BOOM! SPLASH!
The earth shook with the impact.
"Whoa! Artemis what's going on?" Serena cried, trying to remain upright.
The white cat dug his claws into the earth. "I don't know."
Gradually the land became still.
"I heard a splash, let's go investigate." Serena took off in the direction of the lake.
"Serena, wait! It could be a trap." Artemis hollered, running after her. "Serena! Princess!"
"Kagome!"
"Kagome!"
"Kagome!"
Kagome slowly blinked into consciousness.
"Kagome! Your finally awake!" Shippou cheered.
"Sh…Shippou?" Kagome sat up painfully.
"Kagome, I was so worried." The kit latched onto crying unhindered. "We can't find Inuyasha."
"Inu… Inuyasha is missing…" Kagome murmured dazed. "Wh-where?"
"Artemis, I need more bandages." Serena pressed down on the free flowing wound. "Kouga, keep pressure on your leg, your loosing too much blood."
"It's fine." Kouga snapped. "Work on him."
Artemis scrambled across the floor, dropping a pile of bandages. "Is this enough?"
"Take some more to Kouga for his leg." Serena said pressing the bandages into the wound.
Kouga took a stack of clean white bandages out of the cat's mouth and quickly wrapped the gash on his leg. He looked over to where Inuyasha lay, the girl was tying off the bandage covering Inuyasha's chest. 'Damn that Naraku! That bastard almost finished us off this time.'
"Kouga-san? Are you okay?" Serena stopped lest she anger the injured wolf. "You're growling."
Kouga snapped back to reality. "I'm fine."
Serena looked a little uneasy, but she turned her attention back to the injured half demon. Kouga berated himself. She was trying to help them which is more than he could say for anyone in the five villages along the riverfront.
"What's your name?" Kouga asked in a gentler tone.
Her eyes connected with his for a brief moment. "Serenity. My friends call me Serena though."
"Serena. That's an unusual name." Kouga replied. "I like it."
Serena flushed a little, pleased that someone found something likeable about her.
"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome called out joyously.
"Kagome, Shippou. You're alright." Miroku said as the companions drew level.
"Are you guys okay?" Shippou asked.
"Nothing a good rest won't take care of." Miroku replied with more candor than he felt.
"Kagome, is Inuyasha with you?" Sango asked hopefully.
"I thought he might be with you." Kagome whispered.
"Well, I'm not worried." Shippou said turning away from the group.
"Shippou?" Kagome wondered what was up with him.
"I'm not worried because Inuyasha is way too stubborn to die." Shippou said with a decisive nod.
His companions laughed heartily at this pronouncement.
"Shippou's right we should head back to Keade's village." Miroku voiced their thoughts allowed. "If Inuyasha is injured, he's sure to return there."
Kirara meowed in agreement.
Kouga startled awake suddenly. Narrowing his eyes, he looked around the room, trying to discern what disturbed him. Then he heard it again. Inuyasha groaned so low that no human could hear it. The hanyou blinked his eyes open slowly.
"It's about time." Kouga whispered.
"Why do I smell like a girl?" Inuyasha murmured.
"Because Naraku nearly killed you and that girl on your chest saved your ass." Kouga snorted. "Mine too."
"There's a girl on me?" Inuyasha whispered a little out of it. Lifting up a little he could see blonde hair sprawled over his chest.
"Idiot." Kouga muttered. "She pulled us both out of the river. There were five villages along the river, and she's the only one that came to help us."
"Where are we?" Inuyasha lowered his head.
"I'm not exactly sure. We're in a hut in the forest somewhere." Kouga admitted. "I was unconscious for part of the journey."
Inuyasha grunted. "I smell cats."
"Girl has a talking cat named Artemis." Kouga answered.
"Talking cat?" Inuyasha grumbled. "Great. Just great. Holed up with cats."
"At least there's a girl." Kouga consoled.
Inuyasha snorted. "She got a name?"
"Serena." Kouga said with a smirk.
"Serena, huh, at least she smells good." Inuyasha murmured before nodding off to sleep.
"Sango behind you!" Kagome cried launching an arrow.
Miroku tackled Sango to the ground before the demon's tentacle could slice into her.
"Fox fire!" Shippou launched a sneak attack.
While the demon was swatting at the young fox, Kagome notched another arrow.
"Hit the mark!" She let it fly.
Light enveloped the arrow as it flew true right into the demon's heart.
"Get the shards hurry." Kagome urged her friends.
"I've got one." Sango pulled a shard out of demon's arm.
"Miroku there's one in his leg." Shippou pointed to the glowing appendage.
Miroku cut the glowing shard out and quickly handed it to Kagome.
Without the shards to sustain it, the demon was reduced to dust.
"Whew that was close." Shippou wiped his forehead for emphasis. "Kinda makes you stop and appreciate how much easier this was when we had Inuyasha."
"I'll say." Kagome agreed stretching her shoulders.
"I must also agree." Miroku tiredly retrieved his staff.
"These past months have been hard." Sango said quietly. "I can't help but feel that we've gotten stronger."
"I think Sango's right." Shippou looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I bet even Inuyasha will be impressed."
"Inuyasha." Serena murmured.
The hanyou grunted but did not wake. "Inuyasha." Serena said more forcefully. Still she was greeted with no response. "Inuyasha!" Serena cried out exasperated. Inuyasha growled and hid his face in her hair.
"What's with all the noise?" Kouga muttered, unhappy about being awoken.
"Inuyasha won't let me up." Serena pouted.
Kouga locked his arm around them. "Good."
"Kouga!" Serena squealed. "I need to get up."
"Why?" Inuyasha and Kouga asked at the same time.
Serena flushed. "I have to use the bath-I need to pee."
Inuyasha and Kouga looked at each other for a long moment. "Hurry back."
Kouga removed his arm and Inuyasha slid over so she could get out of bed. Serena quickly started dressing.
"Oy what'd ya need clothes for?" Inuyasha demanded.
"Do you want someone to see me naked?" Serena asked in disbelief.
"Who would see you?" Kouga asked. "We're in the middle of no where."
Serena sighed in defeat. Tossing aside her clothes she wrapped herself in Inuyasha's top and disappeared outside.
"Why does she always wear your top?" Kouga grumbled.
"Like your 'armor' would do any good?" Inuyasha snorted.
Kouga grunted.
"Oy! Where is she?" Inuyasha pouted.
"She was washing her hands." Serena replied securing the door cover.
"Bed!" Kouga and Inuyasha demanded at once.
"What if I don't want to?" Serena baited them.
Inuyasha and Kouga were up and across the room before she could blink. Kouga went behind and Inuyasha in front, with practiced ease, they reached out at the same time snaring Serena between them.
"We could always do it here." Inuyasha licked her ear seductively. "We'll let you decide."
"Don't worry." Kouga ran his tongue over her cheek. "We won't have any trouble staying up."
Serena squeaked, a blush staining her cheeks. "I-I… I just…" Serena stumbled over her words.
"I think our mate is trying to say she would prefer our nice warm bed." Kouga smirked.
"Is that what you want, lover?" Inuyasha purred.
Serena hid her face in Inuyasha's chest as she nodded her accent.
"So how many shards do we have now Kagome?" Shippou asked between bites.
Kagome set her ramen down and started ticking off fingers. "We had two to begin with so now we have eleven."
"I'd saying we are doing fairly well." Sango said feeling upbeat.
"That's more than we've had in long time." Miroku said thoughtfully. "In the last six months we've collected more shards then we did all last year."
"That reminds me." Kagome held up her deflated bag. "I need to go home for more supplies soon. This time I think I'll leave my books behind so I can carry more bandages and food."
"Are you sure you want to do that Kagome?" Shippou knew how important her studies were.
"It's almost summer." Kagome explained. "I have a feeling I won't be able to get anything accomplished at the rate we're finding shards. Besides my studies can wait a little longer, I have my whole life ahead of me after all. I want to commit myself completely to this quest so that when it's over I can commit myself completely to my studies."
"It makes good sense." Miroku said piously.
Sango's face suddenly flushed red. Steel glinted in her eyes as she snatched up Hirakotsu and brought it down on Miroku's head.
"PERVERT!" Echoed through the forest.