InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny Can Wait Five Hundred Years ❯ The Catfood Paradox ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: “Inuyasha” and any characters and etc. relating to it are property of its writer and creator, Rumiko Takahashi.

Authors Note: In this story, there will be a few passages will be directly from the Inuyasha series, I should have an author's note at the beginning or end of each chapter saying where these passages are in the chapter (if I don't, if someone could please inform me so I can fix it). For example, the Prologue of “Destiny Can Wait Five Hundred Years” is almost entirely from the first chapter of the first volume of “Inuyasha.” If anyone wishes to skip it, that's fine, the new bit is toward the end.

Prologue: The Catfood Paradox

Kagome held up the keychain with a purple marble at the end. “People will actually buy these?” the young woman asked her grandfather, looking at the towers of merchandise the Dusk Shrine sold to make money.

“Listen, Kagome, the Shikon no Tama's history starts with...” Kagome tuned her grandfather out. He was always going on about myths and legends, few of which she hadn't heard many times before.

“Do you remember what day it is tomorrow?” she interrupted.

“Heh, I've no reason to forget my adorable grandchild's birthday,” he said in a jokingly offended voice. He pulled a wrapped box out from behind him. “It might be a day early, but Happy Birthday Kagome.”

Kagome's look of glee disappeared as she looked at the withered, green hand in the box. “Uh...”

“That mummified kappa hand brings good luck, it's history starts with...” As her grandfather went on rambling again, Kagome handed the gift to her large cat, Buyo, for a snack. “Ah! Do you know how much that cost?!”

That's all my life is about...Kagome thought. Myths this, legends that...must just be one of those things that comes with living at a shrine. She shifted her bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulders and headed out the door. “I'm off!” she yelled back inside.

When outside, Kagome saw her younger brother, Souta, over by the well house, staring in through the doors. “You shouldn't play in the mini-shrine,” Kagome called, moving towards him.

“But Buyo is...” Souta looked worried.

“Inside the well?” Kagome finished for him. The two of them moved inside and stared down at the short staircase at the well. “So why don't you go down?” she asked.

Souta kept staring. “But this place, feels...kinda creepy.”

“What's frightening you? You're the guy, I should be the scared one.”

The two of them jumped as scraping noises filled the air. Souta ducked behind his sister. “So-someone's down there...”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Maybe...I dunno...the cat?” she said sarcastically.

“Buyo! Breakfast!” Kagome, who had just started down the stairs gave a yelp as a brown and while shape darted out. Stumbling slighty, she grabbed at the railing, hitting her side in the process, trying to regain her balance.

“Onee-san?” Souta called from the well house entrance, “Are you ok?”

“Fine,” Kagome grumbled. “I told you it was just the cat. Now let's go before we're late to school.”

As the two left the shrine, Kagome couldn't help shake the feeling that there was something she needed to do.