Disclaimer: Only one I'm putting up...All I have are my books, paper, and a crummy pen hisses away from my pen! I see you eye-ing it...

In- Animate Animation: Phantom of a Vision

Chapter 1

By: Aisu-Hime

A small child with soft, black hair smirked at her older best friend. They were playing hide-and-go-seek. He wandered slowly around the bush she was hiding; she was positive he couldn't see her! She had an evil grin on her face as she crept up behind him to scare him, only to have him turn around and yell, "Boo!" She ran off giggling like a mad child and he more than happily obliged to chase after her.

Her mother, a middle-aged woman in her 40's looked out her window pulling the curtain apart and stared as the two children played. She was glad that her child could have what no other child could. It paid off to have her profession sometimes. It may have not been the most respectable in the common society, but it gave her child what she needed. It allowed her to be able to run and play with her best friend, just as she was currently doing. Tysuyu Higurashi loved her daughter with all her heart and wanted nothing more than for her to be a normal child. Growing up without a father wasn't as easy as people made it out to be, Kagome would know the pain of loss.

Tsuyu's husband died a terrible death out in the ocean. He was sucked dry by leeches as he tried to save a child. They both perished in the end. This memory only brought tears to her gentle, experienced eyes. She quickly blocked the sun's warming rays from her view with the curtain. Its gentle, swaying motion leading her even further into her reminiscing. It was the past, and it should be left there.

Kagome was now breathing heavily and attempting a futile escape from her friend. She laughed one last laugh before a quick expression of fear appeared on her face as she tripped and was on a one-way trip to ground zero. Closing her eyes tightly she awaited the painful impact of the cold, hard stone. When she landed, though, all she felt was the soft yet firm chest of someone beneath her. Slowly opening one eye cautiously first, she looked to see whom it was that had saved her. Of course, it was her bestest friend in the whole world, "Sesshy-kun! You saved me again..." said the small voice looking adorably up at her best friend with big brown eyes and long, luscious lashes.

Her best friend laughed a deep laugh for someone his age and responded, "I'll always be here whenever you need me, Kagome. Whenever you need me...always." The two friends looked at each other and embraced each other in a young, loving hug. It was full of innocence, full of promise, full of love, but mostly it was full of acceptance. They accepted their different statures in society. He was the son of the Sun God and she was, well, she was the daughter of a Harlot. He accepted his best friend, though. They were allowed to bask in their innocence, but one day the horrible pressures of their so-called 'civilized society' would break them apart.

Kagome ran. She ran as far and fast as she possibly could. The stone chilled her to the very bone and she could do nothing but run and hope that he never caught up with her. Her eyes dilated with terror and looked every which way for a form of escape. She needed something to help her rid of this horrid pain in her heart. The result of her tears made their way down her flush, tanned cheeks. The rivers were beginning to stream from her chocolate-filled mirrors and her breath becoming quite ragged and anxious.

Where was he when she needed him most? What was she going to do now that she would be banished from this place. Her mother had just been shot in from of her eyes and there was nothing she could do to stop the harasser from taking her down as well. He was coming for her and there was nothing she could do.

She made her way through another corridor and then another and then another. They never seemed to end and he was hot on her trail. She could practically feel the breath of his worm-infested mouth on her neck. Who was he and why did he murder her mother? Why was she after her?

Swiftly, in one move she was drawn through a door and towards a garden. Oh it was beautiful. it was the epitome of everything she knew to be gorgeous. It was almost as gorgeous as him...

Where was she anyway?

She looked around and saw a man with a long beard as white as snow. His azure eyes warming her to the very core. She no longer needed heat from a fire as his gaze gave away enough warmth to comfort her to the soul. The garden was in all its glory. Every flower was in bloom and the tree in the center was simply stunning. It made you honestly want to hug a tree. So marvelous and kind-looking was the tree; it sounded strange to call a tree kind, but it was true.

For months she studied under the master's orders. She would be obedient, kind, generous and everything she had always been. She had grown quite well and her big, brown eyes no longer seemed disproportional. She was beautiful in every aspect. She held all that was true in life, all that she had fought to make for her life. Sometimes she'd wonder about her mother and her thoughts would drift to when she would ask her mother, 'You say this is your life...well, where is mine?'

Kagome doubted that she had found her life. This shouldn't be called living life to its fullest. She didn't wish to spend the rest of eternity locked in a garden, no matter how beautiful and glamorous it may have seemed. She didn't want servants beckoning her every call, people to order around, anything at her command. She was a worker, a lover, a daydreamer. She wasn't saying that she wasn't thankful. Oh, thankful was an understatement for her savior, but sometimes she would wonder...

Maybe one rainy day she would find her love again. Just maybe...

She scoffed, there was false hope, right?

She returned to cleaning the God tree's bark and sat down in front of it. The pond that had appeared recently began shimmering, sensing that there was someone near. She smiled one of her sad, lonely smiles and prepared to open the door for her new guest. Her master had long since passed away. Yes, it was true that the person whom sowed the string would live forever, but once they found a valuable being to carry on the tradition, they could peacefully pass away to the land of dreams. The sandman was one of their close friends, after all. They had to be pure and humble. Most could be taught such things.

The knock arrived just in time and she slowly made her way.

Shocked at what she saw, she could only stand there staring at the stranger at her door.

----------------------------------------------------Fin of chapter------------------------------------------------------------

Le gasp! What shall happen in the next chapter? This was kind of a prequel/start to the story. I had to leave it at a cliffy, lol. As long as I get 1 review to show me that at least SOMEONE likes my story and I'm not writing it in vain, then I will continue. I don't want to become a review-hound. Hehe. Well…tell me what you like, what you think I should change. PLEASE. This is one of my first ideas and I'm not sure how it's going. Tell me more of what you'd like to see. Anything helps. Anything at all. No flamers please…it discourages me. I'm sensitive and moody that way, lol.