Disclaimer: No I don't own Inuyasha but kami I wish those puppy ears were mine. –sighs dreamily-

When Good Mikos Go Bad

Chapter 16 Unease

It hadn't taken Inuyasha long to figure out they were headed back to the village, but with Shippou singing their destination from atop the hanyou's head, it wasn't really that hard to guess. What had the group stumped was why he hadn't fought the decision, and instead opted for that reserved thinking expression that always made him look as if he was in pain.

Shippou leaped off of Inuyasha's head and landed gracefully on the monk's shoulder. "Hey Miroku," the little kitsune whispered, wary of being overheard by a certain keen eared hanyou, "is Inuyasha broken? He hasn't threatened to pound me all day, and Ii don't think he's even cursed once" It was obvious how worried the kit was that Inuyasha would slip back into his former state.

Exchanging a glance with the slayer and back to Shippou Miroku put on a comforting smile, "Not to worry Shippou, I believe he is merely pondering the situation."

Still rather confused about what 'situation' the kitsune turned to Sango for clarification. "He means that Inuyasha is worrying about going back through the well and seeing Kagome's family." Shippou got that 'oh' look. Glancing back at him the kit saw that Inuyasha was still deep in thought.

In two days they would reach the village and the well, the time was both too soon and too far away for the very confused hanyou.

When Kagome woke up she felt very strange; the hollowness she had possessed since losing her memory was absent, but so was the voice's reassuring presence, and in place of them was a weird slushy feeling, like she'd been filled with liquid that had nowhere to go. The sensation was foreign and unwelcome, it wasn't very pleasant, but Kagome wouldn't let the others know she was the first up that morning.

Before the others (and the sun) could rise she restocked the fire for breakfast and brought water from a nearby stream for tea. Without anything productive to occupy her time Kagome disrobed and washed in the stream reveling in the familiarity of the water.

All the alone time allowed her mind to wander back to the voice and its currant state of not there. Futilely she probed her own mind in search of its presence, when she came up empty a sense of loneliness worse than her loss of memory filled her. Kagome felt oddly abandoned by something she wasn't even sure existed.

Feeling extremely stupid about missing a disembodied voice Kagome redressed and headed back to camp. Judging by the sun the others would be awake soon and they had another half a days walk to reach the village Marianne had mentioned.

Just as she suspected the group was wide awake by the time Kagome returned. Shiri bounded up to her in greeting firing f rounds of questions. "Kagome-sama where did you go? How long have you been up? What's for breakfast? When are we going to reach the village? Do you think we'll fight any demons today?"

Kagome chuckled lightly at the girl's renewed energy, "I guess we'll find out soon, won't we?" she patted the child on the head choosing only to answer the last few questions before taking a seat next to Tari around the fire.

"Where were you?" Her fellow miko hissed out of the corner of her mouth. "I was worried; something is giving me a bad feeling."

Tari's uncharacteristic seriousness was unsettling, so she wasn't the only one feeling strange this morning. "I was at the river." Kagome brushed off her absence, "but I do need to talk to you. You're right; something's not right around here."

Their hushed conversation was interrupted by an unusually chipper Marianne "Well, Ladies I think we had better be off. Perhaps if we are fortunate we will have a jewel shard by nightfall." Kagome and Tari exchanged suspicious glances but said nothing in protest while they packed camp away.

After Shiri insisted on dousing the fire with water and her stubbornness, the group shouldered their bulging packs and set off. Marianne and Shiri were both in joyous moods, not so much a big deal for the younger but nearly unheard of for the former. The other two girls were subdued; dragged down by the heaviness of the air. Shiri too caught on to their mood, clinging close to Kagome as the journey dragged on.

It wasn't even mid-day when Kagome stiffened at the familiar tingling sensation, Tari put a hand on her shoulder trying to get the miko's attention. "Kagome what is it?" Reading the otherworldly expression on her face Tari put two and two together "Do you sense a Shikon shard?" Kagome nodded honing in on the jewel's location following the feint trail of glowing pink energy, that only she could see.

"Where?" Marianne demanded calmly, readying her bow for the attack. Pointing off to her left, away from the trail they were following, and she too prepared her bow. Tari pulled sutras from the confines of her robes and drew Shiri behind her as the child looked fearful yet was attempting to draw her miniature bow.

Finding her voice Kagome quietly relayed her information and issued orders to her team. "It isn't very strong, coming up fast o9n the left. We should aim for the shard when we shoot. Tari- put up a barrier around Shiri and send a holding sutra at the youkai. Marianne- you and I will collect the shard, follow my lead when I locate the jewel." Shocked by the sudden surge of leadership Kagome was exhibiting, the group, including Marianne, all nodded in consent as they took position.

The sound of tree branches snapping, and leaves being crushed reached the miko in a matter of seconds. A lean muscular snake whose head reached the treetops broke onto the path. "A snake youkai?" Tari had that 'you're-kidding-me' tone "Come on these things are pathetic."

Kagome rolled her eyes at her friend's brush off of their enemy, but Marianne spoke the words of warning first. "With a Shikon jewel shard in its possession, anything could happen. By the looks of the beast the jewel's power has increased its size."

Refraining from the 'no duh' she wanted to yell Kagome got them all back on track. "The jewel's in the forehead, an arrow will never reach from this angle."

A hiss answered her statement, "Yyyoouu havvee jeeweel ssshardsss. Givvvee thheem tto mee."

Ignoring the demon's request Kagome stood her ground, notching an arrow. The youkai lunged with wicked speed, lowering its head to attack. Shiri's yell of "Look out!" was unnecessary as Kagome dodged the blow, her own barrier deflecting any damage she might have otherwise received.

"Now!" Kagome ordered as the youkai shook off the impact with the ground. Tari didn't hesitant at the instruction; firing sutras intended to paralyze at the snake. They hit the mark trapping the youkai in Tari's energy cage, its head stuck in perfect firing rage.

From her position Marianne watched with mounting anticipation as Kagome took aim at the youkai's forehead. Go ahead and release child, it would make my mission a whole lot easier. Pretending not to have a decent line of fire Marianne was forcing Kagome to take the shot. She held her breath as Kagome released the arrow the tell-tale pink purifying light reflected in her brown eyes.

She knew the instant that the false memory took hold; shock, horror, regret, and understanding flashed across the young woman's face as her life story unfolded in her mind's eye, and the snake youkai disintegrated at her feet. Marianne smirked, her mission was completed the miko was theirs.

AN: That's it, a short transition chapter but next chapter Kagome gets her "memory" back, but I haven't finished writing it yet so I'm not sure when I'll post, the details of the false memory have yet to be plucked from my brain, I'm open to suggestions they might inspire me, so review.