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The sky...
The sea...
There is always a place to be...

Overhearing the old fox respond, he gave a nod in content. "A bit tired, but I am doing fairly well. Don't worry, I just arrived that's all." He continued to walk with Hotaru, it wasn't long till they were at a complete stop. An offering of her arm to the small foxes, they immediately climbed aboard to her shoulders. Each overlook their owner and alert of their own surroundings. Every villager that passed by were glanced with curiosity with their small marble eyes. Hotaru's explanation gave him a curious look of his own. These foxes were his? A power he wasn't aware of, to manifest these foxes on his own accord. That can't be right, it shouldn't for all he knew was that he was a student at school. How was this even possible? He ruffled the back of his head. "A monk huh?" He looked at the two Shikigami perched there to watch their master flustered within his own thoughts. "Hm, if that's the case then I'll have to accept it." Accepting role of monk, perhaps the best way to define his own status now that he had these powers. How would he put this strength to have his foxes perform feats? Some thought on the walk would help him think of things.

Myoga was unease of her comment, being a joke sure, but make fun of the flea made him feel bad. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, such a label of a coward wasn't pleasant. Although when she spoke of two demons, whether he may have this knowledge of these strangers who came during the attack. He crossed his legs thinking over the incident on Masato's shoulder. "Ah yes, the two demons during the attack. I've caught sight of them, but even I have a hard time to distinguish by name. Although, I have seen one's power and a dangerous one at that." He tried to remember their names.



Location - Kaede's Village
Action - Walking with Hotaru
Conversation - Hotaru, Myoga
Kind of mood - Tired, calm
Objective - None
Outside - Fair
Crush - None.

Shippo nodded at Hotaru, then the old man. He'd still been sleepy and didn't completely register until Gramps talked about Lori-chan. Shippo smiled and scampered off to find her. When he did, he stood and waved. "Morning Lori-chan!" He smiled wide, chuckling. He joined her and the children. "Need any help?" He liked being around Lori. She made him feel a little more comfortable about being a kid.

Kino was watching people start to rebuild. She turned when she smelled Hotaru in the village, then resumed her stroll. She had no bad feelings at the moment, and hoped that would be the case for the day. One of the wolves walked up and nudged her hand. She turned and looked down. It was actually a pair. One of Koga's and one of Tsuki's. Koga's pack member had a large gash on his nose. Kino glanced suspiciously at her pack's companion. The black wolf yipped and whimpered. Kino softly pet her ears. She kneeled down. "It's alright. I believe you." She gently touched the tan wolf's snout. He would whimper for a second, then wag his tail in relief. "Next time don't stick your nose where you can't see." She smiled and the two left, returning to help villagers with carrying wood and buckets of various things. Kino stood and gently brushed off the dust. She turned and spotted Hotaru and Masato. Pausing to think, she then shifted to a small black fox form and trotted over to the pair. As she approached, she cautiously shifted back. "Lady Hotaru, is everything alright?"

Hotaru nodded. "I can request one of the miko's or Priests to come from one of my villages to help train you, if you will accept."As she listened to Myoga, everything within her grew cold. She stumbled when the name Myuun was mentioned. Her heart began to pound loudly. There had been two of them supposedly. It could not be Ryuuk. The legends about him told that he wasn't one to attack unless it was absolutely necessary. That left only one option. Hotaru began to appear paler than she had been in a long while. Her heart had begun to echo in her head. He was back...

When Kino came up on them, all she would have been able to see was the sickly appearance of Hotaru get even worse. And then suddenly it was like everything about Hotaru just shut off. Her eyes became cold and distant. She stood in a way that meant death to anyone that came up unexpectedly on her. Within her mind, she was trying not to break down. Kyuub had returned. After years of searching for a way to destroy him, the seal had faltered and he had been released. Without thought, she reached up and felt for her pendant. Then she remembered. She had given it to Touga. She felt the Shadow Guardian slightly move on her skin, as if getting a more comfortable position. "Did anyone become infected? Was there a cut on any of you when the poison mist was spread?" Hotaru's voice was ice cold, a complete turnaround from her previous attitude. Her cold gaze was focused on Kinoka. Kinoka would know about the relationship Hotaru had had with her family. She had been old enough at the time to realize who she was. She would also know the stories of what Kyuub was capable of.

Lorelai gave Shippo a wide grin in return as he approached. Being around the children had helped cheer Lorelai considerably, and by now she was pretty much back to her usual sunny disposition again. "Ah, Shippo! Good timing. I was about to go see what the foraging party has brought in so I can make breakfast for all the kids. I need you and the older children to keep everyone entertained for a bit until it's ready, okay? I'm counting on you guys." She gave a cheerful wink and chuckled good-naturedly before addressing all the children, "I know it's a bit unusual for breakfast, but how does stew and rice balls sound?" As the children loudly cheered their approval, Lorelai giggled and waved her hands to get their attention until everyone quieted down. "Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes then. Everyone behave for Shippo and the others. If you don't then I won't sing anymore songs for you or tell you stories." Lorelai grinned at the general complaints from the crowd of children at what would happen if they misbehaved. "Play nicely, everyone!" Lorelai quickly set about gathering vegetables and prepared meats for the stew and one of the villagers gave her a small sack of rice when she explained it was for the children. When Lorelai had all the ingredients she needed, she put them in her travel sack for easy carrying along with plenty of bowls, spoons and plates. Lorelai made a beeline for the clearing the children were occupying and busily set about fixing breakfast and gave the children an encouraging smile as the smells of her cooking started wafting over the area. "Breakfast will be done shortly. I'll call when it's ready, alright?"

Kino smiled at the Shikigami and Masato. She bowed her head slightly, not wanting to move too far from Hotaru. "Pleasure to meet you. I am Kinoka Airi Tulano. But Kinoka or Kino are what I answer to. Are you from the same village as that Kagome girl? You both dress odd." She looked over his clothes again. A sudden thought occurred to her and she turned to Hotaru. "Milady, is this a shadow illness, or something else? Masato's Shikigami may be able to help slow it if it's the shadow. And I could probably help if it were something else." She wasn't sure if anything would help, but she felt the need to try.

Shippo watched over the kids, making sure no one was misbehaving while Lori-chan cooked. He could smell the stew on the wind after a while and his stomach made a gurgling noise. A few of the younger kids laughed. Shippo used his fox magic to transform into the large pink ball and chased after them, making fake monster noises. The children screeched and laughed, not seeming to remember the previous night.Shippo continued to play, waiting for Lori to return.

Once Lorelai had cooked up the stew and made the rice balls, she started ladling stew into bowls and put rice balls on plates. When everything was all set up, she called out to get eveyone's attention, "Okay, food's ready! Everyone come and grab a helping, but please keep an orderly fashion so you don't spill anything. There's plenty for everyone, so no need to push." Lorelai already had her own bowl of stew with chopsticks and a plate of rice balls. There was plenty of room for Lorelai to have set up a bowl and plate for each child in a neat row. All the children had to do was pick an unoccupied space and sit down to eat.

Kinoka nodded at Masato. She looked down at the Shikigami. They were observing her curiously. Kino smiled at them. Then she turned her attention back to Hotaru at her mention of Ryuuk. She watched the messengers leave. When Hotaru suddenly collapsed to one knee, she followed at the same time as Masato. With one hand supporting the woman, she would help Masato in bringing Hotaru to her feet. When Masato asked her to find a place, she quickly scanned the area. Most of the huts were nearly destroyed, and Kaede's hut was on the other side of the village from them. "Wait here."

She would shift into her black fox form, after assuring that Masato was supporting Hotaru. Then she would bound off through the remains of the huts. She would be gone for only a few moments before her small black head appeared around the corner of a scorched building. Then she'd come back and resume her human form again. "Help me bring her this way. There's a vacant hut just around that one. It's very quiet, she'll be able to sleep." She would gently pull Hotaru's arm over her shoulder, making sure that Hotaru was comfortable with it. Then she waited for Masato to do the same so they could move the pale youkai.



Shippo focused on helping to keep the kids from fighting over the food. When all the kids had taken places and were busy eating, he took and empty seat and ate some himself. He turned to Lori with a big smile. "This is delicious! Just like Kagome's cooking." He gestured to the empty space next to him. "You should be starving after working up a meal like this."

Hotaru panted softly as she felt the two move next to her. Once she was moved on to her feet, she tried not lean too heavily on Masato as Kino took off to find her a place to rest. She could feel the curse surging within her, battling against her very life and will. Her once golden eyes were now flickering between gold and honey brown. She almost felt like she was loosing her youkai strength. This frightened her. As they moved her to the hut, she felt her claws seeming to shorten into human nails. It had to be the remnants of the poison. It wasn't enough to poison anyone but with her sensitive nose, it still affected her somewhat.

As they reached the hut, her hair began to be streaked black. Once she was laid down in the hut, she gasped softly. Her hearing and eyesight began to dim. Somehow deep inside, she knew what was happening. She had watched her mother change into a human on certain nights herself. Was the poison causing her to become human? Was that what would cause her to become human? How long would it last? Maybe it would only last as long as her mother's had. Lifting her hands, she stared in shock at the human hand. The transformation would finish in a matter of seconds. Her hair becoming as black as night and her body changing so that she was shorter than Masato by a foot or so with honey brown eyes. She felt the dragon begin to move up and felt the head settle directly on her neck looking out as if it were watching out for her. As the transformation finished, she felt a surge of miko energy swell up within her and shoot out from her. She couldn't control the surge so it swept out from her. It was the power of an ancient powerful blood line. It was also reflected in her power. It was just a shame that she had no way of knowing how to control that power.