Note From Your Boy: Well, it's a new year. Usually a fresh year comes equipped with promises, vows, and the ever infamous New Year's Resolution. Of course, there's going to be a heap of new stories debuting pretty soon and there's no doubt that I'll be posting any new ones anytime soon. This piece here, is unique. I'm mentioning this because… it's weird, along with the weird method of how I'm going to post it. Okay! I'm going to let the cat out of the bag; it's a short story! Happy?
Scary… Still, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Yeah, new story… so I have to get this out of the way. I do not own any of the characters and since the concept is seemingly familiar… I don't own it either; otherwise, Stan is going to kick my ass.
"Kagome, you're drifting again!" Ayumi chided her classmate. "That's the reason you're having quite a hassle with it because your thoughts are easily wafting to something else." She stood wistfully over her companion's shoulders, watching her struggle with the mathematical equation on her desk.
"Damn, it's a bother enough to deal with order of operations," Kagome sighed in frustration, "… but why are there so many fractions thrown into this particular section?" She cupped her face in her palms and nodded as if she was on the verge of crying. "Ayumi this is driving me crazy."
Ayumi looked apologetic. "Calm down Kagome, please. It's just a little math anxiety." She stated softly, much like a mother would to a depressed child. "I assure you, it's not nearly as hard as it seems."
"I certainly hope that I get to that point, Ayumi." Kagome replied as she gazed at the ceiling. "But as of right now, I have a long way to go."
"Kagome…" Ayumi sighed. "We're certainly lucky that the exam on this is in two weeks. Knowing that, we have plenty of time to study, and you won't had to fear those mean ole' fractions again with my help."
A grateful smile took her face. "Thank you Ayumi."
"That's the spirit, girl." Ayumi pumped her fist encouragingly. "Now remember the most important thing in this lesson is to employ that method that the Occident use when it comes down to this."
Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment; suddenly remember what a foreign exchange girl taught her some time ago. "Please… Excuse… My-My…" She frowned deeper in concentration for a familiar phrase. "… Dear Aunt Sally!"
"That's it! There you go!"
"Okay." Kagome nodded confidently. "I think that I'm finally getting the hang of this particular section." She prodded the eraser of her pencil on her temple in thought. "Still, the fractions are going to be a real doozey."
A knock was heard on her door. "Come on in." Kagome beckoned.
"Kagome aren't you going to come down to the den and enjoy the Friday night movie marathon with me and Grandpa?" Souta inquired his big sister. "Tonight's 80's night. You probably remember some of them from you childhood."
The older sibling rolled her eyes, her classmate and tutor giggled. "So? That's what you wanted to tell me about, Souta?" Kagome wondered, giving him an annoyed look. "Don't you know that I'm in the middle of something important?"
"But it's Friday!" Souta insisted. "Why won't you just wind down and relax a little? C'mon, spend some time with us and catch a few laughs from some of those American horror flicks."
Kagome gritted her teeth. "Souta…"
"Actually, your brother speaks an admirable proposal." Ayumi stated eruditely, surprising Kagome. "I can use a weekend to rejuvenate."
Kagome spun quickly on her desk to face her friend. She was both baffled and happy to hear that from her. "Are you serious? That sort of sounds strange coming from you."
Ayumi winked at her. "Of course. This is a good opportunity to accompany my mother on her trip to Osaka tomorrow. I shall return and support additional help on the assignment next week."
"That sounds good to me." Kagome beamed, slamming her thick algebra book shut. "I am really starving."
"So you'll be joining us in the den tonight?" Souta asked hopefully.
"No." Kagome simply answered. "I'll just join you some other time." She stood up and stretched her limbs before regarding Ayumi again. "Are you going to need a ride home Ayumi-chan? The forecast did predict some rain today."
Ayumi glanced out the room window. "It's likely. The overcast skies are mostly cumulonimbus. We can expect heavy rain."
"Right…" Kagome confirmed, wondering why Ayumi was so observant. "I'll go tell Mama that you are ready to head home."
Ayumi folded her arms and raised her right index finger in a reproachful manner. "However…" She gained Kagome's attention just as she was about to leave her room. "… I wouldn't relent on the section over the order of operations if I were you." She suggested.
"Why? Are we starting on the next section next week?" Kagome queried.
"Don't procrastinate, Kagome." Ayumi warned. "That's just as bad as allowing your mind to drift during a lecture on the assignment. Just because you're catching the gist of it doesn't mean you should ignore it. That can lead to forgetfulness."
Kagome groaned. "This is going to be one stressful weekend."
Souta laughed at his sister. "Tough luck! No quality time with us, no free time with your boyfriend."
Kagome delivered an admonishing fist to the back of his head.
"Your boyfriend?" Ayumi wondered, highly intrigued by the sudden revelation. "Doesn't he mean the handsome and jealous one that's overly protective of you?"
Kagome fronted with a falsetto laugh. "Him? Oh no, not him. That guy was so yesterday's new." Literally, 'yesterday'. "I'll just go downstairs and let my mother know that you're ready to go home." She rushed out her room and slammed the door shut.
"Wow." Ayumi surveyed. "Did you saw how red your sister's face was?" She asked Souta. "She must really like this guy."
(Scenario)
"Are you going to be gone by the time I get back, dear?" Higurashi-san inquired to her daughter. Ayumi was outside and waiting in the car. "I have a funny feeling that it may be raining in the feudal world as well. You be sure to take an umbrella along with you."
"I doubt that I'll stay for the entire weekend." Kagome replied, stuffing a black sweater into her rucksack. "I really need to focus more on my algebra for now."
"I'm sure Inuyasha will understand."
"Maybe," She shrugged. "When he takes a peek in these books he'll swear that I'm trying to contemplate a new spell to use on him."
"You guys are quite the duo." Higurashi-san considered. "Oh well, have fun." She gathered her keys, purse, and a parasol (just in case it rains) and headed out the household.
The sound of her mother's vehicle departing the year was heard. It was a clear signal that she was gone. The schoolgirl sighed, "Oh well, time to get a move on. I have a feeling he's going to whine about why I stayed in my time too long."
She went upstairs to gather more of her belongings.
Meet Kagome Higurashi…
At the top of the stairs, she nearly tripped over one of her younger brother's remote-controlled toy cars. "Souta! If you value these ridiculous things then you better remove them from the walkway!"
She's a ninth grader in present day Tokyo, fifteen/sixteen years old…
"Narrator, did you really have to say that?" She beseeched as she gathered some clothes from her closet.
She is five feet three inches tall and weighs one hundred even…
"That is not important, thank you very much! It's rude to speak of a woman's weight!" She remarked with her hands on her hips. She took a wryly glance at the mirror, critically scrutinizing her derriere. "I think I'm getting fat…"
An unlikely heroine, she has been traveling between her time and the feudal world since her fifteenth birthday. She has encountered monsters and beings beyond any teen's wildest dreams.
"Thanks for the compliment. I always wanted to be considered as such." Kagome said while gathering snacks from the kitchen. With all that stuff in her bag, it was probably twice her weight. She's stronger than she looks.
On her countless journeys she made faithful friends and, of course… ruthless foes. The quest for the completion on the mystical jewel continues even to this day...
Kagome makes it to the den with the hug rucksack on her back. Souta and Grandpa was on the couch watching the television set. "I'm leaving! I see you soon!"
Granpa and Souta shrugged with their eyes focused on the TV. "Bye…"
Kagome rolled her eyes. "I love you too…" and left the house muttering something about have zombies as relatives.
A malicious hanyou that goes by the name of Naraku, and the grueling task of fulfilling the Jewel of Four Souls… her life had changed so much since that faithful day. That day, when she met her beloved friend; the canine half-demon, Inuyasha.
"Here we go!" Kagome shouted before hopping down the well.
Didn't you know you sounded just like Super Mario just now?
"Bite me."
Just for that little whack-attack, your life is about to become even more interesting. Kagome Higurashi… you are a member of…
The Feudal Four
The Prologue
Part I of VI
They bothered her to no end. Damn, how she hated them! They were awaiting her, taunting her… and most noticeably, tormenting her. The figures were the spawn of the devil himself. Poor girl, Naraku wasn't this evil even on his good days…
A peculiar smell filled her nostrils. Brimstone perhaps?
"What cha' reading, Kagome?" A curious half-demon wondered.
"…if the discount price is triple than that of the amount in the previous store…" She concentrated.
"This isn't another one of those spell books isn't it?"
Kagome gritted her teeth in frustration. "… find the difference of the same items in the aforementioned store with tax included, and…"
"Kagome," Inuyasha complained, "why are you ignoring me?"
"…and…and… ARGH!" She shrieked and tugged on her tresses. She turned around to shoot a hot glare at the culprit behind her shoulders. "Inuyasha, you're ruining my concentration!" She seethed. "Can't you even comprehend that I'm studying for an upcoming test."
"Shit." The ornery creature scoffed. "It's not my fault that your attention span is just as short as your kimono." He garnered a blush from her. "The same can go for your temper, too."
Stress marks evident on her forehead, Kagome closed her eyes and brought her index fingers to her temples, chanting a mantra. "Ooh-sa…. Ooh-saa… Ooh-saa…"
"Anyway, Sango found a gem shard this morning." He informed. "The creature was a nasty bastard but it was worth it."
Kagome took a good look at him and cringed at the sight; his clothes were covered in the remains of the said beast. "Ugh!" She clenched her nose as she realized the stench. "Go take a dip in the springs… a LONG dip, while you at it."
Inuyasha raised his right arm questionably, sniffing his armpit. "Hmm. I don't smell that bad, do I? I mean, most of its entrails splattered on Sango and Miroku."
Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing from the fool. "What did you just say?" She queried disbelievingly. "You mean to tell me that you have a sensitive nose and don't even notice the stench on you right now?"
"Well you don't have to have a baby about it, Kagome!" He retorted, waving his arms reasonably with his ire. That gesture only augments the already unpleasant stench and the girl couldn't take it anymore.
With no other option at hand, Kagome shouted, "Sit!" As Inuyasha's face met the ground, she made a run for it. During her mad getaway she shouted, "Go do something about that smell, Inuyasha! It was killing me!"
"Crazy… wench, always treating me like I'm some sort of pet…" He muttered, that, in which was among the rude comments he made about their relationship.
(Scenario)
"He knew better than that." Kagome muttered. "How could anyone allow their body to smell that bad and not notice it?" She hung his now clean robes on a clothesline to dry. "I know he's supposed to smell masculine, but this is ridiculous!"
Sango chuckled at the joke and nearly dropped Miroku's garbs in the process. " Now, now, Kagome, he couldn't really be blamed for the smells." She pointed out. "That demon we fought was of great girth so that was sort of expected when we defeated him."
The younger girl nodded. "Yes, I understand that, but he should know the first thing he should do is to take a bath. He can be so immature sometimes; he didn't have to wait for my word to take one."
Off in the distance, Inuyasha's indignant reproach was heard, "I heard that!"
"I love you, too!" Kagome retorted, sarcastically and playfully. However, that line raised many an arched brow from the older girl. Finally noticing the smirk on Sango's face, Kagome wondered what could be going on through her mind. "What?"
The smirk on her face widened, giving her a devilish look. "You finally admit that you love him," she revealed, "but at a most inconvenient time."
"C'mon!" Kagome gushed. "That was just a joke! I didn't mean that, really."
"Ooh…! The Nile is not just a river in Egypt, Kagome?" Sango chuckled. "That can be really stressful on you, you know?"
"Sango, I'm not in love with him!" Kagome reasoned, or at least tried to. The cliché blush was the tell-tell giveaway. "I'm too young to be falling in love, anyway. He may be cute and all, but that does not mean that I'm in love with him!"
"Hey, that's called puppy love!" Sango confirmed, with the pun intended.
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Humph. Next time, remind myself to leave my portable DVD player at home. That sitcom slang is rubbing off on you."
"Hey ladies!" Miroku's suave voice shouted from a distance. "The hot springs are all yours now!"
Kagome gazed at the heavens with a glazed over expression. She was certainly happy to get out of the current conversation with Sango. "Thank you, you've always been so kind to me!" She dashed off towards the said body of water for bathing but once she made it there, she found something interesting.
"It's a jewel shard!" She exclaimed. "It's at the very bottom of this spring!"
On high alert, Inuyasha and Miroku suddenly reappeared out of nowhere… uh… without any articles of clothes at all. The two have yet to reach their said belonging on the cloth lines. "Where? Did you say you sensed a jewel shard?"
Kagome, unfortunately, turned around at that moment to regard them, but instead… scream the most frightened, blood-curdling scream she had ever screamed. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Damn! I forgot to put on my clothes!" Inuyasha regretted as he clutches his sensitive ears.
"We couldn't help it Kagome." Miroku excused, feeling ashamed. "The water wasn't as warm as we thought."
She immediately turned away and began frantically chanting, "Ooh-sa… ooh-sa… ooh-saaa… ooh-saaa!" Unfortunately, this time it didn't work as she planned. Instead, a murderous look befell her expression. This cannot be good…
"Uh oh…"
After that, the two were victim of one of the most vicious feudal beatdown ever witness.
…And it was a girl dishing it out.
(Scenario)
"Damn it!" Inuyasha cursed. "What did I told you about overreacting too soon, Kagome?" He pressed the ice-pack to his bruised forehead. "Next time, just bring us the damn shard if you ever stumble upon one again."
"Inuyasha's proposal is much more preferred." Miroku commented, his face covered with a lot of hand prints and suffering from a broken shoulder blade. "If so, the recent incident would not have happened."
Kagome disregarded the mirror she was staring at while brushing her hair and shot a glower at the monk and hanyou. "Humph. Serves you right. Playing nasty peek-a-boo can have unpleasant results, you know?"
"And speaking of the jewel shard," the hanyou reminded, "do you still have it with you?"
"Yeah." She replied, fishing the said fragment out of her pocket. "The strange thing was it was tainted with evil." She elucidated. "It felt so familiar… like it was influenced by 'you-know-who'. It took me a while to purify it."
"Are you saying that shard you've found was once Naraku's?" Miroku wondered, looking at her thoughtfully.
"That is most likely." Kagome responded. "Maybe he lost this one."
"Humph." Inuyasha snorted. "If that's the case, then it's a good thing, right? I mean, the shards weren't his in the first place."
"Hmm. If that's the case, then could it mean that he is being confronted by other demons in search of the shards as well?" Kagome contemplated.
"Perhaps we should ponder about the matter later." Miroku stated. "Right now, we should relax and prepare ourselves for tonight's festival." A dreamy look overcame him. "Maybe tonight, I can finally meet the fated mother of my children."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Be a heathen if you want to. You're gonna mess around and wake up one morning with several women pregnant with your children. I'm sure you don't want that much drama in your life."
Kagome sighed. "In my world, he won't even survive with that many kids… let along keeping his sanity."
Sango entered the hut, followed by Shippo and Kirara. She looked like a schoolgirl on a good day and she was carrying some new clothes straight out the village market. "Hey, I found the perfect kimono to wear at the festival tonight."
"Really?" Kagome squealed as she rushed in front of the older girl. "Did you found one that'll look good on me, too?"
"Man, I'll never understand women." Shippo muttered. "We were at the village seemingly like forever. What's so fascinating about kimono's anyway?"
"The fairer sex must have their way sometimes, Shippo." Miroku acknowledged. " They have to look presentable for the revelries this evening. Sango-chan and Kagome-sama must have a rendezvous planned for tonight?"
"You're always the one with the gutter mind, houshi." Sango remarked dryly.
"Shippou's right." A mysterious female's voice followed. The voice had the inflections of a woman in her mid-twenties. "Of all that time we spent at the market, she didn't even buy any food."
Sango became alert of the new voice. "Huh? Did I just hear someone just now?" She glances around the hut for any signs of the owner of the voice. "How strange… I've could have sworn that I've heard a woman just now."
"I didn't hear anyone, Sango-chan."
"Neither have I."
"Not me."
"Keh. I just heard the leaves rustling in the wind, that's all."
"Meow…"
Sango kept the uncertain look on her face. Maybe she was finally loosing her sanity after all those years of combating demons. "Oh well. C'mon Kagome, let's try these on."
"I am so starving…" The voice intruded again. "Why do I have to subject myself to such torture?"
"It happened again." Sango explained to her friends in befuddlement. "What in the world is going on? I can't be hearing thing. I'm not mentally unstable."
"Quite peculiar…" Miroku surveyed. 'I probably need to stop fucking with her…'
Sango shot a glare at the monk.
"Maybe you should take a nap, Sango-chan?" Kagome suggested. "You've been quite overactive lately. We can try on our clothes right before the festival." She patted Sango on the shoulders reassuringly, but unnoticed to the said girl, a cute pout stolen its way to Kagome's already pleasant face. 'Poor Sango… she's really losing it.'
Sango frowned. Her friend from the future really shouldn't have said that aloud.
Inuyasha, on the other hand, only shrugged and heads for the door of the hut. 'I've always that she was cuckoo.' He thought. 'Hmm. I wonder if Kikyou's around. I haven't seen her in a while.'
Shippo was preoccupied burying himself in Kagome's book bag. 'Aw man! She didn't even bring any chocolate bars this time!'
Sango sighed and placed a palm on her forehead. "Maybe I should take a nap after all."
"Well, I guess I'll take my leave." Miroku informed as he rose to his feet. "If anyone needs me, I will be in the village." He left the hut, not before adding, 'I'm sure that there are girls around her that are a bit more sane and less violent.'
"Why you dirty…" Sango began to counter but was restrained by Kagome. "What are you doing, Kagome? Didn't you hear what he just said?"
"He said he was heading for the village." Kagome replied. "He didn't say anything about chasing women."
"But… but, he called me a lunatic and said that I'm too violent!" Sango protested, before registering something a little different about Kagome. "Hey Kagome," she wondered, "You seem a little taller, have you've been working out?"
"Huh?" Kagome looked down at herself; she wore the usual school uniform but she had sports sock and pink red and white sneakers on her feet. As a matter of fact, she now stood taller than Sango. "I haven't the foggiest idea." She admitted. "It must be the shoes that I'm wearing." She smoothed her skirt down a bit. 'She could be right. This skirt is riding up my hip as we speak.'
"I may need a bite to eat before I take my nap."
"It's about time!" It was that voice again. "You've been putting off some weight. Don't you know that Kagome weighs more than you do, now? If you ever find out, you're going to be in for a shock."
Sango pushed Kagome aside and locked a gaze directly at Kirara. "It can't be…" She breathed.
"Sango, what's the big deal?" Kagome beseeched from the floor.
"Meow…?" The fire-cat mewed innocently with wide eyes. "What's wrong with her?"
The demon huntress raised a brow in astonishment. "Kirara… you can talk?"
"Huh? Sango-chan…?" Kagome tilted her head to the side in bemusement. 'I never should have let her watch Dr. DoLittle.'
"You can… you can really talk?" Sango analyzed, her eyes held a hopeful gleam in them.
"Oh shoot! She's on to me!"
"Oh my god, I cannot believe this!" Sango screamed.
"Sango," Kagome chimed in, "Kirara is incapable of speech."
"Not, I didn't mean that," Sango nodded, "I can actually read minds."
"Are you serious?"
"That explains it. You guys thought that I was going insane because I was hearing your thoughts." Sango elucidated. "How bizarre, could this have something to do with that shard you've found in the springs today?"
"Maybe you really are on to something…" Kagome considered as she took off her sneakers and stood right before Sango. To their obvious surprise, Kagome was almost two inches taller than Sango. "This can't be! I'm actually taller than you!"
"Damn! Umm, Sango, we're having awfully nice weather today, are we?"
"If you thought that was weird enough…" Said Inuyasha as he entered the hut. The girls gasped in shock at that sight of him; he was now a human. But being a human in broad daylight was impossible! "I'm a feeble human and Miroku's lost his wind tunnel."
"What the heck is going on?" Kagome asked, now clearly confused.
END OF PROLOGUE
NEXT CHAPTER
The New Heroes On The Block