Kagome had often been told to stay in the house after dark, but she was feeling naughty.  All day long her parents and grandfather had made a fuss over her new baby brother.  Kagome didn’t think he was anything special.  He spent a lot of time crying and being cooed over.  No one seemed to care what Kagome did other than being a “good girl.”  Kagome did not want to be a “good girl.”  She wanted someone to pay attention to her besides the fluffy calico kitten, Buyo.

Buyo was a present from daddy.  Kagome liked the kitten, but she felt odd that it so suddenly appeared when her mama went to the hospital to have a baby. 

She ran away from the house and temple towards the small grove of trees.  She liked playing in the grove.  It was peaceful and quiet.  She hid away in her secret fort between a big bush and a tree.  The kitten, Buyo, sniffed at the bush and gave a small “Mew?” before scampering away. 

Kagome tucked her knees under her chin and closed her eyes.

A few hours later she awoke.  It was very dark in her fort.  Usually the lights of Tokyo lit up the area with a dim glow… but everything was pitch black.  She crawled out of her fort.  She couldn’t see anything.  She ran towards what she thought was the house, but it wasn’t there.  Slowly she sank down to her knees and began to cry.  In her mind, this was her punishment for not accepting her baby brother and running away.  Some cruel twist of fate had made her lose her way in the grove and she would never be found again.  “Mama… Daddy… Grandpa…” she cried.

“What you crying for?” a young voice asked.

Kagome wiped her tears away and looked around.  She couldn’t see anyone in the darkness.  “Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m Inuyasha… but mama calls me Inu-kun.  Why are you crying?” the voice asked again.

“I can’t find my house,” Kagome whimpered. 

“Is that why you are wandering in the dark?” 

“Yes.”

Someone sat beside her and she looked in the direction.  Suddenly the moon came out from behind the clouds.  The young person beside her had long light hair.  “What is your name?”

“Kagome…” she replied.  He was a strange looking boy.  He had a pair of dog ears atop his head.  She reached up and touched them.

Inu-kun flattened his ears and looked scared for a moment.  “What are you doing?”

“Are they real?”

“Of course they are real… they’re my ears.”

Kagome let go of his ears and stared up at the boy with dog ears.  “Can you help me find my way home?”

Inu-kun stared at her for a long moment.  “I’ve never seen any houses around here.”  He stood and offered her his hand.  “I can take you to my house.  Mama may be able to help you.”

Kagome pulled herself up and looked around.  The moon hid away behind another cloud and everything went black.  “I can’t see,” she whispered fearfully.

“That’s alright.  Just don’t let go of my hand… I’ll take you to my house.”  He pulled her in one direction and she was obliged to follow him.  There were many twists and turns.  For some reason the grove near her house had grown very big.  She could have easily crossed it five times in the daylight for the distance they traveled and they still didn’t find the edge.  Kagome continued to wonder why Tokyo’s lights were out.  She stumbled and Inu-kun lifted her.  “We’re almost there,” he said quietly. 

Suddenly there was a bright light before them.  It was a small hut surrounded by trees.  Kagome stared at it in awe.  A woman stood in the doorway, looking out at the night.  “Inu-kun, come inside… your dinner is getting cold.”

Inu-kun dragged Kagome into the light of the doorway.  “Mama, look what I found!”

The woman seemed a little surprised to see Kagome.  “Where did you find her?” she asked her son, quietly.

“She was out in the woods, lost and crying.”

The woman’s face softened and she bowed a little to Kagome before pulling her into the house.  “You poor child.  You must be scared.” 

Kagome looked around the small house.  It was very bare of furniture or any other modern luxuries.  She turned to look at the boy who found her.  His hair was white.  He stared at her with big, gold eyes.  He gasped softly as he stared at her, his eyes wide with amazement. 

“Inu-kun… go get the extra bowls,” the woman prompted, pushing her son towards a small cupboard. 

Inu-kun obeyed.

“Please sit and have dinner with us, you must be hungry.”

“I am, thank you,” Kagome said, sitting on the cushion she had been directed to.

“You must forgive us… we don’t get many visitors out in these woods.”

“I thought this was a small grove of trees…”

“A small grove?” the woman questioned.  “It’s not very small… it keeps us hidden.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a monster,” Inu-kun stated as he sat down beside Kagome, handing her bowls. 

“Inu-kun… don’t say that,” the woman said filling Kagome’s bowls with rice and miso soup before serving her son.

“Well… it’s true,” the boy said quietly. 

Kagome looked between mother and son.  The woman looked so sad and the boy looked angry.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Inu-kun looked up at her and gulped.  “Why?  It wasn’t you…”

“You don’t seem like a monster,” Kagome said quietly, sipping her soup.

Inu-kun stared at her for a long time. 

His mother watched him, a look of concern on her face.  “It’s bedtime,” she said softly.

Inu-kun glanced at his mother and then at Kagome.  “What about Kagome?”

“She’ll stay the night… it’s easier to find your way in the morning.”  She pulled out a futon and the children crawled into it.  She covered them both with a blanket and kissed her son goodnight. 

Inu-kun rolled over to face Kagome.  “You really don’t think I’m a monster?”

“No… I don’t.” 

He wrapped his arm around her and snuggled against her.  “Goodnight, Kagome-chan.”

Kagome closed her eyes.

Daylight tempted her eyes open.  She sat up and looked around.  She was safe in her fort. 

“Kagome?  Kagome?!” voices called out from nearby.  She recognized her father and grandpa’s voice.

“I’m here,” she called, crawling out from under the bush. 

Strong arms wrapped around her.  “Oh… my baby… where have you been?” her father cried.

“I ran away and fell asleep…”

“Never do that again,” her father breathed, picking her up and carrying her back to the house.

Kagome sniffled and looked back over her father’s shoulder.  A boy with long, white hair and dog ears stared back at her.  He smiled and waved.  Kagome smiled and waved back.  He vanished.

^.~

Inuyasha sat beside Kagome as she slept.  He smiled softly and reached out to touch her cheek with his fingertips.  She may have forgotten… but he hadn’t.  He could never forget the little girl, lost in the woods.

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