Disclaimer: If I owned Tolkien enterprises, Inuyasha, DBZ, or anything else besides Aldrea and the plot in this story, then I would be rich and have no need for this site. But as it is, I only own Aldrea and the plot, and my friend Agarwen owns Pai. I am using Pai with Agarwen's permission.

A/N: I'm afraid that things might get a little confusing in this chapter, but hang in there! I hope I get some good reviews for this one. And the reason I'm not mentioning anyone in this A/N is because I've started typing this right after putting up the last chapter. Anyway, anyway the story and please review!

"Japanese"

Thoughts

/Thought speak/

(Author notes/ information)

Chapter IX: The Departure

Pai began to gather food from everyone's pack and placed it in one that Nall had given her for a birthday present a while back. The only ones she didn't take food from were Aldrea and Miroku. Aldrea never took off her pack for anything except bathing, and Miroku usually just 'borrowed' whatever he needed from an unsuspecting RICH villager. Pai made do with food from Goku, Gohan, Kagome, and Sango's packs. She was planning on leaving the group to go explore without Aldrea bossing her around. The others had tried to persuade her to stay, but she was as stubborn as her half brother Inuyasha. Pai signaled for Shippou, Ruby, and Nall to follow her. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Wait!" Sango cried out, causing Pai to pause and turn back. "Take Kirara with you at least! Kirara, protect Shippou and the others."

Kirara hastily bounded over to the departing group to stand next to Shippou.

Pai glared at Sango. "Are you saying I can't take care of myself?"

"Of course not," Sango replied quickly. "It's just that... who will keep Shippou entertained?"

Pai contemplated this for a moment before speaking. "Okay, she can come."

"Take good care of her Pai."

"I will." Pai, Shippou, Nall, Ruby, and Kirara then started out on their own journey across Middle-Earth.

"Ugh... my head..."

A dark shape slowly sat up from its position on the ground, then tensed as it noticed a strange shadow in the midst of its friends. "Shit. Where am I?"

The still shape of the strange shadow stirred and lifted its head.

"Ack! A demon!" The dark shape, which had two small points on the top of its head that were barely noticeable, reached for its sword only to find it missing. "Fuck! Where's my sword!"

/Calm yourself, Inuyasha. You are in no danger. /

Inuyasha jumped with shock, then relaxed as he recognized who was speaking to him. "Oh, it's just you Aldrea. What happened and where's Pai?"

Aldrea turned her head and showed her teeth slightly. /She has left. / Aldrea then curled back up around Goku and closed one eye; the other roved around watchfully along with her ears.

Inuyasha nodded. "She always did like to do things by herself. By the way, where's my sword?"

/Pai took your sword for safe keeping and conveniently forgot to leave it with us before she wandered off. /

"She WHAT?" Inuyasha leaped to his feet and started to panic and pace in a circle. "Oh no, what am I going to do?" Inuyasha's voice had awoken everyone in the small camp by this time, except for Goku who kept snoring away quite peacfuly.

Kagome sat up from her sleeping bag and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "What's wrong Inuyasha?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong! I'll tell you what's wrong! Pai took the Tetsugaiga, that's what's wrong!" Inuyasha then threw himself to the ground and sniffed around for Pai's sent, not paying attention to all the other new and strange smells he was experiencing. "Ah ha! I've found it!" Inuyasha then sped off in the direction that Pai had take, heedless to anything else around him.

"Wait!" shouted Gohan. "Why are you so worried about your sword!"

Inuyasha skid to a stop, turned around, and yelled back at Gohan. "If I come close to death I'm gonna turn full demon!" He then continued his mad sprint into the night.

/Gohan, follow him. I feel that he shall need you soon. /

Gohan nodded and ran after Inuyasha, soon disappearing into the night as well.

"Damn her," muttered Inuyasha. "Why'd she have to take the Tetsugaiga now? Last time she took it, she almost lost the fucking thing!" Inuyasha grimaced and let out an extra burst of speed. "Shit, I forgot to ask Aldrea where the hell I am! Grr, I'll get Pai back for this!" Inuyasha kept running along Pai's path, cursing all the while, and not bothering to check if anyone was following him.

Gohan ran steadily after Inuyasha, being careful to stay down wind of his quarry and suppressing his aura in case there were unfavorable beings who could sense it. In this way the two lone hunters continued sprinting on through the black night.

"Kagome?" inquired Goku after he had been roused by Aldrea and the situation was explained to him. "What was the 'full demon' thing about?"

Kagome glanced up from searching her pack for a bottle of water. "Inuyasha is half human, half demon," she explained to Goku. "Man, I just can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something..." She sat back on her heels with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Something important." Kagome emptied her backpack and began taking an inventory of everything she had brought. "Let's see... water, hairbrush, hairspray-" Aldrea interrupted Kagome with a light growl. "It's environmentally safe. Um, ramen; only one package left after Pai's raid; extra clothes, some blankets, toiletries, the shikon jewel shards..." Then she began to search frantically through the pile of assorted 20th century items. "Ack! Where are they?" Kagome suddenly froze and her hand closed around a small glass bottle. She sighed with relief. "They're still here. I'll count them."

After Kagome finished counting them she shook her head with a frown and recounted the shards. "There's three missing! Pai must've taken them."

"Oh no, who knows what could happen if she has the shikon shards!" exclaimed Sango. "Pai's powers would increase too much for anyone with a brain not to notice her!"

/That is most certainly true. I can sense Pai's power increasing as she travels down the Entwash, and she has just passed the first bend in the river. / Aldrea suddenly raised her head and looked towards the place where the Entwash disappeared into the horizon.

"Is someone coming Aldrea?" asked Miroku.

/No. Pai, Shippou, and Kirara have all suddenly vanished as if they did not exist. /

"Maybe they're just too far away," replied Sango.

/I know how far my sense extend and they were not yet as far as that. / Aldrea paused, then her eyes widened with sudden realization. /Wait, I could not sense even the smallest grain of energy from the two dragons who came with Pai. Kagome, were you able to sense any dragon blood within Pai/

Kagome thought for a moment, then nodded.

/Then she must have gained the ability to change forms from her new found power!. /

At least we have Gohan and Inuyasha on Pai's trail," said Goku.

/Yes, but how shall we communicate with Gohan? He has already moved out of the range of my thoughts. / Aldrea lowered her fearsome head dejectedly while Goku stared at her pointedly. She snapped her eyes open and spun her head to face Goku. /Unless, unless... no, I cannot. It is too dangerous for both you and I. /

"Since when was anything too dangerous for Aldrea, The Terror, The Phantom Beast, The Guardian of Forests... my wife?"

Aldrea transformed, smiled, and ran up to Goku, embracing him. "What would I ever do without you, Goku?" she mumbled into his chest.

Goku lowered his head and kissed Aldrea's cheek, then whispered softly in her ear. "You won't have to worry about that." He put his hand under Aldrea's chin and lifted her eyes to look into his. "You've always told me you'd be there beside me no matter what. Now it's my turn to tell you the same thing."

Aldrea smiled, her eyes glistening in the full moon's light with unshed tears. Aldrea and Goku's lips then met in a passionate kiss.

Sango and Miroku smiled together as they looked on, both understanding how Aldrea and Goku felt for each other. Miroku placed his arm around Sango, his hand resting on her shoulder, and Sango leaned against him ever so slightly.

"So!" shouted Kagome, upsetting the magical moment between Sango and Miroku. It was clear that the moment had left Kagome feeling very depressed. "What's this dangerous thing you have to do?"

Goku turned to Kagome with Aldrea still clinging tightly to him. "Aldrea's soul must leave her body in order to find Gohan and Inuyasha. The reason for its danger is she might not be able to reenter her body. There's some people in this time with the power to lock someone's soul out of their body."

Sango and Miroku, now ten feet farther apart from each other then they were, wore identical looks of shock because of what Goku had explained. Kagome's face was ashen white and her expression was grim.

Aldrea converted back into her true form, beginning the dangerous process. She laid down and her eyelids drooped and her eyes dulled. Then her body became motionless; only the slight rise and fall of her chest every thirty seconds was to be seen.

"What just happened?" Miroku asked after a few tense moments.

Goku sat down with his legs crossed and arms folded. "Her spirit has just left."

"How is is dangerous for you, Goku?" Kagome inquired.

"When two people are married it is said that their souls become one, which is true in our world. Because of this, when Aldrea's soul leaves her body while she is still alive my own soul slowly dies along with my body until her soul comes back."

Everyone fell silent, wishing for Aldrea's speedy and safe return.

Miroku sighed and made himself as comfortable as the cold grass allowed him that night. Kagome curled up in her sleeping bag, Sango stood and walked towards Goku, intending to take the first watch.

"I'll take the watch for now," said Goku before Sango had gone two steps. She sat back down and stared at Goku, trying to detect any changes he might have gone through within the last half hour. He told her to go to sleep and Sango grudgingly obliged.

A/N: Hope you like this one! I made a little mistake earlier. This chapter isn't the confusing one. It's the next one that's confusing! Anyway, please leave a review! Ja ne!