Inu-yasha ran after the now transformed demon crow with Kagome clinging to his back, but Kagome wasn't focused on the bird.

"It's like it knows that it expected the arrow!"

'What if it's true?' she gave it some thought, 'Now that I think about it, it does make sence . . . . but if it is true . . .' Kagome looked ahead to the crow, 'then is that crow is behind all this?'

Before she could tell Inu-yasha, a small cry was heard. A child. Kagome looked up to see the child they saved so long ago from the crow demon once again in its clutches.

"Kagome, get ready to jump."

"What?"

"Remember? Your suppose to get the kid while I destroy the demon! Hopefully the demon's leg will be attached to the kid."

"Yeah . . ." Kagome decided to tell him later.

Inu-yasha neared the demon. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Ok . . . . NOW!" Kagome leaped off of Inu-yasha and grabbed onto the hanging child. Inu-yasha took this chance to slash at the demon before it went after Kagome and the child, leaving it in pieces. It fell along with Kagome not to the ground . . . .

. . . But to the river.

(A/N: In the manga, Kagome fell to the ground. This is the manga version, pple, remember that.)

Inu-yasha landed on a large boulder beside the river and watched for Kagome to surface.

But she never did. "Dammit!" he dove in.

It only took him a moment to find her deep in the river, clutching the child to her with one arm, seeming to struggle with something but failing miserably. As he neared her ever slowing struggle, he noticed that her free hand was clutching something on her neck.

It was the demons severed leg choking her and bringing her down.

Inu-yasha reached her and almost forgot to not destroy the leg when he removed it from her neck. He grabbed the limp girl and broke the surface, swimming as fast as he can to the shore where the awaiting villagers were.

"Outta the way!" he carried the girl in his arms and placed her gently on the ground, who started coughing up water. He brought her close to him as the child ran to the mothers awaiting arms. Kagome's eyes were shut tight, taking deep breaths and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Kagome . . ."

Kagome looked up to see his once again worried expression. She slightly smiled.

"Hey."

"Are you alright?" he looked to her neck with the punctured skin from the demon legs' claw.

She coughed hoarsely, Inu-yasha calling her name worriedly. 'I don't understand,' he thought, 'I know that the past has changed since Kagome first arrived, but when something does change, Kagome's the one in danger. But why thought? Could it mean that this arriving in the past wasn't an accident, but purposely? But if that's true, who's behind it all? Naraku?' He doubted it somehow. That would mean that he knew where Kagome came from and would have done some thing else. He could have found a way to seal the well forever so Kagome could never return.

"Inu-yasha . . ." his thought were interrupted to see that Kagome was trying to get up, but seeming to have a little trouble. He grabbed her before she fell, and help her stand up. "I don't think that all this was an accident."

"You too, eh?" he knew what she meant.

"Yeah, and I think that crow is responsible."

"What!"

"Think about it," she whispered to his ear, "the crow was the one who ordered the bandits to kidnap me and take me to that place, and he dodged the arrow that was suppose to destroy him. He flew over the river where he knew he would be torn to pieces and would have a chance to kill me so it would prevent me from killing him with the help of his leg. He would get away with the jewel."

Inu-yasha thought of her theory, but stopped when he heard splashes from the river. He turned to see the crow demon fully regenerated and fly out of the water. Kagoem grabbed the leg from Inu-yasha, tied it to the arrow with her bow, and aimed to the escaping crow. She fired and hoped against all hope that it hit.

'Please hit!'

A flash of light blinded the crowd as the arrow strikes its target, completely anihalating the demon crow. Cracks were heard, then a loud 'pang', and small flashes of light spread about the continent. Before any of the villagers could decipher what it was, a cloud of dust went by them, and the demon and girl were gone.

Inu-yasha rushed through the wood carrying Kagome in his arms as he followed her direction of the jewel shard.

"Kagome this is taking too long! Are you sure that the heads here somewhere?"

"I'm sure. Don't deny me that I'm wrong. It's just . . . its leaving."

"What?"

Its not coming closer, its running away!" and sure enough, Inu-yasha spotted the demon crow's head flying away from them.

"Heh, still thinks it could get away with just a shard? What's the point?"

'He's right. What is the point?'

Kagome was quickly placed to the ground as Inu-yasha leaped into the air and slashe at the retreating head, a shinning object fell from it and landed beside her. Inu-yasha followed afterward. She picked up the small shard and held in between her thumb and index finger.

"Well so much for him." Inu-yasha said disappointedly as he kneeled beside Kagome.

"Why was he trying to escape before though?"

"Because he's stubborn, that's what!"

"No, I mean," she continued, "what was the point in getting away with one shard when he went through all that trouble to get the jewel when it was whole? That's why he attacked us in the beginning, remember?"

He pondered this. "But if that's true . . . . then what the hell is going on?"

Deep in a tree close by to the two, a figure in the shadows watched them in disapproval.

"It appears that the crow couldn't make it. Foo. What a shame," a woman's voice spoke, "Oh, well. I still have many more opporitunities to get what I want. This time, I'll make sure to kill them when I meet them." She disappeared without a sound.