Chapter 2

Kagome had left the building, sitting on the vanity was a quickly scrolled note to her family and fiancée. She ran through the streets searching for the silvery hair of Shessomaru. She caught sight of him, "Shessomaru, please," she ran after him, "wait!" He looked over his shoulder at her, she raised an eyebrow at the young women in her white wedding gown.

"Yes, Miss Kagome?" he asked, she stood before him gasping for breath her hand at her chest. She straightened, and locked eyes with him.

"Where did you get this?"

Shessomaru was in a fine black suit, a silky blue shirt and a darker blue tie, he sipped at his tea waiting for Kagome to come back downstairs, changing out of the silken white gown, it had pearls sewn onto the the edges of it as well as around the waist and down the sleeves.

There was a thud from upstairs and the running of feet, Kagome appeared at the top of the stairs pulling a short sleeve white shirt on, she was in blue jeans as well. "Sorry for making you wait, I just had to get out of that dress, it was starting to get annoying. Can't walk around in a dress for too long."

"No, no, its quite alright." He put down the tea on the counter, and stood, "May I apologize for ruining your wedding."

"I was only marring the guy so everyone would stop harassing me." She went and sat down next to him, "But can you tell me, where Inuyasha is?"

"Truly," he turned toward her, "I don't know, he appeared sometime ago and told me I had to find a girl named Kagome and give her the note. I had no idea what it meant." He watched her turn the note over in her hands, "How did you my brother."

She nodded slowly, her eyes had a distant look to them, she snapped back to look to Shessomaru, "yes, though its, complicated." She smiled and leaned on the table, "so tell me about...your brother." Shessomaru smirked. He responded that the question was normally tell me about yourself. Kagome flushed.

"Inuyasha is my once older half-brother, now however I consider him younger than myself," Shessomaru took another drink of tea, "Our father is Inu Tasho,"

"I've heard of him," Kagome stated, "So your the heir to that one huge company?"

"Of a sort," he heard himself reply, he looked into the tea cup, he then heard a car pull into the drive, "Your family had returned."

"Oh god..." she went and looked out the door, "I seriously don't want to deal with them right now, could we leave?" Shessomaru shrugged and put down his tea, as they left by way of the back door, her mother came in, scowling, because she felt she must, however she was smiling underneath her guise. Grandpa and Souta came in after her, both of them grinning, thinking the same thing, "Kagome's been kidnapped by an angel." Souta finally said aloud.

"I don't think so." her mother stated, though she had to smile at the thought.

Shessomaru walked with a dignity that seemed unmatchable, and that one would never expect from one who was still on parole for robbery. His tail was up over his shoulder, and his hands behind his back with his fingers intertwined. "Who was your mate to be?" he asked, catching Kagome unaware.

"Huh?" she realized she had been staring at him, "Oh, umm, Hojo, he's human, I liked him and all, but,"

"That hanyou brother of mine took the higher place in your heart." Shessomaru smirked, it vanished into a face of indifference, "When he handed the note to me, he seemed only half there, like another being, or as if he could not quite remember why he was there, he vanished after telling me whom I was to find."

"So you have no idea where he is?"

Shessomaru paused and looked into one of the shop windows, he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "I know that he is dead, he is a guardian after all, and he is now lost two of his charges, you and another girl some hundred years ago, she was killed while under his protection, and then you he fell for." He shrugged and began to walk again, deciding prison again wasn't worth the Latin suit in the window. "I suppose they would have given him another charge, somewhere, he could quite possibly be on the other side of the world."

Kagome looked over into the park, "Where are you Inuyasha?" she breathed. She looked up into Shessomaru's golden eyes, just like Inuyasha's. "Will you help me find him, please?"

"I have no reason to search out my brother," he stated, he sniffed the air, then again, there it was again, it had been sometime since he had smelled the scent, could he possibly be here, again? "If destiny decides that you should find each other then you will see Inuyasha again." He took her hand and kissed it, Kagome flushed, he didn't notice. "Good day to you lady Kagome." He walked away and vanished into the crowds. Kagome looked into one of the glass windows at her reflection, she had her hair back, braided, she pulled off the elastic and allowed her hair to undo itself and cascade in loose waves over her shoulders. She walked away from the window, back toward the shrine.

She looked at the house and shivered as the wind caught her by surprise, the lights were on and she could smell dinner cooking, she didn't want to go back inside just yet. She walked over to the God Tree and sat on its roots, she looked up at the darkening sky, stars began to materialize, and shimmer like diamonds in the heavens, one of then shot across the sky, "I wish I had my angel." She whispered and closed her eyes.

"Now why would you want a bastard angel?" the gruff voice came from somewhere over head, her eyes shot open, "I thought you preferred demons." she jumped away from the tree and gazed up into its branches. A pair of glowing eyes were visible, "Though the last demon you tried was an angel as well, I'm not sure how that works."

"Who are you?" she asked backing away, her voice shaking slightly.

"Come on." the person said, "It has only been, what a year, maybe two, -at the most- since you last saw me." He climbed down from the tree, his eyes went red, long black tresses of hair cascaded down over his shoulders.

"Naraku?" she stumbled further back, she glanced over her shoulder at the door to her home, "I though Inuyasha would have killed you, or,"

"No, no love, you wished I was dead," he walked toward her. He caught sight of her back glance. "Get them involved and I'll kill them too bitch. And I suppose you want to know how long I've been here? Well let me answer you question before you ask it, I've been here all day, waiting for a chance to catch you alone." he caught hold of her wrist as she tried to run, "You couldn't have the hanyou bastard so you go for his full-blooded brother, not much of a, conversationalist, but I would agree that he is a pleasure to look at." Naraku pulled her wrist up away from her, bringing her right up next to him, he inhaled her scent deeply."When I'm done with you, your going to wish you were dead."

His free hand hit her in the stomach she flew back and hit the shed that covered the old well, there were stars in her vision, she fell to the ground gasping for breath, another moment passed and his hand was locked around her throat shoving her against the wall, her mind flashed back to before, her home, alone, him.

"No!" she screamed, he was thrown away by a bright blue light. He flew across the lawn an rolled away, his skin was smoking, she rubbed her throat, she heard the door to her house open, "Don't come out here!" she yelled, "Call help!" She took off into the trees that surrounded her house. Naraku groaned and pulled himself up onto his hands, he shook his head trying to regain consciousness.

"Bitch!" he bellowed, Kagome froze somewhere in the trees, "I'm coming for you bitch." she swallowed, there was no saliva to wet her dry throat, she ran again. Naraku stood and began to stalk her into the trees.

She knew these woods better than any demon could hope to, however she heard something pushing trees over, she hopes her family had called the police, she prayed that they would, "So, you want to play game do you?" Naraku's voice floated through the trees, "Then lets play cat and mouse," he kicked over another tree, "or better yet, search and destroy." He chuckled, "Do you know how to control that strange power that you use, better yet, do you even know what it is?"

Kagome could smell smoke, she began to cough as the smoke got thicker, "If you won't come out then I'll just burn your precious woods and home to the ground."

She froze, her terror vanished, "No," she whispered, anger began to take the place of the fear, this grew into hatred and fury. "I won't let you hurt them." she hissed, she walked out from the cover of the trees and the smoke.

"What can you do to stop me bitch?" he asked before he felt her fury pouring from her. She raised her eyes to look at him, they had turned into a glowing white-blue inferno. "Where the hell are you getting that sort of power?" he cried, there was a break of terror in his voice.

"Die, Nuraku." she whispered, there was a flash and he had vanished, not by her will, by his, his voice lingered for a moment.

"I'll be back for you bitch, I'll see you burn in hell before I do."

Kagome felt the power that she had found flood from her, putting out the fires Nuraku had started, she fell to the ground, she flattened herself on the ground, someone appeared over her, "Inuyasha?" she questioned before she fell into darkness, she felt arms lift her from the ground.

((Elsewhere moments before the end of the above scene))...

There was a moment of silence, well, asked one, what is to be done? She is still clearly in great danger, she will need another guardian.

Just because Inuyasha failed, again doesn't mean we shouldn't, Inuyasha's mother began, but was interrupted.

We are not discussing your son, responded another, Kagome is in need of protection, and we have no idea where this power she conjures is coming from.

One of them rose up and approched, I will take her on as my Charge, I will try to find what this strange source of power is, he paused and bowed to them, if it is found compilable with the requirements of the council.

The first chuckled, very well, he waved a hand, she seems like she will be quite a handful, Kagome is now you Charge, until the time is found that she is no longer in need of a guardian angel. Good luck, I think you may need it. He turned back to Inuyasha's mother, Your son had already been given his punishment, he has also been given his next Charge, there will be no problems this time or he will have his wings clipped.

His mother looked away, hiding her horror at the though of having and guardian angels wings clipped, Who is his Charge?

((Back to Kagome))...

The bed was soft, she burrowed her head into the pillow, though it smelled like sterilizing chemicals and god knows what else, she knew she was in a hospital, who knows what else they put in their laundry detergent.

She groaned and rolled over, she heard someone whisper to someone else and walk out of the room, "You gave us all quite a scare Ms Haragashi," it was a doctor, he was using doctor talk, she could tell this was the doctor, "You're doing much better than you were last night I can tell you that, nearly lost you for a while."

"Where am I?" she asked, she already knew the answer to the question, but it was a standard one, everyone had to ask it when they woke in a place different from the one where they blacked out. She looked around the brightly lit room

"Your in a hospital," said her mother as she came into the room, "Oh, Kagome," she hugged her daughter, "Don't you ever do that to me again!" she cried, "You were lucky that this young demon came and chased away that other one." she waved a hand in the direction of the door where someone was leaning on the frame.

Kagome dismissed all thoughts of what her mother and brother were saying she kept her eyes on the demon, he was mostly hidden in shadows, but she could see he had his eyes closed and was crossing his arms, Please, she prayed.

The demon came forward, he had brown short hair and brown eyes, she felt like a balloon in her had been popped. "I was simply passing by and saw the flames, I went to see if anyone could use any help."

"And its a good thing that you did," Grandpa began, "I sealed every door and window when I saw that demon burning down the forest."

"I still got into your home." stated the demon, Grandpa then had the same look Kagome had moments before, Souta tried to comfort him.

"I think that is enough visitors for now," stated the doctor, Kagome didn't understand why, she was in the recovery room, "You can come back and see her later."

The others were ushered out, the doctor seemed to stop noticing the demon, where had she seen that happen before? The doctor left the room, the demon came toward her.

He was in simple jeans, a loose long sleeve white shirt and a brown jacket, "Well Kagome, you seem to have a knack for getting yourself into places that you can't get out of without help." he stated.

"What's your name, what do you want?" she asked, slightly afraid of the answers.

"My name is Kouga," he gave a gracious, almost humorously over done bow, "I am simply a humble bystander who saved your life from certain death."

"Your an angel arn't you?" she crossed her arms and sat back in the bed, he stumbled slightly at the bluntness of her remark.

"You could tell?" he asked, "what was it, that gave me away?"

"I think it was just you bad acting skills." he looked down at the floor, crushed, "Though, having a guardian before usually makes it easier to tell one from a normal...person..." She thought about it, "How can demons be angels?"

Kouga scratched the back of his neck, "Well, when one dies, you can choose reincarnation or just death, I suppose, and there are a select few who have lived lives that were filled with good deeds and they become angels, at least that's with humans."

"I asked you how a demon becomes an angel." she said flatly.

"Well in you friend Inuyasha's case...I have no idea why he is an angel, he died long before I did." Kouga straightened up, "I on the other hand did what any true demon could do, I lived my life to its fullest becoming an revered warlord,"

"You died a quick and sudden death without completing any of the tasks set out for you to do." Kagome stated, Kouga sunk into a corner and morned the loss of his life, "and you where suppose to do something great and wonderful I suppose?"

Kouga shrugged, "I'll never know now," He came back over to her bed, "However you have been put as my Charge and there fore I will protect you with all the power that I have."

Kagome blinked at him. Kouga lowered his head, and sighed.

"Allrighty then, you know I'm tired and want to sleep now." she pulled her hand away from his grip, she didn't know when he had taken hold of her hand, "You can go and, guard the door or something, what ever guardian angels do."

Kouga nodded, "I will protect you as though you were mine." Kagome flushed.

"I'm your first charge aren't I?" she asked as he walked toward the door.

"First no, the first over the age of ten, yes."

"Great, just checking." Kagome sunk under the covers, she hated the smell of a hospital.

A bruised wrist, several broken ribs, scratches across her throat, and arms, innumerable burns, and a minor concussion, it was the third time her brother had told her her list of injuries, he also had to tell her that there had been no pulse for possibly half a minute.

"And you were running a temperature of almost a hundred and fifty!" Souta stated, Kagome was, thankfully in the front seat, away from her brother's annoying voice being directly in her ears, she had a splitting headache, from the meds that the doctors had given her, she hated pills...

"Yes Souta," she finally stated in a louder than needed voice, "I know, you've told me three times." She rolled her head to the side and looked out the window, thankfully, her mother found some way of keeping Souta quite long enough for everyone to have their own thoughts.

"Hey, Kagome?" he began.

"Yeah?"

"Is Kouga going to be your angel now?" he asked, "I mean he saved you life, just like you said Inuyasha did, so is he going to be you angel?"

She worried at her lip for a moment, tempted to say no, but that wouldn't be true, "For now," she concluded. Until I can get back my angel. There was silence in the car for several minutes.

"Now remember the doctor said to be careful, you're ribs still need to heal as does your wrist." Her mom began, "So no gallivanting after this Nuraku, the police will take care of him." she paused, "and no disappearing on us either."

Her mother didn't see her roll her eyes. She looked out the window and saw Kouga flashing through the trees and disappearing into the shadows. She sighed and looked out the front window. She prayed that she wouldn't have to see Nuraku again anytime soon.

Her home was the same, the forest however was still smoking from the damage Nuraku had done, she sighed and wished silently that it was all repaired, she had known those trees for all her life, they had protected her and guarded her through many a troubled time. They had now given their lives so she could keep hers, she felt a connection with them all. She walked over to the god tree and laid a hand on it, she felt the sudden urge to climb up among its many twisting and contriving branches.

Her mother called her. She took her hand away and walked into the house, she could feel the eyes of Kouga on her from her roof top. Some part of her wished her mother wouldn't make her ask him to come inside for the night, or ask him to stay, until she was no longer her charge.

She looked out across the lawn at the fading dusk, stars began to twinkle in the twilight. "I hope your safe, Inuyasha."

Somewhere in the distance of Tokyo a hanyou sat on the balcony of an empty apartment, he looked out over the city as the lights came on, feeling somewhere in him that something was missing. The wind rustled his hair and brought the voice of someone saying his name. It tugged at his numbed heart.

Another entered the room behind him, "Inuyasha." she smiled, he looked at her, a face of indifference, "We're ready to go now." He nodded, and after another look at the painted sky he followed her down to the car.