Here's my normal Friday post! Remember, I try to keep up with posting on Fridays, so if you miss a post, then you'll always be able to come right back to it! Thank you for your continuing support!

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"Kaede!" Kagome shouted from atop Kirara who was flying just above the waters of the harsh river, Sango and Shippo with her as well.

"Say something! Where are you?!" Shippo yelled as well.

InuYasha and Miroku were running down both sides of the river's banks, trying to find any sign of the girl that they could find.

"Do you smell her yet, InuYasha?" Miroku asked loudly from across the river.

"No! I can only pick up bits of her smell in the river but it's mostly washed away!" The demon replied angrily.

"How did this happen, Shippo?" Kagome asked the young child.

"She and I were already up and we went down to the river to wash up and a storm came in on us fast! I didn't realize that a tree had been struck by lightning and a heavy limb would have crushed me! But Kaede saved me and was knocked into the river by the limb! I tried to save her but the river is so fast and I... I couldn't find her!" Shippo began to tear up again, feeling guilty about Kaede's possible death.

"It's my fault! Kaede's gone and it's my fault!!" Shippo cried out.

InuYasha stopped running and looked to the boy and said, "Stop your crying! Kaede's not dead so stop saying stupid things like that!" he yelled.

"InuYasha is just as worried as Shippo is..." Kagome thought to herself as she saw the boy take off back down the river again, in search of the young girl.

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It was so warm. Warm sheets, the smell of fresh meat cooking over a fire, it was all so comforting.

"Mommy! Come here!" a child shouted.

Kaede could hear feet pounding the wooden, rickety, floors; which became louder as they approached.

"Mommy, she moved! I think she's waking up!" the child shouted again.

Kaede finally opened her eyes as she could see the blurry images of four people in the room, looking over her.

"Can you hear me? Are you awake?" the older woman's voice sounded worried and despaired.

"Yeah... I can... hear you..." Kaede said quietly.

There was a group sigh of relief, and then the woman spoke again.

"Good, you're conscious! We were sure that you would die on us!" a man's voice said softly.

The blurred images of people finally started to come into perspective and she saw two smiling children, a woman and a man.

"Mommy! Daddy! Can we keep her when she's well?" the young boy asked.

The mother laughed slightly and replied, "No, Satoru. She probably belongs to someone else and they're probably very worried about her."

Kaede's memory then snapped to attention and she remembered who she was, and who would be coming for her. She tried sitting up quickly and felt her ribs protesting every movement.

"Easy, you shouldn't move too much right now. You're lucky to be alive as it is!" The man insisted as he kneeled down to the girl's side.

Kaede could feel some broken ribs, cuts on her forehead, and some sore muscles, but other than that, she knew that she would be fine.

"It's okay, I've had... worse than this, believe me," the girl said as she sat up fully and stopped to catch her breath.

The mother had gone over to the fire and picked up some food and brought it to the girl.

"Here, if you plan to move right now, then you'll need the strength to do so," she said as she handed Kaede the wonderful smelling meats.

"Thank you... How did you find me?" Kaede asked, still a little confused.

"My sister and I had found you floating down the river and brought you to the shore!" the young boy said excitedly.

Kaede looked to him and smiled saying, "Did you now? I appreciate that very much!"

"Hey! I saved you too!" the little girl felt left out of the gratitude.

Kaede looked to her as well and said, "Just the same to you then! Thank you!"

"My name's Saiya! And this is my brother, Satoru!" The girl said happy to have received the recognition.

"Daddy brought you back here after Mommy told us to go get him! You were covered in blood!" Satoru filled the rest of the story in for Kaede.

Young Kaede looked to the parents with an embarrassed look and said, "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble, thank you for saving me!"

"Please, you were nearly dead! How could we have just let you die? We were only happy to help!" The mother said whole-heartedly.

"So how did you end up in the river? You must have fallen over the falls and are lucky to be alive," The father asked.

"I was struck by a tree limb, and I guess it knocked me unconscious as I fell into the river and went downstream," Kaede replied as she tore into the food.

"A tree limb? My word! You really are lucky to be alive!" The mother was surprised at Kaede's story.

As Kaede finished her meal a young man yelled outside of the large home.

"It's back! The demon has returned! Everyone, take cover!" he yelled as he ran to hide himself.

"Oh, not again!" The mother said as she motioned for the children to go to her.

"Demon? What kind of demon?" Kaede asked, astonished.

"No one knows! A few weeks ago a strange-looking demon appeared in town and began killing some of the villagers! It looks like a badly burned human, but it walks limply and whoever it touches, dies by burning!" The father said as he picked up a weapon, ready to defend his family to the death.

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It was nearing noon, and InuYasha and the others were still looking for Kaede in the river, having traveled far downstream to look for her.

"Damn! Still no sign of her! Where the hell could she have gone?!" InuYasha was becoming more frustrated.

"You don't think that she could have been kidnapped do you?" Kagome asked sadly.

"It's possible... Maybe Naraku was in the area and thought he'd see what kind trouble he could cause!" InuYasha became more angry with every thought that Kaede could have fallen into Naraku's hands.

"Wait a minute, InuYasha. We passed by a village a while ago. Perhaps someone there has helped her. We should at least give it a shot, before we commit to the idea that she has been kidnapped," Miroku suggested.

"Yes, anyone could have found her besides Naraku. We should at least check just to make sure," Sango agreed.

"Let's just give it a try, InuYasha. It's better that we know we've covered every base instead of wondering what we could have done later on," Kagome pleaded.

"Fine! But we better hurry, just in case we've missed something else!" InuYasha agreed as they all turned around back towards the long way back and hurried off.

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The man took a large, wooden club-looking instrument, and stood next to the hut entrance, and the woman had put her arms around her children to protect and comfort them.

"A demon that kills with one touch? What could that possibly be?" Kaede asked aloud.

There was a stillness of quiet for a long moment. Just as everyone thought that perhaps the coast was clear, they heard the screams of the man who had warned everyone to hide. It was close... very close...

Kaede couldn't wait to see what was going to happen any longer and slowly got to her feet.

"What are you doing? Stay back!" The woman called out.

Kaede put an arm around her opposite side to comfort her paining ribs.

"I'm not used to staying out of the action, I just have to get a glimpse of this myself," Kaede replied with a half smile.

She walked to the entrance of the hut and pulled the blanket aside just a bit, so she could peek out and not attract attention to herself. She looked down the dirt path of the village both ways and didn't see anything at all. Not a human, not a demon.

"Well, whatever it was, it looks like it's gone," Kaede said as she pulled the blanket aside completely and walked out of the hut.

"Is it really gone?" Saiya asked as she broke free from her mother's hold and ran outside.

"Saiya! Come back!" The mother cried out to her daughter.

The girl walked outside and without warning she screamed. Kaede turned and saw the gut wrenching sight of what seemed to be a human with burns all over their body. It was dangerously close to Saiya and her mother and father called out in fear. The demon reached out to the child, who had her back to the hut, not moving in complete fear. Kaede tried to run to her, but the child's father reached her first and grabbed his daughter, about to pull away when the demon touched him just slightly.

"No!" Saiya yelled knowing what was to come

The man pushed his child back to the hut just as his body began to light in flames on the sleeves of his kimono which began to spread. Kaede couldn't watch anymore and jumped at the demon.

"Stay back!" The man yelled, but Kaede didn't listen. She put her hands together and brought up a spiritual barrier and deterred the demon from taking the man completely. She rushed between them and the demon touched her barrier, and it's hand was purified.

Kaede pushed the man back towards the hut, who then took off his kimono top and threw it on the ground, still on fire. As Kaede turned back to the demon she saw it holding it's hand, which now looked like a healed human hand.

"What?" Kaede asked herself in shock.

"My spiritual barrier must have purified the demon! Maybe..." Kaede thought to herself as she jumped at the demon and sent out a wave of spiritual energy.

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For the Next Chapter!

"What?!" Miroku said aloud suddenly.

"What is it Miroku?" Kagome asked.

"I sense strong spiritual energy!" he stated.

"Where is it?!" InuYasha asked.

Miroku had to center himself for a moment and then opened his eyes and pointed, "There! That way!"

"All right!" InuYasha took off quickly where Miroku had pointed.

"Let's go Kirara!" Sango ordered as the cat demon followed InuYasha.