InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Appearance of the Girl from Nowhere ❯ One-Shot

I have not seen many episodes of Inuyasha, so I'm not as well-versed as somebody who has. Adult Swim only showed so many episodes, so I have to play this by ear. No problem; I've written far more difficult stories. Oh, and don't worry if you've never played or heard of Suikoden. It's not a prerequisite J Also, bear in mind that this will be my first fan fiction using coarse language--but then again, it is Inuyasha…

APPEARANCE OF THE GIRL FROM NOWHERE

By Al Kristopher

Kagome was off in another world as she stared out the window into the rainy world surrounding the wooden house. The heavy fall of rain and occasional blast of thunder, coupled with the rich scent of wood and mud, were the only reminders to her that she was ever in a shelter at all. At her feet was Shippo, snoring gently, and leaning against the corner of the shack was Miroku, his staff cradled in his arms as always. Sango was nestled in a sleeping bag with Kilala curled up nearby, and as usual, Inuyasha was wide awake, staring at the fire that kept them warm. Kagome was the only other person awake, but only because she couldn't sleep.

The weather outside kept her awake.

It felt familiar to her somehow, the scene she was witness to. There was a similarity in the sound of falling droplets, and shattering thunder, and blinding lightning. Her thoughts traveled to the image of a Valkyrie, claiming the soul of a fallen warrior atop a high plateau in the rain. This battle-maiden, wise and beautiful, seemed melancholy as she guided the fallen warrior into her arms, towards Valhalla or else a more pressing issue on Midgard. The rain reminded her of that scene, a scene birthed from her own imagination, and a lack of activity thanks to the rain.

It had gone on for three days now. No matter; there was no terrible rush to attain all the shards of the Shikkon jewel. She had a plentiful amount with her already, and it would not make much sense to hurry out in the rain and risk life and limb just for a few more. Even Inuyasha had patience.

---------------

The next day was met with sun, but a milky sky above foretold that the rain had not been defeated just yet. It was a chilly morning, full of fog that clouded the land, and a feeling of cold emptiness. Kagome, who had slowly slipped into sleep the other night, was rubbing her eyes wearily as she walked with her comrades. There was just not a spark in her step that morning, not that anything bad or traumatizing had happened recently. Maybe it was just the weather.

A raven sang out overhead, and thin billows of smoke rose up into the air like ghosts. It was eerily quiet, even with the footfalls of the six companions. Inuyasha was on alert, but even his senses didn't pick up anything. The further they all walked, the more anxiety began to pile up. Sango's face expressed uneasiness and tension, and her fingers expressed the same as they drifted casually around her massive weapon. Miroku's eyes shifted in search of hidden dangers, but there was nothing at all.

"This is strange," murmured Shippo as he ambled ahead of Kagome. "There's not a sound… I don't hear anything, not even a cricket or a bird… Do you hear anything, Inuyasha?" The half-demon shook his head, one hand carefully resting on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. There was no immediate danger to report, but even he thought that…

"Look," said Miroku calmly, "there is somebody up ahead. They appear to be by themselves. Do you think it might be odd that a person would be out in the middle of nowhere all alone?"

"Maybe," muttered Inuyasha. "I guess we're gonna find out, since we're going in that direction." As the group neared the person, Sango could get a better look at him. He was quite tall and muscular, even for a human, and stood remarkably still. His back was turned, so nobody could see his face, but they could make out a flowing evergreen mantle over his shoulders, and a head of bright fiery hair on his head that snaked down past his shoulders in a bristly tail. A uniquely-made sword sheath hung on his back, and from the looks of it, the weapon itself was long and massive.

"Excuse us, kind traveler, but might we inquire why you are journeying out here all by yourself?" asked Miroku in his most diplomatic voice. The stranger turned around slowly, revealing a stony, stoic face with burning eyes powerful enough to burrow through rock. It had various signs of age on it, evident from more than a few wrinkles, but no weakness seemed to be paired up with it. The man had a bushy mustache as red as his hair, and clothes completely different than the usual Japanese style.

The man frowned at the monk and gave no response. Instead, he turned right back around and slowly raised his sword in the air. It was a perfectly-made weapon, completely straight and solid as the finest steel--a double-edged iron broadsword, an extreme rarity in those lands. With a delicious song of metal, it slowly sank into its sheath, and with that, the man left them without saying a word.

"Hey! Are you deaf or something?!" shouted Inuyasha. "What's your business here, old man?" Before the half-demon could take a step, however, Miroku laid a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"I don't think it's really any of our business, Inuyasha," he said. "A man like that needs not answer to anyone."

"Oh yeah? And just what makes you an expert?" he growled. As always, Miroku answered calmly.

"My studies."

"…Huh?"

"Yes… I do believe that my studies enabled me to discern the origins of that man, as well as his purpose."

"What do you mean? How can you know that already?" asked Sango. Miroku paused to clear his throat before explaining.

"Well, unless I'm mistaken, that was not a Japanese sword. It was made in a land very far from here, to the distant west--the Celtic lands, I'd say."

"The what?"

"You mean like England and Ireland?" said Kagome, the only one of the group who knew what he was talking about. Miroku glanced over at her and shrugged.

"It sounds like you know what I'm talking about, so I'll say yes. I could tell because that type of sword is definitely not made in Japan, and his clothing, appearance, and even his hair are definitely not of this land. I'm only making a guess as to his origin, but I bet I'm not far off the mark." He stopped speaking, but began again, except in his own mind.

"You also said you knew why he was here," noted Sango. "Is he a traveler or a trader?"

"If he were, he'd be laden with supplies, and he'd be in a group," answered the monk. "If I know my traders, they rarely stray from their traveling parties, and they would never carry a weapon so heavy. Also, I'll chance that if he were here on that sort of business, he would have understood our language, or an interpreter would be with him--otherwise, it would be impossible to make any transactions."

"Well, he could just be rude," offered Shippo. Miroku agreed.

"Yes, perhaps, but my theory is probably more correct. A man like that who travels a great distance and is all by himself…… I may be wrong, but I think he must have been hired to perform a more physical duty here, such as protection or destruction."

"Looks like you study quite a bit," remarked a slightly-impressed Kagome. Miroku nodded his head humbly.

"Do you really want to know why I came here?" The voice rumbled out of the distance ahead of them, where the unknown traveler had went off into, so it could only be assumed that it came from him. The group looked over and saw the tall man standing there ahead of them, his body partially turned and his face still ablaze.

"Well, it's probably none of our business…"

"No, it is not," he stated firmly, in a voice much like the thunders that had raged not too long ago. "But if you truly insist, I will obligate myself to tell you."

"Okay, so he's just rude," muttered Inuyasha, taking a few steps forward. "Anyway, we're all curious, and we don't have anything better to do, so why don't you entertain us for awhile?" The stoic man of fiery eyes and hair remained silent, keeping his watch on Inuyasha for a long time. He was plainly angry, though his face didn't show it, but eventually he talked.

"I was hired to come here to collect the fragments of the Shikkon jewel."

"You WHAT??"

"Yes, you heard me correctly. I already have five, though they were all hard to find. I don't suppose your group knows of any more?"

"We're collecting shards ourselves," said Kagome. She reached for the jewel necklace around her nape and showed the chunk that was in her possession. "See, we already have a few."

A pause. There appeared to be no greed or want in the man's eye, just a careful observation.

"…I see. I don't suppose you'll give those to me?"

"Ha! Not on your life, pal!" scoffed Inuyasha. The muscular man became silent again for awhile.

"Hm, I see. Well then, maybe we'll meet again sometime." And just like that, he started down the path again, except in the opposite direction that Kagome and the others had been following. Of course, Inuyasha was not about to just let him go.

"Hey, hold it there, pal!" he exclaimed, grabbing the man's green mantle. "I'm not just gonna let you leave with those jewels!!"

"Why not?" retorted the man. "I let you leave." For that, Inuyasha growled deeply, and tightened his grip on the man's clothes.

"Why you…" The half-demon launched a punch, but the taller man quickly turned around and blocked the attack with his palm. Before Inuyasha knew what was going on, he could feel an immense pain in his hand, and as he let out a howling scream, he could feel his own bones being slowly bent out of proportion.

"I suggest you do not do something so belligerent," said the man calmly as he crushed Inuyasha's hand. "I have no desire to fight any of you. I have other business to attend to, so I will let you pass safely. Do not think of following me, or else it will be more than a mere bruised hand that I inflict upon you." With that, he shoved the poor howling Inuyasha away from him, and continued to walk away as casually as ever. Inuyasha, however, was almost in tears because of the unexpected pain.

"Damn it! How can a stupid human be that strong?! He nearly snapped my bones to pieces!!" The half-demon scowled and clenched his teeth mercilessly as he nursed his poor bruised hand, and as always, Kagome had something "pleasant" to say to him.

"Well it serves you right for throwing the first punch! Okay, so maybe he went too far, but you didn't need to do that, either! Here, let me take a look at it!" She grabbed his hand rather quickly (making the poor guy scream again) and gently poked at his hand. The nameless wanderer had indeed inflicted damage, but it was little more than a big bruise. Not a single bone was broken, though they had suffered under such strain.

"YEEAAAOOOWWWW!!!!!"

"Oh, stop complaining!" shouted Kagome over Inuyasha's screams and foul curses. "It didn't get hurt that bad! Here, hold still!!"

"OW!! That hurts, damn it! Let go of my hand!"

"I can't help you if you don't stop moving!"

"I don't need your frickin' help!!" argued a rabid halfling. Kagome took in a deep breath and gave Inuyasha a powerful glare before pulling out her trump card.

"SIT!!"

KER-PLUNK!! Sango winced as the poor creature fell to the floor, but she also had to admit that it was always entertaining to see her friend snap the whip every once in awhile. Miroku said nothing and was content to let it be like that.

"There, that's better! Now, just hold still for a little while longer…"

---------------

With Inuyasha's hand more or less in good shape, the group continued their journey. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo walked ahead of the squabbling duo, content to be in the company of each other versus that of Inuyasha and Kagome. They could still hear them screaming to each other about his injured hand, though they tried not to.

"It seems that it is no longer a race between ourselves and Narakku for the shards of the jewel," observed the monk. "Though I have heard of many rumors about other seekers, I didn't expect to see one who came so far. Sango, what do you think of it?" The beautiful demon-slayer marching beside him gazed down at the path and answered slowly.

"His purpose here may be for good," she whispered. "Remember that he did not engage us in battle over the shards. I could tell that… if he desired it, he could have defeated us and taken ours…"

"But he did not ask to join us in our search," murmured the monk thoughtfully. "So far, every one of us have been looking for the jewels or else trying to destroy Narakku. If he truly was on our side, then why--"

"Well maybe he's the kind of guy who likes to be alone?" offered Shippo in his usual childish way. "Or maybe he just wanted to make things fair. But, I dunno…"

"Regardless," said Sango, her voice and pace picking up, "it really is none of our business. Whoever that was, he chose to not be an obstacle. The least we could do is to extend the same courtesy and continue on our own search."

"Agreed." A pleasant silence overcame the two, in theory. Inuyasha and Kagome were still screaming at each other, but by that time, the others had drowned them out. Suddenly, a shriek came from the boy, straight from the ego and rage that Kagome had struck so hard. Miroku and Sango noticed their friend walking past them a moment later, an impatient look on her face.

"Hey! Come back here! What the hell did you mean by that?!" Miroku mentally counted, Three, two, one…

"SIT, BOY!"

KER-PLUNK!! A pause.

"Hmph! Maybe that ought to teach you to be a little more grateful and a little less angry about other people helping you! It's not a sign of weakness or anything!" And just like that, Kagome walked ahead of the group, with Sango and Miroku watching her in amazement.

"I wonder what that was about…?" she whispered. Miroku closed his eyes and followed behind the irritated young lady.

"Like we both said, it's none of our business."

----------

The path ended in wilderness, where a plain of lush grass and shivering trees greeted the travelers. The sky had turned from white to gray, and the storm that seemingly died that morning looked to be coming back for more. The landscape was not without populace, however, as no sooner did the six travelers climb a tall hill did they spy a trio of serpentine demons slithering around.

"Ugh!" grimaced Kagome as she saw the hideous beings. "Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?"

"Huh! They don't look so tough!" snorted Inuyasha. "We don't need to waste our time with these freaks!"

"Avoiding a battle for once does indeed sound like a refreshing change," agreed Miroku. The half-demon wheeled around and glared at his companion.

"Who said anything about avoiding a battle? Are you callin' me a coward?"

"No, I am simply saying that it may do us some good if we don't get involved in anything unnecessary." Inuyasha gave Miroku a demon's grin and turned his focus back onto the giant serpents.

"Huh… we'll see about that. Kagome, do you sense any jewel fragments?"

"Hold on, let me see…" The dark-haired young lady, bearing unnatural powers that had been latent for fifteen years, concentrated hard into the blackened fields where the serpents slithered. She felt nothing at first, but eventually caught the tug of a jewel shard, some distance away.

"I can sense one, but it's awfully far away," she pointed. "None of those other demons have it, but it would just be our luck that they're protecting the one that does."

"I knew it!" growled Inuyasha happily. He freed Tetsusaiga from its prison and held the enormous sword in front of him, ready to butcher the snakes with his insatiable demon bloodlust. The speedy half-human leaped ahead of the group, screaming obscenities as always as he plowed through the monsters. Miroku sighed.

"Well, so much for avoiding an unnecessary battle…"

Kagome's dread of fighting against the demonic snakes grew as they discovered that they would be going up against not three, but six of the beasts instead, excluding the one that bore the shard of the Shikkon jewel inside its forehead. Luckily, the monsters were not unstoppable, as Inuyasha had already split one of them in half by the time Kagome came to the scene.

Sango was already mounted on the fiery Kilala, the look of a true warrior burned in her piercing eyes as she rained down on one of the demons. A toss of her enormous boomerang cleaved off scales like a razor shaving hair; on its return journey, the aggravated monster snapped back at her, missing by a breath. Sango caught her weapon and hurled it again, sending it whirling towards the throat of the one who brushed by her. With a single cut, there was no longer any throat for the snake to boast about…

She then landed, and split apart from her loyal companion to fight on the ground. Kilala galloped towards Shippo, who was occupied with saving his own life. The poor little fox was nearly helpless against the enormous serpents, and could only scurry from their jaws. The creatures, like their more natural counterparts, seemed intent on having the little boy for their supper. Kilala rushed in and tackled one of the creatures as it dove its hungry mouth towards Shippo, sending it lurching backwards and awash with flame.

"Whew! Thanks, Kilala!" gasped Shippo. He quickly hopped on the fire-cat for added safety, and clung on tight as she charged towards another demon. Miroku was keeping one at bay, having jammed his staff into the gaping mouth of a monster just before it could snap its jaws shut. The beast's open mouth had a nauseating smell to it, one which Miroku dared not to inhale, but that only left it vulnerable for one of Kagome's arrows. She fired straight into the monster's vulnerable esophagus, shredding its insides to pieces and destroying it in a single painful and disgusting wave.

Miroku decided to wait for awhile before he retrieved his staff from the leftover goo.

With less than half their number decimated, the snakes regrouped and called out their big patriarch, a huge arch-demon large enough to crush a village in its coils, and powerful enough to shatter boulders with a flick of its razor-tail. The ground around it had withered and burned away from the mere touch of the creature's scaly skin, and the flames it spat were of no help in the offense against it.

"Anybody up for snake stew tonight?" growled Inuyasha happily. Kagome didn't shine to the idea, especially considering just where the supper would be coming from. She merely kept the other creatures busy, as per the halfling's hasty instructions. Inuyasha charged the demon head-on and got a face full of fire along the way; the blood and flesh of a slaughtered serpent was Sango's reward for battle tactics.

"Only about three left," she mentioned to whomever listened. She quickly turned around and let her weapon fly relentlessly, narrowly missing a nimble monster. Miroku made up for the disappointment, and slammed his naked right hand right on the monster's scales.

"Wind tunnel!" The monk's black hole slurped up the snake like it was a strand of spaghetti, and was closed with a satisfying belch as Miroku covered it back up again. Shippo and Kilala were keeping the last one busy, so everybody turned around and became spectators to Inuyasha's battle.

The half-demon was putting up a powerful front, but the huge snake-beast with the Shikkon jewel shard embedded in its forehead was no pushover. Its speed enabled even its massive body to slither out of Tetsusaiga's slicing range, and the powerful muscles in its body needed only to grab Inuyasha once and he would be lost. Added onto that, whenever the boy did strike, the demon's scaly hide was so thick and rough that the powerful sword merely scratched it, and little more.

"Damn!" snarled the half-demon as he landed on the ground. His last attack barely scarred the monster's neck, and although it was howling in pain, the monster was more annoyed than injured. It snapped its tail at Inuyasha like a scorpion would, flinging a razor blade again and again towards his red cloak. Inuyasha could leap and swerve away, but a single hit would slice him in half--the ground was already scarred.

"Be careful, Inuyasha!" exclaimed Kagome. The half-demon gave her a wicked snarl.

"Humph! Easy for you to say! Why don't you come over here and help me, you worthless girl?"

"Huh? Oh, right…" Temporarily forgetting her weaponry, Kagome quickly strung an arrow and let it fly at the beast. It ricocheted off the Shikkon jewel, a perfect shot and a debilitating one at that, but the monster went berserk after being struck and lashed its deadly tail furiously. Inuyasha was struck by the uncontrollable apparatus as he tried to fly away, thankfully by the muscular part and not the blade, and flew a good distance.

"Ugh! Nice shot," he muttered bitterly as he landed. Kagome gave him a sheepish squeal, and prepared to fire another. She strung her bow and aimed carefully, but before she could make the pull, a sudden flash of light overcame the cloudy skies. A scream came out of the air, and suddenly a person of all things came plummeting out of the air! The person fell directly on the snake's head, knocking it senseless and ceasing its berserk attack. Everybody gasped in awe at the sight, but only Inuyasha kept his head.

"Don't just stand there looking like a bunch of stuffed fish! Finish him off!!"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Together, Kagome and Sango let their weapons fly, both successfully striking the monster in the neck, where Inuyasha had previously cut it. It was decapitated instantly, and reduced to a puddle of rich, thick, gooey black slime.

"Ugh, what a smell!" groaned Sango as she filtered her nose with her sleeve. Inuyasha voiced his distaste as well. Meanwhile, a curious Kagome crept close to the remains of the big demon, searching for the jewel and their sudden savior.

"K-Kagome…?"

"I'm trying to look for the jewel shard," she said to Shippo. And that person who saved us as well… Using her unique ability to sense for the jewels, Kagome scanned through the stinking slime until she focused on a single point, where both their savior and the jewel rested.

The poor girl was absolutely drenched in monster slime. Yuck.

"Oh no! Are you all right?" Kagome rushed over to the girl, taking care not to get too much waste on her clothes. It was impossible to see the girl completely in all the slime, but her general outline stood out because she was holding the jewel shard--and her face, unlike the rest of her body, was completely untouched.

"Oh!! What in the world am I doing here?" exclaimed the muddy girl in surprise. "Where is this, anyway? And what's this weird crystal I have? Oh, gosh, I'm really a mess!!"

"Are you all right?" asked Kagome again as she knelt down to check on the girl. By the time she started talking, everybody else was crowding around as well, curious as to who this was and what she was doing.

"Huh? What? Oh, hello!" greeted the girl with a cheery smile. "Ah, oh yes, I guess I'm okay, except my bottom hurts from falling, and I guess I must've landed in a mud puddle this time. It's strange, but I never know when or where I'll pop up!!"

Kagome couldn't help but look confused.

"Huh?"

"But at least this time, I didn't land in the men's bath…" More than confused by this point, Kagome slowly rose to her feet and gave the young lady a good stare. Even with the slime, she was an awfully cute girl, with clear bluish-gray eyes and a face full of innocence and wonder. She was a little on the skinny side, though, and carried with her a long scepter with what seemed to be a crystal embedded on the tip. Inuyasha's sharp eyes noticed that an unusual mark was on the center of her forehead--not a jewel shard, but it radiated the same kind of otherworldly power.

"So, who's this?" he asked as he stood over her.

"That's right… we need to make introductions," whispered Sango. She offered the girl a friendly smile and helped her stand up. "My name is Sango."

"Shingo?"

"No, uh, Sango."

"Swain Go?"

"Uhh, Sango. SAN-GO."

"What? Did San go anywhere? Wait a minute, I don't even know anybody named San!"

"No, you don't understand!" exclaimed the poor demon-slayer, losing her patience. "My name… is SANGO, okay? Sango!"

"……OH!!! Oh, okay! Wow, that's a pretty name, Sandy!"

KER-PLUNK!! Nearly everybody fell over in a faint.

"Whoops! Uhh, it must be 'Sango' then! Sorry!"

"Glad you… got it right," murmured the poor girl wearily. "And you?" The other girl smiled cheerfully, and despite being covered in demon slime, she still managed to look adorable.

"My name's Viki, and I'm a Blink mage! That means that I specialize in teleportation!!"

"…Tele-what?" murmured a puzzled Miroku. The girl, the ecstatic Viki, smiled at him and shot her dripping arms out at him, successfully getting Shippo wet.

"Teleportation! It means that I can use magic to transport a person or object from one place to another, instantly! Watch! Here we go!" With a wave of her arms, Viki began to look a little fuzzy. Her left hand in particular glowed brightly, and before anybody could object, she had cast the spell with a piercing "SHAZAM!!"

With a tiny flash of light, Miroku completely vanished from sight. The eyeballs in everybody's skulls bugged out tremendously as their companion disappeared, and more than one person screamed.

"Aah, Miroku! He… he's gone!" wailed poor Shippo. He pounced on Viki despite her slime, and brandished his little arms and legs in her face fiercely. "Aah, what did you do to him? What did you do? Where's Miroku, where is he? Bring him back, bring him back, bring him--"

"Aww, you're such an adorable little boy!" squealed Viki suddenly. She gave Shippo a hug and rubbed her cheek against his hair, giggling gently. Poor Shippo didn't know what to make of it, but Kagome took charge and made demands.

"All right, that was a neat trick, but where is he? Bring him back, Viki! Where did you zap him off to?" Viki stopped snuggling with Shippo long enough to think about it, and though her face scrunched up in a cute quandary, the answer she gave was not so pleasant.

"Uhh, gee, well, I think I know where I sent him… buuuuut… thing is… I, uh, have no way of bringing him back here, since my magic only works one-way…"

"You WHAT??"

"Aahh, don't yell at me!" wailed the poor girl. "It isn't my fault, honest! All teleport spells work that way! The only way I can reach him is if I teleported myself after him!"

"Then what are you waiting for?!"

"Do you really want her to answer that question?" muttered Inuyasha as he crossed his arms. "I gotta admit, it's a whole lot more quiet here without him…"

"URGH!! That is such a cruel thing to say!"

"Yes, don't say such bad things about your friend!" agreed Viki, giving him her angriest look (though even this was cute). "Here, I can find him again. Do you all want to come?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea," said the ever-wise Sango. "No offense, but it just doesn't look safe."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that!" assured Viki with a bright smile. "I've teleported literally hundreds of people before! This is no problem for me! Heeeeeeeere we go!"

"Wait!!" But before Sango or anybody else could stop her, Viki had already cast the spell and sent everybody into an unknown destination. Unbeknownst to them, however, they left the jewel shard behind, where it was quickly found by a tall, middle-aged man with fiery hair, who thanked his gut feeling that he had followed the travelers.

So… that girl can sense the location of jewel shards, eh…?

--------------------

One hour passed. The group did indeed find Miroku, and thankfully, he was quite safe and sound. Viki's aim had been spectacular (according to her), and he had merely been sent a few miles into the distance, in the middle of a forest. Once the crew reunited with him, it was decided that Viki needed a wash, since her body and clothes had been saturated from the serpent's remains. Sango and Kagome weren't exactly in their freshest conditions either, so they joined the unusual girl in the closest pool. Miroku, for the record, bathed alone elsewhere.

"So… Viki, was it?" began Kagome in her friendliest voice. The girl smiled and nodded. Without so much goo all over her, she was actually a rather pretty thing, with hair as long and dark as Kagome's, except just a bit messier, and silvery-blue eyes that radiated with wonder and innocence. Her clothing was making its best attempt to wash and dry elsewhere; it looked like nothing either girl had ever seen before.

"Where is it that you come from, Viki?" asked Kagome. The young woman thought about it for awhile before answering.

"Uhh, well, everywhere, I guess… I mean I came from somewhere in Zexen or Grassland… Buddy-hack Castle, I think it was called. But that was the last place I've been in until I got here." Both Sango and Kagome exchanged curious glances, both rather confused.

"I've never heard of any of those places," admitted Sango softly. She asked Kagome, but the other woman didn't have a clue either. "Well, why did you come here, then? Do you have any family here?"

"No, I don't think so," answered Viki. "I kinda came here by accident. Usually, when I arrive anywhere, it's to participate in something really important, like a war or cooking contest. One time, I was asked to be in a play! And another, I helped chase Lotte's cat around! That little rascal sure was slippery!" Viki giggled amidst the confused looks of Sango and Kagome, who unanimously decided it would be in their best interest not to ask.

"I'll bet!" murmured the latter, giving a watery smile. "Anyway, you already know Sango. Shippo was the little guy you were hugging. He can be a brat sometimes, but he's cool. My name is Kagome."

"Uhh, Kelgrade?"

"…Uhh, no, Kagome."

"Kelbeross?"

"Kagome. KA-GO-ME." Said girl began to feel a bit of déjà vu.

"Ruroni? Oh, hey, wow, maybe you know Mr. Kenshin!!"

"No, I don't!" screamed the poor girl. "Just call me Kagome, that's it!"

"OOOHHH, Kagome! Oh, okay! Well, that's an easy name to remember!"

If the girls weren't halfway submerged in water, they would have fainted from shock.

"Uhh, yeah…" Viki giggled and splashed the water around playfully. Though she was only a year older than Kagome, she oftentimes acted even more childish than Shippo. She was a mystery, appearing out of nowhere and spouting off random nonsense, but there was definitely more to her than just that. The strange mark on her forehead radiated a mysterious aura…

"So what about the others? Who were those two cute guys with you?"

"I wouldn't exactly call either one of them cute," sighed Sango. "The one in red with long white hair is Inuyasha. The other one is the lesser of two evils, Miroku, though not by much."

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Viki. Sango let out a weary sigh and told the innocent girl about the lecher they all knew and endured.

"Well, Miroku's a pretty nice guy until you get to know him… or should I say, until he gets to know you. To put things simply, he…"

"He has a bad habit of putting his moves on other women," interjected Kagome. "His hand has a mind of its own."

"Oh, like Lord Sheena?" offered a confused Viki. "Meg was always telling me that he put moves on women, and Apple once said that he had very quick hands. Do you think there's a similarity?"

"Sounds like it," said Sango to Kagome. She agreed.

"Anyway, Viki, do you have like a place to stay or something?"

"No, probably not," answered the childish girl. "I mean, unless you're offering…" Sango and Kagome glanced at each other again, and considered their options. Viki didn't exactly strike them as the type who would be good on an adventure, but then again, it would be heartless of them to leave her all alone. They both came to this very conclusion, and chose the more charitable solution: to take the girl with them, at least until they could find a good place for her to stay.

"Really?" she squealed. "You mean it?!"

"Sure! One more person on the road might cheer things up! Besides, there's already enough testosterone to go around!"

"What's that?" asked both Viki and Sango. Kagome's face became flushed with embarrassment.

"Uhh, nothing, nothing… Don't worry about it…"

---------------

And so, on a rather impromptu note, Viki joined the crew on their quest for the shards of the Shikkon jewel. Once cleaned, dried, and dressed, she formally introduced herself to the boys: one of whom received her coldly, the other happily, and the other…

"Eep!" Viki leaped into the air as she felt a gentle pinch on her bottom. Unfortunately, the poor sweet girl was clueless as to who did it. "Hey, something pinched my bottom! Would you people know what it could be?"

"Haven't the faintest idea…" murmured Miroku, trying his best to look innocent. Both Sango and Kagome gave him a glare.

"Maybe it was just a lecherous young monk in the area!!" shouted the latter. Miroku took a cautious step backwards, leaving poor Viki as confused as ever.

"Huh? Monk? What do you mean?"

"…Nothing," sighed Kagome wearily. "Anyway, let's get going."

"Right. …Hey, aren't we supposed to have an extra jewel shard lying around?"

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?"

"I mean there's supposed to be an extra shard around here, from the snake demons we slew. So what happened to it?" Kagome needed only to think for a second before she came up with the answer.

"Oh no! I think we accidentally left it behind when Viki teleported us!" She covered her mouth in horror; Inuyasha merely growled as his eyes twitched.

"…Then maybe we can ask her to take us back there, if it's not too much of a problem." The sound of his voice was dark and fiery, and it was obvious that he was using every bit of restraint just to keep his anger in check. The group glanced over at Viki, oblivious from the world as she stared at a butterfly.

"…Uhh, miss Viki?"

"Huh? What? Whaa?? Uhh, yes! What? You need me for something?"

"Yes," replied a patient Miroku. "I respectfully request that you take us to the area where we first saw you, the place with all the snakes."

"Oh, okay! Are we starting our journey yet?"

"We are indeed," replied the monk. Viki gave him an adorable smile, and told everybody to gather around together. Having already teleported once, the group of six knew just what to expect as their adorable but clueless ally began to chant.

"SHAZAM!!"

"Well, this is the area…" murmured Sango. She was following Kilala, who was following the dim scent of jewels. It was hard even for Inuyasha to pick up anything, since the stink of rotting demon slime still hung proudly in the air. Kagome was looking everywhere, especially in the midst of the still-thick slime. Though she hated getting her clothes messy again (especially after a bath), it was probably the best place to be looking.

Viki had been the last one that actually saw the jewel shard. She foraged around as best she could, using her long scepter to sift through the ground in search of the jewel. It was getting to be a dark day, what with the thick clouds of rain assembling in the sky to let loose their fury. Even though it was nearly noon, the skies were already black, making it hard for anybody to see well.

"I don't think it's here," said Viki. "I do remember holding a pretty crystal in this exact area, but after that, I lost it. Something must have picked it up while we were gone…"

"That would just ruin our day…" murmured Shippo nervously. Viki smiled at the little fox and patted his head.

"Aww, don't worry, little boy! I'm sure we'll be able to find it again!"

"I wouldn't count on that," muttered Inuyasha uneasily. Viki looked over at him and asked why. "I picked up a new scent in the area, one that was still fresh in my mind. It belongs to that man in green we saw earlier."

"He said that he was looking for the Shikkon jewels as well!" exclaimed Sango. "Do you think…?"

"It's almost a guarantee that he took the jewel shard," said Miroku quietly. His voice was thick with concentration, his eyes set into the distance. "However," he added, "I do not think we should follow him. If he extended the courtesy of leaving us with our jewels, then--"

"Screw his courtesy!" snapped Inuyasha, giving the air a good swipe. "I say we hunt him down and rip the jewels from his cold dead hands!"

"That doesn't sound very nice!" exclaimed a shocked Viki, stumbling a bit as she rejoined the others. Inuyasha gave her a cruel laugh, and slowly walked in the direction his nose told him to go. Kagome, who had known him the longest, let out a weary sigh.

"Don't mind him," she whispered to Viki. "He's always been like that. He wouldn't change to save his life."

"Oh. I see." Viki carefully contemplated what she had heard as the others filed past her, and would have stayed in that position forever if Shippo hadn't called out for her.

"Viki, we're leaving!"

"Huh? Huh? Oh, uh, wait for me! I'm coming, I'm coming!!"

----------

Sango felt herself experiencing what Kagome called "déjà vu" as she and Kilala followed Inuyasha. The trail he took was almost identical to the one they were on before, except in the opposite direction. The half-demon claimed that he was following the scent of the man in green--and rather fiercely, at that, considering how their first encounter was like. He was also hasty because the same man most likely took off with the Shikkon jewel shard that had been placed in one of the snake-demon's bodies; plus, he had five others in his possession.

Miroku wanted to assemble the jewel as badly as any of them, but he had been advising Inuyasha that the whole pursuit was a bad idea. Aside from his shred of "live and let live" policy, Miroku honestly believed that the mysterious man would be far too powerful for any of them. He had caused Inuyasha's hand a great deal of pain while seeming to exert little force at all, and the massive sword he carried around certainly wasn't a decoration. Of course, Inuyasha listened with deaf ears.

As the group traveled, Miroku took the time to get to know Viki better. He fancied himself a smooth talker and (on occasion) a skirt-chaser with exceptional taste, but unfortunately, the only people his charm had ever really worked on were either unattractive geishas, mediocre damsels, or those too clueless to understand him. Viki fell in the third category.

"You're so sweet, Mr. Miroku!" she squealed, giving his neck a hug. The monk only half-smiled at her actions. Sure, Viki was pretty and sweet, but she was utterly brainless and had the attention span of a two year-old. Miroku didn't know quite what to make of her, but a pretty girl clinging to him, no matter how ditzy, was better than none.

"Yes… Rest assured, my dear lady Viki, I would protect you from any danger we see, be it demon or monster, or ill-mannered townsperson. You shan't be in any danger with Miroku around." Viki gave the monk another cute squeal, and rubbed her glowing cheek up against his like a little puppy. Poor Miroku was beginning to question his decision; Sango and Kagome, however, were drinking it up.

"Looks like you finally found yourself a nice girlfriend there, Miroku!" teased Kagome. Sango chuckled and added to the jibes.

"Yes… the two of you would just be fabulous together!"

"Well, I, uhh…"

"I dunno," said Viki suddenly, her cute face staring off into the distance. "A lot of nice young men have liked me before in the past--and I've liked a few myself!"

"Really??" sang the two ladies. Viki smiled and nodded her head, immediately forgetting about poor Miroku.

"Oh, yes! I especially liked Lords Sasarai and Luc! Luc never returned my feelings, though… Oh, and I also liked the young master McDohl! I even sent him a love letter! Tee hee!" Viki grinned and blushed furiously, making her look too cute for words; the other girls smiled wickedly and gave Miroku wild looks.

"Gee, monk! It looks like you have some serious competition!!"

"That… may be so," he managed, trying to regain his cool composure, "but it's obvious that these gentlemen are nowhere near this country. That said, it is rightful and fair that I may court miss Viki."

"Sure, whatever you say," sighed Kagome, rolling her eyes. She and Sango left him to himself; Viki, poor thing, was utterly confused.

"Uhh, Lord Miroku, what just happened?" The handsome young monk smiled down at her, placing his hand on her shoulder casually.

"It's nothing. They are just jealous, that's all."

"We heard that!" Miroku's eyes twitched in annoyance, but he paid the girls no attention. Viki gave him a broad smile full of happiness, which eased his mind and brightened his day.

"…Miss Viki…"

"Yes, Lord Miroku?"

"……I…"

"Hm?" A pause. "…Eep! What the?! Something pinched my bottom again! Are there mosquitoes around here or something?"

Poor Kagome and Sango could only express awkward astonishment at just how naïve Viki was.

"Hey, be quiet back there," murmured Inuyasha. "I think I heard something."

"Hm?" The group silenced, and listened for whatever their silver-haired ally had picked up. At first, nobody could hear anything--and then Inuyasha elaborated.

"I can smell it, too," he grumbled. "Ugh… it smells like a whole city was destroyed, and all the rotting corpses were placed into one area." As fragrant as his description was, none of the others could pick up anything at first--but then, Kilala and Shippo bristled. The little fox hastily covered his nose, whilst his companion cackled and ran around fiercely, until she buried her nose in the grass.

"Ugh! I can sbell it doo!" groaned Shippo. "And dow dat you bention it, I can hear subting as well!" The scent slowly carried over to the four humans, and even the clueless Viki protected her olfactory glands from the lethal abuse.

"It's so nasty! Worse than Kenji and Wan-Fu after a workout session!" Tears came to Sango's eyes, first from the pain of the rotting smell, then from horror as she spotted the foul creature that made the smell. It was a demon of sorts, but not the usual kind that ran about the feudal world. No, this was a literal spawn of Hell, a specter of hideous appearance and power. It resembled a large skeletal monster, with rotting violet cloth and festering flesh covering its body. The horns on its bony head were like a bull's, but the face itself was that of the Reaper. It floated in the air, smelling precisely as awful as it looked.

"What the hell…" murmured Inuyasha. Even his voice had lost its confident touch.

"What in all of Heaven and Hell is that abomination?" quivered Sango. The nightmarish creature slowly advanced towards them, it sheer power being displayed in an aura of darkness. When it opened its mouth, black smoke and vile creatures crawled out, polluting the ground below it forever.

"I wandered the rivers of Styx for many a century, seeking methods to increase my own power. My purpose is that of endless enslavement, the eternal imprisonment of every human in this world, serving myself until the end of all time. If ye are willing, I shall grant you any wish you do so desire--any, be it fanciful or realistic, and it shall be done. In return, your will and your soul, which you never have needed before, will belong to me…"

"And… who are you to make such a bargain?" whispered Sango uneasily, her hand weakly grasping her weapon. The creature's bony teeth seemed to smile.

"I have went by many names… but in this time era, I am now simply being called the One from Hell." Inuyasha snorted, and took Tetsusaiga out of its sheath.

"Well you're gonna be dead pretty soon, so I guess it doesn't matter, eh?"

"Indeed," agreed the monster, "one of us shall indeed sail on a river of blood by the day's end…" Angered at the monster's foul words and stench, and its hideous ego, Inuyasha activated the power of his father's sword and swiped at the bony mass, screaming another one of his famous one-liners.

"Just SHUT UP and DIE, bastard!!!" The creature easily ducked the side-swipe, and blasted back at the boy with evil powers emanating from its skeletal hand. Inuyasha groaned as the black blast shot him backwards; everyone else prepared to fight.

"Oh well… I guess I can't persuade everybody…" The creature sighed wearily as it floated towards the battle. Sango and Kagome shot forth with their weapons, but with a wave of its hands, the archdemon flattened everything to the ground, crushing both human and weapon with a surge of gravity. It waved its hands again, and again, smashing them deeper and deeper into the dirt.

"This is insulting," groaned the monster. "But of course, one cannot expect much from a human!"

"Who're you calling a human, ugly?" Before the one from Hell could react, Inuyasha was already flying in the air with his sword raised. A single cleave split the demon's arm off, causing rotted flesh and maggots to vomit out like blood. The creature snarled fiercely, its hollow eyes burning with the flames of the underworld, even as its arm crawled back and grafted back onto the severed limb.

"You should have just stayed down, boy…"

"Ha!" cackled the "boy". "You've gravely underestimated me! That little puff of smoke you sent my way could barely bruise a fly!" The monster lowered its bony head at the halfling's boastful words, a dark thought brooding and festering inside its head. Inuyasha, it seemed, wanted more abuse.

"Poor, stupid, masochistic little boy… So my reflexive move was nothing to you, eh…" Inuyasha snarled at his enemy, prepared for anything, but a sudden wave of astonishing pain shot out before he could blink twice. The demon had both of its hands outstretched, concentrating its dark powers solely on the unfortunate half-demon who dared insult him. Inuyasha had forgotten the last time he really let out a scream of pain, but this new power…

"EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

" IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED, LITTLE BOY??" roared the demon. "IS THIS ENOUGH PAIN FOR YOU? I AM HARDLY USING ANY OF MY POWER AT ALL! HAHAHAHA…" The monster's gleeful laughter ripped the sky apart, scaring even the thunderous clouds away as it trembled across the world. Only Inuyasha's shrieks of horror were more deafening…

Suddenly, the monster squeaked in pain, and released his prey. One of Kagome's arrows had sailed right past his cheekbone, cutting a thin scar in its wake. The monster growled at the young woman, who had gathered together her strength for one desperate shot. She wearily sat up, and prepared to fire another blow--but the monster denied her that.

"Stay down!" Another wave of its hand tossed Kagome into the distance, the blows shredding her body and forcing the blood to sprinkle out. Miroku quickly stood to rescue her, but was shot down with a paralyzing blast to his legs. Even Shippo and Kilala were denied movement, as the monster shot out a red-hot blast of fire at them. Smoke rose up into the air as the traveling companions were brutally tortured, and the stink of burning skin and hair radiated the worst from where Inuyasha was. The monster snorted at the annoyances, and resumed his evil task.

"STOP HURTING THEM!!!" From far off in the distance, the creature could hear (and see) a young woman screaming at him, her pretty face contorted into twisted rage. It was Viki, whose bumbling cluelessness and dumb luck had saved her from the archdemon's wrath. She was literally radiating with anger--a mysterious violet aura proved it--and glowered at the beast like a volcano.

"…What's this?" it sighed wearily. "Just a girl…?"

"YOU LEAVE THOSE NICE PEOPLE ALONE!" she screamed, oblivious to the stink of smoke and death. "SANGO, SHIPPO, AND KAGOME ARE MY FRIENDS, AND LORD MIROKU IS A DEAR SWEET MAN!!"

"Ho, boy…" moaned said monk. "What… have I gotten myself… into…?"

"Bah, begone with you…" muttered the demon as he waved his hand. The blast of power buffeted against Viki's mage outfit and her hair, but she didn't move at all. With her arms outspread and her hair blowing, the mark in the center of her forehead began to glow a strange violet hue. The earth began to rumble and the heavens finally let loose their thunders as Viki prepared to defend those she loved.

"YOU'LL PAY, YOU MEAN OLD MONSTER! I SUMMON THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE!!" Before the monster could express its confusion, a host of gigantic armored knights, each with an earth-shattering attack, all plowed through the demonic beast. The most agonizing gauntlet of righteous justice and wrath was poured out, as the thirteen knights destroyed the beast, each one ripping through him with an attack that could level mountains.

When the dust had finally settled, there was nothing left of the demon at all, except the rotting ground he left in his wake. The wind blew away all the smoke, fire, and foul smells, leaving six very injured and very astounded comrades. Their pain was nothing compared to the shock of what they had just witnessed, but the next thing that happened was even more of a surprise.

"…Huh? What? What happened here? Oh, wow, it's really a mess!"

KER-PLOP!! Everyone fell over in a faint, leaving Viki to gasp in surprise. In no time at all, she rushed over to them, providing the healing care they needed but not the answers they sought--of course.

"I don't know what happened!" she exclaimed. "First I saw this ugly monster, and the next thing I knew, he was hurting you all! I can't remember what happened after that, or at least not until now! Are you guys all right?"

"……Moderately so," murmured Sango after giving it some consideration. "Viki, are you sure…?"

"Sure of what?"

"That you don't remember what happened?"

"…Uhh, no, I don't… think so. Why, was I supposed to remember something?" Sango gave the adorable but clueless teleported a strange look, but decided that for the benefit of them all, it was best not to ask.

"No, nothing," she sighed with a smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're fine." Viki smiled lovingly and gave the other woman a hug, then found her way directly to Miroku, who was still stunned. Meanwhile, Shippo limped over to where the demon had been destroyed, spotting what looked to be a pink glow. As he unearthed a rock, he gasped in awe at what he found.

"Hey you guys! I found six pieces of the jewel here!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha was the first to limp over to investigate, and sure enough, they were parts of the jewel, all right. The half-demon hummed out thoughtfully as he scooped them into his possession.

"Hmm… you think that this demon killed that man we saw and stole his jewels?"

"It's… possible…" managed Miroku as Viki helped him to his feet. "I doubt that any human could have withstood that monster's attacks. How miss Viki ever came about helping us is a mystery we may never figure out…" As Miroku pondered over this, the whole crew focused their eyes on Viki, who was staring ahead of her as emptily as ever. The mark on her forehead glowed purple for a little while longer, then became dormant once again. Its secret was still safe.

---------------

High above on a hill, observing the scene unfold beneath him, was the mysterious man in green. He had overheard everything, and was satisfied that Inuyasha believed him to be dead. That's one less worry on my mind, he thought to himself. I might have sacrificed all my jewels in order to make them believe I was dead, but at least they won't be on my trail anymore. Good thing, too.

It's not those people that concern me, it's that girl. That power of hers…… They really don't know what it is, do they? Even I would not mess with something so catastrophic as that…

Lady Viktoria…… The rumors were true…

With a snort, the man turned around and left. The quest to find the shards of the Shikkon jewel had just gotten a whole lot more dangerous…

THE END