Okay, my mind started to go on autopilot while I was reading something. I know, what's new? But I figured it was worth writing a first chapter to see how it would turn out. So here I go.
It had been quite a few years since the well had closed after the last battle with Naraku. Kagome had been instrumental in killing him, and so now she felt the need to take responsibility for how Naraku's death affected the future.
Apparently, she and her friends' battle with Naraku had been a pivotal point in history. If they had lost, Kagome believed that the demons would have taken over all of Japan and humans would have been enslaved. As it was, Kagome and her friends had beaten him, and society remained the same for the most part. Except that demons were now enslaved to the humans. Kagome was horrified to find that anyone could own a demon slave and that they weren't hard to afford. They cost less than a bicycle would!
Another change was that the mystical aspects of the world were recognized by her society. There were mikos living in Japan who were revered and respected for their holy powers. Though being a miko was a rare thing, there were enough for a training facility to be built for mikos wishing to develop their abilities.
Needless to say, Kagome definitely chose that as her career. At the academy, she had been hailed as the most powerful priestess to be born since the legendary one who defeated Naraku single handedly. Kagome was very displeased that she had gotten all the credit for destroying him, and that her friends' part in the battle (Which was a major part. She knew that Naraku would have won if it hadn't been for her friends. She had only struck the final blow once he had been weakened by their group's efforts.) had been left unmentioned in history. She had not told anyone that she was the miko of legend. Who would believe her besides her family?
Speaking of her family, her grandfather had died a year or so back, leaving the shrine to her. Kagome had promptly turned into a center for exterminating and exorcising demon pests. That industry had been pioneered by an infamous couple. Their story had left a strong impression in history that was never forgotten. The woman was a strong demon slayer, and the man was a monk, although history did remark that he acted decidedly less than holy. After they got married, it was said that they roamed across the land, ridding the earth of demons who threatened the lives of humans and even brought peace between some demons and humans. After their deaths, the monk and demon slayer's children had continued this business until it had evolved a branch that became the modern slave trade. Kagome knew that Sango and Miroku were rolling in their graves when that happened. She felt sad to know that her friends' efforts to give the demons and humans equal rights and power had been rendered meaningless by their very offspring.
Getting back to her family's story, Kagome thought about her brother Sota. She had offered him a position in her business after he trained to become a demon slayer, but he turned it down in favor of working for an abolitionist organization. Kagome dearly wished that she could go about freeing slaves in that fashion, but a miko was not supposed to be a radical. They were supposed to be caring and nurturing in their efforts to do anything. So Kagome had made a side business of buying demons and caring for them until they were ready to have their rights and social status restored. Her successes so far were few, but well known.
The side business had started one day when she walked by a pet store. One window advertised demonic pets, and it had a picture of a two-tailed cat. Kagome's heart had nearly stopped when she saw it. She had hurried into the store to inquire about the advertisement, and she had imitated a fish out of water when she saw the cat itself. It was Kilala, Sango's cat demon companion!
When Kilala recognized Kagome, she began to mew loudly and stick her paws out of her cage to try to reach the girl. Kagome immediately rushed over and opened the cage, despite the sales clerk's shouts that it was dangerous and not to be handled.
As soon as the door was opened, Kilala rushed into her open arms and began to purr contentedly, snuggled into the safety of Kagome's embrace. Kagome had brought her up to the counter and asked the bewildered clerk about the cost. She paid and left with her old friend immediately.
Her discovery of Kilala left her with some thoughts. Would her other demon friends have lived through all these years? She guessed that it was possible, but not likely considering how stubborn and violent her demon friends were. In her time, demons existed primarily as slaves, pets, or pests. A very finite amount of demons were freed members of society. She thought of Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, and Koga. They would be nearly impossible to enslave, and they wouldn't fit into the pest or pet category since they possessed the ability to speak and reason. Only demons that were considered animals and un-sentient were classified as pets or pests. Shippo could have been enslaved, if he had remained the lovable vulnerable child that she remembered. She imagined he had grown up to be stronger and more independent, but she still felt that he would not be as indomitable as the taiyoukai, youkai, and hanyou.
Despite her doubts, she started to search for her friends. She had her slave rescue business put out a constant search out for any of her demon friends. She had found none so far, but she resolved to never give up until she at least knew what had become of her friends.
Kagome was working on her search one day. She currently had no slaves to work with, so she was out at demon markets and auctions and slave centers, looking for her friends and if nothing else, a suitable demon that she could work with to free.
Kilala was her constant companion who was at her always by her side. Even when she went to the slave markets, auctions, and centers Kilala stood beside her to help protect her and help find new prospects.
"And here we have this fine bat demon, very good for protection..." an auctioneer's voice drifted in and out of Kagome's hearing range.
Kilala's head perked up, and she sniffed the air excitedly. "Kilala, have we finally found someone?" Kagome asked her friend. Kilala was in her small kitten form and looking eager for Kagome to follow her.
Nodding her head for Kilala to lead the way, Kagome followed the cat demon at a quick pace. Kilala led her to a group of cages under a gazebo that were for sale. She stopped and sniffed at a cage just big enough to stand in that was near the corner of the gazebo. A startled cry of surprise came from the cage before its occupant reached between the bars to stroke the neko's soft fur. Kagome ran desperately to reach the cage. The owner reached it first though.
"What do you think you're doing! That obviously belongs to someone, can't you see the necklace it's wearing! Keep you filthy hands off of it!" he shouted at the slave petting Kilala. The man also slapped the hand smartly before it withdrew back into the cage.
"Hey! Leave them alone! They can pet her if they want to! They weren't hurting anything, so why are you hurting them!" Kagome demanded. She reached the cage and was panting from her dash to reach it.
Another cry of shock came from inside the cage, this time accompanied by an identifying, "Kagome!"
"Shippo!" Kagome wondered, stepping closer to examine the person inside the small cage.
Shippo stood there, looking like a grown teenage boy. Kagome knew that he was much older than he appeared, but she knew that his demonic blood would make his growth much more staggered and slow than human growth. He was dressed in ragged clothes with magic shackles and a magic collar, and he looked unhealthily skinny.
"Don't speak to her! Can't you see she is a priestess!" the owner demanded of Shippo, pointing to the imitation Shikon Jewel necklace around Kagome's neck. It was worn only by priestesses and accomplished mikos to identify them to the rest of the world.
"Yes master." Shippo replied dully, averting his eyes to the ground.
"I'm sorry about that Lady Priestess, he sometimes forgets his place." the man apologized to Kagome.
"He's done nothing wrong." Kagome said firmly. "I want to buy him."
Shippo glanced up since his master's back was turned to him and looked at Kagome with what she recognized as faith and hopefulness. Kagome gave him a warm loving smile and she blew a kiss at him. Reassured, Shippo smiled himself for the first time in years and resumed staring at the ground.
"Really? Well, I'll get his papers. It will only take a few minutes to retrieve them." the owner said as he turned and walked away to some stacks of papers.
As soon as he had turned to go, Kagome rushed to the cage and hugged Shippo through the bars. He started to cry with happiness from seeing his surrogate mother after all the years. Kagome murmured soothing words into his ear and simultaneously rubbed his back comfortingly.
Shippo was so happy it hurt inside his chest. The relief of finally being found by someone who cared was overwhelming and his heart felt full to burst. "Kagome, are you really going to buy me! Will you save me!"
Kagome pulled back enough so that she could still see him while holding him. "I'll always save you Shippo. I would never leave you while you were in trouble." she assured him.
The owner was returning with some papers so Kagome let Shippo go and stepped back a bit. Shippo wiped away his tears and turned his face downward.
"Here are some forms I need you to sign Lady Priestess." the man told her, handing some papers to her. Kagome signed where indicated and paid the man the money for Shippo. He unlocked Shippo's cage and handed her the key to the shackles. Shippo walked out quickly and stood behind Kagome. Kilala jumped into his arms and rubbed her head against his chest affectionately. He smiled and stroked her fur.
"We'll be leaving now." Kagome said simply.
"Don't forget that if you take off his shackles, he can use his demon powers, but only if you let him. Any other information you need is in these papers." the man told her, handing papers regarding Shippo to her.
"Thank you." Kagome replied, not sounding incredibly thankful. They walked away and Kagome took Shippo home where they could talk.
First chapter done. You'll have to let me know if this idea is worth continuing. Feel free to review and point out any errors, grammatical or otherwise.