A/N: Haha, I'm glad you guys seem to like that I update at least once every day. As the school semester goes on, I might not be able to do an update every day, but I'll surely update as often as possible! I'm so in love with this story myself. :-). But, alas, I am in college and as the semester winds down, things get harder. I will continue to provide updates on this story though!

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Chapter 11: Unexpected Meetings

The same dream plagued Inuyasha again, just about every night since the first time before his brother met his daughter. He could not shake the message his former mate was trying to tell him. Save her? Save her from what? He had to know...he had to figure it out, and find a way to save her.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how impossible that was going to be. How on earth could he save someone from something he didn't even know was happening? He couldn't save Kagome from dying during childbirth, which he had no idea what had happened. And he wasn't sure if he could save her from this. Whatever this was.

He vaguely remembered the blackness within the Shikon Jewel after they'd defeated Naraku. He remembered Kagome being swallowed up by a blackness that wanted to take her soul, take her soul to fight the demons within it.

But, the Shikon Jewel was gone. Gone forever. As had been Kagome's wish. So, what other blackness could she need saving from?

Sighing a little, he was actually relaxing outside his hut. Tamako had been playing in the banks of the river, and he only glanced over enough to make sure she hadn't drowned or anything. But, other than that, he was lost in thought. Laying on his back on the grass, resting his hands behind his head, listening to the sounds of her giggling and squealing as she played.

And, of course, Tamako could tell something was wrong with her father. He usually came over to play with her. But, something seemed to be different since Sesshoumaru came to see them. All of a sudden her father seemed distant whenever he had the chance to be, his eyes always staring off into space, thinking about something that she didn't understand.

It was almost her birthday in a matter of days though, and she was excited. She wasn't expecting anything big, but she was still pretty happy about it. Looking up at her father as he laid on the grass, blinking a little. Her kimono was pinned up so she could run around and get her feet wet and not get her kimono wet. Thinking for a moment as she looked at him, she grinned, knowing he wasn't paying attention.

Dashing towards her father as quick as she could, which was quite fast. She was no human child, not full human anyway, she had her fathers speed. But, it was not the same speed Kouga or her father could go if they tried. Running up to him, she jumped so she pounced on his chest, causing him to let out an 'oompf.' Smiling as she looked down at him.

"I caught yooou!" she said, leaning to kiss his cheek.

She drew him out of his thoughts and made him alert when she pounced on his chest, chuckling and looking up at her. "Hey, no fair, I was just layin' here."

"Ya snooze ya loose!" she said as she sat up on his chest a little.

Laughing, efficiently brought out of his deep thought, he sat up, catching her before she fell. "Oh really? You think so?" he asked, starting to tickle her sides with both hands, causing the girl to scream and giggle loudly in his arms as she squirmed.

"Otouu! Otooou O-oooo-ttoouu!" she squealed, giggling and trying to squirm away from her fathers grasp.

"Not until you declare your loss!" he answered her, continuing his tickling assault on her sides.

After several minutes, the girl was in tears as she giggled and squealed. "F-f-f-fineee! I lose! You winnn!" she said.

Those words caused him to slow to a stop, laughing and bringing her up to hug her a little, reaching and wiping the tears from her cheeks gently. "There. See, you don't want to challenge a strong demon like me." he informed her.

Shaking her head, taking in a few deep breaths, coughing a little as she looked at him. "I'm...I'mma be...be stronger...one day, Otou! Just wait and see!"

Smiling as he kissed her cheek. "Yeah yeah, I can't wait to see that." he said, hugging her a little bit and looking out over the water. "Say, Tamako. I've been told your birthday is coming up. What do you want for your birthday?" he asked. He'd never really bothered celebrating his own birthdays growing up. But, she was his daughter, and these birthday celebrations seemed important to humans. So, he was going to celebrate with her the way he'd been explained how they worked.

Looking up at her father, she blinked as she seemed to think about that for a minute, trying to make the perfect decision. Cuddling up to his chest, looking down a little. "Can I have...a sword like yours, Otou?" she asked, looking up at him. A sword wasn't usually something a little girl asked for, especially one just turning five years old. But, she did.

Inuyasha blinked, looking at her a little. "Like tetsusaiga? Swords are not something for kids to play with, princess. Why do you want something like that?"

Shrugging to his question, she looked down. "So I can be strong like you."

"You don't need to be strong yet. You just need to be a kid. But..I promise, when you are old enough, I will get you a sword." he said.

"But Otou! I am old enough!" she said, pouting and looking up at him. Hearing his promise, she smiled slowly. "Really? Made from your own fang?" she asked happily. She knew that Tetsusaiga was made from Inuyasha's fathers fang, and she knew that it was a gift from him.

Nodding to his daughter. "Yes, made from my own fang, by the same sword smith that made tetsusaiga. Just...wait a few years, okay? I...never had a real childhood, and I want you to have one. I will not let you grow up too fast. Even though you seem to be doing that enough on your own..."

Pouting to him a little, nodding. "Fineee." she said as she looked up at his face, smiling. "Then...then will you take me someplace? Like...like on a trip? Just me and you?" she asked.

"You want to go on a trip for your birthday? Where to?"

Shrugging a little as she thought. "I dunno...just someplace different." she said.

Nodding a little to her. "Well, alright, we'll see about that." he said, gently moving her off his lap to stand up, looking at her face and smiling. "But only maybe. I've got to think about it."

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He had thought about it, and while he wasn't too sure taking her out into the world was such a good idea, he'd actually decided to do that. After all, without Naraku around, the lesser demons weren't much of a match for him and Tetsusaiga. So, he'd told Tamako the next day that they'd be headed somewhere. Though, he wouldn't tell her exactly where, which frustrated her.

They'd been traveling for three days straight, and it was just the two of them. Frankly, it was relaxing just walking alone together, traveling through villages along the way. It reminded him of the days he'd gone out looking for the Shikon no Tama. But this time, instead of dangerous demon hunts and looking for Naraku, it was just the two of them walking along the path. Sometimes he even carried her on his back like he'd used to carry Kagome. Or, let her ride sitting on his shoulders. All the while he held onto her small bag for her rather than let her carry it. The bag was not nearly as big as Kagome's had been, it was more child-sized.

Walking next to her father right then, Tamako looked up at him. "Otou, won't you tell me where we're going?" she asked.

"Nope. You said any trip, you did not specify where you would like to go. So, I picked somewhere."

This made the girl pout as she walked along beside him, holding onto her fathers hand. They had been traveling for a few days, true, but honestly they'd have made it to their destination a lot quicker if they didn't stop in the villages along the way that would allow them to stay. Most villagers didn't much like the thought of two half demons in their village, but not all of them were so mean, especially since one of them was a child. And, also mostly thankful they didn't usually stay the night. They'd been staying the night outside, under the stars, which Tamako seemed to like very much.

Coming up to another village, this one seemed to be quite a bit bigger, with a lot of humans there. Holding onto his daughters hand a bit tighter, he was always a bit iffy on how the villagers would react to seeing them. "Stay close." he warned her like he always did when entering a village.

Nodding to her father as she looked up and around. She loved traveling with him, it was so much fun and different from their daily routine. And he'd said they'd be back within a weeks time. So, wherever they were going, they would probably be there soon.

Walking into the village, seeing a few villagers heads turn, and the usual whispers that went along with it, he let out a sigh, shaking his head. Same 'ol, same 'ol. But he'd taught his daughter not to listen to the words.

Looking around as they walked, Tamako tried to take everything in. All of the sights and the smells of this village. It was so amazing. As they walked, she glanced over, seeing a few grown women dressed in pretty kimonos, she blushed a little. "Look Otou...they're so pretty in their kimono..." she said softly.

Inuyasha nodded lightly, smiling as he looked down at her. "Not as pretty as you though." he said, looking up at the women she was talking about.

Sniffing a little bit at the first sign of a strange smell, he could smell a demon amongst all the human smells of the village. And instantly he wasn't sure if he'd made the right decision on walking through this village. But, the humans didn't look sick or anything, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he shrugged it off a little.

As they walked down the pathway, he slowly looked over to the side, seeing a set of stairs leading up to a shrine that was several yards away from the hustle and bustle of the village. It almost looked like the Higurashi shrine steps. Sighing and shaking his head, starting to turn away before he blinked, stopping fully in his tracks.

When he stopped, it caused Tamako to take a few steps ahead before stopping, still holding onto her fathers hand. Glancing back at him and blinking. "Otou? Why'd you stop?" she asked, seeing him looking towards the shrine. Moving her eyes to where he was looking, he seemed to be staring at a woman standing there.

Feeling her father pull on her hand to bring her over, stopping and letting go, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Stay put." he told her firmly. Once he saw her nod, he turned and walked up to the shrine steps, to the young woman that stood just beside them.

The woman was young, and while she was definitely human, there was something...inhuman about her aura at the same time. Not quite that of a demon, or hanyou, or normal priestess. It was the slight hint of her scent that caught his attention, he'd recognized that scent before. And while his eyes played tricks on him sometimes, his nose rarely ever did. He hadn't seen her face, either. But, she had long black hair that fell down to about the middle of her back, and she wore a form of priestess outfit, a long red bottom that was more kimono than hamaka, and a white haori on top.

When he stopped just by the woman, she looked up at him, and the image of her face made his eyes widen. That was Kagome's face. He'd know it anywhere. "K-K-Kagome?" he asked slowly when he had her attention. But the look he got from the young woman was far from anything Kagome had ever given him.

While it was the same chocolate eyes that his mate possessed, they were different in this girl. They were emotionless, almost dead, hollow. Her head tilted to one side as she looked up at him, her eyes showing off no emotion that she could be feeling. And her scent did not waver to give those feelings away. "Do I know you?" she asked in a calm voice.

That was the same voice alright, too. How could all his senses be tricking him at the same time?

Resting his hands on her shoulders, just lightly gripping them as he looked down into her eyes. "What...what're you talking about? Of...of course you know me, Kagome." he said, fighting off the urge to bring her into an embrace. What in the hell was going on here? She was dead. He'd visited her grave site before returning to the feudal era.

Slowly she shook her head, her eyes still looking up to his. "I am quite certain that I do not. And I would request that you unhand me, Sir." she said in the same emotionless tone.

"But your name is Kagome, right?"

"That is what they call me, yes."

His fingers gripped her haori slowly, shaking his head. What was going on here? That question kept ringing in his mind. He had no clue what the answer was. But, looking down at her, he was afraid to let go of her, like she would disappear if his fingers left her shoulder.

Gripping the fabric of her haori, quickly he pulled one the right side of it down just enough to reveal the spot where his mark would be on her if it actually was her, at the place where her neck met her shoulder. His eyes slowly looked down, gulping a little as they did. His eyes went wide as he saw the mark imbedded into her skin, moving his hand up to gently rub his thumb across his fang marks, slowly over the bottom set. "It is you.." he whispered, looking back up into her eyes.

When he looked into her eyes he expected to see something. Happiness, fear, rage, annoyance, any sort of emotion. But, there was none.

"I said unhand me, Sir. I will not think to ask nicely again." she told him firmly as she shrugged her shoulders a little, trying to shrug his hands off of her.

Shaking his head as he kept his hands there, getting a firmer grip on her shoulders once she shrugged them. "No, wench." he growled to her in a small growl. This was his mate, and his inner demon told him to control the woman. Leaning his head down a little, still looking in her eyes. "How are you here? I thought...I thought you were dead. But...you don't smell dead. And you don't smell like graveyard soil or any of that nonsense. So what in the hell is going on here?"

"Ahh, but she is dead, Inuyasha." a males voice greeted him.

Ashamed that he had not sensed it at first, he looked up from Kagome's eyes to meet another pair of demonic red eyes. Growling slowly at the demon. "Who the fuck are you?"

"They call me Ryura. And I think you would do well to unhand my priestess like she has told you. Lest you want your child to watch you die." he warned.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha growled at the demon, bringing Kagome up close to him. "She is my woman. How dare you tell me to unhand her?" he asked.

Feeling Kagome's body up close to his chest again made his heart really stop aching for the first time in years. Tamako made the ache go away, but not as completely as Kagome could right then. But after the feeling of happiness came a very different one. Yelling out and quickly letting go, stumbling back a little, a burn mark having started push through his fire rat haori where Kagome's hands had rested.

"Otou!" he heard Tamako yell.

Holding one hand out to her. "Stay. There." he warned, resting his other hand over the burn on his chest, looking up at Kagome. "K-Kagome? You...what are you doing? Its me. Inuyasha. Remember? You've got to!"

"She doesn't have to, Inuyasha. I've told you, she's dead. She is my priestess now. The one you knew, the one that is the mother of that half demon, is dead. Her soul is anyway." Ryura answered. Moving up to Kagome and moving his arm around her shoulders. His fingers moved around to rest his hand overtop of the mark on Kagome's shoulder that branded her as Inuyasha's mate. "She cannot hear you. She fights for me now." he said, looking down at her. "Kagome, you leave the half demon to me. Go and wait in the shrine for me, would you dear?" he asked her, almost trying to rub it in.

Kagome nodded to the demon. "Yes, m'lord." she said softly to him before starting to turn to walk up the stairs.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. It made the miko pause in her step for a moment, glancing back at him before she continued walking. He looked back up at Ryura, reaching to grab his Tetsusaiga and unsheathe it, pointing it at Ryura. "What the hell did you do to her!?"

Grinning as he watched the half demon, Ryura shook his head. "Now now. Is that any way to treat the demon that brought the priestess back into this world? You better be careful, lest the same fate fall upon your daughter. I can already tell her soul will grow to match her mothers in power."

Inuyasha had almost forgotten Tamako was standing there for a moment before he growled, glaring at him. "You will not touch one hair on my daughters head."

"Then I suggest you leave and forget what you've seen here." he said as he slowly started to disappear in thin air.

Once Ryura disappeared, Inuyasha blinked, his eyes looking around frantically. Looking up to the steps, he noticed Kagome was also gone. Gripping his tetsusaiga in both hands tightly, almost in a death grip for a few minutes before slowly sheathing it again. And just like that, they were gone.

Looking down a little, thoughts racing through his head. "Is this what you meant by save you, Kagome?" he whispered softly to himself.

Feeling a small tug on his haori, his eyes moved to look at Tamako, sighing. "Didn't I tell you to stay there?"

"Was...was that...was that really Okaa?" she asked, tears starting to rim her eyes.

Kneeling down and bringing her into his chest, picking her up slowly and nodding. "Yeah...yeah I think it was..." he told her. Letting Tamako hide her face on his shoulder and cry out hard into his fire rat haori, his fingers gripping his daughter close, resting his other hand on her back, ignoring his burn wound. It'd heal in a few hours anyway.

"Shh, shh, I know...I'm right here." he said, his eyes glancing up at the shrine steps. Their scents were even gone, like they'd vanished. But...he knew he hadn't been seeing things. Somehow, Kagome was alive, and he wasn't sure what exactly was going on.

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A/N: Man, I was so iffy about releasing this chapter! I wasn't sure how it would work within the story...but I think I made it work alright. People asked for Kagome, and I've brought you Kagome! Though, you'll have to wait to see how it unfolds from here. It may or may not unfold favorably for our lovable hanyou.

And also, in this story, the fourth movie didn't exist. I am using Ryura as a character in this story rather than as one of the four war gods. It'll pan out differently from the movie. But, the movie is where I originally got the idea on how to introduce Kagome again, so I figured it was only fitting to use Ryura. And don't worry, she's not quite like Kikyou was when she was resurrected. I made sure to put in that Kagome did not smell like grave yard soil or anything like that. You'll just have to wait and see!