Hooray!!! Here's Chapter 4! Like I said before, I'll see if I put some action in this one.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything from this story except the storyline and my own character, Miya.
As Miya tramped through the forest, she was assailed by a multitude of feelings, among them betrayal and regret. She shook her head to clear herself of the images they produced, one of them being a certain hanyou nailed to a huge tree. Soon, she could see Kagome's figure in the trees ahead of her.
"Kagome!" she called. Kagome stopped and waited for Miya to catch up. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing," Kagome said. Miya could tell she was lying as it gave off in her vibes.
Miya raised an eyebrow. "The truth, Kagome."
"Come on." Kagome led Miya to a small stream and sat down on the bank. "You want the truth?"
"The whole bit." Miya sat down next to Kagome.
"Which one should I tell you?" Kagome said bitterly. "The one from fifty years ago or the most recent one?"
"Both, preferably."
Kagome sighed and began, "Fifty years ago Inuyasha was in love with another miko, Kikyo. Originally, he had been after the Jewel of Four Souls or the Shikon Jewel but over time the two fell in love. Kikyo had told Inuyasha that he could use the jewel to turn himself into a human and the jewel would be purified. The problem was Naraku. First, he came in the form of a bandit named Onigumo."
In this way, Kagome narrated the entire tale of Inuyasha and Kikyo until the current time when she had found the well and fallen into it.
"So now we're hunting Naraku," Kagome finished.
"One evil hanyou," Miya commented. She lay down on the grass and relaxed. "Does that have anything to do with how you feel about Inuyasha?"
Kagome jumped and said, "What do you mean?"
"How do you feel about him?" Miya asked patiently.
"He's a selfish, self-centered jerk!" Kagome shouted. A few birds took fright from the noise and flew away. "Not to mention he's always refusing to let me go home and is constantly fighting over small things!!"
"No need to shout," Miya said. "Is that really how you feel about him?"
"Yes, that is!!"
"Ignorance is bliss," Miya muttered. "I've learned that myself."
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing. I just think you should open up a little more to him. He might understand."
"That's what you think."
"Look, Kagome," Miya said. She was suddenly serious. "You might want to discuss these things with Inuyasha now instead of later." In a very loud voice she said, "You may regret it later just like Inuyasha did."
Kagome looked at her, puzzled. "Why are you screaming?"
Miya shrugged. "No reason." In truth, she had felt the presence of three spies and had decided to give Inuyasha a message. "Aren't you going?"
Kagome gasped. "You're right!" She rushed off into the trees.
Miya lay down again and closed her eyes. Soon she was rewarded by rustling in the trees. The two other spies she had sensed were silent.
"Why'd you say that?" Inuyasha asked. He had eavesdropped on most of the conversation.
"Like I said, 'No reason.' "
"I don't believe that," Inuyasha said suspiciously. "Why did you lie about having that knife? Who are you really, Miya?"
"I'm Miya," she said testily. "And for your information, I did have a knife. I just lost it in the fog."
Inuyasha sniffed Miya. "Then why do you smell like you're lying?"
Miya rolled her eyes. "Why did Kagome panic when I asked her that question?"
"If you're not going answer my question then I guess I shouldn't answer yours."
"Fair enough." Miya gazed idly into the stream and was disconcerted at the images it showed her about Kikyo and Inuyasha. The waters briefly showed a vision of a beautiful miko with black hair and dark eyes before showing her releasing an arrow that pinned Inuyasha to a tree.
"Did Kagome leave?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah, she did. So are you still interested in the Shikon jewel?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I'm going to take it and become a full-fledged demon," Inuyasha said confidently.
"Liar," Miya said under her breath.
"I'm not a liar!!" Inuyasha shouted. He sprang up and glared at the girl.
"Fair enough," Miya said again. She got up and looked back. "You may want to get back to the hut."
"Huh? Why?" Inuyasha was speaking to empty air as Miya had already disappeared. He kicked a stone into the stream in a fit of temper. Sitting down, he thought about what he had overheard. 'Does Kagome really feel that way about me?'
Miroku and Sango made their way back to Kaede's village. Both were rather disturbed about what they had heard pass between Miya and Inuyasha. They were also disturbed about how Miya had seemed to know that Inuyasha was there.
"It's as if she's psychic." Sango shivered.
"Indeed. And what about that knife? She had no reason to lie."
"Maybe she did," Sango said. "Even I have some secrets I'd rather keep than reveal."
"Such as what, Sango?"
"None of your business."
"Fair enough," Miroku recited. He received an "accidental" nudge from Sango's elbow in his side. "Ow! What'd you do that for?"
"Stop saying that. Soon the only thing I'll be saying is 'fair enough'," Sango said.
"Fair enough," Miroku said with a grin. This time Sango punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!"
Inuyasha was throwing clumps of pebbles in the stream and watching the ripples spread out. Frustrated, he picked up two huge stones and threw them into the stream to watch with satisfaction as they sank to the bottom.
"Feh. Stupid girl," Inuyasha grumbled. He sat down, crossed his legs, and put his arms in his sleeves. The hanyou remained like this for several more minutes before cracking. "Aaargh!!! How am I supposed to figure this out?! Dammit!!!"
He didn't notice the shadowy figure before it was too late. It crept up on him silently before attacking. Inuyasha didn't have any time to react before it gouged a deep scratch in his shoulder.
"OW!!" Inuyasha shouted. He sprang up and clutched his shoulder which was bleeding. "What happened?!" Seeing the monster crouching in the shadows of the tree he drew his Tessaiga which transformed. "Came back for more, did you?"
"The girl," the thing hissed. Its voice rasped and sounded like a thousand things were climbing all over it.
Inuyasha winced as the sound hit his delicate hearing. "Get some help, would ya? You sound awful!!" He swung his sword up and brought it down. "Kaze no Kizu!"
Four golden lights scraped across the ground and hit the monster. It went right through the creature and in a flash it hit Inuyasha in the stomach. It withdrew its "hand" leaving a bloody mark.
"Aargh!" Inuyasha flew backward and hit a tree. 'What's going on? Why didn't the Kaze no Kizu work on it?'
"You baka!!" a new voice cut in. Inuyasha's head snapped upward as he saw the monster being impaled by an arrow. "I told you to go back didn't I?!" Miya appeared in front of him, her new bow held at the ready with an arrow ready to be shot. She drew the string taut and shot another arrow at it. "I could have told you that the same trick won't work on it again!"
"Thanks a lot," Inuyasha said sarcastically, getting up. He tenderly felt his stomach wound. It was nothing too bad.
"You're welcome." Miya shot the second arrow and it hit the monster in the stomach. She sped forward and used the longbow to knock it backwards. "Don't you have any other attacks in that sword of yours?"
"Stand back," Inuyasha warned. He held his sword diagonal to the ground. It pulsated and energies started to swirl around the blade. It pulsated once again and the blade transformed to a shiny, crystal-like material. Tessaiga flew threw the air as Inuyasha swung it and hundreds of shards of adamant came out of the blade. "Kongōsōha!!" he roared. (A/N Don't ask me how to do those little lines. I got the word from Wikipedia)"Nice," Miya said, watching how the monster was impaled by the sharp spears. "Pity you can't use it again."
"What?!"
"Don't you have anything that'll finish it off in one shot?"
"One thing," Inuyasha admitted.
"Then use it."
"I can't." Miya shot him a look. He explained, "It'll send it to hell jewel shard and all. Kagome would kill me."
"Stupid jewel," Miya grumbled. She took a good look at the writhing monster. "It's in the forehead. I'll grab it."
"Hey, how do--" Inuyasha was cut off as Miya jumped in front of the monster and used an arrow to impale it in the forehead. A bright light shot out and blinded both of them temporarily. When it was over, Miya clasped something in her right hand.
"Use your Kaze no Kizu," she said.
"But I thought you said it wouldn't work."
"Trust me and use it!"
"Feh." Inuyasha reverted the Tessaiga back to its normal state and swirling energies started to gather round the blade. He swung it half-heartedly and said, "Kaze no Kizu."
To his surprise, the attack struck the monster head on and, shrieking, the ugly thing dissipated in a shroud of black smoke.
Inuyasha looked over to Miya and said, "I thought you said it wouldn't work."
"That was with the jewel shard," Miya explained. She opened her clenched fist and showed him the fragment.
Inuyasha sheathed his sword and said, "Better give that to Kagome once she comes back."
"I will."
Kagome rushed to get all the stuff in her backpack. Watching at the table was her little brother. He was a small boy who was only a little taller than Kagome's waist and had short black hair.
"Do you really need all this stuff, Sis?" he asked.
"Of course, Sota," Kagome said. She reached for a bag of potato chips. "Besides, we have a new member."
"Who is it?" her mother asked. Mrs. Higurashi looked very similar to Sota except that she was taller than Kagome.
"Her name's Miya and she seems to be a nice girl. She's definitely better at handling a bow and arrows than I am," Kagome said.
"I do hope that you'll be safe, Kagome," her grandfather said. He was stooped over, wrinkled, and had whiskers. His white hair was tied back in a bun.
"I'll be fine, Gramps. Inuyasha's there," Kagome said crossly. She rushed over to the fridge and took out a carton full of juice. "I wonder if they'll like this."
"They should, dear," Mrs. Higurashi assured her. "It's apple juice and I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like apple juice." She gave Kagome a homemade lunch. "Take this, too. It'll be more nutritious than all that ramen, anyway."
"Inuyasha doesn't think this is food," Kagome said, taking the box. "But, thanks, Mom. The others love this."
"You're welcome."
Kagome looked at the clock and gave a small yelp. "It's time to go!" She slipped her arms through the straps of the huge yellow bag and attempted to heft it off the table. Managing to do so, she took a few tottering steps towards the kitchen door to grab the door frame in order to steady herself.
"Do you need some help, Sis?" Sota asked.
"No, I'll manage," panted Kagome. "It's only a short walk to the well house."
That short walk took about ten minutes with frequent breaks until Kagome finally opened the door. She fell into the well headfirst as she dove off the steps.
'Wonder if Inuyasha is waiting for me,' Kagome thought while traveling through the endless purple light. She blushed as she thought about Miya's question. 'How'd she know about my feelings anyway?'
Kagome settled down on the dirt floor of the well in the feudal era. She looked up at the vines and wondered how she was going to get out with such a heavy backpack on.
"Inuyasha!" she called. When there was no answer she thought, 'It can't be nighttime already. But the sky is all cloudy. Is it raining? But then, why isn't the well wet?'
Her ominous question was answered as she managed to pry herself and the bag out of the well without breaking the vines. She sat on the well side in shocked silence as she looked around. There was nothing but fog surrounding her.
"Oh no," Kagome whispered. As far as she could tell, the well and she were the only solid objects in the fog. She saw a shadowy figure dart towards her and as its fingers closed around her neck she let out a long heartrending scream. "Inuyashaaaaaaaa!!!"
Inuyasha was still by the stream with Miya when he suddenly turned as if hearing some invisible voice.
"Kagome?"
Chapter 4 is finished!!! I hope you like this chapter and I hope I put enough action scenes in here! Read and review.
Oh! Has anyone figured out what Miya is yet? Cookies to those who figure it out!
I'll update as soon as I can.
