Chapter 8: Little demons

Author's Note: Hello again, I barely made it on time this time! I'm getting a little lost in my plot so the next chapter may not be up until like next weekend or a little after, while I get it sorted out. And the question was brought up as to why I was grounded. Ah, that, yes. It is actually quite embarrassing to tell, but it had to do with my report card. I got a (GASP) 79 in pre-ap geometry. Sigh. My very first, and I really mean it, C ever. What sucks even more is that my brother is in my class and he got a 92! Yep, I'm dumb. And I am grounded. My dad was so pissed, he's thinking of not getting me a car!!! But he probably will. I've been 16 for almost six months! Anyway, enough about me and my pathetic (and I know it is pathetic!) problems. Hey, you guys asked! Here's Chapter 8.

Shippo cursed, and then prayed a little prayer of forgiveness and one that insisted to himself that Sasuke and Miroku were close by, safe, and together.

None of it was true.

****

Sasuke had, on the porch, looked behind her and saw a young boy who looked so much like her father she could only presume it was her brother. She dashed down the steps from the shrine without a word to anyone, it was more important than anything to protect her family.

Makoto had been on his way to his uncle's house to drop of some more of grandpa's medicine (great grandpa), when a girl grabbed him from behind and picked him up. Normally it was easy to escape from anyone who did that to him, but this person was different, much stronger. He was only ten years old, but his demon heritage gave him some extra strength not usual to kids his age.

"Let me go!" he yelled in a shrill voice. Sasuke turned him around, looking into big golden eyes. Makoto gasped. This girl was a demon!

"HEEEEELLLP!" he yelled, but Sasuke covered his mouth.

"Silence! I am your sister, and I won't tell father you are here, he mustn't know. Otherwise you may live with your family. Just tell me that you are happy and I will release you."

The boy's eyes widened. He had short black hair, golden eyes, and slightly pointed ears. He smelled like a blood relative but something wasn't right.

"Listen Demon, my dad knows I'm here, and if you try and attack me again I will bite you!" He growled and flashed his fangs. Sasuke ignored his comments and picked him up, tossing him over her shoulder easily. He protested, but Sasuke wouldn't be swayed. Shippo would certainly be able to tell her who this boy was, and whether or not he was related to this Inuyasha person they were looking for.

"Boy, do you know who Inuyasha is?" They were walking down the street, quite a strange sight, heading in no particular direction. Sasuke thought that she was heading back to Shippo, but things were very confusing around this world. The boy answered her.

"Inuyasha is my father! And if you don't put me down right now, then he will kill you with his big sword!" Sasuke stopped in her tracks.

"You are his son?" She asked. The boy nodded angrily.

"Of course! I'm the only boy in this whole town with a half demon father!"

"Well then that changes things." Sasuke felt obliged to treat her uncle's son with respect, unlike the familiarity she felt towards her own siblings. "I am Inuyasha's brother's daughter. My name is Sasuke. I mistook you for one of my father's many lost children. I apologize."

She set the boy down and surveyed him. Another sniff told her that he was indeed, only remotely demon, not even as much as she was. The boy glared at her.

"I don't accept!" he charged into her head down and Sasuke, unprepared for this assault, got the wind knocked out of her.

"You brat! Relative or not, you need to learn a lesson!" She grabbed him by his pointed ear, like she had so many times to her brothers, and gave it a good tug.

Makoto squeaked in pain and surprise, beating at Sasuke with his fists, but he was no match for the bigger half demon. She had him in a headlock within seconds, and then flipped him elegantly and he was over her shoulder again.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked. He was certain that she didn't mean him any true harm, but it was also clear that she was stronger than him and deserved respect.

"You tell me, I'm lost."

****

Miroku, on the other hand, was still close by and had gone in exactly the opposite direction as Sasuke. He had slipped into the house out of pure curiosity, and now he couldn't find a way out. The door shut, and when he trotted off to find Shippo, he was gone. The man that they had been talking to had also disappeared, but he could hear a voice from another room and assumed that it was that man. Should he confront him?

"Ah, mister?" he asked timidly.

"Augh!" the man dropped the object that he had been holding. "Who are you?!"

Miroku smiled and stood up straight, he had expected the stranger to be mad at him for being in his house, but was sincerely relieved that that was not the case.

"My name is Miroku II and I am a noble monk!" The last part was said with authority, causing the man to grin.

"Nice to meet you Miroku II. I'm Souta Higurashi, and I'm a human."

"Just call me Miroku." He said, inviting himself to sit down at a wooden table in the middle of the room. Souta sat across from him.

"Tell me Miroku, did you happen to come out of that well with that demon?" Souta didn't want to make the kid mad, but it was vital he get some info from him. Who knew what else could have crawled out after him?

"Yes. Shippo and me and Sasuke came to find the priestess. I have something to give to her."

"What might that be?" Souta asked. Miroku gave him a wary glare.

"I don't know if I can tell you." He replied finally.

"Well then maybe I can help you find this priestess." Souta sat back in his chair. The little monk was obviously after Kagome, but it was unclear as to his intentions. From experience, things that came out of the well could be very deceiving. That was why Souta still lived at the shrine. After his mother died, no one was there but grandpa, and things began to come out of the well that didn't belong in this time at all.

"Ok." Miroku said. Souta sighed. This boy was too trusting to be evil. "Her name is Kagome and she is a great priestess. Shippo says that she was kind and caring, and Sasuke seems to think that she knows where her father's brother is. See, Sasuke is only a half demon (that seems to be a sore spot so you shouldn't say anything if you talk to her) and she has brothers and Shippo is a full demon and he used to know the priestess. I think he liked her, but I'm not sure. He never likes to talk about it, but then there was this ghost and she made me sick, but I heard Shippo and Sasuke talking and there was something about memories. And when Shippo remembered some big battle that was when he found the well and got past the barrier thing. And also, Shippo said that Kagome might be friends with my parents and that she might know what happened to them!"

By the end of his speech, Miroku was standing up, practically shouting at Souta. The older boy nodded serenely. This little guy was the real thing, for sure.

"You want to talk to the Kagome?" he asked, just to clarify.

"Yes." Miroku said decidedly. He clutched the jewel under his robe and stilled a shaking hand. Their mission was almost over!

"Ok then, I'll call her. She's probably on her way here anyway." Souta picked up the phone and dialed his sister's cell phone number. Miroku watched with interest, supposing that this was one of the magic things that came from this world. He was so absorbed in watching Souta on the telephone, he didn't even notice the old man sneaking up behind him.

"DEMON BE-GONE!" The old man yelled, slapping a charm onto Miroku's back.

"Waaaaaaauuugggghhh!!!" Miroku screamed in fright and toppled over the chair he had been sitting on, frantically trying to take off the charm. It didn't hurt him (he was a human after all), but at that point it could have been any kind of ward.

He threw the charm at the old man and prepared to make a spell on him. His old foster monks had taught him a thing or two.

But before his spell even got started Souta was between the old man and the kid, holding the phone against his ear with one hand and shutting up the old man with the other.

"Yeah Kagome, get over here quick, grandpas going crazy and the little monk is fixing to tear down the house. Maybe you can figure out what's going on. Yeah. Ok, ten minutes? Sure. I think I can handle them for that long. See ya. Bye." He put the phone down and confronted his charges.

"Ok you two, simmer down. Grandpa, this is Miroku II, he says he's friends with Kagome and Inuyasha. Mister Miroku, this is me and Kagome's Grandfather, Mr. Higurashi."

Miroku gave the old man an arrogant frown. "Hello." The old man simply ignored him and went about his business, muttering something about kids these days.

Souta sighed. The sooner Kagome gets here, the better, he thought.

****

Sasuke was ready to kill the little guy after just five minutes of carrying him around, but she didn't. He just wouldn't shut up about how soon his father was gonna come kick her butt, and how he would kill her if she harmed him in the least, or even if she made him any madder, and why didn't she just put him down right now and they could fight it out?

Sasuke paused and sniffed the air. Faintly, she could smell the scent of a half demon. She wasn't dead sure yet though, but certainly she was heading in the right direction. The boy didn't seem to be worried about where they were going, but when they reached a house a few blocks from the shrine, he shut up.

"You brought me home?!" he asked angrily. "I thought you were going to kidnap me!" Sasuke was indignant as she ascended the steps to the door.

"I am simply returning you to your family, nothing more. And besides that, I need to tell your parent that you need an attitude adjustment." She said. Makoto's eyes widened, and he began to plead with her.

"No, nonononono please don't, I don't need that really. Don't tell dad oh please." he asked

The door opened to reveal a girl, about ten years old, like a carbon copy of Makoto. Her bright gold eyes widened at the sight of her brother across Sasuke's shoulder.

"Mako-chan!" she said. Then, over her shoulder, "DAAAADDDD It's Mako- chan and a strange demon lady!!!" Quick as a flash, Inuyasha appeared behind his daughter growling protectively.

Sasuke set Makoto down as a peace offering and bowed.

"Honored Uncle." She said. The smell of this man was comfortingly similar to her own, what with the being half dog demon and half human. It was a combination rare to this Earth.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha demanded, taking in her scent with a practiced sniff. His ears tweaked at her in puzzlement, and then he decided that she was not a threat.

"I am Sasuke, Daughter of the powerful demon Sesshomaru. I was sent here to find my kin and to relate a message." So that was part lie. Sasuke practically trembled at the thought of telling this demon she planned on capture and deceit originally, even if she had changed her mind. Then she thought a quick thought, wondering if she could lure Inuyasha to her father by taking one of his precious human children away with her, then the thought was gone just as quickly, and Inuyasha was walking around her examining and smelling critically. The youngsters watched with interest from the safety of the doorway.

"The stripes.the hair.the ears.you are his daughter." So it was decided. Sasuke examined her uncle. He looked like a weakling human, pale skinned and golden eyed. The only trace of demon in his appearance was unusual pale whitish hair and small pointed dog-ears, unlike Sasuke's own pointed demon ears. But Sasuke didn't mention this. After all, she didn't look so menacing at first either.

Inuyasha nodded in satisfaction.

"Come in. I see you've met Makoto and Makiko. They are my children, and the priestesses'."
Author: Thanks for all the great input! Comments welcome!