Edit: This is going to be a Sesshoumaru/Kagome fanfiction. With some consideration, I decided to continue/edit/rewrite this story.

Japanese Vocabulary:

youkai - mistranslated as 'demon' and used interchangeably, more accurately 'spirit'

taisho - general or leader, used as a last name here

kami - god or spirit

inu - dog

Kouga is a character in the manga and anime 'InuYasha'. He is a wolf youkai.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Inuyasha or any characters, except my own. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi-sensei.

She was a lowly servant of the Western Lands. It had been her parents dying wish to have her protected. She shook her shiny red-brown hair, sighing aloud. Usually, she was a cheerful character, but once or twice a year – more so on the anniversary of their death – she became sullen and withdrawn.

Years ago, her family lived in and near a human village to the north around the area the wolf prince Kouga now ruled. In return for living in tentative peace with the humans, they protected the village, although there was a constant wariness that never left the gaze of the older humans. No one really knew what kind of youkai they were, or even which family they were from, but then, no one really cared.

To be perfectly honest they were a family of powerful dragon youkai, rulers of the east; almost as, if not more powerful as the Taisho family. Long ago, they had the option to live in the Eastern fortress, but chose to live simply, her parents striving to teach her humility and universal love. They never transformed except to hunt or battle, but the humans never saw it, lest they become fearful and drive them out.

However one day, the village was overrun by wolves, and the situation presented itself so that they had to battle in their true forms. When the humans that were left saw, they became fearful and her parents knew they couldn't stay there any longer.

She had barely reached the age that her father could train her, but had progressed quickly and could hold her own enough that they let her fight. However, these wolves were a rogue tribe separate from Kouga's family and were brutal in their quest for food. They came in waves, and soon the dragons battling for the humans were overpowered. So her parents made her gather up the humans and remove them from the village to their home in a cave overlooking the village.

With nothing holding them back, her parents fought without fear and slowly beat back the numerous wolves. Eventually, there were none left, and her parents – exhausted and wounded – fell where they stood, reverting to their human forms. As the humans slowly came down from the cave thanking the kami and their protectors, she ran to her parents fully intent on assuring herself of their safety.

"Father! Mother!" She kneeled next to their crumpled and bloody bodies as the villagers gathered around, murmuring. Her hand reached her mother's and suddenly she couldn't see through her tears. Her mother had a hole going through her gut, and various violent slashes on her extremities – teeth and claw marks, bruises, cuts. Her father was almost worse as he had been trying to shield her from most of the attacks. His head was bleeding heavily and there was a pike in his chest – a stray branch a wolf had broken off in their haste. His right arm was nearly severed and his legs had several holes in them.

"Father. Mother," she cried again, more softly this time. Her father gurgled a little before raising his head and opening his eyes. Her mother followed suit.

"Yukiko... You know we will soon depart to the afterlife." He spoke haltingly, and Yukiko cried harder as her mother edged toward her father. When she was laying against him, she looked Yukiko full in the face.

"I want you to go to the West. The Inu no Taisho will protect you from both the wild and our jealous relatives."

Her mate nodded solemnly, "Be at peace. Don't mourn us – we lived long lives. My only regret is that we will never see you grown." Yukiko nodded sadly and when they opened their arms, she lept into the loving hug, sobbing into her mother's shoulder. "I love you, Yukiko."

"As I love you both." Her parents shared a last kiss then released Yukiko, making a more complete embrace with the other. There was peace on their faces as they shared their last breath. "Mother! Father!" The villagers looked uncomfortable at the scene, but one older woman moved toward the demon girl and pulled her into a hug.

When the girl had recovered, the woman said, "We will have the headman perform a funeral, child. Then my son, Hachiro, will escort you to the Western Lands." Yukiko nodded her thanks and began to make the preparations, touching the woman lightly on the back.