Kagome by Raven Moon

Prologue

A shrill cry washes through the desolate forest, piercing the tense silence with a sword. An isolated hut stands alone, a warm light fades through the only window and small door. Inside a woman sits in pain, her large stomach prominent under her kimono. The woman's sister kneals by her side. Along with the two females is a bowl full of warm water and multiple rags.

"Hitomi I don't think I can do this! it hurts so much!" The pregnant woman cries out to her sister. Another contraction hit her and she cries out again. Glancing over to the small door to the hut she can't help but wish her mate could be right next to her, but someone had to keep a look out.

"Come on Sakura. One more push, it is almost here." Once more a prolonged pain-filled cry filters through the air before a small high pitched one joins in. Hitomi hurries to cut the cord attaching the small baby to the mother and brings her over to the wash basin in the corner of the room. "It is a girl!" Hitomi cries out for the benefit of Sakura, but also to her sister's mate. The man, who was outside the small hut guarding the door, rushes inside to catch a glimpse of his new daughter. His unearthly beauty was easily seen, his pointed ears, sharpened canines, and slitted pupil gave away his inhumanity. He races to his mate's side and watches with rapt attention as Hitomi begins to clean out the baby's mouth, nose, and tiny cat ears.

"She is so beautiful, Sakura." The youkai whispers to the tired woman beside him. A gentle rag is wiped over the crown and body of the baby, wiping away blood and other gunk from the tiny girl, before she was swaddled up in another, clean, blanket and handed over to her mother. Hitomi gives a smile and nod to her sister and brother-in-law before picking up her bow and arrows at the doorway. She stepped into the cool of the night in order to watchover the happy family inside. Within the soft arms of the woman, the baby begins to fuss and whine as the chill in the air begins to hit her. The youkai sends a soothing pulse of his demonic aura over his child and mate and watches fondly as not only his mate's pink colored holy aura rises but also his new daughter's white one rises up in greeting and acceptance to his blue aura. his daughter's aura was bright and large in comparison to his mate's but he just brushes it off as a consequence of having a taiyoukai father and a miko mother.

"Her name is Kagome, Sato." Sakura smiles down at her daughter and rubs the cat ears ontop of her baby's head. They twitch and Kagome opens her eyes, sleepily, to reveal shining blue jewels, much like her mother's. The new parents fawn over their child, ignoring for the moment all the worries and troubles that will plague them outside this isolated hut.

Suddenly a frightened Hitomi runs into the house. "HE is here. HE found us!" A panic runs through the hut, Hitomi stood poised at the entrance, holy aura spreading out threateningly throughtout the outside of the hut. Sato looked sadly at his mate and child as the realization came that he may not see them after tonight.

"Sakura, you need to take Kagome away from here. It is not safe anymore. Go to the Captial of the Western Kingdom, he can not reach you there." Sakura's eyes filled with tears.

"Sato, please, I can not just leave you here! Come with us! We can reach the city together!" Sato brought his mate and daughter into a loving embrace, sharing a chaste kiss with his mate and planting one on Kagome's forehead. Kagome was eerily silent, but Sato could see in her eyes that she had some understanding of what was happening at the moment.

"Please, go." Sato whispered before turning to face the adversary with Hitomi. He did not look back when Sakura began to sniffle, nor did he look back when her calming aura reached out to his as she escaped through a secret door, and ran towards the the Capital of the Western Kingdom, Edo. Sharing a nod with Hitomi, the two of them heads out the door, tears clinging to the edge of their eyes.

In the city of Edo Sakura holds her child to her, crying over the loss of not only her mate but also her sister. Although some part of her had hoped that a miracle would happen, but Sakura knew that she would never see them again. Looking down Sakura sees her daughter's beautiful eyes fill with tears as if she too knew that her papa would not return to them.