A Kirin's Tale

by Roseheartwhitefox

Kagome and Inuyasha are sent to awaken the mysterious kirin creatures, who have been under a spell for the last 70 years. Inuyasha sees a familiar face - a kirin who once befriended him as a young child, and saved his life. Once awakened, she tells the tale of how she met Inuyasha, and helped him get home. Inspired by "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" and "The Silver Brumby"

"The kirin?" said Kagome with wonder as Kaede spoke to her.

"Aye, child. The mysterious creatures of legends past." replied Kaede.

Kaede had summoned Kagome that morning, to speak with her of a matter of utmost importance. Inuyasha had accompanied his wife, curious as to what exactly Kaede had wanted. As it turned out, Kaede had a task in mind that perhaps, after so many years, Kagome could help remedy.

"Long ago...perhaps about 70 years or so, the mysterious and mythical creatures called the kirin roamed these lands. Have ye heard of them?" asked Kaede.

"Yes," said Kagome, "I learned about them at the shrine. They were sort of a fantasy creature that looked like a horse, and were said to have magical abilities."

"Aye, that is correct," said Kaede, "But fantasy they are not. They are as real as you and I."

"I've never seen one before," mused Kagome, "And I've traveled all over this countryside. Are they just really rare?"

"Yes and no," said Kaede, "It was said that once, so very many years ago, the kirin roamed this land in great numbers, in herds, and ruled the vast forests. But, you see, they were hunted quite a lot by many- demons and humans alike. Hunted for their valuable magical parts, and their abilities that were a threat to youkai that wanted to take over their territory."

"So did they go extinct?" asked Kagome.

"Not entirely, child. Ye see, there were still some left in those forests. Even I, as a child, remember an encounter with such a gentle, intelligent creature. One I shall never forget. But as it happens, a curse was placed on the last forest of the kirin, freezing them into a deep, unwakeable sleep. It is not clear who, or what placed such a spell, but it is clear that who or whatever it was, saw the kirin as a threat to their power, and had to find another way to subdue them, as killing them would have been dangerous and difficult."

"So you think I can break this curse, Kaede?" said Kagome.

"Aye, I do. Ye see, the kirin were long forgotten, as generations came without knowing of them. I am one of the few people left alive who even had seen one, and have never forgotten them. But even my late sister could not awaken them. But I believe your powers as a miko might be able to lift such a curse, and bring the kirin back to life." said Kaede.

"You really think so?" asked Kagome, "But how?"

"If ye were to fire a sacred arrow into the place where the curse sleeps, I believe it may purify it, and set the kirin free," explained Kaede. "I have some old information that likely will lead ye to the forest of the sleeping kirin."

"I'd like to meet a kirn," mused Kagome, "They sound like amazing creatures."

"Aye, they are," said Kaede, "And the world needs them back again."

"Have you ever seen a kirin, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, turning to her husband.

Inuyasha sat still, his eyes looking somewhat sad. "I met one once. A long time ago."

"Really?" exclaimed Kagome, "That's so cool, Inuyasha!"

"Now then," spoke Kaede, "The journey there will lead ye deep into the Northland forests. Take Inuyasha with ye, as it is deep wilderness, and one should not travel alone."

"I'll do my best, Kaede," said Kagome, "I really will.

"I know ye will, dear Kagome," said Kaede with a smile, "I have no doubt in my mind about that."

---

Inuyasha and Kagome began their journey to the Northland forests, through the dense and wild high country. She had known about this deep wilderness, and had not ventured much farther than this in her journey with Inuyasha and the others. Inuyasha carried her on his back as they headed in the direction of the supposed sleeping kirin.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"So you met a kirin before?" asked Kagome.

"I did," said Inuyasha, his voice sounding somewhat sad, "A long time ago."

"What was it like?" Kagome asked.

"Well..." mused Inuyasha, "They...it's hard to explain. But I was really sad the day I learned of the curse placed on the kirin."

"You were?" asked Kagome, "Why?"

"Because," said Inuyasha, "I owe one of them my life."

"Really?" said Kagome with awe, "You never told me about that, Inuyasha."

"I never told anyone about it," said Inuyasha, "I never really thought about it again until this morning. It's been so long, and I was really young."

"I'd love to hear it," said Kagome, "It sounds like a great story."

"We're here." said Inuyasha, cutting Kagome off, landing on the ground, and Kagome gasped.

The forest was lit dimly blue, a mysterious essence surrounding this place. Kagome was in shock as she saw the bodies of many large, cloven-hooved, horse-like animals, with lush, thick manes across their chests and shoulders, and a horn on their heads, lying as if asleep throughout the forest. But Kagome knew that this was not sleep. This was a curse.

"The poor things..." Kagome whispered, "Who could have done this?"

"Anyone, I suppose," mused Inuyasha, "But we gotta find the center of the curse to break it. Let's keep looking."

Inuyasha and Kagome walked through the mysterious forest, covered with the still, frozen bodies of the kirin. In the center of the forest, Kagome could sense it. The heart of the curse. A large, circular object that looked like a rock. It was clear that the wicked energy that was subduing the kirin was vibrating from this place.

"This must be it." said Kagome, examining the glowing object, trying not to get too close.

"Definitely." said Inuyasha, placing a reassuring hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"So...just fire an arrow into it?" sad Kagome, her voice wavering a little.

"That's what old Kaede said," said Inuyasha, "And if your powers can lift the curse, that's the only way we'll find out."

"What if...what if it doesn't work?" said Kagome with uncertainty.

"Then we'll know you at least tried, Kagome. And that counts for something." said Inuyasha.

Kagome nodded at her hanyou, and drew an arrow. She stood back far enough as Inuyasha told her to, and took aim. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and with a swift motion, the arrow flew, and hit it's target.

The result was immediate. The force of the waves pulsating from the cursed object were so powerful that it shoved Kagome back, smack into Inuyasha. He sheltered her from the blinding light as the earth shook, the energy of the curse dissipating into the air. After what felt like a few terrifying moments, it stopped, and the forest was silent, the strange aura having vanished, the cursed object now gone.

"Kagome! Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, touching her cheek with worry. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Inuyasha. Did...did we do it?" asked Kagome.

"I...I dunno..." mused Inuyasha, looking around, "Do you see anything?"

"No. Do you?"

"No."

Suddenly, Inuyasha and Kagome heard voices muttering throughout the forest. Calm, quiet voices that did not cause fear, but rather comfort.

"Where am I?" came a voice.

"What happened?"

"Are we awake?"

"Raya, is that you?"

"I'm here! Sisu, is that you?"

The voices grew louder and louder, until Inuyasha and Kagome realized that rising from their sleeping positions, the kirin were beginning to wake up, shaking their manes, stretching, stunned that they were awake.

"Someone lifted the curse!" said a kirin, rising up almost directly next to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"It was them!" said another, "Those two humans. They awoke us!"

Inuyasha and Kagome huddled in amazement at these creatures. They were beautiful, mysterious, but not at all threatening. Kagome couldn't believe her eyes. There were kirin all around, the creature painted on the walls of the shrine she had grown up to believe were only legends. Sure, she'd seen her fair share of demons, but this was different.

"Thank you..." came the voice of a kirin walking up to them, a deep emerald green with a deeper green mane, "Thank you for saving us."

"Y...you're welcome..." stammered Kagome in awe, reaching out to touch the creature's delicate nose. "I can't believe it...a kirin...a real kirin..."

"Who are you, strangers?" spoke another kirin with a dark brown body and a gray mane, "Who are you, who have awoken us from our curse?"

"I'm Kagome," said Kagome, "A miko of a nearby village. And this is Inuyasha, my husband."

Suddenly, a fumbling was heard through the bodies of the kirin, and a single one emerged, wide-eyed, staring. She was pure white, with a red-brown mane, and green scales running along her back. Most notably, she didn't have a horn like the others. But she was not staring at Kagome - she was gazing in amazement at Inuyasha. The same way that Kagome had stared in wonder at the first kirin she saw.

"No..." spoke the kirin, "Can it truly be? Inuyasha? Is that you?"

"I...I can't believe it..." said Inuyasha as he stared at the kirin, his eyes narrowing, as if in recognition. "It can't be...Roku?"

"Inuyasha!" exclaimed the kirin, galloping up to Inuyasha and embracing him as she sat down, "Inuyasha, I can't believe it's you!"

"Inuyasha?" mused Kagome, somewhat shoved aside by the massive kirin's body, "You...you know this kirin?"

"Know him?" Roku laughed, shaking her mane, "My dear, I more than know him!"

"She's the kirin..." said Inuyasha in wonder, reaching out to touch Roku's lush mane, "She's the one, Kagome. The one who saved my life."

"She is?" gasped Kagome with a smile, "Oh, Inuyasha! That's incredible!"

"Ah, you must be this idiot's mate, then," Roku chuckled, and Kagome couldn't help but feel humbled that this kirin had a sense of humor. "So I'm guessing he's never told you the story, then?"

"No, I'm afraid he hasn't." said Kagome.

"Well, it was a long time ago," said Roku, scratching her chin with a hoof, "Yes, it was. He was just a cute little guy. All claws and ears."

"Aww! You met him when he was just a little puppy?" squealed Kagome, and Inuyasha glared at her.

"Yes, indeed I did!" said Roku, "Would you like to hear my story?"

"Would I ever!" exclaimed Kagome, and the kirin sat down next to them, as well as several others to hear the tale.

"It was back that time I was caught by creature smugglers, when I was sleeping. They took me to a large place, far away, where I was chucked in a cage to be sold for parts and stuff. It was there I met the little fella...he was all alone and scared, without a friend in the world..."

And so, Roku's tale began.

---

The young dog-eared boy curled himself to a seated position, crying into his red robe. The journey to this strange, frightening place had been many days, after he was captured, wandering the forest away from his mother's side. He was maybe only 4 or 5 years old in human years, perhaps younger. And the poor little boy was terrified. He was far from home, and missed his mother. He didn't know how far away he was. Just far enough that he felt like he'd never get there again.

"Hey!" said a voice from the shadows, startling Inuyasha.

"Hey!" said the voice, "Hey, you okay?"

Inuyasha cowered in fear as a strange creature emerged from the shadows in the cage beside him, one like he had never seen before. A most odd creature, large, cloven-hooved, shaped like that of a horse, with a lush, red-brown mane, covering her chest and shoulders, up to her head and back. Her fur was white like snow, and a green scale pattern came down her back.

"Don't cry little guy. It's alright." spoke the creature, with a gentle, calming voice. Yet the dog-eared boy was still frightened, cowering with fear in the corner of his cage. The creature pressed against the bars, it's long tail reaching in between them, gently touching the dog-eared boy's face, wiping away a tear.

"It's okay, kid," said the strange creature, "I'm not gonna hurt you."

"Please don't eat me!" the hanyou cried as he trembled.

"Relax, little guy," spoke the kirin, "I don't eat kids. Too much fur."

The boy smiled a little, much to the strange creature's liking. Her presence was indeed, not threatening. It was the first face he had seen in a while that didn't make him feel afraid.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Inu-Inuyasha." the small boy sniffled.

"I'm Roku, Inuyasha. Now we aren't strangers, you see?" said Roku, "You're just a little guy. Sad to see someone like you in this dump."

"Roku, what...what is this place?" Inuyasha said, clasping the fur on Roku's lush tail.

"Smugglers. Scum of the earth, really. They sell whatever they catch. For parts and stuff." said Roku, turning her head towards the guard, who was half-drunk and passed out.

"Parts?" Inuyasha gulped.

"Demons and mythical creatures. Horns, hooves, fangs...stuff like that. They caught me when I was asleep. I imagine how that's how they got you." said Roku, noticing the fear on the poor little hanyou's face.

"But don't worry kid. I'm gonna get us outta here, okay? And I'm takin' you with me."

"You're going to escape?" asked Inuyasha.

"I'm working on a plan," said Roku, noticing Inuyasha's dog-ears, "You're a half-demon, aren't you kid?"

"Yeah," said Inuyasha, "How did you know that?"

"Lucky guess."

"What kind of demon are you, Roku?"

"I'm not a demon," said Roku, "I'm a kirin. I'm sort of a horse-type animal."

"But you can talk!"

"That's cause I'm smart. All kirins like me are super intelligent. That's why that smuggler wants us. Kirin parts have magical properties. You alone?"

"It's just me and my Mama," said Inuyasha, "At least it was before I came here. I...I miss her." Inuyasha started to cry again.

"I know ya do, kid. I know," said Roku, "And I promise, I'm gonna get you outta here, and get back home to her," said Roku, running her eyes along the wall of the cage between them. "Hey kid, I bet you can fit through that bar over there. You can come sleep next to me," said Roku, "I'll watch over you, okay?"

"Okay." sniffled the hanyou, and sure enough, he was able to squeeze through the bent bar from his cage to the one with the kirin in it. Inuyasha snuggled up against her mane, which was as soft and luxurious as it looked.

"Don't cry little guy. It's gonna be okay. I promise," the kirin said reassuringly, "You ain't alone anymore."

For a while, Roku simply allowed Inuyasha to cry into her mane, doing her best to comfort the tiny hanyou, the wind outside rattling the building with loud echoes.

"It's okay, little guy. Don't be scared. It's just the wind. Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?" asked Roku, wrapping her tail around the trembling little hanyou.

"My Mama used to tell me a story at night to help me sleep, or make me feel better when I was scared. Do you know any stories?" spoke Inuyasha softly.

"I do have one. It's a kirin tale, so you probably wouldn't know it."

"Can you tell it to me?" asked Inuyasha eagerly.

"Sure kid, why not." replied Roku, the wind shaking the building again with ferocious noise.

"The wind is so loud. It's scary." Inuyasha snuggled into Roku's mane as he trembled from the noise.

"Maybe it's not the wind at all, kid. Maybe Thowra's out there tonight. He'd be in his element." said Roku.

"Who's Thowra?"

"He's the great silver kirin. Named for the wild wind that blew the night he was born. I'm sure it's him." said Roku.

"Well I can't hear him," Inuyasha shuddered at the sound of the wind. "I just hear the scary wind."

Roku smiled as she nuzzled Inuyasha's head, pulling him closer inside her mane comfortingly.

"Close your eyes. Go on." said Roku.

Inuyasha looked up at Roku in question for a moment, but did what she asked.

"That's better. Now shut out all other sounds and concentrate. Listen...not for the sound of the wind, but what you hear on the wind. Listen closely." said Roku, watching as the hanyou perked up his ears to listen to the sounds of the wind.

"There's been talk about Thowra since even before my time," said Roku, "Some say he lives, some say he never existed, some say he's a ghost. But always there are tales of the mighty, great silver kirin. King of all the beasts in the northland forests. Can you hear him?"

"I'm not sure." whispered Inuyasha.

"This story comes from another time, Inuyasha. A long-ago time. When kirin covered this land, in large herds, unlike today. It was on a night very like this, so very long ago..." Roku trailed off, and began her tale.

"It was one of the wildest spring nights there has ever been. No birds stirred, no squirrels or other small game left their holes. Only a few creatures, their last shelter destroyed, were braving the fury of the storm. And Bellbel, a wild mountain kirin, beautiful and wise, was preparing to give birth to a foal. There was something mysterious and exciting in the wind. Something important was about to happen."

"Like what?" asked Inuyasha eagerly.

"I'll tell you, little guy! That's part of the story!" laughed Roku.

"Okay." replied Inuyasha, and nuzzled into Roku's mane.

"Thowra she named him, for Thowra means wind. She named him for the wild wind in which he was born. He was a creamy silver, much lighter than even his mother. And as he grew to be a stallion, his mane and tail would glisten in the moonlight. Bellbel knew he would be a prize, indeed, and hunted all his life. Hunted for his silvery mane and tail...and his striking cream coat."

Roku smiled to herself as she looked down at the figure nuzzled against her lush mane. Inuyasha had fallen asleep. And she too, allowed sleep to overtake her, the wind continuing to howl into the night.

---

The next morning, Roku lay with Inuyasha, but then encouraged him to return to his cage so that the head smuggler wouldn't get suspicious. Still, she would reach her tail into the cage to comfort the dog-eared boy, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a plan to escape before either of them were sold...or worse.

As it so happens, some situations present themselves without one having to look for them.

A man appeared that day, eyeing the small hanyou in the cage, and handed a wad of money to the head smuggler. Roku felt her heart sink in a panic as the forcibly pulled the tiny hanyou out of the cage, much to his cries of fear.

"Roku! Don't let them take me!" the boy cried as he was pulled from the cage. The two men were poking and prodding at his fangs, talking about the value of such parts. As if this boy was no more alive than the clothes on his back.

In an instant, Roku did what she had to do. Unnoticed by the two men, she forced herself through the gap in the bars between the two cages, and somehow managed to get through. She dug her hooves into the ground, and charged through the half-open bars of Inuyasha's cage, startling the two men with the sheer force of the impact.

She kicked the man holding Inuyasha, and whipped her strong tail at the other, knocking him flat.

"Grab on!" Roku shouted as she lowered her head for Inuyasha to climb on her back. "We're busting out of here!"

Roku galloped as fast as she could towards the front gate, refusing to yield to any who tried to stop them, Inuyasha gripping her mane for dear life.

"Roku! The gate!" shouted Inuyasha as she galloped head-on to the wall.

"I don't care about gates! We're going home!" Roku spat, and kicked the gearbox holding the gate closed, causing it to pull open in front of them. In an instant, she scaled over the top before it was fully down, and over to the brilliant sunshine outside, the guards trailing closely behind, but were no match for the swift kirin now that she was free.

Roku galloped at full speed, the terrified hanyou grasping her mane for dear life, leaving behind the cursing and spitting of the men back at the prison, until they were far, far away from the horrid place. It was only then that Roku slowed down, turning her head to the petrified boy clinging to her mane.

"You okay kid?" Roku asked, nuzzling the boy's face.

"Yeah! Roku..." spoke Inuyasha, his fear starting to melt away. "Roku...that...that was amazing!"

"Couldn't let em' hurt ya kid. I promised I was taking you home, and I meant it," said Roku with a smile. "But we gotta get out of this place, out towards the west, back to where you belong."

"But it took me so long to get here!" exclaimed Inuyasha as Roku began to gallop. "What if those men come looking for us?"

"We'll take the straight way, right up and over." said Roku as they ascended into the hills and mountains.

Roku galloped through the trees for some time, the elevation growing higher and higher, until the trees began to thin a little, allowing the vast landscape to appear before them. When they reached the peak, Inuyasha gasped at the sight before him.

"Whoa!" said Inuyasha in amazement, "You can see everything up here! But...but Roku, where's home?"

"That way, over the trees, past the great mountains, rivers, and streams." said Roku, staring into the vast wilderness that lay before them.

"But...how can you know that? There's nothing as far as you can look!" said Inuyasha.

"Oh, it's out there," said Roku with confidence, "I have a sixth sense. You'll have it, one day, little hanyou."

"But...but Roku, you don't even know the way!" said Inuyasha, the fear evident in his voice.

"Well we can't certainly go back where we were, or that'd be trouble." said Roku.

"But Roku, look around! We're in trouble!" stammered Inuyasha.

"Have a little faith, kid. We're gonna go home, and you're gonna see your mama again. You just gotta trust me, okay?"

"Okay, Roku." said Inuyasha, knowing that he had no choice but to trust this kirin. The kirin who had saved his life from the smugglers.

---

Inuyasha and Roku traveled through the day, using the sun to guide them in the supposedly right direction. They crossed over many miles of forests, logs, clearings, and small creeks, keeping up a steady pace as the day passed on.

No matter how much Roku insisted they were on the right track to escape the wilderness, Inuyasha had his doubts as to whether or not that plan would actually work. But what choice did they have? No one would ever find them out in this place, and certainly did not want to go back to the smugglers where he'd be sold for bones and fangs.

Eventually, the sun began to sink against the horizon, and stars began appearing into the great blackness as it encompassed the sky. Inuyasha and Roku had come to a small grove of sheltered trees, long with the shadows of the progressing evening.

"We'll rest here tonight. We might get turned around, and it's already almost dark." Roku said, and Inuyasha nodded in understanding, and settled himself against Roku's mane as she lay down, wrapping her tail around him comfortingly.

Inuyasha looked around as the tall trees cast long, menacing shadows into the distance. The wind whistled through the trees, making them groan loudly as they swayed. "This place is spooky, Roku. The wind is scary."

"Don't worry kid. You're safe with me." said Roku as she tried to nuzzle Inuyasha comfortingly.

"Roku, can you tell me what happens next in that story?" said Inuyasha with a cold shiver. "I think it would make me feel better. Maybe the wind is Thowra like you said."

"Of course, little guy. And maybe it is him! Now let me see...where were we? Ah, yes! So Thowra was born in the spring storm. By morning, the storm had blown itself out, and in the calm light of dawn, Bellbel emerged from her shelter to coax her silver foal into the vastness of his new world. The silver kirin, with the mane and tail like the gleaming moonlight. Thowra would not be able to hide as easily as the other kirin. He would have to rely on his speed and cunning, and all the knowledge and wisdom that Bellbel, his mother, could pass onto him."

"Kind of like how my Mama teaches me things!" Inuyasha smiled, his fear of the creaking trees and wind now dissipated.

"Yes, exactly!" said Roku with a smile. "As the months quickly passed, and the snows of winter melted into the greens of summer, Bellbel taught Thowra the skills he would need to survive. She passed on all the knowledge of the northland forests and the high country that she had learned over many years. It's moods, it's joys, it's dangers. It wasn't long until Thowra encountered the biggest danger such a beautiful kirin would face..."

"What was it?" asked Inuyasha, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Man."

"You mean humans?"

"Yes, Inuyasha. Thowra had almost been captured by wandering too close to a camp of hunters, his curiosity almost getting the better of him. Thankfully, his mother was there to protect him. Thowra had escaped from his first encounter with man, but it certainly wasn't to be his last."

"Oh no!" gasped Inuyasha, gripping Roku's mane, "You mean that he almost gets caught again?"

"Yes, Inuyasha," said Roku, "You see, Thowra didn't realize that he'd become a challenge. A prize to be pursued, and attained at all costs. Now, Bellbel could tell that Thowra would become a mighty stallion one day. Proud an independent like her, running with a herd only when it suited him. But she knew he must learn to survive on his own. For she could not always be by his side when danger arose. When they were alone, Bellbel taught Thowra how to hide, how to travel in the bed of streams, leaving no sign nor scent of his going."

"Like you do when we are traveling!" said Inuyasha.

"Yes, that's exactly right!" Roku smiled, "She taught him how to recognize the scent of all the forest creatures. And eventually, she taught him how to recognize the scent of man - of his horse, his dog, and the smoke from his fire."

Roku looked down, and saw that the young hanyou had fallen asleep. She smiled, curling her long neck around him protectively, until she was asleep as well.

---

The next morning, Roku took it upon herself to teach Inuyasha how to catch some of his own food. It was clear that out here, in the wilderness, the small hanyou had not yet learned the skills he would likely one day need to survive, for she knew the life of a hanyou would not be an easy one.

"I never caught a fish before," said Inuyasha, "Mama said one day she was going to teach me."

"Well, we're out here in the wild, and it's stuff you gotta learn to do. So I'll teach ya." said Roku with a smile as they approached a vast river, filled with waterfalls, eddies, and bubbles. And, most importantly, fish jumping up through the water towards their nesting grounds.

"Watch me kid, and I'll show you how!" said Roku, stepping into some clear shallow water, shimmering in the sunlight, crouching as she intensely watched, until a fish jumped into the air, and Roku expertly caught it in her mouth.

"Wow!" Inuyasha clapped, "That was so cool Roku! Do it again!"

"No, it's your turn, kid!" laughed Roku, "Find a spot like this, and stand and watch just like I did. Even a log over the water works too. You just gotta time it right."

Inuyasha nodded, and walked downstream a short distance away to where a large amount of debris had piled up, and hopped on it to get closer to the spot where he saw the fish jumping.

"That's it, kid. Just stay still, and right when you see that fish fly out of the water, that's when you grab it!" encouraged Roku.

Inuyasha furrowed his brow in determination, missing the first several fish. But Roku kept encouraging him to go on, and when a large fish flew up through the waves, Inuyasha snapped his hands together, and laughed in victory, holding the large catch above his head.

"Roku! I did it!" Inuyasha exclaimed with joy as he held the wriggling fish above his head.

"Very good!" Roku clapped her hooves together, "Now, let's make that baby into some breakfast!"

"Okay!" said Inuyasha with a grin of pride at his catch, and went to clamber back to shore. Suddenly, there was a loud 'snap', and to Roku's horror, the debris Inuyasha was standing on crumbled, and the tiny dog-eared boy vanished under the dark water.

"Inuyasha!" cried Roku, rushing along the bank to where he had fallen through, frantically searching the surface for any sign of life.

"Roku! Help!" spluttered Inuyasha as his he burst through the surface as his body was torn down the river like a ragdoll.

"Kid, hang on! I'm coming! Keep your head above water!" Roku shouted as she galloped alongside the stream, trying to keep up with the swift current as it tore Inuyasha left and right through the rapids.

Roku galloped for one final leap, and dove into the river head first. She burst to the surface, gasping for breath, frantically searching for Inuyasha. She spotted him downstream, flailing and crying out. She strained against the rapids with all her might as he paddled through the waves. "Hold on Inuyasha! I'm coming!" She had to hurry, or the river would swallow her up.

"Roku!" Inuyasha spluttered, his arms struggling to keep his soaking body above the boiling rapids. "Roku! Help!" He paddled with all his might, but was no match for the power of the current. He had no choice but to let the ferocious current carry his body downriver. Roku tore after him, moving faster than she had in her entire life.

"Swim, Inuyasha! Swim hard!" Roku yelled

"Roku!" Inuyasha cried again, barely able to keep his head above water as he spluttered his cries. He kept being pulled faster and faster into the rapids. His hair and robes were plastered against his tiny body, weighing him down as he struggled for each breath. He yelped as he bumped against a large tree branch jammed into a rock, raking his claws into the waterlogged bark.

"Kid!" shouted Roku as she twisted and turned through the rapids "Don't let go of the branch! I'll come to you!" Her body pulsed forward through the water towards the lodged tree branch. She knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for long. She flung herself into the current directly towards Inuyasha, slamming herself on the other end of the sodden branch.

"Kid! Come to me!" she shouted to him, digging her hooves into the tree bark. Inuyasha's eyes were wide in terror as he clung to the branch for dear life.

"You'll be alright, kid! I won't let anything happen to you!" Roku yelled, reaching her hoof out to Inuyasha. She tried to reposition herself to get closer, but the current was too strong for her to do so without getting swept away again.

"I'm coming!" Inuyasha cried as he moved his claws carefully, clawing his way over to her, his eyes plastered shut in terror. Roku stretched her foreleg out to him as far as she could, almost grazing one of his hands.

"That's it! Just a little farther!" said Roku, trying to coerce the terrified boy ever closer. Suddenly there was a large snap as the branch gave way, and Inuyasha was engulfed and pulled underwater once again.

"INUYASHA!" cried Roku. She took her greatest breath and dove under the surface. She swam under the rapids, looking as fast as she could scan for Inuyasha. She finally saw him, struggling to get to the surface, his foot trapped in between two rocks. Bubbles escaped from his mouth as he tried in vain to swim away. She swam to him, and with a swift motion of her head, his foot was freed.

She grasped onto his robe and paddled with all her might to the surface. They burst into the sunshine, gasping for breath. Inuyasha clung to Roku's mane, digging his claws into her, but Roku didn't flinch. She weaved in and out of the rapids, and they were almost on the shore. She clenched her muscles and with a loud 'oompfh', they both landed on the riverbank, heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

Inuyasha coughed powerfully, heaving up large amounts of water onto the sand. He shivered as his waterlogged hair and clothing clung to his frame, the frigid wind cutting him to the bone. Suddenly he felt something warm press against him, and knew no more.

---

Inuyasha woke from his deep sleep, growling contently at the warmth and dryness that surrounded him. His head pounded, as if he had been through some great ordeal. Then he remembered crossing the river, flailing to the surface as the current washed him away, and being pulled to shore. Roku had saved him from drowning in the rapids!

Inuyasha gazed around him and realized that he was laying on the floor of a warm, dry cave. A bed of soft moss had been draped over his naked body, and a small pile of sliced fish lay beside him, his clothes laid out nearby to dry. He also heard the cascading of what sounded like a waterfall. The cave must have been directly above it. Inuyasha saw a silhouette lying in the cave entrance. The figure turned its head, smiling at him as he stretched and yawned awake.

"Feeling better?" asked Roku. "This cave was warm and dry. I wanted to give you a chance to dry out. You should try and eat."

Inuyasha suddenly realized how utterly ravenous he was, and bit into a piece of fish eagerly. It was so good, he almost passed out. He ate and ate until the pile was finished, and lay back contentedly. It was only in that moment Inuyasha realized it was already almost past sunset.

"Roku..." whispered Inuyasha into the dim light, "You...you saved me."

"Course I saved ya, kid. What was I supposed to do, let you drown?" said Roku sarcastically.

"But...I'm...I'm just a hanyou. You could have drowned too trying to save me." said Inuyasha.

"I don't care what you are, kid. I promised you I'd take you home, and I meant it." said Roku.

"But...but I'm just a half-breed, Roku. You could have just let me drown." said Inuyasha.

"Don't call yourself that, kid. Cause it's not true. You ain't less than anybody else, you got that?" said Roku, "I'm sorry that you see yourself that way. Must've been some cruel people where you're from."

"There are," said Inuyasha sadly, "And they don't like me because I'm half-demon. They say mean things to me, and to my Mama. And it makes me feel like...like maybe I don't matter."

"You stop that, alright?" said Roku sternly, "You do matter. Half-demon, full demon, human, kirin, it don't matter. We're all the same on the inside, you see?" said Roku, "But people...even some demons, too, just can't see that. They judge you before they even know you. But not everyone is like that. I'm not like that. And you're not like that. You like me, don't you?"

"Of course I like you, Roku." said Inuyasha.

"Right, and you like me even though I'm a kirin. Cause it doesn't matter to you. And I like you just fine. I don't care that you're a half-demon. It's what's on the inside that counts. And one day, you'll see. You'll make friends - real friends. Ones that don't care what you're made up of. You'll meet someone special too, someone who will love you just the way you are, and you'll make her real happy too. Cause we're the same, kid. Don't never let anyone tell you any different ever again."

Looking at her that night, Inuyasha couldn't help but think of how Roku looked so wise, and ancient. Like the first creature to ever walk the earth. And he only hoped that one day, he could be like her.

"Roku?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Can you tell me what happens next in the story? About Thowra?"

"Sure, kid. Glad you like it so far." chuckled Roku, and she walked over to Inuyasha, and settled herself next to him, allowing the young hanyou to nuzzle into her mane under his moss blanket.

"Now...let's see...where was I? Oh, yes!" said Roku, "It wasn't long until Thowra decided to put his new knowledge into practice. He began to track some strange kirin. He kept well hidden as he followed the hoof marks, towards the grazing grounds of a fierce, gray kirin known as the Brolga."

"The Brolga?" said Inuyasha with wonder.

"Because he'd always been by her side, Bellbel had not yet taught Thowra the danger of trespassing on the territory of another herd," said Roku, "Especially not that of the Brolga. You see, the Brolga would never be as fast as the wind, nor as graceful a dancer as the bird for whom he was named. But he was already showing signs of what he would be...an ugly, determined fighter, never resting until he got what he wanted. And now that he was in sights of the Brolga, Thowra was, indeed, in trouble."

"Oh no!" gasped Inuyasha, "What happens to him, Roku?"

"You'll see!" Roku chuckled, "Bellbel led Thowra back to the territory of their own herd, running as fast as their legs would carry them, the Brolga only inches away from their tails, his hot breath against their flanks. He stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the line of territory - territory under the protection of the mighty kirin stallion, Yarraman."

"Oooo!" exclaimed Inuyasha with excitement.

"Yarraman was the finest, strongest kirin of all the herds in the high country. He was the king of all the Northland kirin, and now, just when he was needed, he was here to protect his handsome , but still foolish son, and his wife, Bellbel."

"Like my father!" exclaimed Inuyasha, "Mama said he was the lord of the western lands!"

"That's right! It does sound like that!" laughed Roku.

"But how did Yarraman know that Thowra was in trouble?" asked Inuyasha.

"When you've lived in the great wilderness a long time, you get to know the forest. It speaks to you in the wind. And if you listen, really listen and look, so carefully, don't miss a thing, the forest will tell you its stories. Think of how Bellbel taught Thowra." said Roku

"But they're kirin. They have different senses than me." said Inuyasha

"Well, you're hanyou," said Roku, "And that comes with some wonderful gifts, you see. You have the same senses, you just don't use them as often, because you've been told not to. If you use them, then you'll understand what the wind is saying and what the birds are telling you. If you want to know the secrets of the forest, you have to want to feel part of it. So use your hands, touch the smooth bark of a birch tree, and gradually you'll feel the magic."

"Is it really magic?" asked Inuyasha, his eyes sparkling.

"Well, it's understanding. That's what true magic is," said Roku, "The kirin, and many other tribes have known it for thousands of years. They believe the earth is their mother. It's not a bad philosophy I think. Stay open, and you'll read the signs. In the direction of the wind, in the shape of the clouds, the tracks of the animals. But it's no good unless you feel at one with the forest. You know how you can hear a story, and yet not understand it? It's the same with the forest, Inuyasha."

"That's really neat, Roku. I never knew any of that." said Inuyasha with a yawn.

"Sounds like you're getting sleepy, kid." smiled Roku.

"Please, just tell me a little more, Roku! Please?" begged Inuyasha.

"Oh, alright," Roku laughed, "Just a little more, and then you go to sleep. Got it?"

"Yes!" Inuyasha squealed with delight, settling himself against Roku's mane.

"Now then..." Roku continued the story, "Every summer, men returned to the Northland forest. Every summer they came with their sheep and cattle, their dogs and their pack horses. To man the high country was a pasture, a summer home, a relief from the heat of the plains. It was a place of beauty, and a source of money. To most of the forest creatures, the deer, birds, and even some youkai, man was a nuisance, an intruder. But to the mythical kirin, the arrival of Man meant the arrival of danger. And every year, when the cold came down with the breath of winter, the men would leave, and the kirin were safe."

"So the men would go away in winter?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes, they would. But it was not as it seemed, you see," Roku continued, "Winter was bad that year. Icy cold and constant snow. Pools frozen solid and winter pastures hidden cruelly beneath the ghostly white blanket. It was cold, so very cold. Even with the thick winter coats the kirin had all grown. Winter was the only time the kirin were safe from man. But their new enemies were the elements and the cruel face of nature."

"Winter is hard on me and Mama too," said Inuyasha, "We usually try to move to a different place where it's warmer, but because of me, a lot of villages won't let her stay."

"That's a real shame, kid. That shouldn't be something you gotta deal with." said Roku.

"What happens next, Roku?" Inuyasha asked eagerly, despite his eyes growing heavy with sleep.

"Well," Roku continued, "Winter called on all their knowledge of the forest and all their instincts for survival. Bellbel knew which were the good shrubs to eat and showed Thowra where to find them. Neither Bellbel nor Thowra suffered too badly that winter. Others did. The severity of the winter troubled Yarraman. Even his secret winter pastures were covered with snow which forced him to make a difficult choice. If he kept his herd safe in the High Country, they would starve. If he led them down lower to find feed near the snowline, they'd be dangerously close to Man. And wherever they went, other stallions, equally desperate, would stand their ground to protect their territory. For the kirin, this was the reality of winter survival."

But Inuyasha was breathing softly, finally allowing sleep to overcome him. And with that, Roku slept too, knowing that their journey was far from over. In fact, the most perilous things were only just to come.

---

The next morning, Inuyasha and Roku had dried out enough for them to continue onwards, eventually making their way up in elevation at a chain of small mountains covered in scraggly pines reaching into the sky. Clouds rolled by in the breeze, the sun beaming down between them, illuminating the vast horizon.

They had ascended to the top of a small mountain when loud honking was heard above them. Roku looked to the sky intensely, as if she were listening to something.

"Roku?" questioned Inuyasha, looking up as he saw geese flying in the opposite direction "Are the geese talking?"

"Yeah," replied Roku. "It's hard to make out, but I think they're trying to warn us. Sounds like there's a gust of wind coming."

"Gust of wind?" Inuyasha tilted his head inquisitively "Why would they warn us about that? It's only wind."

"Dunno, maybe they were just being nice." Roku replied, when suddenly she was swept off her feet, Inuyasha ripped from her mane as well, vanishing from sight.

"Inuyasha!" shouted Roku in confusion, realizing that she too was being swept sideways by the powerful wind. She dug her hooves into the rocks to hold on, unable to get sight of what had happened to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, where are you?" she shouted in vain as the wind deafened her calls.

Roku braced herself as the wind kept blowing, closing her eyes as the dirt pummeled against her face. Finally, the wind gust died off, and Roku was able to get her bearings once again. She shook the dust from her mane and scanned for Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, are you here?" she called into the nearby trees "Inuyasha, where are you?" Suddenly, Roku heard a faint voice coming from the mountainside.

"Roku, I'm over here!"

"Keep talking, Inuyasha! I'll come to you!" Roku followed the faint sound of Inuyasha's voice as it grew louder. It led her to a dropoff on the mountainside. She slunk down the rocks to the edge and finally saw the shape of the tiny hanyou in a small tree sticking out of the cliffside. "Inuyasha?"

"Roku! I'm down here!" he said, looking up at her from far below, plastered on a scraggly branch. "I'm in this tree!"

"Come out and get up here!" Roku shouted down

"I can't!" Inuyasha replied "My foot is stuck!" Inuyasha knocked his foot up and down, showing her that it was wedged in the 'V' of the branch.

"Well unstuck it then!" shouted Roku, but Inuyasha clung to the branch, and Roku could smell his fear.

The wind gusted again, plastering her to the cliff wall as she braced herself to endure it. Inuyasha cried in terror as the wind shoved him off the branch with it's dramatic power, leaving him dangling, his jammed foot the only thing keeping him from falling. The wind shook his body like a ragdoll, rattling the apples in the branches, and Roku could do nothing until the wind stopped.

"Roku! I'm gonna f-fall!" he cried out in fear, covering his eyes with his hands.

"I'm coming, kid! Don't fall!" Roku responded, trotting her way towards him carefully. She reached the roots of the small tree, pressing her hoof against the slim trunk.

"Stay still and I'll come to you!" said Roku, not entire sure if the tree would hold her entire weight. Roku softly pressed her hoof to the tree trunk and carefully made her way to where Inuyasha was stuck. She clung to the wood as the wind howled again, shaking the both of them with its power. The wind died down, and Roku took her chance.

"Hold still!" Roku instructed him as she grabbed his foot in her mouth and yanked hard. Inuyasha let out a surprised yelp when it was suddenly released from the entrapment.

"Now get off this tree before we fall down!" instructed Roku. "Hurry!" Roku and Inuyasha carefully made their way back to the cliffside. Inuyasha jumped when he heard a snap, as the wind smacked into them both again. The tree was going to fall! Before he could even think, he flung himself to the cliffside and grabbed Roku by the mane as the tree plummeted to the ground several stories below. He held on tightly scrambling his feet on the smooth rocks as the wind seemed determined to dislodge them. They clenched their eyes shut until the wind suddenly stopped again, and Roku was able to stand and grabbed Inuyasha and ran. She set him down next to her as he flopped over, breathing heavily.

"I need a vacation..." mused Roku, once she finally caught her breath. "Come on kid, let's keep going."

Inuyasha nodded nervously, and climbed on the kirin's back.

---

That night, Inuyasha and Roku found shelter in the tall grass. Although it wasn't as sheltered as a cave or alcove, it was warm and dry, and would keep them well hidden from predators.

"I'm so sore," said Roku, as Inuyasha rubbed her shoulder. "That whole wind ordeal really took a lot out of me."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Wasn't exactly easy pulling you, either! I'm sore in places I didn't know could get sore!"

Roku laughed. "Yeah, it's been pretty horrible since this whole journey started. Seems we get through one obstacle and find ourselves tied in another." She sighed, looking up to the sky dotted with stars.

"The forest is so scary," Inuyasha replied, "I wish I was home with Mama right now."

Roku paused in deep thought for a minute as she gazed at the sky, and stood up. "Hey, Inuyasha...come with me," she said, gesturing her with her tail. "There's something I want to show you."

"But Roku, it's scary out there!" Inuyasha complained.

"Come on, Inuyasha." Roku said again, nudging him with her nose.

"Come on, follow me," she said, leading Inuyasha out into the grassland. She stood still for a moment looking towards the horizon. All of a sudden, Roku gently swept her long tail over the grass, releasing an array of bright fireflies, gently drifting into the air and illuminating her face. Inuyasha looked on in awe as the fireflies floated gently towards his face, one landing on his nose. He touched it, watching it float away into the sky again.

Inuyasha gazed at Roku in awe as the fireflies surrounded her like little stars floating in the dark. Roku carefully swept her tail again and gently ran it through the grass, releasing even more tiny lights.

"Sometimes you have to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side," Roku said. Inuyasha waved his hands through the grass, his eyes glowing with wonder as the fireflies danced into the sky. Roku swiped her tail, releasing more, and they laughed. "It's like how I told you before - how if you listen hard enough, you can feel the forest, and hear what it has to say. Learn the many lessons it has to teach."

Roku began to wade through the grass waving her tail, releasing the fine floating lights as he moved. Inuyasha followed, frolicking in a figure eight pattern, pawing at the fireflies the illuminated the darkness.

"Even though it's hard out here, it's nice to have a moment like this where it's not so bad," Inuyasha smiled, surrounded by a cloud of the glowing fireflies. "I like to see the forest the way you told me."

"See? You're finally understanding," said Roku, "And that will change you, Inuyasha. But no matter what, I promise one thing. We'll make it home somehow, and I won't stop believing it until we do." said Roku. Inuyasha was giggling as his hair was glowing with fireflies as he touched them.

"Come on, let's get some rest. We got a long journey left, so sleep tight." Roku smiled, and she and Inuyasha headed back to their sheltered spot.

"Thank you Roku," Inuyasha said after he had settled back into the grass again. "That...that was nice. Those fireflies were so beautiful."

"Good-night, little guy." said Roku. It didn't take long for the exhausted kirin and tiny hanyou to drift into sleep as fireflies danced around them, illuminating the blackness of night.

---

The next morning, Roku and Inuyasha left the safety of the grass, and continued onward. Roku sniffed the air, studying the sky intensely, before deciding on which direction to go next.

Inuyasha enjoyed talking to Roku. No one had ever seemed that interested in him before. Asking him questions, and letting him ask questions, too. He had never had a conversation like this with anyone besides his mother. Roku didn't seem to care that he was a hanyou, and told him stories and comforted him when he was scared and lonely, just like mama did. Was this what it was like to have a friend? Inuyasha realized that he had never had one, and wasn't really sure what it was like. But maybe this was exactly how it felt, and Inuyasha really liked it.

"So, kirin are supposed to have horns?" said Inuyasha with surprise when Roku told him that she didn't have one.

"Yeah, it's where some of the magical abilities come from." said Roku.

"Why don't you have one, Roku?" asked Inuyasha, "You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna."

"Nah, it's okay kid. I just was born without one. Guess I was sort of an outcast, kinda like you," said Roku as she walked with Inuyasha on her back, "But it didn't matter to those who loved and cared about me. Sure, there were some who sneered and thought less of me. But they didn't matter. Cause what mattered were the ones I loved, and who loved me back. And you'll know what I mean someday."

"Think so?"

"I know so, kid," said Roku, "You're a good egg. You'll make a difference for someone someday. And I know you'll find people who care about you, and not just me or your mama."

"Roku, can you tell me more of that story while we walk? I really like it." said Inuyasha, making puppy eyes at Roku.

"Well, guess I can't resist that!" chuckled Roku, "Now where was I?"

Roku mused for a moment to remember where she was in her story before continuing on, the tiny hanyou clinging to her mane as he rode on her back.

"Ah! Alright then," Roku continued "With the passing of two winters Thowra had grown from a gangly colt to one of the finest young stallions ever seen in the high country. He had learnt well the ways of the forest and strutted his independence with confidence and daring. His glistening coat and flowing silver mane set him apart from all the other kirin. Wise Bellbel's prediction had come true - he was a prize indeed. And wherever Thowra went, soon after, The Man would appear. Always on his black horse. Always with his whip and dog. Always seeking Thowra. Determined. Persistent. But Thowra, reveling in the joy and vigor of life thought he was too smart for The Man and loved to lead him a merry dance through the wild forest. On and on, half glimpsed through the dappled light but always a step or a jump ahead of the black horse."

"I like that!" squealed Inuyasha, "He's just messing around with him!"

"Yes, he is!" chuckled Roku, "The passing of time also heralded The Brolga's growth to full maturity and in the glory of a new spring he declared his challenge to the mighty Yarraman's supremacy. They fought on and on and as the darkness raced from the shadows of the setting sun, it took with it the strength of the older Yarraman, lord of the highland kirin. As Thowra looked on he knew this would be his proud father's final battle."

"Like how my father fought his final battle," said Inuyasha, "Mama told me about it. She said he was very brave and kind."

"I imagine he was, kid. Not much unlike Yarraman," said Roku, "The Brolga was at his peak and his stamina could not be matched. Thowra also knew that one day the mountains would ring loud with his cries and the earth would carry his blood as he fought to win back a kingdom."

"I bet Yarraman still fought bravely," said Inuyasha, "I bet he wouldn't get defeated without giving it his best."

"That's right," said Roku, "He did fight at his best, even though he knew he could not win. Now, it was quite usual for one stallion to defeat another. Defeat yes. But not kill. But Yarraman was too great a kirin to simply be defeated, so The Brolga had left him to die. After the death of Yarraman, The Brolga inherited his herd, including the wise wife of Yarraman, Bellbel. Thowra was now truly alone. But the spirit of the wind and the rugged mountains embraced him as if he were a son of the high country itself. Thowra spent his days alone, but even such a great kirin grew lonesome. And soon he would long for another, one who would tempt him through the cunning of man."

"Oh!" squealed Inuyasha, "Who does he find, Roku? Who does he find?"

"I'll get there, kid!" laughed Roku, "Now...let me see. Her name was Golden. She had been caught by The Man, and now resided in his territory. The sight of the golden kirin haunted Thowra. Her beauty and grace fascinated him. To see such a beautiful creature locked behind bars was too much to ignore. He knew he wanted her, but he also knew in order to free her, he would have to come face-to-face with The Man."

"Does he save her?" asked Inuyasha with wide eyes.

"Yes, he does. For The Man was no match for the cunning Thowra. He freed Golden from his clutches, and they escaped side by side, into the vast forests."

Suddenly, Roku stopped dead in her tracks, her nostrils quivering, her ears erect and alert.

"Roku?" asked Inuyasha, "What is it?"

"Shh, kid..." Roku whispered, looking around cautiously, "Something's wrong."

"Wrong?"

"It's quiet..." Roku mused, "Too quiet. We're not alone."

"What do you mean?" asked Inuyasha, his voice trembling.

Roku didn't answer. She carefully looked around, and found a large tree with a hollow in it, and urged Inuyasha inside.

"Stay here, Inuyasha, and stay hidden." said Roku sternly.

"But Roku, what's wrong?" asked Inuyasha.

"I don't know. But I'm going to go on ahead and check it out. You stay here, understand?"

Inuyasha nodded, huddled inside the hollow of the tree as Roku quietly walked away, ascending the hill of the small clearing they were in, listening carefully, analyzing every sight and sound. She knew something was watching her. One who was in tune with the forest as she always knew she was being watched. And she knew it was not something good.

Roku carefully wove through the trees, trying to catch any sign of what was clearly following her. It was eerily quiet, and she turned around several times, looking, scanning, but seeing nothing. Not even a breath of wind. She searched, listening, feeling, sensing, for quite some time. Yet she knew something was out there.

Suddenly, she was blindsided by a giant paw and a deep growl, a noise that terrified her to the bone. Roku rolled from the impact, but could not make out a figure as she tried to stand up. Suddenly, she was thrown again, rolling down the rocks, finally bouncing to a stop, and got a clear view of what had attacked her. And it terrified her to her very core.

A cat - a giant predatory cat youkai - loomed over her on the rocks above. The beast was massive, covered in a thick, scraggly coat, it's head snarled into a tremendous roar. Upon the beast's scalp, the fur was as red as blood, his eyes dark and lifeless. Roku gasped when she realized that she indeed was in trouble.

This was no ordinary giant cat. This was a demon, and they had wandered too close to its territory. She had not scented it, as the beast had cleverly masked it's boundaries.

The devil cat gazed down at her, his lifeless eyes glazed over as he drooled madly. He roared on his back legs, charging towards the kirin in his way. He swiped at her, his claws massive and sharp. Roku whipped back with her tail, smacking the creature in the face, fiercly kicking with her hooves. And then Roku ran - ran for her life.

She tried to outrun the beast, her chest crying in pain as she tried to catch her breath, but he was right behind her. She wove herself in and out of the rocks to try and lose him, but the cat was not deterred. She tried to get herself up a tree as he roared maddeningly, swiping ferociously. She felt him clip her back leg and yowled in pain as the creature drug her down and flung her against rocks as if she weighed nothing. Roku kicked with her sharp hooves again, lashing with her tail to try to break the cat's balance, but she was no match for this master predator. She flung herself against it's massive body to try and break it's footing, but it refused to back down. The devil cat shoved his massive brown body into Roku, slicing open her shoulder as she cried out in pain. With another tail lash, Roku tried to run again, the cat clawing itself closer and closer with every ferocious leap.

Roku ran and ran, feeling his hot breath on her flanks. She could feel her back leg and shoulder bleeding from where the beast had slashed her. She ran back towards an area with a waterfall. Her only hope now was to try and lose him by the river, and she might just have a chance.

Roku ran up towards the cliff by the large waterfall. She was almost to the top of the cliff, her hooves slipping and sliding on the loose rocks and she clambered her way to the top. She tried to get her footing but slipped and fell down, her body slamming against the stiff, wiry hair of the demon cat. She bounced onto the rocks below. The demon grasped Roku in his jaws, shaking her like a ragdoll, and she screamed in pain. The cat roared, throwing Roku against the rock wall from his jaws, and she could hardly move from how much it hurt. The demon cat prowled closer, Roku's blood on his fangs, and Roku tried to whip her tail, but it was no use. Roku braced herself to be killed by the monster, curling up her body for what would be her last moments.

But Roku didn't die, although for a second she was convinced she did. A sound came from behind the demon, echoing into the rocks. Even the cat looked behind him, as if confused by the sound. Suddenly a white blaze appeared, latching itself on to the face of the demon. The shape flailed and shook, scratching at the beast's eyes, growling in anger as it used every ounce of strength to attack the enemy. It was Inuyasha!

Inuyasha clamped his fangs on the monsters face, and the cat shook his head violently to dislodge the hanyou. The cat tried to swipe him off with his paws, but Inuyasha would not let go. He continued to flail his body, scratching his claws into the demon's eyes, growling angrily.

Roku's body was plastered against the rocks below, as she looked on in terror as the tiny Inuyasha attacked the cat's face. She was in complete shock, as she thought for sure she was dead - yet Inuyasha had left the tree hollow upon hearing her screams, and attacked in the nick of time. The cat swiped his large paw onto Inuyasha again, flinging him off his muzzle as if he were nothing more than a feather, slashing his backside in a flash of blood and hair as Inuyasha screamed out in pain. The demon slammed Inuyasha against the rocks, and the tiny hanyou lay still. The devil cat shook his head, and dove his jaws towards where Roku was cowering, roaring dangerously.

Inuyasha flung himself onto the cat before he was able to reach Roku, this time clasping his mouth on the small of his back, scratching and flailing ferociously. The cat angrily tried to get the half-demon off his back, writhing his large claws and roaring into the darkness. The beast managed to swipe Inuyasha once again, flinging him against the rocks, but the hanyou counterattacked his face, scratching and ripping at his eyes.

Inuyasha had completely blinded the cat, the beast pawing at its face, allowing Inuyasha to fall off. He rushed over to Roku, his eyes full of terror, urging her to stand.

"Roku! Are you okay?" gasped Inuyasha.

"Fine," Roku groaned in pain, "Come on, we gotta hide!" Roku spat, and with help from Inuyasha, she was able to limp to a small area of trees, hiding among the brush. Roku stared in awe at Inuyasha in that moment, once they were out of range of the cat.

"Holy SHIT, kid!" Roku panted, holding a hoof to her heart, "You saved my life!"

"I couldn't let that thing kill you Roku!" Inuyasha panted, holding himself standing against Roku's frame, "I've never had a friend like you."

Roku stared in amazement at the tiny hanyou, and her heart warmed. She hugged him close, "Thanks, kid. I owe you one."

"What about that...that cat thing?" asked Inuyasha.

"You blinded him," Roku exclaimed, as the devil cat continued to paw at it's mangled eyes. "But we're still not safe yet. We ain't gonna be able to take him out with our strength. We have to use our brains."

"But how?"

Roku glanced up at the cliffiside above the flailing cat, and a plan formed in her head.

"That cat is smart, so we gotta be smarter. We're gonna set a trap. He's blind, but he can still smell us. See that rock up there? I'm gonna lure him right underneath, and when he's just in the right spot, you're gonna push that big boulder right onto his head!"

"But Roku, that rock is ten times bigger than me! I can't push it!" said Inuyasha.

"Yes, you can kid!" said Roku, "You're half-demon. You got strength you don't even know you have! You can do it, kid. I know it."

"Okay." said Inuyasha, still quite unsure.

"Now you go up there, and I'll lure him below. Just do what I tell ya, and we'll get him." said Roku.

Inuyasha nodded, and quietly made his way to the top of the cliff, setting himself behind the giant rock that he was almost entirely certain he would not be able to move. But Roku said that he could because he was half-demon. So maybe she was right.

Roku made a sound below, snapping the demon out of his focus on his mangled eyes, and to the creature nearby it could smell. In a rage, the creature approached, but Roku managed to avoid the slashes despite her injuries. She moved the cat closer and closer to the rock wall, until finally she looked up to where Inuyasha was waiting.

"Okay, NOW!" Roku yelled, and flung herself out of the way.

Using all his might, Inuyasha shoved his entire body against the rock, and to his shock, it shook and released, falling down to the cat below, crashing onto his head. The cat shuddered for a moment, then lay still.

"We did it!" exclaimed Roku, "Hasta la vista, kitty!" she laughed.

"Roku, you were right!" Inuyasha hugged her after he climbed down, "I moved the rock, just like you said!"

"Told ya kid!" smiled Roku, wincing a little as she realized she had large bite wounds along her body from where the cat had shaken her in it's mouth. Inuyasha had some gashes too.

"Oh no, you're hurt, Roku!" said Inuyasha, looking at her deep wounds.

"We'll go find a place to rest, kid. You're hurt too. But we'll be alright. We heal wounds fast. See? Isn't so bad being demon, is it?" said Roku.

"Guess not," said Inuyasha, "I never really thought about any of that before."

Inuyasha and Roku had settled in the hollow of an old tree after they left the base of the waterfall. Although there did not appear to be any other demons, they didn't want to take a chance. Hidden away would be the safest place to spend the night. The tree hollow was cozy, warmed nicely by their body heat, and felt incredibly secure, most importantly, large enough for even Roku to fit. Inuyasha helped Roku clean her injuries, and pressed soft moss against them to prevent infection, like his mother had shown him. He did the same to his shoulder where she also had sizable gashes. Once they were fed and wounds were tended to, they curled up in the safety of the hollow feasting on a pile of fresh fish.

"Ahh...a full stomach sure feels good." said Inuyasha, leaning back onto Roku's mane and rubbing his full belly.

"Great fish, Inuyasha," said Roku, "That salmon you caught was as big as that cat!"

"Smells better though!" Inuyasha laughed, "Roku, can you tell me what happens next in that story?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Roku smiled, "Now, let me think...what part were we at? Ah, of course. Now then. As the cold nights and the first frosts marked the ending of summer the men began to muster their cattle and with them went the immediate danger. And with them went more stories about the mystical silver kirin, and more tales of his deeds and his daring. The Man went too, without his precious Golden. But Thowra knew he'd be back to get her."

"Oh no!" gasped Inuyasha, "You mean he isn't gonna give up?"

"Not that easily, I'm afraid," said Roku, continuing her story, "And as the winters melted into summer, Thowra's suspicions were correct. Golden stood with Thowra now, as his mate, and his desire to protect her was of utmost importance. He knew in order to keep Golden safe, he would have to lure the Man away, on a wild chase. Thowra, deliberately just keeping ahead, led The Man a long way often letting him almost catch up, so that the man thought he was gaining ground. But Thowra knew what he was doing and never let The Man have a chance of getting too close."

"Ha! Thowra is just messing with that dumb guy! What a fool!" laughed Inuyasha.

"Yes, men are stubborn, and are not aware when they are being tricked," said Roku, "As Thowra led The Man further and further away from the hut even the elements combined to thwart the Man's pursuit. As the light began to fade and the clouds gathered, the wind as if summoned to his assistance carried across the high country the enveloping mist and rain. This was what Thowra wanted. Disappearing like a ghost into the mist and rain. The Man did not at first realize he had lost Thowra and was almost lost himself. He also failed to understand how the gathering storm had been summoned by Thowra, the great kirin, named for the wind that blew across the high plains."

"Wow!" exclaimed Inuyasha, "Thowra could control the wind?"

"Yes," said Roku, "And he used it to be more cunning and brave than any kirin had ever been known to exist."

Inuyasha yawned, fighting off sleep, so eager to hear the rest of the tale.

"But now it's time for you to go to sleep, kid. I'll tell you the next part of the story tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, Roku. Good-night."

"Night kid."

---

The next day Inuyasha and Roku had ascended one of the largest mountains in their path so far. Although it was autumn in the rest of the forest, the farther they went into the mountains, the more frigid the air became. In fact, it became so frigid that before long, the entire landscape was covered in a fine powdery snow. The pine trees were frosted as the fine crystals blew silently through the air.

"The first snow..." whispered Inuyasha, his breath coming away into the frigid air "It's early this year."

"It's only snowing because we're so high in the mountains. It'll melt when we reach the other side," said Roku. "Though it helps having this mane to stay warm. You warm enough kid?"

"Can't stay warm if you don't watch your back!" Inuyasha cackled, and Roku yelped in surprise as a snowball hit her in the back of the head, knocking her onto her face. Her legs flailed in the air, and she had to untangle herself to get up.

"Ooompff!" Roku exclaimed in surprise. "Hey, kid, that's not fair! You snuck up on me Inu-" but she was cut off as another snowball hit her, and she tripped into the snow again. "Hey! Inuyasha!" she spat playfully "Come on! That's no fair!"

Inuyasha giggled, but Roku did not see him. He was hiding somewhere in the fine snow. Roku looked for his tracks, but his steps were so tiny it was hard to make out where any of them were. She walked around grumbling trying to figure out where he was hiding.

Finally, Roku spotted it. The tip of a pair of fluffy ears behind a small snow-covered bush. Roku chuckled quietly to herself. Now she'd get him for sure! She rolled up a ball of snow in her hooves, and poised herself ready to strike. But she never got the chance - a huge pile of snow from the branch directly above her broke free and landed on her with a large thump. Roku grumbled in frustration as she shook herself out of the snow. Only when she had brushed most of it off herself did she realize Inuyasha was rolling on the ground in laughter.

"Oh, Roku!" he laughed, more than Roku had ever seen anyone laugh in her entire life "I'm sorry!" Inuyasha was grasping his sides in pain from laughing, and it only made Roku laugh just as hard as she fell on her back trying to contain herself.

"Okay, okay!" Roku laughed. "You win, Inuyasha! Just let me catch my breath!" she heaved

"I really am sorry!" Inuyasha replied, shaking the fine snow from his hair. "I couldn't resist!"

"It's alright, kid!" Roku laughed, shaking her mane to get the snow off. "I was an easy target. Come on, I'm freezing! Let's find a place to warm up before we turn into icicles!" Inuyasha nodded in agreement, and they headed off into the mountains again.

---

Inuyasha and Roku had found a small alcove near the peak of the mountain. It wasn't as sheltered as a cave would have been, but at least it stopped the frigid wind from cutting into them the entire night.

"Roku?" Inuyasha asked. "You're sure we're still going the right way?"

"I know we are, Inuyasha. I can use my map." replied Roku, gesturing with her head to the gorgeous blanket of stars.

"Map?" asked Inuyasha. "Those just stars, Roku."

"Oh, they're more than just that, kid! The stars are a map you know. By knowing where they are, you can figure out where you are."

"But how do you know which star which?"

"Like this, Inuyasha. That's the North Star," said Roku, pointing with her hoof to a singular bright star in the sky, brighter than any of the others. "My grandfather taught me that when I was little, as all the kirin know this stuff. He always said as long as you can find the North Star, you can find your way home," Roku said. "Some people call it Polaris, but no matter where you are, it doesn't move, and you can use the other stars to figure out where you need to go."

"Really?" replied Inuyasha, his voice filled with wonder. "I never knew stars did that. So you know what the sky looks like at home?"

"Yes, that's right, along with that sixth sense I told you about. Between that and the sun, we'll be able to get home," Roku said. "On one side of the North Star is the Big Dipper, and on the other is Cassiopeia. They are always opposite each other. Even though they move during the night, the stars on the outside always point to the North Star, which doesn't move."

Inuyasha stared intensely at the sky and pouted a little, squinting his eyes. "Roku, I still can't tell which star is which!"

"Look there, see handle of the dipper over there? Just follow that and it points right to the North Star," Roku explained as Inuyasha's eyes followed her hoof pointing in the sky. "If you follow the middle star of Cassiopeia, it points to it as well."

"Oh!" gasped Inuyasha, his eyes sparkling in the starlight. "I see it! I see it!" Inuyasha pointed with a clawed finger excitedly. "What other constellations are there, Roku?"

"Well, many of them are named after people and animals. There's a lot!"

"Any dog stars?" asked Inuyasha eagerly.

"We can't see it tonight, but there is the dog constellation, Sirius." Roku replied.

"Wow!" said Inuyasha, "What about kirin ones?"

"Nah, not yet I'm afraid. Guess we're not nearly important enough." Roku laughed.

"I can't wait to tell Mama all about this." said Inuyasha.

"You two seem really close." said Roku.

"She's my only friend," said Inuyasha sadly, "I bet she's worried about me. I just want her to know I'm okay."

"Don't worry, kid. She will soon." replied Roku comfortingly. A flash of light appeared as a shooting star grazed the sky.

"Oh, Inuyasha, look!" said Roku "A shooting star!"

"Oh!" replied Inuyasha, his eyes reflecting the starlight "It's so beautiful!"

"I'll let you have this one. Make a wish!"

"Oh..." replied Inuyasha, closing his eyes as if he was concentrating very intensely. He opened them again and gazed at Roku.

"You can't tell me, okay? Cause then it won't come true!" said Roku with a smile.

"Okay," said Inuyasha, "Can you tell me more of the story before I go to sleep?"

"Sure, little guy," said Roku, "Now let me remember where we were...ah, okay! Thowra knew it was now time for the son of Yarraman to claim his rightful place as King of the Northland kirin. It would not be a fight to the death for both were magnificent stallions in the prime of their lives. It would be a fight for supremacy, a fight to stay on in the forest as King, or leave as the vanquished never to return. And it was The Brolga who bowed to the youth and grace of Thowra relinquishing his place to the son of brave Yarraman."

"I knew he could beat The Brolga, Roku!" exclaimed Inuyasha, "Now Thowra's the King! King of all the kirin! That was a great story, Roku!"

"What makes you think it's finished?"

"It's not? You mean there's more?"

"Yes, there is!"

"But no one can beat Thowra, Roku!"

"Well, that's where our story does end. Thowra is smarter and more cunning than even we think he is. He knew he had to remove The Man as a threat once and for all. He hid Golden and the foal somewhere safe, where they won't find them. Away from the rest of the herd who were too easy to track. And he'd have to use all his cunning to make sure the men didn't get too close. Thowra gave the Man a run for his life, but even he had underestimated the Man's determination that night to capture him. Thowra found himself face-to-face with the edge of a cliff. He knew he would be captured. But Thowra would rather be dead than captured, and flew over the cliff into the sea."

"Did he die?" asked Inuyasha, his eyes wide with worry.

"No one knows for sure if he survived. For years to come men and beasts would tell stories of a great silver kirin seen galloping on windpacked snow. Of a ghost horse-like creature drinking at the river. Of a mythical kirn that everyone thought was dead appearing in a blizzard in the forests and vanishing again. Of the wild stallion cry that could only be Thowra's. But no human really knows where the son of Bellbel roams. Thowra, the greatest kirin of them all."

Inuyasha paused for a moment. "Do you think he's real, Roku?"

"I do," said Roku, "I believe that he still roams these mountains, these forests, his mate by his side, watching over the land, for he is the king of this place. I will always believe that story."

"I do too," said Inuyasha, "I think he's real. And that he's alive."

"Glad to hear it, kid," said Roku, "Now get some sleep."

Inuyasha fell asleep, dreaming of the wish he had made on the shooting star. The wish to see his mother again, and feel the comfort in her arms.

---

The next day, Roku and Inuyasha made their way down the side of the mountains, and back into the forested countryside. Roku wanted to take a chance to teach Inuyasha how to hunt a little bit, and a snowshoe hare seemed like the perfect target.

"Okay kid," said Roku quietly as she and Inuyasha were hunched behind some cover, eyeing the rabbit as it ate, "Gotta stay downwind from it, so it can't smell us. That's really important."

"Right. Got it." said Inuyasha

"Don't move a muscle." said Roku.

"Got it." said Inuyasha.

"And wait till I say 'go'."

"Say what?"

"Go!"

"Yeah!"

"No!" shouted Roku in frustration, as Inuyasha took off after the rabbit clumsily, chasing him across the open area, and Roku sighed to herself.

"There goes the bunny..." sighed Roku as she watched Inuyasha furiously try to chase the rabbit, "There goes the pup...and there goes breakfast."

Finally, Inuyasha gave up the chase, covered in fine dirt, sniffling a little.

"I'm sorry Roku, I couldn't get him." said Inuyasha sadly.

Roku softened at the hanyou. "It's alright kid. There's always next time. How about we get some fish instead? You're getting good at that."

Inuyasha smiled. "Okay, Roku!"

The two walked for a while until they found a bubbling stream. Roku was taking extra caution now, as they were approaching the edge of the wilderness, and there was a good chance they'd encounter humans again before too long. But she decided to not tell Inuyasha this, as the poor kid was scared enough.

Inuyasha was still upset that he hadn't caught the rabbit. He wanted to be good at hunting for himself, and be able to bring food home for Mama when he went home. So while Roku was busy fishing, he decided to wander away just a little bit, and give this hunting thing one more try.

Inuyasha hid behind a tree, and watched closely for any animals that might come into his path. That's when he saw it - another rabbit. He was downwind this time, and very quietly, he snuck up on it, just like Roku had taught him. He waited until the rabbit was just a few leaps away from him. He took a deep breath, ready to pounce at his prey.

Inuyasha didn't even hear the man behind him when the trap ensnared him. He cried out in shock, thrashing left and right, trying to break free in vain from the metal net that now engulfed him.

"Hey, lookie here! It's a dog-type one!" said the man with the net.

"Alright! Those fangs are worth a lot!" said another man who had been hiding in a nearby tree, "The claws too! We're gonna make a killing off this little runt!"

"Help!" shouted Inuyasha, "Roku! Help!"

"Shut up, you little shit!" said the man, kicking the net, causing poor Inuyasha to keel over in pain.

Roku, meanwhile, was in the distance watching. She had scented the men before they even caught Inuyasha, and in a panic, tried to find him. But she was too late. The poor little hanyou was ensnared in a metal net, and Roku knew if she tried to get closer, she herself would get caught too. It pained her to see them being so horrible to the little guy, but she knew she'd have to follow these men in order to get him back.

She could have run away, and saved herself. Somehow, she wanted to do it. But this little hanyou had saved her life, and she cared about him. She had to get him back. She just needed a plan.

Roku followed the cart that held the caged Inuyasha for quite a while, staying back just enough as to not be spotted. Sure enough, he was brought to a large building, not much unlike the one they had escaped from originally. They unloaded Inuyasha, who was growling and spitting, reeking of the scent of fear. They brought him inside, and Roku knew she'd have to act fast in order to get him out before they tore him apart to sell whatever was worth something.

Roku waited until the front of the building was clear, and slowly hugged the wall, trying to find any sort of entrance there might be to sneak inside. She was able to dig herself a hole under the large outside fence, and was thwarted yet again by another gate. There were guards at the front, and no windows within reach that she could see. She'd have to resort to her backup plan - distraction.

Roku picked up a small round stone from the ground, and carefully rolled it directly in front of the guards in order to make a loud noise by hitting a metal pole. It caught their attention, stepping away to investigate the sound, and Roku cleverly slunk into the front gate directly behind the stupid guards. She was almost caught when one of them turned around, but she simply sat herself next to a kirin-type statue, mimicking it, and the dumb fool never knew the difference.

Roku sighed in relief, and slunk in the second gate, which led to a long hallway, with more guards. Quietly, she hugged the wall, sending another stone she had smuggled inside her mane down the passageway, causing a loud noise, which the guards investigated. With that, she crept down the hallway, keeping an ear out for Inuyasha. She couldn't pick up his scent, and kept scanning her ears for his voice. That was when she heard it.

"Help!" came the shrieks of the terrified Inuyasha, "That hurts! Please, stop!"

Shit! Roku thought. They were already trying to take parts off him! Didn't these bastards have anything better to do? Roku quietly approached the source of the sound, and she knew she was close, because Inuyasha must have picked up her scent.

"Roku! Help! Don't let them hurt me!" the terrified hanyou cried, "Please! Please stop!"

Then, Roku found it. The room that Inuyasha's voice was coming from. She peeked her eye through the slat in the top, and there was poor Inuyasha, being held down with a set of pliers to his fang.

"Roku! Help me!" Inuyasha cried, tears running down his face, having scented and seen Roku in the window slot.

Roku had to act fast. She decided to use the distraction method one more time, and loudly kicked the wall with her back hooves before scrambling in front of the door. Sure enough, one of the men came to investigate, and Roku nailed him with a hoof right between the eyes, and flew into the room.

"Roku!" Inuyasha exclaimed, "They're gonna kill me! Help!"

Roku growled more viciously than she had ever growled in her life. "LET GO OF THE KID!" she roared, whipping her tail against the man with the pliers, stomping on his face before turning to Inuyasha, ripping the chains holding him down to the wooden table.

Inuyasha was frozen in terror, and Roku had to use her nose to shove him off the table and onto her back.

"We're gettin' out, kid!" Roku said as she galloped down the hallway, where several guards were now waiting. But Roku flew right over them, scrambling for her hooves not to slide against the slick floor.

The guards were fast, but the kirin was faster. She flew out the front gate, the guards on her tail, headed for the spot she had dug under the fence, shoving Inuyasha through first before scrambling to squeeze through herself.

"Roku, come on!" Inuyasha yelled as Roku's front hooves scrambled in the dirt.

"Inuyasha! I'm stuck! Go, run!" Roku spat, but Inuyasha refused.

"No! I won't leave you!" Inuyasha said as he pulled on Roku's front legs, trying to help dislodge her, her back hooves scrambling against the dirt as her rump refused to go through the hole.

"Dig, kid!" Roku shouted, as Inuyasha tried to widen the opening of the hole.

"Ahhh! It's squeezing me!" Roku shouted as he kept moving her back legs to shove herself forward in vain. One of the guards dove towards the fence hole and grabbed Roku's backside and tried to pull her out, but Roku spread his front legs and resisted being pulled. "I'm...not...going...back...in...THERE!" screamed Roku. Inuyasha grabbed onto her front end as he tugged against the man pulling at Roku's back legs.

"Get off Roku!" yelled Inuyasha as he struggled to keep Roku's front end through the fence hole, losing the battle. Inuyasha growled, bristling his hair, and leapt at the fence hissing and scratching, eyes glowing red, claws extended, frightening the guard as he fell and rolled backwards. Inuyasha grabbed Roku's front legs again, and with a solid yank, popped her through the hole, and she was free.

"Roku, hurry! We gotta get out of here!" Roku didn't need to be told twice as she scuttled in a daze, scooping up the tiny hanyou, and headed towards the forest. The guard sat up and rubbed his head in sheer confusion at what had just happened, as they ran away.

Once they reached the sanctuary of the trees, Inuyasha and Roku collapsed in a small clearing as they caught their breath. The adrenaline of the escape still pumped through them. Inuyasha panted as he looked over to Roku.

"Roku..you saved me!" Inuyasha said in awe. "Roku...you...you could have just saved yourself. You didn't have to come back for me."

"Like I was gonna leave you in that place, kid! You're my friend!" Roku responded, breathing heavily. "Not after making it this far!"

"We...we're friends?" said Inuyasha with amazement.

"Course, kid! And friends stay together. I promised you I'd get you home to your Mama. And I'm not gonna stop till I do!" with that, the hanyou and the kirin disappeared into the forest.

---

Inuyasha was in deep thought as he and Roku continued east through the forest. Roku had risked her life for him. He never thought he'd have a friend like that. The feeling was all very new to him.

He liked it.

Roku and Inuyasha continued on until the forest began to thin. Before long they were descending downwards, and the landscape began to look more and more like home.

"Roku, are we going in circles?" asked Inuyasha as he sniffed a nearby tree. "This tree smells familiar."

"Of course, it smells familiar Inuyasha. It's pine!" replied Roku with a laugh. They had come to the edge of a small hill overlooking the horizon. Roku and Inuyasha looked out at the sight that stretched before them. The forest and clearings stretched into the distance, but at the base of the hill, they could see the buildings of a town speckled in the distance.

"Oh, Roku!" exclaimed Inuyasha as he took in the sight, his eyes sparkling. "That's home! You were right all along!" Inuyasha held his hands to his mouth in excitement.

"Come on, Inuyasha," said Roku tenderly. "Let's get down there, and get you back to your Mama.", and they began to descend into the valley.

Inuyasha couldn't believe it. He didn't know how, but somehow, they did it. There they were, finally. Looking down the road that would lead them home.

"Hey, Inuyasha!" said Roku playfully as they walked, "Did I tell you that there's a song about Thowra?"

"No, you didn't! Can you sing it for me?" asked Inuyasha eagerly.

"Sure, kid! It goes like this!" Roku said, and started to sing.

'In the darkness of the night,
In the fury of the storm
With a silver mark of freedom
A spirit was born
Thowra, they named him Thowra
Like the wind, like the wind that is free

To be king of the forest, his destiny

In the sacred mountain vales
Through the mist and ancient trees
Runs the ghost-like kirin proudly
Silent as the breeze
Thowra, they named him Thowra
He's the son of the wind strong and free

Thowra, they named him Thowra

And the king, yes the king, he will be!'

"That's so cool, Roku!" said Inuyasha with glee, "I love it!"

"Now you can tell that story to your mama! I bet she'd like it!" replied Roku.

"Oh, I know she will! I can't wait to tell her!" squealed Inuyasha.

"All right, Inuyasha. You're nearly home. If we keep going this way we should-" but Roku was cut off with a loud snap. Before Inuyasha even realized what had happened, Roku was gone from his sight.

"Roku? Roku? Where are you?" he cried, scanning the ground. He suddenly realized that the snap had been from Roku falling into a pit underground. She must have triggered the collapse when she stepped on the board over the hole. He darted over to the pit where Roku had vanished.

"Roku? ROKU!" he screamed, his eyes frantically searching for her body in the debris of the collapsed pit. He finally found her - Her horse-like body was splotched with mud in a collapsed heap, having falling quite far down. Her eyes were closed, and she didn't move.

"Roku! No!" cried Inuyasha "Roku! Oh, Roku!" He laid down at the edge of the pit and looked down at Roku in sorrow.

"Huh?" Roku groaned as her eyes parted open, looking around in shock as if she didn't know where she was. She groggily looked up to the top of the pit.

"Inuyasha?"

"Roku?"

"I'm here, Inuyasha." she replied, pain palpable in her voice

"Roku, are you okay?"

"My leg hurts pretty badly." Roku weakly lifted her head, and turned to look at her mangled back leg.

"Is it broken?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to move it," Roku tried to pry herself from the mud, but it was no use. She couldn't budge. She flopped her head back down in the mud. "I don't know how I'm going to get out of here. It's a complete drop the entire way around." There was a sense of hopelessness in her weak voice.

Inuyasha looked around the pit frantically, trying to find a way to get Roku out. The walls of the deep pit were almost completely straight up, covered in wet, slick mud. Inuyasha kept circling the perimeter. He finally made his way to a lower lip of the hole and called down to her.

"Hey, hey! Look at this. It's not as steep over here, Roku. Maybe you can climb out here." He tapped the lip of the embankment with his claw.

"I'll try." Roku whimpered. She tried to stand up, crying out in pain, but her legs buckled beneath her. She tried again, and weakly drug her mangled leg behind her to the muddy wall. She forced her body up with a cry of pain, and scrambled to get her footing on the slick mud. She kept sliding back down whenever she clambered far enough to make progress, her white fur now almost completely covered in wet black mud.

"Come on, come on, you can do it Roku! You got us this far!" Inuyasha shouted down to her, desperation in his wavering voice.

Roku forced herself onwards, clambering her hooves along the mud that was as slippery as ice. She was starting to make some progress upwards, whimpering as she dragged her broken leg. The effort seemed almost futile, but Inuyasha egged her on.

"Yeah, that's it. That's it. Keep coming!" he encouraged her. Roku's eyes were clenched in pain as she forced herself to climb. "Come on! If you can jump into a river to save me, and fight off a demon cat...this should be easy!"

Roku stopped to catch her breath, her body trembling as her hooves tried to hold on. "I'm trying." she said. The despair in her reply made Inuyasha tremendously unnerved.

"Come on, Roku! That's good! Take it slow now, take it slow. One step at a time, Roku!"

At his voice, Roku found a sudden strength, and with a large 'oompf' flung her body ever farther up the side.

"Yes, Roku! That's it! Come to me!" said Inuyasha, reaching out his clawed hand.

Suddenly, Roku lost her footing and began to slide down the embankment. Her hooves clambered in vain against the mud.

"Oh, oh, hang on, Roku! Come on! Come right back!" Inuyasha reached his hand out to her in vain. "Come right back, Roku! Come on, you're so close!" he begged, but she kept sliding down. "Roku!"

Roku slid down to the bottom of the pit and collapsed on her legs, panting, her body sinking into the wet mud.

"Roku!" Inuyasha cried. "Oh, Roku!" Roku's legs buckled beneath her as she sank into the mud. "No, no, no!" Inuyasha cried "Don't lie down!" he yelled. "ROKU!"

Roku turned her head in the mud and weakly replied to him. "I'm sorry, kid. I can't make it." Her body was caked in the cold black mud, and she shivered.

"Why not? Of course you can make it."

"I can't."

"Try, Roku, please try." Inuyasha said softly.

Roku turned away from him. "I just can't." She lay her head down, and curled her body up. Inuyasha paced the edge of the pit back and forth frantically. Finally, he boldly jumped down the embankment himself, covering himself in the cold black mud. He slid himself down next to Roku and nudged her body forcefully. Roku moved her head up for a second, but flopped it back down again, and weakly opened her eyes.

Inuyasha spoke to her. "Roku! You got us this far. Now I'm pushing you the rest of way! You know, back there, even when things looked really bad... I always believed we'd make it because you were to stubborn to quit! Well I'm not letting you quit! Not when we're this close! Try again!" He shook her body with small hands in sheer desperation. "Try again!"

Inuyasha prodded her body with tiny hands again and again. "Roku, please get up!" he cried "You must get up!"

Roku groaned in agony, looking up at Inuyasha in her frustration. "Do you think it's easy for me to admit that I can't do it? I'm too weak. Forgive me."

Inuyasha's eyes glistened with wetness. "That not true! There's nothing you can't do." Inuyasha replied as his gaze met hers intensely.

"You're almost home, Inuyasha. You can make it the rest of the way," she replied, closing her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere," Inuyasha curled against Roku to try and stop her shivering, "I'll...I'll carry you the rest of the way!"

"Kid, my leg is broken. I can't walk, and you can't carry me. You gotta go on, and get back to your Mama." said Roku.

"I can't just leave you here!" cried Inuyasha, "I can't! I won't!"

"I have nothing left to give, Inuyasha. And it's time for you to be on your own." said Roku.

"But I want you with me!" Inuyasha cried into Roku's mane, "I love you, Roku."

"I love you too, kid," replied Roku, "You've learned everything you need, Inuyasha. Now all you have to learn is how to say good-bye."

Inuyasha looked up and around helplessly, searching in vain for help that would surely never come. "I won't let you give up!" he wept, nuzzling his face into Roku's mane. "I won't let you give up...ever."

---

Inuyasha walked out of the forest alone, entering the small village where he and his mother lived. He looked around eagerly, searching for that familiar face that he had longed to see since the day they had been seperated. The face of the woman who loved him unconditionally, who was probably worried sick about him, and didn't know if he was dead or alive.

Inuyasha didn't see her straight off, but knew he would probably have to get closer. He turned around to the forest wall, calling out to his companion.

"Roku, come on! We're almost at my house!" said Inuyasha.

"I'm comin', kid, slow down!" spoke the kirin as she emerged from the woods, tenderly holding up a leg while walking on her three others.

"Are you sure you're alright to move, Roku?" asked Inuyasha. It had taken them a while to get to the village since he had to walk alongside Roku rather than ride her.

"I got three legs left, kid. I'll be alright." Roku laughed.

"Okay. Just be careful." said Inuyasha, patting her nose.

"That was real smooth, kid," said Roku with a smile, "Finding that rope and helping pull me out of that hole. Where'd you learn that?"

"Mama showed it to me once. When we helped a baby deer out of the mud." said Inuyasha.

"Well, I oughta thank her for that, cause I'd still be in that stinkin' hole!" said Roku. "Now where's your house?"

"Over there," said Inuyasha, pointing ahead, "We'll be there real soon."

Inuyasha and Roku continued to walk, Roku limping slowly, until they reached the house that Inuyasha recognized as his.

"There! That's our house!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he pointed.

"Well then, go in and give your mama a big hug!" said Roku with a smile.

"Mama!" Inuyasha ran into the house, searching as he cried out, "Mama! I'm home!"

Inuyasha looked around the quiet, empty house, his heart sinking.

"Mama?" Inuyasha said softly. "Mama? Mama, where are you?"

But no one answered. The house was completely empty. Inuyasha exited the house, and Roku gazed at him sadly.

"Maybe she's somewhere else," said Roku encouragingly, "We'll keep looking."

"This is where we always played," Inuyasha said, showing Roku the yard behind the house, "Everyone else has left for winter. Oh, mama...where is she?"

Roku wrapped her front legs around poor Inuyasha as he started to cry into her mane. "It's okay, kid. We'll keep looking. I promise, we won't stop till we find her. I don't care how long it takes."

"Mama..." cried Inuyasha, "I'm sorry, Mama...I'm so sorry..."

Just then, Roku heard a rustle in the distance, and saw a figure appear over the hill - a woman with long, dark hair. Roku turned Inuyasha's head towards the sight, and could feel his entire body begin to shake.

"Mama?" Inuyasha spoke in disbelief, "Mama? MAMA!" Inuyasha cried, leaping from Roku's embrace and running towards the woman, who was now running towards him.

"Inuyasha!" cried the woman as she ran, "Inuyasha! My baby!"

"Mama!" cried Inuyasha as he leapt into his mother's arms, crying into her kimono as she hugged him, "Oh, Mama! I was so scared! I thought about you all the time!"

"My baby, you're home!" cried Inuyasha's mother, "You're safe, my Inuyasha! And I love you!"

"I love you too, Mama!" cried Inuyasha, "I'm sorry if you worried about me."

"Of course I did," Inuyasha's mother continued to cry, "I didn't know what happened. I searched everywhere for you, every single day you were gone. I thought you got lost in the woods. Oh, my baby..." Inuyasha's mother embraced him and kissed his forehead, "Thank the gods, you're alright!"

Suddenly, Inuyasha's mother was aware that a figure was watching her. She carried her son over to the figure, amazed at what she saw.

"Mama," said Inuyasha, "This is Roku. She helped me get home from the place I got taken to."

"Oh my," Inuyasha's mother gasped, "A kirin."

"You know what she is, mama?" said Inuyasha as he cocked his head.

"Yes, baby," said Inuyasha's mother, "Kirin are very special creatures. Rare, beautiful, and wise. But this one is the most special, because she brought you back to me. Thank you, Roku, for bringing my baby home to me." Inuyasha's mother reached out to gently touch Roku's nose.

"It's his victory, really," said Roku with a smile, "He helped me, too. Inuyasha saved my life."

"And she saved mine," said Inuyasha, "She took care of me, and told me stories, and together we made it home."

"My name is Izayoi. Thank you, Roku...I wish I could somehow give you something in return for all you've done for me." said Izayoi.

"Mama," said Inuyasha, tugging on her kimono, "Roku's hurt. Her leg is broken. Can you fix it, Mama?"

"Well, I'll certainly try," said Izayoi, "Come on then, let's go in the house."

And with that, Inuyasha's mother carried her son into the house, and Roku followed them.

---

"Gotta say, Izayoi," said Roku, after resting a few days with her and Inuyasha at their house, "My leg is as good as new!"

"Well, mythical creatures and demons do heal much faster," said Izayoi with a smile, "Will you be leaving us, then?"

"I have to get home now, to my family," said Roku, nuzzling Inuyasha, "You understand, right?"

"Yes," said Inuyasha sadly, "I know."

"I'll see you again, someday kid. I'll never forget you." said Roku.

"I'll never forget you, either, Roku." said Inuyasha.

"And remember what I said. It doesn't matter if you're a hanyou, a kirin, or whatever. One day, you'll meet other people. Like me, and your mama, who like you just the way you are. Never forget that, okay?"

"I won't, Roku." said Inuyasha.

"Good-bye, Inuyasha," said Roku, "And good-bye, Izayoi."

"Good-bye, kirin," whispered Izayoi, "And I'll never forget you, either."

---

"It was not very long after that, that the spell was placed upon the kirin," said Roku to Kagome and Inuyasha, "That's why I never came to visit, Inuyasha."

"I know," said Inuyasha, "When my mother died, I wanted to go to the kirin village, but had heard the stories about the spell. It was the only place I could think of to go."

"And I'm sorry for that, kid," said Roku, "You know I'd have let you live with us in a heartbeat. I'm sorry you had to be all alone."

"Well," said Inuyasha, "I'm not alone anymore," Inuyasha smiled, "I have Kagome, my mate. And my friends. The kind of people you told me I would find one day. You were right."

"Course I was!" smiled Roku, "You were a good egg! And anyone is lucky to know you, kid! But you're not a kid now anymore, are ya? You're a man now. I'd like to hear your story this time, Inuyasha. If you'd like to tell it."

"I'm sure he'd love to," smiled Kagome, "It's a good one."

"But first," said Roku with a mischevious smile, "I have something I want to show you. Follow."

Inuyasha and Kagome followed Roku through the forest, past many other kirin who looked at them with admiration and appreciation. Roku led them to a large area, filtered by delicate sunlight.

"What is it?" asked Inuyasha, looking around. "There's nothing here."

"Not yet!" Roku said with a giggle, "Excuse me!" Roku called out, "Are you awake yet, leader? There's someone here I'd like you to meet!"

With that, Inuyasha gasped at what appeared through the trees. A large, magnificent kirin, as white as the moon, with a silver mane and tail that sparkled in the light. He was the most grand, exquisite creature that Inuyasha, and Kagome as well, had ever seen in their entire lives.

"Do you know who this is?" asked Roku with a large grin.

"Thowra…" whispered Inuyasha with wonder. "It's…its really him, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Roku with a smile, "It is."

"I can't believe it…" said Inuyasha, his jaw dropped in shock. "I...I heard about you. Through the story. Roku told it to me."

"I can tell you," said the mighty Thowra, "That they are more than just stories."

"He's our leader. The king of all the creatures of the northland forests," said Roku, "He came down from the mountains one day, and warned us of the curse that was to come."

"I...I mean, holy shit," exclaimed Inuyasha, staring at Kagome, "It's him! It's Thowra!"

"I can see that!" laughed Kagome. It was as if Inuyasha had met his very own superhero.

An elegant, golden kirin appeared through the trees next to Thowra, followed by a smaller, but still adult creamy colored kirin.

"Golden...and Thowra's son..." gasped Inuyasha.

"I always wanted to tell you that they came back," smiled Roku, "And I'm glad the day came I got the chance."

"Roku," said Kagome, "Thank you for sharing your story with us. And thank you for saving Inuyasha."

"Of course," said Roku, "He was, and still is, one of my dearest friends."

"If you hadn't saved him..." mused Kagome with wonder, "He wouldn't have been there to save me, or anyone else. Thank you, Roku."

"It's strange, isn't it?" spoke Thowra wisely, "How one life can touch so many others."

"Yes," said Kagome, "It really is, isn't it?"

"Thank you, miko," spoke Thowra, "For setting us free."

"Of course," replied Kagome, "I'm glad there will be kirin in the world again."

"Now then," said Roku, nudging Inuyasha, "I want to hear about everything that happened since I last saw ya!"

"It's a long one," chuckled Inuyasha, squeezing Kagome's hand, "A real long one."

"I'm a kirin!" laughed Roku, "I like long stories!"

And with that, Inuyasha sat with Roku, Kagome, and the other kirin who desired to listen, and told his story.