Blast from the Past

Prologue

Written by: Nymphette

Disclaimer: ::Clings to Inuyasha doll:: NOOOOO!! It can't be true! And yet it is…. Inuyasha, and all his friends, sad to say, are not mine, nor will they ever be.

Author's Note: Wow! It's my first time writing an Inuyasha story!! ::Friends clap and cheer in the background:: I'm soo excited! I've been reading fanfiction for so long and then this idea just popped into my head and it wouldn't let me alone until I did it. Well, anyways, I hope you all like my story, and thanks for reading it! Also, thanks to my beta Rei-chan for helping me through tough spots!

"Please, Miss Kagome, stop squirming! You're already late as it is!"

Five year old Kagome looked up at her nanny, Kaede, and struggled even harder as the elderly woman tried hard to get a dress on her young charge. "No! I don't wanna go! You can't make me!"

Kaede gasped in surprise at the young lady's tone, and at that moment, Kagome took the opening in her struggle with the older woman to escape. She didn't get very far past her bedroom door, however, when a hand caught her flailing wrist and dragged Kagome back inside.

"Kagome Higurashi!"

The woman who had grabbed Kagome's wrist let it go as soon as she got inside and folded her arms under her chest as she stood in a way that showed that she was thoroughly pissed. Her short, black hair moved not once and her dark eyes were focused on young Kagome, who was at the moment standing with her hands behind her back. Her dark, casual pants and light blouse swayed as she stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips.

"And just where do you think you were going?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she watched with narrowed eyes when her daughter winced at her angered tone. Even Kaede had to scrunch up in surprise and slight fear at this. Mrs. Higurashi was usually a very happy and caring person, but when she wanted to, she could be very, very intimidating.

"Uh, u-um, I… I mean…" Kagome's blush grew even brighter as she stumbled over her words in fear and embarrassment.

As Mrs. Higurashi watched her daughter in her obvious state of distress, her face softened as she knew that her goal was obtained, and knelt down to calmly talk to her daughter. "Kagome, have you been causing Kaede trouble again?" Kagome shook her head, still not looking up at her mother, but Mrs. Higurashi could see right through her daughter's farced innocence. "Kagome…" she muttered in a warning tone.

Reluctantly, Kagome spoke; not much more than a loud whisper. "I, uh, I wouldn't let Kaede dress me." She didn't think it possible, but Kagome managed to push her tiny chin into her collarbone even farther. However, the lady of the house managed to slip her fingers underneath the adamantly hidden chin and lifted it so that she could see into her daughter's eyes.

"Why?" Mrs. Higurashi asked softly.

As much as Kagome wanted to, she had found that she couldn't avert her eyes from her mother's gaze. She silently gave up and sighed, preparing to tell her mother what happened.

Flashing golden eyes inspected the grand home with mild interest as silver hair shone from the lights placed elegantly around the foyer and hall. The little boy, Inuyasha Takahashi, looked around sullenly, not at all excited to be at the home of one of his father's closest friends. He had come, not wanting to disrespect his father's wishes, but he didn't really know why he was supposed to be there. No one seemed to know, except for his father, that is, but he wouldn't tell him. However, Inuyasha didn't need to wonder for long about what was going on for the owner of the large house that they were in decided to make her appearance, along with a small girl who obviously didn't want to be there.

"Taisho! Inuyasha! Sesshomaru! So good of you all to come!" Mrs. Higurashi positively beamed when she saw the three males approaching from the foyer of her home. Taisho was the first to respond to her greeting.

"Good to see you too, Hana." He took her hand lightly and placed a gentle kiss on it. The action caused Hana Higurashi to blush profusely, as well as ignite a few disgusted looks from the children standing right below them. Then, as Taisho reverted back to his fully straight posture from before, he noticed something move beneath his eye. "Ah, and this must be the lovely Kagome that I've been hearing so much about. A pleasure to meet you." He kneeled down and extended his hand for her to shake, and she took it shyly, blushing as her mother did. Taisho smiled and chucked lightly as he looked back up at Hana. "She looks just like you."

Hana smiled as well, and looked lovingly down at her young child. "Yes, father said so as well." Kagome looked up at her mother with a pleading look in her eyes, as if to ask her to let her go back up to her room, but Mrs. Higurashi ignored her and looked back at Taisho as he stood up. "Would you all like something to drink?" Taisho nodded at this question, and the family of men followed Hana and a very reluctant Kagome into the family room.

Kagome tried unsuccessfully to shove herself into the plush cushion of the sofa that she now sat on as she unhappily sipped her tea. She had the unfortunate luck of having a mother like hers as she previously found herself being shoved in between the two young brothers, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, and glared at her mother as she smiled ignorantly and walked over to sit with Taisho. So there poor Kagome sat with her tea and her thoughts. However, those very same thoughts drifted back to the conversation she had with her mother earlier, instead of the two boys she sat between, who both looked at her as if she had some type of fatal and contagious disease.

"Why do I have to meet that boy? Boys are disgusting!" Kagome whined. She sat on her bed and crossed her arms as Mrs. Higurashi tried to convince her to go downstairs.

After a quiet chuckle, the lady of the house sat down on the bed next to her daughter and pulled her next to her as old Kaede stood still and watched. Her mistress had a calm face as she attempted to explain the situation at hand.

Mrs. Higurashi tightened her grip on Kagome's shoulder in a comforting gesture and spoke. "Kagome, darling, the boy you will be meeting today is going to be the one that you will spend the rest of your life with when you're older. It's a tradition that's been with us since I can remember. You may not understand this now, but you will, trust me. This is why I need you to come with me downstairs and help greet our guests. Can you do that for me?" After thinking about this new development very carefully, Kagome decided at the end that if it would make her family happy, then she supposed she could at least meet the boy, and nodded solemnly. Her mother smiled. "That's my girl. Kaede will help you dress, and then I'll take you downstairs to meet Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha. The boy she would be married to when she was older. Kagome didn't really like this proposition, since it meant she had to be with a boy, and everyone knew that boys weren't meant to be trusted, just like she didn't trust the same boy who was sitting to her right, drinking tea with her. However, she told her mother she would, so there she was. And she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice a small hand reaching out to her until said hand poked her in the head really hard that she couldn't help but wince. As she finally came to, she heard a grunt and an annoyed sound.

"Oi! Girl! Geez, girls are so stupid!"

Three years later…

Kagome looked up at the white curtained window of the room that would never be hers again. Sighing in complete and utter misery, she fervently wished that she wasn't moving, and that she could just run right back up to her old room and play with her toys, which were now packed away in boxes. Knowing this would never happen, however, she hugged her teddy bear tightly in her arms and turned away, heading for her parents' car.

"Kagome looks really depressed, Kaede. Maybe this move really wasn't for the best after all," said a saddened Mrs. Higurashi. She watched her daughter pull herself into their silver car. When Kagome slammed the door rather loudly, her mother had to wince a little when she felt the amount of anger with which the act was done. Kaede sighed heavily.

"Yes, I suppose, but you really didn't have a choice in this, did you?" The elderly woman looked up at her employer and said, "Your husband wanted this, did he not?" Mr. Higurashi worked overseas, and he had wanted his wife and child to come live with him, so they, of course, had dropped everything and started packing. But since this was Kagome's first home, the lady of the house knew that the young girl would have an emotional attachment to it, as well as the boy she met.

Kagome…

Kagome looked up in surprise out the car window to see shining, silver hair moving towards her at high speeds. At first she couldn't see the figure very well, but as soon as she realized what, or rather, who it was, she grinned and hurried to get out of the car through the side door as fast as she possibly could, wanting to greet her dear friend. The door slammed shut and she started running. "Inuyasha!"

The older boy looked up to see his best friend of three years smiling and waving at him as she ran, and this spurred his movement to go faster until he reached her and embraced her tightly. "Kagome!" he exclaimed. He had heard the news of her moving away from his father, and was upset, so he had wanted to say goodbye. Thank God I didn't miss her, he thought. And as his khaki pants blew in the wind, he put his hand into the soft pocket and withheld a small, velvet box, blushing as her eyes looked up to his. "Uh, um, Kagome, I… I heard that you were leaving," he said, disbelievingly. When she said nothing, he grew nervous, and found himself desperately waiting for a response, a movement, anything that would tell him that she was really just playing him for a fool; that he could just forget about the locket -- his present for her -- and go back inside with them to have tea and play games like they used to.

When she nodded, Inuyasha felt all those hopes go down the drain and the box that he carried with him suddenly felt itself being pulled out of the soft hole by the hand that held it. He began to speak again.

"Uh, dad said I should get this for you, since, you know… But you can't open it till you leave!" he ordered, and she nodded again, smiling, as the boy roughly placed the box in her hand. His face softened, though, when Kagome's frown found itself back onto her face and he whispered, "I'm gonna miss you, y'know."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Inuyasha. I don't want to leave!" she cried. All morning she had kept her feelings hidden behind a somber-faced mask, but now they just ran loose, and she couldn't control them any longer. No one would have it any other way, and so they stood there in each other's arms until Mrs. Higurashi called, at last, for her daughter.

Kagome bit back another sob as she dried her eyes and moved away from Inuyasha's warm embrace. "Inuyasha," she choked out, as she grasped the small box to her chest, "don't forget me…" She moved away slowly, and when she got to the car, her mother took her hand and looked towards Inuyasha.

"I won't!" he cried, and as Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi, and old Kaede left in their car, he said, "I'll never forget you."

I'll never forget… Kagome…

Mrs. Higurashi smiled softly at the young boy who's eyes bespoke great despair and mouth that was slightly open, and thought, don't worry Inuyasha, you'll meet her again someday. I promise…