I thank ChibiChinaDoll for helping me.
The Girls Who Overcame Time... and the Boy Who Was Just Overcome
After a while Mai and Kagome went outside and were ready to go somewhere to do fun things together. When Mai noticed Sota, Kagome's little brother at the doorway of a shed.
Mai tapped Kagome on the shoulder and Kagome turned to her in confusion. Mai's point turned to the shed and Kagome looked in that direction, heading towards the shed seeing Sota by shed.
"Hey, what are you…" Kagome said as Sota jumped at his sister's voice.
"Nothing." Sota said hiding the cat treats behind him as Mai and Kagome were by the shed.
"You're not supposed to play in there." Kagome said with a frown on her face.
"I'm not. It's the cat." Sota said as he looked towards the Well.
"Did he go down to the well?" Kagome said as Mai was right by her.
"Let's check it out." Mai said as she glanced a bit inside to shed.
"Buyo! I don't know where else he could be." Sota said as he worried about losing the cat.
"So go down." Kagome said as she gestured him to step down the stairs.
"But why do I gotta be the one?" Sota said, sounding a little uneasy of that idea.
"Because you're the one who's looking for him." Kagome said with her hands on her hips.
Then Mai heard a noise inside as Kagome and Sota were bickering about who would find the cat but it was hard to hear it clearly. "Listen." Mai said with a hushed tone as both Kagome and Sota stopped talking.
Suddenly, they all heard the noise that sent a chill down to their very cores. It was scratching sounds echoing inside the shed making it more eerie.
"Ahh! Something's down there!" Sota shrieked in fear as he pointed down the Well.
"Uh, yeah. The cat." Kagome said, trying to ease the tension as she and Mai went down the stairs towards the Well.
'That sound, from inside the well.' Kagome thought as she and Mai stopped for a minute. Then Kagome started to scream as she fell on her bottom and there was a chain reaction as the others started to scream as the cat appeared out of nowhere.
"Buyo!" Sota said as he was relieved that the cat was in front of Kagome as she got up and picked up the cat.
'Oh...Thank goodness that it's just Buyo... But if he's here...Why can I still hear the scratching?' Mai thought as Kagome and Sota were still talking as she had an eerie feeling that something is still not right in here.
"You make fun of me because I'm scared and then you're all-" Sota said as he mocked a pathetic scream at his sister.
"Look who's talking Mr. Why-Do-I-Have-To-Go." Kagome said as she scoffed at him as she turned in her direction with the cat in her arms.
"Uh, guys? I can still hear the scratching sound." Mai said as she was looking at the Well as the seals on it started to break.
"Sis, behind you!" Sota said as he pointed towards the Well in the fear. The wooden panels started to crack on top of the Well and opened as several arms grabbed Kagome.
"Kagome!" Mai shouted as by instinct grabbed Kagome's wrist and got pulled along with her.
"What's going on?!" Sota shouted as he was unsure what to do.
Suddenly Kagome and Mai were in this atmosphere of space as if going through a dark tunnel of washing silence. Kagome gasped as she saw what had grabbed her as Mai saw it was.
It was a creature with a body of a large centipede and a top of a beautiful woman with long black hair. This creature was no ordinary thing, it was a demon named Mistress Centipede.
"What is this thing?!" Mia said, surprised as she was still holding on to Kagome's wrist.
"Alive. Oh to be alive once more. Already my strength returns." Mistress Centipede said as her flesh was covering the bones.
"You have it, don't you? Give it to me." Mistress Centipede said as she brought out a long tongue at Kagome and licked her as if to taste her.
"Ugh! You're disgusting!" Mai said in disgust as she saw the events going on.
"What are you doing? Let go!" Kagome shouted as she brought her other hand to Mistress Centipede's face and a burst of energy came out of Kagome's hand.
Which Mai was surprised by what just happened but didn't question as long it got them away from Mistress Centipede. "Wretched girl. I must have the Sacred Jewel!" Mistress Centipede said as she floated away from them.
"The... Sacred Jewel?" Kagome questioned as she looked to Mai, unsure what just happened. Then they touched the ground, panting from the events that happened.
"I guess we must have fallen in the well." Kagome said as she looked to Mai. 'Maybe I bumped my head or…' Kagome thought as she looked down and saw the arm of Mistress Centipede a few feet from them.
"Ugh. Maybe not. Either way…" Kagome said as Mai looked at the arm as well as believing that the events happened "Hey Sota! Get Grandpa!" she shouted up the Well, hoping Sota would respond but there was no answer as Mai went by the vines and inspected them to see if they were sturdy.
"There's vines here. We could climb up." Mai said as Kagome went to her, still lost in her own thoughts.
"He probably took off. The little-" Kagome said as Mai looked up and saw a butterfly that appeared to be glowing.
"Is that butterfly glowing?" Mai asked as Kagome looked at it for a moment as the butterfly flew out of the Well. Mai and Kagome grabbed the vines and gradually climbed out on the edge of the Well and were surprised by what they saw.
Both of them saw the lush green grass before them with trees in the distance and the shed that was over the Well wasn't there as if it never even existed. "What the?" Kagome said in confusion as she and Mai got out the Well.
Both of them looked around more closely unsure why they were here or even where. "What are we doing in a forest?" Mai asked but really didn't get an answer.
'I could be wrong but Toto, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore.' Kagome thought.
"Grandpa, Mom! Are you there?" Kagome shouted but got no answer as it was just silence.
"Dad?" Mai said as well but got the same answer, nothing.
"Sota! Buyo!" Kagome shouted again and still nothing.
'I don't know this place, but somehow it feels so familiar.' Mai thought as she continued to look around having a sense of familiarity of the place.
"It's like the family shrine is not even-" Kagome said as she gasped seeing something familiar to her. "The tree." She said as she and Mai ran towards the tree.
'That means I'm practically home.' Kagome thought as she and Mai made to the end then stopped as they saw something on the tree.
"Huh?" Kagome and Mai said in unison but also in confusion. Up on the tree, there was a boy who was 5' 7" in a unique red kimono with long silvery white hair with dog-like ears on top.
He was barefooted which was unusual but to him it worked for him. He also seemed to be asleep, he looked...peaceful with an arrow in his chest as if it was holding him onto the tree.
"Is that a boy?" Kagome as they climbed up the tall root to inspect him.
'You? It can't be…' Mai thought as she looked at him. "Inuyasha." she said in realization of who it was.
"What?" Kagome said as she turned towards Mai.
"That's Inuyasha. The boy I saw in my dreams. He's real?" Mai said in awe as she still couldn't believe it.
"Hey there, whatcha doing?" Kagome said as if she tried to get Inuyasha's attention.
'Knowing him, he'd probably say 'What's it look like, stupid?'' Mai thought as she raised a brow as she looked at Kagome.
'Oh, wow. Like dog ears. I think I wanna... touch them.' Kagome thought as she reached for them and touched his ears.
"My turn...They're so soft." Mai said as she moved closer to touch his cheek.
Kagome sighed as she let go of his ears. "Now that that's out of my system…"
"Kagome. His cheeks, they're still warm." Mai said, still touching his cheek and looked to Kagome in surprise of how that's possible.
"Get away from there!" A man shouted at Mai and Kagome on the tree by Inuyasha as the man and his group fired arrows at them from their bows.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Mai shouted as the arrows missed them. The group of villager men got to Mai and Kagome, tying them up and bringing them to the village to meet the Priestess.
"You didn't have to tie us up, you know!" Kagome said as she and Mai were on a mat starting to get surrounded by the villagers.
"I don't think they're listening." Mai said knowing it is pointless to reason with them.
"You reckon it's a war?" A man said. "Of course it is. And right in the middle of rice-planting season too." A another man said.
"They could be kitsunes in disguise." A woman said. "Nah, them shape-changing foxes are a lot trickier than that." Another woman said.
"Topknot, topknot, topknot, topknot. What is this, the Japan Medieval times?' Kagome said unsure what the heck was going on.
"Make way for High Priestess Kaede!" a man shouted.
'Now what?' Kagome thought when all of a sudden salt was sprinkled on them.
"Demon, begone!" Kaede said as she grabbed some more purification salt from the bag and threw it at them again.
"Hey, hey! We're not demons, ok?" Kagome said looking at Kaede.
"Are ye not? Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inuyasha?" Kaede asked Mai and Kagome. "They could be spies from another village." a man said next to Kaede.
"In that case they would be fools. Who would invade such a poor village as ours?" Kaede asked then she looked at Kagome again, this time her eyes widened in surprise and familiarity.
"Let me have a good look at ye." Kaede said as she grabbed Kagome's chin, working her face from side to side. "Look clever girl. Or be a half-wit?" Kaede asked as she still examined her.
'Why you…' Kagome thought as there was anger in her eyes from the insult. "It's there... Though I know not why." Kaede said to herself more than to the others around her as saw her lost sister in this girl.
"Look, all that happened was that we took a wrong turn and got lost." Mai said as she tried to explain what had happened to them. Kaede turned to Mai as she looked into her blue eyes and what she saw was an ominous fate that could show a promising potential through Mai's eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was night time as Mai and Kagome were inside Kaede's hut with a large pot cooking food. "Stew?" Kaede asked as she had stone bowls in her hands to Kagome and Mai.
"Wow, that looks great! Real food!" Kagome said as she quickly grabbed the bowl and ate with content.
"Thanks." Mai said accepting the bowl and ate the stew quietly.
"Bear us no ill will, child. For though I now see ye mean us no harm, in these troubled times of war, no stranger may be welcomed among us without deep distrust." Kaede said, explaining herself of the situation in the Feudal Era.
"We really aren't in Tokyo anymore, are we?" Kagome asked, looking at Kaede.
"Toa-Key-O? Never heard of it. Is that where your people are from?" Kaede asked as the word was foreign to her, curious where Kagome and Mai had come from.
"Uh, yeah! So we, uh, should get going..." Kagome said unsure where to go to get back. 'Though I have no idea how to get back, of course.' Kagome thought.
"Kagome... I don't think it's a good idea to leave at night...We should stay here until we figure out how we can get back home." Mai whispered to Kagome as Mai was curious about this place and why it was so familiar. She wanted answers to her questions and the dreams that plaque her throughout the years were the answer even though she didn't know it yet.
Kaede thought back to when Kikyo died, something that Kaede could never forget and knew that something would happen later on as the fates would have it. These two girls came in and things were already changing.
'50 years have passed since then.' Kaede thought as the events have unfolded to this moment. Then there was a deep rumble as the ground vibrated as there was a loud crash outside and the gongs rang alerting the villagers that there was danger.
"What was that?!" Mai said as she rushed to the door and went outside. "What's going on?" Kaede said as she right behind Mai.
"It's a monster!" A villager shouted running from the creature terrorizing the village. Many of the villagers were running as Mistress Centipede had a horse held up by her teeth and then threw it down causing more chaos in the motions.
"It's that thing!" Kagome said as she was right by Mai looking at the creature.
"Give me the Sacred Jewel!" Mistress Centipede shouted as she wrecked more huts and villagers. Charging again and again as if to find something...or someone.
"It said 'Sacred Jewel'. Bear ye it still?!" Kaede asked as she turned to Kagome.
"I... I have no idea. I mean, I've heard about the Jewel but I-" Kagome said as she was unsure why Mistress Centipede is after her.
"I thought it was burned with Kikyo." Mai said more to herself but it didn't go unheard.
"How do ye know that?!" Kaede said as she sharply turned to Mai expecting an answer.
"Well, I-" Mai said as she didn't realize that she said it out loud.
Some of the villagers who were brave enough to stay and defend the village began to fire arrows at Mistress Centipede. "I must have it! I must!" the demon said as she spun around still seeking Kagome.
'That thing! It's after me!' Kagome thought as she realized what Mistress Centipede was looking for.
"Spears, arrows, nothing works!" The villager said as they approached Kaede with the news.
"We must lure it to the dry well." Kaede said as she instructed the villagers with a solution.
"The dry well?" Kagome asked unsure what she meant.
"In the Forest of Inuyasha." Kaede said, answering Kagome.
'The well we climbed out of.' Kagome thought as she realized what Kaede meant. "Which way is the forest? Where the light's shining, right?" she asked as she pointed a light that only she could see and ran towards it. Then Mai ran after Kagome to help her if she needed it.
"Wait!" Kaede shouted to them as they went in that direction.
"Kagome, wait up!" Mai shouted as she suddenly got attacked by Mistress Centipede from one of her many legs which left her injured on her right arm. Some of the villagers shot some arrows to distract Mistress Centipede to go after them.
"Mai!" Kagome shouted as she turned towards Mai to help with the injury.
"Forget it. It's just a graze. We've gotta keep moving!" Mai shouted to Kagome as she held her wound with her left hand as it was still bleeding.
"We'll draw it away!" Kagome said as she and Mai continued running towards the forest.
'Someone will save us, right? They've got to!' Kagome thought as fear was driven in her mind. "Grandpa, Mom, Anybody! Whoever you are, please somebody help us!" Kagome shouted hoping someone would hear her and come to her aid.
Mai cried out in pain from her wound as it was getting harder and harder to keep up with Kagome.
As if hearing Kagome call, Inuyasha's body suddenly pulsed as by instinct flexed his hand and claws. Inuyasha opened his eyes as he awoke from his long slumber of the spell gradually breaking.
"I smell it. The blood of the woman who killed me, along with someone else. And they're coming closer." Inuyasha said as he tried to remove the arrow from his chest but groaned as the arrow shocked him for he can not remove it.
Only the one who can remove the arrow was the one who placed it on him.
Meanwhile…
"The Jewel, give it to me!" Mistress Centipede shouted as she was after Kagome. "I told you, I don't have it!" Kagome said as she was running away from the demon as Mai was running next to her.
"She doesn't have the damn jewel!" Mai shouted as her arm was still bleeding. Kagome screamed as she fell and landed in front of the tree as Mai came by her and helped her get up.
"Hello, Kikyo. Playing with bugs now, are we?" Inuyasha said as he mocked her.
'Did he just talk?' Kagome thought as she and Mai looked up and saw Inuyasha looking at her.
"So finally you're awake, Inuyasha?" Mai said with smugness knowing it would irritate him.
"Why are you taking so long to kill it? Just do her like you did me." He said to Mai and then looked back at Kagome still mistaking her as Kikyo.
"You look pretty dumb there, Kikyo. The Kikyo I know wouldn't waste her time." He said with a smile on his face.
"Look Inuyasha. You're confusing my friend with someone else." Mai said to him as she and Kagome climbed up the root to get to Inuyasha who was still stuck to the tree.
"That does it. Kikyo. Kikyo. Whoever she is, she's not me 'cause my name is-" Kagome said as she got in front of him.
"She's here." Inuyasha said as he looked up, sensing Mistress Centipede really close by.
Suddenly Mistress Centipede had bust through the top of the tree wrapping around the tree where they were. Then spears with ropes had pierced through Mistress Centipede as she turned and saw the villagers.
"Good, now pull!" a man said as the others started to pull the ropes trying to move Mistress Centipede away from the tree. "So I was saved..." Kagome said with relief.
"You're pathetic, Kikyo." Inuyasha said with such shame at Kagome.
"Are you deaf or something?" Mai said not going to deal with Inuyasha being rude to Kagome any longer.
"So, you are still here? Didn't know Kikyo had friends who were so rude." Inuyasha said unamused.
"I'm not Kikyo! Look, I'm telling you I'm not her! Whoever her is!" Kagome said furiously to him.
"And I'm saying you gotta be her, because if you're not there's no way that you could smell so-" Inuyasha said then he sniffed the air catching Kagome scent. "You're not her." He said with realization as he looked at her more closely.
"Yes, finally. That's what I've been telling you." Mai said as she rolled her eyes at Inuyasha.
"I know. My name is Kagome! Ka-go-me!" Kagome said, making clear he remembered what her name was.
"You're right; Kikyo was cuter. Much cuter." Inuyasha said as he looked away from her.
Mai stood up for Kagome because she had enough of Inuyasha prudeness.
"Oh yeah? Well I've seen Kikyo in my dreams, and I've seen prettier girls than her. And while we're on the subject, looking at you, I've seen mutts that are hotter. Much hotter." Mai said, trying to knock him down a few pegs.
Inuyasha sneered at her at first. With a huff he looked at her. "Oh Yeah?...have you looked in the mirror lately or are you supposed to look like that? What's with the colors in your hair anyway? Wait?...What do you mean you've seen Kikyo in your dreams...How do you know her?" He asked her seeing she was covered in dirt, grass and bloodied in some places from the attack from Mistress Centipede.
Suddenly Mistress Centipede grabbed Kagome in surprise.
"Let go of me!" Kagome said as she grabbed Inuyasha's hair trying to hold on to something, to get away from Mistress Centipede.
"Ow, ow, ow! You two let go!" Inuyasha shouted in pain as his hair was being pulled away from him and he couldn't move.
"Inuyasha has revived!" One of the villagers said as they reported to Kaede who was with the group attacking Mistress Centipede.
'How can that be?! The seal should have held forever!' Kaede thought as she looked at Inuyasha.
"Give me the Sacred Jewel!" Mistress Centipede shouted at Kagome bringing her closer to her.
'Sacred Jewel?' Inuyasha thought as he looked at Kagome, ignoring the pain from his hair being pulled.
Mistress Centipede had opened her jaw and plunged forward to attack Kagome.
"Stop it!" Kagome said in fear as a burst of light appeared and few of Mistress Centipede arms fell off.
"Hey, I did that before too in the well..." Kagome said as she looked at her hand and Mistress Centipede moved back a bit from her.
The villagers and Kaede gasped as they saw the events unfolding from their very eyes.
"But how did I do it though?" Kagome said asking herself and then her side started glowing. She gasped as she saw that something was in her body. "What's happening now?" she said worryingly.
Then Mistress Centipede went for the strike as she saw the light in Kagome's body, she bit into Kagome's stomach and tossed her into the air as she saw what came out of her, blood from her wound and a jewel.
"Kagome!" Mai shouted to her, worrying what's going to happen.
'It came from inside me. Is that the Sacred Jewel?' Kagome thought as she stared at the jewel in awe as she landed back on the ground close to the tree.
"Gimme the Jewel! Quick!" Inuyasha said to Kagome but he still couldn't move.
"What?" Kagome said in a daze from the attack.
"Hurry!" Inuyasha said urgently, wanting to get the jewel before that demon does.
Then Mistress Centipede pinned Kagome and Mai to Inuyasha, wrapping her long centipede like body around the tree.
"I heard some half-demon spawn was after the Sacred Jewel. It's you, isn't it?" Mistress Centipede said in mockery as she looked at him.
'Half-demon? What is he?' Kagome thought as she looked at him more closely as she was still unsure what was happening.
"Half's all I need to kick your scaly butt. Anymore more than that'd be a waste of my time." Inuyasha said, talking smack to the demon pinning them all in tightly to the tree.
"Listen. You talk big, but can you back it up?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as she thought of a way to get out of this situation and he might be the solution.
"Hmm?" Inuyasha said as he looked down at Kagome, wondering what she had in mind.
"Can you or not?" Kagome asked him, hoping he was strong enough to break them free.
"What can he do, pinned there like that? Or you for that matter? You're powerless to stop me. You're helpless, the three of you." Mistress Centipede said as she went to the jewel.
"Don't you dare!" Inuyasha shouted in fury as Mistress Centipede grabbed the jewel with her tongue and swallowed it.
"It swallowed the Jewel!" One of the villagers said in fear of what will happen next.
"Lady Kaede, what shall we do?!" A man next to Kaede said unsure of handling the situation.
"Look, it's rearming." Kagome said with worry.
"At last, my power is complete!" Mistress Centipede said as she turned into a powerful form.
"Just when I thought you couldn't get any uglier!" Mai said as she rolled her eyes, not impressed and Mistress Centipede started to tighten her body on all three of them since she had no use of them no more.
"It's crushing me!" Kagome said, feeling her body getting squished to the tree painfully like a snake wrapping around its prey.
"Hey. Can you... pull out this arrow?" Inuyasha asked calmly, getting Kagome's attention.
"Huh?" Kagome asked as she looked up, seeing the arrow in Inuyasha's chest.
"Look, can you pull out this arrow or not?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.
"I... I don't know." Kagome said as she was reaching for it.
"Maybe if we both try." Mai said as she reached for it as well.
"Nay, children! Once the arrow is removed, then Inuyasha will be free to destroy us all!" Kaede said hoping they would heed her words.
"Don't be stupid, you old hag! At least with me you got a chance, whereas that thing's gonna eat you!" Inuyasha shouted to them.
"Besides, if he even tries I'll find a way to stop that!" Mai said as she turned to Inuyasha. "Don't you underestimate me. You don't know a thing about me." She said to him with fierceness in her eyes as her hand was next to the arrow.
"And what about you. Are you ready to die yet?" Inuyasha said as he looked at both of them, knowing what they would choose as the demon wrapping them started to get tighter and harder to breathe.
'I... I don't know what I should do, but given the choice…' "I choose to..." Kagome thought as she and Mai grabbed the arrow. "Live!" Kagome shouted as both of them pulled the arrow as a bright light appeared and it disintegrated the arrow.
Some of Inuyasha's blood came out from his injury and dropped onto Mai's wound on her arm as she groaned from the contact but ignored it for the time being not knowing it starting to change her.
"It's gone! My sister's spell vanished!" Kaeda said, astonished by what just happened.
Suddenly Inuyasha started to pulsate as his powers were returning.
"Um... Inuyasha?" Kagome asked not sure what was happening as Inuyasha started laughing maniacally.
"Do know how crazy you look right now?" Mai asked as her eyebrow lifted a bit at Inuyasha. Then a burst of golden energy appeared from him as he broke through Mistress Centipede's body while breaking the roots and branches.
Finally they were all free from her clutches as Inuyasha landed beside Mistress Centipede.
"Wretch child!" Mistress Centipede said with venom in her words as she was wounded.
"Nasty hag!" "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyashas said as he attacked the demon and she combusted into many pieces.
"Now I know, he is strong." Kagome said in amazement.
"Of course he is." Mai said, then she grunted as something was happening to her but she brushed it off for the moment.
"It's still moving!" Kagome said in fear as the pieces started to wiggle and writhe.
"Find the glowing flesh, quickly. That's where the jewel will be. It must be removed at once, lest the flesh of Mistress Centipede revive." Kaede explained to them.
"Whoa, whoa! Tell me you're joking! There! It's that one!" Kagome said as she pointed at the glowing flesh only she saw. Then Kaede went to the flesh and pulled out the jewel.
As soon as she did, the flesh of Mistress Centipede turned into bones.
"Huh? But…" Kagome said in confusion of what just happened.
"Only ye may possess the Sacred Jewel." Kaede said as she looked at the jewel in her hand. 'Ye who so resemble the dead Kikyo.'
"But how did it get inside my body? Why would I have a jewel wanted by demons?" Kagome asked, wanting answers.
"Exactly. Humans can't use it, so why bother to keep it. If you hand the Jewel over right now, I won't have to start sharpening my claws on you." Inuyasha said threatening as he flexed his fingers, showing them his claws.
"What? What? What?!" Kagome asked as the situation started to turn sour.
Suddenly, Mai started to feel her body growing hot, and not just from anger.
"Are, you, kidding me? We were trying to help you, and this is how you thank us?!" Mai said looking at him in disbelief.
"So...and what are you going to do about it...nothing because you're a pathetic human." Inuyasha said with a sneer.
Suddenly, Mai doubled over as pain started radiating throughout her body. "Agh! I'm on fire!" She groaned in pain and then she screamed as she couldn't take it anymore as her body was being pushed to its limit.
Then a light surrounded Mai making everyone cover their eyes from the brightness of it, making the night turn to day.
Moments later, everything started to settle down and the light faded from Mai. She opened her eyes and looked at her hands as there were longer fingernails and some hair fell in front of her. She saw that it was reddish brown.
Mai turns around to see everyone shocked, even Kagome couldn't believe it.
"Ok, so I have longer nails and my hair color changed. What's the big deal?" Mai said as she was confused as everyone's reaction to her as she grew three heads.
"Your ears there...-" Kagome said as she pointed to Mai's ears.
Mai felt for her ears where they should be but felt nothing. Went higher up and felt something fuzzy and soft, like Inuyasha's ears.
'What?' Mai thought, not realizing what had just happened or what she had become.