Disclaimer: never own them…no matter how much I wish for it to be true… This is newly revised…I hope you like it…
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PROLOGUE
Pure Instinct
"You wench, get back here!" Inuyasha roared after receiving "sits" from Kagome. "I'm not going to let you leave again!"
"I've explained it to you already a thousand times. . . I'll be right back!" She shouted over her shoulder while riding her bike, as she entered the forest leading to the well. "It'll be 2 days or maybe 3, I promise, I just have to take care of my exams, I still do have a life in my time, you know!"
She pushed aside some branches that were blocking her way. Inuyasha jumped as he tried to dodge them. "You've only told me that for about 10 times, not a thousand and I still won't let you go off to your time, you…!"
He crouched on a branch before posing to jump from one branch to another in order to go ahead of her, but before he could even do that he felt the prayer beads around his neck grow heavy with power as it glowed causing him to go splat on the ground below.
*THUD!* "Ouch! You wench! Would you stop that?" He cursed under his breath as he tried to stand after receiving another "sit" from Kagome.
Kagome reached the edge of the well. She left her bike and jumped for the rim of the well. She looked back at Inuyasha who was just few steps from her and shouted "sit" before jumping into the well leaving the poor dog-demon cursing and muttering, trying to pry himself off the ground.
Once he managed to stand up as the power of the beads wore off, he dashed straight to the well getting ready to jump in after her, but when he remembered Kagome's blabbermouth little brother and her mother who just LOVED to play with his ears, he decided to stay put and wait for her to come back on her own. . . . then he stomped off back to Kaede's village to await Kagome's return.
From the safety of some overhanging branches, a pair of golden eyes watched everything that happened.
"Hmmm. . . . that human wench jumped in that well again." He thought with a sudden gleam in his eyes before a veil of an emotional barrier pushed back onto his passive face. He decided to come near the well once Inuyasha left. Sesshomaru looked into the well and saw the bones of the terminated demons that have been thrown inside the well and jumped to see where that girl could have possibly went. But once again found nothing.
He had been following them now for a month and seen that girl jump in and out of the well every week, but he could still not figure out the mystery behind the power of the well. He has been hiding his aura and scent away from his bastard hanyou half-brother in order to satisfy his curiosity, his curiosity that borders to obsession, which irks him to no end.
The knowledge of everything within his territory makes him a formidable taiyoukai, and this particular forest where his half-brother was stupid enough to be sealed is part of his vast lands. A sudden pulse of energy from the well that started when that human wench seems to appear in this area triggered his alarm to inspect the occurrence of such power from a seemingly mundane area known as the 'bone-eaters well'. With his further investigations of the matter leading him to stalking.
'This doesn't bode well with this Sesshomaru.' The very thought of him going so far as to stalk his half-brother and his gang just added to the irksome task of gaining more information about his query at hand. He could still sense the traces of energy from the well. And somehow, it only comes alive with its unique pulse of energy when his half-brother and his wench come to jump in and coming out again after some period of time.
He jumps out of the well again, still not satisfied about the way things are, him being clueless of the strange happenings surrounding the well decided to go a little out of his way… that leads to his half-brother's wench. His stoic feature betraying none of his plans.
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Blue light flashed engulfing Kagome inside the well until it vanished. She looked up at the beautiful blue sky and smiled. She held on to her bulky yellow backpack as she climbs the inner side of the well, holding on to the vines that grew in it to pull herself out.
"Aahhhh," Kagome stretched and smiled. "It's been two days already and it's a good thing that Inuyasha didn't bother me in my own time. . . . It helps a lot since I was able to pass my exams, well, barely. I wonder what he’s been doing lately; I guess I have to hurry to the village, coming back here earlier than what I've promised is all I could do to thank him for some quiet time in my home. . . ." She grinned as she remembered how Inuyasha looked when she left him splat on the ground the last time, and happily walked alone to the village.
She didn't even realize the pair of golden orbs looking at her intently from the trees not far from her. . . .
Back at the village, Shippo was very glad to see Kagome and jumped on her shoulder. She hugged Sango as the taijiya did the same in return; glad to see her, too. Miroku greeted her knowing that any physical contact could cause him a big bump on the head.
"It feels so good to be back with you guys." Kagome said and looked up at Inuyasha sitting on the roof of Kaede's hut.
"Feh," Inuyasha only snorted in reply.
"Is it okay if I take a bath first? I wasn't able to do that at home before coming back here since I was in a hurry." Kagome asked Inuyasha almost pleading.
"Feh, do what you want, wench, just be quick about it, we need to start looking for the shards as soon as possible, you've wasted too much time in going back to your home." He growled as he jumped down near her.
"Yes! Oh, thank you!" She hugged Inuyasha impulsively, surprising the hanyou Inu-youkai, and leaving him dumbfounded, his puppy-ears stiffed on his head. "I'll be back soon!" She said smiling sheepishly at him.
"Sango, do you want to come?"
"No, Kagome-chan. I'm sorry but I've already had my bath yesterday."
"Uh? . . . . Oh - okay! How about you, Shippou-chan?" She still can't believe how silly their superstitions are in this era.
"Hai, I'd love to." Shippou gleefully answered as he holds on to her shoulder.
Kagome breathed in and enjoyed the warm sunshine and bright light as she stood near the cold water.
"Shippou-chan, wait for me here, I'll just change into my bathing suit, okay?" She told Shippou while she smiled at the little kitsune.
"Okay, I'll wait for you in the water. . . ." Shippou answered in his very cheerful manner.
After changing her clothes, she joined Shippou in the water and started relaxing her muscles.
"Hmmmm - this is definitely relaxing. Not as great as a warm bubble bath but still relaxing."
There were eyes behind the thick leaves up in the trees. Narrowed golden orbs watched Kagome intently as she swam in the river with Shippou.
The very notion of him watching a human made him cringe, but he knew it is necessary. The sound of splashing water with sudden burst of giggling laughter almost made him wince, but found it more tolerable than most noises other humans make. He watched her play in the water, her slow movement somewhat foreign to him. Something he heard her call backstroke then she let her body float in the water. 'She appears to have an obsession of cleansing herself, more often than most humans.' He noted to himself.
As he watches them he felt himself drawn to her movements. He could feel something more to her. It is after all quite apparent that she is different from the humans in this area or in any other land he could think of. Everything about her speaks that she is somehow out of place from her surroundings. That was as much he could say. And it was proving to be a much deeper problem for him to uncover along with the rest of the questions already forming in his head.
If only he knew this ordeal would bring him the most hellish headache of the century…
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MS: I love this better than the first one….and its all thanks to CASEDEPUTY!!! Thanks for beta-ing this chapter and the upcoming ones….*give all the love and hugs* ^_^