Disclaimer:
I do not own Inuyasha.
First Chapter! Yay I really want to stick with this new idea. Brave it with me Please and leave remarks. It'll help continue the story to it's full potential. Enjoy.
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I stared down at the bottom of the hill. The clouds were shifting and the sun was hidden from view. A bridge up ahead let me know that there was a river nearby. We needed to stay by the river. The woods were so tightly woven with trees there was no way for us to travel except by road.
"Kagome hurry they are leaving us behind,” Sango yelled from just ahead. I watched my friend turn and continue to walk the paved road. Sesshomaru lead the pack followed by Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, Rin, Kirara, and tail ending with Sango and me. I forced my feet to move, to continue. The wind caught my jet black hair swaying it this way and that. It felt good. If only for a short time of peace. My pack continue to move leaving me behind in my jumbled thoughts. It is not their fault I have become almost crazy.
"My name is Kagome Higurashi. I am a girl, “I trekked on," I am eighteen years old. I lived in Tokyo, Japan. I have four friends. I had a brother, a mother, and a grandfather. I am on a journey to fix this future."
"Kagome are you talking to yourself again?"Inuyasha must have heard my ramblings. My cheeks reddening. It's the only way I can stay focus now. I get lost too easily.
"Of course not," I yell back at him discarding this accusation. My feet pound the concrete roading as I made it to my friends. It was getting later in the day. The sun was a little past the trees telling us that it was going to be evening soon. We had to find shelter. A place to stay to wait the night out.
"You should be more quiet then if you can," Inuyasha's patience was thinning. The group kept silent. My eyes settled on the bridge ahead.
"It's not much farther. A town in just ahead. I think it's still safe," I said quieting my voice to a whisper. I don't talk much now to the others. I am only a guide really to them in this world. After the rift, we were transported into my present and their future. I am the only one who knows the way of the land and the technology not that it's any use anymore.
"I hope it is. We all need a good rest. Fighting off the last horde was literally exhausting and unnerving,"Miroku cued. He had always been the one to dissolve the tension in the group.
"I don't think if we didn't have Kagome we would have made it," Sango said with a sad smile. Lie. I had caused it. I tripped, making a sound alerting them that we existed. That trigger cost us. It was me that saw the cabin. It was me who directed them to it and help barricade the place. That night we didn't sleep. None of us. All were too afraid if one eye was shut it could cost more than just our stamina.
Inuyasha stayed quiet. He never looked at me with love anymore. I didn't share those feelings neither.
Jumping off of Miroku's shoulder, Shippou landed silently on the ground. He stared at me and smiled a way a child would at someone they thought was sick. "It's okay Kagome. We all believe you. Mean Inuyasha is being testy because he hungry."
"We are going to have restock supplies anyways. I got some things we can trade for lodging and ammo too,” I chirped defending why I was being put up with. Slowly my own mind was deteriorating again. I would be silent for a while and too lost to know anything.
Sesshomaru hnned.
Few minutes passed by and the group was silent again and crossing the bridge. I wasn't much farther behind from Sango when I heard a noise. I wanted to alert the group but fear replaced my warning. I began to run.
The other's caught on and followed. I passed Sesshomaru and made it to the other side of the bridge before the others. My boots beat the pavement till I could run no more. Out of breath, I sat down and waited for the others. One by one I could make them out running toward me. I was no good at fighting and only got in the way. Well, secretly I knew how to shoot my shotgun I carried but I didn't tell the others. Their thoughts were all alike. I was just a human with no strength or usefulness.
I didn't blame them though. Whatever caused my mind to become too jumble to comprehend had slowly ate away at my existence.
I took lead. The town was only a mile to go according to the sign posted to our right. Sango was beside me patting my shoulders letting me know it was okay now. "The things had crossed the bridge but Sesshomaru had quickly beheaded them."
I sighed on the inside. Relaxing a little.
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It took twenty minutes to see the checkpoint up ahead. The town had a guard standing out front looking from his outpost. He was tall and looked unfriendly. I kept my eyes low and never looked directly at him. He asked us where we were from and who was the leader. We all looked at Sesshomaru even Inuyasha. We had agreed one thing. Sesshomaru was by far the strongest now.
"We don't reside anywhere. All of us are orphans,"Miroku said answering the guard. The guard nodded knowing the answer was clear.
"There is an inn and the market is just inside when you walk in. The people take kindly to strangers being everyone is from somewhere different. Ole man Ru is the one to see about lodging. If you need to resupply talk to Kyo. She will fix you up. Any wounded Dr. Tsnuno will help. Not that there is much medicinal drugs we can hand out," the guard let us through with a nod and climbed in his outpost. Come sundown he would head inside the gate and lockdown for the night. That's how every town seem to work. Some better than others.
The street was filled with older people bargaining at prices with clothes and other wanted material. A guy close to a bench near us jumped and ran toward me. I flinched as a reflex and he stopped. "You'll love this Miss," he pulled out a corset. All for some bread."
"I'm sorry we have no room for charity right now," Sango replied turning me away from him. He pressed on until we could hear him no longer as we walked away. Beggars like him would die of starvation soon. I felt guilty and wanted to kill myself because of it.
"He is going to be okay Kagome," Sango whispered in my ear. I didn't believe her.
The inn loomed into sight. It was small and quant. A man stood on the outside of the door. He smelled of liquor and blood. Sesshomaru slipped through the door and everybody followed behind. I was last to enter. The older male smiled and moved his fingers through my hair. I froze like a deer. He laughed. "You, girl, I haven't seen a young girl like you in a long time. How about you come and give some sugar to me," he drunkly said stammering on the word you and sugar. I shook my head out of fear.
He laughed louder and lightly put his hand on my shoulder, "I says you need to come to me."Sesshomaru appeared beside me pulling me along. He stared coldly at the man. Sango rushed up to me.
"You need to stop getting behind Kagome. Someone could really hurt you with all these crazies you never know," She whispered violently in my ear. Inuyasha came up from behind her and nodded and Miroku sighed. Typical Kagome. Sesshomaru didn't say a word. I was grateful. He seemed the most real out of the group. Shippo hugged on to my neck and Rin stood beside Sesshomaru. The Inn had a bar inside. The bartender was an older woman who was serving shots to some kids our age.
"I think we need to talk to her," I said pointing. I didn't want the attention from the group. Kirara purred beside Sango.
We found our way to the bar and sat on the worn out stools.
"Can I get you anything?" the older lady asked from her corner.
"Yea, we need to find a place to sleep tonight and the guard said someone name Ole Man Ru,"Miroku spoke for us.
"Oh yes, well he isn't here right now, but I can accommodate you all. What do you have for trade for the rooms?" she said with a gesture to us. Nobody open handily gives you a place to sleep. You have to take it or trade. It was the only way to do things now. It was my turn to speak.
"I have some earrings my mother had left. They are real pearl. I almost found a stash of weed and this too," I pulled out a stout liquor I had been saving for a long time. I would never drink it of course.
"I think you take me as a greedy woman Miss-er,"She stopped.
"Kagome."
"Miss Kagome. You can keep your liquour. I have plenty. Save it for something special."
I took it back and placed it in my backpack. She then gave us keys. We had three rooms. I was sure Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha had a room. Sesshomaru and Rin and then me and Shippo. That was fine. I didn't need to worry them through the night anyways.
Sundown. It was time for some rest and relaxation.
I had slipped into my room. My bag fell from my shoulders and I began to cry. I always repeated this process for every new town when I am to be alone.
"I am Kagome Higurashi. I am a girl. I am eighteen. I lived in Tokyo, Japan. I have four friends. I had a mother, a brother, and a grandfather. They are all dead now. We are tracking Naruku down in my present. A virus from the past mix with an explosion of power caused this existence. My world is falling to pieces. I am falling to pieces," my tears fall on to the rug on the floor. The room was small; one window on the north side, a bed with a small night table on the eastside, and a toilet and shower on the west side. The walls an ugly yellow comfort my sick mind.
A knock. I jumped. Another knock.
"Who is there? I mean who is out there?” I said quickly. Nobody ever bothered me.
"It's me,” why him?
I quickly wiped my face drying my tears and opened the door. Sesshomaru stood not much farther from me. He looked tasseled. He ditched his kimono and gear for some grey jeans and a black tee. He wasn't the only one who changed the way they dressed. It was just more convenient for them to fight in with all the infected around.
"Hi,” I said quietly.
"I was regarding this situation earlier. I suggest that if you don’t want to become any worse off you should be closer to the group.” My mind stopped working again. I couldn’t make sense of what he was saying I think he realized that. He probably hated me. Like I hated me.
“You aren’t following are you?” I shook my head.
“You are only going to slow us down if you don’t keep up,” I bite my lip. I always knew he was going to finally tell me too, ”Kagome I would like to stay by my side more.” I swallowed. Nothing moved for seconds, minutes, hours. I stared at him. I couldn’t respond.
“That is if you don’t want to be raped, killed, or both,” he said finally relaxing. He had been thinking about this a long time I imagine. How to tell the worthless girl that she was slow and would only end up suffering because of it? He was doing it not out of the goodness of his heart. Nobody did. He was only doing it to keep the group together and able. Even I was important enough to the cause.
“Yes,” I nodded grinding my teeth. Tears wishing to spill from my eyes. I held them back. Not him, not anybody could see how pathetic I am.
He nodded and stepped away from the doorway. Sesshomaru left me to my maddening mind. I looked down the hallway watching him disappear down the stairs.
Alone I slam the door shut and sit on my bed.
“Let’s repeat.”