Chapter Eleven

Healing / Jealousy

With his tessaiga ready to inflict a final strike, Inuyasha descended on the giant bear that had appeared before them no longer caring to get any answers. With a tight grip on the blade and both eyes on his quarry the hanyou made to finish off his opponent, but a sudden blur caught the corner of his eye. Seconds later pain exploded into Inuyasha's abdomen. With his strength quickly fading along with his eyesight, Inuyasha regained his grip on his sword and slashed at the demon with all of his might. Although his remaining power wasn't enough to create the Bakryuuha, tessaiga's ultimate attack, it was still enough to send the bear demon flying into the forest.

"Inuyasha!"

Oni had been watching in horror as the bear youkai had somehow fired one of its claws straight into the hanyou's chest. She then saw the power of tessaiga as an energy wave threw the giant bear into the trees behind it. After looking for only a second at where the youkai had landed, Oni's attention was drawn by Kagome's screams.

"Are you ok?!"

"Keh" was all he could manage. Leaning heavily on his demon sword, Inuyasha stood staring at the claw embedded into his midsection. "Don't move it!" he heard Miroku call out to him. This time the hanyou thought it was best to take the monk's advice.

"What can we do?" Kagome was standing by Inuyasha looking a bit green. "Do you feel anything?" This was an absurd question that instantly threw the hanyou into a fit.

"Of course I don't! I already told you that my body is different from yours! I don't fee....Ah!" Miroku had just driven his staff into Inuyasha's foot. "You felt that." he said with a sly smile. "You damn...." but the hanyou didn't get to finish threatening the monk. Oni had stood between them and was looking interestedly down at the claw.

"See something you like?" Inuyasha said sarcastically. Oni surprised him by smiling sweetly and laying a hand on the claw protruding from his chest.

Inuyasha's friends watched in amazement as a light engulfed the hanyou and the youkai from the point where she had placed her hand. It was a brilliant flash that only lasted a second. When everything was back to normal the claw was gone and even Inuyasha's clothes had been mended.

'This must be one of Oni's abilities' The monk thought as he watched the miracle preformed in front of his very eyes. 'She has healing powers.'

Kagome, who had been bothered at first by Inuyasha's closeness to the demon, was now relieved to see that she had healed him and even fixed his himono. Without hesitation Kagome thanked Oni for her help and inspected the hanyou's robes carefully to see how she had done it.

"Keh, you didn't need to do that." Oni looked up at the hanyou, "It's ok, I wanted to." Inuyasha took several steps back at the youkai's statement. 'What? A demon healing me? Me? A hanyou? Hasn't she noticed that I'm a half demon yet?' At a mile a minute thse thoughts poured relentlessly into Inuyasha's head. He couldn't understand why this youkai had helped him with his wound.

"I thought demons hated hanyous..." Shippou closed his mouth tightly at the nudge Miroku gave him. Oni turned to him and smiled sweetly. " It is our own decisions who we hate and who we..... care for. " The youkai dropped her chin onto her chest and hid her blushing face behind the bangs of her hair.

'So I wasn't going crazy? She doesn't hate half demons?'

"Thank you Oni-chan for taking care of my Inuyasha's wounds." Everyone gasped at the strong statement Kagome had just made. Turning towards her they noticed something between a scowl and a smile had formed on her face. "Kagome-chan, maybe we should leave." Sango was pulling at Kagome's sleeve with one hand, but kept her other hand firmly clutched around the straps of the hiraikotsu..... if she knew anything about demons it was that they had very short tempers. Kagome, however, wasn't moving. She stood rooted to her spot and stared at the youkai as if daring it to make a move.

'Her Inuyasha? Surely this human doesn't think she can compete with me.... does she?' Oni stood bewildered at the upset little girl that stood before her. 'Why would she want Inuyasha anyway, she has Kouga.'

"Kagome, let's go."

Kagome came out of her trance and turned to Inuyasha. "But..." Oni took this chance to advance on Kagome slowly, but was stopped dead in her tracks by a fierce growling that came from the hanyou. "You healed me so I don't wish to fight you," Inuyasha explained through gritted teeth, "But if you take one more step towards her I'll cleave you in half, got it?"

Oni's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. Obviously Inuyasha cared a great deal about this girl otherwise he wouldn't go up against a demon that he knew nothing of. She stared at him for a moment, taking in his features. His back was straight and almost arched, his hands were the balled up into fists, the right one in the air and the left one holding the sheath of tessaiga. His silvery hair was flowing sideways with the wind and his loose himono was also fluttering slightly. It was a beautiful sight. A mere hanyou full of such power and confidence. Oni bit her bottom lip and stared at the ground. "I don't wish to fight you either," she muttered, "It's best that you be on your way now. I'll tell Kouga that you've gone."

Inuyasha couldn't help but feel bad for the youkai standing there with her pride at her feet. Demons were supposed to be strong and agile, yet this one seemed to posess powerful emotions and was very docile. What came from Inuyasha next could not have been avoided. "Thanks..... for your help.  And thanks for taking care of Kagome"

"Inuyasha!"  Kagome yelled in frustration but the hanyou paid her no attention.  It was then that Kagome raelized what was wrong.

At the sound of the hanyou thanking her, Oni's life seemed to grow back into her body. Every inch of her body tingled with joy and she resisted the urge to run up and hug the magnificent half demon with all her might. Instead she smiled one last smile at this perfect being and walked back to her cave. With sweet thoughts of her and this demon prince in her head she went back to her cave... floating above the ground in more ways than one.

"Uh, Oni-chan?"  Kagome's voice stopped Oni's plesent walk almost immediately.  She turned gracefully back at the human girl, her hair swirling behind her as she twirled slowly.  "Yes?"  She really wasn't upset with Kagome.  Afterall, someone like Inuyasha was indeed worth fighting for in her eyes so she knew Kagome felt the same way.  " I'm sorr...." but Oni had raised a hand as if to tell her to stop.  "It's ok.  I understand.  Kagome-chan, you have a very powerful demon by your side that would give his own life to keep you safe.  I can see it in his eyes and I can hear it in his voice.  Take very good care of him, there aren't any others like Inuyasha in this world of greed and power."

Kagome smiled and nodded.  She knew very well what she had, and she wasn't about to lose it to a demon.  Inuyasha meant the world to her.  And she was more than sure that she meant the world to him.  With a wave Kagome gave her final goodbye to Oni and walked away after the group that had already made off into the forest..... all except the silver haired hanyou who was at her side the entire time.