Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters so pleaaaassssseeeeeee don't sue me!!!!

The Complicated Life of a Kitsune Turned Miko

Problem 1

I Don't Know Where I Am...

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"" Talking

Italicized Midoriko talking to Kagome in her mind

Kagome talking to Midoriko in her mind

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I collapsed to the ground in a heap, panting from exhaustion, as I looked at the bloodied battle field around me. It was littered with the ashes and parts of several youkai demons of lower-levels. However, Naraku was finally gone. Thank god for that. The jewel had backfired and purified him once he had made his wish. We had been fighting him all morning, and despite the beautiful weather, my mood was anything but happy. I was the complete opposite actually.

Drowning in my own sorrow, I looked over at Sango. Kohaku was in her arms, his body was limp and I knew that he had not survived. Naraku had ripped the jewel shard from his body, giving him a slow and painful death. Miroku was beside her, trying to comfort her, despite the fatal wound on his back. Sango leaned in to him, accepting his comfort, and I gave a tiny smile knowing that they had finally gotten together.

Shippo was back at the village, unharmed and safe. He was safely out of the way of the final battle and I was glad for that. He would have only proved to be a distraction, despite his good intentions.

Sesshoumaru, who had unexpectedly joined in half way through the morning, had escaped with only a few minor scratches that would heal in less than a day for him. Kouga had had the same happen to him, so I didn't have to worry about his health.

Kagura and the rest of Naraku's minions had disappeared along with him. I guessed that he didn't want to leave any of himself behind. Or maybe it was the fact that he hated Kagura and wanted to take her down with him. Whatever the reason, Kagura, Kanna, and the rest of them were nowhere to be found.

Kikyo had returned back to hell, deciding to, surprisingly, give my soul back. She didn't even acknowledge Inuyasha as she said goodbye, but simply ignored him. She was the cold, unfeeling clay pot all the way to the end of her 'life'.

Inuyasha... he just stared at the spot where Kikyo had disappeared into the earth, refusing to move. I saw the amount of sorrow that filled his eyes and felt a tugging at my heart. I had long ago accepted that he would never love me the way that I wanted him to, and that he would always love Kikyo. Despite how much that thought hurt me, I began to grow immune to that pain. But now, seeing that look in his eyes again, I felt the pain returning. I couldn't take it anymore. Racing over to Naraku's ashes, I picked up the shikon and held it in the palm of my hand. Inuyasha noticed and his eyes slowly began to bleed red. He wanted the jewel.

"Give me the Shikon, Kagome..." he growled as he stood up. I took a step back, backing away from him.

"No, I can't, Inuyasha..." I whispered, knowing that his demon senses would be able to pick up the words that escaped my lips. He snarled and lunged at me to grab it, but was repelled by an invisible barrier. I looked at the Shikon and noticed it's glow. The soft pink light began to grow brighter and brighter until it engulfed me. I let out a scream of pain when I felt something tear into my chest. The light then died down just as quickly as it had come and I felt the pain disappear along with it.

Looking back up at Inuyasha, I saw that his eyes were completely red and that the markings began to make their way across his face. I had taken away wish. I had taken away his only chance at ever becoming a full-blooded demon. On accident, too. No one oculd make a wish on the Shikon anymore. It was gone.

"Inuyasha... please... calm down..." I pleaded but it only fueled the formation of the marks. My eyes grew wide as he lood out a ferocious snarl and I flinched. This couldn't be happening to me.

As he lunged, there was suddenly another bright light and I felt myself being lifted in to the air by an invisible force, and was tossed in to the well, being forced to go home.

What was going on? What had thrown me in to the well? What had happened to Inuyasha? Would I still be able to go through the portal and visit my friends in the Sengoku Jidai? What had happened to the jewel? What would happen to Sango, Miroku, and Shippo? Would Inuyasha kill them? As I was placed unceremoniously on to the ground on my butt, I looked up and saw the wooden ceiling of the shrine's wellhouse. What had sent me back home, and why?

There was suddenly another bright light, this time coming from the area around my ehart, and I found myself in a place that was engulfed in white. Everything was white. there was nothing else, just white. Looking around, I saw a figure coming towards me in the distance. As the figure got closer, I gasped, recognizing her as the warrior miko, Midoriko.

She gave a soft smile and I gave a shaky smile in return. I was shocked. What was Midoriko doing here? I groaned and mentally slapped my forehead. I had to stop coming up with questions. They were doing nothing except making me even more confused than I already was.

"Kagome, I know you're probably wondering why I forced you back in to your own time" she began.

"Wait, you were the one that threw me in to the well?" I asked and she nodded.

"But there was no other choice. Without the jewel, no one can get past the well. I had to seal it to make sure that Inuyasha would not come after you and kill you."

"...You... sealed it...?" I whispered and she nodded.

"There was no other choice. You must forget about the past for now, you will have plenty of time to look back on it later. There is a bigger problem at hand here, in this era. Naraku was not defeated. His human side, Onigumo, remained unscathed so that he could begin the process of becoming a demon over again. He is still alive, but this time you must defeat him without the help of any of your friends from the past. They cannot come here no matter how much both of us want them to. They do not belong in this era."

"Wait a minute... so Naraku is still alive, and I have no control over my miko powers. Doesn't that mean that I'll get killed the moment he sends a demon after me?"

"Yes and no. Because the jewel has fused with your body, I can now help you control your powers. It will eventually become muscle memory and you will no longer need my help after that has been accomplished."

"I see... but what am I supposed to use to protect myself?"

"You cannot run around with weapons in this time, but you can carry a small dagger if it is hidden well. Always keep one on you at all times. Who knows when a demon will come by and sense the jewel inside of you. It would mean your death if you are unprepared, and the death of all the remaining humans. To make sure that you stay safe, I will turn you in to a kitsune until a demon that you need to kill is nearby. You will then turn back in to a human."

She began to fade away so I quickly tried to ask one last question.

"Will there be anyone to help me defeat Naraku or will I have to fight him alone? And what will being a kitsune help me with?" I asked quickly. Okay, two questions. She gave a faint smile.

"There will be people to help you, but they will be a nuisance in the final battle. You must fight the actual Naraku alone, but I cannot answer the second question" she replied. "Once you get out of the wellhouse, run. Run like it's the only thing you've ever been able to do. Run far away and don't go back to your family until you are certain that Naraku is destroyed. He doesn't know where you are now, but once he senses your aura, and finds you living at this shrine, he will get the jewel from you, even if it means disposing of your loved ones." And then she was gone, along with the mass expanse of white.

I looked up at the ceiling of the wellhouse and noticed that it seemed much taller than usual. I also noticed the horrible dusty odor of the building for the first time. Walking over to the ladder, I placed my hand on the first rung and froze when I saw a paw instead. I turned my head and saw that I had a black tail with a white tip. This definitely was not my day.

I sat at the bottom of the ladder and gave a small sigh. I was stuck at the bottom of a dried well as a fox, with no way to get out of the well, and no way to get back to the Sengoku Jidai... perfect... just what i needed...

I was once again suddenly lifted by an invisible force and brought outside of the wellhouse before being set down. Remembering what Midoriko told me to do, I ran. I ran as fast as I could and as far as I could. I weaved through the legs of people in a large crowd, not knowing where I was going, but I knew that I had to get away from the shrine to protect my family. It felt like I was running all day, and I was, leaving screams and shouts of surprise in my wake. I eventually heard sirens. I began to panic, knowing that if I was caught I would be sent to a zoo or something because of my abnormal color. Not to mention the fact that I had been causing a panic in three different cities now.

'Come on, Kagome, you can run faster!!!' I encouraged myself as I picked up speed. I saw a group of trees up ahead and I ran even faster, the people now a blur in my peripheral vision. I made it into the trees and turned my head just in time to see some people with nets came out of a pest control car. I mentally scowled. 'I am not a pest...!'

Turning my head back around and continuing my terrifyingly fast pace, I ran into something and fell back over with a yelp. I got back to my feet... paws... whatever... panting, and looked at what I had run into. I saw a leg. And that was it. I slowly raised my head and saw a girl staring at me. She had large, soft, brown eyes and brown hair.

I noticed two boys beside her. One had orange hair and crimson eyes while the other had gray hair and purple eyes.

"KAWAIII!!!!!!!" the girl suddenly squealed and hugged me. "Its so cute!!!!"

I heard shouting from behind me and my eyes widened. I began to struggle and accidentally scratched her arm in the process, but she let go. I was about to run again when I was roughly picked up by the scruff of my neck and my blue eyes met red.

"Damn kitsunes..." he mumbled and I hissed, kicking and scratching. I got his hand and he winced, letting go of me just as the pest control people broke free of the underbrush. They swung the net at me and it barely missed. Considering I was dead tired I should have been an easy catch.

"Stupid kitsune!" the pest control workers growled as I got away. I stopped, as if to taunt them but was really catching my breath, and I saw them plop to the ground, dead tired. "Dammit! We were so close!!!!" they shouted and I felt a tugging by my heart. Was this what Midoriko meant when I would turn back to a human when a demon was nearby?

I quickly raced into the trees as I was engulfed in light for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and was back in my human form. I was relieved to see that I had clothes on. It wouldn't have been good if I had to fight every youkai naked... I was wearing a black fighting kimono. A little old in the fashion sense but it looked good on me nonetheless, and it was easy to move in, too.

A scream suddenly broke through the air and I ran towards the noise, noticing that I was going back to th place where I was almost caught. I burst in to the clearing and, sure enough, the youkai was in the center of it, scaring the crap out of the poor people. The demon turned towards the girl and raised it's clawed hand. The carrothead raced in front of her just in time to save her and take the blow himself.

"KYO!" the girl shouted, terrified, and I felt some of my powers flare. Midoriko was controlling them and I felt certain muscles in my body move. I tried to memorize how it felt. The youkai felt it and turned towards me, leaving the others alone. I grimaced.

"Jewel..." it growled and took a step towards me. I covered my nose.

"Damn... you REEK! Do all youkai these days smell like you?" I asked and it's beady red eyes narrowed when I thought that couldn't possibly become any smaller.

"Give me the jewel, girl" it commanded and I took a step back as it came closer. It gave a gruewsome smirk, showing its rotting teeth. "Are you scared, girl?" it asked.

"Yeah. Of your face... its horribly ugly..." I replied, scrunching my nose in contempt. It let out a roar of anger and tried to claw me like it did to carrothead. I easilly dodged, not knowing that I could. Must have been Midoriko again. I jumped behind it and placed my hand on its back, snorting in disgust. I sent out some purifying energy and it tured to ashes, along with that wierd gunk on my hand. Thank god. I turned towards the onlookers and saw that "Kyo" guy against the tree, wincing.

I walked over to him and knelt beside him. I looked at his chest and saw three deep gashes. Despite how much I hated him from my first impression, Midoriko made me heal him. I placed my hand on the wound and I felt some muscles tensing in order to transfer the energy so that he could heal. I tried my best to memorize that feeling, too. When he was perfectly fine again I stood up. I gave a slight bow to them all.

"Although I'd love to stay here and answer some quesions, I can't. I've got places to go and people to see so I'll be taking my leave now." I looked at the girl. "You," I stated, pointing at her.

"Y-yes...?" she stammered.

"Make sure carrothead here gets to school. The more he moves, the faster he'll feel better, the less he'll feel like throwing up."

"H-hai..."

I gave a soft smile at her response and walked past her, touching her shoulder.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine" I mmbled in her ear and disappeared in to the trees. After I got a few feet away I had turned back in to a black kitsune and I began to continue my journey when Midoriko's voice filled my ear.

Stop right there Kagome! she commanded and I obeyed. I sensed something wierd about those two. We'll stay here and observe them. Sound good?

...okay...

-----------------------Kyo---------------------------

"Carrothead...?" I growled, "I am not a carrothead..."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that..." Yuki mumbled, staring at the ashes of that... thing... "Your hair is the proper color for it."

"Shut up, rat."

"I don't think I will, kitty. I quite enjoy speaking thank you very much."

I glared and got to my feet. I was about to beat the crap out of 'Prince Yuki' when there was a cry of glee.

"I GOT YOU, YOU STUPID FOX!!!"

I spun around and saw the pest control guy walking towads the clearing, the black fox from before being dragged along with a metal pole with a collar like piece of leather at the end. I looked at it and scowled.

"Stupid fox..." I mumbled in agreement and it hissed at me again, pulling and yanking more at it's bonds. The stormy blue eyes stared in to mine with immeasurable hatred. Wait a minute. Blue eyes? Hatred? Since when did that occur in a fox? Not to mention the wierd marking on it's forehead.

Tohru wouldn't take it though, she was too kind. "Excuse me...?" she asked softly and the man looked at her. "Why are you after that fox...?"

"You haven't heard?" the man asked and Tohru gave a black look that clearly said she had no clue what was going on. "This stupid fox has been creating a ruckus in three different cities now. I know that it's this fox because I've been chasing it all day long."

"Oh..."

The fox suddenly stopped struggling and looked at Tohru. It was using those eyes to make her save it. Damn, that fox was smart.

"What can I do to keep this fox?" she asked and I mentally slapped my forehead. I could tell Yuki was thinking about the same thing as I was. How could she be so nice as to want to take care of a fox?

"Trust me lady, you don't want this fox. It's been running around all day long, knocking people over, stopping traffic and causing accidents. You don't want it."

"Yes I do."

Tohru clearly didn't get the point so I took over for her.

"Look, guy, she wants the damn fox so what do we have to do to keep it?" I asked and the man glared at me.

"...just make sure that the fox doesn't ever run away again. If I see it on the streets without it on a leash and being held back by one of you three, I'm taking it and shooting it."

I nodded and he handed me the pole. I took it and gave it to Tohru as the man walked off.

"There, problem solved" I sighed and continued to walk back to the home, Tohru and Yuki following close behind with the fox, now seemingly satisfied, causing more trouble by running into my legs the entire way back. On purpose, might I add. I have no clue how I know that it was on purpose, but I swear I saw a sadistic smile on that damn kitsune's face when I walked into the house.

--------------------------Kagome-----------------------

As the girl catiously took the collar off of me, I shook myself to get the fur back in to place and sat down, looking around. There was suddenly another man that looked to be about twenty or so with black hair staring at me with great interest as he sat beside me.

"Hmmm... what an interesting fox..." he mumbled as everyone else left. He stayed in that position, looking at me, until he was sure that everyone was occupied doing something else. I could tell that he knew something wasn't right about me.

"Let's see here..." he sighed, "are you part of the Sohma family?"

I cocked my head to the side to show that I was confused.

"Nevermind then..."

I cocked my head even more.

The man groaned, trying to think of something. "Okay... what's your name?" he asked and I gave a small bark. "...I'm sorry, I didn't understand that..."

I gave the fox's form of a sigh and looked at him as I stood up. He did the same and I led him outside to a patch of dirt. Using my nose and paws, I created messy lines in the dirt.

"Kigami?" he asked and I shook my head. "Kogame?" Shook my head again. "Kogami?" Once again, no. "Kagomi?" Nope. "Kagome?" I nodded and he looked at the dirt. "...Kagome..." he mumbled, letting it roll off his tongue. "How old are you? 18?" Nope. "17?" Nope. "16." I nodded again. "Interesting... I'll have to see you in your human form some time, then, won't I?"

So you can act like Miroku? I think not... Stupid adult males trying to find get a teenage girl... shame on them!

I heard Midoriko giving a small laugh in my mind.

"Hey, Shigure!" I heard carrothead shout as he came outside, "Who you talking to?"

"Oh, no one. By the way, meet Kagome!" the man, now known as Shigure, chirped.

"...the fox..?" Kyo asked uncertainly and Shigure nodded, a dumb grin on his face.

"She's 16 and her name is Kagome!"

Kyo scowled and shook his head. "There is seriously something wrong with you. I'm calling Hatori over so he can check your brain..." he mumbled, going back in to the house and picking up a phone. He punched in a few numbers.

"Ah, Kyo! Its so nice, knowing that you actually worry!"

"Hello? Yeah, Hatori? Uh huh. I think you should come and take a look at Shigure. No, he's not hurt... at least I don't think he is... His brain might be a little messed up though."

"How can you be so mean, Kyo?"

Kyo glared at Shigure. "Uh... he's claiming that he can talk to a fox over here so..." Kyo put the phone down. "That was fast... He didn't even let me finish the sentence..."

One of the doors was suddenly knocked over and a cloud of dust formed, making everyone cough and sneeze. When it finally cleared out my black fur was now completely gray.

What the hell is this place and what am I doing here...?