Hope Lies Hidden

Chapter 3- A Sudden Attack

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Akina looked out over the beautiful village that spread out below her, fading into the surrounding forest on all distant sides. It was so different from the modern day Tokyo…yet there was a strange familiarity to this feudal age of Japan. She sighed after a moment and turned to go back inside of Kaede's hut. Everything had been so confusing since she had dropped through the well…

But despite all the wonderful people she had met so far, and all the kindness she had been treated with, she was still unhappy. There was still an ache deep in her heart…she placed a hand over her mother's necklace unconsciously, entering into the interior of the hut.

"What bothers ye child? You look as if you are troubled." Said Kaede, looking up from her seat as she spoke.

Akina snapped out of her stupor, and smiled lightly at the old warrior. "No Kaede, nothing is bothering me."

"Do not try to hide it from me child…something is upsetting ye. Come, sit here and tell me about what troubles your heart."

Akina clutched at the necklace even harder, and was about to give her stunned reply when Sango leaned in the door.

"Akina! Kagome has gotten Inuyasha to agree to let you travel with us…"

Akina smiled at her and nodded. "That is wonderful. I am glad to hear it."

Sango looked her up and down for a moment, and then asked, "Would you like to join Kagome and I in the hot springs for a bath? We already have Miroku's assurance that he will not try to come and oogle at us…"

She smiled at her even more broadly, and quickly agreed to her suggestion. "Bye Kaede!" she called as she left with Sango down to the hot springs.

Kaede just watched her leave, in quiet contemplation for a moment. "I wonder what could have happened to that poor child to cause her so much pain…" she muttered to herself as she returned to her work.

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Kagome sank into the hot springs, grateful for the warm water that washed over her body. She knew that this could be the only bath that she would be able to take for a few days, so she was going to enjoy it. She opened her looked over at the sound of Sango's excited voice, wanting to see what she found so interesting.

"Oh, Akina, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, holding a jeweled necklace that she was wearing in her palm. "Where did you get it?"

Akina gave Sango a saddened look, but smiled all the same. "It was my mother's…she's dead." She supplied rather bluntly.

Both Kagome and Sango looked at her, shocked. So that's why she's so sad all the time… thought Kagome, recalling the troubled look in her eyes the day she had met her. She's in mourning for her mother…

"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Sango, saddening at the revelation. "I know how hard it is…" She turned away and slid into the spring, taking off her towel as she did. "I lost my younger brother, Kohaku, not long ago as well."

"It's not easy, but I still manage." Akina said with a slight laugh as she too entered the hot springs.

"We all have to, I guess, I mean, everyone we know has lost someone…" said Kagome. "I mean, you lost you brother, Miroku lost his father, Shippo lost his too, and Inuyasha lost Kikyo. We all have to deal with loss at some point…"

"Yeah," sighed Akina, "But it doesn't mean I have to like it."

Both Sango and Kagome laughed, and Akina soon joined them. It was a good way to fight of the melancholy of the subject.

Kagome leaned back, her eyes closed, enjoying the other women's company, and the relaxing qualities of the hot spring…she definitely needed to relax after her last argument with Inuyasha…

She could feel Akina shifting in the water for a moment, muttering something about not wanting to get the stone wet as she did. Kagome could hear her removing her necklace…

It was as if lightning had just struck her, shaking her whole body to the core. Out of nothing, she could feel the presence of a jewel shard, and the shard was close…She sat up; her eyes open wide as she did.

"Sango there's a…"

"Shard of the Shikon Jewel." She finished for her, staring at the necklace that now lay on the rock next to Akina. And Akina was staring as well.

The jewel in the necklace, entwined in gold thread, was now sparkling with an inner light that had not been there before. It was dazzling to see up close, for it was one of the few completely pure pieces of the shard, clean of all hate, and free from any kind of taint.

"How could we not tell before?" asked Sango quietly. Kagome just shook her head in disbelief. She stared at the Jewel Shard. There was no way it could have gone undetected…unless…

"Akina, pick the necklace back up." Said Kagome, edging towards her. Akina put her hand over the jewel for a moment, then picked it up. Almost instantly the Jewel's presence was gone, as if it had never been there at all…Kagome looked up at Sango, a feeling of complete confusion coming over her.

"What does this mean?" she asked quietly, her shock obvious.

"I don't know." Relied Kagome, now turning her gaze upon a wide eyed and startled looking Akina. "I just don't know…"

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Inuyasha sat with legs and arms crossed, his back up against a tree, the Tetsaiga resting on his shoulder. He was as alone as he could get in the village, as he had gone slightly off the path on the way to the hot springs. He would not spy on the girls, but he wanted to keep close in case anything happened. He didn't think he could ever forgive himself if something happened to Kagome…he had already lost one woman he loved, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing another one.

He could hear the girl's laughter. He smiled slightly as he leaned back further, his eyes closed, picking out Kagome's laugh easily. Sure, he acted tough to keep face around the other members of the group, but not to far below the surface he didn't know what he would do without her…

He sat peacefully for a moment, enjoying the cool breeze, when a rustling in the woods behind him caught his attention, drawing him out of his thoughts.

"What the…?" he muttered, looking over his shoulder to see what was causing the noise. He did not see anything, but the noise was growing louder…and he was beginning to catch the scent of a demon…

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Kaede took the necklace from Akina, examining the shard carefully as it began to glow.

The girls hadn't even waited to finish their bath before running to see her, all three of them were still wrapped in towels and soaking wet. Granted they had their underwear on, but they were still wrapped in towels, nonetheless.

"Aye, it is a piece of the Jewel, but why its presence disappears in Akina's hands I do not know." She said, still looking it over. After a moment she looked up and returned the jewel to Akina, where it immediately lost its glow, and looked just like a normal jewel.

"Ye might be able to use this to your great advantage Kagome, for if this child can hide the presence of a Jewel Shard, ye might be able to hide the Jewel from all those you do not wish to have it…"

Kagome nodded mutely, then turned to look at Akina, who was staring at the Jewel in her hand. She looked up curiously at Kagome, a look closely akin to astonishment in her eyes.

"Kagome…would you happen to be talking about the Shikon no Tama? The Jewel that was protected from the demons of the land by the Priestess Kikyo?"

All of the occupants of the room turned to stare at her.

"How would you know about that?" asked Kagome, thoroughly surprised. She had never told her about the Jewel, or Kikyo except in passing…how did she know?

Akina opened her mouth to reply when Inuyasha's loud shout cut her off.

"Look out!" he exclaimed…

Not a moment later the room of the hut crumbled in with an almighty rumble, and directly above them hovered a demon, which was ready to strike again…

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