Chapter 1

Hay, I won't do this very often, but this will be one of my few disclaimers! Just wanted to say that this has to be the 1st fanfiction I've written in about 4 years. So I'll probably be pretty rusty, but hopefully as the story progresses so will I!

Well, the usual spiel, which will be the only time I say it... /Disclaimer/ I do not own the original characters from the show Inuyasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

/Thoughts/

Now, Onto the story!

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War. It had ravaged the land for over five-hundred years now. Pain. All of the people fealt it, humans and youkai alike, it was all the same. Hate. It continued to spread without fail, as the hate led to darkness and suffering. Blood paved the streets of villages and families were torn apart.

Death, famine, and anguish spread like vermon through all of Japan.

Poverty stricken lands, orphaned children, and dying men littered the battered streets.

All of this was due to the deeply seeded hate that rooted from a neverending war between the humans and youkai.

For the humans, there number was great, but it was beginning to dwindle. The rich were becoming poor, and the poor were dying out.

For the youkai, the already fewer numbers were beginning to suffer more then before. There were fewer rich, and practically no middle-class.

Overall the situation had gone from terrifying to hopeless since the beginning of the war.

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A young boy that seemed to be around the age of 15 or so ran swiftly through an ally. He was clad in ragged clothing consisting of a hole ridden shirt, over sized hakama's, and bandages around his feet. Black hair flowed in an unkempt manner behind him, tied back shodily. Dark eyes shown behind long bangs, piercing those that dared challenge them. In the backround voices were heard yelling out curses, and the steady beat of pounding feet could be indentified.

A laugh came from the young man as a small ball of fur clutched him in a death-like grip. "What's wrong Shippou, your not scared are you?" The little ball unfurled himself to yell back at the boy carrying him. "That's not fair Kag! Don't make fun of me! What if they catch us?" The boy known as Kag only chuckled in response to the youkai looking child on her back.

The small boy had bright orange hair, a blue ribbon atop it holding his hair in a small ponytail. He wore a green top, long sleeved, with small leaves randomly placed all throughout it. He had on a tan, fur-like vest, the same color as the leaves on his shirt. His hakama was puffy near the bottom and shone a dull blue. He wore no shoes, and his eyes appeared sprightly green. To top it all off, he had a big fluffy tail that was tan in color.

Kag's human legs carried him faster to help quell young Shippou's fears, the sounds behind them growing more distant. Shippou dug his head back into the Kag's neck, trying to stifle a cry.

Kag's noticing this confidently, yet almost soothingly chided,"Remeber Shippou, no matter what happens I will always protect you. Even with my life." He said this almost in a whisper, only for the kitsune to hear, while the following herd was barely even audible anymore. The tembling kit nodded in confirmation that he'd heard, his whines having quieted now.

Kag smiled an empty smile,'No matter what, Shippou, I'll always protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, I'll make sure of it. Your all the family I have and I won't lose you too.'

Suddenly Kag's steps faltered as he nearly crashed to the ground in one pitiful heap. Gasping for air, he stopped for a moment to look back at his leg. Blood dribbled down his thigh to pool ominously on the ground, a sharp arrow having dug deeply into the back of his thigh. Halting in his fast paced run, he was forced to pull the arrow out of his flesh, tearing the abused flesh below with one swift pull.

Poor little Shippou eyed him, trying to confirm the smell of blood. Shaking Kag he yelled worridly,"K-kag, what happened! What's wrong?" All the poor kit could think was, 'Please be okay, your the only one I have left. I need you. You can't die on me!'

Kag stumbled like a man who'd had one too many drinks, trying once more to gain momentum. Limping as fast as possible he began to realize that he would not be able to go much farther. Stopping behind a tree, now somewhere in a forest nearby the town the voices grew so much closer.

Closing his eyes, he took in the tepid air, before looking at his small companion. "Please forgive me, Shippou." With those words, Kag knocked the boy out with a strike to head. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as he placed the boy in a bush, making sure to cover him as best as possible. Making sure he was no longer visible within the brush, he moved away from him. Luckily the youkai chasing them would be unable to smell him out thanks to his bloody thigh.

"Farwell my little kit.." Memories of the past were now on the forefront of his mind.

He had not always been a he, actually, what seemed so long ago, he was a she. She had once been a happy little girl who had lived with her family in small hut. Food was hard to come by, and she barely saw her Papa, but back then life was easy. It was simple. Then one day the momentary peace between the humans and the youkai ended. The youkai lashed out against the humans by attacking the quaint village her family lived in. All of the men were slaughtered, the women were taken as slaves, and children left to fend for themselves or die.

However most of the children left alive died from the fires that the youkai set. She could still remeber when her younger brother called out for her as a pile of burning wood fell atop him. Calling for his big sister Kagome, but her small arms could do nothing to save him. She remebered it all so vividly, as the tears welled up in her eyes, her big sister Kikyo, pulling her from her dying brother, Souta. Kikyo, an intelligent girl, around 13, had escaped the youkai longer then mother had, and took to helping her sibling.

Kikyo was a rare thing, she was a miko and that gave her strength over the youkai. With her slowly diminishing powers she ran with her only living kin. Her sister took her to the forest were she hid her, just as the youkai came and took her away. That was the last she had ever seen of her sister, now there was no one, but herself.

Though she was young in body, averaging around 8 summers, she was old in spirit. She new grewing up what in meant to be a girl. The horrors of becoming a slave to a youkai, so she dressed as a young boy to avoid that epidemic. She learned to protect herself, her hands adroit when it came to using a sword. Her face became impassive to protect herself from the cruel world she grew up in, as she fought for even the smallest bit of food.

Then one evening, the usual type of evening, she found him. He was so small, broken it seemed, huddled fearfully by a hord of rocks. The bodies of his father and mother were in a bloody heap close by, leaving him to be the only one left alive. Human bodies riddled the scene of battle, all of them lifeless. Her kind had been the ones to tear the little kit from his okasan and otouto.

With great certainty she picked his unconcious body from the ground and removed him from the gruesome scene. Then without a flicker of doubt in her mind, she mended his wounds and fed the poor boy. She fed him the food she was barely able to obtain, rather she starve then him.

Fearful of her at first, Shippou rarely spoke, but stayed by her side as a form of thanks. Three years there bonds grew closer, and she became his aniki. He knew that she was indeed not a boy, but he understood why she lied and respected that. They both kept secrets and confided in one another just as siblings do.

Now she would have to leave him all alone, to fend for himself. Still she knew he was far better off then he once had been, she had taught him to be strong and fight smart. It tore her in two to leave him there but, she would compromise even her freedom to keep him safe. Nodding goodbye to him, a smile grecing her face, as she turned away.

She strode as proudly as she could, her body hurt, her eyes stung, but she wouldn't fall to these men.

Soon she was staring at a group of youkai, slave traders searching out more humans to sell. Human numbers dwindled in the country of the West as they were always in demand to be sold. And it seemed today was the day she would become one of those numbers.

She saw them, coming closer, weapons held firmy, a collar grasped in one of the men's hands. Averse looks shown in their eyes as they closed the distance, now only feet away.

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Gomen ne,

Sorry no Sesshoumaru yet, but he should be in chapter two!

And! Depending on how well this first chapter does I should have chapter two up by next week.

Sayonara!