Bleach Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ New Life ❯ Shinigami ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Bleach or any of the anime/manga characters.

Warnings: Mild Language

Shinigami

 

Kagome slowly came back to consciousness, only to groan at the pain the ungodly-bright lights brought to her.

“Well, at least the pain means I'm alive,” she grunted, trying to force herself up.

Suddenly, delicate hands pushed down on her shoulders, and she decided to brave the possible pain of the lights.

She was met with the sight of a girl with flowing, orangish-red hair. She was frowning in concern at Kagome, and despite her pain, she made the unwise choice to still try to sit up.

And immediately fell back, writhing and gasping as an ungodly pain assaulted her every nerve.

“Calm down,” the girl said, gently holding Kagome down until the pain subsided slightly. “I couldn't heal anywhere near all of the damage… I'm sorry. But if you move around, what I did manage to heal will reopen. So please, don't move.”

Kagome, a little slow on the uptake, finally forced herself to relax and stared at the girl.

“What… How am I even alive?”

“You were… are almost dead,” the girl said, staring at Kagome's bleeding chest. “I wasn't there to see what happened, so I could only reverse a little of the damage. But Urahara said you have extensive damage, all the way-”

“I know,” Kagome groaned. “The bastard went straight through to the other side, which would definitely hit a few organs. Don't know which ones, though.”

“You mean that hole's not because of some accident?” the woman gasped. “Who would do something like that?”

Before the girl could respond, the door to the room slid open. And in stepped the boy that had saved her life, his sword now wrapped and held onto his back.

“Hey, you're the guy that saved me. Thanks,” Kagome said, staring up at him.

He looked at her oddly before sitting beside the girl.

“You can see me?”

“Umm… Yeah. Why? Are you supposed to be invisible or something?” she asked, sarcasm taking her mind off the pain.

“Well, kind of… And I didn't save you.”

“What? You mean there was some other person with a huge sword there to kill the monster?”

At that, the boy's eyes widened.

“You saw that, too?”

“It'd be hard to miss a massive mountain of a demon, wouldn't it?”

“A demon?”

“Yeah. And still, thanks.”

“I didn't save you,” he said, emphasizing it. “You saved yourself.”

“I sincerely doubt that,” she said, focusing on the bandages around the hole in her chest.

“You used some kinda' weird magic, or somethin'. Blew the thing to Hell.”

Kagome looked at her hands, frowning in concentration.

“That's not possible. I used almost all of my power up in the forest…”

“Forest? The hell're you talking about? I found you coming out of a well house.”

“Huh? Oh, right,” Kagome said, trying to bring her powers to the surface.

She groaned when a very small amount came forth and left her finger like a spark.

“Damn… What the hell's a youkai doing in this day, anyway?” she grumbled.

“Youkai?” the boy asked, blinking in surprise.

“Yeah, you know… A demon? I've never seen one in this time before, and it's been a while since I've known about them.”

“I think you must've hit your head,” the boy said, scratching his head.

“Yeah, I'll bet. And what's with your power? It feels like that thing, only on an entirely different level.”

“You can tell?”

“Why wouldn't I be able to? Now are you going to answer my question?

“It wasn't a youkai. Youkai don't exist.”

“Then what in the hell was it?” Kagome growled, getting annoyed.

“It's called a Hollow,” yet another new voice said, making a third person in the room known.

Kagome craned her neck to find a tall, blond man sitting against the wall. The intensity with which his green orbs focused on her was unnerving.

“A Hollow?”

“Yes. It's the only kind of demon left, except the Soul Piper. How is it, little girl, that you know about youkai?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“That's a fair question. You don't have to answer. Oh, right. I'm Kisuke Urahara.”

“Orihime Inoue,” the girl said, smiling brilliantly.

The boy remained silent, and grunted when the girl lightly elbowed him in the ribs.

“Right. Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki.”

“Well, now that we've all introduced ourselves, mind telling us your name?” Urahara asked.

“Umm… Kagome Higurashi.”

Recognition flashed in Urahara's eyes, and a broad, and slightly cocky, smile spread across his features.

“I see. Higurashi, huh? Well, that explains knowing about demons, doesn't it, Miss Priestess?”

Kagome's eyes widened at that, and Urahara's smile widened.

“I get the feeling you don't speak of demons purely out of theory,” he continued. “And I knew I felt something strange in that wound. Hmm, looks like you don't have to talk much for a lot to be revealed, Miss Higurashi.”

“So that… Hollow was some kind of demon?”

“Sort of. The others are extinct, as far as Soul Society knows.”

“Hey, you sure you should-”

“I don't think holding onto information's going to be beneficial to anyone here, Ichigo,” Urahara said, cutting him off with a hand gesture.

“What's Soul Society?”

“Soul Society is kind of like Heaven, I guess you could say,” Urahara said, drawing Kagome's attention from Ichigo. “When a person dies, that's where they go if they have to be passed on.”

“Passed on? I thought the Soul Piper got any souls left behind.”

“Oh! You know of the Soul Piper, then,” Urahara said, smiling.

“We've met,” she said, shuddering at the memory of the monster's hellish red eyes.

“Really? Well, that's all besides the point. The Piper can only get so many ghosts at a time. And a lot of people die, all over the place. The Shinigami are soldiers that come from the Soul Society and pass on all the other souls.”

“Shinigami? As in… Grim Reapers?”

“My, my, you do know quite a bit, don't you? Yes, that's right. Ichigo's a Shinigami,” he added, pointing to the surprised boy.

“Huh… I always thought that if Shinigami were real, they'd be more… I don't know…”

“Terrifying?” Urahara asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, kind of,” she said with a shrug, which she immediately regretted.

“You really should try to refrain from moving. You're very close to death as it is.”

“How do I not die?”

“To be honest, I'm not sure that's an option,” Urahara sighed.

“It has to be,” Kagome said, her determination surprising the assembled.

“Oh? Everyone dies, eventually. You shouldn't fear death.”

“I don't `fear' death,” Kagome growled. “I just-”

Before she could continue, a horrible agony gripped her entire body.

“Shit!”

Her vision grayed and she began to pant as the pain reached her throat, making the very act of breathing difficult.

And then, Kagome's heart stopped. Which confused her greatly when she opened her eyes, finding herself still in Urahara's shop. And when she looked down, horror filled her.

Lying on the floor, deathly pale and quite obviously dead, was her body…

 

 

A/N:

There's the newest chapter of the fic. I'd appreciate feedback, as always!