A/N: Well, It's Roku again. And for me, this is a great day, for I have the first real chapter of this story; Roku's tale. Please read, and listen, and review for me. This is where I let it all go, writing from instinct, ideas from sleep, and pure inspiration. I really want this story to mean something and have a message. So please enjoy this latest chapter, and it all gets better from here. I apologize you had to go through 3 chapters to get here, but I felt if I planted roots first the reader could grow. I did not want to rush into Roku's tale right away. I tried that. It didn't work, as she is a character not lenient on trust. So here it is. Thank you, readers, so here is begins.

Note: The "Dance of the Fox" was created by me. Two Foxes is my Sioux name. Thanks.

CHAPTER 4

"My fur is red as a fiery blaze

My spirit is free as the western wind

I see but am unseen

Clever and unique

I see what is unseen

I know the path for me

Misunderstood but always free

My fur is red and I am proud of it

My fur is red and I will die with it

I am Ongwe Ias

I am Fox." -Two Foxes, Dance of the Fox

…………

Years ago, when the time of war was strong, life for human and demon alike was full of terror, pain, unhappiness, and woe. Thousands lost their lives against the odds from demons and monsters hungry for blood. In a land where demons reigned a terrible hand over the land, it was hard to find peace during the war times. No matter where one went, danger loomed in the air like a strong scent of death. It was hard to find even a moment of happiness or purity, even simply care free time with no worries. Always on guard, the people had to rely on themselves to survive. Even kind demons could not escape the reign of those who were power hungry, destroying everything in sight for a little more strength. And the Shikon No Tama, or "Jewel of Four Souls" was the most sought after prize. All humans knew this was a treasure that must be kept out of the hands of demons.

Fire raged through the small town of Jujintsu. Blood was splattered everywhere as huts and homes were engulfed in flames. A simple farming town of monks and families now was a scene of a terrible massacre. The scent of death hung in the air heavily, and not a sign of life or green was visible any more. Those who had not been killed were already attempting to flee the horrible destruction. Villagers ran as fast as they could, away from the flames, but found themselves trapped on their own escape routes.

Demons had come to the village. It was the nightmare of the villagers, a nightmare that each day they prayed would never occur. Time spent at the temples praying for mercy seemed to be worth nothing, prayers in vain. Why had the gods wished this disaster upon them? Innocent families lay slain at their doorsteps, never even seeing the attacking demons before their lives were taken.

"WHERE IS IT?" the demons demanded, piercing innocent villagers with their claws and singing them with fire "YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS! WE KNOW YOU HAVE IT, AND WE WILL FIND IT!"

The Jewel of Four Souls was a prize any power hungry demon would pursue without mercy.

Gigantic dragon demons, blasting fire in all directions halted the villagers and killed them with a single blast of flame. There was no mercy. In the part of town that the fire had caught on last, a small hut was already beginning to be engulfed in fiery red flames. Two men were dragging a kicking and screaming women, with jet black long hair wearing a fire red kimono. She was screaming her lungs out, tears streaming down her face. her home was nearly totally enflamed.

"Go back!" she yelled desperately "Please, don't leave my son! Take him instead! My son!"

The men ignored her, dragging her struggling body

"You bastards, don't you realize my son's in there! Let me back! For the sake of the gods, what is wrong with you!"

"It's to late! He's good as dead now!" one of the men coughed, as smoke began to surround them in a thick fog.

"There's still time!" The woman screeched. She kicked and screamed, but the men just held her without mercy.

"You can't! It's to late! We have to get out of here!" The men dragged the poor woman away as she cried without avail. She struggled as she never had before. She lashed out as hard as she could, shaking and screeching so loudly it could be heard for miles.

"My son, oh gods, please! My son! My son!" she cried "NO! NO! DON'T DO THIS! HAVE YOU NO MERCY? OH GODS PLEASE!" she cried, and as they dragged her through the village, it was clear that there were no other survivors. The dragons were already beginning to destroy the forest: the only escape route left.

"Hurry!" the men yelled to a group of people escaping ahead "In a minute they'll be no way out!"

The heat was unbearable. The foliage had already set aflame immediately, as flames danced from tree to tree. The men had to use every ounce of strength they had to restrain the wailing woman as well as run through the flames.

One of the men whispered to himself silently "Poor little half breed... thinking of the baby left behind "perhaps this fate suits him than the life he would face."

"MY SON!" shouted the woman in a last desperate cry, as the escapees finally made it through the blazing inferno "INUYASHA! INUYASHAAAAAAAAA!" Her desperate pleas echoed throughout the land, the tears of a mother staining the land forever.

And luckily, there was someone nearby to hear it.

As usual, Roku was traveling alone. The night was clear and the heavens were decorated brilliantly with stars. The moon was a perfect quarter crescent. The night was pristine.

Roku had always learned to travel by night. There was less change you would see humans, and more importantly, the less chance they would see you. Sure, a wandering life had its downsides. Hiding often and traveling in darkness, always on the lookout for enemies. Yet Roku enjoyed the daytime sun in the deep forest. At least she was away from humans. Fearing them was a natural instinct. Alone on your own, you looked out for yourself and no one else. You fought only when you had to, and it was very peaceful indeed. Peace was a good thing, in Roku's eyes.

Lifting her head up to the heavens, her thick hair waving by her eyes and her large fox-ears fluttering in the wind, the best part about being part fox was the ears. They kept her warm in the winter and cool in the summer (Not to mention cute, too!), alert to the slightest sounds in the wind. Roku breathed deeply. What a wonderful night. Scenting the winds each night helped her to tell where she was and where she was going, and what was happening. She breathed again, taking in all the scents around her. But this time it was unusual. A scent...what was this? A scent of a tree dying, a scent of heat and warmth. The scent of dryness and sand.

Roku recognized this smell. Fire. Humans used it to keep warm and cook their food. Long ago her family had it sometimes, to keep the sick and weak warm through the winter. But it had been a while since Roku smelled it this closely or strong before. She smelled it quite often in the wind, usually by a road or town, but for some reason beyond her knowing, this time it seemed...wrong.

Not the wrong you think or between the right thing to do and the bad thing to do. Not the feeling of stealing or hurting others, just plain and simple. WRONG.

Roku had learned to always trust her instincts. And she most certainly did now. What was happening? Fire was common, so why did this smell so strange and dangerous? Sure, it could be dangerous. But what did it have to do with her? It was the humans' problem. It had nothing to do with her, so why should she care? She never bothered with them, they never bothered her (More like never saw her.)

But Roku couldn't just turn away. The thought kept hovering until eventually she gave in to herself.

"Okay Okay..." she said to herself. Talking alone was common for her. "I'll just go down for a minute and see what's going on...then I'll leave."

"I hope I'm not getting myself into something really bad..." Roku thought as she began to trail. She followed the scent in the air, and surprisingly it did not take long to reach the village. Yet she saw the smoke even before she got there, the deadly read glow of coals and flames. She knew the village was gone even before she got there. Roku emerged from the trees, and literally screamed in horror.

The massacre in front of her was gruesome. Dead bodies lay on top of one another, half burned, others so disfigured and melted they did not even look like humans. Blood was caked and burning with a disgusting mix of rotting flesh and burning bodies, and Roku's sensitive nose almost caused her to vomit and gag. The buildings were completely destroyed, and from the scent of it she knew the massacre was done by other demons.

"Who could do such a thing..." she thought in disbelief "Even to humans...

Roku couldn't bare to look anymore. Although she hated humans, she still felt mercy for them. Roku did not wish to take life or see life taken, not even humans. Roku knew she had to leave. She couldn't bare it any longer. She wanted to run to her home, to the forest, and leave this horrible sight behind her and forget it. And she would have too, if it wasn't for an interruption.

It was faint at first, and Roku wasn't even sure she had heard it all. A figment of her imagination caused by the crackling and hissing flames. But she pricked her ears up and stood on her paw toes. Her tail stood straight out and she listened.

And she heard it.

Crying. Crying of a human child. There was one more survivor in this place. A baby was alive. Roku felt panic inside her heart. What was she going to do? Leave it of course!

"It's just a human. Why should I care what happens to it? Look at what humans have done to ME! Just saving me some trouble. He's going to die regardless. It doesn't matter." she thought to herself.

She was going to leave, but she couldn't. Her kind heart overtook her, and in winced in pain at the thought of an innocent baby dying in the heated inferno. But it didn't matter! It was just a measly human.

But then Roku's eyes widened as a building nearby collapsed in a pile of dancing burning embers, and huge flames that shot up into the trees above, crackling and burning and roaring menacingly. The baby's crying became even louder at the frightening sounds. Roku's heart was filled with fear. Her kind heart opened from the terror in her eyes.

"But it does matter!" she yelled in her mind, and in a split second leaped into the blazing town, dodging dancing hands of flame that lashed from all sides. She perked her ears, following the crying. She nearly collapsed from the heat and the crying baby. But it seemed to grow more distant, and in a panic Roku strained, leaping over flaming piles of dead bodies and wood until she reached a far side of town where the flames were less intense. She saw where the cries were coming from. The house was almost ready to cave in, and in a flash of instinct and no second thoughts, Roku ran inside. And it took her breath away

Oh the gods, the heat! It was completely unbearable! Roku nearly gagged with pain as the heart surrounded her, but this had to be the right house! Each step she made, the crying became louder. She could see nothing, even with her sensitive and acute vision. She relied on her scent and ears to guide her.

"What the HELL am I doing?" she screamed to herself mentally as a bunch of burning material nearly fell on her from above "I'm gonna get myself KILLED!" But Roku was already in, and there was no point in turning back now.

She was in the main room, and she heard the crying intensely now. She opened her eyes, tearing up due to the unbearable amount of smoke, and saw a bare outline of the crying child. But a piece of collapsed ceiling fell down straight in front of her, scattering dancing embers as Roku leaped back in terror. The heat almost made her want to die of fear. She almost could not contain her screams of pain. The baby stopped crying.

"Oh gods..." Roku prayed silently "Please let him be alive..." She leaped over the burning embers and nearly scalded her paws on burning floor. But it was worth it. The child was right in front of her!

He wasn't moving! Was he dead? Roku sniffed him. No, he was only stunned, most likely from smoke inhalation. She had to get him out! She grabbed the ruff of clothes and skin on his back and leaped through the flames, avoiding embers and heat, and with one last great jump, threw herself out the doorway just in time. Barely after she made the leap of faith, the house crumbled to the ground. Roku reared and backed up, her eyes wide with terror. She leaped over piles of burning debree, and bolted into the forests as the fire danced closer and closer, but unmatched to Roku's speed. Demon and child ran off into the night as the village burned into oblivion.

A/N: Getting interesting, eh? More to come soon! Wish me luck, thank you all!