Kagome looks horrified, as if she hadn't expected the betrayal. Kaori, standing in front of Kagome, looks determined, yet worried; she's ready to defend Kagome but she doesn't know what the outcome of the impending fight will be in spite of that. Kaede, standing in front of both sisters, looks concerned for the well-being of everyone around her. Inuyasha maliciously smirks and cracks his hand, claws ready. Around them lay the skeletal remains of Mistress Centipede, who had only been destroyed just moments before.

As Inuyasha stares them down, armed villagers close in from behind. He doesn't seem to care much about that, though, as he briefly glances at them. From their place behind Kaede, Kaori and Kagome haven't moved; Kagome looks no different than a moment before, still completely caught off-guard by Inuyasha's betrayal, and Kaori is still waiting for an attack, prepared to potentially die if it means keeping her adoptive sister safe.

Kaede raises an arm, as a means of blocking the sisters from the fight to come. "Pay no heed to Inuyasha."

"Too late for that," Kaori mutters. "All I can think about is when he'll attack." She grimaces. "Will he focus more on speed or attacking us? ...Attacking us; getting the jewel is his primary goal but that doesn't mean he'll go about it smartly. So, we may have a chance of getting out of this mess alive. I just hope Kaede has a plan in mind."

Behind her, Kagome stares at the glowing jewel in her palm. "The sacred jewel makes monsters more powerful. Is it cursed?"

"I hate having to wait," Inuyasha comments.

"Well, that's just too damn bad," Kaori retorts without thinking. Inuyasha glares at her.

Kagome clenches onto the jewel as she looks back towards him, gulping when she sees the hatred on his face; he really didn't seem to like Kaori. Tensing, Kaori stands her ground, waiting for any sudden movement; she may not be able to take him in a fight but she'll do what she can.

"And I hate the smell of you," Inuyasha continues. Kaori isn't sure if he's talking about her or Kagome or both of them. He takes a few slow steps forward before taking off in a sprint, heading straight for Kaede, Kaori, and Kagome.

Instinctively, Kagome runs the opposite way. Kaede and Kaori divert their attention from Inuyasha to her. Immediately, Kaori runs after her. "Kagome, you idiot! You'll just get yourself killed!"

Behind them, Inuyasha leaps into the air and dives at them; Kagome trips over a pile of bones and Kaori dodges, diving to the ground beside her adoptive sister, as Inuyasha brings down his claws, narrowly missing Kagome. A few strands of her hair are sliced.

"See what I mean?!" Kaori yells.

Sliding across the dirt, landing across from them, Inuyasha smirks. He brandishes his claws again. "You want me to scratch your backs?" He cracks his hand again.

"Maybe later," Kaori replies nonchalantly, pushing herself up from the ground.

Kagome lifts herself from the ground, too. She stares in disbelief at Inuyasha. "You really tried to hit me just now, didn't you?"

"Huh, wha-?!" Caught completely unaware, Kaori's hand slips in the dirt during her distress, making her face-plant. Quickly, she lifts herself back up and spits out dirt, her face filthy. She glares at Kagome. "Seriously?! How many times do we have to tell you?! He's trying to kill us! K-I-L-L, kill! Get it through your stupid skull already, damn!" Hurriedly, she stands, positioning herself in front of Kagome again, who remains on the ground. "You'll have to go through me first if you want to lay a hand on her!"

"With pleasure," Inuyasha responds, looking gleeful at the aspect of killing her.

The villagers open fire from the side, attempting to injure him with arrows. However, before any can pierce through him, he waves his arm and breaks them in half. He starts sprinting again, only he heads towards the interfering villagers. In retaliation, he slices off two tree trunks on either side of the group, making them run for cover as the trees topple over. No one is injured or seriously maimed.

Inuyasha hops onto one of the tree stumps he created, looking angry. "Huh! Who do you people think I am? You think you can hurt me like I did that centipede?" Suddenly, a large tree branch connects with the side of his head; it doesn't hurt him but he does lose his balance, tumbling off the stump.

Kaori looks proud of herself for a second but then remembers their situation. She grabs ahold of Kagome's hand, dragging her up off the ground, and picks her up, bridal style. She then runs away from Inuyasha and the villagers. "This is a stupid idea, but it's definitely better than standing around, waiting to get murdered. Maybe we can buy the villagers some time to make a decent plan."

Inuyasha gives chase, keeping up with them. "You'll pay for that, you filthy cat!" He leaps into the air. "Prepare yourself!"

"Prepare? For what?" Kagome wonders, clenching onto Kaori, holding on for dear life.

Kaori rolls her eyes, in spite of the situation. "Death, obviously!" She scoffs. "Honestly, Kagome, I didn't think you were this dimwitted!"

"Above you! Look out!" Kagome yells.

Without hesitation, Kaori tosses Kagome forward, in an attempt of self-sacrifice. She hisses in pain, feeling his claws slash across her leg. She lands on the ground, just behind Kagome. "Ow," she grunts.

Kagome glances back, only to immediately become more terrified; Inuyasha's attack has made three long rifts in the ground. Looking at Kaori, her eyes start watering; Kaori's leg has three gashes in it. She's lucky it's still attached to her body; although it's very unlikely, she seems to have received the end of Inuyasha's almost lethal attack. "Kaori, your leg!"

"Forget about my leg!" Kaori yells. She points towards the jewel, which Kagome accidentally dropped. "Grab the jewel!"

Kagome hesitates. Inuyasha leaps onto a tree branch, then jumps towards the jewel. "Ha! Now, it's mine!" he declares in exclamation. However, nearby, Kaede holds a rosary with dark-purple beads and what might be animal teeth; she takes a prayer stance and the rosary emits a purple light. The rosary shatters, the pieces flying towards Inuyasha; the beads join back into a rosary around his neck and the glowing ceases. "Hmm?" Confused, Inuyasha lands on a nearby rock and grabs at it. "What the heck are these?"

"Quickly, child! The word of subjugation!" Kaede loudly instructs Kagome.

"Huh? What word?" Kagome questions, crawling to the jewel, picking it up.

"It matters not. Your word has power to hold his spirit," Kaede informs.

Kaori stands with surprisingly little difficulty; the pain in her leg is minor. She grabs Kagome and pulls her up. She pushes her forward, following behind; she wants some distance between them and Inuyasha. "You heard Kaede! Say the word! Any time would be-!" Cutting herself off, Kaori shrieks alongside Kagome as the ground beneath them collapses. They slide down the steep incline, pieces of the earth falling with them. Kagome lands on her hands and knees, dropping the jewel again. Kaori lands face-first. Groaning, she lifts her head; it's scratched up further. "Well, that hurt..."

"Oh, no!" Kagome exclaims.

"What?!" Kaori yells, startled, sitting up quickly. She looks forward, her eyes widening; the jewel has rolled onto the nearby bridge. "Shit!" She swats the back of Kagome's head. "You had one job, Kagome! One job!" Without thinking, she hurries towards the bridge, leaving Kagome kneeling on the ground.

Bursting out from the trees, Inuyasha leaps towards the bridge. He glances at Kagome. "How can you overpower me when you can't sit up?!" he taunts. Gazing back at the bridge, he spots Kaori growing closer to the jewel. "You annoying cat! Out of my way!" Kaori shrieks, narrowly dodging another attack of his, nearly rolling off the bridge.

Kagome stands, contemplating Kaede's words as she watches helplessly. "A word to hold his spirit? But how will I know which one?" Inuyasha lands on the bridge. He reaches for the jewel. "Um, uh." She sees his unique ears twitch. "Sit, boy!" she commands. Light emits from the rosary around Inuyasha's neck; it pulls him down, making him face-plant onto the bridge. "Sit, boy!" It happens again. "Sit, boy!" And again. "Sit, boy!" Once more.

Kaori sits up from where she is on the bridge and starts laughing, amused by the circumstances. "Serves you right."

Kagome steps onto the bridge. "What do you know? It worked."

Inuyasha stands up and pulls at the beads aggressively, attempting to remove the rosary. "What the heck is this thing?!" He tugs harder. It doesn't budge.

Kaede reaches the cliffside with the villagers, overlooking Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kaori. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but even you lack the power to remove it."

Inuyasha waves his arms angrily. "We'll see about that!" He points up at Kaede, glaring. "I'd come up there and finish you off if you didn't look half-dead already!"

"Damn," Kaori mutters, standing, using the ropes of the bridge to balance herself. "Low blow."

"The word, please," Kaede cooly instructs.

"Sit, boy," Kagome commands, looking angry but sounding a lot calmer than she'd been seconds ago.

Kaori snorts as Inuyasha face-plants into the bridge again. This time, the planks beneath him crack, then break; he falls into the water below, yelling on the way down. Kaede says something, but Kaori doesn't hear her; she's too focused on what just happened. "Ha! Justice is served!"

Kagome walks up to her and leans over the side of the bridge, glancing down where Inuyasha landed. "That was easy. Wish I said it earlier."

"I wish you had, too, but it probably wouldn't have worked," Kaori comments. "Kaede had to use her...voodoo. Whatever it is. Spirit magic."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Kagome says. She looks at Kaori and gasps. "Your face!"

"What about my face?" Kaori questions, confused, rubbing at her cheek with filthy hands and getting some more dirt on it. "Is it that dirty? I'll clean it when we get back to the village, I promise."

"Not that! Your scratches are gone!" Kagome exclaims.

Kaori freezes. "What?"

Kagome looks down at Kaori's leg; her knee-socks are shredded but any signs of injury there are almost completely gone, apart from some drying blood. "Kaori, your leg!"

Kaori is afraid to ask. "...What about my leg...?"

"The marks are gone!" Kagome yells.

Kaori stares at her for a moment before taking a deep breath, in an attempt to calm herself. It doesn't work; she still feels scared. "...You're not joking...? The marks are really gone...?" Kagome nods frantically, looking worried. Kaori gulps and looks down at her leg. She shrieks, jumping back in surprise so fast, she trips and falls onto her behind on the bridge. She stares at her leg in horror; it has healed. "What the hell is going on?! What's happening to me?!" She sounds as terrified as she looks.

Kaede, from the cliffside, frowns. "Fear this, I did." Louder, she speaks. "Much to discuss at the village. Come."

Morning appears to have approached. The villagers have already begun their repairs of their homes, fixing the devastation caused by Mistress Centipede. Inside Kaede's home, Kagome's side is getting attended to; she winces as Kaede does what she can to help the wound naturally heal without scarring. Laying on his side beside them is Inuyasha; head propped against his hand, his back is facing Kaede and Kagome defiantly, and he's glaring across the room.

On the opposite side of the building, Kaori is pacing frantically, hands in her hair, subconsciously pulling at it; she's freaking out. Suddenly, after a few more steps, she turns, throwing up her arms. "I'm a cat girl?!" she exclaims.

"Nekomusume," Kaede automatically corrects.

"That's what I said!" Kaori yells. She resumes her frantic pacing. "How is that possible?! Demons don't exist in our time! If they did, we'd know; they're not exactly discreet!"

Kagome winces at another touch to her tender side. "Well, maybe, back at home, they're dying out. So, maybe they've gotten more careful?" She has taken the news of Kaori's true nature a lot better than Kaori herself; if Kagome's hands can glow sometimes, then Kaori can be a demon, maybe.

Kaori stops pacing again, facing Kagome and Kaede, and unfortunately Inuyasha. She shares a glare with him in particular before she focuses on Kagome. "If that were true, why the hell would they leave me with humans?!" She glances between Kagome and Kaede. "No... No offense?"

"Uh, none taken," Kagome comments. "This'll take some getting used to."

Having exhausted what's left of her energy, Kaori drops to her knees. "Ow," she flatly says, landing harsher than she thought she would. "..." She looks at Kaede. "...What exactly does being a...neko... Nekomus...musume?" Kaede nods shortly. "A Nekomusume, what does that entail exactly...? Do you know...? Please, tell me you know; I don't want to learn this shit as it happens."

Kaede explains as she continues tending to Kagome's injury. "In the spring of my twentieth year, a child was found in the forest of InuYasha, not but a day old. She lived among us for many years, as a human. In her eighteenth year, she changed; she refused to sleep alone, any injury she sustained healed faster than a blink, she outran all of the village, she was stronger, and she was capable of withstanding what she could not before." She grabs a wrapping, beginning to bandage Kagome, who is immersed in the story, as is Kaori and, surprisingly, Inuyasha, who looks over his shoulder in anticipation. "Her abilities grew until, one day, she could move the earth beneath our feet."

"Wow," Kagome comments, awed, wonderment in her expression.

Kaori looks concerned by the information. "That's...disconcerting." Shifting, she sits on her behind and wraps her arms around her legs. "Will that happen to me, too?"

"Shortly thereafter, she completely transformed into a Nekomusume," Kaede continues. "I need not explain more." Kagome and Kaori nod; they have an idea of what that had looked like, and will look like if Kaori is actually one. "Some days later, a Kaibyō, or more commonly known now as Bakeneko, attacked our village in the form of a monstrous, colossal cat demon. To this day, we believe it to have been a progenitor of hers." She begins finishing up with wrapping Kagome's side. "She died that day, alongside the beast, protecting our people. We have not welcomed another probable Nekomusume since."

"...Until today?" Kaori quietly asks.

"Until today," Kaede agrees.

"Wow," Kagome repeats, still in awe.

Kaori looks at her hands, disheartened. "So, it's just going to get worse from here on out," she states. Sighing, her tone becomes more sarcastic. "Great. Can't wait." She rubs her face, exasperated. "As if I didn't have enough to deal with in my life already. Now, I'm going to become a fucking cat girl," she mutters.

"You're talking about last night's events, right?" Kagome asks.

"Yeah, sure," Kaori immediately replies. "Last night's events." She glances at Inuyasha; he is staring at her intensely again, his brief interest in the conversation long gone. "Would you stop looking at me?! Damn!" He grumbles and stares more intensely, to spite her. She glares back. "Asshole." Immaturely, he sticks his tongue out at her. She rolls her eyes.

Kaede finishes up with Kagome's bandage. "How's that? Perhaps I'll put more unguent on your belly."

Kagome looks at her. "I noticed you're rebuilding the houses wrecked by Mistress Centipede."

"Did you expect them to cry about it and sleep outside for the rest of their short lives?" Kaori retorts, taking out some of her irritation on her.

Kagome glares. "It just seems like a pain is all."

"Pain?" Kaede echoes, rinsing a cloth inside a bowl of water. "Yes, and just beginning. Now that the sacred Shikon no Tama is back among us, far worse than Mistress Centipede will come forth to claim it." She glances up, briefly gazing in Kaori's direction before looking at Kagome.

Kaori had noticed the brief look however; she huffs. "I may be a...demon, apparently, but I don't want the jewel and I'm not gonna take it out of spite for your silent accusation. I'll never want it for myself, especially with it being in Kagome's safe, but clumsy, hands." She shakes her head. "All it'll do is cause more trouble for us all, anyway."

Kagome hums in what sounds like an agreement. "...Will things really be worse than yesterday?" she asks Kaede.

Kaede gives a short nod as she cleans a cloth further. "And not just demons," she continues. "There are humans whose hearts are more evil, still, and only the jewel has the power to make real their petty, grasping ambitions."

Kaori looks confused. "I thought humans couldn't use the jewel?" A split second later, she realizes something. "Ah; stealing the jewel would show just how greedy humans can really be. They could hold it for ransom or...something." She taps her knee. "That's fucking stupid; those humans all have a death wish." A few seconds later, she freezes for a moment before going back to tapping her knee, Kagome's and Kaede's eyes on her. "...Guess I've accepted my fate, huh? Bummer." She definitely has not accepted her true self.

Kagome sighs, looking away from Kaori. Suddenly, she's gotten an attitude; her sights have been set on Inuyasha. "Speaking of petty, what are you still doing here?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Kaori stands up and approaches Inuyasha. "He's got a vendetta against me." She pokes his foot with her toe; he immediately growls at her, twitching as if he wants to pounce but cannot because of Kagome. "See?"

"I'm waiting for the jewel," Inuyasha states through clenched teeth. "Getting to kill you after is just a bonus."

Kaori snorts. "You've got a long wait ahead of you, then, pal; no time soon are you getting the jewel."

Kaede speaks up, watching Inuyasha and Kaori's interaction closely. "With the beads around his neck, his threat is diminished. It is perhaps the only way we can allow him so close." Kaori hums, acknowledging her words of wisdom.

Kagome stares at the back of Inuyasha's head. "Why do you want the jewel anyway? It seems to me you're strong enough as it is." Unclenching her fist, she gazes at the jewel in her palm. "What power can the jewel give you, you don't already have?"

"I think Mistress Centipede gave us that answer already," Kaori points out.

Kaede stands, wooden bowl in hand. "Ah, but he's just half-demon."

Kaori gestures at Kaede. "See? We knew that."

In a swift movement, Inuyasha sits up, violently punching his right fist through the floor. Kaede isn't fazed by his reaction; Kagome has wide eyes; Kaori has jumped back, crouching and hissing (and a few seconds later, when she realizes what she just did, she covers her mouth in shock and flops onto the floor). Inuyasha looks angrily at Kaede. "You know what, I'm sick of hearing some dried up witch I just met talk like she knows me."

"Touchy," Kaori lowly comments. Inuyasha throws a piece of broken wood at her, since that's all he can do with Kagome nearby. It hits Kaori's forehead but because it's just a tiny piece, it doesn't hurt. She stares at him, unimpressed. "Very touchy."

"So ye don't remember. I thought as much." Kaede heads to the other side of the hut, carrying the bowl with her. "I'm younger sister to Kikyō, she who bound ye to the tree." Kagome, Kaori, and Inuyasha glance at her. "Kaede." She sits down some ways from them.

"You're Kaede?" Inuyasha questions. "So, you're the brat, huh?"

Kaede stands, putting down the bowl in her hand. Standing near the fireplace, she turns her attention back to Inuyasha. "Fifty years have passed and I have grown old," she informs him. Kaori and Kagome glance between the two, silent.

Inuyasha closes his eyes and scratches lightly at his forehead, acting aloof. "If you're this old, Kikyō must be pushing one-hundred." He sits back, hands keeping him steady. Kaori and Kagome watch him. "I'm sure glad I don't gotta worry about being old, at least not for a while."

Kikyō didn't worry either. Kikyō died," Kaede calmly reveals, placing wood into the fireplace. Inuyasha's ears twitch at the information, listening harder. Kagome looks back at Kaede. Kaori, standing and moving to be near Kagome, keeps watching Inuyasha for a little longer, noting the sadness in his eyes when he finally opens his eyes again, though his expression remains indifferent. "It was on the same day she shot ye with the arrow." Kaede puts more wood into the fireplace.

Inuyasha smirks, putting his facade back up. "Gee, sorry to hear it. Not that I really care or nothing." Kaori scoffs. His hand twitches, wondering if it'd be worth it, hitting her and then being made to sit. So, he chooses to return to his lying position, head propped against his palm again. "It's one less thing for me to worry about."

"I wouldn't let my guard down just yet, Inuyasha," Kaede comments. Kaori and Kagome look at her. She fumbles with the burning logs, poking them with a stick. She glances at them and Inuyasha. "I now know that Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister." Kagome hums in surprise. Kaori blinks and glances at Kagome. "And it isn't just because ye resemble her. The jewel of four souls was in your body. That alone is proof enough." Kaede looks at Kagome specifically. "It's up to ye now, child, to take over its protection."

"..." Kaori starts laughing hysterically. "Oh, this is just great!"

"What?!" Kagome stares at her angrily. "How is any of this great?! Life as we know it is-is gonna be different!"

"Exactly!" Kaori exclaims, arms spread wide. "Welcome to my world, sister! I've been waiting for your arrival at the gates of Hell!" She's got a mad look in her eyes. "I'm a demon; life had me set-up for failure at the jump and we didn't even know it! Turns out things will be a lot worse when I suddenly sprout cat ears! I can't wait until I hear the gossip now!" She gestures at Kagome. "And now, it turns out you're a reincarnation with spirit magic; you can hide your...flaws a lot better but your life isn't gonna be normal anymore! We're completely, utterly screwed!" She kicks a metal bucket; it gets stuck in the wall of the hut.

Kagome stands up and hugs her. Kaori tenses underneath her hold. "We'll get through this together."

"..." Kaori scoffs, disbelieving. "Yeah, sure we will." She rolls her eyes.

Not long afterwards, the sisters and Inuyasha wander off somewhere, temporarily going their separate ways. Kagome roams alone, wearing the jewel as a necklace, pondering how she's gonna protect it. As she tries to figure that out, she gets creeped out by the villagers, who keep referring to her as Kikyō or Kikyō's reincarnated spirit. Needless to say, she sprints away for privacy.

Kaori, too, is alone, walking aimlessly around a different section of the village. She's fuming, practically pulling out of her hair as she thinks about the talk with Kaede. It couldn't be true; she cannot be a demon. What demon spends a portion of their life as a human before becoming a cat creature? Nekomusume, apparently. She feels like she's at the end of a bad joke or something. Anything would be better than this reality.

Not far from where Kaori angrily paces, Inuyasha sits criss-crossed in a tree, staring at the layout of the land without truly paying attention to it. He briefly ponders the death of Kikyō. His thoughts are interrupted when a rock hits the back of his head, knocking him off balance; he almost falls out of the tree but he rebalances himself just in time. He stands up on the thick branch, staring angrily down; Kaori is tossing another rock in her hand, smirking up at him.

"Why'd you do that for?!" he exclaims, waving his fist at her.

"Because I felt like it!" she yells back. She briefly thinks about throwing the other one at him, but he'd see it coming this time and catch it, so she drops it onto the ground. She continues staring up at him. "Do you always find yourself in trees or is that some new development caused by the trauma of being pinned to one?"

"Screw you, you annoying cat!" He angrily sits back down, back to her. "Go away!" For emphasis, he breaks off a small branch and throws it at her suddenly. Because she's not used to her growing instincts and reflexes, she ignores her urges and the branch hits her square in the face. She stares at the back of his head, unamused.

To spite him, she climbs the tree, sitting on the branch directly across, and above, him. She smirks down at him when he glares up at her, after realizing what exactly she did. "The view is just so lovely up here, isn't it?" she asks with a tone of sarcasm.

Inuyasha groans, knocking his head against the tree. So much for peace.

Amidst her torture, Kaori ends up staring at the land, too, but she actually pays attention to it, unlike someone (Inuyasha). "Huh," she mutters to herself. "Well, what do ya know? It actually is a lovely view. Go figure." The breeze hits her face and she relaxes further, leaning against the tree. "I should've done this a long time ago; such an easy escape from the world," she whispers. "Unfortunately, this is just another stereotypical cat trait, huh? ...At least it's a peaceful one, I guess. Still hate the cat thing, though."

"Would you just go away?" Inuyasha complains, still glaring at her, ignoring how comfortable she's gotten. "It's bad enough I'm stuck with you; I don't need you looming around me all day long."

Kaori huffs. "And the peace is gone," she lowly comments, glaring back at him. "Don't you have better things to do than sitting in the same tree as me?"

"I was here first!" he exclaims.

"And now you're leaving, first," she states, pointing towards the ground. "Go. Get. Down, boy."

"Your words won't work on me," he smugly says.

"I'm not trying to pull a Kagome; I'm simply demanding that you leave my presence, so I may properly enjoy the peace that you don't actually care about," she points out.

"Stupid cat," he insults her.

"Dumb mutt," she insults back.

"I have a name!" he growls.

"So do I!" she hisses.

Suddenly, a pear flies ominously towards Inuyasha's back. Will it knock him off balance, too? Nonchalantly, he catches it without looking. Kaori blinks, her animosity fading as she stares. Inuyasha looks at the pear, humming in curiosity. Below them, Kagome approaches the tree with a few bundles of food. Kaori nods a greeting to her, which is returned. "Hey!" Kagome calls. "Don't you want to eat?"

"Where'd you get all that stuff from?" Inuyasha asks, speaking calmly for, probably, the first time since they met him, or at least since he tried to kill them.

"The villagers gave it to me," Kagome replies. She kindly smiles. "Why not come down from there and help me eat it?" She eyes Kaori. "And help Kaori down while you're at it. She might get hurt if she tries climbing down on her-" She jumps back, startled, as Kaori hops out of the tree, landing in a crouch in front of her. "-own. Huh." She laughs nervously as Kaori glares at her. "I guess you didn't need any help after all, hehe... Sorry..."

"Uh huh." Kaori angrily takes a pear from one of the bundles of food and bites into it aggressively.

Although Inuyasha drops down, he doesn't eat anything; he just stares menacingly at Kagome and Kaori as they eat and stare at the rice fields. As they munch away, Inuyasha keeps staring coldly, suspicious. "Whatever you're up to, I ain't buying it."

Kaori groans, uttering. "And there goes the peace again."

"Buying what?" Kagome asks, chewing on a pear while looking into the distance. "Listen," she says, turning her gaze towards Inuyasha. "It's fair to say you don't like us, right?"

In his hand, Inuyasha holds a radish, which he has bitten into. He glares at her, responding a bit dramatically. "Way more than fair."

"Whatever." Kagome's nerves have been irked. "You have no reason to be angry with Kaori-"

"She's a cat!" Inuyasha exclaims, as if the answer is obvious.

"Or maybe you're just an ass," Kaori comments, glaring at him again.

"-When you don't even know her," Kagome finishes, glaring at them both for interrupting. "And it's not even me you dislike; it's this Kikyō person." That everyone keeps yapping about, goes unsaid. Inuyasha looks away from her with a grunt, glaring at his radish. With another grunt, he throws his food to the ground and leaps into the tree branch above, being spiteful. He lies down in his usual posture; on his side, head propped.

Kaori quietly munches on a radish herself. "I think you touched a nerve." A pear hits her upside the head. "Ow! What the hell, Kagome?!"

Kagome stares up into the tree. "I'm not Kikyō, okay? I'm Kagome. Can't we just call a truce?"

"Unlikely," Kaori comments, rubbing the side of her head. A pear hits her square in the face this time. "Ow! Damn it, Kagome, why?!" She holds her nose. "You could knock a nose off, throwing it that hard!"

Up in the tree, Inuyasha has quickly stood up on the branch, pointing his finger threateningly at Kagome. "What you don't get is that I'm only after the jewel. You're just trying to lure me into a false sense of security."

"Oh, really?" Kagome looks at the pear she's bitten into. "That's funny, considering all I have to do to make you obey is say the word 'sit'." Violently, Inuyasha crashes face-down onto the ground where he'd previously been sitting. Kagome glances at him, giggling. "Whoops. Sorry about that."

Kaori smirks to herself. "I'll never get tired of witnessing that; serves him right after all the shit he put us through."

Inuyasha pries his face off the ground, blush spreading cheek to cheek in embarrassment. "Oh, man."

Night has fallen once more. Kagome is lying on the floor of a hut, directly beside a campfire pit. She's meant to be sleeping, but instead, she stares dejectedly at the wall. Her irritated adopted sister is nowhere in sight, nor is the annoying half-demon. The fire crackles behind her. "It's two days now that we've been over here," she tells herself, with sadness in her eyes. "Grandpa, Sōta, Mom... They must be so worried. We've gotta get back, one way or the other." She pulls on the blanket, snuggling into it. She closes her eyes and begins falling asleep.

Outside, Kaori sits atop of the hut, feeling on edge. Her eyes frantically scan her surroundings. Multiple times now, she has briefly snapped out of her newfound instincts. And she does so again. "This is gonna get annoying really fast," she mutters, glaring at nothing in particular. "I hate this shit. Why couldn't Kagome be the demon, huh?" She huffs, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Eh, I wouldn't wanna be a reincarnation either; I'd hate to be seen by others as the one that came before me."

Subconsciously, her eyes dart towards a nearby tree. A flock of crows are resting there, looking creepy as hell. She narrows her eyes. Staring longer, she notices that one of them is not like the others; it's slightly larger, has three eyes, and "glows" with a demonic presence. Her hand curls, as if readying claws, which she yet has. Suddenly, Inuyasha leaps into the tree, clawing at the crows; they fly away, escaping into the night sky.

Kaori hums to herself, relaxing. "I hate to admit it, but the bastard does have his uses." She lies down on the hut, staring tiredly into the sky. "Thanks to him, maybe I can finally go to sleep." And so, she does.

Come daylight, Kagome and Kaori are walking away from the village, heading into the forest of InuYasha. They've said not a word to the villagers of their departure, nor did they tell Inuyasha himself; their plan consists of returning home, permanently. At least, that's what they're hoping for.

"Are you absolutely sure there's a way for us to go back home?" Kaori asks. "Because I don't want to be roaming around aimlessly behind you for nothing to be the end result."

"We came here through the well, so the way back has to be the same way," Kagome states.

"If you say so," Kaori says, not fully believing that theory. "Just make sure I'm holding onto you when we fall in; I don't want to get trapped here."

"Why would you get stuck here?" Kagome wonders. "You may be a demon but you weren't born here; nothing should stop you from returning with me, regardless if we're holding each other's arm or not."

"You have your theories, I have my own," Kaori states. "And my own states that you're the reason this happened in the first place, and I was simply dragged into this mess with you, so you could easily make me get stuck here if we don't go back together."

"That might not be true, though," Kagome points out.

"Yeah, well, are you willing to take that risk?" Kaori asks.

"Not really, no," Kagome admits.

"Then let's stop talking about it," Kaori demands. "And let's get the hell out of here."

For quite a while, they walk through the forest, stepping over tree roots and the like. A few times, Kagome trips and each time Kaori catches her by the arm, steadying her. Determination keeps them going; Kaori doesn't know where to go, so she follows Kagome's lead, hoping her adoptive sister's newfound spiritual powers can help them find the dry well.

Neither of them notice that they're being watched by a group of men; Kagome is only human and Kaori has only recently learnt of her demonic nature, so accustomed to her abilities, she is not.

Pushing aside a bush, Kagome exclaims in excitement. "There it is! The dry well!"

"Good; I was getting sick and tired of walking," Kaori states, half-smiling.

Before the sisters can make a move towards the dry well, three male mercenaries jump out of nowhere from above, surrounding them. Kaori yelps in startlement. Kagome screams as they grab ahold of her; one covers her mouth while the other two hold down her arms. Kaori, deeply enraged by their actions, jumps onto the back of one of them as three more arrive from the nearby bushes; it takes all three of the new arrivals to pull her off and hold her down, but even then, they have difficulty keeping her restrained. In the end, only one of the mercenaries is holding Kagome captive while the rest of them are holding down Kaori, as more a safety measure than them actually wanting to hold her hostage, too.

Outside of a dilapidated hut, a few saddled horses are grazing. Meanwhile, inside of the building that lies in the middle of the forest, the mercenaries pin Kagome and Kaori onto the floor; again, more of them are holding down Kaori in comparison to the very few holding down Kagome.

"Ow!" Kagome yelps, one of the mercenaries tugging on her hair, though that particular action is by accident as he's just trying to hold her head down.

Kaori hisses, continuously squirming beneath the men. "As soon as I get up from here, you're all fucking dead, you hear me?!"

"Hey, boss! We caught the girl just like you said we should."

"The other one posed a problem. We had no choice but to bring her along as well."

"Her kimono's shorter than mine. You're gonna catch cold if you go around half dressed."

Multiple pulls at her skirt is enough to give Kagome the strength of many men; she jumps out of their hold, literally, standing up not far from them, holding down her skirt. "Don't do that! It'll rip!"

"What's the matter, Princess? Our hands too dirty for you?"

"Marry me and I'll buy you a new one."

The mercenaries holding down Kaori make the mistake of loosening their grip as Kagome's "escape" distracts them. Breaking free of their hold entirely, and punching a few faces along the way, Kaori moves to stand in front of Kagome. "Touch my sister again and it'll be your face getting ripped to shreds!" If only she had the claws to back up her claim.

The men surrounding them take a step forward, unafraid of the women; the ones she managed to hit look angry, as if they are out for revenge.

"Hand over the jewel, right now."

The slow, monotonous voice booms from a dark corner of the hut. Standing up, the figure enters the light; a big, tall, fat man, the obvious leader of the shorter, muscular men. Kagome gasps in fright; Kaori stands her ground in front of her. He trudges towards the females, unsheathing his sword.

A foul odor reaches Kaori's nose. "What the fuck is that smell?!"

"What smell?!" Kagome questions. "I don't smell anything! Worry about the big guy instead!"

Distracted by the bigger man's presence, amongst other things, Kaori is quickly taken down by the mercenaries, via a wooden plank to the side of the head, and Kagome, screaming for her adopted sister, is held in place by two of the men.

"Hey, boss, try taking it off in one swing, like a dandelion."

Kagome struggles to free her arms from their grip. "Let go!"

"Stop squirming!"

Kaori leans up from where she lies on the wooden floor, the side of her head coated in blood but no wound is to be found. Reaching up, she grabs hold of Kagome's shirt and yanks; Kagome moves sideways, taking one of the mercenaries with her. The movement puts said mercenary in the pathway of the big man's sword, resulting in his untimely death. In shock, the other mercenary releases his hold on Kagome, who in turn helps Kaori stand up.

"That hit should've killed you!" Kagome exclaims, looking at the side of Kaori's head.

"I know; it makes the whole demon thing harder to disbelieve," Kaori responds, frowning.

The boss man chuckles at his mistake of killing the man instead, very uncaring. He readies for another attack. In response, the mercenaries start running from him in fear; Kaori and Kagome follow suit because standing around will just get them killed faster. He swings his sword clumsily several times, destroying property but never managing to kill another person.

"Boss! Boss!"

"Where are you aiming?!"

"She's the one you want, not us!"

If it weren't for Kaori's presence and her growing intimidation, the mercenaries would be offering up Kagome again. Kaori and Kagome are holding onto one another, their arms linked. Both are glaring at the cowards surrounding them.

"Can't you tell there's something wrong with your boss?" Kagome questions in anger. "Now, get your butts in gear or next, it'll be you getting striked down." She wags a finger in one of their faces. "Do I have to tell you everything?!"

Kaori drops down, dragging Kagome with her; above their heads, the sword swings. The mercenaries have managed to dodge the newest attack, too. The boss man keeps swinging, however, so everyone continues to squat and dodge. Kaori and Kagome temporarily let go of one another; Kagome dives through the boss man's legs as Kaori does a barrel roll around him. Every which way, everyone flees, no one wishing to die at the man's hands.

Violently, the man still swings his sword. Thankfully for everyone, his violence has also resulted in clumsiness; he's hitting everything but them. Unfortunately, their luck runs out; he ends up knocking down a pillar, causing the ceiling to collapse. One of the mercenaries gets trapped underneath the rubble as their only exit gets blocked by debris. Kagome, and a few of the men, assist the man, much to Kaori's disbelief.

"We gotta go around. It's blocked."

"I want the jewel. Give it to me."

"He's after the jewel," Kagome thinks, holding up the man she saved from being crushed to death. She glances down at the jewel, which she wears around her neck. "I wish I didn't have it." She recalls Kaede's words. "Maybe I should have listened..."

"Listened to what?" Kaori questions, confused. "Please tell me you're not having an inner crisis in the middle of this mess?" A few seconds later, it clicks. "Oh, you mean Kaede's warning. Yeah, you should've taken that more seriously."

"Me?! You didn't take it seriously either!" Kagome yells.

"Yes, I did! It's the demon thing I didn't take seriously!" Kaori yells back. "You know how denial works!" She looks back at the big boss and her eyes widen. "Hit the deck!"

Big boss man takes another swing, missing everyone entirely again. He tilts his head, weapon lowered to his side; he watches them closely. Kagome keeps carrying the injured mercenary, to Kaori's continued disbelief. They all uncrouch, Kaori and Kagome side-stepping away from the crazy giant. The rest of the men follow, hiding behind them. When the sisters take a few more steps sideways, the men do the same, remaining behind them.

"Thanks for nothing," Kagome sarcastically remarks, glancing back at them angrily. They nervously rub the back of their heads.

Kaori rolls her eyes. "How pathetic." Kagome glares at her. "Not you! Them!" Kagome blushes, smiling sheepishly. "Sheesh."

Big boss man charges forward, swinging his sword once more. Everyone runs to the side just in time and the man slams into the wall instead, slouching over as cracks form where he crashed. Kagome passes the injured man to the rest of the mercenaries, gripping tightly onto the jewel. Kaori raises an eyebrow, wondering what she's up to. Then, Kagome throws it over the rubble and out of the building.

"Are you stupid?!" Kaori exclaims. "It's no safer out there than it was in here!"

"But at least he won't be after us anymore!" Kagome yells.

Kaori scoffs. "Somehow, I doubt that!"

"The jewel. Give it to me."

Kaori watches the giant man closely, ignoring the mercenaries and Kagome. He stares where the jewel was thrown but, for some reason, he hasn't made a move after it. Because of the debris? Because of...something else? She keeps her line of sight on him. Behind her, the men try pushing out the crumbling wall but it doesn't budge. That's when the giant man turns his sights back on Kagome. Kaori sidesteps to block her from his path as Kagome turns to face the man once more.

Everything feels like it moves in slow motion. The sword swings down towards them. Kaori seems ready to accept her fate. Kagome has closed her eyes and taken a prayer stance.

The attack never connects with them; Inuyasha crashes into the hut through one of the walls and blocks the blade, breaking it in half. Kagome watches him in awe; Kaori just seems annoyed by his sudden arrival, despite the fact that he just saved their lives. Inuyasha hits the giant man several times in the face, three in total and mostly with his foot. Boss man falls backwards onto the wooden floor. The mercenaries run past the sisters and Inuyasha, escaping through the new hole in the wall.

Kagome smiles to herself, watching Inuyasha. "I can't believe you actually came." She sounds so delighted.

Kaori face-palms. "She can't be that naive; even I know he just wants the jewel."

Inuyasha stares at them, grumpy. "Is it safe? Where's the jewel?" He sounds frantic.

"Jewel?" Kagome repeats quietly in what sounds like a confused tone.

Inuyasha looks horrified. "Oh, no! Tell me you did not just say that!"

"I did not just say that," Kaori repeats, poorly trying to lighten the mood. Inuyasha growls at her. She raises her hands in defense. "Well, I didn't; she did." Kagome laughs nervously beside her. "My idiotic sister threw it somewhere, thinking it'd save us." Kaori huffs, covering her nose. "And that foul smell is still lingering. I'm surprised no one else can smell it; it's strong enough to make me wanna pass out."

Inuyasha suddenly covers his own nose. "You're right; that smell is putrid!"

Kaori's jaw drops for half a second before she picks it back up. "Well, that's very disconcerting."

"See? You really are a demon," Kagome comments.

"I'm well aware," Kaori flatly remarks. "Doesn't mean I have to accept it."

"Would you two shut up?!" Inuyasha yells.

Big, giant boss man has standed back up during their conversation. One of the leather buckles on his clothing comes loose and tears, revealing a massive hole in his chest. A three eyed crow peers out from within and caws at them.

Kaori looks grossed out. "Oh... That's just disgusting..."

"What's that?" Kagome asks Inuyasha, sounding and looking quite terrified.

Inuyasha smirks, staring at the crow. "How much you want to bet that bird ripped his living heart out and made itself a bloody nest?"

Kaori looks even more grossed out. "Thank you so much, Inuyasha, for that nice image I now have in my head," she says with light sarcasm. "I will kindly throw up on you if you continue." She gets another whiff of the vile smell, which she now recognizes as rotten meat; her face turns a pale green. "Actually, I might throw up on you anyway."

"I knew there was something wrong," Kagome lowly comments, eyeing the crow. "That bird made him a puppet."

"Carrion crows don't fight on their own when there's dead bodies handy," Inuyasha exclaims. "They ain't so tough." He kicks at the ground, getting ready to charge. "But they're hella nasty!" He lunges forward, plunging his hand into the hole. The crow, however, escapes from the second hole, located in the corpse's back; it flies away. Inuyasha removes his hand from the corpse's chest and jumps sideways. The corpse falls forward, towards the ground, and the flesh disintegrates, leaving behind only a skeleton. The crow flies out of the hut.

"Uh oh," Kaori mutters. She makes a move to follow it but then suddenly hesitates. What will happen to her if she touches the jewel? She's a demon. She's lucky nothing happened to her when she was touching Kagome while it was still inside her. What if it corrupts her? What if it kills her? She looks towards Kagome, completely ignoring Inuyasha. "You should really go grab the jewel back. Like right now."

Kagome nods. "Right." She looks at Inuyasha, urgently. "It's getting away. Aren't you going after it?" Beside her, Kaori has fallen onto the ground, knocked over by her adoptive sister's stupidity; she really should've just ran for the jewel instead of begging the half-demon to kill the crow, when he clearly seems very uninterested in doing so as he's made no move to follow.

Inuyasha flexes his arms, his joints cracking. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but the world is full of monsters, your sister being one of them. You want I should go after 'em all?"

"Yeah, but-" Kagome gets cut off.

"No but," Inuyasha says. "You want to start doing the fighting?" He gestures at Kaori. "Better yet, ask your sister; she could use the practice. I'd like a challenge before I end her li-" He gets interrupted, too.

"The jewel!" Kaori yells, getting to the point as she quickly stands, rushing towards the debris to glance outside. "It's-" Lying on the ground is the jewel; the crow swoops down from the sky and picks it up with its beak. "-in its mouth!"

"Wha-?!" Inuyasha rushes over, looking outside; Kagome quietly follows in a hurry. "That stupid crow is making off with the jewel!" He looks at Kagome. "What's wrong with you?!"

Kagome yells back. "What do you mean, what's wrong with-?!"

"Children, children, please!" Kaori loudly interrupts, purposely placing herself in-between them. "Shut the hell up! We're all stupid! There; argument ended! Now, we have a crow to catch, yeah?!"

Inuyasha growls. "Damn you!" He reaches past Kaori and grabs onto Kagome's hand. He, then, crashes through the barricade of debris. "Come on!" He runs out, Kagome squealing as she's dragged along. Kaori follows shortly behind.

They don't get far; Inuyasha abruptly stops, making Kagome crash into him, and then Kaori almost knocks into Kagome. He stares at a nearby horse; strapped to it is a quiver of arrows and a bow. He steals them and jumps into the air, piggy-backing Kagome. Kaori is seemingly left in the dust of his speed.

Soaring through the air, Inuyasha gives chase; Kagome holds onto him tightly. From tree to tree, he briefly hops before taking flight again. Kagome does nothing but keep a grip on him. "What are you waiting for?" he asks her. "Hurry up and shoot it!"

"Shoot?" Kagome questions. "You're kidding, right? I've never used a bow in my life!"

Inuyasha lands on the ground, sprinting after the crow, running past many trees. "The crow lives by eating human flesh." He hops again but is only airborne for a brief time. "If you think that's bad, let it swallow the jewel." He takes another brief leap into the air.

Up ahead, the crow finally swallows the jewel.

Kagome lets out a small shriek. "Aah! It swallowed it!"

Suddenly, Kaori's voice rings through their ears, specifically the right one mostly. "Just fucking shoot it already!" Inuyasha continues sprinting after the crow but briefly breaks his line of sight to glance towards his right. Kagome gazes at her right, too. From branch to branch, and tree to tree, Kaori hops; her landings are less than graceful but at least she hasn't fallen and broken her neck. "Ignore me! Shoot the damn crow, Kagome!" Her shoulder knocks against the next tree she leaps to, knocking her off balance; she falls out of the tree and, though she manages to land in a crouch, winds up on her back, hissing in pain. "Ow!"

Kagome blinks out of her initial shock and looks back towards the crow. "Fine! I'll try!"

"Thank you," Inuyasha surprisingly says aloud. Unfortunately, his thoughts are less than friendly. "And after she takes out the crow, it's her turn. Then, it'll be the annoying cat." His running never ceases. "Kikyō was a master archer. Take it in one shot." He leaps into the air, smirking.

Kagome has an arrow notched, ready for firing. She glares down at Inuyasha for a moment, though. "I told you, my name's Kagome!" She looks back towards the crow, which is directly in front of her since she, and Inuyasha, are still airborne. "Still, Kikyō, give me your strength." Inuyasha lands on the ground and jumps into the air again; the crow is not as close now. "Here it goes." Kagome fires the arrow; it misses by a long shot.

Inuyasha is so shocked by that failure, he collapses onto the ground, face first. Kagome sits on his back, looking embarrassed and who knows what else. Running up behind them, Kaori comes to a complete stop, desperately holding in her laughter.

Kagome has the audacity to get angry with him when they both are at fault for believing in the theory of her possibly being able to channel Kikyō. "What the-?!" She clenches her fist, glaring at the back of his head; she's tempted to wack it. "I thought you said that she was a master archer?!"

Inuyasha lifts his head off the ground. "She was!" He glances angrily at Kagome. "It's you that's the klutz!"

"That's because she's not Kikyō," Kaori points out, swallowing the laughter that threatened to burst out. She looks at Kagome. "As she has stated to everyone here plenty of times." She crosses her arms, glancing between the two of them. "Your theory was a dud but, with practice, I'm sure Kagome can potentially reach Kikyō's level, whatever level that was."

Kagome glares at her. "Which isn't fair."

Kaori raises an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"You were able to jump through trees at the same speed Inuyasha was running," Kagome accuses. "You've never done that before, yet you did it perfectly, up until that crash landing anyway."

Kaori glares back. "Yeah, well, apparently, demon instincts are superior to human ones; same goes for reflexes. And I was not doing it perfectly; if I had, my landing would've been majestic and no mistakes would've been made." She shakes her head. "We don't have time for this; we have a crow to catch!"

Amidst their arguing with one another, the crow transforms, simply growing a lot larger.

"Maybe that's just what you needed; a bigger target," Kaori rudely remarks. Kagome keeps glaring at her. "Get going, you two; we don't have all day. I'll be right behind you, as always."

True to her word, Kaori runs behind Inuyasha, who is piggy-backing Kagome again. In silence, she watches them. Kagome takes another attempt at firing an arrow at the crow; although the arrow gets closer in range to the demon bird, it still completely misses its mark. Inuyasha slides to a stop and immediately plops Kagome onto the ground. Kaori grimaces, coming to a complete stop herself.

Inuyasha turns towards them, wagging a finger at Kagome. In his tone, there's a lot of emotion. "I don't care what the old lady says. You are not Kikyō, you got that?" He turns from them. "I am so out of here." He leaps into the air, away from the sisters and after the crow.

Kagome stands up quickly, watching him leave. "Inuyasha, wait!"

"At least now it seems like he's finally starting to get it," Kaori thinks. She gets in front of Kagome when her adoptive sister makes a move to start running. She crouches down. "Get on." Kagome doesn't hesitate. Taking Inuyasha's place, Kaori now gives Kagome the piggy-back ride. She runs after Inuyasha.

They end up in the village. Or a village, anyway. The crow flies over a river; in its claws, there's a human boy. Several villagers have stopped walking on the bridge spanning across the river; one of them in particular, a woman, screams for her child. Kaori reaches the bridge and lets Kagome down from her back; they both lean over the wooden railing. From a short distance, they see Inuyasha; he looks prepared to attack.

"Inuyasha, no! You'll hurt the boy!" Kagome yells.

"Like he cares about a human," Kaori comments sourly. "His goal has always been the jewel; a sudden hostage isn't going to change that." Kagome whimpers, worried.

As expected, Inuyasha leaps for the crow, claws ready. "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" His sharp nails make contact with the demon bird, slicing it to pieces, which fall into the river. Seconds afterwards, the boy lands inside the water, too. Against the rapid river, the boy struggles to stay above water. Inuyasha doesn't attempt to rescue him; instead, he lands on a massive rock. "Where'd it go? Where's the jewel?" He searches desperately for it.

Meanwhile, the villagers, the boy's mother, and the sisters run along the riverbank, chasing after the child, who is being rapidly washed away by the current. Kaori doesn't think about jumping in; Kagome does. Briefly stopping, she takes off her shoes and socks, then dives into the river, swimming after the boy as everyone else reaches the end of the riverbank.

Kaori nearly has a heart attack, seeing Kagome in the water. "Kagome, you idiot! You could get washed away, too!" She takes back the comments immediately afterwards, seeing that her adoptive sister isn't struggling as much. "Or not."

"How can she do that?"

"She's fast."

"She's an imp, I tell ya! A water imp! She's not human at all!"

"Would you shut up with your unnecessary commentary?!" Kaori yells at one villager in particular. She ignores anything else he says, keeping her attention on Kagome. Not long after, Kagome reaches the boy, grabbing onto him; she, then, starts swimming backstrokes.

"It's on its back now! I don't believe it! What a day! What a girl! What an imp!"

Kaori doesn't say anything this time, just groans and makes a face of disgust. "What an opportunity to make a dirty joke, but Kagome's underage, so that would just be as gross as the man's...fangirling."

Inuyasha lands directly in front of the sisters, on the opposite side of the riverbank. "Save the jewel, stupid! The jewel!"

"Go fuck yourself!" Kaori yells back before helping Kagome and the boy out of the water. The mother of the child runs over and embraces him, thanking Kagome for the rescue. Inuyasha looks visibly insulted by Kagome ignoring him. Kaori rolls her eyes at him. "And he called Kagome stupid."

Beneath the surface of the water, the scattered pieces of the crow join back together and, in one piece once again, the demon bird takes flight, bursting out of the river.

Kaori groans. "Do demons ever give up?"

Kagome frowns. "It's unlikely."

"Hey, it's getting away!" Inuyasha yells at them.

"We can see that, you asshole!" Kaori yells back.

Kagome looks disappointed. "Well, I guess you're off the hook for now, pal." Ignore him, she greatly wanted to continue doing, but allow another villager to get grabbed, she hates that thought more.

Suddenly, the child she rescued starts wigging out; one of the talons of the demon bird is still attached to his back, tugging on him. Because it's just one pair of talons instead of two plus the strength of the crow, the boy remains on the ground.

"I know," Kagome softly says, getting an idea. She glances around, in search for the quiver and bow she had earlier. Remembering that she tossed them aside at some point during the chase, she looks at one of the villagers, who happens to have what she needs on hand. "Hey, could I borrow your bow?"

The villager kindly hands it over. Kagome ties the crow's foot to an arrow. "Good luck," Kaori comments, watching her notch the arrow. "No pressure or anything, but it's now or never." Kagome takes aim.

"I can do this; I know it," Kagome tells herself. She lets the arrow soar. "The foot can't help but be drawn by the jewel, which almost guarantees it'll hit."

And so, the arrow does; it pierces through the crow, hitting the jewel directly. Around it, the crow falls apart. Then, the jewel itself shatters into tiny pieces, emitting a bright light.

"I did it!" Kagome cheers. However, her celebration is brief; she looks concerned. "That light, where's it coming from?"

Kaori grimaces. "I think I know. I hope I'm wrong, though, or we're screwed."

That's when the light, shining from the jewel, suddenly disperses in many directions, scattering across the lands. All anyone can do is watch it happen.

"Are you sure it fell around here?"

Inuyasha, leading the search for the jewel, gazes around inside the forest. Kagome trails behind him, still looking concerned. Kaori is up within the trees again, except she's staying put in one, searching from above even though she believes it to be pointless.

"Well, yeah," Kagome answers, in a panic. "I mean, kinda. Though I'm still kind of worried about that light."

Kaori hops onto the ground beside her, landing in a crouch. "Yeah, you and me both."

Out of nowhere, and from above, the head of the demon bird soars down towards them, cawing. Inuyasha rushes forward and claws at it. "I don't think so." The crow's head disintegrates into nothing and a glowing fragment lands on the ground.

Kaori stares at it. "Oh, no."

Kagome steps forward, approaching it. "I hope that's not what I think it-"

"What do you think it is?" Inuyasha asks, interrupting.

Kagome doesn't say anything, instead quietly dropping to her knees and picking up the fragment. Kaori silently watches, a hand resting on her cheek as she innerly stresses. Inuyasha stares at Kagome from the side. "I think it's a shard from the jewel," Kagome answers.

"I was afraid you'd confirm that," Kaori mutters.

"What?! What did you say?!" Inuyasha exclaims in horror.