No Ordinary Love:
An Inu-yasha Fanfic
"There's nothing like you and I baby"-Sade
Chapter 1
To Find You
The girl ran through the damp alleyway at a speed that should have betrayed her condition. She slipped in the puddles left from an earlier rainfall and skidded painfully across the asphalt, skinning one foot badly. Without seeming to notice, she got back up and continued moving. Her clothes were dirty and bloodstained and her shoes had long ago been discarded. In one hand she clutched a small sliver of crystal as if her life depended on it. She didn't know why she did this but she seemed unable to relinquish it. She had found it earlier while out with her friends. They had been exploring an abandoned shrine in the woods when she caught sight of it glimmering weakly in the dirt. As a child she had collected whatever crystals or minerals she could find, this seemed no different. Clenching a fist around it she ran harder and didn't dare look behind her. If she felt the sting of deep claw marks along her back she gave no notice. Nor did she flinch when her bare foot came down hard on a piece of broken glass. She wrenched the glass out quickly and threw it away before continuing her run in a zigzag fashion to throw off her pursuer. Behind her the demon was bellowing loudly and dragging it's lumbering body after her at a dangerous speed. To her eyes it had resembled something close to a huge grotesque tree, and even that didn't quite describe it. The girl didn't know why it was after her but she was quite sure it would kill her if she let it get close enough.
A half an hour earlier the monster had attacked her dorm room, broken in the window and possibly killed one of her roommates. It had come barreling through the window growling and trying to speak. Most of it was indecipherable except for one word; "Shikon". After that it had reached for her and she had run away. She had run down the stairs and out the door in an attempt to lead it away. It must have realized to an extent what she was doing; it was waiting for her when she came out. That was when it had struck her from behind. Razor sharp claws had bitten into her skin ripped along her back. She had fallen hard into the dirt and couldn't believe the pain the racked her body. She felt it standing over her and knew that she didn't have time before it killed her. Her hands had fumbled madly over the ground in front of her, trying to find anything with which to defend herself. Her fingers finally closed over something thick. She didn't stop to see what it was but turned around swinging it. There was a loud clanging sound, a pained roar and then she opened her eyes. In her hands was an old metal rake, probably left behind by a member of the gardening crew. There had been black blood glistening on the blades of the rake and the monster was holding its head and screaming. Without a second thought she threw it to the ground and ran off.
Even now she could feel the blood dripping down her spine and the back of her legs.
She knew she was losing ground quickly; as well as a great deal of blood. Whether it was from the loss of blood or pure exhaustion she knew she wouldn't be able to run much longer. The alley had disappeared somewhere behind her and now she found herself facing a large set of stairs. Ignoring the intense pain shooting through her bloodied feet she raced up the stairs two at a time. Once she finished that painful climb her heart sank. There was nothing more there than a large old tree and what appeared to be a well house. The area looked as though it might have once been a shrine but the house was in ruins. Possibly from a fire, or maybe it had even been demolished. Whatever had happened here, it had apparently been abandoned some time ago. The well house also looked in danger of collapsing at any moment. The wood on the outside was rotted and looked infested with termites. Still, her options were limited and maybe she could find a place to lie low in there until the monster left. She hobbled painfully to the door and rushed inside, trying to close it quietly behind her. No such luck, the door creaked complainingly behind her the whole way. The inside of the well house was very sparse, virtually empty save for the rotten well at the bottom of the steps and a few abandoned boxes. The floor she was standing on was littered with the skeletons of insects and she was almost sure she could make out the remains of a cat somewhere in the back. She shivered as she stood there staring around. What she had chosen as a place or refuge was turning out to be just as bad as what she was facing outside. When she heard a monstrous yell not so far away she rethought that idea and realized maybe she could deal with the filth in here. She whipped her head around in fear as she realized she didn't have time to stare at the surroundings. Not thinking about what she was doing, the girl ran frantically down the steps looking for anywhere she could hide. She had just reached the edge of the well when the door above gave a horrible splintering sound and suddenly blew apart. It happened with such force that the explosion pushed her to back against the well. As she hit the edge she lost her footing and felt her body tipping backwards. She felt herself falling over into the well as the thing above her screamed first in triumph and then in anger. For the briefest of moments she saw a monstrous clawed arm swinging above and then it seemed to fade. As she fell back into the darkness the roar also seemed to grow fainter then vanish all together. Then she had the sensation of floating briefly before her body fell heavily onto the well floor. She hit so hard that the air rushed from her lungs and she lay gasping for breath.
The girl looked above her, expecting to see two terrible red eyes looking back at her. Instead she saw night sky and stars blinking at her in between clouds. She blinked in confusion for a moment and wondered if maybe blood loss was making her see things. She sat up slowly and torturously, gritting her teeth the whole way. There was no sound of demon cries from above, only the night sounds of cicadas and crickets.
Feeling utterly confused the girl pushed herself onto her bloody feet and made for the nearby vines, she gave them a firm tug to see if they were strong enough to support her weight then made an excruciating upward climb. This was not so unlike climbing out of the underground caves near her home. As a child she had done this many times, though not with injured feet she had to remind herself. She made it to the top and pulled herself up with what little strength remained in her. As she tried to pull herself bodily out of the well her arms gave out and she tumbled ungracefully over the side onto the grass. Her vision was growing blurry now and the sounds of crickets felt louder in her ears than it should. In truth the night sounds seemed deafening to her. She decided she needed to try to find help and once again rose onto shaky, weak legs. She had not moved more than a few steps before she saw a human-like figure before her. She could not make out any features other than long hair and a robe. The pounding in her head was growing worse as she tried to make out who was standing there. She decided to move closer for a better look and took two more shaky steps before her vision blurred. She felt herself tumbling into darkness, leaving her with only a vague image of golden eyes and white hair.
Inuyasha did not know what he expected to find, going to that dried well night after night. Maybe some part of him expected Kagome to magically appear out of it and smile at him with her unwavering faith. Ready as always to go on another adventure, expecting him to protect her no matter what. He knew she would never appear in his world again, or even in her own. Inuyasha knew full well that Kagome was dead and nothing in either world would bring her back. Time had not healed the wound of her loss or his longing to be with her. With something close to a bitter laugh he realized that even Kikyos death was not as bad as Kagomes. Being near the well was like being near her again and, though it hurt, he took some comfort in that.
Imagine his surprise when he reached the well and his senses were assailed by the smell of fresh blood. He had frozen before approaching because he could not understand the reason for it. Imagine his further shock when a copper colored arm reached over the side of the well, and fir one fleeting moment he thought he just might see her. A second later that idea was blown away when a red haired girl came tumbling out of it instead. She was filthy and covered in blood but was still trying desperately to move around. He watched her in a state of shock as she seemed to rise painfully to her feet and move towards him. Even covered in blood and grime she was like nothing he had ever seen. Her long red hair was curly and seemed to fall almost to her waist. Her skin was not Kagomes shade of olive but she was evenly tanned none the less and patches of it shone beneath the mud and grime. The girl's eyes were a bright aqua blue and fixed on him. "Who..." He started to speak when he realized she didn't seem to be looking at him. She squinted at him as she took a few steps but didn't seem to truly see him. Her clothes were different from anything he ever saw Kagome wear too. The lower portions fit to her legs but were very short. What he remembered Kagome referring to as "Shorts." She wore a top with no sleeves that he vaguely remembered Kagome referring to as a "Tank top". The girl took a few more steps toward him before immediately collapsing at his feet. The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion for him. The two shaky steps she took in his direction, then the light leaving her eyes, her knees buckling, the fall. She hit the ground with a heavy thud, her hair laying itself gently over his feet. Something fell from her hand with an almost inaudible tinkling sound and glittered up at him. He looked down at it with a mix of horror and surprise; it was the final shard of the Shikon jewel. The Jewel shard he had searched for since kagome died, the shard demons still hunted for now. How had this strange girl come to have it? She rustled slightly on the ground and the hair over his foot moved. He had a few moments to marvel at how soft it felt even when tangled and matted. Inuyasha looked down at her for a moment before kneeling to take a closer look. There were jagged deep wounds running the length of her back that were bleeding badly, not to mention what looked like a gapping hole in one foot. The other foot was scratched up and bleeding badly as well, as if she had somehow taken the hide of it. He turned her over to look at her face once again and wondered who she was and where she came from. He then had a flashback to when Kagome died and swallowed hard against that pain. Brown eyes staring apologetically into his, that olive colored hand that had tightly gripped the front of his obi going slack. He shook his head to clear that wretched memory, this girl was not Kagome. She wasn't Kagome but she did have a shard of the jewel and that was reason enough to be curious. With a great amount of gentleness, he lifted the girl into his arms and decided he would try to save her; if for no other reason than to find out her association with the shard. She seemed to whimper slightly in pain before going still once more and he felt a sense of resolve rising in him. It also felt as if he was being given a third and final chance to save someone's life, it was like Kagome was being returned to him. He had already failed to save two women's lives; he was not going to do it again. Moving swiftly through the forest Inuyasha took her to the one person who might be able to save her; Kaede.
An Inu-yasha Fanfic
"There's nothing like you and I baby"-Sade
Chapter 1
To Find You
The girl ran through the damp alleyway at a speed that should have betrayed her condition. She slipped in the puddles left from an earlier rainfall and skidded painfully across the asphalt, skinning one foot badly. Without seeming to notice, she got back up and continued moving. Her clothes were dirty and bloodstained and her shoes had long ago been discarded. In one hand she clutched a small sliver of crystal as if her life depended on it. She didn't know why she did this but she seemed unable to relinquish it. She had found it earlier while out with her friends. They had been exploring an abandoned shrine in the woods when she caught sight of it glimmering weakly in the dirt. As a child she had collected whatever crystals or minerals she could find, this seemed no different. Clenching a fist around it she ran harder and didn't dare look behind her. If she felt the sting of deep claw marks along her back she gave no notice. Nor did she flinch when her bare foot came down hard on a piece of broken glass. She wrenched the glass out quickly and threw it away before continuing her run in a zigzag fashion to throw off her pursuer. Behind her the demon was bellowing loudly and dragging it's lumbering body after her at a dangerous speed. To her eyes it had resembled something close to a huge grotesque tree, and even that didn't quite describe it. The girl didn't know why it was after her but she was quite sure it would kill her if she let it get close enough.
A half an hour earlier the monster had attacked her dorm room, broken in the window and possibly killed one of her roommates. It had come barreling through the window growling and trying to speak. Most of it was indecipherable except for one word; "Shikon". After that it had reached for her and she had run away. She had run down the stairs and out the door in an attempt to lead it away. It must have realized to an extent what she was doing; it was waiting for her when she came out. That was when it had struck her from behind. Razor sharp claws had bitten into her skin ripped along her back. She had fallen hard into the dirt and couldn't believe the pain the racked her body. She felt it standing over her and knew that she didn't have time before it killed her. Her hands had fumbled madly over the ground in front of her, trying to find anything with which to defend herself. Her fingers finally closed over something thick. She didn't stop to see what it was but turned around swinging it. There was a loud clanging sound, a pained roar and then she opened her eyes. In her hands was an old metal rake, probably left behind by a member of the gardening crew. There had been black blood glistening on the blades of the rake and the monster was holding its head and screaming. Without a second thought she threw it to the ground and ran off.
Even now she could feel the blood dripping down her spine and the back of her legs.
She knew she was losing ground quickly; as well as a great deal of blood. Whether it was from the loss of blood or pure exhaustion she knew she wouldn't be able to run much longer. The alley had disappeared somewhere behind her and now she found herself facing a large set of stairs. Ignoring the intense pain shooting through her bloodied feet she raced up the stairs two at a time. Once she finished that painful climb her heart sank. There was nothing more there than a large old tree and what appeared to be a well house. The area looked as though it might have once been a shrine but the house was in ruins. Possibly from a fire, or maybe it had even been demolished. Whatever had happened here, it had apparently been abandoned some time ago. The well house also looked in danger of collapsing at any moment. The wood on the outside was rotted and looked infested with termites. Still, her options were limited and maybe she could find a place to lie low in there until the monster left. She hobbled painfully to the door and rushed inside, trying to close it quietly behind her. No such luck, the door creaked complainingly behind her the whole way. The inside of the well house was very sparse, virtually empty save for the rotten well at the bottom of the steps and a few abandoned boxes. The floor she was standing on was littered with the skeletons of insects and she was almost sure she could make out the remains of a cat somewhere in the back. She shivered as she stood there staring around. What she had chosen as a place or refuge was turning out to be just as bad as what she was facing outside. When she heard a monstrous yell not so far away she rethought that idea and realized maybe she could deal with the filth in here. She whipped her head around in fear as she realized she didn't have time to stare at the surroundings. Not thinking about what she was doing, the girl ran frantically down the steps looking for anywhere she could hide. She had just reached the edge of the well when the door above gave a horrible splintering sound and suddenly blew apart. It happened with such force that the explosion pushed her to back against the well. As she hit the edge she lost her footing and felt her body tipping backwards. She felt herself falling over into the well as the thing above her screamed first in triumph and then in anger. For the briefest of moments she saw a monstrous clawed arm swinging above and then it seemed to fade. As she fell back into the darkness the roar also seemed to grow fainter then vanish all together. Then she had the sensation of floating briefly before her body fell heavily onto the well floor. She hit so hard that the air rushed from her lungs and she lay gasping for breath.
The girl looked above her, expecting to see two terrible red eyes looking back at her. Instead she saw night sky and stars blinking at her in between clouds. She blinked in confusion for a moment and wondered if maybe blood loss was making her see things. She sat up slowly and torturously, gritting her teeth the whole way. There was no sound of demon cries from above, only the night sounds of cicadas and crickets.
Feeling utterly confused the girl pushed herself onto her bloody feet and made for the nearby vines, she gave them a firm tug to see if they were strong enough to support her weight then made an excruciating upward climb. This was not so unlike climbing out of the underground caves near her home. As a child she had done this many times, though not with injured feet she had to remind herself. She made it to the top and pulled herself up with what little strength remained in her. As she tried to pull herself bodily out of the well her arms gave out and she tumbled ungracefully over the side onto the grass. Her vision was growing blurry now and the sounds of crickets felt louder in her ears than it should. In truth the night sounds seemed deafening to her. She decided she needed to try to find help and once again rose onto shaky, weak legs. She had not moved more than a few steps before she saw a human-like figure before her. She could not make out any features other than long hair and a robe. The pounding in her head was growing worse as she tried to make out who was standing there. She decided to move closer for a better look and took two more shaky steps before her vision blurred. She felt herself tumbling into darkness, leaving her with only a vague image of golden eyes and white hair.
Inuyasha did not know what he expected to find, going to that dried well night after night. Maybe some part of him expected Kagome to magically appear out of it and smile at him with her unwavering faith. Ready as always to go on another adventure, expecting him to protect her no matter what. He knew she would never appear in his world again, or even in her own. Inuyasha knew full well that Kagome was dead and nothing in either world would bring her back. Time had not healed the wound of her loss or his longing to be with her. With something close to a bitter laugh he realized that even Kikyos death was not as bad as Kagomes. Being near the well was like being near her again and, though it hurt, he took some comfort in that.
Imagine his surprise when he reached the well and his senses were assailed by the smell of fresh blood. He had frozen before approaching because he could not understand the reason for it. Imagine his further shock when a copper colored arm reached over the side of the well, and fir one fleeting moment he thought he just might see her. A second later that idea was blown away when a red haired girl came tumbling out of it instead. She was filthy and covered in blood but was still trying desperately to move around. He watched her in a state of shock as she seemed to rise painfully to her feet and move towards him. Even covered in blood and grime she was like nothing he had ever seen. Her long red hair was curly and seemed to fall almost to her waist. Her skin was not Kagomes shade of olive but she was evenly tanned none the less and patches of it shone beneath the mud and grime. The girl's eyes were a bright aqua blue and fixed on him. "Who..." He started to speak when he realized she didn't seem to be looking at him. She squinted at him as she took a few steps but didn't seem to truly see him. Her clothes were different from anything he ever saw Kagome wear too. The lower portions fit to her legs but were very short. What he remembered Kagome referring to as "Shorts." She wore a top with no sleeves that he vaguely remembered Kagome referring to as a "Tank top". The girl took a few more steps toward him before immediately collapsing at his feet. The whole thing seemed to happen in slow motion for him. The two shaky steps she took in his direction, then the light leaving her eyes, her knees buckling, the fall. She hit the ground with a heavy thud, her hair laying itself gently over his feet. Something fell from her hand with an almost inaudible tinkling sound and glittered up at him. He looked down at it with a mix of horror and surprise; it was the final shard of the Shikon jewel. The Jewel shard he had searched for since kagome died, the shard demons still hunted for now. How had this strange girl come to have it? She rustled slightly on the ground and the hair over his foot moved. He had a few moments to marvel at how soft it felt even when tangled and matted. Inuyasha looked down at her for a moment before kneeling to take a closer look. There were jagged deep wounds running the length of her back that were bleeding badly, not to mention what looked like a gapping hole in one foot. The other foot was scratched up and bleeding badly as well, as if she had somehow taken the hide of it. He turned her over to look at her face once again and wondered who she was and where she came from. He then had a flashback to when Kagome died and swallowed hard against that pain. Brown eyes staring apologetically into his, that olive colored hand that had tightly gripped the front of his obi going slack. He shook his head to clear that wretched memory, this girl was not Kagome. She wasn't Kagome but she did have a shard of the jewel and that was reason enough to be curious. With a great amount of gentleness, he lifted the girl into his arms and decided he would try to save her; if for no other reason than to find out her association with the shard. She seemed to whimper slightly in pain before going still once more and he felt a sense of resolve rising in him. It also felt as if he was being given a third and final chance to save someone's life, it was like Kagome was being returned to him. He had already failed to save two women's lives; he was not going to do it again. Moving swiftly through the forest Inuyasha took her to the one person who might be able to save her; Kaede.
