Disclaimer: *looks at a handful of pennies* Inuyasha isn't mine.

Chapter Four

Acquaintances

Inuyasha and Kagome had stopped for the night and set camp. While Kagome left to bathe at a hot spring, Inuyasha wandered around.

He was grumbling about being stuck with Kagome when a glowing light caught his attention. Curious, Inuyasha cautiously walked over to the luring light.

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide as he took in what he saw. The woman that had pinned him to the tree was standing alone, raven hair softly fluttering in the wind. Her hands were cupped together, holding a Shikon shard that turned from pink to a creamy white. A few feet away from her was a spider demon with four arrows sticking out from it.

Inuyasha jumped out from the bushes. Kikyo looked up, face void of all emotions.

"You're the one, right? Kikyo?" Inuyasha snarled.

Kikyo looked down. "Yes." She whispered.

"Well, I have this girl who keeps bugging me named Kagome. I believe you two know one another?"

Kikyo continued to stare at her feet, bangs obscuring her dark eyes. "Kagome, my sister...she must live her life on her own now. Tell her she must forget about me. If she doesn't, she will only die by being around me."

"Feh! Do I look like a messenger to you?" Inuyasha growled.

Kikyo looked up, face still placid, but the eyes vivid with emotion. Inuyasha was taken aback by the sudden sincerity in her eyes. Sadness brimmed around the edges, fighting to be let out. But she fought it back and spoke, voice wavering.

"Inuyasha, I am sorry for the pain I have caused. I forgive you... for killing my family."

"Your family?! I did no such thing!" Inuyasha spat.

Kikyo immediately flared with bottled up anger. "Do not lie to me! The one who killed my family fits your very appearance! Golden eyes... and silver hair..."

"EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Inuyasha's head snapped up at the piercing shriek that reverberated in his sensitive ears. "Kagome..." he murmured. He turned back to where Kikyo was standing.

But she was gone.

Spinning around, Inuyasha began hurtling back the way he had come, following the source of Kagome's scream.

Lush green shadowed by the night whizzed by him in a blur. Crashing through the bushes and feeling the heat from the hot springs against his skin, Inuyasha called out.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha!!" Inuyasha turned to see Kagome in the water shoulder deep, hair flowing around her. Her face was red and was flushing even darker now. Her blue eyes flashed angrily.

"SIIIIIIIIT!"

WHAM

Inuyasha lifted himself up from the ground, spitting mud from his mouth. "What was that for wench?! I came to save you because I heard you scream!"

"I screamed because of that pervert over there!" Kagome lifted one slim arm, pointing at a figure garbed in purple with a lump on his head.

"Grr...You baka hentai!" Inuyasha cried, stalking over to the male in purple. His eyes widened hugely. "What the--?! The pervert is this houshi?!"

The monk Miroku stirred and reawakened, rubbing his head. "Was it just a dream? That I saw a raven haired beauty bathing before me?"

Inuyasha slapped him in the head, putting another lump on top of the one he already had. The monk groaned, and then sighed. "I never got to ask her to bear my child..."

Kagome, who had slipped back into her miko attire while Inuyasha was dealing with Miroku stormed over to him.

"YOU HENTAI!"

There was a loud BONK as Miroku was hit in the face with her bow.

Suddenly, from behind Miroku appeared Shippo. "What happened to you, Miroku?" he asked innocently. Miroku however, could not answer in swirly eyes mode.

"Oh, kawaii!" squealed Kagome. She picked up Shippo and hugged him as if he were his own child. Shippo immediately took a liking to the woman that was cuddling him.

"I'm Shippo, who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kagome, and this is Inuyasha."

"Will you be my mommy Kagome?" he asked with that childish innocence.

"Sure." Answered Kagome, smiling happily.

"Will you be my father?" Shippo asked, turning to Inuyasha. Kagome's cheeks turned a deep red and Inuyasha turned away, pink staining his cheeks lightly.

"Feh, no way brat."

"SIT!"

THUD

"Hey!!!!"

"Be nice to Shippo!"

.

By the time the sun had begun its morning climb, there was a silent agreement among the four of them.

Miroku and Shippo would be joining Kagome and Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't like it one bit, muttering about, "protecting these stupid weaklings..."

BOOM

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo looked up as smoke curled up into the air before dissipating. There was another loud boom and smoke curled up not too far away from the last one.

All four glanced at each other before running off in the direction of the explosion.

^^^

She watched as another one tried to get away. Smirking, the young woman lifted a large yellow boomerang and swung it.

"HIRAIKOTSU!" she yelled as it flew out from her hand with deadly accuracy. The snake demon was sliced through and shrieked in pain. Venom sputtered out of its mouth, landing on itself. The venom began to eat away like acid and the remains of the demon went up in smoke.

She caught the boomerang Hiraikotsu in one hand, standing tall and determined. Moments later, a huge fire neko youkai came to her side.

The villagers came out from hiding and approached her, thanking her happily. The Demon Exterminator smiled at them as she removed a gas mask from her face.

She was a young woman, dark haired with soft brown eyes. A beautiful girl with sad memories in her already ripping heart.

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