Kagome sighed as she set the washbowl down on the small wooden table. She looked around before spotting the herb she needed sitting on the top shelf. Without Miroku around she wouldn't be able to reach it.

"Shippo! Can you come here for a moment?" Kagome called out, knowing full well that he was sitting outside the hut cutting some wood.

"Yah, what do you need Kagome?" Shippo asked. He was a few years older now, taller than Kagome and much stronger than she was, even with her miko powers.

"Miroku put those herbs on the top shelf again, think you can grab them for me?"

"Sure thing." He said, not even stretching to grab the jar from the top shelf, setting it on the table next to the hot water.

"What do you need those for anyway?"

"You know Sango hasn't been feeling way lately. It doesn't help much that the two kids don't know when to leave their mother alone. Good thing Miroku took them out for a way… I think. Anyway, these should help with her illness."

Shippo just nodded. "That all you needed? I'm going to finish the wood for tonight."

Kagome nodded as she began to dissolve the herbs into the water. Mixing it slightly.

She sighed.

This used to be so much easier when Inuyasha was around… I miss him.

Kagome held back the tears that threatened to spill as she thought about him.

I really need to move on. He died protecting us… he would be mad at me for grieving for him for this long.

She looked out the door where she could see what had been designated 'Memorial Hill'. Upon it sat the small shrine that the village had dedicated to you the hanyou. Kaede herself was buried no more than fifteen feet from the shrine.

Kagome sighed, looking over at the cabinet that held some more supplies. "Looks like I'm going to be heading to my time tomorrow to get some more stuff. Still, nothing works like the natural stuff."

Cringing a little at the small, Kagome took the lather in her hands, heading towards the curtain that separated the main room from Sango's. She entered quietly and applied it to her forehead and checks. Dipping her hand into a washing bowl to get the excess gook of her hands she heard a commotion from outside.

"I said you can't go in there!"

Kagome paid no mind to it as she headed back to the main room, pouring some unused medicine into a jar and putting it into the darkened shelf.

"Let me be! I must speak to lady Kagome!"

"I said no! Kagome is busy!"

Kagome tried not to pay any mind to it, Shippo would handle his own.

"Please! I must speak to her, it is urgent!"

Kagome was reaching for a jar full of berries, finding herself in need of an energy boost.

"Then you speak to me! I'll relay the message to Kagome. She is taking care of a very sick person right now and must not be disturbed."

Always protecting me from riff-raff Shippo. Kagome mused, walking across the room towards the entrance to see who Shippo was yelling with, Jar still in hand.

"Fine! But you must relay my message immediately. I bring word from a far away village. We have reason to believe that he has returned and is in search of the miko, Kagome. I was told to tell the village Miko immediately as she deserves to know."

"Who is he. Who do you bring word of?"

"The hanyou. Inuyasha."

Shattering glass was heard from within the hut, alarming Shippo right away. He rushed into the hut to see Kagome standing in the middle of the room, hands shaking. Shippo was at her side as the women he had been arguing with entered the hut behind him.

"Kagome! Are you okay?" Shippo asked quickly.

Kagome turned to see the other person. This one turned out to be a hanyou as well, judging by the tale she was a young neko hanyou, she looked innocent enough.

"Are you Lady Kagome?"

"We do not speak that name here. Inuyasha is a forbidden word."

"Please, you must listen! My information is credible, I swear by it."

"Stop this! I will not hear it. I was there, how dare you defile his name with your lies! You! A hanyou in yourself! He gave all of you a better status in this world! And now you tell nothing buy lies about him! How dare you!" Kagome blurted out without even thinking.

"But please!"

"Leave my village! Leave and do not return!"

"Please!"

"You must leave now." Shippo whispered softly, taking the young hanyou by the arm. "Please, you must not cause any more trouble for Kagome. Just leave in peace."

You cat half demon sighed. "Then I have failed in my mission. You refuse to believe me? Fine, I will leave in peace."

She pulled her arm from Shippo's grasp, turning out the hut curtain. Kagome could hear the wind blowing as the hanyou ran at full speed away.

Kagome sighed as she reached for a broom to start sweeping up the mess of broken glass. Shippo took the broom from her. "I'll do this. Why don't you go to the shrine and pray. It normally helps you calm down."

"Thanks, Shippo. I'll do that."

Kagome stuck her hands into her sleeves as she headed up the hill to the shrine. She had her eyes closed the entire time, already silently praying. She didn't need to see to know how to get there, she had done it on her own many times before.

She kneeled down in her normal spot as a slight breeze blew through the area. Kagome was silent for a moment.

"Why do you come here? To disrupt us?" She whispered, catching the hanyou off guard. She thought she had approached unnoticed, kneeling down at the shrine as well. Looks like she wasn't as quiet as she had hoped.

"You must understand, my lady. I mean no disrespect. But I have been sent here for a reason. Please, you must hear me out."

Kagome thought it over for a moment, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Alright, I'll give you your chance. But tread lightly."

"Thank you. I come from the village of Kyoto. I am the villages only hanyou, I protect them with my lives. As it is right now I would rather be back there watching over them, then being here convincing you. But please, you must listen. The villagers have become restless with stories of Inuyasha's return. Many have claimed to see him through their windows at night. Others say they have heard his voice, sometimes whimpering over a lost love, or singing some type of song. I don't know."

"Why do you believe them?"

"Because, they have no reason to lie of such items. And… because I feel it in my bones… the trees are awake at night, telling stories of his return as well."

"I feel things in my bones all the time… it does not mean that they are true."

"I feel something else as well… it's more of a sibling thing."

Kagome nearly gasped at the statement. "Now I know you spew lies. Inuyasha has one sibling. His half brother, Sesshomaru."

"Thou only know half of the story. Yes, Inuyasha has one half brother. However… after Inuyasha's father died and his mother moved to another village, I came into the story. She fell in love once again and that is how I came to be."

"You mean… that neko smell that Inuyasha always said lingered around his mother's grave was yours?"

"Yes."

"So it is true. It must be… something is telling me… my instincts are telling me to believe you. Though I'm not so sure I trust myself."

"Do as you wish. But I am here to bring you back to my village if I may. I wish you to spend a night of two there, to see if you can disband or confirm such stories. Talk with the villagers if you might, see what they can tell you. If at the end of the two days you are not satisfied either way, I will bring you back here, no questions asked."

Kagome sighed… What if it is true… there were no bodies left after the blast… he could of just been injured and lost his memory… I don't know…

"Ok. Two days. No more. Understand?"

"Thank you! We will leave later tonight."

"I really don't want to hope what you are telling me is true. I made peace with his death a long time ago."

(Later That Night)

Miroku ducked under the curtain entrance as two kids flowed in right after him, each carrying some food.

"Kagome, Kagome! Is mommy better yet?" The little girl asked her.

"Ah, little Ayame. Not yet, but she will be better soon. Just give the medicine time to work and she'll get better, I promise."

"Okay." Disappointment was apparent in the young child's voice.

"Don't worry little sis, mom was always a fighter." Damien was always reassuring her sister. He was only two years older then here, but at times she seemed more mature than he was.

Miroku set down the supplies on the table and began to sort them. When the curtain moved again he turned to see who was coming in. He found the neon blue cat hanyou standing there with the slight breeze blowing her clothing a little.

Oh man, if this was a few years back I know Miroku would just be asking her to bear his children.

"I see you've finished your praying for the night. You can sleep in here, we will set up the extra bed for you." Kagome stated, looking around the room for a place to set up the bed.

"Uh Kagome… who is that?" Miroku asked, the two kids were staring at her.

"Actually, I never gave my name to any of you. I am Akira. I reside in a village not too far from here."

"Akira came to ask me to help the village."

"Oh, will you be needing my aid?"

"No, no. I will be fine on my own. Just take care of this village while I am away, ok?"

"How long will you be gone?"

"Two days. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Well, ok. But hurry back."

"Has anyone seen Shippo? He promised me he would show me some fox magic!" Ayame spoke suddenly. "He will be home soon, dear. He is just visiting Shiori. He will be back in fifteen minutes."

"Ok."

Kagome sighed, sitting down at the table helping Miroku to sort supplies. A few minutes later she heard a yell.

"You! I thought I told you to leave!"

"Shippo, wait!"

"Get out of here now!" Shippo yelled, grabbing Akira by the warm.

"Shippo, put her down!"

"But Kagome!"

"Down, Shippo!"

Shippo sighed, letting go of Akira's arm.

"I am sorry." He apologized, half heartedly.

"Akira's village needs help. I will be leaving tomorrow to help them. I will be gone two days." She told Shippo.

"I have to disagree! Kagome, you'll only get hurt! They are just rumors of his return!"

"Who's return?" Miroku questioned.

"Shippo, if it is a rumor then it has the possibility to be true! I must investigate."

"Who's return?" Miroku asked again.

"Kagome, I would really prefer if you didn't go. What if it isn't true?"

"Who's return!" Miroku yelled out, stopping both for arguing any further.

"The half demon, Inuyasha."

Miroku looked over at Akira. "Surely you tell tales."

"I do not. The villagers are restless. They tell tales of a half dog demon whimpering in the middle of the night, they also say that he sings quiet songs of a lost miko love. I didn't tell you, but… one villager had an encounter with him. She says that he doesn't remember his name… only that he woke up on the outskirts of the village."

"How long ago did he appear?"

"I am not sure. It is only recently this has been brought to my attention. They villagers are becoming scared of him. They wanted me to exterminate him. I had come looking for the demon slayer Sango, only to find out from a villager here that a half demon had died protecting a miko. Then I came looking for you."

Kagome nodded. "I already said I would go."

"Good, we will leave early tomorrow."

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A/N: Hay, started another one in an attempt to see if I can find a better reader audience. I don't think I've tried a story just like this before.

Just a small notice, any and all songs in this story unless otherwise, and most unlikely, stated belong to Shinjitsu No Uta. A small band that me and a couple of friends started. To view our website, just check out my profile, it'll be in there.

Till next time.