Chapter 2

16 years later...In the country of Shikon, the same baby girl, who had grown to become quite a beautiful young woman, stood in the middle of a road, clutching the very same necklace that rested upon her still inflicted birthmark...
"Kagome!"
"Sango, Kohaku! Shippo!"
The 16-year old Kagome turned to see her best friends running towards her.
"What is it?"
"Did you hear? The princes of this country, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are coming today!"
"What?"
"Yeah! Isn't it cool?" Shippo asked.
"I want to see the prince Sango!" Kohaku said, tugging at his sister's skirt.
"I do too."
"Why should we?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, Kagome?"
"I just hear that both are stupid, arrogant, and egotistical to boot. I wouldn't want to see either, but that's my opinion, and plus..."
"Oh...Kaede's illness?"
"Yes...the healers say she won't last much longer, and she wants me to be by her side during her passing..."
Sango smiled at her friend.
"Always so considerate, aren't you Kagome?" Sango exclaimed, putting an arm around her friend.
Kagome blushed.
"Hey, hey! No time for feeling embarrassed! We've got to get to work!"
"Right..."
"Shippo, Kohaku! Why don't the two of you go and play in the fields? We'll come and pick you up at sundown!"
"K! Bye sister! Goodbye Kagome!"
Both Sango and Kagome waved goodbye, and turned around and began to walk to their workplace. Since both girls were only 16, they had to clean out the dung piles in the stables. On a good day, both girls only took six hours to clean off the crusted horse dung, even though their arms were sore enough to fall off afterwards. It wasn't the greatest job in the world, but it got great pay, and the girls got to even ride the horses sometimes.
"Ugh. Here we are...another good day of cleaning horse shit piles!" Sango exclaimed.
"It's ok Sango. It'll eventually get to be better."
"You always say that Kagome! And every day...it's never gotten better!"
"D-don't get angry Sango! I'm sorry!" Kagome replied, cowering below Sango's angry figure.

Meanwhile...
"So...how much longer 'til we get to this place?"
"Were already there..."
People started to move and bow at the sight of a blue and gold carriage clammering down the stone slabbed streets. One of the men in the carriage just sulked and muttered under his breath on why he had to be there, and the other just continued to look out the window, smiling at every attractive girl they passed by.
"Miroku...think you can control yourself until were on our way home?"
"Prince Inuyasha...why the sour mood?"
"I don't see why I had to come and my elder brother didn't have to!"
"He had a meeting to attend with the King of Kakera."
"That king? The one whose wife was murdered and whose daughter was kidnapped?"
"Yes. If the girl was still alive, she'd be at least sixteen."
"So...I got the dung heap while Sesshomaru got to go visit yet another king?"
"It would seem so."
Inuyasha growled underneath his breath, angered at his brother's admittance into every high class occasion in the world, while he got to see how his country's people were doing. He hated how Sesshomaru gloated about it too, always preparing just in front of him, and saying he'd bring a doggy bag back for him.
"What the-"
All of a sudden, a girl stumbled out into the street, falling right in front of the carriage.
"Stop!"
"What is it Miroku?!"
"A girl! She fell into the road!"
"What?! Stop the carriage!"
The girl screamed in horror. But, just as ordered, the carriage stopped suddenly, causing a screech to be heard throughout the streets. Inuyasha and Miroku jumped out of the carriage, and rushed over to the girl.

About a minute before...
"D-don't get angry Sango! I'm sorry! Don't hurt me!"
Sango looked angry, but suddenly pulled back, holding a hand out to her friend, and smiled at her.
"You know that I could never get mad at you, Kagome!"
Kagome smiled back, and stood up, using Sango to steady herself, but, alas, it wouldn't be enough. Since the girls were only halfway done, and being that she was right near the door, Kagome slipped on some dung, and fell down again, stumbling and the rolling out onto the street, right in front of the royal carriage.
"Kagome!" Sango screamed.
"Stop!"
"What is it Miroku?!"
"A girl! She fell into the road!"
"What?! Stop the carriage!"
Kagome screamed, covering her ears and closing her eyes tightly. *I'm gonna get run over by a carriage! I'm gonna die!!*
But then, the carriage stopped about four feet in front of her, causing an awful, loud screech to hit Kagome's ears. When it stopped, Kagome uncovered her ears and opened her eyes, and saw her friend running towards her and.doing the same thing was...two men? Then, everything went black.