"Wha . . .what did you. . ."

"You're Kagome, aren't you?"

Inu-yasha just stared at her. How did she know Kagome?! Was she a demon in disguise? He sniffed. No, it was pure human smell.

Inu-yasha noticed how quiet Kagome was. He stole a glance from her. Her face was a sheet of white, now clinging to Inu-yasha for dear life. He glanced at his friends to find them staring wide eyed at the girl before them. Sango shook a bit and held her Hirakotsu firmly in her hands. Miroku held his staff with its gold tip in front of him with both hands. He was sweating like had and his eyes kept darting like mad in every direction but still kept his focus on the girl. Even Kirara seemed a bit shook up. She kept twitching. Little Shippo looked ready to run.

"I . . . Inu-yasha." Kagome whispered for his ears to hear. "C-can you sense it?"

"Huh?"

"H-h-h-her power . . . lots of it . . . is spreading . . ." She tightened her hold on Inu-yasha's haori.

Inu-yasha looked at the girl again and, sure enough, Kagome was right. Her aura was . . . enormous. It wrapped around everything, hence Miroku darting his eyes at every direction. It headed towards Inu-yasha and Kagome, Kagome shaking harder. Inu-yasha unsheathes Tetsusiga as it gleams with its enormous size. He holds the Tetsusiga in front him with one had while the other supports Kagome to be ready for a surprise attack.

The girl still had her focus on Kagome, her sword now over her shoulder. Her eyes slowly followed the hand around Kagome to land on Inu-yasha. She looked at him, making a chill run through Inu-yasha's spine. That look made him uneasy. She looked right at him. She had a blank look, as if examining him.

Her face suddenly lit up into an amused look. "So . . . you must be the all-famous Inu-yasha that I have heard of so much. And by the looks of it . . ." She looked at Kagome quickly, then back at Inu-yasha. ". . . that other part must also be true. About you and the girl." She smiled softly at him. "And I'm glad about that."

Inu-yasha blinked. What did that mean?

The girl's smile faded and she sighed. "I'll make this quick before you go into rage and come after me." Then, she took her blade and stuck it to the ground. The arm attached to the sword moved to the side . . . snapping the sword in two!

Inu-yasha stood wide eyed at the girl. 'I don't believe it! She snapped her own weapon! But there's something else . . .' He gulped. 'She snapped it like it was nothing. If she's that strong . . . what's she like in battle?'

Suddenly, just as fast as lightning, she disappeared. Inu-yasha searched frantically around for her and found nothing. Suddenly, he heard a screech and turned towards it. There, the girl stood right in front of Sango, her palm pointing towards her.

"Sorry," she said calmly, her face showing no expression. "But you're in my way." A strange source of invisible force seemed to suddenly appear from her hand, sending Sango flying from her spot, slamming hard to a tree and slumping to the ground unconscious.

"SANGO!!" Kagome cried.

"You . . .!" Miroku charged at the girl, staff ready to strike.

She lifted the same hand, turned towards the charging Miroku, and swung her whole arm, sending another powerful force toward him. Miroku took the full force hard sending him to the ground with a hard 'thump'.

She turned to Inu-yasha and Kagome, and walked towards them. As Inu-yasha was about to attack, Kirara suddenly appeared behind her, going for the kill. The girl just simply lifted her bent right arm, and elbowed Kirara hard right on the cheek, sending her to lie knocked out next to her mistress.

"Now," she said. "If you don't want to end up like your friends, I'd suggest that you move."

Inu-yasha growled and gave her his famous glare. "Ha! You think I would hand Kagome so easily?!" He placed his other hand on the Tetsusiga's hilt and got on his fighting stance. "Well think again."

As he took one step, vine like things seem to spring from behind the girl and wrap around her tightly. "What?! What IS this?!?!?"

"HUH??" Inuyasha watched as she tried to free herself. "What the hell?!"

Inu-yasha's ears suddenly twitched as he heard a small voice coming from behind the girl. "Inuyasha . . . go!" His eyes widened. It was Shippo. "I. . . I can't hold her . . . for very long . . . !"

"What?!"

"Take Kagome . . . and RUN!"

"There's no way I'm running away and leaving you all behind!"

"Don't be an IDIOT!" Inu-yasha was taken aback. "You know very well that she's ten times stronger than all of us put together! AND she wants Kagome! Your Kagome's only hope and WE BOTH KNOW IT!! I don't want anything to happen to my new Mama!!"

"Oh, Shippo . . ."Kagome whispered.

"Please . . . just GO!!!"

Inu-yasha gritted his teeth and lowered his weapon, then placing it in its sheath. "I'm sorry Shippo." He quickly turned, picked up Kagome in his arms, and jumped from tree branch to tree branch as fast as his demon legs can take him. Kagome clung to him, silently crying.

When he thought that he was far enough, he stopped and plopped himself on a fairly large branch, leaned on the tree's bark, and tried to catch his breath, still holding on to Kagome tightly. Kagome sniffed and wiped her tears away from her eyes. "Inu . . . Inu-yasha?" She asked. "Are you ok?"

His eyes were hidden under his bangs. He shook his head, indicating that he wasn't. "Oh," she replied. "I'm sorry . . . I mean . . . I was just—"

"I know, Kagome." He removed the arm that was under her knees, placed it around her waist, and pulled her closer, embracing her. The arm around her shoulders pulled as well, leaving Kagome shocked as she was pressed towards Inu-yasha. "I know."

She said nothing. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the embrace. After many moments Inu-yasha pulled away, but just far enough to see Kagome's face. He smiled slightly and laughed. "Heh. Look at you." He lifted his palm and softly rubbed it against her cheek. "You're a mess." She blushed furiously, but then leaned her head against his hand.

He blushed at this, but didn't remove his hands from her face. He just looked at her with eyes that only she was allowed to see. Realizing that he was staring, though, he blushed harder, and quickly took his hand away from her and turned his face. "S-so," Inu-yasha replied. "Do you . . . uh, know any reason as to why she wanted you?"

"Not really. And, for some reason . . . I don't think she wanted the jewel shards."

"What?"

"If she did, she would have said something."

Inu-yasha thought about it. "It does make some sense." He replied. "But that still doesn't mean as to why she was after you in the first place. She even knew your name."

"Maybe she knows something that we don't."

"And what, exactly, could that be? What could be more valuable that you have that the jewel doesn't?"

"Well," A voice suddenly interrupted them. "If you want to know, then let me have Kagome."

The couple froze. They slowly turned their heads to their front, and saw the girl floating in mid air! "But your right about one thing," she said. "I was never after the shards at the beginning and I still am. There's something more powerful than the jewel. And that is Kagome comes in." She lifted her hand and pointed her palm at them. "Don't make me, boy."

Inu-yasha just stood still. He was waiting as to who would make the first move. His feet pushing his body harder to the tree's bark. His ears twitched, and tightened his hold on Kagome. He decided to take the risk, and make the first move.

It's a cliffy, I know, BUT I wanted to see how many would want me to continue. If I get a lot of reviews, then we'll see.

-Akida411searcher