Author's Notes: YAY! First InuYasha story I've published anywhere in a long time! I'm a little rusty, but I will graciously accept critiques and praise. Hope you enjoy the first installment of 'Kids: Another Kind of Demon'. I know its short, but my prologues tend to be. Upcoming chapters will vary in length, but will normally be longer than this opening bit.
Disclaimer: Books, dvds, posters, and plushies I own, yet the rights and characters of InuYasha I do not. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Prologue
"What is it m'lord?" the green imp asked cautiously when his master paused.
"A human, on its dying breath," the dog demon said coldly before continuing down the trail.
Jaken sighed and followed Sesshomaru deeper into the ancient forest.
"You, demon!"
Sesshomaru turned to his right, immediately sighting a young miko in the standard red and white clothing. The woman was leaning against a large tree and breathing heavily. Nearby was a broken bow and snapped arrows along with a trail of crimson blood. In her arms was a bundle wrapped in black cloth.
"Please. Take my baby and protect her. I beg of you," the miko said, falling to one knee.
"M'lord, surely you're not going-"
"I will not help your foul child," Sesshomaru said coldly as he turned away.
"WAIT! Please! She's part demon and she's being hunted by him. Take her please," the miko continued to beg.
The short silence between the two was broken by shouts coming from the distance.
"Priestess Fukayna! We know you came this way with that demon child!"
The miko flinched and pressed, "Please."
"What's its name?" Sesshomaru growled, taking the child from the priestess into his arms.
Fukayna smiled with relief and whispered, "Her name…is…Salem."
Sesshomaru's frown deepened as the woman died.
"What a strange name," Jaken muttered, holding his hands out to take the child from the dog demon intending to throw her in the next river.
"We will keep her."
"M'lord, please reconsider. Remember InuYasha! He got mixed up with a human miko and look how he turned out: pinned to a tree by his priestess lover for almost forty years now," Jaken begged.
"How InuYasha goes about does not concern me. This child is not a dog demon, but she is not some lowly demon that I will throw out. She will be useful even though she is part human," Sesshomaru said coldly, now holding the girl by the scruff of her neck.
The dog lord gave the child an appraising look. She had a full head of thick black hair and silver eyes that glowed in understanding. Her ears were pointed similarly like Sesshomaru's and her claws looked sharp to the dog demon's observing eyes. The girl was clad in a simply black kimono with pink cherry blossoms sprinkled at the bottom and a light pink obi. Her hair was pulled back with a matching pink ribbon.
"How old is the child then?" Jaken asked with a sigh.
Sesshomaru sniffed the girl then said, "She is seven."
Jaken mentally shook his head. The dog lord surprised him every day with new abilities. He couldn't even name another soul that could tell the age of a pup by a simple smell. In fact, all Jaken could get from her scent was that she was definitely half wolf demon.
The girl gurgled happily and stretched her arms out in an attempt to grab Sesshomaru's silvery hair. Stern golden eyes met childish silver ones. Immediately picking up on the warning in those golden eyes, the girl dropped her hand in obedience.
"Sworry," the girl muttered with her head down.
"Good. You will walk," Sesshomaru said, dropping the girl from his hand.
The child landed on her feet gracefully and beamed up at the pale man, expecting praise.
Sesshomaru said nothing, but continued his journey forward. He didn't look back to see the girl's eyes well up in tears. Nor did he see her bite her lip fiercely to keep said tears from falling.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken screeched, running after the dog demon.
"Sesmaru!" the girl squealed upon learning her savior's name, though she stumbled over the pronunciation.
The girl took off after them, not even looking back at the body of her deceased mother.
She did not understand why her mother did not move, but it troubled her as she walked behind Sesshomaru.
"Hello child. My name is Jaken. What are you thinking about Salem?" Jaken asked in an attempt of kindness.
"Why doesn't mother come with us? Why doesn't she move?" Salem asked curiously, her silver eyes gleaming from under black bangs.
Jaken tripped. He scrambled to his feet and stuttered over an explanation that only confused the girl more.
She tilted her head in confusion and glanced at Sesshomaru for a translation.
"Sesmaru?"
"Your mother is dead half-breed. She isn't coming back."
The girl fell silent, pondering Sesshomaru's response.
Finally she turned to Jaken with one question on her mind.
"Jaken, what is half-breed?"
Author's Notes: Thanks to M-san for helping with the title! Please give feedback! I'm curious as to how this story is going to be reviewed.