About three days had passed ever since Kari fled Naraku's grasp. The child had neared a river so she was taking a quick break to gather fresh water. She sighed then decided to catch a few fish for the road.

"Pardon me." A voice called. Kari turned to see a woman that looked similar to Kagome. She wore the traditional dress of a miko, a white jacket with sode-kukuri, or cords,through the sleeves and open shoulders.  Strings, called muna-himo, were attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed. Her sleeves were similar to modern loose shirt and extending slightly past the wrist. The slits on the side of her hakama, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of her jacket, known as a hitoe, showed the white kosode she sported. The woman also wore a bright red nagabakama, a very long hakama, which included a small board on the lower back. She wore common socks, called tabi, and rice straw sandals.  Finally she sported a red Obi, or belt, over all her other garments. Kari stared in awe at the woman then blinked and gulped.

"Y-yes?" She asked. The woman smiled lightly.

"Do you, by chance, know of a person by the name of Kagome?" Kari nodded slowly.

"Yeh, I'm actually looking for her and the group she's with." Kari smiled nervously. The woman sighed. "Was it the odd clothing?"

"Yes. In a sense." The woman replied. "My name is Kikyo." She introduced herself then put a gentle hand on Kari's shoulder. Kikyo stayed silent for a moment then removed her hand from the child's shoulder. "Maybe you and I could travel with each other for the time being. I'm sure we'll bump into them at some point. Not only that but it is not very safe for someone as young as you to be traveling alone." Kari thought over the offer then sighed. She remembered hearing about this Kikyo from Kagome. She did not sound all bad and if push came to shove Kari had a feeling she could flee if needed.

Kari nodded. "Alright. I'll join you for now." She smiled nervously and then stood up. "Oh, my name's Kari Himura." She stated. Kikyo nodded and then led Kari to the nearby village where she was staying. They then entered an inn and went into Kikyo's room.

"We will stay here for a while then move onward." Kikyo informed. Kari nodded and sighed.

"Alright. Thank you for letting me travel with you." The child stated. Kikyo nodded.

"No trouble. I only ask of one thing from you." Kari tilted her head in confusion. "Do not just tag along. Learn from the things that I do and make yourself useful in someway." She stated. Kari nodded. That night as Kari slept, Kikyo went out for a walk. She collected souls of the dead to stay strong and to stay attached to the world of the living while thoughts swirled in her head.

"When I touched that girl's shoulder, I felt an odd power. Locked away, purposefully. Something that I've not felt before. A power I never knew existed." She thought. "This girl, Kari, I wonder what it is she could be harboring in her soul's core." She hummed at her thoughts then went back to the inn to see Kari sleeping soundly, her face hidden by the hood of her hoodie. Kikyo sighed and let the girl be.

When two days passed Kari and Kikyo began to walk towards another village. They stayed silent for most of the walk until they stopped to take a break. Kikyo watched as Kari cooked some fish up for them then joined the girl.

"So, how did you get separated from your friends?" Kikyo asked.

Kari swallowed a bite of fish then answered. "Well, I don't really consider them friends. But I was separated from them when we were helping out a village being terrorized. Naraku took advantage of the situation and sent Kagura and Kanna after me. They kidnapped me and I stayed there for a while until Inuyasha, Kagome, and everyone else came to save me. But I showed them a false way to save me. They didn't know it was me and I regret it now." Kari frowned. Kikyo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't really know how to explain it, but I just don't want them to worry any more. I've been such a burden to them, holding them back so much. So I want them to know I'm okay. E-Even though I don't really trust them. Even though they have reason to trust me or help me."

Kikyo sighed and nodded while watching over the child. After an hour they were off again, but this time the two talked a bit and got to know each other a bit more. They made camp for the night and began to chat until Kari fell asleep. This process continued for a few days, until they were at the next village. The two had become a bit close and they were okay with each others company. Though they did not trust each other entirely, their relationship was budding ever so slowly. Kari looked around the area to get a good feeling of her surroundings. The two were walking from the inn to a cursed shrine that was once used for worship. According to the locals, about a year ago the village was attacked by bandits and everything was pillaged and many were injured. The bandits burned the shrine for the heck of it. This angered the god who was worshiped there. The anger that the god felt was somehow transferred to the shrine in the form of a potent and powerful curse. Everyone stayed away from it from then on, knowing the wrath of the god would probably kill them or cause the curse to travel to the village.

"So, we're gonna fix a curse?" Kari asked while adjusting the hood of her hoodie.

Kikyo nodded. "Yes. Sometimes there are things that anger the gods and goddesses, which can be troublesome for us." Kari blinked then nodded. The two soon came across a shrine that was shrouded in an ominous aura. Kikyo stared at it, getting an odd feeling up her back. Kari looked over at Kikyo and blinked.

"You alright?" The girl asked.

The priestess nodded. "I am fine. Just this aura is very strong." She stated narrowing her eyes and frowning. Kari nodded slowly, agreeing with the older woman. Kikyo and Kari began to get closer to the shrine, only to be stopped by a barrier. Kikyo frowned and began to do her  best to dispel the obstacle, while Kari watched from afar. The child soon began to hear a voice emanate from the shrine.

"How dare they! Burn down my shrine!" The voice was that of a male. Kari blinked and inched closer, tilting her head a bit. "Those fools!" The voice called. "Did they now know that I was a mighty deity! Capable of destroying them?! I leave to give a nearby village good fortune on their upcoming harvest, and this happens!" Kari frowned then once again began to approach the shrine with the upset god. "This is why I should not have left my home!" Kari gulped and tapped on the barrier, as if knocking. Kikyo turned her head slightly to watch the girl.

"E-excuse me!" Kari called nervously. The god stopped ranting and peered outside from the shrine. He huffed and exited the shrine and crossed his arms. The god had an average build with grass green eyes and wore a typical kimono with the sleeves rolled up as well as the pant legs, had his dark brown hair pulled up into a bun, and a bit of facial hair. He stared at the two with a huff.

"What do you want?" He grumbled. Kari gulped then Kikyo stepped up to speak.

"We've come to dispel a curse that has been on this shrine for about a year."

"What curse? I sense no curse. Leave me be, I've got work to do." He grumbled. Kari opened her mouth.

"Then, what's with the ominous aura?" She asked.

The god tilted his head. "Ominous aura? Oh, that's just my anger." Kari frowned then got an idea.

"Maybe I could help you fix your shrine." She offered. The god widened his eyes slightly. "I mean, I kinda know what you're going through. This shrine is like a home, right? If so, then I've had my home burned down before." She shrugged shyly. The god's posture relaxed slightly. Kikyo watched the events unfold with internal awe.

"What is your name? And why do you wear such odd cloths?"

"I'm Kari Himura. The cloths are a long story. May I know your name?" She asked.

The god sighed then nodded. "I am known as Daikoku. I am the god of the harvest and worshiped by many." Kari smiled nervously then watched as Daikoku removed the barrier from around his shrine. "Well, come on then." Kari nodded and trotted up and was immediately put to work.

She started by polishing the pillars that decorated the entrance then the outside walls, the deck, doors, and the stairs. This took about a three hours. Once that was done, Kari was then given some tools to fix up the holes in the roof of the shrine as well as the deck and walls. After that, Kikyo finally decided to help out with the rest. By the night time, the three were half way done.

"Well, at least we're almost done." Kari panted, wiping some sweat off of her hidden forehead. Daikoku nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Thank you both." He smiled. Kari nodded. "You will be back tomorrow?" He asked. Kari and Kikyo exchanged looks and then nodded. Daikoku smiled happily then watched the two off, making some budding flowers bloom besides them as they walked the dirt path back to the village. Once the two were back at the inn, Kikyo looked at Kari as she got ready for bed.

"Kari." She stated. The child looked up while tilting her head, removing her hoodie. "Why do you not smile genuinely?" Kari blinked then looked down.

"Because I lost that smile a very long time ago. But," Kari sighed. "It might be found, eventually." She stated then stretched. "I'm gonna go ahead and get some sleep." Kikyo nodded and Kari curled up and went to sleep. When Kari woke up again, she and Kikyo went to the shrine and continued to help Daikoku. At the end of the day, they had finished fixing the shrine then stayed with Daikoku for a while. After a while the two left the area and went back to the village and informed the villagers about what happened and that they fixed the shrine and the "curse" was lifted. The village rejoiced and thanked the two with a feast. The two joined the feast and Kari ate their fill and then went back to the inn with Kikyo for the night.

When the sun rose for the morning, Kari and Kikyo began to leave the village. The two decided to say goodbye to Daikoku before they left, so he headed to the shrine and said their goodbyes and then began to leave the village. The sun rose for the morning, the two got ready to leave the village. They packed up their things and left around noon. Kari wanted to say goodbye to Daikoku before they were gone, so they stopped by his shrine and said their goodbyes and then left. Once they were gone Daikoku sighed and gave a light smile.

"Your parents must be proud of you, Kari." He hummed then watched the two walk off, some flowers budding from the trees behind them for a while. Daikoku stared in slight shock then let loose a slight chuckle while crossing his arms. "Very proud indeed."

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While Kari and Kikyo traveled, Inuyasha and the gang continued their fruitless search to find their lost friend. They had been searching non stop, helping people and asking around while traveling. Today they were in a forest clearing and decided to stop for a lunch break.

Kagome sighed while eating some food. Shippo grumbled then frowned. "It feels different without Kari around." The fox demon stated solemnly. Kagome nodded.

"She must be so scared." Sango sighed while Miroku only nodded. Chase let out a sad coo-like roar while sniffing the air then nudging his food away from him. The dragon had refused to eat much and had become terribly skinny, but he was still very strong. Inuyasha, who sat next to the dragon, grumbled in frustration while he ate. At times the half demon had to force Chase to eat, so he would not die. Everyone then grew silent and continued to eat.

Moments later the sound of rushing wind could be heard. Inuyasha's nose twitched then he growled in irritation at what he smelled. Koga had stopped by for a quick visit.

"Yo!" The wolf demon called, raising his hand. He immediately saw that Kagome was sad and rushed to her, holding both of her hands in his own. "Kagome, what's wrong?" He asked. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo looked towards Inuyasha. The half demon was glaring daggers at the wolf demon while two other wolf demons ran up, panting and wheezing.

Kagome sighed. "You see," She began then glanced to the ground. "A friend of ours was kidnapped by Naraku." Inuyasha's ears twitched then he huffed and looked away. "We haven't seen her in over a month now, I'm really worried. She doesn't know much about the feudal era. We've looked for her at Naraku's castle, only to be told that she fled." Kagome gulped. Koga frowned then lifted Kagome's chin so her eyes could meet his. Kagome blushed.

"If it'll make you happy, I'll look for her and bring your friend to you." The wolf demon stated softly. Kagome blinked a few times then nodded. "Alright, just let give me some thing that has her scent." He stated with a smile. One of the other wolf demons present, with a Mohawk hairstyle, narrowed his eyes and grumbled.

"What are we, tracking dogs?" He huffed.

The other wolf demon, who had gray hair, sighed. "Koga'll do anything for Kagome. Let's just stay outta it." Chase had also heard the conversation and perked up. He grew in size then stood up on all fours and grabbed Kari's silver knapsack with his mouth and trotted over to Koga, dropping the bag at his feet.

Koga stared at the bag for a moment. "Uh."

"That's my friend's bag. Her name is Kari." Kagome stated. "And that's Chase. He's Kari's dragon. Ever since the two met, he stayed  where he could see her." Koga nodded then knelt down and sniffed the bag.

"Alright, if I find your friend I'll be sure to bring her to you." Koga stated and prepared to run off, but Kagome grabbed his wrist.

"Before you go, Kari's not the kind of person to trust easy. So take this." She stated then handed the wolf demon Kari's skate board. "She'll know that you're okay to travel with if you show her that." She stated. Koga blinked and stared at the board. "It's her skate board. I'll explain later, but she knows we have it." Kagome smiled kindly and Koga nodded then left the group swiftly. The other two demon wolves sighed then raced along behind Koga, waving goodbye to the group.

Inuyasha grumbled. "Why'd you have ta go and ask him for help?!"

"I didn't ask, he offered. Besides, the jewel shards in his legs give him amazing speed, making it easier for him to search." Kagome grumbled.

"She has a point, Inuyasha." Miroku stated, his eyes closed. Sango and Shippo nodded. Chase thumped the tip of his tail on the ground, happily hoping for Kari to return soon.

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Fun facts corner!: Daikoku was loosely based off of the Japanese god Daikokuten, who is the god of wealth in terms of food. He is also seen as the god of great darkness or blackness, or the god of five cereals and is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (known as the Fukujin). So yeah. Just thought I'd share with you all that little bit of stuff. If you'd like to know more then go ahead and look it up.