InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unforeseen Hero ❯ Only A Guardian ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1

Only A Guardian

Kagome followed behind the troupe, watching her feet as she thought about all the girlie things her friends must have been doing right then as she walked along a dirt trail. Unfortunately, she had to ditch her bike, for this adventure kept them on a pretty rocky and hilly path but she was growing more and more use to the long walking with very few breaks. She didn't really protest anymore but she barely smiled either. There was a reason she hadn't been born in this era; she wasn't supposed to be here, she didn't fit in…anywhere.

"Kagome, my friend, is something troubling you?" The freshly turned sixteen year-old seemed to pay no attention to her one-year-older female companion. "You've been uncharacteristically quiet and melancholy. I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, but thank you for your concern Sango." Kagome replied with an icy tone and didn't bother to glance at the concerned demon exterminator.

"Kagome?" Sango sounded offended but Kagome went on unfazed, then she blinked.

"Inuyasha." She stared off into the woods. "Jewel shard - " She stopped when she felt the breeze change directions as if it were being forced. She focused harder and sense two shards coming at them at an extreme velocity. Koga.

"What about a jewel shard Ka - " Inuyasha's nose twitched and he wrinkled it up. " This is no time for visits from asinine wolf de - " The half-breed's twitching smeller was planted firmly into the ground as Koga hopped to Kagome from Inuyasha's cranium.

"Kagome, you are well?" He took up her hands, but Kagome met his gaze with a dead panned look. She didn't panic, she didn't blush and most importantly, she didn't care. The young woman simply pulled her hands loose with a small tug and walked around him. The only reason she was there was to find the shards put the Shikon Jewel back together, take it home with her and guard it in her own time where there were very few demons. She lived on a shrine and had learned enough over the course of the year, she was certain she could keep it safe, the last thing she would have to do was remove the rosary from Inuyasha, so he couldn't follow her home. She didn't care about Naraku or Kikyo anymore, the two of them were problems that existed only for the people who belonged in this time and so she didn't qualify. She would fulfill her duty as guardian and that was as far as it went. "Kagome?"

"Koga I do not have time for an of your lunacy antics. I have to find the shards, restore the jewel and purify it, then guard it from creatures like you." She strolled past Sango, Shippo, Miroku and even Inuyasha without so much as a glimpse at any of them. They just stood staring at her as she continued without them. Inuyasha was the last to chase after her; he had remained only because her words had cut him so deeply, far more then he had ever expected.

The descendent of a great dog demon lord had been with her long enough to understand her subtext and she had meant demons when she had carefully placed 'creatures' in her retort. As he perambulated slowly behind them, his mind filtered through everything they had been through together. He just had to find an explanation, an answer to the stinging question that weight heavily on his mind. What had happened to the sweet innocent Kagome, the Kagome who had once asked him if she could stay by his side no matter who his heart belonged to. It puzzled him to no end, he had agreed and let her remain, but why. He had chosen Kikyo and if he had picked Kikyo then why did he need Kagome? Kikyo could easily detect the shards and the search would go a lot faster if it were just the two of them but it was that thought. The two of them, alone and together, it didn't give him the same warmth in his chest it once had. Why? What has changed? He pulled his gaze from the path to Kagome's back. Was it the girl? Was she to blame for this? Of course, she was the one who had freed him, brought the jewel back to this era and then shattered it. She's the one that…made me - He noticed her reaching for an arrow from her quiver and it disrupted his detective work. Using his demonic strength, he leapt to her side in one easy and swift action, completely forgetting about his thoughts.

"Kagome? What is it?" He asked softly, looking around, scanning for any signs of an enemy. When she didn't respond he stared at her. "Kagome." He stated with an unsympathetic voice but she went on unaffected. She drew her bow taunt with the arrow in place.

"Tell her to move Inuyasha or I'll shoot her down." He blinked, and then looked in the direction she was. Kikyo stood right in her path about fifty yards away with her back to them, her bow also arched ready. Where did she come from? Why didn't I smell her? His brow furrowed, he could smell her now. Was I so lost in thought that I failed to notice it? His forehead relaxed slightly, he couldn't believe it. He had missed her scent and at the moment he almost found her presents to be annoying. Then his mind began to think outside the box and he remembered Kagome's words. Inuyasha turned back to the young woman beside him. What's she talking about? She'd never hurt Kikyo. Nevertheless, it was there, the austerity and the courage that every great warrior wore on his face before he galloped into battle. Kagome would shoot her, in the back no less.

"Kikyo move." He ordered. Kagome faltered a bit by the command, she had never really heard him command Kikyo with that kind of tone. Even the dead priestess turned slightly to eye him out of the corner of her visional area. Kikyo will not get this on coming shard; she will not give it to that monster. Kagome stiffened after repeating her thought one more time.

"Enough of this." She fired her arrow injuring Kikyo's knee, the wounded dropped down on her good joint and steadied herself with her bow. Inuyasha just froze and watched the liquid flow from the ash and bone that remarkably resembled his once thought beloved Kikyo. Barely a breath later a large centipede demon came charging at them but Kagome stood stead fast with another arrow already drawn in her choice weapon while the others scrambled to prepare for battle. She was the first to attack and the one who brought it down, she ran down the hill before Kikyo started to limp toward the mess of parts. She just had to beat her to the shard and she did. She stood staring at the woman holding the precious piece.

"Give it over." Kikyo demanded, her eel like soul snatchers coming to her.

"Only in your dreams Kikyo." Kagome turned and continued down the path as the demon parts began to fade away only to leave the bones. Kikyo managed to raise an arm and her glowing, mid-air flying pets went after the young girl. Inuyasha hollered at Kikyo to stop it and just leave which gave Kagome more then enough evidence that Kikyo wasn't going to let her saunter away without a fight. She turned slightly letting a blinding light come from her bow, which destroyed the disgusting creatures flying at her. Kikyo stepped back and reached for an arrow. "Don't bother, you can't keep your balance." Just as Kagome, had predicted Kikyo tilted at the last minute and sent the arrow zinging past the warm-blooded woman who didn't even bother to flinch. Making an almost unnoticeable narrowing of her eyes for a heartbeat, Kagome turned on her heal and once again took up her trek down the gritty path laid out before her.