"Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, afraid.
Her voice snapped him out of it. Leaning forward and holding his father's sword in front of him once more, he growled, "I can do that myself. I don't need you."
"That's too bad." The monster's eye gleamed. "I would have enjoyed your company. Now you will join the many souls that fuel my thirst for power. I will even be nice and allow you to die in any way you wish. Go ahead. Choose."
Shippou quivered next to Kirara.
"What happened to Becca?" Miroku whispered.
"What was that?" the monster asked, hearing Miroku's voice, but not his words.
"What happened to Becca?" Miroku asked louder.
The Becca imposter smiled, stepping forward. "Oh Miroku. Would you like to join me? I know you would love to live in the company of a powerful woman. I live inside Becca for I am half of her so I've seen the way you look at her. The way you want to comfort her whenever you see the sad look in her eyes."
Suddenly, Becca laughed. It was an evil noise that tore shivers up everyone's spines. She leaned closer and explained, "I actually had a hand in killing Jack. I love him because we share a heart, but I felt he was too close to her. So I held her down while Naraku and the others planned his death.
"She would love to kill me. To kill herself. But because I am part of her, she can't. My survival instinct is too strong. She has less control than she thinks."
Inuyasha suddenly ran forward yelling, "Shut up! You talk too much!" He swung the sword just as Becca flew up into the air.
She flew down at him, swinging her arm back and knocking him across the clearing. He flew one way; his sword flew the other way. Becca turned towards the group. Songo stood, drawing her giant boomerang and threw it at Becca.
To everyone's surprise Becca caught it with one hand. She laughed and stuck it in the ground next to her. "Did you think that would work?" the monster chuckled. She was toying with them.
She stretched out her wings, preparing to pounce. Then Inuyasha came out of nowhere and slashed at one of her wings. The creature screamed in pain, doubling over for a moment. She rolled to her left to get away from Inuyasha's reaching claws before jumping up.
She looked over her shoulder at the torn wing. It was dripping black liquid. She tried stretching it and winced in pain. "You surprised me Inuyasha. I guess I will have to fight without wings today. Congratulations."
Her wings crinkled and folded so they were pressed against her back. Then they started to fade before everyone's eyes, almost like they were melting into her skin. They were soon gone.
Inuyasha, who had taken the moment of distraction to grab his sword, now stood in front of her. He pointed his sword at her and yelled, "You've got no chance."
The monster stepped forward, a snarl tearing up her throat, before she suddenly froze.
Nobody breathed. Nobody moved. The world was silent for a moment while the creature got a strange look on her face.
Inuyasha couldn't decipher what was truly in her countenance.
That's when she grabbed her chest, breathing heavily. "What are you doing to me?" she gasped. A voice seemed to float on the air around her. It was saying, "You cannot hurt them. I know what you were going to do. I will not allow you." The voice changed. It said, more fervently, "Inuyasha! Now! Kill her. Kill me. While I can still hold her."
Inuyasha ran forward, not hesitating to slice at her throat.
Inuyasha stopped when an arrow came out of nowhere, piercing the monster's shoulder.
She screeched. Inuyasha gasped when he saw the two black orbs that were her eyes fade back to normal. Now two normal, stormy gray eyes looked out at him. She cried out, feeling the obvious pain of the sacred arrow.
She stumbled forward as the rest of her body went back to normal. The claws. The teeth. The horn. Her skin turned back to her regular shade of pink. "I'm sorry," came her weak voice, as she collapsed in front of them.
Looking up at Kagome, Inuyasha asked, "What did you do that for? I could have just killed her."
Kagome's hand were shaking as she looked at the now still figure, still dripping blood. "I don't know," she said, "My hands were moving of their own accord."
"Whatever. As long as it's over," Inuyasha put in.
Miroku stepped forward, bending over Becca's body. Her face was peaceful. Not happy, but not creased in anger either. Miroku looked back up and said, "This is far from over. We shall just wait to see what happens when she awakes."
Shippou stepped forward now, wrapping a bead necklace around Becca's throat. "There, just like Inuyasha's. Now if this happens again, you can just tell her to sit."
Kagome examined the beads. They looked the same, who's to say they wouldn't act the same.
Inuyasha looked at Shippou and asked angrily, "Where did you get those?"
Shippou looked slightly disconcerted as he walked away saying, "I can't seem to remember. Oh well."
Before Inuyasha could reply, Miroku said, "Come on. Help me set up camp. We might as well stay here."
There came a gasp from Songo. Everyone looked at her, asking 'What?' "Sesshomaru!" she reminded them. "She killed him."
Inuyasha smiled and said, "Well at least that's off our hands now."
Everyone started to make camp, while they traded off watching Becca. Inuyasha kept his claws trained on her to slash at any moment. Shippou fell asleep on his watch. Kagome asked Becca questions that were never answered the whole time. Songo didn't care very much. And when Miroku came. He was very diligent.
Miroku mumbled, "Becca. Why must such a beautiful creature be forced into such a hideous predicament?" He leaned forward, brushing his lips against her cheek.
Her face turned red and she cried in her sleep, "Jack. Don't leave me alone."
Miroku frowned slightly. He ran his hand over the arrow they still hadn't removed. He felt so bad for her than he could no longer sit and watch. He grabbed the arrow and, holding his other hand on her shoulder, ripped it out quickly.
Her body jolted once, but she did not wake.
He tossed the arrow to the side and stared at his right hand, the one with the wind tunnel. He looked away, anger evident on his face. "Naraku," Miroku muttered, "You will die."
Miroku suddenly smiled, deciding to take advantage of the moment. He grabbed Becca's nearest butt cheek and squeezed. He didn't expect the fist that slammed into his own cheek. His face.
He bent over, cradling his bruised eye and bleeding nose as Becca sat up. A hand flitted to her mouth briefly before she let out the contents of her stomach on the ground.
"She's awake," Miroku called out as she heaved.
Everyone had just gathered when she finished. She sat back, covering her hands. Everyone could see the tears than ran down her face though. "I'm so sorry," she bawled.
Inuyasha said sarcastically, "What are you sorry about? It's not like you just tried to murder us all or anything."
Kagome snapped, "Sit, boy!" When Inuyasha had hit the ground, grumbling angrily, she walked to Becca and leaned over her. "Are you alright, Becca?"
There was no reply as Becca just sat there, whimpering.
Shippou started to rub a medical salve on Becca's wounds. Becca hissed a sharp intake of breath at the contact.
Songo then asked, "Is it true, Becca?"
Becca removed her arm just enough to look at Songo curiously.
"Is it true that you want to kill yourself? Do you want to die?"
Kagome looked about to protest but Becca interrupted, "Yes. I wish to die. I am still afraid though. What would Jack say to me? About what just happened."
"That wasn't your fault," Kagome interjected. "That was the other you. The evil part of you that you can't control. The demon child."
Becca turned and said, "Her name is Malum."
Kagome looked up, confused. "I've never heard of a name like that."
Becca explained, "Its Latin for Evil."
"Malum," Miroku muttered. As it rolled off his tongue the air seemed to darken. Everyone shivered.
"I'm sorry I've done this. I should go before I hurt any of you again. I'm sorry this happened. I'll go." She started to get up but suddenly her body convulsed and she collapsed back down. She wheezed for a moment before saying, "Kagome."
"Yes?"
"Your arrow… it tried to purify my body…"
"What?"
"You tried to purify my body… but… Malum… she… she's so bad… it bounced back and damaged my own body… my heart… my brain… I feel weak."
"Just stay there. You're not going anywhere. We'll take care of you."
"What?" Inuyasha growled. "She just turned into a monster and tried to kill us and we're STILL going to help her."
Expecting Kagome to answer, Inuyasha was startled when Miroku broke in, "Yes. We are."
Kagome nodded, satisfied, and said, "Miroku you watch her while we finished making camp. I'll get something for us all to eat."
He nodded as everyone dispersed.
Miroku reached out a hand, patting the top of Becca's head before continuing to apply the healing ointment.
"Why are you and Kagome so determined for me to stay?" Becca unexpectedly asked.
Miroku smiled and replied, "I think it's because she sees what I see in this situation."
"What is that?"
"She sees a girl that is struggling to find her own bit of peace and happiness in a cruel world. Kagome, I think, does not want to see you suffer alone."
"And you?"
"I see a beautiful and weary travel… hoping for a rest… but at every corner finding something to fight against her. As if the world would like you to suffer."
"…"
Miroku waited, hoping for an answer. He let go of hoping, not hearing a reply.
Forlornly, Becca finally answered, "I cannot give you what you seek. I still love Jack, despite the many years since he died. I will always love him."
Miroku leaned back mumbling, "I know. I'm merely causing myself pain… but I can't help it. I feel that you need love, whether you'll return it or not."
Becca rolled away from him, her breath evening out. They were deep. That of a tired person.
"Miroku. Can you feel that?" Inuyasha abruptly asked, shocking him.
Miroku stood, looking around. There was a dark aura on the clearing. Something was coming. Something drawn by the terror that was left from the recent battle.
Demons.