Chapter 3

Discovery

"Come here child, ye must be starved" Kaede said as she handed the young woman a bowl of stew.

"This smells absolutely delicious Lady Kaede" was her response.

"Well you're welcome" came the snide voice of a usually UN-snide Kagome.

"Oh I'm so sorry, I forgot to say thank you. Mother always did say that I was hopeless" the blonde sighed.

"What be ye name child?".

"Oh once again I forgot to introduce myself!" the maiden said in obvious distress "My name is Zuri, Zuri Hagashori".

"Well Zuri, I have a very serious proposition for you" began Miroku "Will you bear my childr-OW". He didn't finish the last part of the sentence because Sango had knocked him upside his head with her Hiraikotsu. "I apologize, I simply can't help myself when I see such a beautiful young woman".

"You are forgiven monk" said the cheery blonde. "So what are all of your names?".

As the group introduced themselves Kagome left the hut. Just as she was walking out Inuyasha walked in.

"Inuyasha, I need to talk to you" she said.

"Uh, OK.". He then followed her outside to a nearby field where wildflowers grew.

As they sat Kagome began "Inuyasha I don't like this new girl. She doesn't sit well with me". Kagome figured if she could make Inuyasha believe that this woman was not as angelic as she appeared then he would do away with her somehow. She was counting on the fact that she knew he loved her.

"Feh, I think you're imagining things. She's perfectly fine". Inuyasha wasn't stupid. He knew what she was playing at now. See, the entire group seemed to think that the half demon was dumb, or that he was particularly dense. And he allowed them to believe this because, as he had discovered, one learned more when people believed they could say anything around you and you wouldn't understand it. Inuyasha knew that Kagome felt threatened by this girl. At least he thought. She was scared that this woman would take her place among the Inu pack. That's what Inuyasha figured. And while he knew that this woman probably could not detect shards since she was not a miko, he was not entirely sure what the strange connection was that he felt to this Zuri Hagashori. So he could not exactly tell her that she would not take her place in that way, even though he felt bad for it.

"Inuyasha, what if she turns out to be evil and tries to kill me? Aren't you supposed to protect me?" she yelled. She was dealing a low blow now, and she knew it.

"That was low Kagome, especially for you" was the hanyou's reply.

Inuyasha then walked away, ignoring anything else she might say and pretending as if the conversation had not happened at all. As he walked back into the hut he realized that Kagome was following him. Apparently she did not feel that this conversation was over just yet.

"Hey Kagome, where did all your jewel shards go? I was looking in your back pack for candy and found your bottle, but it's empty" interrupted a tiny voice.

Kagome looked down to find Shippo at her feet. "I don't know Shippo. Last time I checked they were in the bottle" she paused. Then decided maybe she could use this to her advantage "Maybe that Hagashori girl took them".

"I highly doubt that" said Inuyasha.

"Well then where else could they have gone?" snapped Kagome.

"I don't know Kagome, maybe you dropped 'em somewhere. After all you are the one who shattered them in the first place, it would be just like you to lose something as hard to lose as jewel shards in a corked bottle". Inuyasha was being mean with that one and he knew it. He was simply tired of the current topic. Why was Kagome so set on Zuri being an evil person. Even Kaede said that she could not sense an evil bone in the young woman's body."I'm going back into the hut now" he announced, ensuring that the conversation ended at the door.

Zuri Hagashori was sitting around the large cauldron in the middle of the hut enjoying her bowl of stew when Inuyasha came to sit beside her. "How are you feeling?".

"I'm feeling much better now, thank you so much. Lady Kaede told me that you are the one who rescued me" replied the honey blonde.

"Yeah, about that, do you remember how you got to be in that field?" he asked.

"Well I was walking to the village well to get some water for my family when this bright light exploded all around me and this, well, silhouette standing in the rays. And the silhouette, well she said something. I just can't remember what it was. Something about judgment and demons. That's all I remember". Zuri looked somewhat sad.

Inuyasha noticed the gloomy look on her face. "What's wrong?".

"Well I just remembered something an elderly monk had told my parents when I was born. He had told them that I was destined to leave home and never come back. He never said why though".

"Oh... So I guess that means you can't go home now, huh?" Inuyasha asked, he felt sorry for her. "Well I'm, sorry. That's gotta suck".

"Well I guess, kinda. I mean I'll miss my friends, and I know they will miss me, but it isn't as like my parents will miss me".

"What do you mean? Don't your parents love you?" Inuyasha asked, forgetting to be subtle. The pained look on her face was answer enough. "Oh... I'm sorry..." and once again Inuyasha found himself doing something without knowing why, something he never did with anyone else "Well at least you know your parents. Mine are dead".

"I'm so sorry! That must be terrible for you! My mother and Father tried to kill me when I was born, but something weird happened. The monk that I told you about, well he's the one who told me what he had told my parents. But he also told me that on that day they had seemed delusional. They tried to kill me because they said I was demon possessed. Apparently it was the color of my hair that set them off. At least that's what they told the monk. They kept saying that some Goddess appeared to them as they prepared to kill me and told them that if they harmed me their life would follow shortly after".

"Wow..." Inuyasha said. "I'm sorry".

"Oh it's ok, in a way I actually kinda glad to be away from home". As she said this she stretched her arms above her head. The Kimono that Sango had given her to wear pulling taut against her small body and then going slack again.

Just then Lady Kaede poke her head out from behind the curtain separating the main room from the sleeping area. "Inuyasha, I must speak with thee".

The silver haired hanyou sighed grumpily. "Fine, hag, but it had better be quick".

"Very well".

As they stepped behind the curtain Kaede began "Inuyasha, ye must take the child with ye. I don't know why yet but there be something special about her. I do not know why but something is telling me that the maiden is meant to travel with ye. Her destiny is intertwined with yours somehow".

"Feh, I don't believe in destiny, but I'll take her along anyhow" Inuyasha responded as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Suddenly the old miko and half-demon both heard a hair raising scream erupt from the other side of the thin fabric.

Inuyasha was beside Zuri in less than a second only to be blown away by the large explosion that erupted seemingly from inside her body. As Inuyasha got back upon his feet he couldn't help but to stare at the being standing where Zuri had been moments before. With long lavender hair and eyes the color of the morning mist that settled upon the sea, Inuyasha felt that he was staring upon an avenging angel. The mark upon the anti-Zuri beings forehead reminded him of something he had once seen in a picture. It was as if someone had taken the stars from the night sky and lined them upon her brow in a crown.

It was then that the celestial being spoke, sending shivers down Inuyasha's back. "I am the Goddess Kurita, creator of demon kind, Seshomaru you must now pay for your crimes against humankind".

Inuyasha followed the pale finger and realized that it was pointing at his half-brother. He didn't know when Fluffy had gotten here but right now it wasn't the most important thing on his mind. Right now he had to get Sesshy out of there.