Inopportune Tribulations

Disclaimer: I do not own the original story line and this is a non-profit story. Enjoy

Chapter 1: Satire

"Moving!.?" Kagome nearly screamed.

"Yes, darling. We have to move in with your aunt Fae and cousin Arden. Unfortunately, we don't have enough money to support ourselves here," Mrs. Higurashi stated solemnly.

"But Arden hates me!"

"Now Kagome, she doesn't hate you, you two just don't quite see eye to eye."

"No, she hates me. And how am I supposed to go to the feudal era and help the guys with everything!.?"

"Kagome Lyn Higurashi, I want you to stop yelling, right now."

Kagome sighed and lowered her voice. "Mom, what about Inuyasha?"

"I don't know. You obviously won't be able to use the well anymore, so you unfortunately can't continue your quest. Maybe Inuyasha could still sneak out of there to see you, but you'll have to say goodbye to the others."

Kagome's eyes welled up with tears as she heard her mother's words. She looked away so her mom couldn't see her and nodded mutely before leaving.

The young miko ran to the well house, took a deep breath whilst wiping away her tears, and jumped down. She smiled as a familiar blue glow enveloped her and she landed on the bottom. A clawed hand reached down and helped her up as she was treated with the sight of two adorable dog ears and the man she learned to love.

"There you are! You're late," Inuyasha stated gruffly.

"Sorry," Kagome whispered, much to Inuyasha's confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked a little softer.

"Nothing."

"Bull."

"I'd rather tell everyone at once than say it five different times."
Inuyasha pondered for a moment as to what could've caused the vivacious miko to look so down before curtly nodding and dragging her back to Kaede's hut.

"Everyone sit!" Inuyasha snapped. "Kagome has something to say."

The girl in question looked at Inuyasha in disbelief. "I didn't mean now!" she whispered urgently.

"Too bad, now spill." The hanyou crossed his arms over his chest.

Kagome sighed. "Fine, I'm moving," she said fractiously.

She watched as the entire group blinked before Inuyasha spoke up. "Whaddya mean? What'cha moving?"

"No, I'm moving. Going to live somewhere else. My mom and grandfather are selling the house and now I'm going to live with some aunt in Kyoto." she finished with malice.

"…Ki…oh…toe?" Inuyasha started. "Where's that?"

"It's a bit away. I- I don't think I can continue our quest," she finished trying to hold back tears.

"You… you can't just leave! It's your fault the damn jewel broke in the first place!" Inuyasha shouted incredulously.

Kagome glared at him with fire in her eyes. "You think I don't know that!.? It's not like I chose to move!" she yelled as tears poured down her face.

"Keh," Inuyasha grunted, rolled his eyes, and turned away.

Inuyasha could be a little more considerate! Sango thought angrily before going over to Kagome. "I'm sorry you have to move. Don't worry, you'll always have a place here, no matter how long it takes you to get back," she reassured the miko with a sad smile.

Kagome turned away from Inuyasha and smiled at her friend. "Thanks," she mouthed and gave Sango a hug.

"Now, now Lady Kagome, don't I get a hug?" Miroku asked coming over. Kagome held out a hand to stop him.

"Touch me, and I'll kill you," she said playfully before giving him a friendly hug. After he let go, she looked over at Shippo, who hadn't said a thing since she told him her news. Kagome kneeled down and held out her arms. "Do I get a hug from you?"

"No." Shippo answered austerely. "Why should I show you compassion!.? You're leaving us!"

"Aw, come on Shippo, it's like I was telling Inuyasha. It's not like I'm choosing to leave you, and I'll come back any chance I get. I could never abandon you."

"Kagomeee!" Shippo cried as he ran into her arms sobbing. She gave him a tight hug as they said their goodbyes.

"Now Shippo, I think we should go help Kaede," Sango interjected a little later.

The kitsune sniffed. "Why?"

"Because I think she needs our help."

"But…"

"Just come along, you can talk to Kagome-chan after."

"A-are you sure?"

"Positive," she finished with a smile and led both Shippo and Miroku out. She needs some time alone with Inuyasha. Why don't these two get that?

"Well aren't you going to say goodbye?" Kagome asked, incensed.

"Why? You just said you'd be back anytime you could."

"To Shippo, truth is I don't know if I'll be able to come back at all."

Inuyasha stayed silent and pouty. Finally, he turned to face her and sighed. "So… how long are you staying there?"

"Until I'm around eighteen, but even then, I'm not sure if I can get the shrine back…"

"What if I take you to the well and back. I'm fast enough to stay out of view."

"That might work. I'll run it by mom, but until then, I guess this is goodbye?"

"…Yeah, whatever."

"Inuyasha? Please?" Kagome pleaded as she opened her arms.

Inuyasha blushed slightly, but the thought of losing another woman he loved and not even saying goodbye made him swallow his pride and hug her. Kikyou's death was still the freshest memory in his mind, and if this was the last time he was going to see Kagome, he wanted to be nice… well as nice as he could be. He walked over to her and enclosed her in a gauche hug.

"I'll um… bye."

"Bye," Kagome responded thickly as tears fell on his Robe of the Fire Rat.

"Come on now, no crying."

"I'm sorry, it's just… I got so used to being here."

Inuyasha let go of her and backed up a bit. "Kagome, I-"

"He already said goodbye!" Shippo called as Sango tried to stop him from running in.

The hanyou in question glared at the fox before turning away again. "When are you leaving?"

Kagome caught her adoptive son before answering, "We'll be packing all day tomorrow, but we're not leaving until Friday." Seeing the blank looks she was getting, Kagome clarified. "That would be in six days."

After saying many more tear-filled goodbyes, Kagome went back through the well and started on packing up her room.

*That Friday*

Kagome was packing up the last of her trinkets and was going through her closet one last time. The shrine looked so empty, and everything echoed. It broke her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it, which was probably worse.

"Ah!" she screamed as the top shelf of her closet dropped several items and tons of dust. She coughed as she cleared the things into the trash. "What is this?" she asked under her breath as she picked up a small book. She opened it up and there were pictures inside; her as a child, her with her father and her little brother. She smiled through her tears as she saw a few rouge pictures of Inuyasha and the group. She brought a camera one time, but after it poured, there were only a few pictures that hadn't gotten ruined. She placed the photo album inside her last box and taped it up before carrying it down stairs.

"Ready," Kagome called to her mother.

"Oh good, the moving truck is just down the shrine steps. Will you help me carry these suitcases down?" Mrs. Higurashi asked with a sorrowful smile.

"Sure," her daughter muttered under her breath as she picked up multiple bags.

When the truck was loaded, the Higurashi family got in their car and started the long drive to Kyoto. The entire time, Kagome was in her own little world listening to the new iPod her mom got her to "make up for it." She was trying desperately to ignore her little brother that was playing with one of his stupid dolls that he swore were action figures. She sighed multiple times under her breath and pretended she couldn't hear her mother trying to cheer her up. Nothing could cheer her up now.

After a little while and many stops, they finally pulled up to an old Victorian house. It was black and dismal. And Kagome hated it.

As they got all their things out of the trunk, Kagome heard someone creak down the stairs. Arden, great… she thought sarcastically as the snooty bitch made her way over to the car.

"MeMe*! You look-!" she stopped short and looked her cousin up and down. "Have you gained some weight?"

Kagome sighed under her breath. "Hey Arden, good to see you too…"

They shared an air hug and Arden "supervised" her family as they carried in their bags. That was the thing about Arden, she was really picturesque. She had sparkling eyes, the perfect hair, nails, and figure. And she knew it. So she was real supercilious about it. Everyone was below her. Especially Kagome. Arden did everything in her power to make her miserable, but in that "nice" way your parents always say you're imagining.

Kagome sighed as she put her suitcase down in her new room. It wasn't the fanciest, but it was nicer than her old room, as much as she hated to admit it.

She put her suitcase on the bed and unzipped it. Everything that was really valuable she put in her case. She wasn't about to trust the movers with her valuables. She pulled out multiple glass figurines, and her latest discovery: her photo album. She looked through it one more time before taking out a picture and putting it on the shelf in her new closet.

She put the picture she pulled in the edge of the mirror topping her new dresser. It was picture of her and Inuyasha. She threw her arm around his neck and took the picture before he could complain. He looked shocked and he had blush, which was a contrast to Kagome's hurried smile and worried eyes. She giggled under her breath and finished unpacking.

A little bit later, her mom was calling her down for dinner. When she came down stairs, she saw that the movers already came and her mom and aunt had already unpacked most of the boxes.

"I could've help," she said dejectedly.

"Oh no dear, it was no trouble," Fae said with a smile.

"Yeah, I mean, it was difficult enough without having to deal the emotional wreck you must be after moving," Arden added in as Kagome glared at her.

"Whatever," Kagome sighed as she took her seat at the table. Dinner was quiet other than a few things from Arden such as, "You really shouldn't eat things like that" or "So many?"

Before she knew it, Kagome was sulking in her room again. She already missed everybody, especially Inuyasha. He was still hurting because of Kikyou; she could see it on his face. She was sad herself, but there was a bright side, she finally had a chance with Inuyasha.

"Well, 'had' is the keyword here," Kagome mumbled as she picked up that picture she loved so much. It was probably the only way she was going to see him again. She was setting it back into the edge of the mirror when she jolted back. There, in the corner of the reflective glass, was a smoggy face. It looked to be a young man and he was terribly burned. She gasped and whirled around.

"Did I scare you?" Inuyasha asked as he quirked a brow.

Kagome stared wide-eyed at the hanyou. Finally, she nodded and smiled. "Inuyasha! How did you find me!.?"

"I followed your scent," he answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the word… which it kind of was…

"How come you came?"

"You said you were moving today, so I thought I'd find out where you moved to. Nice house."

"Yeah, I guess, but it's kind of creepy…"

"Yeah? How do you figure?"

"I don't know. It just gives me the creeps…"

"Probably just in your head. So, did you run my plan by your mother yet?"

"What plan?"

"I'll take that as a 'no.'"

"Oh! You mean you taking me back to the feudal era?"

"Yeah. I mean, Naraku may be dead, but the jewel still left a world of destruction behind. Now you're the one who wanted to clean that entire thing up, and you're not bailing now."

"I know, Okay? I know." Kagome sighed. "I'll run it by mom, okay?" she asked in an exasperated voice.

"Keh."

"Now get lost before I get an ear-full from Aunt Fae."

"Fine, but I'll be close, 'kay?"

"Fine, now leave."

Kagome closed the window behind Inuyasha and went over to her mirror. What was that earlier? Probably just jitters from being in a new home. But a dead jitter? I didn't even think I was that weird… And is just me, or does this room smell like a rotting animal?

Kagome shook her head and opened the window. After all, it was an old house and there were bound to be some gross smells around. After she got some fresh air, she turned off her light and sat down on the bed.

"Might as well get some sleep…" Kagome whispered and laid back. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

Hssss…

Kagome sat up and looked around wildly. No one else was in the room. "Wind, must be the wind."

She laid back down and closed her eyes again. She kept telling herself that she was just scaring herself, but for some unknown reason, it wasn't working. Maybe it was the whispers that were building up louder and louder in her ear. She kept trying to block them out, trying to tell herself that they were just in her head, but they kept getting worse. Nothing was understandable, just a loud hissing, like thousands of people talking at once. Kagome squeezed her eyes tighter and balled her hands in the sheets, but she still couldn't get them to go away. Finally, she sat up, about to get a glass of water, when the voices suddenly stopped. The young miko tried to calm her racing heart and ragged breath as she looked wildly around the room.

Rorrim…

Kagome gasped is squeezed her eyes shut again.

Rorrim…

INUYASHA! She sucked in breath to make her thought a sound when she felt is familiar presence. She turned around to see him climbing through the window.

"What the fuck's the matter with you?" he whispered hoarsely. "I could smell your panic for miles away!"

"S-sorry, bad dream," Kagome whispered back.

"Whatever." Inuyasha turned to leave before his love grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave!" Kagome whispered in panic. "Just… stay here? For tonight?"

Inuyasha thanked the fact that she couldn't see his blush right before he shot her down with a "Why the hell should I?"

Tears started welling up in Kagome's eyes. "Because I just left my home, all my friends, and I'm scared. Please?"

"…Keh."

Kagome was lying on the bed while Inuyasha was sitting at the end of it. She was just about to fall asleep when-

Rorrim…

Kagome gasped and snapped her eyes open. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

"Hear what?"

"…Nothing…"

"Whatever."

Kagome warily laid back down and started counting the cracks in her ceiling hoping she could get some sleep before that voice came back. She tried everything, counting sheep, singing songs in her head, day-dreaming, but nothing was working. She was just about to give up and take some kind of sleep aid when that whisper tickled her ear again. Kagome held in her gasp and looked at the back of Inuyasha's head. There is no way he didn't hear that!

Rorrim…

"Inuyasha," she whispered again.

She got a groan in response before a long silence. "What?" he finally answered.

"Will you sleep… up here?"

Silence.

"…Why?"

"I'm scared, and cold." It was a lie when she first said it, but then a shiver ran through as goose bumps ignited on her skin.

"…Fine." Inuyasha hesitantly stood up and laid down on the far end of her mattress. That didn't help, however, when the young woman snuggled up to him as soon as his back touched the plush cushion.

"Good night, Inuyasha."

"G'night."

The last thing Kagome heard before she fell asleep was that cold voice. Except this time it wasn't right in her ear, it was more that light, far away sound that you hear from your parents' room at night.

Rorrim…

*(May May)

**It took me a while to write this one, but I'm glad it's done. I guess you could argue that this is AU because the well is still open in my version, but I don't think it is. I just think it should've stayed open, so in my version, it did. Anyway, please leave your reviews. Thank you!**