Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, just the plot and whatever random characters that appear and are not from the canon!
AN: For the purposes of my story, I will follow the manga on Sesshoumaru's Mother (who is still alive in the manga) and uhm…yeah!
This story is going to be a mix of the manga and the anime, as they both seem to have things the other doesn't…so I'll try and make it as smooth as possible!
Chapter One
.:Lost:.
A small whimper escaped her tightly clenched lips as she stared at the ground before her. There, lying innocuous in the faint moonlight, was the purple butterfly hairclip Yuka had given her for her fifteenth birthday; the same one she'd dropped when she'd suspected she'd already been through this part of the forest twice before. And, as she suspected, the evidence of her apparent misdirection lay before in the form of a hair accessory.
Staring above her, she glared at the twinkling stars, which seemed to be mocking her with their brightness. Not for the first time, she wished she had paid more attention in Astronomy, maybe then she would not be so lost.
A tear leaked out, closely followed by another. Before she knew it, Kagome Higurashi lay in a pitiful heap in the middle of a dark forest, in a foreign land, tears streaming down her face in a fabulous show of self-pity. Above her, gnarled branches of ancient trees twisted and rose to the sky in a show of primeval power, defying the winds of time and nature. Kagome wished she had that kind of…determination and will power. Instead I…I- She stopped, and resolved to not think for the rest of the night, or at least until Inuyasha found her…if he could.
Sinking further into her self-induced despair, the young miko curled her body into a small ball, tucking her head to her knees and slowly sung a lullaby.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky…
Her voice cracked slightly, and she stopped. Stupid Kagome…any passing youkai could hear you…and then what would you do? She asked herself.
Slowly stretching out her body, she rose. I can't just lay here, waiting to be attacked. Adjusting the large yellow backpack so that it fit more comfortably, she slowly walked towards her butterfly clip and, picking it up, stared at it.
"How do I get out of this one?" She said despairingly, sapphire eyes staring morosely at the small clip. Normally, she was a very optimistic girl. She held to the belief that, as bad as things seemed to be, they could and would get better; however, as she looked around her she lowered her head, and slump her shoulders in defeat.
This was the third night she had spent lost in the forest. Her ramen supply was low, which did not really matter considering she had no more water to boil it in, and the only uniform left to her, barely covered her, what with all the rips and tears. For the past two days, it had rained heavy and hard washing out any lingering traces of her scent, which would make it almost impossible for Inuyasha to find her.
It seemed almost impractical for her to be optimistic, considering the circumstances.
She sighed heavily, closing her eyes while pressing her hand to her forehead in frustration. Truly, this was all Inuyasha's fault. Of course, she wanted to blame the irrational, hotheaded, hanyou, but she could not, because deep down she knew that the fault lie with no one but herself.
The day had started out like any other: Miroku heard news of a nearby Shikon Jewel, and, with Inuyasha leading the way, they headed towards the jewel.
Things took a turn for the worst when Naraku showed up, all cackles and "kukukus".
The fight, Kagome would have to say, was doomed from the beginning. Nobody sensed his presence, and so, having the element of surprise on his side, Naraku was able to gain the upper hand right from the beginning. Although the group knew this, minus one Inuyasha, they gave it all they had until, in a final show of cunning, Naraku threw each of the members of the shard hunting band into different directions.
If only Inuyasha had listened to her when she told him to retreat, maybe… Kagome sighed again, before picking a random direction and walking. It does me no good wasting my time on "what ifs" and "if only", somehow, I've got to get out of this one by myself.
Not for the first time, Kagome wished she had been a little less dependent on the rest of the group.
XXX
Moonlight reflected from the surface of the stream guided Miroku as he dipped a worn clothe into the cool water once more before wringing it out and quickly walking over to Sango's unconscious body. Lying the clothe on her brow, he stared pensively at her naked body with what light the moon gave off, eyes memorizing each cut and laceration with a tender sorrow. So many, he thought while slowly changing her bandages, and more still to come, I should think. This thought, or fact rather, that more harm would come Sango's way, left him with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach, one to rival the eternal void that was his curse.
Softly, he brushed aside her bangs and with infinite care, covered her with his outer robe. With a weary sigh he picked up his staff and leaned against a nearby tree, eyes lifted towards the stars. He hoped she would wake up by tomorrow, if she did not…
He sighed once more before closing his eyes and slipping into an alert trance; it would not provide much rest, but he could not afford a deeper state of sleep, not with Sango's life balanced as precariously as it did now. Tomorrow, maybe…tomorrow…
And Miroku dozed, Kirara keeping watch beside him.
XXX
Inuyasha hacked angrily at the dense foliage that hindered his passing. He was a red blur as he sped through the forest, eagerly searching for his lost comrades. His grip on Tetsusaiga tightened, his knuckles whitening under the pressure, as he angrily cut down hanging branches that found themselves in his path. A low growl, deep and frustrated, spilled from his lips as he stopped.
His breathing was labored and his muscles ached with the strain of running for two days and three nights with no break. He was hungry and tired, and yet he would not stop. Not until he was reunited with the members of his pack. He was, after all, responsible for their well-being as the leader, and while he wouldn't admit it to himself, he was worried. Sango was not in good shape when Naraku had thrown her, and neither was the monk. Shippo, well, he was a youkai, and a kitsune at that, he could probably hold up for a good week but Kagome…
Inuyasha growled again, muscles bunching as he prepared himself for another run. I've got to find Kagome, he thought desperately, golden eyes darting back and forth in a state of helpless frustration. Clenching his fist, he felt the skin of his palm break as his claws dug into the flesh. After the fourth time, he'd learned to ignore the slight pain, even welcoming it at times. It helped to clear his mind while he ran, something he desperately needed.
Lately, the dark blood within his body had been a lot harder to control, even with Tetsusaiga's binding abilities, and in those moments in which he felt hopeless, he'd almost given in. If it were not for Tetsusaiga, pulling him out of the dark haze of his inner beast…Inuyasha shuddered, eyes closing as he let the wind caress his body.
As he ran, the hopelessness he had kept at bay slowly started to devour his mind.
XXX
Shippo popped another berry into his mouth, hands and mouth sticky with the residue of previous such berries, and with a sigh, lay back on the soft pallet given to him. Next to him lay large basin in which he was to bathe, and besides that, on a small table, lay a fresh set of clothes.
He heard footsteps and waited until a small head appeared in the doorway.
"Master Shippo? May I come in?" Shippo nodded, crossing his arms and puffing out his small chest as a small girl, no older than eight years old walked timidly into the room. She had large brown eyes and a wide smile with two large dimples, her hair, kept in two pigtails, bounced as she walked into the room.
"Uhm…well…my father says that they'll begin the search tomorrow…if it pleases you."
Shippo jumped up, eyes wide.
"Finally," he almost screamed, "Kagome could be DEAD by now!" Tears appeared on at the edge of his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away, he refused to cry in front of her, or any of them for that matter.
It was by accident that, when Naraku threw him away from the battle, Shippo found himself flying, uncontrollably, through the forest. As luck would have it, he landed in this village, on the head of a wayward low-level boar youkai, with enough force to knock it out. The village men who were fighting the beast, hailed Shippo as their savior, and after Shippo explained that all he wanted in return was their help in finding his friends, found himself in a nice room, with three meals everyday and the pleasure of being called "Master Shippo". If only Inuyasha could see him now! The fact that his "killing" of the youkai was purely accidental was irrelevant in Shippo's mind, he had defeated it and that was what mattered.
The small girl, who had jumped in fright at his sudden outburst, looked down at the floor and slowly began making circles with one silk-enclosed foot.
"Is…is Kagome your…girlfriend?" She asked softly. Shippo, who was earnestly trying to keep his tears at bay, froze and looked at the girl with wide eyes.
"Of course not! Kagome's my…well…she's…" He fidgeted with his hakamas, eyes downcast, "well, she's kinda like my mom…" He murmured finally.
The little girl looked up then, eyes wide with a large smile, "Well, that's okay then!" She exclaimed before running out of the room, face red.
Shippo stood staring after her, eyes narrowed in confusion before finally giving up. "Girls are weird!" He said, throwing up his arms.
And so, with that universally accepted explanation for all female behavior, Shippo began to bathe, hoping against all hope that it was not too late to find Kagome.
XXX
Kikyo lowered her bow, watching dispassionately as the youkais flesh faded into ash. It was the fourth attack this night and Kikyo felt a slight sense of unease as she finger her two remaining arrows. The frequency of the attacks disturbed her. Several times this night, she had over a dozed youkai clawing at her barrier as she rested, forcing her to move locations lest the barrier break and she be overwhelmed. Kikyo was no fool, and even she knew, in the state she was in now, she could not handle so many youkai at once.
Stepping over the last youkai foolish enough to challenge her, the young priestess came to a realization: something called the youkai to her this night, and as she called upon her Shinidamachu, she resolved to figure out why.
XXX
Kohaku stared at his hands with something akin to morbid fascination. As the blood slid across the surface of his skin, a chill ran down his spine. What…what? His mind blanked, before a barrage of memories hit: everywhere blood, bodies covered with it, the ground soaked with it. Their blood, his family's blood. He pushed, futilely, at the memories…and yet they would not go away.
"Kohaku."
His head snapped up as Kagura's voice filtered through the red haze. His mind had become a dangerous place ever since his memories returned to him; it was like waking up in a river of blood each time they surged, and he had begun sinking further and further within its murky depths.
"Lets go."
Nodding curtly, not quite trusting his voice to speak, Kohaku hopped onto the enlarged feather floating before him and did not look back as they left the bloody scene of his mindless carnage.
"What did Naraku want from this village?" He heard Kagura whisper to herself, and Kohaku silently agreed with the wind witch's questioning. Especially since Naraku had demanded that none in the village be left alive, he had even gone so far as to threaten both their lives should he learn of the survival of even one infant.
"Maybe…maybe there was something…or someone there that he feared…" Kohaku voiced quietly.
Kagura looked at him pensively, ruby red eyes staring intently into his own brown orbs.
"Maybe…maybe."
If that was the case…had they just destroyed the only thing they could use as leverage against Naraku? As the thought left him, Kohaku felt a growing sense of despair.
XXX
Kagome blinked languidly as her eyes adjusted to the morning sun. She rose stiffly, back popping as she stretched with a mighty yawn. Nestled as she was within the roots of a large tree, her sleep had not been very comfortable, and yet she was grateful for the semi-protected rest she had gotten.
"Ah…maybe today will be the day I'm rescued…or maybe I'll find my way out of this on my own." Kagome muttered softly as she surveyed her surroundings.
The scene was the same, thick trees surrounded her on all sides, with no discernable trail and patches where the canopy above completely blocked out the light from the now arisen sun. She sighed, disheartened at the unchanged landscape before picking her way delicately out of the tangle of roots she'd slept in, and making her way through the forest.
Luckily, and surprisingly, she hadn't run into any stray youkai since the first day she became lost. I guess my luck really has been holding…considering the situation. She thought, a bit cynically.
Just as she was about to turn, thinking that perhaps she'd run across this particular clump of bushes before, she heard the distant melody of a flute. "W-what?" Her eyes lit up, the prospect of civilization and quite possibly a bath, causing her gloomy countenance to once again sparkle with an optimistic hope.
With renewed vigor, Kagome rushed towards the scintillating melody.
XXX
CW: Eh, really not happy with the length, but this chapter wasn't meant to be long. It's just a semi-introduction and a bit of a prologue really, just to set up what has happened to our favorite characters. Sesshomaru will appear and I really wanted to put him in this chapter but… you can't just throw Sesshomaru into anything, you have to add a lot of finesse when dealing with him! He's such a great character! Sigh, anyway,
REVIEW, REVIEW! Please, and thank you! Oh uhm, sorry if there are a lot of mistakes…I didn't really proof it…I was really too excited to get it posted to do anything other than well…post it! So once again, sorry if it is horrendously, and irrevocably grammatically incorrect, I'm actually pretty bad at this whole writing thing!