Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Golden Gaze ❯ Chapter 11

Golden Gaze

by:

Goijh

Author's note: OMG! I am so sorry that its taken so long to get this chapter out! For all of you who read my author's note (I replaced the replica of chapter ten with a note concerning updates and my leave of absence) then you know why. I don't think that many people read it though because I didn't get any responses on it.

Not one!

I was kinda thinking that at least one or two people who e-mail me to let me know that they wanted to be alerted when I updated. And maybe I was being presumptuous but I also thought that I would get at least one or two comments on the little short story that I put in there.

Oh well...

I guess that people must not have known about it.

Or if they did it just really sucked...^_^;

I think I perfer to believe the former of the two theories. lol!

But anyways: Here is the long awaited NEW chapter! Its pretty long (8 pages without any of this author stuff and 5050 words) so I hope that it will make you all happy. And I'm going to try to have chapter twelve out tomorrow.

SPOILER: For all of you who have been patiently (or impatiently) waiting, the next chapter is when Suuichi and Kagome meet! YAY! (It sure took me long enough right? lol!)

Anyways, I am just SO happy to be back! lol! If you can't tell, I'm really excited about putting this chapter out. I'm kinda nervous too. I mean, what if after all of this time I've lost some of my most loyal readers? Or what if the chapter doesn't live up to expectations?

Oh well. Nothing I can do about that (except worry myself silly). Hope you guys enjoy! I'll shutup now and just let you read the chapter.

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Chapter Eleven

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Kagome landed safely on the other side of the well with a soft thud. Pausing first to give a little yawn and stretch her arms above her head, she leaned down and hoisted her bulky bag onto her back.

She released on willing 'umph!' of protest when the weight of the pack almost sent her off balance. And to think, right now the bag was only half as heavy as it was when she originally left with it for the feudal era. Smiling a little she stepped forward and began to pull herself up the ladder.

Maybe next time she returned she would invite Inuyasha to come along so that he could carry the bag. She laughed a little as she pictured how his face might look when she told him that that was the reason she wanted him to come with her. She would have to do that sometime.

Wobbling a bit, Kagome unsteadily made her way out of the wellhouse and over to her own home. A warm, inviting light shone from the kitchen window signifying that her family was still awake. Good. That meant that she wouldn't have to labor to be extra quiet so that she wouldn't awaken them. And maybe she could have a bath.

By the time the miko actually reached her house, her breathing was slightly haggard and the only thing on her mind was ridding herself of the burden on her back. Throwing open the door she waited only long enough to kick off her shoes before dropping the bag ungracefully to the ground.

'THUD!'

The young woman winced as the noise seemed to echo in the quiet home. She hadn't thought it would be that loud.

"Kagome, sweetie, is that you?" Her mother's voice called from the doorway.

"Yeah Mom."

Something smelled good. Kagome followed her nose to the kitchen where her mother was in the process of pulling out a pan of freshly baked cookies. Yum!

"How long are you going to be staying this time?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she turned to put the pan on the counter to cool. Like a moth to the flame, the miko was immediately drawn to the other side of kitchen, staring impatiently at the cookies as she waited until she could eat one.

"Three days." She replied, her eyes not once wavering from the snack in front of her.

Mrs. Higurashi hid a chuckle at her daughter's behavior.

"You must be exhausted from all your travelling. I'll go start you a bath." Kagome didn't even look as her mother went to leave the kitchen. All the girl could do was nod in agreement and call out a mumbled thanks after the retreating form of her mother.

"I'll be right back." Her mother said as she through the doorway and up the stairs.

A moment later the sound of water rushing through the pipes could be heard. Indoor plumbing.

It was good to be home.

Finally, impatience getting the best of her, Kagome snatched a cookie quickly away from the still hot pan and folded it into a napkin before it could burn her hand. Making a mental note to ask her mother to bake some more later so that she could bring some to the feudal era as a treat for her friends, Kagome blew on the morsel before risking a small bite. Her lips curled up in a contented smile as she savored the flavor. Not to hot. Not to cold. Just warm gooey cookie.

Perfect!

"That's the only one for tonight Kagome." Her mother's voice reached her ears as the miko turned around to see the woman had returned. "Those are for you and your brother for school tomorrow."

Kagome nodded and nibbled tentatively on the edge of her dessert. Might as well make it last.

"Your bath should be ready in about 5 minutes," Mrs. Higurashi continued as she bustled around, cleaning up the last of the cookie making mess from the counters. "But before you go up, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Intrigued, Kagome merely nodded once again in response as she moved to sit down to the table. Mrs. Higurashi quickly finished her tidying up and then joined her daughter after pouring herself a glass of water.

"Your school called last week while you were gone." The older woman began. Catching the urgency in her mother's tone, Kagome put the cookie down on the table and gave her her complete attention. 'Please say there's no bad news...' The priestess prayed as she met her mother's eyes.

"Because you've missed so much school over the past year, they said that you are unable to continue attending there and they transferred you to a new high school."

Kagome was speechless. New school?! She knew that her mouth was hanging open but at the moment there was nothing she could do about it. New School?! Away from all of her friends and people that she knew? And in the middle of the year. She fought back to urge to groan. This was not going to be fun.

She would have to ask Inuyasha for more time here so that she could adjust. He was not going to like that.

'Why me?'

Mrs. Higurashi seemed oblivious to her daughter's inner turmoil as she calmly took a sip of her water and then continued. "Your new school is Sarayashiki High and you'll be starting there tomorrow. I'll drive you since its your first day so that you'll know where to go."

"Sarayashiki High?" Kagome repeated in a paniced squeak. The school was notorious around the entire city for its gangs and problems. It was probably one of the worst reputed high school's in Tokyo, and now she had to go there! Kagome groaned and leaned her forehead against the table. The only good thing that she had EVER heard about the place was a couple years back some boy saved a kid from getting hit by a car at the cost of his own life. But that story had quickly been left to the tabloids when the savior suddenly 'came back from the dead' so to speak.

"Yep. Sarayashiki High." Mrs. Higurashi repeated cheerfully. Kagome looked up from the table top. Her mother's perky reply made her wonder if the older woman had ever watched the news.

"You have a new uniform and everything. I put your uniform in your closet and I took the liberty to buy your new books myself. They're on your desk."

Kagome let her head fall back to the table with a thump. She shouldn've just stayed in Feudal Japan. What she wouldn't give for a pair of red slippers right now...Or wait. She was already home. Um..What color shoes for Warring States Era?

"Oh sweetie! Your bath should be ready now. Head on up. As soon as your done you shoulg go to bed. Wouldn't want to end up being late on your first day of school would you?"

Relectantly Kagome lifted her head from the hard wood and, grabbing her cookie, trudged up the stairs cursing every diety she could think of under breath as she defiantly munched on the snack.

'I can't wait until tomorrow...'

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Youko's golden eyes quickly appraised the demon in front of him, taking special note of the gargantuan blade that glimmered eerily in the moonlight. His eyes lingered on the fang's edge for just a moment longer than necessary, admiring its steel cleaving sharpness. It was something worth taking.

He almost chuckled at the thought of stealing the hanyou's demon blade. It would be quite interesting to see the look on the inu's face.

Inuyasha began to growl when Kurama didn't answer him and instead continued to stare indifferently, as if the half demon were nothing but a rock on the path.

"I said, What do you want fox!" Inuyasha snarled, baring his canine fangs dangerously as his threatening growls increased in volume.

Youko smirked as the hanyou repeated his question. 'Kagome' his mind said.

"Where did your little miko go?" He asked, honestly intrigued. The last that he had seen of the girl, she had slipped of her own free will into a dried up well. Youko had easily been able to sense the magic that engulfed the structure right before Kagome's scent had disappeared. He couldn't deny that his curiosity was piqued.

'It's none of your fucking business!' Inuyasha's mind snarled. "Why the hell would you want to know!" The hanyou demanded, bracing himself in a defensive pose.

"That is none of your concern."

Seeing that the half demon was not going to tell him anything about the well or the miko's disappearance, the kitsune turned his back on Inuyasha, walking away in a deliberately slow pace as his tail twitched in a taunting manner. He unmasked his scent, the hanyou already knew what he smelled like, why not let him smell again, and see that Youko Kurama did not fear him. He would just get the information from elsewhere.

Besides, ignoring Inuyasha would definately cause him to do something violent and brash. Youko owed the mutt a good ass kicking. The youkai didn't need to wait long before Inuyasha came charging at him, blinded by rage and pride.

A gust of wind swept his hair to the side of his face as the Tetsusaiga sliced through the air, narrowly missing Youko's shoulder. It could not be argued that Inuyasha didn't have the strength the weild his father's fang, however the hanyou had never had any sort of training what so ever when it came to swordsmanship and thus did not have the skill to immediately recover from a futile attack with such brute force behind it. As a result, the momentum he had created carried on a moment before he could stop it and caused him to hesitate less than a split second before he could pull together some sort of offense.

That was all the time that Youko needed in order to attack. Seizing the opportunity presented, the kistune theif nailed Inuyasha in the back with a solid kick. The result sent the inu flying forward several yards, coming to a rough halt as he crashed into the ground. Kurama grinned inwardly, without the miko around there were no distractions to divert his attention.

This fight was his.

Inuyasha recovered quickly and was on his feet before Youko could reach his side and deliver another blow. The fox demon had to admit a hint of surprise that he was able to recover so quickly but brushed it off quickly. It didn't matter, Inuyasha had no real style. It was just kick, slash, punch. His movements were all wild and completely predictable. Of course that may have been a result of the hanyou's quick temper, but it didn't matter.

Youko obviously had the advantage in this fight.

Inuyasha made an almost roarlike sound of frustration as he heaved Tetsusaiga into an offensive posistion and rushed at Kurama, planning on another offensive attempt. Deciding to goad him even further, the kistune made no attempt to move. He just stood there and waited for Inuyasha to reach him. When the Tetsusaiga finally came within striking reach, Youko merely took daintly little sidesteps, easily avoiding each swing. A cruel smile twisted at the corners of his mouth as Inuyasha's movements began to grow more and more wild.

It was as if the hanyou was swinging a log instead of a sword.

His temper was getting the better of him.

After nimbly dodging a few more onslaughts, it was time to end the fun. With a burst of speed that was rivaled by no one except possibly the taiyoukai of the West in Inuyasha's mind, Youko rushed at the inu. Before the hanyou knew what was happening, the thief was behind him, pressing his sharp claws into his neck.

He could feel Youko's hot breath on his skin. The sensation disgusted him. But the fact that the kitsune wasn't even breathing heavily enraged him beyond belief. With a feral snarl, Inuyasha twisted out of Youko's deadly grasp with a deftness that caught the fox by surprise. So the hanyou did have some skill after all.

Youko laughed softly to under his breath, knowing very well that with his enhanced youkai senses, Inuyasha could hear him.

"Tsk tsk. No control what so ever." Kurama chided, the smug smirk in place and his eyes taunting. "How pathetic."

"Shuddup you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled, any semblence of control that he happened to have remaining snapping at kitsune's haughty tone. At the moment, the silver haired fox reminded him eerily of Sesshomaru. The thought brought Inuyasha blood to a boil.

That bastard was not above him.

It didn't matter if the fox was Kagome's ONLY chance at happiness. Inuyasha wasn't going to kill him. That bastard dared to treat him like some insignifigant little pup!

For a moment Inuyasha's eyes flashed red despite his white knuckled grip on the Tetsusaiga. Gold met gold as the two demons stared at each other, both on seperate sides of the clearing. In a passing thought, Inuyasha noted that they were only several feet away from the Bone Eater's well.

Youko saw the inu's eyes dart to the side and then back. Cautiously, he peeked out of the corner of his eye at the dried up well. The one that Kagome had leapt down. His smirk widened as he caught whiff of something.

The hanyou was nervous.

He didn't want Youko near the well.

"What are you hiding half breed? Don't want me to go anywhere near your precious miko? Or is it something else?" Youko pondered aloud as he raised an eyebrow. Inuyasha's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but Kurama caught the change. The anxiety in the hanyou's scent almost doubled.

Inuyasha's mind was racing. He and Kagome had always been the only ones able to travel through the well. And that was because of the bond that they shared. But what if Kagome now shared some kind of bond with the fox now? After all, they had kissed. In Inuyasha's opinion that made a bond almost as strong as the one he shared with Kagome.

Would Youko be able to go to Kagome's time?

Or would he try to destroy the well instead?

"Feh. I'm not hiding anything you pompous jack ass." Inuyasha retorted, using all of his will power to keep his feet planted firmly to the ground and not rush over to keep Kurama away from the well. The kitsune's brow arched higher and the smirk grew.

'Dammit!' Inuyasha's mind screamed at him. He knew that the other demon could easily smell the nervousness rolling off of him in waves. And there was nothing her could do about it now.

Youko was there one moment, standing several yards away from Inuyasha with the Bone Eater's well off to the side. Then the next moment he was gone, a blur barely visible to the naked eye as he streaked across the clearing, gracefully stopping before the lip of the well.

"I think you are hiding something Inuyasha." Kurama teased. One of his fangs glinted in the dim moonlight as his eyes glowed in anticipation. Then, without a moment's more hesitation, he leapt down the well.

It was all over before Inuyasha's mind could even register what had just happened.

"NO!"

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Shippo's ears perked up as a loud cry echoes through the night. A quick glance at Kiarara confrimed that she too had heard the noise and that he wasn't just imagining things. The others in the hut were blissfully ignorant to the sudden tension sparking between the demons though as they continued to discuss their latest journey and sip tea.

Shippo glanced anxiously at the neko demon once again. His question was obvious in his large green eyes and bristled tail. 'What if something's happened?' The little kitsune's fangs peeked over the edge of his lip as he bit it worriedly. His tail began to flick a bit like a cats, reflecting how uncomfortable he was feeling at the moment. And yet he didn't know what to do.

Kiarara growled low in her thoat. The sound was one used often on young kittens to ease their frustration or despair and it sounded almost like a rumbling purr. Had the fire cat been in her larger form it might have had a better affect on Shippo. But as it was he was too lost in his own thoughts, pondering what the noise could have been and if it was really something to worry over, to notice the comfort the fire cat youkai was offering him. Sango however did notice as the vibrations went through the kitten form to the taijiya's body.

"What is it Kiarara?" She asked, mild anxiety tinting her voice.

Miroku and Kaede abruptly stopped their conversation on demon wards at the young woman's query. When Kiarara made no move to avert her gaze from something in the corner, all eyes followed the line of sight to the tense Shippo.

"Shippo?" Miroku called out. The kit seemed not to hear the monk as he contined to bite on his lower lip. If there wasn't really anything wrong he didn't want to worry everyone else or possibly make them mad by rising them from the hut to go on a goose chase. And nothing would be wrong anyway right? Inuyasha was with Kagome...

...But that noise. It had sounded like Inuyasha shouting. It was angry true. But this time Inuyasha had agreed to let Kagome go back to her time. Why would he suddenly be upset about it.

That did it. Something had to be wrong.

"Shippo? Are you alright?" Kaede's rough voice broke through the little fox demon's thoughts. The kit looked up to find four concerned pairs of eyes boring into him.

"Something's happened. I just heard a shout." Shippo whimpered.

For a moment the group hesitated. Sango and Miroku shared a questioning glance, but only for a moment before they simultaneously stood to their feet. With a jangle from the houshi's staff the two humans rushed out the door, Kiarara on their heels. Shippo hesitated only a moment longer before he scampered out after them, leaping onto Kiarara's back just as the fire cat took flight.

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Youko could feel the air rush past him as he fell. The well was in fact deeper than he thought it would be. From above it looked much more shallow. A strange tingling sensation began to encroach upon his body, making his limbs feel both numb and tense at the same time. he felt his senses becoming overwhelmed at the ancient magic surrounding him.

For a moment he thought he saw a blue light flash and he could feel the shard he carried pulsate in response. But as quickly as he saw it, it was gone, and with it went the magic. As the magic retreated from his form, it felt like it was sucking the energy out of his body, draining him of all his strength. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in an attempt to resist. The defiance seemed to work as he felt the last of the power recede without leaving him decapacitated.

For a moment the kitsune felt as if he was floating. Time seemed to slow as he felt himself slowly being lowered to the ground. Through his thin slippers he could feel the cold hard packed dirt of the bottom of the well. His golden eyes flashed in the darkness as he tried to make out what had just happened.

He instinctively knew that the magic that had surrounded him had been the same that had engulfed the young miko. When the powers had receded though, it had felt as if they were...rejecting him? He pulled the jewel shard which he still carried out of a fold in his tunic. The fragment still seemed to pulse with energy, responding to something about the well.

Did the girl's fragments of the shards have something to do with the well? Were the two somehow connected. His mind was being overwhelmed as thousands of questions raced through it. Satisfied that no one could see him at the moment, Youko allowed himself to shake his head roughly, jumbling all of the thoughts until they were forced to rest.

As soon as his mind cleared, his senses returned to normal. Almost immediately he was assaulted by the scent of the hanyou. Looking up, Kurama was for some reason disappointed when he saw the same night sky that he always saw. For a moment when he had been falling, he had toyed with the childish notion that the well might bring him somewhere else. By why would it? The idea was completely ludicrous, not to mention impossible.

'But then what happened to the little miko?' His mind whispered.

He refused to answer or even think about it.

With an inaudible grunt of frustration, Youko leapt out of the well. Landing with the grace of a feline on the wooden edge, he came face to face with an enraged, yet bewildered hanyou.

Inuyasha had run to the well, crying out in protest, when he saw Youko leap into it. He had reached the side just in time to see the demon disappear in the blue lights that until that moment had only come for him and Kagome. But then the strangest of things had happened, the lights had reappeared, feeling frigid compared to their normal lucidity, and with them, came the kitsune thief.

Inuyasha was sure that Youko had been unable to travel through time when he saw the youkai land on the bottom of the well and glare about in frustration and confusion. After all, had he been allowed to pass, the hanyou was sure that he would not return so quickly, it went completely against kitsune nature. But also, had he been allowed, he would not have looked so lost or angry as he had when his feet had landed on the bottom of the well.

Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk. The fact that the lights had appeared did trouble him, but the fact that the demon couldn't pass though and was forced to jam his pride down his throat, that just made him want to laugh out loud.

And so he did.

Youko recoiled, appalled, when all of a sudden the inu before him began to shake as if he was having a seizure. But what were those strange noises coming from him. Just as Kurama was inching forward again to determine the identity of the sounds, Inuyasha threw his head back to the sky and laughed to the moon. At the abrupt motion, the legendary bandit had once again jumped back.

Was the hanyou crazy now?

The laughter continued and realization dawned on Youko Kurama like an anvil falling on a cartoon character's head. The mutt was laughing...at HIM!

The fox demon's ears laid flat against his head and his tail almost doubled in volume as it bristled indignantly at the insult. His molten gold eyed narrowed dangerously and flashed with the fire of hell's fury as his teeth bared in a feral snarl.

No one laughed at Youko Kurama. NO ONE!

Inuyasha had barely any time to recover when once again Youko was charging at him. This time the offending demon's strength and speed seemed to have increased ten fold as Inuyasha was unceremoniously snapped out his bliss by the need to parry an onslaught of deadly blows.

Youko's fury only increased when Inuyasha successfully defended against all of his attacks. He could feel the crimson bleeding into the corners of his eyes and knew that it wouldn't be long before he lost to his inner demon. His control would soon snap.

Inuyasha was breathing heavily. He wasn't sure how much longer he could dodge the blows that the enraged kitsune was trying to deal to him. The hanyou had never fought someone this strong, not even Sesshomaru could compare to the silver fox demon. Inuyasha could feel the pace of his heart quicken with something akin to...fear?

When Kagome had released him from the Goshinboku, the inu had had little to live for. Believing that his first love had betrayed him and the world had forsaken him, he most likely would have never known fear in a situation like this. In fact, he may have embraced the sure death that it represented as an escape from the world.

But Kagome, despite how he had pushed her away, had offered, no forced upon, him friendship. Something that he longed for no matter how much he would deny it. And then in their travels together he had accumaleted more companions, more friends.

He had something to live for.

One of Youko's attacks made it past his defenses and Inuyasha could feel the cold claws slashing across his abdomen, followed by the slow trickle of blood. It was at this moment that a sudden revelation hit him.

He was dying to live, yet at the same time he was living to die.

He was fighting with everything he had, and then some, holding onto his life, unwilling to part with the world. It had been that he used to fight only to stay alive long enough to defeat Naraku. But now he had so much more to live for. Yet he still fought for the chance to kill the evil being who had decieved both him and Kikyo those many years ago. And why? So that he could avenge Kikyo and go to hell with her.

So that he could die.

It was, in a sense, quite ironic.

Could he really allow himself to go to hell with Kikyo now?

The scent of freshly spilt blood assaulted Youko's senses and he could feel the blood lust that had been threatening to overtake him abating, feeling that it had been satisfied enough. Slowly he began to gain his prided control back, but never once did he cease his attacks.

He stared venomously at the hanyou before him. Grudgingly he had to admit that the inu youkai was a worthy opponent. Maybe if the circumstances of their meeting had been different they could have been partners.

Never friends.

Only partners.

Youko did not have friends. They were weaknesses.

The Kitsune watched in reluctant admiration as Inuyasha valiantly battled against the stress his body was putting on him to give up. He could hear the heavy beating of his heart and the labored panting of his breath. If they kept up their fight much longer than he would be forced to slay the hanyou. But even though he had just met him, Kurama knew that the half demon was not one to give up.

Youko gracefully back handspringed, abruptly ending his seemingly interminable onslaught hand surprising Inuyasha. Gold met gold as the oppenents glared at eachother, each one rivaling the other with the enmity and coldness in their stare. Simultaneously they flexed their claws, though Inuyasha still held his father's fang in a defensive posistion.

Youko was the first to speak. "The only reason I will not kill you today is because I need you to answer as few questions." He started, his voice casually flowing in a bored drawl as if he was talking about the weather. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and he began to growl between pants but the legendary theif ignored him, instead choosing to continue as if the iterruption had never occured.

"You've proved yourself a worthy opponent and for that reason I respect at least your fighting skills and will give you a choice. You can answer my questions now or I will be back later."

Youko's words were not issued as a threat, but rather as a promise. Inuyasha couldn't help but draw back, stunned by the other demon's admition of admiration. No other demon had ever praised him like that before. Even Shippo, though he was just a kit, had yet to say that he respected Inuyasha at all.

It was because of this that it took a moment for the kitsune's words to register. But register they did. "Feh! Like I would ever tell you anything!" Inuyasha snarled as best as he could while continuing to catch his breath.

Youko only smirked.

"I will be back then."

Inuyasha blinked and the fox was gone. Bewildered he glanced around him for a bit, even sniffing the air to see if he was still nearby. But needless to say, the bandit was covering his scent again. Growling in frustration, but grateful that the fight had ended, Inuyasha sheathed his sword and plopped himself indian style on the ground with his back leaning against the well to catch his breath.

His demon blood was just beginning to kick in, ceasing the blood flow from his stomach and starting to close the wound when Shippo and the monk and taijiya burst into the clearing on Kiarara'a back. Inuyasha looked up briefly at them, but looked away again when he saw their anxious faces. He didn't think that he would ever get over people worrying over him.

"Inuyasha! What happened?" Shippo cried as he scampered over to the exhausted hanyou, followed closely by Miroku and Sango who happened to be wondering the same thing. Kiarara remained in her larger form as she too came over, offering her back as support when Inuyasha tried to stand.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku queried, his deep indigo eyes clearing repeating Shippo's question.

"Feh."

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo just stood speechless as they watched the red garbed back slowly walk away from them, hobbling with the fire cat acting as a crutch. As soon as his back was out of sight, they all looked at each other in turn...and shrugged.

Inuyasha obviously could take care of himself.

And it certainly didn't seem like he was going to share whatever had happened with them.

With an indignant snort from Shippo and an exasperated sigh from Sango, the trio began to follow after the stubborn hanyou. The only noise coming from them was the cheerful jingle of Miroku's staff until...

"HENTAI!"

WHACK!

...there was silence once again.

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Well there you go....

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