A/N ~ (08-05-10): Blek revised again for the thousandth time. But welcome new readers! This story is merely just a remake of the series but I do suggest you read it. People seem to like this version. Also make sure to read these little author notes and review. These little rambles are sometimes full of semi-important facts and things like that, also it'll update you on if I've changed something in past chapters or not (I'm very picky). I do like revising my stories a lot, and this is proof, and I do tend to rush the normal chapters as you may notice later on. I'm getting to fixing this. So please bear with me. Thank you and enjoy!

You're Kinda, Sorta, Basically, Pretty Much, Always On My Mind.

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

I Do Not Own Inuyasha

1. Down The Well

Kaori's small hands snatched the woven pant leg of Kikyo's kimono. Tears streamed down her small face and she desperately pulled with all her might, begging her sister not to shoot the arrow.

The village was in terror. Women held their children to their breasts as they raced from burning huts. Spooked horses stampeded out of the village, no longer restrained inside a stable. Men with their weapons; spears, swords, axes gripped tightly in blistered hands rushed toward the miko and her sister, ready to fight on her orders.

The cause of this destruction, a young hanyo, leaped over the crowd, clutching in his clawed hands a glowing pink jewel.

Kikyo's eyes narrowed and she pulled the string back on her bow. Kaori screamed in horror, and she let the arrow fly. The hanyo's keen hearing picked up on the twang and he backed against the Sacred Tree, spinning around to face whatever was coming.. The arrow pierced his heart and secured him against the bark. He gasped as the air was pushed from his lungs and the jewel dropped from his hand.

Kaori gasped, tears gushed down her face and she shoved past her sister. She raced down the stone steps leading toward the Goshinboku, the Sacred Tree, and clung to the hanyo's leg.

"Inuyasha-Onii-Chan!" she shouted, as the boy's eyes slowly closed, "Nii-Chan, wake up! Wake up Inuyasha-Onii-Chan! You can't be.. You've gotta wake up!" The girl buried her face into his kimono, the tears refusing to stop. They were supposed to love each other, she thought, they were supposed to live happily ever after! Why did this happen?

Kikyo's wounded heart sank as she watched her younger sister cry for the loss of this wretched creature. This creature who had betrayed her, almost killed them all, and had stolen the Shikon No Tama for his own selfish reasons.. She wondered how Kaori could still shed tears for this man.. He was not worth it..

She slowly made her way down the steps, limping from the numerous injuries she had received in this battle. She must talk some sense into this child.. She should no longer.. feel this pain.. over such an abomination..

She fell to her knees feet from the girl, the pain no longer bearable. She felt the hot, sticky blood soaking through her kimono and exhaled. She didn't have much time left..

Something small bumped against her leg and she turned her head. "Shikon No Tama..." she breathed, picking up the small jewel, "because of such a thing..."

"Onee-sama!" A small girl, fell to her knees in front of Kikyo, clutching the woman's arm. "Onee-sama! Quickly! Get treatment!" she begged, staring wide-eyed and scared, though one of her eyes had been tightly bandaged.

"It's already to late for me.." Kikyo breathed, dropping the Shikon No Tama into the young girl's hands, "So, listen carefully, Kaede.. Take this and give it to Kaori but do not tell her -any of you- of the cause that resulted in this tragic event.. She does not need to know.. Last night I was shown a place in my dreams that only she could travel.."

"No! Onii-chan! Nii-cha- Let me go you bastards! Inuyasha-onii-chan!"

Kikyo turned her gaze toward her youngest sister. Three villagers gripped tightly onto the struggling girl, trying to pry her away from the evil hanyo who had destroyed their village.. but Kaori was strong as was her grip on his kimono and she refused to let go.

Kikyo turned away, feeling her heart give a painful lurch. "Kaede.. If you send Kaori down the well.. then she'll be safe in a place where there are no yokai to come after the jewel.. Do you understand?"

Kaede blinked as a small tear trickled down her face and clutched the jewel to her chest. "Yes, Onee-sama.."

-550 Years Later-

(September 12th 2008)

"Kaori! Wake up! It's time for school!"

My fist came down hard on the blaring alarm clock, causing it to fly off the nightstand. I rolled onto my back and stretched, letting out a long relaxing yawn. "I'm up!"

"Happy birthday, Kaori!"

I groaned and hid under my blankets as my sister burst through the door and leaped onto my bed. "Good morning, Kagome.."

"What are you doing in bed still? You should be excited!" She yanked the covers off my body and skipped to the window, pulling back the curtains and opening the windows. "It's your birthday! You're 16 now!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, Kagome.." I sat up and stretched again. Of course I was aware that today was my birthday. Exactly 10 years ago today I was found at the bottom of the Bone Eatter's Well by Mr. Higurashi, Kagome's father. Exactly 10 years ago today, my sister, Kikyo, died and ordered that I be thrown down that well into another world. So the villagers did and I ended up here.

Though upon my arrival my new family didn't believe my story. They thought that maybe I had been kidnapped and left there to die. I hadn't been, no one came to claim me after they called the police. So they turned to abandonment and I was adopted by the Higurashi's after they found it was impossible to locate any birth records or information. Supposedly I had fallen and hit my head, my 'memories' were false, a dream, and I was lucky to have been found by such a loving family. But I knew these memories weren't false.. it really happened. I was sure of it..

Kagome came back to me and took my face in her hands. "Good luck today!"

"With what!" I shouted, as she took off out the door.

She giggled, "You'll see."

"Ugh.."

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

"No I will absolutely not go on a date with Hojo! This is the worst present ever!" I shouted, stabbing a piece of omelet and shoving it into my face, "What in the world gave you the idea that I wanted to?"

Kagome huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "I know you want to, he's kind, generous, smart, absolutely adorable, and is interested in you! Also his family owns that pharmacy down the street so you know he's well off!"

I rolled my eyes, "If you think he's so great why don't you date him then?"

Her face went red and I smirked, "That's.. that's out of the question! Besides you two would make an adorable couple! You both have light brown hair and blue and green eyes look amazing together!"

"Sorry, my green eyes are not attracted to his blue," I muttered.

Kagome sighed and sat down, staring at me intently, "Then what eyes are you attracted to?"

I picked up my glass as my finger traced the lines in the table, I felt our fat cat Buyo brush against my legs and sighed..Nii-Chan, wake up!"Amber.."

"Amber?" she snickered, "That colour doesn't exist in humans!"

My face went hot and I snatched my plate, dumping it in the sink. "Of course not.. I.. I was only joking!"

She laughed again, "Either way, you're going on that date."

I was about to respond but Jii-chan walked through the door interrupting me, holding a small package in his hands.

"Oh, there you are, Kaori!" he grinned.

"Hey Jii-chan.." I muttered, eyeing the package. It was cute; a small, nicely, wrapped box with shimmering silver/purple paper and pink ribbon. That was great.. but the contents inside was what worried me.. Jii-chan was never good with gifts..

"I have something for you!"

"I can see that, Jii-chan.." I gave him a genuinely fake smile and he glowed pink in embarrassment.

"Well, here you are." He handed the gift to me and I carefully took off the wrapping paper, making sure not to rip it. I opened the box and my fears came true. In the box was this green hand thing.. I stared at it inside the box, not wanting to touch the wrinkly green skin..

"That is a mummified Kappa's hand," Jii-chan explained, "It brings good luck. Its history begins with.. "

I tossed it at Buyo -who still had been circling my feet- with a sigh. He snatched it between his teeth and ran off down the hall.

"Ah! Hey, that's wasteful!" Jii-chan cried, racing after him.

Kagome and I laughed as my Mother and Souta walked in a few minutes later, holding a small box each. I felt my mood brighten immediately as they handed me the small gifts. They never got me something weird.

"Happy birthday, Sis. This is from me and Kagome," Souta said.

"Really?" I smirked, taking the package in my hands, this one was wrapped with last year's Christmas paper, "I thought Kagome had already given me her prese-"

"Just open it already!" Kagome hissed.

I carefully opened it and peeked inside half expecting another kappa hand. It was a metallic blue and silver ipod and it was already loaded with all of my favourite songs. I gasped and stared at it. How did they know I wanted one for my birthday? I mean.. I have been hinting about it for weeks but.. I didn't think anyone paid attention.

"Thank you, both!" I wrapped my arms around Souta's neck tightly, thanking them over and over.

The next gift was from my Mother. Her gift was a silver chain. She told me it was for the jewel I had with me all of the time. The Shikon No Tama.. I pulled the jewel out of my pocket and rolled it around in my hand carefully. The silvery pink wisps inside swirled around and I pressed the chain against the jewel. With a soft glow the chain sunk into the glass, as it accepted and formed around the silver, locking it in place to create a necklace. I threw it around my neck and smiled. Maybe this birthday wasn't going to be so bad after all.

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

"Are you ready everyone! Okay! 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.."

We all ran away giggling as Yuka covered her eyes against the Goshinboku. She was to count to 20 before coming to look for us, and I had the perfect hiding place. The well house. I raced across the courtyard and pulled open the sliding wooden doors. She'd never find me here!

"Kaori-chan! What are you doing!" Souta called from behind a bush, "We're not aloud to go in there!"

"Hush, Souta!" I hissed back, "Jii-chan wont ever know!" I silently stepped inside and giggled as I quietly shut the stiff doors. I was always the best at Hide and Seek. It was only obvious I would play it at my 16th birthday party. I didn't care about my age, or how childish this seemed, I just wanted to play.

"9.. 10.. 11.. 12.."

I turned around and eyed my surroundings. The air was stale and thick; the walls were covered in shelves stocked with old worthless artifacts, half of them, previous birthday presents. Two sleek dusty katanas sat on the far wall and I looked at them for a moment before returning my mind back to the project at hand.

I slowly made my way down the creaky wooden steps, searching the darkness for a good place to hide. I wanted to be out of view if Yuka had decided to check in here, which I was sure she was not going to.

"16.."

I eyed a stack of large crates in the corner and smiled. Perfect. I stepped up to the crates and pulled myself on top of one, swinging my leg over the other side. But suddenly an eerie scratching noise broke though the silence making me jump. I hit my head against a low hanging beam above and I hissed in pain. Ugh, what was that? The cat?

"19.. 20! Ready or not here I come!"

I eyed my hiding place then the darkness surrounding me. Hm.. hiding place or cat.. hiding place or cat.. I groaned and pulled myself off the crate. I couldn't leave Buyo in here, possibly in trouble.

The scratching echoed through the air again and I walked towards the well where the sound seemed to be coming from. I carefully opened it as quietly as I possibly could and leaned inside. Nothing but the dirt floor. "Buyo?"

Suddenly a bright flash blinded me and a cold, rough hand snatched my arm. I screamed, forcing my eyes to open, as the hand yanked me into the well. A half woman, half centipede creature opened her wide mouth to expose a long pink tongue and laughed as I fell. She had long greasy black hair.. and had six arms.. one of which was gripping mine.

Another scream was caught in my throat, as the bright light faded away to dark blue orbs and the creature smirked.

"How wonderful.. " she hissed, sending shivers down my spine, "I can feel my powers returning.. My body is growing back.. You have it.. give it to me." She licked my cheek, then lowered her head toward the jewel around my neck.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, shoving away her face. Another blinding white light shot from my hand and the monster let go immediately, her face sizzling as if burned.

"Damn.. you.." She growled, falling deeper into the darkness. "I won't let you go.. Shikon.. No.. Tama.."

"Shikon No Tama.." I whispered, clutching the jewel in my hand. My heart raced and my breath suddenly came out in a rushed gulp as the bottom of the well reappear below me. I fell to my knees and the electric blue orbs faded from view, the sound of singing birds flooding my ears. What had just happened? What was with the orbs, the yokai, the birds? And where exactly had the yokai disappeared into? The dirt? I looked down and dug my hand into the ground.. it was completely solid.. I looked up, but the well was too deep to see what lied over head. All I could see was a clear blue sky.

I got to my feet and brushed the dirt from my jeans. The sky puzzled me, I should be still inside the well house, I was sure that we didn't have a skylight.. but if we didn't does that mean..?

I grabbed onto the vines that grew along the grey stone walls of the well, and started climbing. It didn't take very long to get to the top, but I was somewhat out of shape and my body ached. I pulled my head over the edge of the well and gasped.

I was.. back around the same village before my sister's death.. In my meadow! I sat on the edge and threw my legs over the wood. "I...I'm back?"

If I was here then.. then.. I scanned the tops of the trees. There! The Goshinboku! I pulled the jewel from my neck and into my pockets so no more yokai could get it, then ran as fast as my legs could carry me, tripping over roots, branches scratching at my face. I emerged from a thick bush and stumbled into a small clearing.

It was exactly as I had left it.

I stared up into the peaceful face of the hanyo boy. I knew him.. I knew him all to well. He was pinned to the Goshinboku, my sister's sacred arrow still pierced his heart. Vines and thick roots from the neighbouring trees grew over his body, locking him in place. He slept, oblivious to the living world surrounding him, perfectly at ease. He was in his own little world.. his own little fantasy. Free from the worries and labour of mortal life.
The gentle breeze blew his silver hair across his face and I felt my heart falter. It was Inuyasha. The boy from my childhood... the man who had loved my sister. He hadn't just existed in my childish imagination. My whole 6 year old life hadn't just been something my brain had concocted in a dream. I hadn't just gotten into an accident and forgotten my real family who had abandoned me and had made up him in their stead, like everyone else believed. He was.. real.

I climbed up the thick roots, stumbling a bit, and stood before him. He looked even more real up close. But even though I could hear his breathing, and the slow steady beat of his heart, I was afraid. This might not be real, this might be a dream. He could fade away like so many times before, and then I would wake in my room crying, my hands reaching out into the darkness for the feel of his hand around mine once more.

I gazed over his face, trying to sketch this perfect image in my mind so I wouldn't forget. This was the most vivid dream I had ever had.. I couldn't forget it.

I slowly lifted my hand to brush a strand of silver hair from his face, but hesitated. So many times before he had disappeared.. I was afraid I would lose him again, that he might disappear into the darkness if I wasn't careful. But.. even if this wasn't real.. I needed the closure that I had tried.. that I had tried not to forget. I didn't have to think of them anymore and I could go back home.. but I had to know if he was real, that he did exist somewhere.

I brushed the strand of hair away, and my hand tingled where it had touched him. He was real, the slightly warmer temperature of his half immortal body told me so. I lifted my hands to the small silver dog ears on his head and held them between my thumb, index and middle finger. I caressed them between them and smiled to myself. Just as I had remembered, they felt like fuzzy velvet. The longer I stood here the more it felt like it was reality. That was something that I wanted to believe with all my heart.

"You! What are you doing over there?" The voice of a human male shattered the silence. Five arrows whizzed past and pierced the truck of the Goshinboku inches from Inuyasha's body, making me scream. "This land is forbidden!"

"Hold your fire, Kaito!" Another voice shouted, "It's only a young woman.. Are you a foreigner?"

I turned around to face them, my voice caught in my throat. What?

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

"She was in the forbidden forest?"

"It be a young girl in strange clothing.. "

All around me, villagers talked amongst themselves as I sat on the dusty earth. My hands and feet were bound by thick, coarse rope. They pointed and stared at me like I was some freak animal in a zoo.

"Oi! Idiots! You didn't have to tie me up! I'm perfectly capable of sitting in one place!" I shouted, struggling to break free.

"Could she be a spy?"

"Could it be war again?"

"A kitsune in disguise, perhaps..?" The villagers ignored my protests and continued talking amongst themselves. Stupid.. Arrogant people.. I looked far from dangerous! How could they even think I was out to make war!

"Clear the way! Miko Kaede-sama has arrived."

Miko? An old woman limped forward through the crowd, using her bow as a crutch. She wore the traditional miko clothing and one of her eyes were covered with a black patch.

There was something familiar about her.. But I couldn't figure out exactly what that was..

The woman gazed over me with a hard look in her eye. I stared back trying to be just as intimidating. A young man stepped beside her holding a small jar and she opened a chubby wrinkled hand and grabbed a handful of its contents.

"Yokai begone!" she commanded. She raised her hand and whipped some sort of dust into my face. I cringed as it fell into my eyes, making them burn.

"S-stop it!" I shouted, my eyes watering, "I'm not a yokai!"

"Are ye not?" she asked. She dropped the rest of the dust into the jar and clutched her bow. "Then why were you found in the forbidden forest? Why have ye's eyes gone red if ye are not a yokai?"

"Well you just threw dirt into them obviously!" I snapped, rubbing my face on my shoulders, "Anyone's eyes would water!"

She watched me with a suspicious look and the young man beside her bent down to her ear. "She could be a spy.." he whispered.

"I'm not.." I grumbled.

"If she was she would be a fool," the miko said, "no one would invade such a poor village as ours."

I looked around. She was right. A vaguely familiar village was falling apart. Roofs were full of holes and huts were half demolished. An image of a thriving green village flashed before my eyes and I bit my lip. What had happened to this place?

"Hn..?" I looked back toward the miko as she took a few steps toward me. Surprise and curiosity was now etched through her deep wrinkles.
"Let me see your face more clearly.." she demanded, gripping my chin between her thumb and index finger. She pulled my head this way and that, snapping at me furiously.

I glared at her, trying to keep my mouth shut. Who was this old hag yanking me around with her dirty hands! She twisted my head again to the point where it cricked and I hissed. "Ugh, get your hands off me! Who do you think you are? Doing stuff like that!"

The woman let go of my face and took a step back, her wise chocolate eye watching me intently. "You resemble.." she said, "Kaori, my younger sister."

°°•. .•°ღ°•. .•°°

"Ye may not remember but our older sister, Kikyo, was a miko who protected over this village..." Kaede explained, as she spooned stew into a wooden bowl.

We had moved from outside and were now sitting in the hut that used to be my house. She had been explaining my sister, Inuyasha, my life before I fell through the well. Of course I remembered but it was mostly a blur. The only thing that was clear in my mind was the day of Kikyo's death..

"It has been 50 years since that day," she murmured, handing the bowl over to me.

I took a sip and then sighed. "A lot has changed since then.."

Kaede looked at me, her eyes searching. "Aye, it has.. but I do wonder, why have you aged only to a young woman instead of a old lady, like myself?"

"I guess the well took me a little bit further than it took me back. I've only aged 10 years," I replied.. and if the times are ever changing.. will I ever get back to Tokyo?

Suddenly a loud, blood curdling scream echoed through the village, making my heart lurch in fear. Kaede jumped up at a alarming speed for her age and ran to the door. I followed quickly behind her. Something horrible was happening outside and my curiosity got the better of me. I tripped over my feet and tumbled outside. A large black stallion landed just a few inches away from my face, its gut torn open and bleeding.

I was on my feet in an instant, trying not to look at the helpless creature. I turned my gaze to the rooftops to see the centipede yokai from the well, rise into the air, her mouth covered in blood.

The villagers ran from her, covering their heads, protecting them from the falling debris.

"Mo-Mono no ke!" A man shouted, running with his family from the village.

The yokai snapped her head toward me, and an eerie hiss erupted from her lips. "Give me the Shikon No Tama!" she screeched.

Kaede pushed me out of the way as she lunged throwing herself into the monster's path, I grabbed onto her kimono, pulling her with me as we both only missed her attack by mere inches. I helped her up and pulled her behind the stables, away from the chaos.

"The.." she wheezed, trying to catch her breath, "The Shikon No Tama? You.. are carrying it!"

"Yes, fortunately.." I said, staring at the yokai ahead, "Or maybe unfortunately.."

The sound of people screaming, huts breaking, the sound of ripping flesh, was something I had hoped never to hear again. "Stay here, hidden, safe. I'll be back" I said then ran from the stables.

"Kaori!"

I had to drive this yokai back to the well that I came, so this destruction would stop. That was what we used to do when I was little, it must work now! It was my fault after all. If I hadn't gone into the well house like Souta said then none of this would be happening and I would be at home eating cake and ice cream, enjoying my birthday!

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" The yokai's sinister voice yelled from behind me. I didn't look back. I was going to die, and I was going to fail my sister's dying wish. She didn't want me to come back.. She wanted me to stay in the place where there are no yokai until I could find a way to rid the world of the jewel's evil. I knew she wanted that and now it was all over!

I blinked back tears, and my vision burred. I'm such an.. idiot.. Suddenly I tripped over my feet and fell into a large bush, hitting my head against the hard ground. I felt the yokai's body rushed over me, and I knew if I hadn't tripped, death would have fallen upon me in mere seconds.

"What are you doing with that wimpy centipede opponent of yours?"

I looked up, startled and scared. Another yokai to kill me? But all I seen was the clearing I had been in only hours before.. Inuyasha, still in the pinned to the Goshinboku, the numerous arrows still stuck around his body, was awake, alive! But.. HE SHOULD BE DEAD!

"Settle this with a single blow, Kikyo.. Like when you killed me," he sneered. He thought I was Kikyo? But why? I didn't look anything like my older sister. My vision cleared and I noticed how dark it was now. I looked at my hair that surrounded me as I lay in the dirt, and it was too dark to tell it was light brown.

"Inuyasha.. " I got to my feet, running my hand along the pocket where the jewel was hidden. It was still there, good. "I don't know how you're alive, or even real at the moment.. but I'm not Kik-"

"It comes," he interrupted. I felt my heart lurch again and searched the surrounding forest, looking for any sign the yokai was near. She came from above. Her arms reached out to grab me and I tried my best to get away from her grasp. I fell to my bottom and stared into death's pale face. But she suddenly froze, her fingers inches from me.

"Al.. Alright! Pull!" The village men stood at the edge of the tree line, holding coarse thick rope in their hands. The rope was attached to long iron spears, that jutted out from the centipede's back. I was grateful for their actions and happy that it came seconds before my death but, I already knew that their weak attempts to killing this monster, wouldn't be enough.

"Heh, I'm disappointed, Kikyo.. " Inuyasha sneered. I stood up again and climbed up the large roots that covered his body to be at eye level.

"Inuyasha, I'm not Kikyo. I'm-"

"Keh. Go stuff it! No girl smells this disgusting except.. " he stopped short, and leaned closer, sniffing me, "Hn? Kaori?"

"Thanks for telling me that I smell disgusting," I grumbled.

He ignored me and said, "I should have known, Kikyo's scent is much more pleasant.." he muttered.

"Ugh, why you!"

The sound of shouting men pierced the silence, and I felt the anger and colour drain from my face. I whipped around to see them falling to the ground, the rope burning their hands as the yokai reached her chalky pale hands toward me again. They grabbed my sweater and started pulling me back. Instinctively, my arms wrapped around Inuyasha's neck. "Wahh! Let go of me!"

"You let go of me!" he shouted in pain.

"Kaede-sama.. Inuyasha is.." I heard one of the fallen men shout in a panic behind me, and I heard my elder sister gasp.

"Inuyasha has awoken!"

"Give me the Shikon No Tama!" The centipede shouted.

"Shikon No Tama..?" Inuyasha murmured.

I stared up at him, his amber eyes locked upon the yokai in deep thought. She pulled again and my grip was lost. I felt the forest disappear below and my body was turned upwards toward the night sky.

I heard a rumbling below and sudden pain pierced my hips. I gasped, my black dots appearing before my eyes and looked down at my body.
The yokai had my waist snatched up in her fanged mouth and she tossed me effortlessly toward the ground. I cried out as my body smacked the dirt, blood gushing from my wound.

"Ahh! Something came from her body!"

"The Shikon No Tama!" I heard Kaede shout.

What! No! I quickly sat up and touched my pockets, my hand touched something hot and wet and I hissed in pain. The pocket was no longer there but my exposed wounded flesh.

I heard a tinkling and looked beside me. The jewel had landed just feet from where I sat. I crawled as best I could to get it, one hand holding my wound, trying to stop the blood.

"Kaori, give me the jewel!" Inuyasha demanded. I grabbed the Shikon No Tama and held it close to my body. I needed to keep it protected. At least for my sister's sake.

Suddenly something wrapped around me and I was pulled to the Goshinboku, dropping the jewel in shock. Inuyasha's body separated me from the hard tree but the thing that tightly squeezed my body, made it excruciatingly painful. I glanced behind me. It was the centipede. Her large bug-like body had wrapped around the Goshinboku and myself, threatening to snap me in two.

"Keh he he heh.." Her laughter, full of victory and menace, sent shivers down my spine. "I've heard that some hanyo brat, called Inuyasha or whatever, is after the Shikon No Tama.. is that you?"

Inuyasha growled, "Don't under estimate me, centipede jourou. When I fight seriously, someone like you is just small fry."

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with hope. "You have a plan!"

He looked down at me, not saying a word. I'm guessing no plan then..

"Can't move, can you? It looks as though your power is being sealed, isn't it?" The centipede chuckled. Oh great, I forgot about that part. The yokai bent down to pick up the glowing pink ball in the grass. "You just stay there and watch.. " She stuck out her tongue curled it around the jewel pulling it into her mouth.

"Ahh, crap!" Inuyasha shouted.

The yokai stared for a second her expression blank and waiting, then suddenly her chalky pale skin ripped off her to reveal a dark purple, spotted pink monster. Her eyes became large and bulged out from their sockets and I felt my stomach turn.

"How wonderful.. My full powers have returned!" She hissed. Gross! She's happy looking like that! She needs some serious plastic surgery!
The hold around my body and the tree suddenly became 10 times stronger. It became hard to breath and I felt like I would break any minute.

"Oi, Kaori," I looked up toward the big mouth. He wasn't looking at me but at the face of the yokai again. He seemed perfectly unharmed, isn't that wonderful! "This arrow, do you think you can pull it out?"

I eyed the arrow, the memory of how it got there flashing before my eyes. "I.. I'll try.."

"No! You must not pull it out!" I heard Kaede yell, "Inuyasha must not be freed, Kaori!"

"You half asleep, babaa?" Inuyasha snapped, "Do you want to become centipede bait! If that thing completely absorbs the Shikon No Tama.. It's over!" Inuyasha looked down at me, "How 'bout it, Kaori? You wanna die?"

This wasn't something I had to think twice about. Sure, I maybe betraying my elder sisters by dong what I was about to do but, then again, I had always been more loyal to this arrogant man than my own family. My hand grasped the arrow.

"Kikyo forgive me." I whispered and pulled. The arrow vanished in a pink light and my hand was left grasping the air.

A heart beat filled my ears. Low, deep, and loud. Inuyasha's body pulsed beneath me and I swallowed. What had I done..? He started to chuckle darkly under his breath and the centipede's body suddenly fell to pieces . Inuyasha, at a speed I had almost forgotten he had, shoved past me, jumped off the tree and landed in front of the yokai centipede.

"You brat..." she hissed.

Inuyasha flexed his claws and smirked at the hideous monster. "Come and get it, hag!" He lunged and golden energy blades flew from his claws, slicing the monster into pieces. Landing on both feet at the same time, pieces of the monster falling behind him, I was amazed.. He had that effect on me. I was constantly finding myself in awe by this creature. He was just so much more spectacular then us mere mortals..

The pieces of the monster's body started to tremble and I jumped to my feet. "You mean this isn't over?"

Kaede ran to my side, putting one hand on my shoulder, "Kaori, do you see a glowing piece of flesh? The Shikon No Tama should be inside that. If you do not remove it quickly, Mistress Centipede will revive again."

"Right.." I muttered and scanned the balls of flesh before me. I saw it. It was in a large piece of its bug-like body. "Over there..." I stumbled over to the piece and pulled out the jewel, still attached to my silver chain. The yokai's body then turned to dust and blew away with the wind.

I sighed in relief and looked at the jewel in the palm of my hand. "I forgot how much trouble this gave Kikyo.."

"Yes, trouble I'm sure you don't need."

I spun around to see Inuyasha stepping toward me cracking his knuckles. "So why don't you just be a good little girl, and hand over the jewel?"