Soon after Link had explained about the pictograph, he informed his comrades of the temple that laid deep within the swamp, at the summit of the mountain that towered over the trees in the distance. The slayer and monk had insisted on investigating the area with Kirara while the others searched by land.

"Then we'll meet up near the path that leads to the Palace," Sango replied as she boarded the large feline with Miroku joining her shortly after.

Kagome nodded. "Be careful."

As soon as the three disappeared over the tree tops, the group turned their attention to the wilderness before them, or that is to say the pond standing directly in view of them, and without Kirara to help the majority of them to cross, they turned to each other, curious of how they would make it across the swamp and to dry land.

None of this came as a surprise to Inuyasha, and he only knelt down before sending the priestess a glance. "Get on."

"Are you sure you can jump that far, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Annoyed by the very question, he huffed. "I'm a demon, ain't I? The quicker we get across, the faster we can meet back with Sango and Miroku." When he felt her small weight fall against his back, he grabbed the back of her knees and leapt over the lily pads to the small cave engraved into the side of a mountain wall with Shippo and Link, along with the small fairy following close behind. With each step, the lily pads sunk to the bottom of the pond before re-emerging seconds later.

"I wonder why there are such large lily pads in this swamp…" Wondered the priestess who couldn't help but glance back questionably. There were numerous white lotus flowers floating atop the surface of the lake, while few of the petals with tinted pinks drifted separately away.

Link overheard her small mutter. "They're used by the Deku Scrubs. It's their only means of crossing the water," He explained.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Deku Scrubs can't swim, so they make use with what's available in their land."

That made sense.

As they crossed through the dark cave, they found themselves on the other side of the mountain where they stood upon a rather large, towering orange mushroom, which had somehow sprouted from the pond itself. Its umbrella shaped head, spotted in a yellowish color, expanded widely atop the thick stalk, and they found the view of Southern Swamp before them. In the distance, there were several more of these giant mushrooms, as well as multiple lily pads

In the distance, more of these high stalks of fungal decorated the pond ahead. Lofty trees were of many sizes, and vines fell from its branches loosely, inches from the pond's surface. The palace of the Deku Scrubs was well below them, some distance away, and it was then that the group realized they had gone in a complete circle.

"Wait, how did we end up back here?" Inuyasha asked, but he only received shrugs.

Out of the corner of her eye, the young school girl couldn't help but notice large oval shaped objects lying upon the mushroom's surface near a large pink flower that sat in its middle. "Hey, what are those?" She asked, and after bending down, she realized they were white with brown spots speckled over its shelled surface. "Oh wow! These are eggs!" She exclaimed comically.

Shippo transformed into his original shape and hurried to her side in order to catch a glimpse of the strange eggs. "Whoa! I wonder what kind of bird made these…"

Static. The electrical charge in the air brought Link out of his fixation on the eggs and upward. Expanded, transparent wings of a large Dragonfly hovered above them, its golden eyes narrowed and its sharp tail swaying threateningly for them, and it was so alarming that Link quickly grasped the distracted girl's arm and pulled her out of danger before removing his bow from his shoulder and pulling an arrow from his quiver bag.

"What the hell is that?!" Inuyasha questioned, and he didn't hesitate to unsheathe his sword as he stood defensively before his comrades.

Serena gasped at the sight before taking cover behind the priestess's long, ebony tresses. "I don't care just kill it!"

After notching one arrow, Link closed his eye and released his strong grip on the string as his arrow soared for the insect. Unfortunately he missed his target when the insect suddenly shifted around them. "A Dragonfly. Projectiles are best against them."

Determined to kill the flying pest, Inuyasha withdrew his sword from his scabbard, and feeling the familiar pulse surge through his fingers and up his arms, he raised it just as the Dragonfly flew right at him with nimble speed. In seconds, a bright, blue hue emanated from the blade and enwrapped around the half demon and the air around him slowed just as it had back in Great Bay when they had been attacked by the strange River Zoras.

Kagome gasped. 'That power…'

Even Serena, who had been hiding behind the priestess, couldn't help but peek behind the many strands of hair to witness the scene. "The Great Fairy sure did give him a strange sword…" She muttered.

With a growl of indignation, he leapt into the air, twisting his body before ramming his blade into the back of the bug's head, its green juices exploding onto the fungi at their feet. The light curved and twisted itself around the sword, its ancient letters inscribed into its surface glowing mysteriously as before, and he landed on his feet as the bug fell into the pond below, its splash heard by his companions.

He smirked. "That was easy!" His amber eyes admired the relic in his grasp, and he couldn't help but feel satisfied. This new sword was beginning to come in handy lately.

"How do you get it to shine like that, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked, but the half demon only shrugged before sheathing his sword.

"I don't know. It's like, whenever I hold it, it just has a mind of its own," He explained. Well, he didn't know how to describe it, really. Sometimes, when he wielded the ancient blade, it felt as if some unseen force were using it besides him. Miroku didn't seem to understand why either.

Despite the fact they had killed the Dragonfly, Kagome couldn't help but frown when her gaze fell onto the eggs a few feet away, lying there exposed to the cruel inhabitants of this swamp. "They won't have a chance to survive on their own now…"

Pulling his bow over his shoulder, Link eyed the young girl peculiarly before stepping past the eggs and peering over the edge of the giant shoot. "It would be for the best…Dragonfly's have terrorized the citizens of Deku for years now. Their absence from the swamp wouldn't be missed," He replied, and he didn't notice how his reply saddened her further.

"Hey do you guys hear that?" Shippo suddenly asked.

A high pitched wail shrieked not far from them, and when the group saw Link point in the direction past a couple more stalks of fungi, they noticed a helpless creature cowering in fear on a small area of land; it was being terrorized by another insect, quite similar to the one they just slew.

"We have to help!" Kagome exclaimed.

After kneeling for the priestess to climb on his back, Inuyasha jumped over the nearest mushroom to the next before she readied her own arrow toward the Dragonfly below them. Thankfully she hit the mark when it hadn't noticed their presence and they landed before the small, furry creature.

The group was surprised to find a small monkey before them, staring at them with the same look they expressed. Its fur was a cream color, and its face and fingers were pink, and its large black eyes stared at them curiously before it suddenly hopped in place, clapping its hands above its head excitedly.

"Aw!" Kagome couldn't help but bend down and pat the little guy on its head, and it ducked away before eyeing her hand quizzically before scratching its noggin just the same.

Bending down at eye level with the monkey, Link caught its eyes, and immediately the small creature hooted and jumped in front of him before tugging on his tunic sleeve. "Have you seen the Deku Princess?" Link asked, and at his question his friends just stared at him strangely.

Serena sweat dropped. Sometimes her companion could be so weird... "Link, stop that. Everyone is staring," She whispered into his ear, but he only rolled his eyes.

The monkey hooted again, but this time it pointed behind the group before recoiling behind the nearest tree stump in unexpected fright.

Annoyed, Inuyasha turned and swung his sword at the elongated body of another Dragonfly ready to strike him with its energized tail. When his sword made impact, the air around his blade twisted, and the insect flew back into the stalk of the closest mushroom before bursting into flames as its ashes fell into the pond.

"Did you see that?!" Shippo exclaimed. "Hey, what else can that sword of yours do?"

Inuyasha blinked. Sometimes his new sword just ceased to amaze him.

Once again, the monkey rejoined the group before prancing in place excitedly, throwing its arms above its head and clapping repeatedly. "You have strange powers no?" It asked.

Link nodded.

"Me been watching you! Lately swamp seem sickly and brothers went to save Princess. She captured by strange one!" The monkey explained as it scratched its canted head. "You understand my meaning?"

Again Link nodded. "I understand. Will you take us to where she is?" He asked, and at this the monkey nodded before turning and leaping across the lily pads before disappearing through an opening in the rocks past the waterfall near the Palace.

"Link, you can talk to monkeys?" Shippo asked with an awed expression. "What did the monkey say?"

Serena found this interesting as well. Was her partner some kind of monkey whisperer or something?

For some reason, witnessing one of his teammates talk to an animal didn't surprise the half demon, but because it wasn't Kagome or Shippo, Inuyasha found it strange that Link wasn't any different. "I thought there was something weird about you…"

Ignoring Inuyasha, Link stood up and faced his companion's bewildered stares. "He knows where the princess is being held. We should follow."

Once again, and as repetitive as it seemed, they jumped over the towering fungi plants before crossing over the small lily pads through the small entrance way through the swamp. After looking back one last time, the priestess couldn't help but wonder why there was a large dome shaped hut; its doors covered in cobwebs seated a ways back with a flickering flame near its door before turning her attention to the front.

On the other side, the group suddenly found the area before them very familiar. A large murky pond where a familiar hut sat on its wooden platform, its withered boat tied off to the dock confirmed their suspicions.

"We're back where we started!" The priestess cried out in despair. Had they gone in circles?

After landing on the dry land near the hut, the group searched around for the small monkey, and when they saw it across the pond near the entrance of the Witch's Potion Shop, beckoning them to hurry, they chased after. Yet again, they managed to cross over the witch's barrier before landing near the crystalline clear spring.

"Where's it taking us?" Kagome wondered aloud, and at this Link answered as he pointed near the entrance of towering trees.

"The Woods of Mystery," Link replied. So it seemed the Deku Princess was somewhere deep inside the wooded area. And here he had suspected she might have been held captive at the temple where Sango and Miroku had left for a short time ago.

Out of nowhere, a small flock of monkeys bombarded the group, circling them questionably before tugging on their clothes in excitement. Many had gathered around the half demon, before yanking on his pants, and when that failed, they climbed his leg and pulled on his long, silvery hair, much to his disdain. As for Shippo, he found them tugging at his tail and pulling on his wrist, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, they were stronger than they were given credit; at one point, he almost found himself dragged away, if it hadn't been for Kagome picking him up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Kagome questioned before pulling her skirt away from the furry hands of the monkeys a little irritably. "Stop that!" She lightly scolded them, but it only seemed to confuse them as they pulled on her skirt again, pulling her toward the entrance to the Woods of Mystery.

"Damn it! Get off!" When one of the monkeys had snatched onto his ear, he grabbed it by its fur and threw it off him, and it landed upon the ground on its back, crying out in pain before its fellow monkeys circled it worriedly.

Kagome turned on the half demon. "Inuyasha sit boy!" She yelled before planting her hands on her hips. "They're only trying to get us to follow them! You can be such a jerk sometimes!"

"They're heading into the woods," Serena replied suddenly, and before the group new what to expect, the priestess suddenly chased after the fleeing monkeys before disappearing from sight, leaving Shippo and Link standing there staring.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Kagome cried out.

"Kagome wait!" Shippo cried out, but it was too late; his mom was gone.

After re-emerging from the small crater, compliments of the priestess, Inuyasha turned and glowered at the spot where the girl was last standing before turning and glaring at Link, who otherwise couldn't help but back away. "Where'd she run off to?"

Link pointed to the forest, and annoyed, the half demon sped off in the direction, with Link, Shippo and Serena quickly following after. 'This isn't looking good…She doesn't know these woods…' It seemed very likely that one of his companions would become lost inside the maze like forest.

When he and the others emerged into the foliage of the woods, they found the half demon on all fours, sniffing at the ground strangely before crawling around every few feet. If Link had to guess, he'd think the half demon was sniffing out Kagome's scent.

"What is he doing?" Serena asked.

"He's trying to find Kagome's scent," Shippo replied as if it was obvious, but this only caused the little fairy to stare further.

Serena sweat dropped. "Okay…is he some kind of bloodhound or something?" She asked as she observed the half demon questionably.

Shippo nodded as he thought back to what he had learned about the half demon during his many travels. For starters he knew that Inuyasha was related to Sesshomaru, but they had completely different mothers, so it was only natural that they never got along with each other. "Where we come from, Inuyasha's dad is a highly respected dog general or lord…I think…" Was that right?

The little fairy gasped. "Wait! Hold up! He's royalty?"

"I got the scent!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

Before Link could warn him to wait, the half demon had once again and without thinking, sped off into the woods in search of the raven haired girl, leaving the group to stare at his disappearance. What was it with people and blindly charging into an unknown danger?

"He doesn't even act like royalty!" Serena continued on with her conversation with the little fox child, who only nodded in agreement. Turning back to criticize the half demon some more, the little fairy realized he was missing, and she and Shippo stared at Link questionably. "Where'd he go?"

Link frowned and shook his head at the two. "While you two were busy carrying on a conversation, he already left." The young swordsman had no choice but to stick around for them to take notice. He wasn't one to leave his friends behind, especially in these woods. "Come on."

OOO

"Little monkeys? Where are you?" Kagome cupped the side of her mouth, but there was still no sign of them. Certainly they had to be somewhere close by, but from what she could see, it was as if they had vanished. Annoyed since she knew it was Inuyasha's fault to begin with, she crossed her arms and frowned. Throwing a helpless little monkey like that on the ground when it was only trying to get help was not necessary.

Turning back toward the path she stepped through, she peered behind her and then to the path next to her and ahead of her. Four separate trails diverged in 4 directions, and as she turned around for the third time, she realized she had gotten herself lost.

Noises drifted to her ears, and startled by the sudden rustle in the bushes beside her, she readied her bow and arrow and aimed, but a small rabbit leapt out of the shrubbery before scurrying past her and into another section of the woods, much to her relief.

Sighing thankfully, she was just about to sit down on a small stump when her senses tickled her and a flash of pink flooded her vision. "It's the Sacred Jewel…" She gasped before turning to her right where she felt it was strongest. It was nearby! She knew that if she went that direction by herself, she'd wind up in trouble again, and she didn't feel like making that mistake. Instead, she stepped back, but at the sound of a twig snapping behind her, she hurriedly turned around and prepared for the attack, but instead, she saw a small monkey cowering at her raised arrow, and she couldn't help but smile. "It's you!"

Opening a single brown eye, it lowered its furry arms and strode over to her, prancing excitedly before pulling on her hand. "Ooh! Ah Ooh!"

"What is it?" She asked, and when she saw the urgency in his eyes and voice, she couldn't help but let it guide her. 'It must know where the Princess is!' Link said so before, but if that was true, then it meant…danger was close by.

A shriek suddenly caught her off guard, and surprised by it, Kagome jumped and curiously watched as the small monkey darted off into the woods, leaving her behind to stare with baffled eyes. What in the world had gotten it so worked up?

That's when she felt it. No, it was more like smelled it. Putrid breath...

With unwavering speed, she turned and stepped back, pulling the string of her bow back as she aimed her arrow for the tall plant towering before her, with its acidic breath dripping onto the grass disgustingly. Its tongue swiveled inside its blue bulb of a head as its carnivorous teeth gnashed hungrily as it swerved from side to side.

"A Deku Baba…" She whispered under her breath before releasing her arrow. The spiritual powers had circulated through the shaft and to the arrowhead before it pierced its target, sending the head flying and its stem disintegrated at its roots before her. Well, it had been an easy kill what with all she had gone through in Termina for the past few weeks, and feeling satisfied, she turned and ran in the direction where the small monkey had fled moments before.

Branches stood in her path, and as she squeezed past them, managing to untangle her hair and uniform from their grasps, she stood within the clearing ahead, her brown eyes darting back and forth in the multiple trails the creature might have taken during its escape from the Deku Baba.

"Little monkey?" Kagome called, but there was no answer. "It's safe now! Come on out!" From the corner of her eye, she spotted the bushes rustle, and believing it was the small creature, possibly still frightened, she approached, but as she stepped closer, her pace lessened and she couldn't help but feel the hairs on her neck stick up on end. From behind her, she heard strange noises from the forest, and for some reason, it felt like she was being watched, but she kept her attention fixed in front of her, at the rattling bush. "Little monkey?" She whispered cautiously, before moving her hand toward the green leaves.

SNAP

Startled, the young girl turned and readied her bow to shoot the monster that had snuck up behind her, but upon blinking stupefied, she realized there was no one there. "Huh?" How odd. She could have sworn she heard something behind her, but maybe it was just her imagination.

Another hoot of the monkey's shriek filled the air around the priestess, and as she turned to where monkey might have been, her vision suddenly darkened, and the forest around her spun before she felt herself collapse onto the ground; the only thing she saw through her blurred vision were a pair of black boots before she closed her eyes.