I am so glad people like my story. I was getting worried that no one would.

"Kagome, you'd better answer me!" Inuyasha yelled.

Kagome said nothing. She went right on chopping vegetables for supper. But she was so furious her aim was bad. She almost cut her finger a moment ago. She and Inuyasha had gone to the well, but for some reason they could not go through the time portal.

"Kagome, I mean it!" Inuyasha warned.

Kagome slammed her hand on the counter and faced him, pointing her kitchen knife at him. "Now look here you. You'd better stop pestering me or I'll remove the very thing that makes you a male." Her threat fell on deaf ears.

Inuyasha knocked the knife from her hand, his face filled with anger. "My only child is stuck in that stupid time frame and you're threatening me?" he snapped, "Kagome, where is the jewel? We need it to go through the well. Where is it?"

Kagome burst into tears. "She has it!" she cried, "Kari has it. She's had it for the past fifteen years. It was purified, so I thought it would keep her safe!"

Inuyasha's eyes opened wide. "You didn't…you couldn't…Kagome?"

Kagome's wails answered an unasked question.

Kari opened her eyes. She sat up and a wave of dizziness washed over her. After seeing double for a moment, she tried to stand. She succeeded and barely glanced at her surroundings. She was in Kaede's house, but where was the old hag? There was no one in the house with her.

Kari stepped outside and was immediately blinded by the sun. She heard a tiny snort and looked down. The boy, Soshaku, sat with his back against the side of the house, fast asleep.

So this is the strong guy who fought that monster," she thought, smiling. He snorted again and she tried not to laugh. Her eyes drifted up to his ears and she thought of her father. She remembered him laughing at her the other morning and her eyes filled with tears. I've got to get back home," she told herself as she quickly wiped them away.

"What's wrong with you?" somebody asked, making her jump. Soshaku was awake, looking up at her, an expression of immense curiosity on his face.

"Uh, nothing," Kari told him, "It's nothing. Sorry if I woke you." She turned and walked away.

"Come on," Soshaku said, popping up next to her, "Is it a secret? I'm a good secret keeper."

Kari shook her head. "Really, it's nothing."

"Tell me," he demanded, "Please?"

Kari brushed passed him. "I told you, it's nothing."

"Yeah sure," he snorted.

Kari paused. "By the way, thanks for saving my life."

Soshaku stared at her as she walked away. "Ah, hey! Where're you going?"

"Home!" she shouted over her shoulder. She approached the edge of the village, and stopped, thinking of the dangers that might await her. She wasn't particularly anxious to run into another monster. Kari sighed. There was no way she could defend herself from something like that. She started back the way she'd come.

"Kari."

She looked up and saw Soshaku coming toward her. He had a bow and a quiver of arrows. Handing them to her he said, "If you're going to be stupid and go off on your own, you're going to need a weapon." He patted her on the head. "Good luck." And then he was gone.

Kari placed the arrows on her back and headed into the woods.

Soshaku leaned back against the tree, feeling rather satisfied. He'd saved the girl, and sent her safely home. Now that she was able to defend herself. If she ran into any demons, she just had to shoot them down. But does she know how to shoot? He sat up at the thought. Probably. He sat back. But even if she did, would she be quick enough to fire off a shot? He sat up, and glanced towards the woods. Would she even have time to turn before they ripped her to pieces? "Oh hell!" he groaned, and bounding from tree to tree, headed into the forest.

Kari walked for hours. When the sun was high she came to a stream. The water was so clear she could see every pebble at the bottom. She licked her dry lips and knelt on the bank. Cupping her hands, she took a sip. The water was cool and sweet.

A twig snapped behind her. Slowly, she fitted an arrow to her bow. She could hear them, who ever it was. She could hear them running, their bare feet slapping the ground. They were getting closer too. They stopped somewhere behind her and Kari could almost feel them sneaking up on her.

She spun around quick, the bowstring pulled back. She gasped when she found her arrow pointing at Soshaku's heart. "What are you doing here?" she cried. She put the arrow back with the others.

"I want to ask you something," he answered.

"What?"

He took her bow and held it up, examining it. "Do you know how to shoot?"

Kari nodded. "Yes."

Soshaku handed the bow back to her. He stared at her, a look of relief on his face. "Thank the gods," he whispered to himself. At Kari's strange look, he quickly said, "I have one more question."

"What?"

"Before you go on your way, would you…play with me?"

Kari shook her head in disbelief. "Fine, sure, whatever."

Soshaku gave her a sly grin. "Good."

Kari barely managed to dodge his claws as he sliced at the air where her head had been. Jumping back, she fitted an arrow to her bow. They both froze, glaring at each other, daring the other to move. "What are you doing?" Kari asked.

Soshaku grinned. "Playing," he said and jumped into the air. "Iron claw!"

Kari dodged this attack too but the blast sent her flying above the trees.

"Iron claw!" He appeared in the air next to her.

Kari carefully aimed her arrow and shot it right through Soshaku's hand.

He sailed toward her and grabbed her around the waist with his other arm, before they plummeted back to earth.

Kari closed her eyes as the ground came rushing to meet them. But instead of feeling all the bones in her body breaking, she heard a soft thump. She opened her eyes. They had landed in a tree and Soshaku still had a hold on her waist.

He looked at his hand with the arrow lodged in it and cried, "Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Damn it, that hurt! Ow!"

"Baby, that's what you get for trying to kill me!"

Soshaku let go of her waist and she fell the rest of the way to the ground.

"Ow!"

"I wasn't trying to kill you," he said, babying his hand, "I was testing you." He landed next to her. "And that was for the arrow."

"Oh yeah?" Kari reached over and jerked the arrow out of his hand. As he screamed in pain, she laughed evilly and told him, "That was for dropping me. What do you mean, you were testing me?"

"To see if you could defend yourself. I missed with all my attacks on purpose." He examined his hand and winced in pain. "Did you really thing I was going to kill you?"

"I…I don't know."

"Yeah, well, maybe I should've told you." A strange look crossed his face. "Come here." He took her hands gently in his and pulled her close. "Tell me," he said softly, "Would you have killed me?" Then, of all things, he hugged her!

Kari blushed red as a tomato. She pushed him away. "Sicko!" she cried, "Don't ever touch me again."

"I have no desire to touch you. Except maybe here," Soshaku told her, placing a hand on her chest.

Her slap sent him reeling. "What are you a rapist?" she shouted. She picked up another arrow and fit it to her bow. Before she could lift and aim, however, Soshaku grabbed her arm and knocked weapons from her hands.

"I really came to make sure you made it home okay. I couldn't relax, thinking you would be ripped to shreds by a—" He looked past her and his face paled"—Demon."

Kari turned and saw a demon, which looked like a Minotaur with huge fangs, staring at them.

The beast began to shoot huge balls of lightening and Soshaku scooped up Kari and jumped out of the way. The Minotaur reared and stomped its hooves.

Soshaku placed Kari on top of a huge boulder, out of harms way, before racing off to fight the beast. The Minotaur charged Soshaku, who jumped over onto its back. The beast reared and bucked like crazy. Soshaku clung to it until it lurched forward and sent him flying.

The Minotaur turned and charged at the boulder Kari was sitting on. It shook with the impact and Kari, unable to stay balanced on top, slipped off and landed with a thud on the hard ground. The beast reared, ready to crush her beneath its hooves.

Suddenly, Soshaku appeared out of nowhere and pushed Kari out of the way, only to get stomped himself.

Kari watched in horror as the Minotaur repeatedly slammed its hooves on Soshaku's already broken body. "Oh no, Soshaku!" she cried.

Inuyasha sat in the big oak tree out side his house. Kagome's crying had gotten on his nerves. Even now he could still hear her high-pitched wails. Kari, he thought, Come back to us Kari. Then he began to cry tears of his own. He shouted into the night, "Kari!"

"Soshaku no!" Kari cried. She picked up a nearby tree limb and struck the beast in the back of its head, knocking it silly. Then she took the opportunity to snatch up her arrows. The Minotaur charged, Kari aimed. It shot a lightening ball, striking her in the chest, knocking her backward. She released her arrow, which hit the beast right between the eyes. It fell and did not stir.

Kari rolled over and sat up. She gasped when she saw Soshaku lying there, not moving. Her whole body shook when she crawled to him. Fighting back tears, she lifted his head and placed it gently on her lap.

Soshaku's eyes flickered open. "Hey, you smell kinda nice," he said, "I had fun playing with you, Kari" He closed his eyes and slept, and Kari waited patiently for him to wake up.

I read back through this, and felt confused after ward. It all happened so fast! Anyway, I really hope you like it and review for me.