Chapter Seven

"What should I say?" I asked Kirara while I was bathing. I was splashing around in the stream, looking up at the orange sky. It was nearly sunset now and my night was tomorrow.

Kirara looked at me, serious. "You don't know what to say?"

I looked at her from splashing water on my chest fur. "I have an idea." I said glumly. "I don't speak often." So I was sort of clueless.

Kirara gave me a fond look. "You are quiet most of the time." She agreed with me.

I shrugged and rolled over in the water. Kirara watched me, amused. Inuyasha was fishing and Kagome was inside talking with Kaede and Sango. I could smell the familiar scent of salty tears when I walked to the hut and I stayed away.

Miroku was taking a stroll through the village with Kohaku and Shippo, maybe talking to them about baby making or something just as awkward.

Kirara watched me shake my fur dry before joining her. I began to lick my pelt and mumbled, "What if they don't believe me?"

Kirara gave me a sad look. "They won't. Not at first."

I sighed and looked back up at the sky. "Maybe I should leave a note."

Kirara shook her head and I agreed with her. If this was the one night before Midoka and Fadiku appeared, I needed to be able to explain with words.

"I can't give myself away." I thought aloud.

Kirara blinked at me. "You don't want them to know you're a half-breed?"

I stated an ancient truth. "Half-breeds are looked down upon."

"It's better than pretending," Kirara protested and I shrugged.

"It might just come out." I muttered and Kirara looked thoughtful.

She sighed and began to lick my back fur. "If it makes you feel any better, Inuyasha's a half-breed too."

"Yes, but. . ." I didn't know to explain.

Kirara sensed my confusion and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Just do the best you can."

"Just do the best you can," I echoed in the woods.

I was pacing, waiting for the transformation while frantically sniffing for Midoka and Fadiku. I had walked around to my tree and to my bush earlier, sniffing for them. I hadn't smelled them, which was either a good sign, or a bad sign because my sense of smell had started to weaken.

Abruptly, my paws became bigger and I reared up on my back paws, watching my front paws become hairless. Fingers waved at me and I looked at the rest of my body. I was human now.

I looked back at the village and I held my breath. Everyone was either in their huts or fishing late at night. I knew that the villagers who would be fishing would be at the very edge of the stream by the lake. They would be away from the huts and fishing sparingly with worms.

I walked down to the stream, my long hair kissing my ankles. I looked down at my reflection and I gaped. I crouched down and looked at the long-haired maiden.

Her eyes are appealing, a pretty deep, dark blue: indigo, like Miroku's irises. Her hair is long, shadow black and it drifts to her ankles. She has creamy pale skin, but it was filthy since I was always rolling around in dirt. Her skin reminded me of Kagome's complexion. Her eyebrows are dark and arched.

I blinked, amazed to see her blink back at me. I looked up at the hut where Inuyasha and everyone was, and then I looked down at my reflection.

I needed to look at myself more often during my changes. When had I become this somewhat pretty young maiden?

I looked back at the hut and then I pulled flops of hair over my teats, following everyone else's example. I never saw anyone's teats while coming here, so I assumed it was a custom to not have them visible.

I walked along the edge of the stream, looking around for people who could see me. Everyone is inside, it seemed, and I glanced at the waning moon in the sky and then I looked behind me.

I couldn't see Midoka or Fadiku, which was good. I hadn't been able to smell them either when I had my other nose. Maybe they would arrive later, when I was conveniently in my Nekomata form.

I walked to their hut and I stopped outside the cloth door. I could hear them talking inside and I realized that I didn't entirely have a plan. I would tell them what I could without giving myself away.

I grimaced and I sighed quietly, putting my forehead against the wall. Okay, I tried to organize my thoughts, I'll tell them there's a small group of demons going around, attacking villages. They chased me here, and I came to warn the demon slayers.

It sounded plausible. I looked at my filthy skin and shrugged. I looked at the hut door and ran a dirty hand over my forehead. I sucked in a breath and knocked on the side of the wall.

Miroku mumbled, "Who could that be?"

Kohaku yawned. "Does it matter?"

Kagome spoke next. "It might be Kaede."

Beside their voices, I couldn't hear what else was going on. I heard Miroku say, "Sango, sit down."

Sango protested and then a head poked out. It was Kagome. She peered around and I reached out to poke her. She turned her head to me and gasped.

"Are you okay?" She demanded, coming to step out of the hut. Her white kimono looked freshly washed, sort of damp. She looked at me in worry.

"Who is it?" Shippo asked, curious.

Kagome didn't answer his question. She was busy staring at me and she mumbled loudly, "Hey, Sango, can you come out?"

Sango asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

Kagome's lips pursed together and I saw anxiety fill her eyes. "There's a maiden out here. She's hurt."

What was she talking about?

"Okay," Sango said quickly at the same moment Kohaku asked, "Who is it?"

Kagome took a step to me and I took an impulsive step back. Caution and tenderness made her face soften. She lowered her voice, talking soothingly. "What's your name?"

Pain darkened my face when I realized that I couldn't answer. Kagome saw my face scrunch up and she called for Sango again. Sango came out holding Kagome's bright yellow bag and she gasped when she saw me. I didn't get it. I didn't feel hurt anywhere.

Inuyasha poked his head out, saw me, and then stared straight ahead at the lake. "Hey," he called back to the rest of the group in the hut. "Grab some clothes."

"For what?" Kohaku asked, but I dimly heard shuffling.

I suddenly realized that Kagome was still talking to me. I sucked in a breath and looked back at her. She had somehow gotten right in front of me.

"Come sit down," Kagome suggested gently. I let her take my hand and lower me to the ground. I sat down beside Sango and Sango covered me up with my hair.

Oh, that was why Inuyasha hadn't looked directly at me.

"There we go," Sango said to me. I looked at her brown eyes and saw that they were trying to put bandages on me.

"Don't." I said, squirming away. I pulled my arm free from Kagome's grip and then I saw the cut on it. It didn't sting at all, which was odd.

Kagome and Sango exchanged a sad look and Sango said, "We won't hurt you."

"No," I said to them, "don't waste it." I was going to be back to my "true" form tomorrow. They were wasting their supplies on me.

"But," Kagome started and I shook my head. I looked at the two of them and I remembered what I had to say.

"Demons are coming." The words flew from my lips. Kagome stiffened and a strange glint filled Sango's eyes. "They're coming to destroy your home."

"How do you know?" Inuyasha suddenly asked. I looked up to my right to see him looming over me. His hands were clenched into a fist around fabric and his gold eyes were fierce. "Who told you?"

I swallowed hard. "They attacked my village." Inuyasha's eyes narrowed to slits at my words.

I turned back to Kagome. "They're looking for you, and they won't hesitate to destroy this place," I gestured around us with a hand. "I came to warn you."

Sango looked worried. "When will they be here?"

I shrugged, disturbed by my lack of knowledge. "I don't know."

Inuyasha growled. "How can we trust you?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snipped and Inuyasha gave her a hard look. Oh no, Mother and Father did that too sometimes. I stood up, ready to run off. Please don't fight because I said something wrong.

"Don't!" Sango grabbed my wrist. I jerked back, a reflex and I took a step back. My hair was all over me now and I brushed it back, aggravated.

I looked at Kagome and Inuyasha. They were looking at each other, glaring. Sango was reaching out for me, while Miroku was gazing at me in thought, his indigo eyes on my face. Everyone else was still in the hut.

"They're coming," I said again, looking at Sango and Kagome. I looked at Inuyasha and pointed at his mate. "Don't let them take her."

"The hell they will," Inuyasha snarled. He looked away from Kagome and at me. Scorn filled his gold eyes. "Where are you going?"

I didn't know what to say. I shrugged and sat back down on the grassy ground. My eyes went to the stream and then I looked at Kagome.

"They think the jewel is still here."

The three of them looked taken aback by my words. Miroku left the hut and walked to me, curious. "The sacred jewel?" Miroku asked and I turned to him, glad to see someone listening to me.

"They think she knows where it is." I meant Kagome. "They were looking for. . ." I couldn't finish. "They. . ."

Distrust filled Inuyasha's voice when he echoed my words. "They were looking for. . ?."

"A Nekomata," I finished lamely. "They were looking for a Nekomata with Kagome. Something like Kirara."

Sango stiffened. "They were looking for Kirara?"

I nodded, trying harder than ever to seem clueless. "I think so," I said unsurely. "They thought she would be with you."

Something dark settled on the four of them and Kagome looked at Inuyasha in apprehension, her earlier agitation gone. Kagome turned to look back at me and she asked, "How do you know all this?"

I looked down suddenly, feeling the tears bud up. "They asked for you and Kirara before they tried to kill me."

Sorrow made Kagome's dark brown eyes darken. She looked at me and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I nodded at her. It wasn't her fault. I sniffled and looked at Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku.

"You've got to prepare."

"Hell yeah we do." Inuyasha muttered and I saw the sadness in Sango's and Miroku's eyes. Their peaceful lives were about to be filled with violence. I felt bad for telling them, but I didn't want to watch them die, unable to help.

Kirara suddenly mewed and I looked down to see her at my ankles. When had she gotten there?

I crouched down to stroke her fur like the average human girl, but she suddenly became big. Kirara crouched down. What was she doing?

I took a few rapid steps back and Sango yelled. "Kirara, stop!"

Kirara lurched at me and knocked me over. I tried to push her off me and then she became small. She licked my face and dabbed at my eyes. I sat up, pulling her off of me, and I set her on the ground. I'd have to ask her how she did that.

"Sorry," Sango said and she called Kirara back to her. Inuyasha and Miroku had disappeared back into the hut. Kagome and Sango gave me a concerned glance. "You sure you don't want any bandages?"

I shook my head and repeated my earlier words. "Don't waste it."

Inuyasha had handed Kagome the clothes, and she walked up to me, forcing them in my hands. When she pulled away, I saw concern in her eyes. I gave her a smile and waved at Sango. Sango waved back, half-heartedly and I saw her shoulders slump as she turned back to the hut. I felt guilty.

My eyes went to Kagome and I said, "I'll be fine," before Kagome could say anything.

Kagome looked at me, at my eyes and asked again. "What's your name?"

I looked at her and I had to lie. I went with the name I knew.

"It's Indigo."