"Do-do demons usually look like pink fireworks when they die?" I asked Kaede nervously. She had walked over to me just after I fired my arrow.

"Not usually..."

Great... I just screwed something up, didn't I...?

Inuyasha landed beside me.

"You!" he exclaimed. "Do you still sense the Shikon Jewel?"

"Yes, hello to you too. Am I okay? Yup, never better! Thanks for asking."I muttered sarcastically. But I did search around for the presence of the jewel.

Bingo! But it seems so small...

"That way!" I pointed toward a clump of forest near the edge of the village. Inuyasha took off running towards the trees, me right behind him.

Soon we had entered the trees. Inuyasha seemed surprised that I was keeping up with him, but I ignored him. Instead I was focused on this feeling in my gut, telling me where to go. It was almost like an internal compass.

Another reason to clump me with the weirdoes...

"Are you sure that the Jewel is this way, wench?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes- WAIDAMINUTE! Did you just call me wench, dog brains- What's that sound?" I stopped running and looked up to see the HEAD of the crow demon flying at us. Inside of it I could see a small glittering light.

"Found the Jewel." I shouted, dodging to the side.

"Good." replied Inuyasha, smashing the head into the ground. It exploded into creepy little bits. A small, shiny piece flew out and landed at me feet. I bent down to pick it up.

"Is that the Shikon Jewel?" asked Inuyasha hopefully.

I lifted it up and inspected it carefully. It looked like a shard of something.

"Well... I guess it could be a little piece of the jewel..."

"No way..."

"How is this possible?" howled Inuyasha.

We had returned to Kaede's hut and he was NOT happy.

"Enough Inuyasha." sighed Kaede. "What's done is done."

"The Jewel!" he continued. "What happened to the blasted Jewel?"

I think it got blasted...

Kaede stopped stirring a pot of something and looked up at the two of us. "When Emily fired her purification arrow, not only did it destroy the demon, but it also shattered the Shikon Jewel!"

Opps...

"It could have shattered into ten pieces or a hundred... And now those shards will be scattered all over, just waiting for someone with evil intents to use it!"

This just keeps getting better and better...

"I'm sorry..." I whispered. Kaede ignored me.

"Now listen you two. Emily and Inuyasha... You must work together to collect all of the sacred jewel shards! You must not let them fall into the hands of evil spirits!" Kaede ordered.

"Feh..." replied Inuyasha angrily. "Aren't I one of those 'evil spirits' that you were talking about?"

"For now..." muttered Kaede sadly, "There's no other option."

But... I just want to go home!

The next day I told Kaede that I needed a bath. I could see it in her eyes that she agreed with me.

Do I smell that bad...? *sniff* ...Oh, I do...

"This is freezing!" I yelled, standing neck deep in a small pond. There was a waterfall in the corner and it was surrounded by trees and cliffs. I felt so... Exposed...

"You don't need to force yourself." replied Kaede from the bank. She had built a small fire on the bank and was drying of my clothes. She had also laid out something to wear until they were dry.

I dove under the water and back out again, shaking my wings. Like I had seen birds do in the bird baths at my first home. Fighting that demon had gotten me covered in blood and sweat. And dirt...

When did I start caring if I was dirty? I spent months on the run with Max and everybody!

I dove under water and shuck out my wings again.

"This is so COLD!" I shrieked, feeling the water trickle down my body.

I miss hot showers...

What Kaede had said kept running through my head.

"You and Inuyasha must collect the shards of the Shikon Jewel!"

It just didn't seem possible. I needed to find a way home!

I looked down at myself and, deciding that I was clean enough, folded my wings around my body and started to wade out of the pond. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of red and white. I stopped to look at it and gasped.

Inuyasha is a peeping Tom!

"Sit pervert!" I yelled, submerging myself in the water. The beads around his neck pulsed slightly and dragged him off of the cliff he had been crouched on and onto the bank near Kaede.

"So..." sighed Kaede, turning to glare at him. "See anything good?"

Kaede? WTF?

"That stupid wench..." muttered Inuyasha, sitting up. "I forgot about this necklace..."

I got out of the water and hid behind a big bush. "You pervert!" I shouted again. I started pulling on the clothes that Kaede had lent me. It was the same outfit that she had on, a priestesses clothing, but bigger. And she had thankfully cut slits in the back so I could let out my wings. When I was dressed I walked over to the fire to check on my own clothes.

"Were you thinking that you could steal the jewel shard by coming here?" I asked Inuyasha while folding up my dry jeans.

"Well... At least you seem capable to think..." muttered Inuyasha, turning his back on us.

"You and Emily must combine your powers to find the Jewel shards!" ordered Kaede.

"I know that, you old hag! I said that I would help that wench... For now!"

"Hey you!" I said, sitting down and running my fingers through my hair to get the knots out. "How come you hate me so much?"

He turned to face me and his eyes widened.

I must look like Kikyo right now...

"Why such a face?" Kaede asked him.

He didn't reply.

Suddenly I heard a rustling in the bush. Kaede must have heard it too.

"Who's there?" she asked warily.

A lady with a child on her back and another holding he hand rushed up.

"My eldest daughter..."she said. "She's suddenly fallen ill!"

"I must return to the village!" exclaimed Kaede, turning to face me and Inuyasha. "Try not to fight..."

And with that, she was gone.