DISCLAIMER — I don't own Inuyasha belongs Rumiko Takahashi, or After the Crash belongs to Maddy Barone.

I encourage everyone 18+ to buy Maddy Barone's series on amazon, it's an awesome shifter/post-apocalyptic romance series.

FOR A LIMITED TIME HER FIRST BOOK IS FREE ON AMAZON. AFTER THE CRASH: SLEEPING WITH THE WOLF

Summary: Kagome finishes with her mission in the past and finds herself on a plane to visit an old relative in America in 2014. But disaster strikes on the plane when it suddenly crashes, only to wake up in the year 2059 and learn that nuclear war destroyed technology and unleashed a plague that devastated the female population. Even now, decades after the plague has dwindled to isolated outbreaks, women are precious commodities to be fought for. Will this girl fall before these men like a powerless little girl, or will she show them whose boss?

Author's Note: This takes place five years before the After the Crash series.

Kagome's Age: 20

After the Crash: An Alpha Female

Tokyo, Japan — October 2014

"Don't forget to pack your toothbrush," Kun-loon yelled up the stairs.

"I won't mom," Kagome yelled back downstairs.

At the moment she was packing her suitcase for Nebraska. Her grandmother on her father's side of the family was sick, but with Souta in school and her mom running the shrine since Ji-chan had passed, that left her to go in her mom's place. So for the next month she would be staying with grandmother on her ranch to take care of her like a good grand-daughter should. She smiled when she came across a picture of the Inu-tachi making sure to pack it.

It had been two years since then and it had been a trial to adjust.

After the defeat of Naraku life had seemed perfect, moving back and forth through the well. She had both her birth family and her second family with the Inu-tachi.

She'd finished school the three years the well had been closed and graduated with decent grades.

It had fooled her into believing she could live a perfect life with Inuyasha and still visit her family.

'Yet six moon cycles—err six months later, I was ripped from my second family.'

Sometimes she slipped up, using words, or phrases no longer used, but she tried to catch herself even in her thoughts. Not that the past hadn't left its marks on her. No—she had multiple fading cuts from the past battles she encountered over the long trek fighting demons and the undead.

Kagome shuddered at the last one—she'd seen her fair share of dead that half the time she actually prepared to fight against the craziest things.

In fact in her bag alone had everything prepped for an emergency.

Her archery equipment was packed in a separate suitcase and she had her emergency first aid kit on her ready for anything. She had a tinder box and few other things that she'd placed a special charm on to get her through customs. All of her clothes were prepped for blending into nature and she had thermals packed—well minus her multitude of cartoon character shirts.

At the moment she was trying her hardest to stuff another long sleeve shirt into her bag.

According to the weather report it was cold this time of year in Nebraska. She'd always wondered why her grandfather on her father's had moved out to Nebraska and married an American rancher woman, but who was she to question love. Hadn't she loved a half-demon. Plus if they hadn't married her father would have never been born, which meant no Kagome. And that would suck.

'Not to mention I wouldn't have my father's pretty eyes.'

Her cerulean blue eyes that marked her foreign blood, stood out in contrast to her Asiatic looks. If her mother's family didn't come from such a holy and well-liked shrine, she was sure many of kids in the neighborhood would've ousted her. Although there had been a few over the years, she won them over by ignoring and making everyone smile. Eventually her personality won over those who used harsh words like "Halfer" and "Mixed Blood."

Some girls had complimented her over the years saying that they had to get contacts like her eyes.

It seemed like only seconds had passed by, but in actuality it had been several hours.

Her mother saw her off and she was sitting in coach section of the plane, high above in the sky, heading for Nebraska. According to the pilot she was half way there. When she switched planes it was less crowded than the other one had been and she guessed it would be a smoother flight.

Looking out the window for some reason her stomach felt queezy, something was telling her that this ride just wouldn't go right.

Her mother had complained saying that so many planes crashed, or people went missing. After her mom had said that what noble daughter wouldn't go in her place. Plus she'd been on a plane before and the only thing she'd experienced last time was naggy people and an old guy snoring on one side of her.

Her eyes closed as she tried to get a nap in.

When she woke up it was to a powerful shake and at first she shook it off as turbulence, till the plane did an unexpected dive.

Her eyes flew open to hear everyone panicking then before she knew it they'd crashed.

~oOo~

"Oooh," Kagome groaned feeling stiff.

"What the—" When she opened her eyes a glint of light shown on her face.

Wincing, she blinked away the blurriness, as her eyes adjusted.

It took her a moment to register the full effect of the light and realized it was daytime, but she was sure it had been night when she was on the plane. "The PLANE!" She exclaimed after it dawned on her what happened. Her eyes were drawn upwards when a leaf hit her in the face.

Sputtering the leaf fell from her face. Glancing up wondering where it had come from she realized where. There was a large split where the top of the plane used to be and just like that all of the horror she'd seemingly forgotten in her panic came back. That feeling of weightlessness and dread when the pilot said something was going wrong telling them to fastening up, the breathing masks dropping from above, then the connection had been cut and they hadn't heard his voice afterwards.

The flight attendants tried to calm everyone tell them what to do, before moving to buckle themselves in. The told everyone each seat a parachute just in case, but she remembered the co-pilot yelling from the cockpit that they would try to land the plane. But looking around her it seemed that hadn't done much good.

Although she was surprised by the damage. There were electrical wires sticking out here and there and there was literally nothing, but trees in front of her. Like six feet from her face was a large section of trees instead of the rest of the plane. There was a smell of something burnt, but she didn't sense any fires nearby so it was mostly like the heat from the crash. From what she could deduce the plane must have broken in half, because there had been a whole two sections in front of hers. The row in front of her appeared to be holding on barely and looked ready to fall off. Turning her head she looked next to her, where an older lady had chatted her ear off for two hours into the plane ride, before she'd taken some medicine and was out like a light.

Now there was a peaceful look on her face.

She made to reach for her, but the seat belt that she vaguely remembered strapping on prevented that.

Despite all the adventures she'd been on, a plane crash hadn't been one she'd experienced before.

Undoing the seat belt, she reached across checking the woman for a pulse, but the bluish tint to the woman's lips already spoke of her passing. But she checked anyways her hand moving to the woman's carotid and radial pulse, but there was none.

Sighing she hoped the lady's death had been peaceful. Praying to kami the lady had slept through it, for it hadn't been a pretty sight when they were in the air.

The more she came awake the more she remembered.

Brief flashes of people screaming and praying had been the biggest thing. But she remembered the rough landing or at least it seemed like they had, then the sliding forth of the plane that made her grip her seat for all she had. She tried to craft a barrier and thought she'd been successful, but then she remembered they hit something hard, and the shrieking of metal. The five people that had been in front of her screaming as their chair detached and they went flying. Along with her half of the plane moving in the other direction.

Kagome had gotten used to seeing dead bodies, but the elderly and children were always a soft spot for her. She wept for a minute for the woman she barely knew. It took her a minute to get her bearings as she went in search of survivors and a phone to use. However, there seemed to only be a small portion of the plane left, she found three more bodies. She'd had a seat in the middle of the coach section of the plane and there hadn't been so many in the back.

The phone—no surprise—hadn't worked.

She tried multiple cellphones and device thrown around or on the dead bodies, but none of them works.

"Weird," sure it was normal in the woods, but the fact that even the small radio she'd found a flight attendant clutching hadn't work and that made her nervous.

"Mommy!"

A little girl's cry reached her ears and she zoned in on it. Her body moving into hypersensitive mode. What she found broke her heart. It was a mother with a piece of glass sticking in her forehead. The woman looked like she'd been young with dark black hair and round in the face. There was dried blood caked around the wound. She threw up from the sight. The little girl—she looked to be just five—was in her mother's arms. The little girl couldn't move and was crying for her mommy. She had to pry the woman's arms apart to get the child as rigamortis had set in.

'She must have held the child to keep her safe.'

She knew now if rigamortis had set in it had been more than a few hours since they'd crashed.

"Mommy won't move, s-sh won't move," the little girl blubbered.

"Sh~sh it's okay sweetie. Your mommy she's in heaven with angels," she used her years of learning English in school to comfort the child. Picking up the little girl she held her in a close hug.

"You mean mommy is dead?"

It broke her heart to tell the child yes and she comforted the little girl who wept for her lost mother.

Despite the child's size, her words had be clear for the most part and she knew about death.

It was sad to find out at such a young age, but even sadder to see.

She'd only been five when she witnessed her father's murder. It had been a mugging; they'd gone out to buy some food her mom was craving when she was pregnant with Sota. Her father got stabbed when he didn't give the guy the money fast enough. She screamed so loud when it happened that someone heard and the police caught him.

The little girl cried herself into a calm silence, but sniffled here and there. "Okay sweetie, I know this may seem scary, but I'm going to need you to bare with me. Can you tell me your name?" Kagome put the little girl down two seats away from her mother's body.

"Layla," she murmured obediently.

"Good and can you tell me how old are you Layla," it felt weird to speak a foreign language, but as the years had gone by with English being taught repetitiously she'd gotten used to it. In her second year of high school she'd gone to Europe for their school trip and it had been a learning adventure. Which is why she hadn't minded taking the trip to Nebraska so much.

'Thank Kami I did.'

She couldn't imagine her mother in all of this wreckage.

"I-I'm seven," she said wobbly putting up the fingers and Kagome sent her a tentative smile.

"Wow seven that is an nice age, can you tell me Layla did you bring anything on the plane." If they were in the woods and depending on how dense it was they could be stranded for a while.

Layla nodded her head, "Its up there," she pointed to where the carry-on cases were kept and Kagome nodded. She opened it to see a bright American cartoon girl with tan skin and a pink and orange outfit on with a monkey in red boots by her side. The words "Dora the Explorer" in colorful letters printed on it.

Opening it she found two juice boxes, some animal crackers, a change of clothes, and some weird wand thing that tinkled and glowed when she flipped the on switch. "That's my fairy wand," Layla said.

Kagome smiled handing it to her. "Then you better hold on to it."

Months spent helping Kaede had helped her learn how to raise children with what the feudal era had to offer. Which wasn't much in the village of Edo. Not to mention helping out with Souta when she was younger and babysitting him.

"Oohh," a groan caught her attention and she noticed another woman.

"Wait here Layla looks like someone needs my help," she moved towards a window seat where a mocha-brown skin woman sat.

Her eyes fluttered opened and Kagome was taken back by haunting pupil-less blue eyes that stood out with her dark mascara and eyeliner. "Hello, are you okay?"

The woman groaned before nodding slowly. "Y-yea what happened," she asked.

"The plane crashed...so far only three of us survived...well in this half of the plane. I'm not sure where the other half is."

The woman gasped, "Oh my God, why now? Just when life seemed to be going well—Oh God I think I'm going to be sick," with that said the woman puked up her guts.

It took the woman a few minutes to gather her bearings and they made there way back over to the little girl.

The woman avoided looking at the body of the dead mother, shifting from foot to foot. Kagome decided best not to tell her it was the little girl's mother.

"Well my name is Kagome, and you are?"

The woman seemed to remember herself, "Kirri Clinton." The woman looked like her name said it all and Kagome wondered if she was famous.

"And I'm Layla," the little girl piped in.

Kirri smiled, "Nice to meet you Layla."

"Well good to get introduction out of the way. Kirri based of what I scoped out I'll need to find my stuff, because we won't survive nightfall if we don't secure some provisions."

Kirri nodded, "Okay I think I have some snacks and stuff stashed in my suitcase, but I'm not sure if its still onboard," she said looking at the opening where the other half of the plane had broken off and the wreckage around them.

"Well thankfully we broke off with the luggage part so we should go check it out," the muttered to herself, "Definitely need to find my stuff." With the surrounding terrain Kagome would definitely need her stuff, especially if a rescue team didn't get to them soon.

"Layla now I know this is going to seem scary, but can you wait here for a little bit. We need to go find some stuff to help us out, okay?"

Layla's lower lip wobbled, but she held back more tears, "O-okay, but hurry."

"We will sweetie," she told her and she walked back to her seat to grab her bag, pulling on one of the charms on her bracelet, she watched it change into two sais. Kirri wasn't really paying attention, but started voicing questions on how were they going to get down. Kagome on the other hand with the years of constantly training to survive, even when she hadn't been in the fuedal era, told Kirri to get on her back. Said woman looked at her like she was crazy.

"Your crazy aren't you, because there is no way—"

"Trust me," the look in her eyes made Kirri pause before doing as she said.

She climbed onto her back locking her arms around her neck and her long legs around her waist. Then with strength that surprised Kirri, Kagome made the climb down the side of the plane stabbing her sais into the side to make it down safely.

"Okay you are definitely like some strong woman," Kirri said in awe.

The only things Kirri ever been good at were singing and dancing. It's why she had been traveling to Denver. She was supposed to be performing there as part of her cross country tour with a bunch of other singers when the plane started acting up and the everything went to shit. When they made it to the back of the plane she had her doubts about finding anything. It appeared to have been torn off and Kagome could only pray her stuff was there. Even though she had a bag it was pretty much prepped for one person, but with two other people she would need more supplies if they were going to survive.

It was difficult to get inside as the roof had pretty much caved in on what was left of the back of the plane.

Despite the damage and few wires that were hanging around they made it inside making sure to stay far away from the dangerous wires. It wasn't hard too find her stuff. It was strapped down with a few other suitcases. Moving quickly, she grabbed her archery kit and put together her bow, there was no saying how far from civilization they were, or what was in these woods. Bears, wolves, and cougars would be a serious probelm. Not by herself, but with others along maybe. Although the heat of the crash was still present she could feel a chill seeping in through the opening and knew that where ever they were it wasn't going to be a nice night.

Kagome was already dressed appropriately wearing a long sleeve sweater and jeans with her purple boots that were very comfortable. But remembering what Layla had on she searched for something a little warmer in the girl's size, all the while glancing at Kirri from the corner of her eye, noting she'd found her stuff as well. The woman was now sifting through designer suitcases.

Even though they had been flying for Denver the woman was dressed in a pair of jean booty shorts, a sleeveless crop top, and some sneakers. She had a baseball cap with NY on it, but that wouldn't provide her with much warmth. Kagome silently tsked at the outfit.

Although cute and stylish Ms. Kirri Clinton would likely freeze tonight without proper attire.

Putting on her arm guards and her weapons she had already turned into charms were on her person, customs would have had a whirlwind with her if they'd known. She took her stuff and put it in a duffel bag since it would be easier to carry. Putting in only what was necessary and then she did something she might have cringed at doing before, but from being around Miroku she had gotten used to—looting—well it really didn't count since the people were either dead, or just glad to be alive and somewhere else.

She wondered where the other half of the plane had landed, hopefully not far.

Not that she could go scouting right now, what little light she had was diappearing slowly, but surely.

Kagome knew she could survive, but Layla and Kirri she couldn't guarantee if she didn't find some more stuff, especially if they were far from civilization. She knew humans tended to stay away from less civilized areas and stayed in cities. While she hadn't stayed in the urban side of Tokyo; she saw its appeal when she left the Feudal Era, where things she had depended on her whole life weren't even available.

The phone she'd used non-stop from the second she entered junior high, she rarely used these days.

She only kept one on herself for special emergency. However she didn't have any service when she checked earlier. After a while she found a couple packs of batteries—blehh a sick porno—a flashlight, fatty snacks, and there was a suitcase that matched Layla's backpag with an even larger Dora printed on it. After searching through it she found some warmer child-size clothes that would definitely be better than summer dress the girl had been wearing. Everything else was starting to seem useless when she saw an airplane emergency kit on the wall strapped down.

Making her way over to it, she opened it using the hilt of her sai.

"Wow your like Buffy or GI Jane, how did you managed to even get those weapons on board."

Kagome froze for a second but recovered quickly.

"I'm a professional archer and weapons master. I have a license for them and as long as there in the case I can bring them on board." It wasn't a lie, she had brought her archery equipment through legal means, but the other weapons...well what the airline didn't know wouldn't hurt them. Although she wondered who the Buff and GI Jane refer to were, they must have been strong women.

"Oh...cool."

Inside there was a folded grey blanket, a flare gun, and a first aid kit. She got what she could but it really weighed her down. Knowing this was already going to be a struggle she murmured a similar spell to the one she used on her weapons to shrink the stuff, but she felt worn afterwards.

"So do you think we have enough stuff?" Kirri asked.

She nodded, "Yeah looks like it. We may have to do two trips because I won't be able to carry the stuff and you."

Using her miko powers was strenuous on her.

How Kikyo managed to do some of the stuff she did had surprised her, but then so had the other priestess she'd met along the way. 'Not without risks.' Her subconscious reminded her. A flash of Tsukiyomi's face always sobered her on what being dependent on her gifts and over-using them. Over the years although it hadn't seemed like it at the time, each miko she encountered helped her grow spiritually in there own way, even the dark miko Tsubaki.

If Tsubaki hadn't thrown the curse at her she would have never learned about her gift of reflection. Although she always said it was a fluke she did several times since.

When she finally left the remnants of the baggage compartment she moved from the crash and sent off a shot from the flare gun. The flare went high into the sky before bursting to life. Satisfied when no fires occurred because of it she made the climb back up the plane. The chill in the air had become more frosty and she headed straight for Layla. She was facing the opposite direction of her mother, holding on to her wand for dear life.

"I'm back," she said quietly as to not spook Layla.

Layla's head shot up and she launched herself at Kagome. "You're back," Kagome could barely hear the girl's muffled voice. Ruffling Layla's black hair she put some breathing space in between them. Setting down her bag she took out the clothes that was back to normal size giving it to Layla.

"Come on, you have to get changes. It's gonna get cold and we don't know when we'll be able to get help okay." Layla nodded and after making sure the bathroom was alright, let Layla get dressed privately. She went back to get Kirri and when they were coming back up Layla came out of the bathroom. She was now wearing a Ralph Lauren sweater and matching pants. 'Even though her mom looks so young she can afford such expensive clothes for her kid.' While she wasn't familiar with many brand names of clothes she knew the big ones.

Kirri opted out of changing.

"I grew up in Canada this little chill is nothing in comparison."

In the back of the plane the huddle in the seats and Kirri settled in the corner with Layla in the middle and her on the outside where the least amount of wind would come. Wrapping the blanket around them she soon found herself in a fitful sleep, but had her senses spread out in case of danger.

~oOo~

Five days Later — 2059

Kagome ate the hot stew, moaning at the taste in her mouth.

After three and half days days of fatty snacks that were cold this was heaven.

Layla made an appreciative noise beside her.

Kirri was eating soundlessly.

Last night instead of airplane seats they'd slept on a comfy couch with a blanket that was thick and warm. Only to be woken to the aroma of a home cooked meal.

It had been almost seventy-two hours since the plane crash and her world had almost ended. Three and half days that were spent in the remnants of the crash site. An a few hours since she found out she was living in a post-apocalyptic, where women like her were a rarity, or at least that is what the woman who saw her flare told her when she came to their rescue. The woman who looked to be well into her sixties had pulled out a whole mess of stuff detailing the "Times Before" as it was called and what happened in the subsequent years following.

At first she had been skeptical but the woman's aura spoke of no lies.

"So why do you live so far away Miss Coraline," Kagome asked curiously.

The old lady snorted, "Look I'm an old lady, but I grew up in civilized times and if what you say is true so did you and her. But when all that mess happened; men they...changed. Reverted to their most primal instincts, epsecially since the weapons they used did stuff to the men's DNA and killed off most of the female population, so now majority of the time births result in boys and fewer girls. I used to live in a town with a thousand men and one hundred and fifty-three women, talk about a sausage fest," Coraline laughed at her little joke and Kirri smiled a little too. "I mean don't get me wrong some women were treated like goddesses among men, but half of the time you saw three to four men sharing one woman and using her as a breeding mare. Ha! Can you believe the nerve of men. Then those poor women would die from back to back births."

Coraline shuddered, sipping on her brew she called tea. "I used to be married—bossy son of gun" she changed the slur at the last moment when Layla made a satisfied noise from eating before continuing her tale.

"Everyone said he was a nice and well-to-do man. That I should be honored that it was he who won me in a Bride Fight, but they didn't know about his temper. Lordy his temper— If the food wasn't made to his exact tastes..." Coraline shuddered at how mad her husband would get. He started out with simple complaints, then yelling, then the slapping around when she didn't move fast enough to get things done.

Or when she didn't want to have sex, he would force her.

After a while she learned to just let him have his way, but she didn't comply for long.

"Well my momma used to get beat up by her boyfriend when she was younger and I surely wasn't gonna sit back and take it. So one day I got his gun and shot him when he tried to beat me. After that I knew my uncle would just sell me off to the Bride Fights again if I returned, since I was still on the hot side," she said with a toothy smile and Kagome smiled sadly. "So I put on my big girls panties and I buried his body in the woods and I haven't left this cabin since. Now I know what you think, call the cops or some law enforcement, but you gotta understand none of that don't exist no more."

Kirri made a unladylike snort, "I would've done the same. Can't stand pig-headed men who think they can just lay their hand on a woman cause their a little stronger."

Coraline smiled comforted that another would agree.

She would be lying if she said that killing her husband hadn't made her feel just a tad bit guilty over the years.

"Thank you. Well I let you all stay and show you how to survive for your sakes and your little girl's sake too. It's hard without technology, but after a while you get used to it," she said rising to take the now empty bowls off of the table.

Coraline's voice sounded wistful for a moment, "I loved using a phone as a child. Remembered I could call up my friend Jenny and gossip about the cutest boy in our school, haha," she laughed dryly. Her eyes had a misty look for a second, before she scrubbed up the dishes with a bucket of water.

Kagome helped clean up the small mess Layla had made.

"Actually I'm very capable of surviving I've lived in a similar situation. I pretty much went without technology for many months and faced many physical dangers, but I will take any help you can offer," Kagome said, glad to have some help.

Coraline Murphy nodded, studying the girl.

When she'd happened upon them with her shotgun of course, she wasn't about to taken if it was a bunch of woman stealers even if she was old. She knew from memories of her youth in her hometown that turned militaristic soon after the bombings and the Woman Killer Plague that they would take any woman as long as they could fuck them. Instead she came upon a plane albeit a crashed one, but a plane. She hadn't seen one in nearly forty-five years and for a second thought it was a trick of the eye or a remnant of the Times Before, except it was sparking with electricity and there were three modernly dressed girls inside, well one girl and two women.

One who seemed in charge was obviously Asian by her looks, with dark black hair and blue eyes. She was of average height, but it had been her arsenal of weaponry that had surprised her. It fit with this time, but her clothes hadn't. Despite years of untrust she decided to take the three in.

The woman, Kagome, she said her name was. Spoke English with an accent, but it was clear and precise. She seemed to care for the little girl, who sort of looked like her hair wise, but otherwise looked wholly different. While Kagome had a heart-shaped face, the little girl, Layla's face was rounded with chubbiness and her eyes were a chocolate brown and her skin was tanned much like the Native Americans she'd seen before in town.

The other woman, Kirri Clinton, had said she was from Canada, but moved to New York four years ago...well in 2010 to be a singer. She was pretty, but no where near as capable as the Asian woman seemed.

"I'm sure your quite capable, but if you plan on leaving here you got to know how to get by. Men run everything and while your bow looks nice and probably will work, you should have a least this bit of technology." Coraline opened a drawer and Kagome saw a glint of something before she pulled out an old fashioned pistol. "I have my shotgun and another pistol, so you can have this one to keep you both same from any women stealers," she sifter through the drawer some more before pulling out a small wooden box that had about thirty bullets in it.

Kagome took the gun from her, testing it's weight.

She'd used one before at a shooting range, when she got her gun license. Something that hadn't been easy in Japan with it's strict gun laws. Her natural abilities gave her good reflexes and excellent marksmanship—well technically the latter had taken some years of fighting demons to acquire. Inuyasha's costant comparison to Kikyo in the aspect spurred her on.

"Thank you, this will definitely come in handy I'm sure."

Coraline smiled, her wrinkles straightening briefly. "Yes well I rarely have to use them and I'm an old bat now, so they'll be of more use to you."

She tucked the gun into the back of her pants, covering it with her shirt.

Coraline looked at Kirri, but the woman shook her head.

"Yeah I'm fine without one, I don't even know how to shoot."

"Still you should have something," and handed her a pocket knife.

Kirri took it with a small frown on her face.

It had taken a lot more to convince her than Kagome, but seeing the newspapers it was hard not to believe. 'Everything I worked so hard for gone. My mom, dad, even my little poochie Perriwinkle gone.' Last night she hadn't gotten much sleep. Instead she'd cried silently as to not wake the others.

It was hard to imagine everything she knew gone.

How would she survive?

Looking at the way Kagome handle the gun and how she had set up camp for them the past five days, Kirri had never felt more inadequate.

Layla by now had fallen asleep at the table and she moved her to the couch they'd been given covering her with the quilted blanket Coraline had given them. The cabin wasn't that large with one bedroom and the kitchen and living room were connected, but there was a fireplace and it had a few logs thrown in it. However, it would need more wood for later. Kirri sat in the rocking chair, gazing into the fire.

"Um Miss Coraline, do you have an axe," Coraline was surprised by the question, but pointed next to the door.

Kirri was too and watched her curiously.

Kagome went and picked it up, "Come on Kirri I'll show you something." Kirri was a little uneasy, but followed Kagome out the house.

Coraline was a bit worried as an hour passed, at least until the door opened up and she reflexively grabbed the closest weapon, only to drop it when Kagome and Kirri came in carrying a large bundle of neatly chopped wood, only to go outside and bring more in stacking it in a neat pile in the corner. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Sorry I may have gotten a little carried away with chopping wood. It's been a while since I could do it."

She could only nod, wondering what survival lessons the girl must have undergone, or the life she lived to get so strong.

Even twenty years ago that axe had been much to heavy for her, which is why she had lots of knitted blankets made and wore thick clothes to stay warm. Usually she got some sturdy pieces of wood here and there, but most of the time she used that to heat her food.

Kirri looked worse for sweat, with a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Honestly when she had gone outside with Kagome she hadn't known what to expect, but cutting wood was not it.

There were a lot of split uneven pieces she had cut, while Kagome tried to teach her how to cut them properly.

The axe had been heavier than she imagined, or at least when Kagome swung it, it hadn't seemed nearly as heavy. After a couple of swings her arms felt like jelly.

Honestly even working out with her personal trainer hadn't been as hard.

But Kagome had been patient and after fifteen minutes of her cutting poor pieces, the Asian woman had cut her a break and took over. She was also reminded of there conversation outside.

She'd been trying to cut the log they had found just right.

"So what did you used to do to make you so good at...well this. Like were you a survivalist, or something."

Kagome smiled with a humorous glint in her eyes, "I guess you could say that. I like the wilderness, so I kind of trained to work in all types of situations. I began to use technology less and less as I grew up and now...well I'm just trying to survive."

"If what she said is true, that means our families...they're gone," her words were so hollow and her chest ached.

All she wanted to do then was crawl into her mother's arms and cry about this horrifying situation.

Kagome faltered a little bit, before she grabbed the axe and began to hack away like a lumberjack. "Yea, I just try not to think about it. If it helps try to imagine them in a better place. My family lived in Japan, but Miss Coraline said major cities all over the world were attacked and mine's lived in Tokyo. I would hope they lived, but my mom was in her forties so she'd be a grandma now. And my younger brother...I-I just can't," she whispered.

After that they sort of worked in silence, other than the occasional grunt from her when she took over chopping.

~oOo~

The trek to the stream seemed so long, when it was actually relatively short.

Over the course of three months all three of them had adjusted to the archaic lifestyle. Using the outhouse, bathing in the cold stream that ran through the forest, trapping and skinning animals; something neither Layla nor Kirri hadn't been so fond of but had been necessary, and keeping house. The last one Coraline taught them saying you never knew what situation they may end up in. She often joked it was like having the three daughters she'd always wished for after her husband's death.

All three girls loved the old lady who was understanding and taught them what she knew.

Gardening was Layla's favorite things to do, but found knitting and crocheting boring. She personally just hunted most of the time, but every now and the she helped with the knitting. Although Layla had pointed out that her gloves had a weird shaped thumb, but it had been so hard getting it just right. "Not my fault stupid glove and needles." Kirri found a love for fishing and learning how to shoot. Shooting the gun had scared her at first, but once Kagome showed her how to properly do it, the rest seemed to come naturally for her. Cooking off of the land was no problem, although Coraline had been quite happy when she caught some eggs from a bird's nest one day.

"Just for this I'm going to cook you an omelet."

Rubbing her tummy, that had been a tasty memory. The large bucket swung in her other hand.

It was easier for her to adjust and mildly difficult for Layla and Kirri.

It had been especially hard, when the batteries in her toy had run out. Kagome knew she could have replaced them, but felt it was best not to. 'She has to adapt and realize that this stuff won't always be available.' Plus the packs of batteries she had could be used for the walkies-talkies she'd scavenged from the wreckage a month after having come to live with Coraline. They were in working condition and could communicate to one another which was good. They would be useful later on she was sure.

Coraline had actually cried when she turned them on for the first time to see if they worked.

She'd let the old women talk into it with Layla in the other room for an hour. It was a nice memory to give the woman.

Kagome felt bad for her, having to go from living a life full of technology and freedom to a chauvinistic hell-hole of a world. Sure they were experiencing the same thing, but she had lived back then and seen some horrors. Kagome could tell there was always a look that Coraline would get sometimes, a look that was similar to when men and women saw war up close. Although Coraline said that some cities were different, like in Kearney some town far away that were good to women and treated them like queens. And there were the Native Americans, who apparently left their reservations after all drama and could turn in to wolves.

"Spooked the living ghost out of me when I saw it once. A man turned into a wolf and bit this girl's poor neck, scarred ever since then but I hear he took her away from her family and married her, but he loved her and treated her right. Don't know what happened after that, cause my husband moved us out here, but she seemed happy to be with the guy. Plus they only take one wife unlike some men," she muttered ruefully.

"I know some men who shared one woman, or a man who had several wives."

Kagome didn't know what to think of these werewolves.

But when she heard about the biting of the neck, her face hadn't screwed up like Coraline's.

She knew from being around canines that the neck was a special place to them. It was a sign of submission as it was the most vulnerable spot for a anyone, but also a sign of mating. Inuyasha used to always scent mark her right there, promising when they married and mated he would put his mark right there.

It was animalistic and possessive, but the idea had thrilled her at the time.

Then again after years of following after him like a puppy, any affection he gave her she came to love.

Thinking about him and the rest of her family was tough.

It had taken a while to register that her mom was mostly like dead and her brother too, or halfway around the world and her brother old man now. She'd cried for what seemed like hours till she woke up with puffy eyes and had Coraline doting on her the whole day. Kirri had been the same way, but she was coming to accept it.

When Kagome reached the stream the was only a foot deep and three feet wide, she began to fill the bucket up with cold water.

She would probably go fishing in the early morning with Kirri.

"Uggh," a grunt escaped her as she lifted up the large bucket of water carrying it back to the cabin. It was heavy, but Coraline would need it for cleaning in the morning.

It would be night soon and it was best not to tarry in the forest, so she bore the weight without complaint.

Coraline told her that although she hadn't seen one in a while, bears lived on the other side of the stream in the forest. When she got back the window had the orange glow of a candle. The window was covered with enough dust that it seemed almost permanent, but since the windows were boarded up most of the time Coraline didn't bother cleaning them. She said it would simply make it easier for people to see inside.

Setting the bucket down, she used the heavy copper key to open the door.

She put the water in the kitchen for Coraline to use later.

After making a quick trip to the outhouse she was back inside and locked the door, swinging the huge slat of wood over the door that prevented further intruders.

Kirri was curled up on the run near the fireplace with a quilt around her. Her little snores escaping every now and then.

Tucking her toes under her, sat on the couch looking out the window just enjoying the sound of crickets chirping and the nightlife of the forest in full swing. It reminded her of the nights when her and the Inu-Tachi would camp our under the stars. Memories of sitting by Inuyasha around the campfire with little Shippo teasing Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango would be curled up with each other til Miroku did something perverted. Then she and Shippo would cuddle up in her sleeping bag and Inuyasha would sit in a tree watching over them like a good alpha. There was a chill by the times she found her way out of her memories, and she would have to close the window soon.

Layla was tuckered out on the other side of the couch so she couldn't get sick.

Another downside was that medicine was hard to come in this time period.

Of course she knew about herbs so she scavenged heer and there and she had the medicine from the emergency kit. But that medicine would have to be reserved for emergencies.

Tomorrow would begin a new adventure which is why she hadn't gone to sleep yet.

'What am I gonna do.?

Tomorrow she would venture into town. Under disguise of course, but it would still be dangerous. Coraline convinced her to go sell the silver coins and jewelry she'd found back at the crash site for a pack horse and supplie. She would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. The town was an unknown world, but then again so had the feudal era been.

Thinking about it just made her think too much, so she got up boarding the window back up before she blew out the candle, and curled up on her side of the couch.

Sleep gradually came to her and she whispered good night to the world and welcomed her dreams full of her family and friends.

Review tell me what you think.

So this was a long chapter...I think my hands sure hurt. (Ouchy)

I've been reading the After the Crash series for a little while and thought why not write a fanfic story for the series. Not like I don't have time on my hands, while I'm thinking of my next story to update. The series After the Crash was something different from most of the post-apocalyptic stories I read *mostly because of no zombies* but the use of wolf shifters and this society where men have taken hold of the reins again, and putting women from a more equal rights society into this setting was a masterful idea on Maddy Barone's part.

In many ways the women in Barone's stories sort of reminded me of Kagome. They realize the time difference and new way of life, but they're not going to just back down and give in like weak-willed women. They have fire in them and fight for their equal grounds in the series and I like that. I guess you could say the only thing I wanted a little more of was independence. Although I love Carla and Taye's story, I felt like Carla might have fought the Bride Fight situation more. Ran away to find real help in the middle of the night, or planned something, but she just fell into this dependent status very quickly.

I think that is why I liked putting Coraline Murphy in the story. At such a young age she has seen both worlds and has adjusted, but not lost her independence. Despite knowing she won't have anyone to depend on she is content to live away from society because it means independence. Not used as a piece of property to be fought over like a prized cow. And she survived almost fifty years later.

For Kagome, I think it may seem easy for her now, but all that may change soon. Stay tuned for the next chapter! ^_^