A/N: My word, what is this? Could it possibly be… an update? astonished gasp I do believe that it is! It must be a sign of the apocalypse! Hurry, run for the exorcist!... actually, I don't suppose an exorcist would be much good here. Unless, of course, I'm possessed. I must offer my sincerest and most heart felt apologies, for the lack of updates. My explanation is long and hard, beginning with I'm lazy, my computer died, taking the seeds of a my new chapters with it, I was too heart broken to write, a new computer was born, and finally ending with I'm lazy. And also the fact that I haven't had much inspiration. Well, now it's spring break, and I was looking at my fics, and felt that I should update. Just 'cause I'm bored, I feel like it, and lately I have had this weird inspiration to write. Now, I think I'm going to take this in a different direction then I had originally planned, so just bear with me for awhile. It will still be a tragedy, and of course there will be a romance. I am too much of a hopeless romantic to not write at least a small one. And so, without further ado, on with the chapter!
Disclaimer: No I don't own Inuyasha. But I'll buy him from you for :empties piggy bank, counting change: 53 cents and a chocolate quarter. Then he could become my personal slave! -
She wasn't sure what had awoken her. It could have been the howling in the distance, or the soft tread of an animal in the under growth. Perhaps it was the soft hoot of the owl which nested directly above her head. Or it could have been the chill that was slowly seeping into her bones. Whatever it was, she was now awake, and decided to check up on her charge.
He was sleeping peacefully now, so there was no threat there. His wounds were stitched up neatly and thoroughly cleaned, and his arm had been set with two long pieces of wood. She was sure there was no need for that, considering he was a hanyou, but it would keep him from jarring his arm while he slept.
Judging by the dark shadows under his eyes, he hadn't been sleeping very fitfully lately. Of course, they could have been cause by the pain from his wounds, but for some strange reason, she strongly doubted that.
Even stranger, she found that she felt and odd connection to this injured young man. He was an outcast. Unaccepted by demons and humans both, just as she was. They were both all alone in a world that had been uncommonly cruel to them, and as a result, they had to learn to fend for themselves.
Perhaps she was making presumptions. She had no proof that he was all alone. Maybe he did have comrades somewhere. Maybe they were out looking for him. Maybe they would discover him here, while she was sleeping, and kill her for attempting to hold him hostage. It was a possibility. A slim one, yes, but still a possibility. It was also a risk that she was willing to take. After all, what did she have to lose?
His nose twitched and he turned his head to the side, brow furrowing as his dream land took him to some unknown place, and she swore that she heard a faint whimpering. It looked to be one of those nights. One where no one would be sleeping peacefully.
"Kikyo!" the woman turned her unwavering brown eyes on him, her dark hair hanging about her face in jagged strands. "Kikyo, what happened to you?" he reached her side and was baffled when she pulled away from him, turning her eyes to the ground. There were claw marks on her cheeks, and he saw a few bruises on her head where her hair had been cut too closely.
"Stay away from me." Her voice was calm as always. Calm beautiful Kikyo. What had happened?
He ignored her warning and reached forward again, taking her arm with the intent of turning her towards him. The second he touched her skin, a searing pain struck him, piercing his body right to the core. He fell to the ground in shock and pain, not comprehending what had just happened.
"Kikyo? What…? What's going on?"
"I told you to stay away from me! Don't touch me! Keep your filthy claws to yourself!"
The words cut him deep. "I- I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. You are just a worthless hanyou. No better than a dumb dog. Why did I ever waste time on you?"
"Kikyo…"
"Silence! Do not call me by that name!" her voice deepened as she spoke, and suddenly her eyes began to glow a sickly, blood red. "I am Kikyo no longer. Kikyo is dead to me. I am stronger than her. I no longer need to consort with the likes of you." He heard her bones crack and twist right before her fingers suddenly lengthened, turning into claws, and her whole manner changed. She no longer stood with the aloofness of a weak human. She was alert and he could see that she was moving with more decisiveness… more surety. He didn't understand what had happened…
That's when hell was unleashed.
He pried his sore eyes open slowly, squinting up at the bright sunlight that was filtering through the trees. He couldn't tell where he was, and nor could he remember getting here. With a groan, he raised his arm to shield his eyes, and suddenly realized that it was bound in a makeshift brace.
"What the-" he looked down his body, and saw that his haori had been removed and his torso wrapped in cotton bandages that had already been soaked through with blood. Looking around in bewilderment, he noticed that he was not lying on the ground, but on a thin pile of wool blankets, which were making his back itch. Further confused, he looked to his left, and spotted a young woman lying on her side. A young human woman. He bared his teeth in anger, getting quickly to his feet, though not very gracefully. The brace was bulky and awkward, so he ripped it off, grimacing at the slight twinge he felt in his bones. Not once did he take his eyes off the strange woman.
A small growl started in the back of his throat as he moved away from her, encountering a tree. Before he could do anything else, she turned her head to the side, staring at him groggily.
"Oh good. You're awake." He froze in wonder, staring at the familiar face that confronted him. The face that haunted his dreams at night.
"Kikyo?" the name was forced out of his mouth as he stared in open wonder at the woman. He was disappointed when her eyes narrowed in confusion.
"I'm sorry. I don't know anyone by the name of Kikyo. Please, sit down. You're still injured." He shook his head in disbelief. They looked exactly alike, this stranger and his Kikyo. "My name is Kagome." As he watched her, he began to see subtle differences. The girls expression changed rapidly as she spoke, going from kind and gentle, to worried, to welcoming, all within the space of one sentence. Kikyo never showed any emotion, except for anger.
Kagome, got to her feet, stepping towards him carefully. He pulled farther away as she neared him. "It's ok." She said in her quiet voice. "I'm not going to hurt you."
He snorted in derision. "Sure. That's what they all say. Right before they grab the pith forks and chase me out of town. Try a new one wench." She frowned, obviously annoyed.
"Honestly, if I was going to kill you, then I would have done it while you were asleep. I wouldn't have been dumb enough to wait until you decided to wake up. Believe me. I'm not going to hurt you." She had a point there. "Don't you remember me?" she continued, looking at him hopefully.
"Remember… Why should I remember you?" She did seem kind of familiar. Well, duh. She looked like Kikyo, but there was something else… her voice, which was different from her look alikes rang a bell…
"You were awake for awhile the other day. I spoke to you then." That's right…. "Do you remember." He snorted again.
"Every human is the same to me."
"I see." She frowned for a moment, stepping closer to him. He cringed away when she stretched a hand out to his torso. "Calm down. I just want to remove your bandages." He stood still as she quickly unwrapped him, breathing easier when they were gone. Looking down, he saw a jagged scar cutting across his abdomen, covered in a film of dried blood. "You'll want to wash that off."
She caught his arms while he was distracted and inspected it closely with her hands and eyes, looking for any telling winces from him, or breaks in the bone. "Your arm has healed nicely too. I bet you are famished. You haven't eaten in at least three days."
Three days? His stomach growled at him angrily, but he refused to accept help from a human. "I'm fine."
"Oh really." He cold tell that she didn't believe him, but she let it drop. "Please, sit down. You really shouldn't be standing. Your body hasn't had enough time to heal itself."
"I'm fine lady! I can take more than any stupid human."
"I know that. You wouldn't have survived if you couldn't. But you still need time to heal." She had him there, but he wasn't about to let her know that.
"I don't need the help of a human! Go back to your village! I'm sure they want you there!"
His words didn't phase her at all. "Nonsense. I refuse to leave until you have had something to eat. I didn't nurse you all the way back to help just for you to go off and get yourself killed, just because you decided that you were going to be obstinate and childish."
Obstinate? He scoffed at her, looking at his claws without interest. "Childish? Me? Never. Now go home."
"You are too being childish, and I'm not going home!"
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Am not."
"Are too."
"Now who's being childish?" She glowered at him angrily.
"Sit down!"
"Go to hell." She moved quicker then he thought was possible for a human. Her small fist connected with his side, and he gasped at the sharp stab of pain that went through him. Maybe he wasn't completely healed after all.
"Now sit!" He obeyed quickly, nearly doubled over in pain.
"What did you do to me?" he wheezed, glaring up at her.
"I didn't do anything."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not! Now stop arguing with me." She spun around, stalking over to where her things were laying. After digging through her bag for a moment, she stood back up, obviously irritated. "Do you think you can walk?" she asked after a moment. What did she want with him?
"Not after what you did to me." At her glare, he nodded meekly. "Yeah, I can walk. But I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Yes you are. You don't have any choice in the matter. You need to get a proper meal, and we'll have to go back to the village in order to get one." That did it.
"No."
"What do you mean no? You don't have any choice in the matter."
"I'm not going anywhere near your damn village. One human is more than enough." Her expression softened.
"I understand. Really, I do. But don't worry. I'll take you to Kaede. She will understand.."
"No. Are you too stupid to understand me? I didn't want your help, I don't want your help, and I don't want to go to your stupid village. Now leave me alone."
"I can't do that."
"I don't see why not." His tone was cold, and he was getting angry. Anger was better than fear any day.
"I can't just leave you here. You never know what might happen to you.
"I know perfectly well, what can happen to me, and I can take care of myself. I've done so for years now."
"If you can take care of yourself, then why did I find you laying here, nearly dead?"
"Because nobody likes a hanyou!" They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, the only sound his ragged breathing. She finally broke the silence, expression softening.
"What is your name?"
"I don't have one." Why wouldn't she just go away?
"Sure you do. Everyone has a name."
"I'm not going to tell you."
"Please?" How could he refuse those dark brown eyes staring at him imploringly.
"Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha." She repeated, then stepped forward with her hand outstretched. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He refused to take her hand. With a sigh, she let it fall to her side. "Please, come with me. I promise everything will be okay. Nothing will happen, and you will get a free meal in the bargain. Kaede is very kind." He obviously wouldn't be getting rid of her if she didn't get her way.
"Fine. But after that, I'm leaving."
A/N: Well, I think I will end it there. I have to have something ready in my head so that I can get the next chapter out fast. That, and I'm getting distracted, and so if I continue to write, then the chapter will come out like crap. So … yeah… this one's pretty boring. But it's necessary. The next one will be out soon, and it will be full of action and fun and drama, and useless, boring, dialogue. Minus the action and fun. … Actually, I don't really know. And I won't know until I haven't it written, so don't bother asking.I will apologize now for any spelling or grammatical errors. Nobody's perfect. So... review please. They just make my day, and happy writer, is a faster writer. Unless that happy writer is really distracted….
