An Arrowed Heart and The Lost Priestess
Chapter 21

1 Shard down….. This is going to suck!

An: YAY! New chapter! I love that people still read it! That and when people review on it! Oh my gosh! I get so happy I use exclamation points in every sentence! That and I write even more for people to read!

I am really glad that people like it and I hope you continue to like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Naruto or Inuyasha! All of that goes to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei and Rumiko Takahashi-sensei!

PLEASE REVEIW!

ENJOY! =^-^=

"the... The ... Jewel... It has ... Shattered," Sakura panted and then passed out.
"No," Mizuru looked up at the fading lights in horror.
"What has that girl done?"

Mizuru walked into the village with Sakura on his back. The villagers were milling around like nothing had happened. Only a few of the newer people to the villager were still skittish. They had not experienced demons attacking the village every other week in search of the jewel.

Mizuru continued on to Kaede's hut.
Inside a very upset Inuyasha and embarrassed Kagome were yelling at each other.

"Look I didn't mean too!"

"I just don't know how you could be so stupid!"

Mizuru stepped down on the ground to get their attention before carefully placing Sakura on the ground. Sakura's breathing was labored and it looked as if a fever was setting in.

"What happened to her?" Kaede asked as she stepped forward with Nihon in tow.

"The jewel was shattered," Mizuru deadpanned as the group looked at him confused.

"That girl is connected to the jewel. See the crystals in her forehead? Well those were gifted to her by the priestess that created the jewel so she could protect it better. When the stupid girl shattered it Sakura suffered a backlash," Mizuru lay down and wrapped himself protectively around Sakura. Kaede sighed and brought over a few herbs and began crushing them.

"I didn't know that would happen," Kagome grumbled. Mizuru growled at Kagome but was stopped by movement from a certain pinkette.

"Mizuru please don't make the earth shake," she whispered and rubbed her heal with green glowing fingers. Mizuru noticed her breathing calm and the flush look to her face faded. Kaede watched the same thing happen slightly amazed by it. By her calculations Sakura should have been out for at least a week if nothing went wrong and killed her. This was very common for Kaede no matter how hard she tried.

"I haven't felt this bad since the time I accepted that stupid drinking contest with sensei," Sakura grumbled before standing up. Mizuru stood next to her so she would fall but he knew she wouldn't like she should. Kaede once aging stared amazed.

"I hope you know that this is going to suck now," Sakura said as she looked Kagome in the eyes.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked slightly scared of the answer.

"I had a job to do. Now my job is ten times harder but it still has to be done. You can't walk away either. Not until all of the jewel shards are found," Sakura nodded and walks up to Kagome very unsteady on her feet.

"Blast Sakura-sama just sit down!" Kaede fussed at her side.

"I'm fine Kaede. I just need to get my equilibrium back," she said with her hands out like a tightrope walker.

Mizuru grumbled and looked to Nihon. He motioned to Sakura with his nose hoping the wolf would understand. Nihon looked at him for a moment and walked up beside Sakura and slid his head under Sakura. Sakura looked down and smiled. She knelt down to pet him and looked him in the eye.

"I know Nihon I haven't really talked to you have I?" she ruffled the fur on his head.

"Nihon did miss Sakura-sama!" Nihon yipped like a pup and pushed into Sakura making her fall on her butt. Mizuru smiled and nodded in thanks to the clever wolf.

The big wolf snickered to himself and laid his head in her lap so she couldn't go anywhere. Sakura tried to push him off but she still didn't have the strength to do so. That and Nihon stuck himself to the floor with chakra.

"Ok! OK! I'm sitting happy now?" Sakura muttered and crossed her arms. Mizuru nodded and shrank into his smaller size and curled up next to her.

"Can I at least move out of the middle of the floor? Like by a wall or something." Mizuru opened an eye before growing into his bigger form and curling around her again.

"Problem solved mistress," Mizuru said snickering to himself. Sakura sighed and leaned back against him knowing she wasn't moving any time soon.

"Since I have been stopped from doing the most simple of tasks, Kagome bring the shard over here please," Sakura motioned for Kagome to come to her pile of furs. Kagome giggled to herself as the pink hair woman sat among the furry creatures like a queen. The best part was that with all of her own hair she looked like she fit in with the wild animals. Kagome was brought out of her amused thought by a furry tail brushing her leg and pulling her forward. She stumbled a little bit but gave Sakura a small glass bottle and inside was a small piece of pink crystal. Sakura absentmindedly pet Nihon as she examined the shard.

"I wonder?" Sakura mumbled and tapped the bottle.

"What is it Sakura-sama?" Kaede asked as she knelt next to Sakura. Kagome sat patiently waiting for something to happen and possibly get her out of this mess. Even Inuyasha perked his ears in mild interest.

"Well Kaede do you remember the first time I touched the jewel?"

"How could I forget? The entire village was in a frenzy about the girl that came through the tree with demons. We thought it was a trick to kill Kikyo and take the jewel," Kaede tapped her chin remembering the night Sakura arrived.

"That was the only time I touched the jewel. Now I'm wondering if anything will happen when I touch a shard," Sakura wondered as she opened the small bottle. The shard inside the bottle began to pulse. Sakura hissed and brought her hand to the crystals in her forehead.

"This isn't a good idea mistress," Mizuru growled.

"Its fine the crystals just got hot. It is ok." Sakura took a deep breath.

"Alright guys now or never," Sakura sighed and dropped the small shard out of the bottle on into her palm. Everyone let out a small breath they didn't know they were holding in the suspense.

"Well that was anti-climactic and here I thought..." Sakura was interrupted by a blinding pink light. When it died down Sakura was lying against Mizuru unconscious while the crystals in her forehead and the shard in her hand glowed.

"And right now Mizuru is thinking I told you so!" Inuyasha snickered in the corner of the hut.

"Sit!"

Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a field and a very familiar old tree stood right in her view.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" a calm voice behind her.
Sakura spun around and came face to face with Midoriko.

"You asked for my help and now I'm wondering if I should have even tried to help you," Sakura crossed her arms and pouted a little.

"You are right, I shouldn't have asked for your help. It had cost you so much, but I have to ask a little more from you. You must collect the shards of my jewel and keep Kagome safe."

"Why? Why must I risk my life when I have lost all of my friend! My mentors! And my family!"

"She wasn't your mother and you know that deep down," Midoriko stated simply.

"How would you know?! You are just some stranger that asked for help! I should never have trusted you!" Sakura was on the verge of tears. Midoriko looked at her and smiled.

"Child there are many things I know about you that you don't even know about yourself. I will help you find the truth, if you help me by helping Kagome," Midoriko offered.

"You're bluffing," Sakura said weakly. There was so much power and truth in her words. Sakura didn't know why but she felt like she should trust her. No, had to trust her.

"I know why your chakra is pink and why you can control it so well. Let me help you remember," Midoriko pulled Sakura into an embrace.

"I must leave but before I do, I will help you with collecting the shards. You must have Kagome with you to be able to see them but I can at least point you in the right direction. Whenever you find a shard all you must do is touch it and you will be able to see from inside the shard closest to you," Midoriko nodded and began to fade.

"Wait what do you mean? And how are you going to help me remember!" Sakura yelled at the ever fading specter.

"Find the shard and you will understand." Midoriko vanished leaving Sakura alone in the field.

"I didn't even agree that I would help her," Sakura mumbled and sat in the roots of the tree.

"Well Midoriko would never give you a mission she thought you would fail."

"Well does she mean by help me remember? I remember things just fine," Sakura grumbled.

"You'll figure it out I mean we always do."

"Yeah yeah I know... Wait a second!" Sakura jumped off the root and searched for the voice talking to her.

"Look up silly!" Sakura looked up and gasped as a small light landed on the roots in front of her. She knelt down and got a closer look.

Sitting on the root was a small girl with wings on her back. She glitter and giggled at Sakura's face.

"Don't look so confused!" the glittering girl grew and changed into the inner Sakura that Sakura thought had died.

"How is it possible?" Sakura asked the smaller one in front of her.

"Tree-sama, I live within him. I can travel to any dream space I want," she giggled and gave Sakura a hug.

"You will be awesome! Now it's time to wake up and start the hard part of your journey," Sakura's inner self touch her forehead to Sakura's.
"We are always together right!"

Sakura blinked and found herself back in the hut.

"Mistress?" Mizuru asked as he felt her shift.

"Yeah," she still laid against him.

"Are you all right?" he asked concerned. Sakura looked around the hut and found everyone sleeping around her. Well all except Inuyasha, but she could sense his chakra outside and not far from the hut.

"I'm fine. I just have to figure out how the hell to find an unknown amount of jewel shards. That and figure out what I have to remember."

"What did you forget?"

"That's the thing I haven't. I have great a memory, and I always have. I can remember almost everything since I was like 5. I don't remember anything before that but what child really does? Maybe that is what Midoriko meant! But what could have happened when I was 5?" Sakura pondered.

"Midoriko? You saw her again?" Mizuru asked.

"Yes she asked me to help her and keep Kagome safe. In return she would help me remember. Well I didn't really get to sleep during that so we can start our big journey tomorrow. This is going to be great..." Sakura yawned and snuggled into Mizuru's fur before drifting off to sleep.

"What were you thinking Midoriko? She isn't ready," Mizuru cursed the old priestess and he prepared to stay up the whole night protecting his ward and her friends against a new world full of demons that could now draw on the power of the shard of the sacred jewel.

AN: I personally feel like this is a filler chapter but oh well! If you are confused on how Sakura is going to help with the shard hunt don't worry. I'm going to explain that part as soon as they find another shard.

Next chapter I think Sakura is going to make a quick trip to the demon village so that she can meet Sango and the gang before the rest. That and I want Sakura to have a bond with Kohaku so then Sango and her can have the same drive to help him.

Well that's all I got! PLEASE REVEIW!

NO Flames though. I'm ALLERGIC!

TTFN TA TA FOR NOW!

Tigress-of-the-Grove