Chp 2- "Ask yourself whether the dream of Heaven and greatness should, really, be waiting for us in our graves"

The jewel had reacted, instantly, to Rin's screams purifying the demons in a blinding explosion of light making, Kilala nervous but the demon cat would never have left Kagome's and Rin's side, not even in the face of what was sure to be her doom. It wasn't, though, of course because the jewel could no more hurt Kilala than Kagome herself could take a sword and cut out her heart. Kilala was too much a part of her to be allowed to be injured. When the light faded Kilala understood that something was profoundly wrong, more wrong then the place they had been moments before where everything smelt of flames and wraiths cloaked in shadows roamed a world devoid of life. So she had gently tossed her charges on her back and jumped out of the well, her huge body barely fitting in such a cramped place. The shock to her senses had immobilized her, because everything was new, nothing smelt familiar, and whatever the man was holding and pointing at her looked not at all dangerous.

The shot cracked like thunder.

MOVE!

The Jewel shouted from the depths of Kagome's soul, forcing her to consciousness. It seemed she took everything in in an instant, the gun, the men, and Kilala helpless to prevent what was to come. Kagome didn't think, she simply reacted. Faster than a speeding bullet, literally, she placed herself between danger and her friends, her anger at this attempted murder making her purifying energy surge outward in a blast that knocked the bullet off course, so that it would strike the ground just left of Kilala. For a moment Kagome's eyes glowed, her entire focus on the man with the blond hair who had just tried to hurt her friend. Power surged around her and, in that moment, she was more terrifying than any demon either group had ever faced.


What the Hell…IS SHE? Was all that Sanzo could think of, all he had time to think of because if he allowed himself to think about the fact that she had not dodged his bullet, no, but PUSHED it away from her without a single touch then he might just be in for an even worse day then he had anticipated. By this time Gojyo and Hakkai had managed to get to their feet, Hakkai in shock but Goku and Hojyo smiling, ready for a fight. Goku attacked first, no surprise there. His staff literally ripping through the air around the girl as he sliced downward but it wasn't effective because the girl pulled out a monstrous sword. It was a long, thick blade, but somehow delicate like nothing Sanzo had ever seen before. Glinting a hard silver with a whisp of something that looked disturbingly like white fur around the hilt there were purple beads (prayer beads his mind supplied like the ones he had given his only friend in the monastery long ago) wrapped securely around it. The blade was shard, would have cut Goku's pole in two if it hadn't been a magical item and even then Sanzo could hear the strain. With that same strange power, and a push on the strange sword, she sent Goku flying backwards but instead of attacking the light in her eyes and around her began to fade. Something within her seemed to be slowing down, stopping, and Sanzo could just barely make out tears streaking down her face. It was then he noticed the blood dripping from a hand that had a death grip on a strange necklace with a pendant on it.

"Please…" Her voice was soft, broken, "Don't hurt them." And then she collapsed.

"What…the Hell! Was that?" Gojyo finally said, breaking the silence a few seconds after her body hit the floor. No one answered him but Hakkai instantly moved towards the girl only to be thwarted by the giant cat demon. It growled at them and Hakuryuu flew past him with an angry hiss of his own. This seemed to make the big cat pause but she did not move from her position of protecting the girl. None of them knew what to do and it probably wouldn't have stayed that way if the little girl hadn't woken up. It was a slow thing, her eyes fluttering open and Goku was struck at how beautiful they were. A light, molten brown that reminded him of the colors of the feather of the bird friend he had failed to save. Her hair was long and she instantly pushed herself up, after a quick snuggle into the cats fur, and pushed it out of her face. She was dressed, they could see, in a pair of blue jeans that were a little baggy on her but not by much. She also wore the top half of something that looked very much like a kimono that was silver with thousands of cherry blossom petals falling in intricate details, along with white shoes. She looked at them for a moment, blinking, and then looked down to see Kagome. Once upon a time the sight would have sent her reeling from the scene but she was the Daughter of the Lord of the West, what would her father say if she behaved in such a way now? The thought of her father, .of Sesshomaru, almost brought tears to her eyes but she steeled herself against that. Jumping lightly from Kilala's back, petting the cat to calm her Rin faced the strange men, head tilting in curiosity.

"What did you do to my Auntie?" Her voice was light, soft, innocent. Devoid of any malice or fear. Goku was struck by her, fascinated, but wary to. Too many girls he had known, and genuinely liked, had died and he didn't want to feel that pain again. Gojyo could only sigh, such a beautiful girl he wondered what she would like in the future. Sanzo raised his gun again but Hakkais was quick to step in the way.

"Hello there. What's your name?"

Rin said nothing, simply watched him. Obviously waiting for an answer to her question.

"We didn't DO anything."

"We thought that thing was gonna eat you guys for a snack so Sanzo tried to save you but she went berserk on us."

All of a sudden the girl looked outraged, the fire in her eyes more like an inferno and it warned them that there was more to her than they had first perceived.

"You tried to KILL Kilala!?" Rin flung herself in front of the fire cat, "HOw could you!? She's harmless. She's our friend!"

"We get that now kid. Now look why don't you tell us what's going on here huh?"

"This one doesn't seem to be injured, she just looks exhausted."

"Get away from Kagome you!" Rin yelled at Hakkai who had wandered over to check on Kagome the moment he had gotten an opening. Raising his hands Hakkai looked at the girl and shook his head, "Don't you think it'd be better if we moved her off the hard ground? We've got some blankets over there. We won't hurt you." Hakuryuu floated around Kilala, making happy noises that Kilala was reciprocating. Rin looked at them all for a moment and then sighed. Turning back to Kilala she pet the demon cat and asked, politely, for her to turn back into her usual form. The men had to hold back a gasp as the huge, saber-toothed monster turned into a harmless looking three-tailed kitten that promptly jumped into the girl's arms and nuzzled her.

"Sanzo help me."

"Why me?"

"Because…I don't trust Gojyo."

"Ya…WHAT!? Hey!?" Gojyo cried, outraged, but Sanzo conceded the point and moved over to help Hakkai with the women. Up close he was struck by what he saw. She was average in height, from what he could see, with clear, creamy skin and hair as black as a raven's wing that lay like a silken blanket all the way down to her butt. Like the girl she was wearing blue jeans and white shoes, unlike the girl she had on a fiery red obi with a white shirt beneath. The obi was much too big for her, at least twice her size but it was tied in place securely. At her side there was a surprisingly thin sword scabbard. He looked around for another but he saw none and the hilt had the same purple prayer beads he had seen before. Frowning Sanzo lifted the girl into his arms. He was getting ready to drop her into Hakkai's hands but the damned man had moved towards their bags, rummaging through to get some blanket and laying them on the ground. Sanzo wanted to growl, instead he moved towards the newly made pallet trying to ignore the perfect glimpse of luscious curved mounds. Normally something very easily done but it had been a long time since he had been with a woman and besides she was asleep and he was carrying her.

"Here you go." Sanzo set her, gently, onto the pallet the hard look in Hakkai's eyes telling him if he did otherwise the normally sedate member of their little rag-tag group would make him pay for it. Sanzo was disgusted with himself. Gojyo whistled appreciatively but Rin glared at him turning his whistle into an embarrassed cough. Goku trailed beside Rin trying to get a better look at Kilala and laughing when she liked his hand. Rin moved to sit beside the sleeping Kagome who, as if sensing the girls presence, shifted and placed a hand over Rin's. After a moment Hakkai coughed, bringing everyone's attention back to the matter at hand.

"So…What's your name?"

Rin hesitated a moment, but then thought of her father again. Raising her chin, as graceful as any princess, she looked at the men one by one, "My name is Rin and this is Kilala. And THIS is my Auntie Kagome."

"Ok, Rin, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

Rin frowned at that. Her father had warned her not to speak to anyone of her true home or about t Kagome's powers or anything else for that matter. She was suppose to be Kagome's cousin whose parents had died in a crash that had left her with permanent amnesia, whatever that was, but something was wrong. She had known that when Kagome had left her and Kilala alone in the well were the shadows had moved and tried to attack them. She struggled to find an appropriate answer but there really wasn't one so she decided on telling them only the most necessary things.

"I don't know. We weren't suppose to be here unless this is Kagome's world but I don't think it is…Something not right happened and I'm worried…"

"Well…Where did you come from?"

"I'm from Japan."

"Japan!? How the HELL did you get all this way and what's with the well?"

Rin glared at the red-haired one, "You're not suppose to say Hell." She whispered furiously. Gojyo frowned.

"The well is how we go from my home and Kagome's home. But I don't think we're there because…well because if we were my daddy would be here." Because he would never die, neither would Shippo and he had promised, they both had promised, that they would be there to greet them on the other side. She suspected Shippo had been though because he had been wearing the necklace that Kagome was holding when they had said their goodbyes but she refused to contemplate what that could mean.

"Um..ok.." Clearly the child was confused. Sanzo shook his head.

"Ok so…what is that?" He pointed at Kilala.

"I told you she's Kilala. Sanzo gave her to us to protect us no matter what cuz no one would suspect her as anything but a cat."

Just then Kilala let out a small jet of flame and jumped from Rin's lap. Hakuryuu let out his own burst of flames and Kilala instantly began chasing the little dragon around. Instant best friends. Sanzo turned back to the girl.

"Ok you're not making any sense now start-"

"Come on Sanzo." Goku interrupted.

"He's right Sanzo. Miss Rin must be tired and hungry. We can figure out what's going on after she rests and her aunt wakes up."

"Speaking of your Aunt what, exactly, is she?"

Rin blinked, where these men stupid?

"She's a miko, of course." Shrugging and their strange looks Rin scooted herself into Kagome's arms and closed her eyes, sad but content. She missed her father, terribly, but like Kagome had given Shippo Sesshomaru had given her his own items so she could remember him by. He had had portraits of her made and placed in places all around his castle. Portraits of all of them: Sanzo and Miroku and Inuyasha, Rin, Sesshomaru himself, Kilala, Shippo, and Kagome. Plus he had her garden which he promised to keep in immaculate condition until she could return and tend it. He had given her a delicately wrought chain, commissioned by totosai and made from one of his fangs and some of his hair. It granted her protection from anything that ever tried to kill her though she could still be hurt but the most important thing about it was the locket. A locket that Sesshomaru's father had made for his mother long ago but on the inside was a picture of herself and Sesshomaru with a rare smile on his face. They were hugging. It was not her most prized possession that he had given her but it was the most precious. Holding it she could almost feel her father again. She was asleep before the men could utter another word.


"What the hell guys?"

"I have no idea."

"We aren't just gonna leave them here are we Sanzo? We can't"

"We should."

"But SANZO?"

"Shut it Goku."

"He has a point Sanzo we can't just leave them here besides…The older one worries me."

"Ya think? She pushed Goku away like he was a twig."

"She did not."

"Admit it monkey you were beat by a girl."

"Shut UP you stupid water sprite."

"What'd you call me." And off they went. Sanzo glance at Hakkai and then at the two girls sleeping soundly behind them. The cat, Kilala, had curled up with Hakuryuu behind the older woman's knees and they were both snoring. Sanzo scowled.

"I don't like this."

"It does seem a strange coincidence. First those villages and then whatever that girl did."

"We should just leave 'em here."

"Maybe but we can't."

"Fine we'll take them to the next town. Leave them there. We're not babysitters and we don't have time for this."

"Maybe."