Feet First

Chapter 9: Growing Pains

Mornings later, they traveled through a valley which curved along a short ridge of barren cliffs. Only few spurts of tall grass remained of the plain, but the land far ahead was dotted with trees. The party's appointed scouts, Inuyasha and Shino had traveled long enough to guess that the way would soon open to the entrance of another forest, though neither had fallen back to inform their companions yet.

She lagged by only a step or so, but Shino could see Inuyasha glare at nothing whenever he landed nearby as though the world had wronged him. Why was he upset? That morning, she felt as though only she had the right to be angry at the moment. She was the one who had lost the ability to leap higher than twelve feet.

She had tried again the day after as they traveled to no avail. Well, you still hit like a Thing, the half-demon had grunted when she'd tested her strength on him.

"Is something the matter, Half-demon?" she asked when he landed once next to her.

He glanced at her curiously, delaying a jump to emulate her sprint. "Yeah. Even your running's getting bad, Thing."

Shino mumbled incoherently to herself but kept on her toes. She wondered if her rubber shoes were the cause of her sudden weakness, but that theory had already been tested. "You know what I mean. You look grumpier than usual—and you are."

"Why do you care?"

"Because if any of us has a problem, we're all affected in battle?"

"So something must be bothering you too, huh? And we're not even fighting yet," he smirked.

She answered with a reproachful-but-piteous glare that made the half-demon scowl. They had to stop leaving Shino with that old hag. Kaede must have taught her that same stupid mildly-squinting look that made him feel guilty, much as he hated to admit. Anyway, the others were far behind, and she might get what he was saying.

"It's nothing," he insisted, slowing down to match her pace. "Though I guess you might've heard if you weren't snoring. Miroku was just saying stupid stuff last night about how anyone who got involved with the jewel ended up losing their hearts, or something. Like I'm supposed to change when I become full demon." He scoffed. "But that's stupid. The demons who had those jewel shards were already rotten to start with."

"Right," she agreed with him, ignoring his jab at her sleeping habits for now. She hadn't asked to borrow any of the jewel shards since their return to the past, but that was an absurd idea. Had she not been sleeping peacefully in her bedroll, she would have protested it, too. "It's only natural that anyone seeking more strength would benefit from the jewel shards. It doesn't make us want to destroy our companions."

"Exactly!" Inuyasha jumped as he exclaimed, and continued when he appeared next to her again. "Yeah, I knew you'd make more sense. You're even starting to lose your stink."

"…What?"

"There's the forest. Go tell the others," the half-demon interrupted, and sprang away with such force that he left her coughing in a thick cloud of dust.


An entire village of demon slayers had been slain by demons.

There should have been some humor in that glaring irony, but their party found only sadness and death when they came upon the sight and stench of it. The village had looked fortified enough—wooden spikes as tall as trees fenced in the entire area with enough space that the villagers might have been able to make some manner of preparation right as the demons laid siege, with banners that doubled as sigils set around the perimeter and over houses.

Their party should have foreseen this. The search for the jewel fragments had led them to its alleged source, the place of demon slayers 'somewhere in the mountains.' On their way to the mysterious village the night previous, a low cloud had passed over the forest—but it was no cloud. It was a giant horde of demons, not unlike the painter's fabricated creatures, shrieking and moaning with excitement as they made their way past. They should have known the horde had meant to strike this place…

It was apparent that the village had attempted to fight back. The place was littered with corpses both human and demon, some still hanging over the fence and limbs thrown about like confetti. It was enough to make Shino sick. Part of the fire that must have begun during the attack still resided in the ruined homes around them.

Kagome was the first to move, as always, careful not to step on human remains. The demons she cared little for, but she did the same for the sake of her school shoes. "I'm not sensing any jewels," she told them. "There are none!"

"None anymore," corrected Miroku, features grim as his eyes scanned the carnage. "They were stolen."

"Maybe if we hurry, we can catch up with them!" said Shippo, eager to leave the place.

"We'll think about that after we've properly laid these people to rest," decided Inuyasha, in a surprising show of compassion. "They deserve that, at least."

Shino met his glance and nodded in agreement, hanging her head mournfully, but reverted to her tense stance when something snarled from behind one of the smaller houses—which was exactly its size. A feline creature with a thick mane and two tails emerged into the open, its red eyes wide; the head of a fanged demon hung between its teeth.

Kagome yelped and stood behind Inuyasha and Shino, who felt less than confident about her own abilities at the moment. Tessaiga drawn, Inuyasha prepared to strike when he felt Shino's hand on his arm.

"Wait," she said. "Why is it holding a demon head?"

"Lord Inuyasha, would that be you?" asked the demon, even without moving its mouth. "And Shino! A wise observation."

"It can talk!" gasped Kagome, as Shino demanded, "How do you know my name?"

"Down, Kirara," said the increasingly familiar voice of an old man. "These people are not our enemies!"

Glancing to its right, the demon nodded, dropped the head, and burst into flames. The group gaped in horror until the fire died down to reveal a cream-colored cat as small as Shippo, still with the same twin tails, each with a ring of black near the tip.

"Wow. It's so cute!" Kagome whispered to Shino. The girl was too mesmerized by its fluffy mane and tails to answer.

"Actually, it would be a she," said the old voice. As the demon scratched itself—herself—a familiar flea hopped out toward Inuyasha.

While the rest wondered about Myoga's presence in a place filled with perceived danger and introduced him to Miroku, Shino approached the cat demon. Rising to her tiny paws, she watched her with a low growl until Shino raised her hands in surrender.

"Human," she said, then chuckled. "More or less. But I'm harmless."

Though she only purred in reply, Kirara's returned to her sitting position and did nothing more as Shino knelt before her. "Do you know where they took the shikon jewel fragments?" she whispered.

Shippo mistook the familiar sight from Miroku's shoulder and advised, "Say no!" from Miroku's shoulder. Kirara only glanced curiously at the fox and shook her head at the girl before her.

Finally noticing her distraction, Inuyasha gave a long-suffering sigh. "Thing, will you get over that? We have to start collecting the slayers' bodies."

The others shook their heads at the girl's odd fixation on fluffy objects—Miroku had already noticed as well. "But—but I was only trying to see if she knew where the stolen shards went," sputtered Shino, looking for a comrade, but her friends had already dispersed to carry out their duties.


"Myoga, was that why you came here? To find out more about the jewel's origin?" asked Kagome.

"Yes. It's been troubling me for a great while now. I needed to know about the history of the jewel. After all, everyone who has come across the jewel has suffered great misfortune."

How comforting it was not to know that she could expect harm to befall her with continued exposure to the sacred jewel shards. Shino refused to accept such an assumption, but agreed with the others to seek out the site of the jewel's creation after burying the bodies and did not ask Kagome for a shard to avoid another lecture from Myoga.

After being repulsed by the slayers' cave—though she punched only once as opposed to Inuyasha's several trials and refused to try again, given that her power had lessened after the second Kikyo incident—they resolved to find the remaining slayers who'd gone to answer a request for aid with a demon plaguing a castle.

It was slayer, they soon found out. Singular. And female.

Wearing armor and a mask similar to those they'd seen from the village, the girl kept her long hair in a ponytail and stated her desire for revenge—for whatever reason—quite succinctly:

"Hiraikotsu!"

She unsheathed the human-sized boomerang strapped to her back and hurled it at their half-demon. The Tessaiga was drawn to his protection at once, but even his father's fang was unable to stop him from skidding back against the soil. They were in the middle of a forest, but her Hiraikotsu had cut an entire clearing just for the battle.

"We've gotta do something about her weapon!" gasped Kagome. "Shino, can you distract her? And Miroku—"

The monk understood even before she issued the command. Unraveling the prayer beads from his palm, he unleashed the Wind Tunnel at the spinning boomerang—but accompanying it were Naraku's insects, eagerly buzzing toward the vortex of his hand.

"Miroku, look out!" cried Shippo. "You'll be poisoned!"

He slipped on the beads right as the insects flew past and circled the group to return whence they came. "Wh-What are they doing here!?"

The answer was the man dressed as a white baboon sitting patiently behind the girl, Sango. He chuckled underneath his mask. "Inuyasha, she will destroy you…so you might as well accept your fate."

"Or don't," interrupted Shino, startling the slayer. Before the girl could turn, she grabbed the boomerang's leather bands and tossed it into the bushes far from them. "Hi. I'm Shino," she greeted, right as her fist connected with the girl's cheek.

Sango hurtled back, flipping ungracefully in the air, but landed on her feet and deflected Shino's next hit with an arm in defense. The girl's endurance was superior, Shino would give her that. Not only was she able to reduce the force of her blows with deft parries—whenever she did manage to land what would have been a devastating hit to a human, Sango merely skidded back and returned for more.

The two ended up circling one another. Sango breathed with some effort through her mask, eyes flitting between Shino and Inuyasha. "I don't have timefor this…"

"You made time when you decided to attack my friend," grunted Shino, and lunged at her.

"You would call a heartless murderer a friend?" Sango fired back, her angry words corresponding with the blows she threw at her opponent. Shino somersaulted backward to send Inuyasha a confused glance.

"What the hell are you talking about?" growled Inuyasha.

"Naraku must have lied to her!" gasped Kagome.

"Listen, whatever Naraku said is a lie! That's his game!" Shino exclaimed, turning to Sango—only to find the ball end of an iron chain wrapped around her wrist. "Hey!" She took hold of the chain and pulled just as Sango did the same—in a battle of raw strength, she would win out. Sango fell forward as Shino removed the chain from her wrist. "Inuyasha, go for Naraku while she's distracted!"

"No!" cried Sango. She hurled a ball at the ground and released a poison fume, startling Inuyasha's senses. The half-demon covered his mouth, unable to approach while she ran off to retrieve her boomerang.

Not far from them, Miroku had taken up his staff against the baboon's blade. He cut off Naraku's hand so easily that it must have been a trick—and it was. Just as Kagome and Shippo congratulated Miroku for besting Naraku in swordplay—so to speak—the hand the monk had sent flying circled their little arena, taking the path of the poisonous wasps and snatching the glass of jewel shards in Kagome's hands in the process.

"These shards are not for the likes of you," declared Naraku, filled with ominous mirth as always as he inspected the jar in his fingers. "Now that I possess them, there's no reason to linger."

Escaping the poison gas, Inuyasha landed before him with Tessaiga drawn. "Not without a fight, Naraku!"

The man in the baboon pelt paid him no mind. Bidding that the slayer destroy Inuyasha, he disappeared with his insects in a flurry of venomous fumes. Before anyone but Miroku could give chase, the Hiraikotsu destroyed the ground in front of Inuyasha, flinging off rocks and debris in every direction like a helicopter's propeller until it returned to Sango behind them.

"Prepare to fight, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha turned with an impatient growl. "Listen, why don't you back off? I'm not interested!"

She said nothing in reply, only ran toward the half-demon before jumping back and hurling Hiraikotsu. Inuyasha dodged it easily, meeting Shino's glance as she appeared from the side and leapt high enough to drag Sango to the ground.

"Why do you protect him!?" she screamed, rolling on her stomach and trying to crawl away.

"Because he didn't do it!" Shino tugged at her ankle, preparing a fist to knock her out once and for all until Sango managed to wiggle a leg free and hit her square in the stomach. Winded, she fell back. The slayer exploded another poison powder ball at the ground.

"Oh, no you don't! Kagome, get Thing!" Claws at the ready, Inuyasha vaulted toward Sango and swiped off her mask. Sango gasped, hands clutched over her mouth as she held her breath, and froze as the half-demon grabbed her arm and lifted her to safety. Or some reason—she couldn't possibly believe it was safety. And even if he were taking pity on her… He's the one who attacked my village!

Without hesitation, her free hand drew the sword at her side and buried it in Inuyasha's shoulder.

The half-demon only sighed. "You idiot. Haven't you realized that maybe Naraku has been tricking you?" The sword seemed little more than dirt as he removed it and tossed it to the ground. "Give it up! I haven't even got started and you're already covered in blood."

Hands shaking, Sango looked over her hands and body—dripping with blood, or bruised heavily from the blows exchanged with the girl, who arrived with another longer-haired one and a small fox demon. But they hardly mattered—she had to go on. For Kohaku…

Within seconds, Sango fell sprawled against the dirt. Shippo neared her with caution. "Is she dead?"

"She's unconscious," Kagome noted. Shino turned her over in relief. "Finally."

She was surprised to look upon Sango's face. Of course, Kagome was beautiful and could hold her own as well, but it was the first time Shino had met such a comely human girl in this time who stood her ground and matched her—if not for speed or strength, then for impressive endurance.

They soon discovered the reason for this: a jewel shard Naraku had embedded into Sango's back, enabling her to move without feeling any of the blows dealt her already depleting energy. Still, her technique spoke for herself. She really was a trained slayer.

"Ready for more?" Inuyasha spoke up, surveying Shino's injuries with a glance. "We can't let Miroku go after that bastard alone."

"Yeah," nodded Shino, getting to her feet. She would never admit that her arms had felt the burn of intense combat as they had not in the last few weeks. "Her blows were skilled, but only human. Let's go."

"Good," grinned the half-demon, squatting to allow Kagome and Shippo on his back. "'Cause you're carrying her."

"Me?!"


The hut was dark, cold, and empty, save for Sango's sleeping body and a small fire she'd managed to light. It was a sad representation of the village that had once thrived with its own fields, demon-infused weapons, and powerful slayers.

Their fight with Naraku—his puppet, to be precise—had resulted in the retrieval of their jewel shards, but the good news ended thus. Sango had woken again to fight, only to pass out when their common enemy retook the fragment in her body, and had stayed so ten days since.

"Poor Sango," sighed Shippo. "Her entire village was massacred and she was used by the very demon who did it. Do you think she'll ever get better?"

"Her fever's gone down," nodded Shino, legs crossed between the fox and the cat before their prone slayer. "And she woke up for some soup. Granted, she was barely there to experience it, but…she'll be fine. It's only taken so long because of the wounds she sustained."

"You hit her pretty hard," Shippo agreed, then chuckled nervously at the sight of Shino's curled lip. "I, uh, think I hear Myoga calling! Something about going through the rest of the huts…"

Shino nodded, waving him away. Inuyasha bullied him enough, really, so she would have no part in that. Except when it came to their deal, of course.

"Ko…haku…"

Shino and Kirara exchanged wide-eyed glances before reaching for Sango. The girl struggled to open her eyes, sluggishly kicking off her blankets. The cat demon nudged her head against the girl's hand immediately.

"Kirara…what happened…?"

"Naraku tricked you, Sango," Shino reminded loudly, speaking past her groggy senses. "We fought his puppet and you passed out. It's been ten days. We're back at your village."

The slayer withdrew at once, eyeing Shino warily. She hadn't noticed when the girl carried her to battle, but…

Sango's suspicious brow was already quite familiar to Shino. "I come in peace," she said, raising her hands the same way as with Kirara.

"That may be so," frowned the slayer, "but I sense a demonic aura within you. It is dulled, as though encased in glass…but present nonetheless."

Shino blinked. "Really? What else can you tell?"

Sango shook her head—nothing else—as her eyes darted wildly in search of a weapon. "Are you possessed?" she demanded, backing into a corner.

"If I were, it would have been easier to kill you before Kirara arrived—and a priestess or two have attempted an exorcism already. So I would answer in the negative," said Shino. "But I do have demonic strength, don't I?"

She looksed for something with which to demonstrate, as with Kaede and the jar, but found nothing. But what she found distressing was how where her body had once desired to lash out and destroy, there remained only the ache to travel elsewhere, that feeling she had hoped to suppress. She thought it might have been bloodlust, for it dulled only during their constant battles, but it grew only in intensity after each fight. Especially after Kikyo…

"Then what are you?"

Shino had no recourse but to shrug. "Lucky? I wouldn't have been able to match you for your vigor otherwise." She eyed the bruises on Sango's face, most of which had subsided over the week. "I'm sorry about the wounds. I was trying to knock you out fast enough for us to defeat our real enemy."

Sango watched her, still measuring, and sighed at the mention of Naraku. It was true, she supposed. But for now…

"Whoa, you can't," said Shino, pressing down on her shoulders as she attempted to stand. "You just woke up. You'll need to rest for a while longer."

"If you are on my side, you will allow me to see my village for what it is," Sango grunted, shaking her off and immediately falling to her side. She caught herself on her elbows and huffed in embarrassment. Sighing, Shino approached and took an arm over her shoulder. Though shocked, Sango only moved forward, following Kirara's lead.

Shino could hear Inuyasha whining from somewhere near the village exit; he'd been restless since the fifth day, angry that they'd allowed a girl's injuries to lose them ground on Naraku, though he did nothing to force them away from the village. On the other hand, Sango was silent as they exited the house. She glanced around, spotting ruined homes and fallen trees in whose removal the party had seen no purpose, and behind her—toward mounds of soil with flowers resting atop them.

The party had dutifully replaced them each day since their return, and Shino shifted her weight in order to turn and accommodate the girl. She watched Sango stare listlessly at the graves and felt for the girl. She was truly strong—in her place, with the Imperial family decimated, she might have bawled upon stepping outside of their makeshift infirmary.

It wasn't long after when they heard Kagome's surprised call.

The girl approached, sitting so that Sango was between them. "Shino, why did you let her walk? She's still pale…"

"She might have crawled if I didn't offer to help," was her helpless reply.

Sango ignored their worry. "The graves," she finally spoke. "You buried all the villagers and you marked their graves."

Kagome was at a loss for words, her eyes filled with pity as she watched Sango's glaze over at the sight of her people. So Shino said, "Believe it or not, it was Inuyasha who insisted we do it."

Sango's head jerked at the mention of the half-demon, but she knew now that it had been a trick. "I should thank him, then," she murmured, without malice. She sounded only thoughtful.

"Listen," said Kagome, doubt making way for a smile. "When your wounds heal, why don't you consider joining our group? Inuyasha and Miroku are pretty decent guys, give or take a few quirks. Right, Shino?"

Her best friend worked to school her features into something that might please her. "Uh, yeah!" Uh, no? Sure, Kirara was incredibly adorable, but they had Shippo for that. And Sango…she was an amazing fighter, yes, but…

She was still grieving. Her emotional scars would not heal soon. Sango looked distracted now. What if that served as a hindrance in battle? It was one thing to help the girl—and another to ask her to go with them! Was Kagome out of her mind?

Of course, Shino could do nothing to stop Sango and Kirara from joining their group. Another good demon and a sword arm were always welcome, and her company was even better appreciated when she offered to tell them the origin of the Shikon no Tama. Hmph.


She was losing her power.

In a matter of two days, Shino had completely lost the ability to jump any higher than Sango. According to Inuyasha, her hits still bore more weight than a regular human's, but they were weaker than before.

Of course she'd lost it at the worst possible time. After learning of Midoriko and her constant battle within the sacred jewel, their party had set out once more. They came upon a village dependent on a water god who demanded human sacrifices in the form of children. Having resolved to stop them—with the help of the village headman's son—the party confronted the water god at his shrine far into the village lake, only to be washed away by his holy trident.

Even Tessaiga had been no match for the weapon. Shino, Sango, Kirara, and Miroku ended up on a rock far from the shrine. Water sprites returned Inuyasha to them, explaining that the god inside was a fake who'd usurped the true god's power—and Kagome and Shippo were still inside with him!

"Find that real god," demanded Inuyasha, pointing to the sacred rock not far from them. "I'll make sure Shippo and Kagome are safe!"

Luckily, there was a boat not far from the rock on which water sprites had deposited them. It was rickety and looked ready to capsize, but Kirara took on Sango's weight, leaving Shino and Miroku on the boat next to them. Even in the dark haze, Sango's contemplative frown was clear to her companions.

"Are you going to leave Inuyasha alone and let him deal with the water god all by himself?" she asked halfway to the rock.

"Don't worry about Inuyasha. He can handle the water god just fine on his own," answered Miroku.

"You're sure? Is he really that strong?"

"Not only is he strong; he's also very cunning. He's not usually so hostile to be around. I'm guessing that it's his way of having sympathy for you. He thinks that fighting will ease your pain and that is why he's acting so aggressive. He's seeking vengeance for you…" The monk glanced over his shoulder at Shino, rowing quietly. "Shino should know. They were traveling companions prior to my arrival."

"I've never seen Inuyasha lose to anyone," Shino answered, failing to meet Sango's gaze. "As fun as it is to watch Kagome tell him to sit, I have complete faith in him—especially if this god is an impostor. And he does care." She recalled their conversation back in her time, during the Soul Piper incident, hypocritical as it was on his end. "But it would be best not to let him know you know."

Sango gave no reply. Shino inwardly huffed. It was true that Inuyasha had been especially antagonistic toward Sango, poking and prodding as was his wont, but that was his way for all those he met. It irritated her that once more how Sango was too caught up in her own hatred to acknowledge the truth.

They soon arrived at the sacred rock, where a woman's voice called out to them. It was small, almost carried away by the wind, but they had all heard it.

"Could it be that the water god is actually a water goddess?" wondered Miroku.

Shino recognized that glint in his eye and rolled her eyes. Before she could respond, the goddess groaned. "Just release me from this prison!"

Miroku knelt with utter deference. "Right away!"

A bright yellow light shone from the rock as Miroku peeled a scroll from its surface. Within the stone's tiny crevice resided a young woman in an expensive kimono—which might have been alluring had she been a mite larger than their palms. Despite this, Miroku attempted his usual flirtations at once, and it brought great satisfaction to his two companions when the goddess ignored him.

"Hurry," said the true water goddess, opening her arms to Shino. Was she asking to be carried? "Share with me your power. Let us remove the sprite who deposed me and return peace to this good village!"

Shino glanced left and right. "Me?"

"Yes! Come, now!" demanded the goddess. Shino obeyed, curiosity never leaving her features. The woman closed her eyes, touching both her palms to the hand on which Shino stood, but only silence reigned once more. She looked to Shino, brows furrowed. "I can take no power from you despite your clear bloodline."

"What is she talking about, Shino?" asked Sango.

Shino shrugged. "I don't know."

"I must have been mistaken." Shaking her head in disappointment, the goddess pointed past the mists that settled over the lake, where torrents of wind and water roared in towering bursts. "No matter. Take me to him!"

There was nothing for it. Even after the battle, no matter her increasing curiosity and keenness to divine the reason, the water goddess Suijin would know not why she could sense blood akin to hers within Shino but find no power that might restore her own.

For now, they obeyed her, and soon discovered that the goddess required her holy trident to return to full power. Shino tried to join the fight with the water god impostor—whose true form was a giant water snake—but her reduced skillset was useless to a battle on water.

The only way she could distract the snake was to jump on him, and he was too far from the dock to reach. She had attempted to swim over and climb him, but his slimy scales had sensed her immediately. His tail curled around her waist and hurled her into the ruined shrine.

When next she woke, Inuyasha and Sango were working in perfect tandem. And by the time Shino lifted her own battered body to the dock, the water goddess had retaken her holy staff and the skies were clear again.


It was no better when Miroku ran off by himself. He'd nicked his wind tunnel in a fight with some mantis demon and returned to the monk who raised him—Mushin—and the only one who could repair his Wind Tunnel…but Mushin had been possessed by a demon worm charmer. Just as Shino managed to climb the roof and leap after the charmer when he tried to escape—Hiraikotsu! And a commendation from Inuyasha for such a feat. Just great.

That night, Inuyasha stepped out of Mushin's temple and caught Shino sitting quietly on the steps, staring out at the moon like it was the most interesting thing in the world. He'd noticed her doing that lately and wondered if it was something she'd always done. His mother was like that, once. Said she'd met his father when the moon was full…but he hadn't seen that. All he remembered was seeing that bastard Sesshomaru come out of the clouds before the moon and try to kill them twice. She was lucky she'd never met him…even if she stank like him. He still blamed that kappa, but she didn't have to know about that.

"Hey, Thing," he began, taking a seat next to her. "That old drunkard was talkin' to me about Miroku's Wind Tunnel…" he began, taking a seat next to her. "Stupid, right? Like we don't already know that Naraku's supposed to die."

"Yeah," Shino sighed.

"What's eating you?" he asked. "Thinkin' about going home to those thugs who went to Kagome's house again? What do you do at home, anyway? Kagome doesn't have those people waiting after her like that. Hey, Thing—"

"What do you want, Inuyasha?" Shino snapped. "Your Tessaiga just showed you how powerful it could become. Why don't you practice with it instead of meandering?"

The half-demon blinked. There was only one time she'd called him by his name, and it wasn't in this context at all. "Someone's cranky," he sniped back. "Go to sleep, Shino. Maybe that'll get you your jumping back. Or not."

Shino watched him go with a glare. What was his problem? So she couldn't sleep. Why couldn't he go and bother Sango instead? Since they fought so well together…Ugh.

Shino did feel terrible when she heard the true story behind the deaths of the rest of the slayers, and found it funny how Sango had hurled rocks at Inuyasha and Miroku when they peeked at them bathing in the lake. But did she and Kagome have to have so much in common? It wasn't Shino's fault that she had no younger brother to speak of the way they did. Her companions barely even talked to her anymore because of how concerned they were for Sango.

And the slayer was certainly bossy if she ever knew the type. Eri and Yuka were doormats compared to her. Of course, her dishing out orders had saved their lives, and Shino understood that they could never kill Sango's younger brother, brainwashed though he was, but running off the way she had was just selfish. She should have at least taken Inuyasha, or allowed them to find a way to take down Naraku's barrier! What if she'd died!?

They cleaned up what they could of the slaughtered village after Kohaku's attack, and Inuyasha declared to Sango that he would kill Kohaku given the chance—gosh, was he the most insensitive prick or what? It took all of Kagome's energy not to tell him to sit.

And now Sango had run off… Kagome sighed up at the setting sun and turned to Shino, standing next to her with a shovel. "Poor Sango. Why did Inuyasha have to say those things?"

Shino stared at her blankly. "Kagome. It's like you don't know Inuyasha the best out of our little company. You aren't new to him like Sango, so you should already know... Nothing you do is going to change his attitude."

Kagome watched in confusion as her best friend stalked off. She was right, but was she mad about something?

Then Kohaku had returned with an army of demons and of course Sango stole Tessaiga to ransom her brother from Naraku! And Inuyasha had apparently lost so much faith in her that he relegated her to sentry duty for Shippo, Kagome, and Sango, who'd sacrificed herself in her inability to kill Kohaku.

Why? Why was she so admirably selfless?! She seethed at how illogical Sango was, and how even Kagome had stood against the miasma to stop Naraku—while Shino had simply pulled Sango down so the slayer wouldn't fly off in the tornado the demon had conjured in his retreat.

And of course they had forgiven her, even begged her to stay when her stupid plan failed. Shino didn't voice protest when they did—she would have likely tried the same thing Tomoyo or Tomohito were in such a predicament—but she was just too valuable to their party not to forgive, wasn't she?

Sango fought to open her eyes. She was so tired…

The space next to her head was empty. "Kirara?" she called out. No reply. As soon as she shot up in panic, she realized how terrible it was an idea. Her head felt like the Hiraikotsu was trying to burst right through it…

"What are you doing?" Shino appeared to grab her by the shoulders and forcefully lower her to the futon. "The others left to find a cure for Kirara. Kirara's outside with Shippo and Miroku, trying to get some fresh air. So go to sleep, Sango."

Though her mind told her to protest, her body understood the wisdom in the girl's words. She hadn't been able to say it since their first meeting, so Sango raised her hand from the blanket and reached for her caretaker's. "Thank you, Shino."

Shino flinched at her touch, but feigned ignorance of her own reaction. "For what?"

"For staying. I know you are a fighter by nature, so sitting still must not suit you," Sango smiled. "We're quite alike that way."

"You're welcome," she muttered quietly, as though it pained her to speak the words. "But Kagome asked me to stay because Kikyo's younger sister, Kaede, taught us both to distinguish healing herbs. You don't…really have to thank me."

Sango couldn't help her giggle. Shino was patient enough to explain the situation, yet…

The girl quirked a brow at her, but remained impassive. "Is something funny?"

"Forgive me," said Sango, turning on her side. "But—"

The arrival of Miroku and Shippo cut her off. "Oh!" the monk gave a charming smile, and Sango hoped the heat she felt on her cheeks did not show outwardly. "It's wonderful to see you awake, Sango!"

"Hi, Sango! Feeling better?" asked Shippo, leaping atop Shino's lap while Kirara snuggled up to her. The demon winced still at the poison she suffered from sinking her fangs into Naraku, but she seemed a mite livelier after that walk.

Shino set Shippo on the floor and got to her feet. "Now that you're both here, I'll go and hunt for rabbit."

"I'll come with you!" said Shippo.

"It's fine, Shippo," dismissed Shino, giving him a tight-lipped smile when she reached the doorway. "I may have lost most of my strength, but my combat skill hasn't diminished. You can stay and rest here."

The fox tyke looked crushed as she disappeared. "But we always hunt together…"

Miroku frowned. "Hmm. She's been quiet of late."

Sango remained still, pondering their private conversation. Had she done something to upset Shino?


The mountain might as well have been a volcano, rumbling as it did as they climbed the road spiraling upward through its incline—only instead of soot, the atmosphere was suffused with poison. Halfway through their trek to the mountaintop, Inuyasha stopped the group. A small cavern with a wooden entrance stood some ways from them. Had the half-demon not caught the scent of demons from the crevice, they might have passed it by amid the fog.

"It's just a demon hunt. There's no sense dragging everyone along," said Inuyasha, cracking his knuckles. "Miroku, you're coming with me. Shino and Shippo, hold down the fort over here, got it?"

"What? No," Shino finally protested. She'd been following orders for days—which were usually stay behind or take care of Sango—pretending there was nothing wrong, and when they were finally approached by villagers to take care of trouble brewing in a distant mountain covered in dark clouds, he expected her to do the same? "I should join you."

"No, you shouldn't," insisted the half-demon. "There's two of us and two of you here. Make sense to you?"

"Only if I've forgotten how to count," she retorted. "There's three of us. Kirara can stay with Kagome and Sango."

"Why are you so stubborn?" Inuyasha grumbled to himself. The past fews days had seen Shino get increasingly difficult to deal with. Even if she was right about him practicing with Tessaiga, her mood had devolved into—well, into Kagome's! Mercurial was what Miroku called it. She used to calm Kagome down during their spats; now she was the irritable one. It was starting to piss him off. "You wanna know why you're not going, Thing? Because you'll just be a burden, all right? So stay put!"

Shino's eyes widened, hurt eclipsing her angry features until she glanced away. When she turned to them again, she had put on her veil—the detached expression of a trained princess; not that any of them could tell. "All right," she shrugged. "I'll stay."

Nodding at them and covering his mouth, Miroku set off with the half-demon and ventured into the darkness. The rest were silent outside, finding their place among scattered rocks before the entrance. Sango had begun to curl into herself for the pain even as she wore her mask, while Shino controlled her breathing and exhaled as slowly as possible. Kagome, Shippo, and Kirara were unaffected.

Shippo found his way to Shino's shoulder. "Don't mind Inuyasha," he patted her. "I feel better that you're with us. Even if you don't jump high anymore, you're great with a sword!"

Sango glanced weakly at Shino. "If I might ask…how did you learn to wield a sword from your time?"

Having smiled at Shippo's compliment, Shino simply cast her eyes at their feet, breathing slowly. "My parents wanted their children…to know how to protect…themselves. We received lessons."

"Oh yeah," nodded Kagome. "You joined the judo team, right? They asked for you, you know."

Shippo and Kirara's tails rose in alarm, interrupting their conversation—for the better. Speaking would only do them harm. "What's going on in there…?" wondered the fox, eyes darting to the human women behind him as he stumbled toward the entrance. "It's like I'm being pulled in! Something bad must be happening in there!"

"They're taking too long. Let's go," decided Sango, heaving herself from their boulder and shaking feeling into her toes. As soon as she managed to stand, her arms waved for balance and she nearly fell forward. The others rose to stop her, but only Shino managed to hold her in place, trying not to cough as she inhaled angrily.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Kagome pleaded. "The miasma's only making your condition worse!"

While Sango refused, persistently keeping a hand over her mask, Shino's throat couldn't bear the venom. Helplessly, she hacked into her sleeve, and might have laughed about sounding like a dying woman if a dead one hadn't appeared from the dark fog. Once she had determined Inuyasha's presence within the mountain, Kikyo spared them only a disdainful look and sauntered by, bow in hand. Kagome crouched before her bulky yellow backpack at once, rummaging, and looked up to Shino—

Her best friend already knew. "I'll stay here with Sango." A sharp pain jolted her stomach as she breathed in. She crumpled forward and fell on bruised elbows and knees, but waved away Kagome's worried gasp. "I'm fine! Go."

The slayer stood, a hand gripping Shino's arm to support them both. "Kagome, wait…take Kirara with you."

"Thanks," the girl gave a hopeful smile before disappearing into the mountain face as well.

"How are you guys feeling?" Shippo asked worriedly. Shino shook her head, swallowing and returning to her attempt at slow breathing exercises. Sango offered her mask, holding it over Shino's mouth. The girl breathed once before shrugging her off and forcing it back on the slayer with a furious expression.

Shippo squeezed both their hands. "Hang on, you two," he pleaded. "Kagome and Kirara will come back with the others soon!"

Soon stretched into much longer than any of them could take, and it seemed the mountain agreed. Without the slightest groan to warn them of looming danger, it erupted—if it could be called that. The three had sat quietly, Sango and Shino doing their best to sit upright despite the pain of the miasma, when the venom literally vanished into thin air. At once Shino inhaled, and like a terrible cue, an explosion rocked the top of the mountain and sent an avalanche thundering down the slope toward them.

They screamed inaudibly under the coming debris. Shino managed to drag the two toward an outlying rock a few feet ahead. Sango and Shippo stooped beneath it with her, avoiding most of the toppling boulders until their slab of earth whined, slightly, and fell forward.

Shippo wailed, and Sango reached for the rock, only to wince at the wound below her shoulder blade, exacerbated by the miasma earlier—

"I have it…!" Shino whispered, palms flat against the slab. The top of her head assisted her with weight distribution as small bits of rock and soil dug into her knees. She would tell them to leave, but the avalanche hadn't ceased. "It should stop soon! Hold on!"

"Shino!" cried Shippo, attempting to warp into a thick board that would hold the rock for them. He succeeded, for a moment, but succumbed to the weight as well.

Just a little longer, Sango pleaded next to her, trying her best to carry the load but only proving herself a burden. Was it truly so difficult for the amazing slayer to understand that she needed to live in order to avenge Kohaku instead of wasting her energy here? Shino would reprimand her if she had energy to spare.

In truth, she could feel her strength slipping away. The boulder pushed forward, burning her arms and knees—she could no longer feel her feet in her shoes. The debris slowed their descent. And then…


Sunlight. The crisp scent of a rushing river to her left, and the familiar noise of arguing friends—Miroku and Inuyasha in particular. It was good to see that they'd grown closer since the half-demon saved the monk's life, but they were being oddly loud. And there was a bad crick in her neck…

"He's an enemy to all of us, remember?" came Sango's soothing voice closer to her.

Even without opening her eyes, Shino could already tell it was going to be a taxing day. Sitting by her right hand, Shippo noticed her change in breathing—a sigh—and her voluntary swallow.

"You're awake!"

Shino acknowledged him with a smile, and kept it there as Sango greeted her and helped her sit up. They gave her the rundown of events the previous night: Naraku had controlled the mountain, searching for a demon with which to replace his body after Kagome's unfortunate attack on him, and in destroying it had managed to kidnap Kikyo. Her two companions had managed to shove her out of the way of the falling boulder right as her consciousness gave out and the landslide stopped.

"…And now," finished Shippo, "Inuyasha says he's going to save Kikyo all on his own."

To all their surprises, the half-demon simply stared into the river without so much as a grunt for the fox. Shino had grown to appreciate most things about Inuyasha, but she hated that he would get so contemplative about his dead ex-girlfriend. Even if it was part of her true soul that inhabited the clay-made body, she had changed for the worse. Watching Inuyasha then, she could actually think to call him a lovesick puppy.

Glancing away in irritation, her eyes fell to Kagome. "How are you feeling?" asked her friend. "We thought you wouldn't wake up for a few more days."

"How long was I out?"

"All night," answered Miroku. "I guess you really can draw strength from the jewel…"

That was when Shino noticed the weight on her collarbone—their jewel shards, enough to form a third of a circle, and suddenly it was no wonder she could feel none of the pain she'd expected—and Sango's worried expression.

"Thanks, Kagome. But I feel better now." Shino wrenched the necklace off, grunting as she hefted herself from the ground. She fought the urge to fall face first into the grass. She hadn't felt this much pain since—no, she had never felt such torment! Despite the shards' clotting of most of her wounds, every muscle, every fiber of her being screamed in agony. It was all she could do to swallow her tears; not that they would ease the pain of overexertion. What was happening to her?

"Shino!" Sango caught her as she dropped to one knee. "You're not fine at all! You must rest…"

"She's right," Kagome murmured, pressing the back of her hand to Shino's neck with a frown. "I think you're coming down with something, Shino. You and Sango can stay here while we go after Kikyo!" She glared over her shoulder at their still-brooding half-demon. "Come on! You don't have to go sneaking around trying to fix everything behind our backs!"

"I don't sneak around, okay?" Inuyasha finally snapped. "I've never snuck in my life! Besides, Thing's obviously half-dead. She needs your help more than I do!"

The others glanced at Miroku for his piece, but his back was turned to them, his stance wary. His gaze stretched over the thick forest into which the river flowed. "Look over there!" he called, pointing to Kikyo's serpentine soul collectors zipping through the air past one another.

"She's even closer than we thought," gasped Kagome.

"Let's go," said Inuyasha. "Sango, Thing—"

"No way," refused Shino, withdrawing herself from the slayer and standing her ground. Her toes curled from the strain within her rubber shoes, but nobody could see that. "Burden or not, we're all going! This is exactly what happened in the mountain, Half-demon!"

Inuyasha pressed his lips together in annoyance before waving a hand. "Fine! Die if you want to, but let's get moving!"

Kagome, Sango, Shino, and Shippo sat atop Kirara since Kagome had refused to stay on Inuyasha's back. It was no mystery why—helping a boy she liked find his once-love and her pre-reincarnation was no date—but Shino bit her tongue. It was too painful to talk at the moment, even if she had no doubt that it relieved Kagome to see Shippo and Sango too busy fussing over her to ask what ailed her instead.

It wasn't long before they caught up with the soul collectors—only for Sango's Hiraikotsu to reveal them as Naraku's poisonous insects, instead. The gigantic boomerang spun, unveiling the illusions of each collector in one sweep, and the light fell from the sky.

"Watch out!" cried Shino, and Kirara managed a safe landing. Hopping off the demon into the grass, her arms curled up into the soil as she moaned miserably. Maybe she'd been wrong to contest Inuyasha's judgment of her condition…

"Hey, Thing, get up!"

The aforementioned half-demon yanked her by the collar and forced her to her feet. The darkness had faded and they were all fine now, the sky as bright as when she'd awoken, but she had no time to process it as Inuyasha continued. "Don't tell me you're feeling weak again! What good are you if you can't fight, huh?"

"Ow!" Shino growled and tried to shove him away, but she was so weak that he only smirked, still rooted to his spot. "I'm sorry I'm not up to full power after staving off an entire boulder on my human strength, all right?!"

"Leave her alone, Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. When the half-demon backed away, crossing his arms and huffing, the girl smoothed down her school skirt. Her gaze settled on Shino, finally, but where her friend had expected warmth there was only irritation—as though she were a nuisance. "It's fine. We can keep looking for the jewel shards without Shino. Now that we have Sango, it won't feel like we've lost a fighter at all!"

"I know exactly what you mean!" grinned Shippo, appearing on Kagome's shoulder. "She's so strong, and kind, and girly!"

"I agree." Miroku laughed beside them, a dreamy expression on his odd face. He looked the same, but something was different about him. About all of them. Was it her tears? Shino touched her eyes and found it was not. It was almost like her companions weren't… "Sango is strong yet feminine. That long, straight hair. That sweet smile, and that sensitive gaze!"

"They're right," said Sango, sighing beside the monk. "I'm sorry, Shino, but…"

Shino's heart fell into her stomach as she struggled for words. "But I…also…"

"Oh, you are!" Shippo's smile was a picture of mockery. "Sango's just more of it. And you're kind of powerless now, so…"

"Ya might as well go home," Inuyasha finished what was on all their minds, but his back was already turned. "See ya, Shino."

"No!" cried Shino, stumbling backward, tears stinging her eyes. "Please! I beg you… I can still fight!" Her heel tripped over a pebble and sent her flying backward—down the Bone Eater's Well, and into the Grand Steward's office.

"Late again, Highness?!" he roared, rising from his seat so quickly that it crashed on its side. The rest of his office appeared to be falling to pieces—the shelf behind him, the artifacts neatly arranged by the window, all knocking themselves over and screeching into the dark. Her ears couldn't take it. "Get out there! Have we not conducted this tradition over a thousand times?"

Shino wished to speak, but her lips refused to part, and only strangled noises escaped her throat. Instead, she nodded, turning tail and fleeing his crumbling office. As soon as she stepped out, she ran headlong into an old man. "P-Please forgive me," was all her mouth would open to say as she bowed her lowest.

The old man steadied her, a familiar smile on his lips. Wrinkles and liver spots marred his once handsome face. "Shino," he called her weakly. "You've arrived! It's almost time for the New Year greeting…"

Shino peered closely at him. Hunched, it was clear he had not been well-taken care of; he'd been a slave in his own home. And so, she realized suddenly, had she. "T-Tomohito…?" She glanced down at her hands—pruny and pale, as though she had never left her room all these seventy years.

Yes, of course…that was exactly what had happened…the last time she returned home, she'd attempted to tell them the truth, only for them to lock her in her room…the IHA managed to pass it off as an illness she would never escape and allowed her outside only for family gatherings every so often…

She glanced outside the window, her vision succumbing to old age and bitter tears. They posed on the Imperial Palace veranda with his family and Tomoyo's, looking out to well-wishers bathed in sunlight, to their countrymen waving tiny Japanese flags while she wept behind cold glass. None of them understood her plight, and she could understand none of theirs—faces in the crowd were hazy, blurring into a solid white and red. It billowed in the wind.

His clothes billowed in the wind, hair maintaining their silver sheen as he walked away.

"Wait!" she screamed, extending a hand toward him, but wooden vines constricted round her wrist and squeezed. He couldn't hear her, and she was dying…

Wait.

Why would the demon lord appear in her time?

A slow throbbing pulsed in Shino's right temple. The small buzzing at the back of her mind so steady she had overlooked it finally disappeared, and all was clear. The world had fallen to nothing, and nothing was so silent that she might hear the slightest breath—or the softest call.

"…no…up…Wake up, Shino! Wake up!"

Her eyes shot open. A murky wood filled with dark mist, and something snaking round her limbs: Naraku's vines. Her recovering wounds were numb for the moment—the demon's power must have done that. Taking advantage of her ignorant body, she tugged and resisted with all her strength, sinking her teeth into the vines, thinking vegetables, they're just like vegetables! and tearing her jaw from the plant with such force that if she weren't so fatigued, her neck might have broken.

The plants fell away. Shino fell unmoving into someone's arms. Over their shoulder, she spotted Shippo— the fox had burst into tears and continued to cry. "Shino! I thought you'd all left me!"

"I thought you'd done the same," she gasped, noting the wounds on his person. He'd tried to rid her of her shackles…

"We have to look for the others," murmured her savior, supporting her in her attempt to stand. Sango. Injured herself, the slayer hoisted her by the shoulders—only to trip and barely keep her balance.

The dream—vision—whatever it had been—still vivid in her mind, Shino loosed herself from the girl and stepped away. She fell ungracefully on her posterior. "Go, find them! I'm useless to you like this. I can barely feel my own legs…"

"I'm not going to leave you here!" grunted the girl, hauling her to her feet. Shippo had surrendered to his weariness once more; Sango picked him up with her free arm. She panted heavily, but kept Shino's arm around her shoulder with a tight grip. "We're…we're getting out of here together, do you understand? Just as we did…on the mountaintop!"

Her fearsome determination emerged past her pallid features and filled Shino with an overwhelming sense of camaraderie. She felt foolish, too—but that apology would have to wait until their survival was a certainty. "Right. Forward…then."

The girls and their fox plodded forward through the dark.


For the second time that week, Shino awoke to a sharp pain her neck –

"You're awake!"

– and someone with the intention of crushing her bones. Whoever it was released her with a gasp as soon as she wheezed for help.

"Oh, hi, Sango," she mumbled. Her body continued to howl at her—or bay, so to speak—but seemed to have recovered some. Now she only felt tired. Her eyelids begged to stay closed, but she forced them open to take in their surroundings—Kaede's house. Thank goodness they made it back. "I guess we survived."

"We did," grinned the slayer. "Shino, I hoped to ask you—"

"Sango, I just wanted to—"

The girls paused, smiling, and nodded. "Yes? …No, I insist!"

"I'm in a devastating amount of pain," Shino interrupted. "My request should come first."

"Fine, then," Sango chuckled at her silly logic. In one breath, her mirth had become an uncertain sigh. "We're traveling companions…and before we go on, I'd hoped to ask if I'd done anything to offend you."

Ouch. If the guilt had crept slowly when she escaped Naraku's vines, now it felt like a slap in the face. Still for the loss of every creature Sango ever loved, yes—but also for what she finally recognized, moments before she'd passed out: jealousy stirring in her heart. She hadn't thought of the team's well-being the past week—she'd been green sick with envy.

At most, Sango was a year her senior, yet she was graceful and skilled despite her certain humanity. And that was unsettling. Tomoyo was intelligent and beautiful, but Shino had always possessed greater stamina and talent during their defense classes (save guns, of course). Kagome was brave and pretty, but often depended on them for her safety, given that her skill in battle was long-range. But Sango was her equal in every respect…perhaps even her better, given all the training dedicated to her profession.

Shino confessed it to the girl for whom she had borne such contempt. "…I understand if you can't forgive me, Sango," she repeated. "Not only was I envious of your strength and beauty…I was also afraid that you'd…that you'd take Inuyasha from me. And the others, too—"

"You…what?" the slayer blinked. She had smiled in the beginning, but this… "I—I had thought Kagome and Inuyasha might… Why, I had no idea…"

"Oh! No!" Shino protested with such vehemence that a migraine jolted her head again. Groaning, she paused for a moment, then sighed. "Not in that sense. Never. I meant as a friend, a – a fellow fighter. Though you've probably noticed that Shippo and I pair off while Inuyasha and Kagome do the same in camp nowadays, it's different during battle. I'd only started to master my strength and perfect my landings, and I felt like...like Inuyasha was beginning to respect me as a warrior and friend.

"Then Miroku arrived, and you not long after. You were – are – a great fighter. Considering you're only human and you'd just lost everything. You're the strongest female fighter I know. And that made me so jealous. Stupid, too. I know that now."

Shino had kept her eyes to the roof of Kaede's hut for so long that she might have memorized the detail of each plank above them, so difficult it was to look at Sango—until the slayer began to giggle, at least. That was a little rude, even if she probably deserved it.

"Um, what's so funny?"

As it turned out, it happened to be relieved mirth. "Oh, Shino," she smiled, clasping their hands together. "And here I thought you might truly dislike me! But I see now that I have nothing to fear…and neither do you. After all, I think you might be the strongest woman in our little traveling group as well, considering you'd only taken defensive training."

"…Really?"

Sango nodded. "Kagome certainly trumps us both with regard to spiritual power…but I did say you and I were alike. Your strength astounded me—and I don't simply mean your inhuman strength. When you kept that boulder from crushing us even if it might cost you your life…"

"But you did the same for Kohaku," Shino pointed out.

"That is exactly what I mean," she replied. "And to receive such a wonderful compliment! I don't believe that I deserve your envy…you're quite a vision yourself, Shino. Why, you're the only girl I've met who wore such short hair and still managed to look so…so lovely!"

"What?" Shino watched her now with suspicion, brushing her hair without realizing it. "You mean that? Because I think the same about you with your hair tied…"

"And Kagome, with her thick and wavy hair, don't you think?"

"Yes!"

Shino and Sango grinned at one another, in part for satisfied female egos, but mostly for the sensation of a burden lifted from them both. The former sighed. "But really, Sango—"

"You have nothing to worry about," interrupted the slayer, having accepted the thrice-uttered apology. "I already told you. But… you might make it up to me somehow."

"How's that?"

"Two things. First, spar with me. I've no doubt that you possess skill despite the loss of your demonic strength."

"I'd be honored. Of course. What's the second?"

"Accept this." Sango picked up a sheathe next to her and presented her new friend with a blade that looked like any other, "but unlike others, this wakizashi is forged from the bones of demons… I brought it from my village. I'd hoped to give it to you, to thank you for caring for me. But I hadn't the chance till now."

Shino knew why—she'd purposely avoided Sango, leaving her company whenever she could. Now she wanted nothing but to discuss combat with her! And other things. How could she ever have disliked such a girl?

"Oh, and there is one more thing."

"Your conditions seem to work in my favor," Shino quipped. "Ask away."

"It's just a question," murmured Sango. When had her face gone red? Her new friend wondered if it had ever, in fact. "Do you care for Miroku? In that manner?"

Now Sango wouldn't meet her gaze, and it was Shino's turn to try not to laugh. Did the slayer just ask what she thought she'd asked? In which case… "No," she enunciated, making an X with her arms even as she lay prone. "Not at all. Not that he isn't handsome, but—I don't quite care for him that way. We're just friends."

"I see."

Though thoroughly amused, Shino felt her headache intensify. Now she was awake, and she released a controlled sigh in an attempt to ignore it. "Sango, I know it's less than ideal, but…I'm not feeling all that great. Do you think you could ask Kagome for her jewel shard? At least for an hour or so?"

Instead of the understandable suspicion or doubt she'd come to expect, Sango responded with an awkward gnawing of her bottom lip. "I would ask Kagome for it…but…she's lost them."

"…What?! How?" Shino yelled, sitting up.

"Perhaps it would be best if she explained," sighed Sango, gently easing her back under the blanket. "I'll go get her. Try to get some rest."

Shooting her a pointed look which despite the threat somehow managed to look sweet—that was Sango, she supposed—the slayer departed the hut. Not a second had passed when Shino felt the familiar landing of a certain half-demon outside. Inuyasha entered, glaring around the hut before his apparent irritation settled on her. "Kikyo took the shards."

For the second time that week, Shino shot up in her futon. Her body shook in protest. "What?! …Ow."

"Lie down, you idiot," grumbled the half-demon, shoving her back to bed.

"Battle scars!" she scowled at him from her pillow. "Care to explain that new development?"

"Maybe after you explain something first," he snapped. "What happened to if any of us has a problem, we're all affected in battle, huh?"

The girl coolly lifted a brow. She would have complimented him on improving his mimicry of her, but she was too confused. "I maintain that, but I don't think it has anything to do with why I've lost my power. Why are you bringing it up?"

Inuyasha considered himself an excellent fighter, but nobody exactly trained you not to beat around the bush when it came to stuff like…this. What the hell was he supposed to say? "Oh, is that why you were cranky all week and not telling us why?"

Shino was surprised to hear that. She'd thought only Sango would have noticed her irritation, given that only her envy of the slayer had been the true cause of it. "Um…"

"Don't um me! Come out with it already! You think I'd ditch you, didn't you? After all we've been through, just 'cause you were getting weaker? Or 'cause of Sango?"

"Oh, that…" Comprehension colored her features a bright red. "Wait a minute. You were eavesdropping!"

"No!" he crossed his arms and scoffed. "I was lying down on the roof! It's not my fault you women talk so loud."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," she murmured, ignoring his excuses. "But then…why are you surprised? I mean, everyone gets a little jealous of new friends sometimes. I just went a bit over the top, I admit…"

Shino almost laughed at the realization that this had happened before. With Kagome. They'd only really had each other for so long that come 6th grade, when Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi came into the picture, they'd both had a big fight—well, a silent one, at least. She'd been so jealous of Kagome and her enthusiasm about schoolwork with Ayumi that she didn't notice how green-eyed her friend had gotten about the mischief Eri and Yuka dragged her into. They had ignored each other for two weeks until neither of them could take the separation any longer—and the rest was history.

She thought to tell Inuyasha, only to catch him with a distant expression. It hit her then, again—his being a half-demon. How even Shippo had mocked him for it, and Kaede's vague mention of his solitude prior to Kikyo…

"You've…never had someone jealous of being your friend before."

Finally, he raised his eyes to her, not without contempt. "What was your first clue?"

They had traveled together long enough, she thought, to know the hurt in the way his thumbs pressed against his knuckles. Kagome had pointed it out the night of the second Kikyo incident, and Shino remembered it in the few instances he'd been upset—her questions about his brother, for example, but mainly for their encounters with the dead priestess. She also knew enough not to treat him with pity.

"You looking like a sap," she retorted, turning on her side to sneer at him properly. "Wipe that look off your face, will you? It's not every day you get a Thing who actually wants to be your friend."

Inuyasha peered at her, clearly attempting to decipher her sudden animosity, then understood. "Yeah. Lucky me."

She couldn't help but share his small smile. Despite her body aching and the desire to get up and travel northwest, two friends in a day wasn't a bad record. "Say, now that I'm secure in our everlasting friendship…may I touch your ears?"

The half-demon bared his teeth in a wide half-smile, half-smirk. "No."

"But I asked politely!"

"It's not happening, Thing."

"Fine," she huffed, closing her eyes. "I wouldn't want your fleas on me, anyway."

"Hey!" he shouted. "The only one with fleas here is—"

"Sit, boy!" Kagome uttered, right as she arrived. Shippo, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara crowded Kaede's home when they shuffled inside with haste at the sudden commotion.

"My, my," remarked their old priestess, following in after the rest.

"Don't give me that!" Pulled neck-first to the floorboards, Inuyasha had his legs entangled with one of his arms this time. "What did I even do?!"

"Disturbing Shino as she tried to rest, no doubt," sighed Miroku.

On the monk's shoulder, Shippo clicked his tongue in feigned disappointment. "Yelling at a sick person is mean, Inuyasha. Even for you."

"Actually," chuckled Shino, truly feeling pity for the half-demon now, "we really were just talking."

"Oh." Kagome tittered in embarrassment. "Sorry, Inuyasha…" The poor man simply groaned. Sango, still relatively new to the occurrence, pretended not to notice. When no one else piped in with a comment, Kagome smiled. "Are you feeling better, Shino?"

The girl nodded, refusing their help when she rose to sit. "Well, I'm leaning toward dying a little less and more toward sleeping."

Shippo was the first to express his relief, rushing to her in another embrace. Kagome took Sango and Kirara with her to join them quickly, and Miroku failed to reach them only after Inuyasha's interference, to everyone's relief and laughter. Her apologies for her rude manner the past week were unnecessary, they insisted, though she knew otherwise—all that mattered was her recovery, so fearful were they of her death from exhaustion.

Shino had never much liked being wrong. But recalling that vivid nightmare and witnessing the reality of her friends here, now, she might accept it. As for the Grand Steward—she would save that dilemma for another time.


Her body still ached a day later, but thanks to Kaede and her herbs, it was nothing a good massage couldn't remedy—not that the service was available in the village. The others had gone the morning she awoke in search of more jewel fragments, promising to return as soon as they found one. Still, she and Kagome had talked it over and decided it best for her to return home. Given the state of her body, the scent of antiseptic in a hospital room crowded with bodyguards was starting to sound like a dream.

Well, that was untrue, but while she could never repay Kaede's efforts, Shino had already reached the height of embarrassment in this village! She'd eaten up Kaede's week's share of food, and the villagers were devastatingly generous about offering theirs. It was tempting, but she couldn't let them starve on her behalf—even if her stomach and throat felt empty and dry after even the heaviest meals.

Not to mention that gut feeling begging her to leave the village in search of—something. It was as though she'd grown an internal compass. Had she accidentally swallowed one in her gluttony?

That morning, Shino made the excuse of practicing taking a walk with supplies and a bag Kagome had left her – it didn't seem that Kaede believed her, but she allowed her to roam nonetheless – and found her way to the Well.

She leaned against its side, trying to catch her breath as though she'd been running. Had climbing the hill's incline toward the Well really been so tiresome? Maybe she did need more rest…but she was supposed to be better already.

"Shino? Is that you?" Hachiemon stood at the edge of the Well's clearing beneath the shadow of a tree.

She hadn't seen the tanuki demon since their encounter with Mushin. He was a loyal servant to Miroku—somewhat cowardly, but he had stuck by their monk in his time of need, quite unlike Myoga—so she smiled.

"Good morning, Hachiemon. What brings you here?"

"I was looking for Master Miroku," he answered, coming forward with his head lowered respectfully, pointy ears twitching as his hands rested on his rotund stomach. Shino found him quite adorable, but he was technically a grown man, so she had no business asking to touch his tail. "Are you all right? You don't look well…"

Shino explained the circumstances to him with an idea in mind, recalling that he had the ability to shapeshift into a flying gourd. Yes, that would be useful... "Really, I'm fine. But I could use your help."

"Hmm? How is that?"

"By flying me where I need to go."

"To Master Miroku, you mean?"

"Uh, no. But he would be…very pleased with you." Shino nodded sagely. "That'd be good, right?"

"I suppose…" Hachiemon pursed his lips, giving her a skeptical look as she attempted to bat her eyelashes, and sighed. "Well, okay. Where do you need to go, Shino?"

Pleased, the girl heaved herself up and shrugged on her backpack. "West."


Hachi delighted in two large-sized packs of Kagome's potato chips as payment despite Shino's warning of the health risks involved in depending on such things for sustenance. Then again, she thought, waving at him as he disappeared past the tree-laden horizon, she was one to talk. Only her willpower and the thought that she would run out of supplies had stopped her from devouring the last of the rolls Mrs. Higurashi sent them.

They had traveled an entire day, shifting directions slightly as her hunch dictated whenever she awoke on the tanuki's back. She couldn't be certain if it was the hundred naps she'd taken or simply the proximity of her quarry, but hours past nightfall, Shino felt her consciousness snap awake.

It was almost like the first time she'd discovered coffee as a child, sneaking into Tomoyo's room one evening while her sister was in the bathroom when she should have been studying for some university exam final. Her body was sluggish, entreating her for much needed stillness, but her mind moved like a ricocheting bullet.

Bad decision, she remembered. But she couldn't stop now.

Shino moved forward, slogging through what felt like miles of forest. Her limbs weighed her down like lead and no meal would lift them for her, but at least she knew where to go. After an eternity of walking, she finally took mercy on herself and slowed to a crawl. Thorns and pebbles in the ground nested in her arms as she motivated herself. Just a little longer, she remembered Sango's determination, and she would finally know the siren call of her soul.

Dark was fading fast into a lighter shade of blue, beckoning to the sunrise, but not yet. Soon dawn's chill would settle upon the neverending forest as morning dew cradled her ailing body. But nothing could soothe Shino, whose sudden frailty had opened her eyes to the possibility of death. That feeling of hers rang out like nothing before, but had she made the mistake of choosing it over a hospital back home? Why couldn't she have just asked an old tree? The water goddess Suijin had advised that she seek out answers from great, old trees who knew and recalled much long lost to the world, but where would she find one with whom to converse now?

And she could barely tell tree ages, much less the validity of her own choices—she was busy catching sight of someone past the bushes in her way. Shino meant to call out to them, but her unquenchable thirst prevented her throat from making a sound.

"Please," she breathed, stumbling into the clearing and falling on her knees. "Help…"

Shino blinked, trying to clear her vision when they gave no response. It was apparent that their own wounds forced them to lie still, unconscious as the day she first met them. Suddenly she understood. No, this person could offer her no aid…

After all, it was the silver-haired demon lord.


Eeeeeek!

Also: Ugh, girls. Always have to be told they're pretty.

Just kidding! I don't think Sango would actually mind so much at this point since she'd focus on getting revenge and getting along with everyone in the group, but Shino's the one who thinks she's being replaced, so of course she's insecure. And she's just naturally that way, even if it was her choice to get her hair cut just to spite the Grand Steward. Sheesh, Shino. Make up your mind! I'm glad she finally got to get all emotional about something already, though. Faced with Inuyasha and Kagome's romance/drama with Kikyo she's always the level-headed one, but when faced with someone as 'threatening' as Shino she loses it even faster.

What did you guys think? Too cheesy with Sango and Inuyasha and the rest of the group (except Miroku who mostly wants to cop a feel)? I'm unsure about how I feel about it, too, but I needed to resolve Shino's issues with Sango before they parted, and Naraku's crazy schemes really bring people together! I thought Sango might be secure enough (and has other things on her mind) not to care too much about speaking her mind if she thinks any girl is pretty or strong (as long as she gets the job done). As for Inuyasha, I don't know. He has such a good heart, but the only way he can communicate it is through sounding angry and confrontational. Plus they're both alike enough to know that pity isn't the way for either of them, and given their last talk last time, he probably realized it wasn't him to say things in a nice way. Ugh, justifications again! Fire away...

But goodness was it difficult to write Shippo, Sango, and Shino all in one scene together. Editing had me wondering the whole time why I went with the name Shino. Well, I know why, but it didn't make it any less difficult. Damn my short-sightedness! I apologize for any typos and errors and general crappiness, again. Tell me if you spot any and I'll happily fix them!

I know I skipped a lot of episodes this update, but if I included them all, you'd only see Shino finding stupid reasons to get irritated at Sango and thinking that she's good at hiding it when everyone is actually wondering why she's been keeping to herself when possible. So! I gave you summaries, more or less. And yes, I wanted to get to Sesshomaru already! If only I could bold that name over and over.

Everyone, thanks again for reading Feet First and finding your way far enough to chapter 9! Please tell me what you thought of it.

As I said in the previous chapter, circumstances have taken all willpower from me for anything at the moment...so I'm not sure when I'll update again. I'll try updating in the next two weeks, but if I can't, I'll write something in this A/N right here to warn you and beg forgiveness. See you! Hopefully, soon.

April 24 Update:

Hi, everyone. I'm not sure if you'll read or see this, but I'm really sorry I wasn't able to come up with the update today. Still, I wanted you to know that I am halfway through the next chapter. It'll be the regular length (TNR 12, 20 pages on Word), and I'll come out with it by next week + reply to your wonderful reviews then!