Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ferris Wheel Spins ❯ Ferris Wheel Spins ( Chapter 1 )

This idea just popped into my head at midnight and I wrote till five in the morning. I haven't checked it beyond just the usual spellcheck, so please inform me of any mistakes. What would happen if InuYasha and Kagome were trapped on either side of the well-in the wrong times!

If InuYasha met a girl at the carnival Gramps made him go to…?

And this girl happened to be a little afraid of Ferris wheels…?

NOT A ROMANCE BETWEEN THEM, OKAY?! Minds out of the gutters… geez… look at the rating, it's PG! One-shot, slightly Inu/Kag. And Shi (the character) is NOT AN ORIGINAL!

Just a wee bit of YuYuHakusho, but you'll never guess where until the end. ^__^

Oops…

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or YuYuHakusho.

Ferris Wheels Spin

The sun was just beginning to fall to bed the night away. Carnival lights lit the way. Children, couples, and people seeking thrills walked along the pathways, most weary from a long day of adrenalin. InuYasha sighed, scratching at the red baseball cap Souta had given him for his birthday.

How wrong things had gone…Kagome, trapped on the other side of the well. InuYasha trapped in her time, still in his demon body. Girls stared at him every step of the way.

What was so amusing about this amusement park?

He didn't know, nor care.

He cared about never seeing Kagome again.

He sighed, looking around for another ride that he hadn't already gone on yet. The Boomerang had been wild and interesting, not unlike a battle with Naraku. Tamer rides, like the Whirlibird and the Whammer, had given him the cheap thrills he expected out of a demon with strength equal to Shippou's.

Sighing again, he headed for the slowest ride he could find, hoping to sort out his thoughts. The "Ferris wheel" had the shortest line of all in the park. InuYasha decided he would head home after this one. He dug his hands into the pocket of his jeans, wishing that "Mama Higarashi" hadn't filed them down to "normal". The line moved up quickly as more and more people were put in twos on the ride.

In front of him, a short girl stared up at the lights of the circular ride. Her blue eyes shimmered, tears forming around her lower lashes. Short brown hair plainly covered much of her face and eyes, though it was in a style InuYasha had never seen before, from this or his own time. She wore "overalls" and a striped silver and blue shirt, hooking her thumbs in the upper part of the pockets. The tears vanished almost immediately as the line moved again.

InuYasha scratched behind his ears again, hoping that it would relieve some of the itchiness the cap was causing his poor ears. The carnival music drifted through the air, along with the smells of cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, and thousands of humans. Before he met Kagome, he would have never been caught dead in this place.

Somehow…she'd changed him.

Now the well was keeping them apart.

InuYasha sighed again, thinking back. He was now "twenty", though the fifty years he was bound to the tree didn't really count. Kagome would be eighteen now, legally able to marry in her own time. If she were here…he'd ask her to marry him. But she wasn't. It'd been almost a year since the well locked them away from each other.

So why wasn't he "over her", as people of this time put it?

The girl in front of him was the next to board the wheel. It was then he realized that she was alone, too. He faintly wondered why. She looked the type who would need someone to be with. Mentally, he shrugged it off.

"Alone, little missy?" the ride conductor said as she stepped forward. "Hey, you, cap boy. You alone, too? This is the last run tonight. No one else seems to want on this one, and the park's closin'. You two mind sharin'?"

InuYasha shrugged. The girl nodded her consent and the half-demon sat next to her, keeping a polite distance. A safety bar rested on their laps as the ride conductor walked over to the command panel. The girl let out a soft, choking cry as it moved.

"Oh…dear…" she murmured under her breath. "I forgot…I hate Ferris wheels!"

"Feh, then why'd you get on?" InuYasha asked.

"I don't…know…" she whispered.

InuYasha realized that she was really frightened. Not only could he smell her sweat, but he could hear her breath quicken, her heart race. She gripped the safety bar so tightly, her knuckles turned white. He heard the metal squeal in shock. From what strength she had, he could tell that if he were that way, the entire Ferris wheel could be destroyed.

"Hey…hey, it's all right. Look, solid as a rock."

He gently rocked the little cart. She muffled a scream and threw her arms out, panicking. InuYasha had seen this kind of fear several times. Whenever he was in real danger, Kagome was frightened just like she was. She squeezed her eyes tight as he shifted ever so slightly, causing it to rock gently.

"Sorry," he said, stilling the cart by placing one of his hands on the outer rim.

"No, no, it's not your fault," she whimpered. "It's mine, I was so stupid for getting on, stupid girl, stupid, stupid…why I get on this ride, I never know, too many memories and I'm scared to death up here…"

InuYasha didn't know why, but he felt he had to comfort her somehow. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. It must have been the wrong move. She froze, her back stiffening, her shoulder hunching and tense. Instantly, he let her go. What was it about that small touch that made her react like that?

"You're not stupid…"

"Yes, I am, I'm a stupid girl, stupid for ever even coming back to this park, stupid for going on this ride when I know it reminds me of things, stupid for riding it when I know I'm scared of falling out…"

InuYasha searched for anything in his mind that would calm her down. Somehow, he felt that his real name wasn't the best in this circumstance. He made up a name off the top of his head.

"I'm…er…Tai. What's your name?"

"Shi," she said, whimpered as the machine began to move again. They were stopped just behind the station, where the conductor was letting off the people in front of them. "Oh, fine, just great, we're last! Jeez…I'm sorry, Tai-san, I'm usually very talkative and I suppose interesting to talk to, but right now I'm terrified and babbling and not exactly the best person to be with and-"

"Calm down," InuYasha pressed. "Why do you say you shouldn't have come to this park?" He could tell he'd touched a nerve, as her shoulders instantly tensed and hunched.

"I…I…well…" she cleared her throat.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said, gentle as he could. "I'm a stranger, and I can tell it's uncomfortable."

She smiled tremulously. "You really want to hear it?"

"If it would make you feel better."

The ride moved again. InuYasha reached out and steadied the cart against the frame of the wheel. Shi smiled in a sort of bittersweet way.

"Thanks. The reason…the reason this place brings back memories…is that this is where my brother died," she said, staring at the night sky. InuYasha could tell that her knuckles weren't as white as they'd been. "My brother was fifteen…I was eighteen at the time. It was my birthday, like today. I'd say it's been three years."

Three years…The words echoed inside InuYasha's mind. That wasn't too far from when Kagome had released him from Kikyo's spell.

"We'd ridden all the rides, every last one of them," she smiled. "Except the Ferris wheel. This same one. They've painted it, fixed it, but it's still the same. I never liked Ferris wheels at all. My brother loved them, though. He got on, trusting the conductor and everyone who ever touched this thing. One of the screws came loose. He was cut in half on the bracing and hit the ground like a watermelon. Didn't need no ambulance, everyone knew he was dead. Called `em anyway. What number is this cart?"

InuYasha glanced over the side at the little black number. "Twelve."

She smiled, a cynical tone to her voice. "Same cart, then."

The cart pitched forward again. InuYasha steadied it.

"Thanks, Tai," she said. "You're sweet, you know that? Listened to every word I said…"

Tears came to her eyes again.

"I'm sorry," InuYasha said.

"No…don't feel sorry for me," she said. "I can tell…you've got a problem, too. It made me feel better. Why don't you tell me yours?"

InuYasha blinked at her.

"That would mean telling you things that would probably frighten you…"

"Then don't detail it," she said. "Tell me only what you think would make you feel better about those problems. I see them, in your eyes. You've lovely eyes. Like a dog's…only more."

"It's…my girlfriend," he said, starring at the sky. "She's trapped…in another world. I'm trapped here. We can't get to each other and probably never will again."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Shi smiled. "If your heart is true…she'll be able to come back to you."

InuYasha smiled as the cart jerked forward again. He steadied it once more.

"Thanks," she said.

"Are you going to thank me every time I stop it from rocking?" he smirked.

"Perhaps."

He sighed, looking up into the night sky like her. "Kagome…isn't just trapped in another city, state, or country. If she was on the other side of the world, I'd chase her till the winds stopped howling. She's…trapped in another time period. My own time period."

Shi scoffed. "I knew time travel could only get you into trouble. How do you get to your time period? Which era do you live in?"

"There is a well on Kagome's family's property," InuYasha said. "Usually, we can jump in the well and be in the Sengoku-jidai-my time period. Somehow, the well's sealed itself. I'm stuck on this side and she's on the other."

"The Sengoku-jidai…demons lived back then." Instead of sounding fearful or even curious, she was happy and excited. "I've always wanted to meet a demon. A dog demon or a wolf demon or a tiger demon."

"How about half dog demon?" InuYasha smirked, chuckling under his breath.

"A half demon? Wow…I never even thought that was possible. I guess it is, though, cause how else would there still be part demons in this time? It'd be really neat to find out what a half-demon was like. Not belonging to either world…the human or the demon. So angst-filled. I'll bet they'd be pretty empathetic, though."

InuYasha smirked sadly. "I don't know about the empathetic part, but the angst part fits the bill pretty much. Say hello to your first ever half demon."

"Y-You're half demon?" she stammered. "But you don't look it at all! You look very human…is that why you're wearing the cap?"

He took off the cap, letting her see the white ears below. Quickly, he recovered his head, making sure no one else had seen.

"My brother, Sesshomaru, is full dog demon," InuYasha said. "My…friend Shippou is a full fox demon. Kirara is a cat demon."

"What about Kagome?"

"…Human. Fully human. She's a priestess, though. A very powerful priestess…"

"Wow, a priestess!"

The cart jumped forward again. InuYasha steadied the cart.

"Thanks."

"You know, that's going to get on my nerves," he said.

"I can't help it! I'm a passive person! I don't like offending people…It's funny, I know exactly what I am, but I can't change it for the life of me."

InuYasha smirked. "You can't change yourself? Likely story."

"I should be saying the same to you! Just cause the well's shut doesn't mean you oughta just give up. Likely story…can't change your circumstances…jump in the well when you get home and don't stop diggin' till you've either reached Kagome or dug to the center of the earth. Tell me what it's like there, by the way, I've heard the molten rock is a good sight to see at safe distances."

"Well…why don't you come with me to see the Sengoku-jidai? Just watch out for Miroku."

"Why?"

"He likes to ask every pretty girl he meets to bear his child."

She smirked, holding her chin in the palm of her hand. "I'd do it if he's handsome enough. I don't date here because I'm too scared of being hurt…again. I don't know why my stupid mouth just said that. I dunno, you're just giving off these `trust me, trust me!' vibes that my bones have taken a liking to. You're a good friend."

Finally, the Ferris wheel brought them both safely down onto the ground again. Shi took up a large satchel bag and started to walk away. The half-demon wouldn't have it.

"Let me at least walk you home," he said. "You want to go to Sengoku-jidai if I unlock the well, right?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't have a home," she said, tracing a pattern in the ground.

InuYasha had heard enough.

"Then you can come stay at the Higarashi's until we open the well. Then you can come live in the Sengoku-jidai."

She blinked at him, holding back tears. "Are you…are you sure?"

He knelt on the ground, his back to her. "Hop on, it'll be faster."

Shi blinked several times quickly. Climb on his back? Was he crazy? And what would Kagome say if she found out that the boy she loved had carried her home? Something in her told her that he wouldn't wait long. Wincing, she gingerly touched his shoulders, feeling the tendons and muscle beneath her fingers.

Shi bit the bullet and climbed on his back. He ran quickly, faster than any normal human ever could. This was a feeling that was better than the Mamba, better than any roller coaster ever devised. The pure strength InuYasha had was enough to make her want to faint.

If she could.

InuYasha couldn't wait. He had to get to the well, he had to see if this girl was right. No bone in his body knew who she was, and how close he was skirting the edge. His red cap flew free from his head, falling by the wayside. The half demon didn't care.

He raced up the steps seven at a time, only taking enough time to train the well house in his mind's eye before darting in through the door. Gently, he lowered to the floor, letting Shi climb from his back. She looked frightened and excited all at once.

"This is the well?" she said, looking down into the depths. Her small hands gripped the edge as she sat on the cold stone. InuYasha held his breath, she could hear his heart beating quickly, insistently.

Shi smiled at InuYasha. "Well? What are you waiting for, Tai? Jump in."

Suddenly, his ears flattened against his skull. "W-What if it doesn't let me through?"

"Just believe. Think about Kagome. How much she must miss you. It's been what, a year? Leap in faith."

"Leap…in faith," he repeated the phrase. "Will you jump with me?"

Shi smiled. "Of course, Tai."

A tiny hand slid smoothly into his. It felt too tiny, like a child's. Not at all like Kagome's hand. Kagome's fit seamlessly into his, like a puzzle being put together just right. He'd never told her that. Never told her that he loved her. If what Shi said was true…This was his chance.

"Jump together," Shi said, smiling. "Leap in faith. For Kagome…"

He returned the smile, his old, confident self again. "For Kagome."

Together, they slid into the well. InuYasha's heart swelled as he saw the bright lights, so similar to the carnival's, shimmer around him. The time stream! He was going home! Going back to Kagome, to his friends, and to his time. If anything, he wanted nothing more than to make Shi happy for giving him back his happiness. He landed on the dirt of the well's bottom, looking up into the night sky. Shi glanced at him, letting go of his hand quickly.

"Di-Did we make it? Are we…in your time now?"

"Yeah…we are. I'm home…"

The duo took hold of Kagome's rope ladder and climbed out into the forest. InuYasha smirked. At one time, it'd been deemed InuYasha's forest because this was where he'd been shot and bound by Kikyo. He sniffed at the air, searching for Kagome's scent. She was in the village. Shippou was there, too.

Sango, Miroku, and Kirara's scents were old and faint. They'd left about two weeks before, he'd wager. Why had they left? He made his way through the tall grass toward Kaede's village, Shi trailing bemusedly behind him. If she didn't stick close, she would probably get lost. InuYasha made sure she stayed near.

It was, after all, his fault she was here.

InuYasha emerged from the woods. It was the middle of the night, he could hear Shippou's light snoring from inside Kaede's hut. He sighed. They would either be happy to see him or angry he woke them.

Or both.

Both seemed to be the worse prospect.

Shippou's scent was older. InuYasha could tell he was now about sixteen years old. Being a fox demon, he didn't age fast, and probably looked about twelve or thirteen rather than his age. He'd looked about three back when he'd first met him, though at the time he'd been thirteen. InuYasha felt a pang in his heart.

He'd missed the little fox demon…

The half demon swallowed hard, whether it be out of pride, fear, or something else, he didn't know. Finally, he gathered up his courage and knocked loudly on Kaede's door. InuYasha heard a loud crash, followed by a short curse. The old woman answered the door and nearly fell again.

"Inu…InuYasha?" she whispered, her voice barely the same as it'd been. "Is it truly ye?"

"Of course, hag," he growled, sinking back to his old self for a moment. Then…"It's great to see you again!" He smiled wide.

"Something has changed in ye, I see," she said, startled.

"Lady Kaede, who's that at the door?" Kagome's sweet voice asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. She didn't see InuYasha right away.

Shi piped up. "It's the repairmen, Higarashi-san! We fixed the well!"

Kagome's eyes flew open and instantly locked on InuYasha. Her mouth flew open, merely staring at him. She pushed out onto the front step, in the last pair of pajamas she'd taken with her down the well. They were so worn out, the teddy bears that had once covered it were white and faded, nearly vanishing into the material.

"Kagome…" InuYasha whispered her name like a dream. "I…I…"

"What he means to say," Shi said, covering a giggle. "Is that he pined for you every single day and he thinks you're the most beautiful girl in the world and nothing nobody ever said was going to keep him away until the well worked again and he could come here and be your knight in shining armor again."

InuYasha nodded, dumbstruck.

"H-How…did you…fix the well?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"He was in this crazy funk in a theme park," Shi said, grinning away. "And he agreed to sit with me on the worst ride ever, the Ferris wheel. He tried everything he could to get my mind off that-you are soooo lucky, girl, to have such a sweetie! Finally, he broke down and told me why he was moping. I gave him a little push in the right direction and he agreed to bring me here to meet a demon if I helped him. SO….here we are!"

Kagome finally tore her eyes from InuYasha to stare at Shi.

"Who are you?"

"A friend," Shi said. "Nothing more. Tai is all yours."

Kagome blinked. "Tai?"

"I'm sorry…" InuYasha rubbed the back of his neck. "I gave you a false name…"

"So did I, actually," Shi smiled. "I know who you are, InuYasha, you've no need to tell me. My real name is Botan. You were my first…trial, I guess you'd say. I was testing you."

Before their eyes, Botan changed to have periwinkle hair and a pink kimono. She held a long-handled oar in her hands, smiling as she rested her chin atop it. Her blue eyes twinkled at them.

"Ah, love…such a wonderful thing, InuYasha. I tell you now, don't lose that girl. She saved your life today."

"Wh-Who…what are you?" Kagome whispered, slipping her arms around InuYasha's right arm.

"I'm the Ferry Girl for the River Styx," she smiled, giggling as she winked Kagome and InuYasha. "You might recognize me more as the new Grim Reaper. Anyway, I've gotta be off. Enma wanted me to guide some girl's soul. Urasue woke her up and she's got a reincarnation already, but if I don't get her down into the second hell, she's gonna cause more trouble. What was her name again…? Oh, well, I'm sure I can find her. Have a good life, you three, I'll see you after it!"

With that, she climbed onto the oar and flew off wildly into the night. Kagome and InuYasha blinked at each other. Had she just said…? Nah, it couldn't be.

Could it?

***

So…what'd you think? Nice? Not so nice? Should I keep these one-shots in my head? I dunno where this thing CAME from…well, I know where the Ferris wheel thing did, anyway. I am TERRIFIED of them! ^__^ I can handle a rip-roarin' roller coaster just dandily, but I hate Ferris wheels. Every time they MOVE, I feel like I'm gonna fall out and get sliced in half like that boy in the newspaper a few days ago. That's where that part came from.