10: A New Life
Japan: Tokyo

"Suki!"

"No…not now!" Suki groaned silently as the headmistress from her orphanage called her from the doorway of her classroom.

"Suki, please, come with me."

"Yes, Ma'am." Suki smiled politely.

"Hmmm…trouble?" Her classmate friends asked her.

Suki raised her head high. "I never get in trouble, though why she would come all this way to get me must be something important."

"Or you're getting adopted," someone suggested.

Suki snorted at him." That is highly unlikely."

Her friend, Karl, who was also from the orphanage, grinned at her, "Go on."

Suki followed the headmistress to her office, a block away from the small public school she was enrolled in. The streets were alive with people and there was something in the air. Suki could feel it by the way people ran back and forth as if expecting something to happen and they didn't want to miss it.

"I know this will come as a shock to you, but we have finally located a relative of yours."

Suki stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. "What?"

The madam walked on, never turning to look behind her. "You heard me. He is your stepbrother."

Suki blinked. Stepbrother? Her parents loved each other, and they never adopted, so why would she have a stepbrother unless her father or mother had been cheating on each other?

Suki's eyes glowed. She was going to exposed him, but first, she needed to see him and ask him a couple of questions…

"He's twenty years old, which means he's old enough to take care of a sixteen year old girl like you."

Suki growled silently to herself. "I can take care of myself."

"His name is Inuyasha, you will call him Brother Inuyasha."

This time Suki stumbled. She heard that name before, Inuyasha…,but to call him Brother Inuyasha sounded a little… weird didn't it?

"You will treat him with the utmost respect you have shown me, and maybe if you're lucky, he might be able to convince his father that you should be adopted."

'Inuyasha doesn't have a father. His father died nearly over a thousand years ago.' Suki frowned thoughtfully and then blinked.

"What the hell," she cursed. Where had that thought come from, and how would she have known Inuyasha's father?

"Watch your tongue, young lady," the headmistress snapped her head around to glare at her.

"Ms. Haiyu," the low voice came out of nowhere.

Ms Haiyu jumped as if someone had been stalking her all along and have finally decided to show his/her face.

"Mr. Inuyasha! What a surprise! What are you doing out here? Didn't I tell you to wait inside?"

"Yes," Inuyasha nodded his head, staring intently at Ms. Haiyu, "but it was warm inside and I was getting quite warm myself."

Suki blinked. Oh wow…he made Ms. Haiyu blushed! Ms. Haiyu, the ever so strict headmistress of Orphanage.

"I am sorry, I hope you feel better out here."

"Much better, thank you," Inuyasha bowed his head respectfully.

Ms. Haiyu giggled for no apparent reason but because she couldn't think of anything to say.

Suki covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the image of the blushing Ms. Haiyu before her.

"Is this my stepsister?" He averted his eyes from Ms. Haiyu to focus them on her.

Suki shook her head and then she frowned. "You!"

Inuyasha cocked his head sideways, but gave no other sign of emotion.

"You're that boy from school yesterday!"

Inuyasha smiled, not too warm, but not too cold either, at her, "Yes, what about me?"

"You're the boy from yesterday!" Suki repeated herself.

"So, what if I am?" He asked, lowering his voice and staring intently at her as she was before with Ms. Haiyu, only this time, Suki didn't feel like blushing or giggling. She felt like she was staring at a familiar face sometime in her life, but she just couldn't remember whose face it was.

Suki growled suddenly. "This is not going to work on me, Inuyasha!" She blurted out, shaking her head from the hell it was that almost made her walk towards him.

"So, you two do know each other!" Ms. Haiyu accused. "How long have you known him?"

'Almost a thousand years ago.' Inuyasha thought amused as he watch Kagome glared at Ms. Haiyu.

"Madam, I have never seen this man before in my whole entire life. Do not accuse me of something I haven't done."

Ms. Haiyu stiffened, "Suki, you—"

"Ms. Haiyu, I would like a minute or two with my stepsister," Inuyasha interrupted.

"Of course," Ms. Haiyu nodded immediately to Inuyasha's request and back away. "Behave yourself, girl."

"Yes, Madam," Suki answered innocently.

The Madam gave one more glance at Suki before walking away.

"So, my so call stepbrother," Suki crossed her arms and leaned back against the pole that she knew was there. "How have you been doing?"

"Fine, just fine," Inuyasha answered evenly. "Let's go for a walk."

"No," Suki shook her head. "I like it right here."

Inuyasha walked slowly towards her until he was in front of her. He felt the increase of her heartbeat, the blood running through her veins, and he smiled inside. Kagome was afraid of him now, which was probably a good thing. Maybe she will start listening to him now if he showed her all the cruel stuffs he can do, especially to a weakling like her friends.

"Still as stubborn as ever." He smiled softly at her.

"What are you talking about? I have never met you in my whole entire life."

Inuyasha really wanted to put his lips on hers and surprise her at how well he really knew her, but that would probably scare her off, and he didn't want to scare her off. He wanted her to regain her memory before his enemies start seeking him again. Kagome was almost useless to him in this kind of condition, and he wouldn't mind protecting her, but he really wanted her to protect herself.

"You haven't changed at all." Inuyasha murmured gently, his voice caressing her as he brought his hand up to gently cup he chin, "Strong chin, and soft skin." He tilted her head back and let his eyes roam over her slender neck. She was a feast he would gladly have.

His eyes stopped as he eyed the place where Sesshomaru had first bitten her and took her blood. The mark was gone now, all he had to do was lean down and mark her as his, and she would belong to him forever.

Inuyasha leaned forward, his fangs growing.

"Inuyasha?" Suki's soft pleading got through all the fog in his head.

Inuyasha pushed her away, disgusted with himself. "We'll go into the park." He was surprised no one had noticed, but he realized that he hadn't taken her blood and unless he did, he looked like a teenager kissing his girlfriend out in public.

Suki took a deep breath and willed her heart to calm down.

She had called him Inuyasha, as if she had known him forever. Worse, she had pleaded to him on something she couldn't understand, but very much wanted, and for a very long time.

Suki took another deep breath to calm her nerves and followed Inuyasha.

Who are you? Are you my real stepbrother or someone after my father's fortune?

"I am Inuyasha, your stepbrother," he answered her so softly that she would have never have heard if she hadn't been listening.

Suki frowned. "I told you, I have no stepbrother."

"Well, you do now," he told her.

Suki opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say anything else, something came flying at her. Without even thinking, just acting on basic instinct, Suki jumped and landed on her knees a couple of feet away from where she had been standing.

She could have fainted, better yet, she could have demanded from Inuyasha what the hell was going on here and why she was flying through the air like she had been just now, but she didn't because she was interrupted by another figure coming out of the woods, another stranger…

"Very good, I see you haven't forgotten about your back." The deep, amused voice filled the air, and sent a shock through Suki's brain. She knew that voice!

Inuyasha turned to confront his brother, whom he had not seen since yesterday when they were in school.

Suki turned to look at Inuyasha, and then at the stranger, then at Inuyasha again, and then she gasped. "You two!"

They both turned their eyes on her, one dark and the other one silver-like.

"You two were from yesterday!" She pointed her finger at both of them. "You two were the new students!"

The stranger who had just arrived at the scene crossed his arms together and turned his head. "And your point is?"

"What are you two doing here?" She moved back a little. "You two must be in on this together huh? This is some kind of joke between you two, isn't it?"

"It seems our little spell didn't work on one person," the stranger eyed Inuyasha. "She's still as strong as ever, isn't she, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha didn't answer him, and he gave Inuyasha quite an evil smile. "And she's going to be all mine."

Before Suki could react, the stranger came flying at her, and Suki could have sworn he flew through the air instead of running on the ground. She reacted immediately without thinking, bringing out her hand, as if holding something, and right before her eyes, the tip of a sword appeared on her palm. She quickly closed her palm, knowing she didn't just see that. Those things just wouldn't happen to her!

"Kagome! I told you so many times to watch your back!" Inuyasha's loud, fierce voice interrupted her and before she knew it, she was being carried in the air on his shoulder.

"Still as protective as ever, Inuyasha." The stranger laughed. "I wonder if you'll be able to protect her this time from me."

Inuyasha managed to avoid his every little thrust while holding Kagome steady on his shoulder. "Trust me," he told her quietly as he landed a kick on his shoulder and settled back on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Suki was settled on the ground again. "I don't know what is wrong with the two of you, but I won't be a part of it." She turned her back on them and started walking away from them.

Suki had only taken a couple of steps when she felt the tip of a very sharp blade on her neck.

"Don't move," the stranger was to her left. "Or else you die."

Suki managed not to show her fear as she looked at the stranger from the corner of her eye. "Um… excuse me, but I believe this is a real sword."

"So I've noticed." The stranger wasn't paying her any attention.

"So um…this could kill me," Suki managed a weak chuckled. "I'd appreciate it if you um…let me go."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I can't do that."

"Why?" Suki growled. "What have I done to the two of you?"

"Nothing," The stranger smiled at her. "You've done nothing, but you see, our problem is that we both decided we'd have you as our wife."

Suki blinked, and then she laughed. "Wife?"

The stranger smiled at her so coldly that Suki stopped laughing immediately.

"Yes, wife," he took a couple of steps until he was in front of her, but the sword was still on her neck. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Um…no," Suki smiled, "but um…do I get to choose?"

The stranger put away his sword, and stepped aside. "Of course, you get to choose, but," his eyes gleamed dangerously at her, evilly at her. "Choose well."

Suki didn't move. She was glued to this spot. If she moved, she feared she would die, and she didn't wan to die yet, she was still too young. She still wanted to travel, still wanted to see the world beyond her home, and she was an orphan, she still had so much to live for.

"So," the stranger told her. "Pick."

Suki growled, frustrated, "Shut up and let me think!"

"Choose well," he warned her.

Suki crossed her arms. "And what happens if I don't choose well?"

He brought out his sword again, and Suki winced as he cut his wrist with it, "Then you die."

Suki should have been screaming her head off at the sight of blood; in fact, she should have been running away, but something told her she had seen all of this before, in fact, she had killed herself…more than once.

"Inuyasha," she turned her angry glare at him. "Aren't you going to help me? You started this!"

Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and crossed them. "It seems the past is being repeated," he said.

"What are you saying?"

"If she picks you, she dies," the stranger growled at Inuyasha.

"That's what I told her in her last life," this time, Inuyasha's eyes gleamed and Suki shivered at the cold look in it, "and she did die." He finished.

Suki frowned. "Excuse me, but I don't believe in this reincarnate stuff, okay? So why don't you two take your stupid little tricks to the movies. I need to get home or else—"

"Very well," the stranger moved back. "We'll see who gets to her first."

Suki shook her head. "No! I'll pick."

Inuyasha turned to her. "Are you sure?"

Suki couldn't help smiling. "Of course. I don't need some guy to pick my destiny for me."

Inuyasha nodded his head and took a step back. "Very well, it's all yours."

The stranger also crossed his arms as he leaned against the tree.

Suki couldn't move. She wanted to move towards Inuyasha because even though he was a stranger to her, she felt like she knew him, and she felt like she could trust him, but she also knew that she would die if she picked Inuyasha. If she picked the stranger to her left, she didn't know if she was going to live or not.

Suki started walking backwards instead, towards nobody.

"Where are you going little girl?"

That triggered something inside her, and she froze. "You called me a little girl."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't have called her that, Sesshomaru."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sesshomaru frowned at Inuyasha.

"You called me a little girl!" Suki's growled.

"So? You are a little—" Sesshomaru didn't finish because Suki suddenly made a motion with her hands and Sesshomaru turned his head just as a knife struck the tree where his head had been.

Sesshomaru blinked.

Inuyasha smiled a little.

Suki looked down at her hand. "Where had that come from?"

"You nearly killed me!" Sesshomaru told her shockingly.

"I…I…" Suki looked around her for help. "I didn't do it…it couldn't be me! I can't even shoot an arrow straight!"

"Then who was it?" Sesshomaru took a step towards her slowly. "Tell me, who was it? You almost nearly killed your future husband."

"I…I…you're not my future husband," Suki took a step back. "He did it!" She pointed a finger at Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru stopped in his track and let out a laugh. "Him? Him?"

"Yes!" Suki nodded her head. "He did it!"

"Kagome, if it was him, he would have hit me," Sesshomaru smiled savagely at her. "But I like some fire in you, makes the chase more fun."

Suki reacted on fear: she ran.

Inuyasha got to her first before Sesshomaru did, which, she hoped, was a good thing. He threw her on his shoulder again, but Suki only rolled her eyes.

Couldn't you do at least pick me up with style, Inuyasha?

No.

Suki smiled, and then she frowned.

What the hell—

It's nice to be speaking with you telepathically again, Kagome.

I'm not Kagome!

No answer.

"That did not just happen!" Suki told herself. "I did not just hear you in my mind."

Suki didn't receive an answer. Instead, she saw darkness.

"Sure, take her out." Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks as Inuyasha threw Suki off his shoulders and disappeared.

"Where did she go?"

"Nowhere that concerns you," Inuyasha told him as he took out his sword, clasping it with both hands. "Now, why don't you and me settle this right here?"

"How many times have we declared that we're going to settle things, but something ends up happening instead, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru took out his weapon and clasped it in both his hands as well.

"Nothing is going to happen this time," Inuyasha promised as he attacked first.

"I'll hold you to that promised." Sesshomaru rushed forward as well.

"Where am I?" Suki muttered as she opened her eyes and look around her, and then she smiled, and then chuckled and then laughed.

"What are you still doing in bed, young lady?" the headmistress popped her head into the room. "Get your butt up and go help out the younger ones."

"Yes, ma'am." Suki covered her mouth as she continued to laugh.

"What is so funny young lady?"

"It was a dream," she told her. "Just a dream."

The headmistress shook her head at her and then disappeared.

Suki's little dream, and laugh, was shattered just as something slammed against her wall, and then blew up.

Suki was in darkness for the second time in one day.

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End

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Author's Note: Enjoyed? Please Review!