A/N:
Hello! My name is Roku and this is my first REAL fiction. I have been a huge Inuyasha fan for many years now and have been developing my character, Roku, just as long. I believe this story will tell a side of Inuyasha that has never been told, a side no one really has ever known. This story may begin slowly, but trust me, more intensity is to come. This is my first fanfiction Roku will appear in, despite she has "lived" for 5 years of my life. Inuyasha is such a strong story, I had to write about it. I will update new chapters ASAP. This first one is more of a preview teaser chapter for the wonderful chapters (Some I already have written) to come. Please, bear with me. I am very impatient with myself and want more than anything to express my thoughts in words, more difficult than I could have imagined. I hope to unveil Roku's character and make her very powerful I know this will happen, but I depend on you, the readers, to be faithful. But this story MUST be told. I owe it to my character and my favorite anime to write a story full of meaning and emotion. My heart and soul is going into this story, more than I know myself. Please, don't plagiarize (I'd rather have my car stolen…at least my heart was not in it) so please, be moral. Constructive criticism is welcome; so please R & R. Inuyasha is ©Rumiko Takahashi and Roku is copyright me, ©Roku. Do not use my character without permission. Now to the story.
... CHAPTER ONE- A FAMILIAR FACEIt was a usual day in the Feudal Era. The sun was shining brightly from the west as clouds dotted randomly against the beaming blue sky. Birds sang and chirped, as a strange looking group headed forward on the road below. Inuyasha led the way, in his usual position, and Kagome behind followed by Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo. They were after a Shikon Shard, which was not surprising.
"It sure is a nice day," Kagome said "Even more beautiful than last week."
"The summer is coming." Inuyasha replied, "We'll have a lot of weather like this. Either that or rain all the time."
"Well, I wouldn't mind being alone inside with Sango, if..." but before Miroku could finish his...strange statement, a very pronounced slap was heard.
"Sango, you seem to misunderstand! By being alone with you I would be protecting you! My intentions are inno..." Once again, Miroku was beaten.
Sango, a very pronounced vein of annoyance protruding from her head, stepped ahead with her boomerang as if nothing had happened.
"Come on, you guys! We have to find that shard before someone...something else does!" Sango shouted angrily. "Where do you think it is, Kagome?"
"I'm not really sure. I can feel it very strong, so it must be close. Now we just have to find it."
Shippo, who had a pouch around his neck, hopped up on Kagome's shoulder. "Seems that's not the only thing we need to find..."
"What do you mean?" asked Kagome, and immediately Shippo revealed an empty bag.
"We don't have any more medicinal herbs. Whatever's got that shard might not be to friendly...we can't just go rush in without medicine."
"My medical kits been running low..." Kagome said in a low voice "I can't believe I forgot to fill it back at the well. We're to far ahead from it now..."
"Shippo's right." said Miroku "I noticed on the trail that this area is filled with many herbs that can be used for medicine. We should backtrack and pick some up."
"I'll go with Shippo." Kagome replied willingly "It's not to far into the forest, so we'll be okay."
The others nodded their heads in agreement. Shippo hopped off Kagome's shoulder and grabbed more medical bags, and back again.
"Be back in a minute!" Kagome shouted as she ran, with a concerned glance from Inuyasha.
The trail was easy for walking or running, packed down with sturdy soil and sand. The wind was slightly breezy and the sun shone down through the leaves. As Miroku had said, not far along, there were many bushes of berries and medicinal plants.
"Look, Kagome! These are all the ones we need. And you don't even need to go back home!"
"Yeah, now lets see. Which ones do we need?"
"Hey, this root here helps to stop the bleeding. We definantly need that one! And this one helps to stop itch. Well, I guess you never know if you'll meet a giant mosquito demon..."
As the two conversed, they were unaware they were being watched closely.
... Camouflaged in the trees, a creature readied for the pounce. Her muscles rippled, and she was a fearsome sight. Her target was the human female nearby. She saw it and knew she had to get it.
The female had the Shikon Shards.
She sensed them even before the human had come down the road, even before she had ran into the foliage to shield her presence. It was them! The shards of power and destruction.
And the creature wanted them. She knew if they were in the wrong hands, destruction was all that would follow.
"You're mine..." the creature growled, and began to ready for the attack. Silent and unseen, she waited for the right moment. And she found it, when the little kitsune left her side. It was time.
They would never see her coming.
... "Hey Kagome, I found some Valerian! Those should help those sleepless nights! And..." Shippo stopped suddenly. He caught a scent in the air, one that was of a stranger. Immediately he got the feeling he was being watched. He looked out through the trees, and a fair distance ahead scanned the horizon. At first there was nothing out of the ordinary. But Shippo looked again.
And he saw it.
A ferocious animal wolf or fox - Shippo could not tell which - was preparing to attack Kagome! Shippo flew off the tree branch and flew to Kagome frantically waving his arms and screeching at the top of his lungs.
"Kagome! Kagome, run away! She's gonna eat you!"
"Huh?" Kagome looked up confused, but it was to late. The wolf fox leaped from cover and was headed her way, baring her fangs and quickly gaining. Shippo and Kagome began to run as fast as they could through the trees, but the wolf fox was not lagging.
"EYAHHHHHHHHHH!" Shippo yelled "Kagoooommmeeeeeee! We're gonna be lunnnnch!"
Kagome swiped the young Kitsune into her arms and ran as fast as she could. The wolf fox snapped at their heels ferociously, and sweat rolled down Kagome's face. She could feel her hot, dangerous breath as she heaved and it struck more fear into her; the thought of those fangs in her and Shippo. Kagome swore to herself she could hear the heartbeat of the beast. She ran all over rocks and stumps, amazingly without falling. Around in a great circle, pushing off large trees and rocks to gain speed, the chase continued of life and death. No mercy was in the heart of the beast. The wolf fox began to lose distance on them and they reached deeper in the forest. But she did not get far. A rock crevice blocked her path. They were trapped!
Kagome felt the rock face frantically, looking any possible way to escape. There was none. The wolf fox cornered them. She emerged from the trees, somehow less menacing now she was revealed. They had a very clear view of her now, pure white with black tipped ears and tail. Yet a fearsome sight she was, baring her fangs at every movement. She lashed out at them distantly, to invoke fear. She paced back and forth, eyeing Kagome's neck. Suddenly it clicked.
"The Shards!" Shippo blurted "She wants the Shards!'
"Well, your not getting them!" Kagome yelled, but the creature growled more menacingly. She prepared to attack again, this time to leap dangerously, and Kagome and Shippo clang to each other, trembling with fear. The creature roared angrily, but as she did so, was thrown against a tree by an oncoming attacker in her mid leap, a red and white blur
"Inuyasha!" Kagome and Shippo shouted simultaneously
The two beasts leapt towards each other, growling and slashing. Roku ducked under Tetsaiga, as Inuyasha dodged her slashes. The beast used her physical attacks and defense as Inuyasha attempted to hit her. She leapt behind him, grabbing his back, but was thrown off immediately. She fell on her back. She leapt up again, but this time did not attack Inuyasha. She seemed to be looking at him closely rather than preparing to leap. Her face looked almost thoughtful, as if she was trying to remember something. Inuyasha attacked her again, and she swerved around and kicked him, more of trying to disarm him than hurt him. Inuyasha fell back, and leaped up again at blade point to the creature.
"Inuyasha!" shouted Kagome "Are you alright?"
At those words, the wolf fox's expression changed from deadly ferocious to utter shock, and the anger was drained from her face replaced with utter astonishment. The color was drained from her face (In any way possible in a white face...)
Inuyasha leapt towards the creature, and sheathed Tetsaiga, and lashed a great swipe with his claws at the creature, who stared at Inuyasha unbelieving.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Inuyasha growled as he held Tetsaiga "What the hell are you doing?"
"I...I...Inuyasha?" the creature said
"How do you know my name?" Inuyasha demanded "And more importantly, what the hell do you want?"
Miroku and Sango sat on Kirara, as having arrived shortly after Inuyasha to witness the fight.
"What do you want the shards for?" Sango barked
"I..." the creature said, "I was trying to get the shards. I had to get them out of the wrong hands. She could have been a demon you know, in human disguise. There are plenty of them you know. The shards are not safe. I only meant to protect the shards from the wrong!"
"How do you know who I am, whatever you are?" demanded Inuyasha
The wolf-fox looked at him, very weary now. "I know you, I know you very well..."but as she did her eyes rolled and blood trickled from her mouth. She fell over unconscious.
"Huh?" said Inuyasha "What the..."
"She's just blacked out." said Kagome, approaching from behind. "See the blood? She must have been hurt when she hit that tree. I think she was hurt before. See the shard in her side?" Kagome said, pointing to the shard in the chest of the creature. "She held out long enough. We should take her back to Kaede's village to fix her up." Kagome took the shard from her side, and as she did so she noticed it was not tainted at all.
"The shard..." Sango said, helping Inuyasha lift the wolf fox onto Kirara "It's not tainted. She truly must not be an evil demon."
Shippo examined the shard too. "Maybe she really did want them for a good reason. She's right, you know. Any demon can look human enough to pass as a good guy."
"We have to get back..." said Miroku "She looks like she'll be okay, but we can't take any chances. Her wound is bleeding much."
Inuyasha lifted Kagome onto his back and Shippo rested on her shoulder. Miroku and Sango sat upon Kirara, the wolf fox between them, and they were off. In the air Kagome and Shippo examined the shard again.
Inuyasha was silent. He wasn't speaking, as if more thoughtful than usual.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked gently "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"Well..." Inuyasha said softly "I just...feel like I've met that creature before. Somehow I remember her. That's why I didn't kill her."
"Imaginary? Like a dream?" asked Shippo
"No," Inuyasha replied "Like someone you met before but don't remember. Feh, enough. We have to get to the village. We found the shard, so we're finished here."
They continued to the village together without speaking another word, each rider in thought deeply.
A/N: ... How'd you all like my teaser? Trust me…this story is GOING to get much better. I have other chapters written already, since I am a fragment writer and tend to write when the idea comes. I've got great plans for this tale. Please stay with me, fans! Thank you! R & R!