I admit that I'm nuts.  But then you all know that already.  I've just
finished Chapter 10 of "Hunter & Prey".  It is titled "Hunt."  This chapter
is kind of like a set-up for the following chapters.  The ideas are STILL
coming except now they are getting very out of order.  I am having problem
organizing them.  But then if I do nothing, then they won't leave me alone.
NEway, constructive C & C are welcome.  Have fun reading.

--Shuuichi Minamino
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HUNTER AND PREY
Ch 10 Hunt

	Sonoma opened the door and silently slipped out.  He looked up and saw the
full moon.  *Full moon tonight,* he thought. *I guess that will be to his
advantage then.*

	He reached behind his head and touched his hair.  He had braided it to keep
it out of his way.  Finally, after two years, he would face off with Yukon
once and for all.  He knew that he was definitely not up to the fight, but
then he knew that Yukon would probably stop at nothing to kill him.  Sonoma
was a bit shocked when he found out that Yukon had decided to attack Kurama.
He knew that it had never been Yukon's way to attack other people who were
close to his prey.  

	*Why?* He asked himself. *I know he would NEVER do that.  It's his policy
and he has follow it as long as he has been an assasin.  That has been
Yukon's way of doing business.*

	It had been business for Yukon at the beginning of the chase.  Killing him,
Sonoma, was Yukon's job.  It was funny how Yukon's pride had protected him
from other assasins.  Ever since Yukon had decided to take on the hunt, he
had been the one to get rid of all the other assasins assigned to
assassinate Sonoma.  Sonoma once joked to Yukon that Yukon had become his
designated assassinator and bodyguard.

	Sonoma chuckled to himself.  It was strange.  He and Yukon had particularly
become companions.  Yukon was always closed by, waiting for a chance to
strike but never finding one.  There was always someone else ready to kill
Sonoma, and Yukon would always be the one to get rid of that so-called
interferer.  They've even started talking to one another on a regular basis,
they seemed like friends on the surface and sometimes even acted that way
toward each other.  What might have originally been called "business" had
somehow taken on a "personal" tone to it.  But despite all those "personal"
undertone to Yukon's "business," the tension to kill had always been there.  

	*There must have been another reason for his being so persistent about the
hunt,* Sonoma contemplated. *I know that he wouldn't continue pursuing his
victims if he is not given a big sum for it.  From the way it looks now, he
isn't being offered a fair amount of money... I'm sure he could've dropped
the deal and kill for someone who will offer him a greater sum.
Unless...unless this is for personal reasons...*

	Sonoma stopped dead at his tracks.  Personal reasons.  Now why hadn't him
thought of that before?  But then there was not really anything personal
between him and Yukon.  Maybe just friends in which one would try to kill
the other, but then that didn't make sense either.

	Sonoma sighed.  He was getting nowhere with his speculations.  Why did he
care anyway?  Here was a guy who had been trying to kill him for the past
two years, a guy who had killed off his other assasinators because this
proud assasin wanted to kill him himself.  So what if they had become
friends, that was NOT personal enough to make Yukon being persistent in
wanting to kill him.

	"I should stop thinking about this," Sonoma said aloud to himself. "or else
my head is going to explode before he succeeded in doing so to me himself."

	*Funny how I seem to be expecting him to succeed in killing me this
time...* Sonoma thought.  He had never really seen Yukon at full power, but
then neither has Yukon seen him as his peak.  But still, Sonoma had a
feeling that he might lose the hunt tonight.

**********************

	Yukon buttoned up his coat and put on his gloves.  He was ready to kill.
Two years, two years had he wasted to hunt down Sonoma.  It has no longer
matter to him anymore about the money.  He wanted to prove to himself that
he could kill anyone that was assigned to him.

	*Then why did you wait that long to kill him?* He asked himself.

	*Because you didn't really want to kill him after all...* His other voice
answered. *You befriended him despite your wanting to kill, and through him
you've realized that you having feelings and then you also needed somebody.*

	"No." Yukon said to himself.  "I don't need anyone."

	*Fine then.  But then you can never forget about what happened that day
when you almost died.  You couldn't forget what he did to save you.*

	*That was a violation!!* His mind screamed. *I would prefer to be dead than
to be violated!*

	*That was the only way he could save you.  He probably hated doing that as
much as you did.  So what if it was your first time?!*

	Yukon felt as if he was losing his mind.  He could feel himself arguing
within himself.  No, he would NOT soften now.  As a born assassin unwanted
by everyone, he would take pride in taking away others life and make himself
feel powerful.  He wouldn't let a halfling get in his way of doing things.
When he made up his mind to kill, he never intend to change his mind.

*********************

	"Kurama."

	"Hiei?  What?"

	"Did you feel it?"  Hiei came into Kurama's room through the window.

	Kurama sighed. "Yes, Sonoma has left."

	"What are we going to do?"

	Kurama was a bit surprised by Hiei's question.  Now when did he, of all
people, started to care?

	"Hiei...that is to be resolved between Sonoma and the other person," Kurama
started. "we are in no place to interfere."

	"Dammit fox!" Hiei snapped. "Don't you have any clue?!"

	"What... Hiei!  Wait!"  Kurama called out in alarm as he realized what Hiei
was about to do.

	Hiei leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night.		

-----------Chapter 10 Hunt End (TO BE CONTINUED)------------------

   --Shuuichi Minamino
   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
  * "J'aurais                        "I would have wanted                 *
  *           voulu ne pas mourir.                not to die.             *
  *  J'aurais voulu                   I would have wanted                 *
  *           ne jamais grandir.                  never to grow up.       *
  *  J'aurais                         I would have                        *
  *           voulu me casser l'ame."           wanted to rend my soul."  *
  *                                                                       *
  *                ~Cirque Du Soleil                 ~Circus Of The Sun   *
   ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~