Chapter 2

Kagome

The young miko was running with her pup in her arms and her bow and arrows on her back. Her arm was bleeding badly but all young Kagome could thing about was making that demon loose their scent, getting Mikomi safe, and finding InuYasha. She didn't stop to check her own wound.

Kagome ran into a river hoping to at least mix up her scent and give her some extra time.

Kagome's running quickly turned to a slow dragging pace as she lost more and more blood. Without InuYasha helping her, she didn't know what to do. Mikomi started to cry and Kagome used some of her strength to sit and feed her for a while.

Kagome thought that if she could at least get Mikomi safe at a village, she could then die in peace. 'but InuYasha would hate me for that' she thought. 'he always hated it when I was going to quit. He wouldn't.'

The injured miko stood painfully with her child and continued to find a village. Kagome was soon to passing out when she heard the familiar sounds of a village. She picked up her pace just barely to make a normal walking pace. She tried to call to them but her voice felt so weak.

"Hey! Over there! A miko!" She heard a man call.

'Thank goodness' she thought.

"She's gotta baby!" Another called.

"She looks hurt!" Another called.

Kagome sighed. She fell to the ground, full of relief. She barely opened her eyes and she was being carried by some unfamiliar men. Then she heard one call, "Hey! The kid's a demon!"

No. Oh, no. "Please," the dieing miko whispered. "Please, don't hurt her."

One of the men looked Kagome dead in the the face. "We promise. We won't harm her."

"Thank you" and the miko slipped into unconsciousness.

Izayoi

FLASHBACK

"InuYasha" the dieing woman looked at her half-demon son.

Little six year old InuYasha looked at his dieing mother with tears in his eyes. He didn't want to loose his mother. She was the only person that liked him. The only one that was nice to him.

"Mother, you told me you were sick. Why can't you take some of that funny medicine that you give me when I'm sick?"

"I'm not sick like that, son." Izayoi looked at the face that looked like the one she would always love.

"But Mother, you have to stay! Who's going to protect me?" The child wailed.

"You will. You can protect yourself just like your father did. You're strong enough. Just always remember what I've taught you. Alright?" She lifted her weak hand and placed it on her beloved son's cheek. "Promise you will try. Stay strong for me. Stay strong and protect yourself and everyone you love."

"Okay, Mother. I promise. But why do I have to promise now?" Tears stained the little boy's cheeks and Izayoi wiped them away.

"InuYasha, I love you, and I always will." Izayoi closed her eyes and she was gone.

InuYasha was alone.

SHIFTS TO ANOTHER FLASHBACK

Izayoi's eyes opened to an old woman's excited face.

"Ah, you're awake! It worked!" The old woman cheered with joy.

'What is this?' thought Izayoi, 'wasn't I just on my deathbed? Wasn't I telling my little InuYasha goodbye?'

"I bet you're wondering what you're doing here! My name is Urasue. Since I've brought you back I expect you to serve me. Of course if you deny I can just put a spell on you either way." The old hag laughed.

Izayoi didn't entirely understand what was going on so she acted like she knew what to do when the old woman made her do it. Izayoi was shocked one day to see the old woman sculpting a mold that matched the shape of a woman.

"There is a village near Bone-Eaters well in the InuYasha forest. Go there unseen and steal grave dirt and bones from the grave marked Kikyo."

'InuYasha forest? Since when did InuYasha have a forest? He is only six years old, is he not? How long have I been dead?'

Izayoi went to the village in the night, feeling terrible for what she was doing. Who knew what that old Urasue could do if she could bring people back to life? What if she hurt her little boy?

Izayoi found the grave and took the soil but in the process of leaving, hear some information on her son from some farmers in a nearby hut...

"Can you believe that new miko let him go?"

"I really don't see why she did, but she is the reincarnation of Lady Kikyo and considering what she did to him, who knows what Lady Kagome will do when she learns of his past."

"Yes. I know. I'll never forget when he went on that rampage in the village and killed Kikyo. But she got justice, didn't she?"

"I'm not so sure. Who knew what was going on between them? I mean sealing him to a tree for fifty years then having your reincarnation release him? Heck, why didn't she just kill InuYasha?"

Izayoi couldn't listen anymore. 'Fifty years? How long had it been? And who was this miko he had killed?' What was her little InuYasha doing killing people?

When Izayoi returned with the ashes, Urasue was very pleased.

"Now I can resurrect Kikyo and have my very own priestess to due my bidding!" She laughed.

THIRD FLASHBACK

Izayoi had gone to go get food for Urasue and planned to poison it. She wasn't going to allow Urasue to resurrect anyone ever again the way she had been. 'Why would someone do this? This feels horrible.'

When Izayoi came back to their hideout, The molding of Kikyo was empty, it looked like there had been a battle, and Urasue was a pile of ashes. Izayoi didn't know what to do...

So, she walked. She decided that she would not look for her son. She had heard rumors that he was alive, and some where he was dead and hung from a tree. She really didn't want to know.

'I should look for a village. One that will accept me. Maybe even one that cares for demons. Like me. But I won't go to my son.'

END OF FLASHBACK

Izayoi was in her little hut playing with the children when some of the men walked up to her, carrying something.

"Lady Izayoi, we need your assistance. You are good with medicine, are you not?"

Izayoi nodded.

"And demons?"

Izayoi blinked. 'What does medicine have to do with demons?' Then Izayoi saw the young, injured miko being held by the men.

Izayoi gasped as she saw the blood running down the unconscious woman's arm. "Oh my! Bring her in! I'll see what I can do... by the way, what does this woman have to do with demons?"

One of the other men stepped out, carrying a small package. "Well, my Lady, you see, the miko had this in her possession and considering your past, we figured that you'd know what to do."

Another man stepped forward, the one that had been carrying the miko. "She made me promise that the child wouldn't be harmed before she fell into unconsciousness."

Izayoi stepped forward and took the bundle, and gasped. It was a demon. A half-demon baby. A pup! With black hair, dog ears, golden eyes and fangs it was obvious. She nodded to the men. "I may need your help in caring for the woman."

All of the men nodded.