"Bye Gramps! See ya later Sota!" Kagome called, leaving her house for yet another long vacation in the feudal era. She couldn't wait to see Inuyasha again. She walked down the steps of the shrine towards the well. She still remembered the very first time she came down there looking for Buyo, and then got dragged into the well by Mistress Centipede. That's how she discovered feudal Japan and met Inuyasha. Kagome would always be grateful. She hoisted her huge backpack of stuff (including tons of omiyagi) onto both shoulders and jumped in eagerly. There was a rush of cool air against her face as she plummeted downward into an abyss of blue. There was a bright flash, and then Kagome slammed into the cold stone floor of another well. Oww! I forgot about that part… Kagome thought, getting up off her knees. She grabbed the closest vine and starting climbing up the side of the well. She reached the top, panting under the weight of her bag, and pulled herself out onto soft grass. It seemed especially quiet, like someone put the world on mute. There wasn't even the chirping of birds, or rustling of trees. Kagome decided to head for Kaede's village, since she had no idea where Inuyasha was. While she made her way through trees and bushes, there came the unmistakable sound of barking. As she neared the village, the faint barking grew louder. When Kagome parted the final bushes that blocked her path, she spotted Kaede coming towards her.
"Lady Kaede!" Kagome called, waving. But Kaede didn't respond. Kagome was about to shout when she realized that Kaede was sprinting. Is she trying to run away from something? she thought in horror, imagining a horrible demon.
"Kagome! Say the word now!" Kaede cried, out of breath.
"What word?" Kagome asked, flustered.
"The subjugating word!"
Oh…that one. But why? Without questioning further, Kagome did as she was told. "SIT!"
The barking stopped, followed by a loud whimper. Kaede looked rather relieved.
"What's going on here?" Kagome demanded.
Kaede pointed at a heap of red and white on the hill below.
"Is that Inuyasha?"
Kaede nodded grimly. Kagome ran down the hill and got down on her knees next to the hanyou. "Inuyasha, what's wrong with you? You should know better then to go chasing an old woman around for the fun of it."
When Inuyasha lifted his head and saw Kagome there, he jumped onto her lap excitedly and licked her cheek. The tongue contact threw her off guard, and she blushed furiously. "What do you think you're doing?" she cried, wiping off the saliva with a handkerchief. Inuyasha didn't answer; only rubbed his head against her happily. Kagome was thoroughly shocked, and looked up at Kaede for an explanation. But none came.
"He's acting like a….like a dog!" Kagome shouted, pushing him off her legs. To frighten her even further, something bushy and white started wagging near his rear end. You've got to be kidding me she thought, astonished to the point where she felt light-headed. Kaede ran over just as Kagome fell to the ground in a faint. She scowled at Inuyasha, who snarled in return. Kaede swung Kagome over her shoulders and carried her to the village, with Inuyasha tagging along at her heels.
Kagome felt pleasantly warm, and a tasty aroma was lingering in the air. Her eyes immediately blinked open, and she looked around. A fire was crackling in the middle of the hut, and Kaede was chopping vegetables for a nice soup. Kagome shrugged off the fuzzy animal skin that covered her and stretched. Then she suddenly remembered what happened to Inuyasha, and an uneasy feeling swept over her.
"Well look who finally came to" Kaede said. "You had me worried."
"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, staring at the door as though he would come bolting through.
"I locked him up outside. He won't be bothering us. Would you care for some soup?" Kaede shoved a bowl in her face, and Kagome took it gratefully. "You're probably wondering why he's acting…the way he is" Kaede said, sitting down across from her. Kagome was all ears, impatient to hear an explanation for the peculiar things that had been going on. "To tell the truth, I don't know the exact cause. Maybe he's lost his mind" said Kaede truthfully. She sipped some broth and gazed thoughtfully at the crisscrossing floorboards.
"I…I don't know what to say" Kagome sputtered. She didn't know whether to feel angry, worried, or frustrated.
"It's okay. I knew you'd react this way" Kaede said calmly. "It's not normal for something like this to happen. But it seems like Inuyasha enjoys your company. Before you arrived, he was barking at me like mad and trying to take a bite out of my robes."
Kagome stifled a laugh, though she didn't know what could possibly be funny. Unexpectedly, there came the snapping sound, and then the rustling of grass. Kaede and Kagome exchanged looks of dread before racing outside. Attached to a wooden pole was a broken chain, where Inuyasha was supposed to be locked up.
"Oh, to hell with him!" Kaede said heatedly, stamping a foot on the ground. She had had enough, and would put up with it no more. Kagome, on the other hand, was already following his tracks. They led all the way back towards the forest that Kagome had come out of hours ago. Now where would a canine most likely go? Kagome thought, trying to be logical. She caught sight of a white tail a few yards ahead, and quickened her pace. She sprinted for about a quarter of a mile and then lost track of him. Although Inuyasha was gone, she came across something else. Another well stood at the foot of a small mountain. Kagome examined it carefully. She noted some scratch marks on the rim, and assumed they were made by Inuyasha's claws. He must've gone down here! But where does it lead? Kagome thought. There's only one way to find out said a little voice in her head, most likely her conscience. With all the courage she could muster, Kagome threw herself down into the shadowy depths of the mysterious well. For a while she drifted in what felt like a black hole; chilling and empty. Finally, the darkness around her dissolved, and she braced herself for a rough landing. But instead of ending up in another well, Kagome fell onto something soft. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to find herself riding upon a magic carpet behind some random guy she had never seen before. He was wearing quite unusual clothes, but that was the least of her worries. They were soaring over quaint houses and buildings, and up ahead was a big white palace.
"Where am I?" she wondered out loud, and the man in front of her turned around. They both stared at each other in silence.
"You look familiar…wait, I know who you are!" Kagome said excitedly, pointing at the bewildered man. "You're….Aladdin!"
Aladdin raised an eyebrow at the mention of his name. "You know me?" he asked, completely puzzled.
"Are you kidding? I've seen every Disney movie you can think of! Of course I know you! Where's your cute little monkey?"
Abu poked his head out from behind Aladdin looking quite cross.
"Here, have an apple" Kagome offered cheerfully, sifting through her backpack and holding out a shiny red apple. Abu snatched it greedily and then inspected it to make sure it wasn't poisoned before taking a bite.
"I wonder how I ended up here?" Kagome wondered aloud.
Aladdin was watching her intently, and seemed to grow more interested by the second. Kagome finally noticed him after rambling on for a couple of minutes. She shot him a weird glance. "What?"
"You are beautiful" he whispered. Kagome stared at him in horror.
"Me? No no no! You are in love with Jasmine! You know, the pretty Arabian princess? I'm just an average teenage girl trying to find my lost dog!"
But Aladdin wasn't listening. He was still staring at her as the magic carpet flew over Jasmine's palace, and she happened to be waiting on the balcony for him to arrive. When she saw Kagome, her smile melted into a deep frown. Aladdin broke out of his trance just in time to see Jasmine huff angrily back into the palace. He grinned sheepishly at Kagome, who looked equally pissed off. I need to get out of here she thought miserably. Poor Jasmine! I wonder where Inuyasha went? The magic carpet soared across Arabia, and then the landscape changed dramatically. They were flying over the African pride lands, and up ahead was the biggest rock Kagome had ever seen. As they drew closer to it, Kagome could make out the figures of two lions and a baboon. The baboon was holding something above his head, and then it hit her- this was the presentation of Simba! As Kagome stared wide-eyed at the scene, Abu got bored of his apple and threw it overboard. The half-eaten fruit sailed into the air and headed straight for Simba's furry little head.
"Noooo!" Kagome cried, and she leapt off the magic carpet just in time to knock the apple away. Then she slammed into the hard rock next to the shocked onlookers. Mufasa stared at Kagome with a stricken look, and Zazu gasped. They had every right to do so; after all, she was a human. Serabi, however, seemed pleased. She loomed over Kagome, who was still laying sprawled out on the ground, and smiled.
"Thank you" she said calmly. "You saved my son from a permanent bump on his head. I am forever grateful. Is there anything I can do in return?"
Kagome shook her head and managed to force a smile despite the painful bruises she knew the fall had given her. Serabi smiled back as Rafiki returned a sleepy Simba to her. Kagome staggered to her feet and scanned the skies. Well, Aladdin's gone she thought. I guess I'm stuck here. She walked to the edge of pride rock and looked down. As she surveyed the ground below, a trail of muddy human footprints caught her eye. Assuming that Inuyasha must have left them, Kagome pushed past the lions and raced down. She walked and walked, not knowing where Inuyasha was leading her. Even though she was lost and frustrated, Kagome had to admit that Africa was a beautiful place. The antelope grazed in the soft grass, and a warm breeze rustled the trees and the feathers of birds that filled the sky overhead. Before she knew it, she was heading straight into the elephant graveyard. At the first sight of a ribcage sticking out of the ground, Kagome screamed. There were bones everywhere! She could feel herself trembling as she followed Inuyasha's trail deep into the bleak graveyard. There was complete silence, and a chill ran down Kagome's spine. Then the sound of high pitched laughter echoed inside the nearest skull. Kagome froze; three starved hyenas emerged from the darkness and circled her hungrily.
"What do you think Banzai?" said Shenzi. "Look like a good meal?"
Banzai licked his lips and grinned, revealing a full set of sharp teeth. "She's got enough meat on her bones to last a few days" he growled. Ed nodded eagerly, and his drooling tongue flapped around in his mouth.
"Uh…I don't think you want to eat me" Kagome said, her voice shaking.
"Oh, I think we do" Shenzi said menacingly.
"No you don't! Because…" Kagome thought for a second. "…because Scar forbids you to kill humans!"
"Scar doesn't give a care who we feed on. Whether human or animal" Shenzi sneered, getting closer yet.
Kagome was in a panic, and shut her eyes tightly. Then there was the sound of snapping jaws, a howl, and the pounding of paws on ground growing fainter and fainter. Kagome slowly opened her eyes, and was startled to see that the hyenas were gone. In their place stood Inuyasha, blood on his claws and his tail wagging. She was so excited to see him that she ran over to give him a hug…and off he went, catching a tasty scent in the air. Kagome groaned. Arrg! I was almost sure I had him! With a sigh, she continued on. They cut across the elephant graveyard and were back in the lush pride lands before long. Kagome had not traveled more than a hundred paces when she lost sight of Inuyasha again. She broke into a run, hoping he had only temporarily disappeared from view. But he was no where to be seen. Up ahead was a cliff, but Kagome didn't realize it until too late. She tripped over the edge and spiraled downward…someone's arms wrapped around her, catching her in mid-air. Kagome looked down and saw that they were speeding along a tree branch. She turned her head to see her savior and gasped. Tarzan? Kagome felt very uneasy, especially because she was being swung from branch to branch by a man in a loincloth. Tarzan looked perfectly calm, as if he saved strange girls from cliffs every day. He slid expertly down another branch and then soared into the air. He grabbed a vine and swung one-handedly to the next branch. They continued through the jungle until reaching a rather large tree, where Tarzan finally stopped and let down Kagome. Her heart was beating fast from the freaky ride. Tarzan smiled at her and then gestured to himself with his hand.
"Me Tarzan" he said in grammatically poor English.
"Yeah, I know" Kagome answered hastily. "Thanks for saving my life, but I really must get going…"
Tarzan interrupted her. "Who you?"
"It doesn't really matter, because I have to go anyway and we probably won't see each other again…"
"Who you?" Tarzan repeated, shoving a finger in her direction.
Kagome did not have time for this, but she figured that she wouldn't be able to go until she answered the question. "I'm Kagome. Ka-go-me" she said.
Tarzan cocked his head and said the name over and over. Once he seemed to have finally memorized it, he grabbed Kagome's hand and pressed it against his bare chest. Kagome knew he wanted her to feel his heart beating, but she just didn't have time to waste. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and hurried away as fast as she could. Good thing I have tree climbing experience Kagome thought, shimmying down the trunk quickly. When her feet reached ground, she sprinted as fast as possible through the jungle. Luckily she didn't come across any gorillas, which made Kagome feel quite relieved. The sun was already beginning to set, and the sky was darkening. She had already spent an entire day in this strange world chasing after Inuyasha, and she was exhausted. I can't afford to rest now Kagome thought. If Inuyasha gets any farther ahead of me, I'll never find him! Convinced, she trudged on. The trees started becoming more and more scarce, until Kagome was completely out of the jungle. Ahead was a vast, dry desert. Oh great. How am I supposed to get across here without drying up and dying of thirst? As if reading her mind, a beautiful brown stallion appeared in the horizon and galloped towards her. The wind blew waves through his wispy mane as he came closer and stopped abruptly in front of Kagome. Nodding his head towards her, she took it as a sign to get on, so she hoisted herself onto his back. The horse picked up a really fast pace, as if there was no one riding him. Kagome gripped his mane tightly in an attempt to stay on. As they tore across the sandy hills, another horse came galloping out of nowhere. It was another stallion, but looked more slender and was white with brown spots. This one was definitely female. In her blond mane was a feather, which was a giveaway clue to Kagome as to what movie they were from. Oh my gosh! I'm riding Spirit, the Stallion of the Cimarron! Kagome thought, aghast. Spirit and Rain (the female horse) were riding side by side now, as if they were racing each other. Kagome felt an exhilarating feeling sweep over her, even though her legs were sore from accommodating such a broad back. Just as she was getting used to it and was enjoying the ride, the horses slowed to a halt. They had already crossed the entire desert in less than an hour. The sun was almost completely hidden behind the mountains, and dusk had settled in. Wearily, Kagome slid off Spirit's back and stroked his muzzle.
"Thanks for the ride" she said softly, even if he couldn't understand.
Spirit let out a soft grunt and then took off with Rain, leaving Kagome in the dust. So much had happened that day that Kagome felt like there were weights on her eyelids. But whenever her eyes threatened to close, she would slap her face. This is no time to sleep Kagome scolded herself. She had no idea where Inuyasha had gone, or if he was even in this direction. The only thing that led her here was instinct, and Kagome wasn't sure if she could trust it. Tired, confused, and at a loss of hope, she sat down and leaned her back against a tree. Sleep overtook her in a matter of seconds, even though she fought against it. She dreamed that she was back in Japan with Inuyasha…but he was transformed back into his usual self…he smiled and moved closer…his doggie lick was replaced with a hanyou's kiss…Kagome felt a poke in her ribs and she awoke with a start. Instead of lying against a tree outside staring up at the sky, she found herself inside what appeared to be a teepee. A tall Indian man stood above her holding a stick, threatening to poke her again.
"Hey! What's your problem?" Kagome cried, sitting up. Things just keep getting weirder…
Realizing that the strange girl was awake, the Indian shuffled backwards, but kept a firm grip on the stick.
"Wha…what am I doing here?" Kagome asked. But she could have very well asked the wall, because the Native American stayed completely quiet and backed up even more. Just then, the flap to the teepee opened wide and another Indian, this one a woman, shot Kagome a weird glance and then spoke softly to the man in a distinct language. The man nodded and motioned Kagome to the door.
"Chief see you now" he said.
Kagome edged nervously to the flap and pushed through to the outside light. A huge group of Indians surrounded her, but moved aside to create a path. Kagome walked between them. She could feel their eyes burning into her back as she passed, and she felt awfully uncomfortable. Once she reached the end, a startling sight came to greet her. A tall but heavy set man wearing a feathered crown (who Kagome decided was the chief) stood at the edge of a cliff, holding in his hand a thick rope to which Inuyasha was attached. Kagome gasped and ran to him, but didn't get far before two other Indians grabbed her arms and jerked her back.
"Inuyasha!" she shouted.
The chief looked at her sternly. "Evil spirit girl knows demon dog."
The crowd of Native Americans jeered at her. The chief continued to speak. "Evil spirit girl dies with demon dog."
Kagome stared at the man with fear in her eyes. Die? No! I haven't done anything wrong! You can't kill me! Somebody, please help! But no one came. The chief took out a bow and strung a finely made arrow across it. He took careful aim, pointing the tip first at Kagome, then towards Inuyasha…
"No! Father, stop!" shouted a voice. A beautiful woman with long black hair and smooth, chocolate colored skin came bursting out from between her tribe. Kagome immediately recognized her as Pocahontas. "Father, this creature is not a threat" she said in perfect English, gesturing towards an apprehensive Inuyasha. Pocahontas bent down next to him and stroked his head gently. Inuyasha closed his eyes, and Kagome wouldn't doubt that if he were a cat, he'd be purring. The chief furrowed his brows and stared down harshly at his daughter.
"You already save white man. Now this one?" he said angrily.
Pocahontas ignored her father and started to untie the rope around Inuyasha's neck. "You don't deserve this" she said to him.
Kagome was surprised to see that no one was stopping her, and that she wasn't scared of Inuyasha despite the fact that he had white hair, dog ears, and fangs. Pocahontas released him, and he immediately bounded to Kagome's feet. He growled at the two men holding her, and when they did not let go, he attacked.
"Wait! Inuyasha no!" Kagome shrieked. They were mere mortals! "Sit! Sit sit sit sit sit!"
Inuyasha slammed into the ground nine times, and the men took that chance to get away. Luckily they only had a few scrapes and bite marks that didn't appear to be very serious. Pocahontas, who had been watching the whole thing and finally realized that Kagome existed, walked over.
"You must leave now. Go back to the place you come from, and do not return or you'll be killed" she whispered.
Kagome nodded and mouthed a thank you before taking off with Inuyasha at her side. She looked back after a couple minutes of running, and saw that the Indians were reduced to small black dots. She stopped to take a breath, and Inuyasha rubbed his head on Kagome's legs.
"You are such a trouble-maker! I can't believe you made me go through all of that just to find you! Don't ever think of running off again, or I just might…" Kagome couldn't finish the sentence. She dropped to her knees and scratched him behind the ears. "I'm just glad we're together again. But I really wish you would turn back to normal. It's really different with you acting like a canine."
Suddenly, there was a poof of sparkly glitter and a faerie appeared before Kagome's eyes. She was a middle-aged faerie wearing a shiny pink dress and carrying a wand with a star at the end. Inuyasha tried to swat her like a fly, but she dodged his claws just in time. "I am your faerie godmother" she said, clearing up the confusion visible in Kagome's expression. "I am here to help you in times of need, and I heard you wish something. What was it, dear?"
"Oh, I just wanted my friend here to become his usual self again. He doesn't normally act like this, or have a tail" Kagome said sadly.
Her faerie godmother smiled, showing off her pearly white teeth. "That can be arranged" she said in a sing-song voice. And with a flick of her wand, a shower of faerie dust came down upon Inuyasha. Kagome stared at him, waiting for signs that he had changed. She glanced hopefully at the faerie, who nodded reassuringly in return. Inuyasha coughed and waved away the dust that lingered around him. Then he stood up, and Kagome saw that his tail had disappeared.
"Inuyasha! You're back!" she cried happily, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome awkwardly. "Kagome, what are you doing? Where am I?"
Kagome pulled away embarrassed, and then began to recount everything that had happened. "…and then we ended up at this Indian camp, where you almost got shot, but Pocahontas saved you."
"Who's Pocahontas?" he asked, frowning.
"That's right. You haven't seen any movies. Well that's okay, she's just one of the Indians" Kagome said.
"Any other wishes? You have three" the faerie godmother interrupted.
Kagome thought for a moment. "How can I get home? I mean, back to feudal Japan where I entered this world?"
"Just take this dirt path into that forest over there, and you'll find a well. That is your ticket out of here" said the faerie godmother. "And your last wish?"
"Go away" Inuyasha snapped.
With a nod of her head and a wave of her wand, the faerie was gone.
"Bad dog" Kagome scolded.
Inuyasha glared at her.
"Oh yeah, you're not a dog anymore" she said, smiling sheepishly.
The two of them followed the faerie godmother's directions and were back in the well, heading home. Upon reaching feudal Japan, they climbed out of the well and walked back to the village. Kaede was pacing back and forth, and when she saw Kagome and Inuyasha she came running.
"Thank goodness!" she cried. "Kagome, I was so worried when you didn't come back. Thought you had gotten in some kind of trouble. What happened?"
"It's a long story" Kagome said.
"And look at you Inuyasha! Back to your usual self, I see. Too bad! At least when you were a dog, I didn't have to hear you bitch and moan…"
Inuyasha scowled. "You wanna die old hag?"
Kaede sniggered, and hung her tongue out of her mouth like a dog.
"Why you…get back here!" Inuyasha barked, chasing after Kaede.
And so, everything turned out well in the end. Even though Inuyasha still acted dog-like…in some ways…
The End!
