Darkness.

That was all she could see. It consumed her vision and suffocated her with silence. She didn't know how long it had been. Days? Years? It didn't matter. All she wanted was to get out of this darkness and return to the family - no, pack - she had built. The son she'd adopted for her own and the daughter who'd come to idolize her. The brothers and sister who always had her back. The alpha that had - unbelievably - taken them in and trained them. Their precious cat and dragon friends. Hell, she even missed the annoying little kappa that never knew when to shut up.

She'd been ripped from their battered but victorious group shortly after the battle ended. Swallowed by the darkness of the jewel's desires, the last thing she'd heard was the outraged cries of her name.

There was nothing in the surrounding void except for that damn jewel. The symbol of a responsibility she hadn't been ready for. Cracked like a fragile glass, it had taken her naivety and innocence with it. Nearly four years later after a hard fought battle, it held her prisoner in the depths of its existence, begging her to make a selfish wish.

Her mind was too clouded with sorrow, but she was consciously aware that her wish couldn't be selfish. To do so would condemn her to the same fate as her ancestor. She had to figure out the right one. So, in lieu of a wish, she remained silent, not chancing a single misspoken word. Kami knows what that would do.

"Ma...!"

Her eyes darted around at the familiar sound.

"...ma!"

She tried to turn around, looking for where the voice could be coming from.

"Mama!"

Suddenly, there was a sliver of light in the distance. From it appeared the last person she expected to see; Shippo. He floated toward her with happy tears in his eyes and a smile on his face. His small arms wrapped around her neck as he cried. Her kit had braved the darkness of the jewel and looked for her. Despite his fear, he'd pushed forward and found her.

Now, with the comfort of his presence, she had the clarity she needed to get them out.

"Thank you, Shippo." Kagome wiped his tears away before wiping her own. She ran a calming hand through his bright red hair until his sobs calmed into little whimpers. "I'm proud of you, my son."

Turning to the jewel with determination, the miko took a deep breath. It started to glow with recognition as it approached her. But the voice that spoke next was not that of the jewel. It echoed around them with a near-malicious mischievousness that sent shivers down her and her kit's spines.

'Well, well, young traveler. Do you have the answer?' She confidently responded-

Sapphires burst open and she gasped in some much-needed oxygen. Sweat covered her face and her breathing was ragged, though it was starting to even out. A tired, pale hand reached up and covered her eyes, trying to shield them from the sunlight above her. The oppressive heat of her environment hit full force and she struggled to blink away the grip of sleep.

It took a minute, but Kagome finally let her hand fall as she tried to wake her son. A small groan was heard and she gently nudged the furry weight sitting in her lap. He groaned again, not wanting to get up just yet. Sighing, the miko stood and let him curl against her neck. She knew why he was so reluctant to wake and didn't blame him either.

That damned jewel had freed them in a place that was neither the Sengoku Jidai nor the modern era she grew up in. They'd been traveling all day for the last few days and it was taking its toll. The desert heatwave certainly wasn't helping.

Throwing her yellow bag over her shoulder, the miko pulled up the hood of her makeshift cloak. She picked up the rustic red sheath next to it and tied it in place before starting to walk once more.

"Mama, look," Shippo pointed ahead excitedly. He'd finally woken a few hours ago when he sensed his mother becoming uneasy. His emerald green eyes could see structures resembling buildings up ahead. Kagome looked in the direction he was pointing, her eyes clearly making out the same thing. Hope radiated through her and she started walking faster.

The closer they got, the more auras they could sense. All of them were human. However, there was a heavy sadness hanging over them. Mother and son briefly glanced at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. Shippo jumped down from her neck and used his magic to look human, resembling his mother in every way possible. Kagome's pace slowed once more as she reflexively rested a hand on the hilt of her sword. The other was holding her son's ready to protect him if needed.

"Hello," she unknowingly called in a Germanic language. "Is anyone here?"

A chorus of whispers echoed around them and her grip tightened. Her feet slowly slid apart as her knees bent, preparing for anything to jump out at them. They were shocked to see a group of people peeking out from the spaces in the eroded buildings. Everyone had white hair and tanned skin. But what really drew the duo's attention were their red eyes. All different tints and shades of the unmistakable hue.

"Who are you," demanded an elder woman.

She was dressed in a tattered purple robe and using a wooden staff to help her walk and stand. It was clear by her bold declaration that she was the leader of this group. But the lack of jyaki is what really tipped her off. The only source she could sense was little Shippo. It concerned her, but it also disarmed her for the time being. The young miko relaxed, but only slightly.

She regarded the woman carefully before deciding to answer her. "My name is Kagome and this is my son, Shippo."

Red eyes scrutinized her with a wary gaze for a tense moment. As the silence began to suffocate them, Kagome's grip on the hilt of her sword tightened and slowly began to push her son behind her. She gently prodded the woman's aura and discovered the anguish of loss that could only come from war, as well as a few injuries, left somewhat unattended and untamed.

The elderly woman didn't miss this. However, she was shocked when the strange girl suddenly stood back up and walked toward her with a quiet whisper for her son to stay put. Everyone around them tensed, watching with bated breath to see what the miko would do.

A cautious hand reached out and lightly brushed the arm holding the walking stick. Her wrist and part of her arm were broken and had yet to heal properly. The elder woman stiffened but didn't back away.

"You are injured," Kagome asked, barely above a whisper. Not waiting for a response she gently wrapped skilled hands around the injured arm and wrist and closed her eyes. She pulled her reiki to the surface and used her mind's eye to carefully put the pieces back together.

To everyone around them, it looked as though she was glowing a faint pink laced with blue. When it faded, they watched in awe as their elder lifted her arm and moved it with no signs of pain. They turned to the raven-haired woman who smiled; none could miss the haunted look in her eyes. Shippo knew all too well why it was there. He walked over to her and nuzzled into her side as she stood. Shaking pale hands rested on his head as the other people finally emerged from their hiding places with wide curious eyes and welcoming smiles.

Kagome and Shippo had found a place to belong. At least until they could figure out how to get back home.

Blue eyes glanced down at the visa in her hand before returning to the imposing building before her. The gentle weight of her son clinging to the sword her back. Both were hidden by the talisman in her little kit's paws and the cloak over shoulders. A quiet reminder of why they were there.

"Alchemy?"

The elder nodded gravely. Her voice shook as she continued. "Yes. It is the power that dominates the country that slaughtered our people. If there is anything that could help you, it is alchemy."

Kagome and Shippo shared a look and nodded.

"Though I caution you, children." They turned back to her. "It is a destructive power in the wrong hands. And Amestris is full of them."

And so their quest had begun. It hadn't taken much to forge a travel visa. With the help of Shippo's fox magic and some sand, it was a simple enchantment. Though, they had listed their home country as Nippon, unknowing if this world even had one. As an added precaution, they'd both hidden their auras and scents. There was no telling what they'd face.