Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I am poor. Very, very, very poor. If I owned Inuyasha, do you think I would have no money?!

Chapter 4

"Stay out of this girl!" The man growled, trying to extract himself from Kagome's grasp. "This whelp has had it coming since she arrived!"

"And let you hit an innocent child?!" Kagome retorted angrily. "I don't think so!"

"Innocent? Hardly!" The man snorted and the child's eyes filled with tears. He lowered his arm and Kagome reluctantly let go. He flung the girl to the ground and walked away.

He turned as he left calling over his shoulder, "That bitch is nothing but trouble. Do yourself a favor and get rid of her before it's too late!"

The child lay where the man had tossed her, not even trying to get up out of the ash that swirled in little clouds around her.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked worriedly dropping to her knees and checking the girl over to assure herself that the child wasn't injured.

The girl nodded, reluctantly looking up to meet Kagome's eyes. Again Kagome was struck at how empty they seemed, yet so expressive, all in one moment.

"Oh great. I leave you for one instant and you manage to find another stray." Inuyasha stuck his hand out and Kagome grabbed it, allowing him to lift her to her feet. "What's this one called?"

He walked over to help the girl, but she didn't take the offered hand. She pushed herself up and began to brush dirt off the too-large kimono she wore.

"Feh." Inuyasha grumbled, retracting his hand.

Kagome laid a warning hand on Inuyasha's arm, trying to convey without words that he shouldn't be too gruff with her strange new friend. He seemed to understand, backing away and allowing Kagome to view the girl more clearly.

She crouched down beside her, bringing her to eye-level with the tiny child. "Why did that man try to hit you?"

She could feel Inuyasha tense behind her, and his muffled curses attested to the fact that had he been there that man would not have been able to walk away.

"Because he is afraid."

Kagome's eyes widened at the sound of the child's voice. She had expected it to be high and shrill as any young girl's, but instead it reminded her of the wind blowing through the bare branches of trees in the winter.

"Why is he afraid?" She asked quietly.

"Because bad things happen when I am around, because I am alone, because no one understands." The tone of her voice changes as she talks. Kagome noticed in shock. The child sounded like bells chiming, then rocks crumbling, then... So many sounds and sensations were brought to mind, all by this small child's voice.

She could tell Inuyasha had noticed something too, by the way his ears twitched as he stared at the girl.

"I know you are afraid."

Such a blatant statement from the child did nothing to soothe Kagome's doubts. "I'm not afraid of you. Only curious."

The girl shook her head. "You are afraid. Afraid of Naroku. Of the power of the shards. Of losing the people you care most about. Of me. You worry that I know so much, I can see your doubts. Your companion is also troubled."

She turned her gaze toward Inuyasha, who remained impassive as she surveyed him, though inwardly he was worried.

"I understand everything. I understand that the villagers hate me. They want me to leave because they think I brought this terrible misfortune on them. And I did. Merely by existing. And so I will leave. Because it is my fate. To always lose those who are close to me. It is because of who I am."

Kagome's eyes glistened with tears as she listened to this small girl speak of things some grown men had never experienced as if they were normal. As if that was all life would ever offer and there was no way to change it. Ever.

"Who are you then?" Inuyasha asked carefully.

"I am the Seer. I am the Prophet. I am what I am. I exist. I see. I know. There is nothing else."

"Why did the demons attack this town?"

"They search for me. Always. Always looking, always watching. Always hunting."

"Why do they want you?"

"Because I know. I know who they are, what they want. They want to use me, to prophecize for them. To tell them what has been and what will be."

"So they came here." Inuyasha muttered, starting to pace. "Because they wanted you. But they didn't find you. So they destroyed the town. Where are they now?"

"Gone. Far away. Back to their master. But they will return. They always return."

"We'll protect you!" Kagome cried, desperately wanting to enfold this fragile girl in a hug, but somehow knowing she shouldn't.

"What?!" Inuyasha rounded on her in shock. "Kagome! We have enough to worry about without protecting this stupid girl!"

"If you don't help her- I will, and you can go search for the stupid jewel on your own! I am not leaving her to be torn apart by demons!"

"Wait..." The low hissing voice came from behind them and both whirled to find the girl standing strangely still, staring ahead as if seeing something they couldn't. Her eyes were blank and clouded, and her voice low and growling.

"The time has come... For you to fulfill your destinies..."

OOOOO

Author's Note: I guess my muse managed to find the time to pay me another extended visit. However cruel it may be, I'm going to leave you hanging until the next chapter. At least it got more exciting! Hopefully some things were explained, including my very cryptic summary. Oh well. Until next chapter! MysteryMaiden7