Shadow Kurayami: This will be me trying to make the story from my Drabbles.

Oh… and listen to this song. Sound The Bugle. It is amazing. Absolutely Amazing.

Starts: Youko/Kagome

Moved to later on be: Kuronue/Kagome/Kurama

The One Who Started It All

Chapter One

The Loss

Kagome and the gang had been walking all day, and the miko was slowly becoming more irritated. It was the middle of summer and they were in a humid forest.

"Inuyasha," She started softly, trying to be nice. "Can we stop for a break?" She asked him. Sango and Miroku looked at Kagome with a small smile, several years of all of this activity, they were used to walking long distances, but the three nigens were tired and it was nearly seven in the evening, that last time they stopped was at one, and that was for lunch.

"No Wench, we keep walking till-!"

"Osuwari!" Kagome yelled. The small group was just outside the village where Shiori was.

"Kagome-chan." Miroku set his hand on Kagome's shoulder, "How about we rest at the village?" He offered.

She nodded as Sango piped in, "Yeah, Kagome-chan. We could probably get in a hot bath as well." This caused Kagome to smiled brightly and nod.

"Yes, let's go!" She cheered at the idea of a hot bath. Nothing else seemed to calm her down after a long day dealing with Inuyasha.

Kagome stood outside the inn; she knew she recognized this village from somewhere when a small cry caught her attention. She bit her lip, "Sorry guys, I need to go help them." She thought as she took off running towards the small cry.

She saw a little girl being bullied by two older boys. "Hey! Leave her alone!" She ran towards them. The boys ignored her until Kagome grabbed the back of one's kimono and yanked him away and shoved the other away.

"Hey! Lady she's only a filthy half breed." One said moving to go back until Kagome glared at him, her blue eyes turned icy.

She looked at the little girl… it was Shiori. She pulled her into her lap. "Get out of here before you find out what I do to people who insult my friends." Kagome growled out. Her hands gently brushing Shiori's light hair from her bruised face; Kagome was in tears.

"Kaa…-san..?" Shiori mumbled, lightly touching Kagome's raven hair. The little hanyou's nose twitched slightly. "No, not Kaa-san… Kagome-chan…" She mumbled.

"It's alright Shiori, I'm here I'll protect you." She whispered to the silver haired koumori. The miko was crying for her. How could they? She offered up her life last time they were attacked and they still treated this beautiful child like dirt… and where was her mother!

Kagome slowly stood, holding Shiori in her arms, and she began walking back to the inn where Miroku was performing his exorcism so they could get a free night and meal.

"Where is Kagome-chan?" Sango asked Miroku after they were given a couple rooms; one for men and one for women.

"Isn't she outside?" Miroku asked, a look of confusion crossing his face.

"No, she isn-." Kagome came through the doors. "Kagome-chan, isn't that?" Sango starter but Kagome walked past her.

"Which room is ours? And yes. It is Shiori." Kagome started, when Miroku pointed to the room on the right she quickly went inside, laying her down.

She looked around, sighing in relief that Sango placed her pack inside the room. She quickly set up her sleeping back and laid Shiori on it and pulled out her first aid kit. She needed to tend to Shiori's open cuts.

"I'm sorry Shiori-chan." She whispered and gently used a cloth dipped in disinfectant to clean out the cuts on the small girl's arms. This caused Shiori to let out a soft cry in pain.

"Kagome-chan…what happened to her?" Sango asked as she and Shippo came in. Inuyasha was outside, back in the forest brooding.

"Two boys were beating her up." She said softly, gently wrapping all of Shiori's cuts. She moved the sleeping bag open and tucked her in. "I don't know where her mother is." Kagome said softly looking at her with teary blue eyes.

"Oh… Kagome-chan." Sango moved and wrapped her arms around Kagome, letting the girl weep for the injured koumori.

Miroku listened from the doorway, he knew how kind hearted Kagome was, and to see the girl in such a state hurt. She was a younger sister to him.

"Excuse me." He stopped the inn keeper after walking out and down the hall, "My friend found a little hanyou girl, and we were wondering where her mother was." He asked softly.

"She died last month. Good riddance too. To have a child with a demon…" She grunted and went back to work. He didn't like the answer, but got it none the less.

"Kagome-chan?" Miroku asked as he slowly entered the room to see Kagome using Sango for support. The fox kit in his mother's lap watching Shiori sleep with the two women.

"Hai, Miroku-kun?" Kagome looked over at him; her cheeks were red and stained from crying.

Miroku took a deep breath, how was he to break this to her. "Shiori's mother passed on a month ago from what the inn keeper said." He flinched when she took in a sharp breath, her eyes filling with tears again.

"We… we can't leave her here, they'll kill her…" She whispered, stroking Shiori's cheek. She couldn't let her die by the hands of those… bastards.

"Kagome-chan…" Sango went to say something, to convince her not too.

"She's right Sango-chan. She is only a little girl. They will kill her if given the chance to. We cannot leave her here." Miroku cut in. His hand tightening on his staff in anger, what could they honestly do? As much as the life on the road wasn't one for children, it was safer than staying here alone in a village that hated her.

All the meanwhile this was happening in Nigenkai, in Maikai Youko was attacking a palace in a blood rage. They killed Kuronue, and he would show no mercy.

His rose whip was covered in blood, cutting through anyone who came near him. They took it… they took what he died for and they were not allowed to keep it while he was alive.

"P-please… Youko Kurama… Be merciful!" The lord was begging, crawling backwards. The boar youkai was quivering where he sat. The blood red amulet hanging from his neck as a prize from him having his men kill Kuronue, keeping it there as a souvenir.

"Mercy? You dare ask for mercy when you killed him and took his amulet?" Youko's cold voice came cutting through the silence. His cold golden eyes looking at the demon, he looked like a god of death. Youko's body and clothing were stained with blood, only a bit of white peeking out from the stains.

"You killed my best friend." He growled, raising his hand to strike the boar with the whip.

"W-wait! Y-you came for this right?" He shakily took off the amulet, holding it out to Youko, his arm shaking, making the chain rattle. Youko took it in a quick motion, causing the chain to slice though the boar's hand.

He said nothing else, when his other hand turned downward in a quick motion. The rose whip split the boar in half, spraying the silver kitsune with more blood.

He turned around, walking out towards the exit after he took the torch, tossing it at the fabric that draped the lord's room. He had what he wanted and he would never have to deal with them again.

He would go back to his den in Nigenkai, back to the garden he was perfecting and he would let that place burn to the ground.

Kagome and the group had gotten up and eaten; now Kagome was carrying the small hanyou as they walked to the next location. Everyone was quiet as the small koumori clung to Kagome.

Inuyasha didn't argue when he saw the bruised and beaten girl, he knew what villagers did to his kind. He was actually jealous of the girl, he would have killed to have someone care for him like that after his mother died, and now here two brats are lucky. Shippo and Shiori have Kagome to take care of them, even… call her mother if they wanted.

Inuyasha let out a soft growl catching the attention of the miko, "Inuyasha?" She asked softly, her blue eyes showing concern.

"It's nothing Kagome. Just… just watch her." He said in a gruff voice. It wouldn't be too long before they stopped for the night.

Kagome said nothing and moved to kiss Shiori's forehead. She stopped talking after the incident with the boys, but Kagome figured it was long before that as well.

When the group stopped for the night Kagome tucked both children into her sleeping bags. She began bringing an extra one after an accident with a demon shredding hers. Well now it made good beds for the two children. "Kaa-san… can you sing us a song..?" Shippo asked as he looked at Shiori.

"Alright you too." She smiled; everyone had eaten some cooked fish when they sat down, now it was time for them all to go to sleep.

"It's not your eyes

It's not what you say

It's not your laughter

That gives you away

You're just lonely

You've been lonely, too long."

Kagome softly sang the song; it was a song she heard on the radio when she was home. It was called "Dust to Dust," by The Civil War. The other members of the group looked at the motherly miko and smiled. She was… too innocent for this time.

"Oh, you're acting your thin disguise

All your perfectly delivered lines

They don't fool me

You've been lonely, too long."

Kagome's singing also attracted more than just the attention of her group members and the two children. A male fox was in a nearby tree, downwind where Inuyasha could not catch his scent. He had bathed and held the amulet in his hand. His cold golden eyes focused on the singing female.

"Let me in the wall

You've built around

We can light a match

And burn it down

Let me hold your hand

And dance 'round and 'round the flames

In front of us

Dust to dust."

It was funny to Youko, how this little miko… this bothersome human sang the words to a feeling that hit hard in his heart. It reminded him of his childhood with Kuronue. The koumori that found him after his clan was slaughtered by a hunter.

"You've held your head up

You've fought the fight

You bear the scars

You've done your time

Listen to me

You've been lonely, too long."

Sango and Miroku looked at Kagome with sad smiles. She sure knew how to pick songs that hit close to home to everyone… probably even herself. Since all of them have felt lonely at some point, to where they built walls around their hearts to protect themselves.

"Let me in the walls

You've built around

We can light a match

And burn them down

Let me hold your hand

And dance 'round and 'round the flames

In front of us

Dust to dust."

Shiori looked up at Kagome with sleepy lavender eyes. She silently wondered if Kagome knew how it felt to be that lonely. She only met her the one time when her grandfather attacked her village.

"You're like a mirror, reflecting me

Takes one to know one, so take it from me

You've been lonely

You've been lonely, too long

We've been lonely

We've been lonely, too long."

Kagome held the last note for a moment before kissing both children on the foreheads. "Sleep now." She whispered to them.

"Alright… Night Kaa-san." Shippo whispered after kissing Kagome's cheek. He turned to his side and closed his blue-green eyes, falling asleep in the warmth of the sleeping bag.

"Goodnight Shiori." She whispered to the little koumori. Shiori gently hugged Kagome by wrapping her arms around her neck. The hanyou girl let out a small whimper. "I won't leave you. I promise." Kagome assured her softly.

"Night Kagome…" Shiori whispered in her ear. This action caused Kagome to smile, she gently kissed her head again as the smaller girl went to sleep.

Youko had his attention on the young miko by then. She was caring for a red kit, and a koumori hanyou… how… odd.

It seemed he had a puzzle in front of him, but he was too tired and filled with heartache to care at that moment. He finally avenged his friend, and two long years.

"Goodnight Kuronue, my friend." Youko thought as his hand closed around the amulet and he let himself drift off into a light rest. He was going to stay alert to the nearby group so they wouldn't find him.

Shadow Kurayami: Okay then. There is Chapter One. The Loss.

Tell me what you think please.

Thank you~