The Soul Piper and the Mischievous Little Soul

Part 1

Skulls surrounded him, their empty eye sockets boring into the depths of his soul, their gaze freezing the muscles of his body so it wouldn't move, no matter how much his mind screamed for it to do so. He strained against the paralysis, ordering himself to run, to escape from that haunting stare, but to no avail. It wouldn't matter even if he could move. The gazes would follow him no matter where he went, whether he could see them or not.

Still, he couldn't help but try.

Then, as though reading his mind, the skulls started laughing. It was the most horrible sound he'd ever heard, their teeth clacking together in a hollow mockery of a supposedly joyful sound. The noise grew louder and louder, echoing until he thought it was going to split open his skull, and he tried to open his mouth and scream to drown out the noise, but just as he couldn't get his legs or arms to move, his jaw wouldn't open either, and suddenly his lungs were frozen too, and he was dying, and that horrible, echoing, not-laughter was going to be the last sound he ever heard…


Inuyasha woke with a gasp and sat up, if only to prove to himself that he could move after all. There was no sound of clacking teeth or echoing laughter either, just the blessed silence of a house in which all the occupants are asleep. Even so, it took a few minutes for his heart to stop racing and his hands to stop trembling.

Inuyasha cursed softly. I haven't had a nightmare like that since I spent the night at the Lord's mansion. That had been several days ago, and since another dream hadn't happened since then, Inuyasha had been able to make himself forget the first disturbing nightmare. "This better not happen all the time now," he grumbled, trying hard not to think about the details of his nightmare, or the memories it inspired of Yura's nest of skulls, and how some of those heads had been fresh.

He looked at the clock and groaned. It was only just after four in the morning. He didn't need to be up for another two hours, but he was way too keyed up after that nightmare to even hope to go back to sleep, and he didn't much care for the idea of lying in bed for two hours wide awake either. He kicked his covers off and climbed out of bed. He'd probably pay for this bout of insomnia later that afternoon, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

Collecting his staff, Inuyasha went downstairs and slipped on his shoes before going outside. There wasn't enough room in the house for him to practice, and he couldn't think of anything better to do with his time right now. He went through his stretches slowly and deliberately, using the motions to help regulate his breathing, and when he finished Inuyasha went through them again for good measure. Only then did he pick up his staff again and start working his way through the basic moves that Sensei had taught him, but carefully so he wouldn't strain his shoulder. It was tricky to work on the moves without a target or a partner, but Inuyasha didn't mind. The motions helped him to relax and banished the lingering unease and strain that had been present in wake of the nightmare. He kept at it until he'd worked up a sweat despite the coolness of the spring night.

Panting slightly, Inuyasha looked up at the sky. It was still dark outside, with no hint of dawn anywhere. That meant Inuyasha still had plenty of time to kill before he needed to get ready for school, and there was something else he needed to practice. Now was as good a time as any.

Inuyasha settled down in his meditating pose and closed his eyes. He looked inward, and as it had times before when he'd practiced, his power rose to meet him, pushing and pulling at his senses. Finding his power was easy, probably due to all of his years meditating with Sensei. Taking hold of it and using it on purpose was something else altogether. He tried to grasp it, but his efforts were about as successful as trying to grab a fistful of water, and the power slipped away from his metal attempts.

Why can't I make this work? It's my power isn't it? Why won't it do what I say?

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes blinked open and were met with more light than had been present when he'd closed them. He looked around and found Souta standing in the doorway to their house, still dressed in his pajamas. "What are you doing?" Souta asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Inuyasha said. "Thought I'd get some practice in." He stood and scooped up his staff.

Souta just shrugged. "Okay. You should probably get ready for school now though. Kagome should be here soon."

"Oh, right," Inuyasha said. He'd almost forgotten about her coming over, and since the sun was starting to peak over the horizon, she should be here any minute. "I'm going to jump in the shower. Think you can handle fixing some ramen for breakfast?"

Mrs. Higurashi had spent the night at the hospital with Gramps, so it was up to the two of them to make breakfast. Inuyasha didn't even kid himself about the idea of making a lunch; they'd be buying their food at school today. We need to visit Gramps too, if he doesn't get to come home today. We didn't get a chance yesterday, thanks to that stupid Noh mask.

Souta made a face at his suggestion. "Ramen isn't breakfast food!"

"Unless you've suddenly learned how to make something better it is," Inuyasha said, shoving past him into the house and heading up the stairs.

"Should I make some for Kagome too?" Souta called after him.

"Wait until she gets here first to see if she wants it," Inuyasha called back to him. "She might have eaten already before she comes here."

As much as Inuyasha would have enjoyed soaking in a bath, he had to settle for a quick scrub down in the shower. He hastily dressed in his school uniform and gathered his school supplies together, making sure he included the doctor's note from Dr. Haruki, so that he'd be ready to go when Kagome arrived. If she isn't here already.

He went downstairs lugging his book bag, and sniffed the aroma of ramen appreciatively. Souta might complain about having ramen for breakfast, but Inuyasha wouldn't mind if this became a more regular thing. He walked into the kitchen and found Souta, who was dressed in his own school uniform by now, sitting at the kitchen table with Kagome.

Kagome smiled at him, and Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the way her whole face seemed to light up when she did so. "Good morning, Inuyasha."

"Morning," Inuyasha said, taking his own seat and pulling a bowl of ramen close. "Did Souta offer you breakfast?"

Souta glared at him with righteous indignation. "Of course I did!"

"I've already eaten," Kagome put in.

Inuyasha nodded. "Okay, then. Once I've finished I'll walk you over to Sensei's." He glanced over at Souta and said around a mouthful of noodles, "Will you be okay walking to school by yourself?"

Souta looked embarrassed by the question, his eyes darting over to Kagome and then away. "Of course! I always walk to school by myself!"

That was true enough, and normally Inuyasha wouldn't have worried about him at all. But after everything that had happened yesterday he had been worried that Souta might be scared of being alone. After all, he was only a kid, and an easily frightened one at that. But it seemed that the scare with the Noh mask hadn't done any sort of lasting damage and Inuyasha was relieved about that.

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha said. He quickly swallowed the last of his ramen and stood. "I'm ready then. Come on, Kagome, I'll walk you to Sensei's dojo."

Kagome stood as well, and Inuyasha could see the anticipatory gleam in her golden eyes. It looked as though she was looking forward to her first lesson. Heh, wonder how excited she'll be by the end of it. Inuyasha knew from firsthand experience just how grueling Sensei's lessons could be.

The walk that morning was pleasant; with blue skies and a light breeze, it was shaping up to be a beautiful late spring day. They had left early enough that they beat most of the morning crowd, but Inuyasha noticed the people they did pass all stared at Kagome. For a moment he didn't understand why, but then it clicked. He had spent enough time with her to have adjusted to her unusual appearance, but in the modern era, she stood out like a sore thumb. Her bright red, old fashioned clothing and bare feet were bad enough, but when one added in her long silver hair, dog ears, and golden eyes, it was no wonder people stared. The only good thing was that given no one in the modern era believed in demons, no one should realize she wasn't actually human. But people probably would think she was some kind of weirdo going about dressed like this, and Inuyasha could only imagine the sort of trouble that could happen if some idiot punks saw her and decided to make trouble.

"Remind me to get you some regular clothes," Inuyasha said, "and a hat."

Kagome frowned and looked down at herself. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing!" Inuyasha said hastily. He might not know that much about women, but he knew a sentence like that couldn't lead anywhere good. "It's just that no one wears clothes like that anymore, so they make you stand out, and if people notice you too much they might realize you aren't completely human. People now days don't believe in demons, so for someone to realize that you aren't human could be bad."

"Sensei, Hojo, and your family don't mind that I'm not completely human," Kagome said.

"Yeah, well, most people in this world aren't as nice as them," Inuyasha said, internally cringing at associating the word nice with Sensei. It wasn't something he'd ever expected to say about the older man.

"I see," Kagome said. She was silent for a moment and then said, "I have some good news."

"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha asked.

"Kaede spoke to me last night. She said she has decided to believe me that I didn't attack Kikyo or the village, and she's going to trust me now," Kagome said. She practically glowed with happiness, her face once more lit up with her pretty smile. The sight of her filled with such unabashed joy made Inuyasha's stomach do little flips that he really didn't appreciate.

Stop that, he ordered it. It didn't listen.

"Here we are," Inuyasha said as they arrived at Sensei's dojo. "Knowing Sensei he's in the dojo already, so we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Kagome followed him to the dojo and true to his prediction Sensei was already there. Sensei nodded in greeting. "Inuyasha, Kagome."

"Morning, Sensei," Inuyasha said.

Kagome bowed formally. "Thank you for your help. I don't know how to repay you."

Sensei shrugged. "Just do your best and that will be payment enough." He looked over at Inuyasha. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Right," Inuyasha said. "See you both this afternoon."

He finished his walk to school and met Hojo at the gates like usual. "Good morning, Inuyasha," Hojo greeted warmly. "Any word on when Gramps is coming home?"

"Not yet," Inuyasha said as they fell in step beside each other and walked toward the building. "If they aren't back when I get home this afternoon I'll probably go to the hospital to check on him."

Hojo nodded. "I see."

"Hey, you didn't get in trouble last night 'cause you were out so late, did you?" Inuyasha asked.

Hojo shook his head. "No, I didn't. I told my parents you had a family emergency and I stayed to help you out. They did fuss at me for not calling though." His face suddenly lit up and he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot! Mom sent a gift from her shop for Gramps." Hojo dug through his backpack and pulled out a small bag and handed it to Inuyasha. "It's tea, to soothe his throat. She thought he might need some since he breathed in smoke."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said, tucking the package into his own bag. "That was really thoughtful of her." Hojo's mom really was a sweet person.

"Also, she wants you to come over for dinner soon," Hojo added. "She says it's been too long since she and Dad have gotten to see you."

After Inuyasha and Hojo had become friends, they had spent so much time together that they'd gotten to know each others family's very well. As a result, Hojo's parents were like an aunt and uncle to Inuyasha. "Sure thing," Inuyasha said. "Don't know when I'll have time though. Tonight definitely isn't good for me."

By then they had made it to their classroom and settled into their desks. A moment later Ms. Sato walked into the room. "Settle down, everyone," she said. "It's time to begin."

Inuyasha struggled through his morning classes. Missing so much school really had gotten him behind, and in some subjects he simply had no idea what they were talking about. I have got to study those notes Hojo gave me, and get to work on all my makeup assignments. He'd have started the night before, but for obvious reasons that hadn't worked out.

He was relieved when lunch time rolled around, but before he could get started on his food, Ms. Sato appeared in the doorway. "Inuyasha, I need to speak with you out in the hall," she said.

Realizing what this was about, Inuyasha dug out the note from his book bag and followed her out into the hall. "Here, Ms. Sato, I have the note," Inuyasha said holding it out for her.

She took the note and scanned it. Her frown deepened for a moment, but then she nodded. "Very well, it all looks to be in order. Try to stay healthy from now on; you're a good student, Inuyasha, but your grades aren't so good that you can afford to miss so much school."

"Yes ma'am," Inuyasha said.

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Go on back to lunch."

"How'd it go?" Hojo asked when Inuyasha made it back to his desk.

"Fine," Inuyasha said. "I managed to get a doctor's note last night after the fight with the Noh mask."

"How'd you manage that?" Hojo asked.

Inuyasha gave him an abbreviated version of the events that had happened after the fight with the Noh mask in between bites of food. Hojo looked mildly alarmed by the end of it. "You were injured?" he asked.

"It isn't a big deal," Inuyasha said. "I'll be completely recovered in a few days."

"I guess hunting down jewel shards is more dangerous than I'd realized," Hojo said.

Inuyasha shrugged, trying to play it off. "I guess, but don't worry, I'll be fine." Hojo didn't really look convinced, and to distract him Inuyasha threw out another question. "Hey, do you know where to shop for girl's clothes?"

Hojo's eyes widened with surprise. "When did you start wearing girl's clothes?"

Inuyasha almost threw his chopsticks at the other teenager. "They aren't for me, stupid! They're for Kagome! She's going to be coming to the present to train with Sensei whenever I'm here, but she stands out too much in her usual stuff, and she definitely needs a hat to cover her ears."

"I see what you mean," Hojo said thoughtfully. Then he smiled brightly and said, "I have no idea how to help you."

"Seriously?" Inuyasha groaned.

"I'm an only child and a guy," Hojo pointed out. "I've never needed to go shopping for clothes for a girl."

"You've never bought clothes for a girlfriend before?" Inuyasha asked.

Hojo shook his head. "That would be a really personal sort of gift, I think. I've never been serious enough with any of the girls I've dated to buy them something like that."

"They haven't even dragged you off shopping before?" Inuyasha asked, but with no real hope this time.

"Nope," Hojo said with a shrug. "Sorry. Maybe you should ask your mom for help?"

Inuyasha grimaced. Going shopping with Kagome and his mother did not sound fun at all. "Joy." Then he perked up a bit as a new thought occurred to him. "Sensei has Usagi, and he has to buy her clothes. Maybe he knows where to go shopping for stuff."

"Usagi is ten," Hojo pointed out. "I doubt ten year olds and teenage girls shop at the same stores. Besides, can you imagine Sensei's reaction to you asking him to go shopping with you?"

Now that Inuyasha stopped to think, he could imagine how Sensei would react. "Um, yeah, I think I'll ask my mom."

Hojo nodded. "That's probably for the best."

Lunch ended and the afternoon classes began. As Inuyasha had predicted, his early morning came back to bite him as he found himself not only struggling to understand the material but also to stay awake. But at last the school day ended and he was free to go.

As usual, Hojo walked with Inuyasha to Sensei's dojo. As they passed a park, Inuyasha's attention was caught by some kids playing with sparklers. When he glanced over at them, he spotted a girl in a thick red coat, which was weird because while it certainly wasn't at the hottest point of the year yet, it was much too warm for a coat like that. Then she tossed a lit firecracker into the group of children, causing them to scream and scatter with fright when it went off.

"Little brat," Inuyasha said as she dashed off, unnoticed by the other kids or their parents.

"You're condemning children for being frightened of an unexpected firecracker?" Hojo asked. "That's a bit harsh, even for you."

"What? No, not them, I'm talking about the girl in the red coat who threw it at them," Inuyasha said.

Hojo frowned and leaned forward to look around Inuyasha. "What girl in a red coat? I didn't see anyone like that."

"Seriously? She was right there," Inuyasha said, looking back at the park. "I can't believe none of the parents spotted her either." Inuyasha came to a complete halt when he saw her floating up into the air, beside a large round creature that had to be a demon that was playing a pipe. He grabbed Hojo's shoulder and pointed. "There she is! She's flying, and that's got to be a demon with her!"

Hojo followed the direction of Inuyasha's finger but said, "Inuyasha, I don't see anything."

"How do you not see them?" Inuyasha snapped. "They're floating in the sky, plain as day!"

Hojo tapped his chin with a finger, a sign that he was thinking deeply. "Perhaps you're seeing a ghost."

Inuyasha blinked at him. "A ghost?"

Hojo shrugged. "It's said that priests can see ghosts, and you do have spiritual abilities. Perhaps this is simply one of the new things that you can do."

Inuyasha looked back towards the girl and the demon, but they were both gone. "Well that's a creepy thought," he said. "Not sure I want to go around seeing ghosts. And if she was a ghost, what was up with that demon that was with her?"

"That I don't have an answer for," Hojo said. "Perhaps Kagome would be more helpful to you there."

"Probably," Inuyasha agreed. They arrived at the dojo a few minutes later and said their goodbyes as Hojo continued on his way home.

Inuyasha entered the dojo and found that he was the first person to arrive for his class, which wasn't all that unusual. Sensei of course was already there, and Kagome was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"She's at the house," Sensei said. "Usagi was quite thrilled to meet her, so she'll be staying there until you're done with your lessons today."

"How'd she do?" Inuyasha asked.

Sensei scowled at him. "You know I don't discuss such things with other students. Now go get changed for practice."

"Yes, Sensei," Inuyasha grumbled. He didn't think it was out of line to ask about Kagome's ability. After all, if it wasn't for Inuyasha, she wouldn't even be Sensei's student right now. I'll just have to ask Kagome later.

The others started to arrive while Inuyasha was changing, and as soon as they saw him he faced a bunch of questions about where he'd been lately. Claiming he'd been sick with the flu was enough to satisfy their curiosity.

Guess I'm not such a terrible liar after all; at least not with people who aren't close to me.

Getting to practice with his class again was fun, and Inuyasha was mildly surprised to realize how much he'd missed this when he'd been in the past. Unfortunately, his early morning made him tire out quicker than usual, and Sensei noticed.

"Is your shoulder bothering you?" he asked gruffly.

"No, Sensei," Inuyasha said, which was the truth; his shoulder didn't hurt at all.

"Then explain your performance now," Sensei growled.

"I had an early morning," Inuyasha said. He didn't bother to elaborate why. He didn't want to talk about his nightmare, and he didn't expect Sensei to care either.

"That's not a good enough reason for such a sloppy performance," Sensei said. "Step it up."

By the time practice ended Inuyasha was well and truly exhausted, and he wanted nothing more than to go home, soak in the bath for a while, and then crawl into bed. Unfortunately, he knew that wasn't going to happen.

He walked from the dojo to Sensei's house and knocked on the door. A moment later Usagi opened it and smiled brightly up at him. "Inuyasha, come on in," Usagi said while grabbing his hand and dragging him inside. "Kagome and I were having tea. Would you like some?"

"Sorry, Usagi, but I have to get home," Inuyasha said, relieved to have an excuse to decline. Usagi was okay as far as kids went, but the tea she made was insanely sweet, and Inuyasha wasn't sure how Sensei managed to stand the stuff.

Usagi's face fell and tears gathered in her big brown eyes. "But I really wanted you to have some of the tea I made," she said, her bottom lip starting to wobble. It was a ploy and Inuyasha knew it, though it usually worked on him. This time Inuyasha was saved by the fact that he really couldn't stay.

"Sorry, but Gramps is still in the hospital after his accident so Souta and I have to go visit him," Inuyasha said.

Usagi's tears instantly vanished. "Oh, I see! Well of course you have to. Kagome! Inuyasha's here to get you!"

Kagome walked into the front room and smiled at the both. "Hey, Inuyasha. Usagi, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for the tea."

Usagi beamed up at her. "Anytime, Kagome. Come see me again soon!"

They left and Kagome said, "Usagi is a sweet girl."

"I guess so," Inuyasha said. "How'd training go today?"

Kagome frowned. "Not quite the way I expected. I spent all morning cleaning and sharpening the sword."

"But it transforms," Inuyasha said. "Sensei knows that."

"He didn't seem to care," Kagome said. "He said it was disrespectful to let it exist in such a state, even if it was only temporary."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Yeah, that sounds like Sensei. Did you actually have any time to train?"

Kagome nodded. "I did get to train, but it didn't seem like much. I got to practice how to properly swing my sword."

"Did he say anything about how you did?" Inuyasha asked.

"He said I wasn't completely hopeless," Kagome sighed sounding discouraged.

"Coming from him, that's a compliment," Inuyasha assured her.

"It didn't feel like one," Kagome said.

They lapsed into silence for a moment, and then Inuyasha remembered the incident with the ghost girl and the demon that he'd wanted to tell Kagome about. "Hey, Kagome, I think I saw a ghost today," Inuyasha said, and quickly informed her of what he'd seen. "So, do you know what that demon might have been?" he asked when he finished.

"Sounds like it might be a tatarimokke," Kagome said thoughtfully.

"What's a tatarimokke?" Inuyasha asked. "Is it dangerous?"

"Not normally," Kagome said. "It plays with the souls of dead children until they're ready to move on to the afterlife. Only sometimes a child might not be willing to move on and become a vengeful spirit. If that happens, the tatarimokke's eyes will open and it will drag the child's soul to Hell."

Inuyasha frowned. "I think the one I saw had its eyes half open."

"Then the girl it was with must be a vengeful spirit now," Kagome said.

"So, what?" Inuyasha asked. "She's just going to go to Hell?"

Kagome nodded and sighed. "It looks that way. It's sad, but it does happen sometimes."

"She's just a kid," Inuyasha said. "I mean, sure she seemed like a brat, but how could she have done anything that warrants going to Hell over?"

"How should I know?" Kagome replied. "It's just the way things work."

"It isn't fair," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Life rarely is," Kagome said quietly, and seeing the far off look in her eyes Inuyasha realized that she must be thinking of her own life, which had hardly been fair so far. He felt a twinge of guilt for bringing up unpleasant memories, even if he'd done so by accident. But moments later the look passed and Kagome was smiling again as usual. "How's your grandfather doing?"

"Okay, I guess," Inuyasha said. "When we get home I'll find out if he's coming home today or if they want to keep him at the hospital again tonight, but I think they'll let him come back."

"Please tell him I'm hoping for his quick recovery," Kagome said.

"Sure thing," Inuyasha said.

They arrived back at the shrine and Kagome said goodbye as she headed toward the well house. "Tell Shippo I said hello," Inuyasha said. "And if he's wondering, tell him I'm planning to come back the day after tomorrow."

"I will," Kagome said.

Inuyasha went in the house and found Souta sprawled out on the living room floor, watching TV while he did his homework. "Hey, squirt," Inuyasha said. "Has Mom called to update us on Gramps?"

"Yeah, he's coming home this afternoon," Souta said. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and sent Inuyasha a pleading look. "Do you think we could go to the hospital to meet them on their way home?"

"I've got a ton of makeup work I need to get started on for school," Inuyasha said.

"Please?" Souta begged.

"Why do you want to go so bad?" Inuyasha asked. "Gramps is coming home, so there isn't much point in visiting him."

"I wanted to visit Satoru," Souta admitted. "It's been nearly two weeks since I went last, and I don't want his mother to think I've stopped coming."

Inuyasha was so tired that it took him a minute to remember who Satoru was. He was a kid from Souta's class who'd been in a fire six months ago and had been in a coma ever since. Inuyasha could still remember the way Souta had gone on and on about it right after it had happened.

"Can't it wait?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"I guess," Souta said. "It's just…no one else is visiting him anymore, so I don't want to go too long in between visits if I can help it. I don't want him or his mom to think we've all stopped caring."

Oh geeze. When he put it like that, it was hard to say no. "Alright then, grab your shoes," Inuyasha said. "You can visit him, but we'll have to make it quick. I've got stuff to do tonight."

"Thanks Inuyasha!" Souta said, a smile breaking out on his face.

The trip to the hospital involved a crowded train ride, and Inuyasha was relieved when they were able to get off. As they walked from the station to the hospital, Inuyasha asked, "So how come the other kids in your class quit coming to visit?"

Souta fidgeted as he answered, looking mildly sheepish but also a little worried. "They think he's being haunted."

"Haunted?" Inuyasha asked with surprise. He hadn't expected an answer like that.

"Yeah," Souta said. "When people came to visit Satoru, things started happening to them. They'd get pushed down the stairs, or almost hit by a car, and it really freaked them out. Satoru had an older sister named Mayu who died in the fire, and some of the guys in my class think her ghost is haunting him now." Souta frowned and looked up at Inuyasha. "Do you believe in ghosts? Do you think Satoru is really being haunted?"

He didn't have much of a choice but to believe in ghosts now since he'd seen one earlier that afternoon. "Yeah, I believe in ghosts," Inuyasha said. "But just because I think ghosts are real doesn't necessarily mean Satoru is being haunted. It could just be bad luck or something."

"I guess," Souta said, but he didn't sound convinced.

They entered the hospital and almost immediately ran into Mrs. Higurashi and Gramps leaving. "Boys, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"I wanted to visit Satoru, so Inuyasha brought me," Souta said.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled at them. "That's very sweet of both of you. Don't stay too long now."

"We won't," Inuyasha said. "Oh, and Gramps, Hojo's mom sent over some tea for you from her shop, and Kagome wishes you well."

Gramps smiled. "Wonderful! I may enjoy a cup once I get home."

Souta tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve. "Come on, visiting hours will end soon."

"I'm coming," Inuyasha said, and let Souta drag him over to the elevators. The sooner this visit was over with, the sooner Inuyasha could get back to doing more important things.


AN: Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who is reading this story, or who've left me reviews! You are all wonderful! However, I do have a quick request. The three OCs I've introduced, Sensei, Dr. Haruki, and Ms. Sato, are going to be reoccurring characters in this story. Not every chapter, but they will show up fairly regularly. I know that often people aren't big fans of OCs, and I really don't want my OCs to dominate this story as it is meant to focus on Inuyasha. So I would appreciate feedback on how the OCs are working out. Do you like them, not like them, not have much of an opinion either way? Do you like the idea of them showing up again, would you rather they were never again mentioned? If you could take a moment to let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it!