Miroku shook me, but nothing happened. "We need to take her back to the village with us to take care of her wound." He stroked my forehead, "She's running a fever." Inuyasha bent down, looking at the jewel shard that shined through my hand. Miroku asked, "Inuyasha, do you know this girl?"
"No, but I heard her calling for me before. How does she know who I am? And what was that business about me being alive and all?"
"Maybe she's heard about you." Kagome suggested, "you are becoming quite the talk, Inuyasha." He brushed it off, "Humph, anyway, I'll carry her back."
"Be careful of her right leg, Inuyasha!" Miroku warned him as he got me on his back. He braced my right leg, "I got it, Miroku. Let's head back in case more lightning demons come back." Kagome, Sango and Shippo followed Inuyasha and Miroku on Keilala. Kagome thought aloud, "Don't you think it's a little strange? Inuyasha would have ordinarily left a helpless demon; the only the strong should survive according to him."
"Well, the fact that the girl seems to know him must be proof enough. Besides, the demonic energy surrounding her is pretty weak."
"You don't think she might be half-demon, do you?"
"That must be it, why else would Inuyasha volunteer to carry her back?" Shippo climbed out of Kagome's backpack, having just awoken from his nap. Kagome wondered on, "and what's the deal with the jewel shard in her heart?"
"I'm not sure… but based on what just happened, I don't think we'll be able to take it from her. She seems to need it, even if it's not for power." Shippo also asked, "And why do you think she freaked when Miroku was the first person she woke up to seeing?"
"I thought that was pretty obvious," Sango muttered almost under her breath. Kagome shook her head, "She obviously had a bad experience when she was younger that gave her reason to fear humans." The gang found an small cabin on the northeastern side of town to camp out. Inuyasha laid me down on a thin, brown-skin rug made from wolf-hide. He then put a hand to my forehead and matched it with his own. He sniffed me for a brief moment, "She doesn't smell familiar to me, but her voice makes me wonder. It's like I've heard it in my sleep a long time ago…"
Miroku rushed in next to check out my leg, "I'll go get something to splint and bandage this up with. You get some water to wash out of the cut." Inuyasha sat on the ground, folding his legs and crossing arms, almost intent on staying there without moving. He thought to himself, 'Shippo or Kagome can do that. I'm going to stay here so I can get some answers.' Kagome returned with a bucket of water. Shippo rung out a rag and gave it to Inuyasha. Reluctantly, he rung it out and started massage my forehead with cold water. I mumbled, "Inuyasha…" making him even more uneasy. "I don't know what your deal is, but you've got quite a fever." He then wet the rag again and put it on my bruised leg.
When I felt cold water touch my exposed flesh, I shot awake in surprise. "Hey! You want to get this leg infected! Now hold still…" I looked up, feverishly. "Inuyasha… is that really you?"
"Yeah, what of it?" He demanded. I looked down, smiling, "you didn't just leave me there?"
"Well, it was the right thing to do, I suppose." He brushed it off. I looked at my leg as his clawed hands massaged it with a rag. "I didn't realize my leg was hurt that badly… I guess when I spend so much time being afraid, pain just seems secondary." He just kept massaging, not seeming to care; for some odd reason, he seemed annoyed. "Let me guess, Kagome would have gotten on your case if you hadn't brought me back."
"It's not like that at all…"
"Well, then what is it?"
"Just forget it, okay! I brought you back here and that's all that really matters right now." I sighed, "All right, fine."
"Not that it's any of my business or nothing, but what'd you have to be afraid of?"
"55 years ago, my tribe was killed by humans. They thought we were conspiring to steal the Shikon jewel for ourselves, when we really just want to be left alone. We're a pretty isolated race of demons."
"That would explain one thing. Sango, Miroku and Kagome aren't like that. We're just trying to collect the jewel shards."
"And do what? So you can become a full demon?" He brushed it off, "Yeah, so what?" I looked down, "Well, with the kind of reputation that you have, I wouldn't think that you'd need to get any stronger."
"So, my reputation is the only reason you know my name? It makes me really uneasy with you knowing who I am when I clearly have no idea who you are. Not that I care or nothin'…" I observed the movement he was making with the rag; they said otherwise.
"Being half-demon really isn't all that bad… I've been that way my whole life and even though I'm not as strong as some other half-demons, I muddle through anyway."
"Yeah! Well, I get crap from all kinds of demons about being half-demon. Even if I'm as strong as I am, it's never enough. They never think of me as my equal. My brother and I are constantly fighting with one another because he thinks I'm below him."
"Your own brother? That's gotta be rough."
"Yeah, well, I lived my life alone until recently. It's basically the only way I knew to protect myself." I looked up as I heard the door flap open, "Ah, so you're awake?" It was the monk. Remembering how gentle he seemed, I wasn't so nervous. I kneeled next to me and felt my forehead. "Your fever seemed to have gone down quite a bit."
"Well, I guess conversation has helped… even if it can be unpleasant at times. Not that I should be too surprised…" I laid back down as a chill ran down my spine. I slowly came to realize that Inuyasha wasn't at all I expected him to be. He was crabby on the outside, but the way he cleaned my wound said the complete opposite.
"Inuyasha, you've done a good job cleaning the wound. I think I can take it from here."
"All right, but don't pull any of that funny stuff that you do on all the other girls!" He got up and walked out of the cabin. I sighed, "Is he always like that?"
"Well, it just takes getting to know him to know his better side." He bandaged up my leg. "So, who are you, exactly?" I exhaled, feeling another feverish spell wash over me.
"My name is Miroku and I'm a trained monk. I always try to help the weak and wounded when I can because it's my job." He wrapped a thin, soft cloth around my leg and tied a thin, but sturdy piece of wood around my leg. "This splint should hold up well."
"Thank you…" I sighed, almost hoping Inuyasha would pop back in. "So, how do you know Inuyasha?"
"That news is only for him… Miroku." He knelt closer, "This might be bad timing, but when you recover, would you consider bearing me a child?" My temperature rose and I gasped. Without even thinking, my claws grew out and I shrieked as I scratched him across his left cheek.
Inuyasha rushed back in, "Miroku! I told you not to do that, what the hell is your problem?" He grabbed him by the collar and looked at the wound. He looked back at me and sneered, "you might not be that weak after all." He threw another rag at Miroku, "here, take this outside!" He looked at me as I was laying on my side, slightly curled up for protection. "I thought it was a bad idea to leave him alone with you. He can be such a…"
He stopped in his train of thought when he saw me starting to breathe heavily. "What's wrong?" He demanded, putting his hand back on my forehead. "Damn it, Miroku!" He shouted back outside, "You just drove her fever back up!"
Kagome rushed back in, "Hi, I'm not sure if you're up for visitors, but I'm Kagome."
"Yeah, I've heard about you… you can see jewel shards. I had a feeling that if we were to cross paths, you'd be able to sense the one I'm holding." I held onto my heart, but I suddenly felt weak.
"Inuyasha, make her more comfortable. That might help drive the fever down." He raised my head onto his lap and started massaging my forehead with another rag. "That idiot, Miroku, to think I could trust him to do one simple thing!"
"Well, he did cover my leg up pretty good."
"You gave him quite a clawing," He smiled, seeming impressed. I stopped to open my eyes. I could barely hear it, but I inched up. "What are you doing! Lay down before you get any worse!" I smiled, "This sounds like a really odd and weird request… but… would you mind if I listen to your heart for a moment?"
"How come?" He asked, not an angry tone, but a very curious tone. I sighed, "it might help lull me to sleep so I can sleep this fever away. Back home, we always sleep close together, so all we can hear is each other's breathing and hearts."
"Um… sure…" He blinked twice, seeming a bit confused. Kagome took my hand held me sit up me a bit more. I pressed my right ear back on his heart. I shut my eyes as my mind took me back to 55 years ago when I first "met" Inuyasha sealed to that tree. This time was a little different because his body was nice and warm. I happily sighed. I then felt a hand reach around and embrace my left side. I looked up at Inuyasha, who was looking at Kagome. I couldn't read the look on his face. I pressed my other hand next to his chest and I suddenly felt so peaceful.
Completely involuntarily, I spoke as memories flooded through my head. "My first night alone, I was only five-years old… I ran away as the humans ruined my home. I ran east, the full moon exposed and my human form visible. I ran to the forest east of the village, followed a pink light, and came upon a demon sealed to a tree. I got closer to him, close enough hear his heart… the lulling of it calmed me down. I visited him every night, each time finding the courage that his calm, pounding heart gave me." Slowly, but surely, I drifted off to sleep, Inuyasha's arm bracing my shoulder.
Inuyasha looked at me as I started slowly breathing in a sleep. "Um… now what?"
"Let her sleep, Inuyasha… she's been through a lot this past day." He sighed, "Fine…" He stroked my shoulder, "This sounds weird, but I don't think I could move if I wanted to. I mean, I don't want to."
"It sounds like she knew you because you were sealed to that tree 50 years ago. The poor thing…" Inuyasha put another hand to my forehead, "Well, at least her fever's gone down." He stroked my shoulder, "Kagome, you don't mind… I mean, just for tonight?"
"No, I'm just happy that you'd do that. I gotta say it's not like you…"
"Well, she is half-demon… a weak half-demon. Can't just leave her defenseless now, can I!" He defended himself. Kagome smiled, thinking, 'it's all part of his tough guy act…' She said, "Well, I'm gonna go outside, leave you alone for a bit."
"Yeah sure… just don't let anyone come in here, or I'll never hear the end of it!"
"Sure, but Inuyasha, keep it quiet." She pointed. He looked down, "Oh yeah…" When Kagome stepped outside, Sango asked, "So, how's she doing?"
"Well, she's asleep now, but otherwise, she's all right." She shot a look at Miroku, "No thanks to you, Miroku."
"Well, I figured I had to ask. I just didn't figure she'd be the type." He continued to wipe the blood from his cheek. "Inuyasha was being unusually overprotective…"
"Yeah, he said for me to keep everyone else out here. To let her sleep, I guess." Shippo and Keilala approached, "Do you think she'll be all right, Kagome?"
"Yeah Shippo… with Inuyasha looking out for her, she'll be just fine."
"If anything, it seems like Inuyasha has started to soften more towards her." Miroku added.
"Yeah, it's weird that way… must be after what he saw what she did to you." Everyone laughed at Miroku's expense.
Meanwhile inside, Inuyasha continued stroking my shoulder. He thought to himself, 'I don't get it. One minute I'm all bitter and testy and the next I'm totally relaxed. It must be that jewel shard. Who knew the jewel could be used for anything but power?' He slightly tightened his grip and shut his eyes. Kagome peeked in as the two of them slept. She smiled, "Aw, who knew that Inuyasha could be such a softie?" She took the wolf-skin rug and wrapped it around the both of them.
