Hello everybody! I'm Saruki. Inuyasha was once one of my favourites series, so writing about his characters make me very happy and enthusiastic. :) This story has nothing to do with original one, but the characters keep their roles. This will be my longest fic so far so I really hope you have a good time reading it. Greetings!
BETWEEN HELL AND EARTH
Chapter 1
Hi there. This is Higurashi Kagome. My story started when I was fifteen years old. I was born in the Feudal Era in Japan, exactly in 1601, which means at that time was running the year 1616. I used to work for a noble feudal family, the Hôjô's. More likely, you could say I was being worked out. My job wasn't a quiet one. Every day, I took care of the harvest with other co-workers of mine. I really did my best but in my case, I didn't get to reap what I sowed. Tora-san and the others had a reason for teasing me so much. They knew my little secret: I'm a girl. That fact was not known by the Hôjô's, except for their son, who was my friend.
However, I also had a reason for enduring that situation. I have a little brother, Shôta, who was only ten years old by then. Sometimes he used to help me but he had a weak body, so I couldn't let him work as much as me. Truthfully speaking, he was the only reason for me working for food and such. My dream was to get him a better life than mine, since our parents died in a war and he didn't get to know them.
One day, like another one, I finished my job soon and I took my things, thinking in going straight home (my home was just a small cottage). However, Tora-san was more teasing than ever and suddenly he hit me on the face and pushed me down to the ground. I fell just where I had been working all the day, so the harvest got ripped off. On top of that, he threatened me saying he would tell the Hôjô's my secret if I don't do what I'm told by him. Somehow, I managed to get rid of him and I reached home quite late. But the bad day hadn't finished yet. My mind went blank when I saw Shôta lying on the floor all covered in blood. The only thing I did was shouting with all my might, forgetting that my mouth was still hurting from the punch Tora-san gave me.
Meanwhile, in another place far away, the Hell, a group of three demons with human shape were heading to a certain place. There were two men and a girl. One of the men was quite special. While the other two looked completely like human beings, the other had silver long hair and dog ears.
— It's been a while since the King called us. I wonder what he wants! — The human-like man said.
— Shut up stupid. Who would want to see that dog-face of yours? Stop annoying me already. — The girl answered.
— Shuddup! — Shouted the silver-haired man. — I don't give a damn about what he wants if it's somethin' interesting.
The three of them wouldn't stop arguing, until the man with dog ears realized that they found what they were searching: the entrance to the King's place, which was a big black hole in the sky.
— The smell of death he has is enough to find that bastard. — That man said smirking.
And after that, they entered the hole and reached the King of the Hell, Naraku, who was ready to give them a special task.
After I calmed down a bit, the Hôjô's son came to my cottage to see Shôta, who was still unconscious. He gave us some medicinal herbs like he always do at times like this. At times like this, Hôjô-kun and Shôta were the only ones I could rely. However, everything turned backwards in a moment when Tora-san barged into the cottage all flustered saying I had said he was the culprit. I was astonished with such an accusation, since I hadn't told to anyone but Hôjô-kun. Nevertheless, soon it made sense when he spoke:
— So, I'm nobody, Higurashi? — He said while standing up from being sitting on the floor.
— Hôjô-kun… You couldn't have… — I turned to look at him.
— I'm sorry Higurashi, but my parents know you are a girl already. I told them the same day we met five years ago. It was fun seeing you being harassed by your co-workers for nothing. Our only purpose was to get Shôta so he could work for us like you. But since he's almost dead there's no use for you guys anymore.
I think I wouldn't be able to describe how cold his eyes were while saying that to me. His family had all planned since long ago. He was the only friend I ever had and now he was to kill me without any mercy. Tora-san was told to do it. He pulled me out of the cottage and I fell to the ground, already resigned to my death.
Suddenly, a cold breeze invaded the entire place. A huge black hole appeared in the sky and three persons came out of there. By the time I lifted my head, a girl, who was dressed as a demon exterminator, stopped Tora-san from killing me; a man, who looked like a monk to me, took Hôjô-kun by surprise, and a dog-demon-like young man stood beside me, saying:
— Just in time pals.
He was looking at me with those fierce gold eyes of his, as sharp as a knife. His hair was so long, so straight and silver. His weird dog-like ears were seen at each side on the top of his head and his fangs barely let see his face. In addition, he was not that tall for a man, about 170 cm and quite muscular. He was kinda attractive, but you'd shiver in fear by looking at him. His companions, looked like a normal humans to me. The man had his hair tied up in a little ponytail and his outfit was black and purple. The outfit of a monk. And the most weird thing was that he had his right hand partially covered. On the other hand, the girl was wearing a demon-exterminator outfit, all black with some parts in pink-red. Her hair was so lustrous, tied up in a very long high ponytail.
While I was spacing out gazing at the newcomers, the monk-like man had killed Hôjô-kun; in fact, his hand was still inside his body. He stabbed him in the heart. Hôjô-kun apologized to me for last time before he finally died.
Seeing Hôjô-kun's blood squeezed out of his body made me remember how we met five years ago. I was ten by then and Shôta was only five. Our parents had died recently in the battle of Sekigahara so I decided to take Shôta and we started travelling around looking for a new home. A few days later, Shôta got tired so I would piggy-backed him until we reached a nice spot for resting. However, while walking, I tripped and I sprained my ankle, so I couldn't walk any further. Shôta started to cry out loud and I didn't know what to do anymore either, I was desperate; but through my tears, I saw a helping hand coming from a little boy, about my own age, who was willing to help us giving us all kind of objects which could heal injuries. That was Hôjô-kun. From there, we started to get along quite well and he even offered us a place to stay in his land. However, there was a problem: his parents would never let him associate with a poor orphan child coming out of nowhere, so, the only way for us staying in his land was me working for them as a boy. That way, his parents would think of Shôta and me as two boys that in the near future would become two strong men for the yard. The fact I'm actually a girl would be keep in secret between Hôjô-kun and me forever. At least, that was what we promised the day I started to work for the Hôjô family. Some years later, my co-workers discovered my secret too, but they wouldn't say anything, because they would rather use it for messing with me than for kicking me out. And that's how my current life started.
Now, the horrific image of Hôjô-kun being killed was still in front of me, but my mind was full of good memories of him, like the one I've just told. Somehow, I wanted to believe that the few last hours were only a nightmare; Shôta would be alive again and Hôjô-kun would go back to be what he was before. I started shouting at the man who killed him so he would release Hôjô-kn, but the demon man grabbed my arm and spoke to me:
— Hey, are you dumb or something? That punk was going to kill ya just now.
— I… know that! But he… — I knew he was right but despite of that I couldn't bring myself to leave Hôjô-kun alone. — He had been my friend all this time after all!
— Well, whatever you say. If ya're Higurashi Shôta's big sis ya come with us. Hey, Miroku, Sango, we're leaving. — He said while lifting me up, carrying me in a sack-of-potatoes-like way.
The dog-demon and his companions took me and my brother back to that big black hole in the sky. I had avoided death but now I was in another trouble: where were they taking me? And also, the man mentioned my brother's name before, so why does he know us? I had to wait a little bit more until I could learn the truth behind all this matter.
Sometimes, not always things are as they look like... I bet things will be more complicated in the next issue! :O
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