---------------------------------------- Lost and Found... And Lost Again! ----------------------------------------
Inuyasha was the first one awake the next day. He always was. It was the demon in him, always prepared for battle, never really sleeping, just resting enough to be able to fight the next day. He sat on a limb of a nearby tree, his hands resting in the sleeves of his kimono as he watched over his comrades as they slept. Then suddenly he smelled it in the air.
Demons.
Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and landed softly on the ground. He nudged the monk awake and signaled to him that a demon was coming toward them. Miroku jumped to his feet, his staff in hand. The bangles on the staff clanged melodically as the pair stood ready to defend the rest of their companions against whatever was headed their way.
"What do you think it is," asked the monk.
"I don't know, but it's coming this way… and FAST!" Inuyasha had taken another step forward in anticipation.
"What's coming this way," asked a sleepy Kagome. She stood behind the two men rubbing the sleep away from her tired eyes. "You said something was coming and I wanna know what it is."
"Great, you woke her up monk," snapped Inuyasha as he raised a hand threateningly to Miroku.
"What! No I did not," Miroku said in defense as he took a step away from Inuyasha, just out of reach of his hands.
"Hey, what's going on" asked Sango apparently still tired as she tried to stifle a yawn.
"Great, now everyone's awake," mumbled the hanyou.
"Well, not everyone," replied Kagome as she looked over to her sleeping bag. Shippo was still fast asleep, oblivious to the commotion going on around him.
Inuyasha's ears twitched a little as he put his nose in the air, "The scent… it's fading… it's not coming this way anymore…"
"Or it stopped," finished Sango. "What do you think Kagome?"
But Kagome wasn't paying attention to the demon hunter. Her eyes were focused toward one part of the forest. "Shards… of the Shikon jewel… there are some nearby, and I can feel it!"
Miroku's eyes widened. "Perhaps the demon that Inuyasha sensed is carrying some fragments of the Shikon jewel."
"If it is," began Inu Yasha, "we gotta find it fast before it gets away. Kagome, which way do you sense the shards are at?"
Kagome pointed toward a grove of trees that lay to the south of their camp.
"Alright then, let's get going." Inuyasha grabbed Shippo by the tail and began walking in the direction Kagome indicated.
"Eh… what's going on," Shippo asked sleepily. "Is it time for breakfast already?"
-------------------- Meanwhile, not far from our heroes. --------------------
Akemi had reached a grove of trees and slumped onto the ground wearily. Her chest heaved heavily as she breathed in and out to catch her breath. Her travel through the night had left her tired and weak.
"I have to find Inuyasha," she said to no one. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I rested…for a bit…" Her words trailed from her mouth as the half-fox demon girl's eyes closed slowly. Akemi had fallen asleep for only a few moments before the ground around her began to shake. She jumped to her feet and leapt into a nearby tree, eyeing the ground below her with intensity.
Suddenly the earth broke open to reveal a huge mutated caterpillar. When its mouth gaped open it exposed millions of sharp teeth. It continued to crawl out of the ground, legs sprawling out around it, taking down many trees in the process.
"What… in the world?!" Akemi had never seen a creature like that in her entire life and she had seen MANY things.
"Where are you kitsune," the creature hissed. "I have a message for you from Lord Naraku."
Akemi's eyes widened. So it was Naraku who had sent the demon. She should have known. She dropped down from her perch and faced the monstrosity. "What is it?"
"Sssss… did you think you could escape that easily from Lord Naraku, especially when you carry such," it paused for a moment as it looked at her clenched hand. "Precious cargo."
Akemi pulled them closer to her body. "I will NEVER give them to you or Naraku!"
The creature growled menacingly. "YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!"
The caterpillar like monster lunged at the vixen as she deftly dodged its attack. She sprang away from it quickly and leapt up towards a nearby branch. "Think you can get away from me that easily you wench!?" The demon-spawned messenger grabbed the trunk of the tree within its enormous mouth, biting off a large chunk of wood. The tree wobbled under the strain and finally came crashing to the ground, but not before the kitsune could escape. She pounced onto the ground and rolled away from the creature. Her mind was reeling. She had to do something to stop that creature, and fast!
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"Did you guys hear that," exclaimed Sango as the group headed in the direction of the shards.
"Yeah it sounded like it came from over there." Miroku pointed toward a grove of trees. "Isn't that where Kagome said she sensed the shards?"
Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "It sounds like a battle! Come on, we gotta hurry!"
The hanyou took off ahead of the group while the others mounted the demon-cat Kirara and followed behind him. Inuyasha swiftly leapt through the trees with grace and ease until he finally reached the area of the commotion. He landed quietly atop a branch as he spied the huge caterpillar beast attacking some other demon. His eyes concentrated on the smaller figure darting in and out of danger.
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Akemi couldn't stop moving for a second with that monster attacking her. Its moves were swift and deadly, one wrong step and she would be killed instantly.
"I gotta find an opening for an attack," she thought to herself as the creature lunged toward her once again, this time however it stopped in mid-leap and spat an enormous amount of fluid at her. It caught the fox on her legs and as soon as it made contact it began to solidify.
"Ugh… what the hell is that stuff," she screamed as the monster inched closer.
"It makes it easier to trap my prey and devour them alive!" the creature cackled as it sprang forward for the kill.
"That fox is a goner if she doesn't get out of there quick," Inuyasha mumbled to himself as he watched the caterpillar pin her down with its saliva. Then something caught his eye, in the girl's hand: Shikon shards!
Inuyasha sprang forward and landed deftly at the girl's feet. His sharp claws swiped away the substance that held the girl to the ground. The kitsune sprang away but not before she looked back at her savior. Her green eyes widened as she saw the man who stood before her.
"Inu…yasha?!" Her voice was a mix of confusion and surprise.
The hanyou looked at the vixen for a moment before he realized who she was. "A..Akemi? How…where…?"
"No time for that now," she exclaimed in a rush. "That monster's attacking! Look out!" Akemi pushed Inuyasha out of the way as the monstrous caterpillar attacked their spot. The girl was knocked viciously to the side, barely out of the way of danger. The caterpillar growled ferociously, disappointed at the fact that all he managed to swallow were the bushes that surrounded them.
The agile female rose to her feet quickly. "Now's my chance," thought Akemi as the demon caterpillar seemed to be distracted by the enormous amount of leaves that occupied its mouth. "Foxfire!" A bluish flame escaped Akemi's hands and surrounded the caterpillar.
"FOOL! Do you actually think your fox magic can work against me," bellowed the beast. "I will crush you!" The demon began to rush towards the young kitsune.
"I gotta time this right… 3…2…" Silent plans that were rampaging about in the fox-girl's head.
"AKEMI! Get out of the way," yelled Inuyasha as he ran toward his friend.
"Now!" With that Akemi jumped high into the air and pulled out four kunai blades. "Alrighty then, let's see if this'll work." She threw the kunai blades at the monster just as the caterpillar itself spit out more of its hardening fluid at the girl. The female kitsune couldn't dodge the impending attack and was hit full force by the substance. It covered her whole body this time and as it hardened, Akemi found it hard to breathe, let alone move. She began to fall toward the earth.
"HA," proclaimed the demon spawn. "Those little blades won't stop me!" Its maniacal laughter echoed through the trees.
But during mid-flight the kunai blades lengthened to the size of long swords. As they raced toward their intended target, they increased in speed and pierced the caterpillar through the head and abdomen. The monster writhed in pain as the elongated kunai pinned it to the earth. "Why you… you… bitch…"
The demon caterpillar began to disintegrate into dust, leaving behind only the kunai blades that had already returned to their normal size. Everything had happened so quickly that Inuyasha barely had time to react. And then the rest of Inuyasha's companions reached the area. Kagome noticed Inuyasha sitting on the ground, dazzled by the recent events.
"Inuyasha! What happened?!" She ran towards the half-demon and practically collapsed in front of him, hands upon his knee. "You didn't get hurt did you? Was there a battle?"
"There was a battle… Akemi was here. She killed that demon." His voice was monotone and his eyes gazed blankly ahead.
"AKEMI," exclaimed the others in unison as they stared in amazement at the huge pile of ashes that once had shape and form.
"She was here," asked an excited Shippo. "Where is she now?" The tiny kitsune looked around feverishly trying to catch a glimpse of his new idol.
"Inuyasha… are you sure she was here or that it was even her," asked Sango. "I mean, I don't see anyone else around here."
"No! I know what I saw and she was here!" Inuyasha moved to a crouching position, hands on the ground before him as he pressed his nose to the ground, sniffing wildly. After a few moments he rose to his feet, brow furrowed in worry. "SHE was the one fighting the demon. But I can't find her scent anywhere… it's like she disappeared."