I do not own Inu-yasha.

Chapter Two

Feudal Japan and its Puppies

Artemis fell through the air. "Why can't he ever transport me to the ground? Why am I always falling?" A glared came onto her face. "I'm going to pound that s.o.b. when I get back!"

Hearing yells, she looked down. A village was being attacked by a large demon. The demon just happened to be under her. Shrugging, she drew her daggers and cut straight down, cutting the demon vertically.

She landed gracefully, crouching on her feet. The villagers surrounded her.

"Oh, thank ya, miss! That there demon has been attackin' our village for months!" said a man she presumed to be the town leader.

"It was nothing. I do it all the time," she said.

The leader produced a money bag. "You must be 'cceptin' this here token of thanks."

"How much is in there?"

"Every cent we own."

Artemis smiled. "That's too much. But you can help me. Have you heard of a person name Naraku?"

The man shook his head. "Can't say I have."

"Thank you anyways." Artemis noticed a jewel-like fragment next to the demon. She picked it up. "This. This will be my payment."

She bowed and left.

Artemis had just killed another demon. She picked up another jewel fragment. This was the tenth one so far.

"I wonder what they are?"

"They're Shikon Jewel Shards, now hand them over, girl," a gruff voice said.

Artemis turned her head. A group of people stood ten yards off. The one who had spoke had white hair and a red kimono. There was a black-haired girl in a sailor uniform, a black-haired woman in kimono, a black-haired man in monk's clothing, a cat, and a red-haired boy with a fox tail.

"Can I help you?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"The jewels. I want them," the white-haired man said.

"Well, they're mine. I fought the demons and collected them myself," Artemis said.

"Don't make me hurt you."

"You're a demon, right? No wait, a half-demon. Your aura says so. Tell you what, I'm bored. I want a fight. You win, you win the shards, I win, I win information."

"You're on."

Artemis smiled and unsheathed her daggers. "By the way, I'm Artemis." She shot her elbow backwards, right into the man-in-monk-clothes' face.

"Inu-yasha. Kagome, Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kirara." Inu-yasha unsheathed his sword.

"That's impressive," Artemis said, smiling. "What's its name?"

"Tetsusaiga."

"It's beautiful!" Artemis exclaimed, girlish delight on her face. "And noble, seems to fit you okay..."

"What about the fight?"

Artemis snapped out of her trance-like, happy-state and smiled. "That's true." She went into a fighting stance.

"Finally," Inu-yasha said and swung. "Wind Scar!"

Artemis jumped and landed, right on Inu-yasha. He fell backwards and Artemis posed her daggers at his neck. "I believe I win." She smiled, like she had the whole fight. She stepped off of him and slid her daggers into their sheaths.

"How did you jump that?" he yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Seventeen years of training. My family is in the bodyguard business." It was all she could think of to describe an Honoured Fighter.

"They train you to jump ten yards?"

"A hundred, actually."

"Inu-yasha, Miss Artemis won, so she gets information, remember?" Kagome said.

He sighed. "What do you want to know?"

Artemis glared at the ground. "I want information about a demon." She looked up. "Naraku. Anything about Naraku."

The group tensed. "And what business do you have with him?" Inu-yasha asked.

"I must kill him. Anyone associated with him. Especially a man named Radaus."

"What did he do?" Kagome asked.

"Radaus. He betrayed me, betrayed everyone. I won't let him live!" Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'll kill the bastard! Alejandra doesn't take betrayal lightly."

"If you're after Naraku, you could join us. We're after him as well. And if you can beat Inu-yasha easily, you'd be a big help," Kagome said.

"Maybe," she said, a small smile. She twisted around, kicking Miroku in the side of the head. "Him, though, I might kill by accident."

Artemis took in air. Breathe. In. Out. Breathe. Grab daggers. Slice. Guard. Breathe. In. Out. Daggers back, katana. Slice. Guard. Breathe. In. Out. Katana back, kodachi out. Slice. Guard. Breathe. In. Out. Kodachi back, kunai knives. Slice. Guard. Breathe. In. Out. Kunai knives back, throwing stars out. Concentrate. Throw and hit. Breathe. In. Out.

Artemis sighed. She had just finished her practice for the day. She retrieved the stars and put them away.

The rest of the group was around the fire, talking. It was weird, being part of a group. Honoured Fighters usually worked alone, unless the contractor was paranoid and hired two or more.

She needed air. She began walking away. Away from the people, away from the fire.

"Where are you going?"

Artemis turned her head and spotted Inu-yasha. "I usually work alone."

"So you're leaving?"

"No. Just walking. You can come." She started again. Inu-yasha was beside her.

"So, why do you hate Naraku?"

"I don't like talking about it."

"I've heard it helps."

"I was young. So much blood, so much death. I had been trained to fight, to kill, to die if needed... but... so many people... I couldn't take it. I didn't talk for two months. Only two of us lived. Tomoko and me. Mother, Father, brothers, dead. Friends were gone. He has to die. Both of them."

Inu-yasha nodded, silent.

"And you?"

"He tore me and Kikyo apart. Killed her."

"The others?"

"Cursed Miroku, killed Sango's kin."

"Is that why Miroku is perverted, the curse?"

Inu-yasha smirked. "No, that was genetics."

"Oh," she said, twisting around and kneeing Miroku.

"Ow," he said and fell to the ground.

"How do you sense people like that?" Inu-yasha asked.

"I can read their auras. It's a nifty little trick. It's how I knew Miroku was there. I have his aura memorized. I knew you were half-demon because of your aura. I can memorize auras in a few seconds, so then I can find someone easily."

"So if you knew Naraku's aura, you could find him?"

"No matter how could he hid."

"You might be useful after all."

Artemis shrugged. "I'm a hunter. It's what I do." She smiled. "It's even where I get my name. Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon."

"I thought you were a bodyguard."

"That too," she said and brushed some hair behind her ear.

"So you have an eye for weapons?"

She smiled. "Inu-chan, I grew up around weapons, of course I have an eye for them." She crouched and looked at Tetsusaiga. "What's Tetsusaiga made out of, anyways?"

"My father's fang."

"No wonder it felt different!" Artemis' eyes lit up.

"What do you mean?"

"Most swords are made of steel, yes? Steel has not aura, just a spirit. The spirit is something you can feel of course, but it's different than any aura. Since Tetsusaiga is made of your father's fang instead of steel, it is your father, so it projects his aura. It projects your aura too, and that I don't get."

"It was broken, and then fixed with my fang."

Artemis nodded. "That makes sense. The two of your auras are very similar. At first, I couldn't pick out yours. Your father's was overpowering it." She stood up. "May I hold it?"

Inu-yasha shrugged. With glee, Artemis swiftly pulled out Tetsusaiga. The only thing was that it was in its large form.

"What the hell? You're human, aren't you?"

Artemis nodded. "This is kinda heavy, isn't it?" She swung it around a couple of times. "Very easy to get used to, though." She handed him Tetsusaiga. "Thank you."

Inu-yasha sheathed the sword. "Humans can't make it large, something's wrong. Who-what are you?"

Artemis' hand went to the Fire Stone. "Alejandra," she whispered. "That day... it broke it..."

"What?"

"I have to go to Kagome's time-now!"

"What's so important?"

Artemis fished out her earphone from her Honoured Fighter uniform. "This." She put it in her ear. "Where's the well?"

"That way, but-"

"Thank you! I'll be back as soon as possible!" She ran off.

"-only me and Kagome can go through it," Inu-yasha finished.

Artemis climbed out of the well. "Tomoko?"

Nothing. She sighed. It was night, of course Tomoko wasn't answering the ear phone. At least her house was near here.

Artemis poked his arm. "Wake up."

"Stop it Artemis, you're in Feudal Japan," he mumbled.

She pinched him. "Wake up!"

"Ow! Stupid as-Artemis?"

She smiled. "I need to talk to you."

"So you were able to make it large?"

"Yes, but humans can't do that, and I'm nowhere near the type of aura a demon has! Plus the Fire Stone was warm when I pulled it out!"

"Let me see the stone."

Artemis unlatched the clasp and handed the necklace to him.

"Inside the Fire Stone, there's something... burning. Like a mini-fire."

"But when a fire is contained, no oxygen can get to it and it goes out," Artemis said.

"That's true, so I can't tell."

"I was wondering if that time I transformed, I wondered if it activated it and it's just been dormant since then."

"I don't know. We'll need to go back to Kundura to find out. Come back in a month."

"I'll try. I really will."

Tomoko held her. "I don't want to lose you again, Arie," he said, using her pet name.

"I don't want to go away, Tomoie."

He kissed the top of her head. She buried her head into his chest. He kissed the top of her head again.

"I...I miss you Arie."

"I know. I miss you, too."

"You have to go now."

Her eyes were mournful as she hugged him one last time.

Artemis climbed out of the well and sat on its edge, her legs dangling into the void below.

"You actually got through."

Artemis' eyes narrowed. She didn't know this aura... It was dark, evil. Half-demon as well. She turned her head. "Who are you?"

The half-demon smirked. He had long, dark hair.

"What's up with the eyeshadow? What are you, a contestant for the transgender contest?"

"No. But you are Artemis, holder of the Fire Stone and an even higher power. Alejandra."

Artemis jumped to her feet, unsheathing her daggers. "Who the hell are you!"

"Radaus warned me about you, but you seem to be a weakling."

She struck, slicing his neck. "I'm not weak. You're a fool." Her eyes were red.

"Perfect," Naraku whispered.

Sessho-maru turned his head. What was this thing he was sensing? "Jaken, stay with Rin."

"That was pathetic, Alejandra," Naraku said.

"You have no right to say that name!" The Fire Stone heated up. Artemis grew fangs and claws. "You bastard! You helped kill my people!"

"They were pretty pathetic as well."

"No!" Her ears became long and pointed.

"They died so easily."

"NO!" Artemis' features returned to normal. Large, white, bird-like wings grew out of her back. She opened her eyes. "I can see all of her secrets. Naraku." She held his gaze. going through his mind.

"Get out of my head!"

"Scared are we?"

"What's going on?"

Artemis blinked. She turned her head to the third voice and slumped over, wings disappearing.

Naraku vanished.

Sessho-maru went to the girl and held up her head. She was beautiful. She appeared to be just human. He lifted her up and draped her over his shoulder.