Hello everyone. This is Maki here. I hope you all liked the first chapter that Kyoumi wrote. Let's see what I can do next. Our writing styles are a little different, but I don't think that it'll be too bad. I have no idea what I'm doing though. I hope that you reviewed the last chapter and you'll review this one as well.

"Inuyasha! Let's go!" Kagome said, grabbing a bow and arrow and running to go fight the demon.

Tori sighed. "Even away from home it isn't safe."

Inuyasha, being the 'oh so lovable' person that he is, ran up to the demon in the field. He instantly pulled out the Tetsusiaga and sent a wind scar in the demon's path, letting the few humans that he was attacking run to cover. "I hope that you've said your prayers." Inuyasha said as he sent another wind scar directly at the demon.

The demon stood around that hanyou's height. Short black hair sat on his head matching his black clothes. A smirk was resting on his dark face as he raised his arms. By raising his arms, he sent a large wall of land up as a shield before him taking the attack.

"He blocked the wind scar!" Shippo announced just in case any one didn't notice the obvious. (I'm not hating, I love Shippo.)

"What are you doing and what do you want demon?" Miroku asked as he stood in front of Sango. Not that Sango needed it. Kirara was right next to her in her larger demon form. It was thoughtful though all the same.

"What am I doing? If you cannot tell that by using your eyes human then you don't deserve to live." the earth demon insulted. That's how he was able to move the dirt to make a shield. "What do I want? Maybe you have seen her. She is my master's property and he wants her immediately. Master Ashi does not like to be kept waiting."

"How dare you say that some one can be some one else's property!" Kagome scolded. "People are not possessions."

"This one is." He answered with a smirk on his face. Every one looked oddly at each other until they noticed that the demon was staring at Tori. Kaede was kind enough to find Tori some less revealing clothes until her wounds were healed. Only being a hand me down, and not personally fit, the yellow kimono that she wore still showed her exotic figure. Her face was filled with fear as the demon approached her.

Inuyasha was the first on the scene. "I don't know who you are, but you better get away from her." Inuyasha warned. Just the look on her face told her that she wouldn't be able to protect herself out of her fear.

"She merely ran away from home and I'm here to bring her back. Master

misses her so much already." The demon said as he ignored Inuyasha's warning.

"No." Tori said defending herself. "I will not go." Tori was really surprised by her words. Where had that brief moment of bravery come from? She had her hands together tightly, knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"Don't start fighting back now." the demon instructed. "You've never done it before." He made a dash to get her, but an arrow stopped him in his tracks. He fell to the ground from the force of the blow and gripped his side trying to get the blood flow to slow down.

"Now you take that to your master and tell him to leave Tori alone." Kagome demanded. "We aren't going to let you take her without a fight."

"If that is what you wish. I'm warning you now that Master Ashi will not be pleased at all. His will get what is his and won't let anything have it." The demon said. The ground around him began to shift circling him while he was still lying on the ground. Once he completely covered, the ground crumbled leaving nothing there.

"Where did he go?" Sango asked looking around. Every one remained on there guard for a few moments, then Inuyasha sheathed his sword.

"He probably ran away." The hanyou said. "I don't sense and other demons around." Once everyone relaxed they all began to stare at Tori.

"We aren't going to demand that you tell us anything, but you can stay with us for a while." Kagome said.

"What!" Inuyasha asked. "What about the jewel shards? It's clear that she can't fight! She'll only slow us down."

"Then you'll just have to get over it." Kagome argued. "I won't let her stay by herself while there is some one out there hunting her down." Kagome walked up to Tori, grabbed her hand and lead the way back to Kaede's hut. "Don't worry about Inuyasha. He's actually really nice once you get to know him."

Inuyasha growled out of pure frustration. He looked over to Miroku and Sango to back him up, but they were already walking with Kagome back to the hut. "Why does she always win?" he asked with a defeated sigh.

"So where do you come from anyway." Shippo asked as he sat on Tori's slender shoulder. "You and that other guy don't look like you're from any where around here."

"I'm from China." Tori replied softly. She didn't want to tell the others to much because she didn't want to put them in danger. After she was healed she didn't plan on staying with this group of people anyway. She had to get away on her own. Nowhere was safe.

"Wow." Miroku said. He knew about China from maps and things that were at the temple he learned to be a monk. "You've come this far and you're still being hunted. That's crazy."

"Then you really are in danger." Sango said as she sent an apologizing look at the eagle demon.

"It's not that bad." Tori compromised. 'I really don't want to tell them why.'

"Not that bad?" Inuyasha asked as he caught up with the others. "According to that demon, this Ashi guy is going to sent more people out for you. This means I'll have to protect you too."

"I didn't ask for it." Tori said. 'It's not safe! I can't let them help me.'

"You're going to get it anyway." Kagome said stubbornly. "What exactly do they want with you?"

Tori froze on the spot. Flash backs of the past zoomed before her eyes. Everyone walked a few more steps, but turned around when they noticed that she stopped. A prickling feeling in her eyes told Tori that she was about to cry. She didn't want to in front of all these people.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want too." Kagome said as she stood right in front of the eagle demon. She smiled, turned around, and continued walking towards Kaede's hut.

- - -

That night, Tori thought about what the future was going to bring for these people and her. She knew that Ashi wasn't the one just to let her escape. She's tried before. Every time she's been caught and punished. There was no use fighting him.

Not only was there no use fighting, but her presence alone with Kagome and the others put them in danger. All the people that she affiliates with are killed. She wasn't allowed friends. Ashi made sure of that.

What am I doing?' Tori thought to her self working her thoughts into a panic. 'Ashi knows where I am! I can't stay here long. I have to leave now.'

Everyone else was soundly sleeping when Tori stood and walked out of the house. She grabbed her original clothes and walked out. No one heard her movements. Inuyasha's ears didn't even twitch as she stepped on the wood. Tori has had plenty of practice of sneaking around.

Walking through the trees, Tori changed into her original clothes. Not wanting to be rude, Tori left the borrowed kimono at the entrance of Kaede's hut. A slight rustle of feathers were the only things heard as Tori changed into her eagle form and took off in the air. She stopped every other mile or so since her injuries were still affecting her. She needed to find somewhere safe to hide. Not like it mattered. Ashi would find her sooner or later.

'I really don't want to return…….' Tori told her self. 'I'm going to be free.' Tori had no idea how she was going to keep her brave words true. She couldn't defend her self. She's never had to fight nor was she given the chance to. There was nothing she could do accept run. She only hoped that it would be enough.

A disheartened tear rolled down the feathers of her face as she stopped at another tree again. Her breath was ragged and her limbs ached horribly. Dropping to the ground, she changed into her human form, checking the bandages that changed with her. Luckily her wounds hadn't reopened after forcing herself onward like that.

Looking around her, Tori found that she had stopped at a lake with a water fall not too far away. Her keen eagle eyes could see a small cavern behind the running water. (Like Kouga's) She jumped in the water so Ashi's goons couldn't follow her scent and climbed in the cave. Tori was positive that no one could find her here for a while. Only an eagle's eye could see the details of the cavern through the moving water. To add to that, there was no way any one could smell her there either.

A satisfied smile grew on her face as she convinced herself that shewould be safe for now. For once in her life, she was going to be safe.

- - -

Every one woke up the next morning well rested and ready to go. Where were they going? Not like it mattered. Their thoughts were pulled back to reality when Miroku decided to speak up.

"Where did Tori get off to?" he asked as he looked around. The eagle demon was no where to be seen and he didn't feel her presence anywhere around either.

"Did any one see her this morning?" Kagome asked with a worried look on her face.

"I didn't even see her in the hut." Sango said.

"What if something happened to her!" Shippo said, clearly wigging out. Don't you just love him?

"Don't panic runt." Inuyasha ordered. "I'll just sniff her out and follow her. I don't smell any other demon so we know that she wasn't taken." In fact, the hanyou picked up Tori's sent easily. They also found out that they passed the kimono Tori left by the door of the hut. All of them felt rather stupid considering the kimono was bright yellow. How could you pass up something that was bright yellow? Come on people. Then again, it is early and every one just woke up.

"Why do you think she went this way?" Kagome asked as they followed Inuyasha towards the lake with the water fall. "What could possibly be out here?"

"Who knows Kagome? All I know is that my nose tells me that she's this way. Or at least she was. There's no telling what happened to her until we find her." Inuyasha answered. "Want to find her faster?" he added indicating riding on his back. Kagome nodded and carefully climbed onto Inuyasha's back. Kirara transformed into her larger self as she jumped out of Sango's arms so Miroku and the demon exterminator could ride on her back.

Jumping on the air, Inuyasha traveled quickly coming to the lake in a matter of minutes. Looking around, they found no form of tracks or any new scents leading out of the lake.

"Ungrateful wench." Inuyasha growled. "We offer her help and she repays us by running away without thanks."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted surprised that he would say such a thing.

"What! You know that it's true!" Inuyasha defended himself.

"I can't believe you. We don't even know the story and you say that? Sit boy!" Kagome said. The necklace around Inuyasha's neck glowed and dragged the hanyou to the ground. "You're so impossible."

"What was that for!" Inuyasha yelled. No one paid attention to him as they continued to look around for any sign of the girl.

"Is it possible she continued in this direction?" Sango suggested as she

pointed in the direction that lead them to the lake. "She could've gone through the lake to throw off any pursuers."

"A wonderful suggestion, my dear Sango." Miroku praised. "You are a woman with both beauty and smarts. You never cease to amaze me!" Miroku surprised Sango with a hug, and before she could react, he placed her hands one her back and immediately led them downward.

"Hentai!" the irate exterminator smacked the all-too-happy monk for his actions leaving a deep red mark on his face.

"You'd figure after the fourth time this morning he'd give it a break." Shippo figured. Kagome laughed at the kitsune's comment. Holding Shippo in her arms, they walked around the edge of the lake and continued in the direction that Sango had mentioned earlier.

- - -

Tori had fallen asleep a few hours before sunrise and slept peacefully for once in her life. Her wounds were on the mend and her cavern behind the water fall was, for some odd reason, warm instead of cold. Too add to odd things, she was always surprised by her healing abilities. Even for a demon she was blessed with fast healing. Her deep wounds from the other day were completely gone.

She carefully stretched so she wouldn't make too much noise. Looking through the moving water, she checked to see if any one was outside. Not seeing any one, or sensing anyone's presence, she dived right into the lake and pulled herself onto the land.

By the position of the sun Tori could tell that it was around two in the evening. "I must've been really tired." She commented to herself. A low rumble came from her stomach clearly telling her that she was hungry. Looking around the lake, she found an apple tree and munched on one. Another apple later and Tori found her self satisfied enough for the time being. Not really being that big meant she didn't have to eat a lot. She was used to not getting a lot to eat anyway.

"Now what? I can either keep hiding here or continue running away." Tori pondered out loud. While she was eating, she never noticed the person that slowly got closer to her.

"Running from what?" a masculine voice said. Tori was in such shock that she turned around sharply, loosed her balance and feel on her butt. Crawling backwards on all fours, she tried to get away from the man before her.

So, what do you think? I'm cutting off the chapter here. I don't know what else to do. You'll have to ask Kyoumi to update soon since the next chapter is hers to write. I got the first slap and the first sit! I hope that you review.

I used a lot of scene changes, so if you got lost feel free to ask questions. Sorry about that. Well, until next time! Ja ne!