The times were godless. Perhaps, they always were but people used to deal with that fact a lot better. Men lived among youkai. There were youkai, not monsters... Now, these days lived as proof that the real horror is when the line is blurred between both. Society itself almost ceased to exist. Demons existed in such frequency and with such power no tribe of humans lasted very long anymore in Sengoku Jidai.

And even if they did, they were completely subservient to neighboring youkai. Royalty, nobles, priestesses, monks... All fell to the inumerous evils in the unstable world. Mercenaries of any race were the most powerful people one could think of. They were the only ones who could stand a chance against this long night. And even then they often failed or only lasted so long.

The balances had tipped. Something irreversible had happened and damned nearly every mortal to hell on earth. Mercenaries, pirates, and thieves thrived in this lawless world. Not just law breakers. Those without conscience. Those who who could rape, pillage, and kill without remorse. Everyone else was collateral damage.

The bandits sneered. The locals had cleared out long ago. Only the women remained. They stood as hostages at their mercy, trying not to cry as the men drank beer and became more and more sexually vulgar. A scarred man with an eyepatch tripped the woman running drinks on purpose. She crashed to the ground, shattering half a dozen mugs of beer.

The bandits erupted into laughter. The assailant grabbed her by her hair and yanked. She screamed in surprise as he examined her. She was young and sweet looking. "What do you think, Shiro? I think she's kind of alright..." She started shouting and crying as he pulled a knife to her throat. "I kind of want to carve her up." He cut the strap to her dress and it slid down her shoulder. He grabbed her exposed breast with his filthy hand, leaving stains in it's wake.

She trembled, snot dribbling down her nose as she sniffed he and cut her other dress strap. He traced the knife around her nipple, causing her to moan. He was getting a boner. 'I'll do her right now, I don't care who sees!' He thought to himself. He slammed her down hard on the ground and started ruffling her dress fabric.

"Jesus fucking christ. They say youkai are evil?" All eyes in the pub turned to the entrance where a figure clad in red stood. He had on red, draping robes and long silver hair. His eye was amber (one was missing). His hands were claws and on his head sat two white dog demon ears. At his side was giant sword wrapped in fur. Everyone stared at the mythical hanyou before busting into laughter.

"What the fuck! A half demon?!" They cried pointing. "Thinks he's a samurai, does he? Ha ha!" He watched them all with a smug smile on his face, his hands twitching.

"C'mon, Inuyasha. Just help the girl!" A voice pleaded. He rolled his eyes, looking around his own layers.

"You're still here, huh..." His hand hovered over his sword as he wondered if it was even worth drawing. 'None of this is my business. And I sure have enough shit on my plate at the moment...' He looked down at the terrified girl and started to feel bad.

"Inuyasha, the girl..." His face became very serious and his impossible sword was drawn. It looked physically impossible to hold, let alone, operate in combat. He held it effortlessly and stared at the one eyed bandit.

"Let her go and I won't kill you." He said plainly, staring him down. The terrified bandit released her, stumbling backward on his ass. Screaming and crying the girl ran shrieking out of the bar. With a motion too fast for the human eye to see Inuyasha moved, his sword slashing before him.

What was once a criminal was nothing but a pile of mush and gore. The women started screaming and running first as the other bandits stared at him in horror. "If you're not here of you own free will, then please go. And the rest of you," His face became dark and very intimidating. "Don't let me find out you're treating women like this again. Or else..." He flicked his sword, the remains of his casualty slopping off. They all stared, wide eyed, as he walked out of the pub into the moonlight.

The separate voice with him poked their head out of his red robe, their cherubic face looking around. They were tiny, with a mop of bright orange hair and blue eyes. He had a fluffy tail and two fox feet. Wings shimmered on his back, he was Fae. Just being with him could have Inuyasha executed without trial in some places. But he seemed to be good luck, no matter how much he annoyed him.

"Inuyasha!" He squeaked. He rolled his eye.

"Quiet, you vermin-"

"Listen! That girl, you have to find her!" He screamed at him. "There's bandits out here and she's wandered off." Inuyasha growled as he sniffed the air delicately.

"The dumb ass couldn't have gotten far-"

"Inuyasha." He leapt off suddenly when he caught her scent. It wasn't unpleasant. In fact it was refreshing. Light. Innocent. So different than 'Kikyo's...'. He shook the thought from his mind. He needed to focus on recovering her fast before something unthinkable happened. She wasn't far. She was down the bend near a stream pointing at fish.

Inuyasha exhaled when he saw her, realizing how uptight and anxious he'd felt when he was separated from her. 'You aren't Kikyo, are you?' He thought, looking at her as he approached slowly.''But I am still responsible for you, my hanyou nature... It's the reason you exist. Isn't it?' The girl babbled unintelligibly as he came over. She giggled and squealed as the little one poked his head out.

"Shhh... Shhhh..."

"Shippo! That's right, she's trying to say it!" He cried, beaming at her. She loved children and animals, so Shippo was the best of both worlds. She grabbed him and squeezed affectionately, rubbing against his lush tail. "Hi to you too, girl." Inuyasha looked to the children playing in the stream.

"She just came over and started playing." Said a little girl.

"We didn't mind." The boy chimed. Inuyasha nodded. He hooked his arms in hers and turned her around.

"Got it. Thanks. See ya around." With that the pair was off.

"The Shikon Jewel. A spiritual relic so powerful it can grant anything. Even godhood. Only the holiest of warriors are tasked to protect it." Inuyasha looked up at the mercenary leader as he ranted. He was maybe six or seven years old, and hungry, but not very many people talked to a bastard half demon brat with dog ears atop his head.

Gambino was mean. Gambino was scary. But Gambino would talk to him. When he wasn't drunk he taught him about fighting. He gave him his sword, Scar. Even when it sucked he was all Inuyasha had.

"It could even make a bastard like you worth a damn! It could make you a human, a breathing living thing like me! Or become a monster! A real demon! Something that's actually powerful! Not this pathetic runt you are now!" He took a long swig of sake and glared at Inuyasha hatefully. "You're cursed, hanyou. You know that, don't you?"

Inuyasha blinked back tears, knowing it would just make things worse. This was the same drunken tirade Gambino always went on. He had heard it many times but it never spared him from telling it. "I never forgave you for Shizu... Shizu... My damn bitch." Inuyasha's ears drooped as he thought of the loving woman.

He barely remembered her anymore. He was barely walking on his own when she died bed-ridden and ravaged by a disgusting, painful disease. Boils covered almost all her exposed skin. She moaned endlessly for days until she died, Inuyasha watching it all. Her caretakers had scolded him and tried to urge him out of the room.

"She could be contagious, Inuyasha." They'd said.

"Stay back!" He frowned, ignoring their pleas. Shizu had been the only person who'd shown him kindness. Ever. He was at his side when he would've died, he could be at hers. Snot dribbling down his nose he stared at her, clasping his hand with her without fear.

"Inu... Inu..." It seemed to comfort her. She died shortly after that.

"I got my bitch pregnant but she miscarried him. Our son... It broke her brain, poor bitch. She was never right again. We walked past that public hanging one day, she heard your weak and pathetic cry." Inuyasha stared at his hands, avoiding the man's predatory stare. "She dug through the trash. And the blood. And the body parts. Literally death was the garden where you were born." Inuyasha inhaled.

"You dropped out of your mother's cunt. Hung on her due date for laying with youkai! Imagine their delight when your body popped out-"

"Gambino, please-"

"They cheered as the umbilical cord snapped and left you laying in filth. And Shizu... She dug you out of there. She put you to her breast. Then three years later she fell ill and died! It was you, demon." He stood suddenly, staring at him. "I've rented out your services for the evening to an associate, I need the cash. Be helpful and courteous or I'll break all your bones..." Inuyasha trembled as he exited the hut, a large, sweaty, predatory man replacing him. In an instant Inuyasha was forced down and his legs pried a part.

"You knew... Gambino." Inuyasha murmured to himself, staring into the fire at camp. The girl laid snoring, resting peacefully after an eventful day. The fox faerie Shippo watched her intently. He felt protective of her innocent nature. These were dark times. At times he wondered how much he could trust the hanyou Inuyasha. He looked at him with determined eyes.

He was covered in grizzled scars even though his clothes looked impeccable. The longer he stared at his hard face the more scars and permanent scuff marks he found, as if he never stopped fighting. "Inuyasha?" His amber eye flicked to Shippo, a bit relieved he'd taken to babysitting the girl.

"Oi." He grunted, a bit lost in his head.

"Why haven't you said her name." Inuyasha's blood ran cold. He had been dreading, absolutely dreading, when someone would ask him what exactly was going on. It was such a famous incident. Shippo already knew. And yet... He sighed heavily, his gaze dropping.

"Well, Shippo. Because I don't know it." Shippo's mouth dropped in disbelief.

"WHAT. This girl you'll risk everything for? You don't even know her name?" He shouted back. 'Okay, I'm not even sure I feel safe leaving her with this guy. What is going on?' Inuyasha leaned his head in his hand, studying the girl's sweet face. She looked so much like her and so different. Her face was angel like, sweet soft lips and large, doe-like eyes. Her hair was black and silky, perfect bangs framing her face. It had a gentle wave and was the kind of look woman chased after.

She was objectively one of the most beautiful women either of them had ever seen. But she was different. Something about her mind wasn't the same as others. It was as if she were still a little child, new to the world. No matter that she had the outward appearance of a woman. She needed to be fiercely protected or she wouldn't last long in these turbulent times.

"You told me you had to fix her! Now you're telling me you don't know her name?!" Inuyasha shut his eye, annoyed by Shippo's yelling.

"Quiet down. It's not like that. She appeared..." He cocked an eyebrow at the hanyou unsurely. "She appeared during the eclipse." Fear stabbed Shippo's heart.