Disclaimer: Inu yasha and his group are not mine, but Jena and Zirik are. anyone uses them, i'll hunt them down with a trusty katana!

Last time: Miroku reunites with Sango and her brother. After assisting a supposed hanyou named Zirik fight off three tiger demons equipped with jewel shards, they all agree to travel together for a while. Sango and Miroku to give the shards to Inu yasha, Zirik to find his friend, who suppossedly had to fight another tiger demon. (Gee, wonder who that is. Can't you tell?)

Chapter 4: Catching up. Jena and Zirik Speak

"THAT GIRL IS FROM YOUR TIME?!?!?!?" Inuyasha was wide jawed. The trio had decided to stay where they were so that they could check Jena and make sure she wasn't hurt seriously. Inuyasha and Shippo were a little confused when Jena treated Kagome like she was an old friend. Both girls thought it best to explain how they met first. They met not too long after Jena had moved. After bridging the language gap, they had become good friends with Kagome's friends and each other. "That just doesn't make sense. We have tried, but we haven't been able to bring Sango or the others from this time to Kagome's and vice versa. Did I use that right? So how in all the hells are you able to?"

"What are you asking me for, it wasn't my fault that I fell into the well into the first place." Jena was giving a bit of an attitude to Inuyasha. Apparently she couldn't get used to him like Kagome has just yet. Kagome sighed as the two yelled, while she busied herself with bandaging Jena's wound.

"Um, Jena, perhaps we should figure this out by first telling us how you fell into my well in the first place." Kagome looked at her friend. "I've been wondering what did happen to you when you never came to school that day on."

Jena looked a little sad when Kagome spoke. "It wasn't a good night at all after the good time we had that day. My mother wasn't who you thought she was, as was I. We were both demon slayers, and..."

"DEMON SLAYERS!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha was clearly shocked. "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU..."

"Inuyasha, either quiet down or I WILL use that word." That shut the hanyou up, he really didn't want to meet dirt again. "Please, continue."

"Anyway, my family has been one that focused on demon slaying since before this time. More demons have survived up to the days of Tokyo than any of you may realize. Warriors at birth, we trained to slay any demon that gets in our way. But, bearing the name of 'Knight' and earning the title of Slayer has its prices. My grandfather was bitten by a dog demon as a kid, somehow making him a hanyou at night."

"That's interesing. But what's that got to do with you falling through the well?"

"I'm getting to that, dog boy! His curse passed to my mother, then myself. For my mother, her anger fueled her blood and made her a hanyou without her binding katana. I was lightly effected, not revealing any demon parts, but showing above human senses and strength. After that last day we had together, Kagome, a demon attacked my home. My mother killed it, but...."

**Flashback**

I watched as my mother battled the demon. A full bred wolf against my hanyou mother. She had lost her sword, so she was fighting it with her hands. With a yell, she ripped off the demon's head with her claws.

"You got him. I wish I were as good as you." I had spoken too soon, my mother emitted a low growl of anger from her throat. When she turned around, I was afraid. Her eyes had changed to that of a cat's, with the whites turned blood red. Marks that weren't on her cheeks before now surfaced, blood dripped from her lip as her fangs pierced her lips. She advanced towards me, the look in her eyes telling me that I was next to die. A wolf demon pounced through the window and landed on her. She snapped back to herself for a monent. She knew that she was losing the ability to control herself, I could see it in her eyes. They kept changing from the eyes of a caring mother to those of a soulless killer. She looked at me. "Jena..... get out of here,....... NOWW!" She roared again as her demon side took her over again, attempting to kill the damned creature.

I didn't waste a minute, I ran out of that house as fast as I could. I ran somewhere, anywhere, anyplace that was away from that horrid creature. I didn't pay any attention to where I went. I ran down many streets, followed by a flight of stone steps. When I finally stopped on top of the stairs, I realised where I was. I was at Kagome's house. I didn't have a clue how, but I guessed that I unconsiously thought that this would be the safest place to be.

Then I heard the growl behind be. I looked behind me and saw a pair of red eyes, just before I felt the claw sink into my chest. "NoW..... yOu...... DiE." It was my mother, her demon form had taken over. She was bleeding all over, meaning she was barely able to beat the last demon, especially if he had friends. My consiousness began to fade. I realised just then where she had clawed me, she had damaged my heart. Blood gushed out of the wound as another demon jumped onto her and attacked. She thrusted her claws upward with such strength, I felt myself flying in the air. Then I felt the hovering sensation as gravity caught me, then dragged me down to earth. My consiousness completely faded as my back went through the roof of a small building, followed shortly by the splintering of wood as something gave way.

**End Flashback**

"Honestly, I think I was flung into the well when my mother sent my body in the air. I don't even remember falling in." Jena's eyes widened. "Kagome, was my mother alright? Did she survive?"

Kagome's expression changed from surprise to sorrow. "She didn't. Next morning, when I woke up, I saw blood all over the grounds. It led to the Bone Eater's well, where I saw a dead man and your mother dying. She was too far dead to hear or notice me, but she was back to her human form and was crying. I think she was crying for you, believing she had killed you." She looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Jena's eyes shifted to that of sorrow as well. "I should have known." Tears started to drip down her cheek. "I guess, in the end, she realised that she was going to die, and that she had failed to protect me." Her tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"Wait a minute," Inuyasha was looking concerned for once. "You said your mother clawed your heart. If that's true, you should have died then and there."

Jena looked at him, the tears still coming silently. "I know I should have died, but I didn't. That is because a demon saved me. I owe him my life for what he did for me, and I have stayed by his side...as his friend."

"ACHOOOOOOO!" Zirik rubbed his nose as he followed the path that laid before him. In a little while, he would meet this 'Inuyasha and Kagome', give them the shards they found, then be off to find the only girl that truely wished to stay with him.

Miroku wispered to Sango. "I bet someone is thinking about him. I've never seen a hanyou sneeze before. Now if only you knew how much I have thought about you." His hand started to reach for her butt again. He caught himself and grabbed it by the wrist, to ensure it didn't do what it normally did. "Bad hand, bad hand. You know what happens to your master when you do that. Bad hand, leave her ass alone," he thought.

Sango glared at him, not noticing the attempt to stop the perverted hand. "Knowing you, it was just so you could touch me again." This sparked the beginning of another argument, although it was much milder than InuYasha and Kagome's.

Kohaku just stared at his sister, before deciding to listen to something instead of yelling. "Hey, Zirik. How about you talk about yourself a while. Who knows how long it will take before they stop arguing or when we'll see Kagome and Inu Yasha."

Zirik turned his head, his one eye looking at Kohaku with a rather emotionless look, before a smile emerged on his lips. "Why not. Guess I'll start with explaining what I really am." He looked at Sango and Miroku, his stare ending their argument. "I know you guys heard me be called a hanyou, but I'm not sure that word best describes me. I'm actually the combination of three different kinds of creatures." Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Sure, they have heard of hanyous and pure breeds, but never heard of a three part breed. "I'm a combination of a dog demon, a human, and a u-chu breed." (A.N.: U-chu means outer space)

"U-chu breed?" Miroku started to think, then he punched his hand as he realized what was meant. "That a rare, yet powerful demon. They are supposed to be able to traverse the stars, yet they were only mentioned as myths."

"Think again, monk. And I'm only a third of what one really is. My father was the U-chu. Pure breed, too. My mother was merely a hanyou dog human that mated with him. I get most of my reflexes, senses, and smarts from her. My strength, natural armor, and healing properties were from him. You don't have to worry about them, though." He looked down at the path. "They died when I was merely five."

"How old does that make you, roughly."

"In human years, about nineteen. Suits me just fine the way I am. Because I'm U-chu, I cannot be killed unless my body is completely destroyed in an instant or my head is cut off. Meaning if an arrow got my throat, I'll be fine (mostly). But your boomerang there could definately kill me. Not that you'd want to, anyway."

Sango looked at his back. "What do you mean 'not that you'd want to'?"

"Because, killing me would result in the death of my friend. And the same goes if she is killed, which is why I must find her."

Miroku smirked before he spoke. "Sounds like you care for her very much, then. I have read that an U-chu could...."

Kagome, Shippo, and Inu Yasha stared awestruckly at Jena, but Kagome broke the silence. "A DEMON REVIVED YOU BY TAKING HIS HEART AND PUTTING IT IN YOU???"

"You don't need to yell, I'm two feet away from you." Jena stuck a finger in her hear to get rid of the ringing. "That is how I think I'm still alive. But it cursed us both, in a way. You see, if I die, he'd die with me. Same thing would occur if he were to die."

"Feh. Sounds a little stupid to loan one's heart, literally, if it'll just make you much easier to kill."

"SIT BOY!!!"

"OH NO!!" was all Inu Yasha could think before the beads glowed pink, then slammed him face first into the ground.

"I can't believe you'd say something like that."

Jena just stared at the hanyou, who picked up his conversation with 'dirt' where he last left off with his string of swears. "Does that always happen?"

Kagome shrugged. "Whenever he annoys me or threatens one of my friends (or myself, for that matter), I say just that and down he goes." Jena giggled a little at the thought.

Inu Yasha got his mouth off the dirt. "If you weren't her friend right now, wrech, you'd be meeting your demon savior in...."

"SIT." He kissed the dirt hello again. Kagome smiled at Jena. "Sound like you care for this demon quite a bit."

Jena's face turned a slight shade of red. "Well, I am the only true friend he has right now. Both of us have been caring for each other for the past four years."

"Also sounds like he really does care for you, too."

Jena's face turned a shade redder. "I guess so. He did ensure that I still live. Even when were seperated, he still protects me, in a way. The armor you see me wearing is actually fashioned from a demon slayer outfit and pieces of his natural carapace armor."

The group looked surprised and slightly disgusted at the same time from her statement.

Zirik continued to walk down the path, having just explained that his friend would be alright for a while. Miroku gave the same look that Kagome did upon hearing what Zirik had done. Kohaku and Sango were unphased, considering their weapons and armor were often made from dead demons and their remains. "How do you feel traveling with her?"

Zirik merely smiled. "She's actually fine. We got to a rocky start, at first. It turned out she wasn't used to this style of living. She kept saying stuff like 'Where can I find a toilet?' or 'Do you know where I can get soap?' I honestly haven't a clue what those were. We also got into fights as to what we should do."

Sango realized something Miroku didn't catch onto. "This girl, it sounds like she was completely unacusstomed to living in this feudal age. Just like Kagome." She thought this through in her head. "Does that mean she came from Kagome's time? If so, how did she get here? And why?" Sango then spoke to Zirik. "Your almost like Inu Yasha. You really seem to care for this girl, who I assume is a human.

"Was a human is more like it." Zirik looked at the path again. "You see, a couple years ago, we had a little incident."

Kagome lifted her head up. She knew she sensed something. A Shikon shard, one at the very least. But where. Inu Yasha noticed Kagome looking all around, as if searching for something. And that normally meant one thing. He instinctively grabbed the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "I know what your going to say, Kagome. How many shards we talking here?"

"Shards???" Jena looked at them confusedly.

"Three of them, coming this way. They are clustered, so there probably is one demon using them."

"Where???"

"What are you two..."

Kagome pointed. "Over there, but coming a little slower than Koga would." Shippo, who was eating some candy from Kagome's pack, immediately clung himself to her shoulder.

"That just marks down the only demon we know with three."

"What's going on?"

Inu Yasha glared at her. "Stay here. This will be quick."

Jena was starting to worry. "What in the world would tense them up like this?" she thought. "This might not be a good place to..." She suddenly felt a familiar presence, her heart started to beat a little faster than it had since she seperated from her friend earlier. There was no doubt about it, he was nearby. And Inu Yasha may be heading right for him. If he kills him....

"INU YASHA," she yelled, "DON'T KILL HIM." Inu Yasha got confused when he heard this and turned around to face Jena where he was. Kagome was looking at her friend as well, giving Jena a questioning look.

Zirik had just finished telling the trio the story of what was unique about the girl he was looking for. He suddenly felt the pulse quicken in his heart as he neared the line of trees that followed the path up to this point. He was confused at first why his heart did that, until he sniffed the air. "That smell....It couldn't be." That's when he smelled blood, blood that came from the one he was searching for. He stopped where he was and sniffed again, to make sure his senses weren't fooling him.

Miroku walked into him, surprised by the sudden stop and road block that had occured. "Is something wrong?"

"Damn right something's wrong," was all Zirik said before he started to walk, steadily increasing his pace with every step. "She's bleeding." Sango and Miroku started to run when Zirik said bleeding, realizing they would be left in the dust if they didn't move quickly. Plus, if Inu Yasha is in the way, someone's going to get killed.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He sniffed the air again, finding out the smell was coming from just ahead. But he caught a wiff of something else as well. Tiger blood. As well as the sents from three living creatures. "KUSO!!" He sped up even more as he broke through the trees and stopped. Sitting on the ground was Jena, her blond hair shining in the sunlight, blood still visible in it. Her blue eyes had locked onto his green one's, a look of expecting on her face. He sighed in relief, before he noticed the other three. One was a young kitsune, who was clinging onto a girl with raven black hair and brown eyes. He noticed her clothes, which were similar to what he had found Jena in four years ago. He then saw a hanyou, his silver hair also glistening in the sun and flowing with his red clothes. His amber yellow eyes were locked on Zirik as well, his posture noting he was about to draw his sword.

Sango and Miroku made it to the scene without a moment to lose. "Inu Yasha, keep that sword in your scabbard or else you'll hear from us."

The hanyou stared back at the two. "Sango! Miroku! What the hell are you doing?" it yelled.

"Making sure you don't kill two innocents and to give you these." Miroku held up the shards, making sure Inu Yasha could see them. Zirik jumped up high, landing near where Jena sat softly. He looked at her for injuries, especially her leg.

"At least these wound's will heal by tomorrow," he thought. "Hey, did you miss me?"

Jena just smiled back at him and gave him a quick little hug.

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Bah! I had to go all mushy at the end. Maybe this will tell you guys how much those two really care for each other. REVIEWS: if you haven't made one, do so asap. I would like to know how I'm doing on this fanfic. Ideas for later chapters will be appreciated and taken into consideration. Especially with new demon types, I'm damn near out.

Next Chapter: The now reunited groups spend a restful night together, only to encounter a few surprised and an ambush in the morning.