AN: Yay! Another fan fiction from me! Aren't you guys happy? No? Oh, well... I'll live, I guess. But there's been a change! This one is based on the series "InuYasha"! If you have never seen it, I suggest not reading this. You might not understand the plot and there may be some spoilers. But, if you wish to ignore my warnings, read. Oh, I really feel this turning into a musical. Not in this chapter. In later chapters, there will be music.

Symbols: ~*~* = Beginning of the story/a new chapter or a different period in time. Italics = What someone is thinking ==== = A different place

Disclaimer: Kanna: Hm... What to put in my disclaimer? InuYasha: What's that? Kanna: It's where I um... disclaim things, I guess. Kagome: Yeah. Kanna: Kagome? Would you do the honor? Kagome: Sure! Kanna does not own InuYasha... But I do! InuYasha: No one owns me! Kanna: Don't test her, InuYasha! InuYasha: NO ONE OWNS ME! Kagome: SIT BOY!
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Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt
By Kanna

"Why do you bother with it?" A young girl asked. She just didn't get it. Why hassle over something that's truly not worth it?

"Because, I can't give in, baka!" A boy, just a few short years older than the girl, replied.

"Yes, you can! I believe you can! Can you please stop? For me, InuYasha?" The girl whimpered. InuYasha turned to face the girl, whom was on her knees. He began to pity her, but not enough to stop fighting for his beloved's death. But, wait, why was he fighting for her death when she was right there, kneeling right in front of him?

"Kikyou?" He asked, suddenly realizing whom he was talking to. Kikyou stood and brushed off her Kimono in an attempt to rid it of the dirt, which had found a home there.

"InuYasha, I know that you believe it was on purpose. It was, truly, but I was the one who caused my death! Not this poor man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time! I-I... I committed suicide, InuYasha. You can not fight for avenge of a life which was taken by it's owner. InuYasha, you can't save me!" Kikyou shouted. Those were the last words he heard before he was awakened from his dream.

"InuYasha! Wake up, milord! You'll miss breakfast! Your father would be angry with you if you did that!" InuYasha's personal maid tried. She shook him until he opened both of his beautiful golden eyes, which he covered from the blinding light of the sun escaping from behind his curtains.

"I'm up! Now, leave me!" He growled at the un-expecting maid. Why was he always so cruel to any being that approached him? Some of the people who lived in the same town thought he just didn't have a heart and could care for no one else except himself. But they didn't know the whole story. One would say, they knew not even the beginning.

[FLASH BACK]

"Silly, InuYasha! You should never test a lady's patience." A younger version of Kikyou giggled as InuYasha held her hair ribbon high above her head.

"What lady? I only see a little girl!" He answered quickly.

"Oh, is that how it is now?" Kikyou snapped, but her eight-year-old face still had the biggest grin.

"Ne, Kikyou?" InuYasha asked, dropping the ribbon a bit. "Do you think we'll be friends forever?"

"Of course, InuYasha! Why wouldn't we be?" Kikyou's smile faded.

"I don't know. I think about it a lot. You know, what life would be like without you. Do you ever think about it? How your life would be if we had never met?" InuYasha said, letting go of the ribbon completely.

"No. I'm afraid of what I might think. I don't like to think about things like that. Besides, we won't have to! We're together, now, aren't we? Nothing can ever change that, InuYasha. Nothing."

[END FLASH BACK]

"InuYasha, your father is getting angry! You must come down at once!"

"Okay, okay." He answered, fully dressed in his day clothes. He climbed down the long, winding stairs, which led to the dining area of the mansion. "Sorry, father, I lost track of time."

"Excuses, excuses. Would you please just sit down InuYasha?" InuYasha's father exclaimed. InuYasha's face dropped at his father's cold voice.

"Yes, sir." InuYasha said, regretting his long walk down the stairs. He could have been there earlier if he hadn't taken such a long time. There were many shortcuts he could have made, but decided not to. He would truly regret it later, after breakfast.

No one at the table spoke, they just sat there, staring at their plates. Every now and then, a maid or butler would come into the dining area to offer more rolls, or something of the sort. But other than that, no other noise could be heard at the table. They just sat there and ate in utter silence. InuYasha would look up at his father and half-brother now and again to see if they were going to say anything. It was no use, senseless.

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InuYasha ran out into the garden of the mansion and into the forest just beyond it. He jumped onto a tree branch just before a small creek. He flung his legs to one side of the branch and looked out across the pasture. He just couldn't keep his mind off of the girl who had taken her own life at such a young age. She was, after all, only eleven years old. What was so bad about her life that she had to bring the knife to her throat?

Suddenly, he heard a voice. It was a girls' voice. She was crying. He stood up and jumped from his branch to the ground. He ran over to the creek, which he leaped over and broke out into what could have been labeled 'the fastest run from a thirteen-year-old'. As he ran faster, he could hear the voice better. It sounded just like Kikyou.

He neared where the voice was coming from and slowed down when he arrived on the scene. There was a raven-haired girl crying, while a man pulled her into a mansion.

"What are you doing to her?" InuYasha asked sternly. The man looked over at the boy, the girl struggling in his arms.

"Sorry, young man. We've just moved. My-my daughter here didn't like it." The man answered.

"You didn't see her face, father, when I told her. You didn't see the hatred in her eyes when we left. You didn't see her heart break, father. I did. I can't live with that. I broke my first best friends heart; but most of all, seeing her looking at me like that broke mine, father. Sango needs me, father. I need her." Kagome recited as if she had practiced it. InuYasha doubted she did, but he couldn't be sure. He could smell tears coming from the girl.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. We had to get you away from that wolf demon. He could have hurt you worse than he did. Your lucky that we didn't stay that extra week." The man said. InuYasha looked at him curiously.

"I can handle myself father! I'm not a baby. I know when to say no to marriage!" Kagome spat.

"I'll be going than." InuYasha said to himself. But the man heard him.

"Ne, won't you stay for tea?" He asked.

"I-I couldn't. I don't want to impose." InuYasha tried to seem polite.

"No, I insist."

"Okay, but only for a while." InuYasha agreed, but groaned inwardly. He didn't want to say but he knew that if his father found out that he declined after the man insisted, there would be hell to pay. The man walked a while ahead the two young ones.

"Sorry, you know, about-"Kagome sighed. "Oh, I never properly introduced myself. I'm Kagome. What's your name?" She smiled awkwardly.

"Feh! What's it to you?" He growled.

"Sorry, I just thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong, baka." InuYasha snarled.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. InuYasha starred at the ground but soon felt Kagome starring at him.

"Are you going to stare at me all day, or is this a once in a life time thing?" Kagome blushed at his remark.

"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just... your eyes are so beautiful."

"What does a stupid girl like you know anyhow?" InuYasha snarled.

"I-I didn't mean-"She stuttered but stopped when she realized that her comment was worthless. Maybe if I try a different tactic?, she asked inwardly. "So, where do you live?" She asked. When she saw that he wasn't going to answer, she tried to keep the conversation going herself. "We used to live in a city. I hated it there. I could never go outside, and even if I could, I wouldn't have. There was no place that I could go, to get away from the world. Every time I thought I was alone, a maid or butler would be right behind me."

InuYasha stared at the girl for a second. She sounded exactly like him. Of course, he'd never acknowledge it. But that was what his tree was for. Does this girl ever shut up?!, he remarked mentally.

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Old enough." He snarled back. Kagome gasped.

"Oh, well, I'm eleven, but I'll be twelve in a few months." She went on. InuYasha chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"You're not going to shut up until I give you answers, are you?"

"That's not what I was thinking, but, if it will work, I'll try."

"No, no. I'll answer! My name is InuYasha. I live just across the forest. I'm thirteen years old. Happy, now?"

"Gomen. I really didn't want to intrude. It's just, I'm not going to have any one to talk to my age..." She apologized, her smile fading from her face. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "Gomen. I-I miss her!" InuYasha looked ahead to see if her father was coming, but he was already inside.

"No, don't cry! Only wimps cry!"

"You don't understand! I just lost the only person in the world who could understand me!" She sobbed.

"You mean, you moved away from the only person who could understand you! I lost the only one who could understand me!"

"W-what happened?"

"She killed herself. But that's none of your business!" InuYasha snapped. Kagome knew he wanted to cry, he wanted to have someone to talk to about it, but she knew he'd never admit to it. He'd closed himself up. In his world, nothing truly existed except for the death of his best friend- and nothing else ever would. Or so he thought.

"Gomen! Oh, gomen! I-I didn't know! Gomen!" Kagome stopped crying abruptly. She was starring at InuYasha, whom was starring at the ground. She saw his eyes tear up, but thought better of it not to mention. InuYasha brought a sleeve up to his eyes but disguised it as a sniff.

"We should go in." He said calmly. His throat felt clammy but wouldn't cry, not in front of anyone, at least. Especially, not in front of another girl. That got him a suicidal best friend. He didn't want any friends any more. He didn't want to have to worry.