Kagome hurried to the main meeting hall and walked past the dining room to the cooking area. Inuyasha was quiet,

Going into the kitchens after her, he followed Kagome to the pantry that served as food and looked around for things she recognized. She pulled out some vegetables and some tofu and went for some water from the well for their soup pot. " you know it's been forever since your brother has let me cook, and i don't mean roast meat over the fire, i do that enough, but actually cook. He hates vegetables-" she smiled

" me too." inuyasha snickered and went to the stove to lite a cookfire.

Inuyasha stood back and watched somewhat skeptically as Kagome began to cook from memory reserves that she had seldom used in the last several years. She admitted that it would probably be terrible before they started eating, but was even disappointed at the results. " i used to be good at this." she shook her head

" i can still go hunting if you want me too." inuyasha jumped in and tried to be polite. She was embarrassed and almost in tears because of frustration.

" you might have to...this is the worst." Kagome tried to. " let's go see aunt kaoru after this, she loves to visit with you." kagome smiled and inuyasha furrowed his brows.

" she's always touching my ears. Its annoying." he complained and wrinkled his nose when kagome reached forward and tweaked one. " hey!" she said flattening his ear to his head.

Kagome started to laugh then and was about to reach over and tackle inuyasha when she heard the voices of some of the priestesses drawing nearer. She looked around for someplace to go and sighed when she found nowhere but there. She watched the closed door and wondered if they would enter.

" -it's no wonder Lady Kaoru has decided to give the shrine over to Lady Kikyou. Look at Lady Kagome's potions, she's sloppy and does not have the correct consistencies.- her posture is atrocious when she's doing her exorcisms and her kanji is nearly unreadable. How do you end up still getting everything you want, being so… average.. though who could expect more, from a woman who allows a dog into her bed." she scoffed and Kagome stood and yanked the door open to expose the priestesses.

Kagome went to leave, Inuyasha followed her not turning his back on the angry priestesses and growling a low warning to them until they were out of sight. He didn't like how they judged them, or how they looked at him like he was filthy, In his mind he was no different than anyone else and didn't understand why they hate him.

"It's because of me." he said quietly and Kagome made him keep up with her when she continued walking toward the empty storehouses.

"No, it's not your fault. I have never fit in here. It's always been this way. If anything you gave me something that allowed me to find another life... I don't have good manners. My father never really focused on that." she said laughed at the memory of her father. Inuyasha nodded smiled when she did. She didn't seem to be angry with him, and so he tried to take some comfort in her reminiscing. She was tired, even going to sit with Kaoru she did not get peace from the toadying priestesses and was on the verge of telling Kikyou that she could stay if she wanted but she had had just about enough of this.

Kagome took Inuyasha with her when she began to oversee the preparations for a village leader to visit the shrine. Kagome took the job half because the workload would almost ensure she spent a great deal of time focused on it and she knew that if she spearheaded the project, the other priestesses wouldn't bother helping her, she was right

Kagome turned to look at the finished set up of short tables and cushions, and then at Inuyasha who was beginning to get bored of rearranging furniture, and was stretched out backward on a large cushion with bare foot in the air looking at the slats in the roof between his toes.

Patiently, she coaxed him up so she could move his pillow to the front of the room where the village leader would sit. Having the arrangement finished, she thought about entertaining a village head and was not looking forward to it. He wanted to make a plan for the demon attacks, and recognize her and Kikyou for their work banishing demons. She and Kikyou were prepared for the demons, after dealing with Sesshomaru's territory confrontations, they were convinced that this would be no problem.

"Mother I hear something. There is screaming coming from the village. " he said and looked around. There was nothing he could smell, his senses were a little disoriented from the spiritual energy around him though he was used to the constant battering at his demonic aura.

Kagome sent her power out onto the land to feel for any auras that weren't natural to the area. She sensed the prickling against their territory markers, and felt the demon within the area.

"there is a demon close. The village will need our help"she said and the two of them hastened to the annex that served as their living space. She opened the door hurriedly and missed the warning Inuyasha tried to give and walked in without so much as a knock. She heard Kikyo's dismayed shriek and covered her eyes.

"Kikyou, there is a demon in the village…. Oh Haku, I didn't know you were here! Honestly, sorry." she said innocently though her face was scarlet from catching them in a passionate embrace. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose from the scent.

Kohaku looked at Kikyou and whispered an apology before standing and addressing Kagome. He was embarrassed at being caught, but Kagome was more compassionate than he expected shaking her head at his apology. "Lady Kagome, there has been a great demon roaming the countryside for a few days now. I'm tracking it now, that is what brought me here initially... The demon is hunting something here, and I want to know what it is." he explained and Kikyou approached her sister worried.

"Kagome where is Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly and Kagome looked around to see if anyone was listening.

"He is gone to see a friend of ours." she answered feeling a knot in her stomach. "we're on our own, we have to take care of this ourselves."

Kikyou and Kagome had their things ready and were at the gate of the shrine when a courier came flying down the path way and he panted doubling over when he got to them. "Lady, priestesses there is a demon rampaging through the village at the foothills of this shrine. We need you immediately." he gasped sucking in breaths and expelling them hurriedly. He was wobbly and Kikyou reached out to steady him

" please rest, take water. We are on our way now." Kikyou said with Kagome and Kohaku right behind her.

"You already knew? Truly the kami are with you. Please save our village." he called as they hurried down the steps.

Feeling Inuyasha start to fall behind, Kagome scooped him up and he grasped on to her as she ran to the village. Chanting a charm of revitalization the three ran with abandon down to the village drawing a crowd of priestesses behind them and forming a small force of spiritualists before, even arriving at the village.

A giant boar demon was rampaging, goring villagers and crushing huts and causing calamity in the streets. The buildings and carts were being demolished in its raging. Their magic slowed him, but he was still fighting through the web of tendrils that wrapped around him. Kagome looked at the demon slayer who began to break away from the group and was amazed at the change of demeanor.

Kagome saw Kohaku as the warrior he was when he stepped away from them. he withdrew a pair of chained scythes from his robes and then meticulously unwrapped his outer covering to reveal a leather slayers suit. He placed a mask over his face and dared the demon to charge him.

Seeing him, the boar began to charge, sounding off a shrill screech that made Inuyasha scream in pain covering his ears. Kohaku steadied himself and grasped onto its side when he tried to gore him. He jammed the point of the scythe into its neck, making blood spray like a fountain. Charging into a wooden post that still stood through his trampling, he brushed against it, scraping his side and trying to rid himself of Kohaku's blades.

Gripping on tightly, he stabbed the other scythe into the boar's neck and jumped onto it's back holding on tightly as it began to buck wildly, woofing with its strange guttural sound as the blood began to bleed from its mouth

Kagome and Kikyou took hold of her priestess hands and began to purify the demon. It fought against them but with the two of them in sync with the others power, the demon dropped out from under Kohaku and the twins sagged from the release of energy.

Directing the shrine maidens to help where they could, Kikyou began to look for survivors.

The girls worked around the village as they were needed. Kagome looked at the demons corps and wondered what they would do with it.

Inuyasha stood beside her and looked at the giant corpse, he felt his stomach growl.

And glanced at her from the side " Mother, will we throw this away…. Or can we have a feast tonight, the meat smells good. I-" he stammered and Kohaku sniggered seeing that Inuyasha was obviously eyeing the boar hungrily.

"Lady Kagome, let the men of this village take care of this great boar and we will celebrate a successful defeat here today. The boy is right, there is no reason to waste such a fine opportunity to eat like the empirical court." Kohaku said and Inuyasha's eyes lit up, he could barely contain the excitement. Kagome looked at Inuyasha as he tried to stop squirming enough for her to agree to the option, and she examined the town, the villagers, and then Inuyasha who looked absolutely adorable with his ears back and his hands clasped together pleading.

" alright, let's do this" she smiled.

Sesshomaru was amused by the sullen attitude if the neko Kit that lead him to the cluster of small huts. There had been no questions, no comments only a deadpanned expression that had the normally quiet demon was almost squirming from the silent treatment.

Every once in awhile the boy would turn and regard him with an almost hostile look and then turn and continue rowing the boat as if he expected Sesshomaru to help. Finding his attitude some what distracting Sesshomaru didn't see the other neko standing on the shore.

"Haru, what is this? A dog, why is he here when we are trying to get Mawata back." the brown haired neko girl stared the boy down and he broke his stoic facade with a frown.

"Reena, Mother told me to wait for fathers friend... He asked for father, so I am bringing him home." the boy said defensively. Sesshomaru nearly saw the boys hackles raise at his sister's commenting. She preened a little and then looked at the demon Lord considering. Sesshomaru was annoyed at her inspection and began to walk away. The boy followed, sticking his tongue out at the elder neko and thinking that the dog demon was a little cooler, seeing that he could ignore his sister too.

She followed after them a little smugly " you smell funny." she commented and tried to keep up with Sesshomaru's long stride. He was taking a full step not worrying about the neko that were trailing him, but the two kept pace and bickered, for what seemed like no other reason but to fill the silence. The boy, was miserable.

"why can't you just leave me alone!" he turned and yelled at her. Reena smiled and looked down at her brother with amusement, and pounced on him, wrestling with him until another neko came to break them up. He was a strong looking youth that looked like a teen to Sesshomaru who hadn't tracked the maturation of neko to accurately guess his age.

He was dark haired like Ren, but his features were more angled with large green eyes instead of the yellow that his father and uncle possessed. The youth came over and did not hesitate to separate them, he took the boy in his hold and held the girl back with his foot. "leave him alone Reena." he said angrily. The boy clung to his brother and glared at his elder sister. "father would be disappointed to see you acting so shamelessly in front of his guest. Doesn't he have enough to worry about." the dark haired teen said with irritation plain in his voice.

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at the boys defense of his younger brother, he was curious about the loyalty between them, it was obvious that there was a deep bond between the siblings even the girl was only more roused to annoy them from his irritation with her.

"I was just having fun" She started and the boy was not interested in her teasing. " he hasn't said anything." she huffed and looked up at Sesshomaru with expectation.

He didn't react to her, and was still walking away when the group of neko yelled after him and hastened to catch up, again. " I beg your forgiveness for my siblings. They don't know how to act around guests, father has such few guests and none of them are canine. You have us a little on edge, Lord Sesshomaru." the eldest boy said taking on the lead.

" this is a matter of importance, I have come to help." he answered making the youth sigh in relief.

" I can't tell you what this means to us. We are all grateful that you answered uncles call. We were all worried when he volunteered to go…. He's not known for reliability and Father begged anyone other than him to go, but uncle was gone before anyone could stop him" the boy went on.

As he talked the dark haired youth led them down a trail that opened into a lush garden. There were neko kittens playing in the grass and an older female chasing them around. She was laughing and Sesshomaru was reminded of Kagome, realizing that she was most likely Youkio's mate.

She stopped when she saw him and so did all of the children at once, as though hey had been caught by a predator. He waited until she acknowledged him before continuing into the garden.

"are you Lord Sesshomaru?" she asked and he nodded once. She sighed relieved and went to him stopping about two arm lengths away. As they were talking a demon hawk flew into the clearing and the neko woman turned to him with dread.

"Mika, how nice to see you." the demon manifested unto a humanoid form and addressed her, though his face didn't reflect the interest his words held. The hawks eyes scanned over the children and Sesshomaru heard one of the small girls cry out when his eyes swept over her hungrily. " where is Youkio, my business is with him." he snapped annoyed that no one had moved since he landed.

"leave us alone!" the ginger haired youth that had retrieved Sesshomaru stepped forward with his pouty glare and flexed his small claws at the hawk.

The golden haired hawk demon smirked at the neko child. "show some respect, boy … Then again my master could always use another slave." he said and quieted the group. Sesshomaru didn't like birds. He hated the one that had threatened Kagome and this one was no different in his sight.

"Tano what do you want from me." Youkio Thundered. He emerged from a small hut looking as if he hadn't bathed or eaten in days. He staggered out onto the grass and grabbed a hold of the hawks front. "what more?" he rasped and the hawk gripped his clenched fists and tried to free himself.

"there is a matter of the money you owe for your daughter's protection, there are a few very interested buyers that with the right opportunity could take the burden from both you and your mate." he nodded toward Mika and Youkio grabbed at his throat.

Sesshomaru stepped forward and gripped the hawk demons shoulder. "is this a matter of money?" he asked and the hawk demon scoffed.

"what are you? Who do you think you are to address the personal retainer of master Tetsu I am almost royalty you no named mutt." he looked down at the silver haired inu demon and was not prepared when the dog demons hand shot out and drug him off the ground by his throat.

"I am Sesshomaru, eldest son of the great general and the ruling Lady of the floating inu city, the likes of you will never dare to talk down to me again." he growled with his nose an inch from the hawks. Golden eyes locked in challenge and the hawk realized quickly that he could not get away.

The hawk demon swallowed down the fear that this from had stirred in him and he looked at the faces other demons around them and saw the smug satisfaction on Youkio's face

"this is none of your business-" he tried to intimidate the demon by attempting to sound confident.

Sesshomaru smirked and tightened his grip. " you have made it my business with the trouble you have caused. I demand you take me at once to see your Master. I will negotiate for the release of the girl." he growled and threw the hawk demon down. He landed with a hard thump and groaned in pain before falling to unconscious

Youkio went to his old friend and bowed low. "Lord Sesshomaru, I am so grateful that you have come." he said shakily. It was the first time he had locked eyes on his friend since parting ways at the mountain of the black inu. He looked up when Sesshomaru didn't answer him and was surprised to find the inu demon looking down at his youngest daughter that was bowed beside him.

"thank you for helping us." she said after him. Youkio bent to pick her up and the small girl clung to him when he stepped closer to the demon Lord.

Sesshomaru saw the interaction between the two and was surprised again at how much these people acted as though this was normal. He looked around at the children playing, and the female that stood on alert and then looked down at the hawk demon and was enraged.

"Youkio, you have my help. Let's make fast work of this and go now." he said and Youkio nodded and turned to do to his hut to prepare his things to leave. Youkio called to his eldest son to help him find his armour. Sesshomaru was surprised and commented on it, earning a giggle from the girl that had taken an interest in him.

The ginger neko girl was smiling and staring at him. She closed one eye and began to trace him in the air with her finger, which made his brow wrinkled and he looked around to see if anyone would intercede for him. " you are pretty" she said after a while. He scoffed.

" I am not." he said flatly.