Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, or any of their characters. I am not making any profit whatsoever by writing this or any other story.
Chapter One: Thieves in the Night
"What do you mean a `slight problem,' hag? If there's a demon with Shikon shards that's been raiding villages, I think that could be considered more than a `slight problem'!" InuYasha huffed.
"Calm thyself, InuYasha." Kaede muttered.
"I'll `calm thyself' after I get the shards those thieves stole! What're we waitin' for?"
Kagome yawned widely. "How about we wait until dawn, InuYasha? We're all tired and need at least a few hours of sleep."
"I don't!" InuYasha complained.
"Then let's take a vote!" Shippou said, jumping up from Kagome's lap to her shoulder. "All in favor of heading off now say, 'Aye!'"
There was silence except when InuYasha shouted, "AYE!"
"All opposed…?"
Everyone else, "NAY!"
"Well, sorry InuYasha but majority rules!" Shippou proclaimed.
"Why you little-" InuYasha tried to grab Shippou, but his hand was deflected by a slap from Kagome.
"Hands off, InuYasha!"
"Ya, hands off, InuYasha!" Shippou mimicked Kagome.
"Feh." Was the extent of his response, but he sat down cross-legged on the floor with Tetsusaiga against his shoulder.
Kaede, Miroku, and Sango noted that he sat a bit closer to Kagome than was absolutely necessary. They all exchanged the same significant look before lying down by the central fire in Kaede's hut. Kirara slept in Sango's arms and Miroku sat against the wall behind her. Kaede went into the only other room at the back of the hut for her sleep, and Kagome curled around Shippou.
The watchful, golden eyes of InuYasha guarded their sleep.
The company was individually woken by the hanyou; Kagome and Sango by shoulder shakes and Miroku by a thump on the head and a whispered warning to remove his hand before Sango was fully awake. The warning was heeded and slowly the gang trooped outside into the pre-dawn light. Kagome uncharacteristically trailed the rest of her friends.
"Kagome," Kaede said, tapping the girl's elbow as she exited.
"Yes, what is it, Kaede?"
"Child, there are truthfully no demons with Shikon Shards raiding villages, but I feared it was the only way to get InuYasha to help my cousin; she is that village's priestess, Jin. Please forgive me for my falsehood, but I think InuYasha would never have agreed to help her had I told him the real reason."
"Okay, Kaede. If he goes nuts I'll just si-" She stopped herself just in time. "I'll just use the command necklace."
"Do not over-use those beads, child." Kaede warned as Kagome walked outside.
"I won't, Kaede! See you soon!"
"Good luck!"
When Kagome stepped outside the hut she smiled softly at the silhouettes of the transformed Kirara, who already had Sango, Miroku, and Shippou on her back, and that of InuYasha, who stood proudly ahead of them.
"Jump on, Kagome," InuYasha told her, bending down so she could climb onto his back. "Ready?" InuYasha asked, looking over his shoulder to see the affirmative nods of the humans and demons behind him. "What about you, Kagome? You ready?"
"Yup."
"Okay then. Let's GO!"
The terrain passed in a blur. In a matter of forty-five minutes the group walked into a small, half-desecrated village. The villagers were having a difficult time attempting to rebuild many buildings that had been damaged or destroyed by fires. When the citizens saw Kirara and InuYasha they stopped all work and stared in fright; some screamed and several more panicked and ran.
"Please! We beg of you! There is no more to plunder here! Please, be gone!" cried a woman.
"Pipe down! We're here to help!" InuYasha bit back.
The villagers quieted but still looked wary. Then the middle-aged priestess of the village approached them.
She bowed formally and asked, "What is it that you are here for, travelers?"
"We heard that your village was attacked by some demons with sacred Shikon Jewel-" InuYasha began, but Kagome cut him off.
"I'm assuming you are Priestess Jin?" At the woman's nod, Kagome continued. "We are from your cousin, Kaede's village. She told us that you might be in need of assistance?"
At InuYasha's incredulous growl, Kagome whispered, "I'll tell you later!"
"Oh? Kaede, you said? Well, there is not much left to do, except re-build… However, there is-"
"Great!" Kagome cut her off, clapping her hands eagerly. "We would be glad to help out any way we could! Just tell us what to do!"
"Well, if you insist to help, you could…"
The sun was just laying down on the horizon when the villagers and InuYasha's group finally put down their hammers and primitive saws.
Once the sun was completely down, the team set up camp and was about to cook their food when a young girl approached them.
"Good people, our priestess requests you join her for a few moments of your time."
"Thank Kami! Maybe now we'll get some answers as to why this forsaken pigsty was attacked!" InuYasha growled.
Shippou abruptly changed into a stunning replica of Kaede (minus the fluffy tail) and said, "Calm thyself, InuYasha!"
The hanyou's eyebrow twitched. Before Shippou could blink, InuYasha's fist met the top of the kitsune's head. "Pipe down, ya weasel!"
There was a POP as Shippou reverted back to his old self, rubbing his skull and wincing, but wisely saying nothing else.
"Eh-hem!" the village girl coughed to gain attention. "Will you be joining our priestess?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep your shirt on girl, we're coming."
The girl blushed crimson and ran off, looking terribly embarrassed.
"InuYasha…" Kagome murmured, her pointer and index fingers rubbing her temples in exasperation.
"WHAT? I didn't say anything wrong!"
"Oh, never mind. Let's go see what the priestess wants."
"Thank-you all for your time," Jin said, bowing. "Your help here was welcomed, but I am afraid it wasn't worth your while."
"WHAT!" InuYasha roared, jumping to his feet. Kagome yanked on his arm and told him to wait and hear her out.
"Forgive me for not saying so earlier, but you were so enthused to help. You see, our village has been a favored resting spot for a very wealthy trading company. However, almost every time they stop, the merchants are raided by two demons who always steal their finest items.
"In the process, they manage to up-end our village. The company only returns after we've rebuilt, thus the arrival of the demons. The longer we stall our building process, the longer our peace lasts."
"Forgive me for interrupting priestess, but why does this company only stop here and nowhere else? Surely they would want to avoid this area and the thieving demons in it?" Miroku asked.
"It is the natural spring water they come for, monk." Jin explained. "Our people drink it, as do our animals. The water seems to be enchanted, because we do not fall ill of natural causes. The company and their livestock drink it for the same reason whenever they pass through."
"But you could sell the water and make this village into a town or city if you sold it! Your people could become rich!" Sango exclaimed.
"Oh, aye, we could. If not for two things. The first being that if we did that, it would attract more demons because whatever is in the water temporarily boosts their strength. But because the effects only last a short time, hordes of them would flock to the spring several times a day; living here would be impossible. Secondly, my people like this simple life. They do not wish for anything to change."
"I see," Miroku said, leaning back.
"So priestess Jin, can you tell us about these demons?" Kagome inquired.
"Surely. Quite the pair, they are. Their teamwork is nearly unbeatable. One distracts while the other pretends to raid. The trickery comes into play when the first one does the thieving while the focus is away from him."
"Clever," Sango murmured. She turned to face her comrades. "Only high-class demons are able to consciously think for themselves and plan attacks and defenses-like Sesshoumaru, Kouga-"
"Don't let Sesshoumaru hear you compare him to Kouga!" InuYasha sniggered, but he sobered up when Kagome smacked his arm. She gestured for Sango to continue.
"…Demons like InuYasha, Shippou, and even Naraku. On the other hand, the lower classed knaves act merely on instinct and have only the most primitive of thought processes. Their minds are easily controlled."
The priestess jumped in. "Yes, and these are a very clever pair indeed, because one of them is kitsune!"
Shippou's ears straightened and quivered with excitement in Kagome's arms.
"Pardon me for contradicting what you were taught, but the species hardly makes a difference in classifying a certain breeds' characteristics over another." Miroku informed her sagely.
"And pardon me also, for you know not of what you speak." Jin brusquely replied.
Miroku seemed flabbergasted and didn't speak out again.
"If you had seen these demons in action for yourself," she continued, "you would learn a new definition of cleverness."
Just then, Kagome tensed.
"What's up, Kagome?" InuYasha asked. Then he froze as well; his ears twitched and his nostrils flared in concentration. "I know what's up," he said, answering his own question. His hands gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt.
"Why attack again, scarcely past our last raid? That village has nothing worthy of our time." A shadowy figure leaned against a tree and spoke into its branches.
"Yesterday it did not." Another voice answered from the lower branches. "But tonight there is something well worth our time and effort."
"Oh? And what could that possibly be?"
"The Shikon No Tama! Don't tell me you didn't notice that power!"
"Of course I noticed it!" The demon standing snapped, his pride feathers indignantly ruffled. "And I knew what it was! But like I said before, there is nothing there worthy of my time or efforts." He brushed his partner off casually.
"But it's the Shikon No Tama!" the other growled, jumping to the ground smoothly.
"So what? Lesser demons need it to boost their strength, but it only attracts bigger and stupider demons who kill them off, and then the whole cycle starts over again. Besides, it's not like either of us need a crutch for strength!" A fang glimmered in a stray moonbeam; the demon was smiling.
The other paused, then replied, "You're absolutely right."
"Of course I am." His eyes narrowed slightly; what was his partner getting at?
"Let me finish. You're right, of course, but the Shikon is an ancient, treasured relic passed down from miko to miko for who knows how long! It's the only one of its kind." His rich voice was creamy smooth, like a salesman selling his delectable wares. He continued, "And so what if it's broken? We can easily recover the remaining pieces."
There was a pause while the other considered. "…You have convinced me, Kuronue. Let's go now and strike before dawn."
"I agree Youko, let's."
The moonlight fell on the two contrasting figures; one dressed in black and one in white as they raced into the concealing darkness.