Disclaimer: I do not and will not ever own Inuyasha. If I owned Inuyasha…well, I don't so it doesn't matter.

Chapter 1

Flown the Coop

Youkais and humans.

Were these two meant to live peacefully in society? No…they weren't. Humans loathed youkais for their superiority and inhuman abilities. Youkais loathed humans for their vast numbers and arrogance. Though to be fair, both species were equal in their arrogance. Man has always thought of himself as the better species; youkais held themselves above society.

A war had been raging between the two for centuries. Man honestly thought they had won the war, only to realise that a small number of youkais still lived and were in hiding. Humans soon forgot about the youkais, but some were known to be in notorious gangs. Youkais were good allies to some humans – nothing more. They could never be. Could anyone trust someone so powerful they could kill you in an instant? No, no…

Hanyous were the ones that nobody could trust. No human could trust a hanyou. They had youkai blood, so what would stop them from creating a massacre? No youkai could trust a hanyou. They had human blood, so they could never be the ruthless killers youkais had a reputation of being. Still, hanyous were useful, depending who needed their resources.

The Higurashi Shrine was famous for one reason – the Shikon no Tama. What was the Shikon no Tama? A jewel that had been sought out by youkais since it was created. It was still being sought out, by humans and youkai. The new keeper of the jewel was the miko with unusually strong spiritual powers: Kagome Higurashi.

She was only ten when she received the Shikon no Tama from its previous protector and had been under bodyguards since then. Kagome could never grow up like any other kid. Maybe she deserved some pity, knowing that she couldn't hang out with friends or go to the playground and just be a kid.

The Shrine was always under security, all the guards being hired by Lieutenant Higurashi, Kagome's uncle who worked with the military. Kagome was confined in the house where she could be safe. A bird in a cage.

"So you're Takahashi, Inuyasha?"

"Hai."

"Right. Why don't you go patrol with Miroku Tomoko in the Western Grounds?"

"Hai."

A boy, no older than eighteen at the very first glance, with bright violet eyes and long jet-black hair turned around and saw a boy, maybe twenty, with short black hair tied into a small ponytail and dark eyes standing there grinning.

"So you're the new guy, eh?"

Inuyasha nodded and fiddled with the gold chain around his neck. It had been his mothers, and hanging on the chain was a diamond ring.

"I'm Miroku Tomoko," the boy said holding out his hand. Inuyasha shook it and Miroku grinned. "Don't want to know why you decided to pick a job here," Miroku said as the two began their patrol. "People make it like the Higurashi Shrine is in constant danger. I've been working here for almost two years now, and I haven't seen anything interesting."

"Maybe the enemy is waiting for the right moment to strike," Inuyasha countered.

"Huh?"

"They make you think nothing is going to happen so you let your guard down, then they attack."

Miroku's mouth formed an o-shape before he nodded in agreement. "I suppose. Still, I wish they would attack soon, it's pretty boring here. The only good thing is…well, that."

Inuyasha gaze followed Miroku's to a bunch of female guards walking towards the gate.

"Hello ladies," Miroku said in a long drawl.

Some of the girls giggled and blushed, looking down at the ground, reminding Inuyasha of innocent teenagers. The rest of the women fluttered their eyelashes in an almost flirting way.

"I see you're pretty popular with the women," Inuyasha observed to Miroku's back, as the young man turned to watch the women walk out of site.

"Huh? Oh yeah," Miroku said proudly tugging on his collar of his dark uniform. "The women just love me."

Inuyasha sighed and turned his attention to the house at the back of the shrine.

"So that's where they live?" he asked.

"Yeah," Miroku said with a nod. "If you want, we can get closer."

"Really?"

"The western grounds cover part of the house," Miroku said with a shrug. "Don't know why you want to go though, and I'm not even going to ask. The only people that go in that house are the maids, the butlers and, well, basically anyone who works in that house. If you want to call it a house, that is. It's basically a manor."

"Who lives in there?"

"Um…the owner of the Shrine, Mr Higurashi. He's old, like back when dinosaurs roamed the earth old. His daughter lives there with her two children. Her husband was in the army but he was killed in the war."

"Which war?"

Miroku shrugged, again. "There have been so many wars I've lost count. Needless to say, I failed history in school."

Inuyasha grinned. "So we spend all day patrolling the western grounds?"

"Pretty much," Miroku grimaced. "It is so boring, but the pay it surprisingly well. In other words, we get paid to walk around the Shrine and no one even cares whether or not we do our job. Well, maybe Old Man Higurashi, but he never leaves the house. He's so old now he hardly gets out of the house."

The two neared the massive manor and Inuyasha stood still for a few seconds to absorb the majesty in front of him. They walk past the manor for a few minutes before they turned around, continuing their patrol.

"Well that was a fun day," Inuyasha said sarcastically as he punched the clock. "I had so much fun."

Miroku chuckled and punched the clock. "It's better then being partnered up with Shippo."

"Who?"

"He's a kid – maybe sixteen tops – and he is a total wuss. He kept on screaming at the smallest things."

Inuyasha laughed. "Then what was he doing in a place like this?"

"How the hell should I know?" Miroku asked as they began their decent down the infinite number of steps leading to the real world below.

"We do this everyday then?" Inuyasha asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Patrol."

"Oh…yeah, everyday."

"Gee, sounds like fun," Inuyasha said.

They reached the bottom of the steps. Inuyasha turned back to see the tall gates at the top of the stairs. The stairs seemed to ascend into the clouds themselves…it was going to be hell climbing them the next day.

Needless to say, climbing up those stairs was hell. Ironic though: the steps seemed to lead into heavens, but climbing them was hell.

Inuyasha was almost panting by the time he reached the top of the stairs. He quickly punched the clock then went to collect his assignment for the day.

"How was your first day on the job Takahashi?"

"Fine, sir."

"Good, you'll be Tomoko again. Eastern grounds this time. We got to get you familiarised with the grounds."

"With no disrespect sir, but wouldn't a tour of the grounds be better instead of patrolling everyday and learning?"

The guard chuckled in a deep voice. "Takahashi, just go do your patrol and leave the thinking to me. I didn't wait ten years for this job and this power. If you want to make suggestions like that, I would suggest you wait ten years to get a job this good."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow and walked off. He found Miroku approaching a girl, maybe eighteen at least, leaning against a tree. She looked like she was a guard, but she wasn't dressed like one. She was wearing a black outfit with pink armour and a sword attached to her belt. Her long dark brown hair was tied into a high ponytail with a white ribbon and her dark brown eyes sparkled, highlighted with pink eye shadow. The girl was carrying a large boomerang.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow – a boomerang? That made so much sense.

He watched, slightly amused, as Miroku opened his mouth to talk to the girl, but she glared at him and said something back. Inuyasha stepped closer, careful to hide himself from the 'couple's' view. He sat behind a tree and listened closely.

"Do you really want to know what I want?" Miroku asked in a teasing voice. Inuyasha gagged, and was pretty sure the girl was doing the same.

"Shut up Miroku. If I wanted to know what you were doing -"

"But you asked."

"Just shut it Miroku," the girl snapped. "Why are you talking to me? Is it because I'm the only girl here that refuses to even give you a second glance?"

"Why, Sango! That really hurts me."

So the girl's name was Sango…

"As if," she scoffed.

There was a pause that lasted for a second before Sango screamed. Following her scream was a loud slapping noise that made Inuyasha wince. He held his breath and looked out from the tree and almost burst out laughing. This Sango sure knew how to slap a guy. Inuyasha made a mental note not to do whatever Miroku did.

"Don't touch me there, you pervert!" Sango screamed taking a step back.

Inuyasha frowned. Sango could have threatened to sue Miroku for sexual harassment, but she obviously didn't. Perhaps she liked Miroku more than she let off.

There was a long, and awkward, pause between Miroku and Sango, before he cleared his throat.

"I thought you only came on Wednesdays, just to check the security."

"I do, but I'm here to see Kagome-chan. After that, I have a job to do. A job that requires me to do something, instead of walking around all day," Sango added.

"It's not my fault the security here is so tight nothing ever happens!" Miroku protested.

Sango smiled. "I'll see you around Miroku." She turned around and began walking off towards the manor.

"Yea…see ya Sango," Miroku said quietly to the retreating figure.

Miroku stood there for a while, in deep thought. His thoughts were interrupted by Inuyasha, who popped out from behind his tree.

"Hey Miroku!" he said almost laughing at the startled look on Miroku's face.

"I-Inuyasha? Were you uh…listening?"

Inuyasha's almost psychotic grin was a good enough answer.

"Let's just being patrolling," Miroku muttered darkly, a blush tinting his cheeks.

It was almost time for their shift to end. They had spent all day lounging under the trees playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt. So far, Miroku had won 20 games and Inuyasha won…none. After their little tic-tac-toe competition, the two began racing and climbing the trees. After that, they just decided to sleep under the trees. It was a very eventful day, not to mention productive.

The two made their way through their patrol route, pausing every now and then. After a while, they came by the large manor. And that was when Inuyasha saw it.

A figure dressed in a dark coat and jeans with a brown cap on their head. The figure was standing on the balcony on the third storey of the manor. The figure jumped onto a nearby tree branch, and rather swung down to the ground.

"Hey!" Inuyasha shouted.

The figure turned around, revealing a pair of dark brown eyes. Those eyes…they were filled with so much emotion: pain, sadness, loneliness.

The figure turned back and broke into a fast sprint.

"I got it," Inuyasha assured Miroku. "You go radio in some back up or something…I dunno."

Inuyasha broke into a sprint and began chasing the figure. The figure manoeuvred through the shrine with knowledge. Inuyasha was having trouble catching up, but he had stamina. The figure didn't appear to have that much and appeared to slow down after the first few hundred metres.

Inuyasha smirked, knowing that he was going to catch him…or her…it.

Then he heard it…

A small rustle in the bushes…couldn't have been that loud. Inuyasha turned his head and saw the sleek, black barrel of a gun.

He followed the aim of the gun to the figure he was chasing. Without a second thought, Inuyasha broke into a fast sprint and tackled the figure, the two rolling on the ground, as a bullet shot over their heads.

He heard the figure grunt as he pinned it to the ground. Inuyasha looked down and gasped. The hat had fell off the head of the figure during the tackle, revealing long black locks.

"Get off me!" the girl cried struggling under Inuyasha.

"What were you doing in the Higurashi manor?" Inuyasha demanded, tightening his grip on the girl's wrist.

She yelled out in pain. "Why the hell do you want to know? And it shouldn't be me you're after! It should be the one who almost KILLED US!" she screamed.

Inuyasha chucked, but refused to budge.

"Just tell me why you were in the Higurashi manor and I might let you go, if I'm generous."

The girl scoffed. Inuyasha began humming a song as though he was entertained by her stubbornness.

"Why should I tell you?" the girl finally asked, sounding defeated.

"Because I'm a guard here and my duties require me to protect the Higurashi's and stop any intruders. You're an intruder, in case you haven't realised."

"I am not an intruder! I'm Kagome Higurashi, one of the people you're supposed to be protecting!"

Author's Note: How was that for a first chapter? It's not that long…it's about four pages on Word and I'm using Arial size 10 as well.

Let me know if you like the story so far. Review!