Chapter One: And So It Begins

A small girl about the age of 5 ran across the play ground at her elementary. The cold morning air licking playfully at her face while she looked for the slightest sign of him. As she ran through the children that were all close in age to her she spotted a glimpse of silver. She smiled to herself and ran over to where she had seen the flash of silver. "Inuyasha!" She called out still running towards him.

A little boy with silver hair turned towards her and held his arms open while smiling at his best friend.

The little girl was only a few inches shorter then the boy and fit nicely wrapped in his arms. She had shoulder length raven hair and a frilly pink dress on with sparkly pink shoes to go with it. They stood in their embrace for a little while longer before pulling away from each other with bright smiles on their round faces which still held baby fat.

That was until Inuyasha noticed the purplish blue bruise on her cheek. "Kagome?" He asked his face and eyes full of concern for his best friend. "Where did you get that?" He lightly touched below the bruise causing her to wince in pain.

"It's nothing. I ran into one of the poles that hold up my swing set." She had a lisp on every 'th' or 's' sound. Inuyasha thought about it as she ran her small pudgy fingers threw his silver hair that was close to the same length as hers, the same pudgy fingers lightly touching one of the soft silver dog ears on top of his head. "Am I still coming over tonight?" She asked changing the subject and smiling when he nodded his head vigorously.

"Yeah they said it was ok, is your brother gonna come too?"

"Mmhm, momma said I should bring him so he can see how big kids like us play."

"That's fine; my brother will be there too." The bell rang for them to go back inside to class. When it was about time to go home when he walked over to her and asked: "Kagome? Are you almost ready to go?"

She nodded and looked up into his eyes and gave him a bright smile that showed off her missing front left tooth.

Inuyasha smiled back at her as the bell to go home chimed loudly. They both gathered their things and headed over to the flag pole in front of the school which is where they would meet up with Inuyasha's older brother who was six years older and walk home.

About 30 minutes later they arrived at their neighboring houses, Inuyasha gave Kagome a hug and they went their separate ways. Kagome walked into her house to hear a woman cry out. She ran towards the sound only to see her mother on the kitchen floor crying, with her step-father standing over her.

He spotted Kagome as he took another drink of his beer and said: "Well, well looky who's home." His words were slurred as he started towards Kagome, at the same time her mother yelled out to him to stop, from her position on the ground. "I'll deal with you later Kemi." He said seductively and kicked her in the ribs forcing another cry from her already broken frame.

Kagome backed up and tried to run but he was faster and grabbed a hold of her raven hair. She felt some of the more fragile strands brake as she whimpered and tried to get away from her drunken step-father.

He just laughed a cold heartlessly at her feeble attempt as he threw her into the nearest wall.

A teenage girl jolted up in her bed breathing heavily startled by her dream and the hushed rapping on her door. The voice behind it told her that she needed to get up and get ready for her first day at a new school. They had lived in this town before but it had been a long time ago and they were in a different house than before. She groaned in protest but left the warmth of her blankets and moved to her bathroom to take a shower.

Once in the bathroom she tore off her clothes and looked at her self in the mirror. She scowled in disgust at the scars and bruises that decorated her once perfect skin like beautiful decorations on a Christmas tree, but these were far from beautiful. She jumped in the shower letting the hot water heat up her cold skin.

After a quick steaming hot shower she jumped out, dried her self off, and threw on her clothing. She wore a green shirt, but you couldn't see it because of the long black zip up hoody she wore over it, and tight blue jeans that hugged her lower curves nicely. While she blow dried her waist length raven colored hair she thought back to her dream. She had had it countless times before and she was getting tired of the constant repetition. She sighed as she thought she had better hurry and get out of the house before 'he' woke up.

'He' was her step-father that her mother had married a long time ago, after her real father's death, and he was the cause of her scars and bruises. Kagome quietly crept out of her new room, backpack and shoes in hand feeling rather lethargic. She walked towards her little brother's off white door and knocked quietly before walking in to see her beloved brother pulling a long-sleeved gray shirt over his head.

Kagome frowned knowing she could do nothing to stop the ugly bruises that lightly decorated his skin, much like hers. The only difference between their marred flesh was that she deserved every bruise or scar she had and he did not. She gave him a small smile that had dimmed over the years. "Are you ready?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes." Was his short answer. He grabbed his stuff and they quietly crept down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab some breakfast and lunch money from their mother.

Kagome grabbed an apple off the table and her mother gave her a worried glance. "Is that all you are going to eat Kagome?" Kemi asked in a soft motherly tone.

"Yes mama. Don't worry I'm not going anorexic on you."

"Its just I'm worried about your health, you're already so skinny."

"You can't be that worried seeing as you are still with him." Kagome snapped and her mother flinched visibly as if the words had smacked her across the face. "Oh I'm sorry mama I didn't mean to, I'm just really tired from last night. I know it's not your fault, we know what he would do if you tired to leave."

Kemi shook her head, unshed tears welling in her eyes. "No it is my fault... I'm so sorry." She said not being able to hold her tears back any longer. Both of her children embraced her tightly as she cried, but their moment lasted less then a minute because of the loud bang they heard from above them. They jumped away from each other and Kemi rushed them. "Hurry and go." They gave her a kiss good bye, slipped on their shoes, ran out the door, and headed down the street towards their new school.

"Hey sis?" Sota asked looking over at his sister, as their new school came into view.

"Yes Sota?" She asked back not missing a beat as she walked towards the place where she was bound to yet again be ostracized.

"Do you think you'll make any friends here?" He asked.

"I hope not."

"Because of what happened at the last house?" He asked his innocent tone getting to her slightly.

Images flashed threw her mind, images of the last people who had found out her secret. Their dead bodies forever etched in her mind. In fact she still had night terrors about their screams of pain as 'he' murdered them in front of her; after all it had only been a few months since the incident. "Yes." She said colder then she meant to.

"I'm sorry sis."

"Don't be Sota." Kagome looked into his deep blue eyes that seemed to see right into her soul. Kagome was a miko as was her younger brother, and mother. Her step-father Naraku was a half demon and even though he was a half demon he was very evil and powerful. One of the good things about being a miko was that they were able to heal there bruises and cuts faster then any normal human could. Kagome was brought out of her thoughts by her brother's soft voice.

"Kagome? We are here."

Kagome looked at just what 'here' was. 'Here' was a three story high school packed with kids from her new town. She didn't think there would be this many of them. Her eyes got cold as she thought about what was bound to happen.

They walked inside slightly thankful of the cool air from the air-conditioning that hit their faces. They made their way threw the crowd of high school students attempting to get to the main office. Sota grabbed his sister's hand not liking the looks she was getting from the passing guys. Even though Kagome seemed oblivious to the looks Sota knew his sister wasn't.

She gave his hand a quick squeeze silently showing her appreciation at his gesture. Once inside the office she noticed three teenagers who looked the same age as her. They looked at her and Sota. It was two boys and a girl. The girl was in between them and wore tight blue jeans and a form fighting red shirt. Her brown hair was up in a high ponytail, and she wore gold star earrings with matching gold eye shadow that brought out her brown eyes and clear lips gloss.

The boy farthest from her and to the right of the girl wore baggy faded blue jeans and a deep purple shirt. His short black hair hung loosely in a shag, but it didn't hide his violet eyes.

The boy to the girl's left and closest to Kagome, and also the one who's deep honey eyes she was looking into, wore baggy dark blue jeans and he also wore a red shirt that made it so you could see his nicely toned chest threw the thin fabric. His almost waist length hair hung loosely around his solid frame, merely a few inches shorter then her own. But what really caught her attention was the small fuzzy dog ears that twitched on top of his head. He looked so familiar.

Kagome blushed and tore her gaze from that of his eyes and ears when she heard a smooth voice asking her, her name. "I'm sorry." She apologized and answered the question. "My name is Kagome and this is my brother Sota. We are new here." She told the girl with energy she didn't know she had.

"Cool, I'm Sango and this is Miroku and Inuyasha." The girl named Sango said cheerfully, indicating to the guys on either side of her. Kagome nodded her head in acknowledgment. "So what's your schedule?" The girl asked.

'You can't have friends don't do this Kagome.' Kagome thought in the back of her head. "I don't know I haven't gotten it yet." Her voice was cold and clipped. She didn't want more people to get hurt on account of her.

"Don't gotta be a bitch about it." The boy named Inuyasha said rudely.

"Hey don't talk to my sister like that."

Inuyasha merely glanced at the boy's malnourished body then back at the girl who was also malnourished looking. All though he couldn't really tell what kind of figure she had because of her hoody he was judging by her face, however she did have the most brilliant green eyes he had ever seen. But yet she looked so familiar to him for some reason but he couldn't place her.

"Inuyasha stop harassing people." All five of the teenagers looked up to see a middle aged woman smiling at them from behind the counter. "How may I help you darling?" The woman said directing her attention to Kagome.

"My brother and I are new here and we need to get our schedules." Kagome recognized his name but she wasn't sure.

"Oh yes I remember I talked to your mother over the phone." Kagome nodded once, and the woman now turned her attention to three of the schools biggest trouble makers. "School hasn't even started yet, don't tell me you're already in trouble."

Sango spoke up first. "No I was sent here by Mrs. Mortensen to tell you that she had the stuff ready for the play and all she has to do is hold auditions after school today which she wants you to announce over the intercom."

"Will do. And why are you two here?" She asked pointing at the other two boys in mock accusation.

"Why Mrs. Barrett it's simply because we wanted to see your smiling face." Miroku said with a lecherous smile.

Kagome watched on in disgust and thought: 'And so it begins, a new school, new perverts, and more punishment.'