InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference a Little Time Can Make ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

 

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

 

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter.

 

Tokyo, Japan, Modern Era

 

The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. Not a cloud was in sight. It was the perfect day. At the Higurashi Shrine, a young girl in a white and green school uniform exited the house and called out “I'm leaving now.”

 

She received a reply from her mother. “Be careful dear, and have fun with your friends after school. But don't stay out too late. I'm making Oden for dinner and I have a cake prepared as well. After all, it's not everyday my little girl turns 15.”

 

“Oden? Thanks Mama. I promise I won't be too late, not when I have your cooking to look forward to. I'll see you later.” She called as she turned to exit the shrine. Her name was Higurashi Kagome and today was her 15th birthday. And she just knew that something special was going to happen to her today, she could just feel it. As she hurried to the steps that lead to the street she paused when she heard her name. Turning, she saw her younger brother Souta standing in the doorway to the mini-shrine that housed the old dry well.

 

“Souta! What are you doing in there? You know that you're not supposed to play in there.” She called as she hurried over to him.

 

“I'm not. It's Buyou. He's in there somewhere and he won't come when I call.”

 

“So why don't you go in and get him?” she asked.

 

“Why do I gotta be the one to go get him? This place is creepy.” Souta complained. There was a rattling sound from somewhere in the darkened building and Souta jumped, hiding behind Kagome. “There's something in there” he cried.

 

“Yeah, like our cat” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Wait here, I'll go get him.”

 

She descended the steps into the building. It was dark and she had to let her eyes adjust to the dim lighting. She heard the noise again but it seemed to be coming from the old well. 'That sound again. It seems to be coming from inside the well. Is that even possible?' She jumped and yelled as she felt something brush against her ankle. Looking down she gave a sigh of relief. “Buyou, it was only you. You scared me.” She bent down to pick him up.

 

“Don't yell like that, you scared me.” She heard Souta yell and turned to glare at him.

 

“You little brat. Next time you can come get him yourself.” Kagome took a step towards the stairs when a sound behind made her pause. That rattling sound had occurred again and this time she knew Buyou wasn't responsible because she was holding him. She started to turn when there was a loud crashing sound as the lid to the well was tossed aside. Her grip on Buyou loosened and he jumped out of her arms with a terrified hiss. She felt arms wrap around her body and then there was a falling sensation as she was pulled towards the well. The last thing that she saw in the old well house was her brother's terrified face as he called her name “KAGOME!” Then a blue glow surrounded her and she felt the sensation of floating.

 

She felt the arms holding her turn her around and she came face to face with a monster. It had the face and upper body of a woman, if one ignored the fact that she had multiple arms, all of which were holding onto part of Kagome's body, and a body like a centipede's. “AAH!” Kagome screamed. “What are you?!”

 

The creature holding her clutched her to its body as it cried. “Oh alive, to be alive once more. I can feel my strength returning already. You have it don't you, the Shikon no Tama.” It stuck out it's tongue to lick at Kagome's face, causing the girl to flinch and shy away in disgust. “Give it to me. Give me the Shikon no Tama.” And she caressed Kagome's face with her tongue once more.

 

Kagome cried out in disgust. “EEW! You freak! What are you doing to me? Let go!” A pink light appeared from her hand as she shoved at the creature holding her and it was blown backwards, one of it's many arms missing. Kagome stared in shock and then she was out of that strange open area as she felt feet touch the ground. Looking around, she found herself to be at the bottom of the well.

 

Kagome shook her head to clear it. “I must have fallen in and hit my head” she said. “None of that happened, it was just a dream.” She looked up at the top of the well and wondered at the brightness as she called “Souta! I fell down the well. Get Grandpa.” When there was no answer she gave an angry growl. “He probably took off, the little coward.”

 

She began trying to climb out of the well. Her task was made easier by the thick vines that were hanging down the side of the well. “I don't remember seeing these before. I wonder how they got here.” She managed to reach the top of the well and pulled herself over the side with a sigh. “At least I'm out of there.” She opened her eyes and gave a startled gasp. “What?! Where am I? What happened to the well house and the shrine?” She was in a clearing in what appeared to be a thick forest. She knew that there was no such forest anywhere near the shrine so how had she come to be here.

 

Taking a few steps away from the well, Kagome called “Mom? Grandpa? Souta? Anyone?” as she looked for anything that looked even remotely familiar. Turning, she spotted the familiar form of the Goshinboku nearby. “The sacred tree. Maybe I'm only in the woods behind the shrine after all. I mean it's possible that there was a second well in the forest and the two are connected by a tunnel somehow, right?” She rationalized to herself as she hurried to the familiar landmark. Upon reaching it, she had to disregard that theory as the shrine was still nowhere in sight. However, all thoughts of how she had gotten there were forgotten when she saw the figure pinned against the base of the tree.

 

“A boy?” she asked as she stared at the figure clad in red. His long silver hair fluttered in the wind, and he appeared to be sleeping while standing with his back against the tree and large vines wrapped around his lower body, as if cradling him to the tree. She came closer, climbing the vines as she called “Hey, are you alright?” She received no response. She moved closer until she was only inches away from him. His handsome face was relaxed in sleep. “Hello?” Still no response. 'Is he even breathing?' she wondered. The top of his head drew her attention and she stared. 'Are those... dog ears?' She stared a moment longer and then gave in to the urge to touch them. Reaching one hand up to each ear, she gently rubbed them. 'So soft and silky. I wonder...'

 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise behind her. Twang! Thunk!

 

As arrows embedded themselves in the tree mere inches from them, Kagome threw herself against the boy, instinctively shielding his body with her own. With her heart pounding in her chest, she lifted her face from the chest of the too-still boy and slowly turned around. She was met with the sight of a group of men in old-fashioned kimonos pointing bows and arrows at her. She raised her eyes to meet their harsh stares and gulped before nervously beginning to speak. “Uh, hello. I don't suppose-”

 

She was interrupted by a harsh “Quiet! Don't move.” Seeing the arrows still pointed at her and ready to be fired, she obeyed. Two of the men set aside their weapons to roughly grab her and bind her wrists behind her back with rope. She made to protest but the other men kept their arrows trained on her and she wisely decided to keep quiet.

 

Once bound the man who had spoken earlier grabbed her face, raising it to meet his gaze as he asked “What is your business here? This land is forbidden. Why have you trespassed in Inuyasha's Forest?”

 

Kagome responded “I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm lost and was simply trying to find my way home.”

 

One of the men called out “Don't believe her. Look at her clothes, see how strange they are? She is a youkai. This is but a trick to get us to let down our guard.” Several others murmured in agreement.

 

'Youkai?' Kagome thought. “Hey, I'm no youkai. And what's wrong with my clothes?” she responded harshly, only to be slapped in the face by the apparent leader.

 

“Quiet! You don't speak unless spoken to. We won't fall for any of your tricks, youkai.” He told her harshly before turning to the rest of the group. “We will bring her to the village and let Kaede-sama decide. If she is a youkai Kaede-sama will be able to tell and we will kill her.”

 

Kagome felt terror clutch at her at these words. 'Kill me? But I've done nothing to them. What is this place that they will kill someone because they are dressed differently?' She was left to her thoughts as they forced her to march through the forest. Her cheek throbbed painfully as she considered their actions and words, and as she listened to their conversation her terror only increased.

 

“Do you really think she is a youkai?” One man asked.

 

“Of course. Look at her clothing, what kind of woman would wear something so indecent? Only a youkai would wear something like that. Look how short that kimono is, I can practically see her ass.” Kagome felt her cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment at his words but kept her mouth shut to avoid further confrontations.

 

Another man answered “Maybe she's not a youkai, but a whore and these clothes are to show off her goods. If Kaede-sama says she is not a youkai I think I'll give her a try.” He and a few others laughed as Kagome felt her blood boil with rage. She suddenly felt a hand rubbing her rear and screeched in rage and shock as she tried to jerk away. Her movement overbalanced her and with her arms bound behind her back she had no way to steady herself as she fell to the ground with her legs splayed.

 

“Look” the man who had said she was a whore called “she seems eager for it too. She's already in position. Maybe she is a whore and we can have some fun right now.” He said as he stepped closer to her. Kagome's terror only increased at the lustful gaze he sent her way.

 

However, before he could do anything else the man who had called her a youkai said “I still think she's a youkai. Look at her, can't you see there is something strange about her? How could you consider doing that with a youkai? We should just kill her and be done with it.” This led to a conversation between the men of whether they should kill her or bed her. Kagome listened in horror, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to find a way out of this mess. The men finally came to the conclusion that they would bring her to this Kaede, whoever that was, and if Kaede decided she was a youkai they would kill her and if Kaede decided she was human then they would 'have fun with her', meaning the would rape her.

 

With their argument settled one of them approached Kagome and hauled her to her feet. Kagome looked and saw that the other men were all several feet away. Seeing no arrows pointed at her, and with her mind filled with thoughts of the two possible fates awaiting her in the village, Kagome seized her chance. She used her body to shove the man next to her aside and took off running for the trees. She heard them curse behind her and then some sounds that they were pursuing her but she continued to run deeper into the forest, never looking back. Branches and other foliage slapped at her face as she was unable to use her hands to block it but she didn't allow that to stop her as she continued to run as fast as she could.

 

She ran for a long time, long after the sounds of pursuit faded away. She tripped several times, gaining scrapes and bruises along her body but she would stumble to her feet and start running again. Finally, exhausted and gasping for breath, she collapsed against a tree and began to cry. “Where am I? I just want to go home. How could those men talk so easily about either killing or raping me? What kind of sick, twisted place have I found myself in? I want Mama, I want to go home. I should be out celebrating with my friends and having fun, not lost in the woods worrying about being killed or raped. Some birthday this is turning out to be.”

 

She sobbed as she sat at the base of the tree. Her arms were still bound behind her back and she calmed enough to find a sharp rock to cut the rope with, sawing back and forth until the rope frayed and snapped. Finally free, she wrapped her arms around her body as she continued to sob until she cried herself into an exhausted, restless sleep.