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Chapter Text

Today was probably the longest day of my life.

It started off fine, I guess; my eldest cousin had work and I volunteered to watch her kid for her. As such I’ve been staying over at her and my sister’s place all week while they went to their respective work places. The boy was adorable, I didn’t mind spending time with him, and it helped me learn how to better care for a child. But… doing so without a break was exhausting. I don’t know how mothers do it. It became especially exhausting when he got frustrated with me, the boy becoming  very upset because I couldn’t run around to play tag or even carry him places. My siblings and I tried to explain to him that I was physically unable to do such heinous exercises because of my lung condition, but he just wasn’t having it. 

Seriously, mothers needed to be awarded. They have incredible patience. 

But today marked the end of the week, which meant I wasn’t needed to babysit anymore. My sister and cousin both had the day off, so while the boy went to spend time with his mother I got to hang out with my sister, Maria. While getting ready, however, I was informed our other sister- Clair- was to be joining us. She wanted some sibling bonding time, which I was totally up for, although our brother was too busy with work and had to sleep lest he wouldn't survive work. 

Night shift was truly a curse. 

As a result our destination changed. Clair decided we were going to eat at a a different restaurant, one with food I wasn’t quite used to, and as we waited for our food my sisters began to comment quietly on one of the waiters. As they began to whisper to each other I watched them, expression blank, unable to relate or understand their reactions to seeing his pretty face or posterior. 

Like, I understood that they found him attractive… but that was all.

I turned away from my sisters and looked at the waiter, trying to figure out what they meant. I agreed the man was pretty in an aesthetic sense, and understood that he would make a great anatomy model for drawing, and yet… I still don't get it. Due to my confusion I decided to state my thoughts.

"You guys are weird."

The only person that I knew that wasn't weird was an asexual transgender I had been friends with back when I was still in High School. Which was only a few months ago, seeing as I had just graduated. Of course, after asking me some questions, he believed me to be just as asexual.

"What's so great about it?" I murmured, holding my glass with both hands. "You use the bathroom with it; it's gross." Awkward and a little more than uncomfortable, I took a long sip from my water.

"That's because you're ace, love." Maria stated, tapping her long painted red nails against the table as she eyed the waiter's back as he left. My own siblings were convinced I was asexual, which if I am would explain a lot of things growing up. However, I remained at odds considering I never dated anyone. "Which is good," She continued, "because that means you aren't gonna throw yourself into a relationship."

"Boys are gross." Clair agreed- almost sarcastically because I knew she was attracted to them- and looked at me seriously, "Don't ever get involved with them. Or anyone, really. Relationships suck."

"I thought you guys agreed to send me to a convent." I deadpanned, a stiff grin appearing on my face. 

These conversations always freaked me out- just the idea of seeing someone naked disturbed me. Shirtless, fine, but anything below? No thank you. At this rate Mom is never going to have her grandchildren. My brother definitely tried, but all his previous girlfriends cheated on him because they hated how nice he was. He was the perfect white knight, but all anyone seemed to want were abusive nightmares.

"Only if you start having ideas." Maria stated, smirking as she responded to my previous comment. I raised my eyebrows and sighed, leaning against the wall beside me. Closing my eyes and relaxing my shoulders, I found myself starting to fall asleep.

"I'm okay." I said quietly. "As long as I have my fictional characters, I'm good." I can appreciate a beautiful woman, but all crushes I had in the past were on men. I may not be sexually attracted to anyone- that I know of, at least- but I did feel romantic attraction. I just never acted on my feelings because a part of me knew I would never be able to properly give in a relationship. "Real people are gross. And jerks."

High School relationships rarely last and, if I even did get in one, how was I supposed to act? What if I turn into this horrible person? What if that person cheats on me? What if I get divorced like our parents? I feel like the most I could ever do was hold hands or hug; anymore than that and I feel like I'd totally freak out. I'd rather just not think on it.

Leaning forward, I let out a heavy sigh. Maria and Clair spoke some more, and continued to do so until our food arrived. The meal I got was something Clair had ordered for me, as I knew little about how everything tasted. Sadly, when I took the first bite I immediately wanted to spit it out, but I forced myself to chew and swallow afterwards. It was some sort of omelette with a disgusting thick sauce over and inside of it.

"Well?" My blond-haired sister asked curiously, staring down at me with a large grin. "Isn't it the best thing you've ever tasted?"

Not… exactly , I thought as I took another bite, chewing slowly. 

Not wanting to upset Clair I gave a timid shrug and tried not to look too grossed out. The blond looked pleased and began to dig into her food, while Maria's hazel eyes bore into my skull, staring at me intently as she cut into her steak and watched me eat. I took another bite, swallowing some water, and repeated this a couple of times before I had to slow down to prevent myself from vomiting.

Clair asked me what was wrong a couple of times, why I wasn't as talkative as I normally was, but I brushed it off. I hated both the flavor and the texture of the meal, but Maria was paying for it and I didn't want to waste her money. It would be rude to not eat, so I kept my opinions to myself.

This continued on for several more minutes.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Maria finally spoke up, frowning deeply at me. I looked up at the auburn-haired woman, startled. "You look miserable; you don't like it?"

Clair's attention was caught then and she looked at us. I froze in my seat, frightened by being called-out like I was.

"Well?" Maria pushed. "If you don't like it just say so. We'll return it and ask for something else."

My mouth opened and closed a couple times, guilt taking over and crushing me like a vice. Clair's blue eyes narrowed. "Use your words, child. Do you not like it?

I hesitated, then set the fork down and lowered my head. "N… No… it was fine for the first few bites, b-but then I just… It tastes really gross." I had been determined to finish it, even if it made me want to throw up, but it was too late now. Maria knew me far too well. The woman in question nodded and called out to our waitress, telling her what happened and that we'd like to order something else.

I tried not to shrink too far into my seat, apologizing for my actions in the process, only to get scolded by Maria and told that it was alright. I had been so focused on trying to say the fancy order earlier correctly that I forgot to ask for the thing Maria had suggested, which was what she was ordering for me now. The waitress said she wouldn't charge us for that particular meal and would only charge us for the thing we ordered next.

The item soon came, Clair scolding me for being too passive submissive- and we finished our dinner. I was actually able to eat the food this time, though I still felt ill from the weird omelette. We left the restaurant, Clair went home, and Maria and I decided to stop at a nearby park. Arms linked, we talked about trivial things- like how are things going with her current boyfriend, how stressful her job had been, or even how I've been doing and if my lungs were getting any better.

Needless to say they haven't. Breathing felt like it was getting more difficult by the day.

Letting out a small sigh, I kicked a few rocks from a nearby stream. A glittering stone suddenly caught my attention and I blinked, pulling away from my sister and cautiously making my way closer to the edge. I peered down, Maria heading over to stand behind me, and I called out, "Hey, look! Someone drew on one of the rocks."

I reached into the water and brushed my fingers along the rock, trying to feel the material of the red design. It wasn't marker or chalk, that much I could tell, but I couldn't figure out what the pentagram was drawn with. Paint, perhaps? It felt too smooth. Blended too much against the rock's surface and wasn't worn away at all.

"Seriously? Why the fuck-?" Maria knelt down beside me, raising an eyebrow, and reached out to grab it as I pulled my hand away. She snorted. "That's stupid."

I nodded in agreement and made to stand, only to have the ground beneath me suddenly give way as I was sent hurtling head-first into the stream. Maria shouted and tried to catch me, but fell, too, as the ground completely dispersed into bright red and white. Before we knew what was happening we were surrounded by this large space shimmering blue with bright lights resembling that of stars, and as Maria's hand was forcefully yanked out of mine a red glow erupted from my right pants leg and an intense searing pain burned against my flesh. I let out a loud scream, barely hearing Maria shouting my name through my own cries of agony.

Maria soon vanished from my sight as I was torn further away from her, feeling as though the world was crushing in on me and trying to tear me apart. Eventually the pain became too much and my body gave out, falling limp through the air. A large red light ripped out of my form, wrapping around me and taking the shape of some kind of animal, forcing back the invisible walls trying to destroy me. It was… shielding me. A noise then rang out- loud and piercing and sounding almost akin to a howl.

The lights around me gradually faded and the descent of which I was falling slowed. The glowing illusion of an animal disappeared and, with my breath heavy and fear crawling along my spine, my legs suddenly touched grass. I face-planted hard into the ground, winded and exhausted by what happened. After a few moments of catching my breath and trying to calm down, I blinked away the tears and struggled to push myself up into a sitting position. My right leg ached with every moment, something I quickly realized was because the flesh was scorched.

Oh gods. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods-! Calm down, calm down. Don't panic. Breathe. W-Well, g-guess I'm following the family tradition now. One more sibling to go, then we’ll all have burns! 

It hurts. Holy frick. Okay.

Teeth grinding tightly together I blinked furiously, holding back the tears as best as I could. It was then that I noticed my surroundings- where before I had been in a city, walking in a park with my sister, I was now in a… forest? 

The trees went on for as far as the eye could see, and I was surrounded by bushes and wildflowers. This was nowhere near the sight where Maria and I had been. I blinked hard multiple times, wondering if I was hallucinating and if I had hit my head when I fell earlier, but everything remained the same.

Fingers curling into fists, I swallowed down the lump in my throat and forced myself up onto my feet. I almost fell back down, pain spiking up my leg immediately. I stumbled about in a circle, hoping to catch sight of anything that resembled my sister. "M… Maria!?" I called out, voice cracking. "M-Maria!"

If… If I walk a little bit I might be able to find her. But who knows what's wandering about in these woods?

No. No, she'll be okay. This is Maria we're talking about. She can handle herself. Besides, she always carries a sharp knife with her. I attempted to console myself as I forced my feet to move, limping and rubbing my hands along my arms to try and calm the anxiety running rampage inside me. If anyone tried to attack Maria she would destroy them. She's very proficient with weapons.

Wait. Don't I still have the pocket knife she gave me? I've been wearing it frequently per her instructions. Pulling the knife out of my pocket, I opened it and held it carefully in front of me for if I should be attacked. So long as I have this I'll be fine. E-Even if I never used it before… Hopefully it's just a crazed animal that attacks me and not an actual person. I'm not sure I'd be able to fight back then.

I closed and opened the pocket knife every now and then, following the direction the dirt path road led, and faltered in my walk when I heard voices up ahead. My limp slowed me down drastically, and I feared that if the worst happened I would not be able to run away. As soon as I caught sight of the people talking I wobbled to hide behind a tree. Both paranoid and socially awkward, I got to thinking about what to say.

Just… Just ask them if they've seen Maria. It's easy. Only a few words, right?

"E-Excuse me!" I called out, footsteps hesitant and scared. I raised a hand awkwardly, pocket knife hiding in my sleeve. The burning in my leg grew more intense, and I watched as the men who were talking turned to look at me. "Oh."

I blinked, stunned by their appearances. Old and young men together, they all had their tied back in top knots. They adorned old-fashioned hakama and kimonos, and were all holding weapons. One wielded a quiver and bow, another a pitchfork, and one even had grasp of a spear. All were even of a different ethnicity- clearly Japanese given their facial structure and clothing. Why they were dressed so traditionally I didn't know, but I had a feeling I would be learning very quickly as all the men started at me with cold eyes.

The man with the spear stepped back, startled, fear and anger mixed in his eyes. "A-A demon!"

"Do you think it's the one from before!?"

"We'll find out! Grab it! Don't let the demon get away!"

D-Demon? I whirled my head around to see what they were talking, but realized too soon they were talking about me when an arrow sailed straight passed the side of my head. I lost balance, stumbling back, and landed on my rear. More arrows flew and hearing the footsteps I pushed all the pain to the back of my mind, the rush of adrenaline giving me the strength to move.

Scrambling onto my feet I ran for it. At one point I moved too fast and the top of my shoe skidded against the ground, sending me falling again, and as I crashed onto the ground I barely missed getting impaled by a spear. More arrows shot through the air, catching the hem of my sweater dress and tearing away at it, and another nicked my arm. My lungs burned painfully, my throat constricting as though there was a snake coiled around it. I choked and coughed, wheezing as I pushed myself back up, and dashed out of there as quickly as possible.

I could hear the men shouting, demanding I return something to them, but I wasn't paying much attention to their words. All I cared about at the moment was the fact that they thought I was some sort of monster and was literally trying to kill me. Why did they even think I was a demon? I was clearly a normal human! What is wrong with them?

"I-I'm not-" I gasped, fingers gripping tightly against the spot on my where I was now bleeding, "I'm not a demon!" Blood seeped out and ran down my wrist, staining the long grey sleeves. "G-Go-Go away!"

Another shout from behind. I moved in a strange fashion, running left and right in an attempt to make it more difficult for the archer to aim. Unfortunately for me, there was a split second where my vision went black and I slowed, and when I awoke I was on the ground with an arrow straight through my shoulder. My vision blurred and faded to monochrome, and everything seemed to spin.

But I can't stop. Not here. Not yet. Not now.

M-move. Move! MOVE!

My feet pounded hard against the ground, desperate for escape. After a while the men gave up on chasing me, but I didn't notice. I was just so scared, I thought if I stopped moving it would mean my life would be over. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and find my sister, to figure out what happened. When I had finally stopped moving it was because my vision and hearing were shot, and I had to lean against a tree to try and catch what little breath I could.

It felt like a fire had been lit in my chest, lungs burning to the point where I thought they were going to explode. After a while I could finally hear a voice and turned my head in the direction to see where it was coming from, but what I saw wasn't exactly a person.

A pair of bright yellow eyes stared at me from the shadows of a bush, hungry and cruel. "Blood…"

Breathing uneven and world threatening to fade to nothingness, my fingers twitched and my back pressed against the tree bark. My pocket knife had been dropped during my escape, making it impossible to defend myself.

"Human blood…"

I stepped around the tree, hands slippery with the red liquid. The creature took that opportunity to lunge out of the bushes, claws outstretched and ready to tear me into pieces for its next meal. My stomach twisted and my dinner tried to bubble its way up out of my throat as the monster came closer to me.

"GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD!"

Unable to defend myself I stumbled back, attempting to run, but I tripped over a tree root and was sent falling. I could only scream and raise my arms up in defense, pleading for anything to happen. I didn't want to die, I didn't want to be eaten; I wanted to live. I wanted to see my sister again. " No!"

And suddenly there was a warmth- different from that of blood or rain- that enveloped my body. Something akin to energy began to overwhelm me and soon left my body, leaving me exhausted as a brilliant red light shot out and tore the creature apart. Breathless and exhausted, I stared lifelessly in front of me before the world started to sway. There was a flash of silver and red, a voice shouting at me, and then I fell back on my side- unconscious.

…

"Hey. Hey! Wake up, already! Damn it." Inuyasha cursed to himself. Kicking aside some of the remnants of a destroyed demon, Inuyasha knelt down beside the sleeping girl. He had been on his way to greet Kagome at the bone-eater's well when he caught the scent of human blood. Inuyasha almost ignored it, but then he imagined what his friends would say if they found out and ended up dragging himself here.

He had expected to see someone being attacked by a demon, but what he wasn't expecting to see was a young woman suffering because of wounds caused by humans . When he had first arrived she was still awake and was facing off against a pathetic low-level demon. She was bleeding out and had an arrow protruding out of her shoulder, but when push came to shove she made a red light explode out of her body. That red light proceeded to tear apart the demon that was about to make lunch out of her.

Inuyasha thought he recognized that kind of spiritual power somewhere, but couldn't place it. All he knew at the moment was that she was definitely human, and her clothes…

They looked like Kagome's clothes. Weird and out of this time.

Inuyasha could wait for the girl to wake up, but with her as badly injured as she was and with all the demons in the forest… it wouldn't take long before they were attacked or for her to die. Letting out a reluctant huff of air, Inuyasha scowled to himself and broke the arrow, pulling it out of her before situating the short woman on his back. She was a little heavier than Kagome despite them being about the same height, but it didn't bother him. Inuyasha was incredibly strong for a half-demon.

But, unfortunately, his strength did little when it came time to face the wrath of his female companion. She was gonna give him an earful for not meeting her at the well- he knows it! Ugh.

Fucking hell. The half-demon thought, bursting out into a run and leaping through the air as he made his way back to the village he had come from. Hopefully there was enough medicine left behind from Kagome's last visit so that the old hag, Kaede, could do something to help this woman. If this person dies on me when I finally decided to do something nice, I'll be pissed.

It would be just his luck. The one time he tries to behave like a decent person.

As he maneuvered between a few trees he heard the woman on the back let out a sound similar to that of a groan. Is she waking up? That didn't take very long. Most people would be out for a few hours, yet this woman was already on the verge of waking up. For someone who looked so weak, she really was made of something tougher. Easily destroying that demon and now this? It made him wonder what she'd be like once she woke up.

Could she be like Sango? Are there even people like that in their time period?

"Urk…" The woman muttered. "...What…?"

Already awake, was she? Inuyasha thought about stopping, but decided to keep going. Her wounds needed tending to and they were just a few minutes away from the village. "Just hold on, alright? You'll be getting help soon."

The arm draped over his shoulder shifted and he could feel the woman move her head, most likely staring in confusion at the blinding white hair hitting her in the face. "Who…? M-Maria…" The woman pulled away, only to immediately cry out and collapse against his back, the blood soaking through her clothes. Inuyasha, to his chagrin, knew Kagome was probably going to make him wash the red out of his hair later. "I-It hurts…"

"Well, obviously, " Inuyasha snarked, "You had an arrow through your shoulder! You're just a human."

The woman didn't respond. Inuyasha thought she fell back asleep, but then she said something really idiotic. "...Your hair is really white…"

"I hadn't noticed." Inuyasha was convinced now; she may seem strong, but she was a total moron. "Just shut up and rest."

"..."

The woman didn't argue. Though clearly reluctant to accept help from a stranger, she still leaned back down and rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. Inuyasha scowled again, hating how he had to help strangers at every turn, but at the same time knew he wouldn't be able to be rid of the guilt if he had actually let the woman die.

Besides, she was obviously from Kagome's time period. Though she was foreign it did little to rid the possibility that Kagome might know her. Leaping through a couple more trees, Inuyasha shifted the woman on his back before slowing down as he landed back on his feet, nearing the entrance of the village. A couple of the villagers that had been repairing the huts from a previous demon attack watched in curiosity as Inuyasha returned.

A few mothers with their children watched as well, having been weaving new straw sandals or hats, and the majority of the people began whispering to themselves and pointing. Jogging over to the entrance to Kaede's hut, Inuyasha pushed through the hanging door and called out aggressively, "Hey! Old hag! Are you here!? Kinda need your assistance right now!"

No response. Eyebrow twitching, Inuyasha let out a low irritated growl and jumped back a few feet, sniffing the air in an attempt to catch the old woman's scent. There! Near the fields! Without hesitation he broke out into another run, the woman on his back letting out a small groan from the sudden movement. The blood from her wounds had seeped into Inuyasha's own kimono, causing the red cloth to stick to his back.

"Kaede! KAEDE!"

A couple of villagers let out shouts and had to quickly stumble out of the half-demon's way to avoid being run over. Inuyasha moved faster, ears twitching upon hearing the unsteady breathing of the person holding onto him. Gasping, wheezing… did she already lose that much blood? Or was there something wrong with her lungs? Damn it. Don't die on me!

The old woman was just up ahead. "KAEDE~!"

There in the fields helping with the rice stalks was the village priestess. Old and wrinkled with an eyepatch over one eye was the person he had been searching for. Upon hearing her name called the old woman turned her head and looked in surprise when she saw Inuyasha and the person on his back. "My word- Inuyasha! What has happened!?

"No time to explain." He told her, frowning. "This person is gonna die any minute if she doesn't get treatment. Get on; I'll carry you both to the hut."

Shifting the woman to be supported wholly by his left arm, he guided Kaede onto his back so he could support her with his right arm. Kagome was going to be annoyed for the late arrival at the well, but this was a little more serious. Dashing back to the hut, Inuyasha began to inform Kaede what happened and how he stumbled upon the woman.

"She was already injured?" The old woman asked, surprised. "T'was not harmed by the demon, but perhaps a mortal? Ye said it was an arrow, did ye not?"

"It was covered by the scent of a human, yeah." Inuyasha informed, nose scrunching as he recalled the scent. "It was far too different to belong to her. They didn't match up at all."

"Hmm… the villagers once thought Kagome to be a demon when she first arrived; perhaps the scenario is the same for this young lass?"

"Maybe. Either way, she was pretty unlucky. If she didn't have that red light she used that demon would have devoured her whole."

"Red light, you say?"

"Yeah." He wasn't quite sure how else to describe it. "I arrived right when the demon was about to eat her, but then this red light emitted from her body and tore the demon to bits."

Kaede turned her head, staring at the sleeping woman beside her. She was definitely not from around here, most likely from a country to the west, but held dark brown hair cut boyishly short and had lashes so long they could almost belong to a doll. She wasn't quite a beauty like some people Kaede could think of, but the foreigner was lovely in her own right. Sadly, the toll of her injuries have led to the woman's skin becoming a sickly pale color.

Closing her eyes, Kaede focused her energy in an attempt to detect any spiritual power from the child. It was faint, nothing like what she or other normal shrine maidens possessed, but there was something there. It wasn't a holy power capable of purification, but… something that came out when the young woman was fearing for her life. A power that was capable of destroying its foes. But, Kaede noticed, it was a power that needed to be unlocked from within in order to be consciously used and released.

"I suggest we speak to the woman when she awakens. Perhaps she could explain what ye saw."

Arriving at the hut, Inuyasha pushed the hanging door aside and let Kaede down off his back. The old woman left to fetch what medical herbs she had that would help and whatever bandages she could find. In the meanwhile, Inuyasha set the young woman down and watched as she cried out in pain, having awoken from the shock and movement. Tears pricked her eyes and she choked back a sob, strangled words trying to leave her lips but not having the air of voice to properly speak.

Kaede, re-entering the room, saw the young woman awake and knelt down. "Do not fear, child. All will be better soon. Inuyasha-" Kaede turned to the half-demon, "go fetch Kagome. I fear we may need her modern medicine for this."

"Don't have to tell me twice." He huffed, "I'm outta here."

And with that, he took off in the direction of the forest where his companion was most likely waiting- or having just arrived.

…

It was strange. I remember seeing people in foreign clothes and someone with extremely white hair, but it was hard to keep everything straight through all the pain I felt. It was as if a snake was coiling around my throat, suffocating me as acid ran through my chest and a weight pressed down upon my lungs. My muscles ached and burned, and every time there was a movement my right shoulder erupted with excruciating pain. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move; I desperately needed my inhalers yet I could not recall if I had them on my person.

It was almost as though I could feel my heartbeat slowing. My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my skull. My hearing wasn't working quite right either.

There was someone muttering something in the background, like a song or a prayer, but it was difficult to make out. I was so light-headed it felt like my skull was tearing itself apart. A throbbing, pounding ache, and breathy dizziness as darkness started to overwhelm me. I tried to remain awake, to stay conscious, in fear of what would happen if I succumbed, but it was incredibly hard.

I'm scared.

I had no idea what was happening to me. What was going on? How did I end up like this?

I want my sister.

Where was Maria? I want to see Maria. I want to see my siblings, my family, my best friend.

I don't want to die.

I can't. I'm not ready. I'm too scared. Somebody… please….

Vision blurred and obscured by darkness, I could barely make out a pair of warm brown eyes looking down at me. The person the eyes belonged to spoke, but all I saw was their lips move. Their voice was too muddled, to quiet for me to hear. Black hair, long and dark, cascaded from the person's shoulders. I choked on nothing but my own lack of air, trying to get out words.

What the words were I did not know, but I knew I was trying to say something.

Help me.

Maria.

And then the snake around my throat became too tight to control. Weak, arms like lead, but determined, I made one foolish instinctive attempt to regain breath. Pulling away from the grasp of the person in front of me, I curled away onto my side and raised a fist, slamming it as hard as I possibly could against my chest. Darker, heavier, the pounding in my skull became more intense, until a siren began to ring in my ears.

Weaker. Exhausted. Worn. Can't give in.

Harder, harder, work! Work! PLEASE!

Fist pounded harder against my chest, another on the ground, both working together and against each other. Needed to breathe, needed to think, needed to live . Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. BREATHE!

Falling onto my back with one final hit, sweet oxygen came towards me like a gift from life itself. Something I had been reaching towards, but yet had been unable to touch. I clung to it, gasping and inhaling the gift of survival. I collapsed against the ground, too tired to think or move or keep my eyes open. I just lied there, fighting to bring my breath to as normal as it could be.

Voices began to grow clearer, more understandable. I didn't pay much attention to them however, a thought suddenly coming to mind now that I was able to think more clearly. Inhaler… Inhaler… where? Forcing my body to move once more, I fumbled about the ground for the medicine I needed, running my hand along my hip in an attempt to find the pocket of which they should be resting.

But the pocket was not there. Nor was the familiar feel of jeans or the cloth of my sweater dress. Only a thin material had been felt, and it was one I did not recognize. Eyes opening, I tried to look down at myself and saw that I was wearing a white robe. At least, I was half-certain it was a robe.

"Hey…" A feminine voice called out to me, "How are you feeling? Is everything okay?"

Turning my head, I saw the person who had been talking to me before. With her dark hair and brown eyes… I blinked, a little surprised to see she was of a different ethnicity. Normally this never bothered me as I interacted with Filipinos constantly, but I rarely ever saw a Japanese person. The young girl smiled warmly at me, leaning down with her hands on her lap.

"My name is Kagome. Can you understand what I'm saying?"

"Ka… gome?"

I do. I do understand her and that's the strange thing. I could hear the words out of her mouth- and they were most definitely not English- but I knew what they meant. I shouldn't be able to. I don't speak any other languages; I mean, I tried to learn Spanish once back when I was still in high school, but I had only one decent class of it before I was transferred to a class with a insane teacher.

"Y-Your name…? K-Kag… ome?"

She seemed pleasantly surprised. It was then I realized that the words coming out of my mouth weren't English. None of this was making sense. Maybe I was imagining things? Perhaps that was the case; I wouldn't put it past myself. "Yes. Can you tell me yours?"

"Uh…" My name. What was my name again? It was… oh. Oh, right. "I-Irene."

Had I been asleep this whole time? Had I been imagining my being awake? Or has time passed by so quickly I did not notice? I gave the room a quick once-over, taking note of the wooden walls and floor, and how it seemed extremely old-fashioned for a house. It seemed more like a worn-down cabin than anything. Was that a firepit in the middle of the floor?

"Where… Where am I?" My voice was raspy and it hurt to talk. I shifted a little in preparation to sit up, but the pain in my shoulder and forearm made me stop. "Wh… What happened?"

"My friend-Inuyasha- he found you in the forest bleeding out. The priestess of this village, Kaede, tended to your wounds. I took care of the rest. You won't be able to use your arm properly for a while, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of things. It'll be back to normal before you know it!"

I won't be able… to use my arm? My right arm? I need that arm; I-I draw with that arm! I-I do everything with that arm. I need my right hand. Before I could start to actually panic I tried to redirect my thoughts to something else, like figuring out where I was. How I got here.

Th-There was… There was this rock, I think, with a strange symbol on it. A pentagram?

I touched it and then Maria and I were sent falling. Then I saw these people- gods, what did they look like again? I can't remember. They were saying something to me, asking me to return something? What was it?

"Please, try and stay calm. I-I don't know what went wrong, but your breathing was really dangerous earlier. If you hadn't done… what you did… you might not have made it. Kaede and I will take good care of you, I promise, so please don't push yourself!"

Kagome. Kaede. Inuyasha. The last name was definitely weird and I hadn't the slightest clue as to what it could possibly mean. Rolling onto the side of my left arm, ignoring Kagome's protests, I pushed myself into a sitting position. With a heavy gasp, I leaned over and raised my left hand up to grab my right arm. I could bend it, but there was a dull throb along the length of the limb. I couldn't even lift my arm without an intense spike of pain shooting down from my shoulder to my hand.

Had the arrow hit a nerve?

Kagome, seeing that I wasn't going to stop trying to stand, settled for supporting my body. "Irene, stop! Your wounds are too severe! You need to rest!"

"I-I need-" I choked out, a single thought running through my mind, "I need-I need to- I need to find Maria!"

"Maria?" Her eyes widened. "You mean you're not the only one here?"

"M-My sister-"

The hanging door was pushed aside at that moment, a boy in his teens walking into the room. Stark white hair falling into his face, vibrant amber eyes looked at the two of us in surprise. The vibrant red kimono he wore stood out against his long hair. "She's awake now?" The thing that really caught my attention about his unusual appearance, however, was the pair of ears sticking out at the top of his head.

Small, white-furred, dog ears.

And they were moving.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed, voice scolding. "Don't come in here; you'll scare her!"

"Scare her?" He sounded offended. "I was the one who saved her! If it weren't for me she'd be rotting in the stomach of some demon! If I hadn't smelled all that blood when I did she'd be dead!"

White hair. The white hair I remembered seeing… it was his? And his voice… it was so familiar.

"I…" The two of them looked at me. I was staring at the boy strangely, trying to pinpoint exactly where in my memory I've seen him before. "I know… you…"

"Yeah." He scoffed, stepping forward and crossing his arms over his chest. "That's 'cause I carried you here. Bled all over me; human blood is disgusting , I'll have you know!"

I flinched at the tone of voice. I tilted my head, blinking a few more times as I tried to understand the reasoning for his appearance. It was then I realized he was partially blurry. Squinting to make out the finer details of his appearance, I looked away in an attempt to locate my glasses.

Kagome, as if realizing what was wrong, let out a small gasp and reached into her skirt pocket. "Sorry! I almost forgot; here." Keeping one arm wrapped firmly around my waist, she held out my glasses to me. I grabbed them with my left hand, lifting them up to my mouth to open them, and then struggled a little in putting them on my face one-handedly. "Better?"

"Y-Yeah… thank you…" I spoke quietly, eyebrows knitting together as I stared briefly off into space, and then I looked back up at the boy called Inuyasha. "Um… s-sorry. For… For ruining… your kimono."

"Che. Whatever." Inuyasha turned his head, "S'not like it can't be washed out."

O… Okay? Um. I don't know how to react to that. He was very strange.

"Why…" Would it be rude to ask? I watched intently as the ear on top of his head twitched, the boy opening one eye to glance at me. "Why do… you have… dog ears?" His eye- the pupil of which would normally be round- was slit. I didn't notice that detail before because I hadn't been able to see properly then, but now with my glasses on… I'm making out all sorts of strange details.

The roots of his hair was just as white as the rest of it. Shouldn't they be of a different color if his hair was dyed? Not to mention his eyes- I can't make out the rim of a contact lense. Kagome looked completely normal, so shouldn't… this guy as well? And the way his hair was positioned- I should be able to able to make out human ears. But I can't.

Nothing was poking out of his hair except for the dog ears on the top of his head. What was this guy? Am I hallucinating? He's like… a dog person. Not quite a furry, but something close.

"Well, that's because-" Kagome began, uncertain of how to explain, "-that's because Inuyasha has demon blood."

I stared at her blankly, blinking multiple times to silently ask if she was insane and for a proper explanation. "...What?"

"It's-It's a long story." Kagome stammered, smiling sheepishly. Inuyasha leaned against the doorframe, nose scrunched up as he watched us. "Why don't we sit down? Are you hungry? I brought some snacks with me from home, so-"

"Ninja food?" Inuyasha perked up, looking mildly excited. "Did you bring the- the good stuff!? You know-"

"Yes, Inuyasha. Okay, come on, Irene; gently now." I wasn't too willing to just go along with everything, but I did want an explanation. I wasn't that hungry at the moment, however. I sat down near where I had woken up and Inuyasha took a seat beside Kagome, watching impatiently as she pulled a bright yellow backpack towards her. The sight was almost blinding. I watched as she opened the huge thing and began to pull out all sorts of goodies.

Bags of chips, small candies, cups of instant ramen, some textbooks that were clearly for school- of which then I realized Kagome was actually wearing a Japanese Middle School uniform- and some bottles that looked very reminiscent of shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash. Out of curiosity, I reached towards what I believed was a water bottle and held it up in front of me, staring blankly at the writing on the back.

Though I could understand what they were all saying, and I was partially certain I was speaking the language back, I could not read the writing at all. "What does this say?"

"Hm?" Kagome looked up, surprised. "You can't read it? But you speak Japanese so well!"

"I don't speak Japanese." I responded easily, only growing more confused and frustrated. The fingers on my left hand twitched and I set the bottle down, instead grabbing onto the robe I was wearing. "I'm not supposed to understand it, either. I don't speak any other language except English. I-I'm not- I don't understand ."

The tears were beginning to well up in my eyes again. My breathing was still weird, so I tried to calm down. I needed to keep my heart at a decent pace until I could get my hands on one of my inhalers. And even then, without my daily breathing treatment… oh gods. I'm scared. No, no, calm down. Don't panic. You'll be fine.

Anxiety running wild and fearful of my sister's whereabouts, as well as my own, I found myself rubbing nervously on my neck. "I-I was with my older sisters in America . We were at this restaurant, then we separated, and Maria and I... were walking through a park when we came across this stream. N-Next thing I knew we... were both falling and I was in a forest. I-I don't know where Maria is a-and I don't know how I'm speaking your language."

Inuyasha, munching on a bag of what I believed to be potato chips, spoke through mouthfuls. "You fehl fwu a thweam an' wound up heyah?" He blinked, chewed, and swallowed. "That's stupid. The only way to get here to the Feudal Era is through the Bone Eater's Well. Right, Kagome?"

"Feudal Era?" I repeated, pondering his words. The only things that seemed "medieval" was Inuyasha's clothing and this hut we were staying in. "Wait, are you saying this is like the Renaissance Festival or-?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and stuffed some more chips in his mouth. "I'm thayin you twavelled fwu time!"

"...Hah?" I'm pretty sure I knew what he said, but at the same time I'm pretty sure I misheard. "What was that?"

Kagome let out a heavy sigh. "Inuyasha said… he said that you travelled through time. And I- I'd hate to say it, but it's true. We're not in the present anymore."

I stared at her, then at the backpack, her uniform, and all the other modern things she had taken out of her backpack. It was official; these people were nutcrackers. "...Uh-huh… right…" I lowered my hand from my neck and pressed my index fingers against my lips, thinking of a good response. Hand shaking slightly, I shook my head. "Y-You know what? I'm dreaming. You two are figments of my imagination. This whole thing is a delusion."

"It's not, I assure you-" Kagome began, speaking with a gentle voice, but cut herself off when she saw me trying to stand. "W-Wait, what are you doing? You'll aggravate your wounds!"

Limping away, I faltered and turned back to look at her. Her eyes were completely genuine, but the things she said- they were insane. Travelling through time? I didn't fall through the stream- I slipped and hit my head on a rock! Even though the pain I felt was excruciating and my breathing problems certainly felt realistic, it was just another falsity.

I held Kagome's gaze for a brief moment, a part of me tempted to sit back down, but I shook my head and continued on my way. I pushed the hanging door out of my face and stepped out- only to freeze. Men, women, children… all were dressed similar to Inuyasha. Modest, dirtied, or in rags. A lot of the adults carried barrels of either hay or rice stalks on their backs. Some men held piles of chopped wood in their arms.

One man rode through the village on a wagon driven by a horse. And all the houses… they were wooden huts. I took another step forward, stunned silent, and looked around. Everything. Everything was there. Beyond the village I could make out rice fields and gardens. Forests filled with nothing but trees. A stream, perhaps, in the far distance.

And the air- the air was so fresh, so clean , so unpolluted it was nearly overwhelming.

Some of the people pointed at me, whispering to themselves.

"The foreigner woke up! She looks so confused…"

"Do you really think she's from Lady Kagome's world?"

"Mama, Mama, is she really from another time? Is she going to live here with us?"

"Oh, the poor thing… she's so dazed. Has she still not recovered? Her wounds looked grievous."

I stumbled back, not sure what to do or how to act, and nearly collapsed into the hanging door. I leaned against the doorframe for support, pushing myself back into the hut, and pressed my back to the wall. Footsteps could be heard, but I paid them no heed.

The village itself and the surrounding forest- it was hard to believe it. Yet it all backed up their claims.

"Demons…" I muttered, remembering Kagome's words. Inuyasha's words. And… the words of someone else. Someone much older. Someone who was angry and furious. I looked at the two strangers with wide eyes, coming to the conclusion that if this wasn't a dream… then something very wrong was happening here. "Explain…"

My voice cracked. My vision blurred and my breath caught in my throat. Kagome kept a safe distance, not wanting to cause any more panic. Inuyasha stood behind her, eyes narrowed.

"P- Please… what is happening?"

Chapter Text

Cold. That was the first thing filtering through Maria's brain as she slowly fluttered her eyes open. Cold and not where she remembered her and Irene having been. Sitting up slowly, she rotated her left shoulder to work out a kink from laying across the hard ground. Glancing around, she noticed she was in a large field surrounded by forests. There was a thin dirt path leading away off from the field into the forest. There was the cool breeze rushing past her and the sounds of birds in the air. But the one thing there wasn't is another person.

Irene wasn't here. Where the hell am I? Where's Irene?

She couldn't just sit around and wait there. And judging by how the tall grass was around her, it didn't look as though anyone else had been laying with her, let alone walking through the field.

Which meant Irene hadn't been with her when she was dropped here.

But how did I get here? She wondered as she stood up. She pulled out her phone, cursing as she noticed there was no signal. She shoved the apparently useless piece of technology into her pocket, "No use sitting here. I have to find Irene. Or at least a person." Determined, she took off towards the path. She'd find a town or a gas station or something and call for help. Call Irene.

Then they'd be okay. But now to find help. So, she walked.

...

When Kagome had first arrived here in this place it was because of a centipede-based demon. That demon had broken through the seal on her family's shrine and pulled her through something called the Bone-Eater's well. It was after an object called the Sacred Jewel, or Shikon no Tama, and it had been residing within Kagome's body at the time, for she was apparently the reincarnation of a dead priestess.

Said priestess was also the older sister of the current priestess in this village we were in. Kagome had released Inuyasha from a sealing spell on the sacred tree in the middle of the forest, and as such he had something called the "beads of subjugation" placed around his neck afterwards. Not long after that the Sacred Jewel had been stolen and in an attempt to stop the demon that took it Kagome accidentally shattered the object using one of the demon's own severed limbs.

Demons… Demons are real? All types of demons? Mythological ones? And they were after that Sacred Jewel in hopes it would increase their power or grant their wishes. Kagome and her friends had one specific goal- to make the sacred jewel whole once more and to destroy the most evil demon of all time, Naraku, in the process.

"So…" I began slowly, making sure this was all processing in my head, "Naraku is a jerk you wanna kill, and 'cause demons exist Inuyasha is quite literally half-dog, and you travel through time by going back-and-forth through an ancient magical well?"

Inuyasha was still munching on potato chips. "Somfin' wike dat."

A thought then occurred to me. "Wait, but this is Japan, right? And you live in Japan?" Kagome nodded. "Then if I travelled through the well, I'd just end up in Japan!" I wanted to start crying again. This was ridiculous. "A-And I can't even go back yet, because I still need to find Maria!" Not to mention there's the possibility the Bone-Eater's well won't work on me.

I didn't get here through the well, after all. I came through a freaking stream.

I guess things won't be going… swimmingly… after all.

Heh. Ah, whatever. This is lame. Telling puns won't even cheer me up that much right now. I want my sister.

"Also, where are my inhalers?" It was a random question, but I seriously wanted to know. Talking without pause was taking a lot out of me. Kagome blinked at my question. "My lungs are… kinda killing me."

Standing, Kagome made her way to the back of the room without answering, but quickly returned with my clothes. To my relief both my inhalers and their chamber were on top. I took them from her with gratitude and relief, shaking up my rescue inhaler and inputting it into the chamber.

Inuyasha watched with curiosity as I used the inhalers. "What are those?"

"Medicine." Kagome answered, as I was too busy holding my breath. "It's medicine specifically for her. Without it her lungs could act up and she would have an asthma attack. It can be pretty serious."

Letting out a breath, I held up a finger and stated, "Aw, yeah. Super serious. Even more serious than usual since it's severe asthma! Have a specialist lung doctor and everything. But the air here is great so hopefully I can get by without using my nebulizer." Seeing Inuyasha and Kagome's pointed stares I tilted my head and said, "Breathing machine. It sucks. I hate it."

Now Kagome looked really worried. "This isn't good… if your condition is that bad we have to get you back to our time. Maybe- Maybe I can take your inhalers with me through the well when you start to run low and have my grandpa try and get the doctor to prescribe- ah, but I don't know if that would actually work…"

"It's fine." It really wasn't, but I wasn't about to have her waste any money on me. "As I said, the air is here is great. I just can't exert myself too much."

Kagome still looked like she didn't believe me, but did relax a little. "Alright… though, I do wonder what we should do. Sango and Miroku won't be back from their mission for a while, and we can't have you move around too much. But if your sister is really here... we can't just sit around and do nothing."

Inuyasha sat up, suddenly glaring at us. "Okay, no! We have the jewel shards to think about, Kagome! I saved the girl; she can find her sister herself once she's better! I ain't some charity! Naraku and the jewel shards are our priority. This girl can do her own thing!"

"Inuyasha!"

I flinched at how he raised his voice, frightened at the prospect of being yelled at, but didn't argue. I couldn't. Both because I despised confrontation, but also because he was right. They had their own thing they had to do; they shouldn't drop it all to help me with my own problem. Ready to diffuse any argument about to start, I exclaimed, "D-Don't worry about it! It's fine. You guys can go do your own thing."

I'll most likely never find a way back home, but so long as I can find Maria… I think I'll be okay. She's strong and… we're both really good at art. I'm sure we can make a living somehow. Here's to hoping I don't end up being a total liability, though…

I held back a sigh, struggling to keep the smile on my face.

"I'll just… wander about until I find her. It's all good."

"No." Kagome protested, frowning deeply. She glared at Inuyasha. "We are helping her! We can't just let her go out and get eaten by demons, Inuyasha!"

"She'll be fine!" He bit back. "She slaughtered the one that wanted to kill her. The woman will be fine."

"I slaughtered what?" I interrupted, dumbfounded by his words. Is he saying I actually killed something? I had a hard enough time killing creepy little spiders that try to sneak up on me whenever I go to wash the dishes; how could I have been able to kill a demon? "Uh, s'cuse you, but uh… I didn't kill anything."

"Don't lie!" He snapped. "I saw you kill that demon in the forest with that red light."

"Red light?" Kagome echoed. Something about Inuyasha's words hit me hard and tried to stir up a memory. "What are you talking about?"

A red light. That's right; after I ran away from the people who attacked me, I was attacked by some creature and there was this red light. I don't remember where it came from, but I do recall being blinded by it right before I blacked out. "Red light…?"

"Yeah! This red light came off of her body and tore the demon into pieces." Inuyasha explained. "Go on! Tell Kagome how it happened."

"I…" I can't. I don't know how. "I-I'm not… I'm not… sure."

"What?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "How can you not know? You did it."

"No, I didn't. The light wasn't me; it was- it had to have been something else." I shook my head at his words. There was no way I created the red light. "I-I can't conjure up a light. Demons a-and time travel… might exist," Gods, I can't believe I'm actually saying this, "but I can't do anything weird like that."

Suddenly, the hanging door was pushed aside and someone walked in. An elderly woman with her gray hair pulled back and an eyepatch over one eye stopped just outside the doorway, a basket full of plants and herbs in her arms. "Oh my. She has awoken, has she?" We all turned to look at her.

"Lady Kaede!" Kagome greeted. "You've returned!"

"Indeed I have, Kagome." The elder said, walking over and looking down at us. "I see ye all have gotten acquainted? Might I ask your name, miss?" Her single eye looked at me and I tensed up a little, uncertain. Kagome called her "Kaede", right? Wasn't that the name of the woman she said helped me? The priestess lady?

"Uh… y-yeah. I-I'm Irene. Uh, Thorn. Irene Thorn. Th-Thank you for helping me. Earlier. O-Oh!" I looked at Inuyasha, forgetting if I thanked him yet. "Y-You, too. Thank you, Inuyasha." The name felt so weird on my tongue; I supposed I would get use to it eventually. Inuyasha jolted a little, having not expected me to actually show any gratitude. Eyes wide, he quickly turned his head away.

"Y-Yeah, well, it wasn't like I wanted to save you. I was just feeling generous at the time."

Kagome smiled knowingly. "Mmhm. You just don't want to admit that you're a good person."

"Ah, shut up! Don't go trying to write me up as some do-gooder like you or that fake monk!"

...Who?

Kagome just giggled, her mouth hidden behind her hand. "Right, right. Cold hearted Inuyasha. So mean."

As the two began to bicker, Kaede made her way over and knelt down beside me, offering a lighthearted smile. "Ignore them. Those two love to fight. My name is Kaede, Miss Irene, and it's a pleasure to meet ye." She gave a small bow and then straightened her back. "I trust ye are feeling better?"

"A-A bit, yeah. It's nice to meet you, too." I greeted her awkwardly, only to panic and give a frantic bow in an attempt to be polite. Maybe it came off as rude instead, but Kaede didn't seem to mind. She actually seemed rather amused.

"Raise your head, child. Ye need not force yourself to abide to our customs." Oh. Okay. Um. Right. I did as told and met her gaze. Kaede's expression remained soft as she spoke. "So, from what I understand ye come from the same place as young Kagome, yes?"

"Uh…" I blinked, thinking on it. "Not exactly? I mean, I guess, from a certain point… I'm not from this… place. Kagome and I are from two totally different countries."

"Oh?" She didn't seem that surprised, but was instead more intrigued by that. "So you are not from Tok-y-o?"

"Tokyo?" I shook my head frantically and gave a shaky grin. "I'm from the U.S. I, uh, think it's in the west. Pretty sure. Geography was never my forte. I'm an idiot, so." I shrugged- only to regret it immediately after as a sharp pain exploded in my right shoulder. I inhaled sharply and leaned down slightly, eyes squeezing shut as I tried to fight the pain. Kaede frowned and stood.

"Wait right here; I brought some herbs with me to treat your wound-I must gather a mortar and pestle to grind them. You should lie down and get some rest; I'll wake you when it's done."

I opened my mouth to protest, to claim that I would be fine and that she didn't have to do such a thing for me, but her stare cut me off. It was stern- almost like that of a mother who was tired of arguing with children. With a pout, I shifted my legs and scooted over to where I had woken up and lied down, muttering a "goodnight" to Kagome and Inuyasha, regardless of it not being dark out.

…

Maria walked along the path until the sun changed from its position high in the sky to nearly sunset, no towns, shops, or even a car or bike having passed by. This was proving more and more nerve-wracking the longer she walked. Her legs ached, and her stomach grumbled angrily at not having anything inside of it. At this rate, she'd collapse from exhaustion long before she found a town, let alone her sister.

She was just debating about trying to hunt for something when the sound of laughter caught her attention from the woods. Someone's out there. Quickly, and with caution, she made her way into the woods, coming across a small clearing. Tents and makeshift fire pits strewn about as men walked to-and-fro. But these men weren't exactly what she would call 'normal'. They were clearly oriental, probably Chinese or Japanese given their features, and they all wore their hair tied back in a traditional bun. Adorned in armor and carrying weapons, it was like they were reenacting an ancient bandit raid or something. But…this all seemed a little too real to be just a reenactment.

She stayed close to the tree line, hiding in the shadows cast there as she moved along the outskirts of the camp. It was then that she heard them start speaking, but it wasn't English. It was definitely Japanese, and she could only make out a few words here or there thanks to her many years of watching subbed anime. Small miracles.

It was this that let her know she shouldn't get caught. Words like "fire", "bandits", "demons", and "prize". Putting those together never went well. No matter who you were.

I need to get out of here…but I also need supplies.

She glanced over to a tent a bit closer to the tree line than the others, seemingly unguarded. She made her way over, taking off her red jacket and hiding it under some bushes; leaving her in her pitch-black long-sleeved shirt. Much less likely to be spotted with given the shadows cast from the setting sun. She crept over towards the tent, careful not to make a sound as she hunched beside the beige fabric. She couldn't hear anything coming from the other side and peering underneath the bottom of the fabric she couldn't see any feet either. As quietly and quickly as she could, she slipped under the tent's side; coming into a space filled with maps, knives, food baskets, and a few bolts of colored cloth.

Right. Bandits.

There were thugs everywhere, Irene was missing, and she was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by armed men with no means for help. No pressure.

So grab what's most important and get out. Maria thought as she grabbed the most important thing at this point: a weapon. Her pocket knife would only do her so much good; so she took the black-leather hilted sword from the nearby weapons rack and made do. There was a satchel she filled quickly with food - various fruit and dried meats - and one of the maps she was hoping she could make sense of before moving to vanish under the tarp again and head back to the forest.

Or at least that was the plan before a rough calloused hand caught her by the arm just before she cleared the treeline. She let out a yelp of pain as she was roughly jerked back. The man holding her arm yelling at her too quickly for her to even try and translate. He yelled again, jerking her once more as he tried to get a response from her.

Maria grit her teeth, pulling on her arm, "Let go!" she snapped. Her 'foreign' words startling the man for a moment before he grinned and called something over his shoulder. Maria wasn't about to wait to find out what. With speed, finesse, and from years of practice- she sprung open her pocket knife and sliced straight across the man's wrist. In his shock and pain, he released her; iving her the perfect chance to knee him right in the groin before taking off in a dead run.

She wouldn't be able to come back for her jacket, but that was the least of her worries given the men now chasing her. Good news; she was smaller, faster, and not wearing thirty plus pounds of heavy armor. The bad news, however, was the earth-shaking screech that rang through the woods, causing her to trip and fall to her knees, covering her ears to try to keep her ear drums from rupturing.

Not even a second after the screeching ended, screams sounded through the trees. Human screams. The bandits, she thought. But what could cause them to scream like that?

And that's when it happened. A great big centipede - at least 15 feet long - burst through the foliage and into her section of the forest. Blood, weapons, and limbs hanging from its legs and mandibles.

This...this is insane. This is…

"Yokai!" she heard someone scream. Yokai. Demon. But demons were impossible...right?

It doesn't matter what's possible if it's right in from of me. What matters is finding Irene.

She stood carefully, putting her knife back in her pocket before drawing the sword she had stolen. The gleam caught the demon's attention, its eyes fixing on her.

I won't die here. I refuse.

It reared back, screeching loudly. Planting her feet, she screamed back, "Well, come on then!"

And so it charged. Racing at her with terrifying speed. Maria rolled out of the way at the last second, getting up and brandishing the sword against the demon and watching as it moved. Think, girl. What would help you against a giant bug? It didn't give her time to figure out anything before it charged again, making her dodge and take a rod to the back. Sending her stumbling and faltering with a curse as she looked for what struck her.

A flash of light and her eyes widened; there, sticking out between two plates of the creature's hide was a long spear. If she could get ahold of it she could pry the scale back and hurt it. It was as good an idea as any, and it was currently the only plan that she had.

She sheathed her sword, crouching low as she waited for it to circle back around. It lunged, so she rolled left and sprang up just in time to catch the shaft of the spear. The sudden movement of the steel beneath its scales made it thrash; tossing Maria into the air and onto its back. And that sent it into a frenzy; it thrashed and surged through the forest, destroying trees and underbrush in its wake. Maria could do little more than hold on for dear life. It wasn't until the trees started to thin that panic set in. Not feeling the sting of branches against her face, she opened her eyes to see them heading towards a cliff's edge. There would be no way she would survive that.

Think, kid. Think! Her eyes flashed to the spear, "If it worked for Black Widow." Maria ground out as she took hold of the spear shaft, bracing herself as best she could. Pulling on the shaft - much like a crowbar - it caused the demon to screech in pain; jerking and writhing, moving closer still towards the edge. "Turn dammit. Turn!" Came her shout as she pulled as roughly as she could on the spear, using all the might her tired arms could muster.

It turned, rearing up and letting out a clicking hiss as the scale dislodged; the spear springing free and sending her falling. Now free from it's unwanted rider, the centipede lunged, just barely catching her with a mandible as she tried to dodge. But in it's rage the demon didn't look to see where it was charging, in the end that's what led it to fall over the ledge and down to the chasm below. Down to its death. In it's fall, one spindly leg caught Maria's leg, sending her over the ledge with a howl of pain. She was just barely able to catch a hand on the lip of the cliff edge.

Hanging over the edge of the ravine, Maria cast a wary glance down, seeing the demon as it collided with the ground below, purple blood splattering along the earth. She closed her eyes tightly, vision swimming as both her adrenaline faded and her fear of heights kicked in. She cursed, forcing her eyes open and looking up to the sky. She tried to reach up with her left hand, not quite able to reach it. There were no good foot holds from her current position either; her only choice was to try to swing up and grab on.

"Not very good odds here…" She muttered. Starting to swing her legs, Maria had just gotten a good enough swing that her fingers just scratched the edge. But the shifting weight made the earth beneath her hands break.

The only thing that went through her mind a she fell was a simple apology.

Irene… I'm so sorry.

Much sooner than she would have thought, her back hit solid ground and her world turned black.

…

Kaede woke me up later, Inuyasha and Kagome nowhere to be seen, and had forced me to remove the robe so she could unwrap the bandages that were around my chest and shoulder. I had been rather surprised as I hadn't even realized they, nor the band-aids that decorated my legs, were there. I had been quite uncomfortable through the whole process, disliking having to show my body to someone else- even if it was for a medical reason- and had to force myself to stay still as she rubbed the ointment into the wound.

Apparently after Inuyasha had found me I had been asleep for a whole day before I woke up and met Kagome. What I saw had been brief flashes until I snapped myself out and started beating on my chest. I actually had quite a few nasty bruises due to that, but I tried not to let it bother me. A little pain meant nothing if I could live.

As she was bandaging my wound Kaede tried to strike up conversation. In the end, as she was tying it off and I was able to pull my robe back up over my arms, it led to me explaining how I ended up here and how I got my injuries.

Kaede hummed to herself, thinking deeply. I tied the front of the robe, trying not to feel to weird about everything. I looked at the old woman when she spoke up. "Perhaps the well will not work on ye and this… Maria? Regardless, once ye have recovered, ye should check the area ye arrived at for clues. Chance may lay there for a way to return home? A clue, I dare say."

I bit my lip at that, thinking on her words. "I can't… leave without Maria, though. What if I leave and I can't find a way back? She'll be stuck here. I'd rather risk not going home and finding Maria than being able to go home, but not be able to return and get my sister. She's… She's everything."

She went through too much in life to be left alone by herself, too. It would break her. I want her happy. Maria- after everything she's been through- deserved the world.

I looked at Kaede, determined despite the fear coursing through me. "I need to find Maria. I'm not going home without her."

"And if she chooses not to leave?" Kaede asked- not as a challenge, but more of a genuine inquiry. "What shall ye do then?"

I faltered. If Maria wanted to stay here… and abandon Clair and Darian back at home, along with everyone left behind… gods. That was a thought.

"I… I'll stay." I decided. Maria would have no one if I left. If she wanted to stay here, despite everything, I would remain with her. She needed the company. She needed family. A family that loved her. That would support her. And I do my best to be that family. "I'll stay with her. This- This all depends on Maria. I'm not going home without her and I'm not staying without her."

Kaede stared at me for a long moment, then let out a soft sigh as she began to put the rest of the medicine away. "Do as ye wish. Just be wary of the consequences. 'Tis a dangerous world, this one is, and ye siblings are far from home. Be careful, child, as more than one may be after ye for such a pretty foreign face like yours."

I snorted at that, before hesitating. If this really was the feudal era, that meant… women were treated like objects. Prizes to be won. We barely had any rights at all. And if bandits showed up… oh gods… Foreigners were treated even worse, weren't they?

The back of my left hand pressed against my mouth, a sickly feeling twisting in my stomach. I wanted to throw up. L-Let's not… think about this topic anymore. I-I'll be fine. I can wear a disguise or something. Maria is smart. And strong. She'll be safe. Calm down. Don't panic. Tears tried to sting my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.

"I-I'll be okay. Thank you, though."

"So long as ye understand the dangers." Kaede responded, grabbing the basket of herbs, standing, and walking away. "I'll have your clothes stitched by next dawn, but it might be best if ye remain in that robe until your wound has fully healed."

Fair point. Thanking Kaede once more, I leaned back down on the hardwood floor. I thought about my predicament, about Maria, and how exactly I was going to survive in this world. With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, all I could dream of was terrible beasts with glowing yellow eyes and angry villagers with pitchforks.

When I awoke again, I was greeted by the face of a small child. A small child with vibrant green eyes and red hair. I let out a startled shout and rolled onto my left side, struggling into a sitting position. The child that had been staring at me shrieked in response to my yell, jumping back a few feet.

"G-GAH! Wh-Why did you scream like that!?" The child cried out, frightened. I gaped, attention caught by the giant fluff of a tail poking out of his rear end. "That scared me!"

"S-Sorry." I breathed, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me. The child narrowed his eyes and hesitantly stepped closer. His feet- I noticed- were quite abnormal. They looked more like… paws rather than toes. He couldn't be older than five, yet was so small. "Wh-Who are you?"

"Me?" The child blinked, relaxing slightly. His ears were on the sides of his head like a normal person, but were pointed. His eyes… had the same slit pupil as Inuyasha. The child stopped a few inches away from me and grinned, puffing out his chest as if to act high and proud. "I'm Shippō!"

He bounced towards me, peculiar green eyes sparkling with a childlike curiosity.

"I'm a fox demon!" He explained, stopping beside me. "I won't eat you, so don't worry. What's your name?"

This boy was a demon? He certainly looked the part, but not as grotesque as I was imagining. It made me wonder if demons could come in all types of appearances. Looking at this child, if I had to have made a guess, I would have assumed he was some sort of elvish creature with a tail.

Yet he claimed he was a fox demon…

Did that mean he could shapeshift? I know in some mythologies fox demons could change their own appearance to whatever they wished. Often to lure in their victims, I believe, but that might just be Dungeons and Dragons talking. I think I read a brief thing about fox demons possessing women, but that was so long ago I don't remember the details.

"Uh…" Snapping out of my thoughts I tried to answer, but my voice found itself stuck in the back of my throat. Didn't he say that he wouldn't eat me? If that's the case are there fox demons that would eat people? How does this work? "I… uh, I'm Irene."

"Irene?" The boy echoed, green eyes wide. "That's a strange name! You really are a foreigner, then?"

I mean, I had absolutely no eastern blood in me… though I did know plenty of people from the Philippines. "Yeah… I live pretty much on the other side of the ocean from Kagome."

"Wow!" Shippō exclaimed, amazed. "I've walked all over the lands, but I never met someone who lived across the ocean! Is it different from where Kagome is? What about the food?"

"Uh… yeah." I nodded awkwardly, wondering how the conversation got here. "Most of the food is… not that healthy where I'm from, but I really like it."

It didn't help much that I was an extremely picky eater. I doubted I was going to last very long here in this… time period. Maria would be able to stomach more than I would, but she'd still have trouble. This isn't going to be a very fun time- medical problems aside.

"I really like chicken, though." I nodded my head, already imagining and missing the food my grandmother or mother would cook. Alongside that, I began to miss them. My stomach growled hungrily at the thought of food, but I ignored it. "Chicken is good."

Shippō grinned at me, finding my expression amusing. "I think Kagome still has some ninja food left over in her bag. Do you want me to get you something? You haven't ate yet, have you?"

The last time I ate was at the restaurant with my sisters. I hadn't had anything since I've arrived here. Still, I felt bad about wasting all their resources. "I-I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

He didn't look like he believed me, but he didn't push me to eat. Shippō just stood up, saying, "Okay. Well, don't hesitate to ask for anything! Grandma Kaede and I are supposed to be your guardians until you recover! We'll keep you safe!" He beamed, the smallest pair of fangs sticking out from his mouth. As he dashed off, he waved at me. "I'll see you later!"

Not knowing what else to do, I gave a small wave with my left hand in response. "L-Later…"

Once he was gone I was left to sit in silence. There was the bustling noises of people outside, but inside there was only the sound of my own heartbeat- racing painfully within my chest in an attempt to keep the oxygen pumping. Slowly standing, I carefully limped over to a window and pushed aside the hanging reeds that made a curtain for the window.

Peering outside, I took in the sights once more. It looked the same as earlier, with adults and teens working and the young children playing. I saw no horse wagons in sight this time, but I did see people bartering with what could only be described as a travelling merchant. The air was fresh and cool, even with the bright sun high in the sky.

"Am I… seriously back in time?" I spoke quietly to myself, not wanting to draw anymore attention to myself than necessary. In the distance I could see Shippō talking to a villager, who was handing him something that looked like charcoal. "Demons… huh?"

The creature that had attacked me was a demon, Inuyasha had said. Yet he was half-demon himself… and he rescued me. Shippō said he was a fox demon, but claimed he wasn't going to eat me. Did that mean demons actually were the same as people? Neither strictly good nor bad, but simply people with different views?

"Well," I huffed, pulling away from the window and lowering my head, "that's a thought."

I always hated the idea that demons or monsters were just creatures to be slain in stories, yet to be told that they actually existed really messed with me. That demon in the forest really would have eaten me… if it weren't for that red light. Where it came from I wasn't sure, but there was no possible way it came from me. Inuyasha was wrong on that.

Sitting down, I leaned against the wall and sat with my legs to the side. I stared at the bandage around my left leg, gingerly running my fingers along the red stains. "Maybe Maria was found by a nice demon…?" I hoped that was the case. "If villagers attacked her she might have fought back… but if a nice demon found her she'd just be irritable!"

Yeah. That was the best case scenario. A nice demon. She might sass them for a while, maybe even add a little threat here and there in case they tried anything, but it was better than a villager attacking her thinking she was a demon! If a nice demon found her they probably would have saved her because they thought she was a demon.

I nodded to myself, worrying my bottom lip as I tried to convince myself everything was alright. "If I just think that… it'll be fine."

It won't be, but I needed to be optimistic. If I keep thinking about all the worst-case scenarios my anxiety will worsen and I'll start crying again. I can't panic with my breathing issues. I just… hope she really is okay.

"I wonder if anyone knows we're gone…?"

The thought caused a numbness for form inside my chest, an emptiness filling my heart. If anyone had noticed there would be no way to get to us. Maria and I are stuck here until we locate each other and discover how to return home. And that's if she wants to return home. She does have a boyfriend, after all.

Exhausted, I fell down onto my right side and closed my eyes, stomach hurting for food. "I don't know what to do…"

…

Pain.

Pain and the overwhelming knowledge that Maria was somehow, in fact, alive despite all that had just happened to her. Regardless, she repressed the intense urge to just stay as still as she was and forced her eyes to open. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, but when they did she found herself looking up at the sky- seeing how high and bright the sun was now shining. She'd been unconscious during the entire night.

I've lost… a whole day…

The young woman craned her neck with a hiss, noticing that she was laying on a piece of rock jutting out from the cliff face, a few yards down from the edge of where she had fallen. "Not dead…" She rasped, coughing a little as she moved to sit up. Several bones popped and cracked, and she let out another pained noise as she collapsed onto her back. "Not dead… but shit that hurts."

Shifting to balance on her elbows, Maria looked down at the source of her most immediate pain. A broken piece of the centipede demon's leg was was protruding out of her left calf, just above her boot. Given the amount of crusted blood the wound must have already clotted around the demon limb. Pulling it out would reopen the wound, but leaving it in would cause infection; not to mention that it wouldn't heal properly. And Maria wouldn't be able to climb with it sticking out the way it was.

She'd have to remove it and find something to bandage her leg with.

It was then Maria took stock of her supplies. She still had her knife, and the satchel of food she stolen had been ripped open- most of it gone over the edge from the fight- but she did still have a few pieces of dried meat left that she could partake in quickly. The satchel cloth itself could be used to bandage her leg, and Maria somehow didn't lose her sword. Small miracles.

Now for the painful part, Maria thought as she tried not to flinch. After several long minutes of tearing fabric and silent screaming, the crafty woman had managed to remove the demon limb, bandaged her leg, and fashioned a crude holster for the sword do that it wouldn't slam against her leg and/or hip whilst she climbed. Her remaining problem was the climb itself. Supporting her weight on her bad leg would already be difficult, but hand holds were few and far between. She could use her knife to stab into the rock to climb, but it would either dull quickly or break. Probably both. And then what?

It was the only idea she had, but then again… "I don't have to use my knife."

Maria picked up the discarded demon limb, testing it against the rock and allowing herself a satisfied smile when it didn't dull or break. It was long and thick enough to make toe holds in the rock, too.

But if it gets stuck I'm screwed.

Maria shook her head, dismissing that thought.

I've got one option; I'm  not  dying in some hole.

With a fire in her eyes and a resolve like steel, the woman began to climb. Hand over foot, push and pull, she made the slow and agonizing ascent up the cliff side. Slipping on more than one occasion as a hand or foothold broke and sent her scrambling down the cliff until she was able to catch herself with the demon limb, jamming it into the earth. It was such a slow and painful cimb that by the time Maria finally made it to the top, safe on solid ground once again, the sun was already setting.

"Two days," Maria growled, irritable as she watched the giant ball of light and gas in the sky sink down, "I've lost two days because of this. And I'm still no closer to finding Irene. What the hell. Fuck this." She looked around, trying to decide what to do. It would be dark soon and she couldn't very well go running around in the dark. Wounded, tired, and with no food? Maria would be dead in a matter of days, if not hours.

She needed shelter and water. If Maria was to find Irene she had to make sure she stayed alive first. The woman needed to live.

To live… and find her.

Just you wait, Irene. I'm coming for you; I promise.

…

Sitting around the hut doing nothing was quite boring. If Shippō hadn't run back into the hut every now and then to chat or ask if I needed anything, I probably would have slept all day. Again. Like I have been.

Inuyasha and Kagome were nowhere to be found; according to Kaede, Kagome had went home to restock supplies and study for a test. By the time night began to fall, Kaede coerced me into eating some stew she made. It wasn't as bad as I had been expecting it to taste, but it definitely wasn't the greatest thing either. Still, I thanked her and ate it. Three more days passed without anything of real interest happening, save for Inuyasha returning in an even worse mood than usual. Shippō claimed it was because Kagome wasn't back yet, but I was beginning to suspect it was simply because he was an angry person.

Anytime Kaede asked him to help me with something Inuyasha would only bark insults and complain. Eventually it came to the point where he started to rant in annoyance to me about how I needed to stop moving and rest so he wouldn't have to be my "nanny". I was told Inuyasha didn't actually mean any of the harsh things he was saying, but it did little to comfort me. I never took being yelled at very well.

I despised arguments and fighting.

…

The first few days were the toughest. Maria had managed to find a small river, sticking close to its edge and either hunting or foraging for food. She finally scrapped together the basics for a snare, thank the gods for all those fantasy/adventure books she's read, and caught a few rabbits. She completely ruined the first one, having never actually skinned or field-dressed an animal before, but the second was mostly salvageable. Byt the time she had to find a third she mostly got the hang of it.

All things considered Maria had done well avoiding bandits or demons, and surviving on her own in the wild, but soon the river thinned and she was left travelling hills and valleys; following the rough worn roads and paths.

...

"Sorry…" I apologized to Inuyasha on the fifth day, having heard him complain once more. Kaede made him carry me on his back to the nearest lake as my leg still hadn't healed yet. There was this nasty burn- but until it healed we'd not learn what kind it was. I couldn't even remember how I got that burn, but I knew it was there from the moment I awoke in the forest.

"The hell are you apologizin' for!?" He demanded, glaring at me from the corner of his eye. I flinched at his tone and turned my head away, trying to avoid both his stare and the white hair that kept trying to hit me in the face. "Idiot. I'm only doing this because that old hag asked me to!"

Yeah. I know. Kaede had put my arm in a sling, so I really did have to do everything left handed until my shoulder healed.

"Listen here," Inuyasha began, slowing down once the lake began to come into sight, "Once your wound is healed you're on your own. The second Sango, Miroku, and Kagome return I'm outta here. You and your sister ain't my problem."

"...I know." My voice was quiet, yet mixed with uncertainty and guilt. "I'm sorry."

The teenager came to an abrupt stop, feet skidding on the dirt ground, and he turned his head as best as he could to stare at me. His facial features hardened into a look of intensity, amber eyes both cold and confused. "Will you stop that!? It's seriously getting annoying!"

I tensed, mildly panicked, and leaned further away from him. I was barely holding onto his shoulders at this point. "S-Sorry!"

"Quit apologizing, damn it! I'll drop you!"

"S-Sor-!" I barely caught myself in time. I held my tongue and looked away, unable to hold his gaze. Inuyasha, despite being younger than me, was intimidating. He was also the exact kind of person I preferred to avoid. Always yelling, always angry, always aggressive. Shippō and Kaede both claimed that Inuyasha wasn't as mean as he tried to come off as, and even Kagome once made a comment about him not really being cold-hearted. Yet, still… he scared me.

Inuyasha let out an irritable huff and began to stomp towards the lake, scowling. "Whatever. Just hurry up and get clean. Kaede said she left some clothes for you to change into by some boulders. Look- I think it's over there." Indeed, on some boulders near the lakeside was an old kimono. "I'll be keeping guard, so shout once you're done. Okay?"

He'll be nearby? Um…

Suddenly, I don't feel so comfortable bathing in the lake. "I-I'll be fine," I stammered as he set me down onto my feet. He turned around to face me, taller by about four inches. I continued, trying to ignore his annoyed stare, "You can go back to the village."

"And what'll you do if bandits or some small fry demon show up, huh?" He countered, crossing his arms. Inuyasha's dog ears twitched impatiently. "You said you don't know how to use that light trick; and in your current state you're easy prey. Besides, how will you get back to the village? You can't walk with that leg."

"I can walk!" I protested, looking up at him. "I just can't move that fast! I-I'll be fine."

The idea of bandits or man-eating demons showing up scared me… but I was really uncomfortable with the thought of bathing while Inuyasha was nearby. The boy scoffed at my words and said, "You really are an idiot. Well, whatever. Do what you want; don't blame me if you get yourself killed, though."

With that he took off, running back the way we came and vanishing into the trees. Shaking a little from the encounter, I placed a hand over my chest and let out a breath of air. I hated speaking up. Social anxiety was a nightmare.

Slowly limping over to the boulders where the kimono was, I reached up to undo the sash keeping the robe wrapped around me only to falter. I cast a nervous glance around me, eyeing the forest nervously. What if there was bandits nearby? O-Or demons? I don't want to be seen or eaten alive.

Leaning against the boulder, I made the decision to undo the bandage on my leg. The white cloth came off and fell onto the ground, revealing a nasty-looking burn. Second-degree, I believe, with an even deeper burn in the shape of a strange symbol. "That's…" I blinked. Then, using my left hand, I jumped up onto the boulder and sat down next to the kimono, pulling on my right leg in an attempt to get a better look at the scar. "That's the same symbol."

When Maria and I had been walking along the park near the river stream, there was this rock that had a strange drawing on it. It was a circle with that of a star in the middle. My burn… resembled it slightly.

I didn't want to sound insane, but if demons and time travel was real… then perhaps… magic, too? Maybe it was this symbol that led to Maria and I coming here, that was the reason I could speak and understand the language everyone here spoke. I couldn't read or write in their language, but I most definitely was speaking it.

Maybe it was a spell? If so, how long would it last? Until we returned home?

But if that was the case… who cast the spell? A demon? Or was it a human?

I shook my head to try and dismiss the thoughts. I would think more on it when I would actually be able to search for my sister. As of right now, I need to focus on recovery. Stepping closer to the lake, I raised the robe up so not to have it get wet. I stopped in the water at my knees, hissing as the cold water touched my burn.

Quickly undoing the sash, I tossed it on the ground and sunk a bit deeper, carefully pulling off my sash and the robe. I left the bandage on my shoulder, not wanting to risk aggravating it. The water was as cold as ice, nothing what a normal bath should feel like, but there wasn't anything I could do except take what was given to me.

Kaede left some soap for me to use, along with some oils for my hair.

The bath didn't last longer than ten minutes. I didn't want to spend too much time out in the open, so once I was done I quickly put on my discarded robe and made my way over to the kimono Kaede kindly left behind for me to wear. It was one she had once worn in her youth, so the color was a little faded.

Pale green with daisies as a design, I quickly tugged it on. I shivered a little from the air, sneezing, and had been in the process of tenderly drying my legs when I heard voices.

"Are you sure about that, Kaede?" It was Shippō. "She can't use her arm yet!"

"Perhaps not now, but in a few days' time. She's making a fast recovery, and Kagome will be with you if the woman needs any medical treatment."

"True… but still. Sango and Miroku haven't even returned yet! Shouldn't we wait for them?"

I could hear Kaede give a small laugh. I sat up straight, watching as they walked into view. "I wouldn't worry about them, Shippō. Sango and Miroku are more than capable of handling themselves. This matter is a far too urgent one to ignore, however, and as such needs to be taken seriously."

Shippō, who had been perched on Kaede's shoulder, blinked and turned to look at me when he realized they were in range. His eyes lit up. "Irene~!" The child greeted, waving at me. A weak smile formed on my face and I returned the gesture, waving my left hand tiredly. "How are you feeling!?"

"Cold." I responded bluntly, grinning a little when I saw the startled expression on his face. Kaede chuckled, knowing full well I was talking about the chills left from the lake. "I'm okay, Shippō. Really. I'm just… tired, I guess."

He frowned worriedly. "But all you've been doing is sleep…"

I gave a nervous laugh at that, bringing my left hand up to rub against my neck. "True facts. I just- I'm always tired, so. You know. I like sleep."

Despite my words, Shippō still looked concerned. Kaede, sensing the uncomfortable atmosphere, spoke up. "Do ye require help? I've brought some medicine for your burn." The old priestess held up a basket, showing herbs and some modern-day ointments. "Kagome had returned whilst you were in the water."

"Kagome's back?" Well, that was faster than what I had been expecting. I thought she would be gone for a solid week or something. I slid my leg down from the rock carefully, allowing the burn to fall into Kaede's view. I thought about asking about the strange mark, to tell her how it resembled the rock Maria and I touched before arriving here, but I thought better of it. "Does that mean she and Inuyasha will be leaving to find the jewel shards?"

"Perhaps," she mused, grinding the herbs together, "but 'tis not too likely. Kagome will likely wish to stay and watch your recovery."

I'd feel better if she didn't. Without realizing, driven merely by habit, I began to run my fingers through Shippō's hair. The child was perched in my lap and had stiffened briefly when he felt my hand on the top of his head, before relaxing and leaning into the touch. I always liked to play with Maria's hair back home; her hair was rather thin and hardly anyone ever messed with it- to her displeasure- so she really liked when I ran my fingers through her hair.

I thought about how to accurately voice my thoughts. "Don't… Don't they have to collect the shards, though? To stop this evil dude from corrupting the Sacred Jewel?"

"Yes, but your situation is just as serious." Kaede looked up at me from her spot on the ground. She placed some of the ointment on her fingers, ready to place it on my burn. "Very much like how Kagome first appeared and brought with her the sacred jewel, this may be of similar importance."

"I get it!" Shippō exclaimed, eyes wide. "Kagome was able to come here because she was Kikyo's reincarnation and had the Sacred Jewel inside her body, but Irene and her older sister were brought here for some unknown reason! If we can find out why they were summoned to this time, then we can figure out how to get them home!"

"That is correct." Kaede praised, and had just started to rub the ointment on my leg when she caught sight of strange pentagram on my leg. "This is… This is not possible."

Shippō blinked and leaned forwards, trying to get a better look at Kaede. "What's not possible?"

"The burn…" Kaede murmured, staring at it with a grim look in her eye. "It's changed. Before it was as if boiling water had been poured on young Irene's flesh, but now…"

"Now it looks like a star?" I finished, worrying my bottom lip. Shippo looked up at me, then hopped off my lap to get a glimpse at the burn. He gasped and took a step back. "I noticed it when I went to get in the lake earlier; it… it looks a lot like the marking on the stone I touched before I ended up in the forest."

"A summoning spell." Kaede stated, frowning deeply. Her brows creased as she went deep into thought, running the ointment cautiously against the scarring. "Yet it was scorched into your flesh…"

The dread that was forming in the pit of my stomach twisted uncomfortably, leaving me feeling sick. "Is… Is that bad?"

"It was a rebound." Kaede confirmed, setting the herbs down and pulling out fresh bandages. "Ye were not the one that was meant to touch the stone, but it was ye who activated the spell- yes?"

I couldn't remember. All I could recall was the fact that both of us touched the stone. "I… I guess so? I'm not… sure. Would it have activated if it was only Maria who touched it?"

"I can not know for certain." She said remorsefully, wrapping the cloth bandage around my leg. "But I do know this- whoever it was that brought ye here… be it a demon or a human… did not intend for two to enter this time. Yet only another- one with a power close to their own- could have activated the spell."

What was Kaede saying? She can't honestly believe that I…

I can't have. I can't have any magic power. This is ridiculous. Why am I allowing myself to listen to her?

Shippō spoke nervously, the small child looking back-and-forth between me and the old priestess. "Does this mean that the person who brought them here was only after Irene's older sister?"

"As of what I've seen," Kaede said, letting out a small groan as she stood up straight, her back letting out painful cracking noises, "yes. That is the case. But until we find this Maria we will never know for certain."

I remained silent. I could feel their stares on me, Shippō packing everything up while Kaede helped me make a sling for my arm, but I didn't pay them much attention. I was too busy trying to remember what exactly happened before I wound up in the forest. I know for certain that I touched the stone, but Maria… had her fingers even grazed it before we fell?

I guess I would just have to ask her about it when I find her.

"Irene?" Kaede called out to me, her and Shippō's expression full of concern. "Do ye wish to come with us? It'll be quite a walk; though… I was certain I had asked young Inuyasha to act as a guard for ye. Perhaps Kagome can-"

There was a flash of red and next thing I knew Inuyasha's back was to me, the teenager yelling at the priestess to keep quiet. "I've been keeping guard, you old hag! I didn't bother coming out of hiding because it was just you and Shippō!"

"Oh, good." Kaede retorted bluntly, unimpressed by his behavior. "Then you can carry the young woman on your back."

Inuyasha let out a low growling sound, lips curled back and fangs bared. "Why you… fine! But only because you proved to the dumb broad that I was right!"

"Right?" Kaede inquired, staring at him in confusion. I made a strange face, awkwardly sliding off the rock and trying not to wince when I landed too hard on my right foot. I picked up the robe and sash on the ground and folded them as quickly as I could. "What pray tell were ye right about?"

"Her powers!" Inuyasha barked, a fist held up in the air. "I told you guys I saw her using this mysterious red light to kill that demon! Your conversation proved it!"

Hold on. Inuyasha has been here this whole time. He even heard our conversation.

That means… when I went to bathe in the lake… he was still here!?

The pit of dread in my stomach tossed and churned, and I held the folded robe close to my chest in response to the feeling of exposure. Nothing was actually exposed in this moment, but my privacy definitely felt violated. Inuyasha was supposed to head back to the village- not remain nearby to play bodyguard. I even saw him leave.

Why did he come back?

"Irene?" The childish voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked down, surprised to see Shippō tugging at the hem of the faded green kimono I was wearing. "Are you alright? You look upset…"

Inuyasha and Kaede stopped bickering at the fox demon's words and turned to face me. "What is it now?" Inuyasha scowled. "How much longer are you going to mope about? Being depressed isn't going to solve anything! Buck up already."

His words did little besides aggravate me. He sounded like my father- who thought emotions were weakness. That showing too much would allow others to take advantage of you; to use you and then dispose of you. He hated the fact that I was so emotional. I wasn't like my siblings, who had been through so much hardship that they learned how to easily bottle up their emotions until an inevitable explosion occurred.

I did not have their temper.

I wasn't strong.

But being told not to be upset… was something I would not allow.

With a rush of anger, I raised my gaze and stared at Inuyasha with a dark look in my eyes. The teenager paused, ears twitching as his amber eyes widened. The arms he had crossed over his chest stiffened, the male staring at me with a new sense of nervousness and caution. I did not scream at him, I did not shout.

I simply glared at him with cold eyes. "Buck up"?" I repeated, voice low. Shippō jolted with fright and jumped back, dashing over to hide in Kaede's arms as Inuyasha took a step back. The white-haired teen was beginning to actually look frightened. "My sister is missing, my home is gone, I was nearly killed by both humans and demons, and I'm literally standing in the medieval age where the medicine needed for my very survival has not yet been invented. Don't tell me to "buck up", boy, because I am not in the mood. Being upset may not solve anything, but I have a right to be upset right now. So shut it."

With that I began walking, completely bypassing him, Kaede, and Shippō as I made my way back to the village with an aura of fury surrounding me.

Chapter Text

The fifth day came and Maria was just starting to make a fire in order to cook her latest catch when a low growl rumbled off to the side. Tensing, but not moving, Maria glanced over to see three wolves. All had their teeth bared, dark eyes gleaming with hunger and suspicion. She heard her heartbeat pick up more than actually feeling it, her blood pulsing loudly in her ears.

Don't panic, she thought to herself, leveling her breathing, No. Sudden. Moves.

Maria slowly raised her hands in a non-threatening manner, eyes flickering about to take in all available options. The wolves took a step forward and her breath halted in her chest, straining against her lungs. Scenarios ran through her head before she settled on her safest option- carefully grasping onto the stick where her dinner was currently skewered, Maria froze only for a moment as the wolves' growls grew louder.

As cautiously as she could the young woman tossed the rabbits towards the wolves, waiting to see how they'd react. Sweat trickled down her temple as they stared her down, golden eyes gleaming fiercely before two of the three pounced onto the meat. Their flesh tore through the meat easily, and Maria tried not to think about how they could eat her very shortly if things didn't go as planned. The third wolf continued to stare Maria down, as if seeing through her, as the others ate. It took a slow step forward, almost as if testing her.

Maria stood frozen, refusing to move and antagonize the wolves. Her hands remained still in the air, gaze steadily meeting the beast's.

Whatever it had been searching for in her the wolf looked to have found it, as it let out a light yawn and turned to its brothers, acting as thought it was about to leave, before a low whistle sounded. The sound gained their attention, light-hearted yelps ringing through the air. Two men clad in armor and fur pelts suddenly ran into the small clearing, and Maria turned to look at them in alarm. The men's' grins slowly dissolved at the sight of her. She watched at the wolves moved towards them, circling their legs affectionately.

Their owners. Great. Just… great. Maria looked them over, muscles still tense. It was that moment that she noticed some very interesting details; such things being their lack of shoes, and the fact that they had claws, fangs, and pointed ears. They looked convincingly human, but Maria knew at once what they were. Demons. They were humanoid demons. But with the fur and how the wolves were acting… was it possible they were wolf demons? Is that even a thing?

One of them, sporting a metal chestplate and mohawk, stepped forward. Maria crouched down lower and slid a foot back out of reflex. A defensive stance, but not one set to run. She couldn't after all- the wolves would catch her in seconds, regardless of whether her leg was injured or not. Either she would need to find a way to get them to leave, or she would have to fight.

And her heart told her she wouldn't win that battle.

...

Thinking on it, I probably shouldn't have gotten so mad at Inuyasha. But he can't just expect me to not care about anything that's happened. It was a lot to take in and a lot to try and cope with all at once. I'm not sure how Kagome did it, but I'm certain it's only because she has a way to return home whenever she wished.

Lungs heavy and heart buried deep in my stomach, I started to make my way over to the hut that looked like Kaede's. I pushed aside the hanging door, glancing inside and making sure that it was actually hers. It was difficult telling, so I decided to walk around to the back of the hut instead and hide in the shade, curling into a ball with my knees up to my chest.

I want to go home. I hate this. All of this is so stupid.

Perhaps a year ago I might have found the idea of time travel amazing, but that didn't mean I actually wanted to do it. I didn't have the right mentality or physical stature to be thrust into a place like this. And… the hilarious thing is… Kaede said I wasn't meant to be here. I wasn't the one the person who cast the spell required.

They tried to get rid of me- which would explain the reason Maria and I were pulled away from each other. They scorched my leg and removed her from my grasp, attempting to expel me from the summon.

"Whoever it was that brought ye here… be it a demon or a human… did not intend for two to enter this time. Yet only another- one with a power close to their own- could have activated the spell."

I raised the palm of my left hand, staring at it as if it were not my own. Was it all my fault Maria and I were here? I don't believe at all that I could have any sort of special power, but… what else am I supposed to do? Maria was clearly the one the summoner wanted. I was just a mistake. An accident.

Yet here I was.

Maybe the reason I can speak the language, I thought as my eyes trailed down to my lower leg, is because of the rebound? Maybe it's a weird connection to the summoner; the reason why I can speak and understand the language is because the Summoner does? But if that's the case- what about Maria?

I know she taught herself some of the language out of pure self-interest, but she'd never had to actually speak to anyone with that dialect. Not that I know of, at least. Her anxiety was a hundred times worse than mine. Would she really be alright?

I looked up at the sky, nearly blinded by the clear blue. Even if we were separated… we're still looking at the same sky, aren't we? It will be difficult, but I know we'll run into each other. I'm certain of it. I just have to be strong.

Though that's much easier said than done…

The only consolation was that she can't be too far from here.

"Irene~!" A voice called out, shouting my name. I jumped at the sound, heart feeling as though it was about to leap out of my chest from fright. Skittish by nature I timidly turned and shifted, peering over the corner to see Shippōrunning around the village. "Irene, where are you!?"

"Just leave her!" I could hear another voice bark. Inuyasha. He sounded irritable. "Let her mope! It's all she wants to do, anyway!"

Shippō stopped running to whirl around and glare up at Inuyasha, green eyes furious. "If it weren't for your insensitive comment earlier she wouldn't be so mad right now! This is all your fault, stupid Inuyasha!"

"Why you- what did you just call me!?"

"Stupid! You're a stupid, mean, jerk that never takes into consideration other people's feelings!" Shippō jumped up and hit Inuyasha across the face with his foot, but before he could fall back down to the ground and escape Inuyasha reached a hand out and caught the child by his tail. "P-Put me down! Let go of me, stupid!"

"STOP CALLING ME STUPID! And you know what- maybe I am insensitive, but at least I don't go bawling my eyes out every chance I get! She's not gonna get anywhere if she keeps behaving like this!" Inuyasha dropped Shippō, the fox demon letting out a yelp and scrambling onto his feet once on the ground. "This is ridiculous!"

I pulled away from the corner and stood, making my way diagonally through the grass in the direction of the forest. There wouldn't be any point in hiding behind the hut if I was found out, and I had been told that the majority of the evil demons outside the village had been killed already. It would be fine. I would just be heading to the eastern outskirts, anyway.

Inuyasha and Shippō were both still arguing with each other as I fled the scene, neither of them noticing that I was there. For a pair of people with demonic heritage that are supposed to have heightened senses, they sure got distracted easily. I pushed through the tall glass, picking away some stray leaves that stuck themselves to my sling, and only faltered once I approached the edge of the village where the forest began.

I had thought it would be fine, but at the same time… all the worst case scenarios were playing through my head. I should start searching for Maria; even if I was mad at Inuyasha for telling me not to be upset, he wasn't wrong about how my emotions weren't going to solve anything. I wouldn't go too terribly fair. I'm in no condition to try and defend myself, after all. With any luck the farthest I'll go is the Bone-Eater's Well.

If I even end up going in the right direction. Hopefully I'll bump into Kagome along the way- she seems nice. I won't ask her to travel with me, but I would certainly feel a lot more comfortable with someone who seemed to know what they were doing in this era.

A heavy sigh escaped me as I walked into the forest. It was a slow endeavor, but a worthwhile one. It gave me time to reflect and think back on things, including my argument with Inuyasha. A part of me felt like I was too harsh on him, but another part of me felt like my anger was justified. After all that I've been through this week I think I deserved a little time to be emotional. I shook my head, pushing that memory away for now. The thing I should be worrying over was how I was going to survive in this era with my lungs in such poor condition, and how I was going to find Maria.

Then, after I do find her, how were we going to get home?

Feeling an itch on my neck I reached up and scratched, not really paying much attention to it as I neared a grove of trees. It was only when the itch began to grow more intense that I stopped walking and furiously ran my nails over my neck, pausing only when I felt something… weird. A bug!? I pulled it off my neck with a cringe, staring at the thing cautiously.

"Ah, my apologies miss," The bug began to speak, startling me into silence, "but your blood smelled mighty tasty. Hehe. Is your blood type A positive by chance?"

What.

The.

Fricking.

Heck.

Officially traumatized by this weird talking bug with four arms and a mustache I dropped it on the ground, backing up slowly.

"H-Hey now!" It exclaimed, jumping in the air several times to talk to me. "That was uncalled for! Oh my- now this is interesting. You're not from here, are you? No wonder your blood was such a delicacy! You're a foreigner!"

That's it. I'm done. I want to go home.

"Uh, you probably don't want to walk that way, miss!" The talking bug said quickly, suddenly landing on my shoulder. I tensed, staring at it with horrified eyes. "There are a lot of nasty demons over there!"

What on earth could be nastier than a bug?

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything the bushes and trees in front of us rattled. The bug leapt off my shoulder and darted off, saying no more as it escaped from the very real danger we were now in. A towering beast pushed apart the branches, letting out a roar as it moved into sight. I stepped back, mouth opening in shock as my breathing took a turn for the worst, heartbeat racing frantically inside my chest.

"Flesh… young woman flesh…" A large hand reached out towards me. "GIVE IT TO ME!"

Which way did I come from? How far did I go into the forest? Would I even be able to outrun this thing without blacking out from asphyxiation? Running seemed like my best option, but I wouldn't be able to get very far in my condition. I'm already getting dizzy just from my own breathing issues, but with an injured leg and damaged arm? What was the point?

The point…?

I don't want to die, that's the freaking point. But what can I do? I'm useless in this situation.

It's getting closer. Oh gods, I can see the dried blood on its fingers. The demon reeks of death and roadkill. Roadkill? No. It just murdered whoever it wanted. And if I don't move soon that's going to be me next! Freaking heck, who cares about the consequences!? Just run!

Not having much options in this scenario I leapt to the side, demon missing me by a hair's length. I hit the ground roughly and cried out in pain, hurting my shoulder, but forced the pain to the back of my mind and rolled. "Give me your flesh!" Scrambling onto my feet, already winded from all the movement, I began to run. "Come back here!"

Loud, angry footsteps chased me from behind, the demon furious at its prey getting away. I could feel my lungs inside my chest burning like acid as they struggled to intake even the smallest bit of oxygen.

Where…?

Where should I go? Where am I heading? I don't know.

Scared…

Suddenly a large shadow was hovering over me. As a pair of large fingers grasped my form I couldn't even do so much as scream, scarcely able to kick my legs. It held tight, crushing me to the point where it felt like my spine and the rest of my bones were about to snap. I gasped, lips curled back and a whimper choked down as it continued to crush me. It raised me high up into the air, forcing me to stare into its horrid face. I could see myself reflected in its disgusting teeth, breath so rancid I nearly threw up.

N-No…

Maria. Maria, please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

I don't want… t-to die…

I'm such a bad sister.

…

Hakkaku looked back at Ginta, surprised by the encounter. Normally humans ran away when they saw demons like them- especially young human women. But this one wasn't? Instead she was ready to fight. Why?

"Hey, Hakkaku," Ginta started, leaning towards his friend and eyeing the girl strangely, taking note of her strange features, "I think she might be a foreigner."

"Yeah?" The other man hummed, cocking his to the side as he looked her over. He narrowed his eyes, raising a fist up in the air warningly. He didn't plan on hurting her, especially not since Kōga now refused to let anyone eat mortals, but he did hope to scare her away. "Hey! What are you doing in our territory!?"

The woman tensed, hand jerking towards her sword hilt, but stopping before making contact. She glanced between them before calling back something he couldn't understand. The two men blinked, both stunned and confused. "What?

"Did you get that?"

A frustrated growl escape the woman's lips as she muttered in that odd language again. She tested a few words out on her tongue before calling out, "Demon! Yes?" She pointed at the wolves with her left hand, then themselves. Oh. The woman did know what they were, but not only that, she was trying to speak their language. She was pretty smart for a human. Impressive.

"Yeah." Hakkaku answered, nodding his head. "We're from the wolf tribe! Now, I'll ask you again- why are you trespassing in our territory?"

The woman mumbled the world "human" under her breath, the accent a little off yet clear enough to understand. She nodded to herself.

Ginta leaned towards Hakkaku again, raising a hand up to his mouth as he whispered, "So, this might just be a guess, but I don't think she speaks our language. I don't think she understands most of what we're saying."

"You know? I think you might be right." They watched as the woman's eyes darted between them, trying to take apart the syllables and piece together what it was they were talking about. Hakkaku blinked when he caught sight of an unused fire pit out of the corner of his eye, as well as the eaten rabbit remains several yards off. The wolves brushing against their legs- they had… blood all over their mouths. "She… fed them?"

Ginta blinked, confused. "What?"

"She fed the wolves! Humans don't just feed wolves!" The woman hadn't tried to flee yet either, although her hand was getting closer to the sword hilt with each minute that passed. She was strange. And her sword… it didn't seem to match her at all. None of her clothes made sense. It was almost like… "Kagome!"

The woman didn't react, not understanding that they had said a name. She knit her eyebrows together, tilting her head. Hakkaku and Ginta shared a look, realization hitting them hard. Ginta stepped forward, hands held out to the side to show he wasn't going to attack, and asked, "Do you know sister Kagome?"

Nothing. All they received in response was a tense, determined stare.

"Should we… take her to Kōga?" Ginta suggested, at a loss of what to do now. "She hasn't attacked us and she hasn't tried to hurt the wolves either."

Hakkaku thought about it, humming thoughtfully. "If she is from Kagome's world he may be able to find her, and then she can help her."

Ginta shrugged. "It's as good an idea as any."

...

Vision going black, my body went limp. My eyes struggled to stay open as the demon's mouth drew closer and closer, fully prepared to eat me alive. I tiredly wondered if it would be a quick death, with only a sharp pain, or if I would feel myself being torn apart. As I found myself succumbing to darkness and reluctantly accepting of my defeat, a voice called out. The demon paused to see who was interrupting its meal, only to let out a deafening cry of agony as its arm was suddenly removed from its body.

Its hand released its grip on me in response and both the limb and I were sent falling through through the air. Blood splattered all over the ground and on the creature itself, but just before I could smack hard onto the ground and splatter into nothingness a pair of strong arms caught me, changing the direction of my fall and saving me. "The hell were you thinking, you idiot!?"

Inuyasha landed on the ground with a practiced stance, keeping the large blade in his hand pointed away from me. I coughed a few times, barely conscious. I blinked repeatedly, blearily looking up at my savior and then at the currently enraged demon. Inuyasha leapt into the air, jumping away from the demon's attack. Landing on a tree branch the white-haired teen observed the situation quickly, before setting me down in the tree.

"Stay here. This won't take long."

Brandishing the long sword, Inuyasha jumped off the branch and swung the sword in the air, simultaneously avoiding another attack while dealing a blow of his own. The demon didn't stand a chance against him, cleanly sliced in two. As Inuyasha landed on the ground, blood spurted out of the demon's body as it fell apart. Its guts could be seen everywhere. Completely unperturbed by the sight Inuyasha sheathed his sword, looking up at me and jumping back onto the tree branch in one single bound.

The half-demon glared at me, arms crossed as he tapped his foot against the bark irritably. "Now, what the hell did you think you could do out here by yourself? Why did you run away!? Are you trying to get yourself killed!? How are you supposed to find your sister when you're dead, stupid!?"

"S-Sor…" I breathed, coughing again with a pained gasp, leaning my head back against the tree. "...ry…"

The boy scoffed. He squatted down, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Is this about your stupid "medical condition" again?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I had no voice. All I could do was sit there and struggle to breathe, but it was difficult with my heart running so wild within my chest. I had been so scared… and I'm still scared, honestly. I was so sure I was going to die. I'm so dizzy… and sleepy. I can't think. Everything hurts.

"Damn it… okay. Fine. We're heading back to Kaede's village." I winced and cried out a little when Inuyasha moved to pick me up again, shoulder and several other bones in excruciating pain after being crushed like I had. I was certain several bones were now bruised. "Then, once Kagome gets back," He continued, leaping off the branch and dashing through the forest with incredible speed, "we'll look for your sister. So don't go doing anything else stupid, got it?"

What…?

"I never said you couldn't be upset. I was just sayin' that moping wasn't going to solve anything! You can be upset any time you want, but you can't let that control you! Next time think about what a person is trying to tell you before you run off and nearly get yourself killed!"

Why… is he saying all this? Why did he save me? Wasn't… he mad at me? I don't understand. And earlier… when I first arrived and Kagome suggested I travel with them Inuyasha threw a fit. He was against helping me find Maria. So why was he saying he'd help me now? People are confusing. This world is confusing.

"I'm… sorry." I muttered quietly, completely unmoving in his hold as he ran through the forests, occasionally jumping over a fallen tree. "Th-Thank… you…"

"Shut up already! If you can't breathe, don't speak!"

Good point. I kept my mouth shut from that moment on, even after we made it back to the village. Inuyasha stopped running and instead marched on over to the hanging door of Kaede's hut, pushing it to the side with his foot, and set me down on the futon I had been sleeping on the past week. Inuyasha began shouting for Kaede, nose twitching as he dashed out of the building. I slowly laid down on my back, wincing with every movement, bones popping and new bruises still forming.

Kagome willingly came to this era… to fight creatures like that demon? Was she not afraid? They could die and she just voluntarily joins the battle. What for?

The hanging door shifted, someone entering the hut, but it wasn't Kaede and Inuyasha who arrived. It was Shippō. He looked at me, green eyes big with alarm and expression shifting into that of concern. The small fox demon darted over to my side, staring at my bleeding shoulder in horror. "Wh-What happened to you!? Did you get attacked!?"

Chest rising and falling with every heavy breath, I was unable to answer. Exhausted and focused on recovery, I could only give Shippō a weak thumbs up on my left hand. The small child only looked more terrified.

"Was Inuyasha the one who saved you? I know he ran out into woods shortly after you went missing…" The fox demon shook his head. "N-No! That's not important! We need to get you help! I-I'll go fetch some water so we can clean your wound! S-Stay here, okay!?"

It's not like I can move, but sure. The worry was greatly appreciated, even if it did make me feel rather guilty for going out into the forest like a moron. I closed my eyes and tried to calm down, relaxing my poor heart as best as I could. When I felt a familiar itch- this time on my left hand- I opened my eyes and raised the limb, staring at the demon bug blankly. Realizing it was caught, the bug removed its beak from my flesh and looked at me, burping.

"My apologies, miss, but your blood really is quite delightful. Not as good as Master Inuyasha's, of course, but still mighty delicious. I'm glad to see you made it out in one piece!" He cleared his throat, "Well, mostly, anyhow. That's quite a shoulder wound you've got there. Might I ask how it happened?"

Lowering my hand back onto the ground, I turned my gaze to the ceiling. Why is this happening? I have a talking bug on my hand. I've somehow time traveled into the far past and wound up in feudal era Japan because of a summoning spell gone wrong, lost track of my sister, been attacked by both humans and demons, and now I'm stuck on a futon with a bug. A bug that likes my blood.

Wait. He said "Master Inuyasha". I looked at the bug, squinting at him and wondering what his connection to the violent sword-wielding teen was. The bug blinked, as if coming to a realization.

"Oh! My deepest apologies, miss." He bowed, and then placed two of his hands against his chest. "My name is Myoga. I am Master Inuyasha's loyal bodyguard and adviser. It is a pleasure to meet you. And- to clear up any confusion- I am a flea demon."

A flea. Still a bug. But a flea.

And it bit me twice.

I don't even know anymore. This is all just one big nightmare. Definitely. A very realistic, very painful nightmare. I kept silent, refusing to answer the flea demon until I was able to speak without gasping. Myoga sat there on my hand and stared at me, observing and waiting patiently for a response. His gaze was only broken by the hanging door being pushed violently to the side, Inuyasha barging in with Kaede on his back and Shippō stumbling in alongside him, a small bucket of water in his hands.

"Let me see your wound, child." Kaede ushered, climbing off Inuyasha's back and making her way over to me. Inuyasha quickly turned to face the wall as the old woman helped me sit up, and I tried to push away the feeling of discomfort as she undid the kimono I was wearing to get at my bandages. The priestess frowned, undoing the wrapping, and said, "Aye, I'm afraid it has worsened… we'll have to clean it and bandage it again. Shippō, can ye hand me that bucket, please?"

Shippō did as told. Before long Kaede left and returned with her first-aid supplies, and began dabbing at my wound with a wet cloth. I hissed a couple of times, holding the kimono up to cover my chest as she cleaned and administered medicine.

"Pray tell, child, why did ye think it wise to head out on your own?"

"...It was…" I spoke softly, not raising my voice, "It was just… a walk…"

"A walk that almost cost ye your life." She scolded. "You must maintain caution! Had Inuyasha not arrived when he had-"

"I'm aware." I cut in, interrupting the lecture. I had taken into account all possible consequences when I decided to walk into the forest; I didn't need to reprimanded. No emotion shown on my face, the hollow in my chest growing wider with each passing second. "You guys said there were no big demons. I believed you… so I went for a walk."

Kaede stared at me for a moment and sighed. "That is not wrong… I suppose we are partially to blame for this. But ye should have brought someone along with you, or at least inform somebody about your whereabouts. You will not last long in this time if such behavior continues. If you truly wish to find your sister and return to your own time you must remain with Inuyasha and Kagome."

Shippō looked up, mildly excited despite the concern he felt. "Does that mean she'll be travelling with us!?" He then looked at his silver-haired friend, whose ears were twitching. "And Inuyasha… agreed to this?"

Kaede shook her head, while I nodded. Shippō looked greatly confused, while the old woman turned to me in surprise. I let out another hiss when she tied to the bandage, the priestess making it a little too tight for my liking. "H-He said… after Kagome gets back…" I let a grunt of pain as Kaede helped me slide my bad arm through the kimono sleeve. "We can go… look…"

Both of them stared intently at Inuyasha, boring holes into the back of his skull. His long nails tapped against the ground irritably, the teen looking mighty uncomfortable under their gazes. I blinked, watching as Kaede tied the sash without looking. "I'm impressed, Inuyasha," Kaede mused, "you've matured considerably from when you had first awoken."

Hah? When he woke up?

…

Hakkaku went to move forward, pausing only when the girl slid a foot back- bracing herself for any sudden attacks. "Easy," he said, holding his hands up again, "we're just gonna take you to Kōga. To help." Her eyes narrowed at them, warily flickering back between the two men. She didn't understand. "My name is Hakkaku." The wolf demon pressed a hand to his chest, trying his best to communicate. He paused before repeating himself, slower this time, patting his armor for emphasis. "Ha-kka-ku."

His companion pointed at himself, grinning. "Ginta! Gin-ta!"

The woman nodded hesitantly, touching her left hand against her chest to mimic them. "...Maria."

Oof. It really was a foreign name. The men took time to test the feel of it on their tongue, practicing the pronunciation for a few seconds. The woman, who was now known to them as Maria, flinched. Seeing such a strong human woman react as such towards them made them feel oddly guilty, and they couldn't help but to apologize. They watched as she shook their head at them, giving a small shrug in reaction to their words. Huh.

Ginta brought a hand up and scratched his cheek, having not expected that. "I guess… she really can understand some of what we're saying."

"You're right, but how are we going to get her to come with us to Kōga?" Hakkaku looked at his friend in concern, brows furrowing together. "She still seems scared."

"Well, he's going to be expecting us soon... " Ginta brought his hands up, fretting over their predicament. They didn't want to upset their leader, but they knew Kagome would never forgive them if she found out they left a foreign woman from her time here to be eaten by some other demons. He crouched down, ruffling his hair in frustration. "What should we do!?"

Hakkaku tapped his foot against the ground, hand on his chin, but nothing was coming to mind. This was so difficult; why did all the crazy things have to happen to them? The wolf demon was snapped out of his thoughts when unfamiliar words startled him. He turned, looking on in surprise to see that Maria had lowered hand from the sword. One hand was now resting casually on her hip. "What?"

She let out a weak laugh before trying again, pausing briefly at the end and thinking, sounding out the words. "Fool… Fool-vet?" Maria shook her head, face contorting into that of concentration. "Fool… ish? Foolish! Yes!" She snapped her fingers, proud of herself. Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other, frowns gradually lifting into smiles as they laughed at themselves.

"I guess we do sound pretty foolish right now, huh?" Ginta joked. He stood up from his spot on the ground, stretching out his legs. He was relieved that Maria was beginning to relax. "Alright. Let's try something."

...

"Shaddup!" Inuyasha snapped. "I only said it 'cause I know you guys would end up nagging me about it!"

Oh… so he wasn't being nice. I lowered my head, worrying my bottom lip. I actually let myself believe he genuinely wanted to help me. It was easy to think, too, because of how he saved me. For a moment I had thought we could have become friends. I guess we really were too different.

"Master Inuyasha," Myoga began, finally speaking up after sitting in silence for so long, "I have been travelling the lands for a while and I've come across some interesting news. I had heard rumors of a demon kidnapping villagers and that a few days ago it showed up outside their village in the form of a young woman. A young woman whose description greatly resembles this lovely lady. When I heard that the demon was in possession of a jewel shard I came here as quickly as I could- which is when I encountered her. Naturally, after tasting her blood- which was very tasty, might I add- I knew she was a human. Perhaps these villagers mistook her as the demon because of her strange appearance?"

Shippō looked at Myoga, surprised. "That… actually makes sense." Inuyasha shifted, sitting up and turning his torso a little to see the flea. His attention was already caught when he heard "jewel shard", but as the demon continued to speak when he remembered something.

"Yeah! When I first found her she was wearing these strange clothes- like the ones Kagome wears when she's in her time. If they saw her in that attire it's no wonder why they attacked." Inuyasha then smirked, turning his attention to me. "Which means one of the villagers might have seen something! We go to the village you get your answers and I get another shard of the Sacred Jewel!"

The half-demon leapt up onto his feet, pointing at me demandingly.

"Which means you need to hurry up and heal, so we can get going ! The faster the better, before Naraku can beat us to the punch! I'm going to go get Kagome!"

With that he ran out of the building, leaving me, Kaede, Shippō, and Myoga alone together. Shippō made a face at his friend's behavior, pulling at the bucket of bloody water and picking it up. "That didn't take long to get him excited. Kagome isn't gonna be very happy with him showing up."

Kaede nodded and let out a hum of agreement. I knit my eyebrows together, wondering why their expressions looked so grim. The old priestess pulled away from me and began to pack up all the medical supplies, Shippō leaving the hut with the bucket of bloody water. After everything was put away the elder turned to look at me, concern in her gaze. "When was the last time ye ate, Irene?"

What? Oh. The elder's expression shifted into worry when she saw I had to think about it. "When you last made stew… so, like, last night? Maybe?"

The elderly priestess let out a heavy sigh. "Ye need to be more diligent in your health, Irene." Kaede slowly stood, lacing her hands behind her back as she began to make her way to the back of the hut. "I'll see what I can stir up, so don't push ye-self anymore than necessary. Get some rest. Aye, I reckon tomorrow will be a big day for ye."

I wondered if she meant Kagome would be coming back, or if Inuyasha would try and drag me to the one village in his determination to get more jewel shards. Myoga never did give a description of the village; just that people were going missing because of a demon, and that those people thought I was the demon. As I gingerly lied down onto my back, I looked to the floorboards where the flea was sitting.

Sensing my stare the demon looked up, meeting my gaze curiously. "Is something the matter?"

"What village did you go to?" I asked. Myoga blinked, uncrossing his arms.

"Akebi Village. It's a rather peaceful place, but like with any other village it has become greatly disturbed thanks to the actions of cruel demons. It is my belief that if we take you to that village and show them you are not the one they want, they can lead us or tell us about where the demon rests. With any luck they might be able to inform you about your sister; now, I heard no such thing from them, but if they saw you then surely someone might have seen this Maria you speak so fondly of."

A tiny hope formed in my heart at that, but for some reason it felt like a tremendous weight on my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat, turning my head to look up at the ceiling. It's not… It's not that possible she got wrapped up with the demon… right? No. No, I'm sure she's fine. She's gotta be. I closed my eyes, taking a deep shaky breath.

My heart was starting to pick up the pace again. I needed to keep it calm.

And so, rather than sleeping, I spent the next hour and a half laying there and meditating in silence to keep my oxygen levels semi-steady. Shippo came in sometime during that, decided that I was asleep, and began to color on some notebook Kagome gave him. Kaede eventually lit a fire, but the second the smoke fumes hit my nose I began to cough and had to excuse myself from the hut, wobbling outside and stopping right next to the hanging door, sitting and leaning my back against the wall. Shippō soon joined me, concerned about my condition, and began to have a very one-sided conversation with me since I currently was unable to properly speak.

He told me a bit more about Naraku, about all the people he hurt and how he lacked any sort of kindness, and said he understood a little about why I walked off on my own. "You and your sister came here, but… you guys were separated." He held his sketchbook in his lap, crayons held tight in his tiny hands. "If… If my father were still alive I'd probably do the same."

Raising my head, I opened my eyes and looked down at Shippō. I gazed at him in surprise, having not expected such a confession and to find out he lost someone. The boy scribbled with a tan-colored crayon, expression far more grim than anything that belonged on a child's face. I looked at the page he was working on, realizing with a sharp pang in my chest that he was drawing a fox.

"He was really strong, you know? But… after the jewel got shattered, he found one of the pieces a-and… he was targeted because of it." He blinked away the tears trying to form, setting the crayon down and staring at the page with longing eyes. "My father- he was killed by a pair of thunder demons... so…" The small fox demon looked up at me, green eyes filled with understanding. "I get why you did it. I also get why you got so mad at Inuyasha earlier. If there's a chance your sister is alive… I want to help you find her."

I was left speechless. My heart bled out for the child, trying to see things through his eyes and picture just how much pain he must be going through even now. He was a demon, this was true, but Shippō was nothing like the monster that attacked me. He was a little boy that missed his father, and was put through something that unfairly happened because of the greed of other people. A lump formed in the back of my throat and my vision began to blur. It was hard trying not to burst out into tears and hug the poor kid. I forced myself to remain still, listening in silence to his story despite desperately wanting to comfort him. Though, even if I did try to comfort him, I wouldn't even know how to or what to say to make him feel better.

How could I? His father was dead. I'm just some strange woman he's trying to help; nothing I could say or do would cheer him up.

Shippō seemed to notice that he wasn't the only one on the verge of tears. He sniffled and brought a hand up, rubbing at his eyes, and choked out with a strained grin, "B-But I'm okay! I-Inuyasha and Kagome helped me avenge him, s-so… I know he's safe in heaven now. And without him and Kagome I would have been killed, too. I have nowhere else to go except with them. They're all I have now that my family is gone. A-And… And…"

He cleared his throat, looking at me with a gaze full of sympathy and determination.

"And that's why I want to help you so much, Irene! Your sister is here in this time, too, s-so… that means she's all you have right now! If… If I can… I want to help you guys reunite!"

That was the final straw. Lips curled back and teeth ground tightly together, I choked back the sob desperately trying to form. It was hard to breathe. My vision was so blurry at this point I could barely even see Shippō, but I still gave him as grateful a smile as I could manage.

"Th-Thank you… Shippo."

"I-I just don't want you to go through the same thing I did." The fox demon choked out, hugging the drawing to his chest tightly. "Being alone i-is… it's scary. What's happened to me is in the past, b-but… there's still hope for you! W-When we find your sister, we can find whatever brought you here! Then… Then you guys can go back and be with your whole family!"

"Y-Yeah…"

Several villagers walking by gave us strange looks; some were filled with pity, others with concern. Neither of us paid them much attention though, and simply sat there together in silence for a few minutes, tears streaming down our faces. After a while Shippō sniffled and sat up, holding the sketchbook up for me to see. I blinked repeatedly, wiping at my face with my sleeve, and stared at the drawing.

"Th… This is him." The young demon flipped the page, picking up his crayons. "Do… Do you think," Shippō rubbed his eyes against his shoulders, "you can draw Maria? O-Or tell me what she looks like? It might be easier to… find her this way."

He had a point; we could easily show the picture to anyone we asked about her. It helped that Shippō was a very good artist for his age. I was as well, but with my right arm out of commission… I wouldn't be able to do anything. Resting the back of my head against the wall, I waited a few seconds to relax before attempting to speak again. "She's… tall. Five eight…. freckles. She's… really pretty." Shippo hurriedly began taking out crayons from the box and began to sketch out the outline with a black crayon, "Short hair. Reddish- like yours…"

"Really?" He sounded surprised. "I never met a human with such light hair. Is that normal where you live?"

"Kinda, yeah. Lots of blond hair. Don't see... a lot of redheads, though." Voice was breathy. Rapsy. Exhausted. "Um… hair is styled- like mine… but neater. Blue-green… for her eyes…"

It was nice having someone to talk and listen to without feeling like a horrible human being every five minutes, but it took a lot of air out of me. I desperately needed to use my nebulizer, but there was no doing so without electricity or the machine itself. I was beginning to think I was going to die in this time period before I could even leave Kaede's village. The conversation soon ended and I began to doze off, but the fear of not waking up snapped me right into awareness.

"Look!" Shippō declared a few minutes later, proud of his creation. "I finished! How does it look?"

I looked at the drawing, a weak grin forming on my lips as I gave a small nod. "Yeah… pretty good, Shippō. I'm proud… of you…"

With an almost teary look in his eyes, he ripped out the drawing and bounded over. I watched and stared blankly at the child as he held the picture out to me. He smiled. "It's for you! That way you have her with you. Kinda. And you can show it to anyone you ask about her, so they know if they really did see her or not!"

Seeing the drawing made me miss my sister even more, but also made me feel rather happy. Such a simple thing…

I took the picture into my hand and stared at it, biting hard on my bottom lip as my vision blurred.

Maria…

I will find you. No matter what it takes. Placing the fingers on my left hand lightly on the paper, I ran my fingers along the image of my older sister. "Thank you… Shippō."

Near the end of the day Inuyasha showed up at the hut, but Kagome didn't return through the Bone-Eater's well with him. Apparently she had only showed up long enough to drop off some more medicinal supplies for Kaede's stock and left again.

…

Getting Maria to stay calm enough to let them close took quite a while, and convincing her to come with them took even longer than that. It required a lot of miscommunication, and in the end they all started drawing in the dirt to get each other's points across so they could explain what they wanted to do. It helped tremendously.

By the time it was nearly dark they had made it to the base of some caves just outside of their den. It was Ginta who noticed Maria falling behind them, the young woman struggling to get over the rocky and uneven terrain. It was then he noticed the scent of human blood coming from her, the wind shifting and blowing Maria's scent all over him. The demon came to an abrupt stop, looking back at her worriedly. "Hakkaku, I think she's hurt…"

"Hah?" The other wolf demon raised his head up and sniffed the air, eyes widening. "You're right! Hey, Maria!" He whirled around, clamoring on over to the female. The auburn-haired woman stiffened as he moved over, still not totally comfortable around them. "You hurt?" When all he received was a blank stare Hakkaku sighed. He sniffed the air again and crouched down, grabbing her leg without warning and earning a startled, yet pained yelp from her. Lifting the stained cloth covering her leg (known only to Maria as denim) he could see the makeshift bandage she had created. It was coated red, some of it old and the rest newly covered in fresh blood.

Ginta walked over, observing Maria's wound before meeting her strained gaze. He gestured to the leg, even more concerned now. "How did you get hurt like that? Were you attacked?"

She watched him in confusion when her eyes suddenly widened in understanding. Reaching back, she pulled out a broken talon that looked to be from a centipede demon. Both men stared at it and then at her, bewildered as the dots slowly aligned in their minds. Another packmate had mentioned seeing the corpse of the west wood's demon at the bottom of a ravine, but this?

Hakkaku decided to look at the bright side of the situation, standing with a grin. "That explains that, then! And you even got war spoils from it!"

Seeming to have recovered from his shock, Ginta shook his head. "It is pretty impressive, but how's the leg?"

"She can't climb the mountains on it." Hakkaku pointed out, frowning. He crossed his arms. "Guess I'll have to carry her."

"I suppose…"

"What?" Maria's voice cut through their conversation. The demons turned to face her, Maria twitching at the attention. She shifted a little as she put the claw away, and spoke slowly. "What…?"

She wanted to know what they were saying. "Oh."

"I get it!" Hakkaku pointed up the mountain and then to her leg, shaking his head. Maria pondered his actions for a moment before folding her arms over her chest and scowling, almost offended. She made to walk past them, but was stopped by Ginta grabbing her arm.

"Stop! You'll get hurt again."

Maria snapped something as she yanked on her arm, expression filled with mild fear. Ginta released her immediately, looking almost hurt. "We're not gonna hurt you," he told her quietly, "We're just trying to keep from getting hurt again."

"Hey, see if she'll climb on your back."

"What? Oh, right. Sure." Half-turning and crouching down, both men spent many long minutes trying to show- and then convince- Maria to get onto one of their backs. Skeptically, and obviously reluctantly, the human allowed herself to clamor onto Ginta's back. The armor made it very uncomfortable, but being off of her injured leg felt amazing. After making sure she had a good firm hold, he looked up at his friend. "You ready?"

"Let's go."

And with that they were off. Since they didn't have to slow their pace down anymore to accommodate Maria's injury they could travel much faster. The moon was high in the sky by the time they made it to the den. Several pack members they passed gave them strange looks, befuddled as to why they were carrying a human woman. Once they entered the main area Ginta set Maria down on her feet as gently as possible, doing his best not to disturb her wound.

Maria may have been exhausted and her leg might have been in intense pain, but she managed to stay steady and keep balance. Something suddenly moved against her, causing her to tense and looked down. One of the wolves from earlier- the ones she had fed- was brushing against her. A hesitant smile formed on her lips and she moved down, lightly scratching behind the wolf's ears.

"Maria?" Hakkaku called out from within the mount of a cave entrance. A cave filled and surrounded with wolves and humanoid demons.

Well, she thought, trying to feel a little proud of herself despite the fear gnawing away inside her heart, if I die here at least it means they had to have the whole pack take me out.

Following Ginta inside, her thoughts came to a halt, the woman taking in the appearance of the cave. From the outside it was fairly simple and plain, but inside? It was covered in furs, rugs, baskets and satchels littered with food, weapons, fabrics, and armor. There were even some gems strewn about. The wolves moved freely about the area, but the one nuzzling her hand was still beside her.

Huh.

Ginta leaned over, whispering something to the woman that sounded like it had to be close to "relax" or "calm down". She found that rather ridiculous; here she was in a foreign country, where demons apparently existed? She was literally in a den full of wolves. Relaxing is going to be so easy. Piece of cake. Really. Maria isn't stressed out at all. Oh no. Her asthma isn't bothering her either. Everything is fine.

Fuck.

Hakkaku moved forward, holding an arm out and gesturing to Maria and Ginta, and to a man- or rather, a teenage boy- that was slowly approaching. He rattled on for a bit, but then a familiar, single word caught her attention.

"Kōga."

…

Kōga watched as his fellow packmates brought forth a young woman, one who was wounded if the smell of blood was anything to go by, and utterly filthy. But, judging from what he could see of her, she was certainly different. Hakkaku was carrying on about what had took them so long to return, and gestured to the young woman standing beside Ginta and a wolf. "Maria," He said, "this is our pack leader and chief, Kōga. He commands the wolf demon tribe."

The woman named Maria turned her eyes to him. Eyes that were so striking in color and could never be found in the current era of Japan. They were blue, yet somehow green at the same time- a gold burst spreading out around her pupils. It was unusual, impossible for any known human to have. He couldn't even recall any demon with such a strange eye color. Maria's gaze did not falter or cower as she stared at the leader of the wolf demon tribe, the woman taking in his appearance, and only looked away to focus on Hakkaku.

"Kōga?" She asked, echoing the name as she pointed at him. She made quick gestures with her hands, speaking words that the demon pack leader didn't understand.

"Yeah," Ginta affirmed softly, "just like we said before. Kōga." Maria turned back to face the leader, looking him over. Touching her chest she inclined her head slightly, as if in recognition.

"Maria." She said, introducing herself. Kōga raised a brow in surprise, having not expected the woman to have respect. It was then that he noticed her clothes, the way she held herself. It reminded him greatly of…

The demon didn't hear what Hakkaku had to say next. Without time to waste Kōga was on his feet and in front of the woman in a flash of dust and whirlwind, hands gripping the front of her shirt tightly. "What did you do to Kagome!?"

Ginta let out a shriek, nearly toppling backwards from the movent and the sudden surge of rage from his leader. Hakkaku ran up, trying desperately to calm the wolf demon. "W-Wait, Kōga! It isn't like that! She doesn't-"

Maria glared darkly at Kōga, rambling something in her foreign tongue as she pushed Kōga back. The only word out of her mouth the wolf demon understood was his Kagome's name. With a snarl he snatched her arm in his hand, easily lifting her off the ground and leaving her dangling in the air. She winced a little, but quickly hid her pain and intensified her glare. Kōga leaned in close, fangs bared as she growled, "I'll ask you one more time, human; where. Is. Kagome?"

Maria's expression did not change save for the single bead of sweat trickling down the side of her face, eyes hard and searching for something. If it weren't for that one giveaway of nervousness, Kōga would have thought the woman showed no fear. He distantly heard Hakkaku trying to appease him, but it was Ginta's words that caught his attention.

"Maria, please, put it down! It's fine, okay? He doesn't understand yet! Just… put it down."

What is he talking about? Kōga glanced at Ginta with narrowed eyes, wondering what he was telling her to put down, when he felt it. The scent of his own blood and the faintest prick of a blade against his neck, pressure being placed on his throat. He glanced down, seeing that it was actually not a blade, but a demon limb that had made him bleed.

And in front of over half of his pack.

"Let. Go." Maria hissed. The first and only sentence Kōga understood her saying. The demon and human locked eyes, blue and- amber? A blue-green?- clashing before he decided to lower her back onto the ground. Maria quickly stepped back, ignoring the fact that he had not yet released her arm. The talon was held in her free hand, pulled close and ready to lash out should it be deemed necessary.

"Kōga," Hakkaku exclaimed, beginning anxiously, "we've been trying to tell you! She doesn't know Kagome!"

"What?" Kōga blinked, turning to face him now that his initial rage has subsided.

Ginta nodded his head. "Yeah. We're pretty sure she's from the same time period as Kagome, but she doesn't know her. She's from a place called… um…" He looked at the female human. "Maria, home?"

"Home?" Maria made a face, before realizing. "Ah. Home. America."

Kōga looked at her like she was an idiot, earning a huff from the brunette.

"America is not…" She struggled for the word. "...find… yet?"

"Found." Hakkaku corrected. Maria nodded.

"Found. Thank you very much." She then pulled lightly at her arm, looking up at Kōga. "Let go. ...Please?"

Kōga squeezed lightly, wanting to interrogate her some more, before letting go. He took a step back, placing his hands on his hips. "She's got manners; I'll give her that. So," He turned to his two main companions, "why'd you bring her here?"

Hakkaku and Ginta looked at each other before answering. "Well…"

"You see…"

They went into the long story of how they encountered Maria, and how they discovered she was from the future with little-to-no-knowledge of their language. She had no idea how she got there and that she was separated from her little sister. The latter had taken a while to explain earlier given the language barrier, as well as a backstory to how she had fought and technically killed the centipede demon. Kōga sat and listened to all of this whilst watching Maria- who was comfortably sitting on the floor, petting one of Koga's prized wolves as if she had known him all her life. While Hakkaku did the majority of the story telling, Ginta was properly bandaging Maria's leg- as well as caring for any other scratches and marks she obtained during her fall.

He observed the way she smiled at the wolf and at Ginta, both gesturing in an attempt to communicate and grinning occasionally when they both understood something. The woman was not the slightest bit afraid, even in a den full of demons.

"So…" Hakkaku started to question, glancing at their new guest. "What do you want to do, Kōga?"

She was a woman out of her time, looking for her missing sister, and held her own against a centipede demon three times her size. Not to mention that she left a cut on Kōga himself. He supposed he could help her, at least if it meant he could see his beautiful Kagome again.

"Alright." He decided. "We'll help her."

Ginta overheard this and looked up from his spot on the floor, nearly dropping the bandages he was holding. "Really!?"

Kōga waved a hand in the air, turning his back to them with his other hand still on his hip. "Yeah, sure, why not? Get her bathed, fed, and- I think So'aku has some human clothes she can wear? Just get rid of all that filth. I'm amazed she's survived this long on her own."

Hakkaku brought his fists up in excitement, glad that his and Ginta's new friend was going to get to live a little longer. "Kōga, you're the best! Thank you!"

"Right, just get it done. And work on her speech while you're at it; I want to be able to hold an actual conversation with her."

"We will!" Hakkaku promised. Ginta nodded his head fervently.

"Absolutely!"

Kōga strolled over to Maria and the wolf, kneeling down before them. The woman blinked up at him in confusion, watching as he extended his hand out to her. Kōga couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face when he saw her cautiously take it. "Welcome to the Wolf Demon Tribe… Maria."

...

Several more days passed and Inuyasha was sulking even more than before, aggravated at everything and everyone around him. My injury was starting to feel better and I had the incredible desire to draw, so after some convincing Shippō let me borrow one of the many sketchbooks he owned and we drew together.

By the time Kaede returned to the hut the floor was covered in paper. Shippō apparently had the same habit as I did when it came to drawing and ripped out every piece of paper he colored on. It was a mess and Kaede wasn't too pleased when she found it difficult to walk around the hut because of all the papers, but she did compliment us on our work. Of course, that was only after scolding me for using my hand. I just waved it off, saying that it didn't hurt at all, and Shippo began to clean up our mess as Kaede forced me to take the robe off so she could check my injuries.

Shippō continued to color as Kaede unwrapped my bandages, striking up conversation. He asked where I learned to draw like I did or if I was self-taught like he was, and was surprised when I told him it was the latter. "The skill kinda runs in the family, though Maria and I are the only ones who really draw. My brother did, but decided he wanted to be original and stopped. The three of us all play instruments, though; Clair's the only one that doesn't. She sings."

Kaede hummed at that, intrigued by any information about the modern age. "I see. Only noblewomen have been known to play instruments, such as the harp or flute… Do you come from a wealthy family, Irene?"

I snorted at that. "I wish. I'd have a new pair of lungs." Seeing their confused expressions I quickly explained to them what transplants were. I then continued, "Yeah, no. We're from a pretty average family, I guess. We get by. Uh… ho-how's my shoulder?"

Kaede tied the bandage back in place and smiled. "You're healing quickly," She told me, pleased, "Young Kagome's medicine helps most nicely."

The fact that Kagome even had surgical tools in a first-aid kit concerned me. I knew first-hand that the outside world was dangerous, but it made me scared as to what kind of danger they get into. Surely if they had so much medicine they get into battles frequently? Not knowing what else to do, I simply nodded at Kaede's words.

"Does this mean Irene will be able to leave soon!?" Shippō asked, bounding over with bright eyes. "Kagome should be back any day now! We can head to Akebi village!" Kaede nodded. "It's weird for her to be gone this long, anyway. She said she had another "exam" to battle, but…" He made a face, placing a hand on his hip. "I dunno. I'm sorta worried. Inuyasha doesn't seem too bothered about it; he's just grumpy she made him come back here without her."

I'm beginning to suspect Inuyasha has a crush on Kagome. Aren't they from two different time periods, though? How will that work?

...Probably in disaster…

Unless one of them decides to give up their life in one world to live in the other.

This sounds like a bad fanfiction. I thought, making a face when my mind began to try and piece together all sorts of different scenarios. Then again, I am guilty of writing some. Blech. Obsessions.

All of that sounds far too heartbreaking and like way too much work. Besides, they're fifteen.

Wait. This is medieval times.

People get married at fifteen.

It doesn't help that middle schoolers care more about dating than figuring out how to skip running the mile in gym class nowadays, either. I hope Kagome isn't one of them, but… there's no salvaging Inuyasha's innocence since he was born in this era. Lovely. Well, I must at least try to protect Shippō then seeing as he's still a child; I don't want him to grow up into a creep.

"Hey, Irene!" The small child in question climbed into my lap, grinning up at me with big green eyes. "We should go for a walk!"

"...To where?"

"Anywhere! You haven't seen the village completely yet, have you? I can give you a tour!"

Shippō and I seemed to have bonded a little over the emotional conversation we had a few days ago, so the barrier I normally felt when talking to people had vanished around him and he seemed to have formed a strange attachment to me. Perhaps it was because he was a child, or maybe even simply because we both could relate to each other in some way, but he quickly became my new best friend in this strange land.

I wasn't exactly keen on leaving the hut, but I was extremely bored and Shippō was intent on showing me around. Kaede had been letting me wear some old kimonos of hers, as even if my clothes were fixed it would only aggravate my wound trying to change in and out of them. Kimonos were easy to take on-and-off in comparison.

Also quite comfortable, as I was beginning to learn. The fabric was rather soft on the majority of them. Slowly standing, I picked Shippō up and held him in my arms. He was much lighter than any other child I held. Eight pounds, maybe? So light. I headed in the direction he told me to, making my way over to a rice field. "That's where they plant everything! Rice, vegetables, and all sorts of stuff! And if you follow this path and go through the forest you'll end up at the Bone-Eater's well! Wanna see it?"

I stopped just a few feet away from the entry to the forest. I looked at Shippō, recalling what happened the previous day with great detail. "But… demons are… mean demons are in there..."

"Sometimes, yeah. But after you got attacked the one day Inuyasha went and swept through the place with tetsusaiga to make sure anymore super dangerous ones were gone!" The fox demon explained. "It was bad enough you got attacked, but he didn't want to risk Kagome getting hurt, too. He may act like a jerk, but Inuyasha does have his nice days. He kills anything that could be a threat to us or the village."

His words helped calm my anxiety a little, but there was still a nagging doubt in the back of my mind. The more I learned about the half-demon the less I disliked him, but at the same time I was still uncomfortable around him. He was just so angry all the time and… I don't handle being yelled at very good. It makes me feel like I did something wrong, and like I was worthless. I hated it. Still… he didn't seem to be a bad person.

He saved me twice now, after all, when he didn't need to. He claimed it was because he would get chewed out for leaving me to die, but the way Shippō and Kaede talk makes it sound like he really does care for people- he just doesn't like to admit it. Wait a minute.

Is Inuyasha a tsundere? The thought amused me, my brain comparing him to classic anime character tropes. It certainly explained a lot to my oxygen deprived brain. Well, I mean, I don't think we can be friends, but I'd still like to try… at least.

He's just so hard to get along with.

"What's wrong, Irene?" Shippō asked, looking up at me with a worried frown. "You're sighing again."

Oh. Oops. I've been doing that a lot, haven't I?

"See! You did it again- just there!"

I made a face at that. "Sorry. I was just… thinking."

"About home?"

Not particularly, but I'll let you think that. I gave a small shrug in response, not really wanting to talk about my personal feelings anymore than I had already. Deciding now would be a good time to distract the small child I began to walk into the forest, praying that Inuyasha really did destroy any demons that would come off as threats and that Shippō's words weren't just an exaggeration.

The fox demon was telling me all about how whenever Kagome wishes to return home they all head back to Kaede's village. The place was a bit of a safe haven for them, where they could rest and not worry about being attacked. Of course, there was the odd time here-or-there where one of them were being targeted and as such the trouble came to the village, but that didn't happen often. "Grandma Kaede is really nice! I'm sure you've noticed, but she's also really wise. She gives us advice all the time!"

I nodded at his words. I did notice, and that was half the reason I felt so bad for taking up so much of her time. I was extremely grateful for everything she's done; she gave me a roof over my head, clothes to wear, food to eat… and was even using the medicine Kagome left behind as well as her own special herbal brews to care for my wounds. I appreciated everything, but… I felt like such a nuisance.

I don't want to die, but without my nebulizer I feel like I'm going to end up doing so anyway. The only thing keeping me alive right now was the fact that the air here was so clean.

After about fifteen to twenty minutes we finally arrived at the old well. I walked up to it, Shippō hopping out of my arms to land on the wooden rim of the well. He looked down, pointing inside. "This is where Kagome comes to go home! I've only seen it a few times, but-" The young fox cut himself off, the dark musty inside of the well suddenly shining with a blue light. My eyes widened, instantly recognizing that light as the same light that had surrounded me and Maria as we fell through the ground.

Yes, there was a red light that had shone when we touched the rock and had burned through my leg, but there was also a blue light. That blue light had shone and glimmered like the night sky, almost as though we were in space itself. I watched with bated breath as the light grew brighter and brighter, walking forward and staring down inside the well with big curiosity. My heart raced with anticipation, and though it left me dizzy I paid it little mind. My attention was focused solely on the young teenage girl appearing at the bottom of the well, the light fading away around her as she dropped her ridiculously huge yellow backpack on the ground.

"Phew!" She gasped, rolling one of her shoulders. "I packed more than I should've… so heavy…"

"K… Kagome!?" I called out, breathless, wanting to make sure that what I saw was real. The young Japanese girl looked up in surprise, a small smile spreading across her face. She raised a hand up in the air and waved at me and my demon companion.

"Hey! Irene, Shippō! Sorry I'm late! I had to take a few make-up tests!" The girl put her backpack on and walked over to the vines sprawled over the old stone walls, grabbing onto them and climbing up slowly. "I'm glad… to see that you're doing better!" She heaved, pulling herself up onto the wooden ledge and rolling onto the ground. Kagome removed herself from the yellow bag and got onto her knees, opening it. "I brought some stuff for you!"

I blinked, utterly confused when she pulled out a medium-sized box colored such a bright yellow it almost rivalled her backpack. It was only when I saw the sides of it that realization hit me. It was a portable outlet. It looked much bigger and much chunkier than what I've seen back home, but… it was definitely a portable power outlet. Did Kagome-?

"Annnd also medicine! Tada~!" She held up something up that looked so familiar I almost cried. A white portable- if not slightly outdated- nebulizer. "I talked to my Grandpa and he managed to come up with some nonsense about his health, and after some lies about his breathing we were able to get one! It was easy considering how old he is." She made a face, lowering the item, and said, "The doctor did put him on an inhaler now, since all the dust from cleaning the shrine has gotten to him. But it's all good!"

Kagome… and her grandfather… lied. They lied… to help me?

The girl let out a yelp when I suddenly fell to my knees and hugged her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders tightly. My eyes burned hotly, stinging with tears, and my lips curled back as I choked down a sob. Kagome's expression softened and, after setting the nebulizer down, reciprocated my embrace. "I'm really sorry it took so long to get back to you… but it's okay now."

Shippō looked at the small nebulizer and the portable outlet in fascination, stunned by the fact that this was going to help my lungs. "It's a good thing you can travel, Kagome," He commented, poking the top of the outlet box in curiosity, "otherwise I don't think she'd make it. Her wounds have been healing, but her breathing keeps getting more shallow by the day!"

Kagome and I pulled away from each other, the girl packing everything back into the bag and me wiping at my face and trying my hardest to keep my emotions in check. I had to stay calm- at least for now. We both stood, and we were all about to start walking when a flash of red appeared and Inuyasha was in front of us. "KAGOME! It's about time! We have to get looking for the jewel shards!"

"I know, Inuyasha." She told him, behavior taking a total turn as she became grumpy. "Jeez," She muttered, "you can at least pretend to be happy I'm back."

"Hah? The hell you talking about?"

"Nothing." She sighed. "Forget it. Let's get back to the village. Irene can take the medicine I brought and we can head out for Akebi afterwards."

Inuyasha's ears twitched. He looked at me, hands in his sleeves. "Medicine?"

"You'll see." Kagome hummed, walking forward. She then came to an abrupt stop, looking at me. "Actually, you know what? Inuyasha- can you carry Irene and my bag to Kaede's hut? The faster she takes the medicine the better."

He opened his mouth to complain, but thought better of it. Next thing I knew he had the bag on his back, and I was being scooped up into his arms. Fully aware of the situation this time the awkwardness that was my entire being hit and I was left a stammering, flustered mess. I tried to protest, to tell him to set me down and that I'd be fine for a few more minutes, but I wound up coughing into my shoulder and gasping for air instead.

"Hurry!" Kagome shouted, and with a scoff of indignation Inuyasha took off running. A small shriek escaped my lips and I grabbed onto his kimono, wondering briefly if he had moved this fast last time when he found me being attacked by that giant demon. The half-demon leapt high up into the air, and I flinched when we were leaping off one tree branch to another. I was scared we were going to get hit by one of the branches or a spider was going to land on us. I abhorred bugs with a passion.

...Myoga was an exception. He was a decent enough person.

I think I blacked out sometime during the rush to the village, because one moment we were still in the forest and the next Inuyasha was kicking the hanging door out of his way, shouting for the old priestess as we entered the hut. I could scarcely breathe. Inuyasha put me down with surprising carefulness, resting my back against the wall, before sliding the huge bag off his arms and setting it down. He rummaged through it, pulling out several different objects and asking if it was the medicine Kagome was talking about.

Dazed and vision starting to blur, I shook my head slowly. "N-No…" How to describe it? "Wh-White…" My fingers twitched. "Machine."

"Machine?" He echoed, confused, before pulling out three different objects until he landed on the right one. Inuyasha held it in the air. "This?"

I nodded. I then reached out with my hand weakly. "G-Give… bag…"

The half-demon didn't argue, sliding the huge pack over towards me so it was at my left side, and set the small white machine on my lap. I tiredly rummaged through the bag, grunting in pain when I tried to lift the huge portable outlet up with just one hand. Inuyasha was quick to help, lifting the item without any trouble or hesitation and setting it in front of me. "This?"

Another nod. I rummaged a bit more, stopping only once I found the mouthpiece, tube, and the box of medicine. The half-demon looked bothered by all the items, but watched in silence as I quietly got to work. I plugged the nebulizer into the portable outlet, stuck the tube onto the mouthpiece and nebulizer, and ripped open the box with the medicine. I had to tear open the packaging so I could get to the packets, and then had to rip off one of the many little tubes of medicine before I could pour it into the mouthpiece. When I was finally done I pressed the black button, inhaling the medicine and leaning my head back as instant relief rushed over me.

Inuyasha's ears twitched again, the teen sitting on all fours in a fashion similar to a dog, and made a face at the noisy machine. "This is what you needed? I know your guys' time is far more advanced than ours, but to think that can help your lungs…"

I said nothing and made no movement, too focused on inhaling medicine to care about anything else. I had never felt so alive until this moment, having suffered for so long without being able to use the nebulizer. Inuyasha and I sat there in silence for ten minutes, nothing being said until Kagome and Shippō arrived together. The fox demon was startled to hear how noisy the machine was, jumping a little when he saw it, and watched with big eyes as smoke drifted out of the top of the mouthpiece.

"This is so weird~ Kagome, you really lugged these things in your bag!?"

Kagome nodded, stretching loudly before slumping over. "I thought my back was going to break…"

I gave her an apologetic look, finally feeling good enough to join the conversation again. Kagome grabbed her back and began to take out several bags of chips and instant ramen, along with some bentos. I blinked, having not expected such a thing, and had to remind myself for a moment that this was Japan.

"I made some lunch for everyone! Sango and Miroku aren't here so I excluded them, but I made enough for you guys!"

Let me tell you, the smell as Inuyasha and Shippō opened their bentos was amazing. My stomach grumbled so loudly and my mouth almost watering at the sight of normal food. Was that an omelette? Rice? Chicken? If I didn't need to inhale the medicine so badly I probably would have chucked it in favor of food, but my lungs were so deprived.

Fifteen more minutes passed before there was no more smoke exuding from the mouthpiece, and the medicine was effectively inhaled. I popped the piece out of my mouth with a loud, audible gasp. I proceeded to stretch my legs out, exclaiming, "I live~!"

I still felt a bit weak, but that was to be expected considering I went so long without it. I pulled the pieces apart and wrapped them up, setting them into the bag I found them in. A small bag within the big neon bag. Why did Kagome bring two? Unless… ah, yeah, that makes sense. She probably expects me to carry the machines. Understandable.

"Feewing better?" Inuyasha asked, mouth full of ramen. He had long since finished the bento Kagome made, and was working on eating the other snacks she brought. Shippo was eating candy. The group looked at me, Kagome pulling out a bento and setting it down next to her. I crawled over, pointing at it anxiously, and she nodded with an amused smile.

"Yes!" I cheered, both answering the half-demon's question and being excited for food. I opened it, accepting the chopsticks Kagome handed me cautiously. I had gotten better at eating with them thanks to instruction from Kaede, but I was still a little awkward. "Thank you~ oh my god this smells so good!"

I lifted the bento up to my face, giggling excitedly to myself. Shippō made a face, grinning. "You know, you're acting really childish now that you can breathe."

"Yes, yes, yes!" I hummed, hovering my chopsticks over the different parts of the bento in decision over which one to eat first. "Guilty as charged. I'm a child. Fight me. Oh my god. Kagome, you are a literal angel from above and I thank you!" I cut at the omelette with the chopsticks, picking up a piece and biting into it. I swayed a little in my seat, continuing to hum as I chewed with my eyes closed and a smile on my face.

Kagome raised a hand to her mouth, smiling. "I don't think I'm that great, but I'm glad you're doing better!"

Swallowing the egg piece, I almost started crying again. "It tastes so good! Kagome! Kagome! I love you! You're amazing! You angel! You majestic human being!"

She was starting to turn a little pink this time, flustered by all the praise. Kagome was clearly enjoying the compliments though. "Come on- flattery will get you nowhere. I do wish I could take you back with me, though; I'm sure you could use a real bath."

I didn't say anything at that, both not knowing what to say and because I also didn't want to think about it. Shippō spoke for me, commenting as licked a lollipop, "She hasn't even tried to the Bone-Eater's well yet! I don't see why, considering if it did work she could just come right back."

Ah. Wait a minute. That makes sense. I chewed on the teriyaki chicken for a moment, savoring the delectable sauce, and commented, "I mean… I guess I could try it... " I was thinking that it was a one-way ticket back when it was suggested during my arrival. However, Kagome could go back-and-forth without any trouble. "I mean, I'd still be in Japan and not America, but it would be nice to see 2018 again."

Kagome suddenly balked. "Wh-What!?" I blinked, turning to face as I bit into another piece of omelette. Inuyasha and Shippō looked startled at her reaction. "What did you say!?"

"I wouldn't be in America?"

"No, after that!" She cried out, standing up and looking down at me. "You said 2018!"

"Uh, yeah…" I don't get it. Unless… no. Realization dawned on my face. "You're not…"

Kagome nodded frantically. "I'm from 1996!"

Kaede walked in at this exact moment, overhearing the conversation take place. Inuyasha and Shippō stopped eating, coming to an understanding of what this meant. The old priestess spoke, staring at us with her hands laced behind her back. "Ye both come from different times… and for what reason?"

If I am able to go through the well… I wouldn't be in my own era. In fact, I wouldn't have even been born yet. Would this cause a time paradox if I was able to travel to Kagome's era? What about Maria? What would happen to us? Would the world fall apart? Would I somehow do something that would prevent our very existence? Does this mean Kagome is actually my elder despite me biologically, in this moment, being an adult and her a teen?

What the heck!?

I lowered my head, groaning. "My brain hurts."

Chapter Text

It was decided that I'd still try the well anyway. I wasn't born yet and I had no family in Japan so what could it hurt? I was against it, but Kagome was determined. Inuyasha carried us both on his back to the well, where Kagome instructed me to jump in. I refused to do so, for the knowledge that if it didn't work I was going to end up with some severely sprained ankles, and instead cautiously climbed down the vines.

When I was a few feet away I let go of the vines and jumped.

My feet touched the ground.

Nothing happened. I was mildly disappointed, but at the same time I knew it wouldn't have worked. Why would it? I wasn't from 1996. I was almost two decades ahead of Kagome's time period. Not bothering to call up to Inuyasha and Kagome I walked over and grabbed the vines, pulling on them a little to make sure they wouldn't tear apart. A small sigh left my lips as I climbed, and though I didn't look up to see them I could hear their voices as they called out to me.

"It didn't work!?" Kagome exclaimed, frustrated.

"Of course it didn't work!" Inuyasha snapped. "She didn't come here through the well, so the well is useless!"

"Sorry if I was being hopeful!" She retorted, angry. "You can never know with these things! In a world full of demons it feels like anything can happen! I wanted to be sure!"

"Whatever. It still just goes to show that we need to go to Akebi Village. She arrived near there, right? We might find a way home for her there."

Okay, that's it. I thought, heaving myself up over the ledge and rolling onto the ground with a pained grunt. I pushed myself onto my feet, wobbling a little, before catching my balance and looking at them. "I'm not going anywhere without Maria! The well was okay s-since, you know, it… goes back-and-forth, but since it doesn't work I'm not risking any other… other…" What was a good word? "Pass...Path...Passage?" That works. "Until we have her."

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms, hands in his sleeves. "Fine. Let's just go already."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded, glaring at him. "Don't be so insensitive!"

"What? How am I being insensitive!?"

"She's clearly worried! God, can't you even think a little about how she feels!?"

The half-demon spun on his heels to face the girl, glaring her down. "What- you think I haven't already had this conversation!? You forget; I'm half demon! All I care about is getting the jewel shards as quickly as possible! If she can find her sister and a way home? Good for her. I don't care."

"Urgh-!" Kagome stomped her foot on the ground. Inuyasha flinched, horror dawning on his face as he took a fearful step back. He held his hands up defensively. "Inuyasha!"

"N-No, wait, Kagome, don't! Not-"

"Sit!"

I yelped and jumped back, nearly falling into the well, when Inuyasha's necklace suddenly lit up and dragged him into the ground with incredible force. He slammed hard into the earth, leaving an indent in the ground. As he lifted his face up, I was amazed by how his nose wasn't broken or bleeding. "Damn it… why…?"

My mouth was agape in shock. Just how did Kagome…? Why was Inuyasha face-planting by the word "sit"? I looked between them, blinking expectantly and waiting for an explanation as I pointed at him. "H-How did- what just- explain!?"

Kagome grinned, almost triumphantly. She stood up straight, one hand on her hip and the other in the air, an index finger raised knowingly. "The enchanted beads around his neck! Whenever I say the word Inuyasha has no choice but to listen!"

The half-demon leapt up onto his feet, pulling at the necklace angrily. "Which is bullshit! I don't need 'em, but she refuses to take 'em off! It's not like I'm going anywhere! Only you can see the shards!"

"Sit."

I flinched, wincing at the sound of how hard he was hitting the ground. How badly does that hurt? I held a hand up, turning to Kagome nervously and stammering, "I-I don't think that one was really necessary…"

"It's fine." She responded, before grabbing the sleeve of the kimono I was wearing and pulling me with her as she walked off towards the village. "Now let's go! Kaede's finished mending the clothes you wore when you showed up, so you can change into those after a nice bath. You can even borrow my shampoo and conditioner!"

"O-Oh, uh, th-thank you…"

Kagome just smiled at me. Inuyasha was left behind, shouting at Kagome for being a terrible person and making him "sit" all the time.

…

Now that I was properly looking at the clothes I was amazed by how good they looked. It was as if they've never been torn in the first place. I gave Kaede an awkward hug and thanked her, and changed into them after a cold bath in the lake. Kagome and Kaede both suggested buying some supplies before we headed out for the village, but I had no money to buy anything. It wasn't like I brought my wallet to the restaurant, since Maria had insisted on paying for our meals. I arrived in this era without it.

When I informed the young teen of this she spoke of how this could indeed be a problem, and bought some antidotes for poison herself. Kagome said they always had a bad habit of running into poisonous insects, as well as some pretty powerful miasma, so it would be good to be prepared. "So… how long is it gonna take to get there?" I asked, watching as Kagome readied her bright pink, out-of-place bicycle.

"Oh, about a day at most if we walk." She answered, climbing on and setting Shippō in the basket. The young fox demon was still munching on some of the left-over candy. "But since we're running there we should get there in just a few hours- give or take a few breaks in between to rest."

I stared at her blankly, re-situation the blue backpack on my back that held the nebulizer and portable outlet. "You're… kidding, right?" We weren't going to ride on the back of a hay wagon or something? What about all the demons? "What if we're attacked?"

"Inuyasha will take care of them." She responded, smiling a little, equipping a short bow and a quiver full of arrows. "I'm not too shabby as an archer, either, I think. We'll protect you."

"Yeah!" Shippō pitched in, grinning at me. "I'll even use my fox fire! You just stay behind me, and you'll be safe! You can't fight, after all, so a weak human like you should hide behind strong demons like me and Inuyasha!"

"I thought Inuyasha was half demon?"

"He is," The fox confirmed, crossing his arms, "but even though he doesn't have brains he does have plenty of brawn. It's his only good trait."

I blinked, watching as a familiar teen in a red kimono walked up behind the bike, staring down at the boy with fuming amber eyes. "What was that?" Shippō wasn't given any time to prepare for the onslaught of punches that hit his head, the small child crying out in pain and wailing to Kagome about how Inuyasha was hurting him. Kagome turned towards the half-demon, expression contorting into anger. The half-demon started to panic, raising his hands up. "W-Wait, Kagome! He actually deserved it that-"

"Sit, boy!"

A loud THWACK made it known to everyone who couldn't see that Inuyasha had received another daily dose of punishment. As I watched him push himself off the ground, I came to the conclusion that Kagome might not be as angelic as I previously thought she was. "Damn it all…" Inuyasha spat out some dirt that had gotten into his mouth, wrinkling his nose. "One of these days I'm gonna get you back for this!"

"Hmph!" Kagome sat down on her bike, yellow bag strapped to her back. "Just hurry up and grab Irene. The faster we get to Akebi Village the better. Didn't you guys mention that Myoga said there was a demon there?"

The flea demon made himself known from a spot on my shoulder, speaking up and startling me as I did not know he was there. "That's right! A demon kidnapping and eating villagers! We'll have to explain that sweet little Irene here isn't a demon, but that should be no trouble!"

"Sweet?" I echoed, dumbfounded. I squinted at Myoga, making a face. I've been told several times that I was too nice or empathetic back in my time, but for someone I just met to call me "sweet" was a little… weird. "Define what you mean by that, please."

"Well," Myoga chuckled, jumping off my shoulder and into one of my hands, "by your blood, of course! Also, from what I've seen you're of a rather timid sort aren't you?"

I opened my mouth to argue, only to pause and close it. "I… I think I'm more awkward than timid…?" I scratched the back of my head, ruffling my already messy hair in thought. "I guess you're not wrong, though…"

Inuyasha snorted at the conversation and pushed himself up, stretching and popping his back. "She's as meek as a mouse! It's a wonder how she even had the guts to snap at me when she's too scared to leave Kaede's house without an escort!"

"Hey!" I argued, turning to face him, "It's you guys who won't let me leave by myself! I fully volunteered to wander into the forest by myself, but… but you all won't let me 'cause of the demons…" My voice and retort lost its momentum, knowing with each word I spoke that if I did go by myself I would definitely get eaten alive. I had no means to protect myself, after all, despite what Inuyasha's claims were of me being able to wield a red light.

"Whatever. You already know I'm right." He scoffed, walking over to me. I pouted a little, glaring up at him in stubborn frustration. I didn't want to admit defeat, but he was correct. I watched as he turned around, and I stepped back in surprise when he squatted down with hands held out behind him. Inuyasha looked expectantly over his shoulder, staring at me. "Well? Hurry up and get on! We'd have you riding Kagome's bike, but she said that would probably hurt your lungs again."

I turned to Kagome in shock, stunned to see that she'd have thought so far ahead in consideration of my health. She really was far too kind. Although she did seem to have some sort of grudge against Inuyasha… what with making him face-plant all the time. The young girl nodded at me, smiling encouragingly, and with that I hesitantly stepped forward and climbed onto the half-demon's back. Inuyasha grabbed my legs and hoisted me up as he stood, my arms wrapping around his shoulders instinctively in an attempt to not fall.

Okay, this is weird. I'm not too sure I like this. I know he carried me before, but I was too tired and half-dead to care. And, yeah, he did carry me around the village sometimes when my leg hurt too much to walk on, but this was different. I could breathe and walk now, and though my shoulder still stung it didn't hurt to move as much anymore. I didn't have to lean on anyone now. But this was for travelling to another village; there was no need for him to have to lug me around. He acts mean, but he's still kinda nice…?

Doesn't make this any less awkward.

Pushing his hair out of my face, I held onto his shoulders only to let out a sudden yelp when he started running, leaping into the air without any warning. I flinched and ducked down, terrified we were going to be hit by some tree branches, and watched as his feet touched ground only to continue dashing at an incredibly fast pace. Kagome was even managing to keep up, too, standing on her bike and pedalling away with a determined shout.

Shippō clung to the basket, biting off what was left of his lollipop. The small child was so calm, acting as if he were completely used to this kind of travel. "Hey, guys," I called out, curious about something, "how do you know we're going the right way!?"

"We've travelled by here several times!" Kagome answered, determined to keep the speed of the bike at a pace matching Inuyasha's run. The half-demon leapt into the air again and I ducked when I caught sight of a nearby branch, but soon noticed that even though he jumped at such incredible height he always remained low enough to avoid being hit. Impressive. "Akebi is a neighboring village, after all! It's not like it's our first time passing by it!"

"And at this pace," Inuyasha interrupted, continuing the conversation, "we should get there before sundown!"

Oh. Well then. That works. Huh. I leaned back down, watching as the ground passed by below us, and closed my eyes.

Is this really what my life is now? I thought, biting down on my bottom lip. If this was how my side of the story was going, what would be going on with Maria? I hoped she was okay. I got lucky on my end, but what about her? Was she safe? Surviving? I'll find you… I promise.

I just hope she's in one piece.

…

Demons were terrifying. If I hadn't known that already I would have learned it now after we encountered more than a handful of them. It was as if we had targets painted on our backs, monsters varying from bugs to ogres appearing and trying to eat us alive. With each encounter I had to hold on to Inuyasha for dear life, praying he wouldn't drop me as he slashed at the demons with his bare hands, his long sharp nails raking through their flesh with ease. Occasionally, if a stronger than average demon appeared, he would unsheathe his sword- which would then transform into a much larger blade that was curved like a fang, and was adorned with a fur handle.

Despite its size he managed to wield it with one hand, keeping a firm hold of me with only his singular arm, and sliced the demons to bit. Kagome would even sometimes pitch it, hitting the demons with surprising accuracy as she shot arrows at them. I felt totally useless as they protected me, and could only watch from my spot on the half-demon's back as they cleared horde after horde of demons. When things got particularly gory and I got scared of the blood and guts, or was terrified of getting hit as Inuyasha rushed into battle, I buried my face in his shoulder and hair.

Landing on the ground after about the twentieth battle Inuyasha sheathed his sword and flexed his arm, cracking his neck. He looked back at me. "You okay? You're shaking."

"I-I'm fine." I stammered, voice cracking a little as I looked at the corpse on the ground. "Th-Thanks."

He raised an eyebrow, not believing me. Kagome rode up in her bike, concern in her gaze. "Maybe we should take a break? We've been running for a while now."

"You serious, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, turning to look at her. "It's only been a few hours! We can still move."

"Maybe, but Irene isn't used to this way of life yet." Shippō nodded in agreement at her words. I refused to look at any of them, feeling a little ashamed of myself. "I think she could use a rest."

"Ugh. Alright. Here." The half-demon knelt down, trying to set me on my feet. I jolted, alarmed, and shook my head vehemently.

"N-No, it's fine! It's fine! W-We can keep going."

"Just shut up and get off of me, already! You're trembling like a leaf!" Urk. Okay. Fingers tightening their hold on his kimono for a moment, I reluctantly let go and set my feet on the ground. My legs almost gave out on me and I yelped, grabbing onto the half-demon's arm to catch myself. "Seriously? You can't even walk!"

"I-I'm sorry!" I flinched. "I'm sorry."

"Will you stop apologizing!? I told you how annoying that is!"

Shippō bounded forward, calling out to Inuyasha. "Quit yelling at her! Haven't you figured out she's shy?"

Inuyasha scoffed at that. "Bullshit. She's a wimp, but she isn't shy. Once we figure out how to get her to use that weird power of hers she'll toughen up."

"I don't have any powers." I grumbled, letting go of his arm and sitting down on the ground. My leg ached, and I shifted a little so that I could place a hand gingerly over the bandage. I said that line so many times, and yet Kaede's words still nagged at me. The summoning spell needed someone with a power similar to that of the summoner in order for it to work, but as far as I can remember I was the only one who touched the pentagram. I was also a rebound, so the burn on my leg is the only explanation as to why I can even understand what anyone is saying to me and why I'm able to talk back to them.

I was left so conflicted by everything.

A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts and I jumped, looking up at Kagome in alarm. She gave an apologetic look and said, "I'm going to go look for some herbs. Stay here with Shippō, okay? He'll keep you safe if anymore demons show up." The young teen glanced at the corpse across from us, a disgusted look forming on her pretty features. "Inuyasha! Can you get rid of that!? I don't want to eat next to a dead body."

"What?" The half-demon had already sat down against a tree, hands in his sleeves and legs crossed. "We ate in the middle of several battlegrounds before! What's wrong with one little demon?"

"Little? That thing's huge! I'm sorry, but Irene and I are not as immune to these things as you are!" It was a little weird having Kagome speak for me when she didn't know me that well, but I had to agree with her. I don't think I could eat anything with that demon and its entrails just lying there.

The half-demon rolled his eyes, grouchily standing back up. "Jeez, alright already! I'm going. You're such a pain."

"Oh, I am, am I?" Kagome placed her hands on her hips, leaning over and glaring at me. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm a lady of good taste!" Inuyasha snorted at that. "What's so funny!? It's true!"

"You wish." He walked over, picking up the top half of the demon he killed. I cringed and quickly looked away, unable to watch as more of its insides started to spill out. Kagome looked away as well, covering her eyes with her hands. "Oh, grow up! It's just a corpse!"

"I'm a demon," Shippō began, scrunching his nose up, "but even I think that's gross. You're really something special, you know that, Inuyasha?"

"I am so done with you all."

Gods, the sounds of the demon's body being moved was near vomit-inducing. I can hear its guts sloshing around, and Inuyasha stepping in all the blood. Whatever appetite I had was totally gone now. Several minutes past and Kagome was nowhere to be seen, having left to wander the forest for plants. Shippō sat in my lap, talking to me about all the good foods Kagome brings with them on their adventures, and how he really liked the ramen they normally ate.

"We sometimes eat fish, too, but since there's no river or stream nearby I think we're gonna have to hunt something. Kagome or Inuyasha normally do that, but Kagome hates skinning it." Oh gods, we're eating game? They're not gonna make me skin it are they? I don't know the first thing about it and I really don't think I could stomach gutting the poor creature. Ew. "Are you okay? You look a little pale… you're not sick, are you?"

"I'm… fine." I choked out, making a face. My stomach was really unhappy. "Just, uh… queasy."

"...Oh, I see. You're like Kagome."

Yeah, sure. Let's go with that.

After a few more minutes Inuyasha returned, a dead rabbit in his hands. "Think this will be good, you guys? It's not a lot, but the ruckus scared away most of the other animals. Kagome can probably shoot down a bird or something."

"I'm up for it!" Shippō exclaimed, leaping out of my land and bounding over to Inuyasha. "You wanna stay here with Irene while I go collect some firewood? Kagome doesn't want her to be left alone."

The half-demon looked at me skeptically, before shrugging. "I guess. Just make it quick."

"Thank you!" With that the fox demon took off. These guys… they really are used to the wild life, huh? How has Kagome been living with all this? Oh right, she can return home whenever she wants. I hoped Maria's situation was better than this one. Maybe she was found by a nice family and she was getting real meals. Inuyasha sat down and flexed his fingers, reaching towards the belly of the rabbit with his sharp nails.

No, not nails. They were… claws, weren't they?

Oh, gross. No, nope. Not doing this. Ew. Ohhh, that poor bunny. I looked away with a cringe, bringing the back of my hand up to my mouth as Inuyasha sliced its stomach open. "Y-You guys… are really used to this, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess." The half-demon responded, not really paying much attention as he gutted the poor creature. "This world is a lot different from the one you and Kagome live in. Here it's kill or be killed, and you have to do whatever is necessary to survive. You guys are lucky I'm here, otherwise you wouldn't make it past morning."

Well, he's certainly confident, isn't he? I don't think he's wrong though. "F-Fair enough."

"Aha~ there we go! Now for the fur."

Please don't narrate. I beg of you. Bushes rustled and a familiar teenager in a school uniform walked out, several plants in her hands. "I found some medicinal herbs! Now if we get any injuries I can use these and save the medicine I brought with me for something more serious. Also found some plants to help season-" Her gaze landed on Inuyasha and the dead rabbit. "-the… food…"

She spun on her heel, facing me instead. Her smile was now strained.

"What do you think? Thyme sound good? We could probably use the oregano to help with your lungs." Um, sure. Okay. "I might be able to brew it into a tea… it's been a while, but it's worth a shot!" She walked over and knelt down, grabbing her large yellow backpack from the bike and setting it on the ground. I blinked, realizing I was still wearing mine, and pulled it off my shoulders. When I looked back at Kagome she was already getting out a tea kettle and bottled waters. "Nothing like some caffeine and herbal medicine to boost the system!"

"R-Right…" I coughed a little, feeling a little wheezing in my chest. It was such a weird and painful feeling, but not one I wasn't used to. "Caffeine… would be nice."

Kagome's gaze flickered up, hearing how breathless I sounded, but didn't say anything about it. She then looked around, realizing we didn't have any wood to start a fire. "Hey, where's Shippō? I thought I told him to stay with you. Did he leave to get firewood?" I nodded, slowly raising a hand to point at Inuyasha. "Asked him to watch you?"

Wow, she's good at charades. I'm impressed. Kagome was a little violent and had a temper, but she wasn't an idiot and was really nice most of the time. She was also very good at archery and fairly skilled in the art of medicine. Compared to me, whose only talents lied in art, music, and terrible puns… I was incredibly inferior. She was also literally the reincarnation of a dead priestess, and as such had holy powers?

For someone who was only fifteen she was a very accomplished teenager.

"Guess I'll study until he gets back then." Kagome sighed. I blinked, confused by her words, and only understood when she pulled out several large textbooks from her backpack. "Just because I come here most of the time doesn't mean I can slack off! I need to graduate middle school."

Okay. Let's add to the list the fact that Kagome is an extremely studious student who doesn't care about the fact that she might possibly die the next day. Wow.

…

By the time Shippō returned the rabbit was already gutted and skinned, and ready to be cooked. Kagome boiled tea and Inuyasha roasted the rabbit, and by the time it was seasoned and ready to be eaten my appetite had finally returned. I was a little reluctant to eat it, wondering if it was safe and if there would be any diseases caught from eating wild game like this, but everyone else was munching down without hesitation. I took my first bite.

I chewed slowly, the flavor spreading along my tongue, and found that while it tasted a lot like chicken it was also rather dry. The meat was also quite tough. "It's… It's good." I stated in surprise, stunned. Kagome smiled at me, amused by my reaction.

"What did I tell you? The process is a little nasty, but the long walks and travelling makes it taste a little better than usual." Makes sense. The Kagome added to it to increase the flavor helped a lot, too. I reached down and picked up a small cup of the tea Kagome poured me, blowing on the hot liquid and taking a sip.

"It's so good~." I love tea. Floral tea was my favorite, but this wasn't too bad either. "Thank you for the food! And… literally everything else."

Kagome giggled and Shippo shook his head with a small smile. Inuyasha acted like he didn't care. After we finished eating Kagome showed me what several of the herbs she picked were, telling about their different uses, and packed them up. After she picked up her bike and I climbed back onto Inuyasha's back, we continued on our way to Akebi Village. There weren't as many demon encounters as there were the first half of the way, but we still ran into two or three until we actually made it to the village. We barely made it before the sun set.

"If only Miroku was here," Kagome lamented, sighing as she parked her bike near a tree. "He could trick someone into letting us stay the night. A warm bath and a real bed… that would be nice." So this is why she was so okay with lying to get my medicine; Miroku is the bad influence. It all makes sense now.

Now, who exactly this Miroku was I still had no idea, but it made me a little worried to meet him. I followed closely behind Kagome as we made our way into the village, clinging onto her sleeve like a small child.

"Ya'll are weak." Inuyasha insulted as he set me down on the ground. "There's nothing wrong with sleeping on grass."

"Bugs." I pointed out ducking my head down as we made our way into the village. Hopefully no one sees me, because I do not want another arrow in the shoulder. I coughed into my sleeve. "Lots… and lots of bugs."

"Snakes." Kagome continued, making a face at Inuyasha.

"It gets cold really easily." Shippō finished.

"I repeat; you're all weaklings. Anyway, we're here to ask about the demon, right?" Inuyasha looked at us for confirmation. "We should go find the villagers who attacked Irene when she first showed up here. If they've seen her then they might've seen her sister."

"Good point." The female teenager standing next to me agreed. I wasn't too sure about heading into the village with them, still scared about how people might try to attack me again, but I didn't voice my opinion. "We can explain to them about what happened, and they can help us learn more about the demon and Maria."

Explain to them what? That I fell through space and time and wound up near their village? Like they'd believe that. We should have had at least come up with a decent story to tell for when we get confronted. This isn't going to end well at all. Shippō, seeing me still worry, spoke up. "There really isn't anything to worry about. Remember- you have Inuyasha protecting you. He'll scare anyone off with his dog ears."

"Shippō…" The male teen growled, turning to glare at the small fox that had removed himself from the bike basket and was now resting on said half-demon's shoulder. "Do you wanna get hit?"

"Eek!" The fox demon jumped, landing on my shoulder. I winced a little at the small burst of pain, but said nothing. "Irene! Kagome! Inuyasha's threatening me again!"

"Will you two stop it?" Kagome hissed, sending them both a stern glare. "We need to get information about the demon!"

"Demon?" The conversation was interrupted by a stranger's voice. "You mean the one living in the old temple?" We all turned to see who it was. It was an older man, dressed in a dirty orange kimono, his black hair tied up in a top knot. "Are you going after it?"

"And what if I was?" Inuyasha challenged, narrowing his eyes at the man. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"O-Oh, uh nothing. We've been terrorized by the demon for a while now, so I was starting to think we were all going to get killed by it…"

"How long has it been attacking this village?" Kagome questioned. She placed a hand over the one I had on her arm, a gesture that was made to comfort me. I hid behind her, leaning down some so that my face couldn't be seen. I discovered that it was a little difficult using someone as a barrier when they were the same height as you. Curse my five-two stature.

"Only very recently." The man answered grimly, eyes lowering to the ground. "Before, when I was a child, he was satisfied with eating only stray animals… but now he's been taking anyone who so much as walks into the forest and drags them off to the temple to be eaten." His fingers curled into fists, trembling in rage at his sides. "So many have already been taken…"

Why… do I get the feeling that this man was close to one or two of the people who were taken? Something tightened in my chest, my heart aching for the losses the man must have went through. Just how scared did he feel, knowing he might never see the people he cared about again? I hoped that once we get enough information on the demon we could get there in time for Inuyasha and Kagome to save them.

The man raised his head and gestured to a nearby building, voice cracking just a little. "Just yesterday, a young girl named Sachi was taken from our village. She lived in that hut over there with her parents; she was such a sweet child. Never argued, a little timid with the other children… but she loved to help with the farm work. And ever since her kidnapping her parents haven't been able to focus on anything else except finding her." He turned back to look at us, despairing over the situation. "Everyone is now too scared to even think about leaving the village! How are we supposed to make a living if we can't chop wood or hunt in order to feed our families!? If someone doesn't do something… we're all going to die like this!"

Inuyasha stepped forward at those words, a smirk spreading across his face. He pulled his hands out of his sleeves and cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck until several popping noises could be heard. "Then it's a good thing I'm here; I'll slice that pathetic demon in half."

The man's misty eyes went wide with shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Y-You will!? You'll kill the spider demon!?"

S-Spider? Oh no.

"Damn straight!" The half-demon declared, resting a hand on the sword strapped to his hip. "It won't stand a chance against me. And since there's the possibility that it has a shard of the Sacred Jewel I have to kill it."

Ugh, the demon isn't like… big, is it? I can't stop imagining big bulging red eyes and long hairy… legs… and mandibles… a-and… oh gods. I shivered, pulling away from Kagome and rubbing at my arms, goosebumps spreading along my skin in fright. I don't want to do this. Nope. It's bad enough I'm in the village belonging to the people who tried to kill me, but an evil demon spider that wants to eat people? I can't stand bugs; they're disgusting and creepy, and gross.

"Y-You really mean to… Oh, thank goodness! Our prayers have been answered!" The man clapped his hands together, bowing repeatedly to Inuyasha, before running off until he was in the middle of the village. "Everyone! Everyone, can you hear me!? Someone's come to slay the demon! We're going to be saved!"

Hanging doors were pushed aside as people walked out in curiosity, and multiple heads poked out of the windows of many huts. "A slayer? A demon slayer has come!?"

"The spider is going to be destroyed!?"

"Our village is being protected!?"

"What about our families!? Will they return them to us!?"

So many people walked out; I couldn't count them all. People even started showing up from the edge of the village, having heard the commotion as everyone started gathering around and asking questions. They looked so relieved and happy, many villagers started crying when they saw Inuyasha brandish his tetsusaiga and claim how he was going to kill the demon that was terrorizing them. Shippō shook his head at the drama, commenting on how all the praise was going to Inuyasha's head.

"He normally hates all this attention, but if they're complimenting his strength…"

"Come now, Shippō," Kagome laughed, "he is pretty strong. You can't deny that."

"Hey! I'm not denying anything. I'm just saying he's arrogant."

The half-demon's ear twitched upon hearing their conversation and he turned his irritable gaze onto them. "What was that, Shippō!?"

"Eek!" The fox demon squealed and did a flip from on my shoulder, dangling from the collar of my kimono with his little hindpaws pressed against my back for balance. "He's really mad now!"

I raised my eyebrows at that, staring at Shippō like he was being ridiculous. Which he was. He should know that insulting Inuyasha would make him angry; they've literally been arguing the entire time I've known them. Unless Shippō is doing it to make him angry… because that was their kind of friendship. Despite it all, they do seem to be close as whenever one of the demons we encountered went after Shippō Inuyasha wasted no time to rescue him. They acted a little like… brothers, maybe?

Maria and Darian always fought and wrestled when they were younger, and were pretty close now. I guess the dynamic is a little similar to that.

As I was watching them I stood up straight without realizing, and it was then that my eyes caught sight of a familiar kimono. Black orbs met brown and I froze, voice catching in my throat as my heart nearly stopped beating from fright. Memories of blind running and pain rushed through my mind and I stepped back, realizing at once why I recognized that person. Not looking to see what I was doing I reached out to grab Kagome, hand waving through the air until it touched a shoulder.

Kagome blinked, turning her head. "Huh?"

"Irene?" Shippō asked, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"You!" The villager was making his way over, pure and unadulterated rage directed at me forming on his face. It was just like when I first encountered him in the forest; his expression filled with complete loathing and an aura radiating with the thirst for blood. He… He wanted to kill me. Even more than the demons- they just wanted food, but this man… he wanted vengeance. He knew nothing of mercy now. "You're the demon that stole my daughter!"

And he was rushing right at me. Running. A hand raised in the air and aimed clear for my throat, murderous intent filling the air.

"Give her back, damn you!" Kagome's eyes widened and she reached out, ready to pull me out of the way to avoid the attack. Shippō let out a terrified gasp, clinging tightly to my kimono, arms wrapped around my back, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'll kill you!" The man was inches away my throat, but before he could grasp at my neck a fist rammed hard into the villager's face and sent him flying. The man toppled sideways, and would have hit the ground if Inuyasha didn't lunge forward and grab him by the front of his kimono, holding him up so that they were face-to-face. "L-Let go of me! We'll kill all you monsters! You're not our saviors, you're our murderers!"

Inuyasha ignored how the man spat in his face, and instead bared his fangs at the mortal. "Oh, so now I'm the monster!?" He snarled. "Says the guy who just about to hurt an innocent human woman!"

"I-Innocent…?" The man, through his now bruising eyes, looked at me. Shippō was shaking me, trying to get me to snap out of my daze, and Kagome had moved protectively in front of us- her arms held out to the sides. "That's not a human! Neither of you are! You're all demons!"

Inuyasha proceeded to toss the man around a bit unceremoniously, and stopped long enough for him to get another look. "Uh, yeah, she is! Take a good look." He dropped him on the ground, stepping back with a stern glare.

Kagome nodded her head firmly. "That girl isn't a demon, I promise. She's a human, just like you and me."

"Th-Then what's with that weird appearance!? Even you are dressed weirdly!"

"It's… a strange circumstance." Kagome faltered, unsure how to explain. "It's a special style where we're from. We're not from this area, you see? But I mean it when I say Irene wouldn't hurt anyone. When you attacked her she didn't fight back, right? Doesn't that go to show that she's human? Irene is just a foreigner."

The man frowned deeply, reluctantly, but for the first time truly looked at me. After a long moment his eyes widened and shame crossed his features, the man tearing his gaze away. "I… I see. You do… look pretty weak to be a demon."

"She's even injured!" Another villager pointed out, seeing my limp. I wanted to make a comment about I was here and that I didn't need to be spoken about if I was absent, but held my tongue. This wasn't the time. I feel so out of place, though… it's frustrating. I want to voice my thoughts, but I feel like something terrible will happen if I do so. Ugh. "There's no way she could have taken anyone!"

"Actually," The man stared at Kagome for a few more moments than necessary, "I remember being told about a nearby priestess in odd clothing that lives in a nearby village… you must be her!" The young girl gave an awkward smile and nodded, seeming rather flustered to be called a priestess.

Inuyasha looked quite pleased at their reactions. "Finally. Now you guys get it. About time."

"I'm… I'm so sorry." The man apologized, lowering his head guiltily. "Those injuries came from my hunting party, didn't it? I… shouldn't have attacked you. We were so panicked a-and I couldn't think straight. I was so scared of my own family being taken and then yesterday… it actually happened. Please, forgive me."

Oh, no. No, no, no. Don't do this. Please don't make me feel bad for hating you. You attacked me and haunted my dreams most nights; I do not want to feel sympathy or empathy for you. You are a jerk who attacked and tried to kill me, and if it wasn't for Inuyasha I would have bled out and died. I will not accept the fact that you were scared for your family and friends, and that… that's the reason why… why you…

My lips curled back and I choked, gripping my sleeves tightly as I shook my head. "Th-There's… nothing to apologize for. I-I get it. Makes sense."

The man looked up, surprised by my response. "Truly!? You're not mad?"

Head facing the ground, I gave a weak shrug. My voice was barely above a whisper. "How could I be?" My own sister was missing. Oh, that's right! I pulled the picture out of my pocket, unfolding it and holding it out for the man to see. "H-Have you seen this woman? I-I've been looking everywhere for her, but I can't find her."

The man stood, walking up to get a good look at the photo. Though I had forgiven him I was still scared, and it took all my willpower not to back away and hide behind Inuyasha. "That's… another foreigner, right? Such a strange visage. I've never seen hair of that color- well, except on your little friend there."

Shippō, surprised the man didn't think him a demon despite his own strange features, looked away semi-nervously. "Yeah, well, I'm, uh, not from around here either. And don't let Inuyasha fool you- he's only half demon."

"Half-? Oh. I see." The man seemed to relax at that, clearly having been worried about the silver hair and dog ears. Inuyasha's eye twitched. "Hmm… yeah. I'm sorry, but I haven't seen anyone like that. She is quite the beauty; I'd definitely remember if I encountered her. What about you guys?" He turned to the rest of the village. One-by-one villagers stepped up to observe the portrait Shippō drew of Maria, and each one said they had no clue where or who she was. Disappointment washed over me, defeat beginning to settle in as I slumped over, and I stuffed the drawing in my pocket.

"Okay… thanks, anyway…" It wasn't as if I didn't expect it; it just hurts when your worst fears came true and your anxiety is proven the winner.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed loudly. "We finally find the place and there's nothing on your sister. What a waste of time."

"Hey, don't say that!" Kagome scolded. "At least we've got a lead on the demon. If it's not too much trouble, could one of you tell us where it is and how to get to it?"

"Oh, of course! It's at the end of the village past the rocky expanse. Please, help my daughter… and save our village." The young girl gave a small smile at them.

"We'll do our best." She looked at us, "Should we head out now, then?"

"No, wait!" The man called out, stopping us before we could get ready to leave. "We haven't seen your sister, but an old man came by the other day and has been staying with us since. He's a traveler like you and has all sorts of helpful stories. Maybe you'll find one that can help you? If you go to the pond at the edge of our village you'll see him. His name is Kakuju."

"Kakuju?" I echoed, attempting to memorize the name. It was so different compared to all the others I've heard. The tiniest bit of hope began to build back up inside me, but I quickly quashed it as the chance of him actually knowing anything was slim. "Really?"

"Yes. If you follow this path," The man gestured to the northern road, "you'll come across a lumberjack's hut. Beyond that is the pond where Kakuju likes to spend most of his time. I'm sure if you ask about that woman he'll be willing to give you any information he has." I looked in the direction the man was pointing, heart picking up pace as I allowed myself to believe- if only for a moment- that I had a lead. That I would know where to start looking for my sister.

Maria…

If this Kakuju knows even the smallest detail about where she could be…

I needed to know.

I looked at Kagome and Inuyasha pleadingly, anxious and scared about several things. Would it be alright for us to go find Kakuju? What if they just wanted to head to the temple? Would they get annoyed at me for asking? They've already done so much to help me… I felt like such a menace. I lifted a hand up in the air, but faltered and lowered it to my chest. I need… I need to talk to that traveler. I can't back down now. I have to do this.

Social anxiety can go hurl itself off into nothingness; I have a sister to save.

"C-Can we go-"

"What're we waiting for?" Kagome asked, looking at her companions and cutting me off. She smiled, and then she turned to me. "Let's go find that old man. Come on, Irene."

Oh. Right. Of course. Kagome is kind.

A weight in my arms snapped me out of my thoughts, Shippō having jumped up onto me. "This is great! We finally have a good lead! We might finally figure out what happened to Maria!"

"Y-Yeah…" I smiled weakly, feeling rather lightheaded. All the excitement and fear has made my heart race so much my lungs struggled to keep up with it. "Let's… lets go find that, uh, Kakuju." I faced the villagers, giving them a bright grin, and hugged Shippō a little tighter. "Th-Thank you!"

One of the many women smiled back at me, and the man nodded. A few of the other villagers were whispering, wondering why there were foreigners in their land, and others were questioning if it was alright to let me and the group- who looked so very suspicious- leave. I looked at Inuyasha and Kagome, opening and closing my mouth a few times as I struggled to figure out how to say what I wanted to ask, and faltered when I saw how they were looking at me.

"Wh-What?" Kagome looked both amused and relieved, while Inuyasha was just smirking. "What is it?" The middle schooler shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. Come on- the northern road, right?"

Inuyasha laced his hands behind his head, walking past her, Shippō, and myself. "I can smell the pond water; it's not far. This way."

My feet were moving before my mind even registered what I was doing. We were so close… weren't we? If the man did know anything about her I'd know where to start looking. Where to find her. My lungs began to burn inside my chest as I quickened my pace to catch up with Inuyasha who was already so far ahead, my head throbbing as a small dizzy spell washed over me. The bag on my back felt like it weighed several more pounds than it did and pulled at my shoulders, hurting them.

I barely even noticed when Kagome walked up beside me and placed a hand on my waist, her other hand grabbing onto my arm to help me keep balance. Inuyasha came to an abrupt stop and sniffed the air for a moment, before looking around. Several huts could be seen, but only one resembled the description the man gave us. "There! Pond's in this direction!"

Maria… please… be safe.

Inuyasha charged ahead, breaking out into a run and vanishing through the foliage ahead. Kagome shouted after him, but it fell on deaf ears. "That stupid Inuyasha!" Shippō scowled, leaping out of my arms and landing on the ground. "He's always going on by himself! Get back here!"

The fox demon bounded forward, trying to catch up with his friend. "Sh-Shippō-!" I started to call out, but only wound up collapsing into a fit of coughs. Kagome caught me before I could fall and helped pull the heavy bag off my shoulders, effectively alleviating some of the pain. "G… Gone. B-Both… gone." I wheezed, coughing hard into my elbow. Kagome rubbed my back, and then turned her gaze towards the area where her friends vanished.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. We're in a village, after all. These kinds of places are normally safe." I finally managed to stop coughing, though I was still breathing heavily and struggling to regulate my oxygen levels. "The excitement must have gotten to you, huh? I'm sorry…"

"S… S'fine." I gasped, shaking my head. My head hurt so much- and my chest… it felt as though it were on fire. "Can… keep moving."

"You shouldn't push yourself." She told me, voice taking on a motherly tone. Funny, considering how much older I am then her. Although, if we go by time travel logic she is by all means older than me. It's rather ridiculous that while I am biologically an adult and she a child, she's still my elder because of our different time zones. "Rest."

No. I pulled away from her hold and forced myself up onto my knees, swaying a little. Some of my breath had returned, and even if I don't really remember anything that happens in the next few minutes because of the low O-2 levels someone can just recount what happened for me. "Need… to find…" Slowly. Not so fast. I stood cautiously, arms out to catch myself. "Need to find… M-Maria. Kakuju… knows. Sh-Should know."

What were words again? I can't think.

Kagome made a frustrated face and picked up the backpack, slinging it over her shoulders, and walked over. Instead of pushing me down and forcing me to take a minute to collect myself, she helped support my body. "I know you're scared and worried, and… so many other things, Irene. But you're a lot weaker here than in your own time. We have to be even more careful than usual."

I know. I'm sorry. But she's out there alone in a world full of demons and bandits, and people who would probably want to use and sell her for her pretty face and foreign features. I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I know she can handle herself, I know she could probably survive on her own, but my anxiety won't let me rest. I have to see her myself; to hear her voice and feel the warmth of her hugs. I want my big sister back, and so help me gods I am going to find her.

I am terrified, Kagome. But we've come this far and I'm not backing down now. My eyes flickered over to meet Kagome's own brown orbs, milk chocolate vs coffee bean brown. "We are finding her."

"...I know." She lowered her head, thinking for a moment, before nodding. "Alright. Let's go hurry and meet up with the others. I'll walk with you."

A relieved, shaky grin crossed my face. "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me. I'm still upset." Oh. Right. Sorry. I made a face, trying not to focus on the big wave of guilt trying to drown me. Moving slowly enough to not aggravate my lungs and still able to keep a decent pace, we headed in the direction the boys left off. "Where'd they go?" She looked around, a deep look of concentration on her face. "Idiots… okay. Let's try over there."

My feet moved along sluggishly as Kagome began to walk, my eyes lowered to the ground, attention focused solely on making my legs move. I had to keep moving. I can't stop. I need to be smart about how I go about this search… I have to limit my actions. When the sound of gentle waves reached my ears I raised my head, looking up to see a beautiful pond surrounded by forest foliage. Shippō and Inuyasha were arguing at the edge of it, an old man dressed in blue beside them. It resembled Kaede's own priestess attire, actually. The thing that really caught my attention was the large purple beads draped around his neck.

The man lowered his hands, clearly having been trying to calm the two children down, and turned his head ever-so-slightly in mine and Kagome's direction. "Oh my. You, girls… who are you?"

Inuyasha and Shippō stopped and turned to us, Inuyasha gripping Shippō's tail tightly in one hand and dangling him away from him, while the fox demon paused in his struggle to attack the half-demon. "How do you know they're girls? I thought you were blind!"

"I am," The man confirmed, nodding his head. He tapped the ground with his can and turned, facing us completely and… seeming to look directly at me. "But I can still sense the spiritual energy and power coming from others. For instance, though I can't see what you look like, I know you and your little friend are both of demonic heritage."

"I don't get it." Shippō stated, falling from the half-demon's grip and doing a flip in the air before landing on his hindpaws. "You can tell they're girls just from their spiritual energy?"

"It takes years of practice. Not many can tell."

"Sounds like a load of bullcrap to me." Inuyasha scoffed. He folded his hands into his kimono sleeves. "Whatever. Anyway, the wimp is Irene. The other girl is Kagome."

Kagome made a face at him. "I can introduce myself, you know! Take the wonder out of everything, why don't you?"

"Hey! I was just doin' the old man a favor by getting the introductions done and over with!"

I'm almost offended that Inuyasha kept calling me things like "pathetic" and "wimp", but at this moment it wasn't like he was wrong. He was always being forced to be my nanny and carry me around everywhere. Inuyasha even had to fight with me stuck on his back on the way here. I was pretty useless. I could barely walk by myself.

The sound of a cane and feet tapping against the ground caught my attention and I looked up, seeing the elder walking over to us. He stopped a few feet away, gaze not quite on me- as if he was looking through me, rather than just not being able to actually see me. "Such rare usage of the Shikigami…" He mused, humming. "And yet… not as active as it should be. It's been locked away."

"Wh...What?" I didn't understand any of that. Kagome stopped arguing and whipped her head up sharply, alarmed by the man's words. Inuyasha stepped ahead, wasting no time in moving in front of us protectively and hiding Kagome from view with his arm. The sudden gust of wind and Inuyasha's random appearance almost had me stumbling back.

"What are you jabbering on about, old man? Are you Kakuju?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him, ears twitching and listening to all the sounds around us- whether it be the rustling of the tree leaves or the gentle waves from the fish in the pond. "We have some questions for you!"

"Questions?" The old man echoed, thinking over the half-demon's words. "Ah, I see. Is it about the power your friend possesses?"

"You said "Shikigami"." Kagome pointed out, looking a little scared. "It's not the same Shikigami that the dark priestess Tsubaki used, is it?"

Inuyasha's gaze turned sharply to me, realization lighting up in his amber eyes. Without warning he jumped back, pointing at me triumphantly as he loudly declared, "I knew it! I freaking knew it! I thought that red light looked familiar! It's because you have Shikigami powers like Tsubaki and those two shrine girls!"

"Wait, wait." Shippō spoke up, holding his hands in the air. "I'm confused. Aren't the two types of Shikigami different? Tsubaki used curses and the other girls… they had those little paper dolls. Wouldn't Irene be more like the red and white priestesses?"

How about you all wait a moment? Seriously. "What the heck is Shikigami?" And didn't we already have this conversation? How many times do I have to tell them I'm a normal human being? I know what Kaede said, but… I still don't accept it. It just doesn't make sense to me; it's not logical.

"It's a spiritual power that exists in all creatures of the universe, but wielded only be a rare few." Kakuju explained, smiling kindly. The fact that, despite his blindness, he was still technically looking in my direction bothered me a little. Could he only really see me because of the whole aura thing? This world is insane. "The Shikigami your friends speak about are only a few other forms of the power. It is common, yes, to share the same type, but there are those like the dark priestesses who rely on another version of it. You yourself have only just awakened your powers, unable to use them to their fullest potential."

"Wait…" My head was starting to hurt again. "So you have… curses and doll control?"

"There are Shikigami that are used for good fortune charms, protection amulets, and more. It solely depends on the user and the strength of their heart. Even rarer wielders of Shikigami can call forth animal spirits to help them."

Ah. Okay. This sounds an awful lot like Onmyōji. We're getting into Fire Emblem territory here.

"As such," The old man turned his head, looking in the direction of Shippō and Inuyasha, "we can not assume that this young woman's abilities are the same as those you've encountered before. Her talents may lie in any of what I have listed."

Actually, hold on, if this is actually similar to traditional onmyōji then… "Can't the spirits rebel?

I don't want that kind of power. I shouldn't even have that kind of power. This is ridiculous. This entire conversation is stupid. I watched as Kakuju's expression changed, the elder looking rather surprised at my question. "Why… yes. Some Shikigami resent their masters by forcing them to do their bidding, while others can grow to despise the way they are treated. As such they will try to overwhelm their caster and attack them. It's a risky practice as not only do you have to be careful with how you treat the ones you call to your aid, but maintaining their form for extended periods of time drains one's energy."

Oh, lovely. What a backstabbing power. Am I really supposed to believe all this?

If I have to maintain their form… then what was the red light I saw when I first showed up in this time? I remember a lot of pain as I was falling through the weird space/time vortex, as if everything was trying to simultaneously crush and tear me to bits, before something… wrapped around me? What was it? An animal spirit or… a protection barrier charm thing? A spirit seems more likely, but how would I have summoned it? What was the thing that destroyed the demon? This is a mess.

"When you were in danger," Kakuju began, as if sensing my confusion and inner turmoil, "what was it you called out? What did you think?" His voice was quiet, an edge to it that left me feeling quite unnerved. "You were praying desperately for your survival… perhaps even for the pain to stop… and then something happened. A creature came to your rescue. Not by order, but by choice."

My head snapped up and I looked at him with wide eyes, pulling away from Kagome just a little bit. How does this old man know anything about what happened? Which instant was he referring to? Did he know when I arrived in this place, leg burned and body aching, or was he there when the villagers and demon attacked- causing me to nearly bleed to death? I still wasn't entirely certain if I bought this old man's story, but he was sounding exactly like Kaede and the silver haired half-demon.

"H-How…?" I began, only to trail off. So many inquiries littered my tongue that none could come out. Every answer led to more questions, and the list was boundless. Who was this man? Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at Kakuju, stepping forward defensively and ready to attack.

"How would you know?" He demanded.

"I wonder…" Kakuju chuckled, unperturbed by the threat in the younger boy's voice. Inuyasha, sensing no danger from the man, cautiously lowered his hand before turning his head up with a scoff, hands in his kimono sleeves. Was that pose really all that comfortable? Then again, what do I know?

"Weird old man." Inuyasha muttered. Kagome looked at me for a long moment, before focusing her gaze on Kakuju.

"So, let me get this straight… you think Irene has the power of the Shikigami?"

"I know she has the power." Kakuju corrected, amused, and then looked back at me. "In fact, if you would like, I could teach you how to use it. Your powers are lying dormant at the moment, but awakening them is a simple task."

This is… This is not happening. This can't be happening. I don't have any abilities; if I did shouldn't I have noticed it growing up? Even if they were were dormant I would have figured out something strange was going on. This is unrealistic. Illogical. Total nonsense. Of course, so was the fact that I time travelled into a feudal Japan filled with demons… ugh. I stood there in silence, utterly trapped in the conflict of my own understanding of reality and the knowledge that I had somehow transcended time, desperate to keep the smallest piece of normality yet realizing that if there was something I could do that would be helpful I should take that chance.

I don't… I don't know what I should do. I can't make this decision. I…

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Inuyasha's loud voice broke through the quiet. I looked up at the half-demon, eyes wide and startled. "You should accept it! This way you can protect yourself and I can say "I told you so"!"

I… I suppose… he isn't wrong.

My eyes met Kagome's hesitant ones and I lowered my head. Shikigami sounded incredibly dangerous; the gang made it sound like they encountered people who used curses and paper dolls before. Not to mention that if I treated the Shikigami spirits wrongly they would… revolt and attack me. But then- why did they protect me before? If it was actually Shikigami.

"Irene…" Shippō's eyebrows furrowed, looking up with concerned green eyes. He raised his head up to stare at Kagome. "It's okay, isn't it? She can help us fight off the demons and when we find her sister she can help protect her!"

Me protecting Maria…? It's always been the other way around.

"I-I know that." Kagome muttered, turning away. "I just… no. It's fine. Irene, you should learn from Kakuju." She took a deep breath, looked into eyes, and smiled. "I trust you. You're nothing at all like Tsubaki, so there's no reason for me to compare you two together. I'm sorry."

She doesn't think I'll lose control? She doesn't think I'll fall to darkness? We just met; why is she saying she trusts me so much? I still don't fully understand why she's helping me. But… Inuyasha was right. In this world of death and destruction I needed to be able to defend myself. If I can't physically fight then… why not befriend the spirits I'd be potentially asking to battle on my behalf?

"...O-Okay." My voice was barely loud enough to be heard. "I'll… do it. Thanks."

I don't really want to but given my current situation, I have no choice but to try and accept it. If it can help me to survive and to find my sister… I need to do this. I doubt I'll have the strength or power to protect anyone, but if I can do something to be useful… that's enough. I slowly raised my head up to look at Kakuju, despite knowing he couldn't really see me.

"How… do we awaken them?"

Kakuju stepped forward, carefully using the cane to guide him, and stopped directly in front of me and Kagome. He extended a hand out towards me, "If you're truly earnest about learning how to wield the powers of the Shikigami step forward and take my hand."

What? Oh, this sounds weird. I don't like this. I glanced at my new companions one more time, gaze resting on the fox demon I called a friend. Though he was a child and behaved as such, Shippō was a demon and that meant he was probably much older than anyone else here. His opinion would settle this.

"Take his hand, Irene!" He encouraged, eyes sparkling hopefully. "We're right here with you!"

Well frick. Okay. Yeah. Ugh, this is sounding so cheesy. Welp, magical girl time I guess. Pulling away from Kagome completely I limped over until I was completely in front of Kakuju, hesitantly taking his hand in mine. Kakuju smiled kindly and said, "Close your eyes." This only served to make me more uncomfortable, but I did as told. I felt a little silly doing all this, especially since we didn't really know the man.

I was wanting information on my sister, after all, not superpowers.

We stood there in silence for a long moment, long enough to where I was starting to wonder if the dude was a creep after all and if I should step back, when suddenly there was a warmth. It spread throughout my body, getting stronger with every passing second, and through my eyelids I could almost see the bright light surrounding me. Opening my eyes I was stunned to see that I was actually encased in a flame, but there was no pain. And because there was no pain I didn't panic. I simply watched in awe as the light flickered and danced around me before fading away.

"Your body lit up!" Shippō exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Is that your version of the Shikigami!?"

"No, no, no." Kakuju chuckled, releasing my hand and taking several steps back. "We merely awakened her powers. She still needs to learn how to use them."

I did feel strangely… lighter now. I raised a hand and pressed it to my chest, right over where my heart was. The organ beat in a fast pace tempo, trying its best to keep the oxygen flow going, but every breath I took I could physically feel the wheezing in my lungs. It hurt, but something inside of me… inside of my heart… felt free. As if a bird had just been released from its cage and was able to fly around as much as it liked.

It was a weird feeling.

"Irene," The old man's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "do you see that rock over there?"

He didn't gesture or anything, merely asking a question. I blinked a few times and looked around the area, trying to see what rock he could possibly be talking about when I saw it. A large boulder, a dark green color, sparkling in the sunlight and reflecting beautifully in the pond's clear surface.

"That is Serpentine Rock. It reacts to the power of the Shikigami; if I am correct about the nature of your power you should be able to use the Shikigami and break it. Go ahead and try it."

Wait, seriously? He isn't even going to give me any instructions as to how to do it? What the heck? I shook my head, running my fingers through my bangs exasperatedly, before awkwardly walking over to the rock and sitting down. How was I supposed to break this thing? He said something about how I had been desperately praying for survival, and that I had wanted the pain to stop… so…

Should I imagine the rock breaking?

I feel ridiculous.

Why is this happening? I rested my palm against the large sparkling rock, wondering how to go about this. Maybe… remember the warmth from the flame? It started from inside my body before gradually shifting outwards, so perhaps… if I think about it that way and try to concentrate on the image of the rock breaking, then-

"Whoa!" I jolted, recoiling back when red light sparked out of my fingertips, spreading out across the rocks surface and making it glow crimson. Slowly but surely, the large stone began to crack and crumble into several pieces. "Wh… What?"

That… That actually just happened. Did I make that happen? How? What?

"You did it!" Shippō exclaimed, bounding over to observe my handiwork. He proceeded to climb up my good arm until he was on my shoulder, a tiny hand on the top of my head. "That's awesome!"

"I told you that you had powers." Inuyasha grinned, looking quite smug of himself as he placed a hand on his hip. "Should've listened to me from the beginning."

"Wow…" Kagome gasped. "You actually made it break."

Kakuju appeared amused by everyone's awe. I sat there for a few more long seconds, staring at the rock and then at my hand as I tried to figure out what exactly it was that I did. Like, I know what I was doing but at the same time it felt like I didn't? It was confusing. "So," The old man began, not quite looking at me even though he moved to face my direction, "do you think you've learned how to use the Shikigami?"

"I… I guess…?" I stammered, eyebrows knitting together as I turned my attention away from my apparently magical hand. "Maybe."

He chuckled at my uncertainty. "It's simple so long as you understand the trick, but the real test will be putting the power to actual use. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

His words made sense, especially since I had just learned how to activate it, but it was fairly obvious so I didn't care to pay much attention. I was still too busy freaking out over my new abilities and was trying to figure out how to make the flickering lights appear again. After enough concentration and internal monologue a red light appeared beneath me this time in the shape of a star, a red flame shooting out of my palm. It tried to take the shape of some kind of creature, but dissipated before it was able to finish.

I let out a startled yelp and almost fell back. "What the-!? Frick! D-Did you guys see that!?" I sat up quickly and whirled around, holding my hand out for the gang to see. Kagome brought a hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me. "I-I made a flame!"

"Yeah, yeah, congrats." The half-demon said, "Just remember you're still liable to get eaten by demons."

A movement on my back brought my attention to Shippō, who was sticking his tongue out at Inuyasha, the fox demon putting most of his weight on the back of my head. "You're just jealous that you don't have the power of the Shikigami!"

"Che. You wish. I can take down any demons with my tetsusaiga." I stared at them blankly, not understanding until Inuyasha patted the sword strapped to his hip.

He… named his sword? Really? I shouldn't be surprised at this. A thought then hit me and I found myself scrambling up onto my feet, pushing all thoughts about Shikigami to the recesses of my mind, and limped over to Kakuju. "W-Wait! Question! Super important question!"

Inuyasha and Shippō stopped bickering, and Kagome looked at me. Kakuju hummed, lacing his hands together behind his back. "Yes? What is it?"

"H-Have…" Ah, frick. Now I'm the center of attention again. Urgh. I bit my lip and stammered for a few seconds, unsure of how to phrase the question. "H… Have you heard anything about a foreigner? I-I know you can't really… see… but she probably sounds a lot like me? A lower voice, but… if people were talking about her they'd probably describe her with light colored hair and green-blue eyes? Tall and pretty? Most likely would mistake her as a demon. Sh-She's my big sister."

"A… foreigner? Ah, that explains your accent." I actually sounded different from everyone else? To my ears it sounded like I was speaking their language just fine. Of course that was only a given considering I wasn't actually from here- I guess the rebound only did so much in helping me speak and understand everyone. Kakuju continued, an apologetic expression on his face. "No, I'm afraid I haven't heard anything about a young woman by that description. If I do find out anything about her I'll be sure to let you know. I'm so sorry."

"Oh…" My shoulders slumped in disappointment, and I could feel Shippō press a hand to my cheek as if to try and comfort me. The way he did it actually reminded me a little of a cat, the way they would press a paw to your face sometimes when you held them. "It's… It's fine. So you haven't even heard the name "Maria"?"

"No…"

"Irene…" Shippō sounded saddened by the news, and out of anyone else here he was really the only who understand how much I was actually hurting. Determined not to let my feelings show anymore than they already have I faked a grin and waved off Kakuju's words, laughing when I deemed it necessary.

"Okay. I was just curious, so… you know. Hehe. I'll find her eventually. Thanks for the help!" I rubbed the palm of my right hand, thumb pressing against the spot where a cyst used to be a year ago. It's become a nervous tick of mine, and one I've had trouble getting rid of. "It's appreciated!"

I could feel the stares on me from the back, and it took all my willpower not to tense up when Kagome rested a hand on my shoulder. She leaned down, voice a whisper as she asked, "Are you really sure it's okay…?"

A shrug was my only answer. The emotions building up were quickly forced down, pushed into an abyss that would not be easily accessed. "It's fine. We need to… find the spider, right?" An image of hairy legs and several beady eyes came into mind and I shivered, cringing at the thought. I've had so many nightmares in the past about being eaten alive by a giant spider; I can't stand them. "L-let's just… focus on that."

"Well, yeah, but…" Kagome trailed off, uncertain of how to speak what she was thinking. She pulled her hand away, cradling it to her chest, and frowned. "Okay. Yeah. It's… getting late, so we should find a place to stay. Get a head start on the temple tomorrow."

"Sounds like a good idea." Shippō agreed, "We won't get very far with all those demons in the way once night hits."

I looked at them, eyebrows furrowing. What they said made sense, but shouldn't we hurry now that we knew where the temple was? The more time wasted meant the more likely everyone in the temple were to be eaten.

"Please," Inuyasha huffed, "we all know I'm more than capable of killing them all."

"Maybe," She told him, "but all that fighting will wear you out! We should save our strength for the spider demon."

And so our first night was spent not looking for the temple or my sister, but inside a young family's hut. I didn't get much sleep, too busy thinking and feeling guilty, and tried to practice summoning some of the Shikigami. Shippō attempted to help me with it, showing me some of his fox fire magic, and joked about how similar our flames looked. I gave a weak smile, but found it hard to bring myself to act cheerful. I hurt so much.

But… I finally had a lead; a horrible, disastrous lead that could bring me to some very traumatizing and despairing realizations… yet a lead nonetheless. I finally managed to get a fairly decent sized flame to appear with some of Shippō's instructions- not that he was able to make a very big flame himself- and by then we decided it would be good to turn in for the night. Kagome and I were given a place separate from Shippō and Inuyasha to sleep, and as I got comfortable on the small futon I was given I looked at the teenager thoughtfully.

"Inuyasha is a half-demon… right? And Shippō and Myoga are full demons?" This was all still so confusing. "Is there, like, a reason Inuyasha's so grumpy all the time? He throws a fit every time someone brings it up."

Kagome shifted, pulling her blanket over herself and staring up at the ceiling with sad eyes. "Well… I mean, he's had a pretty rough life. He's neither human nor demon, and had to put up with a lot of terrible things in the past because of it. He doesn't really belong in either world. His mother was human, but while he hates that he still loves her. I think it's his dad that makes accepting himself as a half-demon even more difficult, to be honest…"

"Yeah?" That piqued my curiosity. I was never very good at reading people; even if a person was very expressive I still found them difficult to understand. The ones that freaked me out the most was the people who barely showed emotion; it always spiked my anxiety to a whole other level because I had no idea if my talking bothered them or not. Inuyasha was especially complicated, though, because of his hot-and-cold behavior. "Who was his dad?"

I tried to picture what the person looked like, but my knowledge of demons was still a bit… underdeveloped. I was still trying to figure out how demons and humans were able to have children together. Shouldn't the biology be completely different? What if a demon has two hearts and tries to mate with a human that has one heart? It shouldn't work; I don't think. Or is all demon anatomy the same as a human's? Could a demon shift its form enough to match the biology of that of a human to have a child? That wouldn't make much sense either; it would have to shift on a genetic level.

Unless it was only the demons that looked like humans that could have children with them. I've seen plenty of ugly-looking demons since arriving here and the only humanoid-appearing demons I've seen so far are Shippō and Myoga, and Myoga doesn't really count since he's not even a few inches tall.

Oh gods, why am I even thinking about this? My head is killing me. The logic is nowhere in this! How can a demon even have children with a human? Does it even matter how many organs they have in order to have a kid with someone that's literally a different species than you? I'm confused.

"He was this great dog demon general- or so I'm told. Inuyasha never knew him, but he's constantly trying to surpass him. It's a little heartbreaking… but I can understand it. His father was powerful and he wants to be powerful, too." Kagome yawned, stretching her legs out before settling down against her pillow. "Anyway, I'm tired… and we have a big day tomorrow. We should get some sleep. Goodnight, Irene."

"Y-Yeah…" Right. "Good night…"

Needless to say… it was not a good night. I was awake most of the time, tossing and turning, and when I finally did fall asleep I had nightmares. What they were about I didn't really remember, but they left me fearful of closing my eyes after I awoke from them. I found myself just focusing on Kagome and her sleeping face, trying to calm my frantic heart and rid the horrid thoughts from my mind. The girl looked so peaceful…

It was incredible. I can't imagine anyone being so at ease in this kind of situation, but she just… goes with it. She really was born for this kind of thing, wasn't she? Being reincarnated from a priestess… and now travelling the distant past to try and stop some evil demon. She was smart, brave, intelligent, incredible at archery, and knew a lot about medicinal herbs. Kagome was so amazing and helpful.

And then there was me. Here because of sheer dumb luck.

Even with this Shikigami ability I've been given… I doubted I would last long. If it weren't caused by demons or people that wanted me dead, it would surely done by my own illness. At least the air quality here was great. Maybe I would painlessly pass away in my sleep?

...As if I would be so lucky.

Chapter Text

There was no explaining to the villagers the strange devices I would have to use to breathe in the morning, so Kagome woke everyone up extra early, had us all eat breakfast, and then we left the town. Inuyasha begrudgingly carried me on his back, my bag slung over his right shoulder, complaining loudly about how annoying this was. "Why couldn't she have just used it in the stupid village? All we have to do is tell them what's wrong!"

"And you think they'd understand that so easily?" Kagome countered as she furiously pedaled her bike. Shippō rested casually in the basket. "Normal medicine is one thing, but a machine!? They'd think it witchcraft! We need to get a safe distance away so she can use it!"

"This is stupid!"

"I'm honestly not sure what to think on this matter," Shippō commented, sighing at their arguing, "Humans being so fragile is something I grew up learning, but this is seriously putting it into perspective. The villagers will freak if they see that noise-maker-thingy, but if Irene doesn't use it she'll keel over. What a pain."

"I won't…" I coughed into my shoulder, dizzy. My head rested against Inuyasha's back, eyes watching the hazy scenery fly by. "Not… immediately… Few days… just dizzy."

"Stop yacking and start breathing, damn it." Inuyasha snapped. After enough running and more arguing between the duo, the half-demon skidded to a stop and sniffed the air. Then he looked at Kagome and Shippō, dropping my bag onto the ground. "This place good? I don't smell any nearby demons…"

"I think we're safe." Shippō said, leaping out of Kagome's bike and making his way over as Inuyasha set me on the ground. I was surprised at how gentle he was being, seeing how angry he was about it. "If you wanna check it out I'll stay behind and protect the girls!"

"Like you could." Inuyasha snorted. Shippō puffed out his cheeks, opening his mouth to argue and protest, only to be cut off. "But yeah, I'll go check it out."

I collapsed to my knees, palms pressed against the cold earth, inhaling deeply and as slow as possible. After a few seconds of catching my breath, I reached out to grab the bag- but Kagome was already there. With Inuyasha now scouting the area for demons, Kagome was getting the machine and nebulizer ready for me to use. "I-I can-"

"Nope! I'm doing this." She told me, a motherly tone in her voice. "I just can't sit here and watch you hurt yourself even more, Irene. It's painful. Now come here."

I was the older one, wasn't I? Sick, yes, but… I could at least be able to get my own medicine ready. I feel so useless. Scooting over so not to go against her orders, I took the mouthpiece and she turned on the machine. Shippō sat with me, head resting tiredly on my lap, and I ran my frail fingers through his hair. Sometime while Kagome was checking out supplies Shippō fell asleep.

Thirty minutes passed and Inuyasha finally returned, purple blood coating his hands. He flicked it off and wiped his fingers on his kimono, cleaning himself. "Just a few small fry right now; we should keep going while it's still day out. I'm sure the smell of weak defenseless humans will catch plenty of attention at night."

Oh… how lovely. I shivered and reached over to turn off the machine, feeling a lot better lung-wise now that I had that brief pick-me-up. "O-Okay… so. Um, when we get to the mansion… how do we know where the demon is? Or the people? Will you just be able to smell them out or something?"

Inuyasha looked at me, hands on his hips. "Well, yeah, actually. It isn't that hard. My nose is a lot more sensitive than you humans' noses."

"Mine, too," Shippō murmured, waking up now that the noise had stopped, "but he's a real bloodhound."

"...What was that, Shippō?"

The fox demon said nothing, crawling onto my lap and burying his face in my stomach. Even though he was a demon and probably hundreds of years old, Shippō truly was just a child- wasn't he? Him clinging onto me like this made me wish I could cling onto Maria; sure there were times in the past where it took several months for us to hang out again, but I was at least able to hug her and not worry about her being in danger. We were safe. She was safe.

And now… I may not be able to feel her warmth ever again.

I picked Shippō up, wrapping my arms around him as his little ones clung to my neck, his face pressing into my shoulder. This little fox demon was always so nice to me; helping me, comforting me. He's like the little brother I never had. "We'll save them, Irene," Shippō said quietly, sensing my fear, "don't worry. We've fought plenty of big bad demons before."

"Yeah." I nodded, trying to make myself believe in his words. "Okay."

"Now, let's go!" Inuyasha ordered, foot tapping impatiently against the ground. "We have jewel shards to collect!"

"Agreed."

Shippō and I separated; going back to our usual travelling spots. I tried not to feel too awkward or guilty as Inuyasha pulled me up onto his back, and proceeded to bury my face in his hair when he started running- the wind hitting us hard, tree branches somehow being expertly avoided by this young teenage half-demon. Inuyasha was really incredible being able to move at such speed and still dodge everything coming at us. How Kagome even managed to keep up was even more impressive.

And I… well, I didn't really do anything to contribute. I'm not even sure if I'll be able to use the Shikigami when we come to an actual battle.

Near midday, several hours later, the forest seemed to have disappeared and was instead replaced with mountains and dead trees. Kagome slowed her bike to a stop and Inuyasha slid to a halt, the movement so abrupt I would have fallen backwards if he wasn't holding onto me.

"Whoa!" Kagome stiffened, face growing pale. "This place is giving me the creeps… is that the temple up ahead?"

Far away, resting on the top of the main hill, was a very old and worn-down building. Inuyasha scrunched his nose up. "Looks like it. And there are lots of demons around here… we better be careful. Let's walk from here."

"Agreed." Shippō said, hiding further into the bicycle basket. "It'll be harder for them to spot us if we aren't moving quickly…"

"Is that how it works?" I asked, finding it rather difficult to breathe here. The air was so thick. It was such a change from the abundance of oxygen from the green forest we were just in. "The air is… awful here."

Kagome looked at me then. "You want to wait outside? I can stay with you while Inuyasha-"

"No!" She looked taken aback by my sudden tone. My grip tightened on Inuyasha's shoulders, anxiety and determination mixing together. "We… We have to save them, okay? A-And we don't… know how strong that spider guy is, so… Let's just do it." My health doesn't matter compared to the lives of several innocent people. "Let's just save them."

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder as best as he could to glance at me, before focusing his attention on the temple up ahead. "Alright. Your death wish. You guys heard the woman- let's go."

The half-demon started to walk, Kagome frowning and reluctantly following after, pushing the cart beside her with Shippō still in it. If there were really any demons in the area they didn't seem to notice us, and as we made our way down the middle path we came across a stranger dressed like the merchants we saw back in Akebi Village. "Ah! Travelers!" He exclaimed, looking greatly relieved. "Be wary! When I went looking for medicinal herbs I got lost, so I stayed at the old temple up ahead… but there were demons! Demons were everywhere! I heard noises from under the floorboards and there were strange things written on the paper that was on the desk! Scary things!"

"Oh… well," Kagome looked nervous, "That's not good. We're heading to the old temple…"

"What? Oh, no… please don't. That's a terrible idea! You'll be killed!"

"Not if we kill the demons first." Inuyasha snapped. The merchant was startled by his words.

"If… If you really can do that… please, be careful. And- I don't know if it's still there- but there was a cat under the staircase. He was so kind to me during my visit; if he hasn't been eaten by the demons… can you please make sure to save it?"

"A cat?" My ears perked up at that and I shifted in place, staring at Inuyasha intently. "We are saving that cat."

"What? Seriously!?" He was clearly disgruntled. "I hate cats."

"You like Buyo." Kagome commented. "You might like this one too. Besides, we can't just let a cute little kitty suffer. We can grab the cat and leave him with Irene when we go to take down the spider demon. Sound good?"

He groaned. "Fine… whatever. I don't care. I just want to kill the stupid demons already. I'm so bored."

"Good luck everyone!"

Approaching the temple was a lot easier than heading into Akebi, especially since there were no suspicious villagers wanting to kill you. There weren't even any demons waiting for us at the doorstep. The stairs creaked as we walked up them and Inuyasha carefully set me down. I grabbed hold of his arm for balance. "This place… eugh." There were so many cobwebs. Save for the demons, this place must have been abandoned for decades. "No wonder… spiders seem to like this place so much…"

"Perfect for a spider demons' dwelling." Kagome stated, hugging herself with a shiver. "So gross. I wish I brought bug spray."

"Frick, yeah!" That would have been amazing. Gods, my chest hurts; what is with this air quality? Was it because it was infested with demons? "Wait… would that have even worked on a demon?"

"Well, it worked on Myoga."

I choked. Kagome looked sheepish.

"Mostly, anyway. He's still alive, after all."

A voice coming from next to my ear nearly had me jumping out of my skin. I hadn't expected Myoga to be on me, nonetheless his voice so close. "It was our first meeting, Irene. I was talking to Lord Inuyasha about some important matters when she suddenly struck me with one of her modern devices."

"That was…" Kagome brought a hand to her chin, thinking. "That was when we first met Inuyasha's older brother, wasn't it?"

Wait, what? My eyes widened and my head turned to look sharply up at the half-demon. "You have a brother!? I thought half-demons were rare?"

"Not rare," Shippō corrected, "just uncommon. And his brother isn't half human; he's a full fledged demon."

"Can we shut up about this topic?" The white-haired teen in question snapped. "I don't want to talk about Sesshōmaru."

Wow, that's… harsh. I flinched away from Inuyasha when he raised his voice, letting go of his arm and backing up. Did he not like his brother? Why; because he was a full demon? What kind of name was that, anyway? I've heard of a lot of Japanese names, but not one quite like that. What did it mean? How was it written? Was his behavior anything like Inuyasha's or were they total opposites? How alike did they look? Was he scary?

"S-Sorry…"

Hopefully he wasn't as scary as this person could be. Kagome walked over and rested a hand on my shoulder, her bike parked by a nearby dead tree. "Don't worry about it," She said quietly, "he just acts like that sometimes. It's not personal, I promise."

Yeah, okay. Gods, it's so dark in here. The floorboards creaked with every step and the wind seemed to whistle through the walls, pushing its way through the little crevices. Growling and rumbling could be heard in the distance, proven to be demons as Kagome readied her bow and Inuyasha pulled out his sword.

I watched in awe as the thin scabbard unleashed a large great sword, mind still questioning how such a transformation was physically possible. Magic? Demon power? It was boggling. Inuyasha charged towards the room where the demons were chatting, slicing down the door and taking the startled demons with it. "Weaklings." Inuyasha grouched. "Didn't even stand a chance."

Wow, uh… okay. Were they really bad demons though? What if they weren't going to attack us?

"We got lucky." Kagome commented, her cute face suddenly seeming a lot more menacing than before. "But with that noise the other demons might take notice and come after us. We have to hurry."

I didn't argue, but I found myself distracted by the writings on the table. There were also a bunch of hairpins and antidotes lying around, which left me with a very bad feeling. Were they left behind from previous travelers that came here? The messages left behind ended up being very ominous... and, if Shippo's translation was anything to go by, sad. Kagome had to pull me away, but as we were leaving the room I caught sight of something glimmering in the corner.

A key. "You guys think… You guys think we'll need this?"

"What is it?" Shippō asked, bounding over. "What does the key go to?"

"Presumably a door." Myoga said from Inuyasha's shoulder. "It might just help lead us to the demon."

"Can't I just break the doors down?" Inuyasha asked, frowning. "It's so much faster."

"We don't want to alert the demons." Kagome scolded. "The key should come with us."

I could barely see Myoga jump from the half-demon's shoulder onto mine, the flea looking rather proud of me. "What an excellent eye you have to catch such a little thing in this darkness! I'm impressed." There wasn't really any need to be. I'm amazed I even saw it myself. If not for the light filtering in through the cracks in the walls it would be pitch black. "Wait- did any of you hear that?"

"Yeah, I heard it." Inuyasha tightened his grip on his sword and stepped forward, ears twitching. "I smell 'em too. Up ahead- several demons waiting for us."

I nearly jumped at the feel of two tiny hands grabbing onto my pantsleg, but quickly relaxed when I saw it was just Shippō. "Oh man… I-I don't like this."

"Shut up and toughen up!" Inuyasha barked, pushing past everyone and making his way to the entrance. "Just follow me; I'll take care of the demons."

"You're not going alone, Inuyasha!" Kagome told him, following from behind. "I'm coming with-!"

She got cut off when a large bat appeared out of nowhere. It headed straight towards her, claws extended. A scream erupted from her lips when it hit- talons raking hard across the flesh of her arm. Inuyasha reacted instantly upon seeing this, forgoing his sword in fear of causing Kagome anymore harm, and instead using his own sharp nails to claw at the creature- forcing it off. I shrieked upon seeing this, stumbling back in horror, and Shippō shouted something about how it wasn't alone; there were more demons right behind.

Several bats, in fact, that were much larger and had several eyes. An entire horde of them.

"Damn it!" I could hear the half-demon curse, voice loud enough to break through the chaos. "Why are there so many!?"

"Get off of me-!" A bright light appeared in the hallway, accompanied by a single arrow that purged any demon that came into contact with it. Kagome, despite the pain she was in, managed to kill three demons at once and inform of us just how many demons there were in the hall with us. "Oh god… where is Sango when we need her?"

So many…. Why are there so many? I can't even count- oh gods. I'm scared. I'm scared.

"W-We're gonna be eaten…" Shippō choked out, now being held tightly in my arms. "I-I don't wanna die!"

Ghosts. Are those actual ghosts? Are they demon ghosts or were they the spirits of those who were eaten by the spider, and they turned into demons as a result of their violent deaths? How does that work? How does any of this work? Why are there so many demons!? A-And why are they all looking at-

"Run for it!" Myoga's exclaimed before leaping off my shoulder, disappearing into the darkness as he fled. "Everyone save yourselves!"

"Get back you here you-!" Shippō started, reaching out to grab him, only to retract instantly when he saw something across from us. I heard it before I saw it; a low, deep growl. Footsteps clawing at the wooden floor, the ground creaking beneath the creature's weight. "I-Irene! Irene, look!"

Scared, cold seeping down into my very bones, I forced myself to whirl around and see what was there. A wolf- one seeming to be halfway decayed with several horns jutting out of its skull. Its glowing red eyes were piercing and I found my legs becoming weak as it stared me down, acidic saliva pooling from its lips and melting the ground it stood on. Teeth sharp and lips stained red, I just knew there was no making it out of this encounter alive.

"Sh-Shippō…" I breathed, suddenly very dizzy and out of air. "I… um. I'm sorry."

"D-Don't say that!" He cried, clinging so tightly to my neck it was strangling me. "I don't wanna die! I just met you!"

No. No, no, no. A scream ripped out of my throat as the wolf charged and I wrapped my arms around the fox demon, bolting to the side as the demon leapt into the air. "No!" Where was I running? Which direction am I heading? I can't see or think anymore. My heart is pounding so fast it feels like they're going to jump out of my chest, and my lungs won't stop burning- feeling as though they were molten lava. Should I throw Shippō in an attempt to get him away from the danger or should I just shield him with myself? What do I do!?

That was when I felt it; hot, sharp pain all across my back that quickly exploded into an agonizing warmth.

Shippō went flying from my hold- towards some humanoid looking demons- and rolled to a stop, horror written all over his face. I crashed hard to the ground, tears burning my eyes, vision blurred and head feeling very faint. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to be able to stay conscious; I couldn't even hear anymore. It was all so eerily quiet.

I was just briefly aware of a weight on my lower back, the wolf walking on me as it prepared to bite into my throat.

Please, please, please…

I can't go out like this.

Maria…

I had to see her. Make sure she was safe.

Shikigami…

Shikigami, please. Please. Don't let me die.

My fingers twitched, blurry vision showing just how close they were to the acidic saliva that had dripped onto the ground. My shoulder was burning. Fire. Red, warm. It flickered to life and in that tiny flame I could just barely make out a shape. A howl reached my ears- familiar and far more kind than that of this wolf's- and with what little strength I had left I used to force myself to roll over, slamming my palm hard into the side of the demon's face.

"'O flame of thy loyal servant," I found myself shouting, despite never having heard these words before, voice almost feeling like it wasn't my own, "lend me your strength!"

The tiny flame erupted into a huge fire, taking the shape of a large dog that seemed to wrap around it. Then, as though it were a snake with the way it coiled around it, grappling it, it tore its large fangs into its throat and ripped the wolf's head clean off its body. The large dog licked its lips and shook his head, turning around and facing me now that its foe was gone. Fire danced off its hide and the barest trace of color could be made out from beneath as it walked, nearing me.

Then it bowed its head to me, eyes closed, and brushed his tongue against my burning shoulder. Licking my wounded shoulder, it took all but three seconds for the Shikigami to disappear from sight. That…

Just what kind of dog was that? I couldn't hecking tell, and yet...

...he was the one who saved me from being killed in the summoning, wasn't he? He's a Shikigami?

Ah, my shoulder doesn't hurt anymore. Where's-

"Shippō!"

He was frantically running around, throwing weird contraptions at the demons that kept missing by a hair's length. "Somebody save me~!" He wailed. "Stay away! I'm not big enough to be a meal yet!"

"Sh-Shippō!" For some reason I felt a little stronger, more refreshed, and I shakily pushed myself up. The fox demon heard me and quickly changed the direction he was running- not that there was much space in the first place- and he leapt into my arms. Just as the demons started to approach several arrows rained down, killing all but one of them. That last one was quickly taken out by Inuyasha, sliced in half by his blade. "Oh thank gods…"

"What a hassle…" The half-demon breathed, hair a mess and his kimono covered his blood. "Where they all just standing guard? And what was that?" He turned his attention to me, expression contorted from confusion. "Was that some Shikigami move that old man taught you?"

"I-I don't-"

"Inuyasha, Shippō, Irene!" Kagome called as he rushed over, holding onto her bleeding arm. "Are you guys alright- oh my god! Your back!"

Huh? Oh, right. I looked down to see that my shirt was totally torn, ripped in the same place where I had been shot before. This time, however, the edges were burned black. What was an awful, grotesque mesh of melted flesh was badly scarred skin. My back was shredded, too, and was still bleeding. The pain that had been forgotten came back in full force and I fell to my knees, bringing my hands up and hugging my shoulders tightly as I trembled. It hurt so bad- I've never felt such intense stinging pain before.

It was even worse than when those villagers attacked me.

"I-I've got-" Kagome's voice was panicked. "-bandages! Where are my- ack! Let go of my stuff!"

Seeing there was still another demon left, a stealthy bat that knew better than to ambush us and was looting our supplies instead, the young female teen readied her bow and let loose an arrow. It hit it directly, though her aim was a little off due to her wounded arm. The demon fell to the ground and dusted away, and the girl ran over to grab her bag. She was panting.

"I've got… ointments and… antidotes…" She gasped, exhausted as she made her way over. "God, that was a long battle. I'm used to fighting, but not such large numbers without Miroku and Sango…"

"...Who?" Those names sounded familiar, but I can't recall they've actually told me anything. Wasn't Miroku some lying monk? There's too much information to try and keep track of and- "Gah! Ow, ow- mmm!" I clamped my mouth shut, silencing any cries I had with groans of pain. "W-Warning… please…"

"Sorry." She apologized. "The faster the bleeding stops the better, so…"

"I don't get it." Shippō said, wiping the remaining tears off of his face, sniffling. "That weird… Shikigami healed your shoulder, right? Why not your back?"

"Maybe he's tired of you already?" Inuyasha suggested, squatting down and looking in Kagome's first-aid kit. He held up a piece of equipment, sniffing it cautiously and pulling his face away with a scowl. "Ick!"

"Don't smell it, you dog!" Kagome scolded, reaching over to smack his hand. "It'll bother your nose!"

"You tell me that now."

"Ow, ow- hey! Can we not argue s-so no more…" Oof. Dizzy. "No more demons… show up? Please…"

Kagome and Inuyasha both went silent at that, though both looked like they wanted to say something. The girl finished cleaning the injuries and ordered Inuyasha to turn around, who reluctantly did so, and she had me lift my shirt up so she could do proper stitches. That didn't hurt nearly as bad, but it still stung. Once everything was in order she wrapped some bandages around my torso, "If Sango was here we could just send her and Inuyasha up ahead… but with such a small group I'm a little anxious to do so."

Kagome sighed, pulling my shirt down.

"We're wasting so much time… but if those wounds didn't get treated who knows what would have happened? I'll try and hurry with mine."

"You humans are so weak." Inuyasha grunted, arms still tucked in his sleeves with him facing away from us. He huffed, turning his nose up in the air. Kagome gave him a small smile, apparently seeing through his act, before rolling her sleeves up and hissing in pain when it brushed the gash. "Jewel shard or not, that demon is gonna go down by my hands. Getting you guys hurt like this… it's unforgivable."

Did… I hear that right? I looked down at Shippō was currently sitting in my lap. "He won't admit it," he told me, "but Inuyasha does care. He just likes to act tough."

The half-demon's ears twitched. Next thing I knew Shippō was yanked out of my lap with his face to the floor, a bump on his head, and Inuyasha backed away as if he had never even moved.

"What did Irene just say about arguing?" Kagome scowled, rolling her sleeves back down now that she was patched up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and readied her bow. "Come on, now. Shippō- you're not hurt are you?"

"Just my head." He whimpered, pulling himself up from the ground. "Inuyasha- you're such a jerk! I hate you!"

"Feeling's mutual, kid."

Shippō's lip trembled and he leapt into Kagome's arms, crying into her chest. It didn't last long since we started walking, and he somehow transferred from her to me. We were a lot more cautious than before, yet walked even faster. All the demons that were defeated earlier must have come from all these empty rooms, and the deeper we went into the temple the worst the air became. Eventually we came across two doors- one that led to the main center of the temple and the other… well, we weren't sure.

Kagome tried to slide it open, but it was locked.

"They key!" Myoga piped up, appearing out of nowhere. Inuyasha glared at him, the flea residing on his shoulder.

"Now you come back."

"Try the key, Irene!"

"Why me?" I grumbled, awkwardly fishing the key out of my pocket and praying it didn't fall out during all the ruckus. It didn't. I fiddled with the old metal tool and hesitantly put it in the door, struggling to turn it. "C-Come on, please, don't… ah!" The door slid open due to how much force I was using. I jumped back, nearly crashing into Inuyasha, who placed a hand on the back of my head to stop me. "Sorry."

"Let's do this." He said, removing his hand and charging forward. "That demon won't know what hit him!"

"We really shouldn't be making so much noise." I muttered, following behind at a much slower pace. Kagome was right behind Inuyasha, despite not running as fast. "We're going to die…"

"N-No." Shippō stuttered. "We won't."

I'm not sure if I can be as confident anymore.

Oh, staircases? The cat! Where's the cat!? We must protect the kitten!

I quickened my pace and followed them downstairs, speed walking until I found Kagome and Inuyasha bickering again. This time it was over whether or not they should leave or take the cat with them. "I got it!" I quickly volunteered, glad to see I have found a use for myself. Shippō leapt out of my arms in order to let me pick up the cat- who I had sniff my hand before it allowed me to hold it. "It's all good! You'll be safe now, won't you? You adorable little baby, you."

Inuyasha made a face of disgust at the voice I used, while Shippō and Myoga were greatly amused. Kagome was behaving the same way I was. "We can't just leave it all alone! It must be so scared!"

"Kitten protection squad, assemble!" I nodded to myself, petting the calico's cat head gently. "It's official; while you guys fight the demon I'll protect the cat!"

"That sounds good." Kagome smiled. "You can't really fight, so it's for the best."

"Right." Inuyasha said. He started to move, "The demon is nearby and we can't risk you getting hurt even worse. Kagome, can you sense anything?"

"I'm not…" She closed her eyes, concentrating. "I'm not feeling anything, no. The demon might not have a jewel shard after all."

Inuyasha clicked his tongue in distaste. "What a waste of time. Alright. I'm going ahead- there's a strong smell and I don't like it. This hall reeks of blood."

"B-Blood?" Shippō stammered, clinging to my jeans. "What kind of blood?"

"Human blood." Inuyasha stopped in the doorway of the next room, fingers tightening around the handle of his great sword. Tetsusaiga? Tessaiga? One of the two; I couldn't remember what he said it was called. "You guys might want to stay back."

"We're not leaving you!" Shippō declared bravely as we went through another hallway, following the half-demon as he led us through the old temple. "It's dangerous to go alone! E-Even if it doesn't have a jewel shard it's attacked a lot of villagers, right? Not to mention how it has all these demons in this creepy temple…"

Kagome stepped forward. "He's right, Inuyasha. We can't let you go alone. It's too risky." She dropped her medicine bag to the ground, careful not to be too loud. Getting an arrow ready, she approached him. "The smell of blood and the thought of the spider's web is making me uneasy…"

"S-Spiders are bad." I forced myself to speak, petting the cat in my arms in an attempt to calm both me and it down. I would have to check its gender later; I disliked calling animals an "it". Their gazes turned to me and I tensed beneath their gazes, trying not to cringe at the aches from my wound. Walking hurt, but I would deal with it. "Th-They're creepy and gross and their web's are all sticky and it… it could be poisonous! It could be a poisonous spider. And the villagers thought I was the demon so i-it could be a shapeshifter? Is that a thing?"

"That's a thing, yeah." Shippō said, even more scared. His green eyes were watery. "You think it might be p-pretending to be a kidnapped villager?"

"We'll find out." Inuyasha boldly declared, "We can't come this far and turn back!"

"I-I'm not saying that…" I tried, shaking as the kitten nuzzled my neck. "I just meant-"

"Tsk." Inuyasha cut me off, scoffing at anything I tried to stay. "Even if it is a shapeshifted I'll be able to sniff 'em out. Just wait here. If you guys come with you'll just get in my way."

"What are you saying!?" Shippō exclaimed, bounding towards him. "Inuyasha~!"

Kagome frowned deeply. "No matter how strong you are it's too dangerous alone! We can help!"

"Oh, be quiet!" He snapped, shrugging her hand off his shoulder when she reached out for him. "He'll gobble you up easy when you're injured like that! It's better to handle a ghost by yourself anyway. I'll deal with the demon quickly and come back. Just stay here." Inuyasha stormed off, heading through the final door. It was the only door in the room, hidden by a strange smoke. "Don't get in my way!"

"Inuyasha!" Shippō cried out, starting to run after him. He stopped when the half-demon disappeared through the darkness. "That idiot! Always making decisions on his own!"

"That's what he said," Kagome sighed, "but he's really just trying to keep us from danger. We're all injured except for Shippō, so can you really blame the guy?"

"...It didn't sound like it." I forced myself to say, trying to speak my thoughts lest fear overtake me. "He's a-always so… so angry."

It's scary. But this world full of violence and bloodshed was even more terrifying. Was Inuyasha really going to be okay? He's strong, definitely, but… it was a spider demon. One that had killed and kidnapped many villagers.

"I know he acts mean," Kagome said, turning to face me, "but he's just proud. He doesn't like to let his true feelings show."

Shippō crossed his arms over his chest, tapping a paw against the ground. "You say that, but it's still hard to believe sometimes…"

"Yeah, it's-" Kagome went silent, inhaling sharply. "That's not…"

"What is it!?" Shippō questioned, worried. "What's wrong!?"

The girl turned her head, eyes focusing on the door obscured by black mist- the very one Inuyasha had gone through. "I'm sensing… a jewel shard. But thats- there wasn't any earlier!? Was it just hidden?" She stepped away from us, moving closer to the darkness. "It really is…"

"Jewel shard? The… The thing you shattered?"

Kagome winced at that and I looked down, guilty. I shouldn't have phrased it that way.

"I-I mean, the thing you're trying to get from… uh… N-Naraku?"

"Yeah."

"And if that demon has the shard…" Shippō looked pale. "Inuyasha is…"

"He's in trouble! Shippō, let's go!"

"Alright!" Shippō took a deep breath, steeling himself for the danger. "Got it!"

"Wh-What should I do?" I looked back-and-forth between. They stated themselves I wasn't fit for combat; we mentioned several times that I would wait. But… where? Outside? Here in this room? What if demons show up? "Inuyasha-"

"Wait here." Kagome ordered. I recoiled, startled by the intensity of her tone.

"O-Okay…" I knew I was going to have to stay put; I knew there wasn't anything I could do. I was weak and defenseless, and when I'm scared I can't really concentrate on getting the Shikigami fire to appear. How am I supposed to defend myself when I can't focus? What use do I have to this group of people who have been nothing but accommodating towards me? "I want to help…"

I don't like this at all.

My eyes watched the dark area where the gang had disappeared, my fingers running nervously through the cat's fur. Was this really the right thing to do? Standing here while they all fought? I didn't want to go anywhere near the danger, but I felt so guilty. I'm… I'm useless. Weak. If I wasn't so sick I could… try something. But if I get targeted there's no way I could run.

I'm just an obstacle in their path of saving people and obtaining the jewel shards.

How pathetic.

"Wh-What is this!?" A fierce shout caught my attention and my head snapped up, heart nearly stopping upon hearing the alarmed voice of Inuyasha. "It's disgusting!"

I instinctively stepped forward, wishing to check on them, only to come to a halt when a scream rang out. Blood curdling and scared, I knew at once who that cry belonged to. Kagome was in danger. I understood she was waltzing into danger with the others, but that was… oh gods. I feel sick. I don't want this.

Make it stop. Please, make it stop.

I can't move. Why can't I move?

The cat twisted itself out of my arms and I was too shaken to stop it. Before long it had run off somewhere and Shippō's cries were echoing in the distance. "I'm stuck! Somebody~! Help!" I can't breathe. My back hurts, my head is pounding, my heart won't stop racing. I felt so cold.

"I…" I have to move. Help them. Be a target. Distract the demon. Decoy. "I-I-!"

My legs finally started to work. I stumbled to the other side of the room, pushing my way through the blinding darkness, feeling for the door and making my way through it.

"Wh-What's happening!? A-Are you guys okay!?"

There was no preparing myself for what I was about to see.

What was once most likely a grand, ornate chamber was nothing more than ancient debris. Walls crumbled to nothing and the was floor molded so bad you could hardly make out what used to be beautiful wood. But I cared nothing for that- my attention was locked on the several large spiderwebs sticking to the various corners of the room. With how many there were the demon must have been living here for several long years, and you could make out multiple large cocoons that appeared… human sized.

Stuck in the webbings were my companions; Kagome tied up sideways multiple feet off the ground, Shippō stuck to the molded flooring, and Inuyasha trapped to a crumbling stone wall. And hovering above them, long legs crawling across a particularly threatening web, was…

...a giant spider.

"So, there's still one more of you," The creature hissed, mandibles clacking, "how wonderful."

It's body was a hideous, toxic purple. Large and bulging, the spider's legs were covered in hair. Horns jutted from the side of its head, long strands of black hair falling into its disturbingly humanoid face. Blood and saliva both dripped from its lips, green eyes cruel and filled with hunger. It's…

My legs started to shake. I felt so numb. I was completely petrified by my fear. "You've escaped me before," It mused, crawling towards Kagome- the girl completely immobile due to the webs, "so don't you think you should run? Or did you come to offer your blood to me, foolish human girl?"

Don't panic. This is just… a bad dream. Yes. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippō are fine and-

"L-Leave them alone!" My foot slid forward, voice cracking beneath the pressure, and I tried to appear more courageous than I felt. "Just… Just shut up!"

I'm crying. Frick, the tears won't stop falling. I can't do this. The demon laughed loudly at my idiocy, finding my weakness terribly amusing. Then he leaned his head back, making a sound akin to clearing his throat, and spitting out something-

"Gah!" I cried out, finding myself being flung back into the wall behind me, arm trapped by the webbing he had sent at me. No, no, no, no! This isn't happening; this can't be happening. I've had nightmares about being eaten by giant spiders before- I don't want it to be reality! "Get off!"

Pulling at my arm was futile. The web was too sticky and strong, and it refused to budge.

"Run, you stupid girl!" Inuyasha screamed at me from his spot against the wall. "He's got shards of the jewel! You'll be killed! Save yourself!"

"Just get out of here!" Kagome pleased, pale-faced as the spider continued his march towards her. "You can still make it!"

If I run… they'll all die and the demon will catch up and kill me after. If I stay I'll die with them. There's no winning regardless. We're doomed. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to run if I can't even break out of this stupid webbing!? They aren't thinking this through either! We're all going to be eaten unless-!

Shikigami! That's right. I can make a little ball of flame if I focus. Deep breaths, don't think about the way the spider is crawling towards Kagome or the way it keeps clicking its mandibles together. Focus on the warmth of the flame a-and how it felt when I broke that rock. Easy. Simple. Please… Shikigami…

Unleash your power, I beg of you. Get rid of this awful web.

I don't know what to do.

This is all I can do.

Please!

Warmth, gentle and soft, began to emit from my hand. A red light shimmered out from my skin like a flame, encasing the web and melting it away. My arm fell to my side and my legs gave out, head throbbing as dizziness took over. I stared in disbelief at the sight, hardly able to understand why that actually worked. "Oh my gods…"

"You broke free!" Shippō exclaimed. "Now run away!"

"What?" I inhaled sharply, looking up to see him staring at me from his spot on the ground. The little fox demon child, buried beneath layers of webbing. "I-I can't… l-leave you…"

I freed myself, so I should be able to free the others. Right?

"You should just give up already." The demon hissed. It turned away from Kagome, attention now focused solely on me as it saw I had broken out. "You can't escape."

It isn't wrong. There would be no way I could outrun it. My lungs were already at their limit in this badly decayed room. I imagine I would be passing out very quickly if things kept going at the rate they were. This mold was not good for me at all. The dampness of the temple and all the dirt… it was painful to inhale.

But I wasn't going to sit and be useless any longer. I'm not going to let anyone die.

For a split second my gaze met Inuyasha's- the golden amber intense as they bore into my own brown eyes. Did he really expect me to just run away? He should know better than anyone that's impossible with my condition. "Get out of here!" The half-demon shouted. I frowned, biting my trembling bottom lip, and forced myself to stand. It was then that I saw it; the stone Inuyasha was being pinned to…

...it was glimmering green, just like the Serpentine Rock I had broken at the pond. Could I break it from so far away? Would it create an explosion of some sort if it did break? There was so much of it I'm hoping it might spread to the webs. What it fails? What if it hurts the others? Inuyasha was close to it, after all. I just want to break the webs and maybe hurt the spider.

Okay. Okay, calm down. Panicking isn't good. Confidence is key, yes?

Shikigami don't like weaklings, but maybe if I ask nicely they might help out? It seems to be that way; every time I used it I've asked politely. Perhaps they like manners?

Yes. Let's do that.

Hands shaking and legs trembling so bad they felt like jello, spots dancing in my vision, I laced my fingers together and swallowed the lump in my throat. I had to do this. It was now or never. Shikigami… I accept you, wholly and completely. This is reality and… there's no escaping that. If I am to be your master or ally, then please do as I ask.

"Praying?" The spider snickered, climbing down from his web to approach me. "How weak. That's it; I'm gonna eat you first. A little foreigner for dinner is bound to be… quite delicious."

Stay away.

Focus.

Don't come near me.

Shikigami, please.

"Idiot, what are you just standing there for!?" Inuyasha screamed. "Run! Run away!"

"You have to get out of here!" Kagome cried.

"Quickly, run away!" Shippō begged. "Maria can't lose you like this!"

The spider demon sent another string of webs at me, hitting me hard across the chest and pinning to the wall again- this time high off the ground. But, to its misfortune, I was still pleading with the Shikigami. Red light was brimming from my fingertips and a circle appeared behind me, red flames flickering to life. It grew brighter and brighter, until suddenly it encased the whole room.

It licked at the webs, racing along each strand and spreading farther along the connected strings. The fire danced along the walls and floor, and when it came into contact with the very people I was trying so desperately to protect it did nothing to harm them. They fell from their cocoons and collapsed, and those other cocoons in the back of the room rolled away in the deep crimson flames that threatened to swallow the whole area. It didn't stop, even as it finally made contact with the walls made from Serpentine Rock.

No, it only got worse.

As soon as the fire flicked against that sparkling green rock the walls began to crumble away, debris flying everywhere. A flash of white and Inuyasha was leaping across the room, unperturbed by the flames surrounding him. They did him no harm even as they brushed the skin of his feet and the cloth of his kimono, and he easily scooped Kagome and Shippō up into his arms. The spider raged and shook the earth, collapsing to the floor, spitting out webs furiously in an attempt to cease the spreading fire.

At this point all strength left me.

My body gave out on me completely and an arm wrapped around my stomach, keeping me from falling, lifting me over a shoulder. As the ceiling gave in and toppled on the spider, all that could be heard was its shrieks of demonic fury. Unlike the others, the spider was not shared the same kindness from the Shikigami spell- instead burning away alongside the flames. Inuyasha carefully led us out of the room, avoiding the debris, and into the safety of the dark basement.

And, for a split second, everything went black.

When I awoke Kagome was hovering over me, hands pressing down on my ribs as though trying to administer CPR. I wheezed and coughed, turning onto my side and gasping for oxygen. Everything hurt. "Oh, thank goodness! I-I was so scared that you… How are you feeling? What you did back there was incredible! Your power of Shikigami is amazing!"

She helped me sit up, watching as I struggled to breathe evenly. Where was everyone? What about the spider demon? "I-Inu...yasha… Sh-Shippō? Wh-Where…?"

"They're fine." Kagome told me, smiling in relief. "You saved us. I don't know how you did it, but that fire didn't hurt at all! It was… really warm and comforting, actually. I could feel you trying to protect us. You wanted to stop the demon, but keep us safe. So it hurt the spider. Your Shikigami is so different from the others I've experienced…"

"Th… That… a good thing?" I wheezed, looking up at her tiredly. She nodded, reaching out and brushing my bangs out of my face. I was sweating badly. "Yay… I did… good thing."

I want to sleep. But if I sleep… will I wake up?

I'm scared to find out.

"Hey." Inuyasha's voice rang out. "She awake?"

"Yeah!" Kagome answered. "Just exhausted. This temple isn't good for her lungs and I think that spell took a lot out of her."

"Hmph. I'll say. She managed to send the entire room above crashing down on that demon." Inuyasha said, although I could hear the grin in voice. "Honestly, for someone so sick you have some pretty strong powers. I guess bringing you along wasn't a waste after all. Sure took out a bit of that demon- but he's gonna wake up pretty soon. He has the power of a jewel shard or two, after all."

"Gah! Inuyasha, Kagome!" Shippō bounded out of the collapsed room, running at the pair. "I think it's moving!"

"Speak of the devil." Inuyasha remarked, only to curse. He unsheathed his sword, transforming it. "Damn. I was hoping we could recover a bit longer!"

"D-Demon?" I winced, turning my head. He looked at me. "Again?"

"Yeah. We have no choice but to fight. ...You with us, Irene?"

Huh? Am I… with them?

As in… he wants me to join the battle?

The ground began to shake as the demon pushed itself out of the debris, "Curse you all!" The demon screeched. "I'm going to drain every last drop of blood! There won't be anything left when I'm through with you! GRAAAH!"

Shakily placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder, I forced myself to stand. "I doubt… I'll be much use, but…" A strange determination bubbled inside of me, fueled by nothing more than my own fear. Nodding at the half-demon, I blinked away my tears, voice cracking as I said, "Y-Yeah. I'm… with you."

"We can do this together." Kagome told me, grabbing her quiver of arrows of the ground. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Shippō declared, visible shaken yet still acting strong. "I-I'll even use my fox magic!"

"I'll KILL YOU~!" The walls ahead caved in as the demon pushed its way out, infuriated. The burns that ran along its body seemed to be healing, fading away as the flesh closed up. It could regenerate? What on earth-!? Time and again I'm constantly reminded that this time period was unlike the one I was used to. "DIE!"

Reeling its head back, it spat out large strings of webbing. Inuyasha leapt out of the way, grabbing Kagome with incredible speed, while Shippō and I were left to fend for ourselves. By some strange manner of luck I managed to throw myself to the side and avoid it, but Shippō's paw was stuck to the ground- pinned by the sticky webs. "Help! I'm stuck!"

"Sh-Shippō!" Dizzy yet unfaltering, I pushed myself up and started to scramble over to him on all fours- not paying much attention to the demon anymore. "H-Hold on!" I coughed, spots dancing in my vision as my lungs craved for oxygen. I wasn't about to let the little fox child die. "I-I got… I got you!"

I skidded to a stop beside him, the little fox trying to quickly melt the web away with a green fire. It was working- only at a slow pace. Shippō tried so hard, but his fire just wasn't that strong yet. Could I… yeah. Let's try it. I held my hand over the web, recalling the warmth. That… red flame. Burning away all that dared cause harm and leaving those not a threat unscathed.

An arrow, bright and almost blinding, flashed through the air. "There! In the stomach!" The weapon flew past the demon's head, lodging into its back. The spider let out a cry of pain, rearing back onto its hind legs. "The jewel shard is there!"

"Got it!" Inuyasha shouted, leaping high into the air. Following Kagome's instructions, he ran towards the demon's exposed belly. "Take this! WIND SCAR!"

"You want my shard… you'll see it first hand!"

To my surprise the web melted away, the fire in my hands doing no harm to Shippō at all, and I looked up in time to see the strangest thing happen with Inuyasha's sword. Blue winds seemed to swirl around it, as the sword was taking in some kind of energy from the air itself. It shone a brilliant hue as he swung it down, and several large streaks of gold lightning seemed to expand out from the blade. Only destruction ensued, the temple creaking and shaking as more debris flew everywhere, cracks tearing deep into the ground towards the spider demon.

It sensed it was in trouble and leapt out of the way, spitting out several webs as it crawled along the walls. Its green eyes were absolutely venomous as it glared down at us. Charging it towards the half-demon it opened its mandible wide open, the inside of its mouth visible for everyone to see. "

"Inuyasha!" Shippō shouted, running at him and the spider. The demon managed to get close to snag the silver-haired teen, the only thing keeping the boy alive being the sword sheltering him from the demon's jaw. He was sandwiched between those mandibles, the jagged edge of one digging into his back and drawing blood. "Let me help!"

Wait- I want to do something, too! Tired and sick as I am, I hated being useless. Now that I have an idea as to how to use the Shikigami I want to contribute! I can't stand this; they're getting hurt protecting me and… I said I'd fight. I can do this. I don't want Inuyasha or anyone else to die! I won't stand for it!

Stumbling forward, stunned from the sheer depth of chaos Inuyasha's demonic sword had caused, I held my hands out in front of me and prayed to the Shikigami- asking for their help. At that time Shippō had pulled out a spinning top from his vest and threw it at the demon spider, letting it rip from a string attached to it. "Hah! Fox magic spinning top; go!"

"Shikigami, please!" I begged, a bright red light forming beneath my feet in the form of a pentagram, slowly turning blue as it increased in size. "Save us!"

The blue flame enveloped my body and rose high above, taking the form of a large creature. A roar releasing from the Shikigami, now being easily recognizable as an eastern wyvern dragon, it flew through the air and lunged towards Shippō. For a moment I was beyond horrified, scared that I had just caused great harm to my friend when I heard him scream- but the blue light that was the dragon seemed to engulf him and shoot out towards the spinning top. It increased its size by at least three, making it even larger than what it had transformed into, and it landed hard on top of the spider's head.

This allowed Inuyasha to break free of its grasp, the demon losing its grip on him. The half-demon jumped back and landed, grimacing as his kimono grew stained with blood. He readied his sword for an attack.

Shippō's magic toy was spinning so hard it started to create smoke, the blue flames turning red as it spread along the demon's flesh. Drawing back the bowstring, Kagome let loose another arrow and shouted, "Good job you guys! Now- hit the mark!" Filled with spiritual power, it landed hard into the demon's neck. She looked quite pleased and wasted no time in releasing another. "Take that! I'm not about to fall to the likes of you! Inuyasha-!"

"Leave the rest to me!" The half-demon ran through the flames, feet pounding hard against the wall as he sliced through the strands of web, catching up with the thrashing demon quickly as it leapt up onto its web to escape the fiery spinning top. "Bite on this-! HRAAAH!" Jumping high into the air, Inuyasha descended down on the demon with his blade. Tearing into its shoulder and slicing all the way down to its stomach, Inuyasha stretched his claws and dug his hand far into the demon's belly.

Those few seconds passed as my heart beat stilled, breath stopped even as the fire still burned. The spinning top shrunk away and fell to the ground, and as the demon let out a blood curdling screech Inuyasha yanked his hand out. The demon smacked Inuyasha away and what was in his hand flew free. Quickly calculating the trajectory of the glimmering object's fall I lunged, no longer caring about my lungs and how much they currently hurt.

Without any regard to my injuries or health, I lunged and slid painfully on my side, catching the small shard in my right hand. I could hear Kagome screaming in the distance, something about how I shouldn't touch it, but it was too late. The shard was held securely in my palm and the spider demon disintegrated, falling to nothing now that the power keeping it alive was gone.

"Irene~! Irene, are you okay!? Give me the shard, quick!" Kagome cried, dashing over. I winced and sat up, hacking up a storm and wheezing. "It's been tainted- you'll be affected if you… if you…" She slowed to a stop, watching as I wiped the dirt and blood off my chin. "You're not feeling any different?"

"I still… can't breathe," I grimaced, "if that's what you mean."

I held the shard up for her, only to blink when I saw that the darkness coloring it purple was fading away. When Kagome reached out to take it the color disappeared completely- instead being replaced with a brilliant white sheen. "I wonder… is it because of the Shikigami?"

"Hey!" Shippō and Inuyasha hurried over. "Are you guys okay!? Did you see that!? What Irene and I did!? It was crazy!"

"It was something." Inuyasha commented, sheathing his sword. He looked at Kagome, the jewel shard, and then at me. "Did you plan that?"

"I-I, uh," Not really, "I just… wanted to help?"

"Well, you did great. I guess you aren't totally useless."

Wait. Did he just… compliment me? I stared at him dumbfounded, uncertain if I was hearing him correctly. "I… I did?"

Kagome nodded, completely genuine. "Yeah! If it weren't for you combining your attack with Shippō, that thing might have been a lot harder to take down! You should do that more often! Thank you so much for helping us!""

"It was so cool!" Shippō exclaimed, waving his arms about, before suddenly slumping over. "I'm really tired though… that took a lot of energy to do. Phew… I need a nap."

"Agreed, though we should probably search for those villagers first." Kagome suggested. Inuyasha laced his arms behind his head. "They ran away after the spider got buried by Irene's flames…"

"You guys found the villagers?" My eyebrows knitted together, confused. Kagome smiled at me and Shippō grinned. Inuyasha turned away, though the corner of his mouth was tilted upwards. "Wh-Where were they? When was this?"

I was with them the entire time and I don't recall us finding anyone. Inuyasha walked away, heading towards the hallway we came from. "Over here. Those cocoons that were in the room when we found the spider? They were inside them. Your flames freed those humans when you freed us." We followed the half-demon through the hallway to the upstairs, where several villagers were lying in wait. "That's them."

They were all huddled together, cowering close together, adults and children alike. There were maybe seven in total. "I can't… believe… You mean I saved them? I-I saved those people?"

"Yup!" Kagome chirped, looking rather proud of me. "It was after the spider got buried by the ceiling. When you fell unconscious, remember? You stopped breathing, so I did CPR, and… well, here we are! The little girl, Sachi, is with them. The flames you used didn't seem to hurt them at all."

It can't be. My eyes were seeing who was there, but I couldn't believe it. "A-And…And Maria isn't… she wasn't… there?"

"...No, Irene." Kagome lowered head, resting a hand on my shoulder as I choked. "She wasn't."

"But the good news is," Shippō quickly said, speaking up, "they said the spider hadn't eaten any foreigners! So that means Maria is still alive somewhere!"

But that also means we're nowhere close to finding her. This was all for nothing.

No. No, it wasn't. We saved these people. I saved these people. They're alive because I came with Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippō. Working together we… helped free them. They'll be able to see their families again. So why… does it still hurt?

Even though we did such a great thing…

...why do I still feel so empty?

...

It took even longer to get back to the village than it did on our way here, as we had to move at a much slower pace to accommodate the villagers. The children seemed very concerned with why Inuyasha had to carry me around everywhere, and were very worried about our wounds. Most of the time Kagome and Shippō were the one answering any questions, as I wound up falling asleep during most of our journey.

Interestingly enough when we had gotten to the temple it was late, but when we left it was early morning. Apparently we had spent the entire night travelling through the old building and fighting demons. Which meant that by the time we finally made it to Akebi village we were all desperate for food. The adults thanked us repeatedly and took the children away to reunite with their families, and we escorted Sachi back to the hut where her parents lived.

When the mother saw us walk in through the door with her child in front… she dropped everything she was doing. Clay pots and bowls clattered to the ground and she ran forward, embracing the little girl tightly. Tears spilled from her eyes and she questioned Sachi rapidly. Hands on the girl's face, feeling her warmth, then checking her for any cuts or bruises. The girl started to cry herself, wailing about how much she had missed her mommy and daddy and how scary it was being kidnapped by the demon.

She treated us to dinner as thanks and when the husband came home… he was stunned to see us around the fire pit, Sachi in her mother's arms. Kagome had treated everyone's injuries, even going back over my stitches to clean the scratches some more, and Inuyasha's hanjuban and red kimono top discarded beside him to show off the fresh new bandages wrapped around his abdomen. Shippō had to wake me up when the husband showed up, leaving me greatly disgruntled.

What had me even more grumpy was the fact that the man, Gosuke, took that as his chance to get right up in my face and bow. I was not a morning person. "My daughter told me all that happened! And you-! I am so sorry for what I did back then! I can't apologize enough." I struggled to sit up, staring at him with wide eyes. This was not how I was expecting the day to go. "I hurt you and yet… you still brought her back to me."

He raised his head, eyes misty. I had already forgiven this man for attacking me, but he still felt he had to atone. I mean, I'm glad he regrets it… but he's making me feel awful with all this apologizing. Gosuke shook his head.

"I misjudged you greatly- you and your friends."

Friends? Were we all friends? Kagome and Shippō certainly, but Inuyasha as well? He was always yelling at me, insulting me, and… going out of his way to help me. Most of it was per Kaede or Kagome's orders, but he didn't have to carry me as much as he did. He didn't have to protect me. He even complimented me when I used the Shikigami to free them.

I… I want to be friends. With all them. Everyone I meet I want to call an ally.

Violence was horrid and… when I was first told I was in the Feudal Era I didn't know what to think. Being thrust into this bloody world without my sister by my side, suddenly attacked by villagers and demons alike, and learning I had a mysterious power called Shikigami? It was illogical. Transcending time to the past of a totally different country… how on earth does that work?

Yet… even though I'm scared and I still doubt myself greatly, I feel like I can do this.

So long as I have these people I can call friends by my side. People I know who won't leave me for death; who will help me find my sister, even if I'm not the most skilled or talented person. I'm hardly useful, but I had a good grasp of how to use the Shikigami in the fight. Shippō's attack didn't seem to do any real damage to the spider until I added the blue flame to it- which burned the demon as a result.

With them, together, I'm sure we can get through things.

Jewels shard hunting and locating Maria.

"J-Just a little bit." I forced myself to joke, trying very hard to not get emotional. "It, uh, it happens, so… like I said; I don't blame you. No need to worry about it."

"But I must!" He argued, sitting up straight with his feet beneath him. I wondered how his ankles didn't hurt; that kneeling position was very common here in Japan. "Without you my daughter would had been left as fodder for that… that beast! I can't just turn a blind eye to what I've done!"

I mean, that's fair… but-

"Here! I have something for you!" He stood, making his way over to the other side of the hut- disappearing into another room. Running out, Gosuke suggested as he held out a small bag towards me, "Perhaps it can help you on your journey? You've suffered great wounds, haven't you? Take it for medicine- to restock on what you used up! Or even food to bring with you! My wife and I don't have much; it's just a modest home, but we'd be honored to let you stay for the night to rest."

"Yes, please!" Yone, the mother of Sachi and wife of Gosuke, said. She walked over from the coal stove, hands pressed together. "Let us accommodate you just this once? I'm sure you must be exhausted from such a heinous ordeal."

"That'd be wonderful," Kagome told them with a tired, grateful smile, "but we really must be going. The food was delicious and I can't thank you enough for that. But we would just imposing if we stayed any longer. The demons that were in the temple are gone now, so you shouldn't have anymore problems with them anymore. Right, Inuyasha?"

The half-demon huffed as he pulled his undershirt back on. Kagome put away her medicine. "Yeah, but only because we nearly got ourselves killed in the process. I don't like facing danger for every stranger we meet with a sad backstory, you know!"

"Yes, of course! I understand." Gosuke nodded at his words. "That's why I put this together in case you returned victorious! It's not much, but we wanted to show you our appreciation for saving our daughter." He looked back at me. "Will you accept it? Please?"

Hesitantly reaching out I took the small bag from him, startled to hear the sound of coins jingling from inside. Opening it, I was alarmed to see that it was indeed change. "M-Money?" Wasn't cash hard to come by these days? "Why give me this? Don't you need it? I-I don't… we can't, um, I mean-"

Hopeless in this kind of situation I looked up at Kagome and Shippō for help. Their expressions told me I was on my own.

"I-It would be rude to just… I can't!"

"I think it would be more rude to not accept." Kagome told me. Oh, so now she gives advice. I see how it is. "We do need the money. What do you think, Inuyasha?"

"I'd say just shut up and take it. More we got the better."

"But…" I didn't want to rob them of their earnings. What if taking this made their life even harder somehow? Slumping my shoulders, I gave in to defeat. "O-Okay… thank you. I'm sorry. Uh, how much is in here, anyway?"

Yone smiled. "One thousand yen."

Chapter Text

Walking was easier by this point. I couldn't move too quickly without causing stress to my back, but I no longer had to rely on Inuyasha to carry me everywhere. Rescue inhalers are a blessing, but so are nebulizers- which I had to hide out in the back of the hut to use while Shippō and Inuyasha stood guard so no villager could see. I was really freaked out about paradoxes or something equally bad happening, but then again…

How do I know that I didn't already cause great change? Kagome's been time travelling even longer than I have, so maybe the course of history has already been totally rewritten and we don't realize it because we are already living the change? Urk. My head hurts.

Either way, by the time I was done I had gone back inside where Kagome had given me a top to wear. My back was totally exposed in my sweater dress top, so Kagome gave me one of her extra uniform tops. It was a bit small, but I thanked her regardless. I felt kind of silly wearing a school uniform since I graduated High School, especially because of how foreign it was.

It did not suit me at all. The only uniform I ever wore were the ones for gym and band class.

"Hey, that old man is still here." Inuyasha suddenly commented as we were heading for the town exit. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air, arms folded into his kimono. "We should go talk to him, don't you think? Maybe he could teach you some more about that Shikigami stuff."

Kagome stopped walking, clapping her hands together. By some miracle her bike didn't fall over. "Yeah! That's a great idea, Inuyasha! Let's go do that, Irene."

"Uh, okay… sure." Sounded like a good plan. "We can tell him what happened with Shippō and the webs!"

"Let's go!" Shippō exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait to find out what else you and I can do with our magic!"

With that we changed course, following Inuyasha to the pond where the old man was sitting. Compared to last time, however, Kakuju was now standing in the spot where the Serpentine Rock once resided. Maybe he just wanted me to destroy the rock so he could feel the wind better? I don't know.

"Well," The old man mused as we approached, hearing our footsteps, "that was certainly quick. Hardly even two days and yet you've already experienced so much."

Kakuju turned around, carefully using his cane to guide himself towards us. He stopped a few feet away. Tilting his head as a breeze blew by, the elder nodded his head.

"Yes. The power of the Shikigami is much stronger now; I can sense it. You've learned how to use your strength in a fight, haven't you?"

Knowing he was talking to me I froze up, awkwardly bringing my hands up in front of me and fiddling with my fingers. I could feel everyone's eyes on me- waiting for a response. An answer or explanation that would lead to something greater being taught by this stranger. "Y-Yeah, well, it's… complicated?"

"How so?" He asked, no hint of impatience or exasperation in his voice. Kakuju was calm, kind even as he awaited further details. "Please, tell me everything that happened."

And so I did. My habit of talking was shown as I went into every little detail on our journey, informing him of how I was able to make little balls of light appear when I concentrated and that Shippō was even helping by showing how he conjured foxfire. Then I went into depth of the battle against the many demons, mentioning the decaying wolf that would have killed me had this large dog not appeared from the fiery pentagram on the ground. I told Kakuju how after it killed the demon it approached and licked my shoulder, healing it, and then disappeared.

"-when I went in to see how everyone was doing," I choked, getting caught up in the emotion of the tale and getting hit by the pure shock of how truly scary it was, "they were all trapped in these… these spider webs! A-And then I got stuck and I didn't know what to do, and they were all yelling at me to… to run; I- I wanted to help. I hated…"

I took a deep breath, stopping myself from blurting out my true thoughts. I hated talking about my feelings.

"I hated… not being able to do anything." I forced myself to admit, lowering my head. "E-Everyone is so nice to me despite how much I… burden them. I just get in the way. So I asked the Shikigami for help and…"

"Irene…" I could hear Kagome say, saddened by what she was hearing. Shippō, who was on my shoulder, rested a small hand on the top of my head. Sniffling, pretending that I wasn't blurting my doubts and self-hatred out for everyone to hear, I tried to clear my throat and speak more confidently.

It didn't work as well as I hoped. "I asked the Shikigami for help, to save us, a-and… that was when the blue dragon appeared. That was after I conjured the red flame that melted all the webs and exploded the walls, but… i-it worked? It was when Inuyasha was stuck in the spider's…" I brought my hands up, cringing as I tried to mimic the mandibles. "...mouth thing, and Shippō let loose an attack. The dragon kinda hit him and latched onto the spinning top he used, a-and it burned the spider!"

"It's true!" Shippō added, speaking. His arms were wrapped around my neck in a hug, the fox demon holding himself up without my help. I proceeded to grab him so he wouldn't have to tire himself out, cradling him to my chest like one would a toddler. "My fox magic is nothing but a bunch of illusions, so while it would hurt the spider it wouldn't cause any real damage! But Irene's Shikigami did something to it!"

"I see." Kakuju thought deeply about this for a moment. "Minimal use of Shikigami power that would spread and free your allies, as well as spiritual summoning. To think you could be strong enough to cause an explosion…"

"That… wasn't me." I found myself saying, making a face as I went into deep thought. Finding the right words to phrase my next sentence was difficult. "I… I didn't make the explosion. That wasn't- um, I… I used the Shikigami and the flame… touched Serpentine rock. The walls were made out of it and… I think that's what caused the explosion? The rock? I just… wanted a distraction so I could try and… help everyone."

There was nothing strong about me. The Shikigami deserved all the praise.

"That may be true," Kakuju said as if sensing my dark thoughts, "but the fact that they answered your call shows they trust you. And trust deals a large part in using Shikigami, not to mention combining powers."

"Well, either way," Inuyasha spoke up from the back of the group, "whatever it was you did caused us to break free and let us defeat that demon. And what you did back there with Shippō- maybe you aren't made for battling on the front lines, but you're not totally useless either. What you did was pretty helpful."

Perhaps I was reading into this wrong, but was he trying to cheer me up? Is that what Inuyasha was doing? I lifted my head, turning to meet his gaze. His amber eyes were genuine.

"It took a lot of energy out of both of us, I think, but I'm willing to do it again." Kakuju turned his attention to Shippō- not quite looking at him and more staring through him. "Irene was hurt pretty badly when she did it, so I think she was just desperate. Maybe the Shikigami spirits felt bad for her? But then there was that dog that appeared out of flame! Why did it just heal her shoulder and not her back, too?"

Kagome raised a hand to her injured arm, frowning. "That's what I was wondering. Why do that if not finish the job? Maybe…"

"Maybe it thought her back could heal on its own?" Inuyasha suggested, resting his hands behind his head lazily. "Only a demon could heal from a melted shoulder, but any human strong enough can get through a couple scratches on their back."

"That could be it," Kagome mused, a hand to her chin, "and coming from a fellow dog like you that would make sense…"

"Okay, first off-! I'm a dog demon, thank you very much!"

"Half dog demon, Inuyasha."

"You wanna fight?"

"Dog…" I murmured, something itching in the back of my mind. What was it? Suddenly I snapped my head up, eyes mouth, shrieking in horror, "Oh my god! Kagome, the cat! We left the cat!"

"What cat?" Kakuju inquired. Kagome smacked her hands to her face, alarmed.

"The one at the temple!" She cried. "We left the cat there!"

"I can't believe it…" I hung my head. "How could we have left it? We're terrible people! Agh!"

Kagome gasped. "We must have forgotten due to all that panic!"

"It'll be fine, won't it?" Shippō asked, worried for the poor creature. "The demons are all gone…"

I dragged my hands through my hair, ruffling the dark chocolate mess. "I hate myself. I want to go home. We need to go back and get that kitten."

Inuyasha looks absolutely flabbergasted by our behavior and barked, annoyed, "We are not going back to that old temple just for some dumb cat!"

"Says you!" I retorted, scowling and going into a small coughing fit. "You're a dog! You're biased!"

"Yeah!" Shippō agreed. "You have no say in this matter! The cat must be protected!"

"Now, now!" Kakuju cut in, raising a hand up to calm us. "Before you all take off there is something I must teach Irene. The dog spirit that helped her is not just any ordinary Shikigami spirit; it is a familiar. Perhaps one you might even recognize from somewhere…?"

"What?" I blinked, looking at him confused. It was easy to distract me, so my attention was easily caught by the profound question. "Where I've… seen it before?"

"Yes."

That's… strange. I don't think I've seen it anywhere before- oh. Oh my god; it really was that dog, wasn't it? Realization dawned on me and I could hear Shippō asking me something, demanding to know what I just thought of, but instead of staring at Kakuju my attention turned to Inuyasha instead.

He was the one who found me when I first came here to this time period. "Inuyasha…"

The half-demon raised an eyebrow at me when he saw my expression, hearing how my voice quivered. He lowered his arms, frowning. "What is it?"

"Th-That light you saw that killed the demon… when you first found me? That was the dog."

"...So?"

"So?" I repeated, flabbergasted by his lack of understanding. I turned around, walking over until I was in front of him, breathlessly waving my hands around in the air to try and get my point across. "Wh-When I fell through the stream with Maria there were lights! One wrapped around her, okay? A-And it was… it was like it was crushing me a-and trying to… to tear me apart! And then this animal appeared and forced it back!" Yes, that's what happened. My memories were coming back to me now that I actually understood what's going on. "A dog Shikigami saved me from that person's Shikigami! The person who summoned me here tried to kill me, but it wouldn't let them! So it saved me and took me away from wherever it was bringing me Maria, and it brought me to you."

"...I'm not following. Are you saying it planned for me to find you?"

"Yes?" I shook my head. "No? I dunno. Point is; you are half dog- demon or not! Don't you think that maybe it knew you wouldn't let me die?"

"Wait," Shippō said, "I'm confused. Didn't you wind up at Akebi Village first?"

I held a finger in the air, mouth opened in full preparation to answer that, before I paused. "True… but only because I walked there. I could have just as easily walked in the other direction- which is where I got attacked by the demon! That light Inuyasha saw must have been that dog!"

"This is all very confusing." Kagome sighed, resting a hand against her forehead. "It's giving me a headache."

"Me too!" I exclaimed. "But- we're getting somewhere, right? We're learning stuff! This is good! If we can just figure out who the Summoner is we might be able to find Maria!

"Summoner?"

"Yeah! You know, the person who brought me to this time period!?" I whirled around, answering the question without much thought, only to freeze when I realized I just blurted out the secret to Kakuju. "A-Ah, and by that I mean, uh…"

Frick. How does Kagome do this? I got too excited.

The old man looked greatly confused. "I beg your pardon? You are… from a different time?"

"Yes…" Kagome answered slowly, stepping forward to stand beside me. "Irene and I are both from two different futures. I travelled here from over five hundred years ahead, while she's even farther than that. But… our situations are different from each other. I'm actually the reincarnation of a dead priestess, and Irene… well- she was summoned here by a person. She and her sister. Our best guess is that they wanted Maria for something, but the spell could only be activated thanks to Irene. We're trying to find her so we can send them home."

"The future…" Kakuju didn't speak for a very long minute. "I can tell you are not lying, though what you say does concern me. There are not many wielders of Shikigami who are strong enough to perform a summoning ritual of another human being, in fact- the only I can think of who could do such a thing has been dead for a very long time."

"Well, that's lame." Inuyasha huffed. "Blabbin' the secret after yelling at me for suggesting it, and we don't even get anything out of it."

"I can't offer any advice on how to help you, I'm afraid," Kakuju apologized, "but there is one thing I can do. Irene, come stand in front of me."

"Uh… okay?" It still felt weird. "Now what?"

He extended his hand out to me and took it. Oddly enough, it reminded me of my grandfather's hand. "Close your eyes… feel the power within you. Call upon the Shikigami and asked for their assistance. You and your allies are injured, and you wish to resume your journey unscathed- yes? Feel the rush of the river stream… and reach out to it."

Taking a deep breath I tried to do as instructed. I focused on that feeling inside me, that warmth from the Shikigami as it wrapped around me to envelope my body in its soft flames. I was so panicked before I could never really notice it, but Kagome was right; it truly was comforting. It reminded me of a hug, almost, bringing back memories of my siblings and my parents. My best friend. Maria as we would talk about anime and videogames, cuddling with her cat, and drawing.

I remembered being curled up next to her, arms around her waist, her nails lightly running along my back and washing away all my anxiety and stress.

A sob building up in the back of my throat, the red flame around me suddenly turned blue. The warmth turned into a coolness, like when you're floating underwater and decide to rise to the surface. A relaxing feeling, yet somehow overwhelming at the same time. Just how am I supposed to find Maria if I die beforehand?

I don't want her to have to deal with another loss; she's had so many people go away already. I can't leave. I have to stay alive to find her. But how?

This era is even more detrimental for my health than ours, with or without the demons.

I want to be useful; I want to be able to help. This Shikigami power of mine…

If it can heal instead of fight, that's fine with me. I just don't want anyone to die.

My one desire is to find my sister, safe and sound.

And then it was there- Kakuju releasing my hand in time for me to find myself in water. A large koi fish swam around me, almost as though we were in the pond itself, the creature leaping out of the deep blue pentagram beneath my feet and swimming through the air. "Please," I begged, outstretching a hand towards it, tears in my eyes, "help us…"

Give me your blessings.

"I-I don't want them to die…"

This fish that leapt out of a mighty flowing river just to answer my call gazed at me with such indifferent eyes.

"I… I don't want me to die…"

The koi stared at me for a few moments before its gaze seemed to soften. Seeing the truth in my words it flapped its fins and took a dive, splashing back into the glowing summoning circle. Instead of warm red flames, cool blue ones washed over me acting in place of real water. Everything had just been an illusion; I was never really underwater. That was simply the fish testing me. The flames spread over and brought great relief to my back, and then shot out towards Kagome, Shippō, and Inuyasha.

Only two of the three were really injured, but that didn't stop it. They could feel the flesh closing shut, the blue flame burning away any infection that dare try to fester. I could even feel a clearer pathway to my lungs, whatever the temple mold and dust did to me gone. My back was no longer stinging.

As the light dimmed down and the flames disappeared, Kagome lifted up her sleeve to remove the bandage.

"It's really gone…" She murmured in awe. "That's incredible."

"Wow…" Shippō gasped.

"Is this for real?" Inuyasha blinked, walking over to view Kagome's arm. Granted there wasn't really anything to see as the injuries were completely gone, leaving not even a trace of scarred flesh. "That's amazing!"

"Yes, indeed." Kakuju praised. I felt both worn out from the event and flustered. I had to remind myself that it was the Shikigami they were applauding and not myself. "You're a natural."

"Thank you. I mean, I try!" I pressed my index fingers to my cheeks, grinning tiredly. "I'm surprised that it even worked."

"The spirits must truly care for you. That familiar of yours as well; the dog is known to be a most loyal creature, adoring its master above all else." He told me, smiling. Inuyasha scowled at this, seeing the way Kagome brought a hand up to cover the grin forming on her lips. It was clear she was gonna use this to tease him later. "Yet it is also the most protective, and is easily angered by those that threaten you. Do take care to train it well. It is the one Shikigami that will never betray you."

So that fish… could attack me if I upset it. Yet that dog won't?

"I don't get it…" I frowned. "Why do you think the spirits care about me? I've literally never done anything for them."

I was hardly religious. The most praying I've ever done was in these past two days and that was to the Shikigami spirits. It wasn't as though I ever helped them do anything. I didn't even know they existed until recently.

"As I mentioned before, dealings with Shikigami require large amounts of trust. As with your friends you need trust in order to combine your strength. The stronger the bond the more powerful the attack. You have never betrayed the Shikigami's trust, have you, Irene? In fact, I dare say you'd have earned it."

"How?"

"Honesty." He placed his hand over his cane, not quite meeting our gazes. "Many lie and deceive, whether they be human or demon, spirit or god, but those who try and live a life of honesty are different. Those who show even the slightest bit of kindness are often walked on and used, never to be valued. Yet Shikigami- they live a life of servitude. Often treated as slaves or tools, they're never shown any gentleness."

As he told the story everyone went silent, taking in every word he said with complete seriousness. Even Inuyasha, who distrusted Kakuju almost as much as I did, was listening. I stared at the blind man, letting the words sink in as I attempted to decipher what was trying to tell me.

"Empathy, kindness, understanding… it is what makes a person good. The charisma they have can't help but draw others to them, even if they themselves think they are lacking. Whether or not this applies to you, I can not say for certain; but I know you must possess a well-intentioned heart. They would not come to your aid so readily otherwise. You must figure out for yourself what it is they see in you if you wish to know."

"That…" I tilted my head, biting my lip in confusion. "That makes sense, I think? It's not like I want or plan on hurting them. That'd be kinda mean, actually. I don't like mean people."

Kakuju chuckled. "Neither do I. Anyway, you should probably go now. I'm sure you have someone waiting for your return. But do not fret; I am certain we will meet again."

"O-Okay… uh, thank you!"

"It is no problem." He smiled, watching as I hesitantly turned to walk away. I carried Shippō with me as I followed Inuyasha and Kagome away from the pond, watching as Kagome made a comment about how the half-demon needed to learn to be obedient like the Shikigami dog I summoned earlier. "Though I do wonder…"

Kakuju's grip tightened on his cane, expression becoming dark as a somber tone took to his words.

"...why you remind me so much of that woman?"

…

I never imagined I would be so happy to return to Kaede's village. Seeing all the people bustling around the area, working and cleaning, and simply continuing on with their lives as though there were no threat of demons. It was unbelievably nice. Rather than rush here we took our time and walked, not feeling as pressed for time. Stretching my arms out I let out a yawn, which soon proved to be contagious as Shippō and Kagome followed suit.

"I could really go for a bath right now," Kagome exclaimed, arms high above her head, "but I need to go home and take that test I've been studying for! Urgh! What a pain."

"Then why don't you just quit?" Inuyasha suggested, genuinly not understanding why school was so important to her. "You could just stay here."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome huffed and came to a halt, bringing her hands down to her sides and balling them into fists. "I can't just dropout of school! I have responsibilities! Besides, I want to make it to a decent college if I can! With all this work battling demons and searching for jewel shards I'll be lucky if I even make it into a good high school!"

Oof. She really was a hard worker. "Honestly, I don't even know how you manage it, Kagome." I told her, amazed. She looked at me in surprise. "I would have given up already. Heck, I didn't even go to college- too much debt I'd have to pay back."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't have guessed…" Kagome looked straight ahead, hands laced together behind her back. "But, you know, it was only a few months ago I was brought here myself. I never thought I'd be trying to balance schoolwork with… well, this. Life is so strange. I don't want to give up on school, even with all that's happened. I want to get my diploma. I have my mom, grandpa, and little brother all rooting for me. Not to mention my friends… I want to make them proud."

I stared at her, finding her even more incredible than before. Something about her words confused me though. "Don't you think… they're already proud?"

She hmm'd, eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

"Well- it's just… you could die anytime, you know?" I hate to sound like such a pessimist, but I wanted to try and get my point across. "Yet you still study and do your best to pass school, and you cook and clean our wounds, a-and… you kill freaking demons that are trying to eat people. Most people wouldn't even be able to last a day, but you… keep going. You're really strong, Kagome. I think… I mean, I don't know them, but… I think they're proud of you already. You shouldn't push yourself, you know?"

When the shock died off a smile, so sweet and happy, formed upon her lips. "Thank you, Irene. But I can't stop. I have to work even harder with my bad grades!" She laughed, bringing a hand up and ruffling her hair. She paused and made a face. "Ick, my hair's so gross… oh! I know! Maybe if I take you with me when I go to travel through the well... ? It might work then…"

"Doubt it." Inuyasha huffed. "It didn't last time, so why would it now?"

"Well, you never know!"

"It's okay, Kagome." I told her, forcing a smile as I closed my eyes. Her head whipped around so she could face me, stunned. "I-I don't really wanna risk going back without Maria, you know?"

"I...I guess…"

It wouldn't fair. If Maria has to suffer in this world then so do I; besides, if I can't return… then what about her? I'm not going to leave her here. We're in this together, separated or not. All worlds share the same sky, which means Maria is standing somewhere on this earth as well. She's with me.

We continued on our way to Kaede's hut, Shippō complaining about how tired he was, and as our group approached I found the stress of dealing with demons seeming to seep away from my shoulders. A weight vanishing, as though this small building had become a safe haven somehow during my short stay here. "I have some shampoo and conditioner here somewhere," Kagome muttered, looking through the hut, "you can borrow it! It's- ah, there! Here we go!"

She held up the small bottles, grinning ear-to-ear.

"There's some body wash and loofahs, so you don't have to worry! I got your back, Irene."

Kagome blinked when she realized my arms were suddenly wrapped around her waist, my face buried in her shoulder. "Thank you~!" She is seriously way to nice towards me. I didn't deserve her kindness. What Kakuju said before about empathy and gentleness- it reminded me of this girl. She was always so understanding and helping me out, never viewing me as a nuisance. "Thank you…"

Kagome reciprocated the embrace, arms wrapping around my shoulders. "Of course! We girls gotta look out for each other! Just wait until you meet Sango; I'm sure she'd say the same thing."

"Sango…" I keep hearing that name, but I know next to nothing about her. From my understanding Miroku was a liar monk, who often cheated rich people into letting the gang stay in their mansions during travels. Yet no one told me anything about this woman named Sango. "Who is she?"

"She's a demon slayer." Kagome answered, pulling away. "Her and Miroku went off on an errand of their own to slay some rather aggressive demons, which is why they aren't here right now. They should be back soon."

"Oh." I blinked, tilting my head at that. "Okay."

Shippō made himself comfortable on the floor, having pulled out a blanket to lie on. "Kagome, do you think you can bring some ninjas snacks with you when you come back from the well? O-Or maybe even those bento thingies you made last time! They were so good!"

The girl chuckled at that, both bashful and proud as she pressed a hand to her cheek. The bottles were tucked to her side beneath her other arm. "Oh, you think so? I'm so glad you like them! I'll make you something extra special next time, Shippō!"

"Really?" He asked, eyes sparkling excitedly. "Oh~ I can't wait! Thank you!"

"Bento? Kagome, can you please!? The food was delicious!" I remembered the stuff she had made when she brought me my medicine. It felt like forever ago that it had happened-but it was only about two weeks. "It's so good! I miss real food! Your cooking is amazing!"

"Yeah, it can get pretty rough here sometimes, can't it?" She lamented. "But yeah! Since we're stopping here we can rest up for a while. I'll go home and take my test, turn in my homework, cook, and-"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Inuyasha barked as he sat down. "We have jewel shards to worry about!"

"It'll be fine, Inuyasha! Besides, you like those instant ramen noodles, right? I promise to bring by more of those~." She sang, clapping her hands together in a pleading fashion. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he huffed, crossing his arms. "Please? You know you want them…"

"Grr… fine! But three days! Okay? No more, no less!" He pointed a finger at her, holding up three fingers for Kagome to see that he was giving her only that specified time. Kagome cheered and pumped a fist in the air, grinning.

"Yeah! Ah, sweet home here I come!" She was practically sparkling with how happy she was. Suddenly the beaded doorway was pushed aside and Kaede nearly jumped, surprised to see us. "Hi, Kaede~! How are you doing? We're back!"

"So I see." She said, single eye wide. "Ye've returned. Did you find any clues?"

Her gaze turned to me as she entered the hut, and I hugged my arms close to my chest. "N-No, not… really. Maria wasn't at the temple."

"Temple?"

"It's a long story." Shippō explained, stretching out his little child limbs from his spot on the blanket. "But we did learn how to use the power of the Shikigami! Just as Inuyasha was about to be killed Irene used it to save him!"

"Oh, shut up, Shippō!" Inuyasha snapped, leaping onto his feet and stepping forward- ready to pummel the little guy. "You guys were gonna die, too! It wasn't just me!"

"I-I didn't… really save him." I stammered, "I just… freed you guys from the web. You did the majority of the fighting."

I needed to work harder myself. Kagome pushed herself so much for her schoolwork, even with the threat of death constantly looming over her. Kakuju said that I was a natural at using the Shikigami, but that was only because the spirits themselves didn't hate me. If I so much as even give them a reason to distrust me they would revolt. There's no winning.

I have to learn how to use this power and figure out how to communicate properly with the Shikigami. If I didn't… I would just slow down everyone even more.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Kaede told me, mimicking the very words I had spoken to Kagome not long ago, the priestess reaching forward and placing a hand on my elbow. I looked at her. She took notice of the uniform top I was wearing, but didn't say anything- instead continuing with, "Even if it takes time you must be patient. And I'm sure you're all very tired, so how about I make you something to eat and you head to bed?"

"Food?"

"Bed?"

"I can't wait!"

Several voices rang out at once and, though it was difficult, I resisted the intense urge to hug the older woman. She and Kagome were so unnecessarily kind to me. Always looking after us when they didn't have to; they were good people. It would make more sense for the Shikigami to work under them than me.

I was a selfish, greedy human who only thought of herself.

Even though I helped free all those people I still thought of it as a waste of time simply because my sister wasn't there. I know that wasn't the case at all, as those people had families that needed to see them just as badly as I needed to see Maria, but… I still thought it. I had an ugly heart, no matter how much I tried to hide it. I put my own feelings first.

Such a coward.

Why can't I be better than this?

Over dinner we informed Kaede of what happened. Our journey to Akebi, meeting with Kakuju and learning about Shikigami, and our adventure in the old temple with the demons. We continued to explain that my Shikigami had melted all the webs and freed the villagers, as well as the gang. I told her what I remembered from Kakuju's explanation on how the spirits favored me- including the fact that I had no idea why- and Kaede grew very concerned.

She told me to be careful and that I should take into consideration what he said with my next course of action heading forward. Finding Maria and collecting the jewel shards was going to be a very difficult task already, what with Naraku constantly lurking over Inuyasha, but with my powers still being something unknown for everyone involved save for Kakuju- who we still weren't certain we could trust- things were going to be even trickier.

I wound up having a dreamless sleep that night, plagued by thoughts of my Shikigami going out of control. Images of everyone pinned by webs caused by this shadow demon Naraku, dying one-by-one… with Maria at the front. When I awoke the next day Kagome was already gone, travelling through the well back to her own time.

The envy I felt at the knowledge she would get to see her family again…

It was disgusting.

There was no denying I was jealous of her. Burying those feelings and emotions deep down, keeping them locked up, I met with Kaede who gave me an extra change of clothes and I headed for the stream just outside the village to take a bath.

…

"She's ready."

Red flames illuminated the dark room, paper silhouettes burning to ash in the distance. The stranger raised a pale dainty hand in the air, flames coiling around her arm as though they were snakes. Upon further observation the woman watching realized that the fire around the stranger were exactly that; with dark beady eyes that stared into her and her master's souls, judging them for all they were worth.

The owner of the snakes turned their head, low feminine voice the only thing to be heard save for the crackle of flames. A mask covered her head completely, leaving not even her hair or eyes to be seen. Her words were completely empty, lacking any and all emotion. "We can begin."

A man hummed at that, chuckling darkly upon hearing her statement. A trace of amusement could be heard as he spoke, curiosity flickering in his cold red eyes. "Is that so? I was under the impression you wanted the older one's soul... What makes the girl so special? She won't last in this world very long; she'll fall victim to famine and disease soon enough…"

"Without her… all would have been for naught." The masked stranger raised her head, staring at him intently from behind her mask. She could not truly see him, but she could feel him. His darkness. The corrupt black of his soul. This man's aura was unlike any other she's known. "She has the power that sustains me. It is her that I require. The other may perish."

The uneasy woman watched as her master laughed, the kimono-clad beauty carefully bringing a decorative fan up and opening it to hide her frown. There was something not quite right about their new masked companion, but she just couldn't name what it was. "Shall I have Kagura kill her?" The woman tensed upon hearing her name, knowing she would not be able to disobey any orders.

The masked stranger shook her head. "No… I'll take care of it later. For now my only desire is to meet with the girl. I want to feel how strong her power is for myself."

"Ah, yes." He mused. "The Shikigami. Why is it, I wonder, that she can wield it? Does it have something to do with you, perhaps?"

The stranger said nothing. She instead brought forth her hands set loose the snakes coiled around her arms, shooting them forward into the flames. Simultaneously, and without warning, they erupted into a brilliant orange fire. Inside that fire they could all see the girl, their target, arguing with a small fox demon child. The man's eyes narrowed, recognizing that demon.

"So she's with them. Of course."

Kagura watched carefully in silence, saying nothing. Her mind was reeling from all this information, schemes running through her head. If the target was that girl and she was with the enemy… there may be a chance for her to gain her freedom yet. All she has to do is play along and bring them to him. Her master. That wretched demon standing in front of her, chatting with some… person they just met.

The masked woman's scent bothered Kagura so much. Was she a human or a demon? It was impossible to tell, but something about it was just so familiar. She reeked of mud and the blood of living creatures. Kagura found that highly suspicious. "So what?" The demon incarnation finally asked. "Shall we arrange a play date?"

"The girl is surely eager to meet with the one who brought her here." The man said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't you think so? With this you will have your prey, but Inuyasha and his friends…"

He pulled a small sphere out of his sleeve, staring at the vile purple incomplete jewel. Wrapping his fingers around, the man clutched it tightly- to the point it dug into his palm. A malevolent rage slowly simmered inside him, for without interference it surely would have already been whole. Red eyes colder and more cruel than anything the world had witnessed, he growled,

"Their lives, and their jewel shards, will be mine."

…

Despite my attempts to dissuade him, Shippō ended up tagging along with me to the stream. I tried to explain that I wasn't comfortable at the idea of bathing with other people, child or otherwise, but he started to cry and brought up that Kagome and Sango always let him bathe with them. The more I heard about this Sango the more I wanted to meet her.

Feeling guilt and being pressured by said emotion I wound up agreeing, and here we are. The fox demon splashed about and swam in the distance, and I proceeded to bury myself further in the water. Bathing with others made me greatly uncomfortable, but he was a child so… I guess it's fine. What a pain.

I just wanted to relax alone. There were too many people I had to deal with these past few days. My non-existent battery was totally drained and I needed to recharge.

"Ack!" I could hear the fox demon struggling with something, causing me to open my eyes and glanced over to see what he was doing. His fingers were stuck in his hair, caught in the attempt to undo the bow holding his auburn locks up. "Get off…! Grr! Irene~! I need help!"

Staying close to the edge so as not to go too deep into the stream, I waddled over to the fox demon. The lake stream was quite big and, depending on where you were at in it, could get quite deep. As someone who could only float and doggy paddle I needed to stay on the shallow ends. "On my way. Can you scoot over here?"

"Y-yeah, hold on." Shippō had to move his arms weirdly in order to untangle his fingers, then proceeded to swim over to where I was at. "Sorry. I know you can't swim."

"It's fine. Here-" He moved in front of me and turned around, allowing me to try and undo the bow tied in his hair. "Gods, this thing is stuck. S-Sorry, I'm not… frick. Aha! There we go; got it." I grabbed the ribbon and set it down on a nearby rock, scowling. Running my fingers lightly through his hair to straighten the mess, I asked, "Want me to wash it for you? I have the shampoo and stuff here."

"Would you? I have trouble getting all that soft stuff out sometimes…"

I blinked. "You mean the conditioner? Yeah, I used to have issues with that too. My mom washed it for me when I was younger. But no biggie; I can get it now. Which means you're gonna have some super soft hair by the time I'm done with you!"

"My mom used to wash my fur, too." Shippō suddenly said. I paused, regretting the words I said; I hadn't intended to bring up painful memories. He watched as I squirted some shampoo onto my hands. "She was really nice."

"Well," I awkwardly began, bringing my hands to his auburn hair and scrubbing the soap into it, "think she'd mind if I did it? Should I stop?"

"...Nah. I think they'd like you; you're pretty neat. For a human, anyway."

"Pfft! For a human?" I scrunched my nose and stuck my lips out, imitating a fish. "Should I be offended?"

"What!? No, I just meant-" Shippō saw my face and I broke out into a grin, watching him pout. "That was mean."

"Yeah, well, I'm a pretty mean person." I ruffled his hair, grabbing some water and pouring it over his head. "But, guess what?"

"What?"

I smiled at the fox demon child, seeing how curious his green eyes were. "I think you're pretty neat, too. For a demon, anyway."

He stuck his tongue out at me in a fit of childish rebellion, noticing how I had used his own words against him. "Hey, I have a question." Shippō said once I had washed out the shampoo and was currently adding in the condition. I hummed, letting him know I was listening. "Do you think Maria would like all of us? Me, Kagome, and Inuyasha…"

"I dunno." I said thoughtfully, grabbing another hand full of water and pouring it over his head. The fox demon closed his eyes as the soap came dripping down his face. I found myself very intrigued by his pointy ears; I never paid them much attention before. I was actually trying to avoid thinking about it, as well as Inuyasha's own dog-like behavior, but it was hard not to. "She might like Kagome. Would definitely argue with Inuyasha though… they're both kinda hotheads. You…"

I poured more water over his head and got to ruffling his hair a little aggressively, grinning widely. Shippō squealed at the playful tactic and grabbed at my hands, trying to get me to stop.

"You're so adorable there's no way she won't like you!"

"Uwaah~! Hahaha! That tickles, Irene!"

He pressed a tiny hand to my chin, trying to push me away. I laughed. "Sorry, not sorry! But yeah. Maria likes foxes, so I don't see why she wouldn't like you. Show her some magic tricks and you'll have her snatched."

"Ooh~! You think she'll like my transformation?"

"...What?" Shippō spun around to face me, grinning. There were still some soap bubbles in his hair. I blinked. "What transformation?"

"I'm pretty good at them! I'm getting even better at turning myself into Kagome! Inuyasha is a little tough, but we're near identical! Wanna see?"

"Sure?"

Shippō smiled so widely; I've never seen him look so happy. He pulled himself out of the water and went over to his things, pulling out a leaf. Placing it against his forehead, he shouted, "Transform!"

A puff of smoke and a strange popping noise took place. I jumped, nearly falling into the deeper depths of the water, and I had to force myself to watch as the smoke cleared.

"What do you think!?"

Long pale legs kicking at the water, Kagome sat there staring at me in a striped swimsuit, luscious black hair wet and draped over her shoulder. Her brown eyes were twinkling with mischief. The only thing that gave away the fact that this wasn't actually Kagome was the big puffy tail sticking out of her rear end.

"You…" I stared with wide eyes, mouth agape. "You actually… Holy frick, Shippō. You even sound like her!"

Fake Kagome chuckled, bringing a hand up to her lips. "Thanks! Want me to try to do you?" The smoke showed up and there was another pop, and suddenly Shippō was back. He fell through the air and landed gracefully on the rock, towel around his hips. "It won't be perfect, but it's good practice!"

"I'd… rather you not, but feel free." I hated looking at myself. "I won't stop you."

Shippō stared at me uncertain for a moment before grabbing a leaf, pressing it to his forehead. Placing the object back on his forehead, the demon leapt into the air and the process repeated. A popping noise, a puff of smoke, and then… me? It looked a lot like me, but the pointed ears and puffy tail gave it away.

I was very relieved to see that the Fake Irene was wearing clothes. Gods, I looked so weird in a kimono.

"Well?"

"Uh, I mean… you mostly look like me?" Did I really get so thin? How much weight did I lose since coming here? It looks so weird to my eyes. "My nose really does look broken… oof."

"Eh?" Fake Irene blinked. Did I truly sound so childish? "I knew I wouldn't be able to get it on the first try! Let me see my reflection!"

The more I saw his version of me the more uncomfortable I became. I crossed my arms over my chest and sank deeper into the water, disturbed. I already hated looking at myself in mirrors, but this was making it worse. Shippō's transformation ended shortly after and he scowled, reaching out to grab the falling leaf.

"I want to get it right! You don't look that funny!"

Wait, what? I looked up to see Shippō doing it again- several times- each winding up with a different result. Bath time, instead of being taken to get ourselves cleaned up, became practice for Shippō's fox magic. Finally he got a version that was essentially me- with the brown hair and eyes, and the grey dress with jeans.

The only thing off was the tail.

"Much better!" Shippō poked at his new face, observing it. "Not sleepy looking enough, but it's passable, right? I think I could fool Kagome or Kaede with this!"

"Y-Yeah…" Was that really how he viewed me? "It looks great."

He turned his gaze towards me, brown eyes practically sparking with joy. I almost recoiled at how pretty they seemed to look. "You really think so!?" Shippō went all out with his transformation; he even added in details that weren't there. Maybe it was just his magic or perhaps because he was a child, but he made his version of me a lot prettier than reality. "Haha! Alright!"

Suddenly there was a splash of water as Shippō lunged forward, transforming back just as his arms wrapped around my shoulders. I quickly caught him before he could fall, finding myself being hugged by the small fox demon.

"Everyone's gonna be so jealous! My fox demon magic is unbeatable!"

"Yeah, it is!" I did not voice my own concerns, simply agreeing to what he said. His magic was impressive, and that was no lie. Finishing our bath we proceeded to get dressed.

Considering my clothes were now irreparable Kaede lent me a pale green haori with slits in the sleeves, dark green cords tied through the hems, which were revealing the white kosode underneath. The kosode was pretty much the undershirt, wrapping around the front. Strings, otherwise known a muna-himo, tied in the front of the haori to keep it closed. As I pulled the matching dark green hakama on, which were practically pants, and tied it I couldn't help but wonder if it was alright for me to keep borrowing clothes like this.

My bare feet tapped against the ground as I spun in the circle, trying to get a good look at my reflection in the water. These priestess clothes really didn't suit me at all, but I did like the color. It was the only thing really felt like me in this strange place. "Any idea when Kagome is coming back?" I asked Shippō as he hopped onto my shoulder. "I know Inuyasha told her three days, but…"

"If she doesn't come back he'll go get her." He said. "Hey, can we go look in the forest for a bit? I'm almost out of acorns and need to get some more."

"...You eat acorns?"

"No!" He turned his head towards me, frowning. "I use them as part of my fox magic! I use acorns and mushrooms to act like a siren or signal. This one time Kagome and I got kidnapped by wolves, right? So I used my mushrooms to lead Inuyasha and the others to us! But if I'm low on acorns… I have to go find more."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense. Yeah, I'll help"

He nodded, smiling. "Thank you!" As I walked, it was quite difficult trying not to trip over the hem of my very long hakama. I missed shoes, but I was getting used to not wearing them. It did nothing for my clumsiness, though. I had no idea how long Shippō and I would be in the forest, but I didn't feel as scared of it as before.

If I was by myself I wouldn't last long… but with Shippō I was confident we could survive. If I can get the Shikigami to work like before and strengthen his magic there'd be nothing to worry about.

Right?

Maybe I'm being too hopeful… but it's all I have. Inuyasha said the forest was clear of any big demons, so we should be fairly safe regardless.

"Over there!" Shippō pointed in a direction and I followed, not bothering to question it. He knew these woods better than me. "That way! Left- no, your other left! Ah! There. Stop. Put me down." Picking him up from my shoulder, I set him gently on the ground. Shippō dashed forward, heading to a nearby tree. He picked up a small acorn. "This is my special secret spot, okay? I trust you, but don't tell anyone else!"

I knelt down, grabbing a couple acorns. This small child surprised me every time we spent time together. I stared at the acorns, observing them as I tried to figure out what was so incredible about them that they could be used for magic.

"Don't start slacking off!" He suddenly shouted, already with an armful of acorns. It was clear he wasn't trying to be mean, more as he was just very intense about his magic training. "Start picking them up!"

"Y-Yes, sorry!" I stuck the ones I already grabbed into the sleeve of my left arm, hands too small to actually hold a large amount. I smiled a little. We spent around ten minutes collecting as many of them as possible. When we were finally done I had two sleeves full of acorns and the two of us walked back, disturbed by no one. "I guess you won't be running out anytime soon, huh?"

"Only if I get kidnapped again." He said, completely serious. "Even with Inuyasha around it might happen. He's a bit of an idiot sometimes."

I choked on a laugh at that. "Okay. I mean, that's fair, I guess."

Chapter Text

The rest of the day consisted of me attempting to help Kaede out. The field work wore me down very quickly, which meant I instead followed her around to different houses carrying baskets of herbs for her. I also helped wash the dishes at the nearby stream, trying my best to make myself useful with my limited ability.

When she told me she was making dinner I offered to help, so long as she told me what to do, but instead Kaede sent me to go locate Inuyasha. She needed him to chop some wood for the fire. I wandered the village for quite some time, asking around, and found out that he had taken a walk in the forest. Shoulders slumped, I nearly gave in to defeat.

Then I took a deep breath. Shippō and I managed to get through easily earlier today, right? I can do this. Inuyasha is in there somewhere, so… it's fine.

Making my way there, walking aimlessly through the woods, I started shouting for the half-demon. "Hello~? Inuyasha! You here!?" I cupped my hands over my mouth to increase the sound, nearly running out of oxygen. "You… oh frick, I'm dizzy."

I stopped for a moment.

"Where is… How far away am I? Jeez."

Actually, which way did I come from? I feel like I might be walking in circles. The sky was starting to get quite dark, too. I should really head back. If Inuyasha isn't here then perhaps he already returned to the village? I hope so. What to do? Hmm. I turned around, hesitantly making my way towards the direction I think I came from, only to find myself getting more lost.

Darn it. Frick.

"I-Inuyasha?" I stammered, suddenly growing very scared. I looked around, feeling as if I was being watched. Was I imagining things? Perhaps I was. The temple was quite frightening and being on my own wasn't the best idea at the moment. I should have asked Shippō to come with me. "Inuyasha, a-are you there!? Where are you!? K… Kaede wants you to…"

My voice died off, hearing bushes rustling behind me. I froze.

Was it a demon? Maybe it was Inuyasha and I'm just being paranoid. It's fine. This is fine.

"You can't… You can't sneak up on me, you know." I began, voice trembling as I slowly turned around. "I know you're there!"

I focused on that feeling inside me, the warmth that enveloped me every time I used the Shikigami. Someone was there. Whether it was friend or foe I was uncertain. Raising my hands up, red flames danced around my fingertips, and though I was panicking I tried to keep concentrating on the heat from the flames.

There was a flash of color and I whirled around completely, letting out a short and terrified shriek as the flames blasted out of my hands like a ball of fire. An inhuman squeal reached my ears and I forced my eyes open, watching in horror as a goblin-esque demon was sent sprawling back as the balls of fire burnt its flesh. Then, without any warning, a flash of silver appeared and the demon was sliced into pieces, blood spurting everywhere. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"

Inuyasha landed in front of me, watching as the demon fell onto the ground- slowly disintegrating with only its bones remaining. My legs gave out and I landed harshly onto my knees, shaking as I struggled to catch my breath.

"Damn, that was close. Lucky I showed up- hey! What the hell? You okay?"

The half-demon rushed over and knelt down in front of me, concern actually showing on his face for once. I couldn't breathe. "I-I… I attacked… I-"

"Calm down already! Jeez." Inuyasha huffed, clearly not knowing how to handle this situation. "You did good; okay, lady?"

"You…" My eyes drifted over to him, brain finally catching up to the situation. "K-Kaede… wanted to… to see you. Wood chop…" My hands flailed in the air, arms feeling like that of limp noodles. I couldn't think. I brought a hand down into my palm, trying to gesture what I was attempting to say. "Wood chopping… needed you to… Kaede. Words. Um."

"I got it, already. Just shut up."

Right.

Inuyasha proceeded to plop down, waiting with shocking patience for me to calm down and catch my breath. "Better?" Still not speaking, I nodded my head. A hand rested on my chest, waiting for the pace of my beating hard to slow down. "Can you stand?"

A few seconds passed and then I moved. Palms pressed against the ground, my shaky legs managed to get into a standing position. I wobbled and the half-demon reached out as if to catch me, before stopping when he saw I regained my balance. "I-I'm…" I coughed into my sleeve. "I'm fine. S-Sorry. Um. Th-Thank you… for the demon. Uh, killing the demon. I can't…"

I closed my eyes, a pained expression on my face. Inuyasha folded his hands into his sleeves, turning his head away. "It's fine. I'm surprised you even managed to do anything to it- keep it up and you might actually be able to take one down yourself soon."

"Yeah… uh. Oh!" I raised my head up, looking at him. "K-Kaede wanted you to-"

"I know. She told me you were looking for me and I followed your scent here. Good thing, too. Otherwise that puny demon might've gobbled you right up." He walked forward, passing by me and heading in the direction opposite that I went earlier. "Now come on; let's go back to the village. It's getting late."

"O-Okay! Sorry."

"I said stop that! It's annoying!" He scowled, glaring at me. I flinched, mouth opening instinctively to apologize before I caught myself. Inuyasha hmph'd at me. "What a pain. Why do I even bother…?"

I watched as his ears twitched. They really were so strange. Do they feel like normal dog ears? I kinda want to touch them. Is that weird? I feel like that would be weird. Probably. How do half-demons even work? I don't understand their biology at all, or how demons and humans could have even mated in the first place. "Are you really half demon?"

Inuyasha came to a halt, turning his head back and making a face. "Why are you asking me that now, stupid?"

"Uh, because… um…" How do I phrase this? "I don't know. I just… I'm not used to it, I guess. But when I was washing Shippō's hair earlier I saw his ears a-and they were really pointy! And you have the dog ears-" I pointed, not really thinking about, and jumped almost excitedly when I saw them twitch again, "-see! Like that! They're always moving! You don't even have the ears on the sides of your head; it's so strange! I mean, it's not bad, but-"

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"

I immediately went on the defensive, fearful of angering him. "N-No, no! I swear. I'm just- when I see them it's… like… ugh, how I do I phrase it? I don't…"

Inuyasha's ears moved with each expression he made, truly resembling that of a canine. It was almost adorable, but I found it more amusing than anything.

"Um…"

I want to touch them. I really do. Frick.

"C… Can I-?"

I held my hand out awkwardly before retracting it, unable to bring myself to finish my question. Gods, this is making me freak out. Why am I panicking so bad? I hated social anxiety. Urgh. If you told me so long ago I'd be trying to ask a half-demon if I could touch his dog ears I would have pretended you didn't say anything to me.

Inuyasha let out a groan. "What is with you humans and my ears? It isn't that hard to believe!"

Suddenly he was in front of me and I nearly stumbled back, intimidated. The half-demon leaned down, face inches from mine and irritation written all over it. He was really annoyed.

"Just get it over with! Rather you do it now than attack me in my sleep. Yeesh."

"Y-You sure?" Frick, he's giving me permission. I don't know what to do with this. Okay, calm down. Calm down. He's actually kinda pretty up close. Inuyasha's glare told me to hurry up and I reached up, tentatively touching the back of his dog ear with my fingers. "O-Oh… oh, wow. Okay. That's soft. Haha."

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done, and I am a very dramatic person. My eyes lit up and I grinned, feeling the fur and rubbing his ears gently. The half-demon seemed to relax the more I did so.

"These are amazing!"

He finally pulled, covering his ears with his hands for a moment before crossing his arms again. "Well, there you have it! My ears are real. You can shut up about it now."

"Yes! Lord Inuyasha is indeed the son of a great and mighty dog demon!" I whirled around trying to locate the voice, before finding the culprit residing on silver-haired teen's shoulder. Inuyasha scowled, glaring at the flea. "Though they share little similarities, Lord Inuyasha has inherited my master's most delicious blood."

"You-!" Inuyasha growled. "You can't just appear like that! Finally showin' up after you up and ditched us at the old temple, you rotten flea! Just bug off!"

I couldn't help it. I snorted when I realized the joke.

Inuyasha turned his gaze to me, snapping, "What's so funny!?"

"Y-You said… bug off. H-He's a flea…" I covered my mouth with my hand, snickering. "Myoga really bugs you, doesn't he?"

"What in the- I don't understand you! And besides, as it turns out I just tend to help humans. I don't really care about them one way or another. The same goes for you!" My laughter died down to a stop and I stared at him, eyes wide. "One way or another I'm gonna become a full-fledged demon."

Myoga leapt from Inuyasha's shoulder to mine, whispering, "The truth is… he's actually indebted to humans."

"Grrrrr~ shut your mouth! I'll squash you, you dumb flea!"

"My, my! Away I go!" Myoga darted away. "You can't kill me if you can't catch me! Farewell for now!"

"YOU COWARD!"

…

The next day went by rather slowly. I helped remove some weeds from the gardens and Kaede taught me about herbs, spending several hours informing me which were poisonous and which could be used as medicines. I followed her around again, not really having anything else to do, and did pretty much the same thing as yesterday. Inuyasha finally had all the wood chopped and Shippō was practicing his transformation skills again, and it eventually got to the point where villagers were starting to be able to recognize me and address me by name.

"Lady Irene," is what they called me- despite my attempts to refuse the title. With my apparent growing Shikigami abilities and the attire Kaede had lent me, they all assumed I was a priestess of some sort. When a pregnant lady sprained her ankle I asked Kaede if I could try something- to which she reluctantly agreed- and I walked over.

The woman's knees and palms were scratched up and bleeding. I wanted to be a good healer, so I could be of more use to Inuyasha and the others. So I sat down in front of the woman and began praying. I searched for that flame inside of me, calling out to the fish spirit that offered me help before. In the depths I could hear it- far away, so quiet. A river stream rushing forward, never ending.

O' mighty flowing river, I began nervously, trying to recall my previous experience with it, please…

The red pentagram that appeared beneath turned blue. The woman and her companions gasped, clearly concerned, before their reactions became that of awe. Kaede's eye widened. I reached out, resting a hand gently on the injured woman's leg.

Give me your blessing?

A fish leapt out of the symbol and washed over the woman with its light, the flames reaching out and dancing along her injured flesh. The fish's eyes stared at me questioningly as it swam through the air, splashing shortly back into the circle and disappearing alongside the flames. The woman sat up, a hand on her ankle, and she was surprised to see that her cuts were gone. Her palms were clear of any scratches now and her ankle… she could walk just fine.

"My back doesn't even hurt anymore!" She said as her husband helped her stand. Kaede watched me closely as I wobbled up into a standing position, offering a weak smile to her. "Thank you, Lady Irene! You must be really happy to have such wonderful people as your apprentices, Priestess Kaede."

"Apprentices?" She echoed. The elderly woman chuckled. "Oh no. Young Irene here is not my apprentice. Neither is Miss Kagome, I imagine. I simply offer them advice and accept their help when offered. Besides, Irene here does not possess the same spiritual power as we. Our's is of a holy sort. We can purify and exercise demons through prayer, whereas she… works with the spirits more directly. Even I do not fully understand the extent of her power."

"I… see." The woman didn't seem convinced. She turned to me again, a hand on her stomach as she bowed her head. "Well, I offer you my thanks. My sandal snapped on me and before I knew it… oh, I hope this doesn't affect my baby."

"Your child should be fine, but if ye wish I can have a look at it?" Kaede suggested. "Irene, why don't you go find Shippō or Inuyasha, try and learn more about that mysterious power of yours?"

"Um…" I bit my lip, thinking about it. "I guess. Practice would be nice. Okay. Bye~!" I waved at the lady and her friends, smiling as brightly as I could. "Have a nice day!"

Some of the girls giggled at my enthusiasm and offered small waves back. A lot of the men from the village didn't seem to like me very much, finding me rather suspicious due to my foreign heritage, but the women and children found me friendly enough. A lot of them seemed rather charmed by my bubbliness when I spoke to them, which was honestly a lot easier to do when I pretended I was back at home. Acting like I was at the Renaissance Fair… it was easier to be myself.

With Inuyasha and the others, however, constantly being reminded by them that I was in another era… it was near impossible trying to be cheerful. The threat of death always looming over my head, the idea of never finding Maria… it was suffocating. But they were my friends, or at least I thought of them as such, and I wasn't going to avoid them because of my own problems.

Asking around, as per usual, I got answers. They all led me in different locations, but I finally found Inuyasha in the forest clearing just outside the village, swinging his tetsusaiga around and practicing his stance. "Naraku… the next time I find you; I'll kill you once and for all." Shippō was staring intently at his leaves, picking apart the good ones from the bad. I approached, uncertain if it would really be alright to ask the hotheaded half-demon to practice with me "Hyah! Rah!"

Shippō looked up, seeing me approach. "Irene! How'd things go with Kaede?"

"Uh, good." I answered, grinning a little. I mentally thanked the spirits for helping me, not desiring to get on their bad side and being genuinely grateful that they helped. "I managed to ask the Shikigami to heal a lady that was preggers…"

"Preggers?" Inuyasha paused upon hearing that unfamiliar word and Shippō blinked. "What's that?"

"Pregnant." I corrected. I then clapped my hands together, walking over. "Anyway, I have a question! Inuyasha!"

The half-demon lowered his sword and turned. "What?"

"Wanna train with me?"

He snorted. "Like you can fight."

I held a finger up to argue, paused, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "I need to practice using the Shikigami, right? You even said so yesterday! I… I can't rely on you guys all the time t-to protect me, so…"

The half-demon turned around, facing me fully as he slung his blade over his shoulder. Why does he hold it like that? Isn't he worried about hurting himself? I really don't understand him. He and Kagome are always arguing, but I feel like she knows him the best. I actually think they're crushing on each other, but… there's something about that dead priestess they refuse to tell me. Did Inuyasha know her maybe? The person Kagome is a reincarnation of? They never like to talk about her.

"Please? I-I want to be able to defend, at least…"

Inuyasha stared at me for a long moment, then stepped forward and got into a stance. He held his sword with both hands, pointing it at me. "Alright, give me your best shot. No holding back!"

"Wait- really?"

He rolled his eyes. "Obviously, stupid. Hurry up!"

I jumped, nerves all over the place in my panic to try and figure out how I wanted to do this. "R-Right! Sorry! Um. Okay. Think. Uh, it takes a second, okay? I don't- um." I waved my hands in front of me for a moment, trying to relax. Inhale, exhale. Focus. I don't want to hurt Inuyasha, but I do want to be able to land an attack. "How should I…?"

I held my hands out, remembering what occurred in the forest. How did I make those fireballs appear? It can't be that hard, right? There was no spirit animal, so was I just channeling their energy? This is so confusing. Closing my eyes I concentrated, flexing my fingers and trying to feel that warmth.

Should I feel some sort of anger? I was scared back then with the demon; I didn't want to die. Were my powers fueled solely by emotion?

"Shikigami…" I murmured quietly, eyes closed. "Please."

Inuyasha narrowed his amber orbs at me, watching intently as red flames licked my fingers. Breathe. Feel the heat, the rush of energy inside of me. The warmth pooling in the palm of my hand, gentle and nonthreatening. Easy.

Opening my eyes, I stared at the flames, heart racing as I tried to urge them to grow bigger. My arms were clearly shaking and I think Inuyasha noticed that, for he tightened his grip on his blade and held it in front of his face protectively- as if ready to deflect an attack in case it shot out accidentally. I wanted this to…

"Um, how painful should I make this?" I flinched at that awful phrasing. "I mean-!"

"Just throw it at me! I said not to hold back."

"W-Well, I don't want to actually hurt you!"

He scoffed. "As if you could. Just throw it!"

"Freaking- fine! I'll make it a mean fire! I-If I can." Calm down, don't get hyper. I'm fine; this is fine. Seeing the red flame turn orange, I awkwardly brought my hands together to try and increase the blast size and the trajectory of it. "H-Here goes; you ready?"

"Evidently more than you are." He sassed. I made a face at him, to which he grinned in response. Oh. He was joking with me. I didn't know that was thing Inuyasha knew how to do. "Bring it!"

"O-Okay. Uh, here!"

Trying not to feel like a total fool as I imagined the ball of orange flame to shoot outwards, I let out a small yelp from recoil. I hadn't actually expected it burst out of my hands like it did, leaving me stumbling back from the blast.

"Sh-Shikigami attacked!?"

Inuyasha watched as the fire hurtled towards and waved his sword, trying to disperse it by smacking it away with the blunt side of his blade. Instead it wrapped around it, attaching itself to it, and spread along his arm. "What the-!?" He waved his kimono wildly, trying to get it to disappear. "This stuff is sticking to me! The hell!? Get it off!"

"S-Sorry!" I frantically apologized, dashing over foolishly and wearing myself out of some much needed oxygen. I tried patting it out, but while it seemed to burn Inuyasha's hand it did nothing to mine. "Stop! Hey! Frick- you're hurting yourself!" I smacked his hand away and tried to cover the flames with my own hands. "Shippō- water! Get water!"

"I'm on it! Don't die, Inuyasha!"

It wasn't spreading along his arm, but simply staying put. "I'm not gonna die, dumbass! Besides, it doesn't hurt so long as it isn't touching my flesh," Inuyasha noted, pulling his arm away from me and observing the orange flames, "which may be in part to my robe of the fire rat. Or maybe you were holding back on me. I can't really say."

"...Your what of the what-what?" I asked, dumbfounded. "There are fire rats?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha nodded. "I've had this kimono ever since I was born. It isn't much, but it does offer some protection, which is due to the fur its made out of."

"...Huh. That's nifty."

"Guys, I've got it! Here!" Shippō leapt in the air and threw the bucket at him, soaking Inuyasha completely. Thankfully the fire did go out, but now Inuyasha was wet head-to-toes. He was not a happy half-demon. "It went out!"

"I've noticed." He grouched, sarcasm dripping heavily from his tongue. "Thanks."

"H-How's your hand?"

He blinked, holding it up to see his singed palm. "S'not that bad. It'll heal by tomorrow."

"But… it's a burn…"

"And I'm half demon. Duh." I tilted my head, not understanding. He explained, "My body is a lot different from humans like you and Kagome. I heal faster."

Oh. That makes sense. "Can I try and heal you?"

"Why don't we focus on your attacks more? That way you can deal some actual damage that will need healing."

I really don't want to now. I looked down at Shippō, biting my bottom lip. "C-Can you go get some more water…? I-I want to have some ready in case it gets worse. Please?"

Shippō nodded. "Yeah, sure thing!"

After several hours of us working together and Shippō being on guard in case something bad happened, we finally got somewhere. I could create balls of fire in just a few seconds now, each blast the size of a rubber ball toy you could buy at a store, which after some mistakes were discovered to burn easily through grass and leaves, and only singed Inuyasha a little bit. By the time Kaede came by to check on us the half-demon's hands were a painful red, and he was still soaking wet.

Squatting down, the half-demon stuck his butt up into the air and shook himself like a dog to dry himself. I looked away, hiding my laughter behind my hand, but unable to keep back my smile. He really was like a puppy.

Shippō cried out when he got splashed and Inuyasha laughed at him. They quickly began to argue, which resulted in the fox demon somehow ending up in Inuyasha's grasp, the half-demon giving him a noogie. He seemed unperturbed by his aching knuckles. I placed my hands together, thinking deeply, asking for the fish's help once more. The pentagram appeared at my feet and the fish leapt forward, swimming in the air towards Inuyasha.

The half-demon blinked and watched as the blue fire washed over him. "This is…"

While I spent the time mentally thanking the Shikigami for their help and their patience as I figured out how on earth to do this, the fish swam around the half-demon and then proceeded to dive back into the summoning circle and disappear since Inuyasha's flesh had returned back to its normal healthy tan.

"Wow." He blinked, holding his hands out and flexing the fingers. Inuyasha made a fist. "I feel good as new!"

"Really?" I wheezed, leaning over with a hand on my chest as I struggled to catch my breath. "Th-That's good…"

He was completely refreshed, but I was drained as a result. Why did the healing take so much out of me? Because it was a powerful summon? The fireballs were easy to get used to after a while, but this… really wore me out. I plopped down on the ground, landing on my rear and resting my hands behind me as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.

"So tired…"

"Ye trained hard, certainly you must be." Kaede's voice startled me, but I was so exhausted it barely made me jump. "Why don't ye all come back to the hut? I have dinner prepared."

I fell onto my back, letting out a heavy sigh as I really didn't want to get up. Inuyasha sheathed his sword, walking forward. "I guess we can go… whattya say, Shippō?"

"Food!" Was the fox demon's answer, leaping up and grabbing onto the half-demon's shoulder. "You coming with us, Irene?"

"Give me… a minute…"

Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up onto my feet and stumbled after Kaede, Inuyasha, and Shippō. The hakama was feeling a lot more comfortable, even if I wished I was wearing normal clothes. Then I had to remind myself that these technically were normal clothes- just not the kind I was used to. The hut wasn't too far away and when we finally arrived Kaede scooped us each a bowl of stew with a helping of rice.

It wasn't much, but… I was grateful.

And as I sipped from the bowl and struggled with the chopsticks, I became mildly disturbed at how easily I was getting… comfortable here. I was adapting quickly to this life, becoming used to everyday life at Kaede's. I follow her around, get a lecture in herbs, carried baskets of fruits or medicine for her, and I even run errands. I practice with Inuyasha, play with Shippō, and just… keep going. Without Kagome here reminding me with her very presence that this wasn't my home, her uniform sticking out amongst everything, I… stopped thinking.

And that bitter feeling came back to me again. She was back in her time, sleeping in a real bed, eating with family, going to school and chatting with friends. There was no real danger for her there. She was safe.

So why… am I here? Why are Maria and I stuck here? What makes Kagome so special?

I hate it.

And I want to hate her, but… I like her too much. I just feel bad for myself. For my sister. I couldn't bring myself to blame her. I know it wasn't her fault.

I just wish I knew whose it was.

The next day was spent overall the same, except I was now pondering my life and if it was really alright for me to accept things as they were. Living in this village was starting to feel permanent and, more than any demon, that scared me the most. Inuyasha had left to bring back Kagome, disappearing into the well, and Shippō was helping me write down the different herbs and their uses in a notebook that was left behind by Kagome. I was trying to memorize everything, but I learned better by actually doing than watching, so once we were done the two of us went out into the forest to search for some herbs.

We found quite a bit and on our way back we saw a few new villagers. They weren't in this place before, which meant… tourists? Weird. Shippō and I ignored them and continued on to the hut, but as we walked by the merchant a rather large man stopped me. "Hey, you!" I came to a halt, whirling around startled. "Yeah, you! Do you know if they sell any good cakes around here?"

"Uh…" I looked at Shippō for help, but the demon looked just as confused. "N-No? I just, uh, got here myself so…"

"I see. Hmmm."

Shippō tugged on my pants leg and I started to move again.

"Oh! Wait a minute, I know you!"

What? My eyebrows knit together at that and I turned, confused. "No you don't."

The large man shook his head, black eyes staring intently at me as he hummed in thought. "Yeah… Yeah, I do! I've seen you somewhere before! Where was it though…?"

"Irene, Shippō!" A familiar voice greeted. We all moved to see Kagome running and waving at us, her neon backpack even larger than before and being carried by a grumpy Inuyasha. "How are you!? Sorry for taking so long!"

"Kagome…" She was still wearing her school uniform, sticking out more than anyone in this time. Even more than me, who clearly didn't belong here because of my facial features. I wondered why she bothered to come back here when she had a home so easy to return to. "Um, so funny story!" I held the basket of herbs close to my chest. "This dude thinks he knows me."

Kagome and Inuyasha came to a halt, stopping beside us. "This fat one?" The half-demon asked.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. "Don't say such a thing! That's rude!"

"He's not wrong." Shippō muttered. I looked down at Shippō with big eyes and proceeded to shush him. "What?"

"Behave!"

"Hmph." The demon turned his head away and crossed his arms, pouting. "I am behaving…"

"Oh, I know where it was now!" The large man suddenly exclaimed, placing his hands together. "It was in Kasasagi Town!"

"Kasa… what town?" I struggled with the name. "I've literally never heard of that place."

The man shook his head. "No mistake. I saw you in Kasasagi Town. I'd remember you anywhere! It's not often we get foreigners around here. My name is Kimbei, by the way; what's yours?"

"I-Irene…"

Kagome looked between us, concerned by this news. "Maybe we should go talk to Kaede about this… it doesn't sound good. You've never been there before, so why would your face be seen there?"

"I don't like this." Shippō said, frowning as he clutched tightly to his basket. "This sounds bad."

"Maybe it's a demon with a jewel shard?" Inuyasha suggested. "Either way; we're going to find out. Come on."

Sending each other nervous glances and being overall bothered by this discovery, we all made our way forward- following Inuyasha's lead as he sniffed out the old priestess. I hoped that maybe Kimbei mistook my sister for me, as we were often told that if it weren't for our age differences we could be twins. Our voices were even similar to a point- if I lowered my voice just enough I could mimic her. We made such similar faces, too. My thumbs traced the weaving of the basket, nerves on edge as thoughts ran rampant through my mind.

Kaede was in her hut, thankfully, so we didn't have to search too hard for her. It helped that Inuyasha had such a keen sense of smell. Kagome spoke up for me, seeing how nervous I was, and explained our situation to her. "I see… Kimbei is definitely a bit of a gluttonous young man, but he's no liar. He visits this village frequently, so I trust him. If he says he saw you before…"

She trailed off, watching as the dots connected in my head. I groaned and lowered my head, realizing very quickly what this meant. "I'm gonna have to go find that town, aren't I?"

The priestess chuckled. "Only if it bothers you. It could be a sign- perhaps Maria is searching for you? Or perhaps it is Maria that he saw? Do ye not wish to find out?"

"I-I do…"

"There isn't much to do around here," Kagome told me, offering a small smile, "and it can't hurt to check it out. And in the city we can hear stories about the sacred jewel shards, so we might get a lead on Naraku!"

"But…" I took a shaky breath, looking at her. "I don't want to… bother you guys. I'll just slow you down, won't I?"

Kagome blinked. "What do you mean "slow us down"?"

Inuyasha walked forward, hands in his sleeves. "What are you guys goin' on and on about? If we're headed to Kasasagi Town we need to get going! Honestly, do I have to do everything around here?"

"Wh-What?" I snapped my head up to look at him. Was I hearing things correctly? There's no way he said that. "You're coming too?"

"Don't get me wrong." He said, frowning. Still, as he spoke, I couldn't detect any harshness in his words. Inuyasha was scowling, but his expression was softer than before. "It's only 'cause I'll do anything to find the shards of the sacred jewel! Now pack up so we can get going!"

"Wait a minute, Inuyasha!" Kagome started, "I just got here! Give us a few minutes, okay? I have some clothes for Irene to wear since her last ones got torn up."

"You do?" I don't understand why she goes out of her way for me. I'm not deserving of it. I gave Kagome a startled smile. "Uh, thank you. Normal clothes would be nice."

"I thought you would say that!" Kagome beamed. She grabbed her backpack from Inuyasha and plopped it on the ground, opening it. "I figured you'd like sweaters and whatnot, so I brought you some! We're pretty close in size, so… here. Try this!"

She handed me a blue-and-white striped long-sleeve shirt and black jeans.

"I didn't know your shoe size, so… I'm sorry."

I took the garments gratefully, stunned by her overwhelming kindness. "N-No, no! That's perfectly fine! My gods, Kagome; you're already doing so much I- I'm okay with being barefoot. I've gotten used to it, actually. Don't worry about it! I'm just gonna… change into these real quick. Okay?"

Kagome nodded and smiled, pleased by my reaction. "Alrighty! Well, I suppose I should go shopping for supplies. Inuyasha, come with me!"

"Do I have to?" He grumbled as he was dragged along, Kagome having a hold of his arm, but he didn't fight it. The half-demon followed willingly. Yeah, they were definitely crushing on each other. Heading into the back of the hut I quickly switched clothes, changing out of the priestess attire and into the more casual modern day clothing.

It felt amazing being back in familiar clothes again. Even if they were technically from an age maybe twenty or so years behind mine. I stretched and raised my arms high above my head, happily embracing the feeling of proper sleeves. I then buried the kimono in my blue backpack, as I would probably need a change of clothes down the line. Kagome said she had more, but… I felt it better safe than sorry. I was a paranoid human.

Sitting on the ground inside the hut I flipped through the notebook of herbs, attempting to memorize them all. There were so many it was hard to remember what each one could do. Eventually Kagome returned and she pulled out the bentos she had made, wanting us to have a full stomach in case we had to battle, and let me tell you one thing.

It. Was. Heavenly.

Perfectly cooked rice with little octo-dogs, pieces of chicken, and- to my complete and utter delight- grapes and cheese, and an omelette filled with ham. And when I reached into the rice to open it… curry was inside! I never had curry before, but Kagome made it without putting in too much spice.

Mixed in with the rice it was ambrosia to my tastebuds.

"Kagome~!" I was crying as I ate, savoring the flavors and the beauty of the meal. "I love you so much…!"

She laughed, used to my weird antics by now. "I'm glad you like it!"

After we ate our meal we bade Kaede goodbye and headed out.

…

It took us an entire day to reach the halfway point. We might have gotten there faster if every little demon we came across didn't want to pick a fight, but for some reason they all were intent to attack. It got to the point where we were completely crowded, like what happened in the old temple. If I didn't know any better I would have suspected the world itself was telling them all where we would be, trying to slow us down and kill us.

Perhaps a demon with a grudge against Inuyasha and Kagome? Someone like this Naraku man I've been told about, or maybe the many demons just like our scent. I'm probably overthinking it all. But still… it irritated me.

On the bright side I could at least attack now, rather than constantly hiding behind the half-demon that was carrying me. At one point Shippō used a firebomb attack and I managed to increase his attack power with the Shikigami- a move that wore us both out, unfortunately, but destroyed a good portion of the demons attacking us. This allowed Inuyasha to leap up and catch Kagome as she fell through the air, having previously been held hostage, and he slashed at all those who dare oppose him. With Kagome safely back on the ground behind him, he unleashed his Wind Scar and got rid of not only the demons- Inuyasha took care of a small portion of the forest as well.

I felt bad for the trees and flowers, as they certainly didn't deserve such a cruel end.

We were alive though, so I thanked them for their sacrifice.

The sky grew dark and we made camp, and while Inuyasha scouted the area for both firewood and demons Kagome got to making supper. We ate, I took my daily meds, and the group fell asleep. It was a long night and I didn't get much sleep, cold and mind left unsettled due to the strange things Kimbei told me. Was Maria really the one he saw? I hoped so.

Maybe if it is her and we reunite, we can try the bone-eater's well together. Perhaps the reason it wasn't working was because only one was trying to get through. We came here together after all. I sighed and burrowed deeper under the sleeping bag Kagome prepared for me, praying that no bugs crawled into my hair or mouth while I was passed out.

The next morning started as they usually did when we traveled.

Then, climbing onto Inuyasha's back, we took off for Kasasagi Town.

We arrived during the evening, parking Kagome's bike and backpacks up in a tree (thank the friendly neighborhood half-demon) where no one would find it. The town, or city as Kagome kept calling it, was the biggest one nearest to Kaede's village. They sold pretty much everything one could need for travelling. Medicine, food, even jewelry and clothes. Nothing too fancy, but the basic necessities and accessories one could need or want. It was a lot louder compared to Kaede's quaint little village, with five times the amount of people.

I didn't like it. Crowds… made me anxious.

"With all these people, I think we should split up and ask around." Kagome suggested, voicing her thoughts. I tensed at that idea. "We'd cover more ground that way."

"It'll get dark out before we can ask everyone." Inuyasha commented, nose sniffing the air as he looked up at the sky. "It was pure luck we got here with the sun still out."

No, no, no. Please don't tell me we're actually doing this. I don't want to. "S-So, what? We ask around on our own and meet back… where? Here?"

"Right." Kagome nodded. Oh frick, this is actually happening. "The city is big, so be careful not to get lost."

Then why don't you come with me, hm? I would love to not be alone in this town. Shippō looked up at me, grinning encouragingly. "We'll see you soon, okay, Irene? The villagers here are supposed to be really nice!"

"O-Okay…" I found my heart dropping down into my stomach as the trio walked in, heading into separate direction. The farther they walked and disappeared from my view the more lonesome I felt. They knew I was uncomfortable with villagers, right? The last time I tried to talk to some on my own I was nearly killed! What makes them think it'll be so different this time? It wasn't Kaede's village where everyone knew who I was, or thought I was some kind of Onmyōdō Priestess. "It's fine. This is fine."

Easy, girl. Deep breaths. No one will hurt.

Right?

With that I forced myself to walk into the town. Several villagers caught my attention instantly and as I approached in my strange clothing, features clearing not that of Japanese, their heads whirled around and they stared with wide eyes. Some glared, but others were more accepting and answered any questions I had. One man even ranted to me about how he planned to open up a business someday in the town, providing he was successful enough.

Several women complained about how the town didn't have nice enough jewelry, while a particularly hard-of-hearing old man ignored my questions and instead wished me luck on my (apparent) shopping spree. I tried to explain that I wasn't buying anything, but he didn't understand. I was gaining more confidence with talking to the villagers, but no one I asked seemed to have heard anything about a foreign woman with reddish hair, or met anyone by the name of Maria.

I was at a total loss.

I hope the others found anything…

I was so close to crying. Dragging my feet along the ground I muttered to myself, trying and failing to raise my morale. It wasn't working. As I was walking a hand suddenly latched around my arm and I jumped, a yelp escaping my lips as I turned to see who it was, fearing the worst, only to see a young woman wearing make-up frowning at me.

"Hey! Do you see this?" She gestured to a man near a wall, the young girl absolutely fuming. She couldn't be older than fifteen. "We're finally alone together, but… but… that stupid wanted poster! Hey! Just how long are you gonna be looking at that?"

She dragged me along with her as she approached the young man. Judging by the looks of him, he couldn't be much older than her. I watched as the man looked over at her, gaze totally awed by the picture hanging on the wall. "Just look, Tomoe! There's a woman on the poster!"

"You're such a loser!" She hissed, brown eyes enraged.

"No, seriously; they're all over the town! I wondered what that lady did… huh?" The man turned to look at me, blinking and turning to gaze at the picture. "That really looks like you…"

What? I yanked my arm out of the woman's hand, who jumped at the movement as she had forgotten she was even holding it, and stepped forward to look at the poster. My expression became blank for a moment before it ignited with surprise. Holy-!

There, drawn ever so carefully in black ink, was a portrait of a girl. With round foreign features, and big almond-shaped eyes framed by long lashes, her short chopped hair a mess, with strands of hair sticking out here-and-there, and bangs pushed to the side. It wasn't Maria, no, but… that smile was recognizable anywhere.

"That is you!" The man gasped. Suddenly I found my arms being grabbed- not just by him, but as he shouted several more men nearby came by and joined in. "M'lord! M'lord, the girl from the wanted poster is here! Guards! Someone!"

"L-Let go of me!" I shrieked, trying to pull away. I thrashed and kicked, heart racing rampant inside my chest as their cruel eyes stared down at me. "I-I didn't do anything! That's not-!"

"Grab her! Don't let her get away!"

One villager latched onto my foot and I straight up screamed at him. My heel made contact with his face and I apologized loudly in my panic, then proceeded to beg for them release me once more. The woman who had dragged me up brought her perfectly manicured nails up to her face, horrified by what was happening. "I-I knew she was a foreigner, but a criminal?"

"You wench-!" Knuckles rammed hard into the side of my face and I choked, unable to breathe. Someone's knee made contact with my side and I collapsed against the ground, people kicking me and shoving me around as if I was nothing but a ragdoll to be beaten. As a fist made contact with my stomach, I found myself throwing up everything I had eaten earlier today. "What did you do to our lord!? You'll pay!"

"She's a demon! Look at her clothes!" A woman cried. "She must be a fox!"

"Kill the fox demon! She'll murder us all in our sleep!"

Iron touched my taste buds and in my haze I barely even realized I was bleeding. Even women were throwing stones. It was only when several guards walked up and pushed the villagers aside that the senseless abuse stopped. They grabbed me by the arms and dragged me away, blood dripping down my chin and out of the cuts I now sustained, body bruised everywhere. I coughed, dizzy and hardly able to process anything.

For a minute everything went black. When I next opened my eyes I was greeted with the face of a young man. Hair pulled back in a topknot, he had little wrinkles around his eyes that showed he smiled a lot. In this case, however, he was very much not smiling. This man was greatly upset.

"Well, well, well; if it isn't the girl from the wanted poster!" There was no humor in his words, the man's face stern and serious. He growled, "Did you really think you get away with it? We were going to find you sooner or later…"

I wheezed, hacking up some rather undesirable liquids, and spat out blood. My lungs felt so clogged I couldn't breathe. "I-I don't… know…" I gasped. "...what you're… t-talking about…"

The man frowned and watched as the guards hoisted me up higher, trying to get me to look at him properly. One jabbed my elbow and I cried out, tears burning my eyes. Everything hurt so much. Why were they acting like this? What did I do wrong? I don't understand. I just wanted to find my sister.

I just wanted to go home.

"I-I'm sorry…" I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut. "I-I'm… sorry. Wh-Whatever I did… I'm s-sorry…"

"You truly are a gifted actress." The man commented, something flashing in his eyes. Guilt, perhaps? "I don't know myself exactly what it is you've done, but the castle's messenger definitely wants you imprisoned. Just what did you do to anger them so?"

"I-I've never… b-been-!" Am I supposed to be coughing up this much blood? I feel so dizzy. "Castle… don't know…"

"You really think I'm going to believe you over the castle messenger? Please!" The man scoffed. "You're just a foreign spy. The normal punishment for this sin is beheading, but they want you alive… Guards! Take this wench to the cells and keep her there until Kagura arrives!"

Who? Kagura? That name sounds so familiar and yet I can't… place it. I'm so tired.

Too beaten and worn to fight back, I could only allow myself to be dragged through the headman's courtyard. My eyes slid shut and I crumpled to the cold stone floor after they threw me into the cell, slamming the wooden bar doors shut and locking them. "Behave yourself!" One of the guards shouted. "You'll face judgment soon enough."

My fingers dragged at the stone and I coughed, rolling onto my side. I tried to go over the details in my head, but none of it made sense. I didn't know anyone named Kagura, nor have I ever been to a castle. It was Akebi village all over again, but this time instead of a demon… I was a criminal. Why was my face on that wanted poster? Who was Kagura and what did she want with me? I don't understand.

M-Maria…

She has to be having a better time of it than I was; I won't accept anything else. She's strong.

I need to… get out.

My muscles ached and throbbed when I tried to move, and my body was too sore to even sit. I was stuck on the ground, spitting up blood. Ugh, I'm so nauseous. Would anyone even notice I was gone? Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō… would they even care? I'm just a bother that continuously slows them down. They'd be better off without me.

And yet… they came with me here to Kasasagi Town. Why?

What did I do to warrant such kindness from them?

I want to repay them. I want to help find these jewel shards they're so intent on locating.

I want to be helpful.

Shikigami… My vision blurred and my breath caught in my throat, too clogged up with blood for me to inhale oxygen. I hacked and spit, trying to clear it. Help me…

My fingers clawed at the ground, nothing happening at all for a very long time. When I found myself about to reach the shimmering green rock wall, my hands shimmered red. A pentagram formed on the ground and out of it leapt the same dog from before, fur puffy and made out of red flames. I watched out of the corner of my eye as it walked over, pawsteps not making a sound.

The dog stopped beside me and knelt down, making a strange whimpering noise. It pressed its muzzle to my cheek and proceeded to lick the blood of my face. It was disgusting, but I lacked the strength to protest. He- yes, the dog was male- sat down beside me and let out a sad howl, as though he were crying. It… hurt to listen to. I wanted to pet the creature and tell him I would be fine, but I had no voice.

Flames appeared shortly after the dog's wail, blue and dancing at my feet. It spread onto the rest of my body and I was swallowed whole, buried in the fire. It didn't burn, in fact it wasn't even warm. As the worst of my wounds faded away and healed I could make out the fish swimming in the air, the koi splashing its fins and sending sparks everywhere. Able to move- finally, jeez- I reached out and planted a hand on the top of the dog's head.

His dark eyes turned to look at me and I offered a small smile, grateful for the Shikigami's help. With a wince I sat up, body still on fire, and I moved closer to properly pet the creature. He shuffled closer and rested his chin on my thigh, ears perking up and tail wagging excitedly at the affection. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are! You're the bestest boy, aren't you? Aww-" I scratched behind his ears and under his chin, fingers running through his fur. The blue flames gradually died away and when they did the dog reached out and licked my hand, disappearing himself into a flash of red sparks. "Uh… bye, then? Thank you, Shikigami people! You're amazing and I love you!"

I was left alone in the cold cell, body sore yet no longer bleeding. My bruises were still intact, but that was fine. I could at least move now. With a grunt I stood, wobbling over to the stone wall and leaning against it. I felt so dizzy.

Need to get out. I could light the wooden bars on fire, but that might spread here.

I'm not too keen on burning alive. Hmm. Wait.

"The stone is…" It was green. The very same green I've seen before. "Dude, seriously? What are the chances!? Ha!"

I stepped back and faced the wall properly, resting my palms against the stone. I didn't know who this Kagura person was or what the castle wanted with me, but I didn't commit any crime. I was innocent. As such I'm not going to remain here to become fodder for some kingdom's petty amusement! I'm no spy or villain.

"Freaking jerks…"

The flames lit up out of my fingertips and stretched around the wall, tearing into the Serpentine Rock. Cracks spread along the surface, glowing a bright red, and the rocks quickly crumbled away. This created a path out of the cell to the back of the jail, which allowed me to head into the headman's backyard. As I stumbled into the area I quickly ducked down, noting several guards posted in the area. It was hard keeping my breathing to a minimum, especially since I was having so much trouble inhaling anyway, but I could move and that was what mattered.

I just had to be careful.

Crouching low to the ground, I waited and watched from behind a piece of foliage as a man paced about, disappearing occasionally behind the main building. I thought about darting ahead, before deciding to count how often he vanished from view. I waited, silent, and counted to five when he disappeared and returned.

He was still pacing. Frick, there's that other guard. How to get out of here? A distraction…

I looked around, finding a rather big rock. My throwing arm was terrible, so that wouldn't work.

I need… something.

But you know what? I don't think I'll find it. So without further adieu I darted forward as soon as the first guard vanished behind the building, frantically counting down in my head for when he would show up again. I had just barely managed to get to the main bridge, sliding into the water in a desperate attempt to hide. "Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"It sounded like it came from over there…"

No, no, no. Don't come over here. Frick. Seeing their feet start to head in this direction I buried my head under the water, slowly moving under the bridge as they walked around. This is so stressful! Aghh! Okay. This is good. Keep moving around that way. Perfect. I moved my legs, holding my breath for as long as humanly possible before reaching the other side of the bridge, resisting the overwhelming urge to burst into coughs and gasp for air. Don't panic!

I inhaled from my nose slowly, only increasing the burn in my chest and the throbbing in my skull, and kept low to the ground as I made my way out of the pond.

Almost there!

"M'lord! M'lord, the prisoner's escaped!"

For a split second my heart stopped. I whipped my head to look over my shoulder, fearful I had been found. They were looking at the hole in the back of the cell, investigating in it. The guards hadn't seen me. With that I pulled myself out of the pond, body weighed down by the wet clothes I was wearing, and I stumbled towards the back gate.

"There she is!"

It's locked! Why is it locked!?

The soldiers were running towards me, spears ready to be used. A terrified squeal escaped my lips and I did the most ridiculous, painful thing ever. I dashed over to a nearby barrel, climbed onto it, and jumped onto the blue-tiled roof. My hands were wet and slippery and it was hard to get a good grasp, but I was desperate. I coughed and wheezed and gasped, arms shaking and fingers numb as I pulled myself up. The guards were shouting and started saying something about arrows, and I knew my time was limited.

Grasping tightly onto the tiling, pulling, I nearly fell back to the ground when one of them ripped off completely. I kicked at the ledge and grimaced, making several pained noises as I reached the top. Something sharp grazed my shoulder and I nearly let go, startled, but I caught the top of the roof in time. The guards had grabbed their bows. Frick.

"Guh-!" One hit hard in my left arm the exact second I tossed a leg over to the other side.

I rolled and flattened myself onto my front, fingers catching and grasping tightly the tiles. Breathing deeply and trying to catch my breath as several more arrows flew through the air, I could barely hear them cursing and shouting due to the pounding of my own heart. I actually…

Holy shit.

I give up, man. I can't do this. I coughed and slowly moved down, turning so my feet were facing the edge. This was not easy; I've never even done anything like this before in my life! I was terrified of heights. Grabbing the edge I tried to carefully let myself down- but I moved too fast and wasn't prepared for the weight of my body once suspended and I tumbled down with a screech.

"Open the gates! Find her!"

Grabbing the arrow tightly as I pushed myself up, I limped with a sprained ankle. Pain flared all the way up my leg like sharp needles, but none were as sharp as the steel buried into my flesh. Yanking out the arrow and crying as a result, I wobbled down the back alleys of the town until I found a decent place to hide. Hearing their footsteps close behind I panicked, throwing the arrow in the opposite direction and burying myself into a large wagon full of hay.

"Where'd she go!? Find her! Check the houses!"

Stay calm, stay calm; don't panic. This is fine.

I can do this. I got this far, didn't I? I'm okay.

They need me alive.

"Fuck! Where's the wench?"

"Damn it, how are we going to explain this to the messenger…?"

Granted it's only long enough for me to be executed by royalty, but still. Gods, it hurts. I can't hold my breath for much longer; I'm getting so dizzy. My head won't stop pounding and neither will my heart. I'm scared. I'm so scared.

"She could be hiding anywhere in the town! Let's split up, men!"

I didn't move. If I did I feared I would be found out. With my ankle injured as it was and blood pooling out of my arm, I knew I wouldn't get very far. Once I was certain I was alone I began to breathe again, fighting a sneeze as the hay tickled my nose. The pointy strands of grass stabbed into my bruises and wounds, only making me hurt more.

It was so cold. How long have I been hiding? I heard footsteps and voices, but I found them hard to identify. I didn't even shift my position.

Suddenly the wagon began to move and I tensed, eyes snapping wide open, and then it stopped. Someone was shouting. Was it a guard? Did I get found out? I won't be able to get away this time; I'm screwed. I'll be brought to the headman and then to the castle, and then I'll lose my head. I don't want to be put on a guillotine o-or anything else. Oh gods.

Panicked, I threw myself out of the hay and fell to the ground, fingers digging into the dirt. I dragged myself away and scrambled onto my feet, limping away and ignoring the cries of the startled villagers. Blood stained my clothes, but I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to be somewhere safe. I was so tired, so hungry. I needed a hug.

I honestly couldn't say how long I wandered the back streets of the town, heading left and right and left and left and straight and then down and then right again. It was a maze. Villagers that recognized me as the wandering foreigner searching for Maria looked concerned, confused about my current state and how I ended up like this. The old man that had bad hearing asked if I would like to come in and clean myself up, and I almost accepted.

Almost being the keyword. But then I grew paranoid. Were the guards inside? Would they ambush me the second I got comfortable?

No. I couldn't risk it.

It was nightfall by the time I got back to the town entrance, falling down by the tree and collapsing next to it. When I woke up it was to Shippō's frantic cries and Kagome's worried voice. "Irene! Oh thank goodness! You're awake!"

"We rushed here as quick as we could!" Shippō said, "But when we waited for you to show up… you never did! There were wanted posters of you everywhere and then these guards kept asking questions…"

"What the hell happened to you?" Inuyasha demanded, squatting down in front of me. "Are you okay? You look like a mess!"

My lips curled back and a strangled sob escaped my lips. Kagome's eyes widened. "I… I was so scared!"  The girl instantly reached forward, wrapping her arms around me and resting my head against her shoulder. I cried, sniffling and hiccuping and clinging tightly to her with my bloody hands. "Th-They just started to… to grab me a-and hit me and-! I… I was in- they put me in j-jail a-and I can't… Somebody named K-Kagura…!"

"What!?" Inuyasha recoiled, rage taking over his features immediately. "Kagura!? She's here?"

"There's no way…" Shippō looked horrified. "It's not that Kagura, is it?"

I pulled away from Kagome and looked up at them lost, mind a mess and heart a bit broken. "Y… You kn-know her? She's… they said… They said she's a messenger from the castle."

Kagome frowned. "You remember what we told you about Naraku and the jewel shards, right? Kagura is his female incarnation. She was born from his flesh."

"She uses the wind and possess the dead. She's disgusting."  Inuyasha growled, amber eyes fueled with rage. "No matter how close I get to killing her and Naraku they always slip away…"

"But…" I don't understand. "B-But why do they want me? How come… How come they're looking for me? I-I don't know them! I never met them, I-!"

"Maybe," Kagome softly interjected, "if they've gone so far as to put up wanted posters of you… it could have something to do with why you brought here to this time."

Shippō nodded his head, crossing his arms furiously. "I agree! It sounds like something Naraku would do. Capturing you and torturing you… he's such a bully!"

"If Kagura's on her way here we might as well stick around." Inuyasha said, glaring into the distance. "But first…" His eyes turned back to me. "We should probably take care of those wounds. They didn't go easy on you."

I shook my head, biting my lip. "I-It was worse… I-I managed to heal that, but… wh-when I was escaping I-I got shot. A-And I fell off a roof. Um." I sniffled. "K-Kagome, do… do you have any snacks? I… I'm really hungry." I tried not to feel guilty when her gaze became confused. "I-I threw up earlier…"

It took a few seconds for me to register that the rage that formed in her gaze was not directed at me. "Wait here." She said, standing up. Kagome was completely unperturbed by the fact that blood stained the front of her uniform top. "I'll make you something good! Naraku and Kagura… I'll make them pay for this! You did nothing wrong!"

"S-Sorry…"

"Don't apologize!" Now she's starting to sound like Inuyasha. I grabbed at my arm, wincing, and noted that it had stopped bleeding. How long was I asleep? Was I even asleep? I didn't know anymore. Today is a daze. "You're not at fault!"

Fingers twitching I tried to push myself up, coughing, and leaned my head back against the tree. How did the one prayer go again? I can't think… or focus. Gods. The fish Shikigami. I'm sorry for always asking this of you… Please, help me once more. Blue flames licked my fingers and I rested my palm against my wounded flesh, inhaling sharply as the coolness brushed the painful heat of infection. I was fully aware that Inuyasha and Shippō were watching me, but I didn't really care at the moment.

How did this work…? Oh wow, that feels amazing. So nice.

The flames darted up to my shoulder, sealing the arrow gash shut, before slowly spreading down my leg to reach my ankle. As I thanked the spirits for their generosity I gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep. Shortly after Kagome woke me up, noodles cooked in chicken broth greeting me. All of us sat down to eat the ramen; though for once I ate slower than the others. Afterwards I changed back into the green kimono I wore the past few days, the four of us trying to devise a plan on how to get back to the headman's to meet up with Kagura.

And I say the four of us, but it was really the three I was travelling with talking and debating. During their chatter I used my rescue inhaler.

"We can't just walk up with her; they might attack her again." Kagome lamented. 

"Well, whattya suggest then?" Inuyasha demanded. "Kagura ain't just gonna wait for us!" 

"We could just ask to talk to the headman… make him understand the situation!" Shippō suggested.

They weren't very great plans. In all honesty it reminded me that I was working with teenagers and a small child. Powerful teenagers with great intelligence, but… not so strategic out of battle. Wiping once more the blood off of my face, I mumbled, "...pretend… turn in…"

"Hah?" Inuyasha's ear twitched, the boy stopping mid-sentence to look at me. "What'd you say?"

I jumped, having not expected to actually be heard. I pulled my knees close to my chest, pretending that I didn't vividly remember the events of being beaten by both soldiers and villagers. "I-I just, I mean; they want me, right? So… you could, maybe, uh, pretend to turn me in?"

"Absolutely not!" Kagome was the first to protest. "It's too dangerous! They put an arrow in your arm, didn't they? We're not risking it."

"But you want to speak with the headman, right?" The emotion slowly leaked out of my voice, a sense of apathy washing over me as I thought about the most logical route to this situation. I shut down my feelings of fear and want, eyes becoming half-lidded. "To get to Kagura… you have to get through him. They were looking for me all day once I ran off. If you say you found me… they'll let you in. They did with the other guys."

"Other guys?" Inuyasha questioned. I didn't respond.

"It's fine. I can just… heal myself again once it's over. Doesn't matter."

"So," Shippō tried to make sense of this, "basically you want us to pretend we're from this town? And once we get in we take care of Kagura?" I nodded. "I get it! That could work! But… what if they take you away? If we try to help our cover might get blown… I don't like seeing you hurt, Irene. You're always getting injured. I think Kagome is right; it's pretty risky."

"Cell or house, it's too dangerous to just take you right in there!" Inuyasha crossed his arms, deep in thought. "We'll need to come up with something else. Splitting up was clearly a bad idea. Think… aha! Shippō!"

The fox demon jumped. "Uh, yes, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha grinned mischievously. "You can transform, can't you?"

"What!?"

My head snapped up, feeling rushing back into my heart once more. "N-No! Shippō isn't gonna do that! I refuse!" I tried to stand up and make my way over to hide the demon from view, but Inuyasha shot an arm out to stop me. "Hey-!"

"Even if they tie you up or try and hurt you, you can just transform back and escape!"

Shippō scowled. "Why do I always get the short end of the stick?"

I looked back-and-forth, dumbfounded. Kagome clapped her hands together, eyes lighting up. "That's a great idea! Nobody can figure out Shippō's disguises!" My hands dropped to my side. There was no winning, was there? They were already decided. My opinion was null. "You got this!"

"No one else can do this but you, Shippō." Inuyasha declared, encouraging the small demon. "We're counting on you."

The child's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yes!" Kagome told him, smiling sweetly and kneeling down in front of him. "Will you do it? Please?"

Shippō looked at them for a long moment and then turned his gaze to me, determination filling his gaze. He clenched a tiny fist and raised it in the air, "Alright! I'll do it! No one will be able to figure me out! Here goes!" The fox demon reached into his vest and pulled out a leaf, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Resting the object against his forehead, he shouted, "Transform!"

A popping noise and a puff of smoke, and then Fake Irene was standing there dressed in the striped shirt and black jeans. She grinned widely, pressing her hands to her face. It was so unnerving to watch, and I leaned over just to check and- surely- there was no fox tail.

"How do I look!?" Gods, is that really my voice? I'm still not used to it. "I even remembered to hide my tail this time!"

"It's a perfect transformation!" Kagome awed, amazed by his skill. "Impressive!"

I sighed, really not liking this plan. "This is so weird…"

"Really?" Fake Irene asked, turning her big brown eyes in my direction. Her hair was a mess. "So… no one will be able to see through my magic? My disguise will work?"

"You've come this far!" Inuyasha said, a little too aggressively. "Are you really gonna give in now!? We need to get into the headman's house!"

Fake Irene yelped and stumbled back, running a few steps ahead. "I-I'm not scared! Now let's go! You're supposed to have c-captured me, haven't you? Act like it!" I made a face, praying that was just Shippō being himself and not his actual impression of me. "I-I'll show you guys what bravery looks like, because I'm the bravest of us all!"

Yes, yes. Kagome had Inuyasha and I stay back so we wouldn't blow their cover, and the two of us were left sitting in a tree. I remained close to the trunk, not wishing to fall from a high place a second time today, and fiddled with the cords tied through the sleeve hems. I hated this. Would Shippō really be okay?

I wouldn't put it past the guards to attack him with the way he was transformed; we were identical. I didn't want the child to get hurt. It was bad enough I had to go through it, but him or Kagome? It left a sour taste on my tongue, stomach churning uncomfortably and leaving me nauseous from stress. I really could go for a nap.

"Will you quit that?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at me. I stopped what I was doing. "You're making me nervous! They're gonna be fine, you got that?"

I said nothing, nodding uncertainly at his words. How could he be so confident? I was completely freaking out.

"Hey- did you hear that?"

"Huh?" I blinked, listening closely. In the distance there was a… hum. No, a buzz. Bees? "What is that?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and jumped to a high branch, climbing the tree to get a better view. From above I could hear him curse, shouting profanities. "Saimyōshō!" I have no idea what that is. The half-demon leapt down from his perch and back onto the branch, causing me to cry out as it shook and I latched onto the trunk as best as I could. "They're in trouble! Grab on!"

"Wh-What-gyah!" He forcefully grabbed my arm and practically threw me onto his shoulder, leaving me very little time to wrap my arms around him as he jumped off the branch. "N-Not so fast-! Whoa!" My hands grabbed at his kimono and he held onto my legs, keeping me from slipping and falling. Inuyasha leapt expertly from building to building, running as fast as he possibly could and not slowing down for anything. "Wh-What's going on!?"

"The saimyōshō! They work for Naraku! If they're here that means Kagura- that Kagura- is as well! We have to hurry!"

It was hard to tell with Inuyasha's silver hair smacking me in the face, but buzzing around in the sky was a really nasty bug. With big red eyes and a  yellow-and-black striped body… thick legs… eugh. So gross. I want to squash it. Vermin. I hate bugs. "Go faster, then!"

"What do you think I'm doing, stupid!?"

Everyone was in their houses sleeping, or at the very least getting ready for bed, which meant sneaking by was easy. As for Kagome and Shippō… I sat up straight, pointing in their direction. "I see them! Oh frick…" They were surrounded by demons. Only two, thank goodness, but they were still quite threatening. "Look out!"

One of the demons, a salamander dressed very closely to a Shinto priest, ran at Kagome with his claws held high. She was already sporting several wounds, multiple arrows in the other demon. Shippō's disguise was gone and he was throwing spinning tops left-and-right, but they weren't doing any damage. He was crying.

"Raaaah!" Inuyasha shouted, letting go of one of my legs to unsheathe his sword, and he leapt down from the rooftop to descend upon the attacking demons. "Not on my watch-!"

His blade ran through the creature swiftly, guts and blood flying everywhere. He dropped me and I landed harshly on the ground, grunting and grimacing at the movement, and I watched as he quickly took care of the other demon. "Inuyasha, Irene!" Kagome exclaimed, relieved. "You're here!"

The half-demon huffed, looking at us. "I came as soon as I saw the saimyōshō. You guys okay?"

Kagome nodded, knees scraped up and back a bit bloody from the demon's claw attacks. "Y-Yeah, for the most part. Just some minor injuries; I can still fight."

"I should hope so. That demon was as weak as could be! But it's no good sticking around if the saimyōshō are here."

I made a face, standing. "Okay, so… they work for Naraku. But… they don't look that tough? Just gross."

"Whatever the saimyōshō see, Naraku and Kagura can see." Kagome explained. "Which means that they probably already know we're here. Our only option is to head straight to the headman's house! I don't like this…"

"Do any of us?" I asked, sighing. Inuyasha chuckled darkly, fingers grasping the tetsusaiga tightly, the half-demon ready for battle.

"Here I come," He growled, threatening any demons that could be hiding, "you better get outta the way!"

Shippō snorted. "You look pretty excited about this."

"That's only because he loves to fight." Kagome said, a small smile on her face. I shuffled my feet uncomfortably, disturbed by how much time we were wasting by talking. "We should get going."

"Yes, please! Let's go, go, go!" I clapped my hands with a sense of urgency, a sense of dread building up in my stomach. "No time to waste!"

"Somebody help meeeee~!" A scream rang out as soon as I said that, chilling me to the bone. I recognized that voice. "D-Demon!"

Seriously? Does he really think that I would help him after what he put me through? That anyone would help him? He's a terrible person; I did nothing wrong, and he had his villagers and guards abuse me and toss me in a jail cell to rot until this Naraku villain had Kagura show up. If it weren't for the Shikigami I would have died. I refuse.

He can suffer, just like I did.

Or so I thought, but I found my feet moving against my better judgment. Before I knew it we were in his backyard- the headman pinned by several more demons. Shippō yelped. "H-He's surrounded by demons!" Freaking, no! I won't do it. He's a jerk! I hate him. "I-Inuyasha-!"

"Freaking hell; get out of the way!" I was panicking. My legs were moving and my hands were outstretched, and the giant floating head of a demon turned to look at me. Hands ignited with flames, I rammed them into its face and willed the fire to increase in size and heat, screeching like a wild banshee as I burned it alive. Fear and frustration welled up inside of me, and even as it opened its mouth and bit down on my left hand I didn't pull away. I latched down on the inside of its throat and dug my fingers even harder into its face. "Just die already! Die, die, die, die, die-!"

The red flames burned orange, which quickly turned yellow, then white. The demon tried to pull away, but found it couldn't- not without tearing out its insides. It was disgusting and gross and my hand burned from its acids, but I didn't give a damn. Not anymore. I was fuming. All the stress had built up until I could no longer take it; these demons were now the victims of my frustration. The flesh began to melt off of its face, revealing the bones beneath. It was quite morbid to watch and would surely haunt my dreams for many days to come. No one dared interfere- not even the other demons had the courage to burst into this horrifying sight. When the demon finally melted away I was left panting, shoulders slumped over and body encased in white hot flames. My very blood felt like it was boiling.

The flames burned bright at my call, turning white at my wrath. They were my own sword, acting upon my emotions. The spirits never responded to my thoughts in the first place; they only appeared when I was in distress, reacting to my feelings. I was barely aware of it. And the fire that was encasing me… I couldn't see it, but the flames had taken the form of an ox.

"I don't understand it!"

They're just monsters, preying on those weaker than them. Working for a cruel demon that thrived off of others suffering. Humans and demons are both sadists, evil in their own right, existing only to cause pain and bask in their own harsh pleasure. Freaking nightmares.

"What do you gain from hurting others!?"

The ox lowed, stomping its hooves. Letting out an enraged snort, the fiery beast charged. The demons didn't stand a chance, the centipede one melting at impact and the other- a skeletal bird- sustaining grievous injuries.

"Wh-Why…?" The headman, the villagers, the spider demon. Naraku and Kagura. "Why are you like this?"

And then the bird was flying at me, beak wide open as it aimed for my throat. It didn't get very far, having to divert its path to avoid the ox's next charge, and wound up being purified and destroyed by a holy arrow. Kagome lowered her hand, bow held close to her chest, a frown adorning her lovely face. I froze, brain taking a moment to catch up with the situation, and the realizations of my actions dawned on me.

The white flames turned blue, the ox bringing its head down in mourning and vanishing in sparks. My legs gave out and I fell to my knees, traumatized by own behavior. No matter how you look at it; I had no control over it. I gave in to my suppressed feelings and acted out of hatred and anger. I was absolutely frustrated and I took it out on those demons.

That was wrong of me.

I brought an arm to my face and covered my mouth, fighting back against the tears. My shoulders shook and I could hear the others run over, Kagome resting a hand cautiously on my shoulder as the blue flames faded away. The burns on my hand healed along with it, even going so far as to cure Kagome of her own inflictions. Shippō watched with big eyes as that happened. Inuyasha said nothing, simply observing.

"I-I don't know what just happened, but… that was amazing." Kagome told me gently, trying not to alarm me or set me off on another tangent. "You've really gotten more powerful."

No, I didn't. That wasn't me. It was the spirits. The Shikigami, acting upon my emotions. I screwed up big time. I refused to look at her, hiding my face with my arm.

"She was training while you were gone," Inuyasha finally said, "but… I don't think that was just her."

"What do you mean?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by the headman. "Y-You saved me? Oh, thank you so much!" He crawled forward, stumbling to his feet and walking over to me. He bowed deeply. "I don't deserve your kindness!"

"Darn straight you don't!" Shippō shouted, jumping in front of me and holding his little arms out as if to protect me. "You guys were total bullies to Irene! All she did was ask some questions about her sister, and you guys up and kidnapped her! What gives you the right?"

"Sh-Shippō…" My voice cracked. Shakily lowering my arm, I reached out and pressed a hand to his head. The fox demon relaxed a little, but didn't move. "I-It's okay. Don't worry about it."

"No!" He shook his head. "They hurt you! They beat you so badly you couldn't even walk! I don't like them!"

I was stunned, but flattered. I looked up at the headman. "What… uh," I sniffed, "What happened, anyway?"

The headman never took his eyes off of me. "I was tricked by that woman- Kagura! I had no idea that the castle messenger was a demon!"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Kagura… where is she now!?"

"She's-"

The door to the headman's house slammed open and a young woman announced herself, a fan hiding her face as she scowled. "I thought I heard noises," The stranger said, closing the fan shut and revealing her face, "turns out it was you guys…"

She was completely, undeniably beautiful. Her long, wavy black hair was pulled up into an elegant bun, accentuated by several white feathers, her bangs cut in a fringe over her forehead. Earrings dangled from her pointed ears and her lips were painted a seductive shade of dark red, and her kosode… she was wearing three different layers. The outermost layer was colored white with purple stripes, bringing out the piercing vibrant red of her eyes. A yellow ribbon tied around her waist in place of an obi, the strings dangling loosely in the front. Her feet were completely bare, but that only added to her good looks.

This woman, whoever she was, was completely stunning. Her voice was low and sultry, and for a split second I found myself questioning my sexuality. "Oh? You have a new friend? I see… you must be the girl they were talking about. Yes," She narrowed her eyes at me, almost taking my breath away with her intense gaze, "you do look like the girl on the wanted poster, don't you?"

I was taken aback by the contempt in her voice. Why was she staring at me so coldly? I didn't do anything to her. Unless…

"Kagura!" Inuyasha snapped, fangs bared as he readied his sword. He pushed himself in front of us, as if trying to protect everyone. "So this is where you've been hiding!"

"Hmph. What's it to you?"

This woman… was Kagura? She was the one working for Naraku; the person who claimed to be a messenger from the castle? I never imagined her to be such a pretty demon. I supposed it made sense; not all mean demons are hideous and grotesque. "You…"

She turned her head, the dark-haired beauty looking down at me once more. "What is it?"

My fingers twitched and slowly curled into fists, flames alighting on my fingers as the rage buried deep inside me sparked once more. "I-It was you…?" She was the one who caused all this pain? Who sent the posters, and caused the villagers and guards to beat me up? It was all her fault? "You did this…?

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific." Kagura tapped her fan lightly against her chin. "I've done many things in my lifetime. I could share, if you'd like…"

I hate her. I want to burn her. I want to make her hurt.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes." My face went blank, seeing her patronizing stare. That smirk needed to be smacked right off of her lips. "Which means… I have a question for you, Kagura."

"Oh?" She looked amused. "And what would that be?"

I stepped forward, expression darkening considerably as I glared. "Where. Is. Maria?"

Kagura thought for a moment, humming to herself, opening her fan and turning her head, glancing at me from the corner of her eyes. From the way her eyes narrowed, I knew she was smiling as she asked in a sweet voice, "...Who? Never heard of her."

Inhaling sharply, my breath came out shakily as I resisted the urge to just throw all common sense out of the window and lunge at her. My fists were trembling. "If you or that… Naraku… hurt her, o-or… were even the ones who brought us here…"

"What? You gonna fight me, little girl?"

Inuyasha watched me carefully as I took another step forward. I raised a hand, watching it flicker with white hot flames. "If I have to, I will." I'm done. I'm sick of this. Toying with people, hurting them. I'll make them all pay for it. "You brought me and my sister here, so you sure as hell  better send. Us. Back."

"Send you back?" She lowered her fan and brought it out to her side, arm raised high in the air. Her smirk was taunting as the wind around us picked up speed. Shippō squealed and dashed over to Kagome, hiding behind her leg as she readied her bow, and the headman ran out of the backyard to the back alleys of the town. "Now why would I do something like that?"

"Kagura…" Inuyasha growled, feet pounding against the ground as he charged at her. He raised his sword high into the air. "I'm gonna cut you to shreds! RAAH!"

"Dance of blades!" She shouted, waving her fan through the air. The wind grew more intense, the woman somehow creating a gust of air that quickly morphed into several crescent-shaped blades. "You fools! You really think you can defeat me!? I am the wind sorceress!"

Inuyasha deflected the majority of the blades thrown at him, being knocked back by the force of them. Several managed to slip past and cut up his sleeves, and I shouted as I attempted to leap out of the way. Before he could recover Kagura set loose another wave of wind blades, injuring him even further. Kagome drew back her arrow to attack, but the female demon brought her fan up into the air and created an incredibly strong gust of air. It sent both the teenager and Shippō flying back, and Inuyasha had to plant his sword into the ground to prevent himself from being blown away.

I was no exception either, and I found myself crashing hard into the nearby shed. "Ack-!" I coughed. That really hurt. Winded from the blow, it took a few seconds for me to try and get up. "K-Kagome, Shippō!"

"She's too strong!" The fox demon wailed. "Kagome, get up!"

"I-I'm working on it." She grabbed her bow, readying another arrow as she sat up. "Fighting her is never easy."

"If I can just-!" Inuyasha yanked his sword out of the ground. "But if I do that, the entire village might suffer damage… Damn it! I can't use my Wind Scar here!"

"Ha!" Kagura laughed. "Pathetic fools! You can't even get near me!"

Wait. Though dizzy and currently fussing about for my rescue inhaler, I remembered something. The ox from before… it charged straight at the enemy. If I can somehow get that to appear again, then-! I shook my inhaler and turned it, using it and holding my breath for ten seconds. Exhale, inhale, process repeats. Coughing painfully, I tried to trudge forward.

Several arrows flew through the air, the only thing being able to surpass Kagura's winds. "Why you-!"

"Take this!" Inuyasha shouted, running in close with sword in hand. "Tetsusaiga!"

Kagura turned and cried out when it hit her, the blade running hard against her torso. Blood spattered everywhere, and in her rage she swung her fan at him. Several wind blades hit him and tore up his kimono even more, Inuyasha bleeding all over the red fabric. He grimaced, but a grin was worn on his face. The half-demon was confident he could win this. The woman growled. "I'll get you for that, you mutt! Dance of the Dragon!"

The wind picked up so much speed that even my hair was smacking me in the face, my bangs poking my eyes so much I had to physically hold them up to see what was going on. To my horror several tornadoes appeared out of thin air, running rampant and destroying everything that was around them. Inuyasha leapt to the side and darted around them, avoiding them as best as he possibly could, before being forced to get near them to rescue Kagome and Shippō who were still on the ground.

"Inuyasha-!" Kagome screamed as a whirlwind neared her, just in time for the half-demon to pick her up and place her safely on a nearby roof. "Oh god…"

I was not so lucky.

"Irene!" Shippō cried. "Inuyasha, what about Irene!?"

"I'm getting there, damn it! Rescuing you all takes time!" Feeling the wind pressure trying to drag me towards the tornado I latched onto the shed door, struggling to open it. If I could just get inside I would have some form of cover, right? I wouldn't die immediately upon being touched by the whirlwind. "Watch out!"

The door handle broke. Before I could process that the one thing keeping me from being sucked into the tornado was gone, I was already flying back into the crazy wind. There was a flash of red and a scream, but it didn't belong to me. As the tornado dispersed and we fell to the ground, my brain registered that it was Inuyasha's. His back was completely shredded at this point, covered in blood and torn cloth. He had…

He had shielded me from Kagura's attack. Inuyasha took the fall for me.

Pushing his arms off of me I sat up, shaking him fearfully. "I-Inuyasha? Inuyasha, wake up! Hey! No, no, no! Don't do this! Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha!"  Kagome screamed, seeing from her spot on the roof that he was unconscious. "Inuyasha!"

"F-Firebombs!" Shippō cried, throwing the objects futilely at Kagura. They exploded as soon as they made contact with her gust of wind. "Oh no… with Inuyasha passed out, we can't win this! What should we do!?"

Heal. Heal him. I-I can heal him, right? That's a thing I can do.

"Dance of blades!"

I screamed and ducked down, covering the wounded half-demon's body with my own. "I only need one of you alive," Kagura declared, turning her fierce eyes towards Kagome and Shippō. She moved her fan through the air, "the rest are as good as dead!"

I got up and shook Inuyasha again, trying to wake him up. He wouldn't budge. I cringed and placed my hands over the most serious wound, putting pressure to stop the bleeding. The red liquid seeped over my fingers, staining my hands. "I-Inuyasha!"

Kagome screamed in the distance as the building she was on got destroyed, leaving her and Shippō sailing through the air and crashing hard onto the ground. They weren't moving. Kagura hid her face again, eyes half-lidded.

"K-Kagome… Shippō…!"

"Well, that was easier than expected…"

No. This isn't happening. I won't allow it.

Flames appeared out of thin air, blue and sorrowful. Tears blurred my vision and my breath was completely gone. Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō… they were all dying because of me. It's my fault. I should have tried harder to convince them, I-!

Kagura stepped forward, reaching out to pull a feather from her hair. "That's that, then… oh?" She finally noticed the fire, watching as two koi fish swam high into the air, creating a tsunami of flame. "So you really can use the Shikigami… interesting."

I won't be able to live with myself… if these kind people die. If they fade away how am I going to explain it to Kaede? To these Sango and Miroku people they talk so fondly about? What about Kagome's family? I refuse to be held responsible.

"Sadly your attempts are futile~!"

She thrust her fan through the air, several wind blades shooting out towards me. I flinched, bracing myself for pain- only none never came. It was sudden and shocking, and the wind blades bounced right off the tetsusaiga. Inuyasha was on one knee, the wounds on his body gradually healing. I hadn't even noticed, but the blue flames had extended across the ground, wrapping around my allies. The koi fish were controlling them, swimming along and giving us their blessings. Even my own wounds were healed.

"Nice try," Inuyasha barked, "but we're not goin' down that easily! Irene, Kagome! Let's go!"

"H-Hah!?"

"On it!"

Wait, why am I included in this too? Oh, whatever; at least I know what I'm doing now. The three of us standing, Inuyasha readied himself for an attack. Kagome notched an arrow, aiming at Kagura and preparing to shoot. Shaking my head incredulously for being considered a battle companion, I focused. The blue light around me got stronger and the koi fish swam upwards, spinning in their own little whirlwind of flame. Eventually the koi grew longer, transforming into something bigger and more threatening.

A dragon.

It roared loudly and electricity crackled around it as it opened its mouth and swallowed Inuyasha whole. The half-demon let out a battle cry and Kagome released her arrow. Tetsusaiga glowing blue, Inuyasha brought the blade down with a mighty swing. The demonic energy that was swirling around it seemed to only be strengthened by Kagome's arrow, the light and darkness combining together. Added with my Shikigami, there was no way Kagura could deflect his Wind Scar.

And she tried- Kagura waved her fan about to try and control the winds, but it was futile against our combined efforts. As it made contact Kagura let out an ear-piercing scream, blood spilling from her body and kosodes tearing. Before it could run completely through her, however, an orange flame wrapped around her body- shielding her from the rest of the damage.

"What was that!?" Inuyasha demanded. The Wind Scar died out and the flame around Kagura faded, the wind sorceress holding an arm across her bloodied chest. A bright light flashed and the I was the one screaming, intense burning pain erupting all over my body. "Hey!"

"Irene!"

"What's going on!?"

"Shikigami…?" Kagura grunted, watching with wide eyes. "A-Anastasia?"

The pain died down as the flame dispersed and I collapsed to my knees, palms against the ground as I tried to catch my breath. I was so dizzy. "Th-That was… huh?" It was a Shikigami alright, but it was so much bigger than my own and far more deadly. Several burns ran along my arms now, kimono singed in multiple places. "Ana… who?"

A wicked grin crossed Kagura's face as a new person approached. "Naraku sent someone to help me… hmph. Don't expect any thanks."

Inuyasha stepped forward, brandishing his tetsusaiga and pointing it at the newcomer. "Stop! You'll be sorry if you get in my way!"

"Be careful!" Kagome warned, walking forward until she was beside him, pointing her bow at the masked stranger. "I don't think this is a normal demon…"

"I don't care what it is!" He snapped. "I'll destroy anything that gets in my way! Take this- WIND SCAR~!"

The masked stranger watched in silence, raising a hand in the air just as Inuyasha attacked. Red flames danced from her palms and wrapped around her body protectively, rendering the half-demon's attack useless as it only wrecked chaos around everything else around him. Kagome dropped her arrow as the ground shook, leaping to the side with Shippō in her arms to avoid getting struck by the wild demonic energy. "Gah!"

"K-Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, only to bring his sword up in the air to shield himself. I yelped and threw myself to the ground, avoiding the electric currents. "Damn it! My attack was useless!"

The masked stranger lowered her head, vanquishing the red light at will. Who was she? The woman was dressed as a priestess, but the mask… it resembled that of a demon.

"The Wind Scar was so easily repelled!" Shippō exclaimed, unable to believe what had happened.

"You're wasting your time," The stranger spoke, her empty voice causing my eyes widen, "Now it's my turn."

Bringing her pale, dainty hands up into the air she called upon the spirits; large red flames danced at her feet, coiling around her arms and hands as though they were snakes. With each step she took the flames grew brighter and hotter, until they were a brilliant gold color.

"Dance with my reign!"

Snakes were coiled around her, and as she held her hands out the fiery beasts shot outwards- enlarging into huge pythons and burying their fangs into Inuyasha's left arm and right shoulder. The half-demon cried out, the yellow flame snakes wrapping their lower halves around his throat and burning his flesh with their heat. "Ow! Fuck! Get off of me!" He tried to grab at them, his hands passed right through their fire. The only thing Inuyasha succeeded in doing was hurting himself more.

The Shikigami removed themselves and slithered back to their master, hissing and baring their fangs at the half-demon, before disappearing into sparks. "Yes… such a beautiful color."

Slowly pushing myself up, I stared at the stranger with confused eyes. The body structure was entirely wrong, but the voice… it was unmistakable. There's no way.

"The color of your blood is like the setting sun," The woman praised, though her voice lacked any emotion, "it's so lovely…"

Inuyasha looked greatly disturbed. "What are you talking about?"

"You…" I began shakily, pushing myself to my feet. The masked stranger turned her head, staring at me from behind that terrifying mask. "Who are you? You're not… no. But… why?"

"Are you the girl?" The woman asked. "I see…"

"Why are you after me?" I demanded, stepping forward. Red light flickered to life at my fingertips. "How come… How come you have Maria's voice!?"

"Maria!?" Shippō gasped. "Irene, you don't think-?"

I shook my head, lips curling back and teeth grinding together in frustration. The masked stranger tilted her head, humming thoughtfully. "Not… her. It's not her. But it… it sounds like her." I glared at the newcomer. "How come you sound like her!?"

"I wonder…" The woman monotonously taunted. She turned her head and I scowled, wishing I could see her jerkish face. Did she think she was better than us? How arrogant. "Hmph. Kagura, I found what I came here for. I'm leaving."

Kagura huffed, yanking a feather out of her hair bun. "Whatever. Be that way."

The small feather somehow managed to increase in size, becoming large enough for the two to sit on. It moved quickly, Kagura manipulating the wind to accelerate their speed, and Inuyasha was left chasing after as they escaped. "Get back here, you cowards! Our fight wasn't finished, damn it!" He climbed onto the rooftop of a half-destroyed building, waving his sword at them.

Meanwhile Kagome was carrying Shippō, running outside to make sure no one had gotten caught up in the battle. I stood, staring into the distance from where the two bad guys had taken off. No matter how I tried to think about it nothing made sense. Anastasia… that was her name, right? What Kagura called her? She was short with little hands, bearing no physical resemblance to my sister that I could see.

But her voice… it was there. Blank and empty, so unlike my passionate sibling, but her voice all the same. She clearly had use of the Shikigami, far more powerful than I am or could ever be, which left me at a loss. Was she not a demon? Can demons even work with Shikigami? I know I can combine my powers with Shippō and, as was shown in the last battle, Inuyasha. But was a demon themselves able to use the power without it being casted by someone different? Was Anastasia a voice stealer?

Or was it… Naraku?

If they hurt Maria or took her someplace scary- I won't forgive them.

"Oh, thank goodness!" The headman exclaimed, stepping into the wreckage with Kagome and Shippō right behind them. He looked completely distraught at the state of his home, but was otherwise relieved that the danger was gone. "You defeated the demons!"

"Are you blind!?" Inuyasha snapped, leaping down from his perch and walking over. He sheathed his sword. "Can't you see that they just ran away!?"

"Don't be so cross, Inuyasha!" Kagome told the half-demon, raising her voice some. Then she softened it, a sympathetic expression on her face. "He's a victim too…"

Oh. Right. I turned my head, watching in silence as the conversation took place.

"Thank you for your understanding!" The headman exclaimed, before his gaze landed on me. I tensed, resisting the urge to back away as he neared. "And you- I am so sorry; I had no idea that the messenger from the castle would be a demon! She had me completely under her spell! I knew from the moment I saw you that you just couldn't be a criminal, but my loyalty to the castle… it outshone my judgment. Please, forgive me…"

Closing my eyes, I inhaled shakily to calm the wrath that was still unsettled. Then, as quickly as it came… the rage simmered down and a wave of cold hard defeat washed over me. I couldn't hate him. I couldn't hate anyone. I wanted to, but… I just felt sad. That's all there was to it. What made them feel as though they had to act this way? That hurting others… was the right thing to do? What did they  gain from it?

I didn't understand.

And besides, I'm fine. The Shikigami healed me. "You… I mean, it's not… entirely your fault." I sighed. "Kagura and… Anastasia are the ones to blame. You were doing your job a-and they… took advantage of that."

"Oh, you are so forgiving!" He cried, a smile crossing his face. The headman stepped forward, startling me when he suddenly grabbed my hands. "You're such an angel!"

Shippō, no longer in Kagome's arms, dashed forward and put himself in front of me- surprising the headman and causing him to let go. I stepped back, cradling my hands to my chest protectively after having my personal bubble violated. "I-I think that's taking things too far!" The fox demon exclaimed, holding his arms in front of me. "She doesn't like being touched like that!"

"Y-Yeah… um. Please don't." I stammered, disturbed by the man's actions. "A-And I'm not an angel. I'm not even that nice, so…"

"Don't say that!" Kagome frowned at me, before offering a sad smile. "You really are kind, Irene. Why can't you see that?"

"I mean, I try, but, uh, you're the nice one here."

Kagome giggled at the compliment, but didn't seem too pleased at my self-deprecation. She stepped forward, helping Shippō hide me from the headman's view. Inuyasha was currently glaring at the man, who doesn't seem to quite realize that he did something wrong. "Anyway, from what Kagura and that strange woman was saying… Naraku has something to do with you and your sister being in this time. And if Anastasia has the same voice as your sister it's highly possible they're keeping her captive."

"Y-yeah…" I bit my bottom lip, nervous. "I-I think they stole her voice or something. Like what Ursula did with Ariel."

Kagome blinked, eyes widening as realization dawned on her. "Oh! You mean like from the movie?" I nodded. "I… well, I suppose that could be a thing. We don't know what all Naraku is capable of; he might have found a demon who could steal voices. Maybe Anastasia's capable of it?"

"Or maybe," Inuyasha interrupted, scowling at the very thought of the demon, "it's just another one of his tricks! Maybe he doesn't have Maria at all."

"Yeah!" Shippō agreed. "Besides, we all know Naraku isn't gonna be leaving us alone anytime soon!"

"The next time I see him or any of his friends, I'll finish them off!" Inuyasha swore, arms crossed. "They won't get away."

"Before that… why don't we head back to Kaede's village for now?" Kagome suggested, resting a hand gently on my shoulder so not to startle me. Her hand was a lot more welcoming. It helped me to relax. "We've been through a lot and… well, I think we could use the rest."

"Yeah." I nodded slowly, thinking deeply about the new information we uncovered. "Rest is… nice."

Somewhere during our conversation the headman left the area, rummaging through the remains of his house that wasn't completely destroyed by Kagura's winds or Inuyasha's tetsusaiga. After talking a bit longer about what our plans were going to be we headed outside- or, rather, to be more precise we went to where the front gate used to be. We had just walked out when the headman called out to us. "Everyone, please wait!"

I took that chance to hide behind Kagome and Inuyasha, who I noticed were standing a bit too close to each other. Yeah. Frick, with the time travel is okay to encourage them? Should I discourage them because of the heartbreak they might face? What is one supposed to do in this situation? If they get together and Kagome ends up choosing to stay in her own time, or is forced to remain there, they'll both be heartbroken.

But if Kagome chooses to stay here… she'll lose her whole family. Is someone, just one person, truly worth all that heartache?

It's funny.

I'm questioning their relationship and the consequences they have, all the while being a total hypocrite. Haven't I already decided that I'm going to go with whatever Maria chose? Have I been lying to myself all along thinking she would make the choice… when my heart was actually set on us going home?

I want… whatever makes Maria happiest. But I also… don't want to stay here. It's scary. The only reason I can breathe is because of Kagome and her family lying and conning doctors into giving them medicine. If Kagome ends up staying home… what will become of me? I'll die off, rotting away. Who will Maria have with her then?

I don't know. I'm thinking about this too much.

I should just focus on the present.

So lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the headman approach and hand Kagome a bag full of coins. The headman claimed that the money was actually for me, as a thank you for our help and an apology for what his guards and villagers had done. Shippō was freaking out over the idea of buying lots of candy, so excited to munch of sweets. Kagome tried to hand it to me, but I refused. "I-I don't… I mean, I'm grateful, but-"

"It's okay." What? I looked up at Inuyasha, who grinned at me from over his shoulder. "Take it. You deserve it."

I disagree.

"It comes from good intentions," Kagome said, supporting the half-demon and trying to convince me to grab the bag, "you should accept it. Don't be so selfless all the time; it's okay to be a little greedy."

"I-I don't want to take advantage of-"

"I want you to have it." The headman said, smiling warmly at me. I tried not to cringe. "Please."

"Urk… okay. Fine." I yanked the bag out of Kagome's hand, shoving it into my kimono with the rest of the money I had. Frustrated, I became a little aggressive. I faced the headman, nodding and using my customer service skills to the best of my ability. Voice taking on a sweet tone, rather resembling that of Maria whenever she was on the phone with customers, I said, "Thank you! I hope your house gets rebuilt soon!"

"Agreed." He cast a disgruntled look at the wreckage behind him. "It will take some time… but we'll get it done. Thank you so much for your help."

"Anytime! And, uh, next time you see a woman with red eyes… she's probably a demon." The headman blinked, squinting and watching as I gestured to Inuyasha. "Exhibit A; silver hair, gold eyes. Exhibit B," I knelt down next to Shippō and placed a hand on the small child's head, causing him to blink, "the pupils in his eyes are slit and he has a tail! Unusual hair, eyes, or other characteristics? Probably a demon. Or at least not a hundred percent human, anyway."

"Y-Yes… I'll keep that in mind. Thank you again!" He headed back into the debris, calling for his guards. Several of which that were already dead- whether they were eaten by demons or killed by Kagura. Oh gods. I hadn't even noticed them before. With the buildings destroyed their bodies had come falling out into the open for all to see. Oh gods. I quickly looked away, bringing a hand up to my mouth and trying my darndest not to throw up. "This is terrible…"

Chapter Text

Travelling never felt more like a hassle.

The trek back to Kaede's was a long one. Three and a half days, to be precise.

Everyone was completely and utterly exhausted. The majority of the first night was spent sleeping and recovering from the battle. When the sun finally rose at dawn no one awoke to greet it; it took Shippō waking up and trying to make a fire around noon that anyone opened their eyes. Inuyasha went hunting and Kagome tended to the torn clothing, stitching them up to the best of her ability. I used my medicine and by the time breakfast was ready I could put the machine away.

We ate, packed everything up, and then headed onwards.

I wound up falling asleep on Inuyasha's back during most of the trip, so worn out from everything. Him shouting woke me back up. The process continued, and then a day later we were at the border of Kaede's village. Kaede wasn't home, probably out blessing a villager's house, so we just went ahead and started unpacking. Kagome went out to the lake to take a bath and I followed shortly after, freezing in the cold water. Inuyasha and Shippō bathed together, and as soon as I lied down in the hut I found myself falling right back asleep.

When awoke Shippō was curled against my stomach, mumbling something about his father as he slept. My heart hurt at the sight and I gently ran my fingers through his hair, trying to comfort him whilst avoiding waking him. Shippō cuddled closer and grabbed at my robe, clinging tightly to me. Kagome was nowhere to be seen.

I yawned and sat up slowly, careful not to disturb the small child. Where was everyone? Even Kaede was still gone.

Pushing myself up I tightened my kimono, not caring for how loose it had gotten. I walked over and rummaged through the blue backpack, searching for some new clothes. It was then I saw the blue striped shirt I was wearing before. The stains were gone and the tears were stitched up perfectly. Yeah, okay. I guess I'll wear it again.

And so I changed, basking in the comfort of my black jeans.

Using the inhalers again and taking another dose of the nebulizer-gods I'm really not supposed to be this active- I went outside to hunt down everyone. Inuyasha was hiding out in a nearby tree keeping watch over the village, Shippō had woken up and was now out in the forest collecting mushrooms, and Kagome… where was she? I was running out of breath and I couldn't find her anywhere.

I brought my walk to a halt and took a seat near the outside of a hut. There I people watched for a while, admiring how the children ran about or how adults carried large baskets full of wheat and/or rice. The villagers would cut the stalks with sickles and/or knives, tie them in bundles, and then have them dry out in the sunlight for a while. It was a long, tiresome process… but they got it done.

Meanwhile I sat there completely breathless, worn despite having not done any work to wear me out. It was irritating. I wanted to help, but I physically couldn't.

Stupid illness.

"Hey, hey; are you a demon?"

What? I blinked, turning my head to see a small child standing beside me. He had a couple friends with him, too. "No?"

"Oh. Mama said she thought you were. Y'know, 'cause of your clothes."

I looked down at myself, then at the child. A weak grin formed on my lips. "It's just… what I wear. Normal where I come from."

"I told you!" A girl scolded, frowning at the boy. "She's a priestess, like Grandma Kaede!"

"I'm not a-"

"Demon!"

"Priestess! She's dressed like Lady Kagome!"

"They're both demons! Duh!"

The third child huffed and crossed his arms. "You guys are both stupid. She's a celestial nymph."

I guffawed at that, hardly able to believe what I was hearing. "O-Okay. How about we just say that I'm a normal human being?"

"But you're not!" The first boy shouted. The girl nodded her head fervently, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Yeah! You have them… special magic powers!"

There was no winning this argument. This continued on as the third child added more to the conversation, leading towards another verbal battle. I wanted to tell them to stop, before deciding that it wasn't worth it and that they wouldn't listen anyway. Stumbling to my feet, I walked away from the arguing children towards the center of the village. Sadly the children followed, the girl grabbing my hand and the second boy latching onto the hem of my shirt. The first boy was content to walk ahead of us, as if he were leading the way to wherever it was I was heading.

"Can you sing? Dance? Do you play music?"

"Have you battled any demons? Are you sure you're not a demon?"

"Are you really strong? You look ill…"

Normally I would find this adorable, but right now I was still stressed. I just wanted quiet. It didn't stop me from going along with them though, answering their questions cheerfully and smiling down at them. "I, uh, don't sing very well; no. I like to, my voice just isn't good. Can't dance, uh… I play several instruments. Flute, mostly. Um, plenty demons… y-yeah. I'm human. Haha. I'm not strong. I'm… pretty weak, actually. I feel a little dizzy right now…"

The world spun in front of me and I stumbled, the children's hands slipping out of my grasp. There were dark spots and a throbbing in my skull. I was both burning and cold, like a fire was spreading through my veins before being washed over with icy water. A fever. I should have expected to catch sick sometime, what with being in a foreign country-nonetheless time- but seriously? Now?

What am… I doing right now? How long have I been lying down?

I needed to move.

Fingers twitching I gasped, sitting up as my eyes opened- only to blink when I saw that I wasn't in the village streets anymore. I was back in the hut with a blanket over my legs and a cold wet rag falling off my forehead. "Eek! Don't scare me like that!" Shippō shouted, jumping back with his hands high in the air. "A-Are you feeling any better?'

"What?" How did I get here? When? Just now? Did I pass out? "Wh-Where's… Kagome?"

"She's off with Miroku and Sango, explaining the situation to them." He said, picking up the wet rag and soaking it in a bucket full of water. Straining it with his hands, he walked back over and patted my arm. "Lie back down! You're not well. Kagome and Grandma Kaede already administered medicine, so you'll be better in a few days! For now you need to sleep."

But if I sleep… I might not wake up. No wonder my lungs were acting up even more recently.

I huffed and lied back down, feeling utterly useless. What a pain. "You were lucky Inuyasha was keeping watch over the village today! If it weren't for him hearing the children trying to wake you up, you might still be burning out in the sun!" The fox demon placed the rag back on my forehead. "Get well soon, okay?"

"I'll try."

The beaded door pushed open just as I closed my eyes, and an unfamiliar female voice called out, "Is that the girl? She looks so young… is she truly older than me?"

"Yup! Hi, Sango!"

"Hello, Shippō. My goodness…" Footsteps and the sound of the wood creaking, the new arrival sitting down next to me. "She's so pale. It wasn't a disease she caught, was it? Foreigners immune systems aren't as adjusted to this land as ours…"

"I don't think that's the case." Shippō said, "Otherwise she might be dead already. Irene's already pretty sickly without this bringing her down."

Did they have to talk about me like I wasn't here? I'm awake.

"Really? I wonder what Naraku wants with her…"

My eyes opened, but I couldn't see anything. The world was so blurry. I squinted and turned to look in the direction of the stranger, making out a giant pink blob. "Wh-Who…?" Ah, my voice is raspy. That's not a good sign. My heart raced in my chest, struggling to pump oxygen in-and-out of my lungs. Taking in air felt like I was trying to breathe syrup, and like a large animal sitting on my chest.

The dizziness was intense and I had to close my eyes, eyebrows knitting together as I felt a cold sweat drip from my face down my neck. My clothes felt so sticky. I must have fallen asleep again, because the voices stopped for a while. I was barely aware of someone gingerly patting the sweat off my face with a cold rag, the icy coolness of it feeling like such a relief to my fiery skin.

"She's not getting any better…" Ah. Kagome. I know that voice. That's a nice voice. "It's not like I can just bring vaccines through the well…"

"Can't you bring anymore medicine? What are vaccines?" Small, childish, concerned. Shippō.

"I gave her several pills already. She's just… not recovering. I think it's getting worse. Her face swelled up."

Can't breathe. Lungs… burn. Air. Need air. Head hurts.

Someone was muttering in the background. Kaede was praying. There was a male voice speaking alongside her, unrecognizable. I had no idea who it was. My fingers twitched and I shifted, wheezing painfully. Scared. I don't feel good. My stomach was churning; I felt like I was going to throw up.

Acting on pure instinct my hand flew up into the air, curled into a fist. There was a shout from Kagome and a startled squeak from Shippō, and the two watched as I rammed my fist hard against my chest. I coughed, wet and rough, and with a shove of my left hand I pushed myself up into a sitting position. More hacking and wheezing, clearing my throat and spitting onto what appeared to be a bloody towel on the ground, I fell back down and passed right out.

This happened again, later, and I could breathe mostly normal again. I woke to find my back pressed against a wall, a young woman holding the nebulizer mouthpiece in my mouth to keep my lungs in check. My eyelashes fluttered and I blinked, gazing tiredly at the stranger. The woman let out a small gasp, her chocolate brown eyes widening.

"Ah! You're awake! Can you hear me? Do you know what I'm saying?"

She was so pretty. Elegant, yet strong. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulder, tied near the bottom with a ribbon. Her fringe was parted in the middle, giving her a very noble appearance. I didn't know her. I nodded slowly, dainty hand reaching up to grab the mouthpiece so I could hold it myself.

Her hands were very calloused. She wasn't a noble after all. Who, then? "That's a relief… my name is Sango. You're Irene, right? Kagome told me all about you and what happened. I'm very sorry about all this."

Why is she apologizing? How come she's even helping me? Her name… I've heard it before, but I don't know much about her. She was a mystery. "S-San...go?"

"Yes."

"...Pretty."

And with that my eyes closed and all went dark again. This time I finally had a dream, burrowed under several thick blankets and resting on a normal mattress. Not too soft, but firm enough that I could lay straight on my back and not sink into it. It was nice. The gigantic stuffed bear my brother gave me tickled my face, its fur quite fluffy. It was a pleasant dream, yet… sad somehow. I wasn't quite sure why.

It was only when I opened my eyes that I figured it out, finding myself back in Kaede's hut. Something big and yellow was wrapped around me, my fingers pressed against the fur. Nose twitching I blinked, lifting my face up and staring at the giant creature beside me. The cat demon's ear twitched and it raised its head, big red eyes staring at me curiously.

Instead of screaming I merely stared, meeting its gaze unfaltering, when it blinked and laid back down. Arms shaking as I pushed myself up, I sat on my knees and looked around. Everything seemed normal, save for the big cat demon that was cuddling with me. How did it get in here? It seemed docile, lest it would have eaten me by now. Why would Inuyasha have let it in?

Wait… my clothes. They're gone! Where's my-? I wasn't wearing this robe before!

How did I even get in here?

I remember talking with… someone. Kids? Or was it a woman?

My head hurt thinking about it. I tore the blanket off and dragged myself over to the blue backpack in the corner, rummaging through it and greedily using my inhalers. I then curled up with the nebulizer, using it faster than normal due to my heavy breathing. I was surprised no one showed up during that time; normally Kagome fretted about my health. Did she go home? I wonder how long I've been asleep…

Reaching out a hand I turned off the machine, packing everything up slowly. My body felt so sluggish, like it hadn't been used in a long time. Picking out some clothes to wear I grabbed a two-toned green turtleneck and some high-waisted pale blue jeans, and some bathing supplies. I stumbled to my feet and wobbled over to the hanging door, palm pressed against the wall for balance, and was close to falling over when something warm and furry pressed against my side.

The cat demon stared up at me with big red eyes, no ill-intent in its eyes. Why was it helping me? Was it truly a benevolent demon? After everything I witnessed I found it hard to believe, but… it was a welcome change. I hesitantly wrapped my arm around it, leaning my weight against it, and together we went outside.

I hissed at the light and turned away, squinting my eyes at the bright sun. Oof. I forgot how painful daytime was. "Where…? Uh, the lake… bath. Um." Words. I looked at the cat demon, wondering if it- er, she would follow my directions. Yeah. Definitely a girl cat. "You know… where the lake is?"

She blinked. I was about to take that as a no, but then suddenly the ground beneath me disappeared and I yelped, nearly dropping my clothes as I was thrown onto the cat demon's back. For a second I thought my weight was going to hurt her, but she seemed completely unperturbed. In fact, beneath all the fur I could feel the pure muscle that was her body. She was a very strong cat demon.

"O-Okay, that… that works too. Thank you?"

Several villagers glanced this way before continuing their work. I guess they were used to weird things happening in this place by now. Kaede certainly was. Re-situating myself I slung a leg over to the other side, very similar to how one would sit on a horse, and I set my clothes on my lap. The cat demon began to move and I quickly grabbed onto her, not desiring to fall over.

"I'm hungry…"

The village is so quiet today- where are all the women? Normally they were helping the men out with the farming and weaving, but now… they all just seemed to have disappeared. The only girls I saw were children.

"So, uh… do you have a name, kitty? Can I just call you Kitty? Oh, I know! I'll call you Nala."

Nala let out a weird sound, which was like a mixture of a roar and a meow. Seeing as I didn't know her name she seemed content to answer to that.

"You okay with that?"

The demon nodded. Wow. She's a very intelligent cat demon. I mean, most cats were… but I didn't know what to expect from a cat demon. I wonder if Shippō is nearby? I hope he's doing okay. He gets scared very easily. Where's Inuyasha? Maybe he's gone to get Kagome if she's at home or maybe he's killing any demons rummaging about in the nearby forest. I hope nothing bad happened.

Leaning down until I was practicing lying on the cat, I pressed my face into the fur of her neck. It was strange, but… I felt lonely. I've always had someone with me during my stay here. The last time I was by myself was Kasasagi Town and that… didn't go very well. I shivered at the thought and curled closer to the furry creature carrying me. "Nala was a proud lioness, you know? A big cat. She ended up marrying the king of the pride. She also helped Sora, Donald, and Goofy when the hyenas threatened to eat them."

I didn't know what to do.

"I like Nala. She was nice."

Reaching the lake took only a few more minutes. There the cat demon let me slide off her back and she sat down, closing her eyes and taking a nap. Discarding the robe I stepped into the icy water, letting out a several words of complaint about the temperature, and sunk inside completely. It was so cold. I hated it. Still, I was sticky with sweat and smelled disgusting.

A bath was necessary.

I remained close to the shallow end and got to work, washing the sweat off to make myself feel like a real human being again. My hair was going to need a cut soon; it was getting long. I sighed, sinking comfortably closer as I leaned against some rocks. I felt tired. Sleepy. My arms and legs felt like noodles.

I had to force myself to get out of the lake, lest I fall asleep in it. Real clothes felt amazing. I sat down next to the cat demon and carefully rested my hand against her side, petting her gently. She rolled over, giving me access to her belly, and my eyes widened. A grin spread across my lips and I proceeded to use both hands, rubbing her furry stomach. "Aww, who's a good girl? You are! You're my favorite cat demon, yes! Awww~ thank you for helping me. So sweet!"

"K-Kirara?" The cat's ear twitched and rolled back over, causing me to retract my hands with a small yelp. Suddenly the creature erupted into flame and I screeched, jumping back in horror. "Look out-!"

There were rapid footsteps as the world flew past me. The rocks slid out from beneath my feet and I was vividly aware of how I was about to crash into the lake in my dry clothes. I panicked, swinging my arms around to fall face-first, not at all able to stop my fall, when a hand latched onto my wrist and yanked hard- pulling me back.

I crashed into a soft chest, a young woman wrapping her arms around me. "Are you okay!?" I breathed heavily, shaken from the event, and clung tightly to her kimono. "When I got to the hut you and Kirara were gone, so I searched all over for you! You had me worried."

What? I raised my head up, eyes growing wide. "I… I know you?"

She blinked. Loosening her grip she stepped back, putting some distance between us as we moved away from the lake. "You remember?"

"I…" My eyebrows knit together, confusion flitting onto my face. "I'm not sure. I… I think I remember talking to you? Don't know what it was about though."

The young woman raised a hand up to her chin, observing me closely. "You… You woke up for a few moments. I told you my name, though I suppose you don't remember that either. I'm Sango; I traveled with Inuyasha and the others. My friend and I arrived shortly after you fell ill, and several days have passed since then. Kagome told me all about you."

"Oh…" I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I looked down, biting my bottom lip. "S-Sorry… um. What exactly did Kagome say about me?"

"That you were brought from a future further ahead from her own, summoned by Naraku and a demon named Anastasia. Your sister… she's missing, isn't she?"

I didn't answer right away. Sango lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Kagome told me you think Naraku has her, maybe even done something to her. That strange demon you faced back in Kasasagi Town- it had your sister's voice, didn't it?"

"...Yeah. It did."

Wait. The cat demon. What happened to it? I looked around fervently, trying to find the big cat- fearful of her fate. She had just combusted into flames for no reason! There was no way she could have survived it. Sango blinked, seeing my behavior and finding it strange. "Did you lose something?"

"Y-yeah, the- There was the cat demon! She just-"

I had held my arms arms out when I made to gesture what I was trying to say. As soon as I did so a small mewl could be heard and there was a flash of yellow, and a small creature leaping at me. I yelped and wrapped my arms instinctively to catch it, realizing quickly it was a kitten. The small cat nuzzled her face against my chin, body curled against my chest.

"Oh my gods."

I stared with big eyes at the little kitten, realization dawning on me that this was the big cat from before. They were identical. She was just… smaller now. Much smaller. Sango brought a hand up to her mouth, hiding her smile. "Kirara likes you. I'm surprised."

"Kirara?" I asked, finding the foreign name rather lovely as it rolled off my tongue. "I-Is she yours? Are you guys friends?"

Sango stepped forward, reaching over with her hand and scratching lightly behind the kitten's ears. Kirara let out a happy meow. "Yes. She's been my partner for many years now. Miroku and I arrived to the village shortly after you fell ill, so I had Kirara keep you company to help combat your fever. Her fur is quite warm. But… I have to admit; I never expected for her to take such a liking to you. Kagome wasn't exaggerating."

Cradling Kirara with one arm, my fingers running gingerly against her head and back, I looked at Sango and asked curiously, "Exaggerating about what?"

"Your kindness."

Oh. "I'm… really not that nice."

"I don't know about that." Her thumb ran lightly under Kirara's chin, the small smile never leaving her face. Yet, for some reason, the sadness in her eyes from earlier remained. What was she thinking about when we were talking about Naraku and my sister? "Kirara has a sense about these things. Animals and demons both, I believe. They can tell the intentions of others so easily… almost as if they can see the darkness in their heart. She's never lead me astray once, so… I'm going to believe that that is the case here."

Sango carefully pried Kirara away from me so she could hold her herself, her brown eyes serious yet kind as she stared at me. Her gaze bore into my own, almost rooting me into the spot.

"You've kept my friends safe while I was away. If not for you the others might not have survived Kagura."

I tensed upon hearing those words, not finding them comforting or encouraging at all. The tension in the air turned into a weight against my chest and shoulders, the pressure of guilt and responsibility weighting me down even more than before. If Inuyasha had died back then… this person would have been grieving. It would have been my fault.

"If… not for me…" My words came out slowly, the ache in my heart near unbearable. "If not for me th-they wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place. I… I dragged them there to… the village. Kagura was after me."

"Kagura is after all of us." Sango corrected, voice stern. A lump formed in my throat and I choked, looking up at her with teary eyes. "Naraku wants us all of us dead. With or without you that would not have changed. But you're here and that makes all the difference. He wants you for something, Irene, and we're going to find out what. Alright? You're one of us now."

Why? How come she's saying all these things? "You don't… even know me…"

"I don't have to." She said. Sango held up Kirara, the cat blinking and staring at me with big red eyes. "Kirara and the others already approve. Besides, I think I figured out enough about you from this one conversation to make a good judgment. Now come on- we should get back to the others. I'm sure they're all waiting to see you up and well."

She turned around and started to walk away, pausing long enough for me to get my feet moving and catch up. Before I even knew what I was doing I had latched onto the sleeve of her kimono like a small child, head held low as I followed. Sango appeared surprised by this, but she didn't push me away. I mentally questioned why she allowed me to do this, but was grateful.

I needed the support right now.

…

Arriving at the village didn't take too long, but the second Sango saw the strange quietness of the village the woman took off. Kirara and I went back to Kaede's hut on our own, and it was there we were greeted by Kagome, Shippō, and Inuyasha. Kagome was pacing back and forth, hands laced together against her chest, worry written all over her face. She appeared to be panicking.

As soon as I entered the hut her head snapped over to look at me, her brown eyes widening. Next thing I knew a pair of arms were wrapped around my shoulders, Kagome hugging me tightly. "You had us so scared, you jerk! How could you just disappear like that!?"

"I-I'm sorry." I stammered, awkwardly hugging her back. I didn't know what to do. "Um, I-I needed a bath, so… Kirara and I went to the lake."

"Kirara?" Kagome sniffed and pulled away, confused. "How do you know her name?"

Ah, yes. Explanation time. "So I was originally calling her Nala cause of Lion King, since she's a majestic and beautiful kitty, but then Sango showed up." The cat let out a happy mew, showing herself as she walked inside the hut. She was in her larger form. I reached over and pet her head, smiling. "Now I know she's Kirara."

"You met Sango?" Shippō asked, bounding up. He jumped up and I caught him, holding him close to me. His eyes were red and puffy- like he had been crying. "She was helping you the other day while Kagome went home… but I didn't think you'd meet like that! Have you seen Miroku?"

"Uh…" Sango said something about him when she stormed off earlier. "I think Sango said she was going to look for him…?"

"Makes sense." Inuyasha commented, sitting on the ground with his back turned to us. He glanced at me from over his shoulder. "All the women here were being hit on by him last I saw. S'why the village seems so empty."

"Oh… Ohhh." It took a second for the words to register. I made a face. "Ew. So he really is a creepy monk."

Kagome laughed a little. "I mean, that's one way to put it… but he is a valuable ally. He's a good friend, despite his behavior."

I nodded, still not believing it. I was going to have to avoid this Miroku no matter what. "Right, okay… so um. Question?" They waited for me to continue. Taking a deep breath, dread pooling in my stomach, I asked, "How long have I been asleep? Sango said I fell ill, so…"

"Almost a whole week!" Kagome said, frowning deeply as she curled a hand close to her chest. "I suppose all the stress caught up with you and… well, your body couldn't adjust properly to the new environment. It is a foreign land after all. You've never been to Japan before, so you don't have an immunity to the diseases. Kaede and I did everything we could to help fight the fever and infection!"

"Infection?" She nodded. I was dumbfounded. "What infection?"

"You… know how in Kasasagi Town you got badly hurt? There ended up being something wrong with your throat. Did you cough up a whole lot of blood before? When… those villagers hurt you?"

Oh. I flinched at the memory. "Uh, y-yeah… kinda. It's… It's a bit of blur, but… there was that. Sorry."

Kagome shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. Naraku caused this. Still, it really worried us. From now on we won't split up- okay? Not unless we know for sure it's safe."

I don't understand. Wasn't I healed in the jail cell? I know it wasn't a complete restore, but the Shikigami got rid of all my major wounds.

That's why.

They didn't consider it as a severe injury. Like my back before- the dog only healed my shoulder. When I used the fish Shikigami during the battle with Kagura I wasn't even thinking about my throat; I was so focused on Inuyasha, Kagome, and Shippō. It all made sense now.

I just have to be specific…

At least, I think I need to be. I'll have to try it next time. I nodded at Kagome's words. Suddenly the door behind us opened and I stumbled forward, whirling around and standing next to the middle schooler. Walking into the hut was Sango, who was pulling someone in by the ear. A young man walked beside her, pain etched on his face, his messy black hair pulled back and blue eyes begging forgiveness.

"Ow, ow, ow! Sango, please! I said sorry! Why are you so mad at me!?"

"Hmph! I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"Oh!" Kagome said, surprised. The two stopped bickering and looked up, seeing everyone gathered. Inuyasha stood up. "Miroku, Sango, you're back!"

So that's Miroku? He's a lot… prettier than what I was expecting. Once Sango removed her hand from his ear I could make golden earrings, and on his right hand were pale blue prayer beads. Underneath that was a dark colored armguard. His kimono itself was black, bearing longer sleeves than most, and wrapped around his body was a purple traditional buddhist monk cloth.

"Oh my." The man called Miroku said, eyes growing wide when he looked at me. He leaned forward, a smile spreading across his face joyfully, the stranger stepping closer. I stiffened and resisted the urge to back away, trying to stand my ground. I hadn't dealt with any creeps since graduation, but this person looked as though he were my age. Was he truly such a creep? "Irene, was it? You were so pale and ghastly before, but… now I see it! I never would have imagined you to be such a beauty! Your brown eyes are especially stunning!"

"Uh… thanks?"

"Irene doesn't look like much," Shippō said, hiding behind my head as he gave Miroku a disapproving stare, "but she's actually really powerful! She knows how to communicate with the spirits of the Shikigami, allowing her to heal everyone and even fight against demons!"

"Really?" Miroku looked even more pleased upon hearing this. Setting his staff aside to rest against the wall, he suddenly grabbed my hands in his. My shoulders tensed up and it took everything I had not to yank them away. "Irene, I must insist! Please, will you do me the honor of being the mother of my children? With our combined spiritual powers our kids would surely be-!"

No longer holding back I yanked my hands away, a blank expression crossing my face. "No thanks."

"Don't be shy~." He said, stepping forward with a stupid grin on his face. The man outstretched a hand, trying to grab my shoulder. "We can talk things out, I'm sure! You and I together- we would be unstoppable! Just think about it, would you?"

"There's nothing to think about!" Sango snapped, reaching over and smacking him hard in the back of the head. "She just woke up! Behave yourself, you perverted monk!"

Miroku laughed, rubbing the bump on his head nonchalantly. "Aww, you know I'm only joking, Sango! The only woman for me is you!"

Her face flared red, but her eyes were still raging. "Wh-What is that supposed to mean!? Don't go giving her the wrong idea! You're lucky I don't-!"

I backed far away from the two, hiding behind Kagome. Shippō sighed, "Don't take him seriously. He says that to all the girls."

"I'm not surprised." I hated him already. If he so much as tried to come near me again I would smack him. "Jerk."

"Anyway!" Sango exclaimed loudly, a foot on Miroku's back as he lied on the ground. His face held a red handprint, the monk's skull holding several bumps, but he seemed unperturbed by it. In fact, he almost seemed to be enjoying it. "We still need to tell Irene what we found out! She is coming with us to the castle, isn't she?"

"Huh?" I blinked, looking around at everyone. "What? Wait, what castle? What's going on?"

Miroku pulled himself out from Sango's foot and stood, brushing off his robe to free it of any dirt. "We discovered some strange things on our journey- certain details that might lead us to Naraku. At the nearby castle town cows have been disappearing. Guards that were posted there and the people who had visited the castle to pay their taxes went in and never left. Some have been gone for months."

"Not to mention all the demons that have been reported seen heading towards it." Sango added, crossing her arms. "This all spells bad news. It definitely has to be the work of Naraku."

"Wait…" I thought about this. The dread I felt turned into complete fear. "The people in the castle… they're not dead, are they?"

Sango shook her head. "That's what we'd like to find out."

"Oh gods. Okay." I brought the back of my head up to my mouth, blinking rapidly to fight against the tears. I wanted to throw up. "Right. So… wh-where is this castle? W-We're gonna save those people, right?"

"That's the plan." Sango said. Her gaze then softened, as if realizing something. "You… really aren't used to this life, are you?"

"Nope!" My voice cracked a little, even as I tried to sound cheerful. "B-But that's fine. You know? It's… It's how things are; no changing it. So, um, how we getting there? You said it was nearby?"

"Yes." Miroku nodded, giving an encouraging smile. "The fastest and safest way would be through Tsuzumi Village."

"Okie dokie!" I clapped my hands together, forcing myself to be upbeat. "So! We do that then! Great."

"You know…" Miroku began, stepping forward again. Kagome moved to block me from his view, but we were both so much shorter than he was. He gave a sly smile, "If you ever need someone to comfort you in these trying times I'd be more than willing to help. I know you must be very scared from all this."

"Miroku..." Sango warned.

"What!?" He held his hands up defensively. "I'm just trying to be nice! She's clearly shaken up by all this!"

"I'm fine." I said sharply, ducking down until I couldn't be seen. Kagome was a good shield against playboys; her glare and Sango's fierce tone was keeping him back. "Thanks, but no thanks. Appreciate it, but don't want it. I have a Shippō for cuddles. He gives very nice hugs."

Inuyasha straight up snorted at that, breaking out into barking laughter, and Shippō pointed triumphantly at Miroku from his spot on my shoulder and shouted, "Ha! That's what you get! I'm the favorite and you know why? Because I'm not a creepy pervert like you!"

"He's my small child." I patted the fox demon on the head. "I have adopted him. Like I am Maria's small child, Shippō is my small child."

Shippō stuck his tongue out at Miroku, who pouted and sighed.

"I lost to a kid…"

"What was there to lose?" Inuyasha sassed, grinning. The door opened and Kaede walked in, eyes widening in surprise when she saw all of us together. "Oh, the old hag's back."

"You're all here! Irene… what a pleasure. You've woken up." The old woman smiled and stepped forward. "The color has returned to your skin; I was starting to grow fearful you might not recover."

"N-No, I'm… I'm okay." I rubbed my neck sheepishly, feeling bad for causing so much concern. It felt weird having so many people worry about me. The only who really seemed to care was Maria, so having Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippō, and even Kaede and these two strangers acting all worried was strange. "I'm sorry about… everything, really. I-I didn't mean to freak you out."

All I seem to do is cause everyone trouble. Oh! Speaking of-!

"Inuyasha!"

The half-demon jumped, startled. "What?"

"Thank you!" Everyone looked confused- even him.

"Uh, for what?"

Seriously? I frowned and tried to explain. "Back in… the battle with Kagura! When she tried to attack me with those tornado things you… took the hit." I lowered my head, guilt crushing my heart in its harsh vice. All I could remember was the sight of him bleeding out, his guts on full display with his blood covering my bare hands. "Y-You almost died because of it, a-and… I couldn't do anything."

"Irene…" Kagome murmured.

"I was just so scared. A-And I'm still scared. But you saved me a-and I want to help you!" So many times now he's helped me. Inuyasha has always been protecting me. I was a sick, useless human being that could barely even get the spirits to work with her. But that's going to change. "I-I couldn't even control the Shikigami back then; they were just acting on their own! I was mad and… and hurt, and scared, and I didn't want you to die! You, Kagome, or Shippō. So… I promise! I'll get better at wielding Shikigami! That way you won't have to do that ever again, okay?"

The half-demon was stunned. No one in the room said anything for the longest time; the quiet was practically suffocating. Then he scoffed and turned his head, folding his hands into his kimono sleeves. "Do what you want. It's not like I care. I just didn't want Kagome to yell at me if you died. It gets so annoying."

"Stop lying." Kagome said, shaking her head at him. She reached up and pulled lightly on his dog ear, causing him to lean over so to avoid any pain. "You view Irene as a friend and you know it."

"I do not!"

Kaede chuckled at all of us. "Now, now, children. Need ye not prepare for your journey? You'll be heading out soon, will ye not? Why don't you rest for the day and take off at early light?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sango commented, smiling. She seemed pleased. "It'll give us time to get to know Irene better! We need to go shopping for supplies anyhow, right? Irene and I will go together."

"I need to go collect some more herbs," Kagome said, releasing Inuyasha and pressing an index finger to her chin in thought, "so I'll be heading into the forest. A walk sounds nice."

"Yeesh." Inuyasha sighed. "I guess I'll go with you."

"Are we teaming up?" Shippō questioned. He jumped off my shoulder, landing in Miroku's arm. "I'll go with Miroku then! That way I can make sure he stays out of any trouble!"

"You all have so little faith in me…"

"No," I said, stumbling over to the brunette beauty, "I'm pretty sure it's because they trust you that they have to keep an eye on you. They trust you to get into trouble."

"Sounds about right." Sango agreed. "This way now!"

She grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the hut. I followed her and Kirara into the main village center, where all the shopping seemed to take place. The woman asked me how exactly I came to meet the others and I told her, informing her all of what took place. My explanation ended up being a bit all over the place, my story-telling being better on paper than spoken, but she seemed to understand.

I asked Sango how she fought, as I knew everyone else's talents, and she told me she was demon slayer. After we finished buying supplies, she showed me back to the hut where she took out her weapons and displayed them. I gaped at the big boomerang she was holding, hardly able to make sense of what I was seeing. "That's… girl, you are holding that with one hand!"

"Hm? Yes." Sango demonstrated, twirling it about above her head with ease and then tossing it out into the sky. "It's my hiraikotsu!"

I yelped as it came swinging back to us and ducked down, bringing my hands over my head, and I fell back onto my rear in shock when she caught it. Her feet barely even shifted with the weight of the recoil, and she slung the weapon easily over her shoulder behind her back.

"Woman." I began, eyebrows raised. "You are a beast. How!?"

"I've been training with it for years." She explained, smiling at my reaction. Sango appeared a little bashful by the praise. "Want to try it?"

"Uh… pretty sure I'd end up breaking myself."

"Oh, don't say that! Come on!" I shook my head and stood, making my way over. I reached out to grab it and, as soon as she let go, I nearly toppled under its weight. "Ack- Look out!"

Okay, I lied. I did topple under its weight. The giant boomerang weighed down on me and my legs gave out beneath the pressure, crushing me against the ground. Sango quickly reacted and pulled it off of me, apologizing. I told her it was fine. I then asked if she had any other weapons, to which she grinned and proceeded to show off her sword skills.

After finding out about the poison powder and the blades hiding under her sleeves, I came to the conclusion that Sango would make a brilliant assassin. She's so beautiful, too. No one would see it coming.

Not even me.

When I ran out breath and got dizzy, Sango only further demonstrated her strength by lifting me up. If I wasn't flustered before I definitely was now. After everyone returned to the hut for the night we all got comfortable, laying on hay or futons, and the next morning we all took stock of what supplies we had. As we were about to leave Kaede showed up, asking me to return the green kimono she gave me.

Confused, but understanding, I did as requested and in return she gave me one that matched hers completely. From the white tops to the red hakama, I would look more like a priestess than ever. "Seeing as ye have a bad habit of getting injured, I figured a change of clothes would be preferable. These ones still need to be properly mended. Kagome did a fine job, but a bit more tending would be best."

"O-Oh, um. Thank you."

She smiled. Then, as if reading my mind, she held her arms out for a hug. I didn't hesitate, wrapping my arms around her shoulders gingerly so as to not harm her. "Have a safe journey, my child. I wish ye good luck."

"You too… thank you so much, Kaede."

…

As we were leaving the village a couple children saw me and tackled my legs, crying out about how they were sorry. I was confused, until they explained that they thought they were the reason why I had passed out so long ago. I laughed and ruffled their hair, giving them quick hugs, explaining that I was just frailer than most people.

Kagome and Shippō were amused, yet happy I got along with the other villagers, and Sango and Miroku were surprised to see I was on such good terms with the kids. Inuyasha didn't really care one way or another.

The passage through the main forest took two whole days, leaving us at the beginnings of the next trail. Heading out of one forest we went right into the next, and through all of this we only fought a couple demons. Thank goodness. I sighed, shuddering at the thought of encountering any heavy interference. I hated battle.

As we made our way through we walked into a clearing with several statues, resembling some kind of deity or monk. We were getting close. "How much longer?" Shippō asked, frowning as he saw the sky get dark. "We've been travelling for a while now; Tsuzumi village has to be close, right?"

"Yes. Just a few more days." Miroku answered. He looked up and stared at the sky, frowning. "Kagome, what day is it?"

"It's…" She paused. Her eyes widened. "Tomorrow will be the first day of the new month! Inuyasha-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Shove it." He trudged forward, marching on as he pushed past the girl. "It ain't gonna stop me. We got this far, didn't we? We can keep going."

I blinked, looking back-and-forth between them. "I'm so confused. Is Inuyasha's birthday coming? Ooh! Can I sing?" Excitement lit up in my eyes. "Happy early birthday!"

"It's not my birthday!" He snapped. "Just leave it alone. You'll find out what it is when it happens."

"O… Okay?" Rude. I frowned, slowing down and walking behind Kagome to get away from him. "So angry…"

I was starting to get used to his behavior, but it still hurt sometimes.

Shippō sighed from his spot on Miroku's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Irene. He's a bit defensive around this time."

"I am not defensive!" Inuyasha snapped. He then paused, sniffing the air for a moment before squatting down. "What's that…? Hmm." The half-demon lowered his face to the ground, sniffing the dirt. My eyebrows knitted together and I made face, noting how he looked more like a dog than ever. "That's Kagura's scent!"

"What's Kagura doing way out here?" Sango questioned. "Shouldn't she be at the castle?"

"I think she is." Inuyasha responded. He crawled forward, walking on all fours. It was… rather ridiculous. "It's in the same direction of Tsuzumi village. That leads to the castle, right? That means you guys were spot on! Let's go!"

The half-demon took off.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome called out, hopping onto her bike. "Irene, climb on!"

"Uh, okay!" Shippō hopped into the basket and I climbed onto the back of Kagome's bike, awkwardly wrapping my arms around her waist as she started pedaling. Sango climbed onto Kirara after she transformed into her larger form, Miroku following suit. "Whoa!"

The school girl gave no warning when she sped up.

Unfortunately, about three hours later, we were brought to an abrupt stop at the sight of more statues and a familiar old man. Inuyasha dug his heels into the ground and Kagome hit hard on the breaks, all three of us on it letting out a shriek. Inuyasha had help catch the bike, setting it on the ground with ease, showing off his immense strength. Kakuju gave a start from the loud noise, turning to face us, and Sango and Miroku lowered Kirara down to the ground.

"It's you!" The old man said as I fumbled to get off the bike. "I'm glad you came here. There was something I wanted to give you."

"H-Hold on!" I held an arm out for Kagome to use to help get off the bike, the girl shaken from the event. Shippō was totally dazed as he sat in the basket. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so…"

"Um, do you guys know this old man?" Sango asked, not intending to be rude. "I think he's talking to you…"

"He's the one who awakened her Shikigami." Inuyasha explained. Miroku's eyes lit up in understanding, the monk removing himself from Kirara's back and stepping closer to view the older man. "Kakuju was the one who taught her how to use it."

"I see! You must be truly powerful!"

Kakuju turned in the direction of the voice, but didn't look directly at Miroku. "Yes… my, what a fortuitous coincidence this is. I was planning to give it to the priestess, but… this monk here should be able to help you make good use of what I have to give you, Irene."

"Me?" Miroku blinked. I stiffened, greatly uncomfortable with this new development.

"M-Miroku? You sure?"

"Yes." Kakuju walked forward, using his cane to help guide him, and stopped a few feet away from where Kagome, Shippō, and I were standing. He reached into his vest and pulled out a large pile of sutras, written and colored in red with a very familiar pentagram on them. "Take these and show him."

"Th-This is…" My eyes widened as I accepted the items. There was no doubt about it; this matched the burn on my leg completely. "I know this symbol."

"Yes; it's the symbol of the Shikigami."

Miroku walked over, knowing he was integral to this conversation. "May I have a look, Irene?"

"I-I guess so?" I held it out to him, very reluctantly allowing the monk to take it from me. "What are they?"

"These look like talismans." Miroku commented, not completely recognizing the design. "Will these work with my spiritual power?"

"Mm-hm. I added a little of my own magic to it, so it will give you both more power when you fight together."

"Thank you so much!" Miroku bowed his head in thanks. "I will use this gratefully."

Kakuju smiled. "You're more than welcome. I want nothing more than for that young girl to reunite with her family. I'm afraid I must go now, so until next time! Take care!" The old bowed his head and turned around, using his cane to help himself walk down the road. Shippō looked at me.

"He really seems to worry about you, huh?"

"I guess…"

Sango walked over, glancing over Miroku's shoulder to see the talismans. "That was nice of him. But why the interest? Is it just because of your Shikigami?"

I ruffled my hair, trying to figure out what Kakuju's aim was. "I've no idea! We met him in Akebi Village twice before. I don't know anything about him." It feels like he know something and he's refusing to tell us. That might be my paranoia speaking, but… something about him bothered me. "It's… weird. He kinda hinted that he was there when I first showed up in this place, too."

Miroku turned his head, frowning. "And yet he continues to help you? How strange. Still, I sense no ill will in this gift… so I can only assume Kakuju can be trusted. For now, anyway. What about you, Inuyasha, Kagome? What do you think?"

"I think he's sweet." Kagome answered, shrugging. "He's been really patient with Irene when teaching her how to use the Shikigami."

Inuyasha huffed. "I don't care one way or another. But it is thanks to him that Irene can actually be of use now."

"Sorry for being a sickly human." I muttered. Inuyasha's ear twitched at that, but he said nothing.

"Well, are we done here? Kagura's scent is trying to get away! Let's go, go, go!"

And so we returned to our earlier positions, travelling until nightfall. At this rate we would be able to get to Tsuzumi village in half the time, but the next day… didn't go to plan. At all. For some reason Inuyasha's nose wasn't working as well, so instead of being able to run and smell the air at the same time to catch scent he had to be on the ground at all times. His nose was practically pressed against the dirt.

"What's the matter, Inuyasha?" Shippō asked, frowning from his spot in the bike basket. "Isn't this the right direction?"

"Shut up! Stop yackin' and let me concentrate!"

Sango made a face, looking down at the half-demon and observing his strange antics. "Sniffing around on all fours won't get us any closer to the castle or Naraku, will it?"

The half-demon didn't respond, sniffing a couple more times before cursing. "Damn it all…"

"Is everything okay?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm fine." He barked, "I just need a better angle."

Shippō sighed. "Maybe your nose just isn't working right now. Tonight is the first night, remember?"

"Yeah…" Kagome looked concerned. "The new moon."

Wait a minute. My eyes widened and I looked over at them, alarmed. "What's wrong with the new moon!? What does that have to do with Inuyasha?"

"The new moon…?" Sango inquired, realization slowly dawning on her face. Miroku frowned.

"That's right…" I looked over at them, waiting an explanation, and the monk continued to speak. "The night of the new moon is the one time where Inuyasha loses all his powers of a demon and becomes a mere mortal."

"...I'm sorry, what?"

"Do you have to go spillin' my secrets so easily!?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring at him from his spot on the ground. Miroku shook his head.

"You said yourself she'd find out eventually. I felt it best to inform her ahead of time, lest she stress herself out and become ill again."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Whatever." He proceeded to sniff the ground again. Kagome stopped walking and parked the bike, turning around to look at her half-demon companion. I was still trying to process what Miroku told me, wondering what he meant by mere mortal and if that meant Inuyasha would look less… otherworldly once nightfall hit. "Damn it!"

"Inuyasha, maybe we shouldn't do anything rash tonight." Kagome suggested, "Even if we get to Tsuzumi Village and are able to get to the castle, you can't fight without your powers! If Kagura is really at the village, then…"

"We made it this far!" He retorted, moving forward slowly and sniffing the dirt. "I ain't backing out now."

"Let's get real! We can't do anything hasty."

I clapped my hands together, brain starting to hurt from trying to piece together the new information. "What do you mean he becomes mortal? He's a half-demon, right!? How does that work?"

I never got my answer. The wind picked up speed and Miroku's voice caught everyone's attention, the monk whirling around and pointing out, "Look! There's a cyclone!"

"Tornado!?" Why was everyone acting so calm? It's heading right towards us.

"It's coming this way…" Sango noted, hand tightening its grip on her hiraikotsu. As the cyclone came closer Miroku pushed himself and Sango back, and I let out a small shriek and jumped behind Kagome. Inuyasha wasn't as fortunate and was completely run over by it, the tornado digging into his back and planting him hard into the ground. A gust of dirt kicked up and suddenly the strong wind disappeared, a young man taking its place as he stood close to the middle school girl in front of me. "Whoa!"

"Yo, Kagome…" The man purred in greeting. "It's great to see you again."

He had dark skin and long black hair, his blue eyes contrasting nicely with the rest of his features. His well-muscled legs were bare, save for the fur covering his hips and shins. Very old-fashioned armor covered his chest, and a sword was strapped to his waist. "Kōga!" Kagome exclaimed, surprised. "It's you!"

Sango and Miroku regained their bearings and approached Inuyasha, who was letting out a pained groan.

"Well," the young woman began, "that's what you get for sniffing around on the ground."

"Hey, mutt!" Kōga said, turning to look at the half-demon he ran over, "You followed the scent around here, too, did ya?"

Inuyasha huffed, shakily pushing himself up. He really was a lot weaker than before. "You mangy wolf…" He growled. Inuyasha finally managed to get himself onto his feet, reaching out to unsheathe his sword. "I'll kill you-!"

"Sit, boy!"

I flinched as Kagome said the word, Inuyasha planting his face hard into the ground. I think I heard something crack. Kōga grinned at the sight, looking quite pleased by Kagome's actions. Miroku stepped forward, "Kōga, did you come to find Naraku's castle as well?"

"Yeah…" The, very obvious, wolf demon nodded. "I don't know why, but I'm picking up strong whiffs of Naraku's foul stench. That never happened before."

"That's must mean-!" Sango began, eyes wide.

"The barrier around Naraku's castle has weakened." Miroku finished, frowning. Kagome snuck around Kōga, heading towards the half-demon. "We were heading in the right direction, after all."

"In any case," Kōga continued, "if I follow this scent I'll find his castle." The demon turned, closing his eyes with a warm smile as he- eh? What? His hands gently grabbed my own, holding them close to his chest. I froze, realizing very quickly he had no idea of his mistake. "Don't you worry, Kagome; I'll kill Naraku this time. I promise-huh?"

His eyes finally opened, the demon catching my scent and realizing my hands were smaller than expected, and he paused. Shippō made a face, commenting, "I know she's pretty, but I don't think Irene's your type. She can't see jewel shards."

"I-Irene? What?" Kōga shook his head, pulling away as though my skin was fire. I stepped back, but my heel hit the bike and I had to stop-cornered. Frick. "Hold on. Who the hell're you? I've never seen you travel with the mutt and his gang before!"

"Um… Sh-Shippō just told you my name?" I cowered slightly as he stepped forward, the demon's nose twitching he memorized my scent. This was weird. Uncomfortable. Please stop. "I-I, uh, was brought to Japan by Naraku so… trying to find him. Get some answers, you know?"

"What would Naraku want with a lousy human girl like you?"

"Hey!" Shippō jumped to my defense. "Irene's really powerful! She can heal and fight, and communicate with Shikigami Spirits!"

"Shiki-what? Ick. Like I care. But- hey, hold on." He sniffed the air again, leaning forward and practically pinning me to the bike. I was trapped. I turned my head, disturbed, running various scenarios through my head to figure out the best course of action. Should I kick him? Push him away? I hated confrontations. "Your scent is… familiar. Why is that?" Kōga narrowed his eyes, moving even closer. I was seriously tempted to raise my knee and hit him where it hurt. Did he never hear of personal space? "Do I know you from somewhere? Can't be though… I'd remember meeting a foreigner like you... oh! That reminds me; Kagome! I need your help with-"

"No, Inuyasha!" The wolf demon turned, tensing when he saw the way Kagome had her arms wrapped around the half-demon to hold him back. Inuyasha was about to tackle Kōga, the teen ready to fight him at any given moment. "Don't do it!"

"You can't stop me!" He snapped, struggling in her grip. It was startling to see how weak he was now. "I'm gonna settle this today, once and for all!"

Kōga stepped away, giving me some breathing room, and I promptly dashed to the other side of the bike and knelt down to hide from him. He freaked me out. "Hey, Shippō… what's happening? I thought he was friends with everyone… so why does Kōga hate Inuyasha so much?"

"Long story short, Kōga kidnapped Kagome once." He explained, sighing. The fox demon reached into Kagome's neon yellow backpack and pulled out a piece of candy, sticking it in his mouth and chewing. "He fell in love with her after and is determined to make her his, and since Kagome's so nice to him Inuyasha is mad. They view each other as love rivals. So now they fight each other constantly to try and win her over."

"Oh… that's stupid." I made a face. "What about her feelings? Did they not ask her what she wanted?"

Shippō shrugged. "Honestly, they're both morons."

I tuned back into the conversation happening in front of us, Kōga squatting down in front of the half-demon. The rage that was previously on his face was now gone, instead replaced by curiosity as he sniffed Inuyasha. Ah. So that was just his thing. Or maybe a demon thing? Inuyasha smell things and people a lot, too. Is it because they're canines?

"What's goin' on…?" Kōga asked, frowning, the wolf man genuinely confused. "Something's different about you… You don't smell like a mutt! Did you take a soak in the river or what?"

Inuyasha and Kagome blinked, alarmed. I shook my head incredulously, eyebrows raised, beginning to wonder if Inuyasha really was going to transform into a normal human. If even his scent is changing… gods, this place is so messed up.

"Hey!" Kōga suddenly snapped, standing up when he saw the way they two were clinging onto each other. "Don't get so close to my Kagome!"

As a result of this Inuyasha launched himself at the young girl, Kagome letting out a small yelp as his arms latched around her waist. The half-demon only clung tighter with a big grin on his face, watching as Kōga failed to pull him off. "What are you gonna do, you creep!?"

"Get-off-of-her!"

"Take it elsewhere!" Kagome shouted, trying to worm out of Inuyasha's hold. "I'm not a prize!"

Inuyasha shouted as Kōga grabbed onto his leg, nearly ripping it out of the socket.

Suddenly I could hear voices in the distance. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but squinting my eyes and standing I could see two young men- maybe my age or a little older- running at us. Accompanying them were several, very much real, wolves. Kōga blinked and turned, seeing them, and realization dawned on his face. "Oh, right. I don't have time for this."

He dropped Inuyasha, who had finally been removed from Kagome, and started to move away. Kōga waved at her.

"Later, Kagome!"

He flashed her a brilliant smile and then- in a gust of wind- disappeared in a cyclone. Inuyasha lifted his head up from his spot on the ground, scowling. "Are you running away again!?"

"Naraku's head is mine!" Kōga yelled, vanishing completely from sight.

"Please!" One the two men running past us cried. "Slow down! Kōga, wait for us!"

The man with the mohawk saw the black-haired middle schooler and waved as he passed by, "Oh, hello, Kagome!"

"Hi boys!" She greeted. The other man ran past, followed by the wolves.

"Can't stay and chat!"

Everyone else seemed so unperturbed by the wolves casually running by, chasing after Kōga. I, meanwhile, was pressed to the bike and hiding as best as I could from them in fear of being bitten by one. I did not have very good memories with dogs. But… these ones didn't seem very aggressive. Just… tired.

One in particular fell behind the rest. It slowed down into a walk and was about to pick up speed again when it saw me. It turned its head and walked over, and I stiffened as our eyes met. The wolf's nose twitched, let out a small noise, and then continued on with the rest of the pack. Hearing Miroku and Sango discuss whether we should follow and help Kōga, I shakily stood and cried out, "Can someone please explain to me what's going on!?"

"Huh?" Miroku blinked.

"What do you mean?" Sango turned, confused.

I hung my head, defeated. "Inuyasha can turn mortal? There's a dude named Kōga that's in love with Kagome? Who had kidnapped her before? ...Is Inuyasha literally just going to transform like some kind of magical boy or- what? I don't get it."

"I see." A familiar voice spoke then and we watched as Myoga the flea hopped off of Miroku's shoulder and onto Shippō's. "Irene; there is a lot that needs to be explained to you still. But Lord Inuyasha is only half-demon, with half-demon powers. Each child born to a demon and a human have a specific period of time where they lose those powers and the human blood in their veins take over, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Lord Inuyasha's period of vulnerability just so happens to be on the first of every month- where the moon is not visible."

"...Okay." My head hurt. "So… is the new moon the period for every half-demon? Or it just varies?"

"It varies."

"Right. But… how does the losing powers work? Will he still look like… you know." I raised my hands up to my head, trying to mimic the dog ears. Inuyasha scrunched his nose up at me, unimpressed by my antics. "Doggy?"

Sango had to suppress a snicker at that, while Miroku straight up smirked. Inuyasha shouted something indignantly, but I wasn't paying attention. Kagome reached up and pulled on his ear, saying something about how my description wasn't wrong. Myoga chuckled at my words. "You'll see soon enough, but no. Lord Inuyasha does not keep his current appearance. In fact, he looks even less like his father when he transforms."

I snapped my fingers, finally understanding. "Okay! So he literally turns human? No dog ears or anything?"

"Exactly."

I slumped my shoulders, letting out an exasperated sigh. "That's complicated. This world is weird. So, what? His hair will turn black or brown or something once night hits?"

"Precisely."

"And what about Kōga? Why'd he kidnap Kagome before?"

"Why don't we explain that while we search for a good place to make camp?" Miroku suggested. "The sun will be setting soon."

Chapter Text

Oh my gods.

I stared at the boy sitting across from me, wondering if I was seeing things. I had heard the explanation before, but… this was insane. Inuyasha's dog ears really were gone and his fangs- they were normal canines now. The slits in his eyes had widened into proper pupils, the amber irises now a dark grey. His long silver hair was a black as the night, a pair of  human ears poking out from the sides of his head.

If it weren't for the facial structure and the signature red kimono he was wearing I would have thought I was staring at a stranger. It was only after he yelled at me for looking at him too long that I stopped, retreating inside the small shrine were Shippō, Miroku, and Sango were hiding. I cast another quick glance at Inuyasha, finding it so weird that he completely changed appearance, and I ended up stumbling into a conversation.

"-should at least verify the exact location of the castle." Sango said. She turned to see me walk in, before returning her gaze to Miroku. Shippō frowned, looking up.

"We can't take Inuyasha in the state he's in."

"We won't be." She told him. "Miroku and I can go alone. It's faster and more efficient."

Miroku added, completely serious, "And if Inuyasha objects to us leaving him behind we'll have Kagome make him sit." He lowered his head, smiling a little. "Then we can simply knock him out."

Well then. I don't like this conversation.

"Not that method again." Shippō complained, shaking his head. "Irene, do you have any ideas on how to distract Inuyasha?"

"What?" I jumped, startled when the attention was suddenly turned to me. My hand froze over the door, my departure stopped by everyone's eyes on me. "Uh… n-not really? He got really mad at me a second ago, so I'd rather not… yeah. S-Sorry."

Sango gave a small smile, trying to be encouraging, while Miroku nodded his head.

"Kagome using sit it is!"

Wow. Rude. "Would his body even be able to… withstand it now? He's human."

"It never seemed to do too much damage before." Miroku explained before a sly smile crossed his face. "Irene… tell me; what are your opinions on Inuyasha and Kagome? And- please, sit down." He patted the ground beside him. "A lovely lady such as yourself shouldn't have to stand any longer than necessary. Join me."

I stared blank at him, stepped forward, and proceeded to sit down next to Sango. Then, without hesitation, I linked an arm with hers. The woman blinked, surprised by my behavior, but didn't push me away. She actually seemed quite pleased that I refused Miroku's advances. The monk pouted, upset that I didn't sit down next to him.

"Aww~ I was even going to let you sit on my lap! Are you sure you want to sit on the cold hard wood? My lap is much softer-"

"No thanks." I scooted closer to Sango, resting my head on her shoulder. "I get cuddles over here."

Kirara mewed in agreement, curled up in the woman's lap. Shippō laughed. "Talk about rejection! Sorry, Miroku."

Sango patted my hand with her own, not too entirely sure what to make of the situation yet accepting it nonetheless. "Your tricks aren't going to work on her, you pervert. Unlike the other women you flirt with, Irene has standards."

"Yup yup." If I closed my eyes and pretended that we were surrounded in silence, I could almost make myself believe that I was hugging Maria right now. That this wasn't Sango's arm I was holding. For some reason Sango held the touch of an older sister and it… hurt me. It brought back so many memories, but I couldn't get enough. I could pretend that- in this instant- I was back home sitting in the livingroom with Maria. "I don't deal with relationships. Too much drama. Inuyasha and Kagome are cute though… minus the arguing."

"Good girl." Sango patted my head. "Stay away from men. Especially those of the cloth."

The demon slayer sent Miroku a glare, the monk chuckling nervously.

"Yeah. Miroku's a creep." Shippō agreed.

"I feel as though I'm being personally attacked here." Miroku slumped, hanging his head. "Does no one trust me?"

I want to go home. But this… was nice. Cuddling with Sango was very stress relieving. I still wished it was my sister that was here, but I would see her soon. Once we get to the castle… I can save her. Free her from Naraku's grasp. For once I would be the protector. We'll defeat him and go home-together.

Unless, I had to remind myself, she wants to stay.

But I hoped she'd like to go home.

I was rudely jolted from my thoughts when the door slid open, Kagome tossing Inuyasha inside quite forcefully. She held the tetsusaiga in her hands, frowning at her. "The wolf demon tribe has come back again!"

"What!?" Sango's eyes widened. "We can't let them see Inuyasha!"

I was forced to stay inside with Shippō, Inuyasha, and Sango while Miroku followed Kagome outside. I shifted anxiously from foot-to-foot, Inuyasha and Shippō peering out of a hole in the wall to eavesdrop, Sango changing into her demon slayer gear behind us. "What are they saying? What's going on?"

"Kōga and Kagura are fighting each other," Inuyasha explained quietly, glaring at the demons outside, "and apparently Kagura is winning." He tightened his grip on his sword.

"Inuyasha," Shippō hissed, clinging to the half-human's shoulder, "you mustn't show yourself!"

"Hmph. You don't need to worry about that."

Frick. Frick, frick, frick. Is Kōga okay? If he's losing then…

Blood. So much blood. Why is there so much!?

Memories of Inuyasha sprawled out on the ground, bleeding from wounds caused by Kagura's winds, came to mind and I jolted- standing up straight and rubbing my arms fervently to get rid of the cold chills. The black-haired half-human turned his head, frowning at me. "What's wrong with you?"

"K-Kagura will…" Oh gods. I began to pace around the hut, mind going to all the worst case scenarios. "No, no, no, no!"

"Irene, what's wrong?" Sango asked, frowning as she tied together the last few pieces of her armor. I stopped moving, not looking at her as I trembled and shook and moved my hands around anxiously. "Hey-"

"H-He's bleeding. He's bleeding and bleeding and it won't stop a-and she's going to kill him, and-!" My arms wrapped around my stomach, recalling the way Inuyasha's guts nearly spilled out of him. "And... and... and he needs help!" My eyes snapped over to meet Sango's, filled with tears. "We need to help him! I-I can heal him! Let me heal him!"

"There's no way I'm going to help Kōga." Inuyasha barked, "But I'm not gonna let you go and get yourself killed."

"We're going to go check this out, okay?" Sango said, resting her hands on my shoulders to calm me down. "Stay behind me and keep low. Inuyasha-"

The half-human turned, narrowing his eyes. "Sango?" She leveled her gaze.

"Stay here with Kagome. You want to keep your mortal state a secret don't you?"

Inuyasha scoffed, standing up. "You've gotta be kidding!" Shippō yelped and jumped down onto the ground just as Inuyasha kicked the doors open, effectively breaking them. The two demons Kagome and Miroku were talking to stared for a moment before screaming, pointing at Inuyasha in horror. "Hrah!"

Several punches later, the two wolf demons were sporting several bumps and bruises, and- thanks to Inuyasha- they were no longer shouting. Sango held the hiraikotsu over her shoulder, aghast by his behavior. "What are you doing!?" I hid behind the demon slayer, still panicking and very mistrusting of the two strangers.

"Idiot." Shippō scowled.

"Listen, you two," Inuyasha threatened, "if you tell a soul about this I'll kill you both!"

"Got it," Mohawk choked, "we won't."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. Miroku closed his eyes, tilting his head.

"Well, he shut them up at least…" He opened his eyes, unimpressed by his friend's violent behavior. "Shall we go now?"

The set up was fairly easy. Miroku and the two wolf demons would run, Sango and I would ride on Kirara, and Inuyasha would ride on the back of Kagome's bike whilst she pedaled. Shippō, of course, sat in the basket as always. As we sailed over the forest in the direction Kōga was in I kept my arms wrapped tight around Sango, face buried in her back as I tried my darndest not to cry.

What if we were too late? Was Kōga already dead? How… are the wolf demons going to handle that? Kagome said their names were Hakkaku and Ginta, right? So… would they have to explain to the rest of the tribe that their leader was dead? Ohhh, no, no, no. Please. Be okay. I didn't particularly like him, but I didn't want Kōga to die.

He had so many people who cared about him. Who would be upset if he was gone.

If Kagura killed him…

I inhaled sharply, heart twisting painfully in my chest.

...I won't forgive her.

She and Naraku have already gone too far, harming my new friends. Not only did they bring me and my sister to this world, but they've put so many people through so much suffering. It's horrible. I wanted to think there was a glimmer of good inside of them, but I witnessed firsthand how truly bad they were.

What gave them the right? What made them so desperate to hurt others?

Suddenly I heard it; that conniving, familiar laughter. Before I even knew what was happening Sango was already swinging her hiraikotsu in the air, aiming for Kagura's head. The female demon whirled around, raising her fan up in the air. I watched with big eyes, waiting for it to make contact with her, but then out of nowhere a bunch of skeletons that were on the ground rose up and intercepted the hiraikotsu- taking the hit instead and being torn to pieces.

"Your life has been spared." She told Kōga, plucking a feather out of her hair. All the wounded wolf demon could do was glare as she flew away, and Sango carefully had Kirara lower us closer to the ground. The woman caught the hiraikotsu as it swung back at her, cursing when she saw that Kagura got away.

I wasted no time in sliding off of Kirara's back, both Sango and the cat being rather alarmed when I did so, and I stumbled towards Kōga in as fast a dash as I could go. I arrived just as Hakkaku and Ginta exclaimed something about how Kōga had lost both his sacred jewel shards, falling to my knees and breathing heavily as oxygen intake became limited. Shikigami, please! Please, please, please! There was so much blood. How had he even survived?

"Irene!" Kagome shouted, running over as blue flames danced around my hands. "Don't overdo it! You just recovered from your illness!"

"Leave him alone, you two!" Inuyasha ordered, chasing after. "That wolf is gonna die anyway!"

Kagome wrapped her arms around me, stopping me before I could reach Koga. I tried to pull away, lungs wheezing in response to all the movement, but the girl was determined. "I know you're worried, but so are we! You can't keep hurting yourself like this!"

"I'm f-fine! S'fine!"

"The hell's goin' on!?" Kōga demanded, watching the scene take place. His eyes widened when a blue koi fish appeared out of flames, shooting out of a pentagram on the ground. "Fuck! Kagome, look out-!"

He reached out, forcing himself to stand despite his injuries, and moved to slash the creature thinking it was harmful. Instead, to his shock, the fish swam towards him and avoided his claws, the trail of blue flames licking his face and spreading across his body. Kōga blinked, lowering his hand upon noticing something.

"It doesn't… burn?"

Kagome let out a heavy sigh, resting her chin on my shoulder, and I watched in relief as his more deadly wounds healed. His right arm, which looked ready to fall off at any given moment, pulled itself back together and mended. The big gashes on both his legs healed, flesh stitching itself back together, regenerating. Kōga turned and saw the flames around my hands, and watched as the fish dove back into the pentagram that was at my feet.

"You did this?" He asked, stunned. "Are you some kinda priestess or somethin'?"

"Kōga!" Kagome said, raising her head, "How are you feeling?'

The wolf demon stumbled over, collapsing to his knees and sitting down in front of us. "I'm… better, thanks to whatever that was. Tired, but I can still fight. What did you say your name was? Irene?" Unable to speak at the moment, too busy trying to breathe, I nodded. He grinned. "Thanks. Any friend of Kagome's is a friend of mine. In the meantime…" Kōga turned, glaring at Inuyasha, "hey, muttface! What did you say about me earlier!? You wanna die tonight-!"

Kōga cut himself off, staring and taking in the half-human's appearance.

"Inu… yasha?"

"You're pathetic, Kōga." Inuyasha insulted, grey eyes glaring vegemently at the wolf. "Gettin' all cut up like that by Kagura."

"Look who's talking." Kōga retorted. "You're nothin' but a weak mortal! I heard that…"

Kōga stumbled to his feet. The worst of his wounds were gone, but his body was still exhausted.

"I heard that half-demons fear for their lives. I also heard that when they're in the mortal state, they never appear before an enemy. You're pretty gutsy, you know, daring to come around me when looking like that…"

Kagome grabbed my shoulders, supporting me before I could fall over. "Easy." She told me.

"You're right." Inuyasha continued, hand reaching out to grab the handle of his blade, "So now that you know my secret…" His thumb poked his sword out of its sheathe and Kōga jumped back, raising a fist up in the air.

"You wanna fight!?"

Inuyasha's sword didn't transform. It was the first time I've seen it in its broken down katana form. "It's time to finish you off- here and now!"

The wolf demon moved forward, ready to battle, only to stumble and fall to a knee. His eyes didn't want to stay open. Kagome's eyes widened and she moved, pulling away from me to check on him. "Kōga! Please, be careful! Irene's Shikigami healed your wounds, but your body hasn't recovered yet!"

"Shiki… what?" He asked, looking at her. I fumbled for my rescue inhaler, snatching it out of my pocket and using it. "Eh, doesn't matter. I can still take that mutt on in a fight… besides, your touch has taken away nearly all the pain, Kagome." The nearby wolves howled and panted, nuzzling Kōga worriedly. Inuyasha scowled.

"Leave that half-dead wolf alone!"

Kōga glared at him. "What!?"

"If it doesn't hurt anymore then run on home!" Inuyasha taunted. "You puny little wolf."

Kōga stood, but Hakkaku tried to stop him. The wolf demon leader snapped, "Who are you to talk, standing there all weak and mortal! You're in no place to criticize the shape I'm in!"

"Ha! I'm not like this by choice, idiot!"

"You wanna fight!?"

"You bet; if you're up to it!"

Oh my gods. They're children. The two are literally children. What is this- third grade?

Kagome sighed, looking at them tiredly. "Hello? Don't you think we should take back the jewel shards?"

…

And so the chase began. Sango rode with Kagome, Shippō in the basket, while Koga and I sat on Kirara's back. Inuyasha, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Miroku ran alongside the wolves. Inuyasha glared up at Kōga, who rolled his eyes at him. "Why do you have to come along!?" The half-human demanded. I made a face, wondering why I had to be stuck in the middle of all their arguing. It was like I was back in school, caught between all the stupid bullies and their irritating conversations. Gods, I hated the seating charts.

"Shut up! Those jewel shards belong to me anyway, and I ain't gonna let you have them!"

Miroku ran faster, catching up with Kagome and Sango on the bike. "So Kagura hasn't returned to the castle yet!? We're heading in the opposite direction of it!"

"It doesn't look like it." Kagome said, pedaling faster. "I feel like the jewel shards are moving farther and farther away from it! Inuyasha caught her scent before in the direction of Tsuzumi Village, which leads to the castle, but now…! It's almost as if she's trying to run away from it!"

"That…" My brain tried to process that. "That doesn't make sense. Doesn't she work for Naraku?"

"Is Kagura stealing the shards on her own?" Inuyasha questioned, frowning as he caught up with Miroku.

"It's possible." The monk said. "Don't you think this whole thing is strange, Inuyasha? Even the barrier is gone! Why do you think you and Kōga were able to pick up the scent of the castle? The barrier has weakened! That means Naraku's own powers are weak!"

"Right!" Kagome exclaimed. "Maybe Naraku is a half-demon as well!?"

"Wait, what?" My eyes went wide. I looked down at them, startled. "I thought you guys said he was a full-fledged demon!"

Sango shook her head. "That’s what we thought so far. But Naraku was born of a human named Onigumo, who gathered the powers of countless demons! If Onigumo is still a part of Naraku…"

"Then he's a half-demon, just like Inuyasha!" Shippō finished.

I made a face, exasperated. "Why is this so freaking complicated? Next thing I know you guys are gonna say he isn't a spider at all!"

"No, he is." Kagome told me. "But if Inuyasha's loses his powers on the night of the new moon, maybe Naraku has a period of time where he loses his!"

"Which means Naraku has a weakness, too!" Inuyasha declared, even more determined than before. "We can kill him!"

Well, that's encouraging. I thought deeply for a moment before forcing myself to speak up. "W-We can't kill him right away, remember? We have to make sure he tells us where my sister is!"

"Sister?" Kōga asked, looking at me strangely. "What sister?"

I looked back at him, frowning. "The one I came here with. I mean, I'm pretty sure he has her anyway. There's this weird demon with them named Anastasia, and she has her voice! So I think they kidnapped her when we arrived here in Japan and stole it from her."

The wolf demon stared at me for a very long moment, narrowing his eyes. He leaned forward, causing me to be very uncomfortable as sniffed me again. "Hey… Irene, was it? What's your sister's name?"

I tilted my head, wondering what that expression was for. It was as if he was trying to figure something out, pieces of a puzzle clicking together in his mind. "Uh… it's, um, Mari-"

Kōga sat up straight, not hearing me as something caught his attention. "Kagura's here."

Without warning he leapt off of Kirara, dashing up to speak to Kagome. "Thanks for everything, Kagome! I'm going on ahead!"

"Kōga!" She cried. "Wait! Is your leg well enough to run like that!?"

"That damned wolf!" Inuyasha growled. Kōga looked back at us from his spot up ahead.

"My wounds are fine now! Unlike that twerp Inuyasha I'm a real demon!"

Oh, man, the half-human was furious. "What!?"

"See ya!" Kōga shouted, disappearing from view as he ran faster. Inuyasha raised a hand up in the air, leaping up onto Kirara and nearly pushing me off as he climbed in front of me. I yelped, clinging onto the cat demon's fur to stay aboard her back. He pet Kirara's neck, urging her to go faster. The cat demon picked up speed.

"Who the hell are you callin' a twerp!?"

"Sango!" Miroku began, causing the woman to look at him. "Kōga doesn't have his sacred jewel shards anymore; he won't stand a chance!" She nodded.

"We'll follow him! Kirara, let Inuyasha down!"

The cat demon responded in kind by tilting her body to the side. I screamed and grabbed tight onto her fur, clinging for dear life as my legs dangled in the air. Inuyasha wasn't as lucky. He didn't get a grip in time and fell hard onto the ground, face smacking into the dirt. Sango carefully stood up on the bike and waited until Kirara moved closer, the cat straightening herself out, and the woman jumped up- landing on the demon's back. I crawled back up into place, latching onto Sango's waist in fear of falling down.

"Inuyasha, I want you to stay out of sight a little longer! Irene and I will take things from here!"

Wait, frick, I'm coming too? If Kōga can't fight he'll end up in even worse shape, so… maybe a healer is a good thing. Kagome can give first-aid treatment, but the Shikigami I use are a more instantaneous healing. It would be nice if they could revitalize energy though. I took a shaky breath, looking back in time to flinch as Miroku whacked Inuyasha upside the head with his staff.

A buzzing noise could be heard up ahead and I moved my gaze to see what it was, dread pooling in my stomach. High in the sky were several familiar bugs flying by. I recognized them from Kasasagi Town. "S-Saimyōshō! Sango, look!" I pointed at them.

She grit her teeth and encouraged Kirara to move faster. "The poison insects are out! Let's go, Kirara! We gotta catch up!"

The cat demon let out a roar and the flames at her feet grew bigger. Catching sight of the wind sorceress a few minutes later, Sango showed no hesitation in grabbing her Hiraikotsu and throwing it at Kagura- the demon slayer letting out a battle cry as she did so. I ducked my head down and watched as the battle took place, wondering why I let myself be dragged along. I winced as the boomerang hit Kagura hard, knocking her off of her floating feather.

The female demon free-fell through the air for a short second, catching herself rather quickly and doing a flip in the air. Landing gracefully, as though she had just been doing a dance, she looked up. From below us I could see Kōga approach her, insulting her and calling her some rather crass names.

"-yeah?" I heard Kagura say as Kirara moved closer. "And you're relying on help from Inuyasha and his pathetic friends? Without these," She held up two small jewel shards, smirking, "you're too scared to fight alone, aren't you?"

Is she… baiting him? I sat up straighter, knitting my eyebrows and squinting down at her. It definitely seemed like she was trying to-

"Don't even think about interfering!" Kōga yelled at us. "I'll beat Kagura on my own!"

-get him to attack by himself.

Frick. Okay. "Are you stupid!?"

"What was that!?" Sango demanded, disbelieving at the wolf's decision. "You can't be serious!"

"Don't forget!" He snapped, charging at the wind sorceress. "I still have my claws!"

The smirk on Kagura's face broadened and she raised her arm, hand opening the fan. I knew what was going to happen immediately, recognizing the stance she held as she thrust the weapon sideways. "Dance of Blades~!" Several glimmering arcs appeared in the air and flew towards Kōga with incredible speed, perhaps due to her wielding several jewel shards. It took the wolf demon everything he had to stop running and leap to the side, narrowly avoiding one of the blades.

He wasn't even able to blink or take a breath, jumping out of the way again as soon as his feet touched ground. Again and again he dodged her attacks, running out of the way and hopping off the ground into the air with all his strength, until several of the blades hit the ground right behind him and created an explosion that sent him flying. I jolted and shrunk down, grabbing onto Sango and shaking her some.

"H-He's going to get killed! Sango, do something!"

"I…" She hesitated, not wanting to go against his wishes yet desiring to help. "Alright."

Kagura brought her fan back up and twisted her body, bringing her feet forward in a subtle wind dance. "Just die already!" More blades ripped out of her fan towards the wolf demon, who forced himself up off the ground to start running again. The wounds that weren't healed earlier had started bleeding, and some had even become worse from his fall thanks to the explosion. Sango raised her hiraikotsu high and threw it, startling Kagura. "What!?"

The wind sorceress watched as the boomerang intersected her blades, temporarily offering Kōga some protection and allowing him to recover. Kagura swept her fan through the air repeatedly, anger forming on her beautiful face. "I don't have time to bother with the likes of you!" The boomerang curved back through the air, but the blowback from the blades had caused it to crash into one of the nearby cliff sides. Sango ordered Kirara to move down and Sango leapt off of her, dashing over and grabbing her weapon in time to raise it in front of herself- blocking some of the blades and being pushed back against the wall.

"Sango!" I yelped, scared by the way she was being forced down. I clung tight to Kagura and scooted up to where the demon slayer had been sitting previously, only to shout when Kirara suddenly picked up speed and flew angrily towards Kagura. "Wh-Whoa! No, no, no, no, no-! GAAAH!"

We were forced sideways, Kirara spinning through the air with me clinging on for dear life as she expertly avoided the wind blades. I felt something nick my arm and I hissed, but didn't complain as I lowered myself as close to the cat demon as possible. Kōga glared at us and dashed forward, furious at the interference. "I said stay outta this, damn it!"

"You're being stupid!" I cried out, dizzy by the time we regained balance. Kirara let out a roar and Sango ran forward, throwing her hiraikotsu once more. "She baited you and you know it!"

"I can't just stand by and watch you die, Kōga!" Sango shouted, body swinging itself alongside the weapon until she let go of it- allowing it to sail through the air. Kagura jumped up, laughing as it missed, and swung her fan once more. As the blades shot out the boomerang doubled back, narrowly missing the wind sorceress as it returned to Sango who caught it with relative ease. "I know you told us to stay back, but you're too badly wounded!"

"Stop acting like a bratty kid and accept the help!" I screamed, arms around Kirara's neck as the demon charged at Kagura once more, flying around the blades. The cat demon let out a pained roar when one of her legs got cut by the blades, but she didn't stop. Instead she moved faster, sharp teeth aimed for Kagura's throat. Kōga let out a yell as he was sent flying again, body ramming hard against several large rocks. He could barely move at this point. "Oh gods!"

Kagura was so close to us now. Her eyes zeroed in on me and I shrieked, seeing the way she grinned and raised her fan. Red flames flickered to life instantly on my fingers, sparked by my fear, and as Kirara snagged her fangs into Kagura's non-dominant arm the wind sorceress let loose another attack.

And like an idiot I lunged for her fan.

There was a split second of pain, sharp and overwhelming, and warmth. I found my legs wrapping around her hips and my left arm around her shoulder, body tackling the female demon, my right hand shooting out white hot flames that covered the length of her entire limb as my fingers snatched her wrist. There was no salvaging this situation; I had screwed up. I acted on impulse and recklessly grabbed onto her.

But Kirara and I had her pinned and Kagura was currently screaming. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry-! Frick, frick, gimme the fan, gimme the fan! Eeek!"

"Why you-!" She cried. Her fan closed in her grasp and Kōga charged with Sango forgoing her Hiraikotsu, unsheathing her wakizashi sword in its stead and running at the struggling sorceress. During this time I had found myself tangling the fingers of my left hand into her hair, the fire spreading to her face. "Get off of me! IT BURNS!"

If she would stop thrashing I could grab the stupid fan and- oof! She had managed to untangle my legs from around her and one of Kagura's knees made contact with my stomach, causing me to wheeze and break out into several hard coughs. I almost let go as a result, vision spotted with black and red, but I held strong.

At least, I tried to. Unfortunately for me I was just a weak mortal, who's only strength was the Shikigami. Kagura had real power behind her and was able to yank her arm away after delivering such a hard blow, and she kicked Kirara in the throat. The demon let go of her arm, mouth covered in Kagura's blood, and reared back on her hind legs as she let out a pained roar.

I was thrown back as a result and the flames dissipated from Kagura's body, and just as Kōga and Sango got close the woman was able to return to her feet and spin- twisting her fan in the air in a hauntingly familiar way. Meanwhile Kirara and I couldn't even move, coughing and hacking, curled on the ground. "You're all infuriating! DIE!"

The wind became stronger and colder, and suddenly there were cyclones swirling about tearing at the ground and heading directly towards everyone. Sango shouted something and I tried to push myself up, but everything hurt so bad. Next thing I knew there were a pair of arms around my waist hoisting me up into the air, the slayer picking me up and running. Kirara had transformed back into her kitten-like state and was letting out little whimpers, and to get to her Sango had to evade the tornadoes.

This was not an easy feat.

Kōga himself was having trouble avoiding him, leaping side to side and cursing Kagura with every breath. With me slung over one shoulder, it was impressive that Sango was even able to move as quickly as she was. She slid out of the way and jumped onto and over a boulder, snatching Kirara up with one hand. Suddenly, and without warning, the winds picked up once more and Sango found her feet being swept out from under- the woman being blown aside by Kagura's winds.

Because of this Kirara and I went flying, and Sango cried out as she crashed into Kōga. Kagura huffed, exhausted, several burns spread along her body and a deep gash in her arm from where Kirara had bit her earlier. It looked like it was barely hanging on. "You… are nothing." She bit out. "If you seriously think you can defeat me, then you have another thing coming!"

For a moment my vision faded to black. The next, I was pushing myself up onto my knees and staring at Kagura- questioning what she gained from this and if she even wanted to work with Naraku or fight us. What was her intentions aside from the jewel shards? What did she gain from killing us?

And where's- "Sango!"

She was sprawled next to Kōga, who looked like he was about to pass out any moment. Several cuts wracked her body, but it didn't stop her from standing and readying her hiraikotsu again. "Kagura… we know we can defeat you. Just admit you're scared already."

"This is…" Kōga wheezed, limbs shaking as he tried to sit up. "...my fight. B-Back off…"

"That's not happening." Sango told him, glaring. "Kagome would be upset if you died. I'm not having that on my conscience. And-! What's that!?" Her head snapped, hearing something above us all. There, in the sky, were dark clouds… and they were parting unnaturally. From them appeared dozens, no, hundreds of demons ready to devour the flesh and blood of anything living. "Naraku… he always sends so many demons!"

She spun on her heel and swung her weapon, aiming high in the sky. I watched in horror as it tore through five, maybe eight of them before doubling back and taking out four more. It returned to Sango shortly after, but it might as well have done nothing. The number of demons were too great.

"Oh gods…" I crawled forward, nearing Kirara and only noticing just then how badly wounded the both of us were. I hadn't even realized how many cuts were covering my body from Kagura's winds- the littlest movement had blood dripping to the ground. I scooped the cat up in my arms and curled into a ball, scared and uncertain of what I should do. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die…"

No. No. Don't think like that. It's fine. Sango is strong.

She's wounded.

We're all bleeding and broken.

What can I do?

I'm so tired- will I even be able to heal everyone?

Don't think.

I have to do it anyway. It's our only chance. Frick, frick, frick. I cuddled Kirara close to my face, pressing her forehead to my cheek. She was burning up. Why did I feel so cold? Kirara, please don't die. I'm so sorry.

O' mighty flowing river, please…

It was so hard remembering the incantation. I wasn't even certain it was having any effect until a bright blue pentagram formed beneath me, flames flickering and dancing around us. It was so bright it illuminated the darkness, catching the attention of Kagura who had previously been shaken by the appearance of so many demons. Even Kōga and Sango, who were preoccupied with their own situations, were temporarily distracted by the sudden light.

...bring with you the sounds of blessings!

I could almost hear the water rushing as the twin koi appeared, diving out of opposite ends of the pentagram and swimming around me. They grew in size substantially, flames like water trailing behind them as they danced. It was mesmerizing watching them work, flame-like droplets dripping from their fins and splashing onto my face.

From my hold Kirara stopped coughing and shivering, her red eyes slowly opening to see what was going. Sango caught her hiraikotsu in time to watch as the fish approached her, the flames spreading across the earth and enveloping her and Kōga's bodies. The wolf demon stumbled to his feet and stared at his arms and legs, the wounds fading away as the flesh grew back. "This is… that technique from before…" He murmured. "How come I feel so relaxed now? I'm in the middle of a battle…"

"Irene's Shikigami…?" Sango asked, amazed as she watched the fish return to me. "It's… beautiful."

I slumped over, eyes starting to drift shut, but the pain was now gone. Kagura was trembling, but whether it was from fear or rage I didn't know. No- that's wrong; I just couldn't tell. She was too far away from my crappy eyesight to see her face properly. Man, I wished I had my glasses. So sleepy…

Kirara wriggled out of my grasp and transformed, running towards Sango who easily jumped and landed onto her back. "Let's go! We have to take care of those demons first! Kōga, I'm entrusting Kagura to you!"

"It's about damn time!" He hissed, cracking his knuckles and breaking out into a run. The wolf demon was worn out beyond belief, but his injuries were gone. Nothing was holding him back now. "Get outta the way, Irene; this is between demons!"

Kagura snapped her head over to look at Kōga, having been too distracted by my Shikigami and the demons Sango were fighting to notice him get closer. His fist rammed into the side of her face, sending her flying back.

"Hrah! Die, witch!"

The shards that had long since fallen to the ground caught Kōga's attention now that the female demon was knocked back and he was close enough to see them. His eyes widened.

"The shards!" Kōga lunged, leaping at them with his hand extended to grab them. Kagura landed and saw this, her eyes alight with fury. "They're mine!" Raising her arm, she thrust her fan violently through the air.

"Dance of the Dragon~!"

Kōga's hand was centimeters away from the jewels when the cyclones appeared, tearing into his flesh and sending him flying into another whirlwind. His scream tore right through the sound of violence, startling even Sango who was caught up in slaying demon after demon. The noise send a cold chill down to my very bones, the dizziness from asthma and bloodloss not enough to stop me from understanding what that scream meant.

He was going to die.

Through the mess I never really noticed the sun rising or what that would mean for us, but Kōga's screams were heartwrenching. The cyclones were tearing him apart and ripping into his flesh, crimson liquid spurting and fur falling away. Kagura laughed and I turned, seeing the manic grin on her face. She was drenched in her own blood, nearly sent into madness from her own pain. The burn on her face was unsightly.

"Die, wolf!" She chanted. "Be shredded by my wind!"

He was thrown into the cyclones mercilessly, the tornadoes damaging him badly. When they finally slowed down and dispersed into wind Kōga collapsed, completely unmoving.

"Certainly a glutton for punishment." She commented, stepping forward with crazed red eyes, swinging her fan side by side as her other arm dangled uselessly at her side. She tilted her head, grinning as her bangs fell into her face. Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Shall I play with you some more? Surrender and I'll make it painless."

Kōga couldn't move, but he could still see. And his blue eyes were unforgiving, glaring deep into her soul. The wind sorceress laughed.

"I see how it is… hyah!"

She raised her fan, the wind picking up once more as a tornado formed from the cloud above. It headed straight towards Kōga, ready to deliver the final blow and finish him off for good. In all honestly, I wasn't sure who screamed; perhaps both Sango and I did, or maybe someone else entirely. All I know is that the cyclone made contact and the world around me became a complete blur as the tears fell.

He was dead.

Kōga. Kōga was… killed. By Kagura.

She… actually did it.

A-And… he'll never wake up again.

A hand shot up to my mouth as the bile bubbled up my throat, stomach churning grossly, but before I could throw up my eyes caught sight of something red standing where Kōga once was. The black hair was gone now, replaced by something bright and silver, and the wolf demon…

...he was behind Inuyasha, held up by Miroku, complaining about being saved by the half-demon.

"He's alive…?"

Inuyasha flexed his claws and grinned, practically sneering at the wounded wind sorceress. "Kagura. It can't be that much fun killing a half-dead wolf, can it?" He unsheathed his sword, tetsusaiga undergoing its familiar transformation into a great sword. I was never more happy to see the half-demon.

Unfortunately, I was still shook and had vomit literally sitting in my mouth, and I wound up having to turn my head away to throw up. I heard Inuyasha challenging her and Kagura making a sarcastic comment in retort, but I wasn't able to look back until Inuyasha had swung his sword above his head- bringing it down as demonic energy swirled around the blade. Kagura had created more tornadoes, all of which were swirling violently towards Inuyasha.

"Look out!"

Inuyasha wasn't bothered. He brought his blade down hard into the earth and light erupted, several large streaks tearing through the winds and into the earth, heading for Kagura. Kagura was alarmed, the fear that was already in her eyes glimmering with unadulterated terror. "H-How did he cut through my whirlwind!?" The female demon couldn't move, too tired and wounded and scared, only able to watch as the Wind Scar grew closer.

Her demise was impending and she knew it.

Or at least it was, until the demons that were fighting Sango moved in front of Kagura- taking the blast for her and being slain by Inuyasha's attack. Between the blood and guts and chunks of flesh, only the bones of certain demons disintegrated- the rest surrounding the area. Sango stared, awed.

"A-All of Naraku's demons…" She stammered, "at once they just… moved."

"They protected Kagura!" Miroku observed. Inuyasha sheathed his sword and huffed, seeing that Kagura had disappeared. The half-demon clicked his tongue in distaste.

"She escaped again, damn it." Inuyasha growled. He turned his head, looking at Kōga. "Hey, you puny wolf! I hope you learned your lesson! Never interfere in my fight with Naraku-"

He cut himself off, seeing the way the wolf demon was picking up the jewel shards that were left abandoned on the ground. His amber eyes widened and he charged, chasing after Kōga who jumped out of the way. Kagome had already tended to his wounds during Inuyasha's fight with Kagura, so Kōga was sporting several bandages and band-aids.

"Give those here!" Inuyasha demanded. "I beat her, so they're mine!"

"No way!" Kōga retorted. He quickly inserted them back into his legs and stood, glaring. "Remember this, mangy mutt! I've sworn to avenge my comrades' deaths! I'll be the one to take Naraku's head; don't forget it!"

"Wait, Kōga!" Kagome cried, stepping forward. "What you saw last night… I mean, about Inuyasha…"

Kōga huffed and turned away. "Oh, don't worry. I couldn't care less about what shape that dumb dog takes."

And, without any warning, he ran away faster than the eye could see. Shippō blinked. "Uh… does that mean he won't tell?"

"I think we can count on Kōga." Miroku said, walking over with Inuyasha towards him and Kagome. "The problem is Kagura. ...Hey, where are Sango and-"

"Irene!" Sango shouted, she and Kirara flying towards the ground where I was hunched over dazed. She jumped off the cat demon and dashed over, kneeling beside me. "What's wrong!? Are you hurt? Did the Shikigami not heal you?"

Sleepy. Hungry. I don't feel very good. Sango's hands on my arms shook me lightly and I fell over, head hitting lightly against her chest. "Lungs… hurt…" I murmured, eyes struggling to stay open. "Tired…"

"Here." She slid an arm under my knees and the other against my back, lifting me up and carrying me carefully towards Kirara. The cat demon let out a sound that almost sounded like she was worried, kneeling down so Sango could set me on her back easier. "How's that? Just get some rest, alright? I didn't expect you to jump into the battle like that…"

I looked at her through blurry vision, trying to make out of her face. "...was hurt… wanted to… h-help. K-Kagura… scary. Inuyasha… a-almost died… l-last time. Kōga… this time." Needed to stay awake. Have to. Sango moved to pull her hand away, but stopped when she felt my fingers latch tiredly onto hers. "Sister…"

Her eyes widened.

I choked up. "W-Want… my big sister…" Where is she? Why can't I find her? "M-Maria…"

And then my hand lost all strength, body being lulled to sleep by the comforting warm the cat demon gave off.

…

My dreams were pure black, nothing but darkness encasing them. The nightmares weren't even proper; I was trapped in the silence, everything around me wet and sticky with blood. Each step hurt, but I couldn't see what I was walking on. Objects just crunched and cut at my bare feet. It was only when flames lit upon my flesh that I saw where I was and what was surrounding me.

And it wasn't pleasant.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō, Sango… Kōga.

Their dead bodies greeted me face-to-face, skeletons belonging to that of deceased demons beneath my feet. Laughter hit my ears and when I turned it was Kagura who greeted me, the burns along her flesh more gruesome than ever. The arm Kirara had nearly bitten off was completely gone, and the wind sorceress looked completely deranged.

"Well?" She asked, red lips smiling at me as she narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you pleased? You caused this."

What?

A bony hand wrapped around my wrist and I froze, heart nearly beating out of my chest. I was scared to look. I didn't want to see what I did. But still, I found myself turning around to view the skeleton of the person who grabbed me.

Yet before my eyes could land on them and see which one it was…

...a pair of arms wrapped around me and a familiar voice whispered softly in my ears, a pair of warm hands covering my eyes to obstruct my vision. "It's just a bad dream… You did nothing wrong."

And as if a spell had been cast on me my eyes opened in the real world, groggily blinking as my vision adjusted to the light. Fingers ran gently through my hair, comforting and kind. My breath was languid and my body was relaxed; I felt so at ease I questioned if I was even alive at the moment. Slowly raising my head when I felt the fingers stop playing with my hair, I found myself meeting a pair of brown eyes that were looking at me in relief.

"S-Sango?" My voice was raspy. There was a wooden ceiling above us. "Y… You're real, right?"

She nodded her head, smiling. "I'm real. How are you feeling?"

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, slowly realizing that the reason my pillow was so comfy was because it was her lap. I felt… safe. At this moment, all anxiety and stress that had been eating away at me was gone. I turned my head, feeling as if I could fall back asleep and have only good dreams this time. I yawned and forced myself to open my eyes, blinking and looking up at her. "...Sleepy. What happened?"

She continued to play with my hair, an action that greatly reminded me of my sisters. "After the battle with Kagura you fell asleep. Kagome administered your medicine to help you, and you napped on Kirara's back while we made our way to Tsuzumi Village. I think… it was your Shikigami that caused you to be so exhausted. Your body is so fragile, yet your power… it's too much for you to handle."

"...How long have I been asleep?" I'm so thirsty. Where's some water? Are we in a hut right now? "Did we make it to the village?"

"A little over a day." She answered. "A man was attacked by demons and Inuyasha saved him, so he let us stay in his house as thanks. Do you think you can walk? I'm sure you must be hungry."

"...I probably can, but I really wanna nap again. You're comfy."

Sango blinked. "Oh. Well… thank you, I think."

I sighed and yawned again, louder this time, and stretched out my arms and legs. Then I sat up, leaning over with a huff. Sango re-positioned the way she was sitting and watched me wake up the rest of the way. I licked my teeth, making a face. Toothbrush. Where was one? I dragged myself over to the backpacks, practically burying myself in the giant neon one, and made a happy noise when I saw it, paste, and some jerky.

"Food~!"

I stared at it, then the toothbrush, at the jerky, back to the toothbrush, and sighed. "Health first. I miss cereal."

"Oh!" An older man walked into the hut, surprised to see us. "You've woken up!"

A teal bandanna was wrapped around his head, a blue-and-grey kimono covering his torso with a red vest wrapped around it. Dark hakama covered his legs. My only assumption was that he was the person who Inuyasha saved from demons. He smiled as he approached.

"I was starting to get worried. When they told me you had an illness… I thought you might not wake! But clearly everything is alright." He bowed to me. "My name is Densuke. It's a pleasure to meet you, Priestess."

Um. What? Oh, frick. I was wearing the kimono Kaede lent me. When did that happen? Kagome or Sango must have changed my clothes while I was asleep. "Uh, y-you too… I'm Irene."

His smile broadened. "Lady Irene." Oh gods, that's weird. I don't like that. I mean, it's flattering, but… I feel so awkward. "The rest of your friends have gone out into town to find more information about the castle. Since the landslide the highway's been closed, so there's no way to get to it at the moment."

"O-Oh…" Wait. My eyebrows knit together. "So we can't get to Naraku?"

Sango shook her head, frowning. "Not at the moment. But with any luck the highway will be cleared soon. Want to come with me and ask around once you've finished getting ready?"

Spend time with this awesomely strong lady? Heck yeah. My eyes lit up and I beamed, the excitement showing clearly on my face. "Really? Y-Yeah, just- uh, give me a minute! I'll be quick!"

Something flashed in Sango's expression when she saw me scramble to my feet in an effort to prepare myself. It was almost melancholic. Sad.

Like she was remembering something painful, yet bittersweet all the same.

And as I brushed my teeth using some water from a nearby basin, I found myself wondering what Sango's reason for finding Naraku was.

Chapter Text

The highway was closed off and a festival was growing near. Apparently it was big deal, because everyone was preparing for it, excited for its arrival. A woman was upset because the only good kimono she had was for the festival, and was nervous to dress up like a girl from a large town. "They're so beautiful, and I… really am not. I'd look ridiculous. Why am I even telling this to you?"

She shook her head, trying to hide her face behind her sleeve. I tilted my head at her, not understanding her concerns. "You don't look ridiculous." In all honesty I thought she was quite pretty. The girl blinked and looked at me, her freckles standing out against her tan skin. Her dark eyes glistened in the sun. "You should dress up! You'd look amazing! What kind of kimono is it? I think you'd look really good in a shade of red- ooh~ or maybe even yellow! What do you think, Sango?"

I looked at the demon slayer, expecting a response. The woman blinked, surprised by my behavior. "Uh… yeah. There are a lots of hairstyles you could try, too."

The girl blushed and brought her hands up to her face, shy. "Y… You really think so? Thank you!"

I smiled brightly at her, grinning and giving her two thumbs up. "You don't have to thank me for the truth! You're really pretty!"

"You're such a kind priestess! You and your friend are the pretty ones!"

"Well, I mean, Sango's pretty hecking gorgeous." I agreed. "But you're lovely too. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

"Aww~! You're making me blush!" She ducked down, hiding her face even more as she giggled. It was the cutest thing. "Stop it!"

"Stop what? Being honest?"

"Yes! Haha! My heart can't take it."

I sighed dramatically, raising my hands up in a shrug. "O-kay~ but only because you insist. Just know, I fully expect you to wear that kimono during the festival now."

"Oh, you~!"

Sango raised an eyebrow at the interaction, an amused smile on her face. As we walked away the young woman watched me skip a little, a pep in my step. She's never seen me in such a good mood. In fact, it was the first time in all these weeks of travelling that I felt truly like myself. "You're quite charismatic. I'm surprised."

"Hm?" I blinked, tilting my head at her with a smile. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "When we first met you were completely collapsed from disease. When you awoke you acted so meek and shy; I felt the need to protect you. Even now I still do, but today… well, I realize you're a lot more outgoing than I first perceived."

"Mmm~ that's just cause I'm not freaked out right now." I stretched my hands out in front of me, fingers laced together, before swinging my arms out by side. I spun on my hell, beaming at Sango. "It's weird, but I feel so relaxed with you! And it's funny, 'cause we just met and everything. I dunno. Is it a bad thing? I've been told I have great customer service skills!"

"Customer- oh. No, it's not bad." She shook her head, smiling at me. "It's nice. Seeing you all lively… it's calming. It must be hard for you being sick all the time."

I stopped walking at that, thinking deeply about an answer. Was it hard for me? I mean, it's a lot more difficult in this time period… but mostly because of the demons. I have Kagome to get my medicine, so I'm not worried about that, and the air quality is great here. I can actually walk outside in the heat and breathe normally. Back home I couldn't even go outside without my respirator mask, as I would suffocate in the heat and not inhale any oxygen. Cold air hurt to breathe in, on the other hand, but I could at least function.

"It's just… there." I settled on. "I mean, it sucks and I hate it… but that's life, right? In a way it's almost easier here. Or at least it would be without all the demons and the running for my life. You know?"

"...I can imagine."

"Also, I'm getting used to these clothes! Look how swishy they are!" I squatted, striking a weird pose, and flapped my arms as if I were some kind of bird. I pointed at the sleeve on my right, admiring how the kimono sleeve just flew back-and-forth with the movement. "It's so cool! I love it! I always wanted to wear a kimono when I was back home, but actually wearing them here was so strange! But now I'm used to it!"

My eyes widened as an idea came to me.

"Dude, imagine how you'd look in some of mine or Kagome's clothes! You'd be so majestic!"

"Majestic?" She laughed. "I doubt it. Besides, your guys' attire is a bit too… um, much for me. No offense."

I shrugged. "None taken. I get it."

We continued walking, asking around and finding out more about the festival. It wasn't our intention to learn about it, but it appeared to be the only thing anyone wanted to talk about. If it wasn't that, it was about how a lot people wouldn't be able to make it to the village for said festival because of the highway being closed. It was a bit exasperating, hearing only that over-and-over again, but I did my best to cheer people up.

Sango watched as I did so, smiling all the while. Sometimes when I looked at her I could see something sad in her expression, but it would disappear as quickly as it came. I thought I imagined it, but… then we got to the side of the village where the river was- full of lilies. Sango slowed to stop and approached them, kneeling down and gently touching one. Something in her movement was shaky, her breath… uneven.

"You okay?" I asked, watching worriedly as her eyes began to water. "Sango…?"

"Yes, I… I'm fine. I just… these flowers- they were my brother's favorite."

I blinked. I didn't know she had siblings. "Your brother?"

She nodded. Her smile was bittersweet. "Yes. He was so kind… he almost didn't belong in the Demon Slayer village. My little brother didn't like to fight- he hated it. But he loved animals and flowers."

"Oh…" I knelt down beside her, staring at the lilies. I smiled at Sango. "He sounds wonderful!"

"Yes…" She murmured, plucking a lily from the ground to admire it. "He was."

Then it hit me. The reason why she was speaking in past tense. My blood ran cold and I looked down, shoulders stiffening as I tried to figure out what to say. My voice cracked a little, imagining the kind of pain Sango must be feeling constantly. I was so unsensitive, constantly complaining about not being able to see my own sibling before. "I-I'm sorry…"

She shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. The blame goes to Naraku."

"He… did it?"

Sango nodded, eyes glossing over. "My tribe, we… got a message from a castle to exorcise a demon. It was my brother's first battle. But the castle lord was actually a demon in disguise- he possessed my brother and had him kill everyone, our friends, our father; he even attacked me. I went to go defeat the lord, but… the spell broke. My brother was so scared. And then… the castle guards shot us down."

Oh gods. That's horrible.

Sango placed her hands on her lap, holding the lily tightly. She wasn't even looking at me anymore, too busy remembering the darkness of her past. "I… Sango, you don't… have to tell me anymore. Not if it hurts you. I-I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

"...But if it wasn't for that… I wouldn't have made friends with you, Inuyasha, or the others." She took a deep breath. "For while I was off battling with the other slayers, Naraku had demons attack my village. He tricked me into believing Inuyasha was the one who did it and I fought him as a result. Then I found out the truth- Naraku was the evil behind it all. So… I will avenge my comrades. My brother will be saved."

"...Yeah." I nodded my head, biting my bottom lip. "Naraku… will be stopped. We're really close to him now, too. Everyone will be avenged."

There was silence for a long moment. Then Sango looked at me, fighting back tears, and said, "I'm gonna stay here for a while. Will you be alright going ahead by yourself?" Kirara let out a small meow and pressed her forehead against Sango's leg trying to comfort her. I stared at the woman uncertainly, not really wanting to leave her like this, but… I know some people really needed time alone occasionally.

"Y-Yeah. Okay." I stood awkwardly, wishing I knew how to comfort people. "I-If you ever need someone to talk to… I'm here. I-I can't really say anything to cheer you up, but… I can listen."

"Thank you."

I nodded. "A-Anytime. See you later, Sango."

With that I walked off. I became a bit more determined to find out any information about how to get to the castle after that depressing conversation, ready to help my new friend out anyway I could. I was always getting into trouble and being useless afterwards, so the least I could do is find out a way to get closer to Naraku and his castle.

It's hard to believe that any one person could be responsible for something so horrid. I knew there were monsters like that back in my time, but knowing someone who was personally affected by the behavior of a monster was a lot different. I still don't know Kagome and Inuyasha's reasoning for going after Naraku, or even Miroku's story, but after hearing what Shippō and Sango said…

This is so messed up.

Who the heck hurt Naraku so bad that he has to go and hurt others?

Honestly. Shippō lost his father, Sango lost her whole family and hometown… and right now Naraku could very well be holding Maria hostage.

My jaw clenched and I blinked away tears, trying to remain strong. I felt so angry and upset by all this. The people who got hurt by Naraku were so undeserving of it. I can't even imagine what a person so evil could look like. He was a demon, so I hoped he at least looked a little gross. Knowing how things have went so far though, I bet he looked just as human as Inuyasha and Shippō did.

Bastard.

I let out a sigh, pausing and looking between the crossroads. I haven't been to this side of the village at all yet. Which way? Hmm… I think going straight would lead right back out into the forest, so I'll go right. I wonder how old Sango's brother was when he died; the way she described him made it sound like he was just a little kid. He probably looked just like her. I hate this…

"Wow, mommy! Look! A priestess!"

Huh? What, where? I stopped and looked around, before making a face and staring at the kimono I was wearing.

"What's a foreigner doing wearing a priestess' outfit?"

Great. I'm being spoken about. Rumors are so lovely.

"She looks so funny…"

"The lady is really pretty! Are all foreigners so pretty, mommy?"

I shrugged at that, deciding that I wouldn't bother with them since half of it was a compliment. Honestly, I feel so out of place sometimes. I ended up approaching the mother and her child, asking if she knew anything about different ways to the castle, but she didn't respond. Not at first- she just stared at me distrustfully, but when her child approached and tugged on my hakama…

"No. Not unless you leave Tsuzumi and go around the long way."

The boy looked up at me, eyes big and full of curiosity. "Are you a priestess?"

"...Sure."

He smiled widely, practically bouncing off his feet. "Really!? H-Have you come to the bless the village!?"

I opened my mouth to respond, only to pause. "Um… in a way. I'm travelling with some demon slayers and we're trying to get to the castle to bless the land. Exorcise any demons that may be plaguing it." I clapped my hands together, kneeling down to meet the child eye-to-eye. "Do you happen to know any short-cuts?"

"Do I?" He grinned. "There's this big cave down that way that me and my friends like to play in! One of my friends' dad is mining in there- oh, but I'm not supposed to tell you so you gotta keep it a secret, okay?" I chuckled.

"Okie dokie. I'll even pinky promise." I held my hand out, sticking out my finger. "Pinky promises can't be broken."

He wrapped his pinky around mine. "Right! Anyway, the cave is really long so it could probably lead you there! Want me to show you?"

"Um…" I looked at the mother, who appeared very unsettled by this conversation. I smiled at the kid, ruffling his hair. "Maybe next time, okay? I want to make sure there aren't any demons there."

"Oh… that makes sense." He waved at me as I walked off. "Bye, priestess lady~!"

Oh my god, this child is adorable. Pfft. "Buh-bye! Thanks for everything! Off to the caves I go~!" I wondered how far the caves could be from here, but following the boy's directions I ended up at an empty clearing with nothing in sight that could resemble what he said. What the heck? I walked in a circle, pacing around the area, noting the small wooden fences framing the road itself. One was broken, but…

I looked into the distance, wondering if the cave was actually beyond this area. Oh dear.

"Meow…"

What? I blinked and turned my head, staring at the small cat that was making its way over. "Hold on a minute…" The calico fur, the big green eyes. I recognized that cat. "You're from the temple! Oh my god, baby, sweetie, thank goodness!" I knelt down, holding my hand out and making kissy noises. The cat waddled over, sniffing my hand before pressing its face against my palm. "I'm so glad you're okay! I wanted to come back for you, but Inuyasha was a big meanie and wouldn't let us!"

I picked the cat up, noting that it was a male.

"Oof, you weigh a lot more than last time. That's fine though." I scratched its ears, smiling brightly. "How you've been? You're one strong kitty, making it all this way."

"Mrrow~!"

"You don't say? Huh. I'm proud of you."

The bushes rustled and I turned, expecting to see a villager or something, but instead it was a young boy in armor. His dark brown hair was messily pulled back into a rat's tail, and his brown eyes stared at me in surprise. "The cat… it belongs to you?"

"Um, not… really? I mean, we've met before… but he almost got eaten by demons." The boy stepped forward, kneeling down in front of me to reach out and pet the cat. I held him out towards the stranger, allowing him to hold the cat. "Went to an old temple once to destroy this really gross spider demon, you know? He was there."

"The cat's a male? And… spider demon?" The boy looked at me, his freckled face seeming oddly familiar to me. His gaze was disbelieving. "You don't look strong enough to take down such a big demon."

"In all fairness I wasn't the one who destroyed it." I said, almost jokingly, "My friends did. Although I did free them from its webs, so… that's a thing."

I observed him for a moment, watching as he played with the cat. His clothes were skin-tight and colored black, with yellow padded armor that greatly reminded me of Sango's own battle attire. In fact, they were completely identical save for the fact that her armor was pink. His weapon, too… was he a demon slayer?

"Um, what's your name?" He looked at me. "I'm Irene."

"Irene… huh. My name's Kohaku; it's nice to meet you."

Kohaku? My mind instantly went to Spirited Away and the boy that turned into a dragon. I grinned at him. "That's a nice name!"

"Thanks. I-" He cut himself off, eyes narrowing, and suddenly he handed the cat towards me and stood. He grabbed the weapon that was strapped to his waist behind his back and readied it, glaring ahead of him. I turned, eyes wide, and watched as a bird demon suddenly flew out of the trees towards us. "Stay behind me!"

"Where did it-!?" I yelped, ducking down and cradling the cat close to me protectively. "Frick!"

"Give me your flesh~!" The demon screeched, beak aimed straight for Kohaku's throat. The boy didn't show any hesitation as he hurled the blade at him, the chain wrapped tightly around his wrist and hand, giving him control of it even as it got further away. The demon moved to avoid it, but Kohaku quickly pulled on the chain and thrust his arm to the side, causing the blade to slash the demon right in half. "Graaahhh~!"

It screamed loudly as it fell apart, before going silent and disintegrating. It was disturbing, but the sight of Inuyasha killing hundreds of demons at once with all their guts flying everywhere was a lot worse. This was tame in comparison. The boy lowered his eyes, almost guiltily, before he moved and faced me.

"Are you okay?"

"Um… yeah." I nodded awkwardly. That was impressive. He had to be several years younger than me. "Th-Thanks. If it was just me I'd probably already be dead, haha... Also, this is bothering me; what kind of weapon is that?"

He held it out to me, saying, "It's called a kusarigama." I took the weapon from him, nearly dropping it in response to how heavy it was. The cat crawled off my lap, walking over to rub his side against the boy's leg after he had sat down. "Careful!"

"It's like a freaking anchor!" I grunted, struggling to hand it back to him. The boy laughed, though he didn't completely understand my reference. "You're, like, what? Fourteen!? How can you carry that!?"

"Um…" He hesitated, lowering his gaze. "That's…"

I blinked, wondering what if I said something wrong. "I-I was joking. Um. Sorry… maybe I shouldn't have-"

"N-No, it's fine. Are you from this village?"

I shook my head. "No. I just arrived, uh… actually; I'm not sure when. Maybe yesterday? What about you?"

"Me neither. I got here three days ago." The boy sat up straight, eyes widening when he saw the cat wandering off. He stood. "Th-The cat is- I gotta go! Bye! I'll see you later, Irene!"

"Later!" I watched as he ran after the calico, slightly dumbfounded by this entire conversation. I was sort of under the impression that Sango was the only demon slayer in existence after she told me her village was wiped out. I suppose it made sense that were would be other villages, but wouldn't she have moved to live in one of them? Of course, she was hellbent on destroying Naraku and obtaining vengeance. "My head hurts…"

You know what- I should probably go check on Sango now. Maybe tell her what I found out. I wasn't exactly keen on checking out the forest alone in an attempt to find a cave- especially since there are demons about. I waited a few moments to catch my breath and stood, brushing the dirt off my kimono and heading back towards the village square.

At least, that was my plan until I found Kagome standing on a bridge near the waterfalls. Sneaking up behind her, I waited until I was close enough and lunged- wrapping my arms around her shoulders. "Kagome~!"

"Irene!" She jumped, whirling her head around to look at me. "You're awake!"

"Yup, yup. Feelin' great." Kagome let out a relieved sigh. "How're things?"

"Good, mostly. Inuyasha and I haven't made an progress about how to get to the castle. It's a mess. I'm glad you're doing well, though. You had us, and especially Sango, very worried."

I pulled away from her, wrapping my arms around myself. "Y-Yeah, I know… I'm sorry." I hated it. I hated myself. If it weren't for my lungs I might not be passing out so much or getting so sick. I might catch an occasional cold, but I wouldn't be so easily taken down or susceptible to disease. I wanted to be able to run around like a normal person, to goof off without being short of breath. To battle and use the Shikigami without… being so worn out. "I-I just didn't want Kōga to die."

"I know." She smiled. "Sango said you were really impressive in that last battle, that even though you were scared you still did your best. You did some massive damage to Kagura, so she might not show up anytime soon. Inuyasha was saying that you were getting even stronger!"

I made a face at that. "Wait, seriously? I'm pretty sure it's not me that's doing anything. It's the spirits. I can't- I mean, sometimes I think I can control them… but they mostly just react in response t-to my emotions." I held my hands up, staring at them. "I… I've noticed that when I'm really scared or angry… the flames turn white. White flames are the hottest, which is why Kagura got burned so bad. And when I want you guys to be safe… the flames turn blue and the fish appear."

"Really?" She brought a hand up to her chin. "I already figured they represented your feelings, but I didn't think the spirits themselves would be so in sync with your emotions. Maybe we should bring this up to Kakuju next time we see him?"

"Y-Yeah… oh, um, Kagome…"

"Yes?" She looked at me, her eyes widening. Kagome stepped forward and rested her hands on my shoulders. "What happened? Why the long face?"

"Sango… told me about why she hates Naraku." I observed her expression carefully, trying to figure out if she knew already or not. The look she gave me told me she did know Sango's background. "And… about her brother."

"I see… Kohaku is a big weakness for Sango, and Naraku uses that against her. He's despicable." She growled. "Using the love between two siblings to torment them, pitting them against each other… he's pure evil."

"But I thought… Kohaku was dead?" Wait, what. Kohaku? That boy I met earlier… he was wearing the same outfit as Sango. He had a similar weapon. If Kohaku was the name of Sango's younger brother then-oh gods. No wonder he looked so familiar. But how is that possible? "Didn't the castle guards kill him?"

Kagome shook her head. "Yes… but then Naraku implanted a jewel shard into his neck. It's how his life is sustained, but also what lets Naraku control him. He tainted the shard, coloring it black and removing most of Kohaku's free will. Sometimes he'll possess him and have Kohaku fight Sango, knowing it would break both their hearts."

What the hell is wrong with Naraku?

"So… Kohaku is alive a-and… oh dear." I turned my head, looking back in the direction I came from. I really wanted to talk to him now. "It… frick."

"What is it?" Kagome asked, noticing how distracted I suddenly appeared. I looked at her and then at the road, glancing back-and-forth for a moment. "Irene?'

"Okay. So. I'm about to do something really stupid. Don't tell Sango!"

"What!?" She blinked, startled. "What do you mean?"

As I walked backwards, I snapped my fingers and grinned at her idiotically. "Wellll~ I might have met a boy named Kohaku earlier. I repeat; I'mma do somethin' stupid, so don't tell Sango! I don't want her mad at me! Or… sad. Byeeee!"

"W-Wait, Irene, come back!" She shouted, starting to follow, before deciding to run off in another direction. "No, no, no! This is bad!"

"Sorry!" I shouted, quickening my pace. Kagome was definitely running off to tell Sango, wasn't she? "Come on, come on, come on- where is he!?"

Kohaku had to be nearby. Right? Maybe he was back at the place with the cat? If he was a demon slayer he was probably clearing the area of demons, seeing as he appeared to be himself at that time when we were speaking. He was such a kind boy, so why…? Why did Naraku have to do something like that?

The more I hear the more I want to kick the evil half-demon in the face.

Scared that Sango or Kagome would show up sooner or later to stop me from talking to Kohaku again, I decided to say screw it and break out into a paced jog. It hurt, my lungs burned, and I wanted to pass out… but I needed to find him. I wanted to confirm he was her Kohaku.

I skidded to a stop at a turn and spun on my heels, hopping on one foot as I tripped until I regained my balance and continued to power walk. I was so close to the area where we met. A few feet away I saw a man with a bow, complaining about not being able to catch enough for dinner. "E-Excuse… Excuse me!" I wheezed, raising a hand up and stumbling over to him. He turned, eyes wide when he saw me wobbling. "H-Have… Have you seen a boy anywhere? W-Wearing armor…"

"...Yes? The one that was playing with the cat?"

I nodded fervently, hands on my knees as I struggled to catch my breath. The man raised a hand and gestured to the area ahead.

"He was over there a minute ago. The boy was walking off into the trees."

Seriously? Of course he was. Wait, the cat's still there… so why did Kohaku leave it? "Th-Thank you… um, good luck hunting!" I passed the man, reaching into my vest and pulling out my rescue. I shook it and used it, inhaling deeply, before putting it away and walking towards the cat. "Hey, kitty… everything good? You see Kohaku anywhere?"

The cat meowed. Then it began to walk towards the broken gate, fitting itself between the gaps and sliding through.

"W-Wait! It's not safe! Kitty, come back!" I chased after, walking around the broken gate and stepping through some bushes. "H-Hey!" I stumbled, tripping over a root, and caught myself. As I walked out of the bush I found myself stepping out onto another dirt road. "What the…? Dude, was this always here?"

I looked back-and-forth, deciding that this was a very dumb idea. Maybe Kagome will show up with help in time to save me from demons… or perhaps not. Okay, calm down. We can do this. Where'd the cat go?

"In times of doubt… follow the yellow brick road." I muttered, talking to myself and walking down the pathway. I could see someone up ahead, approaching what appeared to be a cliffside. Squinting, I could make out black and yellow. "Kohaku? Kohaku, wait up!" I quickened my pace, getting closer and seeing that, right before the person entered the cave, it was indeed Kohaku. "Frick!"

I don't want to enter that cave. I hate being alone in dark places. Urk. I glanced behind me one more time, really hoping Inuyasha might show up. Kagome went to get help, didn't she? Because I told her I was going to do something stupid about Kohaku? She wouldn't just let me die, would she? I don't think she would; she's put in so much effort to keep me functioning. Well…

Let's do this.

"Screw it." I said, motivating myself and forcing my feet to move. I entered the cave slowly, looking around and stopping until my eyes adjusted to the darkness. I could see something above on the ceiling, looking almost like bats. "Those are definitely bats…"

Question is: are they normal bats or demon bats?

I didn't plan to find out. I walked by slowly, keeping my breathing as slow and calm as possible. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest, the anxiety and fear coming back to me. I could hear Kohaku's footsteps, so I tried following the sound. And I did, until the noise abruptly disappeared. Where'd he go?

Frick, frick. This is how people die in horror movies, isn't it? I need to get out of here. I shouldn't have done this after all.

"One, two… three, four!" A man suddenly exclaimed, causing me to jump and let out a small shriek. I fell back and landed hard on my rear, wincing and letting out a grunt. "Wha-? Who's there!?"

"M-Me! It's me! I'm sorry!" I held my hands up defensively, seeing an older man with a pick ax turning around to glare at me. He must be the dad of the one boy's friend. "I-I was looking for someone a-and-and-!"

The man walked forward, staring down at me. "A priestess? What are you doing on this back road? I thought no one else knew about it…"

"B-Back road?" I stammered. A thought came to me. "D-Does it… Does it go to the castle?"

"I think… oh! No! I said too much!" He cringed, bringing a hand to his face. "Damn…"

"Really? Oh, thank goodness!" I stood. "My friends and I were trying to get to the castle to kill some demons! W-We won't tell anyone else, though; I promise!"

He stared at me for a long moment. "...Okay, good. If people find out about this road, I won't have my chance to strike gold."

"Good luck!" I turned, but stopped. "W-Wait! I almost forgot! Did you see anyone else come by?"

"Nope. Just you. Now, if you don't mind… I'm gonna get back to mining."

"O-Okay. Thanks. Bye!"

Well, that was a dead end on Kohaku… but at least I have a way to the castle now. Maybe that will make up for me always getting into trouble. I sighed and ruffled my hair, walking away into another part of the cave. I opened my eyes and blinked, stopping uncertainly and casting a quick glance to take in my surroundings.

"This is… the right way, isn't it?"

I feel like I'm going in circles. Hold on- up ahead! Is that…? It is! I moved closer, a relieved smile on my face at the sight of a familiar person. The boy turned, hearing my footsteps.

"Kohaku! Finally! I've been looking for you everywhere!" I huffed, placing my hands on my hips as I stopped in front of him. "I have several questions for you! First of all, do… uh, do you have a sister? One by the name of Sango…?"

"Wh-What?" He looked alarmed. "Irene, you shouldn't be in here; it's dangerous! Demons are-"

He cut himself off, something dark taking over his expression. His eyes- they looked… empty. I took a step back, a bad feeling forming and washing over me. I really didn't like that look on his face. "K-Kohaku…? You okay?" The boy stepped forward, reaching behind him and grabbing the kusarigama he had been so kind as to show me before. He tossed the blade up in the air and grabbed the chain, swinging it above his head.

Frick. Oh gods. Oh gods, oh gods; this is it. He's Sango's brother, alright. Which means I need to get out of here! But which way was the exit?

I didn't have time to ponder, because as soon as I made to move Kohaku threw his weapon at me. A sharp pain exploded in my left arm as it sliced through my flesh, the boy dashing forward as I fell back and yanking on the chain, pulling it back to him. I waved my hand rapidly through the air, a small red flame forming at the tips of my fingers, but while I was scared I couldn't form… hate towards Kohaku. I couldn't be angry at him.

This proved to be a mistake.

"S-Stop it!" I cried, grabbing at the ground when the chain dangling from the end of his blade wrapped around my ankles, trying to drag me towards him. I clawed at the stone and dirt, tearing at my nails in the process. I thrashed my legs until my feet slid out, scrambling into a standing position. "Gah!"

He threw his kusarigama at me again, slashing my legs to knock me down and prevent me from running. I tried to move, but the blood kept gushing out at a horrifying rate. I couldn't breathe. I stared up at Kohaku fearfully, understanding what Kagome meant when she said Kohaku had no control of himself. The boy I knew was gentle, kind; he was exactly what Sango said he was.

But the person in front of me now… he was merciless, unforgiving. He couldn't feel guilt or shame; I don't even think Kohaku knew what he was doing.

And that made it worse.

"P-Please don't…"

I don't want to die. I flinched when he began to swing the chain above his head again, throwing it directly at me. It wrapped around my arms, and when he pulled I was dragged forwards towards him. Was he… not going to kill me? Did Naraku really need me for something? What for? Either way, this whole situation hurt. Both physically and emotionally.

I tried to fight back, to pull my arms towards me, but he was so much stronger than me. "K-Kohaku, don't you recognize me? W-We were just talking, remember!? You were playing with the cat..."

The boy paused, his eyebrows knitting together as he stared at me. My blood coated the blade in his hands. For a second I thought I had gotten through to him, but his eyes glazed over once more and he stepped forward, grabbing me and forcing me onto my feet. I yelped, legs nearly giving out due to how deep the wounds were.

"Ow!"

He started to drag me to the other side of the cave, but came to a halt upon the sound of something swinging through the air. "Stop this, Kohaku!" A familiar voice begged, and next thing I knew Kohaku had shoved me roughly to the side as he jumped back- avoiding the hiraikotsu that swung at him. Sango had arrived.

A gust of wind in the room caught everyone's attention and Kagura appeared, walking up with her fan held tight in her hands. Her partially burned face was twisted in anger. "You're useless!" She told Kohaku, scowling at him. "Can't you capture one pathetic girl!?"

I twisted in the chains I was in, using my teeth to try and unwind them from my arms. Sango dashed over, leaping in the air and catching her weapon as it doubled back to her. "Kagura! Haven't you had enough already!? What do you want with Irene!?"

"What do I want?" She mused. "That's a funny question. I don't want anything to do with her, maybe aside from killing her. No, Naraku wants her for something involving our new friend… Anastasia's the one you should be asking."

"I won't let you get away with this!" Sango growled, standing in front of me protectively and readying the hiraikotsu. She wasn't even wearing her armor. Did… Did she rush here in a panic? I told Kagome not to tell her so this wouldn't happen! She's going to get badly hurt. "You're still wounded from our last fight; do you really want to risk fighting us again!?"

Kagura scoffed. The arm Kirara had bit was in a sling, her burns still visible despite clearly having been healed. "You wish. I'm not the person directly doing anything… Kohaku is the one who's going to capture this girl. Now don't do anything reckless, Sango; remember, your brother's life hangs in the balance."

Sango's eyes widened and a pained look crossed her face, bitter and pained. "You heathen…"

"Now go on, Kohaku! Grab the brat!"

Finally freeing myself from the chains, I looked up in time to see the boy running right at me. Sango held up her hiraikotsu defensively, but it was all she could to protect me as the boy jumped and used it as a boost, leaping through the air and pushing himself off a wall towards me. I panicked and grabbed the chain, trying to throw it at him to catch his leg, but he avoided it and caught it with his hand.

"Don't you get it!?" Kagura shouted. "You resist and Kohaku loses his life!"

Wait, what!? I thought that was only for Sango! Why me, too? Frick!

Kohaku swung the blade at me, but there was nothing I could do. The Shikigami weren't responding because my emotions weren't reacting with him as usual. They couldn't do anything with them. And if I attack Kohaku or even try to defend myself Naraku will kill him! There's no winning in this situation.

I-I need to do something! I rolled to the side, narrowing avoiding the kusarigama as it clanged off the stone. Anything! I don't want to die!

There has to something in this cave that can help. It's full of stone and rocks, right? That means there must be Serpentine Rock in here. If I can find it then I can-!

A scream ripped out of my lips as his weapon made contact with my back. I crashed hard onto my front and for a moment everything went black. When my eyes opened I could hear Kagura applauding Kohaku on his good work and Sango cursing her and Naraku, the female slayer's hands shaking as she gripped her weapon tightly. "I-I can't do anything…" Sango whimpered, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "I'm so sorry…"

No. No, don't cry. This is why I didn't want you to come. I told Kagome not to tell you.

"Freaking hell…" I bit out, cringing. My body seriously hurt. "Jerks…"

If I can just focus…

"How did that stupid p-prayer go?"

I sniffed, struggling to push myself up. My arms felt like jello. I could hear Sango crying in the background. I wanted to make that stop. My beloved friend… please. I can't stand that noise; it twists something in my heart. This is all my fault.

No, it's not… I realized. Naraku is to blame.

He caused all of this. My fingers curled into fists and I sat on my knees, glaring at Kagura. She raised an eyebrow at me, intrigued, opening her fan and covering the burnt part of her face. Kohaku's footsteps were heading right at me. He was close. If I didn't do something now I would be brought to Naraku and probably killed, or worse- end up being controlled like Sango's brother. I can't let that happen. I refuse.

Shikigami… A red light shined at my feet and I pushed myself onto my feet, swaying from dizziness. I glared at nothing in the distance, eyes glimmering with rage. ...One more time.

I lifted a hand up, pointing it at the ceiling above Kagura and Kohaku's heads.

ATTACK!

Kagura swung her fan out to the side as soon the fire made contact with the ceiling, rocks crumbling down upon them. "Damn it! So this is what you were plotting!?" Her winds managed to move the rocks just enough to avoid the two of them being crushed, the debris separating us from Kagura and Kohaku as a result. Sango dashed forward, holding her hand out uselessly as she watched them fly away one of the wind sorceress' feathers before they could be completely buried.

"Kohaku!" The female demon slayer cried, eyes red and puffy with tears. Her arm lowered, hand curled against her chest as she lowered her head, voice quiet and shaky. Her lips curled back as she choked down a sob. "No… Kohaku…"

She fell to her knees, bringing her hands to her face. It took all the remaining strength I had to walk over to her, collapsing onto my rear once I was in reach. I was so lightheaded. "S-Sango… are you okay?"

"H-He's gone again…" The woman whispered. "Every time… I fail to stop him. A-And now... Irene, you…"

"...Sorry…"

"No." She shook her head, sniffling and taking a deep breath. Sango raised her head and looked at me. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I… I let you get hurt because of him. There's no excuse. I should be begging you for forgiveness…"

"N-Nothing…" I wheezed, grinning weakly at her. "...to forgive. You… can't fight him. H-He's your brother."

Her eyes widened. She then froze, feeling my arms around her shoulders.

"It's okay… I promise." So please stop crying. I don't like seeing you sad. It hurts. "I'm not mad."

A strangled noise escaped Sango's throat and she wrapped her arms tightly around my back, fingers digging into my kimono, narrowly avoiding my wounds. Her face pressed into my shoulder. She was trembling so badly; I didn't know what to do to make her feel better. So I did the only thing I could and mimicked what Maria did when I was upset, and I ran my fingers lightly up-and-down her back to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," She sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

I wasn't sure how long we sat there, hugging each other and crying. I wondered how long Sango kept her feelings about Kohaku locked up, remaining strong around the group knowing that her younger brother was being forced to do terrible things. That she couldn't help him or stop him, no matter what she tried, without Naraku threatening to take Kohaku's life. If such a thing happened with Maria… I don't think I could withstand it.

It's too heartbreaking.

After a while Sango stopped crying, simply sitting there in my arms, and when she finally pulled away she refused to look at me. She wiped at her face, make-up completely ruined, hiccuping and sniffling whilst she did so. "I… I'm sorry. You didn't need to see me like that…"

I waved a hand lazily in the air, grinning foolishly. "It's fine, it's fine~ I cry all the time. Besides, I love hugs. They make you feel all nice and fuzzy inside."

A small giggle escaped her lips at that. She took a shaky breath and turned back to look at me. "I'm glad I found you when I did. A hunter found me and told me you went looking for a young boy dressed as a demon slayer… so I hurried as fast as I could."

I blinked. "Kagome wasn't the one to tell you?"

Sango knit her eyebrows together, frowning. "No… did you tell her you found Kohaku?"

"...I told her I found someone with the name Kohaku and that I was gonna do somethin' stupid, right after she told me your brother was alive and named Kohaku."

She sighed. "You're so reckless, Irene…"

"Hey~ so are you! And… everyone else. I'm just limited in how reckless I can be." Gods, I'm so sleepy. I yawned loudly, lowering my head as my eyelids drooped. "We should… probably go back to the others… and tell them about… the back road." Another yawn. Sango's head shot up, eyes wide.

"Back road?"

I nodded tiredly, waving a hand in the general direction of where I found the miner earlier. "Leads… to the castle. Can take it to get to Naraku. Yay…"

"Th-That's wonderful! ...Irene, are you okay? Oh, that's stupid question. Here."

She hoisted me up in her arms and carried me out of the cave, hiraikotsu strapped to her back.

…

We got back to the hut, but no one was there. Sango quickly got to work nursing my wounds, using the medicine Kagome had left behind in the hut. After she stitched my legs she began to bandage them, and as she did that she looked at me and asked, "Irene… why did you go alone?"

I blinked a couple times, brain not completely registering the question at first due to how exhausted it was. "Uh… what?" Sango sighed at me, finishing the knot and pulling my pants leg back down. She sat next to me, hands on her lap. Her expression was totally serious.

"Back in the cave… you said Kagome told you about Kohaku. You must have known that Naraku was using him, so why did you confront him alone? You were nearly killed, nonetheless captured! You should have told somebody!"

"I… did?" I was so confused. "I told you… I said to Kagome, "I'm gonna do somethin' stupid, don't tell Sango". I didn't want you sad or mad or… yeah. But Kagome ran off, so I figured she went and got you- but you said the hunter found you. "

"You should have told me!" Sango raised her voice and I flinched. Her expression softened and she reached out, placing a hand on my arm gently. "Irene… don't do things by yourself anymore. We're a team, right? More than that… we're friends. We're supposed to help each other."

"...I was trying to help…" I murmured quietly, feeling my eyes water. I grabbed the cloth of my hakama, clinging to it. "I-I went after him to confirm it was him, so I could let you know later he was okay. W-We were talking earlier and playing with a cat… a-and he was really nice to me. When he saw me in the cave he tried to warn me about the demons, b-but then Naraku took over. I-I just wanted you to smile again."

"Irene…"

"Hey!" The beaded door slammed open and Inuyasha stormed into the hut, Kagome, Shippō, and Miroku right behind him. "What the hell happened with you two!?"

Shippō hopped off of Miroku's shoulder and bounded on over to me, clinging to my arm. "Kagome came running looking for all of us saying you went searching for Kohaku on your own! A-And we couldn't find Sango anywhere!"

"You guys didn't get hurt, did you?" Miroku inquired, stepping forward and raking his eyes over our forms. "Irene, your clothes are covered in dirt and blood!"

"I-It's just a few scratches…" I stammered. I really didn't like him, but he actually looked concerned about me. It was strange. Wasn't he just a pervert? "I'll be fine. Sango fixed me up, so…"

Kagome let out a heavy sigh of relief, shoulders slumping over. "You seriously like to stress me out…"

"S-Sorry…" I cringed. "I-I don't intend to, but… it just kinda happens."

"Well," She said, placing her hands on her hips, "what matters is that you're safe now. Sango… how are you feeling? You didn't have to… you know…"

The woman looked at the ground, not answering for a moment. "I couldn't. But Irene used her Shikigami and scared them off."

"Them?" Inuyasha pressed.

"Kagura." Sango answered. Inuyasha clicked his tongue and cursed. "I guess you were right when you said you could smell her near the village the other day. Because she was here."

"Hmm…" Miroku hummed deeply, thinking about this. "I wonder if they knew we were coming here. Were they prepared for us to arrive? So quickly, too?"

Sango shook her head. "I'm not sure, but whatever it is they want Irene for something. Kagura told Kohaku to capture her, not to kill her. I think the only reason he kept attacking was to prevent her from escaping. Otherwise she might already be dead."

Oooh, I do not like that thought. "Um… when I tried to talk to him earlier- he… stopped for a moment." Everyone looked at me. "I-I think, even under Naraku's control, he can still hear us. So, Sango, I think… if we see him again… your voice might be able to reach him."

"...Really?" I nodded. "That's… good. Kohaku is still in there."

"Are you sure you're okay, Sango?" Miroku asked, stepping forward and kneeling down in front of us. He frowned, looking deeply concerned about her. "I know how much it hurts you when you have to face him… You can tell me anything, you know that."

Sango's face flushed a little and she ducked her head, fighting a smile. "I-It's alright. I already talked things out with Irene, so… I'm feeling a lot better now. At the moment, I'm more worried about her injuries. It'll be hard for her to walk the way she is right now."

"Pfft, I'll be fine!" I waved my hand again. "Don't worry about it! I'm used to getting beat up now!"

"That's… not a good thing." Shippō commented. He pressed his face to my arm and I paused, feeling almost guilty for trying to be my normal self and joking around the pain. "I was really scared when we couldn't find you… Please don't disappear again, Irene."

"...I'm sorry, Shippō." I reached over and slid my arm out of his grasp, pulling him up onto my lap. I pat his head gently. "I'll try not to do it again. Sango already gave me a lecture on that."

"Good! B-because I won't forgive you if you leave!" He said, sniffling.

"Irene," Miroku began, facing me, "where were you hurt?"

I blinked. "My… uh, arm was sliced and my legs got pretty cut up. But, like I said- Sango fixed me up, so-"

"Let me see."

"What; no! Stop that!" I smacked his hand away when he tried to get near my hakama. Miroku was persistent, setting his staff down and using both hands to try and lift up my pants legs. "I said stop it!"

"I-I'm just showing concern! It'll be good to get a second opinion on-!"

My foot made contact with his face and he was sent sprawling back, chuckling to himself.

"Ah, my goodness… those shapely legs certainly can kick!" Ew. Ew. Ew. So much gross. I curled up and scooted over to Sango, clinging her tightly and staring at Miroku disturbed. Shippō shook his head at him from my shoulder, making "tsk" sounds. "Mmhm." The monk sat up and rubbed his face, looking quite satisfied despite not accomplishing his mission. Lecher. "Eh- Sango, why do you look so mad…?"

"Keep. Your hands. Off her!" She growled. "Or do I have to beat your head in, too!?"

"And now he's gone and made her angry." Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes as he leaned against the wall. "Surprise, surprise…"

"Anyway," Kagome began, clapping her hands together, "excitement aside… did someone find out anything about how to get to the castle?"

Everyone began to shake their heads and inform each other of their bad luck, before I excitedly began to wave my hands in the air. They almost looked startled by my act of childishness. "I did, I did! Sango and I found a cave!"

"How's a cave gonna get us closer to the castle?" Inuyasha demanded, raising an eyebrow.

I pouted. "It's through the cave. There's a back road!"

Shippō looked at me. "You're in a good mood today. Last time I've seen you this happy was back at Kaede's when Kagome first made the bentos."

"I'm comfortable now." I responded, shrugging. "It's weird. But anyway! When I was looking for Kohaku I found this miner who was searching for gold, and he said that the path leads to the castle!"

Inuyasha grinned. "You really do seem enthusiastic today. Finally! You've stopped moping."

"As I said," I began once more, grinning, "I'm comfortable. Sango and I are officially besties and, like, I mean, we're closer to finding Maria! I'm excited! Today's a good day! Minus… you know, the sad parts."

He snorted. "Is that how it works?"

I pointed at him. "...Yes!"

Densuke suddenly walked into the room from the back. "Your beds are ready, everyone! Will you be staying the night again?"

Sango nodded. "It would probably be a good idea. We can head out early in the morning."

"Alrighty!" Kagome exclaimed, heading over to grab her pajamas, "I'm all for sleeping in a bed one more time before having to go back to grass! Woo!"

"Goodnight, guys!" Shippō exclaimed, bouncing off after Kagome to join her for cuddles. "Sleep tight! Don't let the demons bite!"

That was adorable. I grimaced when I tried to stand, the pain in my legs making it hard to walk. Kohaku's kusarigama was seriously sharp. He really didn't hold back. Actually, he probably did considering I'm still alive. Oof. That's stressful.

"Here, let me help you." Sango said, wrapping one of her arms around my waist. "It's the least I can do after today."

"Th-Thank you…"

Chapter Text

The trek through the caves was a lot easier this time around with company. Any demons that flew by were instantly destroyed by either Miroku or Inuyasha, and the entire way I got to ride on Kirara's back with Shippō. I felt bad for burdening the cat demon like this, but she didn't seem to mind. The pass through the the forest was a lot easier, too.

The first day went by fairly quick. The next day even faster. By the time the third day came around we wound up rescuing several young women from demons.

They weren't even very powerful demons; Inuyasha could defeat them with his bare hands. Miroku used his staff to swat and purify them, and before long the battle was over. All that was left was a single demon clinging to Inuyasha's arm and the monk got rid of it easily enough. It was the least stressful battle yet. Shippō and I just kind of lounged on Kirara's back while it happened, watching the scene take place.

As Miroku exorcized the last demon, the women began to approach them. "Oh, thank you, monk! Thank you!" A girl in a blue kimono cried, clasping her hands together. "If you didn't show up… I dread to think of what might've happened to us!"

"Yes!" Her friend nodded, "Thank you! Oh, and your friend, too…" She eyed Inuyasha for a moment, a smile on her face. "You men are so strong!"

Well, I'm uncomfortable already. I turned my head away, feeling as if I was intruding on something. I hated being in the middle of these kinds of conversations, but at least it wasn't me being hit on this time. Miroku laughed, "Well, we're here now, ladies, so there's no need to fear. Might I ask your names?"

The girl in the blue kimono spoke first, "I'm Yurihime. It's so wonderful to meet you."

I can't believe Miroku was correct about them being beautiful just by their screams. He's really on a different level of pervert. Yurihime had long black hair tied back in a braid, draping over her shoulder elegantly. Her brown eyes glimmered in the sun, pale skin showing that she didn't go outside often. The girl in the pink kimono introduced herself as Koto. Her brown hair was tied more modestly to cover her shoulders, stopping just below her chest. Kinu, the woman in the brown kimono, had black hair and grey eyes. Her hair was hanging freely, bangs cut in a straight fringe across her forehead. They were all beautiful young women and… I found myself oddly unsettled by this. And that's not even mentioning their flattery.

"You're both so handsome! I can't believe such good looking strangers came to our rescue!"

Koto glanced over at the rest of us, eyes widening. She stepped forward, hands laced together in front of her skirt. "Oh, and your lady companions are simply lovely! The woman in the kimono especially…" Koto glanced over at Sango appreciatively, before her eyes shot up to Kagome. "Your hair! It's so dark and silky in appearance! How wonderful!"

She stepped forward, reaching out and gingerly grabbing a lock of Kagome's hair and feeling it between her fingers.

"Truly… wonderful..."

Okay, this is getting really weird. I looked at them uncertainly, speaking up and saying, "A-Are you guys really okay? The demons didn't hurt you before we got here, did they?"

Yurihime focused on me, bringing her hand up to her lips. "No, you saved us before they could… Are you from a far away land? Your hair is cut so short! My goodness, you… you're just adorable!" I shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the green sweater I was wearing- more than grateful that Kagome had mended it.

"Um… thanks. You're quite cute yourself, miss."

She giggled at me, only to have her attention snatched by Miroku when he rested a hand lightly on her lower back. He leaned in close, smiling at her. "I just can't keep my eyes off such a beauty… might I be permitted to ask where you live? It'd be dangerous for you and your lovely friends to walk home alone."

Sango stormed up, smacking Miroku hard upside the head. The monk stumbled sideways and grabbed his head, staff dropping to the ground. "Honestly, monk!" She exclaimed, "Can't you control yourself for five minutes!? This is down right humiliating!"

Inuyasha shook his head. "There they go again… but whatever. It looks like there aren't anymore demons around here, so we should keep going."

"You're right." Kagome agreed. She pulled away from Koto, grabbing at her hair and eyeing the stranger weirdly. What was their fascination with all of our appearances? I didn't understand it. "We need to hurry; the castle is still a long ways from here."

"So soon!?" Yurihime exclaimed, hands curled to her chest. "I-I still need to show my appreciation for you saving us! Please, come to our mansion?"

Miroku stood, partially recovered from Sango's hit, and and offered a charming grin. "We would love to go with you." He purred. "I humbly accept."

"Oi, Miroku." Inuyasha drawled, crossing his arms. "Why in the world do we need to do that? Naraku is more important than some women!"

"Yeah." Sango agreed, glaring at the monk. "No more distractions!"

Koto stepped forward, latching onto Sango's arm and startling the demon slayer. "Please, wait! We'll prepare you food and ready baths! I'm sure you must be exhausted from travelling. Let us help!"

"Actually," Inuyasha said, eyebrows raising as he started to be persuaded by his rumbling stomach, "I'm starvin'. We've been travelling for a while and there hasn't been much game around here to catch."

Koto smiled warmly at him. "We'll prepare meat and fish, oh- and mountain vegetables! You mustn't travel on an empty stomach! The road ahead is so dangerous!"

Kinu nodded, worried. "There are a lot of demons further down this road…"

"Maybe it would be a good idea to go to the mansion…" Kagome looked bothered by their words. "A hot bath sounds nice, too…"

Real food and a hot bath? I don't think I've had a hot bath during my time here at all. I was always diving into cold lakes and river streams. Being able to soak in hot water sounded amazing and I found myself rather tempted by the offer. These women seemed way too… nice... for my liking, but maybe I was just being paranoid. There are a lot of people in these times who offer their homes to travelers in need.

I think I'm just antsy from being attacked so much. I feel as if anything could be a trap.

Sango gave Kagome a hesitant look before giving in, sighing. "It would be bad to keep going unprepared… What do you think, Irene?" She looked at me. I tensed, seeing the way everyone turned their gazes to me expectantly. There was no way I could voice my opinion now. They all wanted to go to the mansion so badly, whether it be for the food or the bath. Only Sango seemed reluctant.

"I… um. I guess. Whatever you guys want is fine."

"...But you don't want to?" She inquired, tilting her head curiously at me. "How come?"

I gave an awkward shrug. "I-I just… I dunno. It's weird. Let's just go to the mansion."

They were always so stressed out, risking their lives day-after-day. I didn't want to ruin their fun. Inuyasha stared for a moment and then turned to women, smiling. "It's settled then. We'll follow you to the mansion. It would be rude to refuse an invitation."

He wasn't wrong. No one could argue against his logic, nor did they desire to, and so we followed the women to their mansion. There Kirara set me down and transformed back into her little kitten state, jumping into my arms. I limped slowly after everyone, unable to move too fast because of my injuries. Kinu and Koto took the liberty of separating the females from the males, having us put into separate rooms, while Yurihime went and prepared the bathhouse.

"Are you doing well, Irene?" Sango asked, seeing me wince when I sat down. "Does it still hurt?"

"Mostly just my back," I answered truthfully, petting Kirara as she curled in my lap, "but otherwise I'm fine."

Kagome frowned and made her way over. "Let me see." She lifted the back of my shirt up to see the stitches. "They didn't open, which is good. Let me put on some ointment and bandages, that way you can get into the bath and not worry about it getting soaked." She pulled her backpack over and got into her first-aid kit. "I'm surprised you didn't use your Shikigami to heal yourself."

"Frick, I could have, couldn't I?" I exclaimed. I let out a noise, disappointed in myself. "Fun, fun. Well, you guys are already using so much medicine on it- might as well let it heal naturally the rest of the way. Right?"

"That's true." She said. "Still… I don't like how you're always getting injured."

"...I know."

Sango took out a cloth and began to polish her hiraikotsu. "Did something seem weird about those women to you?" She suddenly asked, refusing to look at us. "I have this bad feeling."

Kagome shook her head. "Are you sure it's not just because of Miroku?"

The woman almost dropped her weapon. "Wh-What!? Why bring him up!? That monk has nothing to do with this!" Her face was bright red, the blush all over her cheeks. I stared at her, eyes wide, realizing very quickly that she had a crush on the perverted monk. "I'm just saying something isn't right about these people! They strike me as odd."

"Uh-huh." Kagome clearly didn't believe her. "Sure. I think you're just overreacting Sango. What do you say, Irene?"

"Um…" Frick. How dare she put me in the middle of all this. "I-I'm with Sango on this… sorry. I-I just don't feel…" What was the word for it? Safe. "I dunno. I just don't really trust them?"

"Thank you!" Sango exclaimed. "I'm glad someone is on my side."

Kagome frowned. "That's not fair, Sango. You know I didn't mean it that way..." She pulled my shirt down and stood, walking over to grab the towels Kinu left by the door. "Now- why don't we all calm down by taking a nice relaxing bath? I'm sure it would do us all some good!"

The demon slayer let out a sigh. "I suppose… I'm sorry, Kagome. I shouldn't have snapped."

"Don't worry about it! It's been a rough few days." Kagome looked down at me. "I'll show you what to do in the bath, okay, Irene? You probably aren't used to the ones here in Japan."

I blinked. "Um, okay."

What on earth could be so different about them?

...

As it turned out they were vastly different. Before we could actually get into the bath we had to clean ourselves with a small rag using a cold bucket of water, removing grime and dirt. It reminded me greatly of the public swimming pools back home, though I had only ever went to those when I was little and could actively play around. Towels were allowed, though they couldn't touch the water, and Kagome and Sango tied their hair up.

And the worst part was that we had to bathe together.

I disliked changing in front of others, but that was totally different from being exposed completely. I think the last person who saw me naked was my mother- and that was when I was a little kid and couldn't wash my hair by myself yet. Ick. I feel so gross. I don't like this. Do I have to?

Hot water sounded amazing, but… with others?

Kagome and Sango seemed unbothered by each other's presence and got in the hot spring, relaxing into the water and sighing happily. I hesitated, holding the towel over my form and staring down at the water below. How to do this without revealing myself…? Hmm. Predicaments.

"What's the matter?" Sango asked curiously, seeing the way I was just standing there. "It's only us girls; you don't have to worry about Inuyasha or Miroku walking in. No need to be shy."

"I-I'm not… shy." I awkwardly responded, touching my toe into the water and nearly recoiling at its heat. I was so used to the icy lakes I had been using to clean myself with; it felt so strange against my skin now. The air in the room was so steamy and almost suffocating. "I-I just…"

Kagome blinked, seeming to reach an understanding faster than Sango did as to why I was behaving this way. "Oh, I get it! You're not used to this, are you? Americans do things so differently from us. Want Sango and I to turn away while you get in?"

I looked at her, surprised. "R-Really? Um, please…"

Sango hummed. "Is that what it was? Haha. Don't worry about." She and Kagome turned so their backs were facing me, and with a shaky breath I dropped the towel and slid into the water. "You good?"

Effectively hiding my body from the shoulders down, I let out an informative noise. As they moved and got comfortable, it was then I caught sight of the scar on Sango's back. It was a large, nasty looking piece of flesh. I could only assume it was from the incident… when Kohaku got possessed and killed everyone. Gods, how does she function? She's incredible.

"This is so nice…" Kagome moaned, sinking into the water. "It's been so long."

Seriously? She gets normal baths at home.

Sango just nodded her head. "Agreed. Maybe I was wrong after all… it was so nice of those women to set this up for us."

I remained silent, thinking deeply about everything. This felt so casual, so… normal. It was unnerving. Was it really alright for us to just lounge about in this bath when we could be making our way towards Naraku's castle? What about Maria? Shouldn't there be more that we need to be doing?

"Sometimes you just gotta relax." Kagome commented, stretching her arms out in front of her. "The search for Naraku and the jewels shards can be so harrowing sometimes!"

"...Why don't we talk about something else then?" Sango suggested. "How did your battle with those exams go? Did you defeat them?"

What? Oh my gods, that's adorable. I sat up, looking at the females and fighting a smile. Did she really think exams were demons? I love it.

"Barely." Kagome held her head to side, propping her elbow up on the stone wall and pressing her hand to her cheek. "I studied so much, but then I forgot my notes… my little brother had to deliver them to class for me. It was a nightmare."

"That was nice of him." She said, smiling. "He cares for you. It's something to be grateful for."

"Y-Yeah…" Kagome realized what she said and looked almost guilty, before she quickly turned her head and looked at me. "Anyway! Irene! Tell me; what are things like back where you're from? You're… nineteen, aren't you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

I blinked, sinking back into the water slowly. "No. I don't deal with relationships."

She and Sango both looked shocked. "What, why?"

"Aren't you at least interested in someone?" Sango asked. I shook my head. "How come?"

I shrugged. "I'm just not. You guys are crushing on people though, aren't you?"

"Not me." Sango said, shaking her head. I snorted at that. "What!?"

"Don't you like Miroku?" Her face flared red. Ah, yes. There it is. "Knew it."

"I-I do not like him! I said this before already! A-And if we're talking about who likes who, then what about Kagome? She's clearly in love with Inuyasha!"

"I am not in love with him! I… like him a minimal amount and that's it."

"Suuure."

"Anyway, why are we talking about us? We were talking about you." Kagome exclaimed, facing me. She and Sango were in front of me now, frowning and intent on getting information. What it was, I was uncertain. "Don't you ever want to date someone? Maybe go to the movies or on a walk…?"

I was up to my nose in the water now, attempting to hide from their prying eyes.

"...I like reading stories about it…"

I finally said, lifting my head up out of the water just enough so they could hear me. It was getting a bit harder to breathe in here. I was going to have to get out soon. Still, it felt wonderful to sit in hot water. I missed showers so much. It stung a little at first since it had been a while, but now that my body was adjusted to it my skin was super happy.

"I feel… I feel like being in a relationship would be really stressful." I admitted, recalling all the times the people I spoke to at school had drama with their significant others. Then there were my siblings- who often ended up with abusive people more often than not. Thankfully Maria had landed someone who treated her right after enough trauma, so she was doing pretty good until… well, we were brought here. I don't even think I could handle being in a relationship. "I-I wouldn't… know how to act a-and… I probably wouldn't be able to do half the stuff expected of me."

"Like what?" Sango asked, concerned. "Marriage?"

Marriage often leads to kids. So… yes. That. Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh my god. You've never even been on a date before, have you!?"

"N-No?" Why was I feeling so embarrassed? It was almost as if… I were ashamed of this fact. I wasn't. I was perfectly content being single. So why did I feel so bad about it now? "It's not like I really cared about it before. I turned down anyone who asked."

Sango let out a small gasp, bringing a hand up to her mouth in shock. "So there were people!"

"No! They were all kinda… creepy." I made a face. "I mean, I was flattered but… I just wasn't interested. They weren't my type."

"What's your type then?" Kagome asked, leaning forward and grinning. "Maybe you'll meet someone here!"

Um, no thank you. I scooted away, lifting my arms out of the water and coughing some as I turned around and held onto the side wall. I needed fresh air. It was too hot in here. I can't breathe. My heart rate was starting to pick up, and I was starting to think that being so flustered was making things worse. I avoided conversations like this back in my time, so having it now was really throwing me for a loop. "I-I don't know? Fictional? I can't tell you how many times I had Robin marry Henry from Awakening and Corrin to Subaki in Fates. Gods, I love them. They're so great."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm assuming those are video games. And Irene- those don't count! I'm talking about real people! Flesh and blood!" Kagome exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you like in a guy?"

How does she even know that I'm straight? For all anyone knows I could be bisexual or lesbian. Yeesh. Wait, she's from 1996. A lot of people weren't out and comfortable with their sexuality then, I don't believe… hmm. That explains things. Still, she wasn't wrong. Women were gorgeous, but any crushes I had were on guys. Lame. "Um... I don't know. Lots of sarcasm? I like to banter and joke, so... yeah. Uh… he has to be super smart, too, I guess. Like, this dude has got to be smarter than me."

I really liked people who were intelligent, mainly because I was not. I did not want to deal with another me. 

"And..." I remembered some of the people I met back when I was still in school and made a face. "...he better not act like an idiot. Oh, but like- I am an idiot, so he has to be able to tolerate that and my nonsense because I like to talk. A lot. And I can be super slow when it comes to understanding certain stuff, so patience is definitely a thing." My eyebrows knit together at that and leaned my head down against my arms, thinking. This was actually starting to amuse me slightly, imagining a person that couldn't possibly exist. "And, um, he has to be confident, you know? Maybe kinda arrogant, but isn't a jerk about it?"

"Ohh." Kagome giggled. "I see. You like the mature, serious guys."

I choked. I don't know why, but the way she put that had me sputtering like a fool- face completely red. Sango was smiling, amused by all of this. "Y-You make it sound so weird!"

"I think it's cute." Sango said. "It makes sense, too, given your personality."

I slumped my shoulders, chewing on my bottom lip. "My personality…? Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I just mean… oh, how do I put this?" The brunette thought for a moment. "You're really kind, Irene, and you don't really put yourself first. You get along with children really easily because you yourself have a childish part of you. You know when to be serious, but don't know how to act about it. If I have to find a way to describe it, I'd say you prefer a person who's the total opposite of you. Someone who can balance out your recklessness and take charge when needed. A man who... A man who can teach you to be a little selfish from time-to-time, and point out when you're being too selfless."

Ah. Okay. I didn't really agree with the selfless bit, but sure. "That… makes sense." I was surprised they were even taking this so seriously. 

My description had been completely hypothetical; no one like that actually existed. They were being ridiculous. 

Suddenly there was knocking of the floor and the bathhouse door slid open. Koto was sitting on her knees, looking inside at us. "Dinner is almost ready, everyone. Please, finish your bath and make your way to the main hall; we'll escort you to the room where you and your friends will be eating. I hope you all are enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh, yes!" Sango said, offering a sweet smile to the woman. "Thank you."

"This bath is amazing!" Kagome told her. "You guys are complete angels for doing this! Really!"

"Aw, you're so kind to say that." Koto blushed. "Thank you. And what about you, miss? Are you enjoying yourself?" She looked at me, expecting an answer. I hesitated.

"Um… yeah. Thank you."

Something flashed in her eyes and I tensed, not liking what I saw, but it happened so fast I wondered if I imagined it. She smiled at me. "That's good. I'll be waiting for you all in the hall. We have spare kimonos for you all to wear once you are done." She slid the door shut and left. I felt cold.

"Honestly, this place is so nice!" Kagome exclaimed. "I love it here."

"I think I was wrong about them." Sango said. "...Irene? What's wrong?"

"H-Huh?" I jumped, looking over my shoulder at her. "Oh, uh, nothing. Sorry. I zoned out."

"I see… well, I suppose we should get going. Don't want to keep the boys waiting."

"Yes." Kagome agreed.

…

This kimono felt so fancy. It was a dark green with pink cherry blossoms embroidered into it, and underneath I wore a white juban as underwear. It felt so breezy. I swung my arms back and forth a few times, to the amusement of my female companions, and we made our way to the main hall where we were greeted with Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippō. They were all wearing their own kimonos, too.

Sango's was a lovely purple with lighter purple bellflowers, and Kagome's had a pink base with white daisies. Miroku had a simple black kimono, Inuyasha a grey one, and Shippō was given the tiniest little light green kimono in existence- and it was completely covered in dark leaves. The fox demon was adorable. Miroku instantly began to flirt with Sango upon seeing her in her new attire, but she shut him up soon enough when his hand got a little too close to her hips. He then tried to butter up Kagome, but she took several steps away and hid next to Inuyasha who rolled his eyes at the monk's behavior. The second Miroku tried to approach me Sango grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, bringing a leg up and pressing a knee to his spine threateningly.

"Don't. Even. Try it." She growled. I mouthed a silent "thank you" to her and she flashed me a quick smile, glaring at Miroku once more as soon as she was done. The demon slayer proceeded to stand in front of me protectively after that, eyes so malicious that if dark looks could kill Miroku would already be six feet under the dirt.

I loved this woman. She was amazing.

Kinu and Koto soon showed up, explaining that they and Yurihime had just finished setting up the tables, and escorted us the dining room. There we sat down: Inuyasha, Sango, and myself on one side of the room with Kagome, Shippō, and Miroku on the other. The tables were really these little rectangular stools with trays of food resting on them. I watched the others sitting, observing how they were all on their knees to preserve room, while Inuyasha crossed his legs like… well the way I used to. So I sat with my legs out to the side, unable to sit the same way he was due to my kimono and leg wounds. Grr.

Still… the food smelled delicious.

"My goodness!" Kagome exclaimed, viewing her plate. "There's so much food; I don't think I'll be able to finish all of this in one go!"

"I believe in you!" I told her, currently debating which was the best way to tackle it. Should I start with the meat or fruit? Both looked so good. I was definitely leaning towards the meat. Yup, that's it- I grabbed the chopsticks and proceeded to grab a huge piece of… whatever it was and ate it. Tasted like pork. Mmm. It was covered in some kind of sauce. "This is delicious!"

Koto giggled. "Why, thank you. I worked very hard on it."

"She loves to impress." Kinu whispered, holding a hand up to her face in an attempt to appear secretive. Koto gasped, but didn't act offended. "I'm kidding, sister!"

"Not in front of the guests! That's so embarrassing…" She covered her face with her large sleeve. "Anyway, I need to go tend to the laundry… so I'll be out for a while. Would you like to join me, Kinu?"

"Of course! Two work faster than one." The two women were about to head out, turning and bowing to us first. "Thank you so much for saving us earlier. We pray this will help you, if only a little, for your journey."

Miroku flashed them a brilliant grin. "Oh, for you I'd do anything."

There was a thud and Miroku yelped. Sango had reached out and pinched his leg- causing him to bump the table with his knee in response. I didn't even flinch; in fact, I snickered a little. He really needed to learn some respect. Women weren't objects. And aside from that same arguing, diner was relatively peaceful. It was nice. I began to feel bad for ever doubting the women's intentions. They really were just trying to help.

"I'm so full…" Kagome said, leaning back with a hand on her stomach. "I haven't eaten a meal like that in ages. Wow."

It was pretty darn tasty.

"Agreed." Sango wiped the remnants off her face with a napkin, looking elegant as she did so. I brought a hand up to my mouth and burped- but it was completely overshadowed by Inuyasha's loud Brrrrrrup! Kagome's eyes went wide. "Oh my."

Inuyasha fell onto his back, arms behind his head. "That was delicious! Better than any game I've caught. Damn. We need to do this more often."

Shippō shook his head. "You were the one always against these things, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, well, I've changed my mind."

Yurihime smiled as she watched us, entering the room quietly. "I trust the meals were satisfactory?"

"Oh, yes!" Miroku exclaimed, standing. Sango tensed as the monk made his way over to the young woman, grasping her hands in his. "Not only are you a beautiful woman, but your cooking is incredible! You would make an amazing wife."

"M-Monk! You flatter me so…"

"I never flatter." He told her, leaning in close. Their noses were almost touching. I leaned back, hands gripping the table, and watched the girl react with disgust on my face. Was she seriously falling for such an act? "I only speak the truth."

Yurihime looked doubtful for a moment. "Really?" He nodded.

"Really…"

Inuyasha sat up and leaned over the table, whispering to us, "He seriously lays it on, doesn't he?" I nodded, nose scrunching up.

"Yeah, he does. It's gross."

Sango's hands twitched, her fingers gripping her chopsticks tightly. "A monk, huh? What about that vow of chastity?"

"Pretty sure he lost it a long time ago." Inuyasha responded thoughtlessly, and a loud SNAP echoed around the room. I jumped, looking at the demon slayer with big eyes. "Uh… you good?"

"S-Sango, y-your chopsticks!" She broke them so easily. "Are you mad? Did we make you mad?"

Kagome shook her head. "It's because of Miroku…"

"Monk," Yurihime began quietly, "would you like to go for a walk outside with me? It's such a beautiful night!"

He grasped her hand, lacing the woman's fingers with his. "I would love to. Let's go!" With that they headed out of the room, Miroku letting the woman take the lead, a stupid grin on his face. I let out a sound of distaste.

"Annnnd they're gone. Wow."

"Is he what you would call a ladies' man?" Shippō asked, completely innocent, genuine curiosity on his face. "I think that's what it is…"

Kagome looked at Sango worriedly. "Hey, is it really alright to let them go like that?"

"Yeah!" I got halfway up, ready to chase after him and bring him back. "Want me to go get him? I'll smack him upside the head for you and everything!"

The demon slayer turned her head, snapping rather loudly, "It doesn't have anything to do with me! That perverted monk can do what he wants; I don't care!"

Shippō frowned, murmuring, "Am I the only one here that sees that you do…?"

"I-I already said I don't care about him! Just drop it."

As much as I hated it, Sango really did like Miroku. The poor woman. She had such bad taste in men. Still, I wanted to support her… even if I didn't really like him as a person. What was Miroku's deal with Naraku, anyway? I still didn't know his side of the story. Something about his right hand, I think was said to me. It was so long ago and so much has happened since then the details are foggy.

"...Why is Miroku travelling with us?" I asked abruptly, not really thinking about it. Everyone looked at me. "I-I mean, I know… Shippō and Sango's reason, but I don't know anything about Miroku. I think Shippō told me something was wrong with his right hand, but I don't… really think he went into the details about."

"Right." Kagome nodded, looking down. "I guess we should tell you, huh? The issue with his hand is the Wind Tunnel."

"The what tunnel?"

"The Wind Tunnel." She explained. "It's a curse that was put on him by Naraku."

I don't get it. "How is it a curse? Doesn't he kill demons with it?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "It's not that simple."

"As time goes by the Wind Tunnel grows," Kagome continued, voice growing sad, "eventually the very thing he uses to swallow demons… will swallow him up, too. It's a curse put on his family, so a member of each generation has to deal with it. This time it's Miroku's turn, who had lost his father to the Wind Tunnel. If he can't defeat Naraku in time, then Miroku…"

Oh no. No, no, no. Don't you dare try and make me feel bad for him. I hate that pervert. There's no reason to try and justify his actions by telling me about this. I don't care if Miroku… if Miroku…

"Dies?" My voice cracked. I swallowed down the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the bad feeling in my stomach. I felt so terrible for the way I treated him.

He's been living all this time, knowing he might die a painful death. That he would be enveloped by his own hand. Is that why he acts so carefree, trying to live life to the fullest before it ends so suddenly? Oh gods. I brought my hands up, covering my mouth as I leaned over, eyes starting to burn. "Irene, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I… I've been so mean to him." I choked. I couldn't look at them, too guilty and ashamed of my actions. "H-He's went through so much- is going through so much. A-And… And I never even held a proper conversation with him because of… because of how he… I'm such a jerk!"

I can't. I can't do this. I need to apologize. I don't necessarily like him, but I don't want him to die. Especially not if Sango cares for him. I stood, wiping at my face and taking shaky breaths, and stumbled around the table to reach the doors. I was about to slide them open when I heard Koto speak from the other side.

"Soon…"

"Yes," Kinu's voice agreed cheerfully, "very soon! I want the girl with the short hair…"

"The demon slayer is mine. She looks the most delicious…"

What on earth is…? I froze for a moment, the worst coming to mind, and I took a few steps back. I could hear Kagome call out to me, but I didn't answer. I looked back at the group, seeing the way they were staring at me, and I sniffled. Something was wrong.

This really isn't good. I need to- frick.

Kagome. She was saying something. I made to walk around the circle of people to get over to her, praying she would listen to me, when I lost my footing. I yelped and Shippō quickly darted out of the way, shouting, and in my attempt to catch myself I ended up smacking the wall and landing behind a room divider. "Ow…"

"A-Are you alright?" Sango exclaimed, standing. "Irene, your injuries! They aren't worse, are they!?"

"N-Nope. M'fine." I grumbled, back stinging. My legs seriously stung. I groaned, not getting up at first, and opened my eyes to find myself staring at something beside me. It looked like some kind of writing, but it was hiragana and I couldn't read it. Or was it katakana? I don't freaking know; I only know how to read English and a little bit of Spanish. "What the…?"

I sat up, bringing my hand up and touching it. It looked like paint, but...

"Uh… can someone come over here? I found something… gross?"

...it was wet.

"What do you mean gross?" Shippō asked. "Is it a dead bug?"

"No, it's… it's just gross! And… creepy." Eyes adjusting to the darkness of this small space I noticed the liquid was red. A haunting shade of it. "I-Inuyasha-"

I could hear him moving as he got up, the half-demon making his way over. "Such a scaredy-cat!" He grouched. "Do I have to do everything for you? Jeez." Inuyasha pulled the divider out of the way so he could squeeze into the small space next to the wall, squatting down and sitting next to me. He stared at my fingers with narrowed eyes, nose twitching. "What the…?"

He sniffed the air again, catching the scent of the paint, before turning his gaze to the wall.

"That's… blood."

"What?" Kagome asked, raising her voice as she stood. "Blood!?"

Inuyasha moved closer, nose almost touching the wall. It wasn't paint? Oh gods. "No doubt about it; that's human blood. And it's fresh."

"I wonder what happened…" Kagome murmured, pressing a hand to her chin. "This doesn't sound good at all."

I scooted away from the wall and wiped the blood off my fingers, shaking a little as I thought about what this could mean. I was still upset over the conversation earlier, but now… if those women weren't really as kind as they seemed, then… Miroku is in trouble. He's going to get hurt. "I-I dunno," I stammered, "but I… I heard them talking earlier when I went to… leave a-and I-I don't think this mansion was a good idea. W-We need to find Miroku."

"Yes." Sango said, glancing at the door. "I'm getting worried… but if we all leave at once they might get suspicious. What should we do? I don't want to risk them doing anything that would further endanger his life if we get found out."

Well, for starters we should stop speaking so loudly about this. I scrambled onto my feet and wobbled a little, clapping my hands together and holding a finger up to my lips to shush them. "Not so loud~! They'll hear us."

Inuyasha's dog ears twitched. "Yeah… they're right outside the door."

Shippō hugged himself, shrinking down to the floor. "I don't like this, you guys… This is scary."

"I knew something was wrong about them." Sango muttered. "Damn."

She carefully made her way towards the door, gesturing at me and Kagome. We blinked and carefully followed her out, Inuyasha waiting nearby and listening intently for any warning signs. He sat on guard, ready to jump out and attack if need be. Sango, holding three fingers up, silently counted down for when she would open the door.

Hands grasping the side, she slid it open to reveal the hallway. Kinu and Koto stopped whispering and turned, looking at us surprised. "Oh? You're finished already?"

"Don't you want to eat some more? We can bring out dessert if you'd like."

"A-Actually," I said, hiding behind Sango as the girl shielded me habitually from view, "I need to go the bathroom…"

"I actually need to go as well." Kagome sheepishly admitted, playing along. Her face turned a bit pink, so I wondered if she was telling the truth. "Sango was just going to walk with us- us girls gotta stay together, you know?"

"Yes…" Koto said slowly, her eyes focusing on me. "Is something the matter, Irene? You look upset…"

"What? Uh, no. I just… really need to go." I laughed awkwardly, heart pounding hard in my chest. Were they really a bunch of a murderers? It was so unnerving talking with them. "I-I don't like new places, so…"

Kinu frowned deeply. "If that's the case you should just wait until the meal is completely finished. Fighting demons will take away your strength, will it not? Wait until after you've eaten it all to go clean up."

Sango knitted her eyebrows together. "Wait to go use the bathroom?"

"Yes. Please, go back to the room…"

"Why should we?" Sango asked, narrowing her eyes. "Why can't we go now?"

Koto tilted her head, scowling. "They've figured us out…" She turned her head to look at Kinu, expression growing blank. "Until Yurihime obtains the monk's liver, don't let them leave the mansion. I'll go get the others."

Kinu smiled at that. "Oh? How wonderful." She turned back to face us, eyes landing on me once more. "I'll get my meal after all…"

A cold chill went down my spine and I stepped back, disturbed by the hungry look in her gaze. Her skin seemed to shred off of her body, being replaced by green scales, her dark hair flowing wildly around her. The sclera of her eyes turned a bright red, her iris becoming pitch black. The woman's nails elongated into sharp claws, and within a single instant she lunged at me.

Kagome yelped and threw herself to the side to get out of the way, and Sango rammed a hand hard into my chest to push me down. She threw herself in front of me and flexed her arm, a blade ripping out of her armguard and tearing her kimono sleeve. The woman slashed at the demon, tearing its scales and sending it leaping back. "Damn…!" It cursed. "Of course the slayer would be wearing concealed weapons…"

"You won't get away with this!" Sango shouted. "We'll stop you!"

"Ha!" Kinu laughed. "I'd like to see you try!"

The scaly demon lunged, but didn't get very far as Inuyasha knocked the door down. He didn't have tetsusaiga on his person so he used his hands instead, clawing at the female demon and scratching her face. "Hrah! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Blood spurted from her injuries and she raised her hands to her face, screaming.

"My eyes~! I can't see! Damn you, half-demon! I'll kill you for this!"

She charged, lunging blindly. Inuyasha jumped out of the way and made to claw her again, but Kinu heard him coming and smacked him back with her tail. Inuyasha rammed hard into the wall behind us, crashing into the next room over.

"Flesh… I need flesh! Girl, where are you!?"

What!? Oh frick, she's talking about me! Why!? I stumbled back and tried to spark some flames on my fingers. Kagome was rushing to the other side of the mansion where our clothes and their weapons were resting. She needed her arrows and Inuyasha required his sword. Shippō shrieked and pulled out a toy snake, throwing it at the lizard demon as soon as it started to charge in mine and Sango's direction. "T-Take this! Fox magic!"

The snake increased in size and snapped at the demon, but other than startling it the illusion had little effect. Kinu caught the snake in her mouth and snapped it in half with her fangs. Shippō backed away, tears in his eyes.

"Th-This isn't good… Sango, Inuyasha- help!"

"On it!" The woman shouted, running at the demon. "Inuyasha!"

"Got it!"

He quickly caught up with her, running at full speed alongside the slayer, and together they both leapt and swung at the beast. Sango's arm blade slashed at its stomach, tearing into Kinu's body, and Inuyasha clawed at the demon's throat. He went so far as to dig his hand into it, nearly decapitating the female demon as he slit her neck wide open. The demon wailed and let out a gurgled cry, before falling back and disintegrating into nothing but bones.

Sango and Inuyasha landed gracefully on opposite sides of each other, nodding and approving of their teamwork. Meanwhile, Shippō and I watched in awe. They were truly impressive. How did they do that so flawlessly- and knowing what to do without even having to explain it? All they did was say each other's names and then they attacked. Their silent communication was incredible.

Suddenly Kagome's scream rang out.

Inuyasha was already running.

Her arms were all scratched up and covered in blood, the girl stumbling with a bow in hand. Several arrows were lodged in the demons' backs and torsos, Kagome having gotten several hits in by the time she screamed. Inuyasha pushed himself off the ground and into the air, tearing his claws into his own chest until they were covered in red liquid. Then he waved his hand through the air, shouting as several scarlet blades shot out from his fingertips towards the demons, "Blades of Blood~!"

It managed to both slice and distract them, allowing Inuyasha to pick up Kagome and dart into the room with the rest of the weapons. Sango arrived in time with Shippō and I behind her, the woman charging relentlessly at the demons. She slid beneath the legs of giants, cutting at their ankles, dodging the weapons and claws of other beasts that dare attack her. Even when she did manage to get herself nicked or hit, Sango would get right back up and fight with finesse.

She was… brilliant. Unstoppable.

Sango was a demon slayer to the core.

And I… was far from that. If there was some way I could help her… gods, how did I do that thing with Shippō back in the old temple? It involved the blue Shikigami and it helped increase his power. But what was it? I think I even used with Inuyasha before. The fox demon looked down at me, as if noticing something was happening, but he wasn't able to leap off of my shoulder in time as the wind picked up and flames encased my body.

"Wh-Wha~!? Irene!"

Come, on, please work.

Shikigami…

Help my friend!

Unleash your power!

An orb of red light appeared in my hands. Inuyasha leapt out of the room, swinging the hiraikotsu at the female demon slayer. "Sango, catch!" The woman jumped onto a demon's arm and ran up it, leaping off and latching on the weapon as it sailed through the air. I raised the red orb above my head, guided by the blue spirit wrapped around me, and as it took the orb into its mouth the dragon flew upwards into the air.

"Bite on this!"

There was a strong gust of wind and flame as the Shikigami headed straight towards the hiraikotsu as Sango threw it, the two elements clashing together and creating an explosion of lighting and electricity. It shocked all the nearby demons and created a chain reaction as the weapon sliced through them all, tearing them in half and burning the remaining into crisps. The weapon doubled back to Sango and she caught it, startled by what just happened. Her head snapped over to look at me, eyes growing wide when she saw me hunched over and breathing heavily.

"Irene!" She darted over, kneeling in front of me. "Why did you do that!? You shouldn't wear yourself out like this!"

"It's fine." I wheezed, hand grasping the front of my kimono tightly, fingers digging into my chest. I knew it would take some of my energy, but I didn't think it would wear me out so badly. I'm completely breathless. "M-Miroku… you have to save him."

She nodded. "Right. Inuyasha!"

"What is it?" He asked, walking over with tetsusaiga tied at his waist. Kagome was by his side, sleeves torn off and arms covered in bandages. Sango stood, swinging the hiraikotsu over her shoulder. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Sango?"

"Take care of Irene and Kagome. I'm going on ahead."

"You're kidding! There's no way I'm gonna let you-" She was already running off. "Damn it, woman! Get back here!"

He darted after her. Shippō look at us worriedly, but Kagome quickly assured him that we were fine. She helped me stand and together we took off after the two strongest members of the team, walking across the bridge and heading further outside. There we could see Sango and Inuyasha fight a few more demons, all who were chanting about young girl flesh and how excited they were to eat.

I sincerely hoped they weren't talking about us. Kagome pulled out an arrow, cringing when her arm began to throb from pain, but didn't stop herself from notching it onto the bow. She aimed carefully, releasing it and purifying a demon. Looking around I tried to figure out which room Miroku could be in, if he was even in a room, when I heard voices further down the hall. I wasted no time in heading that way, walking down the porch as quickly as I could without getting dizzy.

At this point I wasn't sure what wore me out more: attacking, healing, or just movement in general.

Still, Miroku was in danger. I wasn't going to let him die- not before I apologized to him.

And not before Naraku was defeated.

"It's so lonely here…" A voice murmured, sounding suspiciously like Yurihime's. I slowed down, not wanting to attract attention to myself. All of the people that were guarding the room were currently fighting Inuyasha and Sango, with Kagome taking one out every few moments with her arrows. Shippō hid in a corner, throwing the occasional spinning top at the demons. "With just my sisters and I living so far out into the woods we never get any visitors. Father had died recently, and…"

"I understand." I could hear Miroku say softly. "He left and since then you three were all alone. But there's no need to fret now; I'm here."

"Thank you, kind monk… you're ever so sweet. Please, comfort me."

"Why," He sounded quite enthusiastic, "if you insist… I'll do my best."

"Just stay beside me. Please."

Suddenly he cried out. There was a thud and I cringed, staying low to the ground so they couldn't see me through the windows. I really hoped Yurihime was a demon and that they weren't actually doing anything… weird. I overheard my eldest sister doing it once and I seriously didn't want to bear witness to anything again- whether it be by hearing or seeing.

My hand inched towards the door and I grabbed it, slowly sliding it open and cracking it just enough to look inside. To my relief they weren't naked, but Miroku was stuck to the ground in a kneeling position- body quite literally paralyzed. In the corner of the room I could see a small crystal flying- transparent, almost invisible, yet when I focused I could see it quite clearly. It appeared to be floating near the woman, a thin veil of something… silvery-blue around her.

Like a force field… or some kind of barrier? Huh.

Yurihime began to laugh. "Such a foolish monk! You actually fell for such an act? How pathetic. Men truly are worms, aren't they? Throwing themselves at any woman that offers herself! Ha! Your life is mine!"

Frick, frick, frick- I slammed the door open and charged into the room, stumbling to a stop. "W-Wait!"

Her head snapped up, her demonic form so much different from her human disguise. She was at least seven feet tall now, with long red hair and violet irises- her sclera pitch black. Her scales were a darker green than Kinu's, even appearing thicker in size and weight. A biological defense? Her claws were long and yellow, covered in some of Miroku's blood. Frick.

His shoulder was bleeding badly. That must have been why he cried out earlier. "I, uh, I have some… questions for you!" I stammered lamely, pointing at her like a fool. "Like… um. Why Miroku? He probably tastes the worst out of all of us, ya know? 'Cause he's… been around. I think."

"Th-That's… kind of rude," Miroku bit out, "don't you think?"

"You can speak!?" Yurihime looked alarmed, staring down at Miroku in shock. "I see… your spiritual powers are strong enough to break through my trance. I'll have to eat you quickly then."

I could hear Sango shouting in the distance, calling out the monk's name. She sounded scared. Worried about him. I needed to save him. How though?

"H-Hey, hey, hey!" I stepped forward, rambling without much thought. Desperation was taking over, and it showed in the way I spoke, voice getting a little sing-songy. "Let's not get too hasty~ and, like I said, I'm sure his liver might not be too tasty! ...Your master plan! You should tell us it, right? Before you kill us? That way you can gloat in your victory!"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "How did you even get in here, girl? My guards should have-"

"Yeah, they're dead." I blurted out. The look Yurihime gave me had me cowering. "S-Sorry…"

Another step forward, gradually closing the distance between me and Miroku. The demon flexed her claws. My heart leapt into my throat. Oh gods. Okay.

"But look! Uh, why spiritual powers specifically?"

"The flesh of priests and priestesses are far more rewarding." Yurihime purred. "They increase the strength of us demons. And you…" She leaned forward, sniffing the air, a sadistic smile worming onto her face. "You're a priestess yourself, aren't you? Your spiritual power is a lot different from this monk's…"

So I'm told. "Y-Yeah. Think of it this way- he uses holy magic, I do not." Red flames danced along my fingertips. "Meaning I can't purify squat. But I-I can still… you know. K-Kill you?"

She howled with laughter. "I'd like to see you try! You can't even penetrate my barrier! Now watch as I devour this monk, liver and all! Mwahahaha!" Yurihime leaned down, grabbing at Miroku's face, opening her jaw and revealing her row of sharp teeth. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Saliva dripped from her lips and she neared his throat, but before she could bite down into his flesh something happened. The monk, who had been unable to move previously, shot his hand forward and pressed a sutra to her barrier above her stomach. Blue light crackled from his talisman onto it and Yurihime screamed. She stumbled back and Miroku fell to the side, breathing heavily. "My body… won't listen the way I want it to. Irene- the crystal! Can you see it?"

My eyes widened and I jumped, hearing my name called. I looked at Miroku, who was struggling to pull himself away from the demon that was recovering from the holy attack. The crystal had moved alongside Yurihime's movements, making it hard to relocate. Where did it go-? Ah! "Y-Yeah! Why?"

"The talismans Kakuju gave me…" He grunted, pushing himself up onto one knee, gripping his staff tightly for balance. He held a red-painted sutra in his other hand. "I'm going to use them. I want you… to add some of your power to it. Can you do that? Together, I think we can break her barrier…"

"I-I can't really control the Shikigami!" He knows this, doesn't he? Miroku has seen me fight before. "What if it doesn't-"

"Just try it!" He snapped. "Don't you trust me!?"

I went silent, unable to answer that and stunned by the sudden question. What was even taking Inuyasha and the others so long? Did Koto catch them? We hadn't encountered her yet, so perhaps… they were fighting her now. Oh gods. This isn't good. "I…"

Yurihime regained her bearings and let out an ungodly screech, charging right at us. Miroku scrambled backwards, unable to run, and he shouted at me- demanding me to use the power of the Shikigami this instant.

"I-I already told-!" Frick, frick, frick. You know what? Screw it. "Sh-Shikigami! Attack!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and thrust out my hands in the direction of the demon, fearing the worst. I fully expected nothing to happen, even with me willing flames to appear. There was a small flicker of warmth alongside my palms and then I could feel it- the gust of the spirits dancing around me, the flames reaching out and expanding upon Yurihime's barrier. Miroku threw the talisman at the crystal and, combining with the flames, electricity crackled and the object shattered into pieces.

The barrier fell apart, dissipating.

This allowed Miroku to move his staff and shove the end into the demon's mouth, tearing through her throat and windpipe. He had attached another talisman to the end, this time it being one of his own sacred sutras. "Repent!" He demanded, yelling at the creature. The demon let out another screech as the sutra exploded with blue light, purifying Yurihime and killing her. Her bones clattered to the floor and Miroku fell onto his back, letting out an exhausted breath.

I watched shakily as the bones, too, faded away. "Sh… She's gone?"

"Finally…" He huffed. Miroku turned his head, looking at me from across the room. "Irene, why didn't you listen to me the first time?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, unwilling to answer. "...Because I don't know how to use the Shikigami? They just… do their own thing?"

"It looked like you had control of it there." He commented, slowly sitting up. His stared at me from over his shoulder. "Don't you have confidence in your abilities? If you don't believe you can use them, you won't be able to. You need to know you can do it."

That's easier said than done. I watched the monk stand, the man walking over. I scowled, crossing my arms over my chest and hugging myself. "I don't know how to do it. I just… ask. And most of the time I don't even do that- they just show up depending on how panicked I am or something. I-I can't control it."

"But you did." He leaned down, smiling at me. I stepped back, uncomfortable by how close he was. "And for that you have my thanks. If you didn't show up when you did I would have been a goner! I figured something was wrong, but to think her demonic barrier would be so powerful to make it hard for me to move…" He turned away, frowning. Miroku appeared deep in thought. "Things could have turned very bad."

"Things did turn out bad-" I began, only to freeze when I felt a hand run along the side of my hip. The worst rose up inside me, leaving me disturbed and feeling violated by his behavior. All of my emotions sank down into an abyss and a blank look took over my face, rage slowly boiling its way up to the top. "-for you…"

"Eh?" Miroku blinked, looking down at me curiously. "Uh, Irene? A-Are you okay? You look quite angry…"

My foot began to tap against the ground rapidly. I was doing everything I could to keep myself from lashing out, barely able to restrain my hatred for his lack of respect towards the feelings and boundaries of women. Tears were stinging my eyes, forming both from my sheer anger at the monk and how violated I felt at being touched inappropriately. "Don't." I took a deep breath, grinding my teeth together. "Don't…"

I can't even speak without being on the verge of completely exploding. Miroku faced me completely, stepping closer. "Don't what? You know you can talk to me, Irene…" His hand reached out again, but he could grab me I reached out and snatched his wrist, digging my nails into his flesh. "Aha-ha-ha, that hurts…"

Hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt, hurt-

I let go, pulling away, before reeling my hand back and smacking him as hard as I could in the arm. Originally I was going to aim for his face, but found myself holding back despite how much I wanted to cause him pain. "I said don't touch me! Ever!" My voice cracked. "I don't like being touched like that!"

"Wh-Why are you crying?" He looked alarmed. Clearly he's never had a girl cry in front of him before- they mostly just expressed anger towards him. "Irene, I-"

"Don't you dare." I snapped, stepping back and pointing a finger at him when I saw him try and get close again. "I will freaking knee you, boy. Don't try it!"

"B-Boy?" He stammered. "I assure you, I'm a man-"

"Miroku!" Sango exclaimed, dashing into the room ready to throw the hiraikotsu. She stopped at once when she saw us. "Wh… What's going on? Irene?" Her eyes took in the situation, the way the monk kept trying to close in on me and how I kept backing up closer to the other side of the room, eyes red from tears. She gripped her weapon tightly. "Wait a second… you filthy pervert! What did you do to her!?"

"H-Hold on a moment, Sango!" Miroku yelped, ducking to avoid her hiraiktosu as she swung it at him. "Gah! Don't kill me!"

"I've told you to leave her alone!" Sango shouted, swinging at him. The monk jumped to the side, ducked down, and leapt in the air- even landing on the weapon at one point to stop her. This only led to her dropping it and aiming with her fists. "You know she's shy, monk! Don't you dare corrupt her!"

"Sh-Shy!? You call that shy!? Irene just threatened me!"

"You probably deserved it!"

"Uwaah! Inuyasha~! Save me!"

The half-demon stood in the doorway with Kagome and Shippō, eyes half lidded. "From what?" He asked, unimpressed. "You're the one who dug the grave, Miroku. Reap what you sow and all that, right? Deal with it."

Kagome sighed, making her way over to me as she avoided the conflict between the demon slayer and the monk. She rested a hand gently on my shoulder, seeing the way I was glaring intently at the ground. "Are you alright, Irene? What happened?" Her arm wrapped around my shoulder and I turned, leaning down with my arms hugging her waist. "Miroku freaked you out really bad, huh? Insensitive jerk."

I hate him. I was going to apologize to him, but I hate him. I can't do it. I want to kick him so hard he can't ever get back up. Rotten, filthy jerk monk. What the hell does Sango see in him? I hope he rots. Why did I even bother trying to save him?

My fingers pulled at Kagome's kimono and I buried my face in her chest, squeezing my eyes shut as I fought the tears.

This place was no different from high school. Full of perverts and gross people.

"Th-That's not true!" Miroku yelped after Sango accused him of something. "I-I was just trying to be nice! She seemed so stressed out about her powers after we defeated the demon, and I-"

The woman paused, one of her wrists caught by Miroku's hands. "Demon? There was a demon in here?"

"Yes! Yurihime was a demon in disguise with a powerful barrier! I followed her in here, but she had me paralyzed by her demonic aura! Then Irene appeared and, together, we destroyed the barrier and defeated the demon!"

"I see." Sango narrowed her eyes. "And that gave you the right to harass Irene?"

"W-Well, th-that's… harass is such a strong word, don't you think?"

A loud smack echoed in the room as she hit her hand across his face.

Chapter Text

Recovering from the mansion was rough. We had to locate the remaining weapons that belonged to Sango, and change back into our regular clothes. Shortly after that Shippō received a letter from a demon, demanding a duel. Rather than heading straight to the town we wound up detouring to Raimei Valley where the group ended up being separated and Shippō got captured in a cheap trick to avoid fighting.

I was almost thrown off a cliff because of the freaking boulder that was sent hurtling down at us, but by some miracle and feat of strength I managed to grab onto the edge before I was completely blown off. Inuyasha, who had saved Kagome, jumped down and grabbed me before I could lose my grip and tumble into the abyss below. Sango and Miroku were out of sight with Kirara, and Shippō was just gone.

We ended up following his scent to the home of the Thunder Demon Clan- who were the same people that killed his father. The remaining sibling of the brothers that were slaughtered and the only surviving member of the clan was Sōten. She was a small child that hated Inuyasha for what he did, but knew she couldn't beat him or anyone else in the group and aimed to take down Shippō instead. In actuality, the girl was just lonely.

In the end the two actually became friends and we continued on our journey. Finally, after almost a whole week of travelling, we arrived at the castle town. It seemed… rather normal for a town supposedly being haunted by a very powerful and evil half-demon.

"Are we sure this is where Naraku's at?" I asked, uncertain. There were so many people and it appeared to be bustling with activity, and yet… it seemed so dull and empty at the same time. "This place is…"

"Gloomy?" Kagome offered, smiling nervously at me. "I feel like something bad's happened…"

"I do as well." Miroku said, stepping forward and sweeping his staff side-to-side as if to ward off evil. He brought his hands together in a prayer. "Perhaps it is a sign of Naraku's influence? Either way, we must investigate. Shall we split up?"

"No way." Inuyasha was the first to protest, startling everyone. He was frowning deeply, arms crossed with his hands in his sleeves. "Last time that happened Naraku snuck up on us with Kagura and locked Irene away. She barely survived it. There's no way we're splitting up after that."

"Yeah," Sango agreed, "and when I left Irene alone she wound up getting hurt by Kohaku… I can't rest easy if she's by herself." Her eyes narrowed she glanced at the monk. "And I don't want her near Miroku in case he tries anything again."

The monk laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Now, now, Sango; you know I didn't mean any harm."

"I know that, but she doesn't. See?" Sango raised a hand pointed, gesturing to where I was hiding behind Kagome. "She's scared of you now. The other night she was so determined to be friends, but now…"

Miroku blinked, eyes widening. "Wait, really? Irene-" He turned, walking over to talk to me, but stopped when he saw me dart over to Inuyasha the second he was a few feet away from the middle schooler. His hand dangled uselessly in the air. "-oh my…"

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder, giving me a weird look, before rolling his eyes. "Scaredy-cat."

"Shut up!" I huffed. I refused to even look at the monk. "I mean, you're not wrong, but shut up."

Kagome tilted her head, watching us, before asking, "Do you think they have a bathouse here? We've been camping for days… the mansion feels like forever ago. We were barely out of the baths for an hour when we had to go fight all those demons. We wound up being covered in sweat and blood. It's disgusting."

"You don't need a bath." Inuyasha told her, pulling his arm away and yanking his sleeve out of my hands. He started to walk towards the girl. "You don't even smell that bad."

As he sniffed her hair Kagome let out a shriek and pushed him away. "You're awful! Sit, sit, sit! Bad dog! How could you, Inuyasha!?" The half-demon was unable to give an answer as his face met the ground, the boy sinking deeper into the earth with each incantation. "Just stay down! Jeez. Give a girl a break."

I shook my head at them, "Should we get going? I mean, I appreciate the concern… but we gotta make sure Naraku is actually here, don't we? Otherwise we came all this way for nothing."

Sango nodded. "Yes, let's. This time we stay together as a group- no more separating. Irene, stay by me or Inuyasha, okay? We'll keep you safe."

Inuyasha let out a huff as he picked his face out of the dirt. "Thanks for volunteering me for babysitting duty."

"Anytime!" Sango grinned. "Glad to help."

There was no easy way going about this. The castle town was even bigger than Kasasagi, with triple the amount of people. It was suffocating.

Miroku hit on every woman he saw and Sango even had to drag him away from what I believed was a brothel, and Inuyasha ended up stopping a robbery from taking place. A man was even hiding in an alleyway attempting to hide from any possible demons or muggers, scared of being attacked. Apparently people were going missing, like Miroku and Sango had claimed so long ago when we first met, and cattle were indeed disappearing.

It was when we were chatting about how we were going to get into the castle that a young boy ran up to us, tackling my leg and nearly knocking me down. "Wh-Whoa!" I yelped, waving my arms in an attempt to catch myself. I looked down at the boy. "Uh, hi?"

"Are you going to the castle?" The child asked, looking up at me. Something in his expression… bothered me. He looked so scared. "C-Can I ask you a favor?"

I turned, looking at the child and kneeling down to eye-level. I offered a smile. "Yeah, of course! What is it?" I watched as he held out a small object, a pinwheel tied together by string and what I could only assume was the feudal-era's version of glue.

"Will you take this to my sister? She works in the castle. I-I made it for her."

"Oh?" I blinked. That explained why it looked the way it did. I reached out and took it from him, admiring it. "That was nice of you."

Kagome knelt down, hands on her knees. "You really miss your sister, don't you?"

"No!" The boy exclaimed, face turning pink. He turned away, embarrassed. "She's the one who gets upset. She always cries 'cause she's not home and can't see me. S-So tell her to hang in there for me, okay? I don't like it when she's upset."

This is the sweetest thing I've ever heard and, god freaking darn it, I'm about to cry. "Th-That makes sense. Yeah. I'll give it to her, promise."

He nodded at me, looking away and back again. The boy was really embarrassed; it was so adorable. "Th-Thanks. My name is Juzo, by the way. My sister is Otoki. Make sure you find her!"

"Yes, yes!" I held up the pinwheel. "I'll even give her a hug for you!"

"D-Don't go that far!" He stammered. "I-I don't miss her, I tell you! And hey- madam!" The boy looked over his shoulder at the woman standing by the… shop? There was a sign, but I couldn't read the language so I wasn't sure what kind of building it was. The woman in front of it trying to get customers was dressed rather nicely. She looked at us, hearing the boy shout. "These people are heading to the castle!"

"What?" Her eyes widened. "Really?" The woman walked into the building, calling out to whoever was inside. "Everyone- we have some people going to the castle!"

"W-Wait just a minute." Sango said, stepping forward. "We're not even certain how we're going to get in yet."

No one seemed to hear her as they all came out of the building at once, multiple women asking things such as "Why" and "When are you going" to "Is this for real".

Shippō was startled by their frantic behavior and asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "What's going on in the castle? Something bad?" One of the women nodded, cradling her hands close to her chest.

"Yes… We're the wives of the Samurai who went into the castle, but our husbands haven't returned. They were supposed to be guarding the lord and slaying the demons that got in."

"It's been months!" Another lady cried, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "I fear the worst… What if the demons have taken control of the castle? It'll only be a matter of time before we're next."

The third woman reached out and pressed a hand to the lady's shoulder, horrified. "Don't say such things! I'm sure they're fine; they're well-trained with the sword! We just… have to be a bit more patient, you know?"

"We really miss them…" A fourth woman murmured. "I just got married to my husband and… because of the demons…"

"I-I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say. The pinwheel felt heavy in my hands. "That's awful…"

Kagome nodded, saddened. "It's hard work being a samurai."

"Yes!" The first woman said. She stepped forward, grabbing Sango's hands. "We gathered today to try and discuss how to get food to our husbands, but if you all are going to the castle…"

"You want us to take the food for you?" The demon slayer asked curiously. "That's why you wanted to know if we were heading to the castle?"

She and the other women nodded. "My name is Shino, by the way. The others are Katsue, Matsu, and Naka. Please, would you do us this favor? We would be forever in your debt." She looked at us pleadingly, desperation on all of the women's faces. They truly cared about their significant others. It was heartbreaking, thinking about how the men might be dead. Even the little boy's sister could be. "I beg of you!"

"I…" I looked at Kagome and Sango helplessly, every fiber of my being trying to get me to agree. "Can we? Th-They really want us to…"

"Hey, what are you saying?" Inuyasha demanded. "We can't go charging into Naraku's castle with a bucket load of items!"

Kagome shook her head at him. "It's fine, don't worry about, Inuyasha. We can take a bit more with us. Besides, it's for a good cause."

"We're going to the castle anyway," Sango added, unable to say no to the woman looking so desperately at her, clinging to her hands, "we might as well."

Shino almost burst into tears, leaning down and bringing Sango's hands close to her face. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Girls, get the rice balls! Hurry."

Naka, Katsue, and Matsu dashed into the building for a few minutes, coming back out only once they had the food- wrapped up and ready to be delivered. Shino handed them to Kagome, who carefully set them in her backpack.

"My husband is named Yukimura." She told us. "Thank you again."

"Yes! You're a blessing from the buddha!"

"Um, if you lovely ladies don't mind me asking," Miroku stepped forward, flashing them a charming smile, "would you mind telling us the direction the castle? This town is very big and it's easy to get lost here."

"Oh, yes, of course!" Matsu exclaimed. She gestured to the path before us, "Just keep going down this way and turn left. After a few more twists and turns, you'll have to make a right and go left again. The castle will be on the mountain up there."

"Thank you, miss. I wish you peace." He clapped his hands together in a prayer and bowed, and proceeded to walk away with a heavy sigh. "It's a shame they're all married…"

Sango pulled her hands away from Shino and made a face at Miroku, following after. "Better keep your thoughts to yourself, monk."

I stared at the pinwheel as we walked, watching as the wind blew its little make-shift wheel and causing it to spin. With any luck the girl would still be alive… her brother's feelings really went into this. I could see it, just from the design. He really loved her, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Otoki, please… be safe.

Allow me to give this to you. Someone cares deeply and is waiting for you.

Don't let Naraku steal you away.

Sango glanced back at me, noticing how I was being unusually quiet. She slowed her walk until she was next to me, speaking quietly, "Everything alright…?" I blinked, looking at her in surprise.

"H-Huh? Oh, uh, yeah… sorry. I just, um," I held up the pinwheel awkwardly, "was thinking. He really cares about her, you know? His sister."

She smiled sadly. "Yeah… he does. I hope we can find her."

"Me too." I nodded.

Inuyasha held an arm and stopped us from walking any further down the road, ears twitching. "Did you guys hear that? Near the castle… someone is talking about the lord."

"The castle lord?" Shippō asked, confused. "What about him?"

Inuyasha didn't answer. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

We had to follow the half-demon down two different alleys before we found who he was looking for. It was a crazy chase of cat-and-mouse, yet no one in our group was named Tom or Jerry. Not even Kyo or Yuki. It was highly disappointing. It took around eight minutes to hunt the guy down in the crowds, and we only located him because everyone in the area was avoiding him.

"Our lord has gone mad!" He cried. "He's possessed! Possessed by demons, I say!"

Inuyasha snuck up behind him, leaning over his shoulder. "Got any proof?" The man jumped and whirled around, but didn't freak out over the silver hair or dog ears. I guess most people were used to half-demons, even if they didn't care about them. It was sad. "Tell me what you know now."

"His eyes!" The man declared. "The look in his eyes have changed! The lord swears, and he has become extremely violent! If he doesn't like you he'll have you executed right there on the spot! Not even the maidens that work there are spared! He's gone as far as kicking me, Nizaemon, his chief counselor, out!"

Shippō looked at Inuyasha, grinning a little. "That sounds like someone else I know!"

"What're you lookin' at me for?" The half-demon snapped. "You're still alive, aren't you?"

Nizaemon pretended not to hear the argument, looking at Miroku. "He's acting as though he's possessed! It's the work of demons; I'm certain of it!"

"Are we sure he's not just talking about Inuyasha? He has a hot temper." Shippō commented again, picking on his friend. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, glaring down at the fox.

"I won't forget you said that."

Nizaemon shook his head. "I don't know about your situation, but… our lord used to be a kind man- always looking out for us. If things keep going this way the castle and its long history will be ruined! Our lord and his kingdom- lost!"

I made a face, really not liking the sounds of this. "It might be Naraku after all… he's possessed people before, right? He could be hiding in the castle like you guys said."

Kagome nodded. "Yes. He can shapeshift, too. We need to find out what's going on."

"The castle is just down this road!" Nizaemon said, "Just keep heading that way!"

We followed his instructions and wound up at the entrance, but the guards… wouldn't let us through. They found Inuyasha and Shippō suspicious, claiming they were monsters and needed to be destroyed, and even went so far as to threaten me and Kagome because of our appearances. They were especially rude to me, declaring that I must be a foreign spy. Sango and Miroku had to hold them back while Inuyasha took Kagome and ran off, Kirara transforming and carrying me on her back.

Miroku and Sango met up with us back at the building from before, which was quickly revealed to be an inn. I dangled tiredly from Kirara's back, body worn from the panic attack I had thanks to the guards trying to attack us. The gang, excluding me, were just discussing how to best go about getting inside again when a familiar face walked out from the back room into the main hall.

"Is that…?" The Kasasagi Headman blinked, staring at us with a smile slowly spreading across his face. "It is! Everyone, how good it is to see you here!"

What…?

Inuyasha squinted at the man, stepping forward and quickly hiding me from view with his arm. "You're the Headman from Kasasagi Town! The hell are you doin' here?" The smile dropped from the older man's face.

"Well… I have to bring my yearly taxes to the castle. But I've heard that there are demons in there."

I sat up, clutching the pinwheel tightly. "Seriously? S… So there are demons… inside?"

"Wait a minute!" Shippō cried out, looking confused. "What are taxes?"

"It's money they give to the lord, as thanks for his protection." Kagome explained. I made a face at that. "It helps the economy."

"You say that, but…" I trailed off, recalling the nightmare that was the government back in my time period. For being a great country, America sure was falling part thanks to our last few presidents. People used to be able to escape there and live peacefully for the most part, but now it's as if the holocaust was happening all over again. It was disgusting. "You know what? Never mind. I'm not gonna say anything."

Kagome looked at me strangely, but didn't speak up. Shippō tilted his head, not understanding. "Why can't the people just protect themselves? That's what we do back in Kaede's village…" Kagome blinked at the question.

"I… think you're too young to understand."

"What do you mean?" The child asked. Inuyasha walked over, kneeling down and placing a hand on the fox demons head. "Inuyasha?"

"Basically, cowards can't protect themselves so the braver ones step in. That's why they give them money. Like how we sometimes get paid for slaying demons and helping out villagers."

"Ohh~ I get it!"

That wasn't how it worked at all, but it was nice seeing them act this way; for a moment everything felt peaceful. I could almost forget all the times our lives were threatened. That I wasn't even home. This felt so normal and safe, these two just having a conversation about taxes and how the economy was involved. I found myself wanting to despise it.

Kagome tried to explain some more, but it flew over their heads and Miroku laughed- amused that not even Inuyasha understood.

I slid off of Kirara and made my way over to Sango, wrapping my arms around her waist and hugging her- face pressed to her side as I leaned down. It took only a few seconds to pass for me to realize I was hugging her the same way I used to do with Maria. My heart sank into my stomach, but I gained some comfort when Sango moved her arm and rested her hand on my back- reciprocating the embrace while standing straight.

The Headman looked at me, now able to actually see where I was since Inuyasha was blocking me from view. "You! Oh, how good it is to see you again! I still can't thank you enough for what you did!" He walked forward, catching the curiosity of Sango and Miroku. They were told about Kasasagi, but they weren't informed about how the Headman's villagers and guards beat me up. "How are you faring? Did your wounds heal well?"

"...Yes…" He wasn't going to hit on me again, was he? I prayed not. "You? Did your house get rebuilt?"

He nodded, smiling brightly. "The townsfolk were quite generous in helping."

"That's good." I pressed my face to Sango's side, hiding. Miroku stared at us, looking almost envious. Aha! Take that, pervert. Feel the jealousy. You'll never get to hug Sango like this. She's my best friend, not yours. Unless you guys… actually wind up together somehow. Hrm. He better not cheat on her; I'll burn him. "Villagers are nice."

"...Irene. I've talked and scolded them for their behavior." The Headman said, voice serious. "They'll never hurt you again."

Miroku blinked, eyes wide. He turned his gaze to the man. "What? Did something happen?"

"Nothing I'm not used to." I muttered, pulling away from Sango and wrapping my arms around myself. I grabbed the pinwheel out of my pocket, fiddling with it and watching the wheel turn. I was scared it might break if left alone for too long. "They saw my face on the poster and… just beat me up. By the time I was put in the cell, I was spitting blood and vomiting." I gave a shrug. "It's fine."

"It is not fine." Miroku pressed, stepping forward. Why was he acting so protective all of a sudden? Did he feel guilty for touching me earlier? Doubt it. "Harming a beautiful young woman such as yourself is a crime! How did you even get away?"

I blinked, tilting my head to the side and trying to remember. "Uh… the Shikigami healed me. Oh! And then I made the wall explode." I grinned, feeling quite proud of myself for that accomplishment. I looked up at the monk with a brilliant smile. "I snuck past the guards and everything! But then they saw me when I was… was I in the water? Or was it after? Hmm. Well, they saw me and I climbed onto the roof, and they shot me with arrows, and then I fell off the roof and hid in some hay! Then I found Inuyasha!"

I turned, smiling at the half-demon. He made a face. I faced Miroku and Sango again, waving my free arm in the air as I spoke cheerfully.

"It's all good now! I took a nap and we fought Kagura, and then I met you guys!"

"You sound way too casual about all this." Inuyasha commented, frowning. "You were nearly killed."

"But I wasn't! So it's fine." That's life now. Nearly dying. It's terrifying when it's happening, but then you recover. I still have nightmares frequently, but they aren't as bad when I'm next to Sango. She makes me feel safe. "Anyway!" I cleared my throat. "We need to get to the castle, right? W-We could… uh, probably go with the headman? Keep him safe from demons and all that, and being able to get in?"

"Oh, you would do that!?" The man looked greatly relieved. "Thank you! You're so kind as always. Truly."

If these people keep saying that… I'm going to start to believe it. Please stop.

"You're our only hope." Inuyasha said, frowning at the headman. "Don't let us down."

…

Now that we knew how to get to the castle it went by faster this time. The guards tried to scare us off again, threatening to kill us, but the headman quickly stepped up and raised his hands. "Please, wait! These are my soldiers. After what happened in my village with the demons, I hired them to protect me. They follow me wherever I go."

The man narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, scrutinizing his appearance. "He's a half-demon, isn't he?"

"Yes. Which makes him perfect for the job! He's stronger than regular humans."

"...I see. And the foreigner?"

"My betrothed." I almost choked on my spit. Sango looked at me with big eyes and Kagome raised her eyebrows, Miroku bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "We met not too long ago. Please, will you let them pass? I need to pay my taxes."

Inuyasha's ear twitched and he snapped, "Are you gonna let us through or not!?"

"Hey!" Kagome scolded, looking at him with a frown. "Be nice, will you? I'm sorry," She told the guard, "he's just doing his job. He's very impatient."

Miroku nodded fervently. "Yes. Inuyasha is very devoted to his work. He practically worships the lord."

The half-demon looked like he was going to hit Miroku, but thought better of it at the moment. He watched the guard squint, thinking deeply, before writing something down on paper and gesturing to the door. "Fine. You can go through." Inuyasha's face cleared up and he became much happier.

"Why didn't he just let us do that from the start?" He asked as we walked past the gates, entering castle grounds. "Honestly; what a waste of time."

Shippō snorted. "I thought we weren't gonna get through because of you."

"At least we made it!" Kagome said, looking on the bright side of things. "And it's all thanks to the headman."

"Who I don't even remember agreeing to marry." I stated in a deadpan, very uncomfortable with the lie that was told. "When did this happen?"

"It was just to help you pass." The headman claimed as we neared the castle doors. "A little act. Foreigners aren't trusted too kindly here, I'm afraid, even if it's just to sell merchandise or trade."

How lovely.

...Not.

Wait, what's that? I stopped walking, feeling something cold wash over me. Was this… dread? Something bad was coming from the castle; I could feel it. Whatever lied inside there… wasn't going to be good. Is this what's called a demonic aura? It feels so suffocating. Like in that room with Yurihime a few days ago… but stronger.

"There's no doubt about it." Miroku suddenly spoke up, looking at the castle with determined eyes. "Naraku is here. I can sense the presence of many demons inside."

"Me too." Sango agreed, frowning. "Headman, you should go back to the inn. It'll be dangerous up ahead."

"O-Okay… I won't argue!" He turned around, dashing right back to the gates and heading into safety. "Be careful!"

I remained close to the demon slayer, heart starting to pound when we neared the doors. Inuyasha stopped us, his nose twitching, and he drew his sword. There was a few seconds of silence before the doors began to shake, a large foot kicking them down. A one-eyed demon appeared, over ten feet tall, ducking down under the frame and staring at us. Shippō screeched.

"Wh-Why are there such big demons here!?"

Inuyasha laughed. "I was expecting you!"

The demon bared its fangs and climbed out, standing straight and glaring down at us. "I won't let you pass." It told us. Its voice was garbled and definitely inhuman. "You will join the others in my belly! Raaaah!"

"Just try it!" Inuyasha barked, charging, letting out a battle cry. "Prepare to die! Yah!" The half-demon jumped into the air, slashing at the demon with his sword. The giant ogre laughed and raised his hands, body emitting a green mist. It covered the area and Sango quickly leapt back, grabbing her hiraikotsu and swinging it through the air. "What!?"

Inuyasha shouted when he saw the mist, only to get smacked away by the demon's large hand. Kagome cried out his name when she saw the half-demon slam hard into the castle's stone walls. The hiraikotsu slashed at the demon's chest, tearing into its flesh, but the skin started to regenerate- leaving the attack utterly useless. Sango caught her hiraikotsu and stumbled back, alarmed. "He can heal himself!?"

"What's with this green mist!?" Miroku demanded, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve. "Is it poison!?"

It had already reached over to us, and I was left waving a hand in front of my face trying to bat the mist away as I coughed. It left my throat very dry. "I-I don't know!"

"My mist can seal your powers." The demon declared, grinning at us. Inuyasha pushed himself up, glaring at the demon. "I was warned about your sword and the girl's control over spirits. With this you can't use that menacing Wind Scar of yours, Inuyasha."

"He knows who I am?" The half-demon hissed. "So you do work for Naraku!"

The demon simply laughed. "Is that what that monster is called? I am an incarnation, created with the soul purpose of destroying you. My name is Dokumoryu." Miroku narrowed his eyes and propped his staff against his chest, reaching out and taking off the prayer beads wrapped around his right hand. Dokumoryu whirled his head around to glare at the monk, single eye glimmering cruelly. "Don't even think about trying that, monk. Not unless you want to shorten your lifespan considerably."

He gestured with his head to the castle walls, where a buzzing could be heard as an incredible amount of Saimyōshō rose to the air- revealing their presence. Miroku clicked his tongue, wrapping his hand back up.

"You have to fight me on your own strength. No powers or tricks." The demon cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. Each step caused a loud thud to echo. I felt cold. "Inuyasha! Sango! Miroku! Kagome! Irene! Face me and die!"

Shippō hid behind my legs, shaking as he looked up at the demon. "W-Wait, what about me? How come I wasn't mentioned!?"

Can I not use the Shikigami? How am I supposed to fight or heal the others? I can't do anything without help from the spirits. I'm useless now. "Sh-Shippō, it's probably a-a good thing. Means you'll get to live."

"B-But what about you guys!?"

Sango stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. "We'll just have to keep fighting until we locate a weakness. He can't regenerate forever."

"Ha!" Dokumoryu laughed again. "Confident, aren't you? Let's see you try."

"Damn it~!" Inuyasha screamed, running angrily at the demon. "Wind Scar or not, I can still tear you to shreds! Tetsusaiga~!" He swung with his sword, leaping and slashing at the beast. Miroku pulled out a couple of sacred sutras, but he couldn't get them to light up with his spiritual power. He ended up having to resort to charging with his staff, which- as expected- didn't do as much damage. The monk ended up getting tossed back by the demon's foot, crashing and rolling along the ground quite painfully. Sango cried out his name, but the distraction allowed her to get thrown as well. "Sango, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted, before focusing his attention on the demon as he dodged an attack. "How dare you!"

"My arrows!" Kagome noted with dread, seeing the way they just pierced the demon and didn't melt some of his flesh. "Th-They're not purifying him!"

Miroku pushed himself up, grabbing onto his wounded arm. It looked broken. "When he said he sealed all our powers… he really meant all of them. I can't even use my sutras, and my staff… it won't purify either. Kagome, I hate to say it… but you, Irene, and I are totally useless in this battle. I can't even use my Wind Tunnel without sucking up the poisonous insects."

Shippō looked pained. "This can't be happening… Is this even a battle we can win?"

It has to be. I stared at my hands, trying to recall any of the spirits that had helped me thus far. The dog, the two koi fish, the dragon, the ox… were they truly out of my reach now because of this mist? Could I not use the flames at all?

"What can we do…?" I asked no one, distraught. My voice cracked. "We can't fight like this!"

Only Sango and Inuyasha could battle the demon. They relied on weapons and their own strength more than spirits or demonic energy. They were our strongest players in this game of life-and-death. Frick.

"We're done for!" Shippō wailed. "I don't to die!"

No, No, no, no. He won't die. No one will have to die.

So why did it feel like it was going to happen? The sutras were useless, my powers were useless, Kagome can't use her arrows, and Shippō won't even be able to use his fox magic. Our part in this battle was worth nothing. Even back in the mansion with the demonic aura paralyzing the monk, we were still able to use the sutras thanks to Kakuju's help. If he hadn't put his power into those sutras to help us work together, then…

I snapped my head over to Miroku, eyes wide. "Miroku! The talismans!" I dashed over to the monk, sliding painfully on my knees, but I didn't cry out. Miroku looked at me and frowned, shaking his head. "Give me one!"

"They won't work. Without my spiritual power-"

"We don't need your spiritual power; we have Kakuju's!"

"What?" Realization dawned on his face. "Oh, of course! He added his own power to those sutras!" He used his good hand to pull out the parchment, forcing himself up onto his feet. "Why didn't I think of that before? You're getting a lot better at this, Irene!"

"Thanks, it's the trauma!" I responded, casting a nervous glance up at the battle. Sango and Inuyasha were still going strong against the demon, but they were sporting several injuries now. "O-Okay, how should we do this? Um. Frick, frackity, fruck, fruck."

We can't have him get close again; Miroku already has a broken arm. Kagome was making her way over to him now, medicine kit in her hands. Could he throw it? I don't know how strong Kakuju's spiritual power is.

"Give it to me-!" I took the sutras from the monk, cursing myself for these idiotic ideas, and dashed forward out of breath. "S-Sango! He… Here!"

I held the talismans up in the air for her to see as she flipped back, landing on her feet and skidding against the dirt. She turned her head to look at me. The talismans were glowing with a faint red aura. "What is it!?"

"Just take them! Put them on your weapon!"

It had to work. If only a little. Sango nodded at me and picked up her hiraikotsu, starting to run over, but Dokumoryu had other ideas. "I don't think so!" He shouted, stomping his way over, reaching out to grab her with his large hand before she could get over to me. Inuyasha charged, running at the demon as fast as he could, blade held high.

"You seriously think I'll let you touch her!? Dream on, ugly!" Inuyasha insulted, digging his sword into the demon's wrist. Dokumoryu cried out and retracted his arm, given Sango enough time to snatch the talismans and plant them on her hiraikotsu. "Hurry, Sango! Do it now!"

Her weapon started to shine with a red light. Feeling the burst of strength, she swung her hiraikotsu around her multiple times before letting go- allowing it to swing at the demon even faster than before. It even appeared to be sharper, or was that just my imagination? "Have a taste of this!" She remarked, digging her feet in the ground as she watched it fly. The hiraikotsu rammed hard into the demon's belly, slicing it open, blood spurting out. Normally the flesh would have started to close, but now…

"What!?" Dokumoryu demanded, glaring at his new wound. "Why isn't it healing!? What did you do!? Monk! How did you use your spiritual powers!?"

Miroku huffed, grinning at the demon. "They weren't mine. The power of the Shikigami belonged to someone else. A new friend, you could say."

"Damn you~!" His gaze turned to me, knowing I was the only Shikigami user on the team. He knew nothing of the old man who taught me how to use my powers. "I'll kill you first!"

"Irene, Miroku!" Inuyasha shouted, seeing the damage the demon took from the Hiraikotsu. "It's working! Give me one! He can't regenerate when he's hit by those!"

The monk quickly fished a sutra out of his kimono, but the demon was heading straight towards me. I tried to move out of the way, but the thickness of the mist had me dizzy. Sango shouted and threw her weapon again, only to have it miss from the demon's movement.

Inuyasha was chasing right after the demon, but was unable to help in time. I screeched and dove to the side, but then Dokumoryu wrapped his fingers around me and threw me high into the air. I screamed like a banshee as my body was tossed like a rag doll, so much so that I couldn't even hear anything anymore. The air whipped around so fast and hard I couldn't see, and the next thing I knew I was hurtling towards the ground at a pace that there was no way I could survive.

I was going to splatter the moment by body hit the ground.

Oh gods.

Humans aren't supposed to be this high off the earth. I could feel myself moving closer and closer to the bottom. It was such a rush, horrible and intense all at once. Heart pounding so loudly I could hear it in my ears; in fact, it was the only thing I could hear as I hurtled down towards the earth below.

M… Maria-! I haven't found Maria!

I can't be falling, I can't be dying, I can't go out like this! I was falling so fast I couldn't even move my arms or legs due to the wind pressure. It was too difficult. Oh gods, I'm going to die. I can't believe this is happening. Holy shit. Frick. Oh no.

I-I-!

I haven't even delivered the pinwheel to Otoki yet. I promised her brother and now…

Somebody~!

My eyes squeezed tightly shut. So much rushed through my mind; I couldn't focus on one particular thing. I was maybe forty feet from the ground now. Thirty.

I don't want to die!

Twenty. Fifteen. My body tensed as it braced itself for pain. It was going to happen so fast; a splat! And then darkness. I'm not ready. Why is this happening? Oh gods. Oh gods, it's going to hit, it's going to kill me; I'm going to die! No!

"Irene!"

My body hit something and… bounced? Eyes shooting open I let out a horrified squeal, still bouncing a few more times before coming to a complete stop on something… soft? Rubbery, almost. Pink. Shook, breathing completely shallow and almost hyperventilating, I wheezed and looked down.

"A-Are you okay!?" Shippō. That was his voice… coming from this giant pink ball I was on? How? We floated higher in the air and the giant pink ball let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… I was scared I was gonna be too late. Miroku grabbed Kirara, but…"

As if hearing her name be spoken the cat demon flew up, letting out a roar. The monk looked relieved. "That was a close one… nice catch, Shippō!"

"Thanks!" He floated closer to them. "Can you take her? I don't think my body can handle holding her for much longer…"

He nodded. I was still trying to figure out what the heck happened. Was this a transformation of his? I didn't see it before. Was this how he survived the fall the other day when Sōten sent him flying with the boulder off the mountain? Frick. If I hadn't grabbed that ledge in time… eugh. I don't want to think about it. I'm really tired of falling.

Kirara moved closer and Miroku held his good hand out for me to take, setting his staff in his lap. His bad arm was wrapped in a sling, probably courtesy of Kagome. She certainly worked fast. Though reluctant to be anywhere near him this was no time to be arguing, so I grabbed his wrist and jumped- heart pounding fearfully the entire time.

The second my feet left Shippō's transformed self I yelped, finding myself clinging tightly onto the monk's arm and kicking my feet until he pulled up onto Kirara's back. "H-Holy frick…" Oh my gods. I wheezed, looking down at the ground far below us. Do they do this often? Jesus. "That was terrifying. Okay. Okay. We're good. I'm good."

Miroku chuckled. "Don't you worry, Irene. You're safe with me. The mist doesn't reach up here."

His hand dared to touch my inner thigh.

There was no hesitation this time; my fist shot up to clock him in the jaw- nearly sending him off of Kirara's back. "Gah! Owww~! W-Was that really necessary?" He cried, rubbing his bruising chin. "That hurt…"

I sent him a dark glare, tired of his behavior, ignoring the pain in my knuckles. "I said to stop. No means no, monk. Not yes. No. Do it again and I'll push you off."

"Fine~!" He sighed.

Shippō transformed back into his normal self and shook his head. "Honestly, he never learns."

The fox demon landed on the ground and looked at the battle. Kagome was trying to shoot arrows into Dokumoryu's open stomach, dealing more damage by hitting him where it hurt, and Sango was still slicing with her hiraikotsu. Unfortunately, though, some of the sutras on her weapon looked like they were getting burnt up. They wouldn't last much longer. Inuyasha had one on his sword, but the demonic energy was tearing it up fast.

"Miroku," I began, squinting and looking down at them, "do… do you think you can take out some of those, uh… talisman thingies? Please?"

He blinked. The monk no longer seemed bothered by his red chin. My knuckles were hurting badly from when I hit him and I tried not to feel guilt for causing the man pain, but it was hard. I hated hurting others, even if they did seem to deserve it. "Of course, but what are you going to do with them? Give them to Inuyasha?"

We were out of the mist by now. It couldn't reach us up here.

"W-Well, I mean… I was going to earlier, but now…?"

I had an idea. I doubted it would work, but since I was the summoner it shouldn't directly effect the spirits. The only reason I couldn't do anything was because I was in the green mist, right? I think that was how it worked. Dokumoryu bragged a lot about how we couldn't use any special abilities while standing it. Not that our special abilities couldn't be used from outside to reach inside. We were at least fifty feet off the ground. Maybe sixty. Kirara had flown pretty high up back into the air after I was saved. "I-I want to try a thing. You said… um. You said that I should… believe in my powers. That I could do it. S-So… I want to…"

The teamwork that occurred back in the mansion- I wanted to try that again. This time more confidently. I tightened my grip on Kirara's fur, nervous and scared and so many other things at once. My emotions were running rampant and it was taking all I had to keep it under control. I could feel the flames flickering about my fingers, blue and desiring to help.

"I want to… use them… with you. Again."

He stared at me, eyes wide. A soft smile spread across his face. He nodded.

"Then let's work together." He pulled out four talismans from his robe and closed his eyes in a prayer, Kirara moving close to Dokumoryu yet remaining just high enough to avoid getting caught in the green mist. She let out a small growl, seeing the way Inuyasha and Sango were struggling. The hiraikotsu was barely doing damage anymore, the sutras completely worn out of their power. Miroku opened his eyes, seeing the way the talismans lit up brightly. "Alright, Irene. Can you communicate with the Shikigami?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked at the items in his hold, shaking. I had to do this. I could do this. The Shikigami would listen. They've done so almost every time thus far, right? The only time they didn't was in the caves with Kohaku. I took a deep breath and exhaled, knitting my eyebrows together and trying to focus.

Please…

My friends are in danger. I have to help them.

Shikigami, give me your strength.

Red light danced around my fingers and I raised a hand up, reaching out to touch the glowing talismans. The red light flickered blue and Miroku watched in fascination. He grinned determinedly, raising up the shimmering sutras, and instructed Kirara to fly over until we were directly above Dokumoryu's head.

"Here goes…!" He started to shout, thrusting his arm out and sending the sutras flying towards the demon. "It's time for you to end!"

"What!?" The demon exclaimed, looking up when hearing the monk's voice. This caused the flaming talismans to land directly on Dokumoryu's face, steam smoking upwards as the sutras melted and burned away at his flesh. I could smell the rotten stench from all the way up here. "Ahhhhh! This is-!? How!? This is impossible! Raaaah!"

He tried to claw it off, but to no avail. Inuyasha ran forward and dug his sword into Dokumoryu's exposed stomach innards, running along his body and slicing him half. The demon grabbed pitifully at his lower half, trying to reattach himself, but Miroku and I sent several more talismans at Dokumoryu's torso, preventing him from regenerating. Sango quickly covered her sword in poison, which she had hiding in her kimono, and dragged her blade across the insides of his lower half.

It was a very gruesome, grotesque end towards the battle… but it got the job done.

Due to the severe damage Dokumoryu was sustaining, he was unable to keep the mist spreading out of his body. With enough time it dissipated and, after Miroku and I slapped a few more talismans onto Inuyasha's sword and Sango's hiraikotsu, they were able to cut the demon up into enough pieces until his body disintegrated. It was… horrifying, to say the least, but we were alive.

And everyone was exhausted. How the frick did Sango even fight in her kimono like she did? She didn't have any time to put on her armor earlier save for what she had underneath her regular outfit, yet the slayer still wrecked that freaking demon. She was a majestic queen.

We all took a breather, but if the Saimyōshō were here… Naraku knew we were as well.

Sango, as mentioned before, wasn't wearing her full armor so she quickly took off and changed behind some bushes. I stumbled over to the group with Miroku and Kirara by my side, barely standing. "W... What the frick was that!?" I demanded, still vividly remembering how the demon had tossed me like a ragdoll into the sky.

"He said he was an incarnation." Miroku said, frowning deeply. "That meant Naraku created him to keep us out of here. I can't imagine what we might encounter inside."

Kagome brought her hands to her chest, worried. "Do you think everyone that worked in the castle is okay? There's no miasma, so I don't think they're dead…"

Shippō shook his head incredulously, eyes wide. "How could they have survived with these crazy demons in there!?"

"We need to proceed with caution." Sango said as she stepped forward, dressed and ready for more battles. "Let's go."

Now that the guardian was out of the way, we were able to actually enter the castle. Shortly after we encountered a soldier who had been badly wounded, unable to move. He informed us that there were several more people hiding inside the castle, scared of being found by ghosts and demons.

"Please," He begged, "save them."

Kagome tended to his wounds as best as she could, but there was nothing we could do. I was going to try and heal him myself, but I was so exhausted from our previous battle that everyone suggested I save my strength. We would just have to hope that the man managed to escape. He claimed that there were around thirty people in total, but we would have to search high-and-low to find them.

It was terrible.

After pushing through broken floorboards and several demons, we found people hiding in crates and pots, inside empty suits of armor, and even underneath tablecloths. Several were children. We found the dead body of a monk on one of the upper floors of the castle, his apprentice crying in the corner mourning his loss. He gave us a passage key, informing us that we needed to get out of here as quickly as we could lest we all die as well.

The body was rotten and covered in blood, and I almost threw up at the stench.

Heading back down the stairs we located the door on the other side of the castle and used the key, entering the west end. We were getting worn out and there still wasn't any sign of a girl named Otoki. Where was she? She had to be somewhere… right? Many people were still alive, so… surely she was as well? I wanted to believe that.

I had to.

My heart wouldn't accept otherwise. Riding on Kirara's back as we ran through the castle, slaying any demons that got in our way, be they birds or ogres or floating heads, we found our way twisting through several long hallways and rooms into a large spacious area. We could hear screaming up ahead, and Inuyasha quickly took off after the noise.

It turned out a group of men in red armor were being attacked by multiple demons, sustaining bad injuries. The people were led by a man in blue. They weren't castle staff, shown by the way they were holding their own against their attackers, but that didn't mean they would survive the encounter. Inuyasha quickly charged at the weird caterpillar-esque demon, slicing it to ribbons with his claws.

"Die!"

It disintegrated almost instantly. Kagome drew her bow and shot at one of the other remaining demons, purifying it, and while the last demon was distracted Sango dashed forward and decapitated it with her sword. I cringed and looked away as this happened, keeping my eyes trained on Kirara's fur, but I knew the truth despite my actions. I was starting to grow desensitized to all this.

I was just desperate to keep some sense of normalcy.

I waited until they were finished slaying the demons to look up again, still reeling from having fallen and then watching them gut Dokumoryu. I just wanted to take a long nap. I questioned how they were able to do this day-after-day.

"Thank you for helping us!" The leader of the red armored men said, stepping forward and approaching Inuyasha. "We couldn't have survived those demons without you."

"That's alright." Kagome said, smiling softly at them. "I'm glad you're safe. If anyone is hurt, show me. I'll take care of you."

Kirara walked towards them, moving over to Sango, and I stared at the group of men from my spot on the cat demon's back. I wanted to help heal… but no one would let me. I frowned at them, looking over their forms and taking note of just how bad their injuries were. "How… How long have you guys been trapped here? It must have been awful…"

"I'm no longer certain." The man said, shaking his head. "So much has happened, I lost track of the days… We can't thank you enough for saving us. The lord, our king, has been possessed by a demon. The previous soldiers of the castle had been slaughtered by the time we showed up."

"Was Naraku the one who did all this?" Inuyasha demanded, "Do you know?"

Miroku looked at the half-demon. "Kagura showed up pretending to be a castle messenger, remember? It has to be him. When his scent appeared the other day it was leading here to the town."

"In that case, let's hurry up and kill them!"

"Wait, Inuyasha!" Sango stepped forward, holding a hand out to stop him. "Do you even have his scent?"

Inuyasha huffed, turning his head. "He's probably hiding behind that damned barrier of his again. Making it a puzzle to find him... Bastard."

Footsteps could be heard as a man dashed into the room, also wearing armor. "Yukimura! It's horrible! All the soldiers in the second unit that were fighting in the tower have been wiped out!"

"What!?" The man in blue exclaimed, anger and fear taking over his expression. "The second unit… that means we're all that's left to protect the castle!"

Wait a minute. My head shot over to the man, recalling the words of the women we met at the inn. "You're Yukimura? The husband of… um, frick. What was her name?" I clicked my tongue, trying to recall it. "Shi… Shino?"

He turned, staring at me in surprise. "You know my wife?"

"Yeah! Uh, kinda. We met her before we came here." Oh no. I just realized- if soldiers in the second unit are dead… does that mean some of them might have been married to the other women? How many people just lost their family here? Husbands, sons, brothers. I don't like it. Not at all. Oh gods. "I-I, uh, I have… something for you from her. K-Kagome, your bag!"

I slid off of Kirara's back, making my way towards the girl that was currently patching up some of the samurai's wounds. I opened her backpack and took out the wrapped packages of food, struggling to carry them all in my arms as I made my way over back to the warriors. These people… they almost died. They never would have seen their wives again. Would they even make it out of the castle?

Was this all for naught?

Yukimura took the wrapped food Shino made and opened it up, lips curling back as the emotions took over him. "These are her riceballs…" He said, voice trembling as he picked one up. "She never could make them properly. Just look… the plums are ready to fall out."

"E-Everyone is really worried about you guys." I told them, trying my darndest not to cry as they all started to tear up themselves. I fiddled with my fingers, a lump stuck in my throat. "Th-They were scared… that… that you were…"

I couldn't finish. I looked down, squeezing my eyes shut. My chest hurt so bad; it was like something was crushing my heart, tearing away at it. Yukimura inhaled deeply and smiled, looking at me. "Thank you. I think we can hold on a little longer now."

"Yes!" One of his men exclaimed, taking a bite of his own fish. "Th-Thank you…"

Another samurai nodded, holding his food close to his chest. "We can do this, Yukimura. I'm no longer afraid. Our families are rooting for us."

No. No, no, no. I can't let them die. I won't let that happen.

I shook my head fervently. "Just go home!" The men looked startled by my sudden shout, voice rising in volume. "We… We can take care of the rest, so just go back to them, okay? They're worried about you a-and they… they might lose you if you remain here! Just go!"

A hand rested on my shoulder, but I didn't look to see who it belonged to. It squeezed my shoulder lightly, trying to calm my anxiety.

"Don't…" My hands fell to my sides, useless and weak. They couldn't do anything. Not even reach out and save them, dragging them out of this castle. "Don't leave them alone…"

Yukimura stared at me for a long moment, before grimly shaking his head. "I'm sorry… but we can't do that. There are people who still haven't escaped yet."

"You're not scared for your life?" Miroku questioned, voice ringing out from behind me. It was him who was trying to comfort me. "Don't you wish to see your families again?"

"There's no sense in dying here!" Sango told them, frowning. She was just as upset. "Go home."

Yukimura stood his ground, gaze unwavering. "We are samurai," He said, "we protect our lord and our people. And yet… we were unable to protect the lord. As such, we must protect all who were left alive. That is our duty."

The samurai behind him nodded, murmuring and voicing their agreements. "Exactly."

"That's… our duty."

"But you'll die!" I argued, completely breaking down. The tears fell out of my control, dripping down my cheeks. I curled my hands into fists, pulling away from Miroku's grasp and swinging my arm out to the side. "Don't you care about your wives at all!? Your kids!? What will…" I hiccuped. "What will they d-do… without… without…"

I can't breathe. I'm hyperventilating. My throat and head hurt. All I could think about were how those women were going to react when they found out their husbands were dead, how they were going to be forced to live without their loved ones from that moment on. The pain that they would feel.

A pair of arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back into a soft chest. Sango held me close, resting her head on mine. "Breathe, Irene…" She murmured softly. "Don't hurt yourself."

"B-But-But-!" They were going to let themselves die. "W-We can-We can save- We can-!"

"They'll understand…" Yukimura told me, voice quiet and gaze solemn. He was clearly as upset as I was about this, but he wasn't letting it show. "Even my wife. Shino will-"

"No!"

I tried to pull away from Sango, but she held firm. I was screaming by this point.

"How could she!? You're leaving her for… for… for death!"

"It's already decided."

"It's not!"

Why? Why does he keep trying to insist on fighting!? Why can't he just go home to his family where he'll be safe and they'll be happy!? It's better that way! If they stay in this castle they'll be found by demons and eaten. The wives were so worried and he's just… they all just… are going to sacrifice themselves.

They have a choice. An opportunity to see their families again.

Why throw that away?

Why give it up for some strangers?

I want my sister. I want to see her so bad. I want to go home. I want to see my family.

They should want to see their families, too. Right? Why can't they just be selfish? Give up and go home. Live life. Be happy. Stay safe.

"Can you stop crying already?" Inuyasha demanded, stepping forward. "If we keep dawdling, Naraku is gonna get away!"

"Inuyasha!" Sango exclaimed, aghast by his behavior. She frowned, glaring. "No need to be so harsh."

"They already made their decision." He said, arms crossed. Oddly enough Inuyasha didn't look as angry as he sounded, appearing more bothered than anything. "We can't stop them. Stand up and get on Kirara, Irene. We need to get to Naraku."

I lacked the strength to argue or protest anymore, hand clamped over my mouth as I tried to muffle the sobs that were escaping. Sango helped walk me over to Kirara, who let out a worried growl when she saw me. Yukimura turned to face Inuyasha, a pained expression on his face. "Are you guys going to the tower?"

"If that's where Naraku is, then yeah." The half-demon answered. "It's why we came here. We've been looking to destroy him."

"I see… then here- take this." He handed him the tower key.

Miroku spoke up. "Are you certain?"

The samurai nodded. "Yes… we are no match for the demon. You, however… I think can do it. Please, take our place and go kill that beast!"

I curled against Kirara, face buried in her fur, hiccuping and sobbing, Sango's hand running along my back gently. She said nothing- merely trying to comfort me in silence. Kagome looked distraught by the whole situation, but she knew there wasn't anything that could be done. The samurai would try and rescue the remaining people in the castle, most likely die doing so, and we would be forced to continue on living with that fact in our hearts.

But damn it. I hated it.

I hated Naraku. What did he gain from doing this? I still don't understand.

Who even was he?

I tried to force myself to stop crying, but that only made the pain in my chest worse. "You just care too much, don't you?" Sango said, her voice only making me cry harder. I felt so horrible. Empty. Alone. "There, there…"

My family was gone.

I might never see Maria again. She wasn't any of the people we encountered in this castle so far. Would she be in the tower with Naraku? If not, then where? What if she's… dead?

No.

"I'm here. The samurai will make it out, I'm sure of it."

If Naraku wants me alive for some reason… he would have had to keep her for leverage. Right? Wouldn't he? Maria isn't dead.

My fingers dug into Kirara's fur for a moment and I held my breath, staring into nothing as anger slowly made its way onto my features. I pushed myself up, feeling the pinwheel shift in my pocket. I reached out and grabbed it, ignoring the stares I was receiving- even as the cat demon began to move and we walked out of the room.

"Irene?" Sango asked, concerned. "What is it?"

I raised my gaze up to meet her own, furious and sad all at once. The pinwheel shook in my hands, body trembling. "They will make it out." I told her. "Because Naraku will be dead."

Her eyes widened.

I looked away, glaring into the distance as we continued down the hall. Nobody spoke, at least not until we went up a few more staircases. Kagome stopped walking, eyes narrowing in focus as something caught her attention. "I… I feel it. There's a jewel shard up ahead. A big one. N-Naraku is… he's actually here."

"Finally." Inuyasha growled. "Let's go get him."

I don't care anymore. I'm done. I reached into my other pocket and grabbed my inhaler, coughing whilst I used it, holding my breath for as long as I could, teeth grinding together as the anger tried to boil over. My fingers kept flickering with red light, as if uncertain if it should be used.

"Wait-!" Shippō cried out after we turned a corner. "Do you hear something? It… sounds like someone is crying."

Everyone looked at me. I blinked, realization dawning, and then made a face. "I stopped, okay? Leave me alone."

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned his head. "You're right, Shippō. It sounds like it's coming from over there by those barrels…" His nose twitched and he stepped forward, trying to get a closer look. There was a shriek and a young girl came tumbling out, running towards the other side of the room. "Whoa!"

"D-Demon! Ahhh!"

She tripped and fell, curling into the corner and sobbing with her hands placed over her head.

"I-I don't want to die… somebody… H-Help me!"

Kagome stepped forward, following the girl cautiously. "H-Hey, it's okay! Inuyasha is only half demon. We're here to help you, I promise."

She looked so young. No older than fourteen. Could she be…? "A-Are you Otoki?"

The girl paused, sniffling, slowly raising her brown eyes to meet mine. Her skin was so pale and freckled, her long black hair pulled back by a single ribbon. "Y… Yes?" She watched me slide off of Kirara's back, stumbling over to her with the pinwheel in hand. "Who are you?"

I've never felt more relieved.

I landed on my knees roughly in front of her, holding the object out for the girl to see. "I'm Irene. A-And… y-your brother he… he made this for you! Juzo, right?"

The girl hesitantly took the pinwheel from me, eyes brightening when she saw the workmanship of the item. "H-He's okay then? Oh…" Her lips curled back and she choked. "I-I'm so happy…"

Shippō bounded over, looking up at the girl. "There are samurai downstairs helping the people who couldn't escape." He informed her. "Try and make it down there, and you'll be able to get out of the castle!"

She brought a delicate pink sleeve up to her face, wiping at her tears despite the fact that they wouldn't stop falling. "Th-Thank you so much… I-I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't…" She sniffed. The girl shakily stood, holding the pinwheel close to her chest. "I-I'll go now. Thank you."

"O-Otoki?" I stammered, standing and looked at her as she walked away. The girl paused, glancing over her shoulder. I wobbled over there, reaching out with my arms and wrapping them around her shoulders. She stiffened. "I… I told him I would hug you for him, s-so…" I pulled away, biting hard on my lower lip. "Be… Be safe, okay? He's waiting for you."

She offered a weak smile. "Th-Thank you… I-I will! Good-bye!"

And with that she took down the stairs.

I rested a hand against my chest, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was so dizzy, but… there was a glimmer of joy in the mess of emotions now. It was almost nice. Otoki was alive. Safe. She would make it out of the castle. Nothing to worry about except…

I turned my head, looking at the group I was travelling with. They all nodded, sharing silent conversations as they met each other's eyes.

...Naraku.

Climbing back onto Kirara, the two of us followed the group through the castle tower hallway, down a corner, where we eventually turned and walked into a large room. Through that room we entered another hall, up another flight of stairs. This led us to the very top of the tower, walking slowly to the room at the end. There was a divider blocking out the view of what was inside upon immediately entering, but we could hear voices.

And I did not like what I heard.

"You made it. It's about time."

The voice was low and deep, underlined with something cold. It sent chills down my spine and I froze, the only thing allowing me to move forward being the cat demon I was sitting upon. Inuyasha stepped forward and kicked the divider out of the way, glaring at the man standing across from us. Naraku looked so unlike anything I had ever imagined.

"You're late."

His skin was so pale it was almost like snow, his long dark curly hair falling in waves over his shoulders. Eyes a vibrant red, accented only more by the blue eyeshadow he wore, they seemed to stare into our very souls. Judging us, calculating what our next course of action would be. The evil half-demon's top and hakama were a dark purple, with a lighter vest overtop. Overall, his attire was simple,  and his features were harsh yet delicate, but... there was something else about him. Something that made your skin crawl. His aura seemed to radiate danger, causing the hair on the back of your neck to stand up and making your palms sweaty. It felt like one wrong step out of place and then... it would just be over. And the worst part of it all? Naraku was beautiful. 

Completely and utterly beautiful. 

And I hated it.

I stared at him, unable to believe that this was the person who caused all this suffering, and yet the look on his face said it all. "You… You're Naraku?" He looked at me, standing beside the masked woman who had attacked us before back in Kasasagi. "You were… the one who… who brought me here? Where's Maria? What did you do with her!?"

"Do you want to know?" He asked, expression blank and void of any feeling. The man turned his head, looking at the woman beside him. "Is this the girl, Anastasia? The one you wanted?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Sango growled, grabbing her hiraikotsu. "Naraku, are you prepared to die!?"

The man laughed. Something about this stranger was incredibly intimidating-more so than any foe I've ever faced during my time here. Even more than Kagura. Seeing Naraku up close I could clearly make out the resemblance between the two. "You're all fools!"

Inuyasha ran at Naraku, no longer participating in the conversation as he went in for the kill. "Just die already!" He screamed, swinging with the tetsusaiga, but a light erupted around Naraku and Anastasia and the half-demon went flying. He landed roughly on his feet, cursing loudly. "What is that!?"

"A barrier!" Miroku exclaimed. "It's constructed around himself instead of the castle!"

"Grr- that won't stop me! WIND SCAR!"

The demonic aura swirled around the blade, the energy building up and releasing all at once. It flew at Naraku and Anastasia, but where it should have made contact… it swirled over the barrier he had constructed around him, destroying the entire back half of the room while leaving them completely unscathed. He really…

He really just avoided that. What? Kagome drew her arrow and released, shooting at him in both frustration and hatred. "Curse you! Why won't these work!?"

"How strong his barrier!?" Sango demanded, catching her hiraikotsu after it doubled back towards her. She had thrown it, but it did absolute nothing to dent the barrier. Not even Miroku's sutras were working. I squinted my eyes, trying to find something akin to the crystal from before, but it wasn't there. Why not? Were all barriers different? "We can't beat him like this!"

Naraku grinned at us, raising a hand into the air. "You never could… Now taste my miasma and perish!" Purple mist shot out of his palms and into the room. At that moment it was as if all air was swept out of the room, replaced with something thick and corrosive, tearing into our throats and burning all of our lungs.

I was the first to fall down, spitting and coughing, fingers clawing at my chest, a hand over my mouth as I wheezed. Kirara knelt down and hissed, shaking her fur back-and-forth and nearly knocking me off her back. Sango fumbled for her gas mask, and Inuyasha held tight to Kagome with a sleeve over his mouth. The middle schooler looked ready to pass out. Miroku was hunched over hacking up a storm. My vision was turning black, dancing with spots, the world spinning around me.

"C-Can't… move-!"

What is this purple smoke? It burns worse than any fire or acid.

"Damn it all…" Sango growled, glaring up at him from her spot on the floor. "I'll k-kill you…"

"You're weak." Naraku responded easily, unimpressed. "The battle is over. Anastasia, grab the girl and leave. There's nothing left to do here- Inuyasha and his friends will die to my miasma eventually."

The woman began to step forward, walking towards me. Inuyasha forced himself up onto his feet and charged, swinging with his sword to stop her. "Don't you dare try it, demon!"

"Demon?" She echoed curiously, watching as he aimed his blade at her. The tetsusaiga bounced off the violet barrier, the half-demon stumbling back with a cough. She raised a hand in the air, orange flames dancing upon her palm. The snake threatened to bite at Inuyasha. "Hn. You are mistaken."

"Ugh…"

"E-Even the tetsusaiga won't work!" Kagome forced out, hunched over. Naraku turned and looked at them, eyes narrowing.

"Those who go against me will die a painful death… now accept your fate."

My body… it's completely paralyzed. Not even my fingers could move; I was stuck, lying on the ground after Kirara collapsed. This is insane. Were we really going to die here? After all it took to get to this place? I can't… accept that.

There has to be a way, right? Anastasia began to make her way towards me again, face still hidden behind that cursed mask. I wanted to know what she looked like so bad- it was driving me insane. If I could manage it… I would like to rip that mask off her face once she got close enough. Maybe I could try blasting her with my Shikigami?

"Naraku!" A familiar voice cried out, several men entering the room. I could barely turn my head to look at them, struggling to make out the image of the red armor and swords. The person shouting… it was Yukimura. Naraku moved and glanced over at them, narrowing his eyes.

"You're supposed to be dead. What do you want?"

"I will avenge my king!" The human cried, running at the half-demon. Yukimura slashed at him with his sword. "Take that, beast!"

The blade bounced off of Naraku's barrier, snapping in half upon contact. They're supposed to be downstairs, helping people escape! Why are they here? They should be leaving to return to their families! Another samurai charged at the masked priestess, trying to push her back away from me. "Leave her alone! Hyah! W-Whoa!" The snake reached out and bit at him, fangs digging into his throat. The length of the snake's body wrapped around him.

Raising her other arm, a red dragon erupted from a pentagram out of the ground and flew towards the men. "You're in my way." An explosion occurred as it crashed into the floor, phasing through their bodies before sending the samurai flying.

"G-Get out…" I couldn't stand to watch. "...please…"

"You can't beat him!" Shippō cried. "It's pointless! Run…! Run away!"

"We have no choice!" One of the soldiers declared, fear written all over his face as he pushed himself back up and brandished his weapon. Blood was trickling down his forehead. His brown eyes were determined. "We can't back down! It's out duty to protect the people! To protect you!"

Suddenly one the soldiers moved over to us, trying to lift us onto our feet while the other samurai distracted Naraku and Anastasia. "You have to get out of here! There's a secret passage that leads back into the town- use it!" The man coughed roughly into his shoulder, inhaling the miasma Naraku had let loose. Nudging the giant cat demon, Kirara slowly began to move- teeth grabbing at my arm and dragging me with her, even if it caused me to bleed. Inuyasha slung Kagome over his shoulder, hunched over and barely walking.

"What!?" Naraku growled. "You still have strength!?"

The soldier had to help Sango, Shippō, and Miroku, guiding us all over to a large hanging scroll. Naraku let loose another wave of miasma, this time even thicker than before, and the samurai dropped the monk and slayer into the passage. Inuyasha and Kagome went in next, with Kirara dragging me after. "Wh-What about you?" Shippō wheezed, falling off of Miroku's shoulder onto the ground. "Y-You guys gotta come too…"

"You're all imbeciles!" Naraku shouted, "Die!"

The samurai could no longer stand at this point, falling to the floor as the hanging scroll shut closed. The miasma in the room was fatal, and I found myself being pulled by Kirara whilst in shock. The men's screams rang in my ears, filling the castle halls.

"D-Don't run away!" Yukimura cried. "W-We have… to give them more time to escape…"

They're dying. The samurai are being killed and we're just running away, letting it happen. Naraku was murdering them all, suffocating them to death while Anastasia used her power over the Shikigami to wound them. They were being tortured in there.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

I wasn't even sure if I was breathing anymore, the world around me slowly becoming all black, the pounding in my head becoming too much to bear. I was going to black out. I think Inuyasha let out an enraged yell, swearing and cursing Naraku's name, but I couldn't make out the exact details. The silence was deafening. I didn't speak at all during our escape, simply staring at the back of the hanging scroll as we got further and further away, body limp as Kirara's teeth dug into my flesh as she used all her strength to drag me away.

Eventually the pain and shock became too much, and I just… closed my eyes.

Chapter Text

Damn it! They were so close! How could Naraku just gain the upperhand like that? Inuyasha grit his teeth together and growled, struggling to carry Kagome and Miroku down the mountain. Shippō was on Kirara's back, Irene being dragged by the arm in Kirara's jaws. The only one out of his group of friends that was still conscious was Sango, whose gas mask was keeping her lungs cleared enough so that she could walk. Kirara was struggling, even with being a full fledged demon, but the cat demon was determined.

They had to get to the mountain base… at the very least.

Doctors- someone with medicine had to be down there. Their frail human bodies won't last very long otherwise.

"Come on… don't die on me yet, damn it." The half-demon cursed. "We're almost… there…"

Inuyasha swayed, his vision getting blurry. How much farther? He can see trees. Sango's eyes were starting to close, too. She was using her hiraikotsu for balance, to keep her steady as she headed down the mountain. Almost…

Ah-! His foot slipped on some gravel and he, Kagome, and Miroku were all sent tumbling down the rest of the mountain hill, crashing down hard onto a grassy plain. Sango called out for him, but it took the remaining strength she had to do so. The slayer tried to rush after him and the others, to make sure they were okay, but her body gave out and she fell unconscious. Kirara roared, catching the slayer on her back before she could tumble down like the half-demon did.

Carrying the weight of everyone down the hill, Kirara collapsed and curled into a ball, transforming into her kitten state and falling asleep. Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open and he could make out the shape of someone walking towards them. Unfortunately...

"H-Help them."

...was all he could say. If he was stronger this wouldn't have happened. He was so damned weak as a half-demon. Not even his great sword worked against the barrier Naraku put up. Why was he so pathetic?

Now everyone is going to die because… of him...

…

The half-demon woke in a daze. Body recovering much faster than regular humans, the poison had already made its way out of his system. Yet something wasn't right. Without herbs he would be feeling the effects of the miasma, so how…?

He turned his head, ears twitching upon hearing the sound of an old man praying. Kakuju dabbed some cloths into buckets of cold water, carefully straining them and resting them upon the foreheads of his companions. He was currently tending to Irene, who was the most badly affected by Naraku's miasma. Her skin was deathly pale and dark circles sat under her eyes, chest heaving up-and-down painfully. The old man wiped the sweat off of her face, something strange in his expression as he cared for her.

It was as if the blind priest was unnerved by the girl. What was it about Irene that bothered him so?

Kakuju rested his shaky hand against the side of her face, feeling her bone structure. He looked as if he were going to cry. "From the future, they said…" He murmured to himself. "Just how much time has passed? Are the spirits cursing me? Punishing me for what I had done…?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and coughed, sitting up and catching the attention of the heartbroken priest. Kakuju jumped and turned, looking in the general direction of the half-demon. "Hey…" He began, noticing the basket of herbal remedies and the bucket of water, several towels soaked with blood from wounds that were tended to. "What'd you do, old man?"

The blind man didn't speak for a moment. When he did, he avoided the question by answering something else the half-demon had been wondering, "I found you at the base of the mountain. This hut belongs to a kind villager, one who had opened his home to me on my travels. With his help I carried you all here and have been tending to you since. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." He said, frowning. There was something strange about this person and Inuyasha's suspicions only grew stronger. He knew that old man had some kind of connection to Irene- he just couldn't figure out what. His first guess was an ancestor, but she had no family in Japan. They looked nothing alike. Their powers were the same, or at least Inuyasha assumed they were, for he was able to help her unlock them. "How's she doing?"

"Ah, Irene… yes." He shook his head, looking quite pale himself. "She's… not doing well. I'm afraid the poison took to her body faster than the others."

Kakuju didn't appear surprised at all from this, almost as if he had expected it. What did he know about her that he wasn't telling them? It was driving Inuyasha insane. "Will she get better? What about Kagome and Sango? Miroku, Shippō, and Kirara?"

"There's… no telling." He said quietly. "The last time I witnessed such a terrible thing on someone so sickly, the victim passed away shortly after. I… I fear that young Irene will share the same fate."

Damn it. Curse that Naraku-! Inuyasha grit his teeth together and dug his claws into the floorboards, rage boiling in his chest. If only he were stronger! If he could have complete mastery over his sword, then destroying Naraku would be simple!

No one would be getting hurt like this. Not Kagome, not Sango, not even Irene.

She was the last one who needed to get caught up in their battle, and yet…

He dragged her into it. Fuck. What kind of friend was he? Inuyasha knew she was weak, that she couldn't fight properly, that she got ill so easily. Of course she would be more susceptible to Naraku's miasma. What an idiot! The girl always wears herself out by crying and freaking out about every little thing- he knew she was going to die sooner or later!

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

"The others will recover just fine, thankfully. If the poison were any stronger they might not have survived."

"But Irene will die?" He felt relief at hearing that the others would be safe- especially Kagome- but his mind was focused on the woman who he had once saved from bleeding out in a forest. That day felt like so long ago- when they first met. Had it truly already been almost a month? Was it over a month now? He couldn't recall. "Is there anything we can do?"

Kakuju shook his head slowly. "I'm doing all that I can. But my connection with the spirits are weak, so they can not help us. Not unless they act of their own will. When I made those sutras for the monk it was with my own spiritual ability- not the abilities of the spirits."

Inuyasha sat up, slamming his fist hard onto the floor. He felt so tired. "But can't you try asking them!? I thought you said they favor her!?"

He didn't respond. The blind man simply ran the cloth along the girl's face, listening to her breathing. Even Inuyasha could tell she wouldn't last long at this rate. There was one person he knew could help, but that village was so far away- Inuyasha wasn't certain he could get to Jinenji's farm and back here to the hut in time. It might already be too late.

"Hey, old man…" The half-demon began, mind trying to piece something together about Kakuju's strange behavior. "That victim you were just talking about… who were they?"

He paused, turning away from the girl he was tending to and reaching into his basket of herbs. Kakuju felt each one until he found the one he was looking for, putting it into a mortar and crushing it with a pestle. "...If you must know… she was my wife."

"Oh." There was nothing he could say to that. Inuyasha turned away, staring at his group of friends for a moment, and then forced himself up into a standing position. His body felt so sore. "I'm… going to get some fresh air. I'll be back."

Kakuju listened as the half-demon stormed out of the hut, the beaded door swinging shut. He sighed and reached over, grabbing the girl's pale hand. He thought for a moment, ignoring the horrible memories that were attempting to rise to the surface. If only he could see normally again, things would be made certain… yet this was how things were.

"If only you could use the power a bit better." He said quietly, already mourning the loss that hasn't yet happened. "They show so much favor, so why…? How did this happen? You're different from her, are you not? Don't follow that same path… please, Irene. Reach out to the Shikigami. I implore you. Save yourself this once..."

…

What's happening to me? Everything hurts.

It's cold. My body is boiling, burning worse than any fire. I can't see or speak; the one sense I had that seemed to be working were my nerves, all of which were under excruciating pain. I couldn't even scream.

It was as if something was binding me, dragging me down deeper and deeper into an abyss.

...

Sango and Kirara finally woke up. They didn't move around a whole lot that day, mostly spending time resting and recovering, but they were greatly worried about their comrades. Kirara wouldn't leave her or Irene's sides, curled up in her kitten form and licking their faces to encourage them to wake up and feel better. After them it was Miroku, but he was moving around a lot faster than they were as he was used to being poisoned. He was helping tend to the others, showing much concern for his ill comrades.

Meanwhile Inuyasha was fuming. He was outside slashing the air with his sword, practicing his swings and growling at nothing, cursing the world and Naraku for being this way. Inuyasha cursed himself for being this way. For not being stronger. He needed to get better at wielding the tetsusaiga, so he could surpass his father and become strong enough to protect everyone that he cared about.

Not that he would ever admit out loud how much he cared about the others, but… they knew how he felt. He didn't have to say it. Right?

But Kagome still hasn't woken up… and neither has Shippō or Irene. The foreigner was still so pale, sweating and shivering, her body having trouble fighting the poison. If she doesn't get better within the next day or two… Irene will die. Her sister won't ever see her again. Damn it.

Curse that Naraku! They needed Irene for something, but then they'd just go and throw her away like that? What- did they plan to just go after Maria instead? Did they have her already- if so, how come she wasn't at the castle? They went all over and tore that place apart searching for survivors. What was their aim?

Unless… they knew Irene would survive.

Inuyasha lowered his sword, a frown on his face as he thought. His eyebrows knitted together frustratedly.

Irene's gotten through every hurdle thrown at her thus far; even when she caught that disease a while back she still recovered. For someone so sick and weak, she's quite tough. She's not even a demon. Why does she fight so hard to survive? She didn't have anything prove like Inuyasha did.

There was no point.

Did she love her sister that much? That she would dangle herself on the brink of death and pull herself back again? She was so determined to find her. To keep everyone she met alive. It was a pointless effort- people die so easily here; the Feudal Era was so different from Irene and Kagome's times. Much more dangerous.

Maria might not even be alive herself.

But… Irene fought so hard. Struggled to get here. Even with her sickness she does her best.

She could stand not to be so emotional and avoid crying over every little thing, but Inuyasha could let that pass. She had a lot on her plate at the moment. She couldn't go home home whenever she wanted like Kagome could, and Kagome didn't have to take several different medicines daily just to function normally.

What a pain. Inuyasha sighed, turning and looking in the direction of the hut everyone was staying. Irene better make it out of this alive.

He won't forgive her if she dies. Not after she forced herself into becoming one of his friends.

…

I'm so scared. I don't know what to do. There was only the empty black, stretching on for miles without end.

...

Kagome finally woke up. Inuyasha's never felt more relieved. Sango was sitting next to her, helping Kakuju tend to her and ensuring that she didn't wear herself out. Kirara was feeling quite well this night, although Shippō was drowsy. Inuyasha tapped his claws impatiently against the ground, staring at the only remaining member of their group that hasn't woken up yet.

…

How can I get out of here? My body is stuck.

"One does not leave."

What was that? Who did that voice belong to? Where was it coming from? It kept moving around, drifting from place-to-place. I couldn't pin it down.

…

Irene's never looked closer to death. The poison had taken over as a fever by this point, spreading completely throughout her body. Her lips and fingertips had turned completely blue, the horrific purple of miasma spreading along her flesh as it continued to run rampant within her bloodstream. Soon enough, in just a few hours, it would reach her heart and kill her.

…

The voice even sounded garbled, not having one clear distinct sound, but two. It was if several voices were overlapping the other. I had no idea what kind of person was speaking to me. I wanted to ask, to speak up, but my throat was clogged by whatever was hurting me. I couldn't even feel my limbs now; just this harsh, intense boil all throughout my body. I wasn't sure where it hurt most. It was everywhere.

"I am no person."  The voice told me. ""I am a spirit."

What kind of spirit? Was it here to kill me-?

"I am a Shikigami… but I have not yet been given a form; not by you, anyhow. Your soul will only be safe if you are able to do so."

I'm not quite sure I understand. Does that mean I can't get out of here? The pain won't stop? I felt like I was going to drown in this river of black sludge, already sinking deeper inside of it with each passing second. Who was this spirit talking to me? Which one was it? Did I not know of this one yet?

Can I even give it form? Have I been the one giving the previous Shikigami their appearances?

"You are our Summoner. We exist to serve you."

Yet if I betray that trust, you'll betray me. Why help me?

"...Tell me, do you desire freedom? From the toxin- the illness brought on by the miasma plaguing your mortal body?"

Freedom? I would like to get out of this place- to end this agonizing pain and embrace the world once more. If I stayed here any longer… I was scared I would die.

"You are dying. I can heal you of your abnormal status, but your weakness will remain. Do you desire your freedom, even if it means to continue living in suffering?"

Were my lungs really in such bad shape that people could consider it to be suffering? It wore me out greatly and some days it took a lot to even get dressed, arms weak and tired, legs not even wanting to walk. Heart pounding so fast just sitting down trying to get oxygen through my body. It frustrated me and sometimes I was scared that if I fell asleep I wouldn't wake up, but… I didn't want to give in.

I liked living, painful as it is. I would love to be more active, to do things regular people could. But I can't no matter how much I wish it… and that's just something I have to accept.

I have severe limitations on what I can and can not do. That doesn't mean I want to die because of it. I have people I care about. I don't want to make them upset. Maybe it's selfish of me, but… that's fine. I'm a selfish person.

Yet being selfish doesn't mean I can't want to help others.

And being trapped in this place… burning for all eternity… won't let me do that. I need to get out. If this spirit can help me do that, I want it to help me. I'll just have to find some way to repay its kindness. Is there anything it would want me to do for it?

"You've already helped us, human. Now speak my incantation."

Speak? I can't speak. My voice won't work. What am I supposed to say? I struggled to get out the words, hardly able to move my lips. I was stuck. What form would the spirit even take? A creature that would free one from abnormalities… perhaps… a bird? It kept saying things about freeing me. What would the creature be?

Suddenly a light could be seen shining in the distance. Warm and bright, but not so blinding that I couldn't look at it. And I could see it- slowly taking shape with its feathers shaded in brilliant hues of blue, a large eagle flapping its wings and flying through the darkness. With each beat of its majestic wings some of the darkness cleared away, leaving light to filter into sight. It flew high in the air, circling above, before diving down to where I was- purifying the area with its fiery blue trail.

Its body trailed above the river stream, claws splashing the black sludge and clearing it away to reveal beautiful clear water. The eagle neared me, sapphire eyes gleaming in the sun, and I found my body able to rise from the liquid that had once been binding me. It was still so hard to move, but as the eagle moved closer I found the black dripping off of my form into the earth below- dissipating completely. A wind blew around us, forcing the darkness back.

The sky above us was so blue, so incredible. It was like a dream.

"Reach into your heart. The words the incantation will hold… are there."

The eagle flew into reach. As I took in the view something dawned on me- a realization of sorts. This creature with their overflowing blue sky… it would fill the land with its saving winds if I asked. It would rid one of all poison, no matter how great, and free a person from the effects a demonic aura could create.

"Yes. It shall be done."

My hand rose from the water as the eagle came closer, its forehead pressing into my palm and phasing through my body. Its wings beat once more and at that moment... my heart picked up pace.

"Now rise."

…

Inuyasha was pacing outside the hut when he heard someone mumbling to themselves. The half-demon barged into the building, pushing the beaded door aside and staring at the girl with wide eyes. Sango, Miroku, and Kakuju looked equally shocked, seeing the way Irene was muttering to herself quietly and grimacing for a moment before falling back asleep. She looked so tired. Still pale, but her veins no longer appeared purple.

"Th-The Shikigami just…" Miroku stammered from his spot kneeling down, hands placed together as if he had been praying. And Inuyasha knew for a fact that the monk had been praying, using his spiritual powers as best as he could to help Irene's body heal from the toxin. "It came out of the ground and healed her."

"I've never seen her summon that animal before!" Sango exclaimed, stunned. "Is it a new one?"

"She's done it." Kakuju whispered. The old man looked as though he were about to cry, a shaky smile on his lips. "She communicated with the Shikigami."

"Wh-What happened?" Shippō asked, looking back-and-forth at everyone and then at the resting foreigner. "I-Is she okay? Did the eagle save her!?"

Miroku lowered his hands, staring at the girl closely. "I… believe so. Her breathing is a lot smoother now. What do you think, Kakuju?"

The blind man rested a hand above the girl's face, feeling for her breath. He nodded. "Yes. Irene will be quite well. She just needs rest. Her body is a lot frailer than most. How is your friend?"

"Kagome's doing good as well." Sango answered, having been tending to her when the blue flame of the spirits flared up in the hut. Inuyasha stepped forward, walking over and squatting beside the middle schooler's sleeping form. "She's sleeping right now. I think when they both wake up, we all could go for a nice meal."

Kakuju chuckled at that. "Indeed! I'll inform Kichibei at once that his visitors are recovering. He'll be happy to know."

"Is that who this hut belongs to?" Miroku asked curiously. Shippō grabbed a wet cloth and began to dab at Irene's forehead, wiping away the sweat. Color was slowly returning to her skin, but once she wakes up she was going to be in severe need of her breathing treatments. Unfortunately, all of their stuff was back at the entrance to the castle town. "I'll have to thank him for his hospitality. And you, Kakuju. If there's ever anything you need, let us know; we'll be sure to repay you for your kindness. If you didn't find us when you did, we would already be dead."

Kakuju shook his head at that, using his cane to help himself stand up. "There's no need. My only request is that you take good care of the girl."

"How come you like her so much?" Shippō asked, frowning. "You barely even know her."

The old man paused on his way out of the hut, considering the question. "She reminds me of someone from long ago. Please... do not bother yourself with questions about my past; it is something… best forgotten."

Kakuju left the hut and Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at him, watching as the old man disappeared from sight. "Okay, now that's suspicious. Are you guys really sure we can trust him?"

Sango shrugged. "I see no reason why we shouldn't. He's been kind to us thus far. You really don't like him, Inuyasha?"

"Somethin' just doesn't sit right with me." He explained, frowning deeply. He turned to glance over at Irene, watching her as she soundly slept. "He said Irene reminds him of his wife. That she died from poison. Kakuju was there when Irene came to this time. Isn't it all a bit too… you know- weird?  It's too much of a coincidence! There has to be a link somewhere."

"Irene has no relatives here." Shippō said, frowning. "She can't be a descendant from someone of Japanese origin."

"That's true." Miroku agreed. "Maybe another reincarnation? Kagome does not share a bloodline with Kikyō."

"But his wife would have to be foreign!" Sango countered. "She can't be a reincarnation of someone that's of a totally different ethnicity. ...Can she?"

They all stared at the girl inquiringly, so many questions in the air floating around about her origin and why she was here in Feudal Japan. The longer they traveled the less they knew. More things just piled up onto their list of unanswered questions. Irene was a strange one, that was for certain.

"But what would that have to do with Naraku and Anastasia?" Shippō asked, confused. "I don't get it."

Sango sighed. "You're right. We're way off base. But we don't know anything about Anastasia- just that she can use the Shikigami power as well. And she's a demon, so she can't be related to her. We need more to go on. Kakuju and his story will have to wait."

"What's… going on?" Kagome murmured, groggily opening her eyes and sitting up. The wet cloth fell off of her forehead, falling onto her lap. "My head hurts…"

"Kagome!" Sango and Miroku exclaimed. Shippō hopped over to the girl, tackling her lightly and wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a hug.

"We've been so worried! I'm so glad you're okay."

She gave a weak smile, reciprocating the embrace. "I woke up earlier. But thanks, Shippō. I'm glad you are, too. How's Irene? She awake yet?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nope. The poison is out of her system though."

"Wh-What? How?"

They went on to explain what happened. By the time they were finished, Kagome herself looked ready to panic.

"H-Her medicine! She needs her medicine! Inuyasha, we left them at the castle. We need to go get them or else-!"

"It'll take over a week to get back to the castle." Miroku informed, shaking his head. "We went down the back of the mountain. We'll have to retrace our steps back to Kasasagi Town, through Kaede's Village, to Tsuzumi Village, and then through the cave in order to get back to the castle. The secret passage we took brought us all the way across the mountain, but it's a one-way trip. We can't climb back through it. Even attempting it would cost us our lives. Rindoh Village is a very long way away from the castle."

"Oh no…" Kagome brought her hands to her mouth, horrified. "Irene won't last that long, will she? She can't breathe without- that's it." She stood, clearly panicking. "I need to go home. I-I have to replace what we lost, I can't- ohhh, that means my textbooks too! Mom's gonna- no, she won't, she's too nice, but still… I feel so bad. Oh man." She ruffled her hair, face growing paler with each passing second. Kagome looked ready to fall back down. "We need to hurry to Kaede's so I can get to the well! Inuyasha or Kirara will have to carry Irene so she doesn't exert herself during all this!"

"This is troublesome." Sango murmured, worried. "If we get attacked by demons and she tries to use her powers, she might be done for good this time. We can't risk battling. We'll have to keep her as far away from the danger as possible."

"Why don't we just go ahead and have Kirara bring Irene to Kaede's village?" Miroku suggested. "She'll be under watch there and we don't have to worry about protecting her. On Kirara's back by herself it won't take her more than a day to reach it if they're flying at full speed."

The cat demon let out a meow, showing her agreement. Sango nodded. "Yes. But we really need those supplies… shouldn't we send Kagome with her?"

"Perhaps."

"Let's do that!" Kagome clapped her hands together, falling to her knees. Inuyasha reached out ready to catch her, but stopped himself when she regained her balance. "I'll go home, bring Irene her stuff, then probably go back home if you guys aren't there yet and wait maybe… three days to return?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sango said, smiling. She looked down at her animal companion. "You up for that, Kirara?"

Another mew.

"Then let's wait for her to wake up. You alright with Kagome going home, Inuyasha?" She looked at the half-demon. "You haven't voiced any complaints."

His ear twitched. "Look, if Irene doesn't get her medicine she's as good as dead, right? Then there's nothing to complain about. It'll take us a while to get back to Kaede's village anyway, so whatever. Kagome can do what she wants in the meantime."

"Aww~ you're so understanding!" Kagome grinned, beaming at him. She reached out, ruffling his hair and scratching behind his ears. Inuyasha's leg twitched and he placed a hand on his knee, trying to keep it from moving like a puppy would when it's happy. "Who's a good boy?"

"Stop treating me like a god damned animal!" He snapped, glaring, pulling his head away. "I'm not a dog!"

"Sure you're not." She said, grinning jokingly. "Only half."

Irene awoke the next day. She was barely even aware of what was going around her, even after she ate and used her rescue inhaler. Without the rest of her medicine to get her through, she was a breathy groggy mess who could only nod to whatever they were saying, too worn to question what was happening as they put her and Kagome on Kirara, sending them off by themselves.

It was only two days later when they arrived at Kaede's that the girl even realized Inuyasha and the others weren't with them, having spent the majority of the time sleeping. She had no idea where they were or what happened, or that they had even spoken to her when she and Kagome left Rindoh Village. The villagers looked worried about Irene, but weren't surprised to see her in such a state. She was often catching ill, after all. Kagome left soon after.

…

A day had passed since the middle schooler arrived home. Having explained the situation to her mother, Kagome's grandfather quickly went ahead to call the doctor. The girl heaved a sigh and walked up the stairs to her room, throwing herself onto her soft bed. Her body sank into the mattress, a happy sigh escaping her lips. Her body was still sore from the poison, but at least… she had this to comfort her.

She hoped Irene would survive long enough for them to order and buy the medicine tomorrow. Then Kagome would return to this time, take her tests, and… oh- maybe go have some after school lunch with her friends. It's been so long. The girl would have to study tonight whilst waiting for her grandfather to tell her how the phone call went.

The girl had a bad feeling for some reason.

Whatever Irene was getting into with this Anastasia person… it wasn't good.

Her eyes opened, staring into the distance. She sat up and looked at the calendar on her wall, frowning when she saw the year. They were so far apart, yet so close at the same time. Irene was nineteen, wasn't she? That meant she was going to be born in about four years from now. Her sister might already be born.

How complicated this all is.

"Kagome! Have you seen the broom? Grandpa wants me to go sweep the area around the well since his back his hurting today…" Sōta peered into her room, looking at her. "I've been telling him he needs to hire help, but he's so stubborn! Hey, you okay?" He stepped forward, noticing she looked a bit paler than usual. "Did you and Inuyasha get into another fight today? Or… was there a really big battle? You're not hurt, are you!?"

Kagome sat up and waved him, smiling awkwardly. "It's fine~ don't worry about. I just inhaled some miasma is all. I'll be fine in a bit. I drank plenty of the antidote."

"A-Antidote?" That just made him look more concerned. "Th-That's for poison, isn't it!? You were poisoned!?"

Oh jeez. How was she supposed to calm him down now?

"Was it that Naraku dude you keep telling us about!? Did you beat him!?"

"No…" She sighed. "But we're close. We found his castle, but now we have to spend a few more days travelling to get to it. Even worse is that we lost our supplies, so Irene doesn't have her medicine."

"Irene?" Sōta blinked. "That, uh… American girl you mentioned a while back? Doesn't she have some kind of disease?"

"Yeah. She's really unlucky. It's like she's some kind of… what did you call it before, Sōta? A Glass Cannon? " Kagome tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes and slumping her shoulders. A nice, hot bath with shampoo and conditioner sounded amazing right now. Clean clothes, too. "I don't even know what that means, but… I wonder what her sister is doing. Or if she's even okay? But- that's for another day! Grandpa is calling the doctor and I need to clean myself up! Also- how could I have seen the broom? I've been gone for almost a week!"

"S-Sorry, I just thought I'd ask!" Sōta yelped, seeing the way she stood and put her hands on her hips. He quickly darted out of the room. "It was just a question, sis!"

Kagome smiled at him, having missed her younger brother. The conversations she had with Irene and Sango made her value Sōta even more. She was going to have to give him a hard time later, definitely. He's had it easy here without her to annoy him.

…

So dizzy. Where did Kagome go? What about… Inuyasha and Sango, and Miroku and Shippō? Where are they? Why am I… the only one at the village besides Kirara? I can't think. It hurts. I'm so tired, but I don't want to sleep. I've been doing that far too much. Too dangerous. Not now.

I need… air.

Kaede. She's talking- wait, what did she just say? I can't… focus.

Ah, I should move. Get out of the way; she's walking over here. My arms felt so weak, legs like limp noodles. I wasn't even moving yet my heart was pounding so fiercely. Kaede held a small bowl out in front of me, the liquid inside colored green and filled with herbs. Was it food? She held it up to my lips.

My senses cleared for a moment. I could breathe easier, but not by much. Standing took too much energy out of me; it left me dizzy and discombobulated. I was trapped in the role of a lifeless doll sitting in a corner. In-and-out. Deep breaths. In through nose, slowly out through mouth. There was no escape.

I'm scared. How come the others aren't here? I thought I saw them a few days ago. Did Naraku kill them? The miasma…

Had it affected them more than they showed?

No…

Kaede looked startled when she saw the tears start to fall. "Whatever is the matter, my child?" She asked, concerned. I couldn't speak. My lips moved, but hardly any sound came out. Eventually my lips just curled back and I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head and looking away. The priestess rested a hand against my cheek, frowning sadly. "Do not fret. Young Kagome will return soon enough."

But the others… why aren't they here?

Is she hiding something from me? Because she thinks I'm in such a bad state that I can't handle the truth? That I'm too childish to handle the truth?

Every time…

Whenever something happened back home no one would tell me. I would find out months later. Was I really so unreliable? Maybe my dad was right. I'm too emotional to be of use to others. I'll just be walked on and used, abandoned to rot. But… if that was the case… how come I'm still alive? If Inuyasha and the others are dead… why am I here? Shouldn't I have been the easiest to kill?

Was it the Shikigami that saved me?

I doubted I would find out. I remembered nothing after we were forced into the secret passage.

…

Kagome showed up two days later. Handing me my inhalers and apologizing for not being faster, she waited until I had finished using the portable nebulizer to head back through the well again. She apparently had a test to take, so she was rushing. I sat there in silence inhaling the medicine, sitting in a depression with Kirara on my lap.

Kagome hadn't mentioned Inuyasha or the others at all. Were they truly gone?

I… didn't want to believe it.

But they still weren't here.

Turning off the machine, I sat in silence. Contemplating everything that was going on, what had happened, and what might have led to Kagome and I being the only ones to come back to Kaede's Village on Kirara. Maria wasn't at the castle nor was she with Naraku, so… was she also…?

No. No.

It can't… be…

I cradled Kirara close to my chest, crying into her fur. The cat demon let out a confused meow and licked my face, trying to comfort me. I hated all of this. I hated it so much. What did we do to deserve this punishment? They were all good people! My sister… should have gotten better than this. She was incredible. Kind. Caring. I loved her so much a-and… she wasn't there at the castle.

"Sh-She's gone…" I whimpered, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. "M-Maria… Sango… In-Inuyasha… even M-Miroku and Shippō… they're all gone, Kirara." My voice cracked and I choked, hiccuping as I started to sob. What had led to this? We were supposed to destroy Naraku. Good defeats evil, right? That's always how it goes. "I-I don't know… wh-what I should do…"

…

My solution wound up being to freeze in the lake, unmoving and quiet for almost two whole hours. I ended up forcing myself underwater, holding my breath for as long as possible to try and distract myself from the heartache. When I started to get far too dizzy I rose to the surface, gasping and coughing and spitting out water, and then I repeated the process. Eventually I grew so wore out from it that I collapsed against a rock, Kirara letting out worried meows and disapproving growls.

"I-I can't…"

They were gone. They were seriously gone. I pressed my forehead against the rock, whimpering as I thought about how I would never see anyone again. We were talking and arguing and just… living a few days ago. Now they're gone? Just like that? Without any warning?

Curse that Naraku.

"I hate him…" My fingers curled into a fist and I shouted angrily, whirling around and slamming my hands into the water. It stung and the liquid splashed me in the face, but I didn't care. "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!"

Kirara transformed, fur standing on end as she watched me. Flames tried to light themselves on my fingertips, but they were quickly washed out by the water. One of these days Naraku will die. Someone will kill him. That was my only consolation. He didn't exist in the future, right? That means he'll die eventually.

But it couldn't happen sooner!? RAAAAAH! I want to strangle him myself! Burn him! Melt his flesh away!

I sunk down, bringing my hands up to my face and pulling at my hair, burrowing underwater and nearly drowning myself as I refused to breathe. Everyone was gone! Dead! Why should I even bother trying to live when the person I was trying so desperately to remain alive for was gone!? What's the point of even going home now!? I can't take Naraku on my own and survive.

I'm all alone. Useless. Weak. I have nobody to care for.

No one but myself and that… is not a good thing.

Kirara crawled onto the boulder and flew over the lake, glaring into the water as she waited for me to rise back up again. I was starting to get dizzy again and my chest was burning painfully. A little longer and I would pass out. Would it be worth it? What would I gain from this?

No one would lose me. Anyone who could have are already lost. Those at home, those I met here…

Kaede and Kagome are all that's left.

My eyes opened and I rose to the surface, gasping.

I can't leave them behind. I lifted my head and stared blankly at Kirara for a moment as I realized she was about to dive in and pull me out if I didn't get out myself.

That's right… she's here too.

Sango was her human. Without her… Kirara won't have anyone. Kohaku is still in Naraku's hold, after all.

I climbed out of the lake and stumbled over to grab the towel, quickly drying myself off and pulling on the green sweater and blue high-waisted jeans. I sat down and reached my arms out to Kirara, calling her over. The cat demon stared at me uncertainly for a moment, still worried about my unstable behavior, before she transformed and dashed over, leaping into my hold. I quietly apologized to her and made my way back to the village- where apparently Kaede and several other villagers have been looking for me.

"My child, where did ye run off to!?" She demanded, stepping forward with a frown. "Ye are in no condition to wander by yourself."

"...Sorry." I lowered my head, feeling guilty for what I had been doing back in the lake. "I...I'll go back to the hut."

"...Your eyes are red." She noted, stepping closer. The older woman reached out a hand and brushed my bangs out of the way, taking my temperature. "You're burning up, Irene! You must lie back down and finish recovering."

"Okay." I didn't argue.

Three more days passed, but during that time I tried to distract myself. I studied up on the herbs and medicines Kaede told me about, even going so far as to try and brew them using a mortar and pestle. I followed the priestess around like an awkward shadow, ignoring the pain in my heart that grieved for my fallen friends. I can't believe I'm never going to see them again. I can't believe I'm never going to see Maria again. We had come so far and now… just like that… they were gone.

When the villagers spoke to me I smiled, pretending I was alright. It was so easy. My personality was such a bubbly, childish one that smiling wasn't difficult in the slightest. It just hurt so much knowing it was lie. Nothing was okay. Not anymore. The world was falling apart around me.

Not even Kirara could cheer me up at this point. When I wasn't outside and was forced to be alone with my thoughts only the darkest things came to mind. I wanted to go back into that lake and drown myself. But I didn't. I wandered around lifelessly following Kaede's teachings and the day would repeat.

Until suddenly there were several explosions a short ways away from the village, taking place upon a hill. "Could that be…?" The priestess turned her head, frowning. "It is mostly definitely. Come, Irene. Let us go."

"H-Huh?" What? We're heading towards the danger? Oh jeez. I set the basket of herbs down and quickened my pace, walking after her. "O-Okay? Um. Are there demons or-?"

I cut myself off, seeing the next explosion and recognizing it. My heart caught in my throat and I choked, praying I wasn't imagining things. Was that the Wind Scar I just saw? I hurried up the hill, stumbling and wheezing, and Kaede followed after telling me to slow down and not to exert myself. I didn't care. I didn't listen. I was just desperate to see everyone alive.

And… they were. Inuyasha was standing there, sword in hand, with Sango, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippō beside him.

No way.

Was this for real?

"I… I'm not dreaming, right?" I choked, stumbling to a stop and staring at everyone. "You guys are… You guys are real, right?"

"What nonsense are you blabbering on about?" Inuyasha demanded. "Do we look fake to you?"

Sango stepped forward, looking quite relieved to see me. "How are you feeling? Sorry for sending you off with just Kagome, but we couldn't risk having you get even worse without your medicine. Things are-!" She was startled when I lunged forward and my arms wrapped around her. "Irene?"

"I-I thought you guys were dead!"

Silence washed over the group and Kaede walked up, eye widening when she saw what was going on.

"O-One second we're with Naraku a-and the next… the next I'm here a-and you guys are gone and no one would tell me anything! I-I thought… I thought…" I sobbed, fingers pulling at her kimono as I hugged her tight. "Don't just leave me like that! Okay!?"

Her hand rested gently on my head, petting my hair softly. "I'm sorry… we didn't mean to make you worry."

"Please don't cry, Irene!" Shippō pleaded from his spot on Miroku's shoulder. "We just wanted you to feel better!"

Miroku nodded, stepping forward. "It is flattering you care so much about us, though. I fear your time here was spent in stress rather than recovery… am I wrong?"

I lifted my head up at, staring at the monk with blurry vision. I hiccuped and squeezed my eyes shut, unable to answer. Inuyasha huffed and marched over, bumping his fist lightly against the back of my head. "Toughen up already, would ya?"

"S-Sorry…"

Kagome brought a hand up to her face, cringing. "I can't believe I didn't… oh, man. This is all my fault. I should have told you the others were going to catch up. I'm so sorry, Irene; if I had known you would have panicked like this, I…" She lowered her gaze and sighed. "I screwed up big time. My mind was in other places."

"It's fine." I still didn't let go of Sango. "They're… okay. So… it's fine."

"Is that what ye were worried about, child?" Kaede asked, moving closer to us, her hands laced behind her back. "Inuyasha and the others won't go down so easily- even by the hands of Naraku. And speaking of such- what was that commotion we heard? Did something happen?"

Inuyasha huffed and turned his head, sheathing his sword. "You're too late to help, so just forget it."

"What?"

"It's nothing. It's all over now." He frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "At least, I think it is…"

"Irene, you're burning up!" Sango exclaimed, seeing the way I collapsed against her. She held me up, keeping me from hitting the ground. I was so dizzy and light-headed, but I was so happy. The others were safe. My friends were okay. But Maria… was not. "Let's get you back to the hut."

…

Kagura glanced up when she heard footsteps, arms and legs bound by chains in the lower dungeon of Naraku's castle. She couldn't move and even if she were able she wouldn't. She had faced his wrath too much, Kagura behaved too rashly before. If Naraku hadn't needed her to keep Kohaku under wraps she would have been imprisoned much sooner after what she did to Kōga.

She was cursing his name when the demon appeared, approaching her slowly. "Do you wish to be freed?" He asked, expression void of any sympathy or compassion. "Do you want me to remove these chains?"

"I… promise you." She forced out. "I won't… try and run away from you again."

Naraku narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't speak anything of his suspicions. "Follow the one who calls himself… Muso. He is your younger brother." The half-demon raised his hand and the incarnation fell free of her binding, collapsing on the ground. Her wrists and ankles were sore, the female demon still bearing bruises from the cave falling in on her in Tsuzumi Village. Kagura glanced up, furious at the sight of her captor and creator knowing she had to obey him. "Inform Inuyasha and his friends of Muso's whereabouts. You will stay near and keep watch over him."

"What?" She demanded, struggling to stand. Kagura looked at Naraku incredulously. "Are you serious?"

The half-demon merely laughed. His red eyes darkened and he grinned, a dark expression on his face. "There's only one place where Muso could be headed for… And while they're distracted, Kagura, I will send Kohaku to grab that girl our comrade so desires. She's weak, so she should still be recovering from my miasma. He'll sneak into the village and take her."

Kagura wasn't completely certain that she wanted to risk facing that girl again. She had left quite the mark from their last battle. At least it was that pathetic mortal boy going after her this time and not herself, but if she was with her friends… no. Kagura wasn't going to think about it. Her burn stung at the thought of the human. "What do we even need that foreigner for?"

"It is not the girl herself that we need." He told her, smiling wickedly at his red gaze bore into her own. "It is her soul that Anastasia requires."

The incarnation's eyes widened.

…

While Irene was forced to lie back down in the hut, the others discussed what to do about this new demon that appeared. Apparently Naraku had created a new incarnation, one who called himself Muso, that was obsessed with Kagome. As such they were intending to send her home, but the girl was rather reluctant. "I do want to see how I made out on that test, but…"

"I think it would be wise for you lie low for a little while," Miroku told her, frowning, "at least until we know for sure what Naraku is up to."

"He's right." Sango said, nodding. Shippō shifted from his spot on Inuyasha's shoulder, looking quite worried.

"You're safer on the other side."

Kagome sighed, bringing a hand up to her chest nervously. "Yeah, I guess… but what about you guys? You'll have to fight him again. I don't want you to go through that alone. And what about Irene? She's too sick to battle right now."

"We'll take good care of her." Miroku said, smiling encouragingly. "Don't you worry."

Sango didn't hesitate as she reached up and grabbed the monk's ear, pulling it as she said, "And I'll be taking good care of him to make sure he doesn't do anything to her."

"Shouldn't we be heading for Naraku's castle?" Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. "Irene will be fine; she's lasted this long. If we wait any longer he might find a new castle to relocate to! We have to hurry up and kill him."

Shippō shook his head. "You guys can, but I'm staying with Irene. I want to make sure she feels better." He hopped off of the half-demon's shoulder, making his way over to where Irene was laying. The foreigner blinked, staring at him dazed. "We scared her so bad this time…"

"It's fine…" She mumbled. "S'normal."

"No, it's not! You thought we were dead! That's not fine."

Inuyasha leaned his head back and let out an irritable groan. "Then what do you want me to do? Huh? Just sit here and wait for Naraku to make his grand escape!?"

Kaede walked over with another bowl of herbal soup, carefully helping the foreigner to sit up. Irene made a face, wishing that she didn't get sick so easily. "Ye know very well that is not what they intended, Inuyasha. They merely suggest that they wait for Irene to recover so that you may go together, where your life is not as endangered."

"And I'm supposed to wait at home while they fight Naraku by themselves?" Kagome said, upset. "I don't like this plan. I want to stay here and help."

"Grah!" Inuyasha stood, ruffling his hair in frustration. "This is annoying! I'm done with this! I don't know about you all, but I'm gonna patrol the area and make sure there's no sign of Naraku! Got it? Come find me when you made up your fucking minds!" The half-demon stormed out of the hut, the beaded door swinging behind him.

Everyone let out a sigh, exasperated by his behavior. They understood, but… it was still childish. He got angry so easily.

"There goes Master Inuyasha, making a fuss and showing how hot his temper burns." Myoga let out a tsk sound, shaking his head disapprovingly. "He should really learn one of these days. Mortals are frail, but there is strength in numbers. Especially when they are such accomplished mortals like you all."

"Myoga!" Shippō exclaimed, seeing the flea sitting on his shoulder. "When did you get here? You've been gone for days!"

"I-I've been busy, you see." He responded, stammering. He coughed into one of his many arms, not meeting the fox demon child's gaze. "Anyway, I returned to see how you all were faring. Has Irene not yet rid her body of Naraku's poison?"

"No, that's not it." He said. "She's just really stressed out, so her body's weaker than usual. She's got a bad fever."

"Oh, I see… that's terrible. But what's all this I'm hearing about Muso? A new incarnation?"

Miroku and Sango quickly went on to explain what happened, before leaving the hut and following after Inuyasha. They tried to calm him down, but it only seemed to anger him further.

"I'm backtracking to the villages that Muso raided! It's called following a lead, morons!"

He only stopped shouting at them when the wind around them picked up. His ears twitched and the half-demon narrowed his eyes, looking up to see a woman leap out of a feather and land in front of them. "Yo." Kagura greeted, as if they were casual friends. Her movements were graceful, but the burn on her face was still so unsightly. They stared at her, stunned by her appearance.

Inuyasha jumped back and grabbed his sword, unsheathing it and holding the blade in front of him defensively. "Kagura!" He growled, fangs bared. "You wench-! What are you doing here!?"

Kagura quickly held up her fan, bringing it out to the side. "I haven't come here to fight. I simply wanted to tell you where Muso is."

"What?" Sango blinked, pausing in her reach for the hiraikotsu she wore on her back. "Where Muso is? You don't mean…"

"That demon is still alive!?" Miroku exclaimed. He could recall so vividly how that male incarnation took a direct hit from the Wind Scar- how was he still alive? Dokumoryu regenerated quickly as well, but even he died after enough damage was done to his body. Naraku was pumping out incarnations left-and-right. "How can that be!?"

Inuyasha scowled, narrowing his eyes and glaring at Kagura, attempting to see through her plans. "I knew we weren't through with him yet... but somethin' doesn't add up. How come you're so helpful all of a sudden, huh? What do you want?"

"I told you already; it's because I wanted to tell you. He's hiding in the cave that Onigumo stayed in. You're familiar with that place, aren't you?"

"What?" Inuyasha loosened his grip on his word, startled. "Kikyō…"

"Ah, so you do know it." Kagura purred, grinning as she opened her fan and used it to cover the lower half of her face. "Good. You know where to look then."

Miroku stepped forward, rings on his staff jingling with the movement. "Why would Muso have gone to Onigumo's cave? What's the connection between them, Kagura?"

She turned away, letting out a, "Hmph", as she did so. "I've told you all I know. Good-bye."

"Wait!" He shouted, calling out after her. The woman paused, hand stopping in mid-reach to the feather in her hair. "Did Naraku send you here to tell us?"

She glared at him. "What do you think?"

"Does he know about Inuyasha's secret?"

Her red eyes narrowed. "Secret?" She asked, as if the term were unfamiliar with her. "What secret? I don't know anything about it." Then she plucked out the feather, riding away on it without warning. Inuyasha tucked the tetsusaiga back into its sheath and made a face.

"There she goes… What was that little visit all about?"

"I don't know." Sango said, frowning deeply. "The last time she showed up it was to help Kohaku capture Irene. If she's acting on Naraku's orders again, then… do you think…?"

"There's no telling." Miroku said, frowning. "It could be a trap. A diversion. Yet she did try and betray him by stealing Kōga's jewel shards before."

"Either way, she's still not our ally." Inuyasha told them. "But if there's a chance Muso is still out there… maybe we should take a chance and believe her."

Miroku and Sango looked at the half-demon like he had finally gone crazy. The monk stepped forward, placing a hand on Inuyasha's head and shaking it back-and-forth. The half-demon's eyebrow twitched and he pulled away, snapping at Miroku's hand. "What are you so on edge about? This is unlike you- taking advice from the enemy."

"I'm not on edge!"

The two just stared him, unimpressed by his lies. The half-demon whirled around, crossing his arms.

"This Muso guy just…" His hands balled into fists. "He's just really starting to get to me, alright!? What's his deal, anyway?"

"Huh?"

"But if it is a trap…" Inuyasha looked down, thinking deeply. "We have to have someone back at the hut- to keep Irene safe. I'm gonna go after Muso, but you two-"

"Miroku stays with you." Sango said quickly. The monk jumped and looked at the woman in surprise, having not expected her to say such a thing. "I'll go after Irene. If Kagura tries to capture her again…" She shook her head, closing her eyes. "I won't be able to live with myself if she succeeds. Last time I left Irene alone she was nearly taken. That won't happen again."

Miroku stared at her for a long moment, a soft smile spreading across his face. "You really care about her, don't you?"

"It's…" Sango hesitated, looking almost ashamed of herself as she turned away. Her grip tightened on her hiraikotsu. "I know she's older than me, but at the same time I… I feel like she's the younger sister I never had. Every fiber of my being wants to protect her. I know we're not really family, but…"

With her younger brother under Naraku's control and Irene's older sister missing… it led the two to reach out to each other. They could relate and bond under their familiar circumstances, finding comfort in each other.

"I understand." Miroku said, stepping forward and placing a hand on the slayer's shoulder. Sango's eyes widened and she looked up at him, a small brush of red across her cheeks.

"Y-You do?"

"Yes. I'm certain Irene feels the same way."

"M-Miroku, I-" She cut herself off, tensing when she felt a familiar hand start to caress her bottom gently. Eyebrows twitching, Sango slowly raised a fist. "What. Do you think. You're doing. Monk?"

He smiled at her, unperturbed by the threatening aura radiating off of her. "I'm only telling you what I think, Sango. There's no need to be upset-!" He yelped, the woman landing several hard hits on his head. Miroku was sent flying towards Inuyasha, but the half-demon easily ducked and avoided being smacked by the monk's body.

"Why am I not surprised?" He asked no one, face blank. "You go hurry on back to the village. I'll take the pervert and go on to the cave."

Chapter Text

I finished the soup Kaede gave me, surprisingly not making a single grimace at the bitter taste. The herbs added a whole new flavor; all it needed were some scrambled eggs and it would be perfect. At the moment I was laying down again, berating myself for believing something without any facts. I used to rely so heavily on logic upon coming here, but things are so different and… magical… I don't know where logic comes in anymore. My emotions have been getting the best of me.

It was disgusting.

"The others are gonna look for Naraku, Irene," Shippō told me as he dabbed at my sweaty face with a rag, "so you just stay here and rest up. We'll catch up with them soon."

He said that, so why  didn't I trust it? I had a bad feeling in my gut- like Inuyasha or the others were in trouble. They were always getting into battles. Like Kaede said, the group was tough; there was no reason to feel so bothered. Not even Naraku could take them down.

…

Kagome should have gone home. She knew she was supposed to, she promised to head through the well and wait on the other side until Inuyasha came and got her. But… she just couldn't when everyone else was in danger. She felt so awful for not telling Irene everyone was alright, so Kagome found herself… acting like this. Heading to the cave where Onigumo once hid, surprising Kaede with her presence.

"I thought I ought to take a look inside that cave, too." She explained. Kagome frowned, looking ahead of them. "Something about this is bothering me; I want to know what's going on."

The priestess stared at her for a moment, uncertainty in her one eye, before she gave in to the girl's determination and sighed. "It's not too far away." They kept walking, moving through the tall grass until they reached the cave at the top of the hill. "There it is…"

Kagome looked at the cave nervously, something twisting in her stomach at the sight of it. This is where Onigumo stayed before he gave himself to demons and became Naraku. It reeked of evil. It was in this spot that everything began. What led to Kikyō's death and Inuyasha being sealed to the sacred tree; what led to Naraku cursing Miroku's family line and destroying Sango's home. What made him join forces with the mysterious Shikigami user Anastasia, and what made him bring Irene and her older sister to Feudal Japan.

"Kagome?" Kaede asked, seeing the way the girl stiffened. "Is something the matter?"

"What? Oh, don't mind me…" She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "I was just thinking. Let's go get a closer look at that cave."

"Watch your step." The priestess warned, stepping over a few roots as they neared the entrance. Kagome carefully followed her lead.

They were just about to make it to the top when suddenly a man came running out, standing at the rocky entrance, bringing his hands up into the air screaming. "Kikyōōōōō~!"

Kagome lifted her head up, eyes wide with shock upon seeing the stranger. "I-It's him!"

"That man is Muso?" Kaede asked, startled. He looked nothing like she had expected him to. The man brought his hands down, staring at his palms like they were unfamiliar to him.

"I finally remembered what had pained me so." He told them, raising his gaze to look directly at Kagome. The girl tensed, highly uncomfortable by the way his eyes raked over her form. "It was Kikyō whom I longed for. She had caused this agony." He brought his arm to the side and his flesh erupted into something more demonic, long mahogany tendrils ripping out and heading straight towards the middle schooler. Kagome yelped and dived out the way, Kaede dashing to the side as quickly as she could and notching an arrow on her bow. "It was because of her that I sold my soul to demons!"

"I should have known it was you!" The elder woman growled. "Why would you dare to show up again after all these years!?"

Kagome stumbled, whirling around when she realized the priestess wasn't next to her. "Kaede!?"

…

Sleep wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This time there were no nightmares, but it wasn't a decent sleep either. It was completely dreamless. I remember only waking when Shippō spoke up, saying something about how he was going to go get some fresh water for me to drink. The fox demon grabbed a little wooden canteen and headed out of the hut, leaving me alone in the silence.

I felt a little better after my nap, which was nice. My head didn't hurt as much anymore. I turned onto my side and winced, feeling how sore my throat was. That was what I got for crying so darn much. What a pain. At least the others were alive…

Hmm? Oh, footsteps. Shippō must be back. That was pretty fast, even for him. Did I make him feel that bad? I'm going to have to apologize. I rolled onto my back, yawning, and turned to look at the child when… I saw someone else. My eyes widened, realizing that Shippō wasn't the one who came into the hut.

The person standing above me now was older, taller, with messy brown hair and lifeless eyes. He held the kusarigama in his grasp, raised high above his head. "K-Kohaku!?" I shrieked and lunged to the side, rolling on the hard wood as he swung the blade. It tore up the futon and caught on the blankets, the boy turning his head to look at me. I scrambled up into a sitting position, backing away slowly. "Wh-What are you doing? How did you get in!?"

It's getting hard to breathe again. My heart won't stop racing.

Frick. The boy untangled his weapon from the sheets and faced me, slowly walking this way. "It's such a shame…" He murmured. "The others aren't here to save you this time."

Oh gods. No. No, no, no. He can't do this; why is he doing this? Why is Naraku making him do this!? I tried to stand up, but the world around me started to spin from all the crazed movement. "I-I refuse!" Where's the door? There's the door! I made a break for it, not caring about my health as I valued survival more. "In… Inuyash… Inuyasha!"

Where was he!? I need to find him.

Several villagers stopped what they were doing and looked to see what was going on, shouting and running away when they saw Kohaku dash out of the hut with his weapon in hand. They began screaming, calling for spears and bows, saying that they needed to defend the foreign priestess. "Lady Irene! We must protect her!"

"Get the swords!"

"Hide the children!"

The chain from Kohaku's weapon wrapped around my leg, sending me crashing hard into the ground. My face hit dirt and I cried out, nose hurting badly as blood began to gush from it. "D-Don't…" I choked, seeing the way he was moving closer. "K-Kohaku, please…"

I'm scared. I think the stitches in my back broke open. My arm still wasn't completely healed from Kirara's fangs either.

Kohaku raised the kusarigama above his head, ready to swing and maim me so bad I couldn't escape. I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut, head hung low as I waited for the pain. When none came I slowly opened an eye, seeing his arm shaking. "...Kohaku?" Why wasn't he attacking? Could he hear my voice after all? I pushed myself up a little, wincing at the warmth on my back. "D-Do you recognize me? I'm Irene! Don't let Naraku win, Kohaku!"

Suddenly a villager came running at the boy, spear held in his hands. "Leave Lady Irene alone! Take this-!" Kohaku dropped the kusarigama and grabbed the wakizashi at his waist, unsheathing it and easily blocking the hit from the villager, sending him stumbling back and slashing at his chest. "Gahh~!"

I was too horrified to scream. The boy turned to see everyone else running at him, swords and spears alike in their hands. He left me to go fight them, no mercy to be shown as he ran to slaughter them all. He was so much stronger and skilled than they were, and… they were trying to protect me. They were dying because they wanted to help.

"N… No…" Don't do this. "Kohaku!"

I kicked the chains off my legs, unraveling them, before shakily standing.

"Shikigami~!" I brought my hands out, tears burning my eyes as I saw the way the boy was hurting everyone. Red flames danced along my fingers, shooting out of my palms at my command. "Attack!"

Kohaku stopped when he heard me speak, turning to see the ball of fire heading straight for him. He easily dodged it, running sideways and then leaping, avoiding a few arrows that were flying through the air. Landing gracefully on the ground, the boy charged at me ready to swing. I could tell that this time… he wasn't going to hesitate.

"I-I won't let you kill them!" Too many have died already. A pentagram formed at my feet, red and burning hotter with each passing second. Though panicking greatly, I kept Miroku's words in mind about being able to know I could summon the Shikigami. That I needed to believe in myself. Kohaku was getting closer and closer, ready to cut me through with his wakizashi. I raised my arms up, trying to ignore the fear coursing through my veins. "O' flame burning bright… turn into a sword of wrath!"

A strange shape appeared out of the flame, a white-hot rhinoceros appearing and charging at the boy. Keeping the Shikigami in effect was exhausting, but I couldn't give up. Naraku had taken too many lives; I won't allow him to continue. Especially not with Kohaku.

…

"Out of my way!" Muso demanded, grotesque tendrils heading towards the priestess and breaking any arrows she shot at him. "That woman- the one who is identical to Kikyō!? She will be mine, I tell you!"

"Stop!" Kagome cried, causing the man to halt his attack at the sound of her voice. "I'm the one you want, right!? Leave her alone!" The middle schooler watched him retract his arm, ready to head towards her instead. Kagome quickly broke out into a run, rushing down the hill as fast as she could. "So I say, but I'm not gonna give in without a fight! Run for it, Kaede!"

The tendrils slammed into the ground beside her, sending her flying. "Who are you!?" He demanded, retracting them and sending them towards her once more when he saw Kagome recover and continue running. "How come you look so much like Kikyō!? Tell me at once!"

The girl looked up, seeing the large shadow overhead. She was quickly running out of breath. Kagome knew that if this kept up he was going to catch her after all. She dared not think what he might do with her if that happened. That was when she heard it- a voice so familiar it caused her heart to swell with joy, hope washing over her as Inuyasha leapt through the air and clawed at the tendrils, tearing them to bits.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" He shouted, flipping through the air and landing on the ground. The half-demon watched at the clay body parts collapsed, a large scar ripping through the middle of the man's limb, and then focused his attention on Kagome- eyes narrowed in a glare. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? Why didn't you go home!?"

"Well, that's-" She began, attempting to explain herself, when Muso spoke up. The male incarnation shouted over the hill, catching everyone's attention. Miroku was running up behind Inuyasha, staff ready for battle.

"Inuyasha! Why must you always interfere like this!? Go back to the tree where you were sealed!" Muso retracted the tendrils back, transforming them into a regular arm. Inuyasha bared his fangs and growled at him, unsheathing his sword.

"What did you say!?"

"This is exactly what we feared would happen." Miroku said, frowning deeply. "This is why you should have gone through the well, Kagome. We knew he would come after you."

"How perceptive." Muso mocked. "But you're all fools; my memories have returned! This cave is where I met Kikyō! She cared for me while I stayed here, tending to my wounds."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. Anger boiled inside of him and he stepped forward, ready to hack this incarnation into pieces. "Kikyō?" How dare he speak her name. Vermin like him shouldn't be allowed to even utter the word. "What the hell are you talking about!?"

Kaede moved over, informing the half-demon of their discovery. "Muso is actually Onigumo, Inuyasha!"

"What!?"

Understanding dawned on Miroku, all the pieces clicking together inside his head. "That's why he kept stealing the faces of his victims! Onigumos' body was badly burned- so much so that even his face was scorched off! When Naraku created him, Muso had no face!"

"Onigumo's heart must have burst out of Naraku!" Inuyasha said, disturbed at the thought.

Muso held his arms out, scowling. "I remember everything- including how Kikyō died back then." A low growl escaped him, frustration forming on his features.

Inuyasha was furious. "You were the one who injured her!"

"I did no such thing! I wanted possession of the sacred jewel and a healthy body, so I could steal Kikyō away and leave this wretched cave. She was to be my woman… but when I got my new body, nothing went as I planned. The first thing I did when I left the cave was kill the very woman who I had sold my body and soul for!"

"When Naraku was born, Onigumo's consciousness still lived inside of him…" Kagome observed, bothered by this newfound information. He had watched Kikyō get slaughtered, unable to control his own body. And why?

"Naraku was created by the union of hundreds of demons," Kaede explained, expression darkening, "and those demons had but one desire… the death of my sister, Kikyō."

Muso's eyes lowered to the ground, clearly upset by this. "Kikyō followed that half-demon straight to her very demise… She perished and the sacred jewel was burned along with her corpse. At that very same time… someone buried me in a very deep, dark place."

"That must have been Naraku." Inuyasha told him. Muso leapt down from the cave entrance, walking closer to the group.

"I don't know how many years I lied dormant for, but when I finally awoke I had been hurled into the outside world again. "

Miroku narrowed his eyes, moving a few feet closer to the male incarnation. "Have you not received orders from Naraku?"

"I take orders from no one! I slaughter everyone I hate and I burn them to the ground."

…

He wouldn't stop. Why won't he stop?

If I could run out of the village and get him away from the people that would be perfect, but I can't move. My legs were shaking so bad- if I tried to walk I would collapse. My lungs burned too much for me to dash away to the forest. The boy had managed to slash away at my left arm during our battle, simultaneously opening my old wound and making it worse, and he avoided every single one of my attacks. It felt so pointless.

A part of me felt like giving up, allowing him to take me to Naraku. At least the villagers would be safe then… right?

Oh gods.

"I-Irene!?" Shippō's voice rang out and the fox demon bounded over, standing several feet away. "I-Is that… Kohaku? What is he doing here!? Gah! Irene, you're bleeding!"

"It's fine." It had gotten to the point where Kohaku and I were just staring each other down now, the remaining villagers hiding away- too scared to keep fighting in fear of their lives. I felt awful. "I'm… fine."

"You're not! I-I'll go get Inuyasha and the others! They can help!"

Please hurry.

The fox demon dropped the wooden canteen of water he was carrying and transformed, turning into his giant pink rubber ball form and floating in the air, moving quickly to look over the forest trees to hunt down our allies. My hands were shaking. "You don't… want to do this, Kohaku. Trust me. This isn't you."

He said nothing. He stepped forward, blade held tightly in his hands. I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me anymore. How strong was Naraku's hold on his heart?

"We're friends, right? Let's just… put the weapons down and not fight. Okay? S-Sounds… like a great plan… don't it?"

I'm so dizzy. I don't think I can summon anymore spirits. What's the point of having power if none of it ever freaking works the way you want it to, and you just end up more worn out than ever because you tried using it? Ragh! I hate it. I appreciate the spirits listening to me, but damn it all. I'm too weak for this.

"You don't… want to kill those people. D-Do you?"

He stepped forward. My heart jumped, ready to burst out of my ribcage. The boy ran straight at me, blade held high ready to swing. My arms flew up instinctively and I shouted, covering my head and throat as best as I could despite knowing it was futile. There were footsteps and I knew he was close, but then there was a roar-

-and a woman, screaming Kohaku's name. The hiraikotsu flew through the air and Kohaku jumped back, snatching his kusarigama off the ground and sheathing his wakizashi quickly. Sango flew over on Kirara's back, catching her weapon as it doubled back to her. She stared at Kohaku with heartbroken eyes, distraught by what had happened. Her gaze traveled over the village, seeing the several wounded and dead villagers on the ground, taking note of the way I was bleeding as well. Kirara lowered to the ground and Sango got off, standing slowly making her way over to us. Kohaku was staring at her, emptiness in his gaze. He seemed reluctant to fight her, but other than that… I don't think he recognized her.

"Kohaku…"

He got into a stance, holding the kusarigama in front of him. From behind several people seemed to just drop down in the midst of their running, lights shooting out of their body. I noticed, but I think Sango was too focused on Kohaku to see it.

"Why are you letting Naraku control you like this?" She demanded, voice trembling and pained. There was a vulnerability in it- one that I've heard only once before. "Doesn't it hurt? Aren't you scared?"

"S-Sango…" I stammered, seeing the way she was just marching towards him. The female demon slayer didn't seem like she was going to fight him at all. What if he attacked? Would she just let him hurt her? What was going on with those villagers? "B-be careful!"

She raised a hand up, reaching out towards him. "Kohaku, please… stop this."

…

"I don't know why Naraku bothered letting you out," Inuyasha growled, running at Muso as poisonous insects appeared up ahead in the sky, preventing Miroku from using his Wind Tunnel, "but you'll get the same treatment I give him! This is payback for Kikyō!"

"Try it!" Muso shouted, stretching the tendrils to wrap around Inuyasha and his sword. The half-demon continued to charge, being stopped only when the flesh closed in around him and hoisted him up into the air. "I'll kill you first!"

"His scar closed in on the sword!" Miroku exclaimed. "He can regenerate his body!"

"Yeah, who cares!?" Inuyasha demanded, forcing his way out of Muso's grip with his own inhuman strength. He landed on the ground, grunting and glaring at the man. "Damn you…!"

"You strange sword is useless against me." The incarnation mused, several Saimyōshō buzzing behind him. "How very unfortunate for you."

Miroku scowled, grabbing at his prayer beads. "I knew I should have sucked him up when I had the chance…"

"Does this mean Naraku is protecting Muso?" Kagome asked, alarmed. "If so, does that mean he's near? What about Irene!? Kagura might try and grab her again!"

"Sango went back to the village to ensure that doesn't happen." Miroku said, looking at the girl. "But Naraku must be the one who sent him the poisonous insects- to prevent me from using the Wind Tunnel. Yet Muso insists he takes orders from no one. Just what is his motivation?" He glanced back at the fight, frustrated. "I don't understand it!"

"Who cares what his motivation is!?" Inuyasha growled, running at Muso again. "It won't matter so long as we can kill 'im!"

The male incarnation laughed and sent the tendrils from his arms down towards the half-demon, crashing into the ground and forcing Inuyasha to dodge each one lest he get impaled. "What's the matter!?" He asked, grinning wickedly as both his arms were used to attack. There was no end to how far the tendrils could stretch or split apart, leaving the half-demon moving left and right, jumping into the air and diving into the grass time and again.

Eventually Inuyasha got fed up and raised his sword, leaping out and bringing the blade down as demonic energy swirled around it. Muso's eyes widened. "Die already! Wind Scar!" The energy made contact with his body and the incarnation shouted, feeling his limbs be torn into shreds, body falling into pieces.

"Is he dead?" Kaede asked as the light faded away, revealing the dismembered body of Muso. Miroku shook his head, staring intently at the body parts.

"We can't be certain. Not with his ability to regenerate."

A tendril shot out of the ground and tore right through Inuyasha's chest. The half-demon choked and blood spurted out of his mouth. Miroku quickly ran forward and pulled several sutras out, speaking a prayer and throwing them at it. They made contact and the tendrils erupted, disintegrating into ashes as Inuyasha fell free.

"Your efforts are futile." Muso claimed, revealing himself. His clothes were all gone, tattered by Inuyasha's previous attack. "You're all going to die, so just give up already."

"That's what you think!" Inuyasha growled, bringing his blade up again. "Wind Scar!"

"Inuyasha!" Miroku shouted as the incarnation was destroyed once more. "Are you alright!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But Muso…" The half-demon narrowed his eyes. "There are only so many times he can keep regenerating."

"I hope you're right about that." Kagome said nervously.

Suddenly a voice could be heard shouting at them. "Inuyasha! Miroku! Kagome! Heeeeelp!" They looked up, seeing Shippō in his balloon form flying at them. "Irene's in danger!"

"What?" Kaede exclaimed. "How so?"

He transformed, falling onto the ground and picking himself back up again. "K-Kohaku! He's in the village attacking everyone! I told Sango on my way here, but I don't think she can fight him! Irene's badly hurt and several villagers are already dead!"

"What!?" Kagome gasped, horrified. "But…"

"This isn't good." Miroku frowned. "Kagura's words were a trap after all. Naraku wanted us here out of the way. He sent Kohaku, knowing Sango wouldn't be able to fight him. But we can't just leave with Muso still in the way! Inuyasha, what should we do!?"

Inuyasha wasn't able to answer, Muso already finished reforming.

"Fools! You should already know it is impossible to destroy me!" Inuyasha held his sword tightly, glaring uncertainly at the incarnation. What were they supposed to do? Muso wasn't going to die quickly, and Irene and Sango were in serious danger. He can't just leave Muso to go help them either- if he does, Kagome will be captured. Maybe even killed. "Just accept defeat!"

"Damn it all…" Isn't there some way for Inuyasha to destroy him? He needs to end this quickly. "Miroku, take Kagome and head to the village! I'll stay here and take on Muso."

"Inuyasha, it's too dangerous alone-" The monk began.

"Do as I say!" The half-demon snapped. "Irene's too weak to fight right now and Sango can't fight her kid brother! You have to hurry!"

Muso grinned at that and stretched his arms out more, the lower half of his body turning a matching mahogany color and shifting- taking shape into something a little less human. A tail appeared in the back, rising high above his head and resembling that of a scorpion. Muso chuckled. "It appears that I'm getting accustomed to this body of mine…" He lunged his tail outwards and Inuyasha jumped to avoid it, but it easily changed direction.

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha- look out!"

The half-demon looked up, but there was nothing he could do to avoid the tail as it pierced through his torso once more, blood dripping to the ground and staining his red kimono.

"Inuyashaaaaa!"

A tendril ripped away from the tail, separating and moving closer to wrap around Inuyasha's throat. He could taste his own blood, but that that didn't stop him from digging his claws into the tendril and gripping his sword handle tight with one hand. "I'll destroy you… you cocky bastard…!" He swung tetsusaiga as best as he could. "Wind Scar!"

Muso fell apart once more at the contact and Inuyasha landed on the ground, coughing and spitting out blood. He pulled the tendril that was around his neck off, grimacing.

"Hands… off!" Inuyasha shakily stood, bringing a hand up to cover his front. The blood wouldn't stop gushing. The demon in his body should be closing it up soon enough. "Damn it… he's still not dead yet?"

"This will never come to an end!" Kaede stated, watching in annoyance as the body parts reached out to each other and reattached themselves. "We must hurry to the village! Kagome, let us go." Miroku's eyes widened, the monk leaning forward abruptly.

"Wait! Look at that!"

The back piece of Muso's body… where the spider mark was. It was pulsating, attracting all the other pieces to it. The incarnation returned to his scorpion-like state, but this time several spikes were aligning his body.

"He's transforming again!" Kagome exclaimed.

"What do you think his body is made of?" Kaede wondered. She turned her head when Miroku started speaking.

"Naraku's body is made up of an amalgamation of demons, bonded into one by the bandit Onigumo. If Muso was created from Naraku's flesh, then perhaps several other demons were released when Muso was expelled!" Yet that didn't explain at all why he could regenerate. What was his secret? "Is he somehow different from the other incarnations?"

Miroku was torn. He needed to go back to the village to save Sango and Irene, but he can't just leave Inuyasha alone. The half-demon was going to wear out quickly at this rate. He had already used the Wind Scar too many times against Muso. His body won't hold up.

"I told you- destroying me is impossible." The man said, grinning as he hunched over on his tendril-esque claws. He watched as Inuyasha charged, smacking the half-demon away without much effort. Inuyasha rolled out of the way to avoid being pierced by another tendril, only to get smacked away by a different one.

Shippō squeezed his eyes shut, clinging tightly to Kagome's leg. "I can't watch! Isn't there something we can do!? Everyone's going to die at this rate!"

Inuyasha wasn't going to be able to take much more of this. He was breathing heavily, struggling to push himself up while using his sword for balance. If they don't end this battle now then… Miroku clenched his fist. Sango was in danger right now. Irene was going to get kidnapped. Knowing Naraku he would have Kohaku attack Sango, fully aware that she can't fight back. He'll have him kill her.

It might cost Miroku his life, but…

He stepped forward, tearing off the prayer beads wrapped around his right hand. Kagome's eyes widened. "No, Miroku! Don't do it!"

"We have no choice! Sango and Irene are in grave danger, and if this keeps up Inuyasha will die! We have to end this battle now." Muso turned to face him, narrowing his eyes. "Everyone, get back!"

Miroku removed the cloth covering his hand, spreading out his fingers and allowing his palm to be shown to the incarnation. At that instant a black vortex appeared, sucking in everything around it- all the rocks and debris that had been created during the battle, and the poisonous insects waiting in the background.

"Wind Tunnel~!"

"What is this!?" Muso shouted, finding his body being forced forward by the monk's power. He dug his tendrils into the ground, trying to keep himself from being swept up and absorbed. "I won't… let you get rid of me like this! I am immortal!" The skin of Miroku's hand began to turn purple, starting at his fingertips and slowly spreading to his wrist. Beads of sweat formed on his face. "Raaaah!"

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha finally pushed himself up, swinging his blade and slicing Muso's body into pieces. This allowed several parts of the incarnation to get swallowed up alongside the Saimyōshō, but just as Muso's middle part- the piece with the spider mark- was about to be swallowed up…

A familiar female demon appeared, flying by on a feather and swinging her fan. "Dance of Blades!" Several bright arcs of wind appeared and aimed directly at Miroku, causing the monk to close up his hand and leap back in order to avoid him. He crashed hard into the ground, dazed and weak from the toxin. The remaining Saimyōshō grabbed onto the spider mark piece of Muso's body and flew away with it deep into the forest.

And the pieces of his body that hadn't been sucked up followed, attracted to that part in their desire to regenerate.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed. He glanced back, "Kagome, take care of Miroku! I'm gonna follow Muso!"

"Wait!" Kaede shouted, stepping forward. "What about the village?"

Inuyasha hesitated. He couldn't just let Muso get away like that, but… damn it! The half-demon turned away, torn. Muso could lead them to Naraku. Miroku pushed himself up, jaw clenched tight as he clutched his poisoned arm. "I-I'll be fine. Go after Muso, Inuyasha. I'll head to the village."

"A-Are you sure?"

"Just go!" The half-demon hesitated before doing as told, following the male incarnation and the poisonous insects. Kagome and Shippō helped Miroku stand, worried for his well being. "We need to hurry…"

…

Blood dripped from Sango's shoulder, the woman using her hiraikotsu to block all of Kohaku's attacks. Each blow had pushed her back, the slayer unable to bring herself to fight him. "Stop this, Kohaku!"

He continued to slash away, kusarigama digging into the giant boomerang. I watched nervously from the side, uncertain of what I should do. I wanted to help, but I knew if I got close… I would be taken down instantly. Sango blinked back the tears burning her eyes and pushed forward, shoving her hiraikotsu at him and sending Kohaku falling back.

The woman had him pinned, legs on either side of him, the hiraikotsu pressing against his chest and keeping his arms against the ground. Her long hair fell over her shoulder. "Break free of Naraku! Please!"

He said nothing. The boy merely stared at her. It appeared as if he no longer was going to fight.

"S-Sango…" I said, taking a cautious step forward, extending a hand. "He…"

I didn't know what to say. What was there to say?

A small voice spoke quietly from behind me, causing me to jump. "His soul is under Naraku's control… Kohaku cannot be freed." A young girl was standing there, hair and skin as white as snow. Even her kimono was all white, but her eyes… they were the darkest black I've ever seen. Her face was even more expressionless than Kohaku's. In her hands she held a mirror. "Your soul," She said, staring at me, "give it to me."

What?

Sango whirled her head around, eyes widening when she saw the girl. "Irene, get back!"

I tried to move, but it was like I was frozen- caught by the reflection in the mirror. The glass shone brightly, glimmering with light, and my body grew cold. My knees hit the ground and I fell over, feeling the very life force get drained from my body. Sango let out a shout, pulling away from Kohaku and running at the mysterious girl, grabbing her wakizashi and swinging it at her.

"Kanna!" She yelled angrily. "Don't you dare!"

The girl didn't even flinch.

Before Sango could get close Kohaku used the chain on his weapon and wrapped it around her ankle, knocking her down and sending her sword falling out of her hands. She looked back, alarmed, and kicked at the chain. Kohaku had used the moment of opportunity when she left to throw the hiraikotsu off of his body, grabbing his kusarigama and using it against her. Sango twisted and pushed herself off the ground, standing on her hands, before turning her legs until the chains fell free.

But not completely- because she wrapped it around her knee and tugged, sending Kohaku stumbling forward. The girl used that time to toss herself into the air, spinning and landing a kick hard across his lower back. He was falling forward, temporarily stunned, though the boy recovered soon enough. Sango breathed heavily, guilt crossing her face, before she yanked her hiraikotsu off of the ground and threw it at Kanna. The girl looked up just in time to see Kohaku throw herself in front of her- taking the blow. Sango's eyes widened.

Her brother was sent flying back into a hut, crashing into the wall with the building crumbling on top of him. "K-Kohaku!"

She's crying again. Why does Naraku have to keep making Sango cry?

I hate it. I hate him. I want to do something. But my body felt so tired… so weak. I was paralyzed. Was this girl really stealing my soul?

What can I do?

Gods, it hurts. I'm so dizzy.

The girl looked at me, seeing the way my soul was still flowing into the mirror. She stared at it, observing silently. "The soul is bigger than expected… but it will soon reside in the mirror."

My fingers dug into the dirt, struggling to curl into fists. What made them think they could get away with all this? They're terrible people. Monsters, even. They give demons a bad name. I want to hurt them. They deserve to pay for what they've done.

Sango looked torn. Dig through the debris and ensure that Kohaku was still alive, or attack Kanna- freeing me from her spell? She settled for the latter, charging at the white-haired demon. "Leave her be!" She demanded, flexing her wrist and allowing the hidden blade to break through her arm guard, slashing at the ghost of a girl. The blade seemed to phase through her, the girl completely disappearing as if she was never there in the first place. "No! Where!?"

I coughed, struggling to push myself up. I wanted to throw up. "S-Sango..."

She whirled around, spinning on her heel. "Irene!"

I was about to try and sit up, but then I felt it again- the coldness gripping at my heart, as if pulling all the feelings I possessed out of my body. Kanna was standing on the rooftop of Kaede's hut, staring at us. Sango let out an angered yell and charged forward, pulling her hiraikotsu out of the rubble and swinging it at her.

"The soul has stopped…" Kanna vanished again. She was right by me this time. "It must continue."

This feels like I'm being tortured, having my soul pulled out repeatedly in separate intervals. It was more painful than when I tried to drown myself earlier; at least I had control over that. Damn it. I want it to stop. It hurts. I regret everything.

"I said leave her alone!" Sango growled. She was about to swing with it this time, not throwing it, but an arrow shot out of nowhere- flying so close to Kanna's face that it cut off several strands of hair. Sango's run came to a startled halt. "What?"

"Kanna!" Kagome shouted, taking another arrow from Kaede's quiver and aiming it at her. "Tell us what you want with Irene- now!"

The process of stealing my soul was halted once again. I was getting very frustrated at this point; I kind of just wanted her to hurry up and kill me already. At least the other demons didn't hesitate so much when they attacked. The girl stared at them lifelessly. "Her soul… it is necessary for us… I will take it. It belongs in the mirror…"

"Too bad you won't get it!" She hissed. "Take this!"

Kanna watched as she released another arrow. Kohaku pulled himself out of the rubble and, seeing the way it was going for the mirror, lunged to take the hit again. Sango moved quickly, reaching out to intercept him, uncaring of the way the blades in his armguards slashed against her flesh, her hands wrapping around his waist and tackling him down to the ground. Kagome's arrow of purification hit the glass of Kanna's mirror, sinking into it.

The girl watched as the mirror began to shake as it absorbed the arrow, almost intrigued by the behavior. "The mirror is not full… and yet it cries out. Is that the strength of your soul, I wonder…?"

"Release her or I set loose another arrow!"

"If I do not… the mirror will break." She murmured quietly. Miroku stumbled up, grasping his clearly wounded arm tightly. What had happened? I'm so dizzy- I can't make out the details. Still, she was so close. If I could just… reach up and grab that wretched mirror. "But her soul… it is needed. What shall I do?"

Sango struggled to keep Kohaku pinned down, blood pooling and dripping out of her shoulder and chest. He had gotten her good. A little bit higher and Sango's throat would have been slit. "Just do it, Kagome!" She shouted. "It's our only chance!"

"Got it!"

Damn it. I feel so numb.

Kanna's expressionless face never changed, but something in those blank eyes almost looked conflicted. She was never able to make a decision, for Kagome's next arrow hit the glass and the mirror burst- several souls coming rushing out at once. They took the form of blue lights, sailing through the air and crashing down into the bodies of the fallen villagers that I had seen collapse earlier. One of the blue lights hit me, sending a flood of energy and emotions washing over me.

"I did it!" Kagome exclaimed, surprised and rather proud of herself. Kaede's single eye was wide, seeing how many villagers had been attacked by the ghostly demon. "Heck yeah!"

Kohaku pushed Sango off of him, kicking her hard in the stomach. She rolled onto her side and wheezed, watching him run over to the white-haired girl. "K-Kohaku, wait!" She outstretched a hand, her other gripping her bleeding shoulder tightly. "Don't go!"

"The mirror is cracked…" Kanna muttered. "The souls are freed. Naraku will not be pleased…"

"Why do you want her soul so bad!?" Kagome demanded, walking over to her. She had another arrow readied, this one aimed at Kanna herself. "What's so special about it?"

"It is not me who wants it…" She responded calmly, raising her gaze from the cracked mirror. "It is the Shikigami Priestess that desires it. I am only doing as I am told. Kohaku… we are done here." Kanna turned her head, looking at the boy lifelessly. "The soul can not be collected. The mirror will not hold it now."

"Yes…" He responded monotonously. "We must return to the castle."

"Kagura…" Kanna said, looking up in the air. "It is time."

The wind picked up and it could only be assumed as the work of the female sorceress, a large feather heading their way. On it was the female demon, who quickly collected them and flew off. Sango ran after them, stopping only once they were out of sight. "No! Kohaku!" A pained expression crossed her face and she lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "He's gone… just like that. Again."

Kagome, Miroku, Shippō, and Kaede made their way down the hill- Kagome running full speed at us. "Sango, Irene! Are you guys okay!? We came as fast as we could!"

"No- Kohaku, he… he tried to…" Sango hesitated, opening her tear-filled eyes. She glanced back at me, who was still struggling to sit up. I was so worn out. "I couldn't do anything again. I'm so useless against him. Whenever I tried to stop Kanna, he would get in the way a-and… I hurt him. Kagome, I attacked my own brother."

She brought a hand up to her mouth, ashamed of herself.

"Even if it comes at the cost of Irene's life, I… I can't bear to fight him. It's so hard."

"Sango…"

Miroku knelt down beside me, helping me sit up. I huffed, chest heaving as I tried to get used to the feeling of having all these emotions back again. One moment I was so cold and… empty, and the next I'm back to feeling like a messed up human again. "How are you feeling? Is your soul back in place?"

"Th-That's…" I made a face, looking at him for a moment before glancing at his hand. "That's a weird question. Wh-What's wrong with you? Your hand is…"

He cradled it to his chest, doing his best not to show his own pain. "It's… from when I used my Wind Tunnel. I sucked in some of the Saimyōshō and got poisoned."

"What?" That's not good. Not at all. Sango looked horrified when she heard him say that.

"Y-You know you're not supposed to do that, Miroku! What if you were killed!?" She hurried over, blood dripping onto the ground with each movement. He looked more concerned about her than his own health.

"I don't matter. But Sango, you're covered in blood! Are those from Kohaku? You must rest! Kagome, your medicine!"

"Forget about me!" The slayer knelt down, pulling his kimono sleeve back to see how bad the damage was. It spread all the way up to his elbow. "Oh no… Miroku, this is really bad! How are you even still moving?"

He flashed her a weak smile. "I had to. Shippō told us you and Irene were in trouble, and Muso was in no way close to being defeated. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"M-Miroku…"

"Got it!" Kagome came rushing out of Kaede's hut with her first-aid kit. The priestess, on the other hand, was rounding up the wounded villagers and creating a make-shift medical site, having those that could still move help bring her herbs and other remedies to care for them. Shippō was helping her. "Sango, sit down! I need to tend to your wounds!"

"Wait," She said, realizing something, "where's Inuyasha?"

Miroku closed his eyes. "He followed Muso into the woods."

"What? But I thought you used your Wind Tunnel to swallow him!"

"I did, but Kagura appeared at the last minute and saved him. Muso escaped."

Several emotions flashed across Sango's face before one finally settled into place. Determination. The woman stood. "I'm going after him. Naraku might be there. Kagome, can you-?"

The girl looked at her aghast. "You're injured, Sango!"

"It's fine! Just look after Irene and Miroku for me. Kirara!" The cat demon turned her head, looking just as upset as Sango did. She wasn't even able to join the fight earlier either, too heartbroken and distraught to act. Sango climbed onto her back, casting a hesitant glance back at us. "I'm… I'm so sorry."

They took off. Kagome let out a frustrated noise before opening her medicine kit and getting to work. I hissed when Kagome's hand touched my back, but I didn't argue or protest. I lacked the strength to speak.

This was one of the roughest battles yet.

…

"What's goin' on, Naraku?" Inuyasha demanded, bringing his run to a halt as soon as he saw the half-demon pin Muso to a tree, several large spider leg-like tendrils stabbing through the incarnation's back. "Get tired of your new pet already?"

Naraku hmph'd and shifted his gaze, not bothering to turn his head and look at him. "Inuyasha…"

"What's the deal?" He asked, frowning at him. "You couldn't possibly have any use for Onigumo's human heart. You don't need him; that's why you dug him out of your flesh in the first place. So tell me- how come you're trying to take him back now?"

"I thought Muso would be able to kill you, but it seems I was mistaken… so he's coming back. It's as simple as that."

Inuyasha scoffed at that. "Nothing is ever simple with you. Something very precious got mixed in and was released with Muso. Otherwise you'd never go through all that trouble to take back his heart after you finally got rid of it."

Naraku finally turned his head to face him, a sarcastic grin spreading across his lips. "Oh my, how clever… Don't tell me you're actually using that head of yours to think." He ripped the tendrils out of Muso's back, allowing the incarnation to fall to the ground. "What will you do now?"

"I can destroy Muso anytime I want." Inuyasha growled, unsheathing tetsusaiga. "Which means you're on the top of my to-do list!"

The half-demon leapt into the air and swung, letting out a battle cry as he charged at Naraku. The baboon-cloak wearing man easily dodged each swing, leaping out of the way. When Inuyasha did manage to get close he hindered his attacks, blocking them with the spider legs sticking out of his back.

During this time Muso's wounds healed and the incarnation was able to recover, and seeing the way the two were locked in combat Muso ran away. Naraku could sense this happening without even having to see it, so while he continued to block Inuyasha's attack he spoke up. "Kagura, take Kohaku and Kanna and go after Muso."

"What!?" Inuyasha's eyes widened. From above a feather could be seen flying, coming from the direction of the village. "Damn it- what did you have them do!?"

Naraku's grin widened. "Exactly what you're thinking. I sent Kohaku and Kanna to go collect that foreign girl's soul."

No. That meant… Irene was already-? Inuyasha grit his teeth and bared his fangs, expression darkening as he put more pressure behind his blade. "Damn you, Naraku! I'll kill you!"

"You can only try."

The silver-haired half-demon slashed angrily at the spider legs, cutting them into pieces. This only caused the broken parts still attached to Naraku to spit out miasma, Inuyasha jumping back in a desperate attempt to avoid it. The evil half-demon landed easily on his feet, not so much as breaking a sweat during that short battle. From above Kirara and Sango appeared, the woman shouting Inuyasha's name as she lowered herself to the ground.

"What's Naraku doing here!? Where's Muso!?"

"Muso ran away after Naraku tried to take him back! Why aren't you in the village?"

"I just left." She explained, grabbing her hiraikotsu off her back and readying to throw it. Inuyasha could smell her blood a mile away; Sango was badly wounded. "Irene is safe, but Kanna tried to steal her soul. She's in bad shape right now."

"What?" He glanced at her, eyes wide. "So she's still alive? Damn it- I should have known you were lying, Naraku!"

The man in the baboon cloak said nothing, staring them down. Inuyasha growled.

"Alright, we'll play that game then. I bet releasing Muso left you a lot weaker than you used to be! That's why you want him back so bad- am I right?"

He got his answer when Naraku's red eyes grew even colder, his long dark hair flowing around him. The spider legs reached out from his back to strike them and Inuyasha batted them away, bringing his sword up and swinging it- the demonic energy releasing and creating another Wind Scar. Naraku glared and avoided it, flying high into the air. "Don't presume to understand me, Inuyasha. You are nothing."

Naraku was clearly about to let loose another attack, but then… Muso appeared- sending one of the tendrils of his arms right through Naraku's chest. Sango stared in shock. "H-He… He got him."

"Muso… killed Naraku?" Inuyasha forced out, unable to believe what he was seeing. "No way…"

The incarnation laughed loudly, grinning up at his creator. "You fool! You didn't really think I'd let you get away, did you?" Naraku stared at Muso for a moment… and then smiled. "What?" Suddenly the distance between them closed, as if Naraku had control over the power of Muso's body. The man began to shake, terror in his eyes, Muso unable to pull his arm out. "L-Let go of me…! My arm- it's being absorbed!"

"You saved me the trouble, Muso." Naraku whispered, leaning in so their faces were inches away. "How kind of you. I need you to come back to me now."

He tried again to tear his arm out from Naraku's chest, but it was futile. "D-Damn you-aghhh!" Naraku held his arms out, removing the baboon coat from his body and revealing the spider legs within. They wrapped around the incarnation, pulling him flush against Naraku's body and into his flesh. "Nooo! I can't- my body; I've lost control of it! Let go of me!" He cried. "Release me at once! Stop! Let me see Kikyō!"

Inuyasha, Sango, and Kirara could only watch the horrific scene take place.

"I must see Kikyō! Kikyōōō! Kikyōōōōōōō!"

"Such bitterness," Naraku noted, smiling all the while, "such festering greed… Keep it up, Muso. Kikyō is exactly the same as you. Made of clay and dirt, her soul is but a mere phantom of the past."

As the remaining parts of Muso's body was absorbed, his scream faded away. All that was left was Naraku with his coat of baboon fur. Inuyasha was shaken. "You just… absorbed him…" The evil man chuckled at the half-demon's reaction.

"You see, I require Onigumo as a link for my own body." Naraku explained. He turned, smirking at them. "Your conjecture was indeed accurate, Inuyasha."

"But, hold on." Sango frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "If you've swallowed Onigumo, who is human… does that mean you truly are a half-demon?"

She already knew he was- they all did. The female slayer was merely hoping to gain an answer to a question the entire group has long-since held. 

"Now why would you ask that?" Naraku asked, seeming amused by her words.

Kirara stepped forward and Sango readied her weapon to swing in case he attacked or moved suspiciously. Blood dripped off of her body, staining the cat demon's fur. She was so focused on Naraku she didn't notice- or perhaps she was purposely avoiding thinking about it. The woman was clearly in pain. "A while ago the barrier around your castle disappeared. Inuyasha was able to pick up your scent. You normally wouldn't want to be found, would you? I bet even now you have the barrier back up around the castle, to keep us out once we reach it again."

Inuyasha glanced at Sango, wondering what she was planning. Naraku smiled. "I see… you want to know if I have a period of weakness. If I am indeed like all half-demons… I, too, should have a time where I turn mortal. But exactly when that time occurs is a half-demon's deepest secret… so why don't we hear about you, Inuyasha?"

The half-demon tensed, looking at Naraku uncomfortably. "W-What?"

"Do you, like so many other half-demons, lose your powers and hide from your enemies during such times?"

"Why you…!" Did that mean Kagura hadn't told Naraku his secret after? What for? He knew he couldn't trust her, but still… it didn't make any sense. "Like I'd tell!"

Naraku's smile never wavered. It only made this conversation all the more unnerving. Several Saimyōshō appeared, floating down and buzzing around their malevolent master. "As you two have surmised, I have periods where I can not move. However, I choose that time myself… of my own will."

"Huh?"

"There's no way you can do that!" Inuyasha growled. "That's not how it works!"

"For you, perhaps." Naraku told him. The sheer arrogance he held was infuriating. "We are vastly different from one each other, Inuyasha. You were born from a human and a demon. During my times of weakness… I experiment. What is strong I take and make stronger, and what is weak I toss out and become even more powerful. I am a half-demon right now, there is no mistake about that. But unlike other half-demons I don't lose my power and cower in fear."

Inuyasha stepped up and scowled, glaring at him. "I'm sure you could talk about yourself for days, but I've got better things on my mind! Hrah!" He reached out and swung, aiming for Naraku's head- but the a purple force field appeared and blocked his attack. "What!? The barrier has returned!"

"Damn you!" Sango cursed. "We still don't have a way to surpass that!"

"Won't stop me from trying- Wind Scar!"

The effect was very much the same as it was in the castle. The demonic energy sailed over the barrier and Naraku, tearing apart the trees behind them instead.

"I'll say it again." Naraku began, grinning at them, "I only continue to grow in power."

And with that the dark smoke of his miasma tore out from the barrier, swirling around in a cyclone around them. Kirara quickly carried Sango out of the way and Inuyasha lunged to the side, avoiding getting blasted again with the smoke. They watched as the cyclone took off into the sky, accompanied by the ever-loyal Saimyōshō.

"He's gone…" Inuyasha muttered, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "I turn into nothing but a weak mortal, but Naraku is different? Is it because he's an artificial half-demon?"

"I think so." Sango said, frowning. "If he's able to keep reconstructing his body whenever he wants… then we're all in big trouble."

"Yeah… let's head back to the others." Inuyasha frowned. He looked at the woman, seeing how badly she was bleeding. "You need to get those cuts taken care of. They're pretty serious."

"I'll be fine." She said, feeling as though they were punishment for allowing her feelings towards Kohaku to get the better of her. "I'm more worried about the others."

And so they headed back to the village where Inuyasha was able to see the carnage brought on by Naraku and his puppets. Kagome ushered the group into the little circle Kaede had everyone in, tending them each separately. Irene was sleeping again, Shippō curled up against her side worriedly when he saw her face contort into pain, and some of the healthier villagers were getting to work creating graves for the dead.

Sango sat in silence, believing this all to be her fault. Kohaku was her brother and she was supposed to be responsible for him. Yet, Irene thought it was her own fault because she was the one Naraku wanted. It was her soul they desired. Sango and Inuyasha informed the group of their newfound discovery, and become distraught at the knowledge that they would not know when Naraku would lose his powers. Inuyasha stated that he would just have to get stronger than him, easy as that.

Miroku, trying to lighten the mood and alleviate some of the stress, made fun of him for being so randomly optimistic.

Chapter Text

After the first few days recovering from everything that happened, I was able to use some of the spirits to help heal the injuries of the people in the village and our travel group. It was only thanks to Sango and Shippō mentioning something that happened in Rindoh Village that I even figured out how to clear the toxin out of Miroku's body. The poor monk was bedridden.

It was strange, but I found myself growing more tolerable of Miroku ever since the battle against Dokumoryu. I actually started to consider him as a friend. The Shikigami that appeared when I healed him was a blue eagle, one that eyed me very judgmentally as it beat its wings and cleared away the poison. I awkwardly thanked it and quickly had to smack Miroku's hands away when he tried to get a bit too close- the monk attempting to show his gratitude in the only way he knew how. I refused him. Repeatedly. 

A week had passed before anyone was ready to go anywhere. Inuyasha took Kirara early this morning and disappeared, and Kagome was heading back home to restock on medicinal supplies. Meanwhile I was visiting the graves of those who had died, sitting there in silence with my head hung low- quietly apologizing for costing them their lives. They had been so kind, so brave to try and help me, and… they were dead.

As soon as the sun rose every morning, I walked around the village and checked up on everyone, asking if they ever needed help or if there was anything I could do for them. They always thanked me for asking, but turned me away more often than not unless they needed healing for a large gash caused by farming or a broken leg due to falling out of a tree whilst hunting. Nothing would relieve me of this guilt.

A wife, several husbands, and even a few children had been lost to Kohaku's blade. I had played with some of the children that had died, knowing them personally. It was horrible.

They should have lived so much longer than what they did.

And so, by the end of every day, I found myself doubling back to the grave site. The incense would bother my lungs so I had to wear a cloth over my face when I visited. I sat down, staring in silence and silently apologizing for causing them their demise. I thanked them for their help, but… I doubted they could even really hear me. The dead were dead. There was never any coming back.

"Irene…?" A familiar voice caught my attention and I turned, seeing Kakuju standing there a few feet away. He must have just arrived to this village. "I'm surprised to see you here. Is this where you are staying?"

I nodded, before remembering he couldn't actually see it. "Y-yeah. Sorry…"

He gave a strange look at that, but it wasn't really at me. It was more in the general direction of which he was staring. "Why apologize? You did nothing wrong. Unless…" He carefully guided his way forward with his cane. "Is something bothering you?"

My eyebrows raised and I took deep breath, turning back to face the graves. "...Yeah, kinda. Sorta impossible not to be, I guess."

Kakuju stepped forward until he was beside me, carefully kneeling down onto the ground, sitting on his legs. He set his cane down horizontally in front of him. "Mind telling me what happened? I can lend you my ear. You seem deeply troubled."

"I just…" I hesitated, not really wanting to share my feelings. I hated doing so. I always felt like I would be ridiculed or insulted, and told that I shouldn't be so upset because other people have it worse than me. I know other people are going through horrible things, but… it doesn't make the pain any less. I didn't want to burden other people with my emotions. I was doing that far too much already. "It… hrmm." I want to talk about it though. I hate being silent. "You… uh… You remember Naraku, right?"

"Yes… he was the one you battled in the castle, was it not? The demon who had poisoned you and your friends, leading you to Rindoh Village?"

"Uh, yeah. Him… well, uh, he showed up. Again." I cleared my throat, awkward and a little uncomfortable. Was it really alright for me to talk about this? "And… he tried to have some people attack me. But… then… then p-people from the village…" Frick. I'm already tearing up. God damn it. I swallowed the lump in my throat, furiously blinking away tears. "They tried to help me. A-And now… they're all dead."

Their screams and terrified faces were still so vivid in my mind. I laced my fingers tightly together in my lap, knuckles turning white.

"I-I knew them. I knew them a-and I… couldn't help them. A-And it's not like we can even stop Naraku because… because of his stupid barrier!"

I want to hit something. I want to hit something so bad right now.

"Th-They're all dead because of me…"

Maria might even be gone now as well. Naraku wasn't exactly well-know for his mercy. I took a shaky breath, struggling very hard not to break down. Kakuju remained silent, listening to me rant. When he finally spoke, it was with a soft voice. "It's suffocating, is it not?" I paused, looking at him with blurry vision. "You try so hard to protect… but it all ends in despair. If you truly wish to save those whom this Naraku will try to hurt next… I can teach you a way to break the barrier."

"Wh-What?" Was he for real right now?

Kakuju's solemn expression became a little more serious, the man looking in the distance and speaking with a grave tone. "You must listen carefully," He told me, "Rindoh Village is at the foot of Mount Huoh. You need to go to the top of the mountain and bring back a fruit from the Magatama Tree growing there."

I looked at him in confusion, not understanding. "Magatama… Tree? What will the fruit do?"

"It's what you need to break the barrier." Kakuju answered calmly. He reached out, placing a shaky hand on my shoulder, leaving me both uncomfortable and a little worried about the task at hand. "The rest will take place once you obtain the fruit and bring it to me. I will teach you the technique needed for a Shikigami Spirit to break the barrier. But you must be careful. It is not easy to obtain the fruit."

"Uh… wh-why not?"

"There is a spirit guarding it." He warned, lowering his voice to a whisper. It was as if he was remembering something unpleasant. "They will test your heart. If they find you unworthy of the fruit, you will be cast into the unknown forever."

"O-Oh." That did not sound pleasant. "Did… Did you ever get a fruit?"

"Once. But that was long time ago, when I was still young. I barely got away with my life." Kakuju needed to break a barrier when he was younger… that's interesting. I didn't know much about this man at all, aside from him being able to help me use the Shikigami. "She is an air spirit and will turn you away upon approach. This is a test of courage, Irene, and of heart. You must prepare well."

"Um…" This did not sound like it was going to end well. "You… realize I'm the most cowardly person in existence, right?"

"Hm?" He pulled his hand away, surprised by my words. "What makes you say that?"

"H-Have you not met me?" I asked, incredulous. "I cry at everything! A-And I'm not exactly good at fighting demons! I've been beaten up more times than I can count since I was brought here to Japan."

Kakuju hummed thoughtfully upon hearing that. "Courage is more than just being able to face a battle. It is facing one's fears to help another. Remember what you told me after your visit to the old temple? You ran into that room and, despite being scared, despite being cornered and trapped by the spider demon, you stayed and were able to free your friends. You are brave, Irene. You just can't see it yourself."

"Th-That's…" I hesitated. I didn't really believe him, but… it wasn't as if I didn't do those things. They were terrifying. I'm still scared. Always, continually scared. I shifted in my spot and pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on my arms. "I just… don't want them to die. That's all. I'm just being selfish."

"Perhaps." He said, a little amused. "But most selfish people would have ran to save themselves. Don't you think that by going after your friends, into the room with the spider, you were being more selfless?"

No. I was motivated by fear and uncertainty more than anything else. There was no winning in that situation- just acting and praying something worked.

"Why don't you just give it try?" He suggested. "If you decide not to go, that is fine. But Naraku is still out there and… as long as you keep your friends with you I am certain you'll be able to get the Magatama fruit. You are quite unlike any other, Irene. Something about you is special."

I almost snorted when I heard him say that. "I wish. But, yeah… he is still out there. Lurking." I sighed, burying my face in my arms. I didn't want to battle anymore, but Naraku had to be stopped. Even if… it meant risking my life to a guardian air spirit. "Okay. I… I'll think about it." 

"Proceed with caution when you approach the spirit." Kakuju advised, slowly standing with his cane in his hands. "She can read the minds of those standing in her mist."

And with that he walked away, leaving me to think over what I was just informed about. There was no way I could get the fruit, but we couldn't defeat the evil half-demon without getting past his barrier. Even if I were unable to get the fruit someone else might be able to and then… what? No one else knew how to use the power of Shikigami. Kakuju did, but he was so old he might be the first to die against Naraku. I don't want him dead either.

I brought my hands up and ruffled my hair, groaning. There was no other way to go about it. We have this opportunity where we could have a chance at beating Naraku, yet going might cost me my life. I'm far from worthy. What should I do? What am I supposed to do?

Why did Inuyasha have to disappear and Kagome go home today? Kirara came back to the hut a while ago, but… ugh. This is lame. I'm not strong enough for this. "I'm gonna regret this…" I forced myself to stand, walking away from the grave site when it began to get a bit too stuffy breathing in the dumb cloth. I yanked it off, sticking my tongue out and inhaling the fresh air. "Okay. It's fine. It's fine. Even if I disappear it's fine. What's wandering about in an eternity? Nothing- that's what."

My heart was racing at the thought.

I found Shippō out collecting mushrooms and playing with Kirara. When I told him I had some important stuff to tell everyone he darted over with Kirara and they both jumped into my arms, and I carried them both around the village until I found Sango and Miroku drinking tea in Kaede's hut. They were discussing how they should spend today since both of our main party members were gone. "Uh… hey, guys?"

Dang it, I got goosebumps. This is freaking me out and I haven't even told them what my stupid plan was.

Sango hummed and glanced up at me, a small smile on her face. She looked so happy; I felt bad knowing that that smile might be wiped away later if things went wrong. "What is it, Irene? Are you feeling alright?"

"N-No, I'm good. For now, at least, uh… I-I have some news?"

I awkwardly walked over and sat down, setting the two demons in my lap as I crossed my legs. I tried to calm myself down and de-stress by petting Kirara, the cat demon leaning into my touch and purring. It felt so nice.

"I-I bumped into Kakuju earlier. Er, well, actually he found me, but…"

Miroku frowned, setting his cup down beside him and sitting a little straighter, lacing his hands together. "Irene, did something bad happen? What did he say?"

"Oh! Um. Nothing bad happened… yet." He raised an eyebrow and Sango looked concerned. I cringed. I really didn't want to do this. Unable to handle the intensity of their stares I blurted out, raising my hands up and flailing them around as I tried to explain, "He said… He said there's a way to break the barrier! And we have to go back to Rindoh Village to do it! Th-There's this… this mountain called Huoh and it has this fruit on it, right? But to get to the fruit we have to pass some test by the spirit that's guarding it!"

Miroku raised a hand to his chin, thinking. "If I recall correctly, Mount Huoh is a sacred mountain where monks in training gather. I've been there once when I was boy."

"Really?" Well, that's a bit of a relief. I don't think it would help convince the spirit of our worthiness though. "Um… d-do you know anything about the spirit guardian herself?"

The monk blinked, surprised. A small smile spread across his face. "The guardian is a woman? You must take me with you to meet her!"

"Miroku!" Sango hissed, glaring at me. "Keep your dirty thoughts to yourself!"

"W-Wait, we're actually going?" I was stunned. "I-I didn't even tell you the rest."

"If there's a way to defeat Naraku," Shippō said, looking up at me, "then we should go! Inuyasha and Kagome can wait a while, right? We're always waiting for them."

"Agreed." The female demon slayer nodded, sitting up and looking at us. "If there's anything I can do, Irene, I'll help. I won't let you face this alone."

"But…" I faltered, really not wanting to bring them along with me. My plan was to bring Kirara and have her drop me off at the foot of the mountain, and if I failed no one else would have to suffer alongside me. "If we don't pass her test we could…"

"Don't worry about it." Sango said, smiling as she stood and walked over to grab her weapons. "We've been able to take on anything that's been thrown at us this far, haven't we? Some spirit won't stop us."

"Agreed." Miroku took a quick sip of his tea before setting it back down and following Sango's example, grabbing his staff and heading to the doorway. "And I have a companion that's close by that can give us a lift there. I'll just go and fetch him- so why don't you all wait here? I'm sure dear Hachi will be more than willing to give us all a ride. I doubt we all could fit on Kirara's back anyway."

"Oh, actually!" Shippō spoke up, looking rather proud of himself. "I've been practicing the last few days and I can carry two people on my back now! I'm gonna have to try really hard to help you guys beat Naraku, after all!" The fox demon jumped out of my lap, bringing his fists up triumphantly into the air. "We got this!"

"You're leaving?" Kaede's voice spoke up, the old priestess stepping into the room from the back of the hut. I was still stunned by their behavior, having not expected them to so readily agree to help or even join me. Something about it made my chest well up with warmth, something sad and almost heartbreaking trying to well up to the surface. What was it? Regret? What would I have to regret? My own heart confused me. "What about the others? Will you not wait for them?"

Miroku was already out of the hut, fetching his "friend" that he mentioned. Sango shook her head at Kaede, tying her hiraikotsu to her back. "Nope. The faster we get this done the better. With any luck Inuyasha will also have a way to break the barrier, assuming he did go to see a certain blacksmith, so we'll have two people in our group that can take on Naraku. Besides, it'll be good for us to work a little closer together like this. Don't you guys think?" She glanced at us.

I stammered an awkward agreement and Shippō beamed, smiling. He darted over and jumped onto her shoulder. Kirara let out a happy mew. Miroku returned to the hut a few minutes later with a… raccoon dog? The monk ushered the demon forward with his staff, a rather malicious smile on his face. It was very unnerving to see.

"Go on, Hachi. Introduce yourself. You haven't met Irene yet, have you?"

"N-No, Master Miroku. I have not. " The strange demon stuttered at Miroku's words, seeming very nervous and on edge. He stepped forward, bowing. "I-It's very nice to meet you, Miss Irene! I am a servant of Master Miroku. He… tells me you all need a way to Mount Huoh?"

"Uh… yes?"

"A-Alright!" He stood up stiffly. "I-I'll take you there, even if it costs me my life!"

"Um. P-Please don't go that far…"

We followed Miroku and the raccoon dog demon outside the hut to the forest entrance, where he placed a leaf on his head and transformed in a fashion very similar to Shippō. He became this extremely large cloud-like creature that was over thirty feet long, and was yellow with black stripes. Several villagers let out startled shouts, but didn't attack. They appeared to recognize him. After climbing onto his back he rose into the air and we made our way towards the mountain. It would only take a few hours to get there with Hachi's incredible speed.

"So," Hachi began, his voice altered due to his transformed state, "How long have you been travelling with Master Miroku and his friends?"

I had to think about it. "I… don't know? Over a month, maybe?"

Has it truly been that long? That amount of time felt so wrong. It simultaneously feels like I arrived here just yesterday and forever ago.

Hachi listened to my answer and asked, "What do you do? Are you a demon slayer? You don't look like one. You dress a lot like Kagome though… are you a priestess?"

"No… but I have been called that." I said, biting my bottom lip. "It's weird. I-I can ask Shikigami for help and they'll show up, and depending on the situation they'll attack or heal."

"Ooooh! That sounds scary! You must be very powerful."

"Not really. It's… the Shikigami that are. I'm just the summoner."

Sango shook her head at the conversation, speaking up. "But it takes a lot of energy to summon the Shikigami, Irene. I told you before- your body is too weak to withstand their strength. The same goes for regular priestesses; they might not work in the same way you do, but their holy power is driven from their very soul. If they use too much it can lead to death. Great power is often accompanied by weak bodies."

"What a bummer." Hachi commented. I couldn't agree more.

It was almost evening by the time that we finally arrived to Rindoh Village. Hachi let us down at the base, going to rest in the village until our return. The air was so fresh and crisp here by the mountain- it honestly wouldn't be surprising if there was a spiritual fruit originating there that could defeat Naraku's barrier. I rode on Kirara's back as we made our way up the path, very few demons being encountered on the journey.

Miroku surmised that the air around here kept back the weaker demons, but if any strong ones such as Kirara or Shippō came by… well- they couldn't be stopped except by the air spirit herself. The air pressure and density was so different up the mountain it left me dizzy, and I found myself falling asleep against Kirara the higher up we got. Eventually we stopped, the movement waking me up, and it  took a few more minutes for me to get adjusted to the thin air.

I was surprised to see that we were resting in an old hut- one Miroku explained that was often used by monks in their training. "What a dump." Shippō commented, scrunching his nose up as he looked around. "Who would want to sleep here?"

Miroku smiled at that. "Monks don't need luxury, Shippō. They only need a roof to protect against the rain."

"I guess you're right…"

Shortly after we headed outside to start walking again, but I found myself stopping abruptly. There was something nearby, something… not right. My gaze dropped to the ground and moved along the road, stopping only when it landed on a pile of boulders near the cliff. My eyebrows knit together and I blinked, heading towards it.

I felt so… weird all of a sudden. The longer I stared at the rocks, the more I felt like they shouldn't be there.

Miroku turned, seeing the way I was acting. "Is something the matter?"

"No… I don't think." This is strange. I reached out and touched the rock, frowning. Was I just that dazed, now left to imagine things? "It's… this is gonna sound weird, but does that rock look normal to you?"

The monk moved closer, standing beside me and staring at the rock. His eyes narrowed. "It appears so, but something is strange. What is this?" He walked over and rested his hand against the stone, running his fingers along it. For a minute I thought he was messing with me, but he was completely serious as he faced us. "Sango, does this seem off to you? Do you sense anything?"

"Yes." She said, frowning. "It's faint, but I can feel a wind blowing from the cliff."

"I don't get it." Shippō stated, pouting. "I don't see or feel anything strange."

"I don't know…" I brought my arms up and hugged myself. "Maybe we should just keep going…"

The air quality was getting thinner the higher we went up, not to mention colder. My lungs might not be able to handle it. But we needed that fruit, so… even if it hurt me or could cost me my soul… I would deal with it. Maria might even be dead already, so there wasn't really much point in my survival now. All I cared about was making sure everyone else survived and if that meant… risking myself for this fruit… so be it. At least I'd have tried.

I climbed back onto Kirara and we continued up the mountain, entering a small cave. At one point Sango had to climb on Kirara with me, and Shippō transformed to carry Miroku up a few ledges as they were too high up for us to climb regularly. Once we were able to walk again the female demon slayer let out a small groan, having trouble carrying her hiraikotsu.

"My body is getting heavier the higher we climb…"

"The wind is also getting stronger." Miroku noted, digging his staff into the ground to keep standing. One of his hands had Shippō cradled to his chest, preventing the fox demon from being blown away due to his light weight. I held strong to Kirara's fur, the cat demon in her larger state and keeping me rooted with my legs wrapped around her sides. "But it's an unnatural wind. What is going on!?"

"I-I'm gonna blow away!" Shippō cried, clinging tight to Miroku's kimono, about to be thrown away by the wind. "Heeeelp!" The monk's feet were suddenly pushed back and the cat demon roared, moving to catch him and keeping firm hold of all three of us. She held Shippō in her teeth. I let out a small scream, leaning and pressing my face into Kirara's neck. This wind was too powerful! We couldn't even take a step in it without being lifted in the air.

"I-I think this is the work of the air spirit!" Miroku shouted, raising his voice loud enough to be heard over the rustling of the wind. "It's the guardian of this mountain! She's trying to warn us to stay back!"

I still can't believe this is a thing. Air nymphs are real. I had finally accepted demons, but spirits… were still out of my zone. This reality was a ridiculously dangerous one. "Uh, guys!?" Sango yelled, peering past the hiraikotsu she had dug into the ground to keep herself steady. "Do you see that!?"

Up ahead, through all this mist and fog, appeared to a be a thick mass of air. It seemed to take a humanoid shape, but the wind was so strong I couldn't make out her actual appearance save for her eyes. An icy blue, cold and staring right at us. "Who are you?" Her voice echoed all around the mountain, vibrating throughout the air itself. It was deep and authoritative, and seemed to carry with the very wind that was pushing us back. "You who have stepped onto this sacred ground… leave! I will not tolerate you here any longer!"

My fingers were trying so hard to slip from Kirara's shoulders. If I let my guard down for so much as a second I would swept away.

The spirit woman's harsh gaze landed on me and I tensed, watching as she glided forward just enough that I could make out short silvery-blue hair. It was hard to tell due to this fog, but I had feeling this air spirit was very lovely to look at. "You… girl. You have a connection to spirits, do you not? Tell me your name."

"I-Irene…!?" I answered loudly, Kakuju's warning coming to mind at this exact moment. This woman could read my mind. See into my heart. What if she didn't like what she saw? "Wh-Who are you!?"

"I go by the name of Kazumi." She declared. Her body was entirely shrouded by the clouds. "Why have you come here? What do you seek from this sacred mountain?"

Did she not already know? Was the old man simply playing tricks with me, to scare me into being as honest as possible? I knew there was something suspicious about him, but I didn't think he'd be so cruel. "I-I'm sorry!" It's so hard to breathe up here. The air is so thin. "W-We were told that… in order to stop this really bad person… we need a fruit! H-His barrier can't be broken… and if he isn't stopped… more people will die!"

"You mean the Magatama fruit?" The wind around us suddenly stopped, and we all stumbled or slumped over in response. The spirit narrowed her eyes, still hiding behind her mist. It was hard to see even Sango and she was only five feet away from me. "You must have more than power to obtain this. You must wield courage… and a heart of the utmost purity. Did you not realize this?"

"I-I mean…" I spoke breathlessly, left exhausted from all of this. "I-I did, but… I was hoping…"

Pain flitted across my face and I turned away for a moment, flinching. My chest was burning.

"Th-The fruit is… I… I'm sorry. Knew this wouldn't work, but… I wanted to try."

This whole venture was pointless. I knew from the very beginning that getting a fruit was going to be impossible. I was the most cowardly, selfish person I knew. Completely distraught by this news, having expected it since the start, I made myself look at everyone.

"I… tried to tell you." I said, voice cracking. The only consolation was that I couldn't actually see them in this fog. "You wouldn't… let me say it. I'm not brave. I'm not even that nice."

I'm just a weak human that can't even save anyone. I only cause trouble and burden others.

"I-I'm so sorry…"

They were probably so disappointed in me right now. I couldn't bear it.

"I was hoping I could… I could finally help you somehow, but… I can't."

Sango's voice cut through the silence that followed after my words, the woman sounding downright dumbfounded. "Irene… you've always helped us."

"Yes!" Miroku exclaimed, stunned that I would say such self-deprecating things. "Countless times you've helped us in battle and healed us when we were weak!"

I could hear the sound of Sango pulling her hiraikotsu out of the ground, the woman walking forward until she was in front of me and we could actually see each other. Kazumi had floated back a few feet, watching the scene take place with calculating eyes. "If anything… I'm the one who should be apologizing for not being able to help. So many times Kohaku attacked you a-and I… I couldn't fight back. He's my little brother, but you're my best friend. When Kanna tried to steal your soul… I felt so weak. I couldn't save you without hurting Kohaku."

My eyes widened and I quickly reacted, desperate to remove that distressed look from her face. "You know that's not your fault! Y-You had no control over him; Kohaku… Kohaku would never hurt anyone if he had a choice. It's Naraku's fault- he's the one controlling him!"

"But he hurt you! He and Kanna almost took your life!"

"And if you didn't help me back in the mansion," Miroku added, looking at me from his spot against Kirara, the monk serious as he met my gaze, "I would have been eaten by that demon Yurihime. You're stronger than you know, Irene, and every time you get hurt by someone you always forgive them no matter how painful it is. Though it was through unfortunate circumstances, I'm glad we got to meet you. Without you we would have been in some serious trouble before."

"B-But without me you guys wouldn't even have gotten into some of the trouble!" I argued, pent up emotions rising to the surface. I had to tell them, to let them know they were just being fooled. Despite my efforts they were still deceived somehow. Their perceptions of me were completely wrong. "If not for me you guys wouldn't have gotten hurt at all! Heck, Naraku sent Kohaku and Kanna after me, right!? I-If I weren't in that village, then… th-the people…"

I choked, vision blurring as my eyes teared up. I looked down, unable to bring myself to see their expression. It hurt too much. I couldn't tell them- if I did they would be exposed to the monster that I was. Talking about this… was too much.

Shippō, dangling from his tail that was caught in Kirara's mouth, blinked. He pulled himself free and jumped onto her head, staring up at me with big green eyes, innocent and confused. "What about them?"

"Are you talking about the deceased you helped me and Inuyasha bury?" Miroku asked, eyebrows furrowing together. He always was the most perceptive of the group, wasn't he? Frick. It hurts. "The ones who tried to save you?"

"Irene," Sango pressed, "what aren't you telling us?"

It's boiling and festering and tearing away. I can't stop it. It's like I'm back in the lake again, burrowing under the water, but this time I was on land. And this time there was water filling my lungs, but instead of actual water it was the guilt and regret I had on not being able to do anything. For being the one that led to those villagers deaths. It was all me.

"They tried to help me." I bit out, head hung low and lips curled back, teeth grinding hard together as I strangled back the sob trying to form. "Th-They tried to… to save me a-and… they're dead. I couldn't…" The tears were falling. I could feel the hot liquid drip onto the back of my hands, trailing down my cheeks and dripping off my chin. I brought the back of my hand up to my mouth, biting my knuckles for a moment. "I killed them. I led them to their deaths. Ch… Children are dead! Because of me!"  My heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible force, something reaching inside and twisting it about. "I knew them! And if I wasn't in that village they never would have died!"

Everyone looked horrified by what I said.

I knew it...

They hated me now. No one wanted anything to do with me.

I wouldn't either, really. I was a murderer. Perhaps not directly, but I had led to it with my very presence.

The guilt was suffocating.

"I see." The air spirit finally spoke, cutting through the silence. The woman raised a hand and the wind picked up once more, but this time it was aimed directly at me. "Then you should just disappear."

There was really no clear warning. One second I was sitting atop Kirara's back and the next my body was being lifted into the air, being tossed off the cat demon and sent sailing over the mountain side. Eyes wide and fearful, I could only scream as I watched the others vanish from my line of sight, the world around me flying by rapidly as I was sent hurtling downwards. My hands extended out in a desperate attempt to catch myself on something, but it was useless.

"Your heart is contaminated by guilt, your mind polluted with self hatred." I heard the air spirit, Kazumi, claim. She sounded void of all emotion. "Such a person could never be worthy of the Magatama Fruit."

The air around me slowed down and I cried out when I crashed into several tree branches, body tumbling hard onto the ground below. Breathing heavily, I looked up and saw I was back at the bottom of the mountain.

…

"What did you do!?" Sango shouted, dashing to the edge and leaping on Kirara's back. She flew after the girl in an attempt to catch her before it was too late. "Irene!"

She could see the foreigner reach out towards her, the girl's scream ringing out for all to hear, but then she was swallowed up by the mist surrounding the mountain. Sango flew around with Kirara a while longer, trying to locate her friend, only to end up back where she started with Irene nowhere in sight. Kazumi closed her eyes, unbothered.

"The girl is being tested. You cannot reach her now."

"Tested!?" Miroku demanded, stepping forward. He recalled Irene trying to inform them about it, but they were all so eager to break the barrier they didn't bother to learn what sort of test it was. They had assumed it would be a battle. "What do you mean tested? She has done nothing but prove herself time and again! Irene's life is constantly being threatened by danger and her own weakness!"

"Her mind was in chaos, plaguing her heart." Kazumi said, staring them down. Sango was furious, brown eyes ablaze with hatred. "No summoner of spirits can have such turmoil if they wish to have a fruit from this sacred mountain's tree. She will simply have to prove herself, or she shall wander forever in the clouds."

"Clouds?" Shippō asked, voice wavering. "Wh-What do mean by that?"

"The clouds that cleanse this mountain." She explained, true form still unseen. Her cold blue eyes were haunting. "The human mind is polluted by negative thoughts and emotions. One must face the truth and accept it in order to continue the climb up this mountain... or they will wander forever. That is the way of Mount Huoh."

…

I had expected to fail the test; I knew this was going to occur the moment we met the spirit. At first it seemed like she had thrown me off the mountain, but upon closer observation the entire area was covered in a thin veil of white fog, several people wandering aimlessly about and muttering to themselves. The most bothersome ones were those that were screaming, wailing and crying, begging for forgiveness from the spirit or those that they have failed.

A sense of apathy washing over me, I wondered if that would eventually be what I would become given enough time. Driven mad by grief. What was I to do? I was quite content just lying here and I highly doubted anyone would want to see me again after that admission. They knew my true colors.

I was a cheerful, bubbly person… but who despised herself in secret, undeserving of the affection and love others try and give her. Selfish and greedy, but weak and unable to do anything herself. She couldn't even save a little girl and her brother. The village boy who had once asked if she was actually a demon in disguise, as well as his friends who had been arguing with him.

Memories flew through my mind, recalling all the days I weaved baskets with them- being taught how to do so by them. The times they would follow me around the village, intrigued by the strange foreigner that was now living with the priestess Kaede. And now they were gone, their parents left to mourn them… knowing they would never see them again.

I tried so hard to atone. But I was so weak and sickly no one would ever let me help them with anything. I knew they thought me pathetic.

No one ever lets me do anything.

It's why I act so recklessly sometimes. I can't do anything otherwise.

I stared up at the cloudy sky, breathing in the fresh crisp air and questioning if the spirit world was really all that bad. It seemed peaceful here, minus all the crazed lunatics running around begging for a second chance. Going back up the mountain seemed a little pointless. I couldn't climb it normally, but… if we were to wander eternally… we probably couldn't actually die here. I would just suffer.

"I don't want to…"

I really didn't. But they needed that cursed Magatama fruit to break Naraku's stupid barrier. I didn't understand what he got from destroying everything and everyone, but perhaps that could just serve as motivation to stop him. Whatever works. I don't even care anymore right now- I'm too emotion'ed out.

"Please," I heard a man beg, "I just need the fruit to make some medicine! My wife! She needs it!"

I walked passed him with my head hung low, ignoring the desire to try and ask if there was anything I could do to help. This man was probably long since dead now. If he escaped the spirit realm all his years might catch up to him. Would that be mercy killing, I wonder? Maybe I should try and get him out of here.

My foot spun on its heel and I marched over, but the second I opened my mouth to talk to him the man straight up shoved me out of his way. I yelped and crashed hard onto the ground, squeaking and barely moving in time to avoid getting walked on. This dude almost stepped on my hands! Rude. "The heck!?"

"The fruit," He repeated, only looking up, "I need the fruit. The fruit will save her, the fruit, the fruit, the fruit! She needs the fruit!"

What the frick is going on? I mean, I get what's happening, but… jeez. I understand her need to keep out those who would be considered unworthy for the fruit, but she didn't have to torture everyone like this. She kept me alive using her winds when she threw me off, so couldn't she had kept throwing people off the mountain until they gave up? This seems rather sadistic.

I bet if I even tried to climb Huoh a second time she would push me off again. Kakuju really wasn't messing around when he said this would be difficult. At least demons I could try and fight, but this is… different. I was dealing with some kind of sylph or cloud nymph. I wasn't sure what sort of creature an "air spirit" was. I'm still getting used to demons and I had already accepted their existence.

"They're dead, they're dead, they're dead…" A man muttered, his voice appearing out of nowhere and startling me. I jumped and whirled around, seeing him walking in circles with his hands pressed to his face. "It's my fault. My fault, my fault; I did it! I killed them!"

I took a hesitant step back, scared by his speech, before forcing myself forward. There had to be a lesson to be learned from these others souls, right? I had to talk to them, even if they scared me. "Wh… Who did you kill, sir?"

"My family!" He wailed. "I couldn't stop the bandits! I-I hid and… my wife, my daughters… they were taken! My son is dead! It's all my fault!"

"I…" I did not like how similar that felt to my situation. My stomach twisted and I knew I would probably encounter several more people like this. "I'm so sorry…"

"I just need the fruit!" The man sobbed, hunching over and continuing to walk in circles. "I-If I can get the fruit… they'll come back to me then…"

Well. Um. I blinked, chills going down my spine from that conversation. I shivered and hugged myself, more disturbed than scared by what was happening. I looked around, seeing the countless number of beings walking around. I could only assume they were accumulated over the centuries, far too many to have been collected at once. This spirit realm… it was like a parallel version of the real world.

It was created by the air spirit Kazumi, mostly likely, which meant that there was no real escape… not that I could see. Chances are she would have to change her mind on the worth of a person in order for them to leave. How the heck can I do that? I wasn't very persuasive.

I wandered a bit, starting to get annoyed when I wound up back where I started, and finally found the cave from before. There were a lot of people- too many to count. They were all wandering, bumping into each other and muttering, talking about how they had lost their loved ones and that it was all their fault. Some mentioned that it was someone else's fault and that they were completely innocent and had no feelings of guilt at all.

I was starting to come to the conclusion that the people who were freaking out over being guilty are the ones that weren't to blame, and the ones that were pushing the blame onto others were at fault. It felt so wrong. At one point one of the wandering souls reached over and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me back and forth-demanding that I tell them what they should do to fix their problem and how to get them to prove to the spirit of the mountain that they were pure of heart.

I stood there frozen, unable to speak as I gazed into the eyes of someone that was led to insanity.

Then the spirit wailed and pushed me back, walking over to the wall and hitting it with their fists. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! I just want to see my brothers!"

I stumbled back, turning around walking faster, ignoring the racing of my heart and how hard it was getting for me to breathe. My feet stopped moving only when I saw a woman with a round stomach trying to climb the cliff, her swollen heels hitting against the rubble. I flinched when she fell, panic quickly taking over, and without a second thought I rushed over to make sure she was okay. "M-Ma'am!? Y-Your baby, you-!"

"Get off of me!" She snapped, pushing me back. I flinched when my head smacked hard against the stone wall, leaning down and gripping the back of my aching skull with both hands. I cried out and groaned in pain. "I'll save my child myself! Fucking bastard leaving me with this kid…" She grabbed at the rocks again, knees bleeding but otherwise unharmed. "I'll get that fruit! I'll birth a healthy babe and show him!"

I feel so bad for that infant. But at the same time- owwww. My head was going to hurt for hours after that, frick. Ugh… this is what I get for trying to be a decent human being. I hate people. They're such jerks! I'm done pretending to be nice. It's awful. I wanted to help these people, but all they ever did was snap at me and keep wailing. I've lost track of how many I spoke to. Several appeared to be monks, but… none of them acted very virtuous.

"S-Someone, please…"

I almost ignored the voice.

"I'm so scared…"

Ignoring the way the world tried to spin, I turned and tried to find the direction it was coming from. After a few minutes I realized it was coming from up the mountain, a woman sitting on the ledge above. I hesitated, moving back-and-forth and debating whether or not I should really risk getting knocked over again. I wasn't exactly keen on getting hurt even worse than I already was.

As I began to scale the rock wall I berated myself for being such an idiot.

…

Miroku stared at the only visible part of the spirit, boring into her icy eyes. "So what you're saying is… Irene has to prove her worth by accepting the truth? What truth is that?"

The spirit made no movement, staring at them expressionlessly. "Many delude themselves with the lies they create. They believe the fruit can free them of their woes; whether it be to grant a wish or bring the dead back to life… but it cannot. The Magatama fruit's power lies with the spirits. Many neophytes come to this mountain in search of it, as do bandits and distraught travelers. Yet none are ever worthy of it. They do not understand its power."

"And understanding it will make one worthy?" He demanded. "How does that work?"

Kazumi shook her head. "The mist of the mountain brings out the darkest in people, forcing them to reveal their innermost thoughts. She believes herself guilty for the loss of the villagers. The burden of their fate is not hers to bear; the girl must realize this if she is to climb the mountain. She must free her mind of this guilt and continue forward, unchained and unbound by the loss."

"But what does that have to do with the fruit!?" Sango demanded, stepping forward. She looked ready to swing her hiraikotsu at the spirit. Kazumi looked at her, staring deep into her soul. This woman was also broken, but she was not un-fixable. The hearts of others can easily mend her spirit. "Why is Irene so unworthy!? Feeling guilt is what makes us human!"

"It is because she feels too much guilt." The air spirit explained. "Her emotions will inevitably destroy her. The girl is compassionate and kind… but she is tainted by a darkness. To break a barrier of darkness you must use light. Therefore, so long as her heart and mind are polluted with negativity, she will never learn how to use the power of the Magatama fruit."

…

It was really hard trying not to fall. Being barefoot certainly helped, but aside from that… I was doing rather poorly. I had little arm strength and my fingers felt so numb it was hard to keep a good grip on the rocks and vines that I was using to climb. I plotted my course carefully as I climbed, but sometimes the gravel I was stepping on would start to crumble or shake and I would panic, trying to hurry my way up.

I had only started climbing about five minutes ago and I was already extremely dizzy. Just how high was this stupid cliff? When am I going to reach that cursed ledge? If it weren't for all this dumb fog that started to get thicker… It was as if the spirit was trying to slow me down, purposely adding more mist to make it harder for me to see as soon as I started to climb. I was at least twenty or thirty feet off the ground by now.

The voice grew louder, a woman whimpering and crying for help. "I-I wanna go home! Sister… brother… I'm scared."

That sounded a bit like she might still be sane. "H… Hold on!" I shouted at her, hoping she could hear me. I sounded so breathless. "I… I'm on… my way!" A grunt fell out from my lips and I struggled to reach out to the next hold, arms feeling weak and fingers not wanting to cooperate.

I was far from strong, so the muscles in my body weren't holding out very good. All my strength was in my legs. I could feel the sweat bead down my face, my shirt sticking to my back. The sweater I was wearing felt even thicker than usual due to how hot I was, my entire body burning up at the exercise.

"I… got you…" I huffed, finally reaching the first ledge. Pulling myself up was a challenge, the edge trying to crumble away when all my weight fell onto it. I collapsed, kicking at the wall with my feet and scrambling onto the earth above, huffing and puffing, wheezing and gasping, looking at the stranger curled in a corner, completely and utterly exhausted. "A… Are you… okay… ma'am?"

She was dressed in a dark grey and yellow kosode, with a pale blue mo-bakama and furoshiki. Her long black hair was pulled back in a simple ribbon, and when she looked up upon hearing my voice I could see her bangs were separated in a strange fringe, split at the side. Her dark eyes were almost mesmerizing.

"M-My hometown was… was ravaged by bandits. I-I thought the Magatama Fruit could bring back my late husband, but…" The woman brought her hands back up to her face, sobbing. "I-I was wrong! A-And now the vengeful spirit has brought me here to this… this place!"

"Vengeful?" I echoed, brain slowly registering the story that was told me. That word did not seem to suit the ghostly woman who brought us here at all. I heard so many terrible stories on the way up here, all the desires of those who had been seeking the fruit. Why didn't the air spirit just try and explain the situation to the other humans? There was no reason to trap them here. My only guess was that she was simply tired of being a guardian. "I-I don't think… she's vengeful per se?"

"Then what would you call it?" The woman demanded, lifting her head up and glaring at me through her tears. "What even are you- a demon? I've never seen one like you before… your clothes are so odd. And your face…"

I coughed and continued to pull myself forward, forcing my body into a sitting position. Hacking for a good thirty seconds, it took a bit to pull my dazed self together and speak. "Not… a demon." I told her, crossing my legs and running my fingers through my sweaty bangs. I felt disgusting. I was going to have to take a serious bath if I ever got out of here. "Just a… really sickly human. Promise." My chest was burning. "I… I'm Irene. Who are you?"

"Sh… Shizuno."

I nodded along at that, eyes drifting shut as exhaustion took over. It was going to be a while before I could start climbing again, but… that was fine. It wasn't like the others were going to wait for me. They were so nice, but I… wasn't. I told them what happened. I was just going to keep it bottled up, but the pressure was… overwhelming. It was like I was going to burst if I didn't speak. And I did. Now I was alone.

I just hoped they weren't fighting the air spirit. They could get very trigger happy when it came to battling.

"Nice… Nice to… to meet you. Um." I closed my eyes to think, head still pounding, and gestured blindly to the area around us. "This… Is this as far as you got?"

"Yes… I'm afraid I'm not very strong." She told me, looking down as if she were ashamed of herself. "The sight of the other people lost to this strange mist… it scared me greatly. The higher I climbed the more I saw."

That was true. I noticed the number of people increasing the further I went up the mountain. "Well, you got me now, so… there's that. Not totally insane yet. A bit weird and annoying, but… not insane. Wanna climb together?"

She stared at me in surprise. I know I've never seen her before, but her eyes were just so… familiar. "You would… help me? It is pointless, I tell you. The spirit won't let me through. I am not worthy of the fruit."

"Do you still want the fruit?" I asked, tilting my head. "We can tell her that you don't and she might let you go. The lady didn't seem like a total jerk when I met her… granted she did just yeet me off the mountain."

"...Yeet? I'm afraid I do not understand."

"I-It's…" Oh gods. "It's a saying where I'm from. Just- Just ignore it. I speak nonsense. Um. Look. You don't want to stay here, right? I don't want to stay here either. I have a sister I gotta make sure ain't dead, some friends to get back- granted… they probably don't want anything to do with me anymore, and an evil half-demon to stop, so~!" I huffed and stood, brushing some dirt off my pale blue jeans. I walked over, holding a shaky hand out to her with a grin. "You can come with or you can stay here and go crazy! Your choice."

Her eyebrows knit together. "For what reason did you desire the Magatama fruit? Most here are… filled with greed. They want its power for themselves. I, too, was selfish and… it brought me here."

"It…" I hesitated. Memories of the villagers falling came to mind. "I… I need the fruit to break a barrier. If the barrier doesn't break then… more people are gonna die. And… I don't want to see that happen."

"That's sounds awful…" Shizuno said, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "A-Are you certain that it's not another lie someone told? You could have fallen into a trap."

"I mean, probably?" I made a face, moving my head to the side and shaking it, shrugging my shoulders. "Buuut I have no reason to distrust him, you know? I-It's weird. Like, yeah he can be pretty shady when he wants to be, but he's helped me out this far and it's because of him I can talk to Shikigami spirits and heal people. So! I think he's nice. He did mention that this would be really dangerous and I was a firm believer I wouldn't survive. Was that a lie? Nope. Here we are! In a magical space surrounded by a bunch of crazy people."

"You are…" She frowned. "...strange. You speak of dire circumstances, yet you smile so brightly. Why do you behave so casually?"

"I just do." I was still so tired. "Life just sucks. That's how it works. No use mopin' about."

Unless of course several people had died. Damn it. I can still hear their screams, the children calling out for their parents as they ran for their lives. The blood splattering onto the ground… and staining Kohaku's kusarigama.

"Anyway! You never answered my question. You comin' with me?" I stretched out my fingers and wiggled them at her, staring at her expectantly. "You know you waaaant tooooo~! Far over the misty mountains cold~ to dungeons deep and caverns old!" My voice cracked and I coughed, hacking into my sleeve. My voice really could not go low. It was so distressing. The woman gave me such a strange look, but she reached out and took my hand. I felt so lightheaded. "Oh? Yay!"

She shook her head at me, folding her hands close to her chest. "We could be trapped here in eternal suffering," Shizuno told me, "yet you sing? Why?"

"Because if we're gonna be suffering eternally," I declared, holding an index finger up wisely, "we might as well have fun with it. Sadly I don't remember all the lyrics, but! It's a good song." I approached the mountain wall, staring up and squinting my eyes as I tried to gauge how far up we would have to climb before we reached the next ledge. My hands were all scraped up. "Okay… calm down. We can do this. You up for the climb?"

"Y-Yes, I suppose… what about you?" She stared at me, frowning. "Your skin is quite pale…"

"I'll be fine." I had to be. "My… My friends are waiting for me."

If they even still thought of me as one.

"And… your sister?"

I didn't answer. I wasn't even sure she was alive. "If I don't get that Magatama fruit… more people are gonna die. I… I don't want her to be one of them." I looked back at Shizuno, forcing another closed-eye grin, ignoring the lump forming in my throat. I had to be strong- for her. She was in pain as well. Her entire village was destroyed. "So we gotta keep going. Up and at 'em!"

I cracked my knuckles and reached up, grabbing onto a root sticking out from one of the rocks. This part of the wall was covered with vines, but there was no telling if they could all hold. Shizuno followed behind me uncertainly, grabbing onto a rock and climbing. "Th-This is very dangerous!"

Well, obviously. But I was convinced that we couldn't quite… die here? I've seen so many people wandering around and not one skeleton. At least there weren't any demons nearby in this spirit realm that could eat us. I don't think I'd taste very good. Ick. My mind flashed back to the mansion and I cringed, temporarily halting in my climb. Don't freak out. I had to stay calm. This is fine.

I'm fine. Always. Always fine.

I may be slowly breaking apart, but I'm fine. It's how I am.

This is just life.

It's my fault those villagers are dead, so I have to avenge them. Don't I?

Suddenly the vines I was climbing broke and I let out a small shriek, falling back towards the ledge below. The wind around me picked up pace and suddenly my descent slowed, causing me to blink. Then once I was close enough to the ground it stopped and I hit my head, crashing hard onto my back. "O-Ow! Frick!" I cringed and curled onto my side, bringing my hands up to the back of my aching skull. It was being put through so much abuse today. "Dude, that hurt!"

"A-Are you alright!?" Shizuno called down. She was at least thirty feet above me, clinging tight to some vines. "The wind just- how on earth-!?"

"Spirits." I hissed, wincing at the bump that was definitely going to be there for a while. The wind helped enough for me not to die, but wasn't completely forgiving to leave me free of injury. "Eugh…" That seriously hurt, but at least it wasn't fatal. This proved that one of my theories were right. Kazumi would have us wander forever in insanity, but she would not have us kill ourselves. "Frick."

I stumbled, wobbling over to the wall and leaning against it for a moment until my vision cleared. The world was trying to spin on me.

"Need to… keep going." I wheezed. This air spirit guardian person was such a sadist. "Have to… save them…"

My fingers gripped weakly at the roots. I wouldn't be able to climb in this state.

"Naraku… must be… stopped…"

I'm so dizzy. My forehead pressed against the rocky mountain side, eyes closing as I waited to catch my breath. That scared the crap out of me- falling like that. I hated it. After a few long minutes I grabbed at the vines again, fingers feeling numb and tingly, and I kicked at the wall with my bare feet. Being weak is one thing, but being stubborn was another. I was determined.

"I will… defeat him…" I wheezed, reaching up and grasping tiredly at a rock jutting out. It crumbled and I had to go for one higher up, stretching my arm painfully. "Barrier… it will break…"

Naraku sent Kohaku and Kanna after me, and why? Because Anastasia wanted my soul for some god awful reason that still wasn't explained. He made them attack the villagers that were helping me, and if Kagome didn't crack the mirror and force the souls to be freed so many more would already be dead. They tried to help me and Naraku forced Kohaku to kill them because of that. He was awful.

He was more of a madman than anyone else in this place.

The air around me seemed to grow gentler, my body becoming lighter and moving a bit faster. It was almost as if it was giving me a boost, but I knew that couldn't be the case. It was so aggressive earlier. After what surely must have been an hour I reached the ledge I fell from, reuniting with Shizuno who watched as I fell onto my front, eyes closed and breath heavy. "You are not the most healthy person, are you?" She asked.

"I wonder what… gave you that idea?" I wheezed, the sarcasm dripping off my tongue. "I told you… sickly human… didn't I?"

She gave a small smile, almost amused by my weird ways. "You did. Will you be able to make it to the top? There is still quite a ways to go."

"Yeah, just… need to… rest a bit first. Is that okay… with you?"

Shizuno nodded. "Yes… we have all of eternity, after all. Time does not seem to pass in this place. I have seen many arrive here, yet… they never aged. It is rather concerning, but there is nothing we can do. I fear many years have already passed since I was first brought here."

Wait, what? Oh no. My eyes widened and I sat up, looking at her in alarm and ignoring the rapid pounding of my heart. "N-No way… no, no, no! We… We have to hurry! I-I can't-!" I can't be trapped here forever. I have to get that fruit as fast as possible. If Maria was still alive then I can't be left behind. "The mountain! W-We have to… to climb…!"

I stumbled over, dazed and desperate, grabbing at the roots and struggling to climb. Shizuno dashed over and caught me when I fell, startled when she felt the heat radiating from my body. "I-Irene! You are feverish!"

"M'fine." I mumbled. "Have to get… to Sango…"

She, Miroku, Shippō, and Kirara are all up there dealing with the air spirit alone.

"Don't wanna see 'em hurt…"

I'm so sleepy. I want to take a nap.

"Gotta beat Naraku… and his dumb barrier thing…"

"Rest first. We have time." She said softly, voice so soothing. Shizuno carefully moved me away from the wall, keeping her arms around my waist, setting me down on the ground beside her. My head fell against her chest and my eyes closed, giving in to the comfort she gave. A hug felt so nice right now… yet her body was so cold. Her fingers ran gently along my hair, fiddling with the short strands. "You are fighting so strongly right now, are you not? It must be hard…"

"S'not… just… hurts."

"Why do you want to fight this Naraku so bad?"

"He hurts… people." I told her quietly, finding myself being lulled to sleep by her gentle touch. "They… helped me a-and he… killed them."

"He did?"

I nodded, making a small noise of confirmation. "He had… Sango's younger brother… attack. H-He's controlled by him, so he can't… fight back. She's always crying when she… has to face him. I don't like it. She's so much better… when she's happy…"

"I see. So Naraku is the one to blame."

Yes. He made Kohaku hurt them. It was all that evil half-demon's fault that the villagers are dead. "Naraku… killed them…"

"If that is so… then you should be able to climb the mountain now."

"...What?" My eyes slowly opened and I blinked, turning my head to look tiredly at Shizuno.

Her features seemed to change as the wind around us blew stronger, her long black hair shifting into something shorter and more white in color. I yanked myself off of her lap, watching as her colorful kimono become a pale blue, a white cloth draped over her shoulders and wrapped around her arms. As I stumbled into an upright stance, standing and backing away slowly, her dark eyes became an icy blue, lips dark and almost purple in color. I hadn't seen her entire appearance before, but I was certain now as to why Shizuno looked so familiar.

"K-Kazumi?"

…

"Where did she go!?" Sango demanded, whirling around to try and locate where the air spirit disappeared to. They were just talking when the mist became stronger, the entire area around them being covered in fog. The demon slayer couldn't see five feet in front of her. "Miroku! Shippō!"

"Here!" The fox demon informed, about ten feet back.

"I'm over here!" The monk shouted somewhere from her left side, sweeping at the area around him with his staff. "I'd use my Wind Tunnel to suck in this mess, but I might anger the spirits further if I did and cost Irene her life! Sango, what should we do!?"

"I-I don't know!" For once the demon slayer was at a loss. There was no enemy to fight, no goddess to appease. Only a spirit set on challenging their friend to a test of truth. "I… never realized she felt so guilty for what had happened…" Sango said after a moment, looking down at the hiraikotsu in her hand, closing her eyes with a pained expression. "I was only focused on myself. Miroku, I…" She rested a hand over her face, ashamed. "I'm a terrible friend."

"No, Sango, don't blame yourself." The monk shook his head. "I, too, did not notice. I was believing us to finally be able to close the gap and become proper allies, and yet…"

"She's always blaming herself!" Shippō stated, frowning deeply. He appeared greatly bothered. "Irene has such a guilt-complex for some reason! I don't get it! She's always apologizing for every little thing, no matter how small it is! Inuyasha was always yelling at her for it!"

"I-I thought she was just shy." Sango admitted. "But… I guess there's more to it. What do you think, Miroku?"

"Anything could have caused it." He informed them, something unsettling forming in his stomach. The monk always had been unable to refuse helping a young woman in need and the one in trouble now was a friend. Yet how could they protect her if they didn't even know what was wrong? If they couldn't even reach her where she was now? Why did Irene feel the need to place the blame on herself? "I'm afraid we'll just have to ask and pray she will tell us when she returns."

"I hope so…"

…

"H-How did you-!?" I pointed at her, dumbfounded, then gestured to where the brunette used to be. "Sh-She was just- hah? Gah! Shapeshifter!"

I took several more steps back. The woman's expression became blank once more, resembling more of the air spirit I had met earlier. "She was nothing more than an illusion. I created her as a guide, just as I have done time-and-again for those who come up this mountain. A rare few have ever been able to accept their truth and continue forth up the mountain. They were always too trapped in their greed, their selfishness… and would never think twice about abandoning someone else if it meant reaching their own goal."

What is she saying? I don't understand. My head hurts so much from this; I was still so dazed.

Kazumi closed her eyes, opening them only when her purple lips tilted upwards into a smile. "You have passed my test, Irene. You have accepted that Naraku was the one to blame for the villagers deaths. The children did not die because of you. I have seen into your mind… I know what you saw. I know how you felt. With this test I was able to attune your heart and I have come to the decision that you are indeed worthy… of a Magatama fruit."

"But… I literally didn't do anything?" I don't get it. I'm too dizzy for all this. "I just climbed a mountain…"

The air spirit looked amused by this and went on to explain. "Though they scared you, you tried to approach those wandering souls and save them. When you saw the apparition I created… you tried to give her the courage to go on. Though… unorthodox in the way it was done… you remained strong for her for as long as you could. But you are only human- and one who is prone to illness cannot keep on for long." She glanced up at the mountain, icy eyes following the path up. "The wind will help you on your climb up the rest of the mountain. You need not fear falling; now that your mind is clear of guilt… the roots and rocks along the cliff will not break."

I'm still so confused, but alright. "Um, thank you…?"

"Do not thank me just yet." She warned. "If you so much as waver in your thoughts you will fall once more down to the bottom, and your soul will wander here for all eternity like the rest." Kazumi waved her arm and then she was gone, replaced by nothing but more fog.

My eyebrows raised and I shook my head incredulously, unable to believe the audacity some spirits could have. Like, seriously? Jeez. Crazy lady. She was so much nicer as Shizuno. At least she was giving me some advice… kind of. Was this all because I blamed myself for what happened with Kohaku?

That's what I'm getting from that conversation anyway. Ugh, I have such a migraine. I want to go home.

I need another hug.

I walked over and grabbed at the roots, hands shaking. They didn't feel as weak and numb as before, but they were bleeding. I had scraped them up quite badly during my climb. That strange feeling appeared again as I tried to move up the mountain, like the wind was giving me a boost. I supposed it actually was doing that, as it was helping me move a lot faster than before. I reached the next ledge in record time.

I tried not to think too much, focusing on the task at hand, determined not to fall below.

My heart wanted to waver, to believe that the children's deaths were my fault, that everyone who died should have blamed me, but… Shizuno's words stuck. They may have been protecting me, but it was by Naraku ordering Kohaku that they were killed. I had no control over the boy's actions. It was not my fault.

It was his.

The fog slowly cleared away the closer I got to the top and the people wandering around had vanished. I huffed and trembled, feet and hands scratched up and blistered, legs and arms sore. If not for the wind pushing me up- as if trying to say hurry up, stupid human like an irritable spirit- I would have collapsed long ago. I dragged myself up to the top ledge where I had been thrown off when I first met the guardian spirit Kazumi, struggling to push myself forward, and wound up clawing at the ground.

My poor fingertips were all bloody.

"I-Irene!?" I recognized that voice. I fell on the ground and rolled onto my back, wheezing and letting out a few coughs. I was so exhausted. "Oh, thank god! Miroku, Shippō, look!"

"Irene is back!"

"She passed the test!"

I could see the group dash over to me, Sango quickly kneeling by my side and helping me sit up. I began to tear up at the sight of her. Wasn't she mad at me? "Irene, you're burning up again! How badly did you stress yourself out!?" She asked, voice almost going into a sisterly scolding tone before relief crossed her face. "I'm so glad you're back…"

She surprised me by leaning down, wrapping her arms around me tightly.

"I should have paid more attention to your feelings. I'm so sorry."

"I-It's okay." I choked out, awkwardly hugging her with my arms so not to get blood on her armor. I'm such an idiot. They didn't hate me after all. "I-I'm fine. You're the one who was upset, so…"

"But so were you!" She pulled away, gripping my shoulders tightly with her hands. "All this time you've been festering hate and guilt inside of you- and for yourself no less! Ever since I've met you you've been apologizing left-and-right for things you had no control over! Irene, it's okay to be selfish! Not everything is your fault!"

I couldn't speak, too stunned by what was happening. This day was so dizzying. "I-I just… want to help." I finally got out, stuttering on my words. Her eyes were so intense; it felt like they were boring into my soul. "I-I can't do anything useful, so…"

"What do you mean by that?" Miroku demanded, stepping up. Kazumi was still nowhere in sight. "You've helped us countless times; we've told you before. Just who told you that you were useless? That made you believe you could guilt yourself for everything?"

"Uh…" That was tough one. "Several… people? My cousin and her mom…?" There were so many factors all setting back to the first fourteen years of my life. "My dad… My dad said if… I'm too emotional I won't be of any use to anyone, so…"

He often got on me for crying over television shows or books. Mine and Maria's father favored logic and intelligence over anything emotional, so he always lectured me whenever he saw me tearing up or bawling over a character death in a manga or anime. He didn't understand how he could have a child so different from him. The only thing he could relate with was that we shared similar illnesses.

"I'd get walked on and used…?"

I remember locking the door and crying in the bathroom after he said that. Whenever I was upset I would wait until dark when everyone was sleeping and hide in there, unleashing the emotions I kept pent up. Here in the Feudal Era it was lot more difficult trying not to cry, life-and-death being thrown at me from every corner. There was too much for me to deal with at once.

"I dunno, it just…"

I was always yelled at when I was little. No one wanted anything to do with me and my cousin was pretty messed up herself; she always caused trouble and mischief, and since Mom was never home she would get me in trouble by making it seem like I did it. Her mother would backhand me and shout, and if I ever tried to speak up I would just get smacked again. My older siblings were dealing with a lot of stuff growing up, losing several friends and family members to accidents or suicide, and for ten long years Maria hated my very existence.

But now my cousin and her mother was gone, me and my siblings were all close, and I could finally be myself.

Yet apparently myself was a bad thing due to my emotions. What did people want from me? I was honest the majority of the time and I always did what was ordered more often than not. I avoided arguments and confrontations- though in a world full of demons that was a little difficult- and I always apologized. Was that not enough?

"I just… don't want to make anyone mad…"

"That's it?" Shippō said, walking up and looking at me with big green eyes. "We could never be mad at you, Irene!"

You might not be able to, Shippō, but everyone else can. Inuyasha always was. Kagome seemed like she wanted to get mad sometimes, but I think she holds herself back out of worry for my health. She knows I upset easily.

"Your father sounds like a jerk!" He continued, frowning. "I don't like him."

"It's just… how he is. A-Anyway, can we not talk about this?" I was starting to grow very uncomfortable and did not want to recall my childhood anymore. "I-I, um, I need to… to grab a fruit. She said… Kazumi said…"

"Y-Yes, that's right. Kirara!" Sango called, the cat demon dashing over. Her red eyes glanced at me and the cat demon let out a happy roar, reaching down and nuzzling my face. I couldn't fight the smile that grew from the show of affection, my hands reaching up so I could run my knuckles lightly across her fur. I didn't want to get my bloody fingers on her pretty coat. "She was worried, too."

"I-I can tell. Aww…" I've really been stressing her out, haven't I? "I'm sorry, Kirara…"

I'm such a selfish human. I know she worries as well, but I still go and get myself hurt. It was such a jerk move I pulled in the lake back then. Struggling to stand, legs threatening to give out from all the exercise, I climbed onto the cat demon's back and let out a small sigh. It felt so nice to sit down. Sango stayed beside us as we started to move up the mountain again, heading further down the path. Shippō clung to Miroku's kimono as he walked behind us, and we only stopped when we saw a tree glimmering with an ethereal light.

It was such a small tree, barely reaching up to my elbows, and the fruit it bore were so tiny they could fit in the palm of my hands. They looked like the size of grapes and, upon closer inspection, greatly resembled the beads around Inuyasha's neck. The shape was nearly identical. Kirara knelt down as we moved closer so I could reach out a take a fruit. "It's so pretty…"

"It's as if the light is coming from the tree itself." Sango observed, staring at the Magatama Tree curiously. Miroku moved closer, watching the lights flicker in the air like fireflies. "I've never seen such a beautiful tree before."

"A mysterious power is emanating from it." Miroku commented. "I wonder… does this tree truly have the ability to break Naraku's barrier?"

"Only one way to find out." I said as I reached out from atop Kirara, hesitantly touching a fruit. "S-Sorry. I, uh, will try and use the fruit properly. Thank you!" Who was I apologizing to? I honestly wasn't sure. It felt like the tree itself was alive, bursting with life. I plucked off a tiny Magatama fruit and held it in my hand, staring down at it. Something so small… could it really be that powerful? "I can't believe I actually survived this…"

"Irene, I have to ask." Miroku turned, looking down at me. I tensed, suddenly very anxious upon hearing the tone of his voice. "Why didn't you inform us of your thoughts before? We are friends, aren't we?"

"I…" Did I have to answer that? I looked down at the fruit in my palm, scared that it might just disappear. "I didn't… I didn't want you guys to hate me."

"Hate you?" Sango repeated, stunned. "Irene, we could never hate you. It isn't as though you were the one who killed the villagers. Naraku was the one who..."

She couldn't finish. The thought and knowledge that it was her younger brother that acted out on the half-demon's orders left her cold. The demon slayer stepped forward, resting her hands gently on my shoulders. Her voice was soft when she spoke.

"It was Naraku who killed them. He was the one that sent them to the village. You are not the one at fault. You even tried to stop Kohaku from attacking them." She stepped forward, sliding her arms around my neck and pulling me into an embrace. "And for that… thank you. For trying to stop him. I'm so sorry."

"You need to put those stupid thoughts out of your head!" Shippō demanded, placing his hands on his hips. "Friends don't hate friends! Although Inuyasha can be an exception with how much of a stupid head he acts sometimes!"

"Yes." Miroku said, frowning at me. "Unless you suddenly turn evil and start working for Naraku," He smiled, "I doubt we could ever hate you."

Frick. I leaned into Sango's hug and bit my lip, trying really hard not to cry. "You guys… I never imagined I'd be on the receiving end of a friendship speech."

"Oh?" Sango pulled away, staring at me curiously. "Why's that?"

I grinned weakly. "Because normally I'm the one giving them."

After that we began to make our way down the mountain, Shippō transforming and carrying Miroku down while Sango sat on Kirara with me. We headed to the village and I napped on Hachi's transformed back, the demon slayer letting me use her lap for a pillow. I remember hearing everyone talk excitedly about how they would be able to take on Naraku now if this actually worked, and that the others were going to be quite surprised.

I fell asleep during that. When I awoke we were back at Kaede's village and Sango was shaking me awake. We found Kakuju by the Bone-Eater's Well, the old man muttering to himself about it gave off a strange, unnatural energy. He turned when he heard our footsteps. It was almost night. We had doubled back to the village as fast as Hachi would allow. "Oh? That was fast. Did you get the fruit?"

"Uh, y-yeah…" I stammered, stepping forward awkwardly and placing it into his palm. "Somehow."

"I thought she was gonna die." Shippō admitted. "The spirit just threw her off the mountain! We didn't know what to do. But then Irene came crawling back up! It was incredible."

Kakuju smiled at that. "You really are something, Irene… I told you that you were special. The spirit of the air allowed you to have a fruit from the tree. You should have believed in yourself all along."

"That's what I keep telling her!" Miroku exclaimed, shaking his head exasperatedly. "But she won't listen."

"Hey!" I looked at him indignantly. "At least I got it."

"It was a wonder why the spirit changed her mind." Sango said, bringing a hand to her chin. "She seemed so intent on not letting you get it."

"Whatever the reason," Kakuju said, "she saw into your heart and deemed you fit of a fruit. Now, come close to me; we must harness the spiritual energy from the Magatama fruit. Understand? Close your eyes- feel the energy. Reach deep inside yourself… and focus."

Knowing that it worked last time I did as I was told. Taking the hand that held the Magatama fruit, I slid my eyes shut and listened to the nature around us. The wind rustling through the trees, reaching deep into the well and creating a whistling noise. It was almost haunting, but somehow… it comforted me. The gusts of wind seemed to grow stronger the more I focused and I found myself laying on a field of grass, staring up at the blue sky above me.

It felt so familiar, but why was that? This overflowing blue sky was beautiful.

The eagle flying above me… beating its wings and unleashing a powerful wave of light… was even more gorgeous. Whenever the sky dared to darken it would flap its wings and the storm clouds would be pushed back, keeping the land at peace. Suddenly the creature's eyes met mine and I jumped, and when I awakened to the real world once more I saw a green flame fading from my hands. Kakuju was chuckling at my startled reaction, amused by my behavior.

"There…" He said, pulling his hand away. The Magatama fruit rested in my palm. "Do you think you understand it now? With this you should have the power to break the barrier…"

"If there's no barrier we can attack Naraku!" Shippō exclaimed, looking excited. "We'll actually stand a chance now!"

Kakuju's lips tilted downwards, the older man appearing quite worried. "For your foe to be so powerful… please, be careful. He is more dangerous than any spirit."

"We know this well." Miroku told him gravely. "But now… thanks to you and Irene… we have a fighting chance. All we must do now is wait for Inuyasha and Kagome's return."

"Y-Yeah…" I looked at Kakuju awkwardly for a moment, before stepping forward and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. The old man tensed, having not expected that, before slowly relaxing into the embrace and patting my back. I pulled away, stepping back and rubbing my left arm anxiously. "Th-Thank you… again."

"Anytime. I'm glad to help." He smiled.

"Oh, that's right!" Sango smacked her fist onto her free palm, realization dawning on her. "We need to grab some of Kagome's medicine! There should be enough left to tend to Irene's cuts."

"What?" I looked down at my hands and feet. They were… a little bloody and scraped up, but it wasn't too bad. I've had worse. "It's fine… I think."

"Absolutely not." Sango declared, marching over. She knelt down and I yelped when she suddenly hoisted me up, carrying me in her arms. "You climbed that mountain all by yourself! Your stitches probably opened again! I mean, they should be completely healed by now… but we never cut them out yet. Your chin's all scraped up too, poor thing."

"I-I'm not a child, you know." I felt like she was babying me. It was embarrassing being carried like this. "You don't have to carry me."

"Maybe not," She said as she started to march back to the village, Miroku and Shippō watching with astonished eyes, "but you're still very accident prone. Besides, you're exhausted! You passed out the second Hachi took off from Mount Huoh. You need some rest. I'll take care of your injuries, so don't work too hard. We don't have anything to do until the others return, after all."

"...Yes, mother…"

"M-Mother?" Sango said, eyes wide. "I-you know what? I'm not going to respond to that. The hut is this way."

I giggled a little at that and smiled at Sango, feeling very relieved and happy that she cared so much. "Thank you, Sango."

Still a bit flustered, it took a moment for her to smile back at me. "I'm just doing what a friend would do. No need to thank me. We're a team, remember?"

Yeah. We are.

…

The next morning Kagome showed up. She didn't bring any fresh clothes with her, but she did bring feminine products and- low and behold- food! She made bentos again and this time she brought chips of all kind, candy, ramen, and other junk food. I didn't really touch any of the really unhealthy stuff, not caring much for sweets or junk, and mostly just ate the bentos and the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream Kagome gave me. My absolute favorite thing was the chicken she brought; she made several different kinds, all the types I had mentioned through my stay here. Mustardy fried, cheesy ranch, alfredo… god damn.

This girl was spoiling me to gain affection and she knew it. It was her master plan. And to be honest… it was working.

She was completely ecstatic to hear about our accomplishments from the earlier day and lamented on Inuyasha not being here, before pushing the thought of him out of her mind and showing us all that she brought for us to eat. Shippō had instantly went for the sweets, while Miroku and Sango dove for the chips and ramen. I aimed for the bentos, chewing and savoring the taste, all the while eating quickly and declaring my undying love for Kagome and her cooking.

"Oh, you~!" She waved a hand at me, pressing the other to her cheek, basking in the praise. "Such a flatterer! I'm blushing!"

"Is it flattering if it's true?" I asked, before taking a bite of some buttered noodles. "God freaking dang, girl… I'm in heaven."

"Ninja food is always so delicious!" Miroku said, slurping at some ramen. "It's incredible!"

Sango stuck some chocolate in her mouth, eyes closing as she let out a happy noise. "Mmmm. There's nothing that even competes with this flavor!"

Suddenly a voice could be heard shouting, a familiar silver-haired half-demon pushing the door aside. "Dry your tears everyone," Inuyasha exclaimed with a grin, "because I'm back!" He blinked, staring at the sight in surprise, before dashing over with greedy eyes and a big smile. "Where's mine!?"

Shippō looked up at him, frowning. "You weren't here, so I ate it."

"You what!?"  He growled, glaring at the fox demon. The group felt more alive the instant he walked in and I found myself grinning at the sight, surprisingly happy to see Inuyasha. I watched as he knelt down and tried to yank Shippō's bowl of ramen from him. "Give 'em back, you little creep!"

"No way, it's mine!"

"Give it!"

"Inuyasha, stop it! My ninja food!"

"I want my part of it!"

Kagome took a deep breath and I flinched, already knowing what was coming. "Sit, boy!" Shippō quickly moved out of the way as Inuyasha face-planted hard into the floor. The middle schooler turned her head away, huffing. "Figures. Trust you to turn this into a brawl. You snooze, you lose!"

He pulled his face out of the ground and glared, almost offended. "Weren't you all worried!? I was gone for a whole day!"

"I guess I could share my soup with you…" Shippō said, narrowing his eyes at him. "Not that you deserve it."

"How charitable of you." Inuyasha grunted.

I reached out behind me and grabbed my bowl of instant ramen, holding it out to the half-demon as he begrudgingly sat up. He stared at me, ear twitching. "Want it? I don't really like ramen, so…"

He scrunched his nose up for a moment, staring at the band-aids wrapped around my fingers, before reaching out and taking the bowl from me. "...Thanks. I'm glad someone cares around here. Jeez."

"We care." Sango said, grinning at him. "We just knew you weren't in any trouble. In fact- we have some news for you."

The half-demon blinked, grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "What's that?" He brought the noodles up to his lips, not bothering to blow on them as he quickly and greedily devoured them. "Did thomethin' haffen whilf I wath away?"

"I have no idea what you said," Miroku commented, frowning, "but… Irene learned how to break Naraku's barrier while you were gone."

Inuyasha choked on his food. He whirled around, staring at me with big eyes. "Whaaaat!? You!?"

"Y… Yeah…"

"Damn it! I can't believe you beat me to it." He turned away, huffing. "Still… it's a good thing. We can get to Naraku if you're able to destroy his barrier."

"Wait," Kagome was surprised, "you mean there wasn't a way for tetsusaiga to break the barrier?"

"No." The half-demon scowled, grumpily eating his ramen. "All Totosai did was make me run a bath for him. And when I did manage to break a barrier for some kid and his tribe, it was just because the demon was weak. It was a waste of time."

"Then…" Sango began, trailing off uncertainly. She glanced at Miroku, the monk nodding at her.

"We need to make way to the castle once we've finished preparing."

And so we did.

Chapter Text

The castle was far from the village. We debated taking Hachi to fly over Mount Huoh to get back there faster, but then decided it was far too risky after our previous dealings with the air spirit Kazumi. She was a force of nature and I was not keen in getting trapped in eternal wandering again. So we walked and battled demons, and Kagome taught the others how to play games using cards.

Several times she had to explain that they were not Karuta cards, whatever those were, and were actually called playing cards. "You should show them how to play Slap Jack." I grinned, watching as she shuffled the deck. She dealt the cards out for her and Miroku to play. "They won't know what hit them."

She shook her head at me with a smile. "Why don't you play next? You can teach them how to."

"Wait, really?" She would let me? My grin broadened excitedly. "Heck yeah! Prepare yourselves, guys! You're gonna be shook!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at that. "As if."

This was how the night went. After ten minutes of game play Kagome was currently beating Miroku, and all that was left was for her to choose one out of two cards that he was holding. It was a rather intense, hilarious match. I always thought I was the ridiculous one, but Miroku was going to a whole new level of theatrics.

"No!" He dramatically warned the middle schooler, trying to make her second guess herself. "Be careful, Kagome!"

"Ooh…" She hesitated, hand hovering above the cards. Unbeknownst to her the monk held an eight of hearts and a joker in his hands. She eventually chose the one on the right and peered at it nervously, eyes widening happily when she saw the eight. Kagome quickly threw it down with her eight of spades, cheering. "Yay! I did it; I won! Haha!"

Miroku heaved a sigh, looking distraught as he stared his joker card. "Wrong one…"

"You're good at this, Kagome!" Shippō exclaimed, watching as she waved her hands excitedly in the air. I grinned, clapping my hands as I applauded her. Sango chuckled, shaking her head at the monk and his upset face.

"I can't believe you, Miroku."

"Me next, me next!" I said, scooting closer to Kagome and starting to pick the cards up. "I challenge Sango!"

"Oh, I dunno…" She was uncertain, staring at the cards nervously. "These western karuta cards are something else."

"It's just a game, Sango." Kagome reassured. "Come on, try it! It'll be fun!"

"I guess…" She moved forward, watching as I awkwardly shuffled them. "You're not very good at this, are you?"

"It's been a while, okay?" I defended, concentrating on making sure none of the cards slipped out. "I hadn't played cards since I was Kagome's age and that was when I visited my grandparents. It's been a while."

"Oh, yeah!" Kagome raised a hand to her face. "I keep forgetting you're older than me! You look so young."

I clicked my tongue and flashed a grin, attempting a wink. "Why, thank you. It's the stress."

She snorted at that. From the other side of the campfire, Inuyasha rolled his eyes. The half-demon was laying on his side, head resting against his palm, arm propped up against the ground. "Can't you play a little more quietly!?"

I paused for a moment before dealing out the cards, counting how many I was handing off to Sango and myself. I wanted to make sure it stayed even.

Kagome made a face at the silver-haired teen and scowled. "Oh, quit your whining and join us!"

"Not on your life."

Wow, okay. Shippō frowned at Inuyasha, not understand why he had such an attitude these past few days. "What's he so angry about?"

"He's in a bad mood." Sango explained, carefully picking up her deck. She was about to look at her cards before I told her not to, that it would be cheating, and we were supposed to throw our top card down at the same time. "Okay, hold on. So if there's a card with a… a jack… we smack our hands down on it?"

I nodded. "Yup. He's the one with the curly looking symbol- J. It's a letter where I'm from. Part of my alphabet."

"I see. Okay. Hmm. And the one whose hand gets it first obtains the entire pile of cards?"

"Yup! And since I forgot to take out the jokers we're just gonna leave 'em in there. Okie dokie?"

"I think I get it…"

"This will be interesting." Miroku mused, leaning forward with a grin. He then glanced up, seeing the way Inuyasha was still grimacing in silence. "You realize moping and feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to make tetsusaiga any stronger, right? You were so happy the other day when you found out Irene had the power to break the barrier; why are you so jealous now?"

"I am not jealous!" The half-demon said up, glaring at the monk. "You're wrong again! Just butt out and mind your own business, alright!?"

I looked up at them nervously, wondering if maybe we shouldn't have gone to the mountain after all. Inuyasha was so happy to finally have a way to get past the barrier, but now he won't stop grouching about how I "beat him to the punch" and that "his training was a total waste". He really wanted to be the one to throw Naraku for a loop, but my going to the mountain and obtaining the Magatama fruit really messed with his plans. Lowering my head, I picked up a card and set it on the ground next to Sango's.

"I'm sorry…"

Inuyasha slammed his hand down on the ground and I flinched when he shouted. "The hell are you apologizing for!? I told you stop that, damn it!"

"S-Sorry! I-uh, sor- ah… um." I clamped my mouth shut, cringing. "I-I don't… know what else to say."

"Then don't say anything! I don't need your stupid pity."

"B-But I'm not-"

"I said shut it!"

I stopped talking after that, shoulders slumped over and eyes focused on the cards. I was so distracted I forgot to smack my hand down on the pile when I set down a jack, Sango winning and taking the pile. I mentally berated myself for being such an idiot. I thought I was getting to understand the half-demon better, but we really just had trouble getting along.

"Hey!" Miroku frowned. "You don't have to yell at her, Inuyasha. She just feels bad because you're behaving like this. Be glad that we have a way through the barrier. This was a blessing."

"Hmph." Inuyasha scoffed, turning away. "Behaving like what? I'm not doin' anything different. It's not like I care that she got a new power and I didn't."

"Sure you don't." Shippō dryly commented, making a face. He clearly didn't believe a word Inuyasha said, and neither did anyone else. They all glanced at him unimpressed, the half-demon tensing upon feeling the others' gazes on him. Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and even Shippō were staring at him with reprimanding looks. "Envy is not a good color for you."

He whirled around, standing and raising his fist in the air. "You wanna fight, Shippō!?"

"There's no need for violence!" A voice suddenly exclaimed, nasally and clearly belonging to someone much older. Inuyasha stopped what he was doing, blinking in surprise. "I'll take things from here!"

The half-demon raised a hand up and smacked his neck, catching the flea that fell from his flesh. "Myoga? It's about time you showed back up."

Myoga's face scrunched together in anger. "How about I first inform you about how troubling it was trying to find you!? You kept moving all over the place! It was a nightmare, I'll have you know! I came all this way just to tell you about how to break Naraku's barrier!"

"Didn't you hear?" Inuyasha snapped back. "Irene's already learned how."

The flea demon blinked, taken aback. He glanced back at me. "I… what? Is this true?"

Sango spoke for me. "Yes. We went to Mount Huoh and obtained a Magatama fruit. With that, Kakuju was able to teach Irene how to use the Shikigami to break Naraku's barrier. She hasn't actually attempted to use the power yet, seeing as there weren't any barriers to practice on, but she has the ability."

"But..." The flea was startled. I awkwardly shifted when everyone turned their attention to me again. "That's a sacred mountain near Rindoh Village, guarded by an ancient spirit! However did you do that?"

"I-It, um… wasn't easy. There was a spirit world and everything."

"You'll have to give me all the details later." He said, leaning forward and squinting his eyes. Myoga then moved his attention back to Inuyasha. "I was going to tell you how make tetsusaiga stronger, but I guess it's unnecessary now… I suppose I'll just go back to Totosai. Farewell, Lord Inuyasha-!"

Before the flea could escape Inuyasha caught him in his hand, eyes alight with a fire. The half-demon looked ready to send the flea demon flying across the forest. "Spit it out! Tell me and you can suck as much of Kagome's blood as you want!"

The middle schooler gasped. "I'm not a blood bank, you know!"

"Wait, what? So you… do want to know?" Myoga stared up at him from his spot between Inuyasha's fingers, barely surviving getting crushed. When he spoke again it was with a sense of urgency. "In that case you must go immediately to the cave of the demon bats! It is located near a village on the western shore, protected by an impenetrable barrier. No one is able to destroy them because of this!"

Oh. That's… not very nice. I looked down at my hands, wondering if the power I obtained from the fruit would be strong enough to break it. I wasn't really certain I wanted to find out. Inuyasha made a face and turned his head, muttering under his breath, "I bet Irene can…"

"Stop that!" Myoga stomped one of his feet down on the half-demon's palm. "This is about you, Lord Inuyasha! Not her! Now listen closely; the guarding of the barrier has been passed down from generation to generation. The current guardian demon… must be slain." Everyone remained quiet as he relayed the information, the card game coming to a complete halt. Myoga continued, "In other words… you must kill the demon protecting the barrier… and let tetsusaiga drink its blood."

Oh gods. That sounded disturbing. I have this horrible image in my head, back to when we battled Dokumoryu and they were completely covered in his guts. If Inuyasha's sword tried to drain the incarnation's blood… eugh. I don't want to think about it.

Miroku crossed his arms, focusing on the flea demon's words. "By defeating such a powerful foe the sword will absorb the demon bat's power."

"That would make the sword much stronger." Sango said, stunned. "We already have a way to break the barrier, but if making his sword more powerful would give us an even better chance against Naraku…"

"Yes." Myoga nodded his head, leaping over from Inuyasha's palm to Kagome's shoulder. He crawled up to her neck, readying to bite down and start drinking her own blood. "Exactly. Now then, Kagome- about our little deal?"

She smacked him.

Inuyasha looked absolutely ecstatic as he jumped up, bringing a fist up into the air. The sound of his voice startled Hachi awake. "Alright; what are we waiting for!? I'm in if that's all it takes to make my sword stronger! I'll kill a thousand of them if I have to!" He gripped his sword handle, grinning into the distance.

Did he… Did he really feel that inferior because I had a way to break the barrier and he didn't? I know I have my own self-confidence issues that still needed to be worked on, but… wow. Okay. I don't know how to feel about this. At least he was acting a lot happier now.

Packing up camp took a few minutes, but after having Hachi transform we stuck Kagome's bike and backpacks onto his tail, and we climbed up afterwards. The group spent most of the night sleeping and storing energy, but poor Hachi had to pull an all-nighter in order to get us there by the next morning. The raccoon dog demon was completely exhausted. When we arrived we found ourselves on the shore, walking along a beach.

The air was really fresh here- almost like we were back at the bottom of Mount Huoh again. But up ahead… some villagers were attacking a young woman. Several men wielding spears and hoes, and… oh gods. I grabbed onto Sango's sleeve, watching in horror, several memories rushing through my mind.

It was just like back then… when I first awoke and met the people from Akebi Village. The situation was vastly different, but it looked so similar.

"You promised our village wouldn't be attacked if you gave them your daughter!" One of the men growled, stepping forward and kicking her hard in her side. "Well!? More villagers have been killed!"

"You said it wouldn't happen!"

The woman grit her teeth together to avoid crying out, her brown eyes alight with pain. Several bruises and cuts covered her body, blood dripping from her chin. Her dark hair was completely ripped out of the white ribbon that was used to hold it back, and I felt my body turn cold when one of the men reached over and tangled their fingers into the black strands, harshly yanking her up onto her knees. "Fucking bitch-! Why do they keep attacking!?"

This isn't stopping; why aren't they stopping? No, no, no! Sango and Inuyasha moved towards the villagers, intent on bringing this violent behavior to an end, and once my pillar of support was gone I found myself stumbling towards the beaten woman, tears in my eyes and heart trapped in my throat.

"Are you in league with the demon bats!?"

I had seen this so many times before. In Akebi Village… and in Kasasagi Town.

"She deserves no mercy from us…" The man raised his spear, ready to end her life. "Men! Destroy her! End this wretch's life!"

My knees hit the sand and I slid towards the woman, covering her body with my own recklessly just as there was a flash of red and pink. Sango sent several men falling back, knocking them down with a kick or expert shove, planting her foot in one of the villager's back. Inuyasha, on the hand, managed to split the leader's spear in half- causing him to lose balance and tumble- and the others came to a startled halt. The woman slowly opened her eyes, realizing she wasn't in anymore trouble, and glanced at me.

"Wh… Who are you?" She looked stunned. Though shaking, I managed to pull myself off of her, keeping a hand on her shoulder. "You're not from here…"

"A-Are you okay? How… How injured are-"

"Miss, are you alright!?" Kagome caught up, carrying her medical kit and cutting me off mid-sentence. I hadn't realized it at the moment, but Miroku moved at the exact same time I did and was on the other side of the woman, helping her sit up. "I have some medicine; it will help with your wounds! Where does it hurt?"

Inuyasha glanced back at us, observing the injured woman, before turning his attention to those who had committed the cruel acts towards her. Sango and Inuyasha released the ones they were still pinning down, allowing them to scramble back and/or stand.

"Wh-Who are you!?" The one still on the ground demanded, seeming quite terrified of Inuyasha's unusual appearance. He seemed especially bothered by his amber eyes and dog ears. "What are you doing!?"

"I heard you mention the demon bats." He responded coldly, narrowing his eyes. "How about you show me where their cave is?"

"How the hell should we know!?" The man growled. Miroku glared at him and his companions, utterly appalled by their behavior. The villager pointed at the injured woman. "Ask her where the fucking cave is; she'd know better than any of us!"

The woman glanced away, eyes glaring into the sand beneath her. I looked at her in confusion, wondering why they would say such a thing. Surely she was a nicer person than they were painting her out to be? I don't trust people like them. They're terrible jerks.

"You should be ashamed!" Miroku told them, frowning deeply. "How can you call yourselves men- daring to attack and insult a defenseless woman like this!?"

"How can you call that wench human!? She's a traitor to her kind!"

"What do you mean?" Sango demanded. The leader huffed and turned his nose away from us, disgusted by us protecting the stranger and clearly having acquainted ourselves with a half-demon and several other demons. He seemed most disturbed by Inuyasha. "Explain yourselves!"

"You want to know?" He hissed. "That bitch bedded with one of the bat demons and bore him a child! She's a monster!"

Are they seriously… hating on her because she fell in love with a demon?

I still didn't understand the whole thing with demon and human relationships, and how they can have children together when their biology should be completely different, but that was no reason to abuse her. Shippō and Myoga and Hachi were all demons, but they weren't cruel. Inuyasha was the very result of a human and demon falling love, not that I know that whole story, but… he was still a person. "How…" My eyebrows knit together and everyone looked at me. "How does that make her a monster?"

The woman's eyes widened. "You…"

"If you can't help us," Inuyasha began, breaking the silence that took place, "then shut up and go home! You really wanna fight us to get to her?"

"Damn…" One of the men grunted, glaring at Sango and backing away. The other villagers glanced at Inuyasha, the other demons with him, and then the huge weapon on the demon slayer's back. Deciding that they valued life more than self-serving justice, they reluctantly turned away and went back to their huts to work. "Fucking hell…"

"Half-demon brat showin' up outta nowhere…"

"Foreigner with 'em, too. What's going on? It's been years since we last saw one…"

Ick. I tried not to focus on them, forcing my paranoia and anxiety down to a deep abyss inside my heart, and I tried to get a better look at the woman to assess her injuries. "You're not… dizzy or anything, r-right? No headache?"

Kagome was already opening her medicine kit. "Here, I have some ointments to help with those cuts… it might sting a little, but it'll fight infection. I promise."

"Who… are you people?" The woman asked, watching as we began to fuss over her. She seemed especially confused by me. "You are… not from Japan, are you?"

I shook my head. "No… What's your name?"

It was soon revealed that the young woman went by Shizu. After Kagome tended to the worst of her injuries we made way for the stranger's hut located outside the village where she would reveal what happened. She seemed rather quiet and reserved, though I had a feeling that was mostly because of the way the other villagers treated her. We all sat down in a circle around the fireplace in her hut, Kagome keeping her medicine kit with her in case the woman began to show any serious symptoms that might require emergency treatment.

She sat on her right and I sat on her left. Miroku was between me and Sango, Hachi napped in the corner, and on the other side of the fireplace Inuyasha was sitting between Kagome and Shippō. The woman looked at us, a solemn expression on her face, and she asked, "Why do you want to know the location of the demon bat cave?"

"Why else?" Inuyasha remarked. "I'm gonna destroy them."

Shizu widened her eyes at that, alarmed, and seeing this Miroku quickly rose a hand in the air. "Why don't you hold on a minute, Inuyasha? There are some things we should ask first." He looked at her, the woman appearing slightly grateful that he had paused Inuyasha on his rampage. "They said you gave your child to the demon bats… what exactly did they mean by that? Was she truly a half-demon?"

The woman hesitated before nodding. Shizu began to explain, folding her calloused hands together in her lap. "For generations this land has been a home and hunting ground for the demon bat tribe. They prey on both humans and animals, feeding on their blood. But… Tsukuyomaru was different." Her expression softened, something gentle in those tired brown eyes of hers. "My daughter's father didn't behave like the others. He refused to kill humans and fed only on the blood of animals, and after Shiori was born the other bats stopped attacking our village. I… I assumed he convinced them to do so."

I stared at her, listening to her story with great intrigue and sorrow. I had a bad feeling this story wasn't going to end happily. Shizu met a demon who was kinder than most and, as to be expected, she fell in love with him. The villagers couldn't accept that and treated her poorly, and… what? To appease them she gave away her daughter?

"As a result our village was at peace."

Oh, I did not like that phrasing. Miroku didn't either, narrowing his eyes. "Was at peace? Why past tense?"

Shizu closed her eyes. "Tsukuyomaru… passed away... and then there was no one to stop them. They came out of nowhere and attacked the village, killing several of our people. Soon after, Shiori's grandfather, Taigokumaru, visited me and promised to leave our village alone if… if I gave him my daughter."

"What?" Did she really believe him? If it took the dad to create peace, why on earth did she believe the grandfather would follow through with it? "Why? What does he need her for?"

The woman glanced at me. Though emotional from speaking about her late husband and her daughter, she tried to speak with a steady tone. "He and Tsukuyomaru were guardians of the barrier protecting the bat demon tribe and their cave… it's a duty passed down from each generation. As the daughter of Tsukuyomaru, Shiori had inherited his powers and would be the next guardian."

"Oookay, that is not good." I bit my bottom lip, fiddling with the sleeves of my sweater. "So… she's the new bat demon guardian then?"

"Yes."

Yup, yup. Not good. Oh gods. My eyes flicked over to see how Inuyasha was handling this information and, as suspected, it was not going over well with him. The half-demon looked shaken by this news.

"Why did it have to be your daughter?" Sango inquired, leaning closer with a frown on her face. She understood how bad this was as well. Everyone did. "If her grandfather already had the power… why couldn't he just do it?"

Shizu sighed. "Their power wanes with age. As they grow older it becomes more difficult to create the barrier, but once the guardian passes on his duty… he loses the power."

"So," I tried to wrap my head around this, "it's a bloodline thing? And once the demon has a successor… that's it? They're in retirement?"

"Exactly."

"In other words," Miroku began, eyebrows furrowing, "you're saying your daughter is the only one left to protect the barrier?"

The woman looked away, but her eyes were filled with so many emotions I couldn't tell exactly what she was feeling. She looked almost… ashamed, like she was feeling guilty for forcing this responsibility upon Shiori. I really didn't know much about the life of demons and humans, but I understood enough to realize that half-demons didn't have it easy. Inuyasha seemed to be an exception, but Kagome did say he had a hard life when he was younger. It made me wonder if the only reason he was able to be so carefree now was because of the people he now surrounded himself with.

"Have you ever gone to see her?" I asked quietly, looking at her with sad eyes. Shizu wasn't able to meet my gaze.

"Every time I tried… her grandfather had me leave. It was impossible trying to get near. I had agonized over what I should do, but…" She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, hands shaking. "...in the end I gave my girl to Taigokumaru."

"How the hell could a half-demon child have such powers?" Inuyasha demanded, hands in his sleeves, his arms crossed over his chest. "It doesn't make sense."

Shizu observed him for a moment, taking in his appearance. With his long silver hair and white dog ears, he clearly wasn't a full fledged demon. Though I questioned what a full fledged dog demon was supposed to look like. Actually, didn't Inuyasha have a half-brother or something like that? I think one of them said he was full demon. Ugh, what was his name again? It was a really fancy name, but I can't remember what it was. He was supposedly a really bad person.

"I see you are also half-demon." She said. Shizu was trying very hard to keep emotion out of her voice, but it kept leaking back in. "Then you should know better than anyone else that half-demons are accepted by neither their human or demon brethren. They're considered inferior to them, regardless of who they are and what they've done."

Kagome nodded fervently, lacing her fingers together. I went silent upon hearing that, not knowing until now the sheer depth of the hatred people had for half-demons. I… I knew there were people out in the world that were racist, who hated mixed heritage and those who weren't the same as them, but… they were all people. It wasn't until coming here to Feudal Japan that I was actually able to witness it and see how truly horrible it is.

Seeing and hearing about it first-hand is a lot different from simply reading about it in history books. I had friends back home who were from another country, not to mention my step-mother. I might come from an extremely white bloodline, but that didn't mean I hated people who weren't. Hating someone, abusing them, simply because they were the child of a demon and human… was no different from what went on back in my time.

"That's so stupid."

Shizu blinked and Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts, everyone looking at me. I made a face, nose scrunching up. It was uncomfortable being looked at and I hated myself and the lack of a filter I had, but I spoke up and had to keep going.

"Half-demons are still people. I mean, sure we tend to murder demons more often than not because they're trying to kill us and all that fun jazz, but not all of them are jerks." I tilted my head, pausing as I tried to think how to phrase my next few words. It was nice being able to think and breathe at the same time. "I-I mean, yeah, they're pretty terrifying sometimes, but… like… I mean… we humans are pretty awful ourselves, you know? All throughout history we abuse and mistreat others. Hating on half-demons is no different from hating on someone that's like, half-white and half-black. It just makes you a jerk."

"Are things different where you're from?" Shizu asked curiously, surprised by my sudden speech. "How are half-demons treated there?"

"Uh…"

Kagome spoke, waving a hand nervously in the air. "I-Irene's from pretty far away; she lives in a land without demons. She's just learning about them, so…"

"I see. I've never heard of such a place, but… " Shizu lowered her head. "That explains a lot about what you said earlier."

I blinked. "What I… said? Like, the speech just now or something else? Because I already forgot half of what I rambled."

She shook head. "Back on the beach when the villagers were… cursing me for marrying a demon- you asked how having a child with him made me a monster. For a while I believed you yourself were with a demon, but… now I see that it's not the case."

"Irene with a demon?" Sango blinked. "That would be a sight."

Kagome brought a finger to her chin, thinking deeply for a moment. "She's never really liked any human guys before… so maybe? If I try to hook her up with Kōga he might get off my back…"

I choked. He was far too childish- I wanted to smack him when he tried to charge Kagura on his own. He and Inuyasha argued like third graders. Granted I could act like one myself when I let my self-deprecation get the best of me, but more often than not I tried to be the logical one. Key word being tried. Making a face, I pleaded with the middle schooler, "Please don't."

She laughed. "I'm only kidding! Besides, you like the mature guys, right?"

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Inuyasha snapped, eyebrow twitching. He looked deeply annoyed. "We have some serious things to talk about here. This isn't some match-making center, you know."

Shippō nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We have to try and figure out a way to free Shiori from the demon bats."

I held my hands up in defense, feeling personally attacked right now. "I wasn't the one who brought it up! I was just saying half-demons are people, too, okay? I'm sorry."

"It was my fault." Shizu began, looking up. "I misunderstood the situation. Anyway, as I was saying, Shiori had ample power to fulfill her duties. That's why I thought it would be for the best… for her to be with them. Especially if it saved our village." She took a deep breath, rage flickering onto her lovely features. "But Taigokumaru did not keep his promise. They've attacked countless times and now the villagers are demanding vengeance. They're blaming me for it."

"Which is still stupid." I commented, irritated the more I learned about the cruel villagers. "They're stupid!"

Inuyasha scoffed and stood up, staring down at the woman. "Take me to their cave. I want to meet with that one old man, Taigo-whatever it was. Her grandfather. Alright?"

"We'll go with you!" Kagome offered, moving to get up, but Inuyasha stopped her.

"No. I can handle this alone."

"But…" She hesitated.

"I'm the only one who needs to see him." He seemed oddly determined. I don't think he was intending to kill Shiori, especially considering she was a little girl, but… I couldn't tell what he was planning. Did he want to help her? I hoped that was the case. I watched in silence as Shizu and Inuyasha left the hut, leaving the rest of us to wait for them. "Don't follow us."

"...He says that and it makes me want to follow." Miroku sighed. "How unlike him."

"Agreed." Sango said, brushing some hair behind her ear. "Should we just sit here and wait for them? It could take a while."

"I think we should go back to talking about Irene's lack of a love life." Kagome said, grinning mischievously at me. I groaned and fell onto my back, bringing my hands up to my face. "What? It's fun!"

"Is not! Is it so hard to accept that one can be single and happy?"

"Well, no, but it makes life more interesting!"

"You're trying to hook me up with a fifteen year old, Kagome! No!"

"Well, he's a demon… so he's probably over a century, technically."

"He acts like a fifteen year old!"

She opened her mouth to argue, paused, and thought about. "I'm not sure if I should be offended by that or not? What do you guys think?"

Miroku quickly turned his head and started to whistle, while Sango raised her hands. "Don't look at me. But… I don't really think she and Kōga would make a good couple. Not to mention he's so in love with you, Kagome."

"Yeah. And she's not his type." Shippō nodded. "She can't see the jewel shards after all."

"That's true…" Kagome sighed. "...and we've already settled he's not her type either. But then who can I pair her up with? There are so little options and not many are very serious or mature."

"Here's a great idea!" I exclaimed, sarcasm hiding beneath the bubbly exterior I gave off. Sitting up to look at her, I clapped my hands together with a big grin. "How about nobody!? I love nobody! Nobody is great."

She stuck her lips out at me in a pout. "Oh, fine, spoil sport. Why can't you just humor me?"

"Because a small child's life is at stake and I'm not gonna be here forever?" I retorted, not fully understanding what I said until I said it. "S-So… trying to pair me up with someone is… yeah. Not good."

That's right… I was so focused on the idea of finding Maria and going home that… I forgot what that actually meant. Once I go home… that's it. I won't ever see Sango, Miroku, Shippō, Inuyasha, or Kagome again. I won't see Kirara or Kaede again. Kōga, Kagura, Naraku… I won't have to deal with any of them. They'll be out of my life forever.

The middle school girl paused, eyes widening, and everyone in the room grew silent. I think they all forgot about it as well. We were talking and playing games just last night, but that wouldn't last. Eventually we would defeat Naraku, figure out how to send me home, and that was it. Our friendship would be ended there. I would be cut clean from history. And unless I went to Japan after returning to my time… I might not even see Kagome again. She would be so much older than me by that point, probably in her thirties or forties. Would she remember me at all?

Miroku lowered his head, "True. You can't come-and-go like Kagome does with the well. Once you're gone… we won't ever see you again."

"Y-Yeah…"

Why did I allow myself to get so attached to them? This was why I felt so upset earlier at the mountain with everyone- they were always cheering me up, saying we were a team, that we would look out for one another, but… it wouldn't stay that way. I would never get to keep such wonderful friends. I knew I would be leaving them all behind one day to go back to my own time, but I… I never allowed myself to think about what that would mean.

I'm such an idiot.

"Naraku really is evil." Shippō muttered, looking as though he were fighting tears. "He's the one who brought you here."

"Yes." Sango closed her eyes. "It really is… awful."

Kagome folded her hands together in her lap, shifting her position so her legs rested to the side. "I… I never really thought about it, but yeah. That's… a lonely thought."

Frick. If this conversation kept going I was going to cry. I forced a grin and beamed at them, waving a hand in the air. "Aw, come on! I know you guys don't like me that much. It's fine~ besides, it'll just mean Naraku was beaten, right? Look on the bright side! You won't have to deal with him anymore."

"Yes, but…" Kagome hesitated. She saw how I was trying to stay strong. "Irene, do you really want to go home?"

"Hm?" I blinked at that. That was such a silly question, so why did I find myself hesitating? "Well, yeah… but it's up to Maria."

"Your sister?" Miroku asked. "What does she have to do with it?"

"Well, we'll have a choice, right? If we figure out how to get home, we can choose whether or not to go. Unless we can't for some reason." I made a face at that. "Probably how it'll go. But! If there's a choice Maria will make it. She… She deserves to be happy, so…"

"And what about you?" Sango inquired, frowning. "Don't you deserve to be happy as well?"

I'm the one who got us into this mess. If I never pointed out the pentagram that was drawn on the stone… we would still be back home. I was the last person who deserved it. I didn't answer Sango's question properly, knowing she wouldn't like my response. "It… doesn't really matter." I settled on, forcing apathy to wash over me. This was a subject I would have to face and accept, regardless of whether I liked it or not. "Maria comes first."

"I understand that you love your sister," She said, knowing more than anyone here how important family is, "but she loves you, too. What if she wants you to decide?"

"Then I'll ask what she'd choose."

"Irene…"

"Sango." I wasn't having this conversation anymore. My mind was made up. What I wanted was unimportant; I would do whatever she decided. That's all there is to it. "I'm not choosing between you two. Besides, it's not like I contribute a whole lot to the group. It'll be fine. You won't even notice I'm gone."

"I don't think that's true." Miroku looked eerily serious. I had to remind myself that he was the only one here that was actually close to age. He was just a year younger. "Irene, forget what you were told in the past. Whatever it was your father said… it was wrong"

"What my dad said doesn't matter." I found myself becoming defensive. He wasn't the main issue; it was so many other people. "I've gotten over that. It's just… she's been through a lot, okay? So what she wants is all I care about. At least until we've figured everything out."

I have to stay focused. Until the time for the choice comes. After that… I'll think for myself again.

"Irene…" Sango faltered.

Suddenly the beaded door slammed open and Inuyasha marched inside, Shizu right behind him with new bruises and tears in her eyes. It was night time; we had spent several hours in the hut talking. The half-demon huffed and sat down, and Kagome glanced at him nervously.

"Did it not work?" She asked.

Shizu lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh, greatly depressed by everything that's happened to her. I worried at my bottom lip, feeling sorrow for the woman beside me. I really didn't understand why people went out of their way to hurt others- be they demon or human. "I feel like I should give up…" She murmured.

"What?" I recoiled, startled, snapping out my previous thoughts by her horrible words. "Why!?"

"Taigokumaru spoke the truth about Shiori," She lamented, "the villagers didn't accept either of us. She might be better off there with the other bat demons after all…"

Inuyasha scoffed at that, even angrier than usual. "You don't know anything." He growled, causing us all to stare at him in surprise. His rage and bitterness flowed through the air, hitting deep and piercing into the heart. What he went through as a child I could only imagine based on his words. "Demons don't accept half-demons, even if they're related by blood. Humans are no different. We're scorned and hated, and treated like dirt. Taigokumaru doesn't actually care about Shiori; he only keeps her alive for her power."

I remember them saying something about how he never got along well with his older brother, whoever he was. His full demon sibling didn't try to… kill him, did he? Inuyasha must have been so scared growing up. That would explain why he's so defensive and argumentative now… and why he doesn't like to share his feelings. His anger issues are because of his traumatizing childhood.

Shippō looked up at the half-demon, green eyes mixed with concern and confusion. "I'm a proper full-blooded demon, Inuyasha, and I've never had any problems accepting you."

Myoga jumped up into the air several times, waving his little arms to try and catch the silver-haired teen's attention. "That goes for me too, m'lord!"

Inuyasha leaned down, eyebrow twitching, an irritated grin on his face. "That's only because I protect you both."

"Anyway," Miroku spoke up, changing the subject, "our hands are tied if you're unable to break through the barrier, Inuyasha."

"That's precisely the reason we came here, right?" Sango said. The half-demon huffed.

"I know that."

Are we… seriously debating whether or not to kill Shiori? She's a little girl! A half-demon like Inuyasha. She's probably, what? Five years old? You've gotta be kidding. "We're gonna be saving her, right?" I asked anxiously, glancing between everyone in fear of the answer. "I-If we're gonna be saving her and killing Taigokumaru, I could try and break the barrier for you… and Inuyasha could attack the demon?"

The half-demon looked conflicted for a moment before he turned his head and stared at me, amber eyes boring into mine. I tensed, very uncomfortable beneath that gaze, almost scared by what I saw. It wasn't terrifying, really, as it wasn't the eyes of a murderer I saw. It was of a young teenage boy who had been through too much heartbreak and abuse, who wanted to become more powerful yet not wanting to have to kill a small child so similar to him in order to do so.

Without ever responding to my suggestion, the half-demon stood and walked quietly out of the hut. I spread my lips into a thin line, wondering if maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. After a few moments passed Kagome stood up and followed him, and I hunched over and laced my fingers tightly together in my lap.

Shizu still looked so lost as to what to do. I couldn't imagine having a child of a demon, losing the father of the child, and then being forced to give that child away to a group of terrible demons. Knowing that even though it was for the good of the people, those who have mistreated you both, the child would still be unwanted. That you wouldn't be able to see them again.

"We'll get her back." I found myself promising the woman. Shizu raised her head and turned, brown eyes widening. My fingers flickered with a blue light as I reached forward, resting a hand over her own trembling ones. The cool flames danced along her flesh, the woman completely stunned when she saw that the flames didn't burn nor hurt. In fact, they were healing her. "Shiori will be with you again."

I can't stand this. I hate everything about this. Half-demons shouldn't be treated so cruelly.

I don't think Inuyasha would attack her, no- I'm convinced he wouldn't. So I'll stand beside him. For the first time I will try to use the power of the Shikigami to break a barrier. This way Inuyasha can kill Taigokumaru, and Shiori will go back into her mother's arms. Their family will be reunited.

Shizu's lips curled back and she choked, expression softening as her eyes became misty once more. She was so much more beautiful now that her face wasn't covered in cuts and bruises. "Thank you…"

I don't have Maria, not at the moment. But when I do… I will be happy. That is what I deserve. To be reunited with my sister. So, until then, I will do my best to reunite this woman with her precious child and stop Naraku from causing anymore heartbreak.

Shizu surprised me when she leaned forward, resting her forehead on my shoulder and crying silently. I stiffened, having not expected her to behave as such, and cast a quick panicked glance at the others before weaving one of my hands out from the woman's and awkwardly resting them on her back. Miroku leaned close to Sango, whispering with raised eyebrows,

"She really has a way with others, doesn't she? Irene has so many issues with herself, yet somehow always manages to take on the baggage of others…"

"I feel kinda bad now." She responded, bringing a hand up to her chest. "The same thing happened back in Tsuzumi. A few words and then I was clinging to her."

Shippō moved over to the demon slayer, crawling onto her lap. I could hear everything they were saying, but I think Shizu was too focused on venting out her emotions to hear. Against my will I found my heart breaking for the woman, her negative energy almost seeming to flow into me as I held her. "You too? I think someone said somethin' about… uh… what was it? Character?"

"Charisma." Myoga corrected. "I think that was me, actually."

Whatever you call it, it was exhausting. I ran my fingers along Shizu's back slowly, allowing the woman to sob into my shoulder and completely soak my sweater with her tears. How did I always end up in these situations? It would be nice if the others could say something to help instead of whispering about me. I'm glad I could help, if it meant she felt even the littlest bit better… but I had no idea how to comfort people.

That was when I heard the screaming. Shizu stopped and lifted her head, staring out the window with big eyes. Hachi awoke with a start, and Sango and Miroku immediately made their way outside to see what was going on. Sango narrowed her eyes and looked into the distance, frowning deeply. "Those are the demon bats!"

Shizu and I made our way to the doorway, and I stared in horror upon seeing just how many there were. It was an entire swarm- too many to count. It was like the demons Naraku sent to protect Kagura during the new moon all over again, only… bats.

"They're heading towards the village!" Shizu observed. Hachi let out a small squeak and quickly turned his head when he saw someone running at us. Inuyasha was charging at full speed, Kagome right behind him.

"What are you people gawking at!?" The half-demon demanded. "Let's get going!"

Shippō held tightly to Miroku's shoulder, the monk nodding at his words and taking off. Kagome and Sango ran back inside the hut, the middle schooler grabbing her bow and quiver and following after. I looked back-and-forth at everyone, uncertain what I should do. I wasn't strong enough to take on a horde of demons like that; I would be killed instantly! Do I wait for Sango to finish putting her armor on or-?

The demon slayer ran out, fully dressed with hiraikotsu on her back, riding on Kirara. She stopped beside us and grabbed my arm, causing me to yelp when she suddenly pulled me onto the cat demon. "Let's go! Stay away from the demons, Shizu!"

"But-!" Any argument was left forgotten, Sango far ahead from the hut already thanks to Kirara's incredible speed. When we caught up with the others we found them huddled together, back-to-back, surrounded by the demon bats.

"Look!" I pointed at them, keeping an arm wrapped firmly around her waist. "Down there!"

"I see them! Duck!" I did as told and avoided the hiraikotsu as Sango swung it over head, flying near and tossing the boomerang at the many demons. "I'm gonna take shot at them! Hrah!"

I watched as the hiraikotsu sliced through several of the demons' torsos, tearing them right in half. Then, as it rounded up through the area, it shot towards the largest bat demon of them all- who appeared to be carrying someone in the palm of his hand. I had to squint to get out the details, but it looked like a small girl with… lilac-colored hair? Was that Shiori? As the weapon neared it bounced off a blue-ish forcefield, sending the hiraikotsu hurling back at her. She maneuvered Kirara around and caught it with ease.

"I-Is that the barrier?" I asked. It looked so much different compared to Naraku's- his was far more toxic and purple in appearance. "Should I try and break it?"

Sango clicked her tongue against her teeth in distaste when she saw the giant old bat start laughing, and carefully guided Kirara down to the ground where the others were. "Inuyasha! What should we do?"

"How should I know?" He demanded. Miroku frowned and looked up at the demon.

"This is not looking good. And with Shiori around I can't use my Wind Tunnel. Inuyasha, I know you want to have tetsusaiga break the barrier, but our best bet would be to create an opening for Irene to use her Shikigami. It's the perfect chance to test out her new power."

"W-Wait," I blinked, startled, "so I am using it? Like, right now?"

"What's the matter?" The giant demon asked tauntingly. I could only assume that this was Taigokumaru. "Can't you make a move?"

Inuyasha glared at the demon and cursed. "Damn it… yeah. I think we have to. If we can get Shiori out of the demon's grip, we can kill him. But the barrier is in the way."

Frick, okay. Um. Breathe. What was the incantation again? It was the eagle, wasn't it? I believe so.

"Please!" A villager from behind cried, pulling himself out of the rubble of his hut. So many of the buildings have been destroyed already by the bats, and that's not even mentioning the casualty count. It was awful. It was hard to look at it, but I was getting so used to the blood and gore that I didn't vomit in my mouth this time. "You have to think of something! All our lives depend on you!"

Another man crawled forward, struggling to stand. "The bat demons will slay all of us!"

"It's the ones from before!" Kagome exclaimed, turning when she heard them speak. I narrowed my eyes at them, recognizing those specific villagers as the ones that had been attacking Shizu earlier this morning. Inuyasha scowled at them.

"You don't need to ask me for any favors. I was gonna kill him off anyway." The half-demon turned and looked up at Taigokumaru and the girl he was carrying in his hand, conflicted emotions crossing his face. "But first I gotta get Shiori away from him…"

"You can't!" One of the men protested, stepping forward. He was badly wounded, his hand holding his bleeding arm. There was a large gash on his side. "That's insane!"

"Besides," Another argued, "the girl is on the demon's side!"

What? My hand twitched. Sango glanced over, seeing the rapid change of expression and looking down to see the red flames dancing along my fingertips. Are you kidding me right now?

My jaw tightened, a cold blank expression washing over my face as anger boiled inside of me. I turned to look at them, glaring darkly as they dared to insinuate that Shiori was the villain. Inuyasha turned his nose up at their words. "What," He began, voice low in a growl, "you'd have me kill her too?"

"Well, there's not much choice…" A villager began, glancing nervously at his friends. "Right?"

"She is the child of a demon…"

I'm done. I am so done with this. "You're the ones that sent her to them!" The villagers jumped and everyone else looked surprised by my rage. I was fuming, arms alight with hot orange flames. "Are you seriously blaming Shiori right now!? This is all because you freaking abused her and forced her mom to give her up! Her demon of a dad is what spared you for so long from the bats, remember!? But no- you're all a bunch of dumbasses, am I right!? You only see what you want to see! So frick off! We're saving Shiori! You'll be lucky if we even bother to save you at all!"

I huffed and let out several angry noises, marching forward. The group looked a little scared of me, but I didn't really care at the moment. I smacked the half-demon called Inuyasha on the arm, trying to get his attention, and I snapped my fingers and pointed at Taigokumaru. The demon looked amused by our behavior, which only fueled the fire inside me. The only emotion in my voice that you could hear was a stone cold rage.

"Oi. I'mma break that barrier, got it? Then you go in, get Shiori, and kill the demon. Sound like a plan?"

"Uh, y-yeah…" He blinked. "Right."

"Good." Now how the frick did I do that again? Sango readied her hiraikotsu, eyeing the bats above uncertainly, waiting for them to attack. "You ready?"

"Yeah, just hold on a moment." He stepped forward, looking up at the old demon and the girl. "Did you hear that, Shiori!?" Inuyasha called up, raising his voice. "What do you want to do!? You heard what these people said about you; going back to the village might not be a good idea! Do you still want to go back!?"

The girl glanced at him, eyebrows furrowing. She said nothing and I only found the rage bubbling even hotter. Miroku carefully took a few steps away from me, eyeing the hot-white flames nervously. Shippō hid behind his shoulder, green eyes scared.

"If you decide you want to go home," Inuyasha continued, "then I'll help you get there!"

"You'll help her?" Taigokumaru mocked, laughing at the half-demon's words. "You fool, don't tell me you think you can defeat me- the great Taigokumaru!?"

"Oh, shut it you oversized mammal!" I snapped at him, wheezing a little from all the shouting I was doing. I stepped forward, intimidated yet standing my ground. "We don't think - we know we can! You're just a big ugly demon hiding behind a little girl! Come out and fight us, coward!"

"Arrogant mortal!" He declared, opening his mouth wide. A bright ball of light began to form and shot outwards, and the next thing I knew Inuyasha had grabbed Kagome, Miroku took Shippō and ran for it, and Sango cried out for me to run. "Die!"

The flames on my body dispersed in surprise and I scrambled for an escape, but was too slow. Had it not been for Kirara, who flew underneath me and forced me onto her back, I would have been melted alongside the ground, nothing but a pile of bones in the smoldering crater Taigokumaru created. The demon saw us escape his attack and laughed, focusing his attention on Inuyasha and his dog ears.

"I understand now! You are also a half-demon. That undeniable stench is overwhelming!" His scarlet eyes bore into him, the sneer on his face revealing his hatred for Inuyasha's bloodline. "Allying yourself with these pitiful humans… you truly are a disgrace to your demon heritage!"

"Oh, really!?" Inuyasha called up, challenging the old bat demon. "Are you goin' somewhere with this!?"

The demon's grin broadened. "You're recalling your own situation," Taigokumaru observed, laughing at Inuyasha, mocking and taunting him, "that's why you feel such great sympathy for Shiori. You and her are the same. Unwanted by demons, unloved by humans… you live your very life in fear."

Inuyasha pushed himself up into a standing position, scoffing at his words. "As if! She's got nothing to do with it! I just can't stand rotten old bats like you, is all! Acting like you're all high and mighty… when you're just cowering behind a barrier!"

I looked up at Taigokumaru from my spot on Kirara's back, slowly sliding off of her as we neared the ground. If I could break the barrier while he was distracted, Inuyasha or Sango might be able to land a hit on him. I would have to be quick though. How did the incantation go again? It was the eagle Shikigami, I believe.

"Hey, Shiori!" Inuyasha shouted to the child, catching her attention. She really was very young. "Make up your mind, okay!? Do you want to go back to the village or not!?"

She looked down, violet eyes filled with inner turmoil. Shiori then paused, something catching her attention and distracting her. "Mommy…?" Running along the beach was Shizu, the dark-haired woman trying to catch sight of her beloved daughter. Taigokumaru saw this and leaned close, holding the girl up to his face. She tensed, seeing the way his eyes glared coldly at her.

"If you don't stay and protect the barrier with me your precious mother will die." He warned, threatening her to obey. "You understand that… don't you?"

Shiori's grip tightened on the red orb, fear written across her face. My stomach twisted painfully, heart reaching out for the girl.

"Taigokumaru, please, wait!" Shizu ran up to the edge of the beach, looking up at the old bat demon with pleading eyes. "I beg of you to stop! This isn't what your son would have wanted! This village was safe from your attacks while Tsukuyomaru was alive! He protected us- in order to help Shiori and I live happily he prevented any attacks on the village! Please, honor your son's wishes!"

"You want me to honor his wishes?" Taigokumaru mused, the sclera of his eyes glowing a bright red with his hatred. He sneered at the woman. "How ludicrous. Tsukuyomaru may have indeed been my son, but he was fool… and falling in love with mortal only hastened his demise!"

"Wh… What?" Shizu began to turn pale, her brown eyes widening in alarm. "What do you mean by that…?"

The old demon laughed at her reaction, finding the woman pitiful and weak. "Just as you stated, Tsukuyomaru claimed that he would protect the village- and unless I abided by his wishes he would abandon his duty as guardian of the barrier… and leave the tribe! His very heart was stolen by you, a mere human, and that's why…" He paused, allowing the words to sink in, the grin spreading wide across his face.

"Why… what?" The female human hesitated, bringing a hand up to her chest. "Wh-What happened?"

Oh my god. "You… You killed him, didn't you?" I asked, unable to believe what I was hearing. Shizu looked like she was going to throw up, the woman stepping back, currently in shock. Kagome quickly caught her when her legs gave out, stopping her from falling. Inuyasha ground his teeth together and bared his fangs, holding tetsusaiga tightly in his hands. "He… He was your son!"

"Did you seriously murder your own flesh and blood!?" The half-demon was disgusted.

"I did." Taigokumaru confessed, smiling wickedly at us. "I took great pleasure in sending him to the netherworld."

Shiori froze upon hearing that, head snapping up and turning to look at him. The hands that were holding the red orb began to shake, hatred beginning to grow in those sad violet eyes. She looked so confused, but so heartbroken at the same time. Her poor mother was on the verge of fainting.

"Besides," Taigokumaru continued, "I had Shiori… so I had no use for that fool anymore."

He… really did it. He killed his own son. I thought I had seen and/or heard some pretty messed up things since coming here to the Feudal Era, but that was the worst of it. This demon was an insult to most other demons- Taigokumaru was, simply and unmistakably, a monster. My fingers twitched and lighted with a green flame, hotter and brighter than the one I used to remove the poison from Miroku's body before. No, this was not a gentle fire. It was an aggressive one, fueled by anger and disgust.

How could someone do that? He knew Tsukuyomaru loved Shizu and Shiori, that they all cared about each other, and… he killed him exactly for that reason. Taigokumaru murdered his demon son because he found happiness with a human.

"Taigokumaru," Inuyasha growled, amber eyes flashing dangerously, "you don't deserve to live!"

Normally I felt bad for killing the demons that attacked us, knowing that it was mostly out of survival that they tried to eat us, but this… was different. This was cold-blooded. I agreed wholeheartedly with Inuyasha; Taigokumaru needed to die. Flames danced at my feet, a symbol drawn from green fire appearing on the ground.

"Lucky for them," The silver-haired teen continued, seeing the way the flames lit up the darkness, "I'm about to cut your lifespan short! Irene, now!"

Taigokumaru laughed at that. "You realize Shiori can not control the size of the barrier, don't you? You try and attack me… you will destroy the girl as well!"

I wasn't even sure if I knew what I was doing, but I was so mad. So spiteful towards this monster who had torn apart a happy family because of his own bigotry. I despised people like him. He was nothing more than a negative influence, toxic towards those easily affected by heartbreak. A storm cloud standing in the path of others, preventing them from facing the bright day ahead.

"Is that…?" Taigokumaru narrowed his eyes when he saw the flame. "I won't let you!"

Several large balls of light appeared in the air. It appeared he recognized the Shikigami for he appeared intent on stopping it, but that wasn't going to happen. I raised my hands up and laced my fingers together, imaging the bright blue sky and forest trees with their crisp, clear air. It was beautiful, but this demon was in the way.

"O' overflowing blue sky…" I could feel the power surging through me, the wind picking up pace and causing the flames to flicker and dance, rising from the shining pentagram. I brought my arms forward, holding the palms of my hands out towards Taigokumaru as he unleashed his attack. "Remove these storm clouds from my path!"

At that moment there was a beat- and at first I thought it was my heart, but then it became clear it was from the wings of a massive eagle. It flew majestically out of the pentagram, growing in size the higher it rose into the air. The flames around me dispersed and I found myself being tackled from the side, Inuyasha throwing me over his shoulder and pulling me out of the way of Taigokumaru's attack, Kirara jumping to safety.

Finally the eagle was a similar size to the old bat, its cold eyes staring expressionlessly at the demon. It seemed irritated somehow, and expertly avoided the blast sent at it. The village, however, was not spared. All the buildings were completely destroyed and some of the villagers ended up being killed as a result, the survivors greatly wounded and struggling to get back onto their feet to run away. Some couldn't even walk. Mothers grabbed their children, huddling them close together, and the rest of my group quickly got to work trying to evacuate those that could still move.

Then the eagle beat its wings, rose up a few more feet, and proceeded to dive headfirst towards the barrier Shiori and Taigokumaru were sitting in.

"Get out." The girl mumbled, catching the demon's attention. His eyes widened.

"What?"

She turned her head, glaring at her cruel grandfather, violet eyes flashing white. "I will avenge… my father's death. Now get out!"

Taigokumaru let out a yell as he was forcibly expunged from the barrier, which was soon penetrated by the flaming green eagle. "How dare you- a mere half-demon!" The old bat screeched, enraged. Inuyasha landed on the ground and looked up, setting me gently on the ground and watching in surprise as the Shikigami tore through the front with its beak, ripping all the way to the back. The eagle then turned to face the barrier once more and with a single beat of its large wings… the blue force field keeping everything out dispersed.

The little girl didn't bother to scream as she tumbled down towards the earth below. Kagome looked up with wide eyes. "She's falling!"

Shizu quickly pulled herself together, having seen her child in danger, and ran for it. "Shiori!" She held her arms up, intent on catching the girl. "Shiori, I've got you! Hold on!"

Did it work…? The barrier broke? The eagle vanished in several sparks of green lights, my vision more dazed and blurred than ever. I felt so dizzy; I wanted to throw up. Taigokumaru let out a growl, flying high into the air. "Even though my granddaughter is a mere half-demon, I would never allow you humans to have her!"

Kagome chased after Shizu in a desperate attempt to get her to move, seeing the way the old bat demon's mouth began to glow with a white light. Shiori saw this as she continued to fall and cried, "Mommy! Look out!"

The rays of demonic light shot downwards towards them both and, having long-since set me down, Inuyasha wasted no time in rushing forward, leaping into the air and swinging his sword. "Time to say your prayers, old bat! Backlash Wave!"

The half-demon's attack worked very similarly to the Wind Scar. I could make out the waves of demonic energy swirling around the blade, but instead of creating several cracks along the ground it seemed to wrap around Taigokumaru's rays of light, creating a twister of sorts that sent the rays hurtling right back at the caster- attacking Taigokumaru himself. "What!?" The demon screamed, unable to move in time to avoid the blast. "This is impossible!"

"They got him!" Miroku exclaimed. "Inuyasha did it!"

I had never seen that move before. Was Inuyasha always able to use it? Wait, what about Shiori? Is she okay? Where's-oh! Thank goodness; Hachi transformed and caught her. He was carrying her over, shouting at everyone. "Over here, people! There." He set the girl down and she dashed over to Shizu, Shiori still carrying the red crystal orb that was used to make the barrier in the first place.

"Shiori!" Her mother exclaimed, making her way towards her. Tears filled the girl's eyes.

"Mommy!"

Shizu knelt down and wrapped her arms around her little girl, holding her tightly in her arms. Shiori leaned into the embrace, giving in to her pent up emotions and sobbing against her mother's chest. "I'm so sorry, Shiori," The woman apologized, wearing a pained expression, "that must have been so terrible for you!"

"I missed you…" Shiori whimpered, a smile spreading across her face. "I love you."

This whole thing was making me tear up. Jeez. I sniffed, looking away, leaning back against the sand and waiting for my skull to stop throbbing. Hachi walked over and knelt beside me, tilting his head curiously. "Are you okay?"

"...Am I ever okay?"

"I dunno." He answered honestly. "I just met you like two weeks ago."

I snorted at that, only to cringe and start coughing, instantly regretting it. "Ow, ow, okay… oof… I can't breathe. My poor inhaler." I used the rescue so much, including in this moment. Sango glanced over, frowning, and tapped on Miroku's shoulder to obtain his attention before she pointed in my direction. "I wanna nap…"

"Irene!" The demon slayer called out, making her way over with the monk. "Are you alright? That Shikigami was so much larger than the others…"

"I mean," I began with a wheeze, pausing for a moment to think about my answer, and then deciding honesty was the best policy I said, "I can't... really feel my legs… but that's normal, I think. Head… hurts a lot. Um. Yeah. Everything… is good, right?"

Sango knelt down, reaching over and rested a hand against my forehead. "You're burning up again… maybe we shouldn't have pushed you to try out the technique? If I knew it would take this much out of you…" She looked guilty.

I waved a hand weakly in the air. "It's fine~ don't worry… about it. 'Kay? Least we know… how it works now… right? N-Naraku… won't see it coming."

"Yes…" Miroku frowned, concerned by the Shikigami's draining effects towards my body. "Especially since Inuyasha was unable to obtain the power himself. Your ability to break the barrier is all we have now."

"Well!" The half-demon himself spoke up then, hearing the reunion take place and the conversation between us three. "We did all we can here! Good job, everyone." He turned away from the ocean to face us, amber eyes determined. "Let's get going. We still have to make it back to the castle."

From his shoulder a familiar flea demon finally made himself known, hopping up and down in a panic. "What do you mean; what are you saying!? We can't just get going now!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked, looking at the flea in surprise. "What are you still doin' here, Myoga?"

Myoga smacked the half-demon's shoulder several times with the tiniest fan in existence, irritated. "Have you forgotten our reason for coming here!? You need to slay the demon that protects the barrier and have your sword drink its blood! Make up your mind, damn it! Do you want tetsusaiga to become stronger or not!?"

Shizu gasped, whirling around with horrified eyes. She looked so betrayed. "You mean… you came here to kill my daughter!?"

"Yeah, at first." Inuyasha admitted, closing his eyes. He seemed strangely calm about everything. He turned and smiled at Shizu, behaving rather gentle towards her. "Oh, don't worry; I may be half demon, but I'm not evil enough to kill a little girl."

"Especially when she's so sweet and innocent." Miroku added, grinning at the family. Sango giggled at that.

"And a half-demon like him."

I tiredly raised a hand up, feeling oddly left out with the bunch of one-liners. "He's not a jerk all the time, promise."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at that and grabbed his sword, tapping the handle lightly. His smile broadened, the boy speaking rather cheerfully as he said, "I'll just have to find someone else who can put up an even stronger barrier and can kill them instead!"

Oh wow. Okay. He sounded so happy when he said that- something is definitely wrong. Myoga eyed Inuyasha curiously, stunned by his apparent development. "Lord Inuyasha, you've changed! You weren't like this before-!" The half-demon began to walk away and Myoga yelped, clinging to his silver strands of hair to prevent himself from flying away. "Uwah!"

The calm expression disappeared from Inuyasha's face and he glared at Myoga, marching his way over to where the three of us were. Kagome smiled at him from her spot near Shizu. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Uh, well, I, um-"

"It means that you've grown up." Miroku explained. He watched as Sango lifted me up, carrying me in her arms like she normally does. "...Hey, Sango, do you think maybe sometime you could carry me like that? Cradled close to your chest, your strong arms wrapped around my-" He held his hands up, making a face as he expressed his jealousy, but the demon slayer didn't express any sympathy.

"Not a chance." She snapped. "Keep your hands to yourself."

"I feel so loved." I grinned, resting my head against Sango's shoulder. "Thank you."

She smiled at me. Kagome waved at Shizu and Shiori as we started to make our way back to the woman's hut, needing to collect the rest of our things before we left the destroyed village. "Well, we better be heading off now!"

Hachi bowed. "Farewell!"

"See ya!" Inuyasha called, but the group was quickly stopped by little Shiori who pulled away from her mother and ran towards us.

"W-Wait!"

Everyone was confused. Her mother tilted her head, reaching out and resting a hand gently on her back. "Shiori? What's wrong?" The girl held our the red orb, staring at everyone intently.

"Take this." She said. "Smash it into pieces. This blood crow crystal is a precious heirloom passed down to each guardian of the demon bat tribe. This is what gives us the ability to put up a powerful barrier and it stores all the power from each generation of guardians, like my grandfather's… and my father's." Shiori waited for a moment to catch her breath, not used to speaking so much, before continuing. "So I think if you break the crystal… you should be able to strengthen your sword!" The girl tilted her head. "That's what you want, isn't it?"

Inuyasha stared at her, his eyes trailing down to gaze at the blood-red orb. Myoga jumped excitedly from his shoulder. "We couldn't have asked for anything better!" The flea exclaimed. "Smash the thing, Lord Inuyasha! Break it to bits!"

"Yeah…" He said, narrowing his eyes. "Good idea. The sooner we get rid of that evil thing, the better."

The orb began to pulse in Shiori's hands and her eyes widened. A dark energy began to swirl inside before leaking out, the red glass brightening and seeming to give off steam. Sango's eyes widened. "It's giving off a demonic aura!"

Shizu reacted instantly, tearing it from her daughter's hands. "Let go of it!" She said, only to cry out and drop the orb when it began to burn the skin of her palms. The woman stared down, startled by what happened. Shiori looked ready to cry.

"M-Mommy… your hands!"

The red light grew brighter until it expanded from the crystal, wrapping around it protectively.

"The crystal put up a barrier!" Kagome said, raising her hands up nervously. "It's sentient?"

Inuyasha huffed. "I should have known it wouldn't be so easy to break. Huh." He grinned, unsheathing his sword. "This is getting amusing! But not for me!" He swung the blade, aiming straight at the crystal. There was a strong gust of wind as the demonic energy swirled about, deflecting tetsusaiga and sending Inuyasha flying back with a pained cry. Kagome ran forward, resting a hand gently on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

He clicked his tongue. "Yeah, sure. I'm fine." His eyes glanced over to see Shizu hovering over Shiori, holding her closer and shielding her from the barrier. Yellow electricity crackled around the orb for a moment before it began to pulse again. A familiar voice echoed in the air, emanating from the orb.

"I would never let you go that easily, Shiori!" The girl blinked, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Pink smoke rose up from the crystal, gradually taking shape into something grotesque and rather reminiscent of a certain bat demon. "Simply breaking the crystal could not sever your bond with the demon bat tribe… even though your mother is mortal…"

"Taigokumaru!" Shizu growled. Shiori clung tight to her mother.

"G-Grandfather…!"

The weird beast that Taigokumaru had become swiveled up into the air, maneuvering almost as if he were made out of some kind of sludge, and then he whirled around-diving straight for the girl and her mother. It was oddly reminiscent of the Shikigami when it broke the barrier before. "I'll kill you this time~!"

"Oh, really!?" Inuyasha demanded, leaping up and slicing at the demon. His sword made a loud clang against Taigokumaru's new flesh, almost as if it had hit metal.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, alarmed.

"Look out!" Shippō watched as the half-demon flew back, Taigokumaru swirling in the air until he was heading towards his family once more. "Gah!"

"Shiori…" He hissed. "Join me and all the others in hell!"

The girl flinched and buried her face in her mother's chest, Shizu holding the girl tight. As Taigokumaru neared them a blue glow erupted around the females, shielding them from his attack and wrapping them in a warm light. Taigokumaru's eyes widened, but he was moving too fast to stop and rammed right into the sudden barrier, breaking into several pieces upon impact.

"What!?"

"It's broken!" Miroku said, shocked, and everyone listened to the demon scream. Shiori gasped, as if realizing something, and turned her head to see Inuyasha lunge at Taigokumaru, intersecting the demon and his attack against them. "Look!"

"Let the little girl go free!" Inuyasha demanded, bringing his blade up high and slamming it down hard into the skull of the bat demon, tearing him into two and causing blood to spout everywhere. "Hraaah!"

As Taigokumaru vanished and dissipated into ash, the red orb darkened in color- as if to show it was dying- and then cracked. It split in half and collapsed to the ground, devoid of all power and life.

"Whoa!" Shippō shifted from his position on Miroku's shoulder, trying to get a closer look. "The crystal broke!"

I blinked. "Did… Did he do it?"

The orb soon lost all its color completely, the red seeming to drain into the earth and drift towards the tetsusaiga. Inuyasha set the blade on the ground, resting it in Taigokumaru's blood, allowing it to soak up the remains. "This time," He said, "it's really over." He leaned his head back in surprise when the tetsusaiga began to change color and glow. Inuyasha stood up, holding the weapon high in the air. "My sword… whoa! The blade is turning red!"

Once the tetsusaiga was done transforming it reverted back to its original color and rusted state, and Inuyasha tucked it back in its sheath. I leaned my head back against Sango's shoulder, closing my eyes and trying to will my headache to go away. I suppose now I won't have to use the Shikigami to break any barriers, which… honestly would be pretty nice. I don't understand what the point was of me going to learn how if Inuyasha would just be able to break them with his sword anyway.

Shiori picked up half of the broken crystal, staring at its lifeless state. Inuyasha walked over, staring down at her. "Hey, Shiori?" The girl looked up.

"Thanks for helping…" She said quietly.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you for saving me."  Inuyasha corrected. "You weakened the old bat's power."

She shook her head. "That wasn't me. I wasn't the one who did that." Shiori looked down, eyes turning misty. "Someone put his arms around us… Around me and Mommy. He wanted to protect us."

Shizu teared up and wrapped her arms around her daughter, resting her cheek against her daughter's head. "That was Tsukuyomaru." She said quietly. "That was your father, Shiori…"

Her father's spirit rose from the grave to protect them one last time? That was the sweetest, most heart wrenching thing I've ever heard. Kagome stepped up after Shizu spoke, the middle schooler smiling softly at them.

"I'm sure your father would have wanted you to live in freedom as well, Shiori." She glanced at Inuyasha who gave her a look, and Kagome shook her head. "We should probably be going for real this time. Thank you for everything."

"No… thank you." Shizu stood, taking her daughter's hand. "You saved my daughter."

The village was completely destroyed, but at least most of the people were alive. Frick. Well, they were jerks and sort of deserved it. My heart tried to make me feel bad for them, but I resisted. I wouldn't. The sun began to rise as we left the beach, but before we could leave Shizu suddenly called out to us. Hold up, why was she looking at me?

"Wait!" Sango stopped walking, turning and keeping me held firmly in her arms. I could feel some tingling in my toes, so that was a good sign. I might be able to walk again soon. What did Shizu want? I'm so confused. "Irene, was it? I'm… so sorry for before; back in the hut… I don't know what came over me."

"...Hah? Oh, uh…" I had no idea what she was talking about. "It's… okay. I mean, you… you missed your daughter, so…"

"More than anything." She told me, smiling. Shizu was holding Shiori in her arms, the little girl staring at me with curious eyes. "And… I didn't realize until you used that strange bird to attack the barrier, but… you're a priestess, aren't you? The kind that actually communicates with spirits? We haven't seen one of your kind in years."

Miroku turned at that, eyebrows raising. "You know of the Shikigami spirits?"

Shizu shook her head. "Not exactly. I've heard stories… before my mother passed away she would tell me a tale of how a young woman showed up in our village. She came from a far away land, wielding a strange power. She would protect our village and bless our land, using creatures made from fire to do so. But then… she met someone from a different village and moved, leaving us victim to the attacks once more. It was after my mother's death that I met Tsukuyomaru, and… I almost forgot all about the story. But then you appeared."

"Are you serious right now?" Inuyasha asked. "There was another foreigner that could use the power of Shikigami?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. I… I'm not sure why, but I felt you should know this." She hugged Shiori tighter, the girl wrapping her arms around her mother's shoulders. "When that blue flame washed over me before… I felt so many things. It was so warm and gentle, but… somehow sad as well. Irene, I don't… know what you and friends are planning to do with this new power, but I ask you to be careful. You and your friends have done something so wonderful for my family, and… I want you to find happiness as well."

I was stunned silent. How was I supposed to react to that? "I… um. Th-Thank you. W-We'll try our best?"

She smiled. Shizu then turned to Shiori, leaning down and pressing a small kiss to the girl's forehead. "Let's go tend to those cuts now, sweetie."

"Okay, Mommy…" As Shizu began to walk away with Shiori still in her arms, the little girl stared at us and waved with her tiny hand. "Bye! Thank you!"

Once they were gone Hachi turned and looked at everyone, greatly confused. "So Irene isn't the only one who can use the Shikigami? I thought she was the only one… save for, you know, that one old man from the village."

"No, there are others." Sango said, frowning. "But… I am confused. Aside from Irene, there are Kakuju and Anastasia… and now another woman? Surely she must be Kakuju's age by now, if not older! What village do you think she went to?"

"I dunno." Inuyasha said, crossing his arms and placing his hands in his sleeves. "But somethin' ain't sitting right with me. She came from another land and could use the power of the Shikigami… Irene is a foreigner, too. Do you think they're related?"

"Could be." Kagome suggested, thinking about it. "But we have no idea who that woman is. Shizu never mentioned a name."

"I don't think she knew the name." Shippō commented. "She said she nearly forgot the story, right?"

Miroku held onto his staff tightly as he walked up, turning to stare down at me as I rested in Sango's arms. I blinked, shifting awkwardly underneath his gaze. "This is worrisome. I fear the more we learn the less we actually know and understand about Irene's situation. If they are related- how? And where does Maria mix into all of this? Irene was a rebound, was she not?"

"That's…" I nodded hesitantly at that. "Y-Yeah… I was. I have the scar on my leg to prove it."

I wiggled my left toes weakly, finally able to feel the tingle spread up to my knee. I was getting feeling back. Myoga squinted. "If that's the case then maybe we should ask that old man, Kakuju, about it the next time we see him. He seems to know a lot about certain things. But for now we should focus on getting back to the castle; Naraku is waiting for us."

"Right." Inuyasha nodded. Hachi stretched his arms out, whining.

"Already? But I'm starving!"

"We can eat later!" Miroku bopped him upside the head with his staff. "We need to get out of the village first.

"You know," I said, thinking for a moment, "I think Anastasia might be Russian. That's a Russian name, right? She sounds like Maria, but that could just be some crazy demon voodoo."

Kagome just raised her hands up in the air and shrugged at me.

Chapter Text

From where the village of the Bat Demons rested it took us only three days to reach the castle's town. This was, of course, mostly due to the speed of which Hachi flew in his transformed state. I used multiple dosages of the nebulizer along the way there to recover my strength, spending a lot of the time napping and cuddling with Sango. Kirara and Shippō often curled up next to me when she, Inuyasha, or Kagome went hunting for food, and sometime during this the stitches were removed from my legs and my left arm. My back was mostly scarred over, though a few scabs remained.

When we finally arrived at the town Hachi packed up our things, including what was once left behind at the town entrance, and flew off- saying he would return at daybreak. It was the middle of the night, after all. I rode atop Kirara's back as we entered the town, looking around at the destroyed and dilapidated buildings. "Are we… Are we in the right place?"

"Did Naraku do this?" Shippō asked, glancing around anxiously. "This place was a lot nicer before, wasn't it?"

I cringed at the skeletal corpse of an animal, turning my head away. It wasn't the only one either- the streets were lined with dead bodies, human and demon. The entire place was ruined. It held a revolting stench and made it harder to breathe than ever, the smell so bad I could practically taste it.

Inuyasha's ears flicked and he growled, hand flexing around his sword handle in anticipation of an attack. "Damn that Naraku… he can't keep getting away with this!"

"I agree." Kagome held a hand up to her chest, frowning deeply as she looked around. "The entire town feels desolate… how awful. I think he sent the demons to ravage the town."

Oh my gods. No. The urge to throw up increased as we walked over a bridge, my eyes catching sight of something floating in the polluted water. That kimono… I recognized it. It belonged to Juzo, the little brother of Otoki. I tugged on Kirara's fur and pulled her over to move closer, trying to get a better look at the face. The corpse was missing chunks of flesh in multiple places, but there was no doubt. It was him.

"What is it?" Sango asked, seeing how I had moved away. She and Miroku followed, the woman dressed in full battle armor, holding tight to her hiraikotsu. Her eyes widened when she saw what I was looking at. "That's…!"

Miroku's expression darkened and he brought his hands together, grabbing onto the beads around his right hand and praying in silence. "May his soul, and the souls of the other villagers, find peace in the afterlife."

"He just… killed them." I said, chills running down my spine and leaving me disturbed. "A-All of them. For no reason."

So many mangled corpses lined the streets; it was as if we were walking in a bad dream. There was so much wrong with this. I bet if we went and looked inside the houses we would find the rest of the deceased, their bodies belonging to the other people we had met during our stay in this town. The wives of the samurai, the jerk-faced guards that tried to attack us because they thought we were suspicious, and even Nizaemon. They were all gone.

Not a single person was spared.

I stiffened when I felt an arm slide around my shoulders, relaxing only when I realized it was Sango. The demon slayer pulled me close to her chest, leaning forward and resting her head against mine. She knew at once how close I was to shutting down, recognizing the signs of me going into shock. "Easy. Deep breaths. In-and-out." She inhaled through her nose deeply and out through her mouth, trying to get me to do the same. "Don't let it get to you."

They did nothing wrong and Naraku just…

Damn it.

I hate him. I want him dead.

Why?

I don't understand it. He gains nothing from this. Is it just some sort of sick satisfaction?

"We can't allow Naraku to live any longer." Miroku said quietly, opening his eyes and lowering his hands. His anger burned quietly, heard only in the undertone of his voice. We all turned towards him, listening to the monk as he spoke. "Too many have already been lost. We must end this- once and for all."

Inuyasha nodded at that, determination burning in his golden gaze. "Yeah," He said, glaring into the direction of the castle, "let's go. You guys might want to get ready- there's a nasty smell up ahead."

"Smell?" Kagome asked, confused. He nodded.

"Yeah. I think it might be Kagura."

Oooh, that's not good. Sango pulled away and readied her weapon, marching forward. I took a shaky breath and pet Kirara in an attempt to ease my anxiety, the cat demon following after her. Together the group moved onwards, marching past the debris and crumbling buildings. I had a bad feeling that a lot of the town was destroyed by miasma, rather than just demons attacking. Did that mean… everyone inside the castle was dead as well? The samurai were certainly goners, but… Otoki…

No. I wouldn't think about it.

Even if her brother didn't survive… she must have. I can't accept otherwise. I won't. I didn't want to recall all the people we spoke to, their laughter and speeches, the anger some showed towards us for our weird appearances and our demonic friends, but it was difficult not to. The silence was deafening and I found myself glancing at the windows, remembering how it all used to be.

I was slowly getting used to all the violence, but this… was a straight up massacre. It was different. Miroku offered prayers for all those we passed by, promising to give a proper burial later, acting like the monk he always claimed to be. Inuyasha cursed Naraku's name and readied his sword when we approached the castle entrance, seeing who was there waiting for us.

The burn seemed to have finally healed from the female demon's face, allowing her to show off her true beauty once more. Kagura was completely unscathed now, showing no signs that she had ever been injured by me or Kirara. Anger swelled up inside of me at the sight of her, recalling all the terrible things she's done. The woman's red lips tilted upwards into a smile, taunting us. "Well, well," She purred, tapping her fan against her chin, "you finally showed up. I was about to fall asleep."

"Kagura…" Inuyasha growled. "Did you come to die?"

"Only in your dreams. I just knew that if I waited here… you would eventually come." The demon said, watching unfaltering as Kagome drew her bow. The middle schooler notched an arrow and aimed at the sorceress, her dark glare promising an unwanted end to the demon's life if things did not go to plan. "Oh?"

"You're not getting Irene's soul!" Kagome told her, shouting across the field. "I don't know what you or that… Anastasia… wants with it, but you can't have it!"

My head raised up and I turned towards Kagome in surprise. It felt so odd having someone so much younger than me act so strong, so protective, and even stranger knowing that it was simply because she cared so much about me. I always felt like such a burden, but she never treated me as such. Kagome fought and stood up for me, doing all she could to keep back any danger.

"If you even think about taking it I'll send this arrow right through your heart!"

Kagura opened her fan upon hearing that, eyes narrowing coyly. "Is that so? How interesting. Go right ahead; it's not as if I have one that you can touch."

"What!?" Inuyasha growled. "The hell does that mean!? Weren't you born with a heart?"

"None of your business." She responded, irritated by the current conversation. "All you need to know is that I'm here for the girl."

"I'm telling you right now, lady," I began uncertain, looking around nervously as if expecting that white-haired demon to show up again, "my soul really isn't all that great. You won't like it!"

"Whether I like it or not doesn't matter. It's just a soul." Kirara's muscles tensed, the cat demon hunching down as if ready to leap into the air and out of the way. My fingers dug into her fur, fear slowly rising to the surface and mixing with the frustration that I felt. When was she going to attack? My anxiety was all over the place right now. "But I'm under orders to capture you… and you walked right into my trap. So tell me, Irene, are you going to give yourself up willing?"

How I wanted to hurt this woman. I felt awful for having these thoughts, of wishing to cause harm to others, but I seriously disliked her and her creator. "What do you even get out of this, Kagura!?" I asked, voice cracking as I raised the volume of which I speaking. The emptiness of this village reeked with the scent of death, only fueling the fire raging within. "H-How come you just do whatever Naraku says!?"

Something I said must have triggered her rage, because Kagura's red eyes were furious. She scoffed, opening her fan and hiding the lower half of her face. "What he says?" She echoed, eyebrows knitting together as she scowled. "It's not as if I have a choice. Now I don't know about you, but I'm getting rather tired of this conversation. How about we end it here?" Kagura lifted her fan out to the side, extending her arm, and thrust it upwards. "Dance of Blades!"

The wind picked up and before long several glowing arcs appeared, flying through air. I yelped when they all headed towards me, barely keeping hold of Kirara's fur when she shot upwards. The cat demon dodged the blast easily, letting out an angry roar in response to being attacked. Inuyasha lunged, a battle cry ripping out from his throat, the half-demon charging straight at the wind sorceress. Kagura laughed as his his blade hit hard against a blue force field, bouncing against it and sending him flying back.

"You can't touch me while this barrier stands!" She boasted, grinning widely. "Anastasia has given me a barrier rock to protect myself from your pathetic attacks. You have no hope of winning."

"If they're so pathetic how come you need it, huh!?" Inuyasha demanded. His eyes flickered up and he blinked, seeing the way green flames were dancing along the outline of my body. The half-demon shifted his stance, moving a little more on the defensive when he figured out what was about to happen. "Your barrier won't last long, Kagura! Just wait and see!"

Kagura raised her fan above her head, narrowing her gaze at him. "The only thing you'll see," she said coldly as several corpses rose from the huts, crashing through the rooftops to reveal themselves, "is my Dance of the Dead."

To my horror the bodies raised to the sky, twirling about and creating a whirlwind of blood and bones that threatened to destroy the entire town and all of us. Several particularly sharp bones that whipped through the air nicked me and Kirara, cutting the cat demon's legs and slicing my left cheek and arm.

"Look out!" Shippō screamed, clinging tight to Miroku's arm as the monk ran for it. The fox demon watched over his shoulder as the cyclones whirled around, tearing deep into the earth and ripping apart all it came into contact with. Sango tossed her hiraikotsu at Kagura, allowing the weapon to swirl through the air, and then jumped back to avoid oncoming debris. Her brown eyes were alight with fear. "We're gonna be crushed!"

"Forgive me for this, departed!" Miroku said quickly. He turned on his heel and stopped running, pulling the prayer beads off his right hand with great haste. "Everybody stand back! Wind Tunnel~!"

There was nothing that could have prepared me for the even stronger wind that reached through the air, pulling in all that was near. I had never seen Miroku's curse in action until now, only hearing stories of it and seeing the aftereffects of him getting poisoned, but this… was truly fearsome. As Kirara moved around, roaring every time she got cut or nicked by bones, trying to avoid the whirlwinds, I could make out bits and pieces of the monk sucking all the dead bodies and debris in. The cat demon didn't even have to dodge anymore once it got passed a certain point, flying high enough away to avoid being dragged into the wind tunnel and allowing me to squint- watching as his right hand swallowed up all that threatened it.

He looked pained to have his curse devour the deceased, yet there was no choice. Everyone would have been killed by the cyclones had he not. We were all bleeding from some sort of wound caused by the damage Kagura had dealt.

And I hated it.

The green pentagram formed at my feet, beneath where Kirara was flying, the flames dancing in midair.

Sango caught her hiraikotsu as it doubled back, taking several steps away and leaping to the side to avoid an oncoming onslaught of wind blades. "Inuyasha, we need to get rid of the barrier!"

"I'm aware of that!" He snapped back, jumping onto a nearby rooftop as Kagura's wind crashed into the ground right where he had been standing before. The half-demon growled and ran across the tiles, escaping several more attacks. "Hurry it up, Irene!"

Freaking- can't he tell I'm trying!? These things take time! I'm not a professional summoner; honestly, sometimes I want to smack him. I had to remind myself he was still a child, the half-demon technically only fifteen years of age despite the whole being sealed to a tree thing. "I'm workin' on it!" I shouted at him with a pout, wheezing a little from how loud I had to speak. It would be so nice if I could just move and run about like a normal person. Urgh. "Back off, will ya!?"

I missed being able to talk peoples' ears off. Whenever I had to babysit my cousin's kid he always got so upset when I told him I couldn't run around and play with him. The sight of a child being so heartbroken hurt. I'm not even sure why I'm remembering this right now; was it because of Juzo? The child's corpse that I saw in the water back by the bridge…

Damn it. The flames grew brighter and Kagura raised her head, watching with wide eyes as a large fiery green eagle appeared. It barreled straight towards her and seeing this she reacted- waving her fan through the air. "I don't think so!" The blades danced towards the spirit, ready to disrupt it, only to phase straight through the creature. I let out a squeak and Kirara moved to the left, narrowly avoiding the wind. The female incarnation yelled and stumbled back when the Shikigami penetrated the barrier, breaking through it with ease. "What!?"

"Ha…" I whispered, grinning weakly for a moment before I fell forward, collapsing against the cat demon's back. Kirara let out a worried roar, craning her neck to look at me. "D-Did it…"

I watched through bleary vision as the eagle flapped its wings, dissipating the barrier, Kagura standing there in shock. She stumbled sideways to avoid Inuyasha's sword, the half-demon wasting no time in jumping from the rooftop to swing at her with full force. "How is this possible!?" She demanded, swinging her fan desperately. Several more skeletons flew at Inuyasha. "How did you destroy my barrier!?"

Struggling to push myself up, I stopped at just the right angle to get a good look at the incarnation. A tired smile spread across my lips, something about her alarm causing me to feel rather smug. "I wasn't gonna… let you… take my soul. Moron."

Kagura huffed and quickly plucked a feather out of her, dodging another swing of the tetsusaiga. She leapt back to avoid an arrow Kagome shot at her and the sorceress landed elegantly on the arch in front of the castle entrance, staring down at us coldly. She swung her fan and closed it, bringing all the dead to a halt, causing them to collapse upon the earth. Everyone shouted as they moved to avoid the falling bones and debris, and for a split second I swore Kagura's eyes met mine.

"I suppose keeping you alive a little longer won't hurt… Hmph."

She threw the feather in the air and jumped on it, flying away and making her escape. Inuyasha ran after her, screaming at the woman to come back. "Wait, damn it! We weren't finished with you!" The half-demon waved his sword at her, trying to get her attention, but Kagura was long gone. Inuyasha scowled and stared for a moment longer before sheathing his sword, irritated. "What the hell was that for…?"

"I don't know," Kagome said with a frown, "but it doesn't look good. Naraku must have sent her after us. Why did she just give up like that though? It doesn't make sense."

"Irene!" I heard Sango shouting and Kirara moved down, attracted by the sound of her voice. "Are you alright!? Why did you use the Shikigami again; you know it wears you out! You should have let Inuyasha break the barrier this time!"

"Everything… wears me out." I retorted, tired eyes meeting her own. My fingers were barely holding on to the cat demon's fur, feeling almost numb. "Kagura just… makes me angry."

The rest of the gang walked over and I winced when I felt a fist bump against the top of my head. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Inuyasha frowned at me. "Next time let me take care of it, okay? Don't waste your energy like that, stupid."

What!? He was the one yelling at me to hurry up and cast the spell! Hypocrite.

"Now, now," Miroku moved, pushing Inuyasha's hand away to rest his hand on hair, petting me as if I were some kind of dog. I made a face, yet said nothing as he continued, "Irene did a fine job. If we acted faster we might have been able to defeat Kagura once and for all. But since we didn't… Naraku will soon know that we have a way to break his barrier."

"So what?" Inuyasha demanded of the monk, glaring at him. I was about to sit up and snap at Miroku when I felt his hand move down my back, but I was beaten by Sango who had reached out and snatched his wrist, staring at him a very dark look in her eyes. He laughed nervously, pulling away and stepping to hide behind the half-demon when he saw the threatening aura she was radiating.

"Sorry, sorry! Can't help myself. Haha…"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "As I was saying- since there won't be anymore barriers we can get to Naraku easily, whether it's by my sword or Irene's Shikigami! We're unstoppable likes this; what does it matter if he knows or not?"

"We shouldn't get carried away," Sango told him, taking a spot beside me and running a hand comfortingly against my back. My lungs really hurt, but it was nothing compared to the heartache I was desperately trying to ignore. "We have to be careful going ahead, Inuyasha. Kanna might show up at anytime to try and take Irene's soul, and we can't sense her presence."

Shippō nodded his head, climbing onto Kirara and sitting behind me. "Right! We need to be super cautious!"

Inuyasha turned towards the castle, determined. "Whatever. Let's just get going."

Miroku hung his head. "Ever the optimist these days, my friend. Kagome! You ready?"

"Yes!" She ran back to collect the arrows she had shot at Kagura, sticking them into her quiver. "Let's go to the castle!"

When we entered the building there was no wounded soldier asking us to save those who were hiding, nor was there anyone to find. No, they were nowhere to be seen- and the entire castle was torn apart. Ceilings and walls were collapsing in on each other, flooring torn apart, mold spreading along the wood. Cobwebs and insects littered the area, and several passages were blocked by debris. Each step was a hesitant one and we had to travel in a convoluted way just to get to the next few rooms.

And if I looked close enough… I could make out several decaying corpses underneath all the rubble. It was sickening. I curled up against Kirara, arms draped tiredly against her sides. Shippō sat on her head, watching me with worried green eyes as I drifted on the verge of sleep. It felt like that was all I did nowadays; cast a spell, sleep for days on end. Cast a spell, sleep for several more days. It was so exhausting. The few times I did remain awake I ended up having mental or emotional breakdowns of some sort that only left me more weary and caused me to sleep for even longer.

It didn't even feel like I was truly a person anymore.

And, like the ragdoll I was slowly turning into, my eyes closed and I drifted into darkness as the urge to sleep took over. My body was going to give out on me completely if it didn't get rest. I was so tired I slept through even the sounds of battle, Inuyasha and the others fighting multiple demons throughout our trek in the castle.

"Help me…"

My eyelashes fluttered and I mumbled, confused at what I heard. The voice sounded so familiar. It was young, too.

"It hurts… I'm scared…"

Was it a girl's voice? Where was it coming from? I groggily opened my eyes and blinked away the sleepiness, seeing that we were heading up a staircase. Something glinted against the reflection of Inuyasha's sword and I paused, turning to see what it was. "Wha…?"

The group paused, hearing me speak up. "What is it?" The half-demon asked curiously. "Something wrong?"

Oh, always. Yet… this felt different. Eyebrows knitting together, I let go of Kirara's fur and leaned down some. "I saw a thing."

"Huh?" Kagome looked deeply confused. "What did you see?"

"I dunno." I answered honestly, frowning. My body felt weird- like an invisible force was trying to tug away at it. Deciding to go with the sudden sensation I slid off of the cat demon's back, moving up to the step just below where Inuyasha was standing. The half-demon watched with furrowed brows as I knelt down. "I just…"

My hands were so small- ridiculously so. They fit between the cracks of the staircase perfectly and I reached down, wiggling my fingers until they latched around what was felt like a pointy stick.

"Save me."

My breath hitched in my throat and I almost dropped the item. What was that? Did I hear a voice just now? I think I was imagining things; I was still so tired after all. I shook the thoughts away and made to pull my hand out, struggling a little with the strange object. When I finally retrieved it and was able to see what it was a lump formed in my throat, a stinging sensation forming in my eyes.

"N-No…"

The stick was broken in half and the paint was covered in blood, but the object was unmistakable. It was the pinwheel Juzo had made for his sister Otoki.

Sango looked down, closing her eyes sorrowfully. It was as if she expected this. "She must not have made it out of the castle…"

"What? Who didn't make it?" Kagome hurried down the steps, alarmed. "What's going on? What did Irene find!?"

"Th-The pinwheel, it's…" I showed it to her with shaky hands. It wasn't as if I was foolishly believing she had made it out; I knew it was impossible for the girl to have survived. I was merely pretending, clinging to a false hope that she might have made it. "It's the one Juzo made. O-Otoki is… she's… she's gone."

Why did I even try and make myself think otherwise? I knew the truth.

No one else survived, so why would she? This world isn't so kind.

Damn it all. Her brother had handed this to me and I had promised to give it to her. We found her by the tower and, handing her this pinwheel, we said we would help her. We told Otoki that if she made it downstairs to the samurai she would be able to escape the castle. That if she did that… she would be safe.

But Otoki wasn't safe. She never was.

We had lied to her. Naraku overwhelmed us and murdered the samurai, and after we were forced to leave he destroyed the town. All that was left were corpses and collapsed buildings- even the beautiful pond water was polluted. Everyone that lived here was gone.

And Otoki, the girl who had been so relieved and happy to hear that her younger brother was doing alright, was dead.

"You don't mean that Otoki, do you?" Kagome asked, shaken. "The one that we found…"

"M-Maybe she just dropped it while she was running away?" Shippō tried to suggest.

We really caused her death, didn't we? All these people… because of our incompetence when facing Naraku. What fools we were.

My fingers were numb as they dug into my pocket and I couldn't even feel what I had grabbed. I just knew they wrapped around something, and as I struggled to unlatch the rescue with one hand I raised the medicine to my mouth and inhaled as best as I could, dropping it and clamping my hands over my mouth and nose to stop myself from exhaling. It was so incredibly painful- my insides felt like they were on fire. My heart pounded so loud and fast that it actually seemed to slow down.

When it felt like I could handle it no more and was on the verge of actually passing out I let go and breathed- only to erupt into several hard coughs after. I was so tired and dizzy. My skull felt like it had been smashed against bricks repeatedly. It was as if there were gravel in my throat.

"I-I told her… t-to be… be safe…!" I squeezed my eyes shut and dug the fingers of my left hand deep into my chest, so much so it started to physically hurt. The pinwheel was a cruel reminder. "She was supposed to be safe!"

The tears burned like acid. I had my back facing the others, unable to look at them.

"Wh-Why…?"

Arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me close in an embrace. I didn't reciprocate the hold, instead clinging tightly to the broken pinwheel. "There's still a chance she made it." Sango said quietly, trying to calm me down. Shippō darted over and picked up my fallen rescue inhaler, moving over and climbing on my lap, trying to hold it out to me. I had only used one puff. "Let's finish taking your medicine and find her after we defeat Naraku, okay? I'm sure she's safe."

Miroku looked at Sango uncertainly and she shook her head, but said nothing out loud. I stared at them lifelessly, knowing full well the demon slayer was telling falsities to try and calm me down. Otoki's blood was on this pinwheel. She was dead.

Where her body lied, however, was another matter.

I took my inhaler from Shippō and used it once more, able to hold my breath a bit easier this time despite the burning sensation, and I proceeded to climb back onto Kirara with Sango's help. Shippō sat with me, keeping me company as we went up the staircase to the next floor. The entire time I kept my gaze locked on the pinwheel, watching it spin crookedly from the movement.

No matter what it takes… I'll help make sure Naraku is dead.

I couldn't save her, but I can sure as hell avenge her.

We had managed to make it to the other side of the castle, ready to head up the final floor and take down Naraku, but it was blocked by debris. The group had to make a roundabout trip onto the rooftop where there was a large hole in the wall, and we had to climb through it to get into the east end of the castle. There we were about to head into the next main area, only… buzzing around and keeping guard of it… were the Saimyōshō.

"There are so many of them!" Kagome exclaimed. She looked at everyone worriedly, grabbing her bow. "If we continue on this path Naraku will find us first!"

"We'll have to find another way." Miroku observed. Inuyasha scoffed and turned his head, irritated.

"Damn it all…"

We ended up having to go back over the roof and into the west side again. Heading downstairs it took almost thirty minutes to return to the front entrance on the first floor where we entered into the east hall. There were no staircases except one that led down into a garden filled with pyrethrum flowers and rocks.

"This damn place is a maze!" Inuyasha growled, kicking at a wall. Miroku and Kagome tried to calm him down, but he was furious. "Naraku just had to go and destroy everything, didn't he!? Now we can't even get to him!"

"Just hold on a moment, Inuyasha." Sango said, walking towards one of the flowers. She had a strange look on her face, showing intense thought. I stared at her tiredly from my spot on the cat demon's back, confused. "These flowers… they're pyrethrums."

"Yes, yes, they're very pretty." He huffed. "Admire them later. We have a job to do."

She rolled his eyes at them. Miroku stepped away from the half-demon, intrigued by the young woman's behavior. "What is it, Sango?"

The demon slayer knelt down, plucking the flower from the ground. "It is a very beautiful flower, but… burning it will create a smoke that will target the nervous systems of insects. Irene will have to wear my mask so she doesn't get bothered by it, but…" She looked up, smiling at us. "It could kill the Saimyōshō."

Inuyasha looked quite pleased to hear this. "Then what are we waiting for!? Grab several of them!"

"Yes!" Kagome agreed, running over and already plucking several flowers. "If we can get rid of the poisonous insects we can go back through that one area!"

"Alright." Sango stood, carefully placing the flowers into the sleeve of her kimono. "Let's do this."

And with that we made our way back to the front entrance, through the west hallway, up several staircases, and back through the rooftop for a third time. It took another half hour, maybe even longer, to return to the area where the bugs were buzzing about. I once again became grateful to Kirara, even if it was while I was on the verge of falling back asleep. Hiding by the corner, Sango pulled out a small plate from underneath her shoulder guards, and then she took off her mask and handed it to me.

I couldn't tell if the mask was supposed to be a respirator or a gas mask, but either way it would help block out the stench. It took a few seconds, but I managed to tie it behind my head and wear it. It was working surprisingly well already, clearing my lungs and filtering the air around me, making it easier to breathe. My eyes closed and I leaned forward, slumping against Kirara. This felt so nice; unlike the one I used back home this mask didn't give me a headache.

With Shippō's help starting a fire, Sango held her sleeve over her face to block out the smell. She began to fan the smoke towards the Saimyōshō, the burning flowers creating a terrible stench that I, thankfully, could not smell. I only knew it was bad because of a certain half-demon's reaction to it. Kagome turned, looking at him worried. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha was about to throw up. "It's awful. Eugh…" He covered his nose, trying not to gag. "So gross."

"Sorry…" I apologized, seeing the way he was reacting. If this mask wasn't helping me so much I might have been nicer and offered it to him. "Hang in there. I believe in you…"

"He really has a sensitive nose, doesn't he?" Shippō asked, poking his head out from behind me to look at his friend. "I hope when I'm older my nose isn't as bad as his."

"Yes." Miroku grinned. "If you had a keen sense of smell you might not be standing as close to it as you are."

"Look!" Sango suddenly exclaimed. Several of the Saimyōshō had fallen down, unable to fly any longer as the toxins from the smoke attacked their nervous system. "I think it's working!"

"Th-Then let's… go…!" Inuyasha gagged, stumbling forward. His face was practically buried in his kimono sleeve. "Ooooh, I'm gonna be sick… ugh."

"There, there." Kagome patted his shoulder, nose covered as well. Sango quickly stepped on the fire to put it out. This mask was seriously amazing. How long has the demon slayer had it? I wondered if she could make me one. All her armor was built from demon bones and she told me a while ago that she made the battle gear herself.

The path forward seemed a little less clear than before, but with the Saimyōshō dead it was easier to navigate. Unfortunately, any clear path up to the tower was blocked by debris so we had to maneuver through several more hallways and rooms, taking messy pathways to get to the next staircase. All the demons we encountered just made it worse. As we entered the next room something caught my attention and I released Kirara's fur, causing the cat demon to stop. A strange whispering was filling my ears.

"Uh, guys…? Look!"

Inuyasha held his sword out towards the people that were approaching, amber gaze locking onto their armor. So many strangers stood in this room with us, walking so slowly. It was hard to tell in this darkness, but it almost looked like some were limping. "The hell-? They're all over the place!"

"I think they're heading towards us." Miroku said, reaching out with his staff and waving it ahead of him to ward of any evil. A faint light came from the circular part of his staff, illuminating the room and allowing us to get a better look at the people. A strange black mist was coming off their bodies and their armor… it was red. "Are they working for Naraku? Their flesh is completely decayed!"

Oh gods. I think I recognize some of these people. It was hard to tell because some of the faces were misshapen, yet upon closer inspection to the kimonos they were wearing underneath the armor… and the hair color… frick; I think I'm going to be sick. They were the samurai that helped us before and this time they weren't just not alive.

They were undead.

"It hurts…!"

My shoulders tensed and my breath caught in my throat, eyes growing wide. No one else seemed to hear the voices crying out, pleading with the world to be saved.

"Why did this happen!? I can't control my body…"

They were scared. I could hear it; their soul's pained weeping. Why? Was I going insane or did this have something to do with the Shikigami? Either way it wasn't pleasant and we were face-to-face with my worst nightmare. I had one supernatural fear and this was it. I had no idea how things worked in this world, but I really didn't want to find out.

I could feel the goosebumps crawling along my skin, showing how scared and disturbed I was by what was happening. Perhaps I finally broke and that was why I was hearing things. Inuyasha stepped forward, raising his sword high into the air and getting ready to swing.

"Don't hurt us!"

The hair on my neck stood on end and I freaked, reaching out as if to grab onto the half-demon's sleeve. "W-Wait! Inuyasha, those are the samurai!"

"What!?" He froze mid-swing, ear twitching as he listened to my words. Inuyasha's eyes widened and he focused on the soldiers, realizing at once what he almost did to them. I could hear the voices screaming, begging for us to help them or run. It was as if there was an imaginary knife twisting in my chest, their cries reaching deep into my bones. "Are you serious?"

"It is them!" Kagome exclaimed, horrified. "What did this to them!?"

"That doesn't make any sense!" Sango protested, taking a step back as the corpses neared. "They all died!"

"They are dead." Miroku stated, confirming all our suspicions. "But some strange power is making them move… and I don't think it's Kagura this time. This feels different from her Dance of the Dead."

"O-Okay?" I questioned, trying desperately to ignore the sounds I was hearing. They were so unnerving and eerie, and it made hard to focus. How could I try and come up with a decent plan while panicking over the fact that zombies were heading right towards, when suddenly voices are filling my head and making me dizzy. Feeling like I was going to suffocate, I lowered the mask and inhaled. "So… So what do we do!? Th-They're getting closer!"

"They're aware of us!" The monk shouted, clearly staring to panic himself. He pushed Sango back and urged Kagome to move with his staff, focusing his gaze on the half-demon. At least ten more zombies had entered the room during this. "We'll be surrounded soon! We have to run!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed at that and got ready to charge. "Are you kidding!? We can just fight our way out!"

"We can't! Don't do it, Inuyasha!" Kagome quickly rushed over and grabbed his arm, attempting to stop him. The fearful cries of the undead filled my mind and I squeezed my eyes shut, leaning over and bringing my hands up to my head. It hurt so much! Not just my heart, but my skull! It felt like it was starting to overflow with so many undead in here. Shippō looked at me in alarm.

"Irene, what's wrong!? Your nose is bleeding!"

Sango whirled around, eyes wide. "What's happening!?"

It hurts. I can't take much more of this. "Save us. I want to go home."

"My wife… I want to see her…"

"It's so cold and dark. My body feels like it's burning. Help…"

"I'm scared!"

"Don't hurt us! Please!"

My teeth ground together and I choked, fingers digging into my hair. "Make it stop… just shut up…" They're causing this pain. My brain felt like it was going to implode from within my skull. "L-Leave me alone…! Get out of my head!"

"What's in your head?" Sango reached out, cupping my face and trying to get me to look at her. "Irene-!"

These samurai helped us before, stubbornly refusing to head home to save those that were still in the castle. They entrusted Naraku's demise to us- this town to us- and we failed them all. Now they were cursed to wander and kill, their spirits trapped in their own dead bodies. It was as if Naraku and Anastasia were torturing them, leaving them self-aware. Kirara let out an angered roar and moved, startling Shippō and causing the fox demon to fall off her head. He bounced on the ground and squeaked when he landed near an undead, hurriedly making his way over to Miroku.

The group was very close to being cornered.

"No arguing!" Miroku shouted, slowly being pushed towards the other side of the room, Shippō on his arm. Sango was beside them, while Inuyasha, Kagome, Kirara, and I were by the west door. "We'll be killed if we stay like this! The corpses must be able to smell our vitality; if we separate they'll have trouble finding us!"

"You're right!" Sango said, narrowing her eyes and taking note of their sluggish pace. "They seem to be moving pretty slow."

"Fine." Inuyasha stepped forward, pushing Kagome behind him. "I'll stall them while you guys go on ahead!"

"But our weapons won't work on the dead!" Kagome protested. "You'll be in danger, Inuyasha!"

"So what? I'll be right behind you! Just go!"

Miroku looked back over his shoulder at everyone. "Meet up at the castle tower! Travel in no more than groups of two, got it!? Good luck!"

My head… it's splitting. I felt so dizzy, the world around me starting to spin as the blood gushed from my nose and ears. Even my sight began to darken and it took a second for me to realize the tears I was crying were actually blood. "Wait!" Kagome began, fearful. "What about-"

She never finished her sentence, being forced to run off when Inuyasha gave her a hard shove to avoid her being swarmed by the walking dead. The last thing I saw of them was Inuyasha charging at the samurai and the regret on Kagome's face, the girl running for her life.

I fell forward onto Kirara's back when we picked up speed, the cat demon flying off the ground and charging out the doorway. So many zombies were outside- I couldn't even count them. I wasn't able to. I was so overwhelmed by voices and pain and sickness; the very world around us started to go black. I was briefly aware of us encountering zombies in one of the rooms and then demons sometime downstairs, but I couldn't move.

My body was completely limp.

I remember Kirara roaring, moving to avoid something. What exactly it was I couldn't recall, for the next thing I knew the cat demon was nuzzling my face as the world grew silent once more. I succumbed to sleep, giving into my own weakness, and when I awoke... she was gone. As it turns out, I was hiding behind some rubble on the first floor... inside one of the northern rooms? Something wet was tickling my face and I turned, staring dazed at the calico cat that was licking the blood off my cheek.

"Mrrow." What…? That was the same cat from the old temple and Tsuzumi Village. How did it get in here? Should it not be dead? All the other creatures were killed. "Meow."

I sniffled and raised a hand up to my head, cringing, and made to sit up. Pain wracked my right shoulder and I hissed, snapping a hand up to press against it. How did it get cut? Gods, that was a pretty deep gash. Ooooh, I feel sick. At least I was breathing clear; this mask was doing miracles. Where are the others though? I looked around the room, frowning when I saw none of them were nearby. What happened to Kirara? Pulling off the mask I shakily stood, glancing around. I didn't like how quiet it was.

"Kirara-?" She was nowhere to be seen. "Kirara!"

The cat let out a mew and walked forward, pressing his side against my leg.

"N-Not right now. Frick. No, no, no, no."

Where was she? I remember entering the one room and being surrounded by the undead, and us splitting up. Everything after that was a blur. I took a shaky breath and brought my hands down, placing them against my side and standing still for a few moments. It was then I noticed one of my pockets felt particularly lacking in an object. Otoki's pinwheel.

Where did it go!?

I fumbled about trying to locate it, but the only thing I could see was the strange calico cat that appeared to be following me all over the place. It was becoming a bit too coincidental for my liking, especially since it wasn't killed with the rest of the animals. Did it appear after the slaughter or…?

"Oh, come on~!" I knelt down and picked up the cat, not intent on leaving it behind like I did last time, regardless of how strange it was. For several minutes I wandered the room in a desperate attempt to find the pinwheel. I wasn't sure why I felt so protective of the pinwheel all of a sudden, but it had so many emotions and memories linked to it. I couldn't just let it go. "Where!?"

"Scared…"

"Hah!" I yelped, whirling around. "Not again! Nope!"

"It's dark…"

I quickened my pace, heading outside the room. I looked at both sides trying to figure out which way to go, determining which way would lead to the tower safely. I went left, walking as fast as I could without getting dizzy. There was no way I was going to be eaten today; I refused. All I wanted was to find the pinwheel and reunite with my friends. Zombies were not of my list of things to deal with today.

It wasn't as if they were the single most terrifying supernatural thing on the face of this planet. No, sir. I'm not scared of them- not at all. Nope. Deep breaths; don't think about it. Eugh.

I was about to enter the next room when I heard a bark. My eyebrows knit together and I turned, confused as to why there would a dog nearby. That was when I saw it- faint and glowing red, the giant pup resting atop a pile of rubble in the middle area. It was the Shikigami that Old Man Kakuju said was my familiar. Did I summon it by accident? How come I didn't notice?

It barked again to catch my attention, trying to get me to follow it. I hesitated before doing so, deciding to trust it. Carefully cradling the cat in my arms, I climbed over the banister and stepped onto the splintered wood and fallen rocks. The bottoms of my feet were so rough from a near two months walking without shoes, so it didn't hurt as much as it should have. I felt quite powerful as I maneuvered my way around the debris. Pushing some wood to the side, I neared the dog. Looking at the animal closely I noticed that it's ears reminded me of someone I knew. I really have to ask Kagome later to bring some kind of dog catalog with her next time because I needed to know what breed this dog was. It was bothering me so much.

"Y-You find something, boy?"

He barked. Then the dog turned and began to press his nose into the rubble, pawing away at some stone. I knelt down beside the giant puppy and reached out to help, eyes widening when I saw what he was trying to show me. I gasped.

"The pinwheel!"

The dog let out a happy bark and I tucked the item into my pocket, grinning at the Shikigami. I carefully held the cat with one arm, the animal crawling up onto my good shoulder, and I reached down to smother the dog in pets.

"Awww, you're such a good boy, aren't you? Thank you for helping me! Awww." His ears perked up happily and he leaned into my touch, tail wagging excitedly. "You like them chin rubs, don't you? Yes, you do! Daaaw, talk about good ear scratches! Gasp! Do you want your tummy rubbed? You want that tummy rubbed, yes! Such a good pupper!"

As I was in the process of rubbing his belly the dog let out a very happy bark and vanished into sparks, his job done for now. I giggled and stood, greatly amused by this. I was a cat person, but dogs always liked me more for some reason. Having one for a familiar just sort of proved it.

"Okay! You ready, kitty?" I looked at him. The cat mewed. "Then let's go find the other-aaah!" Something reached out of the rubble and wrapped around my ankle, pulling me down. The scream that ripped out of my throat was one of pure, unadulterated fear, and I thrashed like a mad man. I kicked at the red-armored arm that was trying to pull me down and continued to screech. "Get off me, get off me, get off me, get off me! Gaaah!"

Flames lit up along my body and turned bright white, burning away at the hand that had hold of me. In my head I could hear someone else screaming, a man, and it made me greatly dizzy, but I ignored it in favor of survival.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry- not today! N-Not doing this today!" I scrambled up onto my feet and tripped, stumbling over words and wheezing for air. I couldn't breathe in my panic, too desperate and scared to get away. My fingers got splintered and my feet were bleeding from some sharp nails that were on the ground as a result, and the cat was digging its claws into my back to keep hold as I ran and climbed over the banister. "Z-Zom… Zombies! S-Sangooo!"

I would run on shattered glass if it meant getting away. If they couldn't hear me or smell my blood, then what did it matter? I was getting out alive one way or another.

"Sango! Sango, heeeelp!"

Where was she!? I can't do this on my own! I'm the squishy wizard of the group, damn it!

Running was a stupid, horrible decision and I should not have done it. I was already getting dizzy from the nosebleed that occurred when I could hear the voices again. They were in such agony; it was maddening. And it didn't help that I was gasping desperately for air, chest heaving as I limped down the hall. I pulled myself into a room, finding black spots dancing in my vision. It was so dark already because it was night and this was just making it worse. I didn't want to find out if I would end up turning into one of them if they scratched or bit me, or ate me alive, but considering what I just wandered into I had a terrible feeling I was about to find out. Dozens upon dozens of undead were wandering the area, turning to look at me with their misshapen and bloody faces. Mouths gaping open, revealing rotten and missing teeth, with fingers and even arms missing from their bodies. Chunks of flesh were gone.

My heart was about to burst out of my chest, though from fright or asphyxiation I wasn't sure. The cat meowed and stared up at me, watching as I hyperventilated and stumbled back. "I-I can't do this… I-I can't…"

Holy mother of all that is good.

Please no.

I began to choke up. There was nowhere to run; I was completely surrounded by them. It wasn't as if I could just turn back either- there were zombies heading this way from that direction too. I could see them coming from the door. My back pressed against the nearest wall, the sob caught in my throat starting to suffocate me. I was so scared. My friends were gone and my worst nightmare has come to life. I couldn't see any escapes either which meant I was about to be turned into their dinner.

Have you ever had terrible thoughts of being eaten alive? Because I have while growing up, constantly traumatized by horror movies, and they were all coming back to me right now and rushing through my mind, all in the most painful and most agonizing ways.

"S-Somebody…" They were so close. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. "P-Please…" My legs gave out and I sunk to the ground, tears blurring my vision. Their cries were filling my ears, the voices of the dead haunting my being and gradually killing me. It was so bad that blood started to pool from my ears, the tears that fell not quite clear as they became tainted with red.

This was all so stupid.

I came all this way to die by these walking dead samurai, who ironically had died trying to help us, and I never even found my sister. What if her corpse was in this castle- what if she was one of them? I can't stand it. I cradled the mask and the calico cat close to my chest, unable to bring myself to look away as the end drew near. There was no way I would survive this time.

"Make it stop. It hurts. I want to die."

I had gotten so lucky in the past because someone would show up- whether it be Inuyasha or Sango, or even Kagome or Miroku. Kirara was missing and it was just me and a random cat, and I didn't have much energy left to use another Shikigami spell. No one could save me this time. Still…

"I-I don't wanna die…" I whimpered, curling into a ball and hugging the cat protectively. My voice was so small and quiet, absolutely trembling with fear. The tears were streaming down my face, burning my skin and staining it crimson. The zombies were inches away, reaching out with their bare hands ready to tear me into shreds. All dignity was long gone. "S-Somebody…!"

This was it. I was going to die.

"I'm sorry."

But then the pain never came.

Instead I watched as a sword came out of nowhere, slashing at the backs of the undead, sending them falling to the ground with several loud thuds. The breath I was holding came out in a strangled sob and I blinked rapidly to clear my vision, eyebrows furrowed as I watched someone I've never seen before slash away at the remaining zombies, not so much as sparing me a glance as he did so. Those that were slain had a strange blue light erupt from their bodies and a whisper filled my ears, the voices gradually quieting and causing the pain in my head to dull.

Was I… seriously alive? Did this person just save me? I was in so much shock I didn't even register how strange his appearance was, and I only snapped out of it when a little green goblin-like demon shouted at me. I jolted, staring at the creature with big eyes. "H-Huh?"

"You're in the way!" He snapped. The goblin waved a staff around- one that was almost too large for him to carry- the object holding two shrunken heads at the top. One belonged to that of a very old man and the other appearing to be a young woman with long black hair. Seriously, how the heck was he able to carry it around with his small stature? "Move it before I kill you, human!"

The cat in my arms hissed at the demon, catching the goblin's attention.

"Ugh!" He grimaced. "Get that beast out of my face; it's disgusting! And in Lord Sesshōmaru's presence no less? The audacity! We should take your life right here!"

"Wh-What?" I was so confused. Why did they save me if they were just going to end my life? I don't understand. The name he said sounded so familiar though. "Um… wait, who was-? Uh. S-Sorry." The goblin wanted me to move. Right. I made to stand up, but my legs gave out on me and I winced, unable to get them to work. "I-"

"Hurry it up! And what's wrong with your face!?"

Not answering his question, I tried to stand once more.

It didn't work.

The stranger walked over then, his long furry boa flowing effortlessly behind him with each step. I knew at once he must be an incredibly powerful demon, though I couldn't help but get distracted by how similar he looked to someone else I knew. This person was so inhumanly gorgeous. If I wasn't already so low on oxygen, I would dare say he was breathtaking. I sniffled and brought a hand up, wiping the blood off my face as best as I could as I took in the sight of the newcomer.

His long silver hair fell down to his knees, neatly brushed and well taken care of, and his bangs parted elegantly in the middle of his forehead to reveal the pale blue crescent moon that marked his skin. The man's long, dark lashes and magenta eye shadow only helped to bring out his amber eyes- which honestly looked more like pools of molten gold. They would be so easy to get lost in. Two violet streaks lined each side of his cheeks and his ears were pointed just enough to show that he wasn't quite human. But even more startling than his beautiful appearance was the regal, confident way he held himself. From the way his sleeves moved when he walked I could only assume he was missing his left arm, the only fingers visible being the ones on his right hand that poked out beneath his kimono sleeve- claws long and sharp, yet somehow appearing manicured. I'm not even sure why I'm paying this much attention to him, but damn he was mesmerizing. If I looked close enough I could see similar violet streaks lining the inside of his wrist.

His white haori was embroidered with red flowers, and over top this was a strange black chest armor almost similar to that of what Kōga wore. His left shoulder was covered with a type of guard that strangely reminded me of Sango's weapon. Was it made out of the bones of other demons? A long yellow sash was wrapped many times around his waist, accented with blue streaks, and it appeared to be holding the sheath of the sword he was using and another blade that was much sharper and larger in size.

Whoever this person was he was not to be messed with. What did that goblin say his name was?

"Y… You… are Sesshōmaru?"

I recognized that name and I hated it.

The man stared down at me, very little emotion showing on his face. I still had no idea who or what the goblin was, but he seemed to be getting even more annoyed with me as he proceeded to stomp his foot on the ground, threatening to beat me with his staff. "I said hurry up, human! Do you have a death wish!? And that's Lord Sesshōmaru! Show some respect! My master has saved your life!"

"S-Sorry…" I wheezed. Unable to actually walk I wound up simply crawling out of the way, watching as the green demon… pulled the wall open? Frick, was that a door this whole time? I could have escaped! "A-Are you kidding me!? Since… when was… that door there!?"

The gremlin stared at me as if I were an idiot. Which, admittedly, I could be a lot of the time. "Since the castle was created? Be grateful you were saved and shut up; we need to hurry to the tower!"

"Tower?" I echoed, realization dawning as they were about to walk away. "Y… You mean with Naraku?"

The majestic silver-haired demon halted in his step, turning to look at me from over his shoulder. I tensed and swallowed down the lump in my throat, feeling my heart dare to skip a beat. He was quite intimidating. Those golden eyes felt like they could see into my very being, reading every weakness and strength as if they were written down on a piece of paper in front of him. It was a calculating gaze, one determining my sense of worth.

The way he spoke sent a chill down my spine, though I wasn't quite sure if that was a bad thing or not. "You know where he is?"

For a moment I hesitated. When I finally opened my mouth to speak the green gremlin hurried back into the room, standing between us and waving the staff around frantically. "L-Lord Sesshōmaru, please, don't bother with that pathetic foreigner! I'll find the path again soon, I promise you! It'll just take a few moments, but then-"

The man narrowed his eyes at the demon and the gremlin went silent, stepping away and bowing his head nervously.

"M-My apologies, M'lord…"

Sesshōmaru focused his attention back on me and I tensed, shakily clinging to the cat and dirtied objects. He was clearly waiting for an explanation, an answer to his question. I had the feeling that this man- this demon- didn't like to talk very much. Even more than that, though, I was certain he was the older brother of someone I knew. Yet if that was the case… why didn't he just let me die?

"I… I was there… b-before." I blinked a couple more times. My body wouldn't stop trembling and I found it hard to meet his gaze, a weird feeling washing over me. I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I needed to calm down. Also- this person was very tall. It didn't help that I was sitting down. "Um. H-He was there the last time I saw him, so… h-he should be there again. I… I can try to… to take you there, i-if you want?"

"What!?" The gremlin screeched. "We don't need the help of a human woman! How do we even know you aren't in league with Naraku!? If a weak mortal like yourself met him you should be dead!"

"Th-That's…" I broke out into several coughs, cringing and leaning over, chest heaving painfully. The cat let out a loud mew and licked my bloody cheek. I had forgotten it was bleeding. I think most of my cuts from Kagura's battle had reopened from all the movement, including my shoulder. That explained why it was aching so badly. I glanced to the side, viewing the fallen samurai with a pained heart. "Th-The samurai… they… they saved me a-and my friends. Wh-When Naraku released his miasma the… the samurai… got us out of the castle, but he... killed them because of that. And now…"

Now they were walking dead.

Their brains still seemed intact, so how were they actually killed? Their heads were attached to their shoulders. I know for a fact that Sesshōmaru slashed at them with his sword, so where are the wounds? The flesh burned when I used the fire before.

When I glanced back up at the man his expression was still hard to read, completely calm and serious despite standing in a castle during the middle of an obvious apocalypse. His eyes narrowed at me. "Why are you after Naraku?" He inquired. It was hard to tell if he was really friend or foe, especially because of how his little servant acted. The way everyone avoided talking about him made this person seem like a bad guy. "What is your relationship with him?"

"He… um… well… i-it's a long story?" There were far too many details and I wasn't sure he wanted to hear them. I wanted to avoid getting on his nerves. "I-I mean, it's… kinda confusing…"

"Then make it short!" The gremlin demand, stomping his foot. "Time is being wasted!"

"S-Sorry…!" I flinched, ducking my head. Talking really hurt and it sucked because my voice was quite loud. "B-Basically, um... he teamed up with this evil l-lady named Anastasia? A-And together they… brought me and my sister here to Japan. B-But I… I don't know where she's at, so… I'm tryin' to… to beat some answers…" My vision blurred and for a moment I thought I was going to pass out. "...some answers… outta him?"

The gremlin squinted at me. "You don't look like you're in the position to beat answers out of anyone."

"Th-That's 'cause…" I forced a closed-eye grin. "I'm the squishy wizard. Obviously. Haha… lungs are… bad."

The mask Sango gave me before seemed to help really well with my lungs. I held it up to my face, inhaling deeply, and waited for my vision to clear before I attempted to stand again. It worked this time, though I wobbled back and ended up staggering right into the wall. Despite how it hurt, I leaned all my weight onto my left shoulder and rested against it.

"S-Summoning spells are… awful." I chuckled and flinched. My chest was burning. "He… He wants my soul for something, too. So… that's a thing."

Sesshōmaru seemed to zero in on the first thing I said, finding that the most curious. "You were brought here through a spell?"

"Y-Yeah. You think… if someone was gonna pull you from another time… they would at least have done their research." I cleared my throat, making a face at how disgusting it sounded. I was so terribly thirsty. My brain wasn't working very well so I didn't really have much control over what I told them, nor was I aware of what exactly I was telling them. The cat struggled in my hold, climbing onto my good shoulder when I moved away from the wall towards the door. Peering outside I didn't see anymore undead, nor did I hear voices. "Gods. Okay. I-I think… we can go?"

My limbs felt so weak and tired- just standing took a lot out of me. I hated it. I glanced back at the silver-haired beauty of a demon, wondering if it would be alright to ask a certain thing. His amber eyes seemed to almost glow in this darkness.

"Do… Do you think…i-if it's not too much to ask…" He wasn't saying anything at all and that made this all the more nerve-wracking. I was terrible with people as quiet as him. It was even worse because he was a demon that could very much kill me with just his pinky finger if he wanted to, and he only had one pinky finger. I could almost make out the resemblance between him and Inuyasha. "If I… If I lead you to the tower, w-will you p… protect me on the way?"

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, fear coursing through my veins. It really was pure luck and coincidence that this man saved me. I had no doubt that if he hadn't needed to enter that room he would have just let me die. Asking this felt like I was bargaining with the grim reaper. As such I found myself quickly adding on to my sentence, stammering as I did so, in an attempt to defend myself and give a better chance of survival.

"I-I can normally… fight, but…" I shifted my feet, scared that I screwed up. The skin on the bottom was so badly scratched up; my ankles hurt. "I-It'll only be to the tower. A-And I can break barriers! S-So if… if that's a thing… Oh! I can heal, too! I-I might not be able to walk afterwards though." I bit my bottom lip, looking at the ground. It would be a miracle if he didn't slay me now; I really needed to learn how to stop talking. "S-Sorry if… if I'm annoying you."

Stupid. Idiot. I hated being like this- why did I have to talk so much? I wish I had a filter.

I waited for Sesshōmaru to pull out one of his swords and cut me down with them, to end my pathetic life like the villain he supposedly was. Yet that didn't happen and instead he turned his cold gaze towards the hall outside. "Just lead the way."

My head raised, mask lowering, and I looked up at him with wide eyes, hardly able to believe what I just heard. He was sparing me? Was this truly the brother I heard so little about? Surely one who thought humans were insects would not actually agree to protect one? Unless… maybe it wasn't him after all. Perhaps the familiarity was just a coincidence?

Shizu and Shiori flashed through my mind and I thought about Tsukuyomaru. Perhaps… this person in front of me met a special human and they changed his opinion? If it is the Sesshōmaru I was told about, then… maybe he had a change of heart. I liked to think there was good inside of everyone, though Naraku was clearly the exception.

The male demon glanced down at me, seeing how I made no move to walk. He watched as a smile slowly spread across my lips, expression brightening greatly upon hearing those words he spoke. "Right! S-Sorry. Um, he said your name was Sesshōmaru? That's really pretty! I'm Irene."

I felt so much better without the voices filling my head and with the mask clearing my lungs. The castle was extremely moldy this time around, filled with a strange purple mist. I prayed it wasn't residue miasma. I looked down at the goblin, bringing a hand up and petting the cat on my shoulder as we left the room and walked down the hall.

"What about you?" The demon gave me no answer, only sending me the stink eye. I hesitated at that, surprised by the sheer hatred in his gaze, but I didn't let that deter me. If his master was letting me live, then by all means he wouldn't let this racist and/or sexist goblin kill me. "Did… uh, did you guys see any cat demons on the way here?"

I was a little scared to bring it up. Inuyasha didn't get along well with his brother, but did that mean Sesshōmaru knew about his friends? Did he hate them? When was the last time they all saw each other? Would he slaughter me ruthlessly for mentioning them? Maybe if I'm careful and I don't mention any names…

"I… I was with one, but… we got separated and I blacked out. When I woke up she was gone, so…"

The goblin scowled and walked several feet ahead of me, regardless of the fact that he had no idea as to which direction the tower was in. "Are you blind!?" He demanded. "You have one with you right now!"

"I mean, I lost my glasses a while back… so kinda. But no- I said cat demon, dummy." I scratched behind the animal's ear, grinning when I heard him purr. "This is just a normal cat. I thought you demons had great senses of smell? The one I'm looking for is…"

I glanced uncertainly up at Sesshōmaru. He wasn't reacting at all. Thank goodness.

"She has yellow fur with black spots, a-and her eyes are a really nice shade of red. Sort of like a crimson?" The goblin rolled his eyes at me and walked even further ahead, muttering about foreigners and stupid women. He was acting really rude. "You know… I can't tell if you hate me because I'm a human, a female, or if it's because I'm not Japanese."

"How about all three?" The goblin suggested, turning to glare at me. I frowned. He then turned, pointing and angrily waving his arm at me. "Stop walking so close to Lord Sesshōmaru! You disgrace him!"

In all fairness he was the one walking next to me. He could be moving ahead with the gremlin, using those long legs of his to his advantage, but instead he kept pace with my own and allowed me to lead the group through the castle. "Seriously?" This was ridiculous. "You really wanna go that route? Are you so much of a bigot that you won't even tell me your name? There's nothing wrong with being female or a different ethnicity! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't thanks to Naraku, so you can take your-"

Without warning the cat leapt off my shoulder, charging at the goblin with fangs bared.

"-what!?" I lunged forward, trying desperately to catch the animal. "C-Come back!"

The goblin screeched when the cat's claws scratched across his face, tearing into his scaly flesh and causing him to bleed. He tried to hit the cat with his staff when it jumped off, but he missed and the animal dashed away into the unknown. "Cursed felines! I hope you get eaten! Raaah!"

Okay. I know I was angry at him for being a little childish brat, but I hadn't expected this to happen. I didn't intent for him to get hurt. I took a nervous step back, scared that he might now take his anger out on me. Sesshōmaru's expression had darkened, only fueling the anxiety coursing through my veins.

"Th-That really hurt…" The goblin grumbled, tears in his big yellow reptilian eyes. "Damn that cat…"

Before I knew what I was doing I was already making my way over to the wounded demon, acting out of both fear and concern. He was a jerk and sort of deserved to be smacked, but to get cut so badly? That stray was acting way out of hand. "A-Are you okay?" I set the mask down, kneeling beside him and reaching out with my right hand. "H-Here, I can-"

The goblin glared and smacked it away. "I don't need your help, woman! This is all your fault!"

"Well, maybe if you weren't being such a child the cat wouldn't have attacked you!" I retorted, staring him down. "Just shove off, will ya? I'm trying to heal you!"

"I don't need to be healed by the likes of you!"

"If it's my fault the cat attacked, then-" The yelling caused me to become short of breath and I broke into several coughs, wincing as I hacked into my shoulder. "-then I should… h-heal you… to fix it. Frick…"

"You're just an insignificant mortal! Nothing you do can help a demon like-"

Oh my gods, will he just shut up? Irritation washed over me and I gave up on playing nice, fingers dancing with a blue flame as I reached out for his face. The goblin shrieked and tried to smack me with his staff, but I quickly snatched it away from him and willed the flames to heal his cuts. "It doesn't… hurt. It's fine." I told him. The goblin continued to glare daggers at me, stopping only when he felt the injuries gradually fade away. His shoulders slumped as he relaxed, reluctantly leaning into the cool warmth of the flames.

Sesshōmaru observed everything that occurred with a calculating stare, standing in silence.

I thanked the Shikigami for giving me their blessing; they really were so kind, what with them patiently dealing with my greedy self. When the scratches were gone and the flames dissipated, I pulled away and watched as he wiped the remaining blood of his face. "F-Feel… any better?"

"Yes…" He looked uncertainly at me, not understanding why I went out of my way to help him. "What was that?"

Plopping down onto my rear and crossing my legs, I held my hands up with a tired grin. I coughed some more, clearing my throat before attempting to speak. "I-It's, uh… called Shikigami? I-I can communicate with spirits. Sorta. We don't really talk… more as I just ask them for help. It… It wears me out super fast though. O-One of my friends say it's because the spirits are so powerful. I'm always sleeping because of it, haha… ehhh. Your cuts weren't too bad- normally I'm… I'm healing…"

Oooohh, dizzy. My head leaned forward and my eyes closed for a moment, a yawn escaping my lips.

"...worse injuries. Shikigami are… really strong."

Footsteps reached my ears and I lazily moved to the side, glancing up to see Sesshōmaru standing beside us. His piercing gaze bore into mine, the man noticing the way my hands were shaking and how hard it was trying to stay awake. "You needn't have."

"Yeah, I did." I responded, leaning back and closing my eyes.

A nap sounded so good right now. I smacked the ground blindly, fumbling for the mask, and the second my fingers touched it I raised it up to my face and breathed into it. I could already feel it working its magic and I wondered if the reason it worked so well was because of the material it was made out of.

"The cat… it's always showing up where I'm at." I explained quietly, not speaking too loud because of my lungs. "The first demon that I helped kill- the cat was in its temple. Then… in a village where I was almost kidnapped by one of Naraku's people. When I woke up after I got separated from my friends here in the castle and I passed out… it was beside me. I-It feels like it's following me. And the reason why it attacked your friend was because… I was mad at him. So I kinda did need to heal the goblin."

"I'm an imp!"

A grin suddenly spread across my face and I leaned back towards him, victorious. "So now  you tell me about yourself. Gonna say your name yet? Or is Sesshōmaru gonna be my favorite?"

"It's Jaken, you wretched human!"

"Jaken?" I blinked at that. "Hmm. Yeah, no… Sesshōmaru is a far prettier name. Still… I'm sorry. That cat shouldn't have done that to you…" A sighed escaped my lips after I apologized. "I wish I knew why it actually ran off like that. I'm sorry."

Forcing myself to stand, I ended up wobbling sideways for a moment before catching my balance. I glanced at the two ends of the hallway up ahead, trying to recall what had happened that led to me being alone with these two. Kirara didn't just abandon me, did she? I thought we were getting along quite well, even if I pulled that stunt in the lake. She always seemed so protective of me. I missed her so much already.

"I hope everyone is okay…" I stepped forward, looking in both directions. "I think… we head left? Yeah."

As we walked I patted my jean pocket for my rescue inhaler and pulled it out, hesitating for a moment. How many hours has it been since I last used it? I really could use a boost right now; my lungs were very much unhappy. Deciding to just do whatever and not bother with the details, I tiredly shook it up and held it to my mouth- inhaling the medicine. I hacked up a storm once I exhaled, staggering forwards, and proceeded to take another puff before sticking the object back in my pocket.

I counted to ten in my head before gasping.

"Okay! Got this."

Just why did my lungs have to worsen over the years? As if having asthma wasn't bad enough, I had to live in a house of extreme smokers for over fourteen years and now I have to use a freaking machine just to function on a daily basis. Worse than that I now have to rely on a random fifteen-year-old girl I met like a month or two ago to supply me with that medicine because some crazy voodoo magic lady and her evil half-demon ally decided they wanted to kidnap me through time and space. Grah.

I could feel the stares boring into my skull from the side and I turned, seeing both Jaken and Sesshōmaru looking at me. "It's… medicine? Helps with my lungs. Because, you know, sickly human?" I moved my head side-to-side in a weird dance move, feeling increasingly awkward by the intensity of their gazes. Sesshōmaru was especially unnerving and I reminded myself that he might actually be a certain half-demon's brother. "I, uh, literally can't function without my medicine. It's... not very fun. But that's life! So! Yeaaah… hey, new area!"

I came to a halt, raising a hand up to my head as I waited for the throbbing in my skull to dissipate so I could think. It was faint, but I think I could hear voices again. It was getting very annoying. I stepped forward and closed my eyes, trying to remember the path my friends and I took.

"We went that way. Then… there, but… that staircase is blocked off?"

Muscle memory.

I could remember the way Kirara's muscles moved with each step she took through the castle and every time she turned. It made it a lot easier recalling the directions, yet… also more complicated at the same time with my eyes open? It was weird. My hands moved with each word I spoke, fingers twitching as I remembered the feeling of her fur. Sesshōmaru stood beside me, patiently waiting for me to give directions and watching my odd movements closely. Him standing there made me anxious, his very presence making me panic and attempting to hurry up the jog through memory lane. "O-Okay, uh… the… the Saimyōshō were that way and… yeah. The smoke. Okay."

I think I knew where to go with this.

The imp, whose name I finally learned was Jaken, looked up at me with curious eyes. His hatred seemed to have dialed down quite a bit for some reason. "What smoke? Did something burn?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. The Saimyōshō did." I blinked in surprise at the question, answering it easily. "Well… actually we burned a flower which poisoned them and then made them drop to the ground dead, but… same difference. Err… charge!" I pointed down the hallway and began to make my through it, Jaken marching begrudgingly behind me. "It'll take a bit to get to that area anyway, since we have to go upstairs first. It's kind of a maze. I mean, it was a lot bigger before the castle got all damaged and stuff, but now the way up is all funky and some of the staircases are smashed, so we gotta-"

Nothing could have prepared me for the sudden wall that came tumbling down, a large Minotaur demon charging towards me from up ahead. It truly did resemble a bull, even lowing its head in such a way to point its horns at me- ready to rip through my torso and tear out my entrails. Eyes going wide I found myself stumbling back, startled from the abrupt crash. Just as I tripped over my feet and  fell back there was a flash of white, Sesshōmaru appearing in front of me faster than I could actually see.

The demon had long-since sheathed his sword, but he didn't let that stop him. His claws flexed as the Minotaur neared and then he ran at it, moving so fast it was hard to keep track of where he was. Next thing I knew the bull demon was in shreds, its organs falling to floor and staining the wood a black-ish color. Sesshōmaru had slain it so effortlessly, hardly moving at all. His cold eyes showed not an ounce of sympathy for the demon he had slain, yet there wasn't any amusement in his gaze either; it was as if it was simply something that needed to be done, a demon in his way that he had to kill, nothing but pure apathy for those standing in his path. Sesshōmaru flicked the blood off his hand and turned, golden gaze focusing on me when he saw I was just sitting there.

Jaken ran over, stars seeming to glimmer around him as he gazed up at his master, cheering him on. "Absolutely dashing, Lord Sesshōmaru! You are unparalleled in power!"

"Th-Thank you…" I was stunned. The man never even hesitated; this person knew exactly what to do, how to do it, and he ended the battle quickly as a result. All the while he did it in the most graceful fashion, moving so beautifully even as blood and entrails fell around him. "You… You're amazing…"

"Can you walk?" Sesshōmaru asked, smooth voice cutting through the tension, speaking to me. He remained where he stood, simply waiting for a response.

Realizing that I was sitting on the dirtied floor, I jolted and snapped my head up. "Uh, I-I think so." Arms out to the side as I staggered into a standing position, I waited for a few seconds before giving him two thumbs up. "Y-Yeah! For now, at least. Um… I-I think we have to go… this way? No, that way!"

I forced myself to walk, moving past him and stepping over the guts of the demon that was slowly disintegrating. He ended that battle faster than anyone I knew. Sesshōmaru was incredible.

And, despite it all, I found myself agreeing with Jaken.

Sesshōmaru really was dashing.

Damn it. I rested a hand against my chest, feeling the racing of my heart, and used the other to hold the mask up to my face. I felt so flustered after that; he was so majestic and impressive. It almost felt nice being protected by him. Frick.

"What was I saying before the demon? I don't remember."

I hadn't really noticed before since I just napped or rode on Kirara's back during the majority of it the last two times I navigated the castle, but it was huge. It was as if I were trying to make my way around High School again, and instead of people giving me the directions I'm the one trying to lead them. As we walked I turned my attention to Sesshōmaru, staring up at him curiously. Despite his longer legs he continued to match my pace, allowing me to lead him and Jaken to the tower. It really did leave me as a mess- this powerful person relying on me. He was so tall; it only added to the intimidating aura he gave off. I recalled all the warnings I was told about Inuyasha's older brother, about how they didn't get along and the snippets of backstory I was given from our time in the bat demon village. Did Sesshōmaru really try to kill him at one point for being a half-demon? I was afraid to ask.

But… the more I watched him… the less certain of that I became.

"You don't seem like a bad person."

His golden eyes turned to me and I jumped, realizing I said that out loud.

"I-I-I mean, a lot demons I meet are always trying to kill humans, you know!? Heck, the... the one time there was a good demon he ended up getting killed by his dad because he fell in love with a human, and then me and my friends ended up killing that guy because he was a jerk a-and then we headed here to the castle where we got separated! Which probably really doesn't matter to you and you don't care one way or another! You might hate humans, you might not; I'm still alive out of sheer luck! I don't know you. And I'm fully aware of the fact that if you didn't enter that one room you probably would have left me to die, but-"

Oh gods, I need to shut up. The words kept coming out and they wouldn't stop. I was so nervous and scared and flustered- so many things were mixing together.

"-b-but, I mean, like, you know! On a scale of jerk-to-super-nice-person I think you're somewhere in the middle of that?"

I was digging myself a grave and I knew it. Why hasn't he slain me already?

"That's a good thing though! If someone as incredibly powerful as you was evil then the entire world would already be enslaved or something by now! Maybe even destroyed! So, like, you're great! Be you! Be your wondrous self, you… demon lord… person!"

I want to curl in a corner and cry now. The second the last few words left my mouth I lowered my head and brought a hand up to my face, shoulders sagging as regret and humiliation sunk in. Why was I allowed to speak?

"...I'm sorry… please don't kill me."

"Hn." Oh, thank you for your mercy. "Which way to the tower?"

"R-Right!" I coughed and raised the mask to my face, clearing my throat and looking around. "This way, sir demon lord! Hopefully that title isn't insulting, but it just occurred to me as I said it that it might be because I'm not even supposed to be speaking this language? So I apologize for that and anything else I say or do that may be offensive! I repeat; please do not kill this pathetic human for her incompetence. Thank you!"

The silence that followed afterwards was unbearable. It only enabled me to think about all that I had rambled and I berated myself for being such a fool. He really must not be the older brother of Inuyasha, because why else would he spare me? You know; I have one question that would solve all this inner dilemma over his family tree.

I just hoped he wouldn't figure out my connection to Inuyasha from it.

He was so powerful that I really didn't wish to be on the receiving end of his wrath. We headed up a staircase during this time of my silent debating and after gathering enough courage I spoke up. "So… Sesshōmaru! What kind of demon are you?"

It was futile, as he avoided speaking whenever possible, but I was freaking out. The silence in this castle was also becoming quite eerie, even though it was so relaxing a short time ago due to the voices having stopped. His amber eyes looked so familiar, though his silver hair was a lot more kempt compared to Inuyasha's. I had a feeling Sesshōmaru put a lot of effort into his appearance.

"I'm thinking you might be a dog demon?" He said nothing, merely looking down at me with that intense gaze of his. "No? Am I wrong?"

Jaken stormed towards us, waving his staff angrily at me. "He is a great dog demon, woman!"

I yelped, attempting to avoid the staff that was determined to whack me hard in the leg. He really was so defensive over his master; I don't even think I said anything wrong that time. "Whoa! Wh-What's the difference? I-Is that stronger than regular dog demons or-"

"Lord Sesshōmaru is mightier than any creature alive! He is not to be compared with the common mutt!" Our walking had ceased, now demoted to the imp chasing me around in a rage and me trying to hold him back by the staff. These two shrunken heads were really creepy. "You should be treating him with respect, you ungrateful foreigner-"

Sesshōmaru turned and glared sharply at the small demon, irritated that their journey to the tower had been ceased. "Jaken." The imp stopped in his next step, faltering upon seeing the harsh stare sent his way.

"W-What is it, M'lord?" Jaken asked, voice shaking fearfully. Sesshōmaru stepped forward, walking in his direction, and planted his foot firmly on the imp's face. Jaken was knocked roughly onto his back, crushed beneath the demon's weight, and I dropped the staff I was left to carry. "Oof…"

Of all things I had expected him to do that was not one of them.

I hurried over and followed closely behind Sesshōmaru, casting a hesitant look back over my shoulder. While it felt nice to be defended, I did feel bad for the imp that just got squashed beneath his boot. "Y-You okay, Jaken?"

The imp pulled his face out of the ground and sent me a dark look, saying nothing. He clearly blamed me for what happened to him. Wow. I shook my head and continued after Sesshōmaru, hurriedly moving beside him and trying to keep pace with his long stride. Once I was beside him he seemed to slow down, taking smaller steps to match my speed. It was a subtle action and if it wasn't for the fact that I was able to catch my breath again I wouldn't have even noticed it.

A wave of gratitude washed over me and I found myself apologizing, explaining as we headed down the hallway, "So this is going to sound weird, but… I-I just learned demons existed recently? They don't… well, where I'm from we don't have them. Which sounds terrible now that I think about, but b-because of it I don't know a whole lot about them? I-I wasn't intending to insult you; I was just curious what kind of demon you were. You don't look much like a dog though."

Sesshomaru focused on the area ahead, not giving me the honor of a glance. I wondered if it was considered beneath him to interact with humans and if saving me really was a fluke on his part. I decided to take his silence as a response and continued, defending my opinion.

"What? It's true. Unless you can, like, transform into one. That would be cool. But since you're a great demon it would probably be really massive. Is the boa you're wearing made out of dog fur? It looks super fluffy. My Shikigami familiar is a dog, by the way! It's what saved me when I was summoned to Japan!"

We turned a right down the next hallway, Jaken following behind dejectedly. I heard whispering, but I ignored it- believing it was coming from the imp- and I hesitantly peered into the nearby room. The talking helped relieve my stress, especially since it was about something I knew about, and I guided the lord and his servant inside. I hoped that if I spoke enough about myself he wouldn't kill me, instead perhaps taking pity on my poor unfortunate soul.

"I actually wasn't the one Naraku wanted; well, it wasn't Naraku that wanted us at first- it was this evil lady named Anastasia. She cast the summoning spell to get my sister, but because I had the power to use Shikigami and Maria didn't, Anastasia needed me to activate the spell. Once it was working she tried to use her Shikigami to kill me, but then the dog saved me! I'm pretty sure he's the reason why I met the friends I have now. But since Anastasia is working with Naraku he's sending all his people to get my soul."

I wondered if the reason why Sesshōmaru was so tolerant of my behavior was because he had Jaken by his side. That imp spoke a lot as well. It made sense, in a way, seeing as the demon lord was so quiet.

"To this day I still don't know why they want it so bad. They were after Maria, but then they changed their minds and decided to go after me instead? I don't know. It's weird. Maybe they want both our souls? Long story short, Naraku needs to die and Anastasia confuses me."

The whispering was growing so much louder. Jaken's eye twitched and he snapped, exasperated by my ranting, "Do you ever shut up!? You humans are all so annoying!"

"I will when Sesshōmaru tells me to stop talking. Until then, I'mma talk like a crazy lady and-" I was cut off abruptly by a sudden pain shooting through my skull, the voices growing so loud it was as if they were shouting. Blood gushed out of my nose without warning and I staggered sideways, legs quickly loosing feeling. The mask clattered to the ground and my knees hit the floor, forcing me to hunch over.

"It hurts…"

No. Leave me alone. I don't want this. I don't want to go through this again.

"Save us…"

My vision colored black and the blood fell free, mixing with my tears. I brought a hand up to my face, trying to hide the crimson liquid. Sesshōmaru stared down at me, expression changing just the slightest. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips tilted downwards, and if I hadn't been paying such close attention to his features earlier I would not have noticed the difference. Jaken moved forward, alarmed by my sudden state.

"You, woman! What is the matter? Why are you bleeding?"

"The voices…" I choked, sobbing as I raised my hands to my pained skull. "Th-They won't stop. It hurts. The zombies…"

My body fell onto its side and I curled into a fetal position, fingers tangling into my hair. I felt so dizzy and sick- it was even worse than not being able to breathe. It was like some pressure was being pushed against my brain, trying to fill it up with noise until it erupted. There were just too many voices. My skull was going to overflow.

"Th-They hurt… it hurts… eughh…"

Make it stop. Please.

"Voices? The undead don't speak, fool! All they can do is… uh, L-Lord Sesshōmaru? What are you doing?"

He unsheathed his sword, stepping further into the room until he was ahead of me- keeping my wounded self on the floor behind him. The sword seemed to be glowing, yet the blade itself was dull. I still didn't understand how he defeated the zombies from the first level with it. Sesshōmaru narrowed his gaze at the next doorway. "The dead approach."

As if hearing him the corpses of multiple samurai and innocent villagers came flooding in from the hall. I almost screamed, back arching as the pain became too much. They needed to get out! Out of my mind! It hurts!

"Voices of the undead…" Sesshōmaru murmured, glancing at me from over his shoulder for a brief second before refocusing his gaze on the zombies. "Her connection to spirits must be what's causing this..."

Jaken hurried forward, looking up at the demon expectantly. "What shall you have me do, sire!?"

"Keep her out of the way."

"O-Of course! Right away, Lord Sesshōmaru!"

The imp stayed close to my side, watching with a disturbed expression over his shoulder as I writhed and cried out. I clawed at the wood with my fingers, teeth grinding together as I tried to will the voices to go away. My eyes were squeezed shut, stinging from the blood. I couldn't see anything as a result. I was briefly aware of Sesshōmaru charging at the undead to slay them all and yet all I could hear were the voices of the corpses screaming at him- pleading with the demon lord to spare them. To free them. It wasn't as if the demon could hear them either; no, for some reason this only seemed to affect me.

Gradually the voices began to die down and I stopped thrashing. I went limp against the ground and became weary, more or less exhausted from the entire encounter. I lied on my back, wheezing. The silence was so nice and relieving... I really wanted to take a nap.

"Are you alive, woman?" Sesshōmaru. The footsteps were so soft and quiet I almost didn't hear them.

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I simply tapped the ground. My nails were torn up and my fingertips were bloody. If my throat wasn't so sore and in desperate need of a drink I might have fallen asleep. The demon hummed and sheathed his sword, staring in silence and waiting for me to recover. "I… It's just…" Gods, speaking was so painful. It felt like glass shards were in my chest. "It's just a few… more hallways and… a staircase… b-before the roof…"

"You sound horrid." Jaken blatantly commented. "Were you really hearing the voices of the undead?"

I cringed at the loudness of his voice and turned my head. I didn't want to get up. My legs felt so tingly; I wasn't sure they would even move.

"A few more staircases and then the roof, you said?" Sesshōmaru said, repeating what I told him. I was going to let him go by himself from here on out, but… if the voices came back I wasn't sure if I would survive it a third time. I wasn't ready to die just yet.

"Y… Yeah." I struggled to push myself up, the world around me spinning. I blinked rapidly to try and clear the blood out of my eyes, waiting for my vision to clear. I wiped the blood off my face with my sleeves, sniffling and cringing at the sudden sting of my sinuses. "I… I can… oh gods. Ugh…"

I brought a hand up to my mouth, resisting the urge to vomit. How pathetic.

"Stay here." He ordered. "Jaken, remain with her. I'm going after Naraku."

"B-But my lord…!" The imp tried to protest. He focused a glare on me. "Damn you, woman! I'm supposed to be staying with Lord Sesshōmaru- not babysitting you!"

Oh no. I don't think so. Summoning all the strength and willpower I had left, I staggered onto my feet and stumbled forward. "I… I'm coming, too! M-My friends are… w-waiting for me. I'm not…" I coughed, picking up the mask and following after him. He had fixed his cold stare onto me, as if attempting to scare me back into waiting with his servant. I met his gaze evenly, determined to keep going despite how ill I felt. "I'm not dying here. I refuse. B-Besides, we had a deal!"

I jabbed the thumb into my chest, standing forward on my toes a bit to try and meet his gaze on his level.

"I'm taking you to the tower! I… I promised. And… And I keep my promises, Sesshōmaru! Okay?"

I was shaking, barely able to stand upright. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't slow me down."

"A-Are you kidding?" I asked, grinning weakly at him through the tears. "Slowing people down is the only thing I'm good at! You're the one thing keeping me alive, so I'm sticking with you. Sorry, not sorry. As a sickly human, I've gotta use you to my advantage. Hope ya don't mind."

I whirled around after saying that, the words I was saying a lot more confident than what I was actually feeling. I limped past the fallen bodies, walking over them and making my way to the door. There were so many… more than before. At least thirty or forty in this large room. It was no wonder the voices were so loud. Still… these samurai were the ones who helped me and my friends escape. It was cruel having to make them die twice. One of the faces weren't too badly disfigured and I could make out what they looked like, and I became quite woozy as a result. That soldier was one of the men we had delivered food to.

"Naraku is… really… eugh, I hate him."

I took a deep breath and blinked rapidly, fighting the tears.

"I'm fine. It's fine. Damn it. Where's- ah, stairs. U-Up here… Sesshōmaru."

The demon and his servant followed after, Jaken surprisingly not yelling at me for once. I held onto the half-broken railing as we walked up the creaky steps, pausing only when the whispering of a hauntingly familiar voice reached my ears. Sesshōmaru looked down at me, reaching out and placing a hand over the sword handle- seeming to recognize the signs of me hearing voices already. The whole building reeked of death- I doubted even he could tell the scent of a moving corpse from a still one.

"No…" Please, let me be wrong about this. "No, no, no! Not her!"

I hurried up the staircase like the fool that I was and once at the top I saw someone standing at the other end of the hallway, slowly making their way over to us. That pink-and-white kimono was unmistakable and yet… something was wrong. It was covered in blood. The right side of her face was burned away, almost seeming to mimic that of what I had done to a very irritating incarnation so long ago.

"It is her…"

"What's going on!?" Jaken demanded, climbing up quickly when he saw that I had stopped. "Why the hold up!?"

"Otoki…" I choked out, stepping forward. "Otoki, no…"

"Where is my brother…? It hurts."

"I-I know…" Otoki never made it out of this castle, so of course she wasn't alive. She was dead right from the moment we left for Rindoh Village. I had known it all along and yet… it was still so hard to accept. The proof of it was right in front of me. "I know it hurts. I-I'm so sorry."

"I want go home…"

"I know. I know you do." I understand that more than anything else in this world. I want to go home as well.

Jaken's eyes widened as he watched this take place, leaning forward with intrigue. "She is communicating with the corpse's spirit! How mysterious. What do you think of this M'lord? Uh… M-M'lord?"

Otoki was right in front of me now, yet somehow I was unafraid of her. All I felt was sadness, my heart reaching out for this poor girl. All she had wanted was to see her little brother, to know he was doing alright without her. This child never deserved such a painful end. "I'm sorry…" She reached out, a dark aura emanating from her body. Dropping the mask and grabbing her wrists before she could touch my neck, I stared at the outcome of my own failure. If only I were stronger- if I wasn't so weak! I should have went with her and made sure she got out of the castle. Suddenly she moved forward, alarming strength pushing me back. "Wh-What!?"

She was so much younger than me; where did all this power come from? The edges of my heels met the top step of the staircase and I struggled to stay upright, knowing that if I fell I would snap my neck or break a bone. "Save me." She seemed to say, empty eyes boring into mine. "Free me from this spell. Please."

"O-Otoki!?"

That was when I saw him. Out of the corner of my vision was Sesshōmaru, blade held high in the air.

"N-No, wait-!"

His eyes were as cold as hardened gold. There had to be a way to save her aside from killing her! How was his weapon even working against the corpses? I still don't understand anything of what's going on! This can't be the only way! My protests fell on deaf ears and seeing the way he brought the sword down towards her I panicked. In my effort to stop him from slaying the child I released Otoki's wrists and lunged, desperately trying to grab him.

The corpse took that chance to wrap her arms around my waist, clinging tight and changing the direction of which I was moving with her dead weight. "No-!"

"I'm sorry."

Her lips parted and her mouth opened wide, teeth ready to dig into my wounded shoulder. Right as she was going rip apart my flesh Sesshōmaru mercilessly swung his sword... and then the voice stopped. I collapsed hard onto my front, the girl's body so heavy from death that it was crushing me. I didn't even have a chance to figure out what she meant by how to free her. She was gone.

"Wh-Why…?" I wheezed, shakily crawling out from beneath her. I rolled the girl's body over and weakly tugged her into my lap, sniffling. "Why did you do that!? Sh-She was- She was trying to tell me something! The spell it… it had a way to be broken! I-I could have saved her! You didn't have to just kill her, you jerk!"

I brought a hand to rest against the burned side of Otoki's face, guilt welling up inside my heart as I looked at her. After a short moment, I turned to glare at Sesshōmaru, not bothering to hide the betrayal in my voice.

"How could you?"

I was really starting to think he could have been someone I was able to trust, but now… frick. Damn it! I took a shaky breath and bowed my head, eyes squeezing tightly shut as I mourned. I was completely unaware of the pentagram being drawn at my feet or how the blue light from Otoki's mangled body began to take shape, icy cold flames dancing along my body. I wouldn't have even bothered looking up if I didn't feel a pair of hands cup my face, raising my chin gently.

I tensed and opened my eyes in confusion, only to stare in shock at the person in front of me.

Her visage was so ghostly and transparent, and for a moment I thought she wasn't even there at all. She looked so unlike her corpse, all injuries and blood gone from her flesh and kimono. It almost felt like I was viewing a completely different person. The child pulled her hands away and smiled warmly at me, several fiery butterflies flapping around her. "Hello, Irene."

"O… Otoki?"

She rose from the pentagram, the fire seeming to give her shape. It was so different from the way the other undead behaved after being destroyed. It was almost as if the Shikigami reached out to her spirit before it could fade away, giving her one last chance to speak. I felt almost certain that was exactly what had happened,  and yet… how? What was that light that appeared when she and all the other corpses were slain? Was it their souls?

Did Sesshōmaru actually free them after all?

The young girl laced her fingers together in front of her, eyeing me warmly for a moment before turning to see Sesshōmaru, watching him tuck his sword away back into its sheath. She was just as adorable as when we first met. "Thank you so much!" She said, leaning down in a deep bow to show her respect. "You saved me!"

"He… He did?" I asked, stunned at the confirmation. "Sesshōmaru… saved you?"

The spirit stood up straight and her smile softened, noticing how confused I was. She nodded at my words. "Yes. Because of his sword I was able to break through the spell that was placed on me. I always thought demons were scary… especially when they came and attacked the castle. But you saved me, Mister Demon." She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. "It's thanks to you that I can sleep soundly now and see my little brother again. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mister Demon."

The flames grew brighter around her for a moment before they started to dissipate, the butterflies flying downwards to the pentagram below. Otoki was starting to lose her form. "W-Wait! Don't go! I-!"

There were so many things I wanted to say to her.

To tell her.

So much was running through my mind, suffocating and overwhelming, and I ended up losing track as my mind went blank. My voice died on my lips. Otoki knelt down beside me, staring at me with sad eyes. Those eyes… they would still be full of life if I had taken a different path. If I had thought to bring her with us, or to go with her and ensure she got out of the castle, she might still be alive. I was just so angry at Naraku that I didn't think straight.

And because of that she paid the price.

"I… I'm so sorry…"

Otoki shook her head at me, moving close and resting her forehead against mine. It was such an odd feeling as the fire was somehow cold. I wondered if it they were the flames of death. "Naraku is the one who did this." She told me, hands grasping my shoulders gently. "You tried to save me."

The girl then leaned forward, wrapping her arms around me.

"You held me like this once, remember? You said it was for my brother who couldn't be there for me. This time… this embrace is for you- from the both of us."

"No…" Keeping hold of the corpse's head with one hand so not to drop the body, I reached out out with my other arm to try and reciprocate, holding her tight. My voice cracked, heart feeling as if it was being crushed in a vice. "P-Please… don't go."

"Thank you, Irene…" She pulled back, freckled face smiling at me. "Farewell!"

"Otoki-!" My fingers faded through the flames as she vanished, the butterflies flapping their wings and disappearing into the pentagram. The fire around me burned brighter, flickering angrily in the air as the cold blue turned icy hot. "N-Not… Not… Not y-you, too-!"

The airways in my throat closed up and my breath came out in stuttered bursts, the pain flowing through me unbearable. I heaved and gasped, shaking uncontrollably as the sobs wracked my body so hard I was leaning over, feeling as though I were about to vomit. I tried desperately to stop it, tired of crying and frustrated by all the loss happening in this world, but there was no end to it. My lips curled back and my teeth ground so tight together it hurt.

Otoki's final words echoed in my mind.

Naraku was the one who did this. He took her and the samurai away, placing them under a spell and using them against us. I bet he even had Anastasia burn her face for some sick kind of message, as if to warn me against harming Kagura again. Bastard. I turned to look at Sesshōmaru and Jaken, anger settling in and fusing with the sorrow.

"A-All these people… i-in the… the castle… they're being controlled by Naraku?"

Jaken took a step back to avoid being touched by one of the embers, hiding behind his master. "Uh, y-yes… If you destroy a corpse that's under a spell, the spirit will go free. But only if you're Lord Sesshōmaru, of course!"

"Why… Why only him?"

Otoki said it had something to do with his sword. How could a weapon with a dull blade, incapable of harming enemies, save a spirit?

Jaken grinned widely, proud to be speaking of his master. "Lord Sesshōmaru is the only one capable of wielding the tenseiga- a weapon crafted from his father's mighty fang, a blade used to slay the undead!"

"And… you knew about this?" I looked up at the great dog demon, uncertainty in my gaze. When he saved me downstairs when I was cornered by all those zombies it was the tenseiga that he used. The blue light that I saw erupting from their bodies were their souls drifting away to freedom. "About their spirits?"

Sesshōmaru gave no verbal response. The neutral expression he wore, however, told me everything I needed to know. Facing Otoki once more and breaking out into several rough coughs, I willed the flames to dissipate. The world began to spin as a result and I found myself hunching over, staring into the deformed face of the girl I barely had time to call a friend.

I seriously hated Naraku.

He's so… awful. It's to the point where he can't even be described as bad or evil. He's just… awful. There's so much wrong with him and all that he does. I'm so tired of it. All these innocent people are being murdered because of his own selfish desires. Stubbornly ignoring the pain in my chest as I started to wheeze, I pulled out the broken pinwheel that sat in my pocket and tucked the end of the stick into her obi, making sure it would stay with her. Juzo really did work so hard on that gift.

"I'll get him back," I promised her, voice a low trembling growl, "Naraku won't get away this, s-so… so… just rest now, okay? Give your little brother a hug for me?"

Moving slowly, I set the girl's corpse down on the ground and closed her one open eye.

"I-It'll be… alright. No one can… No one can hurt you now."

Ohh, it hurts so much. The tears don't want to stop. Speaking is taking so much out of me, but… this war isn't over. We still need to get to that monster waiting in the tower. Jaken tapped his foot irritably against the ground, losing his patience waiting for me. "What are you doing!?" He demanded, voice rising up in pitch again. "How much longer do you intend to keep Lord Sesshōmaru waiting!?"

I said nothing, struggling to regain control of my emotions and calm down enough to get oxygen flowing decently again.

The silver-haired demon, however, focused on the gremlin with a cold stare, calling out with a sharp tone, "Jaken."

"See!" The gremlin exclaimed, then turned to face his master expectantly. "Wh-What is it, Lord Sesshōmaru?"

He narrowed his eyes at the demon. "Leave the woman alone."

The gremlin jumped, startled by the harshness of his voice, before sinking down and backing away in fright. "Y-Yes, M'lord…"

I really don't want to do this anymore. I don't care how much it hurts me; I'm not gonna hold back. Naraku has lived and tormented others long enough. Anastasia was the one who summoned me and my sister here, anyway, so I'll just get my answers out of her. For now that wretched half-demon needed to die. I stood up and wobbled, dragging my feet over to the mask that was on the ground. My body felt so numb.

I brought my sleeve up and wiped at my face, sniffling loudly as I knelt down down and picked up the fallen object. I held it with both hands, fiddling with it for a moment, before forcing myself to go over to where Sesshōmaru was standing. There was a huge misunderstanding and I needed to set it right. "Se… Sesshōmaru…?"

His piercing gaze focused on me. My heart caught in my throat and for a moment I forgot how to talk.

"I… wh-what you did… o-or were doing with the… the corpses; I-I didn't realize. You were saving her a-and… I yelled at you. I shouldn't have… done that. I'm sorry."

I sniffled, blinking several times as I raised my head up to meet his intimidating gaze once more. There were still so many things I had yet to learn about the Feudal Era and its inhabitants, and there were a lot of supernatural powers that I remained to lack understanding of. And although I was dizzy and angry, and so many other things, at this exact moment only one emotion was rising strongly enough to the surface that I wanted to express it.

And that was gratitude.

"But… I-I want to thank you." I smiled warmly at him, clutching the hem of my sweater tightly and holding the mask to my side. "Y-You didn't have to save them, but you did. Otoki and the… the samurai that attacked me earlier. You freed them and… stopped the voices. So… thank you."

I wiped at my face again, trying to brush away the tears that were falling once more. My head was pounding furiously at me. It seriously wanted a break from all these emotions; I felt so worn.

"Y-You're seriously amazing, Sesshōmaru. You're even putting up with all my nonsense." I sniffed. "I-I'll take you to the tower now, so… yeah. Thank you. I-It's this way. This castle could do without an evil spider or two."

I rose the mask up to my face and tied it on, blinking several times as I wobbled to the next doorway. The moldy, musty air became filtered through the holes in the mask, clearing my lungs and straightening out my blurry vision. I was just going to keep this wretched thing on for the rest of my time here; I kept taking it off because I hated wearing masks- something that was mostly brought on from all the days I had to wear my respirator- but this thing was incredible. What was Sango's secret to making it?

"It's… this way… um, the rooftop is-yeah. Over here." I peered through the big gap in the wall to see outside, cringing at the sight of the red armored samurai lying dead on the ground. Those must have been the ones Sesshōmaru killed on his way to the castle's inside. If he hadn't had to fight so many he might not have arrived in time to save me. "That's scary…"

"It's just the dead." Jaken commented thoughtlessly. "You really are a weak mortal."

"I'm a sick mortal, dude. There's… There's a difference. If I really wanted to, I could burn your face off like I did with Kagura."

"...That was you!?"

I paused, turning to look at him in confusion. Sesshōmaru's eyebrows raised just the slightest, as if he were intrigued. "You... know her? Actually, how come you guys are after Naraku? Did he… Did he take someone you care about, too?"

"I have a score to settle." Was the silver-haired demon's only answer. "You say you were the one to scar that incarnation?"

"Yup." I looked back at the blue roof nervously; the last time I crossed it I was riding on Kirara. This would be a true test of my balance skills, which… I severely lacked when there wasn't a book on my head. Ick. Can I really do this? I glanced up at Sesshōmaru, uncertain. "Y… You'll catch me if I fall, right?"

He said nothing and I could only cringe, forcing myself to swing a leg over the debris to crawl outside.

"Okay, guess I just gotta not fall then. Oooh. Yeah. I-I met her a few times. First time she stole some jewel shards and I was dragged along to fight her, and then the… the cat demon friend I mentioned nearly tore her arm off when I tackled the lady to get the fan away. I didn't get the fan, but I did burn her face. Then we met in a village where she- whoa!" I waved my arms wildly, yelping as I nearly slipped. "I'm okay! O-Oh gods… okay. Um. She… She tried to kidnap me. Then Naraku's other incarnation, Kanna, showed up later in a different village to take my soul. We saw Kagura again on her way back in here. They really want me dead for some reason. Dunno why."

"I wonder. Now can you hurry it up!?" Jaken demanded, glaring. "You're taking forever!"

That's it.

I carefully held my arms out, sliding my feet along the tiles and bringing them to a halt as I glared down at the little imp. "Can you please just stop shouting at me!? I-I have been trying to… to deal with your bullcrap, but unlike you I could actually die from this! S-So just… just shove off, toad!"

"Toad!? How dare you!" He raised his staff and swung it, aiming to smack me hard in the stomach. I freaked out when I saw this and threw myself back, sucking in my belly to avoid the hit, and it worked- but only momentarily, for shortly after I found myself about to roll down the rooftop again. "I am an imp demon!"

As I recovered from the loss of balance the staff suddenly disappeared from Jaken's hands, Sesshōmaru taking it from him and jabbing him hard on the head with the bottom of it. His eyes were narrowed in what I could only assume to be irritation, the man watching as the demon rolled down the side of the roof. Jaken barely managed to grab onto one of the tiles in time to stop his descent below.

"L-Lord Sesshōmaru, why…!?"

I was stunned. The elegant demon lord did not bother to respond to the imp, instead walking forward. "Keep going," He ordered me, "I can smell the smoke you mentioned."

"I-It doesn't bother you?" Feeling the anxiety start to rise up from that intimidating look I continued to walk, carefully making the rest of the way across the rooftop now that he was acting as a barrier between me and Jaken. The imp had climbed his way back up, now trailing behind Sesshōmaru with a disheartened look on his face. "I-I have a friend that's, um, you know… half dog demon and it, uh… really freaked with his nose."

Something flashed in those beautiful golden eyes of his when I said that and I wasn't sure if it was a good thing. Even more nervous, my rambling showed no signs of stopping.

"Well, I mean, I-I think we're friends anyway. He's always yelling at me and calling me stupid, but he has his nice moments! I told you my Shikigami familiar was a dog, right? I'm pretty sure he transported me near where that half-demon lived so I wouldn't die. Because, like, that person saved me when we first met, you know? There were these villagers that tried to kill me thinking I was a demon because of my weird clothes, so I was shot by arrows and everything, and when I got away a demon showed up! That… That demon almost ate me, but then the Shikigami happened and I passed out. When I woke up the half-demon was carrying me to the village he stayed at so I wouldn't die from blood loss because of what the villagers did. Fun times. Oh, yeah, the smoke! Almost forgot. I actually got this mask because of the smoke. It wasn't from him, but from someone else 'cause I can't breathe near it. She's pretty chill. She is a demon slayer though, so be warned. I don't think she'd attack you though- you're pretty nice. And I know I called you a jerk earlier during the whole... thing, but I thought you were one until it was revealed you were actually helping! So you went from neutral to jerk to nice! Does that make sense?"

As I took a deep breath, I came to the conclusion that I really needed to have an on-off button. My words just kept going and going. Voices began to whisper again and tear into my skull, and I tried to ignore them.

"I dunno. I like you, though. But it also takes a lot to make me hate someone- Naraku was the fastest. Kagura second. On the bright side if there's ever an actual zombie apocalypse, I now know who to go to for help!" I laughed, only to shudder at the thought of having to deal with anymore undead. "Th-There are so many… frick. What was it again? I think they can smell our vitality... We're only three people, but that's a lot of scent to go around, I guess."

I really would have died had I stayed downstairs with Jaken. Nearing the hole in the next wall I faltered, feeling something drip onto my top lip. My nose was bleeding again. I glanced up at Sesshōmaru for a moment, wearing a pained expression as the noise started to worsen. I pointed at the hallway, one of my eyes closing when blood began to spill from it and obscured my vision. The demon lord unsheathed the tenseiga.

Walking through the hole in the wall, I rolled rather ungracefully onto the ground and pushed myself up onto my knees. I was just about to attempt standing when a sword came hurtling down at me from nowhere, and had it not been for Sesshōmaru appearing from behind and blocking the attack with his sword I would have most likely lost my head. Holy frick. The demon's reaction time was astounding.

The silver-haired man stepped forward and sent the samurai's blade flying. "Nuisance." Sesshōmaru growled, slashing at the undead.

I watched as the corpse collapsed and the soul left its body. Unfortunately, it wasn't the only one in here; there were at least ten, accompanied by twice as many demons. My head was throbbing and I curled against the wall, knees to my chest with my hands gripping my skull. We were completely pinned, trapped and surrounded in this small area. Our only exit would be back through the hole in the wall, but could we even get through it in time? I wouldn't be able to make it like this. Were the demons and undead just waiting for us to show up here?

"Jaken!" Sesshōmaru called out, catching the attention of the green goblin behind us. "Take care of this."

"Yes, M'lord!" The goblin began to cackle maniacally as he approached, waving his staff in the air. "Ohoho! The time to shine has come! Watch, human, and behold the power of the staff of two heads!"

He held the staff outwards in front of him, the mouth of the old man opening as it faced our opponents. A few seconds later a hot red fire began to spew out of it, burning all the demons that tried to come near and turning them into ash. It did little for the undead except make their inner voices scream in agony and make me hurt as a result of that, and when they began to move again Jaken shrieked and ran over to where I was, hiding behind Sesshōmaru.

"H-How was that, sire!?"

He seriously only lived to please him, didn't he? My goodness. I flinched and let out a small noise, pained. The throbbing felt more like someone was taking my skull and filling it up with some kind of pressure, trying to expand it despite the bones being rigid and not very malleable.

"I don't want to do this…"

"Help…"

Sesshōmaru twisted the tenseiga and lunged, moving with incredible speed as he slashed at the undead samurai. None stood a chance against him, falling one-by-one with a loud thud onto the rotten floorboard. The bright blue souls erupted from their body, drifting away and vanishing into the distance. It was a wondrous sight and an amazing feeling as the world was enveloped in silence once more. Sesshomaru flicked the sword and tucked it back into its sheath. "What a waste of time."

He said that, but he still went out of his way to free the spirits of the dead. I doubted he would ever admit it himself that he cared about them. Why else would he help them? This demon lord was kind, no matter how cold and aloof he appeared. I somehow felt safer with him than when I was actually travelling with the group; I haven't been injured once since I started wandering around with him, save for the voices. This person was absolutely brilliant.

I slowly pushed myself away from the wall, stumbling over to him with big eyes after blinking the blood away. "H... How are... you so strong!?" No matter how many times I've seen him do this, he was still so incredible. It was incredibly different from the way Inuyasha or the others fought. This man and his battle capabilities, not to mention his very person, was in a league all of his own. "Is it... 'cause you're a great demon? O-Or... Or did you train for, like, hundreds of years to get so powerful? How old are you? You look my age, b-but you're probably centuries old. Right? O-Or thousands of years?"

The man stared down at me, not answering a single question and merely letting me ramble excitedly.

"You're amazing!"

"But of course!" Jaken gloated. "Lord Sesshōmaru is the best! There is no one better than he!"

"Clearly! If… If anyone can defeat Naraku, it's you! I mean, I can try and help, but a-all I'm really good for is healing. You'd just be like swish-" I swung my arm goofily through the air, grinning widely despite him not actually being able to see it because of the mask, coughing a little as I did so. I wobbled a little, still a bit dazed, and easily caught myself. "-and then… and then bam! Naraku's dead."

He was fighting with a single arm, too. I could only imagine how powerful he was back when he had both limbs, which then brought on the question- how did he lose his arm in the first place? It must have been quite the powerful opponent, one who rivaled him in terms of sheer power and intellect.

"That spider won't stand a chance against you!"

Maybe I was over-doing it with the praise. I didn't really care; this person was just so cool. I rocked on my heels, bouncing a little on the balls of my feet in my excitement. It's been so long since I was able to feel so happy about something, even if my head was calling for some serious tylenol and acetaminophen treatment. My mood-swings were probably something to be a little worried about, but that didn't matter right now. No- this incredibly powerful and beautiful demon in front of me was what was important. He could defeat Naraku easily; I just knew it. He probably didn't even need a trick to break any barriers.

"I'm really glad you're on my side, otherwise I'd already be dead!" I joked. "You're amazing!"

Sesshōmaru said nothing as Jaken and I lavished him with praise. The man was most likely used to it by now. He was clearly confident in his own abilities, walking around as if he owned the whole castle. I walked with a bit of a skip in my step as I began to make my way down the hall, swinging my arms at my side. I had to stop shortly after, the actions taking too much air out of me, but I was in such a good mood.

Jaken was a pain, but I enjoyed travelling with Sesshōmaru now that I knew he wasn't a bad person.

When I saw more undead heading towards us as we neared the area with the burnt flowers I backed up, no longer panicking now that I was certain that the great dog demon lord would protect me. He rushed forward and slashed at all the zombies, and I found myself mesmerized by the way he battled. It was as if he were dancing with the tenseiga. The pain in my skull lasted only a few seconds now, what with how quickly the great demon acted, and as long as I kept my distance from the undead it wasn't as intense.

Stepping over the corpses so not to disturb them, Jaken and I hurried back to Sesshōmaru- the man waiting for us to catch up. "It was… frick, which way was it?" We were in the area where my memory got super hazy. I know for a fact the gang went to the room up ahead, but after that it was black. "I think… this was the room where we split up."

I stepped inside, staring around the room with furrowed brows. It felt like there should have been multiple samurai in here.

"Y-Yeah… I guess… that was what happened." I nodded, biting down on my bottom lip. "My cat demon friend must have carried me down to the lower floor and took off to avoid gaining the zombies attention, a-and that's when you found me. Um…"

I really hoped she was okay. I headed to the next doorway and peered through it, very anxious now that my mind was drawing a blank on where to go from here. It was so nice being useful, but now… I had no idea where to go. The place looked familiar, but so many rooms were covered with fallen debris we would have to take a roundabout path to the top.

Jaken narrowed his eyes at me, seeing how I was hesitating. "Are you sure you know where the tower is?"

"I-I do, it's just…" I'm scared. I don't want to be abandoned. My fingers twitched and I began to fiddle with them, glancing back-and-forth down the two hallways. They were so dark. "This is as far as I got in the broken down version of this castle. The last time I went to tower it was all…" I waved a hand around. "...normal? I-I can get you there, it'll just take a minute! This way!"

"You better not be lying!" Jaken threatened. "I'll kill you if you are!"

"As if." I said, making a face at the imp. "You don't scare me. Sesshomaru, on the other hand, does. Oh, look, a staircase! See? I do know what I'm talking about; I'm not totally useless. Up here! This is… yeah! Haha! The tower! Woo! I'm not a failure."

I whirled around on my heel and pointed at the next big room up ahead, grinning through the mask.

"See, Sesshōmaru? We just gotta go through this next room and-"

I barely got two steps in through the doorway when there was a loud meow and I was catching a familiar cat demon in my arms, the kitten curling against my chest and licking the blood off my face. I stumbled and caught myself, standing still for a second as I processed this. I held her up, staring at her big red eyes in shock.

"K-Kirara?"

A voice from inside called out my name and very soon a young brunette came rushing out, barreling into me as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders. Sesshōmaru and Jaken waited outside in the hallway, stopping as if they knew what was about to transpire. "Irene! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you!?"

"S-Sango?" She held me so tight she was shaking. Relief washed over me and I leaned into the touch, having a bit of trouble reciprocating before Kirara climbed onto my head. I clung to her kimono, burying my face in her shoulder. "I-I was so scared that- ohhh, I'm so glad you're safe!"

"I should be saying that about you!" She pulled away, grasping my shoulders. Her eyes widened and she then reached up, resting the back of her hand against my face. "Irene, you're burning up! Your eyes are all red and puffy, too. Were you crying again? Your wounds are still bleeding, too! How much blood have you lost? I'm surprised you're still even able to walk!"

I laughed weakly through the mask, pulling back a hand and tapping at the object. "Mostly because of sheer willpower and this. Think you can make me one sometime? I love it."

"It might take a while, but sure. I'll have to collect the demon bones necessary to do so." She looked over her shoulder, calling out to the others. "Everyone, look! Inuyasha was right; Irene is here! She's safe!"

Kagome brought a hand to her chest, letting out a small sigh. "That's a relief. I'm glad."

"Me too." Miroku smiled. "We were getting a bit stressed out waiting for you. We feared the worst might have happened."

Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms. "I told 'em not to worry. You can be pretty useless most of the time, but you always pull through in the end. Still…" His ear twitched and he glanced uncomfortably at the doorway. I wondered if he could smell the demons I was travelling with. I sincerely hoped he was not the brother I thought he was.

Could he smell Sesshōmaru?

I was never able to ask, for Sango pulled me back into another hug. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to go after you when I saw Kirara was alone, but more and more corpses were gathering and it would be too dangerous if we were all together. We figured you'd be safer by yourself than with us."

"N-No! No, it's okay. I mean, there was a whole horde of them on like several levels that tried to kill me, but…"

Sango moved back a step, leaning away so she could brush the bangs out of my face. I was sweating badly, covered in dirt and blood- both dry and fresh. I must look like a mess to them. Sango was smiling so warmly it got rid of all the words I was going to say.

Shippō spoke up from his spot on Miroku's arm. "How come you had such trouble getting here?" He asked, confused. "We didn't encounter any demons or undead on our way up here."

"They smell vitality," Miroku said, his eyebrows knitting together, "By all means they should have went after those of us that were in groups of two. How come they all went after you? Did Naraku somehow order them to-"

"Uh, actually I think it was…" I hesitated, catching everyone's attention. Inuyasha scowled, his ears twitching as his eyes once again flicked to the doorway behind me. He was really unnerved by their scents, wasn't he? I suppose I should tell them. "I think it was because there were three of us? I mean, a larger group to track and all that…"

Kagome looked dumbfounded. "Three of you? You mean you weren't alone? We were all up here, so how could you have-"

As if deciding now was the time to reveal himself, the silver-haired man known as Sesshōmaru entered the room. Kirara's fur stood on end when she saw him walk up behind me, the demon far too close for her liking, and she began to hiss. Sango's eyes widened immediately and she wasted no time in hoisting me up onto her shoulder, causing me to yelp as she suddenly jumped back closer to the rest of the group in an attempt to get away from him. The cat demon leaped down to the floor and transformed, snarling at the man.

Everyone else readied their weapons, Inuyasha pushing Kagome behind him as he unsheathed tetsusaiga. "Sesshōmaru!" The half-demon growled. "What are you doing here!?"

Were they seriously going to attack him? This is not okay. Nope. I wiggled my legs and struggled in Sango's grasp, the woman loosening her hold in surprise. She wasn't used to me resisting her protection. I ripped the mask off my face- leaving it to dangle around my neck- and I stumbled over to the full-blooded demon, alarmed and very much panicking. "W-Wait! Don't… Don't attack him! Please!? H-He was really nice and helped me get here!"

Sesshōmaru's golden eyes followed me as I made my way in front of him, watching as I held my hands out defensively as if to protect him. Which, admittedly, was a little ridiculous because he needed no one to shield him. I was just scared and, even now, I was struggling for oxygen.

"Nice?" Sango echoed, stunned. "You can't be serious."

Inuyasha scoffed at my words, unable to believe what he was seeing. "Get away from him, Irene! Sesshōmaru doesn't have the heart to be nice. All he has is a hollow where a heart should be! I bet he was gonna kill you once he got what he wanted."

"What?" I've seen Inuyasha angry before, but this was pure bitterness that was in his voice. He almost sounded afraid. "B-But… he protected me! The zombies were about to kill me when Sesshōmaru showed up! He… He saved me from several demons and dozens of undead! He isn't the bad guy, I promise!"

Sesshōmaru actually scoffed when he saw the way Inuyasha was looking at him. "So, little brother, this human woman is indeed your friend? I suspected as much."

My eyes went wide and I looked up at him. He knew all along? Was my hinting that obvious? How come he let me live? If he truly was related to Inuyasha and was the villain everyone painted him out to be, by all means I should not be alive right now. He seemed so tolerable of me, a human, so did he really hate him for being a half-demon? I didn't understand.

"What of it?" Inuyasha demanded, snapping at Sesshōmaru. He gripped the handle of tetsusaiga anxiously, ready to fight if need be yet clearly scared of this opponent. It was a completely different side to him. "You gonna kill her now? I don't know why, but you seem to have her brainwashed into thinking you're some kind of compassionate demon! How about you show her your true colors, huh?"

"T-True colors? What?" I'm so lost. Sesshōmaru stepped forward, pushing me back with his hand and out of his way. His hand reached for the other sword, the one I had yet to see him use. "So you are his older brother?"

Kagome nodded fervently. "Yes! He's the one we told you about- and he's ruthless! Get away from him while you can!"

"I…" I really didn't want to. I trusted Sesshōmaru. He scared me a little at first, but he's been so kind. He protected me, honoring the deal we made, and while there was nothing to be gained from freeing the souls of the dead he did it anyway. "I don't…"

I don't think he's a bad person.

"Irene." I snapped my head up, staring at Sesshomaru with wide eyes. It was the first time he called me by name. I hadn't even thought he remembered it. The demon wasn't looking at me, instead focusing his attention on Inuyasha and the others, watching them closely. The demon removed his hand from his sword, standing upright and narrowing his eyes. "You've completed your side of the bargain. You are no longer under my protection."

"Uh, o-okay?" That came out of nowhere. "D-Does that mean I should back away from you now or…?"

He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes before turning away. Sesshōmaru no longer appeared as if he were going to battle the others, sliding a foot forward to walk away. "Do what you will." He told me, moving ahead and stepping past the others. Inuyasha called out to him, demanding he turn back and fight him, but Sesshōmaru paid him no heed. "Jaken, let's go."

The imp yelped and hurried forward, not wanting to be left behind. "Y-Yes, Lord Sesshōmaru!"

"Where do you think you two are going!?" Inuyasha growled. "Get back here!"

Jaken turned his head and scowled, waving his staff in the air. Sesshōmaru continued to walk, leaving the demon behind. "You should be grateful; my master is in a charitable mood today! Your lives have been spared!"

"If he's in such a charitable mood," Miroku began, narrowing his gaze at the goblin, "how come he's leaving without you?"

"What?" Jaken whirled his head around, screeching. He chased after the majestic demon. "W-Wait for me, M'lord!"

I was extremely tempted to follow after Sesshōmaru myself, finding something about his presence very magnetic. Even more than that I felt an urge and desire to prove that he wasn't as terrible as the others clearly believed him to be. It was a strange sensation and I found my foot moving forward, almost as if I was going to chase after the demon lord.

"Irene?" Sango's voice snapped me out of it and I jumped, startled. She was looking at me with concern. "Are you okay? What exactly happened between you and Sesshōmaru? What bargain was he talking about?"

"Huh?" She set her hands on my shoulders, standing close to me. There was no reason for her to be so scared. "I-I told you; he kept me safe. He saved me and when I asked if he was going to where Naraku was, we made a deal. He'd protect me and I'd bring him to the tower. A-And he did! He even freed the souls of the undead!"

Miroku blinked, stepping forward and leaning down with big eyes. "A-Are you certain that is what happened? Sesshōmaru is one of the coldest demons in existence! Humans are no better than insects to him. Did you become ill and hallucinate?" The monk held a hand out, attempting to touch my face to feel for a fever, but Sango smacked it away.

"Don't touch her, monk."

"N-No, I didn't hallucinate!" I really don't like how they're acting towards him. Sesshōmaru was kind to me. "I mean, he's a little intimidating and I can see what you mean by ruthless, but that's only towards his enemies! He made Jaken stop whenever he started to act really mean and when this one samurai almost took off my head he-"

"You're dreaming." Inuyasha growled, stepping forward. He seemed so bitter and angry whenever his brother was involved. His eyes were so intense I was a little frightened of him. "I've known Sesshōmaru my whole life and he isn't nice to anyone. I don't know why he spared you after getting here, but I can tell you one thing; it wasn't out of the goodness of his heart."

"W-Well, maybe he met a human before coming here and they changed his mind?" Not all demons were bloodthirsty. Even if it at one point Sesshōmaru was a terrible person he clearly didn't behave like one now. "It's not impossible that-"

"That's the thing." He snapped. "It is impossible. He hates humans and half-demons more than anything in this world."

Inuyasha would know more than anyone else. He was the very product of a human and demon relationship, and if I remembered what little I was told about his past well enough then it would not surprise me at all if Sesshōmaru had tried to kill him when they were both younger. Heck, the man looked ready to battle him a few minutes ago if he weren't so intent on destroying Naraku. Still… that didn't mean he couldn't have had a change of heart.

"I… I still don't think that's…" I hesitated. I feared that if I kept trying to defend the demon I just met the friendship I had with Inuyasha would completely fall apart. Our personalities weren't too compatible to begin with, which made a lot of our interactions rather rocky. "I just…"

Kagome, seeing the way the conversation was starting to tread downhill, stepped forward and clapped her hands together. "Anyway! Don't you guys think we should get going? If we stay here any longer Sesshōmaru is going to get to Naraku before us!"

"What!?" Inuyasha snapped out of it, grasping the tetsusaiga tightly as he began to dart forward. "Like hell I'm gonna let that bastard kill him!"

"I-Inuyasha!" Miroku called after, exasperated when he saw the half-demon take off. Kirara moved and dashed between my legs, startling me as I yelped and fell onto her back. Sango leaped on behind me, helping me sit up, and we took off after him. "Wait for us! We're joining the battle, too, you know!"

Kirara wasted no time in chasing after the half-demon, leaving me struggling to hold onto her fur as I began to hear voices. Sango kept one hand on my waist, the other resting on her hiraikotsu in case it was needed. Miroku and Kagome chased after, Shippō clinging to the monk's shoulder tightly. I still found it amazing how Miroku could keep up with Inuyasha and Kirara's pace. Kagome, however, was lagging a bit behind. We entered a hallway and went through it into a room higher up, leading into the main area of the tower. The sounds only grew louder and it was there that we saw something truly horrifying.

Chills went down my spine, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

Dozens upon dozens of corpses littered the room, surrounding Sesshōmaru and leaving him completely cornered. There wasn't even enough space for him to jump away and land somewhere else- he was stuck in a horde of about fifty or more zombies, and while I was left completely stunned by this Inuyasha grinned broadly- rather pleased that his older brother was caught in such an awful situation. "Ha! How's that, Sesshōmaru? Can't get to Naraku now, can ya!?"

"Look at all the corpses!" Kagome gasped, freaked out by the sight of them. "Th-There are so many!"

I winced a little at the pounding in my head, eyes struggling to observe the room in this darkness and misery. I couldn't see any sign of that irritatingly pretty evil half-demon and this was the last room in the castle. In fact, it was the room we saw him in last time we were here. Was all this just one giant trap? Was even the powerful demon lord, Sesshōmaru, lured here under the pretense that Naraku would be in the castle? I found it so hard to believe that he could have been tricked and I just met him.

"Make it stop. Please... I don't want this."

I almost cried out at the loud voice, gripping Kirara's fur tightly. I searched the room from my spot near the door, desperately trying to find out where the noise was coming from. Several corpses lay dead at Sesshōmaru's feet, but he was barely making a dent in the small army.

"I don't want to hurt anyone..."

There! I saw him, hiding in the back of the room on the opposite side of Sesshōmaru; the undead's body was glowing with a terrible purple light- far brighter and more malicious than any of the other corpses dark mist. It seemed to be blending in with the others, groaning and hobbling towards the demon lord. Something was familiar about its blue armor, however, and I became very disturbed when I realized why. I squinted, left eye closing when it began to get blinded by blood. "D-Do you guys... see that!?"

"What?" Sango asked, frowning. She readied her hiraikotsu, noticing several zombies turning towards us. "See what, Irene?"

"Look!" Shippō wailed. "Some of the ones fighting Sesshōmaru are turning this way!"

I urged to Kirara to move a few steps closer, the cat demon reluctantly doing so and growling at the walking dead that dared to come near. "Th-There! In the blue!" It was definitely that person's voice I was hearing over the others. He spoke so loudly, so mournfully. It only reminded me of how determined he had been to save everyone before. "It's Yukimura!"

"Surely you're not serious!?" Miroku exclaimed, eyes widening. He observed the crowd for a moment until he saw the person he was looking for. "It is him!"

"I don't want to kill! My body is not my own!"

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha bared his teeth, frustration lining his features. "Naraku isn't here then!?"

No, but he was definitely pulling the strings. I hated that bastard so much and I only met him once.

Sango narrowed her eyes, staring at the corpse and pushing several more undead back with her hiraikotsu when they got too close. She was doing her best not to harm them. "Something about him... he's different from the other undead!"

"Yes! It's his demonic aura!" Miroku said, swinging his staff and kicking at a corpse. He pulled out several sacred sutras, tossing them onto their bodies and watching them stumble back and burn. He quickly held his hand up in prayer before repeating the process. "It's much stronger than the rest! Naraku must be using this corpse to control the other undead! He knew we wouldn't be able to fight them, so he came up with this spell!"

Which meant... oh, of course! I'm an idiot. "Yip, yip! Up, Kirara!" The cat demon roared and jumped up, flying above the corpses. I cringed at the sight, watching as civilians and samurai alike were forced to wander in suffering, cursed to battle. Inuyasha and the others were doing their darnedest not to hurt them, but even then... it was difficult. There was just so many. "That way! Towards Sesshōmaru!"

She gave me a strange look before obeying, avoiding the spears and swords that were being swung below. I could see the demon lord step aside and swing with the tenseiga, slicing at two corpses and freeing their spirits, before blocking blades from several others. Even in such close-knit quarters Sesshōmaru was truly incredible; it was so temping to sit there and merely watch him fight. He was absolutely mesmerizing. If we were in any other kind of situation I might have been content to stare.

"S-Sesshōmaru, can you hear me!?" The blood was spilling from both eyes now and I was clinging to Kirara tightly, unable to see very well as I rapidly blinked to try and clear my vision. The voices were so loud and deafening. I was having trouble making out my own voice. "Y... Yukimura is controlling the other corpses! If you... If you free his spirit you can break the spell o-on... on all of them! He's the puppet master! The one in blue armor!"

I could hear Inuyasha scream indignantly from the other side of the room, though what he said was lost on me. I think he was mad because I was asking his brother for help. Several of the zombies turned, distracted by the scent of mine and Kirara's life force, and waved their blades and hands up in the air to try and get us. The cat demon flew higher and I yelped, the pain dulling some from the distance. Thank god this castle had high ceilings. Wait- if we can distract them... Sesshōmaru can get away.

"Move closer, Kirara! W-We have to get them away!" The cat demon let out a sound and flew around the corpses, trying to attract their attention. "H-Hey...! Y-You all... want to be saved, right? C-Come right this way then!"

Blue flames flicked along my fingertips and it was then I noticed the butterflies flapping about. They were so tiny, hardly visible, but they were definitely there. I blinked the blood roughly out of my eyes and held out my right hand towards the corpses, determined.

"O' miracle of light..." Yes. That was the incantation; I'm sure of it. It felt so weird, as if something was guiding my lips to speak it. "...bind the evil that hinders you!"

The flame grew in power and the butterflies shot outwards, an even larger one flying out from the pentagram beneath my feet in the air. They beat their wings and soared through the air, the icy blue flame washing over the undead surrounding Sesshōmaru. He watched as this took place before slicing at those in an immediate circle around him, taking that chance to leap up. I yelped when he suddenly appeared before me and nearly fell off the cat demon, Sesshōmaru seeming to float in midair. His golden eyes were piercing, the long boa drifting behind him. "You say that corpse controls the others?"

"Y-Yes?" I squeaked, startled. I could feel a cough rising to the surface, but I held it back as best I could. My heart was currently buried in my throat.

"Hmph. Good." He twisted the tenseiga that was in his grasp and lunged, flying downwards at Yukimura with astonishing speed. The voices seemed to have dulled a bit, clearly due to the spell I had cast. It slowed them down in their walk, even making their word process a bit sluggish. I watched through blurry vision as Sesshōmaru slashed at Yukimura, the demon lord intent on running him through, but... his sword never made contact. The blade bounced off of a blue barrier, forcing him to back away. The demon lord looked mildly irritated upon this new development. "Pathetic. Hiding behind a barrier..."

Miroku turned to Inuyasha, struggling to keep a few undead back with his staff. He didn't have enough room to pull out another sutra. "Inuyasha, use the tetsusaiga! If you do then Sesshōmaru can free Yukimura's soul!"

"What!? No way in hell; I'm not helpin' him!"

"Don't be childish!" The monk hissed, shoving the undead back and smacking it in the side of the head with his staff. "We'll die at this rate!"

Inuyasha raised his sword and knocked a zombie back. "No, we won't! I'll kill him myself!"

"You can't, Inuyasha!" Shippō cried out, seeing the way the half-demon was trying to charge through the horde towards the leading corpse. "You'll hurt Yukimura!"

"But-!" He hesitated. That was when I felt something grab my foot, an undead villager trying to tug me off of Kirara's back. A scream ripped out of my throat and I freaked, thrashing and trying to get it to let go. The half-demon whirled around, ears twitching at the sound. "Irene!"

"L-Let go of meeeeee!" My grip slipped and Kirara roared, trying to fly higher as she kicked at the undead grabbing at her. I was dangling halfway through the air, ankles grabbed by the undead and my  fingers tangled into the cat demon's fur. I was going to end up yanking tufts of it out at this rate. My heart raced loudly, fear enveloping me and racing through my veins. The spell must have worn off because the pounding was back in my head and even more intense, the zombies too close for comfort. "S-Somebody...! Heeelp!"

I broke out into several coughs. My grip was starting to loosen.

The zombies gave one last tug and then I was falling.

For a moment I thought I was dead, but then I found myself in a pair of red-clad arms with a half-demon leaping across the shoulders of multiple undead. It took a few moments before Inuyasha jumped up, landing onto Kirara's back with surprising ease. It almost felt like that time back in the forest when he saved me from that huge demon. The half-demon set me down and I wheezed, coughing as I clung to the cat demon. Kirara let out a roar, relieved. From below I could see Sesshomaru slashing at the undead, having moved from Yukimura to them sometime during my fall. I blinked, dumbfounded, raising a hand up and wiping off the blood dripping down my chin. I sniffled, ignoring the pain in my head. "Th-Thanks..."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Yeah, right. You're lucky you ain't dead yet."

I made a face, resisting the urge to make a sarcastic comment, and leaned over the side to watch Sesshōmaru battle. "You guys are really brothers?"

"Don't ask." The half-demon growled, turning to look at Yukimura. "Damn it... I don't want to work with him. I hate that bastard."

My eyes drifted over to stare at Inuyasha, curious. So many questions littered my mind, only making my migraine worse, but they were for another day. Now was not the time to ask about his past or his relationship with Sesshōmaru. "We... We need to break the barrier. Y-You said... you'd handle it this time, right?"

He hesitated. Right- family issues. Okay.

"I guess I'll do it. H-Hey, Sesshōmaru!" The demon lord did not so much as glance up. It didn't really surprise me; he really didn't look at me a whole lot when I spoke. It made me wonder if he was even listening, but then I remembered he knew my name. That gave me hope. He slashed at another undead below and for a moment, just that one moment, I wondered if he was still protecting me. When I fell and Inuyasha came over to catch me, did Sesshōmaru move away from Yukimura and his barrier to slay the undead before they could cause me further harm? I kind of wished that was the case. "I... I'm gonna break that barrier, okay? I'll show you how strong a sickly human can be!"

Inuyasha gave me a strange look when he saw the grin on my face, knowing full well I was in pain. "The hell? Don't help him! It's Sesshōmaru!"

"Yeah. I know that." I was shaking so bad from all of this. My anxiety and my fear were merging together into a very unhealthy concoction that spread throughout my bloodstream, and I knew I was going to have nightmares for many more days if I survived this. Still, having such a powerful demon nearby protecting me helped ease some of the tension plaguing my body and I took a deep breath, bringing my hands down to Kirara's fur as if I were about to commit a transmutation.

I can do this. My friends are in danger and this tenseiga of Sesshōmaru's was our only hope of escaping out of this alive. Inuyasha was too bitter towards his brother to help, so it was all left to me. Clearly. Damn it all; he could be such a child sometimes. Miroku was right. Leave all the work to the sickly person! It was taking all I had not to scream from the excruciating agony wracking through my brain. The fire grew around me, causing no harm to my dear cat demon friend or Inuyasha. It spread along the air, a pentagram beginning to form with the flames flickering from red-to-orange, and then blue-to-green. They grew high and fierce, hot to the touch yet not burning myself or any of my friends.

The summoning circle slowly began to expand as I prayed.

"O' overflowing blue sky..." The star in the middle became bright, almost blinding to look at. An eagle flew out of the circle, flapping its wings majestically and diving into the air. I focused my attention on the barrier surrounding Yukimura's corpse, multiple emotions flooding my being as I recalled how desperately I had pleaded with him and the other samurai to leave this castle. "...remove these storm clouds from my path!"

The eagle let out a loud, ear-piercing caw before beating its wings and plunging downwards towards the barrier. Dizziness washed over me and I fell over, collapsing against Kirara's back. The mask had saved me a lot of pain during my travel through the castle, but this was it. I was done for the day. Sesshōmaru dove away from the corpses after sending them all flying backwards with a powerful swing, forcing them away with the strength of his own demonic aura, and charged right at the barrier. At the exact moment the eagle pierced the blue force field Sesshōmaru swung the tenseiga. It sliced through the dissipating barrier easily, the blade tearing deep into Yukimura's flesh.

Only… it didn't actually leave a mark. The tenseiga freed Yukimura's soul, but left no cut behind to show it. The only thing that told me the corpse was defeated was the emptiness in my skull.

"H… He did it!" Kagome exclaimed, stunned when all the other corpses fell down onto the ground, completely immobile. "Sesshōmaru broke the spell!"

"Grrr~ I've had about as much as I can take from that Naraku!" Shippō growled, digging his little paws into Miroku's shoulder. The monk was making his way over with Sango, the woman carefully lifting me into her arms once Kirara lowered us to the ground. Inuyasha hopped onto the floor. "How's Irene!? Is she doing okay?"

"I don't know. She's terribly pale." Miroku responded, reaching out holding a hand carefully over my face. "We need to get back outside where Kagome's supplies are; she needs her medicine! Her breathing is weak. She's bleeding everywhere!"

I'm so tired. Today was far too much for me; I needed a break.

"I can't believe this is happening." Sango shook me lightly, trying to get me to open my eyes. I was so sleepy; I just wanted to take a nap. Everything hurt so badly. "Irene, stay with me! Don't do this!"

Shippō sat up straighter when he saw this, his green eyes watery with tears. "I-Irene, just hold on a little while longer, okay? We'll get you to that weird machine!"

Sango looked close to crying herself. She hoisted me up, sitting me upright so my back was against her chest. "You're bleeding badly…"

"Sesshōmaru," Kagome began, taking a daring step forward when she saw him sheath his sword, "you... weren't going to kill Irene, were you? I want to thank you- for protecting her, I mean. We were all very worried."

The demon lord gave her an empty stare, expression neutral and showing nothing of his thoughts. For the longest time it seemed he wasn't going to speak until he said, "I came here only for Naraku. If he isn't here there is no use remaining in this castle. I'm leaving."

Jaken suddenly came stumbling out of the west doorway, apparently having been hiding in that area the entire time. "W-Wait for me, sire! I-I have news! Um, that is... i-if you don't mind me saying... I saw from a nearby window some of those poisonous insects flying by! They seem to be heading in the direction of Ayame Village. Th-That's not too far from here, is it? Naraku might be there!"

"Hn." Sesshōmaru paused right before he left, focusing Inuyasha with a cold stare. "I suspect you'll be heading there as well, little brother? In that case- be sure to stay out of my way. Otherwise… I will kill you."

"Ha!" Inuyasha scoffed at that. "I'd like to see you try."

Kagome frowned, watching him leave. I tried to pull myself out of Sango's hold and stand, so I could thank him for helping me on the way here, but my body wouldn't move. I was too weak. My limbs had completely given out on me. "That was so strange… oh! Right, the bandages! Give me one moment, everyone!"

"As much as I'd love to head directly out for Ayame Village…" Miroku sighed. "We should probably return to Kaede's as quickly as possible. We need to recover and Irene is in no walking condition. With Hachi flying us we'll be able to double our time there and to the village; it's our best option."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but everything he said went through one of my ears and out the other. All their voices began to blur together, fading away into darkness. I couldn't make sense of anything they were saying. I was just so tired.

And I know Sango wanted me to stay awake… but sleep was far too tempting.

Chapter Text

While Kagome and Sango tended to my wounds and had me use the nebulizer, Hachi and the boys helped bury the remaining dead. I was asleep the entire time, but the girls nursed me back to health as best as they could. When I awoke my ears weren't working as well as they should have been and everyone, even Otoki, had been placed in graves. I sat there for the longest time, mourning the lives that were lost due to our carelessness.

Humans are such arrogant, greedy, and stubborn creatures…

Naraku knew that. He was originally human himself. Perhaps that's why he tries so hard to wipe us all out- he despises the nature of mankind.

I wore the demon slayer mask over my face when Miroku lit incense on the graves, the monk kneeling beside me and offering his prayers to the deceased. I wondered when it came to this- how trying to find my sister wound up being a journey that treaded between life-and-death, innocents getting involved and lives lost because of the heartlessness of one wretched half-demon.

Otoki…

Her voice was gone now. All the voices were. No more undead plagued my mind with their terrible thoughts, though it left me hard of hearing as a result. Kagome placed some weird medicine in my ears, but I knew if I wanted to hear properly again I would have to ask the Shikigami for help. I was just so tired- I feared that if I did so now I would wind up asleep for another day or so.

My feet were very badly cut up as well; it made walking extremely difficult. It didn't stop me from trying, but the second Sango saw me trying to move around she got protective and ordered Kirara to stay with me. The cat demon was with me now, resting on my shoulder, watching with sad red eyes as I placed flowers on the mounds of dirt.

These people… deserved better than this. Naraku was awful.

I wish I could have thanked Sesshōmaru… He disappeared before I woke up. According to Miroku, the demon lord was chasing after the Saimyōshō, heading towards Ayame Village which was up in the mountains near where Kōga and the other wolf demons lived. I wasn't exactly keen on having to hear more arguing between Inuyasha and Kōga, but I did want to know how his injuries healed up. They say Sesshōmaru is cold and ruthless, that he views humans as no more than insects...

So why did he keep me alive and protect me to the very end, even after he said our bargain was completed and that I was no longer under his protection? I think there was something else going on that the gang didn't know about- a person Sesshōmaru met that changed his opinions of humans. It was all speculation, of course, yet it was the only thing I could think of. The story of Tsukuyomaru kept coming to mind whenever I thought about the demon lord. There has to be someone… right?

Why else would he go out of his way to save all these people?

I pulled away and sighed, taking a shaky breath before attempting to stand. Kirara hopped off my shoulder and transformed, growling at me sternly as she moved over. Miroku opened his eyes and frowned, watching as I struggled to climb onto Kirara's back. "Here, let me help you." He said, reaching out to grab my waist.

"I-I'm good, thanks." I said quickly, not too keen on getting touched inappropriately. I hissed when the bottoms of my feet pressed against the ground, my attempt at jumping onto the cat demon's back ending poorly.

"You don't have to be like that." He said, frowning. "Just let me-"

Suddenly he froze, sweat beading down the sides of his face when he felt a rather malicious aura radiating behind him. I pulled myself onto Kirara's back with a grunt, watching as Sango glared at Miroku from the distance. "Thanks, but no thanks. Appreciate it, don't want it."

Deep breaths. Stay calm. Don't think about the way the people had been living so worriedly or how joyously. Don't think about the families or the samurai, or even the animals. We needed to get back to Kaede's immediately to recover, then head out afterwards for Ayame Village. A part of me foolishly hoped we would see Sesshōmaru again, if only so I could say a few words to him.

Thank you, for protecting me.

For saving the souls of the undead.

For not hurting my friends.

Thank you… for everything.

I winced and grabbed at my right shoulder, feeling the stitches pull against the flesh with my movement. My left arm was no better, cut deep in such a similar state. Even though my feet were bandaged and stitched they still bled through the white cloth, making every step a painful one. If I wasn't so used to being in such pain by now I might have started crying like usual.

I can handle physical pain a lot better now, though the emotional hurt… was something I still lacked control of. Once we all had gathered back together and eaten breakfast, which mainly consisted of the remaining junk food that Kagome had hiding in her backpack and a stray rabbit Inuyasha had found wandering into the rundown town, we took off on Hachi's back. Seeing as Kaede's was going to be a while I waited until Kagome gave the okay for me to use the Shikigami, holding out until the medicine did its job.

This way it wouldn't wear me out as bad. The worse the wound the more painful and draining it is on my body; I discovered this with Jaken and his scratches last night. So, thankfully, when I did use the Shikigami on my ears and head- and only on that- I wasn't on the verge of blacking out. I did, however, still curl up against Sango and fall asleep out of sheer desire because I was exhausted from all the events that had happened and my lungs being not too terribly happy with me.

It is what it is, but having a chronic illness was a nuisance. I really am so lucky everyone was so kind, putting up with my weakness and even making up for it. The group held itself together- not because of Kagome, not because of one single person, but because they all genuinely cared about one another. It was so nice.

I… I know I'm going to go home eventually, one way or another, but I…

I cared about these people so much, way more than I had been expecting to.

The next morning we arrived at our base village, dropping Kagome off at the Bone-Eater's well so she could return home for more supplies and whatever exams she had to take. Poor girl; I don't think she got any studying done this week. We've been so busy; it was pure chaos the past few days. What with the bat demons and the castle… I hoped she did well. Maybe the next time she comes by and has any English homework I could try to help… I'm amazed she hasn't been kicked out of the school yet due to the sheer amount of absences she has.

Actually, why hasn't the school sent any police down to check out the house or anything? They always did that whenever students were caught skipping school back when I was little. My older brother loved to get in trouble before he hit high school; then he grew up and became the white knight I've come to know him as. Always wanting to help others in need, even though it often hurt him…

I wish he could be a little selfish sometimes. He's gotten better, but still- it hurt to see him in pain. It was always the nicest people who got the short end of the stick, being treated badly because they were too kind, despite the fact that they deserved the world. Instead they were always handed an empty plate full of crumbs. It disgusted me.

And yet…

Sesshōmaru…

He was a lot like a knight, especially with how he appeared and rescued me. I could handle ghosts and demons and monsters, but zombies were the only supernatural thing that truly haunted me growing up. With his silver hair and white kimono, and those eyes that looked almost like molten pools of gold… it almost felt like I was dreaming. To have him, someone who despised humans, save me in such a helpless situation- I could hardly believe it. I was so certain I was going to die and he took care of the enemies so effortlessly. Every swing of his sword or slash of his claws looked as though he were dancing.

It had been so mesmerizing.

I really wanted to meet him again, if only to just thank him. Maybe apologize for being such a nuisance. I just… hoped that it wasn't under the same circumstances again; for both my sake and the sake of others. Too many lives were lost in that castle town and I wished more than anything that the dead being possessed like that would never happen again. If Sesshōmaru didn't appear when he did, broke the spells of the cursed when he did, or even find me… I would be dead without a doubt. Travelling like this kept getting more and more dangerous, my life getting closer to the edge of being forfeit.

I really didn't want to die.

Not before I found Maria or, at the very least, figure out what happened to her.

I took a steady breath, leaning against the wooden floor of the hut, resting my eyes and my lungs while Inuyasha sulked about Kagome going home. Sango and Miroku disappeared with Kirara and Hachi, leaving me alone with Shippō and Inuyasha. Kaede was watching over us, tending to whatever wounds we had and occasionally praying. I woke up for dinner, then went back to sleep.

Sometime during day two of our recovery Miroku, Sango, and Kirara returned. Hachi had ran off to some temple that Miroku grew up in, presumably to care for the old man that raised him. I honestly knew very little about it. Since my awakening I've been paying a lot more attention to Inuyasha, finding his relationship with his brother most curious. He really seemed to hate the demon lord.

I took a shaky breath and held Kirara close to my chest, pressing a small kiss to the kitten's forehead and cuddling her to my face. I was wearing one of Kaede's kimonos from when she was my age due to the seriousness of my injuries, that way changing clothes and tending to my wounds would be easier. She really was the wisest of us all. From what Sango said, they had all left earlier to go back to her home village- searching for supplies to make a mask. Luckily for us there were already a few half-made masks sitting around in the forge, so she used one as a base and went on from there. Miroku had been with her to exorcise the evil spirit remaining inside, so as to not attract any unwanted demons.

Now she was just adding up a few finishing touches.

I watched her polish it from my spot in the hut, the majority of the group huddled together inside. Kaede was currently off picking vegetables for lunch time. Meanwhile Inuyasha was fidgeting anxiously, tapping his sharp nails against the wooden ground with his ears constantly moving- hearing every little thing that went on.

"Can you stop that, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he sipped his cup of tea. "You're making me nervous."

The half-demon tensed, curling his fingers into fists as he laid on his side. I couldn't see his face, but I knew at once that he was scowling. He was easier to read than most.

Meanwhile I could hardly read Sesshōmaru at all.

My heart jumped at the thought of the stranger, recalling the intimidating way he stared at me when he was demanding answers and how mesmerizing he looked whilst battling. He was so beautiful and intense; it made me both scared and flustered just thinking about him. Frick.

Something is wrong with me, clearly.

I snapped out of my thoughts hearing Sango call out to me. "Is everything alright, Irene? Your face is red."

"Wh-What?" Was it really? That's weird. I held Kirara with one arm and raised a hand up to my face, trying to feel the heat. "I… I dunno. I was just… thinking."

"About what?"

That was such an innocent question and yet I found myself turning warm. Her eyebrows raised, surprise filling her expression. Miroku glanced at me curiously, lowering his cup. "What indeed?" He said, intrigued. "Or perhaps it would be better to ask who you are thinking about?"

I am not dealing with this right now. "I-I was just remembering some stuff at the castle. That's all." I lifted my cup up and took a drink, setting Kirara down in my lap. The cat mewed and watched, red eyes big with wonder. "Nothing to worry about."

"You're so obvious." The monk said, grinning. "Tell us who it is. Or shall I start guessing? To think even love would reach the resistant Irene's heart-"

I sputtered at that. "A-Are you kidding me right now? It's not love! I met the dude once!"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized my mistake, having just accidentally given away the fact that I was thinking about a person. Frick.

"Just once?" Sango blinked. "Who- oh no. Irene, it's not Sesshōmaru is it?"

"Oh my gods." I am so done with this. "Why do you guys always find my non-existent love life so interesting? There's nothing to be interested about! I'm just trying to figure out why Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru hate each other so much, okay? There's a lot I don't know! He seemed like a decent guy, yet everyone wants to fight him for some reason!"

I heard the half-demon scoff at my words. "Decent?" Inuyasha echoed, turning to glare at me from over his shoulder. "He is far from decent. He's a fucking monster, that's what he is. You're lucky you're even alive right now!"

"He's not a monster!" I retorted, frowning. "He saved me. A monster would have just let me die."

"Keh! Whatever." Inuyasha turned away, grimacing. "I can't believe it… because of Kagome's stupid studies that bastard Sesshōmaru is gonna get to Naraku before we do! What a waste of time."

Sango sighed, shaking her head. "You know we can't do anything without her here. She's the only one who can see the jewel shards, not to mention supply Irene with the medicine she needs. We're a lost cause without her."

"Besides," Shippō spoke up, turning to look at Inuyasha from his spot beside the monk, "I doubt he'll find Naraku that easily! He showed up late, remember? I'm sure we'll be fine for three days."

Miroku nodded his head. "I agree. You need to calm down."

"I am calm!" The half-demon snapped. "It's that bastard who isn't. The hell does he think he is showing up like that? He wasn't invited to the castle! And you-!" I recoiled when he suddenly jumped up and pointed at me, glaring darkly. "What is wrong with you!? Why do you keep defending him!? Sesshōmaru is insane! Why can't you understand that?"

"Uhh… because he isn't?" He was actually rather calm and collected, not to mention greatly intelligent considering the way he battled and assessed the situations we ended up in. That person was extremely calculating, not to mention strong, and proved to be fairly merciful since he spared my life several times after I made some stupid comments.

"He tried to kill you!"

"No; he didn't." I think the fact that he kept me alive, even after learning who my friends were, proved that he was very much sane. "He never even threatened me…?"

Inuyasha stepped forward, squatting down until he was up in my face with raging amber eyes. I leaned back, scooting closer to Sango, back pressing against her right arm. Kirara's fur stuck up and she hissed, standing on my thighs and trying to get the half-demon to back away. She knew I was uncomfortable at the proximity and even more so anxious due to his yelling. "He was literally holding you hostage in front of us!" He snapped. "I bet that was the whole reason he saved you; so he could use you against us like the jerk that he is!"

Okay, wow. Inuyasha has some serious issues with Sesshōmaru that need sorted out and I swear to god if I have to be the person to do that I might flip a table or two. I sat up straighter, attempting to stand my ground as I stubbornly defended the demon lord who protected me.

"He was not using me against you! He wandered into the room I was in, killed the zombies with tenseiga because they were in the way, and just happened to save me in the process! Sesshōmaru kept me safe because we had a deal, Inuyasha! Using me as a hostage was not part of that deal."

"Do you seriously believe that? You're more stupid than I thought!"

Alright, that's enough. A fire lit in my eyes and my expression darkened, voice rising gradually as I spoke, calling him out on his behavior as I grew fed up with their treatment of Sesshōmaru. He was in no way near the kind of monster they were trying to make him out to be, nonetheless an aggressive demon like the ones we've fought before! He was powerful and intimidating, but he was also kind; that in turn made him nothing like Naraku.

Maybe it was a bit too simple to suggest that what happened between them was in the past and should stay there; I had no idea what was done to hurt Inuyasha in the way he was. But I refuse to sit there and let them badmouth the demon lord when it was so blatantly obvious that he was a different person now. He was no longer the cruel person they knew.

"You're the stupid one!" I snapped, patience tipping over the edge. "You're so blinded by your own paranoia and hatred of your brother that you can't accept the fact that he might actually have a nice side to him!"

"Wh-Whaaat!?" The half-demon reeled back, both angered and taken back. My own words startled me, especially since I had said them so clearly and without stuttering, and as thoughts of the consequences dawned on me a look of horror grew on my face. A hand flew up to my mouth and I stared at Inuyasha with big eyes, fearing that I went too far. "Y-You're joking, right?" He asked, stunned. "This is Sesshōmaru we're talking about!"

"N-No…" I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Even Kaede who had returned with her basket full of vegetables had paused to watch the scene play out. "I-I mean… you guys never really told me a whole lot about him, so… I only know what I do from the time in the castle. And he was… he was really nice to me in the castle, so… uh, In-Inuyasha?" I blinked, seeing the way he had retreated into a corner. "Are you okay?"

"I can't believe this." He muttered, curled up with his hands over his head. "She's seriously defending him... What the hell?"

Kaede stared at him for a moment before heading to the kitchen, deciding not to bother with him today. This must be a normal occurrence. Miroku, Sango, and Shippō all let out heavy sighs and hung their heads. I blinked several times, wondering if I broke the half-demon and feeling a surge of guilt and regret well up inside of me.

"Anyway!" I cleared my throat awkwardly, picking up my cup of tea again. "S-Sesshōmaru said he has a score to settle with Naraku, so… uh… y-yeah. There's that. He never said what the score was though."

Sango stared at me. "He actually spoke to you? You guys had a civil conversation?"

"Y-yeah? A little." I felt so weird. The demon lord was obviously a man of few words, but the way they tried to make it sound seemed like he was only ever threatening them. "His servant mostly answered things. Um, Sesshōmaru did say a few things though. A lot of them were mostly out of irritation towards Jaken and the other demons…"

"I see." Miroku raised a hand up to his chin, thinking deeply. "Do you remember anything else he said? Something that could give us any clue about his plans?"

"Uh…" I struggled to remember. He was so closed off and aloof. "N-No…? I asked a lot of questions and he only really answered one or two of them. Hrm. Oh! He asked if I really was the one to scar Kagura's face. Um… didn't they say something about the Saimyōshō?"

"Yes. They were heading towards Ayame Village." Miroku answered. "But I mean… anything aside from that? Perhaps any scheme to steal the tetsusaiga?"

That startled me. I eyed Miroku weirdly, not understanding why he would suggest such a thing. "No? Why on earth would Sesshōmaru want to steal Inuyasha's sword?"

"Why else?" The half-demon scoffed, giving me a dirty look from over his shoulder. "So he can have it for himself."

"What?"

"That's right… you wouldn't know anything about it, would you?" Miroku took another sip of his tea, sharing a look with Sango and Shippō. "I suppose we should explain. You know that Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru are brothers with different mothers. But unlike our dear hotheaded friend," Inuyasha scowled and shot him a look, "Sesshōmaru does not feel any compassion or warmth towards humans. In fact, he despises them- so much so that he considers Inuyasha a disgrace to their proud demon bloodline."

I lowered my head and recalled all I could about my time spent in the castle. The demon lord seemed rather irritated when I mentioned I had a half-demon friend, and when he met up with everyone he seemed a bit… oh, what's the word to describe it? I don't believe angry is the right term to use. If anything I would dare say that he was almost disappointed to see that it was indeed Inuyasha I was talking about.

It would make sense considering they didn't get along. Inuyasha was throwing insults at him left-and-right, everyone pleading with me to stop defending him and to move away. For a long time I thought they were going to fight, especially when Sesshōmaru suddenly pushed me behind him and grabbed the handle of his sword. I was so scared that they would attack each other.

"Inuyasha wielding the tetsusaiga only makes it worse!" Shippō exclaimed, frowning deeply. "He hates the fact that he has the tenseiga and wants the tetsusaiga instead!"

"H-Huh? How come?" I snapped out of my thoughts, eyes wide. "What's wrong with the tenseiga? Isn't he the only one who can use it?"

Inuyasha scoffed at that. "As if."

"What he means to say," Miroku began with a sigh, "is that the only one capable of using the tenseiga is a person who cares for others. The tenseiga is a weapon that can not cut nor kill an enemy of the living realm. Clearly it can do damage to the undead- or at the very least free the souls of the deceased, which only goes to show that is a sword of healing rather than one of conquest."

I made a face at that. They really hated the demon lord, didn't they? "But he could use it. And he's already super strong! Why would he want the tetsusaiga?"

"That's not what I meant." The monk said. My eyebrows furrowed together and my nose scrunched up, even more confused than before. "The tenseiga is a sword capable of reviving those who have died. Very much like the tetsusaiga's Wind Scar which can slay a hundred demons in a single sweep, the tenseiga can save a hundred lives in a single sweep. Sesshōmaru is not capable of saving anyone in this way because of his blackened heart."

What…? He can… bring the dead back to life?

That shouldn't be possible; are they messing with me right now? I know the demon lord was extremely powerful, but… to be able to perform necromancy? It was hard to believe. Those who have died are meant to stay that way- nothing good ever comes from trying to bring someone you've lost back from the grave. There must be some kind of limit to that power, right? Certain rules or restrictions when attempting to use it?

"The tetsusaiga and tenseiga were both made from their father's fang." Miroku told me, taking another sip of his tea. He reached over to pick up the kettle, pouring some more into his cup. "Yet Sesshōmaru feels their father favored Inuyasha and his human mother by bequeathing him such a powerful blade and leaving him with the tenseiga- a sword he considers worthless."

"Yes." Sango nodded, turning to face me. "However, Sesshōmaru is unable to wield the tetsusaiga either, even though he is able to bring out its true power. Their father had the blade designed with the purpose of protecting mortals and therefore a demon such as he who harbors hatred towards humans could not use it. A spell was put on the tetsusaiga to reject any evil demon that goes near it. He can grab the sword, but it still rejects him and badly burns his hand until he lets go."

"...I see." I pet Kirara solemnly, feeling greatly disheartened upon hearing all of this. I had ideas about what the brothers relationship was like, but I never imagined it would be so complicated and terrible. I still wanted to believe that Sesshōmaru might have changed a little since the last time the gang saw him before the castle, but… now I was uncertain. He sounded so cruel.

Yet… would someone so cruel truly help me? Or even defend me?

Was I looking at things all wrong?

"Yeah!" Shippō climbed onto Miroku's lap, trying to catch my attention. "He's a real jerk! One time before we met Sango he even teamed up with Naraku to try and kill Inuyasha and steal his sword! Miroku ended up being badly poisoned by the Saimyōshō because of it!"

Miroku closed his eyes, resting a hand on Shippō's head gently. "Yes, I remember that. It was shortly after I started travelling with you all. If I recall correctly Naraku gave Sesshōmaru a mortal arm that was embedded with a jewel shard so he could bypass tetsusaiga's barrier. If Inuyasha didn't tear it off when he did we would have surely died horrible deaths."

Oh my gods.

I picked the cat demon up, holding her close to my chest once more. I didn't like what I was hearing at all; it was so awful. "H-He… He didn't seem like a bad person when I spoke to him… all he wanted was to kill Naraku. He never even mentioned Inuyasha! I-I mean, due to some stuff that was said back when we were fighting Taigokumaru I… I assumed that he might have tried to kill him before, but…"

"But what?" Sango asked, looking at me curiously. "You didn't think he was capable of it?"

"I-I just… when I met him I…" I hesitated. Kirara mewed and pressed her cold nose to my bandaged cheek. "I-I just didn't think he was a bad person- not anymore, at least. I mean, I… I know you guys were about to fight each other in the tower inside that one room… but you didn't! Sesshōmaru backed off before there could be a battle; he decided not to hurt you! Th-That's a good thing, right? He was being nice there!"

Sango didn't look that convinced. "I suppose…"

"What makes you so certain, Irene?" Miroku questioned, staring at me with curious eyes. There was something else in that expression of his that I couldn't quite name. My eyebrows knit together as I looked at him, not understanding what he was asking. "You only met him once. Why do you trust him so?"

"Because…"

I faltered. I remembered his stone-cold gaze, those piercing golden orbs that bore into my soul and determined my sense of worth. He was always so quiet and calculating, not bothering to speak unless needed or if something truly piqued his curiosity. Sesshōmaru was incredibly strong, far more powerful than any human or demon I've met in this time period. He tolerated my rambling nonsense as much as he did his own servant's irritable personality, even going so far as to punish the imp when he became too brash or harsh with his insults.

He kept his word and protected me, even going so far to push me behind him when it seemed like he and Inuyasha might battle. I didn't think of it much then, but now it all seems like he was aiming to keep me out of the way of any crossfire- defending me even in that moment. Sesshōmaru used the tenseiga, a sword he apparently considered useless, to save Otoki and the souls of all the undead, breaking the spell on Yukimura and freeing his heartbroken spirit.

He…

A hand raised to my chest and I frowned, biting on my bottom lip, a large array of emotions conflicting inside of me.

He was wonderful.

And yet my friends were all telling me these terrible things, informing me about the monstrous deeds he has done.

"I… I have no reason as to why I shouldn't trust Sesshōmaru."

The demon lord never shown any sign or done anything to me that would warrant my distrust. All I felt towards him was immense gratitude, yet the words these people around me spoke tried to warrant fear and anxiety towards him. I didn't like it. Inuyasha's eyes became alight with rage and I flinched when he suddenly rammed a fist into the floorboard, breaking the wood and leaving a large hole in the ground.

We all watched as he stormed out of the hut, smacking the beaded hanging door so hard out of his way it fell off its strings and collapsed. The half-demon was furious… and it was because of what I said. My lips tilted downward and I turned away from everyone, cuddling Kirara close. I knew the second I voiced my opinion Inuyasha would throw a fit; I just knew it.

"And he hates me now…" I sighed, feeling the sadness creep in as I thought about how angry he was. He must feel so betrayed; the half-demon was a lot more sensitive than he tried to portray himself as. "I just… I feel like Sesshōmaru had to have changed from the last time you guys saw him. Otherwise he would have killed me, right? I-I don't know…"

An arm wrapped around my shoulders, Sango pulling me to her chest. Her brown eyes were soft as they met mine. "I think you're just too nice, Irene. You think good of just about everybody; Inuyasha will realize that soon enough. You just need to give him time to think."

She says that, but I fear my friendship with him is already over. This is why I always stayed out of arguments in high school- and when they did occur I would always play neutral. How come this felt so different from then, I wonder? Because it was over someone who literally threatened his younger brother's life in the past? It was all petty fights and arguments back where I was from; I often acted as the messenger for everyone because they stubbornly refused to just talk to each other and fix the misunderstandings.

Now… it felt like I was losing someone important.

I've been abandoned and replaced by so many people I called friends; Inuyasha and I have had a rocky relationship to begin with- our personalities weren't very compatible. He was all brash and hot-headed, and I was awkward and passive aggressive. He tried to bring out the more aggressive side of me, especially when we trained together to help me get better at using the Shikigami, but… it never really worked.

We were just too different.

And I hated that. I wanted to be friends- good friends, true friends. It was just… hard.

I thought we were finally getting somewhere too, but then Sesshōmaru had to show up and act all… strong and beautiful. He had to be aloof and nice at the same time, yet have a terrible past with the people I cared deeply about. Freaking… demon lord person. Urgh. I really needed to fix things with Inuyasha now. But how?

"Still…" Miroku spoke up, looking at me with concern, his expression completely serious. "Now that Sesshōmaru knows you're travelling with us, I fear your opinion of him will soon become corrupted. Rather than protecting you… he may just wind up hurting you in the end."

I said nothing, no longer able to have the confidence to voice my thoughts on the matter. Everything they said made sense and yet… I doubted it.

Was it because I was naive? I'm not the brightest person; I can be rather obtuse most of the time, always slow to understand things that aren't explained properly to me. Always questioning and wondering, yet unable to bring myself to ask aloud what it is I am confused about. The few times I am able to this happens- the people I care about get hurt or offended.

I was intimidated by Sesshōmaru, yes, but at least I was able to ask him things without causing him to get angry. He was so calm and serious; that man took everything in stride. It was hard to believe him and Inuyasha were related. With the way he shielded me when he was about to harm the others, even after knowing I was friends with them, would he truly aim to cause me hurt?

"Irene, come here." I heard Kaede call out to me. I winced, fearing that I might get lectured for my words, and reluctantly pulled myself away from Sango's comforting grasp. Walking hurt because of my wounded feet, but I put up with it. It could be considered my punishment for hurting someone I thought of as a friend. Kirara looked like she was about to transform, to carry me again, but Sango placed a hand on her back to stop her. How odd. Kaede pulled over a small crate, instructing for me to sit down on it. "Mince the vegetables, will you?"

"Uh… okay. Y-Yeah, sure." I sat down and picked up the knife, staring at it nervously before bringing it over to the cutting board. "I can't really cook though, so be warned."

The old priestess chuckled. "I am well aware. Consider this practice; I will teach you."

A warmth filled my chest at this and I felt terrible for the small smile that tried to form. I shouldn't be allowed to- not after what I did. I carefully held the vegetables still and began to chop them, doing it a bit slowly because of my lack of experience. Kaede observed for a moment before returning to stir the stew that was boiling in the middle of the hut, inhaling the scent before shaking her head. I had managed to dice up the radish fairly easily, but then I got to the garlic and onions and… frick.

I blinked rapidly, trying to force the tears away as I chopped them. It smelled awful.

Kaede returned shortly after and grabbed some seasoning, pouring some herbs into the pot. "Almost there. Are the vegetables ready yet, Irene?"

"Uh, y-yeah. I think?" Sango smiled at my uncertain answer, finding something about it amusing. Miroku and Shippō were trying to hide their grins with their cups, drinking their tea. "D-Do you want me to just pour them in or-?"

"Into the pan, please. With the rice."

"O-Okie dokie. Um… oh gosh." Why am I so freaked out over this? I bit my bottom lip and poured the chopped food into it, watching as Kaede came over and began to mix them together with the rice, cooking them on low. Stir-fry rice and veggies with beef stew; that seemed rather extravagant for a priestess in a small village, but there were a lot of us in this hut. She must have gotten a great deal of hunting done earlier. "Th-That good?"

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you, my child. Why don't you go and dish out the portions for everyone? I'll fetch some of the napkins dear Kagome left behind."

"R-Right." My feet seriously ached. I wondered why she was having me do this all of a sudden; it seemed so random. No one ever let me help with the cooking before back home, no matter how much I asked so I could learn, and then I would always be given grief because I didn't know how to cook. Now Kaede was having me chop vegetables without an explanation. Was it to distract me from the fight with Inuyasha or did she actually need the help? "Bowls! Where are the bowls? Th-There! Found them. Okay."

I took out several large bowls. Pouring some of the stir-fry into them I moved over and poured the soup on top. Shippō leaned over with big eyes, practically drooling at the sight. "It looks so yummy~! Yay!" He took his bowl excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"Me too." Sango hummed, accepting the food offering and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "Ah, it looks delicious. You did a nice job cutting the vegetables, Irene. Thank you!"

"Yes. You and Kaede both." Miroku said, bringing his bowl up to his lips and sipping at some of the juice. "Mmm. Perfect. Now if only Inuyasha wasn't sulking he could have his share."

"Agreed." The demon slayer commented, taking a bite. I dished out Kaede's potion and was about to get to mine when they said that. I hesitated, glancing out at the doorway nervously. "If he expects me to bring him his bowl he has another thing coming!"

"Same here." Shippō huffed. The three were all eyeing me intently, causing me to stiffen and stare at them strangely. "I'm not doing it either. What about you, Miroku?"

"Nope. I'm going to enjoy this delicious meal."

Are… they trying to convince me to go bring him his food? Seriously? I was sort of planning on it anyway, but… still. There was no need to be so unnerving about it. I was hungry too. I grabbed two pairs of chopsticks, filled up two more bowls, and stood. "I-I'll… be back. Um. Sorry."

Frick. They're trying to stress me out, aren't they?

The bottoms of the bowls were hot and they were starting to burn my hands, but I ignored it in favor of walking outside, glancing both ways and looking up at the trees to see if the half-demon was in any of them. He tended to have a habit of hiding in high-up places. I wondered why that was? Some of the villagers saw me walking around and sent out greetings, welcoming me back from my travels with the others. I ended up asking them if they've seen Inuyasha around and they pointed me towards the outskirts of the village near the Bone-Eater's well.

Thankfully there were no demons this time waiting to attack. Inuyasha must have taken care of them this morning- he was gone until evening hit, after all. Now it was around eight. I found him near a hill, hiding in one of the branches of a very large and bulky tree. His ears twitching signaled he heard my approach and I wheezed, exhausted from all the movement. I had been walking around town so long the food had cooled some, the gashes on my feet throbbing painfully. I really need to heal those later. "In… Inuyasha! Dinner is… ready…!"

"Just leave it and go. I'll eat later."

Wow, okay. Rude. He can probably smell the blood on my feet, so he knows I hurt myself to bring him his stupid food. Is he that mad at me? "...Aren't you always hungry?"

"Just go away!"

My head lowered at that, heart sinking deeper into my stomach. My fingers tightened on the bowls, shaking so bad they threatened to spill the soup. Did he truly hate me that much? For sharing a difference in opinion? No, it wasn't just that; it was because I defended someone who had hurt him. Someone who had helped me and protected me. Someone Inuyasha felt great bitterness and disdain towards, someone who was supposed to be family. "I… I'm sorry."

I didn't know what else to say. But it seemed to have set him off the edge, the half-demon's ears twitching and eyes lighting with rage, the boy turning from his spot on the branch and glaring down at me as he shouted. "Stop with the fucking apologies! Do I have to tear your tongue out to get you to shut up!? Just get out! If you like him so damn much go travel with that bastard instead, you got that!? It's not like we really even need you here!"

...Oh. O-Oh…

The half-demon's eyes grew wide when he realized what he said, ears drooping down slightly, but he didn't take it back. He whirled back around, legs crossed and hands shoved up his kimono sleeves, the boy huffing as he turned his head away. Seeing this, my heart sunk deep into the abyss of my stomach, hope of ever making amends starting to shatter.

"I-I see." My eyes began to sting with the familiar sensation of tears, teeth momentarily tearing into my trembling bottom lip before I gave a tired smile. I really did cross the line. I finally thought we were getting somewhere, that our friendship meant something. But, just like with everything else, I was wrong. Or maybe it did mean something and my big stupid mouth just destroyed it. I'm not the brightest person. I'm not even that useful.

Miroku, Sango, Shippō… they all tried so hard to convince me that I helped them somehow. If I had, then why am I screwing up so badly right now? Can they answer me that? Child or adult, human or demon or half, they were wrong and… I was wrong. Even with this useless body, even with the spirits that are inhabiting me…

I'm still so pathetic and cowardly. I claim to try and face the consequences of my decisions, yet here am I turning tail and running away from them. How on earth am I supposed to make amends with someone who wants nothing to do with me?

"I-I'll just… leave your food here, 'kay?" I swallowed down the lump in my throat and knelt down, squeezing my eyes shut and keeping the smile on my face, setting the bowl on the grass. "Th-The others are worried about you, so just… let them know what's up when you're done. Okay?"

I was never very good at keeping friends, anyway, but this is fine.

It wasn't like it had a chance of lasting this time, anyway, not with the circumstances we were in. I'll be heading back home eventually. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the way the world seemed to slow down around me, I cradled the lone bowl to my chest and began to walk away. And as my head hung low, voice locked deep in my throat somewhere, I thought I heard the sound of a branch moving. But minutes passed and no one came, and I knew I was mistaken.

That was when the droplets fell. Splashing into the soup and against my hands, tears trickling down my face and burning my eyes. It hurt so much. My feet felt super sore, too.

I didn't even have much of an appetite anymore.

Perhaps I should have made my way back to the hut; that would have been the smart thing to do. Yet, as I mentioned I wasn't the brightest and I found myself sitting on a rock at the lake I normally bathe in, bandaged feet resting in the icy cold water, bowl of food abandoned somewhere on the ground. It's been almost thirty minutes- Sango and Miroku were probably worrying by now. Or maybe they thought Inuyasha and I had made up and were just hanging out. Who knew? I didn't really care anymore.

I just wanted to go home.

I want Maria…

I can't handle much more of this. It hurts too much. This world is so scary and cruel; I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it! Naraku, Anastasia, the incarnations, the deceased… it's terrible! Awful! Monstrous! They've murdered so many innocents, they've tried to kill me, they've tried to kill the others! So many more are still going to die; there's no end to it! Just what is the point? This endless cycle of hatred and bloodshed…

Why can't it just end? Why is trying to help people…so painful? Why is trying to survive so painful?

Why is trying to keep a friend… so difficult?

I took a deep breath, leaning my head back and wiping at my face with my sleeves, trying to work up the courage to get moving. I was just about to pull my feet out of the water and force myself to storm back up to the tree to try and talk to the half-demon one last time, when-

"Hey."

A fist bopped the top of my head lightly. My breath hitched in my throat and I choked, wheezing and whirling around to see who it was. I hadn't even heard him walk over. The teen wasn't looking me, instead seeming to stare at the ground, eyebrows furrowed together in what appeared to be frustration.

"You should… eat your food, too. Out of all of us, your health is the worst. Keep crying like that and you'll have another one of those weird breathing attacks."

"Inu… yasha?" Why was he here? I'm so confused. "When did… uh, a-aren't you mad?"

I flinched when he turned his glare to me, the teen raising his voice again. "I'm fucking pissed! You siding with that asshole…! I don't buy your story of that jerk protecting you- not for one second! He held you hostage against us, damn it! I'm even angrier that you helped him and nearly got yourself killed doing so! Another move like that and you might not wake up next time!"

...What? I blinked, stunned. He was angry… out of worry? I mean- of freaking course, that only makes sense, but… Oh, gods, I'm so dense sometimes.

Inuyasha's first instinct was to refute anything that involved Sesshōmaru, the half-demon proud and greatly independent. All he really knew how to do was spew insults when something he didn't like happened; and when he was concerned about others he had a hard time showing it. I knew he was a sensitive person, but this was way out of his comfort range and he was snapping at me because I was the one who pushed him into it.

So… I have to fix it.

But what he said… the blame wasn't entirely on me.

"You wouldn't break the barrier," I said, lips tilting into a frown," so… I did it." He tensed and glared at the water, his expression becoming even more sour and bitter. "If I didn't break it, then… all of you would have died. I-I didn't… I don't want you to die, Inuyasha."

His ear twitched. Inuyasha was staring at me with uncertain eyes, not really sure how to handle this situation.

"I don't want a-anyone else to die…"

My jaw tightened and I brought my hands together, lacing my fingers so tight my knuckles turned white.

"He saved Otoki… your brother used tenseiga a-and he saved her. He saved me. Maybe you're right; if he hadn't… if he hadn't had to come into the room I was in, chances are he would have let me die. B-But he didn't. When demons or undead attacked, he kept me behind him and… protected me. I-I don't know what happened between you; I wasn't there a-and I only know what I've been told, but…"

I glanced up at him, lips curling back as another sob tried to work its way up. Inuyasha's golden eyes met mine and his angry expression softened just a little, as if realizing just how scared I was in that moment. We've come a long way from that time I was first brought to this land; all we did was argue at the beginning. He would yell and I would shrink down, at least until he made me mad enough to retort. We've gotten so much better since then, but there was still a lot to learn.

"People, human or demon, are all capable of change. Even him."

Inuyasha huffed and folded his arms over his chest, squatting down on the rock next to me and scowling. "Do you even hear yourself right now? ...Just eat your stupid food."

Frick, frick, frick; this isn't working! Why isn't this working? I'm no good at these things! This is where we need Kagome to talk the sense into him, because I clearly can't. Growing irritated with both him and myself, I took a deep breath and stated very firmly, "No."

He blinked, looking at me in surprise. "What?"

I unlaced my fingers and set them down on my lap, grabbing at the kimono I was wearing, trying to hide how badly I was shaking. The bandages around my feet were completely soaked by this point, loose and allowing the blood to mix with the clear water, stinging my feet and only making the pain worse. I stared the teenager down, keeping my voice as steady as I possibly could, heartbreak still strong as my anxiety and annoyance won over. "You yell at me for getting myself hurt, yet the only reason I got hurt was because you refused to use your sword to break the barrier around Yukimura! Why? Because it meant "helping" Sesshōmaru. You aren't helping him, you're working together with him. To do what? To save us. To save yourselves."

Ooh, thinking back on it made me so angry. Inuyasha almost looked sheepish now, if not for the fear in his eyes. My hands flew about as I spoke, making gestures and fingers pointing in frustration to enunciate certain points in my rant. I was livid. He can't yell at me for doing stuff to get myself hurt, when the only reason I did such things was because he stubbornly refused to because of a grudge. We were in a life-and-death situation and he would have let us all die because of his hatred for his brother.

I understand not wanting to help the person you despise or feel threatened by, but when push comes to shove you have to stop acting like a bratty kid and do what's best for the group. Our survival depends on the knowledge that we can trust one another to have each other's back, that we can rely on our individual strengths and combine them, to make up for each other's weaknesses, to get through battle. If that meant using the ability of a rival or someone you didn't particularly like, so be it.

We can't defeat Naraku if we can't make it out of fights alive.

"You promised me, Inuyasha." I said, voice low and eyes narrowed. "After I took out Kagura's barrier you said you would handle the next one. You don't have to like your brother, you don't even have to get along with him! But so help me you had better learn to work together or I will smack you so hard you'd have wished Kagome told you to sit. Got that? I only got hurt because I had to act instead of you."

"Wh… Wha… I-I don't have to take this from you!" He shouted, standing up and pointing at me angrily. He was clearly flustered from the lecture. I felt exhausted, worn from so much movement and so much talking. My body was getting weaker, even with how much stronger I've gotten. My arm and shoulder ached. "You're just a sickly human! You don't know anything!"

"Oh? Don't I now?" Freaking child. I'mma hit him. "I know you're hurting because of Sesshōmaru and whatever he did to you, and whatever else happened to you, but you have to learn from those experiences! You can't let them control you!"

"I'm not letting them control me!"

"Then what do you call what happened with Yukimura, huh? Huuuh!? I-!" I broke into several coughs, fingers digging into my chest and pulling at the kimono cloth, hunching over as I struggled to breathe. Inuyasha stopped glaring immediately, eyes growing wide with alarm as he watched my skin turn several times paler, sweat starting to bead down the sides of my face as I hyperventilated and wheezed.

"I-Irene? Shit, your meds-" He looked around frantically, not quite sure what to do. I hit my chest several times, near bruising it, and as I tried to stand I ended up slipping due to my wet and injured feet. Had Inuyasha not caught me, I would have fallen into the lake. "Damn it, Irene!"

"I-I used… the Shikigami…" I forced out, making myself talk despite how hard it was. My insides felt like they were being squeezed, like there was an invisible snake coiled around my throat that reached deep into my chest, strangling me slowly. Inuyasha's arm tightened around my waist and I glared at him, hands clinging weakly to his kimono top. "I used them… because… b-because you wouldn't… do it. I-If you… If you care then…"

So dizzy.

"Then don't… go back…"

I collapsed against his chest, hair falling into my face as I fought against the urge to sleep.

"...on your promise…"

There was no describing what shone in those amber eyes. I'm not even sure Inuyasha himself knew what he was feeling at that moment. The half-demon sighed, scowling as he hoisted me up into his arms. "Keh, you're such an idiot. I'm never going to work alongside Sesshōmaru."

Yeah, I figured… it was worth a shot, though.

My head rested against his shoulder, body completely drained of energy and strength. I had a bad feeling twisting inside of my gut, fearing death more than ever as my condition grew worse with each passing day. Would we be able to defeat Naraku in time? Would we be able to get answers from Anastasia before…

No. No, I won't think like that. It's fine.

I'm going to be fine.

"But, you know somethin'?" Inuyasha's voice snapped me out of my downward spiraling thoughts and I glanced up, his amber eyes flickering to look at me, looking almost gold in the lighting. It was the gentlest expression I've ever seen him wear, a determined look burning in his gaze. I could almost see the resemblance between him and his brother then. "I won't let that bastard get in the way of me protecting everyone. Not again. You can count on that. Next time I will break the barrier- no matter who it belongs to. Got it? Just leave it to me."

I tried to brighten my tired expression at those words, a sleepy and pained grin spreading across my face. "S-So does… that mean… you're not mad anymore?"

Inuyasha came to a halt, stopping in the middle of the forest just outside the village. He huffed. "Don't get me wrong- I still hate that you like that bastard. But…" He grinned down at me, almost smirking. "...that doesn't mean I hate you, though."

"So... we're friends?"

"...Yeah." He said. "We're friends."

Inuyasha then raised his voice again, becoming irritable right quick.

"So shut the hell up so you can actually get some air into those puny lungs of yours! You're not allowed die either, you stupid idiot!"

We didn't always get along, but it wasn't impossible to make amends. Between all the battles and the time spent together, whether it be training or simple conversation, a friendship had grown. It was only to be expected. This young teen had saved my life so many times- he had been the very start of my life here in the Feudal Era.

If he hadn't found me bleeding out on the ground… I wouldn't be here with him now. He really did make me feel my age sometimes though, which was annoying. I hated being the adult of the group. I wasn't even that mentally or emotionally mature. Blegh. Still, I guess I didn't screw up too badly…

I really need to learn not to assume the worst of things.

The next few days passed without much to do aside from watching everyone carry on with their daily lives. It was so boring; I was forbidden from moving around after I had torn open my feet again. All I could do was sit there and/or sleep. Sango, Shippō, and Miroku were the ones who pushed me to talk to Inuyasha and yet proceeded to fuss when they saw the blood. Ugh. I appreciated the concern, but… it was frustrating.

I just wanted to help. It felt like I was being grounded until my feet healed.

If they didn't want me hurt they should have just let me ride on Kirara again.

Still feeling drained, it took a while before I was able to heal myself. The stitches in my shoulder and arm were removed and the Shikigami gave me their blessing, the cool blue flames running along my flesh and repairing the damage. Even my feet were better and, thanks to Kaede, my clothes were back to normal and I could wear them again. I, sadly, ended up sleeping most of the time away and when I was awake I spent the hours drawing, unable to move too terribly much, lungs aching and limbs weak. It would have been nice if I had some music to listen to, but since my phone was long gone I ended up having to hum to fill the silence.

Until this moment, I never realized just how much I missed watching anime or reading manga. I kept drawing characters from the stories I knew and becoming frustrated when I couldn't remember certain details, lacking the luxury of internet and being unable to look up their designs. Then, later, without realizing, I found myself attempting to sketch a certain lord I had encountered. Just like before I grew frustrated, having trouble recalling his armor, and it was only then that I realized what I was doing.

I promptly close my notebook at that, feeling flustered and annoyed as I remembered Miroku and Sango's accusations.

It wasn't my fault he was so inhumanely beautiful. His battling style was ridiculously elegant as well. Sue me if I want to draw pretty things or people. Yeesh. I can't let Inuyasha see it though, otherwise he will end up hating me for real. I let out a heavy sigh, wondering how I was going to get away with living here any longer or if I was even going survive long enough for us to defeat Naraku, when a loud voice suddenly caught my attention.

"-killing every demon they cross paths with!" I knew that voice. That was Hachi, wasn't it? I blinked and turned my head, staring at the hanging doorway in confusion. He sounded so scared- he was shouting. "I know I'm here early, but I didn't want to die because of some jewel shards! Please- forgive me, Master Miroku!"

I scooted closer to the door, peering outside to see the raccoon dog demon freaking out and shouting his worries to the monk. Sango and Shippō were beside them, Kirara curled up in the woman's arms. "What?" Miroku was startled. "Who are these demons, Hachi? What are you talking about? Calm down and explain."

"I told you!" The demon snapped, arms waving frantically in the air. "They're cats! Evil cat demons that are killing everyone they come across with in their search for the shards!"

Shippō made a face, shaking his head incredulously as he looked at the servant. "Am I the only one who's still confused?"

Oh, no. I am, too. The frick was going on? Evil cat demons? I blinked when Hachi suddenly fell to his knees, the raccoon dog sobbing loudly. "L-Let's just get out of here before it's too late! I-I don't wanna die!"

Kirara's fur stood on end. She hissed and looked up, pupils becoming slits as she glared up at… whatever was threatening her. Sango followed her gaze and the woman gasped. Was something on the staircase? I wish I could see. I fought a yawn, blinking several times as I tried to crane my neck and get a better look. "Miroku, up there!"

That was when I heard it; a voice, unfamiliar and almost coy in the way she spoke. To my surprise there was the barest trace of an accent, like this wasn't her first language. "Hello~ I hear there's a priestess in this village. Is that true?"

Hachi began to tremble, tears streaming down his face as he choked. He stumbled backwards, moving to hide behind Miroku. The monk held his staff in front of him, narrowing his eyes. From the corner of my vision I could make our a pair of fur-covered legs and… a tail?

"This is where she lives, is it not?"

I quickly moved back in, not wanting to be seen, and ignored the panicked racing of my heart. Kaede turned off the stove and grabbed her bow, stepping forward with a frown upon her face. She pushed the fixed hanging-door aside, staring at the stranger intensely. "What business do you have with me?"

"Whaaaat!?" The female demon exclaimed, alarmed. Feeling a bit encouraged that it was Kaede the person was after and not me I stood, moving to stand in the doorway and poke my head out once more to watch as the priestess approached the demon. "N-No! No way; you're not her! She's young and wears skimpy clothes! Like- wait a minute, you!"

"...Me?"

"Yes, you!" She stormed over. Kaede hurriedly drew her bow and stood in front of me, about to release the arrow, when the demon vanished and reappeared in front of her, shoving the elder aside and grabbing at my arm with her clawed hand. I yelped, looking up at her with big eyes. "It's not as skimpy as I imagined it would be, but… you are a priestess- aren't you? I can feel the spiritual energy coming from you!"

"Wh-What?" She wasn't going to kill me, was she? Kirara hopped out of Sango's arms, transforming in a burst of flame and growling at the demon. The person holding onto me had sharp red eyes and messy hair, skin almost as tan as the fur she wore. She was way too close and looked distinctly Chinese. "A-Are you the cat demon?"

"Cat?" She clicked her tongue, face contorting into one of distaste. "I am a panther demon, thank you. Don't lump us together with common cats… or you'll make us angry."

"It's theeeem!" Hachi wailed, curling into a ball with his paws over his head. "We're going to die! They're going to eat Irene alive!"

"Irene?" The woman hummed. I let out a terrified squeak when she pulled me even closer, the demon raising my arm up in the air to lean down and get a better look at my face, my back pressed against her chest. "Such a strange name. I never expected the young priestess to be an outsider."

"You're the outsider!" Sango growled, kicking her hiraikotsu up and catching it, lunging at the demon. "Let go of her!"

The panther demon sneered and suddenly I was being tossed in the air, slung over her shoulder as she leapt out of the way of Sango's weapon. The demon raised a hand, whistling, and several more demons appeared from the shadows. They looked far more like wildcats than the one carrying me. "Go! Find the jewel shards!"

"That's what you're after!?" Kaede shouted, pushing herself up off the ground and back onto her feet, fixing her bow and notching an arrow once more. I kicked my legs, trying to push myself out of the demon's hold. She was standing on the rooftop, but I wasn't too concerned with that at the moment. I had a better chance of surviving a fall from this height than if I went with her. "Let young Irene go!"

I yelped when the arrow zipped past us, the demon easily dodging it. "I-I don't have the jewel shards!"

In the distance several villagers and children could be heard screaming, all running to hide in their houses. Some were calling out for weapons, shouting about how they needed to protect Lady Kaede and Lady Irene, but Miroku quickly warned them to back away and hide where it was safe. Hachi continued to wail, Shippō tugging at the monk's kimono and freaking out.

"I'm aware." The female demon holding onto me said, smirking. Her gaze sent chills down my spine and I wanted nothing more than to be put down so I could hide behind Sango. "But you have the power to see the jewel shards, do you not? You will be most useful."

Hold on a moment. Did she think… Did she think that I was Kagome!? Holy frick. Perhaps it was a good thing Inuyasha left to go fetch Kagome earlier; he'll be able to protect her. If I'm the one who gets kidnapped I might be able to fool them long enough for her to be out of danger. I was going to try and use the Shikigami to get free, but… if it meant she'll be safe then this is fine. I'll deal with it one way or another.

"All we need now are the jewel shards themselves and the onmyōji priestess."

Oh. Actually, you know what? Nevermind. There's no winning. I urged the flames of the Shikigami to dance against my palms, the demon unable to see them from the way she was holding me. Taking a deep breath and willing the annoyance to fuel the fire, I pressed the hot orange flames against her back, smacking the woman as hard as I could. She let out a startled shout and loosened her grip, and using all the strength I had I reeled my leg back and kneed her hard in the abdomen.

She hadn't been expecting that, so in her surprise she had dropped me onto the rooftop. I flinched and let out several nasty coughs, wheezing and looking up at her. "J-Joke's on you, lady!" I stood, stumbling and staggering sideways. Shoulders slumped, arms dangling uselessly at my sides, I gave a weak grin. "I'm not a holy priestess."

"What?" The woman exclaimed, enraged. She patted her shoulder, panicking. She couldn't get the fire to dissipate. "What is this-!?"

Her whole body lit up in flame. It wasn't from my fire, no, it was a bright red flame, combating the orange I had burning her. Horror dawned on me as I realized very quickly if I tried the same thing again it wouldn't bother her, fire being her strength. The orange fire was snuffed out quickly as a result of this and I watched in disbelief, unable to believe what I just saw. Anastasia was the only one who had been able to overwhelm my Shikigami before, but now there was this person. I wouldn't stand a chance against her.

All fire disappeared from her body, the demoness turning and fixing me with a harsh glare. "How dare you, a human, attack me!? The mighty Karan!?"

"Because I'm daring? I guess? I can't just… let you kidnap me, can I?" I breathed, starting to grow dizzy. I needed to get out of here- quick. The others were on the ground, weren't they? Kirara must be nearby. "You want the onmyōji priestess? G-Good luck… getting me."

"You little…!" She bared her fangs and looked ready to lunge, but I didn't give her time to finish her sentence. I scrambled to edge of the rooftop, taking possibly one of the most riskiest gambles of my life, and jumped. "Don't-!"

"Kirara!" Frick, frick, frick, the ground is getting close real quick! I don't like this! Oh gods! I was mere seconds from breaking a leg or two, eyes squeezing shut as I braced myself for pain, when something slammed into me from my front and stopped my fall. I gasped, wheezing and breathing heavily, the wind knocked out of me. Fur tickled my face and I blinked several times, black spots dancing in my vision. "Ha… y-you did it! Oooh, th-thank… goodness."

The cat demon roared in response, landing near Sango. The slayer kicked at a nearby panther and moved over to stand guard over us, swinging her hiraikotsu over her shoulder. "Good job, you two! Kirara, keep Irene safe! We've got to defend the village!"

My fingers pulled at Kirara's fur as I struggled to sit up. "A-All they want… are the shards, Kagome, and me." My chest was burning so badly, it felt like my inner organs were straining themselves to keep me functioning. Like they were being weighed down, something trying to stop them from working. "A-Are you sure… we got this?"

The girl glanced back at me, expression serious and eyes determined. Yet there was worry in her gaze- a concern that left me bothered. For a moment, for just a split second, I almost wished I was back under a certain demon lord's protection. I knew if something happened to me Sango would undoubtedly rescue me, but I felt under his wing I would never be captured at all. It was selfish and the desire of a fool, but I was scared.

I've always been scared. In this world full of demons where my survival rate was gradually lowering… I wanted to do what was best for me. My cowardice was taking over. But I wasn't just going to leave my dear friends to die either. I was going to fight, no matter how badly I desired to run away. No matter how convinced I was that I was not meant for this kind of life. I bit my bottom lip, fingers tugging lightly against Kirara's fur. Sango flashed a reassuring smile. "Just stay behind me and Miroku, Irene."

"Y-Yeah…"

That was when Shippō screamed. I whirled around, startled, and watched as the fox demon ran around in a desperate attempt to escape a panther demon's attack. Hachi, who I swore was with him earlier, had dove into the small stream that flowed throughout the village, hiding beneath the wooden bridge. Miroku was slashing at a nearby enemy and, once he got the demon pushed away at a far enough distance, threw a couple sutras at some demons who were heading towards us. I yelped when that happened and almost fell backwards off of Kirara's back when she suddenly rose into the sky.

It was a good thing she did that when she did it, otherwise the two of us would have gotten buried beneath several panther demons. She roared and bit at one that got too close for her liking, and I squealed, ducking down to avoid a slash to the face. Without really thinking, mostly just panicking and acting on pure instinct by this point, I shrieked and shot a miniature ball of flame from my palm  when a demon tried to snatch my arm. "N-No!"

The fire exploded against his chest, sending him flying back. I let out a breath of relief when I saw him crash against a couple of his allies that were still on the ground.

"H-Holy frick, I actually got him…" He was still alive, but I landed a pretty decent blow. I had hurt him, not matter how minuscule the damage was. I'm so proud of myself right now. Keeping one hand on Kirara's back, I awkwardly pumped the other into the air, cheering. "H-Heck yeah, take that! L-Leave me alone, you jerks!"

I could hear Miroku praise me from his spot on the ground, the monk swiping at a nearby panther with his staff. "Good one, Irene! You should do your best to stay away from the danger, though!"

Okay, well, excuse me if I'm the one they're after. I can't help it trouble keeps finding me. I'm like thirty feet up in the air; how much farther away do you want me to get!? Any higher and I won't be able to breathe due to the thin layer of oxygen! Come on, dude, you're one of the smart ones! I huffed, pouting, and ducked down against Kirara's back, arms wrapped around her neck as she flew a bit further away.

"Keep 'em back!" Sango shouted. "We can't let them get close to her!"

"F-Fox fire!" Shippō squealed, temporarily blinding an opponent as his flame had landed right into their eyes. He took that time to jump in the air, placing a leaf to his forehead. "Transform!"

And there it was- the giant rubbery pink balloon form. The panther demon leapt up and slashed with his claws and Shippō screeched, barely managing to dodge, and blinked when a sudden ball of fire clocked the panther in the side. The demon fell down, momentum lost, and Shippō turned to see me nervously grinning, hand held in the air from when I had let out the blast.

"Wh-What are you doing, Irene? Get away!"

Him, too? Jeez. I scowled and put on a sarcastic tone of voice, "Wowie, Irene, that was real helpful of ya! Thanks for saving me."

"Thanks, but you need to go! It's too dangerous! Inuyasha should be back any minute now with Kagome, so head to the well! It's- Irene!"

What?

"Mrrrow!"

My eyes went wide and I turned to look over my shoulder, hearing the sound coming from behind. There was a flash of grey and then Kirara was letting out an angered roar, hearing me scream as I was knocked off her back. It was then that Karan dashed forward, catching me with shocking speed before I could hit the ground, Sango crying out of my name. The panther demon had hit me hard in the chest with his leg and I was left to wheeze even more, coughing and struggling in Karan's hold, failing to get her hands off of me. It hurt so much.

"L… Let go…!"

She ignored me completely, calling out to her companions instead. "Back to me!" Karan demanded, jumping up several feet and landing atop the main shrine's torii gate. Any remaining wildcats that had survived the battle followed her, climbing up the staircase and sitting with great balance on either side of the gate. "The jewel shards aren't here, but we have one of the priestesses! We'll be back for the other soon enough."

"No!" Miroku dashed forward. "Don't!"

"Irene!" Shippō cried.

"I'll see you then." Karan purred.

She reached into her kimono and pulled out a handheld object, almost resembling that of a… bomb? No. No way, please tell me that isn't- no, no, no! Ignoring any and all pain, and how a numbness was slowly starting to spread throughout my body, I reeled my arm back and hit her as hard as I could. I heard a solid crack as my arm smacked her in the face, blood spilling from her nose. My legs were thrashing, heels of my feet trying as best as they could to reach her side and failing, and the look in her eyes as she recovered from the blow made my blood run cold. She was furious as all hell.

And before I knew she had tossed me into the air above her, keeping a hold of my arm, and slammed her other fist into my stomach as I descended back down. "You bitch!  Wretched human- just go to sleep already!"

She said that, but her actions gave the opposite reaction. It only kept me more awake. The hiraikotsu came hurtling at her from above and Karan leapt out of the way, watching as the weapon curved around the gate and back to Sango. "Let her go!" The woman demanded, charging and kicking at any demons that got in her way. If Karan was furious, Sango was downright enraged. "I'll kill you!"

"Hmph!" Karan tossed the bomb into the air. "Good luck with that, mortal."

Dry-heaving and gasping, I blindly reached out. A pathetic attempt to grab the weapon, knowing full well it was useless, only acting on fear. Yet instead of destroying everything like I had thought it would, the bomb emitted a smoke that made it impossible to see. Karan used that distraction for her and her remaining allies to escape, heading into the forest and moving as far away from the village as possible. Their speed rivaled that of Inuyasha's.

"Damn…" Karan brought her free hand up to her face, putting her broken nose back into place with another gross crack. "You really are an annoying one."

I clawed weakly at her kimono, fingers digging into her back as I spat up bits and pieces of vomit. She really hit me hard; it was frightening thinking of how that was her holding back her strength. One isn't supposed to kill their hostage, after all, if I am even that much. "Wh… What… What do you want with… with me!?"

"I should think that would be obvious." She snarked, sneering down at me as she moved from tree to tree. "I need you and your souls to revive my master."

...Excuse me? That made no sense at all.

The world around me was threatening to become dizzy and bleak, the village becoming nothing more than a spec in the distance. "M… My souls?"

"The Shikigami." She explained, no longer looking at me and instead focusing on her task. "The spirits are attached to their current master and move on only after death. But if our master absorbs your living soul the spirits will go with it, giving him even more strength than what a dozen of mortal souls would! It would be as if we've given him the soul of a demon! You're the perfect fodder for his revival."

Oh…

Oh, frick.

That isn't good.

…

Sango's weapon dropped to the ground beside her, frustration and anger boiling within. Not only did they hurt Irene right in front of her- they stole her away. It held the same feeling as it did whenever she had to watch Kohaku fly away and disappear in order to return to Naraku; a bitter, heartbroken, angry feeling. This was the second time Irene was taken from her grasp.

"Not again…" Her voice was low and quiet, trembling with a barely restrained rage. She lurched forward, yanking the hiraikotsu out of the ground and running up the staircase with fierce eyes. "I won't let her be taken away again! Kirara!"

Hearing her name called the cat demon dashed forward, letting out a determined roar as Sango jumped onto her back. Miroku ran up shortly after, trying to keep up with them, Shippō sitting on his shoulder. "Wait for me, Sango!" The monk called and reached out, barely grabbing onto Kirara's fur in time to avoid being left behind. He pulled himself up with a grunt, positioning himself and sitting behind the girl. "Don't forget us!"

"Th-That was way too close!" Shippō exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. "We almost fell off…"

Miroku slid an arm around Sango's waist, his other hand keeping hold of his buddhist staff. They all felt a sense of urgency, knowing the worst could happen if Irene was taken. They had to get her back no matter what. There was no way they would let her die or be subject to some evil demon's schemes. "Do you know which way they went?"

"Kirara can still track their scent!" She responded, glaring into the distance. Her jaw tightened, the woman gripping hiraikotsu so tightly her knuckles had turned white. "The smoke was clearly just a regular smoke bomb- it doesn't distort the senses of other demons! They were using it as a cover to make their escape! That means Irene is still close by- and I won't let them get away! Faster, Kirara!"

…

Karan turned her head with a scowl, looking behind her. "That slayer friend of yours is becoming quite the nuisance." I flinched when the panther demon suddenly moved higher up the tree, leaping off of it and whirling around, palms pointing out towards the way we came. "Hyah! Take that, mortal!"

A red ball of fire shot out of her hands, heading straight towards a figure in the distance. Recognizing the shape, my eyes widened.

"S-Sango!"

The hiraikotsu came flying from the shadows, curving around the tree trunks and smacking hard against several demons. As a result they were knocked off their perches, sent sailing downwards to the ground. Kirara ducked down and swerved to avoid the fireball, the cat demon letting out a defiant growl. She flew a bit faster, the details of Sango and the others becoming a bit more prominent as they neared. "Irene! Just hold on!"

I was already clinging to Karan's kimono to avoid falling off of her shoulder, as well as trying to rid some of the discomfort from being stuck in such an awful position. Aside from the shouting and movement, and the pain in my stomach from her previous hit, this was putting so much pressure against my abdomen and caused incredible amounts of pain against my ribcage. I could barely breathe as is. "I… I am holding on!"

The demon slayer caught her boomerang as it doubled back to her and she narrowed her eyes at Karan, the panther demon grinning coyly at her. "What's the matter? Afraid to attack now that I have one of your precious priestesses?"

"You wish!" Sango snapped. "Take this!"

She spun the hiraikotsu above her head for a total of two seconds before sending it sailing towards us, dark eyes glaring daggers at Karan. I yelped when Karan jumped to move out of the way, the demon using the weapon as a springboard and going even higher up into the air. A wretched smirk was sprawled across her face and I wanted nothing more than to burn it off. So, using Sango's attack as a distraction, I made my own move. Flames danced along my fingertips and, not holding back, I smacked Karan on the back of the head.

"Let go of me!"

Karan let out a shriek and nearly dropped me as the fire turned from orange to white, but my being held hostage on her shoulder did nothing to stop her from setting her own body ablaze to counter my Shikigami. The heat was intense and so abrupt; I barely had time to process what was happening before I was screaming as loud as my lungs would allow, feeling the flame burn my flesh as I thrashed. I'm not too terribly sure what happened next, but in the end she must have lost her grip for I was then tumbling through trees, wind whipping past me so fast it just made the fire spread more.

And, as I was falling, red flames were smothered out by cool blue ones, enveloping my body even as I neared the grassy ground of the forest. I stopped screaming by this point, both physically and mentally exhausted, almost on the verge of passing out. I was certain I was going to die, too, before a familiar giant pink rubber ball caught my attention. It appeared randomly and without warning, and I found myself bouncing off of Shippō's transformed body a couple of times before I collapsed, covered in a multitude of burns, cuts, and bruises.

"Daaamn it!" Karan yelled, growling as she landed on a branch and staring at the battlefield. "They're all in the way!"

"Then leave!" Miroku demanded, ripping the beads off of his hand and extending his arm, pointing it at her. "Wind Tunneeeeel!"

Karan's eyes went wide and she hurriedly moved out of the way, watching as several of her demon allies got sucked into the cursed black hole. Karan brought a hand up and whistled a signal, and the remaining panther demons caught up with her. Miroku, seeing this, closed up his hand and wrapped the prayer beads back around it, watching with narrowed eyes as they took off.

"They're gone." He stated coldly, a deep frown on his face. "I guess they valued their lives after all…"

"Irene!" Sango called out, turning her attention to me. I was unmoving. "No, no…"

Shippō floated higher up and the woman jumped over, landing on the giant pink rubber ball that was currently the fox demon. I could feel his form shift with each step the girl took and I winced when Sango lifted me up into her lap, the woman resting a hand against my face. My skin was pale and my breathing was labored, and there were far too many spots in my vision. The world was spinning around me. "How is she!?" The fox demon asked, alarmed. "I-I can't see up there!"

"Not good." Sango answered, furrowing her eyebrows together. "We need to get back to the village immediately- before those demons come back! Miroku scared them off for now, but they might return for Irene and Kagome."

Oh, joy. That sounded lovely.

I wheezed as I was forced to sit up, leaning against Sango for support, several coughs leaving my lips. "S-Sorry…"

"Don't apologize!" She told me, eyes looking a bit misty. "They're the ones to blame. Shippō… take Irene back to the village! Miroku and I will be right behind you with Kirara."

Setting me back down as gently as she could, the girl hopped on back over to the cat demon and climbed on, sitting next to the monk. Together, the group returned to the hut where we lived and we saw Kaede, the elder priestess, pacing nervously. Her single eye widened when we came into view and her shoulders relaxed, relief washing over her. "Ye've rescued the girl! Thank goodness."

"Yes, but she's not doing well!" Shippō said, transforming back into his childish self. I grimaced as I hit the ground, coughing roughly into the dirt. He made his way over beside me, shaking me a little. "Irene, don't die on us! We'll get you your medicine, okay?"

"I… I'm fine." I cringed, struggling to push myself onto my knees. My limbs felt so numb and weak. Sango climbed off of Kirara and didn't even hesitate as she hoisted me up into her arms, carrying me a lot more delicately than Karan did. "...!"

"Kaede, where's that machine she uses? We need to get it ready!"

"This way. I'll get some herbs ready to treat her wounds."

The next half hour was spent with me tucked against the wall, the nebulizer turned on, and Kaede getting to work on rubbing some kind of green paste on the burned parts of my skin. My head was throbbing, but the pain was slowly diminishing. Miroku and Sango were speaking to each other, trying to figure out what the panther demons' plan was. It was understandable they'd want Kagome for her jewel shards and sight, and yet… they went after me. They found that most odd.

Turning off the machine I lowered the mouthpiece, slowly putting everything away with one hand. Kaede was wrapping my left hand in bandages. "There we go. A few days and it'll be all better. It was a good thing ye got away when you did- otherwise the burn would have been worse."

"Y-Yeah…" I held my wrist, thumb running across the bone anxiously. I had a pretty good feeling that it was the koi fish who saved me, the blue flame that wrapped around me during my fall through the trees having healed the worst of the burns. "Um… about me nearly being kidnapped…"

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat, uncomfortable. I glanced up at them, seeing their stares. The expressions they wore were both serious and concerned; it felt so strange and heartwarming at the same time. No matter how much time I spent here I still found it so baffling that they cared so much about me in the short time we've known each other.

"Karan- uh, the crazy fire lady- she said…" I took a deep breath, heart still racing. "She said they wanted my soul."

"What?" Shippō was alarmed. "Your soul? Are they working with Naraku!?"

Sango brought a hand to her chin, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. "It is a possibility. Do you know why they wanted it?"

"Y-Yeah, actually." I cleared my throat, shifting my legs and crossing them. "They want to revive their master. According to them an onmyōji priestess is bonded with her spirits through soul, so… if you take the soul of the priestess the spirits go with that soul. But if the priestess dies before that can happen the spirits move on to someone else? I-I dunno, it's weird. She said that was what happened though. They want… my soul and the Shikigami to… to revive their master since it would be more effective than the souls of several humans. It would be like giving a demon as a sacrifice, I think she said."

"Hmm." Miroku frowned deeply at this. "That isn't good. If they get the souls of both you and the Shikigami, and then Kagome's jewel shards… no." He shook his head. "That won't happen. We'll have to warn Inuyasha when he comes back and send Kagome home right away. I wish we could send you back with her as well, but…"

"The well doesn't work." Shippō finished sadly. "This is really bad. What'll we do? They really seem to want Irene."

"How did they even learn of her abilities?" Kaede inquired, speaking aloud her thoughts as she packed up the remaining medicine. "She has not been here long- surely word has not spread so quickly?"

"I don't know." Sango spoke, and she watched as I laced my fingers together tightly on my lap, her brown eyes determined. "But I'm not gonna let them have her. She'll be under my watch."

"Mine as well." Miroku spoke up, dark blue orbs glittering with resolve. Shippō hopped over, climbing onto my lap, grinning.

"Don't you worry! We'll keep you safe, Irene."

There was so much warmth in their voices, barely hiding the fury they held towards the panther demons for trying to kidnap me. It wasn't just Sango who cared about me- they all did. Just as much as I cared for them. My eyes widened when I saw their smiles and fiery gazes, and as everyone's hearts and minds filled with the resolve and determination to keep me safe… I was reminded of a very heart wrenching thought.

These people… they were my friends. True friends. People I could depend on wholeheartedly. They were so very important to me.

And… I don't think I would ever be ready to leave them behind to go home.

Without Maria beside me… I feared I would be comfortable continuing to live here. We had this conversation before back in the bat demon village, after I got mad at Kagome for trying to interfere with my very lacking love life. I was already so attached to her and all of our other friends; did she really think I would be so foolish and fall for someone here when I didn't even bother with relationships back in my era? I'm such an idiot for already allowing myself to befriend everyone.

Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippō, Kaede… and even Miroku- someone whom I had been very reluctant to go near- has become dear to me. I loved them all so much.

My precious friends.

Those who've I wound up risking my life for.

I want to go home, but I also don't want to leave them behind. They tolerated all my foolishness and tears, dealt with my illness with such kindness. They worried so much about me- even when certain situations would have driven others away. Was it because of the time period or… because that was just who they were? Such generous, wonderful, amazing people who have suffered so much that they go out of their way to help others?

I can't stand it. My heart hurts so much.

The fox demon child watched with big eyes as I teared up, my lips curling back as I choked. "I-Irene? What's the matter? Do your injuries still sting?"

It took all I had not to start bawling my eyes out then and there. I reached down and picked Shippō up, holding him tight. The child wrapped his arms around my shoulders, surprised. "I-I'm just… I'm just happy to have you guys as my friends. Th… That's all…"

Kaede smiled at the sight and continued on her way, picking up the mortar, pestle, and the basket full of herbs. "As are we, my child. Now get some rest. Inuyasha has still not returned with young Kagome yet; it will be some time before the panther demons come back for you. They must regain their strength."

When she says it like that it makes me even more nervous to try and take a nap. What if they attack in my sleep?

I didn't argue though. I curled up in a ball with Shippō on one of the futons that had been laid out earlier and closed my eyes, dreading the moment that Karan would return. I yawned, becoming vaguely aware of the footsteps that neared us. Sango. The woman knelt down, resting her hand softly on my head and brushing the bangs out of my face. "Just relax, Irene. No one is stealing your soul, whether it be Anastasia or these panther demons."

Chapter Text

It's been almost two whole months since she started living with the wolf demon tribe. The woman remembers well what happened during that time that led her to her being fully integrated with their way of life. It wasn't long after Kōga had welcomed her to the Wolf Demon Tribe that Maria found herself being led out of the caves and into the woods. To say that Maria was nervous back then would have been an understatement.

She looked over her shoulder as she was being led away, seeing Ginta and Hakkaku both giving her looks and gestures of encouragement. But watching the slowly diminishing forms of her friends- could she call them that?- who were her only lifelines of communication and of understanding this world, the unease turned to a heavy knot in her stomach. Her earlier tiredness was replaced by keen adrenaline and mild fear.

Now deep within the forest Maria was so lost in thought- taking stock of her current supplies and escape routes- that she almost walked head-first into So'aku. Backing up quickly, the thought of -is this where I die?- running through her head, Maria instinctively found her hand on her knife, eyes wide.

So'aku turned to face her, taking in her stance. From the tight set of her shoulders, to her legs that were ready to run at any second, the human's eyes were wide with too many emotions. With a shake of her head, So'aku pointed in front of them- another semi familiar word slipping past her lips. Yet… Maria couldn't quite place what that word was.

Hesitantly, she stepped forward through the brush before seeing just what So'aku had been pointing at. A natural hot spring sat nestled between a rocky outcrop of boulders, steam rising off the water in gentle waves. So'aku spoke again, that same word as before.

"Yoku…?" Maria mumbled the word to herself, looking at the water before seeing the dirt and grime covering her hands and clothes. "Yoku… Yoku! A bath!" She turned to her demon companion with wide eyes, this time with curiosity instead of fear. "You want me to take a bath, right?" She pointed at herself and then the water. "Bath. Yoku."

Nodding again, So'aku gestured for Maria to undress- sending a new wave of unease through her. It was not that Maria was shy about undressing in front of another girl- she had been in band class before; weird shit happens. But So'aku was a demon. Alone in the woods it wouldn't take much to end Maria's life, especially if she was naked. Yet the longer she looked at the female demon, the more she realized she couldn't feel any ill intent coming off of her.

Only a strong willed patience toward the skittish human, due to no doubt centuries of living. Sighing, Maria made a "turn around" gesture with her hands. Her companion complied silently as the human herself also turned away, slowly starting to undress. Her jeans gave her the most trouble- torn, tattered, and crusted in both new and old blood. The damn things almost didn't want to come off. With a final tug and a sharp curse, she managed to remove them with the rest of her garments, choosing to ignore the now-freely-bleeding wound… again. Damn it.

…

Blood. Fresh and sudden- the scent hit So'aku's nose so fast she couldn't help but turn towards the human, the words of her leader singing in her memory.

"Make sure she's clean. Watch her, protect her, and, So'aku, if anything happens to her… you  know  what will happen."

Kōga had taken to the human quickly. Unsurprising given that said human reminded him of the Kagome girl he had pledged himself to, but she had also made him bleed. All with a stone-cold expression.

So'aku respected that, but the girl was still weak. Still human. Her freshly bleeding leg was proof of her mortality, and yet…

Looking back, So'aku could not recall the girl limping or showing her pain during their walk. Even now, she saw no expression of pain- only the subtle hiss or mumbled word here-and-there. The girl was refusing to show her pain so as to not show weakness. Impressive. The demon was just about to comment on the girl's resolve when the human removed her shirt, her eyes widening.

The human, Maria as they called her, had her back covered in one long mottled bruise. Reaching from over her right shoulder, across both shoulderblades, and down along her spine to just above the back of her left hip. She had fallen against something, hard, and something had obviously been strapped to her back at the time.

Her pain would have been staggering. Watching as the girl seemed to struggle for where to put her clothes, the human eventually sighed and settled for laying them on a raised rock. The tense pull of her shoulders were the only indication of her pain.

That is… until the girl made to get into the water. The quick momentary hiss as she lowered her injured leg into the spring was nothing compared to the harsh gasp that stuttered from her pale lips the instant the steaming water reached the horrid bruising on her back. Eyes clenching shut, bottom lip held and bitten between shaking teeth, So'aku could smell her pain. The sheer agony radiating from her in droves. The salty scent of tears hiding amongst the steam.

This human was trying so hard for something and the demon just couldn't tell what. What could pushed this child so far?

And then it hit her.

Ginta said she was looking for someone; a sister. Family. The child was pushing herself to the limit to find her family- a young human most likely dead in an unfamiliar world. For the girl's sake, So'aku wished the other would be fine.

Or at the very least to have had passed into death painlessly.

…

It was painful- gods, did it hurt- but she had to push through. Maria had to find Irene. Gods only knew what kind of trouble she would get into, not to mention her lungs…

Moving past that depressing thought, Maria allowed the water to soothe her aching muscles. The spring was a tad hot, probably too hot for most people, but she had always adored burning showers. It wasn't until the sound of splashing water reached her ears that she looked up, mildly started by the sound.

"So'aku?" She asked in confusion, looking at her demon companion.

The wolf demon had dropped her legs into the spring beside Maria's shoulder, her leg wraps and fur discarded. A cool, clawed hand grasped her her chin, tilting her head back. Panic flooded Maria as she latched onto the tanned wrist, fear in her eyes. But So'aku held no malice in her gaze, only quiet understanding. Foreign words fell from the demon's mouth, tone calm and reassuring.

Still a bit edgy, Maria released her and allowed her head to be tipped back gently before water was slowly poured over her hair. Over-and-over until her auburn locks were wet and saturated completely. Then, with practiced ease, clawed hands pressed the flat of her fingers against Maria's scalp and massaged gently.

Okay…

This was a little weird, but it sure felt nice. More than nice, actually. Gods, it was good and all she wanted to do was sleep. The ache and fatigue of days of travel and little rest flooded her in that moment of silence. It was just a simple bath and head scratch, but as Maria let her eyes drift closed she guessed being in the company of a wolf pack wasn't so bad.

And if she dreamed of Irene and wolves… who could blame her?

…

Maria took back her previous thoughts of the wolf pack not being so bad. It was awful.

After being gently shaken awake, So'aku had helped Maria from the spring. But as she had went to put her clothes back on the demon had stopped her, handing her a bundle of red and gold fabric instead. Maria stared at it with confusion and, after even more communication and changing issues, So'aku helped her into the silken robes with ease. It was soft and comfortable, yes, but it was so long. It was practically a dress and impossible to move in through the forest.

Basically, kimonos were dumb. This one at least.

Maria grumbled all kinds of profanities at So'aku for taking her old and her boots. She liked her shoes. By the time they had made it back to the wolf cave, Maria's feet were scratched and sore. Her injured leg throbbed and her stomach ached from lack of food, her last meal having been given to the wolves instead. So'aku had her sit down on some furs when they entered the mountain hide-out.

Ginta quickly came over to wrap her leg again, offering her some dried meat for a snack. Maria took it happily, but she still wasn't pleased about losing all her clothes and shoes. So'aku was talking with Kōga again, the few words Maria able to make out setting her on edge despite her fatigue.

They talked for what felt like hours, until the moon was high in the sky and the human's hazel eyes struggled to stay open. Then something wet and rough licked across her arm, jarring her into alertness as she searched for the culprit. Settled beside her, tail wagging lazily, was the leading wolf from earlier that day.

"Saun," She breathed in English, scratching his head. "You scared me, hun. Don't do that."

The large wolf just looked at her, tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, happy and content with his head scratches. As this happened So'aku spoke to the chief, Kōga listening to the female demon's report idly while watching as the human girl talked to and showered one of his prized wolves with affection. It wasn't until the demon mentioned the smattering of injuries covering the human's back that his gaze snapped up to the wolf mother.

"She's that injured, and Ginta and Hakkaku let her go fumbling through the mountains?"

"I'm fairly certain that they didn't know, Kōga." So'aku responded calmly, defending the boys and keeping the facts clear. "Her leg wound overpowers the scent of the pain."

Their human was hurt- more so than they initially thought- and she needed to be protected until she recovered. They couldn't go looking for Kagome with her like this; it'd be asking for problems. Letting out a sigh, Kōga slumped back into his throne of hay, bones, and fur. "I'm leaving her in your care, So'aku. Help her heal and keep her fit."

"And what of the language barrier?"

The male wolf demon waved a hand dismissively in the air. "She catches on quick enough; have Ginta and Hakkaku handle that."

So'aku bowed. "Very well." The mother stood up and turned to see the young girl sleeping, curled up on the furs with the grey wolf. Her warprize of a weapon, the centipede bone, was held close to her chest- yet the tip was buried in the furs beneath her so as to not injure her animal companion. "Clever girl…"

Kōga eyed her when she said that, but said nothing of it. "You can start tomorrow."

With a nod, So'aku went to tend to her own child on the opposite side of the cave from where the warriors slept. There would be so much to do over the next few moons… and only the heavens knew what would be in store for them. The woman prayed for their demon ancestors to watch over them in the meantime and to speed the human girl's recovery time.

…

Days had passed in the care of the wolves. It was most likely weeks, in hindsight, as Maria had lost several days to a fever shortly after arriving to the caves. Six days since the fever had broken and she was stillbeing pampered and coddled. They were treating her like a child.

The human hated it.

They all had refused to give her back her boots or her sword, and when they came for her bone knife she had hissed and snapped like a feral cat. They stopped trying to take it as a result. Maria was also continuously stopped when she tried to go hunting for food on her own. The few times she had attempted to go with an actual hunting party they had laughed good naturedly, chuckling, "Ningen," with a shake of their heads. They went hunting without her and she was given dried meat and fruit, plenty of water, and fur on the cold nights.

She bathed and walked the caves, practiced Japanese with Hakkaku and Ginta, and So'aku looked after her and watched her heal. There came a point where some of the men were sparring with swords when she walked by; she moved to help, to be useful because- honestly- their form was terrible. But there it was again… the chiding, placating smiles.

The "baka" and "ningen" laughter. Calling her a foolish human. A stupid human. The shaking of their heads and quiet laughs were frustrating, seeming as if they were scolding a child.

Yet Maria was far from a child. She was just human. Weak.

And by the gods she was so fucking done.

Shoving her way passed them, she stormed over to the pile of weapons where they had dumped her stolen sword. Ginta had noticed her anger, hurriedly moving to stop her, but the murderous glare she sent him had him pausing long enough for her to grab and unsheath the blade. Determinedly walking before the other two men again, the woman got into an offensive stance.

"Spar with me!" She called, their smiles and laughter dying as they saw her. For a moment they were confused, but then their chuckles began again. They were acting like she was a child that was throwing a tantrum. Raising her voice, the rage boiling inside of her, she spoke more firmly as she repeated herself, hazel eyes narrowing, "Spar."

Now they stopped, finally looking at her for what felt like the first time.

The draw of her stance, the intent in her gaze. This was no child playing war; Maria was serious. She watched as they shouted beyond her and towards Ginta, the man's callback sounding worried, yet the words were too rushed. She couldn't make them out, but she did know what was happening. He was convincing them she was harmless, that she didn't mean it. That she was only human and was not a threat.

And as a hand came down firmly on her shoulder, as if to direct her away from them, she knew was right. No more, she thought, and without warning she planted her right foot and pivoted, swinging the sword as hard as she could. She had hoped to scare them off or even shave a few hairs from their head, and she would have if it had been anyone else.

But the hands that caught her sword and wrist were not that of her new hesitant companions. No, instead the stern blue eyes that greeted hers belonged to none other than that of the wolf demon tribe leader himself.

"Kōga!" Several men cried, shocked that their leader had not only gotten involved, but also that a human girl had outright attacked him… for a second time. The leader watched as she pulled on the sword to no avail, his grip as firm as steel. With a huff, Maria pushed forward and glared, repeating again,

"Spar!"

Hazel and blue stared each other down for a long moment- all of the other demons in the den deathly silent as they waited for their leader's decision. The collected sigh of relief from the clan wasn't lost on Maria when Kōga began to laugh. It meant she got live… and…

Stepping back as he released her, she watched as he spoke to the two men again. Their disbelieving looks spoke volumes as he waved from them to her. The men picking up their swords as one apprehensively got into an offensive stance said everything. Maria could hardly make sense of what was happening. He was… going to let her fight?

Maria set herself up in a defensive stance, crouched low to be a smaller target as best as she could in her wretched kimono. With a wave of a hand, Kōga signaled for them to start. It was clear her opponent- Shinku, Ginta had called him- wasn't keen on fighting her. Hmph. So be it. If he was going to hesitate she'd strike first.

And with a resolve like steel… Maria charged.

…

Kōga had told Shinku and Hige to fight the girl; to sway her interest. She was the only human after all. Besides, he wanted to test to see if what Hakkaku had said about the centipede was true. The clan knew what would happen if Kōga's new human was seriously injured; there would be no forgiveness.