Kagome stretched her arms and pulled the blankets off her body. The sun was peeking through the sides of the woven door of the hut. She slipped into her miko clothes and combed her hair, ready to start the day. When she pulled the door aside, the orange light engulfed her in a warm embrace. She breathed in the crisp morning air. The village was already bustling with people busy in their morning routines. Many greeted her as she walked by. She smiled pleasantly at them.

"Kagome!" A small kitsune ran towards her from a nearby hut.

"Hello Shippo!" Kagome opened her arms to him as he leapt towards her. "When did you get back from your training?"

"Just this morning! I went up another level!"

"Great job!"

"Where are the others?" The fox demon looked around the village from her shoulder.

"I expect they'll be back soon." She sighed. Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku had gone to a nearby village the previous day to get rid of a pesky demon lurking in a shrine. She had been forbidden from going due to her condition.

Kagome put a hand to her swollen belly. She was only a few months pregnant and not bedridden but Inuyasha had insisted she remain in the village. He had always been the protective type so she understood. Staying behind sure was lonely though.

"Why didn't you go with them this time? Sango went around with Miroku when she was pregnant with the twins," Shippo said. "She was way bigger than you are."

Kagome shrugged, not wanting to linger on the thought. "They didn't want me to come."

Just then, a man raced into the village atop his horse. He skidded to a halt at the center just beyond where Kagome stood. Dirt flew up in clouds around the horse's hooves. Many of the villagers stopped their chores to watch him.

"Please!" He yelled to them. The man was covered in sweat and mud. "Someone must help me! My family is in grave danger!"

Priestess Kaede came limping from her hut. She had twisted her ankle the night before while chasing the twins around the village. She had been entrusted as their caregiver while the others were away. Kagome had been the one to chase them to bed in the end. "What has happened Sir?"

The man climbed off his horse and knelt before the old woman. "A strange demon has encroached on our small village. He has my family captive."

"What sort of demon?" Kaede asked. Rin popped out of the hut behind her carrying the sleeping boy of Miroku and Sango.

"He takes the form of a giant spider!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes. Shippo whispered her own thoughts in her ear. "You don't think it could be…"

Kaede sighed heavily, clearly exhausted. "Someone ready my horse."

Kagome took a step forward. "Kaede, please let me go in your stead."

Kaede looked her up and down. "Kagome, you know Inuyasha would not be pleased."

Kagome shooed her with her hand. "Oh please… I'm perfectly capable of handling my own."

Shippo pipped up beside her. "I'll be with her to protect her Kaede!"

The old woman seemed to be thinking. The baby in Rin's arms began to squirm and wail.

"Granny Kaede! She hit me!" A little voice called from inside Kaede's hut. The twins had woken up and clearly were not starting their day on a good note. One of them pushed the door to the hut aside and ran out completely naked.

"Rin, please go see to her," Kaede said while taking the baby from the small girl's arms. She cradled the little boy. "Very well Kagome. You must not over exert yourself and I will not be the victim of Inuyasha's wrath."

"Oh I'll handle him!" Kagome was nearly leaping with joy. She hadn't been able to venture far from the village in weeks. Ever since she had discovered her pregnancy. Kagome ran to her hut to grab her bow and arrows. One of the villagers came up with a horse for her to ride. She felt exhilarated.

The dirt covered man was already up on his horse and ready to go. "Thank you so much Priestess. Your heroism is inspiring."

Kagome blushed. "Shall we?"

They hurried on their way, leaving the village behind. They travelled alongside the edge of the forest. The man kept a good pace, leading them up and down the hills and roads. Kagome continuously shifted in her seat. She nearly never rode horseback. What use was a horse when you had Inuyasha? She could feel the muscles along her lower back and her bottom begin to ache. The sun had risen high up in the center of the sky by the time the man finally began to slow his horse.

"It's just up here Priestess."

Kagome nodded and followed him. Shippo perked up from where he was sitting in front of her. As they approached the village, Kagome took as look around. The village seemed quite ordinary expect for the lack of residents.

"Where is everyone?" Shippo asked.

The man ignored the fox demon's question and continued on into the center of the village. Kagome and Shippo followed him cautiously.

"The beast is in here!" He said as he stopped before a large building. "This is our village temple. The priest we entrusted was tempted by the evil spider demon and allowed him access to temple's spiritual powers. My wife and daughter are being held inside."

Kagome nodded determinedly and leapt off her horse. She held her bow ready as she stepped forwards. Shippo walked a few paces behind her. His sense of prowess was clearly beginning to fade. Kagome continued up the steps. She felt an evil aura coming from just beyond the doors. She took a deep breath in to steady herself before springing forward into the shrine.

It was dark inside aside from one candle burning in the hands of a stone deity at the back of the temple. Kagome willed her eyes to adjust as she looked around the room. She couldn't see or sense any people but the dark aura remained stronger than ever.

"Hello Kagome…" A sinister voice said from a dim corner. A man dressed in a white baboon cloak stepped out into the candle's low light. "It's been a while."