Thanks for all the reviews. Im glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter :)

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Last Chapter - He defeated the demon and now he stood staring at this strange girl. She looked normal enough on the outside, but from what he had seen, he knew better. Her eyes were a bright sky blue. It was as if day itself was trapped inside of her bright eyes. Her expression was a surprised one to his shock, and not one of fear as most got around him. His golden eyes did not stray from her blue ones. And there they stood, human and demon. Neither knew the others name, or who they truly were. And so he turned and began to walk away into the forest. Cloaked by the darkness of the night, he disappeared from her sight.

Saved by a demon. That, she did not expect most of all. She thought they were all foul and heartless, yet this one had spared her. She knew nothing of him and was sure she had never met him before. One of the same kind who had once slain her mother had saved her. Would that be enough payment for the death of her mother? A life for a life? No. It was not enough to steer away her hate for all demons. She did not often use the word hate for she thought it was rather strong, but this was the only exception. And now, she stood still by that same lonely stream.

Saved by a demon, once upon a December.

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Chapter 2 - Once Upon a December

As she walked across the small stream, she felt the stinging sensation of the cold water upon her bare feet. Grimacing, she continued to walk straight ahead towards the mountains. There, she came across a small cave. It was not very deep or tall, but it would protect her from the cold of the night. This is how she had spent the last few years. Moving from village to village, sleeping where ever there was shelter. She had no home, she had no family. Her friends, they had probably forgotten her by now. And, if she were ever to come across one of them, surely they would not recognize the changed person which she was now.

Bending over, she walked inside the tiny cave and immediately sat down. It was rather cold inside the dark cave, almost as chilly as it was outside. Complete darkness, there was nothing that could be seen and nothing to see. She found she enjoyed darkness. It was the greatest shield of them all, protecting you from the eyes of even the greatest of men. It was soothing, almost relaxing in a way. Laying down on the damp floor of the abandoned cave, she closed her eyes.

Thoughts of the demon who had saved her drifted into her mind. He was so mysterious to her. She did not know his name, and that, she resented. She had to know who he was. Silver hair, and golden eyes. She wanted to know why he had saved her. A blue crescent moon, crest of royalty. At only one glimpse, he had left her completely dumbfounded. She sighed. It was unlikely they would ever cross paths again, but if they were to, she hoped all of her questions would be answered. The one thing that had not changed about her over the years, was her curiosity. She had always questioned everything in her sight. Even when she knew she was wrong, she continued to question endlessly. And, it had been that same trait that had almost cost her life itself many times before. It had been that same trait... that had caused her loved ones death.

Bringing her hands up to her pale face, she rubbed her shut eyes. So many unwanted thoughts were now drifting into her head. Fear, loud screams, blood, all reminders of that night. Was she really all right? It had been years, yet her soul was slowly dimming, her rational thought was almost completely gone, and her love of the world, of all things, it was not to be found. And then, there was the cure to this state of depression. That song that was sung once upon a December. She began to hum the same melody as before. It erased all the bad memories and brought out the good times. The fun days when her family was still together.

Her father worked outside cutting lumber for the oncoming winter nights along with her little brother. She and her mother were inside, cooking many delicious things. The little girl watched as her mother slowly and carefully chopped the vegetables, symmetrically. With some, she made odd, yet cool shapes. The little girl giggled as she watched her mother cut one into a heart.

"Kagome?"

The little girl sprung up from her seat on the wooden table. "Yes mama?"

"Come here and help me."

Nodding quickly, Kagome bounced up and down the entire way to where her mother stood. "What do I do?"

Her mother stopped cutting the vegetables and handed Kagome a long wooden spoon. She walked over to where a large black pot of what seemed to be porridge cooked over a small controlled fire.

"I need you to keep stirring this for me, okay honey?"

Kagome smiled and nodded her head up and down. Her mother went back to her creative art of cutting vegetables. Kagome turned her attention towards the cooking porridge in front of her. She leaned over slightly and closed her eyes as the scent consumed her. It's smell was mouth watering. She stuck the wooden spoon inside of the porridge and held it with both hands. She began to stir in a complete circle, clockwise. She stuck her tongue out slightly as she concentrated to get the correct rhythm for this task. As she found it, she grinned in delight. Task completed.

"Like this mama?"

Her mother covered her lips and chuckled as she watched her daughter. She always found it amusing the way Kagome concentrated so much on such simple tasks.

"Yes honey, you're doing great."

She soon found herself drifting off into another world. This world was truly perfect. Everything was as she had always wished it to be. She was no longer alone and lost. She had her father, brother, and mother with her. Was this heaven? Had she finally passed on to the world beyond? To become one of the radiant stars in the night sky? No. She knew this world was not real, but it did not matter. She grasped onto these memories as long as she could. They were her only valuables and if she were ever to forget them and leave them behind, she truly would be lost.

As she hummed the melody, it became softer and softer. Slower and slower. Soon, it could no longer be heard. The silence of the night emerged once again as she slept peacefully in the small cave. The snow outside became harder and harder. The winds picked up. All tracks of living life were erased with this vital blanket of crystals. The bare dark trees, were now covered in a layer of white. The grass, flowers, everything was dead. And this one living soul, who had grasped onto life longer than she thought was fair, slept in the middle of this dead world. Always expecting to wake up one day during spring in a field of flowers. To be greeted by her brother and father, to be held by her mother.

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Unlike her usual mornings, there was no chirping of birds to wake her anymore. No curious squirrels searching for food. There was nothing. All of these animals were still cuddled up in their nests hiding from the cold of this December. And, this December had been the coldest by far. Outside, the sun shone brightly in the middle of the sky. Even as this symbol of warmth illuminated the day, the cold had not dispatched. As Kagome stepped out from the protection of the damp cave, she clutched onto her shoulders and shivered. The humidity of the cave had overall made everything worse. The thin layers of clothing she wore could never compare to the wind on this day.

She walked slowly through the deep snow. It rose as high as her ankles. It seems as if the snow had fallen all night. Instead of melting as it should have, it flourished. Right now it sat, laughing at the weakness of the sun's rays. It advertised itself to be such a hot thing, yet could not bring down the invading snow. Her stomach growled in pure hunger. She had not had anything to eat since the previous morning. It was her usual routine to do so. Over the past years, she had thinned from the lack of nutrition. Usually, a fish per day got the job done. She really had nothing to complain about. She was not happy, far from it, yet she was grateful. For what? She did not know.

Searching up and down the small stream, she found no sign of life. There were no fish for her to feast on, and nothing for those fish, who had once been here, to feast on. All she found which resembled food, was a small bush of red berries. Picking one, she popped it into her mouth and chewed. It had a sweet-sour taste to it. Though it was not the most pleasant thing to eat, it would do. She sat down in front of the bush and picked the berries one by one. She laid them down on her lap as she continued to pick the berries. Then, folding the layer of her outfit up and wrapping it around her waist, she made a permanent basket for the berries. It would help her save them for the oncoming day of travel.

She was traveling to the closest village, in hope it would not be like the rest. The people of this era trusted no one. Everywhere she went, she was not welcome. And so, she had been forced to live in the wilderness, searching for a home. Hopefully, in the west, the people would be more welcoming. She had once heard that the lord of the west was a vicious demon, but she had stopped believing stories a long time ago. So what if he was a demon? Most human men also deserved the same name. And that's what she figured he was, a ruthless man.

For hours, she continued to walk towards the west, barefoot. Slowly, her eyes were becoming weary, and her legs shaky. If she fell asleep out here in the open she knew there was a chance she would not wake again. She was awaiting death, but for some reason, she would not let it come. There were many times when she could have just let herself wither up and die, but she didn't. She continued to push on to the unknown. To this ruthless world of hate. She was a weak girl, that much was true, but even now after so many years, her will was still strong. Even when there was nothing to live for, she continued to do so. Maybe she was searching for salvation itself. For proof, that there was such a thing as humanity. She would have believed such a thing existed years ago, but not anymore. And, until her search was completed, she would not give in. She would not give in to the darkness, to the sweet blanket of snow, to the forever land of dreams, as good as it sounded.

And then, as if it were her luck, a few yards away from her, stood a growling wolf. His eyes were a fiery red, and his mouth watered up in hunger. 'Crap!' It seemed to her as if every other day, she was being attacked by something. Whether it be a demon or a bee, everything seemed to be after her. Was there some bounty in a foreign land on her head which she did not know of? She could barley see anymore and her legs were magically holding her up. Weaker than ever, yet, she did not feel like dying at this moment. She felt anger towards the wolf for appearing at such a time. Then, without another thought, she picked up a long stick which laid on the ground next to her. She held on to it tightly and readied herself for the attacking wolf. It took a few steps closer to her. Its fur was wet and mucky from the snow.

As he patrolled his lands, he smelt it. The smell of a wolf demon. Out of all the demons, he detested these the most. It was these same demons who had once taken away the life of an innocent little girl. He turned his head in the direction of the scent. His golden eyes locking on the path to take. He jumped from tree to tree, speed unmatched, ready to take down this wolf. His mission was to get rid of them all. He just wanted them dead. And what after this task was done? He did not know. But, until that time, there was always something to awake for in the mornings, just as there had been little over a hundred years ago. When he reached the location of the wolf demon, he was surprised at the sight in front of him. It was the same girl from the previous night. She held a stick in her hand, as if she were strong enough to take down the demon. 'Pitiful,' he thought. He was amused however, and stood watching, awaiting the next action.

She thanked the grave of her father for teaching her how to hold and use a sword as a little girl. He always felt it was necessary for her to know how to defend herself. The wolf charged at her, still growling as it neared. Kagome squinted her eyes, and as the wolf jumped up, she swung with all her might. Not expecting the sudden attack, the wolf was sent flying backwards and hit a tree.

"Kagome, come out here sweetie." A man's voice broke through the silence of dawn.

Stumbling as she walked out of the house, a small figure fell to her knees and quickly stood up again. She jogged over to where the man stood. He was tall, a giant to her. His eye's where the same color as hers, a sky blue. And his hair, blacker than black.

"Yes, papa? Have I done anything wrong?" The young girl pondered the reason for this early meeting.

"No, no, not at all." He mused, "Actually, I think it's time you learn how to defend yourself."

"Defend myself?" She did not understand his concept. Everything was fine to her as it was. Their entire neighborhood was full of familiar friendly faces. There was nothing to be worried of. "Whatever for?"

The girl's father laughed. His voice loud and deep. He knew his daughter wouldn't understand his ways at this moment, but that did not change the facts. It was a tough world, a very hard one indeed. His daughter was trapped inside the walls of this fantasy. It's a magical town of love. But, god only knew how much longer this peace would last. God only knew how much longer he himself had amongst his loved ones.

"Trust me Kagome, this is for your own good."

He handed her a long wooden sword. It was almost as tall as she was. As she tried to lift it, she almost fell to the ground. Surely he must have been joking. There's no way she could even hold this sword. How did he expect her to defend herself with this?

"Now," he said, "hold it like this." He positioned her hands on the sword correctly and helped her lift it over her head.

"Good. Now, swing." Still grasping on to the sword, he helped her swing forward. Again, and Again, and Again. He was her support. Surely, she thought, without him she could not even hold it straight.

Without him. What would she ever do without his protection. Without his warmth?

Kagome took a deep breath and fell to the ground. Her legs could no longer hold her up. Then, to her surprise, the wolf stood up once again. Obviously, its hunger was greater than its pain at this moment. It jumped at her once again. Unsure of what to do, Kagome stuck the stick out in front of her and closed her eyes. She heard the wolf cry out in pain and then, there was silence. Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed the once pure white snow was now tinted a crimson color. Was it her blood? Looking at her hands, she saw more blood. The stick had pierced the wolf in the chest, and now, it was truly dead. She pushed the demon off of her, it landed a few feet away.

To his shock, this weak girl had actually defeated the demon. She looked so fragile, so unable to defend herself just as she had the previous night. Her hair was greasy and her outfit was dirty. He could tell this girl had no family. He was immediately reminded of another little girl who had once faced the same problem. They resembled each other in so many ways, except their eyes. The little girl he had known had bright brown eyes. They were always full of joy, happiness, and laughter. She brought light into his world. This girl in front of him however, had dim blue eyes. They were full of grief, of death. She seemed to be stuck in a state of depression for reasons unknown to him. This bothered him, not knowing. Even if she was just a worthless human, the fact of confusion irked him.

She looked at her hands in shock. Her once pale skin was now covered in red blood. Her hands began to shake. She hated blood, she feared it. She stuck her hands in the snow, as if expecting it to melt and wash away this vital fluid. But no, it still remained. Its as if it would never leave. It would forever be a reminder of the fact the she had killed. Her hands were still shaky. The blood on them looked like the blood of that night. The blood of her own family. The blood, that had once been her mothers.

She ran faster and faster, her feet aching. She was headed in the direction she had been at earlier today. Sweat rolled down the side of this little girls face. Her face was paler than usual. Her eyes were wide as if out of shock. And those same eyes that once held the morning sky in them, now held something darker. A certain fear that no one of her age should ever come to know. 'Please be okay. Please... please.'

As she reacher her destination, she stopped running. Her legs and hands were shaky. Panting, she searched for a certain someone. The person she had left here. The person who was not suppose to have been left. And, as she found that person, she was sure she was going to faint. Her skin could no longer turn a paler color. It truly seemed like she had seen a ghost. She walked slowly towards the figure.

It laid on the floor, face down. And all around it, there was a pool of crimson liquid. She fell to her knees as she reached the figure.

"Mama?" She shoved her back and forth with her hands. "Mama?" She tried and tried to wake her, but her mother would not awake.

"Mama?" Her voice became louder, sharper.

After a minute of no response, she decided to turn the figure over. As she did, her mouth fell open and her eyes became wider and wider by the second. And then, through the silence of the forest, a loud scream broke through.

"Ma...ma." She cried. Her eyes were now like waterfalls, falling freely. Her vision was blurred, and all of her senses stopped working. She did not feel the piercing cool of the wind, or the snow falling upon her head. She lifted her hands up from her mother and stared down at them. They were covered in a red liquid. Blood. Not just any blood, her mothers. The one person she had loved the most. The one person she would die without. That one person, that was now being buried in a grave of snow.

"Im sorry mama.." Her voice was low and shaky. "He took me away from you. He.. he is the reason for this."

The little girl moved a few feet away from the figure. She grasped on to her knees and rocked back and forth as she stared at her mother in dis-belief. This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't.

"Dancing bears,

Painted Wings,

Things I almost remember,

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December."

The words she sung could barley be heard through her tears. Through her loud sobs. With this song, she expected her mother to sit up and sing it along with her. The way she always had. Then, they would go home, and she would tuck her into bed. The way she always had. But as she continued to sing, the figure remained unmoving. Lifeless.

She continued to rub her hands with the snow vigorously. It was slowly coming off. Slowly fading away onto the now bloody snow. And when it was gone, she finally took a breath. She lifted herself up from the snow, as painful as it was. She could not stop until she was somewhere safe. She took one step forward, then another, and another. As she continued to walk slowly however, she felt her consciousness slowly drifting away. She stumbled forward and immediately lost her balance. She fell down to the snow. Everything became white.

He continued to watch from far away as the girl began to walk. As she fell down in the snow. She truly is as weak as she looks. He awaited and awaited for her to stand up, only to fall, once again. His golden eyes were locked on her figure. It was slowly being covered in snow. Hidden from the rest of the world, never to be found again. Only he knew of its location. What is she doing? Why does she not stand? He jumped down from his spot on the tree and began to walk towards the unmoving figure. He used his leg to turn her over to her front.

Her eyes were closed. Almost as if they had been glued down by some unseen force. Her lips were a light pink color, dry and chapped. Sesshoumaru grimaced at the scent coming off of her. The blood of a dead demon. Foolish girl. If she were to walk around like this, other wolfs would be upon her in no time. He should just let her die, she would eventually. They...always do. And he would have, he could have just left, but their resemblance was too uncanny. Looking down at the withering Figure on the ground, flashes of another girl came into mind. Sighing, he picked up the girl and began to walk away. He walked in the direction of the blowing wind. He shielded her from the cold.