I thank ChibiChinaDoll for helping me.
Seekers of the Sacred Jewel
Mai tried to absorb what had just happened. She went to a bucket that a villager left, to stop the fire and she lifted up to look down into it as her claws pierced the side of it.
Her face looked the same except her eyes that were blue are now grey, her ears were now on top of her head, shaped like Inuyasha's and her hair that was black was now reddish brown.
She opened her mouth in shock, only to be more surprised that now her canines are now fangs. She let go of the bucket, letting it spill onto the ground like the thoughts going through her head.
There was only silence in the air as no one moved or made a sound, unsure what to do at this point. Then Mai screamed as the realization of her transformation had finally sunk in.
Everyone flinched from her scream as some of the villagers move behind Kaede as Kagome moved towards Mai to calm her down.
"You moron! What have you done to me?!" Mai shouted as she turned to Inuyasha, thinking he was to the one who did this. She needed someone to blame at the moment.
"Me!...I didn't do a thing...I have no idea how this happened to you." Inuyasha shouted back at Mai, heading towards her, aching to fight anything or anyone.
"Pay no heed to Inuyasha, child." Kaede said ignoring him and giving the Jewel to Kagome since she is the owner of it.
'The Sacred Jewel makes monsters more powerful. Is it cursed?' Kagome thought as she looked at the glowing jewel in her hand.
"I hate having to wait. And I hate the smell of you!" Inuyasha said as he attempted to attack Kagome to get the Jewel from her.
"Kagome!" Mai shouted as Inuyasha swiped at Kagome but she dodged it.
"Want me to scratch your back?" Inuyasha said as he flexed his claws while looking at her with a sneer.
"You really tried to hit me just now, didn't you?" Kagome demanded to know as she looked at him in disbelief.
"That's it! Anyone who tries to mess with Kagome will answer to me!" Mai shouted as she got into a fighting stance, ready to battle with Inuyasha.
"Shoot him!" A villager said as others raised their weapons and fired their arrows.
"Who do you people think I am? You think you can hurt me like I did that centipede?" Inuyasha said as he deflected the arrow and the villagers moved away from his attack. Then Mai went after Inuyasha to protect the villagers and Kagome.
"Lady Kaede! Me thinks may-hap that we might have chanced the centipede." A villager said in fear.
"Somehow I knew that it would eventually come to this." Kaede said in disappointment as she pulled out a necklace of beads from the inner part of her kimono.
Mai started fighting Inuyasha as she punched him which surprised him but he smiled at the challenge. She jumped up into the air to give him a high kick to the head to disorient him but he dodged it and her foot hit the ground.
Though it didn't hurt her foot, it did leave a large hole in the ground. He tried to swipe at her with his claws but she blocked it with her forearm.
She moved at a fast pace, faster than she ever did and seemed stronger than ever as she tried to swipe at him with her claws and he avoided them by a hair.
This power that she had was something she never experienced, somehow this power felt good and she didn't like it. Even the good can become a monster from within and with great powers comes with consequences.
Then Inuyasha started to get impatient and he and Mai continued to be in a stalemate. "Prepare yourself!' Inuyasha said as he evaded Mai and headed towards Kagome.
"Prepare? For what?" Kagome asked as she was running from him.
"Now it's mine!" Inuyasha said as he went after Kagome. She slipped as she avoided him slashing her, she fell and dropped the jewel as it skidded on the bridge.
Kaede formed her hand into a mantra prayer as she held the necklace in her hand. Then the beads started to glow as they went flying through the air and landed on Inuyasha's neck as it formed back into a necklace.
"The heck are these?" Inuyasha said as he tried to remove it from his neck but it wouldn't come off.
"Quickly, child! The word of subjugation!" Kaede shouted to Kagome.
"Huh? What word?" Kagome asked as she was getting up and turned to look at Kaede in confusion.
"Matter's not. Your word has power to hold his spirit!" Kaede shouted as she hoped Kagome would understand.
"Huh, how can you overpower me when you can't sit up?!" Inuyasha said in mockery as he got on the bridge.
"A word to hold his spirit? But how will I know which one?" Kagome said but she knew that she had to think fast as Inuyasha leaned down to grab the jewel.
"Um... Um..." Kagome said as Inuyasha's ears twitched as if to hear what she had to say. "Sit, boy!" She called and Inuyasha's face planted onto the bridge as her voice echoed across the river.
"What do you know? It worked!" Kagome said cheerfully as she quickly went to the jewel and picked it up, relieved that it was back in her hands.
"You did say it once, right?" Mai said as she went to Kagome, seeing that she was okay.
"Well...Yes...how else did he face plant on the bridge if not what I said...heavy gravity?" Kagome said.
"What the heck is this thing?!" Inuyasha shouted as he tried to get the necklace off again but to no avail.
"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But even you lack the power to remove it." Kaede said as she was next to Kagome.
"We'll just see about that. I'd come up there and finish you off if you didn't look half-dead already!" Inuyasha shouted at Kaede, insulting her.
"The word, please." Kaeade said to Kagome in displeasure.
"Sit boy." Kagome said as Inuyasha as he went through the bridge and into the river below.
"Well then, shall we head home?" Kaeda asked Kagome and Mai. They nodded in agreement as turned to the direction.
"That was easy. Wish I'd said it earlier." Kagome said as they headed back to the village as everything started to settle down.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"How's that? Perhaps I'll put more salve on your belly." Kaede said as she finished patching up Kagome.
"I noticed you're rebuilding the houses wrecked by Mistress Centipede. What a pain." Kagome said sadly as she and Mai heard the villagers rebuilding the huts.
"Pain, yes and just beginning. Now that Sacred Shikon no Tama is back among us, far worse than Mistress Centipede will come to claim it." Kaede said.
"Worse than yesterday?" Kagome asked as she looked at Kaede.
"And not just demons. There are humans whose hearts are more evil still and only the Jewel has the power to make real their petty, grasping ambitions." Kaede said, putting the items away.
"Speaking of petty, what are you still doing here?" Kagome asked sternly as she turned to look at Inuyasha.
"I'm waiting for the Jewel." Inuyasha answered as he laid on his side towards the window, not looking at them.
"With the beads around his neck his threat is diminished. It is perhaps the only way we can allow him so close to the Jewel." Kaede said as she looked at him.
"Why would you want the Jewel anyway? It seems to me you're strong enough as it is. What power can the Jewel give you you don't already have?" Kagome asked.
"Ah, but he's just Half-demon." Kaede said factually as Kagome and Mai observed Inuyasha more closely.
"You know what? I'm sick of hearing some dried-up old witch I just met talk like she knows me!" Inuyasha said with a sneer as he looked at Kaede.
"So, ye don't remember? I thought as much. I'm younger sister to Kikyo, she who bound ye to the tree. Kaede." Kaede said as she looked at him.
"You're Kaede? So, you're the brat, huh?" Inuyasha said as he recognized Kaede.
"Fifty years have passed. And I have grown old." Kaede said as she looked away and into the fire pit.
"Then if you're this old, Kikyo must be pushing a hundred. Sure glad I don't gotta worry about being old. Least not for a while." Inuyasha said as he laid back a bit with his eyes closed in a carefree way.
"Kikyo didn't worry either. Kikyo died...It was on the same day that she shot ye with the arrow." Kaede said mournfully as she poked at the fire.
"Gee, sorry to hear it. Not that I really care or nothing. It's one less thing for me to worry about." Inuyasha said as his ear twitched a bit. Mai noticed this action but didn't say anything, it seems that this news affected him more than what he was letting on.
Suddenly, she sensed feelings that weren't her own: Hurt, betrayal, sadness, longing and heartache. Then she realized that these feelings were coming from Inuyasha but was unsure why she could sense him.
"I wouldn't let my guard down just yet, Inuyasha... I now know that Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister." Kaede said as she looked at Kagome and Mai did as well. She thought as much from the resemblance of Kikyo in her dreams favor some much in Kagome even some of the actions Kagome did sometimes.
"Huh?" Kagome asked, confused as she looked to Kaede.
"And it isn't just because ye resemble her… The Jewel of Four Souls was in your body. That alone is proof enough. It's up to ye now child to take over its protection." Kaede said she gave the jewel to Kagome.
"However there is still a question at hand that needs to be answered which I still think is strange." Kaede said as she looked at Mai and Inuyasha.
"And by that you mean?... and why are looking at me like that?" Inuyasha asked as he raised his brow.
"How Mai became a Half-demon." Kaede said as Kagome looked at Mai.
"Well...The only thing I can think of is that...-" Mai said in mid sentence as she looked at the wound on her arm, then looked at Inuyasha seeing he had a wound on his chest.
Then she realized that it was his blood that went through her wound and that's how she became this way. Mai explained to Kaede how she became what she is now after she explained it, Kagome and Inuyasha were surprised by this but it did make sense of how this happened.
"Is there a way that I can change back...is there anything like a potion or a talisman?" Mai asked hopefully.
Kaede closed her eyes as she shook her head. "Ye afraid there is not...Ye never heard of a person turning into a half-demon."
"What?" Mai asked in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Unfortunately, there is nothing to change ye back to ye once was." Kaede said sadly as she looked at Mai.
"You mean I have to live out the rest of my life looking like this? No way!" Mai shouted as she turned to Inuyasha. "You got me into this mess, you get me out!" She yelled as she grabbed Inuyasha by his kimono demanding him to.
Inyuasha sneered at Mai for making that assumption that it was his fault. "How is what happened to you my fault!... plus, I don't even did know how to change you back, even if I did...I still wouldn't tell you...this is how you will be forever...just...a...half-demon." Inuyasha said with vigor and that's when Mai just snapped.
Suddenly, Mai let go of Inuyasha's kimono and punched him in the chest, which sent him outside the hut and landed onto the ground on his back. Quickly he got up as Mai was in front of him.
She threw her fist at him but he evaded it and tried to slash her with his claws. She lifted her crossed forearms which blocked the attack.
Then she flipped backwards to get some distance between them. They stopped for a moment and started to circle each other, wondering who would give in or have a weak spot.
Mai flexed her claws at him as she noticed he left an opening on his side and she went for it. She nicked his kimono as she passed him, she kicked him in the back of his knee, which made him kneel to the ground.
She turned back at him as he looked at her, he growled as he started to get up. She quickly dashed back at him as he put his arms up to block her attack.
He moved back to get away from her to take a breath for a moment. Mai didn't move for a moment as they stared at each other.
Kagome decided it was time to intervene and stop this fight before someone or they would get hurt any further. After that, Mai and Inuyasha calmed down a bit and quit fighting...for now.
Kaede finished telling what had happened during that time of Inuyasha entrapment of the tree. Inuyasha nodded in understanding, he calmly walked away and jumped into a tree near the river, getting lost in his own thoughts.
There was a calm silence as the only sounds were the rushing water from the river and the grass dancing in the breeze.
"She died, and I never knew." Inuyasha said in numbness as Mai sensed this in him.
"Of course you didn't know. You never saw her in the netherworld because you were never dead. You were just asleep from the spell." She said.
"Well...even if I did...I wouldn't have cared anyway...she was just a person who had what I needed and that was the Sacred Jewel." Inuyasha said in retaliation and tried to hide his true feelings about Kikyo but Mai could sense how Inuyasha felt about her and how he acted with Kagome.
"You know, since I'd become Half-demon, I can tell whether you're lying or not. And I can tell you're glad Kagome wasn't Kikyo and that you don't hate her smell." Mai said to him but before he could say something about it, a pear came out of nowhere and Inuyasha caught without a single thought and saw that it was Kagome who had food on her.
"Hey, don't cha wanna eat?" Kagome asked Mai and Inuyasha as he jumped down from the tree.
"Where'd you get all that stuff from?" He asked as he moved away from Kagome.
"The villagers gave it to me. Why not come down from there and help me eat it?" Kagome said as she shook the baskets.
"I'm up for that." Mai said as she went to the basket to pick out something to eat.
"Whatever you're up to, I ain't buying it." Inuyasha watched Kagome, keeping his guard up, unsure what she might do, Mai rolled her eyes as she sensed the cautiousness, tension, softness in him.
"Buying what?" Kagome asked as she grabbed a fruit, sat down in front of the tree.
"Kagome's not up to anything. You're the one jumping to conclusions." Mai said matter of factly.
"Listen, it's fair to say you don't like me, right?" Kagome asked Inuyasha.
"Waayyyy more than fair." Inuyasha said.
"You're lying." Mai said inspecting a blade of grass between her fingers.
"Whatever. It's not even me you dislike. It's this Kikyo person. I'm not Kikyo, ok? I'm Kagome. Can't we just call a truce?" Kagome said trying to make amends with Inuyasha.
"Ha! I knew it! What you don't get is that I'm only after the Jewel! You're just trying to lure me into a false sense of security!" Inuyasha said as he was back in the tree.
"Oh, really?" Kagome said.
"You really are a stupid little boy." Mai said as she shook her head in disappointment.
"That's funny considering all I have to do to make you obey is to say the word sit-...Whoops, sorry about that!" Kagome said as he face-planted into the ground and she waved her hand in dismissal. Mai chuckled a bit from the scene but didn't to provoke Inuyasha.
"Ah, man!" Inuyasha said as he realized that everytime she said the word, he'd get face-planted.
Later on in the day Mai went to talk to Kaede, who was found in her hut.
"I'm worried about myself for the future, I'm starting to feel like I'm becoming more rebellious than I usually am and I'm afraid that might hurt Kagome, so just to be safe I would need a beaded necklace like Inuyasha's." Mai said as she looked to Kaede.
'Well...for Mai to explain this to ye and she is already changing, mentally and physically, she's worried she might hurt others later on, so in order to protect them is to be put in safekeeping so she won't get out of control with her new powers as ye progresses in the future. There shouldn't be any harm to put one on ye as well.' Kaede thought. She looked to Mai in consideration and agreed to her request.
An hour later Mai came out of Kaede's hut with a necklace around her neck. It had blue beads and a single fang in the middle and she went to Kagome. When Mai found Kagome still by the tree where Inuyasha sat, she explained what was happening to her and why she had to get a necklace like Inuyasha.
"I just want to be sure I don't hurt you. And so I need my own word of subjugation." Mai said to Kagome then whispered. "If Inuyasha laughs at this, say sit multiple times."
"Alright...I'll do that for you." Kagome said as she nodded as she began to think of another word to say to a dog.
"Down, girl." Kagome said as Mai fell to the ground on her back as the incantation worked. They both heard Inuyasha laughing.
"Sit, boy. Sit, boy, Sit, boy, Sit, boy." Kagome said as Inuyasha face-planted a couple times.
"Unlike you, I can take a few demands. This was my decision. It's so Kagome stays safe and I will do anything to keep her that way." Mai said as she stood up and dusted off her tush, looking at Inuyasha with disappointment.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It's two days now that we've been over here. Grandpa. Sota… Mom… They must be so worried." Kagaome said as she felt homesick as she was going to sleep.
"Dad. I hope you didn't think that I left like Mom did." Mai said as she was looking out the window as the moon appeared out from the clouds.
"We've gotta get back one way or the other." Kagome said with determination.
Suddenly, Mai had sensed there was something out there possibly a demonic aura. She could smell them and then they were gone.
'Inuyasha must of scared them off.' Mai thought as she went back to sleep wondering what tomorrow will bring.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mai laid on a grassy hill was lost in thought until she heard talk about Kagome missing. She got up quickly and went looking for her until she saw Inuyasha.
"Stupid girl, I don't care where she goes but she took the Jewel with her!" Inuyasha shouted as he was running as he tracked Kagome.
"Stupid boy." Mai sighed deeply in disappointment as she ran along with him.
Mai ran through the trees and felt that something wasn't right. A few minutes later, they found a large hidden hut where Kagome was taken in, they smashed through the door, saw Kagome in trouble as the bandit boss swung his sword down. Inuyasha got to her just in time as the sword broke into a million pieces from using his kimono as a shield.
'Inuyasha! Mai!' Kagome thought as she saw Inuyasha and Mai were fighting the bandit boss. Inuyasha punched the bandit boss in the gut, while Mai did swift kicks to the legs which made the bandit boss fall to the floor. The other bandits in the group ran away in fear and yelled as they escaped with their lives.
"We're out of here, Boss!" One of the bandits said as he carried one of the injured men. "Thanks again." Another said running as fast as he could to catch up with the others.
"Kagome! Are you alright?" Mai asked as she went to Kagome, checking her for signs of injuries.
"Mai..it's okay I'm fine...I just glad you guys are here, especially Inuyasha...I can't believe you actually came." Kagome said.
"Is it safe? Where's the Jewel?" Inuyasha said as he was searching for the jewel.
"Jewel?" Kagome said as she suddenly remembered that she threw the jewel at the bandit boss to distract him.
"Ah no! Tell me you did not just say that!" Inuyasha said in shock as he couldn't believe that she said that. The bandit shuffled to get off on the ground as Mai reached a hand out for Kagome to take.
Kagome accepted it and stood up, dusting off her clothes and looked at the bandit boss. "Oh! What is that smell?! It's like rotting meat or-" Inuyasha said as he held his sleeves to his nose in disgust.
Mai held her nose as well, having the same sense of smell as Inuyasha which is ten times stronger than a human nose. "Ewww...that smell is so disgusting!...it's coming from-" she said in mid sentence as the bandit boss's strap of his armor broke off, revealing a large hole in his chest as three red eyes shone out from and a head of a crow appeared from it shrieking at them.
"Wha-what's that?!" Kagome said in shock, unsure what is happening so far.
"How much you want to bet that bird ripped his living heart out and made itself a bloody nest?" Inuyasha said in a sneer.
"I knew there was something wrong. The bird made him a puppet." Kagome said still disgusted by what that demon did to the man, as the actions of the bandit boss made more sense to her.
"Carrion Crows don't fight on their own when there's dead bodies handy. They ain't so tough…" Inuyasha said as he jumped forward putting his hand in the hole. "But they're hella nasty!" He said as the crow darted back, out of the other side of the body. The body fell with a loud thud, quickly turned into a pile of bones as the crow flew out the window.
"It's getting away! Aren't you going after it?" Kagome said in concern of what the demon could do if it escaped.
"Maybe you haven't noticed, but the world is full of monsters. You want I should go after them all?" Inuyasha said in huff at Kagome, not wanting to make the effort.
"Yeah, but-" Kagome said, trying to make a good reason to go after it.
Mai spotted the crow as it flew down noticing something on the ground. "Uh, guys?" She said, still watching the bird, trying to get Inuyasha and Kagome's attention.
"No but. You wanna start doing the fighting, be my guest!" Inuyasha said as he started to walk away from Kagome. The crow saw the Jewel and took it in its beak.
"In the meantime, where's the Je- Ahh!" Inuyasha shouted in mid-sentences as the crow had the Jewel and started to fly away.
"I tried to tell you!" Mai said with a neutral expression on her face.
"That stupid crow is making off with the Jewel! What's wrong with you?!" Inuyasha said to Kagome as if blaming her for the Jewel being taken.
"What do you mean what's wrong with- go after him!" Kagome said as she followed the crow on foot.
"Don't blame this on her! You're the one who wouldn't listen!" Mai shouted at Inuyasha as she followed Kagome.
"Come on!" Inuyasha said as he started to after the crow but stopped to look at Kagome.
"Hey!" Kagome said as she noticed the horses which one of them had a bow and arrows hanging to the side, she grabbed them as the weapon might come in handy.
"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha said to the crow as he leapt through the air determined to get the jewel back.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and shoot it!" Inuyasha said as he carried Kagome on his back going after the crow, while Mai was running aside them.
"Shoot? You're kidding, right? I've never used a bow in my life!" Kagome said as she held the bow and arrows close to her.
"The Crow lives by eating human flesh. If you think that's bad, let it swallow the Jewel." Inuyasha said as he eyed the crow, then the crow consumed the Jewel in one swoop.
"Ah! It swallowed it!" Kagome yelled in fear of what was going to happen to the demon crow.
"Guys!...You can fight later...right now we need to deal with this crow before things get out of hand...so quit arguing!...Kagome, try and shoot an arrow at it...see if we can stop it that way." Mai said.
"Fine, I'll try!" Kagome said as she fixed the arrow into the bow and ready her aim on the crow as she was piggybacking on Inuyasha.
"Thank you!" Inuyasha said as he was keeping pace with the crow. 'Once she takes out the crow, it's her turn.' He thought as Mai intercepted his thoughts as they were chasing after the crow. She turned to him as she narrowed her eyes at him.
She couldn't believe that he had just thought that with her nearby and Kagome helping him, after what she did for him.
"You're thinking about killing Kagome once she takes out the crow!" Mai said to him and he looked at her in surprise for a moment then brushed it off.
"Huh?... what are you talking about?...what do you mean he's going to kill me?!" Kagome exclaimed as she looked at him then Mai and back.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Inuyasha said as he continued to run at a fast pace. 'Damn...How did she know what I was thinking?...It's impossible...is it?' Mai heard that as well.
"Now you're thinking, "How did she know what I was thinking?"." Mai said confirmining him that she could hear him think.
"How do you know that Mai?" Kagome asked, wanting to know what was going on.
"I can hear his thoughts." Mai shrugged as she looked at Inuyasha with a look of seriousness on her face.
"Well...if he's going to do that after I shoot the crow down then I won't help you at all." Kagome said to him. Then he turned his head as he looked at her and they stared at each other until Inuyasha gave in.
He shook his head as he couldn't believe that he was doing this. "Kikyo was a master archer! Take it in one shot!" Inuyasha said wanting this to be over and done with.
"I told you, my name's Kagome!" Kagome said to Inuyasha as she readied her bow once more. 'Still, Kikyo, give me your strength.' She thought as she pointed the arrow at the crow, hoping not to miss.
"Here goes!" Kagome fired the arrow. It flew straight towards the crow but it didn't have enough force to go farther as it fell back and spun to the ground.
Inuyasha fell face first to the ground with Kagome fine but she was confused. Mai stopped alongside them as she looked at Inuyasha and smirked a little.
"What the… I thought you said that she was a master archer!" Kagome said as she looked at the bow.
"She was, it's you that's the klutz!" Inuyasha yelled as he got up, still holding Kagome on his back.
"Will you both just shut up!" Mai shouted at them as they bickered. Both of them stopped as they looked at the demon girl in surprise as she pointed at the crow. "That thing's gonna get even stronger while you're just lying there!" She hoped her message got through to them.
The crow started to grow as the Jewel was inside its body. The crow turned into a ten foot grotesque demon as its feathers were darker, its beak more curved and deadly as its talons were longer and could grab unexpected prey.
"See how big it is? Do it!" Inuyasha said to Kagome as they ran after the demon crow. Kagome aimed the arrow again and the same thing happened again.
Inuyasha stopped at that moment and dropped Kagome onto the ground. "Ow!" Kagome said as landed with a thud as Mai went to Kagome and helped her up.
"I don't care what the old lady says! You are not Kikyo, you got that?!" Inuyasha yelled, pointing at Kagome to make his point.
"She's told you that a million times, you idiot!" Mai snapped as she was tempted to smack him upside the head.
"I am so outta here!" Inuyasha yelled jumping off away from Mai and Kagome.
"Oh yeah? Well good riddance, you moron!" Mai shouted to him.
"Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome shouted to Inuyasha. Suddenly the crow spotted its prey for the next feeding and caught a little boy in its talons.
"Help! Somebody help!" The mother of the boy shouted hoping someone would come to her aid and rescue the boy.
"Help me!" The boy shouted as he was flown in the air in the crow's talons; no way to escape the crows clutches.
"Looking for your next meal already, huh? You forget, you gotta first get through me!" Inuyasha appeared out of nowhere and went to attack the crow. Mai and Kagome were running as they were on the bridge witnessing Inuyasha ready to attack.
"Inuyasha, no! You'll hurt the boy!" Kagome shouted to him.
"Are you out of your mind?!... Inuyasha!" Mai shouted to him as well.
"Back off! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha yelled using his attack move as the crow split into pieces and the boy fell into the river.
"Help! Help me!" The boy shouted as he struggled to stay up on the surface of the water across the strong current of the river.
"He can't swim!" Mai said as she and Kagome went to the river's edge trying to get as close as possible to get the boy.
"Where'd it go, where's the Jewel?" Inuyasha was searching for the Jewel. Kagome took off her socks and shoes, as did Mai and both dived into the river to save the boy.
"Help!" The boy said as he was still struggling to keep his head above the water.
"I'm so glad I took lessons!" Kagome said as she swam towards the boy.
"It might be the dog paddle, but at least they can swim." Mai paddled by noting to herself that she'll know how to swim properly later.
"How can they do that?" A villager said in amazement.
"They're fast." Another villager said in awe.
"The girl's an imp, I tell ya! A water imp! She's not human at all!" The third villager said in surprise.
The boy was yelling as the current carried him. "Hang on!" Kagome shouted as she and Mai reached towards the boy.
"We gotcha!" Mai said as she and Kagome grabbed the boy and swam towards the bank, safely. The villagers were shouting in excitement as they thought Kagome and Mai were imps.
"They say teenage girls get excited." Kagome rolled her eyes.
"That guy is so stupid. Seriously, a water imp?" Mai said under her breath as the boy was returned to his mother who was crying with joy that she had her son again.
"Save the Jewel, stupid! The Jewel!" Inuyasha said as he couldn't find the Jewel.
"Oh mommy, I was so scared." The boy cried as he held his mother tightly.
Mai and Kagome looked up and glared at Inuyasha for being a selfish jerk caring only about the Jewel. Kagome turned away from him.
"Ah, save it yourself. It's not my problem." Mai said as she turned away from him as well.
Inuyasha couldn't believe it as he stood there in shock and awe as the girls were attending to the boy and not caring about the Jewel.
"Thanks for saving me." The boy said as he looked at Kagome. "Thank you. Thank you." The mother said gratefully to have her son unharmed.
"It's ok." Kagome smiled at the boy. Moments later, pieces of the crow formed back and it flew out of the river.
"I knew it. Hey, it's getting away!" Inuyasha shouted to Mai and Kagome.
"What? Well, I guess you're off the hook for now, pal." Kagome said as the boy screamed a little and turned as there was part of the crow's foot on his kimono.
"I know." Kagome walked towards one of the men. "Hey, can I borrow your bow?" She pointed to his quiver and bow which was across his shoulder.
"Uh... sure. It's so far." The man said as he looked at the distance where the Crow was.
"My butt she's gonna hit it." Inuyasha said sarcastically.
"Oh shut up and watch!" Mai snapped at Inuyasha.
"I can do this, I know it." Kagome said as she pointed the arrow that had the foot attached to the arrow.
She fired it to the crow and it kept going. "I get it. She's shooting the foot!" Inuyasha said in consideration.
'The foot can't help but be drawn by the Jewel which almost guarantees it'll hit.' Kagome thought. The arrow hit the crow head on as it blasted apart, however the arrow hit the jewel as well as it started cracking.
"Yeah!" Kagome said in joy, proud of herself as the arrow hit its mark.
"She hit it!" Inuyasha said in astonishment when suddenly he had to shield his eyes, blocking the light up in the sky where the crow was.
"That light, where's it coming from?" Kagome saw the bright light in the sky as well.
"I think something's happened to the Jewel." Mai said more to herself than anything, witnessing the same thing.
Then the light had streamed out shooting in every direction like thousands of stars flying across the sky all at once.
"Lady Kaede! Those lights!" A villager pointed to the sky in fear.
"Oh, aye. And I like not the looks of it." Kaede continued to look at the sky, feeling a sense of dread of what will happen in the upcoming events.
After the light show that happened, the sky was turning darker and red from the sun coming down as it was now sunset. "Are you sure that it fell around here?" Inuyasha asked as he was searching for the Jewel.
"Well yeah, I mean kinda. Though I'm still kinda worried about that light." Kagome said, looking for the Jewel as well. Suddenly, the head of the crow came out of the bushes going after Kagome.
"Oh...no you don't!" Mai slashed the crow and out of the it was a glowing shard as it landed on the ground.
"I hope that's not what I think it-" Kagome said worryingly.
"What do you think it is?" Inuyasha asked as he got close.
"I think it's a... shard from the Jewel." Kagome said as she picked it up.
"Wh... What did you SAAAAYYYY?!" Inuyasha shouted in surprised anger.
"Yep, it is." Mai deadpanned as it was obvious that it was a piece of the Jewel. As the events from now on in this adventure will change their lives forever.