Disclaimer: If you wanted to find the creator of a houshi with a 'cursed' hand, look for Rumiko Takahashi and not MantaRae.

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Kagome smiled into those earnest eyes, "Koga...GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Surprised both turn to see a rapidly approaching hanyou.

"Inuyasha!" greets one, the other grunts, "Dog turd."

The silver haired half demon is in the wolf prince's face, "what did you say?"

Koga smirks as he repeats, "Dog turd."

"Bastard," Inuyasha snarls, "your flea bitten carcass ain't welcome."

Blue eyes turn to the young miko, "Kagome doesn't seem to mind my company," a dazzling smile, "isn't that right future wife?"

She is suddenly under intense scurtiny, her mind screaming, "Diversion! Diversion!" with flashing red lights and klaxon sirens.

"erm...where are Miroku and Sango?"

Inuyasha scoffs, "I left them at the mountain."

"..." Kagome deadpans at the flippant explanation.

The hanyou's silver trianglar dog ears twitch betraying his apprehension at the ominous aura swirling around the girl.

"...and the shard you went to get?"

Now the fuzzy appendages lay flat with guilt even as the stubborn half demon crossed his arms, "as if I would leave you alone for too long with this flea bag."

"So you left Miroku and Sango behind? Not to mention the shikon shard?"

"I'll retrieve the shard for you Kagome!" Koga eagerly offers.

Inuyasha's hackles rose, "no way! That jewel shard is mine!"

"Too slow mutt face!" Koga's cyclone zooms toward the mountain.

Growling Inuyasha sprinted in the wolf's wake.

Perfectly synchronized, long-suffering sighs issued from the twin-Kagomes.

'~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Sesshomaru lead his small pack through familiar territory with Jaken guiding Ah Un and Rin perched on the dragon's saddle.

The sound of a river beckoned the demon lord. Golden eyes swept the banks, both near and far as the imp frightened the ever elusive, increasingly slippery, silver scaled creatures within.

"Got you now!" Jaken called triumphant, leapt, and performed a rather spectacular belly flop.

Normally Rin's voice would be filled with laughter as she called advice and admonishment. Sesshomaru glanced at the child's drawn face, her dull brown eyes. Anger flared at the lack of progress to break the yurei's curse.

"Milord?" Jaken's nasally voice at his knee.

Sesshomaru glanced at the smaller youkai.

Jaken bobbed a nervous bow, "will we continue further today, milord?"

A slight nod in reply.

The imp's hands began to fidget, twisting, turning, over and over, "milord...forgive my impertinence, but what is wrong with the girl?" he looks away and mutters, "she is usually so annoyingly cheerful..."

"This Sesshomaru is searching for a priestess or monk."

The imp gapes, "a miko...a houshi? Whatever do we need a human such as that for?"

Golden eyes narrow, "in order to remedy the situation."

Jaken kowtows, "yes milord," grovel grovel, "perhaps...if it pleases my lord...perhaps we can simply seek that strange priestess. Kikyo, I believe she is called."

A flash of the solemn woman with her scent of ash and lingering death, 'the same scent as the underworld.'

"She is unsuited to the task."

"Yes, of course my lord."

Sesshomaru resumes his journey with his retainer, a two headed dragon and a frighteningly silent human child trailing in his wake.

'~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Miroku and Sango reemerged from the cave only to be pratically trampled by two creatures of canine descent.

The houshi's hands pull a soft warmth out of harm's way. His purple eyes blink in surprise at the arguing duo, "Koga? Inuyasha?"

Red and brown tumbled into the darkness together.

"What are they doing?" Sango extracted herself from the monk's grasp.

"Being idiots, I suppose," Miroku shrugged.

Kilala transformed and carried the rescue/retrieval squad back to the empty campsite.

"Kagome, what's going on with those two?" Sango pointed backwards with her thumb, indicating the hanyou and wolf.

"They are being idiots," she stated simply then asked, "ready to go?"

Miroku offered the school girl the sliver of crystal, "ready if you are Lady Kagome."

"Alright," the Shikon shard flashed with purifying light, "let's head home."

The group began the journey to Edo. Shippo on Kagome's shoulder, Miroku humming, Sango carring Kilala, Ginta scouting ahead, Hakkaku guarding the rear. They chatted easily as the miles passed.

"KKKKKKAAAAAAGGGGGOOOMMMMMEEEE!"

The time traveler glanced back, "ah, it seems the idiots have returned."

The wind picked up, flinging dust around, Koga's speedy whirlwind arrived at the waiting group first. The wolf prince once again holding the priestess's hands.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried."

"Koga," she nods in greeting, "welcome back."

A fist flew and connected with the wolf's jaw, "how many times I gotta tell ya to keep your hands off Kagome?"

Koga lunged and grappled with Inuyasha.

Kagome sighed and set off again, "let's keep going."

Ginta and Hakkaku hesitated between helping (read: cheering on) Koga or sticking with the beautiful and nice Sister Kagome.

"Bye Idiots!" Shippo called loudly.

"Kagome?! Where are you going?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Home," She answers calmly.

-punch- "HA! Take that mutt face!" The wolf jogs to her side, "let me escort you then."

Kagome hums, "I thought you were tracking Kagura?"

His fist hits his opposite palm, "that's right, I completely forgot," Koga grasps her hands and stares into her eyes lovingly, "take care Kagome."

She blushes prettily, "try to stay out of trouble."

A cocky smile flashes, "sure thing future wife."

"HANDS OFF!" Inuyasha yells.

Koga sneers at the half demon, "mutt face, you had better guard Kagome with your life or you answer to me."

Inuyasha snarls, fangs bared at the threat.

Koga squeezed Kagome's hands gently, "til next time."

A burst of jaki-wind and the wolf took off.

"Goodbye sis!" Ginta and Hakkaku scrambling to catch up to their leader, "wait up Kogggaaa..."

'~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Bokuseno's council to seek a human with spiritual powers had been logical. The magnolia's warning that these same holy humans would be less than accommodating was true as well.

Sesshomaru paused at a wide meadow filled with springtime blossoms. Rin did not run into the dancing flowers happily collecting a rainbow-hued bouquet. The inuyoukai emits a low growl and presses on. There was one more thing he would try before they reached the next village.

Silently he entered the woodlands the local humans refered to as Inuyasha's Forest. Sunight poured through trees in thick slanted lines, dappled shadows of green and gold speckled his silver hair. He stopped and glanced at the girl.

"Come here Rin."

The child obediently ventured to his side.

"Observe," he turned his gaze to the nearby brush.

Rin turned her attention to the vegetation and noted the leaves that twitched, 'how strange. What is causing that?'

There was a slight breeze though not nearly enough to stir the low lying shrub. A small rock flew through the air and rattled against brambles.

Shimmering, shining wings, swirling, twirling, she was the center of a whirlwind of butterflies! Short legs chased the delicate creatures until they disappeared into the sky. Rin wandered back to Ah Un and clamored on the dragon's saddle.

Sesshomaru grimaced, 'her eyes...' once they shone bright with life, after the yurei's unwelcome influence they had been hollow, blank, '...now she is heartbroken,' in his opinion this defeated sadness that dwelled in the girl's eyes was far worse.

His mind determined, his resolve like steel, 'there is miko in Edo, she WILL return the sound of life to Rin.'

'~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Kagome was home, stretched out on her bed, 'ah home at last...'

The modern era with all its convenience, all its amenities, all the luxuries, 'like hot water and electricity,' she thought happily, 'and real beds.'

Nothing like a home cooked meal, a nice hot soak, a soft bed and clean clothes to make a time traveling girl happy as can be.

"Sis, dinner's ready."

"Thanks Sota. I'll be right down."

Her little brother nods in reply then notices the glint of broken crystal. Curious he picks up the small glass bottle.

"Hey sis? Is this the Shikon jewel?"

Kagome runs a brush through her hair, "yep, those are the pieces we have found so far."

Sota shakes the jar, the shards rattle and tinkle gently, "Big sis, how are you going to put it back together?"

The oldest sibling taps her chin, "I dunno. The only time it's been 'put together' was when a demon ate it."

The younger brother yelps and drops the thing on her bed, "a demon ate the jewel?!"

She picks it up and stares at the pink slivers, "yeah, a spider-head demon turned some loose shards back into a partial sphere."

Sota wrinkles his nose, "so the spider-demon-thing somehow squished the jewel together in it's stomach?"

Kagome shrugs, "something like that, I guess."

"Okay," he points at her, "but how are YOU going to put it back together? You're not going to eat it right?"

She laughs and ruffles his dark hair, "of course not."

He swats away her hand, "well can't you just...use glue or something?"

Kagome stares at her brother, "...you are a genius."

"Huh?"

She tramples downstairs, calling, "Mom~~~"

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Klaxon: a loud siren, a piercing warning sound. "Ahoooga" is the most famous klaxon siren.

A/N: Shout out to: Mera Arem Rema, BlackDog616, LoveInTheBattleField, Shisenki. Thanks for the support!