The warm rays of the sun shone down upon the grounds of the earth; a gentle summer breeze blew around the grounds of a shrine. The sounds of birds and animals within the trees could be heard along with the sounds of children laughing and playing. One with middle back length black hair and chocolate brown eyes was searching for her best friend, and cousin Kura. Her name is actually Sakura but her family calls her Kura for short. Kura has hair to her shoulder blades the color of silver white her eyes are a beautiful deep forest green. Sakura is eight years old while her cousin is ten years of age. "Kagome, Kura." The mother of the black haired girl calls out to them from the stoop of their home on shrine grounds.
Kagome turns her head at her mother's voice giving Sakura a chance to run away since they were playing tag. Sakura runs into the shed on the shrine grounds that holds an old well and hides in the darkness down the steps behind the well. "Gome will never find me down here." Sakura says softly to herself. When a light forms from within the well casting shadows further back. Sakura stands from her kneeling position and leans over the well to see what the light is from. She loses her balance and falls into the well. As she falls she embraces herself for the sudden stop from landing but it never comes. She feels as though she's floating when a galaxy-like sky surrounds her. As she is floating she feels her body slow down and land softly at the bottom of the well.
She looks up and sees vines growing around the top of the well. Looking higher up she sees the blue sky and white clouds outside the well. She can hear the songs of the birds flying around. "Gome?! Auntie?! Granpa?!" She calls out. But there is no answer. Slowly she tries to climb up the wall of the well using the vines to climb higher. She reaches the lip of the well and pulls herself up and over it. She sits with her back against the wall of the well and looks around. 'This isn't right.' She thinks to herself. Breathing in the air it was so clean and refreshing unlike the smog filled air back home. There were trees everywhere that she looked. "Ah what's this, pup out in the forest alone." She heard a voice say. She turned to see a creature with sharp fangs and claws.
Scrambling to her feet she ran as fast she could screaming into the trees on the other side of the clearing. Unfortunately she tripped over a raised root from a tree; and fell catching herself on the ground with her hands; that's when she saw it her nails were longer and pointed like claws. She turned behind and saw the creature was fast upon her. She ducked her head when the creature launched itself at her; she braced for the impact of the creature's body colliding with her own the feel of the sharp fangs and claws ripping into her flesh, but there was nothing. Chancing a slight glance that way she seen that there was a man standing between herself and the creature. The man had long silver white hair pulled up into a high ponytail, he was clad in a white haori and white hakamas with armor covering him. He had a sword on his back and two more swords on his hip.
Slowly Sakura stood up from her place upon the ground. Her clothes were now muddy. There was mud on her cheeks and in her hair. She stared wide eyed at the man that was in front of her. The creature that had been chasing her ran off in terror. Her forest green eyes never left the man that had protected her. Slowly the man turned to face her. When she saw his face she stared in awe. His eyes were a molten golden hue, he had navy blue jagged lines on his cheekbones. "You're safe now, what are you called?" His voice was deep; but soft when talking to her. Sakura didn't know why but she trusted this man. He reached down a clawed hand to grasp her muddy clawed hand. "Sakura, sir." She spoke her voice was gentle, no more than a whisper. The man picked Sakura up and carried her away from the scene deeper into the forest. "I am the InuTasio of the West; my name is Toga. Where is your family?" The man asked her.
"I don't know sir; I fell down the well and when I climbed up I was alone until that creature showed up." Sakura answered the man. "Demon; that was a lower level demon, Lady Sakura. You and I are Inudaiyokai; higher level dog demons." Toga stated to her; as he continued to walk with her curled up in his arms. "Do not worry Sakura. I will take care of you and raise you as my own. Let's get you home and clean you up; My Princess." Toga spoke. Heading to his palace further into the west.
