Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or anything connected to it.

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Chapter 1

It was days like this that she loved the most. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze, nice puffy clouds dotting the serene blue sky. The birds were a symphony of sound, each sound being unique, yet they all blended together beautify. Not many people took the time to notice these things, but she did. She harbored a love for nature. Though she loved days like this for their natural beauty, what she loved the most were the children who were playing in the park she was currently meandering.

Oh how she wished she could have children of her own, but she wasn't sure if she wanted them with her boyfriend of five years. They had been together since her third year of high school, but lately she wasn't too sure about him. Being a miko, she was still pure, untouched. Lately, that has become a problem for Inuyasha, her boyfriend. 'He always gets so frustrated when he's in the mood, and I won't give into him. He knows I'm saving myself for marriage, but he won't take that step.' What she didn't know was that he wouldn't take that step because he didn't really love her. You see, it all started with a bet…

~~Flashback~~

"Hey Inu-trasha, have you seen the new girl?"

"No I haven't, ya mangy wolf."

"Well mutt face, you wanna make a bet?"

"What's in it for me Kouga?"

"If you can get into her pants, I'll give you a hundred bucks. If you don't…" He was cut off by Inuyasha who had an arrogant look on his face.

"You don't have to worry about that. I can win this bet within the week."

"So we have a deal?" Kouga had a sly look on his face. He had met Kagome. She was as pure as they come, there was no way Inuyasha was winnin the bet. 'That stupid mutt didn't even want to hear what would happen if he lost. I gotta come up with something good.'

"We have a deal." Inuyasha and Kouga shook hands, sealing the deal. Kouga walked away and snickered. 'Inuyasha is goin down.'

~~End flashback~~

~Inuyasha POV~

Inuyasha looked at her and sighed to himself. Five years, and the bet was still in effect. The stakes were higher now. There was no way he was backing out. He couldn't count the number of people who were in on the bet now. 'It's only a matter of time before she gives in, and when she does, I'll be one rich man.' He looks around him in disgust. It was too damn bright for his liking, the breeze kept blowing his hair around, tangling it, and those damn birds! How he wished he could kill every single one of them; they were hurting his sensitive ears. His face darkened in pure disgust. He absolutely detested it when Kagome made him walk with her in the park. There were snot-nosed little brats everywhere. They smelled horrible. It was times like these that he wished he was a human instead of a half demon. The day he had children would be one cold day in hell.

~Kagome POV~

'Inuyasha, you have changed so much. I used to love you with all my heart, but I don't think I do anymore. Why are we still together? We are completer opposites in the worst of ways. I see the way you look at the children. You look at them with disgust and hatred. I want children, but I don't want them with you. I wouldn't want you to be anywhere near them or me for that matter. I cringe at the feeling of malice in your aura whenever I'm around you. It's attacking me with a fervor I've never felt before. It hurts me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I don't know how much longer I can hold out, before my ki retaliates and purifies you. I need to get away from you. '"Hey Inuyasha?" I ask in a quiet voice.

"What wench?!" He snapped

'How dare he! Wench? Wench? That bastard.' "I don't feel well, so I think I'll head home. I'll call you later okay?" She refused to let him see how much his words hurt her.

~Normal POV~

"You drag me all the way out here, only to want to go home?! No, you're not going anywhere." She gave him an incredulous look. "Don't even…" He was unable to finish, because someone rammed into him from behind. He spun around, ready to teach this person a lesson, only to see a small boy with bright orange hair and emerald-green eyes. His eyes narrowed as he sniffed the boy. The kit was a demon. Inuyasha plucked the boy up the back of his shirt, and brought him up to eye level. "How dare you touch me, you demon filth."

The boy had a horrified expression on his face, opening and closing his mouth, but no words would come out. He began to cry as Inuyasha shook him. At this, Kagome snatched the boy from Inuyasha, and hugged him close to her chest. She sat down on a nearby bench and began to rock him back and forth. The kit stopped crying, but continued to sniffle. He looked up at the woman holding him, and snuggled deeper into her chest. All the while, Kagome was glaring daggers at Inuyasha who was looking at them in disgust.

"It's alright little one. I won't let him hurt you," she cooed, "Do you know where your mom and dad are?" He just shook his head. "Would you like me to help you find them? What's your name?" At this, he began to cry, and she could feel his aura sadden. "What is it hunny, what's wrong? You can tell me." Kagome rubbed soothing circles on his back, and hummed a song her mother used to sing to her when she had nightmares. She smiled to herself as he calmed once again.

The kit burrowed even farther into her chest and whimpered, " I'm Shippo. They left me. I woke up yesterday and went to my mom and dad like I did every day, but when I got to their room, they weren't there. Everything was gone. That's how the rest of the house was too."

She sat there stunned. 'They left him on his own! He can't be more than five years old!' Unconsciously, her hold on him tightened. 'How could they do that? How could they leave one as precious as him?' Tears began to form in her eyes. Shippo could smell them and looked up in time to see tears falling down her face.

She was brought back to reality when she felt tiny paws wiping her tears away. "Please don't cry; I didn't mean to upset you. Please don't cry," he whimpered.

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry, I just…" Inuyasha rudely cut her off.

"Dump the brat wench, we're leaving."

Kagome gasped, "Inuyasha! We can't just leave him here, he has nowhere to go!"

"I said leave him." Shippo began to shake in fear.

"No Inuyasha the least we can do is take him to the orphanage." He was about to argue, but she gave him a look that promptly shut him up. She stood with Shippo still in her arms and made her way back to her car. She opened the door, placed the kit inside, and buckled him up. Shutting the door, she came face to face with an angry Inuyasha. Her face became hard as she gave him a cold look. "I will speak with you tomorrow Inuyasha." With that, Kagome got in the car and left, noticing that Inuyasha was following her. She let out a small growl.

Shippo was asleep when they reached the orphanage. Carefully, as not to wake him, Kagome unbuckled the kit and took him into her arms. Immediately he snuggled into her chest and gave a soft sigh. Kagome bit her bottom lip, trying not to cry. 'Why must I give up everything I hold dear?' Looking to the building in front for her she sighed. 'I never thought I'd see this place again.'

~~Flash back~~

Cough cough cough

Kagome was only seven, but she was very intelligent. So, when she awoke to see smoke filtering into her room from under her bedroom door, she immediately know what was going on. 'Fire. There must be a fire in the house.' Opening her door, she walked over to the stairs and peered down them. 'Yup, defiantly a fire.' Spreading out her miko powers, she searched for any life in the house. The only one left was Souta, her baby brother. Her parents were gone.

Turning back the way she had come, she entered her brothers room. He was still sleeping, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. He had just turned one, what more could she expect him to do? Wrapping him in a blanket, she ran back into her room. She knew she shouldn't have, it was dangerous to do so, but she needed to get the only thing she had left of her parents. Going into her room, she laid the baby on her bed and ran to her closet. She rummaged around in there until she found what she was looking for. Her small photo album.

Tucking it into the folds of her sleeping gown, she ran to her brother and threw open the window. Steeping out onto the ledge, she looked down to gage how far a fall that was. 'There's no way I can jump. Neither of us would make it.'

Her mother had been teaching her a form of levitation. Thats not really what it was, but she didn't know what else to call it. All she had to do was call upon her miko powers, and form a disk of energy under herself. She could do that easy, but the difficult part would be controlling it. Not many mikos had the power necessary to even form the disk, let alone control it. She was quite a rarity.

Concentrating on her powers, she could feel the flow of energy throughout her body. Swiftly making it's way towards her feet. She could feel the heat of the fire that had now reached her room; the flames practically licking at her back, welcoming her into the flames as they had done her parents. Her aura changed to that of determination. The disk at her feet began to move. The trip to ground felt to her like a life time, but in all actuality, this whole ordeal had taken less than three minutes.

Once her feet touched the ground, she was off and running towards the steps, which led to the street. She could not simply run to her neighbors and have them call for help, because she had no neighbors. She lived on a shrine. The Higurashi Shrine to be exact.

She jumped out into the street, and an approaching car screeched to a stop. Lucky for her, it was a police man. He jumped out of his car, probably getting ready to yell at her, but he didn't get the chance to.

Pointing towards the shrine, she said, "My house, it's on fire." He took in the soot on her clothing and glanced in the direction she indicated. Eyes widening, he ran back to his vehicle to call for help.

Within minutes, firetrucks and ambulances had arrived. As the paramedic checked Kagome over, the chief fireman asked her questions. "What's your name little one?"

"Higurashi, Kagome."

"Okay Kagome, is there any one left in the house?"

"My parents and my grandpa. But they're all dead."

He just look at her is disbelief, "How do you know that?"

With a small smile on her face, she answered, "I can feel it, their souls are no longer with them, they have passed on." He stared at her smile and thought to him self 'pore kid, she's delusional.'In all actuality, she was smiling, because they were finally at peace. They were not suffering in the scorching flames.

The fire was put out a short while later; the police and firemen were now gathered around her. "I'm sorry miss, but your family did not make it."

She gave the officer a knowing look, "I know, they were gone before I left the house." Once again, she received disbelieving looks, from all who heard what she had said. The the chief fireman relayed what she had said earlier.

"There is one thing though, did you have a brother or sister?" When she shook her head yes, he continued, "We did not come across another body in the baby room."

"I know."

Was the baby with your parents?"

"No. He was not with them." They had not realized that the bundle she was holding was an actual baby, due the it's lack of noise and movement.

"Where is he then?" It was then that Souta chose to cry. All eyes were on the object in her arms, realization evident on their faces. Souta was whisked away to be checked over.

A fireman who looked to be in his twenties, had long deep green hair, stunning blue eyes, pointed ears, and two blue stripes running from his temple to right under his eyes, walked up to Kagome.

Softly, she breathed out, "Demon." He stopped in his tracks, and several others whipped their heads towards her, with different degrees of shock etched into their faces. It was evident that all of those looking at her were demons, for they would have been the only ones able to hear her. Recovering, he approached her, as well as the others.

"How can you see through our concealing spells?" She didn't reply. As they got c loser, their demonic auras began to rise, rousing her pure one. Their auras clashed; the force of hers was truly amazing . They had not felt one so strong in centuries.

"So strong. Yet you are still so young. You will be a site to behold when your older." As she looked at them, she noticed they all had burn marks. This was her fault; they were hurt because of her. The youkai froze as they were surrounded by her power. They soon relaxed, for her pure power was not threatening, but soothing. They stared at her in wonder as their wounds began to heal. Mikos and youkai were enemies. Had been since the dawn of time. Yet, here this little one was, healing them.

The paramedic walked up with a crying Souta, "I don't understand how you were able to get out of the house with your brother, and not have any injuries. How did you get out?" Kagome looked to the demons while thinking over her answer. 'The human would not understand.'

"There was a ladder an the outside of my window, so I just climbed down." The medic nodded in acceptance, handed Souta to her, and left. Souta immediately stopped his fussing.

The youkai could smell her lie. Feeling their gazes set upon her, she sighed and whispered, "I jumped out the window."

"You may be a miko, but you still would have sustained some injuries, not to mention your brother probably would have died." Looking around to make sure no one else was looking, she stood up on the edge of the ambulance she was resting upon, and concentrated all of the energy she had left, into her feet. The disk materialized and she made it take her to the ground.

Nodding their heads, "You are a special one indeed."

Kagome and Souta were taken to an orphanage soon after.

~~End flashback~~

Sighing, she walked into the place that had been her home for nearly ten years. "Kagome? Is that you child?" Smiling, she turned to the elderly woman who had trained her and taken care of her. She was a miko as well, for this was an orphanage for the "gifted." That's what Kaede liked to call those who were not completely human: youkai, hanyos, and mikos.

"Yes Kaede, it's me." When they embraced,Shippo awoke and looked around. "Kaede, this is Shippo, his parents abandoned him, and he has nowhere to go." Shippo looked from Kagome to Kaede and back, and begun to shake his head.

"No! Please don't leave me!" Tears streamed down his face, breaking Kagome's heart with every drop.

In a soft voice, Kagome tried to sooth him. "I lived here for ten years Shippo. Kaede is a wonderful woman who took very good care of me. I know she will do the same for you."

"I-I don't want to stay. Please, please don't leave me." At this, she began to cry. Looking to Kaede for guidance, the elderly woman had a small smile on her face.

This is when Inuyasha chose to barge in. "Hurry up wench. You've been here long enough." Turning to glare at him, Kagome tried to set Shippo down, but he clung to her like his life depended on it. Looking between Inuyasha and Shippo, Kagome made her decision.

Leaning down to whisper in Shippo's ear, she erected a sound barrier, encompassing her, Shippo, and Kaede, so Inuyasha could not hear what she was about to say. "Do you really want to stay with me?" At his nod, she continued," Kaede, could you have adoption papers ready by tomorrow?" Kaede nodded, and Kagome looked to Shippo. "I'll be back tomorrow okay Shippo And I'll take you home with me." He beamed, gave her a hug, and let go of her. She kissed him on the forehead and thanked Keade. Taking down the sound barrier, she turned to Inuyasha, gave him a death glare that would have the strongest of demons whimpering in fear, and walked out the door.

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Authors note: I'm not too sure about this story. I like where I'm going with this, but I'm not sure if you guys will. I already have the next chapter written out, all I need to do is type it up, but if you think I should drop this story, let me know. Thanks