Ch. 5 What else?

It has been a few days since Asami and Sumie have joined the group, Inuyasha is still not happy with the idea, thinking that more people will only slow them down, Kagome of course is overjoyed to have more friends along with them on their journey.

Today they are walking along a road when they see a young girl running from the woods just ahead of them in fear as though she's running from something that is chasing her, she see the group and runs towards them for help. She collapses when she reaches them and can barely speak while she is trying to catch her breath; Kagome is comforting the girl when a large bear demon comes from the forest and heads their way. The girl then explains that her village has been plagued by this demon for months, it comes each night taking another young girl from the village as its supposed mate, though they never return and why does he need so many? Inuyasha pulls Tetsuiga out and stands in battle mode while Miroku and Sango follow his lead Kagome, Asami and Sumie take the girl to safety on Inuyasha's demand. "Damn, I'm in no mood for another set back you friggin' bush pig, now get out of my way!!" Inuyasha yells at the demon that's now charging for him and thrashes a good swing at it, totally unfazed the bear is still charging but charging now for the girls. "Kagome!!!" Inuyasha yells to her to warn her, but before she can react the bear has plowed over her and is chasing the girl down the road.

"Dammit, Kagome are you alright?" Inuyasha yells as he come rushing to her side, she moves slightly coming around after her small bout of unconsciousness, "Yeah, I'm ok." She weakly to him, but then adds "That demon has a jewel shard in its chest." "Well you should have told me that before." Inuyasha tells her sternly, as he gets up to follow Miroku and Sango after the bear yelling behind him "Shippou take care of Kagome." Shippou nods and helps Kagome to her feet and as he is walking her towards a near by tree she screams "Inuyasha!!" When his sight finds the reason for the outburst he see him laying on the ground with bear about to attack him once again, before he can stop her Kagome rushes out to the clearing taking out an arrow and aiming she yells "Get away from him you piece of crap!!!" The bear turns to her and starts in her direction when she lets her arrow fly hitting the target it was intended, the bear then rears up in pain and falls over convulsing, finally dissipating leaving only the jewel shard to its proof. Running to Inuyasha she kneels down next to him, and taking his head in her lap she pleads to him "Inuyasha? Inuyasha are you ok? Oh please be ok Inuyasha."

With this a few tears of fear and worry stream down her cheeks when a familiar voice is heard "I'm fine Kagome; there's no need to cry." Inuyasha says in a pain filled voice, "Oh Kami I thought you I lost you." Kagome said as she hugged the battered Hanyou to her, crying even harder. Inuyasha, taken back by her reaction puts his arms around her and strokes her back slowly, "I'm ok Kagome, Please don't cry, please." He whispers his feeling very evident in his voice, Kagome quiets and pulls out of the embrace, looking at him with a smile "I'm so glad your ok, I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you." The two lock gazes for a few long seconds and feeling everyone's attention on them Inuyasha replies "Feh, I'm fine, it's gonna take more than measly demon like that to take me out." In a much more Inuyasha style cocky voice, but he was smiling at her, he couldn't help the feeling he had knowing that she'd been so worried about him and had even cried. As the two stand up Sango walks up to the couple and hands Kagome the Jewel shard that had been in the bear, "Here, you forgot this I think." She said to her friend with a knowing smirk on her face, Kagome blushes slightly and takes the shard, adding it to the small jar she has and their already mounting collection of shards. "Oh thank you, thank you so much." Everyone is reminded that the young girl is still in their presence, "You're very welcome, what is your name by the way." Miroku asks "My name is Aki; I am from the village that is just past those woods there." She tells them as she points in the direction she had ran out of only moments ago.

"Well we'll take you back to your village." Kagome says as she picks up her back pack but drops it again when the pain in her shoulder is too strong to bare the bag, Inuyasha walks up beside her and takes from her, "We should have that shoulder looked at." He tells her in a soft, concerned voice, as he shoulders the bag himself, and they all set off towards the girl's village. Upon their arrival many of the villagers come out to see the newcomers, when they recognize the young girl the rush to her asking mounds of questions "What happened? How did you escape the demon?" "These kind people helped me, they killed the demon, and he is no longer going to plague our village." She said happily, nodding to the group, when the villagers take in the group they notice Inuyasha's distinct features, "A demon helped you?" one villager asked as he stared at Inuyasha, "Yes he did and so did his friends, though Kagome here, and Inuyasha were injured, can we have them taken care of?" Aki asked of her fellow villagers reassuring them that the demon was friendly and had in fact saved her along with the young Miko. "Yes, yes come with us."

After seeing them off and thanking them once again, Inuyasha and the others start on their way again, their injuries not at all binding. Inuyasha catches a familiar scent and takes out Tetsuiga without a word, when he finally turns to his friends he only says one word "Kagura." The others get ready for battle when they see the infamous wind sorceress approaching, her usual placid smile, "To what do we owe this gracious visit?" Inuyasha asks hatred stabbed through the heart of is words, "My, my Inuyasha, you act as though you are not happy to see me." She smiles darkly and pulls out her fan; though she does not open it she raises her voice and says "Get them." Just then a huge lizard demon, and a smaller demon appear, they attack almost suddenly, While they all battle on, each one gets injured and unable to fight, though Kagome has gone to a semi safe spot, the lizard demons tail finds her knocking unconscious, seeing this and fueling his rage Inuyasha strikes a blow of Kaze no Kizu from Tetsuiga destroying the two demons and barely missing Kagura, 'Dammit.' She thought to herself as she pulls the small feather out of her hair and is gone before anyone can think twice. Inuyasha surveys the scene, seeing Miroku and Sango unconscious a few feet away, and he then searches out the rest, Shippou has found the same fate Miroku and Sango, while Sumie has an injured leg, He

Then goes to Kagome's side making sure that she is ok, "Dammit." He said, seeing Asami approaching him with a worried expression on her face, "I think she'll be fine, but we have to get everyone back to Kaede." Inuyasha tells her in a rough voice, just then the wind picks up and a familiar voice is heard through the air "What's this? I see that your human companions are injured Inuyasha." Sesshomaru says unemotionally as usual, "What the hell do you want?" Inuyasha spat at his as he hands Kagome to Asami, walking towards his older brother. Asami takes Kagome and lays her close to a bush, along with Sumie and Shippou, though Shippou has come to by now, he is scared and worried about Kagome, "You stay here with her, ok Shippou?" Asami tells him, he nods and she runs back to where she left Inuyasha, the two are in a battle, Asami takes out her Shuriken and calls to Uuri, as the horse runs by her she grabs a hold of his mane and jumps on to his back, the already large horse begins to transform into his demon self, he is a little bit larger than Kirara in her demon form, and now has red eyes, the same flames around his hooves and fangs (Yes fangs, I know that sounds dopey, but hey he's a demon, what would a demon be without fangs right? Just go along with it) as he runs sparks fly from his hooves as they make thunderous pounding on the ground.

Sesshomaru sees her before Inuyasha does and jumps from her path, though she has already released her star and called out it's name to transform it, barely missing him, but not without taking a souvenir from the dog demon, lopping off a large chunk of his long silvery hair.(No, not his hair!!! Not his beautiful hair, WAHHHHHH!!!!! Oh the treachery, the murderous deed. * SOBS* ......Ok, I'm better now....HEHE) Sesshomaru looks from the girl to the now clump of former mane on the ground beside him; he smiles "Ah I see that you have enlisted the help from another human wench, does she catch your fancy as well little brother?" He asks snidely. Flinging a blow from Tetsuiga at him Inuyasha growls in response, Sesshomaru easily dodges his efforts and then slashes at him with his poison claws, just before the blow struck Inuyasha a silver object caught his eye, Asami's star flew between the two cutting into Sesshomaru's claws, leaving them worthless. Sesshomaru stares at the girl in shock, snapping his whip at Inuyasha and knocking him backwards on his back a few feet and he exits in his normal fashion. Inuyasha looks up to see his brother departing and then looks to the girl that had just saved him, she was putting her star back into the small pouch that hung at her side, Uuri was transformed and standing at her side. Asami then walked to his side and offered a hand, still a little in shock he took it and as they stood there the realization dawning on them both. "Thanks." Was all Inuyasha could muster at the moment, "No problem, just helping a friend." Asami replied, though that was all they said before they went back to the others, it was all that was needed, Inuyasha had gained another friend and Asami had seen the good in a demon.

After a few days of recovery at Kaede's and Kagome was once again well, Shippou had filled her in on the events while she was unconscious, she smiled, "They actually helped each other?" She asked, the kit nodded and she smiled at the thought. Wondering what behaviors would follow this strange display, as the two talked quietly about the details of the battle, walking with the rest of the group back on their journey to find more shards and traces of Naraku. A few hours of walking found them at a village that