I wanted to get this chapter up sooner, but I've been tied up and haven't had a chance until now. You know how it is with life and all.

I hope everyone's Christmas was as awesome as mine was! It was so weird for me though, because in Switzerland Santa Claus doesn't come on a sleigh with reindeer! And we opened the presents on the evening of the 24th, not in the morning of the 25th! And, coming from British Columbia, Canada, we always have white winters, but here, about thirty minutes from Zurich, there was no snow! AT ALL. I got over it though, and I didn't get as homesick as I had anticipated, which is good.

Enough of my babbling, here's Chapter Three!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

--Chapter Three--

Sango approached an elderly looking man. "Excuse me, but do you have any idea why this region is so free of demons?"

The man shook his head, walking away. Sango went onto the next person.

"Excuse me, monk. Do you know the reason why this region is free of demons?" The monk only shook his head before continuing on his way.

"Seems like they are keeping something from us," Miroku stated from behind her.

Sango nodded. I wonder why they would keep something from us though...

While Shippo and Kirara walked aimlessly around the village and Inuyasha gone to scout out the area, the monk and demon slayer continued to ask random villagers about the area. When Inuyasha came back stating that the area was safe, Miroku and Sango had given up hope. No one was going to give them any information.

Inuyasha grinned ruthlessly. "You guys are doing it all wrong. You need to do it like this…" He left the two to watch him walk up to a middle-aged man.

"Hey, you! What's up with this region?" He shouted, pointing a clawed finger at the man. The poor man stopped in his tracks, all eyes on him. Sweat began to appear on his brow.

"I-I don't know-w what y-your t-talking about-t!" He shrieked out, visibly gulping. Sweat began to slowly drip down the side of his pale face.

"Cummon, stop wasting my time. Tell me now why there are no demons in this area!" Inuyasha demanded, walking up to the man and grabbing the front of his shirt, lifting him a few inches off the ground. Inuyasha's grin widened as a few gasps escaped from the surrounding audience that had crowded around.

A hand landed on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Put him down, Inuyasha. Demanding information like that won't get us anywhere. Besides, Kagome doesn't seem to be here. Maybe she found something out," Miroku reasoned with the hanyou. Inuyasha took one look at the monk before bringing his attention to the scared-to-death-man he held in his claws. He grinned one more time before releasing the man. The poor villager hit the ground with a thump on his rear. But it seemed as soon as he had hit the ground, he was up, running as fast as he could, barging his way through the group.

"Hn, taught him a lesson." Miroku and Inuyasha watched the villager flee into the distance before they turned around to face an embarrassed Sango.

"You sure have a way of working with people, Inuyasha," Sango commented, sweat dropping.

Yuki stood on the bank, watching the strange girl attempt with shaking hands to fill the lone bucket. Did I say something wrong? Or maybe it's because she's never fetched water before…?

Kagome turned to the girl, a forced smile on her lips. "The Jewel of Crystallized Tears?"

Yuki nodded. "I know it sounds dumb, but I think the reason there are no demons here are because of it."

Kagome's head spun and she struggled to see past the twirling pictures in front of her. She slowly lower herself to the ground, one hand on her face while the other placed the full bucket on the grass next to thigh.

Yuki panicked. "Miss? Are you okay? Should I go and get the village doctor? He'll be able to help-"

Kagome shook her head, cutting the frantic girl off. "No, it's okay; I'm fine. Yuki, why don't you sit here and tell me about this jewel?" Kagome gestured to the empty space to her right.

Yuki stood for a second, unsure of what to do. After a few moments, she reluctantly sat down next to Kagome. "You want me to tell you everything?"

Kagome turned her head to smile kindly at the village girl. "If it's not to much trouble?"

Yuki shook her head feverously. "No, no! Just let me remember the whole story…"

Kagome looked into the distance as the girl thought for a few moments, her brow furrowing.

"Okay, I got it!" Kagome returned her gaze back to the girl next to her. "Now, to start," Yuki twisted her hands in front of her. "Back a couple of decades ago there was…"

/----------

Sango had had enough of this secret keeping crap. Trying to keep her cool, she approached an elderly farmer who was buying fruits from the small stand laid out on the side of the street. She leaned in to get his attention, a curious look on her face.

"Excuse me, sir." The man looked up from the peach he was holding. Sango continued before he could reply. "I need some answers. Will you be willing to give them to me?"

The man replaced the peach on the stand, waving away the seller's attention. He reached out with cold and bony hands and caught Sango's hands in a loose grip. "Come with me, this way. I will tell you what you need to know." He slowly pulled her towards the end of the village, where there were less people.

The old man looked suspiciously around with sparkling black eyes, eyeing anyone near them. When he was satisfied with their surroundings, he let go of her hands and stared at her intensely. "You are one of the passing who want to know why this village is so free of demons?" At Sango's nod, he continued. "This village is full of superstitious idiots; they fear that telling anyone of this new jewel will change their luck and demons once more will attack."

Sango stiffened at his words. "New jewel?"

He grunted, clearing his throat. "Yeah, the Jewel of Crystallized Tears. It was created about fifty years ago, but no one has heard of it until now. This jewel was created when the Eastern lands were split into two; Upper and Lower. The actual feud was between two Lords, both in control of massive amounts of land in the east. They both sought to control the Eastern lands, and then proceed to take the Western Lands by force," He laughed a throaty chuckle. "There would be no way that they would've been able to take the Western Lands; a very strong and powerful demon controls them. Lord Sesshomaru, heard of him?" The old man raised a white eyebrow.

Sango nodded her head, eyes wide. Know him, fought him and lived to say that.

"Anyways, the two Lords sent their armies to fight; a massive bloody battle in the middle. Both regions were almost bare of men, leaving only the woman and children. Lord Takentsu of the Upper region purposely kept a hundred soldiers home, later on sending them on a rampage down the Lower region. They killed without mercy, taking the lives of both woman and children. The villages were defenseless; they were wiped out. As the hundred men army continued farther down, news of their actions reached the lower area. People were scared, and they had every right to be! Their Lord was gone and busy with a bigger problem, the men were out fighting, and there was only woman and children left to defend their region."

At the older man's pause, Sango shook her head. "How horrible."

The man nodded his head. "Yes, it was really dark times then. Now, to where the jewel fits into this: in a small village, in the middle of the Lower region, a young girl by the name of Anaya lived…"

/----------

"Anaya?" Kagome repeated.

Yuki nodded. "She was only a poor potter girl; she didn't know how to fight, let alone pick up a sword! She had a younger brother, who was sickly and ill all of the time, and she was very close to him. Her mother had died when she was very young, giving birth to her brother, and her father was off at war. The stories say she was beautiful; a bright, heart-shaped face with deep blue eyes framed by thick lashes and wild midnight black hair. When the news came about the rampaging army from the Upper region, she knew she had to do something. There were only a few women in her village able to hold arms, and she got together with them and talked it over. They sought to prepare incase the group attacked there; they found armor left from the men, and swords and daggers. Everyday they practiced, trying to aim at targets, and fighting with each other for practice. But it wasn't enough. There was one vital piece of information that didn't reach them; the rampaging army consisted of a hundred men. About twenty village woman couldn't defend their village from the hands of a hundred trained and armed soldiers!" Yuki took a breath, collecting her thoughts.

"What a brave girl," Kagome noted in awe.

Yuki smiled. "She was only a few years older than we are." At Kagome's shocked expression, Yuki went on. "When the army came at dawn, the women of the village were ready. They ambushed them, but were easily fought back. The women kept up a good fight for only being trained for less than a week – but the soldiers hacked them down, one by one. Anaya was a good fighter; she had managed to kill a few men, but while she was distracted by the death of another village woman, she was stabbed in the side. Wounded, she retreated from the death-like scene. Everywhere women fell, screaming in terror and pleading for mercy. No mercy was given. Those who knelt in front of the men in attempt at surrender were beheaded, and if they continued to fight, they were hacked to pieces. A lone soldier caught her eye as he ran towards the stable where they had hidden the children and elderly folks. She ran after him, and stabbed him in the back as he flung open the doors, exposing the hiding villagers to the rest of the army.

"As you would think, the sight of scared and crying children urged the army on, and they rushed to the stable where a lone village woman stood her ground. Anaya fought as hard as she could've with a deep wound in her side, but to no avail; the men rushed past her, running into the stable with swords raised high, slashing this way and that. The children and elderly fled, trying to escape, but they were hunted down with swords and daggers.

"At this time in the fight, Anaya knew there was no hope left for her village. She now had a thin sword lodged deep in the back of her right shoulder, and lots of deep gashes on her arms and legs. Looking around and seeing the slaughter of her villagers, she felt the rage boil up inside of her, and tears leaked down her cheeks. Tearing the sword out of her flesh, she charged into a group of soldiers, aiming for the one who was lifting his sword to deliver death to a frightened girl, hitting him dead on in the middle of his eyes. She twirled around, beheading the man to his right, and then going to another head, but a thick sword was driven through her middle, stopping her. She fell to her knees, feeling nothing and not seeing anything. Cries and screams filled her blank head as she fell on her side. She welcomed death, but it did not come swiftly as she had pleaded. Death mocked her bravery, making her live long enough to hear the last cries and see the last blows.

"It was nearing dusk when the soldiers finally left. Anaya had never felt more alone in her life, and fighting unimaginable pain, she staggered around on her hands and knees, looking for her brother. He was nearer to the stable, not being able to run very far due to his horrible illness. She crawled up to him, and laid down beside him, tears soaking into the dust. It was when two other drops joined hers that she realized that her brother was crying too. She raised her head, looking deep into amber eyes that belonged to their father. The young boy's eyes were slowly fading, large teardrops pouring from their sides. She had whispered his name, but he didn't respond, only closing his eyes and falling into the After World…"

/----------

"So Anaya's entire village was wiped out?" Sango asked.

The old man gravely nodded. "I'm afraid so. After her brother died, she cried uncontrollably. No one really knows what happened next, but the mixed feelings in Anaya's heart, terror, pain, love, all combined and there was a flash of bright white light as the Jewel of Crystallized Tears was formed."

Sango thought for a second. "Where has the jewel been all these years?"

The old villager shrugged. "No one knows that either. But the rumors are that it is in a cave in the Eastern Lands, near to where Anaya's village is."

"If the jewel is in the Eastern Lands, why would they be disturbing these Lands?" Sango questioned, her head tilting to one side.

The man smiled. "That's a good question. It doesn't seem normal for something to affect us from so far away, but I think that it's a distraction."

"A distraction?"

The man's smile widened. He seemed very proud of himself. "You would expect this jewel to compel the demons away, just like the power of the Shikon Jewel when it's used in the hands of a priestess. There was no evil in Anaya's heart, and her jewel would not work in the hands of someone who is. I think someone, who has power over so many demons, ordered them out of this area to attract somebody, or something. Maybe that same person was searching for the jewel too? I don't know. In any case, I would say this person would definitely come here first in search for the jewel, giving this other person a chance in finding it first. I would say a very powerful being, maybe a demon?" The man pondered this question in his head, a finger on his chin.

Sango's eyes widened. This man's innocence thinking actually makes sense! This would be something Naraku would do… but what does this Jewel of Crystallized Tears have to do with us? I doubt it has anything to do with Inuyasha… she was only human, nothing special. A heroic human girl, I admit, but I don't think this jewel could do anything to help us.

The man relaxed his hand, letting it slide to his side. "I hope you learned something from my rambling. I need to go now and finish buying supplies." He turned around, walking away.

"Bye! Thank-you for your help!" Sango smiled, waving at him. Wait, if someone is doing something to distract us from the jewel, it would most likely be Naraku. Which means this jewel has a strength that he doesn't want us to have… but the villager said the girl's heart was pure and that the jewel is rumored to not work for cruel people, so why would Naraku go for it? He most obviously won't be able to use it's powers… maybe he can't but one of us can… and that's why he's hiding it from us?

Sango closed her eyes for a second, calming her calculating mind, before heading back into the village, looking for Inuyasha and Miroku. She found them inspecting handcrafted weapons at a stand.

"Hey, Miroku, look at this one. It's-" Inuyasha was cut off by a sharp poke to his shoulder. Surprised, he spun around, coming face to face with a smug Sango.

Miroku followed suite after Inuyasha. "Why, dear Sango, don't you look so radiant!"

Sango's smile faded. "Cut it out, monk."

As Miroku paled, Inuyasha grew curious. "What's with the face?" He asked.

"I found out something," She stated. With their attentions on her, she began to explain the story of Anaya and the war between the Upper and Lower regions of the Eastern Lands. She had to pause a few times to let Inuyasha swear or let Miroku moan in awe, but the story was shortened. She knew the boys wouldn't understand the pain or insecurity the girl had had and the other emotional stuff, so she kept those details out; no need to waste time on something they would never get.

"But what does the jewel have to do with us?" Inuyasha demanded. Sango was about to reply when Kagome came into their sight, waving and calling to them. A huge smile was displayed on her face as she approached them.

"I talked with a girl, and she told me about a new jewel," She stated, looking at their faces for their reactions.

"You heard that too? Let's compare stories." Sango listened intently as Kagome told her story to the group. "Seems like they are the same," Sango said.

"Sango, you didn't answer my question," Inuyasha impatiently reminded her.

"Right. Well, the man who told me the story had quite the explanation for why it was affecting this area, which is so far away from the scene; someone with great strength, ordered all of the demons out of this area in order to attract something, or someone. If someone were looking for this jewel, they would look for the purest place; Anaya had no evil in her heart. Therefore, if this person came here, they would be farther away from the jewel, allowing the first person to search for the jewel without competition."

While Miroku and Inuyasha struggled to understand what Sango meant, Kagome thought for a second. "But if this person was Naraku, what could he do with a jewel that only works for the purest of hearts? That doesn't make sense."

Sango nodded, impressed with Kagome's quick thinking. "That's what I was thinking; why would Naraku want something so useless to him? But then it hit me; what if he was trying to get to it first so that he could destroy it before we got it?"

Miroku caught on. "But who would this jewel be useful for? Kagome is no fighter; she's a priestess, you, Sango, are a talented demon slayer, I am a monk, and Inuyasha is a half demon. Shippo and Kirara are only young demons; what could this jewel do to help them?"

Inuyasha coughed. "Hm, once I have the Shikon Jewel, I wont need this lousy 'Jewel of Tears.'" Kagome noticed how he still hadn't caught on. She sweat dropped.

"Inuyasha, do you even understand what we're talking about?" Miroku asked, eyebrow twitching.

Inuyasha blanked, eye growing wide. "Yeah-well… I-" He stuttered for words.

Miroku smacked his hand against his forehead. With delicate words, he began to explain to the hanyou what the three of them had been discussing. "But why would I need the jewel?" He asked when Miroku was done.

Miroku sighed in exhaustion. "This jewel doesn't have anything to do with your strength. We are trying to figure out what exactly this jewel can do."

"From what I heard, not many people know about its strengths. It's something that has been hidden for fifty years," Sango commented.

"Why would it suddenly come to everyone's attention now?" Kagome asked.

"Maybe the blame lies with Naraku. This jewel just might aid us in defeating him," Miroku said.

Inuyasha nodded, a serious look on his face. "We should head out as soon as possible. We don't want that bastard to get there before us."

Kagome smiled. "I'll go get Kirara and Shippo and explain everything to them. We'll meet you on the outskirts of town." Kagome left the three to ponder their situation. Watching her retreating form, they turned and started to head out.

And now I rest (I went skiing the other day with my host family and nearly died! I haven't skiied in five years, and yet I was better than I thought. I ended up nearly commiting suicide on the larger slopes, but in the end, I mastered the Baby Slope! YAY!).

Read and Review, you know the routine!

I'll try to update faster next time.. hopefully. I'M GOING CLUBBING IN ZURICH ON NEW YEARS!

Happy New Years,

xx. bumble.