***

Inuyasha lay on his back, staring at the roof, as all the others slept in their room in the temple.

"Feh. I'll never get to sleep. Not knowing she's nearby. I've heard of her. The fabled Tetsusaia. The namesake of my sword. Someone gave her that name in relation to my father. I have to know."

He sat up. In doing so, he stirred Kagome. She opened her eyes and whispered to him so as not to disturb the sleeping Miroku or Shippou.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing still awake? Is it the girl?" Kagome asked.

"That's no girl. It's Tetsusaia. Many demons tremble at the sound of her name. She's just as mighty as I am…even more so. I just can't figure it out though…"

"Figure what out?"

"How anyone could have trapped her like that. It doesn't seem real. She can't have been reduced to a mere temple maiden."

"No offense or anything, Inuyasha, but you're being held by that necklace." She grinned. They were speaking normally now, and still the other two did not waken.

"Of all the-! …Never mind. Still, I just can't see it. How could a mere necklace keep her in limbo all these years? I mean, the last time I saw her was before Kikyo…"

Inuyasha paused at her name. Kagome wasn't flustered, however, so he continued.

"Before I was pinned to that tree. We had a battle, and I came out the loser. Pretty bad scrapes, that time. She cut me wide open with one finger!" Inuyasha recounted the memory.

"Well, now I know where she is."

Kagome made to say something, but though twice.

"What?" Inuyasha inquired.

"It's just that…well…you don't feel sorry for her, do you?"

He was blazing. "It's not like I care about what happened to her! It was her own damn fault for messing up and got caught! Now she'll have to do her time like anyone else!"

"You…do feel bad for her."

Inuyasha couldn't say anything to her after that.

Kagome began talking to herself, then. "So why don't we just let her loose?"

"Let her LOOSE?! Kagome, do you have any idea what she'd do to this village of we helped her get free?! She wouldn't spare us, even if we did save her! What're you thinking?!" Inuyasha yelled.

Miroku and Shippou woke. "What's all the noise about?" Shippou asked.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep, it's none of your business," Inuyasha stated meanly.

Miroku was quick to end the dispute. "We have a right to know what the plans are. I hope you don't mind, Kagome, but I've been awake this whole time. I heard what you said about freeing Tetsusaia, and I don't think it's a good idea."

Shippou sided with Kagome. "Hey, it's not right for a demon to be a slave to a bunch of mean villagers. We should let her go! It goes against everything a demon stands for."

For once, he had a point.

"I guess you're right, Shippou. But what good will it do to get the chain off of her? You heard what the priest said! She's gotta touch that Jewel of the Demons to get her powers back!" Inuyasha proclaimed/

"And she won't get a chance to, I can assure you of that!"

They all turned at the voice. There, in the doorway of the room, was the priest. Enraged at the mere though of their plans, he spat out one last phrase before they all lost consciousness.

"Tetsusaia will never be free, so long as I live. We'll see who saves whom!"