Chapter two- Say what?

Janis slowly backed away from the seemingly defeated demon then turned to walk in the opposite direction, she definitely didn't want to stay near the ugly creature.

Her steps were hurried in her numerousness and anticipation, she scurried in the direction she running in before the demon whirled her around, when a piercing pain sliced her head. She cried out in sudden agony and fell to the grass beneath her. She didn't feel blood or a lump or anything, but the pain was rising.

It escalated, she screamed while gripping her head. "What…" she sucked in a quivering breath, "is this?" Janis managed the words through gritted teeth. Tears flooded her eyes from the gruesome pain, it completely overrode the stress she was in.

'Janis', a soft voice whispered in her mind, 'don't be afraid.' The female voice wasn't heard again as Janis collapsed to the ground, her mind and body numb.

A dim light flooded the small hut, Lady Kaede wrung out a rag from a bucket and placed it neatly on the forehead of a young girl who lie unconscious with a raging fever.

"Lady Kaede," a voice said softly at the entrance.

Kaede turned to the speaker, "oh, hello Kagome." She stood from her kneeling position and greeted the girl. Kagome smiled, the looked to the person lying unconscious on the floor.

Kaede noticed her puzzled gaze, "I found her near the outskirts of the village, and she was in terrible condition so I brought her here."

Kagome's gaze was still set on her, "she's….there's something about her," she took a step closer, "she feels so familiar…"

The old priestess nodded, "indeed. But she does not look as if she's from this time, perhaps she's from yours." Kagome noticed the clothes she was wearing and gave a nod.

"I think I know the uniform," Kagome said quietly, "but I've never met her before." She paused, "how could she have possibly gotten here?"

"Can we go now? A voice interrupted. Kaede looked to see Inuyasha, his arms folded and his expression annoyed. Kagome didn't look away from the girl. Inuyasha sighed in frustration and walked over to the entranced Kagome, "well?" she was still in examination.

The girl let out a sound of life and her closed eyes twitched. Kaede watched her, surprised. It was the first time she'd done anything that suggested she was alive aside from faint breathing.

"Inu…yasha…." The girl whispered hoarsely.

Kagome's eyes widened, Inuyasha furrowed his eyebrows, and Kaede knelt beside her once again.

Inuyasha looked to the girl, "what the hell?"

There wasn't time for any more words as the girl's eyes popped open. She began breathing heavily. Kagome jumped back as the girl sprang up to a sitting position.

The girl clutched her chest, frantically looking around the room, "what is this place?" She gasped the words, obviously having tough time breathing, the blush from her fever died down dramatically. She looked to each person, "who are you?"

"Who are you?" Inuyasha replied.

His words were dismayed and replaced by Kagome, "I'm Kagome Higurashi-"

"Higurashi shrine," the girl interrupted in a whisper, looking down.

"Exactly…you've heard of it?"

"That where this mess started," she met eyes with Kagome, "Higurashi shrine."

Kagome blinked, "what do you mean?"

"That tree took me here, the huge one," she began, "I was on my way to school and something came over me…next thing I knew I was on tip-toe, reaching up to a bare spot on the tree- I couldn't move, my hand was glued to it, then everything disappeared and," she took a second, "I ended up here."

"I'm so sorry," Kagome said sympathetically. "I don't know how you'll take this…but you should know this before anything else happens….this isn't the present."

"What are you saying?" the girl said slowly.

"Well-" Kagome paused, realizing she didn't know the girl's name.

"-Janis." The girl said quickly, getting the message.

"Okay, Janis…this is five hundred years ago, in the feudal era."

Janis's jaw hung loose on its hinges, " you're kidding, right?"

"I'm afraid not," Kagome shook her head.

Janis jumped up, making the others take a step back, "you mean to tell me I traveled through TIME?" she yelled breathing heavily, then pointed to Inuyasha frantically, "he had FANGS and DOG ears, how do you explain THAT?" she squeaked.

Inuyasha huffed, "it's easy, I'm a demon."

"Half demon," Kagome corrected.

"Shuddup!" he growled.

"Make me!" she retaliated. They continued to exchange comebacks.

"HEY!" Janis yelled after a while of witnessing their stupidity, "I still have a major problem here!"

"Quit your whining!" Inuyasha directed towards Janis.

"Don't be such a jerk!" Kagome clenched her hands into tight fists, "SIT!"

In reply, Inuyasha slammed into the ground face first. He twitched.

"That look like fun," Janis said sarcastically to the fallen Inuyasha. He sprang up, teeth clenched, looking as if he were about to hurt her.

All the while Lade Kaede was preparing a fire, "do ye not find it suspicious she knew Inuyasha's name and said it whilst she slept?" Kaede said, remind them of the matter at hand, she left her back turned to them.

"I said what now?" Janis cocked an eyebrow.

"That's right," Kagome piped, "as soon as he walked in you said his name, then woke up." By that time Inuyasha has reverted into a position of crossed arms, and was peering at Janis from the corner of his eye.

"I didn't know there was such a thing as demons and I've certainly never met one," Janis said, "besides I would have remembered this guy…"

"What's THAT suppose to mean?" he growled at her.

"Interesting," Kaede said, turning to them, " does he seem familiar at all to you, Miss Janis?"

"No." Janis said flatly, then gave a thinking expression, "actually…yeah, kind of. So do you and Kagome," she looked to Kaede, "but that's impossible, I've never met seen, heard of, or met any of you…"

"Weird," Kagome said, thinking.

"She's weird," Inuyasha added.

"Inuyasha, her scent is familiar to you, isn't it?" Kaede said expectantly, "When you sniffed the air your expression changed slightly."

"I feel like I know her, too." Kagome said.

"She brings the same calmness, reassurance, purity, and I'm guessing scent as the Sacred Tree." Said Kaede.

"That tree I touched?" Janis asked. Kaede nodded.

"What are you gettin' at, old women?" Inuyasha asked, a bit confused.

" I believe that Miss Janis could be the reincarnation of the embodiment of the spirit of the Sacred Tree."

"Huh?" the three said in unison, all looking at Kaede.

"You lost me," said Janis.

"The spirit of the tree was shared by a human form, giving that human intense spiritual power, surpassing that of a priestess. The one it was shared with was a young maiden, she died around the age of sixteen, I'm guessing the tree has been calling to you since your sixteenth birthday." She explained.

"You sure do know a lot," Inuyasha said skeptically.

"And all this on a simple hunch?" Janis asked.

"No, no, I'm almost completely sure it's you, seeing as how you not only give off the exact aura as the tree, but also some of the sacred power it passed to you. I felt the intensity and purity of it, I could define it anywhere and when I found you I felt the same thing."

"So it was me, I did that…thing." She said, referring to the demon earlier.

"Yes, it was."

"That still doesn't explain how she knew my name," said Inuyasha.

"It does," Kagome began, "I doubt the spirit changed, just the body, her spirit knows yours," Kagome was slightly taken back, she didn't know such a thing existed.

"Very good, Kagome." Kaede directed her attention to Janis and walked closer to her, "your spirit protected Inuyasha for fifty years."

"I never needed protection," Inuyasha scoffed.

"You were pinned to a tree." Kagome stated in an 'enough said' manner.

"You're naturally drawn to the spirit, despite your denial." Kaede informed.

"I'm not 'naturally drawn' to this girl," he said, "like one idiot from the future wasn't enough."

"What was that?" Kagome snarled, her eyes twitching as she glared at Inuyasha.

"Can't she leave from the well?" he asked.

"She did not come through there so the chances are dramatically low she'll be able to leave in that way." Kaede paused slightly.

"But there's a chance." Inuyasha said, tempting their nerves.

"Oh, give it a rest Inuyasha," Kagome hissed, "Why do you have such a problem with her anyways?"

"He feels a though he needs to push her away in hopes to disguise his feeling of protection towards her," Kaede answered.

"Th-that's not it!" he stammered at her loudly.

"Oh yeah, the big bad Inuyasha doesn't protect anyone," every word dripped sarcasm as Kagome dramatically drew out the sentence.

"Especially not some strange girl." He said.

"You're so rude Inuyasha."

"Um," Janis said neveriously, "well why did I come here exactly and not some…..other place?"

"That is information I do not know, ye might find help in Kinetsuri, a town to the north. There's a man there that may be able to help you understand this further, his age and wisdom are much greater than my own."

"And you're sure I can't just go home?"

"It would be wise to find out the reason ye came here before leaving."

"Ah," she said quietly, "then I guess I'll get going, shouldn't waste any time. How long will it take me to get there and back?"

"A few days at the most."

"A few days?" she screamed, "what exactly am I suppose to tell my family when I get home?"

"Don't worry about that now, what's important is you finding a way to get back to your family." Kagome said, walking over to the exit, "if its alright with you, we should get a head start to Kinetsuri."

"You're going with me?"

"We're going with her?" Inuyasha moaned.

"Duh, she really needs our help, I'm not gonna just abandon her. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo will be more than happy to come along too."

"She doesn't look at all strong, I don't know why you think she has so much power, old crone." Inuyasha said directing it towards Kaede, "she'd probably die tripping over some pebble on her way out the village, she'd be a hassle." He continued to protest.

"Ye are mistaken Inuyasha, she holds great power, it has merely just been awakened." Kaede said.

"Whatever, let's just hurry and get her there," he said finally.

"Great!" Kagome smiled, " seems like things are starting to look up."

"I hope your right," Janis followed Kagome as she walked out, followed by a reluctant Inuyasha.