Summary: Few now remembered what once was. History became legend, legend became myth, and then, myth was forgotten. Few now lived that remembered the truth of what had happened.
Pairings: Undecided
Warnings: None
When Kagome opened her eyes, it was to be startled by the fact that she had changed the course of the future-her present. There was no way to explain to her mother or grandfather the true cause of her devastation. Only Souta pieced the facts together from the slipped words, only Souta could truly attempt to console her, only Souta tried to understand what she and her son felt. The changed future had startled Shippo who had learned much about the path the world was supposed to have tread; five hundred years of history, all gone. All of it was gone, changed to, what was to her, an almost incomprehensible mess of old and new memories.
And then…in a society that had not forgotten demons, but rather despised them and imprisoned them, she and her son were just that.
Demons.
"Kagome-sama."
Kagome looked up from her scroll to see who had spoken, to see a figure dressed in black wearing a bird mask. "Yes, Anbu-san?" Even though the masks could not fool her, even though she knew who lurked behind the image of a bird, she refrained from showcasing that knowledge. It would do no good to boast of her abilities.
"The Sandaime wishes to speak with you."
She placed the sealing scroll she had been reading on the table next to her and stood, fully prepared for what many found to be a disorienting journey, but for her, it was nothing compared to how she had once traveled. When the world paused in its movement, Kagome found herself in the office of the Hokage with the God of Shinobi smiling benignly down to her. "Kagome, how are you and young Shippo doing?"
"Very well, Grandfather. And you?" In a graceful, inhuman movement, she greeted her grandfather with a bow and then made herself comfortable in one of the chairs before his desk.
"Drowning in paperwork, my little bird, as you can well see. But I didn't have you come here so early for pleasantries, no matter how fond I am of your presence." A pale, wrinkled hand reached for a pipe with smoke already curling out of one end. He breathed in the herbal smoke and his figure relaxed for a moment. "Animals are turning up in pieces, mauled. Left in unrecognizable bits, the surrounding areas ravaged as if some great beast had shredded the earth and knocked over the trees. Three days north of here. The locals believe it to be the work of a demon."
"What would you have me do?"
It was still dark when she made her way to one of the gates of Konoha. Already she had said her goodbyes to her family the night before, wanting to cover as much ground as possible on the first day, and as she had guessed, she was the first to arrive at the meeting point. With a sigh, she jumped into one of the trees and made herself comfortable, a slumbering kit in her lap. Languidly, she watched as her escorts for the journey, they were far too numerous, arrived. The desire to laugh threatened her; the young ninja had never killed nor truly fought nor seen the atrocities of war. They were mere children, though they were the same as she. She could see it in their eyes, blindingly naïve innocence. Oh, howshe wanted to laugh! They were fools that hadn't even registered her unhidden presence. She could not wait for the rest to arrive, to see if they were as foolish as these three.
It appeared that the rest weren't as hopeless as she had supposed, two or three had discovered her, but written her off as not a danger. More fools they.
The three team leaders acknowledged her without letting their students know. A vicious grin slid itself onto her face. Perhaps, she would have a bit of fun.
"What are we waiting for?" The squads of Kakashi, Kurenai and the Green Beast of Konoha were waiting, for who or what, they weren't certain of. Only that it was mission to a village roughly three days north of them. They were startled when a girl around their own age flew out of a tree and landed nearby, a little boy on her back. She wore a pair of crimson hakama that rode low on her hips and its matching haori wrapped tightly around her torso, leaving her midriff bare. Hanging over one shoulder was a loose braid of nearly pitch black curls. Her almond shaped eyes were a dark, unreadable color that seemed to be weighing them. They felt as if they had come up wanting when her gaze slid onto their senseis.
"They will be a burden." She walked past them and headed for the gate, leaving them behind.
"Hey! Wait a second! Whaddya mean 'burden'?!" Naruto reacted, almost automatically and shouted after her.
"An encumbrance. An impediment. Tch, you will weigh me down if this mission is to be completed properly."
"Mission, we don't even know what the stupid mission is!"
"Yeah, what is the mission anyway?"
Kagome turned her gaze upon the owner of the cool voice and almost laughed. It was the Sesshomaru-wannabe-clone. She waited, almost impatiently for the hn to come as she answered his question with one of her own.
"Oh? And aren't you all supposed to be preparing for the Chuunin Exams?"
Oh yes, she would have her fun tormenting the little fools. Each and every single one of them.