-: Never Say Never :-
:Chapter One:
-Two Moons-
by
AllLoveLost
'I love the rain.' A young woman sat underneath a great tree listening to the pitter-patter of the water droplets. 'It's so peaceful.' A flash of lightning srtuck in the distance. The thunder was only a faint rumble in the clouds. 'I guess it's getting farther away. Too bad. We really needed more.'
A drought had plagued the small town nearby for months and there was no end in sight. 'Oh well. Better get back to work before Master Mooshi-san comes looking for his laundry.' Hoisting a bundle of cloth up on top of her head, the woman stood and began walking toward a small stream. In the stillness of the dying forest around her, she slowly stepped into the stream. The soft sound of the water seemed to be her only companion and she soon began to scrub the clothes in the bundle.
"I wonder what we'll be having for dinner tonight." She wondered aloud. Finishing up, she hung the clothes to dry and sat on a rock that jutted out over the stream. Gazing at the sky, she thought about the withered old man she worked for. Then she thought about his son. 'What a handful. Disappearing and then reappearing with half of his money spent. I wonder what he bought...NO! Stop Kagome. Stop. That is none of your business. So stay out of it.'
Kagome sighed. Looking at the sky, she stood. 'Well there's still an hour until sunset, and there hasn't been any demons spotted in the forest in months so...' Her mind made up, she chose a direction and walked into the forest.
"Where is it?" Growled a voice.
"Why do you need to know?" A young man questioned. He flicked his red hair behind his shoulder. His green eyes gazed intently at a figure cloaked in black. "What if I was saving it for something? Hm?"
"Well for your sake, I hope that you were saving it for me." The cloaked figure replied menacingly. It shifted and pulled a long thin katana from the confines of the cloak and held the tip up to the young man's forehead. "Shall I make this scar wider?" Softly sliding the blade along his skin, the figure rested the tip on the man's collarbone. "Or shall I give you a new one? Right...here." The cloaked figure pressed it against the read-head's skin and a trickle of blood slid down the blade's edge. "Hm."
"F-fine. I don't have it any more. I was ambushed by brigands on my way home from the neighboring village and it fell out of my pocket as I escaped. I'm sorry if was important to you."
"No you're not... Not yet." There was a flick of the sword and the figure replaced it in its sheath. Turning, the figure glanced over its shoulder with gold eyes just in time to see the man's severed head fall to the floor with a thud. It was soon followed by the body, but by then the figure was gone.
'Oh great Kagome. Yeah, take a walk and get lost. Wonderful.' She thought sarcastically. But she was lost. And the sun was beginning to set. That wasn't good.
A sigh of exasperation flew from her mouth as she plopped down on a mossy knoll. 'What to do?' Glancing around, she tried to remember which way she had come from. "Shit!" Her small fist pounded the earth. "What am I going to do?" Kagome looked dejectedly at the sinking sun. 'Well so much for dinner.'
Her eyes finally fell to the forest floor. 'How am I supposed to get out of this? I'm such an idiot!'
"Huh? What-" A small flash of light came from the forest floor beside the knoll she sat on. 'What is that?' Getting up, she walked over to the place the flash caught her attention. Kagome bent down and looked at the ground. 'Hm. Must've been my imagi-'
A small purple stone rested between some old gnarled roots.
"-nation..."
Slowly, Kagome reached down and grasped the stone, lifting it to her face. It was beautiful. A careful hand had crafted it into a perfect crescent moon, and it was attached to a delicate silver chain. It looked extremely expensive. 'Someone must have lost it. There's no way anyone in their right mind would just throw this away.'
The sun was resting on the horizon now, and Kagome suddenly got the urge to put the necklace on. 'Well, I've always trusted my feelings... I just hope I can get home before something terrible happens.' Her mind was switching back and forth between the necklace and home. "Ow..." A headache suddenly hit her brain. 'Tuh-riffic.'
She looked down at her palm where the stone now rested. 'Fine. I'm putting it on.' Clasping it around her neck, Kagome gazed at the sky once more before she marched determinedly in the direction she felt was home.
Golden eyes surveyed the forest searching for something important.
Sighing, the eyes looked down at the small town where people were scurrying around like ants. They had found the body of the red-headed man and now the place was in an uproar. Men searching for the murderer, women shoving their children inside to keep them safe. There was a scream every now and then when a woman saw the head. No doubt they fainted too.
A pale, taloned hand emerged from the cloak the eyes hid under. It reached up and pulled the hood back and then fell to the figure's side. The golden eye's belonged to a young man whose long silver hair fluttered in the breeze. The man sighed again and turned. He lifted his head to the sky and inhaled deeply through his pointed nose. Nothing.
The moon began to rise slowly now. Its soft light was dimmed tonight for it was only a crescent. A smirk appeared on the young man's face and the tip of a fang protruded from his thin, pale pink lips. "Hm. How ironic."
Suddenly, a pulse came from the east of the forest. Swiveling on his feet, the man replaced the hood over his head and jumped up, disappearing into the night.
Kagome looked around herself cautiously. It was nightfall. Not good for her. Fear began to seep into her heart. Clutching the stone around her neck, she pressed onward through the forest. The moon gave her little light and she began to feel as if she was walking in circles.
Suddenly, a rustle came from the underbrush around her. Kagome stood stock still, grasping the stone for dear life. "H-hello?" She ventured cautiously. No reply. More rustles. She gulped audibly. "Is there someone there?" Still no reply. She tried again. "I'm lost. Could you help me?" A growl behind her.
Gasping, she twirled around. Nothing. A growl to her right. Then her left. Behind her again. 'Oh. Oh no. I'm surrounded by wolf demons. Oh my god. Oh my GOD.' More rustles from all around. 'Shit! I knew something was going to happen.' Kagome dejectedly tried to communicate again. "Please help me. I'm not worth killing, I swear. I'm skinny as hell- that's right. No meat. And I'm not an important person, no one would even notice I'm gone, so it's no good trying to get a ransom."
"So then you wouldn't mind if I...borrowed... you for an hour or so?"
Instantly Kagome knew what the voice wanted. She spun around. A tall wolf demon looked down at her with lust filled eyes. He grinned wide, showing white fangs. He reached out a hand and waggled a clawed finger in his direction. "Now come here wench. I need you for a minute."
Kagome's breathing began to quicken and she looked back and forth for a way out. There was none. 'Why? I should have just done the laundry and gone home. Me and my little adventures. Now I'm gonna'...gonna'...' She gulped. The demon moved forward a step. Kagome tried to move back one, but her feet were glued to the spot. 'Oh come ON feet! Move! You're my only hope! Please move!'
A tear trickled down her cheek as the wolf got closer...and closer... Not an exit in sight. Her hand clutched the stone tighter and she squeezed her eyes shut. 'Please. Please just go away. This is just a bad dream. It's just a nightmare.' Her hand began to feel warm, but Kagome didn't really notice. She was too frightened.
Suddenly a bright light burst forth from the stone in Kagome's hand. And when it faded, all the demons were gone. Kagome opened her eyes. "What?" She looked around. 'What happened?' As she tried to figure out where the demons had disappeared to, a hand appeared on her shoulder. "Hey! Who-" The hand squeezed- hard. Kagome's eye's rolled back into her head and she passed out in the arms of the cloaked man with golden eyes.
Well? Huh? Huh? Whadja think? Good? Bad? Too short? Too long? Just right?
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