Disclaimer for this story: Princess Princess is property of Mikiyo Tsuda and InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author, punkish furball. The author, punkish furball, is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. The author, punkish furball, makes no profit from this fanfiction. No copyright infringement is intended.
punkish furball – Hello, all! XD
Words to Ponder:
Hey, everybody. It's new crossover time! (fireworks and confetti)
This time I will be delving in the world of InuYasha and Princess Princess. You can expect some light hearted humor, warm and fluffy feelings, and just a dash of teen angst. I hope you enjoy it. I always appreciate your thoughts and feedback.
Prologue: A Sheep in Wolf's Clothes
Higurashi Kagome groaned as she sat up in her bed. Her movements were impeded by the thickly wrapped bandages around her torso, but she managed to leave the confines of her mattress and walk to her closet, retrieving a change of clothes. After that, she slowly trudged to her bathroom, grimacing when she saw a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her skin was sickly pale, her eyes were dull, and her hair was shaggy and past due for a trim.
She snorted. 'Some guardian I turned out to be.'
Kagome hurriedly removed her pajamas and bandages before stepping underneath the hot streams of water from the shower, vigorously scrubbing herself clean. When she finished, she meticulously replaced the wrappings around her chest and changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The clothing billowed and hung off her form; weeks of being bedridden caused her to lose a lot of weight. Kagome didn't give her current condition much thought. Her mother would see that she was well fed and healthy soon enough.
When she finished cleaning up, Kagome walked downstairs to the kitchen where she knew her mother would be. Nodoka was surprised to see her appear in the doorway. She was displeased with her daughter's thin, haggard appearance but said nothing. After all, given her past condition, it was to be expected.
"Kagome, when did you get out of bed?" Nodoka asked as she joined Kagome at the table.
"A while ago," she answered with a shrug.
"Are you sure you should be up?" Nodoka questioned. Wearing an encouraging smile, she added, "You can rest as long as you like."
Kagome smiled and shook her head. "I've been resting so much that I'm restless. I needed to get back on my feet eventually unless I planned on staying a hikikomori for the rest of my life. Plus, I really needed to use the tub and the toothbrush."
The grin on Nodoka's face subtly lessened. She certainly knew a cover-up when she heard one but would indulge her daughter for now. She seemed to be happy and didn't need to be reminded of prior events until she was ready.
"And a pair of scissors," Nodoka playfully added, "I've never seen your bangs so long."
Kagome sighed, knowing it was true. Her unruly fringe threatened to poke her eyes out.
"I'll get a haircut as soon as I can," she muttered.
Nodoka nodded. "If I were you, I'd get one tomorrow." She paused and stood to her feet.
"You must be starved. I'll go make you something."
"Thanks, Kaa-san."
"Would you like me to heat up some leftovers or I could make you noodle soup right quick? Ramen or udon?"
"Miso ramen?" Kagome timidly requested.
"Coming right up!"
Kagome hummed as she watched her mother flutter about the kitchen, gathering the ingredients for her meal.
"By the way," Nodoka stated once she started cooking, "you received a few phone calls while you were indisposed."
"Really?" Kagome asked, mildly interested.
Sometime between the trips back and forth from the Feudal Era, she managed to pass middle school by the skin of her teeth. Then, while her peers were preparing for high school entrance exams, she was fully committed to her duty with InuYasha and the others, seeking Shikon Jewel shards and defeating anyone who stood in their way. During that time, all but Hojo and Ayumi lost touch with her.
"I'll have to call them back and let them know I'm okay."
Nodoka agreed. "There were quite a few from the Sakamoto family."
"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed, immediately alerted by the familiar name, "Did anything bad happen?"
"Not really. They asked how your recovery was going and gave me a few updates to pass along," Nodoka answered, "Sakamoto-kun got accepted to high school, a very good one."
Kagome smiled fondly. "Of course he did. Sakamoto-kun is brilliant. I remember him saying he wanted to go to the same school his older brother attended. I think the name is Fujimori."
"Either way, you do owe him a call."
Kagome nodded. "I should probably visit him soon."
"I believe he'd like that. It's been a while since the two of you have seen each other," Nodoka said as she set a piping hot bowl of ramen in front of Kagome with a pair of chopsticks.
"I'll get you some tea."
"Thanks, Kaa-san." Kagome pursed her lips together in thought before she began eating her noodle soup. As always, it was delicious.
"I think I'll see Sakamoto-kun tomorrow," she suddenly announced. Sakamoto Akira went through all the trouble of contacting her while she was confined to her bed, patiently checking in for weeks. He deserved to learn she was well in person.
"Good," Nodoka exclaimed, "Since you'll be in the area, drop by Fujimori Academy. Maybe you can see if they're taking transfer students and pick up an application."
Kagome snorted. "Kaa-san, there's no possible way for me to attend Sakamoto-kun's school."
-O0o0O-
Kagome slowly stepped off the bus, curiously taking in the impressive campus that was Fujimori High School. It was much larger than expected.
'Then again, I suppose it's one of the perks of being an elite school.'
As she approached the school, Kagome absently brushed her bangs away from her eyes. She woke up later than she planned and only had enough time to take a quick shower, brush her teeth, and change her clothes before scrambling for the bus. Since she was in such a hurry, she grabbed a pair of Bermuda shorts and dark T-shirt from a pile of recently laundered clothes.
'And no time for a haircut,' she thought, blowing up her fringe.
The late awakening wasn't Kagome's only setback. She wasn't expecting to actually visit Akira at the academy. Her original plan was to stop by the Sakamoto family home after school ended. Then after she discovered the family member she sought wasn't there, she boarded the bus again and headed for Fujimori instead of waiting for him to arrive. Truthfully, it was one of the last places she wanted to be. Nonetheless, she stubbornly walked through the academy gates wondering where to start looking for Akira.
'Sakamoto-kun's parents told me he should be doing his duties as class president right now. If that's the case, someone around here must know him or where he might be,' Kagome reasoned.
"Hime-sama!"
Before Kagome knew it, a rapidly moving body collided with hers and sent both of them flying into the bushes. She landed bottom first in the mud.
"Wha—?" she mumbled, but a hand quickly clamped to her mouth.
"Please be quiet or they'll find us!" the boy on top of her whispered.
Before Kagome could protest, a large group of boys ran passed them, oddly enough, calling for someone named "princess". The boy let out a relived sigh as soon as they were gone.
"Pardon me," Kagome began, lightly glaring at the offender, "but could you get off now?"
"Ah! I'm sorry."
The boy quickly jumped off her and held out a hand to pull her up. Kagome accepted the help and, once she was on her feet, looked down with a grimace at her sodden, dirt spattered appearance.
"I am so sorry!" the boy exclaimed, bowing low at his waist.
"It's no problem," Kagome insisted, "Really it's not."
The boy stood to his full head and rapidly shook his head. "I'll take you somewhere to get a change of clothes."
Before Kagome could say anything else, the boy grabbed her hand and pulled. Instead of resisting, she went along. She could feel the mud caked on her bottom begin to dry; a new pair of pants was definitely in order.
"Well, thank you very much…Hime-sama," she said, wearing a grin.
"Don't call me that!" her companion shouted, indignant.
Kagome giggled. "But that's what those boys were shouting before. I assumed they were calling for you since you hid from them."
Now that she had a better look at him, she could understand why other boys would dub him "princess". His light red hair and big, lucid eyes practically screamed pretty boy.
'They didn't seem like they were making fun of him though.'
The boy blushed and started to walk a little faster. "All you need to know is that I had no choice! That title was forced on me!"
"Whatever you say," Kagome remarked, "So what is your real name?"
"It's Yutaka. Yours?"
"Higurashi," she replied, introducing herself by her last name like he did.
"So what are you doing here?" he asked, "Are you looking for someone?"
Kagome nodded and answered, "I'm looking for Sakamoto Akira-kun."
"Sakamoto-sama?" Yutaka repeated, "If he's still on campus, he's probably with Arisada-san and the rest of the student council."
"Could you take me to him, Yutaka-san?" Kagome asked politely.
He nodded. "Sure thing, Higurashi-san. As soon as you've cleaned up."
The two of them stopped in front of a home economics classroom. Yutaka opened the door and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of a student with his dark blond hair pulled into a high ponytail and his bangs styled in tight spiral curls. He turned to them, a wide grin on his bespectacled face.
"Mikoto-hime!" he exclaimed, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Natasho-senpai, do you have a spare uniform for my friend, Higurashi, to borrow?" he asked. Suddenly panicked, he added, "A normal school uniform! Not any of the other ones."
The senior thoughtfully hummed as he approached Kagome, placing both hands on her shoulders. She cringed when he leaned forward and brushed her bangs away from her eyes. After a few more seconds of his intense stare, he let out an excited squeal that was positively gut wrenching. He latched onto Kagome's arm and pulled her away from the classroom entrance.
"You have so much possibility!" he cried, "Come this way!"
"Huh?" was all Kagome could utter before she found herself strapped to a salon chair with a black cape tied around her neck. Natasho was standing over her with a pair of scissors.
"What are you doing?" she asked as he circled her.
"The bangs first then the split ends. The dryness will need to be addressed as well," he said, talking to himself more than her.
"Hold on, senpai!" Yutaka shouted, "Don't get carried away!"
Despite Yutaka's and Kagome's protests, Natasho proceeded and haphazardly snipped away at Kagome's wild locks, producing one of the best cuts she ever received. He finished by pulling her hair in a low ponytail tossed over her left shoulder and bound with a blue ribbon.
"It is finished!" he announced as he stepped away, briefly admiring his work before disappearing from sight. Yutaka was equally impressed.
"Wow! I never guessed you looked like that!" he exclaimed.
Kagome's right eyebrow twitched. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I didn't mean anything bad!" he quickly amended, "I just didn't get a good look at you with your bangs in the way."
"I guess I can't argue with you there," she reluctantly stated.
"Here!" Natasho interjected as he reappeared handing a standard Fujimori uniform to Kagome. She blinked owlishly but decided wearing the males' uniform was better than walking around caked in dirt.
"There's a sink over there where you can wash up," Natasho helpfully added.
"Thanks," Kagome said with a nod, "Could the two of you leave while I change?"
"What for?" Yutaka asked.
She bristled. "I'm not changing in front of you!"
Yutaka huffed but complied and moved to the hallway along with Natasho. After a few minutes of waiting, Kagome emerged, clean and freshly clothed.
"I promise to return this later. As for my clothes—" she began but Natasho cut her off with a shake of the head.
"Don't worry about those! I'll take care of it," he told her, "As for the uniform, you should keep it. You and it are destined to be!"
"Thank you?" Kagome replied, not entirely sure how to receive the declaration.
"We'll be leaving now, senpai," Yutaka said, "Thanks again for your help."
As the duo walked away, Natasho stood outside the classroom, dramatically waving at them. "See you soon, hime-tachi!"
"Huh? What is he talking about?" Kagome uttered. Once again, a student of Fujimori mentioned "princess".
"Never mind!" Yutaka insisted, "Let's look for Sakamoto-sama."
Kagome decided to let the issue drop. Whatever this princess business was about, it clearly made Yutaka uncomfortable.
The two of them continued searching for Akira until Yutaka came to a sudden halt.
"Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked, stopping alongside him. Yutaka didn't answer, only stood with his back stiff and mouth agape. Ahead of them, there were two boys swiftly approaching their position.
"Mikoto!" they called out, angered.
"Damn!" Yutaka muttered under his breath.
"Friends of yours?" Kagome asked, though she already suspected the answer.
"Yeah," he replied, his posture relaxing, "This will only take a minute…I hope."
Kagome nodded and waited until the two boys reached them, stepping aside so she wouldn't be in the way. Like Mikoto, they both had noticeably attractive features and a certain bishōnen appeal. One boy had deep bluish, black hair with wide, expressive baby blues while the other was a longhaired, blond with eyes of golden hazel.
"What are you doing skipping work again?" the blond pointedly asked Mikoto, looking at him suspiciously.
"It's not my fault!" Mikoto insisted, but the other boy wouldn't hear it.
"Liar!"
"It's the truth," Kagome interjected, taking a step toward them, "Yutaka-san is helping me find Sakamoto-kun." As soon as she spoke, she had both newcomers' attention.
"Sakamoto?" the raven repeated.
After staring at her for a few seconds, the two boys smiled knowingly.
"Forgive us for being rude. My name is Kouno Toru," the raven introduced himself.
"I'm Shihoudani," the blond said with a nod, "We're both in Sakamoto-sama's class. We can help you find him."
"I'm Higurashi," she replied, "Thanks for the offer, but are you sure you can help me? It seems like the three of you have something important to attend to." If need be, she would gladly look for Akira on her own.
Toru nodded and said, "We all have a meeting with the student council, but Sakamoto is likely to be there as well. If he's not, we'll look somewhere else."
"You don't mean to bring him in front of the student council?" Mikoto cried, obviously distressed by that notion. He vehemently shook his head. "He won't stand a chance!"
Kagome raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Just what could a high school student council do to her to make Mikoto so worried?
"I see," Shihoudani stated, looking at Mikoto in disappointment, "You planned on using Higurashi to shirk your duties."
"Despicable," Toru added, shaking his head.
Mikoto, looking as though he were about to cry, exclaimed, "Shihoudani! Kouno!"
Ignoring the outburst, Shihoudani placed a helpful hand on Kagome's shoulder and led her away from Mikoto with Toru in tow. Mikoto pouted but followed after the other three. It didn't take long for them to end up in front of the student council meeting room. Kagome nearly faltered when she spotted the council members assembled before her. All four were very handsome.
'Is everyone at this school so good looking?' she thought.
"Hime-tachi, you're late," a blond, emerald-eyed student with a noticeable air of confidence stated. He paused when he spotted Kagome standing in between Shihoudani and Toru.
"Hello and who might you be?" he greeted her politely.
"This is Higurashi. He's looking for Sakamoto," Toru answered for her.
"Ah. Sakamoto-sama is out running errands for hime-tachi and return to report to me shortly."
"Princess, princess, princess, that's all I've been having since I got here," Kagome grumbled, irritated, "What's all that about anyway?"
"You mean Sakamoto-sama didn't mention it?" the blond asked, intrigued.
She snorted. "Clearly."
The blond chuckled and began to explain. "You see, Higurashi-kun, as an all boys' school, Fujimori was in need of something to enrich the dull lives of its students. Thus to answer this need, the Princess System, an institution very unique to this school, was born to create visual idols for other male students to admire.
"Basically, a candidate chosen for Princess duties is a popular first year student with good looks and a well-suited personality. His duties will include wearing girls' clothing to morning meetings and school events, encouraging others at school, and cheering at school events.
"Yutaka Mikoto-kun and Shihoudani Yuujiro-kun are both current Princesses. Kouno Toru-kun, a recent transfer student, is a Princess candidate. So what do you think, Higurashi-kun?"
Kagome pursed her lips together, her initial shock fading away. Surprisingly, the more the older student told her about the bizarre system, the less bizarre it seemed.
'Although,' she thought, 'I can understand why Sakamoto-kun never mentioned it before.'
"It is odd," she honestly answered, "but I suppose it all makes sense when you think about it."
"What are you saying, Higurashi?" Mikoto shouted, clenching his fists by his side, "Nothing about this situation makes sense!"
"At first, it didn't," she clarified, "But, when you really think about it, it's all explained by biology."
"What do you mean?" Toru asked, curious.
"It reminds me of something I read in one of my science books," Kagome began to explain, "Consider this scenario. Assume you're keeping a group of male and female birds in the same cage then suddenly separate them based on their sex. The females will remain indifferent to the change while the males will eventually begin to chase each other. For the males, gender doesn't matter when there isn't any choice. The same could be said about Fujimori High."
"What are you trying to say?" Mikoto questioned. He still couldn't see how anything scientific could explain the Princess System he so hated.
Kagome shrugged. "Boys are just horny."
The blond senior's boisterous laughter broke the silence that settled after Kagome's bold declaration.
"Higurashi-kun, you are absolutely delightful," he told her, "Forgive me for not introducing myself yet. I'm Arisada Shuya, student council president." He then gestured to the three other boys stationed around him.
"These are my fellow student council members."
"Koshio Masayuki, vice president."
"Harue Wataru, treasurer."
"Tadasu Takahiro, secretary."
"Nice to meet you," she replied, politely bowing. She faltered when she stood up and caught the look of Arisada's face. His piercing smile was positively unsettling.
-O0o0O-
"Sakamoto-sama!"
Sakamoto Akira stopped and looked back to those who addressed him. He just finished some crucial preparations for the ceremony introducing Fujimori Academy's newest Princess, Toru from class 1-D. He was on his way to report his progress to student council president, Arisada.
"Yes?" he answered.
"You have a visitor on campus," one of the boys who called him said.
"Really? I wasn't expecting anyone," he replied, wondering who it could be.
The boy eagerly nodded, a sheen of bright pink covering his cheeks. "You're so lucky, Sakamoto-sama! To have such a lovely friend come to see you."
Akira awkwardly smiled and nodded. From the brief description, he assumed his visitor was one of his family members. All of them were known for their striking beauty.
"He's so tiny!" another continued to gush. The others followed suit, adding in their favorite features of the mysterious visitor.
"With perfect pale skin!"
"And long black hair!"
"And such clear blue eyes!"
"Huh?" Akira uttered. No one in his family fit that description. "Is this person waiting for me at the front gate?"
"No, the last I saw him, he was with Mikoto-hime."
"Is that so? Then they could be with the student council," Akira mused, knowing the Princesses had a meeting with the organization.
"The student council?" one boy uttered.
"That means Higurashi could be a Princess candidate along with Kouno!"
"Ah! We could have four Princesses this year!"
"Awesome!"
"What a minute!" Akira loudly interrupted the excited chatter, "Did you say his name is Higurashi?"
The boys stopped and nodded.
"Yeah. I heard it from Natasho-senpai."
Akira said no more and broke into a panicked run. He didn't stop until he reached the student council meeting room. When he reached it, he burst inside without any preamble, panting heavily. His sudden appearance surprised the student council members, the current Princesses and the Princess candidate, and the one who came to see him.
"Sakamoto-kun!" Kagome cried as soon as she saw him, grinning from ear to ear.
Akira slowly approached her in disbelief. He hasn't seen Kagome for nearly four to five months. She was thinner than he remembered and her skin lost its healthy glow, but he could barely contain the joy of seeing her. He gave Kagome his full and undivided attention, leaving the other occupants of the room to nosily watch their exchange.
"Higurashi, what are you doing here?" he finally asked.
"I came to see you," she answered.
Akira shook his head. "I mean, how are you feeling? The last time I heard from your mother, you were still…"
"Oh! I'm fine now for the most part," Kagome exclaimed when he trailed off, "Since you continued to call and check on me, I came here to tell you in person."
Akira smiled and placed gentle hands on Kagome's shoulders before pulling her into a tight embrace.
"You look like you're doing well," he whispered, his lips right next to her ear, "I'm so glad."
"Sakamoto?" Toru questioned, his voice shattering the warm reunion. Akira and Kagome both looked up, startled.
Arisada smirked and said, "The two of you certainly have a close relationship."
Soon after he spoke, Akira quickly jumped away from Kagome, sheepishly looking at the floor.
"Ah! Well, we—" he began but, regretfully, couldn't find the words.
Kagome shrugged, wearing a crooked grin. Akira was always so shy when it came to her.
"Well, I was looking for him for a reason," she remarked.
"It also seems like the two of you don't see each other often," Shihoudani commented.
Regaining his composure, Akira looked up and nodded. "Yeah. Higurashi has been sick for nearly a year now."
"Really?" Mikoto said, astonished.
"It's true. Sakamoto-kun has been really kind to me," Kagome said, wearing a small, sad smile, "He always calls and checks for updates, making sure I'm okay."
"It's good that you're well enough to start school now," Toru remarked, giving her a friendly clap on the shoulder.
With an embarrassed flush, Kagome admitted, "I'm not exactly enrolled in school yet. I haven't been in the right…condition to sit for entrance exams."
"But your uniform," Toru pointed out, "Aren't you a student here too?
"Of course not!" Kagome replied, "I'm only wearing this because of Yutaka-san."
"I said I was sorry!" he shouted.
"All that considered," Arisada interjected, "did you ever consider applying to Fujimori, Higurashi-kun? I think you'll fit in perfectly here."
"Seriously?" Kagome said, not sure whether she should be angry or amused.
"Ah, Arisada-san, that's a very nice thing to say, but it's not possible for Higurashi to attend this school," Akira added, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
"Why would you say something like that, Sakamoto? You and Higurashi seem very close," Toru stated, "Wouldn't you want to go to school together?"
"That's not the point. You all seem to have the wrong idea about Higurashi," Akira clarified.
Kagome couldn't help the few giggles that escaped as she thought of a way to explain her situation delicately.
"I guess you can say the reason I can't attend this school is also explained by biology," she decided to say.
"You mean because you're still sick?" Shihoudani supplied.
"No," she said with a shake of her head, "because I'm a girl."
The resulting silence and tension in the room was thick. Mikoto was the first to break it.
"You're a girl?" he shouted, shocked, "A girl? You can't be a girl! I was with you all day! I know you're not a girl."
Kagome sighed. "I can assure you I am."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cat shaped wallet. She removed her middle school ID card and showed it to the group of boys. Printed on it clear as day was her gender and a picture of her dressed in a girls' uniform. It was proof enough for them to believe her.
With the earlier meeting between Kagome and Akira clicking in his mind, Shihoudani asked, "Hey, Sakamoto-sama, is Higurashi your girlfriend?"
Both teens blushed at the question.
"Not exactly," Kagome mumbled.
"So what is your relationship?" Arisada asked pointedly.
"Higurashi is my fiancée."
"…Eh!?"
-O0o0O-
punkish furball – Ha-ha! This is my first time writing with Princess Princess characters, and I hope it was to your liking. As always I appreciate your questions, comments, and words of wisdom so please contact me! X3
Until next time, TCB! XD
(edited 10.11.2013)