Chapter 5

Mistress Centipede

And The True Owner of the

Shikon no Tama


Inuyasha flew the two of them to a secluded cave away from the village. When they reached the cave, Inuyasha ran outside, saying something incoherent to Kagome's ears. Having nothing to do (or eat, for that matter), Kagome just sat at the mouth of the cave, watching the sky change colors.

She was nearly asleep when she heard a slight hissing sound. Kagome looked around, and didn't see anything. She sighed, and fell back asleep. Until she heard another hiss. This time, she could understand what it was saying.

"Power.... shikon... tama..." It said. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed together. "I can feel... the Shikon no Tama..." Kagome looked around, and walked out of the cave to find whoever was saying it. When she saw who it was, she wanted to run back to the cave. But she seemed to be glued in place.

"You... girl... give me the Shikon no Tama!" A huge, half centipede, half woman - like creature.

"Who are you?!" Kagome yelled back.

"I am Mistress Centipede... now give me the Shikon!" Mistress Centipede said. Kagome looked confused.

"I do not have the jewel!" Kagome yelled. "Leave me alone!" Kagome started running, but far off away from the cave that Inuyasha left her at. She was running into the forest.


*~*~*


Inuyasha was lounging on a tree limb, trying to piece the puzzle pieces of Kikyo's death together, when he heard a distinct,

"KYA~~~A! HELP ME!"

Inuyasha looked down to see Kagome running through the forest at a blinding speed. Inuyasha looked to see what was chasing her. A centipede-youkai. He leapt down, and glared at Mistress Centipede.

"Leave her alone," Inuyasha said. "And I won't kill you."
"Foolish hanyou... I will kill you both!" Mistress Centipede said, raising claws to attack.

"Sankon Tetsusou!" Inuyasha yelled, slashing the centipede-youkai. Unfortunately, the youkai ducked. "Fuck!" Mistress Centipede ran past him, to Kagome, who was, again, paralyzed in fear.

"The power of the Shikon no Tama shall be mine!" Mistress Centipede said, and then bit Kagome's side. Kagome yelled loudly in pain, as Inuyasha watched a glowing pink jewel being pulled out of her body. Inuyasha recognized it. He ran up to grab it, and started to laugh. This was what he was wanting, and now he had it!

"The Shikon no Tama...." he whispered.

"GIVE ME THE JEWEL!" Mistress Centipede demanded. Inuyasha repeated his Kaze no Kizu attack, this time not missing. When the centipede-youkai was destroyed, Inuyasha looked at his prize... the Shikon jewel. It was slightly red, although a pastel pink cloud filled the orb. He was so entranced that he didn't notice Kagome. Until...

"I-Inuyasha...?" A weak voice asked below him. He looked down to see Kagome lying there, blood seeping from a huge, gaping wound on one side. Her skin wasn't the lovely alabaster, but more like a sickly white.

"Oi, wench, don't die..." Inuyasha said. Sure, he hated the girl, but she didn't actually need to die.

"H-help.... me...." Kagome whispered, her face wincing in pain. "It... hurts so much..." Inuyasha instinctively bit his tongue until he tasted blood, and then kissed Kagome. It was also known as the youkai-kiss. It was able to heal humans by transferring the youkai's/hanyou's blood into the human's.

When Inuyasha felt Kagome grow limp, he rose, still holding the jewel. He picked up Kagome, and flew towards the cave he found earlier.


*~*~*


Kagome felt light-headed when she awoke. Then, the next feeling she felt was pain.

"OUCH!" Kagome yelled, sitting up.

"Don't move," A voice from behind her said. She tried as best as she could to turn around to see Inuyasha there, holding something pinkish-red. "That centipede-youkai nearly sliced you up."

"Huh? Where am I?" Kagome asked. "I don't recognize this place."

"Of course you wouldn't. You were unconscious when I brought you here," Inuyasha replied, still watching the pinkish-red object. Suddenly, a memory flashed in front of Kagome's eyes.


-Flashback-

Inuyasha stood there, in Kagome's mind looking quite full of himself. He held a bright pink orb in his right hand. He grinned when he saw it.

"The Shikon no Tama..." he whispered.

-End of Flashback-


"That's... the Shikon no Tama, ne?" Kagome asked.

"How'd you know that?!" Inuyasha asked, stuffing it into his haori.

"You said its name earlier...." Kagome answered. "Before..." She slightly blushed, when she remembered what happened last before she blacked out.

"Before what, wench?" Inuyasha asked, looking at her. "Eh?"

"Uh... um... y'know... before you... kissed me..." She whispered the last two words.

"I didn't kiss you. It's to heal humans," Inuyasha said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Like anyone would want to kiss an ugly wench like you."

"Sit!" Kagome said, sitting up again. "Lemme see the jewel." Inuyasha tilted his head up to glare at Kagome.

"Like hell you--" Inuyasha said, before Kagome sat him again. Wham! "--will..."

"I said, let me see it."

"And I said--" Inuyasha said.

"SIT!" Kagome interrupted.

"Bitch..." Inuyasha said, before finally opening his hand out. (A/n- see, he does learn. After a few dozen sits, o.course!) Kagome reached over, and grabbed the jewel. As soon as the spell wore off, Inuyasha watched the girl twirl the jewel in her hands. He couldn't help but notice that it changed from the dark pink, almost red to a soft pink, nearly white.

"How the hell can you do that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Do what?" Kagome asked. She looked up at him, confused.

"Y-you purified it. Dammit! You're a miko, aren't you?! Dammit!" Inuyasha cursed.

"Huh? I'm a descendant from a miko, but I'm not one."

"Yeah, you are. If you can purify the jewel, you're a miko," Inuyasha replied. "DAMMIT!!"

"What's so wrong about me being a miko?" Kagome asked. "I think it's an advantage." Inuyasha glared at her and then sat down. "Besides, it came out of me, so it should be mine."

"No. Kikyo was giving it to me, so it's mine."

"It came out of me."

"She was giving it to me!" Kagome glared at the hanyou for a moment, and then looked at the jewel again.

"It would make a beautiful necklace..." She muttered. "Why do you want it so bad?"

"It can make me full youkai."
"Why would Kikyo want to give you it for that purpose?" Kagome asked, putting the jewel in her lap.

"She didn't."

"Then..."

"She wanted me to become full human," Inuyasha replied.

"Why?"
"She just fucking did!" Inuyasha yelled. "Now leave me alone, ugly wench." He turned around to leave her alone.

"Fine. I'll go outside then. Are there any rivers or springs around here?"

"Hai."

"Then I'll go take a bath, then. Sayonara," Kagome said, and walked out of the cave. Inuyasha watched her take the jewel with her. He sighed, waited a few minutes and followed.

Hey, he needed to make sure the jewel was okay!


*~*~*


Kagome relaxed in the hot spring, and took out the jewel to twirl it in her hands again.

"It's so pretty... but everyone wants it... why?" She asked herself. She didn't notice two golden eyes watching her intently. "Oh well, I better keep it safe. Who knows what could happen?" She dunked under the water, to rinse her hair, and then stood up, facing a cliff. She got the odd feeling of someone watching her, and she looked up.

Inuyasha was watching her.

"KYAAA~A!!! HENTAI!!! SIT!" She yelled, grabbing her clothes and trying to cover herself.


*~*~*


A/n- Gomen nasai about the wait. I've been grounded and I haven't been in the mood to write until today. Anyway, hope you like this chapter! It's longer than the others!! ^^

Sayonara! Review, onegai?