UPDATE: I have edited this chapter and I hope it's better than before!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot where Kagome is involved (I don't own her either!)


Chapter 4

"STAY AWAY!"

Kagome was immediately roused from her sleep as she assumed a fighting stance, alert and ready, "What's wrong?" The priestess looked around the room. Mr. Saotome wasn't inside, but she couldn't sense anything amiss. He was probably downstairs already. Her head whipped around, looking for any danger. There was none.

Kagome turned to Ranma. He was greedily sucking in air as beads of sweat trickled down his face. Kagome relaxed her muscles and mentally sighed, 'A bad dream?' Ranma hadn't looked at her once, still somewhat recovering from his nightmare. Plopping back down on her futon, Kagome covered her mouth and yawned. It was still a little early. Stretching her limbs, the priestess glanced over at her friend. Despite his muttering, and occasional trembling, he looked fine. He still hadn't noticed her though.

"Ranma?"

Blue-grey eyes finally landed on her, "O-Oh… Kagome… d-did I, uhm, wake ya?"

The priestess arched an eyebrow but waved her hand nonchalantly, "Don't mind it. It's almost time to get up anyway."

Ranma nodded, grateful that he wasn't asking about his dream. He didn't dare remember it. Shaking it off, he turned to Kagome again. His midnight tresses were wildly trailing down his shoulders, his pajamas were crumpled. Ranma tried to stop himself from chuckling when Kagome rubbed his eyes. He looked like a little kid.

Lips quirking at the edges, Ranma was glad he had Kagome. For some reason, he always tended to forget his problems whenever he was around. Speaking of problems and Kagome, there was still something that bothered him.

"Oi, Kagome, ya still haven't answered my question."

The 'boy' looked at him before trying to remember a specific question. Ranma nearly burst out laughing at his face. Kagome's nose was scrunched and his eyes were shut tight. His arms were crossed and his body was hunched over. It looked more like he was having a stomach ache rather than looking for the needed memory. He definitely looks like a kid.

"Hm… can't seem to recall anything. Mind repeating it?"

"I asked ya yesterday if ya have some kinda curse on ya, too."

He watched curiously as Kagome blinked at him before giggling, "Ba-ka! Hahaha! What on earth made you come to that conclusion?"

Suddenly feeling sheepish, Ranma averted his eyes and scratched the back of his head, "We-Well, when we both fell into the pool yesterday, ya looked like a…girl…is all. So, I was, uh, wonderin', ya know?"

He was met with silence. Turning once more to look at him, Ranma was taken aback by the devious smirk playing on Kagome's lips. Then it was gone. Kagome got up again and stretched. Ranma blushed but immediately scolded himself. Kagome was a guy! Why is he acting like he was a damn girl? Was it 'cause he saw her-uh-him the way he did yesterday? Ranma furiously shook his head. It wasn't enough that Kuno confessed to him, now, he feels like Kagome is a female!

The priestess raised an eyebrow in amusement at her friend. Mischief flashed dangerously in Kagome's eyes. She grabbed her pillow and… 'Bull's-eye!' Ranma was knocked back a bit at the impact. Snapping back to reality, he looked at the fluffy projectile and then at Kagome who was grinning innocently.

He threw it back, "Kagome! What the hell was that for!?" Kagome laughed, catching the pillow easily before quickly tossing it at him again, "That was for spacing out!"

"What? I was not spacin' out!" He threw it back at him and added his own pillow for good measure.

The priestess yelped when one of them hit her in the face, "Oof! Hey, no fair! Take this!"

Ranma didn't realize that he was smiling like mad, completely forgetting any disturbing thoughts. Maybe it was the fact that he had been so engrossed in training that he didn't notice how much of his childhood was missed. He never had a pillow fight before. Well, he rarely had a pillow on his journeys, let alone a playmate. It was refreshing. Granted that this sort of fight wasn't much of a challenge with his skills, but it didn't really matter. Kagome was nearly his level anyway.

Five minutes later found two exhausted teenagers sprawled on the floor, pillows in hand. The futons were strewn and twisted but neither really cared at the moment.

Letting another small laugh escape, Kagome was the first to sit up, "Well, that was the most enjoyable training so far." Ranma nodded, still lying down, "Hah! Pops would kill me if that was all we did in the mornin'."

The priestess smiled and stood up, "C'mon. We still have to get ready for school."

Ranma cursed, "Damn, I forgot all about it! Diddya have to remind me?" Kagome gave him a pointed look, "What are you, 5? Come on!" She grabbed one of Ranma's arms and violently hauled the boy unto his feet. It didn't help that Ranma was purposefully making himself heavier than necessary. Kagome pouted and suddenly let go. Ranma fell with a thump. Laughing, Kagome left him there to tend to his new bump and headed downstairs for some breakfast.

The rest of the morning was normal enough. There was the occasional spat of father and son in the bathroom, the awkward atmosphere between Akane and Ranma, both refusing to acknowledge each other's presence, and Ranma's half-hearted glares at Kagome, but other than these, everything was fine.

Akane had gone with Nabiki to school, leaving Kagome and Ranma to follow.

"Akane-chan is so mean! Why would she leave us behind!?" Kagome had her arms crossed and her face twisted into a scowl. Ranma walked on the fence to her right, his hands behind his head, "Isn't it obvious? She wants nothin' to do with me." Kagome directed her frown at him, "Don't be like that!"

"Keh! Why not? The feeling's mutual, anyway!"

Kagome stomped her foot, "Ooh! That is it! Just what is your problem! Akane-chan is a sweet girl! Sure, she may be averse when it comes to the opposite sex, but as her fiancé, shouldn't you at least be her friend?"

Ranma scoffed, "As if I want to be her friend!"

A vein popped in Kagome's forehead and she threw her school bag at the boy. Ranma caught it effortlessly and raised an eyebrow.

"You are infuriating!"

"What are ya getting' angry at me for!?"

Knowing it was useless to get anything through his thick skull, Kagome snatched her bag from Ranma before walking at a faster pace, intent on leaving him behind. Ranma muttered under his breath, "What's his problem?" Ranma stayed still for a few moments. Just this morning, they were having the greatest pillow fight of all time and now, it was as if someone spit in his breakfast.

Confused, the pig-tailed martial artist began walking to school all alone.

Reaching the building, he came across an unconscious Kuno, a bruise the shape of a female's foot clearly on his face. He shuddered, remembering yesterday. He felt sick. Quickly dismissing the thought, Ranma continued to walk forward, stepping on the upperclassman in the process.

Kagome grimaced as she stared at the red liquid. She had a feeling it would be today. Good thing she brought extra clothes—another thing she learned during her time traveling. The priestess sighed and stuffed her dirty clothes inside a plastic bag before shoving it into her bag. 'This'll have to do until I get home.' Kagome packed the rest of her things and washed her hands. She felt guilty about snapping at Ranma. It wasn't the boy's fault his fiancé disliked him…well, maybe it was, but they should still try to start again.

The priestess pursed her lips. She didn't approve of their arrangement either. This was the twentieth century! You rarely see arranged marriages anymore. Kagome scoffed, it was like she was living in the Feudal Era all over again. That thought made her face go dark.

Thinking back, it was still Kikyo who saved them all. Without the older priestess, everything would've gone to waste. Smiling sadly, Kagome sighed once more. Now that she thought about it, everything that happened in the Feudal Era began and ended with Kikyo. She wasn't bitter or resentful, but Kagome felt that she wasn't needed, at all. If she hadn't fallen down the well… if she hadn't shattered the Jewel…if she hadn't met Inuyasha… then maybe, Sango and Kohaku still had a happy family. Maybe, Naraku wouldn't have been as aggressive as he had been when the shards scattered. Maybe, Shippo still had a family…

Kagome felt something wet sliding down on her face. She didn't bother with it. Laughing slightly, she wondered why all these thoughts resurfaced now. Kagome already pushed them in the farthest corners of her mind. Finally deciding to wipe them away, Kagome brushed it off as a side-effect of it being her time of the month.

Composing herself, Kagome headed out of the bathroom, making sure nobody was around. It would be too much trouble if someone saw 'Kagome-kun' coming from the ladies' room.

Making her way back to the classroom, Kagome spotted Ranma. Her eyes widened. The boy was talking to Akane! The priestess felt a tug on the corner of her lips. Usually, they acted as if the other didn't exist both at home and in school. They had moved from arguing to indifference. That irked Kagome more than anyone knew.

Smiling brightly, she headed to her seat. Kagome ignored the fact that the couples' 'talk' slowly turned into a verbal war. There was progress!

Meanwhile, in the nurse's office…

"You're so pathetic. Do we have to keep doing this every day?"

Nabiki wrung out the excess water in the towel before placing it on Kuno's head. The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High was still down for the count. Nabiki had taken pity on the boy and took him to the infirmary. If he wasn't one of her valued customers, she wouldn't care as much. Well, Kuno was rich, and to Nabiki, that was really all that mattered.

Kuno shot up, "Ah! My pig-tailed girl… I will never let you go!" and then lay back down. Nabiki stared at him in wonder, "Hm? 'Pig-tailed Girl'?" Not a second later, he got up again, "No, Tendo Akane! It is you who I love!" before going back down again.

Nabiki crossed her arms as her classmate was stuck in his little world. She watched him do the same thing a couple of times, alternating between her sister and the pig-tailed girl. Finally getting tired of it, she hit his head with the metal basin, effectively bringing him back to this reality.

"Are you awake now?" Her voice devoid of genuine concern. Kuno crossed his arms and looked at her emotionlessly,

"That hurt, Tendo Nabiki."

Ignoring his statement, she continued, "Is going out with girls all you ever think about?"

"Regretfully, I have no intention of dating you."

Nabiki gave him a smile, "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you."

Hours later...

The raven-haired priestess trudged home. Night had already fallen by the time Kagome was finally able to purify the demons that chose to attack her today. Sighing deeply, she decided to take a short cut to the Tendo Dojo. The priestess was drained, both physically and spiritually. In fact, she was so tired that she accidentally bumped into someone. Backing up a bit, Kagome rubbed her nose, "I-I'm so sorry… I just… Huh?" Kagome's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "Do I…know you?"

The person she had collided with was an older woman. She had uncanny resemblances to friends she had in the Feudal Era. Brown hair, some locks tied on one side of her head… dark brown eyes. Kagome thought she looked like Rin and Kohaku…

While the priestess was busy studying the woman, she responded in kind. Her eyes widened when she recognized the young lady who bumped into her, "Are you perhaps… Lady Kagome?"

Kagome blinked but nodded politely, "Higurashi Kagome. Forgive me for asking but, are you a descendant of Kohaku-kun and Rin-chan?"

Kagome mentally smacked herself! How would this person know every one of her ancestors? Kagome winced. She was certain she made herself look like a nut job!

The woman smiled brightly, "Yes! Oh what a blessed day! Please," the woman motioned toward a modest looking store right behind them. Kagome blinked. That was not the response she was expecting.

"Oh…um…you don't have to call me that!"

The woman only grinned and led her inside. Kagome gasped when she stepped into the store. It may have appeared as an ordinary souvenir shop on the outside, but Kagome immediately recognized a great number of them to be the weapons used by the taijiya to slay demons. They were in glass cases, purely for display purposes only. Just as well. Kagome couldn't imagine the disasters if normal people actually bought them. She sensed that some of them have acquired a small amount of youki.

The woman beamed at her kindly, "Five hundred years ago, my family began the tradition of passing on the stories of our ancestors, Sango-sama, Miroku-sama, Rin-sama, and Kohaku-sama, as well as you and a great many others. It was said that Miroku-sama had written numerous accounts of your adventures and that these have been handed down to the next generation—the revived Demon Slayer tribe."

Kagome watched as she went to the back of the counter and knelt behind it, still continuing her story, "My family kept these accounts as our family heirloom. Among them was the promise that should one of us be fortunate enough, we would be able to meet the Priestess of the Shikon no Tama, herself!"

The woman popped back into view, carrying a pile of old scrolls and an ivory casing. Still smiling, the woman urged Kagome to come closer as she laid out the materials. Curious, Kagome did as she asked.

The scrolls were old, and worn, but to survive this long meant that it was taken care of greatly. Kagome picked up a random one and gently read the parchment. It was about the time when Sango had just joined their little group. It told of when Inuyasha and Kagome set out to look for herbs for Kirara and met Jinenji and his mother. Feeling the tears start to form, Kagome put the scroll down before she ruined it. Sniffling, she traced the scrolls with her fingertips until she came to the casing. Looking at the woman, Kagome silently asked for permission. The older female nodded, "Of course. It was originally yours, after all." Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Mine?" As soon as she set eyes on the thing inside the casing, the priestess nearly dropped it in shock. There, in the casing, was a picture of all of them, even Sesshomaru and Jaken. If you squinted a bit, Myouga was on Totosai's shoulder. It had been right before the Final Battle. Kagome insisted that they all have their picture taken. Now, she was glad that she did.

The picture was well preserved—the colors, the edges, the shape—it was like it was taken only yesterday. Kagome clutched it to her chest and fell to her knees, unable to keep her tears at bay any longer. She felt the woman kneel beside her. Kagome asked, "W-Were they happy?"

The older female smiled sadly, "Aside from these things, there was another thing my ancestors passed on to us in case, one of us met you—a message. 'Kagome-sama, we hope you are well. It is unfortunate that we were not able to say goodbye. However, we believe that it was for the best. After all, you have not left us entirely. May the gods smile upon you, Kagome-sama…and thank you…'" Kagome sobbed harder. The woman was also tearing up, but she engulfed the young miko in a comforting hug.

After a while, Kagome asked, "H-How? Were they really that certain that I would meet one of their own in this era?"

The woman offered a kind look, "They had faith. All of these treasures—including the oral message—were entrusted to each generation. Originally, the message was written on paper, but there was a great fire once and, well, we weren't able to save everything."

Kagome nodded weakly in response. She was still trying to absorb everything. It was just too much of a coincidence that she would meet someone like this woman…

Ranma sat on the roof of the Tendo House. Kagome had not yet returned and they were all worried. The others, despite a few protests, were already asleep. Ranma had promised to wait up for the missing cousin.

"Damnit! What's taking him so long!?"

The pig-tailed martial artist crossed his arms, trying to keep himself still. His legs were crossed but they were moving up and down tirelessly. For some reason, Ranma was so agitated. He hadn't been able to eat much either, which was really strange. Kasumi ended up setting aside two meals—one for him and one for Kagome.

Restless, Ranma stood up and began pacing on the roof, glancing occasionally at the front entrance.

He hadn't gotten so much as a 'good bye' when Kagome left ahead of him when school ended. Ever since that, he had been in a foul mood.

After another hour of waiting, Ranma cursed and broke into a sprint. 'Where the hell is he!?' The pig-tailed martial artist leapt from roof to roof, scanning the streets.

He had been running for a good ten minutes when he finally spotted Kagome coming out of a shop. Relief flooded his body and he was about to go and give him a good scolding when someone followed Kagome outside. It was a middle-aged woman. Ranma narrowed his eyes when he noticed the tear stains on Kagome's face, his red eyes, and slightly shaking shoulders. Looking at him closer, Ranma saw that he was carrying something wrapped in white cloth. The young martial artist watched suspiciously as Kagome moved to give the woman a hug, before bowing in good bye.

Puzzled, Ranma stayed on the rooftops, following Kagome as the latter walked slowly toward the Tendo House. He eyed the strange package in his arms. Kagome treated it as if it was made of super fragile glass. Ranma caught the looks he was giving the object. Whatever it was, Ranma knew it was precious. Making a move to approach his friend, he stopped when he heard a snarl.

He felt his heart stop when something…inhuman… emerged from the shadows and began attacking Kagome.

Ranma crouched down from his perch and watched as Kagome jumped out of the way, package held tightly to his chest. The pig-tailed martial artist narrowed his eyes as he looked at the creature. 'What the hell is that!?'

It had grey scales, red eyes, no nose, and sharp fangs. Its sharp nails were at least five inches long and it looked crazed, like it was drugged or something. Ranma's eyes widened when the reptile moved at a terrifying speed around Kagome, making the boy unable to determine its exact position.

Standing up, Ranma jumped in. He didn't know what it was and he didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that Kagome was in danger and he was the only one who could help him.

Ranma caught the surprised expression on Kagome's face and scowled. He was shocked to see him there, but this…thing didn't? What is wrong with this boy? Putting that thought aside for another time, Ranma decided to put all his training to good use. Kagome stumbled a bit, probably still stunned to see him, but he regained his focus just as easily. Kagome countered the creature with his free hand while Ranma kicked it on the head.

As the fight continued, Ranma noticed how Kagome deliberately trying to keep that thing's attention away from him. For some reason, Kagome didn't want the reptile to pay much attention to him. Frowning, Ranma asserted himself more in the fight until he managed to push Kagome away and duel the creature on his own. Kagome had shouted at him but he didn't mind it.

'I don't care how fast Kagome learns, there's no way he can beat this thing on his own!'

He smirked in triumph when he was about to deliver a powerful blow to the creature. He was sent crashing into some trash bins when it darted the other way, towards Kagome.

Ranma coughed and got to his feet, annoyed, before he charged again. Another strange thing he noticed was the no matter how much damage he inflicted, the reptile didn't seem to be bothered. If anything, it did its best to ignore him and focus on Kagome.

Kagome, on the other hand, was very angry. It was bad enough that this demon had nearly impenetrable skin but, Ranma had to come out of nowhere and get in the way. Eyes flashing, Kagome waited for the right moment before grabbing the demon's head with her free hand and purifying the life out of it, reducing him to a pile of ashes.

Ranma's eyes widened when Kagome landed the final blow. His hand glowed a faint blue with traces of pink as he disintegrated the beast head-first. In less than a minute, it was like it never existed. He watched in confusion as Kagome placed a small prayer for it. When he finally turned to him, Ranma felt all the questions he'd been holding back burst forth in one breath,

"What the hell was that!? And where in the seven hells were you!? Is this why ya're always covered in bandages? What is going on, Kagome!?"

Kagome shot him a tired look, "All right! All right! Shut up already! Geez!" Rubbing her temples, she walked past Ranma. The young martial artist only stared at her, resulting in a smack to the head. Wincing, Ranma looked back at Kagome. She was still holding that thing wrapped in cloth while her other hand was on her hip, "Well? Are you coming or what? You wanted answers, right?"

Ranma scoffed, "Damn right I do!" Kagome gave an exasperated sigh, "Then let's go! It's still a long way back to the Tendos'. You'll have plenty of time to listen to my story."

The boy sent Kagome a doubtful glare. She countered it with an irritated one. In the end, Ranma got off his behind and fell into step beside Kagome. It took a while for her to start talking, but Ranma didn't want to push his luck any further.

Sighing, Kagome began, "Last year, on my fifteenth birthday…"

TBC…


A/N: I know this chapter is shorter than the previous ones, but I wanted to post something before I went to school tomorrow. This was the best I could do in ten hours… I know, it's pathetic. But anyway… Another thing, I haven't re-read this chapter and I'm sure that that there are countless errors. Please ignore them for now. I'll try to fix them as soon as I am able.

Ah, just in case, anyone was curious, Kagome won't be revealing her true gender yet. That won't come until a little later. I still have so much planned for these two!

I also chose to introduce a new character! Her name will be revealed next time. The idea for her came from a suggestion, courtesy of Sleeping Moon (it was supposed to be a guy, but eh). If you noticed, not much happened in this chapter. I plan to make up for that in the next. Hopefully.

I hope you enjoyed this installment as much as the others. I won't be able to update as fast as before because I'm starting the second semester in college. *sigh* I know, it sucks. But, oh well…

As always—

Read and Review!