InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fragment of Eternity ❯ New House, New Surprises ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: New fic, new disclaimer, new way to say I don't own Inu-Yasha.

Author's Note: Hello, and greetings from MN!

Here I am, in my cousin's room, typing up the first chapter of my new fic. Yea! ^_^

. . . I hope my aunt will let me use their internet connection, otherwise I won't be able to post this for a while. ^_^;;

Anyway. . .

I really hope you all enjoy this story, 'cause I'm really looking forward to writing it, and I know a lot of people dislike my romance/dramas because of 'I'll Remember You Forever'. T_T It makes me sad.

Well, moving on. . .

^_^ Here's the first chapter!

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~Fragment of Eternity~

Chapter One: New House, New Surprises

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"Kagome, darling. . . are you sure about this?"

"Mama, come on!" the ebony haired girl laughed airily, folding up an art smock. "All teenagers move away for college!"

College. . .

YES!

Yes, she- Kagome Higarashi- was finally going off to college! She was so anxious she could hardly finish packing. Her light yellow room was in complete disarray, full of boxes, tissue paper, and randomly thrown-around possessions. Her long, charcoal locks were pulled into a loose ponytail, framing her pale face, which was currently flushed in excitement.

This was all too great. Especially since she didn't have to worry about apartments or roommates! She had bought a- - -

"But honey," the girl's mother replied, sounding slightly desperate as she cut off her daughter's thoughts, "they don't all go buying houses!"

Kagome smiled proudly. "I know! Wasn't it smart of me? I'm glad I started saving early- now I won't have to worry about rent or anything!"

A house. . .

She had bought her own house! Her very own house! Her very own beautiful home! It was just big enough, but not too big. Just small enough without being cramped. Heat, AC, two bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room, foyer- and a huge bathroom with a tub!

It was perfect. . .

"But that house was so. . . cheap! I mean, there must be something wrong- - -"

The teen frowned slightly.

"Mama, I checked and double checked the place- it's fine!"

Very fine. . . Had she mentioned the beautiful cherry trees that grew in the backyard and the evergreens that lined the front? True, there was one dead one in the middle of the yard. . . but that could easily be taken down.

"But it's located in such a. . . weird part of the city!"

Oh, here we go. . .

Kagome rolled her stormy blue eyes, chuckling softly as her cat, Buyo, leapt onto her bed. "Mama, I can't believe you listen to those old stories."

"But- - - but Kag, honey, they say demons lived there not too long ago! And ghosts and spirits and ogres and- and wizards!"

The girl couldn't help but laugh. Her mother was so superstitious! . . . Well, she had grown up with her Grandpa as her father. . . That explained a lot. . .

"I don't believe in that sort of stuff," Kagome retorted coolly, closing up another large cardboard box and marking it 'Bedroom' with a fat black marker. "Ghosts and goblins don't exist."

"They've got whole businesses focused on exorcisms down there!"

"For those with overactive imaginations," she replied lightly. "Mama, please. I'm not afraid of that house- it's a dream come true! It's spacious, it's got a garden, it's located near a woods and some great walking paths- it's fifteen minutes from the Art College and twenty minuets from town! And the fact that the house was so cheap- Mama, it's like a blessing from above!"

Yes, a blessing. . .

The elder woman didn't reply, only chewed her bottom lip as she carefully wrapped tissue paper around some expensive bottles of paint.

"Seriously, Mama," the girl grinned, patting Mrs. Higarashi's arm reassuringly. "I'll be fine. I'm not afraid of the dark, I don't wet my bed anymore, like Souta- - -"

"I heard that!" Kag's younger brother piped from outside the door. "And I stopped doing that a long time ago!"

The two women laughed softly, but the elder continued to look rather worried.

"I really will be okay," Kagome whispered, putting her hand on her mother's shoulder as they finished with the last boxes. "Don't worry."

After all, there was nothing to worry about! Right?

Right.

The doorbell rang loudly from the foyer, making the members of the house jump slightly in surprise.

"Must be the moving men," the girl's mother blinked. "Souta, be a dear and get that, will you?"

"Only if Kag takes back the bedwetting thing!"

*

A cold, early autumn wind rushed past Kagome as she stood on her new shrine- home's front steps, waving goodbye to the moving men as they drove down the dusty road.

"Thanks for the help!" she called cheerfully, hugging her sweater tightly to her body as a few leaves from the forest danced past, dark gray clouds close behind.

Well. . .

No point in standing out here and freezing. . .

Humming happily to herself, the girl gently pushed the red front door open, walking into the small wooden foyer.

It was so cute and quaint she just wanted to squeal! And it was hers, to boot!

Smiling widely she flicked on the lights, hands expertly brushing over the switch next to the door. As the hallway and living room lit up, she simply followed the lights, mentally noting where the men had dropped her boxes.

It was such a beautiful home. . .

Oddly nice for a simple shrine-house, but beautiful nonetheless.

The living room was painted a soft shade of vanilla, with carpeting to match. Her tan, overstuffed couch was already set in the middle of the room, right before a small, color TV she had gotten as a high school graduation present (along with a years worth of paid TV bills, compliments of her mother). The living room opened right into the kitchen, with a large bay window half in each room. The kitchen was spacious and modern, with an oven, microwave, stove, and mahogany cabinets lining the painted, light- green walls. Turning on the lights as she went, Kagome slowly explored the rest of the house.

After the kitchen came the dining room, just large enough to fit a group of 6 comfortably. That, too, connected with the wood-floor hallway, and led to the carpeted steps. Up the stairs there were the two bedrooms and the large bathroom. The guestroom was dark red with pinkish carpeting, gold curtains on the window and cushions of the same color on the window seat. The bathroom, which was connected to both of the rooms, was huge and looked as if it was made of marble. The tub itself was almost like a small pool! And then there was her room. . .

It was a light-blue with a carpet of deep navy. A single long window took up most of one wall, and a closet occupied another. Her bed, nightstand, and see-through silk curtains were already set up, domination most of the room.

It was actually rather cozy.

She loved it.

Leaving her room whilst humming perkily to herself, the girl began to head down the steps again- - -

When something caught her eye.

Another set of rickety wooden steps, hidden in the shadows near the guest bedroom.

. . . ?

'Oh. . .' the girl blinked, slowly walking back up the stairs and heading towards the old steps. 'It must be heading to the attic. . . I haven't looked up there before, have I?

. . . Huh.

Wonder what's up there. . .'

Shrugging, she grasped the wobbly railing that adorned the narrow hall leading to the topmost floor.

'Well, only one way to find out, isn't there?'

*

The attic was dark, dusty, and full of cobwebs.

But as soon as Kagome found the hanging light bulb and was able to shed some light on the situation-

She found it was full of other things, too.

Her eyes widened as they fell upon a whole horde of old trunks, boxes, and chests.

"What on Earth. . . ?" she murmured, shocked. 'What is all this stuff doing here? I. . . I guess it must have belonged to the house's previous owners, but. . .

Why didn't they take it with them?

Maybe I should call and tell them it's here. . .'

She nodded once as if to confirm this with herself, when a thought struck her- - -

'I don't *know* who last owned this home!'

She sighed and shook her head. 'Stupid me. . .'

Well. . .

If she couldn't return it. . .

She might as well see what was here, shouldn't she. . . ?

Besides, her curiosity was slowly getting the better of her.

Taking a few careful steps forward (not quite sure she trusted the satiability of the creaky floor), she made her way to the nearest trunk, which had a thin blanket of dust upon it.

'What could be inside. . . ?'

Reaching slowly out with an unreadable expression, the girl batted away the cobwebs, carefully prying open the lid. As it's rusty hinges squeaked open, she peered anxiously to see what was inside.

. . . ?

A. . .

Painting. . . ?

Gingerly picking up the yellowing paper, she gently blew the dust off its face- - -

And peered into one of the most astounding watercolor pictures she had ever seen.

"Amazing. . ." she whispered, gently running a finger over the rough texture of the parchment.

It was. Simple and yet sinfully beautiful.

She had never seen anything else like it. . .

Squinting slightly, she slowly sat down upon another trunk, absorbed in the picture.

It was gorgeous. . .

It was breathtaking. . .

It was of a boy.

A boy sitting in a cherry tree- the dead one in the middle of the yard. But in this painting it wasn't dead.In fact, it was bursting with life- and with delicate, soft pink flowers. He- the boy- was looking into the turquoise sky, watching wispy clouds float by as the wind blew through his silver hair, making his red haori rustle.

. . . He was very handsome. . .

And. . .

So lonely looking. . .

Wistful, almost. . .

. . .

No, maybe not lonely or wistful. . .

But there was some sort of unrecognizable emotion glistening in his painted golden eyes.

What was it. . . ?

She began to lean closer, almost drowning in those brushed orbs- those pools of amber. . .

A few cherry blossoms swirled past his stationary form.

. . . She could almost hear the breeze. . .

. . . !

Blinking out of the trance, she realized she *could* hear the breeze- the wind was really picking up outside.

Quickly getting to her feet, she dusted off her behind with a hand, making to put the picture back in the box- - -

When she realized it was not alone in the crate.

Reaching down into the depths, she felt her hands connect with a book of some kind.

?

Pulling out the golden bound volume, she instantly noticed the word 'Diary' embossed on the front cover.

A diary, huh. . . ?

Perhaps of the one who painted this beautiful picture?

Who did, anyway?

Turning the paper over, Kagome scanned the back until she found it- the name.

Hiding at the bottom of the right hand corner was the date- a date dating back to almost fifty years ago- and the name 'Kikyo'.

Kagome glanced down at the journal in her hands.

Maybe this Kikyo person wrote this, too? It *was* possible, especially since she had found them both in the same box. . .

Shrugging, she decided to take them both downstairs with her. She could learn from the diary, and the picture. . .

Well, it was too pretty to rot up here any longer.

*

"I've been working on the railroad," Kagome sang loudly as she sorted through the boxes set precariously in the living room. "All the live long day!"

Giggling softly, she shifted through the tissue paper incasing some of her more fragile possessions, like the glass angel her little brother had given her for Christmas. Speaking of which, here it was! Unwrapping the figure with a loving touch, she gently set it next to Kikyo's picture, which was now resting on top of a side table. The diary had already been put in her bedroom for later reading.

"It looks more like I've been working in a construction zone," Kag mussed aloud as she flopped back on the couch, lightly closing her eyes and chucking a ball of paper over her shoulder.

*Click!*

?

Her stormy orbs snapped open once again- - -

But she couldn't see anything.

?!

The light had burnt out. . . ?

But she'd just put in new bulbs!

Frowning, the girl stood up, walking underneath the light and standing on her tip-toes, peering intently at it. It should be fine. . .

Frown deepening, she carefully strolled over to the light switch and flicked it.

. . . It *did* work. . .

?

"Weird," she whispered. 'Maybe the power went momentarily out. . . ?'

But no. . .

If that had been the case, then the switch still would have been on the 'on' position. As it was, it had been flicked to 'off'.

Very weird.

. . .

Shrugging nonchalantly, Kagome turned around to go back to unpacking- - -

*Click!*

When the lights turned off again.

?!

What was going on?!

Spinning on her heel and masking her uneasiness, Kag quickly turned the switch back to 'on', flooding the room in light.

*Click!*

Okay, NOW she was starting to get scared. . .

Swallowing hard, Kagome glared at the innocent looking light switch, grabbed a piece of useable tape she had just pulled off of a box, and taped the switch to the 'on' position.

There!

Now no matter what was going on, that stupid light would- - -

*Click!*

Oh. . .

God. . .

What was going on?!

Slowly stumbling back to the couch, the girl fell upon it's soft cushions as the lights, mysteriously as they'd turned off- - -

*Click!*

Turned back on.

This was just getting freaky!

Breathing hard as fear washed over her like icy water, the girl glanced shakily left and right, trying to find what was causing this weird-light- phenomena.

And though she didn't find the answer-

She did notice something else.

"What?" she gasped, eyes growing wide as she shot to her feet, pouring over the side table. "The picture!"

It was gone. . .

What- - - ?

"Keh," a voice came from behind her- a gruff male voice that sounded close by and far away all at once.

!!!

Oh. . .

God. . .

Oh. . .

God. . .

Slowly, the girl turned around, feeling like frozen lead as she did so.

And there stood a boy. . .

The boy from the painting- - - ?!

Oh, God, he looked *exactly* like the boy from the painting!

Except. . .

He was. . .

Almost transparent. . .

And as her eyes trailed his body it utter fear, she noticed something else-

He wasn't touching the ground.

Oh God- oh God- oh God- oh God- - - !

Her stormy orbs snapping back up she intently peered into his amber pools, which, for the moment, were focused on the picture-

The picture that was now floating between them at a little higher than waist height.

But, in an instant, his golden eyes shot up to gaze at her, a look of cruel amusement plastered on his face.

"That doesn't really look like me, does it?"

. . .

"OH GOD!"

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Yea, first chapter done!

Hope you all have a great New Year's eve/day! Heck, a great new year in general! ^_~

Please R&R!

Ja ne!