Chapter One- The Massacre and the Child Who Lived

Saruku sat on her heels, and looked up at the setting sun. "Mama, the sun has nearly set. Shouldn't we be getting ready to move?"

"We're not going to move anymore." The woman smiled, and scooped up her daughter. "Your father has finally wearied of travel." She laid Saruku down on her bear skin bed. "We will thrive here, Saruku. You will see."

Her mother drew the curtain to the their make shift hut, leaving the girl alone to think. They had been traveling since before she was alive. For them to stop so suddenly was disorienting to the seven-year-old. She wondered what about this particular place that made her father want to stop. If she didn't know better, she would've sworn her father was looking for something. Sleep was begging for mercy soon after, and Saruku decided to figure this out in the morning.

Inuyasha awakened from his light sleep, at the loud crash from the forest ahead.

"Inuyasha! More demons!" Kagome's alarmed voice brought him to the ground.

"Alright ! Alright! I hear them. I don't think they're coming this way though."

"Who are they?" Shippou looked up at Inuyasha, worriedly.

"Raiders of the worst type. These creeps will kill anyone or anything to get what they want." Inuyasha listened a little longer.

"I heard screams! They were attacking innocents!" Kagome tugged on the half-demon's arm urgently.

"That's not our concern." He looked around. "Come on. We've lingered here too long." He started up the tree to retrieve his sword.

"SIT!" Kagome commanded, angrily.

Instantly, Inuyasha fell, face first with a growl. "Damn it!"

"We're going to see if they're alright." Kagome declared, giving him a dark look.

"Fine! But I'm telling you, you're asking for trouble!" Inuyasha got his sword down, and followed them.

"Just….COME ON!" Kagome led the way at lightening speed. She knew the people who were attacked could be either hurt or dead.

Shippou caught up to Kagome. "What happens if they're still there?"

"Gah! That is what I was trying to tell her!" Inuyasha glared at Kagome.

"If they're still there,we fight!" Kagome responded, before stopping short,and causing a chain reaction.

"Look at that!" Shippou pointed down below, to a camp that was set ablaze. "Looks like we're too late!"

Saruku stayed hidden under the tent that had fallen on her during the actual raid. The ugly terrifying demons had long since disappeared, but she felt much safer where she was.

In her hand, she held what was left of her family. The jewel shard was purple, and it was obviously a part of a larger one. It was embedded into a chain, which was now broken. Her suspicions were correct about her family. They had been looking for more like the one she held. Now all that remained was her, and the jewel shard.

She peeked out, and noticed that one of the huts were still in tact, so she crawled out, and went into it, just before she passed out in exhaustion.

"I don't see anyone!" Shippou reported, as he looked around the mostly abandoned camp. He put out another fire in a hut.

These people hadn't had a chance for escape. Inuyasha thought to himself, as he looked around sharply for any signs of life. "Anyone alive here?!" He called out.

"Over here! There's a little girl!" Kagome cried from across the camp.

"Why can't it ever be a boy!" Inuyasha muttered, going to his friend's side.

"She's so young.." Kagome breathed, aching for the child. "She must've lost everything."

"She out cold." Inuyasha pointed out. "Come on, this isn't our business."

"I don't know…what if those demons come back?" Kagome was checking the child over, to make sure she wasn't seriously hurt.

"It's not our…" Inuyasha watched in exasperation, as Kagome picked the girl up gently. "Oh for…what are you doing?"

"I'm taking her with us." Kagome responded, without caring if the hanyou got angry.

"Okay, no! You and Shippou are enough of a burden! I do not need a…baby! Okay?"

"A burden?! Is that what I am to you?! Fine!" She held the girl close to her chest, and started walking away. "Sit,Boy!"

Inuyasha glared at her from his spot face down. "Where are you going?! We're supposed to work together!"

"I'll find the shikon shard…." Kagome stopped,very suddenly. "Inuyasha.."

"What is it?" Inuyasha was concerned, when his friend stopped mid rant.

"It's the girl….she's got a shard of the Shikon no Tama." Kagome pointed to the girl's tightly closed fist.

"So? Take it." Inuyasha said impatient with Kagome's gentleness towards a perfect stranger.

"No! I can't just take it, Inuyasha. She'll wake up."

"Well, then I will!" He reached for the girl's hand.

"SIT!" Kagome pulled the girl out of his reach, as the dog-demon fell flat on his face once again.

"You know what? You've been using that word way too much lately!" Inuyasha sputtered angrily, getting to his feet.

"Well, you've been provoking me way too much lately!"

Inuyasha merely scowled. "So, what are you going to do with her?"

"We are going to care for her. She doesn't have anyone else anymore." Kagome laid the girl's head on her shoulder gently.

With a deep sigh, the hanyou finally consented. "Alright. Fine." He began to lead them away from the desecrated campgrounds.

It was about then that Shippou reappeared, and sniffed at the little girl. "She got any candy, Kagome-chan?"

"I don't think so, Shippou. She doesn't seem to be from my time…or this time, for that matter!" Kagome studied the girl's dirty clothes closely. They reminded her of something, but she couldn't remember what.

"Nuts!" The kitsune folllowed the group back to their camp.

Inuyasha turned to face Kagome. "Let's get a few things straight right now. She stays out of my way, and hands over her shard, then we'll be alright." Inuyasha climbed into his tree.

"She'll stay out of your way, but I don't think we should force her to give up her shard." Kagome draped an old blanket over the young girl. "Besides,if we wait, she might give it to us freely."

"Feh…." Inuyasha had his doubts about this so-called innocent child, but to avoid being "sat" again, he kept them to himself. He curled up in his tree, and returned to his slumber.

(A/n:First Inuyasha fic. I hope you like. Leave me nice reviews!)