Hey, whaddya know? I'm actually updating today! xD Yes, yes, after this, I will be working on Trust and Betrayal -- again.

Anyway... thanks so much for everyone who contributed towards the whole band name thing! Remember, they're only singing. n.n

Review Responses:

SilverWolf-Ryuki: - -;; Hey, you can't blame me... short chapters is my thing, lol. Anyway, this chappie is a little longer... haha, the scissors, yeah. xD

Shessy SIipperz/S.Wooz: Hey, thanks so much for your ideas!! But is is 'tsuki no ame' or 'ame no tsuki'? x.X

Defafaeth Mechqua: This chapter ends kinda happy... xD

Urei-Sama: ="3 Thanks so much!!

Souungo: x.X ::Choking:: If you kill me I won't be able to update!! ::Gagging, going purple::

Dark Inu Fan: Thanks for your contribution!! n.n Don't worry, everything will turn up. =D

Pinayazngrl: Don't worry... In the end of this fic, everything will be ok again. ;)

the SeVeReD-HaNd: Yeah... I could only what it feels like... ;-;. Eh, math... . I know what you mean... You're not a loser! Hell's Spawn is a cool name xD

Smurf2005: You're too kind! ="3 ::Holds Pocky tightly:: Thankies so much! ::Hands you Kikyo voodoo and pins:: Here you go. xD

Moonglow gal: LMAO, 'makes them sound like cream'... xD. Well, it definitely the band will definitely exist... and of course, Sessh and Inu definitely won't be very nice too each other, but they'll get along. xD Thanks for sharing your ideas!!

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Arigatou to all who reviewed!! ::Hands out assorted flavours of Pocky:: You can trade with other people later if you aren't satisfied with your flavour. n.n

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Disclaimer: I don't Inu-Yasha... but I do own four manga volumes, four posters, and a movie three folder!!

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New Hope

Chapter Two: Adjusting

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(( Kagome's POV ))

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I looked around the room as I placed two suitcases down. Souta dropped his too, and sat down on the ground, exhausted.

When you walked in, there was a little closet on the right, and a space to put shoes and all... then it branched out into a living room. On the far left, it divided out into the kitchen. A few feet away from me, a little corridor led to the two bedrooms and a bathroom. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't tiny either.

I cleared my throat and plastered a fake smile on my face.

"So, which room do you want?"

Souta shook his head. "Don't care."

My smile shrank a little. "Alright then..."

The furniture was already in place. I picked up my two suitcases and carried them to the room at the very end, which was also parallel from the bathroom. Souta got his suitcases too, and took the other room, closing the door behind him.

I took off my coat and threw it on the bed, looking around.

Sighing, I started to unpack.

-=-

I dusted my hands off as I placed a final t-shirt in my dresser. Everything was in place.

I walked out of my room and a few steps down to Souta's. I knocked on his door lightly.

"Come in."

I opened his door and stepped in. From what I could see, he was finishing up his unpacking too.

"I have to run and get buy some food. There's a grocery market next door. Want to come?"

I tried to sound cheerful, but my voice sounded so ugly, empty, and dead.

Souta shook his head. I sighed. "Alright then... I'll be back in a little while, ok?"

He nodded his head.

-=-

I added a few apples to the half-full green grocery basket. Since I probably wouldn't be cooking all the time, I started making my way to the ramen. I kept my head down.

Suddenly, I smacked into something. Or, someone. I fell back and landed on the ground, hard.

"Oi, watch it!!"

I didn't look up. I kept silent and picked up some things that had scattered onto the ground.

(( Normal POV ))

Inu-Yasha had been having a bad day. First his boss fired him, then his friend Miroku ditched him for some random chick he had picked up, then, when he got home, he had found nothing in his cupboard. So, he had decided to get some ramen. While he was, however, some girl just walked right into him. He growled angrily.

"Oi, watch it!!" Inu-Yasha yelled.

The girl didn't look up. She picked up her spilt things and got up. He was about to yell at her again, when she lifted her head.

"Sorry." She whispered and walked away.

Inu-Yasha stared blankly at the spot the girl had been previously. He had seen her face – a glimpse only – but...

It was probably the saddest looking expression he had ever seen. She had not been crying, but the blankness, dullness, and emptiness in her stormy blue eyes had been so... overwhelming...

Inu-Yasha turned back to look at the girl who was putting some packets of ramen into her basket. Sure, he was a jerk – but he knew something was wrong with that girl. He walked up to her.

"Umm, hey... uh, it was my fault, sorry for blowing up at you."

The girl didn't reply. Inu-Yasha felt a little ticked off, but reminded himself this girl was seriously depressed.

"Is something the matter?"

The girl was still silent.

"I'm trying to talk to you, you know!!"

She looked in straight in the eye. He almost shuddered at the glare she gave him.

"Yes, something is 'the matter'. But I doubt you can help me. Thank you for caring, I must get going now."

And he left her staring as she went to pay for her groceries.

It took Inu-Yasha a few moments to snap out of his stupor, but when he did, he rushed to catch up.

By the time he was at the cashiers, the girl was exiting the market.

"The total would be 19,600 yen..."

Quickly, Inu-Yasha threw 20,000 yen at the cashier and dashed out, ignoring the cries of 'your change, sir!'.

Inu-Yasha ran after the girl. He saw her enter a building. His eyes widened in shock.

'She lives in the same building as me?'

He jogged up the stairs to his building, flashed the card at the entrance machine (A/N: Anyone know what it's called?), and was just in time to see the girl disappear as the elevator doors closed.

-=-

Two weeks had passed, and Kagome hadn't seen the stranger anymore. She felt kind of glad, actually.

She didn't feel like dealing with nosy strangers currently. She doubted she'd ever feel like it.

She had picked up school again, a week ago. Classmates and teachers all gave their condolences... she wanted to scream at them all... if they didn't mean it, why did they say it?

Kagome was quite sure Souta was going through the same thing, actually. And maybe he was taking it a lot worse than she was. He hadn't ever suffered such a great loss before. Well, she hadn't either, but she knew the pain of loss, after losing her father at such a young age.

Souta was actually her half-brother... but his dad had left after he found out Mrs. Higurashi was pregnant.

But that didn't stop her from caring for him like he was her full brother.

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While on the bus, on the way home, Kagome's cell phone rang.

It was Souta.

"Hey." She said.

"Sis... can you come pick me up?"

"What's wrong?"

"... can you pick me up?"

"Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay. Bye."

"Buh bye."

Since her school was farther away from his, all she needed was to get off at the stop after the next. It wouldn't take very long... Kagome hoped that he was ok. What if something had happened? What he was being bullied? Was he beaten up? Did someone say something mean to him?

These thoughts ran through her head as she got off the bus. Quickly, she jogged to his school, and searched for him. Finally, she located him curled up into a ball against the school building. She walked up to him.

"Hey... what's wrong?" Kagome asked as she knelt beside him. Souta looked up. His face was tear-stained.

"People keep asking what it feels like to lose my family... and the teachers keep 'apologizing' for what happened," Souta choked out as he started to cry once more.

Kagome sighed sorrowfully and hugged him. "I know what you mean... people at my school do that too. But you know what? Tune them out. They're just little specks that won't ever influence our lives."

Souta managed a weak grin – the first in a long, long time. "You used to say I should just pretend they're a bunch of cabbages."

Kagome smiled at him. "Well, you used to hate cabbages."

"I still do," he said as he wrinkled his nose.

Kagome laughed, the first time since the night of the accident.

Soon, Souta joined in the laughter.

Feeling better than she had in ages, Kagome got up, helping Souta up too. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream or something, I'm starving."

"Okay!"

Their broken minds and hearts were healing slowly --- but surely.

===============

Kagome: ...I hate being depressed.

Souta: Same.

Saki: I know, it's totally not you, because in the anime, you don't lose your family. But in this fic, you do, I'm sure you wouldn't be all cheery if you lost your family, right?

Both: ...

Saki: n.n That's what I thought.

Inu-Yasha: ...I am so OOC in this chapter.

Saki: Oh my god, stop complaining, you people!! You're not being OOC!! Well... not majorly OOC anyway.

Inu-Yasha: How so?

Saki: Well, I'm pretty sure that in the series, if you saw Kagome totally depressed and silent, you'd figure something was wrong and try to see if she was ok and stuff.

Inu-Yasha: But in this fic I don't even know her yet.

Saki: Well, you're gonna be less of asshole in 'this fic', so suck it up.

Inu-Yasha: Wench.

Saki: Save that nickname for Kagome.

Kagome: ...?

Saki: It's his love-name for you. You know, he calls you a bitch... a bitch is a female dog...

Kagome: ...o.o