Like Father

Chapter One:

Prologue

Where am I?

She awoke at the bottom of a well.

Her thoughts swam for a reasonable answer, but she was in shock.  All she could think about was the horrible pain covering her body from head to toe, claw to claw.  And then everything came rushing back like one giant migraine.

For an entire week, seven days, she had been running, fighting the cloud of darkness.  Each time it tracked her down and attacked, and she had been forced to flee.  It was no use; she couldn't fight a cloud of smoke, a cloud of deadly poison. Not only would she be defeated, but also the humans would die as well in the crossfire.  She had to stay away from them… she had to find a place to hide, away from all the humans, so that when the darkness cloud did track her down and attack, she could die knowing she had at least tried, and no humans had been killed during her fight.

Yet one question in particular swam through the awful memories, through the horrific pain.

Where am I?

As though in answer there was a voice coming closer.

"'Bye mom, Souta, Gramps!  I should be back in a week or two!"

"Kagome, you're going back already?  You've only been home three days."

"I know, mom, but I told Inuyasha I would be back in three days.  He'll blow his top if I'm not back soon."

"Well… Okay.  Just try and be safe."

"I will, mom.  Say 'bye to Gramps and Souta for me when they get back from wherever."

"All right."

The sound of a door being slid open and closed reached her ears, and then came footsteps leading closer.  Out of panic she tried to stand, but to no great effect as something suddenly landed on top of her back and her face met dirt.  And then there was a strange sensation all about her, as though she were sinking into the dirt but could breath easily.  For a moment there was no pain.

"Huh?"

And then the pain was back, and her face was back in the dirt.

"Inu… Inuyasha?"

She rolled over, and whatever was on her back fell off and landed beside her.

"Who are you?  You're not Inuyasha!  Oh gosh, you're bleeding… really badly!  Are you okay?  Can you walk?  Can you stand?  Here let me help you…"

"Don't," she managed to gasp as someone touched her arm and pain erupted there.  She struggled to get to her feet, using her sword in its scabbard to prop herself up.  Feebly she lifted her hand to wipe the crimson blood dribbling down her chin onto the back of her sleeve, and then she slowly looked to who had tried to help her and her eyes widened in surprise.  "M-mother?" And then she collapsed and all went dark.