Hi everyone, this is my first Inuyasha fanfic. Was anyone else dissatisfied with Kagome's behavior towards Inuyasha? Well here is a gentler more understanding Kagome. Lets see how quickly Inuyasha warms up to her. I hope you enjoy!
The shrine seemed to wheeze as if releasing a pent up breath. It was dark. Kagome did not like the dark, but the cat was in here and her little brother would not rest easy until she had found him.
"Come on Souta," she said derisively. "You're the one who let him in here, you should come help me find him." Really she was talking to hear the sound of her own voice instead of the oppressive silence of the place.
"But," he stuttered, unable to find an appropriate excuse that would save him from entering the shrine but also allow him to save face.
Kagome shook her head, a weak smile breaking through her nervousness. Souta, he was twelve, and a boy. He should have at least as much courage as she did, if not more. She was at the edge of the old well now. It was a large square shaft going straight down into darkness. It was a drop of about sixteen feet, but she could not see the bottom in the gloom.
"Eeeeiee!" she squeaked as something furry brushed against her leg. It was the cat, she realized, feeling silly. There was nothing else inside the shrine besides herself and Buyo. Souta was still inside the doorway. He was pointing at her and laughing, albeit nervously.
Kagome bent and scooped up the miscreant feline, vexation burning away her apprehension. The cat purred infuriatingly and rubbed his head against her shoulder.
"Why don't you come down here Souta, if you think this is so funny!" she taunted.
He stopped laughing alright, abruptly. But he continued to point, his pale face going white.
"Uh Sis?" he said, a different brand of fear in his voice turned her blood to ice. "Behind you!"
She started to turn and back away, but four white arms caught her from behind and held her with impossible strength. A scream tore itself from her throat as she felt herself being dragged backwards over the wooden edge of the well and into darkness.
Kagome struggled wildly and managed to free herself for a moment, but a strange being came into view. She could see it because it seemed to glow with its own inner light. It was like a huge centipede with two sets of human arms and a human head. She had black dirty lank hair that might actually have been beautiful if it had been clean.
"Ahhhh," she said sibilantly. "I can feel the power! My flesh is restored!"
The crazed centipede lady leaned in for a bite, but Kagome flung out her hand in fear and shouted, "No!"
There was a bright light, the centipede screeched in pain and suddenly there was darkness.
Kagome had the sensation of waking up. She was in the bottom of the well. Her hand encountered something round long and woody. A little screech sounded in her throat as she correctly identified it as bone.
"Since when are there bones down here!?" she exclaimed. "Souta! Go get Grampa!"
There was no answer. Kagome got to her feet and looked up, her brother's name died on her lips. Far above her head was a square of blue sky. She was no longer in the shrine.
"Souta! Grampa! Mom! Anybody!"
Silence.
Well, she could not just stay down there. The walls of the well was rough stone, there were plenty of hand and footholds, so she climbed up and out. She found herself in the middle of a forest. The well was surrounded by a fairly large clearing.
"What?!" she shouted. "Where am I?"
She sat down on the edge of the well and gazed around in shock. This was not... Hunger drove her along the deer path that lead into the trees. She had been walking for some time when something red caught her eyes. It was a person.
"Hey!" she shouted, but then pulled up short. He was dressed entirely in red. But his eyes were closed and he was slumped. His left shoulder was pinned to the tree behind him by an arrow. He had long silvery hair. With a start, she noticed a pair of dog ears of the same color right on the top of his head. The tree had grown around him and it almost looked like it was cradling him. Was he dead? She reached out a hesitant hand and touched his face. He stirred and she jumped back. Not dead. But he was not waking. How long had he been there? Long enough for the tree to account for his presence apparently. How was this possible? That arrow must hurt!
Kagome reached out and placed a gentle hand on it. He raised his head and made a small sound of pain in his throat. Suddenly there was a sound like three angry wasps and then three more arrows stood out of the tree bark around his head.
"Ah!" she shouted turning. Her hand released the arrow and the boy slumped forward again.
"Get away from it!" somebody shouted.
Kagome found herself bound hand and foot on a rush mat in the middle of a feudal farm village. People saw her and reacted like they had seen a ghost.
Some one walked past, closer than the others dared. "Demon!" he spat. "How dare you impersonate the Lady Kikyo."
Suddenly she was aware of that name on everyone's lips.
"I'm not a demon!" Kagome protested. "I'm not trying to impersonate anyone! My name is Kagome! I keep telling you!"
At last, an old lady who looked like she had some authority approached her. She was old and built like an ox. A worn leather eye-patch hid one of her eyes, or perhaps the lack of it.
"Lady Kaede, some one shouted. "Are you going to kill the demon?"
The lady stopped in front of Kagome and glared down at her, but there was no anger. The lady knelt down and examined her closely.
"She's no demon," Kaede said almost contemptuously.
Kagome struggled briefly against her ropes, "That's right!" she said enthusiastically. At last, she was getting through to them.
Kaede drew a knife from her belt and sent a bolt of fear up the girl's spine, but she merely began cutting the ropes. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"You have nothing to fear child," Kaede reassured her as the bindings fell away. "But what were you doing inside Inuyasha's forest?"
Kagome told her story as she understood it from beginning to end as Kaede escorted her to a small, run down house. She asked no questions until the narrative was over.
"From our future, huh? I've seen many strange things, heard wild stories, but never have I heard anything like this," Kaede said with a head shake. "I might need a little proof. No wonder they thought you a demon, though. You came out of the bone eater's well."
Kagome felt a little appalled. "Is that why there are so many bones at the bottom of it? There aren't any in my time."
Kaede nodded, "Yes, the bones are the remains of several demons that were killed and thrown down there."
Kagome scrubbed her hands on her skirt uncomfortably. "Did the centipede demon also come from there?"
Kaede frowned, "She was killed long ago, fifty some years ago if my theory is correct. Her bones were indeed thrown into that well."
"But then how could that be, if she was dead?" Kagome asked with horror.
Kaede's frown deepened, "I have one theory that pleases me not, but again, I need proof."
Oh, well that was a wonderful answer, optimistic and informative. Just what she wanted. She crossed her arms in annoyance to let Kaede know that she was not pleased. Not at all. But if she had expected to stare the old woman down, she was disappointed.
"If this all comes to naught, perhaps I'll tell you the story, but for now, I don't want you straying out of the village," Kaede informed her.
Kagome sighed, she wasn't known for her penetrating stare.
A few hours later, after eating a delicious savory stew that Kaede had cooked up, Kagome quietly slipped away for a moment to think. She had been gone for who knows how long? Most of the day for sure. Her family must be worried sick by now. She had walked to the base of the hill where she knew, some time in the future her house would stand. Then Kaede's warning came back to her, as much as she would have liked to head up to the well and see it again, she turned back to head further into the populated area.
That is when all hell seemed to break loose. There was an explosion, but less thunder and more of the sound of wood timbers splintering and breaking.
"I must have it!" came a terrible cry. "I must have the jewel!"
Kagome looked in the direction of the sound and gasped, cold fear stopping her dead in her tracks. It was the centipede demon, and it had just torn a house off its foundation. And then, it saw her.
"The jewel!" it shouted triumphantly, then it charged her.
Kagome shrieked in fear and began running for all she was worth, she had taken off, going in the opposite direction of the monster, which was up the hill towards the well and the forest. It followed her leaving a broad path of destruction in its wake. The thing seemed to destroy anything it touched. Kagome was up the hill by the time the demon reached its base and she knew that unless it was destroyed or she managed to get some place it could not reach, it would catch her. She ran headlong into the forest, the demon crashing into trees behind her, slowed but not by much.
That is when she chanced to look back and immediately paid the price of taking her eyes off of the ground at her feet. Her foot was caught by an exposed tree root and down she went.
"Huh," said a sarcastic voice. "What's the matter Kikyo? Why don't you finish it off like you finished me?"
Kagome looked up in surprise and saw him again, the boy with silver hair and dog ears, pinned to a tree by an arrow through his left shoulder. His question startled her. "What?!"
"You look pretty dumb there Kikyo!" he taunted.
Then the centipede caught up with her. She screamed as its coils slammed into her and pinned her against the boy. He looked at her in sudden confusion and some of the malice melted out of his features revealing the pain he was in.
"Wait, you're not Kikyo," he said. "Who are you?"
"I don't think we have time for this!" she shouted.
The centipede's head appeared suddenly. "Haaahhhh," it hissed. "It's the half-demon Inuyasha. Still pinned to the tree by the sacred arrow after all these years."
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked looking at him again. "Half-demon?"
"Yeah? So, what of it?" he challenged. "Come to kick the lion while he's down? Coward!"
The centipede laughter was like a nest of hissing snakes. "Thinking of tricking me into setting you free? I know better. I will kill you while you are helpless and not take the risk."
Its coils tightened and Kagome whimpered in fear.
"Yeah, if I wasn't pinned here, I could shred you with my bare claws!" He looked down at Kagome. "Girl, pull the arrow out and I'll kill this upstart."
Kagome glanced at the centipede then back at Inuyasha and made her choice. She reached for the arrow shaft. The centipede's coils tightened abruptly.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you girl," the centipede said. "Once he's freed, he may just turn those claws on you."
"Ahh!" she cried and with a titanic effort at last caught the arrow shaft in her hand. "Yeah, but I'd much rather die by his claws then get eaten by you!" With that, she pulled on the arrow.
Inuyasha cried out in pain as it came loose with a spray of blood. The half-demon crumpled. Kagome looked at him in consternation. That wasn't what she had expected.
"Fool girl!" the centipede screeched. "You've doomed us all." It recoiled away from the tree, and Kagome was tossed into the air with the violence of the movement. "I must have the jewel!" It shouted before it struck her, sinking needle like teeth into her side.
"Aaaahhh!" she cried as a burning pain erupted in her side and her blood ran. The demon tossed her aside and as she fell Kagome saw a perfectly round, light pink gem stone fall from her body. She hit the ground and lie still, stunned and in pain.
The demon cackled and swallowed the gem, instantly her visage was changed and she became even more terrible to the eye, her skin turned gray and her eyes glowed red in the night.
"HAHAHAH!" she cackled triumphantly. "Now not even Inuyasha can stop me!"
"Just who do you think you're kidding?" the half-demon asked contemptuously.
Kagome looked at him in surprise. "Inuyasha!"
There he was, standing proud despite the quantity of blood coating the left side of his red suikan, but his golden eyes flared with confidence. "You aren't even worth my time, but you have the shikon jewel, and I'll be taking that back now."
He suddenly leaped at the demon and slashed it to pieces with one swipe of his claws. The centipede screeched and fell to the ground in chunks.
"Pathetic."
By then an attack group from the village had arrived with Lady Kaede at the lead. "Kagome," she shouted. "You must find that jewel and remove it before the demon reforms!"
"Its still alive?" she exclaimed in alarm. She pushed herself up wincing and looked around frantically. Suddenly she knew where it was.
"As long as it has possession of that gem, it will survive," Kaede warned.
Kagome got to her feet and walked shakily over to a steaming lump of flesh that was bigger than the rest. It reeked and there was blood. Her stomach did a flip but suddenly there was a light and she knew it was the gem glowing in response to her presence.
"Has anyone got a knife?" she asked.
Kaede rushed towards her with a speed belied by her size. She had a long knife in her hand and she used it to cut into the demon flesh exposing the jewel.
"Take hold of it Kagome," Kaede said. "Quickly now!"
Kagome swallowed down her disgust and grabbed the gem. Instantly the demon flesh dried up and turned into a black powder that blew away in the wind leaving white bones behind. Kaede sighed and stood up straight to face Inuyasha. They locked eyes for an instant, but he transferred his attention to the stone. His look was hungry and Kagome took a wary step back, but then she realized something important and looked down at his suikan. There was a significant blood stain where the arrow had pierced him.
"Inuyasha," she said. "You're hurt!"
Inuyasha's look changed to one of astonishment as he looked at her but it was quickly hidden by contempt. "This is nothing," he spat. "Why are you so concerned about me anyway?"
"You had an arrow through your left shoulder!" Kagome countered. "And now you're bleeding! Besides, you just saved our lives, the least I can do is worry about all that blood."
That look of surprise flashed through his golden eyes again, but was replaced by anger as he stepped forward menacingly. "Don'tcha think you should be more worried about yourself?"
The men suddenly started speaking in quiet murmurs all at once. Kagome heard the words Inuyasha and Kikyo several times. Kaede moved slowly and placed herself between Kagome and Inuyasha, gaining the half-demon's attention. She was holding a bow that she had taken from one of the men, there was an arrow nocked to the string.
"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted at her, "Just what do you think you're doing? This doesn't even have anything to do with you. Who are you, anyway?"
Kaede gave him a frustrated glare, this look had more venom in it and Kagome was surprised. Kaede hated this guy, Inuyasha.
"You don't recognize me then Inuyasha?" she said, her tone more harsh than she'd ever heard it before. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it's been fifty years since that day. Its me, Kaede, Kikyo's little sister. I've grown old."
Inuyasha's ears twitched at her words and a look passed through his eyes too quickly for Kagome to follow. "Oh, so you're that brat! Well, I'm after the sacred jewel, so get outa my way."
"Pay no heed to him, Kagome," Kaede warned.
Kagome took a step back realizing that Inuyasha now presented more danger than the centipede had. That's right, he only promised he would kill the centipede, and nothing else beyond that.
"I will have that gem!" he shouted.
Oh and that didn't sound familiar at all. Kagome looked down at the sparkly pink bauble in her hand. "What is with this thing?!" She could not let Inuyasha get it either, Kagome turned and ran for it.
"Hey!" came his indignant shout from behind her. "Get back here!"
Kagome ignored him and kept running hoping he was not nearly as fast as the centipede had been. A streak of red and silver rushed past her like she was standing still and suddenly Inuyasha was there, cutting her off.
"You can't run away from me!"
Oh, he's a lot faster. She turned at once and began running the other way.
"You're starting to annoy- Hey! What the!?"
That last protest was not about her, Kagome realized. She glanced back over her shoulder to see a gleaming bead necklace settle over the half-demon's head, and once again tripped over a protruding root. She hit the ground hard and she sobbed from the lancing pain in her side. "Oww!"
She saw Kaede running towards her. "Quick girl!" she shouted. "The word of subjugation!"
Kagome's mind raced, "What word?"
"Any will do!" Kaede shouted back. "It is your word of choice that will seal him!"
"Play time's over!" Inuyasha shouted.
Kagome rolled over onto her back and saw him leap for her, claws at the ready. It was the look in his eyes that really had her paralyzed. Those golden eyes were filled with pain and regret. 'Did he really want to be doing this?' she thought, and then she saw his ears and said the first thing that popped into her head. "Inuyasha!" she shouted. "Sit, boy!"
Mid leap, the necklace glowed white and suddenly he hit the ground face first.
"What the?!" he exclaimed, pushing himself up out of the dirt, he sat and pulled on the beads, trying to remove them from his person, but no matter what strength he used, the beads would not move past the tips of his ears. "What the hell is this thing!?"
Kaede came to stand protectively over Kagome. "I'm sorry Inuyasha," she said not looking very sorry at all. "I knew somehow that it would come to this and I spent years building that enchantment. With Kagome's word to seal it, it may never come off, ever."
"You old hag!" he raged.
Kagome stared at him shocked that he could say such a thing.
"The word, please," Kaede requested lightly.
"The word?" Kagome said glancing up at her. "Oh, right. Inuyasha, sit!"
A look of surprise registered on his face as the necklace glowed and then he executed a perfect face plant. He lay there growling and shredding the soil with his claws as he understood now what the word "sit" would mean to him from that day on. Kagome suddenly regretted her second use of the word and silently vowed to use it only when she had to.
Kaede watched him writhe for a bit, an evil glint in her old eyes, then knelt and placed gentle hands on Kagome's shoulders. "You're hurt my dear?" she asked.
Kagome nodded surrendering now to the burning pulsing pain in her side. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Yeah, the centipede got me pretty good."
Inuyasha stilled suddenly and raised his head regarding her with his unreadable golden stare.
"I see that," Kaede said. "Can you walk?"
"I think so," Kagome said and struggled to her feet, She gasped and hunched over the wound. The last thing she wanted to do was stand up straight, let alone walk all the way back to the village.
Inuyasha stood up, dusting off his red clothes. "Come on Kaede," he said with a snort of contempt. "You're going to make her walk all that way with a wound like that? I could do that any day, no problem. But I'm a demon. You humans aren't that tough."
Inuyasha walked over to her and scooped her up off the ground, settling her in his arms.
"Inuyasha," Kaede growled warningly.
"Feh!" he scoffed. "You think I'm going to try anything after that? When all she has to do to put me on the ground is say that word?"
"You mean..."
Inuyasha looked at Kaede with a mixture of abject terror and venomous hatred.
"Sit?"
Kagome watched the necklace nervously as it glowed in response to the word, but the half-demon remained standing and she, un-squashed.
Inuyasha shot a brief growl at her and turned away.
"You do not have to fear falling down if anyone else were to say it," Kaede explained, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Only Kagome has that power."
"Oh, good thanks for the warning you-!"
"Inuyasha..." Kagome said almost coyly.
"Oh dammit! Don't say it!" he protested loudly. "I could drop you, you know!"
"Sorry, no I wont say it," she said. "Its just not nice to call people names."
"What do you care?" ha demanded coarsely. "You're not my mother, so back off!"
"Demons have mothers?" Kagome asked in a tone of fascination.
"Yeah so what? You're really nosy, you know that?!"
Kaede shook her head as the sounds of their rambling argument trailed off ahead of her. The girl had spirit, it was undeniable, but she completely lacked Kikyo's wariness. They looked so alike it was heartbreaking. Kagome had the same thick black hair and kind dark eyes. They also shared the same mannerism of putting their hands on their hips when they were annoyed... It was like her older sister had come back to her just as she was fifty years ago, and yet, Kagome had far more spirit somehow. Kaede felt an old love stirring in her dried out heart. Or perhaps was this new?