Chapter Eight: Mistress Centipede

"Hey you guys! Wake up!" Inu-Yasha slowly opened his eyes. Shippo was jumping on top of him.

Sleeping next to him was Kagome. She woke with a yawn.

"Inu-Yasha! Why were you sleeping next to me?"

"As I recall from last night, Inu-Yasha, you climbed in bed with her," reminded Shippo.

"That was only because I wanted to make sure you were safe the rest of the night. If I were to leave you alone, there's no doubt Sess-houmaru would come back to get the jewel."

"I hardly doubt that was the reason," mumbled Shippo.

"Shippo, shut your mouth."

Meanwhile, Kaede and Miroku were outside of the hut.

"I told you they were falling for each other," remarked Kaede. "It's just too obvious."

"I have to disagree, Kaede. They are still fighting more and more each day."

"You're looking to shallow into the problem. Remember where the problem originated, Miroku? It started with Inu-Yasha sleeping with Kagome. Don't you see? The reason why Inu-Yasha slept with Kagome was that he is in love with Kagome. Though, he denies it. "

"You're right," admitted Miroku.

"So now you see that deep inside their hearts, they have an undying love that needs to be let out."

"They need to realize it though. There's not much time. The New Year is in three days. Kagome must make her decision soon."

Kagome ran out of the Infirmary hut. "I can't believe him!"

Miroku and Kaede gave each other a doubtful look.

Suddenly, a centipede-like demon erupts out from the ground. Shippo and Inu-Yasha dashed outside.

The demon landed on the ground right in front of Kagome. "Give me the Jewel of Four Souls!"

Kagome is clouded by memories. Memories of the day she was brought to this world…memories of pain.  She just stood there, traumatized by what was before her. The demon seized Kagome and started to run away.

"Mistress Centipede! Let Kagome go, or else!" Inu-Yasha shouted to the demon.

"I don't think I can do that," replied the centipede lady. "She has what I want, what I crave…the Shikon Jewel!" In a flash, Inu-Yasha flew over to the fiend and slashed her with his claws. Mistress Centipede dropped Kagome to the ground as she was sliced into pieces.

Inu-Yasha ran over to Kagome. "Are you okay?"

Kagome rubbed her head. "Yes, I think so." She tried to sit up, then felt a sharp pain in her side. "Ouch…"

"Kagome," Kaede said, walking over to her on her cane. "Come with me." She helped Kagome stand up and walk over to the Infirmary.

Inu-Yasha walked over to the Mistress Centipede's dead corpse, and Miroku followed.

"It seems that shard number two came to us, hehe," joked Inu-Yasha.

"Only one more to go," implied Miroku. "But this time…Naraku's got it…"

"This one won't be easy…" Inu-Yasha observed.

"That's why I want to give you this." Miroku pulled out a long, thin, rusty sword from his cloak. "I found it in the deep of the forest one day when I was taking my daily walk." He handed it to Inu-Yasha.

"It looks like a cheap piece of junk. I mean, it's all rusty…it looks like it would just break if I tried to use it." Inu-Yasha sliced it through the air. He placed it by his side, and walked into the Infirmary, where Kagome's wounds were being treated.

"She really took a bite out of you, didn't she?" said Kaede.

Inu-Yasha put his hand on Kagome's shoulder. "How are you doing?" he said, looking at her, lying on the bed with bandages around her waist.

She looked up at him, and smiled. "I believe I'm alright."

Inu-Yasha knelt down to her, and Kaede walked out of the room.