Disclaimer: i do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter 22

Dawn broke. Rosuto and Taka stood near the top of a mountain and looked down on the kage youkai tribe.

"I'm going in," said Rosuto as she jumped down.

While running down the mountain she transformed into her wolf-dog for. Her and Taka planned for Rosuto to go in and get everyone out of the way so Taka could get to Kazuma. Rosuto plunged into the tribe, destroying a hut. She ran through the village with the warriors raging angrily after her. Taka soon followed. One of the warriors turned to see Taka.

"Taka," he growled, "Haru did not do his job... I shall please my lord Kazuma by killing you!"

He ran at Taka. Taka looked up and swung her sword slicing his head off.

"I forgot how foolish you all are," she grinned.

After awhile she caught up to Rosuto. The village was shrouded in dust from Rosuto's running. Taka sniffed. A familiar scent entered her nose.

"Kazuma..."

She looked to her left and pointed her sword.

"Kazuma! Come out!" she called.

The dust began to settle and a tall black figure stood in the midst of it.

"So... you've returned Taka," growled Kazuma.

xXx Inuyasha xXx

Inuyasha stood in the cave.

"I should've known Taka would leave early," he grinned.

He was about to leave the cave when he seen a flash of pink where Haru's head was. He walked over to the head and kneeled by it. Inside Haru's neck was a fragment of the Shikon no tama. Inuyasha took it out and put it in his kimono.

"Better get going after them," he thought aloud.

He walked outside and caught Taka and Rosuto's scents. He began to follow them in a run making sure he didn't lose them while he ran through the mountains. The image of Taka in priestess clothing ran in his mind again.

'Why does she look so much like Kikyo?' he thought again.

xXx Taka and Rosuto xXx

Taka slashed at Kazuma and failed again. Kazuma laughed.

"How can you think you can beat me If I beat your father already?" he smirked.

Taka growled and put her head down. Kazuma slashed at her when she was down. She cried out and collapsed.

"Taka!" exclaimed Rosuto.

Rosuto could tell she was getting tired. Taka had no rest at all. Kazuma continued to slash at the female hanyou. Rosuto snarled at Kazuma and was about to attack.

"Iie Rosuto!" snarled Taka.

Taka stood again and tried again to get Kazuma. This time she got his arm. He growled and hit her to the ground again. Taka turned her head to face Kazuma.

"Now to finish you off... join your father in hell!" he ran at Taka aiming his sword to her head.

Taka grabbed her sword and held it with both hands in front of her. Kazuma didn't notice and ran into it. It got him directly in the heart. But he didn't fail to get Taka either. His sword sliced the side of her neck. She was breathing hard, getting barely any air at all because of the slice at her throat.

"You will also die Taka... and when you do I'll see you AND your father in hell," Kazuma smirked.

Taka growled and used the last of her energy to used the black aura around her sword to finish off Kazuma. She then, in turn collapsed.

"Taka!" cried Rosuto.

xXx Inuyasha xXx

Inuyasha got to the mountain near the tribe just in time to see Taka get sliced at the throat.

"Taka!" he cried.

He bolted down the mountain towards Taka. He ran through the tribe and stopped when he seen Rosuto trying her best to bandage Taka's throat. He ran over to them. Rosuto looked up. Inuyasha could see Taka was breathing, just barely though.

"Inuyasha?" said Rosuto.

Inuyasha barely heard her. He kneeled beside Taka.

'The fragment!' he thought.

He undid Taka's bandage.

"Inuyasha! What're you doing?" exclaimed Rosuto.

Inuyasha took out the fragment of the Shikon no tama. He embedded it in Taka's wound and the wound healed. Taka opened her eyes.

"Inu... yasha," she then lost consciousness and closed her eyes again.

"Let's go find Kagome and the others and go back to the village," said Inuyasha softly as he moved some of Taka's hair out of her face.

Rosuto nodded and transformed into her true form, allowing Inuyasha and Taka to get on. She then bounded in the way Inuyasha instructed her to go.

xXx Kagome and others xXx

Kirara growled and transformed.

"What is it Kirara?" asked Sango.

Kirara snarled. Rosuto bounded from the forest panting. Kirara continued growling. But then Inuyasha jumped off Rosuto with Taka.

"Taka!" exclaimed Kagome.

Kagome seen the shard in Taka's neck.

"Inuyasha... why does she have a shard?" she asked.

"She got injured and she would've died," said Inuyasha as he looked down at Taka.

"Oh..." said Kagome, 'He sure cares for her a lot...' she thought.

"Lye her down Inuyasha," instructed Miroku.

Inuyasha did as told and Miroku tended to her wounds. Kagome watched.

"Oi, I have to get back to my own time. There's a test i have to do," she said softly.

"Let's head back to the village then," said Sango, "Do you think Taka can travel again?"

"Hai, she's strong and I'm sure she can make the trip," replied Miroku, "Inuyasha get her back onto that big dog."

"Oi! I'm a wolf-dog!" said a transformed Rosuto.

Miroku sweat dropped.

Once again Taka and Inuyasha were on Rosuto with Miroku. Sango, Shippo, and Kagome were on Kirara and both the wolf-dog and the neko bounded towards the village.

xXx At the village xXx

Inuyasha lay Taka down on a mat and stood.

"Keade... can you watch these four shards for me? Last time I brought more then one my friends found them," said Kagome with a laugh.

"Sure thing Kagome," said Keade with a smile.

Kagome handed her the four shards and put the last in the small bottle around her neck. No one seemed to notice that Taka's eyes shot open when Kagome mentioned a shard of the shikon no tama.

'This shard did a lot for me... it healed me... think about what power I'll have with four more shards," Taka smirked.

The shard in her neck let off a black aura. But Kagome for some reason didn't notice and since Kagome was the only one who could see the shards no one else noticed either. Everyone, including Inuyasha left the hut. Only Keade sat by the fire watching over Taka. Taka clenched her fist.

"Keade?" she asked.

"Taka! Your awake," said Keade with a smile.

"Kagome left you with four shards right?"

"Hai."

"Well consider them stolen," Taka stood.

"What do you mean Taka?" asked Keade.

Taka turned. Her eyes glowed.

"Taka? Taka?" Keade backed up.

Taka slashed at her with her claws.

Gomen. It took me awhile to write this chapter becuase i couldn't think about what to write. Ja ne