Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Inu Yasha or it's characters. Even
though I wish I did own a little piece of our favorite dog- demon. I really
don't own much but I do own Minako and Hiromi though. They are my
characters.
Chapter1: Truth and Memories
~~Seventeen Years Later~~
Minako finished drying her hair. Her mother had taught her long ago how to color her hair with natural dyes. Her mother had Minako color her hair because it was naturally a pale silver-blue color. That wasn't the only unusual feature she had. She had white dog-ears that sat at the top of her head. These were usually covered by her hair, which was strategically arranged. Her eyes were a golden color and had slits as pupils. Many people had referred to her eyes as "demon eyes."
The worse part for Minako was her mother didn't have any of these features. She had once found a portrait of her mom's husband when she was little. He was as human as her mother was. When Minako had questioned about the portrait it was only to find out that the man was not her father. It always caused Minako distress and made her wonder who's child she really was. Another thing that always had her questioning her parentage was the fact that Mina's mother hated all demons and Mina had no problem with some demons.
She was a demon huntress. Had finally past the tests only a few months ago. Her mother was proud seeing Minako was one of the top students in her classes. Minako loved the adventure that the job entailed, but she was known to let some demons go on a whim. The funny part was every demon she had let escape always came back to help her or her village. Not that the villagers cared in many cases because it seemed to benefit them to have friends among the demons.
"Mina!!" Minako smiled as she heard the voice that called her name. It was the voice of her best friend Hiromi. She hadn't seen Hiromi since after her tests. Hiromi had gone for her tests the next day and that was the last time these friends had talked or seen each other.
Minako had finished with her hair, ears hid and all. Even her best friend didn't know the truth. In all honesty, Mina couldn't wait for the day that she could walk around as herself. When she wouldn't have to color her hair and not have to hide her ears. To just be herself and let everyone know who she was remained a dream to her.
"Hiromi! When did you finish your tests? Why haven't I heard from you?" The two friends embraced. They were very close almost like sisters.
"No, I finished the tests less than two day later. My parents insisted on me joining a 'short' journey and then an old friend of the family stopped by. He's a hanyou and a sad one that lives a very lonely life. Today I was able to escape though." Mina knew the last statement was in jest. Hiromi loved her parents and had fun on the trips her family took her on.
"Well walk with me and tell me everything. Just let me get all my stuff." With that, Mina turned and grabbed the basket that contained all the herbs and dyes she used.
"You know I've been meaning to ask you; why do you need all that junk? You do know it turns whatever it touches colors right."
"Yeah I know all about it. Trust me I'll tell you eventually but my mom would kill me if I said anything to anyone."
"Why are you scared of your mom? I mean, come on your seventeen and a good demon huntress."
"Well, your scared of your mom, the same age as me and a huntress as well."
"You got me there." The two girls continued to walk towards the village. They talked about everything from boys to others that took the tests to just nothing at all. They then agreed to sleep at Hiromi's home the next night and try to get a few friends together for a small demon hunt.
"So still no trace or rumors to follow Inu Yasha?" Miroku had been waiting to ask this for a while. Unfortunately, either Mi had been around or Sango would give him a dirty look knowing where her husband's thoughts were heading. Therefore, until now he had kept silent.
"Do you think I'd be here if there was? Besides she'd be seventeen now and I have no clue on what she looks like except that she'd have the same damn ears that I've been cursed with. That's all I have to go on damn ears. That and my imagination. I remember her scent but I can't go around sniffing everything like some common dog."
The sadness that showed in the hanyou's eyes was unmistakable. Yet, something else seemed to be wrong. Miroku knew about Kagome. The disappearance of their daughter took her real bad. The more depressed she was the more determined Inu Yasha had gotten. They eventually drifted apart as a couple and she returned to here time. So in retrospect they both lost their lives the night their daughter was taken from them.
"You'll know when you find her, Inu Yasha. Don't give up though. You'll never be happy if you give up."
"My daughter and my mate are both gone. They are.. were my life. Without them, nothing is right. Think, Miroku, how would you feel if you had lost Sango and Mi."
"I guess your right." Truth was he did not want to be in his friend's shoes.
"The worst part for us I guess is that we never named her. We had her in our arms, in our lives, and yet she had no name. We never got to learn anything about her." It had been even less common for Inu Yasha to share his thoughts or feelings since his life fell apart. For him to admit all of this was a lot.
At that point, Hiromi came into the house. She was happy as any girl her age should be. She saw that Inu Yasha was still here.
*Good Mina will get a kick out of him.*
As soon as she walked into the home she began her teenage rambling." Dad! I'm home! I saw Mina today and she's going to spend the night tomorrow. She was so glad to see me, yet her mom wasn't. But what else is new. You know I think she controls Mina's life way too much. Did you know Mina colors her hair? I always thought it was natural. I saw her doing it today. She said if she told me her mom would kill her.."
As Hiromi continued about her friend, Inu Yasha caught a faint scent off the girl. Her friend's scent most likely. Yet, this scent seemed familiar to him somehow. It had a trace of demon and something else. The smell of the dye Mi had mentioned was there and dominated over the sweet smell he was trying to identify.
"Inu Yasha?" Miroku called to his friend with a look of concern to match. Finally tearing the hanyou away from his thoughts and concentration.
"Huh?" Inu Yasha stared at the monk with a wide-eyed blank expression.
"I just asked if there was something wrong? Your eyes went of distantly, like you were remembering something."
"Hiromi did you run into any demons?" Inu Yasha asked his surrogate niece. He wasn't avoiding Miroku just trying to find out what it was that had distracted with him.
"No why?" Hiromi was confused. Why had he just asked that? If she had it would have been the first thing out of her mouth. She hated her parents to hear from someone else that she was in a battle.
"You are carrying a scent of one is all. What of your friend?" Inu Yasha went deep into his thoughts once again.
Hiromi continued about Minako to Inu Yasha. He was afraid of what this friend of hers was hiding. Miroku knew something defiantly had Inu Yasha's interest and when his daughter was done, he was going to find out what.
"Minako! Come here! I want you to sit a moment." Minako rolled her eyes at her mother's demand. Her mother was a small plump old lady. Her hair was rapped in a tight bun a top her head. Her face was severely aged and skin darkly toned from many hours working in the sun. Her eyes were a hazel color and always seemed to be looking onto people with detest.
"Minako, I saw you talking to that girl again. She's bad news I tell you. Her parents have friends that are demons. You don't want to mix with them. I don't want you mixing with them." Her tone was that of the usual lecturing parent. Yet, it carried an undertone that would send any demon into cowering.
"Well for your information I want to associate with them and will." Minako had heard these speeches many times before in her life. Not to mention she was tired of them. Her voice was strong and strict. "I'm tired of hiding who and what I am! I want to know about my father and where I got my hair color and ears and even these 'demon' eyes! I want to know and I want to know now!!!"
"Honey, I can't answer these questions." Her voice was quiet and calm.
"Why not?" Mina patience was gone at that statement. She stared her mother down, daring her to deny anything.
Mina's mother knew it was time to accept defeat. She couldn't protect this child anymore. The truth needed to come out. Minako was hers in her heart but not by blood and now it was time for the child to know this. She dropped her head and made her confession to the floor. She already knew Minako could here her. "Minako. I am not your mother. Not your birth mother anyways. I found you in the woods one night. You were very tiny, probably just born. I took you in as my own, dyed your hair when the color became apparent, and hid your dog-ears the whole time. I'm not quite sure but it was said a half-demon and his mate had lost their child that same night. I was lonely then, having just lost my husband, and therefore didn't want to believe you were the child they sought."
It was too much. This woman was not her mother. She had parents that ha been looking for her. She was hidden because of this lady's selfishness. What was she to do? Where was she to go? Hiromi. Hiromi could help.
Minako ran out of the hut and went straight to her friend's place. When she got to Hiromi's she didn't say anything. She didn't pay attention to the man that sat with her friend's father. Mina went straight for her friend's bedroom, there she found Hiromi polishing her hirokaitsu. (A/N Sorry if I misspelled this I promise to have the correct spelling for future chapters.)
"Hiromi! You're not going to believe what I just found out!" Mina was far from out of breath, even though she had ran across the whole village. The excitement shined though her eyes making them the same color as honey.
"You're not going to tease me by not saying right away are you? You know I hate it when you leave me in suspense all the time."
"I couldn't even if I tried this time. Me and my mother got in an argument and she told me that she's not my real mother!"
The two girls faces were complete opposites of the other. Mina was smiling uncontrollably and Hiromi was slack jawed in shock. Suddenly what Mina had told her finally sunk into Mi's head. "What?! I mean.Wait!..What?!!"
"I need your help to get this dye outta my hair. Oh, I can show you this too." Mina fiddled with the ties that held her hair to let it down. Finally, all her hair hung to her waist and her ears clearly sat atop her head.
"Whoa.. They're just like Inu Yasha's." Mi was next to speechless so this actually came out as a whisper.
"Who's Inu Yasha?"
"The guy that was talking to my dad."
Mina was defiantly confused seeing how she didn't pay attention when she flew into the house. "Explain as you help me with my hair, Mi. I want to get this crap out of my hair now. It stinks. Beside you wouldn't believe me about it's natural color unless you see it.
"This I gotta see!"
"What the hell was that?" Inu Yasha asked.
"By the colors of the blur I would say that was Minako, Mi's friend." Miroku saw the hanyou seem to contemplate something in his head. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject.
Inu Yasha was washed over by memories as the girl ran by. The smell of a demon and a miko from another time, another memory. It was a smell he would never forget. One he had committed to memory 17 years ago. It was the smell of his pup, of his daughter.
Everything came back to him about that day. The fear he had felt for Kagome, the joy for his mate and daughter's safety, the pride of a father to his new child, and the realization the demon blood was still strong in his offspring. He remembered the promise he made, the one he broke only hours later when she vanished from his life.
Inu Yasha got up and walked out of the hut. Too many thoughts and feelings were going through his head. He never heard the girls inside talking about him or dog-ears. He never heard Miroku call after him or even Sango do the same a few moments later.
About an hour later Miroku and Sango sat in their hut wondering what had come over their old friend. Miroku discussed the day to his wife, trying to get as much details in as possible. Sango was always good at analyzing things.
"I'm not sure if I have this right yet. All I know is he got up after Minako ran through here. He was very distant and lost in thoughts."
"I still think your missing something Miroku. We never completely understood Inu Yasha but I didn't think you were that dense when it came to him."
"He hasn't been the same since he lost Kagome and the child. He's lost without them. You and I both know it."
"Yes and I really can't blame him. I mean how would we be if it was us?"
They both sat in silence not sure what to say or how to change the subject. They had been though so much together that they knew one could not exist without the other. Was Kagome and Inu Yasha the same way? If so then why were they apart?
"Wait a minute! I meant to ask Inu Yasha but forgot. He had asked Mi if she had encountered any demons today and she said no. He had said he smelled a scent of demon. So then he assumed it had been a scent carried by Mina."
"He smelled."
"Yes, that's what he said."
Sango thought for a bit. So far, the only real connection was the girls. Sango trusted her daughter and she liked Minako. Mina was friendly and polite, yet she always seemed sad and scared of something. The girl's mother seemed to be the only reason for the Mina's darkness.
"Miroku, maybe we should talk to the girls."
"You think they may know something?" Sango was usually right about things like this. He was always the one with the plans and Sango had the instincts.
As the couple headed to their daughter's bedroom, Hiromi emerged. She seemed excited over something and couldn't wait to tell. She kept peeking towards her bed room and also looking for Inu Yasha.
"Mom! Dad! Where's Inu Yasha? You are not going to believe what I have to show you."
"Inu Yasha left, Mi. What's got you all excited anyway? Your father and I haven't seen you like this since your tests."
" Well, here's the short end of the story. I ran into Mina today and found out she dyes her hair but promised she would tell me why another time. Then she got into a big fight with her mother and found out that the old bag isn't her real mother. Then she rushed over here to tell me all the stuff she's been hiding. I wanted Inu Yasha here because maybe he could her find her family. The rest you'll be able to see for yourself."
"What are babbling about Mi?" Miroku, who usually kept up with his daughter's ramblings, was completely lost. That was nothing compared to Sango though who seemed to be a bit uneasy. He was going to ask why but decided against doing so.
"Mina come out!" Hiromi stepped over to where here parents stood. Mina came out of the room hesitantly. The two friends had spent an hour getting all of the dye out of her hair. It now was back to a normal color of the pale silver-blue. With her hair natural and her ears clearly atop her head, and her eyes shining a honey- gold, she was a dead ringer for a half demon that Sango and Miroku knew about 18 years ago. Long before his life took a dramatic turn downwards.
"Minako?" Sango was the first to recover from the shock. " How long have you..? I mean why didn't anyone know before now? You don't seem to be ashamed or anything."
" My mother hid them. I want everyone to know the real me but she doesn't. I hate lying about being normal, because I'm not." Her voice was small and tentative. She looked down at the floor. The fear and recognition in Sango and Miroku's eyes was too much for Mina.
"Minako I want you to stay herewith us for a bit. I want you to meet a friend of Miroku's and mine." Mina stared at Sango to try and assess how genuine the request was.
"I would love to but I really want to go find my birth parents."
" I understand dear. I think it will be easier if you meet our friend first. Please, Mina, trust us."
"I'll stay to the end of the week." Sango knew that was it. Yet, Inu Yasha was going to return before then anyway. Especially if she had anything to say about it.
"Agreed. Now you girls clean up and get ready for dinner." As the girls went to the bedroom to clean up, Sango turned to her husband. "I think we found the connection."
"Yes we have. Now I am going to go find a certain dog-boy and drag him by the ears if I have to." With that he gave his wife a short sweet kiss, grabbed his staff and headed to the forest. There he would find a clearing with a boarded up old well and "a certain dog-boy."
Author's Notes: Ok I'm leaving it hear for now. Reviews are welcome please. I'd like to know how I'm doing. Eventually I will have most of the cannon characters involved. I am still writing this and am up to chapter 6 so a long ways to go. Yet it's not that far either. Well that's it for now!
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Chapter1: Truth and Memories
~~Seventeen Years Later~~
Minako finished drying her hair. Her mother had taught her long ago how to color her hair with natural dyes. Her mother had Minako color her hair because it was naturally a pale silver-blue color. That wasn't the only unusual feature she had. She had white dog-ears that sat at the top of her head. These were usually covered by her hair, which was strategically arranged. Her eyes were a golden color and had slits as pupils. Many people had referred to her eyes as "demon eyes."
The worse part for Minako was her mother didn't have any of these features. She had once found a portrait of her mom's husband when she was little. He was as human as her mother was. When Minako had questioned about the portrait it was only to find out that the man was not her father. It always caused Minako distress and made her wonder who's child she really was. Another thing that always had her questioning her parentage was the fact that Mina's mother hated all demons and Mina had no problem with some demons.
She was a demon huntress. Had finally past the tests only a few months ago. Her mother was proud seeing Minako was one of the top students in her classes. Minako loved the adventure that the job entailed, but she was known to let some demons go on a whim. The funny part was every demon she had let escape always came back to help her or her village. Not that the villagers cared in many cases because it seemed to benefit them to have friends among the demons.
"Mina!!" Minako smiled as she heard the voice that called her name. It was the voice of her best friend Hiromi. She hadn't seen Hiromi since after her tests. Hiromi had gone for her tests the next day and that was the last time these friends had talked or seen each other.
Minako had finished with her hair, ears hid and all. Even her best friend didn't know the truth. In all honesty, Mina couldn't wait for the day that she could walk around as herself. When she wouldn't have to color her hair and not have to hide her ears. To just be herself and let everyone know who she was remained a dream to her.
"Hiromi! When did you finish your tests? Why haven't I heard from you?" The two friends embraced. They were very close almost like sisters.
"No, I finished the tests less than two day later. My parents insisted on me joining a 'short' journey and then an old friend of the family stopped by. He's a hanyou and a sad one that lives a very lonely life. Today I was able to escape though." Mina knew the last statement was in jest. Hiromi loved her parents and had fun on the trips her family took her on.
"Well walk with me and tell me everything. Just let me get all my stuff." With that, Mina turned and grabbed the basket that contained all the herbs and dyes she used.
"You know I've been meaning to ask you; why do you need all that junk? You do know it turns whatever it touches colors right."
"Yeah I know all about it. Trust me I'll tell you eventually but my mom would kill me if I said anything to anyone."
"Why are you scared of your mom? I mean, come on your seventeen and a good demon huntress."
"Well, your scared of your mom, the same age as me and a huntress as well."
"You got me there." The two girls continued to walk towards the village. They talked about everything from boys to others that took the tests to just nothing at all. They then agreed to sleep at Hiromi's home the next night and try to get a few friends together for a small demon hunt.
"So still no trace or rumors to follow Inu Yasha?" Miroku had been waiting to ask this for a while. Unfortunately, either Mi had been around or Sango would give him a dirty look knowing where her husband's thoughts were heading. Therefore, until now he had kept silent.
"Do you think I'd be here if there was? Besides she'd be seventeen now and I have no clue on what she looks like except that she'd have the same damn ears that I've been cursed with. That's all I have to go on damn ears. That and my imagination. I remember her scent but I can't go around sniffing everything like some common dog."
The sadness that showed in the hanyou's eyes was unmistakable. Yet, something else seemed to be wrong. Miroku knew about Kagome. The disappearance of their daughter took her real bad. The more depressed she was the more determined Inu Yasha had gotten. They eventually drifted apart as a couple and she returned to here time. So in retrospect they both lost their lives the night their daughter was taken from them.
"You'll know when you find her, Inu Yasha. Don't give up though. You'll never be happy if you give up."
"My daughter and my mate are both gone. They are.. were my life. Without them, nothing is right. Think, Miroku, how would you feel if you had lost Sango and Mi."
"I guess your right." Truth was he did not want to be in his friend's shoes.
"The worst part for us I guess is that we never named her. We had her in our arms, in our lives, and yet she had no name. We never got to learn anything about her." It had been even less common for Inu Yasha to share his thoughts or feelings since his life fell apart. For him to admit all of this was a lot.
At that point, Hiromi came into the house. She was happy as any girl her age should be. She saw that Inu Yasha was still here.
*Good Mina will get a kick out of him.*
As soon as she walked into the home she began her teenage rambling." Dad! I'm home! I saw Mina today and she's going to spend the night tomorrow. She was so glad to see me, yet her mom wasn't. But what else is new. You know I think she controls Mina's life way too much. Did you know Mina colors her hair? I always thought it was natural. I saw her doing it today. She said if she told me her mom would kill her.."
As Hiromi continued about her friend, Inu Yasha caught a faint scent off the girl. Her friend's scent most likely. Yet, this scent seemed familiar to him somehow. It had a trace of demon and something else. The smell of the dye Mi had mentioned was there and dominated over the sweet smell he was trying to identify.
"Inu Yasha?" Miroku called to his friend with a look of concern to match. Finally tearing the hanyou away from his thoughts and concentration.
"Huh?" Inu Yasha stared at the monk with a wide-eyed blank expression.
"I just asked if there was something wrong? Your eyes went of distantly, like you were remembering something."
"Hiromi did you run into any demons?" Inu Yasha asked his surrogate niece. He wasn't avoiding Miroku just trying to find out what it was that had distracted with him.
"No why?" Hiromi was confused. Why had he just asked that? If she had it would have been the first thing out of her mouth. She hated her parents to hear from someone else that she was in a battle.
"You are carrying a scent of one is all. What of your friend?" Inu Yasha went deep into his thoughts once again.
Hiromi continued about Minako to Inu Yasha. He was afraid of what this friend of hers was hiding. Miroku knew something defiantly had Inu Yasha's interest and when his daughter was done, he was going to find out what.
"Minako! Come here! I want you to sit a moment." Minako rolled her eyes at her mother's demand. Her mother was a small plump old lady. Her hair was rapped in a tight bun a top her head. Her face was severely aged and skin darkly toned from many hours working in the sun. Her eyes were a hazel color and always seemed to be looking onto people with detest.
"Minako, I saw you talking to that girl again. She's bad news I tell you. Her parents have friends that are demons. You don't want to mix with them. I don't want you mixing with them." Her tone was that of the usual lecturing parent. Yet, it carried an undertone that would send any demon into cowering.
"Well for your information I want to associate with them and will." Minako had heard these speeches many times before in her life. Not to mention she was tired of them. Her voice was strong and strict. "I'm tired of hiding who and what I am! I want to know about my father and where I got my hair color and ears and even these 'demon' eyes! I want to know and I want to know now!!!"
"Honey, I can't answer these questions." Her voice was quiet and calm.
"Why not?" Mina patience was gone at that statement. She stared her mother down, daring her to deny anything.
Mina's mother knew it was time to accept defeat. She couldn't protect this child anymore. The truth needed to come out. Minako was hers in her heart but not by blood and now it was time for the child to know this. She dropped her head and made her confession to the floor. She already knew Minako could here her. "Minako. I am not your mother. Not your birth mother anyways. I found you in the woods one night. You were very tiny, probably just born. I took you in as my own, dyed your hair when the color became apparent, and hid your dog-ears the whole time. I'm not quite sure but it was said a half-demon and his mate had lost their child that same night. I was lonely then, having just lost my husband, and therefore didn't want to believe you were the child they sought."
It was too much. This woman was not her mother. She had parents that ha been looking for her. She was hidden because of this lady's selfishness. What was she to do? Where was she to go? Hiromi. Hiromi could help.
Minako ran out of the hut and went straight to her friend's place. When she got to Hiromi's she didn't say anything. She didn't pay attention to the man that sat with her friend's father. Mina went straight for her friend's bedroom, there she found Hiromi polishing her hirokaitsu. (A/N Sorry if I misspelled this I promise to have the correct spelling for future chapters.)
"Hiromi! You're not going to believe what I just found out!" Mina was far from out of breath, even though she had ran across the whole village. The excitement shined though her eyes making them the same color as honey.
"You're not going to tease me by not saying right away are you? You know I hate it when you leave me in suspense all the time."
"I couldn't even if I tried this time. Me and my mother got in an argument and she told me that she's not my real mother!"
The two girls faces were complete opposites of the other. Mina was smiling uncontrollably and Hiromi was slack jawed in shock. Suddenly what Mina had told her finally sunk into Mi's head. "What?! I mean.Wait!..What?!!"
"I need your help to get this dye outta my hair. Oh, I can show you this too." Mina fiddled with the ties that held her hair to let it down. Finally, all her hair hung to her waist and her ears clearly sat atop her head.
"Whoa.. They're just like Inu Yasha's." Mi was next to speechless so this actually came out as a whisper.
"Who's Inu Yasha?"
"The guy that was talking to my dad."
Mina was defiantly confused seeing how she didn't pay attention when she flew into the house. "Explain as you help me with my hair, Mi. I want to get this crap out of my hair now. It stinks. Beside you wouldn't believe me about it's natural color unless you see it.
"This I gotta see!"
"What the hell was that?" Inu Yasha asked.
"By the colors of the blur I would say that was Minako, Mi's friend." Miroku saw the hanyou seem to contemplate something in his head. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject.
Inu Yasha was washed over by memories as the girl ran by. The smell of a demon and a miko from another time, another memory. It was a smell he would never forget. One he had committed to memory 17 years ago. It was the smell of his pup, of his daughter.
Everything came back to him about that day. The fear he had felt for Kagome, the joy for his mate and daughter's safety, the pride of a father to his new child, and the realization the demon blood was still strong in his offspring. He remembered the promise he made, the one he broke only hours later when she vanished from his life.
Inu Yasha got up and walked out of the hut. Too many thoughts and feelings were going through his head. He never heard the girls inside talking about him or dog-ears. He never heard Miroku call after him or even Sango do the same a few moments later.
About an hour later Miroku and Sango sat in their hut wondering what had come over their old friend. Miroku discussed the day to his wife, trying to get as much details in as possible. Sango was always good at analyzing things.
"I'm not sure if I have this right yet. All I know is he got up after Minako ran through here. He was very distant and lost in thoughts."
"I still think your missing something Miroku. We never completely understood Inu Yasha but I didn't think you were that dense when it came to him."
"He hasn't been the same since he lost Kagome and the child. He's lost without them. You and I both know it."
"Yes and I really can't blame him. I mean how would we be if it was us?"
They both sat in silence not sure what to say or how to change the subject. They had been though so much together that they knew one could not exist without the other. Was Kagome and Inu Yasha the same way? If so then why were they apart?
"Wait a minute! I meant to ask Inu Yasha but forgot. He had asked Mi if she had encountered any demons today and she said no. He had said he smelled a scent of demon. So then he assumed it had been a scent carried by Mina."
"He smelled."
"Yes, that's what he said."
Sango thought for a bit. So far, the only real connection was the girls. Sango trusted her daughter and she liked Minako. Mina was friendly and polite, yet she always seemed sad and scared of something. The girl's mother seemed to be the only reason for the Mina's darkness.
"Miroku, maybe we should talk to the girls."
"You think they may know something?" Sango was usually right about things like this. He was always the one with the plans and Sango had the instincts.
As the couple headed to their daughter's bedroom, Hiromi emerged. She seemed excited over something and couldn't wait to tell. She kept peeking towards her bed room and also looking for Inu Yasha.
"Mom! Dad! Where's Inu Yasha? You are not going to believe what I have to show you."
"Inu Yasha left, Mi. What's got you all excited anyway? Your father and I haven't seen you like this since your tests."
" Well, here's the short end of the story. I ran into Mina today and found out she dyes her hair but promised she would tell me why another time. Then she got into a big fight with her mother and found out that the old bag isn't her real mother. Then she rushed over here to tell me all the stuff she's been hiding. I wanted Inu Yasha here because maybe he could her find her family. The rest you'll be able to see for yourself."
"What are babbling about Mi?" Miroku, who usually kept up with his daughter's ramblings, was completely lost. That was nothing compared to Sango though who seemed to be a bit uneasy. He was going to ask why but decided against doing so.
"Mina come out!" Hiromi stepped over to where here parents stood. Mina came out of the room hesitantly. The two friends had spent an hour getting all of the dye out of her hair. It now was back to a normal color of the pale silver-blue. With her hair natural and her ears clearly atop her head, and her eyes shining a honey- gold, she was a dead ringer for a half demon that Sango and Miroku knew about 18 years ago. Long before his life took a dramatic turn downwards.
"Minako?" Sango was the first to recover from the shock. " How long have you..? I mean why didn't anyone know before now? You don't seem to be ashamed or anything."
" My mother hid them. I want everyone to know the real me but she doesn't. I hate lying about being normal, because I'm not." Her voice was small and tentative. She looked down at the floor. The fear and recognition in Sango and Miroku's eyes was too much for Mina.
"Minako I want you to stay herewith us for a bit. I want you to meet a friend of Miroku's and mine." Mina stared at Sango to try and assess how genuine the request was.
"I would love to but I really want to go find my birth parents."
" I understand dear. I think it will be easier if you meet our friend first. Please, Mina, trust us."
"I'll stay to the end of the week." Sango knew that was it. Yet, Inu Yasha was going to return before then anyway. Especially if she had anything to say about it.
"Agreed. Now you girls clean up and get ready for dinner." As the girls went to the bedroom to clean up, Sango turned to her husband. "I think we found the connection."
"Yes we have. Now I am going to go find a certain dog-boy and drag him by the ears if I have to." With that he gave his wife a short sweet kiss, grabbed his staff and headed to the forest. There he would find a clearing with a boarded up old well and "a certain dog-boy."
Author's Notes: Ok I'm leaving it hear for now. Reviews are welcome please. I'd like to know how I'm doing. Eventually I will have most of the cannon characters involved. I am still writing this and am up to chapter 6 so a long ways to go. Yet it's not that far either. Well that's it for now!
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