Ok, so the town I sniffed out was small...ok, it was tiny. But Koga didn't have to fall on his butt laughing at me! So I didn't have a super nose like the dog demons, that gives him no right to mock me. Giving a growl, I simply walked over the fallen wolf and through the small town. Skeptical eyes were felt as I walked passed the elders and the young married. I was soon out of the village and back to the walking of finding a town with something interesting happening. Koga jogged up behind me while whipping his eyes. "I know panthers don't have a great nose, but that was just pitiful." He laughed out before I landed my fist over his head.
"Yeah, well who cares about having a good sniffer. This gives me time to read over my book anyway." I grumbled and pulled out my leather bound book. My step never changed as I opened the old book and started to read every word written there. Everything from simple healing to deadly curses were all in one ragged book. we walked in silence for a time, unbroken except for the sound of our footsteps. though that was soon broken. "You do know that I'm teasing...right?" I heard the wolf ask, my shoulder growing heavy as a head leaned on it. "Yeah yeah." I huffed and ruffled his hair and easily tugged the hair tie from it. I gave him a smirk as Koga's hair fell down his back and then I started running. I may be a panther, but I knew good looking boys when I saw them and I loved long hair.
I was ducking and dodging the boy as he tried to snatch his hair tie from my hand. My smile never left my face as Koga's only grew irritated. I easily danced away from his lunges while still going on our little path. Taki was soon joining in on the game and was pouncing on my arm trying to paw the hair tie from my hand.
All too soon, Koga had his hair back up and I was pouting behind him. "I don't care if you like my hair down, it gets in my face too much to leave it down." The irritated wolf growled out as I continued to sulk. "Yeah well...It doesn't matter." I sighed and dug my book from my backpack again, trying to filter out the wolf's agitation a bit. I skipped over to where I left off and commenced my reading at full force. Before I could get in three sentences Koga stole my book with a deadly gaze. "Would you stop using the book as an escape? It's no wonder you're bad at fighting properly, you just ignore the conflict and do your own thing. It's a wonder you even beat Kagura." His words stung, but not as bad as his gaze. Koga was clearly pissed at me for ignoring him.
"Well, I'm sorry that I don't like to argue and bicker. I'm also sorry that my fighting is bad, but how on earth was I supposed to learn properly when everyone i my time was weak? This month is the most I have ever been able to use my demon strength and panther form." I almost yelled out, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "If I'm that bad to be around, go back to Kagome and leave me...Just like everyone else." I said and snatched my book back. stuffing it in my bag before bolting off in a random direction, leaving a baffled wolf behind.
Alone again...This is becoming something like a bad habit with me. Kaggs and the others wanted me back i the future, Koga...well, I kinda just left him. But I always seem to get people to have the need to leave me. Is it that I'm cursed or something? I haven't found any strange markings or brands. Maybe I mumbled out a spell by accident? No, I would have felt the energy build and release. Could be Karma from a past life...Yeah, I'll go with that for now. Anyway, finding a town was no longer on my to do list. Finding a place to hunker out of the rain was, as the first few drops of water hit my face. Giving off a sigh I trotted over to a hollow tree and curled up for the night. Though before sleep could take me, I notice Taki wasn't with me.
Heaving a sigh, I was soon running back to where I last saw the wolf and my small cat friend. A slow sniff around the place told me that he left with Koga. Tears started to form as my last friend had left me. I was truly alone now. No Taki to talk with, no Koga to laugh with and no Kagome to tease. Turning on my heel, I ran from there and didn't stop. Even as the rain started to pelt my arms and face, soaking through my clothes and freezing me to the core. I didn't stop until my legs collapsed and was left in a mud puddle to sob out my frustrations.
It was sunrise before the clouds left. Leaving me in a cold puddle and to be dried by the chilling winds of dawn. I sniffed and sneezed my way to a tall tree where I curled up and shivered in one of it's branches. -Weak, useless, failure, disgrace, dirty, filthy, savage, beast, monster...- All the labels I have been called throughout my life now claiming my mind once again. No one wanted a useless friend. one who couldn't fight or do much of anything. Another shiver ran through me as the depression took over my mind. -Maybe they are all right. It would be better to just stay in my own time instead of trying to fit in where I clearly don't- My thoughts circled for a few moments as I made up my mind to return to the place called 'Home'. My time. The future.
Picking out the right direction, I headed south west. Towards the village of Kaede and the old well that brought Kagome and myself here. I shifted to my panther form as I knew I couldn't use it in my own time, it was also much faster as I had four legs instead of two. Trees and boulders flew by me as I bounded over the terrain I had walked over with Koga and Taki. I growled at myself for being weak and stubborn. It's no wonder at all why I was abandoned as a child.
Just as Kaede's village came into view, I had to come to a quick stop and hide as Kagome came barreling over the hill. "NIKKI! I know you're out here, Inuyasha said he caught your scent." She screamed out. Making a quick decision, I stepped out from the bush and shifted to my full human form. No tail, ears, claws or fangs. "Hey Kaggs." I said, hugging myself as her brown eyes landed on me. "Where on earth did you go?! I was so worried about you! Why did you leave without telling anyone and why did Koga come and start yelling about you being weak? Nikki, please tell me why you left us." My friend cried as she threw her arms over me a nd cried, my self loathing only growing worse with each tear that fell.
"I...I left because I caused you to worry and that I was weak in fighting other creatures. I was on my own before I met up with Koga and we traveled together for a time. I ran away from Koga when we had a fight and...well I noticed that you were right in the fact that I don't belong here in this time. I'm too weak and no good at anything except running away from everything." I said, my voice monotone as my mixed eyes stared into nothing. I heard Kagome gasp and felt her shake her head. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant that you should go back and get your wounds checked. You were hurt badly and I was just scared. I didn't know that demons healed so quickly, even in that shape." I mulled over what she was saying with little conviction that I had any right to stay.
I was led to Kaede's hut and sat down in front of everyone. Mirouku, Sango, Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara and Koga were all present. My eyes were now glued to the floor when I saw Taki perched on Koga's shoulder. I felt more like an outcast then a friend and the judgmental gaze of the wolf only helped that feeling. minutes passed by in silence as I refused to look at anyone in the room, their stares doing all the work for me. I wasn't welcome here and they wanted me to know it. Kagome was the only oblivious one. "Guys, you think Nikki should stay too, right?" Her cheerful voice chimed as everyone shifted in their seat.
Five more minutes and I was soon standing and walking out the door, soon followed by an angry Koga. "So you're just going to ru again instead of facing us?" He growled out, fangs bared at me. "Yes...As you've said...I'm just a weakling who can't do anything more than run." I said as a single tear rolled down my cheek, well hidden in my growing hair. "Later." Was my last farewell before I vanished into the trees and found the old well that brought me here.
One last sigh and I was falling though space and time. Pink clouds swirled around me as the galaxy was displayed before me. My tears were now free falling with me as I was soon touching the ground five hundred years into the future. Far away from everyone in the past, but not far enough from the Higurashi shrine. Climbing out of the well was simple, walking from the well house to the street even more so. Going from the street to my run down building I called a home was torture. My thoughts were back when I first met Taki, then Kagome. Then I was back with my parents and where they left me to die. I was used to being alone, what was so different now?
A/N: Hello lovelies! Sorry for the wait, I know I've been making this fic a little depressing, but, it will get better! Anywho enjoy and leave a review! Thanks a bunch!