InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Girl I Once Knew ❯ The Girl I Once Knew ( One-Shot )

The Girl I Once Knew

Disclaimer: Don't own. *sniff*

My first Inu fan fic!!! (though I'm farther along with New Moon… ^^;) Tell me which you want me to finish first (though this is about half done and New Moon is only like a fifth ^^; )

Kagome sat at her desk and silently whimpered to herself during a math test. She would bite the end of her pencil, then stare at her paper desperately, only to gaze out the window once in awhile and sigh before committing herself to the baffling problems again. Yume, on the other hand, had turned her test in fifteen minutes ago and was reading the next chapter ahead of time. Glancing over the top of her textbook with curious green eyes she watched Kagome fidget for a few moments and then wondered what exactly was giving her so much trouble. They had been studying these problems all week in class, but then again Kagome was never there was she? Hojo, a guy she barely knew, had briefly said something about illness before walking away. She didn't seem sick to Yume, perhaps over-stressed, but with finals coming up who wasn't?

Then Yume remembered that she isn't supposed to care, that she was the quiet, smart girl that everyone ignored, and continued with her studies. But still, it wasn't like Kagome was mean, she just didn't take the time to notice the small girl that sat in the back of her class. In truth Yume wanted more then anything to be Kagome. To have friends and a family. A real family.

Yume hid behind her book as tears escaped her squinted eyes. She hated this part of her. The part that wouldn't let her forget.

Gentle waves of the ocean gently lapped at the side of a huge cruise ship. The boat was boarding and among the passengers there was a red-haired female holding hands with her best friend. Her green eyes sparkled as deep as the water they were floating on, and his eyes the color of the sky they played below. Yume and Nikki. Friends forever, and even more.

"Karen," Nikki whispered as they stood over the rail, "I really like you a lot. Will we be friends forever?"

"Nikki!," Yume answered, for Karen was her true name, "Of course we will! If we love each other we always will."

Both families had watched their children grow up together, and as the mothers discussed what it will be like when their kids marry, the fathers argued about who would take the grandkids fishing first.

One night, under a beautiful star-filled sky, Karen and Nikki were sitting at the front of the boat, wind rippling their garments and hair. As the night got colder clouds started to cover the moonlight. Karen shivered and snuggled into Nikki, who, in turn, grew red and took his coat off of himself and wrapped it about her.

"Th..Thanks.." she chattered.

"Do you want to go in?" Nikki asked in concern.

"No, lets stay here a little longer." `Together' she added silently.

Gathering his shaking nerves, Nikki found himself putting his arm around Karen. She looked up at him in surprise, but didn't complain. His eyes looked so soft. Full of worry, and longing, and innocence. Her heart caught in her words and tripped till it fell. It struggled and beat frantically with all the things she was dieing to say…

"Karen…" His voice got lower and quieter as he continued, "there is something…" he started to lean towards her, his black bangs getting in his eyes. She brushed them behind his ear, but instead of putting her hand back down it remained cupped on his face. He tried to continue, barely audible, "that I," their faces were two inches apart, she could feel her eyes flutter and close. "Have been meaning…" one inch apart, his warm breath embraced her cheek. "To tell………"

Gentle lips caressed hers. Heat rushed and drowned her in a sea full of emotions as deep as his heart. His hands grabbed her and pulled them together, afraid to let her go. She fell into him and her soul melted and fused with his. Actions speak louder then words, and his were singing at the top of their lungs strong and clear.

Eventually their lips parted, but they did not. Karen's body was pressed against him, ear to his chest. The quick drumbeat told the story of his mind. Breathing seemed to be the hardest thing to do. Her hand clutched his shirt as she murmured into the fabric, "I love you too."

Soon one of the parents came and brought them in, saying that a storm was rising. But to what extent no one had a clue. Only a few hours later the ship was pitched and rolling, losing its balance on the slippery, foaming waves. Surge after surge carried them farther from their intended course. Gust after gust brought new complications. Tossed like a fresh garden salad, and then hurled into a bowl full of frothing storm Karen screamed for anyone. The last thing she recalled was the drone of the S.O.S. over an ominous speaker.

Save our souls. Save our souls. Save our souls. Save our souls. Save our souls. Save our souls……………

She had awoken in a hospital after that. Bed ridden and alone. Her health permanently damaged. Her family hadn't survived. Nikki and his family hadn't survived. They had found their lifeboat capsized. Nikki had been caught by a first aid kit's straps within the boat and had drowned underneath when it tipped over. The first word she had learned in Japanese had been death, for it was Japan that she had shipwrecked upon and death that she had met. With no relatives to speak of she became an orphan, and given a new name. Her foster family had adopted her only for the press attention. And now at least two years later she wasn't interesting anymore. Her `parents' just continued to take care of her because the bad rap of abandoning her wasn't worth it. So instead they treated her like she didn't exist. Just like everyone else.

The bell rang and she jumped with a start.

"Oh, no! I'm not finished yet!" Kagome cried.

"But you had all hour!" the teacher took the paper from Kagome, unfinished, and put it with the rest of the stack.

Yume snapped out of it and quickly packed up. She watched Kagome fix her school uniform and then grab her bag and swing it over her shoulder, disgruntled. Yume stood up and in a flash of daring grasped Kagome's arm.

"Hey, do you need help studying?" she asked before Kagome had time to turn.

She had no idea what made her do it. Kagome was sure to say no. It wasn't the way of the peck order for a popular person to hang out with a nobody. Kagome smiled sweetly and Yume knew what was coming. At least, she thought she did.

"Sure! Thank you so much. I really need it! Are you busy after school?"

This caught Yume totally off guard. She was positive of a shot down.

"Uh, no…actually. I can leave now. Well, if you like," Yume stammered, fixated on her shoes.

Yume didn't see, but rather heard Kagome clasp her hands together in joy. She looked up in time to see Kagome extend a finger to her lip in thought.

"Mmm, I have nothing going on today," Kagome started, but Yume could swear she heard her mutter something under her breath before continuing, "and mom wouldn't mind you staying for dinner, but you would have to put up with my Grandpa's babble."

Yume found that her jaw wasn't responding. But that didn't matter for she had no idea what to say. Simply blushing and nodding her head slightly was the response she gave Kagome.

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Before she realized it, Yume was standing before an ancient shrine transformed into Kagome's home. It was old and graceful, nothing like her sterile and `modern' apartment. Every wooden board, every beam, told its own story. The creeping ivy and decaying well made a sharp contrast to the noisy cars and little plots of lawns in Tokyo. Inside the house appliances were a bit updated, with running water and electricity, but there was still a feel of antediluvian presence. A cat that could've eaten Yume whole ambled in, taking his time, and brushed her legs, demanding food, attention, or perhaps both.

"Buyo." Kagome whispered affectionately and picked up the patched cat.

It gave a meager, grumbling meow as a form of greeting, but hung limply in Kagome's uplifting hands. Yume rubbed her delicate fingers along the back of Buyo's ears and down his head. He closed his eyes and gave a sputtered motor form of a purr.

"Sis, welcome home!" came a young voice.

Yume looked beyond the cat to find a little boy standing there, possibly a bit shy.

"Sota, this is Yume." Kagome introduced, while putting Buyo back down.

Sota stood there, staring innocently before tilting his head and closing his soft eyes with a smile.

"Hi" he said in a cheery tone.

Yume grinned and returned the greeting.

"Sota. Sota! Come back here. I was in the middle of telling the story behind these precious socks…"

An old and winded voice rebounded from a room further into the house. Sota's eyes widened as he turned about and dashed back out of the foyer.

"Grandpa, those are the socks I bought Kagome a week ago."

A younger, female voice; probably Kagome and Sota's mother. Suddenly Sota came trotting back with his eyes rolling and a smirk. The mom came down the stairs and also added her two cents into the welcoming before Kagome made a hurried excuse about studying and quickly retreated to her room with her bag and Yume in tow.

"Phew, sorry about that," Kagome apologized as she leaned against the recently closed door.

"No, it's alright. I like your family." Yume whimpered softly before putting her bag down by Kagome's desk.

She grasped the chair and turned to Kagome, "May I?"

Kagome nodded and Yume sat down. Kagome paced around a bit before flopping down on her bed.

"What are your parents like?"

They're dead."

Kagome sat up and looked at Yume, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"Of course you didn't," Yume cut her off, "No one knows because no one asks."

"Well, I'm still sorry," Kagome apologized again before lying back into her pillows.

Yume tried to speak again but found her throat closed off. She rubbed it with her hand only to find that it was shaking.

"Yeah, my father…" Kagome trailed until her voice abandoned her.

Yume stared at the floor, intent to examine every carpet strand, whilst Kagome stared at the same ceiling she had seen for years. The silence pounded into Yume's brain, louder than the screams of a thousand dieing souls that haunted her every hour. Silently Kagome was wishing she was at some other time and place dealing with monsters that were easier to understand then this girl in her room.

With her piercing emerald eyes Yume glanced around the room, trying to piece together the essence of Kagome in what she kept and held dear. Eventually she caught sight of a tiny vial holding the splinters of the prettiest crystal Yume had ever seen. They seemed to glow with a radiance that came from somewhere deep, deep inside. Compelled, she slowly reached for the bottle much as a bug is pulled to its doom in a bug zapper. Moments before her hand brushed the glass, though, something yanked her arm away with such force she was thrown backwards out of the chair and across the floor. Crying out loud in shock as much as pain she held her injured right arm across her chest to find jagged lines running along her skin, swelling with blood.

Kagome jumped from her nest and screamed, "Inu Yasha!"

Suddenly darkness blotted out the light cast upon Yume. Terrified, she gradually looked up and her jaw started to tremble. A horrific creature stood before her. It seemed to be molded of hatred and black as it loomed overhead, clutching an ivory sword that surely could've cloven her. The light of hell burned and danced in his eyes.

"SIT!"

The apparition dwindled to a writhing form of agony sprawled upon the floor. A clawed hand twitched, but reached ever upward, in the direction of Kagome, who now stood over the scene. The thing was cloaked in blood red and had fur the color of a blazing white star. But protruding from the mass of tousled hair was a pair of animal ears. Overcoming any sense of fear that throbbed in her bosom, Yume, seemingly possessed, reached out with her good hand and gently twiddled one of the white ears. Even time seemed astounded to a halt. All was quiet for about the length of five seconds.

"Wha…?"

Apparently the owner of the ear could speak.

"Uh…" Kagome didn't have a clue as to what to say, after all, she could recall doing the exact same thing.

The door opened just then and all three sets of eyes turned to stare at Kagome's entire family, including Buyo, with blank expressions.

"I suppose this means you're leaving again?" Kagome's mom asked, exasperated.

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"Thank you," Yume whispered as she was handed her cup of tea.

She stared into its earthen hued depths, concentrating on the swirls of steam that rose from the pristine surface, trying not to meet Inu Yasha's hardcore, piercing gaze. He sat across from her at the table, head in hand and elbow on wood. Kagome sat next to him, eyes closed as she sipped her tea, obviously displeased. Yume shrank all the more.

"You should be thanking me…" Inu Yasha muttered, intended for Kagome.

Kagome bared her teeth in frustration, her eyebrow twitching as she tried to restrain herself.

"After all, if I wasn't there she might have stolen the shards…" he continued, and even though Kagome could take this one too, Yume couldn't.

"I wasn't going to steal them! I just wanted to see them!" she screamed for the hundredth time at the half-breed.

It was really rare for Yume to get mad, but he didn't know that; he also hadn't figured out that when you are over your head in hot water it's best to keep your mouth shut.

"Then what were you doing in her room?!" he countered.

"I invited her!" Kagome cut in.

"Keh," Inu Yasha muttered, then closed his eyes and turned to the side, unaware of Yume.

Her face flushed with rage. She had had quite enough out of him and wasn't about to be called a thief. Standing up, her fists shaking in anger, she towered over him, bearing down with her glower. When he didn't pay her the appropriate attention, she made a rash move. She slapped him across the face. The five-fingered pattern was branded into his cheek. His eyes bulged from their sockets, dilated with the shock. Kagome herself seemed surprised. Quickly Yume remembered her place. She blushed vibrantly and took her seat once again. Over and over she tried to mutter an apology, to Kagome and not Inu Yasha, but she couldn't string her words together. Finally Kagome held up her hand and shushed her.

"He had that coming," was all that she said in explanation, glaring at Inu Yasha.

He looked deeply injured for perhaps a millisecond before bursting forth in newfound vigor. He sat up and slammed both palms upon the table, making the kitchenware rattle. He scowled while his check throbbed dully. His metallic irises seemed to bronze in fury. His chiseled fangs jutted from his teeth line, making him appear more animal than human. Or conceivably it was the ears, which stood erect. But whatever it was, it made Yume feel violently scared. She shrunk back, which only added to Inu Yasha's gusto. He kept leaning further over the table, enjoying the fear he saw in Yume's eyes. An inch further, than another, until finally he was extended nearly to its length, right in front of her. He glowered with intimidation… until Kagome tapped him on the back and he fell face flat onto the table's surface.

"Quit giving her a hard time," Kagome muttered into her tea, seemingly unaware of Inu Yasha sprawled out and most undignified.

Yume finally decided that he was harmless, just all show. When he withdrew back to his side of the table, sullenly, she caught his attention and promptly stuck out her tongue. And then immediately reconsidered because he clenched his clawed fist and violently shook with anger. Inu Yasha lunged at Yume, who proceeded to duck out of his reach. This broke out into more squabbles. Kagome just sat there, tuning them out, but once it went on long enough she slammed her tea cup down, spilling quite a deal, and grabbed her bag as she walked away.

Instantly Inu Yasha paused in thought and then followed her, leaving poor Yume alone and confused.

"Hey!" she called out, not sure what to do.

Getting up, she sprinted up to Kagome, giving Inu Yasha a wide berth. Whether or not Kagome noticed, she didn't know, because Kagome just kept walking towards the well. So Yume just fell silently into line and tagged along.

"Where do you think you're going?" resounded a low growl from behind her.

She didn't even bother to give him a response.

"Answer me, girl."

She didn't.

"You are NOT coming with us!"

This broke her patience, "Why not?"

When Yume turned to face him, Inu Yasha smirked, "No one invited you."

By this time they had just entered the well house, Kagome already next to the well itself. Yume glared at him and then caught up to Kagome. She took a moment to look around at the musky place, covered in spider webs and dust. In fact… …

"ACHOO!"

Yume sneezed.

She rubbed her nose, and then thinking quickly, decided to snub Inu Yasha.

"I think I'm allergic to your pet dog, Kagome."

She never saw what happened next.

She felt a crushing weight on her back and went tumbling into Kagome and together they were knocked into the well. Smashed between Kagome and Inu Yasha, she was pushed through the well's time warp. She wasn't supposed to go through, but her body had no choice being flanked by the two that were able to. She felt as if her muscles and bones had been hammered thin and forced through a tiny slot. Every part of her ached. Then suddenly they were a heap of tangled arms and legs in the bottom of a well. Yume reached up, grasping for something to give her leverage, and her hand came in contact with something leafy.

"Ivy?" she thought aloud. She didn't remember there being any clinging to the sides of the well, but then again she didn't remember it being this bright either. Kagome crawled out from underneath her and scrambled out of the wooden box, apparently Inu Yasha had already left. With more room to move, Yume jumped up and clutched the edge and then heaved herself over the side. She rolled out onto grass and laid there.

Wait…grass?

Ivy? We are outside?

"Where are we?" she asked the sky she was staring up at.

"Yume?" Kagome asked in shock.

The familiar face came into Yume's field of view. Yume tried to get up and found that she couldn't. The climb out of the well must have taken more out of her than she thought. She raised her hand towards Kagome, intending to reach out for her, but the sight of something red stopped her. The whole back of her hand was covered in something sticky that looked an awful lot like blood. "Uh, oh." Was all she could say before the creeping darkness claimed her. The last thing she heard was a fading `Keh'.

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"Have you come to?" muttered an old, crackled voice; it reminded Yume of dried leaves.

"…uh…….wha?" she whimpered, trying to get up and hold onto her aching head at the same time.

A gentle hand pushed her back down onto the makeshift cot she was rising from. Yume's eyes started to clear and she looked around the room with a somewhat blurred vision. Her bed was composed of a few blankets and a pillow put near a small fire in the center of the room. The walls and floor were made entirely of wood, old, she guessed, by the worn, polished marks left by the years. Here and there it seemed that the hut had been redone though. A wave of nausea made her lay back and close her confused, green eyes.

When she could work her jaw she muttered, "Where am I?"

The same voice she had heard before answered, "In my hut. You were injured when you traveled to our time."

It took Yume awhile to respond, she was still piecing together the information. Time? Injured? How, by whom? "Did Inu Yasha do this to me?" she reasoned aloud, just then remembering the strange boy that seemed familiar with Kagome.

"No. He was the one that brought you here."

At this Yume got scared. There had been three that fell through the well.

"Where's Kagome?"

She heard the old woman sigh, "So many questions from someone that has been awake for such a short time… Kagome and Inu Yasha will be back soon."

Yume didn't care much for news about Inu Yasha, but she was glad to hear that Kagome was safe and would come back for her. With newfound comfort, Yume drifted back off to sleep, letting fatigue win.

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On the edge of consciousness, Yume was aware of something warm planted firmly on her butt. She would've ignored it if the thing didn't start moving up and down, caressing her behind. She awoke entirely with a yelp. Instinctively she struck out at whoever was groping her. Staring at her was a young man with short black hair, and a five-star mark across his face. Normally she would've been apologetic, assuming that he hadn't meant to touch her, but this guy just dug a deeper grave.

"Hello lovely one. My name is Miroku, and I have a favor to ask."

And with that he grasped her hand as he looked sincerely into her eyes, "Would you bear my child?"

Yume didn't have long to respond before the problem was taken care of for her. A giant boomerang came crashing down upon his skull, miraculously not smashing it. Miroku closed his eyes and looked rather downcast.

"Dirty pervert," was the instant follow-up.

Yume looked up to see the owner of the boomerang withdraw her enormous weapon. With a complete change of expression she smiled at Yume.

"Hi. I'm Sango," the woman said, and then pointed to the floor, "and this is Kirara."

Yume glanced at the spot to see what looked like a crossbreed between a fox and a cat. Either way it still appeared to be a kitten, and as such was completely adorable. She mewed and twitched her two tails in a form of greeting. Yume felt the common female reaction to cuteness and swiftly grabbed Kirara, then cradled the demon in her arms.

"Aw, aren't you just too cute!" she murmured into the tan fur.

"Is Kagome's friend up yet?" a child, which Yume hadn't noticed before, asked.

Yume looked up to see a little boy with hair near the same color as hers, excluding the same carrot-hued tail. Yume's eyes glossed over and sparkled as she looked at Shippo. Scared that she might be even sicker then Kaede said, Shippo took a couple steps back and looked rather terrified as the girl drew closer to him; Kirara dropped and forgotten.

"Uhhh, umm…," the little Kitsune had no idea what to say to the girl slowly crawling towards his retreating figure.

When Yume made as if to pounce the child demon startled and cried out Kagome's name in fear. Quite abruptly a hanyou burst through the door in puzzlement, and then just as fast ended up on the floor. Kagome had misunderstood Shippo.

"SSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!!!!!!"

Before he had a single clue as to what was happening, Inu Yasha was twitching on the floor, cursing under his halting breath. The group that had witnessed the odd, yet highly amusing, grand entrance of the Sat One awaited in awed silence, not daring to move or laugh out loud. Except, of course, Yume. She busted out in a full-blown guffaw, shaking entirely in her merriment. The pain that enveloped her body came back ten-fold in protest to her actions; a slight retribution for Inu Yasha. She fell back amongst her nest of blankets, Shippo forgotten for the moment.

"Shut up, wench," Yasha purred dangerously from his awkward position on the floor.

Just as loud, If not a bit more graceful then the hanyou's entrance, came Kagome into the room, expecting to see the Kitsune in tears. After a few seconds she was no closer to piecing together the somewhat confusing scene before her. Albeit Shippo was close to tears, it was obvious he was in no way scared, tortured, or harassed by the half-breed whom was gradually gaining the use of his body again.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR YOU FUCKING BITCH?!" ah, it appeared that his jaw felt better after slamming the floor.

Kagome just stared at him in bewilderment as Inu Yasha, now standing, tucked his hands into the sleeves of his haori, waiting for an answer.

Kneeling next to Shippo, she simply tilted her head, still rather stymied by the apparent clean bill of health that the child beside her bared.