An/ FIRST

I'm going to camp for two weeks sadly, so I won't be able to update until the 30th, but when I get back I'm putting on three chapters almost immediately. Don't forget about me; put me in your favorites, even for only two weeks so you can remember, I know how I am among those things.

okay, I'd like to give a shout-out to Inuyukino, Kikyo's Forgotten Soul, inuchan fan, roshyn77, keeper of paradise, brandy verkler, and…oh, yeah, that's me. (Sango-maru) he he. Anyway, I would like to thank those who reviewed, it made a happy author. I will update Monday and Friday, but will update simultaneously throughout the week as well. Sorry about the short chapter last time, this one should be longer. (This chapter has a greater effect if the reader is listening to "good riddance", also known as "time of your life", by green day, while reading it. I was writing it to this song, and know it goes great with this ending. Thank you)

No matter how hard he tried to drown out that ear-splitting screech from penetrating his sensitive earlobes, it was becoming painfully obvious that he was fighting a losing battle. With a groan, he rolled over onto his side, squashing his pillow down over his throbbing head to muffle the sound. Unsuccessful, he groggily made his way out of bed, and crossed the carpet of his room soundlessly. Rubbing his tired eyes on the back of his sleeve, he turned the knob of his door and left the sanctity of his bedroom.

The hallway was black as night, and the only light came from the light that shone from underneath the kitchen door, and the occasional bolt of lightning that flooded the hall with an eerie orange glow. The floorboards creaked slightly under his small weight as he made his was towards the kitchen door, looking for comfort. Two feet away from the door, a sudden feeling of dread filled him as his small hand hovered before the handle. Somehow, he wouldn't like what he would see beyond the door.

Another crack of thunder made up his mind as he jumped with fright, pushing the door open and running inside. Looking around, his mother was no where in sight. The bare light bulb swung back and forth slightly as though it was recently disturbed, the light creating monstrous shadows lurking around corners ready to eat him.

"M-mo-mother? Where a-are you?" his voice cracked slightly in fear, wanting only to run to his mother and find comfort in her enveloping embrace. Only an eerie silence answered him. He opened his mouth again to call out for her, but found no sound would come out.

Suddenly a loud thumping sound echoed through his ears, and in complete panic, his mind froze up, his knees buckling beneath him. He slid to the ground in a dead faint.

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"He seems to be unconscious…maybe trauma…possibly…"

"But do you think…"

"I doubt it, but…"

The faint smell of cinnamon worked its way into Inuyasha's nostrils, successful in rousing him from his slumber. He lifted his head slowly, taking in his surroundings while rubbing his head.

"Either way, he's got no where else to go now."

There was someone else in the room, that much was sure, two people actually. The first one's voice seemed soft, full of sympathy. He must be a nice person.

Realizing he was facing away from the two visitors, and still in his kitchen, he turned to face the two strangest people he'd ever seen. The first was a short, bald man with sickly greenish skin, wearing an old-fashioned brown kimono, and seemed rather cross. The second was only a teenage girl; not a day older than 16, with long brownish-black hair, kind eyes, and a colorful orange and yellow kimono. They were discussing something quietly, yet their body actions portrayed them to be heatedly arguing about something. Inuyasha stood up slowly, and walked up behind the two silently.

"I'm sorry, but can I help you?"

The reactions of the two were identical, both jumping and whipping their heads around to see their 'attacker'. Inuyasha choked back a laugh at their expense, repeated the question just as sweetly, sitting down on one of the stools, and waited for them to introduce themselves.

"Okay, I'm Rin, and this short dude is Jaken," the girl said in a bubbly tone, the man, Jaken, looking bowled over at her abruptness at labeling him 'short'. He glared at her, but his stare did little to faze her.

Inuyasha found that he very much liked this girl's attitude, and those eyes held so much care. Jaken on the other hand looked very much like a toad. Inuyasha didn't like toads.

"I'm-" the girl interrupted him immediately, accidentally dropping a file folder that she had been holding, it's contents spilling all over the linoleum floor. A picture caught Inuyasha's eye. It was of an alley, with something lying in the middle of it, covered in a white sheet. It was quickly scooped up with many others back into the file by an embarrassed looking Rin.

"We know who you are, Inuyasha Taisho, age 7, hany-" Jaken was suddenly elbowed very hard in the ribs by a now pissed Rin. It almost looked like he had almost said something he shouldn't have, and it was making an already curious boy fidget with inquisitiveness.

Suddenly Inuyasha became aware that he had no idea why these strangers were in his home, and he still hadn't found his mother. He grew nervous and backed away slowly, mumbling something about apologies, and needing to find his mother. The girl's face took on a sympathetic look, and stepped closer, making Inuyasha back away farther still.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said tenderly, kneeling down in front of him, "you'll never find your mother."

Alarmed, he froze; what did she mean, 'I'll never find her'? She reached forward until she clasped his hands in her own, a form of comfort. He struggled to free himself, no longer interested in what this lady had to say, he just wanted to run to the security of his mother's embrace.

"I'm sorry, but your mother's not coming back." -No, he wouldn't listen- "she's never coming back" -that's not true-she would never leave me-must have just went to the store, or-

Rin pulled Inuyasha's face to look into her saddened brown ones. Emotion swirled in those chocolate depths, and Inuyasha found himself slumping against her chest, whimpering softly, his face pressed against the front of her kimono. "She's not gone…no, she can't be…" he whimpered. She wrapped her arms around his slim shaking form.

"I'm sorry…I know how you feel, my parents died when I was 5-"

"NO!" Inuyasha shoved away from her, toppling over, then scrambling to his feet. "She's not dead! She-she just can't be!" In hysterics, he turned from her and ran in any direction but towards the lady telling him lies.

"Inuyasha, come back, please!"

Tears blinding his vision, he collapsed in total desolation, succumbing to the sobs that sought to make themselves known. When Rin kneeled in front of him once more, he didn't even have the strength to push her away.

His father had died when he was only three, leaving him no man to look up to or learn from. He had been tormented mercilessly by the other children, leaving him scarred emotionally from their malicious remarks about his looks, and from lack of friends. Now his mother, his only thread to sanity was gone; how could he possibly live without her? No, he couldn't, there was no way. No one else would put up with having a freak in their house, he knew.

He sobbed into her kimono once again, holding onto the sheer fabric as though he was afraid that that too, would be taken away from him. She rubbed soothing circles into his back, whispering reassuring words to the poor boy latched onto her. He cried for nearly twenty minutes, during which Jaken tapped his foot impatiently, ignored by the two on the floor. When Inuyasha was finally done, his eyes were puffy and slightly pink; Rin's shoulder had a giant wet spot from the tears.

"Okay, now that all the mushy stuff is over-it is over, correct?" Jaken waited for Inuyasha to hesitantly sniffle and nod his head. "Yes well, I suppose we should return to the mansion now. Come along Rin." The toad-like man turned away from the pair, and strode out the kitchen door, a.k.a. front door.

Amber eyes widening to the size of a small paper plate at the prospect of being left alone after hearing such news, he turned horror-struck to Rin, who was already getting up and stretching from kneeling so long. She stood, and seeing the scared look on his face said, "Don't worry, your step-brother is a good guy, you'll like him." This did little to kill his curiosity, instead doubling his questions. Step-brother? Since when did he have a step-brother?

Stepping inside the black Bentley, door being held open by Jaken, Inuyasha took one last longing look at the house he once lovingly called 'home', the place he was born and raised, before the expensive car zoomed off towards the horizon, and towards someplace that he hoped he might one-day call 'home' as lovingly as the one before.

An/ for all of you who listened to my advice, thank you, though it does nothing to me if some people can't listen to advice. Just joking, just joking, I swear. It's okay. What do you people think? Your comments have more of an input in the author's works than you may think, so don't be afraid to add your comment. As a side note, I found from one of my readers that I had accidentally disabled the 'anonymous reviews', so now I got it set up so you people without accounts can review too! Woohoo! Yay! Anyway, three reviews make a happy author, but four makes a really happy one. Remember, gone for two weeks, put me in favorites. Three free chapters if two more people put me in favorites, so tell your friends too! Ja ne!