Cats and Dogs

thoughts

"talking"

The morning sun peaked above the mountains in the distance, casting an eerie hue over the occupants of a forest clearing, not too far from the village. The wind began to pick up, sending a warm breeze that rustled through the trees, stirring sleeping creatures from their deep slumber. Inuyasha sat in the Sacred Tree watching the sun crest over the horizon. His soft, white ears twitched as he listened to the steady breathing of the others sleeping below. Pulling his amber gaze from the sun, Inuyasha glanced down at the scene below him.

Shippo was nestled tightly against Kagome's torso under her sleeping bag. The little fox twitching occasionally, signaling he was close to waking, while Kagome kept her arm next to his side, sandwiching him between her and her arm. Sango was sleeping on her side with Kilala curled up in the crook of her neck and Hiraikotsu behind her back against a tree. Inuyasha smirked, I knew it. Miroku's breathing had become irregular within the past couple of minutes and Inuyasha could see him inching closer and closer to Sango's butt. You'd think he'd learn by now. Keh, at least now I don't have to wait for everyone to  wake up.

As Miroku reached a hand out to grope her, Sango's eyes suddenly snapped open. She glared and swung her fist out, slamming him across the clearing with a loud thump. Kagome and Shippo woke up and stretched looking over to where Miroku's feet stuck out of a bush twitching.

"That's what you get you pervert!" Sango shouted, grabbing Hiraikotsu for good measure. Kagome looked around and then up at Inuyasha, grinning and shaking her head. Inuyasha jumped down next to her crouching.

"Can we please go already! We've already wasted valuable shard hunting time!" Inuyasha shouted as he glared at Kagome to hurry up. Shippo jumped on his head chewing on his white ear.

"Calm down Inuyasha! It's not like you-"

Shippo was cut off as  a loud roar cut through the silence of the morning. Kagome's eyes widened in panic and Inuyasha flattened his ear against his head while Shippo still held the other in his tiny grip.

"What was that?" Kagome said scooting back into a tree. Inuyasha sniffed the air and then looked east.

"It's a demon…and she's injured," he said with a look Kagome couldn't quite place.

"She?" Sango asked. Inuyasha nodded, his hand going towards his hip to rest on tetusaiga.

"So, are we to help this lady demon? Demon or not she is a damsel in distress and I think we should lend her our services," Miroku said with that more than obvious pervert look. Sango glared at him and shifted her boomerang. She looked over at Kagome and shrugged, "I'm not sure we should. Injured demons tend to be more violent when they're trying to heal." Kagome nodded, "What do you think, Inuyasha?"

"Keh, whatever." That's when Kagome saw it again. He almost looks eager to go. But why? Kagome didn't have time to think more about it as everyone began cleaning up the camp site.

I wonder why Inuyasha seems so eager to go off and help some random demon? Kagome thought as she wrapped up her sleeping bag and stuffed it into her bag while Miroku spread the ashes of the fire from last night. When all was done, Sango and the others hopped onto the transformed Kilala. Before Kilala took off, "Where's Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know, I didn't see him leave."

Inuyasha had already gone ahead.

When they caught up to him in a clearing, he was standing with his back to them. The others got off Kilala and walked next to him to see what he was staring at. Sango and Miroku took a step back in shock and Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms as she gasped in horror.

There in the clearing was a young woman in chains, bloody from head to toe. Blood dripped off her and pooled around her feet, staining the grass. Her  shackles were attached to the trees in the clearing that surrounded her, and they hung off wrists, ankles, her neck and her waist. Inuyasha continued to stare, his amber eyes narrowed. She had gashes all over her body and her long brown hair was matted to her face and back. Her clothes were torn and most likely stained with blood, but no one could tell since they were black.

Kagome was the first to come back to orbit and whispered to Inuyasha, "Is she really a demon?"

Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome and the others took a closer look and saw what Inuyasha meant. On top of the girl's head were a pair of triangular black ears, identical to Inuyasha's that were flattened against her head. On her fingertips were of course, claws and Inuyasha could see on the chains close to her hands scratch marks where she had attempted to cut herself loose. Shippo glanced down and gasped, "Look! Down there!" In between the girl's legs, a thin, long black tail was twitching erratically.

 Inuyasha took a step forward, his feet crunching in the grass. Immediately the woman's black ears shot forward. Her head shot up as well and she cried out to them, "Help me, please!" the girl strained to go forward but her shackles kept her in place. Inuyasha walked up to her. "Who are you?"

The girl looked at him wearily, "My name is Riquo." She glanced past Inuyasha to inspect the others that were staring at her and then did a double take, "Kagome?!"

Kagome bolted forward clutching Shippo and stood in front of her, "Riquo?! Riquo, it can't be! What are you doing here?"

"Do you know her, Lady Kagome?" Miroku inquired.

"Yes, she's from my time. But I  thought she moved to America," she turned back to the others, "come on, we have to get her out of these."

"Wait a minute! How do we know she's not evil? She's a demon remember!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Are you blind, dog?" Riquo said behind them. Inuyasha whirled around, "What did you say to me?"

Riquo swiveled her black ears back and forth, "You of all people should know that I'm no demon."

Kagome cut in before anyone could say anything, "Inuyasha please! I know her she's a friend of mine from my time. She wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"But Kagome! How is that possible? I thought you didn't have demons or half demons in your time," Shippo stated.

"I know, I don't understand it either. But we'll find out later. For now we just have to get her back to Kaede's so she can heal properly."

"Keh, fine, but you've got some explaining to do," he said at Riquo. She nodded and then promptly passed out.

"All of you step back," Inuyasha said unsheathing tetusaiga.

 "Inuyasha I don't know if that's a good--" Miroku was cut off by the sound of sliced metal.

Next thing they knew Riquo was collapsing into Inuyasha's arms, her shackles in pieces at her feet.

"Come on, she lost a lot of blood. Kaede will know how to help her," Inuyasha said as he bounded off into the trees.

The others looked at each other in confusion when Shippo piped up saying, "Since when does he care about another demon?"