Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.
Note: I introduced my protagonist in this chapter. Belladonna is one of my favourite names, and I wanted to use it for a female heroine. Bella ( I like calling her that, its so unconventional to have a stereotypical damsel in distress kick ass) , because I enjoy gender bending. I paid special attention to her name as well. Literally speaking, Belladonna means "beautiful woman", but it is also the name of a nifty little poisonous plant
"Don't gobble up your food like that, Inuyasha, it's not polite!" Shippo squeaked behind him indignantly. Inuyasha just pushed out his foot and knocked Shippo against the wall, and stuck his tongue out at him.
"Ka-Kagome!" Shippo cried, ready to burst into tears.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped at him. She still hadn't completely forgiven him over Kikyo, though she knew it was unfair of her to feel this way. She began to say the command, but suddenly went rigid, her spine stiffened.
"I feel a Shikon jewel shard coming this way!" She exclaimed. "Its a big one!"
Before one could say Shikon no tama, Sango had pulled of her kimono, and was already hoisting her hiraikotsu onto her shoulders. Miroku had grabbed his staff, and was holding the prayer beads over his hand, and Inuyasha had dropped his bowl of steaming noodles, and had unleashed the Tetsusiaga. Kirara began to growl, faintly.
"Kirara feels a demonic presence." Sango said between gritted teeth.
"It's coming this way for sure!" Inuyasha sniffed the air, looking more like a bloodhound than ever.
Kagome drew her bow over in readiness. She too could feel a demonic presence, and she held her arrows in readiness.
The wooden ceiling above them began to creak, the planks bending.
"Oh no..." Kagome trailed off, before a splintering noise filled their ears, and splinters of wood began to rain. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and Miroku and jumped out just before the entire cottage collapsed.
"Sango!" Kagome cried out.
"We're here." Sango said behind her, looking disgruntled, but didn't see anything worse for the wear.
"I feel it now..." Kagome looked backwards.
Inuyasha turned, and held the tetsusiaga in front of them like a shield.
Kagome held her arrows in readiness, when a body spun in the air, and kicked Inuyasha right in the face.
"You damned mutt! D'you know how long I've been chasing after you chumps? And don't tell me you didn't know, cause you sure as hell did."
Kagome smiled in relief. "Kouga" She said, a line of indignation.
He pulled her to him, an arm wrapped around her waist. "Miss me eh?"
"No, I didn't really..." kagome tried to pull herself out of his arms whie a fuming Inuyasha looked on, when she felt a powerful spiritual force hurtle towards her.
"Look out!" She screamed, pulling Kouga to one side, where he fell o Inuyasha, and throwing herself on the other side.
"Cursed demon." A bell like voice came from the darkness. There was a sudden flash of light, and suddenly a body seemed to hurtle out of the darkness, as if it was a part of it, and land perfectly on the ground, on one knee.
Kouga yelled in pain and fury. There was an arrow embedded in his foot, the one containing the shikon jewel shard. The arrow itself had a pink spiritual light emanating from it, and had kanji inscribed into the stone.
"Hold on, you wimp, I'll pull it out!" Inuyasha wrapped his hands around the base of the arrow and began to pull on at it.
Kouga screamed louder.
"Its not coming out-what the hell?" Inuyasha began to get flustered.
Kagome shot her arrow at the body. It was a good shot, aimed right at the persons bow arm. But.
The person caught it. With unerring skill, just before the arrow could make human contact, a spectacular technique was exhibited, and the arrow was snatched out of the air, and strung on the bow, aimed back at Kagome.
"I shall not miss"
Miroku took a running leap, and raised his staff to strike the person with. The person evaded Miroku with a contemptuous look, and slammed a foot into his solar plexus. He crashed to the ground, gasping for breath.
Miroku's staff however, had caught the edge of the person's tunic, and at a movement, the hood covering the face fell to reveal an oval face with purple eyes. The hair was black as night, a contrast to the pale skin of the person, paler than Kagome's.
The face, unusual as it was, did not shock anyone. The more shocking thing was that the face was unquestionable female, with well formed elegant features. But a fire burned in those purple eyes.
The entire party was stunned. As she-as the person was a she, drew her arm back, it caused the tunic to shrug at the shoulder. The rip in the seam pulled, to reveal a perfectly formed arm, with long elegant fingers. Their was an undertoning of muscles, and...
"Look!" Kagome gasped.
Inuyasha leaped up, grabbing his window of opportunity. He slashed at his arm, to relase the deadly "Blades of blood", hoever, Kagome shrieked, "Sit boy!", and he slammed to the ground, th second time in the same day.
"What is it, Kagome sama?" Sango asked.
"The lily..." Kagome trailed off.
For there was a lily on the persons arm. A well formed lily that could leave no one in doubt of its nature. It snaked up from her arm, to form a flower entwining the shoulder.
"Soft and gentle..." Miroku trailed off.
She looked confused. "Its the mark of my clan." She snapped. "But the more pressing question is, why are you defending that demon?"
It was a long sentence.
Kagome smiled. "You're our warrior."
"What nonsense!" Inuyasha leapt in, ready to start a fight.
"Its her, Inuyasha. She's our savior." Kagome smiled. "She'll help us defeat Naraku."
The stranger had looked confused, but she at Naraku's name, understanding began to dawn.
"I will help, you defeat Naraku." She said, and tossed a small pouch at Kagome. Kagome's nostrils quivered, as she sensed the object in it. She put it on her palm. It was one fifth of the shikon no tama,perfect in its imperfection.
Everyone, including Inuyasha, and the prostrated Kouga stared at her.
The stranger unwound the bow from around her arm.
"Belladonna." She smiled. It was a curt smile, recognizing fellow allies, but refusing to acknowledge any more than that.
"Huh?" Sango said.
"My name. " The stranger smiled. "Its Belladonna."