Disclaimer: Inuyasha and everyone belongs to Rumiko Takahashi -:jealous glare:- but Karoru is my own possession.

Scroll 4: The Demon Karoru

Sound came to her first when she recovered, indistinguishable voices ringing in her pointed ears. At first, she could not recognize them. Then, her head began to clear.

"...not that bad. She seems to hate Naraku as much as we do."

It was that strange girl. The one wearing foreign garments.

"She's right. If we could convince her to join us, she could be extremely helpful."

That was the demon exterminator. She sounded right behind her.

"That is if we can stop her and Inuyasha from tearing at each other's throats."

And that was most likely the voice of the monk.

"Kirara. Slow down a little."

She realized then that something was moving beneath her. Her jade green eyes opened slowly and saw trees rushing pass with swiftness. She was riding the large cat demon with the monk in front of her and the exterminator behind. Without moving, she shifted her gaze to her left and spotted the girl and the half demon Inuyasha.

Kagome turned around, feeling eyes open her back. Her face lit up with a cheeful smile. "Hey! You're awake!"

Karoru slipped her hands into her sleeves. She looked back up at the girl puzzledly. "I still have my shards. You didn't take them?"

"Come now, you don't think we're that bad, do you?" Sango asked.

"Feh. I would have stolen them if Kagome here didn't sit me!" Inuyasha said in irritation.

"We have to show respect, Inuyasha!" Kagome lectured, added a slight tap to his head to emphasize her words.

"Why you--"

"Where are you taking me?" asked Karoru.

"Back to the village to get some proper food," Miroku answered in a slightly subdued tone. He had wanted to sit behind her. "I believe you've already met Lady Kaede."

"I have."

"I'm Kagome, that is Miroku, Sango, and Kirara. Oh yeah, and this is Inuyasha."

"And I'm Shippo!" added the little kitsune, leaning to one side from his position in Miroku's lap.

"Karoru," she replied. "You're all collecting Jewel shards?"

"We all work together," said Sango. "Kagome has most of them, the ones that we have anyway."

"Tell me. What do you have against Naraku?" Inuyasha demanded.

Karoru did not answer, turning her gazed to the trees at her right.

"Hey! I;m talking to you here!"

Still, she remained silent.

As the forest gave way to lush fields and the village was seen ahead, Miroku voiced an idea.

"I know. We can trade stories while we dine."

No one replied.

Kaede came out to greet them as they arrived in front of her hut. They all filed inside, Miroku helping Karoru off Kirara. The demon realzed that her arms were no longer numb with pain and found that her shoulders had been dressed and bandanged. Just as she was about to follow Sango inside, Miroku grabbed her hands.

"Please. I have a favor to ask of you, Lady Karoru. Would you have the honor of bearing me a child?"

A faint smile appeared on the tiger's lips. "You wish to feel my claws, monk?"

Miroku immediately released her hands and stepped back. "Uhh, n-no! I-I'm fine! Just perfect!" He then quickly slipped into the hut, Karoru following closely.

Everyone of the company was looking at the monk impassively when she entered. She wondered if Miroku normally acted that way. Karoru sat down across from Inuyasha by the entrance, the hanyou turning his head wordlessly away. Kaede passed around bowls of soup among the humans, and they started eating in silence. Disturbed by the total quiet, Kagome began telling the tiger demon about herself and her part in the shattering of the Jewel, as well as Inuyasha's, who in turn made no comment. Miroku then continued the narrative with their meeting wit Shippo and he and his wind tunnel. Sango took up the story afterwards, telling of Naraku's plot to trick her and her brother into attack one another.

When she finished, the gang waited for Karoru to tell them about herself, but she still said nothing. A minute later, Inuyasha snapped.

"Hey! We're waiting here! Who's this Koshiro guy Naraku was talking about? And what does he have to do with Naraku anyway?"

Karoru shot him a murderous look and exited the hut without a word.

Kagome quickly stood up to follow, telling Inuyasha off angrily as she went. "Honestly, how could you be so heartless?! Give her some time already!"

She hurried outside and looked frantically around for the tiger demon. She spotted Karoru sitting by a field of rice. When she was near enough, she could hear her muttering to herself.

"Of all the people here, the half breed has to ask me. I wonder why I even though we were similar. I don't think he feels anything for the priestess Kikyo." Karoru jumped when Kagome appeared at her side.

The girl's eyes held something that had not been there before. "Karoru?"

She stood up and looked away when she realized that it was sympathy Kagome was showing. "What do you want?"

"You went throug the same thing Inuyasha did, didn't you," Kagome said softly. "Koshiro. He was--"

"That half breed didn't go through a third of what I did!" Karoru retorted.

Kagome was quiet for a moment. "The two of you really are the similar, you know." She stood up and turned to leave. "I'm here for you, too, as I am for my other friends. You're welcome back at the hut if you need a place to stay." And she then walked back to Kaede's hut, leaving the tiger demon staring after her in silence.

--Hopefully that was a longer chapter than the others.

Inuyasha: Hey! You make me seem like a mean idiot!

--Umm...maybe because that's the way you act sometimes.

Inuyasha: Why you dirty stinkin'--

Kagome: Inuyasha! Don't insult her! She's the author here! The story wouldn't go on without her!

--That's right. And I can kill you off when I want to, too, so I think you should settle down.

Inuyasha: Grrr...I'll show YOU killing off! -:springs into the air:-

Kagome: Inuyasha! Sit, boy!!

--Hope you learned you lesson.

-:more muffled curses are heard:-