A/N: Well, it's been a while. Actually, it's been longer than a while, becasue for about a week, this site was misbehaving. :( Oh, well, I finally got this chapter up. And, soon, after I decide how long it's going to be, I'm going to follow up with chapter 37. I'm pretty pumped for it. As per usual, I don't own IY.

Ah, yes. I am in search of a BETA. If you're interested, pleeeease send me a message or leave a comment with your name on it so I can check you out! Thanks, and adieu!

Chapter Thirty-Six

"That was a demonic aura?" I asked, surprised. "I've never... sensed one before..."

"Humans tend not to," Sesshoumaru pointed out, yet again. I frowned, my eyes returning to the shard that was now covered in sand.

"Monks and priestesses can," I said softly, tearing my eyes from the jewel.

"You posses no spiritual powers," he said. I sighed with irritation.

"Then I don't know what happened. I'd thought I was imagining things...," I trailed off. His expression changed as I spoke, then he turned on his toe and left the cave. I stared after him for a moment, then stood, brushing the sand from my kimono. I retrieved the shard from the sand and secured it in my obi before leaving the cave as well.

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Sesshoumaru had wandered off as usual, and I was left with Rin and Jaken. As much fun as I was having watching Rin argue with Jaken, I managed to find the time to slip away in search of a stream in which to bathe. After several minutes of searching, I found a stream. I was in the process of de-robing when I heard familiar voices.

"It's over there somewhere!" A woman said.

"I don't smell Kohaku.... but...," cam a male voice. Kohaku? I'd heard that name before.

"But what, InuYasha?"

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru's half-demon brother burst through the foliage, a smaller demon and the girl who looked like Rin on his back. He was followed by the demon slayer and the monk.

"It's you!" Kagome exclaimed, sliding off InuYasha's back. I pulled my kimono tight around my body as I saw the monk look at me.

"You reek of my brother," InuYasha spat.

"InuYasha!" Kagome reprimanded as she looked around at the ground.

"So, what brings you here?" The monk asked, approaching me. I glared at him.

"As if you don't know a de-robing woman when you see one," I nearly growled.

"Oh!" I heard from behind. Kagome was holding my obi, then pulled the jewel from the folds of the fabric. I opened my mouth to speak, but fell silent as I watched the jewel fade form black to pale purple.

"Where did you get that?" The half-demon demanded, taking a step closer to me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why should I tell-"

"You didn't get it from a boy called Kohaku, did you?" The demon slayer asked softly. She had a small two-tail in her arms.

"No... Rin mentioned him earlier, though..."

"Did you get this from... Naraku?" Kagome asked. I nodded minutely, shifting.

"You're a priestess...," I said. She nodded. "I've had that for a day or so... it's very strange."

"It's a shard of the Shikon Jewel," she explained. "Naraku has most of it, be we're doing our best to stop him before he can complete an impure jewel."

"Maybe being impure had something to do with it," I wondered aloud. "When I held it, it felt warm. It pulsed, almost like it had a heartbeat. I sensed something, like a weight in the air. I was told it was a demonic aura, but I haven't been able to sense them except for that one time," I said, glancing at InuYasha.

"That's strange...," Kagome said, frowning. She glanced at the jewel in her hand. "How on earth did you get this?"

"Naraku... tried to put it in my forehead. Sesshoumaru stopped him before he could finish the job, though," I explained.

"Why would Sesshoumaru save you?"InuYasha asked. "My brother wouldn't protect humans."

"But he keeps Rin around," Kagome said softly. InuYasha crossed his arms.

"So why do you small like him?" He questioned.

"None of your business," I said, trying my best not to blush. I turned to hide my face.

"You said you didn't touch him... has that changed at all?" The demon slayer asked. The two-tail mewed.

"Hardly," I lied. "Must be from when he saved me." No one looked like they bought it, but they didn't continue the line of questioning.

"Can we take this?" Kagome asked, holding the jewel between two fingers.

"What do you mean, 'can we take this'?" InuYasha asked. "She can't stop us." I frowned.

"Please, take it," I said. "I'm surprised I haven't earned more attention because of it." Kagome smiled and put the shard in a small bottle.

"We seem to be running into you a lot lately," she said. "I guess you're still traveling with Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes. He's gone off again, so I guess Jaken is supposed to be in charge. I managed to slip away for a bath just as you showed up," I said, and she frowned.

"Oh... sorry about that," she laughed. "It was nice to see you. Take care of yourself." She said before turning and heading back in the direction she'd come. I watched after the group for several moments before stripping.

The water was ridiculously cold, so my bath was brief. I hurried out of the water and back into the warmth of my thick kimono. As I tied my obi tight around my waist, I felt a pang at letting the jewel go. I'd wanted to experience that odd feeling at least once more. If it truly was a demonic aura I'd sensed, then I must not have been very sensitive towards it. From what I've heard, auras are supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and frightened, but what I felt was the complete opposite. I felt safe, secure. It was an oddly familiar feeling, but I had no idea why.