Chapter 2
"Thank goodness! They made it out alive!" Luna sighed as a light appeared right in front of Inuyasha and his friends.
Sailor Moon, Mercury and Mars made sure they got everyone as they counted them off as Luna made her way to Sailor Moon.
"Rei! We've finally found another guardian!" Luna smiled. "Now explain who these creepy people are!" Luna shouted pointing her paw towards the strangely dressed folk. Mars' eyes widened as she looked at them in surprise. The people she's been begging to see in months. She mostly stared into the yellow eyes of the demon with dogs ears on his head.
"I-Inuyasha?!"
Sailor Mars stood wide eyed in silence not only wondering how her friends got through the well, but how she was able to see Inuyasha again.
"Rei! Are these enemies? We'll defend you no matter what!" Sailor Moon flared standing in front of Mars while spreading her arms out wide to shield her.
"Oh so you wanna fight then?" Inuyasha flared back reaching for his sword, the tetsusaiga.
"No calm down Usagi. These are my friends. It's really difficult to explain," Rei half laughed standing the the middle of the two.
"Kagome!" Shippo shouted hopping into Mars' arms.
"Shippo!"
"Aw Rei! He's so cute!" Sailor Moon squealed as she stared at the sight of the little fox demon.
"Rei? Kagome, since when did you change your name?" Sango asked.
"Kagome's your real name Rei?" Mercury asked curious.
"Kagome sounds like a nice name Rei!" Sailor Moon smiled.
"Yeah. Like I said, it's a long story!" Mars chuckled while running her hand through her long hair.
"Well hello there my young lady and who might you be?" Miroku smiled picking up Mercury's hand. Mercury looked back up blushing nervously. "Will you consider the honors of bearing my children?"
"Eeee! You're so gross!" Mercury shouted in disgust releasing herself. Sango got her her hiraikotsu whacking Miroku on the head.
"Eh hem! We were supposed to get married in a couple months!" Sango hissed as Miroku nodded nervously.
"Kagome, what are you wearing! This is so different from any other outfit I've ever seen!" Shippo smiled climbing onto Kagome's shoulders to examine the sailor outfit of red. Mars looked up to see that Inuyasha has barely spoken a few words since the reunion.
"Inuyasha….." Mars breathed. Sailor Moon. Mercury, and Mars all transformed back into their human selves. Usagi and Ami were back into their school uniforms and Rei was back into her miko robes.
"Kagome….." Inuyasha breathed back even barely recognizing her human form.
"Rei, the children are waking up!" Usagi exclaimed. Rei gasped unsure if the children will fear more demons since they are probably traumatized from their previous abduction.
"Quick! Get into the Hikawa Shrine and stay there until I say you can come out!" Rei shouted as she tried to push everyone into her shrine.
"Hey! Kagome! Why don't you explain to us first at least! It's been a while!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Don't you dare make me say it!" Rei flared as Inuyasha rushed right into the shrine knowing that death glare was the signal for him to sit.
….
Police sirens could be heard from outside the shrine as Rei knelt down to the young Mii. Her eyes opened as Mii jolted up tugging on Rei's robes.
"Hello Mii!" Rei smiled in relief.
"Rei!" Mii exclaimed. She looked around her as she saw the stars twinkling in the sky and police surrounding the shrine wondering how she ended up here at this time of the night. "How did I get here?"
"The Sailor Guardians came. They saved you and brought you back," Rei replied not sure if Mii even knew Mercury or Sailor Moon yet.
"Mii!" shouted a frantic, but relieved woman's voice.
"Mommy!" Mii replied.
"Thank goodness, I was so worried!" Mii's mother replied in a trembling voice hugging Mii tightly.
Rei walked over to Ami, Usagi, and Luna with an expression of relief on her face. And she even felt like she had new friends in this new world too.
"There are three guardians now that you're with us Rei!" Luna smiled.
"Yeah! I'm so glad that we found you Sailor Mars!" Usagi added.
"We're glad that you can join us! We've been needing someone like you!" Ami added as Rei's expression lit up. But then she suddenly thought for a moment. She felt it inside her that she was about to go through another interesting fantasy adventure. But what will her friends think about fighting enemies like the ones she just witnessed? Her instincts were kicking inside her telling her that these were enemies unlike Naraku. And they're far more powerful than he is too.
"Now let's do the same for the princess and the Legendary Silver Crystal too!" Luna exclaimed.
"Um, Luna, Usagi, Ami, I actually want to talk for a little bit if you don't mind staying late," Rei said as the three turned around nodding.
…..
"I just don't get it. I thought I was just reincarnated as Kikyo at first, but my true reincarnation is Sailor Mars?" Rei asked herself.
"I don't know who this Kikyo is Rei, but I'm sure we'll figure something out," Luna replied.
"So Kagome's your name Rei? How cool!" Usagi smiled.
"Yes, but since my aunt had custody of me, she named me Kagome Higurashi. My real name is still Rei Hino," Rei explained.
"Well that explains everything despite all the confusion we're going through," Miroku said.
"Rei! Is this your boyfriend? His ears are so cute!" Usagi smiled rubbing Inuyasha's ears.
"Get off! Don't touch those!" Inuyasha shouted trying to throw Usagi violently off of him.
"Inuyasha sit boy!" Rei flared as Inuyasha slammed face first onto the ground. "That's enough Usagi. Please don't touch his ears."
"Kagome, you seem more…..sophisticated and mature the last time we've seen you," Sango said noticing her every expression and emotion.
"Oh. I'm training to become head priest of the Hikawa Shrine. Well, maybe until I figure out what's going on," Rei replied.
"So let me get this straight. You traveled through a well to a Feudal Era five hundred years ago in Feudal Japan? Then you came upon everyone to defeat a very powerful demon who seeked a stone called a Shikon Jewel? And you were successful by making it disappear from that world forever, but you were put back into our time being separated from your friends for ages?" Ami asked as Rei nodded.
"Say Rei. What does this Shikon Jewel look like?" Luna asked.
"Well, it is a round crystalline stone with a soft pink color," Rei explained.
"I see. I was wondering if it really was the Legendary Silver Crystal," Luna replied.
"I don't think the Shikon Jewel would be a type of crystal we would be looking for. It can be used for good and evil," Rei explained.
"Kagome, what is this Legendary Silver Crystal? Is it another jewel we have to go after and destroy?" Inuyasha asked.
"No, I don't think it can be deceived by evil. Can it?" Rei asked turning towards Luna.
"The Legendary Silver Crystal is a purified gem with limitless power. It only focuses on the energy, and the heart of the user even giving its wielder protection. The crystal can heal and rebuild anything that was destroyed. However, if it falls into the wrong hands, especially since we're dealing with an enemy here, they can abuse the crystal's power causing this beautiful planet to be destroyed along with the moon princess! And we cannot allow that to happen!" Luna explained.
"A princess you say?"
"Yes! Well…...we thought you would be a princess since you looked so beautiful Rei!" Usagi squealed as Rei blushed back.
"Apparently, Rei isn't the princess, but only the princess can wield the Silver Crystal. So we must find her and protect her before the enemy get's ahold of it!" Luna replied.
"I bet the princess is beautiful!" Shippo smiled.
"I can imagine that!" Miroku sighed smiling while Sango gave him a demonic stare.
"Don't you dare think about it!" Sango hissed.
"Look at the time! Mommy's going to ground me for life! I gotta get going Rei! I'll see you tomorrow!" Usagi shouted grabbing Luna and heading towards the door.
"I should go too. I need to get some studying done," Ami added following Usagi and Luna.
"Alright," Rei smiled. "I can finally get some alone time with my friends now that we're back together."
"I still don't get it! I'm Kikyo and Sailor Mars, but which am I truly?" Rei asked herself pacing back and forth.
"Whatever you are, you looked so cool!" Shippo smiled.
"But I feel so close to Usagi and Ami. They felt like much closer friends to me than my previous ones," Rei said. "I just need to find some answers."
"There's things I don't get about being a sailor scout. This is all so new to me. More or less, I'm worried about my friends and who the enemy is. What if the enemy is stronger than Naraku. From what I witnessed from Jadeite frightens me. I feel like this enemy is stronger than Naraku. There's just a big negative aura around them every time the enemy shows up."
"Kagome?" Inuyasha said placing his hand on Rei's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"I'm just thinking…." Rei said. "You know, about this new enemy. I don't know what they are capable of and to tell you the truth….I'm afraid."
"Kagome…" Inuyasha breathed yanking Rei close to his chest. That same time he felt when she was in danger in the Feudal Era and sent her back to her own time. That is what she feels now with her friends despite the battle they just went through.
"Kagome, I will protect you at all costs…...even if the enemy is stronger than Naraku."
"We're here for you Kagome, that is why we came when the well acted up again," Sango added.
"The truth is, I'm afraid to see you….." Rei shuddered after memories of the brutal fights came back to her. "The enemy was already a horror and….."
"Kagome, no matter how strong the enemy is, there will always be a way to defeat them," Miroku said.
"Naraku may have been tricky to get around, but it doesn't mean this enemy could be any different," Sango added.
"Thank you guys. But promise me to be strong in the hardest of the times we try to engage. I know this enemy can drain your energy and use it as their source in order to get the Legendary Silver Crystal. Be on watch for that. I'll be back in a little bit. I just need some time to think for a moment by myself."
Rei got up and turned her direction to her sliding door until Inuyasha got up to follow.
"Wait….Kagome. I'll come with you."
Rei turned to see Inuyasha behind her as if he too was worried about the situation everyone was going through.
"Okay…" Rei said slightly grinning as she walked with Inuyasha by her side.
She still had a look of anxiety with her expression knowing that even her closest friends could get killed in this battle. It was not slaying demons with spiritual power, it was fantasy and magic this time.
…
"Poor Kagome, I can't believe it has been really that long. She's been alone for so long. I wonder how she feels about being someone else," Sango said as Miroku nodded in agreement.
"I agree. This new battle might even slow down our time for our marriage and the children we're going to have. And not to mention, if we are going to assist Kagome in this, then we have to get used to this new life."
"What if Kagome herself is going to get killed? This enemy she is describing sounds stronger than Naraku," Shippo shivered as Kilala meowed along.
"There's no need to worry Shippo, as long as Kagome has friends to protect us, then she'll be fine," Sango assured. Miroku on the other hand, didn't look like he was convinced.
"I don't know. She sounds really worried about us with this. Just like Inuyasha in the Feudal Era."
"But then again, we can always count on one thing. Hope. Kagome doesn't seem like herself anymore. Not after just witnessing a horrifying thing. She wants to protect us as we want to protect her, but she's acting like it's going to be too dangerous for us."
…
"Hey Kagome, are you alright? You haven't spoken a word since we've been out here," Inuyasha said to Rei as she looked down with a shadow looming over her eyes.
"I don't know. All of this is so much for me. I've been alone ever since I couldn't return. I've been so alone without you Inuyasha. I've been wishing so hard just to see you one more time, and end up living the rest of my life with you…" Rei shuddered. "But of course….things just happen out of the blue and I realize…" Tears start streaming down Rei's face thinking about the horror of near death and bloody battles with demons. Rei didn't want this relationship to end in a bad way. Not after what Inuyasha has been through with Kikyo and the jealousy that hurt her life. The darkness and pain she felt of never living to tell her true feelings.
"I realize…..I'm not what everyone thinks I am! I may seem like I'm hiding my feelings of sophistication, but inside...I've been falling apart! Dammit, I can't even control myself anymore…." Rei cursed out loud as she fell to her knees with water flowing down her cheeks. "No one knows how I really feel. Not even the new friends I just made. To tell you the truth, it's always been you that's comforted me. Without you in my life, I'm just….."
Inuyasha knelt down in front of her putting his warm hands on her shoulders.
"Kagome…..I've been alone without you ever since you've left," Inuyasha said as Rei stared into his yellow demon eyes. "Every three days, I come and check upon the well to see if it was going to work. I've been doing that constantly for as long as I can remember. Without stopping, I've been dying to see your face one more time. Alone without my beloved, I can't stand to see you alone anymore."
Rei looked up grinning back knowing that Inuyasha will still protect her no matter what. Even if he dies trying to save her. That is what he has done in the battle with Naraku.
"Neither can I," Rei replied.
Inuyasha embraced Rei once more with tender arms. "We have to protect you Kagome. It's what I'm here for. I want to be by your side in this battle. If we do it together, then we can defeat the enemy for sure."
Rei smiled nodding with a real smile across her face. "Yes."
"It will be me protecting him this time. I'll be the one to protect you this time Inuyasha."
