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Itty Bitty Pretty Eleven

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"Hey, we're going to be late if you don't get a move on," Inuyasha chided gently as he knocked on the bathroom door, "There is such a thing as too much make up you know."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome sighed before plucking out a few loose hairs to gently frame her face before taking a step back to give herself a once over. The design of the dress itself was more than a little scandalous for a high school dance - a halter dress with a low cut back. The material was loose enough to flow gracefully around her legs, yet just tight enough to show off her natural curves. The deep crimson of the material accented by her ebony hair and somewhat sun kissed skin. Oh, it was perfect for her first formal dance.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Kagome chuckled good naturedly as she reached for the door knob and turned it gently – loving the almost inaudible gasp that came involuntarily from his mouth – his eyebrows shooting straight up into his short ebony hair, "Well what do you think?"

Blinking rapidly at her for a moment, he finally smirked and offered her his arm, "I think I'm the luckiest guy in the word right now. Shall we?"

Forcing a smile onto her face, Kagome couldn't help the small growing egg of worry incubating in her gut. This didn't seem right. Almost perfect and ideal, yes but something was very wrong. Did she love the boy with her? Yes. Was this the most gorgeous dress she could've ever hoped to find? Yes. What was wrong with this picture that she felt like this?

"Mama said she'd drop us off," Kagome chirped in a falsely happy voice, "This should be fun."

"It better," the boy who seemed so familiar and yet so foreign laughed, "I worked overtime to make sure all my homework would be done so I didn't have anything to worry about tonight."

Kagome laughed once while inwardly groaning. Something felt so very wrong here but…but she wasn't going to let that little spark of anxiety ruin what was bound to be such a perfect night.

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The bandits converged on his last standing brother with a sinister confidence. It wasn't that they wanted anything from them – they truly only had the clothes on their back since their parents had been killed by a different band only a few weeks before. This was just for sport – to kill simply for the purpose of killing. They'd already managed to take down his eldest brother as though he were nothing more than a single blade of grass – having almost thrown himself at them in an effort to protect his little brothers.

"We don't have anything," the brother – who was no older than six or seven – snarled with false bravado, "Now go. Leave us be to mourn our dead."

"No," the leader laughed simply, "You're missing the point."

"Which would be?" the small boy snarled as he pushed the small toddler behind him as held his small dull knife at the ready. Several of the bandits exchanged skeptical looks before turning their attention back to the small foolish child.

"We're doing this for fun," one of the bandits sighed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "What I really want is the small one. I want to feel how tight he is."

The larger boy's eyes widened in horror as the toddler merely cocked his head to the side in confusion. Before either had time to fully process what had just been said, one of the bandits stepped forward and cleaved the elder boy's head clear from his shoulders in one fell swoop – his body crumpling sickeningly as his head rolled to a halt before the bandit's feet.

"There," the predator sighed happily as he wiped the excess blood off on his sleeve and turned a devilish grin towards the remaining toddler, "Now. Where…"

In a sudden poof of blue powder, the bandit vanished from sight – quickly followed by the others disappearing similarly one by one until not one remaining. With a snarl, a young mouse brown haired woman – no more than eleven or twelve - stepped forward with her claws at the ready as she scanned the ground and made several heavy, deliberate steps before her posture relaxed and she turned towards the frightened toddler with her hands up in clear surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she whispered quietly as she gave him a hopeful smile, "I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I tried, really I did."

Cowering, the toddler securely placed his thumb in his mouth as he tried to take a few steps backwards.

"Do you have, uh, any other family?" the woman continued tentatively as she knelt down in front of him and awkwardly bit her lip when the boy's eyes widened when they locked onto her fangs, "You know, a mother or father or…or anyone?"

Slowly shaking his head, the toddler cocked his small head to the side before his watery eyes locked onto his brothers and he heartbreakingly reached out towards them – clearly not understanding the permanency of death or what had just occurred. As the girl's eyes followed the baby's gaze, she let out a shuddering sigh as a lump formed in her throat.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered as she held out her arms towards him, "Why don't you come with me and I'll see if my father can place you with your family again, huh?"

Glancing between his brothers and the strange girl, the toddler finally unsteadily made his way into her arms and found himself scooped up and away from the bloody scene behind them. For a moment, the girl inspected him with a small frown on her face. Whatever had happened prior to her arrival was bound to leave a lasting mark. There were small cuts, bruises and abrasions littering his small body.

"No one will ever hurt you again," she whispered quietly as she cuddled him to her chest and turned to run, "If no one is left for you, then your place is with us. I'm sure Mama and Papa won't object. No one will ever hurt you again. Not if I can help it."

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"It's a boy," the midwife said softly – tears brimming in the corner of her eyes as she held out the small bundle, "But…but your wife she…she didn't make it. I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could do."

It was almost impossible to look at the small being that had stolen his wife much less accept him into his arms. This was supposed to be such a joyous day. One that he shared with her, that they were supposed to look back upon so fondly. Instead, it was now a day marred forever by the fact that she had died bringing their child into this world.

"Nobu?" the midwife asked again gently as she cradled the newborn, "You must be strong for her. You must be. He needs you."

Grimacing, the young man let out a shuddering breath as he extended his arms unsteadily to accept his son who looked so much like her – even in his pudgy, wrinkled state. Those eyes were the same shape, the same color. The little hair he possessed was the same mousy color.

"Thank you," Nobu whispered shakily as he took the infant in his arms, "I'd…I'd like to be alone now if you don't mind."

"I'll see if I can find a wet nurse for you," the woman offered kindly, "I believe there's a mother in a neighboring village who might be willing to help. She is trying to wean her own child at the moment."

"I'd appreciate that," Nobu answered numbly over his shoulder as he turned and walked to sit under a nearby tree, "I'll gladly move to her village. I don't think I can stay here any longer as it is."

The scene seemed to rush forward – the years blurring together until it skidded to a halt on the day of another birth.

"It's a girl father," the man breathed anxiously as he held the small bundle against his chest, "She's, uh, she's a half-demon."

"A half-demon?" Nobu scoffed in an outraged tone, "So that's where you've been?! Being seduced by a demon?!"

"Aki is a demon, yes," the man sighed heavily as he held the newborn protectively against his chest, "But I love her and she loves me. I wasn't seduced like she is some type of succubus. You know me better than that."

Biting his lip, the old man shook his head morosely before extending his arms to accept his granddaughter, "Well let me see her then and I'll be the judge of that."

"You promise not to hurt her?" the man whispered anxiously – his chocolate eyes full of fear. Nobu nodded slowly as he gave his son an expectant look. Releasing a shaky breath, the man deposited the newborn gently into her grandfather's arms – his hands hovering slightly as though they were ready to rip her away at the first sign of danger. There was no need for such fear however. The moment he saw his late wife's hair and eyes reflected back to him in that perfect little face Nobu's heart melted – the small signs of her demonic heritage completely forgiven. As the small infant yawned showing off her full set of tiny fangs, Nobu smiled at her then back up to his son.

"She's so beautiful. What's her name?" Nobu murmured affectionately as he rocked the newborn with a soft smile on his face.

"I named her after mother," the still quite young son whispered back in a relieved tone as he moved to look down at his daughter, "We named her Emi."

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Inuyasha was in a blind panic as he stared helplessly at the three unconscious and clearly suffering victims all around him. One person he could easily have carried back to the village, two with some difficulty but he could've managed but three?

"Where are you, you little fucker?" Inuyasha mumbled breathlessly as he glanced around for the now missing serpent that disappeared without a trace, "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Quickly scooping up the fallen one by one, he laid them out side by side as his mind raced. He needed to get them back to the village. He needed so get the poison out. He needed to kill that god damn bitch priestess that dared tried to hurt Kagome again. He needed to do a great many things – none of which he would be able to do with ease. God forbid that whore show up now.

"Okay, okay, so, uh, I could try to layer them maybe?" Inuyasha muttered to himself- his amber eyes dilated, sweat condescending on his brow as his heart hammered angrily in his chest, "Or take them one at a time or…or…."

His panicked murmurings were suddenly lost beneath the thunder that rolled overhead. Hope bloomed in his chest as his eyes darted around the skyline in a desperate search for a possible answer to his seemingly impossible task.

"TOTO…" he began – his words clipped by another oppressive boom. No, he was imagining things that weren't there. If anything nature was about to give him yet another obstacle to overcome. With a heavy sigh, he knelt down to pick up Kagome first when the strange old man suddenly swept down from the sky.

"You fool boy," the elderly demon chided as he lowered himself down onto the ground, "You managed to get yourself cursed and now look at this mess. I was just passing through when I sensed your distress. How did you let this happen?"

"Long story, no time. Village. Now." Inuyasha clipped back as he began loading the comatose victims onto Totosai's bull – ignoring the old man's protests, "Now go! I've got a bitch to kill."