A brunette sat high in a tree. He looked to be in a deep sleep. Beneath the tree arrived a man. He was small in stature with bright, fiery-red hair. His eyes were also red and the left was covered by his bangs. The man looked up at the tree. He wore a hat, attempting to hide his remaining demonic features from the humans passing by.

"Hey," he called to the man in the tree, waited and received no response. The demon tried hiding his agitation, though it was apparent in the way he clenched his teeth. He kicked the tree, shouting "I said 'hey' you bastard!"

The brunette opened one of his eyes to get a glimpse at who was causing so much noise, revealing the bizarre cyan colour of his pupil and iris. He glared down at him in overconfidence, noticing his height and scrawny build and figuring that he was nothing worth worrying about.

"Karo, right? Heard you've got some info on a certain jewel," declared the demon, smiling eerily at the other.

"What's it to you?" asked the boy in response, watching him carefully.

"How'd you like to share?" he grabbed a bag from his robes, no doubt filled with money.

Karo looked at him and eyed the bag, then shut his eye again and wrapped his arms behind his head. "Sorry," he began with a yawn, "but I don't play nice."

"Is that a 'no' then?"

"Take your coins somewhere else. I'm too high-class to accept bribes."

The demon sighed but expected this. He had heard the stories of that kid. In fact, he remembered meeting him once before. Karo was known to be hard to please; he almost never accepted money and rarely gave away the secrets he had come across.

"Alright, alright, I see how it is. What do I need to do for you to tell me where I can get the Shikon no Tama?"

Karo snickered at this, reflecting on just where it was.

"You…what was your name again?"

"To you it's Yaremi."

"Strange name. Well, Yaremi, even if I told you where to get the jewel, you would never be able to obtain it."

"Is that so?" Yaremi scratched his head and laughed in amusement at his words. Surely, this boy did not grasp his strength. "I don't think you realize just who I am."

Karo could see just how cocky this guy was. He had clearly made the false accusation that Karo was unaware of his hidden demonic form. Of course, to him, it was all too obvious.

"A demon hiding in a human façade is a common occurrence these days; you shouldn't think so highly of yourself."

He scoffed and then smiled. "Cheeky brat."

"And if that tattoo on your chest is any indication, I suppose you're some matter of water demon, perhaps a member of the Mizu or Junsui." He referred to the blue kanji for water that was placed on the left side of his chest.

"Nice observation. No wonder you're called 'Collector of the East'. But I will get that jewel, whether I find it now or later. You'd just be speeding up the process." Stated Yaremi, thinking little of how difficult it would be to obtain.

"That so?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Alright then, I'll tell you."

Karo began telling the youkai of where he could find the jewel. His grin only grew while doing so. I wonder how he'll fair against her. It'll be interesting to see.

"A girl?" Yaremi rubbed his head in disbelief. He never expected the jewel to reside within someone, let alone a teenage girl. Of course, she would pose no threat to him, but this did complicate things. By the rules of his tribe he was unable to harm humans, let alone women. "Well this is a bit annoying. Why a human, of all things?"

"Not a human, a hanyou."

"Hanyou, is it?" he asked, mouth curving upward. Karo nodded with a bit of curiosity. "That makes things a lot easier. So, who is this vessel for the jewel?"

"It's…"

Kikyou sneezed. Her comrades jumped at the sudden noise and turned to her, a bit confused. She looked at both of them while wiping her nose. "Sorry."

"Are you getting sick?" Satoshi asked, though it was only a formality. Kikyou was very ill as a child and was always bedridden, but since then she had never caught so much as a cold.

"There's no way. It would have to be a blue moon for that to happen!" Kazumi exclaimed, fully aware of her current health. She saw the worry on her friend's face and quieted, anticipating what she may have to say.

"Or a full moon," said Kikyou, eyes showing more fear than they should. Her two comrades stopped at this, knowing just what it meant. They had never seen any of the hanyou children on the night of the full moon. Their family had made it their duty to keep them hidden during that time for their own protection. They knew why, though.

"Is it?" asked Kazumi, turning to her brother for an answer.

"I believe so."

"Then…"

Both looked back to the hanyou worriedly, unsure of what would happen once the sun went down. In response to this she smiled half-heartedly.

"Don't worry, it will be alright." She looked at the sky with bright eyes, staring at the yellowing sky. Sunset would soon approach, then nightfall. For the first time, someone outside of her family would see her transformation. That didn't bother her. The only worry she had was that they would be attacked and she would be useless. There was no use being frightened. No matter what happened, she would not be able to change it.

"Are you sure?" Kazumi questioned, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, but we have to keep moving. It will be dangerous to be out in the open like this once night falls and I won't be able to help if we were to get attacked. It's best to cover as much ground as we can before then." Kikyou declared, moving onward with the two humans following suit.

"Again with the moving. Why bother? We're far enough away by now," stated Kazumi, getting agitated with how much walking they had done over the past while.

"It's not about that," Kikyou declared, not bothering to turn to look at her friend, eyed focused only on the sun, "it's about my brother. The further we walk and the more places we go, the better the chance of finding something out about him. I know it's unlikely but I want to try, you know?"

Fiery orange blazed across the sky. Pink and white clouds were the only thing that partially blocked the setting sun. To Shirou, this was a disgusting sight; it revealed his weakness to the world and showed him just how much he relied on his demon blood. It would not have been so bad if his transformation was the same as his father's, but it was worse. If he stayed with Sesshomaru and Rin he would be ridiculed by Sae. If he left he would most certainly be putting his life in danger.

"You look worried," stated Rin as she approached him from behind, "is something wrong?"

"It's a full moon tonight."

"Yes?"

"It's nothing." He walked outside the cave and went to sit in the distance. Maybe if, for the next 24 hours, he stayed only far enough away from them to not be seen, he could stay safe and keep his dignity intact. His thoughts drifted to his sister, wherever she was. She, more than him, would face a very long and dangerous night.

His fist slammed into the ground. He screamed, "Damn it!" as he gave in to his frustration. When he had returned to fight with his parents it had never occurred to him that he might be putting Kikyou in danger. She was his sister. He was supposed to protect her and he failed.

Sesshomaru walked passed him and into the cave, all the while watching him without him noticing. He was fully aware of a hanyou's weakness and knew that this would be a night of shame for the boy. It was also the perfect time for his death. If he was the same as he was two decades ago, perhaps he would have taken this chance to kill the annoying brat. When had he become so weak?

Rin arrived beside her Lord and joined him in watching the moping teen. She was worried, unlike her lover. She pressed herself against his chest and he complied, wrapping his arm around her waist in a manner that was unlike him. She peered up into his narrow, golden eyes, unease clearly present in her expression. "Something's wrong…" her voice faded out, awaiting her partner's response. He, of all people, should know what was going on inside Shirou's mind.

"He's pouting," he replied, amusing himself at the thought of how similar the boy was to his father. Of course, Rin did not understand. She simply stared blankly, waiting for clarification. "Tonight that boy will become human."

Rin put her hand over her mouth. She recalled hearing something about Master InuYasha transforming into a human once per month. Shirou was undoubtedly the same. Whatever triggered the transformation was fast approaching.

Sae's eyes widened. This information was all too sweet. She despised that half-breed, and now she could watch him struggle as a human. The thought made her quiver with excitement. She assumed her Lord knew that she had heard due to his unwavering glare, and knew even more that she was not to touch the boy, but a little teasing wouldn't be so bad now would it?

Taking heed of her Master's glare, she sat and began sharpening her spear. It was dulled by the last fight she was in and could no longer cut. Just the sight of it sent her body into a fiery-hot rage. Back then she, Sesshomaru and Jaken were attacked by a demon. However, he was abnormal…

She raced through a densely forested area, surveying it for enemies of the great Sesshomaru. A flash of red caught her eye. It sped through the trees, almost mocking her. She quickened her pace, still no match for the crimson flare. Frustrated, she growled low in her throat. She came to a dead halt and pointed her spear in its direction.

"Who are you?" she asked, or rather demanded. The demon laughed, agitating her already wounded ego. "Show yourself!"

In a blue mist, the demon revealed itself. It emerged from the mist drenched in water, grinning widely. He flexed his hand and looked confidently into her eyes. "You're not in a position to be ordering me around, woman."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

She gritted her teeth, furious at the man, whoever he was. Immediately she charged forth, barely missing his neck. She continued jabbing at him and he dodged until one final hit had slashed through his chest. She grinned, proud that she was able to shut him up, but so did he. Immediately the water that was dripping from him entered the wound and sealed it, completely removing all traces of the injury. Mouth ajar, she didn't know how to react. She stood there, arms lowering, baffled by his strange healing ability.

"My turn?" he asked, preparing to run. He dashed towards her, slamming his fist directly at her neck, almost suffocating her. He tore at her shoulder, ripping her skin into shreds. Her bones cracked under the pressure. She screamed, grabbing tightly to her bloodied arm. He jumped behind her, whispering in her ear, "Painful, isn't it? I'm here for your keeper, not you. Be thankful for that."

Just remembering him made Sae full of rage. Of course, he was no match for the taiyoukai he was seeking and Sesshomaru had quite nearly ended his life, but that did nothing to quell her fury. She gripped her shoulder just as she had that day, remembering the humiliation she had felt. She hated that red demon even more than she hated Shirou, as hard to believe as that was.

Kikyou's senses were beginning to dull as dusk came to a close, giving her reason to worry. She nervously searched with the others for a place to camp for the night. As they made a fire and the last sunlight hid behind the earth, Kikyou sensed something. She did not know what it was or if it was dangerous. All she knew was…

"Something's here," she declared as she felt her demonic energy drain rapidly.

The siblings' eyes widened. They grabbed hold of their weapons tightly, Kazumi with her katana and Satoshi with his staff, greatly resembling his father's. They both shielded Kikyou, knowing well that she would be unable to assist them.

"So you knew I was here, did you?" a voice bellowed from the shadows of the forest. Suddenly, camping in the woods felt like a very bad decision. They watched as a red-headed teen entered the light of their fire. He smiled at them unpleasantly as he held out his right hand. The water surrounding his body began to pool around his arm, shaping itself into something similar to a sword. He took one step.

Kazumi charged, swinging her sword as hard as she could. He dodged. In fact, he disappeared. Without warning he was face-to-face with the transforming hanyou, ready to pierce through her chest and grab the jewel for himself. Kikyou did not look scared. Even then as her features vanished, she bravely stood tall before the demon. Her expression angered him. He went to strike her, but she grasped the water blade, went through it and latched on his wrist. She looked up at him with unwavering determination and a hint of a smile.

"Daring, aren't you?"

"If I wasn't then I would be dead by now."

He jumped, arm still in her grasp and kicked her torso. Kikyou was sent flying into the bush. Satoshi went at him in a rage, blindly swinging his sword at him. He easily dodged and retaliated, using almost none of his strength. He could not risk harming the humans. Satoshi pulled a sutra from his sleeve and threw it at the demon's face. After a quick chant his face started to burn and he writhed in pain.

"Bastard!" he shouted as he ripped off the sutra and approached the young monk.

Kazumi ran up to Kikyou and helped her up. "Are you alright?" she asked, worried as her friend hung her head low. She had no response at first.

"Sorry," she began, lifting her head slowly, "but I don't think I'm going to be much help anymore."

A/N: So there it is, after so much procrastination! I want to get the next chapter up soon since it's basically the 2nd part of this chapter. I'd like to hear what you guys think of it and what you think will/want to happen, so I'd really appreciate some reviews! Also, I know the story jumps around a lot, but it will all start to make sense in another few chapters when everything starts to come together. BTW, what do you think the difference is between InuYasha's transformation and his kids'? Let me know! Look forward to chapter 16 sometime this week!

UPDATE: Sorry Chapter 16 isn't up yet. My mother died March 22 and I completely forgot about writing this. I've fixed up a few mistakes in this chapter though. Things have started to settle down so I'm going to try continuing it as best I can despite the lack of practice so I hope all of you can bare with me and continue reading the story. Reading your reviews really brightens my day so I just want to say that I appreciate all of you a lot. Thank you.