A familiar Stranger

“I wish she would stop starring at me.” Kagome said to Sango. They were both in the front with Shippo while Kaida, Inuyasha and Miroku were at the back.
“I guess she’s just looking out for you. But she is a little weird.” Sango said trying to look over at Kaida without her noticing.
“So where is this youaki that ippospposed to kill Kagome? We’ve been walking for hours! I think you’re planning something. You might even be leading us to the youkai that thinthink is capable of killing me. Your brain must be broken or something thinking that a weakling youkai can kill me.” Teased Inuyasha.
Kaida said nothing but she did roll her eyes in frustration.
“He was right. He is annoying.” She thought to herself. Miroku was quiet since they left the camp wherwhere walking. He had been thinking about what Kaida had said yesterday. What issiblsible that she had something more valuable to give to the time demon than her own life?
“You’re awfully quiet Miroku.” Inuyasha said wanting to break the silence.
“Oh, me? I was just thinking.”
“About what?” Inuyasha said already losing interest.
“Hmm, nothing important really.” He said looking over at Kaida whose eyes hadn’t left Kagome’s back from the moment they left camp. Suddenly Kagome stopped and looked around.
“What’s wrong Kagome?” Sango said.
“I sense a jewel shard, one of them…maybe two. Over here!!” she said as she rang off the path toward a clearing.
“Kagome wait!” Kaida said running after her. She knew all too well what was over by the clearing. Kaida’s fears where made real when she saw an all too familiar lake with rocks outlining the edge of the water. It was the same lake wasn’t it?
“Something’s not quite right.” Kaida thought to herself.
“It’s around here somewhere.” Kagome said stepping right up to the edge of the lake.
“Kagome MOVE!!” Kaida said knocking Kagome aside just in time before a huge claw slammed into the place where they had just been. They landed near one of the boulders of the lake. Inuyasha whipped Tetsusaiga out of its sheath and struck a second too late at the claw. Suddenly an enormous lobster looking youkai splashed out of the water.
“Funny, it looked more like a crab the last time…” Kaida said getting up and putting herself in front of Kagome.
“Where is the jewel shard Kagome?!” said Inuyasha swinging his sword aimlessly at the youkai.
“It’s in the left claw that tried to hit us!” Kagome said behind Kaida.
Sango threw Hiraikotsu at the giant lobster cutting it in half with one swing. Inuyasha took the opportunity and cut the claw off the lobster, which flew off headed toward Kagome and Kaida. The right claw came down on Inuyasha making him move to the left, the opposite way of the flying claw headed toward Kagome. He swung his sword killing the youkai, but he didn’t have enough time to go save Kagome.
“What if she is right? What if Kagome is going to die right now?” Inuyasha thought to himself as he watched the claw going in slow motion in the direction of Kagome.
Kaida, knowing what was going to happen, situated herself in front of Kagome. Watching the claw headed straight toward them readied herself.
“I got to have the timing right, if not we are both dead. I’m not dying until I save him.” She thought to herself.
Kagome screamed Inuyasha’s name, as there was a blindinash ash and pieces of giant lobster claw started raining. Once everyone’s eyes got adjusted, everyone saw Kaida on her knees and Kagome behind her with her arms over her face, but both of them were ok.
“Kagome-chan! Are you ok?!” screamed Sango as everyone ran toward them, Inuyasha got there first. Kaida was breathing heavily like if she had just done some immense work out. She looked up and with her every bit of strength took three steps toward Inuyasha. They both starred at each other and then, out of nowhere, Kaida raised her fist to hit Inuyasha. He caught it and was ready to hit back when Kaida screamed at him.
“I TOLD YOU TO BE CAREFRUL YOU SON OF A BI--” she never go to finish, hitting the ground unconscious.
“What are we going to do with her?” Miroku asked.
“We are going to leave her.” Inuyasha said unsympathetically walking away.
“an’tan’t just leave her! She saved my life Inuyasha and it happened just the way she told us. I’d be dead if she hadn’t been in front of me because you were on the other side of the lake.” Kagome said grabbing the two shards that had been in the youkai.
“I would have been able to save you Kagome! I just needed to get out of the way first!”
“Come on Sango,” said Miroku as he put Kaida on his back, “they’re going to be here awhile.” Sango, Kirara, Shippo and Miroku all left Kagome and Inuyasha shouting as they usually did. A familiar word and sound let them know that Kagome had had enough with the argument and decided to end it with the usual ‘sit boy’ command. When the group was all together, they walked in silence which was only broken by the sound of Kaida’s labored breathing.

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They found a close village and decided to stay there that night. Miroku had spotted a large cloud of doom hanging over the nicest palace, and felt the need to cleanse the house. The lord of the castle, being glad that the monk had found the evil spirits just in time, offered them rand and board for the night.
“You are unforgivable, Houshi-sama.”
“Sango, I will do my monk’s duties whether it takes me to the most run down house in the village, or the nicest!”
“Well, I for one, I’m glad that Miroku found this place. I need a decent bath. Now all I need is some shampoo and conditioner.”
Once the women where all situated in there room, Miroku and Inuyasha took their usual protective spots outside. Quite a few moments passed before they started talking. Kagome woke to the sound of Inuyasha’s voice, but decided not to move…just listen.
“You know Inuyasha, she would of died today.” Miroku’s familiar voice said.
“I could have saved her.” Snapped Inuyasha’s cocky voice.
“No, you couldn’t of. Kaida was the one that saved her. You could at least acknowledge that fact!”
“I’m not going to ‘acknowledge’ anything! She could of set the whole thing up! You saw she gave us some of the Shikon jewel, she could of easily given a shard to that youkai.”
“Inuyasha, let you guard down for one second! Kagome could of died today and I personally don’t think Kaida is lying! She wouldn’t be in there right now clinging to life! She would of let that youkai finish Kagome off and that would have been the end of our journey! Admit it!” Miroku finished, noticing he had stood up in the process.
“What do you want me to say you stupid monk?” Inuyasha said also standing up.
“Yes I realize I wouldn’t have been able to save Kagome! Is that what you want to hear?! I realize she could be dead right now. Losing Kagome would make me snap, it would drive me insane! I couldn’t bear to lose Kagome…” Inuyasha finished in a whisper.
“So you do realize that Kaida could be right? Having Kagome here, alive, means she already changed her past, and our future. We’ll need to be more careful from now on.”
“Yeah yeah whatever.” Inuyasha said opening the door to the girl’s room. Kagome had heard him coming and shut her eyes. She heard Inuyasha walk over and sit close to her, and she felt his eyes on her. That reassured her and made her fall asleep even faster. During the night, Inuyasha heard Kaida’s breathing becoming normal.