Authors Note: Well I got three reviews! So like I promised, I'll continue the story. After this chapter, I'll wait for another three reviews before continuing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha but I do own their kids.
Chapter Four: A Friend Made and A Family Found
Raye was hauled out of the well and into a small hut that had somehow appeared around the well. At this she stopped struggling and took a good look around. She couldn't ever remember being here before but the scent was strangely familiar. The hanyou woman stepped out of the hut and Raye was once again astounded. She stared at all that was around her in confusion. How could a trip down a well change the world around her? It just didn't make sense. "Hey lady, where are we?" The woman looked at her strangely, "We're home of course. And what's with this 'Lady'?" Raye frowned, "Well I figured I'm being pretty polite. There are a lot of other things I could call some complete stranger who grabs me, takes me down a well, and brings me to this weird place that smells like smoke!" The lady looked at her with concern, "Complete stranger? Sakura, are you feeling alright? Did you hit your head?" Raye pushed her way out of the woman's arms and took up a fighting stance, "Look, I don't know who the hell Sakura is, but I'm not her! Now you better take me back before I rip you to shreds!"
At that moment Inuyasha and Kagome came out of the house to see what the yelling was about. Kagome walked towards Raye but stopped when Raye turned to her with her claws erect, "Not one more step human or I'll kill you!" Kagome's eyes widened, "Sakura, what's wrong with you?" Raye growled, "How many times do I have to tell you people, I'm not Sakura!" Inuyasha stepped forward this time, "If you're not Sakura then who are you?" "None of your business! What do you care?!" Raye looked around frantically, she came here through that well, so maybe she could go back the same way. Raye made a dash for the well house but was stopped when Inuyasha barred her way. Raye growled, "Get outta my way! Iron Rever Soul Stealer!" With that, Raye jumped back down the well.
Inuyasha was nursing the wound on his arm, she had got him pretty good, there was a long gash all the way down his left arm. Kagome was close to tears, "What's wrong with her?! Why did she attack you?!" Inuyasha touched Kagome's arm, "There's only one explanation, that wasn't Sakura." "Well if that wasn't Sakura then who was it?! She looks... Raye!" Inuyasha nodded, "That's right. It had to have been Raye." Tears clung to the corners of Inuyasha's eyes as he was flooded with happiness. Their daughter was alive! Raye was alive! finally Sakura can... Sakura! She was supposed to be with Saru! If she wasn't with her then where was she?!
Back in the village...
"Come on you filthy half breed! Own up to what you've done!" One of the village men was harassing her again. He held a whip in his hand and his arm came down again followed by a horrible pain on her back. She was tempted to cry out but she'd decided that she would never give them the satisfaction. She saved her crying for nighttime when there was no one around to hear her. "Please!" she yelled, "I'm not Raye!" Once again the whip came down, "Liar! Take responsibility for your actions!" So it went, this happened at least three times a day. That, and the rocks that were constantly thrown at her left her body battered and bruised. One night as she was sitting there crying, a small boy came up to her. She didn't recognize him, he definitely wasn't one of the kids that threw stones at her. She immediately stopped crying, not even this kid would know how much she was hurting. He walked up to her and reached out. Sakura cringed back waiting for the strike to come but it never did. The child laid his hand gently against her cheek and looked up at her with... pity? He reached into his kimono and brought out a juicy ripe apple. Sakura's mouth watered, she hadn't had anything fresh for days. He held out the apple and let her take a bite. For a few minutes he stood there letting her eat the apple, never saying a word. When she was finished, he threw away the core and sat down in front of her. For a long time, he said nothing, only stared and Sakura did the same. Finally, he spoke, "You're not Raye, are you?" Sakura shook her head, "No, I'm not. My name is Sakura. Thank you for the apple." the little boy smiled, "Sure. My name's Kekeru." Sakura nodded, "Nice to meet you Kekeru. Um, I don't suppose you could untie me?" He shook his head, "I'm really sorry, but I can't. If I did then they'd know it was me." "How would they know that?" He looked down at the ground, "Because, I'm part demon too. I may not look it, but I can read people's minds, I know if they're lying. That's how I knew you weren't Raye. No one in the village knows except my mother and the headman, and he only keeps quite because my mother pays him. But I know I would be his first suspect if you suddenly went missing." Sakura smiled at the boy, "It's ok, I'm sure my family will come for me soon. You know, you're really lucky to be able to live among humans like you're one of them." "Maybe, but it's also really hard keeping this secret inside me. I feel like I'm hiding in shame of what I am." Sakura was about to respond when he stood up, "Well I better get going before my mother notices I'm gone. I'll come back tomorrow night." With that, he disappeared around the corner of a hut.
In Tokyo...
Kagome made preparations, she packed her yellow bag full of anything they might need, then she called Asano. He arrived at the house in five minutes having used his speed to get to the shrine. Then Kagome, Inuyasha, Saru and Asano jumped down the well. On the other side Inuyasha, Saru and Asano could tell that it hadn't been long since Raye had left the area. Saru took off towards the village to inform everyone of what had happened and the rest took off in the direction of Raye's scent. They finally found her sleeping in the top of a tree. As quietly as he could, Inuyasha jumped onto the branch and grabbed Raye's kimono. Raye woke with a start, "What the hell?! Hey, lemme go!" Raye swiped at Inuyasha with her claws but he held her at arms length and all she managed to do was spin around in the air. Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and deposited her on the ground, "Don't even think about running pup." Raye looked at him with anger, "Who're you calling pup?! Who do you think you are?!" Inuyasha returned her stare with one just as powerful, "I think I'm your father, you'd better show some respect." Raye took a step back, the anger flooding out of her eyes, "Y-you're lying, I don't have parents. Grandpa Magaru and Granny Taiya told me they found me by the river, they wouldn't lie to me." Asano stepped forward and hung his head, "That was my fault, we were playing hide and seek and you wandered off. A demon got you and you fell in the river. I tried to catch you but, then you went over the waterfall and... please forgive me." Asano started to cry, "It was all my fault." Kagome put her arm around his shoulders and tried to sooth him, "It wasn't your fault, don't say that." Then she looked up at Raye, "Please, we don't expect you to believe us but it's true. You are our daughter, and right now your sister needs your help." Raye looked very unsure but she could tell by their scent that they were indeed her parents. She frowned, "Sakura, right?" Kagome nodded, "She's your twin, and she's missing." Raye nodded, "I saw her, by the village I used to live in. If she hasn't come back then the villagers probably caught her." Inuyasha who had been standing off to the side spoke, "And what would they do to her?" Raye hung her head with guilt, "Well, if they thought she was me, they probably killed her." Kagome gasped, "But why?!" Raye bit her lower lip and didn't say a word. Inuyasha was the one who figured it out, "You've been terrorizing that village." Raye nodded, "They treated me lower than dirt when I lived there, I only did it to pay them back." Kagome looked at her with immense disappointment, what kind of person had her daughter become? Inuyasha walked away and Kagome followed him, "Where are you going?" "Where do you think, to find Sakura. There's a chance that she's not dead so I'm going to look for her." Kagome stopped him, "I'm coming too." Asano ran up to them, "And me." Raye stood back from them looking at her new found family, "I'll guess I'll come too, there's no way you guys are gonna find it without me." She walked to the head of the group with a look of annoyance on her face but Kagome knew that was just for show, Inuyasha used to be the same way, in fact he kind of still was. Kagome smiled and the four of them set of through the forest.
Authors Note: Well, hope you liked it! Remember, I won't write the next chapter until I get three more reviews so just click the little "Go" button at the bottom of the screen!