Dreamtails

Dreamtails

By: Raven 612

Chapter 1: Rain Comes Down

Summary: AU. Set in modern day. Youkis are the upper class which means wealth and power. Sango, a starving artist and an ex taijya is hired by Lord Shessomaru to paint a portrait of his hanyou brother and his wife Kagome for a wedding present. Kagome befriends Sango and invites her to the wedding where she meets Kouga and that's when her life changes.

It was a cold, windy, and rainy night, just Sango's luck that she would be caught in it. She shivered and pulled the worn black hoodie tighter around her small frame. She was coming home empty handed. She hadn't managed to sell any of her paintings. It wasn't that they were horrible paintings; people just didn't like to buy art from a poor looking girl who couldn't look them in the eyes.

She felt a surge of relief when she rounded the corner and spied the light in her tiny apartment on.

'At least I still have electricity,' she thought as she burst in and brought with her the cold and wet air.

"Sango! You're home!" Shippou a young fox demon shouted as he and Kirara, Sango's demon cat, ran to greet her.

Shippou had been living with her for three years now. She found him cowering under garbage and at first she thought it odd that a youki was out on the streets since they, the youkies, ruled the upper class. After he warmed up to her she found out that his parents were murdered by Naraku.

Sango too had a vendetta against Naraku, and for almost the same reason as Shippou. She didn't share her past with Shippou. Though she did tell him she was a run away and missed her brother Kohaku very dearly. This was as close to the truth she wanted to get with the youngster.

"Sango, did you bring us something to eat?" the little youki asked as he jumped up to sit on her shoulder.

"Here, I snagged this for you," she said as she fished a stolen sucker from her hoodie pocket.

"Yum!" he exclaimed as he popped the sweet morsel into his mouth.

Sango peeled the soaked hoodie from her body and went into their tiny bathroom. All it contained was a toilet, sink, and shower stall. She stripped her cold wet clothes from her body and stepped into the shower. She let the warm water massage her aching back and neck muscles. She closed her eyes and turned her head up into the falling water. She imagined all the dirt and grime washing away from her body and being replaced by restfulness and hopes that some day she, Shippou, and Kirara could get out of their poor rut and actually make a mediocre, if any thing, living.

She stood in the bathroom letting the steam swirl around her as she absently stared at her thin pale face in the mirror above the sink. She brushed her long silken, raven black hair from around her face and sighed. Her past life of being a taijya had left its marks all along her body. It also gave her a lean physique with strong arm, toned legs, and an attractive curvaceous body. But her years spent trying to sell her paintings made her into a skinny stick of the girl she used to be.

She once considered herself sexy and attractive, and back when she had a family and a role in the society she did flaunt her womanhood. She was the most sought after woman in her old life and town. Now she was just a shell of what she once was. She hid her depressing moods and thoughts well though, for she didn't want Shippou to worry about her anymore than he already did.

Sango walked out into the room they deemed as their living room. She patted Shippou affectionately on his head as she passed him on her way to get some clothes.

"Sango, I'm hungry," he complained.

"I," she stopped as she pulled on a clean pink and green t-shirt, "know, isn't there anything in the refrigerator?" she asked as she tugged on some loose fitting jeans.

"Kirara and I finished what was left today," he admitted sadly.

"Shippou, you have to limit how much you eat, I buy what I can when I can and we need to work together to make it last." She said sighing as she took a seat next to Shippou and Kirara jumped into her lap.

"I'm sorry Sango," he said sheepishly giving her his best puppy dog look that he knew she couldn't resist.

"It's alright Shippou you're a growing demon and you can't help your insatiable appetite," she said with a smile and ruffled his hair, he just scowled at her.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the market and see what I can swipe for us," he stated importantly. He and Kirara had become rather skilled at stealing food from the market held once a week.

"And I'll finally sell a painting," she said trying her hardest to believe her own words.

For the rest of the night Sango did what she could to clean their hole in the wall apartment. She was passing through the living room when the sight of Shippou and Kirara sleeping stopped her. She stifled a giggle as to not wake the duo.

Kirara was on her back with her short legs sticking straight up in the air. Shippou was next to her his tiny arm slung across her tummy and a thumb in his mouth. Sango knew what she had to do. She quickly went to her studio, grabbed her isle and painting supplies. She set herself up in the living room and began to paint the heart warming scene before her.

Just a few hours before sunrise Sango finished her newest piece of art work. She set it on the windowsill of her studio to dry in the sun. She then stretched the kinks and aches from her sore body. She decided to get some sleep before she set out for the day. She lay on her lumpy mattress just staring at the tattered ceiling dreaming of a different life. A life where Shippou still had his parents and where Sango is with her family, preparing for her wedding day. She would never admit that she was a hopeless romantic and was in desperate pursuit of love, but she guarded her heart too well and wouldn't let anyone in except for Shippou and Kirara.

Her status in society and stand offish personality didn't attract many male suitors. She had thought she found love once in the arms of a young monk named Miroku, but she found him in bed with another woman and since then had little faith or trust in the male sex.

Sango awoke to the sounds of Shippou and Kirara talking, well Shippou chatted to Kirara who mewed back every once in a while, Sango believed they could understand each other; well they were both youkies weren't they? Sango sighed and rose from her bed. She threw on a t-shirt and some clean jeans. She went to the bathroom and piled her silky black hair on the top of her head in a tight ponytail. She figured a little make-up wouldn't hurt so she applied some pink eye shadow to the tops of her eyelids and a little eye liner. She hoped this would do the trick and attract a buyer.

Sango stepped out into the main area of her apartment and greeted Shippou and Kirara.

"Good morning Sango!" Shippou exclaimed as he and Kirara smothered her.

"Good morning you two," she happily greeted. She patted them both on the head and gave Kirara an extra scratch, which made her purr, "you two behave today and stay out of trouble, I think today I'll get lucky and sell a painting." She told herself this, yet at the same time she didn't believe herself.

Sango sat boredly on a bust street corner, her best works of art showing. She hoped at least that her heart warming picture of Kirara and Shippou would snag someone's interest. She cherished the painting dearly and almost didn't put it out for sale, but she knew it had the power to speak to someone.

"Surely a girl of your talent shouldn't be peddling her work on a street corner," a cold voice boomed down on her.

Sango shivered and looked up into a pair of cold shinning golden eyes. The taijya in Sango quickly recognized his as a dog youki and from the way he is dressed, a very rich and powerful youki. "Excuse me sir?" she said, not too sure she heard him correctly.

"You're very talented, it's a shame though, you look like a junkie," he said.

Sango grew furious at that accusation, "Excuse me, but I do not do drugs, nor do I approve of them, now if you're not going to at least pretend to be interested or buy one of my paintings, please leave." Sango said menacingly as she stood up to the youki lord.

Shessomaru grinned slightly. He was impressed by her attitude and defensiveness. "My dear girl, how dare you speak to me like that," he said to her with a murderous glare.

Sango only slit her eyes at him.

Shessomaru shook his head, "I'd like to hire you."

Sango's eyes widened in surprise as his words sunk in. She then grew furious after she over analyzed his words. "I'm not a whore, sir."

Shessomaru chuckled at this statement; "I didn't mean that way you wench," Sango flinched and grew angry when he said that, "what I meant was I'd like to hire you to paint a portrait for me."

"A portrait of what, and I'm not cheap," Sango shot at him.

Shessomaru looked amused as he thought of her words. "How about I pay you 3,000 a day and give you a place to stay?" he asked her.

Sango's eyes went huge; she thought she heard him wrong. "Are you serious, or are you just messing with me?" she asked becoming suspicious.

"I'm very serious. My hanyou brother and his fiancé will be arriving in three days, their wedding is in two weeks, and I'd like you to paint a wondrous portrait of them as their gift from me, the human he plans to marry loves art." Shessomaru explained to her.

"If I take this deal when will I be moving in?" she asked still skeptical.

"As soon as you accept the offer," he tossed back.

Sango thought for a second, "Can I have a day to think about it?" she asked looking up at him.

Shessomaru looked annoyed, "Fine you may have twenty four hours, but if I have not heard from you in that amount of time, you loose the offer." He stated coldly.

"And how do I get a hold of you with my decision?" she asked.

"Go to Inu Corp. and ask for Shessomaru, I'll give them your name, which would be?" he asked.

"Sango," she answered.

"Well Sango, I'll expect an answer soon," and with that he was gone.

The rest of the day Sango was in a daze. She had no idea if she should take the deal or not. If she took it, it would mean a better life for Shippou, Kirara and herself. She decided to discuss it with Shippou.

A/N: So how do you guys like this new story? I finally have my own computer so I can update my stories more and also faster. So it is now your guys' job to leave me some awesome reviews!! Thanks and much love!!