Chapter 3: Going Back

Inuyasha awoke to the sound of a loud scream.

"What is it!" he yelled as he got into a fighting stance, "What's wrong?"

"A demon!" screamed Akemi, "Get away! Inuyasha! Save me!"

Inuyasha looked around, not seeing anything that could pose a threat. Then he realized what Akemi's frightened eyes were looking at. It was him.

"Akemi," said Inuyasha, "relax. I am Inuyasha. I'm a half-demon."

"I don't believe you demon!" said Akemi offensively, "You're not my Inuyasha!"

"I don't belong to anyone. And I don't care if you don't believe who I am. Let me take you back to your village because I've got places to be. Understand?"

Akemi looked at the amber eyes that she didn't recognize, then at the silver dog ears, "Inuyasha? W-what happened to you?"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm only human during a night with no moon. Otherwise I'm half demon. Can we get going now?"

She stood up. "Umm…can I…could I…"

"What is it now?"

"Do you think I could touch your…ears?" she asked meekly.

She goes from fearing me to wanting to pet my head! I don't understand women…that reminds me. I gotta get back to Kagome. I don't want her to worry too much.

Inuyasha turned so his back faced Akemi and knelt down, "Feh, get on so I can take you back."

She climbed onto his back and grasped his ears, stroking them with her thumbs,

"Will you cut that out!" he snapped.

Akemi quickly put her hands on his shoulders.

"Hold on tight," he warned as ed above the trees heading east, "You got anything from your old village on you?"

"Umm…" Akemi looked at her robes and wondered, "I've got…this," she pulled out a small hand-woven napkin, "My mother made this for me and gave it to me the day before I got lost. What do you need it for?"

"I can find your village if I have a scent to follow." He took the napkin from her and put it to his nose, "It's faint, but I can spell another scent other than yours on it." He handed it back to Akemi, "It's not too far from here."

"Keep it."

"Huh?"

"You can keep the cloth to remember me by. Mother said that it is to be passed to someone you care about. So I'm giving it to you." she said happily.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

After a few moments, Inuyasha finally landed in Akemi's village. Inuyasha let her down off his back. Akemi looked at her home and then back at Inuyasha.

"I don't know how to thank you for bringing me home."

"Yeah, it's no problem. Now no one can say I don't do anyone any favors."

A passing villager stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Akemi. He pointed, "I-it's her! S-she has r-returned!" His eyes widened and more villagers stopped and stared.

Akemi smiled, "Looks like they really missed me!"

Then why do they look so frightened? thought Inuyasha Is it because she's with me?

"I better go get reacquainted with everyone? Thanks again Inuyasha," she kissed him on the cheek and ran towards the crowd of villagers.

Inuyasha shook his head and mumbled, "That's my good deed for the month. I better get- huh?" Inuyasha stopped and looked around. His eyes shifted through the trees. I coulda sworn I just smelt Naraku's scent… but it's gone. Is he near? "So that's what happened," said Inuyasha.

"Interesting… but something puzzles me," said Miroku.

"What's that?"

"Why did you kiss Akemi? It's not like you at all. You haven't even kissed Kagome yet."

"What makes you think I even want to kiss Kagome? And for your information, Miroku, she kissed me!"

"But you did not deny her the kiss," noted Miroku.

"So what! I blame my damn human form. I wouldn't have this problem if it weren't a new moon," he punched the ground.

"But still, do your human emotions affect you that much when you transform? You haven't done anything like this before," he stroked his chin in thought, "And then you say you briefly sensed Naraku's presence, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm sure that it was that bastard, but it was gone as quickly as it came. I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it."

"Well then," Miroku said as he stood up, "That's something to think about, but for now, we should get some sleep. Oh and I wouldn't mention Akemi to Kagome. Take it from me. It wouldn't be pretty."

"Keh, I'm not that stupid," he stood up as well.

"Good, then I'm going to bed. You sleeping inside?"

"No, I'm stayin' out here. Something tells me Kagome's ready and waiting with her 'sit' commands." He leapt into a nearby tree and crossed his arms.

Miroku nodded and went back inside the hut.

Inuyasha stared at the moon, lost in his thoughts. Even if I was human, that doesn't explain why I felt that way about Akemi. And why did those villagers seem frightened when they saw her? You would think that they would be overjoyed or something. I don't understand what's goin' on…
End of Chapter 3