InuYasha Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Shards Of Hope ❯ Day Dreaming ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Since I obviously don't own the copyright to Teen Titans or Inuyasha, I'm taking advantage of the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright laws to write a story with them in it. Who knew the government would protect the little guys? Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Chapter 2: Day Dreaming

 

The other Titans were busy packing; Raven was to transport them there using her powers in a little over an hour. She had packed in mere moments, grabbing several spare outfits and a few texts. Even though she probably wouldn't have time with the search for Slade, it was always advisable to keep something as a reference. The others began filtering into the room, Starfire's odd rectangular box luggage case, easily held up by the alien, fell to the floor with enough force to leave a crack underneath the carpet. Cyborg came in with something akin to a toolbox and Robin entered with a simple suitcase. Beast Boy… was heard yelling in the hallway as his suitcase exploded… again. Raven rolled her eyes, waiting for the green titan to bring in what was certain to be an overly loaded suitcase, bursting with useless and pointless items.

She wasn't let down, as Beast Boy pulled the massive suitcase by a strap, barely pulling the overly loaded and oddly bulging black and gray case to the doorway. Robin looked at him impatiently, tapping his foot on the floor his arms folded across his chest. Starfire looked on in surprised amusement, finally looking to Robin, “Why does Beast Boy have such trouble carrying his bags?” Robin nearly burst out laughing, Cyborg didn't even attempt to stop himself, laughing so loud and so long that his sides began to hurt. Raven smirked; sometimes Starfire's naivety was a far more effective than her own snide comments.

Beast Boy scowled, but finally lugged his bag over, where it promptly exploded again, “Ah man…” He began stuffing the items, some clothes, most not, back into his bag. Raven shook her head, enveloping the Titans, their baggage, and Beast Boy's mess, in black energy, and then transporting them out.

 

22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2222222

 

Kagome screamed, stumbling backwards as the wall of flames approached, the heat drying the air and scorching her hair even before it hit her. The heat dried her throat, and she was left releasing a choked yell as she tumbled backwards and into the well. She was looking up as the flames passed over the rim of the well and then, to her horror, turned and followed her down the well. Her eyes widened in mute horror, but just as it came within inches of setting her ablaze she fell into the past, landing on the soft dirt of the feudal era well and staring at a bright morning instead of the hellish flames that had chased her down the well. She trembled slightly, looking around the well… what had happened? Who was that? Was he a demon in the future era? How else would he have had such powers? And how had he known she was the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo?

The thoughts swirled in her head until a final question struck her: what if he could travel back into the past? She stared wide-eyed and panicked at the bottom of the well… what kept him from coming back to the past and burning her here? She screamed again and frantically began to scale the walls of the well, almost falling back more the once in her manic attempts to pull herself out. Pulling herself over the lip of the well she tumbled to the grassy earth, then scuttled away until she was hidden behind a tree. She drew in rapid, fearful breaths, trying to calm herself down. There was a slight rustle from behind her and she froze, stock still with terror.

“Kagome?” Inuyasha yelled, looking about. He was certain he had heard her scream… he looked around the well warily. She wasn't inside. “Kagome, where are you?” He sniffed the breeze, she was close… he didn't have to track her, however as she burst forth from behind her hiding spot, rushing to him and hugging him close. Inuyasha stared wide-eyed as she cried, murmured nearly incoherently about an insane masked man on the other edge of the well who wielded fire. He pulled her back slightly, she was petrified, he had never seen her so scared.

“Inuyasha…” She whimpered, trembling in his grasp, he blinked rapidly, trying to focus on what she was saying. “He knew who I was… he was trying to kill me!”

“Knew who you were?”

“He called me priestess.” She said emphatically.

Inuyasha paused, his lips curled at the edges forming a small smile and he nodded with a small humph, “I'll deal with him.”

Before she could respond, Inuyasha had rushed to the well and jumped in. The sacred well, the gateway between his time and hers, quickly activated, sending him to the future. The other well was dark; he could smell charred and burning wood above him. He looked around warily, but with a burst of motion, leapt from the well and landed on the soft dirt that surrounded it. The walls were burned, as was the well itself. The wood was charred, but most of it was out already. The scent, outside of burnt wood, was that of a… demon and a human, but not a half demon. This was different, a human who had been tainted, much like Onigumo. He snorted, running up the stairs and rushing outside to follow the scent but it ended there… disappearing without a trace.

 

22222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222 2222222

 

The massive black bird flew over the ocean for what seemed like an eternity, but they arrived in Japan in mere hours. Raven looked around. They had been called to this location specifically, the US embassy in Japan. It didn't take long to reach the chaos. There were people running around, whatever poise and dignity the diplomats had planned was long forgotten. More than a few guards stood at the gate, only a few stood at the platform where the Titans actually landed. A man in a suit, hair disheveled and a look of worry painted on his face walked forward. “I'm sorry for the lack of a proper reception but…”

Robin nodded seeing smoke rise in the distance, “Slade.”

The man nodded, “Yes, he attacked a historic shrine near the center of the city… burned most of the building down as well as the house of the family who maintain it.”

Robin walked towards him “Take us there. Now.”

“Sir, I really don't think…” Robin scowled, and the diplomat frowned, “…Very well.”

They were escorted to a small parking lot, and invited into a limo. Raven raised an eyebrow, but shrugged getting inside. The insides were spacious and there was a TV inside, turned onto a news channel which had a reporter outside of the burned village. She couldn't understand the woman at all, but Slade's face, or his mask at least, was brought onto the screen, a phone number listed below it. It was an older photo, one from before her father had placed his mark on the mask.

Raven turned away, disgusted, but found the others were sitting quietly looking at the TV as well. The diplomat was also in the car, holding a small manila folder in his hands, he looked at them numbly, “The news is reporting that the family itself is safe…” He paled noticeably, “…except that the daughter is unaccounted for. She is a young schoolgirl who has been very ill in the recent past…” He looked down, shaking his head and absently murmuring to himself, probably about how the Japanese government would react. He looked back up looking at the team, “Do you have any clue as to why he would attack a Japanese shrine?”

Raven had been wondering that herself since she had first heard. She was his target; she knew that for certain, he needed her to release Trigon. Why he was in Japan in the first place was a mystery, attacking a Japanese shrine was an even larger one. She shook her head as the diplomat scanned each of them. None of them, not even Robin, could understand his latest attack… she looked out the tinted window, in the distance she could see flashing lights from fire trucks and police cars. There were police directly in front of them, cordoning off the crime scene. The limo was stopped suddenly, the diplomat looked out the window, “It seems that we'll have to walk the rest of the way.”

The diplomat walked with them, showing the police and firefighters that approached them the official documentation for their presence. They were being escorted, warily, to the scene. Everyone had their eyes on them and no more than a small few were happy to see them. Raven ignored the looks they received; they weren't here to make friends.

There were still wisps of smoke coming from the charred buildings. Outside a worried mother stood next to her crying son, and an elderly man was sitting down on the ground, a defeated look upon his face. “This shouldn't have happened…” Robin commented, walking forward.

The elderly man looked up, watching Robin with haunted eyes, “One thousand years… one thousand years this temple stood… one thousand years gone…” He seemed on the verge of tears.

Robin looked to the diplomat, bowing low to the man before him, and then began to speak in Japanese, “Sir, I am most sorry for the loss of this temple, but we are here to apprehend the man who destroyed it.” Robin sighed heavily before continuing, “Did you see him?”

The old man looked up, “No…”

“Do you know where your granddaughter is?”

The man's eyes went wide for a moment. The man in front of him would never believe the sacred well had transported Kagome into feudal Japan. The little boy looked to Robin as the grandfather tried to figure out something to say, “Kagome went to school. She had a test in algebra.” The young boy was clinging to his mother, still crying. Robin frowned, looking back at the team. She had never gotten to school.

Raven shook her head sadly the family had lost everything. Slade had destroyed their home and their livelihood and who knew what he had done with the girl. She felt sick, the thought that Slade, her father's servant, was attacking others. She couldn't bear to watch, turning away.

That's when the man caught her eye. When she saw him her eyes went wide and she gasped. A tall man flowing silver hair and wearing billowing red clothing was standing just outside of a shed, staring at the burned out building. Images from her dreams entered her mind, flashing before her eyes. She closed her eyes and shook it off, “It's just a dream…” When she looked back at where the man had been standing, he was gone. “…just a dream.”