"Kagome! You said you're staying here the whole summer! Where are going now?" Inu-Yasha tried to grab her arm.
"Look, I forgot something! I'll go get it and I'll be right back okay?" Kagome's patience was wearing thin. As a last resort she yelled, "Sit!" and Inu-Yasha slammed to the ground. She took this chance to leap into the well, shouting, "See you later!" Inu-Yasha struggled up, clutching at the prayer beads around his neck, trying futilely to tear them apart.
"So this is the 'powerful' Inu-Yasha I've heard so much about? Haha, why he's nothing but a dog on a leash."
Inu-Yasha whipped around. "Who's there?" Then he sneered, "Feh, nothing but an old ogree." He shot her a murderous look, "Tell me, should I rip you apart in one blow, or tear your limbs off one by one, for insulting me?"
The ogress only laughed at his threat, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Having to submit yourself time after time to such indignity?"
Inu-Yasha's eyes narrowed. "So what do you want, old hag?"
"I think I should be asking you that question."
"Just get to the point," he yawned.
"What an insolent boy," the ogress sighed, "I'm giving you a chance to break free from that curse." She gestured together the beads around his neck.
Inu-Yasha was suddenly all ears. He leapt right in front of the ogress and asked, "you can do that? Then do it now! Get rid of this bloody thing!" The ogress smiled crookedly, "Of course. But shouldn't a favour like that deserve something in return?"
"So what do you want?"
"The Shikon shards." She paused. "And that wench's head."
"You mean Kagome?" Inu-Yasha's hearts stopped beating for one moment. "I'll get you the shards, but I can't kill her."
The ogress tugged at the beads, pulling him towards her withered face, "Remember all those times she humilated you in front of everyone, how you almost had the Shikon Jewel.." Iinu-Yasha stared at her eyes, unable to break way from the trance she was drawing him into. Suddenly a bright glow emitted around him, and the necklace was gone. Inu-Yasha's golden eyes were now hard and cold. The ogress smiled, "Kill her, Inu-Yasha! Kill her and you can be free!"
Inu-Yasha glanced down and smiled as he found the beads now gone. The ogress continued, "Of course, if you don't finish your task in the next 7 days, I"ll put another one of these things around your neck. Except I'll make you MY slave." She laughed (Inu-Yasha shuddered) and in a puff of smoke disappeared, leaving Inu-Yasha to wonder at the strange turn of events.
***
"Hey, Inu-Yasha! I'm back!" Kagome climbed out of the well. She looked around, surprised by the quietness. "Oh, he's gone?" she spoke aloud. Then she heard a noice behind her. "Inu-Yasha! You scared me!"
"Come one, let's go." He took her pack and began walking. Kagome ran after him, "Why aren't we waiting for Shippo?"
"He found a Shikon shard. He's keeping an eye on the demon at the moment. We have to catch up with him." He hurried off.
"Hey, wait! What's the hurry?" she said, slightly breathless. "Are you still mad at me for having to go back? I'm sorry! It's just today's Sota's birthday, so I wanted to go and wish him a happy birthday as well as give him his present," Kagome explained but Inu-Yasha just kept walking. "Hey, are you really that mad? I'm really very sorry. I should have given it to him before I left, but I was in a hurry!" She pulled at his arm, hoping to elicit a response. Inu-Yasha just grunted and pulled his arm away, and Kagome fell silent.
They kept walking for a little while, Kagome could no longer stand it, she asked, "You sure we're going the right way? I can't sense any shards around. Where's Shippo?"
Finally Inu-Yasha turned and Kagome was shocked by the coldness of his eyes. *It's just like that dream...* she gasped, *He wants to kill me* She ordered her legs to run but her feet seemed to be glued to the ground.
"Shippo's in the village," he said in a voice which mirrored his eyes - cold and unfeeling.
Kagome's heart raced, she took a step back. "Then why are we here?"
"Give me the shards or I'll rip you into pieces," he threatened as he flexed his hand.
"Inu-Yasha, you're really scaring me! What are you doing?" she cried out as he stepped menacingly towards her. "Sit!"
Her eyes widened as nothing happened. She gasped, "The beads!"
Inu-Yasha laughed, "Now I'm not your little doggy anymore. Kagome, just give me the shards. Kagome screamed for help as she broke off into a run. *No! What's happening? Why does he want to kill me?* She turned around to see that he was not far behind. Just then she tripped over a protruding tree root and fell to the ground. She looked up and saw Inu-Yasha standing over her, a pure look of hatred in his eyes.
"Goodbye, Kagome," he said as he raised his claws.
Kagome closed her eyes and waited for the blow. Instead she heard Inu-Yasha yelped in annoyance and reopened her eyes. "Shippo!" she cried happily.
Shippo had planted his teeth on the back of Inu-Yasha's neck. The latter was trying to fling Shippo off by slamming his back into the tree. After the tenth time, Shippo cried out in pain, loosening his grip and Inu-Yasha turned to look at the fox. He picked Shippo up and glared at him. He turned to Kagome, who couldn't run off because of her sprained ankle, and said, "Give me the jewel now or I'll kill him!"
"No, Kagome, don't listen to him!" Shippo called out, and winced as Inu-Yasha tightened his hold around his neck.
To be continued...