Chapter 8: Deep Thoughts…..and a New Moon

)(Guess who's back! Okie doke, a little info on this chapter. This might put Kouga on the spotlight as a jerk….which he can be at times…..but no fear! That is all part of the plot! HAHAHAH enjoy!)(

Kisa held tighter onto Kouga, for fear of falling off, as he jumped on high cliffs, and bounded off of tree branches. She finally opened her eyes, and laid her head on his shoulder, she blushed. He looked up at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Thanks again. If you hadn't come….I'd almost certainly be dead." She said.

Kouga shook his head, and leapt off of another cliff, Kisa held on tighter. "It was nothing, besides…I should be thanking you. After all it was you who endangered your life to save me." He said, skidding to a stop. He put Kisa down, and she wobbled off, still a little shaky. "They should be coming. I can smell Kagome's scent coming closer."

Sure enough, Kagome and the others came rushing down the steep slope that surrounded the thick and lush forest. Kagome was the first to reach Kisa, however she got sidetracked by Kouga.

"Kagome, I'm so glad you're ok!" he said, pulling her into an embrace.

Kisa raised a brow, and pursed her lips. –No wonder he was so happy that I saved him….so he could see Kagome another time.- She thought resentfully.

InuYasha came over next, clenching his fists. He pulled Kagome away from Kouga. "Will you back up!" he shouted. By the time the two could look back to Kagome, she had already rolled her eyes, and walked over to Kisa.

"Are you alright?" She asked. Kagome took out a small first aid kit, and laid it beside her feet. She rolled up Kisa's shirt, half-way to her stomach, and looked at the gash. "Wow, you really did some fighting."

Kisa nodded, and winced. The pain was still there, when Kagome put her hand to her stomach, to administer the bandage. She looked up at InuYasha. –I guess I should tell him about the shards…he's going to be so angry!- "Um….InuYasha?"

InuYasha turned to face her. "What?"

"Um...well you see while I was taken to Naraku's castle. I sort of ran into Kagura…and she might have stolen the jewels."

"WHAT?!" He shouted, stomping his foot on the ground.

Kisa shuddered, and smiled. "Oops. There was nothing I could do!"

InuYasha crossed his arms. "Great….just great!!"

"Cut it out, InuYasha. Kisa was almost killed because of us!" snapped Kagome angrily.

"Because of US?!" he retorted.

Kisa cut in. "That reminds me, what happened to the kappa youkai?"

"She took off after you were taken to Naraku." Said InuYasha, still cross.

Kisa turned to Kagome to say something, but she was already dressing Kouga's wounds. Kisa stood up, and walked by InuYasha who was staring at Kagome with eyes of a vulture, never blinking.

"So, Kagome, I'm guessing you know how loyal I am, then. More then that mutt, huh? After saving your friend and all." Said Kouga rather proudly.

InuYasha and Kisa both made furious lunges toward him. "WHAT?!"

Kisa moved in front of InuYasha before he could argue…she got the first word. "You saved me? Hah…I think you got it a bit backwards wolf boy! I was the one who saved your sorry butt!" She shouted irritably, blushing a little bit.

InuYasha smirked. "Oh really. Tell us Kisa, what actually happened."

Kouga's face fell, as he saw the malevolent smirk, which creased upon Kisa's lips.

"Hmm…let's see. After I had fallen unconscious, he came to do away with Kagura…getting pretty beat by her. After he was down, I mustered my last ounce of energy, to push Kouga out of the way, and take on Kagura's full attack." Kisa said, crossing her arms.

Kagome looked at Kouga, a little bit disappointed. "Is that true Kouga?"

Kouga nodded. "Yea, she's right. Kagome, you gotta understand though. If I hadn't come when I did, she would have been killed for sure." He said his face innocent.

Kagome nodded her face sincere.

Kisa recoiled shocked by what Kagome did. "You're taking his side?!" she yelled.

InuYasha shook his head, "Welcome, to my world."

"No, but he's right. You wouldn't have had any chance at all." Replied Kagome.

Kisa stared at Kagome open mouthed, upset at what Kagome was saying. –Now I know why InuYasha wanted to kill him…he probably couldn't stand the thought of Kagome taking Kouga's side…UGH! I really don't like him…how arrogant can you get?-

"That's it…I'm leaving." Kisa unhooked her necklace, and walked away back to the village; she handed the necklace to Sango who was closest to her. "You guys can gather the shards on your own…I want to go home." She limped slowly away, not turning back to reply to Kagome's calls.

InuYasha scoffed. "Nice going Kagome, now we'll never the get the friendship part of the necklace."

-------------------------------------

Kisa walked through the jagged terrain of forest, and came upon the well. She bent over it; one hand on the railing, the other gripping her side. She lifted her feet over the surface of the railing, and sat there for a moment. Finally, Kisa jumped in and waited to see the swirling colors of blue, purple, and white. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Kisa landed on her hands, and knees hitting the hard ground. She gritted her teeth, and flinched.

"Great, I can't get through." She cried full of frustration. She felt her neckline. "No. I wasn't thinking, and I gave my necklace to Sango!" Kisa stood up furiously, and wiped small tears which were forming in her eyes. "DAMMIT!"

Kisa climbed out from the well, with suffering. She walked solemnly through the thick trees, and stumbled from time to time clumsily over roots, trunks, and rocks. The sky was now becoming darker, and the birds began to scatter to their havens of warmth; while Kisa shivered, wrapping her arms around her shoulders to keep warm. She looked up at the sky, the moon wasn't there, that only meant it was the start of the moon's new cycle, and tonight was the new moon.

Kisa walked into the small hut, which belonged to the village priestess Kaede. She sat down by the small fire, and hugged her knees to her chin, waiting for Kagome, InuYasha, and the others. Kisa sighed, hearing footsteps coming from outside. She saw Sango and Miroku walk in first, both smiling at her. Kagome, and Shippo walked in next, and Kagome sat down next to Kisa.

"Hey." She said softly, "I'm really sorry, about earlier. I didn't mean to make you upset. "

Kisa put a hand up in objection. "It's alright Kagome, I understand."

Kagome smiled, and kicked off her shoes. Kisa noticed that InuYasha hadn't walked in; she shrugged it off however, and watched as the three crawled into their sleeping corners, and got comfortable. Kagome had laid down a sleeping bag and a crisp blanket, but Kisa did not feel sleepy. Her mind was not tired, though her body ached with pain all over.

Kisa stood up, and decided to take a short walk. She moved the drapery from the door, and walked outside. A man was sitting by a small fire a few feet away from the hut. She walked closer to him, and then stopped. Something felt peculiar. –Why does he have the same kimono as InuYasha…yet his hair is black, and he has no dog ears, or fangs.-Kisa walked closer to the man. She tapped him on the shoulder. The man turned around.

"AAAHHH! Who are you?" she screamed.

The man covered her mouth. "Shut up! You're gonna wake up the whole village!"

"InuYasha?" Kisa said her voice muffled through his hands.

InuYasha nodded. "Yeah."

Kisa blinked. "You look like a human... Why?"

InuYasha sighed, "Because I'm only half demon…on some nights…such as the moonless nights, I lose my demonic powers." He explained his voice annoyed.

Kisa nodded. "Oh. So you don't sleep when you're human…or what?"

InuYasha shrugged. "Guess not. Why are you up anyway? Shouldn't you be resting your wounds?"

Kisa scoffed. "Oh please. I can't sleep. I need time to think; besides that damned wolf is part of the reason why I'm so upset!"

InuYasha chuckled. "Join the club."

Kisa shook her head, and sat down next to InuYasha in the grass. She sighed. "I mean have you ever met anyone so…arrogant…so rude!" she said crossly.

InuYasha smirked. "Oh, he couldn't have been that bad if he made you blush like that."

Kisa felt her ears go red, and her face turn hot. "W-what? Blush? Who would blush because of that Kouga?"

"You apparently; don't deny it. I saw your face when you argued with him, you got so close to him that your face flushed red!"

Kisa covered her ears, closed her eyes, and shook her head. "I can't believe this! So what it didn't mean anything!"

InuYasha laughed. "Right!"

Kisa opened her eyes, and dropped her hands. She narrowed her brows, and grinned. "So what about Kagome? Every time you're around her, you get this goofy looking grin." She imitated InuYasha, by pursing her lips, and contorting her face, her eyes squint.

InuYasha crossed his arms, and frowned. "That's a stupid imitation; I don't do that at all!"

Kisa laughed. "Sure you don't!"

The crickets chirped happily through the night, and everything was silent and still. Kisa shifted her position where she sat, and stared into the burning flames of the fire. Wolves howled in the night, and owls hooted their mischievous tunes. InuYasha blinked, trying to stay focused on something, but nothing in particular. Kisa looked up at him, his face was in deep thought, and he would sigh once in awhile. A breeze drifted over the two, and made the hairs on their necks stand on end.

"So, InuYasha, why do you want the sacred jewel so bad? I mean after all you were pinned to a tree for fifty years, after trying to steal it." Asked Kisa who was now staring down at the ground.

InuYasha blinked a few times, and hesitated before answering. "As if you hadn't noticed, I'm only a half demon! I wanted the jewel to become a full fledged demon!"

Kisa looked at the fire, her face withholding no emotion. "Why though? You're already strong. Besides being a half demon can't be that bad."

"Yea, how would you know? Half demons are never accepted. Not by their human race, nor their demon race. We're outsiders." He snapped.

Kisa sighed, and put a hand to her chest. The breathing hurt….everything did. She lay back in the grass, and stared up into space. Watching as the stars twinkled brightly down at them. "InuYasha? What are you thinking about?"

InuYasha crossed his arms tighter over his chest in irritation. "What's it matter to you?"

Kisa shrugged. "I guess it's none of my concern….I was just curious."

InuYasha scoffed. "So, are you planning on staying here for awhile, then?" He asked.

Kisa nodded. "I guess so. I mean…I would like to know more about the jewel, and about why I was meant to hold part of it in my possession."

InuYasha didn't reply. He sighed deeply, and looked the opposite way, staring blankly into the forest. He wanted something to break his train of thought just for one minute. It wasn't the fact that he wanted another fight, but more of the fact that he wanted to stop Kisa from making him think so deeply. Kagome had done it many times before to him, asking him why he wanted the jewel so badly. After Kikyo was deceived into killing him, did he really intend to actually become a full blooded demon? Even he didn't know anymore. InuYasha looked back at Kisa.

"What would you do?" InuYasha asked.

Kisa turned on her side, and laid her arm over her head. "What? You mean if I was in your shoes?" -InuYasha nodded- "Well…it depends. I would have to choose for a very special reason…but maybe Love is the most important of all. If I truly wanted to be with someone, who was either demon or human…, I would change in a heartbeat for them." Kisa replied, staring off ward beyond the village.

InuYasha fixed his eyes on Kisa. It was amazing. This girl, who he had known for merely a day or so, was telling him exactly what he needed to hear. He was stunned by her answer, and for once…he felt terrified of a human. This girl with her words was frightening to him, because even though he did not know her, she made him feel safe, she made him feel open. –Maybe… - he thought –just maybe, she was right about Kagome…maybe I do get a goofy looking grin when I'm around her. Do I…do I love Kagome?-

Kisa looked to InuYasha, and smiled. "That probably sounded corny, huh?" she asked.

InuYasha shook his head. "Nah…it was deep."

Kisa sat up, and brushed small blades of grass off her tattered clothes. She yawned stretching her arms, and feet. Kisa stood up, and sighed. "Well I'm off to Bed. Good-night, InuYasha!"

InuYasha nodded. "Good-night."

Kisa walked to the small hut, and pulled back the small blanket covering her mat. She kicked her shoes off, and crawled underneath the cover. She laid her head on her hands, and stared at the ceiling. She put a hand to her wound, and rubbed it. She stopped. Something wasn't right, her wound didn't hurt anymore. It felt as though it had gone away. Kisa pushed back the cover, and lifted her shirt over her wound….it was gone! Kisa stared at the bandage, and saw the blood was gone, as well as the gash; Kisa stroked her hand over it, and then shook her head. What was going on?