Chapter 5

Days passed since that's day when I lost control. Not only that but, that word constantly repeated itself in my mind. Perfect. Why is that so important to these idiots? This notion of perfection. The Birds of Paradise had been defeated and the shards from it and the beaten down wolf had been claimed by Inuyasha and returned to the slot in my belt. And of course after all of that, Kagome and Inuyasha still managed to fight about everything once we were done. And Kagome left... again...and came back. Despite of all the constant fighting, I am grateful. I was a little bit closer to being whole and I couldn't help but be happy.

Though I was happy, I once again found my self walking around in the dark of the night alone. "Jewel." I heard some one say. "Are you alright?" It was Ms. Perfect herself.

"Huh-? Oh yeah I'm- uh I'm fine."

"You didn't seem fine. The way you...um acted today with the wolves. I was worried about you. Y-your eyes were..." She trailed off. She obviously didn't have a word to describe my behavior.

"Say it. Demonic." I almost spat the word out. "I can't help that. When HE takes over theres nothing I can do. He too strong."

A puzzled look crept onto her features "He?'

"Yes He. He is my demon. He keeps me down. He...takes me over."

"Jewel..."

"No! Stop feeling sorry for me. I don't want- I don't need your pity." I could feel warm streams of water rush down my cheeks as I sent her away. Kagome looked at me with shocked eyes. She reached out to touch my arm and I swat her hand away in a panic, shaking my head in rejection as I take of running in the opposite direction of the camp.

"Jewel! Wait!" She called but I was too far ahead to even she her silhouette anymore.

I ran for what felt like all night and only when the sun rose the next day, had I known it to be true. I knew that I would eventually have to go back, even Kaede said that they would be my only hope at restoration so I had no choice. so it had been decided, I'd go back...eventually.

As I ran, I couldn't help but let my mind wander. What would have happened if she'd touched me just now? What would she have thought?

It was night again and my stalling continued on and on and on. I had just been wandering the forest for the day. I fought a few power hungry monsters, ate some rice balls. Guess its time to finally head back. I travel back has fast as I could while following the group's scent. Over the horizon, I could see the silhouettes of my friends They were at a mansion and at this mansion, the air felt so dense that I thought I would suffocate just stepping into the walls.

There was also a lingering smell of blood. Inuyasha's blood. I picked up speed only to find them in the middle of a battle with Koga and a woman.

"Jewel!" Kagome called.

"Jewel. Where've you been?" Sango added. "We were worried."

"Don't worry. I'm back now. Nevermind where I've been, though." I pant out. "Whats going on here?"

"We were tracking down a demon bear that had been attacking a nearby village. We follow some Saimiyosho to Naraku's castle when we saw all of these corpses of the wolf demons lying around. Koga was right behind us and he thinks that Inuyaha is the cause of his dead friends." Sango quickly filled me in on what had been happening in my absence. I couldn't help but to feel uneasy, however.

I look over to Koga. He's wounded pretty bad. My eyes are immediately drawn to his arm however. It was purple and there was some sort of fake shard embedded within his arm. He was panting and covered in cuts from head to toe. This fight must have been going for a while.

Inuyasha was struggling to stand, using his Tetsaiga to prop himself up as he called the Wind sorceress on her slanderous ways.

Another thing I noticed was the woman with the fan. She had a smirk that played across her red lips deviously. Her eyes held conflicting emotions that said evil but most likely meant something different.

The fight seemed to be on its last leg as the woman who was called Kagura, once again unleashed her dance of the dead. At this point I could tell that Inuyasha had just about enough of this wind sorceress' game and was planning to use his wind scar.

"I am the wind sorceress. The wind in this castle is entirely under my control."

"If thats true then my wind is under her control, too." Just then, as if out of nowhere a sacred arrow is shot onto the battle field.I look up to Kagome, Shippo and Kirara, who are all on a roof up above, and give them a thumbs up.

"Unfortunately her aim is pathetic."

"Thats the sacred arrow. Kagura's demon wind is being driven off. Excellent. There is a way to create the wind scar then." In that instant, Inuyasha got an idea. It was apparent on his face. "Kagome, shoot me with you arrow!" he called. "Ask questions later! Just shoot!"

"What are you thinking?! You might think you're invincible but, if my arrow hits you, you could die. I guess I'll just have to trust in his judgement."

And with that, another arrow was shot, this time canceling out Kagura's wind. "Fool, I only have to create more wind!" And she did so which only served to to help Inuyasha form his wind scar. With a slash of his sword, Inuyasha released his wind scar earning a gasp from Kagura before a giant feather blew into the sky where the wind sorceress sat upon it. As she retreated, the mark of the spider became visible on her back.

As Kagura disappeared, Naraku's castle soon followed suit.

"Nice job, Lap Dog." I say cheerfully as I give him a pat on the back. Not to hard, wouldn't want to shatter his bones or anything.

"Nice job? I let her get away."

As we talk I hear foot step approaching. "Well then nice job not kickin' the bucket." He let his golden eyes meet mine. Boy he looks pitiful. I flash a large toothy grin at him before looking in the direction where the footstep were coming from.

"Inuyasha! are you hurt?" Wait...Miroku?

"Where's the sorceress gone?" Sango? When did they-? I could have sworn that they were standing right next to me when I first arrived. My confusion is ignored by the three as they continue their conversation on Kagura's whereabouts.

"Koga are you alright?" My head instantly snaps in the direction of the wolf as I see Kagome and Shippo running towards him. I too, was curious to see how the wolf was holding up. When I walked over, I saw that his arm was now nearly completely covered in purple poison.

"The barrier is too strong! It deflected your hand!" Shippo panicked

Koga struggled to get his words out "Let me be Kagome. I t-tried to murder Inuyasha."

"It wasn't yout fault. Naraku tricked you. Inuyasha had no desire to settle things this way."

"Looks like we were both deceived by Naraku." Inuyasha approaches us slowly. He had a kind of serves-you-right look on his face as he watched the wounded wolf. "If you can manage to hold on to life a while, there is a way for you to live."

"Inuyasha you're not cutting off his arm." I say calmly, hands in my pockets. At this point, it's as if I could read his mind.

"In order to save his life, I will cut it and the counterfeit jewel off." Inuyasha raises Tetsaiga high.

"Wait you can't just hack the guy's arm off. there has to be a better way." Kagome was sweating buckets at this point. she pleaded with the half demon to stop.

"Hey what about a sacred arrow, we can't touch it but, an arrow could break the barrier."

"Good idea, Shippo!" Kagome quickly reached into her quiver and pulled out one of her arrows. She hesitated but, thrust the arrow into Koga's poisoned arm, clearing it away. Koga cringed as the arrow pierced his purple skin. The arrow began to glow pink as the light purified the poison. The false jewel fragment shattered in thin air as it came from his skin.

We let him lay there and recover. I couldn't help but to look back once in awhile to see if he would get up.

I appeared before him that night. How'd I get there? The passage way. I sent my soul to his from Kagome's shikon jewel shards. I wanted to look on to his face, to see if he was alright. As I watched him, his sleeping form gently breathing, I once again notice his arm. It was still oddly colored like earlier, though it wasn't as bad as it was.

I take a deep breath and lay my hand onto where the poison had been, instantly purifying any remnants with my touch. He shivered and as he did, his eyes flew open. "What the?! Why are you here? How-?"

I hold my hand to his face, interrupting his confusion. "I came to heal you and now that I'm done, I'm leaving." I turned to leave when I felt him grab onto my wrist.

"Wait" he protested.

"Why should I? I've done what I came to do now I must go."

"Your name's Jewel right?"

"What of it?"

He lets go of my wrists and leans himself back against the den's wall. "I thought that Kagome fully purified the poison in my arm with that arrow."

"Kagome's a newbie. She did good but, I could still sense a lingering risk."

"Does that mean you're a priestess or somethin?"

"Or something." I stood there staring at him in an awkward silence that seemed to last eons.

"Thanks for healin me." he finally spoke. The air feels so dense in this cave.

"You're welcome. Now...am I allowed to leave or are you gonna hold me hostage with your endless questions?"

"You didn't have to answer em!"

"Wouldn't want to be rude. Considering that you're beaten down, broken, and just as flea ridden as that lap dog, I wouldn't wanna make your day worse." I smirk at my own comment. Not like I'm wrong.

"Why you. You tryna provoke me?"

"What'll you do? You're nearly too weak to stand let alone fight me. Will you retreat again like you did that day?"

"Why would I be afraid of a little girl? Go home."

"I've been trying to go home!" I shout. I have to remain calm or..."No matter, though. This little girl will send you running with your tail between your legs. You name the time and the place."

His smirk was pained as he accepted my (unintentional) challenge. "It's a date then."

Why is my chest beating like this?

What's happening to me?

I've never felt this before.

I've been on edge all day. Last night with Koga... I guess...I guess I was trying to provoke him a little but I never thought it would result in something like this.

My body feels warm.

It's summer time. Might just be the summer heat.

Am I sweating?

Its pretty hot out here.

I think I'm sick.

May be some bad rice? Maybe...?