Two Strangers

Chapter 1:                                                        Wish            

Why did life have to be so unfair? She thought while collecting her over sized yellow bag, which seemed to hold all of her life, now a days, one of the only things that reminded her of home...A faint link that helped her realize she wasn't dreaming. That she wouldn't wake up from her current life, from a bittersweet dream-or on bad days, when she would get abducted or almost killed-a nightmare. Yes home where she was just a normal person, dealing with normal people and situations. Where her biggest worry would be not going to college or getting married-which she admitted would probably not happen because not normal guy would deal with and abnormal girl with so much baggage.  Yeah, she wasn't normal.

Instead she was 18...a teenager, who had to save the world. Literally save it! For gods sake what did she do to deserve such a fate? Yeah she wasn't perfect, she sometimes forgot to feed her cat, and recycle properly...but did that really mean she was a horrible person, which need to be punished in such a way?!

She just had to fall in that stupid, stupid, stupid well three years ago! Now she was stuck with a two-timing dog, a hentai monk-who, given the chance would probably turn out like Hue Hefner- Imagine a feudalistic play boy palace filled with poor innocent girls who were promised love and the bearing of the perverted monks kids, would be so tragic. Not to mention a ranging Sango chasing down said monk all over Japan would be hilarious, but she had to admit would be somewhat tragic. Considering the fact they are too fools blindly in love. Just thinking about all that, and the serious girl talk she would have to force the demon slayer to sit through and give, plus the mega scowling to the monk would drain her of her energy. Yet she had to admit she loved them, and being stuck with Sango, her sister from another Mr., and the most adorable and sneaky fox kid wasn't so bad.

With all her dear friends, she was dragged into the "save the world" life quest, from Naraku; the evil hanyou longing to obtain the Shikon no Tama, which he would use to become to become the most powerful being on earth. The classic obtain power, blah, blah, blah, become the big shot, blah, blah, destroy the world, which in her opinion was dumb because if he or any other villain did that they would wind up destroying themselves wouldn't they? Well anyway the point being would be if this were to happen it would screw the world royally.

Stupid Naraku, stupid Jewel, stupid well, as far as she was concerned everything could get lost and she could then crawl underneath a rock and call it a day. But no! Naraku destroying the world apparently would not benefit anyone-not even the kamis'. So what do they decide to do? They decide to totally screw her over.  The little devils drag her into a freakin' well 500years in the past to fix their mistake! -Totally brilliant...to them.

However if you ask her the stupid Jewel should even have been created in the first place, but who was she to question the gods? They rule the universe for kamis sake...why could they fix it themselves-she'll never know, yet the only thing that really bothers her was why out of the billions of people who inhabit earth did they have to chose her? They could have at least given her a heads up "Hey Kagome your life is totally f-up and you might get killed, will lose your first love to a dead chick, and probably never be happy, but its ok because your saving the world!" or even a hand book on how to stop and evil hanyou from taking over the world, or a "Miko 101" but no all they gave her was the ability to see the Sacred Jewel, and unpredictable and unreliable priestess powers. Life was undoubtedly and utterly unfair...

"Oi! What ya' doin' gawking at your bag instead of making me some ramen?"  The two-timing dog ranted...did she mention life was cruel?

"Inuyasha for your information I was so not gawking...in fact I was thinking... Something you might want to take into consideration to do. And you're a big boy you can make your own ramen!"  She said grabbing her bag and storming over to the recently lit fire where the others were.

"Keh. You think, since when? Anyways I'm always protecting you and the rest of you weak humans...the least you can do is make me some grub" Inuyasha said staring at her as she began to make dinner, his mouth drooling in anticipation for the delicious noodles he would be enjoying shortly, after convincing the stubborn miko to cook them.

"Now Inuyasha, Lady Kagome is but a pure and beautiful women who is not the least weak, as proven in many occasions, as are Sango and I. As for the ramen, you can make it yourself, but seeing your intellectual disadvantage I assume..."

"Watch it monk! I might not understand your big talk but I'm not a freakin' pervert and I have a sword, and claws, ready to make you physically unable to make all them ruts you want!" Inuyasha growled at the slowly retreating monk.

"Now Inuyasha, I was not offending you I was simply protecting an innocent women, as my sol duty as a monk..." Miroku said while leaning towards the seemingly unaware demon slyer, which seemed to be scooting away, leaving him and his hand disappointed.

"Yeah, he's actually right Inuyasha, Kagome is not weak" Sango said glaring daggers at the monks innocent act.

"Keh" Inuyasha turned to face the forest choosing to ignore the perverted monk and nagging slayer.

Kagome, meanwhile, kept seasoning the noodles she had begun to make as the group had their little chat, choosing to ignore the rude dog-not in the mood to fight.

"Kagome can I have some of those salty things...what are they called again? ... Oh yeah chips! ...Please?" Shippo pleaded with big green puppy eyes, or should she say foxy eyes! So adorable!

"Sure let me just get some from my bag..." reaching for her bag she began the quest to find them-which was pretty hard considering all the things she carried. ‘umbrella, toothpaste, ramen, old test-which I failed-soap...no chips, huh I could of sworn I had a bag left unless..'

"Inuyasha" she addressed him with a cool and even voice she turned her attention to the red spectator sitting ten feet away. "Did you by any chance chow down on the last bag of chips?" Much to her surprise was the hanyou simply nodded, which was odd behavior for the hot-tempered guy...until she noticed where and at what he was staring at.

Beyond the flesh, and thick forest area, heading southeast upon the dark sky.

However she had to admit they were beautiful-if your not dead-creepy kind of way. Their ominous slender bodies glowing and flying across the dark night sky like snakes slithering in water-but gracefully; like a ballet dance of death frightening but beautiful. However what caught her attention was what they were carrying. 

Pink orbs, bright and human. Human souls, shinning orbs being carried off to a prison, unwilling were losing their chance to be at peace. Yet they radiated magnificently across the sky dancing the deadly dance with their carriers. Time seemed to stand still to her as she was watching them disappear slowly.

             Unfortunately time never stood still, it always went on. For the living time kept moving changing them, molding them to fulfill their purpose...well at least those who were willing too...

            It's been three years, three long, life-changing years, since she first set out on her journey and Kikyo was still the most important thing- besides destroying Naraku-in his life. Not that she blamed the guy, but couldn't he get it through his thick skull that she was dead? That she, Kagome, was not and she loved him. Yes loved him. Loved the idiotic and brave hanyou, more then she loved to read, which was a lot. Loved him for him, Inuyasha, the hanyou...loved how butterflies use to fill her stomach and threaten to explode her every time he would smile his prince charming smile, or even scowl at her for being late, which was often. Loved his bravery, his imperfections. He was the brilliant sun in her teenage sky, her crush and first love, the prince in her twisted fairy tale. If only he did not love Kikyo, which would never happen...

A year ago reality hit her in the face, she realized there was no hope for her, for him, for them. Countless times she had seen him choose Kikyo over her. Risk his life, believed her lies, and attempted to make her stay with him forever-while she, Kagome, was shoved into a well for her protection- protection her ass, all he wanted was Kikyo.

She's human she could only take so much rejection. She had seen them laughing in the forest, shortly after arriving from a week stay at her home. She hadn't meant to see them; she was just heading back to the village until she saw soul collectors...and them near the well...and the sight that greeted her shattered her.

=========================FLASHBACK============================

‘I bet he's going to be mad', she thought as she climbed out of the hellhole of her life. ‘Yeah, well it serves him right for getting on my nervous, plus I needed to finish packing all the books I need to study' she reassured her self of her right motives, because she had been failing more frequently now that the search for the Jewel had been wearing thin.

‘What was that?' she wondered as she got deeper into the forest. ‘Are does soul collectors...Kikyo...Inuyasha? ...'

"Inuyasha, we can never be together...the string of fate has twisted too much..." sorrowfully whispered Kikyo.

 ‘She...looks so...sad...and he...'

"Kikyo, I love you, we can be together, and we can do anything, as long as we're together. After I destroy that bastard Naraku...I will protect you with my life"

"Inuyasha, I'm no longer a girl, I can not afford such things, such happiness...and there is my reincarnation..."

"Kagome, she is just my best friend, I love her, but I love you more than life...we deserve to be happy Kikyou, don't deprive yourself of it"

‘...best friend...but Inuyasha... I lov...'

=======================FLASHBACK ENDS=========================

It still hurts to remember those words and their kiss. A pure kiss filled with love, and hope, but it was not the kiss that broke her it was when they pulled back...

=========================FLASHBACK============================

When they pulled back Inuyasha, the worrier, the reserved one, the untrusting guy was laughing with her, Kikyo, leaning against a tree, green grass under their feet, the sky filled with endless stars, and a cool spring breeze.

            Talking and laughing like the happy couple...they were always meant to be. Bright and peaceful smiled radiated from them both. Inuyasha looked so carefree...so in love. His eye shined, his walls were down, and for the woman he loved, which was not her and she fled. She let him go, gave up and ran, broken and confused.

            She ran and cried with all her might and strength. Trees swept past her disappearing with each step, branches on the ground attempted to trip her, but buzzed at her encouraging her to flee, to escape, and to forget. She cried tears of pain for her unrequited love, tears of joy for her best friends happiness, and tears of resignation. Each drop making her feel lighter but stabbed her like poisoned knives.

            Why could life be fair? When would she get her fairytale happy ending? Why did she have to lose her love to her, the women that haunted and mocked her very existence? All these questions floated in her head, all because of her the great beautiful and pure priestess Kikyo. The maiden who had everything yet lacked what she truly wanted...happiness. She had power, and beauty, but never seem to be whole until she met Inuyasha. Two strangers lost and misunderstood searching for something...for each other, for happiness, for love. Sadly Naraku, who envied them, and harshly usurped it. However after all their pain and confusion, the great Kikyo was given a second chance to live, as the undead, to destroy the person that crumbled her life, and along try to reclaim her happiness with Inuyasha, even though it killed her, Kagome.

            Yes, her, Kagome the reincarnation, second best. The wanna-be priestess that shattered the Jewel, the one responsible for Kikyo's resurrections, the only one to blame for everything: why? Why did she have to be compared, why couldn't she be, just Kagome?

            Sometimes she wished Kikyo was dead, that Inuyasha was hers, that everything was perfect but that was selfish-tempting but not like her. It wasn't Kikyo's fault she was merely a victim, like her, but admitting it didn't make the pain dull.

            Everything in her head was jumbled, everything hurt, reality was to real, and so she kept running and crying trying to escape it, into the forest. Then she reached a spring and fell. She couldn't stand standing. She fell to the rich warm earth. The only stable thing in her life. The earth that always was there, never judged or questioned. The earth with its beautiful fields, its whispering breeze, its vast oceans, and its mothering embrace that was always excepting...even reincarnations like her. 

            She just lay there for minutes that seemed like hours, until her eyes were too sore and dry to cry her muscles begged for rest and her skin was cold. Deciding that her pity party had gone long enough she got up fearing her friends would worry and send him to find her, whish was the last thing she wanted. But knowing him he would still be with Kikyou so she decided to wash her face, with the cool spring water. Afterwards she gathered her yellow back and stared up at the night sky.

"How beautiful" she whispered gazing at the sky filled with stars shinning their lights. They were breath taking, something she would almost never be able to see less appreciate in her time. ‘So faraway', yet they seemed so clear to her, and they didn't seem to change. Mesmerized by their beauty she barley saw a shutting star fly across the sky, like a falling angle.

            She remembered when she was a girl; she would love to wish on stars, even though they never came true. How her mom would always say...

-------------------------  (Mini Flash Back in Flash Back)------------------------------------------

"Kagome do you have a wish? Something you want with all your heart?" and she would simply nod "Then wish on a star, and your wish will come true, wish with all you might...repeat after me Kagome, ‘star that twinkles so far, can't you see me from above? If you do, please, I beg you, make my wish come true' then make your wish"

-------------------------(End of Mini Flash Back in Flash Back)----------------------------------

How she loved does days when she would just wish her troubles away, but she was not a little girl, and wishing ... was for kids. But they looked so beautiful they beckoned her, something inside her wanted to believe her childish ways. She was 500years into the past, a miko, and saving the world, so there must be some magic in wishing right? And with child like hope she made a wish.

"Star that twinkles so far, can't you see me from above? If you do, please, I beg you, make my wish come true" and she made her wish...

=======================END OF FLASHBACK=======================

            Closing her eyes she turned her attention to Inuyasha, which was looking straight at her with guilty eyes. Smiling she beckoned him to go to her, his love. Inuyasha locked eyes with her for a second nodded and left.

            It hurt, she had to be truthful, to see him go...but he deserved happiness. Who was she to keep it from him? Sighing she smiled at Shippo and handed him a strawberry lollipop and proceed to make dinner for her odd group.

"Hentai!" Sango screamed striking Miroku and caused her to burst out laughing. ‘Some people will never change', laughing she tried to catch her breath. ‘I wonder when those two will tie the knot, heavens knows they're crazy for each other.'

"Sango why are you so cruel to me? I merely wanted to admire your beauty" Miroku whined mockingly with a red handprint across his face, while reaching one more for Sango. ‘When will the guy learn girls aren't faltered when you though the, will some are but those are called different names...' She stared disapprovingly towards the monk.

"Admire my beauty huh? Go tell that one to someone who cares! I know what you were doing pervert...How are you a monk I'll never know! ... And don't you dare get any closer!" Sango screeched, while scotting closer to her.

"Guys come on lets eat already, right Kagome?" Shippo beamed

She handed each a bowel and smiled

"Let's eat!"