Hello everyone! Here comes my new story. This piggy backs off my one shot By the Well but by no means requires you read it first. That is a story to set up the relationship dynamics this story builds upon.

I hope you enjoy. I have been plotting the main concepts behind this story for about a year now and am happy to finally get it down. Please read and review.

As always – I don't own Inuyasha. In addition, some story elements and demon types are borrowed from Spirited Away (although this is in no way an actual cross over).

Wings and Shadows

By Katelina

Chapter One

His great tri-colored wings elicited two responses: either awe or fear. There was rarely another response.

Which was why he was so taken aback by the young priestess before him – she showed little response besides one of respect due his status.

"Priestess Kaede."

The twenty-year-old one eyed priestess gave him a great bow signifying her response. "To what do I owe the honor of ye's presence, great tenshi."

Hiroto lifted his hand to silence her and motioned for her to rise from her bow. "I have a task for you, but before I explain you must agree to do it."

Kaede's good eye was the only indication of her surprise. It expanded momentarily before she gave a slight nod once more. "We priestesses owe our spiritual powers to your ancient line of tenshis, great Master Hiroto. I shall do whatever you have tasked for me."

He gave her a curt nod, satisfied with her response. Sure that she had accepted his task, he reached inside his left sleeve. Grasping the small metal dagger which was wrapped tightly in a plain white scarf, he withdrew it taking a moment to whisper a quiet prayer. He handed the bundle to the priestess who held it in her palms, warry to close her hands around such a gift.

"This dagger is not for you, but you must keep it." He awaited Kaede's acknowledgment before continuing. "This treasure is only for the true bearer to use. You are not the bearer. The true bearer will know what to do when they come across this dagger."

"How will I know who the dagger's true bearer is, oh great one?"

"You shall know." He expanded his wings, giving them a few large flaps before moving away from her to take off to the skies. "And one more thing, do not ever read the words written on the hilt and blade. The words are not for you."

She nodded again. "I shall keep is safe for ye."

The great tenshi Hiroto nodded his head before stepping even further back and disappearing to the trees.

He knew he must retire. He felt the call to his castle within the clouds. His great meditation was coming, but he had more to do before he could go. He felt a tug to the great tree, the same tree that had held such importance to him in the past. He landed upon the ground letting his wings dissipate into a spiral of gold, silver and white feathers. He approached the base of the tree, pausing just beneath the slumbering form of the young hanyou pinned there.

Hiroto, with all his magnificence, could release the boy. But this would not serve his purpose. While Hiroto was unsure yet of what that purpose was, he knew that the boy must remain trapped as he was for many years to come. Somehow, at some time, he would be released. The boy had potential, but he would have to grow into it.

He had promised his truest friend to look after the dog-eared boy with his father's silver hair. While he wondered what the Great Dog General would think of his lack of action to release the boy, he knew that Inutaisho would forgive him. Inuyasha must earn his own way in this world without Hiroto's involvement. It was a must – or else Inuyasha could never live up to his potential. It is not for the weak of heart to save the world.

Giving one last look at the boy he whispered another silent prayer. This time personal, a wish for Inuyasha's future. A wish that one day he would meet his destiny, and when he did, he would have something to fight for.

Breath. It was heavy, sweet, and lingered in his chest like a weight. It felt strange to expand his lungs – pushing out his chest felt unnatural but satisfying. It was amazing how a simple act like breathing, which came so naturally, felt so strange and foreign to him after all this time.

He had had no reason to breath in the afterlife, no reason to expand his chest. He spoke, related, but breath had nothing to do with it. Now his breath was the lifeblood that kept his ancient heart beating.

He became acutely aware of the sounds his heart was making. They pounded all the way up into his ears. He felt his ears twitch in response as if they were trying to turn towards the sound only to realize that the sound was coming from within.

He stretched his legs, his claws digging deeply into the hard ground. Stretching, he expanded his fur and ears, feeling everything stand on end. He rotated his giant head back and forth, rolling it a few times for good measure.

Despite all the unfamiliar qualities, there was one thing he had missed for the last two hundred and fifty years: his true form.

He leapt forwards letting his feet smash against the ground. He bound about, hopping and nipping at his own tail. To outsiders he would appear a mere pup, playing games and joyfully tumbling through the ruins around him.

But in truth he was not a pup – not by a long shot. He was simply enjoying his renewed body, familiarizing himself with his scents and abilities. It would not be long before they would be needed – and so he better be used to it.

Inuyasha rolled over pulling the sleeping miko up next to him. He placed a kiss to her forehead as she snored softly against his chest. She tangled her fingers in his fire rat as she often did, snuggling her head into his chest as she tried to find comfort and warmth.

For all its benefits, the fire rat was not very good at transmitting heat to his tired and cold woman.

It wouldn't be long until his surprise would be done so he wouldn't have to keep her under the stars whenever she tucked herself into his lap to go to sleep. He could provide her with a real home, a real shelter, a hut all her own so that she wouldn't have to borrow a matt on Kaede's floor (not that she slept there very often anymore). While he was sure it "built character" or whatever annoying nonsense Kaede claimed, he wanted instead to pamper her and show her that he would always protect her.

The morning light broke overhead and he tugged her gently to rest over top of him, her legs fitting perfectly between his thighs. While his firerat absorbed heat and failed to transfer it, Kagome's body was blazing and her robes did nothing to prevent her loss of heat.

"Wake up wench." Inuyasha brushed his lips across her forehead awkwardly trying to find the perfect angle for him to look at her while he kissed the top of her furrowed brows. However annoyingly he failed, finding his nose as close to poking her in the eye as it could without making contact. He briefly smirked to himself about how funny it would be if he had actually done so, but his smirk quickly vanished when he imagined just how man SITS! He would have to survive.

"Five…more minutes..."

"Feh. I ain't that stupid alarm clerk." He shook her gently and she grumbled.

Kagome opened one eye and glanced up at him before shutting it tightly again, hoping he didn't notice. He had through, and brought his fingers down across her sides – his claws gently caressing her sides and forcing a giggle. "Clock, alarm c-l-o-c-k."

Inuyasha shook her again, this time a little more violently.

"Seriously, a few more minutes please."

"Feh, Kaede is going to be looking for you soon wench. It's time to go." While understanding of their relationship, Kaede still had expectations of Kagome as a training miko. Besides, with them not being married, Kagome sleeping within Inuyasha's arms gave off an impression of impropriety.

Grumbling, Kagome stood, stretching her arms behind her head and arching her back. She slowly spot checked herself after a long yawn – she still had her priestess robes on and her hair had stayed somewhat tied back behind her head. All in all, a good enough example of her appearance as so make herself presentable to the towns' people today.

Inuyasha grinned up at her from the ground, rubbing his claws gently against her ankle. He rolled, nipping at the base causing her to yip and jump away from him.

"Behave!"

He grinned and shook his head.

"SIT!"

The grin was gone as his body smashed further into the ground forming a nice divot.

Kagome stuck out her tongue and turned to walk away, swaying her hips in sass to signify her win.

Despite the splitting pain in his head, Inuyasha watched her walk away with a sense of pride. He still couldn't believe she was his. It had taken a long time due to what Kagome called his "idiot self", a year from the date she arrived back to this era and the day they kissed again, for him to finally be willing to accept that it was okay for him to be with her. Even after this acceptance that their relationship was okay, it had been slow to develop, with much coaxing from Kagome. She was incredibly patient, some days he simply basked in the feeling of having her, others being afraid that he wasn't good enough. Each day she gaged his moods and did what was necessary – sometimes with gentle words and other times with angry sits.

The first time they had walked into town together, Kagome's arm looped through his, he had been amazed by the lack of response from people. While he noticed eyes upon them, there was no indication of any negative reactions – in face, and his heat still heated at the memory – one old woman Kaede regularly produced medicine for grumbled about how it was "about damn time." While he had no doubts that if they left the village the response may be different, they had yet to find a need to. Even when he left to help Miroku with an exorcism, Kagome stayed behind and focused on the needs of their local community.

And she was damn good at it. She had flourished into her role as miko. While she still held the same spunk she'd had when she was 15, even picking up some of his more colorful language, she had become a guiding light for the community – healing the sick, caring for children, comforting the dying. This was always the hardest part for her, accepting that sometimes people must die. He remembered the first time she had aided a dying woman whom she had become very attached to. Once she had passed and the family comforted, when Kagome walked away later that night she had wept in his arms until the light came up the next morning. He had held her under the goshinboku as her body racked with sobs. He remembered how easy it had been for him to comfort him, and how his discomfort with her tears had shifted from embarrassment and awkwardness to the need to share her pain and relieve it.

Once she was out of sight he rolled back over onto his back, looking up at the sky through the holes in the trees above him. For the first time in his life things were looking up.

That was when he noticed the odd feeling in his right eye. It began as a slight itch as if dust or dirt had gotten into his eye – but the feeling began to change to a burn. He sat up, leaning his head forward into his hand as the burning turned to pressure. He yelled out, the pain in his eye ripping through him as he bent forward and felt the black pearl contained within his eye fall out and into his hand. Instantaneously he felt relief, but he had little time to acknowledge it as the pearl began to glow.

Standing in the doorway of Kaede's hut Kagome felt it. Inuyasha was in pain. Without a pause she took off, leaving behind a baffled Kaede and Rin. Running as fast as she could back to him she heard his cry of pain and it sent a cold shiver directly to her heart. She had heard that noise before, and every time it shook her to her bones.

"INUYASHA!" She called out to him, arriving back into the clearing containing the goshinboku. Inuyasha was slouched forwards, holding his palm in front of him, the black pearl from his empty white eye lying before him. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. She gasped as the pearl flew from his hand, expanding for a moment before a silver haired inu appeared from the resulting portal.

As quickly as the portal had opened it closed. The pearl ceased glowing and snapped back in place, smashing back into Inuyasha's eye sending him sprawling onto his back. Kagome ran to his side, crouching beside him and supporting his arm as he sat up into a slouched back position. Inuyasha sat up more, pulling Kagome up against him as the crouching inu lifted his head to sniff the air. Seemingly interested, he stood from his crouch turning around to stare down at Inuyasha and Kagome from their position on the ground.

The handle of the tetsusaiga glowed and shook against Inuyasha's hip. Inuyasha stood, putting his body between the inu and Kagome. Kagome, standing, peaked her head around Inuyasha to get a good look at the man standing before them.

Despite having never met him alive, Kagome knew that armor all too well. She knew Inuyasha did as well. Tetsusaiga hummed and settled beneath Inuyasha's hand as Inuyasha drew the blade from its scabbard. Holding the blade out before him he gripped it tightly as he watched for the wind scar, prepared to attack at the first sign of trouble.

But somehow Inuyasha knew that effort would be futile. There was no way the great sword tetsusaiga would ever betray its former master. The sword knew just as well as he did who the man was standing before them, and it would never do harm to the man who had given it life.

Inutaisho had returned to the land of the living.

End of chapter one! What do you think? Would love reviews.