MAJOR DISCLAIMER: Though I based my magic system on some rudimentary research I've done on Shintoism, specifically Koshinto, this story's magic is purely fictional and not intended to represent the beliefs of Shinto practitioners. I make a lot of references to something called kotodama (word + spirit/soul) because I like some of the fundamental ideas, however the way is it used in the story is NOT intended to be an accurate description of the practice. I used these real life religions and practices as inspiration, but what I write is purely a product of my imagination. If you are a practitioner or have a better understanding of the subject than I do and have any thoughts or concerns about the way I've portrayed my version, please let me know. That being said, I hope you enjoy my twist on it!


Forever Home - The Girl

~Kitty

"Out of this pack-persecution he learned two important things: how to take care of himself in a mass-fight against him; and how, on a single dog, to inflict the greatest amount of damage in the briefest space of time."
Jack London, White Fang

Chapter 11: A place you remind yourself exists


He woke to a clamor of clanking chains and long, stabbing, shooting sparks of pain. He lay still for several minutes, slowly taking in his surroundings and trying to get his brain to remember just how he got here. Where were the smells of grass and tea and old varnished wood? Where was the birdsong and the soft patter of footsteps stepping out onto the wooden porch? Where was her gentle voice telling him 'good morning'?

Thinking of her helped remind him. She was precious. She needed to be protected. And then memory returned to him. The scent of her fear. The sound of her screams. The feel of her powers as they struggled to manifest. And then a torrent of slicing blades raining down upon them. He remembered now, and now he opened his eyes to see what had happened after he blacked out and looked around the dark cell. The light was odd, somehow harsh and grey, and shifting shadows beyond the bars of his enclosure disoriented him. He shifted and felt the heavy metal chain around his neck, pinching his skin and pulling his fur. There was nothing soft or gentle about this place, the surface on which he lay was hard, with jagged edges where the rough stonework was shoddily thrown together. Through his nose, he scented death, decay, the smell of fear and rage and despair. There was a bitterness in the air, like rusted iron, and he realized it was blood. Sound echoed through the hard walls and though he did not know where he was, he knew exactly what he thought of this place.

'Well, fuck me.'

"Take this!" A little squeaky voice cried, followed by a whoosh of flame. Little flickers of sea-green danced along the shimmering pink surface but did not pass through. The girl inside was sweating from exertion, with a frown so deep, her eyebrows nearly joined with her nose. Standing off to the side, two satisfied women observed the attack and defense. Hitomiko took a deep draft of tea.

"Kagome is coming along nicely," Kaede said, voice and eye bright and proud. Beside her, the priestess made a noise of agreement, although notably less enthused.

"Yes, and it seems your penchant for sheltering stray demons has become useful."

Kaede gave the woman a sidelong glance. There was a growing tension between them, especially since the old woman had taken Kagome's side when it came to the matter of rescuing the cursed half-demon. While Hitomiko was thankful of Kagome's newfound motivation for priestess lessons, she was reluctant to allow any kind of retrieval mission for her strong willed young pupil. The demons that attacked them were of a caliber far greater than Kagome's current skills and there was no way the fully fledged priestess was willing to risk the sacred jewel on such a dangerous endeavor. Hitomiko also did not approve of Kaede's intrusion of spirit sensing lessons on the impressionable budding priestess. The inevitable techniques this knowledge lead to were much too dangerous for the impulsive and undisciplined young woman, in Hitomiko's eyes at least. The use of kotodama was strictly reserved for the highest level of their order and Kagome would be nowhere near that level any time soon. Hitomiko's reaction to learning of Kagome's use of these preliminary skills had startled the retired priestess. Though she kept these thoughts to herself, Kaede was fairly certain that the decline of their order was precisely due to this inability to compromise and try things differently. Meanwhile, in the backyard, Shippou tried sending another attack to the girl in the center of the wavering barrier.

"How 'bout this!"

An absolutely massive spinning top appeared in front of the fox kit and descended down toward his target, casting a large looming shadow and began to grind away at the barrier. Kagome's concentration faltered for the briefest second and the barrier vanished into the air and the top came crashing down onto where she knelt.

"Kagome!" Shippou cried in distress, his top magically poofing back into its original size. Both Kaede and Hitomiko rushed forward to check on their student.

At the center of the dusty cloud of fox magic and dirt, Kagome knelt with a hand over her face, coughing heavily as her eyes teared in reaction to the dust. She could barely make out the words to ease the worried look on Shippou's face to let him know that she was alright. Satisfied that Kagome was unharmed, Kaede turned her attention to her battered but still intact herb garden, resolving to erect a barrier of her own the next time they held practice in her backyard.

"I suppose we can end here for today," Hitomiko said, noting the perspiration dripping from Kagome's face. The girl didn't even have the energy to look relieved. The priestess held out a hand to the younger girl to bring her inside for a cup of tea and a brief meditation session. Kagome managed to pat Shippou's head as she stood, giving him a weak smile and a wink. He returned her gesture with grin of his own.

"You're getting better, Kagome!" he said encouragingly, "Let's practice more tomorrow!"

Kagome managed one laugh that came out more like a snort as she followed the older priestess into the house. The meditation sessions were always a challenge for the young woman, particularly now that she could do nothing but worry for Inuyasha whenever she wasn't busy calling up a barrier in defense against fox fire. And growing inside her, a frustration toward her priestess teacher.

"Breathe in and hold."

Kagome inhaled. In her mind though, she wasn't trying very hard to find her center. It was far easier for her to access her powers by thinking of them as something outside of her herself and searching for it the way she searched for the presences around her. And so now, she let her mind wander outward, the grass, the rocks. They registered timidly in her radar. Little Shippou chatting with Kaede while she offered him cookies. Kaede herself, the aura warm and steady. Kagome could sense each glowing ward; she had started taking turns strengthening them that week. Outside, she felt the wispy ghosts of weaker demons curiously floating by. Though their intents were not dark, they were still unfriendly, and she was uncomfortable with them lingering so close and wanted them to disperse. She focused that desire in her mind's eye and carefully imagined nudging those wispy presences away.

"Kagome!"

Her eyes snapped open and she was brought back into her body with a jolt. Hitomiko's wide, startled eyes shocked her and Kaede came rushing into the room.

"What happened Priestess Hitomiko?" the old woman asked, taking in the scene and seeing that nothing was amiss physically. The priestess cast angry eyes between her pupil and Kaede. Her voice was only barely controlled when she spoke.

"You have been continuing your instruction about perceiving spirits," Hitomiko's voice was clipped and hard, "This is dangerous, did I not warn you?"

"I've been doing it on my own, even before Kaede told me about it!" Kagome said, quickly jumping to old woman's defense.

The tension in the air was thick and stifling and Shippou nervously crawled into Kagome's lap for comfort. The young woman didn't miss the look of disgust Hitomiko gave her for accepting the young kit's need. She stiffened and sat up straighter.

"You don't understand the risks of this method," Hitomiko stated, "How costly mistakes can be when directly commanding the spirits."

Kagome frowned. "I'm not commanding anything," she insisted.

Hitomiko let out an uncharacteristic sigh, throwing her hands in the air. Kaede's mouth twisted with mild amusement and she moved closer, taking hold of Kagome's hand. Her unconcerned expression game the young woman a sense of relief.

"Child," she said gently, "When you press an intention onto a spirit, that is commanding them. For small intentions, there is little consequence, but for large intentions, a small mistake can have dire repercussions."

Kagome focused on Kaede, deciding to ignore the icy glare she was receiving from Hitomiko. She squeezed the old withered hand that was grasping hers and tried to process what she was hearing.

"So…," she tried to extrapolate this new information in her mind, "This sensing spirits thing is only dangerous if I try to make the spirits do something?"

Kaede made face and shrugged. "That is the usual loophole people use when defending the technique," she said wryly, "Perhaps it was foolish to instruct you in this method without explaining its full consequences."

"It was foolish of you to instruct her at all!" Hitomiko cut in. She turned to Kagome and the hard look frightened Shippou who was trying to be as small as possible in her arms. His fear, as well as Hitomiko's constant nagging for her to forget about Inuyasha riled up something inside of her that she had trouble containing.

"And you, insisting on rescuing this hanyou!" Hitomiko continued, "The half-breed has already served his purpose, now you must serve yours."

Kagome stood abruptly, pressing Shippou tightly against her chest, her grey eyes flashing in anger. Hitomiko blinked, sensing that she'd pushed the young girl too far.

"I never signed up for this," she told the woman, with a snarl in her voice, "And I frankly don't give a shit about your order or your traditions. My friend is out there, somewhere, and needs my help, and I'm going to find him and bring him back. You can either help me, or get out of my way."

There was a pensive silence as the two women tested each other. But Kagome was used to this game, having played it with so many challenging dogs. Time, patience, and a clear intent. These skills, to which her powers responded to so eagerly, came to her naturally and Hitomiko could see the resolve that shone so strongly in her eyes. Finally, the priestess sighed and looked away.

"You still need my help," she said reproachfully.

"And you, for some inexplicable reason, need mine," Kagome countered, "To keep the jewel safe, even though you still haven't given me a good rational reason yet."

All occupants of the room were looking at the priestess and her lips quivered as she reluctantly admitted to herself that she was unlikely to persuade the stubborn girl otherwise. Hitomiko sighed and brought her eyes back up to return Kagome's stare. There was a startling look of resignation and despair in the older woman's eyes that stayed Kagome's anger, calling to her compassion, even as she battled her will against the woman before her.

"I will help you retrieve your hanyou," Hitomiko said, "And you will be diligent in your lessons to purify and protect the jewel. If the fates are kind, we can resolve this swiftly without headquarters finding out about this little side excursion."

There was a breath of silence before Kaede clapped her hands.

"Well," her old, grainy voice said, "If that's settled, why don't I brew us some tea and we can discuss the kotodama technique and why must be used with caution."

They were all relieved to have the tension broken, and the evening was long and instructive, and Kagome went to bed that night dizzy with new knowledge. She had trouble sleeping though. The slender young woman lay on her back, staring narrow eyed at her ceiling. The warm, pulsing body of the little fox kit snuggled comfortingly against her side and she stroked the soft orange hair unconsciously. But her mind was busy and far away.

Kotodama. Special words of intent, of power. Both Hitomiko and Kaede had lectured her intensely on the subject, drilling it into her understanding of the dangers involved in using words of power to command spirits.

'Kotodama are words that bring focus to your intent. They help to crystallize and concentrate the command you wish to impose upon a spirit. The word, or short phrase, you choose may be different from someone else working toward the same goal, it is a matter of what that word means to you and how the energy is channeled through it. An improperly chosen word could cause the gathered energy to backfire on the user, so you must be wise and clear about what it is you want.'

Something in the Kaede's use of words, the sentence structure, or perhaps in was her tone of voice, seemed to hint to Kagome that she should consider using this technique more liberally than Hitomiko apparently wanted her to. Regardless, it was the preliminary skills of sensing and exploring the spirits around her that she seemed to have a knack for and no matter the cautioning from Hitomiko, Kagome planned to continue practicing it.

'It takes a calm mind and a calm heart to clearly perceive the spirits around us.'

Kagome inhaled deeply through her nose, her eyes falling closed almost without her realizing it. It had been a full day and at first it was difficult to release her mind. The softness of her mattress and the comforting weight of her thick covers began to call her temptingly to sleep. But she fought off these urges and began to focus.

'We all have a range of sensitivity. Some are wider than others. Some stretch out further than others. It is a matter of focus, control, and determination. When starting out, it is best to search for nearby, familiar presences, before reaching further.'

First she found Shippou. A smile crept across her face to see the small bundle of energy beside her. Kagome continued outward, following one presence to the next as though following a trail of breadcrumbs. The growing spirits of life in Kaede's garden seemed to sense her peering in on them and she felt their blushes of embarrassment. Outward further. There was mild surprise when she found the spirit living in her damaged car, and when her mind touched it she felt a surge of complaint, urging her to have repairs done soon and she chuckled from where she lay, somewhat pleased to find the grumpy spirit that had taken her on many, many road trips and excursions. It was tiring, stretching her senses and focus outside of herself and she was tempted to end this experiment for the night. But there was one spirit she wanted to find. One that was somewhere in the rough vicinity, or at least she hoped he was.

Even before Kaede had sat her down and coached her through the practice of extending her spiritual powers outward to sense the presences that existed in the objects around her, she could sense them. So when that utterly and devastatingly strong presence appeared before them that day, the special signature of that spirit had imprinted strongly in her mind and it was unflinchingly proud, and achingly familiar. She knew she'd recognize it anywhere.

She was beginning to perspire into her bedsheets and her hair stuck to her neck and tickled uncomfortably as she tried to keep her breathing even and deep. She was nearing the edges of her range now, further than she had ever gone before in search of this presence. She faltered, hiccuped, her mind almost tumbling back into her body before stabilizing, like a plane hit by turbulence before evening back out into steady flight. And then she practically tripped over the spirit she'd been seeking.

Sesshoumaru!

Kagome couldn't be sure if the demon lord could explicitly hear her thoughts across this medium, but she was pretty sure he could sense her 'intent'. She could tell he was surprised, and then annoyed, and then she was deathly frightened by the cold, black malice he directed toward her for her boldness. She pressed him one more time, praying he would humor her, before her strength and nerves gave out and she sat up abruptly on her bed, gasping for air as sweat poured down her back.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" A pair of wide, innocent green eyes peered up at her from the darkness of her room. "Did you have a nightmare?"

The young woman swallowed with difficulty, vaguely wondering if her escapade into the farthest reaches of her powers had been wise. She tried to smile reassuringly at the little fox kit, patting his head before getting out of bed and changing into fresh pajamas. Her weariness from the whole exercise should have helped her sleep, but she was haunted by visions of Inuyasha's battered and bloodied body and her heart ached at the loss of the familiar comforting presence. She'd tried before, to seek him out within her range of sensitivity but he was not there. The pulsing life that cuddled against her was bolstering and helped remind her of the larger warm body she loved to lean on. It was her turn to rescue him now, and the thought helped strengthen her, and braced her for the oncoming hurdles that would surely arrive tomorrow.

Inuyasha… Hold on just a little longer...

The sun was hot and the grass was cool and stretching out his great long body over the dew and under the golden rays was good and he groaned a long, contented, sigh of a groan. A soft, gentle presence was beside him and he made no move to threaten it away. Her presence was natural to him, meant to be with him, and he leaned against her, arching his neck and pressing the top of his head up to beg a rub, a scratch, one of those gratifying massages her magical fingers were so adept at. There was a peace that settled around them whenever they lay together, enjoying the sunlight or marveling at the stars. Pressed together for warmth on a cool, spring night, or sprawled out and sticky against a hay bale, happily exhausted after a day of work. The sweetness of that time, the tenderness that seemed to swell inside him.

A loud, reverberating clang and sudden rush of harsh artificial light jarred him out of the dream. Hunger returned to gnaw at his ribcage, and bruises remembered their cranky complaints. A gargoyle of a demon entered his cage, its stench thrusting the last, fleeting remnants of memory far from his mind and he growled at the tormentor. The grotesque, dirty face laughed above him in the flickering electric light.

"Save it for the ring, dirty half-breed," the creature said. With rough, callous movements, the bent, decrepit shape yanked hard on the chain around the once magnificent white mane and the dog gagged, choking against the bite of the hard, rough iron. The haggard mind within his dirty, white skull groaned to life, frenzied as an instinctual wave of rage rushed through him. The large, white body thrashed angrily, protesting the abuse, and a loud, intimidating growl was cut off as an apathetic whip created an painful, red welt across his muzzle. Another rough yank, and another, and then it registered in the dog's brain that he was being lead, dragged, to the opening at the end of his row of cages.

The noise was deafening and his mind recoiled even as his body was dragged toward the bright light at the end of the dark tunnel. The metal chain bit cruelly into his neck and threatened to crush his windpipe. His breath came out as a desperate wheeze and the growl that was building was strangled in his throat. Wave upon wave of stench assaulted his sensitive nose and it drove him to a frenzy. Blood and entrails, pain and anguish, death. The air was thick with these heavy odors and his entire body shuddered as it was brought closer and closer to the mouth of this cavernous prison.

"My demons and demonesses!" A loud, flamboyant booming voice echoed through the space. Inuyasha dug all four paws into the ground in a last flailing attempt to stop the forward progression. "Are you ready for the first round of our tournament?!"

The roar of thousands of voices rang loudly in his ears and for a moment, it disoriented him. It had been many years, more than a century, since he'd last been within such a concentrated collection of demons. The youki around him was intense and electric and his fur stood on end in reaction to the assault on his senses. The sleeping demon within him began to rouse as his human side was overcome.

"But first!" The announcer's over exaggerated voice continued, quieting the crowd, "A little pre-games entertainment!"

His body was launched forward by his neck, the chains pinching and yanking, and his body tried to howl its pain even as the pressure against his throat stopped all sounds from escaping. A powerful, white light was aimed in his direction and it was many moments before he was able to take stock of his change in surrounding.

"Who here remembers the legends of Inu no Taisho?" The voice's singsong shifts between whining high pitches and random falls into a deep bass confused his ears, "The greatest demon to walk the lands? I present for your entertainment, the half breed son himself! Brought low by a human witch and now nothing more than a mongrel to kick in the streets!"

The crowd erupted in jeers and laughter and shouting. By the time Inuyasha was able to blink away the stars in his vision, his head ached with screeching voices all calling for his blood. The platform he'd been thrown onto was elevated over a deep, dark pit from which rose the noxious, stomach churning scent of rotted flesh and corroding metal. For a brief moment, he was thankful for the meager meals he'd been given until that point, for the involuntary heaving in his gut produced only a mouthful of bile, and it dripped through his heavily panting jaws and onto the ground. The sight of his discomfort buoyed the crowd and they roared with laughter. After the spasms in his gut finally eased, he was startled to detect a human scent from the crowd around him but did not have enough time to process this realization before the booming voice was back.

"Now, it's only fair to pit beast against beast," the announcer continued, "So, what do you make of this as the opponent for the evening? Cast your bets now folks!"

Another spotlight was lit and across from him, Inuyasha could make out a great dark shape. The heart within his silver white chest was beating heavily, buzzing, as it realized what was about to happen. The beast before him rose on its hind legs and bellowed an enraged roar that shook the platform he stood on. The human within him balked while the demon swelled in response. Despite the tight grip of his curse condemning him to face his foe in the form of his four legged cousins, his claws lengthened and his fangs grew sharp, and what little of his youki that could be called forward began to crystallize inside him. No more thoughts of where he was or why. No more daydreams of soft hands and bubbling laughter to fend off the cold reality of his chains and tormentors. His thoughts focused down to a single, concentrated, mindless task. Now it was time to fight. Now it was time to survive.

Hitomiko was in for quite a shock when she neared Kaede's home the next morning. Even those with limited spiritual senses, or were actively avoiding such sensitivity, could feel the strength of its youki as it rolled off in waves from the proud, unearthly being. Instantly, her guard was up, and she rushed to get to the house, muttering a prayer that she was not too late.

To say that Kaede had been surprised at her early morning guests was a supreme understatement. Not only that the young woman renting out her guest house had managed such a feat, but that the daiyoukai she'd contacted actually turned up the next morning! It took several seconds of disbelieved gaping before she was able to collect herself and hush the annoying squawking toad of an imp that berated her for her rudeness as she began to invite the unexpected trio in.

Yes, trio.

A rather bewildering part of the surprise of it all was the fact that there was a tiny, human girl-child with them. Alive. And positively enamored with the silver demon.

Kagome had to admit some confusion to see the small, familiar face at Kaede's doorway. Even Shippou popped out from behind her shoulder to peer down at the scrappy little thing and Kagome's heart melted to see the absolute trust the little girl had for the otherwise petrifyingly frightful demon. Her mouth opened unthinkingly and she was about to voice her question when a rampaging vehicle turned sharply around the corner of the block and started careening toward them, a very, very concerned priestess at the steering wheel.

Lord Sesshoumaru had only to narrow his eyes, and priestess Hitomiko paused in her assault, took a breath to gather her bearings, and cautiously stepped out of her car, coughing upon inhaling the smoke from her abrupt halt. When her eyes met the stormy, grey, stubborn things she'd spend the last couple of weeks sparring with, something in those swirling eyes made her guard rise up sky high.

"I'm going after Inuyasha."

Hitomiko gaped at Kagome. What do you mean, you're going after Inuyasha? Her mind cried in dismay.

Kagome's pert lips tightened into a thin line. "I told you," she said, advancing forward, "You can either help me, or get out of my way."

"And what makes you believe this Sesshoumaru will be helping you?"

One silken line from the baritone voice and all heads turned. Kagome steadied herself with a breath, through her nose and released through her mouth and before the instinctual, primitive fear could rise any further up her throat, she spoke with whatever gall she had.

"You came," she answered him, her bluff painfully obvious to those around her but despite the waver in her voice, the determination behind her eyes was enough to gain a begrudging admiration from the age-old demon.

"The fact that you came in the first place, and secondly, the fact that you haven't killed me yet." Kagome continued, a shameless audacity taking root inside of her from the sheer exhilaration of addressing such a powerful spirit with such frankness. Kagome glanced down at the shy child that stood half hidden behind the expensive robes. A genuine smile softened her face as, for a moment, her instincts of caring for the lost and the abandoned surfaced briefly.

"You've obviously come here to make some sort of a deal," she said, her voice smoothing out unconsciously, taking on a soft coo as she spoke, as if addressing the child and not the demon. "I need your help rescuing Inuyasha and there's something you want to ask of me in exchange."

The green imp from before sputtered at the offense of a mere human presuming such things, but it was a shy young voice that carried the conversation forward and captured everyone's attention.

"I-is that fluffy white doggy in trouble?"

At the sound of the soft, wispy voice, Kagome couldn't help herself and knelt down in front of the girl. The others looked on while the budding priestess answered the question seriously.

"Do you remember Inuyasha, Rin?"

The dark little head nodded, her fists tight around the folds of the smooth embroidered silk.

"Some very bad people took Inuyasha away, and I want to ask Lord Sesshoumaru to help rescue him."

Wide, bright eyes stared back at her, a swirl a fear and concern bubbling upward. Kagome knew she was getting the assistance she wanted when she saw how her words affected the young girl and how Rin's reaction drew out Sesshoumaru.

"That's enough standing for this old lady," a gravel voice sounded from the side. Kaede stepped forward and gestured toward her living room. "Have some compassion for these old bones and let us take this discussion inside."

The blood that ran over his tongue and flooded his senses was hot and burned him as he swallowed. With a final crunch, his adversary was no more. Of course not. No mortal creature could best him. For he was not a mortal creature, and there was within him, a tenacious grip to the slippery thread of life that was given him, and even if his mind was lost in the craze of battle, his every instinct screamed for him to fight and survive. And mindlessly, that was what he did.

The terrible screams and shouts from the stands around him hardly registered in his mind. One more foe, one more day. An entire existence whittled down to a daily basic struggle, to be the last one standing. The clink of his chain started a Pavlovian reaction, muscles bracing against the unavoidable yank that followed. Jeers and taunts flew downward at him, ignored, as his body was hurled from side to side, before he was dragged back to his cold, dark cell.

In the quiet that followed, the gaunt, grey beast would slowly break free of the craze and the rage and his mind would return, trembling to his current state of being. There would be horror, aghast at another dispatched life. Neither of them had deserved to be there and both wanted to live and be free. And as the horror numbed, more wanderings. The burning in his muscles would ease, the hot ache of his wounds ebbed, the hard edge of his hunger would melt away. The mind was always free. It wandered loosely, meager daydreams at first. A faint memory, warmth, and a soft, soft hand against his head. It would shift, reaching down, gently stroke his face, carefully trace the proud contours of his nose and mouth, then return upward, over his cheeks and find his ears and the firm, confident fingers would gently press down. The muscles in his jaws could relax, the tightness in his shoulders softened. And then more concrete memories. How good it felt to rest his heavy head in her hands. The comfort it was to hold her body close as his powerful legs launched them high into the air. This he never had before. In all his years of wandering, somehow, the sweet solace of memory never sang so strongly in his mind.

And unlike before, when his soul gave in to the mindless, thrashing beast of instincts and basic urges, this delicate thread of sanity dangled tantalizing before him, a lifeline, that could draw him back and remind him of a place he had been learning to call home.

"The demon female had a fan, you said?"

The golden eyed demon stared at her and the narrowed gaze sent a chill up her spine that she struggled to suppress. A difficult swallow, a fortifying breath.

"Yeah," Kagome answered, "a big red and white fan…"

It was brief, but the flash of recognition that flew across the demon's face galvanized her. This was a lead!

"Do you know who this demon was?"

Sesshoumaru turned his stoic face toward Hitomiko who flinched while trying to hold the golden gaze.

"Your priestess mentor already knows the identity of the demon that took your hanyou."

Several thoughts processed in her mind at once. 'Can't he just give me a straight answer? Why does everyone call Inuyasha my hanyou? Gosh, does this guy ever blink?' But most chiefly at the forefront of her thoughts was an angry outburst.

"You knew who took Inuyasha?!" Kagome's voice was thunderous as a pang of betrayal ran rampant through her heart. She stood above the older priestess and trembled there as she tried to contain her anger. All those nights haunted by nightmares of his unknown fate. All the mornings missing his comforting presence. All the arguing over her meditation lessons. Hitomiko's lips were a stiff, grim line as she slowly turned her head up to face Kagome.

"You're not the only one running from your fate, Kagome," she said. "If I lead you to Naraku, my life is forfeit."

The room was silent and Kagome felt the anger within her freeze as she tried to understand what Hitomiko had just said. Kaede's tea kettle had a wonderful sense of timing and the shrill whistle grated on everyone's ears before the old woman was able to waddle into the kitchen to shut off the stove. Shippou shifted uncomfortably from Kagome's shoulder, reminding her that there were children present. Taking advantage of the distraction, she turned to the little kit.

"Hey Shippou," she said, gathering attention from the rest of the room, "Will you be a good big brother and take Rin to get some snacks? Why don't you show her your toys?"

Wide green eyes glanced worriedly at the tall silver demon that hovered over the human girl and gulped. When Kagome turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru's, he blinked, much to the young woman's relief, before casting his gaze down to the girl that continued to stay half-hidden behind him.

"Go with the fox, Rin."

The girl seemed reluctant until Shippou crept boldly to the middle of the room.

"Hi Rin," he said cautiously, keeping one eye on the daiyoukai, "Remember me?"

The pop and puff of smoke surprised her and she gasped, but her face quickly brightened in delight to see the little red dog she'd played with at the park so many weeks ago and she more readily followed Shippou into the kitchen after that. Kaede returned with a steaming tray of mugs and Kagome shifted her attention back to Hitomiko.

"Ok," she said with a sigh, taking a seat next to the older woman, "What, exactly, do you mean by 'your life is forfeit', and who is Naraku?"

The priestess's chest expanded in a long, slow intake, and collapsed with a whoosh. She suddenly lost several years in her stature and her straight back slumped as the sigh rushed out. She looked up at the expectant faces and took a breath before dropping her gaze back down to her lap before speaking.

"The demons that attacked you and took Inuyasha were spawned from the body of a demon called Naraku," Hitomiko said, "He often goes by a human identity: Kagewaki Hitomi."

Kagome frowned, the name sounded familiar.

"He is a malicious spirit with immense power and great cunning. When I was a child, he felt threatened by my spiritual potential and attempted to end my life. When he failed, he prophesied that one day I will seek him out myself, and then my doom will be sealed."

Hitomiko's pale fists tightened in her lap as she relived the memory that altered the course of her life, a tremor of fear coiling around her heart.

"A sage woman we consulted corroborated his prediction. When I sensed his presence inside the two demons attacking you, I knew it was time for the prophecy to be realized."

The room was silent as Hitomiko explained what the spiritual community knew of Naraku and the foreseen events that appeared to lay before them. He was an infamous figure in the spiritually aware community and several of the rare meetings between gifted humans and demon lords had convened regarding some mischief or tragedy he'd caused. The centuries seemed to strengthen him and the power she felt in the two demons that had attacked Kagome went beyond what her memory of Naraku was. After she finished, she finally raised her head, this time to stare sincerely into Kagome's face.

Kagome nibbled at her lip, processing the new information. It was quiet save for Kaede noisily sipping her tea. There was a giggle in the distance accompanied by an excited voice explaining the intricacies of whatever toy Shippou had pulled out. The normal sounds of children playing pulled Kagome's mind onto another topic.

"So… going off topic here but," she began, turning to head to stare boldly at Inuyasha's brother, "What's with the little girl?"

Oddly enough, it was the little green demon that squeaked in response to her question, shrinking into himself and trying to become small and unnoticeable.

"Jaken," the smooth, cold voice seemed loud in the quiet room. The toady face gulped and peered cautiously at his demon lord. "Explain the girl and your stupidity."

Four sets of eyes bored into the imp demon. A nervous sweat began to collect on his bald green head and he tittered nervously before collecting himself up enough to speak

"Ahh…," Jaken said, "W-well, Master Sesshoumaru graciously made a donation to the children's shelter, ah, specifically calling out the human girl, Rin. He'd taken an interest in her during a charity event. I mistakenly thought it would please him to acquire her…"

An awkward silence stretched out as the bumbling imp's voice squeaked into silence. Kaede hid her grin of amusement behind her tea mug while Hitomiko and Kagome frowned incredulously.

"So…," Kagome ventured when it was obvious the green demon had said all he would say, "Is the reason you're willing to hear me out because… you want me to take care of Rin?"

Sesshoumaru's face was a frozen mask while he spoke but Kagome was certain there was a trace of exasperation in his demeanor.

"Rin's upbringing has requirements this Sesshoumaru cannot be bothered to see to."

Kagome continued frowning as she tried to decipher what it was that the demon wanted from her.

"Does that mean you want us to take her off your hands? You want her to live here with us?"

"Rin will continue to reside with this Sesshoumaru."

His voice brooked no argument and another stiff silence stretched out. By now, it was Kagome's demeanor that had taken on an obvious look of exasperation.

"Talk straight with me here. You want me to babysit her for you or what?"

Kaede coughed lightly into her tea while Hitomiko hid her mouth behind a hand. Faintly, a muscle twitched on the demon lord's face as he brought his pride around to admitting his need in the child rearing department.

"That is a colloquial statement of what this Sesshoumaru requires."

Kagome had to bite back an exasperated snort. Hitomiko, however, had herself under control and so spoke up.

"Is your staff unable to see to the needs of your human ward?"

What could have been a beleaguered sigh escaped the great youkai. "Despite the exceedingly proficient prowess of this Sesshoumaru's household, human needs were not at the forefront of selection criteria."

"I imagine your staff must frighten the poor child," Kaede added, her face controlled and no longer wrinkled in humor. Her eyes maintained the spark of laughter however, which turned to surprise at the daiyoukai's next remark.

"Rin does not bear any fear towards this Sesshoumaru's staff. However it is not prudent for a human child to be so averse to human company."

Hitomiko frowned at the statement while Kagome's eyes puckered as she recalled her first meeting with the thin little girl. Her face brightened as she turned to smile at the demon lord.

"I'd be happy to help take care of Rin," she said, "After you help me find Inuyasha."

The tall, silver haired demon nodded and stood. "You will be contacted when this Sesshoumaru has located your hanyou."

"He's your own brother, dude," Kagome muttered under her breath as they all began to head to the door. Rin scampered to Sesshoumaru's side, shyly waving goodbye to Shippou who reclaimed his perch on Kagome's shoulder. Kagome sighed in relief when their sleek car disappeared down the street.

"Don't think you've escaped your lessons for today, Kagome," Hitomiko's wry voice came from behind. Kagome jumped and turned a guilty face toward her teacher and Hitomiko was inclined to roll her eyes. Their lesson that day was brief, much to Kagome's relief. She and Kaede both had come to the conclusion that more offensive skills would need to be gained before a successful rescue mission could be carried out, and most of the afternoon was dedicated to deciding what weapons Kagome would be able to learn in the shortest amount of time.

"Kagome?" Shippou asked from his seat at the dinner table. Kagome turned curious gray eyes to the young fox kit as she set down his dinner and moved to sit in front of her own.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you trying so hard to get Inuyasha back?" Kagome looked startled by the question, looking closer at Shippou's curious, open expression.

"Why are you asking?" She asked in response, "Don't you want to save Inuyasha?"

Shippou pushed a pea around on his plate, his little face twisting as he nibbled his lip.

"Humans don't like demons," he said, stating it like a given fact. It was a fact of life that he'd been told since infancy. Like oil and water, their two races were never meant to mix. "Humans hate half demons even more. Humans don't go saving half-breeds."

The concerned, disheartened frown on Kagome's face was an outward manifestation of the heartbreak she felt for Inuyasha and others like him. She dropped her eyes to her own, as of yet untouched, plate as she tried to formulate an answer that would make sense to the kit.

"Inuyasha is our friend," she said slowly, "he's part of our family."

Again, Shippou's confused, innocent expression caught her attention. He seemed to genuinely take in this assertion and try to integrate it with his understanding of the world. His comprehension struggled and puzzled over her declaration.

"But," he said with a frown, "half-breeds don't have families."

"Shippou," Kagome said, taking a gulp of water, "do you like Inuyasha?"

Green eyes held hers briefly in surprise. It was a question he'd honestly never thought to ask himself. He contemplated his interactions with the grumbling cursed hanyou before shrugging, "He's a half-breed."

"But what do you think of him as a person?" Kagome pressed, "He's alright, isn't he?"

Shippou pouted down at his plate, accidentally springing the pea out and onto the floor. Kagome decided to ignore the distraction for now and waited patiently for the demon child to answer. "I guess so," the kit replied, "He's really grumpy all the time, but he's ok."

"How bout me?" The young woman asked, a soft smile growing on her face.

"Of course I like you!" Shippou exclaimed emphatically, "You're nice, and you play with me and feed me and take care of me!"

"And if someone came to take me away, would you try to rescue me?"

Kagome giggled at Shippou as his orange bangs bobbed up and down in time with his vigorous nodding. She shifted to the side of the table and opened her arms in invitation. The kit wasted no time and immediately crawled into her lap and snuggled against her belly. She laughed at his following declaration.

"I'd make 'em eat so much foxfire! They're big fat heads would explode!"

"Even though I'm human, and you're a demon?"

"Uh-huh! You're the only family I have!"

Kagome gave the sweet little kit a tight hug before releasing him to look down seriously into his face.

"I like Inuyasha, a lot," she said to him, "He's saved my life, several times, he listens to me, and supports me when I need a shoulder to lean on. He makes me feel safe."

Kagome gently stroked the downy orange hair, smiling as she saw understanding creep into those bright green eyes.

"You're not demons or half-breeds to me," Kagome said, "You're people. Two people that I happen to care about very, very much."

"We're… your family?" The shy little voice asked, hope evident in the small face.

Kagome's heart felt warm and she playfully pinched the little pert nose, giggling with Shippou as he batted at her hands.

"Yup," she said gently, "You're my family."

"And that's why we're going to save Inuyasha," Shippou declared with determination, not a shred of doubt in his voice. Kagome looked down proudly at him. She snuggled her nose down against his neck and blew a raspberry, making him squeal in delight.

"Mhmm," she said, "I want my family safe and sound, at home here with me."

After Kagome tucked Shippou into bed that night, she crept back down to the kitchen. Her heart battled several waves of different emotions and she pulled out a can of beer and sat down on her porch, gazing up at the starry sky. She tried not to feel it, but pity was strong in her heart as she thought about Inuyasha and Shippou's declaration earlier at dinner.

Half-breeds don't have families.

From what little she'd been learning from Inuyasha, she guessed he was unlikely to stomach being pitied very well and so she tried to wrangle her feelings about him into a different direction. She wanted him with her, needed to feel him close by. There was something steadying about his presence that she never realized she needed before. Kagome hugged her knees to her chest and tried to comfort herself.

"Hold on…," she muttered to herself, "Hold on just a little longer…"

It was hard to know when the day ended and the night began. There was only a continuously rotating cycle of sleep, feeding, fighting, and sleeping. While he gradually adjusted to his new reality, Inuyasha's mind was unfettered and slowly began to turn to thoughts of escape. The heavy collar and chain around his neck was never taken off and greatly reduced his chances of a successful jailbreak. He needed to seek out a way to untether himself first before he could race for freedom.

The human scent he noted during his first battle persisted in the crowd every time he fought and he grew to recognize it clearly. Now, as he reluctantly followed the demon beast handler toward the fighting platform, his golden eyes scanned the crowd as soon as the jeering faces came into view. The jostling and gesticulating of the crowd made it hard to focus but there was a flash of gold that caught his attention. The lanky, beaten down dog narrowed his eyes to glimpse the face again.

There!

Deep indigo eyes stared back at him from a grim, serious face. The stare was direct, with a note of urgency in the human male's face. Golden rings glinted from the man's ears and the wag of a ponytail waved from behind his neck. The man seemed out of place and the fighting ring contender tried to analyze the earnest expression as he was lead to the spot light. The human face frowned, seemed to say something at him, and raised a gloved fist in a gesture that seemed to be intended as encouragement. Inuyasha blinked his golden eyes, shook himself heavily and licked his lips. There was something wrong with this human's scent. He turned his attention forward, deciding it was unlikely that this man could possibly help him, and he scanned the fighting platform, noting nothing amiss and reluctantly admitted to himself that he would not find a route to freedom today.

"What a treat for you today! A classic rivalry between cat and dog!"

Something was amiss. The booming voice of the announcer had a particularly gleeful pitch. The creature that faced him at the opposite end of the fighting platform was small, and for a second, he was thrown into confusion by the wide, red eyes of his latest foe. And then… this scent!

Instantly transported to a place of open, green fields, and sleepy lumbering shapes that mooed and grunted as they were fed. Inuyasha stared disbelievingly at the little feline creature in front of him and it seemed to sense the question his eyes were asking. The kitten mewed, then looked up and to the side and Inuyasha's wide golden eyes found a familiar face in a window overlooking to the stadium. Gagged and in obvious distress, Sango's frightened brown eyes stared back at him, mirroring his shock. He glanced back at the demon cat, then back to Sango, and a terrible, sick twist in his gut started to develop.

"What's this! Our combatants know each other?" The announcer exclaimed, perhaps a hint of confusion in his voice. There was a wave of shouting from the stands and Inuyasha chose to ignore the crowds to step closer to the little creature. He had his head lowered and licked his nose furtively, hoping his skinny bulk wasn't too threatening to the young feline. The little tan creature was bold and stepped right up to him. Having spent enough time with Sango's large, rambunctious dogs on the ranch, Kirara knew how to read a dog. She sniffed his nose and sat back and mewed again, this time plaintive and desperate. She did not want to be here.

'Keh, me neither, cat.'

A muted, buffeting sound came from the mic before that annoying voice came back.

"Yeah, sounds good," the tail end of a conversation echoed through the space before returning to its flamboyant and obnoxious lilt, "Allllllrighty folks! Grab your seats and get ready for a big one. Since our guests tonight seem to know each other, let's make it a threesome!"

Behind him, Inuyasha heard a creak and a jangle of chains and he turned to see an enormous demon bear, mad with pain and rage, thundering down the archway toward them. Kirara hissed, the fur of her fluffy mane bristling and Inuyasha felt his own involuntary reaction to the oncoming threat.

Sango stared down at the scene in terror as the two familiar creatures below faced the giant, red-eyed bear in unison. The gag that roughly bound her mouth prevented clear words, but her throat screamed at what she saw. A dark snicker behind her drew a chill up her spine and she whirled around, losing her balance as the tethers around her hands and feet prevent the freedom of movement to catch her fall and she tumbled to the ground.

"Now, my dear," a dark, sinister voice said from the shadows, "This would not have been necessary if you'd handed over that land willingly."

The tall, pale man paused briefly, lifting his cell phone to his ear and listening with a serious expression before flicking his blood red eyes back to her. A sneer twisted the would-be handsome face as he replaced the phone to his pocket.

"It seems I must leave you now, my dear," he said casually, a voice like ice, "I must prepare for a highly anticipated guest. Do enjoy the show, I daresay it will be quite entertaining."

The long black car came to a halt. A pair of concerned gray eyes peered out, unnerved by the quiet, remote location and the inky, sickly feeling she was getting from the surrounding fields. Her stomach was writhing with nausea from both her nervousness and her spiritual senses. A monstrosity of a man approached them and spoke with the driver of the vehicle. Hitomiko squeezed Kagome's hand to still the nervous fidgeting that the younger woman couldn't seem to control. A gruff, affirmative grunt came from the demon in disguise and the hulking figured turned to open the doors for the two women. The building they'd stopped at was an unassuming structure, an old maintenance shed that once serviced the dilapidated antennae behind it. Both women gulped as the door was opened for them, revealing a dark stairway underground. The atmosphere was thick and electric. Kagome's senses were nearly overwhelmed as they moved past the guard at the entrance and cautiously made their way down. With this overload of demonic ki was making it hard for her concentrate and there was no hope of trying to seek out Inuyasha's presence with her fully saturated radar. Kagome swallowed with difficulty as she moved through the dark hallways with Hitomiko at her side. Aside from offering information and assistance at the entrance of this strange, demonic, underground fighting ring, Sesshoumaru had refused direct assistance in their activities, stating coldly that they'd only agreed on his aid in locating her hanyou, not retrieving him, and the two women were left to carry out their rescue mission alone. The priestess placed a calming hand on her back and Kagome tried to breathe evenly, her hands nervously gripping the enchanted talisman tied to her hip.

She'd been astonished by the show of powers when Hitomiko and Kaede worked to disguise the traditional long bow down to the appearance of keychain charm. Grateful her mother had once signed her up for lessons in the traditional Japanese weapon, she felt a rush of comfort to have the weapon at her side. The pair continued to press forward, following the roar of a distant crowd. A loud echoing voice from a megaphone reached their ears.

"Allllllrighty folks! Grab your seats and get ready for a big one…"

Kagome's heart thudded painfully in her chest as she forced her feet forward. A shuffle in the hallway in front of them, a jingle. Then a human looking face burst forward, deep, deep blue eyes urgently staring at the two women.

"Shh!" The human figure whispered, "This way!"

Kagome took a moment or two to ponder why this person seemed so familiar to her. A glance at his wrist and suddenly she knew.

"Miroku?!" Kagome exclaimed in a barely contained whisper, "What on earth or you doing here?"

Miroku looked startled and stared at Kagome's face. Hitomiko froze in middle of casting a barrier, initially believing the stranger to have ill intent.

"You… you're Prof Higurashi's daughter…! Kagome, was it?" Miroku said with disbelief, finally recognizing the face that was plastered all over his professor's office walls. "What on earth are you doing here? And with such a strong spiritual aura? And who is this lovely lady?"

"This is no time for pleasantries," Hitomiko said sharply, "We are here for a hanyou dog demon, have you seen him?"

Miroku was silent for a moment and Kagome felt a surge of hope when she saw the look of recognition on his face. His voice was cut off by a loud uproar from the crowd behind him. He muttered a quick curse under his breath before bring up his arms to usher to two women forward.

"The hanyou has been fighting in the pit for days," Miroku whispered harshly, "Today, he's facing off against a demon cat and a demon bear. The cat belongs to a human named Sango. I'm here because I'm trying to rescue her."

Kagome stumbled mid stride and gaped at Miroku, her heart frozen in the back of her throat.

"C-could you repeat that?!"


A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for reading!