Beta: eringobroke - thank you so much!

The Girl Who Was In Love With Inuyasha
)Or Wasn't?_

The day after the battle with the centipede monster was luckily, a free day for the shrine. No visitors were climbing the mountain and even though usually, it was the day Kagome went to the village to get her shopping done, she'd done that with her friends the previous she was free after finishing her miko duties well before noon. Sango and Miroku were still on the other side of the well, her family was lazing around in the living room and Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. He'd brought her back home late last night, after their little feast under the other Sacred Tree, but she hadn't seen him all morning. He'd done his part of the chores way before she'd ever gotten out of bed.

She went to check the drawer in the gift shop counter and found that the book she'd left for the kami, was back in there, with a slip of paper sticking out of it at the end. Kagome giggled as she picked up the first volume of The Twelve Kingdom series and checked out the note.

Baffled by its contents she went to find Hiro, who was reading a newspaper on the engawa. Her grandfather was aware of what had transpired during the festival and was impressed by the fact that Kagome had spoken to the mountain deity. He himself had never seen the kami, only had sensed his presence as a warm breeze of summer wind. According to Inuyasha the kami rarely interacted directly with humans, even if he seemed to be rather intrigued by them and their creations.

"Hm," the old shrine keeper read the note carefully. "It looks like a fortune telling. It appears that the kami has seen fit to bestow this upon you as a reward for a good book."

"Before sunset, golden eyes glow. A woman finds her beloved," Kagome read out loud. "This is pretty vague, grandpa. I don't know, maybe he just likes to write cryptic looking poetry, and left it in the book as a bookmark?"

"By the way, where is Inuyasha?" Kagome blushed at the smirk her grandpa gave her. It was amazing that her family was fine with her choice of boyfriend (she'd been a bit anxious about her grandpa's opinion on the matter) but she wished they'd had more time to grow into being an item before letting others know and teasing them about their relationship . As she walked away from the living room engawa, Kagome was almost sure she heard her brother snicker from within the room.

Kagome left her grandfather to his reading and went to look for Inuyasha. He had more knowledge about the kami. And, if she had to be frank, she wanted to see what he was up to. Tugging gently at their bond she found him to be in the training meadow in the woods, napping, so she was about to go and check up on him. Maybe he needed help with his bruises? And, really, it'd be nice to spend time together...

That was when she saw the pair standing next to the torii gate and froze. It was a man with a small girl at his side. While the girl had black hair and brightly colored kimono, the man wore a white kimono and had silver hair, not unlike Inuyasha's. They exchanged a few quiet words and entered the shrine boundaries before Kagome unfreeze and walked towards them.

"I am terribly sorry, but the shrine is closed for..." Kagome started and at that moment the cool golden eyes of the man looked straight at her, piercing, and distant, "…today..." The last word came out in an exhale, weak and shaky.

This man, he was not human. The exotic looks of the tall male was one thing, but the massive youki kept under control so tight that she could sense it only when she was practically next to him, made it clear.

And he looked almost like Inuyasha. Not only the coloring, there was something in the face structure, it was more matured, but resembled Inuyasha so much that Kagome instinctively glanced up to see if he had dog ears. He didn't.

"Your assistance is not required," his voice was low and carried authority. "We have come here not to worship Yama-no=Kami, but to find what was taken from us. Your reiki is significant, but you cannot defeat this one, so heed this one's words and do not insist on stopping us. We shall not linger here."

Kagome stood there, rooted to the spot, as he turned and walked away, towards the forest. The little girl that accompanied him, bowed to Kagome.

"Rin is sorry. We are following Rin's mothers trail and as soon as we find her we will leave, promise. Don't worry, okay?" she said with a bright, innocent smile.

"Rin," came the man's voice from the edge of the forest.

"I'm coming, my lord!" The girl chirped and ran after him, leaving the stunned miko standing in front of the empty gate.

This man...

This youkai of immense power and cold, calculating eyes., with the voice she knew from somewhere...

...He went into the forest.

Kagome turned on her heel and ran towards the shortcut to the training meadow.

'Inuyasha!' she shouted in her mind, hoping to wake him up, to alert him.

'Kagome...!' Att the same time came his confused, embarrassed, and bewildered call.

A fox female, disheveled and with a few bruises here and there over her body. Approached an elder fox female, sitting on a pillow. They were in a small building that was literally a roof on four pillars and a raised floor. It allowed for a spectacular view of a semi-wild forest, and all the mortal foxes and kitsune roaming the area. The young kitsune bowed.

"Miss chief, I'm sorry, but I am afraid I failed you. The Lord of the West is not interested in aiding us," the newcomer said to the lone seated figure. The elder vixen sighed and looked at her wth keen eyes.

"Uka, child, I am just glad you have come back in one piece, even if that piece is a bit battered."

Six tails shifted behind the old kitsune who gestured for the one bowing in front of her in shame. "Your gamble didn't work out, but there is no one at the Kitsune Village faulting you. The Western Lord is not... his usual collected self, with the absence of his mate. At a better time, I believe, he would have at least inspected the situation."

"Was... Was any other shrine attacked?" asked Uka, rising from her bow, her own tails shifting anxiously.

"No, thank the gods," the elder turned to look at a bunch of younglings playing under a nearby tree. "It appears , whoever has robbed the Inari shrine, had only taken the skull of Mae. Most peculiar."

Uka shivered at the mention of the name. All kitsune knew the legend of Mae, kitsune like her were rare and revered among their kind. Or feared most deeply.

"What if... What if someone tries to revive her?" she asked, her voice trembing a bit.

"That is impossible. To kill and seal her the human priests and daiyoukai had joined forces. To revive her is not as easy as to create a doll of dirt and bones and let a soul inhabit it. Do not worry, child. Go and see your mate and son, they are most impatiently waiting for you behind these bushes," the elder smirked when she pointed her nuzzle towards a certain bush and saw it shake.

Soothed by the village chief's words, Uka left the platform and ran to her mate and son, who emerged from behind the bush with sheepish miles. She plucked Shippou from the air when her kit jumped to greet her and hugged his little body to her chest, wincing a little at the aching bruises.

Since that day she was known as Uka of Swift Paws, having escaped Lord Sesshomaru was a feat worthy of a title and respect among all that had ever laid their eyes on the inu daiyoukai.

Uka, herself never learned that the reason that the dog had not chased her to exhaustion was that a small girl on a two-headed dragon had stopped him in his pursuit.