Walking was easier by this point. I couldn't move too quickly without causing stress to my back, but I no longer had to rely on Inuyasha to carry me everywhere. Rescue inhalers are a blessing, but so are nebulizers- which I had to hide out in the back of the hut to use while Shippō and Inuyasha stood guard so no villager could see. I was really freaked out about paradoxes or something equally bad happening, but then again…

How do I know that I didn't already cause great change? Kagome's been time travelling even longer than I have, so maybe the course of history has already been totally rewritten and we don't realize it because we are already living the change? Urk. My head hurts.

Either way, by the time I was done I had gone back inside where Kagome had given me a top to wear. My back was totally exposed in my sweater dress top, so Kagome gave me one of her extra uniform tops. It was a bit small, but I thanked her regardless. I felt kind of silly wearing a school uniform since I graduated High School, especially because of how foreign it was.

It did not suit me at all. The only uniform I ever wore were the ones for gym and band class.

"Hey, that old man is still here." Inuyasha suddenly commented as we were heading for the town exit. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air, arms folded into his kimono. "We should go talk to him, don't you think? Maybe he could teach you some more about that Shikigami stuff."

Kagome stopped walking, clapping her hands together. By some miracle her bike didn't fall over. "Yeah! That's a great idea, Inuyasha! Let's go do that, Irene."

"Uh, okay… sure." Sounded like a good plan. "We can tell him what happened with Shippō and the webs!"

"Let's go!" Shippō exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait to find out what else you and I can do with our magic!"

With that we changed course, following Inuyasha to the pond where the old man was sitting. Compared to last time, however, Kakuju was now standing in the spot where the Serpentine Rock once resided. Maybe he just wanted me to destroy the rock so he could feel the wind better? I don't know.

"Well," The old man mused as we approached, hearing our footsteps, "that was certainly quick. Hardly even two days and yet you've already experienced so much."

Kakuju turned around, carefully using his cane to guide himself towards us. He stopped a few feet away. Tilting his head as a breeze blew by, the elder nodded his head.

"Yes. The power of the Shikigami is much stronger now; I can sense it. You've learned how to use your strength in a fight, haven't you?"

Knowing he was talking to me I froze up, awkwardly bringing my hands up in front of me and fiddling with my fingers. I could feel everyone's eyes on me- waiting for a response. An answer or explanation that would lead to something greater being taught by this stranger. "Y-Yeah, well, it's… complicated?"

"How so?" He asked, no hint of impatience or exasperation in his voice. Kakuju was calm, kind even as he awaited further details. "Please, tell me everything that happened."

And so I did. My habit of talking was shown as I went into every little detail on our journey, informing him of how I was able to make little balls of light appear when I concentrated and that Shippō was even helping by showing how he conjured foxfire. Then I went into depth of the battle against the many demons, mentioning the decaying wolf that would have killed me had this large dog not appeared from the fiery pentagram on the ground. I told Kakuju how after it killed the demon it approached and licked my shoulder, healing it, and then disappeared.

"-when I went in to see how everyone was doing," I choked, getting caught up in the emotion of the tale and getting hit by the pure shock of how truly scary it was, "they were all trapped in these… these spider webs! A-And then I got stuck and I didn't know what to do, and they were all yelling at me to… to run; I- I wanted to help. I hated…"

I took a deep breath, stopping myself from blurting out my true thoughts. I hated talking about my feelings.

"I hated… not being able to do anything." I forced myself to admit, lowering my head. "E-Everyone is so nice to me despite how much I… burden them. I just get in the way. So I asked the Shikigami for help and…"

"Irene…" I could hear Kagome say, saddened by what she was hearing. Shippō, who was on my shoulder, rested a small hand on the top of my head. Sniffling, pretending that I wasn't blurting my doubts and self-hatred out for everyone to hear, I tried to clear my throat and speak more confidently.

It didn't work as well as I hoped. "I asked the Shikigami for help, to save us, a-and… that was when the blue dragon appeared. That was after I conjured the red flame that melted all the webs and exploded the walls, but… i-it worked? It was when Inuyasha was stuck in the spider's…" I brought my hands up, cringing as I tried to mimic the mandibles. "...mouth thing, and Shippō let loose an attack. The dragon kinda hit him and latched onto the spinning top he used, a-and it burned the spider!"

"It's true!" Shippō added, speaking. His arms were wrapped around my neck in a hug, the fox demon holding himself up without my help. I proceeded to grab him so he wouldn't have to tire himself out, cradling him to my chest like one would a toddler. "My fox magic is nothing but a bunch of illusions, so while it would hurt the spider it wouldn't cause any real damage! But Irene's Shikigami did something to it!"

"I see." Kakuju thought deeply about this for a moment. "Minimal use of Shikigami power that would spread and free your allies, as well as spiritual summoning. To think you could be strong enough to cause an explosion…"

"That… wasn't me." I found myself saying, making a face as I went into deep thought. Finding the right words to phrase my next sentence was difficult. "I… I didn't make the explosion. That wasn't- um, I… I used the Shikigami and the flame… touched Serpentine rock. The walls were made out of it and… I think that's what caused the explosion? The rock? I just… wanted a distraction so I could try and… help everyone."

There was nothing strong about me. The Shikigami deserved all the praise.

"That may be true," Kakuju said as if sensing my dark thoughts, "but the fact that they answered your call shows they trust you. And trust deals a large part in using Shikigami, not to mention combining powers."

"Well, either way," Inuyasha spoke up from the back of the group, "whatever it was you did caused us to break free and let us defeat that demon. And what you did back there with Shippō- maybe you aren't made for battling on the front lines, but you're not totally useless either. What you did was pretty helpful."

Perhaps I was reading into this wrong, but was he trying to cheer me up? Is that what Inuyasha was doing? I lifted my head, turning to meet his gaze. His amber eyes were genuine.

"It took a lot of energy out of both of us, I think, but I'm willing to do it again." Kakuju turned his attention to Shippō- not quite looking at him and more staring through him. "Irene was hurt pretty badly when she did it, so I think she was just desperate. Maybe the Shikigami spirits felt bad for her? But then there was that dog that appeared out of flame! Why did it just heal her shoulder and not her back, too?"

Kagome raised a hand to her injured arm, frowning. "That's what I was wondering. Why do that if not finish the job? Maybe…"

"Maybe it thought her back could heal on its own?" Inuyasha suggested, resting his hands behind his head lazily. "Only a demon could heal from a melted shoulder, but any human strong enough can get through a couple scratches on their back."

"That could be it," Kagome mused, a hand to her chin, "and coming from a fellow dog like you that would make sense…"

"Okay, first off-! I'm a dog demon, thank you very much!"

"Half dog demon, Inuyasha."

"You wanna fight?"

"Dog…" I murmured, something itching in the back of my mind. What was it? Suddenly I snapped my head up, eyes mouth, shrieking in horror, "Oh my god! Kagome, the cat! We left the cat!"

"What cat?" Kakuju inquired. Kagome smacked her hands to her face, alarmed.

"The one at the temple!" She cried. "We left the cat there!"

"I can't believe it…" I hung my head. "How could we have left it? We're terrible people! Agh!"

Kagome gasped. "We must have forgotten due to all that panic!"

"It'll be fine, won't it?" Shippō asked, worried for the poor creature. "The demons are all gone…"

I dragged my hands through my hair, ruffling the dark chocolate mess. "I hate myself. I want to go home. We need to go back and get that kitten."

Inuyasha looks absolutely flabbergasted by our behavior and barked, annoyed, "We are not going back to that old temple just for some dumb cat!"

"Says you!" I retorted, scowling and going into a small coughing fit. "You're a dog! You're biased!"

"Yeah!" Shippō agreed. "You have no say in this matter! The cat must be protected!"

"Now, now!" Kakuju cut in, raising a hand up to calm us. "Before you all take off there is something I must teach Irene. The dog spirit that helped her is not just any ordinary Shikigami spirit; it is a familiar. Perhaps one you might even recognize from somewhere…?"

"What?" I blinked, looking at him confused. It was easy to distract me, so my attention was easily caught by the profound question. "Where I've… seen it before?"

"Yes."

That's… strange. I don't think I've seen it anywhere before- oh. Oh my god; it really was that dog, wasn't it? Realization dawned on me and I could hear Shippō asking me something, demanding to know what I just thought of, but instead of staring at Kakuju my attention turned to Inuyasha instead.

He was the one who found me when I first came here to this time period. "Inuyasha…"

The half-demon raised an eyebrow at me when he saw my expression, hearing how my voice quivered. He lowered his arms, frowning. "What is it?"

"Th-That light you saw that killed the demon… when you first found me? That was the dog."

"...So?"

"So?" I repeated, flabbergasted by his lack of understanding. I turned around, walking over until I was in front of him, breathlessly waving my hands around in the air to try and get my point across. "Wh-When I fell through the stream with Maria there were lights! One wrapped around her, okay? A-And it was… it was like it was crushing me a-and trying to… to tear me apart! And then this animal appeared and forced it back!" Yes, that's what happened. My memories were coming back to me now that I actually understood what's going on. "A dog Shikigami saved me from that person's Shikigami! The person who summoned me here tried to kill me, but it wouldn't let them! So it saved me and took me away from wherever it was bringing me Maria, and it brought me to you."

"...I'm not following. Are you saying it planned for me to find you?"

"Yes?" I shook my head. "No? I dunno. Point is; you are half dog- demon or not! Don't you think that maybe it knew you wouldn't let me die?"

"Wait," Shippō said, "I'm confused. Didn't you wind up at Akebi Village first?"

I held a finger in the air, mouth opened in full preparation to answer that, before I paused. "True… but only because I walked there. I could have just as easily walked in the other direction- which is where I got attacked by the demon! That light Inuyasha saw must have been that dog!"

"This is all very confusing." Kagome sighed, resting a hand against her forehead. "It's giving me a headache."

"Me too!" I exclaimed. "But- we're getting somewhere, right? We're learning stuff! This is good! If we can just figure out who the Summoner is we might be able to find Maria!

"Summoner?"

"Yeah! You know, the person who brought me to this time period!?" I whirled around, answering the question without much thought, only to freeze when I realized I just blurted out the secret to Kakuju. "A-Ah, and by that I mean, uh…"

Frick. How does Kagome do this? I got too excited.

The old man looked greatly confused. "I beg your pardon? You are… from a different time?"

"Yes…" Kagome answered slowly, stepping forward to stand beside me. "Irene and I are both from two different futures. I travelled here from over five hundred years ahead, while she's even farther than that. But… our situations are different from each other. I'm actually the reincarnation of a dead priestess, and Irene… well- she was summoned here by a person. She and her sister. Our best guess is that they wanted Maria for something, but the spell could only be activated thanks to Irene. We're trying to find her so we can send them home."

"The future…" Kakuju didn't speak for a very long minute. "I can tell you are not lying, though what you say does concern me. There are not many wielders of Shikigami who are strong enough to perform a summoning ritual of another human being, in fact- the only I can think of who could do such a thing has been dead for a very long time."

"Well, that's lame." Inuyasha huffed. "Blabbin' the secret after yelling at me for suggesting it, and we don't even get anything out of it."

"I can't offer any advice on how to help you, I'm afraid," Kakuju apologized, "but there is one thing I can do. Irene, come stand in front of me."

"Uh… okay?" It still felt weird. "Now what?"

He extended his hand out to me and took it. Oddly enough, it reminded me of my grandfather's hand. "Close your eyes… feel the power within you. Call upon the Shikigami and asked for their assistance. You and your allies are injured, and you wish to resume your journey unscathed- yes? Feel the rush of the river stream… and reach out to it."

Taking a deep breath I tried to do as instructed. I focused on that feeling inside me, that warmth from the Shikigami as it wrapped around me to envelope my body in its soft flames. I was so panicked before I could never really notice it, but Kagome was right; it truly was comforting. It reminded me of a hug, almost, bringing back memories of my siblings and my parents. My best friend. Maria as we would talk about anime and videogames, cuddling with her cat, and drawing.

I remembered being curled up next to her, arms around her waist, her nails lightly running along my back and washing away all my anxiety and stress.

A sob building up in the back of my throat, the red flame around me suddenly turned blue. The warmth turned into a coolness, like when you're floating underwater and decide to rise to the surface. A relaxing feeling, yet somehow overwhelming at the same time. Just how am I supposed to find Maria if I die beforehand?

I don't want her to have to deal with another loss; she's had so many people go away already. I can't leave. I have to stay alive to find her. But how?

This era is even more detrimental for my health than ours, with or without the demons.

I want to be useful; I want to be able to help. This Shikigami power of mine…

If it can heal instead of fight, that's fine with me. I just don't want anyone to die.

My one desire is to find my sister, safe and sound.

And then it was there- Kakuju releasing my hand in time for me to find myself in water. A large koi fish swam around me, almost as though we were in the pond itself, the creature leaping out of the deep blue pentagram beneath my feet and swimming through the air. "Please," I begged, outstretching a hand towards it, tears in my eyes, "help us…"

Give me your blessings.

"I-I don't want them to die…"

This fish that leapt out of a mighty flowing river just to answer my call gazed at me with such indifferent eyes.

"I… I don't want me to die…"

The koi stared at me for a few moments before its gaze seemed to soften. Seeing the truth in my words it flapped its fins and took a dive, splashing back into the glowing summoning circle. Instead of warm red flames, cool blue ones washed over me acting in place of real water. Everything had just been an illusion; I was never really underwater. That was simply the fish testing me. The flames spread over and brought great relief to my back, and then shot out towards Kagome, Shippō, and Inuyasha.

Only two of the three were really injured, but that didn't stop it. They could feel the flesh closing shut, the blue flame burning away any infection that dare try to fester. I could even feel a clearer pathway to my lungs, whatever the temple mold and dust did to me gone. My back was no longer stinging.

As the light dimmed down and the flames disappeared, Kagome lifted up her sleeve to remove the bandage.

"It's really gone…" She murmured in awe. "That's incredible."

"Wow…" Shippō gasped.

"Is this for real?" Inuyasha blinked, walking over to view Kagome's arm. Granted there wasn't really anything to see as the injuries were completely gone, leaving not even a trace of scarred flesh. "That's amazing!"

"Yes, indeed." Kakuju praised. I felt both worn out from the event and flustered. I had to remind myself that it was the Shikigami they were applauding and not myself. "You're a natural."

"Thank you. I mean, I try!" I pressed my index fingers to my cheeks, grinning tiredly. "I'm surprised that it even worked."

"The spirits must truly care for you. That familiar of yours as well; the dog is known to be a most loyal creature, adoring its master above all else." He told me, smiling. Inuyasha scowled at this, seeing the way Kagome brought a hand up to cover the grin forming on her lips. It was clear she was gonna use this to tease him later. "Yet it is also the most protective, and is easily angered by those that threaten you. Do take care to train it well. It is the one Shikigami that will never betray you."

So that fish… could attack me if I upset it. Yet that dog won't?

"I don't get it…" I frowned. "Why do you think the spirits care about me? I've literally never done anything for them."

I was hardly religious. The most praying I've ever done was in these past two days and that was to the Shikigami spirits. It wasn't as though I ever helped them do anything. I didn't even know they existed until recently.

"As I mentioned before, dealings with Shikigami require large amounts of trust. As with your friends you need trust in order to combine your strength. The stronger the bond the more powerful the attack. You have never betrayed the Shikigami's trust, have you, Irene? In fact, I dare say you'd have earned it."

"How?"

"Honesty." He placed his hand over his cane, not quite meeting our gazes. "Many lie and deceive, whether they be human or demon, spirit or god, but those who try and live a life of honesty are different. Those who show even the slightest bit of kindness are often walked on and used, never to be valued. Yet Shikigami- they live a life of servitude. Often treated as slaves or tools, they're never shown any gentleness."

As he told the story everyone went silent, taking in every word he said with complete seriousness. Even Inuyasha, who distrusted Kakuju almost as much as I did, was listening. I stared at the blind man, letting the words sink in as I attempted to decipher what was trying to tell me.

"Empathy, kindness, understanding… it is what makes a person good. The charisma they have can't help but draw others to them, even if they themselves think they are lacking. Whether or not this applies to you, I can not say for certain; but I know you must possess a well-intentioned heart. They would not come to your aid so readily otherwise. You must figure out for yourself what it is they see in you if you wish to know."

"That…" I tilted my head, biting my lip in confusion. "That makes sense, I think? It's not like I want or plan on hurting them. That'd be kinda mean, actually. I don't like mean people."

Kakuju chuckled. "Neither do I. Anyway, you should probably go now. I'm sure you have someone waiting for your return. But do not fret; I am certain we will meet again."

"O-Okay… uh, thank you!"

"It is no problem." He smiled, watching as I hesitantly turned to walk away. I carried Shippō with me as I followed Inuyasha and Kagome away from the pond, watching as Kagome made a comment about how the half-demon needed to learn to be obedient like the Shikigami dog I summoned earlier. "Though I do wonder…"

Kakuju's grip tightened on his cane, expression becoming dark as a somber tone took to his words.

"...why you remind me so much of that woman?"

I never imagined I would be so happy to return to Kaede's village. Seeing all the people bustling around the area, working and cleaning, and simply continuing on with their lives as though there were no threat of demons. It was unbelievably nice. Rather than rush here we took our time and walked, not feeling as pressed for time. Stretching my arms out I let out a yawn, which soon proved to be contagious as Shippō and Kagome followed suit.

"I could really go for a bath right now," Kagome exclaimed, arms high above her head, "but I need to go home and take that test I've been studying for! Urgh! What a pain."

"Then why don't you just quit?" Inuyasha suggested, genuinly not understanding why school was so important to her. "You could just stay here."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome huffed and came to a halt, bringing her hands down to her sides and balling them into fists. "I can't just dropout of school! I have responsibilities! Besides, I want to make it to a decent college if I can! With all this work battling demons and searching for jewel shards I'll be lucky if I even make it into a good high school!"

Oof. She really was a hard worker. "Honestly, I don't even know how you manage it, Kagome." I told her, amazed. She looked at me in surprise. "I would have given up already. Heck, I didn't even go to college- too much debt I'd have to pay back."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I wouldn't have guessed…" Kagome looked straight ahead, hands laced together behind her back. "But, you know, it was only a few months ago I was brought here myself. I never thought I'd be trying to balance schoolwork with… well, this. Life is so strange. I don't want to give up on school, even with all that's happened. I want to get my diploma. I have my mom, grandpa, and little brother all rooting for me. Not to mention my friends… I want to make them proud."

I stared at her, finding her even more incredible than before. Something about her words confused me though. "Don't you think… they're already proud?"

She hmm'd, eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

"Well- it's just… you could die anytime, you know?" I hate to sound like such a pessimist, but I wanted to try and get my point across. "Yet you still study and do your best to pass school, and you cook and clean our wounds, a-and… you kill freaking demons that are trying to eat people. Most people wouldn't even be able to last a day, but you… keep going. You're really strong, Kagome. I think… I mean, I don't know them, but… I think they're proud of you already. You shouldn't push yourself, you know?"

When the shock died off a smile, so sweet and happy, formed upon her lips. "Thank you, Irene. But I can't stop. I have to work even harder with my bad grades!" She laughed, bringing a hand up and ruffling her hair. She paused and made a face. "Ick, my hair's so gross… oh! I know! Maybe if I take you with me when I go to travel through the well... ? It might work then…"

"Doubt it." Inuyasha huffed. "It didn't last time, so why would it now?"

"Well, you never know!"

"It's okay, Kagome." I told her, forcing a smile as I closed my eyes. Her head whipped around so she could face me, stunned. "I-I don't really wanna risk going back without Maria, you know?"

"I...I guess…"

It wouldn't fair. If Maria has to suffer in this world then so do I; besides, if I can't return… then what about her? I'm not going to leave her here. We're in this together, separated or not. All worlds share the same sky, which means Maria is standing somewhere on this earth as well. She's with me.

We continued on our way to Kaede's hut, Shippō complaining about how tired he was, and as our group approached I found the stress of dealing with demons seeming to seep away from my shoulders. A weight vanishing, as though this small building had become a safe haven somehow during my short stay here. "I have some shampoo and conditioner here somewhere," Kagome muttered, looking through the hut, "you can borrow it! It's- ah, there! Here we go!"

She held up the small bottles, grinning ear-to-ear.

"There's some body wash and loofahs, so you don't have to worry! I got your back, Irene."

Kagome blinked when she realized my arms were suddenly wrapped around her waist, my face buried in her shoulder. "Thank you~!" She is seriously way to nice towards me. I didn't deserve her kindness. What Kakuju said before about empathy and gentleness- it reminded me of this girl. She was always so understanding and helping me out, never viewing me as a nuisance. "Thank you…"

Kagome reciprocated the embrace, arms wrapping around my shoulders. "Of course! We girls gotta look out for each other! Just wait until you meet Sango; I'm sure she'd say the same thing."

"Sango…" I keep hearing that name, but I know next to nothing about her. From my understanding Miroku was a liar monk, who often cheated rich people into letting the gang stay in their mansions during travels. Yet no one told me anything about this woman named Sango. "Who is she?"

"She's a demon slayer." Kagome answered, pulling away. "Her and Miroku went off on an errand of their own to slay some rather aggressive demons, which is why they aren't here right now. They should be back soon."

"Oh." I blinked, tilting my head at that. "Okay."

Shippō made himself comfortable on the floor, having pulled out a blanket to lie on. "Kagome, do you think you can bring some ninjas snacks with you when you come back from the well? O-Or maybe even those bento thingies you made last time! They were so good!"

The girl chuckled at that, both bashful and proud as she pressed a hand to her cheek. The bottles were tucked to her side beneath her other arm. "Oh, you think so? I'm so glad you like them! I'll make you something extra special next time, Shippō!"

"Really?" He asked, eyes sparkling excitedly. "Oh~ I can't wait! Thank you!"

"Bento? Kagome, can you please!? The food was delicious!" I remembered the stuff she had made when she brought me my medicine. It felt like forever ago that it had happened-but it was only about two weeks. "It's so good! I miss real food! Your cooking is amazing!"

"Yeah, it can get pretty rough here sometimes, can't it?" She lamented. "But yeah! Since we're stopping here we can rest up for a while. I'll go home and take my test, turn in my homework, cook, and-"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Inuyasha barked as he sat down. "We have jewel shards to worry about!"

"It'll be fine, Inuyasha! Besides, you like those instant ramen noodles, right? I promise to bring by more of those~." She sang, clapping her hands together in a pleading fashion. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he huffed, crossing his arms. "Please? You know you want them…"

"Grr… fine! But three days! Okay? No more, no less!" He pointed a finger at her, holding up three fingers for Kagome to see that he was giving her only that specified time. Kagome cheered and pumped a fist in the air, grinning.

"Yeah! Ah, sweet home here I come!" She was practically sparkling with how happy she was. Suddenly the beaded doorway was pushed aside and Kaede nearly jumped, surprised to see us. "Hi, Kaede~! How are you doing? We're back!"

"So I see." She said, single eye wide. "Ye've returned. Did you find any clues?"

Her gaze turned to me as she entered the hut, and I hugged my arms close to my chest. "N-No, not… really. Maria wasn't at the temple."

"Temple?"

"It's a long story." Shippō explained, stretching out his little child limbs from his spot on the blanket. "But we did learn how to use the power of the Shikigami! Just as Inuyasha was about to be killed Irene used it to save him!"

"Oh, shut up, Shippō!" Inuyasha snapped, leaping onto his feet and stepping forward- ready to pummel the little guy. "You guys were gonna die, too! It wasn't just me!"

"I-I didn't… really save him." I stammered, "I just… freed you guys from the web. You did the majority of the fighting."

I needed to work harder myself. Kagome pushed herself so much for her schoolwork, even with the threat of death constantly looming over her. Kakuju said that I was a natural at using the Shikigami, but that was only because the spirits themselves didn't hate me. If I so much as even give them a reason to distrust me they would revolt. There's no winning.

I have to learn how to use this power and figure out how to communicate properly with the Shikigami. If I didn't… I would just slow down everyone even more.

"Don't push yourself too hard," Kaede told me, mimicking the very words I had spoken to Kagome not long ago, the priestess reaching forward and placing a hand on my elbow. I looked at her. She took notice of the uniform top I was wearing, but didn't say anything- instead continuing with, "Even if it takes time you must be patient. And I'm sure you're all very tired, so how about I make you something to eat and you head to bed?"

"Food?"

"Bed?"

"I can't wait!"

Several voices rang out at once and, though it was difficult, I resisted the intense urge to hug the older woman. She and Kagome were so unnecessarily kind to me. Always looking after us when they didn't have to; they were good people. It would make more sense for the Shikigami to work under them than me.

I was a selfish, greedy human who only thought of herself.

Even though I helped free all those people I still thought of it as a waste of time simply because my sister wasn't there. I know that wasn't the case at all, as those people had families that needed to see them just as badly as I needed to see Maria, but… I still thought it. I had an ugly heart, no matter how much I tried to hide it. I put my own feelings first.

Such a coward.

Why can't I be better than this?

Over dinner we informed Kaede of what happened. Our journey to Akebi, meeting with Kakuju and learning about Shikigami, and our adventure in the old temple with the demons. We continued to explain that my Shikigami had melted all the webs and freed the villagers, as well as the gang. I told her what I remembered from Kakuju's explanation on how the spirits favored me- including the fact that I had no idea why- and Kaede grew very concerned.

She told me to be careful and that I should take into consideration what he said with my next course of action heading forward. Finding Maria and collecting the jewel shards was going to be a very difficult task already, what with Naraku constantly lurking over Inuyasha, but with my powers still being something unknown for everyone involved save for Kakuju- who we still weren't certain we could trust- things were going to be even trickier.

I wound up having a dreamless sleep that night, plagued by thoughts of my Shikigami going out of control. Images of everyone pinned by webs caused by this shadow demon Naraku, dying one-by-one… with Maria at the front. When I awoke the next day Kagome was already gone, travelling through the well back to her own time.

The envy I felt at the knowledge she would get to see her family again…

It was disgusting.

There was no denying I was jealous of her. Burying those feelings and emotions deep down, keeping them locked up, I met with Kaede who gave me an extra change of clothes and I headed for the stream just outside the village to take a bath.

"She's ready."

Red flames illuminated the dark room, paper silhouettes burning to ash in the distance. The stranger raised a pale dainty hand in the air, flames coiling around her arm as though they were snakes. Upon further observation the woman watching realized that the fire around the stranger were exactly that; with dark beady eyes that stared into her and her master's souls, judging them for all they were worth.

The owner of the snakes turned their head, low feminine voice the only thing to be heard save for the crackle of flames. A mask covered her head completely, leaving not even her hair or eyes to be seen. Her words were completely empty, lacking any and all emotion. "We can begin."

A man hummed at that, chuckling darkly upon hearing her statement. A trace of amusement could be heard as he spoke, curiosity flickering in his cold red eyes. "Is that so? I was under the impression you wanted the older one's soul... What makes the girl so special? She won't last in this world very long; she'll fall victim to famine and disease soon enough…"

"Without her… all would have been for naught." The masked stranger raised her head, staring at him intently from behind her mask. She could not truly see him, but she could feel him. His darkness. The corrupt black of his soul. This man's aura was unlike any other she's known. "She has the power that sustains me. It is her that I require. The other may perish."

The uneasy woman watched as her master laughed, the kimono-clad beauty carefully bringing a decorative fan up and opening it to hide her frown. There was something not quite right about their new masked companion, but she just couldn't name what it was. "Shall I have Kagura kill her?" The woman tensed upon hearing her name, knowing she would not be able to disobey any orders.

The masked stranger shook her head. "No… I'll take care of it later. For now my only desire to meet with the girl. I want to feel how strong her power is for myself."

"Ah, yes." He mused. "The Shikigami. Why is it, I wonder, that she can wield it? Does it have something to do with you, perhaps?"

The stranger said nothing. She instead brought forth her hands set loose the snakes coiled around her arms, shooting them forward into the flames. Simultaneously, and without warning, they erupted into a brilliant orange fire. Inside that fire they could all see the girl, their target, arguing with a small fox demon child. The man's eyes narrowed, recognizing that demon.

"So she's with them. Of course."

Kagura watched carefully in silence, saying nothing. Her mind was reeling from all this information, schemes running through her head. If the target was that girl and she was with the enemy… there may be a chance for her to gain her freedom yet. All she has to do is play along and bring them to him. Her master. That wretched demon standing in front of her, chatting with some… person they just met.

The masked woman's scent bothered Kagura so much. Was she a human or a demon? It was impossible to tell, but something about it was just so familiar. She reeked of mud and the blood of living creatures. Kagura found that highly suspicious. "So what?" The demon incarnation finally asked. "Shall we arrange a playdate?"

"The girl is surely eager to meet with the one who brought her here." The man said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't you think so? With this you will have your prey, but Inuyasha and his friends…"

He pulled a small sphere out of his sleeve, staring at the vile purple incomplete jewel. Wrapping his fingers around, the man clutched it tightly- to the point it dug into his palm. A malevolent rage slowly simmered inside him, for without interference it surely would have already been whole. Red eyes colder and more cruel than anything the world had witnessed, he growled,

"Their lives, and their jewel shards, will be mine."

Despite my attempts to dissuade him, Shippō ended up tagging along with me to the stream. I tried to explain that I wasn't comfortable at the idea of bathing with other people, child or otherwise, but he started to cry and brought up that Kagome and Sango always let him bathe with them. The more I heard about this Sango the more I wanted to meet her.

Feeling guilt and being pressured by said emotion I wound up agreeing, and here we are. The fox demon splashed about and swam in the distance, and I proceeded to bury myself further in the water. Bathing with others made me greatly uncomfortable, but he was a child so… I guess it's fine. What a pain.

I just wanted to relax alone. There were too many people I had to deal with these past few days. My non-existent battery was totally drained and I needed to recharge.

"Ack!" I could hear the fox demon struggling with something, causing me to open my eyes and glanced over to see what he was doing. His fingers were stuck in his hair, caught in the attempt to undo the bow holding his auburn locks up. "Get off…! Grr! Irene~! I need help!"

Staying close to the edge so as not to go too deep into the stream, I waddled over to the fox demon. The lake stream was quite big and, depending on where you were at in it, could get quite deep. As someone who could only float and doggy paddle I needed to stay on the shallow ends. "On my way. Can you scoot over here?"

"Y-yeah, hold on." Shippō had to move his arms weirdly in order to untangle his fingers, then proceeded to swim over to where I was at. "Sorry. I know you can't swim."

"It's fine. Here-" He moved in front of me and turned around, allowing me to try and undo the bow tied in his hair. "Gods, this thing is stuck. S-Sorry, I'm not… frick. Aha! There we go; got it." I grabbed the ribbon and set it down on a nearby rock, scowling. Running my fingers lightly through his hair to straighten the mess, I asked, "Want me to wash it for you? I have the shampoo and stuff here."

"Would you? I have trouble getting all that soft stuff out sometimes…"

I blinked. "You mean the conditioner? Yeah, I used to have issues with that too. My mom washed it for me when I was younger. But no biggie; I can get it now. Which means you're gonna have some super soft hair by the time I'm done with you!"

"My mom used to wash my fur, too." Shippō suddenly said. I paused, regretting the words I said; I hadn't intended to bring up painful memories. He watched as I squirted some shampoo onto my hands. "She was really nice."

"Well," I awkwardly began, bringing my hands to his auburn hair and scrubbing the soap into it, "think she'd mind if I did it? Should I stop?"

"...Nah. I think they'd like you; you're pretty neat. For a human, anyway."

"Pfft! For a human?" I scrunched my nose and stuck my lips out, imitating a fish. "Should I be offended?"

"What!? No, I just meant-" Shippō saw my face and I broke out into a grin, watching him pout. "That was mean."

"Yeah, well, I'm a pretty mean person." I ruffled his hair, grabbing some water and pouring it over his head. "But, guess what?"

"What?"

I smiled at the fox demon child, seeing how curious his green eyes were. "I think you're pretty neat, too. For a demon, anyway."

He stuck his tongue out at me in a fit of childish rebellion, noticing how I had used his own words against him. "Hey, I have a question." Shippō said once I had washed out the shampoo and was currently adding in the condition. I hummed, letting him know I was listening. "Do you think Maria would like all of us? Me, Kagome, and Inuyasha…"

"I dunno." I said thoughtfully, grabbing another hand full of water and pouring it over his head. The fox demon closed his eyes as the soap came dripping down his face. I found myself very intrigued by his pointy ears; I never paid them much attention before. I was actually trying to avoid thinking about it, as well as Inuyasha's own dog-like behavior, but it was hard not to. "She might like Kagome. Would definitely argue with Inuyasha though… they're both kinda hotheads. You…"

I poured more water over his head and got to ruffling his hair a little aggressively, grinning widely. Shippō squealed at the playful tactic and grabbed at my hands, trying to get me to stop.

"You're so adorable there's no way she won't like you!"

"Uwaah~! Hahaha! That tickles, Irene!"

He pressed a tiny hand to my chin, trying to push me away. I laughed. "Sorry, not sorry! But yeah. Maria likes foxes, so I don't see why she wouldn't like you. Show her some magic tricks and you'll have her snatched."

"Ooh~! You think she'll like my transformation?"

"...What?" Shippō spun around to face me, grinning. There were still some soap bubbles in his hair. I blinked. "What transformation?"

"I'm pretty good at them! I'm getting even better at turning myself into Kagome! Inuyasha is a little tough, but we're near identical! Wanna see?"

"Sure?"

Shippō smiled so widely; I've never seen him look so happy. He pulled himself out of the water and went over to his things, pulling out a leaf. Placing it against his forehead, he shouted, "Transform!"

A puff of smoke and a strange popping noise took place. I jumped, nearly falling into the deeper depths of the water, and I had to force myself to watch as the smoke cleared.

"What do you think!?"

Long pale legs kicking at the water, Kagome sat there staring at me in a striped swimsuit, luscious black hair wet and draped over her shoulder. Her brown eyes were twinkling with mischief. The only thing that gave away the fact that this wasn't actually Kagome was the big puffy tail sticking out of her rear end.

"You…" I stared with wide eyes, mouth agape. "You actually… Holy frick, Shippō. You even sound like her!"

Fake Kagome chuckled, bringing a hand up to her lips. "Thanks! Want me to try to do you?" The smoke showed up and there was another pop, and suddenly Shippō was back. He fell through the air and landed gracefully on the rock, towel around his hips. "It won't be perfect, but it's good practice!"

"I'd… rather you not, but feel free." I hated looking at myself. "I won't stop you."

Shippō stared at me uncertain for a moment before grabbing a leaf, pressing it to his forehead. Placing the object back on his forehead, the demon leapt into the air and the process repeated. A popping noise, a puff of smoke, and then… me? It looked a lot like me, but the pointed ears and puffy tail gave it away.

I was very relieved to see that the Fake Irene was wearing clothes. Gods, I looked so weird in a kimono.

"Well?"

"Uh, I mean… you mostly look like me?" Did I really get so thin? How much weight did I lose since coming here? It looks so weird to my eyes. "My nose really does look broken… oof."

"Eh?" Fake Irene blinked. Did I truly sound so childish? "I knew I wouldn't be able to get it on the first try! Let me see my reflection!"

The more I saw his version of me the more uncomfortable I became. I crossed my arms over my chest and sank deeper into the water, disturbed. I already hated looking at myself in mirrors, but this was making it worse. Shippō's transformation ended shortly after and he scowled, reaching out to grab the falling leaf.

"I want to get it right! You don't look that funny!"

Wait, what? I looked up to see Shippō doing it again- several times- each winding up with a different result. Bath time, instead of being taken to get ourselves cleaned up, became practice for Shippō's fox magic. Finally he got a version that was essentially me- with the brown hair and eyes, and the grey dress with jeans.

The only thing off was the tail.

"Much better!" Shippō poked at his new face, observing it. "Not sleepy looking enough, but it's passable, right? I think I could fool Kagome or Kaede with this!"

"Y-Yeah…" Was that really how he viewed me? "It looks great."

He turned his gaze towards me, brown eyes practically sparking with joy. I almost recoiled at how pretty they seemed to look. "You really think so!?" Shippō went all out with his transformation; he even added in details that weren't there. Maybe it was just his magic or perhaps because he was a child, but he made his version of me a lot prettier than reality. "Haha! Alright!"

Suddenly there was a splash of water as Shippō lunged forward, transforming back just as his arms wrapped around my shoulders. I quickly caught him before he could fall, finding myself being hugged by the small fox demon.

"Everyone's gonna be so jealous! My fox demon magic is unbeatable!"

"Yeah, it is!" I did not voice my own concerns, simply agreeing to what he said. His magic was impressive, and that was no lie. Finishing our bath we proceeded to get dressed.

Considering my clothes were now irreparable Kaede lent me a pale green haori with slits in the sleeves, dark green cords tied through the hems, which were revealing the white kosode underneath. The kosode was pretty much the undershirt, wrapping around the front. Strings, otherwise known a muna-himo, tied in the front of the haori to keep it closed. As I pulled the matching dark green hakama on, which were practically pants, and tied it I couldn't help but wonder if it was alright for me to keep borrowing clothes like this.

My bare feet tapped against the ground as I spun in the circle, trying to get a good look at my reflection in the water. These priestess clothes really didn't suit me at all, but I did like the color. It was the only thing really felt like me in this strange place. "Any idea when Kagome is coming back?" I asked Shippō as he hopped onto my shoulder. "I know Inuyasha told her three days, but…"

"If she doesn't come back he'll go get her." He said. "Hey, can we go look in the forest for a bit? I'm almost out of acorns and need to get some more."

"...You eat acorns?"

"No!" He turned his head towards me, frowning. "I use them as part of my fox magic! I use acorns and mushrooms to act like a siren or signal. This one time Kagome and I got kidnapped by wolves, right? So I used my mushrooms to lead Inuyasha and the others to us! But if I'm low on acorns… I have to go find more."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense. Yeah, I'll help"

He nodded, smiling. "Thank you!" As I walked, it was quite difficult trying not to trip over the hem of my very long hakama. I missed shoes, but I was getting used to not wearing them. It did nothing for my clumsiness, though. I had no idea how long Shippō and I would be in the forest, but I didn't feel as scared of it as before.

If I was by myself I wouldn't last long… but with Shippō I was confident we could survive. If I can get the Shikigami to work like before and strengthen his magic there'd be nothing to worry about.

Right?

Maybe I'm being too hopeful… but it's all I have. Inuyasha said the forest was clear of any big demons, so we should be fairly safe regardless.

"Over there!" Shippō pointed in a direction and I followed, not bothering to question it. He knew these woods better than me. "That way! Left- no, your other left! Ah! There. Stop. Put me down." Picking him up from my shoulder, I set him gently on the ground. Shippō dashed forward, heading to a nearby tree. He picked up a small acorn. "This is my special secret spot, okay? I trust you, but don't tell anyone else!"

I knelt down, grabbing a couple acorns. This small child surprised me every time we spent time together. I stared at the acorns, observing them as I tried to figure out what was so incredible about them that they could be used for magic.

"Don't start slacking off!" He suddenly shouted, already with an armful of acorns. It was clear he wasn't trying to be mean, more as he was just very intense about his magic training. "Start picking them up!"

"Y-Yes, sorry!" I stuck the ones I already grabbed into the sleeve of my left arm, hands too small to actually hold a large amount. I smiled a little. We spent around ten minutes collecting as many of them as possible. When we were finally done I had two sleeves full of acorns and the two of us walked back, disturbed by no one. "I guess you won't be running out anytime soon, huh?"

"Only if I get kidnapped again." He said, completely serious. "Even with Inuyasha around it might happen. He's a bit of an idiot sometimes."

I choked on a laugh at that. "Okay. I mean, that's fair, I guess."

Read and Review! Please? I appreciate the feedback.

Read and Review! Please? I appreciate the feedback.