~*A Different Way*~
Chapter 1: A Different Beginning
Kagome sighed as she climbed up the steps leading to her home.
'I just have to live at a shrine, don't I?' she thought while panting. 'I hate these stupid steps. . .'
She had just gotten home from a rather bad day at school, and to make matters worse, she had to study for a math test tomorrow as well.
'Same thing everyday; eat, go to school, sleep. . .I wish my life was just a little more exciting.'
When she finally made it to her house, she stepped inside and removed her shoes. Dropping her book bag near the door, she shuffled into the kitchen.
"SUPRISE!"
Kagome almost fell backwards as her mother, grandfather, and brother popped out from behind various countertops. She had completely forgotten that today was her fifteenth birthday.
"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" Souta chirped.
A smile spread across Kagome's face as she ruffled her brother's hair.
"Thanks squirt."
Kagome's family sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, sounding completely wretched, but she felt that it was the thought that counted. As she stared at the candles on her cake, she tried to think of something to wish for.
'I wish that my life wasn't so dull,' she thought, before blowing her candles out with one breath.
In the well house, the wooden boards over the aged dry well glowed with a mysterious light before the ofuda on top of it was lifted off by a gust of wind, landing on the dusty floor.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that night, Kagome was up in her room, trying her best to understand the math that would be on her test tomorrow.
She was failing miserably.
'The hypotenuse of a triangle is the what of 'a' multiplied by the what?'
Sighing, she crumpled up another piece of paper before throwing it at the garbage can next to her desk where it landed with her other failed attempts.
'Whose bright idea was it to use letters in math anyway?'
Kagome glanced at her digital clock which read 8:48 in bold red. She groaned. There was no way she was going to be ready for that math test tomorrow. Nevertheless, she continued studying diligently, only stopping to glance out her window every now and then to stare at the well house outside.
The well house on the Higurashi Shrine housed a well that had been dry for many years known as 'The Bone Eater's Well.' Kagome never gave the structure much thought. Her grandfather never let her or Souta in the well house since the building was quite old and slightly dangerous.
She didn't understand what her sudden fascination was with it. It was as if something was beckoning her to go into the well house. For what reason, she didn't know, but she didn't have time to think about it now. She had a math test to worry about, and nothing, I repeat, nothing, was going to stop her from acing the test.
"Kagome!" Souta whined, pushing the door to her room open.
Kagome suppressed the urge to strangle her brother. Instead, she banged her head against the desk in frustration.
Of course, that didn't help her at all.
"Kagome, you need to help me! I was taking the garbage out and Buyo ran past me and got away. I think he went into the well house!"
Kagome shrugged, trying to concentrate on her math. "Why do I need to help you? You can get Buyo by yourself."
Souta mumbled something while shuffling his feet. Kagome, however, already knew the reason.
"Don't tell me your scared," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "It's only the well house."
Souta gazed at her pleadingly, and she knew she was defeated.
"Fine, I'll go get Buyo, but you're coming with me. You need to stop being afraid of the dark; you'll end up being the only eleven year old afraid of the dark."
With that, she dragged Souta down the stairs, grabbing a flashlight and her shoes on the way out. She marched determinedly towards the well house. The ancient building loomed ahead of her, looking slightly eerie in the dark. Pushing aside the chills she was getting, Kagome pushed the door to the well house open and stepped inside. Souta followed reluctantly.
The flashlight clicked on, and the light blinded Kagome for a moment. Blinking, rapidly to adjust she shined the light along the floor while calling Buyo's name.
"Kagome, I don't like it in here," Souta stated, shuddering.
"Shhh! I thought I heard something. It sounded like scratching."
She stepped closer to the well, where the noise seemed to be coming from.
"Please, I want to leave now! We can find Buyo in the morning!" Souta pleaded.
Kagome ignored him a placed a hand on the wooden boards covering the well. Dust coated it heavily, but it felt warm, as if it was glowing with life. She was about to lift one of the boards when she felt something wrap around her leg. She screamed and dropped the flashlight in shock, plunging both of them into darkness.
"Kagome?!" Souta called out frantically.
He felt along the floor for the flashlight, sighing with relief when his hand brushed against it. He turned it on with shaking hands, and groaned with exasperation.
"Buyo, you scared the heck out of us!"
"Meow?"
Kagome lifted the cat up, muttering about dumb cats.
"Okay, we can go now, Souta. Hey, what's with the face?"
Souta was staring at something behind Kagome, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He lifted a hand and pointed in the direction of the well shakily. Kagome turned slowly and saw a most horrifying monster.
The centipede like creature had the face and hair of a woman and six arms. It hissed softly, acidic saliva dripping onto the floor.
"You have it. . .give me the Shikon!"
Kagome gaped. All of this was being processed very slowly, and before she knew it, the centipede demon had grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, pulling her into the well, leaving Souta, Buyo, and her entire world behind.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Miroku was lying on the forest floor while enjoying the comforting chirping of the crickets and the occasionally hoot of an owl. Today had been a particularly rough day for the monk. He had not managed to find a village in his travels and was forced to sleep outdoors for the night. The fire he had made earlier had almost completely burned out, only a few softly glowing embers remained. Sometimes he wondered what life would be like if he was a normal monk, without the curse.
He lifted his gloved hand up to his face and scowled at it. The only thing that protected him from getting sucked into that cursed void at that very moment was a glove and a pair of measly prayer beads. Of course, that wouldn't hold forever. In only a few years he would meet the same fate as his father. Miroku would be stuck inside the endless void of his wind tunnel forever. It was not a fate he was looking forward to.
'I'll find you, Naraku, and I will make you pay. I will make you suffer for casting this curse upon me and my ancestors. When I'm done with you, you will beg for mercy!'
Miroku wasn't usually violent, but the memory of his father getting pulled into his own wind tunnel always made him bitter. He had to find Naraku and kill him. That was the only way to free him and his descendants of the curse.
He gave a frustrated sigh and sat up. It was obvious that sleep would not come easily to him tonight. He decided to walk around and find a spring he could bath in. He picked up his staff, the rings on it clanging softly. Miroku was camping in a wooded area known as Inuyasha's Forest. The forest had been named after a hanyou that was killed fifty years ago, and it was said that he haunted the woods, killing any trespassers. Miroku scoffed at the myth. He found it utterly ridiculous.
He had only been in that particular forest once or twice, but he knew of the Bone Eaters Well nearby. He figured that if he couldn't find a place to bath, he could at least get a drink and quickly hurried towards it.
The forest, which had been almost eerily quiet, was pierced with a shrill scream. Miroku ran towards the source of the scream. It had sounded like a woman, and Miroku was always prepared to help a damsel in distress.
When he entered the clearing that housed the well, he was surprised to see a scantily clad woman running towards him screaming rather loudly.
"My lady, are you o-oomph!"
Kagome ran right into him, knocking both of them to the forest floor. Kagome panted heavily while Miroku lied still, completely winded.
"I'm sorry," she said, breathless. "I don't know where I am, and there was this. . .thing that grabbed me from the well house and pulled me into the well and now I don't know where I am!"
Miroku sat up, rubbing the back of his neck where it had hit a tree root. He gripped the girl's shoulders in an attempt to stop her from becoming more hysterical than she already was.
Her wavy, black hair was windswept and her clothes mussed. Her eyes were very puzzling to him. They were a mix of gray and blue, and it was such an odd combination, that he couldn't tell what color they truly were. He stared, taking in all of her features; from her soft, pink lips, to her rising and falling chest, to her long legs. Miroku only stopped his examination when he saw she was becoming very flustered under his gaze.
"How about we start this conversation again?" Miroku suggested. "My name is a Miroku. I am a monk of the finest kind, and I am at your service Lady. . ."
"Kagome," she replied, holding out her hand for him to shake.
Much to her surprise, Miroku took her small hand gently and kissed it while gazing deeply into her eyes. Kagome blushed deeply.
'I can definitely get used to this guy.'
"Lady Kagome, I think it would be wise to return to my camp. These woods are perilous at night, and I wouldn't want any harm to come of you."
Kagome nodded as he helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly but soon regained her balance. The two of them walked off into the night and back to Miroku's camp.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome had been extremely terrified when the demon pulled her into the well. She struggled and screamed at the thing until a strange blue light appeared from her hands, blasting the creature into pieces. She had quickly climbed out of the well, and tried to figure out where in the name of God she was. She had gotten a little freaked out when she found a spider on her shirt, but everything was fine now that she found Miroku.
Miroku. . .
He was very cute, with his mysterious eyes, short pony-tail, and no doubt well sculpted body hidden underneath his robes, and yet. . .he seemed to carry an air of sadness with him. Anyway, he was definitely someone Kagome would like to get to know better.
When they reached Miroku's camp, Kagome told him her story, and they deducted that she had somehow been pulled into the past. She had started to panic, fearing she would never get home, but Miroku assured her that they would try tomorrow.
"It's not safe to room the woods at night," he had said.
Now both of them were sitting on opposite sides of the completely burnt out fire, knowing that sleep would not be with them for awhile. Kagome estimated that it was sometime around 11:30, but with everything that had happened, she found it impossible to sleep.
'Looks like I'll be missing my math test tomorrow,' she though ruefully.
"Lady Kagome, you seem to be a little cold."
Kagome looked at Miroku from across the fire and realized that he was right. Her uniform didn't provide much cover, and she had goose bumps on her arms and legs. Miroku sat down next to her and removed his outer robe. He draped it across her shoulders like a cape, and Kagome clinged to it for warmth. She smiled at him but was startled when he wrapped an arm around her waist. She felt heat rise in her cheeks and glanced at him nervously. He smiled back innocently and his hand dipped lower to caress her thigh. Her eyes widened in surprise before she realized what was happening and slapped him out of reflex.
"What the hell was that?!"
Miroku winced as he pressed a hand to his cheek. "Lady Kagome, your power is only out-matched by your beauty."
"That has to be the worst pick-up line I ever heard," Kagome stated in disbelief.
"I'm sorry for touching you without permission, my lady, but I was unable to help myself."
"You have ten seconds to move yourself to the other side of this camp. If you are not out of range by then, I cannot be held accountable for any injuries you obtain."
"I'm sorry, Lady Kagome, but it won't happen again!"
She glared at him and he quickly moved away, slightly afraid of facing her wrath, but all the more determined to win her heart.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome moaned as sunlight seeped through her eyelids. It was morning, and time to find a way to get her home. Miroku was already up and cooking breakfast. The smell of eggs was a warm wake-up call for her nose. She greeted Miroku cheerily, causing him to raise an eyebrow at the transition that had been made from the night before and the morning. He was lucky that Kagome believed in second chances, and she had pretty much forgiven him for letting his hands wander.
They ate and then left the clearing. They walked in silence until they reached a fork in the road.
"I think the well is to the right," Miroku stated.
Kagome shook her head slowly. "I. . .I have this feeling. . .I think we should go to the left, Miroku. I mean, I don't have to be back at this very moment, and we can always just come back this way, right? Something tells me we need to go left."
Miroku shrugged. "All right then. Left it is."
He grabbed her hand and continued to walk. Kagome watched him suspiciously, making sure he wasn't going to grope her again. After a few moments, when she saw no signs of lechery, she turned her eyes back to the path and hummed cheerfully as they walked along. Miroku found her cheerfulness contagious, and he found himself feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. There was just something about this girl. . .
Kagome stopped humming abruptly, staring ahead at the site in front of her. A tall tree that she recognized from her time stood tall in the clearing. The Goshinboku was still huge, even five-hundred years in the past, but that wasn't what had surprised Kagome. There was a teenage boy will long white hair and fuzzy dog ears pinned to the tree by vines. Protruding from his heart was an arrow. Kagome looked up in wonder and stepped closer, Miroku hovering anxiously.
"Who is he?" Kagome asked.
"I think he's Inuyasha, the half-demon" Miroku breathed in amazement. "He's the one this forest is named after. I thought it was just a myth!"
Kagome climbed on top of one of the roots and studied the boy up closely. His eyes were closed in a seemingly peaceful sleep, but if you looked closely enough, you could see his face was slightly contorted, as if he was in pain when he was sealed to the tree. She was captivated by his ears and reached up, rubbing them with her fingers. She almost giggled at the way they twitched when she touched them. It reminded her of Buyo's reaction to petting.
"Lady Kagome, get down from there now!"
Kagome looked back at Miroku, slightly puzzled at the panicked look on his face. She realized what he was worried about though when she felt a clawed hand grip her wrist tight enough to snap it.
"Oi, wench! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
A/N: This is just the prologue, and I don't know if I'll continue this yet. Please tell me if you like it. ^_^
Chapter 1: A Different Beginning
Kagome sighed as she climbed up the steps leading to her home.
'I just have to live at a shrine, don't I?' she thought while panting. 'I hate these stupid steps. . .'
She had just gotten home from a rather bad day at school, and to make matters worse, she had to study for a math test tomorrow as well.
'Same thing everyday; eat, go to school, sleep. . .I wish my life was just a little more exciting.'
When she finally made it to her house, she stepped inside and removed her shoes. Dropping her book bag near the door, she shuffled into the kitchen.
"SUPRISE!"
Kagome almost fell backwards as her mother, grandfather, and brother popped out from behind various countertops. She had completely forgotten that today was her fifteenth birthday.
"Happy Birthday, Kagome!" Souta chirped.
A smile spread across Kagome's face as she ruffled her brother's hair.
"Thanks squirt."
Kagome's family sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, sounding completely wretched, but she felt that it was the thought that counted. As she stared at the candles on her cake, she tried to think of something to wish for.
'I wish that my life wasn't so dull,' she thought, before blowing her candles out with one breath.
In the well house, the wooden boards over the aged dry well glowed with a mysterious light before the ofuda on top of it was lifted off by a gust of wind, landing on the dusty floor.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that night, Kagome was up in her room, trying her best to understand the math that would be on her test tomorrow.
She was failing miserably.
'The hypotenuse of a triangle is the what of 'a' multiplied by the what?'
Sighing, she crumpled up another piece of paper before throwing it at the garbage can next to her desk where it landed with her other failed attempts.
'Whose bright idea was it to use letters in math anyway?'
Kagome glanced at her digital clock which read 8:48 in bold red. She groaned. There was no way she was going to be ready for that math test tomorrow. Nevertheless, she continued studying diligently, only stopping to glance out her window every now and then to stare at the well house outside.
The well house on the Higurashi Shrine housed a well that had been dry for many years known as 'The Bone Eater's Well.' Kagome never gave the structure much thought. Her grandfather never let her or Souta in the well house since the building was quite old and slightly dangerous.
She didn't understand what her sudden fascination was with it. It was as if something was beckoning her to go into the well house. For what reason, she didn't know, but she didn't have time to think about it now. She had a math test to worry about, and nothing, I repeat, nothing, was going to stop her from acing the test.
"Kagome!" Souta whined, pushing the door to her room open.
Kagome suppressed the urge to strangle her brother. Instead, she banged her head against the desk in frustration.
Of course, that didn't help her at all.
"Kagome, you need to help me! I was taking the garbage out and Buyo ran past me and got away. I think he went into the well house!"
Kagome shrugged, trying to concentrate on her math. "Why do I need to help you? You can get Buyo by yourself."
Souta mumbled something while shuffling his feet. Kagome, however, already knew the reason.
"Don't tell me your scared," Kagome said, rolling her eyes. "It's only the well house."
Souta gazed at her pleadingly, and she knew she was defeated.
"Fine, I'll go get Buyo, but you're coming with me. You need to stop being afraid of the dark; you'll end up being the only eleven year old afraid of the dark."
With that, she dragged Souta down the stairs, grabbing a flashlight and her shoes on the way out. She marched determinedly towards the well house. The ancient building loomed ahead of her, looking slightly eerie in the dark. Pushing aside the chills she was getting, Kagome pushed the door to the well house open and stepped inside. Souta followed reluctantly.
The flashlight clicked on, and the light blinded Kagome for a moment. Blinking, rapidly to adjust she shined the light along the floor while calling Buyo's name.
"Kagome, I don't like it in here," Souta stated, shuddering.
"Shhh! I thought I heard something. It sounded like scratching."
She stepped closer to the well, where the noise seemed to be coming from.
"Please, I want to leave now! We can find Buyo in the morning!" Souta pleaded.
Kagome ignored him a placed a hand on the wooden boards covering the well. Dust coated it heavily, but it felt warm, as if it was glowing with life. She was about to lift one of the boards when she felt something wrap around her leg. She screamed and dropped the flashlight in shock, plunging both of them into darkness.
"Kagome?!" Souta called out frantically.
He felt along the floor for the flashlight, sighing with relief when his hand brushed against it. He turned it on with shaking hands, and groaned with exasperation.
"Buyo, you scared the heck out of us!"
"Meow?"
Kagome lifted the cat up, muttering about dumb cats.
"Okay, we can go now, Souta. Hey, what's with the face?"
Souta was staring at something behind Kagome, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He lifted a hand and pointed in the direction of the well shakily. Kagome turned slowly and saw a most horrifying monster.
The centipede like creature had the face and hair of a woman and six arms. It hissed softly, acidic saliva dripping onto the floor.
"You have it. . .give me the Shikon!"
Kagome gaped. All of this was being processed very slowly, and before she knew it, the centipede demon had grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, pulling her into the well, leaving Souta, Buyo, and her entire world behind.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Miroku was lying on the forest floor while enjoying the comforting chirping of the crickets and the occasionally hoot of an owl. Today had been a particularly rough day for the monk. He had not managed to find a village in his travels and was forced to sleep outdoors for the night. The fire he had made earlier had almost completely burned out, only a few softly glowing embers remained. Sometimes he wondered what life would be like if he was a normal monk, without the curse.
He lifted his gloved hand up to his face and scowled at it. The only thing that protected him from getting sucked into that cursed void at that very moment was a glove and a pair of measly prayer beads. Of course, that wouldn't hold forever. In only a few years he would meet the same fate as his father. Miroku would be stuck inside the endless void of his wind tunnel forever. It was not a fate he was looking forward to.
'I'll find you, Naraku, and I will make you pay. I will make you suffer for casting this curse upon me and my ancestors. When I'm done with you, you will beg for mercy!'
Miroku wasn't usually violent, but the memory of his father getting pulled into his own wind tunnel always made him bitter. He had to find Naraku and kill him. That was the only way to free him and his descendants of the curse.
He gave a frustrated sigh and sat up. It was obvious that sleep would not come easily to him tonight. He decided to walk around and find a spring he could bath in. He picked up his staff, the rings on it clanging softly. Miroku was camping in a wooded area known as Inuyasha's Forest. The forest had been named after a hanyou that was killed fifty years ago, and it was said that he haunted the woods, killing any trespassers. Miroku scoffed at the myth. He found it utterly ridiculous.
He had only been in that particular forest once or twice, but he knew of the Bone Eaters Well nearby. He figured that if he couldn't find a place to bath, he could at least get a drink and quickly hurried towards it.
The forest, which had been almost eerily quiet, was pierced with a shrill scream. Miroku ran towards the source of the scream. It had sounded like a woman, and Miroku was always prepared to help a damsel in distress.
When he entered the clearing that housed the well, he was surprised to see a scantily clad woman running towards him screaming rather loudly.
"My lady, are you o-oomph!"
Kagome ran right into him, knocking both of them to the forest floor. Kagome panted heavily while Miroku lied still, completely winded.
"I'm sorry," she said, breathless. "I don't know where I am, and there was this. . .thing that grabbed me from the well house and pulled me into the well and now I don't know where I am!"
Miroku sat up, rubbing the back of his neck where it had hit a tree root. He gripped the girl's shoulders in an attempt to stop her from becoming more hysterical than she already was.
Her wavy, black hair was windswept and her clothes mussed. Her eyes were very puzzling to him. They were a mix of gray and blue, and it was such an odd combination, that he couldn't tell what color they truly were. He stared, taking in all of her features; from her soft, pink lips, to her rising and falling chest, to her long legs. Miroku only stopped his examination when he saw she was becoming very flustered under his gaze.
"How about we start this conversation again?" Miroku suggested. "My name is a Miroku. I am a monk of the finest kind, and I am at your service Lady. . ."
"Kagome," she replied, holding out her hand for him to shake.
Much to her surprise, Miroku took her small hand gently and kissed it while gazing deeply into her eyes. Kagome blushed deeply.
'I can definitely get used to this guy.'
"Lady Kagome, I think it would be wise to return to my camp. These woods are perilous at night, and I wouldn't want any harm to come of you."
Kagome nodded as he helped her to her feet. She wobbled slightly but soon regained her balance. The two of them walked off into the night and back to Miroku's camp.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome had been extremely terrified when the demon pulled her into the well. She struggled and screamed at the thing until a strange blue light appeared from her hands, blasting the creature into pieces. She had quickly climbed out of the well, and tried to figure out where in the name of God she was. She had gotten a little freaked out when she found a spider on her shirt, but everything was fine now that she found Miroku.
Miroku. . .
He was very cute, with his mysterious eyes, short pony-tail, and no doubt well sculpted body hidden underneath his robes, and yet. . .he seemed to carry an air of sadness with him. Anyway, he was definitely someone Kagome would like to get to know better.
When they reached Miroku's camp, Kagome told him her story, and they deducted that she had somehow been pulled into the past. She had started to panic, fearing she would never get home, but Miroku assured her that they would try tomorrow.
"It's not safe to room the woods at night," he had said.
Now both of them were sitting on opposite sides of the completely burnt out fire, knowing that sleep would not be with them for awhile. Kagome estimated that it was sometime around 11:30, but with everything that had happened, she found it impossible to sleep.
'Looks like I'll be missing my math test tomorrow,' she though ruefully.
"Lady Kagome, you seem to be a little cold."
Kagome looked at Miroku from across the fire and realized that he was right. Her uniform didn't provide much cover, and she had goose bumps on her arms and legs. Miroku sat down next to her and removed his outer robe. He draped it across her shoulders like a cape, and Kagome clinged to it for warmth. She smiled at him but was startled when he wrapped an arm around her waist. She felt heat rise in her cheeks and glanced at him nervously. He smiled back innocently and his hand dipped lower to caress her thigh. Her eyes widened in surprise before she realized what was happening and slapped him out of reflex.
"What the hell was that?!"
Miroku winced as he pressed a hand to his cheek. "Lady Kagome, your power is only out-matched by your beauty."
"That has to be the worst pick-up line I ever heard," Kagome stated in disbelief.
"I'm sorry for touching you without permission, my lady, but I was unable to help myself."
"You have ten seconds to move yourself to the other side of this camp. If you are not out of range by then, I cannot be held accountable for any injuries you obtain."
"I'm sorry, Lady Kagome, but it won't happen again!"
She glared at him and he quickly moved away, slightly afraid of facing her wrath, but all the more determined to win her heart.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Kagome moaned as sunlight seeped through her eyelids. It was morning, and time to find a way to get her home. Miroku was already up and cooking breakfast. The smell of eggs was a warm wake-up call for her nose. She greeted Miroku cheerily, causing him to raise an eyebrow at the transition that had been made from the night before and the morning. He was lucky that Kagome believed in second chances, and she had pretty much forgiven him for letting his hands wander.
They ate and then left the clearing. They walked in silence until they reached a fork in the road.
"I think the well is to the right," Miroku stated.
Kagome shook her head slowly. "I. . .I have this feeling. . .I think we should go to the left, Miroku. I mean, I don't have to be back at this very moment, and we can always just come back this way, right? Something tells me we need to go left."
Miroku shrugged. "All right then. Left it is."
He grabbed her hand and continued to walk. Kagome watched him suspiciously, making sure he wasn't going to grope her again. After a few moments, when she saw no signs of lechery, she turned her eyes back to the path and hummed cheerfully as they walked along. Miroku found her cheerfulness contagious, and he found himself feeling happier than he had felt in a long time. There was just something about this girl. . .
Kagome stopped humming abruptly, staring ahead at the site in front of her. A tall tree that she recognized from her time stood tall in the clearing. The Goshinboku was still huge, even five-hundred years in the past, but that wasn't what had surprised Kagome. There was a teenage boy will long white hair and fuzzy dog ears pinned to the tree by vines. Protruding from his heart was an arrow. Kagome looked up in wonder and stepped closer, Miroku hovering anxiously.
"Who is he?" Kagome asked.
"I think he's Inuyasha, the half-demon" Miroku breathed in amazement. "He's the one this forest is named after. I thought it was just a myth!"
Kagome climbed on top of one of the roots and studied the boy up closely. His eyes were closed in a seemingly peaceful sleep, but if you looked closely enough, you could see his face was slightly contorted, as if he was in pain when he was sealed to the tree. She was captivated by his ears and reached up, rubbing them with her fingers. She almost giggled at the way they twitched when she touched them. It reminded her of Buyo's reaction to petting.
"Lady Kagome, get down from there now!"
Kagome looked back at Miroku, slightly puzzled at the panicked look on his face. She realized what he was worried about though when she felt a clawed hand grip her wrist tight enough to snap it.
"Oi, wench! What the hell do you think you're doing?"
A/N: This is just the prologue, and I don't know if I'll continue this yet. Please tell me if you like it. ^_^