Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, so leave me alone!

Note: This story is when she, Kagome, is 16. Her opinions of people have changed, ranging a little to a lot.

Random fact: People in Japan are shorter.

The day started normally. Kagome sensed a faraway jewel shard, Miroku groped Sango, getting subsequently beaten to a pulp, and Inuyasha fought Shippou over some Ramen, and Kirara ate it, while watching the two roll on the ground. After Inuyasha realized that the two-tailed cat ate the noodles, the irate half dog demon growled at the cat, who batted him away lazily. The cat then lay down in the fuming demon slayer's lap, enjoying it when she absently and gently petted her ears. After the chaos was over and Kirara had had her nap, they started on the long walk to the distant jewel shard. The group stopped in a near by clearing when Kagome sensed not one, but two shards. She looked up in surprise, recognizing who it was.

"Kouga?" Kagome watched as the familiar dust cloud swirled around a bruised, kneeling boy. She knew he was some type of hybrid demon, but didn't know what kind. In addition to the bruises, the boy had cuts, scrapes and a black eye. Ginta and Hakkaku were standing near by, jeering at the boy, and cheering on their leader, encouraging and praising him for a good job. Kagome shook off Miroku's halting hand and ran through the cloud, to the boy. He looked up at her and slowly stood. Kouga, who had stopped beating the young boy, long enough to keep Kagome safe, called out to her.

"That is Kyo. He was a member of my pack."
"Why isn't he?" Kagome looked moderately shocked that the wolf prince would hurt one of his 'brothers' this much, as the aforementioned prince came forward and took her hands in his.

"He is a quarter-wolf, half-kitsune, and the rest human, who I took in, after you showed me to be a little nicer to other types of demons. I let him come into our cave, and he," Kouga growled in barely suppressed rage, "…he had the gall to say I had no chance with you. For such lies, he needed to be punished to the severest level of my power." He spit the words out, glaring at Kyo, but looking back at Kagome softly.

Kagome looked away from Kouga, pulling her hands away, first looking at Kyo, then looking at Inuyasha. Kyo was looking at Kouga with a little fear in his eyes, and Inuyasha was looking at Kouga with pure disgust and anger. Kagome looked at Kyo. He looked away from her eyes, afraid she was angry with him too. She looked closer at him. He was about seventeen, 5'7", with long auburn hair in a ponytail and greener, older eyes, which made him look like an older Shippou. He wore a simple pair of black pants, and a blue shirt with sleeves that went to his elbows. As she carefully scrutinized him, he looked back fearfully, not in the least expecting her next move. She grabbed his hand and put it over her shoulder, putting her arm around his waist, she helped him over to where her backpack and Sango were, all the while, ignoring Kouga's eyes on her back. She looked at Sango, with a simple message in her expression, who immediately understood and helped Kagome sit him on the soft grass.

"Your cuts look deep." Kagome said to him as she started to bandage his wounds. She, Sango and Shippou gently cleaned and bandaged his wounds, while Miroku, Inuyasha, and a reluctant Kouga sat down in a large, protective circle around them. Kyo kept his eyes on the girl, who was so tenderly bandaging his wounds, and wondered why she would even humor the idiotic wolf prince with her kindness and patience. Meanwhile, Kouga looked at the boy in disgust and slight envy. His woman shouldn't have to put her hand on any unpure half-breed, he thought with a sneer towards Inuyasha, but a tri-breed!

"There!" Kagome's voice broke the thoughts of the two demons. Inuyasha was half-asleep and Miroku was mediating. Kyo said nothing, but smiled and bowed, painfully, to Kagome and Sango, coming up wincing. She shook her head, smiled back and started rummaging in her backpack, not noticing his look of curiosity. She pulled out a water bottle, took off the cap, and handed it to him. He looked unsure, but with a nod from Kagome, drank greedily and emptied it. Kouga cleared his throat, and Kyo immediately looked as though he was ready to jump and run if Kouga got upset, silently handing Kagome the empty bottle. Kagome stood suddenly, after noting this interaction, and everyone awake, not Kirara, Shippou or Inuyasha, looked at her. She took Kyo's uninjured hand, and with a swish of red and black hair, she and the bewildered boy were walking to the trees with Kagome shouting that they would be right back, with her bow and arrows strapped across her back. Kouga was fuming and growling, and immediately, Ginta and Hakkaku were holding him back, trying to convince the temporarily deaf wolf that they were probably going to fill the water bottle.

-In the Forest-

Kagome sat with her hand around the water bottle, dipping it into the stream, and filling it with cold, fresh water, all the while, looking concernedly at Kyo, "Are you ok?"

"…" Kyo looked around, uncomfortably fidgeting and shrugged. She tapped him lightly and touched his arm to see if he was paying attention. He seemed shocked and turned away, his face dusted pink, mouthing soundlessly about how he was ok.

"Please say something," Kagome pleaded, "It seems like you are scared of me." He looked at her with returned concern. He nodded and grabbed her hand suddenly. Her face showed her surprise as he pulled her into a quick hug.

"Thank you, Kagome. You are too nice, and I don't deserve this." He said quietly into her ear. She was too much in awe to say anything as he stood and pulled her up slowly by her hand, which he still held. She rose and closed the now full water bottle. He smiled at her, showing two rows of bright teeth and a dimple, making her smile back. He let go of her hand, and they walked back, saying nothing.

-At the Clearing-

Inuyasha was awake, rolling in the grass with Kouga, trying to bite his arm off. Kouga had kicked Tetsuiga into a nearby dirt mound, and now, they were fighting with no weapons. Shippou, Ginta and Hakkaku were cheering for their respective wrestlers, Shippou complaining that he was bored. Miroku was unconscious with a blow to the head, while Sango was absently stroking the very content neko-youkai.

"Isn't this nice?" Kagura sneered, her eyes roaming the group. She stood between them and the forest, holding her fan, open and ready. Suddenly, she yelled in surprise, and turned, revealing an arrow in the sleeve of her kimono. Kagome and Kyo were standing behind her, Kyo, amazed at how well she shot, and Kagome, amazed that she shot at all. Kagura turned to the young girl, her eyes red and raging. She screamed Dance of the Dragons and laughed as dust filled the opening to the trees, as she listened to Kagome's scream of surprise. Kyo cleared his throat from Kagura's left side. The wind sorceress turned and gasped. His arm was resting around Kagome's waist, her bow taut with a second arrow, her face showing the feeling everyone had: surprise. Kouga growled low in his throat, and Kyo let her go sheepishly.

Kagura pulled a leaf out of her hair, cursing in rage, and was soon in the air with an arrow in the edge of her leaf. As the slightly confused girl watched the leaf float away, she felt something hit her in the stomach, and was quickly laying on the ground with a laughing Shippou sitting on her, and Kouga and Inuyasha walking towards her. Soon, Sango and Miroku, with Kirara on the slayer's shoulder, joined the group, the demon slayer and Kyo helping her up.

"Are you alright, Kagome? Did this tri-breed give you any trouble?"

"No, Kouga, I'm alright. Kyo is nice." She said, relaxing on the grass.