Chapter 1: The Girl Who Whooped Ass And The Boy Who's Ass Got Whooped
Alright. Before we start, I want to reiterate a few truths about urban culture. Ebonics is cultural, not remedial. "Ghetto" is not an insult. And "hood" folk are equally as complex and layered as their suburban counterparts.
This is a fic I made to create a female lead I relate to. Essentially, the same base plot will exist, just with a Kagome that reflects a girl who grew up in an urban area. Expect urban and pop culture references, slang, lower class perspectives, and a girl who is still pure while embodying these "hood" characteristics that are often portrayed in very one dimensional ways. Inuyasha will remain Inuyasha, as he will still have been from the Feudal Era, as will all other characters who are from the past.
Obviously, not everything will be exact. Kagome's personality is going to heavily affect the timeline and events at times. That's the fun of this fic. Kagome will essentially be a modern girl who grew up in modern, urban culture. It's not stereotypical, but it'll be fun. (Also, this fic is specifically inspired by modern AMERICAN urban culture. I apologize for any differences between American and Japanese urban culture).
"Happy birthday Kagome! My beautiful baby girl is so grown!" Mama Higurashi cooed as Kagome waltz into the kitchen, backpack slung over her shoulder. "Sixteen already. I can't even believe it. I might cry at how fast time flies by."
Kagome smiled, "Chill, mom. You know I'll always be your baby." The girl made a teasing face, feigning annoyance as she gave her mother a quick hug. "Besides, sixteen ain't grown. Grown is when I can pay bills. Grown is when I'm under my own roof. But at least now I can go get a part time job to help out around here."
Mama Higurashi frowned at that, a sigh escaping from between her lips as she watched her daughter slip on her sneakers, completing today's look. Kagome was wearing some dark jean shorts with a black tank, creating a casual birthday outfit. The previous week, Mama Higurashi had offered to buy her something nicer to wear, but her daughter had politely declined. And the woman knew it was because she worried about finances in the house, and while she was proud of the humble, considerate woman Kagome was becoming, Mama Higurashi never wanted her to worry about money like that at this age. It was a fanged reality that bit at the older woman.
"Kagome, you don't need to get a job to help out. If you wanna go out and earn some money, that's fine, but don't come into this house feeling like you gotta put it towards anything besides yourself. You're a teenager. Go out and hang with your friends." She insisted, "You know I do what I gotta do to hold this place down. Never worry about that."
Kagome's foot finished sliding into her sneaker, and she looked up at the woman who raised her, ready to counter her statement when the tapping of slow steps invaded the kitchen.
"Is that my sixteen year old granddaughter I see?" Grandpa ambled into the scene, smiling proudly as he locked eyes with the schoolgirl, "I have the perfect gift for you." He reached into his pocket pulled out a small, pinkish orb attached to a thin, silver chain.
"A necklace? Did you make it, gramps?" Kagome asked, eyeing the jewel, "I bet it's got some sort of history to it, too." The girl jokingly rolled her eyes as she accepted the little jewel in the palm of her hand, feeling as the cold exterior sent a chill through her body. It was subtle, and yet, Kagome couldn't help but eye it curiously. Her eyes glistened as she sensed something oddly familiar about the tiny thing as it reflected the shine from the ceiling light fixture. Quickly, she closed her hand, fingers encasing the gift as the chain dangled beneath. She glanced back at her grandfather, his proud smile beaming as he observed her reaction, pleased with himself.
"That is the Shikon no Tama! The sacred jewel!" He exclaimed as though he was announcing it to some imaginary crowd, "It was coveted by demons and humans alike, as it had the power to grant wishes!" He watched as his granddaughter cocked a brow, a reaction that juxtaposed the slight curl of one corner of her lip, creating an amused smirk.
"But of course, this ain't the real jewel." She deduced, watching as the expression on Gramps' face reduced itself to a defeated sigh, his button lip poking out in a childish pout.
"W-Well, the real jewel has since disappeared from the world." He defended, "But this homemade replica still holds the same meaning of purity and strength! Just like you, Kagome."
The young woman just shook her head, her previous smirk blossoming into a full smile. She adored her family, though she found her grandfather's obsession of all things spiritual to be a bit absurd, despite his good intentions. Old myths don't make money. Our family may have been able to get by posing as spiritual monks or priestesses, but that was decades ago. Nobody comes around for that sort of stuff now. Kagome looked around at the small kitchen that encircled her and her family. It was cramped, with only the basic necessities in sight. And smack dab in the middle was a square kitchen table she was sure was bought at some flea market 15 years ago. The four chairs around it were worn and old, as well, and she realized that it has looked the exact same since she could remember. Nothing was replaced, upgraded or thrown out. No new appliances graced the countertops, not even a toaster. It was as though this place had been stuck in time, unable to move forward. Maybe time was something you had to pay for, you couldn't move forward until you had the money. It was a privilege. And all privileges are paid for.
She looked through the entryway to her left, where she saw a room of equal size bearing nothing but one couch and an old TV that still had a VCR in it. She couldn't remember the last time any movie came out on VHS. No, everything was DVDs, some even coming out only in blu-ray, whatever the hell that was. She was sure the last time they bought a new VHS was around the time MTV was still showing music videos. Back when Ja Rule and Ashanti still produced top hits. Kagome laughed inwardly at that before turning back to her grandfather.
"Thanks, gramps. I'll go put this in my room." She hugged him briefly before jogging down a hallway where all the bedrooms were situated. All except for hers of course. She opened one of the doors that revealed a narrow stair case, and she ascended up to what most would assume to be an attic. Of course, they wouldn't be entirely wrong. This was the attic. But as the eldest child, Kagome claimed the attic as her room to maintain a decent level of privacy. And it had been transformed into the best teenage girl room the clearance section could provide, including a modest vanity table that her mother had spotted for 90% off during some local furniture store's going out of business sale.
It was on that table that she placed the fake jewel before rushing down the stairs again and into the kitchen. Mama Higurashi had begun sweeping while her Gramps had filled a pot up to make some morning tea. The steam overflowed, sprinkling into the air until it dispersed and disappeared from visibility before it reached the water stained ceiling.
"Hey, I'm heading out now." The girl announced, waving her hands. She turned before anyone could reply and trotted through the living room to the front door.
"Take your brother with you! He's outside with the cat somewhere!" Mama Higurashi called back, mentally wishing her daughter a great birthday. Kagome agreed and all that was heard after that was the creaking sound of the door opening and the sudden crash as it fell closed. She was gone.
Now, where is this kid... Better be in the yard or I'm boutta be pissed. Kagome thought to herself, eyes scanning the front yard briefly before heading to the back, He always runs off the property like he isn't eight years old. Always getting lost or talking to strangers... Her thoughts trailed off as she made it to the back of the house, which was wasn't very large in the first place. All that was there was a big tree, a few yards of land and then an old shrine. And if she was being honest, the shrine was the best looking part of the whole property. That was probably because Gramps put a lot of time into it.
The Higurashi family shrine... Gramps said people used to come by here for blessings and prayers when he was a kid. It was a legit source of income back then... spiritual services and such... Her mind wandered to the stories he would tell about this place, He even said that the Higurashi's owned most of the land on this side of the road... But when less and less people started coming, they had to sell a lot of the property just to afford to stay here... But Gramps can't seem to let this thing go.
She sighed as eyed the old structure, inwardly admitting that there was always something ethereal about it. That was until she saw Sota, her younger brother, creeping out from behind it, looking guilty of something per usual.
"Hey! Get your ass over here, you know you're not supposed to back there." Kagome shouted, startling the young boy, his gaze snapping over to her, her hands on her hips.
"Oh-uh-hey sis. Happy birthday..." He stammered, "It's just that... I can't find Buyo..." He put on his best innocent face so his sister wouldn't be too annoyed.
"Buyo is a cat. He goes where he wants." Kagome waved him off, "Now, come on. I don't feel like getting written up on my birthday." Her tone was harsh and she waited for her little brother to move. However, he just stood there.
"But...uh...I think he went into the shrine..." He spoke the words like a whisper.
Kagome's brows furrowed together, lips curling downward in a snarl, "And how did the cat get in?"
"Well, you see, I thought I heard something inside, so I opened the door to check and I... may have not closed it all the way." The little boy closed his eyes, preparing for the worst as he could sense his older sister coming closer and closer, her steps acting as his inevitable doom. His breath was held hostage in his throat as his insides trembled, preparing for the worst. But as her shadow encompassed his smaller frame and he could feel her standing over him like death over a victim, nothing happened.
He opened one eye to peek, and just saw her standing there, nothing but mild annoyance lacing her delicate features, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today." She grunted, "I'll go inside and check. But if Buyo broke anything, you're taking the blame for it." All Sota could do was nod in response and exhale in relief.
Kagome marched over to the shrine door, confident at first, but as her hand reached to open it, she felt hesitance course through her. C'mon girl. The longer that cat is inside, the more likely he's gonna break one of Gramps most prized possessions. She willed herself to open the door, fighting her better instincts, and a cool air rushed to her face, like icy, dead finger tips brushing against her skin. She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, chewing on it contemplatively. But she had made the decision to do this, and she wasn't going to stop now. Besides, it was just an old shrine. There wasn't any reason to be nervous. She had walked by drug dealers and gang members on her way to school nearly everyday, so this? It should be a cake walk.
She took a step inside, noticing how dark it was. There was only one window in the one-room shrine, and it was quite small. The light that shone through it was minimal and created striking shadows that decorated the walls like still figures. Kagome shivered, but continued, noting the dry well that was situated right in the middle of room, with a wooden cover over the top. She stared at it, though she couldn't pin point what about it pulled her attention in like moth to flame. And she just stood like a mannequin, frozen in time.
"Meeeooowwww." The sudden call of the cat shocked her back to Earth, and she peered around the room to see Buyo relaxing in the corner of the room. She locked eyes with him, and he trotted forward towards her, making his to rub himself against her bare legs. She sighed in relief and turned to leave.
"Oh you got him! Thanks Kagome!" Sota exclaimed, appearing in the doorway.
"Well, it wasn't exactly difficult. It's just an old shrine." She asserted confidently, ready to finally head off to school. However, it appeared that fate had other plans. She was about to take a step towards her brother when she heard a crashing sound behind her.
"Uh... Kagome..." The child's shaky voice, his fear and the trembling of his body all brought Kagome to a state of almost complete petrification. She stared at him, waiting for him to tell her what exactly happened behind her, because she sure as hell wasn't going to turn around herself, but he didn't have the time to. Suddenly, she felt pressure on both shoulders and her gaze dashed to the corner of her eyes. A pale hand was gripping her tightly, and before she could make a sound, it pulled her backwards. Up into the air she went, and the down. Down deep into the well. And everything went dark.
What the- She was surrounded by uncertain blackness, as if she was in a void, floating there without a choice. But out of the emptiness appeared a glowy light around her, like neon walls. She blinked, unsure of what to do, but from her peripheral she could see movement. It was instinctual to turn, but as soon as she did, she regretted it.
"The jewel!" An inhuman face met Kagome's gaze, and her first thought was that the devil was a woman. The creature had some feminine features laced in with the overall monstrous existence that it was. The beady eyes that watched her hid a glint of insanity and sadism, and its mouth spread wide across its face. And that wasn't even the worst of it.
This body... it has a female torso, but it's bottom looks like a... a centipede. And it has so many arms. What the hell is this?
"Give me the jewel! Where is it?!" The monster hissed, scanning the girl intently, "I know you have it!" Two of her hands latched onto Kagome again, tightening the grip until it hurt.
"Damn... get back!" Kagome screeched, raising a hand to the monster's face. A bright light was released from her palms, like a flashlight, except when it touched upon the strange creature's body, she yelped like it hurt her. Like it burned.
And that was it. Whatever that thing was... it disappeared. And with it, disappeared the strange neon glowing that had surrounded her. As the confused schoolgirl looked around, she saw nothing around her but the stone of the well interior. She sighed, her body relaxing slightly. That was some crazy hallucination... Damn, Sota must be out there hella scared. She looked up, cocking a brow as she was met with the bright, daytime sky hovering over her. That's weird... What happened to the ceiling?
"Hello!?" She called out, "I fell! Can someone help me out?" She waited a few seconds for a response, but what met with empty silence that both worried and frustrated her. I guess I gotta get myself outta here without help. Man, they really left me in a well. She began gripping the stones and pulling herself upwards, feeling the stress in her arms. Why is this real life right now? Happy birthday bitch, here's a damn well for you to climb out of. She mocked herself inwardly until she was met with the outside. She pulled herself out, relieved that she had done it, but that relief was quickly put to rest as she looked around to see that she was completely outside with her home nowhere in sight.
What drugs... am I on right now? Trees surrounded her, and she was able to deduce that she was in some clearing in a forest. Maybe our well is connected by some underground passage that I crawled through somehow and ended up somewhere else. Doesn't make much sense, but whatever. I gotta get my ass home quick before some sketchy dudes hop out the cut and attack me or some dumb shit.
She began to wander down a path, but it didn't take long for her to see a large, stand-out tree practically screaming her name. Isn't that the... tree in my yard? She looked at it carefully. The tree in her yard had always been the biggest tree she had ever seen, but considering that her house was nowhere in sight, she couldn't believe that this was it. It was then that she recalled the unusual mark on it that would prove whether or not this was the tree she knew very well.
The girl decided to walk around the base of the tree in search for the identifier, focus building up in her heard until she could practically feel her concentration like energy pushing against her skull. She was diligent, mapping the whole tree with her eyes as she made her way around it slowly.
Of course, she wasn't lucky enough to make it around the whole tree without complications. And what better complication that a sleeping boy stuck to it with an arrow?
Yep, there stood Kagome, gawking at the discovery of a boy who appeared a couple years older than her at most with long, silver hair and dog ears resting on top, stuck to the tree with what appeared to be an arrow, his eyes closed peacefully. He didn't seem dead. He didn't seem real. But there he was, in the flesh. Just casually stuck to a tree.
It took the girl several minutes to get herself together enough to get a bit closer to the boy. And she found herself staring right at his ears. They couldn't be real, and yet as she inspected them, there was nothing fake about them. Every centimeter of those dog ears seemed real and attached to the boys head. Which was, of course, impossible.
"Damn, I wanna touch 'em." She whispered to herself, reaching upwards and letting the tips of her fingers brush against the triangular appendages ever so carefully, "What am I doing? Am I really about to grab onto someone's ears like an idiot?" She hesitated for a moment, "Well, it looks like I am." She moved her hands to grip on to them, rubbing them softly until she felt the satisfaction build up inside of her. She retracted her hands back to her side and averted her gaze to the boy's face. It was relaxed and gentle looking, as though he had a man's facial structure but a child-like expression laid over it. His jaw was strong and his cheek bones were sharp and angular, but he still seemed to wear a sort of innocence across those features that laid over them like a thin blanket over a bed of stone.
"Um, excuse me." She said, albeit a bit quietly as she continued to drink in his features, "Doggy boy? Are you... okay?" He definitely doesn't look dead to me... This would be the perfect time to have a phone on me so I could call an ambulance or something. She shook her head. She couldn't be too far from civilization. She peered down at his clothes, noting the odd way he dressed. He wore baggy, bright red robes, the kind you wouldn't see anyone in her neighborhood wearing. She bit her lip and wondered what the hell this weird guy was doing, and was about to call out to him again, maybe even grab and shake his shoulders to wake him.
However, she was interrupted by the sound of rustling, the movement of the leaves and bushes around her. She paused before turning her head to see a group of men dressed in odd costumes circling her. They all had bows and arrows in hand, aiming straight at her.
"Get away from him." One man spoke, "Why are you here in the forest of Inuyasha, stranger?"
"Huh, I'm tryna figure that out myself." Kagome responded, brow cocked, "What is this anyways? Y'all look like you're reenacting some old war."
"Hey, look at those odd clothes. Perhaps she is a spy from another village." One man observed, ignoring her and looking over to the others for the next command, "Shall we capture her to investigate?"
"Yes." Another man confirmed, "Kaede will want to see her." The men nodded their heads at each other to communicate their mutual understanding, then they all began to close in on the confused schoolgirl. She backed herself against the strange boy on the tree, hoping to God that this was some weird reenactment that she just got herself into. Or a nightmare. Yes, a nightmare makes way more sense.
Still, even with the comforting thought that none of this was real, she still tensed up as the men neared her, "What the hell are you guys doing? I ain't no stupid spy! Dammit I'm just tryna get to school!"
"She speaks oddly." One man noted before grabbing her arms and pulling her onto the ground. They quickly and efficiently tied her hands behind her back and began dragging her mercilessly to the village. The rubble on the ground scraped against her legs, and she found herself wishing she had wore longer jeans today. But that's when it hit her that, if she was able to feel all the pain from being dragged, this probably wasn't a nightmare. Her eyes widened at that and she began to squirm more.
Is this some... weird gang or something? Maybe it's one of those cults like on American Horror Story... shit are they gonna pull my teeth out and use them in some weird spell?! No matter how hard Kagome tried to get out of this, the men's grips on her wouldn't budge, and she saw an old-fashioned village coming into view, the kind that appeared to have absolutely no modern technology or even modern structures. Maybe they're... Amish? She tried to make sense of it all but she couldn't. Nothing about this place seemed right.
"Here ya go, Kaede-sama. We found her near the forest getting awfully close to...him." Another man spoke, and they all threw Kagome to the ground so that she was in a bowing position in front of an old woman who, despite her age, had the demeanor of a stern leader. A crowd had formed around her, and whispers began to fill the air. Something about wars and demons, but nothing made sense to Kagome.
"Let me take a good look at yer face, child." Suddenly, a frail hand was holding onto the schoolgirl's chin, moving it around as Kaede's eyes scanned her intensely.
"Hey, don't touch me!" Kagome blurted out, but that didn't seem to phase the gray-haired woman one bit. She continued to observe her in silence before standing up and looking around at the masses, and they all appeared to be waiting for some sort of answer to who exactly Kagome was. Of course, the frustrating part was that Kagome couldn't see what was so hard about understanding that she was just a simple schoolgirl trying to get an education and not get involved with people's weird shit. But life just wasn't that easy.
"She has a likeness to the late Kikyo." Kaede announced, and everyone's faces lit up in shock, wide eyes and lips parted to take in heavy inhales. "But other than that, I see no threat in such a delicate girl." She looked down at Kagome, "Ye will be untied, then ye will come with me to discuss what ye were doing in such a forest. Near Inuyasha."
Inuyasha? Is that the name of the boy on the tree? But what's wrong with him? Despite all of the questions the young girl had, she just nodded. She didn't wanna bombard the elder woman and risk getting into more trouble. Maybe once she unties me, she can tell me how to get home.
The men untied Kagome and lifted her to her feet. She was then directed to a hut that appeared to be no different from the surrounding ones other than its slightly larger size. Even so, it still appeared rather small and unfit to live in, even by Kagome's standards. But she didn't say anything, but rather followed silently, taking in everything around her and storing it in her memory in case she needed to make a run for it.
"Ye all may return to yer former duties for today." Kaede declared to the surrounding men who were escorting them, "I will handle the child."
"I ain't a child." Kagome mumbled, though to quiet for anyone to hear. The men nodded before taking their leave, effecting leaving Kagome alone with who she could only assume was the head of this weird village. She motioned her to enter, and Kagome did so, finding the hut to be rather lackluster. There wasn't much but a fire pit in the center and few pots and vases. The girl moved in enough to let Kaede through the door, but stood there rather unsure of what to do next.
"Sit, child." Kaede motioned for her to sit near the fire pit, and Kagome nodded and followed the direction without complaints. At least the floor looks clean. I'm not tryna get more dirt and grime all up on me. She sat folding her legs under her thighs, her behind resting on her heels in what she hoped was a lady-like position. When Kaede made no comment and sat the same way, Kagome sighed in relief. She needed to appear like them in some way to get out of this.
"I apologize. With the current climate, our young can be so rash." Kaede began, "Not to mention, there was a demon sighting earlier in the forest. Ye can understand why the village has been on edge."
Demon sighting? What is this lady going on about? Kagome managed to nod and keep her composure. These people are wild. But I can't say anything right now or they might take me as a prisoner or something.
"Where are ye from, child?" The old lady asked, her tone warm and welcoming.
"Tokyo. Do you know how to get there from here?" The girl bit her lip tentatively as she hoped she'd be able to hurry up and leave. But she could see the confusion in Kaede's face as her forehead creased, deepening the wrinkles on her face.
"To-kee-yo?" She questioned as she raised a wrinkled finger to scratch her head, "I am afraid not. Ye must be from somewhere far from here. It is a wonder how you made it all this way without noticing."
"Real talk. I have no idea how I got here." Kagome sighed, shaking her head as a feeling of defeat washed over it, "Like I was just tryna get to school, but now I just wanna get home, feel me?"
"Feel ye? Child, I hope ye do not expect me to touch you beyond what is appropriate." The older woman wrinkled her nose, clearly not aware of the modern slang.
You gotta be kidding me. I know this woman's old but bruh...How has she never heard that saying? The young girl thought, now really confused as to where she was. She had to be somewhere close to home, and there was no place around where she was that wasn't crawling with urban slang. Even if old people rejected modern slang, they at least knew it. Or knew not to take it literally.
"No, it doesn't mean to literally feel me. It's like... understanding how I feel. When someone says 'feel me?', they mean do you feel what they're saying." She corrected, quickly taking in a breath before deciding to change the subject, "So, like, is this some sort of Amish town? Ya know, the ones that refuse to modernize. No electricity. No connection to cities. No cars."
The more she talked, the more puzzled Kaede became. She had never heard of such things. Perhaps this girl was insane. That could explain her ending up in the Forest of Inuyasha without a clue of where she came from. But still, the fact that she resembled the late Kikyo so much still concerned Kaede. She knew her sister was not some average priestess. And she knew the circumstances of her departure from the world was special. The Shikon jewel, which held the power to grant humans and demons alike with massive power, had been burned with her body.
Kikyo desired that the jewel be burned with her body in order to remove it from this world. It was noble, indeed, but this girl... Makes me wonder if perhaps that was not the end of Kikyo's journey. The old woman pondered as she gazed upon Kagome's face, tracing her features with her eyes. Kagome's lips were fuller, her nose was slightly more upturned, and her chocolate orbs were wider. And yet, it was as though Kikyo's face lingered over hers like a ghost. Even though the features weren't completely identical, the likeness was clear.
"I know not of cars, nor of these cities. We are just a modest village trying to survive through these war ridden times." The old woman responded, "But...I have to ask... do ye know of the Shikon--"
Just as the older woman was going to ask her question, a young man burst into the hut, chest heavy as he panted. His eyes were shrouded with urgency and his jaw trembled with a sort of fear that drove a shock through his system. The sound of his rough and shaky breaths filled the room and grabbed the attention of both women, who turned immediately to see.
"Lady Kaede... The village..." He sucked in a gulp of air and pointed outside, causing both of them to stand, "It's being attacked by a demon. Mistress Centipede."
Kagome's eyes widened. Centipede? There's no way... Not that messed up thing I saw in the well... Shit.
Before either of them could move, Kagome took off, leaving the safety of the hut and locating the source of panic. As she saw youth and women rushing away, she willed her body to run in the opposite direction, pushing past the crowds of terrified villagers until she met the clearing on the edge of the town, where men with bows, arrows and spears were all targeting a large being. She slowly began recognizing the lower body of a centipede that slowly morphed into a female torso with the rising of her gaze.
And then she got to the face. The wide, sinister smile. The long, dark and mangled locks that trailed down the pale skin. And the short and round eyebrows that rested above those beady eyes; eyes that held nothing but a deep evil and murderous desire. It was like nothing Kagome had seen before, like a monstrous and nonhuman entity.
Whatever she was, she turned to Kagome, her smile widening, "The Jewel!" Mistress Centipede shrieked with sadistic joy, letting her gaze fall onto the girl, "Give me the jewel!" With one fell swoop of an arm, Mistress Centipede knocked several men back, their bodies hitting the ground with a thud.
Bruh, what is this thing? And why does it keep demanding a jewel? Does it look like I got the funds to get me a jewel worth attacking people for? Kagome shook her head, looking around and seeing the dozens of already injured men and toppled huts, Regardless, this Mistress Centipede clearly wants me. And if I don't do something, more people are gonna get tossed around and hurt. I... I gotta get the hell away from this town in order to save all these people.
"Child, stay back. This demon is dangerous! Our men must slay it!" Kaede's voice rang from behind her, but it was too late. Kagome already made up her mind, and sprang into running mode, her feet pounding into the ground as she started making her way out of the village and into the forest. She didn't know why, but her gut instinct was pulling her back in the direction of the well. And her thin legs continued to speed through the trees as she heard the demon's call for the jewel quiet. Kagome was fast. Surely she could put some distance between her and the town. And hopefully, somewhere along the way, she could figure out her next plan to not get killed. Yeah, she had to do that. She had to do something. Anything would do. She was desperate.
"Help! Anyone!" She called out, her throat burning as she did. It wasn't the best plan she had come up with, to call for help in a seemingly empty forest, but it was all she had at the moment. She continued to call out as she sprinted.
Little did she know that her presence had awoken another being, one much stronger than anything she had ever known.
"I smell it." A rough voice spoke, "The scent of the woman who killed me. Kikyo."
This went unheard by the panicked girl, who begun to realize that distance she believed she put between herself and the demon was about to disappear. She could feel the presence of the demon coming up behind her, and, soon enough, Mistress Centipede lunged at Kagome, sending her flying through the air, landing with a thud in front of the dog-eared boy. She sat up, feeling a pain course through her body as she looked around. Her vision was blurry at first, seeing nothing but waves of color. But the images shortly sharpened, and she found herself drawn again to the boy that was pinned to the tree. Except instead of seeing peaceful slumber settled over his body, she saw the piercing of gold eyes staring back at her, along with a wicked grin.
What the hell? What's up with him? Why is he looking at me like that? She wondered, though as sounds of shouting villagers closed in, she knew she had other things to worry about for the time being. The demon couldn't be far behind. In fact, she was sure that she would be attacked again at any moment. So, Kagome stood and dusted herself off, preparing herself to react to whatever would come at her.
"What's wrong, Kikyo? Just do her like ya did me." Again, a rough voice filled the air, and she curiously turned her head to see that the boy was clearly amused by something, "Keh, don't tell me you're too weak to kill that thing."
That must be Inuyasha...But, what did he just call me? Kikyo? That's what everyone keeps saying...
"I don't know who Kikyo is, but you can bet she ain't me." Kagome responded, her momentary distraction causing her to once again get hit by Mistress Centipede as she appeared through the trees. She smacked Kagome and the girl tumbled to the ground closer to Inuyasha, who only cackled at her pain. To her relief, the villagers appeared, throwing their spears and shooting their bows and arrows, catching the attention of the demon once again, allowing Kagome to recover once more. But she could feel her body getting weak as she realized she didn't have much of a plan to get out of this situation. And she began wishing all she had to worry about were the small street gangs she passed on the way to school.
"C'mon Kikyo." Inuyasha mocked again, "Just kill the damn thing."
Unfortunately, with her desperation and fear came a lack of patience. And the girl found herself losing patience as this boy continued to mock her and call her Kikyo during this already stressful situation.
"Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo!" She shouted, gritting her teeth and showcasing her agitation with her hands on her hips and her lips puckered, "I got a surprise for you, asshole. My name's not Kikyo. It's Kagome. Ka-go-me! Need me to spell it?"
He eyed her, the unfamiliar mannerisms of the girl taking him by surprise. It wasn't like Kikyo to talk that way, nor was it like her dress in clothes that revealed her legs. He breathed in heavily through his nose, allowing himself to concentrate on her scent before his eyes widened considerably. Something in the scent was different. Kikyo always smelled floral and grassy, like a field of roses. But right now, there was something more sweet like in this girl's scent. Like honey and sugar. Something he couldn't believe he missed the first time.
"You... you're not Kikyo." He huffed, now more confused than anything.
"Congratu-fucking-lations." She bit back, "Glad you caught on."
Now slightly annoyed with her attitude, he narrowed his gaze, "Yeah, Kikyo was way cuter."
Shocked, Kagome felt her blood begin to boil, wondering where this random boy got the audacity to begin insulting her right in the middle of a situation like this. The skin of her face began to burn as though he had ignited a fire somewhere deep within her, smoke circling her bones.
"I'm gonna say this and I'm gonna say it once. I don't care who Kikyo is. She can be as cute as she wants. But I'm about to die. So the opinion of some jerk on a tree is irrelevant." Kagome waved her hands around as she spoke, incorporating most of her body in her small rant, "But you know what, before I die, I'm gonna need you to know that I'm cute. I'm lit. I'm Kagome Higurashi."
Of course, she could have went on if it hadn't been for the fact that her body had been grabbed by Mistress Centipede, who began pulling her into the air. In a split second, Kagome lurched forward and grabbed two thick locks of Inuyasha's silver hair to keep her from being taken, though she could feel the pressure of the demon's grip tightening along her waist, putting pressure on her insides.
"Dammit, wench! Let go of me!" He yelped as he felt the pull on his head. But she stayed steady in her grip. Mistress Centipede leaned in, attempting to bite Kagome. As her mouth opened, Kagome could see the many sharp fangs that were about to pierce her skin, a sudden jolt of desperation now flowing through her body intertwined with this adrenaline that she had never felt before.
"Get away from me!" Kagome hissed, letting one hand release Inuyasha's hair to push the demon. But as she did, she could feel the adrenaline build up in her hand, like a growing energy, and release through her skin, causing a light to appear; the same light she had summoned earlier. Suddenly, the grip on her was gone and she fell back onto the ground. And as the light disappeared, she could see that she had blown off a few of the demon's arms somehow.
I...I still don't know how exactly I'm doing all of this. But I'm not complaining. She got up to face her attacker, who growled in annoyance, but quickly recovered and eyed Kagome's ribs.
"The jewel! I will get it!" She shrieked, lunging again and this time focusing her attack on Kagome's ribs. Her claws broke through the girl's skin and thrust her into the air. A sharp pain began spreading through Kagome's body, followed by a numbing sensation, though she didn't quite seem to focus on that. What really caught her attention was the small, pink orb that came flying out of her wound. It glowed lightly with some kind of relaxing, yet powerful aura that she couldn't quite explain.
There's no way... I had some little jewel inside of me this whole time? But how... She wondered as she continued to fall back down to Earth, the harsh hit of her body to the ground bringing her out of her head and into reality. The reality where she was about to either bleed out or be killed by a demon. What a birthday.
What she didn't expect, though, was that the long body of the Centipede would knock her into Inuyasha and continue to wrap around the tree, effectively crushing her against him.
Oh great. I'm boutta die with this jerk. She looked up and saw that he now wore a rather serious, yet calm expression. But why... why isn't he scared? As she pondered this, the Centipede demon devoured the mysterious jewel, shedding it's previous pale skin to reveal a blotchy, purple layer underneath. Her eyes glowed a bright red and any human remnants were gone as the demon cackled.
Oh no. I'm so screwed! Kagome prepared herself to be crushed before she heard Inuyasha speak.
"Hey." He appeared pensive as he spoke in a firm voice, "Can you pull that arrow out?" She averted her eyes to the arrow that appeared to have pierced his heart and pinned him to the tree, though it seemed it wasn't actually hurting him. He was just stuck. And while she didn't quite understand how he was alive, she figured that was a mystery to solve another time, if she even lived to see that time.
"Child! Ye must not release Inuyasha from the spell that binds him!" Kaede called out, "He is far too dangerous!"
Dangerous? This guy? Kagome thought, her eyes quickly darting from the arrow to the boy in confusion.
"All of you will die if I don't kill this bastard!" Inuyasha shouted back, "Keh, just listen to me, wench. Do you want to live or not?"
"I..." Kagome hesitantly raised her arm, stretching until her fingers could wrap around the arrow, "I choose to live!" As she tugged on the arrow, an aura surrounded it and it burst into this glittery light that enveloped her hand before disappearing, revealing that the arrow was no longer there.
Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, now smirking once more as he chuckled mischeviously. "Finally. Get ready, psycho bastard. Not even swallowing the Shikon jewel will make you powerful enough to take me on."
"Is that right, half-breed?" Mistress Centipede retorted, squeezing even tighter, "The Shikon jewel makes me unstoppable!"
"Keh, we'll see about that." Inuyasha huffed before his body went tense. Kagome watched as he appeared to be summoning up all his energy, his eyes closed though his cocky grin still present. Then, all of a sudden, it was like his muscles pulsed with power and he opened his eyes, "Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer!" He shouted as he cut through the demon's body, finally freeing himself and Kagome from her grip. Mistress Centipede grunted, but hissed back in anger and aggression, prompting Inuyasha to leap up and attack again.
What the hell is this guy? The girl thought to herself, What did that demon call him? A half-demon? The fuck does that even mean? ...But... He sure saved me. Whatever he is, I'm grateful for that.
"Child!" Kaede calls, grabbing Kagome's attention as pieces of Mistress Centipede's flesh continued to fall to the ground after each attack, "Ye must locate the jewel!"
"The jewel? But how..." She cut herself off as her eyes settled onto a piece of flesh that seemed to glow with a dim, pink light. That's the same aura the jewel had when it was cut outta me... That must be it in there... But how the hell can I see it? She didn't give herself time to contemplate that further, though. Right now, this was about taking action. So, she ran up to the light and reluctantly stuck her hand inside, pulling out the small, round jewel and holding it in the palm of her now blood covered hand. And just by holding it could she feel this wave of purity and serenity over her. The jewel itself seemed to calm as well in her presence.
Kaede approached her, a look of urgency on her face, "Ye must protect the Shikon Jewel at all costs. Protect it from anyone who seeks to abuse it's power."
"Like who?" Kagome questioned, cocking a brow. Mistress Centipede didn't appear to be a problem anymore. And she couldn't fathom more of those creatures existing. It was hard enough to accept the fact that that one did.
"Keh, she's talking about me." Inuyasha dropped to the ground in between the two women, flexing his blood stained claws. He had finished off the demon, a feat he clearly enjoyed, "Hand over the jewel, wench. We both know you ain't got the power to protect it from me."
Eyes wide, she gripped the jewel in her hands, "Y-you? Why the hell would you want this jewel? Aren't you already like crazy powerful?"
"He is merely half demon. He seeks the power of a full demon." Kaede explained, earning herself an annoyed look from the boy.
"It don't matter why I want the jewel. All that matters is that I want it, so I'm gonna get it." Once again, the half-demon cracked his knuckles and narrowed his gaze on Kagome, "Whether that means killing you or not. Got it, wench?" She couldn't believe how amused he was right now. As though the thought of killing her was as simple as a hunter shooting a deer. Did he really see her as that disposable? Kagome didn't know what it meant to be a half-demon, but he appeared to have some human qualities. Was empathy and compassion not one of them?
I want to live. But if he gets this jewel and turns into some monster like Mistress Centipede did, then I don't think any of us will make it out alive. She realized, her grip on the jewel tightening, I don't know what this guy is thinking of doing to me, but I'm not boutta let him get his hands on even more power.
He took a step forward, amused by her hesitation. But that amusement was slowly decreasing as time went on. He was tired of being denied the jewel, and he was annoyed that this girl thought she could stop him from taking it. Not after all of this time.
As he got closer to her, one word began shooting through her head, bouncing off of the walls of her mind. Run. Run. Run. Run. And that was it, she bursted into a fast sprint for the second time that day, navigating through trees and bushes, jumping over branches and looking for something, anything that could help her. Maybe another strange boy? One that wouldn't turn around and target her after? She doubted it but pressed on as she heard his voice bellow behind her.
"You can't outrun me, wench." He lunged into the air above her, his sharpened claws aiming to take off Kagome's head. He had convinced himself at this point that he would do anything to get his hands on that jewel, even harm an innocent girl. Even if he could feel a part of him pulling him away from her, screaming at him to stop. I ain't got another choice. She ain't about to give this jewel to me willingly. He neared her, readying himself for the smell of her blood to taint the scene and the pouring scarlet that would stain his hands.
But she ducked. She didn't know what compelled her to do so, but she did and in doing so, tumbled to the ground. It took her a moment to really process what happened as she saw him land ahead of her, a frown now displaying on his face. Just looking at him now she couldn't believe that she ever saw him as seeming peaceful when he was clearly anything but. No, he was acting just like that monster except more cunning and stronger. And she was sure now that, unless there was a miracle, she would be doomed to die at his hands.
"You... you really tried to kill me." She hissed, getting up and ignoring all the pain she felt in her bones and the strong throbbing she felt from her wound. That was no damn joke. The guy who just saved my life is legit out here tryna end it.
"Keh, and I won't miss next time, wench." He retorted, though he knew that he shouldn't have even missed this hit. Something in him held back. Something in him didn't actually want to kill her in cold blood. He knew a better part of him wanted to just scare her with hopes that she would give in and hand him the jewel. But why? Why the hell do I feel like some sort of villain? I'm half demon, aren't I? Why do my stupid human feelings get in my way all the damn time? I shouldn't care that she's just some weak girl.
Kagome willed herself to start running again, feeling like her energy might just run out at any moment, but knowing that she didn't have much of a choice. She knew she had keep going now. Even though she feared like it may be in vain, Kagome Higurashi was no quitter. And if she was going to die, she would make it as hard as she could for him to do it. She pressed on, until she reached a clearing. She could see the edge of land end and then pick up again in the distance. And what connected them was a small little bridge. She picked up the sound of rushing water, knowing that below must be a river. She knew needed to cross that bridge. And if he tried something, she would have to jump and hope it was not shallow water.
As she made her way, he went for another attack and the girl stumbled, barely dodging his sharp claws once more. But, in her hasty movements, she fell forward and the jewel went soaring out of her grip, rolling onto the bridge ahead. She quickly got up, hoping she could beat the boy to it, but as her skin felt too heavy on her bones, she realized running to the bridge was becoming a far away dream.
"I got it now." Inuyasha chuckled, and, much to her dismay, he landed onto the bridge before she could make it. He bent over and picked it up, toying with the pink orb between his fingers. "Keh, finally. After all this time, its mine. You failed, wench." He gave her a devious look, narrowing his eyes as if to brag about his victory and to mock her soon to be demise. If he had any qualms about killing her before, he was sure after becoming a full demon, that would all be gone. He would never have reservations about using his powers to get what he wanted. He'd never feel guilty about harming anyone. He would know nothing but power and victory.
"No! You're just another monster who's gonna use it's power to kill people!" Kagome hissed, clenching her fists tightly, noticing the empty spot where the jewel had rested in her palm..
He cracked his knuckles, "Then, get ready to die."
But it was at that moment that small rays of white light appeared, flying swiftly through the air and landing on the half-demon's neck. They glowed for a moment, and he looked down at the odd light, just as perplexed as the girl before him was. But it soon faded, dimming until all that was left were these strange beads arranged into a necklace. Inuyasha cocked a brow, lifting his finger to touch the beads, though he couldn't deduce what they were or why they wrapped around him so. They were smooth and hard, but didn't seem to hold any demonic energy as he would expect. And he knew the girl hadn't summoned them. He wasn't even sure she knew how to harness her apparent abilities in any meaningful, purposeful way.
"Child! Ye must say the word to hold Inuyasha's spirit!" Kaede's voice echoed as she ambled into the scene.
"Hold his spirit?" Kagome asked, looking back at the woman with confusion, "How the hell would I know what to say? I don't even know this asshole!"
"Just say anything to subdue him!" The older woman shouted, urgency ringing in her tone as she noticed the half-demon getting suspicious. He took a step forward, knowing all too well that whatever that Kaede had in store for him, he wouldn't like.
Anything? Like stop? Halt? Slow your roll?What in the actual fuck am I supposed to say! She cursed inwardly, beginning to feel the anxiety rake against her limbs, desperately taking in a deep breath as if the answer was somewhere in the atmosphere waiting to be sucked in. Her gaze wandered over to Inuyasha, him taking another step towards both of them. He looked dissatisfied with the situation, clearly puzzled by the strange necklace. And as she examined him closely, her eyes landed on the silver appendages on his head. I forgot about those doggy ears!
She tried to come up with something clever, hoping to decode whatever Kaede had said about subduing the half-demon, but he took another step and she panicked. Kagome shut her eyes tight and called out, "Sit, boy!" It wasn't the wittiest thing she ever came up with, and her shaky voice held no semblance of confidence as she forced that yelp from her throat. And yet, the second the words slipped from her lips, she hurt the startled grunt of a boy caught by surprise before hearing a harsh thud.
"Huh?" Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha's body lying flat on the bridge, clearly having done a face plant into the wood planks. There's no way... Bruh, I just used a dog command and he's down on the ground? How does that even work? Of course, the girl was not complaining about it. She clearly did something right despite her earlier reservations.
Inuyasha slowly got up, brows not furrowed together furiously as he grabbed the necklace, harshly tugging it up to no avail, "What the hell is this thing and why can't I get it off?!" He shouted, his tone laced annoyed ferocity. Every time he tugged upwards, it was like a force weight it down, as though an invisible hand was stopping it from going any further. But, just in case, he kept tugging it at it, putting all of his strength into pulling it off of it. Whatever it was Kagome yelled at him managed to sent him plummeting to the ground harshly because of those beads. And not only did he worry that this turn of events would cost him the jewel once more, but damn he couldn't stand the humiliation of being beat by some weak girl who clearly has no idea what's going on.
"It's no use, Inuyasha." Kaede commented, seeing his reaction as he pulled up tirelessly, "Ye do not possess the strength to take them off. Nor do ye have the ability to fight off the word of subjugation."
"Is that right, ya old hag?" He barked back, still trying to get it off, "Keh, you can bet you're gonna be the first one I slaughter. Though it looks like you're half dead anyways!"
Looking back, Kagome made eye contact with the older woman, who nodded at her to use the word. She turned back to the half-demon with a look of confidence shining on her face, "Sit, boy! Sit, boy! Sit, boy!" And, just like that, Inuyasha fell to ground, each subjugation adding a layer of harsh gravity to his fall while the jewel flew from his grasp. Unfortunately for him, the pressure of the commands was proving too much for the bridge. By the third thud, it had become too weak, breaking. His body fell through and into the water, the current taking him for a quick ride before he regained control and hopped out and onto the small shore, completely soaked and frustrated. Kagome watched him from above before picking up the Shikon jewel and rolling it between her fingers.
"Well, what a turn of events." She muttered, "I'm not sure what these events are exactly, but it's quite the 180... Fuck, I wish I was at school." She frowned, looking at the half-demon who shook the water off of his body violently before looking back at Kagome, his lip poking out in discontentment.
I guess I can assume this place doesn't have birthday cake? It's the perfect "fuck you" ending to this weird birthday... She suddenly became aware of the piercing pain in her stomach from the still open wound Mistress Centipede gave her. Nope. The perfect "fuck you" will be the sepsis I'm boutta get... And self-deprecating humor does not fix that. If it did, I'd be feeling fantastic because my life is clearly some kind of joke.She looked back at Kaede who motioned her to follow, "Come, child. Yer wounds surely need some attention. I will tend to them."
Sighing, Kagome obeyed. Not quite a doctor, but at least I don't have to worry about a bill, right? And the two headed back to the village, the Shikon jewel safe in their hands.
Wellllllll. Tell me. What do you all think? I know when people hear urban, they expect this one kind of person. And sure, some of the slang and language is probably what you expected, but I don't want Kagome to be a caricature of what people stereotype the ghetto to be. She's gonna have that quick wit and have that modern sense of humor. And what purity/goodness means isn't going to center around agreeableness and politeness. I want Kagome to be undeniably good at heart without having that sweet to a fault personality.So, REVIEW! WHAT DO YOU THINK!? SHOULD I CONTINUE? WANT THE NEXT CHAPTER? LET ME KNOWWWWW