1

Family Traits

He jumped a few more feet away from me and raised his massive sword in the air.

"Windscar!"

My eyes widened has a huge amount of yellow energy came rushing at me. There was no dodging it so I would have to try to block it. I quickly kneeled and made an 'X' with my swords and covered it in my power and braced myself for the worst. As the blast hit I gasped and was pushed then thrown backwards.

The air was thick with dust as the group looked for the strange demon.

"Where did she go?" Asked Shippo from Kagome's shoulder.

"I can't see anything, the dust is still too thick." Said Miroku and Sango nodded in agreement.

Inuyasha stood there panting from the effort searching like the rest of the group. He heaved his sword to his shoulder and started over towards where the demon should be lying dead or in pieces. What he saw surprised and angered him.

I hit the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of me and stun me at the same time. The cuts and scrapes on my face, arms, and legs all stung as dirt found its way into them. I let my swords fall to the ground, too weak to continue to hold on to them. I tried sitting up, but could only lay there and try to catch my breath.

I could hear them speaking to one another. Something about not being able to find me, but I knew that wouldn't last long as the dust would need to set eventually and I couldn't be laying here like a helpless target. I tried sitting up again and thankfully was able to. That was a good sign. As I went to stand I heard foot steps. Someone got impatient. Damn. I stood as quickly as I could manage, which wasn't very. The half demon stood about fifteen feet from me anger and surprise evident in his eyes.

The dust settled and the site wasn't what was expected. The strange demon stood there breathing heavily in worse for wear shape, but was standing with only minor cuts and scrapes. They all stared wide eyed has she stood there ready to continue to fight.

"Amazing. She took a direct hit from Inuyasha's Windscar and survived. Sesshomaru couldn't even do that." Said Sango in astonishment

I was breathing hard and had my swords in my hands and hadn't remembered picking them up. Habit.

"What the hell are you!?" He yelled at me getting ready to run at me.

"Stronger and quicker than you" I responded calmly

"You just got lucky!"

"Are you always so loud?" I asked as a headache slowly started to form.

Somehow the demon slayer had her weapon back and flung it at me, I dodged it and yelled

"Come on, two against one. Who choose these odds?"

"Just hand over the jewel shard and we might not kill you." Inuyasha spoke up again

"Why are you so intent on getting the shard away from me? What are you planning on doing with it?" I asked.

"We need to collect them to put them back together and prevent anyone from using it for evil." Said the same girl who told the Hanyou where it was in the first place.

"Are you some kind of priestess?" I asked

"Yes. My name is Kagome and we just want the shard to keep it safe. We don't want to hurt you more then we have already." Kagome said

"Like hell we do" Said the hanyou and charged at me

"Sit boy!" Yelled Kagome.

The hanyou slammed into the face first into the ground. I grimaced. Ouch.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were a priestess instead of attacking me?"

"That's just Inuyasha and most of the demons we find that have jewel shards don't usually just want to give them up." Kagome explained.

"Well here take it then." I untied the pouch and held it out.

Kagome started over and when she got with in a few feet from the shard she looked at me as if asking if I were sure and I shook the pouch in her direction and she reached out and took it.

"Why did you have jewel shard if you didn't want it?" she asked.

"A demon who attacked me had it. After I killed him I saw it and took it so no other demon with evil thoughts could find and use it." I told her

"You don't want it. Why?" She asked confused and trying to understand.

"I have no need for power that comes from the jewel. It is a tainted thing and I want nothing more to do with it." I said

"Are you sure?" she asked "we could use your help to find the rest of it."

I thought about it and said "Why need my help when you have that hanyou with you? He is loud and obnoxious but he is not a weakling."

"Inuyasha sometimes gets too excited, overreacts and rushes into things though. We need a demon that can think before they act sometimes." She said with a smile on her face.

"Kagome!" Yelled Inuyasha in the background.

"I haven't traveled in a group in so long." I said to myself, but Kagome though it was directed to her.

"Just come with us for just a little while if you don't like it we will understand and you can continue with your own life as we go on the rest of our journey alone." She reasoned.

I looked down and then back up with a small smile on my face "For a little while" I said and her smile widened.

I walked/limped over to the rest of them with her and she introduced me to them while Inuyasha complained.

"This is Sango" she pointed to the demon slayer, "Miroku", then to a monk dressed in purple, "Shippo and Kirara" and to a small fox demon child and a two tailed cat demon.

"And you are...?" asked Miroku

"Oh, I'm sorry my manners are a mess. My name is Ookami." I said

"Its nice to meet you Ookami" Said Sango. Shippo had his own little cheer filled greeting and Kirara just mewed. Miroku on the other hand...

"You are most beautiful, will you consider bearing my children?" he asked while he grabbed my hand and kissed it.

I slowly, but firmly took my hand away from him "Uh...I beg your pardon?" I said slowly.

Sango took her weapon and hit him over the head and started yelling at him.

"Don't mind him he does that to everyone and is a bit of a pervert" Kagome told me while she blushed in embarrassment of her friend.

I nodded and told her not to worry about it. No harm done.

"He doesn't seem happy about me coming with you" I said looking at Inuyasha.

"He just doesn't like new people is all. He'll warm up to you...I hope." She said smiling nervously at me.

"That was comforting"

Has we walked away, Inuyasha up front pouting with Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo and Kirara on Kagome and Sango's shoulders behind him, I looked behind me at where my original destination had been and sighed. It wasn't like it mattered I couldn't feel them anymore anyway, but the fact that I had felt them and had, had somewhere to go to in a long while put more discouragement in my mind. I hadn't noticed I had fell behind in till Sango called out to me and told me to hurry so I walked after them thinking about what I was going to do next.

Not very long after we had gotten going Kagome and Shippo started to complain about being tired and their feet hurting (Funny considering Shippo hadn't walked one step of the way). So after a half an hour of complaining Inuyasha got fed up and told them they could stop and rest for the night. It hadn't really mattered to me I could have gone another ten or fifteen miles before I really started to get tired even with my minor injuries, but I could tell that the humans were relieved to be able to rest for the night.

We had found a clearing off into the forest and they set up camp there. I didn't

know what I could do so I stayed out of the way in till they told me to do something. Thankfully though they left me out of it. I rarely set up camp for myself let alone four other people. So I just sat at the base of a tree and watched. It was more fascinating then you would think, but I have always been a people watcher so it came as no surprise to me that it was that interesting. To watch them scurry around, collecting firewood and water, putting out bed rolls, starting the fire and Kagome getting odd food out from the pack she carried around. Inuyasha's mood got a little lighter at the sight of one of the things she pulled out. Something called ramen. Apparently it was very good, but his eagerness was getting on kagome's nerves and he didn't seem to notice or care.

After they had finished they called me over and gave me some of the strange food. When they handed it to me I just stared at it, making no move to eat it.

"Try it. It won't kill you and it's good." Said an ever cheery Shippo slurping down the same strange noodles.

"Here goes" I said and took a sip of it "Hmm, that's pretty good" Shippo smiled "Told ya" I smiled back and ate the rest of my meal.

Not long after everyone finish did they all go to sleep. Sango and Miroku curled up on their own bed rolls with Kirara cuddling with Sango and Kagome and Shippo did the same. Inuyasha jumped into a nearby tree while I nestled myself at the base of the same tree I sat at while they all set up camp. It was a little ways away from everyone else but it was what I wanted. I wanted to be able to see and watch everyone. It was the perfect place to do that. The tree had large roots that made it easier to curl up there. It was a very comfortable place for me, but I was having trouble sleeping so I took a better look at my surroundings.

It was a good size clearing surrounded completely by trees. The circle of open space made it easier to look up at the moon and stars. The moon bright, almost full, it would be full tomorrow night and I couldn't wait. I loved the full moon, it always made me feel at peace. The weather was starting to cool down and the breeze had a chill to it that made me shiver. But there was something else out there that made my skin crawl. A certain power that chilled me to the bone. It was them, the ones I was looking for and they were waiting for me. So I went. It was stupid of me, but I needed to take this chance to complete my mission. I wasn't sure why they had suddenly came to me but I was about to find out.

I found them standing side by side in a clearing just under a mile from where the group was resting for the night. They both held the same smirk I remember from long ago, but they weren't teasing me about my hair, they were smirking because they came to kill me.

"Ookami how nice to see after all these years" Said the male. He was just shy of six feet with slightly broad shoulders and some muscle but don't let that fool you.

"Yes very nice" Add the female standing with him. She was quite pretty. Long black hair, gorgeous green eyes similar to my own, but more well endowed. She was about 5'5" and had a small frame, but again don't let that fool you. She could kick my ass five ways to sunrise. I had to be insane.

"Wish I could say the same" I said "Dakatsu" I nodded to the male "Hyou" I smiled to her in the 'I'm better then you fashion'. She growled and was going to start for me, but Dakatsu held her.

"You aren't going to leave here alive" He said and laughed with Hyou.

I wasn't laughing. I knew he meant it. And it scared me a little, but he would not see it.

"I could say the same to you" I retorted.

"Didn't mother teach you not to lie" He said and they laughed again.

I growled. "Do not talk about mother!"

I made the first move and drew my swords and got into a battle stance. Hyou stepped forward and grinned "Let me go first my brother" She went into a kneeling position and I knew what she was planning and cursed. This was bad. She was transforming and I wasn't sure what my chances had dwittled down to.