"Journey Anew"

Chapter 02 :: Foolish Humans

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Author's Note: Ahh, the next chapter! Finally, huh? Yeah, yeah… I'm sorry everyone, I truly am. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, okay? Have fun.

Warnings: Nothing too serious.

Disclaimers: I do not own Inuyasha.

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What is it about that woman that made Tenseiga pulse with such urgency…such power… Sesshomaru stared at his sword in perplexed silence. The others had fallen asleep long ago, and the sky was beginning to show signs of dawn. Sesshomaru cast his eyes towards Sango. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary about her, other than the fact that she possessed great physical strength. She had very, very limited spiritual powers, only strong enough to perhaps sense demonic presence, something she would have very likely trained to perfect for her work as a taijiya. Other than that, she was an ordinary human woman. His eyes narrowed.

He had agreed to her traveling with him only out of the curiosity growing inside him. Tenseiga would never pulse so strongly for someone who was not worthy. At the moment, Sesshomaru saw nothing too special about her. Perhaps over a longer period of time, he would. The wolf was a different story. Rin, who had once been murdered by Kouga's wolves, had found the strength to overcome her fear and even offer to travel with one. Seldom did something surprise Sesshomaru, and he had allowed it.

He suspected that the wolf would more than likely not stay around for long. As long as neither became nuisances, he would permit traveling with them.

Kouga snored loudly in his sleep and rolled over. One leg landed on Jaken, who squawked in his sleep but did not awaken. Sesshomaru stood to his feet and stared at the four sleeping on the ground around the glowing embers of the fire.

"Wake up."

Jaken and Rin both jumped up, Jaken unable to lift Kouga's leg from his midsection.

"You mongrel! Get off of me! I can not believe you assaulted me in your sleep!!! How-" Jaken would have continued, but Kouga pressed more weight into his leg, shutting the little angry toad up. He raised a tired eye brow.

"Knock it off. It was an accident." Kouga snorted. He tapped Sango's shoulder. She blinked and Kouga smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, "Get enough rest Sango?"

Sango glanced around and then she nodded, "I feel a lot better."

"That's great!" Rin chirped. She yawned and stretched, then turned to Sesshomaru with a bright smile, "Sesshomaru-sama, did you get enough sleep!?"

Although Sesshomaru had only rested for an hour, he nodded, "Yes. We should continue." And then he began to walk. Jaken followed him instantly, and Rin began to skip. Sango glanced at Kouga.

"No breakfast?" she asked, looking at Rin's happy, bouncing form. "That's not a good schedule for a little girl."

Kouga was about to reply when Sesshomaru stopped ahead of them. He turned to face the two of them and his eyes focused on Sango's face, "There is a village only a quarter mile away. You will take Rin and feed her."

Rin smiled at Sango, "Yeah! I used to do it alone, because Sesshomaru-sama doesn't like villages much. But now we can do it together!" She was grinning.

"I'll go too." Kouga said.

Sesshomaru turned and began to walk again. He had nothing else to say.

Sango's face was a light pink. She hadn't meant for Sesshomaru to hear her. He had seemed like the type to kill someone over something like that, and yet he had said nothing.. she blinked, perhaps he wasn't as evil as she had thought…

Kouga glanced at Sango's slightly flushed face. He grinned, keeping his eyes on her face while she walked beside him. She looked nice like that, with her face slightly pink and her hair moving in the breeze. The puzzled, slightly concerned look on her face made Kouga want to surprise her in some way, but he decided against it.

Sango blinked and looked at him, "What's the matter?"

"Huh?"

"Did you say something?" Sango asked, beginning to smile, "Or were you day-dreaming?"

"No. I was going to ask you what you were planning on eating…"

"Oh. Well, I don't know. I guess I'll just let Rin pick for us." Sango shrugged.

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"…coming too…"

She heard someone's voice, but couldn't place them in the hazy darkness of reality. The only thing she was positive about was the pounding of her head and the pain that seemed to come from every part of her body. She struggled to say something, anything, to see if the voice was real.

"…hnnn…"

"Oh!... is wake! Look, dear… girl from the woods…"

She could hear shuffling of feet and felt the presence of someone leaning over her body, "Hey," A wet, damp feeling across her forehead.

"Who..?" she managed to ask. The world had come into focus.

"My name is Shinto and this is my wife, Mayura." A handsome middle-age man said and smiled at her. She stared at his face for a long moment.

"How did you find me?"

"You were lying in the woods… you've been unconscious for four days now, miss. What happened? Can you remember?"

"No…" she lied. She could remember.

"Oh dear, that's terrible. You must have been attacked, child." Mayura said petting her hair, "Its okay though. You may stay in our home until you are well enough to be on your way."

"You don't even know me…" she whispered. Why were humans being so kind to her? Didn't they realize what she was?

Shinto smiled at her, "Well, you're in too weak of a condition to harm either of us, not that we're worried you will. What's your name?"

She stared at the two of them, both smiling politely. She glanced around the small room, took note of the bloody bandages and the medicines spread across the table. "You two some kind of doctors?"

"Yes," Shinto smiled, "My trade is healing. I will care for anyone in need, no matter who they are or where they have come from. I do not discriminate against someone in pain."

"Even youkai?"

"I treated you, didn't I?" He said and laughed softly, "I have found that most youkai are not truly unkind… or will not kill me or my wife because we saved their lives…"

"That's a foolish way to live." She whispered.

The man smiled and grabbed his wife's hand, "Maybe so. But we have decided to dedicate our lives to saving others… and we can never turn someone away who needs medical attention… and neither of us would consider it."

She would have smirked if she could. What sort of devil's luck had landed her in the hands of these two foolish humans? She coughed and looked away from them, "I'd like to rest some more," She lied.

"That's fine. You need rest. It would be best if you stayed in bed for another day or so." Shinto looked at her with a… stern expression? "Don't try to leave, miss, it would only worsen your condition. You need time to heal. You don't have to trust us, but please, let us help you… we just want to make sure you'll be alright."

She narrowed her eyes. He had seen through her as if she were transparent. "I'm sure you'll watch to see if I try to leave anyway." She mumbled.

Mayura answered for her husband, "Oh no. Our patients have the right to choose whether they require our assistance or not. Here,"

She reached out and took the scroll from Mayura's hands, "What is this? My bill?"

Shinto laughed good naturedly, "We do not charge anything for healing, child."

Fools. "Then what is it?"

"It's a list of all the injuries you sustained and are still healing from." Shinto explained, "Once you have finished reading that, then you may leave if you wish. But please, if you choose to leave, at least allow us to pack you some food and medicines."

"Heh," She snorted and began opening the scroll, "I'd like to read this alone. I promise I wont go anywhere until I've finished." Shinto and his wife left the room with nods and Kagura turned to the scroll. Her eyes looked at the words, but she didn't process them. She already knew what was wrong with her. She had began to show signs of the many injuries Naraku had sustained before his death, though not nearly as fatal. It was a haunting reminder that she probably shouldn't even be alive. And when he had died, she felt it like a stab in her heart… the one she had stolen back. Stealing it back had been easy, while Naraku had been busy battling Inuyasha and his foolish party.

Kagura narrowed her eyes. Gaining possession of it had probably been what saved her from dying along with Naraku like Kanna had. A sharp jab of… something… struck her then, as thoughts of the silent little girl ran through her mind. Kanna was dead. She would never see the girl again… and Kohaku… had that pitiful boy survived? Kagura would never admit it, but a part of her sort of hoped he had. At least then he could be reunited with the taijiya.

She thought of Shinto and Mayura suddenly. Such foolish humans. Their own compassion would be their down fall. They would eventually save the wrong youkai and perish beneath the claws they had helped to heal. She snorted. How ironic to die when one was trying to save.

Should she remain with them and allow their help?

Kagura sighed, putting the scroll aside. Who was she trying to fool? She was barely strong enough to sit up in bed, much less leave and travel. Where would she go anyway? She had no where to go…

Staying would give her time to heal and allow her to decide her next course of action.

And then she blinked. Something had dawn upon her that should have long before…

She was free.

Kagura stared hard at her hands. She was actually free!

Free!Free!Freefreefree! She was free!

Mayura and Shinto turned to each other when Kagura's voice disturbed the silence of their home. She was laughing. Loud and careless and without concern. It was the most beautiful laugh either had ever heard.

"I think she'll stay," Mayura said to Shinto, taking a sip of her tea.

"She will," Shinto nodded, "That one is a survivor, Mayura."

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Rin happily devoured the food before her. Sesshomaru had mugged (scared shitless) some unsuspecting man and had told Sango to hold the money. Although she didn't agree with Sesshomaru's tactics, she felt that she was in debt to him for saving her life. Even if he didn't see it that way. She had committed suicide in a half-mad, grief-ridden state. She really just wanted to live, to survive, to pull through and go on. Life was precious, after all. She had to live for herself, if she had no one else. Although… she glanced at Rin who was smiling at her.

Rin indicated to her plate, "You're not hungry, Sango?"

"Oh. I was just thinking," Sango smiled and began to eat. Kouga was sipping some water. He preferred his meat raw, and he would probably go and catch himself something later. But he'd rather spend the morning in the company of Sango and Rin, than Sesshomaru and Jaken…

"You like the same stuff that Sesshomaru-sama does, huh Kouga-kun?" Rin chirped, smiling brightly at Kouga.

"Probably," Kouga said. "I don't eat human food."

"Ever tried it?" Sango asked raising an eye brow. Kouga stared at her for a long moment, and then he laughed.

"No… can't say that I have..." He stared at them, as the two shared looks. "I don't really want to either, you know? I like my food-"

"Try some Kouga-kun!!!" Rin giggled, taking some of her food and quickly swiping it onto another smaller plate. "Please?! At least give it a chance!"

Kouga looked at Rin and then at Sango, who was smiling, "Yeah Kouga-kun, it's good."

Kouga was at a lost. He couldn't very well turn them BOTH down… "Fine… maybe just a little… nibble…" He mumbled, lifting the wooden spoon to his mouth. He sniffed the food.

Sango rolled her eyes, "Please Kouga, it isn't poisonous. We're eating it too, you know."

He glanced at her and sniffed again, "Could cause side effects or something…"

Rin laughed. Sango smiled, "Eat the food, Kouga."

He sighed and did so.

"Well!?" Rin leaned forward, placing both hands on the table. Sango's grin got larger.

Kouga's swallowed the food after chewing.

"Was it good?!" Rin asked, her eyes wide.

Kouga frowned, "Actually…" He took another spoonful and ate it, "Its delicious. I'd like some Sango, can we still order?"

Sango nodded, "Of course Kouga-kun." She caught the attention of the owner of the small restaurant, "Could we have another of the special, ma'am?"

"'Course you can dear," The old lady said and smiled.

Kouga had finished off the food Rin had given him. Sango laughed, "See, our food can be good. You should give new things a chance, Kouga."

"I think I'm doing pretty well with that, you know, traveling with Sesshomaru and all." He said and smiled at her, "Why'd you leave Kagome and the mutt anyway Sango?"

Sango looked away, the good cheer of the morning leaving her face, "I…"

Rin burped, "I'm glad you did Sango-chan! Now we can be together!" Rin grinned and then she looked at Kouga, "I like you too Kouga! I'm so happy we're all together!"

Kouga nodded, smiling a fanged-grin at Rin, "Me too Rin." Sango nodded in agreement, but she looked away as Rin and Kouga began to eat.

She didn't want to tell Kouga the truth. Sesshomaru had pretty much told her in his own way that he wouldn't say anything, and Jaken wasn't really too interested in speaking to Kouga unless they were arguing… and little Rin, well, she probably wasn't entirely sure what had happened…

They rejoined Sesshomaru just outside of the village. He stared calmly at Kouga, who was carrying Rin on his shoulders, and Sango, who followed silently behind them. Jaken humphed, and crossed his arms in a disapproving way.

"How long can one take to eat!?" Jaken asked annoyed, "When Rin is alone she is much quicker, my lord…"

Rin looked at Jaken, "Jaken-san, we had fun!"

Jaken rolled his eyes but said nothing else. Sesshomaru looked at Kouga who was grinning. The scent of human food was all over the wolf. Rin and the taijiya must have gotten him to try some of their disgusting meals. Sesshomaru frowned slightly and began to walk. He'd never let humans so easily influence him.

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That's all for now.

Shinto and Mayura are of my own creation. They're sweet doctors. I like them.

Hmm, could Kouga possibly have feelings for Sango? Who knows. And Kagura's made her appearance. She's still a little rough around the edges but she'll get used to having a heart. Haha. Anyway, she doesn't join the others for a few more chapters… her character is going to under go a certain growth while in the company of the two healers. She's still gonna be Kagura, but a Kagura who's not so cold. )

Anyway, see you next time! Bye!