The players have been mixed, and not all is at it seems. The ominous and evil force known as Naraku looms closer on the horizon everyday, and all hope seems to be lost. 6 strangers have been bonded by destiny, and, without even knowing it, catalyze an event that will change history for all time. A/U Inu/Kag S/M Ses/Kagu Rin/Ship/b (and yes there is an OC in this)

All right folks, I've decided to try my hand at an Inuyasha fiction. Its a complete free-style idea right now, I'm still not entirely sure what's going to happen. As this is an experiment on my writing skills, constructive criticism is welcomed (well its generally welcomed anyways) Flames will be yawned at. NOTE: I'm also experimenting with this chapter and trying HTML tags to see if they will work. If not, be patient and I will dispose of them. bANOTHER NOTE/b: There may be some use of Japanese/Japanglish words in this story. If I use the wrong word for something, please let me know. If you wish to email reviews I prefer that you email them to thedaybeforeyesterday msn . com (without all the spaces).

So on with the story:

Disclaimer: I own nothing, well, I do own the can of Root-beer that is in my hand, but, YOU CANT HAVE THAT! BE GONE MOOCHERS! throws anti-mooching powder everywhere

A girl sighed and wiped her brow after a particularly long session of training. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. A cool breeze tousled her hair, and the sun sparkling in it gave the impression that faeries were having a hoe-down in her locks.

"What a wonderful day to be alive," she sighed, falling backwards and letting the spongy grass envelop her lithe form. Life had been good of late. Her training was going well, the villages crops had been very successful, and most importantly of all, the village citizens had finally lightened their discrimination against her. I Yes, life IS good/I she reiterated to herself in her mind.

She was a very beautiful girl, having long ebony locks and luminous cobalt blue eyes. Two triangles of ebony-blue fur were perched atop her head and dainty looking claws graced her hands and feet. She sported very untraditional fighting garb for women in the form of a close fitting blue fighting gown with a silver dragon tracing around it. At the current moment her hair was tied back in a low pony-tail and was being crushed into the grass.

If only this moment could last forever. If only I could ignore these negative feelings I have been getting lately.... And negative feelings they were. The relentless dreams of destruction, the infuriating senses of foreboding that hit her every time she rounded a corner. The man with the sil--. The girl forced her bubbling thoughts into the back of her mind and forced her body of the ground with a groan. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, it was well after noon and well after lunch.

The girl did a double take. Afternoon? Panic forced its way into her senses. She had forgotten something, something very important. Today was the day she was supposed to bring water to the old miko in the forest. Today was the day the villagers were trusting her, and in true ironic fashion she had forgotten all about it. Letting out a pained groan, she leapt about 50 feet in the air and started soaring down to the village. She could still make it there before the old one returned home. She could make it there so that the crone was still left in the dark as to whom was bringing her the life sustaining water.

In a monumental effort, she landed in the village about 2 minutes after she took off. She hit the ground running and quickly navigated herself to the location of the large barrel of water to be taken into the forest. She knocked a few people over in the process of getting there and apologized quickly. She even thought that she had heard someone call once or twice, but her mind was so fixed on her task she couldn't tell.

Hefting the water barrel into her arms, the panicked girl took off into the nearby forest. It was a race against time she knew she couldn't win. The sun inched it's way closer and closer towards the horizon, seeming to glow a mocking shade of yellow. Putting on an extra burst of speed, the girl finally burst into the clearing where the miko's hut was located and froze in her tracks.

In her heated haste, she had missed the fact that the scent of death and blood drifted everywhere around her. The scene in front of her was devastating. Many, too many, youkai carcasses littered the area, some still twitching from rigor mortis. The old miko was in the center of most of the devastation, firing arrows rapidly, and seemingly in vain. Her power was waning, her body was nearly broken.

It was then that the girl snapped. Rushing forward she swooped the old one into her arms and safely deposited her in her hut. A howl of protest came from the demons outside, but she paid no heed. After stifling a few horrible gashes on the old woman's body, she proceeded to walk slowly out of the hut, blue eyes glowing a turquoise now.

"Who dares to defile the sanctity of this holy one?" she commanded in a deadly voice. A few of the demons around her fled, only to be slaughtered by a barrier that had been thrown up in her anger. Only one of them had a cocky smirk on now, and all to soon that ones head was lying on the ground, easily separated from his body. A mass shriek arose from the other pitiful demons, but was cut short as the rest were killed.

Ignoring her feeling of revulsion for the moment, the disgruntled she rushed back into the hut to check on the old woman. The feelings of foreboding were back again, in full force. Something was going to happen, and just the thought of it sent her nerves on edge.

"Miko-sama," the girl called softly, entering the hut carefully, lest she be attacked. The old miko lay still, as if dead and her heart sank. This was her fault, all her fault because she has been negligent. Yet something goaded her to check on the decrepit woman anyways, and forward she went. Slowly, cautiously, she put a hand forward to check the miko's pulse, and nearly screamed as an old decrepit hand shot out and grabbed her own.

"You, you girl, you have finally come," the voice was old and raspy, like wind blowing across old parchment. The blinked and tried to get her hand out of the grasp, but found she couldn't.

"Anou? Miko-sama rest your voice, do not move I must tend to your wounds!" she whispered frantically, not quite understanding why she was whispering. The other woman let out a dry chuckle which turned into cough.

"Iie, little one. My time is come. You know me not but I know of you. The lowly half-demon girl living in the village on the outskirts of this forest. But you are more than that, You are----" a fit of coughs interrupted her narrative for a minute before residing " You are the Pure One, despite what all may think. You are the one---you are---" again the coughs racked her body. After they subsided she let out another dry chuckle.

"What you are, you must find out for yourself. It is not my place to tell you" the dry hand removed itself from the girls own and reached into a fold in her hakama, " Take this, guard it with your life and tell no one you have it. Leave the village behind and everyone you know. Leave behind who you think you are, and set out to find who you are supposed to be."

The frightened child looked down at wonder at the old woman who knew so much about her, and watched as her dying breath was spent on one last phrase"

"You are Kagome, and you must be strong." And with that the body of the miko in front of her went limp, leaving behind many unanswered questions, and a sense of awe.

"Kagome," she whispered, the name sounding foreign, yet familiar on her tongue. Silently, a tear coursed its way down her cheek. This old woman, who she didnt even know, had given her one of the things she had dreamed of all her life. In giving the lowly hanyou a name, she had given her freedom, and now Kagome could wear her name proudly and wander the world as she pleased.

Carefully pocketing the precious artifact she had been entrusted with, Kagome said a prayer over the woman's body and set the house afire in a tribute to her last wishes. Making her way out of the forest, Kagome felt lighter, and for once, she felt safe.

Gomen-ne for the shortness of the chapter, and the confusing-ness of it all. As I mentioned before, the purpose of this story is an experiment and all. I'm not quite sure what's going to happen. So please review and tell me what you think points to the pretty shiny review button.