The only thing I won is the plot and the OC's. Nothing more, nothing less

Chapter Four: Half a Jewel

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Clara woke up early the next day. She was startled at first to see that she was in some kind of hut, but then she remembered the events of yesterday and she calmed down a bit. She sat up from the spot where she, Kagome and Sango slept. She glanced around. Everyone was still asleep. Even the half-demon, Inuyasha was leaning against the wall, his eyes were closed and his sword, the Tessaiga, was tucked snugly between his arms.

Clara left the hut and saw that the sun hadn't even risen yet. It must be around five, she decided. She looked around the little village and smiled to herself. Life was so simple here. No pollution, no terrorism, no dictator mothers…

The young woman's eyebrows met in the middle as she remembered her mother. Her mother hadn't always been Hitler. Before her father died, her mother had been kind, caring and thoughtful. They were once a happy family but like all families that loose a loved one, it all changed the day her father died…

The girl sighed again and sat down at the bottommost step that led to a shrine beside Kaede's hut. She placed both elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her palms and sighed. Kagome had mentioned yesterday that they were going to take her to see some priestess called 'Kikyou'. She didn't know why they wanted her help. She was hesitant to find out. She wondered where the boy called Takeshi went. Who was he? How come he seemed to know who she was?

This is all so confusing, the ice skater thought as she rubbed her temples. And I thought demons were merely fiction.

Presently, the young orange haired child called Shippou joined her at the steps. "You're that Shippou kid, right?" Clara asked in a mild manner. "Good morning, by the way."

"Good morning to you too, Lady Clara," Shippou said in a voice filled with respect. Miroku had told him that as the reincarnation of Midoriko, they had to address Clara as 'lady'.

Clara wrinkled her nose with slight disgust. "Please, just call me Clara," the young woman insisted. Shippou smiled at her and sat down next to her.

"You're up early," the young kitsune remarked.

"Well, it's kinda hard to sleep for long in a place I'm not familiar with," Clara said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Hey Shippou, what's everyone like?"

Shippou looked at her. "Everyone?"

Clara nodded.

"Well, Miroku's kind of a pervert, but he's got a good side. Inuyasha's kinda rough and annoying but good deep down. Sango and Kagome are both kind hearted," Shippou said, summarizing each person's characteristics.

"What about the other guy?" Clara inquired.

Shippou looked innocently at her. "Other guy?" he asked wondering what Clara was talking about.

Clara placed a finger on her chin. "You know that other guy…the one who looked like Inuyasha…I couldn't remember the name, though…"

"Sesshoumaru?" Shippou asked with wide eyes. "You've met him?"

"Sort of."

"Well," Shippou said with slight hesitation as if he were giving away a closely guarded secret. "He's Inuyasha's elder brother…half-brother…they don't get along well…he's really cold-hearted and wouldn't hesitate to kill."

Clara shuddered. She looked up at the sky. A golden pink tinge on the horizon was announcing the sun's arrival. "Hey, Shippou," Clara said brightly as she stood up. "Could you show me around the village? Around the village, around that forest over there." Clara pointed to Inuyasha's forest.

Shippou shook his head. "Sorry, we're not allowed to go there, probably. As soon as Inuyasha wakes up, we're probably going to find Kikyou."

"Please…Just the forest and not the village," Clara pleaded. She was curious about the forest.

"I really can't."

"Well, can I go on my own?"

"No, that forest is full of demons."

Clara sighed. "Okay, then I'll stay here and act like a good girl."

Shippou nodded. "If you don't mind, I'm going back inside, still a bit sleepy. Don't you wanna come in?"

Clara shook her head. "When I wake up, I can't go back to sleep."

Shippou nodded and ran back. Clara sighed and leaned back as she watched the sky slowly brightening. Her mother must be worried sick about her, she decided. She wondered if her mother was screaming her brains out, calling the FBI, calling the state police, calling Interpol…the thought made her smile in an amused manner. Her mother was wildly over protective and Clara didn't like that, she didn't like it one bit.

The young woman's eyes glanced slowly towards the forest. She had walked in it and felt a vague presence lurking nearby; she couldn't quite put a finger on it. As she looked at the forest she felt a curious desire to go see what it was really like. Women are just like Pandora, they are curious and instinctively, they feel a need to satisfy that curiousity.

So Clara stood up and headed towards the forest.

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"How convenient," Naraku said softly as he glanced at Kanna's mirror. His hand was wrapped around the Shikon Jewel. Only three more shards were missing…

"The girl has strayed of her own accord into the forest," Kagura mused.

"It's the perfect time to strike," Hakudoshi muttered.

Naraku's red eyes were glittering maliciously. "Midoriko…I will kill her myself…no puppets…" So saying, Naraku stood up and left the room.

Kagura looked at the girl in the mirror. She's capable of defeating Naraku…Should I go help her…?

Hakudoshi glanced at Kagura. He knew what she was thinking. "We're thinking the same thing, it seems," Hakudoshi said softly. Kagura looked at him, a strange look was in her eyes.

"And so we are," the wind witch said softly.

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Kagome slowly woke up and she instantly sat up when she saw that Clara was gone. At that moment Shippou entered the hut.

"Shippou where's Clara?" Kagome asked in a loud voice, a voice that woke everyone.

"She's outside at the steps," Shippou said with a shrug.

"Wha appened Kaaagoommee???" Miroku asked as he tired to suppress a yawn in vain. Kagome didn't answer, instead, she stood up and left the hut. The young priestess came back minutes later, her face livid.

"Shipou, she isn't in the village," Kagome said.

"Uh-oh."

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Clara looked around, feeling slightly awed. True, it was just a forest, but it was a forest filled with all things fresh and pure. No chemicals, no smoke, no pollution.

Too bad it all goes to waste a few hundred years from now, Clara said with a sigh.

The bushes behind her suddenly began rustling. Clara jumped and stared at it. Takeshi emerged from the bushes.

"You…" Clara's voice trailed off.

He bowed slightly to her. "Lady Midoriko…you shouldn't be out here on your own, my lady."

"Wait a minute," Clara said. "Who are you? Why do you always call me 'Midoriko'? I have a name and it's Clara!"

"I already told you, my lady," Takeshi went on as if he didn't hear her. "I am friend…a friend whom you have apparently forgotten…" He walked off and left just as mysteriously as he had come.

"Why does he always do that?" Clara thought with a bit of ill humor. Sighing she leaned back against a tree and closer her eyes as the fresh breeze rustled the leaves in the treetop.

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Kikyou was sitting in the branches of a tree, her soul collectors hovering gently about her. The priestess looked up at the sky and placed a hand on her chest. She could feel them. Naraku's bones which were creating more Shouki inside of her body. She sighed. Was this how she was going to die again? Painfully? Why couldn't she die peacefully?

Her eyes searched the skies and she thought of Inuyasha. When she died, at least her reincarnation was there to make him happy. Funny, Kikyou actually felt afraid. She didn't want to die alone…

She wanted to die in the arms of a friend.

She never had any real friends aside from Inuyasha and Kaede. She reflected. What about Kagome? Was she a friend? True, Kagome had saved her life more than once, but did that constitute as an act of friendship? Furthermore, there was their little situation about who got Inuyasha…

Kikyou suddenly narrowed her eyes at the sky. She stood up on the branch she was sitting on and placed a slender hand on the tree. Her unbound hair blew softly in the breeze as she watched the heavens. There was a heavy cloud of Shouki flying high above.

Naraku.

What is he up to? Kikyou thought as her soul collectors, sensing the disturbance, flew lazily around. Why did he come out of hiding? Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru and Kouga are after his scent…Why would he deliberately…unless he is seeking to kill someone of extreme importance…but who…?

Kikyou's eyes widened.

Midoriko.

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Something wasn't right.

Clara opened her eyes. She could feel, strange enough, some sort of evil presence. Feeling it didn't bother, what bothered her most was the fact that this presence seemed to be heading towards her…

I think I better get going, the young woman thought. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a voice…

A voice she did not like in the slightest.

"Leaving so soon?" Clara spun around. There was a man resting on one of the tree's branches. He had black hair and red eyes. That didn't bother Clara, what bothered her most was his smile. It was as if her were happy that he was about to commit something gruesome.

"Who are you?" Clara asked with some hesitation.

The man smirked. He jumped off the tree branch and landed just a few feet in front of her. "My name," the man said softly as he continued to look at her, "is-"

"NARAKU!!!" a familiar voice called out. Clara spun around, Inuyasha and the others came out of the trees.

"Guys!" Clara said with relief. Something slimy wrapped aournd Clara's waist, looking down, she saw that it was some sort of tentacle…

"Get away from her, Naraku!" Inuyasha shouted as he unsheathed his Tessaiga.

He unleashed a Wind Scar at Naraku but it was deflected by a barrier. Clara looked behind her, Naraku was suddenly behind her.

"She's got nothing to do with any of this, Naraku!" Kagome shouted, her voice almost pleading. She knew they were powerless to help if Naraku put up one of his barriers…

"Don't lie," Naraku hissed. "This girl"-he wrapped a tentacle around her throat and Clara's eyes widened-"is Midoriko's reincarnation…the one person who could kill me…and you expect me to let her be…? What kind of an antagonist am I?"

He tightened his hold on Clara's throat. The young woman's eyes widened and then she saw it…

A small glowing ball hidden beneath Naraku's right shoulder.

What is that impure light? She thought as she felt Naraku's tentacles tighten. Why does it seem so familiar…? Why do I…?

Without knowing why, she reached out for the glowing ball of light. As she did so, Naraku's shoulder seemed to melt away…

This girl! Naraku thought as he felt the pain. He glanced at his right shoulder. The jewel was slowly being purified…Her very presence…is purifying the jewel? If this girl completely purifies the jewel…I'll be purified along with it!!!

"Look!" Kagome cried out. The jewel, miraculously, was being purified.

Clara's fingers clasped around the jewel amidst Naraku's melting flesh. Light was slowly enveloping the Shikon Jewel. Naraku's eyes widened. If he didn't do anything, he was going to die.

He saw the only solution.

He cut the jewel in half, leaving the pure side with Clara and leaving the dark side with him the side that had three shards missing…

"He cut the jewel?!" Kagome shouted with disbelief.

Naraku let of Clara and the young woman fell to the ground, unconscious, with half the jewel held tightly in her closed hand. Naraku stood over the girl. Fury and rage filled every part of his body. Held a tentacle over the girl's limp form, ready to plunge it into her heart…

"Clara!" Kagome and the others shouted. Inuyasha held Tessaiga in his hand. Adamant wrapped the sword.

"Adamant-"

But before Inuyasha could do the attack, a holy arrow shattered Naraku's barrier. Inuyasha glanced at the trees. Kikyou was slowly lowering her bow.

"Damn you all!" Naraku shouted as he vanished in a cloud of miasma.

"He got away," Miroku muttered.

Inuyasha and Kagome quickly ran to Clara's side. She was unconscious and in her hand…

"The jewel!" Kagome said with wide eyes. Inuyasha bent down to get the jewel from the young woman's grasp but Kikyou stopped him by hitting the hanyou's hand with her bow.

"Hey!" Inuyasha said with surprise.

"The jewel is not yours, Inuyasha," Kikyou said softly as an amused look entered everyone's eyes. "This girl, Midoriko's reincarnation, is the one who truly owns the jewel."

As Inuyasha started to complain, Kikyou knelt down beside the girl who began to stir. Clara slowly opened her eyes and the first person she saw was, was it Kagome? She looked so much like Kagome except for the sad, gentle yet cold expression in her eyes.

"K-kagome…?" she asked groggily.

"My name is not Kagome," Kikyou said softly. Clara sat up, the jewel still held tightly in her grasp.

"You…who are…you…? You look just like Kagome…" Clara said softly.

"My name is Kikyou…Kagome is my reincarnation," Kikyou said simply. Clara's eyes widened and her mouth became a letter O.

"She's the one we wanted you to meet, Clara," Kagome said gently.

"The priestess?" Clara asked. Everyone nodded.

Clara smiled at Kikyou. "I'm Clara. Why did they want me to meet you?"

"Because you must come with me," Kikyou said softly.

Clara's eyes widened. "Come with you…? I can't. My mother must be worried sick about me."

"It is important. Many lives are at stake and if you do not come, the evil you fought, Naraku, will hunt you down relentlessly, despite the fact that you are at the other side of the well." Kikyou said matter-of-factly.

Clara's eyes widened and she looked at Kagome. "Kagome," she began.

"It's alright, Clara, go with Kikyou," Kagome said assuringly.

Clara bit her lip. Was she serious? Did Kagome actually want her to go with some woman she hardly knew? And what about her mother? They had fought before she even came back.

"But my mother," Clara said hesitantly.

Kagome placed a hand on Clara's. "It'll be alright…I'll tell her you…I'll tell her the truth. About you being here."

Clara shook her head.

"You can trust Lady Kikyou," Miroku said.

"But why me?" Clara asked, her fingers still clasped around half of the Sacred Jewel.

"Because you are reincarnated to Midoriko," Kikyou said softly. "You know who she is, I suppose?"

Clara nodded. "But…how do you know it is me? You might have the wrong girl."

Kikyou looked into her eyes and said, "Trust me."

Clara nodded slowly. "Very well, Lady Kikyou, I'll go with you…"

Kagome and Inuyasha watched the two of them leave. Clara looked back at Kagome and Kagome smiled reassuringly at her.

"She'll be alright," Inuyasha assured Kagome as he gently squeezed her shoulders, an act which made Kagome blush. She blushed even deeper when she realized that throughout their meeting with Kikyou, Inuyasha hadn't gone all googly-eyes.

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End of Chapter. Review people…please?

Sango: you don't have to beg, you know.

A1969: I don't?

Sango: Of course you don't. I'll just use my Hiraikotsu and make them review!!!