Stuck In Time

Author: Ject

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, of course!

Chapter 1: Argument

It was a bright morning in the village. Everything was quiet and peaceful. That is, until InuYasha and the others came back to the village from their latest excursion. InuYasha and Kagome were arguing again. Miroku and Sango were walking behind them, Kirara on Sango's shoulder and Shippo cowering from the fighting pair.

"InuYasha, you're being insensitive! Why can't you ever just listen to me?" Kagome was furious. She had been trying to tell InuYasha, finally, how she felt about him, but all he had done was ask if there was any more instant ramen in her bag.

"What did I do now? Nothing! So stop yelling at me!" He turned away from Kagome, crossing his arms in defiance. Kagome's temper finally boiled over.

"InuYasha, sit!"

WHUMP!

InuYasha crashed, face first, into the ground.

"Sit, sit, sit, sit, SIT!"

Sango sighed, looking at the heap of crumpled doggy demon. "Kagome," she cautioned, "it's not his fault that he's an idiot sometimes. Don't sit him anymore."

"Fine. I won't." She crossed her arms, and headed off into the forest, towards the well. "I'm going home."

InuYasha was angry. Scratch that. He wasn't just angry, he was pissed. Kagome was gone, back to her own time. He wanted to go after her, but he had too much pride. And to top it all off, it was a full moon. InuYasha hated this time of the month, because his human half took over his body. His snow white hair turned raven black, his claws retracted and his fangs disappeared, and his furry dog ears were traded for normal human ones.

So he was angry, and he was sulking. He sat on one side of their nightly fire, with Shippo nearby, but not too near, as he was sleepy and afraid of invoking the hanyou's wrath, which may prevent sleep. Sango and Miroku were on the other side of the fire, whispering to each other.

Suddenly, Shippo spoke up. It surprised the other three, as the young fox was already laying down, ready to sleep. "Just go after her," he said. Miroku and Sango paused their whispers. Had Shippo heard what they had said? Miroku silently questioned the demon slayer, but she shook her head. This may actually work to their advantage.

InuYasha also paused. "What?" he growled, incensed that anyone, especially a kid like Shippo, would presume to give him romantic advice. What did Shippo know?

"You know you love her," the young boy said, "and you know you want to go find her. So go do it!"

"No!" InuYasha yelled. "I didn't do anything wrong. She tried to tell me I was being a jerk, and I don't know why!"

"So go find out!"

"No!"

"You have too much pride, InuYasha. Swallow it and find her."

"Why you---" InuYasha scrambled to his feet ready to strangle Shippo. Where did the little brat get off telling him about his pride? Shippo leapt up, wide awake now, to hide behind the others, who each leapt up, and grabbed one of InuYasha's arms.

"Let me go!" he struggled against his two friends' grips, trying desperately to get away. Miroku peered at Sango, who only nodded her head. They had to do it. Keeping a firm grip on the hanyou, they continued to drag him backwards toward the well. InuYasha still struggled, not only trying to escape, but attempting to strangle Shippo as well.

They reached the well. "Down you go," Miroku said. He looked the hanyou in the eyes. InuYasha was startled to see complete seriousness in the monk's eyes. "And if you try to come back, we'll just push you down again."

"Don't you DARE push me down that--"

They pushed him down the well.

InuYasha fell, down and down and down, until he landed with a flump. He knew, however, that when he climbed out, he would not be in a lush green forest, but a drab wooden shrine.

"Dammit!" he cursed. "Well, I'm here, I might as well go find her." And he climbed out of the well and left the shrine.