"It sounds like gunfire!" Kagome replied. "She has to be careful where she hits it.. or it'll shatter the shard even MORE!"

InuYasha had already disappeared down the hall. Kagome, Pyrus, and Zera quickly went after him. They came upon a woman with green-hair and rock-hard skin wielding a powerful gun, "Stay where you are, monster!" the woman said as she aimed her gun at InuYasha. There was no sign of the female demon.

InuYasha glared at the woman and growled, revealing sharp fangs. The woman held her gun ready, and fingered the trigger.

Kagome quickly jumped in front of the dog-demon, "No!! Don't shoot!!" she shouted.

"I don't know where you came from, but you'd better move out of my way, girl... this monster is dead!" the woman threatened.

"If you shoot him, you'll have to shoot me too!!" Kagome said.

InuYasha's eyes went wide, "Kagome...???" Well.. this was strange. A human risking her life for a half-breed dog-demon? For HIM?

"JADE! Stop!" Zera said, "They're our friends!"

"Speak for yourself.." InuYasha muttered. Kagome offered him an angry glare, then turned back to Jade, still protecting InuYasha.

Pyrus stepped forward, "Please, Jade... put the gun down... they won't hurt us!" he explained. He looked at InuYasha, and remembered the sharp claws and the evil gleam in his eyes, "Well, at least KAGOME won't hurt us..."

Jade sighed, and lowered her weapon, "I hope you're right about this, boy..."

"So do I..." Pyrus muttered. "There was a demon here, wasn't there? I heard you shooting at it..."

"A demon?? Well.. you can call Femur that if you wish. It's a fitting name.." Jade said.

"FEMUR?!" Pyrus exclaimed, "You were shooting at FEMUR?!!"

"That toad tried to cop a feel again.." Jade replied.

"So.. um.. you didn't see a great big brown female demon thing??" Kagome asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Who are you anyway? Where did you come from?"

"Well.. the first question is easily answered. The second question isn't.. umm.. I'm Kagome, this is InuYasha.. and we're from Japan. And we have NO clue how we got here." Kagome explained.

The inhabitants of the Ice Ship Aurora decided to leave it at that.

Femur tried to catch his breath as he sat in his quarters, "Gotta love women from Planet Rock!!" he said with a smile, "They're so full of life!! Jade's just playing hard to get, Pelvus. But I know she wants me!"

"Yes.. of course, your greatness.. what woman wouldn't want the great Emperor of Planet Bone?" Pelvus said, then silently gagged.

"I wonder if I should give the lovely Princess Tekla a visit.." Femur thought aloud, rubbing his hands in anticipation. Before he thought more, a loud howl pierced the air. Both Femur and Pelvus jumped. "What was THAT?!"

A bright flash of light blinded the two temporarily. When the light faded, a hideous brown creature stood in Femur's quarters. Femur quickly aimed his gun at it. It howled again, and the Emperor quickly ran for cover, shooting absently behind him. He took refuge behind a couch.

Pelvus followed his master's lead, "HEY!!" Femur began, "There ain't enough room for the both of us behind here!! Go find your own hiding place!!" And shoved Pelvus out in the open. The monster thrashed around violently, shooting energy left, right, and center. All but destroying the room.. and Pelvus.

"I think you've wounded it, great one!!" Pelvus said hopefully as he saw a strange liquid ooze out of it's shoulder. He quickly ducked an energy blast from the monster.

Femur shot at the monster absently again, not daring to even look at it.. or come out of his hiding place.

As he fired, he heard a shattering sound. He dared a peak over the couch, and saw a silver light emanating near the creature. Something had fallen from it. Femur's eyes went wide when he saw a very valuable jewel shard.

The monster began to change shape. Instead of the frightening female it had once been, it transformed into a smaller, less frightening female. It seemed to lose most of its power as well, save for creating another portal through which it escaped.

Femur ran out of his hiding spot once the creature was gone, and picked up the jewel shard, "This was in that creature's possession?!!" he asked no one in particular. "Where's the rest of the jewel?! It'll probably be worth MILLIONS!!!"

"Uh.. your greatness.. it is my duty to inform you that you seem to be glowing with a silver light.." Pelvus said rather calmly.

Femur wasn't listening. He felt something warm and powerful enter his body, "Oooh.. this is good, Pelvus.. this is very good!!" and laughed. "I don't know what this thing is doing to me, but I kinda' like it!!"

Kagome suddenly gasped as she sensed an odd sensation from the jewel shard, "It's changed hands!!" she said.
Pyrus, Zera, Jade, and InuYasha looked at her questioningly, "WHAT has changed hands?" InuYasha asked.

"The jewel shard!! The demon doesn't have it anymore.. someone else does!! Someone much, much worse then a demon could ever be!!"

"What could be worse then a demon?!" Jade asked.

At that moment, Femur made an appearance. Jade's eyes went wide. Something had happened to the toad. He entire demeanor had changed! He walked with elegance, and poise... and smiled politely at the small group. Of course, that didn't change the fact that Jade still despised him.

Femur went up to Jade, and bowed gracefully, "Hello, my dear.. how are you today..?" he asked gallantly.

ade simply looked at him, too shocked to speak.

Femur continued, "I know you don't think very highly of me, Miss Jade.. but I wish to change that view. I am not that bad a guy, after all.. but I do understand your feelings on my recent behaviour. I would like to apologize for that..." His voice was calm and courteous.. and perfect. He smiled slightly. Even his teeth were perfect. His mannerisms were perfect as well. He was being a perfect gentleman!

Jade's eyes went wide, "Oh great Rock!! What sort've demon has possessed Emperor Femur???!!"

Zera and Pyrus looked on in fear, "I don't know.. but we'd better warn Graveheart!!" Pyrus started.

Zera looked at Kagome, "Does this demon you were chasing have the power to possess people?!!" she asked.

"No.. she's just a very violent.. ugly.. demon!! She's pretty weak, actually.. but she's fast! She gets away with her portals all the time..."

Femur finally noticed Kagome. He went up to her and took her hand, kissing it gently, "My name is Emperor Femur of Planet Bone. Would you be so kind as to introduce yourself, my dear?"

InuYasha glared at Femur. He quickly took Kagome's hand out of Femur's grasp, "Don't touch her..!" he growled. Then InuYasha noticed that HE was now holding Kagome's hand. He quickly dropped it, and turned his attention back to the gentle-toad. "You have the jewel shard, don't you?!"

"Perhaps I do.. but surely your lady would prefer something more like diamonds, or rubies?" Femur said.

"She is NOT my lady!!" InuYasha snapped.

"You don't have to act so insulted, InuYasha!" Kagome replied.

"To think that I'd be interested in a stupid mortal like you IS insulting!!" InuYasha responded.

"Ahhh.. now now.. no fighting!" Femur began calmly, "After all, denying your feelings for this lovely girl is what you're used to, am I correct, InuYasha?"

InuYasha grabbed Femur by the neck, "And what do YOU know of my feelings for Kagome?!?!" he shouted.

"InuYasha! Let him GO!! Why can't you be as polite and charming as Femur?!" Kagome asked.

Zera, Pyrus, and Jade all choked on that last sentence, "Child.." Jade began, "Femur is NOT polite. He is a hormone driven, self-serving TOAD. The way he is acting now.. it is not NATURAL!! This is some sort of magic!!"

Realization suddenly hit Kagome, "But then that means.."

"That this demon has the jewel shard!!" InuYasha snapped. "His magic seems to be working on YOU just fine!"

"You know, maybe I just want to be treated like a lady once in a while.. ever think of THAT?!" Kagome shouted. She shook her head, "But there's no time to go on about that.." she turned to Femur, "Give us the jewel shard!"

Femur smiled.. perfectly. "I am afraid I cannot do that, my dear.. you see, the shard you speak of has filled me with so much power!! I do not WISH to go back to the way I was.. I like this far too much!!"

Kagome pulled out her bow and arrow, "I'm sorry, sir.." she began regretfully, "but If you won't give it back to us, I'll have to take it by force.. I have no choice..." she finished, and slowly aimed the arrow at Femur.

Disclaimer: All Shadow Raiders/ War Planets (tm) characters are property of Mainframe Entertainment and Trendmasters Toy Co.