The scent of pine was strong in the air as Haruko dashed through the forest, her long white hair trailing behind her. She smelled a river nearby and decided it would be a good time to catch fish. She had been traveling for a few days now, and never took the time for a good meal. She had journeyed the north, back to the region where she was raised. She didn't quite know why she chose now to come back, but she did, and she intended to stay.

She froze as a scream echoed from deep within the woods. The voice sounded young and feminine. She shot through the trees as she headed for where she could hear the child fighting. There was a group of four bandits who were trying to kidnap a young girl. Haruko bared her fangs and came flying out of the trees, elbowing the closest one hard in the face. The bandit fell back, knocked out, his nose broken. The second one tried to throw a punch, but Haruko dodged his attack easily and elbowed him in the stomach. The other two men began to flee. Haruko punched one in the head, causing him to drop to the ground instantly.

"There." She said as she dusted off her green kimono. "That'll teach you," She turned to the child, who was staring at her with curious eyes.

She looked to be around ten or eleven, with perky red ears and a bushy tail. A kitsune, Haruko noted.

"Are you okay?" she asked kneeling down to be at the fox demon's level.

The young fox demon nodded timidly, clearly still shaken from before.

Haruko decided to take it slow, not wanting to frighten the girl more.

"What's your name?"

"Maki,"

The kitsune nervously tugged on her light blue kimono. She sniffed the air and made a face.

"You're a half-demon?"

Maki's reaction was a bit annoying, though it was expected. Half-demons, also known as hanyo, weren't accepted in a world where demons and humans were constantly at war. It was understandable that Maki was judging. It didn't make it hurt any less though.

"Yes," Haruko pulled up the sleeve of her kimono, revealing shiny, silver scales that ran up and down her arms. "I'm half-snake,"

"That's so cool! I've never met a hanyo before!"

That was unexpected. But it made Haruko fill with hope. The excited young fox seemed to open up more, and so she asked the question she had been meaning to ask since they first met.

"Can you help me?"

Maki perked up, her tail waving happily. "Of course! You saved me, after all,"

"I haven't been to this region in many years. I want to know if anything important happened while I was gone,"

"I know a few things," Maki told her, "Us kitsune love to gossip,"

Maki leaned closer to Haruko and she whispered, "One of my brethren, a boy named Shippo, started traveling with InuYasha-"

Haruko's eyes widened in shock.

"InuYasha is alive again?"

Maki nodded "The curse he was placed under was removed," she chirped.

"Where is InuYasha?" Haruko asked firmly, her emotions getting the better of her.

"Lady Kikyo pinned him to a tree under a curse for fifty years, but-"

"But?"

"He escaped recently after a girl rumored to be Kikyo's reincarnation released him,"

Scales appeared on the hanyo's face, anger boiling within her. Maki stared at her curiously. "If it's not too much to ask," the young fox demon began, "What is your connection to the late Lady Kikyo?"

Haruko sniffed. "All I am willing to say is that we were acquaintances,"

Maki sensed there was a little more than that, though she didn't push. She knew that, though she didn't show it, that the half-snake demoness was boiling inside.

Haruko stood up to her full height and smiled kindly to the young fox demon, "Thank you, Maki, I hope we meet again,"

Haruko leaped from her spot in the forest to a tall tree to get a good lookout. The scales on her cheeks slowly faded as she spotted the river a few miles away. It was further than she thought it was, but she knew it was a good place to look for fish. As she ran to the spot, dodging trees, she cursed herself for her internal reaction when Maki told her about InuYasha's revival.

She landed on the riverbank and tied up her kimono so it didn't get wet. It was her favorite kimono, made of dark green fabric with a pink flower design on it. The look was completed with a purple obi. It was a gift from someone she knew, long ago…

Haruko pushed that memory to the back of her mind, refusing to think about it. That was from the past, she scolded herself, I will not linger there.

A pang of nostalgia hit her heart anyway. She put a hand to her forehead and stepped into the water, which was ice-cold to the touch. It lapped at her legs as she waded into the clear shimmering water. The sun had begun to set, and the sky turned into a multitude of colors. Dawn and dusk where always the most beautiful times of day to Haruko. To her, they symbolized rebirth. A new day, and the ending of an old one.

Then it hit her.

She recalled the kitsune's words earlier when they were talking. He escaped recently after a girl rumored to be Kikyo's reincarnation released him. That meant Kikyo's soul was still alive.

Haruko's heart raced at the thought. She leaped out of the water and into the air, not caring that the force got her kimono wet when she collided headfirst with an insect.

She tumbled back to the ground and looked back up at the bug.

It was large, with a dagger-sized red stinger and black and yellow striped body, like a bee. It had bright red eyes, around the same shade as Haruko's, though hers were more vibrant and less beady. She stared at it carefully. It didn't show any sign of wanting to attack, but Haruko stayed on guard. That stinger was gigantic. She knew being stung by that thing would hurt more than a simple bee-sting. More of the insects joined its friend, and they turned into a group of about ten. After a few awkward seconds of eye contact, the bugs turned and flew in the direction of the falling sun.

Haruko felt the strong urge to follow them, so she did. What am I doing, she mused, this is probably a trap. After all, pure demons like to hunt my kind for sport. Somehow, she couldn't convince herself.

"Hey wait up!," She called after them. The insects noticeably slowed down, proving her theory about them wanting her to follow them. Instead of being more apprehensive, this sparked her curiosity. Maybe she could ask more about this reincarnation of Kikyo she heard about.

As she followed, the sky got darker. She couldn't tell whether it was from the sunset or the growing amount of clouds in this direction. Either way, it was getting harder to see. She and the strange insects crossed fields and forests until they came upon an old castle. It looked like a normal human castle that lords and humans of status would dwell, but there was something… off about it. A heavy miasma hung in the air, and a dark cloud prevented any outside light from entering over. The miasma didn't affect her much though. Being part snake, she could handle strong poisons and venoms. After all, she had her own.

She slowed her pace as she approached the castle, sensing a powerful demonic aura. What's going on? Haruko wondered.

As she walked up the magnificent stone steps, the aura grew stronger. She tensed, though she didn't stop.

"Welcome," a voice greeted as she stepped into the doorway. It was smooth and masculine. Haruko tasted the air and followed the demon's scent to an elegant room. It smelled like spiders and poison, though it had a bit of a sweet smell that she couldn't identify. She squinted in the darkness, shiny scales materialized on her neck and face. Then she saw the person who was waiting for her.

In the center stood a man with long, flowing black hair. He was draped in long, dark purple robes, with a violet montsuki on top, completing the look. He smiled and beckoned Haruko over.

"Hello, make yourself at home,"

She didn't. Instead, she stood still at the entryway, her muscles tense, ready to flee at any moment. She knew not to trust demons. She learned that the hard way, as all hanyo did.

The corners of the man's lips twitched, "No trust for a fellow hanyo?"

Haruko's eyes widened. "What?"

She tasted the air again, her forked tongue sticking out slightly and she caught the scent of a half-demon mixed in with the miasma. His scent was truly unique, though she felt a little less anxious after learning he was the same breed as her.

She walked closer and sat down, feeling that he had no intention of attacking her.

"First thing's first," She said, her face pensive. "What is your name?"

The man returned her eye contact, dark blue eyeshadow around his eyes.

"I am known as Naraku,"

Hi again! I hope you liked this chapter! I worked really hard all day. It's probably a bit confusing, but it will make sense later on I hope. Please review. I really want some constructive criticism so I can get better at writing. Again, this chapter was shorter than I wanted it to be, but a lot happened, so I'm happy. The song of the day is Helena by My Chemical Romance. See you next chapter! :)