A long silenced passed between us as the villagers gathered around to attack him. What was his name again? Oh yeah, Inu…something I think. I gulped as I felt his amber eyes stare us down as if we were his prey or something.

"Pay no heed to Inuyasha, children."

That's right, Inuyasha. What an odd name.

"I hate having to wait," Inuyasha sneered, "and I hate the smell of you." That's when he ran at us and attacked. Both of us managed to run away. With me slightly behind Kagome, I never was really athletic.

Kagome tripped on some bones as Inuyasha attacked, he grazed my back. I let out a cry of pain.

"Want me to scratch your back?" he asked like it was a joke. I felt tears come to my eyes.

"You really tried to hit me just now didn't you?" Then she looked to me, "NAME!" She crawled over to me.

A group of villagers started to shoot arrows at him. Inuyasha went off to attack them for a moment leaving Kagome and me alone.

"Name," Kagome whispered, "are you alright?"

"I-I think," I said groaning. Light scratch marks were on my back.

Kagome tried to comfort me, but I could tell she was shaken too, "It doesn't look that deep. But we have to keep moving, come on." Kagome managed to get me up and we kept running as fast as we could.

I tried to shake her off, "I'm only slowing you down."

"No," she said in that voice that meant she wasn't going to listen to me, "keep moving!"

"Prepare yourselves!" Inuyasha called from above.

'Prepare? For what?' I thought. I was running out of breath as another blow came from the half demon. We both fell, the jewel falling from Kagome's hand. My face planted firmly in the dirt. I didn't move, my back hurt, my legs hurt, my lungs hurt.

I then felt a powerful energy. Different from the one I felt from the centipede, it was purer. I looked up to see Inuyasha tugging at a necklace. "What the heck are these?"

"Quickly child! The word of subjugation."

"What word?" Kagome called back to Kaede.

"It matters not, your word has power to hold his spirit."

Kagome grabbed my arm and helped me up. I tried to ignore the pain in my legs and lungs and follow her. The pain in my back becoming duller with time. We fell through some loose earth, I landed on my back.

Screaming loudly I felt more tears come to my eyes. I really was a big baby.

"Wait here," Kagome ordered going after the jewel. Faintly I could hear Kagome and Inuyasha converse. But in my daze I didn't care. Eventually I felt my eyes grow heavy. In the background I could hear a "Sit boy!" from Kagome then I fell into darkness.

-Hours later-

I woke up in Kaede's hut. My back didn't hurt as much and my legs and lungs felt much better. Laying on my stomach I heard Kaede talk to Kagome.

"How's that, perhaps I'll put more unguent on your belly," said Kaede.

Letting out a low groan I tried to sit up.

"Name." Kagome said helping me as I struggled with the mere task of sit up. "Are you alright?"

"I feel much better, thanks," I said giving a grateful smile to Kaede.

The elderly woman gave me a friendly smile and asked, "How is your back?"

"A bit sore," I said, "but I'll be fine." I looked about and saw Inuyasha, I held Kagome's hand and stiffened.

"The task now falls to you Kagome, to protect the Shikon No Tama," said Kaede sitting down next to me. Slowly she began to unbind my bandages and replace them with fresh ones. "And not only will demons be after it. But humans, so that the jewel may make real their petty grasping ambitions."

"Speaking of petty," Kagome said glaring at Inuyasha. "What are you still doing here?"

I smiled, that's the Kagome I knew, sharp and sarcastic.

Inuyasha looked at us from over his shoulder, "I'm waiting for the jewel."

"With the beads around his neck his threat is diminished. It is perhaps the only way we can allow him so close to the jewel," said Kaede.

I whispered to Kagome, "So I don't have to worry about him using me as a human scratching post anymore?"

Kagome nodded smiling. It must be a really funny way she keeps him in line. "So…why do you want the jewel anyway?"

"Yeah," I said wincing as Kaede tied off the bandages, "seems to me you're strong enough as it is. What power can you get from the jewel that you don't have already?"

"Ah, but he's only half demon," answer Kaede.

I jumped at the sound of Inuyasha punching a hole through the floor. "You know what? I'm sick of hearing some dried up witch I just met talk like she knows me!" Wow, talk about zero respect for your elders here.

Kaede didn't get mad she merely said, "Oh, so ye don't remember. I thought as much. I'm younger sister to Kikyo. She who bound ye to the tree. Kaede"

I looked from Inuyasha to Kaede.

"You're Kaede? So you're the brat huh?

"Fifty years have passed and I have grown old."

I sat and listened to this with almost total ease. It was odd to hear all this spoken like it was normal, but interesting, like Kagome and I were in the middle of a real life fairytale.

Inuyasha continued to speak, "Hmm, if you're this old then Kikyo must be pushing a hundred. Sure glad I don't gotta worry about being old…at least not for a while."

I had a feeling of what was coming next.

"Kikyo didn't worry either. Kikyo died," said Kaede. I could tell it hurt her to talk about even after so much time had passed. I could tell the news affected Inuyasha too, "it was on the same day she shot ye with the arrow."

"Geese, sorry to hear it," liar, "not that I really care or nothing. That's one less thing for me to worry about.

"I wouldn't let my guard down yet, Inuyasha," Kaede quipped. "I now know that Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister. And it isn't just because ye resemble her. The jewel of four souls was in your body, it's up to ye now child to take over its protection."

Inuyasha grumbled and got up and left. Leaving us three alone.

Kaede started at me. "You child, what is your parentage."

I looked down at my hands, not really wanting to think about it.

"Name is an orphan," Kagome said quietly for me, "she doesn't even know about her parents."

Kaede nodded and sat down in front of me, "You have something quite queer about you child. I know not what yet, but what I can tell you is this. Your destiny is intertwined with the jewel as much as Kagome's is."

Feeling Kagome's hand on my shoulder I looked up, "Does it have anything to do with the ice that appeared when we fought that demon?"

"Ay, it does," said Kaede. "Perhaps in time the nature of you will become known. Until then, we can only wait."

"Ok," I said quietly.

"I'm going to go take a walk, do you want to come?" Kagome offered. I tried to stand, but I felt a strange pull in my bag.

Kaede spoke for me, "I think she had better not. Rest is what she needs, at least until you feel well enough to stand."

I waved Kagome off, "Go without me. I'll be fine. It looks like you need some time alone anyway."

"Ok," she said smiling and walked out of the hut.

Kaede looked at me then the retreating Kagome. "Ye seem close with her."

I blushed slightly, "Yeah. We've been best friends since we were seven. She was my first real friend."

Kaede only 'hmmed' in response. I could tell that some part of her missed her sister; their bond must have been strong for Kaede to still love her like that.

"You really loved her didn't you?" I put my hand over my mouth. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have-."

"No, child," said Kaede. "Don't apologize. A sisterly bond like so is hard to come by and hard to break." With that we continued our time together in silence.

-The Next Day-

"I think I feel better to walk," I said. "Could I come with you?"

Kagome nodded and took my hand, "I'll help you."

Smiling the two of us walked to the outskirts of the village.

"Name."

"Hmm?"

Kagome took a deep breath, "Do you think there's a way back home?"

I shrugged then instantly regretted it as small pokes of pain went up and down my stiff and still wounded back, "Probably back the way we came. Why?"

"I really want to go back."

I let out a sigh of relief, "Me too."

Kagome pointed to the forest, "Wanna try and find the well?"

"You bet," I said following her into the woods.

After what seemed like hours of just tripping over tree roots we finally found it. "There…there it is."

On her words men jumped out of the trees and bushes and grabbed us. I screamed through the muffled hand, struggling madly. However they were much stronger than I. The strange men dragged us back to a beat up looking house and dropped us on the floor, my chin hit the floor roughly I almost bit my tongue.

The thugs then proceeded to comment on how short our school uniforms were. In all honesty I had to agree with them, they are really short skirts.

"Hand over the jewel," that caught my attention. I strained my neck to see a big ape like man sitting in the corner, "Right now." He, I'm not even sure you could call it a human, in height Goliath had nothing on this guy, stood and walked over to us. I stood up as quickly as I could to try and back up.

It drew its sword. The men held us so that it had a clean swipe at us. Instead it killed one of its own men. My eyes widened.

As it approached us we all ran away. My main objective was to stay alive, I ducked and dodged the big behemoth's sword as best I could until someone came up with something to do.

"Can't you see something's wrong with your boss," Kagome scolded them, "now get your butts in gear or it will be you two. Do I have to tell you everything?"

"Way to go," I whispered. But then again that was Kagome, always taking charge. As the creature continued to swipe at us it started to tear apart the hideout. With all exits blocked we were trapped.

"The jewel, give it to me," it said again.

Quietly we tried to make our way to another exit.

Kagome then took the jewel and threw it out the exit. It distracted it just enough to that Kagome could order the thugs to push the now weak wall down. Kagome held my hand so that she wouldn't lose me, "You ready?"

I nodded.

"It's no good boss." One of the thugs said.

"What? I'm not your boss!" Kagome said a little ticked.

The thing then took a swipe at us with its sword. I held onto Kagome and closed my eyes. Nothing happened.

When I opened them I found Inuyasha had saved us. He broke the sword. He then proceeded to knock the giant to the ground. So he was the hero… "Is it safe? Where's the jewel?" And now the moment is lost.

"Jewel?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome horrified, "Please tell me you did not just say that."

Kagome gave a little nervous laugh.

"Ugg, what is that smell," Inuyasha complained raising his sleeve to his nose to shield the stench.

"Maybe it's the smell of your rotten heart," I said bluntly.

Inuyasha glared at me, "No…it's like rotting meat."

I still gave him that annoyed even look, "Like I said…you're heart."

The giant stood and its armor fell off to reveal a hole where its heart should have been.

"Ok I was partly right," I said.

"What's that?"

Inuyasha gave the thing a nasty look, "How much you wanna bet that thing ripped his living heart out and made itself a bloody nest?"

My eyes widened and felt like throwing up so badly.

"I knew there was something wrong," Kagome said, "the bird made him a puppet."

I shook as I felt nausea start to overtake my senses. I barley registered Inuyasha's words before he tried to rip the crow demon thing out of the human's chest. Once the crow was gone the body became nothing but a bunch of bones.

"It's getting away, aren't you going after it?" Kagome complained.

"In case you haven't noticed the world is full of monsters, should I go after them all?" he asked stretching out his arm.

"But-"

Inuyasha interrupted her, "No buts. You wanna start doing the fighting? Be my guest. In the meantime where's the jewel."

I pointed outside, "Out there moron."

Inuyasha looked from me to Kagome then to where I had pointed. As we scrambled out we got front row seats to see the crow thing eat the jewel, swallowing it whole.

"That stupid crow is making off with the jewel!" He then turned to Kagome, "What's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean what's wrong with-go after him!"

"Come on," Inuyasha snapped grabbing Kagome's arm and dragging her along.

Leaving me behind of course. So I ran at a considerably slow pace shouting. "Wait! Wait for me! Come on guys!" He only paused long enough for me to catch up to grab a bow and some arrows then took off again. "Hey! Not cool!"

I followed them as far as the village. The monster had picked up a boy. Inuyasha attacked the crow and it in turn dropped the boy. The poor boy fell into the river. Inuyasha evidently had more important things on his mind than saving a drowning child.

What happened next I can't really describe. An overwhelming sense of courage came over me and I took off my shoes and dove into the water. Strange thing was I was never really good at swimming, while Kagome took swimming lessons during the summer I went to art camp. However everything came naturally to me, like breathing.

I made my way through the water to the child, swimming with the current. I knew the way back was going to be much more difficult.

Quite quickly I reached the boy and brought him to my chest. With one arm holding the boy and another swimming semi against the current I made it to the shore. Getting the boy to shore I set him down. Almost imminently he went to his mother.

"Save the jewel stupid!" Inuyasha shouted.

Both Kagome and I looked to him then turned our heads back in disgust.

"Thank yo-" The mother said before her eyes widened.

"What?" I asked as I looked to Kagome. Her eyes were the same "Kagome what's wrong?"

Kagome still stared, "Your face…"

However a loud cry from a crow distracted everyone. I turned to the water to see my reflection. Faint aqua blue greater than and less than signs marked my cheeks like so } . However as I rubbed them gently they started to fade.

My head snapped up as the boy started to cry as he felt the crow's talon still holding the back of his collar.

"I know…" Kagome looked around then asked, "could I borrow your bow?" She took it from the man and tied the crow's talon to the arrow. My eyes widened, how smart is my sister? The arrow did hit the crow.

A bright light came from it. I heard a shattering noise and pieces of light went in every direction.

The three of us ended up looking for the jewel all day.

"Are you sure it fell around here?" Inuyasha asked rudely.

"Yeah, I mean sure, I mean kinda. Though I'm still kinda worried about that light."

I groaned, "You've been saying that for hours."

Kagome gasped as the head of the crow fell to her. Inuyasha saved her by slashing the head, as he did so a small pink shard fell out of the bird's head.

"I hope that's not what I think it-"

"What do you think it is?" Inuyasha asked.

"I think it is," I murmured.

Kagome went forward and picked it up, "I think it's a shard from the jewel."

"Wha…WHAT DID YOU SAY?"