Fushigi Yuugi, Inuyasha 1. These Things Happen

**I do not own Inuyasha or Fushigi Yuugi. This is purely for entertainment. **

**Chapter 1: These Things Happen**

"This is your entire fault. You realize that at least, right?" Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched with annoyance for what seemed to feel like the seventeenth time that hour.

Kagome was really starting to get on his nerves with her nagging, but then again, it was technically his fault they were in this mess in the first place. With his patience wearing thin and his voice all but strained, he told her that he was sorry again.

"It's not like I had any idea what was going to happen. And even if I did, how was I supposed to know that crazed demon bitch had a fricken potion hidden in her yukata?" That was what he didn't understand, though his nose had smelled dangerous intent from that demon hag, he failed to realize the potion, which was the real threat.

He didn't know if he could live it down, and the other painful fact of the matter was that Kagome had taken the hit for his mistake. He was only thankful that it wasn't something life-threatening, like a poison or flesh-eating potion.

But, what happened wasn't exactly what he was expecting either, and he felt responsible for it. He knew that it was a sign of weakness to apologize for anything; he learned that during his early 'childhood', if you could even call it that. He had to survive by stealing and killing, which usually landed him in trouble with the local village storekeepers or a demon, not that those things were even the worst that could happen.

To admit fault was like signing your own death sentence in the Feudal Era, especially for a hanyou, who were despised by both humans and demons, seen as a stain on their precious pure blood lines. It was what he had been constantly reminded of by everyone in his life; even by Kikyo, who had at one point also turned her arrow to his heart and looked at him as another abomination. It was the same thing that happened over and over.

The only person he thought could ever love him was his mother, and she died when he was still young. He didn't know there was anyone else who would care for him, the real him; that is until Kagome.

He shook his head at the thought, willing it to go away. This was not the time for thinking about that, these feelings he had inside were just feelings of guilt for what happened, nothing more.

Kagome glared at the hanyou, catching the gruffness in his voice and his infamous 'feh' as he turned his head away to look out the kitchen window.

"Well, if you could have just stayed away from that demon witch, instead of trying to pick a fight, we wouldn't be…" sighing, Kagome decided to drop her argument before it made the temperamental boy storm off somewhere.

It was almost becoming like a routine, they fought over what happened, then Inuyasha would sulk off like a lost puppy, and she wouldn't get to see him again until he dragged himself back from the empty forest when she would forgive him after he pulled the 'cute doggy face' with his ears drooping downwards.

It was all rather tiring and she didn't feel like going through the motions. Picking up her supplies, Kagome turned away from the inu-demon.

"Forget it. I have to go make this medicine for us to sell tomorrow. I'll be in here if you need me."

Inuyasha watched Kagome turn away from him and walk off into the second room of the broken down, horrible excuse for a hut. He turned his sight back out the window and surveyed the area, listening for any signs of danger. The chair squeaked a bit when he moved, which caused his dog-like ears to swerve toward the sound automatically before settling again on the forest outside. It was quiet and that never did sit well with him.

He was accustomed to roaming the land, sailing clear over the tree limbs and feeling the wind push up against his face as his body glided back to the ground. It was a great feeling.

It's not like he didn't like spending time with Kagome, it's just that they had been locked up in here for so long, days even, now that he thought about it. Maybe, if I ask this time, Kagome will let me go out today.

The hopeful thought died instantly just as it ran across his mind. His golden eyes steered toward the crummy doorway leading into the second room that served as both their sleeping quarters and Kagome's medical herb shop. There was no way she would go for it.

He sighed, now that he was completely bored out of his skull.

He looked around the make-shift hut for something to do. When he found nothing ,he let his train of thought go blank. Ears flicking in and out of the house, he was tempted to break one of the unsteady beams that held the roof aloft, just for something to do.

But then he would have to hear Kagome give him hell over it. His claws scratched the wood of the broken chair, damaging it even further beyond repair.

He let his head droop to let out another sigh. His breath sent a layer of dirt that covered the window sill unto the air. Suddenly fascinated with the act, he found himself watching them twirl and collide in mid-air. He saw the dust dance against one another as they were suspended in the air around him.

A breeze from the next room flew past him, carrying the sent of crushed medicinal leaves and herbs. That was the other reason why he wanted to go outside, he thought disdainfully as the fumes finally made it all the way to where he sat.

His fire-rat shirt , he thought gleefully, had always come in handy at times like this. Inuyasha lifted the helm of the red cloth to his face to cover his nose, helping him rescue it from the overwhelming stench.

It was after a few minutes of smashing herbs that Kagome peeked back through the doorway. Her eyes saddened when she saw Inuyasha quietly staring out the window.

It made her long to start-up the loud argument they had a few minutes ago, if only to make him lively again. He had become rather distant lately, but that was to be expected. After what happened neither of them could become completely accustomed to the change, and needless to say, it had been awkward between them since they were dropped here.

He looked at her as if she were a stranger...

_But he still stayed with you. _

Realizing her thoughts were getting to her, she turned back to her work, but her mind kept going back to Inuyasha's silent brooding. It was becoming impossible for her to get any work done with him just sitting there in the other room, looking so…lost.

But then again, we are lost.

Kagome sighed once again, knowing what she had to suggest the hanyou to do. Nothing against Inuyasha, but it was becoming difficult to concentrate on her work with his slouched figure tearing her away to think of comforting him. Besides this would make them both happy, and allow her to finish the medicine ment for a sick little boy back in town.

"Inuyasha, why don't you go out for a bit?" His ears perked at the mention of going outside. He knew that he would have to wear that stupid straw hat that made him look like he worked in the rice fields, but he would put up with it.

As long as it gets me/him out of here, they both thought.

"You can go find the safest path to take into that large village past the river. I think its name was Konan, from what I could remember that merchant telling us. But don't go inside without me, we don't know if this place is familiar with demons. Have you sniffed any out yet?"

Kagome walked over to the front door, where the straw hat hung next to the door panels. Gently lifting it up off a nail that was hammered into the wooden beam, she placed it on the grumbling hanyou's head.

He grumbled softly, replying, "No, I haven't caught any demon scents anywhere around here. Not even those filthy, flea-bitten wolves that Koga always has running around. I thought for sure I could track one of those down by now." It had been three days, he mused, since they had landed here and he couldn't find a single demon.

Kagome could see that he was getting depressed, so she fiddled with his ears, pretending that she was straightening up his hat.

He felt his ears being tucked underneath the itchy hat by Kagome's soft fingers, and if he really thought about it, he could be able to feel the tender care that was in that innocent act. His ears in turn instinctively flicked against her hand, making her laugh heartily.

It had been so long since he had heard that laugh. He wanted to hear it again, ready to flick his ears again for it, but…she had withdrawn her hand, along with its tender touch and almost loving caresses.

"Well, chin up. I don't think that this is a different time anyway. I haven't read anything about a city named Konan in my Japanese history classes, so we have to be somewhere else. I'm sure we can get back to where we belong, we just need a plan to get us there."

Golden eyes locked onto the figure walking to the door and quickly, though he never realized it, he had Kagome pressed against his form.

He knew that the sudden movement had confused her, but he wanted to make her realize in his own way that they were going to fix what had happened. He wouldn't rest until they found a cure, and that was that. His arms squeezed the smaller form tighter against him, until he felt a pair of arms embrace him in return.

Kagome leaned into the hug that strangely Inuyasha initiated with his own will. It felt wrong somehow, that they were embracing like this while in their current situation, but it just didn't seem to matter to her. Her arms wrapped around the back of her first love, squeezing him back as if to try to answer an unsaid question he had asked.

"It's not your fault." She relaxed when she heard that 'feh' sound only she was in love with. "I was upset." Inuyasha moved his hand from her back, so that it rested fully on Kagome's silk raven hair.

"Well, of course it ain't my fault. In case you forgot, you were the one who stood in the way of that witch's attack and got yourself cursed. It was meant for me."

She smiled and replied rather demurely, "I know you would have done the same for me, so why are you always blaming yourself for what happened? I did it because I wanted to and you are my friend Inuyasha. Just like you would protect me with your life, it only seems fair that I protect you when I can."

Inuyasha seemed shocked at her words, because his arms loosened and he seemed to be letting her go, but suddenly grabbed her again with a renewed passion, squeezing her new form into his.

He wasn't saying anything, until Kagome realized that he was remembering what had happened. All she could do was to return the hug and remember as well.

* * *

**Flashback**

_ "Inuyasha, where are you going?" He was becoming distant with her, in fact he was becoming distant with everyone around him lately and it was starting to worry her. It wasn't surprising to know who he was always sneaking off to see; of course it would be her reincarnation, Kikyo, his first love. It didn't hurt her as much anymore or at least she was trying to convince herself that it didn't, it was just that he never seemed to answer her when she asked. _

_It was always that he needed to be by himself or that he thought he heard something and was going to check it out. It had never been the truth, and that was what hurt her every time._

_At first it was enough to bring her to tears, causing her to have to lie to their group of friends. It really wasn't fair to them since they always got worried over her well-being and how that she had to quell their concern with her lie of being homesick. It's not like she wasn't, but it wasn't the exact truth about why she was sad. _

_"It's nothing Kagome; I just have to go take care of something. Keep your arrows by you, I'll be right back." Without another word he was running to the forest, unaware of the pain in her eyes as she watched him go, placing a hand over her wounded heart. _

_The grass tickled the sides of her legs and the wind blew cold over her form, but all of that was numb to her. Even though her body shivered from the relentless wind, her heart was the only thing that she could feel, beating up against her hand, while she wished for Inuyasha to turn around and come back to them; to come back to her. _

_Kagome turned her head back to the fire in the middle of their make-shift campsite, watching the flames lick at the wood and change from a blazing orange to blinding white. Her eyes drifted over the fire, up towards the night sky. It reminded her of a black canvas that was meticulously dotted with stars, only to show those who set eyes on it how small their own problems were in the vast scheme of time. _

_She always loved looking up at the stars, ever since her father brought her up on the roof of their home, pointing out its beauty, as well as how small they were in relation. It always served her to counter-balance whatever problem she was having, helping her to feel a bit better afterwards._

_In this case, the night sky helped her to sort through her thoughts. _

_Inuyasha, even though he was a jerk to her sometimes, he had always been there for her, saving her life more than she could count and showing, in his own way, that he did care for her, maybe more than either of them knew. He protected her from the beginning and, all for but one time, when he had purposely shut her in her own time, he had come for her to come back to him. _

_She had always known that Kikyo meant something to him, more than she could ever mean in comparison, but he did care for her. Could she be satisfied with that much? _

_Already, they had gone through so much during their mission to gather the Shikon jewel fragments. And, she remembered the day she had told him that she would always be by his side, no matter what happened, no matter who he chose to care for the most._

_It was enough, she decided. She could live with the notion of being with Inuyasha, even if he never cared for her the way she did for him. Her feelings would never change, she realized this, but it would not make her happy to keep him from someone he might love, or had never stopped loving. _

_They had been drawn together, she thought, by fate, and had made a group of friends who had the same goal of finding and destroying the hanyou Naraku. Her friends, she found were all asleep in their respected places. _

_Sango and Miroku had found a reason to snuggle up to one another against Kirara, the demon slayers large and tame demon cat. _

_Her adopted son, Shippo, was snoring away in her sleeping bag and was clinging onto a stuffed bear she had brought for him on her last trip back to her home. His face pressed into the toy and the blue ribbon he usually had tying his hair slipped down the nape of his neck._

_Kagome smiled down at the young demon boy, wondering how he was faring inside with the death of his family. He had recently cried to her about them, sharing that he had dreamed they were all together again, talking and sharing meals and baths. He even said that his mother was there. He described her as being the most beautiful demon he ever saw, remembering the love she had for his father, and the tenderness she had for him when she was alive._

_Kagome was at odds at the time and could only console him by sharing her memories about her father. She remembered how Shippo listened intently and curiously wanting to know more about her. That was the night he asked her to adopt him. _

_She pulled the blanket that had fallen down back up to Shippo's shoulders, tucking him in as he leaned into her touch. Glancing back towards the forests edge there was only black greeting her gaze, not a single shred of a red hatori. _

_It was getting late in the night and she was getting worried. Getting up from her place next to the raging fire, Kagome went after the man she loved with all her heart, but whose heart she didn't have in return because of a walking corpse._

_ Even so, Kagome all but ran in the direction where Inuyasha disappeared, feeling in her heart that something was wrong._

* * *

_Inuyasha didn't know what to say. Here in front of him was the dead woman he had met up with for almost a month without telling any of his friends, he knew that they wouldn't understand why he needed to see her time after time. It wasn't because he loved her, no those feelings have long since left him, but why was he here then? Closure probably, the need to truly cut the ties binding him to his first love. But at each meeting, for one reason or another, he couldn't bring himself to say the words he needed to say. _

_Now it was their fourth meeting and she had chosen a small clearing where the trees around them smelt of strong pine and citrus fruits. It was overwhelming to say the least; he didn't know how much longer his nose could take before she started to speak._

_"It's been a while Inuyasha, those friends of yours were keeping you from me again?" His voice refused to work as she spoke his name. It was soothing, but somehow not how he remembered it. It was once filled with warmth and tenderness that a mother usually had for a child, but now it was…for a lack of words, stoic. There was nothing in her voice that reminded him of the Kikyo he once loved._

_Done waiting for his reply, Kikyo smugly suggested, "Inuyasha why don't you leave that group of yours, come with me and we can find Naraku together. Besides, I don't think that those friends of yours would mind, they would know that you were with someone you loved." _

_This was when Inuyasha looked at her, the real Kikyo, for the first time that night. She looked the same, her body clothed in the traditional priestess garbs she always wore, her straight black hair tied back behind her, and her quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. Everything about her was the same. _

_The wind blew suddenly, carrying her sent towards him, making him want to cover his nose as the pungent odor of death clung to the night air. He was completely aware that she was dead, unable to find peace._

_He realized that he had yet to give an answer to her offer. Should he go with her? He knew that it would make her happy, or at least he thought it would. Recently though, their meetings came from something different from the need to see her. _

_It was a feeling of…obligation…no, something other than that. It felt like it was his responsibility to stay with her, because she had been cheated out of her life by Naraku, and that it was partly his fault._

_He knew that he should go with her, credit to his honor if nothing else. Sesshomaru had always said that he had no attachment to honor, but that was where his great Taiyouki brother was wrong. _

_He had stayed with Kikyo throughout these secret meetings, talking with her, consoling her, and helping her feel again. They talked about how they were going to get revenge from Naraku and that he was good as dead the next time they crossed. _

_Inuyasha swore to her that he would avenge their stolen love, he told her that he would kill Naraku, but the difference now was that every time they met, he never told her that he loved her._

_Those words, he realized, had lost their meaning five hundred years ago. So, with a heavy heart Inuyasha looked into the cold orbs of his former love. He had to give her an answer._

* * *

_Kagome had walked for a while now, but she had no idea where Inuyasha had gone. He wouldn't have gone that far, him being an inu demon held him to instinctually guard his 'pack', as he once put it, and he would always stay at least a couple of miles from their camp. Her worry grew for him as she walked on, hoping with all her might that he was alright and not having his soul sucked out of him. _

_She still vividly remembered how Kikyo tried to bring Inuyasha to hell with her. She had been trapped against a tree by soul-eaters, snake-like demons that seemed to favor Kikyo and serve her in collecting the souls of dead girls. Inuyasha had been entranced by Kikyo, staring at her beauty and whispering sweet-nothings into her hair. At the time, Kagome had been so enraged by what Inuyasha was being tricked into doing that her powers suddenly burst from her body, effectively snapping him out of whatever daze she had him under. That time he had been lucky, but what if he wanted to go with her this time?_

_Her heart began to break again to the point where it was causing pain, placing her hand over her heart once more, she hung onto the possibility that Inuyasha had simply been talking with Kikyo and not getting his soul sucked out of his body._

_Of course, coming out here in the middle of the night without a flashlight was rather stupid of her. How on earth did she think she could track down an inu half demon with no light? _

_She kept berating herself until she heard the sound of feet running towards her. A wave of panic overtook her, thinking that it may be a hungry demon sniffing for its next meal, she ran towards a low branched tree, before climbing up to its foliage. _

_Her heart was beating fast as the sound of feet began to grow louder. She closed her eyes, wishing for whatever was coming to pass her. Suddenly the noise stopped nearby causing her to hold her breath._

_ "What on earth are you doing up there?" the baritone voice brought her out of her petrified state of mind and she let go of the air she kept in. Inuyasha was at the base of the tree she had shimmered up, looking at her like she had grown a second head._

_She huffed out a reply, "I was coming to find you, when you didn't come back right away I got worried and thought that you were in trouble. But when you started making all that noise I started to get scared and climbed this tree." _

_Inuyasha couldn't keep the amusement from his face as his lips broke to show his white fangs. _

_"Are you stupid? I was going to come back no matter what. Or did you really think that I could be taken down by some random demon that easily, and why don't you have your light stick with you?" By this time Kagome was just glad that she had found him, but his insults were wearing her patients thin._

_"Look, can you just help me down from here? I don't trust you not to look up my skirt when I climb down." She heard him 'feh' at her statement and mumble why anyone would want to look at her, but complied to help her down nonetheless. _

_He opened his arms to her. "Alright, jump down and I'll catch you."_

_And really, she did believe that he would catch her, whenever she fell. The thought warmed her heart so that the previous pain was almost nonexistent. _

_Placing her hands on the branch she was sitting on, she braced herself before hopping off and letting herself fall down, feeling her body land softly in Inuyasha's arms. It was nice when he held her like this and, she admitted to herself, that she would like it if it happened more often. He set her on her feet before turning away towards where she had come from, silently asking her to follow him back to camp._

_A smile crept on her face as she jogged up to his side. _

_It had been a while since they had been alone like this. Usually their time was spent in the company of their group, not that she didn't enjoy their company as well, it was just that Inuyasha tended to act differently when they were alone, and she cherished them. _

_"So Inuyasha, are you ok?" He looked at her with confusion prominently displayed, why would he not be ok, was what he was silently asking, and for that matter, was she ok. _

_Kagome rolled her eyes when she saw his obvious confusion. "Oh never mind, you're so oblivious." She didn't mean to start something, but apparently Inuyasha took her comment personally. _

_"Feh, well you're not so observable about some things either Ka-go-me." He knew that she hated it when he said her name like that, which made it the perfect get-back tool. Watching her face screw up in anger was amusing and sure as hell made what had just happened between him and Kikyo disappear from his mind. _

_Truthfully, he was quiet only because of what had happened with the undead priestess, and he was all too grateful for Kagome's presence now, though it would be a cold day in hell before he told her that. _

_It was way too mushy for him, plus knowing Kagome, she might take it the wrong way and start sitting him till he was six feet under and pronounced dead by a certain perverted monk. _

_Kagome was about to give Inuyasha a piece of her mind before an eerie aura curled around her. Apparently Inuyasha felt it too, which was strange because he usually couldn't sense these things, as he took his battle-ready stance and moved her to stand behind him. _

_Inuyasha had his hand on his swords hilt, staring at the row of trees in front of them, was waiting for something to come out._

_"Inuyasha, whatever is out there isn't here yet. Maybe we could sneak around it, avoid a fight. I don't have my arrows with me and..." Inuyasha cut her off without taking his eyes off the forest edge._

_"Don't be stupid, Kagome. I can take on any demon that comes out of there, just you wait!" His hand flexed in anticipation for the fight._

_There was the sound of footsteps before a hooded figure walked out from the bushes. It looked like an old woman, relatively harmless from the looks of her. __The woman had on a dark purple cloak covering everything, except her lower nose and mouth, which had a bundle of wrinkles around their edges. She had a hunched back and was using an ancient looking walking stick that was carved meticulously with care that depicted a large flaming bird, something like a phoenix._

_As Kagome took a step towards the woman Inuyasha's arm blocked her path. "Don't go near her Kagome, she smells of magic and not the good kind either. You, old hag, do you have some business with us or what?"_

_Kagome though she heard her chuckle, which she was sure Inuyasha heard for his stance suddenly stiffened and was ready to pull out Tetsusaiga. _

_"Yes, you are the ones I have looked for. Two hearts, separated by their own baffled senses, torn by societies rules and yet coming to care for each other. Having survived this long is commendable, but what say you, to put them to the test? What perfect test subjects for my newly perfected spell."_

_ Before either realized it, the old woman reached into her sleeve, taking out a hidden bottle filled with blood-red liquid and threw it towards them. It shattered at the ground in front of them, killing the grass as its fumes filled their lungs. _

_Inuyasha, having the more sensitive nose, fell to the ground after only moments of fighting to stay conscious. Kagome was not having any better luck, as the old woman walked past Inuyasha, peering down at her, red orbs glowing underneath her hood. _

_"You're a demon…cough…what do you want?" Kagome clutched her hand over the few jewel shards she had around her neck protectively, while simultaneously trying to crawl over to Inuyasha. The old demon laughed heartily as she grabbed a hand full of her hair, yanking her head to look at her directly. _

_Personally, Kagome could have done without the clear visual of the hags face; it looked just like the witch that had tried to suck her soul out a few years ago. The first day she met Kikyo…_

_"You're that witch, the one that tried to take my soul! I thought you were killed by Kikyo!" the witch cackled hoarsely at her. It made Kagome feel like she had missed the big picture, when the witch pulled her hair more than was necessary towards her face._

_"You stupid reincarnation, don't you have any brains in there at all? If you had read my aura like a true priestess would, you would see that mine and my idiot sister's auras are completely different." _

_Her smile was crooked and her breath was hot, making Kagome cringe, holding her breath as she spoke. _

_"Besides, I am nothing like my deceased sister; she had only ever used her powers wastefully, never taking into account the consequences of her actions. Not to mention her techniques were sloppy, if I were given the assignment to bring the dead priestess back to life, I would have sucked your entire soul out of your body without fail. It was because of you that Urasue is dead!"_

_The witch threw her down to the floor, turning towards Inuyasha who was still unconscious from the fumes. She was smirking wickedly like she had just won the fricken jackpot. _

_Kagome's arms were now starting to feel more like jelly. It was getting more difficult to keep from blacking out, but she knew that would mean she wouldn't be able to stop this crazed wench from whatever she planned for them. _

_This witch obviously had a grudge against them and had every intention to kill them tonight. It was then that Kagome saw the knife that she had pulled out, dangerously slashing it through the air, before pointing its blade towards the half-demon. _

_"I think that it would be better to start with him first. After all, they say that death is not the most painful thing to have happen to a person. You will watch as I use this cursed dragon's blade to carve open his heart, leaving his dead corpse to rot in this clearing." _

_Fear gripped at her heart as she watched her stalk towards her friend. _

_"Don't you touch him, you coward!"_

_ Finding strength she didn't know she had left, her legs lifted her up and ran forward, she felt her body tackle the unnamed witch to the ground. They wrestled for minutes on the grass, scratching and clawing, kicking and even biting, anything Kagome thought she had the strength still to do to keep her away from him._

_ A sharp pain at her side had broken through her adrenaline rush. Her hand was the first to feel the knife that had pierced through her stomach, blood leaking out of her body and staining her white sailor shirt. _

_This bitch, I can't let her get away, or she will kill Inuyasha. I have to do this; I have to kill her before I…_

_She couldn't think anymore, so she relied on her instincts. Pulling out the knife from her side, she felt her arm rise above her head as she aimed for the witch's heart. Kagome thought she heard Inuyasha's voice yelling at her, but it was all a faint murmur in her ears. _

_The last thing she saw was the witch yanking out a book, cursing in a different language, which sounded more like gurgles and hisses, before she brought the knife down into and through her chest._

_Inuyasha had woken up just in time to see Kagome and the old hag fighting a few yards away from him. He remembered that bitch had thrown a kind of poison at him that made his head spin. He fell unconscious but that wasn't important now. Kagome was in trouble and he had to get to her. He had to protect her. _

_His legs were wobbly which pissed him off, damn it he shouldn't be this weak. His ears perked up at the sound of Kagome gasping. He quickly turned his head only to see the most horrifying image play out, one that was sure to give him nightmares._

_Kagome was sitting on top of the witch, holding her down, but her hand was covering her stomach, a dagger protruding out of her body. He watched the emotions run across her face, smelt the strong scent of blood, it made everything else in the world stand still. He was stunned only for a moment until he felt his anger building, his beast thrashing against its cage deep within his soul. _

_His vision was slowly turning red. He watched as Kagome pulled the weapon from her side, swaying a bit, before lifting it up with the intent to kill. It woke him up; that there was hope of her surviving this, she was not lost. She could still live. _

_As his sight cleared from his demon's blood lust, the witch shrieked out what sounded like a spell, ripping a book out from her yukata. He was on his feet now, running almost desperately towards the girl, the woman he was supposed to be able to protect. _

_He had failed her so many times already, letting her take the hit for him was the last thing that he wanted to have happened, but it did. He was to blame, but he would be damned if the wench die because of this demon hag. _

_As he neared them, a blinding red light illuminated the area around them. It was similar to the blue light that shone when they traveled through the well, but it felt different, less like a stream of time. It was more of like the feeling he had when they used the portal to get to his father's grave, from the glass jewel in his eye._

_He saw Kagome slipping away into the light, already passed out, and holding the knife stained with the witch's blood, as well as her own. _

_"KAGOME!" his voice filled with panic. _

_He was not going to lose her. He was not going to abandon her anymore! His hand sought blindly out for hers as his body too was engulfed in the red light. He was about to give up hope when he felt the brush of her hand against his. _

_With that he reached out quickly to clutch her body to his. It was difficult not to get sick from the turbulence of the ride down, or what he thought was down. The light was so bright he had to shut his eyes and hope that wherever this portal led them was somewhere they could find their way back. _

_Slowly, the winds died down, the red light disappearing until only the light shining was that of the full moon._

_Blinking his eyes open, he saw that they were in a different forest, one with weird trees. The area's scent and aura also seemed different, and as he sniffed the air, he could not smell the sent of any demons within about a hundred miles from them. It was all puzzling to Inuyasha and it was starting to get him worried about where the heck they were. _

_A shiver from the girl in his arms brought him back to reality. He was scared to look at the figure in his arms, knowing full well that Kagome was in bad shape. Taking a good look at her, he saw that her face was unnaturally pale and that her body felt cold. The blood that was still seeping from her side was the first thing to attend to. _

_He quickly set her down on the grass, hearing her moan in discomfort. Lifting up her shirt he trained his eyes on the wound. It was life-threatening, that much he knew, and if he was anything less than a half-demon that night, she would have died. Bringing his face down to her side, he opened his mouth and began to lick. _

_This was the only thing his aniki taught him, the healing properties his demon saliva. I guess the next time I see Sesshomaru I'll have to thank him for this before we start at each others throats. Pushing all unnecessary thoughts from his head, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. The wound was closing nicely, but would that be enough? Would he be too late to save her? _

_No, he would not fail, she will survive. A few more licks and the wound had healed, leaving only a scar in its place on Kagome's otherwise perfectly flawless skin. After he was sure that he wound closed, he turned his attention to Kagome's face. _

_It felt so warm here, like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was peaceful and serene, addictive even, so much so that she didn't feel like waking up. _

_A voice sounded, not through her ears, but all around her, like there was someone here in this place trying to contact her. It was difficult to hear his exact words, but the voice sounded familiar to her and was driving her towards it. It sounded, sad, for a lack of words, but it was so much more than that. It held a tone that shook her heart._

_There was fear in that voice, a voice she knew was once very strong and fearless. Now it belonged to someone who was desperate for her to answer. She tried to follow it, but her body was not complying with her. It wanted to stay here, where it was warm and safe. Where there weren't anymore worries or troubles, pain or suffering, betrayal and hurt. There was none of that here. So, why did she feel compelled to answer that voice?_

_Who was that calling her? She strained her ears to hear it clearer, but it didn't do any good. It was hopeless; she couldn't understand what was being said. The voice was dimming now, like it was going off in the opposite direction._

_No, come back! I don't want to stay here! I want to be with you!_

_INUYASHA!_

_Kagome felt like her body was falling, at first she thought that it was because she was dead, but after a minute she felt a shiver run up her spine and she felt her soul slam back into the earth._

_Inuyasha had called out her name many times for minutes, crying and pleading for her to be alright. He was about ready to ask the kami's for help when he saw her body quake._

_Breath found its way out of Kagome, as she coughed and hacked out vigorously, coming back from the grave._

_He whispered her name, slowly as if this might be a hallucination. He touched her face and she turned into it. He let go of the air he didn't know he was holding, letting the raw emotions he had been displayed in his eyes, the thankfulness that she was alive, the happiness that she survived and what was left over from his panic when he thought he was going to lose her._

_The night was slowly ending. The morning light was about to break through the trees, when Kagome felt a pain beginning to rise in her chest. It started as a slight prick, like when you get stung by a pesky insect, but as it grew in intensity, Kagome looked up to Inuyasha in fear. _

_Having sensed that something was wrong, he looked at her begging for an explanation to what was happening. "Inuyasha, I feel strange…"_

_The morning light reached them, her body lit with light, and Inuyasha had all but yelled out her name, with the same fear as the voice that brought her back from the dead. _

**Flashback End**

* * *

Their positions hadn't changed with their arms still wrapped around each other. Her head tilted up as Inuyasha took a step back.

"It was meant for me." His words were soft and filled with regret. She knew that he blamed himself for not being able to protect her, but really if time turned back for her and she was in that moment when she protected Inuyasha from harm, she would do it again.

She smiled, before abruptly shoving him out the door, putting some much-needed distance between them. "Get out of here. I can't think straight with you here distracting me." She said playfully.

Inuyasha messed with the straw hat a bit before gruffly replying. "Yeah, yeah wench. I'm going."

It had been difficult since their abrupt landing in this 'time', or at least that's what they thought they were at first, until remembering that damned witch had sucked them into a weird-looking scroll. It looked like a story book, something that you would read to children before bed and then leave tucked away somewhere forgotten.

He didn't want to look back. It was too painful, not to mention awkward. Instead his mind wandered back to the embrace they shared not ten minutes ago, and he remembered how different she looked, dressed in a full male's clothing, wearing a stolen light blue shirt and darker colored pants, and how strange her new body felt.

After all, because of her stupid bravery act for him, they had not only been sucked into this strange new world, but Kagome had been cursed into the body of the opposite sex.

He patted his chest where he could still feel the impression of her body, or he should say 'his' body. His head hung a bit as he walked off to scout the path they would take into the large village they found out was named Konan.

They would travel into the market later when Kagome was done making the medicine to sell. All of it was a large pain in his rear if anyone asked, as well as for his nose.

* * *

The marketplace was buzzing with excitement. It seemed that there were all kinds of people there wanting to look at the different merchants wares that consisted mostly of fabrics and foods. The smells were enticing and they made Kagome's mouth water. Although the sights and smells were all wonderful to her

It was weird to be walking around a village as a…well…as a boy. Her hand rubbed her chest for the second time that morning, missing the two lumps that identified her as a woman.

Although her body was relatively the same size, five foot two, which placed her even on a shorter height scale than when she was a woman, her body had lost all of its curves and replaced them with toner biceps, harder abdomen and stronger thighs. Not to mention 'gifting' her with the, ahem, most distinguished male appendage of them all between her legs.

It was simply put, the most awkward situation she had ever been subjected to thus far throughout all of her misadventures in the Feudal Era.

What was done is done, she reminded herself. Her whining about it every minute was not going to change anything, and it certainly wasn't going to get them home. Inuyasha was walking next to her, straw hat on his head and Tetsusaiga at his side. She didn't even try to explain why he should have left his sword at the hut.

Looking around at the obvious stares they were getting, it wasn't as if he would have just left it anyway. He was looking off to the side at one of the stands selling food. If he were any more a dog, like Sesshomaru, he would be licking his chops at the scent of cook meat. The though brought a smile to her face.

Although there were also many things she wanted to buy, Kagome though was on a different mission, with her arms secure around her bags of medicine she had ready for more than two days.

She was very proud of herself that she was able to make so much.

Since finding out that her kind of money was not the common currency used, it had been a struggle to keep their bellies full and their noses clean. Especially since a certain hanyou suggested that they just simply steal some purses, his alibi being that he could take on whoever they got the money from.

It surprised her that he would even suggest such a thing. Then again, they had no allegiance to this village, city, kingdom whatever, and she could certainly see Inuyasha's frustration grow as they were running out of things to eat back in the forest.

It surprised her one night when he came back with an adult tiger, dead and ready for eating.

It certainly was puzzling for her, since she knew that Japan was not a native land for any species of tiger. She was running out of ideas about when or where they might be when she remembered the witch holding up that old-looking book.

Maybe their current situation had to do with that book.

Kagome was beginning to feel a headache grow, pressing a hand to her head and gaining a worried look from her companion.

"Kagome, what's wrong? You're not talking as much as you usually do. I figured you were just angry at me, but now…" His eyebrows furrowed, daring her to say that it was nothing. He knew when something was paining her, and usually they were in the form of headaches.

He sighed before tucking his arms into the sleeves of his fire-rat robe. "Don't say your fine, cause I know your not."

Inuyasha looked down at the 'man' beside him. Kagome still had the same face, thank kami, but there was nothing feminine about her anymore. She was, for lack of a better word, trapped in a man's body.

The fact was still giving him shivers down his spine. It was all because of that witch.

"Alright, you caught me. I have a small headache, but it's not bad." Her…or his voice snapped Inuyasha out of his thoughts. It was still Kagome's voice; soft and velvety as he remembered it. Everything was the same about her other than her body.

Inuyasha blinked as if he had just realized something.

Kagome was still herself. Nothing had changed about her personality or her soul. She was still a woman underneath the curse and he could still see the fire in her eyes, believing with all her might that they would break the curse somehow.

He felt horrible now, for thinking as if Kagome had changed into another person, a stranger that he didn't know. No, he shouted in his head, she was still his Kagome.

Glancing down again, he caught Kagome looking at him with worry. He let out a small grin and in response had a full-blown smile from his companion. It was amazing to him that she could still smile after all that has happened to her. It was something he never thought was possible before.

They were coming up to a stone bridge acting as the main passage to and from the market and the local villagers houses. Kagome's eyes lit up at the chance to finally try to sell some of her medicines.

"Inuyasha, do you think it would be alright for us to set up on the bridge?" Inuyasha looked uninterested at the bridge, seeing some families with children pass on it back and forth. It didn't really matter to him where they set up, but when they would get some money to buy some real food.

"Doesn't matter whether or not we can, as long as we sell something and get some money. Besides I'm way too hungry to be nice to anyone that tries to tell us otherwise."

Kagome knew that look. It was the look that said if she didn't feed the doggy now, there was going to be a fight between them and the next group of questionable looking guys pretty soon.

She sighed as they got to the edge of the bridge, probably foreseeing that if Inuyasha was going to get into a fight today anyway, she would prefer that it be by her…his side, they walked down the side of it, before stopping right in the middle where it bent a little.

She sat down before setting up her medicines. They were not the most well presented medicines, with her having to use the leaves and string she found in the forest. They looked pretty crappy.

It was making her doubt that people would even take the time to try them and see how the quality exceeded their coverings. She had a total of twenty-eight different medicines, which she had made thanks to her wonderful teacher Kaede. The old priestess told her that she had a knack for the art, which in this case, had turned out to save them from having to steal wallets.

Kagome sat patiently, waiting for anyone that passed to spare a glance, and when they did she got so excited only to be downtrodden when they passed on. Inuyasha patted her shoulder every time, ensuring that he had his support at least.

About thirty minutes past before an old couple came to cross the bridge. The woman looked down at the medicine and stopped. She whispered to her husband, who looked down at the leaf-covered packages, shrugging a bit before letting her unhook her arm from his.

"Excuse me, I am having trouble sleeping at night. My body just isn't what it used to be, I suppose, but would you have something that could help me? I'm afraid I have tried all the other medicines in the market and none of them worked for me." Kagome smiled sincerely, which made the woman a bit more open to him.

"Of course, I might have something that could help you. If you could just tell me specifically what it is that you think is making it difficult for you to sleep?" The woman looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, I have been tossing and turning for more than a week. I haven't had a good night in a while, in fact, after my sister died…I have been unable to sleep well. I have been so stressed with all the preparations to be done for her funeral…" Her voice had cracked as she spoke of her sister, Kagome's eyes softened in understanding.

Kagome looked down at the different assortments of bundles, carefully unwrapping and rewrapping them until she found the right one.

Giving the small bag to the woman she said, "Take this medicine with a cup of tea before you go to sleep. It has a special herb mixed in with spices that helps the mind relax. After having dealt with a tragic loss in your family, I also suggest that you and your husband take this." Holding up another pouch, Kagome explained further.

"It works as both a relaxant and an open air fragrance. You just let it sit in an open area and your room will smell like a field full of lilies." The woman looked skeptic, so she opened the parcel, giving her the option to smell the contents. The customer's eyes widened and watered suddenly. Her husband came to her side, asking what had troubled her.

"It…sniff…It smells just like my Akira." A surprised look came over his face, as he too bent down to smell the sand-like medicine.

"It…it really does smell like her. That's amazing!" Kagome smiled sheepishly at the compliment. The woman turned into her husband. "Oh please, let us buy this one too. It would make the healing process easier to bear."

There was no way he could refuse that look in her eyes, Kagome thought. Finally the man caved in, pulling out his wallet from his side, paying her for the two medicine pouches and saying their thanks.

"Thank you so much for this, young man." Kagome could tell that the old woman was a bit unsure calling her a man. Watching as she took a closer look, skimming down to her chest and seeing there was nothing there, the woman straightened once again, convinced she had made the right guess.

"Yes thank you. If your medicine works for my wife, we may come back again for some more. Well, we pray Suzaku will grace you young men with protection this morning." He and his wife gave a bow before starting again down the bridge, fawning over the medicines fragrance again.

Watching them leave, Kagome felt a warmness course through her. It was rare to see an old married couple living happily together, especially in her time. There were so many people getting hurt over lost loves and divorces, so much that it almost left no hope for young people to dream about finding a person who they truly loved.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tapping on her shoulder.

"Kagome, what are you daydreaming for? Let me see the money we got, I'm hungry for some real food! Come on already!" Inuyasha was all but shouting into her ear. It had made her hands clamp over them.

"Inuyasha will you quit it? Your yelling hurts my ears." Holding out the money for him to see, his face was split by a happy grin.

"You think we can buy some food with that now?" Kagome sighed. He really was incorrigible, always thinking about their next meal or his next brawl with a random stranger. When they first arrived in this 'time' they were constantly ambushed by groups of thugs. If it wasn't for Inuyasha's nose, they would have never gotten away with only a few bruises.

Thinking it was best for him to just find something to eat than drive her customers away, she gave him the coins. Inuyasha leapt into the air happily before running off back towards the market.

Inuyasha turned his head back shouting, "I'll bring you back something, Kagome!"

She sighed once again. It seemed that she had done that a lot around Inuyasha these days. When were they going to get home again? As another potential customer approached she decided to not think about it.

^^^^^Chapter End^^^^^^

**_I love feedback from my readers, so please feel free to leave a review. This goes for all of my stories, cause sometimes I get lazy and might not update for a while. But don't worry! I won't make it too long._**

**_Just enough to get my muse for the story. And a special message to all of those who stuck around till the end. _**

**_Thankyou, to all of those who took time out of their day to read my story. _**

**_I am deeply honored. I hope you enjoyed it!_**


	2. What's That On Your Neck?

**I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or Inuyasha. This is purely for entertainment.**

**Chapter 2 What's That On Your Neck?**

What the hell was wrong with these villagers?

Inuyasha was walking steadily down the middle of the dirt road that separated many merchant stores and booths. It was also clear that he was pissed, seething actually. He had to bite his fangs down on his bottom lip to keep from giving everyone around a taste of how fowl-mouthed he could be.

As soon as he disembarked on his trek to find something good to eat, he was immediately assaulted by every single pair of eyes in the market. It was starting to get on his nerves, how people could just stare at him, like he was some kind of festival side-show.

And staring was the least they were doing.

Apparently, most of the women found him exotic, what with his silver hair and him carrying a sword around in broad daylight. Many of them thought that he had dyed his hair because he was someone of high status. Once they thought that, he could hear them mumble their speculations, wondering who he was and trying to determine how much money he had.

It took all he had not to shout at them to shut their traps and growl in their faces.

The men were another story, though their reactions to him were ones that he expected. While the women looked at him with lust and interest, the men were about ready to cut his throat open at all the attention he was getting.

Feh, it wasn't like it was his fault.

He continued walking leisurely, openly returning the challenging glares of the men, but steered clear of the women. He didn't want to start anything in this town, at leat not right now when thoughts were all centered around his stomach.

After I get something to eat, I'll probably be in a better mood to answer their challenges. For now, he thought, finding something for them to eat is his priority.

So, without any further delay, he lifted his chin a bit and took in the scents of the market.

There were tons of scents to sort through. There were the scents of every single person, the odor of sweat, the pounds of make-up and perfumes from the stores, and finally the scent of steaming meat.

Inuyasha followed his nose, catching the delicious smell of pork buns, he picked up his speed. He didn't bother to remember where he was going, relying on his nose, he could just retrace his steps back to Kagome at the bridge.

The murmurs of the villagers died to his ears when he finally found what he was looking for. His mouth filled up with saliva at the sight of the cooking rice balls. It seemed like he was experiencing a euphoria from the scent.

"Hey, hey young man! If you're going to buy something, get on with it. You're scaring all of my other customers away with your eyes bulging out of their sockets." The man behind the stand was short, standing on a box to even come to Inuyasha's chest in height.

Scoffing at the sales-man, Inuyasha replied, "Hey, Old man, give me four of those meat buns you have cooking back their, would ya?"

The short man glanced at Inuyasha, determining by the look of him if he had any money to pay of them. Catching his stare, Inuyasha huffed angrily, scaring the poor man, before taking out the coins he got from Kagome.

The man nodded at the currency, before turning around to check on the meat buns. "It will take a few more minutes, sir." the merchant informed him.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the mans change of attitude. Addressing him as 'sir' did nothing but upset him. Even when Myoga, the demon flea, had first called him 'master' when he first met him, he was unwilling to be treated as such.

At first, he had constantly argued with Myoga about calling him 'master', but his father's servant never stopped, even after he threatened to squish him until he was nothing but a smear on the road.

Eventually, he had relented to the old flea, after he had explained that it served as a way to preserve his station in the demon world and his reputation as the son of the Great dog demon general, The ruler of the Western Lands, Lord Inu no Taisho.

Only after Myoga said this, did he allow him to call him 'Master Inuyasha', if only to feel close to his father.

Standing in the shade of the stand, Inuyasha waited. After a while, he had noticed that his presence was attracting a crowd. A hoard of women lined up on the other side of the street, sneaking glances at him.

He shook his head, wondering why they were even staring at him. His ears picked up some interesting conversations, all of them oddly focusing on him.

"Maybe he is a commissioner of government or maybe a kind of lower lord." A woman dressed in a fancy yellow-purple kimono glanced at him, hoping to draw his attention towards her. She looked like she was of a moderate household herself, with her hair done up in curls and ornaments sticking out of her head. She was surrounded by a few other women, who looked a bit under-dressed compared to her.

Another woman next to her looked at him without shame, replying, "Oh, how interesting. But I don't think he's a Lord. Look, he carries a sword around openly, even though only the imperial guards are allowed to wield weapons in the city. Do you think he works in the palace?"

A few gasps escaped the girls, their curiosity growing stronger.

The beautifully dressed woman spoke again, "Well, that would make more sense. Just look at how torn up his clothes are, I didn't notice before, but he couldn't possibly be a lord dressed like that." The small giggles that they emitted were starting to piss him off.

Inuyasha growled lowly at them, hoping that they would lose interest in him. They seemed taken back at the action, sharing looks of fear between them.

He sighed, relaxing his tense form. Well, maybe now they would leave him alone...

"Well...", the youngest-looking girl whispered, "you have to admit, despite his state of dress and his attitude, he does have a handsome face."

Inuyasha was stunned silent.

_What the hell?_

The other woman seemed taken back at her brashness, but giggled nonetheless. "Oh really, Momoko! You have to say the obvious every time don't you? Anyone with eyes could see that, without a doubt.", the well-dressed woman joked, then looked at him.

Her eyes turned lustful as she lifted a hand to her cheek, "~Oh, If only I weren't married."

All of a sudden, Inuyasha felt his face grow hot. He was thankful for the hat at that moment, since it protected most of his face from being seen by the village girls.

He never thought he would be described like **that**!

He felt as if their eyes were undressing him from head to toe, gleaming with deception and plotting a dozen scenarios where they could snag him as a husband. It was all too weird.

In the Feudal era, he had not gotten one glance that suggested a female, demon or human, would consider him of marriageable quality. They would usually shrink in fear or glare at him as he passed by.

Then again, he thought to himself, if he were to remove his hat, it would all be too similar to the Feudal Era. In no time at all, these annoying harlots that once whispered about him, would scream and run in terror at what he was.

It was just as fine for him. He never wanted, never expected, to find a person who could openly accept what he was.

The man behind the stand stood in front of him, his hands holding a small box with the four rice buns.

"Here you are, sir!"

Quickly, he paid the man for the meat buns, practically throwing the money at him, and hastily walked down the crowded street. He wasn't used to all of this attention, and he was especially surprised to be the topic of a fantasy for a group of women.

Facts are still facts. He was a half-demon, a lower form of both human and demon. A creäture that was against the laws of nature, one that did not deserve to walk under the same sun with the rest of the world. When he was little, more than once, he had been in danger of believing in the cruel words that local villagers attacked him with.

At those times, he was naïve, and lived in the ignorance his mother graced him with until she died. Her death had ignited the seemingly endless waves of hatred from all directions around him. He was forced out of the village he had lived; with his mother gone the villagers didn't see any reason to let an orphaned half-demon stick around.

After that, he had no choice but to live in the forest. Demons came after him, sniffing him out like prey. He got away though, and he was proud of the fact that he, a lowly half-demon, was able to survive without any protection while still in his tender years.

Sesshomaru, eat your heart out, thought Inuyasha, as a grin split across his face.

**'Grrrrr...'**

Without warning, his stomach began to growl at him, as if it were angry that he had yet to take a bite out of one of the meat buns. Deciding to abide by his stomach, he fished into the box and lifted out a steaming hot bun.

Shoving half of it into his mouth, his train of thought was lost, as the flavors invaded his mouth. He hummed a bit, before backtracking to where he had left Kagome at the bridge.

A blotch of brown ran past him and he was forced to move aside, the scent of dandelions invading his nose. But what she looked like really surprised him. It was a girl, her brown hair up in two buns, who looked more like Kagome's friends in her era than any kimono-dressed harlot he had seen around here!

His ember eyes widened as she passed by, taking in her appearance. She was dressed in a short brown skirt, vest and jacket, complete with a white 'polo shirt', from what he could remember Kagome telling him, and a blue bow at the apex of her chest.

She was running away from the vender that had sold him food, with him waving a rather large stick after her. "Hey, you little thief, this isn't money! Come back here!"

The girl was screaming, or at least trying to with a little meat bun sticking out of her mouth.

"But it is money! They're Japanese coins from the twentieth century!" Inuyasha's ears sprung to life, nearly toppling the straw hat off his head in front of a bunch of villagers.

He had to get Kagome!

* * *

The sun was high in the sky as Kagome was about to sell her last sack of medicine. According to the sun above her it wasn't even past noon, and already she was cleaned out of her wares.

Kagome was still sitting on the arch of the bridge, exchanging her last bundle of herbs with a man who looked to be around his thirties. Glancing around the man, she saw that there were still a few others in line that had waited patiently for their turn. A twinge of guilt entered her heart.

"Thankyou, young man.", said the customer. She was forced to smile and bow her head in reply. It was wierd being called a 'young man' all the time.

As she took the money from the man, she deposited the coins into a small bag. After tying it up, she placed it inside the sleeves of her shirt.

After he had left, she saw that there were a few others that formed a short line. Their faces contorted with disappointment.

It was too bad that she had sold out, but there was nothing she could do. It seemed that the old man and woman from earlier in the morning, a whole flock of people began to circle her little make-shift stand.

It was all very nice of them, and she was flattered at the attention, but she had sold everything a lot faster than she expected to. And there were still so many people waiting.

Having no choice but to pack up her stuff, she looked on with an apologizing face.

"I'm truly sorry, but it seems that I have run out of stock at this time." A trail of groans came after, a few bowing their heads in sadness.

A frown crossed her features. She really didn't want to disappoint any of these people, so she thought for a while on the predicament.

Coming to a solution, she turned back to the crowd and shouted that she would work hard to make more medicine as soon as she could. Receiving many thanks from the crowd, she watched as they dispersed to either side off the bridge.

A sigh left her, as she rubbed the kinks out of her shoulder. The day had been nice anyway, she thought. How knows? Maybe she could become a regular supplier for many of the locals here. She could sell her medicine's in the bridge every other day and even get a few regulars. She could see their smiling faces, as she gave them the herbs she had worked so hard to make.

That would be nice...

She was knocked out of her daydream by a rather loud, obnoxious half-demon. "Hey, Kagome!"

Kagome turned her attention towards the brazen male. He was carrying a box in his right hand and was trying to talk through the lump in his throat. Finding it interesting that he was trying to speak with a meat bun half down his esophagus, Kagome merely raised an eyebrow at her companion.

She couldn't make out what he was saying, all of it coming out as gasps and grunts, as he tried to talk and swallow at the same time.

Kagome giggled, "Inuyasha, swallow the food first or else your going to choke. Besides, I can't understand a word you're trying to tell me."

The male nodded, making a face that indicated he was forcing the lump of food down his throat. He gasped for breath.

"Gasp…gasp…I was trying to tell you that I saw a girl who looked like you here! She was dressed in the same clothes as when you go to that 'school' thing, back in your era."

Kagome was stunned. There was another girl, one that was wearing a school uniform, here? It almost seemed to good to be true.

A thought struck her then, "Inuyasha, what kind of uniform was see wearing? Maybe I can tell what school she came from."

The half-demon brooded for a moment, "Well, both of your clothes look different. The girl's clothes consisted of a white shirt, brown corset kind of thing, and a short jacket. She also had a brown skirt, which proves that she isn't from around here. I mean, there aren't any people around in the market that I've seen in the same clothing."

Kagome nodded, taking in all the information. She thought for a moment, trying to remember if there were any schools around hers that had their students wear something like that. It didn't ring any bells or chimes, but that didn't matter.

There was another girl from her century here in this city! It was like a gift from god, a sign that kami had given them a chance to get home. Home...to the Feudal Era.

Although, there was a chance that this girl could not be from her time, Kagome decided to stay positive. "Well, I suppose the only way to be sure that this girl is from my era is to question her. Where is she?"

Inuyasha shrugged, "She ran past me in the market. Come on, she couldn't have run far."

Kagome looked at him as if he had grown a second head. A girl, possibly from her era, had passed Inuyasha in the market, and he didn't immediately go after her?

Placing her hand over the half-demons forehead, she asked, "Are you alright, Inuyasha? You didn't go off and chase a girl who could have helped us, but instead, come back here and tell me? Do you have a fever?"

It sounded strange even to Inuyasha, as he thought about it. He didn't really know why he automatically came back to get Kagome first, it just...happened that way.

He swatted the petite male's hand away from him. "Feh, I just don't want to track something down and end up answering a whole bunch of questions."

Inuyasha felt a change in Kagome's presence, first she was joking with him, now she seemed to be in deep thought. Her brow was scrunched up and her hand covered her mouth as she stared at the floor.

Poking her cheek gently with his claw, he hesitated, "Umm...Kagome? Are you ok? You got quiet all of a sudde-"

She startled him a bit, exclaiming, "Inuyasha, I don't think we should tell anyone about where we came from. Especially that girl that we are going to find."

He looked confused for a moment, so she elaborated, "If we told people that we had come from the Feudal Era, they would think that we have gone crazy and probably lock us up. Also, from what we think we know about that girl, she could be from my time, but that would mean that she would have no idea that demons existed."

Realisation dawned on Inuyasha. Nodding his head, he agreed, "Alright then, we tell nobody about where we came from. Should be easy enough, but what about the part about you being cursed and actually being a girl?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "We aren't telling anyone about that either. What would people think, if I just went up to them stating I was a girl trapped in a man's body? I would sound more like Jakotsu!"

Inuyasha shuddered at the name. That homosexual creep had hit on him almost as many times as Miroku hit on Sango!

Kagome nodded after making sure he understood, "Well, first things first, we have to find that girl. She could probably tell us how she got here; hopefully there could be something she says that we can use to get ourselves back to the Feudal era."

Inuyasha growled in annoyance, but overall agreed with…him. Damn, it was still embarrassing as hell for him to think of Kagome like that.

"Alright already, we'll go and find her. It shouldn't be hard to do since I got a good whiff of her scent when she passed me in the market."

With spirits raised a bit with hope, the two made their way off the bridge and into the market, determined to find the girl, but were not anticipating the adventure they were about to embark on.

* * *

Miaka couldn't believe her luck, or rather her absence of luck. Ever since she got dumped here by that strange book, she and her best friend, Yui, had been attacked by human slave traders, saved by a rather handsome-looking guy, and then stranded in an unfamiliar city all by herself!

"Oh, Great Buddha, why has this happened to me and what has become of my friend Yui? Please, don't let her have gotten kidnapped by those human slave traders! I don't know what I'd do!" she cried out to the sky, her hands clasped together above her head as if she were praying.

Her mind began stitching together possible and impossible circumstances about Yue and where she might have gone. If her memory served her right, that man with the word 'ogre' on his forehead was the last person that they had seen together. That was when she figured that Yue must have followed him into town.

But then why didn't Yue wait for me, she thought.

Miaka stood in the middle of the marketplace, the wheels in her head turning for an explanation to her friend's weird behavior. Around her, people began to look at her strangely, if not for her clothes, which were being scrutinized as inappropriate, then for her blatantly scrunched up expression.

She sat down on a wooden crate behind a restaurant. "I'm exhausted. That guy who sold me that mean bun was rather persistent."After she made that bun-seller mad, she thought it would be best to stay hidden for a while.

She sighed, thinking about her friend.

_Yui, where have you gone?_

A hand fell on her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss."

When she looked behind her she was greeted with the sight of a rather handsome young man. His hair was stylishly bunched up on top of his head, a few strands escaping to cover his forehead. He had very kind eyes and a nice smile, which prompted her to drop her guard.

"I couldn't help watching you.", he said rather bluntly, "And since I'm on my own here too, I was wondering if I could show you around the Konan Empire." He was a smooth talker, she would give him that.

What a moment, was this young handsome man...actually asking her out on a date?! It was every girl's dream, to find a guy that who would try and win her favor and strive endlessly to get her attention.

Could she have transformed into a woman of beauty when she and Yui were transported into the book? Oh, she could only hope so! Afterall, this man wouldn't be asking to show her around the city if she were not at least a little pretty.

But, she didn't want to make it seem like she was easy. Telling herself to play it cool, she turned bashfully away, "I'm sorry, but you see, I'm looking for someone right now, so I can't take you up on that offer."

_That's it girl, play it cool, like those popular girls at school!_

"Oh, you mean the man with the ogre symbol on his forehead, right?" being the air-headed schoolgirl she was, she didn't question how he knew she was looking for him, but instead shouted with glee.

Turning to face the man, she decided to place a bit of faith in him. "You really know that guy?" Her voice sounded desperate, but she didn't care.

This was her only chance to find him, and she was going to risk it. The man smiled, "The guy is a friend of mine, in a matter of fact. Would you like to meet him?"

There were stars in her eyes, as she nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, please, take me to him!" The man nodded towards her request and asked her to follow him.

All the while she was thinking how nice this stranger was for showing her the way, he was smiling evilly to himself. His intentions not at all as pure as he played them out to be.

* * *

Inuyasha took another large breath, trying to sort through the scents in the marketplace and focus on the one that smelt of dandelions. It was an interesting scent all on its own, which made it easy to track.

Kagome however was having doubts. "Inuyasha, are you sure she came by this way? It all seems deserted, and usually a girl wouldn't be walking in this kind of environment alone." At least not one with any sense, she added silently.

The half-demon glared at Kagome from his crouched position on the ground. Damn it, he looked like a mongrel dog when he was like this!

"She definitely came this way, and she wasn't alone. There is another scent embedded with hers. But you're right about one thing, this place doesn't look right."

A scream sounded in the distance. "That must be the girl! Let's go Inuyasha, she needs help!" cursing, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and leapt up onto the roof of the nearest house.

Off in the distance, they both saw a girl surrounded by ugly looking thugs. "She must have been tricked into coming here." said Kagome.

Inuyasha growled, still holding onto Kagome, he leapt again across the rooftops towards the frightened girl. They were almost there when another figure appeared in front of them.

A boy with long blueish hair and wearing a martial arts attire had scaled the building just above where the girl was being attacked. As they landed on the opposite roof, they caught sight of one-another.

Kagome placed a finger over her mouth, silently telling the stranger to be quiet. The blue-haired boy nodded, taking a knee on the roof to see how dangerous things were.

Down below them, the girl was executing some rather impressive wrestling moves, probably ones that she saw on television. She cried out the names of all the moves she was performing like a real pro-wrestler would in a cage match. They could hear the four gangsters scream in terror, surprised at what they were witnessing.

Apparently all the past women they had lured here never fought back, Kagome thought with rage. These men deserve much more punishment than just a light beating from an amateur girl wrestler. With a loud roar, Miaka had disposed of all the gang members, sending them into the air and back to the ground.

Miaka laughed to herself, thinking that they were down for the count. "I'm not bad. If I try, maybe I could compete in the next amateur wrestling tournamet." She was so busy talking to herself that she didn't notice that one of the men had recovered and had his hand inching towards her ankle.

One sharp jerk and she was on the ground, an angry man towering above her menacingly, promising her that she was in for the beating of her life. Miaka knew she must look scared, beyond a doubt, and she wasn't about to fake bravery.

Her body was pinned to the ground while the other men were starting to get up as well. There were so many of them and she was far from where anybody could hear her scream.

What were they going to do? She had to get away from here! "Please, somebody help me!"

A stone was thrown from the opposite building, hitting the gangster that held her down. "Ow! Hey, who's up there?!"

The sudden movement caused Kagome and Inuyasha to unconsciously make themselves known as well. They all stood tall, facing down at the alley,

"What, hey who's out there?!" The thugs looked up to find that they were surrounded. Three tough-looking men stared down at them with hatred in their eyes.

There was a blue-haired man on one end, tossing a rock in his hand. The other were two men standing at each others side. One was wearing a hat on his head, his silver hair flowing in the wind, making him look intimidating. And his golden eyes seemed to be on fire, causing them to flinch back by the intensity of his glare.

The last man was the shortest, but that didn't stop him from looking furious. He was probably the one who scared them the most, with his presence imitating that of a priest, but his eyes were not so forgiving. Deep in his black eyes, they saw that this man wanted them dead.

The young grey-eyed man stood tall, the sun behind him, as he spoke down at the gangsters, "You need four men to take care of one girl? Come on, Let's make the fight more interesting." his voice was like ice. Suddenly a strange light came from his forehead, reading the kanji lettering of the word 'Ogre'.

Inuyasha couldn't believe his eyes. It was the same light that came from that old witch's book, the book that got them stuck here!

_Looks like there could be another guy that can help us make sense of this place._

"Hey, you with the hat!" Inuyasha turned sharply towards the man. "You want to help take these guys?"

Inuyasha 'fehed', "I was planning on doing that anyway." he answered.

Inuyasha turned and whispered, "Kagome, you stand by the girl and make sure she stays out of the way."

Nodding, she answered, "Alright, but try to hold back. We don't need four dead men on the street or any of their buddies coming to pick a fight with us later on."

Turning his attention back to the group of men below them,Inuyasha grinned, making the guys shutter in fear. "I've been itching for a fight ever since we got here, so I'll take on these weaklings." He brought his hands together, cracking his knuckles.

Truth be told, both men on either side looked intimidating.

"Alright, time to get started!" With a roar, Inuyasha leapt off the roof, landing on the ground in front of the men. The one that perviously had Miaka pined to the ground had let her go and she had slowly inched her way off to the side against the wall.

Tamahome, seeing the fun starting without him, jumped in as well. His fighting style was impressive, all precise movements executed, but also in a rough fashion that suggested that he had never once trained seriously in a dojo.

It was completely different from Inuyasha's flaring punches that strangely always seemed to hit right in his opponents face. The half-demon, though, was definitely holding back, much to Kagome's relief. If he had decided to get serious, she was sure none of these men would come out alive.

Miaka was stunned by both the violence occurring in front of her and the fact that a few seconds ago, she was assaulted by the same thugs that were screaming for their lives. A man landed in front of her, startling her and causing her to gasp in fright.

Although, when he turned around, she saw his dark-blue, almost black eyes filled to the brim with warmth and concern. It made her feel...safe. His hair was as dark as his eyes, almost pitch black, and it hung loosely around his face and down his back.

"Are you alright, Miss? They didn't hurt you did they?" his voice was calm and soothing, but almost sounded like it should belong to a girl. Miaka could only shake her head in reply.

By that time, the thugs had retreated, obviously realising when they had been beat. Running off like the cowards they were, back in the direction of the market.

Inuyasha huffed in disappointment, tucking his arms into the sleeves of his shirt. "Feh, I was hoping that they would put up more of a fight. Damn, these days I can't seem to find a good fight. I would even settle for that weakling Koga, if he were around."

The dark-haired man stood up from his place next to Miaka, walking over to his companion. "Yes, I'm sure he would like that very much when we get back home, but now we have something more important to deal with."

He checked him over, asking the white-haired man, "Are you hurt anywhere?" The man grinned before stating that he was fine and for him to stop fussing over him.

Tamahome, who was more concerned with the one he had saved, had walked towards the strange looking girl. He could tell that she was scared, almost reminding him of his little sisters when they were afraid of something.

His parental instincts kicked in, " I thought it was you. What are you doing? It's not safe here, you know."

He recognised her as one of the girls he had saved while on his way to Konan's capital. It was by word of mouth that he had heard she was looking for him at all.

It sparked his interest, to say the least, so he went in search for the strange girl. How he found her somehow made him furious, though he didn't know why. He had no attachment to this girl-

"Wahhhh!" Suddenly, the brown-haired girl was clutching to him, crying her eyes out on his shirt. She was shaking as she clung to his chest. "I was scared..."

His eyes widened a bit, but he understood. She had just been rescued from a very degrading and horrible situation, it was only natural that she was crying and seeking comfort.

He could do nothing for her, but tell her that it was alright, "It's okay. We got rid of them, you don't have to worry about that gang anymore."

Inuyasha thought he was going to be sick. The scene playing out in front of him had something hidden underneath it, he could just feel it. Although usually he would be numb to these kinds of things, the tell-tale signs of attraction were plain as day for him.

It was god-damn awkward to just stand-off on the side-line, watching these two like they were a couple. Kagome smirked at Inuyasha's obvious discomfort with their company's moment.

Kagome was sensitive to the atmosphere as well, but she had her woman's intuition to tell her that these two were just first-time friends.

First off, if they were a couple, the man would have placed his arms around her in a protective gesture. And the girl, even though she was crying into his shoulder, would have found it alright to lock her arms around his torso.

All of these things were not happening, so Kagome could only assume that they were friends. At least for the time being.

Deciding the moment had been given its due, Kagome coughed to get their attention.

Miaka looked over to the two other men, both of them were handsome and way beyond her reach. She smiled at them, wiping away her tears, she said, "Thankyou so much for saving me, all of you. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there."

Her voice sounded sweet, Inuyasha thought, but way too trusting and naïve. "What the hell were you thinking, following a man that you didn't know to this place? A moron could tell he wasn't asking you to be his friend! What the-"

"Inuyasha, calm down!" And strangely, he did.

He huffed a bit before tucking his arms inside his sleeves, shutting up and letting Kagome handle the talking.

Kagome took a deep breath before she approached the girl, smiling she introduced himself, "Hello miss. I am Kagome and this is my friend Inuyasha. I'm happy to see that you are unharmed, but I am also sorry if Inuyasha scared you."

She trained her voice to sound consoling, almost like when she was comforting Shippo from a nightmare. Taking her hand, she brushed away some wet tear-trails from her face. "You're alright now, so there is no more need for tears."

Miaka sniffed a bit before nodding.

"Oh right, You were looking for me right?" Tamahome voiced. It seemed to spark something in the girl, because she automatically turned back to the man.

"That's right, I am! Listen, you have to tell me where my friend Yui is now! The friend that was with me when we met, remember? I think she followed you here and now we are separated! You have to help, please!" Miaka said desperately.

Tamahome thought for a minute, remembering the blonde haired girl that he had saved earlier, while on his way to town. "Aha!" Miaka brightened with hope at his reaction.

"Nope, haven't seen her." Tamahome said abruptly, crushing Miaka's hope on the spot and causing her to fall face-first into the ground.

"Wait a moment, please." Kagome said, rushing over to Miaka. His hand was on her forehead, checking the temperature, while the other was at her pulse. "If you could answer a few questions for me miss, do you know where you are?"

"Huh?" Miaka was stumped, so she turned to Tamahome. Noticing that she wanted him to answer, he sighed, "We are in the gang-area of capital city of the Konan Empire in China."

His sarcasm was clear as a bell. Miaka nodded in understanding, while Kagome and Inuyasha became silent.

Returning to playing the role of the concerned doctor, Kagome continued, "Well, it doesn't look like you have sustained any serious injury, but I ask that you be more careful of who you trust. There are many cruel people out there with kind-looking faces, and it's always good to be careful."

Stepping back from the girl, Kagome asked, "I am curious, you are dressed rather differently from the locals. Are you visiting from another village?"

Miaka shook her head, replying, "No, no. Me and my friend Yui were brought here from our world by a strange light. When we came to, we were all alone and got attacked by human-slave traders. This boy-"

"My name is Tamahome." the man interrupted.

Miaka nodded, not catching the irritation in his voice. "Right, Tamahome had saved us, but right after that he asked us for money as compensation. I was looking for some to give him, but when I turned back, Yui was gone."

Turning to face Tamahome, she said, "I thought she followed you, so that's why I tried all day to find you."

Tamahome was baffled. "Well, that still doesn't change my answer. I'm telling you that girl didn't follow me." Miaka looked unconvinced.

"What are you talking about? You were the last one we both saw together, so she must have tried to follow you to ask you for help! She would never leave me alone, she's my best friend, so where is she?" Miaka exclaimed, hurting Inuyasha's ears.

Tamahome was beginning to walk away then, but Miaka wasn't willing to give up. "I'll follow you, you know, until you tell me where Yui is!"

Picking up his speed, Tamahome was soon being chased by Miaka, the school-girl waving her arms wildly in the air.

Kagome ran along with them, calling back to Inuyasha, "Come on, Inuyasha, we can't lose them."

A sigh came from the half-demon, as he too began following them back into the marketplace.

* * *

Inuyasha growled, "Kagome, how long do we have to keep following these two? All the girl, what was her name...Miaka, has told us so far was that this was ancient China! We got to know more than that!"

He couldn't believe it. Not only were they stuck in another time period, but now they were in a different continent all together?! It took everything her had and Kagome to keep him from grabbing the brown-haired girl and make her talk.

Kagome sighed, "We can't draw attention to ourselves, Inuyasha. If we let slip who we are and where we came from, there would only be trouble waiting for us. Besides, isn't what she implicated enough?"

Inuyasha scrunched up his brow, "How so? All the broad told us was that we were in a different time period." Kagome nodded, turning towards Miaka she saw that she was still chasing Tamahome up and down the street, yelling at him to listen to her.

"Well, not exactly. We now know that she wasn't alone when she came to this world. She said that she was looking for her friend, Yui, and that boy, Tamahome, has an unusual power to him." Inuyasha broke his gaze with Kagome to stare at the blue-haired man.

That was true. He did show a large amount of power when they were up against those thugs. And there was also the matter of the red-glowing symbol on his forehead.

Turning back to Kagome, he asked, "You saw that mark he had glowing right? That was the same red light I saw come from the witch's book and that pulled us both into this world." He saw his eyes grow wide.

Kagome, since she had been unconscious, had not seen how they had ended up in this place, but now it was all making sense.

"Inuyasha, we aren't in another time." she said slowly, "We are in that book!"

They were both in silence, the ranting of Miaka and Tamahome both becoming quieter, as they stared into watch others eyes. Up until now, the 'trapped in the book' theory was only speculation, but now it became more of a real scenario to them.

But...If they were in the book, how were they going to get back to the Feudal Era? Was she ever going to be free of the curse? Were they ever going to see their friends again?

How were they going to get home?

Kagome was at a lost, with nothing coming to mind, she began to sink into depression. A hand shook her out of her thoughts, pulling her to look at Inuyasha's face. She was surprised to see that it was filled with angry determination, refusing to give up.

"Don't make that face, you look like you're ready to give up!" Kagome was spun around to see Miaka and Tamahome arguing, "See those two? They are our chance so far to get back home, so don't look like all is lost."

Kagome was stunned, for what seemed like the third time that day. Inuyasha, saying something sensible? That was a miracle within itself. She giggled at her joke, earning a weird look from her friend.

Placing her hand over the one he had on her shoulder, she gave it a quick squeeze. "Thanks. I guess I was being silly again."

Inuyasha brushed off her 'thanks', acting as if it didn't affect him.

A scream from Miaka snapped their minds from each other. "Aaahhh! Get Away You Human-Slave Trader!" she was swatting her hands in front of her, apparently talking about...Tamahome?

Inuyasha and Kagome both looked at each other, confused and a bit interested in how this topic came about.

Tamahome, however, was having troubles of his own. People were beginning to stare at them, saying bad things about him and talking like he was a criminal on the loose.

He cursed in his head. If he couldn't shut this girl up, she was going to ruin his reputation here and screw his chances here of earning money off some of the villagers!

Acting on panic, he wrapped his hands around her mouth, preventing her from slandering his name any further. Laughing nervously at the people around him. "Hahaha...She's just joking that's all! She actually does this all the time!"

Wasting no more time, he picked her up and started running. Kagome and Inuyasha followed behind them, laughing at the predicament that the Tamahome was in.

Miaka was in the arms of Tamahome, bouncing around as he ran. "So, what do you say, will you help me find my friend? If not I could always start up that slave-trader stuff again!"

He was livid, while running, he snapped at the girl in his arms, "Why can't you just leave me out of your problems? And what are you doing threatening me, I told you before, I don't sell people!" Seriously, this girl was going to kill him before she took 'no' for an answer.

Miaka sighed, "Look, I already knew you didn't sell people, or else I wouldn't have asked for your help."

"What?!" Tamahome came to an abrupt stop, before dropping the girl onto the ground.

"Ow! What did you do that for? It hurt!", she exclaimed.

All three of them were silent. Kagome was the first to burst out laughing, "Haha! It looks like you don't have much of a choice, Tamahome. This girl will follow you to the end of the world before she gave up looking for her friend."

Inuyasha scoffed, thought agreed with Kagome. "If you were the last one to see them together then you ought to have seen something. Maybe she was actually kidnapped by slave-traders and is now in a crate sailing across the sea-"

Kagome's fist connected with the straw hat on his head. "Ow, what was that for Kagome!"

Kagome said nothing, but looked at Miaka, who looked like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown before she began to cry. Tamahome, being drawn to her tears, looked at her with concern.

"Oh no, Yui. Have you really...no...I have to find her, she has to be alrig-" Miaka was engulfed in her own sorrow, turning away from the three men.

Inuyasha's ears would have flattened against his ears, as he watched her sob. He hadn't meant to make her cry, he was just stating the obvious. A girl all alone was vulnerable, regardless of what time era she might be in.

Even in Kagome's era, there was supposed to be less crime and terror, but when he had been out there he had witnessed just as many dangers as in the Feudal Era. It was the same thing there and its the same here.

Miaka was still crying into her hands when she heard Kagome say something wonderful. "Miaka, We will help you find your friend. Don't pay attention to what Inuyasha said, he isn't really that in tune with other people's feelings."

Inuyasha didn't bother to argue that one, cause even he knew how much he sucked at being sensitive.

Miaka looked at her with gratitude and wonder, "Really? You will help me find Yui?" A nod from the dark-eyed man was enough to lighten her spirit.

Tamahome was glad that she had stopped crying, placing his hands behind his head, he began to walk off, thinking that she had found someone else to help her out searching for her friend.

A tight grip from the back of his collar stopped him, "Hold on, Tamahome. You're helping too."

"What?! Why, I thought you said that you were going to help her! Anyway, it's n...not...my...problem...?" The kind eyes that Tamahome thought were usually on Kagome disappeared, replaced with stone cold demanding orbs that promised death if he didn't come willingly.

"You honor would allow you turn your back on a young woman, refuse to give help to her, and all of it in the name of what? Greed? You need to ask yourself, what kind of first impression you would like to leave with me? Because I can promise you, that those who leave a bad impression usually wind up dead." Her hair swirled around her as the wind picked up, scaring everyone there, except Inuyasha.

_ Wow, didn't know you had it in ya, Kagome, Inuyasha thought._

Coming back to his senses, Tamahome snapped, "Look I don't have time to be looking around for any lost people! Do you know how hard it is to track someone down here in the capital?"

Kagome sneered, "About as difficult to find the body of a man floating in the river with weights tied to his feet." It wasn't her most subtle threat, but it got the job done.

Realising that there was a zero-chance of his getting his way, Tamahome relented, hanging his head down comically in defeat.

The sound of trumpets sounded in the distance. The sound was loud in their ears, especially for Inuyasha. They saw that a crowd was gathering along side of the main road, catching all of their interest, they went to see what was going on.

A large ornate palanquin **(a large box-like carriage that is usually carried by eight men, meant for only wealthy people) **was being carried down the center of the road.

It was decorated beautifully with shiny stones and expensive fabrics that concealed the man inside. It was elegantly crafted wood that was painted gold for glamor and was detailed meticulously with curves and dips in the surface.

"Wow, what's the parade for?" asked Miaka, as she tried to get a closer look.

"It's for the emperor, you see the one riding inside is none other than the Emperor of Konan." Both Miaka and Tamahome stared at the large open block.

As it passed by, a sigh came from Tamahome and his eyes became dreamy, "Oh man, I wish I could have that imperial crown, or just one of the jeweled ornaments on it, would be alright with me."

Miaka turned to Tamahome, "So the emperor is really wealthy. Is he nice too?" He looked at her like she was crazy, but answered her anyway.

"Well, I've never heard anything bad about him."

Inuyasha looked at the parade, a bit interested in what was taking place. "Well, with all the power he's got, he can't be entirely nice." His statement shocked the two of them.

Miaka was looking thoughtful for a moment, while Tamahome glared at Inuyasha for his comment. "Even though I've never met the guy, I can say in his defense that the people of Konan have been prosperous and happy throughout his rule. You should learn to keep your opinions to yourself."

Kagome's sweat dropped. _Oh, no..._

Inuyasha snapped his head to Tamahome, and growled, "And who are you to tell me that? I would suggest to _you_, that you watch what you say, or else I might have to tear out your tongue, you plutomaniac." **(plutomaniac: A person obsessed with money)**

Kagome wasn't sure who threw the first punch, but either way, both men were dealing and receiving blows from the other on the floor, creating a dust cloud around them.

Miaka wasn't worried at them fighting, but instead cheerfully said, "Hey Tamahome, I'm going to to ask the emperor for one of his crown jewels. Then you will help me find Yui right?" before she was even finished speaking she was running through the crowd, towards the road.

Kagome jolted at what she said, "What?! No, Miaka you shouldn't do that, it's a horrible idea! Come back!" He ran after her, leaving the two misfits to duel out their problems with each other.

Miaka was at the side of the palanquin, shouting to the man inside, "Hello, excuse me, Mr. Emperor!"

She was happy that she caught his attention, when the shadowed man asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

Miaka waved her hand in front of her, saying that who she was wasn't really important, "But I would like to ask a favor of you, if I may..."

Kagome, who had just gotten through the crowd, shouted "Miaka, wait!" Please don't let her ask! Please don't let her be that stupid!

"May I have one of the jeweled ornaments you wear on your crown, please? Your rich so you can afford to be generous can't you?" She was so caught up in trying to keep up with the emperor that she didn't bother to watch where her feet were going, so when she tripped she ended up hanging on to the only thing that was near to her...The Emperor's Palanquin.

Her bottom slammed into the ground hard. "Ow! That hurt, huh?" In her hand was a very expensive piece of cloth...ripped from the emperor's palanquin.

Kagome's face paled at the sight before her. Miaka was held at sword-point, about ready to be cut in half by a guard claiming that she attacked the emperor.

Acting on instinct, Kagome pulled all the knowledge and training from when Sango had trained her in the Feudal Era. Grabbing a guard, she knocked him down with a swift kick to his knees, snatching his spear from him, she knocked him out before running to Miaka's aid.

The sword was about ready to cut her. Her scream rushed her even more, taking the spear, Kagome lifted it and knocked the sword out of the guard's hands.

"Don't you guys think that you're taking things a bit overboard? She just lost her footing, it was an accident and you're going to kill her for it?" Standing protectively in front of Miaka, he readied himself again. "She didn't mean for it to happen!"

They weren't listening though, as they raised their spears and swords against her. "You both will die right here for assaulting the emperor!" Kagome's sweat dropped, when exactly had she attacked the emperor?

All of a sudden, a few smoke-bombs cracked open on the ground. The imperial guards were frantically looking around. "Where are they?! Don't let them get away!"

Kagome then felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, "Kagome, what the hell were you thinking, you could have gotten yourself killed!"

The raven haired man smiled at her friend, "Nice to see you and Tamahome have made up Inuyasha. And for your information, I was doing just fine. Sango trained me well after all these years tracking demons, you know."

"Feh, I didn't forgive that money-grubbing pickpocket! He..." A soldier came wielding a sword to his right, forcing him to pause while he punched his lights out. "As I said, he stopped right in the middle of it and went after the annoying girl, once she said she was gonna ask for the emperors jewels."

There were guards surrounding the two of them, now that the smoke was clearing. Back to back, Kagome said, "Alright Inuyasha, time to see if all that training was worth the trouble."

It damn better be, she thought, With Sango getting her up before the crack of dawn and working her into the ground until after noon, it damn better be worth it!

Meanwhile, Tamahome was having his own heart-to-heart with Miaka, "You idiot! What do you think you're doing, do you want to get yourself killed?!"

He was angry, more than he had been all day, but that seemed to disappear when he saw she was going to cry again.

Miaka whimpered quietly, "I needed your help. But I didn't want you to help me by force, if you didn't want to, so I decided to compensate you for your services." Now that she thought about it carefully, she did think that what she did was pretty stupid of her.

But still, she needed his help if she was ever to see Yui again.

Tamahome sighed, rolling his eyes up to the sky in defeat, yet again. "Alright already, don't cry! I liked your guts so I'll help you find your friend, no charge this time."

Miaka looked up at him, the beautiful color of his eyes taking her breath away. "Oh, do you mean it? Well, how could I ever repay you?"

A smile crossed his lips as he said, "Don't worry, I have an idea." His voice was smooth and warm, full of charm, as he descended to plant his lips on her forehead, giving her a chaste kiss.

With a war-like cry, Inuyasha was plowing through the soldiers like they were just like those street thugs they took on earlier. His blows were strong, and he resisted the urge to use his claws instead of his fists.

Kagome was also on a role, using the pole end of the spear to knock her opponents out, he swung, hitting their faces with the end. Flipping over their bodies, she managed to stay neat Inuyasha, for when she needed to remind him to take it easy.

Noticing that their two other misfits were getting it on in public, she shouted, "Look guys, hate to break up your little soap-opera moment, but we could use some help with these guys!"

When she thought they didn't hear, she was about to shout at them again before a blinding red light shot out from Miaka's body.

Inuyasha, who was finishing off a few guys with swords, turned only to try to block his eyes from the light. "Arrgghh! What the heck is this?"

Kagome was in awe, as Miaka had begun to disappear before her, and everyone else.

All of a sudden, a strange feeling overtook her. It began at her side, where the witch had injured her, and then traveled up to center around her neck.

Oh, the pain!

Inuyasha's eyes widened, as Kagome lowered herself to take a knee. A soldier poised to decapitate her was on the ground with a bashed-in bloody nose in a second.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" The raven-haired man's hand was covering the back of his neck, cringing in agony at the pain that was centering there.

Kagome gasped, "My neck, it feels like it's on fire!" Inuyasha grabbed her hand away roughly, shoving it away to take a look himself.

A fainted red-glowing symbol that looked a lot like Tamahome's 'Ogre' symbol, appeared on her skin. "Kagome, you have something written here, and it's glowing the red-color like before!"

Kagome could feel her panic begin to rise, with the pain becoming unbearable.

When the light was gone, so was the pain, and Kagome leaned into Inuyasha's hold, exhausted from what had happened. Her breath was fast and she was slowly loosing her ability to stay conscious.

The emperor, who had witnessed it all, gave his men the order to arrest them all. "Guards, arrest that woman in strange clothing and those other three men surrounding her."

Tamahome looked at Miaka with confusion, "Miaka, what was that?" But she never had the chance to answer as the soldiers surrounded them.

Inuyasha was pissed. About ready to fight again, he was stopped by Kagome's hand. "Wait Inuyasha, let them arrest us. You can't get us all out of here, and we have to stay with Miaka." her voice was weak, and that didn't settle too well with him.

But she was right, like always. He couldn't protect all three humans at the same time and carry them out of here. He growled low at the guards, ready to snap his fangs at them if they even touched him or Kagome.

Picking the raven-haired man up, Tamahome, Miaka and himself were escorted towards the Konan palace.

When they were half-way there, he felt Kagome's form go slack and knew she had fallen unconscious. Inuyasha was troubled about what had happened. What was that symbol on the back of Kagome's neck and why was she in so much pain because of it?

Having all these questions and no answers was beginning to piss him off even more, but...

Looking down at her face, he realised the only thing he could do was worry for her.

And, he added silently, use everything that I am to protect her.

Chapter 2 End

**Thankyou for reading! I hope this was satisfactory for my readers.**

**Oh, and a special shout-out to 'minory-chan', for being my first 'Reviewer'! In thanks, I would like to dedicate this chapter **

**"What's That On Your Neck?", to you.**

**I am so happy you and many others like the story plot!**

** I probably won't update for a while, because of school,**

**but I will give it my best shot! **

**Thankyou to all of my readers, once again! I am deeply honored! **

******Well, happy readings!**


End file.
