InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fading ❯ A Surprising Encounter ( Chapter 1 )

Okay everyone, this is my first fic EVER! Hope you all like it! *crosses fingers* Well, even if you don't, constructive criticism would be great! Flames would only pop my fragile confidence-bubble, though, so be as nice as you can ^_^ R&R please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other original characters. So don't sue me. *sticks tongue out*

Summary: Things were pretty normal in the Feudal Era, until, through a weird twist of fate, a chance encounter, and a bad choice made, Kagome suddenly finds herself fading out of existence. The problem seems simple enough - find the mistake, fix it, and everything will be okay, right? Too bad no one counted on a bad-tempered dark miko with a shady past, a man who shares Kagome's family name, and a golden lily necklace being thrown into the mix…

Fading

Chapter One: A Surprising Encounter

"Inu Yasha!" Kagome called.

"What d'ya want?" Inu Yasha asked irritably, turning to face the teenage girl. She sighed a little at his rude response, but didn't let her temper get the better of her. It's not like she had expected anything better from the white-haired hanyou.

"I can sense a shard of the shikon jewel. That way." Kagome pointed off to their left. "But it seems to be moving pretty fast."

"Alright," Inu Yasha grumbled. He crouched slightly. "Hop on."

"Hey, wait for us!" came a child-like voice. Both Kagome and Inuyasha looked over at Shippou. The kitsune folded his small arms.

"You were going to leave without us," he accused.

"Don't worry, Shippou, we won't leave without you guys." Kagome glanced over at the two other members of their little company - Miroku, a lecherous monk, and Sango the demon exterminator.

"Ready, Kirara?" Sango asked her cat demon. Kirara responded by transforming into a giant saber-toothed feline. Sango and Miroku clambered onto her back, and the cat took off in the direction of the shard.

"Hurry up, woman," Inu Yasha growled. Kagome frowned at him, but grabbed Shippou and got onto his back all the same. The hanyou sped after Kirara at an unbelievable speed, Kagome, with Shippou in her arms, clinging to his back.

It wasn't long until the half demon and his companions found what they were looking for. Their quarry was laying waste to a farmer's field, its massive, unidentifiable shape ripping and churning the ground. It stiffened as it sensed their approach, swinging around to meet them. Inu Yasha dumped Kagome and Shippou unceremoniously onto the ground.

"Hide yourself," he said, drawing Tetsusaiga from its sheath. She quickly got out of the way.

Sango readied her giant boomerang and Miroku gripped his staff while Shippou scrambled over to Kagome. The demon surveyed them with its beady eyes.

"Shikon no Tama!" it roared, charging towards Kagome with surprising speed. Inu Yasha moved to intercept it, his sword transforming in his hands. The hideous demon slowed, noting this new threat. It swatted at the hanyou with a gigantic fist. Inu Yasha leapt nimbly to the side, his fangs showing as he grinned maniacally.

"That all you got?" he taunted. The demon roared again, jumping forwards. Inu Yasha's grin widened as he readied Tetsusaiga.

"My fields!" cried a man's voice. "What is going on?"

Everyone, including the demon, turned their heads. A man in rough, homespun clothes was running towards them. He stopped short when he saw the demon and Inu Yasha frozen in mid-swing. His face went pale, and he took a step back.

"Get out of here!" Inu Yasha snarled at him. The man flinched, but remained where he was.

"Wh-what's happening?" he asked again, shaken. Kagome opened her mouth to reply but at that moment the demon decided that it had stood still for long enough. It sent the man flying with a knock from one of its tree-trunk-sized arms.

Inu Yasha seized the opportunity and sliced the monster almost completely in two with his sword. Kagome efficiently plucked the glowing shard from the demon's remains, placing it in the jar along with the others they had collected so far. She then walked over and knelt next to the unconscious man.

"He's knocked up pretty badly," she informed her companions. "He needs help."

Inu Yasha snorted. He knew what was coming. She would get out her little kit and proceed to wrap the man up in material called "gauze". She might even give him medicine, depending on how bad he was "knocked up".

Kagome looked up at the half demon and rolled her eyes. "Not everyone gets better right away like you," she said. "The demon could have easily broken bones with that punch."

"Whatever," Inu Yasha said grumpily. "At least we got a shard out of all this."

The man on the ground stirred, moaning as his movement sent pain shooting through his body. Kagome laid a hand on his chest, forcing him to stay on the ground.

"Try not to move," she said soothingly. "The demon's gone. You were injured."

Inu Yasha couldn't help it when a low growl rose in his throat. As much as he tried to deny it, he looked jealously at the way Kagome's hands calmed the man, and how her voice took on a gentle, almost hypnotizing tone.

"You… don't… understand," the man said slowly, wincing in pain. "There's… somewhere I have to… be right now."

"You can't go anywhere in this condition," Kagome argued. "You need rest. We can get you to your house from here."

"No… I must… get to her." The man tried suddenly to stand, and would have fallen if Miroku hadn't steadied him.

"Get to who?" Shippou asked, peeking out from his hiding place behind Kagome.

"My…" The man hesitated. "Friend."

"I'm sure your friend will understand once you explain to him what happened," Sango said reassuringly. She gave Kagome a teasing glance. "I've learned from experience that it's best to listen to Kagome when she tells you what to do."

"You don't understand," the man repeated, his voice growing stronger as his head cleared. "I promised that I would meet her today. I told her that nothing would keep me from coming."

"I will personally see to it that your friend is told the truth," Kagome said firmly. "Right now you need rest."

"I don't," the man said stubbornly, as his knees gave out.

"Listen, idiot," Inu Yasha growled, joining the conversation. "If Kagome says you need rest then you do. So point the way to your house and we'll take you there."

The farmer's resolution crumbled when faced with Inu Yasha's fierce glare. His shoulders slumped, and he allowed the hanyou to place him on Kirara. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou climbed on behind him, Miroku making sure that the man wouldn't fall off.

"Which way?" Inu Yasha asked roughly, lifting Kagome onto his back again. The man pointed into the distance and they began running.

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At the edge of a small lake, a woman paced. She was dressed in traditional Japanese style, with her hair pulled back into an elegant bun. Her movements were graceful and calm despite the expression of anger on her face.

"Where is he?" she hissed to herself. "He promised he would come!"

After pacing for another few minutes, she seemed to come to a decision.

"That's it," she said. "This was his last chance, and he didn't keep his word."

From around her neck, she pulled a beautiful necklace. Throwing it to the ground, she turned on her heel and marched away. Only the birds that rested in the trees around the lake saw the tears glistening in her eyes as she left.

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The house was large but modest, with plain curtains in the windows and a comfortable feel about it. The man had asked to be placed on a chair in order introduce himself properly. When he had been set down, he straightened as best he could.

"My name is Higurashi Taro."

Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hi-Higurashi?"

"Hai. If it would please you, may I know your names also?"

"The hanyou is Inu Yasha, the kitsune is Shippou, Miroku is the monk, and Sango is the demon exterminator." Kagome paused. "I'm… Higurashi Kagome."

It was Taro's turn to be surprised. "Your name is Higurashi also? Might we be related?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Kagome said. "But I come from a different time. I think I might be your descendant."

"My… my descendant?" Taro said, looking doubtful. Under his breath, he muttered, "Stranger things have happened." Then a smile crossed his face. "What an extraordinary thing. This means I will have a family."

Kagome smiled at him and nodded. "I suppose it does."

The farmer's body suddenly spasmed in pain, and he doubled over.

"We should have gotten you to bed right away," Kagome said worriedly. "You need rest right now."

Taro nodded wearily and slumped in his chair.

Kagome talked Inu Yasha into carrying Taro to his bed and staying to watch him. How she had done it even Inu Yasha didn't know. All he knew was that when she looked at him with that expression he couldn't refuse. So here he was, playing nurse to some guy he barely knew.

"She is very convincing, ne?" Taro asked from his bed. Inu Yasha looked at him, startled.

"Feh," he said, regaining his composure. "I just didn't want her to sit me."

"Sit you?" Taro repeated, sounding curious. The hanyou sighed and showed him his prayer bead necklace.

"It's got a spell on it," he explained. "I can't take it off. Whenever she says 'sit' it makes me… it makes me fall over."

The farmer chuckled. "It sounds like you have trouble with women."

"Feh," Inu Yasha said again, looking away. More than you know, he thought, a picture of Kikyou flashing before his eyes.

"I, too, have trouble with women," Taro said quietly, half to himself. "Two of them in particular. The first is Anzu. She is beautiful, but cold, so cold. She does not love me, but she claims she cannot live without me. She wishes to own me, to make me one of her possessions.

"The other…" Here he smiled. "Riyo has a temper to match that of the fiercest demon. She is beautiful as well, but her beauty comes from her smiles and flashes of anger rather than from mere appearance. Many a time have I been bruised by her hand when I evoke her wrath."

Taro chuckled again, and his eyes had a far-away look as he saw the woman he spoke of in his mind. But then his smile faded and his voice was sad. "We have argued more than usual, of late. It was her that I promised to meet today. We were going to talk, and hopefully sort our problems out. I can only pray that she will understand and forgive me."

Inu Yasha had listened in silent amazement to the other man's tale. It sounds a lot like the problem I have, he thought. But that doesn't help me solve it.

"What're you gonna do about it?" Inu Yasha asked.

Taro looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've obviously got a problem on your hands so what are you gonna do? Which woman are you going to pick?"

The other man considered the question. Finally, he said, "I will not lie to you or to myself. Though at first I didn't think so, I know now that I truly do love Riyo, for all that we argue. Anzu wishes only to possess me. Inu Yasha, your straightforward questions have helped me come to this conclusion. I wish to thank you by telling you to listen to your own advice."

My own advice? Inu Yasha wondered. Anzu sounds like Kikyou, and Riyo like Kagome. Do I really love Kikyou? Or even… Kagome? What am I thinking, I CAN'T love Kagome! She's so… so…

Inuyasha snorted. So kind and pretty and trusting. When she leaves to take those stupid "tests" back in her own time I get an empty feeling, and I'd do anything to make her happy when she cries. Yeah, we argue, but we always make up afterwards. But she's human! We couldn't… couldn't what? Be together? Become mates?

Inu Yasha growled and pounded a fist against one of the walls in frustration, causing a trickle of dust to fall into his eyes. He cursed under his breath. He could admit to himself, if not to anyone else, that he would enjoy it if Kagome would touch him or hold him like she did with Shippou - if she would love him.

Taro gave him an understanding smile, and lay back with his eyes closed, saying, "If you don't mind, I think I'm going to get the rest that Kagome told me I should. Goodnight, Inu Yasha. And good luck."

Inu Yasha stared at him, surprised. Then a strange look came over his face, and he nodded to the farmer.

"Thank you," he whispered gruffly, before backing out of the room.

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