InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Just Desserts ❯ What ever happened...? ( Chapter 2 )

BWAHAHAHAHAHA BACK AGAIN I AM! (that's Yoda for, 'I'm back') ~_^

Disclaimer: *dances about* I don't own it cha cha cha! I don't own it YA! I don't own it cha cha cha! I don't own it YEAH! *dances out of sight(thanks goodness right?)*

~What ever happened to good old-fashioned time machines?

*~*~*~*

The first thing you notice when you wake up is a splitting headache. The second is that you aren't in your bed. Your heart races at the thought and you sit bolt upright. Unfortunately the speed of the motion doesn't sit well with you, and you feel like your brain is sliding around inside your skull. The sensation is daunting, and you barely manage to roll away before emptying the contents of your stomach.

A soothing voice reaches your ears, not that you can understand a word at the moment, but they hold your hair back, and place a cool towel to your forehead, continuing to talk softly to you. When at last your nausea abates, you ease yourself back against the nearest wall, and look at your surroundings. You're in an old one room hut, which makes you feel a little bad about the mess you've just made, but not enough to try and force movement from your limbs.

There is a woman in front of you; she is wiping at your face with motherly care. You want to tell her how grateful you are for her help, and maybe apologize for your little reaction just now, but when you open your mouth to speak all the comes out is a hoarse croak. She smiles warmly, understanding what you're trying to do and ceases her attentions for a moment.

"Feeling better are ye?" You start to nod your head, think better of it and meekly form the "V" with your fingers. Some victory alright. Chuckling she sits back on her heels.

"I'm Kaede, priestess and friend to Kagome and Inuyasha." You scowl at the mention of puppy-boy's name. He's the reason you hurt so bad right now. The events before you lost consciousness all come swimming back to you, and you remember swallowing those stupid shards.

Kaede stands up and ambles towards a small fire with a kettle over it. She pours some tea and brings it over to you. "Try to drink this. It has healing herbs in it, and should make ye feel better."

You take the cup, and sip gently from it. You keep the first few sips down, barely, and by the time you've drained the cup you're feeling ten times better. You take a deep breath and manage to say, "I'm _______(your name)."

She nods. "Kagome told me who ye are. She also told me that ye swallowed two of the sacred jewel shards." You blush darkly and stare down into your empty cup.

"It was an accident," you mumble.

"Of course it was," she assures you, and there is no mocking in her voice. "How about I fix you another cup of tea, and tell you a little story?"

You nod and smile meekly, handing the cup to her. As she fixes your second cup you ask, "So where am I?"

Kaede smiles and shakes her head. "A short hike from the bone-eater's well." You figure that must be the well on Kagome's property, and since she said you weren't far away you aren't too worried. It's still light outside, and you can head home after she tells you her story. At least it will be something to think about while you let the tea sooth away the last of your headache.

So you listen. She tells you the story of a priestess and half-demon who fell in love, and were betrayed over the legendary Jewel of Four Souls (Shikon no Tama). They were betrayed by a man-turned-demon called Naraku. Fifty years later a young girl from the future came along and freed the half-demon from his curse, and after accidentally shattering the jewel into tiny shards, they were forced to help each other look for the pieces. A baby fox demon, a monk, and a demon slayer soon joined their crew, and the number of jewel shards in their possession grew, until it was stolen by the undead priestess from the half-demon's past and given to none other than Naraku.

By the end of the story it is full dark outside, and you wonder how you let that time pass without noticing. The tea has helped you tremendously, and you don't even feel the least bit pained anymore. You thank Kaede profusely and rise to your feet.

"I've got to get going, but maybe I'll visit again sometime," you tell her cheerfully. She's such a nice woman after all, and you hope she doesn't mind. Perhaps she will tell you another story when you come visit again.

Kaede rises unsteadily to her feet and smiles sadly at you. "________(your name), I'm sorry to have to tell ye this, but ye cannot go home just yet. We have to figure out a way to retrieve those shards ye swallowed. Ye see, that story I told ye just now is very true, and the shards within ye are that of the Shikon no Tama."

You snort and smirk. "Good one, Kaede." But the look on her face is solemn. Your mind wanders back over her story…girl from the future…half-demon…KAGOME AND INUYASHA! The realization hits you squarely between the eyes and you nearly sink to the ground. "So that would make this…"

"The past," she finishes for you. You shake your head rapidly, feeling a startling rush of panic washing over you, and with it something inside you shifts. It's like a cool breath along your skin, and it only scares you more. "Child, do not fear!" Kaede says quickly, "Ye will only absorb the jewel faster that way!"

But you don't want to listen anymore. You dash for the door, sure that on the other side will be the streets of Tokyo, only to find that there is only forest and other tiny huts as far as you can see. 'No!' your mind screams and you take off in the direction of the woods, desperate to find the things that are familiar to you. 'They have to be just a little further!' you scream at yourself. But every step you take only thrusts you deeper into the heart of the woods, until you break free in a clearing.

The tiny wooden well looks just as it did when you were at the shrine, only now it is outdoors. Your eyes dart around frantically and something comes to mind, something Kagome said back home: "I was hurrying home so that we could get through the well before dinner like you wanted me to!" Through the well…you were running before you finished the thought.

"Just where do you think you're going?" a voice snarls. A hand wraps about your wrist, jerking you violently to a halt, and you stare up at Inuyasha. Twisting your arm vainly, you try to break his hold, but he is too strong.

"I'm going home, you jerk!" you shout. "Let me go! This is all your fault!"

"My fault!" he cries. "You're the one who swallowed the shards!"

"And you're the one who nearly broke my skull! It was an accident!"

"Inuyasha! Sit boy!" Suddenly Inuyasha drops heavily to the ground with a yelp, and you look up to see Kagome walking towards you. "I'm sorry about him, _______(your name)," she says. "He can be a bit rough at times."

"Sure," you mutter, turning back to the well and starting to climb in.

"________(your name) wait! You can't go back yet!"

"Why not? I don't want any part of this!" you retort.

"Because if you go back, you will eventually absorb the shards you swallowed," she explains in the soothing tone of voice reserved for talking jumpers down from rooftops. "It will change you, and not for the better." You're itching to just flip her the bird and leap, but something in the way she's talking says she knows from experience, and if this jewel is doing something to you, you ought to listen.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Give us back those damned shards!" snarls Inuyasha, pushing up to his knees.

Kagome closes her eyes as one eyebrow twitches in irritation. "Inuyasha, sit boy!"

"Gyaaaah!" he wails, slamming into the ground again.

Ignoring the explicit way Inuyasha informs her exactly how he feels about her doing that, she says, "Come back to the village with me, and we'll figure something out, okay?"

"What about my family? They'll be worried," you protest, but you already know you're not going anywhere.

"It might be better to let them worry for a bit. How are you going to explain all this to them?" Nodding your head you step away from the well, and around Inuyasha, who seems to be rising again.

"Okay I'll come. Just keep him away from me!" You point at Inuyasha, who scowls in response.

Kagome laughs, taking you by the arm and tugging you towards the village. "Don't worry, he gets better after you get to know him." You and Inuyasha both snort.

*~*~*~*

Oooooooooookay. Just a couple of things. From now on I'm going to post this on Mondays (hopefully) and if that's too much I'll post it every other Monday. I wanted to post it yesterday…but alas….I forgot heh heh

Another thing. Just because I'm a girl and I'm used to writing fanfiction directed to female readers, this is in the perspective of a female classmate of Kagome's. I wanted to throw that out there for any male readers, mostly because there are too many good Miroku jokes that I would have to pass up to keep it non-gendered ~_^, and there would be no chance for romance, which I'm a sucker for, but we'll see. I'm actually hoping that in August, when I have more time, if there's a male interest, to write a parallel from a more masculine perspective. If you're a fella who's been reading, let me know if you're interested. I've got to see it's worth my while to write this whole story twice.

Lastly, I'm taking a week off. I know I know when don't I? But actually I spend at least two hours day writing, usually more, so I'm taking a breather so I don't burn myself out. I'm going to post the new chapters for my other current stories, take the week off, then hop onto a regular schedule. For those of you interested, I keep updates on my Bio page. So if I'm ever late to post I'll likely have something there (an excuse maybe heh ^_^;;). *blows kisses* that's all hope you enjoyed it! REVIEW!