Hiya. This story is sort of an alternate timeline or whatever thing. Some of it actually
came to me in my sleep. This is my first fic, so go easy on me!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha. But just because I don't own it doesn't mean I can't obsess over it! craziness
Chapter 1
He felt the first raindrop splash against his head. The hanyou paused, and lifted his head to face the sky. He closed his sightless eyes and thought:
It's raining...
Why does the rain stir these feelings in my heart? Is it something in the air? Maybe it's something in the past...
Whenever it rains, I can't help but remember a face from long ago...
Her.
The wolf prince gazed off into the distance. He wiped his drenched bangs off of his forehead. His wet hair clung to his head, soaked by many drops of water that wept from the clouds. A small voice punctured the silence. "Koga?"
He turned around to face the source of the voice. A little girl, no more than four years old, stood with her bare feet half-buried in the sodden grass. The little girl had no fear of catching cold, as she was kept dry by the oiled deerskin that she wore as a raincoat. Her indigo eyes clearly showing concern, the little girl voiced her question. "Koga, why are you out in the rain? Aren't you worried you'll catch cold?"
Koga smiled fondly at the girl and gave her a pat on the head. Being full youkai, catching a cold in the rain was not something he had to worry about. He ruffled the girl's hair and replied, "Go back into the cave with the others. I'll be there in a little while."
The little girl's eyes widened and she looked up at the wolf prince. "You promise?"
"I promise, Tsukime."
Koga watched as the little girl turned and ran back to the cave that the rag-tag group was taking shelter in. A few hours later, he turned around and followed the child back to the cave.
Upon entering the cave, Koga took a quick glance around. Tsukime was sound asleep, curled up into a little ball like the neko sleeping next to her. It never ceased to amaze him how such a small child could sleep comfortably anywhere the group's travels took. The little kitsune who traveled with them was reclining against the small sack of Tsukime's belongings, also sound asleep. Ginta and Hakkaku, having supposed to take turns standing guard over the children, had both fallen asleep. Koga chuckled inwardly and settled down near Tsukime and the neko. He was not worried about the possibility of some feral beast attacking. No, he was a light sleeper. With he and the neko's keen senses, they would both be awake before there was any real threat to the children. Koga glanced at the little girl once more. He couldn't help but smile as his thoughts came to the surface.
It's remarkable how much the slayer's daughter looks like her.
But the child he had come to care for brought back thoughts that were bittersweet- thoughts of how one life ended so another one could begin. Memories of that night only four years ago.
Just before the final battle with Naraku, Koga was charged with leading a pregnant taijiya through a series of underground caves to a safe location where she could spend the remaining four weeks under his watch. Somewhat to his surprise, Inuyasha (AKA Mutt-Face) seemed especially insistent that she leave. It was probably a canine thing. The instinct to protect the pups in one's pack was incredibly strong in wolves. He figured it was probably the same with dog-breath. Kagome had insisted that he bring the kitsune child along, and he could not bring himself to turn down his lovely intended. The slayer's neko partner refused to leave her mistress, forcing Koga to take the cat along
The journey had gone smoothly, until a hostile weasel youkai ambushed the group. Fighting off the weasel was no problem for Koga, who insisted that Sango stay out of the fight. The real predicament started when the fight triggered a cave-in. The group tried to flee, but were unable to evade the falling rocks. Koga's last memory was a rock flying in his direction, and then everything went black.
When he came to, the first thing he did was check on his companions. The young kitsune, Shippo, was unconscious, apparently having fainted. The neko was unharmed, but the slayer seemed to have injured her ankle. "Anything broken?"
"No... I think it's just sprained."
"How long was I out?"
"I'd say several hours."
Koga was surprised by the amount of pain in her voice. Someone as tough as she was would not be that bothered by a sprained ankle. That was when it hit him. "Is it-"
The taijiya cut him off. "I think so... but I didn't think it would be this-"
The woman's body was hit by a wave of pain, causing her to cry out in agony. The neko rushed over to the side of her mistress, apparently trying to somehow help her. The wolf prince growled angrily at the situation. He knew that he had to find some way out of there.
Koga sighed inaudibly. He remembered the woman and the agony she endured to bring her child into the world. He remembered the cries of the slayer's newborn daughter. He remembered the crumbling of the rocks as help finally came. He remembered how he held the child as the healer tried to save the girl's dying mother. He could never forget her last words, spoken to him as she lay bleeding to death.
"Tsukime"
The blind hanyou approached the familiar tree. He stroked its bark, overcome with nostalgia. The tree held so many memories for him. He had spent 50 years of his life pinned to this tree. When he and his best friend got in a fight, he would go up into the branches and sulk. When his best friend was forced from this era, the tree helped to bring them back together. It was in the branches of this very tree that he made love to a woman for the very first time. The intense passion in the cool autumn night was still fresh in his memories. He could never forget how beautiful she was as she was swept away by the waves of pleasure, or how she cried out his name in the ecstasy of their simultaneous release.
That one night together was their first and their last. After an awkward awakening, they both agreed that it 'never happened'. That one and only tryst remained unknown to the others of the group as the two of them moved on with their lives. He kept telling himself that he didn't love her, that they were caught in the heat of the moment at the time. And yet, in the final battle, he sacrificed his sight to keep her safe.
She was gone from this world now, but the ironic thing was the fact that he would do it all over again just to be with her.
11-year-old Tsukime had just finished combing the knots out of her hair with her fingers, like she did every morning. Reaching into her small bag of belongings, she extracted a length of braided leather and bound her hair in a ponytail. Tsukime looked down at the two-tailed neko, whom had been her companion and hunting partner for as long as she could remember. "Let's go, Kirara."
For most of her life, Tsukime had been training at the old demon slayer village. Left in the care of her uncle Kohaku, the girl turned out to be a real natural, learning at an incredible rate. She had even become proficient with her late mother's old weapon. And now, six years later, it was time for her to say good-bye.
Tsukime walked over to her uncle. "Well," Kohaku said with a smile, "It's been an interesting six years. It's not going to be the same without you, Tsuki."
Tsukime grinned at her uncle and said, "Don't miss me too soon. I will stop by to annoy you from time to time."
Kohaku chuckled at his niece's comment. "But seriously, take care of yourself, Tsuki."
"Don't worry, Uncle." Tsukime replied, "I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, well, good luck, Tsuki."
"Thanks. See you later, Kohaku!"
And with that, the girl and the neko walked away. It would be several years before those who knew her saw her again.
It had been fifteen years since she had died, fifteen years since he lost his sight. Every summer, he would return to the old tree, to the village by the dry well. In that final battle where he looked upon his friends for the last time, he saw it. The girl held the once again whole jewel in her hand, trying to keep it safe as they fought against their foe. He shouted at the monk, telling him to take the girl to the dry well. He saw an enemy follow them, but he could not reach them in time. One second was all it took. Distracted, the hanyou didn't even see it coming. It took one strike to send him falling to the ground, clutching his burnt face. It was in that moment that he knew, even with his demonic healing abilities, that he would never see again. Suddenly, he felt the aura of the purification arrow and threw himself flat on the ground. The arrow whizzed over his head and he heard the screams of the nemesis, who was purified instantly. In a fraction of a second, he heard a the girl scream. He rushed to the aid of his friends.
Although he had lost his sight, his hearing and sense of smell remained as keen as ever. Bringing his sword down in a powerful attack, he destroyed the enemy. Unfortunately, his friends were also caught in the edge of the attack. Though it wasn't enough to severely injure them, it was enough to throw them back. He heard their cries of alarm, and all of a sudden they were cut off. He followed their scent over to the nearby well, where their scents were the strongest. He leaped down the well. To his surprise, he was unable to pass through, his feet instead meeting the dirt at the bottom of the well. The girl had obviously passed through. He felt around the bottom of the well, but the monk's body was nowhere to be found. The hanyou's only conclusion was that he too had passed through the well. Blind and alone, for the first time in years, Inuyasha was completely alone.
Kagome Higurashi sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Three years had passed since she and Miroku had fallen through the well and were unable to get back. It hadn't taken either of them long to get on with their lives. Kagome caught up on her schoolwork and graduated from high school. She and Miroku both found jobs and moved into an apartment. They weren't a couple, and neither wanted anyone to get the impression that they were. That was why they told the landlady that they were cousins.
Kagome worked from 10:00 to 7:00 and Miroku worked from 8:00 to 5:00 on most days. Since Miroku usually got home first, it was mostly he that cooked supper.
Kagome turned around to face the 'kitchen' part of their apartment. "What are we having tonight?"
"Um... I don't know. Depends on what we have."
He rummaged through the cupboards and extracted two cups of instant ramen. "Seafood flavor or miso?"
Kagome shrugged and replied, "I'll take the miso."
Miroku boiled some water and poured it into the cups. After a few minutes, he picked both cups up and handed the cup containing the miso ramen to Kagome. The two of them then proceeded to quietly eat their supper in front of the TV. Finally, it was Miroku who spoke up. "Did you ever just get the urge to visit the old well, and maybe visit your family too?"
"We've already been through this, Miroku. The well is closed. We can't go back through."
"I know. It's just that I keep getting this nagging feeling in the back of my head that we should go there."
"Hn." Kagome replied, "We'll go visit tomorrow."
For fifteen years, Inuyasha remained near the tree and the well. It was almost as if some strange force was keeping him there. Today, however, was different. For some strange reason, he felt drawn to the well. He sniffed the air around the well. Nothing was different. Heaving a sigh, he plopped down next to the well and sat quietly, waiting.
Kagome and Miroku entered the small structure that housed the well. After spending the morning getting reacquainted with Kagome's family, the two of them stocked up on supplies, just in case. Kagome clutching her bow and Miroku his staff, the two of them faced one-another. Kagome then asked, "Do you really think it'll work?"
"There's only one way to find out."
They leapt into the well, bracing themselves for a short fall and impact with the earth at the bottom of the well. Instead, they both felt the same sensation that they felt when they were pushed through the well three years prior.
Inuyasha sighed once more and got up to walk away. He was only a few yards away from his previous position when he felt a strange tingling sensation in the air. He couldn't immediately recall where and when he last felt that tingle, but it felt so familiar...
As suddenly as the tingle started, it stopped. He could hear a scrabbling sound coming from inside of the well. He heard a grunt as somebody pulled themselves out of the well. That sound was repeated as another climbed out of the well.
Could it be...? No... it couldn't be.
He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a soft, female voice call his name.
"Inuyasha?"
The startled hanyou spun around to face the speaker. It was then that the familiar scent hit him.
"Kagome!"
Kagome climbed out of the well, followed shortly after by Miroku. Once safely on solid ground, the girl checked her surroundings. It was then that she saw him. The silver hair, the red garb, the dog ears. It could only be one person.
"Inuyasha?"
The hanyou quickly turned to face Kagome. His face blatantly purveying shock, he gasped, "Kagome!"
It was only when she got a good look at him that she almost gasped in shock at her friend's appearance. His normally lustrous silver hair was now flat and dull. Most of his clothes were torn in several places and his exposed skin was pale like one who had endured a long sickness. It was when she got to his face that she uttered a soft cry of alarm. Eyes that had once been a rich gold were now clouded over. Every inch of visible flesh between his cheekbones and his forehead was hideously scarred. A narrow strip of the scar even extended down to his jaw line.
Miroku, not noticing the changes in Inuyasha, stepped forward to greet him. "Inuyasha, it's good to see you!"
Inuyasha stepped back, surprised. "Miroku? Where are you?"
"Why, Inuyasha, I'm-"
Miroku noticed that Kagome had grabbed his arm. Her voice weak with shock, Kagome uttered a single sentence that shocked Miroku to his very core. "Miroku, he's blind!"
Saddened at what the cruel hand fate had dealt the hanyou, Miroku could only ask, "How'd it happen?"
Inuyasha chuckled mirthlessly, before replying, "It was Naraku. When Kagome took him out, the bastard decided to take my sight with him."
She had been tracking the demon for days. The troublesome creature had been causing trouble and eating livestock around a certain village about 30 miles away. Finally, she had cornered it. As she silently stalked her quarry, she heard a voice coming from nearby.
"...must have decided to take my sight with him."
Suddenly she heard the snapping of branches being broken as something big sped out of the forest.
The group was caught by complete surprise when a massive snake youkai erupted from the forest. Inuyasha moved in front of his friends and quickly drew Tetsusaiga. He leapt to strike at the creature, but was thrown aside by the creature's tail, landing with a bone-jarring thud. The two humans gripped their weapons, preparing for battle. The snake lunged at Miroku, who barely dodged it in time. Kagome was relieved to see that the snake's venomous fangs had not pierced his skin, instead slightly tearing the left side of his black 'Led Zeppelin' t-shirt.
"Not my favorite shirt!" Miroku moaned, gritting his teeth, "That's it. Your ass is mine now, motherfucker!"
Kagome groaned at Miroku's cliché attempt at a verbal assault and shot an arrow at the colossal serpent, hitting it on the side of the head. It wasn't a very serious wound, but it was enough to seriously piss the snake off. The enraged youkai hissed angrily and slammed Miroku to the ground with a sickening crunch, strongly indicating the likelihood of broken bones. Kagome tried to shoot again, but the snake knocked the bow out of her hand with its whip-like tail, injuring the girl's wrist as well. Kagome fell to the ground, knocked down by the snake's attack. Miroku struggled to get up, but the pain of his broken arm would not support his weight, causing him to fall back against a tree, clutching his arm in agony. The snake struck at Kagome, missing by a fraction of an inch. The snake reared back and prepared to strike again. This time, it wouldn't miss.
It lunged at the weaponless girl, it's fangs poised to bury themselves into her flesh. Miroku cried out the girl's name, helpless to assist her.
A woman's cry of "Hiraikotsu!" tore through the clearing. That and a giant boomerang, which tore through the snake, decapitating it. Kagome and Miroku turned their heads towards the source of the attack. Standing at the edge of the woods was a very familiar-looking taijiya. Their eyes widened with recognition. They simultaneously shouted in surprise.
"SANGO!"
The taijiya secured the weapon to its place on her back and approached the unconscious hanyou, soon joined by another familiar friend- the twin-tailed demon cat, Kirara. She looked down at him, and quickly made her decision. Kagome and Miroku both gasped loudly when the woman kicked Inuyasha- hard- in the ribs and shouted, "Oi! Wake up!"
Her actions did indeed have the desired effect as a dazed Inuyasha sprang to his feet and barked, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
Kagome carefully approached Sango. "Um... why did you kick Inuyasha?"
Sango spun around to face Kagome, completely surprised. "Did you say 'Inuyasha'? As in the 'Mutt-Face' Inuyasha?"
Both Kagome and Miroku blinked in surprised. The taijiya's words were very much out of character. Indeed, it sounded more like something that Koga would say. Actually, now that the demon slayer was right in front of her, Kagome realized that she wasn't Sango at all. She was obviously younger. Not only that, but her hair was darker, more of a jet-black color, and the girl's eyes were indigo instead of Sango's familiar brown. The strange girl seemed to be just as surprised as they were. Deciding to break the ice, so to speak, Kagome was the first to speak. "Thank you for saving us."
Inuyasha grumbled something about the snake and a 'lucky shot', earning him a glare from Kagome. It seemed that, even blind, Inuyasha was still as grumbly as ever. Facing the girl once more, Kagome gave a quick bow before introducing herself. "Anyway, I'm Kagome Higurashi. It's nice to meet you."
The slayer girl nodded and replied, "It's nice to meet you too. My name is Tsukime."
Tsukime paused for a moment, as if struck by a sudden epiphany. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to be the same Kagome that Koga pledged his undying love to, would you?"
"You know Koga?"
"Yeah," Tsukime replied, smiling, "My mother died when I was a tiny pup, and Koga took me in."
"Really? It's a wonder that we've never met before."
Suddenly skeptical, Tsukime looked at Kagome as if she were crazy, and replied, "It's not that weird, really. Come to think about it, if you really were that Kagome, I would think that you would be a lot older. I mean, come on, you can't be her!"
"What do you mean? What's going on!?"
Tsukime's expression was now completely serious. "Drop the act. I mean, come on! The real Kagome disappeared fifteen years ago!"
Oooh! Kagome's found herself in a cliffie! I mean, sure, you knew that fifteen years had passed on one side of the well, but she didn't! It's not a cliffhanger for you, but it is for her. And what has Miroku been doing while Kags and Tsuki are conversing?
Miroku: Well, what have I been doing, dear Authoress?
Inuyasha: Probably staring at Tsukime's ass.
Kagome: Inuyasha, SIT!!
thud
Inuyasha: No fair! I'm blind in this story!
Irrepressable: Aw, just R&R, okay?
