The characters of Inuyasha do not belong to me (Though I wish they did).

AN: I don't write any lemons/limes and I won't. This story is rated for its mild language, violence, and basically anything inappropriate for under aged readers. It's a story based more on love than romance. So there will be a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings, but it's a love that contains much more than just a physical attraction.

 * ~  My Imaginary Demon Friend  ~*

By: Chantal

Chapter 1 " Live with what we can't change; no more joy"

The sun hiding behind dark clouds and the wind blowing angrily made it clear that a snow storm was coming to ruin everyone's weekend. Kagome Higurashi, an attractive 15 year old Japanese girl with long midnight hair, pale skin, and chocolate brown eyes stepped out of her crowded Tokyo High School.

Wearing only her school skirt uniform and a light sweater she became quickly aware of the cold and tightly clutched her sweater.

As she lifted her head to glance up at the sky, she realized that walking meant that she'd be taking a risk of getting caught up in the storm. Home was about a mile away from school and she really did not feel like freezing again, yet she had no other options. Sighing she secured the straps of her back pack on both her shoulders, prayed that she'd make it home in one piece, and started her walk.

"It's only a mile. I'll make it." She assured herself all the while shivering from the lack of warmth in the air, and pushing her way through crowds of students that were filled with joy.

Joy. That word seemed so foreign to her. Seeing most of them smiling and laughing made Kagome remember when she used to be just like that and it got her to thinking how much her life had changed.

A little over a month ago, she was her usual cheerful, kindhearted self except she was happy. She was filled with joy.

"You're too happy and bubbly" Her friends used to tell her. One would've wondered if she were ever angry or upset since she always seemed to be smiling.

"How could one day turn everything upside down?" She questioned herself, "I used to be so happy but now... now there's nothing to be happy about and it's my entire fault." She was recalling the day that started out her period of loneliness.

It was a fairly warm night in October. The navy blue sky was filled with diamond like stars and the moon was as bright as ever. Kagome was taking her usual evening walk in the park across the street from her home. She glanced up at the moon and froze in her tracks. The once beige moon was now glowing a blood red. Just then, the smell of smoke filled her lungs and when she turned her head, flames danced in her eyes like color changing phantoms in the dark. It took her a minute realize that it was her house, not even a half a mile away, on fire.

She started running as fast as her legs allowed her to. Her dark and fearful eyes never leaving the fire and before she knew it, she was right in her front yard. She paused to catch her breath, her gaze still locked onto her burning home. When hearing the painful cries of help from her family, Kagome nervously scanned the front of her house for a way to reach them. Her eyes landed right on the kitchen window from which she could see a clear path and her only chance to rescue them. Just as she was about to run in she realized she couldn't move.

"No miss you can't go in! We'll do what we can to save them but we won't risk your life as well." Glancing over her shoulder she saw the person had grabbed her by the arm preventing her from rescuing her family. He was a fireman. Looking around and noticing that there were a lot of them there and that she wasn't alone made her relax a bit. She started thinking that maybe they could help her family better than she could. Mom, Grandpa, Sota... just hold on a minute longer.

Just then, a huge explosion from inside of the house interrupted her train of thought. After that, all Kagome could hear was someone screaming and it took her a few seconds to realize that it was she. She wanted to run in but her body was frozen. So she screamed then suddenly stopped when she felt a wet drop slide down her cheek.

A tear? She wasn't crying was she? She raised a shaking hand to touch her cheek then moved it down to her eye level. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that it wasn't a tear but a drop of blood.

"But-but this isn't my blood. This isn't my blood!" She yelled to the growing flames. But they didn't answer. Instead they danced and roared louder as if mocking her for her failure. Kagome again felt more drops of blood fall onto her face except this time; they fell into her eyes and were cold. Blinking a few times and waking up from her daydream she became aware of the snow flurries lightly falling around her.

"Snow." She stated then rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead as to scold herself saying, "Stupid stupid Kagome! It's snowing already and you're not even half way there. Quit being so emotional!" With having said that she picked up the pace and was completely oblivious to Hojou, a 16 year old guy that attended the same school that had a split personality disorder, and his 'Gang' following right behind her.

After remembering the painful loss of her family, Kagome found it difficult to hold back her tears. They pilled up on her bottom eyelids until she couldn't stand the stinging any more and allowed them to run freely. Her dear mother used to tell her that it wasn't wise to hold in anger or sadness because when the time came to release it, it'd be difficult to stop. Mother was right. She was always right. Kagome couldn't seem to stop the tears from escaping. She'd been locking them away ever since it happened. The best thing to do was to just cry it all out.

And cry she did.

Looking through her blurry, tear filled vision, Kagome noticed that the snow was falling in a rapid pace and had already covered the ground. She became dreadfully aware that future winters and the holidays would be spent alone. Though she now lived with her aunt and uncle, and was to celebrate the holidays with them, she'd still feel empty. It wasn't the same as having a family that she could call her home.

If there was no family, there was no home. And no home meant no joy.

After the fire, Kagome was sent to live with her aunt and her newest husband in their apartment. It felt almost like she lived in a completely different world even though her house that now lay in ashes was only a mile away. She had to take precautions when entering and exiting the God forsaken building, look four times before crossing the street, and walk a whole mile to get to school when in her old house she only walked a block. The worst part however wasn't adapting to her new 'home', it was getting used to her new 'family'.

Her aunt, Mrs. Higurashi's sister, was kind but extremely naive. It was as if she lived on another planet even though they'd be in the same room. A monster could be living with her and she wouldn't notice. All she ever seemed to do was cook or clean. As for her newest uncle, the only movement he ever made was to use the television remote, and he only spoke to ask about diner. How the heck was she supposed to live with that?! She'd practically be living in solitude were it not for her three best girlfriends. Yet even they sometimes got on her nerves with all their boy crazy nonsense. Kagome had nothing going for her self. No family, no home, and no joy. So needless to say, Kagome was all-alone.

Liar.

What? Did her conscience just call her a liar? Who did she forget? Suddenly her eyes widened in shock and realization then slowly, and dangerously narrowed into slits. Oh yeah, him.

Inuyasha.

Her imaginary tormentor. Though he was to be considered her imaginary 'friend', he was no friend. Inuyasha was once the cruel and merciless prince of demons.

Before she met him, Kagome had pictured he'd be a red guy with horns, a long spiked tail, and a monstrous face but he was the exact opposite. He was a handsome 17 year old demon with long silver hair, peircing gold eyes, wore a red haori, and had the most adorable pair of dog ears she'd ever seen. Despite his appearance, he was an obnoxious, arrogant, and ruthless demon. The worst person she ever met and she was stuck with him.

Kagome was told by his keepers that he was trying to steal a sacred chest that contained a jewel called the Shikon No Tama. For what? Only kami-sama knew but he was caught by its guardians. So, because he was young and by the law of Hell couldn't endure eternal punishment, the guardians of the jewel went to the next thing and assigned him a role as her imaginary friend. The once invincible prince of demons was now an invisible friend to a weak and lonely human girl.

She heard of little children having imaginary friends and all but never a demon! Heck, she'd probably be better off with a dinosaur that could have swallowed her whole instead of....

Inuyasha.

Never mind the fire. The moment he showed up is when her real problems began. He was to help her but only gave her more worries. And he always had something to say about humans to lower her self-esteem. How could the cold hearted demon prince possibly help her, a kind hearted human girl?

Everyone thought she lost it. Talking to her self when she was really talking to him, and being seen as a trouble maker when he was the prankster. Inuyasha , popping out of nowhere, couldn't he leave her alone for one day? He didn't show all morning and she prayed he wouldn't.

With out even realizing it, Kagome's tears had stopped flowing the moment she remembered his name. Yet she was still unaware that Hojou continued following her. Stopping at the 'No Walking' signal she tightened her sweater around her, looked around her to see if any cars were passing also noticing the rapidly falling snow, and then finally spotted them. A group of high school guys at least 10 feet behind her, staring at her hungrily like if she was a dangling piece of meat. There were five, no six of them including their leader. Hojou.

Wait... wasn't he that popular kid that her friends constantly spoke of? Yes, it was him. Light brown hair, blue eyes... oh yeah she remembered him now! He had a crush on her. How could she forget? When her family had passed away, he would get her little gifts and write her notes telling her that she had a real friend that she could count on. How sweet. It seemed that he liked her but he never asked her out before. Or did he? Yes he did! Yes now it was coming together. He asked her out and her friends told her to say no because... because he had a dangerous split personality.

Uh oh.

 He must have followed her from school. For what? Just to ask her out? What a weirdo. And why were they all looking at her like that?

"Uh-hello H-Hojou-kun. W-what are you d-doing here?" She calmly asked while shivering from the cold and fear.

"Kagome..." He never addressed her by her first name before, and the very way he said her name caused her to shudder. Something was different. What was it?

His eyes.

They reflected something deep inside. Something very... disturbing. Suddenly it hit her. The looks they were giving her, the reason they followed her, the look in his eyes... they wanted something from her. More specifically, they wanted her.

What should she do? What could she do?! They'd catch her no matter what she did. Hojou... no, that wasn't him. It couldn't be him! What happened to that sweet guy that bought her all those gifts and sent her all those notes? It wasn't him, it was his other half. Regardless if it was him or not, she still knew what they were going to do to her. Struck by fear, only one word came into mind...

Run.

Kagome couldn't think. All she could do was concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other. Stealing a quick glance behind her shoulder, she saw that they were also running after her. Cold quickly forgotten, she used all the energy she had and ran. Faster than her legs had ever taken her.

 Where was everyone? The kids that usually stood outside playing with snow? The cars that were constantly in motion? The people that would just walk by? For crying out loud people it's only snow! Who could help her then? Six guys against one girl were not good odds. The streets were empty so she was all alone with these creeps that wanted to hurt her. Possibly kill her. Just realizing that one little word made run even faster. Her feet kept on moving in a pattern. It was like she was a machine running on fuel except the fuel in her case was her fear.

The beating of her heart increased with every step she took. It beat louder and faster every time one of her feet came in contact with the solid ground.

Step after step...

Thump

Foot after foot...

Thump thump

And beat after beat.

Thump thump, thump thump

Memories of stories she heard with people in similar situations flooded her mind. Stories on how people were constantly being bullied and always ran in order not to, and stories about women that were harassed and used. But Kagome was not one of those people and she wasn't about to become one. If they wanted her, they would have to catch-

Just then, Kagome's whole body roughly came in contact with something soft yet solid in front of her, and she started falling backwards expecting to hit the cement until she realized that someone caught her in mid air. Slowly opening one of her eye lids, she saw what she bumped into and who caught her. Then her eyes widened in shock.

Hojou. But how... when? She quickly turned her head to the right. Then to the left. They were coming from different directions.

They split up.

Kagome lifted her head to look into Hojou's eyes.

"Hojou-kun please listen to me, this isn't you! You're not like this. You're a kind person." She desperately tried to plead with him but failed. His eyes. Blood red and full of evil. They weren't his. But split personality or not, she was a human not a toy. She lifted both her hands and pushed him causing him to release the hold on her sweater. Abruptly she stood up on her own two feet and glared dangerously making them gasp and cautiously take a step back. Except Hojou. What was with this guy?

"Now you listen here. I'm no toy. I'm a person and I have a name. It's Kagome. Ka-go-me! Look around people. It's like zero degrees and we're out here playing cat and mouse in our rinky dinky uniforms. Get moving and get home before we all freeze to death!" Hojou's friends stood frozen in shock and fear as this once helpless girl now resembled one of their angry mothers. Yet Hojou remained the same. Same blood red eyes, same disgusting smirk.

"What were you trying to accomplish?" Hojou hissed. "Trying to scare me away?"

Regardless of being pink from the cold, Kagome's face grew pale. Boy, his split personality sure was intimidating.

"I know what you thinking. You think I'm Hojou's split personality but you're wrong." Hojou's         smirk disappeared and his face grew emotionless which was

even more dangerous from before. He started towards her as well as his companions behind him. All Kagome could do was take small steps back every time he stepped forward.

"You can sense it. The jewel. Something I need to make me much more powerful. It's so much easier to get a hold of you, a weak pitiful human than of the beautiful princess Kikyou. Not that I don't want Kikyou for myself either." His smirk appeared again as he spoke to her making her want to scream and hurl at the same time. Princess Kikyou? Who the heck was that?!

"Hojou-kun... don't." kagome said barley above a whisper finding it difficult to speak since she was so fear struck.

"I already told you that my name is not Hojou" He dangerously spat then stopped about three feet in front of her. "But you can call me, Naraku..."

~*~*~

This is my very first fanfic. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter because theres more to come! Please review!=D