Author's Note: Woot for quick updates lol. I think it's just a fluke. Now sorry if this is a bit long, and if it's confusing. But everything will be revealed in time….woo…..

Miko-chan

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The cold wind that blew through the streets of Tokyo smelled faintly of rain, a promise of the weather to come. Tiny dots of light were scattered over the city, their number dropping as residents were overcome by sleep. One house remained empty, however. Kagome's family were still at the police station filing a report for abduction, so there was not a soul to witness the hanyou who stood on the glass-covered balcony.

Inuyasha frowned at the sight. The sliding glass door was shattered and broken; flimsy curtains fluttered in the wind. The bedroom was dark and foreboding; left alone and forgotten by its inhabitant. There was no sign of the girl who he had come looking for. This fact was slightly disappointing, but it was only a minor obstacle blocking his way. A minor obstacle that was quite annoying.

Hold on, what was that?

Annoying?

Inuyasha didn't feel annoyance. But there was definitely something there, some emotion he hadn't felt for a long time. He knew why it was there; he hadn't taken that girl's soul and was suffering for it.

Inuyasha wasn't completely aware of it, but there was another reason why he was compelled to seek out positive energies. It was to subdue another side of him, the third side that now showed itself in the flashes of red that lined the hanyou's eyes.

This part, this youkai blood, scared him. Well, it would have, if he knew what fear was. But nonetheless, the transformation that was taking place terrified his subconscious. So much that it took only a second for Inuyasha to wrestle his youkai side into submission once again. That sort of panic was more than he could take. It had happened once before; when it had become too powerful to contain, and he had paid the price. Or rather, she had paid the price. The ultimate price.

Inuyasha sighed; the dejected, conquered sigh of someone who had lost all they had to live for, and had nothing better to do than wander aimlessly in search of happy souls. He walked deliberately across e floor of Kagome's room, ignoring the shards of glass as they pierced the pads of his feet.

He crawled onto Kagome's bed, resting his head on the fluffy pink pillow that smelt so familiar and comforting. He knew he couldn't stay here all night; he had to go home, after all. But just for a little while he wanted nothing more than to curl up and rest. He would find that girl later, and when he did, he would kill her.

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"So, Kagome, did ye enjoy ye walk?" Kaede asked slowly, poking more logs onto the fire.

Kagome nodded. "I did, actually." She tipped her head on one side. "I met someone. A boy. I don't think he was human, though."

"Aye." Kaede walked wearily back to Kagome and sat down. "It would be wise to be wary of this stranger, child. He may be a youkai. What be he like?"

"Well, he was pretty rude. And arrogant." Kagome frowned. "And he called me names. But he had these funny white dog ears on top of his head, and pretty golden eyes. And…Kaede?"

The old miko's face had become twisted with grief at the mention of the ears. She looked up at Kagome, her eyes shining with tears. "And be his name Inuyasha?" She asked quietly.

"Um –" Kagome faltered. "I didn't actually get his name. But he had long silvery-white hair and fangs…"

Kaede nodded slowly. "It must be he." She whispered.

"Kaede? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, child." Kaede got to her feet and went to needlessly stoke the fire again. "However, take great caution in the affairs of this young man. Ye may only end up being hurt."

"Huh?" Kagome asked, confused. 'What's she talking about?' She didn't get a chance to ask, however, as at that moment a man and a woman walked in, the woman holding a young kitsune in her arms.

"Ah, ye be here." Kaede greeted the strangers warmly. "Kagome, I would like ye to meet Miroku and Sango. The kitsune be named Shippou. Ye three, this be Kagome." She traded knowing looks with Miroku. "She be the girl I told ye about."

Miroku nodded. He wore the traditional robes of a Buddhist Houshi, and around his right hand was a string of prayer breads. Repositioning his staff, he clasped Kagome's hands with his own. "Lady Kagome, would you do me the great honour of bearing my children?"

"W – what!" Kagome exclaimed, drawing back from him. "What do you mean?"

Miroku smiled lovingly. "I think it's rather obvious, my lady. Or perhaps you do not know. When a man and a woman –"

"That's enough, Houshi-sama!" Sango snapped, yanking hard on the monk's ear. She tucked a stray strand of hair back into her loose ponytail. "Please excuse him," she said, bowing quickly. "He does not know how to act around females without being a hentai." She glared at Miroku.

Kagome smiled and offered Sango her hand. "It's nice to meet you Sango. It'll be good to have a friend I can talk to about girl things."

Sango nodded. "It's hard to find a male here who isn't a moron." She gave Miroku a sharp shove in the ribs. The monk gave a yelp of protest, but didn't try anything else.

Kagome blinked. "That reminds me. I have somewhere to be. It was great meeting you guys, but please excuse me." She smiled apologetically, grabbed her bag and ran out of the hut.

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Oh no. There it was again. That smell. That awful, horrible smell. It was her. Inuyasha shifted around in the Goshinboku, contemplating whether or not he could jump to a higher branch and not be seen.

"Hello? Funny guy with the ears? Where are you?"

Damn. Too late. Inuyasha sighed and jumped down from his branch, startling Kagome so much that she dropped the yellow bag she was carrying.

"You idiot! What was that for?" She knelt down to gather everything up.

"What do you think it was for? It's your fault for getting scared so easily. It ain't my problem you're a wimp."

"What did you call me!" Kagome whacked Inuyasha over the head with her now-re-packed bag. He glared at her, rubbing his head. "Stupid wench…" he muttered. "I think you just screwed up my ear even more."

"Well, it serves you right." Kagome absently tapped her chin. "That reminds me. C'mere."

"Why? You're just gonna whack me again."

"I promise I won't." Kagome took a roll of bandages and some cotton wool out of her bag. "I just want to bandage your ear. It won't heal properly with all that blood on it."

"It will too." Inuyasha folded his arms defensively. "Why don't you just go home? I don't want you here."

Kagome sighed. "Look, if you let me fix your ear for you, I'll make you something to eat. You look like you haven't had a good meal in a while."

"Yeah, and I bet yours won't be any different." He muttered. But the prospect was appealing. "Fine. Just don't screw up."

"I won't!" Kagome said, smiling happily. She grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled him down onto the grass. Tearing off a chunk of cotton wool, she started to gently clean the dried blood off his ear, moving the cotton in small circles.

Inuyasha closed his eyes, leaning into Kagome. She blinked, laughing. "What are you doing?"

"What?" Inuyasha snapped out of his daze and moved quickly away from her. "Nothing, just hurry it up already."

Kagome laughed again and finished wrapping the bandage around his ears. "There. All done! Now you can have some instant ramen."

Inuyasha shuffled round so he was facing her. "What the hell's instant ramen?"

"This." Kagome pulled out a cup of ramen, a mini gas stove and a jug of water. Inuyasha eyed her bag warily. "How do you fit all that stuff in there?"

"I'm not too sure." She admitted, setting up the noodles. "We have to wait for the water to boil, but after that they'll be done in a few minutes."

"Where'd all this stuff come from, anyway? I ain't seen it before in my life, and that's a good couple hundred years." Inuyasha peered at the gas stove, poking at the blue flames. Kagome shook her head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll just get –" She broke off as Inuyasha yelped in pain. "– Burnt."

"Is this some sort of witchcraft?" Inuyasha asked, sucking on his burnt finger. Kagome rolled her eyes. "No, it's just everyday equipment in my time." She fished around in her bag and produced a tube of burn salve. "I'm not from this time," she said, rubbing the salve onto Inuyasha's hand. "It's a long story, and you'll probably get bored, but basically I'm just staying here a while."

"Yeah well, I figured someone like you would have a weird story to go with it."

Kagome glared at him, screwing the cap back on the tube. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, already bored with the subject. He turned his head to look out through the forest, letting his mind wander. It lingered on the usual topics he concerned himself with: food, enemies, his brother, Kikyou.

"Excuse me? Mister…" Kagome's voice trailed off. She poked him in his ribs. "What's your name? I need to know what to call you."

Inuyasha's gaze flicked back to her. "No you don't. It's not as if we're friends or anything. After today, I'm gonna make it my business that I never see you again."

"Well that's not a very nice way to talk, is it?" Kagome gripped the straps of her bag warningly. "I give up my time to come all the way out here, just to give you first aid treatment and some food! And what do I get in return? Yelled at, that's what! People like you have no respect for anyone anymore!" She crossed her arms and turned away, sniffing a little and wiping her eyes.

Inuyasha's ears swivelled in her direction. "What the hell are you crying for?" He asked impatiently. Then his eyes softened, if only for a second. "Look, if it's that important, my name's Inuyasha. Now quit your crying and hurry up with the food."

"Okay!" Kagome said, smiling brightly with all traces of tears gone. "I thought that would get you to come round." She held out her hand. "I'm Kagome. It's very nice to meet you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked at her hand suspiciously. "What am I supposed to do with that?"

"You shake it, silly." Kagome took his hand in hers and shook it gently. "People do that when they meet each other."

"Well your people sound insane. Is the food ready?"

"Not yet." Kagome gave the cup of bubbling ramen a quick stir.

"Is it ready now?"

"No."

"How about now?"

"No."

"Is it ready yet?"

Kagome glared at him. "Look, why don't you make yourself useful and go and…I don't know, just sit there without bothering me."

"Okay." Inuyasha screwed his face up, narrowing his eyes and contorting his features. Kagome looked at him. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Trying to look at you with as much loathing as I can muster without getting a haemorrhage."

Kagome threw a chopstick at him. "You're such a pig." She frowned. "You said before you've been alive for a few hundred years. What did you mean?" Kagome turned off the stove and handed the cup of ramen to Inuyasha. He took it greedily and started shovelling the food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

"I meant exactly what I said," he said between mouthfuls. "I think I'm about two hundred years old. Not sure."

"Why is that?" Kagome remembered what Kaede had mentioned. "Are you a youkai?"

Inuyasha frowned, chucking the empty ramen cup back into Kagome's bag. "No." He turned away. "I'm only half. I'm a hanyou." His eyes narrowed viciously.

"Well, what's wrong with that? You sound annoyed about it."

"Hell yeah I'm annoyed about it!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "Who wouldn't be! I'm an outcast from both worlds. I have no family, no home, no nothing. I'd say that gives me the right to be annoyed!"

"I'm sorry." Kagome gave him a hug. "I'm new to this world. I didn't know."

"Get off!" Inuyasha shoved her away from him and got to his feet. "I didn't ask for your pity. In fact, I didn't ask for you to be here at all. Just leave me alone." He took off back to the Goshinboku, settling down amidst the branches.

Kagome sighed and gathered her things up. "Have it your way. But I'll come and see you tomorrow, if you'll be here."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Inuyasha muttered as he watched her walk away. He trembled and closed his eyes. He had been hugged like that before. Only two people in his life had hugged him like that, and they were both dead. He didn't want to add anyone else to the list.

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