Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. A woman named Rumiko Takahashi owns every bit of Inuyasha's godly attractive body, hair, eyes… and the ears. Oh, the ears! I can only sigh wistfully and write these fanfics of my own.
Author's Note: New story! YAAAY! x) I'm all excited, you guys! I'm hoping this will be successful, and I hope you all would like it. I was inspired for a new idea when I was playing with my new love, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the Gamecube. If you are not familiar with it, it starts off with a caravan of eight people in search of myrrh for their town. Myrrh, in the game, was used to ward off miasma that shrouded their world.
So one day, while I was at my last Biology class, I was thinking up of a plot since there was nothing else interesting to pay attention to. I'm sorry, but listening avidly to a topic of birth control isn't my style.
I formatted the main theme of the game into this fic, which is basically traveling to areas of the world in a caravan. And instead of the eight travelers, I've toned it down to five – and we all know who they are, don't we?
Oh yes – before you start reading, I wanted to say that this fic is mostly Inu/Kag. I won't settle for anything more of less.
Anyway. Happy reading! -hugs-
- Iced Insanity
There had once existed a land, far, far away from our very own. Legends once told of many unusual tales of the land's mystifying glory, however most of them were various accounts speaking of demons and humans. Some say it was a place where demons coexisted with humans in peace. Others spoke of a brutal account of demons devouring the entire human race. There was also once a man who dared to speak of his own opinion: that it was some sort of an afterlife, heaven in more ways than one.
But there was this one historian that furthered his means of research of understanding those secrets never told. He would spend days, weeks, and even months on end searching for hidden messages in the stars, experimenting with psychic reading, and even venturing out into ancient ruins to translate those strange, faded markings transcribed on the walls. On occasion he would lock himself up in his study, filling up pages and pages of a tale that he sworn he had copied from the walls.
Few believed him. Many others were skeptics, for that particular historian was deemed in many ways, crazy. They knew him as a poor, old coward, for he claimed loyalty to a family that many claimed had not existed. There were also many other reasons, though he was soon forgotten – just a few days after he had mysteriously vanished. The man taken nothing but himself to his unknown destination, leaving all of his possessions behind: scrolls of wrinkled parchment, a collection of pens and paper scattered chaotically on the floor, books orderly stacked high on the shelves, and a lot of other things.
The old man also did leave a diary behind, neatly placed next to a small shrine for his deceased wife. Pages were used up of all the man's research, holding an unspoken tale that the world had yet to uncover.
Once upon a time, the diary began with the old historian's scrunched-up scrawl. There was a girl, named Kagome.
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She was still very young, at the ripe age of fifteen. She was neither graceful nor poised, but nonetheless, she was the apple of her mother's eye: intelligent, kindhearted, and beautiful. While most girls had already sported the fashion of makeup, and a neat, tidy appearance, Kagome would take her beauty the way it came – naturally. The fierce, determined spark in her grey eyes, the radiant shine upon her smile, the heated blush upon her porcelain cheeks, and the way her dark, wild hair fell against her frame often left admirers tumbling in her wake.
Despite her beauty and intellect, Kagome was not at all perfect. Though she owned a compassionate nature, it soon turned sour when she was in the least bit provoked. Her temper often had that particular nasty flare of violence. She was often remembered roughhousing with the boys her own age, rather than enjoying her time at tea parties with the girls at the grassy fields near her village. She was athletic, though the village elders had frowned upon this trait. Sometimes they believed the girl would turn unruly for her temper and violent streak. They also knew that even at the age of three, Kagome sure knew how to pack a punch.
She also believed in no such thing as one true, perfect love. While most of the village girls were already married, and maybe even pregnant, Kagome stood alone, independent, and proud. She had admirers, but the number lessened with each passing day. None were so persistent in wooing and courting when it came to her, and all across her village she was known as the infamous shrew.
Her reputation was not negative in her mind, however. She knew that if she had ever considered the option to settle down – which she did, once or twice – she knew she would have to give up her daily life for another. And she knew, in the very depths of her heart, that she could not do such a thing. Kagome loved her family and her life as a shrine maiden, purifying all sorts of demons and miscellaneous items. The villagers often came to her when they sought help according to her area of expertise, and Kagome would willingly comply to their needs without charge.
She did have her bouts of fun, whenever she wasn't spending time at the shrine or helping her fellow neighbors. She enjoyed doing everyday chores, usually unheard of with the girls her age, such as feeding the chickens, scrubbing the house and shrine floors, as well as other things. Kagome had little time to herself, but when she did, she would always make good use of it by admiring the small patch of land that she had dubbed her garden. On occasional sunny afternoons she spent her time reading under the large willow tree that an ancestor had planted so long ago.
It was there, that this story began.
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"Higurashi-san?" Said a voice, waking Kagome from her light slumber from under the tree. She let out a small groan of an 'Mmpf', and shifted her position so she had faced away from the tall figure that loomed overhead against the early dawn morning. She needed only a few more minutes of sleep. She had, after all, stayed up for most of the evening by reading by the candlelight. Only when the wax had completely melted down to the bottom of her candlestick holder had Kagome decided to retire for sleep.
"Just a moment, Houjo," She answered groggily, batting him away with a hand. She was in no good mood as of now, especially with the dull ache that had consequently settled itself on the base of her neck. After a whole night in such a comfortable position, Kagome was not too surprised to notice her pain. She knew should have listened to her mother about good posture…
But Kagome heard not the pleasing soft thuds of her friend and admirer's departure. Muttering a few unladylike curses under her breath, she searched for the strength within her to finally turn around and open her eyes. Once she did, however, she was fully prepared to unleash the throng of rants, moans, and complaints she had been harboring ever since she had been woken up from her peaceful sleep.
"Listen, you," She began venomously, her eyes narrowing as soon as she fixed her gaze on the boy's face. She took in a head full of dark, unruly brown hair, unfamiliarly cold, blue eyes, an unshaved chin, and gasped.
"You… You're not Houjo." She pointed out bluntly.
"Afraid not," The man replied, removing the hat upon his head.
"I'm so sorry!" Gushed Kagome as she stood up, brushing any particles of dirt from her kimono. She bowed low, her face curtained under the mess of tangled dark hair. "I thought you were a friend…"
"That's quite alright. Anyway, my name Fuschida Kyoji. I come from the lands of Todo in search of you," He paused to glance at her. It was much to his surprise when he saw Kagome's retreating back. "…Miss?"
"I'm not interested, sir," She called from over her shoulder, scurrying down to her shrine. "Whether it be a sales investment or your permission for my hand in marriage."
"But Miss!" He called after her.
He received no reply.
Kagome quickened her pace and gathered up her skirts to keep from the man in hot pursuit after her. Though he was not running, his pace was quick, and she could hear him gain a few feet or so with each step he took. Oh, curse her small legs and his long ones!
Only recently had she been gaining more visits from traveling salespersons and requests for her hand in marriage. Kagome did not know why, only the simple fact that she had a small fortune and a claim on the shrine entitled to her name because of her father's recent death. The money was nothing extraordinary, for it would have been something to gawk at if it were not been split in half between herself and her younger brother, Souta. The Higurashi family of Ando village was not a wealthy family, but they had owned enough land and money. That, and besides pity, was a reason why these unwanted visitors continued their approach.
"Miss!" Called the man, but again Kagome did not reply. Instead she found herself thankfully close to the shoji door of her home and flung herself inside, crying for her grandpa, mother, or even Souta to help rid herself of the foreigner. But as luck would have it, Kagome received no answer, and instead contented herself with putting (though more like flinging) on her usual article of clothing to make herself appear more… decent. After all, she had just been clad in a filthy, torn attire, (in public!) rather than the neatly pressed priestess robe she normally had worn. Not that she had minded so much, of course, but her dear mother would.
'It's suddenly so quiet,' Kagome mused, once the man had stopped calling out to her. 'Maybe he had up and left?'
Her movements became less harried as she came upon this realization. She neatly tied her hair back into a low ponytail and equipped herself with a bow and arrow, a tradition that her grandfather had taught her to perform. Mikos, he had said, were often seen sporting their priestess robes and carrying some sort of weapon around. And besides, he had also added as an afterthought, it couldn't hurt one to protect herself.
She smiled at the memory, and then headed to the pantry to don an apron and retrieve a bag full of chicken feed. Her poor chickens were probably starved to death! She quickly passed the sleeping form of her fat cat, Buyo, and slipped out the door to her backyard. Kagome hummed a small tune along the way, once and awhile singing it whenever she knew the words.
"Miss?" A voice queried.
"Who's there?" Shrieked Kagome in surprise, nearly dropping the chicken feed she had been carrying on her apron. "What? You're still here? I thought you'd left!"
"Not yet, Higurashi-san," The man said in reply, watching the priestess's mouth twitch into a frown. "I have… business to speak with you. I believe – as well as many other people – that this is very important."
"Look, sir," She replied, as politely as she could. "I have already told you before. I'm not interested in whatever business that my concern you. I know this is a disappointment – what, you came from the town of Todo? Well, yes, that's a pretty long travel, but you're asking the wrong girl. I don't have anything to discuss. My father is dead, the lawyers from the city have already taken care of everything, and that's all the business I'm concerned about. As for anything else, I have enough clothes, enough money, and enough food to eat. I don't have any other cares in whatever your 'business' may concern."
"Miss—" The man interrupted.
"And would you please not call me 'Miss'? I prefer going by Kagome. I'm just a simple girl, really, so there's no need trying to flatter me so much with these titles," She added, stepping around him to her way to the chicken pen.
"Miss—" He began. "I mean, Kagome! This really is—"
"Important?" She answered for him. "You know what's important? Feeding my chickens is important. Without feeding my chickens, they could die off, and if they die off, that means no more eggs. No more eggs, means no more breakfast on the table. I would consider that important. Now, sir, please leave me alone. Good day."
"Miss Kagome!" He said, causing Kagome to arch an eyebrow. "There are a lot of lives that depend on this—"
Kagome sighed, not answering him, but not bothering to shoo him away either. She merely continued about her morning chore, collecting eggs and scattering the small dried seeds and corn inside the pen. The chickens squawked and fluffed up their wings, poking their beaks into the ground.
"You know," She said after awhile, her tone light and thoughtful. "I knew a monk once. He told me that he needed some important business to discuss with me one day. And I believed him – so I put off my work for the day, just to talk to him. All those poor villagers that so desperately needed my help had to wait, just for that monk. I thought that a large quantity of living, breathing people were in danger, but when I talked to him, he only asked me one question."
"And that was?" The foreigner asked.
"He asked me to bear his child," She said afterwards, stifling a laugh. "A life really did depend on what he asked from me – his. I never saw him again afterwards…"
"What did you do to him?"
"Oh, it's not what I did to him, it's what my grandpa did to him."
"Hey you little rascal!" Said the old man, as if on cue. He clenched his hand into fists and shook it, threatening, from his position from the house window. "Get your slimy hands off my granddaughter!"
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Oh, what a joy to be finally rid of that crazy man who had been pursuing her for most of the morning. Kagome knew she could happily leave things up to her grandpa to rid herself of any door-to-door salesman trying to get rid of some moth-eaten rug. Normally she could fend such people off, but when some were just so relentless… Unfortunately, Kagome had to admit, fending off that sort of people was a man's job.
"Is there anything else you need from me, Yanagi-san?" She asked the old woman across from her. Besides purifying all sorts of things, Kagome also had a job of being the local village healer. Today's earlier task had required her of healing the woman's well-loved cats from a slight cold. The poor Yanagi woman had nothing else besides her cats, and Kagome could not blame her from overly fretting over such a small thing such as a cold. In the era that she lived in, people had little to cling to, in such a time of war and distraught.
The Higurashi family was one of the few lucky ones. Throughout all the years of constant war that their country had experienced, they had somehow managed to keep close together. Despite the fact that Kagome's father had died in the war, but at least she hadn't lost all hope. She still had her brother, mother, and grandfather, unlike families such as the Yanagi's. Poor Yanagi Toki had lost both husband and only son during the war, and her only hope and joy in her life was her cats.
"Oh, no, Kagome," The woman said kindly. "That is just about it, my dear. Thank you."
"You're welcome!" She cheerfully replied, slipping her feet into her sandals. "It was no problem, Yanagi-san."
"If I could give you something to repay you…" Toki said in reply. "I will."
"There is absolutely no need," Kagome assured her as she headed outside. "I just do what I can."
The walk back to the shrine was crowded with curious villagers flocking the roads. Kagome stood on her tiptoes to peer over the crowd, trying to see what most of the ruckus was about. She gently squeezed through the people, muttering an occasional 'Sorry' when she knew she might have stepped on a foot. Grace and poise were not one of her strong points.
Kagome continued her procedure of squeezing and squishing until she saw a familiar face. A village girl stood near the sidelines of the growing cluster of people, curious and watchful, however not daring to join the crowd lest she disturb the newborn child that lay sleeping in her arms. Kagome smiled and approached the young mother.
"Hey, Yuka!" She greeted warmly, her voice soft. "What's going on here?"
"Oh, it's you, Kagome," Her friend said with a tired smile. "There was a representative today all the way from Todo in search of somebody… My husband told me that he was looking for some member for a caravan, you see. There's this quest about some jewel called the Shikon no Tama, and supposedly this man thinks that Ando could actually donate a member."
"They did find some sort of prophecy about this a long time ago, didn't they?" Inquired Kagome.
"Oh, yes," Said Yuka. "I guess that's what he's here for. He said that the jewel could help us stop this war – and even win. What a blessing that would be! Oh, Kagome, just think – we can actually go somewhere safe for a vacation! Goodness knows that my Keiji sure needs it. My husband has had a lot of back pains lately, and some days of good rest will do him well."
"You know, Yuka," Kagome said softly. "I'd always be there if you need any help."
"Thank you," Her friend answered graciously. A pause soon followed, and Yuka uncomfortably shifted her sleeping son to the side. "Well, ya know Kagome, I think it's time for me to head home. My little man right here needs to be put in a proper bed…"
Kagome watched her friend depart with a slight smile. She supposed she should head home, too, as well.
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When reached home, however, Kagome was not offered the usual smiles and hugs as she normally did when she returned from a long day's work. Instead, she found herself looking at the same annoying visitor that had so smugly seated himself upon a living room cushion. Her eyes trailed over to her quiet, expressionless mother across from him, pouring their visitor a cup of warm jasmine tea. The woman's head was bowed in a defeated manner, a bow that Kagome had recognized too well. She had seen it only weeks earlier at her father's funeral: it was a sign of grieving loss, as if her mother had fought in a battle that she knew she could not win.
"Mama?" She questioned softly, kneeling down next to the distraught woman. A frown crossed her features as Kagome gingerly reached out to grasp the woman's wrist, trying to get her mother's attention. "Mama… What's going on? Are you alright?"
"Oh, Kagome," Said her mother softly, looking at her daughter with unshed tears. "I'm afraid this will be quite of a shock for you."
"What?"
"Please, just listen to what the man has to say."
Reluctantly, Kagome turned her attention to the serious stranger who sat in her living room, calmly sipping his cup of tea. She arched a brow and settled herself neatly on the cushion next to her mother.
"Hello Miss Kagome," He said with a false smile. "I believe we have met before."
"Earlier today I have had the misfortune to get into some sort of confusion with you, so I suggest we take this from the beginning. My name is Fuschida Kyoji. I am the government representative from the city of Todo in search of the caravan team we have assembled. According to the prophecy, Higurashi Kagome of the Ando clan, you are one of these elite members -- working under our government in the war, but not a soldier or warrior. Your status is that of a spy. Already I have come to the towns of Ukon and Toin to bear the news to the other affiliates and they have willingly agreed. And today I give this set of news to you, Miss Higurashi, in hopes that you will accept. If you do not, we have many other nominates who would take your place, but as you are the first choice, you are obviously most well suited for this task. There are five members per caravan, and each member represents a certain person, place, or ideal of society. You, Kagome, represent a legendary priestess who came to a fatal end only years ago. Her name will not be offered to you until the right event takes place. Until then, I leave this decision up to you."
A now uneasy Kagome turned to her mother for assurance, but the woman merely looked away.
"Fuschida-san had already asked us for our permission earlier today, Kagome," Her mother said quietly. "It really is your decision, my child. Whatever you choose, we will always be here to support you."
Kagome was soon silent afterwards, her head bowed to shield any trace of emotion that flickered across her face. It was quite a decision, something that she definitely needed to brood about. She probably might have had all day to think about it, but just her luck, she had mistaken the representative as just an ordinary pest that morning, but now… Fuschida must have been on a tight schedule. She would have to think now.
The moral side of her mind told her to go. It was for the benefit of her villagers and those around her. There were so much other people that had counted on her decision, and just by saying no, Kagome could risk another's life for taking the easy way out. Also, she knew she would have to experience the comings of a terrible guilt afterwards. Her father had risked his life for the sake of his village, for his country. Why couldn't she do the same?
Because she had a life here, that was why. No longer would she enjoy her time at the garden, or the time she spent each morning feeding her chickens. Kagome might not ever see old Yanagi-san again. She had always been given such joy whenever she had an odd job here or there around the village, but no longer. If she had agreed, would she really be happy out there on the road?
Her father would have wanted her to do the right thing. Her father would have agreed if he were in her place. She knew he would never let her do anything she was not capable of. And surely Fuschida abided by the same thing…? Kagome spared a glance at the man in front of her. He did say that she was the 'most well suited' for the task. And maybe traveling with four other people would not be so bad…
"Yes," She said finally, almost unwillingly. "I'll do it."
"Are you sure?" Fuschida asked. She heard her mother inhale a sharp intake of breath.
"Mmm hmm," Kagome affirmed. "I am."
"Wonderful," Fuschida answered. "The caravan will be at Ando within a matter of days. You will be accompanied with Inuyasha of the Inu-youkai tribe, and Shippou of the Kitsune clan. As for the others, I am not sure as of yet. I still have to visit their towns soon after I depart from yours.
"There will also be other caravans on the road, Miss Higurashi," Continued Fuschida. "I assure you, there are no enemies, just your allies. I want none of any disagreements between my caravans. Your sole purpose is to find where the Shikon jewel is located – and only the most evil of demons know where it could be found. The caravans must search each separate part of this region to find it, and this will not be a form of a contest. If it is otherwise, I fill find out."
Fuschida stood up, taking wide strides until he finally reached the front door. Kagome listened as the sound of his heavy boots clip clopped on their wooden floor, and soon she could tell that he was on his way out until he stopped.
"Oh, and Miss Kagome," He called out to her. "This is a risky business you're making. The moment you had agreed to my offer, your life has been in danger ever since."
"I wish you luck, Higurashi."
Author's note: Okay, so what do you think? Good enough for a first chapter, ne? If not, feel free to post your complaints in the reviews. I don't have a beta reader yet so it's hard trying to locate all my mistakes. (Spell check should have done the trick, but noooo.)
Hopefully Kagome isn't too much out of character. I'll try and make her more like herself in the future chapters.
I'll answer any questions that you have yet to ask, and consider your advice. Hehe. The reviewers are always right! does a little crappy salesman dance
The use of 'Clan' here may refer to a family or a town. For example, Ando Clan was used as the village town, but Kitsune Clan was referred to a family. Y'all know where I'm coming from, right?