Kikyo walked slowly, not bothering to look in front of her. Inuyasha stuck by her, wanting to know what was upsetting her. Could it be the fact that she couldn't get the baby or . . . maybe something else.

The sun was setting and it was getting darker. Kagome looked at the two, she felt a big pang in her heart. Inuyasha was slowly getting farther away from her. She couldn't take it anymore, she wanted to cry. She hated the fact that she wished Kikyo dead once. She felt horrible.

Kagome balled her fists, why? Why, can't she and Inuyasha be more than friends? Was Kikyo getting in the way? Kagome shook her head, she shouldn't be thinking like that. Besides Kikyo was actually sorta . . . cool and she saved her life the day at the cliff. And . . .wait, wait. Kagome's eyes widened, she's becoming friends with the woman that's taking Inuyasha away. The one who was about to take him to hell. The one who kissed him in front of her. . . the girl that's making Inuyasha fall in love all over again.

Kagome smiled a sad smile, a friend? Absurd, she becoming a friend? Kagome waved her hand in front of her face. She smiled and ran over to Kikyo, she patted her back. "Hey don't be so gloomy!"

Kikyo looked at her as if she was crazy, "What exactly do you want."

"Ehehe," Kagome scooted back some. "I want to know . . um . . where we are! Yes, where we are heading to!" She bit her lip.

"To the next village," Her eye color deepened. "To find leads on the infant and Naraku."

"Do you think that hooded cape person was actually Naraku?" Miroku asked.

"I doubt it." Kikyo said without making any eye contact.

"Something tells me that you know something, " Sango went closer to her.

"I thinking she's right, tell us what you know and we'll work better with you." Inuyasha said. Shippo stayed quiet wanting to hear her response.

"What happened there was personal." Kikyo walked faster.

Inuyasha grasped her shoulder, "Aren't we supposed to be a team? You need to start sharing more information."

Kikyo made her eyes turn into slits, "It's not my job to tell you about my personal life."

"Hey, you can't blow us off like that!" Shippo yelled, he gripped Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah, we need to understand you more," Kagome said lightly.

"You can't always be an empty shell!" Sango said, starting to get irritated.

"Miroku!"

Miroku turned his head to get a better view of the person. "Hachi! Long time no see!"

"It's great to see you! You and your friends can stay in the temple if you'd like," Hachi offered.

"That's great, thank you." Miroku proceeded.

They all shared one room in the temple.

Kikyo sneaked outside, wondering if Sprinkles were to come back. She sat on a tree branch, thinking of the person in the hooded cape. It couldn't have been her. Could it?

Kikyo looked below her, Inuyasha stood at the bottom of the tree, gazing at her. "Inuyasha," She whispered. She regained her hot headed mode. "What the hell do you want?!" She was deeply annoyed.

Inuyasha squinted his eyes, "You know there's nice view up your skirt here!"

A vein popped up on Kikyo's forehead, "Why you little . . " She jumped down the tree. "What do you want from me?"

"I got you down here now, didn't I?" Inuyasha frowned, he put both hands on her shoulders. "Oh yeah and don't worry I didn't see anything."

"What do you think you're doing?" Kikyo shoved his hands off her shoulders.

"You can tell me anything, it's not like I'll get mad or anything," His eyes softened into worry.

Kikyo looked the other way, "Go away." He held her shoulder so she wouldn't leave, "I-"

"Miroku!" Hachi ran to them, "Have you seen Miroku?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "Damn that monk."

Kagome and Sango ran out of the temple, "Where's Miroku?"

Kikyo slipped into the shadows of the night, in search of the monk.

Inuyasha and the others split up to look for Miroku. Inuyasha looked for him, checking if he was at his father's grave like he was at last time. Yep, there he was, his back against the tomb stone just like last time.

"Miroku!"

Miroku weakly tilted his head toward the sound. His hand lay beside him.

Inuyasha was about to run to him, but Miroku stopped him from doing so, "Don't come near me." Miroku's wind tunnel went out of control. Inuyasha tried running to his aid, trying to ignore the wind.

Kikyo spotted them in a hole with a tombstone. She quickly ran to them, digging into her bag. She pulled out a red scroll with Japanese characters(Yeah, ya know those letters.)

Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Hachi were about to run to them until they saw the wind tunnel. Their eyes widened, their legs paralyzed from the shock.

Kikyo ran to the hole in Miroku's hand. "Hey, Kikyo I don't think you should do that!!!" Inuyasha yelled, barely heard over the noise of the violent winds.

"Trust me!!!!" Kikyo responded. Inuyasha nodded and held Miroku in one place.

"Wait lady Kikyo, don't-!!!!!!!" Miroku began, but was cut off by Kikyo putting the scroll on the palm of his hand. Inuyasha let him go and sighed. The winds stopped immediately, making everyone less tense.

"That won't happen again soon . . .so Monk be grateful." She looked at him lazily, "Well time to go to sleep, huh?" She yawned and stretched her hands over her head.

"Lady Kikyo, thank you," Miroku bowed.

Kikyo hit him on the head, "There's no need for a thank you, the thank you's will come in three gold ryos!" Kikyo held up three fingers. She smirked, "Besides, why would I let a comrade down?" She walked down to the temple.

Miroku looked at her back surprised, he rubbed the part of his head where Kikyo hit him, "That Lady Kikyo sure is someone."

Inuyasha clobbered him on the head.

Shippo helped Kagome pick some flowers to give the villagers. He wore a big smile on his face, really happy to be by Kagome's side.

Kikyo walked over to them, tapping Kagome on the shoulder, "Hey get a move on. We need to leave."

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "Wha?"

Shippo copied her, "What if we don't want to leave?"

"Then you get left out, don't want that do you, punk?" Kikyo said with a scary face.

Shippo ran behind Kagome's legs. "Oh don't be so hard on him." she smiled.

It was long ways to the other town, Kagome dragged her feet, "Let's rest."

"I'm tired too," Sango said, she felt pain running up her legs.

Kikyo frowned, "Fine, Fine."

Kagome jumped up to Kikyo, "You really mean it?!?!" She grinned enthusiastically.

"Yeah." Kikyo said.

"Yay! Come on Shippo!" Kagome ran to a clearing, laying her big heavy backpack on it. Shippo jumped up and down, "Yuppi!"

"You humans get tired so easily," Inuyasha leaned on a tree.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha crashed down to the ground. Kikyo simply walked away, wanting to be alone. She walked to a field of wild flowers, she sat in the middle.

"Hey!" shouted a voice not far.

Kikyo didn't turn around, "Fox."

"Yeah!" He ran to her, wondering what she was doing. He looked around her, "You aren't scheming ,are you?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"One that I asked."

"If I said no, would you believe me?"

Shippo paused, ". . .No"

"That was a waste of breath." Kikyo looked up at the clouds She picked up a flower, roots and all.

"Hey, when I go flower picking with Kagome it never does that." Shippo referred to the roots.

Kikyo merely looked at him, " When you just pluck them out of the ground you kill them, but if you do this you can put it in a flower pot and it won't die."

Shippo eyed her, "Really?"

"Yes, really. Haven't you notice the flowers you pick with Kagome wither away alot faster?"

"Now that you say . . ."

Kikyo tensed up, she looked at the little fox demon with the corner of he eye. He looked scared, he scooted an inch more beside her.

Kikyo grabbed Shippo and jumped back, "Come out!"

Naraku stepped out, "You are very keen on your senses, aren't you, Kikyo?" He smirked.

"You put a barrier around us didn't you?" Kikyo held Shippo protectively. Shippo looked at the tree behind them, nervously.

Naraku suddenly appeared in front of her. He set his hands the tree, locking Kikyo and Shippo between it and himself. Kikyo could feel hot breath on her face, her mouth formed into a scowl, "Don't get near me."

He grinned, "You know what I found out recently?"

Kikyo gripped Shippo a little more. Shippo furrowed his eyebrows, "What?"

Kikyo raised her eyebrows, she didn't think the little fox demon would be the one to ask.

Naraku's grin grew a little more, "I can't defeat you no matter what. I'll make you mine and we'll both look for the shards."

Kikyo frowned, "I'd be ludicrous if became yours." (A/N: No, not the singer. Lol.)

"I knew you'd object. Don't worry, I won't immediately make you mine. I'll do it step by step," he slid his finger up her chin. "I'll make you a deal, I'll give you two shards for the fox."

Shippo's eyes widened, he knew he was dead. He waited for Kikyo's approving words.

"No!" Kikyo held Shippo closer to his chest. He looked up, thinking he might be hearing things. Shippo stared at her in shock.

"No means No!" Kikyo furrowed her eyebrows.

"I really didn't expect that from you." Naraku let his hands fall to his sides. A tentacle appeared before her and Shippo, tossing them to the ground. Kikyo smirked, "You can't hurt me badly, can you? I would say that was pathetic, but that wasn't full force." She picked herself up, "I won't give him back, no matter how hard you try. You have no use for him. He's my comrade and will stay my comrade until the end of this mission."

Shippo smiled and nodded, "See, we're comrades!" He snuggled in safely in Kikyo's arms.

Naraku gave her one last look, "You better watch yourself because you will be mine." He disappeared in the shadows of the trees.

"Well, fox demon, let's go back shall we?"

Shippo nodded, feeling warm in her arms.

"I have to go find her, it won't take long," Inuyasha stood up.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," Kagome grabbed his arm, making sure he heard her.

"There's no need to look," Kikyo came to the clearing with Shippo tucked in her arms.

"What's Shippo doing with you?!?!" Inuyasha pointed his finger at him.

Shippo stuck his tongue out at him. "Why you little . . ." Inuyasha stopped his sentence. "Naraku, was near you wasn't he?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Yes he was, he offered me to work with him."

Inuyasha growled, "And then what?"

"She told him no." Shippo said.

I know this took a while, I'm getting ready for my mid-term exams. You'll find out who the hooded person is soon . . . please read and review. Makes me update alot faster. Hee hee.