Scroll Three, East Meets West

Kento crawled up out of well, followed by Cye. The two turned back and grasped Kagome's hands and helped her up. She scurried away as Whiteblaze pounced though behind her.

There was a moment of silence when the two Ronins looked down. Ryo and Rowen stood at the bottom of the well, holding on to the rope and staring down at the spot in which it disappeared through the ground.

"Maybe I should go back—" Ryo began when the ground seemed to glow. Rowen yelped in surprise, grabbing his leader back to the small edge that they could still stand on when Lea faded between the times and into the one they had come to. She stumbled forward, landing in a heap on the ground as it stopped glowing.

"Hey, is everything alright down there!?" Kento called.

Kagome looked on nervously. "Maybe I should go the village and get Lady Kaede…" She whispered, seeing Ryo and Rowen drag Lea up and noticing she was bleeding from a gash in her upper arm.

"It's not bad, just broke the surface." Rowen informed. "Come on Lea, lets get out of this hole."

Ryo nodded. "In case Bast can follow us." He stepped back as Rowen pounced up the innards of the well, pursued by Lea. He took one last moment to look around the bottom of the well, when a series of shouts and surprised yells came from above.

"What is that!?" Cye cried as he took cover. Ryo just appeared on the edge of the well, casting his eyes around the clearing as a red and silver blur shot between the trees. Rowen grabbed Kagome and leaped into the branches for safety as Kento and Lea braced for attack.

"Is it a warlord?!" Kento demanded as it started to circle them. There was a sudden flash of steel and then the blur shooting for the both of them, going strait for Lea.

"LOOK OUT!" Rowen shouted.

A second blur, almost the same color, shot from the side, flying into the first. When the two attackers came to a stop, Ryo and a young man went rolling into the brush, grunting and shouting.

"That was…" Kagome gasped as she heard the scratching of claws against armor. "INUYASHA!"

Cye ran into hedge, grabbing up the rusted sword that had been dropped by the attacking man in a red kimono. "Ryo? Ryo!" He called.

Ryo winced as the silver haired man slashed his across the chest with his claws. "Augh…what the hell—" He cried suddenly, smashing into a tree. He looked down to see the four visible scratches in red chest plate. He spotted Cye coming to his aid when the silver haired man in red leaped up and tackled him.

He then reappeared, flashing a toothy smile and then leap away as if he had the powers of a Ronin and back to the well.

"Ugh…what does he want with a rusted sword!" Cye demanded, getting up.

"Don't know!" Ryo groaned. "But he didn't seem to care about us after he finished kicking us around! He's going back to the well!"

Cye shook his head. "Ryo, when he lunged at Kento and Lea—"

Ryo lurched up. "He was going for Lea!" He staggered to his feet and bolted back to the battle.

Kagome gasped when Inuyasha reappeared. He had the Tetsigai in one hand and was prepared to use it. He faced off with Kento and Lea, pointing his sword at Hardrock and then Lea.

It transformed in the Steel Fang.

"Demon!"

Rowen gasped in realization. "LEA! GET OUT OF THERE!"

Kento charged forward, getting between the two as Lea started running. She leaped onto the edge of the well, just as Inuyasha leaped over Kento. She then bolted for cover, running to the edge of the clearing when Miroku's staff cut her off. She back flipped away as it nearly impaled her.

Rowen started forward. Kagome stopped him. "Let them destroy her! She's demon!"

Strata shook his head fiercely. "Lea is human! She isn't a demon. Her family blood was tainted three generations back by a witch!" He informed. "She wouldn't harm a soul, only in self defense!"

"Damn it! SOMEBODY STOP THIS!" Kento shouted as he was held back by Kirara.

Kagome growled at the idea she had to pick Lea's fate. To die at the hands of Inuyasha and Miroku…or let her live.

"Half breed." She whispered. Lea was a half breed.

But more human than demon.

Lea backed away from Miroku and Inuyasha. The two starting to bear weapons. Miroku began to pull the prayer beads from his hand as Inuyasha lunged forward with the Tetsigua. Lea clenched her fists, ready to defend herself. Rowen could feel the negative vibrations come off of her as her aura started to become visible.

"Kagome!" Rowen yelled. "STOP THIS! Now before Lea kills them or they kill her!"

Kagome clenched her fists, confused. "Augh…SIT BOY!" She screamed.

Miroku froze, looking back to see Kagome in the trees with Rowen. Inuyasha smashed down to the ground hard, his prayer beads glowing brightly. Lea started to relax when she slumped against the tree and to the ground.

"Don't hurt her!" Kagome ordered. "She's not going to hurt us!"

Miroku turned back to see Lea catching her breath. Ryo, Cye, and Kento finally darted pass Kirara. Wildfire tackled Inuyasha before he could get back up as Cye ripped the Tetsigua from his clawed fingers. Hardrock rushed pass Miroku to Lea, coming to her aid.

"Are you alright?" He asked in concern.

Lea winced, hugging her arms around her waist. "I…I don't feel so good…"

Rowen and Kagome came out of the trees. The two rushed over to help. "She was going to discharge her negative energy to stop them from hurting her."

Cye nodded. "I sensed it too. Her body must be trying to resist taking that energy back within her."

Ryo wanted to get up and help when Inuyasha struggled under him. "Ugh! GET OFF ME!" He roared.

"I will." Wildfire growled. "When I know you aren't going to take someone's head off!"

Inuyasha snarled. "She's a demon! I have to destroy her!"

"Lea is a human being like the rest of us!" Rowen snapped. Kagome nodded slowly as Miroku came next to her.

"But why does she have a—"

"Lea's family blood was tainted a few generations back." Kagome informed for Rowen. "A witch's blood."

Kento growled. "Yeah. Her grandmother. The witch was a Dynasty warlady, a spy for the forces of the Neither Realm."

Miroku flinched at the word Neither Realm. "There is a monk—" He began, but was quickly cut off. Inuyasha kicked Ryo and Cye back and took up his sword.

Kagome put her hands to her hips. "Don't make me say si—"

Inuyasha sheathed his sword and growled. He sniffed the air and looked pass Ryo to Whiteblaze. "A tiger…" He snarled. "Great…"

Kagome growled. "Enough of this. I'm going to the village!" She stomped pass Miroku and Inuyasha, helped Kento with Lea and started through the forest. Rowen followed quickly behind them.

Inuyasha looked at the two Ronins that were intending to keep their eyes on him. He snarled a little. "Get out of my way!" He snapped, giving Ryo a hard shove on his scratched breast plate. Wildfire instantly took that as a threat, he moved forward to lunged into the half demon when Cye grabbed his leader and held him back.

"No! Ryo!" Cye winced. "Don't do anything rash! For all we know, he might be our only help in finding Sage!"

Miroku blinked at them. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked.

Cye released Ryo and nodded. "Yeah. A friend of ours was captured two days ago by a demon. It came through this well and pulled him in."

The monk frowned a little. "Well then, you came to the right people."

"How the hell is that monster going to help us?" Ryo growled. Whiteblaze seemed to grow tense in agreement.

"His sword, Ryo." Cye pointed out quickly. "If that sword responds to demon blood, then maybe it will help up find that thing that took Sage."

Miroku smiled a little in surprise. "You learn quick."

Torrent blushed a little. "Well…it's nothing really. I just noticed what it did when that…ah…dog?…pointed it at Lea."

"His name is Inuyasha." The monk laughed. He grinned at Ryo and Whiteblaze. "I'd keep that tiger a safe distance away from him."

"He's better stay a safe distance away from me." Ryo muttered and stalked off in the direction everyone had gone. Whiteblaze followed quickly behind him.

Miroku stood with a very blank look on his face. This man really had a tempter, he noted. From the look in his eyes, Miroku mentally added that he should never get on that guy's bad side.

Cye sighed a little in dismay. "Sorry about Ryo. He really doesn't take well to people who try to kill us. Not a very good way to hit things off." He offered his hand to Miroku. "My name is Cye Muri. I'm the Ronin Warrior of Torrent and Trust."

Miroku looked down at the armor plated hand that was extended to him. He reached down, vaguely remembering how Kagome had shown him, and shook it lightly. "I'm the monk Miroku. I hang around here for the little quirks this village has."

"Oh? And what it that?" Cye asked, pulled away his hand.

Miroku flashed a grin. "The view, the people, Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango…the single women…" He winked at Torrent.

Cye blinked several times in disbelief.

This wasn't his average monk.

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AN: Writer's block anyone? I'm knee deep in it. I'm SO sorry it took this long to get chapter three, I just kept forgetting to do a name check on Inu chars since I don't own a single scrap of manga. Just a little foot note: Somebody mentioned Lea appeared in "The Ronins' Return". Yes, she did. I should post finish posting the last 33 chapters of it, but I want to see if it can be published. Anyway, this is a big spoiler note for my whole RW/Ronin Guardian series.