She was worried. Her young nestling had been missing for over a week!
Sure most wizards called him her master, but her nestling had never once treated her like a pet or something he could control. And once she had seen how his so called relatives treated him, well, she had taken to him quite quickly.
But now he was far beyond her reach in a country he wasn't very familiar with.
And that was something she couldn't stand.
So she kept a constant vigil over where he disappeared, not caring about the day to day lives of the other humans. The man who had brought them here had to leave, but not before wishing her luck. Maybe she wouldn't peck his eyes out when her nestling returned.
Every day, she spent her waking hours waiting for her nestling. Or even a hint of where he was. The tree where she perched was quite comfortable for her, even if it did have an odd aura around it.
Then one morning she noticed something was off. For one thing, her vantage point had abruptly changed. And her eyes weren't as good as before. She turned her head, and heard a distinct pop noise. Without warning she fell.
And to top off her odd day, instead of the angry squawk she would have let off, she heard a distinct yelp from an unfamiliar voice. That was when she noticed something. She had hands. When she moved the things, they followed her instructions. Her feet were flatter than before, and she could walk on the ground with ease.
Things seemed different. For one thing, she didn't feel tired, even though it was day. For another she didn't have to balance her wings to walk properly.
So in an experimental way, she tried to flap her wings like she usually would. And was startled when she heard the distinctive flap of wings behind her back. She turned her neck and saw with shock that she still had wings.
She felt something long and silky on her neck, and took her hand and pulled it forward.
It was silvery white hair. And it reached to her waist. Her wings seemed to insist on catching her hair.
So she willed her wings to vanish for a bit. Then she looked down. She was only wearing a white shift and nothing else. She would have to change that and fast.
She remembered what she had seen other females wearing, and decided to go with something that hopefully wouldn't attract too much attention.
It was red and white, and did more than enough to cover her up properly.
Suddenly she winced. Something was in her foot! So she bent down and looked.
A pearly pink shard of something was in her left foot. As she went to take it out, it suddenly vanished under her skin. Something told her that the shard was the reason why she had suddenly become human in appearance.
Deciding that she had waited long enough for her nestling to come back, she went to the small house where he disappeared. Inside was a large well of sorts. She walked down the stairs carefully, her hand firmly on the railing. She wasn't used to walking without her wings to balance her.
The tug she felt when she was away from her nestling was stronger here. The feeling was very strong from the well. So without questioning the power that led her to the well, she went inside.
Blue light surrounded her. And when she opened her eyes, she was outside. The air felt cleaner, purer than before. The house over the well was gone.
The tug was stronger than ever.
Slowly she began to climb. But she kept falling back down. These new hands and legs weren't very useful at all. She didn't know how to use them properly yet. With a huff of irritation, she sat down.
Really! Was it too much to ask for something to go right today? If only she was back in her true form!
Without warning her view shifted back again. Her eyes were almost blinded by the light outside. But she was used to the sensation.
Lifting up her wing, she realized she was an owl again. Pleased with the fact, she pumped her wings. Once, twice, and by the third flap she was in the air.
Where was he? The tug only gave her a general direction. So without questioning the feeling,she flew in that direction, using thermals to stay in the air. Whenever she felt hungry, she would descend and find mice with odd auras. Every time she did this she could feel some power grow larger.
For three days and four nights she did this, constantly flying in the direction of the feeling.
Finally she could feel it lessen. She flew lower, and saw two boys joking around. One had the same odd aura when she normally targeted, only it was stronger than the mice and rats she devoured. The other had shoulder-length raven black hair and was wearing an odd outfit. But then again most of the males in this place were wearing the same thing in different colors. One with silver hair and a very strong aura had been wearing one completely in red. (Inuyasha)
The tug was downward. Suddenly the black haired one looked up, and she spotted green.
Her vision shifted again, and she found herself in human form without warning. Her wings were doing their best to keep her from plummeting to her death.
The boy's eyes widened, and he yelled "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The freefall stopped, as he gently lowered her to the ground. His eyes were large, as he said tentatively "Hedwig?"
She narrowed her eyes at him and said "You bloody idiot! Why didn't you take me with you! Have you any idea how worried I have been!"
She definitely didn't question how she knew Japanese at the moment, or the British accent she had while speaking it.
Shippo was very confused. Who was this woman? Before he could ask his big brother, Harry tackled the woman.
"Hedwig! I am so glad to see you!"
It took the rest of the day for the woman to calm him down. Clearly his big brother was very close to her. Though he did wonder why Hari never mentioned her.
Without warning the woman in the miko uniform became a large bird with pure white feathers. She gave him a questioning stare.
"Sorry girl. This is my younger brother Shippo. Shippo, meet the bossy older sister Hedwig."
Shippo held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Hedwig-nee."
Hedwig allowed him to shake her wing. Since the kitsune was clearly very close to her nestling, she would watch over him as well.
It took less than a week for Shippo and Hari to get used to having Hedwig around. While they slept, she would keep watch. Every day she would practice switching from owl to human. Hari assisted her in learning how to use her new hands and feet properly, even helped her with using chopsticks. After some initial fumbling, she was soon using them regularly.
Every morning, before her nestlings awoke, she would hunt for her breakfast. No reason to get out of practice after all. The more mice and rats she ate, the stronger her abilities became.
One morning Shippo happened to see one of the mice she had caught and yelped. Hedwig was eating a mouse demon! Hari yawned widely and looked at his beloved owl.
"Ohayo, Hedwig! Have any luck hunting?"
She hooted, and presented her kill. Hari took one look and gasped.
"Hedwig...you've been hunting demons?"
She cocked her head in confusion. Once she had finished her meal she turned into her human form and Hari explained.
"That was a mouse demon. How did you capture it?"
"Same way I always have. I waited until it dropped it's guard, and flew in silently for the kill."
Hari shook his head in disbelief.
"Well, just be careful when you hunt them. I don't want to see you get hurt by a demon."
She nodded. Then helped him prepare breakfast. She was quite adept at catching fish in the streams. Though a few times the villagers complained about the fact that she caught them nearby.
Apparently they lived off the fish. Fortunately for them Hari happened to have some coins to give them. That always appeased them enough that they allowed them to leave.
Though a few times they had to fight off the villagers because they wanted his gold coins.
"It's gorgeous outside. Why don't we take a break from traveling and just relax today?" asked Hari.
Shippo who was half awake from the gentle sun hitting him, nodded in agreement. Today seemed ideal to take a break from walking. Hedwig flew up to a nearby branch and fell straight asleep.
She spent most days simply snoozing on his shoulder, with Shippo sitting on the other. It was an...interesting arrangement.
Hari laid down under the tree, arranging himself just right on the roots. They were quite comfortable to lay on, and didn't poke him in the back at all. Shippo finally fell off his shoulder and landed in his lap. Soon all three of them were snoozing the afternoon away.
Rin was happy. Why? Because the rain had finally gone away and there was a field of flowers nearby. So she ran off to pick some for her Lord Sesshomaru.
Jaken, her ever grumpy watcher, followed her.
When they reached it, it was full of flowers. White, blue, red, purple and yellow. She reached down to pick a white one, which reminded her of her Lord's hair color. Without warning Jaken squawked out of surprise. Following his line of sight she spotted a face she hadn't seen in a while.
It was that nice boy from before! The one who helped her pick flowers! Only he wasn't alone this time. There was a small boy and an white bird near him, all asleep.
Instead of listening to Jaken, who was telling her to leave immediately, she went up to him instead.
The first thing she did was hug him.
Hari woke up with a squawk. The small boy (who was called Shippo) woke up as well.
Hari stretched and yawned widely. Then he saw Rin.
"Hiya Rin-chan! Long time no see!" he said with a grin.
"That was a good nap," yawned Shippo.
"Yup. So what brings you out here, Rin-chan?"
"Flower picking. Jaken is here too!"
Hari grinned, and spotted the ever annoying imp. Who was glaring at him and tried to look threatening.
"If you try to take Rin I'll boil you!"
He laughed outright.
"Why the hell would I try to take her? She's perfectly fine with Sesshomaru-san, who at least takes care of her."
Personally he had no problem with a human child being taken care of by a demon, even one as cold as Sesshomaru. All he had to do was compare the way Rin treated her Lord and the way his so called family treated him, and he knew the girl was better off.
So yes, he never had a problem with the way Rin lived.
But Jaken wasn't convinced. Before he could attack Hari though, someone approached them.
Lord Sesshomaru had caught onto his scent, and wondered why he was there. He of course had heard what Hari had said about Rin living with him.
Something about Hari bothered him, and it wasn't the fact that he traveled with his annoying younger brother.
If he were pressed, he would say that the young boy reminded him too much of Rin.
Hari had the eyes of someone who was close to being broken. His scent was that of a puppy, and he acted like one which had been beaten regularly and often for no reason. He noted how Hari flinched at raised voices in anger. It was almost impossible to see unless you were looking for it.
But the mere fact that it was there bothered him more than he would admit out loud.
Which is why he allowed Rin to be near him at all.
A foul scent filled the air. It was familiar to him.
Naraku!
Something about the woman and child who appeared bothered him greatly. The girl had blank eyes...like she had no soul. And the woman...she was cold in both heart and deed.
"Lord Naraku requests your presence, human."
Hari narrowed his eyes.
"Like hell. I am not going to answer the call of some jumped up half demon who thinks himself to be everyone's master," snarled Hari.
The woman smirked.
"I was hoping you would say that," she said coldly.
"Dance of Blades!"
Hari realized Rin and Shippo were in the way. He grabbed them both and bolted out of the way. The deadly sickles of wind struck the tree, and the sound of it falling reverberated across the field. Hedwig had taken flight the moment the woman attacked.
She landed next to her nestlings and looked at Hari.
"Hedwig, take Rin, Shippo and Jaken and go find Sesshomaru. I'll fight this hag off while you escape."
"Hari, no..."
"Go Hedwig! I don't want to see any of you hurt!" said Hari fiercely.
Seeing the look in his eyes, Hedwig took the children and irritating imp and flew. Her flight in her human form had improved greatly since she first became a demon.
She knew. When she had described the shard of pink that she noticed in her foot, Hari told her what it was. The shard of the Shikon no Tama that had been in the Tree of Ages was in her foot. It had granted her the ability to become human, and find her nestling.
Since she had only become human out of love and not greed, the shard was pure. Whenever she ate the smaller demons who resembled her usual prey, her demonic energy grew. She absorbed their power.
Up in the air, she heard Rin look down in surprise.
"Relax little one. I will not drop you. Now where is your Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Hedwig kindly.
Rin looked down, and tried to find her Lord. Then she spotted a long banner of silver and white and pointed down.
"There he is!"
She landed gently, and let the three down. Sesshomaru was quite impressive, for a demon.
"Who are you?" he asked.
She narrowed her eyes. His tone was far too cold for her liking.
"My nestling calls me Hedwig. He said it's another way of saying Female Warrior in another tongue."
"An apt name, for a bird."
Shippo was understandably nervous around the dog demon. Where Inuyasha was a brute, Sesshomaru was cold and collected. He could kill him without remorse.
"Shippo, stay with Rin. I am going to help Hari."
"But Nee-chan!"
Hedwig gave him a look which brokered no argument from him. He reluctantly went to Rin, and saw that Sesshomaru was thankfully ignoring him.
Hedwig took flight, and headed in the direction of the battle. It was easy enough to spot her nestling. The feeling which lead her to find him was still there, and always would be. She noted that Sesshomaru was not to far from the battle itself. She only hoped he would at least protect the little fox boy.
Without warning Hari collapsed. But not from exhaustion. The white haired girl with the strange mirror had sucked something out of Hari, causing him to faint. The cold woman who attacked them grabbed him and pulled him onto a large feather which flew past her.
It was going too fast for her to catch up in time to rescue her nestling. She reluctantly went back to the Inu Yokai.
"Hedwig-nee, where's Hari?" asked Shippo in worry.
"Some woman on a feather took him. The girl in white took something from him, but I have no idea what."
"Kanna and Kagura. Which means he will be with Naraku."
"Who or what is Naraku?"
"Naraku is the one who tricked Kikyo into sealing Inuyasha away, cursed Miroku's family with the Wind Tunnel, and killed everyone Sango cared about in her village."
"Sounds like that hack Voldemort. Where is this monster located?"
"I have no idea. He keeps cloaking himself so we can't find him, and always leaves before we can destroy him!" said Shippo.
Hedwig growled in irritation.
"I suppose we shall have to find him the old fashioned way. Luckily I always know where to find Hari."
Shippo looked at her in surprise.
"How do you know where he is?"
"I have always been able to home in on my nestling, even when we were separated by time and space."
Sesshomaru looked pensive. He did owe that little pup for protecting the little girl and the imp from harm. As the tengu went to find her nestling, as she called him, he finally spoke up.
"I will go with you."
Shippo was startled. He definitely didn't expect that from the older brother of Inuyasha. Then again, maybe he should have. Hari did protect the little girl the demon seemed to have adopted.
So they flew, following Hedwig's directions. It was pretty clear that whatever force connected her to Hari, it was strong enough to go through the wards Naraku had created to keep Inuyasha away.