The Worthy Leader

She was running through the forest, swift and agile. Her strong legs could carry her anywhere with ease not many could match. She was like a wild flame, never tamed, never subdued.

But still, she wasn't a loner and she was willingly following orders of someone else. Of course, one who was worthy of her following him. She wouldn't obey a weak leader.

For years she had formed bonds with humans, who were worthy, ties of partnership and courage. But, even if they ran deep, there were now ties of different kind that she experienced, a bond that was similar, yet different from that.

Now she was a part of a pack. Her breed rarely ran in packs, especially with mixed ones, but their pack had been forged in heat of battle, over the hardships and shared pain. She felt proud to be a part of this pack, even if some could think that one led by someone like their leader would be weak.

It was as far from it as possible. Their looks and attitudes were deceiving. They could quarrel one minute and watch each other's backs the next. And even the weakest ones of them were strong, capable ones.

And none was more deceiving and capable than their leader.

Even now, following her through the maze of trees and rocks, he was moving with deadly grace, obviously not tired, alert and not wasting energy.

He was a walking contradiction, the incarnation of calamity. He could destroy a hundred or save a hundred, following a path not many youkai could. In defense of life he was lethal.

A leader worthy of her trust.

She leaped up a tall, old tree, followed by her leader without a moment of hesitation. They climbed to a hollow in the tree, far above the forest floor. She smelled the edge of the hollow and listened for a minute before entering the darkness inside.

He approached the hollow slowly, curiously. He tilted his head to look inside and a fanged smirk spread across his lips.

"A litter, huh, Kirara?" he asked, his ears cocking towards the kittens cuddling to her side. A few days young they were still blind, but they could hear and smell him. She meowed proudly showing her babies to the leader of her pack.

'Maybe one day they will run with your pups,' she thought, watching her little ones crawling towards an offered hand. His clawed fingers moved gently to stroke them between their ears.

A canine grumble could be heard, a noise of approval and appreciation. Two pairs of slitted eyes met over the stumbling, mewing kittens. She purred in return, seeing in his eyes that he recognized the little ones as the newest members of their pack, that he would protect them until they could do that for themselves.

He was a worthy leader, he had earned her respect and trust. And the right to see her children even before her partners. Now, after the acceptance into the pack, the kittens were ready to meet other members of their group.

Then he focused on the kittens again, petting them and talking in soft voice. She allowed that for a minute before she went to him and started to push him out of the hollow.

'Alright, play time is over, go back to your mate and get started on your pups,' she thought, headbutting his chest and almost pushing him out of the tree.

A/N; Inuyasha is a cat person and Kirara is a dog person. Fight me