Inuyasha watched Kagome wake up and look around.
"Kagome." He whispered sadly.
"Don't worry, we'll get her back." Sango said confidently. They watched her pick up her dragon necklace and after looking at it picked up an apple, just looked at it. He heard her whisper something and then something amazing happened.
A dragon appeared.
A real live demon dragon.
The dragon was completely red except for its eyes that glowed a soft black. Kagome talked to the creature without screaming. She did back away Inuyasha thought, glad that she wasn't just afraid of them, and then climbed on the creature's back.
"Kagome don't!" Miroku shouted horrified and they ran to try to stop the dragon from getting away.
"No! Kirara let's go!" Sango said quickly and climbed on her two tailed cat's back. Kirara flew quickly to catch up with their friend but eventually Sango returned looking sad. "I'm sorry. I couldn't keep up with them. What are we going to do?"
"Miroku where's the DX Mountains?" Inuyasha asked remembering the strange girl's words.
"On the other side of this province. Why? Are we going to follow?" Miroku asked, pointing in the direction.
"We have to." Sango replied. "She doesn't know who she is or where she is or even who her friends are. We have to go after her."
"We can't leave her." Inuyasha agreed, but he had already decided to go after her if the others came or not. "How fast can we get there?" Inuyasha asked quickly staring at the distant mountains.
"If we go now we can make it there by tomorrow morning." Sango replied, also staring at the mountains.
"Where'd Kagome get that dragon? She never had it with her before." Shippo asked worriedly. "Why can't she remember us?"
"We won't know until we get to her. So I suggest that we go after her. Kirara?" Meroku said and then the two tail transformed and bent over for Sango, Miroku, and Shippo to climb on.
"Just keep up!" Inuyasha snapped and ran after his missing friend. He was worried about her. Why did she run away from him, the first person she had met and befriended in the feudal area and, he'd never admit this to anyone but, had become his best friend, well his first real friend, but didn't mind climbing on a creature more than twice her size and not screaming but looking happy and he could have sworn he'd heard her laugh as the creature had taken off.
"Inuyasha wait up!" Shippo called from behind him.
"I told you to keep up!" He shouted back and just went faster. Slowly the sun went down and the stars suddenly turned on their bright color. The day had gone by so quickly! He thought regrettably. Where was Kagome? Was she okay out on her own without his protection against the demons? He just kept getting worried and worried.
"This was one of Kagome's favorite things." Shippo said staring at the stars, still burning brightly.
"That's true. She loved to look at the night stars. She said they were brighter here than in her own time." Sango replied sadly.
"You never know what you'll be missing until you've lost it." Miroku said all monkly, and inched toward Sango arm reaching toward her bottom longingly.
"Don't you dare." She warned and raised her arm to strike.
"Don't Sango!" He said backing away. If Kagome was here she'd have said something about Sango and Miroku likeing each other. After looking at the two arguing he'd have told her there was no way they could have liked each other. He wondered again looking at the stars if she was okay.
"Don't worry about Kagome." Shippo said reading his mind. "The dragon doesn't want her dead, or he's have killed her already. Dragons kill quickly, did you know that? Besides, Kagome's strong. She was never hurt lying down. She always fights. You know that." Shippo said smiling. Grumbling he hit Shippo on his head.
"Ow, Kagome would never have let you do that to me if she was here!" Shippo yelped, and after realizing what he'd said shut up. Sango and Miroku exchanged glances then sat down in the grass, also staring at the stars.
3
Kagome could see Dante's blurry form through the barrier. Taking another breath she continued walking.
"We must get back to the village now, dears." A kind voice said. It sounded musical and magical, which of course made it fit into the forest atmosphere. "Go back now, I feel that something has passed through the barrier."
"Will there be another friend coming in?" A small boy's voice asked.
"Possibly, now go back with your friends Akira. I'll be coming in a minute." The boy's steps were heard crinkling the leaves and another set of steps echoed in Kagome's direction. She didn't want to be found so she hid herself behind a tree. "I know you're here. I felt you pass my barrier. You need not be afraid, please come out." The woman was middle aged with unwrinkled skin. She was a complete contradiction. Besides unwrinkled skin her hair was a silvery white. Her eyes were pale red like Dante's spikes, her steps were child-like and careful but the atmosphere the woman set off was one of complete confidence. Her pale pink kimono complemented her pale skin and her red eyes were filled with warmth and compassion. Slowly Kagome stepped out from behind the trees and the woman gasped.
"Kagome? Time's told me so much about you! Please come with me." The woman said gushing out words with a smile. "I'm Hope, the leader of this village."
"Time?" Kagome asked confused.
"Oh she said you might forget. She was right. Please follow me." After looking back in Dante's direction, and her only way back out, she followed Hope to her village. "Hello again Akira." Hope said to a little boy with moth wings sticking out his back. "Kagome, Akira. Akira, Kagome. Akira here is half moth demon. He's been living here with his mother for four years now." Akira smiled and pushed his black hair out of his dark green eyes. The little boy smiled and jumped in the air using his wings to keep him the air, flying. Gasping Kagome stepped back, shocked.
"Hi, I'm Akira!" The half moth boy said excitedly. "Are you going to be staying with us?" Akira asked.
"What is that thing?" Kagome whisper asked Hope. The thing stared at them with curious eyes.
"Kagome, this is a half demon. Please do not be afraid of him because of how he looks. That's why I created this village. I looked different, so people treated me different. My mother took my sisters Joy and Faith and me out of our home and took us to this village. My mother sent out invites to all mothers of half demons that wish their children for a normal life. Akira here is one of five half moth demons in this village. If your afraid of my little friend here then you won't be able to go into the village. Many of the children look different, but remember they have feelings like you normal people too." Hope said, and her red eyes took on a darker hue. Akira smiled and floated around in the wind, and began to hum.
Laughter filled the air as other children, girls and boys, ran to Hope. Some children had wings like Akira but in different shapes and colors. Some had dog or cat ears sticking out their heads, like the dog boy she had met when she'd woken up in that strange hut. Some had tails, or were completely different. Some children seemed to be giants, and features were grotesque and twisted. They all laughed as if they were normal, especially when their features told otherwise.
"Are you going to stay with us?" A little girl with a cat's tail and yellow brown eyes asked and began swishing her tail back and forth like a real cat.
"Kagome, this is Nahi. She's part panther. She's very good at sports, she even gives the boys a run for their money!" Hope said laughing that musical laugh.
"It's true!" Nahi exclaimed. "I'm really fast! I love to run, will you play with us?" Nahi asked, and pointed toward a grassy field.
"She would love to, wouldn't you Kagome?" Hope replied for Kagome and shot her red eyes in Kagome's direction. As Nahi pulled her toward the field Kagome turned and looked back at Hope.
"Hope why am I here?" She called.
"To learn human indifference." The woman replied and walked back into the woods.
"Come on Kagme!" Nahi shouted and ran ahead to the field. Six kids already stood on the field waiting for Nahi probably. Some had tails and others were huge with big eyes from giant blood. Two boys were flying in the air, one with birds wings and the other with bat wings.
"Nahi, you're late!" The one with bat wings called from up high.
"Yenji, I was going to meet the new kid!" Nahi shouted. "Kagome's here! She's going to play with us."
"She's human! How'd she pass the barrier?" Yenji asked and spiraled down followed by the other flier.
"You girl, how'd you get in?" Yenji asked again.
"Excuse me? I have a name Yenji." Kagome told the boy hotly, sneering his name. "It's Kagome. And you will not call me a girl. I am not some animal that can be bought or sold. I'm a living human being and you will call me by my name. Got that?"
"I'm impressed. The new girl has guts. I'm Hiro, a Transfer half demon." A boy said running over. He had a forked tail and huge black wings sticking out of his back. White dog ears stuck out of his head and he had brown hair. His blue eyes were calm and confident. He stuck his hand out in a handshake gesture and Kagome carefully lifted her hand too.
"Kagome, don't!" Nahi shouted and rushed between the two. "If a Transfer demon touches a you then you will become a demon. Miss Hope told me that above all else you couldn't be turned. Hiro, you know better than that." Nahi told Hiro severely.
"Oh, don't be such a Hope kid. We have demon in us, we need to play tricks on people. Even you know that. Come on Nahi, loosen up. You know I wouldn't, I sooo don't won't to risk Miss Hope's wrath. I've been on her bad side before and it's so not fun." Hiro replied waving his hand and blowing it off. "So Kagome, you going to play?" The other half demon with wings dropped the ball into Hiro's expectant arms and called the other players over. "This is Meiko, part panther." Meiko nodded, messing up her wild red hair that matched her black eyes, tan skin, and brown tail. "Takeda, part wolf." Takeda reminded her of the dog boy earlier with his white hair and dog ears, except he wore a blue gi. "And Saturo, part giant." Saturo was the type of half demon that was abused because of how he looked instead of his behavior because he was very big with large green eyes. Many cuts and bruises had left Saturo's skin quite maulish. The boy nodded and disappeared to the opposite side of the field, shy like.
"Oh yeah and that's Yumi, part bat. She's ref." Hiro said remembering the other child still circling in the sky, refusing to come down.
"Kagome's on our team!" Nahi said and pulled her in the opposite direction of Saturo, where Takeda and Yenji sat. "Yumi needs to play this time, she's on your team!" Slowly the bat girl descended and walked toward her team. "Now, we're going to leave you as goalie, kay? Yenji you know what position to play, right?"
"Of course, I'm on defense. Powers included?"Yenji asked with a malicious grin. Nahi, the leader, nodded. "Awesome. This is the perfect way to start a newbe in this village!" Yenji exclaimed.
"Takeda, position?" Nahi asked the other player.
"Making shots, just get the ball to me, okay?" Takeda replied smiling. Suddenly Yumi appeared .
"Powers?" The bat girl whispered.
"Yep, put the field on level 2. In case Kagome can't breathe." Yenji replied with a smile and watched Yumi walk toward the middle of the field. Yumi muttered a few words and the ground shifted and crashed and the players rose above the ground, much to Kagome's shock as usual. That really was her basic reaction these days. Shock. "Kagome, you're over there." Yenji pointed to a spot where a net had been built and slowly the confused girl stood in front of it. Unprepared for the blow of half demon power. The players moved almost to quick to be seen and kicked the ball back and forth, swearing heard muted through the players clenched teeth. Once or twice the ball was thrown her way and in an attempt to catch it winded herself as the ball slammed into her chest.
"Good job Kagome!" Takeda shouted once when she had saved the ball. On a quick brake she asked what they were playing.
"2nd level soccer." Nahi replied at once, as if it was obvious. When Kagome still looked confused she explained further. "Since we're demons, we need to play something harder than normal ball. Yumi over there has spiritual power and can create levels of different hardness. Levels with no air to breathe what-so-ever so we have to rely solely on our demon nature to survive or when the ground," after looking at the ground corrected herself. "or air in this case air, is so sticky you have to move faster or risk getting stuck. When that happened it took so long to get Mena off the field we had to postpone the tournament we had scheduled for that day! Well, you get the point. It helps develop our strength or stamina or speed. Well our demonic nature. Miss Hope wants us to do our best with both heritages that we have, so she makes us go to school in the morning and part of the afternoon, and then we get homework! But afterward we can do what we want." Yumi called the game back into motion and Nahi darted away. The game continued for another minute then the field returned to the ground, Yumi's team winning. The bat girl quickly left while her team mates cheered.
"Nahi, what's wrong with Yumi?" Kagome asked a little while later. A sad look crossed the younger girl's face.
"Yumi's mom died a week ago." She replied sadly. Kagome looked in the direction the bat girl had disappeared in. "She hasn't been the same since."
"Well of course not! Her mother died. Has anyone tried to comfort her?"
"Comfort? A demon? You're joking. Demon keeps us from feeling sometimes." Kagome nodded and went after Yumi. The woods immediately enveloped her and looking back all she saw were trees.
"Yumi?" She called. A slight scuffling sound led her to the girl. "Yumi? Are you okay?" Kagome asked and watched the girl's face tear up.
"Mommy's dead." She whispered. "Mommy's dead." Quickly Kagome reached out and hugged the girl. For a second the half demon was shocked, then held on tight crying and sniffling.
"It's going to be okay Yumi. At least you know where you are." Kagome told the frightened child. "When I woke up this morning I didn't know where I was or who I was. I've lost my memory. I've met only one other half demon before and I'm sorry to admit that I didn't give him a chance." The memory of that boy lingered in her head. "I've forgotten who I am, but I know you'll always remember your mother, right?" Yumi lifted her head and wiped away her tears.
"I remember mommy." She whispered. "Do you remember your mommy?"
"A little." Her past was still fuzzy but she remembered her mother. She had short curly black hair and brown eyes.
"I'll remember mommy forever, you're right. I'll always remember mommy!" Yumi began to smile and Kagome knew that Yumi would get better.
"Lets go to the village. Nahi pulled me to the field before I could see anything." With a happier Yumi leading the duo headed toward the village.
3
"We made it!" Meroku exclaimed. The DX mountain rose high above their heads as a sun started rising.
"Thank goodness! Inuyasha kept making us go faster and faster." Shippo remarked breathing a sigh of relief and jumping onto Kirara's head.
A slight rumble pulsed through the ground.
"The dragon!" Shippo shouted pointing at the red coils that rose on the ground.
"Approach with extreme caution. We don't know how the thing will respond." Sango replied, going into demon slayer mode and pulled out her haricots, and Kirara transformed growling lowly and crouching getting ready to spring.
"No thanks!" Inuyasha grunted pulling out his Tetsuiga and advanced on the creature. "Where 's Kagome?" He asked the creature. The thing rumbled and advanced on Inuyasha.
"Who are you?" It boomed. "Why do you seek my mistress?"
"Your mistress?" Sango asked. "Inuyasha! The dragon's here to protect her, not harm her! Don't attack!" Sango yelled, realization on her face.
"What? Who are you?" He asked again.
"I am Dante, the dragon of Time. My mistress locked me in a necklace for centuries and left me in the hands of a kind mortal. I owe my freedom to the Great Kagome for setting me free. I will protect her from the vermin like you!" Dante roared and rose on its hind legs, sending a volley of fire into the air.
"My mistress will be safe! She is behind an impenetrable barrier that no one has been able to break since time first began. I will protect the barrier!"
"Inuyasha, retreat! We can't do anything with that thing shooting fire in every direction." Meroku called and reluctantly Inuyasha ran to his friends.
"What can we do? Dante won't let us pass and he's probably Kagome's friend, so if she knows he's dead she won't come with us." Shippo asked. Inuyasha put his sword in its sheath, thinking of breaking the barrier with the red tetsuiga. Kagome, are you okay? He thought again. She was right there, but so far away! Someone didn't want them to get to her. He thought. That was the only potability. The dragon had calmed down and had curled back up except his head was still up, watching.
"So what are we going to do?" Meroku asked simply, knowing the answer. "The dragon won't let us pass."
"Kill it." Inuyasha replied holding his sword in the air.
