Prologue: This Is Your Life




"Come on, Makoto! Just a few more steps! You can do it!"

Makoto glared up at a smiling Rei, already at the top of the steps, then staggered upwards until she was on even ground again. She dropped the luggage (the reason why she'd been so far behind) and let out a long sigh.

"Honestly, Rei... How did I end up carrying all your bags?"

Rei clapped her hands, laughing. "Because you're stronger than me, and you're my very best friend in the whole wide world."

The brunette just rolled her eyes, picking the luggage back up. "Riiiight..."

She reflected that Rei was acting more cheerful than usual, and figured it was because she was getting to come here on vacation. Apparantly, this Kagome Higurashi was Rei's cousin, and they'd been close when they were younger. Unfortunately, Rei had been given over to her grandfather's custody, and hadn't been able to see her cousin for years. Until now, that is.

Makoto slanted a look at the girl next to her, who was nearly bouncing from excitement.

She deserves this. Hell, after what we went through with Galaxia, we all deserve a little vacation.

Everyone else had, in fact, taken their own 'vacations'. Ami had gone to a conference with her mother, being held in Kyoto. Usagi and Mamoru went to a nearby resort, and Minako had went to visit Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru, who were currently in England.

In fact, the only one who hadn't had anything to do was Makoto. Rei, however, wouldn't let one of her friends just sit around by herself for their three months of vacation. So, she'd invited Makoto to come along with her.

After some... persuassion on Rei's part, Makoto had finally agreed.

And so, here they were.

They reached the front door of the house, but before they could announce their presence the door opened and a blur of white and green slammed in to Rei, sending the priestess stumbling back a few steps.

"Rei! You're finally here! And- Oh. I'm sorry."

The 'blur' stepped back, and it was Kagome that stood in front of them, all smiles, a slightly sheepish look crossing her face when she looked at Makoto. She bowed. "I'm Kagome Higurashi, Rei's cousin. You must be Makoto Kino. I've heard a lot about you from Rei."

Makoto gave Rei an amused glance and Rei just shrugged and smiled, looking a lot like Kagome right then. The brunette turned her gaze back to Kagome, bowing in return after she'd set down the luggage.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Higurashi. Rei's told me a lot about you, too."

Kagome blushed, waving a hand and bending to pick up a few of their bags. "Please, call me Kagome. Any friend of Rei's is a friend of mine. Come on in. I'm sure you're both hungry. We're just about to have dinner."

Makoto picked up the rest of the bags, trailing after Rei and Kagome and shutting the door behind her.

After slipping off her shoes, she put the bags next to the stairwell, where Kagome had placed the rest of them.

"We can take them up to the guest room after dinner. I hope you don't mind sharing a room..."

Makoto and Rei both shook their heads. Kagome looked a little relieved, and nodded.

"Alright then. Time to meet the rest of the family, and eat!"



*******




After a large meal of all Rei's favorite foods, Rei and Kagome took the bags up to the guest room while Makoto helped Kagome's mother clean up.

"You really don't have to do this dear."

Makoto looked up from drying a plate, smiling at the older woman. "Oh no, it's alright. Besides, if I didn't do it, it just wouldn't feel right. I have to take care of myself at home, and I'm used to it."

Mrs. Higurashi looked suprised for a moment. "What about your parents?"

Makoto's smile slipped, but just a little, and just for a moment. "They died when I was young. I've been on my own for a while."

"Oh! I'm sorry..."

"No, it's okay. You didn't know. Besides, it happened a long time ago. It doesn't hurt as much as it used to."

"I know how it is, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said, nodding. Makoto wondered at this statement for a few seconds before remembering that Kagome's dad was dead.

A look of understanding passed between the two, and they finished cleaning up in easy silence.



*******




It was near midnight when a noise from outside woke Makoto up. She crawled to the window from her futon, peeking her head over the sill. Though it was night, the moon was high and bright and she could see two dark shapes heading towards the well-house. One of them looked like...

"Rei! Rei, wake up!"

Rei woke, looking blearily at Makoto. "If this is anything short of the end of the world, I'm going to beat you."

Strange, how they could joke about the end of the world like that.

Makoto waved her over, then looked back outside just in time to catch sight of Kagome shutting the door to the well-house.

"I just saw Kagome and someone else head towards the well-house!"

Rei peeked out the window, then shrugged. "So? Maybe she has a secret boyfriend and this is the only time she can meet with him."

Makoto gave Rei a strange look. "But in the well-house?"

Rei looked at Makoto, then back outside. "You've got a point... Let's wait a while. If they don't come out in thirty minutes, we'll go and check on her, okay?"

Makoto agreed, and they sat down to wait.

Thirty minutes later found the two dressed, flashlights in hand, sneaking towards the well-house.

They stopped in front of it, and Rei shivered. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I'm getting some strange vibes from this place."

"Well, isn't that all the more reason to go in? What if something's happened to Kagome? It's our duty, as friends and Senshi, to rescue her from whatever harm comes her way."

Rei hesitated just a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's go in."

Makoto opened the door, then rushed inside to find...

"Where is she?"

Rei stepped in behind the taller girl, swinging her flashlight around, the beam hitting on everything but Kagome.

"I... don't know. Think she disappeared?"

Makoto walked down the steps, slowly, to peer down inside the well. "Maybe..."

"You think she's down there?" Rei jogged down to stand beside her. She shone her flashlight down. "I don't see anything... But I do feel something."

Makoto looked at Rei for a long moment, then sat on the side of the well, swinging her legs over the edge of it. Rei jumped up beside her. They switched their flashlights to their outer hands, grabbed a hold of each other, and jumped.



*******




"I'm telling you, Inu-Yasha, I can't stay! I only came back to tell the others that it would be a while longer. I have guests!"

Inu-Yasha's ears twitched and he frowned. "Feh. Your cousin and her friend. I already know that. But Kagome, the shards are more important! And Naraku's attacked two villages since you left! We can't keep having these delays!"

Kagome looked away from him, expression tight. "I know. I know... But this is really important to me. Rei was my best friend before I even knew what that meant, and I haven't seen her in years. What if... what if I don't get another chance to see her?"

Inu-Yasha looked a little guilty at that, and he reached out a hand. "Geez, Kagome, don't cry. You can-" He stopped, sniffing the air, ears twitching even more. They weren't too far from the well, so when the light shone from it, they could see it.

"People... coming through the well?!" Kagome raced back up the hill before Inu-Yasha could react. He bound after her, catching up quickly.

"Oi wench, don't be so stu-"

Two girls crawled up and out, interupting him. The first had long black hair and looked a lot like Kagome. She also wore the strange future clothes like Kagome. The other was different, with long brown hair up in a ponytail, and green eyes. Inu-Yasha had never seen green eyes on a person before. And he thought Miroku's purple eyes had been strange.

The first flopped out over the edge, tumbling a few feet in the grass before coming to a stop. Kagome helped her stand up and brush her clothes off. The second pulled herself up and over in a show of grace that could rival Sango, landing gently on the ground and straightening up. He could see now that she was tall, much taller than the other two girls, nearly as tall as himself.

The first girl spoke. "Kagome! Where are we? What happened? And who is that?" She pointed at Inu-Yasha, and he "Feh"'d and crossed his arms.

Kagome laughed. "That's Inu-Yasha. Remember the one I was telling you about? Inu-Yasha, this is my cousin, Rei, and our friend, Makoto."

Rei blinked. "You mean... THAT'S INU-YASHA?! But he's a- a-"

Makoto spoke up. "A demon? But... he's not like the enemies we usually face. Besides, Kagome looks perfectly fine, so he must be harmless."

Inu-Yasha growled at that, tightening one hand in to a fist. "Harmless?! I'll show you 'harmless'!"

Before Kagome could 'sit' him, Makoto simply threw her head back and laughed. "Yeah. Harmless."

And, for some reason, the look in her eyes shut him up, and he followed the three in silence back to the village.