Author's Note: I thought of a beautiful ending a few days back…but I need a filler in between to get to it XD Have to keep thinking…Well, thanks for the reviews readers =D
Acronym- Yeah! Woohoo! I'm glad you liked the length of it…I stayed by the computer practically for the whole afternoon lol. I'm not telling you if Rei is the reincarnation of Inuyasha…you have to read to find out! And OH! A cookie! Since you told me not to eat it, I'll just lick it n-n! I'm a total sucker for cookies =/
Yuuki:Tsubasa- Thank you!!! –nod nod- Yes, yes…-is taking down notes- Totally right. Now I know I should've introduced the characters better but the damage is done T-T. I think I'll fix up the character descriptions later on though and prior to this new knowledge, I think I'll add a bit more to the description to the Inuyasha part. You are right, how silly of me to forget that maybe not everyone knows Inuyasha that well XD –clings on to you- I THINK I FOUND MYSELF A BRILLIANT CRITIC! –Is not going to let go for a loooooong time- (Oh, I also fixed the broad sentence you described in your review…with another statement XD Seriously, my brain isn't working properly.)
Call me… Death- Updating…typing…thank you =D
Destiny's Dragon- Heh n-n; I don't think I can ever beat that update. That was longest update I have ever typed for one chapter. I wasn't even planning on updating so early either XD but I felt that as long as I have the inspiration for this fiction, I might as well update it.
tiger-of-ice- Oh, don't worry about it. If you have any other questions based on their names, feel free to ask me ;) I'll make sure I'd answer it as best as I can.
Natasha-Li- Oh, Oh, I can't wait to introduce you guys to this chapter XD I guarantee that this chapter has a bit more action than the last one…just a bit…So here you go!
shady gurl- Thanks. Yes, you can guess and maybe he's in the feudal era but I'm not going to tell you guys just yet…
Bonnie Mizuhara- Hehe…Thanks. But sorry, no yaoi/shounen-ai in this. It's just going to be the original pairings that shows up in the anime.
Absolute-Darkness- Trying to update sooner but I really need to finish my other story first XD. Maybe it will be clearer in this chapter about what happens to Kai but I might not add him in this chapter either and no, Sora Minomoto will probably not play any more parts in this story.
Oh! Forgot about the speech map I promised you people…here you go:
Speech Map:
"Talking"
Stressing a word
"Thinking"
-Sensing-
Sounds
-"Talking in beast form"- (Now if you use this speech map for Chapter 1, you'll understand why when Rei was running away from the demons did Sango stop her attack and started talking to Miroku. She thought Miroku was talking to her when it was really Rei…)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Beyblade.
Chapter 3: Of Blood and Bones
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[Feudal Era; Outside of Kaede's Village]
A deep scowl was all that could be seen on the tanned face. This etched line caught the attention of the only other soul near him. The other being was a rather more robust and playful creature but even he knew to take care and trod gently around the other today. However, there is a difference between knowing and doing.
"Time to point out to Inuyasha that I'm right!"
The small kitsune-youkai walked slowly towards the inu-hanyou, smiling slightly at his ridiculous stubborn attitude. "So Inuyasha, what do you think Kagome is doing right now?"
The name, Kagome, had a very sudden effect on the one named Inuyasha. He grunted and gave a rather annoyed glower at the youkai. "I don't know and I don't care about Kagome, Shippou."
Shippou was skeptical and knew at once that Inuyasha was lying. "As if you don't care! If you didn't, you wouldn't have gotten all jealous at Kouga!" Shippou snorted and continued. "And, I think you should be the one to apologize to Kagome."
Inuyasha's eye twitched slightly at the mention of Kouga, the wolf demon, and he growled, "Why should I apologize?! Who knows what she was doing with Kouga when I was trying to rescue her."
Shaking his head, Shippou sighed, "Yeesh Inuyasha, I'm surprised that Kagome even likes you! You're such a jerk. Maybe you should learn to trust her more and go apologize to Kagome back in her world. I mean, even KOUGA treats her better than you."
BAMP!
Shippou immediately clutched his head in pain as Inuyasha withdrew his fist and smirked haughtily at the kitsune-youkai. "That's for calling me a jerk."
BAMP!
Growling slightly, the hanyou spoke again, "That's for comparing me to that idiotic wolf demon."
Pouting, Shippou yelled out at Inuyasha, "You're nothing but a jerk!" He began to run again, fully knowing that his head will become a punching bag for Inuyasha if he caught him.
[A Few Minutes Later…]
Miroku and Sango walked up the hill that overlooked the village. It was quite peaceful here and they knew that this was a place where Inuyasha favors. They were looking for him so as to convince him to apologize and bring back Kagome. They reached the top of the grassy slope and the monk and taiji sweat-dropped when they witnessed Inuyasha chase Shippou around in a circle.
"Help me!" cried out Shippou in fear as the angry hanyou ran after him tirelessly.
"You shouldn't have provoked me Shippou!" growled Inuyasha, ready to pounce and punch on Shippou's head relentlessly.
Miroku sighed and stepped in between the feuding friends. "That's enough Inuyasha."
Inuyasha turned away, scorning at Miroku, "It's not my fault. He started it."
"You sound like a child and besides, you have more important things to do Inuyasha than chase Shippou all day," teased Sango as Shippou began to laugh at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha sat down, frustrated at Sango, "I am not going to go."
Miroku grinned slightly and spoke, "You know Inuyasha, it wouldn't hurt for you to be the bigger man in this."
Frowning, Sango dragged Miroku away and started whispering to him frantically, "What do you mean he should be the 'bigger man'?! It was his fault in the first place that Kagome left."
Miroku sighed and said, "Well, you know how stubborn Inuyasha is and his pride is twice as big as his stubbornness."
"True, true…"
"So if we can get him to bring back Kagome, we can force him to apologize when they return."
Sango thought for a moment and then spoke up again, "But what if that doesn't work?"
"Then-"
"ARE YOU TWO DONE YET?!"
Sango and Miroku turned around at the same time and saw that Inuyasha was staring at them angrily. Shippou was keeping his distance from the angry hanyou, afraid that he would be at the receiving end of the fury.
"Come now Inuyasha, at least bring back Kagome and sort things out," reasoned Sango.
Miroku nodded in agreement, "You should really apologize."
Inuyasha snorted, "And I am listening to a monk that likes to grope women?"
Miroku shook his head and grinned slightly, "Groping is too much of a strong word Inuyasha."
Taking her boomerang, Sango smacked it across Miroku's head, blushing furiously. "Really? Then what were you just doing?!"
Miroku rubbed his head, "Anyway, you should really…Where did he go?" He looked around and saw that Inuyasha disappeared.
Sango turned to Shippou and sent him a questioning glance. Shippou shrugged, "Hey, don't look at me. He just dashed off into the forest muttering something about 'nosy idiots'."
Miroku sighed and turned to Sango, "Do you think Inuyasha will apologize?"
"Knowing him, he'd probably just bring back Kagome by her legs just to make us shut up."
Shippou piped in, "That's not much of an apology is it?"
"No, and it would probably just make Kagome angrier but we all know that she's waiting," Miroku looked through the dense trees of the forest, concluding that Inuyasha probably went to the well.
Nodding, Sango looked at Miroku before asking, "Should we follow?"
Smiling, Miroku nodded, "We should watch the well from a distance and not risk letting Inuyasha see us there or else he'll never return to get Kagome."
"His pride should be deflated," commented Shippou as they started to go into the forest to reach the hidden gateway to the other world where Kagome resides in.
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[With Inuyasha]
"Stupid monk…" muttered Inuyasha as he reached Bone Eaters Well.
"Kagome better be there…"
Glancing inside the dank walls that created a pit and the piles upon piles of yellowing marrow at the bottom, he had no second thoughts as he jumped into it, feeling the slight cool sensation as if he just dived into a pool of water.
[Time: 2:00 pm]
Emerging into the other side, he landed in the same well, except 500 years older, filled with small spiders and cobwebs. Leaping out, Inuyasha landed on all fours and glanced around.
"It's so quiet."
His ears twitched faintly and he opened the sliding door an inch to peer around. The backyard was empty with no one around save for a few birds twittering in the trees. Opening the door fully, he walked down the stone steps, knowing exactly where he was going.
"Is anyone even here?" muttered the hanyou to himself.
Prowling around Kagome's window, minding not to step on the flowers at the base of the window, he slid the window open inaudibly. Flexing his hands, he grabbed hold of the frames and hurdled over the wall and through the hole. He landed mutely on the plush carpet and looked at Kagome's room. He immediately saw the untidy bed covers.
"She must have been late for something today. Knowing her, she woke up last minute and didn't have time to tidy up."
Sitting himself on the floor, he began to wait. The impatient half-demon scowled at the ticking clock sitting innocently on Kagome's nightstand.
Tick
His golden eyes narrowed and his ears convulsed with irritation.
Tock
Growling, he stood up and began pacing instead. But with every sudden movement coming from the thin, small hand in the clock, there was the small ticking noise, followed by an exasperating tock and a shudder from the hanyou.
Tick-tock
"ARRG!"
The silver-haired half-demon grabbed his ears in aggravation and glared at the red clock. "Need to destroy that wretched thing…"
Heaving towards the small device, he grabbed the clock with his two hands and was going to throw it out the window when the most unexpected thing happened, causing Inuyasha to drop the clock and flee.
It began to ring.
Peering from his position at the bushes outside after he tumbled out the window, Inuyasha turned red with embarrassment when he fully registered his cowardly act.
"Good thing the others weren't here to see this…"
The ringing was still pounding in his ears but the noise stopped all of a sudden. He saw the faint movement in Kagome's room and saw a female figure standing by the open window. She was the one that picked up the alarm clock and turned it off. Mrs. Higurashi gazed at the yard below her daughter's window and shook her head. She slid the window shut and went back downstairs.
"Of all the luck…"
Murmuring to himself about how close of a call that was, he brushed the stray leaves off his clothing and walked back towards the well. It was no use staying if Kagome was not at home.
He looked over his shoulder one last time before opening the door to the shrine and closing it. He then proceeded to jump into the well again.
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[Feudal Era]
"What do you mean she wasn't home?!" squeaked Shippou as he began to badger Inuyasha when he returned empty handed.
"The least you could do was look for her," commented Miroku.
Sango nodded in agreement while Kirara leaped in the air, trying to catch a fluttering butterfly. The others had been waiting for Inuyasha to show up from the well by hiding behind the bushes but when they saw that he came back with no Kagome with him, they began to ask him questions.
Inuyasha, frustrated, yelled at the others, "I can't go jumping from building to building in broad daylight!"
"He has a point there," spoke Miroku which earned him a pointed glare from Sango.
"You could have stayed in her room and waited!"
Inuyasha's face color drained slightly at the mention of Kagome's room, thinking back to the alarm clock that sat on the pine table. He stuttered a small answer, "There were people home."
Shippou sighed and shook his fuzzy little head, "Inuyasha, at least show that you were trying to get her back."
"Yes, Shippou is right. You should make it seem like you are wooing her over," advised Miroku.
Sighing, Sango lifted her hands to her head, "It's times like these that I wish I wasn't stuck with you two." She gazed at Inuyasha and Miroku before grinning sadly.
"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!" protested Inuyasha.
Shrugging slightly, Sango chose not to answer and instead, began to walk off, "I suggest you go try again."
Rubbing his hair, Inuyasha sulked and slumped to the grassy floor, leaning against the old, ivy-covered well, "Women…phhh…"
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[With Kagome; 3:45 pm]
When she arrived home, the raven hair girl walked up to her room. She promptly landed face first into her bed and sighed lightly into the fluffy pillow.
"I should go back…"
She pictured her friends in her mind. Shippou, the young fox demon that had been her companion almost since the beginning of her adventures, jumped into her mind. Miroku, the lecherous monk, smiled haughtily in her mind before he phased off. Next, a young woman by the name of Sango appeared, and she grinned at Kagome before her minds' eyes landed on Inuyasha.
"I wonder what Inuyasha is doing…?"
Sighing, she turned back upright and stared at the plaster ceiling. The faint yellowing glow of the sun shining through the window provided a warm blaze on the walls. In her mind, there pictured a strong hanyou, with a long flowing, silver mane. He was swinging an incredibly large sword at the passing demons, protecting her. Her heart fluttered slightly when she thought of him.
"Listen to yourself Kagome! You sound like a love-sick girl!" scolding herself, she turned on her side and glanced down at the carpet floor and immediately saw footprints, very dirty footprints to be exact.
"MOM! WHO WAS UP HERE TODAY?"
The faint voice of her mother reached her ears upstairs, "No one dear…though your alarm clock did mysteriously go off today…"
She grinned and knew exactly who came today. "Inuyasha," breathed in the young teenager.
Kagome jumped out of bed immediately and went to pack up a list of medicinal supplies and food. It was time to go back to feudal Japan and confront Inuyasha.
"…whether you're ready or not…" spoke Kagome.
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[Feudal Japan]
Inuyasha still sat at the edge of the well and he presumed that the others were long gone and was back at the village. He was still quite unsure whether to go after Kagome or not.
He closed his eyes and went into a silent state. "I'm getting irritated for no reason! It's something so simple for other people to do yet, it's so hard for me to do…"
The dusk air drifted underneath his nose, sending the smell of grass into it and a rather unpleasant smoky stench. "Like the stench of burning flesh…"
The image of a burnt body with a barely distinguishable arrow lodged through its heart mingled at the edges of his memories. He could also almost picture out the giant crater, still smoking at the impact.
Shuddering, Inuyasha shot up like a bullet and scanned the area. He could only see the trees and the many folds of shadows beneath the leaves. The air smelled fresh again and even intermingled with the sweet scent of flowers.
Blinking in confusion, he shook his head, "I'm so troubled that I'm not even thinking straight. Maybe I should just go back and get it over with…"
He turned around to face the opening of the well. He took in a deep breath before sitting on the wooden ledge of the well and was about to jump in when he heard a loud clatter at the bottom.
"Who's down there? Could it be…?"
Inuyasha waited at the top with a sudden nervousness. As the noises below got louder, he could make out a vague shape at the bottom.
The figure that he had been protecting in this world emerged from the well with Inuyasha stepping back a few paces for her to land gently on the grass. The girl then continued to pull out a big yellow knapsack and let it fall heavily on the ground beside her.
"Ka-kagome…"
The 15-year-old girl looked up at the hanyou and growled at him. "Inuyasha…Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Inuyasha only stared and scowled at her, "…"
Kagome knew it was going to be tough to make him say sorry. She walked a few paces up towards Inuyasha. "Please, Inuyasha…"
He turned away from her and stared at the ground, watching a small worm twitch and quiver underneath his step.
Kagome grabbed his hand and the inu-hanyou flinched in surprise at the warm touch. His golden eyes gazed upon Kagome briefly and the girl smiled back at him.
He released his step on the fragile worm and he hugged the younger girl calmly before letting go.
Blushing, Kagome looked at the half-demon, nodded, and smiled. Inuyasha grabbed the heavy knapsack and walked back to the village with Kagome running up ahead of him, the dim light dancing off of her hair. Sometimes, apologies don't have to be done verbally.
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[Bone Eaters Well]
A moan reverberated in the stone walls and loud rattling noises from the bottom of the ancient well could be heard. The young boy could see nothing but a long expanse of darkness before him and began to panic. He must have been knocked out when he jumped down the well with Dragoon. He was able to see everything that happened to his body but was unable to do anything about it.
Takao, after regaining full control of his body from Dragoon, crawled around, feeling for a way out of the deep tunnel. He then heard a voice calling out.
"Is anyone there?"
Takao perked up at the sound of his friend's voice and tried to figure out where he was. "Max!"
Silence reigned in the small dim, and then a sharp cry called out again, "Takao! You're okay!"
"Rei, you're here too?" Takao was growing a bit more ecstatic knowing that he wasn't alone.
"Yes! Max and I are up ahead of you," trailed Rei's voice.
"Alright!" Takao felt his way across the jagged ground and could hear himself coming closer towards his friends. He blinked when he saw light filtering in through a hole from above the ground.
"Max! Rei!" He smiled brightly at his friends before screaming loudly. "HOLY CRAP!"
"Shut up," hissed Max, his cerulean eyes dimmed in the shadows.
Rei clamped the boy's mouth shut as Takao tried to regain control of his fear. They were sitting in a pile of bones.
Horrified, Takao questioned, "Where are we?"
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[To Be Continued]
Eh. You guys shouldn't be expecting an update any time soon. I still need to finish my other story…I've been neglecting it XD. Also, not the most ideal place I wanted to end the chapter, but I had to since I have vacation for the weekends. And damn me for these errors (I /know/ I have mistakes in this). Sorry, I will correct them when I find them.
Thank you for your valuable time readers.
Reviews are appreciated.
Good criticism is welcomed.
"Flames" are used to be contemplated on.
Spyrit