Kagome cursed loudly which echoed up the well. She rubbed her sore back, reminding herself of all her old skill of jumping down the well, and not getting hurt because of it.

Snapping back to her senses, she climbed out of the well very cautiously.

"Can't die yet, can't die yet....." She chanted under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut until she got to the top of the well.

Looking around, it was the same forest from her memories. Slight evil vibrations through the forest remained in the area over years, but nothing recent to worry about it.

'Good, now to find Kawayou.' She told herself, readying her bow and arrow. She couldn't pick up his aura near the well but was almost lost in the pulsing magic.

She hesitated on where to go. Logical sense would dictate that when lost, he would go for the village. She was in theory still welcome at Kaede's village but wondered how well they'd take her after the past events.

Her thoughts were cut off when a growl erupted near by.

"And all this time I thought I would get a break. Come out demon! Show yourself, if you want to prove yourself worthy."

Kagome remembered years back, when she had purified the jewel, and it vanished into her, demons began attacking her to see if they were worthy. It made her sick, how no one could be near her without being in danger. She had to leave Kaede's village to protect all of the villagers, but InuYasha- he wouldn't give up that easy.

A shadow demon pulled up from the floor, it's mass towering above the trees, and with small black, and beady eyes focused on her.

"So Midoriko has returned. You have no idea how long I have been searching for your reincarnation." It hissed, Kagome no more impressed, but irritated, narrowed her eyes.

"Aww shut up already. You better have damn well not done anything with the boy that was just here before me."

Kagome remembered that name more than anything, the original creator of the jewel Midoriko. Something about when the jewel had been absorbed into her, she found that demons often hunted her aura. Midoriko's aura.

"The boy?" It hissed, recalling something before speaking again. "The boy arrived here before you, and was taken off by a demon exterminator. Poor fool, but better off than you girl."

With that it lunged into the ground, disappearing from Kagome's view. 'A demon exterminator- here?' She thought at first before scanning the ground. There were shadows everywhere, the trees, rocks, of the well, but how would she know which was the demon?

She clenched her eyes shut and tried to see the auras. Her heart pounding was all she heard in her ears. Then she saw it. Twisting around Kagome let off the arrow toward the shadow youkai. It screamed and hissed on impact, fading away at the point of her arrow.

Youkai birds, and snakes covered the trees near her, all to find if the explosion really meant she was back. Some took a quick look, and then retreated to spread the rumor. Soon all the demons nearby would know, that Kagome, or Midoriko to them had returned.

She glared up at the trees, feeling demons presence. 'They would be a fool to attack now, not after that- and I know they won't. Now just to find Kawayou-' Her hand squeezed the bow, nearly breaking it in half '-alive, or that exterminator will live- no wait- die to regret it.'

~*~*~*

Kawayou froze, and looked up, realizing he'd been caught by something more than human.

"Uhh- hi...." He stuttered, looking around for help.

Sango finally caught up panting. "Damn he's fast." Then she looked up to meet InuYasha's eyes. "And you thought he wasn't a hanyou."

Miroku also joined them and urged the subject again. "He needs to be trained InuYasha. Just a basic, besides, he acts like you, and you'll probably get to like him, and get on with your life for once."

"What are you getting at monk?" InuYasha glared in Miroku's direction.

Kawayou tried to unlatch his leg but all his efforts earned him a snort from Inuyasha.

"We all know your trying to get away kid. Just give it up before you have wolves chasing you, because we won't."

Both Miroku, and Sango secretly smiled. Maybe this would work after all.

~*~

"Ack!" Kawayou yet again was sent flying back a few feet when InuYasha blocked his attack.

InuYasha sat a few feet away, legs folded, eyes drifting shut, and yawning.

"It's a miracle you're not dead yet kid, you can't even hit me."

awayou growled. "And this is coming from some big shot with a rusty broken down sword at his side!" Kawayou pointed an accusing finger at InuYahsa's rusty sword.

InuYasha glared, but didn't even touch the sword.

'There is no point- no human to protect-no transformation.' He ran over the usual thought in his mind, before he got an idea.

"Hey kid, come here." He said in a voice that chilled Kawayou to the core.

"I want to see if you can wield this...."