'The Shikon Jewel...' Inuyasha thought to himself bitterly. He hated Gambino's drunk, abusive ramblings. But it was all he knew of the world. He knew if even just one thing he told him was true the Shikon Jewel could change his life. 'I'll be a full demon... Nobody will ever mess with me again.' His hand twitched into a fist as memories played in his mind without his consent. He spit, looking around him.

'The Band Of The Spider has been tasked with such a job, to protect the Shikon Jewel. Warriors blessed by the church, by every holy person they encounter.' He sneered down at Inuyasha. 'The likes of you would never find such a thing.' Inuyasha tossed a stone into a stream with a frown.

"Fuck you, Gambino..." He growled to himself. He scanned the area with suspicious amber eyes. This was three or four years ago (much before he acquired the magical one and the girl). He had a much more boyish face and was covered in far less scars. He was a traveling mercenary. He slayed youkai and human alike, for the right price.

Growing up his whole life in a mercenary encampment made Inuyasha feel like he was only right with his sword drawn. He watched restlessly. Word traveling was that the band should be passing through the area at any moment. 'This is gonna be my only chance to get that damn jewel.' He watched from behind a tree, getting grumpy and bored. Far, far off in the distance he saw a small army with banners flying.

"Spiders!" He exclaimed. "I'll cut down each and every one of them for the jewel, if I have to." He waited impatiently, his hand hovering over his sword's hilt. They were riding leisurely in a tight formation. A few of them seem to have rode ahead to scout the area, the captain of The Band Of The Spider at the center on a regal horse.

Inuyasha watched carefully, waiting for the right time to ambush the soldier leading the excursion. 'Easy...' He thought. When they were almost parallel to the tree he was behind he leapt out, slicing through soldier and horse at the same time. They both made a bleating noise as their entrails fell to the ground. Inuyasha looked behind him, hearing men screaming and horses neighing.

"Monster! Monster!"

"Youkai!"

"HALF DEMON!" He heard their rants for yards away. Suddenly, a slender soldier on a jet black horse rode out of formation and towards him. Fast.

"Make way for big sis!" A soldier cried out. Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow, his fire rat robe billowing in the wind.

"Big... Sis? That's a woman?" He rolled his eyes, wondering if he was wrong to chase after Gambino's drunk ramblings. He readied his sword, not particularly excited to cut down a girl.

"Demon!" She screamed, surprising everyone when she pulled a bow and arrow. While the horse galloped she pulled a glowing arrow taut.

"What the fuck?!" Inuyasha screamed, the sacred arrow soaring towards him. He blocked it with his sword and it left a sizzling stain. 'That bitch is a priestess?' He thought frantically, hopping away from her. She pulled another arrow and he cursed, leaping into the trees. She leapt off the horse and started running, her sword drawn quickly.

"Come, and be purified!" She screamed, slashing hard at Inuyasha. Inuyasha used his inhuman half demon reflexes to his advantage, grateful he was able to dodge her artful swordsmanship. He swung his giant sword and she ducked, having her helmet knocked off her head. Her face almost cost Inuyasha the match alone, she was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful woman in Sengoku Jidai.

Her skin was fair and her eyes were a deep, brown well Inuyasha wanted to fall into. So serious, burdened, but still beautiful. Her hair looked like the night sky and even tied was down her back. She stared hatefully at Inuyasha as she swung again. He knocked her down with the butt of his sword and raised it high above his head, a wild look in his eyes.

'No! I'm going to die! Forgive me, Onigumo-' Her flesh was never cut. Instead she heard the clashing of metal. She looked up and saw her captain, the vision of of an eternal dream standing over her on his spotless, white horse. Inuyasha stared at this figure as he took off his helmet. He looked as delicate as the female solider, his armor intricately designed and fitted. He had long, lustrous white hair. Pink, full lips, and otherworldly blue eyes.

He was about as beautiful as the female soldier, entrancing and confusing Inuyasha at once.

"Kikyo..." He said softly, his voice like the wind. "Careful." Inuyasha looked down at the woman addressed as Kikyo.

"O-Onigumo!" She exclaimed. There was an unreadable expression on his face as she scrambled behind him. He stared at Inuyasha for a long moment before drawing his rapier.

"Drop your sword?" He offered, making Inuyasha cock an eyebrow. He laughed. "Thought so."


Shippo stared into the sleeping girl's face as Inuyasha spoke surprisingly fluidly of his past. He leaned his head on tiny hands. "So. What happened?" Inuyasha sniffed, looking up at the starry sky.

"We dueled, duh." Shippo nodded.

"And let me guess, you carved up the effeminate guy?" Inuyasha laughed to himself.

"I lost. Big time." Shippo jumped up in surprise.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Inuyasha leaned an arm on his knee.

"Lucky for me, Onigumo wanted me. We bet on the duel. If I won, I continued on my way. If he won, my sword was employed to him. And his dream..." Shippo looked at him in confusion. "But are you listening, Shippo... That woman, Kikyo..." Shippo watched him stare wistfully into the distance.

"You were sweet on her, weren't you?" Inuyasha didn't say anything for a moment, dragging Kikyo's face up in his memory.

"She looked just like that girl." Shippo jumped to his feet in confusion.

"This girl? Was was a warrior you faced off with?" Shippo questioned. Inuyasha smiled to himself.

"No, she isn't. She just looks like her." Shippo watched her as she twitched restlessly, clutching the red layer of Inuyasha's robe closer to her. 'Poor girl...' He thought. She cried out in distress, making Inuyasha's face very serious. He moved closer to her, his story interrupted.

"Girl..." He said quietly. He pulled his fire rat robe tighter around her but he felt a sting on the back of his neck. 'Oh fuck...' He thought. He moved the girl's kimono to the side to Shippo's protest and stared at a strange mark on her chest. Shippo stared at it, aware that whatever it was it was not good. 'W-Who are these people... Inuyasha.' Inuyasha grimaced.

"It's leaking... Something." He looked to Shippo. "Something's coming." He said, standing. The girl woke up suddenly, clutching the side of her chest that was branded and whimpering. "You may want to get in there. My cloths are as strong as armor." He said nonchalantly, whipping his sword out." Sweat gathered at Shippo's brow. He didn't protest when the girl grabbed him and pulled him close, shaking.

"Grauugh... Graa..." She said, looking around the campsite. Shippo frowned up at her.

"There, there..." He said, patting her arm. "Inuyasha will protect us!" He looked back at them passively. 'Don't bet on me.' He thought. 'Everything I touch dies, that girl is proof enough.' He sniffed around them and waited for the enemy to show themselves. 'Besides, who will protect you from me?'

Inuyasha's instincts were screaming. Without a second thought he grabbed the girl and Shippo, causing them both to scream out. "Hang on," He said, leaping up and through the dense trees in the forest. The yelled as they soared through the sky, landing in front of their abandoned campsite.

"Inuyasha-" Shippo began, but soon a hideous demon crashed into the clearing. It destroyed their fire and everything else with ease. Shippo stared at the centipede demon, her long, white body writhing with legs. Her eyes were dull and evil, a distorted smile on her face. The girl just stared ahead, babbling. She seemed to be too simple or too innocent to actually be scared.

"See?" Inuyasha said, setting them both down. "Keep my robe." He grunted, knowing they would need it worse than he did.

"B-But you won't be protected!" Shippo pointed out. Inuyasha rolled his eye.

"Your job now is to protect her. She's gonna need more than my top." Shippo's face became grave. He watched her looking around with wonder and ignoring the monster growling in front of them. Slowly, he climbed out of the robe and stood defensively in front of her. "There we go." Inuyasha said, facing the centipede youkai with his massive sword on his shoulder.

Shippo tried to put on a brave face. "O-Okay. I'll do my best." Inuyasha turned toward the vicious demon with a frown.

"Oi, bitch. You ruined our damn campsite." She snarled, a long tongue snaking out of her mouth.

"Foolish hanyou," She snapped. "Nobody wants you. I want..." She pointed at the girl. "HER! I want the Shikon No tama!" Inuyasha looked back at her in surprise. She had a finger to her lip, wondering why all the attention was even on her. 'The Shikon no tama? If she had that...' He chuckled.

"Oh bitch, you couldn't be more wrong. That girl is my possession. She has no such thing." Inuyasha answered, pressing forward.

"Imbecile... I smell it! You won't keep it away from me!" She dashed forward surprisingly fast. 'All those damn legs.' Inuyasha thought. He jumped up and brought his giant sword down, dismembering some of her many legs. "NO! MY LEGS!" She darted back away from Inuyasha, glaring.

"Yeah, we kind of have to make a new camp since you wrecked ours. So I don't want to spend anymore time on this." He said plainly, preparing to swing his sword again. She moved, quickly and dashed around Inuyasha and towards the girl and the faerie. 'No!' Inuyasha thought, chasing desperately behind her.

Shippo trembled but knew he was the only one who can do something. "I-I got this! FOX FIRE!" He screamed, flinging the magical fire at the centipede youkai. She scoffed, smacking Shippo out of her way into a tree.

"HEY!" Inuyasha roared. The centipede demon pinned the girl amongst her shrill screams. She cried like a little child, wriggling furiously against her restraint.

"Aughhh... Grauuuuuu-" She screamed, looking around frantically for Shippo or Inuyasha. The youkai pinned her arms crucifixion style, sneering down at her. Her spit splashed on to her face. She shook her head and yelled.

"It's mine, branded one. I will have it!" She bit violently into the girl's fleshy, branded breast.

"NO!" Shippo screamed, rising up from the tree trunk he slapped, umping onto the Mistress Centipede and biting her shoulder with his fangs. The girl cried out, trying with all her might to break free as she feasted on her blood. Out popped a pearly, iridescent jewel in the fray. The girl noticed, crying out and reaching for it.

The scene triggered Inuyasha suddenly, the sight of of a demon on top of the girl unlocking something primal inside of him. Something he couldn't control. 'No...' He thought desperately. He saw Kikyo stripped naked of her armor. Slimy demon tentacles held her up like a cross, blood streaming down her thighs. Her eyes stared vacantly at him as he was forced to watch her be ravaged.

"Don't look..." She begged, tears streaming down her face.

"KIKYO!" He screamed, raising his sword and swinging it down mercilessly on the centipede. He split her in two with ease, his sword stopping short of the girl's body. She stared up at him through the blood and gore, her face calm. The demon had bitten her but she didn't look much worse for it. He pulled her out of the carnage and shook his fire rat robe.

Shippo (who'd barely gotten out of the way of Inuyasha's sword) stared at him with a shocked expression. He had noticed the particularly dark moment but chose not to ask about it. 'Hopefully he will finish his story... I have a feeling it will be good.' He looked up at them as he tried to get the gore and grime off the girl.

She seemed content enough as Inuyasha wrapped his robe around her. "Here," He said, wiping dirt off of her face. Shippo walked over to a glowing point in the mud and grabbed a shining jewel.

"Inuyasha..."

"C'mon. We gotta make a new camp and get her bandaged up." He turned to look at Shippo, shocked when he saw the glowing jewel in his hands. He moved quickly and snatched it from him, shoving it inside his clothes.

"Hey! No fa-"

"Quiet fool." He snapped. "Unless you want to be fighting youkai until the sun rises." Shippo piped down immediately. He hooked his arm in the girl's and tugged her along. "Let's go." He looked at the girl beside him, a pensive look on his face. He knew nothing about her except her uncanny resemblance to Kikyo. But he cared about her, and after the life he'd already lived, he didn't care about much.

"Kagome..." He grumbled to himself after a while. Shippo poked out of his robe.

"What?" He looked down at Shippo.

"We have to call her something, don't we?" Shippo looked at up at the girl who was looking around her in wonder. He smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so." He leaned his head on his tiny hand. "She does look like a Kagome, doesn't she?"