Disclaimer- YES! I OWN INUYASHA!! BUAH HA! All bow before the mighty reincarnation of Rumiko Takahashi!! *Shoots fireballs out of Jaken's Staff of Heads at insubordinate readers*

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            This is my first Inuyasha fic. I had been scouting around fanfic.net for awhile now, and decided it was time I threw my two cents in... Knowing me, I'll become unmotivated and despair of this story if nothing good comes out of it, so leave me plenty of reviews and criticism! I also take storyline requests… a little spontaneity never hurt anyone, ne?




Chapter 1- The source of all trouble lies in the scowl of a blonde.



~Thump thump thump~


Kagome's feet squished heavily down the hall as she raced towards her first period class on a rainy, blustery Tuesday morning.
"Dammit, Souta!" she grumbled moodily to herself. "…Whoever heard of a ten-year old with a one-hour bathroom quality time?!" She hugged her books to her chest, not noticing that they were beginning to soak through. The building's cool air conditioner chilled her rain-soaked school uniform and hair, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She skidded on the floor and made a sharp turn, reading the familiar room numbers, slowing down her frantic pace as she approached the end of the hallway.

"...28A... ...32A... ...36A..."

Balancing her books in one arm, she quickly rung a few leftover drops out of her hair, she slowly turned the doorknob and walked in.
Kagome smiled sheepishly, trying her best to walk discreetly into the loud classroom. The instructor seemed to give no notice to the dripping student as he hunched over his desk, staring intently at a newspaper crossword puzzle, mumbling to himself.

...A paper airplane whizzed past her ear.

"Kagome-chan! Over here!" One of her friends waved frantically, and gestured to an empty seat.
"Ohayo, mina-san!" Kagome waved back and made her way to the back of the classroom, where she collapsed in a chair, letting her schoolbag fall to the floor. "Have I missed anything?" Kagome asked with loud breaths.

Yuka shook her head. "No... He's been hunched over like that for half the period... You'd think the man was disabled." She made a motion towards the oblivious instructor. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

Ayami looked up just then and noticed her. "Kagome! What happened to you? You look like you jumped into a pool!" Kagome ringed her hair out again and sighed.

"...Souta happened. ...That's what. He was just being a royal pain with the bathroom, again. I tell you guys, the boy just stood there, slicking his hair back a million times... and smiling into the mirror. ...I was an hour late because of him and missed the bus, so I had to walk in the rain."
The group all winced and nodded sympathetically. ...Brothers were such pains! "You better dry yourself off, Kagome... Or you'll catch another cold…" One of the girls tossed her a gym towel. Kagome took it gratefully and proceeded to wipe herself off.

"You'd better not get sick again! Especially with the winter Snowflake Ball next week." Yuka said. Kagome blinked. ...Snowflake ball? What is she talking about? ...Kagome thought for a minute, and vaguely remembered seeing a few yellow flyers tacked on the hallway walls.

Yuka lowered her voice and motioned for all the girls to lean in forward. "Okay...what I tell you here doesn't leave your lips, okay?" The girls all nodded and raised their pinkies. "...Okay then... Guess who I heard is looking for a new winter queen?" She smiled mysteriously and the group looked blank.  Yuka breathed in. "...Tetsumora Kanade!" she said a shade too loud. The girls all gasped at the name of the popular boy, who just happened to sit in the front of the class, and leaned in even further. Yuka began again, more quietly. "...Rumor has it that he dumped his girlfriend after school on Friday, right outside gym class... She hasn't been coming to school since... And almost everyone thinks she's still home, crying... I mean... after all, why wouldn't she be?" A few of the girls looked down in sympathy for the former girlfriend. ...To be dumped by the most popular guy in the school is not exactly a gold star on your social record.

"Anyway," She started again, "...From what I heard, Kanede is currently looking around school for a replacement to call his winter queen..." ...Kagome blinked as her interest was beginning to peak. 

Yuka spoke up again, her voice an almost inaudible yet exited whisper.  "Now... This might just be a rumor too... but Keiko told me yesterday that she heard from Jame that he told his friend that he was interested... in YOU." She turned her head, and looked straight at Kagome. The group deadened for a second. ...Kagome sat wide-eyed for a second, letting her friend's words sink in...


...Huh? ...Wait, wait, wait... Let me get this straight... Tetsumora Kanade... likes me?

She looked down at her soaked uniform, then touched her limp, wet hair. Me... Out of all people...I don't get it. Despite herself, a reddish tinge appeared on her cheeks.


"Wait a minute Yuka... Exactly how reliable are your sources? ...I mean...I've only seen the guy like...once. He doesn't even know me. ...I don't see how he could be interested!" The girls all looked to Yuka, as if silently asking the same question. Kagome looked down. "...Come to think of it... I've never even seen him before three weeks ago. ....Isn't he new?"

Yuka looked sheepish for a moment, but then regained her exited composure and ignored Kagome's first question. "Actually...he's been here for a month and a half. ...But you've been out so often...that...you know..." She trailed off.  "What?" Kagome asked.  Yuka waved it off. "Well, it doesn't matter! The point is, my sources are VERY reliable."

...The rest of the group, previously silent, suddenly began chattering away in excitement over Yuka's 'reliable' gossip.

 "...Can you imagine?! You and Kanade... Kagome, you're sure to be Winter Queen with Kanede as your date!"

"...Hojo will be so jealous! ...He's still eyeing you, you know."

"...Kagome… I'm jealous! ...But of course Kanede likes you! ...You're so much prettier than his ex-girlfriend..."

"...She's much prettier than anyone in the school period!"

Kagome sunk low in her chair as her friends chattered endlessly about her imaginary relationship with the popular boy. ...This is almost embarrassing... She sat in silence. Ayami noticed her friend wasn't jumping up and down in excitement. "...Kagome? ...What's wrong? Aren't you thrilled?" Kagome looked up at her at shrugged. "No...Not really."

...As if on cue, the girls quieted and stared in shock, as if she had just said something blasphemous.

"...Besides..." She glanced over to the front of the room, where the Sex Idol, Kanade, was barely visible through his wall of friends. "...He doesn't seem very respectful." Kanede's hand, the only part of him besides his head visible, reached up and grabbed the rear of a short blonde.

...*snort* ...A little taller and he'd be Miroku.

Kagome leaned back in her chair casually. "I rest my case." ...The girls didn't seem to have anything to say. ...They simply huddled together, whispering and glancing over at the table every now and then.

...

...Aime broke the muted silence a minute later. "...Ooh! Ooh! Kagome! He just looked over here!" The group turned just in time to see Kanade turn his head again. ...He looked straight at Kagome, smiling warmly. Then... much to the excitement of her entire repertoire of friends, Kanede winked.

...The short blonde Kanade had just gotten a handful of, sat next to him and looked at her wide-eyed.

...Kagome nearly sweatdropped. ....Jesus...he is cute... she thought. She caught herself before staring back at him.  The entire group turned two shades of red. After another pearly smile he looked away and resumed the conversation with his group.

The girls were dumbstruck, then began to squeal and babble all over again.

"Eeeee!! ...He SO likes you!"

"...Did you see the way his hair flipped over his forehead when he winked? ...Into those golden hazel eyes? *sigh*"

"...I'm so jealous..."

"...Kagome... Make sure to wave to me when you're being crowned queen..."

...For the second time that morning, Kagome sunk low into her chair in embarrassment.

She looked over to him again and studied him, with as much distaste as she could muster.

Yeah... Well... I bet those calves aren't even real...

The short blonde girl once again turned her head, catching Kagome staring at Kanade's legs. This time however, her face twisted into a scowl, and she shot her a murderous glare. ...Kagome didn't seem to notice.

The sensei got up from his desk and walked toward the middle of the classroom, blowing a whistle to calm the class down. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out her damp textbook, getting ready for another day of schoolwork.

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The same day, after school...


..."Sayoonara, Ayami! Bye Yuka-chan! See you tomorrow!" Kagome cheerily waved goodbye to her friends as she pulled her bicycle out and away of the rack and began pedaling hard away from the school. She practically flew down the street.  ...It'd be nice if got home early this time, she mused.

She stopped briefly at a gas station at the end of the block, running inside to pick up some milk and a crate of eggs. After positioning the groceries carefully on top of the books in her basket, she hopped on her bike and took off once again, this time in the direction of her house.

...Man... Kagome thought as she waited patiently for a stoplight to change. ...I really have to stop missing so much school. A week out of class! ...I mean...at this rate, I'll never pass any of my high school entrance exams! ...What will mom say?

She pedaled quickly all the way to her block, swerving carefully to avoid all the deep sidewalk cracks and stray rocks caused by the ever-changing Tokyo weather. She stopped for a moment at the end of her street to adjust her books and groceries in the basket, which seemed to be falling out thanks to the bumpy ride. Starting off again after the brief pause, she rounded a corner...

...Only to narrowly miss colliding into someone. Kagome tilted the bike dangerously at the rough turn, causing the egg carton to slip out and fall neatly on the floor, splatting as it collided with the rough concrete.

...Dammit... now I have to go back.

"Gomen-nasai!" She turned and apologized. She was about to ask if the person was alright, but then stopped. ...The face looked very familiar...

...It was a short girl, a full half a foot lower than Kagome, with choppy short platinum blonde hair, flimsy bangs, and icy blue eyes. Her face was a bit too angular, though. ...Kagome would have thought the girl was very pretty, but her face was contorted, a scowl covering up any friendliness in the girls face.

"Gomen-nasai," she apologized again, looking sheepish. "Daijobu ka?"

The girl didn't answer right away. She simply spat in the ground. Finally, her mouth opened. "...Next time you ride that piece of crap anywhere around me, watch where you're going, fool!" ...Her voice came out shrill and high... like the annoying whine of a dentists drill.

Kagome was struck back by the girl's rudeness. "I said I was sorry. It's a sharp turn anyway... And I didn't see you..." She tried another stab at kindness. "My name is Kagome... I think I've seen you around before. ...You look familiar. ...Takako, isn't it?"

Once again, she ignored Kagome's question. ...With overly-dramatized sashays, she approached her, gum popping randomly out of a still twisted mouth. She leaned forward, glaring at Kagome with those ice blue eyes and studied her face. She was silent for a minute.

Jeez... What's with this girl...? ...Don't tell me I still have musubi on my face.

The girl sniffed, apparently dissatisfied... The dentists drill fired up again. "...Why Tetsumora Kanade is interested in an ugly, poverty struck-looking wench like you is truly beyond me." She began to walk away, leaving Kagome's mouth hanging open, but then turned halfway. "...Oh...  and you're nowhere near queen material." Takako sniffed again, then turned around completely, sashaying around the turn and away.

Kagome's eyes were left wide in surprise at the girl's random insult. She stared at empty concrete her spiteful classmate had just stood in for a moment, then turned around, not knowing what to think, and climbed onto her bike, picking up the carton of half-broken eggs before so. ...She wondered what had caused the sour encounter. Shrugging it off after a moment, she continued to pedal down the street.

She reached the front of her house and skidded to a stop.  When the last screech was gone from the air, a sudden chill ran down her spine.

...She could sense it... The aura of a youkai.

She rolled her eyes, "Inuyasha..." she grumbled. She ran into the house and up to her room.

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...The white-haired puppy-eared hanyou sat on her bed, crunching into an apple.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing here?!" she gave him an annoyed look. He glanced up at Kagome defiantly and took another crunch of the apple. "What's it look like I'm doing?" he said between noisy chews, "I'm eating an apple, you moron."

"...Then get off my bed. ...You're getting pulp all over my nice sheets."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crossed his legs on the bed, looking perfectly comfortable where he was. "Feh! A little juice never hurt anyone."

"Inuyasha... get off"

"...No."

"..."

"...OSUWARI!"

*THUMP-CRASH!*

Inuyasha fell to the floor, twitching. ...He got up and dusted himself off a minute later to reveal crushed apple on his red fire-rat fur kimono.

"AHH! You baka! That'll never come off!!" He looked horrified and desperately tried to rub it out.

She looked incredulous. "...Inuyasha, you're such a drama queen." ...Inuyasha looked up, insulted. "Have you forgotten that your armor can resist flames from the bowels of Hell and cold hard steel?"

He growled, ignoring her question. "Drama queen?! Just who are you calling a drama queen, you scrawny..."

"-OSUWARI!!"

*CRASH* The floorboards cracked as he went down a second time.

"Inuyasha looked up a bit shaken. "Psh...You only said that 'cause you knew you were wrong," He muttered under his breath.

"Hmph."  She tossed him a tissue to clean up the homemade applesauce in the floor.  Inuyasha grumbled again and started wiping. Kagome sat back in her chair to relax, but she remembered something. "...What is it you came here for anyway, Inuyasha? ...I told you all I'd be back in two days."

Inuyasha ignored her again and dusted himself off a second time. He turned around and hopped onto her windowsill, putting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. "...So. ...That blonde wench shrieking at you outside your house just now... A friend of yours? She almost popped my eardrum." He opened one eye and look at Kagome.

She had momentarily forgotten about Takako.

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. "...Nobody I care about. ...Or really know, for that matter.  Just some girl from my school. With problems." She bent down to pick up the soiled tissue from the floor and tossed it into a wastebasket near her bed. She turned around and crossed her arms. "...Not that it's any of your business, anyway!"

"Yeah, well..." He opened both eyes leaned beck against the sill. "I don't see why you didn't break her legs. ...Any human that annoying deserves to be smited." (A/N: Dammit… What's the past tense of smite? ...Pardon my brain fart...)

"For your information, Inuyasha... not everyone solves their problems with a demon sword." ...Inuyasha reached down and patted Tetsusaiga trustfully.  "I don't really know what was up with what's-her-face, and to be quite honest... I really don't care." Her voice lowered just a smidge. "...She could've just been having a bad day..." Kagome stopped talking and looked at him again. "...And exactly when, Inuyasha, did you become so interested in my social life?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and waved it off. "Feh!" he muttered gruffly. He leaned back on the sill again, as if not intending to pay attention to anything coming out of Kagome's mouth.

...After about a minute of silence, Inuyasha's eyes suddenly popped open, as if he had just remembered what he had come there for.  He glanced at her, then out the window toward the Bone-Eater's well.

"C'mon... Let's go, Kagome." He slid out of the window and jumped down.

"Inuyasha! Where are you going?" She ran to her window and looked down, then out her bedroom door towards the well outside, nearly tripping over Buyo on her way out. "Sorry, Buyo!" Kagome called. ...The cat gave an annoyed meow.

...Inuyasha landed on the ground smoothly, and sat down on the edge of the well with his arms crossed, eyes closed in contemplation. ...He seemed to be thinking deeply. He heard her coming out through the door and stood up when she came near.

"Inuyasha?"

He grabbed her hand and prepared to pull her into the well with him before she stopped him.

"...Inuyasha, what's this about?" She looked irritated.

"...Shut up and get in the well. I'll tell you when we get there." He tried to pull her in again.

She yanked her arm back, causing Inuyasha to lose his balance at the edge of the stone well and go crashing towards the ground.

She bent down towards him. "Inuyasha... Do you realize I'm practically failing my courses because I spend too much time away from school? I told you I'd be back in two days to catch up on all my work! What could possibly be so important to make you come here and drag me back to the well before those two days were up?!"

He looked up at her grouchily.

"Tell me or I won't budge."

He stood up without a word and smiled at her evilly, then proceeded to scoop her up and jump onto the edge of the well. She tried to kick herself free, to no avail. Inuyasha bent down to jump into the well.

...Kagome yelled straight into his sensitive ears. "...PUT ME DOWN BEFORE I SAY 'IT'!!"

...Inuyasha froze immediately. ...His head spun from the incredible noise, and, not wanting to taste the ground again, reluctantly put her down. He sat on the well again and closed his eyes. She put her hands on her waist and glared at him.

After a moment, he spoke. His tone was serious and slow. "Do you really want to know?" Kagome rolled her eyes. "...Spit it, Inuyasha."  He looked away from her face. "Very well, then..." Inuyasha stood from the well.

"...Kaede-sama had gotten word from a neighboring village that a mysterious assassin has been attacking the farms on the village outskirts by night…"

...Kagome eyes widened as she realized his news was very serious. She sat down in front of him.

"Three villagers have been murdered, so far..."

Kagome gasped, "Three? ...Killed..?"

"...Two men and a young woman. ...Their bodies had been found on the floor of their homes...only..." Inuyasha paused. ...Kagome could tell he was pained. "...Only,  the bodies were skinless. The skins were nowhere to be found. "

Kagome gasped again and shuddered at the gruesome thought. She looked up at Inuyasha.
"...Interestingly enough, there was also no blood in or around any of the corpses. This is youkai work. ...I know it. ...I can feel it... ...Nobody else could've been quite so... neat about the job."  Inuyasha turned and looked at Kagome. "Quite possibly, it's also Shikon no Tama related. ...Kaede-sama sent me to fetch you and investigate."

Kagome nodded slowly, the severity of the situation weighing down her mood.

"...Hai." She said. "...Let's go..."

Inuyasha nodded and jumped into the well, disappearing. Kagome sat at the edge for a moment and sighed, getting up.

She suddenly remembered something and ran into the house. When she returned a few minutes later, her trusty yellow camping bag was strapped to her back, and quite full.

...With an easy, graceful leap, she followed suit into the well.


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O.o ... What's the story behind this gruesome mystery? ...And my, my... what the the deal with the uppity blonde chick? ...I'm currently working laboriously on chapter two... Stay tuned and leave plenty of yummy reviews. It inspires me to keep writing...