"So, which one of you slimes is a demon? Hm? Sinking so low as to associate with bandits. My senses might be dimmed but I can still smell you." Inuyasha sneered at the crowd. Kiki stilled, surprised by the comment 'my senses might be dimmed'. Something was affecting both of them.

She scanned the area, and her eyes rested on the woman's body. She could not be working any demonic powers over them, and she was not shining with spiritual light. She turned her eyes towards the fire. It was too dim and not smoky enough to affect their senses. If any herbs had been used to create it they would have burnt out long ago. Kiki reached for the pot. Her hand went numb as soon as she touched the liquid inside.

"The liquid! There's enough here to affect the whole area!" She exclaimed. She grabbed it, heaving it up. With the pot so close to her, she was starting become intensely dizzy. With a jolt of strength, she chucked it past Inuyasha and at the closest bandit.

"AEEE!" The bandit screamed as the liquid drenched him through and the pot knocked him over. He went completely limp, and his face was soon a dreadful shade of blue. The potion was so strong he could not breathe.

"Idiot!" Inuyasha exclaimed, holding his kimono to his sensitive nose. "Now the herbs at the bottom have resurfaced! The fumes are stronger!"

"Obviously!" Kiki snapped at him. She lifted her hands, palms up, to the sky. A mist of spiritual energy covered them, and the liquid she had discarded shimmered and burst into flames. "The pot was a spiritual item that barred me from using my powers to nullify the liquid inside. With it out, I can get rid of the whole problem."

Upon seeing their comrade burst into flames, the bandits let out a deafening war cry and ran at the two. Inuyasha jumped forward, claws at the ready. While he jumped, Kiki formed a spiritual bow and arrow and carefully aimed. As a man attempted to sneak up behind her, she swept her leg around, tripping him. His weapon fell out of his hands and nicked her thigh. Not noticing, she continued to fire at the others.

Senses back, it was easy to knock out or kill every bandit in the area. They were not well trained, and with a priestess and angry half-demon against them, they did not have a chance. Kiki came out with a few nasty wounds on her unprotected back and swollen fingers. Inuyasha was unscathed and stared at her and she fell to her knees and panted. She closed her eyes, and the hungry flames that had spread to surrounding areas immediately went out.

"That was fun." Inuyasha spat sarcastically, wiping his blood stained claws on his kimono pants. "And the demon behind that tree still hasn't come out."

"Yes... I thought he would have run away by now. Realizing that we can now sense him, and all." Kiki laughed in reply.

With an easy jump, Inuyasha tore into a nearby tree, splitting it in two. A large horde of wasps poured out from its hollow inside, taking to the sky. Kiki watched curiously as they disappeared.

"That... was weird. I thought it was one demon, not a horde of them." Inuyasha glanced at her, face twisting in surprise. Jumping forward, he knocked her to the ground and pinned her there. His body pressed her down, and he was looking at something behind her.

"Wha-" Kiki choked.

Inuyasha jabbed his claws into his chest and withdrew them so that they were covered in fresh blood. "Blades of Blood!" He yelled, throwing forward red strips of demonic energy. A shriek was heard and then the sizzling sound of a demonic energy taking to the sky.

They sat there, huffing, for a couple minutes. Kiki began to shift uncomfortably, unable to get off the ground. Inuyasha was still on top of her.

"Could you get off of me?" She snapped angrily, struggling against him. Inuyasha looked down at her, their faces only inches apart.

"No."

Kiki withdrew her breath sharply. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. What! WHAT!

"If I do you'll tell me to sit." He stated calmly, squinting at her. "You can't do it if I'm on top of you."

Oh… Kiki thought in realization. Well…Yeah I probably would have… "I said get off." She hissed at him, not giving on to the fact that he was right.

"No. I'm not getting off. I'll keep you here until you fall asleep and then I'll take the jewel and escape." He said with a smirk. Kiki rolled her eyes. I bet he feels like a freaking genius. The thought angered her, and she began to struggle against his weight.

"What if I promised not to make you… you know… due to this event? Otherwise I'm going to have to call up a tornado to get you off." Kiki asked softly, stopping her struggle. Inuyasha stared at her, contemplating, until he nodded.

"If you tell me 'Sit' when I get off, I swear I'll kill you." He warned. Kiki laughed.

"I thought you were going to kill me anyway!" He shot her an angry look and she stopped laughing. "Ok, I promise."

He got off, slowly. When she had enough space to roll out from under him, Kiki took the opportunity with speed. She stood up quickly and began her way back to the village, her face a deep shade of red. Her hair fell annoyingly into her face, but she paid no mind to the fact that it had originally been in a ponytail and was now everywhere.

"You forgot this." Inuyasha said, dropping down from a tree in front of her. He was holding her basket of medicinal herbs. "You're very forgetful."

Kiki stopped and blushed even deeper, thanking him quietly. They walked back to the village together, in silence.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Where were you?" Kaede scolded when they walked into the hut. Kiki tossed the basket to the side and grabbed a hair band from a nearby shelf. Hers had broken during the battle, and now her hair was a frizzy mess. "You're both covered in blood and…Kiki your hair is simply horrific!"

Inuyasha snickered and Kiki glared at him, pulling her hair into the style her late aunt Kikyo wore quite often. Only, Inuyasha did not see the result for a minute or so; he had turned back to Kaede.

"The wench over here decided to help a complete stranger who ended up being a maniac bandit who obviously wanted the jewel." He chuckled tauntingly until he turned to look at Kiki. She was the spitting image of Kikyo subtracting the frizzy hair and purple eyes. Kiki took his silence as an opportunity to voice a couple of words in her defense.

"I haven't talked to any of the villagers for such a long time, Mother. Ever since…That day. I did not know if he was one of them or not. Many have moved in since then." She insisted to a weary-looking Kaede.

"Before we talk about any of this… Or bring up that day… You two should go get yourselves cleaned up. You are covered in dirt and blood. And you smell like smoke! Kiki, did you use fire?"

"Uhh…" Kiki stalled, grabbing one of her extra priestess outfits off the floor. "Er... Inuyasha, let me show you where the river is! We'll be back soon, Mother!" she then grabbed Inuyasha's hand and dragged him out of the hut. He snatched away his hand when they were out the door, but continued following her.

"I know where the river is. I'm not exactly new to this village." He snapped in irritation. "If anything, I should show you where the river is."

"That doesn't make any sense." Kiki giggled, skipping forward. She felt warm inside for some reason. Aah... This is nice… Wait! No! This man killed my Aunt! He killed the woman I'm reincarnated from! Why am I so happy?

"Why are you so happy? I thought you hated me." Ah… Always the clever one… Probably figured it out before I did.

"Why can't I be happy? Just because you killed Kikyo doesn't mean I should dawdle on that all the time." She replied. Inuyasha stopped and grabbed her hand, yanking her backwards.

"What?"

"Just because you killed Kikyo doesn't mean I can't enjoy my life when you're around."

"I… Why do you think I killed Kikyo? I didn't!" Inuyasha exclaimed. Kiki stared at him blankly and unbelievingly.

"Really." No. "I don't believe you." NO! He killed her!

"If anything Kikyo betrayed… me…"

Kiki felt something stir inside of her. Her body began to go limp, and she fell to her knees. "Wha…" she weakly managed, her eyesight getting blurry. "No… That's… That's not true! You killed me! You killed me! Why did you betray me, Inuyasha? Why did you attack me from behind? Why did you take the jewel? Why, Inuyasha? WHY?"

Kiki found herself screaming things she did not understand. A voice in her head told her everything, and it was taking advantage of her weakened state. Inuyasha let go of her hand again and backed away in shock. "You took the jewel! You said you'd become human!" Suddenly, her eyes were wet and her vision was even more blurry. She couldn't see anything. "I thought you loved me! I… Why... I don't understand... Who… Get out of my head! No! Stop it! Who are you?"

Kiki collapsed onto the ground, her mind suddenly drawing a complete blank. Inuyasha stared at her limp body for a minute and then took a step forward.

"Wench…?"

"Who's out here? What's going on out here?" a woman's voice called out. Inuyasha turned his head quickly to the side and he noticed that one of the villagers' houses was right there. He sprang away from Kiki and into a nearby tree, watching carefully.

"Who… KIKI! Oh, dear… Kyoto! Kyoto, fetch Kaede-san! Her bastard girl is out here unconscious! Yes, that Kiki! The one Kaede took in! Yes, the priestess!" The woman was talking to somebody. A boy ran out of the cottage followed by a middle-aged woman. He ran past Kiki, but the woman kneeled beside her.

"A pulse… Good thing you're alive, girl…" The woman said. She was the one who had been yelling out orders and currently had her fingers on Kiki's neck. "Kaede would be crushed if you weren't…"

Inuyasha watched in silence as Kiki was taken into the hut, and then watched as Kaede came back with the boy. They left soon after with him carrying Kiki. When the boy returned, he was alone. Inuyasha slinked off towards the woods; he had some things to think about.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I had wished this moment would never end… Kiki jolted upright and looked around. Where was she? Not in Kaede's cabin… It almost seemed as if she was floating above the village river. Everything was foggy.

A boat came into view, skimming gently across the water. Two figures where inside; one sat and another rowed. As the fog around her began to clear, Kiki recognized the rower. It was Inuyasha! She turned to the one sitting but her body and face remained dark even when the fog had cleared completely. A background hazed in around the boat. With the background, it became clear that she really was over the village river. Except… It did not look exactly like the village. Some houses were missing.

I wanted it to last forever. I wanted him forever by my side… Kiki twisted around, trying to see the speaker. A blur began to appear next to her, and she floated a bit away from it. A see-through version of Kikyo was soon solidified beside her.

"I wanted everything to be perfect…" She whispered. Kiki examined her face closely and then looked back at the boat. She gasped in surprise when the sitting figure finally lifted her shadows; it was Kikyo!

"But... Uh… How are you… Talking to me if you're right there?" Kiki asked, eyebrows raised. This was a little too odd for her taste… what had she been doing before this crazy scene? Her mind drew a complete blank; all she could remember was her name, Kikyo, and Inuyasha.

Kikyo turned to her, looking cocky. "This is a memory of mine, idiot. This image is of me back when I was alive… What I'm using to speak is just part of my soul trapped within your body…"

"Part of your soul? If I'm your reincarnation, then how do I only have part of your soul?" Kiki exclaimed in confusion.

"You are not my reincarnation… An evil, demonic soul has taken memories from my soul at rest. He combined my soul with yours… and then he let you fester in his body for 34 years. When we had finally merged, he let you out in the form of a very young child. Tell me, Kiki… Who has been raising you since then?"

"I… I… can't remember…" Kiki choked, staring as the boat with Inuyasha and Kikyo passed under them. "I truly cannot…"

KIKI! Kiki jolted and spun around in the air. "Who is calling me?" Kiki, wake up! Please, Kiki!

"Pesky mortals from the other side…" Kikyo murmured. "Have they no realization that you have immersed yourself into your soul and cannot be let out until you find an answer? An answer to the question that has been digging at your mind for two days…"

"Two… Two days… That's when I let out Inuyasha! What is the question, Kikyo? Why am I questioning things?" Kiki wondered aloud.

"I… Do not know."

"You lie! I can tell by your voice!"

"You wonder if Inuyasha truly killed me! He did! He murdered me from behind!" Kikyo snarled. Kiki stared at her, hard. So, that was the question…

"Can I… See that memory?" she asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kikyo heard, and replied in an outraged voice, "This is your containment! This is where you have contained two souls who have yet to sink together and form your true powers! You've been drawing power out of me for years! Take some from the demon within you! Draw your power from the evil beside my soul! Change this memory using him! I do not wish to change it to that day! The day my love murdered me from behind, the day I killed him as well. The day I finally removed the Shikon no Tama from existence…"

"But... Don't you know? I brought it back by accident. When I released Inuyasha…" Kiki informed her carefully. Kikyo's misty form twisted quickly to look at her. With brown eyes penetrating her with fear and surprise, Kiki was even more uncomfortable then she had been before. And suddenly, without an apparent reason, her leg began to steadily ache.

"I… Uh… I would like to see how you died so I can get out of here and… Protect it. The jewel." Kiki muttered.

Kikyo nodded reluctantly and waved her hand at the scene before them. A fog set back in and a new scene began to slowly form behind it. It was Kikyo, walking from Kaede's hut to a path that would bring her towards the woods. To the place she would give Inuyasha the jewel.

As the scene became crisp, Kiki realized that Kikyo had watched this many times before. She recognized the feelings of hatred that suddenly consumed her body. The feelings that had drawn her to go to Kikyo's grave and try to sooth the pain and sorrow that threatened to overwhelm her.

A soft patter of feet voiced behind Kikyo but she paid no mind. She was too happy to pay attention to something so trivial. Blurry in its speed came Inuyasha's form, cutting her down from behind with his claws. Kikyo let out a yelp of pain and fell to the ground. The jewel rolled out from her hand and onto the grass before her.

She reached for the jewel, but Inuyasha stepped on her hand and pressed it into the ground. He leaned over and picked up the jewel with his pointer finger and thumb, holding it up.

"Such a stupid woman. I never truly intended to become human for you. Thanks for the jewel, though." Inuyasha sneered. Kiki noticed something about his voice that did not sound right; it wasn't deep enough.

Suddenly, the view was from Kikyo's eyes. She was looking up at Inuyasha, straight into a pair of sharp amber eyes. "T... Traitor! Traitor! TRAITOR!" Kikyo's memory form screamed.

"Stop!" Kiki exclaimed and the scene before her paused. Kikyo's see-through form turned to look at her.

"What." It was more of a statement than a question, as if Kikyo dared her to point something out.

"Inuyasha's eyes are yellow! They are a bright, vivid yellow! These Inuyasha's eyes are amber. In addition, Inuyasha's voice is much lower than that. It… it almost sounds like somebody was trying to copy him. This can't be Inuyasha." Kiki pointed out. "Don't you see?

"I was wounded, and quickly loosing blood. You cannot trust the sounds and sights of this memory…"

"So why use it as a basis for hatred against him? You loved him. You knew him. Why would he do this?"

"I've watched this… so many times…"

"But you've been so overcome by emotion that you could not pick out these fine details! Inuyasha did not kill you! A look-alike did!" With her whole body burst into a world of pain, concentrated on her leg. She began to draw a complete blank again and her little inner world went black.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"KIKI!" Shippo yelled into the unconscious girl's left ear. "Kiki, wake up! Please, Kiki!"

Kaede reached over and removed the Shikon jewel from around the girl's neck. "Inuyasha didn't take it…"

"Who is the Inuyasha guy?" Shippo exclaimed, angry. "You told me I was asleep whenever he was in the cabin! And that when he came back in last night, I was out delivering some herbs to a woman you had tended to that day."

Kiki groaned and began to breathe heavily. Kaede, surprised, looked the girl over. She found Kiki's leg had completely swollen up.

"My, Kiki! I'm surprised it didn't collapse out from under you while you were walking around! You did tell me you thought you had hurt your leg two days ago… But you insisted it must have been a cramp." Kaede sighed. "Reckless girl… The jewel must have been masking the pain for her and keeping the swelling down. Shippo, watch the jewel while I tend to this. Sit near the stew and stir it every once in a while." Kaede handed the young fox demon the jewel and he put the necklace over his head.

"Ai, ai, Kaede!" he replied, scampering over to the stewpot.