Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.

"Kagome, how long do you think Inuyasha will continue insisting we travel by night?" Sango asked her. Kagome looked at the setting sun then to her unconscious husband sitting in a tree beside them. "As long as he is stuck human. You know how he is when he is stuck as his "weakling" form," Kagome sighed packing their luggage. "Yes, I guess I am no longer used to it since we haven't had to do something like this in a while." Sango shrugged. "Yeah, it has been a while huh." Kagome asked watching the sun set. Inuyasha opened his eyes and looked around, "Damn. I fell asleep." He looked at Kagome who was watching the sun lay behind horizon. "It has been so long since I've seen her trying to hide her worry," He thought. "Inuyasha the sun has set," Miroku started. "We should get going, I'm sure we should get a head start." He finished. "Yeah," He jumped down from the tree and stood. Sango and Miroku started walking and Shippo hung from Kagome's shoulder, and stared at Inuyasha. "Kagome can I have a word with you, alone?" Inuyasha asked looking at the horizon. Shippo jumped off and ran to catch up with Miroku, Sango, Kohaku, and Kirara. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and asked, "Is some thing wrong Inuyasha?". He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "I-Inuyasha?" She asked a little surprised. "Kagome, don't try and hide how your feeling. Don't worry, ok?" He said in her ear and held her tightly. "I-Inuyasha…" She mumbled hiding her face in his shoulder.

After they caught up with the others they started to slow down and barley trudge along. "We have been walking all night along this mountain and nothing," Miroku said looking around. "Maybe they tricked the villagers into believing they lived on this mountain?" Sango asked. "Or maybe they up rooted and left." Kohaku sighed. Kagome hated the thought of not being able to find the demon who stole Inuyasha's demon power. She loved him no matter what but she also loved him for who was just the way he is. When she thought about it she gets a little mad when she thinks of how Kikyou was selfish enough to even ask Inuyasha to change for her. But she simmered out quick when Kirara ran off a head of them. "Kirara?" Sango called running after her. She ran a bit uncomfortably because after retiring and having birthed three children her demon slayer outfit was a bit of a tight fit. They tried to keep up with Kirara who was running fast after a figure but the figure was not fast enough. Kirara had pinned it and growled in it's face. When the others had caught up Kohaku scolded her for pinning a young human girl. The girl was terrified but then her eyes changed when she saw that they were just humans. "Don't you know that this mountain is claimed by the powerful Yin Yang twelve?" the girl asked frowning. "The Yin Yang twelve?" Sango asked. "Yes, of course the likes of you wouldn't.." She started but was cut off. Kagome rushed to her and held her arm "Your so dirty… Have you been doing hard work?" She asked running her hand over the girls bruised hands. "Yes? You know that I do. Kiyo you look so convincing!" the girl exclaimed and grabbed Kagome's breast. "Wow they swelled! Were you attacked by some poisonous demon?" the girl asked playing with them. "Eh?" Kagome blinked and lightly slapped the girls hand. "K-Kiyo? Hey you aren't Kiyo!" The girl yelled and went to run away. Inuyasha grabbed her and sat her down. "So they have human slaves. I wonder if that is what happened to those who have gone missing in the village?" Miroku pondered aloud. "S-slave? I am not a… what ever," The girl sighed. She stayed with them the rest of the night.

"Kagome… Kagome!" Shippo yelled shaking her. "Hm? What is it Shippo?" She asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "She is gone!" He screamed. "Huh?" she asked and all of Shippo's screaming woke the others. "She is gone!" He yelled again. They looked around and the human girl was gone. They quickly packed up and began searching for her. Kirara suddenly took off again, "Kirara? Did you catch her scent?" Sango called after her. They ran and finally caught up to a sleeping girl. "She… she is a asleep." Kagome stated. The girl felt their presence and forced herself up and running again. "Hey wait!" Kagome called after her. "Wait if she is running up the mountain… then it is highly possible that she will lead us right to the demon who has Inuyasha's power," Miroku analyzed. "So?" Inuyasha asked. "So instead of trying to save the girl and force her to stay with us and find the demon on our own. Why not just follow and help her while we get your powers?" He asked. "Hey we'll lose her if we don't start now," Sango said. It didn't take long for them to be on her tail again. The girl slowed because she couldn't run much longer, she was hungry and tired. "Help! Kiyo!" She screamed in her mind as she tripped. She pulled herself up and kept running. "Machi?" A familiar voice asked. "K-Kiyo!" The girl ran to her and hid her face in Kiyo's chest. The group watched as the girl cried into the demon's chest, "Where were you? Your sisters are worried sick," she told her petting her head. "Hey demon! Give back my power!" Inuyasha demanded. The girl looked at him and stuck her tongue out, "Ha! Your in for it now!" She smiled her soft blue eyes full of tears. "I don't know who you are or how you are controlling this human, but I won't tolerate it!" He yelled back. "Machi go and join your sisters. You want your demon power? Come and take it," She turned to Inuyasha. Inuyasha couldn't attack her though it was weird, she looked like Kagome when they first met but had the no emotion gaze of Kikyou. "If you do not want it then leave. You are wasting my time," she growled. "Hirakotsu!" Sango shouted throwing her weapon. The girl jumped out of the way as it whizzed past her and around back to Sango. The girl was growing fed up with all of this and threw her elbow blade, it had the movement of the Hirakotsu but was shaped differently and made of different material. Sango was amazed as a crescent blade of adamant whooshed right in front of her and curved to fly right back to Kiyo who had caught it. Miroku sat and observed, as Kohaku ran up to help his sister. He threw his weapon but it was caught by a chain, he watched as Kiyo tangled his weapon in a chain that she connected to her elbow blade. "Kirara went to attack but was caught off guard by Kiyo throwing powder in her face. "Kirara!" Sango yelled. Kirara fell blushing and nuzzled the ground as she was enjoying the cat nip. Kagome drew her bow but then was bombarded with laughing acorns. Shippo stared in wonder "she learned to use a type of demon magic?" he thought to himself. Shippo tossed his snake toy but it was met half way with a sutra and it fell wrapped in the sutra never getting close to it's target. Inuyasha seeing she was distracted had kicked her in her stomach and sent her flying back. She stood and growled, her elbow blades were stuck in two trees she was by which held up her chains making a barrier. "What defenseless without your precious blades?" He smiled. He went to attack but she jumped back and jumped over him, he instinctively reached out and grabbed her heel and threw her backwards. She hit a branch and fell in between two trees, she went to get up but Inuyasha hit her with the but of his Tetsaiga. She held just under her eye where he hit un intentionally, he went to hit her in the back of the head but mid swing she looked up. She heel swept him and kicked him right in the middle of the stomach using her heel she brought him to the ground. The wind knocked out of him and his ears rang. He got up and punched her in her gut and she dropped to her knees, she went to get up but he picked her up and slammed her against a tree. She bit her lip in pain and her eyes welled. Inuyasha's eyes softened and his grip loosened a little to much and she kicked him back and tackled him. He used Tetsaiga which he thought it'd repel her but it did nothing. So he hit her with it again this time on the fore head and she stood holding her fore head crying out in pain. "Oh no I'm not falling for that again!" He yelled hitting her in her chest on her sternum. She flew back and laid on the floor, her eyes filled with pain and tears rolling down her cheeks. "Take it!" She yelled. "Huh?" Sango asked a little surprised. "Take your stupid power!" She opened the latch on her choker and released his power. His hair turned white, and his eyes were amber, he pulled out Tetsaiga to slay her but when he swung at her it stopped and she pulsed then Tetsaiga and it changed back into it's rusty old sword form. "Huh? Tetsaiga?" Inuyasha looked at his sword. Kiyo was still grounded and she breathed heavy showing she was deep in pain. Kagome pulled down the blades releasing Sango and Kohaku, then turned to Kiyo and went to her side. "Hey, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked her. "Can't you see she is in pain? Don't you think there is a reason Tetsaiga transformed when you went to slay her?" she asked pulling off Kiyo's black jacket. "She is right," Miroku said walking up. "She wasn't aiming to hurt anyone," He started. "So what was she doing Miroku?" Sango asked. "Well you see my dear Sango, I sat back and watched how she fought. Her elbow blade flew right in front of you but it didn't hit you. She angled for it to fly past you to keep you at bay. She put a barrier to keep you and Kohaku away, she threw cat nip at Kirara. She bombarded Kagome with laughing acorns, and fought defensively against Inuyasha." He explained. Kagome pulled off Kiyo's white shirt and covered her mouth, it was no wonder Inuyasha as a human over powered her. She was covered in blood soaked bandages, had bruises almost all over her back and a long scar from the top of her back running down her spine to her mid back. Kagome undressed her wounds and asked, "Sango could you please get water?". "Yeah, sure." She said hopping on Kirara who had finally sobered from the cat nip. Kagome took the sleeping equipment out and hung it to cover her and Kiyo from the boys view. Inuyasha had gathered fire wood while Kohaku and Shippo fished. Miroku cleared an area for them to light a fire and sat on the ground. Sango returned with a bucket of water and went behind the sleeping mat that Kagome had hung. She looked at the near naked Kiyo who laid unconscious as Kagome finished undressing her wounds. "What has this girl been doing?" Sango asked. "I'm not sure, but what ever it is she seemed to have some trouble with it." Kagome pulled out some medicinal herbs. Sango sat the bucket down and grabbed some cloth and began soaking it. "Thanks for helping," Kagome told Sango taking the cloth and patted it over Kiyo's wounds. Sango went to join Miroku and Inuyasha by the fire and cooked the fish while they sat in silence. Kagome emerged with the bucket and blood soaked hands. She went to the river and dumped the bloody water over to the side and rinsed her hands in the river. Inuyasha sat next to her and stared as she rinsed her hands, "So… was it bad?" Inuyasha asked feeling guilt thinking he'd done it. "She had it bad… But you just left some bruises and a couple of welts…" She told him refilling the bucket. "There is more?" he asked knowing the first bucket full was almost all blood. "She has an on and off fever." Kagome told him. "Oh," He said looking off into the distance.

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