What would you do?
It was already pretty dark when Kagome climbed through her new bedroom window. She flopped onto the soft bed and took in her surroundings. It was quite nice and neat too. This was Akane's bedroom. Tomorrow she would go to school with Ranma and face Akane's daily life. Just then a little black piglet jumped up onto the bed. Kagome sat up straight but relaxed when she saw what it was.
"P-Chan…oh you're so cute!" Kagome exclaimed hugging him "I'll need you to look after me" She sighed searching through Akane's draws for pyjamas. Kagome got changed and slipped into bed.
"Sleep well, my P-Chan"
Akane jumped down the well easily managing the mammoth back pack of supplies Kagome had packed. She landed at the bottom of the well and climbed up looking around.
"WOW!" Akane gasped staring around at the country side that had replaced the city.
"Kagome I-" a boy with long white hair, gold flashing eyes and a surprised look on his face landed right next to Akane giving her a huge fright. He glared at her questionably.
"I cut my hair…DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!" Akane screamed slapping Inu-Yasha clear across the face. He took a few steps back, holding his cheek and staring eyes wide.
"What?" Inu-Yasha stuttered but before he could go on Miroku stumbled through the bushes, half asleep.
"Lady Kagome…I didn't think you would be returning to us so soon. Since it is late though I suggest we suspend arguments, explanations and apologies till morning and join the others in a bit of well deserved slumber" Miroku yawned.
"Good idea" Akane agreed thankful for being saved till morning at least, she followed the sleepy monk quickly not wanting to confront the dog demon walking behind them. They walked into a clearing where two people, a woman and a little boy, were already sleeping close to a warm fire. The monk curled up near the fire as well, Akane close behind, glad for the heat it provided. However she lay awake, jumping at the strange noises in the night. Kagome had told her about the strange monsters that lived in this time and although she had also said Inu-Yasha would not let her life come to any harm, Akane couldn't help but shiver at the scratching and howling in the forests surrounding them. Eventually she sat up and looked for a weapon. Noticing Miroku's staff she crawled over and took it and lay back down feeling a little better now she had some small means of defence. She turned over and noticed Inu-Yasha, staring with unblinking eyes at her. She closed her eyes tight hoping he would just go to sleep, eventually drifting off to sleep herself.
Kagome looked at her reflection in the mirror. The blue dress and white shirt certainly was a change from her skirt and T-shirt, sailor style. She walked nervously down the hallway holding P-Chan tight. Looking left and right she slipped into the dining room and sat down for breakfast.
"Akane, dear will you go wake up Ranma?" a pretty girl with long hair, tied up, asked.
"Ok" Kagome agreed running out of the room. All Kagome wanted to do was eat breakfast and go to school, beginning to wonder how good this swapping idea was.
"Ranma?" Kagome said opening a door. It was a girl's room. Kagome shut the door.
"Was it first door on the right…or…no it was third" Kagome muttered trying to remember which instructions of Akane's led to Ranma's room. Kagome went to the third door and opened it.
"A-Akane"
Kagome stared, blushing madly with embarrassment, at Ranma holding a large teapot drenched in hot water and a naked girl with long purple hair standing next to him. Kagome slammed the door and ran back to the living room.
"I'm going to skip breakfast this morning can I please just have my lunch" Kagome pleaded wanting to leave as quickly as possible.
"Yes here" Kasumi beamed handing Kagome her lunch.
"Thank you so much!" Kagome bowed. She bolted through the hallway out the front door and down the street. Kagome pulled out a map Akane had drawn to show her where her high school was. Kagome followed it carefully until…
"Akane! Akane!" The boy who she had seen this morning was chasing after. That girl he was with had purple hair maybe she was Shampoo. So… if the boy should talk to her she should be angry and by no means apologetic. The boy landed in front of her and Kagome frowned.
"What is it?" Kagome asked trying to sound angry despite the red that bloomed in her cheeks at the memory of her first view of him.
"Aren't you even going to listen to what I have to say?" Ranma shouted angrily. Kagome kept walking but stared at him in acceptance.
"Shampoo came into my room as a cat and I grabbed a pot of hot water so I could turn into a guy to get away faster and she tried to knock it out of my hands and it spilt all over us ok!" Ranma explain with a pout, blushing despite himself.
"Feh!" Kagome mimicked Inu-Yasha's favourite sulking word as she reached the school gates. All of a sudden she was swept off her feet and carried into the school grounds.
"Oh Akane, Ranma will haunt you no longer. Come with me" the boy with short brown hair and a gi on pleaded.
"Let go of me, help!" Kagome struggled and squealed "Leave me alone!"
"Please accept Kuno's kiss!" Kuno asked leaning towards Kagome.
"AHHHHHHH!" she screamed. All of a sudden Ranma's leg came from no where kicking Kuno hard, sending him flying across the yard. He caught Kagome and set her back on her feet. Ranma stared at her with a disbelieving, shocked stare.
"What's wrong with you? Why didn't you hit him? A macho chick like you-" Ranma began but Kagome butted in.
"Don't call me that!" she snapped then remembered Inu-Yasha, stopping her in mid speech. Ranma put his hand on her forehead.
"Are you ill?" he asked Kagome looked away blushing.
"I hate you, you're such a jerk! First you save me then insult me and when I don't hit you, you say I'm sick! I wish I could make you SIT!" Kagome growled pushing past him and walking into the school building leaving Ranma fairly confused.
Akane slowly opened her eyes to see the sun risen over the horizon. She turned over wanting to go back to sleep but she was given no such luxury.
"Your awake finally" she heard Inu-Yasha groan.
"Good morning" Shippo said cheerily.
"Morning" Akane sighed sitting up and stretching.
"A village has asked us to go exterminate a rather large snake demon that's been killing of their livestock. So lets go" Inu-Yasha commented standing up.
"Yeah sure" Akane got wobbly to her feet and started packing her things. When she was done she put the huge yellow backpack on.
"Which way?" Akane asked groggily.
"Kirara" Sango said to a cute little kitten sitting next to her. Akane smiled and went over to pat it when it suddenly became engulfed in flame and turned into a horse sized lion like demon.
"AHH!" Akane shouted jumping back.
"Don't be silly Kagome" Shippo laughed as Sango and Miroku jumped onto the demon.
"Kagome, hurry up!" Inu-Yasha ordered turning his back to her, looking at her over his shoulder. Akane started panicking she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes and sighed. Then he walked over to Akane and flung her onto his back.
"Hold on" he snorted.
"Wha-" but before Akane could take a breath Inu-Yasha pelted into the forest leaping and jumping at an incredible hight and speed. Akane wrapped her arms around Inu-Yasha tight, finding herself enjoying it after a while.
"This is kinda fun!" she gasped, smiling. Inu-Yasha looked back at her, confused. Akane realised the real Kagome would be use to this kind of thing.
"Heh, sorry" Akane apologised hoping he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. The group came to a halt outside the village and a couple of people came out to greet them.
"So where is the demon?" Sango asked in professional voice. Akane recalled that before joining Kagome, Inu-Yasha, Shippo and Miroku Sango had been a demon exterminator.
"The hole it comes out of is over there" one of the villages said pointing.
"Well…" she said examining the hole "Then I guess we'll be smoking it out" Sango said then she asked the villages for some ingredients.
"Do you sense a shikon shard Kagome?" Akane looked over at Inu-Yasha his face was harsh and almost untrusting. He had already seen through her disguise?
"Yes" Akane answered, she could feel rumbling under her feet something big was approaching. All of a sudden a huge long monster erupted from the ground letting out a blood curdling scream. Sango swung around throwing what looked like a giant boomerang at the demon. The snake was a lot smarter than it looked as it slithered out of the way. Miroku began to take the rosary from around his arm when the snake's tale lashed out constricting Miroku making it impossible to move. Inu-Yasha drew his Tetsusiga and flew into the air slashing at the snake that dodged and snapped back.
"Kagome shoot it!" Inu-Yasha shouted but Akane was numb, frozen, she had never seen anything as astonishing as these seemingly harmless people unleashing their true powers on such a wicked enemy.
"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha roared angrily. Suddenly the beast swerved and lunged at Akane.
"Kagome!" Inu-Yasha raced past the demon and jumped in front of Akane swinging the huge blade slicing the snake in half.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn't you shoot an arrow at it? You were almost killed!" he scolded angrily putting his ands on her shoulders.
"Thank you…for saving me…sorry I didn't shoot it" Akane said in a dry tone looking away. He stared for awhile and then his hands lifted and he took a few steps away, glaring.
"Go find the shikon shard" he grumbled. The shard sparkled on the still head of the snake demon. Akane picked it up.
"Here it is" Akane handed it to Inu-Yasha.
"What are you…purifying it?" Inu-Yasha said handing it back "It's still tainted"
"Oh of course! Sorry" Akane apologised shoving it into her pocket. She'd have to give it to Kagome to purify when she got back. Akane noticed Miroku living groaning on the ground. She ran over to him.
"Here let me help you" Akane said smiling picking him up. All of a sudden she felt something touching her backside.
"PREVERT!" Akane bellowed punching Miroku so hard he spiralled up into the air. Sango, Shippo and Inu-Yasha stared in disbelief. There was a huge boom as Miroku connected with the ground.
"So um where's the next demon? I think I'm ready to fight now" Akane said a little more energetically.
Kagome walked slowly out of the school gates sighing. She had had one of the most trying days ever. Kodachi the rose had appeared and challenged her in a duel of gymnastics for ownership of Ranma. Kagome had declined but Kodachi had insisted so now she was going to meet the black leotard clad girl.
"Inu-Yasha…" she sighed looking at the sky as she headed home.
"Who's' Inu-Yasha?" Ranma appeared from behind Kagome making her jump.
"Uh, um…no-one! I just read about him in a…manga" Kagome tried covering up after all, right now, Ranma was her fiancé.
"You read it in a manga? Yeah right!" Ranma scoffed.
"I did! It was about a girl who accidentally found a way into feudal Japan and she frees a dog demon from an evil spell and together they have to collect the shards of a magical jewel so he can decide if he wants to turn into a full demon and gain great power or" Kagome paused and looked down sighing sadly, the truth of her lie all to real in her heart "turn into a human and be together with the girl he…loves" Ranma looked at Kagome suddenly very seriously.
"Akane…" Ranma said "Who'da thought a dorky girl like you would read a romance manga" Kagome kicked at him hard.
"Shut up!"
Ranma dodged it laughing.
"I hate you!" she shouted chasing after him. Ranma stuck his toung out at her.
"Nya nya!
"Ranma!" Kagome smiled swinging her bag at him "You jerk!"
The couple's laughter rang out in the evenings light. A few hours past fairly quickly and Kagome was putting on her leotard and securing a beanie to hide her shrinking but still there kitty ears. In Akane's closet she found a number of weapons including a mallet, axe, bo stick, wooden sword, real sword a bow and some arrows. Kagome slung the bow and arrows over her shoulder and also took some ropes not sure what to expect of a gymnastics duel. She opened her bedroom door and walked out of it banging into something. She fell backwards much to the horror of the thing that had caused it. Kagome looked up, it was a boy with a bandana on and he had sharp teeth like Inu-Yasha.
"Oh Akane I'm so sorry! I just brought these for you" he said.
"R-Ryoga!" Kagome stuttered remembering Akane's description of the boy. He held out a ribbon, batons, ball and hoop. Kagome's face dropped. She wasn't allowed to use, the bow and arrows.
"Lets go…"Ranma left his room seeing Ryoga holding Akane's hands he finished with "P-Chan and Akane"
"Who's P-Chan?" Ryoga shouted in Ranma's face.
"Where's P-Chan?" Kagome asked missing her piglet.
"I thought I saw him over there but there's no time now lets go" Ranma said grabbing Kagome by the wrist leading her out of the house.
"Ok" Kagome said looking back longingly at the house. The two of them arrived at the gymnastics ring ten minutes later. Kodachi was waiting in the ring sneering.
"Ranma soon you'll be mine!" Kodachi announced laughing. Ranma stared at Kagome with a pleading look.
"Don't worry Ranma" Kagome smiled at her hoop, batons, rope and ball "I can work with these" Kagome jumped into the ring. Katsumi entered the ring and put one arm up.
"No bare handed strikes- only tools- Read, set, and begin!" Katsumi said signalling with her hand. Kodachi whipped her ribbon at Kagome who jumped out of the way. She landed and made a lasso and ran out of the way.
"Stop running, if you are such a coward! Ranma deserves me, not you!" Kodachi thrust a spiked baton at Kagome. One again Kagome evaded the attack rolling out of the way. Kagome picked up a ball as she was rolling then stood up and threw it at Kodachi who parried it with a hoop. Kodachi laughed evilly. She whipped her ribbon out of the ring and when it came back it had a chair attached to it. Kagome cried out falling to the ground in order to dodge the flying chair but she wasn't fast enough and it bashed against her leg.
"OW!" Kagome screamed grabbing the leg of the chair a hurling it back. Kodachi smashed it out of the way and Kagome ran to the right throwing all of her batons one after the other, a small portion hitting their mark the rest being skilfully deflected by the angry Kodachi. Suddenly she attacked with a metal rod that looked like a rope to the untrained eye. Kagome squealed, unaccustomed to the painful hits she was receiving.
"Wa ha ha ha ha! Tendo, you are finished!" Kodachi cackled jumping back and cracking her ribbon.
"I don't think so Kodachi!"
Kagome pulled hard on a rope which fastened around Kodachi's ankles and hoisted her into the air.
"All that dodging and inconsistent attacking was just to put Kodachi in the right place to catch her!" Ranma exclaimed excitably.
"That's right!" Kagome triumphantly shouted. Before Kodachi could do anything to free herself Kagome used the hoop to give her an almighty shove out of the ring and let go of the rope, falling over. Kodachi went flying into a set of seats as Katsumi shouted:
"RING OUT! AKANE TENDO IS THE WINNER!"
Ranma stared on in disbelief remembering back to the hell he went through to win his match with Kodachi yet he was grateful and jumped into the ring to congratulate her.
"I did it" Kagome huffed, standing up suddenly finding herself staring into Ranma's eyes.
"What should I do? What should I do?" Kagome's mind raced "would Akane…kiss him I mean he is her fiancé' Kagome thought hard but Akane had seemed as though she wouldn't kiss him…like she was in denial or something. Kagome decided. She stood up and hugged Ranma tight.
"I won!" she whispered ignoring the pain in hers arms and leg.
"Y-y-yeah" Ranma stuttered "Who'da thought…"
"What's wrong with you two? You just stopped moving?" Shippo asked looking back at Akane and Inu-Yasha. They turned and stared at each other.
"I just got a chill up my spine that's all" they said in unison. The group continued along the road, it was beginning to get pretty dark and they had almost reached the village when Inu-Yasha froze and sniffed the air. His face became serious, almost melancholy.
"Keep going on to the village" Inu-Yasha ordered "I'll catch up with you later" he continued jumping out off the path. Akane knew exactly what was going on. There was only one reason for this behaviour shift. Kagome had described it in great detail.
"I don't think so!" Akane rushed after him ignoring Sango and Miroku's warnings to leave him alone "Kagome may not have enough guts to do it but I do it all the time to Ranma!"
She followed him with great resolve; leaping over brooks, slipping through tall grass, ducking under branches till she found them. Inu-Yasha stood firm facing a beautiful women in a miko outfit. She had long black hair and a look matching Inu-Yasha's. She bore a surprising resemblance to Kagome.
"So this is it Kikyo" Akane said rolling up her sleeves and preparing to 'fix' all Kagome's problems.
"Kikyo, I'm confused" Inu-Yasha said softly "I don't know if you care for me or not…you've tried to kill me…you've actually kissed me…you stole our shikon shard and gave it to Naruku – DAMN IT I want answers!" Kikyo blinked and started moving toward Inu-Yasha.
"Oh…Inu-Yasha…"she whispered sympathetically beginning to put her arms around him.
"THAT'S QUITE FAR ENOUGH MISSY! DROP THE ACT AND STEP AWAY FROM THE DOG DEMON!" Akane's voice boomed through the small clearing.
