Hey everybody! I'm back with another story of our favourite couple! Kagome and Inuyasha!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or anybody in it. I just love them! 3

So on with the show!

Introduction

It was dark. The house carried no light. It stunk of alcohol and blood. The musty odour of coffee and long over-due food lingered in the air.

Outside, it was raining. Thunder clashed and lightning split the sky. The pitter patter of rain on the window pane was intense and forceful, creating a harsh and sharp knock on the cold glass. The house was more of a cabin, with wooden walls and a fireplace that had long been neglected.

However, the storm raging outside was considered an oasis to those sheltering from it, or at least in this house-hold.

One would talk of the atmosphere of the house with bad words, for there were no kind words to describe it. The master of the house especially, since no good existed in his soul.

The master was an evil demon, who may seem weak in appearance, but very powerful if provoked. Demons were considered strong rulers and humans regarded them with respect although with fear as well. Demons and humans lived together in harmony. However, there is of course a bad side to every good.

The story was known to all the people that survived the chaos. The master of the house was an outcast. Shunned by his older brother, a high levelled demon who lived peacefully with his family in a mansion like house, he was forbidden to return, in order to stop many sinuous acts he had created in town.

Furious, he had created havoc and killed many innocent people. In order to stop the beast raging inside of his brother, the eldest brother sacrificed his own life to seal away the true power of his brother's rage in a stone. Embedded on it was the image of a butterfly that acted as a sacred seal to prevent anyone from cracking it and releasing hell. He left the stone with his family before passing away.

Going back to the house, the master had gone upstairs to his bedroom to sleep, leaving his two servants to sleep in the kitchen on the cold floor with only a blanket to keep them warm. He was cruel to them, beating them and using his whip to lash out on them whenever something was not done right, which according to him, was pretty often. He would starve them, burn them, and torture them with the weapons hidden in his basement. He would break bones, small bones without leaving a scratch on their bodies for they were too beautiful to ruin. But even with this in mind, he would peel their skin with razors and knives nonetheless. He beat them black and blue until they were just inches away from breathing their last breath, then leaving them to heal painfully on their own. Then he starts all over again.

On night, believing they were all asleep, the master turned off the lights and shut his door, locking it from the inside in the process.

However, one of the slaves was far from falling asleep. She sat up onto her knees and reached for her backpack hidden under the kitchen table. She then got up to her feet and began to fill it with all the necessities of surviving, or at least, all that she had which wasn't much. Trying not to wake her friend sleeping beside her, she put a water bottle and some food that hadn't spoiled yet into the bag. Folding back a corner of the blanket laying on the floor, she used her cut and bruised hands to pry open a loose tile, taking out a photo of her family. The father-figure face was scratched out with black marker. The teen stared at picture for a moment, lost in thought.

"Kagome, are you really going to go through with this?" a soft voice whispered behind her back.

Kagome started, jumping a bit. She turned to face her friend. "Yeah Sango, I am." She looked outside into the storm. "I have to get away from this place. I can't stand it anymore. We're not some animals to be treated like lastly humans."

Sango sighed, "I know Kagome, but what happens if you get caught? You're putting me in trouble too you know." Her expression was full of fear not only for herself, but for her friend as well.

Kagome looked at her friend. "Then come with me." She took her friend's hands into her own, holding it firmly. "We can run away together."

Now Sango's smiled, however, sadly. She avoided Kagome's eyes and withdrew her hands. "Sorry Kagome. I'll have to pass."

"But Sango…"

"No, Kagome…no…I'm sorry." Tears welled up in Sango's eyes.

Kagome closed her eyes for a while and then opened them, looking at the floor. Slowly, she got up and turned to the door, her back towards her friend.

Sango reached out. "Wait Kagome!" she pleaded quietly.

Kagome paused. Without turning she plainly said, "I'll come back for you."

Then she turned her head to look at Sango once more. "So wait for me okay?"

Sango withdrew her outstretched arm, paused, and nodded.

With that, she opened the door and slipped out silently. The rain was still flooding the streets, making the dirt road turn to mud. The rain immediately began to flow down Kagome's face and hair, blending with the hot tears streaming down her own face.

Barefoot, with no shoes ever since she was sold to her master, she slung the small, part-empty backpack over her shoulders and began to run, and she wouldn't stop until she reaches town, which was still really far away.

Tears running down her face dripped off the edges as she ran faster than she ever ran; trying to escape the nightmare she had all her life.

The rain soaked through Kagome's clothes quickly, but Kagome's shivering was pushed aside by her non-stop running. All she was wearing before running away was a torn navy t-shirt and a flimsy green skirt that had a few extra patches of cloth in some areas that were torn.

With the cold water falling from the skies, the navy colour quickly turned to black and the skirt clung to her thighs making it harder to run. Soon, the image of the house became a rectangle and soon a dot.

Pushing on, Kagome soon saw the lights of some lingering town-folks still on. Her legs were burning with pain and she was part blind with the rain prickling at her eyes. Some of her wounds had opened up again as the blood ran down her face, arms and legs. Running blindly, she tripped and fell into the mud, soiling her clothes even further. Crying, she forced herself to climb back on her feet and continue running. She needed shelter. She wouldn't talk, she wouldn't make harsh movements, and she wouldn't even look at them. But most of all, she wouldn't trust them…any of them. She did that with her master, trusting him that is, and the outcome was disastrous. Never would she ever trust again…

Finally arriving at the edge of town, she knocked at the first door with light. The door opened and a little boy about 6 or 7 years old stood at the door.

Eyes widening, he asked innocent questions. "Are you okay? Why are you in the rain?"

"Plea…se…may I please have…s-s-some shelter for the night?" Kagome croaked out.

Before the boy answered, a woman's voice spoke. "Honey, who are you talking to? Who's at the door?"

"Mommy, it's a girl wanting our help!" the little boy yelled back.

The mother appeared at the door. She was a plump woman with strict features.

"Hello, how may I…" The woman smiled but it faded away quicker than it came as she spotted the blood and injuries on Kagome's face and body.

"You're a slave! Get out! Go on! Don't come back here again!" She screeched, pulling her son back behind her.

"Please…wait!" Kagome's voice failed her, coming out sections.

"Leave this place you useless slave!" Slamming the door in Kagome's face, she didn't have much of a choice.

Kagome tried another house, next door. This time it was an elderly man, but the result was just the same.

"Get off my porch you good-for-nothing slave. Don't soil my lawn with your impure aura!" The man then stabbed Kagome with his cane. Usually, anybody would be able to withstand and elder's strength for they weren't very strong, especially a teenager like Kagome. But with her frail body and poor health, it was almost too easy to push her off her feet, back into the dirt.

Kagome tried all of the villagers in town with their lights on, but they all gave her the same outcome as before, calling her names that tore her insides apart, vicious words that burned and labelled her.

Disgusting…

Filthy…

Useless…

Needy…

Everybody rejected Kagome. Doors slammed after one another until all of the lights were out. Standing in the middle of town, Kagome collapsed on her knees and she knelt on all fours, using her hands to support her body, and started to cry.

Why…

But, something inside of her told her to keep going. Kagome looked up and on top of a hill she spotted a house on the top. It was bigger than the rest and was made of cement instead of wood like all the others. It really was beautiful. The lawn was neatly trimmed and cut and cherry blossoms bloomed on a small tree near the front door. It was big enough to be called a mansion.

And…the lights were still on!

Kagome drew her hands into fists and pushed herself up. Her legs began to shake and quiver making her collapse again.

Half crawling, half running, Kagome raced up to the house and neared the stairs. As she was climbing, one by one, the lights started to go out.

"No…" Kagome tried running faster.

Three lights remained…

"Please wait..." Fresh tears rolled down her face.

Two lights…

"Wait! Please!" Kagome's pleas were silenced by the roaring rain.

One light…

"Just a couple of stairs more…"

The last light went out just as Kagome landed in an exhausted heap on the porch. She ran the doorbell and shivered as she waited for the door to open. She saw the light go on again.

Suddenly, a huge, intense wave of exhaustion swept upon her. Kagome was ailing and weak. Unable to take it anymore, Kagome's knees buckled, and she fell on her stomach.

Close to passing out, she heard the door open and light flooded the area she was lying in.

"Yes?…Oh my…" A woman's soft voice filled Kagome's ears like music. A soft touch was laid on her neck; Kagome guessed that it was for checking her pulse, but still, Kagome tensed, too weak to flinch away.

She then heard a sigh of relief. "Good…she's still alive."

More footsteps, "Hey mom, what is it? Is something wrong? Mom…you're so pale, what happened?" A male's voice was next to play. His voice wasn't deep and baritone but it was young, about a teenager's type. Now, it was etched with worry.

Kagome listened to the conversation before her.

"I opened the door and I found this girl lying on our porch. We have to help her. She's really sick and frail. She won't be able to last out there. Can you help me bring her in?"

"Sure." Kagome soon felt herself being lifted into very strong arms, bridal style.

"Gods Mom, she's so light. Her body looks like a skeleton. Who do you think she is?"

Kagome's ears drank up the young man's voice. It sounded like heaven to her.

"I don't know, but now's not the time to ask, it's getting late. Go put her in the tub and turn on the shower. I'll take care of her from there." The mother sounded so kind

Kagome was suddenly frightened. What were they going to do to her? Poison the water? Boil it? Freeze her? Kagome began to shake.

She felt the man look down at her. "Shh...It's okay. You're safe now." Kagome continued to squirm weakly, trying to put distance between. She was covered in blood and mud and didn't want to even know what the punishment was for ruining their clothes.

Thinking that the boy would drop her in disgust at discovering that she was covered in blood, she was taken by surprise in finding that he clutched her even closer. Kagome suddenly froze in shock and blushed lightly. She hadn't been embraced like this ever since she was little. And…he was so warm…

"Please just relax. I won't hurt you." The gentle voice of her saviour was gently lulling her to sleep, like a lullaby…her own lullaby. That was all she heard before undecidedly melting into his warm embrace.

She'll find out everything else in the morning…right?

Alright! That's the intro and yes, I know, it's really long. I'm starting to like how it's going so far. Do you guys?

I'm also in the middle of my second story (this is my third) 'Mirrors'. If you're reading that, I'm also working on that don't worry.

Read and review please!

Signing out,

miko2miko4ever