White Blossoms by GarlicButteredShrimp

Chapter 01 - So It Begins...

Kagome looked over, out the window. Tap, tap, tap...her pencil knocked against her notebook. She was working on her senior paper for Language Arts. The topic was 'an imaginative adventure'. In short, she had to make up a story, which, by requirements, had to be at least fourteen pages long, double-spaced. Kagome was brainstorming ideas, and, by far, none of them were working. She looked back at her paper. So far, all she had was:

'Long, long ago, there lived a'

A what? She hadn't decided that yet. It could be anything. Kagome sighed, and stood up to stretch when she spotted her journal. Going over, she plucked it up and flipped through a few pages. A few giggles and smiles later, she sat back down at her desk and began to write. (After scrapping her original idea – she now had a better one.)

Kagome wrote until Souta knocked on her door to tell her that supper was ready.

"How is your paper going, Kagome?" Her mother asked while pouring the tea to go with their supper.

"Eh...it's so-so still, but I think that I can make it better." Kagome replied.

"Well, you still have a couple of weeks before it's due, right? So don't stress yourself out too badly." Kagome's mother set the teapot down and they all began to eat.

Kagome wrote until it was well past midnight, and fell asleep on her desk. She was so fast asleep that she didn't even notice InuYasha come in. He saw her asleep at her desk.

"Keh..." He grumbled, and picked her up. He moved her over to her bed, casting a cursory glance about the room before he left.

Kagome woke the next morning on her bed, with no recollection of how she got there. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and noticed the open window.

"Did InuYasha...?" She got up and went over to the window. "Well, if he was here, he's gone now." A sigh. "I suppose I had better go and see what's for breakfast..."

Kagome took a bath and got dressed, and then went downstairs, where she saw her mother making breakfast.

"It smells wonderful, Mama." Kagome smiled at her mother, who smiled in return.

"I'm glad you like it." Mrs. Higurashi replied. "InuYasha came by here earlier this morning, but you were still asleep."

Kagome frowned. "What did he want?"

Mrs. Higurashi shrugged. "He didn't say, dear. But if you're going to go back there – I want your paper finished first." She said rather sternly. "I don't mind you having your adventures, but I do want your homework to be finished at least."

"Okay, Mama. I only have a few more pages to write, and then I'll be done." Kagome ate some breakfast and hurried back upstairs to finish writing her paper.

Kagome had dozed off while writing the last pages, and remained so until Buyo decided that he wanted to sleep on her desk. The obese cat landed near her with a loud THUMP, which startled Kagome to wakefulness. Needless to say, Kagome had toppled over, onto the floor, and wasn't very pleased with this turn of events.

"Buuyoo!" She growled. "I have to finish writing my paper!"

Buyo only meowed and looked up at her. Kagome grumbled a bit more, and then trudged downstairs to get something to drink.

"Mama, does it count if I can't finish my paper on account of the cat laying on it?" Kagome mumbled through a glassful of water.

"Yes." Mrs. Higurashi replied. "So I suggest you find a way to remove him soon, or poor InuYasha will be rather put out when I tell him that you can't come back with him."

Kagome nodded, and went to do the job.

With Buyo removed, after many unsuccessful attempts, Kagome finished her paper and put it in a safe place. And just in time too, because no sooner did she put it up than did a familiar hanyou make his presence known.

"Are ya ready to go back yet?" InuYasha demanded.

"I think so. I finished my paper, finally." Kagome smiled at the thought of at least getting a decent grade on the assignment.

"Oh, that thing you were doing last night?" InuYasha mused. "Good, 'cause you won't be back for a while. We got a tip-off about some shards up north, and we can't do a thing without you, because you lead us to them."

Kagome didn't say anything, but she let him take her yellow pack outside of the well house, and remained speechless until they reached Kaede's hut, where Kagome was attacked by Shippou into a bear hug.

"Did you bring any candy, Kagome?" Shippou asked, his green eyes big.

"Yes. It's in my bag." Kagome replied, smiling.

"Yay!" Shippou cheered. "Can-dy! Can-dy!"

Kagome brought out a lollipop, and gave it to the enthusiastic kitsune, who cheered loudly and then settled down enough to eat the sugary treat.

"So, Kagome, did InuYasha tell you about the jewel shards?" Sango inquired.

"Yeah, he did." Kagome replied. "He said that they were up north. Where exactly are they up there?"

"We don't really know. The person we learned it from wasn't keen on the details." Miroku added.

InuYasha snorted. "Whaddya expect from an old man?" He grumbled.

"When will we head out?" Kagome asked.

"Tomorrow morning, first thing." InuYasha stood up. "Bright and early." He left the hut.

Kagome cast a dark glance after him. "I swear that he does that just to make us miserable." She muttered.

Kagome didn't sleep well that night, but she figured that it must be because she slept late that morning. br/>Kagome got up and went outside to look at the moon. She was surprised that InuYasha didn't follow her, to demand to know where she was going. Kagome took full advantage of this and started sneaking her way to the Bone Eater's Well. The rest of the village was dark, but the light from the silvery crescent in the sky lit her way.

Everything was going well until a handful of clouds floated in front of the moon, and the ethereal light disappeared. Kagome stumbled a few times, and then caught her balance on something cold and hard. It felt oddly like metal or something or the sort.

"Woman." A voice, as cold as the metal she was holding, pierced the silence. When the clouds moved away from the moon, she saw who exactly it was that she had caught herself on, and Kagome let go quickly.

"Sorry, Sesshoumaru." She said, smiling sheepishly. "I, uh, couldn't see in the dark, and-" What does one say to one's enemy?

"Quiet." Another word. Gee, Sesshoumaru was good with one-word sentences.

Kagome sighed. She was inarticulate, and, for once, it was a blessing. She then remembered that he called her 'woman'.

"I have a name – it's Kagome." Kagome mumbled. The only outward sign of irritation that she saw was that Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "I'd really prefer if you'd use it, thanks."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, nor did she even hear a noise as he slid back into the thick of the darker part of the forest.

"Huh. Strange." Kagome shrugged, and went on her way. Halfway to the well, she realized that he may have very well been on his way to fight InuYasha, and she got in his way. Kagome also realized that she just looked Death in the eyes, and came away unscathed. Those thoughts unsettled her, and she hurried back to Kaede's hut before anyone noticed her missing.

The next morning, during the first part of their trip north, Kagome had the noisy realization that InuYasha HAD noticed her leave.

"What the hell do ya think you're doing, prancing off alone, and AT NIGHT?" InuYasha got right up in her face, growling. He paused, and sniffed. "And why the heck do ya smell like my jackass brother?!"

Kagome stepped back, away from him. "I appreciate your concern, but honestly – I had my bow and arrows." She fudged a little. "I would've been fine, honest. Besides, I've gotten better with them – you know that." She fudged a little more.

"Those things are worthless against Sesshoumaru and you know it." InuYasha retorted angrily.

"I broke his armor once!" Kagome defended.

"ONCE. Only ONCE. And we've faced him HOW many times?!"

"You know what, InuYasha? SIT BOY." Kagome stormed off, back to Sango and Miroku.

InuYasha ate dirt for the first time that morning. Sadly, it would not be the last.

~End Chapter 01~

Dedicated to RayeSesshyFan/Camille, who listened to some of this thing and gave insight. (And helped me think of a title.)

Dedicated to my friend Danielle, because she's just as crazy as I am. XD That, and I've always wanted to dedicate fan fiction to people I know.