After everything she'd gone through, it was a wonder she wasn't a train wreck, but battling against demons and evil spirits wasn't new to Kagome. Her confidence in her abilities as a novice priestess kept her going, but after losing her friends to a smoke monster in an unknown world, the situation left her biting her nails.

She wasn't alone. Shippo and Link were with her.

But would their combined strengths work against this foreign threat? Despite knowing only bits and pieces about their enemy, she relied on the young man seated in front of her. From what she learned earlier before this mess started, he was once a warrior who had traveled from a distant land but had lost his way returning home.

Maybe they were fortunate to run into him after their transmigration, otherwise, she wasn't sure how she and Shippo would fair alone. In the back of her mind, she wondered what had caused Inuyasha to transform into a full demon. No doubt it was their enemy, but for what purpose? How many innocents had he hurt in the time they spent here?

There was nothing they could do. With the Beads of Subjugation scattered across Termina's fields, returning him to any sense of normalcy would prove challenging. The last thing either of them needed was a run in with his windscar. But so long as she kept her spiritual power, repelling his demonic energy wasn't an issue. That alone gave her hope.

"For this to work, we'll need you to distract the shopkeepers."

It was not an ideal situation, but Link made a valid point that she shouldn't feel guilty. This theft would help them gain equipment necessary to fight against their enemy. It was for the better cause. Given that they only had one hour before curfew, she wondered if there was enough time.

"How many shops?"

"Two. If the Trading Post has everything we need, then our last stop will be the Bomb Shop. Both lie west of here."

"Bomb Shop? You're buying explosives?" Shippo asked.

"There's a chance we might need them. Plus, they're carrying a new item that I'd like to try. Are you ready to head out, Kagome?"

"Ready than I'll ever be."

Link moved away from the table, crossing the room before pausing at a crate settled against the wall. As she watched him lean forward to peer into the eyes of a golden mask hanging on the wall, he pulled away and beckoned them closer. "Have a look."

Moving away from the bed, with Shippo following in tow beside her, she followed Link's instructions. When she did, she saw another room visible from the other side, cluttered with various objects and antiques. There was a desk in front of her, and she pulled away. "Is there another room?"

"What you're seeing is the Curiosity Shop. It's a place where stolen items are taken and sold. Right now, it seems as if the shop is closed, which leads me to believe the owner is working at the Trading Post."

That was fine, but why were their holes in the wall? Did the previous owner have a stalking problem? As much as she wanted to ask Link, she kept her mouth shut and nodded. There was no time for questions. "But why are you showing us this?" She asked, allowing Shippo a turn to look through the holes of the mask.

A smile crept to his lips, and he pointed down towards the crate. With little strength, he pushed it away and revealed a small crawlspace, hidden away by a red curtain from the other side. "This will make our task easier. While you venture to the shop and distract him, Shippo and I will crawl through here and into the connecting room. When he's not looking, we'll take what we need and crawl back through here."

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Shippo said, his tail swaying from side to side.

Kagome mused and crossed her arms. "I'm a bit confused why this whole set up exists, but it's fine by me. How do I find the Trading Post? You said it was west?"

And to answer her question, he removed a rolled-up sheet of parchment from his green tunic and opened it. "This is where we are. If you head this way, you'll end up at this spot. We're not that far. The first shop is the Trading Post."

"I'll show her the way, Link," Serena said. "The last thing we want is for her to waste time and get lost. No offense, Kagome."

"None taken…"

"As soon as Shippo and I hear your voice, we'll—"

"Wait a minute!" She said, holding up her hand. "Shouldn't we have a signal or something?"

"Don't worry, Kagome. If something goes wrong, I can use one of my tricks on him to knock him out!"

She sweat dropped at Shippo's reply. Somehow, she wasn't too keen on this idea of thievery, but there was no helping it. It was survival of the fittest out here. "Alright. I'll do what I can to keep him distracted."

"Just so long as you get him away from his desk long enough," Link said. "Are you ready?"

But an idea came to her, and she returned to the bedside and sifted through her backpack. "Hold on a second. I have an idea on how to distract him further…" From her backpack, she retrieved a handful of random items and placed them into a carrier bag embroidered with lilacs and leaves. "Okay. Now I'm ready. Let's get this over with."

"What are those for?"

She grinned. "You'll see."

And with that said, she followed Serena out of the room and across the bridge back into town. From there, they followed the path west of the clock tower until they arrived at a steep incline with a series of stone stairs and several annexed shops to their left. The flickering torches guided Kagome and Serena to the first building, ornate with colorful banners. Too bad she couldn't understand the language.

"I'll be honest. This guy is a complete scumbag, Kagome. Link and I have had our fair share buying from him, and he'll use every trick in the book to swindle you. But since you're not really buying anything, you don't have to worry."

Great. Wonderful. "Thanks for the heads up…" With a deep breath, she reached for the knob and turned it, opening the door.

To her confusion, she stepped into a well-lit room of flickering torches with woodland trees and shrubberies painted onto the walls. There was even a blue sky with billowing white clouds and a bright sun painted on the ceiling. Weeds and unknown plant species grew from the dirt flooring at her feet, with a literal tree, void of any leaves, situated to her right by a wooden table and rounded stools.

Even more fascinating was the wooden platform ahead over a shallow body of water with a wooden bridge leading across. Over there, she saw varying shelves affixed to the walls filled with an abundance of items. And standing behind the stall, she saw the shopkeeper.

She didn't expect such a view.

But glancing right and left of her position, she also noticed several more shelves containing corked containers filled with water and fish, weapons, and others with small fairies of varying colors. The sight alone startled her. He sold fairies? Shouldn't that be a crime? Or was that normal in this world?

One look at Serena told her otherwise as the small fairy took shelter behind her long flowing tresses. Kagome didn't blame her for fearing this place, and had she been in her position, she would steer clear altogether. But aside from her silent musings, she approached the counter, smiling her best smile to the middle-aged man staring back.

"Greetings! Welcome, young lass! How can I be of service to you?"

"Hello. I'm just… looking for some weaponry…"

"And why would a pretty young woman, like yourself, need that?" He asked, arching a brow. "You wouldn't be planning an uprising now, would you?"

The inquiry surprised her, and she waved her hands. "No, no. Nothing like that. It's… it's for my son. He's a hunter."

He laughed, smacking the table. "I'm only teasing you! What sort of weapons does he need? I have a fine selection right over there," He said, pointing to the furthest wall near the door. "If you see anything you like, bring it here. I'll be closing soon."

She nodded and stepped away from the counter and approached the wall lined with several shelves. An assortment of swords, shields and bows of varying styles, stood before her, each marked with a wooden slab beneath. Kagome had no clue what it meant, but she assumed the symbols meant the amount they ran at.

"Kagome, you need to lure him away from the counter."

"I know," She said in a low whisper. Otherwise Link and Shippo wouldn't be able to sneak by and swipe what they needed off the shelves. I wonder if Link needs a bow and quiver of arrows… I know I will… Then again, he had a lot of weapons inside his house along with a collection of magical masks. I wish he would have told me earlier what he needed…

But an idea struck her. All she had to do was lure him away from the counter. So, what was the harm of taking some stuff back to the counter first? Kagome grinned at the thought. Well, in that case, I guess it doesn't hurt to be a little greedy. This is for the better cause.

And like that, Kagome reached for a couple quivers, each filled to the max with arrows. One for her and one for Link! Blue orbs glanced over the other shelves, and she stood for a moment deciding upon another weapon of choice. Although she had a box cutter in her backpack, in cases of emergency, it wouldn't hurt to grab something for Shippo.

The perfect weapon greeted her on the highest shelf, and standing on tiptoes, she swiped it, along with a medium-sized shield which was light when she lifted it. This would come in handy…

After glancing one last time and pretending to appear thoughtful in her selection, Kagome returned to the counter and dropped off the items. "How much would all of this cost?"

"Let's see… That will be 290 rupees!" He said, placing the objects into two separate carrying bags and placing them onto the counter to his left. "Was this everything?"

Remembering the items she brought with her, she reached into the small bag and withdrew them, placing each onto the counter in front of her. "I was also hoping to sell these for a reasonable price, before I make my purchase," She said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh? Well, why didn't you say that before? Hmm… to be honest, they seem worthless."

From the corner of her eye, while he surveyed her collection of empty water containers, a new pack of pens, notebook, and lighter, she saw Link and Shippo peek around the corner of an open doorway. "They're more valuable than they seem. Look at this," She said, opening up the pack of pens and removing the cap. From there, she scribbled some words onto a page of her notebook, and his eyes widened. "See?"

"How is that possible?! You mean to tell me, that slim object has ink inside it? And it's not even a feather!"

Kagome nodded. "Yes! We call them pens! And you can refill them too! I'm willing to sell it for a reasonable price."

He pondered, eyeing the set of ten individual pens and even the wire-bound notebook. "Hmm… I suppose I could part with thirty rupees. And what is this?" He asked, holding up a reflective object. "What purpose does this have?"

"That's a lighter. It can produce fire. It's handy when you're out in the wilderness and need to start a campfire!"

His eyes widened another fraction. "Fire? Impossible!"

"Press down on the red cap and see for yourself."

Though he seemed skeptical at first, he did as she instructed, unaware of Link sneaking past and handing Shippo several small objects, his small feet tiptoeing back into the other room. A flame appeared when he pressed down on the red cap, and his mouth flew open. "Amazing! Why, it's a step up from matches!" He said, mind-blown.

Kagome noticed the table behind her and pointed towards the unlit candles over there. "Why not test it out?"

He nodded and moved away from the counter, and as soon as his back faced her, she handed the bag of weapons to Link, who wasted no time carrying them back into the other room. From there, she followed the man as he marveled over the lighter, moving from one end of the shop to another as he tested it out.

"How much could I get for that?"

"I'll give you fifty rupees! It's better than a box of matches! And you said it's refillable? I assume lantern oil is used?"

She wasn't sure if the oil of this world would work on her lighter, but she nodded. "Of course! Something like this will last you a lifetime!"

"In that case, I'll double my offer! How does one hundred rupees sound?"

"Thank you! I also have one last item to show you!"

He lowered the lighter and placed it into his pocket and leaned forward, examining the empty water containers. "And what is this?"

"While it might seem like your ordinary traveling container, it actually has a filter inside it," She said, catching his interest. "Let's say you are traveling and need to fill up on water. The filter inside will purify that water, therefore making it much safer to drink from!"

"Oh? That is pretty good…" He said, brushing his fingers against his goatee. "As far as boiling water goes, this could come in handy during travels… How does twenty rupees sound? For each?"

"That's too low, Kagome," Serena said in her ear.

Kagome mused. "I'll accept sixty. You can't find this item anywhere in Termina…"

"fifty. Take it or leave it."

"That's a steal! Take it!" Serena said.

"Deal!"

While Kagome inwardly celebrated the amount earned from her otherwise cheap possessions, the shopkeeper leaned into her, his eyes staring below her face. "W-what is it?" She asked, covering her chest.

He pointed. "That locket of yours. Is it made from gold?"

At this, she blinked, and touched the smooth surface of her necklace. This was a memento of hers from two years ago. Inside the heart-shaped locket was a picture of her and Inuyasha. It was a matching set, but it meant nothing more than friendship. Over time, she even got one for her other friends, but they were cheap. Not actual gold.

"Sorry. I can't sell this. It means too much to me."

He nodded. "I see. That's too bad. How about that fairy of yours? I'll pay you two hundred."

Serena gasped and hid further inside Kagome's hair, and Kagome's mouth fell open. He wasn't serious, was he? Then again, judging by his collection on the walls behind her, he was. "I can't do that either… She's my friend."

"Friend?" He asked and snorted. "Friends with a fairy? Now I've heard it all!" He laughed. "I've seen many in my lifetime, and I can assure you she's the rarest of them all. Bigger than the average fairy! I usually sell them at a price of fifty rupees, but for her, I would offer a greater amount."

A greater amount? Kagome bit her lip, her eyes straying to Link and Shippo behind the shopkeeper a distance away. It seemed they had finished taking what they needed from the shelves, leaving only a few items left behind. But their eyes glanced her direction, and Kagome pondered.

If I pretend to sell Serena… that would give us more money in case of an emergency. I know this is wrong, but it is for the better cause. Besides, I'm not really selling her. We'll save her at the last instance.

"Well? Do we have a deal?"

"Kagome… if you dare—"

With a drawn-out sigh, Kagome turned and cupped the fairy between her hands, and the creature screamed. "I'm sorry, Serena… But I need the money…" She said, sweat dropping as the curses escaped her. "Please understand…"

"Understand? Let me go this instant! I can't believe you would sell me!"

The words stung her, and her eyes strayed to the shopkeepers, his mouth forming into a wide and cynical grin. And behind him, she noticed Link and Shippos surprised expressions, and she winked, hoping they caught on. Link only nodded, positioning himself behind the doorway with Shippo.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" He said and reached for an empty jar from the table. After uncorking it, he held it open for Kagome. "You're making an excellent decision!"

"Let me go! Help! Great Fairy! Someone help!"

"Forgive me, Serena…"

"I can't believe you! You've lost my trust! I hope your plan to save your friends falls to ruin!"

Given that Serena didn't realize Kagome's intentions, Kagome pretended not to hear it. Instead, she dropped the fairy into the uncorked jar and watched as the older man covered the lid, rubbing the jar with utter fascination. Kagome sighed. "You said you would pay me. The total should be four hundred rupees."

"Of course! Of course! And lucky for you, I have it right here!" He said, and withdrew a bag of rupees.

Kagome hoped he didn't swindle her. But she opened it anyway, marveling at the colorful gems within. "It was a pleasure doing business with you."

But Kagome's plans fell short at this point. Now that she made a lot of rupees and Link and Shippo had played their part, how would she face the consequences when he turned around? Soon he'd notice the empty shelves and turn an accusing finger at her. But what then? What would the next plan of action be?

"Oh, lucky day! This is the best steal I've had this evening! Now then, about your purchases, young lady."

Kagome perked up at this and nodded. "Yes! I'm ready buy my items," She said. "My son will be delighted when I return home. I can't wait to see the look on his face—" Kagome fell short when a noise escaped the shopkeeper, his legs carrying him towards the counter where empty shelves greeted him. "Oh, no! What's wrong? Where are my bags?"

His body shook as he placed the jar containing Serena down onto the counter. "M-my stock! It's gone!" He said, his voice cracking.

From her position a short distance away, she heard his mental breakdown. He rounded the table and inspected every shelf, and the areas in the cabinets under his table. Then his dark orbs flashed towards her, and she winced. He pointed his finger and approached her. "You!"

She held up her hands. "Me? What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb! You stole from me!"

"I didn't! I'm just as surprised as you! Honest!"

But he didn't believe her. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her towards the table and withdrew a blade from his pocket. The sight alone caused her to squeak, and he held it at her throat. "Do you take me for a fool?! You are aware of what happens to thieves. Don't you?"

From the position he held her at, she winced as the blade pressed into her neck. This man was livid, and he had every reason to be. But how would she escape this mess? Kagome searched for an escape route, but she couldn't see anything besides his towering form over her, his smelly breath fanning her face.

While he spouted curses at her, she slipped her knee between his legs and kneed him, and he bent over and loosened his grasp. From there, she pulled away, but he caught her from behind and pushed her onto her knees. This man would not let her go without a fight.

"Get off! Let me go!"

"Hold still! I'll not let you go until the guards arrive—Ack!"

From her position, she noticed a familiar auburn tail perched over the man's shoulder with Shippo's teeth biting the nape of his neck. Relief flooded Kagome, and she wiggled free, but not before he grabbed her leg. Kagome fell forward once again, and this time kicked him in the chest.

He fell onto his back, desperately fighting to remove Shippo, and when she regained her standing, Link reached for her hand and pushed her towards the backroom. He pointed towards the small space pulled away by the curtains to crawl through.

"But Shippo and Serena!"

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. We'll meet you on the other side. Go!"

She nodded at this, and trembling from the encounter, she crawled through the opening, thankful the space was big enough to accommodate her. When she arrived on the other side, she remained on her knees and bent low. Would they be alright?

Just as she started biting her nails, a resounding thud resonated from the other room, coupled with the sound of water splashing. Hurried footsteps came closer, and soon enough, Link and Shippo emerged through the crawlspace. And Serena was still trapped inside the jar, clutched against Shippo's chest, her light a deep crimson.

"Oh, thank god! That scared me to death!" Kagome said as Link pushed the crate over the hole.

"You're telling me! If Link hadn't dropped kicked him into the water, I'm not sure what would have happened!" Shippo said. "Are you okay, Kagome? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm fine." She reached for the jar and uncorked the lid, and Serena flew out in a frenzy. "I'm so sorry, Serena. I didn't really mean to sell you."

"Didn't mean to?! You did! All for a couple hundred rupees!"

Well, it wasn't a lie. "That's true… but I had no intention of leaving you behind. I knew Link and Shippo would save you at the last possible minute. Sorry I didn't warn you in advance, but I needed it to seem convincing."

Link intervened. "Don't be too hard on Kagome, Serena. She did it for us. We'll definitely need the money once we run low on items. Had I thought of her method, I might have done the same."

Serena's crimson light lessened into a pink shade. "Fine! But a little warning would have been appreciated!"

"And?" Link said, squinting his blue orbs at Serena.

"And… I take back what I said about your friends… No hard feelings, Kagome."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "It's fine. So, now what? You mentioned you wanted to pick up an item at the bomb shop, right Link?"

"Yeah, but we barely have enough time as it is… But the extra money is appreciated. Let me see what he gave you," He said.

As she handed him the bag, he sorted through each of the rupees. "At least he didn't cheat you. Four hundred exactly. This should last us a while. You don't mind if I hold on to it, do you?"

"Sure. Go ahead. I can't even count it," She said, laughing.

He nodded and sifted through the large bags at his feet. One by one, he counted each item, and as he did, Kagome and Shippo watched. "All we're missing are potions and bombs… But for the long run, we should be fine."

"How are we going to carry all of that without it weighing us down?" Shippo asked. "That's too much for all of us to carry."

But that's when Link smirked and pointed to the satchel at his waist. "This is no ordinary traveling bag. It was a gift from the Great Fairy years ago, back in Hyrule. Though it might seem small, it can carry an unlimited items. Enough so that it can even shrink larger items."

"No way!" Shippo said. "Are you serious?"

And like that, he did a demonstration. First, he placed the smaller items inside, opening the lid wide enough for them to peer into its dark depths. As he did, the objects shrunk. Link then reached for the shield, accompanied by deku seeds, a dagger, and even the extra quiver of arrows and bow. There was no bulkiness, or added weight, and it blew their minds.

"See? It comes in handy for long travels," He said, laughing at their expressions.

"That's amazing! I wish my backpack had that same blessing!"

"You could carry all the ramen and chips you wanted! And your mom's home-cooked meals!"

Kagome sweat dropped at the thought. "I can only imagine Inuyasha's excitement…" But it would definitely come in handy! Maybe after all this was over, she could ask the Great Fairy to bless her backpack… It was a thought.

An unexpected pounding drew them out of their conversation, and their gaze traveled to the exit down the hall. Someone was at the door, and by the sound of it, there were multiple people. In a flash, Link jumped to his feet and crossed the remaining distance, and in no time at all, he returned with his sword drawn.

"Who is it? What's happening?" Kagome asked.

"Trouble. It's the guards. They must have narrowed in on us! We're not safe here."

Serena gasped. "Already?! That was fast!"

Shippo scurried to the crate and pushed it aside, but he fell back. "W-we're trapped!"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, and as she bent her head to glimpse at what had frightened him, she saw large canine feet on the other side of the crawlspace. "Oh, no…"

A/N

I recently underwent carpal tunnel surgery on my left hand, and I'm still recovering, but that won't deter me from updating when I can. Secondly, I no longer write with my co-author, so that's postponed some things on my end. Because of these two things, I decided to make this much easier on me in the long run. I combined "ApItH (Alternate Story)" and "Retelling of Ancient Times" into this story and simply changed the title to "Mask of Armaros" which makes way more sense. The stories weren't that different from each other anyway, so nothing important has changed.

The only slight changes made: Inuyasha no longer plays a vital role in the story, and Link is no longer the version from (AlTtP). Instead, Link is now (OoT/MM). The person that saved Kagome, Link and Shippo and brought them to the Great Fairy is no longer the Happy Mask Salesman, but is instead Emmett-The Sorcerer. I hope that clears up any confusion.