Hi! Sorry it's been so long. I can't wait to get started so I'll stop here!

R&R!

Chapter 3

They arrived back at their camp in a clearing surrounded by trees. "Come on, wake up!" Shippo said, poking at the strange demon girl. He was standing by her ever since they returned. Shippo started to walk away when he was tugged to the ground by his tail. He yanked his tail back and spun around to see Kome awake and angry.

"Who are you and where am I?" she said and quickly regained control over the small kitsune. She had him pinned to the ground on his back.

"Ahhh!" he screamed and squirmed, trying to get away to no avail. Kome held him down firmly.

"Shippo?" Kagome said and came out of a small tent. "Shippo! Put him down right now!" she demanded forcefully. Kome had to decide whether to risk her safety and listen to the strange girl or hold the little one hostage and demand to be let go and given provisions. She was about to sweep him up and start giving orders when she remembered… her brother. He was stronger than her and almost killed her earlier. If he cared for Shippo as much as the girl did she would prove no match to him. And I haven't forgotten about my friends. If he's going to help me some day, I'd better get on his good side. She thought. She froze when she saw the girl named Kagome pull out a bow and arrow.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold on! I don't want to hurt anybody. You can have it back!" Kome stuttered and let Shippo up. He scurried over to Kagome and hid behind her legs.

"Okay, I'm not going to hurt you. Just come over here, I'd like to talk to you," she said kindly yet firm and put away the bow and arrow. Kome straightened and cautiously walked over to Kagome.

When she was only about three feet away from her and peace with the group she was attacked from behind and fell to the ground. The wind was knocked out of her lungs.

"Oh, no you don't!" came that gruff voice. It was Inuyasha again.

"Oh yes I do!" she shouted and reached behind her back and grabbed his feet. She yanked them out from under him. He came crashing down. She didn't think about that. Uh-Oh. He twisted in the air and landed on her, back-first. Once again she felt the air get forced out of her lungs.

"Get off of me, you moron!" she said and pushed off. He got up and was about to draw his sword. As if by instinct, Kome changed into her wolf form. She was more confident now. Fine, if he wants a fight, then he'll get one.

She was about to start attacking when Kagome shouted, "Sit, boy!" Inuyasha was forced to the ground so hard that the fall leaves flew up where he landed.

"Thanks," Kome muttered and turned back into her human form.

"No problem, it happens a lot," she answered casually. Inuyasha was still face down in the dirt mumbling things no one could understand. They settled under a tree and decided that they should sort things out.

"So what's your name?" Kagome asked.

"Kome. And yours?"

"Kagome, I guess our names are alike, huh?"

"Yeah, that's cool!"

They further discussed where they were from. Then came the hard part, Kagome had to explain the well and Kome had to reveal her shameful past as a lowly slave girl.

"Well, I'll have to explain something," Kagome said slowly.

"Me too," Kome said softly and looked at the ground.

Kagome explained the well and her time. It was hard for Kome to grasp such concepts, yet she believed every word Kagome said.

"It's my turn I guess," Kome said. Well she seems nice and if she's from the future she probably hasn't heard of my slave camp. That means she won't turn me in. I trust her.

"Kagome, it all started when I was taken from my parents-"

"That's horrible! Who would do that!"

"Just listen, this is hard enough already! So I was brought up as a slave. They forced us to work in the fields and harvest their crops and build their houses and-"

She couldn't get the words out fast enough. It felt good to express her anger and hate, but she couldn't let it blind her. Kome drew in a deep breath and said, "We weren't treated justly. Anyway Aki, one of my friends and the bravest person I knew," she stuttered, "I know, organized an escape route. The night before we fled she was taken in for questioning… " she went on until the point she was knocked out by Inuyasha, she even included the dream.

"So you think that you were destined to recruit Inuyasha, your brother, to help you end the slavery?" Kagome asked a bit optimistic.

"Exactly," Kome answered.

"Tonight I'll talk to him about it. You know, ask about a sister he never knew," Kagome offered.

"Thanks, Kagome. I guess you're really the only friend I have out here," she gestured to the forests. It was the first time that she hadn't seen walls in every direction. Kagome got up to go find Inuyasha and tell every one about their new friend. Kome didn't know what else to do so she followed.

When they found Sango, they did no more than shook hands. It was all that Kome was willing to do. She noticed that Sango was a demon slayer. They had those people at the slave camp. They would put old slaves in a ring with one and they were never seen again.

"Don't worry," Sango said sweetly. "I don't want to hurt you. If you're a friend of Kagome's then you're a friend of mine," she put a hand on Kome's shoulder. "All I want is to win your trust,"

When Kome took a step towards her, a giant cat-like demon stepped between them and started snarling with anger. Kome transformed and started growling. She forced the demon away from Kagome, but couldn't do the same with Sango. The thing just wouldn't budge.

"Kilala! No!" Sango called and jumped on its back. She grabbed its fur and led the beast away.

Kome turned into a human again and said, "Sango, is that yours?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was trying to ambush us. I didn't want anyone to get hurt," she said embarrassed.

"It's ok,"

"Thank you for protecting me," Kagome chimed in. Kome smiled.

Meeting Miroku was… different.

They stepped behind some vines that led to a hot spring. They found Miroku the monk kneeling by the water.

"Miroku, you should meet some one," Kagome called. He got up and straightened his clothes.

"Hello," he said slowly and clearly, as if Kome were some two year old. "I," he patted his chest, "am Mi-ro-ku, who are you?"

Kome gave him a "You don't seriously think that I'm that mindless, do you?" look. His look of confusion gave her an answer.

"I can talk you know!" she said bluntly.

"Oh," he blushed. "Well, it's nice to meet you, what's your-" he paused. "Hey Sango!" he said and walked over to her like a lion stalking its prey.

"I think I've had enough of him," Kome said distastefully.

"I think so too,"

This whole time Shippo was close by. Kome got the chance to apologize and make it up by letting him ride on her back when she was in her wolf form. They came to be good friends quickly.

The next stop was Inuyasha. When they were searching they heard a loud smack and Sango came running up beside them on Kilala. In a way, Kome was eager to meet her brother fully, and in others she wasn't so excited. He did try to kill her twice. This time she would be ready though… or so she thought. Suddenly, when the four were walking between a line of trees, Inuyasha jumped down from one in front of them. Kagome stepped forward and said, "Inuyasha, this is Kome. She will be staying with us for a few nights or more, and I expect that you'll be nicer,"

"Hmph. As long as the little rat doesn't get in my way," he spat and stalked off.

"What did you call me?" Kome glowered.

"You have pretty bad hearing for a dog demon" he teased.

"Wolf," she corrected.

"Whatever," he blew her off.

Kome was about to transform and show him how angry he was, when she felt Shippo tug at her kimono. She looked down and he shook his head.

Kome turned and made her way back to camp.

I'm not sure I even want a brother anymore.

So there it is. I'm going to update my other story this time. I'll be working on this one again soon. (I hope!)

- Jacqui