My character Ipo Hotta is an actual based on girl, combined of all my friends best qualities. I was never one to like reading about the girl that's always in trouble(Sorry Kags!)so, with my own character, the plot shall change. I always believed if Kagome had a someone closer with her, like a best friend with her from the start, she would strive to better herself.
If you don't like it then you don't have to read but for those who do, I hope you enjoy this story, as much as I enjoyed writing. If you have any ideas to add to the story, don't hesitate to tell me or even ask. Also, I will not be 're-editing' all the stories, only those to get to where I want the story to be.
The qualities of which I spoke are as listed; smart, sarcastic, friendly, energetic, protective, loud, brash, patient, put together, good at explaining things, natural maternal instinct, brings the kid out and can get along with just about anyone.
I do not own Inuyasha or the characters, expect Ipo.
Episode one: Passing through the well, 'Oh What A Glorious Day!'
"Ka-go-me!" came the sing-song voice of an young girl, sporting an afro of black ringlets. The head bobbed side to side with the motion of the singing. From the two story, canary yellow house on the Higurashi shrine lands, skipped out a grinning Ipo Hotta. Appearance wise, she looked innocent, what with her large brown eyes but to know her, she was anything but really.
She loud, rude to those she didn't like but respectful when needed to be. Her build wasn't small and fragile but a tall and curvy, contributed by her forgein mother. Hawaiian she was. Ipo still donned the school uniform, like so many other girls, green pleated skirt, white and green sailor shirt, brown penny loafers and knee-high white socks.
Sought out teen, a girl with midnight black locks and shockingly blue eyes, turned to the one she seen as a sister. A grin marred her face, watching as Ipo skipped toward her. Kagome Higurashi, she was much smaller then Ipo, causing her to get picked on a lot and making the ringlet an unexpected bodyguard. She was also the quiet one of the duo, always listening and waiting for the right time to move.
"Whatcha doing?" large brown eyes sparkled with amusement, looking down at Kagome.
"Looking for Buyo...Souta lost him. Wanna help me look?" her bottom lip stuck out, quivering as she turned the puppy eyed look on her, azure eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"That's sooooo not fair!" Ipo pouted as Kagome 'yes'd' loudly, fist pumping and grabbed her hand. Together, the two fifteen year olds ran toward the back yard, calling for the fat cat. Souta said that was where the cat ran off to. "Why is he not over here looking for him?"
"I am!" the girls looked over at the bushes at the back of the house, to see the ten year old boy pop his head out. His hair was all over the place, twigs and leaves sticking out of it.
Ipo itched to laugh but reframed. "Well…uh…YOU BETTER!" she called back, shaking a fist as he rolled his eyes and trekked to the other side of the yard.
"Mew!" the cry echoed back to the girls, their heads popping up at the sound. Glancing at each other, they shrugged and started toward it. What they came upon was the Well House, housing the grounds ancient well. Moving closer, Ipo eyed the building covered in torn sultra's and Kagome, she fidgeted nervously.
"Ipo…I don't think we should go in." Kagome muttered.
"Poppycock." waving the younger girl off, Ipo pushed the heavy door open to stand in the doorway, proudly, chest puffed out proudly and hands on her hips. "Oh Buyo!" her voice held a high pitch tune.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
Both stilled, heads cocking as they tried to pin point the sound before settling their eyes on the boarded up well. Ipo frowned, glancing to her 'sister', who had adopted the same look. There was no way, in hell, he was in there. The thing is boarded up! Cautiously, they stepped lightly, forward and immediately their noses were filled with a musky-moldy sent that had them gagging and coughing. "Ugh, yuck."
From behind, Souta stepped up to the two girls, just watching for a moment as they moved around in the darkness. Even as light as they stepped, he could still hear them, which meant Buyo could as well. "…did you find him?"
"Aaahhh!" they lose a matching shrieks, gripping the other and spun to face the soon-to-be-dead-boy. He wasn't to far off, so they proceeded to smack his arm and shoulder. "Not funny!"
"Haha! Sorry!" he jumped back, clutching his stomach.
So wrapped up in their pouting, the trio never noticed said cat strut in, rubbing against Ipo's legs. She let lose another screech, almost climbing on Kagome in her panic, as her head snapped down to look at what dare touched her. Insistently, Kagome and Souta began laughing this time, seeing the overweight cat weaving his way around Ipo's long legs, purring loudly. "Oh hush." she snapped, scooping the car to pet his head, looking quite devilish in that moment.
Scratch, scratch.
Again, they stilled, looking to the well with frowns and knitted brows. If they had Buyo, what was scratching in the well? Probably just rats, right?…but then how did they get in there? So many questions and not enough answers. "We should probably le-" an eerie blue light burst out from the cracks of the boards nailed over the well, cutting off what Souta was going to say. Exchanging glances of confusion and slight fear, they inched forward, seconds before the wood exploded and sending pieces in all directions.
Kagome threw herself over Souta for protection and Ipo did the same to Kagome. A wild wind ripped around in the small enclosed space and started pulling at all three. Ipo shoved Buyo in the boys arms as Kagome pushed him toward the well house door, screaming to get mama and grandpa. The three could fell their feet being dragging across the dirt floor and toward the well. One more shove and Souta broke free of the winds pull and climbed the stairs quickly. Casting one last look at the two girls, he darted toward the house, screaming at the top of his lungs.
As for Kagome and Ipo, they grabbed separate beams to keep themselves 'grounded', but it did no good. Holding out the wood, there feet were being lifted from the ground and Ipo looked toward the door. She could just make out the three forms running toward the well house. "Ipo?" Kagome called, making the other look at her. There was a look in her eyes that the elder girl understood. If mama, grandpa and Souta came in, they would get pulled in as well. They had to let go, something told them it wouldn't take the others.
Letting out sighs, they released their holds and latched onto one another as they were pulled head first. Darkness and a rough well ground was what they expected. Rather, they were met by a mysterious blue light with yellow orbs of different sizes. Ignoring everything else around them, they focused on the lights that surrounded them, almost like they were playing.
Quite rudely, they were ripped from their 'happy moment' when someone or thing gripped their bodies. They were jerked around to come face to face with a woman. She was definitely not normal, her mouth stretched almost from ear to ear, her eyes were beady and from what they could tell, had many hands. A scream of terror ripping from their throats.
"My strength, it returns." the creature laughed. From behind a skeleton began to glow, skin growing. The body was a large centipede, a very large centipede. The creature brought the girls close, running a long, slimly tongue over Ipo's face then Kagome's. "You must have it." she referred to a scared Kagome and flung the useless Ipo away. Or she would have if Ipo hadn't gripped the woman's hair and swung herself back around.
Silently, she thanked the gods for her habit of always carrying a blade with her as she pulled a butterfly knife from her school socks. "Let my imooto go!" she shrieked, burying the blade in the woman's back. The back of the centipede arched forward as she cried out in pain and tried to throw Ipo from her, to no avail. With the attention drawn away, Kagome shoved her hand in the deformed looking face and a strange purple light erupted. It knocked the woman back, all three falling back into the darkness and only one screeching something about a jewel before disappearing.
With her sudden disappearance, Kagome descended the short distance to fall on Ipo, knocking the air from her and both groan. The arms of the centipede rested next to them and both scramble, as far as one could go. 'Was that a dream?' was their similar thought but one look to the twitching arms and they decide it wasn't. "Kags...you ok?" Ipo finally spoke, her voice quivering, as she stashed her blade again.
Instead of answering, the black head turns to cry into her friends chest. "Shhhh, it's okay." she cooed, running a hand over her head as she looked above them. Her eyes were met y a blue sky. 'Blue sky?' shaking her head, she cleared those thoughts and called for Souta. She could dwell on this later, like when she wasn't sitting at the bottom of a well.
"W-what happened?" Kagome stuttered.
"I dunno...come on, let's get out of here." she suggested and both stood, looking about them. There was no ladder and Ipo frowned. She noticed vines and gave them a good tug. Didn't want them to snap halfway up. Once she decided they were sturdy enough, she began climbing with Kagome following. Neither had been as happy as they were right now for those gym classes they thought were so useless.
As their heads popped out from the darkness, a butterfly fluttered by, eyes following it's trail. Kagome's lips pursed together in confusion but continued her climb, until both laid on the cool grass. They stared up at the clear by sky, sighing. This was all wrong. Kagome stood to take her surroundings in. Stunned would be an understatement. A forest, they were in a forest, not the shrine, where Kagome lived. In fact, there was no shrine, at all.
"Grandpa, mamma?" Kagome calls but there is no answer. Slowly, gripping the well lip, she pulled herself to her feet. She trailed off in the opposite direction, calling for someone but also got no response. She stopped after a moment, lips pursing again and turned to Ipo. She was leaning against the well, eyes closed and head lured back. As if sensing the stare, her eyes opened and brown clashed with blue. The same question was in their eyes, 'Where the hell are we?' but something else caught their attention at the same time.
The Scared Tree loomed in the distance.
Hope surged, it gad to mean the house couldn't be far…right? Getting to her feet, Ipo joined Kagome in the short sprint, bursting into a clearing, grinning from ear to ear, to see a boy dressed in all red pinned to it, an arrow protruding from his right shoulder. Vines and roots from the tree had grown to encase his body, almost like it was cradling him. Long silver/white hair rested behind him and pointy ears to match laid up top his head. He looked asleep.
Stopping, they blinked at the sight before Ipo, being the brave one, climbed up on the roots of the tree. When she was closer, she eyed the red clad boy and waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello?" there was no answer from him and she frowned. Slowly, her hand reached for his ears, noticing they weren't human ears. She had an incredible urge to touch them, as she knew Kagome would to. Her hands touch the soft fur and she smiled.
"Ipo..what are you doing?" Kagome hissed. "Get down." she demanded.
"Look, he's got doggy ears." Ipo giggled.
"What? I wanna see." she took the offered hand from Ipo and stepped up to the boy.
As soon as her fingers connected, a group of villagers rushed into the clearing. Bows were drawn, arrows notched and the group glared at the two strangers. "What are you doing here?" the demand was followed by flying arrows at they clattered around the three bodies.
Insistently, Kagome and Ipo started ducking and diving to the ground, avoiding getting hit. "Apperantly getting attacke!" Ipo snapped, glaring at the strangely dressed man. As if the day couldn't get any stranger. "What the hell is wrong with y'al?"
The two friends were sat on a mat, in the middle of a village, legs and arms bound as they leaned against one another. The village itself was old, old wooden, clay and roped huts lined the path. The women, men and children were dressed in old, worn and simple kimono's, haori and hakama's.
Weird looks went sent toward the friends as people whispered about their strange clothing and wondering if they happened to be foreigners. Kagome was utterly confused by this moment while Ipo, feeling the same, was gazing about her in wonder. She knew something was wrong but it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the view. This much nature was beautiful.
"Topnot, topnot, topnot." blue eyes flew to the men of the village. "Why does everyone have topnots? And why are there huts everywhere? "What's wrong with their clothes?" Kagome started to question in a mutter, her eyes darting about the clearing. "And where is my house?"
Their musings were cut short when a priestess, they heard the men call, Kaede arrived. She was an old woman, eye patch over her right eye and gray hair in a low ponytail. 'Another weirdo.' Ipo sweat dropped as the old woman began throwing some weird white powder at both. Kagome immediately began yelling as Ipo started sneezing, shaking her head. The villages jump back as they watch. "What the hell?" both girls demand.
The old woman just eyed the couple for a long moment, as if waiting for something to happen. After a couple minutes, she sighed in what they thought was relief. "They told me a demon was found in the Inuyasha Forest. I thought some ritual purification was in order." she let her eyes roam over one girl then the other.
"Then could they be a foreign spy?" a villager asked.
"Do we look like demons?" Ipo snapped as Kagome looked at the old woman in confusion. 'Demons?' suddenly, Kaede grabbed Kagome's face, inspecting it carefully as Ipo struggled to break free form the ropes. "Leave her be."
"You resemble sister Kikyo." she said quietly then nodded, as if coming to a conclusion. "Release them!" some of the men step forward, only to falter when Ipo glared and growled deeply in her throat. "Child, we will not hurt ye."
Ipo shot the woman a dead panned look before replying tartly. "Were you not the ones that just tied us up and threw us on these mats in the first place?"
Kaede sighed softly, stepping forward and untied Ipo first. The bushy black head scooted closer, untying Kagome as she eyed the people around them for any sudden movements. "Please, we mean no harm. We had to be careful. There are children here."
At the mention of children, Ipo's eyes flickered to her surroundings. Sure enough, kids were running around, playing and laughing. Her hard features softened and she nodded firmly to Kaede. "I'm trusting you."
"Come." she beckoned to the two. After standing there a moment longer, the village men staring at them a bit to much, choose to follow her. They weren't exactly dressed in their best clothes and Ipo had the urge to yell 'Take a picture, it'll last long, douche bags!'
The three headed to the far side of the village and into a single, small hut. The aroma of stew filled their noses and their stomachs rumble with hunger. Kaede poured some of the soup into a bowl, passing it to the two friends then another and chopsticks. "Thank you." both took the food gratefully, eating greedily.
"With so many wars these days, our young ones have become rash." Kaede started, catching Ipo's attention. "Even if I tell them we've no business with wars, they still refuse to listen and only give me more to worry about."
"Wars?" Ipo asked, confused. "What wars?" the empty bowl was set aside.
"The one around every turn." Kaede assured her.
"We aren't in Tokyo, are we?" Kagome asked from the blue.
"Tokyo? Never heard of it before." the old woman answers truthfully. "Is it your homeland?" she then asked.
"I...just want to go home." Kagome tells her awkwardly. Silently, Ipo was wondering how, exactly they are suppose to do that. Everything was just so crazy.
Outside, something sped through the grass, moving like a snake...or a centipede. The centipede demon reached the village in a matter of minutes, destroying everything in it's path. Villagers ran around, ringing the warning bell. Kaede, Kagome and Ipo peered from the hut, running out when they seen the centipede, the beast that pulled them through the well.
"What's going on?" Kagome was becoming frantic. "I thought we killed...that!"
"Guess not." Ipo frowned as she watched the weird woman destroy the village, yelling about the 'Shikon no Tama'. They needed to get it from the village but...how?
"An evil spirt!" a villager yelled.
Kaede turned to the two girls. "Does one of ye have the jewel?"
"I don't know! I don't know about any jewel!" Kagome cried out, Ipo silently agreeing.
Two villagers fired arrows at the demon while she was in mid air. They only reflected off her hard skin and fell to the ground. "Our spears and arrows have no effect!"
"We must throw her into the dry well!" Kaede announced.
"Dry well?" Ipo asked, looking to the old woman.
"The well in the Inuyasha Forest." was her answer.
"Give it to me, give it to me!" the centipede cried.
"The well!" both girls look at each other then Kaede, it had to be the same well they came from, right? "Which way is it?" Ipo asked but there is no answer. She began looking in all directions and Kagome tugged on her shirt, gesturing toward the north, where a blue light was shining. "Is the well in the direction of the light?" Kaede was shocked at the question but slowly nodded.
"Let's go!" the friends clasped hands and took off in that direction, hoping the centipede demon follow them.
"Those two...they see things ordinary people cant." Kaede mumbled but then turned back to see the demon gone. A villager approached with a horse and she climbed on quickly.
"This probably wasn't a smart idea!" Kagome pointed out, trying to dodge the branches.
"Yea, I know!" Ipo agreed, pushing themselves as fast as they could. 'Thank you Coach Dayo!' she mentally praised the track coach that pushed them constantly.
"Think anybody's gonna save us?" Kagome asked.
"Unless sleeping beauty awakes from his nap, no." she was referring to the red clad boy and glanced over her shoulder. The demon is right behind them. "Run faster!"
At the Scared Tree, a single heartbeat vibrated throughout the tree and the red clad boy. Suddenly, his claws flex. "I can smell the girl who killed me." a deep, animalistic growl rumbled from his chest as he looked to his pinned shoulder. Lifting the free hand, he tried to grab the arrow but the barrier around it, shocked him, making him yank his hand back. He growled again, the arrow was spelled.
"Give me the jewel shard!" the centipede cried.
"I don't know what's your talking about!" Kagome threw over her shoulder. The demon hissed, angry at the humans antics and attacked, slamming her body into the girl. Kagome cried out, her fragile body being thrown to the base of the Scared Tree. 'What the...how far did I go? Where's Ipo?' she started to panic.
"Hey Kikyo?" a voice called her attention and she glanced up to see the silver haired boy awake and staring at her with amber eyes. "Why are you wasting time with the centipede demon?"
'Did he just...talk?' Kagome's brows furrowed in question. "Are you alive?"
The boy laughed at the dumbfound look on her face. "Kill her in one strike, Kikyo. Just like the time you killed me. Huh? Don't look so dumb. Lost your mind already, miss Kikyo?" he sneered.
Now, Kagome started to get irritated with the boy. "Kikyo? Kikyo? Who's this Kikyo? You listen to me, my name is-"
"She's coming." he interrupted her and Kagome turned sharply.
The centipede rushed into the clearing, lunging at Kagome from behind who barely dodged. "IPO!" her scream echoed as she was grabbed from behind with a yank.
"I'm coming!" came the cry back, as Kagome latched onto the boys hair. From the tree line, villagers again run forth, bows ready and sending arrows toward the centipede demon. Another looked to Kagome and the boy, gasping "The demon, he's awake!"
"Inuyasha?" a lock of shock, fear, and anger crossed Kaede's face.
"Aaahhh! Let me go!" Kagome cried as she was again tugged and inturn, pulled the silver haired boys hair. His head leaned toward her, the harder she pulled.
"Let me go!" Inuyasha growled.
"Give me the Scare jewel!" the centipede screeched.
The boy Kagome now knew as Inuyasha looked down at her, shocked. "The Scared Jewel?"
"Aaaaaahhhhh!" the demon opened her mouth, revealing all sharp teeth, about to bite into her. She was going to die, her life flashed before her eyes. 'And I've never even been kissed.' she thought sadly.
One of the demons claws of the centipede slashed at Kagome's side, where her side glowed a light pink. She cried out in pain as a small orb floated from her body, watching in awe as it tumbled to the ground. "The jewel!" different voices exclaimed.
But before anyone could make a grab for it, the forgotten teen darted from the side, scooping said item up. "Miss me?" Ipo winked at a relived Kagome, jumping up beside her and Inuyasha. "Can I borrow this? Thanks." her hand passed the barrier and gripped the arrow, ripping it from his shoulder. The sudden move had a steady stream of blood pumping from the wound as said boy growled.
Ipo ignored him, using the tree trunk to kick off and lunged at the centipede. The demon released Kagome and jumped out of harms way. The arrow in the girls hands still radiated power but not all from the miko that had shot it. "Kags, get to the well!" then she was gone again, running away, praying the demon followed.
Kagome stood there a moment, looking after her, stunned. 'What the hell does she think she's doing?' her mind screamed as she quickly scooped as many mobile arrows as she could. There was no way she was letting her best friend do this alone. "Ipo Hotta, get your butt back here!"
Ipo tried to keep her breath as she ran, darting between trees of all sizes. She could hear the demon following, the crunching of leaves and twigs, the yells of Kagome. Her eyes drifted to the jewel for a split second and shook her head. "Sure is a lot of trouble with you. Better be worth it." the jewel glowed, as if defending itself. Suddenly, a tingle traveled though her hand to her elbow, feeling as if the whole appendage stiffened.
Casting a second look over her shoulder, the demon was gaining. There was no way the human could outrun it, she wasn't disillusioned as to think so but she could dely the beast for a bit longer. So, with that decided, Ipo turned sharply, black hair and her school uniform ruffled with the wind as the beast curled by. Running in the direction she had come, Kagome started to appear in the distance. An annoyed yet happy look crossed her face. When they were closer, they hooked arms and Kagome was jerked, hard, and pulled along. "Thought I told you to get to the well!"
They burst into the clearing again, panting. Their chest, legs and lungs were burning. Kaede and the villagers stood with bows and arrows aimed at Inuyasha, him looking quite smug. He turned to the girls, as did the villagers. "I'll take that jewel now." a step toward them was taken.
"Na uh." they took one back.
"Give it to me and I won't have to kill you." he growled, another step forward.
"That's the only way you'll get it." they glared and when he lunged at them, broke apart. Ipo, again, held the jewel clinched in her fist. Angered that he was once again being denied what he wanted, Inuyasha leapt for the closest girl, which happened to be Kagome. She 'eeped' loudly, trying to outrun him.
Ipo however had her attention else where as the centipede demon slithering into the area. Her soulless, dark eyes trained on Kagome but she did not sense the jewel with her. Instead, her eyes drifted to Ipo, a power radiating off the human. Her massive, sharp jaws chomped at startled girl. "The jewel!" snarling, she hurtled herself forward.
The centipede face planted the hard ground as Ipo jumped away. 'When the hell did I start jumping so high?' she looked to the ground, eyes wide. At least ten feet of air between her and the ground. Turning her head slightly, Kagome was pinned Inuyasha as said boy pried her hand open. With a screech, her attention was brought back, the demon again attacking. This time, the teen screamed and kicked the beast's head. With a roar of pain, the demon hit the ground and skid a couple feet, kicking up dirt and grass.
Ipo landed a foot or so on the ground from her, knees bent and arms by her side in a weird angle. Brown were wide, darting around, once again wondering how she had done any of that. To soon, she snapped back to reality as the demon once again charged. She reached for the blade stashed away in her sock, flicking her wrist to open it for attack. A pulse from within the jewel brought her eyes to it, confused. 'Trust me.' it whispered into the recess' of her mind, she absentmindedly nodded.
The tingling resurfaced, a tightness of her skin and heaviness of her bones settling in. It felt as if something inside her was unlocked, flooding into the rest of her body. Something was changing, she could feel her body strengthening but also getting lighter. Then her senses heightened, smell increased, hearing tuned and sight enhanced to new proportions.
The demons rapid heart rate rushed to her ears as did Kagome's whimpers from under Inuyasha. She could almost feel the demon move, it was an all new feeling. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to study it, as she was attacked once again. She hit the ground, the demon's under belly skimming inches from her. With a surge of strength , she thrust her hand up, punching through the soft skin of the centipede as the blade ripped the demon in half.
Her cry echoed though the valley and after lying there a moment to catch her breath, Ipo stood. Her hand grasped a tree trunk, standing shakily from the day's ordeal. Looks of surprise from everyone was directed in her direction but she only shrugged. Slowly, she walked over to Kagome, took her hand and put the jewel in it.
"Only you can possess the jewel." Kaede walked over to the two stunned girls, looking over Kagome then Ipo. Something had changed about her, being a miko, she could feel it.
"Why was it inside my body? This jewel which can empower such a demon?" Kagome asked in a whisper.
Inuyasha stepped up to the twitching centipede, sneering as he smashed the bones with his feet. "Exactly! Which a human has no possible use for it! If you don't want to feel the pain of my claws, just give me the jewel and get it over with!" he warned.
Kagome clutched the jewel and hand to her chest, taking an involuntary step back. Ipo put herself between the boy and Kagome, glaring at him. "Over my dead boy, dog boy." a growl emitted from her throat, surprising her to where she reared back. It only lasted a second as she pushed the confusing thoughts aside. Another item to would worry about later.
"I show no mercy! Especially to women whose scent I dislike!" he flexed his claws.
"You ain't a prize yourself!" she shot back but still didn't budge. Growling, he ran toward them, leaping into the air, claws ready. Ipo shoved Kagome toward Kaede, just as she herself evaded his attack. Instead, he left long claw marks on the ground, where they had been standing. Angered, Ipo lashed out, kicking Inuyasha in the face and sending him toward the Scared tree.
As he got back to his feet, villagers start shooting arrows. Inuyasha whipped around, waving the offending objects off then bound toward them, slicing through two tree trunks. The villagers run away before the trunks topple over and he jumped onto the trunk itself. "Who do you think I am, anyway? Don't you dare treat me like some dumb centipede monster!" he yelled toward the humans, his fist balling.
Kaede reached into her haori, pulling a rosary of black beads and animal teeth free. She started to chant, the beads glowing as Inuyasha attacked Ipo again and she side stepped him, kicking him again. The rosary broke and fly toward Inuyasha then join back around his neck and stop glowing.
"What's this?" one claw lifted the beads.
"Kagome, recite the word to hold Inuyasha's spirit!" Kaede yelled.
"What?" she looked at the old woman like she was crazy.
"You heard her! Just say something!" Ipo pleaded, dodging yet another attack but he stopped going after her and went after Kagome.
Eyes growing wide, Kagome stumbled back, falling off the side of a small cliff. The Scared Jewel fell from her grasp and rolled away, on to the near by bridge. Inuyasha flew after her, heading for the bridge, laughing. While he was in mid launch for the jewel, they could almost see a full moon behind him and howling. His hand stretches out, so close to finally having his wish. That's when Kagome noticed Inuyasha's twitching hears and realization dawned on her. "S-S-SIT!"
Light emits from the rosary and pulled against Inuyasha's neck, making him fall flat-faced. Echoes of Kagome's voice is heard throughout the valley. Grudgingly, he got back to his feet, tugging at the necklace furiously. "Wh-what's this?" he tried to take off the necklace in vain. "Damn."
Kaede and Ipo reach the small cliff, looking down at him and Kagome. "It's useless. Your powers cannot remove the rosary." Kaede tells him.
"Shut up, old hag! You're first in line! Tho' you look half dead already." Inuyasha sweared.
"The word..?" she looked to Kagome.
The young girl held a finger up, one hand on her hip. "Sit." Ipo barked in laughter as Inuyasha crashed through the planks of the bridge and fall into the water. Sighing and whipping the tears from her eyes, she skid down the cliff, helped Kagome up and fetched the jewel.
"Now then, let us return to the village." Kaede suggested.
Kagome glanced back to Inuyasha, head cocking to the side then looked to a grinning Ipo. "How weird, all I said 'sit'." a thud and groan was heard from under the bridge.
The villagers moved about the village, rebuilding from the devastated attack. In Kaede's hut, Kagome was lying on her back while Ipo was applying some medicine, given by Kaede, to her torso. "Almost done." Ipo said softly, giving a wary smile to the younger girl as she winced.
"This does not bode well at all. Now that the scared jewel has reappeared, there will be others who seek to possess it." Kaede frowned, looking over the tow girls and making sure Ipo applied the balm correctly. It seemed she had experience in doing such things. Ipo, on the other hand, could the old woman's eyes on her and looked over her shoulder, brow raised. "Ye have changed."
"I know." she answered uncertain then turned back. After adding the last of the medicine, she pulled the shirt down and sat against the wall to face Kaede. "When I was running from the centipede woman...something happened." her brows furrowed in confusion.
"What do ye mean?" she pushed.
"I looked to the jewel, told it it had better be worth the trouble I was going threw to keep it safe and it..." Ipo paused, biting her lip, trying to think of a way to voice it. "Well...it pulsed in my hand and then my hand tingled. And right before I fought with dumb and dumber over there." she gestured to Inuyasha who growled at the name. "It was like I new I was changing, I could feel it and my hearing, sight and smell got better. I could jump high, higher then I had ever been able to..." she trailed off.
"Odd." was all she said. Ipo raised both brows, expecting her to go on. "The arrow you pulled from Inuyasha's shoulder. It was bound by a spell, a powerful spell. Only a miko could remove it."
"Oh?" Ipo looked at Inuyasha and scoffed. "You're welcome." he made no sound, only scowled at the wall. "So...I'm a miko?" Kaede nodded and looked to Kagome. "Kags to, right?" again she nodded. "But...that doesn't explain what happened."
"Did...it, the jewel, say anything?" Kaede asked interested. She had never heard of the jewel doing this. There must have been a reason. Even Inuyasha's ears seemed to perk toward her.
"Trust me." Ipo replied in a quiet voice.
"Hmm, it seems your intentions were honorable and the jewel deemed you fit to help. It seems to me, you have been giving the abilities of a demon." Kaede explained in a confident tone.
"What?" both Ipo and Kagome cried, shocked. They looked at each other then to Kaede again. "So...I'm a miko and a demon?"
"No...I don't think. Miko powers and demon blood cannot exist in the same body." she stared into the fire, thinking.
"Then how do you explain me?" Ipo grunted, wanting so bad to scream her frustrations.
"You are a miko but have only demon instincts and abilities. No blood." Inuyasha answered for Kaede in a 'duh' tone. Ipo glared at his back hatefully.
"It might also have to do with your bond with Kagome, Ipo. How you fought to protect her. Kagome is the Shikon no tama's new protector." Kaede looked to Ipo then Kagome.
"This is...crazy." Ipo mumbled then asked. "How do I change back...to human?"
"I do not know but the problem for now is that not only demons will come for the jewel, humans who have evil in their hearts will to. With all the violence in the world, it follows there will be those who seek the jewel's power to realize their greedy ambitions.
"Huh?" Kagome turned to gaze at Inuyasha. "Why are you here anyways?"
Inuyasha was lying on his side, a couple feet from the girls, his back facing them. He turned to give a dead pan look at her. "Give me the jewel." and turned back.
"Over our dead body, ass whipe." Ipo growled, moving closer to Kagome.
"It seems the holding power of the rosary is quite effective. Even if he gets near the Scared Jewel, we do not have to worry." Kaede assured them
"Why do you want the jewel anyways? You look awfully strong." Kagome opened her palm and looked to the jewel. "You don't really need it's power, do you?"
"He is only half demon." Kaede said.
Inuyasha punched the hut floors harshly, growling in anger as he glared at her. "You old hag! Who do you think you are, awnyway? Don't talk as if you know me!"
Kaede just stared at him a long moment. "Don't you understand? I guess it can't be helped. I am the younger sister of Kikyo, the one who put that spell on you. I am Kaede."
"So...you're that kid?" his voice was soft.
"Fifty years have passed and I have grown old." her hand gestured toward her body.
"And that means...Kikyo must be really old now too. Humans age so easily. That's the way it goes." he scoffed.
"My sister Kikyo...died." Kaede told him sadly and Inuyasha listened harder. "On the same day that she shot the spellbound arrow at you." she threw some wood in the fire place as Ipo and Kagome looked on sadly, just wanting to hug her.
"Heh, so that's how it went? She kicked the bucket, huh?" he scoffed and moved to lie on his side again.
"Don't be such a heartless bastard!" Ipo yelled heatedly, throwing a piece of wood at him. The piece connected to the back of his head and his face hit the floor.
"What the hell?" he jumped to his feet to glare at the girl.
"Inuyasha, Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister, Kikyo." Kaede explained.
"What?" Kagome asked surprised.
"It's not just your appearance or psychic powers but the fact you carried the jewel within yourself, that is irrefutable proof."
Kagome and Ipo walked along the dirt pathway from the village. Kagome held the jewel in the palm of her hand, which was attached to a necklace around her neck. "I must protect the jewel." she repeated what Kaede had said. Ipo grabbed her hand, smiling when Kagome looked at her. She knew, no matter what, Ipo would be there. They were family.
"So, it would stand to reason that if we find the well, we can go home...right?" Ipo asked hopefully.
"We can try." Kagome shrugged. Walking a bit more, they push through some bushes, never noticing the mercenaries that followed. Although, Ipo did get a horrific smell but she didn't know what it was. "Found it! The well!" before they could go another step, the mercenaries pounce on them, covering their mouths and grabbing them to drag the duo the short distance to a run down shack.
Kagome and Ipo were shoved into a room of an old, run down looking hut, stumbling and falling. "Oww!"
"Boss, I captured them, just like what you ordered!" one of the bandits announced.
"Both really have some strange clothes on. What's this flimsy wrap-around?" another grabs the skirt of Ipo and lifted it.
"Hey!" she jumped to her feet, shoving the man away. "Don't touch me!"
"Well, you asked for it! Exposing yourself like that!" another laughed.
"You wanna marry me?" the first bandit asked, gazing at Kagome.
"Get away from'er!" Ipo lashed out, kicking his leg and breaking it.
"Give me the jewel!" the boss told them in a slow and monotonous voice. The fat man trudged forward, unsheathing his sword. The mercenaries grab both girls, snickering. Instead of attacking the girls, the boss sliced three of his own men. Everyone gaped at the man in fear.
"B-boss?" one of the men fall to the floor.
"Made a mistake." he readies himself for another attack, the bandits ran away in fear. He swung the blade clumsily several times but all manage to dodge him. Going in for another, they all squatted then escaped in different directions.
Ipo grabbed Kagome's arm, pulling her away from the fat man as one of his violent blows hits one of the pillars and roof starts to collapse. "Get out! Find Kaede!" she pushed Kagome from the hut, making her stumble away and tripping over a branch. When she hit the ground, the necklace band snapped and the jewel rolled away.
"What is that god awful smell?" Ipo gagged, covering her nose. One of the buckles on the boss' clothes comes off, revealing a hole in the fat mans chest. Three piercing red eyes stare back, freaking her out to a whole new level.
Moving on pure instinct, she plunged her hand into the hole. From the back of hole in the mans chest, the crow fly out and through the window. Shivering in disgust, she pulled her hand back and watched as the man fell forward, the flesh disintegrating. "So...nasty."
As the crow flew out, the gleam from the sun reflected from the jewel. It swooped down, picking the jewel up in his beak. Inuyasha leapt into the clearing, seeing the crow and growled. "Follow me!" he pulled Kagome to her feet, noticing a quiver of bow and arrows leaning against the hut wall. Grabbing them, he pulled Kagome onto his back and took off after the crow.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Hurry and shoot that thing down!" Inuyasha demanded.
"Are you crazy? I've never used a bow in my life!" she screeched.
"The Corpse Crow survives by eating human flesh! With the Scared Jewel, it might transform!" just as the sentence left his mouth, the crow swallowed the jewel.
Kagome gasped, pointing at the demon then decided real quick to do as Inuyasha ask and notched an arrow. "Hit it!" the arrow ripped through the air, toward the crow, only to curve down, missing the crow by a good five feet. She cried out in disbelief then watched as the crow transformed.
"It's getting bigger!" Inuyasha dumped Kagome on the ground and ran after it. "Aim!" he yelled over his shoulder. Kagome fired another arrow and missed him again, pathetically. He cursed under his breath, silently concluding there was no way Kagome was Kikyo's reincarnation.
The crow flew over a river in the village, several villagers walking on a bridge spanning across the river. With them was a woman and her young toddler. The crow swooped down, grasping the toddler and flew off with him in it's claws.
"My son!" the mother cried.
Inuyasha ran across on the bank of the river. "Looking for food already? Well, you'd better think about running away from me first! You can't hunt if you're bein' hunted!"
"No! Save the child!" Kagome yelled.
"I got'em!" Ipo rushed by, following closely behind Inuyasha.
"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Inuyasha clawed at the crow's body. The pieces fell toward the river, toddler in tow, struggling to free himself. Ipo touched down on one side of the river bank, crouching and then sprang across, catching the boy and landing on the other side.
"Shokichi" the mother ran to her son, gathering him in her arms as Ipo stood happily to the side.
"Ma, I was so scared!" he cried then ran toward the strange miko and hugged her waist. "Thank you, sister." now he trotted back to his mother.
"Thank you, thank you so much." his mother smiled at her.
"It's okay, really." Ipo returned the smile.
The tranquility was short lived, from underwater, the pieces of the crow start to reattach and burst from the surface of the water. The still attached claw on the toddlers back tugged at him and he gasped in terror. "Damn!" she cursed.
Kagome watched a moment then began looking around for a weapon and seeing a villager with an bow and arrow. "May I?" he only looked at her questionably. "Humor me." nodding, he handed over the said objects. She notched yet another arrow and aimed at the silhouette.
"No way, she can't make it." Inuyasha leered, earning himself a dark look from Ipo.
"This time, for sure...I'll get it." she sounded more confident then she felt.
"Kags, tie the crows foot to the arrow!" Ipo yelled. Everyone looked at her oddly and she rolled her eyes. "The crows foot will be drawn!" she explained.
Nodding, Kagome did as she was told then shot it. The arrow flew threw the air, hitting the crow, shattering into pieces. The Scared Jewel in the glowered a bright light as it shattered into tiny pieces. "I did it!"
Inuyasha stared in disbelief at the site then at Kagome. "She...got it."
"But...what's that light?" she then asked. The light from the jewel suddenly dispersed in many directions.
"Oooo, that can't be good." Ipo muttered.
The group frolicked by the fallen pieces of the bird. "Where it is?" Inuyasha yelled, kicking the pieces away. "Are you sure it's here?"
"Yea, I felt it...but I wonder...what was that light?" the head of the crow suddenly appeared and cawed, flying toward Kagome to attack. Ipo rushed in front of her, before Inuyasha could move and clawed at the head. Once the head disappeared, a glowing fragment fell to the ground.
"Could this be..." Ipo knelt beside the fragment, just staring down at it a moment then picked it up. It glowed a bright pink between her fingers.
"Could this be...what?" Inuyasha asked, not liking the sound.
"A fragment of the Scared Jewel..." Kagome muttered, taking the piece when Ipo handed it over.
"Wh-what did you say?" Inuyasha's voice boomed through the valley.
"Stop barking, dog!" Ipo snapped, irritated with the boy.
After sending a glare toward the 'afro'ed' girl, he turned to Kaede. "What happened to the jewel?"
"The arrow to which Kagome attached the crows foot to, hit the beast and destroyed it but it also shattered the Sacred Jewel. In other words, the fragments have been scattered throughout all of Japan." Kaede said.
"This is all your fault!" Inuyasha whipped around, pointing accusingly to Ipo. "If you hadn't told her to tie the foot-"
"It would have flown off with it, idiot!" Ipo interrupted him, hands on hips.
"However!" Kaede stopped an argument between the two, short tempered people. "Should one fragment fall into evil hands, the destruction will be incalculable."
'It wasn't my fault...was it?' Kagome worried her lip and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. 'I sorta feel responsible.'.
"Kagome, Ipo, Inuyasha...you must use your combined strength to gather the fragments and restore the Sacred Jewel.
"Heh?" Kagome asked shocked.
"WHAT?" Ipo and Inuyasha exclaimed, glaring at one another, again. "Listen old hag! I'm one of the 'evil-doers' looking for the jewel!" Inuyasha pointed out.
"It cannot be helped." Kaede's tone held no room for argument.
"But...I...we have to go home!" Kagome cried.
