Nikko-chan: I'm feelin' good, so two chapters today. Maybe even two more tomorrow.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. Just Nikkoryu.
Ch. 2: Confusion, Acceptance, and Shadows
The young miko trembled, backing up into the tree. "W-What do you want?" She asked in a shaky voice.
Nikkoryu smirked. "Nothing more than the Shikon jewel about your neck."
Kagome shivered. 'Not another power-hungry demon... Where are you, InuYasha?' "You can't have it!" She said bravely.
The hanyou looked taken aback. "What did you say?"
Kagome swallowed. "I said.. You can't have it. I won't let evil touch the Shard! Not ever!"
Nikkoryu gave her a thoughtful look. "Not even Naraku?"
Kagome blinked. "Y-You know about Naraku?"
The half-demon leaned back against the tree, crossing her arms. "Who doesn't, kid?"
Frowning, the miko spoke again. "I'm not a kid. And just what do you plan to do with your shards?"
'She can see them...', thought the hanyou. "None of your business, little miko."
Kagome crossed her arms. "I'm not little."
Nikkoryu smirked, circling the schoolgirl. "Are you sure..?" She said, in a low, growling voice.
The miko trembled. 'InuYasha... Where are you?'
The half-demon in question bounded into the clearing, Tetsusaiga at the ready. He swung at Nikkoryu, who dodged without any trouble at all. "Who are you?" He asked angrily, flexing his clawed hand.
Nikkoryu smirked, looking at him. "I shall not offer my name to a dog, mutt-face."
InuYasha growled. "I'll make you pay for that!"
Before the inu hanyou could do anything, the familiar shout of 'HIRAIKOTSU!!!' echoed through the forest. The bone boomerang was headed straight for Nikkoryu, who smirked.
"You'll have to do better'n that!" She deflected the large weapon with the sheath of her katana, making it ricochet into a tree.
Sango frowned, as she and Miroku stepped into the clearing with Shippo and Kirara.
Miroku clutched the rosary beads on his hand, but Kagome stopped him. "She has jewel shards, seven of them!"
InuYasha smirked. "Jewel Shards, eh, well I guess I'll just hafta take 'em from her." He focused on the Wind Scar, trying to find it.
Nikkoryu lept into the air, just about to pull out her katana, when two pieces of binding parchment flew at her, landing on her face and side. She was shocked, and fell to the ground.
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She saw only darkness, and succumbed to it, closing her eyes.
(A/N: Ha, I'll bet you thought it was over, but no, I'm nice, so no cliff-hanger, yet.)
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She blinked her eyes, finally able to open them. And the first thing the hanyou saw when she did open them was, surprisingly the young miko.
Kagome smiled. "Good, you're awake."
The half-youkai blinked again. "Wha..."
"You're in the hut of the priestess, Kaede, Nikkoryu-san. After Miroku hit you with those spell sheets, we thought you might not wake up again by the way you fell."
Her thoughts were muddled as she barely listened to the miko talk. 'They helped me? I don't understand...' "Why did you bring me here..."
Kagome stopped, placing her hands in her lap. "Because we all kinda ganged up on you there... You didn't attack first, InuYasha did."
Nikkoryu sat up, finding she was on a mat. "You should have just left me there. That's what everyone else would've done."
The miko smiled. "Then I'm not like everyone else, huh?" She stood up, walking out of the room."
"How's she doin'?" Asked the inu-hanyou as the miko walked out of the hut. Not because he cared about the hanyou's health, just about the jewel shards.
"She'll be fine. I think we startled her more then we hurt her." Kagome sighed.
"Well, since she's gonna be okay and all, can't we just dump her here? Of course, we'll take the jewel shards first."
"InuYasha!! That's stealing, we can't just take the shards!"
He scoffed. "Of course we can. We have every reason to."
She frowned, and he sensed the inevitable. "Why are you frowning like that, Kagome? You're scaring me."
"InuYasha. SIT BOY!"
The thud and anguished screams from the Inu-hanyou could be heard quite clearly from the village, as the taijiya, houshi, firecat, and kitsune were buying supplies. Miroku inwardly winced, knowing the hanyou had probably spoke without thinking again.
Sango on the other hand, tried hard not to smile or laugh at the inu-hanyou's foolishness.
"So, Sango-chan. What do you think of our new... 'acquaintance'?"
She was pulled from her thoughts by the houshi's soft voice. "The wolf hanyou? I don't know, houshi-sama. I haven't even spoken to her. Though I will say it was a bit rash of you to attack first before asking questions."
"Well," The houshi started, "I suppose you are right. It was foolhardy to hurt an innocent, but then again, since we know so little about this woman, who am I to say she is innocent."
Sango frowned, wondering if the houshi had used his all-too-famous 'line' on the poor girl. Though, she doubted it. Even if he was an incurable lech, he did have his manners.
She was broken away from her thoughts a second time when she felt his arm around her shoulders. "Shall we make our way back, Sango, my dear?"
She smiled, when he was like this, she found him quite enjoyable to be around. "Of course."
The two walked back to the hut, happily unaware that they were being followed...