After the more than eventful day than yesterday both Shippo and Brent were relieved to wake up without being soaking wet, running for their lives, and coming across intimidating people. The little Fox was the first to wake; rubbing his big eyes and yawning with a good stretch. Over to his left Brent was still asleep and snoring lightly. He left his newly acquired weapon next to his mat last night. Shippo could still sense the tension within Brent after yesterday. It would be best if he let the human sleep. So, getting up and tiptoeing to the door, the Fox slipped out of the room and made his way outside.

            Everything outside was just as it was when they had first arrived. There weren't as many Ninjas about since the fight had left some of them too injured to work. Shippo looked up to the sky and smiled as a light breeze ruffled his hair. Giant white puffy clouds floated among the pleasantly calming blue.

            "Good morning Shippo!" Hiro caught sight of the tiny Demon child and walked over.

            "Hey Hiro!" Shippo's grin was as big as ever.

            "Where's your friend?"

            "Oh he's still asleep. I figured he earned it."

            "So everything that happened in the forest was true?"

            "Yeah. I think it struck a nerve in Brent."

            Hiro and his Father had been updated by Shippo. Brent had chosen to head straight to sleep, though no one could blame him. They all decided to not bother him with it.

            "So what will you two do once he awakens?"

            "We're going to try and find our friends. They'll be looking all over for us!"

            "Master Hiro! Someone is approaching the village!" A female Ninja interrupted. She didn't look worried at all.

            When Hiro looked over he saw a small group of people. The one in front had extremely long white hair and wore red. That's when Shippo ran forward.

            "INUYASHA! KAGOME! SANGO! MIROKU!"

            "Shippo! Boy are we so glad to see you!" Kagome rushed up to him and plucked him out of the air as he leapt into her arms.

            "Where is Brent?" Sango asked as she looked around.

            "Please tell me you two didn't get separated!" Inuyasha said looking flustered.

            "No! He's fine! He's just asleep. After yesterday-"

            "Asleep this late again! When is he gonna learn? Where is he?!" Inuyasha started toward the large house that belonged to Genji.

            "Inuyasha wait! Let me explain!" Shippo jumped out of Kagome's arms as they all ran after the Half-Demon.

            After questioning Hiro, who looked utterly baffled as the brashness of the Half-Demon, Inuyasha stormed into the room where Brent was asleep.

            "Inuyasha don't-" Shippo warned quietly as the rest of the gang piled by the door.

            "Hey lazy! Get your-"

            It was right as Inuyasha kicked him that Brent bolted awake. And in what seemed a split second he grabbed his gun, causing it to glow, and wildly firing off three shots as he was startled awake. While everyone else shouted, Kirara growling with her fur on end, and hit the floor Inuyasha barely managed to dodge the beams of light.

            "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!" Inuyasha said from the floor. After dodging the last shot he fell to his back.

            "Inuyasha?! Guys?!" Brent finally realized who was waking him, and then realized what he'd almost done. "Oh god...Inuyasha I'm sorry!" He immediately put his weapon down, causing the glow to vanish, but Inuyasha was quickly back on his feet...and furious.

            "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?! WHAT IS THAT THING?! GIMME THAT!"

            "Wh-HEY!"

            Before Brent could do anything the gun was snatched up and Inuyasha began looking over it.

            "How do you work this thing?"

            After fiddling around with it for a bit his finger found the trigger...

            "Inuyasha DON'T!" Brent reached out to grab it and then...

            ...Click...Nothing happened...

            "What's going on?" Miroku asked as he and the others still lay on the floor.

            Everyone but Shippo was entirely in the dark. Had Brent just fired that weapon only for it to fail when Inuyasha used it? What was going on?

            "Uh...Ok...I guess it only works for me..." Brent said as he gently took the gun from his Half-Demon friend.

            "Is that a gun?" Kagome asked as she dusted off her skirt.

            "I've heard about those. They're supposed to fire a ball of metal. But that..." Sango had walked up and was inspecting it. "Where did you get this? And how does it work?"

            "He got it from here! A lot happened yesterday while we were separated." Shippo received some warm attention from Kirara as she nuzzled against him mewling.

            "I think it's best if we just sit down and-" Brent couldn't finish as Lord Genji walked in looking upset.

            "What is going on here?! Who dares intrude into my home?!"

            Brent rushed forward to calm his host down. "I'm sorry. Please forgive my friend here. He has no manners or common sense. That's why there are so many of us to keep an eye on him."

            "Wha?! You little ingrate!" Inuyasha snarled.

            "These are the people Shippo and I were separated from." Brent stepped aside to introduce them all. After everyone had properly shown their thanks and been introduced they all took a seat. "Well Shippo, do you want to start it or should I?"

            The Fox child hopped up to his feet with great vigor and excitedly replied. "I'll start! I don't remember falling into the river, but when we woke up we were soaking wet, and had been found by three Demons!"

            Shippo and Brent take turns explaining everything that went on; even Lord Genji and Hiro get a few words in along with some praises. The praises make both of the village saviors blush a little. Shippo dances around attempting to animate the story for everyone whenever he tells it. Upon the moment of Sesshomaru's mention Brent notices the sneer on Inuyasha's face. Despite this they continue telling their story. With the rest of the group caught up on previous events they looked rather surprised; even Inuyasha.

            "You saved the entire village?" Sango looked utterly surprised.

            "That's incredible! I'm so proud of you two!" Kagome smiled greatly.

            "Yeah...Gotta say I'm surprised. Didn't think you had it in ya." Inuyasha said with wide eyes.

            "Shippo, you say that Brent collapsed after all of the Demons were disposed of." Miroku seemed more interested in his ally's health once the story was done.

            "Yeah. We never really had a moment to figure it out."

            "When we brought him into this same room he was incredibly pale. His skin had almost no color." Lord Genji interjected.

            "We were all worried. He hadn't suffered any injuries from those Demons so naturally we were baffled." Hiro said.

            Miroku took a moment to ponder as he held his chin. After perusing the facts given to him he looked to Brent. "Tell me Brent. When you tried to use that weapon, the first time, it did nothing. Correct?"

            "That's right. I thought it might have been loaded. Turned out I was wrong."

            "I see. I noticed earlier that as Inuyasha tried to wake you the metal on it was glowing white."

            "Yeah! It was! It was glowing just like the shard in your chest!" Kagome said as she was beginning to understand where Miroku was going.

            "Brent, please pick up the weapon." Miroku asked politely.

            The Tanegashima was sitting just to Brent's right between him and Shippo. The moment Brent's hand touched it all the metal was filled with the brilliant white glow. A collective of surprised murmurs filled the room.

            "When Inuyasha grabbed that weapon earlier it did not glow. And all we heard was that clicking sound when he tried to use it. But as you all can plainly see, as Brent holds it, it is filled with a pure energy. And I think I know what's causing it. Yesterday, when you were facing those Demon Brothers, what was going through your mind?" Miroku focused entirely on Brent.

            The sudden attention had left him a little ansty, but Brent maintained his composure and did his best to recall the event. "Well...I had told Shippo to get behind me, and all the children from the village were behind him. They were screaming...crying...Shippo was beyond worried and frightened, no offense little man. And all I had was the Tanto. I could barely fight that Bat before. That...sinking feeling, you know, that feeling you get when you know things are taking a turn for the worse? It filled my chest. And...I was just hoping...wishing that something or someone would help us. I was ready to die to protect Shippo and those kids. My life didn't matter...I just wanted a way to protect them."

            Miroku smiled and nodded. "Just as I thought."

            "It was the shard wasn't it Miroku?" Sango asked as Kirara mewled in her lap.

            "What is this shard that you're talking about?" Lord Genji asked.

            "Brent has a shard of the Shikon Jewel embedded in his chest. It saved his life." The moment Kagome mentioned the Jewel both Lord Genji and his son snapped their gaze to the hero of their village.

            "A shard of the Jewel of Four Souls resides within you?" Hiro looked completely baffled.

            "It's true. And it is that same shard that has granted him the ability to use that weapon in an unconventional manner." Miroku answered in place of Brent.

            "Ok, but that doesn't explain why he passed out!" Inuyasha's point had everyone looking at Miroku now.

            "Actually it does. I won't go into detail about the Jewel itself, but consider this. The four souls that the Jewel contains balance each other. You cannot have one without the other. Just as there is life, there is death. One cannot exist without the other. When Brent was confronted with a fight that was most certainly going to end terribly he did what any other person in this world would do. He began to hope and wish for a way out. He was worried for the safety everyone else and ready to put his own life on the line even if it meant he had to die. The Jewel Shard heard his plea, and granted him this awesome power. But it came at a cost. While it gave him the power to bring death to his enemies and those that wished to harm the innocent, it is that same power that hurts him. In order to take the lives of his foes, he himself must give his own life. Thus maintaining the balance of life and death. I believe that with every time you used that weapon you were expelling your own life force. How did you feel when the fighting was done?" Miroku had gone back into serious mode as he waited for Brent to answer.

            "Um...At first I felt fine. A little winded from the running...but then suddenly I felt...well...drained. Beyond exhausted. Before I knew it everything went black, and I woke up later that night."

            "I must caution you Brent. What has been given to you isn't just power, but responsibility as well. You must control your use of it just as I do with my Wind Tunnel. If you grow careless it could kill you."

            "So...basically I'm my own rechargeable battery..." Brent was looking at his glowing firearm.

            "Yes. Brent, please be careful with it. I don't want to see you get hurt again." Kagome eyed him with the utmost sincerity and worry.

            "You'll be able to defend yourself with greater ease now. Just be wary." Sango too looked at him with worry.

            "I'll be careful. Promise." Brent smiled, albeit a bit awkwardly.

            "Sure glad you got that thing now. I don't have to fight so hard now."

            "Inuyasha! We all need to be fighting as hard as we can!" Kagome glared at the Half-Demon after his insensitive remark. "And besides you promised to help protect him!"

            "Yeah I did! But now it just makes things easier with him having that thing is all I'm saying!" Inuyasha recoiled a bit.

            "You still need to fight like you were before!" Kagome maintained her glare as Inuyasha filled with regret with what he said.

            "Don't worry Brent. I'll help keep an eye on you." Shippo looked up at him with a smile.

            Brent chuckled and smiled back. "Thanks little man." He reached down and ruffled Shippo's hair a little.

            "So was that everything? You saved the village, passed out, then saw Sesshomaru in the forest? What were those Demons after him for?" Inuyasha asked bluntly.

            Both Brent and Shippo perked up realizing they had forgotten one tiny, but incredibly important detail. Eyeing each other for a moment, neither one spoke when they didn't know who should tell them.

            "What are those looks for? Spit it out!"  Inuyasha was quickly becoming impatient.

            "Naraku...Those Demons belonged to Naraku..." Brent finally said.

            It almost seemed like Inuyasha's, Kagome's, Miroku's, and Sango's eyes were going to pop out of their heads the second they heard that name.

            "Was he after Sesshomaru?"

            "Why would he be?"

            "Was Naraku anywhere nearby?!"

            "We haven't seen him in so long since that last fight. He was beat up pretty badly."

            "Even Naraku couldn't have recovered that quickly."

            The four of them were suddenly abuzz with questions and guesses. Some were thrown at Shippo and Brent, but interrupted by someone else. Neither of them could answer before one another question was asked. Brent decided to get their attention to tell them the last detail.

            "Guy guys! There's one more thing." The room grew quiet quickly. "After Shippo and I took care of those Demons there was this giant bee flying away. What was it called?" Brent looked down to Shippo.

            "It was a Saimyosho!" Shippo replied.

            "Naraku will know about your presence here. If he finds out you have a Jewel Shard..." Sango didn't want to finish.

            "He's not going to find out! And he's not going to lay a hand on Brent!" Inuyasha was up on his feet.

            "And just a minute ago you were saying you didn't have fight as hard..." Kagome said to herself looking irritated.

            Brent was starting to worry now. As the others continued to talk he zoned out and became engrossed in his own thoughts. Naraku...the name itself sounded menacing enough. And yet whenever he heard it, or even thought of it, his emotions began to stir up. Anger, fear, worry, confusion. This Demon cursed the men in Miroku's family, destroyed Sango's home and currently has her brother, and framed Inuyasha. As he thought about the last part he started to remember some details Kagome had given him...that happened fifty years ago...and this Naraku was still alive! And on the run! Brent looked around at all of his friends as they talked amongst each other. Their lips moved, but he heard nothing. His mind was far too preoccupied with the dangers now at hand. Naraku wouldn't be able to find out about the Jewel Shard in his chest...that giant bug couldn't be smart enough to tell that...The same sinking-feeling from yesterday began to swell in his chest, his heart sped up slightly, and his mind raced. From bad to worse is the only way he felt about things right now.