InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Impossible Dreams ❯ Chapter Two ( Chapter 2 )

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Author's Notes: Wow, this story has gotten a really positive response, thanks so much, everyone. It makes me feel really good. And in case any of you are wondering why I'm updating this story and not my other two, it's because yesterday I had shoulder surgery, and I can't type very well, and I already had this chapter typed up. So don't worry, the other two will be updated shortly. That's all I've got to say for now. Enjoy chapter two!

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Title: Impossible Dreams

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Two

Rating: PG-13 (rated for language, violence, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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The slave housing was just as marginal as he'd ever seen, and Inuyasha felt the urge to punch something as he settled in for yet another night on a broken down, rock hard cot pushed up against a creaky wall.

Each hut consisted of four simple walls, a small hearth, and four cots so that it could hold four occupants. The hanyou was not thrilled about meeting his newest bunkmates, but at the same time knew it was his best chance to plant the seed of revolt among the slaves of this particular home.

He and Miroku had barely settled in, each on one of the empty cots, when the flap that was supposed to be a door was pushed aside and two people walked in, only looking mildly surprised to see two strangers in their hut.

They were both demons, Inuyasha could smell it, and they both wore black diamonds. One appeared to be a young man about the same age as he and Miroku, with long, athletic legs and a ponytail pulled back by a headband of what looked like animal hide. The other only looked like a boy, barely reaching the man's waist, his head topped with a mess of red hair, a bushy tail sticking out of his pants in the back.

"So you're the new arrivals Myouga mentioned were coming," the young man said, his voice not unkind, but not exactly welcoming either. "Who are you then?"

"My name is Inuyasha, and this is Miroku."

The man nodded. "My name's Kouga, and this is Shippou." He paused and sniffed the air before smirking slightly. "You're a hanyou, aren't you?"

Inuyasha tensed at the way he said hanyou. "So what if I am?"

Kouga just shrugged and glanced at Miroku. "You're human enough."

"I was training to be a monk before Naraku came," Miroku replied simply, sitting up on his cot with his legs crossed. "So I guess that means I'm the only human in this room?"

The man called Kouga glanced at the boy for a moment before looking back up at the new arrivals and nodding. "I'm a wolf demon. In fact, I was once prince of the wolf tribes, before Naraku attacked us. He massacred nearly my entire pack, and those of us who survived were caught and made slaves with these damnable jewels."

Inuyasha nodded, hearing a story that had become familiar. It changed slightly with each person he talked to, but generally speaking, everyone had the same story. They had lived normal lives, they were princes, and they were noblemen, before Naraku came. And then it all changed. Humans didn't stand a chance, and demons were put into submission with the black diamonds, so full of negative energy that only someone with a pure heart could remove them. As of yet, Inuyasha had not met someone like that, and he figured it was unlikely he ever would.

"And what kind of demon are you?" Inuyasha asked, indicating the boy with a shrug of his shoulders.

The boy, called Shippou, puffed out his chest slightly in a way that made Inuyasha almost want to smile. "I'm a fox demon. My parents were killed while I was away one day, and I was just picked up off the road."

"So you're a kitsune."

"I'm no kitsune! I'm a man by now; I'm almost ten years old!"

"Keh, ten is still young," Inuyasha replied gruffly, only making Shippou look like an infuriated little puff ball.

Miroku turned around and lay on his back, obviously listening to the sound of the rain storm assaulting the ramshackle roof of the hut as he spoke. "So how long have you two been here?"

Kouga opened his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by the sound of a gentle knock on one of the walls by the door. He turned and sniffed the air once before nodding, and Inuyasha caught a scent that was distinctly female as the wolf demon told the visitor to come in.

A young woman appeared, clutching a small towel to her waist to protect it from the rain. Her face was round and kind, her figure shapely and accented by a dress of pastel colors, and she had long brown hair that fell clear to her waist. Miroku could only gawk, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his stupid behavior.

"Sango," Kouga said immediately, "What are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be out here unless instructed to."

The young woman looked down, obviously a little nervous, before returning her chocolate eyes to the wolf man. "I was instructed to," she whispered, and held out the towel, which Inuyasha could now clearly see held something.

"What is it?"

"Bread, from the kitchen, freshly baked. Kagome wanted Shippou to have something extra."

The kitsune jumped up in excitement. "It's a present from Kagome? Oh, she always sends me food!"

He scrambled over and took the small towel, unrolling it to find several small rolls tucked away, and immediately stuffed one into his mouth before handing another to Kouga, who smiled and accepted the offer.

"Thanks kid," he said kindly before turning back to look at Sango. "Kagome really shouldn't keep doing this. She could get into so much trouble."

"She doesn't care," Sango replied, "In fact, she plans to come down here herself more often."

Kouga opened his eyes wide in surprise. "What? How could she possibly pull that off? Her father would suspect her of something."

"But what's the worst he can do to her?" Sango retorted. "He wouldn't enslave his own daughter."

They would have continued arguing had it not been for Inuyasha clearing his throat, causing Sango to notice both he and the gawking man with black hair for the first time. She met the man's eyes and blushed as she recognized the desire in their dark depths.

"Are these the new arrivals?" she asked, and Kouga nodded. She smiled in welcome. "I guess it's not exactly a happy occasion to be brought here, but all the same, welcome."

Inuyasha grunted. "Keh, save your breath, woman, I don't intend to stay here long."

"Why is that? Do you know how to escape? Do tell, if you do."

The hanyou stretched his neck, deciding not to go into detail yet about his plans to start a revolt. "It's not that, I just don't plan on staying very long."

Sango shrugged. "Whatever you say." She suddenly seemed to think of something. "Are you the one who upset Kagome so much earlier this evening?"

"I don't know a Kagome," Inuyasha replied in a voice that said `I-don't-care', though the name did sound vaguely familiar.

"Then do you remember a girl who offered you food and an evening in the mansion to dry off and warm up?"

The image of that girl in the dark blue dress with her long ebony hair and dark eyes came to mind, and Inuyasha groaned. "You mean the bitch who offered me her pity?"

Suddenly a half-eaten roll connected with his head, and Inuyasha glanced down to see a fuming Shippou. "Don't call Kagome a bitch, baka! She's the kindest person I know!"

"Keh, she's not much of a kind person if she owns slaves and has pledged her loyalty to Naraku."

"Her father pledged his loyalty when she was only nine years old, and ever since she's been stuck in a situation she has no control over," Sango replied, somewhat irritated. Obviously this was the man. He was certainly rude enough.

"Say what you want," Inuyasha spat back, "But I know that anyone who is not a slave is arrogant and selfish and only interested in saving their own hides."

Sango shook her head. "And if you really believe that, then there is no hope of you surviving this world. I suggest you take your allies where you can get them."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I think you'll find Kagome's presence here a blessing."

Kouga nodded. "It's true; she always keeps her father from being too harsh with the slaves. Granted, Mr. Higurashi keeps his daughter practically locked up in that mansion most of the time, not wanting her to interfere, but she still does her best to help when she can. Like with Shippou."

"She's the reason I'm here," the kitsune piped up.

"Oh lucky you," Inuyasha grumbled, but everyone ignored him.

"What do you mean?" It was Miroku who spoke, for the first time since Sango had arrived.

"I was going to be sent to one of those mines where they need little kids, but Kagome saw me passing by and saved me by offering a lot of money to the guy taking me to the mine. She saved my life."

"She did the same for me," Sango added, but Inuyasha closed his ears to what he was hearing. It just wasn't possible for someone like her to be kind. He'd learned to not trust people over the past seven years, and he had no intention of breaking that habit now, just because a few wimpy demons and a woman said so. He would still proceed with his plan, and Kagome would fall along with her father.

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The rains cleared by early the next morning, so that all the slaves were called out to work in the fields, sowing and harvesting all kinds of crops, from rice, to wheat and barley. And just because they were new didn't mean Inuyasha and Miroku didn't get put to work. In fact, they were given the hardest task of all: taking a hoe to the dirt to prepare it for the seeds that would follow.

They worked alone, in silence, and even though they were surrounded by dozens of other slaves taking water back and forth or planting seeds, no one spoke, and everyone felt very isolated.

His body had long ago become accustomed to hard work, and Inuyasha attacked his job with a passion, using it as a means of getting rid of his excess frustration. He was just so tired of doing what others told him to, knowing he was considered no better then property. It was no way for a prince to live.

About halfway through the day, he heard the people around him begin to murmur excitedly about something, and the hanyou couldn't help but stop what he was doing to look around and see what was going on. He stopped a person who was carrying a bucket of water to inquire. "What's up?"

The young man looked very excited. "The Lady Kagome is here, with water and food for everyone. She's coming around to give us all our fair share."

"Keh," Inuyasha grunted. Did everyone worship this woman, or what? They treated her like she was some kind of savior, when in fact she was the daughter of the very man who enslaved them!

He went back to working, ignoring the fact that everyone, including Miroku, had stopped what they were doing for a few minutes to go and get their water and food. Frankly, he didn't give a damn.

After a while of working in silence, his sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps approaching him, and his nose was filled with the scent of vanilla and spice. That could mean only one thing.

"Would you like some food?" He groaned in annoyance at the familiar voice, recognizing it as the one belonging to the woman they called Kagome.

Not even bothering to stop what he was doing, he shrugged his shoulders. "If I had wanted anything, I would have gone to get it myself."

"Oh, well I just thought that maybe you didn't know there was food and water."

"Keh, what do you think I am, stupid? I could smell the food long before any of these idiots knew you were coming, woman. I just don't want anything."

There was a long silence that followed, but Inuyasha knew she was still there because he hadn't heard her walk away. Finally, with a sigh of frustration, he slammed the hoe into the dirt and whirled around, his silver hair flying and his amber eyes fuming.

"What do you want, wench?" He said it before he could stop himself, and it was only after the words left his mouth that he really saw her, standing there in a simple mint green gown, her hands holding a small pitcher of water and a plate displaying a generous helping of meat.

Her eyes were wide with surprise at his outburst, giving him a better look at their doe-like appearance, and Inuyasha couldn't help but notice their gleam of intelligence. Her ebony hair was pulled back in a ponytail, giving him a clear view of her face, which was shaped something like a heart, and her full lips were currently pursed in a frown.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she asked finally, in a simple tone, though Inuyasha could smell her nervousness.

"Keh, why do you think, wench?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"That I find hard to believe, unless there really is just air between your ears, like most women I know."

Her eyes hardened at that, and Inuyasha saw a flicker of the fire he had witnessed the night before when she had snapped at her father. "I'm not stupid," she hissed, "In fact, that's why I don't understand. All I've done is tried to help you and you act like I'm no better then my father."

"Because you aren't!" He snapped back, but she didn't even flinch at his temper, which surprised him.

"Assume what you want about me," she muttered, her voice as hard and cold as ice, "But remember that you're not the only one who has suffered since Naraku took over."

"Keh, and what is that supposed to mean?" He hadn't meant to ask the question, but Inuyasha found himself suddenly intrigued by what she meant.

She blinked several times, clearly surprised he'd even bothered to show an interest in their conversation, but finally shook her head. "That's for me to know. I don't know you well enough to tell you anything."

That fueled his already boiling anger. Where did she get off preaching about pain and suffering? "You are a spoiled little brat, you know that? And you know nothing about anything!"

"Well that's probably the most intelligent thing you've said since I met you," she replied, and he growled in response. She just ignored him and set the food and water on the ground, to which he raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Leaving this for you. You'll be hungry eventually." She rose back up to her full height, though the top of her head barely reached his shoulders, and stared at him for a few seconds before turning around.

"I told you I didn't want this, wench!"

"And as you can see, I don't give a damn what you said."

That left him speechless. Not only was he used to women cowering in fear at his temper, but he had also never heard a young woman of her standing curse before. It was, actually, kind of refreshing. He shook his head violently to clear it of the thought.

No, Kagome Higurashi was not refreshing; she was annoying and self-centered, just like every other woman he had ever worked for in the past seven years. She didn't care about anyone but herself, and she was loyal to Naraku.

"How about I just kick this pitcher over? Then you're precious water will go to waste!"

Kagome turned back around and looked at him as though he were a complete idiot, which made him feel very uncomfortable. "It's your loss," she finally stated with a shrug of her shoulders.

Inuyasha was feeling more and more exasperated. Why wasn't she screaming and yelling like most women did? Why wasn't she acting like normal people? Why was she making him feel so-uncomfortable?"

"Keh," he finally replied, and she smiled haughtily.

"Yes, you've said that already."

"What did you say, bitch?"

"Hey!" Her eyes flared again, and she turned around and stomped back in his direction, so that she was standing right in front of him. "The name's Kagome."

"I'll call you whatever I want, wench!"

She narrowed her eyes and grabbed onto several locks of his silver hair, pulling him close. He nearly howled in pain, but she didn't seem to care at all.

"The name's Kagome," she hissed dangerously, "Not bitch, not wench, and not woman. Got it?"

"Whatever," he grumbled back, but she just pulled harder, and he winced.

"No, say it with me, K-a-g-o-m-e."

They glared at each other for a few seconds, amber meeting dark brown, before Inuyasha finally relented and whispered, "Kagome."

She released his hair and proceeded to poke him in the chest. "That's right, and don't you forget it."

In the process of poking him, her fingers grazed the black diamond on his chest, and for an instant the jewel crackled with white hot negative energy, before calming down. They both stared at it for a moment before Kagome just shrugged her shoulders and turned around, walking away.

"Eat the food," she called over her shoulder, "Or give it to someone else, I don't care. Just don't let it go to waste."

And then she was gone, but Inuyasha stared after her for another several minutes, glancing from the direction she had disappeared to the jewel, and back again. What had just happened? When she had touched it, for a brief instant Inuyasha had felt free like he hadn't felt since before Naraku had enslaved him seven years ago.

Turning around, he picked up the hoe once more, and was shocked at how light it felt. Taking a few practice swings, the hanyou suddenly found himself pounding the tool nearly a foot into the ground with each stroke, and had to back off somewhat to finish the job without ruining the dirt.

Blinking in shock, he just stared at the ground for several minutes, unsure of what do to, and trying to decide if any of it was really happening, or if it was all in his head.

It couldn't be, and yet, he felt like he had some of his old demon-like strength back. Not all of it, but some.

Glancing down at the jewel around his neck, he saw the very tip flicker pink for an instant, and that was when he realized what had happened. Kagome, in the second when she'd touched it, had started to purify the black magic within the diamond shard.

"I suggest you take your allies where you can find them."

Sango's words from the night before returned to play over and over in his mind, and Inuyasha furrowed his brow in concentration, trying to block out what his logic was telling him to be true.

If Kagome Higurashi could purify the black diamond around his neck, then she was the purest soul he had ever met, which meant she couldn't be a cruel slave owner like he had so ardently believed. But then, that would mean that she was his friend, and he simply refused to believe that.

"Keh," he grunted, picking up the hoe again and feeling the jewel starting to take over once more, his super strength vaporizing into thin air. She was no ally of his, she was the enemy. He just had to keep telling himself that so he would continue to believe it.