A1969: ha! I'm updating regularly, take that!
Inuyasha: she's crazy, isn't she?
Kagome: yeah, it's in a good way, though…I think.

A1969: oh, cut it, you two. Anyway, I'd like to thank those who've bothered to read and those who've bothered to review! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

-o-o-Chapter Six-o-o-

Supermassive Black Hole

-x-Renesmee-x-

Where was I?

I couldn't think of anything else as I perched myself on the well's edge, looking around what seemed to be a peaceful clearing…

Hm…

How did I get here? I fell inside a well, in a well shrine and when I come out of said well, I find myself not in the shrine in which it was housed, but in a clearing.

Strange. It still didn't answer the question about my whereabouts, though. I sighed and inhaled. Another thing that was strange about this forest—the air was…pure. It was clean. There was not a single trace of smoke or pollutants in it, something that greatly characterized any modern city such as Tokyo.

Okay, time to think.

What were the reasons for me winding up in a strange place like this?

Hm…

I sat there for a moment, thinking and several possibilities raced through my mind.

First, I was dreaming. I was probably still in my hotel room, asleep and dreaming. Okay, that was reasonable enough.

Second, the Japanese government has succeeded in creating a teleportation device which was hidden in the old well in the Higurashi shrine. A bit dramatic, that one.

Third, I was kidnapped and dragged here. Ridiculous that one, since I would have been able to hear them coming. But what if I was kidnapped by a vampire? A stealthy vampire…

The Volturi.

The blood froze in my veins.

Was it possible that the Volturi somehow brought me here—to wherever this place was? But no, Alice would have seen any move the Volturi would have made…unless, of course, the Volturi was making use of the holes in Alice's vision.

I sighed and hopped off the well, looking up at the cloudy sky.

Really, where on earth was I?

I closed my eyes and let my senses range out. This forest was peaceful and quiet; the only sounds worth hearing in it were the chirping of the birds and the march of the insects. I focused and let my senses range out even further, beyond the forest. There was the sound of human activity not far from where I was.

I opened my eyes and followed the sound of human life.

-oo-Kagome-oo-

What did Kikyou want this time?

I couldn't stop thinking about what she wanted as the others and I left Kaede's village that morning to look for Kikyou who, according to Inuyasha, was staying in a forest a little distance away from the neighboring village.

I rode on Inuyasha's back as always, while Miroku and Sango rode on Kirara along with Shippou. "What does she want, Inuyasha?" I asked him as soon as the outskirts of Kaede's village fell behind us.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me anything last night, except that she had to talk to you," he answered.

So, he had been with Kikyou practically the whole night? I suppressed a sigh as I held tighter on to Inuyasha's shoulders. It was best not to get upset at a time like this.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped in his tracks, kicking up a cloud of dust as he skidded to a halt, his nose turned in the direction of the forest named after him.

"What's wrong?" I asked as Miroku and the others stopped beside us.

"Anything the matter, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

Inuyasha hesitantly turned away from the forest and continued to run. "Well?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "I just thought that…" He shook his head again. "Must've been a trick of the wind." True enough, the wind was picking up speed, and the sky above threatened rain. Even for me, a human, the scent of rain was already present in the air.

Inuyasha continued running, his hair whipping in my face. I sighed and leaned my head against his back. "What's wrong?" It was his turn to ask.

"Nothing," I lied.

"Liar."

I hesitated. "It's just that…well, I was supposed to see Renesmee today," I reminded him, though that wasn't really why I was a bit down today.

He nodded, his eyes fixed on the path we had taken. "You can go with her tomorrow," he said, trying to be optimistic. "But first, we have to go see Kikyou."

Right…

Kikyou…

-x-Renesmee-x-

What on earth?!

Or rather, where on earth was here?

The sounds of human activity I heard earlier had come from a village. But it wasn't a village I quite expected. Hiding in the bushes at the outskirts of the village, I could only gape at the human dwellings. The village looked…rural. In fact, too rural. The houses were all made of wood with large stones holding the roofs down, something I've only read about and never seen. The people all wore kimono of some sort. The women's heads were covered with scarves and simple cloths were tied around their waists and reaching down to their ankles. The men all wore coarse and rough singlets that looked as though they'd seen better days and the hakama they were wore were thoroughly worn and patched up in some places. Their hair was styled into a topknot, something reminiscent of Feudal Japan.

Queer.

Was this a remote mountain village hidden somewhere in Japan? I glanced around me. There wasn't even any indication of electric cables and I knew that in Japan, communities, no matter how rural they may have been, had to have electricity. So where was I? This was a place totally devoid of the modern trivialities of life.

Oh well, time to ask for help.

I quietly stepped out of the bushes and made my way towards the edge of the village, where several men were conversing about the wars. Wars? Was Japan even at war?

"Um, excuse me," I said hesitantly, in Japanese, as I approached the group. At my approach, the men all looked up from one another, startled. They took one good look at me and stepped back, caution written on their faces.

"Who is this girl?" the men asked, murmuring among themselves, thinking I couldn't hear. "She dresses strangely, just like our priestess Kagome."

Okay…First, what was so strange about gray bell bottom jeans and a black tweed turtleneck sweater? Second, did they just say 'Kagome'? Could this be my Kagome or another Kagome? And…priestess? What's with that?

"Um…" I hesitantly took a step towards them and they gave me a distrustful look. "Excuse me, but did you just say…?"

At that moment, there was a shift in the clouds. A ray of sunlight fell on the village, bathing it in the warm light. Shoot. The villagers' eyes widened as they saw that my skin glowed like the moonlight in the sun.

"K-kaede-sama!" they shouted.

Damn. Stupid ability to scintillate in the sun! I mean, why must vampires have to sparkle (or, in my case, glow) in the sunlight? How overrated.

I watched, panicked, as the men scampered away from me. I glanced around me. Women were giving me queer looks and children stopped playing to stare at me, their eyes widening.

"Is she some sort of demon?" I heard the women whisper as they took steps backward. They held baskets of herbs in their hands and I had a feeling that they would readily use those baskets as shields should the need arise.

Wait, these people knew about Kagome's secret world of demons?

At that moment, the crowd that had formed around me began to part and a moment later, I saw why. They were making way for an old woman. She had an eye patch over one eye and she wore white haori with red hakama—the garb of a priestess, I recalled. She had a bow slung over one shoulder and a quiver of arrows over the other.

I took a step back.

"What manner of demon are ye?" the old woman asked.

My eyes widened. "I'm no demon," I protested, my glowing flesh easily contradicting me. Well, I wasn't exactly a demon, and I wasn't exactly human.

She stared at my glowing skin and raised an eyebrow. But then, she narrowed her eyes at me, as though just realizing something.

"Your clothing," she said.

"Eh?" Geesh…were these people so far away from modern civilization that they never saw bell bottoms before?

"It is the same style as Kagome's," the old woman finished.

"Kagome?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I must apologize for the way the villagers treated you," the old woman said, handing me a bowl of soup.

"No big," I said, shrugging, as I glanced around the interior of her hut. It was small. And very rustic. There wasn't the faintest sign of technology in this hut; no phone, no lights. Even the windows were all wooden…

"So," I said, placing the bowl on the floor, not touching it. "You say you know Kagome?"

The old woman named Kaede nodded. Another thing, the villagers called her 'Kaede-sama', I've never heard the honorific used anywhere in Japan before, unless, of course, it was to address someone of extreme importance, such as the emperor, for instance, but why must an old woman be given the honorific?

"Yes," she said, nodding. "She and her companions left a while ago, I'm afraid."

I nodded. "I see," I said softly. "Um, can you tell me where I am? All I know is that I was in Tokyo and then I fell into the well in Kagome's family's shrine and I've no idea where I am. So, where is here?"

"So you come from the same time as Kagome?" Kaede raised an eyebrow at me.

Time? At that moment, the pieces slowly put themselves together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Pure air that contained not the slightest trace of pollutants…men talking about war even though Japan wasn't even at war…clothing that showed not a slight hint of modernity…lack of technology…old women who were given the title of 'sama'…and the strange way the people talked…

War…

Use of honorific…

Strange clothing…

Pure air…

It was suddenly obvious that I was not in the time period I was supposed to be in.

War, no, wars…

Holy crap. Was I in Japan's Feudal Era?

-oo-Kagome-oo-

"How farther away is Kikyou, Inuyasha?" I asked him as he set me down gently onto the ground. He looked at the forest in front of us.

"She's through there," he answered.

I hesitated and gave him a look. "What?" he asked.

"Aren't you coming with me?" I asked.

"No," he said. "Kikyou wants to see you and you alone. Miroku and Sango and I will wait here."

I raised an eyebrow at him as the breeze rustled the leaves in the treetops. "Oh?" I said. "Kikyou wants to see me alone? Doesn't she want to see you as well?" I knew I shouldn't be acting like this, but…I just couldn't stand it anymore.

He caught my mood and sighed. "Kagome…" he began, but I interrupted.

"Fine, I'm going on my own." I turned my back on him and made my way towards the forest.

"Wait, Kagome!" I felt Inuyasha's hand around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. "Are you really upset at me? Kagome…what have I done wrong this time?"

I tugged my wrist away from him, but his hold was like iron. "Lemme go, Inuyasha, I have to go see Kikyou," I said, trying to pull my wrist away.

"There they go again," Miroku muttered to Sango, which I ignored.

"Kagome, what did I do now?"

"Never mind, I have to go." I succeeded in pulling my wrist away from him and quickly dashing into the forest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was the worst.

I could think of nothing else as I made my way through the forest, keeping an eye open for any sign of Kikyou. I inwardly groaned. My behavior today was just totally unacceptable and I was sure that Inuyasha would be mad at me when I went back.

I shouldn't have acted the way I had. It was unspeakable and it was childish. I had to apologize to him after I found out what Kikyou wanted.

Speaking of which, where was she?

I glanced around me. The leaves swayed gently in the breeze just as a shaft of sunlight fell out of the sky, dispelling the cool shadows of a cloudless day. I closed my eyes against the brightness and when I opened them again, I noticed something moving among the trees…

Soul collectors.

They were weaving lazily through the trees, hovering in and out of sight. They wanted me to follow them, no doubt. As soon as this thought occurred to me, the soul collectors quickly flew away.

"Wait for me!" I shouted as I raced after them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I followed the soul collectors to a large oak tree, its roots protruding from the ground and on one of the large roots sat Kikyou, staring unseeingly at the tree's leafy canopy. Kikyou's hair fell past her shoulders in a silken cascade and her eyes were cold and analytical as she turned them on me.

"Hello, Kagome," she said impassively. I've never met a woman who could be as impassive as Kikyou before.

I hesitated. "Um, hi," I said, returning her greeting.

A small smile threatened to pull at the corners of her mouth. "Perhaps you are wondering why I summoned you here," she said.

I nodded.

"I have something to ask you," she went on. "It concerns the last Sacred Jewel Shard you found."

"My friend found it," I automatically corrected.

Kikyou was silent, her analytical eyes boring into my own. "Tell me," she said softly, a queer tone entering her voice. "Was your friend the first person to touch the diamond that encompasses the last Sacred Jewel shard?"

"What?" I asked. What a strange question she asked me.

"Was your friend the first person to touch the diamond that holds the Sacred Jewel shard?" she repeated. I bet she was thinking that I was pretty slow and, in this case, I probably was. I mean, I didn't know if Renesmee was the one to touch it first…

"I…don't know," I admitted at last. "I mean…maybe, but I'm not sure."

Kikyou was silent for a moment. "Ask your friend, please," she said, sighing.

"Why? What does this have to do with—?"

"The diamond around the shard is a seal," she said quietly. "It is a technique commonly used on the continent, but not in our country. The diamond acts as a seal and the only person who can destroy it is the first person who touches it. Usually, it would be the creator of such a seal, but, in our case, it might or might not be your friend. Hence, you must find out who the creator is, or who touched the diamond first."

I gaped at her. "But…what if the first person to touch the diamond is my friend?"

"Then only your friend can break the seal."

-x-Renesmee-x-

Feudal Japan…

Unbelievable.

How did I wind up here? I mean, just a week ago, I was in gloomy Forks and now…

Unbelievable.

I could think of nothing else as I left Kaede's village to go look for Kagome and her friends. I had asked Kaede as to where Kagome and the others might be headed and she said that they were headed to a neighboring village in the mountains. Kaede had generously offered to send me off with a guide. I imagine she was in a hurry to see me go, seeing as she knew I wasn't human and yet I didn't tell her what I was.

I trudged out of the outskirts of Kaede's village, stifling a sigh. Once I was a good distance away from the village, I stopped and sniffed the air. Kagome's scent lingered faintly in the breeze. I inhaled again. There were other scents mixed in with hers. I could make out Inuyasha's scent and then, a different scent—the scent of perfume slightly tinged with incense; then there was the scent of wild violets and two other scents that I didn't bother to analyze. Hm…might these belong to Kagome's companions?

Maybe.

Without further ado, I ran in the direction their scents were headed.

I had better get some straight answers from Kagome when I found her.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Inuyasha sure could run, I'll give him that.

I had been running for nearly half an hour by now and I still hadn't caught up to them yet. Of course, Inuyasha was a demon, he would be a much faster runner than I and I was certain I hadn't inherited Edward's gift of speed.

Edward…

I sighed as I stopped. I glanced around me. I was in forest, the very forest Kaede said that encompassed the village Kagome and Inuyasha were headed. Well, I could afford a few minutes to think. I sat down on a log that rested against a tree, leaning against the trunk of the tree and closing my eyes.

Edward, Bella…

Dad and Mom…

What would they be thinking when they found out that I was gone? Bella would be worried out of her wits while Edward would most likely be furious with Jacob…

Uh-oh.

Before I left, I had told Jacob that I would be spending the day with Kagome…

Oh no.

Jacob would tell the others that I was with Kagome and then what would happen? Kagome wouldn't be home, obviously, so was there a chance that they would think that I had gone off with Kagome? I hoped so, I wouldn't want to give either Kagome or her family any trouble on my account. Besides, truth be told, it was my fault why I was here in the first place…

Sighing, I looked up at the sky. The clouds were back, thank goodness and it looked like it was going to rain. I stood and turned to the direction of Kagome's and Inuyasha's scents. Before I could take a step away, however, my ears picked up a low grumbling coming from the ground behind me…

Huh? I spun around just as a large boom reached my ears. A moment later, chunks of earth flew from the ground behind me, sending me flying backwards and raising dust in the air. I felt myself hit a tree and felt that tree shudder. The impact didn't cause much pain though, thanks to my vampire skin. I felt myself slide down the length of the tree and onto the ground. During that short time it took for me to slide to the ground, I heard a frightening growl coming from amidst the dust that slowly started to settle.

It took me less than a fraction of a second to stand straight again. My eyes zeroed in on the dust, wondering…

What was happening? Did a bomb just blow?

But no, the frightening growls that came from the dust couldn't be from a bomb…

The dust cleared.

I screamed, my voice rising higher than a soprano's.

Usually, I wouldn't scream, but the thing that was growling at me came straight from a horror movie. Was it…was it a snake? I couldn't tell. It towered a good twenty feet above me. Its scales were blood red and white spikes jutted out from its face. Its eyes were coal black and it was covered in scales. Its back was covered in spikes, all the way from its head to the tip of its tale. A yellow gaseous substance oozed from its mouth. Urgh…it smelled putrid.

I had no doubts about what this creature was—it was a demon through and through. It was the kind of demon that Hollywood actually created to scare the hell out of everyone. Why it couldn't have looked like Inuyasha was a mystery—at least Inuyasha was presentable.

"Woman," it growled.

Eh…? It…could talk? Okay…

"You have it," it went on. "The Sacred Jewel shard!"

For a moment, the fact that this…demon snake could speak left me dumbfounded. I shook my head. "Sacred Jewel shard?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"I'm no fool, girl!" It lunged towards me, mouth agape. Yikes! That mouth could so easily swallow me whole! I managed to dodge the demon. Its head rammed into the ground, sending chunks of earth into the air. Before I could blink, however, the demon quickly whipped around and lunged towards me again.

Darn it! This demon was quick. Even with my speed as a half-vampire, this thing was still faster than I was. Though it was quicker, I had the advantage of being smaller. I could evade it, at least.

"The Sacred Jewel shard!" the demon roared. Its tail whipped through the air, but I managed to duck it and I heard the demon hiss angrily.

I looked up at it. How could I defeat such a thing? I was no fighter—I'd been protected by my family all my life. If I was a full-blooded vampire, maybe I could fight it off…

The demon suddenly reared its head into the air. It opened its mouth and yellowish goo oozed from within. To my consternation, the moment the goo touched the ground, the ground seemed to sizzle…

"Hand over the shard, girl!" Once again, the demon lunged towards me, its mouth gaping open. I jumped backward but the demon was clever. While the demon's head lunged towards me, its scaly tail arced in the air and I felt it make contact with back. I felt myself fly headlong towards the demon, felt myself hit its scaly body, just below its head. Ow…its body felt like granite.

I fell to the ground in a heap only to realize that a puddle of yellow goo was pooling around me. I jumped into the air, and, in that instant, the demon's tail automatically wrapped around me, covering me from the shoulder downwards.

It squeezed.

I cried out as I felt the sheer strength of the muscle of its tail. I have never felt this much pain before and the experience was both new and frightening. For a moment, I wished uncle Emmett was here to kill this thing. I'm sure with his brawn, he'd have been able to dispatch this thing.

"Hand over the Sacred Jewel shard!" It tightened its grip and I cried out again.

"Ow!" I cried out, struggling against the sheer strength that held me. "Let me go!"

To my horror, the demon brought me closer to its mouth. I could see each one of its fangs—they were as long and sharp as sabers with that yellowish venom dripping from each one.

"I'll devour you along with the shard!" It brought me closer and I felt myself struggling even further. Damn it! If only I was as strong as a full-blooded vampire…

As the gaping mouth grew bigger and bigger and as the realization of death became more apparent, I could only think of two things—my family and my Jacob. What would Edward and Bella do when they discovered that I was dead? Jacob would be hurt, his pain surpassing everything else. My heart thudded when I realized the pain my death would bring them. I struggled, trying to free myself.

But it couldn't be helped.

I was too weak, and this demon was strong. For a moment, I thought about Carlisle's theory of the afterlife of vampires—would there be an afterlife for someone like me? I didn't know…

"Let her go, ugly!" The voice was rough and unfamiliar and the moment I heard it, a most peculiar scent reached my nose—a strange wolfy smell.

Before I knew it, I heard a loud thud and the demon roared in rage and in pain. I felt its tail unwind from around me and I fell to the ground. I managed to land on my feet. I looked up to see what had occupied the demon's attention.

My eyes widened.

Standing on the head of the demon was a boy. He had long black hair that was tied into a ponytail on his head. A band of brown fur was tied around his head and which was slightly obscured by his bangs. His eyes were blue and his ears were pointed. He wore chest simple chest armor and a sword was strapped to his waist. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Truth be told, what caught my attention was actually the short piece of fur wrapped around his waist like a mini skirt. Okay…

"So, you thought you were gonna get the Sacred Jewel shard, huh?" he said, hands on his tightened into fists on his waist as he looked down at the demon. The demon hissed and shook its head, trying to dislodge the strange boy.

The boy jumped off and leapt into the air. My eyes widened. Wow…he could jump, I'll give him that. "Idiot!" the boy said as he started falling back towards the demon. But he failed to notice the demon's tail whipping through the air towards him.

"Watch out!" I cried out.

"Huh?" The boy glanced behind him. To my surprise, he used the tail as a sort of leverage. He placed both his feet on the tail and propelled himself forward and towards the demon, his fist outstretched. The snake demon opened its mouth wide—it was going to swallow the boy.

But that wasn't the case. The boy did vanish into the snake's mouth, but that was for only the merest fraction of a second. A moment later, there was a burst of blood as the boy went through the snake's head, just like a bullet exiting the skull of a human. I tried to ignore the ache that the spilled blood incurred in my throat as I watched the boy fall lightly to the ground, on his feet and covered in blood. Behind him, the demon snake swayed and then fell backwards, raising a cloud of dust.

I was stunned.

Had that all really happened? Had that strange boy (whom I realized was a demon) really killed off that thing? It had all happened so fast.

The boy suddenly turned his attention to me. He was covered in the demon snake's blood from head to toe (once again, the thirst in my throat acted up, but I suppressed it). He narrowed his eyes at me and I felt a new fear rise within me. Would this human like demon try to take the Sacred Jewel shard too? And seeing as it had killed the demon that tried to kill me, I was sure that this boy would be stronger…

Before I could decide to run, however, he spoke up. "What're you staring at?" he asked, his nose in the air. His voice was rough, sort of like Inuyasha's.

Should I run?

He suddenly sniffed the air and a look of disgust appeared on his face. "You stink," he said, rounding on me. "No human could have a stench like this!"

Wh…at? I stunk? Strange, Jacob always said that I smelled pleasing enough.

I took a step back, ready to make a run for it should the need for it arise. "What are you?" the boy suddenly asked, taking another step towards me. I backed away again. "You don't smell like a human and you don't smell like a demon…"

I took several steps backward again. "Who…who are you?" I asked, afraid now.

The boy raised his eyebrows and stopped in his tracks. "I'm Kouga, leader of the demon wolf tribe and you've got some explaining to do!"

-oo-Kagome-oo-

"Will you please stop complaining?" I said, exasperated as Inuyasha and I trudged back to the well. "I'm not the one who said to go and ask Renesmee about whether or not she was the first to get hold of the Sacred Jewel shard!"

"I ain't complaining!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Of course you wouldn't complain, after all, Kikyou is the one who told me to go and ask her!" I was fuming by now. And hurt.

"Is this about Kikyou again?" he asked.

I ignored him as I placed a foot on the edge of the well. "Kagome!" he said again.

I closed my eyes and slowly let out a breath. "Sorry," I said, sighing. "Let's go, shall we?" Really, I should put aside all these Kikyou issues…

He suddenly grabbed my wrists and forced me to face him. "Inuyasha, really," I said. "I'm not—"

"Sh!" He closed his eyes and inhaled. I gave him a puzzled look.

"What're you…?"

He opened his eyes and I was shocked at the look I saw in them. "Kagome," he said, his voice barely audible. "Renesmee's scent…is here…"

I stared at him, my eyes widening. "What?" I asked, as though I hadn't heard. "What did you say?"

"Renesmee's scent comes from the well…"

"You're kidding, right?" I asked. "You've got to be joking, right?"

He shook his head, to my dismay. "Inuyasha. You. Can't. Be. Serious." I was dumbfounded. Renesmee, here? No way, no way, no way!

"I've been around her long enough to know her scent," Inuyasha said slowly, realizing that I was on the verge of mental distress.

Oh crap.

How had she gone through the well? Why was she here? In fact, if she was here, where was she?

I glanced up at the sky; it was almost sunset. "Inuyasha, we've got to find her, quick!"

-x-Renesmee-x-

Demon…wolf…tribe?

This strange boy was a demon, that much was obvious. But he was the leader of a tribe of demon wolves? Wait till Jacob hears about this one.

The boy named Kouga narrowed his eyes at me. "You have the Sacred Jewel shard?" he suddenly said and I automatically took another step backwards. "Hand it over!"

I was about to run away when two figures burst through the bushes. "K-kouga!" one of them panted as they stumbled into the clearing, out of breath. They were similarly dressed as Kouga with the exception of their hairstyles…Okay…people in this time have weird hair.

"You ninnies," Kouga said. "What took ya long?"

Before any of them could answer, I heard the light thud of paws on the ground and, a moment later, a pack of wolves burst through the bushes, all making a beeline for Kouga. "Slowpokes," Kouga muttered as the wolves crowded around him.

"Even without his Sacred Jewel shards, he's still fast, right Ginta?" one of the newcomers said to his fellow.

"Right, Hakaku," the one named Ginta agreed.

Now was a good time to slip away. I silently took a step back, but one of the brown wolves suddenly turned towards me and growled. Seeing a wolf growl at me…It was a strange feeling.

The trio, Kouga, Hakaku and Ginta, turned their attention to me and I froze on the spot.

"You!" Kouga said.

"Eh? Who's she, Kouga?" Hakaku asked.

"Her clothes are as foreign as Kagome's," Ginta added.

I perked up. "Kagome?" I asked. "You know Kagome?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"So, you guys are friends of Kagome's?" I asked Kouga. Night had finally set and the three wolf demons and I were sitting around a fire. Due to the fact that I was acquainted with Kagome, Kouga's attitude changed. He had become friendly enough, his rough manner easily evaporating.

Kouga nodded. "Actually, Kagome's my woman," he said.

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" I asked, bewildered. "I thought she and Inuyasha—"

"Kouga has to win Kagome from Inuyasha first, actually," Hakaku said as he bit into a raw slab of pork from a wild boar they had killed earlier. Did they have to eat it raw? I could still see the blood on the meat and I felt my thirst pulsing dully in my throat. "Ow!" Kouga hit Hakaku on the head, making his face ram into the slab of raw pork.

"Shut it!" Kouga snapped. He turned his attention to me. "Anyway, you say you're a friend of Kagome's, right? Why do you have the Sacred Jewel shard and why aren't you with Kagome?"

I hesitated. I didn't know if Kouga could actually be trusted. "Well," I said carefully. "She entrusted the Sacred Jewel shard to me and I'm not with her 'cause I sort of…got lost."

Kouga nodded and didn't pry any further. "Well, if you're really a friend of Kagome's, I'd be happy to help you find her," he offered.

I smiled. "Thanks."

"But," he narrowed his eyes at me and I inwardly gulped. "What are you, really? You don't smell human, and you don't smell like a demon…"

"Er…Why don't you ask Kagome?" I offered.

He stared at me for a moment and then shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if you'd rather keep it to yourself," he said. "None of my business, really."

I looked at him for a bit then turned my attention to the skies. The stars were beautiful—they were more visible in this time period than in the present and I just let myself marvel at them. Presently, I felt a huge yawn coming on which I managed to smother without attracting Kouga's attention.

Or so I thought. "Why don't you get some sleep?" he suddenly said. I blinked at him. Sleep…and risk him taking the Sacred Jewel shard from me?

"No thanks," I said, stifling another yawn.

"Suit yourself," the wolf said. For a moment, I thought of Jacob and longing filled me. What would Jacob be doing now? Would he looking for me? The fact that I was probably causing him to worry bothered me deeply—I didn't want Jake to worry. If only daylight would come! Then I could go look for Kagome and find a way home, out of this mess…

I sighed again and stared up at the skies, where the stars winked at me from above. Really, they were beautiful, those stars that seemed more like diamonds than heavenly bodies…

I felt my eyelids give way and presently, the darkness of sleep took me in its arms.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey, kid, get up." The voice was gruff. Urgh, had Jacob gotten a sore throat? I rolled over in my sleep, ignoring Jake.

"One more hour, Jake," I groaned.

"What's she saying?" another unfamiliar voice asked. "I can't understand her words, Kouga."

Huh? My eyes automatically flew open and I found the three wolf demons towering over me. I was propped against a tree. The sun had already risen, but, like yesterday, it was hidden behind the clouds; the cool morning air rustled in the tree tops.

Right.

I was in Feudal Japan…

I automatically sat up, blinking.

"Finally," Kouga said, turning his back on me. "C'mon kid, you wanna find Kagome, don't you? Let's get going—"

His words were cut short by a loud growl that came from my stomach. I blushed. Another thing about half-vampires—not only did they get thirsty, they also got hungry. How utterly unfair.

"Sorry," I said, blushing.

Kouga sighed. "Hakaku, go with her find her something to eat," he ordered.

I quickly stood up. "Um, that won't be necessary," I said quickly, not wanting to burden the other two wolves. "I can fend for myself, thanks."

"We can't let you out of our sight," Kouga said. "Kagome would get mad at me if something happens to you."

"No, really," I said, making for the woods. "I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

He nodded. "Don't take too long, you hear?"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What could you eat in a forest?

As a half-vampire, hunger and thirst kept company inside of me, which was very annoying. Rosalie said that I should be grateful that I could eat human food like ice cream, pie, cake and so forth, seeing as vampires couldn't tolerate the stuff. Well, I was grateful, but that was back at home—at home, when I got hungry, I usually ate soft food like tofu, cake and sautéed vegetables since these foods didn't cause me any discomfort (having solids pass down your throat that felt as dry as the Sahara dessert wasn't exactly comfy). But where in Feudal Japan could I find those? Or maybe I could just hunt. Blood was good—it quenched both hunger and thirst at the same time.

Right.

When I was a good distance away from Kouga and the others, I closed my eyes and let my senses explore the forest. Hm…A bit far from where I was, I could hear the steady beating of the heart of a lone wild boar, slinking around in a meadow…I could hear a heavier heart a bit farther from where I was, a heart that seemed to flutter like a bird's wings, obviously, it would be a demon, so it was best to steer clear of that area…

Well, it looked like I was having wild boar for breakfast.

I inwardly sighed. Not exactly to my taste, but…

I ran as I followed the boar's scent, the cool morning air whipping past me. I darted passed trees and over bushes, my hunger and thirst now insistent than before. It had only been a few days since I had last hunted, and already I was thirsty…As soon as I thought of the thirst, it grew more insistent, chafing against my throat. This combined with the hunger in my stomach only increased my speed.

I came to the meadow. There was a gap in the bushes and I kept quiet. Through the gap in the bushes, I could see the boar. It was huge. And it was drinking from a stream.

Perfect.

I felt the hidden strength of a half-vampire in my muscles as I crouched on the ground, prepared to spring.

"Well, what do you know?" The wind suddenly blew passed me. At that instant, I caught a scent—the scent of flowery perfume and windswept leaves. The voice that spoke was feminine and somewhat seductive. I looked up and the first thing that came to my mind was annoyance—you too would be annoyed if your hunting was interrupted. The second thing that came to my mind was how my thirst suddenly burned within me. The third thing that came to mind was danger.

The owner of the voice was beautiful and she was riding on a feather that hovered several feet above me. Her hair was tied into a short ponytail above her head, the ponytail had feathers in it (feathers?). Her ears were pointed and she wore a pair of dangling jade earrings in her earlobes. Her eyes were a lustrous shade of red as were her lips. She wore a three layered kimono and she held a fan to her face, a fan which covered her mouth.

"Naraku was right, wasn't he, Hakudoshi?" the woman said. Another scent reached my nose. This time, it was the scent of pure water and wild violets.

"Hn." The owner of the second voice was hardly more than a child and he rode on a strange horse that smelled of fire. The boy called Hakudoshi looked around seven or eight. He looked like an albino with snow white hair, pale skin and lavender eyes. His kimono was white and he held a naginata in his hand. The horse he rode on was clearly demon. It had a fiery mane and tail and fire red eyes. Its hoofs were ablaze and it snorted menacingly at me.

One thing my mind was sure of: they were dangerous. Period.

"Find a foreign looking girl with strange clothing, and you'll find the last jewel shard," the woman said, her tone somewhat mocking. "Damn, Naraku being infallible most of the time is starting to get on my nerves."

"Focus, Kagura," the boy called Hakudoshi said, turning to his companion with those narrowed lavender eyes.

"Focus?" Kagura said. "She's just a girl. I'll leave the killing to you."

Ki…lling?

The blood froze in my veins. Even my thirst seemed to freeze over. These people…no, they were obviously demons. These demons were going to kill me and judging from what they just said, it was because of the Sacred Jewel shard I carried. How could Kagome have given me such a danger magnet? But then, she had said that I wouldn't be in any danger so as long as I was in the present…

I took a step back, the instinct for self-preservation taking over.

Run.

As soon as I thought of the word, my legs kicked into action, sending me flying through the trees. "Kagura, after her!" I heard the boy called Hakudoshi shout.

I heard loud neigh and knew then and there that they were following me. I pushed myself faster, racing through the trees. "Dammit, she's quick," I heard Kagura say.

I ran faster, feeling the wind whipping passed me.

Kouga. I had to get to Kouga! Surely, he could help me fend these two off? Darn, if only I knew where I was, though! I didn't know where I was—I was in a forest, that was all I knew. I could have traced my scent back to Kouga, but the presence of the woman named Kagura seemed to make the wind act up, erasing my scent.

I was lost.

"Dance of Blades!" I gasped and stopped in my tracks as strange, crescent-shaped wind rained from above, ramming into the ground before me and sending sprays of stone and debris into the air. Whoa…what was that? I whipped around just as Kagura and Hakudoshi caught up with me.

Kagura waved her fan and more crescent-shaped wind materialized out of thin air, speeding towards me. I jumped back to avoid them. It looked like I had no choice—I was going to have to fight them. Fear pooled within me. I knew I would loose, I knew I would die…My first thought was for Jacob and for the pain my death would bring him…

"Hand over the shard, girl, and maybe we'll let you live," Kagura said.

"No," Hakudoshi said. "Naraku said to kill her too."

Fear paralyzed me. Never before had I felt so close to death, not even when that demon attacked me yesterday did I feel the same fear as I felt now. Never before had death stared me so openly in the face.

The instinct for self-preservation kicked in. In a fraction of a second, I spun around and ran for it.

"Entei, stop her!" the imperious boy Hakudoshi said.

I heard a neigh and just as I was about to vanish into the trees, a tongue of flame circled around me, setting the grass at my feet ablaze. I gasped as I stopped in my tracks, feeling the heat that surrounded me.

Damn.

I was trapped.

"You've got nowhere to run now," Hakudoshi said as I spun around to face both him and Kagura.

The heat was blistering. I could actually feel the sweat dripping from my brow. The scent of burning grass reached my nose and my ears could hear the crackling of the flames.

I was going to die.

"She isn't so dangerous," Kagura said. "Just because Naraku met that other leech, doesn't mean he should be afraid of this one."

Other…leech…?

But I couldn't even think straight any more. The heat from the flames was too much…

"Hakudoshi, is it kind to let her suffer like this?" Kagura asked as she raised her fan. "Let's just get this over with."

"No. Naraku said the only way to kill them definitely is to burn them."

I coughed, inhaling smoke as I did so. I had to find a way out of this fast. I considered jumping over the flames, but Kagura would most likely send her wind blades at me. For a brief moment, I wondered if those wind blades could cut through the vampire skin…

But coherent thought was beyond me. The flames grew hotter and, it seemed to me, even higher…

I actually felt my knees start to shake. My breath came out in gasps as I struggled to find a way out of my predicament…

There was no way out, however.

I was cornered, trapped.

And I was going to die…

I felt myself fall to my knees, a hand on my mouth, coughing, struggling to draw in a breath of air that wasn't smoke. I felt myself shaking. For a brief moment, a thought about what the afterlife was like for vampires flashed through my mind…

My vision slowly started to turn black…

I was going to find out, it seems…

"You!" Hakudoshi's voice suddenly cried out, enraged.

But I couldn't hear what else he said…

Everything went black.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Do you think she's alright, Master Jaken?" The voice was sweet, concerned and belonged to a child. The owner of the voice had a sweet scent, too.

Hm…Carlisle said once that angels had sweet scents…

Did this mean that I was dead?

No, I couldn't be. I still felt the burning pain of the thirst in my throat.

"Obviously, she's alive, Rin!" a second voice answered. This voice was harsh, somewhat high-pitched and belonged to an owner who smelled of vegetation and a faint hint of swamp water. "She's breathing, isn't she?"

Huh? What happened? I was about to die, wasn't I?

"Good thing Lord Sesshoumaru saved her!" the owner of the sweet, childlike voice declared. "She's very pretty."

"Lord Sesshoumaru didn't save her, idiot!" the second voice answered. "He was after Hakudoshi and Kagura!"

"Hmm…"

I opened my eyes, blinking as I did so. The first thing I realized was that I was propped against a tree, sitting against it, more like. The first thing I saw was a remarkably sweet looking little girl of about seven or eight. She had large chocolate brown eyes, richer in color than mine. She wore her hair in a lopsided ponytail which only seemed to make her look sweeter. She wore a checkered orange kimono but she didn't wear any zori or sandals.

The second thing I saw made my eyes widen in shock. It was a…toad? I think it was a toad. In any case, it had bulging yellow eyes and a beak for a mouth. Its skin was a scaly green color and it wore…kimono? And it carried a little two-headed staff…

Bizarre. Or maybe I was just dreaming…

"I think you scared her, Master Jaken," the little girl remarked.

"Oh do be quiet, Rin!"

That snapped me out of my reverie. I blinked stupidly, and stared at them both. "Hi!" the little girl named Rin greeted.

I blinked again. "Um…hello," I answered timidly. Great…What had I gotten myself into now?

"My name's Rin!" the little girl said with a small, shy smile. "And this is Master Jaken." She gestured to the little toad-like fellow.

"Er…my name is Renesmee Cullen," I answered.

Rin blinked innocently at me. "Re…rey…nus…may?" she stuttered.

"You can call me Ness for short," I said. I inwardly sighed. What made my mom give me that name I will never know.

She smiled at me. "Okay, miss Ness," she said.

I glanced around. "Um…can you please tell me where I am?" I asked. "I…don't remember much."

The girl's smile only widened. "Lord Sesshoumaru saved you!" she said.

"And you should be grateful for it!" the one named Jaken declared.

I glanced around. There didn't seem to be anyone there whom I should thank other than the little girl and the strange imp. Out of the corner of my eye, I made out a two-headed dragon lying on the grass not far from us. Wait…two-headed dragon…? Okay…I won't even react. I had too much to think about as it were.

I stood up. My legs were a bit shaky, but I managed. "I have to go," I said. "There was someone waiting for me. I think he'd be impatient by now."

"And long gone by now," Jaken added.

"What?" I asked.

"Er…you've been unconscious the whole morning, miss Ness," Rin said hesitantly.

Crap. I glanced up at the sky. The sun was still hidden behind a thick veil of clouds, but it was definitely overhead. No way. It was almost afternoon.

"Crap!" I cried out, panicking. What if Kouga had left? Darn it! And he was my ticket to Kagome! I was about to run off but I stopped in my tracks and looked back at Rin and Jaken, who were both giving me curious looks. "Please tell this Lord Sesshoumaru of yours thank you for me," I said.

But they weren't paying any attention to me. They were both looking behind me and then Rin let out a cry of delight. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" she cried out, waving.

I spun around and that's when I first saw him, emerging from the shadow of the trees. He was intimidating, I'll give him that much. He was at least a head taller than me. He had lustrous silver hair that fell past his back and over his forehead in the form of elegant bangs that parted in the center. Partly hidden behind his parted bangs was a Prussian blue crescent moon. His eyes were a beautiful shade of gold, a shade that seemed to make the golden eyes of vampires seem dull in comparison. He had two magenta stripes on each side of his cheeks and one stripe on each eye lid. His eyes, aside from being the color of molten gold, were cold and impassive.

As if his looks alone weren't enough to bring about a bout of intimidation, he wore armor. His armor included a spiked pauldron that covered his left shoulder attached to the upper section of his cuirass. Queer. His armor and his clothing were certainly influenced by the mainland and not by the usual obi and kimono of Japan. His kimono was mostly white with red honeycomb crests at the collar and sleeves. Since I'd been madly obsessed with Japan before, I recognized the hakama he wore as sashinuki hakama. He wore flat pointed ankle-high boots also reminiscent of the Mainland. But what caught my attention were the two swords strapped at his waist.

Whoa. One word: deadly. Period.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin waved happily as he made his way towards us. At that moment, the wind blew softly towards me, bringing this demon's scent with it.

The moment his scent hit me, I lost it. The fire that had been burning in my throat seemed to blaze anew with the same intensity as a million suns. This demon's scent was…irresistible, desirable and virtually indescribable and it drew me in. His scent—the blood that flowed throughout his veins—was like a supermassive black hole and I was the tiny, helpless planet that was being mercilessly and inevitably drawn in. I knew then that this was what Edward had gone through when he had first met Bella; I knew then that this was what Jasper had gone through when he first smelled Kagome…

I wanted him.

The fire in my throat blazed.

Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowed at me.

I heard a feral snarl escape me. I felt myself crouch down in a hunting position, ready to spring and strike. I growled at him as I felt the fire raging in my throat.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A1969: whoa, that was long. But I hope it makes up for my really late updates!

Inuyasha: whatever.

Kagome: why don't you all show the author a little appreciation?

A1969: and what better way to show appreciation than in the form of nice reviews? So, review please and thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!