I do not own the InuYasha franchise. I do, however, own any original characters and storyline.

2. KINU

'Dog ears...? I... Oh... Oh my GOSH! This... this boy is - He's got to be...!!"

It took a moment for Kinu to recollect herself.

"Inu... "

A soft and obviously feminine voice suddenly filled the air.

"Wake up...."

'Huh? Wh-who said that...?'

But no sooner had Kinu started to ponder this, had the strange boy's eyes started to open...

"Ka-Kagome!"

oOo

Sorrow-filled, blue grey eyes... that was all InuYasha could picture.

'Kagome!'

He had to find her! He had to get to her somehow. He'd fought against her arrow's magic so hard, but even his will had not been enough to overcome a miko's spell.

Before he'd lost consciousness, she'd ran up to him as he stood pinned to the sacred tree, in almost the exact same place where Kikyo had struck him fifty years prior. She'd held onto him, wrapped her white cladded arms around his shoulders and sobbed, burying her nose into his haori, her hair tickling his nose as it blew with the wind. He'd told her to run, to get away from the approaching miasma that Naraku must have been eminating...

But she hadn't run away. When Kagome had shot her arrow, her face had been so cold and stern, so stoic and unlike her, even with the silent tears that had been streaming down her cheeks. It was only when he'd told her to run, to find safety, that her resigned mask finally melted. But still, she hadn't run away. She'd gone straight to him, visably shaking as sobs wracked her body, clinging to his restrained form like a life line.

And then...

"Forgive me, InuYasha..."

She had pleaded with him to forgive her... for shooting him?

He'd been so out of it at the time, so on the verge of unconsciousness. He'd simply allowed his chin to fall and rest on her head, speaking softly to her in a strained voice.

"It's o-ok-kay K'gome... if this is how it's meant t-ta be then... it's o-kay..."

Then, he'd blacked out, practically dead to the world. The last thing he'd heard had been her agonised cry...

He didn't know how long he'd been under, pinned to that damned tree, but now, he could feel himself beginning to awake again.

And now, he had to see her. Had to find her and make things right again. What he'd done to make her shoot him with one of her arrows, he didn't know, but whatever the problem, he'd fix it...

He was fighting subconsciously now, desperately striving to awaken and beat the endless black void that consumed him.

"Wake up...."

Was... was that... Kikyou?

But no sooner had that composed, sultry voice spoken, had his eyes opened.

"Ka-Kagome?!" He called out, his voice worn and raspy.

He blinked several times, his eyes squinting at the light that must be shining over him through the trees. Once his vision had adjusted, he immediately started to search for his miko companion, expecting to be surrounded by the lush, green and dense forest that he knew like the back of his hand...

Only instead, he found himself staring into wide and confused cobalt irises.

But since when were Kagome's eyes so grey?

He turned his gaze from the slightly fearful eyes that shimmered up at him, taking in the person's full appearance.

This wasn't Kagome. Not exactly, anyway. It was Kagome's face, Kagome's build, the same hair... only it was much shorter, and tied up high in one of those ee-las-tick bands that Kagome used to wear from time to time.

But still, InuYasha was adament. This girl was not his Kagome. She was looking up at him with eyes that shimmered like Kagome's did, but not with awe and affection - it was puzzlement and fear. This girl who looked so like the fiesty miko... looked absolutely terrified of him. Fear seemed to be the only feeling she could muster as she continued to stare so dumbfoundedly up at him.

InuYasha decided to break the aggravating silence.

"Hey, instead of staring like that, how about you get me d...!" He stopped before he finished the sentance.

It was only then that InuYasha noticed something else. The choking smell of smoke in the air, the pure uncleaness of that smell, the loud roars of metal screeching against hard ground that filled the back round... such familiar smells and sounds. It took him a moment to figure out why it was so familiar to him.

He... he was back in Kagome's time.

"What the hell?!"

The Kagome look-alike who stood before him flinched when he yelled, and started backing away when he began to struggle in a very unhuman like manner against the arrow that held him fast against the tree, actually growling like some sort of wild dog when he found escape impossible.

"Kagome! Where the hell are you?!"

oOo

Kinu had no idea what was going on, but now, she was severely frightened.

"What the hell?!"

She backed away from the Goshinboku, longing to get as far from the wild boy thrashing against the tree as possible.

This boy looked so fierce and feral, so desperate and untamed. There was something so terrifyingly unhuman about him, and it sent chills creeping up the back of Kinu's neck, the hair there standing on end.

She couldn't take it anymore. She turned to run away, to scream for her mother or anyone who would listen, but ended up stumbling in her haste. She landed flat on her backside.

"Kagome! Where the hell are you?!"

Kami... what was going on?!

This strange looking boy had appeared before her in a flash of white-pink light, pinned to the great tree by an arrow... things like this didn't happen in real life! Not in reality! She must have bonked her head or something, anything-!

"Ka...! Ka...gome..."

'What?'

Kinu couldn't help it. Her fear faded slightly when she heard the boy's voice again. Instead of rough and fierce sounding, it was so... sad. She lifted her head slowly.

What she saw made her heart pang.

The boy, who had looked so wild and feral a mere moment ago, now looked so... upset. His teeth (or fangs, rather) were clenched tightly together, and so were his fists. His white bangs covered his golden eyes in shadow, his body was visibly shaking in apparent turmoil...

And then, for the first time, Kinu felt herself start to relax infront of the boy, her fear gradually disappearing. It was replaced with a new feeling entirely. She was still uneasy, still so unsure of what was going on, but she just... she couldn't bare to see someone look like that. So crushed... broken. He wasn't crying, but he looked like he was struggling not to break down in one manner or another.

Albeit cautiously, so as not to alarm him or set him on edge again, Kinu stood up on her feet once more, using her hands to push herself up off the ground. Her voice shook when she finally managed to find it again.

"H-hey... are you... d-do you need help getting d-down?"

A single white dog ear twitched when she spoke.

She braced herself for an uproar. It looked like just about anything would set the boy off again...

Slowly, the boy lifted his head to look down at her. When he realised it was Kinu who had spoken, his heart broken face changed once again. He bared his teeth at her and snapped his jaws for good measure, growling yet again.

"Oi. Get lost bitch." He snapped.

To say Kinu was taken aback was a bit of an understatement. Her eyes widened and she took a step back from the tree. The boy smirked malisciously, seemingly glad that he'd startled her.

"I don't need some stupid human's help. I'd get outta here while you can, little girl, 'cause when I get down from here, it ain't gonna be no walk in the woods scenario..."

He was obviously trying to scare her - and boy was it working. How was it she'd actually felt sorry for him a minute ago? He was being so fierce and -

'Wait a second... did he just call me a bitch? A stupid human?!'

She stood tall, looked him straight in the eye and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hey! I don't know what's going on here, but how dare you insult me like that! Obviously you're upset about something, and that's all very well, but I just offered to help you! You should be grateful!"

The boy was certainly taken back by her outburst, clearly not having expected that, and Kinu felt a beam of pride swell up in her chest. This time, she smirked at him instead.

His expression turned annoyed again at her victory smirk, and he started to growl again.

"Keh! I'll say it again. Get. Lost. Bitch. I don't need your "help".

Kinu's eyebrow twitched in irritation, the smirk vanishing. This boy... he was impossible!

"You don't eh? Well then, how exactly do you propose you get down from that tree huh? Maybe I could pull that arrow out!"

His eyes narrowed, and he sneered.

"This arrow is coated in magic - it's a spell you clueless girl! There's no way you could pull it out! You're just an ordinary human girl! The only person who can take this arrow out is...!"

He stopped in mid sentance, his eyes widening for a split second before becoming resigned again. Kinu thought she saw something akin to hurt in those angry golden pools before he turned his head sharply away from her.

'Geez! What is it with this guy? One minute he's trying to scare and threaten me, insult me, and the next he's all closed off and...! And I dunno... sad I guess...'

It started to dawn on Kinu. Someone had pinned him to the Goshinboku. Shot him with an arrow. Of course he would be upset and angry. Whoever had shot him had really hurt him, and not just physically.

It wasn't scientifically possible, but now, Kinu saw no other explanation.

"Is... is your name InuYasha? By any chance...?"

He blanched.

"What's it to you?"

"So you are...?"

"Keh. How would a dumb girl like you even know about..."

Then his expression changed once more. This time, when he spoke, there was no ferocity behind it. He spoke warily, with a hint of curiousity.

"How do you know my name girl?"

Another swell of pride in her chest. Now she was getting somewhere! She started to explain.

"There's this story that my mother... well, it's more of a legend, actually, but anyway, it's the story of the Shikon No Tama. It's about this inu hanyou who stole the Shikon jewel in order to become a full youkai, but was stopped by the young priestess who guarded the jewel. Her name was Kikyou."

His eyes widened, and he looked momentarily thoughtful, as if he were remembering something.

"Kikyou?"

"Yeah... so, lets say you are InuYasha. Was it Kikyou who pinned you to this tree?"

"...no."

Kinu felt her heart pang again at his, or rather, InuYasha's expression. He looked so sad again. This was all pretty far fetched stuff, but if this really was the InuYasha from the legend, then wasn't it Kikyouwho'd pinned him to the tree? That's how the legend went at least, that's how Kikyou was supposed to have stopped him in his attempt to steal the jewel. There was no one else who shot him, Kinu knew. She knew this legend off by heart, after all.

'But...is it really possible that the legend was true?'

Well, if the dog-eared boy who stood against the tree before her wasn't enough proof...

'This really isn't a dream, is it? It feels too real... I can tell.'

oOo

"There's this story that my mother... well, it's more of a legend, actually, but anyway, it's the story of the Shikon No Tama. It's about this inu hanyou who stole the Shikon jewel in order to become a full youkai, but was stopped by the young priestess who guarded the jewel. Her name was Kikyou."

Images of the deceased priestess filled his head at the mention of her name. His first love, his Kikyou.

"Kikyou?"

"Yeah... so, lets say you are InuYasha. Was it Kikyou who pinned you to this tree?"

"...no."

No. This time, Kagome had been the one to shoot him, and he really had no idea as to why. Now that the initial shock of being shot and waking up in an entirely different time period had started to wear off, the hurt from what had happened was starting to really sink in. Nothing but a painful memory.

Damnit! This stupid girl infront of him who had Kagome's face -albeit a little younger looking and slightly rounder in the cheekbones- had no right to question him like this. She didn't even know him, had no idea of the inner torment he was currently experiencing...

A bright, smiling face filled his train of thoughts. Kagome.

Why? Why had she (and it hurt for him to think this) betrayed him?

No! That wasn't true! Kagome trusted him, she cared for him, maybe even lo... really cared for him. They were friends, best friends, and they fought a lot, but they trusted eachother, relied on one another. Kagome... she must have had a reason for what she did!

But even that couldn't stop the hurt that came with what had now happened for a second time. It had hurt when Kikyou had sent him into that 50 year slumber, but this was entirely different. He hadn't completely trusted Kikyou.

Suddenly, InuYasha was knocked rudely from his thoughts, and he growled in annoyance when he saw it was that girl again.

She said she'd wanted to help him - keh! As if. And yet, here she was, quite spontaneously choosing to climb up the roots of Goshinboku, latching on to his hair when she stumbled backwards after trying to reach the arrow embeded into his shoulder.

"O-o-OW! Stupid human! What are ya trying to pull here?!"

"The ARROW stupid, if that wasn't obvious! And stop calling me a stupid human - my name's Kinu! Now quit moving about and stay still, I'm gonna get it out..." Her voice quieted as she concentrated, finally suceeding in grabbing the arrow. With a quick moment of hesitation, she pulled.

InuYasha couldn't stand it. He didn't care for her name - but this girl was too much like Kagome, especially with the way she was fighting with him... Those thoughts were pushed aside however, when he felt a painful tug pass through his shoulder.

"H-Hey what do you think you're- ?!"

But InuYasha was cut off as a bright pink light exploded from the arrow, and it disappeared into dust.

Gasping in awe, the girl, Kinu, fell, pushed back by the sheer intensity of the magic that had erupted from the arrow.

InuYasha cared not for her though. The arrow was gone...

...he was free!

He jumped down off of the tree, glad to be free of its roots. Now he could look for answers, now he could find his friends, find Kagome and clear things up somehow.

He took a quick look around him, noticing that he was in a similar shrine to that of Kagome's home shrine. The shrine wasn't what mattered though, what he was looking for was the - !

'There!'

Well house. The Well house.

He made a mad dash for the small shed, praying that it would bring him back to the fuedal era where he would find Kaede's village and his friends, leaving this modern world behind forever.

"Hey wait! Where are you going InuYasha?!"

Arggh. That girl was talking to him again.

He skidded to a hault and whirled round, glaring at her as she sat still huddled beneath Goshinboku.

"What is it now girl? Look... thanks for freeing me okay, but I ain't got time to stay here and pay you back, so get over it!"

"Wha-?! Pay me back? That wasn't what I was gonna-! Oh never mind - where the heck are you going?! You can't be seen with ears like that around here!"

A vein twitched on his forehead.

"Keh! I know that! Wasn't planning on walking any further into that big wierd village, I'm going back home."

Kinu raised an eyebrow. "Home? How can you-?"

"Doesn't matter. Just forget you even saw me, you won't be seeing me again anyway."

And with that, he turned and jumped through the doors of the well house.

"W-wait! Hang on!"

She pulled herself up, dusting herself down as she ran after him, following him into the small shed.

Upon walking in, she found him standing in the middle of the garden shed. Pitch forks, brooms, fertilisers and all other sorts of necessities dotted the shed, ideal tools for taking care of the vast grounds that the shrine was located in. Why would InuYasha want to go in here?

InuYasha heard her enter the shed after him, and he whirled back round, looking incredibly frustrated again.

"Where the hell has the Well gone?!"

Huh?

"Err... what well? This is just a garden shed, there's no Well round here..."

Now InuYasha's shoulders slumped as he took the news in.

"You... You sure?"

"Perfectly."

He turned from her again. No Well? How was he supposed to get back now? For the thousandth time that day, he wished that he was just having some cruel kind of nightmare, that he'd wake up soon and be back with Kagome and the others, looking for the jewel shards and what not...

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then opened them.

All hope disappeared.

He was still in the Well-less shed. Still stuck in Kagome's time... without Kagome by his side. He hated to admit it, but now, he was starting to become afraid. He knew the fuedal era, but he didn't know the first thing about surviving in this world.

"Hey... you okay?"

He flicked an ear in Kinu's direction.

"Oh yeah. Just perfect."

oOo

Okay, you're probably all like: "What the HELL is going on here?!" lol. I really don't blame you.

I of course know what's going to happen, but I'd be right in thinking people are going to be a little confused after reading that chapter wouldn't I? Well that's okay, it's not really meant to make sense yet, you just kind of have to role with it, if you know what I mean. Just know that ALL will be explained soon! The next chapter should give you all some more info, and other characters will be making their appearance soon enough - despite the fact that this fic is no longer set in the fuedal era, I HAVE NOT written them out. They'll ALL be back in action soon enough ;D

Okay, I'm thinking about changing my profile name. I like my current one, but I wouldn't mind a change. Change is healthy! Anyway, I was wondering what you guys thought of that. I was going for something like 'NekoStrife'. Stupid name I know, but what do you think?

Anyway, that's it for now. Other updates will becoming soon, but my GCSE exams are drawing ever closer, and I'm starting to feel the pressure D: Oh well, sooner I get 'em done with, the better!

Hope you all enjoyed, have a wonderful day and please review!