I decided to write this all and split it up into six chapters. I posted them all at once, so sorry, followers, for the spam of emails.
Summary: Kagome has always wanted to help out little stray dogs. A certain stoic inu daiyoukai is no exception.
"All these stray dogs on rainy days make me so sad." The young girl said to her friend.
"They smell really bad, though. And they might have a disease or something." The friend played with her pony tail.
"I guess. Hey, Sango! Where'd it go?" she noticed the dog had disappeared.
"Whatever, we shouldn't bother." Sango wanted to get out of the rain. The wind blew against their shared umbrella.
"I think I have some leftovers from lunch here. I'm wanna try finding it." She said.
"What? Come on, we're almost back to your place." Sango pleaded.
"Fine, you can keep the umbrella. I got a hood, anyways." She said, flipping it up.
"Kagome! Your mother is going to worry about you. And it's getting darker and colder. It's just a dog." She scolded and grabbed onto her friend's arm.
"Then just wait here a sec. I won't be long." Kagome insisted and ran off. Sango huffed, but stood in place.
"It's cold." She whined as her friend ran off.
Kagome clutched the lunch box close to herself to prevent it getting soaked. She went down the sidewalk and jumped over a large crack. Her boots splashed on the wet mud as she got onto the grass. She grabbed onto the wet metal railing as she looked down on the slope.
"Where could that dog have gone?" She mumbled to herself. In the distance, she could see the ocean. It was tumultuous and stormy. On a nice day, it could be easily seen, but the rain thundered right now. She scanned the area again, but decided to return to Sango. That was, until she saw a puff of dirty white down the muddy slope. The dog! It was stuck in the mud in the middle of the slope.
"Oh god!" She exclaimed. She took off her nice coat and decided to get down and dirty.
"Come here, doggy." She cooed as she stuck her shoes in the mud. Gross, but we make sacrifices for the things we love. Or little lost puppies. The wind picked up and the rain felt like little pricks. She slid down one foot a little more, keeping wary of the dangerous conditions. If she happened to slide all the way to the bottom, it'd mean climbing quite a way in a lightly wooded area. And then she'd have to found a way back up here. The dog barked and pulled her out of her thoughts. She pulled out a bag of shortbread cookies and clumsily ripped it open.
"Wanna cookie?" she placed it near the dog. It looked at it warily before sniffing.
"Come here, please." She pleaded, but the dog was still wary.
"Kagome!" she heard Sango in the distance.
"I'm here, Sango!" She cried out, but she doubted it would carry far. The dog's ears peaked up, holding the treat in his mouth. Yes! Finally! She held out another in her hand. The dog sniffed, but ate complacently like it didn't realize it's own situation. She couldn't hear her friend anymore, but she started to pet the dog.
"Come on, it's ok." She started cooing again. His tail started to wag and she smiled.
"You're gonna have to let me help you, ok?" she fed it the treat.
"Kagome!" Sango was nearer.
'Sango, I'm down here!" She needed her friend's attention. She saw Sango at her coat and cried out again, her friend finally seeing her.
"What are you doing down there?" she yelled.
"The dog!" she yelled back. It was hard to hear, but her friend's worry was evident.
"Don't worry!" she yelled. She continued to pet the dog and went into a softer voice.
"I know you're not going to like this, so sorry in advance." She wrapped her arms around the dog and he got a little jumpy.
"Kagome!" Sango yelled again, helpless in this situation. Kagome picked up the unwilling dog and struggled to get back to the top. Sango saw her friend with the back drop of the trees and ocean and lightning in the sky. The ground slipped beneath her. Kagome fell into the mud. The dog whined, frightened. It bit her hand. Hard. She cried out. She reached the other hand out. Sango acted, grabbing onto her friend's and holding on for dear life.
"Just let go of the dog!" She pleaded. Kagome refused to through oncoming tears. Her hand was bleeding, but she kept a tight grip on the dog. With Sango's help, she was back onto stable road and concrete.
"Can you hand me my coat?" she asked her friend. Sango passed it to her and she wrapped the dog up.
"Sorry, buddy. No more biting for you. Bad dog." She scolded.
"Where are you taking that thing?" Sango asked, revolted.
"The vet or a dog shelter. I dunno." She was muddy, soaked to the bone, and injured, but proud of her act of heroism.
"No you aren't because those places are closed by this time." They were on the way back to Kagome's house and were ready for scolding.
"I can't believe you drag me into these situations." Sango complained.
There was some yelling, digging up an old dog cage, some really needed baths, and some cups of tea. Kagome was laughing with Sango. Her mother bandaged up her hand up with some anti-infection cream on it. Of course, her mother was mad, but her daughter's carelessness was commonplace. They agreed to take the dog to a vet and shelter the next day and to get Kagome some shots, which upset her.
"That's what you get for helping a stray dog." Her mother chided.
"I have to get a rabies shot? Does anyone even get rabies anymore?" she asked.
"Yes. And they die from it." Her mother said. That shut her daughter up.
It was late, late hours of the night when Kagome slipped out of the room Sango was staying over in. She tip-toed in the silent house. She arrived at the dog's kennel. It was a she and she was feisty, but friendly and loving for a stray. Her mother said she has probably not been a stray for very long.
"Hello, puppy." She whispered in the darkness and laid on her stomach. The dog's ears perked up and she lifted her head.
"Momma says we can't keep you, but I hope you find a home." She started to play with her hair. The dog's fur was pretty and white after the struggle in the bathtub. It was fun, though. She got to spend time with her friend, mother, and toddler brother.
"It's my hobby, you know? The car accident happened when I was so young, so I didn't know him that well. It's been a couple of years. Momma says he was so selfless and ready to help others." The dog pressed her nose again the bars and Kagome giggled.
"I'm not ready to help people, but I'm always ready to help animals. I'm not a dog person 'cause I don't have preferences, but dogs always prefer me more than cats. I've gotten so many scratches! None like your little bite, though." She tapped on the bar of the kennel. There was a little silence.
"Kagome?" she heard Sango murmur behind her.
"What are you doing up?" Kagome asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." Sango responded. Sitting beside her friend.
"I guess." She whispered back. They sat for a while, like that. Watching the dog. Enjoying the other's presence.
"You're my best friend, Sango." Kagome broke the silence with.
"I've known you ever since my family moved back to the shrine. And you're the person who I always can be with and not feel awkward." She continued, smiling.
"Me, too, Kagome. You're easy to talk to and be with. I'm glad our parents get along, too." They laughed a little together.
"Wouldn't it be cool if your father married my mom and then we could be sisters!" Kagome got louder with her whispering.
"Then we could have sleepovers like this all the time!" Sango got excited, too. They knew their parents weren't interested in the other like that, but it was always fun to fantasize.
"I'd be Higurashi Sango!" She laughed again.
"Girls, what are you doing up?" They whipped their heads around to see Ms. Higurashi.
"We're sleep walking." Kagome laughed out.
"Then why are you are on the ground?" her mom smiled.
"Ummm, you're sleep walking! We're not really here, so you should just go back to sleep." Sango said.
"Get to bed soon, you girls." She insisted.
"Kay.' They groaned and got up. Ms. Higurashi left, trusting her daughter and her friend to be reasonable enough to get some sleep.
"I think we can get through anything together, Kagome." Sango told her friend.
"And we will."