*Note: I do not own Inuyasha, its characters or storyline.

Chapter 2: Red and Blue

I came to a stop after a few minutes of sprinting. I had run in towards the noise, but needed more direction now that I was in the woods. The village could not be seen from my location since I was pretty far into the woods. The wait for the shriek was taking longer than expected. When there was no sound after a few minutes, I started to wonder if it been in my head the entire time.

I turned around to go back to the village when I heard a soft growl and crunching wood. The noise combination was not a normal occurrence. Something was happening and it was to my left through a thick brush. Great, just great.

My choice of attire was starting to become inconvenient. It was great for running and moving, but it lacked protection which was needed for the brush. It was very dense and many thorny branches were inter-coiled around one another. No matter, I knew I would have to just trudge through it slowly to satisfy my curiosity. Bending which way and that was difficult to accomplish. I was not very flexible, but thankfully I could deal with the pain if my skin had to come into contact with the thorns. I wonder if they're poisonous.

Ignoring by subconscious, I kept going. I could see a vague thinning of the branches near the floor and directed my path towards the opening. A small alcove like structure was formed by the branches at the opening and I paused here to observe my physical state and surroundings. Fortunately, I was not too badly marked by the thorns; I had many minor scratches on my arms and legs that reminded me of cat scratches from my days at the veterinary clinic. As for my surroundings, there was a very large lizard creature in the small clearing and it was antagonizing some other creature. Upon further examination, I discovered it was a small wolf pup and it was severely wounded on its left pelvic limb.

My instincts urged me to run out into the clearing to help the wolf pup. I wanted to abide to my inner wishes, but knew I couldn't handle the lizard demon on my own. However, I knew the wolf pup wouldn't last if I ran back to the village now and recruited the help of Kagome's friends. Going against my better judgment again, I lunged out from beneath the bush and went for a roundhouse kick to the demon's right side. I hoped the element of surprise would favor me.

To my astonishment, the lizard went soaring away from my thrust and smashed into the oak tree line behind it, nearly cracking one of the trunks in half from the impact. I was frozen; I couldn't fully comprehend what had just happened. My legs were strong and very well-developed from years of track and weight lifting, but I shouldn't have been able to do that even with the element of surprise! I didn't have time to contemplate the results because the lizard stood back up and hissed violently at me.

"Wench! That'sssss my sssssnack," it said.

I stood protectively over the pup, a growl ripping through my throat. I didn't know what I was going to do when it came at us. I contemplated grabbing the wolf pup and making a run for it, but doubt swarmed my mind; being human, there was no way I could outrun a demon, no matter my training.

The lizard leaped into the air, the sun eclipsing behind it make its figure dark and hard to distinguish its trajectory. I was panicking on the inside; I didn't know what to do. Though, considering running was not an option that only left me with bracing its frontal attack. I involuntarily gulped. This is going to hurt.

As I starred at my attacker, the strangest phenomenon occurred. The lizard had spit in two and a resonating gurgling sound rung through the air, and through the bright sunlight I saw the flash of a red kimono. Inuyasha.

Relief washed over me and my body relaxed, I hadn't realized how rigid my limbs had been. Inuyasha landed in front of me, a minor look of annoyance on his face. His fist raised and he was about to bonked me on the head when I blocked it with my forearm. "What did you think you were doing," he yelled at me.

As he said this, Kagome came up to be with us. I thought it was sweet Kagome had been worried and dragged Inuyasha out to come find me because I definitely needed it this time. She initially looked worried, and relief washed over her face when she saw I was unharmed. She seemed to be of the same mindset as Inuyasha though because she began scolding me too. "Why were you trying to take on a demon? Are you trying to get killed," she screeched.

"I needed to protect him," I said softly as I looked over my shoulder. The wolf pup seemed to have relaxed some since the lizard wasn't trying to eat it, but his retaliating growl and raised hackles let me know he didn't trust me either.

Inuyasha and Kagome followed suit and looked over my shoulder as well to see what I was referring to. Kagome squealed when she saw the pup, commenting how cute he was. Inuyasha on the other hand seemed to loathe the pup and rolled his eyes.

"You still have a soft spot for canines," Kagome stated to my back. She was bent over looking down to see what I was doing. I had squatted down to be level with the wolf pup and offered it the back of my hand. The hair on the back of his neck raised and it was going to nip at me. Seeing this I quickly made a sharp noise hopefully to signal no. I received the reaction I wanted as the pup became taken aback and cocked his head to the side. It was adorable and only made me want to gain his trust more so I could fix his wound.

Eventually, after a few more urges, the pup finally licked my hand and allowed me to pet his head. I gently picked him up, being careful to avoid the laceration, and we went back to the village. Inuyasha still wasn't happy with the predicament and indicated his feelings thoroughly multiple times on the way back.

…

When we got back to the village I unpacked all of my medical gear. The extent of my supplies seemed to surprise the group. I didn't pay them much mind since I had a job to do. It was going to be difficult to numb the area around the laceration with injectable lidocaine since the procedure involved needles, but it was my only options. My head swiveled towards Inuyasha and I gave him a hard, serious look, "I need you to hold him for me."

He looked reluctant to help until he heard Kagome aggressively encouraging him to do so. I could tell she was threatening to say the word when he finally caved. I showed him how to properly restrain the pup. He didn't struggle too much with the handling. I knew though that he would begin struggling the moment I used the needle. I looked to Inuyahsa to confirm he was ready and then began my work with haste. After I had fully numbed the area, the pup didn't struggle as I sutured the wound and for the finishing touch I applied a teal wrapping to keep the area clean. I would remove it tonight when I knew he wouldn't be getting it contaminated with dirt.

"What are you going to name him," Shippo asked as he jumped onto my shoulder and observed my handiwork.

"I'm not sure. Maybe something simple, like Red," I suggested.

Shippo and everyone else seemed satisfied with my suggestion and nodded in agreement. Something seemed off to me though, there was something weighing in the air so I asked, "What is it you guys?"

"Where did you learn to do all of that," Sango asked quietly.

"Oh. I had assumed Kagome would have mentioned it while I was away. I've worked at an animal hospital for the last three years!"

"It seems we have a true medic in the group now," Miroku stated while smiling.

"I can do more than heal. I can fight too you know," I stated irritably. Why does everyone assume that all I'm good for is healing? I have so many other talents.

"Ha. Yeah. That's why I had to save you today right," Inuyasha said mockingly.

"You forgot to note damaged trees in the background."

"What does that have to do with anything," Kagome interjected curiously.

"I kicked it hard enough to send it flying back," I said.

"Beginner's luck," I heard Inuyasha mumbled to himself.

"What did you say," I asked with a glare. I didn't appreciate being belittled. What happened in the forest still confused me, but I obviously have some power; I just need to figure out what it is exactly. Inuyasha coward from my comment, apparently not expecting me to have been able to hear him since no one else had. With that, Kagome motioned for us to settle down since it was late and we would be heading out the next morning.

…

The next morning we headed east out of the village following some rumors about the location of another sacred jewel shard. I didn't give the idea much thought, it's not like as a human I could utilize its power. I drifted farther back from the group as they were busy discussing a demon by the name of Naraku, and I was more enthralled to become friends with my new companion. In my arms he seemed content with the view he had as he surveyed the surrounding fields. Once in a while he would look up towards me, but he was observing most of the time.

I had finally decided to ignore him, and let him acclimate to me on his own when he licked my hand multiple times. That's a good sign. It seemed I was still gaining his trust little by little, even after traumatizing him yesterday with the wound repair. Shippo bopped back to check and see how we were doing as the group continued their discussion, and I made a mental note to ask Kagome about this Naraku since now was not the time.

…

The rest of the day was uneventful. We fortunately didn't run into any demons, though we also didn't run into any villages meaning we would be sleeping outside for the night. The thought of camping excited me since I hadn't done it in years, it would be fun!

After we had decided on a secure location for camp, everyone began settling down and preparing for dinner. Without a kitchen, I was about useless when it came to food since it was too dark for me to even hunt some game. So instead of just relaxing and letting everyone else do the work, I decided to assist Shippo in accumulating firewood since Red was contently sleeping next to my bag.

While we were looking for firewood deeper in the worst, the air became more humid. It seemed peculiar to me since the weather had been clear a moment ago; there was no possible way it was going to rain. The air also didn't smell like rain, confirming my conclusion. I turned to Shippo who was picking up a rather large stick and asked, "Are there natural hot springs in this area?"

"I guess there could be. Do you think there's one close by," he asked, his voice becoming more excited as he finished his question.

"I do," I replied with a cheeky grin, "And I think it is this way," motioning to my right with my stack of sticks. We headed over that direction and the farther we went, the more confident I became in my assumption. A soft mist covered the floor and quiet splashing could be heard close by. Shippo and I maneuvered through a few more trees when the tree line broke, revealing a natural hot spring!

We looked at each other quickly, looked to the hot spring and then back to each other as large grins spread across our faces. Before I could make a comment to Shippo, he was already running back towards camp to tell the gang. This is going to be fun!

…

Kagome and Sango were ecstatic when Shippo told them what I had found deeper in the woods. Miroku too looked happy though it seemed to be for different, cruder, reasons while Inuyasha seemed indifferent. No matter their opinions, I was definitely going to go to the hot spring after dinner. The warm water always helped to ease my mind and get a good night's sleep.

After I had finished my cup ramen, I looked towards Kagome expectantly. She caught my glance and nodded with a grin signaling we'd be going soon. I was too anxious to wait patiently as I was unconsciously bouncing from side to side. Sango noticed my fidgeting and started to laugh. Realizing my childish behavior, I immediately stopped and turned away in slight embarrassment. Whoops.

"Alright, let's go," Kagome cheered as she grabbed a bottle of shampoo from her bag. Quickly I gathered my things and Red as we headed to the hot spring. Fortunately for the boys, there was a large rock in the middle of the hot spring that served as a median meaning they didn't have to wait for us to finish before they could get in.

Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo made their way around to the other side of the rock when we got to the water's edge. Both Kagome and Sango lectured Inuyasha and Miroku about not looking and what the consequences would be if they did as they disappeared. It was funny watching them scold the boys, and it was also apparent that each of them had feelings for each boy respectively. I wonder how long Kagome has liked Inuyasha.

I had stripped down to nothing, not wanting to get my undergarments soaking wet, and tested the water with my leg. The water was a little hotter than I thought it should have been and it stung my leg. Deciding it was best to ease into it slowly, I washed some of the spring water onto the edge to make it warm and only stuck my legs in. Kagome and Sango followed my lead and we quietly sat for a minute, Red again curled up next to my stuff sleeping.

Remembering my mental note, and not wanting to bring up the boys yet, I asked, "Who exactly is this Naraku?"

"He's a half demon who betrayed Inuyasha 50 years ago when he tried to get the sacred jewel," Kagome answered.

"He's also the one who cursed Miroku with the wind tunnel, and slaughtered my entire village," Sango added.

"Oh, wow. That question really turned this conversation sour. I'm sorry," I said while rubbing the back of my neck nervously.

"You didn't know. It's quite alright," Sango said gently.

"Alright, different topic. So how long have you been crushing on the monk," I asked mischievously.

"What," Sango asked startled by my question.

"I will admit, I had my suspicions too," Kagome commented.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Sango huffed while crossing her arms.

"Any other girl wouldn't glare at Miroku as much as you did when he asked me to bear his children," I said while giggling and fully submerging myself in the water. The warmth felt so much better against my skin than the nipping air.

"He was just being highly inappropriate," Sango tried in defense.

"Sango has a crush," Kagome chanted.

Not wanting to only throw Sango under the bus, I look towards Kagome and said while sticking out my tongue at her, "She's not the only one Kagome."

She immediately quieted down her chanting about Sango and turned her head away and while blushing a bright red. Now it was Sango's turn to tease her. At the moment, I was thankful I didn't have a boy to be teased about. Though I started to second guess my feelings since I wouldn't have minded having a guy to call my own. Kagome and Sango must have noticed my silence and gazed off look and interpreted it as me thinking about a boy because they both started bombarding me with questions.

I put my arms up in surrender and said, "I don't have a boyfriend!"

Realization dawned on them and instead of asking me about my "boyfriend," they started asking me about what type of guy I was into. I sweat dropped; I guess this was karma biting me in the butt for trying to embarrass them.

When their onslaught stopped, Kagome commented, "Is it alright for your bracelet to be in contact with natural spring water?"

I actually had no clue if it was alright for my bracelet to be in the water, but it was better to be safe than sorry. As I unclasped the bracelet, it glowed a violent blue and then stilled. I looked at it freaked out and slowly turned to see if either of the girls had seen what I saw. I got confirmation that I wasn't seeing things because both of them had wide eyes.

"Guys, that's never happened before," I shakily commented.

"Do you feel alright," Kagome asked worriedly.

I nodded. Maybe the bracelet was the reason I was able to pass through the well. What will happen if I take it off?

There was only one way to find out. With determination I went to unclasp the bracelet again when it glowed. I ignored the warning glow and took off the bracelet, allowing it to dangle afterwards from my hand. I waited for a moment to see if anything else would happen when I heard a resounding crack coming from the bracelet. The teal jewels in the bracelet rattled next to each other and then sporadically shattered!

"Well now, that was melodramatic," I said unpleased that the bracelet had randomly gone haywire and was now broke.

"Kasatka," Kagome said timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Look in the water."

I followed her order and looked down at my reflection in the water. The moment I caught sight of myself I screamed. I didn't look like myself anymore; I did, but just not the same. I looked up at Kagome and Sango to ask what had changed about my appearance when Miroku and Inuyasha said they were coming over. Hearing the boys snapped Kagome and Sango out of their shock with Kagome yelling sit and Sango threatening Miroku.

"What happened?! Why did Kasatka scream," Inuyasha demanded from the other side of the rock.

"We're alright! We just found out why Kasatka was able to pass through the well," Kagome replied back.

"Kagome," I questioned, regaining her attention. "What else is different," I asked while spinning around.

"You have a tail too," Kagome shrieked, though only loud enough for Sango and me to hear.

"What," I asked while flipping around to see my backside. Low and behold, there was a dampened tail floating on the surface of the water. Hesitantly I touched it and could tell it was my own. It was the same color as my hair, a faint brown-blonde shade.

Kagome was at my side and touched my tail too while asking, "Can you feel that?"

"Of course I can feel it," I said while yanking it away from her. It was awkward having someone else touch it.

"Sorry," Kagome said quickly noticing my discomfort.

I leaned back against the wall of the hot spring and breathed in deeply contemplating my new development. "Is there anything else I should be aware of," I asked while looking at the girls

"Other than the pointed ears, not much," Sango observed.

Kagome had told me the distinguishing physical traits of ademon back in the present era. Great, just great. What am I?

"I've had enough excitement for one night. Can we head back now, please," I asked.

Kagome nodded in agreement and yelled over her shoulder, "Inuyasha…Miroku, we're getting out and heading back."

…

Kagome, Sango and I were sitting around the campfire, Red sleeping soundly in my lap, while debating my demon origin when the boys came out of the woods. Immediately, Inuyasha was on alert and smelling the air furiously. Noticing his distress, Kagome asked, "What is it Inuyasha?"

"You can't smell that! Was that mangy wolf here again?!"

Realization crossed Kagome's face as she yelled, "That's it! Kasatka, you must be a wolf demon!"

"What," the boys all questioned.

"Yeah, see," I said showing them my tail as Shippo bounced over to inspect it. "That was why I screamed earlier," I finished.

"Yep, that's definitely a wolf demon tail," Shippo confirmed, and with that we all headed off to bed. I didn't think I could take any more excitement anyways.