A/n: Hiya minna! Well I've started yet another ficcy! I'm really having fun writing this, because it relates a lot to one of my favorite subjects to learn about. Not all of the ideas are mine, because the whole wanting to write a story like this came from a book I just finished. It's called "Along the Tracks" so if anyone has read that and sees a few similarities between that and this, so suing or flames! Now, with that said- on with the story!

Chapter one- Inuyasha

"THIEF! THIEF!" A short and ill-tempered looking shopkeeper shouted loudly. "THIEF!"

All around the open market heads were turning to look at the brave boy who had dared to steal from on of the most watchful shop owners in the market.

The year was 3057. The 5th world war had just ended, and Tokyo, as well of the rest of the world was in a state of mass confusion. All the electronic luxuries had been wiped out, so everyone had been forced to revert back to the 'old ways'. Therefore, the long-gone open markets had been 'reinstated', and had been marked as easy targets for thievery. Food was most important, and in order to get food, you had to steal. This brings us to our most current distraction.

A tall, long black-haired boy took off with a chunk of bread in his well- toned palm, his torn and soiled red coat flapping out behind him.

He had a slim figure, much like everyone else, but muscles adorned his body. His dark violet eyes darted around, and his sensitive ears listened intently for the sounds of anyone following him. The boy quickly made a sharp turn in to an almost pitch black alleyway, and jumped over the high wooden fence that divided it in two.

He kneeled on the other side and panted loudly. "Whew. Made it!" He sat down and hungrily wolfed down his treasure. It had been three days since his last 'meal', so each savory morsel he shoved in to his awaiting mouth disappeared quickly. The bread was consumed much to quickly for his liking. "Damn. Still hungry." He leaned against the crumbling brick wall that was behind him and closed his eyes.

It was getting very easy to steal these days. Shopkeepers expected it to happen, so not many chased people who did it. He smirked at the memory of the shopkeeper just standing there. "Lazy ass."

Suddenly he heard an 'ahem cough' signifying he wasn't alone. "Oh.. um.. Heeeeello...!"

"Now just who is this lazy ass you were so fondly speaking of?" A police officer stood in front of him with a ticked off expression on his pale face. He was a heavy-set man, and wore a navy blue uniform. He had the comings of a beard, showing he was probably in his 20's.

"Well um. You see."

"ID please."

Inuyasha scowled and pulled out a grubby plastic card. He put it in to the officers awaiting palm.

The cop wiped a bit of the grime off the card so he was able to read the name. "Tokagero Inuyasha, eh? I've heard a few things about you."

"Ahh.. I see my reputation proceeds me. Well officer. Since I'm soooo famous I must be very busy. So I'll just be on my way..!" He smirked at the officer's expression turn from stone-faced to annoyance.

"I think you better just tell me a little more about you while we take a little. walk."

Inuyasha stood up and acted like he was going to follow his captor. Suddenly he pointed off in the distance. "OH KAMI-SAMA*! WHATS THAT!?"

The officer turned his head to look at what had started the boy so much.

At this precise moment however, Inuyasha took off the other way and hopped over the fence from earlier. He smirked triumphantly at the cops shouts and curses.

'What an ammeter!' He thought.

He had been through a lot tougher than that one before. All you had to know was how to run.

The most two important things for survival. Food, and how to run.

However, in order to get food... you had to know how to run? Therefore making running essential to life.

Inuyasha sped up until he found another crepuscular alleyway.

Yep. Running was key. He leaned against another wall, and looked around. The ally looked familiar, but then again they all did. If you've seen one ally.. you've seen them all.

"And I'll say again. SUCKERS!" Inuyasha chuckled to himself, but immediately stopped when he heard a distressed from the other end of his narrow hideout.

"Whaaaaaa!!!!" The voice sounded small and insignificant, so Inuyasha thought it was that of a small child.

However, he scoffed. Children's cries were common these days. The kid would most likely be dead the next day anyway, whether it was from other gangs of abandoned children, the lack of food, or just the chill of the night air.

"Whaaaaa!" It cried again.

Inuyasha glared in to the darkness. "Baby." He said distastefully.

"Oni-chan*?" The voice called out to him. "Oni-chan!"

"What in the seven hells..." Inuyasha said with disgust.

"Oni-chan help!" The voice sounded desperate.

"I'm not your brother kid." He started to walk away but stopped as the sound of wailing met his ears.

The damn kid had started to cry.

"WHAAAA! *sniff* O-oni-channnnnn! P-please help m-meeeeeee!"

"GEH!? DAMNIT KID HELP YOURSELF!"

"I-I c-can'ttttttt! I'm s-stucccckkkkkk!!!!"

"Oh dear god. How can you get stuck in an ally?!" Inuyasha had a hint of amusement in his voice, but it was quickly covered up by the anger in his expression.

"S-some kids were kicking me... and I tried to run away but I got stuck! Then they laughed and left." The kid had hurt in his voice. "They said we could be friends if I gave them some bread..."

"And let me guess.." Inuyasha's expression softened a bit. "They ran away with your food?"

The kid sniffed in a reply.

"Typical.." Inuyasha sighed. "All right kid. Where are you?"

"Over here!"

"Oh well THAT helps." Inuyasha felt his way around the ally until he felt something soft and warm. The kid seemed to be stuck in a small hole in the dividing fence.

"You really thought you could get through that?" He bent down and grabbed the sniveling kid's leg. "OK. I'm going to pull on three. Ichi*. Ni*. SAN*!" Inuyasha put his foot against the fence and tugged as hard as he could. The kid popped out and landed on the ground.

"There! Now don't go through anymore holes. Ja ne*." Inuyasha started to walk away but was stopped by something handing on his leg. "WHAT THE HECK?!"

"Arigatou* Oni-chan!" The kid hugged his leg relentlessly.

Inuyasha growled. This kid wouldn't make it alive for more than 10 minutes!

"Grr. Listen kid! If you want to stay alive you need to follow three rules! First, Don't say thank you. It tips people off you a weak little mama's boy. Got it?"

The boy nodded.

"Second. Don't make friends. They'll just slow you down. Plus its one more mouth to feed."

The boy looked as if he was going to protest, but quickly silenced himself when he received a glare from Inuyasha.

"Third. Learn how to run. Fast. The end. See ya kid."

"Nooooo! Don't go! Please don't leave me here alone!" Tears streamed down his face.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ANYTHING OF WHAT I JUST SAID?! Travel. Alone." Inuyasha was really getting aggravated. This kid was just plain STUPID!

"B-but my parents were killed and now I don't know what t-to doooooooo!" The kid was now wailing.

"Join the club." Inuyasha mumbled darkly. "Go away already!"

"PLEASE!!!!!"

"Ack.. FINE! You can stay with me today. But tomorrow you're outta here got it?!" The kid nodded gratefully.

"What's your name." Inuyasha looked down at the now smiling child.

"Tatsuki Shippou! How about you Oni-chan?"

"Inuyasha. AND DON'T CALL ME ONI-CHAN!"

"OK Oni-chan!"

"ACK!" Inuyasha fell over anime style.

This was going to be a longgggg day.

A/N: There we go! I hope everyone liked it. I'm about a 1/3 of the way done with writing the second chapter, but I have a bunch of tests tomorrow so I'll probably write then! Ja ne!

Japanese-

*Kami-sama: Lord, or God. A translation of the sentence would be "OH GOD!".

*Oni-chan: A literal term meaning brother. Shippou probably feels as though Inuyasha is his 'brother' because he is older. In the series Souta, Kagome's brother also calls Inuyasha 'Oni-chan.'

*Ichi: One.

*Ni: Two.

*San: Three.