To Thine Own Self - Chap 1

[Lockon S.]

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn?t own anything related to Inu Yasha. The characters created for this fanfic are mine and may not be used without my permission.

This is my first posting here at BI. Hope it goes well. C&C welcome.

<center><b>InuYasha
To Thine Own Self</b>
Author: Lockon S.</center>

<b>Chapter 1:</b> Current Time

Sota departs from school on his usual route from school. He?s grown quite a bit in the year and a half since Kagome left. He often thinks about his big sister and her life five hundred years in the past. Even Hitomi asks about her from time to time. He returns home, and climbs the steps. It?s been a long day, and Sota?s ready for some peace and quiet. As he walks by the shrine, he notices a pile of boxes that have fallen off the shelves. It was rather odd that Grandpa would leave the boxes out like that. That?s when the pile started shifting.

Realizing what might?ve happened, Sota calmly walks over to the pile. If his guess was right, Sota had quite a bit more work ahead of him. Sota examined the pile, finding just the right box to look under. Sota lifted the box, and low and behold, there was Grandpa half dazed. ?You?re certainly a worthy opponent ? it?s been a long time since I?ve been under this much pressure.?

Sota?s instincts were right on the money.

?Actually, Grandpa, it?s only been a couple of days.?
?Don?t help me, my boy. Your grandfather has this mess well in hand.?
?Where?s Mom?? asked Sota while picking up boxes, ?She normally helps you with the cleaning.?
?Your mother is at the library again. She said that she would return in time to fix you dinner.?
?She should have been back by now. I think I?ll go check on her.?
?You do that. I?ll handle these trouble-makers.?

------------------------------

Deep in the archives of the Tokyo library, amidst a barricade of books, the mother of one very unique girl was reading over prints of family trees. It took almost five minutes just to get from the desk to this room, and another two minutes to reach this area. All this with the slim hope of finding the descendants of a mother called Higurashi, Kagome.

It had been almost two months since Kagome had emerged from the well in their family shrine. Two weeks of searching the records followed. It seemed impossible to begin with. After all, who in this day and age would assume a record of a family with a hanyou was legitimate? She still had to try. There was one ray of hope: A conversation with the young girl at the librarian?s desk when she began the search.

<i>?Hello, how can I help you??
?Well. I have a request that might seem strange. I?m looking for family records about five hundred years ago.?
?Oh you don?t have to worry miss, there?s nothing wrong with researching your ancestry.?
?The problem is, you see, I?m looking for a hanyou by the name of Inu Yasha.?
?Hmm? that is strange. I haven?t been here for very long, but I do believe there are family trees containing fictional material like that. If so, they would be with the rest of family trees.?
?Thank you so much.?
?You?re welcome. I hope I was helpful.?
?You were. Thank you again so very much.?</i>

?What happened to you, Kagome??
?Mom??
Surprised, she stood up to look over the pile of reading material she had collected and saw her son.
?Sota dear. Why are you here honey? Are you okay??
?I?m okay Mom. I was just worried about you, that?s all.?
?I?m sorry. I lost track of the time.?
?Did you find anything??
?No. I?m really getting worried.?
?It?s okay Mom. I have faith Kagome will come back.?
?I know honey. It?s just that I worry about her. Kagome faces a lot of danger when she goes to the past. What if she?s hurt? What if she can?t come back??
?Inu Yasha is strong. I mean? like? he?s really, really, really strong! Inu Yasha will protect her!?
?You?re right, Sota.?

------------------------------

?You?re such a jerk! You stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid jerk! Why did you do this to me anyways? You don?t care about my feelings at all!?
?What the hell is with you Kagome??

Inu Yasha immediately realized that he had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his entire life. He watched in horror as a very short fuse burned away its last inth to Kagome?s fearsome expression.

?You heartless jerk! Sit!?

And once again, for the eighth time today, Inu Yasha made intimate contact with floor of their small hut. Kagome?s beads of subjugation seemed to have a little extra pull lately, ever since Kagome found she was unable to travel through the well.

?You don?t care about me at all! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!?

When the dust settled, Miroku appeared in the doorway. He took three steps in when he noticed the ground was soft and uneven. He looked down and took note of something red beneath his feet.

?Wow Kagome! Where did this rug come from? And come to think of it, where?s Inu Yasha? Shouldn?t he be taking care of you??
?Ief fu buat fombing??

Surprised at what he was standing on, Miroku quickly hopped off of Inu Yasha. The battered hanyou slowly climbed to his feet.

?Inu Yasha, I?m so sorry!?
?No problem. I?m always happy to serve as a doormat for heavy sex-crazed monks who show up out of the blue.?
?I?m so sorry. I was just wondering why our house was shaking on the other side of the village, that?s all.?
?Oh it?s nothing, really. Couples fight like this all the time.?
?Why is this happening to meeeeeeee he heeeee??

Kagome grabbed a hold of Inu Yasha?s shirt with one hand and one of his bangs with the other. Her watery eyes met Inu Yasha?s still filled with fear and confusion.

?First I get all sick and woozy, then you turn into this big jerk! On top of that, I haven?t been able to go home at all! I can?t go see Mom or Sota or Grandpa or Yuki or Eri or Sota or Ayumi or Mom or Grandpa. I just need a shoulder to cry on, ahaaaaaa!?

Kagome cried on Inu Yasha?s chest and pulled on his hair. Inu Yasha was at a complete loss. This isn?t like her. She?s acting more like that time when she was drunk, but worse. It was like she wasn?t even Kagome anymore, and it wasn?t just Kagome either. Everybody knew something that Inu Yasha didn?t know, and they weren?t telling him. At the very least, Kagome wouldn?t make him sit as long as she held on to him, and so Inu Yasha held onto Kagome, and held on to his love for dear life.

?Well, it looks like the two of you are busy, so I?ll be on my way now.?
?Wait! Miroku! Don?t leave me!?

In a calm manner, Miroku scurried for the door, attempting to maintain whatever little dignity he had left. The escape was successful, and outside was Sango. Out of the frying pan into the fire. She glared at Miroku, arms folded. Miroku tried placation by means of a weak smile, attempting to draw Sango?s attention away from the hut behind him?

?Why can?t you show more feeling? Sit, damn it!?

And the Earth-shaking crash that soon followed. She gave the monk a look indicating that he should be severely beaten for his crimes. Miroku merely replied with a nervous smile while scratching his head. It was enough to stave off judgment day while they walked home, but Sango wasn?t finished.

?This is too cruel. When are you going to tell Inu Yasha what?s going on??
?Now now Sango dear. Young couples have much to learn. It?s best to let nature takes its course? even if it is cruel and unusual? and amusing??
Miroku let those last words gently slip out, tugging at the deviant in Sango.
?Not at all! Poor Inu Yasha?s in agony! But it is? maybe? just a little??

It was almost there. The dark little monster that was laughing its flipping head off watching Inu Yasha in complete and utter confusion. Miroku?s coaxing would have worked, but something caught Sango?s attention. Miroku looked ahead, then overhead. Dark clouds billowed over the hills bearing more malice than ever intended by nature. The wind shifted direction, and grew cold.

?There is something foul in the air.?

Sango felt as though her heart was pressured by a blade. It only took a moment. She realized that something was coming. A fierce creature wondering without aim. A vicious mind with?

?An unquenchable thirst for blood??

------------------------------

Deep in the woods, four huge ogres were searching for something. They crossed a river, entering a part of the woods where the trees had blocked the sun almost entirely. It was in this place the ogres found what they were searching for. A demon, tall and skinny, cloaked in a tattered black robe. His shoulders were like bones protruding from his body, his fingers long and slender. His mouth stretched from ear to ear, his short, black hair hung all around his head, barely hiding his cruel, slanted, yellow eyes. The ogres slowly surrounded him, and with a deep, grueling voice, spoke to this creature.

?We have been tracking you for five days. There is no escape. You will pay for killing our youngest brother. You will die? slowly.?

The creature spat on the ground and let out a short, raspy laugh.

?Screw this noise. I figured you piss ants would stop followin me if I led ya on long enough. Let?s get this over with, eh? You?re not the one?s I want to kill.?