Chapter One

A Longing Denied

A sunset in Japan was a beautiful thing. As the sun set against the horizon, melting into a

Thick orange cream, the shadows of Mt. Fuji grew longer, standing as frigid and proud as it always had.

It was a sight one never tired of, not in all their seventeen years of life. It was something Kaname Kururugi never tired of.

Sighing as she leaned against her broom, watching the sun sink lower and lower, Kaname closed her eyes, squeezing them hard as a flash of silver and crimson ran through her mind. This sunset reminded her of one she had seen once with someone three years ago... someone she didn't want to remember...

Shaking her head, Kaname went back to sweeping the steps that led to the shrine her family owned. The Kururugi Shrine had been in her family for more than five hundred years, its protectors being powerful, respected priests and priestesses. In fact, it wasn't until that day three years ago that Kaname really believed her family ever had spiritual power. Scanning the ground for stray dirt and weeds, Kaname nodded to herself, somewhat proud of her accomplishment. Gripping the broom and walking towards the storage shed, Kaname ran a hand through her hair, which had grown to flow along her back like a straight brown river. She opened the door of the storage shed, frowning at how dark it had become. 'Why did we never install a light in here', Kaname thought, searching forthe flashlight she'd hung from the sideof the shed. Finding it missing, Kanamesighed. 'I hope Dad doesn't pop up while I'm doing this...'

Lifting a finger in the air, Kanameconcentrated on it, feeling heat beginto flow through her. "Burn", shewhispered, smiling as a small redflame burned on her finger, lighting theshed.

Since she had discovered her powers three years ago, powers known as Shikigami, she had grown to realize anything thing was possible, something she continued to learn throughout her journey.

Shaking the memory of amber eyes from her mind, Kaname wandered to the back of the shed, cringing at the sound of the creaking wood floor. Hanging the broom from its hook, Kaname turned to walk back out, moving slowly, suddenly feeling tense. That's when she heard it. A sound. It was a sound she would have missed, so loud were her own shallow breaths. It sounded like a sigh, like those she had let escape her own lips so often nowadays. But it was a familiar sigh...It was... Trembling, Kaname stopped as she stood over the spot she had fallen through three years ago. "InuYasha", she whispered, the flame on her finger growing dimmer, her eyes starting to water. She reached her hand down, flattening it against that same spot... Memories began to poor through her. InuYasha finding her alone and trembling after she had blasted the demon with her flame, scaring herself and leaving InuYasha in awe. Meeting Kagome, who told her where she was now, who, along with the others, stood by her even when she was in doubt. God! She wanted to go back so badly! To the Feudal Era, to her friends... If only... If only she hadn't started to care about him... To love him... She could only imagine what she had done to him when she'd been forced out of his time, leaving him with tears and a soft-spoken confession... The sighing around her grew louder, more urgent. "Stop", Kaname groaned, "please..."

Her head was beginning to buzz, beginning to ache. Falling to her knees, Kaname continued to plead; failing to notice as rippling red flames began to engulf her body. Suddenly, she felt her heart skip a beat. Her eyes grew wide, empty. Words, incantations she'd never heard before, spilled from her lips. She grew calm, the buzzing dulling down to a soft hum. She knew. She knew what was happening. Even now, her worries disappeared as the shed disappeared and she was surrounded by blue, sparkles of red and white dotting what look liked the universe. She had seen this once before, when she had fallen through the shed... Now she was free of doubt. She was returning to the Feudal Era. Those worries that should accompany her were left behind. Yes? She knew they would return, but for now, she was at peace...

A/N:

Thanks for reading! I promise that I will try to make my updates every week, maybe more often depending how this story goes. For those of you interested, Kaname Kururugi is a character playable in InuYasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask for the PS2. I also want to acknowledge Rumiko Takahashi for creating InuYasha and Sueric the fan fiction writer for inspiring me in the desire to write again :)