Author's Notes - Yeah, I finally decided to get off my duff and place this fic under my account where it belonged. Unfortunately, by deleting it from Miss Chang Po's account, I lost all my reviews and such. :sniffles: They made me so happy... But in any case, I guess you can say this fic is under revision, as I'm certain will find things I wish to change and/or correct as I repost it. Nonetheless, feel free to review and offer any comments you'd like. I'd be most happy.

Mucho hugz!

Inu Yasha: A feudal fairytale

in

"Tandemonai"

Chapter 1

Mrs. Higurashi headed down the stairs of the family's quaint little home with a small sigh. Her third attempt to coax her young daughter, Higurashi Kagome, out her room had proved futile.

Her eldest child had arrived home a few short hours ago without a word to anyone, quickly shutting herself off from the rest of the house.

Saying she had been angry would have been an understatement.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Higurashi sighed once again, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. Perhaps she should consider getting it cut again; it was starting to get a bit unmanageable.

She found herself taking one last glance at the door of her daughter's room. She was an astounding individual, whether she knew it or not. Not every mother could say her eldest child was the reincarnation of an ancient and powerful priestess. What's more, no one Mrs. Higurashi knew could say their daughter took frequent excursions to the Sengoku Jidai via an old well in their shrine to search for shards to a jewel that had once been under her charge; in her previous life, that is.

Still, despite all that, Mrs. Higurashi was proud of her daughter - not only for taking the responsibility to complete the task given her, but managing to do so without ever complaining… much. The girl did have her difficulties, many of which having to do with a certain hanyou she was now associating herself with.

The single mother had been greatly concerned at the situation her daughter had gotten herself into upon meeting the young man with youkai blood running through his veins. Her concerns hadn't been unfounded, of course – she'd spent the last 20 years living in a shrine – having a demon trounce into her home demanding her daughter leave with him was enough to put any parent into a panic. However, her fears were quickly abated – yes, the boy was gruff, but she knew within minutes of meeting him that Inu Yasha would never willing allow any harm to befall her daughter. It was obvious to her that he cared far more for her than he was willing to admit.

She shook her head; it hadn't taken long at all for him to fall for Kagome… it was something about the Higurashi charm that just roped people in so quickly. Of course, even more prominent than that was the obstinacy that her daughter seemed to possess that always had her at odds with her dog-eared friend.

At the thought, Mrs. Higurashi grinned, shaking her head slightly. What kind of argument had they managed to get themselves into now?

0 Several hours earlier 0

Inu Yasha's amber eyes flashed angrily. "I told you," he ground out, being sure to bare his fangs. "Leave me alone!"

Kagome, having never been frightened of his youkai attributes, refused to be deterred. "I don't have to listen to you!" she shot back, glaring him in the eye. "I'm not afraid of you and you know it!"

Normally such a comment would have made Inu Yasha feel better, but today it only served to make him even angrier than before. Clenching his fists at his side, he shook his head in disbelief. "Not afraid of me? Stupid wench, you damn well better be afraid of me! Or--"

"Or what?" Kagome folded her arms over her chest. He seemed a bit startled at first, but before he could make any sort of comment, she cut him off. "Look, Inu Yasha, I know you're upset about what happened." He made no move to respond. The young priestess lowered her arms, moving towards him. "Really, I understand."

Something snapped in him. He tried to hold it in; really, he did. After managing to calm himself down out of one of his youkai rages, losing his temper was not something he needed to be doing. However, the last thing he wanted other than that was Kagome showing sympathy for him. Someone like him did not deserve sympathy, especially from someone like her.

Unfortunately, he was too angry with himself to express any of this to the young priestess. After all, that sort of thing had never been his forte. As soon as the words left her mouth, he reacted, roughly shoving her away from him.

Sango and Miroku, who had been spectators up until that moment, moved forward to catch Kagome before she hit the ground. Steadying her, they all turned to him with confused and questioning glares.

"Inu Yasha," Miroku was the first to speak in a chiding tone. "Surely that was unnecessary."

"Shut it, bouzu," Inu Yasha countered, glancing away from him. He glanced back at Kagome. "And you… don't you dare try forcing your sympathy on me. I don't want your pity and I sure as hell don't need it. And don't think you have any idea what I have to put up with - you don't understand shit!"

For several moments, as Inu Yasha went through his tirade, Kagome could only blink. However, the moment he closed his mouth, she shoved away from the monk and exterminator, closing the distance between herself and the hanyou in angry, purposeful strides. The other two humans made no attempt to stop her.

Things were about to get ugly.

Kagome strode up to Inu Yasha, her blue gray eyes flashed dangerously. Opening her mouth, she uttered the one word she knew would put him in his place. "Osuwari!"

Like clockwork, the rosary round Inu Yasha's neck came to life, hurtling him to the ground. Hurt flashed over his face a brief moment, quickly covered up by anger. "Bitch!"

The young miko, however, had noticed. Guilt quickly flooded through her as she remembered the several injuries he had sustained in their recent battle. They weren't major, but enough to cause significant pain in the event of a sudden subduing. "Inu Yasha."

Once the spell wore off, he sat up, looking away from her. Absently his hand went to the beads encircling his neck. "Don't apologize to me," he said in a low tone, startling her. "I don't deserve it." He let out a humorless laugh, staring at the clinking beads in his palm. "This damned thing is the only thing that kept you alive."

Yet again, they had been attacked by a youkai possessing a shard of the Shikon no Tama. They had fought a valiant fight until Inu Yasha had been knocked unconscious by the blow of one of the youkai's many tails. Quick to act, Kagome had rushed to defend him only to put herself directly in the path of one of its claws. Reacting to her danger, Inu Yasha not only woke up, but transformed into a full youkai. He made quick work of the youkai, yes, but still lusting for rage he had tried to attack the nearest thing to him - Kagome.

She slowly knelt down next to him, quickly putting the past events from her mind. "Maybe," she replied trying to placate him. "But I didn't have to do it just now." She lowered her head slightly in shame. "Just because you lost your temper doesn't mean I have to lose mine, too."

Inu Yasha shook his head. How was it she could change her tune so quickly? She was asking him for forgiveness now? After he had nearly ripped her to ribbons? No... he had to stay angry; he couldn't let himself say what he really felt.

So as always, he put on his fiercest glare, his teeth bared in an angry scowl. "You could have died, Kagome!" he exclaimed. The young girl didn't seem at all phased by this piece of information. "Don't you get it yet? I'm frickin' dangerous!"

"So are all the other youkai we come across," she countered. "And they're even more dangerous because they're all trying to use the Shikon no Tama for evil."

"You're wrong," Inu Yasha stood up. "Stupid wench, you don't have any idea how wrong you are!"

Okay, so maybe that did sound a little dumb... but did he have to keep calling her stupid? It didn't really secure any ideals of their friendship in Kagome's mind.

"So, what do you want me to do, Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked, rising as well. Again, her temper was getting the better of her, but it couldn't be helped. Inu Yasha, as always, was trying to push her buttons and she knew they were both aware of it.

Screwing her face into a determined glare that rivaled her hanyou companion's own, Kagome held her ground. "You know I can't leave," she continued. "It's my responsibility to collect the shards, isn't it?"

"It's your frickin' fault we have to do this anyway!" Inu Yasha snapped back. Seeing her step back in surprise only fueled him even more. "And it's not like we really need you here anyway."

"Inu Yasha!" Sango and Shippo exclaimed in unison.

Inu Yasha didn't hear them, didn't see them. The only thing in front of him was Kagome, her clothes dirty and torn, and her arms bandaged - his own dirty work. He felt sick on the inside; he'd raised his hand against her - Kagome, HIS Kagome - the one he'd sworn to protect. Even now, he caused her further injury with his cruel, biting words. He needed to get her away from him - at least until he could figure out how to keep himself in control. If he ever lost control and hurt her again...

"So, you're doing it again," she replied quietly. "You don't want me here, so you're pushing me away." She glared up at him. "What, you're not going to trick me this time and push me down the well? I'll go over to it if you'd like...why not stab me in the back this time before pushing me in, you big jerk? That way I'll never come back!"

Inu Yasha blinked in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected this kind of reaction. "Shut up!" he exclaimed. "I-I never said anything about staying away forever!"

"Well… oh well, I don't care!" Kagome countered, feeling incredibly foolish. "I'm going anyway! And I hope I never see you again!"

The others blinked in surprise.

"Ka-kagome." Shippo stammered with wide, watery eyes. "You don't mean that do you...?"

"Don't listen to Inu Yasha, Kagome-chan," Sango piped in, trying to dissuade her from making a hasty decision. "You're needed here, and not just because of the Shikon no Tama!"

Inu Yasha remained still, stunned into complete silence.

"I'm sorry, Shippo-chan, Sango-chan, Miroku-sama," The young priestess turned from them, mounting her bicycle. It took every ounce of will power to keep from crying. For she knew that if she did, she would wind up sobbing like a baby in the arms of one of the others and that just could not be allowed.

A little voice snickered in the back of her mind. You're just afraid you'd end up crying in Inu Yasha's arms, it teased. Then what would your hanyou think of you then?

'Well, at least we don't have to worry about that anymore.' Kagome thought to herself. She was aware that the others were still waiting for her to speak. She gave them one last glance, a very sad but resolute look on her face. "I just can't do this anymore."

With that she removed the chain that bound the hunk of the Shikon no Tama from her neck, tossing it to the ground. She then pushed up the kickstand on her bicycle and began pedaling away. "See ya."

Miroku picked up the shard, turning to face Inu Yasha. "If you act now, you can beat her there and make amends,"

Inu Yasha did not move.

"Inu Yasha, why are you still standing there?" Sango demanded. "You're letting her get away!"

Still, the hanyou did not respond.

"Stupid!" Shippo latched himself onto the hanyou's head, pulling at his hair as viciously as his little paws would allow. "Stupid, stupid Inu Yasha! Go after her!" Fat tears were rolling down his cheeks, into the white hair beneath him, but Inu Yasha didn't notice. "Go after her! Go after her or we'll never see Kagome ever again!"

Inu Yasha slowly blinked, his gaze wandering from the shard in Miroku's hands from the bicycle fading into the distance as the last of the young kitsune's words sank into his head.

We'll never see Kagome ever again.

00

Yes, Mrs. Higurashi thought to herself, there was no doubt in her mind that Kagome's current mood could somehow be attributed to him and an argument that had most likely split them apart yet again - whether intentionally or not. Shaking her head again, she sighed heavily. It was so obvious - the two of them were like an old squabbling couple. Too proud to admit either of them are wrong, and too stubborn to be the first to apologize.

Staring at the door of her daughter's room, she hoped they'd resolve their differences soon – it was so obvious that they didn't like being separated from each other. Besides, who could stay mad at Inu Yasha for long? His ears were just too cute!

00

"Ass!" Kagome's pillow hurtled through the air, landing on the other side of the room with a soft thump. Unfortunately, during its descent, it bumped into a vase, which tipped over a lamp, which landed on top of her backpack, spilling its contents to the ground.

The young priestess noticed none of this however. Making ready to toss her remaining pillow, she paused when she noticed the contents of her bag on the floor. Sighing heavily, she lowered herself off of her bed, over to where her belongings lay.

'Sheesh…can't I throw a fit without making a complete mess? I'm pathetic!'

Putting her belongings back together, she set her pack in her desk chair. She began to walk away but she stopped, turning back towards her bag once again.

It wasn't nearly as packed as before, but she hadn't expected to be gone that long this time around. Besides, Inu Yasha had always said she packed too much when carrying her bag out of the well.

She paused, the irate hanyou immediately coming to mind. Kagome shook her head, forcing the image back down. Her heart hurt so badly but she refused to acknowledge it. Why should she anyway? It wasn't like he cared what she thought or felt. He didn't even want her around!

'He doesn't want me there… so why should I bother? Nothing is worth this.' She flopped down on her mattress, watching the ceiling fan twirl overhead. A soft breeze came in from outside her window, soothing her nerves only slightly. As she closed her eyes, white hair and amber eyes came into view.

The image wavered slightly. Kagome clenched her eyes shut tighter to push it away…or was it to hold onto it? "Inu Yasha..."

"...don't you dare try forcing your sympathy on me! I don't want your pity and I sure as hell don't need it. And don't think you have any idea what I have to put up with - you don't understand shit!"

Kagome opened her eyes, their depths filled with sadness. "Inu Yasha," she repeated softly, keeping her gaze on the ceiling fan. The hanyou before her eyes seemed to only regard her with contempt and disdain. "You never seem to notice how much you mean to me."

With a wave of her hand, the image vanished from her view. "But if I ever see you again." With a resigned sigh, Kagome rose to join the rest of her family for dinner. Her mother had gone to great lengths to make Oden, after all. The door clicked shut behind her, her words ringing in the empty air.

"If I ever see you again… it'll be too soon."

End of Chapter 1