Ch. 1
‘Get him dog boy!’
‘For the last TIME it is INUYAHSA!’
‘Whatever. Behind you!’
‘Not this time. Take this. Wind Scar! He he he.’
‘show-off.’
‘what did you say?’
‘you didn’t need to use your Wind Scar.’
‘what?! If I didn’t he would have’
‘Yeah, yeah I know ‘killed me’’
‘why I oughta…’
‘Inuyahsa, SIT’
*thump**giggle*
*mumble* you always take HER side.

*sigh* just another day in this weird place. Oh. Hi. My name is…my name is…to be honest, I don’t remember my name. I only remember a few things about my life before I came here. Believe me, I’ve tried to remember. We think that if I can remember how I got here, I can figure out how to get back. Back to normal, and back to my world. we’re not exactly sure where I’m from although there are a few theories. Like, I’m from Kagome’s time (they call it the modern era, and we think that this is the most likely). Doesn’t really matter which is true right now. I’m just trying to figure out my  cool new powers. I have heightened senses of smell, sight and hearing, and I have cool powers. I don’t know how they work all the time, but I’m practicing and getting better. We think that I’m a half demon here, although I KNOW I wasn’t one wherever I was. My ears are brown dog ears situated on top of my head, but kind of also on the side, I have claws instead of just regular fingernails, and my canine teeth have extended into fangs. Is this cool or what!

I remember reading a story on a computer, although I can’t remember what it was about, when this black spot appeared on the screen. I tried to ignore it and focus on the story hoping it would go away. It didn’t. It got bigger. It engulfed the entire screen, and sucked me in. Next thing I know, I’m sitting on the ground in a hole. I try to climb out, but the sides were too steep. I jumped, thinking what good would it do, when I realized I had JUMPED OUT OF THE HOLE! I looked behind me and saw how far I had come from the hole. I was a little in shock when I heard something. I turned around to see some guy come running at me with a giant sword. I did what anyone would do. I screamed and ran. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay close enough attention to where I was going and tripped over something. I heard him say something, but I wasn’t paying that close of attention. I cried out for him not to hurt me. I don’t think he was expecting me to say that. He stopped and kind of stared at me. I opened my eyes, I had closed them when I cried out expecting the blade to cut me in two, and saw him staring at me with his head cocked to the side in confusion and his sword by his side. I kind of smiled up at him and said ‘hi’. Hoping that he would decide to put that sword away. I heard some thumping, kind of like when people are running, and I looked around him. I saw three people come running up. The first was a girl in a green Japanese school uniform. She had long black hair and was carrying a bow with a quiver of arrows on her back. The second was a young woman in a purple and white kimono. She was carrying a giant boomerang and had a flaming saber tooth  tiger thing that had two tails running next to her. The third was a young man carrying a staff. He had on purple ropes and had beads tied around his right hand. The man with the sword, I now noticed, had white hair, and two white dog ears on top of his head. He had a bright red rope on and a beaded necklace. The girl with the bow came running up to the man with the sword and talked to him. They spoke in another language. I think he was telling her about me, but I’m not too sure. When they finished their brief conversation, they both looked at me. I smiled and said ‘hello’ once more. The girl looked surprised. She said some things to the rest of the group, then started talking to me.
‘Hi’ she said. ‘ What is your name?’
‘My name is’ I tried to remember my name but I couldn’t. ‘I don’t remember.’
‘How did you get here?’ she wondered.
I thought it was a fair question, so I gave her my honest answer. ‘I have no clue. All I remember is this black dot on the screen of my computer that sucked me up and spat me out into that hole.’ I pointed to the hole that I came out of. ‘I don’t know how, but somehow I jumped out of the hole. When I did, he’ I pointed to the man with the sword, ‘ran at me with his giant sword. I don’t know why. I did nothing except come out of a hole.’ I told her. I was close to tears, and maybe a little hysterical.
She seemed surprised at my answer, but I guess she could tell I was telling the truth. She told me it was ok, and she calmed me down. She told me who everyone was. She said that her name was Kagome, the man who attacked me was called Inuyasha, the woman with the boomerang was Sango, the man with the staff was a monk named Miroku. The saber tooth cat, I learned, was a demon cat named Kirara, and that the young fox demon, who I didn’t even notice until she pointed him out, was named Shippo. I said hi to each and everyone.  I asked her where I was.  Her response shook me very deeply.
She said ‘you’re in feudal Japan.’
I just stared at her. ‘no way. Dude! This is awesome! How many people can say that they’ve been to feudal Japan!’
I don’t think my response was the one she thought she would get.
‘Do you remember where you came from?’
‘Um, uh, not.. Japan?’ I finished weakly. I WISH I could remember who I was or where I came from!
‘do your know what language you’re speaking?’
‘English. I mean I’ve only spent like my entire life speaking it. I mean, I know I should have probably learned some other languages while I could, but I didn’t. That’s the trouble with being an American I guess. We’re very selfish creatures. Hey’ at this I beamed up at her because I remembered something about where I came from. ‘I remembered that I’m from America!’  
For some reason my ear started to itch. I reached to where it used to be, only to find it wasn’t there. The itch was higher on my head, I realized. I reached up to scratch the itch and found dog ears. I hadn’t paid attention to what I looked like when I came out of the hole, but THAT did it. I ran to where I saw water and got a good look at my appearance. I screamed. Well, what would you have done if you looked at your reflection but it wasn’t what it was supposed to be. I mean I still had my brown hair, but I had brown dog ears on the side of the top of my head, I looked down at my fingers and found claws, and when I had screamed I saw fangs. Lets just say I wasn’t the calmest person there. After a few minuets I finally calmed down enough to get a better look at myself. My brown eyes were now kind of a honey brown color, I had fuzzy brown dog ears, luckily I was still wearing my clothes, (a pair of jeans, and a blue T-shirt), but I  wasn’t wearing any shoes. I was a little worried about that last part until I realized that I didn’t need them. We figured out that it would be safest for everyone if I just came along. I felt sorry for Kagome. Every time we tried to talk, she had to translate what I said and what they said. We didn’t try to talk to each other very often. They would talk amongst themselves while I was at the back of the group taking in my surroundings. I remember my first night. I knew I should probably have felt very tired, but I was pretty much wide awake. I told Kagome that I would take a walk in the woods, she warned me to stay close. I just stared up at the great big full moon and felt better. I don’t really know how to explain it, it was kind of like I knew everything was going to be ok. When I got back to camp, I was only gone a few minuets, Inuyasha was staring at me. I couldn’t figure out what his problem was. Since no one had gone to sleep yet, everyone noticed him staring. I heard a peep of shock come out of Sango’s mouth. I ask Kagome what everyone was staring at.
She said ‘you.’
‘why?’
‘because, your human.’
‘huh?’
‘every half demon has a night in which they go human. Apparently yours is the night of the full moon’
‘great. Just one more thing in this crazy place.’ at this point I sulked to a tree and sat below it. I must have dozed off, because the next thing I know I’m being shaken awake.
‘did you know you mumble in your sleep?’
‘I do?’ I was embarrassed at what I might have said.
‘no one could figure out what you said, but you chuckled a few times.’
‘sorry.’ all I could do was apologize.
Thankfully that was the end of the night. We soon found out that when I fell asleep I mumbled things about my life. It was always too soft and mumbled, always in English, for anyone to make out the words. I just thought that my previous life would always be a mystery.  
One day I was walking behind the rest of the group, like I always was, and Inuyahsa was talking about something. I had stopped caring long before because I would have driven myself crazy if I didn’t. Well, this day was different. Because when he was talking, I understood what he said. He was complaining that I was always in the way, and why didn’t they just leave me at the next village. I had never been one to hold my tongue when I’d been insulted. I just countered with a ‘yeah, well traveling with you is no picnic either dog boy, maybe you can get a bath and do something about that stench. I’m surprised you can smell anything over THAT. Maybe that’s the reason you don’t have a girlfriend.’ the entire group just stopped and stared at me when I made my little speech. I had kept walking and was now in the middle of the group. ‘What?’ I asked, until I realized what had happened. How, I don’t know, but somehow I understood what he said and I could talk the language. I was so excited that I jumped up and down and screamed ‘Yes! No more translating, no more talking about me behind my back, no more missing out because I have no idea what you’re saying! Yoo-hoo!’ I picked up little Shippo and started swinging him around by his hands, I was so excited. From then on I kind of became part of the group. Inuyasha and I would fight a lot. Part of it was that I think, just maybe, he was upset that he wasn’t the only half demon in the group. I mean that was like his role, and here I was invading his territory. Also, a big part is that we’re both really argumentative people.  Whenever I did remember something from my human life I would talk with Kagome about it because she was the only one to really understand what I was talking about. How do you explain a plane to someone who doesn’t know what a bike is? I would talk with her in English about some stuff because I knew she could understand me, and I didn’t want the others to know. Like how I was homesick, and really scared. I mean, I’m supposed to be big and strong and nothing scare me, like Inuyahsa, but sometimes I think they just saw me as a half-demon, not the girl I was. I’m in a new place, with people I don’t know, in constant danger, and all I want to do is run and hide, but I have to fight. I did a lot of training with Inuyahsa so I could become stronger. After being in the group for a while, I started to consider them friends. The next time a demon attacked, instead of  hiding with Shippo like I used to, I fought. I felt this overpowering desire to protect these people. Like, how dare you think of harming my friends. I didn’t think, I just reacted. All that training paid off. I destroyed the demon. Well, more like helped to destroy a demon. At least I did something that time. Inuyasha just kind of ‘Fehed’, but Kagome and Sango congratulated me. I just blushed and told them that I couldn’t stand around and see them get hurt. I think we all got along better after that.

*continued from top*
‘I do NOT always ‘take her side.’ Just when she’s right.’
‘yeah, yeah. Things were better before SHE got here.’
‘you think I like it here?’ I had been listening and I turned on him ‘I’m getting constantly attacked, I have no real memory of who I am or where I came from, and to top it all off, I have to deal with YOU all the time! I’m sick and tired of getting picked on by you when I’ve done nothing wrong. I have enough trouble remembering everything you taught me, I stink at being a half demon, and to top it all off, I have no idea what the HELL is going on half the time. I’m just living day by day trying to figure this place out, survive until the next day, and figure out not only who I am, but where I came from, how I got here and how to get back. I’m sorry if that interferes with your grand plan, but it isn’t my fault!’ I knew I was crying but I couldn’t stop, and I wouldn’t stop talking until I had said everything. ‘I just want to go home, forget all this and return to how I’m supposed to be. I don’t say anything when you insult my abilities, me as a person, or when you decide that you need to fight someone and I‘m always the target. I just sit here and take it. I get whacked, attacked, and cut on an almost daily basis. And yet, I don’t complain. I probably deserve some of your criticisms. Yes, I’m weak. But give me a break! I’m a girl, I haven’t been a half demon my whole life, I just got here, and I know very little. Can’t you give that giant, flapping, gaping hole of a mouth a rest for ONE DAY and leave me alone?!’ At this point I lost all coherent thought and speaking ability. I just crumbled and cried. He looked on in shock. I’m not sure he knew that he had done all of that.  
‘Sheesh, just like a girl to go all emotional.’ he said folding his arms into his cloak.
At that comment both Kagome and Sango round on him. ‘What do you mean by that!’ they both look at him with glares and start yelling at him. ‘I can’t believe you did all that. You’re worse than you were when we first met!’ that comment came from Kagome. ‘you turned her into your personal punching bag whenever you got frustrated. It isn’t her fault. She’s like Kagome when she came here for the first time.’ That one was from Sango. I didn’t hear too much more because I was too busy crying. I felt someone put their arm around me and I just leaned into them and cried. I could here a soothing voice telling me it was alright. I started shaking. They pulled me close and allowed me to cry into their robe. When I was finally done with crying I looked up, sniffling, to see who was holding me. To my surprise it was Miroku. He smiled down at me ‘feel better now?’ I nodded and got up. ‘thank you.’ I said lightly blushing. I was a little embarrassed to be that close to him and for him to have held me. I didn’t like him, it was just we were still standing really close, and he had seen me when I was weak and vulnerable. ‘thank you for that.’ ‘no problem. You can come to me whenever you need to.’ I think Sango heard that last line because the next thing I know, he’s holding his head with her standing right next to him holding her boomerang. ‘don’t even think about it monk.’ she said threateningly. ‘but I didn’t do anything.’ he replied trying to look angelic. ‘I know what you were thinking.’ I had backed off when Sango appeared. I tried to placate her a little and save him some brain damage. ‘he didn’t do anything bad.’ I pleaded ‘when I was crying he just held me and comforted me.’ ‘nothing else?’ she asked readying her weapon. ‘nothing else.’ ‘oh. Sorry then.’ she said with a shrug. I looked over to where Kagome and Inuyahsa were. are they still fighting? I wondered. That was when I noticed something. Kagome was running away and fuming. Sango and Miroku noticed it too. ‘oh no. what did he do now?’ I looked over at them and asked what they meant. ‘whenever Inuyasha does something really bad Kagome runs to her era. By the looks of this it must have been awful.’ ‘shouldn’t we go after her?’ Sango shook her head. ‘once she goes into the well only Inuyasha can bring her back. It usually takes about a week for them to cool off and for her to come back.’ when Sango mentioned the well I thought of something. If I’m from Kagome’s time, shouldn’t the well work for me too? I told Sango and Miroku my idea and they agreed to come with me to test it out.

‘cross your fingers.’ I said as I sat on the edge of the well. I was sitting there with my eyes closed thinking my plan through one last time when I got pushed into the well. I didn’t know if I went to the future or not. I got up, rubbing my butt from landing on it so hard. I looked up and saw Sango and Miroku looking back down at me. ‘well, that goes that theory on how I could get home.’ I said ‘could you move away so I don’t hit you please?’ they obliged and I jumped out. I laughed and said ‘if Inuyahsa comes at me with his sword it will be just like last time. what did you guys talk about when you first saw me?’ before they could answer, I heard a deep growl. I froze and looked around with my ears twitching all around trying to see if I could find the source of the noise. Miroku and Sango look confused at me and asked what was wrong. ‘I heard a growl.’ I simply stated. ‘like a really deep, really angry, territorial growl.’
could it be?  
Inuyahsa?
But what would he be growling about?
These were the questions that flickered across the faces of Miroku and Sango as they looked panicked at each other.


Kagome
How dare he do that to her! She’s my age, she even comes from my time. But what does he see her as? A threat! To what? It’s not like she’s going to convince me not to return. She still only fights when she has to. She warns her opponents to leave, several times in fact. I have never once seen her initiate a fight. Her opponent always starts it. But she fights her hardest and she never lets any of us get hurt. Afterward, when he insults her she just looks down at the ground and mumbles an apology. I followed them when they went training a few times. He was way too harsh on her. I could see she was giving it all she could, but it wasn’t good enough for him. She’s gone by herself to train, I know. I wanted to know what she was doing when she went off on her own. She works herself to death trying to get it right and be good enough for him. I’ve heard her curse her own weakness and wonder why.  
****Flashback*****
The girl and Inuyahsa had gone off to train. Shortly after they got back, the girl excused herself and went off into the forest again. Curious, Kagome followed her. Ducking behind a bush, Kagome saw the young half-demon female practicing. Every time she messed up, the girl would curse, then begin again. She went through complicated moves, and fierce rituals. Trying to master a move. Once she got it, it still wasn’t good enough. ‘damn it. It took me five tries to get this stupid log to break. He did it in one. Not good enough. I have to get stronger. I have to prove I’m worth something to them. Being weak is going to get them killed. If I don’t get this I could be the reason they get hurt, or worse, end up dead. I’m not going to let that happen. I’ll get this if it kills me.’ As Kagome stared on, the girl went again at a log. Kagome could tell the girl was exhausted, but she wouldn’t give up. Once, she messed up so badly she just cried out. ‘why am I never good enough? Why am I never strong enough? Why aren’t I smart enough? Why am I never enough for him?’ Kagome took a sharp intake of breath. Was this girl in love with Inuyasha?  ‘why do I care what he thinks? I don’t love him.’ oh, no. good ‘am I?’ what? ‘no. if I was, I wouldn’t want to see him with Kagome. They make a cute couple.’ what is she saying? She wants to see me and Inuyasha together? ‘what am I thinking? I need to focus on my training. But why do I care so much? He’s like big brother who I don’t want to let down. Why? Why do I feel this need to protect everyone? Is it because they protected me when I was in danger? No. if that were the case, then I would have stopped long ago with my debt repaid. Why can’t I get this move?! It’s not that hard. He kept saying that it was easy. If I can’t get this move, then how am I supposed to protect those that I care about?’ she cares about us? ‘I just want to give up. No! I can’t! I have to prove that I can do this! I have to.’ and with that, the young girl continued her struggle to master the move and fight off her weariness. Kagome was getting tired of watching the girl, and decided to head back to camp. When she got there she was greeted with questions about where she went. ‘oh, I just went for a walk. It’s no big deal.’ she went to her sleeping bag and lay in it thinking about all that she had seen. What the girl was doing was incredible. Here she is, exhausted so much that she shouldn’t still be awake, and yet she still fights and practices. I wonder how much longer she will be? Kagome wonders as she drifts off into the land of slumber. Hours later, scratched, scrapped, bleeding, and so worn out she can barely move, the girl decides it’s time to rest. She wearily gets up, using the trees to help her, and makes it back to camp in time to see the sun’s rays start to breach the horizon. ‘oh look. How pretty the sun is now. I wonder what…tomorrow…will’ but she never finished her thought because she collapsed and allowed sleep to claim her sore, broken body. A smile still on her lips.
****End of Flashback*****
Kagome was so entranced by her thoughts and mumblings that she failed to see the young girl sitting on the well. Kagome accidentally pushed the girl into the well on her way to her own era.


Inuyahsa
‘Ahhhhh! What the hell is going on with me?! Why do I care what that girl says. She’s nothing but a nuisance. And why does she spend so much time with Kagome? WHY DOES THIS BOTHER ME?! What is this young half demon girl doing to me? I don’t love her. Yet I feel this strong need to make sure that she is strong and to make sure she is safe. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, except maybe Kagome. AHHHHHHH!!!! I’ll find out what she’s doing. It’s gotta be some kind of spell that she and Kagome made up to make sure I wouldn’t harm the girl. I’ll get her to tell me if it’s the last thing she does.’ at which point, Inuyasha started growling. As he followed the girl’s scent his growling increased in anger, deepness, and volume. He was still a ways away when she heard him. He ran up to the frozen girl grasping her by the arms. He spun her around and glared growling into her eyes. ‘what have you done to me?’ the girl, frightened by what was going on and what she saw, stuttered that she had no idea what he was talking about. ‘don’t lie to me’ he growled in her face. ‘I know you and Kagome have put something on me. Now tell me what it was!’ he said shaking her. blubbering the girl responded that she didn’t know what he was talking about.



I was standing still, instinct I guess, when he came. I had not succeeded in finding where the growling came from, but the source came to me. I suddenly felt strong, angry hands grab me by my shoulders and spin me around to look him in the face. He growled menacingly his words of accusation. ‘what have you done to me?’ I was terrified by the look in his eyes and the force by which he was holding me. I knew that if it weren’t for the fact that I was half demon here, I would be in serious pain. ‘I-I-I d-d-d-dont understand what y-y-you m-m-m-mean.’ I couldn’t keep from stuttering my fear was so great. ‘don’t lie to me’ was his response. He growled deep in his chest and throat. I knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me like he has killed so many others. ‘I know you and Kagome have put something on me. Now tell me what it was!’ he had started shaking me and I couldn’t keep the tears from coming out of my eyes and running down my face. I have never been so scared in my life. I could only blubber my answer. ‘I didn’t do anything. I swear. I don’t know what you are talking about.’

luckily Sango was nearby and had snapped out of her daze quicker than Miroku. ‘what do you think your doing? Do you honestly think that this will work? Look at her. She’s terrified. She’s telling you the truth. Now put her down and step away.’ Sango wasn’t sure if he would follow her directions so she made sure that her weapon was at the ready in case she needed to use it. She wasn’t sure how she could hit the dog demon while leaving the girl that he held unharmed. Luckily he responded to her tone and did as was asked of him. She rushed to the young girl’s side as the girl swayed giving her comfort and holding her. ‘what did you expect to accomplish? To permanently harm her? Well, you might have gotten your wish.’ Sango said the last sentence with such malice that the ?hanyo? stepped back. Sure she annoyed him, but he didn’t want to see her hurt. He tried to apologize and stepped forward but Miroku blocked his path and shook his head. The half demon went off ashamed at what he had done to the girl.


When I had finally gotten over the worst of my fear, all I could ask was if he was gone. Sango was gently holding me telling me it was ok, and that he had gone off. I could only thank her and cling all the more to this woman who acted like a mother to me. I felt her start to gently rock to help calm me and soothe me. I fell asleep listening to her soft voice. When I awoke, it was morning and I was lying on the floor somewhere. As I got up an older woman came into the hut smiling. ‘Ah. I see. You have finally woken up. Good. Now drink this and you will feel better.’ I grasped at the bowl that was handed to me and dutifully drank the strong smelling liquid. Indeed, I did feel better. I thanked her and went to stand when she pushed me, with astonishing strength for a woman of her age, back down upon the mat on which I had been laying. ‘you are not strong enough yet to get up. Rest today. We will talk tomorrow.’ I only nodded my head, for I had suddenly gotten very sleepy. I lay back down and was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.


What must that girl have gone through to get the injuries that she sustained. Her body was scratched from her head to her feet, she had several fractured ribs and broken bones, she was severely exhausted, dehydrated, and boarded on starving, plus I could see marks upon her arms that could only have been made from strong hands grasping tightly. If she were human, she surely would have been dead long before now. As it were, it is a wonder that she has survived even as a half demon. That poor child. I only wish that there was more I could do for her.

Inuyasha was waiting near the hut for the woman to emerge. ‘well? How is she?’ he impatiently asked. He wanted to make sure that she would be ok. Why? he didn’t know, but he did feel it was important that this girl survive. The woman shook her head. ‘it was bad. Her entire body is scratched, she seems not to have eaten or drunk anything for a long period of time, she has several fractured ribs, some broken bones, severe exhaustion, and the marks on her arms will take some time to heal. What all happened to her?’

Inuyasha was shocked. How had this girl survived? Anyone else would have died because of those injuries. She never complained once. The woman’s words rung a bell. he realized that he had not seen her drink anything for several days, and it might have been weeks since she has eaten. Even he eats and drinks more frequently than she. Until now he hadn’t realized all the times that she had left the group after they had trained together. She wouldn’t return until very late, and she would make sure that she was covered up so he hadn’t seen her arms or legs for a long time. He knew that the marks on her arms were his fault, so he hung his head in shame. He quickly and quietly explained what he had done the night before as she listened. ‘why do I feel the way I do towards her Kaedae?’ the hanyo asked the old woman reverently. Lightly laughing she told the confused demon her theory. ‘I believe that you feel a sort of kinship with this child. She has become, like a little sister to you. You feel moved to protect her as you would anyone of you family who was in danger. I think that you are moved more so with this child because she either reminds you of you or of Kagome when she first arrived. You wish not to make the same mistakes again, and keep her from making yours.’ Inuyasha thanked Kaedae and walked into the forest deeply thinking about what was said to him.
‘Sango? Could we talk?’
‘Of course, Lady Kaedae. What do you wish to speak about?’
‘the child. Can you tell me what you saw?’
Sango told Kaedae what she saw from the night before and what the girl had been doing for the past several weeks. Like Kagome, Sango was also curious about the young girl. She appeared friendly but she was often withdrawn and mysterious. After another day of training with Inuyahsa, the girl had excused herself when they were about to eat. Giving some excuse, Sango had followed the child. Visibly weakened from all that she had done, and without food in her, the girl began again the exercises she had run with the hanyo. Sango could see that she was trying harder than ever now. But in her weakened state, everything was much more difficult. Even after she accomplished a task, she would begin it again saying that it wasn’t good enough. Every time the girl left the group, the slayer followed her. Every time, Sango saw the girl practice and train by herself. At night, she would often not return from her trips until day was breaking. But she never let anyone see her weakness. Afraid that it would be just another weapon for Inuyasha to break out when he was upset with her. She would force energy and happiness because she knew that was what they expected of her. Sango had been worried about this young half demon. She was pushing herself too far. But every time the subject was mentioned, the girl would brush aside the comment saying that she was taking care of it, and that she could handle it. Sango didn’t know how much longer this child could continue.

The night that Inuyasha had attacked the half demon girl, Sango had held that girl until she fell asleep, then carefully took her to Kaedae’s hut to see if they could help her. What they found shocked them both. When they removed the coat that she hardly ever took off anymore, they found her arms to be full of cuts. They then removed the child’s clothes to see how far the cuts extended for they reached past the length of her sleeves.  Her scratches covered her from head to toe. The handprints on her shoulders were deep and blood was leaking out from a few points. Kaedae wished to see what all the damage was. To her horror, she found that the girl had fractured six ribs, and bruised about ten more, on top of that, there was almost no fat on her. The child was like a skeleton with scrapped skin stretched on top of it. Her left arm was broken, as well as her right leg. Her shoulder was dislocated, and she had almost no strength left. ‘it’s a wonder that she’s still alive.’ Kaedae breathed. After her cuts and scrapes were lathered and her shoulder relocated as well as her ribs taped, and her broken bones set, and clothes were put back on, the girl was given a potion to drink to help speed the healing process as well as giving her uninterrupted sleep. Sango asked to remain in the hut while the girl slept. Knowingly Kaedae agreed. Sango had almost drifted off to sleep when she heard the girl speak. ‘Thank you for taking care of me mommy Sango.’ With that, the girl rolled onto her side and slept peacefully. At first Sango could not believe what had come from her mouth. But she smiled and moved her mat closer to the girl. ‘you’re welcome.’ on impulse she added ‘my child’. the girl smiled in her sleep and rolled so that she faced her “mommy Sango” and drifted so far into dream world that nothing could awaken her.