the money to the driver who drove off... holding his suit case, he craned to see they the three kids were already gone and into the inn "Children..." he chuckled as he walked after them...

~*~*~*~*~

"Okay... dad and I are in this room, Asako and Mayuko are in the next room!" stated the boy as he walked through the lobby... the two room's were facing each other...
"Cool! I can't wait until I dip my self into the hot water!" exclaimed Asako as she smiled widely... "I wonder if I packed my swim suit!" she thought...
"Swim suit?" the temple boy asked, lightly blushing as she gawked him "never mind..."
"Well, it's lunch time now!" stated the inn keeper "please be at the dinner room in half an hour... thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy your stay!" she said with a smile, the old lady walked back towards the hall way...
"Oh-we will!" grinned the temple boy "now, and for the very fist time, I am actually gonna enjoy a vacation, knowing old fuzz face wont bug me!"
"..." Mayuko said nothing as she followed her friend into their room...
"Wow! Look at it! It's so wide!" exclaimed Asako as she excitedly hopped around the room, placing the suitcase aside and quickly sliding open a door, showing a hot spring...
"Why, it's so lovely!" said Mayuko, but then looked at the snow falling lightly...
"EEK!! Hot! H-O-T!!! HOT!!!" smiled Asako with a wide blushing grin as she dipped her hand in the hot waters, then quickly pulled back shaking off the water...
"I wonder how the water is at the Aotsuki's room!" whispered Mayuko as she and Asako un-packed their cases...

"AEEEY!!! This is what I call HOT!!" smiled Ushio pulling his hand out of water...
"Ushio..."
"Yeah?"
"This place is rather peaceful, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah, it is isn't it!"
"..."
"There is some thing on your mind dad, isn't there?" mocked asking the temple boy...
"I'm afraid so Ushio... what if Kage came looking for us at the temple then found that we weren't there?"
"Don't worry dad! I left her a note in the back yard, she couldn't possibly miss it!"
"Couldn't miss it?"
"..." Weakly smiled Ushio as he faced away, 'I just hope that paint is washable!' said the temple boy...
"At any case, let's go to the dinner room!"
"Yeah! Finally I'm gonna get a 'full' meal with out some one snatching it from me!" snickered the boy as he walked after his father...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Dammit..." cursed the ancient beast as he missed a target, Tora was crackling thunder and shooting it trying to dart a dead tree in an open space, panting and lightly restless, the beast closed his eyes as he sat back on his hunches, silently thinking and trying to focus...
"Hey!"
"AH!!!" jilted the beast in sudden activity... only to eye the golden yellow female eyeing him calmly with a little wheeling smile...
"F***! Ann! Don't you dare do that again!!!" Tora growled, annoyed that a youngster had startled him...
"Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!"
"Scare? Tch-I weren't scared, I was just... startled!"
"Aha... yeah... sure..."
"..."
"Uncle Tora... I came here because I wanted to ask..."
"??"
"Do you still attend to tech me how to hunt evil beasts and such?"
"Huh? Were you serious?"
"As serious as the spear down your ass!" she raised her eyebrows... if she had any! With a kinky smile
"Well then... you stubborn little female! Let me know the talents you've got first! I don't want to waste my time with a beginner!"
"I know every thing you taught me Uncle Tora! Thunder, flames, going invisible, walking thought solid stuff, and finally flying... if only mom would let me do so!" she stated...
"Yeah... Kage... has it passed yet?"
"...? Well... she is getting better, but still she's not feeling that well... she wanted to go to town to check on Ushio, but dad didn't let her!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah... Uncle Tora..."
"??"
"If I asked you to stay with us..."
"..."
"... for ever..."
"!!!!"
"...would you stay?"
"Depends... no one can predict the future..."
"..."
"Sigh... if there is some thing on your mind female, spare me the bother and just say it!!!" complained the beast groaning...
"Sorry... I was just wondering..."
"...X ..."
"Um (shying) if there was a type of girl that you like..."
"!!!!( -O.O- ?? )!!!!"
"What would you do to make her yours?"
"........."
"Uncle Tora?"
"Uhh... you know... questions like these are better asked to parents!" shying off, and really not wanting to answer such a question, Tora couldn't help but feel the need out of that conversation...
"Oh... well then... as a male... Uncle Tora... how do you know if a female wants you?"
"??" Heartbeats leaped up thumping in his throat preventing him from even shedding a voice, Tora cleared his throat before coughing a few times...
"Uh, is some thing wrong Uncle Tora? Are you all right?"
"Yeah *cough* I just *cough-cough* need a drink... ahem... my throat is dry..." faking a smile, the ancient beast tried sneaking off towards any place far...
"Mind if I join you?"
"Um... no thanks *cough* I'll mange... ahem... excuse me..." quickly skipping off, the beast couldn't help but feel this odd fear... why? From a young lovely female who seemed to be aiming to some thing? Or was it just some thing stuck down his throat? Well whet ever it was, it had better pass... cause the beast was beginning to feel a tad uncomfortable... and this has only been his second day...

"Maybe I came a bit too fast..." said the golden female to her self... "Sigh... it's not like I can help it..." she whispered to her self... "I love you..." she softly stated to where the beast went... with a deep breath, the young golden yellow female walked away back towards her home...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"God-I'm gonna explode if I ate another bite! I'm full!"
"Ushio, you were eating like a hog!"
"Asako!"
"What? It was the truth? I mean have you ever seen any one eat like the mess he was?"
"Well I (BURP) !!!" blushing and dropping his gaze to his feet, the temple boy placed a hand on his lips
"Oh how repulsive!!!" stated Asako totally disgusted...
"You were eating so fast Ushio you gulped in too much air!" said Mayuko, as she lightly seemed disgusted as well...
"Err... sorry... I didn't mean to do that!" blushing his cheeks out, the temple boy felt a rush of shame...
"..." Shigure said nothing as he sat next to his embarrassed son drinking a sip of water...

!!!!!CRACK-KA-BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

"Whoa!!!" squeaked Asako as the whole room shook lightly with the sound of sudden blow...
"Wh-what was that??" questioned Mayuko in fright...
"!!!" Quickly darting a run to the door, spear gripped tight, Ushio smacked it open, eyeing the lightly snowing sky, as a few sparks of crackled white and blue thunder bolts lightly zapped a little before they stopped completely...
"Was that what I think it was?" asked Shigure...
"Yep... Tora is upset and trying to blow up some thing... either that or he's fighting with Muma again!" said the boy as he quickly wore his snowshoes and attended to make a run towards the hills...
"OH-no you don't!" said Asako grabbing her friend by the neck lice "you ain't going no where with out us Aotsuki Ushio!!!"
"B-but... Asako!!! It's dangerous out there!"
"Ushio! Please! We just wanna see him!" pleaded Mayuko... ocean gray eyes shimmering as her hands cupped each other, fingers pleading...
"Sigh... dad!!!" whined the boy, wanting his father to convince the girls to stay at the inn...
"Make sure they don't get hurt and come back before sun set, wont you?" smiled Shigure as he shrugged...
"Oh-crap..." groaned the boy... even his dad couldn't change the girls mind...
"SO! Up the mountain... here we go!" Cheered Asako as she dragged her friend clutching the spear, Mayuko followed...
"Asako!!!" growled the boy... but to no avail...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"F*** F*** F***!!!" hissed the beast, panting his breath out burning and smashing a few more trees eyes wide open, shooting silver glowing eyes as the razor teeth showed the shark teeth crackling the tree bark... claws slashing and scaring all over...

"Tora?? What on earth are you doing??" asked the dark brown beast as he eyed the crazed beast eyeing him like he never knew him in his life...
"..." Panting, eyes wide open, glaring, hissing, a few flames shoot around here and there...
"Sh**! Why are you looking at me like that? Is some thing the matter?"
"..." Glaring with eyes full of nothing but hatred... the beast struck his claws to the closest tree he could find, crashing it down with a single fisted punch...
"!!!" Eyes wide open amazed and a bit startled, Muma eyed the ancient beast as he seemed angry at him self... the dark brown beast didn't understand what was bothering the orange beast, but all he knew is that he had to stop him before he demolished their home...
"HEY!" sneered the beast as the dark brown beast gripped him tight, twisting his orange-stripped arms backwards...
"TORA!!! Calm you self!!!" reasoned the dark brown beast holding on to him with all his might...
"F***-Out-Muma!!!!" cried the beast with the rumbling volcano in his chest erupting too strong for the beast to hold back... sending a blow-punch the dark brown beast face, Tora sent Muma flying backwards slamming into a tree, and actually crashing it, braking it...
"*Moan*" was all what the dark brown beast said as he sprawled there... a few crimson threads seeped down, staining the white snow...
"Uhh..." gasped the beast eyeing what he did... eyeing his fists, they were slightly scared from all the beating...
"Oh..." sitting up, feeling his spine and head, Muma only merely blinked the clawed, blood stained, scared brunet orange stripped hand offering him a hand... looking up, the dark brown beast eyed Tora...
"I'm sorry..." said the ancient beast... and that was all he said...
"..." Grabbing the hand and then standing up, Muma brushed him self then eyed the nasty gnash on one of his hunches bleeding lightly... sprawling down a little after a snap of pain, the beast had to nurse it...
"..." Facing away, Tora had no excuse to beat the younger beast... why had he done so? Eyeing Muma again, Tora thought about it 'he was only trying to calm me down... he didn't have to, but then he did... why?' the thoughts rushed into his head, annoyed, confused and in need of resting his nerves, Tora placed a careful flat hand on his face, trying to relax... only for the cupping hand on his shoulder asked him to turn around...
"I don't know what happened... but you can talk about it if you'd like!"
"...?"
"Who knows? Talking about what ever it is on your mind might make you feel better! It has always worked for me!"
"..." Frowning, the orange beast just felt the need to be alone, so giving no answer; Tora brushed off the hand off his shoulder softly as he walked away silently...

~*~*~*~*~*

"Mother..."
"Yes dear..."
"Mind if I ask some thing?"
"Sure! Go ahead dear!"
"Well... when you want to get dad's attention..."
"????"
"What do you do?"
"Oh... well... I'm afraid what I do to get your father's attention is a bit too naughty and 'way' too early for you to try! Why do you ask? (Smirk) is there some one on your mind?"
"Huh?? (Shy) n-no! It was just a question!"
"Honey!!!" sang the light brown female with a wide smile "who's on your mind?"
"N-no one!!!"
"Ann, dear, you can tell me!!!"
"..."
"Ann!" she sang again...
"I don't know... I can't choose..."
"??"
"I just can't make a choice..."
"You have... two... on your mind?"
"(Shying off)"
"Whom?"
"Well... Jiaaku..."
"Jiaaku and... whom?"
"........."
"Ann?"
"...T-uhh..." she couldn't say it...
"...Tora?" stunned, Kage questioned "Ann, dear... I'm afraid Tora is out of the question!"
"Huh?? Why??" loudly squeaked the golden female...
"Ann! You two don't fit!!!" the light brown female explained "Tora is firstly not the one for you... second, he is much-much older than you are, third, you two just don't match!!! He's too nasty, and you're still too fragile for such a life!"
"But mother!!!"
"Listen!!!" scolded Kage...
"..."
"Tora is out of the loop... got that?"
"Yes mother..."
"I hope you understand Ann... just because you like him doesn't mean you can have him!"
"Mother! Do you like him?"
"Well... as a friend, yes! But as a mate, no!"
"..."
"Ann... Dear, this is just too complicated, don't rush it!"
"But mother!"
"ANN!"
"!!!"
"If Tora wants you, then let him show it... if not, you had better back off! Got that young lady!!!"
"..." Eyeing the ivy green pitch eyes, the golden female couldn't help but sob her answer "yes... mother..."
"Good..."
"..." With tears in her eyes, Ann couldn't help the anger building within her as she had to run some where... her secret shelter... she had to go... running out of the den, the golden female tried to hold back her tears...
"Ann!!!!" called the light brown female as she paced towards the entrance of the den, stopping at the open space, silent, eyeing the sky, Kage remembered some thing "Oh-father... in times like this, I wish you were still here... you have no idea how much I miss your advice..."

"..." Walking silently, Jiaaku was pacing towards his den, only to eye the golden female run near by passing him, her tears shimmering in the sunlight, flickering like starts falling from the sky "Ann??" he called, but she didn't listen, so she didn't turn back "ANN!!! Hey!! Ann!!!" crying after her, the light brown male had to follow, his heart thumping, his feelings rushing, he had to know what was bothering her...

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

"Ouch!!!"
"What is it Asako?"
"Some thing is stick down my pants!" she blushed plucking out a small thorn "darn thing!" she stated as she threw it away, feet drawing their tracks in the snow...
"Ushio! Asako! I found some tracks! And blood!!"
"Huh?" the temple boy and the harsh voiced girl eyes each other before heading towards their friend...
"Look..." breathed Mayuko, ocean gray eyes blinking worriedly at the stained snow, spilled lightly near a tree that seemed to be thwacked with some thing...
"I see fur!" said Asako as she picked out a few hairs stuck in the crashed tree bark...
"Their Muma's!!!"
"How do you know?"
"Heh! I know the smell of Muma! It's always a mix between Kage and Tora! Something strong but with a faint sense of some thing sweet!"
"Excuse me?" sneered Asako... eyeing doubly at her stupid looking temple boy friend...
"Besides! It's brown! If it's not Muma, who could it be then?"
"Kage?" suggested Mayuko...
"Nah, Kage and Jiaaku are light brown, Muma is the only one in dark brown..."
"Oh-yeah? What about this Keo and Yami beasts?"
"Kyofu is totally black and red! Yami is tanned; with a splash of red... come to think of it... she does have a little brown!"
"What ever... let's track old strip face!"
"What ever..." murmured the temple boy...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

Eyeing you there... standing in the light, you glow in the darkness, no matter where I am... you're always there... I don't know... why can't I keep you out of my mind? Why can't I help this feeling? Why can't I control it? Why is it taking me over? It is so overwhelming... I like it, yet it frightens me... I try to hold it... but it slips my fingers... it runs away and laughs at me... it mocks me... it can hold me, strange me, kill me... show me the sweetness and sourness of life... and I cant do a thing about it... why? Oh-why do I have to feel it so? I just... wish... if I knew... why...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

Sprawling there on the soft bed of dead grass, the golden female cried out her heart, eyes streaming down her golden face, silver locks in her face, wet by tears, arms folded hugging her face... shoulders shrugging with every gasp... Ann was weak... she needed some one to be there... some one she can call her own... a mate... some one who would love her... it's not like she didn't have love... she had plenty of it... she just wanted some one to be for her always... her mother loved her, wanting to protect her was her right, but still, the young female had no barrier against her emotions... that may have been her problem... her heart has always been her guide in life... her father... the one who trained her in battle, the one she loved... it was a shivering shock when she over-known her truth... little did any of her parent know what their daughter knew... she kept it in, wanting to spare them --and her self-- the pain of it all... she only wished that... someday... sometime... somehow... some one would come along, and grant her-her wishes...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ann?" the light brown male whispered softly as he walked into the den he never knew existed... eyeing the walls and roof, it was scared, scratched and carved with many designs... some were old... others were new... but that didn't matter to him, as long as his female friend wasn't feeling her self... Ann was sprawling on a huge bed of dead leaves, as a decoration of flowers, most were dry, but still with a little beauty left, hung above her head...
"(Sobbing and gasping)" it didn't seem that the golden female noticed or heard the young beasts voice...
"Ann..." softly called the light brown male...
"??" Shifting her head slowly as she whipped away her tears, the young golden female fixed her light blue eyes on that shadow walking towards her with the yellowish-red eyes glowing in the dim light...
"Are you okay?"
"What do you want?" she hissed growling "Get-Out!" she shouted throwing a hand full of dry leaves at his face...
"!!" Closing his eyes, then opening them to see the single leaf resting on his nose, Jiaaku blew it away and eyed the female again "Ann, what's wrong? Why are you so upset?"
"..." Trying to stop crying, the female just threw her self on the bed again, sobbing and gasping a bit...
"Ann..." cupping her shoulders, the light brown beast just wanted to make her feel better...
"Don't-Touch-Me!!!" she snarled throwing her hands in his face...
"Ahh!!!" yelping in pain, the young male drew back lightly tearing, slowly he felt his scared face, then his stained hands... his five silver locks dangled in front of his sight... all lightly stained in crimson...
"J... J... J... Jiaaku..." breathed the female in sudden daze... the horror of what she did has just reached her "I'm ... I'm so sorry..." she placed her stained fingers on her lips, a few hot tears burned her cheeks "I'm so-so-sorry... I never meant to do so... I was... I couldn't... I-uhh..." she tried to talk, but only for his fingers to get placed on her cheeks cupping them, rising her face to lock his eyes with hers...
"Ann... would you like to talk about it?" he softly asked, flicking back a wet silver lock from her face "it might make you feel better?" he softly suggested...
"Jiaaku..." she sobbed, hiding her face in his torso, arms around his neck, sobbing and crying a bit louder than before...
"..." Holding her tight... the light brown male said nothing, and simply brushed down her locks, comforting her... Jiaaku couldn't help but kiss her lightly on the head, not knowing how much that had calmed her down...
"..." Pausing for a second... feeling that kiss... the female drew in a deep breath as she only wanted to hug a bit more tight now... she felt safer... better... why? She didn't know... all she knew, is that she would never want to let go of that feeling... she wanted to feel every single second of it... eyes closed, the female felt much better... much-much better...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Muma!!!! Baby what happened?" gasped the light brown female as she hurried towards her hurt mate licking and nursing...
"Kage! I'm okay! Just a little fumble... I was passing though the forest and weren't watching where I was going, and slammed into a tree!" he chuckled stupidly...
"Oh-what were you thinking?"
"Just about how groovy your body happens to be!!!"
"!!!" Eyes wide shot; the female seemed to shy of with a smile "not funny!"
"Baby! With a body like yours, it makes my head spin around, it could even turn any one blind!!!" he smirked...
"Oh-you'll regret that!" she smiled cupping his face "tonight!"
"I can hardly wait!"
"AHEM!!!" loudly coughed the ancient beast "I'll be in my spot if you want to bother me later..." he stated before trailing off disgusted...
"Oh! Okay!" said the female, cupping her mate's shoulders, slowly drawing her hands on his shoulder blades "Muma!" she sweetly sang...
"Yeah?" he worriedly answered singing as well...
"I want lemon!" she grinned wickedly... noses touching softly...
"!!!" Eyes blinking her, Muma quickly carried her in his dark brown arms "oh-your asking for it!"
"Show me wha'cha've got big-boy!" she smiled kissing him on the cheek as they walked into the secure darkness of their den...

"Kids!!!" Slurred the beast as he sprawled in his burrow... but before he could put his head down to sleep... he sensed some thing coming... so he thought he'd go out and see what it was...

~*~*~*~*~

"OUCH!!! Dammit! This place is full of thorns!!!" whined the temple boy...
"Tell me about it! How sure are you that this is the right way Ushio?" asked Asako...
"Well... I never came here by my self, but I remember the road pretty well!"
"What?? Are you saying that you took us to the middle of no where not even knowing the right path??" the harsh voiced girl scolded...
"Oh-yeah? Things would've been just fine if you hadn't tagged along! I told you it was dangerous!"
"Asako! Ushio! Calm down!" Mayuko stated parting them by standing between them "if you two keep fighting we're never gonna find..." and she froze... eyeing some thing with a dazed face... "Tora!" she breathed more like calling...
"Huh??" Asako shifted her head around, only to see the orange beast glaring them, dark orange tail lashing with anger, thunder slightly crackling as he hissed and growled, shark teeth showing as his tong licked his chops...
"..." Frowning and hissing as well, the temple boy and the beast started cursing each other, in a way both girls didn't understand...
"Why have you come back brat?"
"I had no other choice a** h***!" the boy gripped the spear tight...
"Tora!!! Ushio, please don't!" cried Mayuko standing in front of the ancient beast arms spread wide open protecting him...
"Ushio don't you dare!" warned Asako as she stood next to her friend...
"??" Tora eyed the two females defending him... why were they doing so? He could understand the hamburger girl, but... the harsh voiced girl?
"Tch-FINE!!!" sneered the temple boy in anger, glaring the beast, craning around; Ushio walked a few steps away...

"Oh-I missed you so much Tora!" said Mayuko as she leaned towards the beast hugging his forearm...
"!!!" Embarrassed, the ancient beast eyed a snickering temple boy... pumping his cheeks, he felt like slaying him by then...
"Tora you jerk!" scolded Asako as she kicked his foot...
"Ouch!!!"
"Why did you leave so suddenly? And with out even a goodbye!" she scolded eyeing him with a sad face, still yet glaring...
"..." The beast said nothing, then craned to the ocean gray eyes sadly yet blushing fixed to the snow under them...
"We missed you..." said Mayuko holding on tighter to his arm...

Like a bow of frozen heartless flames, some thing stabbed the beast from the back... that feeling was cold, yet painful... eyeing the temple boy, Ushio had already turned away, leaning against a tree, simply waiting until the girls were done saying farewell to the orange beast... eyeing the snow, the boy kicked some as he shifted some with the spears butt... Tora eyed the boy calmly, and then shifted at the two girls hugging his arms and sobbing words scolding him for leaving and wanting him to come back... the beast didn't know... he had made a choice... was it right? If it wasn't, then, why is it that he doesn't feel it right to go back?? Eyes closed trying to think... shifting his face away, his eyes were meant to snap in start as some thing wet dripped on his rams... looking down, both girls were lightly crying...

"Tora please come back... please..." pleaded Mayuko snuggling her face in his fur...
"I'm afraid I cant..." softly said the beast, sitting back on his hunches, only to be close enough for both of them...
"Why?" said Asako holding back her tears "don't you want to be with us?"
"Females... there comes a time in every ones life... when they have to make a choice, and be responsible for it's conclusions and consequences... and my turn had come, I have made a choice, now I have to see if it was the right one for me..." the beast explained as he scolded softly, flicking a droplet for the ocean gray eyes, the beast stood up and frowned "you must leave now... this place is not suitable for you females..." looking up at the absent minded temple boy "or beast slayers..."
"Tora?" called Mayuko "would you at-least drop by for a visit?"
"... I can't promise you that!"
"Well... does this mean we're never gonna see you again?" Asako almost broke into a case of mad sobbing... "Things are never gonna be the same with out you around Tora! We need you! Me! Mayuko! Even Ushio, although he refuses to admit it!" frowning, the harsh voiced girl had to let out what was in her heart...
"..." Shaking his head slightly, Tora eyed them both and took one step backwards "you had better leave females, or I would have to use force to make you!" the ancient beast slightly crackled thunder...
"Tora..." sobbing, Mayuko sighed as she walked towards the temple boy next to her friend...
"We'll miss you!" softly said Asako "you had better visit us Tora! Or else you'll wish your sorry ass you never knew Asako!!!" she scolded as she craned around...
"I'll keep that in mind!" slightly smiled the beast... eyeing the temple boy... Ushio had a silent cold face, with nothing but a light shimmer in his mystic eyes...
"..." With a single raised hand, Ushio waved farewell to the beast as he trailed side by side with his waving friends... face silent, strong, cold, and yet somewhat sad...

After a short pause... the beast felt this cold wind blowing against his soul again... they came to visit... they actually came to visit! To want him back? They were pleading... tears in their eyes... heat in their souls, fright and sorrow in their souls... there was some thing lonesome even in the boy's soul, and Tora felt it... Ushio had missed him as well... it was good to know you were wanted... needed... loved... the cold wind slowly shimmered into heat... that empty cold gap had been filled... friendship... warm-tender-friendship...

Smiling as he dropped down his waving hand... that he never knew bid them farewell... is this it? Is he never going to see them again? It this the new life he should live? Feeling confused, the beast decided to head back and rest... he had a lot of thinking to do... and the thinking spot would do just fine right at that moment... he needed to clear his mind, body and soul... something had to be replaced... he just didn't know with what... he only hoped that he would know... soon... and as soon as possible...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

Holding you there in my arms was merely nothing but a dream to me... never in all my hopes and dreams, did I think that this dream would come true... you were my life... my golden sun... my blue sky... my silver plate... my treasure... every thing... I have ever dreamed of... is here... in you...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jiaaku..."
"Yes?"
"Thank you..."
"...?"
"For being there for me..."
"Don't mention it..."

Snuggling there side by side on the bed of dry leaves, the light brown male held the golden female in an embrace... Ann felt safe and comfortable there... she loved that feeling... and she couldn't help wanting more... nuzzling the young male, the female found her self actually enjoying his company... eyes in light blue opened a crack as she eyes the yellowish-red eyes, on that scared light brown face, where the five silver locks dangled dancing with their breath... eyeing the scares she had done to his face, the female couldn't help but reach up and nurse the cuts, licking them and cleaning then carefully...

Startled and a bit shy, the light brown male blinked lightly as she licked his face, cleaning his stinging wounds... they really didn't matter to him as long as he was with her... but to say the truth... that feeling... the sensation... it actually felt good... he had always nursed him self if was ever hurt... never had he ever thought that she would ever nurse him... slightly smiling, Jiaaku closed his eyes in need of rest, and to feel that wonderful heavenly sensation enveloping him whole... silent... both said nothing as the female nursed the males wounds...

~*~*~*~*~

"Muma... I'm worried about Ann... have you seen her?"
"Not really? Why? Had some thing gone wrong?"
"Not really... I was just wondering... she told me she had a crush over Jiaaku... she just didn't know how to say it and..."
"And?"
"Well... things got ugly... I guess I got over protective again and got her upset... she left the den crying!"
"Oh-god, again?"
"Yes... do you think she went to that secret place of hers?"
"The one behind the water falls? Maybe! It has always been her favorite..."
"Yeah... and talking about favorites... hands off the molds buddy!"
"No-way baby!"
"Eep!! Muma! Not so hard!!!" giggled the female...
"It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't hard!"
"Oh-yeah? How about 'this' then?"
"Yelp!!!" eyes shot wide-open "Oh-no-god... Kage please not that again!"
"Why not?"
"Well... it's too sensitive!!!"
"You think my molds aren't?"
"Well my crouch is more sensitive than molds now aren't they?"
"Wanna bet!"
"Kage! No! NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO!!!!! YELP!!!!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What's going on in there?" asked Yami as she and her mate passed by their friends' den...
"Sound to me like two beasts are having a sour delight of lemon!!"
"Oh!" pause... craning to her mate he was eyeing her oddly...
"Yami!" Kyofu smiled with his tail lashing...
"Uhh... I don't know!" shy-fully answered the female!
"Well... there is always a chance for a first try now isn't there?" stated the beast as he walked into their den "follow me, won't you?"
"Yes dear!" shyly smiled the female...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"What are you saying Asako?"
"I'm saying Tora may never come back!" holding back the need to cry, the harsh voiced girl stated...
"I can't believe this is happening..." Mayuko sighed...
"..." The temple boy was silently eyeing the out doors... the four of them were at the temple boy and his father's room...
"Do you think we should try to convince him again?"
"Mayuko, Asako... and you as well Ushio!"
"??" Ushio with a cold face, and slitted sleepy looking eyes, coldly eyed his father...
"Tora had made a choice, and he just wants to make sure that it was the right one for him... if it ever turns out that it wasn't right for him, then he might come back! You shouldn't force him on changing his course in life just because you want him to!" softly scolded the priest "do you all understand?"
"Yes Oji-san..."
"Yes... Oji-san!"
"..." Ushio said nothing, simply and silently he went back watching the night as it fell beyond the mountains...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Eyeing the fibulas sky... two sets of eyes gazed silently at gods creation... a pair of mystic human eyes slightly blinked once scrolling among those sparking diamonds, locking on the most beautiful one of all... glowing in the fine glow of silver, the stars created the shape of the silver slitted eyes that were gazing at the same star... the ancient beast and the temple boy shared the view of the sky... both silent... Tora was sitting in the younger light brown beasts thinking spot... snow slightly falling top of him... a few specks rested softly on his shoulders and head... only did the blowing wind brush them away... the temple boy had his thoughts dreaming far away... all the memories and thoughts rushed into his head... he wanted to think... to clear his mind... but couldn't... so was the beast... each was thinking of the other... just wondering... hoping... thinking... if this had it's right course... then every thing would go it's right way... every thing had it's time line and thoughts... every thing had it's special affects...

~*~*~*~*~
Morning came... as it was the dawn of the third day...
~*~*~*~*~

"Yawn!!!!" with a set of shark teeth, the light brown female stretched her limbs out scratching and sharpening her claws on the near by trees... eyeing around her, she only saw her lazy mate walking after her scratching his neck, stretching his limbs...
"Morning baby!" smiled Muma... they both slightly nuzzled...
"Morning honey!"
"Morning Kage, Muma!" Yami softly greeted, walking towards them still feeling lazy...
"Morning!" greeted the black beast, then sat back and scratched his neck like a huge cat... "God-that was one hell of a night!"
"Yeah..." slurred the tanned female as she attended cleaning her self...
"..." Eyeing around still, the light brown female snapped from her daze "Hey! Where are Jiaaku, Ann and Tora?"
"Huh? I dunno!" Yami answered, then eyed her mate whom only shrugged...
"??" Walking to the tree... no one was there... eyeing around... Kage began to worry... until the sight of some thing sleepy, tired and shaded in orange slumped its way towards her... "Tora! Morning!"
"Yeah... what *yawn* ... uhh... ever..." the beast had his eyes closed, ignoring the female, sprawling like a huge throw rug, the beast curled around him self to fall fast asleep before you can even say Kamatchika!!!

"The poor dear! He seems exhausted!" whispered Kage to her friend eyeing the sleeping orange beast...
"Yeah!" replied Yami... "Lets leave him to rest!"
"Good idea, I need to go look for Anna and Jiaaku any way!" said Kage as she attended to leap away...
"Mind if I join you?" asked Muma...
"No! It's my fault Ann was upset; I gotta find her my self! But thank you any way dear!" kissing him on the cheek, the female craned and walked away...
"Uh, okay!" replied the dark brown beast feeling his cheek "I just hope things end up well..."
"What are you talking about Muma?" asked the tanned female...
"Oh... nothing bad! Kage and Ann had a bit of a fight yesterday, and Ann left upset...I guess Kage went over-protective again!"
"Oh..." Yami whispered, then eyed where her friend went...
"Well, might as well be moving..."
"Where are you going?"
"To check on Ushio! I cant let Kage wear her self out traveling all the way and back every day, now can I!!" smiled the beast before trailing off...

"..." Yami said nothing...
"They both love each other... don't they!"
"Yeah..." with a shy smile, the tanned female answered shying off...
"Is some thing on your mind Yami?"
"Not really... I was just... wondering..."
"...?"
"How do you think it feels to have kids?"
"!!!" Eyes wide open the black beast started shying off "w-h-ell... umm, I have the faintest idea..." tail tucked, the beast eyed the morning sky "what do you say we go out hunting?"
"I agree! But... what about Tora?" questioned the female eyeing the exhausted sleeping beast "we can't just leave him here!"
"He'll be fine!" walking a few feet away "I suppose he wont be waking up till after sunset as far as I can tell!"
"True he sleeps deep, but he's no heavy sleeper!" the tanned female scolded as she walked after her mate... eyeing the beast for one last time before vanishing into the forest...

~*~*~*~*~*~

"AW-YES!!!!!" cheered Asako, hot water reaching till her shoulders as she wrapped her self in a towel, soaked in the hot waters of the spring...
"Whoa, this is really feeling good..." softly said Mayuko, blushing, and both had their hair in a bun...
"Hmmm..." relaxing in the hot waters... "Oh-I could stay here for ever!!!"
"..." Silent, Mayuko simply drew her gaze to the sky...
"Okay Mayuko..." scolded the harsh voiced girl "what's the matter?" she cocked an eye brow at her startled friend, eyes looking lazy with a smile on the side of her face...
"!!!" Clearing her throat, the ocean gray eyes slightly shying whispered softly "nothing... I was still thinking of Tora..." with a sigh... "It just... happened so fast..." she concluded, but then silenced...
"..." Silent as well, the harsh voiced girl drew away her gaze at the lightly snowing sky "Oh-crap! It's snowing! We'd better go back in side!"
"Good idea!"

~*~*~*~*~

"Aw-F***! It's snowing Dammit! And I was enjoying my self!" cursed the temple boy as he was busy drying him self with nothing but a towel around his waist... craning back to his father, the temple boy had all the musicales you never knew existed...
"Better dry up good Ushio!" stated the priest, as he didn't join his son in the spring... "I told you to take your 'little dip' some time later!"
"Well how the F*** did you expect me to know it was gonna snow?"
"..." Shrugging, the priest gave no answer...
"(Cursing)" Ushio was just about to put a side the towel when...

"USHIO!!!! Listen... I-!!!" Asako quickly called opening the door...
"!!!" Eyes locked... Ushio and Asako froze...
"!!!" Scrolling her eyes --that were shoot wide open-- a little down, the female quickly squeaked as she turned around blushing, covering her face and eyes "Oh-I'm sorry! I'm so-so-SO-SORRY!!!" she was blushing hard, quickly her hands fumbled looking for the door, slowly closing it again...
"!!!" A single sweat drop rolled down the boy's neck "Uhh... (Blushing, a quick shiver stumbled down his spine) on second thought... I think I need a shower!" said the boy as he craned back towards the hot spring, face burning up in red...

"Now this is going to be an unforgettable vacation..." stated the priest whispering to him self...

~*~*~*~*~

"Asako? What's wrong?" asked Mayuko as she blinked her friends burning face; hand on her lips, breathing fast...
"..." Blinking a few times, the harsh voiced girl said nothing... and simply walked towards her suit case taking out a mirror, eyeing her self...
"Asako?"
"Mayuko... I have just committed a horrible indescribable sin!" whispered the female feeling her burning face "I am never gonna forgive my self!" she stated placing back her mirror...
"Huh?"
"Promise not to talk about it to any one?"
"Of course I promise!!"
"Come here then!"
"??" Whispering a few words, the ocean gray eyed girl quickly gasped blushing as she blinked her friend in surprise, hand on her face, eyes wide open...
"..."
"I wouldn't dream of talking about it!"
"Neither would I!"

"Excuse me, but breakfast is done, please be at the dinner room in ten minutes please..." the old lady said as she stated from behind the door...

"..."
"..."
"Shall we?"
"Yeah... let's act like nothing happened!"
"Easy for you to say! It's not like your' the one who saw Ushio naked!!!"
"Asako! Hush!!!"
"Err, sorry!"
"Let's go..."
"Yeah... I hope this wouldn't ruin my life career!"
"..."

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

The snow was falling lightly on the shoulders and head of the light brown female... Kage had ran up a long distant looking for her daughter... searching for every sign she could remember, Kage found nothing... Ann had many hiding places, too bad her mother didn't find them all... it seems that she had missed one... with the worrying heart of an over-protective mother, the light brown female had wore her self out... sitting back on her hunches, Kage began resting for a few seconds before she went back looking... eyeing the great blue sky, her ivy green eyes shimmered lightly, eyes closed, the female drew in a deep breath before standing up again and running off continuing her search...

"Ann... baby... I promise... if I ever hurt you in any way... I'll never forgive my self!" said the female panting as she kept on running... but then, some thing slammed her... a cold painful splash in her stomach stabbed her... tripping then falling on the soft snow, braking her fall, the female lightly gasped, eyes wide open, feeling that odd scary feeling in her body... it felt... cold... like cold water on a face looking for warmth... "Wh... what's wrong with me?" the female asked thin air as some thing seemed to happen in side her body... it felt... odd... sick... cold... what ever it was... it was moving... either that, or her mind was playing tricks on her... sprawling there on her stomach, shifting on her side, the female froze trying to calm down... after merely a few seconds... the feeling stopped... yet, a spooky sensation drew over her... what was that feeling? Why had she felt it? Is some thing wrong with her? She didn't know... "Probably too much lemon..." lost and scared, frightened lightly in that world of thoughts... the female couldn't help but sense the smell of some thing pacing her way... quickly standing up, the female drew her self to the nearest hiding spot she could find...

"I'm... really thankful for your company Jiaaku! It really made me feel much better!" shyly a soft feminine voice said...
"Hey! Glad to be of help!" replied the light brown male as he walked side by side with the female...
"Um... I'm still sorry about your face!"
"Hey! Forget about it! They'll be gone in a while, besides! They aren't that bad! Not as bad as Kage's spanking!"
"Yeah... talking about mother, I'd better be heading back before I get a spanking!"
"Me too! I gotta make some tracks! Bye Ann!!"
"Bye Jiaaku!" with a quick kiss on the light brown male's cheek, the golden female froze...
"!!!" Eyeing each other as they froze, the female shyed a smile before running off... sitting back on his hunches, feeling his face, the young beast couldn't help the heat, blinking a few times, Jiaaku released a small chuckle as he trailed off "god-I need a cold shower!"

"..." With a wide arced smile, the light brown female flicked her tail eyeing the two young beasts as they trailed off, each on his own track... "I guess my little baby has grown too fast for me to notice!" the female stated, walking after the golden female...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

Running like the wind... the heat and sensation of battle... I hear nothing but the sounds of death... cries, shrikes, screams of terror... I smell nothing but blood, some thing burned... I see nothing but red, black and stained in white... I open my eyes and I see you there little one... I see you in front of me... so brave... so young... so strong... although you bother me with your stubbornness... I like the way you do it... each one of us has his way... although we are from two different world... we share the same life, the same world, the same thoughts... we are one... no one can separate us... cause I know... and I know, you share the same thought... that ... every thing... any thing... built on love, trust and caring... is worth living for... no one can brake it... steal it... ruin it... it is one of the strongest bonds that god had created... so... here I am... grateful for the mighty god... for letting me know... how it feels... to be... loved...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Tora!! Tora!!! Tora... get up!!" softly said the golden female as she nudged the beast softly...
"Um-hmm-uh-huh?" mumbled the beast as he fought to stay awake... "Ann? What? Where? Uhh... what is it?"
"Um, I just wanted to ask, before you went to sleep, have you seen mom or dad?"
"ANN!" the beast angrily groaned, "go look for your lost parents your self!! Just let me sleep!" lying down his head, the ancient orange beast blew away a frown with a deep sign and calmed down into sleep...
"Oh... sorry..." blinking once into that cute sleeping stripped face; the little golden female couldn't help but to kiss the beast lightly on the cheek...
"..." Mumbling under his breath, the beast was already fast asleep...
"Sweet dreams... Uncle Tora..." Ann softly whispered... she knew and understood her mothers side of thinking... the ancient beast may have been the type of male she wanted, but he as him self, was not the one for her... maybe she could hang out with a younger beast... some one she knew loved her... smiling lightly, the young female craned around only to see her mother smiling as she stood at their homes entrance...
"..." With a smile widening a bit, Kage flicked her tail once as her daughter slowly paced towards her...
"Morning... mother..." the golden female softly said, waiting for her mothers scolding she was used on getting when not coming back home on time...
"Morning dearest..." Kage smiled, softly nuzzling her daughter...
"!!!" Startled and a bit confused, the golden female eyed her mother embracing her... placing her hands on the shoulder blades of her mother; the golden female gave back the embrace, making it a bit tighter... she didn't know why, but she knew her mother must've understood what she was going through, embarrassed of the thought of her mother knowing what she was thinking of, the female closed her eyes "I love you mom..."
"I love you too sweetheart..." brushing down the silver locks, kissing her daughter tenderly on the forehead, the mother eyed her daughter, cupping her face she just felt like nuzzling her again...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

To have you there in my arm... to watch you grow up beautiful and strong... healthy and wise... happy and with a tender loving heart... you learn to love the ones around you, making them love you back... it's about what you do to them, how you treat them... about who you are from the in side... how you look is not what matters... the out side is only a shadow of the in side... it has a shape but with no details... why is it always the out side that we see never the in side? Understanding what is in the center of some thing will always turn back to you making your life go better... safer... stronger... happier... we always look for love... and when we find it... we might turn selfish and hold it... in a way... it might die... but we refuse to let go... preferring for it to die with us than with some one else... that is what is wrong... we have to let it go if we truly care for it... only then... it might pain us... but it would make all happy... together...

~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~

"Um, where's Ushio?"
"I dunno... he was supposed to be out of the hot spring by now!"
"Umm... I'm sorry about what happened Oji-san..."
"It's all right child! But next time... do make some noise if you cant knock on a paper door! Wont you!"
"I'll keep that in mind..."
"Good... I'll go check on Ushio, be right back..."

Walking towards the room, Shigure slowly slid the door open... slowly he eyed some thing in dark brown and furry pacing in a circle as his son sat wrapped in a blanket, face lightly blue and shivering...

"So... your telling me... a female... saw you... naked?? (Whistle) boy! This is one hell of a deep predicament!" the dark brown beast felt the back of his neck...
"How humiliating..." the boy was blushing hard, hands on his face...
"You know... maybe the girl... the one with the dark hair... really didn't mean to! Maybe she's trying to forget it as well! So... don't think about it!! It's better than having it the other way around, right?"
"The other way around?"
"Like Kage tells me... if you ever find your self in a problem, think of it in a 'what would happen if it happened to some one I know?' and then try to solve it! I mean... be grateful it's not 'you' who saw her in that status!!! Right?"
"... I guess..."
"Good! Forget about it then! You shouldn't worry your mind on such things!"
"Easy for you to say Muma! You're always naked!!!"
"Hey! It's not like a have a choice Dammit! I've got fur and I'm grateful! Besides, there aren't any clothing in my size any way!!"

"(Making some noise) Ushio, are you still in there?"
"Um, coming!!!" standing up fully dressed, the temple boy just didn't feel like going out earlier, before walking to the door, he craned back to the dark brown beast "Oh-Muma!"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks! I owe you one!"
"Yo! You owe me nothing kid, just forget about it!" was all he said before leaping over the stone walls and away...
"Who were you talking to?" faked the priest...
"No one! Just my self!"
"Then, why are you still holding the spear?"
"Huh?" eyeing it, he didn't even remember it was there "Oh-I forgot about it..."
"You forgot to let go of it?"
"..."
"Never mind... the rest are waiting for us at the dining room, and Ushio!"
"??"
"Asako is sorry, and hopes that both would forget about what happened!"
"..."

Silently walking, the temple boy and his father went back to the dining room... Ushio fixed his blushing face on his friend who locked her eyes with him... both silent, both said nothing... it was still morning... and all had plans... but maybe change it into doing nothing right now... a change in schedule...

~*~*~*~*~*~

Walking towards his home, the dark brown beast saw that the ancient beast was still fast asleep in his place... with a smile, he trailed back towards his den, only to see his daughter snuggled and asleep in her mothers arms... Kage eyed her mate with a smile... she was wide-awake softly brushing down a few of her daughters silver locks... nuzzling softly, not wanting to wake his daughter, the dark brown beast smiled...

"I see she's back! How is she?"
"A bit confused... but she's all right I guess..." eyeing her mate as he eyed their daughter "where were you?"
"Oh I told you remember? I told you I was gonna go check on Ushio, and guess what!"
"I dunno, what?"
"He's here! In the inn a few miles away on a short vacation!"
"Really? That's grand!!!"
"I know! (Pause) he left a note on the temple's back yard... I just hope he can remove them! That paint job is 'ugly'!! Yeach!!!"
"???" Not really understanding, Kage eyed her mate oddly...
"Uh, I'll explain later..." pause, shifting his head towards the entrance "how long has Tora been asleep?"
"Since dawn, why?"
"Just a question..." reaching for the back of his neck, the dark brown beast lightly scratched, and then eyed his mate looking at him with a questioning look "What?"
"What's on you mind?" the female sang softly...
"Err... nothing..."
"Muma!!"
"This is not the time... I'll tell you later... Okay?"
"I guess...
"Um-hmm..." their daughter lightly shifted on her side, fast asleep, lightly with as mile...
"My sweet little angle..." the light brown female kissed her daughter lightly as she placed her on the bed to sleep "Why don't we go out side and let her rest?"
"Yeah, good idea!" trailing out, the two beasts left their daughter to rest...

~*~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~

Running and running thought the dark landscape... there was nothing he could make out... nothing he could remember or recognize... feeling lost... silver slitted eyes blinked once as they shifted constantly from one sudden noise to another... worry and fear clutched the nervous orange beast... ancient stripped arms slashing the shadows attacking him, shark teeth trying to bite some thing, just any thing... the brunet stripped orange arms with spread fingers, extended talons worriedly focusing on any thing that moves... then he felt some thing shift behind him...swinging his arms around... he froze... frozen solid as nothing parted him from slashing his claws into that human face... purple-green mystic eyes slightly and calmly eyeing him... a cold face, white like snow, a long black mass of a could of hair... those lightly tanned lips with that smile lightly wheeling as the cheeks blushed with a light crimson splash... confused... the beast eyed him there... standing in front of him... with those eyes... as if pleading for some thing... the ancient beast couldn't tell... why? He didn't know... eyeing those childish eyes... the beast was startled by the hand offered to him... eyeing the beast lance user... he seemed sad and somewhat lonely... the beast couldn't last that... some thing odd enveloped him... as some thing cold jumped him muffling him over...

"AHH!!!!" jilting in start, the beast eyed the huge chunk on snow resting on his head and torso... blinking in confusion, the beast cupped his face as he panted lightly trying to focus on clearing his mind...
"Tora!! What's wrong??" asked the light brown female as she padded towards him, her dark brown mate followed...
"N... nothing... nothing..." breathed the beast brushing away the snow...
"..." Helping him brush away the snow, the light brown female eyeing the beast as he seemed nervous "Tora, look at you!" the beast eyed her "you look like you were just taken out of a nightmare!"
"..." Eyes closed "I'm fine... this damn snow startled me that's all!" he stated, and then stood up on his hunches slowly brushing what was left of the snow...
"Tora..." said the dark brown beast "if your interested, Ushio is here!"
"I know..."
"You know?"
"They're at the hot spring in a distant away, right?"
"??? How did you...?"
"What ever... I'm out..."
"Where are you going?"
"... hunting..."
"Oh... please, do be careful Tora!!"
"... X..." eyeing her mockingly "yes mother!!"
"Not funny!" scolded softly the light brown female as the orange beast trailed off chuckling...
"..." Muma eyed his mate, and then took in a deep breath "Kage!"
"??" Craning to her mate, he seemed troubled "what?"
"Do you know any place we can talk in, some where privet?"
"Privet?" thinking "um... how about the cave behind the waterfalls?"
"Sound good to me! Let's move..."
"Okay!" confused, the female silently followed her mate...

=====================================================
A/N: chapter two is done... and this is only half what I've already written... wait for chapter three... there might be a chance of chapter four if I don't wrap every thing up in chapter three though... what ever... R&R people...