Chapter 8: The Gap Between Time
Kagome stared down to the bottom of the well at the bones of Mistress Centipede and then fearfully glanced at her older sister and brother.
''Were not going down there, are we?'' Kagome tentatively questioned with an unsure smile.
''You're the one who wants to go home.'' Kagero retorted as Kagome nervously gulped.
''But I can't go down not with all those bones!'' Kagome screamed as Mizuko devilishly smirked
''Of course you can...here let me help you!'' Mizuko evilly smiled as he gave Kagome a light push.
''AHHH!'' Kagome screamed as she began to topple over the rim of the well.
Before Kagome fell over the rim of the well she quickly took hold of one of Kagero's outstretched arms and pulled her down alongside of herself and Kagero grabbed onto Mizuko who was laughing at Kagome.
*O*O*O*
Sesshomaru frowned down at his now fully awake half-brother who was pleading his case.
''They were here when I closed my eyes and I thought that they would be too scared to leave my presence.'' Inuyasha nervously rubbed the back of his head as Sesshomaru glared down at him.
''Mi'lord gave you a simple task and you couldn't follow it?! No wonder no one entrust you, a hanyo with anything!'' the imp yelled as Inuyasha angrily growled.
''Listen here you stupid toad-''
''The mortals have gone in the direction of the mikos' village.'' Sesshomaru flatly stated before Inuyasha even had a chance to harm the poor imp.
''What they go back there for?'' Inuyasha snapped as Sesshomaru pondered that himself.
''Well, I guess we're going back to the village again, aren't we?'' Inuyasha frowned as Sesshomaru's long silver hair gracefully blew in the wind.
*O*O*O*
Kagero awoke to being lightly shaking by Kagome. Kagero rubbed her eyes and sat up, staring about the wooden well bottom. Kagero noticed that the tip of her fingers were extremely close to the bones that were half way buried in the dirt of the well's bottom.
"Wh-Where are we?"Kagero asked as she slowly moved her hand away from the bones and before Kagome or Mizuko could respond they heard multiple voices from above.
''Naruto, Sota, we've already been in here a dozen times.'' Sao frowned as his grandson frantically waved their hands around and both Kagero and Kagome gasped as they stared up at the top of the well.
''But, look, grandpa, I keep telling you, this is where they fell!" Sota stated as Naruto nodded his head in agreement.
Sao and his grandsons walked to the rim of the well.
''But are you sure you two weren't dreaming?'' Sao questioned his grandsons as he shown a black flashlight down to well and stared both his grandsons in their eyes.
''But we weren't!'' Naruto exclaimed as the three of them stared down to see the light of the flashlight had fallen on Mizuko, Kagome and Kagero.
"Mizuko, Kagero, Kagome?" Naruto stared down at his puzzled sisters.
"Uh, Grandpa...Naruto...Sota?!" Kagome stared up at the three heads peering down in disbelief.
''I'm sure glad to be back!'' Mizuko broadly grinned.
Kagero on the other hand, displayed no emotions at all even as they were pulled out of the well and walking out into the setting sun.
''Ahh.'' Kagome disbelievingly stared at the setting sun.
We've come home, back to our own time.
Kagome thought as she stared about in awed.
"You were missing for nearly a week. The least you could have done was called" Sao worriedly proclaimed.
"Hai, mom was going to start a search party for you three!" Naruto exclaimed as Sota questioningly stared at his older sisters and brother.
"And why are you three wearing those weird old clothes?'' Sota frowned.
It's not a dream. We're really back. We've come home.
Kagome's eyes began to water and she latched on to Sao and fell to her knees wailing as Sao took her into his arms.
''Grandpa! I was so scared!'' Kagome whimpered to a baffled Sao
''Kagome, what on Earth?'' Sao sighed as he tried to console the weeping teenager while Mizuko rolled his eyes at Kagome's overdramatic self.
*O*O*O*
''Oi Sesshomaru, I thought we were going back to the village and not some stupid old wooden well away from the village. I mean we left the imp and the two-headed dragon there.'' Inuyasha barked as Sesshomaru eyes widen in confusion.
Yes, his nose had lead him to the well since he was following that woman, Kagero's scent and it had lead him here and then unexpectedly vanished without a trance.
''Little brother, what do you smell?'' Sesshomaru frowned and thought maybe Inuyasha would provide him with another logic.
Inuyasha stuck his nose in the air and began to sniff around. He walked about the clearing and finally came to a stop at the well, the same place as his older brother.
''They did it. They went back to their own world.'' Inuyasha frowned and then stared down the well as Sesshomaru stared at him in question.
''Through here, was it? Uhh.'' Inuyasha stated as he leaped into the well.
Sesshomaru's eyes widen in stock for a mere seconds before he gracefully leaped after his brother.
*O*O*O*
Kagero smiled to herself as she sat in the pink bath tub, enjoying how the nice hot steamy water felt on her aching skin.
''Oh, I must be in heaven.'' Kagero smiled as she allowed the water to brush against her neck and she stared to her side at the bathroom door.
''Ahh!' I never thought I would actually miss being home so much!'' Kagero sighed as she began to shampoo her hair. ''Ahh! Shampoo! It's a good thing.''
*O*O*O*
Sao, Sota, Naruto and Naomi sat at the living room table discussing the situation of Mizuko, Kagome and Kagero.
''Come on. Don't tell me you believe their stories.'' Naomi stated as Sao crossed his arms over his chest. ''Hmm.''
Sota rose up and firmly placed his palms on the coffee table. ''But it is true! Kagero and Kagome fell down the well, and then a monster came up and kidnapped them.''
''There is a certain legend of the bone eater's well. Since ancient days whatever's inside has consumed the corpses of monsters. But what if the continuum of time-space is itself disrupted?'' Sao who had been sitting in thought suddenly stated as he rose with his left fist clenched in the air and a look of determination filled his eyes.
Sota, Naruto and Naomi started up at him as if he had grown another head and even Buyo meowed his annoyance of the old man. Sao then left the house and quickly grabbed a hammer, nails and stack of sutras. He headed straight to the well house with one goal and that was to seal the well once again.
Mizuko and Kagome sat at the kitchen table. Kagome was blow drying her hair and Mizuko was texting on his phone.
''Closed it off?'' Kagome questioned their grandfather.
''Yup. We needn't worry about any more visitors from there. I used special spirit wards just in case.'' Sao confidently smirked as Kagome frantically stared to her side. ''Hmm.''
''Good! I have no intentions of ever going back there again!'' Mizuko retorted while still into his phone.
*O*O*O*
''Ahh, it's so good to be home in my own bed. Were we really there, in that weird Feudal Japan?'' Kagero thought aloud as she began to reminisce the prior events when she was in the past.
''Only by working together will the five of ye be able to recover the shards of the jewels.'' Kaede's voice rung in Kagero's head.
Suddenly an image of Sesshomaru popped into her head.
''I have more important matters to attend to in the Western domains. I do not have the time nor would I subject myself to be anywhere near those three half wit mortals. It is bad enough I have an hanyo as a brother.''
Kagero frowned and closed her eyes.
''Ha. That's right. Oh, what am I worrying about him for?''
Kagero clapped her hands together and opened her sky blue eyes. ''That's it, chapter closed. As far as I'm concerned, it was just a fairy tale.''
''Kagero, it's dinnertime, plus your friend, Eri's on the phone.'' Naomi's voice called through Kagero's closed bedroom door.
''Coming!'' Kagero excitedly exclaimed as she raced out of her room.
In the kitchen at the table sat Sao at the head, Sota sat beside him with Naruto to the right of him then Mizuko to the left of him. On the opposite side sat Kagome who was to the right of Sao and Naomi would sit across from Sao, but she was still placing food on the table.
''Grandpa, those things will stay on, right?'' Sota fearfully questioned.
'' 'Course they will. Have a little faith, will you?'' Sao reassuringly smiled down at his worried grandchildren.
''If there's one thing I know, it's spirits.'' Sao sat as Kagero raced into the room and sat beside Kagome.
''Ahh! Real food, real food...'' Kagome and Kagero kept excitingly chanting.
''I'll defend you to my last breath, Mizuko, Kagome and Kagero, so don't you worry.'' Sao proclaimed as twins stopped their chanting and Mizuko head banged as he listen to music on his cellphone with his headphone deep within his ears.
''I don't think they heard you.'' Naruto flatly stated as Sao began to sob.
Ahh, what a wonderful time to be alive.
Kagero smiled as she grabbed her chopsticks and began to put food on her plate.
''Oh, I can't wait to - -''
An excited Kagome was interrupted by the sliding of the kitchen door. Both Kagero who had a piece of food hanging from her mouth and Kagome who was putting food into her mouth stared in fear at the two figures who stood in their doorway. Mizuko was too busy still headbanging to notice the two figures just yet.
''I - - Inuyasha?'' Kagome frowned.
''S - - Sesshomaru?'' Kagero tentatively smiled as both the Inu brothers glared down at them.
''Idiot! Who told you could go home?'' Inuyasha snapped as Kagome placed the bowl she had in her hands down.
''Uh - -what - -uh, where did you - -'' Kagome began, but she was yet again cut off by Inuyasha.
''Through the well, of course!'' He snapped as he came to stand between Kagome and Kagero.
''The well? But the well is - -''
''You lie!'' Sao snapped as he interrupted the conversation.
''I made those spirit wards myself. There's no way you could have - -''
Inuyasha sighed as he held up one of the sutras in between his middle and index fingers from off of his red robe.
''I hate to break it to you, old man, but they don't work.'' Inuyasha taunted as Sao screamed and Naruto and Sota stared at Sao in disappointment.
''Grandpa.'' Naruto shook his head in embarrassment as Inuyasha yanked Kagome from the table and began to drag her toward the kitchen door.
''Come on you. We're leaving.'' Inuyasha commanded as Kagome yanked her hand free.
''No and you can't make me.'' Kagome glared at him.
Kagero tentatively stared at Sesshomaru who had been pretty much silent, he was staring around in curiosity. His eyes were darting from one end to another in a matter seconds finally his eyes met with Kagero's and he glared down at her.
Kagero nervously gulped as Sesshomaru appeared be side her in a flash, he ripped her from her sit and started harshly dragging her toward Kagome and Inuyasha. There's no room for her to protest and Kagero was too scared to even bicker with him the way Kagome and Inuyasha were. Mizuko finally looked up and noticed the two outsiders dragging his sisters toward sliding doors.
''Hey, Sesshomaru, Inuyasha!'' Mizuko loudly yelled since he still had headphones blasted in his ears. ''What are the two of you doing here?'' Mizuko snapped as he quickly removed his headphones from his ears and raced to Kagome's side.
''Stay right there.'' Naomi commanded as both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru ceased all movement and turn to stare at her.
''Now what?'' Inuyasha hissed as Naomi marched up to him.
''Mom I - -'' Kagome eyes widen as Naomi took hold of Inuyasha ears and began to rub them
''Your ears. Are they real?'' Naomi questioned as an anxious Sota and astonished Naruto came up beside her and stared in awed at Inuyasha ears.
''Me next!'' Naruto cheered.
''Me next!'' Sota smiled.
''Uh, Mom, that's not really cool. though I did it too but...'' Kagome sideways smirked as Inuyasha growled.
Sao who had been watching the display in silence stared between his granddaughters who were both being firmly held by what would appear to be some sort of supernatural creatures and his grandson, Mizuko who was yelling at the said creatures.
They can't be...could they?
Sao thought as he stared between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.
''Just what man or beast are you two?'' Sao questioned which drew everyone's attention to him.
''Uh, grandpa...their kind of demons!'' Kagome tentatively stated as she rubbed the back of her head with her free hand and Sao eyes widen in stock.
''It's the gap between time my great-great-great-great grandfather warned us about!?'' Sao clawed his face in complete and utter terror then dramatically arose from the the table, hastily fleeing the room.
''It's what?'' Naruto questioned as everyone except Sesshomaru and Mizuko who shrugged his shoulders and then went back to head banging, everyone else stared after the crazy old deranged man.
