Chapter 2
The Meeting
Kagome kept as still as she could. Who knew what this new demon would do to them after dispatching the other demons so easily. Subduing Sesshomaru with a single gesture… that was an amazing feat in itself, a gesture that probably carried magic as well as brute force. Inuyasha was a match for most demons, but he was outclassed in power by his half-brother. And if this demon could knock Sesshomaru unconsious, on top of killing all those demons, she was a force to be reckoned with. Miroku and Sango also stayed motionless, but ready to fight if necessary. Kirara was growling low in her throat, but made no movement, and Shippo tried to make himself invisible in the grass. Even Inuyasha watched the newcomer warily.
Slowly, the demon turned towards Kagome. A pair of fierce, sky blue cat-eyes met Kagome's soft brown ones. A light blue haori and white hakama wrapped the demon's tall, thin frame and the twin wakizashi were sheathed at her waist. Like Inuyasha, the demon was barefoot and the claws on her hands were the same blue as her clothing. A white carnation was tucked into her free-flowing white hair. She cocked her head slightly to one side, her face still and serene as the white face of the moon, giving no indication of her thoughts or intent. Kagome noted with some surprise that there were no demon-marks on that still, white face like those on Sesshomaru when he was in human form. Then again, most of the demons they'd faced didn't look as human as Sesshomaru. The demon continued to watch Kagome for a long moment, then took a step toward her.
Inuyasha bounded in front of Kagome, the Tetsusaiga unsheathed. "Who are you?" he snarled. "What do you want with us?"
The woman paused, her eyes drawn to the hanyou's blazing golden gaze. Her nostrils flared and she took another step.
"I'm warning you!" growled Inuyasha, still blocking the demon's path.
Again, the demon paused. Then, she spoke. "Hold out your hand."
Kagome blinked. The demon's voice was melodic and very deep, but undeniably female, with a tone of gentle command. However, Inuyasha never liked demands.
"Either state your business, or taste my Tetsusaiga!"
For a third time, the demon stopped. Her voice was soft. "Move."
"Yaaaaah!" With that simple word, Inuyasha was violently flung out of the demon's way and into Miroku and Sango, knocking them down like nine-pins. Kagome began to tremble, not even daring to call out Inuyasha's name for fear that the demon would do something to her as well.
The demon turned her face back toward the terrified human girl. "Hold out your hand," she commanded once more.
"W-W-What are y-you going t-to do to me?" Kagome asked, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice.
A slender eyebrow raised in surprise. "Hold out your hand," the demon repeated, but this time, her voice held a gentler tone. Slowly, Kagome extended her hand. "Palm up," the demon said quietly. Still quivering, the girl obeyed.
"Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha, struggling to his feet, hindered as much as helped by Miroku.
"Peace," said the demon, reaching behind her own neck with both hands and pulling a chain over her head. At the end of the chain was a small pouch, like the ones used to carry good-luck charms, only this one appeared to be made of black silk. Carefully, the demon set the pouch in Kagome's hand, and the girl felt a strange tingling race through her body. "Open it," came the soft command.
"Kagome, don't!" yelled Inuyasha, starting to race towards her and the demon. "It's probably got some kind of spell!"
"I don't think this demon needs spells to hurt us," Miroku commented ruefully. "She wouldn't waste the time."
The demon turned her head towards the young monk. "Truth, monk," she said. Her eyes narrowed at Inuyasha. "You," she pronounced, "must learn manners. Your mistress has taught you little of this, I think."
"Excuse me," said Kagome as Inuyasha sputtered in impotent rage, "but did you say 'mistress'?!"
Again, the blue eyes swung back. "He wears the Beads of Subjugation. And you have not opened it. Do so; my time is short."
Kagome looked at the small pouch in her hand, and carefully pulled it open. A familiar pinkish glow met her eyes. "Th-th-these are… pieces of the Shikon Jewel!"
"WHAT?!" her four friends cried.
"Are you sure?" Inuyasha demanded, bounding to her side, the demon forgotten.
"Positive!" Kagome answered, pouring the pieces of the Jewel onto her palm.
"But… there are so many…" breathed Sango, almost speechless in wonder.
"Wow, let me see!" cried Shippo, clambering onto Kagome's shoulder.
"Someone's been busy," Miroku commented, the chimes on his staff clinking musically as he peered over Sango's shoulder.
Kagome looked up at the demon in awe. "But… why?"
The demon woman blinked. "Why not?"
"You could use them to increase your demonic powers," Miroku offered.
"Miroku!" cried Sango, cuffing him across the head.
"The monk has a point," Inuyasha said, looking at the demon suspiciously. "Why are you giving us the shards? And why couldn't Kagome see them on you?"
"The bag is woven from ki-lin hair," she answered, nodding at the pouch. "It is impervious to the Second-Sight as well as the eyes of demons. Place the other shards in it as well. They will be rendered invisible unless you take them out. This should prevent demons from realizing you have them. It may give you a slight advantage."
"But that still doesn't explain why you're just giving us the shards!" Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws.
"Are you looking for a fight, dog-child?" the demon woman said coolly. "Count your blessings that you are not a full-blood, or I would have slain you on the spot." She turned away from Kagome and began walking into the woods. "Now go, before that other one wakes up. I will have no more battles in my forest."
"Wait!" cried Kagome, running after the woman.
The blue eyes swung around, a question in their depths.
Kagome paused, and bowed, clutching the ki-lin bag to her chest. "I don't know why you gave the shards to me…but, thank you."
For a moment, the woman was still, gazing at the human girl. "You smell kind," she said softly, "O daughter of my heart." Then, with a swirl of wind and white hair, she was gone.
Kagome stared at the spot where the demon woman had stood, slightly dazed. "Daughter of my heart?" What did she mean? Is that why she gave me the shards? But… I thought demons weren't that, well, human in their emotions. So why? Because I "smell kind?" Whatever that means…
"Are you alright, Kagome?" Sango's voice pierced her surprise.
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Kagome. "Just a little… stunned, I guess. I didn't think demons were like that. I mean, the only full-blooded demons we meet always want to kill us, so I don't understand why this one acted different."
"I don't like it," growled Inuyasha. "It's gotta be a trap of some kind."
"Uh, I hate to be the voice of doom and gloom," said Miroku, "but I think we should discuss this later, preferably far away from here. I don't want to be around when Sesshomaru wakes up. He's going to be in a very unpleasant mood."
Inuyasha hefted the Tetsusaiga. "Well then, I'll take care of him right here and now."
"No, Inuyasha!" cried Kagome, grabbing his arm. "Remember what she said! No fighting!"
"And we may never have a better chance to get rid of him!" he snarled, yanking free of her grasp. "I'm tired of having my brother show up and making a nuisance of himself! It's going to end now!"
Fear surged in Kagome's heart. She had a feeling that the strange demon woman, even though she had spared their lives, would not tolerate a direct violation of her orders. And, despite the trouble Sesshomaru caused, she didn't want his blood on Inuyasha's hands. "Inuyasha, sit!" she cried.
WHAM! The hanyou slammed into the ground, momentarily stunned. Kagome grabbed one arm and called to Sango, Miroku, and Shippo, "C'mon, let's get out of here!" The others hurried to help her, pulling the still stunned Inuyasha onto Kirara's back with Sango while Miroku and Kagome hopped onto a transformed Shippo took to the skies.
Not so far away, a pair of blue eyes watched silently, a pair of ears twitched, and a fanged smile widened with satisfaction. She had chosen well.
"Inuyasha, please come eat."
Perched high on a branch in the tree above them, Inuyasha just snorted and continued to ignore Kagome's calls. The little group had been unable to get out of the forest, or even back to the open plains, before the sun had set, so they had set up camp at the foot of a tree near a small stream. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had already finished their meals. Kagome had been trying for almost an hour to coax Inuyasha down from his perch.
"Fine," she muttered, sitting down by the fire and jabbing at the cold noodles in the bowl. "Go ahead and sulk."
"Don't mind him, Kagome," said Sango, gently patting the younger girl on the arm. "He'll get over it. Miroku and I still think you did the right thing."
Kagome still felt hurt. After all she had only been trying to protect Inuyasha…Kikyo would have found a way to convince him, a little voice whispered in her mind. Frowning, Kagome shook the thought away. This is no time to be petty, she told herself sternly. We've got to get out of this forest tomorrow, before that woman comes back.
"You know," said Miroku thoughtfully, "there was something strangely familiar about that woman."
"Don't tell me you've tried flirting with her," said Sango in a half-joking tone.
Miroku laughed. "No, no, I've never seen her before. But that's why it's really strange that she seems familiar."
"Part of some of your perverted fantasies," mumbled Shippo through a mouthful of noodles. The next moment, Sango was busy trying to keep Shippo from choking on his food after Miroku swatted him.
"I'm serious!" said Miroku as Sango glared at him. "Something in her movements, her quiet, careful way of speaking, it reminded me of… of…"
"Of Kikyo," said a quiet voice.
"Huh?" Miroku and Sango turned towards Kagome in surprise. Even Shippo forgot the lump on his head and stared.
"I don't understand," said Sango.
"What do you mean, like Kikyo?" asked Inuyasha, leaping lightly down from the tree.
Kagome suppressed a wince, and kept speaking, looking into the fire so she wouldn't have to look at Inuyasha. "She moved and spoke like Kikyo," she said. "The same careful, graceful movements, the same quiet, careful way of speaking, the same calm manner, the same grace and poise…" her voice trailed off. "Even her eyes. Not the same color, but that same expression of... knowing."
The others were staring. "But why?" asked Sango. "Why would a demon act like Kikyo?"
Inuyasha was watching Kagome carefully. He'd never heard her speak of Kikyo like that, and it felt odd. Her eyes looked far away, staring into the flames, but not seeing them, her face as still and blank as the demon woman's. In that moment, she looked like Kikyo… and that scared him.
"Any food left?" he asked gruffly. "I'm starving."
Kagome shoved her bowl into his hands. "It's cold," she warned, still not looking at him.
"Cold?! Why's the food cold?"
"It would have been warm if you'd come down sooner rather than acting like a sulky brat!" Kagome snapped, turning to glare at him.
"If you'd let me kill Sesshomaru rather than using these cursed beads to-"
"She would have killed you!" Kagome yelled. "Didn't you hear her? She said to stop fighting! And you wanted to disobey her? After what she did to those demons?" The girl shook her head in frustration.
Inuyasha bent his head over the cold noodles. "I could have taken her," he mumbled.
"Oh, you're hopeless," Kagome muttered, standing and walking towards their stashed gear.
"Hey!" called Inuyasha, "Where are you going?"
"To sleep!" Kagome shot back over her shoulder. She grabbed on of the blankets and huddling under it, her back against the sheltering tree, eyes facing out into the darkness and away from the fire, so no one would see her face. A little while later, a gentle hand touched her shoulder and she heard Sango's voice speak her name. But Kagome just drew the blanket tighter and turned her face away. She was being silly, she knew, but right now, she didn't want to talk to or see anyone. Sango waited a moment before she squeezed Kagome's shoulder comfortingly and walked away.