Ayami - Eye·Aw·Me
Hiro - He·Row
Kisake - Key·Saw·Kay
Gaku - Gaw·Koo
Kuzaki - Koo·Zah·Key

The midday sun shines down through the tree leaves on our picnic. The children run around me, playing tag, with large smiles and loud laughs coming from their small lips. The flowers create a beautiful scent as a breeze picks up slightly.

"Children, it is time to sit and eat." I calmly speak with a grin. The three girls and two boys create a circle with me and wait for me to start passing the food around. 

"Wait! Let us pray to the Dog God to bless us with good years for our crops." Ayami, the smallest of the girls, says as she places her hands together. The children all nod and do the same, waiting for me to lead the prayer. I place my hands together and lower my head.

"Great Dog God, please bless our village with luscious crops for centuries and beyond. And may you bless our children with laughter and happiness for the entirety of their lives. May this meal be in honor of your glory." I lift my head and start to pass the trays of food around the circle. We all laugh as Ayami is the first to take a big bite out of an apple we packed.

I love this caregiving, watching after the children of our village and protecting them from any demon who dares attack us. But we've been at peace since the Dog God came the first time 5 years ago. Though she wasn't actually a god, she saved our village and brought us peace with neighboring villages. 

"(Y/n), tell us again about the Dog God. We love that story." Hiro, the eldest boy being 11 years old, asks with nods from the other younger children.

"But you've heard twice this week. Do you not get tired of hearing such a story?" I ask with a slight whine.

"We love hearing how you met the Dog God, and how she saved the village." Kisake says with her usual lisp from the gap in her front teeth. I give a defeated sigh and lean in to tell the story again.

"It was just 5 years ago when I came across her. Her hair was as black as a starless night sky, with but one strand of silver in a small braid. And she had little dog ears atop her head. When I approached her she gave a hard stare from her sharp purple eyes. We were living in fear when I begged her to help us. She did not shoo me away like most, but instead she listened. When she finally came to help, she pulled out her mighty sword that was odd looking but still quite beautifully strong. She told our attackers to fear her for she fears nothing. When the demons laughed at her, she cut them all in half with one swing. Before she left she taught us to attack and how to protect ourselves. And when she left there was peace within our village as we were stronger as neighbors. She left with nothing but our debt to her, and we have yet to see her again as promised. " The children clap at the ending. That's not exactly what happened due to the elders and only a few seeing what really happened. I mean, it happened but it was exaggerated a bit. Like she didn't actually cut them all with one blow, it took a few.

The ground suddenly shakes as the sound of screams comes from the direction of the village. I stand up and look that way to see smoke arising. 

"Stay here and hide in the tree. I'll come and get you when everything is gone." The children scramble to the tree and start helping each other up into the branches. I turn and begin to run to the smoke where I can smell the burning of the wooden buildings. An attack? That hasn't happened since Isa came. I push myself faster as fear runs through me. I'm not going to let him die.

People are stumbling away from the village, I turn to the closest person to me and stop them from running and look at the woman who has fear deep within her eyes.

"Who else is left in the village?" I use my leader voice to keep this woman from panicking even more than she already was.

"I-I don't know. It's hard to say how many people are trapped in the destroyed houses." Her voice is shaky and hesitant.

"What happened?" I hold her forearms and feel her shaking just as bad as her voice is. I look her in the eyes and try to calm her down.

"A centipede demon attacked. It said it was looking for a Shikon jewel shard." She pauses for a moment when an unfamiliar voice yells out the word Tetsusaiga. I let go of her as a wave of power pushes against us, making her run away from the destruction of our village even faster than before. I push against the gust and make my way to where the centipede moves through houses, making them all collapse in its path. I pull out the dagger Isa gave me years ago and plunge it into the side of the big demon. It screams and turns to me with a grin on its face. I gulp and turn to run the other way but am picked up by the body of the demon. Its body wraps around me and begins to squeeze. My lungs get squished of all air and I can't breathe as I feel my bones begin to bend and crack. Black begins to cover my vision  when a flash of white moves across the remainder of my vision. 

"Pay attention to me!" His voice comes through as he throws what looks like a giant bone at the centipede's body, to where the grip dies and I'm dropped. I start falling and everything is in slow motion. I look in the direction of the boy and his hair is silver. And mixed with his hair is white dog ears. I've seen him before. But where? I close my eyes and feel arms catch me from the air, holding onto me so I don't fall to the hard ground alone. I open my eyes and see a girl with pitch black hair and a braid with one strand of silver mixed into it. She's looking at the boy as we reach the ground in an almost graceful manner. She still doesn't look at me, but I can tell. It is her. I would recognize those dog ears anywhere. It's Isa, she's returned like she promised years ago. 

"Isa?" I say, but she doesn't seem to hear me over the boy yelling at her.

"I told you to make sure everyone was out a safe distance from the village!" His voice is sharp and angry.

"I told you I was working on it! Get off my tail about it!" She yells back at him as he takes another swing at the demon with a giant sword that just glows with demonic power. Isa finally looks at me and smiles in recognition.

"You'll be alright, don't worry. I'll keep looking through the houses and find anyone who hasn't gotten away." She smiles and runs to the edge of the village where most of my neighbors stand. Isa puts me down and makes her way back to the village where the boy jumps around and keeps missing the demon and destroying my village. 

I watch anxiously as he jumps around with the centipede following him up and down, in and out of the houses still. Isa comes back with a girl in very peculiar clothes and a bow and arrow. And the aura around her is the one of a priestess!

"Stay here Kagome, watch over the villagers and find the shard from a distance. You know how he gets when you're in trouble." Isa says before jumping off again. Kagome looks at the demon and tightens up slightly.

"Inuyasha! The shard is in its middle left arm!" She yells at the boy. He smirks and hits the centipede where Kagome told him to. Inuyasha... I've heard that name before, where have I heard it? He takes one more swing and cuts the demon into pieces.

The white-haired boy drops to the ground with a little pink glow following. It hits the ground and he picks it up. 

"Kagome!" He yells in our direction to the girl Kagome, holding the glowing piece between his fingers, and she nods. Inuyasha jumps over to us with Isa following with the grace she always had. 

"Dog God, you've returned to us as promised. We are saved again by the great Isayama, Dog God! Praise!" One of the elders says, kneeling with difficulty. The rest of the village follows as Isa just stands there, Inuyasha and Kagome having looks of confusion.

"Dog...God? Isa, what the hell did you do?" Inuyasha asks with knives in his question. I remember now! Inuyasha is Isayama's twin brother!

"Speak to our God with respect young one, she saved us years ago when one of our own came across her in a moment of fate." Gaku, the oldest of the surviving elders, spats at the boy. Isa raises a hand to silence everyone.

"I came to this village 5 years ago when (y/n) ran into me when checking on you." She says to her brother. I smile as she gestures to me, to which Inuyasha gives me suspicion from his yellow/golden eyes.

"Why do they call you a God?" Inuyasha doesn't move but puts his sword away with a final glow.

"Isayama saved us with her powerful sword, cut all the demons in half with one swing." Gaku speaks again, his voice horse with old age. Inuyasha laughs and I walk to Isa in defence.

"That thing you carry around? Hardly even close to that. My Tetsusaiga, on the other hand, is able to do that." Inuyasha grabs hold of the handle with pride.

"Inuyasha." Kagome speaks up and he turns to her.

"What? I'm just saying what's real." Inuyasha half yells at her and they begin to bicker. Isayama rolls her eyes and turns back to the villagers.

"There is nothing to be afraid of anymore. I apologize for the destruction we caused your wonderful village. The demon that was taken down had a piece of the Shikon Jewel. A shard of many that have disappeared throughout the country. You are in no danger as long as you stay away from said jewel shards." Isa speaks with a calm but confident voice.

"Sit boy!" Kagome yells all of a sudden. I turn my head to see Inuyasha on the ground, face first, twitching in pain as Kagome stomps to us and Isa continues as if she didn't know it happened. Or maybe it happens enough that she doesn't care.

"We will stay and help clean up but we must be off as soon as we came." Gaku stands as a young man named Kazuki, who's about my age, moves to hold Isa's hand in his as Inuyasha finally stands up with frustration.

"Oh, please Dog God, stay with us for a few days. Our children have heard many stories of your glory and wish to meet you. And...our men would love to learn your ways of defense once more." A blush forms on his face, causing Inuyasha to speak up again.

"We're not staying. We have to find the jewel shards." The hurry in his voice makes him sound angry. Isayama turns her head to him without moving.

"We will stay to help them, Inuyasha." Her voice is sharper, but still calm enough to make it sound normal.

"Are you kidding me?!" Inuyasha tries to get more in but Isa turns her face completely to him and he hides behind me. The fierceness in her purple eyes makes a shiver run down my spine. She turns back to Kuzaki with a small smile and nods.

"We will help, but we must be off as soon as we can." Kuzaki smiles and bows, pulling her toward the river near the still burning village. Everyone follows with cheers, leaving me and Inuyasha still standing under the tree. I look up at the children and smile. They get the signal and jump down, running after the group. I follow, leaving the white-haired boy standing there with reluctance.