I know it's short. It just seemed like a good place to leave. I'll update sooner than I did last time, hopefully.

Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha

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"Is she going to be alright?" Shippo asked as he looked at the girl Inuyasha and Kagome

had brought back from the shard search the previous night.

"I'm not sure, but I think now that we've taken care of her leg she'll be okay." Kagome answered.

"I'm going to stay right here beside her until she wakes up."

Cassandra moved a little and started saying something intangible. Shippo got closer to her as

she opened her eyes slowly. She was very startled at the furry person in her face. She gasped.

"Shippo! You scared me!"

"Did you really hurt Inuyasha?"

"Huh? Who...oh...uh sure. Where is Toto anyway?"

She tried to sit up, but had to lay right back down.

"Actually, where am I and why are we still speaking Japanese?"

"I don't know if you'll believe me." Kagome said.

After a second of silence, she continued, "You are in feudal Japan and that's why we

are speaking in Japanese. I'm from the modern time...or at least what I consider modern.

...but that's why I speak English."

Cassandra sat up slowly and stared at her for a moment.

"Yeah... You are right. I don't believe you. I think I'm still back in my tent asleep and

this is one of those strange dreams I have. I hope I remember this one when I wake up

though because this would make one really good story."

"This may be hard to believe, but it's real. By the way, may I ask how you know

such good Japanese?"

"Since you're a part of my imagination, wouldn't you already know that?"

"I'm not a figment of your imagination, Cassandra."

"Oh yeah, boys with dog ears, little foxes that are just like little boys, Its that chase me in the

middle of the night into time and space portals is all perfectly normal.

She sighed. "I speak Japanese because I have a special interest in Japan. I plan to live

there someday."

Kagome and the others were not quite satisfied with her answer, but no one pushed her to expound on it.

"It sure is beautiful here. I have always liked woods better than cities..." She paused a moment as she studied her surroundings. "This is a very detailed dream"

"I know it may not seem true, but it is."

"I don't know that I believe you, but this does feel real."

'I'm going to go with this for now.' she thought.

"So tell me more about what is happening."

Cassandra talked with this new group all day until nightfall and with Kagome well into the night.

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Cassandra woke up in a few hours.

It's still dark? she said with a yawn.

She looked at her watch. 'Oh, if I have ten, it would be... one am in Japan.'

She looked around her.

Feudal Japan, huh? I guess that means I won't be dreaming up any bathrooms...

She looked around for a few seconds and concluded. Nope, to the woods it is then. Great!

She walked a short distance from the group with just a hint of a limp, before she was surprised again by a red flash.

"What are you doing up, wrench?"

Cassandra looked almost hurt for a second. Then, she put on a smirk.

"What is wrong with you, Rover? You just don't drop down on unsuspecting women

in the middle of the night regularly do you?" she asked calmly.

"Well, if you hadn't made so much noise, I might still be asleep!"

"Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to wake you." Her smirk had dissolved and a genuine look of apology replaced it. It surprised Inuyasha and made him uncomfortable.

"Feh, when did you get so nice?"

"Well! Sorry!" she yelled.

Inuyasha growled just slightly and his ears twitched.

'That is sooo cute!'

"What are you even doing here this late at night!"

"For your information, Bubba, I am going to the bathroom. Not that it is any of your business. Second, where I'm from it should be late morning, so it's time for me to wake up. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I'm going out there for a minute or two."

"Feh." Inuyasha so wonderfully expressed this thoughts as he turned.

'There is something about her that bothers me'

He looked in the direction she left. Then, he looked back at Kagome.

'She stays around Kagome a lot. I don't like it. There is something bothering me about

her and I just can't figure it out...'

"You love her don't you." a voice from behind startled him.

"What is wrong with you! Sneaking up behind people in the middle of the night!"

"Didn't we just have this conversation the other way around?"

"Feh"

"That's what I thought... You want to talk about her, Skip?."

"Why would I want to talk to you?"

"Okay, but if you ever want to talk to someone, I'm here... Well, I guess that is not true. I'm going home soon."

"Good!"

"I see through your act, Inyouyasha. Do you think that is why you don't like me?"

"...uh...Feh.. I have a lot of reasons not to like you. You can't say my name, or won't. You are a stupid..." He went on for a while.

Cassandra smiled and interrupted. "I'm going to go lay back down now. It may be getting later in the morning, but I am very capable of sleeping until passed noon my time. I want to say bye to everyone before I go."

With that, she started back to camp and laid beside Kagome.

8/26/05