InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ And Times In-Between ❯ Beginnings - Prelude Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Sesshoumaru paused and looked up, his nosing twitching only slightly as he took a delicate sniff in the air. There was something amiss. He was on patrol, almost as usual, but there was something definitely different. What was it? The scent this area normally had was altered slightly. The usually environmental perfumes in the breeze were shadowed by the smell of… perspiration? Sawdust, grease, filth... and that disgusting and distinctly human stench that was loaded with their loathsome musk.

Humans? He frowned. Since when had he allowed humans, those filthy wretches, to disturb the sweet serenity of his lands? He picked up the pace a fraction and altered his course, moving towards the placed that reeked of the ghastly, lowly creatures.

As he walked through the thick woods, he tilted his head once more to sniff the air. There was another smell he had failed to detect before. His frown grew. He didn't know how he had missed it, but now it overshadowed every other scent in the vicinity. It was painfully clear, and so strong that he felt like he was going to retch. This was one far worse than the smell of humans. 'Inuyasha.'

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And Times In-Between

Chapter One

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Kagome happily fell onto the thick carpet of grass beneath her, facing the humongous expanse of the heavens above her. It was really a beautiful night - the sky was dark, a velvety color that was somewhere between pitch and a violet so deep it was almost indiscernible from black. The rich, deep color was sprinkled with the shining, sparkling stars that pinned the universe up, and whirls of foreign light laced between them. The moon held a silent vigil over her children on earth, sitting in the heavens in a waning crescent so thin that it was nearly a hairsbreadth thick and virtually gone from the sky. It was really a beautiful night. She sighed, a contented smile covering her face.

"Kagome-sama?" She craned her head around and saw a pair of sandaled feet, before following them up to see Miroku's robes, and Miroku's face. He had a serene expression on his face, but his eyebrows were knit slightly - an indication of worry. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Kagome nodded and sat up, watching as Miroku sat himself by her side. "Is everything alright, Kagome-sama?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked, looking confused.

He shifted around a little, getting comfortable before answering her question. "It's the middle of the night, and you just wandered off from camp." He looked up at her and saw the soft, appreciative expression it held. "I have a right to be concerned," he said defensively. He felt the need to explain himself, for some reason, and continued, just a little flustered, "Everything would fall apart if you weren't here."

She laughed happily at that, and put a hand on his shoulder to push him playfully. "Thanks, Miroku-sama, but I'm fine." She looked back up to the sky she had been admiring so much. "I just wanted to get a clearer look at the stars. I was thinking how beautiful night-time is here." With that, she collapsed back onto the grass to continue her admiration of the night sky.

"Is it much different in your time?" He settled back on the grass as well, joining her in her star-gazing. He vaguely registered that she made a small sound of confirmation somewhere in the back of her throat. The grass was much cushionier out here, in the open, than in the woods, between the trees. He was half-dozing in a few moments.

It was rare that the two of them got any time on their own. It was only a few chance moments here and there that they got, since most of the time, they were in the constant company of Sango, Shippo, and Inuyasha. Not that their presences were unpleasant, but when the rare occasion arose that the two got a moment or two alone, it was always like this: comfortably silent, enjoyable, and tickled with conversation that was either deep or important, but pleasurable nonetheless. These unusual - and much looked forward to - companionable moments were some of the most appreciated that either of them had.

And for some reason, both felt the need to keep them somewhat hidden from the others. So that nobody would think something out of the ordinary was going on, when someone approached, Miroku would manage to grope Kagome in some form or another. It usually worked - nobody suspected a thing. Though he had begun the tradition, Kagome appreciated his need to keep their meetings of that sort a secret.

"Miroku-sama?" He heard her ask in a quiet voice, though it was loud enough to break through his sleepy haze. "Inuyasha won't stop loving Kikyou, will he?"

At her question, Miroku's half-lidded eyes opened. He furrowed his brows, and turned on his side to face her. "Inuyasha does not love Kikyo, Kagome-sama. He loves the memory of Kikyo." He flinched at his words. As true as they were, they were also a bold-faced lie.

Kagome nodded, and looked up at him, a small smile gracing her features. "Liar."

Miroku smiled apologetically and laid back down. "I could go to sleep right here," he murmured.

Kagome closed her eyes. "Me too… Let's go back to camp."

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Inuyasha looked around him, a big frown on his face. "What was that, old man?"

The old man looked up at him with a look of impatience on his face. He was carrying a pack full of wood back to the construction site, and he needed to get there quickly, but this impudent creature was interrupting him. "We were expelled from our town, so we're building a new one up here. It's an ideal location… there's a river, cover by the forest, and its just big enough for the village we're going to build. Now if you'll excuse me." He started his trek back.

Inuyasha felt a small hand on his arm and looked over his shoulder to see Kagome looking back up at him with those big, round eyes of hers. "No."

Kagome frowned. "That's not what I was going to say!" she huffed. If the people wanted to build a new village, it was there own problem. They could do it on their own, and since there was no imminent danger around them, it wasn't like they had any obligation to help. It wasn't selfish thinking, she reassured herself. They helped people in danger or people in need - not people that were doing just fine on their own, and not even close to being in danger or need. "Its that I sense a Shikon shard."

"Its coming from there." She pointed a finger. 'Okay fine, she thought, I just don't feel like doing any manual labor right now.'

Faster than she could blink, she was on Inuyasha's back, and they were headed at a breakneck pace toward the shard, and the building site of the new village.

It was a little bit farther out than the village, Kagome determined, leading them through the trees. There was tense silence among them as they marched along. They were as cautious as they could be - their eyes darting around at every foreign sound. "There it is!" Kagome exclaimed, as they reached a small clearing.

"It's a trap, Kagome-chan! Stay away from it." Sango warned, hefting her Hiraikotsu with one arm and grabbing Kagome with the other, pulling her back.

"It's undoubtedly a trap,"Miroku murmured, and nodded.

The Shikon shard was there, lying in a knothole on a great big tree. Kagome looked at it, and then up at Inuyasha, who was imitating everyone else in the group in being anxious and glancing around like a wild-eyed deer. She almost giggled, and walked up to the tree in two brusque steps, so that nobody would pull her back again, and took the shard from the knothole in the tree.

Everyone tensed even more, and Inuyasha was about to yell at her for being stupid, but she cut him off. "I never thought we'd find one out in the open like this," she said, releasing her giggles and turning back to the group.

Give it back…

"What?" Her head snapped up, startled, and she turned back to the tree. Everyone followed her gaze anxiously. "No," she said, determined to sound resolute and succeeding, surprisingly.

Please?

"It's not yours."

My blossoms haven't been so pretty in decades. Please give it back?

A smile crossed over her features. "I'm sure they'll be even more beautiful next year. You don't need this for them to be pretty."

"Kagome, have you gone insane?" Inuyasha asked, bopping her head gently with a knuckle.

"Ow!" She wailed, sending him a dirty look. "No, I have not. Let's go?"

Miroku and Sango were expressing their disbelief and gratitude for having found a shard unclaimed in the middle of no-where, when they had been so used to either Naraku or some other demon having them. Kagome laughed, agreeing that it was a stroke of good fortune. She heard, as they were walking away, dimly, somewhere in the back of her mind, the voice of the tree again. Spoilsport.

Inuyasha walked in silence beside Kagome. They were about to pass through the village, and resume their path back through the forest, walking in no particular direction - not that Inuyasha would deign to admit that they were just following some random course. There was definitely something wrong. There was a smell in the air… it was wrong.

What was it? There was a new scent on the breeze that alerted feelings of uneasiness in him. It was familiar, but it was so faint that he couldn't put his finger on what it was. As they moved forward, it became painfully clear that the source of this scent was approaching them as well. As it grew stronger, he realized what it was that was causing him such anxiety. "Kagome, stay behind me," he growled. She obeyed silently, and the others moved on either side of him, albeit a bit behind. He didn't need to be prompted for an explanation for his sudden aggressiveness. He ground his teeth together and spat out, "Sesshoumaru is close."

"Close indeed," boomed a youkai's voice, and will a sudden gust of wind, Sesshoumaru materialized before them, stepping out of the shadow. "Are you losing your senses, Inuyasha? It took you far too long to notice this time."

Inuyasha growled and was about to lunge at his brother in response, but was interrupted by Sesshoumaru's voice. "Get out of my lands, Inuyasha. I don't have business with you this time, but let this be a warning. If you are still in my territories by tonight, I will destroy you." And then he disappeared, flying past them.

The small group was puzzled for a moment before Sesshoumaru's intentions became painfully clear. The screams coming from the direction of the village were indication enough.

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Title: And Times In-Between

Rating: R, eventually.

Coupling: Wouldn't you like to know?

Summary: Kagome has an epiphany when conflicts start to reach their worst. The results of her sudden enlightenment are far more than anyone could have expected, and the well stops being merely a door… it becomes her destiny. *Updated Weekly*

AN: There's the first installment of my story. Feedback is appreciated!! Will be updated weekly, hopefully. Look for the next chapter next week!!