A crisp breeze blew in from the west, a hint of flowers, eucalyptus and herbs trialing along. Inuyasha and his companions were too busy to enjoy this breeze. There was a giant hog demon with a shard of the Shikon no Tama, and it was causing Inuyasha a great deal of trouble. Kirara had been smashed with one of the hog's giant tusks, so Miroku and Sango were tending to her while Shippou hid behind them. Kagome got an arrow through the hog's ear before Inuyasha took over with the Tetsusaiga.

"This is taking way too long…" Inuyasha muttered. "Kagome, where's the jewel shard?"

"One second…" Kagome squinted. "In between his eyes!"

The hog actually reared up and roared, taking off towards Inuyasha.

"WINDSCAR!"

I wonder how much bacon you could make with this? Kagome thought as she fired her arrow. The arrow struck square between the eyes, slaying it instantly.

They were totally unprepared for when the hog exploded with black ink.

Inuyasha's eyes spiraled and he fell over. Shippou practically mimicked this action, and Kirara turned back to her cute, cuddly form.

Sango smiled. "I'm so glad you're alright, Kirara." She picked up her companion and hugged her. Kagome helped Inuyasha up and Miroku grabbed Shippou.

"That crafty lunatic!" Kagome muttered angrily. "Filling the demon with ink to erase his scent…"

"Genius." Miroku said, looking at the sky. "He is evil, mind you, but positively genius. He could be right on the other side of those trees and we wouldn't be able to find him unless the ink was cleaned."

"You're right, Miroku." Sango agreed. "We have to be on our guard until we get far enough from the ink. Kirara can't transform, and we can't use Shippou's magic and tricks. We're just three humans against him, at least for the time being."

"Right." Kagome nodded and helped Inuyasha stagger away. "Even if my nose isn't super powerful, that ink really smells bad…"

"Just be glad your nose ISN'T super powerful!" Inuyasha muttered, dazed from the ink.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Kagome darted over to the pig—leaving Inuyasha to stand by himself, which he could barely do—and searched around. Finally she plucked the jewel shard from the ground and deposited it into the little bottle around her neck. "It would have been stupid to leave it here."

Kikyo walked slowly down a path, towards the town she was currently living in. Her spirit catchers followed her, ready to disappear had there been any disturbance. She felt a pang in the back of her head, making her pause and look around. One of her spirit catchers came up next to her ear. She nodded and thought, so she has returned. There is no doubt Naraku will try to get her to work for him. I must kill her before they meet. And before she finds it…
Naraku walked down another path, his baboon hide covering him, as always. He lifted one hand and dropped his jewel shards into his other, doing this several times. That mere swine will hold them off for a bit while I concoct a new plan. He thought eagerly. Fools.

His eyes lifted to the path before him. Before he saw anything else, he saw the sun glinting off a newly polished blade that was curved wickedly and stuck on a chain. All in all, it looked like his pawn's weapon, Kohaku's. Except much, much larger, a little smaller than that demon huntress's boomerang. The chain was wound up over a shoulder, looped several times so it didn't drag. The hilt was rested over a delicate, feminine neck, and the blade curved downward across her chest. She wore a tight-fitting black jumpsuit, along with the usual pads of a demon slayer, only light purple. Dark, black-purple eyes were fixed on the ground, not even bothering to look at who they passed. A young face and black, purple-tinted hair confirmed that she was human, human enough.

As they passed, the girl's eyes shot to him, then back to the ground, almost secretive. Once they passed, the girl stopped and said, "You must be the one they call Naraku."

"Yes." Naraku said, smirking under his baboon mask. "You are a demon slayer, from the village that birthed the Shikon no Tama. Yet, your aura speaks of a terrible demon heritage. Why do you hunt us if you are a demon yourself?"

"It is the perfect cover." The girl's dark eyes darted to the undergrowth. Just a mouse. "No one will suspect a demon working as a demon slayer."

"There is nothing to show you are a demon." Naraku pointed out. Through this whole conversation, they had not even turned around to look at each other. "No ears, and no apparent abilities."

"Long ago, a priestess sealed my demon blood in an amulet and killed my worthless human body. I was reincarnated and grew as a demon slayer, but with all the memories of my… Lovely past. When the village was massacred I ran to look for the amulet. I have been searching for you for many days. A demon like yourself must have heard of the amulet."

"I know of many amulets." Naraku replied simply.

"I am seeking the amulet of Io. Once it is in my possession I can rein supreme over the demon population once more."

Naraku nodded. "I know the amulet of which you speak, and I know who you are. You are Sakuya, the Killer Queen. You manipulate water, no?"

"I take moisture from the air and the ground and shape it in the form of a sea serpent. Now where is the amulet? I need to know."

"Being a ninja-type person," Naraku went on. "You must be good at killing demons. It is what you were trained to do, no?"

"Yes."

"I will take you to the amulet if you kill Inuyasha and bring me the Tetsusaiga."

Sakuya turned her head to glare at him. "Inuyasha, the half demon. Ah, the man who fell in love with that goddamn priestess. You didn't even have to ask me, he and that priestess are first on my murderous list."

"Good, yes." Naraku chuckled. "He and his companions are nearby, just south of here."

"Thank you." Sakuya turned and strode off. "But remember, you must tell me where it is, the…"

"The amulet of Io?" Shippou asked, perched on Miroku's shoulder. He and his friends were sitting around a fire beneath a willow tree, far away from the death place of the hog demon. "What's that?"

Shippou had been bored, so he asked Miroku to tell him a story. And he had made everyone else listen too.

"It's a silly legend, but an ideal children's story." Miroku scratched one of Shippou's ears. "Fifty-three years ago—three years before Inuyasha was sealed against the tree—Kikyo the priestess caught a powerful demon approaching her village. The demon fought back when she tried to send her away, and it was then Kikyo realized the demon's true power. So, using one of the many heirlooms on her family, the amulet of Io, she sealed all the demon's demon blood away and killed her human body. It is unknown where the amulet is today."

"What if the amulet was purified?" Kagome asked. "Would the demon be purified too?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Miroku replied. "It is also said that the demon was actually a very attractive woman…"

Bonk.

Sango's boomerang thudded into his head. "Keep your legends to yourself!"

Sakuya walked out of the undergrowth, crossing the clearing. Miroku looked up, as did everyone else.

"A demon slayer! From my village!" Sango gasped. "How…"

"Hm?" Sakuya's head turned sharply, and the chain on her weapon rattled. She stopped, her feet scraping the grass. Usually humans wore shoes, or at least socks, but not Sakuya. There they are. Hiding in the tree fringe.

Kirara began to growl, and then roar loudly. She transformed into her large form and glared at Sakuya coldly.

Sakuya—Just as naïve and hot-tempered as Inuyasha—glared at Kirara and said, "You want to pick a fight with me cat? If you do just growl the word!"

"Kirara, hush." Sango rubbed Kirara's head. "Who are you? And where did you get those clothes?"

Sakuya's eyes flashed. There is it, the Tetsusaiga. She thought staring at Inuyasha's sword.

She pointed. "That thing can't even cut paper."

Inuyasha drew his sword. "Come over here and say that to my face, you annoying huntress!"

"If you say so." Sakuya shrugged the chain off her shoulder and began to whip the blade in all directions as if it was a yoyo. The blade somehow made its way towards Inuyasha…

Only to be halted by Sango's boomerang.

The blade thudded into the hard bone, then was pulled away and caught by Sakuya. "Why do you defend him? He's a filthy demon!"

"That's what I thought at first. But I remember you, Sakuya, and how you ran away when Naraku attacked us!" Sango replied coldly. "You ran away, ran from a terrible battle. You fled when your village needed you and your unique skills most!"

Sakuya wound her weapon around her shoulder again. "Say what you must, but I am only here to slay Inuyasha, and I have no other task. Stand aside, Sango, and you will not be injured."

"You could not defeat him if you tried." Sango sniffed. "I was his equal only with a Shikon jewel shard."

"You were always weak." Sakuya said simply. "You hesitated far too much, long enough to mortally injure yourself and your brother. Sure, I did run away. I did. But I've heard all about the massacre from the neighboring villages." She unwound her weapon and twirled it expertly. "So just run along and slay demons while I take care of Inuyasha."

"Take care of me?" Inuyasha laughed. "Sure, kiddo. I'm older that you think and probably far more skilled…"

"You are around sixty seven, no?"

"…Yeah…"

"Well I'm even older than that. So just give me the Tetsusaiga and maybe you'll be spared."

This infuriated Inuyasha. "Who are you working for? Sesshomaru? Naraku?"

"I work for no one, but Naraku knows where my amulet is." She replied coolly, polishing her blade on her sleeve. Suddenly it lashed out at Inuyasha, catching his shoulder.

Inuyasha's hand was now pressed over the wound. "What amulet? What does it have to do with us?"

Sakuya was no longer paying attention to him. She pointed her blade at Kagome. "YOU!" She hissed. "The reincarnation of the goddamn priestess who sealed my blood away. That's three people on my list to kill."

"How ironic, we were just talking about you, Sakuya." Miroku said brightly. "You're the woman who's demon blood was sealed away in the amulet of Io, correct?"

"That's right, and I'm looking to get my demon side back. And I can only get it by…" Her blade lashed out again, grazing Inuyasha's cheek. "either slaying Inuyasha or stealing the Tetsusaiga!"

Inuyasha leapt into a tree and brushed the blood off of his cheek. "Why you… Who EXACTLY are you?"

"I," Sakuya said with a dramatic flourish. "Am Sakuya the Killer Queen."

Kagome's eyes widened. Where have I heard that before? Her mind flashed back to school, history class, legends of Japan…

"Of course!" She suddenly exclaimed, with earned her "Huh?" looks from everyone.

"My history book had a paragraph on you." Her face darkened. "You eat people's dreams and kill them in their sleep."

"Oh, good thinking!" She replied sarcastically. Sakuya waved her arms in a "Let's move on" motion. "Absolutely genius. Now, can we just go to killing Inuyasha and stealing the sword now?"

Inuyasha glared at her from the safety of his tree. "Kagome, get your arrows. We're just going to kill her with the windscar and get it over with!"

Sakuya wound her weapon over her shoulder again and whipped out a fan with the water symbol on it. "Oh, please. Wind and water don't go well together."

"That fan!" Sango gasped.

"It looks just like…" Shippou continued.

"Kagura's!" Miroku finished.

Sakuya pulled back the fan then waved it towards Inuyasha powerfully, shouting, "Dense ofu fu Serupentsu!"

The moisture was sucked out of the air, giving it a dry, dull smell. It all wound together like a water tornado, until it slapped together into the form of a giant sea serpent. The serpent roared, and glared its pupiless eyes down at Inuyasha and his friends. Then it rolled over to them and crashed down, covering the area with water. Sakuya, watched with an emotionless face as Inuyasha and his friends were crashed down into the mud with such force, a hole was made beneath them. Once everything was over, Sakuya reached down through the water and pulled out the Tetsusaiga. "Oh, please!" She laughed, walking off. "This is the power of a half demon? Ridiculous!"

Sakuya was long gone by the time Inuyasha and his friends pushed out of the mud.

"What strength, and as a human!" Miroku muttered, spitting out mud and rubbing it out of his hair. Inuyasha shook himself, covering Miroku with mud again.

"You're telling me!" Inuyasha replied. "Why I oughta…" He reached down as if to whip out the Tetsusaiga, only to grasp the air. "What the… She took the Tetsusaiga!"

He jumped into the air and took off in a random direction, only for Kagome to catch his shoulder. "Inuyasha, calm down. There are footprints in the mud we can follow, and I can just about tell you that you're going in the wrong direction!" Kagome hopped on his back. "So hurry up, lets go!"

"Don't have to tell me twice."