InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Child's Song ❯ From Fear to Fear ( Chapter 1 )

Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa,
Itsu itsu deyaru.
Yoake to ban ni.
Tsuru to kame ga subetta,
Ushiro no shoumen dare.


Kagome, Kagome,
When does the bird inside the cage come out?
At dawn and evenings.
Who is in front of the back where a crane and turtle slipped and fell?

The nightmare always started the same way. She and her friends were in a park in autumn, children just out of elementary school. The bright gold leaves and their dark red counterparts danced in the cool wind over their heads, tenuously holding on to their branches. They were laughing, over something she couldn't remember. Then someone would suggest a game. The game.

Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa,
Itsu itsu deyaru.

Kagome, Kagome,
When does the bird inside the cage come out?

She never started in the center of the circle. No, she always joined hands with those surrounding the one chosen. Her voice would lift with the other children's, harmonizing in their youth and innocence. Around in circles, till they stopped. She never failed to be behind the one in the center, and they never failed to call out her name.

"Kagome!"

Everyone starts laughing, she herself giving in to the almost hysterical joy she feels. Hands clapped over eyes, she'd hear the children singing, waiting for the song to end. Who would it be? Who would be standing behind her?

Kagome Kagome
Kago no naka no tori wa,
Itsu itsu deyaru.
Yoake to ban ni.
Tsuru to kame ga subetta,
Ushiro no shoumen dare.

Kagome, Kagome,

When does the bird inside the cage come out?

At dawn and evenings.

Who is in front of the back where a crane and turtle slipped and fell?

The giggling hadn't stopped, and with an incredible clarity she guesses at the one behind her. A

name, she calls out a name, but there are no answers. Only laughter.

Confusion creeps into her heart, but the elation of the season still keeps her cheery. She calls

out again, naming her friends one by one, but there is only laughter. Fear intrudes upon the joy, and with increasing desperation she notes the voice's change to mocking, scorning laughter.

Tearing her hands from her face, she's greeted by darkness. The wind that had been so friendly before was now cold, piercing in its intensity. She calls out once again, and flinches when her voice seems to echo back, mimicking.

A sound reaches her ears, grinding, squealing. The swing. This was new.

This was different.

For that reason, this was scary.

Time seems to slow to a crawl as she turns on the balls of her feet, her heart pounding,

roaring in her ears.

Her eyes wide and seeking turn toward the swing. Leaves flutter across the cold cement walkways, dancing malevolently across her line of vision, their vivid colors swallowed up by the dark enfolding them. For a moment, her eyes don't register the shape on the swing.

A little girl, pristine white, drags her feet on the gently swaying seat. The metallic grind is all that she can hear for a moment, an eternal moment.

Kagome

The silence is broken, torn apart with this whispered, unfocused call of her name. Reluctantly, yet willingly in the same movement, she feels herself compelled forward. Small feet clatter against unforgiving ground, carrying her closer to the mysterious child on the swing.

Kagome

Once more her name, though fear wraps its icy fingers around her heart at the sound. The little girl, was it her whom spoke? She could not say.

Kago no naka no tori wa,

Itsu itsu deyaru.

When does the bird inside the cage come out?

It hadn't been her name then, but the song. For some reason, she couldn't distinguish the two from each other. Closer, ever closer she walks, breath coming ragged to her lungs. Where has her voice gone? She feels the compulsion let go as she stops within an arm length of the child. "W-who are you?"

Kagome

This time, she is certain it is the little girl who speaks. The voice has become more urgent, more pleading.

KAGOME

Louder, more insistent. Terror and anger mingle in her heart, and she asks once more. "Who are you?"

Kago no naka tori wa,

Itsu itsu deyaru.

When does the bird inside the cage come out?

The song, the stupid song. "What do you want from me?" Her voice rises in terror, her own hands clapping over her ears at the sound. The girl swinging flinches, but doesn't stop.

You must choose, Kagome.

"Choose? Choose what?" Childish horror fills her heart, burning with it a great desire to know.

Kagome, you must choose Kagome

"What must I choose? I don't understand!" Her high, squeaky voice doesn't seem to affect the child this time, whose downcast gaze was starting to scare her. "Why won't you look at me?"

Kagome

The child's head begins to raise, white hair falling back from an equally pale face. She waits in terror for the child's visage to be revealed, feeling the urge to run but unable to.

KAGOME

The child's head raises higher, higher, thin lips and a small nose now visible in the darkness. She shivered in the cold of the night air, unable to turn her gaze away.

YOU MUST CHOOSE, KAGOME

Finally, the child's face was revealed, china-doll perfect in the mysterious glow they gave off. She swallows, and gazes in horror at where the child's eyes should be. Her voice rises in terror as she only sees more black, darker than what surrounds her.

Kagome woke up in a cold sweat, sitting up quite suddenly in the cool night air. Her heart still pounded from the terror of her nightmare, while she desperately tried to get more oxygen into her lungs. "A dream," she said, placing a hand over her racing heart, unaware that she spoke out loud. "It was only a dream."

Shippou whimpered in his sleep beside her, drawing Kagome's attention away from herself. The teenager weakly stroked her friend's auburn hair, not even managing a smile as he pushed himself further into the sleeping bag as she did so. "Maybe I'm not the only one who can't sleep undisturbed tonight."

Truth be told, she hadn't been sleeping soundly for the past few weeks. Why she wasn't quite sure, but everyone was beginning to notice. Everyone except Inuyasha, that was. He was just complaining more often about her lack of endurance, blaming it on her humanity while conveniently forgetting his own. She had wasted no time in reminding him of it, among other things. Kagome had little doubt she had been using the `word' more often these past two weeks than their entire six plus months together.

Sighing, the teen rubbed her arms while wrinkling her nose in disgust at her damp night clothes. Faint recollections of her already fading nightmare forced her to her feet in a maneuver lacking grace. None of her sleeping companions stirred, as far as Kagome could tell. The young woman suspected that Inuyasha was also resting in whatever tree he had claimed for himself that night. With a second sigh, she started toward her pack, hoping to change out of her sweat-dampened clothing into something. . . Dry.

Yet she couldn't stop thinking about the young girl in her dream. Who is she? Why the children's song? Kagome hadn't heard that particular song since she had been quite younger, five in fact. None of her friends had ever played the game, at least not with her. The teenager couldn't even remember being teased for having the same name as the mysterious `Kagome' from the children's ditty.

So why now? Why would her subconscious bring up such an obscure memory?

Of course, the dreams could always be demon-sent, but the young woman didn't think so. How would they know the song, and more importantly, what were they trying to tell her? Nothing earth shattering had occurred, so the demon theory was all but ruled out of Kagome's mind.

Pulling yet another set of pajamas out of her impressive burlap backpack, Kagome cast a dubious glance at those sleeping around the dying fire. Deciding not to trust fate, she pulled a small flashlight out of one of her backpack's pockets and flicked it on. There were several. . . Concealing. . . Bushes a little ways away. They would serve her purpose.

Gingerly picking her way through the forest undergrowth, Kagome silently cursed the lack of public bathrooms. Even campgrounds in her time had them built in nice random locations, ready for use. One of the small inconveniences of the Warring States Period. Feh.

A smile cracked across her face as Kagome brought her hand up to massage her forehead. A soft, mocking groan escaped her lips, but the smile never wavered. "Six months of Inuyasha has taken its toll." Shaking her head, she rustled as unobtrusively as possible through the thick foliage with her change of clothing in hand.

Shivering in the true cold of the night, and not the cold of her nightmare, Kagome hurriedly stripped off her wet clothing, just as quickly pulling her new pajama pants on. Picking up her shirt, the teen paused for a moment as something caught her attention. I thought I heard something. Slowly, she finished dressing, faint fear burning acidic on her tongue.

Kagome paused before pushing back through the leaves. Her fear was growing as she silently berated herself. What was I thinking? This isn't my time; something could happen when I'm away from the others! I should have chanced being seen by Miroku or Inuyasha and then I wouldn't be in this predicament!

Though if there really was a predicament to be in, the teen wasn't sure. Her footsteps grew hurried as she sought to rejoin her friends in their small clearing. The flashlight flickered in her hand, but Kagome didn't notice. A rustling off to her left froze her in her tracks. Fear forced her to speech, in however a silly query as it was. "I-Inuyasha?"

Movement forced the teen to crane her neck in an effort to spot the stranger. There was no doubt in her mind that something had been attracted to the Shikon hanging warmly around her neck, and that this something had now cut her off from her friends although they were merely twenty feet away. She still wasn't with them, per say. Kagome's mouth opened to yell, but a strangled, "INU-" was all that escaped her fear constricted throat before the something attacked. A pitiful shriek forced itself out of Kagome's mouth as she desperately threw her wet clothing at her perpetrator.

Then she turned and ran---Away from her sleeping companions. This time, she wasn't interrupted when she called out. "INUYASHA!"

A faint crashing far behind her told the teen that the half-demon had awoken, but the louder sounds of pursuit much closer to her person drove Kagome on at breakneck speeds. Feeling the need to conserve air, she didn't both calling out again. If anything, Inuyasha's nose should lead him to her.

She hoped. "You better find me, Inuyasha, or I'll KILL you!" Kagome had absolutely no idea how she'd pull that off, but she'd find a way. Her bare feet came down hard on the sharp stones and twigs on the forest floor, drawing blood. Kagome didn't dare stop because of the pain. What lack of foresight had driven her away from camp without even just her arrows as a weapon? Even her hairspray would have been better than nothing, which was exactly what she had.

Her nightmare hadn't even been this bad. That scary was the unmovable kind of scary, this was the run-as-fast-as-you-can-and-pray-you-don't-get-caught kind of scary.

Similar to a summer camp she had attended.

However, summer pranks were the furthest from Kagome's thoughts at the moment. She gasped as she jumped over a fallen tree, managing to clear the decaying log while landing roughly on her cut feet on the other side. Feeling like an Olympic runner, the teenager started off again, cutting a sharp turn around a few trees, hearing her pursuer closing in.

Which was right on the front of her mind as she glanced over her shoulder and tripped on the tree root directly in front of her, twisting her ankle. No more running for me tonight. No small amount of fear accompanied the thought.

Twisting onto her back, Kagome barely avoided the reptilian claws than slammed into the ground where her head had been. The demon let out a fierce growl, yanking its hand out of the hole it had made in the ground. "Ssssssshikon Jewel, human. You have it, it issssss mine."

Kagome grimaced, forcing herself to her feet. "That's what they all say." She attempted to move away, but her ankle gave out on her, sending her crashing into the ground. Claws raked through the air directly above her.

"KAGOME?" Inuyasha burst from the trees to her left, his hand resting on Tetsusaiga's hilt. The demon growled ferally, extending its claws to Kagome's throat. Inuyasha sent his own deep throated growl out, bowling into the demon with his shoulder.

For one confused moment, Kagome wondered how the half-demon had been able to move so fast. Blinking, she watched as Inuyasha drew his sword, which transformed as he held it in front of him. "Don't touch her."

The demon he faced crouched down low, forked tongue flicking over sharp rows of teeth. "A minor deterrent. Sssssssoon the Sssssssshikon will be mine."

Inuyasha didn't wait for the demon to stop speaking as he threw himself into action. The Tetsusaiga's blade bit into the demon's chest, piercing the lungs. At the amazed gasp from the mauled demon, Inuyasha let a smirk adorn his face. "Like hell it will." He leaned further on the blade, fatally wounding Kagome's attacker. The demon fell to the ground, green-tinted blood splashing across the forest floor. "Bassssstard half-breed. . . "

Kagome stood, leaning against a tree trunk for support. She listened with intent horror to the dying demon's gurgling breaths. She felt like something. . . Was going to happen. Something. . . But she didn't know what.

The demon's eyes locked onto her own, drawing yet another shallow breath. "Kago. . . no. . . naka. . . no tori. . . wa, Itsu itsu. . . deyaru." With that, the demon exhaled, death overcoming the creature.

Kagome looked on in shock. "No way, it's not possible," she murmured, collapsing onto her knees. Inuyasha sheathed his blade, throwing a disgusted grimace in the demon's direction.

"What isn't possible?" The half-demon didn't sound terribly interested, as he turned a somewhat fiery gaze on the bleeding Kagome. "Just what in the seven hells did you think you were doing?"

Her answer was vague as Kagome still stared at the demon corpse. "I was. . . Changing."

Inuyasha stalked over to where she sat, pulling her up to her feet. "Why?" His voice was angry, and just the tiniest bit concerned.

"I needed to." She was dancing around the point, and she didn't even know it. Her feet ached, the pain adding to her now throbbing headache and ankle.

Inuyasha's voice was closer to a growl. "Why?"

Startled, Kagome turned her eyes to meet his angered golden ones, dark in the night. "I had a bad dream and woke up in a cold sweat. Tonight's not exactly warm, so I wanted to change into something warmer." Sudden, inexplicable anger overtook Kagome. "Do you have a PROBLEM with that?"

"Yes, I DO! You wander off in the middle of the night on some, some WOMANLY WHIM and make me come rescue your sorry ass because some demon decides to grab the SHIKON Jewel! MY Shikon Jewel!" He abruptly let go of Kagome's arm, dropping her onto her cut feet. She cried out, pain overtaking her urge to retort to Inuyasha's unfair criticism as her ankle gave out. Tears rose to her eyes unbidden as she sat down on the frigid ground.

"Hn?" Inuyasha kneeled next to her, picking up her feet despite her attempts to stop him. He visibly bristled, locking his gaze with Kagome's. "What the FUCK were you thinking?"

Kagome wasn't listening to him, replaying instead the dead demon's last words to herself. "When does the bird inside the cage come out?" Tears still fell down her cheeks.

"What?" Inuyasha now looked flustered, and roughly set down Kagome's foot. "Stop crying!"

Snapping back to the present, Kagome surprised herself and Inuyasha by letting out her own rather good imitation of himself growling in anger. "I am not crying!" She furiously rubbed at the tell-tale tears falling down her face. "Just leave me alone, Inuyasha." The night had not turned out to be kind, and she wasn't about to make it any kinder. Biting her lip in an effort to fight back the wave of pain that overtook her as she forced herself to stand, Kagome rather shakily began to walk on her torn feet and bad ankle.

"Where the hell are you going, bitch?" Inuyasha stared into her back, angry.

Stiffly looking over her shoulder, Kagome caught her balance and fought off her pain as she responded. "Where does it look like I'm going? I need to get back to camp!"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha snorted. "Feh." Stalking up to the wobbling teen, he roughly pulled her onto his back. "You would never make it." He gathered his legs beneath him and pushed off into the chill night air.

Kagome sighed, faint terror and pain lingering in her heart and feet. "Sorry, Inuyasha."

He grunted, pushing off the tree he had just touched down on. Silence engulfed the two, leaving Kagome to wonder just how far she had run in her fright. The return trip seemed to be taking too much time, especially considering Inuyasha was the one carrying her back.

"It was pointless."

"Hn?" Kagome laid her head on her carrier's shoulder, trying to concentrate on his voice.

"Changing. It was pointless."

Narrowing her eyes at the half-breed, while tightening her arms around his neck, Kagome queried further. "Why do you say that?"

Inuyasha had a decidedly superior tilt to his voice as he answered. "You're all sweaty again."

Wow. How romantic. Kagome broke into hysterical laughter, causing Inuyasha to crane his neck around in puzzlement. "You know, you're right." A bit of the fear that had been piling up recently fell off as Kagome's eyes misted up once more.

The shock that crossed Inuyasha's face was almost priceless. "You just admitted I was right and YOU'RE CRYING AGAIN! STOP IT!"

Kagome didn't bother to respond, instead burying her face into the back of his haori. Inuyasha ground his teeth together in frustration. Just how the hell was he supposed to deal with her?

Much the same way she'd always dealt with him. Patiently.

. . . Why did it have to be so hard?