Chapter Seven
"So you really weren't in need of a rescue after all?" Inu Yasha grumbled as the four made their trek towards the well, following K-Chan's directions. "Then what the hell were we there for?"
It had taken very little time for K-Chan to return to normal, and she had been laughing and talking with Neko—and flirting with Inu Yasha—since they had left Naraku's castle.
"It doesn't matter. I still can't believe what you guys all went through for me because you thought I was in danger. Oh!" she added, turning to Neko and pulling the rosary from her kimono pocket, "I got this back for you. I can't believe that actually worked," K-Chan mused.
"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either," Neko agreed, slipping the cos-play accessory about her neck once more. "Who'd have thought a cos-play necklace would have actually worked?"
"Sit!" Inu Yasha and Miroku shouted at once, and Neko plummeted to the ground once again.
"However it does have its drawbacks," Neko sputtered. K-Chan was bewildered.
"You mean . . . it really does work? Holy crap! I only used it on Naraku because I thought he'd believe it was real, like my . . . oh, crap," K-Chan swore. Neko suddenly noticed the problem.
"Uh-oh. Your . . ."
"Yeah. My cos-play necklace, the 'replica' of the Shikon no Tama." K-Chan laughed sheepishly. "In a severe and desperate attempt to distract Naraku, I sort of . . ." Inu Yasha and Miroku glared at her, while Neko looked quasi-amused. "Um . . . I kind of . . . scattered the shards in all random directions, and they have most likely been picked up by many-a random youkai by this point, which could most possibly be classified as a bad thing . . . I'm assuming." She cowered under the two men's hard looks.
"You mean . . . you threw away shards of the Shikon no Tama?!?!"
"Hey, relax!" Neko scoffed at Inu Yasha and Miroku's anger. "You know what this means, right K-Chan?"
K-Chan grinned like the Cheshire cat. Yep, she was back, Neko decided. "It means we'll be returning to help our new friends search for the shards?" K-Chan guessed. Neko's matching smile told K-Chan that she was correct.
"I suppose we could put up with them, as long as it's only for short intervals," Inu Yasha agreed.
"And K-Chan, just in case Neko has a change of heart, I was wondering . . ." Miroku began, sidling up to K-Chan and attempting to look innocent. In the next instant, he had a rather large lump on his head, courtesy of Neko. He got her back with a sit, though.
"Hey, if you want, Neko, I can just take the rosary off," K-Chan suggested with a laugh.
Neko almost agreed, then recalled the power they had given her over Tetsusaiga. "Nah, I don't think so," she declined to everyone's surprise. "I think they may come in handy!"